What the Context Group (and Casey) Missed
Creative Commons License
by Tim Widowfield
What Is Social-Scientific Criticism?
What Is Social-Scientific Criticism?
Social-Scientific Criticism
In an earlier post — Casey: Taking Context out of Context — we discussed the disturbing habit in NT scholarship of explaining away textual difficulties by playing the high-context card. For example, in What Is Social-Scientific Criticism? John H. Elliott of the Context Group writes:
Further, the New Testament, like the Old Testament and other writings of antiquity, consists of documents written in what anthropologists call a "high context" society where the communicators presume a broadly shared acquaintance with and knowledge of the social context of matters referred to in conversation or writing. Accordingly, it is presumed in such societies that contemporary readers will be able to "fill in the gaps" and "read between the lines." (John H Elliott. Kindle Locations 125-128)
Similarly, Bruce Malina explains why Paul's writings are often "misunderstood":
The New Testament was written in what anthropologists call a "high context" culture. People who communicate with each other in high context societies presume a broadly shared, generally well-understood knowledge of the context of anything referred to in conversation or in writing. (Bruce J. Malina; John J. Pilch. Social-science Commentary on the Letters of Paul (p. 5). Kindle Edition.)
Hoping to explain away the messianic secret, David F. Watson says:
The necessity of protective secrecy was exacerbated in the ancient Mediterranean context by the "high-context" nature of the culture. A high-context culture is one in which people are deeply involved in the everyday activities of those around them and in which information is widely shared.... Within the high-context setting, secrecy would be an important and necessary means of protection. (Watson, Honor among Christians: The Cultural Key to the Messianic Secret, p. 25)
Useful but misused
I want to be clear up front. I would never argue that social-scientific criticism is in itself a misguided approach, but I do wish to point out a few observations that indicate a pattern of misuse. We continually read that the people in Jesus' and Paul's time lived in a high-context culture, with little in the way of demonstration.
However, a scientific approach demands that scholars provide evidence for their assertions. Besides proving that NT writers lived in high-context cultures, scholars must also prove it follows that their writings will always reflect that high context. Because it is stated flatly as a "known fact," we miss out on important points of the discussion. For example:
 - Cultural context occurs along a continuum. In other words, a culture that is either 100% low or 100% high context is a caricature. The fact that we can (arguably) understand Paul's epistles today shows that not everything he wrote required a special understanding of his context. So we have to ask, to what degree were early Christian cultures high context?
 - People adapt to situations and adjust their degree of explicitness accordingly. How might that phenomenon affect the way the fourth evangelist wrote compared to Mark or Paul? What factors might contribute to an author's deviation from a cultural predisposition toward high-context behavior?
 - According to cultural anthropologists, cultural context is just one of several ways we can describe a society, and they all interact with one another. What are the other dimensions? Do any of them have a bearing on whether a person in a high-context society might engage in low-context communication?
 - Anthropologists and sociologists also tell us that besides culture, human nature and our distinct personalities have a bearing on our behavior. We are not merely the products of our cultures. Geert Hofstede puts it this way:
Culture is learned, not innate. It derives from one's social environment rather than from one's genes. Culture should be distinguished from human nature on one side and from an individual's personality on the other, although exactly where the borders lie between nature and culture, and between culture and personality, is a matter of discussion among social scientists. (Hofstede, Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind, Third Edition, p. 22)
Power distance: the relationship between Paul and his churches
In a peaceful revolution—the last revolution in Swedish history—the nobles of Sweden in 1809 deposed King Gustav IV, whom they considered incompetent, and surprisingly invited Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, a French general who served under their enemy Napoleon, to become king of Sweden. Bernadotte accepted and became King Charles XIV John; his descendants have occupied the Swedish throne to this day. When the new king was installed, he addressed the Swedish parliament in their language. His broken Swedish amused the Swedes, and they roared with laughter. The Frenchman who had become king was so upset that he never tried to speak Swedish again.
In this incident Bernadotte was a victim of culture shock: never in his French upbringing and military career had he experienced subordinates who laughed at the mistakes of their superior. Historians tell us he had more problems adapting to the egalitarian Swedish and Norwegian mentality (he later became king of Norway as well) and to his subordinates' constitutional rights. He was a good learner, however (except for language), and he ruled the country as a highly respected constitutional monarch until 1844. (Hofstede, p. 69)
Above, I mentioned the existence other cultural value dimensions and the importance of considering them if we wish to gain some insights on the social background to NT writings. One such dimension is power distance.
The dominant culture in the United States has what Hofstede calls a "low power distance" structure. Power distance has to do with the level of inequality in a society. For example, in the U.S., you might call your boss by his first name and freely offer your opinions about the best way to do things. He's above you in the org chart, but not so far above you that you can't speak your mind. On the other hand, in high power distance societies, your boss might never ask your opinion. At lunch, you'll probably never sit with him, but instead eat with your peers. You show him deference and would never think of calling him by his first name.
U.S. society is not completely egalitarian, of course. Inequality is a fact of life in any human society. It's a question of degree. Hence, the power distance scale simply measures the amount of inequality that people in a given society are comfortable with.
Power distance can therefore be defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organizations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. Institutions are the basic elements of society, such as the family, the school, and the community; organizations are the places where people work.
Power distance is thus described based on the value system of the less powerful members. The way power is distributed is usually explained from the behavior of the more powerful members, the leaders rather than those led. (Hofstede, Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind, Third Edition, p. 61, italics original)
How should we assess the power distance between Paul and his converts in Galatia and Corinth? Remember the tone Paul took in Galatians 3:1-4.
3. Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?
4. Did you experience so much for nothing?—if it really was for nothing. (NRSV)
Paul is figuratively (and literally!) writing in all caps here. His harsh tone and explicit language show that he views himself as an authority figure over the Galatians and that he expects the Galatians to accept their subordinate position. He is not offering advice; he is dictating instructions.
Likewise, when addressing the Corinthians, Paul is appalled that they would follow different factions. How can there be any factions within the body of Christ? It's inconceivable. He takes them to task in chapters three and four, concluding with:
4:14. I am not writing this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
4:15 For though you might have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers. Indeed, in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. (NRSV)
He then finishes the chapter with this zinger:
4:21. What would you prefer? Am I to come to you with a stick, or with love in a spirit of gentleness? (NRSV)
We conclude that Paul would prefer to change their minds with fatherly exhortation, but he would maintain that applying a fatherly spanking is not out of the question. The fact that these letters were copied and shared with other churches would tend to prove that the Galatians and Corinthians were comfortable with this relationship. In Hofstede's lingo, Paul's churches accepted and expected a high degree of inequality, which indicates a high power distance index.
How does power distance affect cultural context?
The research shows that Paul would be very direct and very explicit with his congregations, because of the high power distance index. Paul was their leader. Paul was their father in faith.
Recently, I was listening to a series of lectures by David Livermore, entitled Customs of the World: Using Cultural Intelligence to Adapt, Wherever You Are. If you are an Audible subscriber, check it out.
Livermore doesn't discuss highand low-context cultures until lecture


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The Trevelyon Miscellany: Embroidery
Word & Image:
The Trevelyon Miscellany of 1608
|on exhibit January 23 - May 22, 2004
Miscellany is probably best known today for its embroidery patterns,
which make up nearly one hundred pages of the volume.
is possible Thomas Trevelyon was a professional "drawer"
who outlined embroidery designs on fabric for others to fill in
with appropriate stitches. In addition to the obvious embroidery
patