This piece was first published in BusinessGreen
Let me introduce you to the mysterious world of triads. This is not, however, an article about the exotic world of Hong Kong's ill-famed criminal gangs. This is about the much more prosaic world of managing electricity bills.
Triads are the three half hour periods when electricity demand is at its highest in Britain. They occur in winter. Between November and February businesses are charged significantly more for their electricity during these 30 minute periods.
This is a perfectly sensible measure to encourage those who can to use less power when demand is highest. It is exactly what you would expect to happen in an efficient market obeying the laws of supply and demand.
Britain's energy intensive industries are not stupid. They try to guess when the triads will occur and then reduce production for those half-hours to cut their costs. This is a perfectly sensible response by those businesses. They do it if the marginal production losses during those three half hours are less than the extra cost of the electricity.
This is a routine business operation to cut costs which has gone unnoticed for years. The arcane skill of guessing the triad has not warranted much attention from the media and its best practitioners have preserved their anonymity.
This era of quiet professionalism may now be over. That is, if a recent headline in the Financial Times is to be believed. "UK manufacturers warn of shutdowns amid energy measures" it bellowed. This sits the story squarely in the media's running nightmare that Britain's lights are about to go out. Triads, it seems, are now critical to the health of Britain's economy.
So, what is the source of this dire threat? This turns out to be the National Grid which has launched a Demand Side Balancing Reserve (DSBR) scheme. This is one of a number of measures it is deploying to increase security of electricity supply.
These measures are necessary because of the uncertainties created by unplanned outages from ageing nuclear reactors, the closing of uneconomic gas fired generators, old coal-fired power stations coming offline for air pollution reasons and the growing proportion of wind and solar generation in the system. They underpin National Grid's confidence that it will keep the lights on this winter, as it does every winter.
The DSBR scheme will invite companies to reduce their demand during peak winter evenings. Those companies that do so will be paid. So, why would anyone object to being paid reliably to do something they used to have to guess about? After all the invitation is open to exactly those companies whose production is already sufficiently flexible to play triad roulette.
Furthermore, triads have been becoming more difficult to predict anyway. Electricity demand has been falling for nearly a decade. Rising bills have stimulated more companies to get into this game. You would have thought that the predictability of a contract would have been preferable to the current guessing gamble.
Not so according to the energy intensive businesses. Npower, Sheffield Forgemasters, the EEF have all sucked their teeth and complained to the FT that this will be very bad – ' a very real concern', 'disrupting production', 'more….shutdowns' they told the FT.
How so? This scheme simply adds a belt to the many braces the National Grid already employs to keep the lights on. Energy intensive industries are not being asked to do anything they are not already doing. It is their electricity suppliers not the companies themselves which are being invited to sign up to the scheme.
The ability this scheme gives to National Grid to reduce demand is good for the security of the system as a whole. This is a useful benefit to every other business and domestic consumer. All it means for the energy intensive industries is that it will be a little more difficult to guess exactly when the triads will occur.
Hardly surprising therefore that National Grid dismissed the complaints. As it pointed out, this is not a scheme they are likely to use very often. It would only represent a fraction of the amount of demand reduction provided by triad avoidance with which the companies already cope well.
So nothing to worry about in Tanya Pawley's story with its alarming headline? Not quite. The story accidentally reveals two things that do matter: the penchant for Britain's energy intensive industries to whinge at all times and declining editorial standards of the FT.
If a possible increase in the price of electricity on three half hours a few days a year is 'a very real concern' you have got lot more to worry about than guessing wrong on triads. If these industries really are balancing their viability on such a thin edge we would we better off thinking hard about how best to close them.
In reality, of course, they are not that fragile.
The FT has taken an ill-informed and increasingly hysterical stand against the effort to decarbonise the British economy. A frequent riff of the campaign has been that this threatens our energy security. Last winter and the winter before the FT joined the rest of the media in noisy warnings that the lights would go out. They didn't.
So what is the point of running a dead parrot of a story about a measure that would actually help to keep the lights on? Ah, well that is because this is 'an emergency measure' which will 'force' businesses to 'shut down'. The editorial intent is clear if unstated. These disruptive measures are needed because decarbonisation is damaging Britain's energy security.
The only point of this parrot is to populate the FT's nightmare that dealing with climate change is ruining the economy. It is time its editors woke up to the dangers of failing to deal with climate change so cogently provided by one of its own most distinguished columnists.
Tom Burke
November 26th 2014


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Oprah's Definition of Luck: Where opportunity and preparation meet.
Every year the Emperor Penguin goes through an incredible ordeal in preparing for the season of mating opportunity in Antarctica. With no certainty that their attempt will produce offspring, the male and female emperor penguins travel between 31 and 75 miles inland at −40 °F to conduct courtship and mate. The female then lays the egg and carefully transfers it to the underbelly of the male before returning to the sea to feed for two months. The male penguin stays behind with the egg for two months without ever allowing the egg to touch the ice below, keeping both him and the egg warm by huddling against all of the other male penguins. The male endures about 115 days of fasting and the loss of roughly 40 pounds of body weight with no guarantee that the egg will actually hatch. Around the time that the egg is supposed to hatch, the mother returns and takes over care and feeding of the hatchling while the father walks back to the ocean and feeds himself back to health. If the egg does not hatch, the couple dissipates and each returns back to the ocean in preparation for the next mating season.
Let's take a moment to really think about this awe-inspiring act: two penguins spending roughly four months in the below-freezing Antarctic winter and losing up to 45% of their body weight in order to breed and hatch an egg. The journey is so perilous that many attempts at breeding are not successful, and yet they continue to put themselves through this journey year after year. Would you be willing to do so?
Oprah's Definition of Luck
Preparing for something that is guaranteed in the near future is not difficult because you know that your energy and time spent in preparation will not be wasted. But focusing time and energy on something that may or may not happen is a much more difficult feat. After all, no one wants to waste their limited resources.
Oprah's definition entails preparing for an opportunity that may or may not come. Yet preparation for the unknown in our lives is so important. Think about all of the ways that we prepare for the future: we educate ourselves for that future career, we save money for our future lives, and we invest in a retirement fund that will not occur for another 20, 30, even 40 years from now. We do all of this because, as Oprah points out, without proper preparation we may not be able to take advantage of the opportunities that do come our way. But in order to continue to prepare for the opportunities that will come our way—thus making us "lucky"—we need something more. We need a motivating force.
The Missing Element
While we cannot necessarily control opportunity, we can control the amount of preparation that we do in our lives. Yet, who would be willing to do the same thing day in, day out, year after year, without some sort of motivation other than preparing for future opportunities that may never come? The penguins may be driven in their preparation out of a primal instinct, but where is the drive to make people endure seemingly aimless preparation when an outcome is not guaranteed? The missing element to Oprah's definition of Luck is truly the human element to all of this. It is hope. Hope is an integral part to this equation as it is the motivating factor for us to do our part to ensure that 'Luck' finds us. Without hope, we lose sight of everything that we want, everything that we are willing to sacrifice, and we stop doing the work. Opportunity may finally come one day, but the preparation will not be there and so once again we will label ourselves as "unlucky". Without it, we may not even be able to recognize the opportunities that do come our way, much less feel that we can take advantage of them. Hope is what keeps our engines running.
There are beautiful examples of this motivating force everywhere, both among people and in nature. Hope is what kept the trees in our front yard—slowly dying from the exceptional drought last year—poised towards the sky with several buds that were ready to burst open and germinate should the rains come (and they eventually did). It's what keeps working parents driving their children to music lessons or soccer games or spelling bees after working full-time and surviving their commutes. Hope is setting up social media buttons on blogs that only our mother and father currently read in preparation that when we write something one day that is so unique and wonderful, the tools are there to make our work go viral. Hope is getting ourselves out of debt so that we can open ourselves to the opportunity of helping others in the future, or to the many other opportunities that will surely come our way.
Hope will lead us towards our luck.
Do you have hope for your future? What kind of preparation are you doing in your financial life to be able to take advantage of future opportunities when they come your way?

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


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If you have been using Google Contacts (or any other address book*) to store the postal addresses of your friends and colleagues, you can easily create an online Google Map with all these address or even view them inside Google Earth. Here are the steps:
- Make a copy of this Google Sheet in your own Google Docs account.
- From the Google Contacts menu in the sheet, choose Initialize and authorize the script (see source code) to access your Google Contacts.
- Next choose Generate KML under the same menu and the script will send a KML file to your email account.
Go to your mailbox and download the KML file to the desktop. You can double-click this file to directly open it inside Google Earth. You can click the pin /marker to read the full address and name of the contact.
Alternatively, you can upload the KML file to the web and copy-paste the URL of the KML file into the Google Maps Search box as shown below (see a sample map).
Also see: Google Maps Address Lookup
Internally, the Google Apps Script reads the home /work postal addresses of your Google Contacts and then uses the geocoding service** of Google Maps to transform these human-readable address into latitudes and longitude values. These points (or placemarks) are finally put in a KML file that you can open inside Google Earth or Google Maps.[*] If you aren't using Google Contacts, you can still use the script. Export the contacts data from your existing address book (like Hotmail or Yahoo Mail) as a CSV file and import the file into Google Contacts. [**] Google's Geocoding service allows you make 2,500 requests per IP per day.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


Question: What Happens If You Don'T Wash Your Pillow?
Does masturbation cause Hairfall?
Is it OK to sleep without a pillow case?
You can sleep on a pillow without a pillowcase. It won't affect you using the pillow in anyway. … If you have a pillow case on your pillow, it will help to protect the pillow. In this way you do not have to wash the pillow, just wash the cover on the pillow.
Does dirty laundry attract bugs?
Summary: Bed bugs are attracted to dirty laundry, according to new research. … The Sheffield scientists found that in the absence of a human host, bed bugs were twice as likely to aggregate on bags containing soiled clothes compared to bags containing clean clothes.
Do you need to wash your pillow?
Consumer Reports' experts say to fluff your pillow every day but wash it only occasionally. While you're probably in the habit of regularly washing your sheets and pillowcases, you might not give as much attention to what lies beneath: your pillows and mattress. But both need a good cleaning at least twice a year.
How dirty is your pillowcase?
Your pillowcase has a build up of oils, dirt, and sweat from daily use. This means they can harbor bacteria and cause allergies. In some cases, pillowcases can even damage your hair or skin. Experts suggest washing your pillowcase every two days or so.
How do you disinfect a pillow?
What is the best vitamin for hair loss?
How often should you shower?
How do u check for bed bugs?
How long should a pillow last?
Why does my drool stain my pillow?
Sleep drooling is a surefire way to lead to a discolored pillow. If you look closely at your pillow you will easily be able to identify the dried drool stains. … This is because drool quickly seeps through your pillow case taking with it any dirt and dust that rests on your pillow with it.
Why is my husband's side of the bed yellow?
Why does my husband's pillow smell?
By itself, the sweat does not have any odor. The sweat consists mainly of water, salt, proteins, and oils. Bacteria actually cause the smell. … So, we established that pillow smells like vinegar because the person who sleeps on the pillow is sweating.
Why is sweat yellow?
Sweat may be yellow, green, blue, brown, or black. These colors are due to a pigment produced in the sweat glands called lipofuscin.
What happens if you don't wash your bed sheets?
Can hair grow back after thinning?
Why do men's pillows turn yellow?
How often should you change your bed pillows?
every 1-2 yearsA general rule of thumb is to replace your pillows once every 1-2 years. You'll know it's time for a replacement when your pillows don't provide enough support. Washing your pillows frequently can prolong their life but there is a limit to how long your pillows can support you.
Can a dirty pillow cause hair loss?
How often should you wash a pillow?
two to four times a yearPillows, especially, should be washed at least two to four times a year (say, every four months) to help them last longer. But not all types of pillows — down, fiberfill, and foam — should be treated in the same way.
How can I thicken my hair?
What is the lawsuit against my pillow?
On November 1, 2016, My Pillow agreed to pay $1 million ($995,000 in civil penalties and $100,000 to California charities benefiting the homeless and victims of domestic violence) to settle a false advertising lawsuit brought in Alameda County Superior Court by Alameda County and eight other California counties.
Why is my pillow so dirty?
When you think about it, it's no surprise that our pillows are so dirty. We spend all night with our face and hair on the pillowcase, and they are exposed to our body oil, saliva, and skin dander. Most pillows show traces of fungus, bacteria, dust mites, and allergens when not washed regularly.
Why do clean sheets feel good?
I will say that clean sheets plus a well made bed feel great because of: A) Material: Smell most detergents add a soft natural fresh scent, sometimes the absence of smell will help us to reinforce the experience.
How long can bacteria live on pillows?
How often should bedsheets be washed?
What do bed bites look like?
Can you get bed bugs from not washing your sheets?
Why are there yellow stains on my pillow?
Can I dry my pillow in the dryer?
Tumble dry with high heat. No dryer balls or fabric softener. Use extra spin cycles to lessen drying time. Do not worry about over-drying.


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App for iPad being developed to assist children with autism practice life skills
The application helps teach skills of daily life, such as brushing teeth, and also allows parents and caregivers to monitor how well children are developing those skills.
Share with others:
First came Popchilla, a blue big-eared robot designed to enable children with autism to recognize emotions in the robot and themselves. Now there's Popchilla's World, an iPad app designed to help those children practice life skills.
Both were created by Interbots, a spinoff company from the Carnegie Mellon University Entertainment Technology Center.
With the app, Popchilla guides the children through life skills such as brushing their teeth or saying hello.
"The idea in general is to help them learn daily routines and social interactions they have to use throughout life on a daily basis," said Interbots CEO Seema Patel. "So for right now we're developing new activities like taking a shower, asking for help -- lots of stuff -- getting ready for school."
The app records data about how well the children have learned those tasks and provides an analysis that can be used by parents, therapists and other caregivers, Ms. Patel said. Still limited in the number of tasks available, it is being tested at the Children's Institute in Squirrel Hill.
Interbots, which announced Popchilla's World to coincide with World Autism Awareness Day on April 2, is running a Kickstarter campaign to raise the funds needed to develop more tasks and turn it into a complete game. With Kickstarter, projects are posted online with a fundraising goal and a deadline by which it has to be met. People make donations by credit card, and if the deadline is met, the donations are processed; if the deadline is missed, they don't go through, Ms. Patel said. Interbots' goal is to raise $25,000 by April 30.
"We're hoping to launch with about 10 activities and update it as we develop more of them," she said. "There will be sort of a progression, a story line, where they can practice activities from the time [Popchilla] wakes up till the time he goes to bed."
When the game is finished, it will be available for downloading from an iTunes store.
Meanwhile, the original Popchilla, the subject of a grant-supported project with the Autism Center of Pittsburgh and AutismLink in the fall of 2010, is still in development, with money being raised for manufacturing, Ms. Patel said.
Popchilla, which eventually will interact with Popchilla's World, is being used at the Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute in North Carolina to explore the use of robots in improving the attention skills of children with autism.
For more information on Popchilla's World, call _PHONE_ or visit popchillasworld.com. To make donations, go to _URL_
First Published April 9, 2012 12:00 am


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What if a quick, cheap and relatively painless procedure could double the chances of becoming pregnant through in-vitro fertilization? British researchers say a simple scratch to the uterine lining might do just that, but some experts are skeptical.
A new review of eight previously published studies suggests women who have their wombs gently scraped a month before starting IVF are twice as likely to having babies. The procedure, called local endometrial injury, takes about 15 minutes and costs as little as $200.
"Because the success rate of IVF is modest, these results are of considerable interest since the proposed intervention is neither expensive nor time-consuming and is apparently devoid of significant complications," the review authors wrote.
In IVF, a woman's eggs are plucked from her ovaries and fertilized in a laboratory. The resulting embryos are then transferred back into the woman's womb, but fewer than half will implant in the uterine lining and result in a pregnancy, according to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology.
"It's a very complicated biochemical process," said Dr. Richard Paulson, director of the Fertility Program at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles. "The embryo has to chemically communicate with the surface of the endometrium, give a kiss of death to some of the cells underneath to make room for implantation, and then invade the tissue much like a cancer."
The new review, published in the journal Reproductive BioMedicine Online, suggests a small scratch in the endometrium can boost the receptivity of the uterus to an implanted embryo. But some experts say the studies cited were flawed; most of them lacked proper control groups.
"Certainly this warrants revisiting the issue," said Dr. James Goldfarb, director of the University Hospitals Fertility Center in Cleveland and past president of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technologies. "I think the value of this review is that it might entice people to do good randomized control studies so we can know if this truly helps or not."
The idea of scratching the womb to aid implantation stemmed from the observation in 2003 that women who had endometrial biopsies after one or more failed IVF cycles were more likely to get pregnant. But it's unclear how an endometrial injury might improve implantation. Some studies suggest the tiny scratch triggers the release of growth factors from the uterine lining. But the timing of it -- one month before a woman starts IVF -- raises questions.
"All those cells are going to be sloughed off," said Paulson, explaining how the uterine lining sheds with each menstrual period. "That's a problem."
The procedure, Paulson said, also defies Mother Nature.
"Teleologically, this would never have occurred in nature," he said of injuring an organ to boost its function. "You might be allowing the implantation of an embryo that would not normally implant."
But if endometrial injury is proven to safely promote implantation, it would be a welcome addition to a growing repertoire of fertility treatments. The simple procedure -- akin to an endometrial biopsy -- is fast, inexpensive and feels like little more than a menstrual cramp.
"A little plastic tube, about 3 millimeters wide, is pushed through the cervical canal," said Dr. James Grifo of the NYU Fertility Center in New York, describing the flexible catheter that gently scoops up some endometrial tissue. "It's certainly something worthy of more study."
For the women who have endured the emotional ups and downs of failed fertility treatments, the procedure raises hopes that fewer IVF attempts will fail.
"It's unbelievably frustrating," said Paulson. "It's the penultimate event in pregnancy… and we're unable at the present time to circumvent the physical problems that prevent it from happening."


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Premier Senior Living - Delaware LLC Medication Tech in Clemmons, North Carolina
Follow established facility policies and procedures in administering medications to residents in accordance with physician's orders and state law/regulations. Administers prescribed medications to residents and maintains related medical records under the supervision of the Resident Care Coordinator. Must be able to communicate in English.
High School Diploma or Equivalent and training/certification as required by state law.
Demonstrated effective verbal and written communication skills; ability to interact effectively with all levels of staff and customers; experience in long-term care preferred.
Demonstrated ability to utilize independent and effective judgment, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
DUTIES OF POSITION:
- Present a professional image: Exhibits a manner that is cordial and respectful. Conservative, appropriate dress and good personal hygiene.
- Communicate effectively: Timely, attentive, respectful, and clear communication whether verbal, written or body language. Displays control and calmness in all situations.
- Maintain privacy and confidentiality: Respecting others' rights, shares only what others need to know and in only appropriate places, not in public areas or near others without a need to know.
- Anticipate needs, demonstrate initiative, and strive to exceed expectations: Empathize with those who are in need. Seek ways to be helpful to residents, visitors, and the Premier community. Provide superior service by focusing on our customers.
- Be an ambassador for your organization: Be positive and caring as a representative of the Company.
- Be a team player: Support your fellow employees; share your time and talents; be respectful and helpful. Welcome the new member of the department/ unit.
- Know the organization: Seek information; share it with others; always be a resource. Know who is responsible for each area of the Company with whom interaction is needed.
- Assume responsibility for cleanliness: Observe all rules regarding eating. Leave all areas clean and neat. Promote safety.
- Take ownership of complaints: Listen with genuine sincerity, apologize, resolve or report complaint to someone who can resolve the complaint.
Celebrate Success: Acknowledge your own as well as others' successes. Be proud!! Participate in departmental or organizational activities. Mission and Values:
Shows compassion for others and commitment to helping those who needs assistance.
Follows compliance program, is sensitive to ethical and compliance issues and appropriately addresses such issues. Quality of Work:
Uses integrity, good judgment and problem solving skills in making decisions.
- Produces high quality documentation as evidence by the following:
- Follow established facility and state policies/procedures related to medication administration.
- Administer medications to residents in an accurate, timely manner.
- Monitor residents for effectiveness of drug therapy and occurrence of adverse effects.
- Document resident care related to medication administration, monitoring, effectiveness of drug therapy and occurrence of adverse effects.
- Document notification from physician and follow up as required and per policy.
- Follow comprehensive care plans related to medication administration based on each resident's needs and his/her comprehensive assessment as assigned.
- Identify emergency situations and provide assistance according to policy and care plan.
- Follow facility Residents' Rights policies/ procedures. Provide quality care to residents in an environment which promotes their rights, dignity, and freedom of choice.
- Promptly report changes in residents' conditions to appropriate individual, and take follow-up action as necessary.
- Perform basic resident care assistance when/as required—includes answering call lights.
- Follow facility discharge /transfer procedures.
- Verify accuracy of narcotics and other drugs; check emergency kit; exchange keys with appropriate staff member, per policy.
- Order, receive and store medications accurately and appropriately.
- Perform all other duties as assigned by Management.
- Takes steps necessary to produce excellent work in any task or job that is assigned.


One moment...
Street Law, Inc.
Street Law /
Learning Outcomes for Lesson Plans
Each lesson plan or teaching activity you develop for your Street Law program should include learning outcomes. Learning outcomes state what students will know or be able to do as a result of a lesson plan or activity. They can be expressed as knowledge, skills, or attitudes.
Learning outcomes are important because they help law student-instructors organize the overall course and plan the individual activities and assignments that enable the outcomes to be accomplished. Plus, they help students know what to expect, what is required of them, and recognize what they will be able to do at the end of an activity.
Any overall program outcomes you've established for your Street Law program should be considered when developing learning outcomes for individual lesson plans/activities. You can learn more about developing program outcomes in the Evaluation section.
Developing Learning Outcomes
Effective learning outcomes are
 - Relevant to student needs
 - Consistent with the Street Law mission: teaching practical law content that students can use in their everyday lives
 - Able to clearly and specifically communicates an action and impact
 - Achievable in terms of time and resources
 - Evaluable
To get started, ask yourself the following: What do I want students to be able to think, do, or feel as a result of this lesson/activity?
For example, a lesson on judicial nominations might include the following learning outcomes:
 1. Explain the politics and political processes of court appointments
 2. Interpret and analyze relevant charts
 3. Hone and refine essay composition skills
The outcomes for a lesson on the constitutionality of health care reform could be:
 - As a result of this lesson, students will be able to do the following:
 1. Explain how the "individual mandate" relates to the stated purposes of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
 2. List arguments for both sides: that the Commerce Clause allows Congress to require that all individuals purchase health insurance or pay a penalty; and that the mandate exceeds the power granted to Congress by the Commerce Clause
 3. Rank arguments for each side in terms of persuasiveness
Action Words
The following action words can help you clearly state your lesson's learning outcomes:
apply appreciate conduct, lead, facilitate create, form
decide, determine define develop, construct. design discuss
distinguish feel identify initiate
instruct list manage name
negotiate, mediate, manage organize practice prepare
present promote provide resolve
revise, use select solve write
Adapted from materials developed by Margaret Fisher and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.
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ASAP Utilities, description of our Excel toolsEnglish (us) / Nederlands / Deutsch / Español / Français / Português do Brasil / Italiano / Русский / 中文(简体) / 日本語
Text » Spell/write out numbers or amounts (EN, DE, NL)...This utility spells out the numbers in your selection.
For example the number "12.75" written out in English in the currency dollar becomes Twelve Dollars and Seventy Five Cents.
This utility replaces the numbers in your selection with the written numbers.
You can choose to write out the numbers as numbers or as an amount (for example to use on a check).
You can choose between the languages English, German and Dutch.
The default currencies are none, dollars or euro. You can also type in another currency.
If a number contains more than two decimals this function will spell out the number as if it was rounded to two decimals.
Starting this utilityIn the Excel menu choose: ASAP Utilities » Text » Spell/write out numbers or amounts (EN, DE, NL)...
« Return to the list of "Text" tools.
Download ASAP Utilities
Additional keywords for this tool:
Change Numbers To Text, Convert Number In To Words, textnumbers, convert numerics into words, cheque
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text:
Acids and Alkalis
The process of making a
solid come from a solution is
called precipitation. The solid itself is called a precipitate.
An insoluble salt (one
that doesn't dissolve)
can be made by reacting the appropriate soluble salt
with an acid or alkali or another salt.
For examples of precipitation, see tests for ions including
precipitation using the alkali sodium hydroxide
the barium chloride test for sulfate ions
and the silver nitrate test for bromide, chloride and iodide ions.
Precipitation reactions can be used to remove ions from water.
Sodium carbonate can be used to precipitate calcium carbonate.
This is a way of making hard water into soft water.
+ sodium carbonate calcium carbonate +
CaCl2(aq) + Na2CO3(aq) CaCO3(s) + 2NaCl(aq)
The ionic equation is Ca2+(aq) + CO32-(aq) CaCO3(s)
A precipitate can be separated from the solution by filtration.
The precipitate can then be left somewhere warm to dry.
Links Acids and Alkalis Search Questions
gcsescience.com Contents The Periodic Table Index Quizzes gcsescience.com
Copyright © 2012 Dr. Colin France. All Rights Reserved.


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After seeing the outcome of this single coin toss [which came up heads], how much more should you believe my claim that the coin always comes up heads, compared to what you believed before the coin toss?
I like this question because it's simple yet offers ample opportunity to explore something valuable but often unappreciated: weak evidence. Here we have the evidence of a single coin toss that comes up heads. That's not much to go on. But it is something, and we would be wrong to ignore it.
Nevertheless, I've witnessed many experts ignore weak evidence, doctors in particular. The problem with ignoring weak evidence is that it's abundant. Think of it as "long-tail" evidence: there's so much of it that even if each piece is worth only a tiny bit, as a whole it's worth a ton. So, if you don't know how to mine it, you're leaving a ton of potential knowledge buried within that long tail.
Interpreting evidence (weak or otherwise)
So, let's talk about the evidence of our coin toss. My question was how much your prior beliefs about my claim (that the coin always comes up heads) should be swayed by the outcome of that single coin toss. I'm not asking about the coin, but about your state of knowledge about the coin and, more specifically, how that state should change in light of the coin toss.
There are many ways to approach the question, but to start, let's define some notation. We'll let P(X) denote our degree of belief in the proposition X, some statement that can be either true or false. Let P(X) = 0 represent our absolute conviction that X is false, and P(X) = 1 our absolute conviction that X is true. Values in between represent degrees of belief in between. When P(X) = 1/2, for example, right in the middle, it represents that we have no reason to believe that X is more likely to be true than false. If we know nothing about X, then, our default value for P(X) must be 1/2.
Let's be clear that X is either true or false, regardless of what we think. Our X represents some real property of the universe, and the universe doesn't alter itself just because our thoughts about it change or because we do a mathematical calculation that we think describes it in some way. That's why we write P(X): the P notation represents that we're not talking about X itself but rather our belief in X. The P(·) can be read as "the probability of" (or "the plausibility of"), so P(X) represents "the probability of X."
Instead of some placeholder X, let's define some real propositions that relate to our coin toss:
- S: the coin is a special coin that always comes up heads when tossed
- H: we observe the coin to come up heads in a coin toss
- T: we observe the coin to come up tails in a coin toss
- K: our prior knowledge about the coin, the universe, and everything
That last one, K, is important. It's a massive proposition, the logical conjunction of many smaller propositions that represent everything we already know – that the Earth is approximately spherical, that gravity pulls things toward one another, that the author of this blog post is exceedingly handsome, and so on. This massive proposition is often left out of probability calculations with the understanding that it's implied, but I'm going to include it because it makes our assumptions more explicit.
Now, the probabilities we're interested in:
- P(S|K): our belief that the coin is a special heads-always coin, in light of our prior knowledge
- P(S|H∧K): our belief that the coin is a special heads-always coin, in light of our prior knowledge and the knowledge that we observed the coin to come up heads in a coin toss
I've introduced some new notation. The vertical bar (|) is read as "given" and can be interpreted to mean "in light of the following." The ∧ operator is new, too. It represents logical conjunction and can be read as "and." For instance, A∧B represents the proposition that both propositions A and B are true; and P(S|H∧K) represents the probability that S is true, in light of both H and K being true.
The first probability, P(S|K), is sometimes called our prior probability because it represents how much we believe S before considering new evidence, when we have only our prior knowledge K to go on. The second, P(S|H∧K), is sometimes called our posterior probability because it represents how much we believe S after considering the new evidence H, too.
Now, how do we update our prior beliefs about the coin to arrive at our posterior beliefs, in light of having witnessed the coin toss come up heads? Let's think about this updating process for a moment.
Our new beliefs about the plausibility of some proposition X, in light of new evidence E, ought to be the same as our prior beliefs about X, but adjusted to account for observing the new evidence. The adjustment factor, according to Bayes' rule (and justified by Cox's theorem), is given by a quotient: the plausibility of observing the new evidence, given that X is true, divided by the plausibility of observing the new evidence in any case. (And, of course, all of these adjustments occur in light of our prior knowledge K about the universe in general.)
As a pseudo-English equation, Bayes' rule is surprisingly intuitive:
(new plausibility) = (old plausibility) × (evidence adjustment),
or, equivalently, using our probability notation:
P(X|E∧K) = P(X|K) × [ P(E|X∧K) / P(E|K) ].
The evidence adjustment itself may not seem so intuitive, but it does make sense. It is the quotient of two plausibilities: that of observing the evidence E given that the proposition X is true, and that of observing E regardless. You can think of the adjustment as quantifying how well the proposition uniquely explains the evidence.
For example, if the proposition being true is the only reasonable explanation for the evidence, observing the evidence ought to provide strong support for the proposition. If rain is the only way that every house in the neighborhood gets wet at the same time, knowing that every house in the neighborhood is currently getting wet provides strong support to the proposition that it is raining. On the other hand, knowing that somebody is carrying an umbrella provides weaker support because things besides rain can also explain that evidence, the anticipation of rain, for one.
Getting back to my original question, I asked how much more you should believe my claim S (that the coin always comes up heads) after observing the evidence H (that the coin did come up heads when you tossed it). That is, I'm asking you to characterize the new plausibility in light of the old. The relative change between the two is given as follows:
[ (new plausibility) / (old plausibility) ] – 1
This quantity, we can see from Bayes's rule, is merely our evidence adjustment less one. But to calculate this value, we'll first need the probabilities the calculation is likely to require. Let's see, what do we already know?
Representing our knowledge
First, our prior knowledge K informs us that a coin toss is understood to have only two potential outcomes: heads and tails. A coin toss is considered invalid, for example, if the coin stands on edge or is tossed into a chasm. Therefore, a coin toss must result in heads or tails:
P(H∨T|K) = 1,
and getting tails is the same as not getting heads:
P(T|K) = P(¬H|K).
More notation: we use ¬ to denote "not" and ∨ to denote logical disjunction, read "or."
Next, we know that if the coin is special, it will come up heads when tossed:
P(H|S∧K) = 1.
But what if the coin is not special? In that case, do we have any reason to believe it is more likely to come up heads than tails, or vice versa? No. So, we must consider each proposition equally likely:
P(H|¬S∧K) = P(¬H|¬S∧K).
Further, because there are no other possibilities – the coin must come up heads or tails – their total probability must be one:
P(H|¬S∧K) + P(¬H|¬S∧K) = 1.
If the two probabilities are equal and must sum to one, each must be one half:
P(H|¬S∧K) = P(¬H|¬S∧K) = 1/2.
At this point, you may be tempted to object that our beliefs, being overly subjective, have led us to an unjustified conclusion. Even if the coin isn't special, how can we say it has an even chance of coming up heads (or tails), in other words, that it's fair? What justifies this claim?
In truth, we can't justify it. But we didn't make it, either.
Remember, we are not making any claims about the coin. Our equations make claims only about our knowledge of the coin. If the coin isn't special, maybe it is still biased somehow. Even so, we have no reason to believe it is more likely to be biased one way or the other. Therefore, by symmetry, we can assign only one degree of belief to either proposition H or ¬H, and


text:
If you use Windows Vista, and ever felt the need to turn off the "Aero transparency interface", here is the normal process that you would have to go through:
- Open Appearance Settings by clicking Start -> Control Panel -> Appearance and Personalization -> Window Color and Appearance.
- Uncheck the box labeled Aero Transparency, and then press OK.
or you can try the following method:
Run REGEDIT and go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\Shell. Right-click the Shell part, select New > Key and call it Aero On.
Right-click the Aero On key you've created, and create a new key called command. Double-click this (in the right-hand side of the screen) and give it the value Rundll32 dwmApi #102.
Right-click the Shell key again, select New > Key, and call this Aero Off. Create a command key below it, as you've just done, and give it the value Rundll32 dwmApi #104.
Now, right-click an empty part of the desktop to see your options, and select Aero On when you want fancy effects like Flip 3D, and Aero Off when you're after raw speed.
More tips: Full Article


Jewish city feared by Stalin is rediscovered
Breaking News
It was mentioned in medieval travellers' accounts but Soviet dictator Josef Stalin banned any research into the city and the Khazars, fearing it would prove Russia was descended from a Jewish state.
The city made a fortune from trade but its prosperity declined and in the 14th century it was flooded by the Caspian Sea.
Now a nine-year dig has unearthed the city including the foundations of a fortress, according to archeologists at Russia's Astrakhan State University....
Yevgeny Satanovsky, director of the Middle Eastern Institute in Moscow, said he believes the Khazar elite chose Judaism out of political expediency – to remain independent of neighboring Muslim and Christian states. "They embraced Judaism because they wanted to remain neutral, like Switzerland these days," he said.
The study of the Khazar empire was discouraged in the Soviet Union. Stalin detested the idea that a Jewish empire had come before Russia's own. He ordered references to Khazar history removed from textbooks because they "disproved his theory of Russian statehood," Mr Satanovsky added.
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Sunday, 18 September 2016
It was never going to work out between me and Wallington. I knew we were doomed from the minute I realised it had once been the home of Charles Edward Trevelyan, the Trevelyan mentioned in the Irish folk song, The Fields of Athenry.
But before I get on to that, I'm going to start by focusing on Wallington itself, because it's a lovely house.
Here are a few factoids:
 - Wallington was owned by the Fenwicks from the 15th century - they were known for being quite fierce and doing frequent battle with the Scots during various Border skirmishes
 - Sir John Fenwick, a favourite of Charles II, was wildly extravagant and had to sell Wallington to Sir William Blackett, a wealthy mine owner, in 1688
 - Sir William built the house that we see today
 - His son, also William, left the place to his nephew, Walter Calverley, on the condition that Walter a) changed his name to Blackett and b) married William's illegitimate daughter, Elizabeth
 - Walter Calverley Blackett died in 1777 and left the place to his nephew, Sir John Trevelyan
 - The Trevelyans were originally from Cornwall, as the name suggests, and for a long time they retained their estates at opposite ends of the country
The Central Hall is very impressive - it was built in 1853 by covering the original open courtyard that the house was built around. The walls are covered in paintings of Northumbrian history, including Bede, Grace Darling, St Cuthbert (of Lindisfarne fame), the Vikings, and Alan Shearer (I might be joking about the last one).
The Drawing Room gives you an example of the warmth of the house - it felt quite homely:
But let me come back to Charles Edward Trevelyan. He inherited Wallington in 1879. It was left to him by his cousin, Sir Walter Calverley Trevelyan - Sir Walter was close to Charles' son, George Otto Trevelyan, and that's who Walter had in mind as his eventual successor.
I was doing my usual quick read-up on Wikipedia before I went to Wallington when I noticed this paragraph about Charles Edward:
Trevelyan is referred to in the modern Irish folk song "The Fields of Athenry" about the Great Irish Famine: "Michael, they have taken you away / for you stole Trevelyan's corn / so the young might see the morn / now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay." Because of Trevelyan's policies, the Irish consider him one of the most detested figures in their history, along with Oliver Cromwell, who conquered the country in the 17th century.
Charles Edward Trevelyan
Charles Edward Trevelyan - in the words of the Arctic Monkeys,
perhaps vampire is a bit strong but...
I was stunned. I'm half-Irish and although I'm normally pragmatic about history and our incapacity to change the past, I knew that this visit would be different - it was potentially the answer to the question of why 25% of the Irish population had either died or emigrated between 1846 and 1850.
So I bought the book A Very British Family: The Trevelyans and Their World to get myself fully up to speed. It was written by BBC journalist Laura Trevelyan, the great-great-great granddaughter of CET himself. And now I can tell you about him:
 - Charles Edward Trevelyan was born in 1807
 - He joined the civil service where he was a zealous reformer - he blew the whistle on his superior in India for corruption, and he eventually overhauled the way that the Civil Service recruited its staff - competitive exams replaced the usual 'jobs for toffs' arrangement
 - In 1846, a Relief Commission was created in response to the growing crisis in Ireland, where a potato blight was destroying the population's main source of food - the Commission bought in Indian corn, which was being sold cheaply to those in need
 - The head of the Relief Commission was Charles Edward. However, he had a very strange way of relieving things; on being told that the corn was being bought up too quickly from the depots, and that it wouldn't last until the next potato crop in September, he closed the depots.
 - In July 1846, word reached London that the September potato crop had also been blighted and further disaster loomed. Charles's response? He closed the Relief Commission. In his own words "The only way to prevent people from becoming habitually dependent on government is to bring operations to a close. The uncertainty about the new crop makes it more necessary."
 - In 1847 the potato crop succeeded, but so little had been planted by starving people during a terrible winter that it wasn't enough. In 1848 the crop failed again as badly as before. This time there were no depots or relief commissions - the Poor Law was all that was left.
 - In April 1848 - ie in the middle of soup kitchens being shut down in Ireland while a total of one million people starved to death in a part of the United Kingdom less than 500 miles from London - he was made Sir Charles Trevelyan and awarded £2500. He paid it back following an outcry.
Nearly all of the above comes from Laura Trevelyan's book. She argues that Charles Edward has been personally vilified to an unfair extent and that he cared a lot more than is apparent from some of his more heartless letters, but even so - even she admits that at best he was guilty of a laissez-faire attitude, prevalent among the entire governing class, that people should be self-reliant, when those people had absolutely nothing to rely on.
By the way, you won't find any of this in the Wallington guide book. It says; "He visited Ireland and showed great sympathy for the starving, organising relief...with total integrity. He has been attacked, not always justly, for not having done more to help the victims of the Famine." So make your own mind up about that.
Anyway. The man who believed in people standing on their own two feet, who fought against nepotism in the civil service, ended up returning to India where he conveniently forgot all of his principles and got his son a job as his secretary.
I really do recommend Laura's book, by the way. It's very well written and covers how the other Trevelyans that followed CET were an interesting bunch that occasionally shared his hypocrisy. His grandson, Charles Phillips Trevelyan, decided that Wallington belonged in public ownership and handed it over to the National Trust - but not until he was dead. He continued to live the landed life and decided that his children would be the ones to make the sacrifice. He also had an affair with his secretary and fathered a child with her when he was 72, utterly humiliating his poor wife.
But here's something I love about the Trevelyans; I absolutely love their coat of arms. It's basically a horse having a fabulous time at the seaside:
And I'll tell you something else I loved - THE WALLINGTON SCONE. This was our fourth NT scone of the day, following George Stephenson's Birthplace, Seaton Delaval, and Washington Old Hall, and it was the best one by far. It was light and tasty and well worth battling a few wasps.
Wallington scone
So I recommend Wallington, for its scone and its friendly staff, and I recommend Laura Trevelyan's book as well - it's a fascinating and very honest insight.
Wallington: 5 out of 5
Scone: 5 out of 5
Charles Edward Trevelyan: 0 out of 5
George Stephenson Birthplace
If I ever went on Mastermind, my specialist subject would be Negative TripAdvisor Reviews of NT Properties. It's a niche topic, I grant you, but I love them - the property was shut, my dog wasn't allowed in, it rained etc.
George Stephenson's Birthplace, however, is an exception. It has a small number of negative comments and they all say the same thing; it's hard to find the place and there's only one room open to the public.
George Stephenson's Birthplace
The first of those complaints was debunked early on. "It's REALLY hard to find this place," I warned the Scone Sidekick. "We're probably going to get lost and then you're going to get annoyed with me, but let's definitely not have an argument about it." We had just started having an argument about me saying that we were going to have an argument when we drove around a corner and saw a sign saying 'George Stephenson's Birthplace', so we parked, followed another sign saying 'George Stephenson's Birthplace' and walked along until we found it. And I'm not exactly Sir Ranulph Fiennes when it comes to map-reading, if you know what I mean.
The second complaint is more justified - there is admittedly only one room in the house open to the public. However, George's family only lived in one room, so it is authentic.
George Stephenson Birthplace Interior
However, there's no space for explaining George's achievements, so I learned nothing about him from the property itself. It's probably just as well though, as I subsequently discovered that his life was incredibly sad in places, so


text:
hell and enabling them to be reborn in the Pure Land.
The pairing of the two not only appear in the illustrated copies of the Scripture on the Ten Kings recovered from Dunhuang, but were evoked together in Buddhist mortuary rituals for the benefit of the dead ancestors. These ritual texts were created from the Song to the Ming dynasties, or the 11th to the 17th centuries. For instance, in the ritual text Cibei Liang Huang baochan (Compassionate Precious Penance formulated by Emperor Wu of Liang, preface dated 1138), the presiding priest asks both Dizang and Guanyin to descend to the consecrated space three times. An even more important mortuary ritual, created in the 10th century and has remained popular down the ages, is that of feeding hungry ghosts (shishi). Guanyin and Dizang collaborate in the ritual. At the beginning of the ritual, a picture of the hungry ghost Burning Face (Mianjan), the putative originator of the ritual, is placed on the altar facing the assembled monks. When the ritual begins, the Great Compassion Dhāraņī and a hymn praising Guanyin are chanted before the altar. After "fixing the area of the five directions," accompanied by an invocation to five different Buddhas, Guanyin is invoked directly. The presiding monk makes a mudrā called "Guanyin meditation mudrā," through which the celebrant enters into the Guanyin samadhi. Thus identified with Guanyin, the main action of the ritual is performed by Guanyin in the person of the celebrant. The highlight of the ritual arrives when the priest, as Guanyin, makes the mudra of "opening up the gate of hell." He visualizes three red rays emitting from his mouth, hands, and chest, which open up the gates of hell. The three rays represent three powers that can destroy the three categories of sins of the body, speech, and mind committed by beings in hell. At this point in the ritual, Dizang is invoked to lead the dead to come forth, to accept the offerings in response to the call of the chief celebrant. This is accomplished by several mudrās. After the invited ghosts are helped to repent by the "mudrā of repentance," the presiding monk transforms water into nectar by performing the "mudra of sweet dew." He then enables them to drink it by performing the "mudrā of opening up the throat." He visualizes a green lotus held in his left hand, from which "sweet dew" flows out for the ghosts to drink, just as Guanyin is described as doing in the Karaņdavyūha, the esoteric sutra famous for its six-syllable mantrā "Om Manipadme Hūm."
The two bodhisattvas therefore collaborate in helping people both in life and in death. When and how did they become specialized in only one sphere? The clue can be found in art and temple architecture. An unusual visual example is provided by the pair, seated side-by-side on separate lotus pedestals, in a small niche attached to the larger Number 1 niche located at Pantuo si in Qiunglai, Sichuan. There is no inscription, but the larger #1 niche, which contains the Amitābha triad, is dated 820. There are two groups of smaller figures on relief under the images of the two bodhisattvas. On the right side, beneath Dizang, there are four figures in a flaming rocky landscape, which is clearly meant to represent a vignette of a Buddhist hell. A human head bobs in a large cauldron over blazing fire and others are being cut by knives. On the left side, beneath Guanyin, four figures are swept up in swirling waves of a rushing river or turbulent sea, praying to Guanyin for help.8 A more explicit example of how people assign different functions to the two bodhisattvas can be seen in temple architecture. Based on surviving examples of floor plans of temples dated to the Liao and Jin (11th–12th centuries), separate halls dedicated to the four bodhisattvas (Mañjuśrī, Samantabhadra, Guanyin, and Dizang) were built flanking the main buddha hall. The floor plan of Shanhua si in Datong, Shanxi shows Wenshu Hall (no longer standing) facing Puxian Hall, while Dizang Hall faces Guanyin Hall. But the Guangsheng si, built in the 16th century, retained only the two halls dedicated to Dizang and Guanyin facing each other. Mañjuśrī and Samantabhadra were no longer provided with their own independent halls. This arrangement remains to this day. In many temples today Guanyin Hall faces across from Dizang Hall. The Ten Kings and scenes of hellish punishments would be depicted in Dizang Hall, while we may find images of Niangniang (Ladies) in Guanyin Hall. With a set up like this, it is clear that worshipers pray to Dizang as savior of hell and to Guanyin as granter of health, fertility and long life. As Dizang became the sole guardian of beings in hell, Guanyin gave up this part of his original functions and became the chief protector of people in life. The relationship between the pair underwent changes through time. Although there is no scriptural basis for worshiping Guanyin and Dizang together, there is, nevertheless, a logic grounded in the existential needs of the faithful.9
There is another example to attest the creation of an indigenous pantheon not based on scriptures. Around the 16th century, Guanyin was provided with an animal mount so that the Three Great Beings (San Dashi) could all ride on their respective animals. Just as Mañjuśrī rides on the lion and Samantabhadra rides on the elephant, Guanyin rides on a mythical animal called hou. The artists who created such new forms of Guanyin showed the same freedom as the writers of the indigenous sutras. They tried to present the bodhisattva in a way that would respond to the needs of the faithful. As Dizang came to care for the faithful after they died, Guanyin assumed the role of caring for them during their life. This, of course, is a sharp change for the role Guanyin played in the religion and art of the Pure Land. As the attendant of Amitābha Buddha, Guanyin would welcome the dying to the Pure Land. This was the way the bodhisattva was depicted in the banners from Dunhuang, some of which identified him as the "Bodhisattva Who Leads the Way (Yinlu pusa)."
The indigenization of Guanyin reached completion with the legend of Miaoshan, who came to be seen as the human manifestation of the bodhisattva. We do not know how early the legend began, but the first written record of it was dated 1100, a "life" of Princess Miaoshan written by an official and carved on a stele at the request of the abbot of a temple in Honan, which was a pilgrimage center for Guanyin worship. The legend presents Miaoshan as the third daughter of a king. She is pious from childhood and dedicated to religious cultivation. Unlike her older sisters, she refuses to marry the husband chosen by her father, for which she suffers persecution. However, when the king becomes mortally ill and no medicine can cure him, she offers her eyes and hands to be made into a life saving potion. Finally, Miaoshan manifests herself as the Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Guanyin when the royal party led by the king and queen comes to offer thanks as pilgrims. In this famous legend, the bodhisattva is provided with a name, a birthday, a family, and a biography, none of which are found in Buddhist scriptures. Her birthday, the nineteenth day of the second month, has become the most important holy day for the faithful, just as the birthdays of all Chinese gods and goddesses are similarly regarded. Clearly, this transformation fits the Chinese model of divinity. Since the Chinese religion does not posit a sharp distinction between the transcendent and the immanent, human beings can become gods, and gods can appear on earth as human beings. Lao Zi, for instance, was already deified in the second century and was believed to have transformed himself many times to teach people about the Dao. Stories about Daoist immortals, those fabulous beings who straddle the boundary between the human and the divine, serve as another rich resource for such imagination. The legend of Miaoshan anchored Guanyin to China by making her conform to the Chinese model of divinity. It also provided a charter for marriage resistance. Buddhist women could and did follow Miaoshan's example in refusing to get married and carrying out their religious practices, either at home or by joining the sangha.
The cult of Guanyin was created and transmitted in China through various media. Canonical and indigenous scriptures, miracle stories, ritual, and pilgrimage, as well as art and literature have all contributed to the process. While each medium promoted Guanyin, it transformed the bodhisattva at the same time. Thus, while Guanyin was represented and perceived as a monk prior to and during the Tang


text:
Extentions of Affine Arithmetic: Application to Unconstrained Global Optimization
Frédéric Messine (Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour UFR-Sciences et Techniques, Département d'Informatique, France)
Abstract: Global optimization methods in connection with interval arithmetic permit to determine an accurate enclosure of the global optimum, and of all the corresponding optimizers. One of the main features of these algorithms consists in the construction of an interval function which produces an enclosure of the range of the studied function over a box (right parallelepiped).
We use here affine arithmetic in global optimization algorithms, in order to elaborate new inclusion functions. These techniques are implemented and then discussed. Three new affine and quadratic forms are introduced. On some polynomial examples, we show that these new tools often yield more efficient lower bounds (and upper bounds) compared to several well-known classical inclusion functions. The three new methods, presented in this paper, are integrated into various Branch and Bound algorithms. This leads to improve the convergence of these algorithms by attenuating some negative effects due to the use of interval analysis and standard affne arithmetic.
Keywords: affine arithmetic, branch and bound algorithm, global optimization, inclusion functions, interval arithmetic
Categories: G.1.0, G.1.6


text:
This is for the gardeners in the crowd who have too many green tomatoes and peppers.
Ever wonder how it's possible to have at least semi-ripe tomatoes in the middle of winter? It's because they are picked green for shipping and then gassed with ethylene to cause them to ripen. Although those supermarket tomatoes are very, very mediocre, we can learn from their techniques when the foliage of our non-factory garden freezes, leaving the green fruits of tomatoes and peppers in particular. And these unripe fruits are not yet producing ethylene, so you have to force them. Here's how it works.
Ethylene is thought of as the aging hormone in plants and it's responsible for the changes in texture, softening, color, and other processes involved in ripening. When fruit ripens, the starch in the fleshy part of the fruit is converted to sugar. Ethylene initiates this reaction. Fruit produces ethylene in response to bruising or wounding, too, which is why banana peels work so well in the process below—all of those brown spots on an aging banana peel are producing ethylene.
All you need for your own ethylene ripening chamber is a cardboard box, some masking tape, some unripe fruits, some ripening fruits, and a few banana peels. Put all this together, seal with the tape, and check every two days. Fruits that are definitely turning color will continue that process until ripe, but leaving them in the box will hasten the process, as they are trapped in atmosphere much richer in ethylene. So you can easily adjust the duration of the ripening process to the amount of ripe fruits you need for cooking.


Oklahoman Modified: September 7, 2012 at 12:45 am • Published: September 7, 2012
Oklahoma A+ Schools has published a list of suggested questions for parents to ask teachers during parent-teacher conferences this fall.
1. From your perspective, does he/she enjoy school?
2. Does he/she seem curious?
3. How can I help you to know him/her?
4. When given the choice, what does he/she choose to learn?
5. How does he/she deal with transitions or changes in the schedule?
6. How does he/she act when his/her behavior is corrected or redirected?
7. What does he/she talk to you about?
8. In a group setting, what role does he/she take on?
9. Is he/she confident about school? Is he/she confident in his/her abilities?
10. How does he/she express himself/herself best?
11. Does he/she demonstrate empathy?
12. What kinds of questions does he/she ask in class?
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Ask a doctor
How to Avoid Bruising After Facelift?
I am considering a facelift, however I'm concerned about hematomas. Can you tell me the causes of these after facelifts? Are there things that I can do to prevent one from happening? Do they have anything to do with the expertise of the surgeon?
Doctor Answers 42
Tips to Minimize bruising
The reality is that a well done Facelift requires a relatively large area of soft tissue mobilization. The degree of tissue mobilization often equates to the degree of bruising a patient experiences. In my anecdotal experience, a longer procedure generally correlates with more bruising. Therefore, if you are having multiple procedures done (Facelift, brow lift, eyelid surgery), the extent of bruising is likely to be greater. However, If you are in the hands of an experienced Facelift surgeon, there isn't too much correlation with the degree of bruising and who is doing it.
Facts on hematomas after Facelift: 1) A hematoma is a clinically significant bruise because it represents a clot of blood underneath the skin that can threaten the viability of the skin. 2) Hematomas require drainage in order to preserve skin viability and prevent adverse scarring. 3) Hematomas can and do happen in virtually every surgeons hands. 4) Previous posts have outlined scenarios where a hematoma is more likely to happen. However, the occurrence of this problem can be unpredictable.
Things a patient can do to minimize bruising and/or hematoma: 1) Avoid aspirin and other medications in the non steroidal anti-inflammatory class for 2 weeks prior to surgery. 2) Avoid vitamin E containing products, fish oil, St. John's Wort, Ginkgo, and other exotic and /or other homeopathic treatments for a similar period. In my practice, a list of medications to avoid is provided. 3) If you have high blood pressure and it is not controlled, you need to have this issue dealt with prior to surgery. 4) If you have a history of frequent nose bleeds, easy bruising, heavy periods, this needs to be disclosed preoperatively. 5) Activity restrictions after Facelift are real. If you are too active, the chances of forming a hematoma increase exponentially. Follow your surgeon's activity restrictions.
Things a Surgeon can do to prevent hematoma: 1) Compressive dressing. In my practice, a dressing is placed immediately after surgery, then replaced on the 1st postoperative day. After this period, an elastic strap is worn. This is my preference and works well with my patient population. 2) Some Surgeons place drains in the patient and achieve good results. Drain placement is likely to vary between Surgeons' training, experience, and preference. 3) Postoperative Arnica Montana. This is a homeopathic medication which helps minimize bruising. 4) Use of postoperative anti nausea agents and use of narcotic pain medication only when absolutely necessary. Narcotic medications tend to induce nausea and emesis. Pstoperative vomiting increase blood supply to the face and therefore increase risk of hematoma.
Good luck with your surgery!
Fort Myers Facial Plastic Surgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars 53 reviews
Bruising and Hematoma after Face Lift Surgery
Bruising is very common and not considered a complication with this plastic surgery. A hematoma is a collection of blood under the skin which should normally be drained is a complication. Hematoma is the most common complication with face lift surgery, with an overall estimated incidence of less than 5%. Most hematomas occur within 24hours after the face lift surgery, but may occur several days afterward too.
The most significant risk factors for bleeding with face and neck lift surgery are the following:
 - platsymaplasty or neck surgery
 - hypertension
 - male
 - blood thinners, including herbal medication, ibuprofen, aspirin, and similar medications
 - smoking
While experience plays a role, it is not as important risk factor as those outlined above. The best face lift surgeons in the world still get hematomas.
By following the strict presurgical and postsurgical care instructions of your plastic surgeon, you will reduce the chance you will develop a hematoma after your cosmetic surgery. Best of luck.
Houtan Chaboki, MD
Washington DC Facial Plastic Surgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars 63 reviews
Reducing Bruising and Avoiding Hematoma After a Facelift
During a normal recovery from a facelift some bruising is expected. It usually occurs low in the neck and resolves over 7 - 10 days. Bruising can be reduced by the following measures:
1. Stop all blood thinning medications, supplements and herbal products prior to surgery. Your plastic surgeon should supply a list but the most common include aspirin, NSAID's like Advil, Motrin or Aleve, Ginkgo, Garlic, Ginseng and many more
2. Use Arnica Montana before and a few days after surgery. In my experience this herbal product does reduce bruising.
3. Closely follow your pre-op and post-op instructions concerning reduced activity levels, avoiding lifting and straining, keeping your head elevated at night as well as using ice packs on schedule.
Hematoma formation or development of a blood collection under the skin is unusual and happens in less than 5% of facelift patients. They usually occur in patients with the following predispositions:
1. Men because they have more vascular facial skin due to the beard hair and they have a tendency to become too active too soon.
2. Poorly controlled high blood pressure. Elevate blood pressure just after surgery can causes previously sealed blood vessels to open and bleed
3. Blood Thinning Medications, especially aspirin, which inhibits the normal platelet function needed for clotting following surgery. Aspirin should be stopped a full 2 weeks before surgery
4. Smoking. Nicotine reduces the blood supply to the skin edges and raises the blood pressure. This is all bad for facelift recovery
While the men out there can't change this risk factor, the other 3 can be controlled. Making sure your high blood pressure is well controlled before surgery, stopping smoking 3 weeks prior to surgery and avoiding blood-thinning medications will reduce your risk greatly. Always take your normal blood pressure medicine the morning of surgery (check with your doctor if it is a diuretic).
As for men, they should be especially cautious to avoiding lifting, straining and vigorous physical activity for a full 3 weeks following facelift surgery.
Bruising after Facelift Surgery
You will always have some bruising after a facelift. A hematoma, which is a localized collection of blood, is not a life-threatening complication but can compromise skin circulation and significantly delay post-operative healing. All experienced facelift surgeons have a list of pre-operative instructions regarding dietary and medicinal intake. A pre-operative medical evaluation is usually required. There are also post-operative instructions re activity, diet, and medicines. With due diligence, hematomas are very rare.
Richard W. Fleming, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars 22 reviews
Facelift Hematoma
This is a multifactoral issue and there are things that I do in the operating room to decrease the rate of hematoma and there are things we as of you to try to decrease the chance of it happening. Hematoma is rare but the rate is no 0%.
So blood pressure control before, during and after surgery is a must as is pain control. Those two things are what commonly lead to hematomas after surgery. Stopping any medications that can increase your bleeding 2 weeks before surgery will also decrease the rate as well. Things like aspirin, motrin, aleve and others.
Good luck.
Farbod Esmailian, MD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars 59 reviews
Bruising after a facelift can be minimal.
Bruising after a facelift can be minimal, but it depends on the approach. Bruising and even hematomas are more likely with more invasive facelift techniques such as a SMAS lift or a deep plane facelift. These are much less likely with a MACS lift, since there is less undermining of the skin where most vessels are. I have many patients with very little or no bruising after a MACS lift, and have not seen a hematoma in over 200 patients. However, hematomas are not very common after any facelift, since all surgeons try to minimize this risk during surgery. Factors that increase your risk of this include, high blood pressure and blood thinning medications and some dietary supplements. You should always talk to your surgeon prior to surgery about what you can do to minimize any risks associated with your surgery.
Steven L. Ringler, MD, FACS
Grand Rapids Plastic Surgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars 39 reviews
How to avoid bruising and hematoma after facelift?
Like all complications, bruising and hematomas cannot be avoided entirely but they CAN be reduced to a very low rate.
The cause of hematoma can be divided to factors which are either related to you, those related to the surgeon and those related how you do in the first 3 days or so after surgery.
if you have a family history of easy bruising and bleeding you must tell your surgeon and you should be tested to se if you have


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Posted by Jarrad Michael on.
A skipper on a boat notices wave crests passing his anchor chain every 5 s. He estimates the distance between wavecrests to be 15 m. He also correctly estimates the speed of the waves. What is the speed?
Speed = (wavelength) x (frequency)
= (15 m)[1/(5 s)] = 3 m/s


Non-sufficient funds
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 - The check writer may be charged a fee by his/her own financial institution. This fee may vary, depending on the bank's policies.
 - If paying the item puts the account holder in a negative status by a relatively small amount, the bank may choose to honor the check. When this occurs, the account will be overdrawn, and the fees charged by the bank will place an extra burden on the account until the overdraft is covered. This is a civil matter with the holder's bank and not likely to be subject to outside reporting if settled quickly enough.
 - If the paying of the item would place the account quite deep in the hole, the bank will likely choose not to honor the check. The item will be returned to the depositor's bank, and ultimately to the depositor. The amount of the check plus the depositor's bank's fee will be debited from the depositor's account. The depositor then may choose to re-submit the check, hoping it will clear on a second attempt, or else proceed immediately with collection activities, civil or criminal.
 - If the dishonored check has been scanned and replaced by a substitute check, the original check is not returned to the depositor, but instead the substitute check will be marked "not sufficient funds" and returned to the depositor.[1]
 - The recipient may choose not to accept checks in the future from the writer (typically recorded on a paper or electronic "Do not accept checks from..." list), or may suspend the check-writer's privileges until the check-writer has made good on the debt.
 - The recipient may choose to report the writer to a database service. This may lead to other merchants in the future refusing to accept checks from the writer or a joint account holder, or the writer having trouble obtaining a checking account at another bank for several years.
 - If a merchant or other place of business (particularly small businesses) receives too many bad checks from customers, it may simply decide to not accept any cheques at all from anyone.[2]
Reasons for bad checks[edit]
The reasons for receipt of bad cheques mostly has to do with the party issuing the cheque not having enough funds available in the withdrawal or checking-account. But apart from this reason there are many other more minor reasons that cheques may not be honored. They include:
 1. Account holder canceling the cheque i.e. deliberately dishonoring the payment.
 2. Account is closed. In such a case a fraudulent action might have been taken.
 3. No Authority to debit. The party owning said account might be under curatorship.
 4. Account under investigation. Issuing-party may have been involved in previous fraudulent action.
 5. Account holder deceased. Party issuing cheque might have passed-on before cheque is honored.
 6. Account frozen. Or effects frozen. Usually happens in divorce when estate is evaluated.
 7. Authorization cancelled. The issuing-bank took action.
 8. No such account. Party issuing cheque gave a false instrument or committed a fraudulent act.
Collection on bad cheque[edit]
When a bad cheque is negotiated, the recipient of the check may choose to take action against the writer. The action that is taken may be civil or criminal, depending on the amount of the check and the laws in the jurisdiction where the check is written.
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a Bad Check Restitution Program exists that allows recipients of bad checks to collect the funds from the local district attorney's office, regardless of the amount. An agency run by the district attorney will pursue the writer of the check by attempting to collect the funds in exchange for avoiding criminal prosecution. The check writer will be responsible to cover the amount of the check, plus all fees to which the recipient is legally entitled, plus a program fee. The writer will also be required to take a course designed to improve check-writing habits. These programs are controversial and in recent years, have come under fire in lawsuits. Normally, if check writer can cover up their bad credits in 60 days, all charges will be dropped.
Note that in some places, for a criminal prosecution on a bad check, there must be "fraud" involved. In some U.S. states, if the check writer informs the party they are uttering the check to that it will not clear at the current time (such as asking someone to "hold" a check for a few days), if the check bounces, they can still be sued for the value of the check, but warning the recipient before acceptance that the check will not clear immediately negates the element of fraud and prevents criminal prosecution.
Steps that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of a bad cheque include:
 - Carrying a higher balance in the checking account; that is to always have a "buffer" amount just in case an unexpected cheque does clear.
 - Better balancing techniques
 - Overdraft Protection - This may be in the form of a link to a savings account for which funds will be automatically transferred, a credit card, or a line of credit designed specially for this purpose.
 - Using a credit/debit card or cash instead of cheques.
Despite consumer interest rates being at, historically, an all time low, many banks have moved from a community-investment based profit model to a customer fee based profit model. Many banks do not utilize a readily accessible technology that verifies available funds before accepting a debit or cheque charge. If a charge exceeds the available funds, most banks prefer to charge a fee that typically exceeds 10,000% of the cost of simply denying the charge. Ex. Alliance Bank raised the fee from $28.00 to $35.00 in 2009; This markup has recently caught the attention of consumer advocates and regulators alike; however, it is important to note that many banks charge the same fee for 'nonsufficient funds' as 'over-drafting', whether or not such 'protection' is enabled. The difference between either fee schedule is purely semantic; the same amount of money may be deducted from the customers account per incident, whether or not overdraft protection is enabled; thus, the only remaining distinction from the end-user's perspective is whether or not the 'bad transaction' is honored.
A customer's ability to dispute/reconcile such fees is heavily restricted, with some banks (such as PNC Bank), limiting customers to one dispute per year. Once this limit has been reached, it is typically the banks policy to deny any form of restitution, even in cases where the banks' fault is clearly demonstrable.
Banks, as trustees of their customers money, are also in the semi-unique position of being able to deduct fees from a customer's account directly, without permission from the account owner. In many cases, this deduction may cause further pending transactions to fail, creating an 'overdraft cascade' - a situation in which the fees charged may be several magnitudes greater than would have been charged had the pending transactions been processed before the fees. The instant, and often retroactive, nature of the fees lowers the account balance at the time the pending transactions are processed, creating an additional fee for each instance in which a transaction is attempted. It is not unusual for a dozen or more fees to be applied before a customer realizes that an account is 'empty.'
Legal issues[edit]
In England and Wales and Australia, such cheques are typically returned marked "Refer to Drawer" - an instruction to contact the person issuing the cheque for an explanation as to why the cheque was not honoured. This wording was brought in after a bank was successfully sued for libel after returning a cheque with the phrase "Insufficient Funds" after making an error - the court ruled that as there were sufficient funds the statement was demonstrably false and damaging to the reputation of the person issuing the cheque. Despite the use of this revised phrase, successful libel lawsuits brought against banks by individuals remained for similar errors.[3][4]
In India, a bounced cheque is a criminal offence, punishable by fines and/or jail term, under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881.[5][6] Until January 2013, a bounced cheque in United Arab Emirates is a criminal offense that led to imprisonment of the person who wrote it.[7]
Metaphorical use[edit]
Martin Luther King used the concept as a metaphor in his speech I have a dream. He compared the Declaration of Independence to a bad cheque.[8]
An another example is the phrase "Don't let your mouth write a cheque your ass can't cash." (alternatively, "cheques" or "body" (instead of "ass")) is used to mean "Don't make brash boasts you can't back up", and originates in Black English, being attested since the 1960s,[9] though it is today found more generally, as in the 1993 movie Dazed and Confused.
See also[edit]
 1. ^ Substitute check marked "not sufficient funds"
 2. ^ Wood, Leslie (2005-06-29). "DA explains consequences of writing bad checks in Gallup". Independent. Archived from the original on 22 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
 3. ^ "Bounced cheques yield libel damages". The Independent. 21 July 1992. Retrieved 2009-09-24.
 4. ^ Ackland, Richard (6 August 2010). "Cheques and free speech get bounced - Aktas v. Westpac". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 June 2014.


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Feminist Geography in Practice: Research and Methods
Editor: Pamela Moss
Chapter, Toward a More Fully Reflexive Feminist Geography, authored by Karen Falconer Al-Hindi, UNO faculty member.
This is the first feminist geography text devoted to methodology and provides a basic framework for students wishing to undertake gendered work in the discipline. Accessible yet intellectually challenging, it encourages readers to take on, think about, and do feminist research in geography and offers practical suggestions for going about it.
The text comprises original contributions from feminist geographers around the world who address all aspects of the research process from choosing a topic and designing a project, through to conducting interviews, doing cross-cultural ethnographic research and analysing data. The varied backgrounds of the contributors illustrate the powerful impact feminist geographers are having on research, both in geography and in feminism. The book also features substantial pedagogical material, developed with students in the classroom, and including discussion questions, group project initiatives, research project topics, and suggestions for practical research activities.
Geography and Geology
Moss, Pamela; Al-Hindi, Karen Falconer; and Kawabata, Hope, "Feminist Geography in Practice: Research and Methods" (2002). Faculty Books and Monographs. 315.


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Florence Indian Mound
Lauderdale County AL
1028 South Court St
Florence, Lauderdale Co, AL
Before the Cherokees moved into the area in the late 1700's, the Florence and Mussel Shoals area had been home to many other Native Americans, including prehistoric cultures and the historic Chickasaws and Creeks. For many years, it was believed that a thriving Mississippian culture referred to as the Krogers Island People built the Florence Mount on the Tennessee River sometime between 900 and 1200 A.D.
Excerpt of the book "Footsteps of teh Cherokee" by Vicki Rozema.
Located near the banks of the Tennessee River, the Florence Indian Mound is the Tennessee Valley's largest domiciliary mound. It is a typical example of the work of the early Native Americans who lived in Alabama before the Cherokee, Chickasaw and Creek nations inhabited this region.
It is a 42 foot high quadrilateral mound with a summit measuring 145 x 94 feet. Early settlers in the region found steps on the east side and evidence that the mound had been enclosed by a semi-circular earthen wall.
The museum contains Native American artifacts dating back over 10,000 years, arranged in chronological order from Paleo to Historic periods.
From the "City of Florence"
The mound is known as "Wawmanona" and was built about 500 A.D. in a rectangular, flat-topped shape. The mound is 42 feet high, with the summit measuring 145 feet by 94 feet.
Historians say the Indian Mound was used for ceremonies and other tribal activities such as promoting peace and solidarity, commemorating the passing of time and encouraging trade.


Daniel Keller b. 1986, Detroit, Michigan, and Nik Kosmas b. 1985, Minneapolis, Minnesota
AIDS-3D is a Berlin-based collective whose work touches on both technological utopianism and digital kitsch. Their installations, performances, and Internet-based work use these themes to flippantly engage with the unmet promises of the twentieth century: religious enlightenment, sexual liberation, artistic freedom, and human progress through technological advancement. Their work OMG Obelisk (2007) exudes a sense of metaphysical doom, although cloaked in a skittish and very contemporary jokiness. A stern, almost primitive geometric structure that recalls John McCracken's monolithic sculptures as well as Stanley Kubrick's iconic black slab from 2001: A Space Odyssey, is juxtaposed with a ubiquitous staple of Internet jargon. OMG (an acronym for "Oh My God") blazes atop the sculpture like a Times Square advertisement, but one with a message that is much more apocalyptic.


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It's been almost two centuries since a possible link between large earthquakes and nearby volcanic eruptions was first proposed by none other than Charles Darwin, who compiled accounts of increased activity at a number of Andean volcanoes in the wake of the 1835 Concepcion earthquake. In the decades since, however, firm evidence of earthquakes triggering volcanic eruptions has remained somewhat elusive; but a new paper by Sebastian Watt and colleagues at the University of Oxford takes a fresh look at Darwin's old seismic stomping grounds, and claims that spikes in volcanic activity in the Andes can indeed be observed in the months following large earthquakes.
The study focusses on the southern Andean subduction zone off the coast of Chile. The earthquakes are from the eastward subduction of the Nazca plate beneath South America (the blue line marks the plate boundary); here, water driven from the downgoing slab triggers melting of the surrounding mantle and generates a volcanic arc (the orange blobs shows the locations of volcanos known to be active in the last 10,000 years, courtesy of the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program).
Watt et al. have compiled records of seismic and volcanic activity in this are stretching as far back as the 1500s, which included 16 earthquakes with a magnitude of more than 7.5, and more than 250 eruptions from 25 volcanoes. However, the record prior to 1850 is more poorly documented and likely to be incomplete. The plot below charts the number of eruptions that initiated in each year since 1850, with the five large earthquakes that occurred in this period also plotted (click for a larger version).
This plot shows that 2 of these earthquakes – in 1906 and 1960 – appear to have been associated with spikes in volcanic activity, with six or seven volcanoes starting to erupt in the following 6-12 months. Even though the eruption record as a whole is fairly variable and 'spiky', these peaks still seem a little unusual, standing out from the normal variation between 0 and 4 (and, very occasionally, five) eruptive events a year.
1906 and 1960 stand out statistically too: in general, the records follows an exponential distribution, with there being many more years with 0 or 1 eruptions than there are years with 3 or 4 eruptions (the average rate is 1.32 eruptions per year). The best-fit exponential distribution for the whole record predicts that there should be only one year with more than 6 eruptive events every 500 years or so, whereas this record not only has two such years in the last 150, but these years also both immediately follow large subduction zone earthquakes – an association that should occur once every 2,500 years or so if there was no connection between the the earthquake and the period of high volcanic activity. So the association does seem to be more than a coincidence, especially since the less reliable record between 1550 and 1850 indicates at least one more year – 1751 – where 6 eruptions occurred in the year following a subduction zone earthquake.*
It's important to note that this study potentially establishes a statistical, rather than a phenomenological, link: that is, you can't point at any of the 7 volcanoes that erupted in the year after the 1960 earthquake, and say "that one was triggered by the earthquake, so was that one, but that one would have erupted anyway". This is because all of the volcanoes involved were probably already on the verge of erupting, and the earthquake somehow just provided a little extra push over the threshold. This need for volcanoes to already be 'primed' to erupt before they can be triggered by seismic activity probably explains why not every great earthquake on the Chilean subduction zone is followed by excess volcanic activity (as is the case in 1928, 1939 and 1985). For there to be a measurable effect you need a reasonable number of volcanoes with full magma chambers, which depends on factors like the rate of magma generation and ascent in the subsurface, and (possibly) the time since the last big earthquake.
However, this study does provide at least one clue about the actual processes behind this linkage, because the effect seems to stretch at least 500 km from the epicentre of the triggering earthquake, far beyond the distance where permanent changes in stress associated with deformation at the plate boundary are going to have a measurable effect on a volcanic magma chamber. This suggests that it is the passage of seismic waves generated by the earthquake that is somehow pushing the volcanoes over the brink, even if it sometimes takes a few months for that effect to be felt at the surface. Right now no-one really knows exactly what mechanism is involved: Watt et al. discuss a number of possibilities, including seismic energy forcing gas bubbles out of the melt, or dislodging partially solidified, mushy chunks of melt from the walls of the magma chamber. As it stands though, whilst large regional studies like these are needed to firmly establish a correlation between earthquakes and volcanoes, only detailed investigations of individual volcanoes are going to provide insight into the physical processes that may cause earthquake triggering.
*Rather ironically, the 1835 earthquake which prompted Darwin's initial musings does not show up as having a particularly significant effect in this study, but this may be because the observations that he reported – which were mainly second-hand accounts, and therefore difficult to verify – were deemed not to be reliable enough to be included in the eruption catalogue.
S WATT, D PYLE, T MATHER (2008). The influence of great earthquakes on volcanic eruption rate along the Chilean subduction zone Earth and Planetary Science Letters DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2008.11.005


text:
- Fellowship year:2021-2022
- University: University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
- Dissertation Topic/Category: East Asia
- Dissertation Title: Transpacific Nationalism: The Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands Dispute and the Geopolitics of Chineseness, 1970s-present
Justin's dissertation examines the anti-Japan protest movement in the early 1970s known as the "Baodiao Movement." Largely led by Taiwanese and Hong Kong college students, protests took place primarily in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and major cities in the United States to condemn Japan's claim of sovereignty over the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. His dissertation, drawing on sources in Chinese, English, and Japanese, assesses how global geopolitics of the 1960s and 1970s and the transpacific protest network of this movement helped shape the protesters' sense of Chinese identification.


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Understanding the Legal Landscape of CBD in Rwanda
Before delving into the legality of Cannabidiol (CBD) in Rwanda, it's crucial to understand what CBD is. CBD is a non-psychoactive compound derived from the cannabis plant. It's often used in various forms, such as oils, edibles, and topicals, for its purported health benefits. However, the legal status of CBD varies significantly across different countries.
Rwanda's Stance on Cannabis and CBD
In Rwanda, as in many African countries, the laws surrounding cannabis are stringent. The country has a zero-tolerance policy towards drugs, including cannabis. The use, sale, and possession of cannabis are illegal in Rwanda, and these offenses carry heavy penalties, including imprisonment. But does this legislation extend to CBD, a non-intoxicating derivative of the cannabis plant?
The Legality of CBD in Rwanda
Despite the strict laws against cannabis, the legal status of CBD in Rwanda is somewhat unclear. The country's drug laws do not explicitly mention CBD or distinguish it from other cannabis derivatives. This ambiguity leaves room for interpretation and could potentially put CBD users at risk of legal repercussions. Therefore, it is highly advisable to exercise caution when dealing with CBD in Rwanda.
Importing and Buying CBD in Rwanda
Given the strict drug laws and the ambiguity surrounding CBD, importing or buying CBD in Rwanda could potentially lead to legal issues. It's essential to note that ignorance of the law is not considered a valid defense. Therefore, anyone considering bringing CBD into Rwanda or purchasing it within the country should be fully aware of the potential legal implications.
In conclusion, the legality of CBD in Rwanda is unclear due to the absence of specific laws addressing CBD. Despite its non-psychoactive nature, CBD is derived from the cannabis plant, which is strictly regulated in Rwanda. Therefore, the use, purchase, or importation of CBD in Rwanda carries a risk of legal repercussions. Until the Rwandan authorities provide clear guidelines on CBD, it is advisable to err on the side of caution and refrain from engaging in any CBD-related activities in the country.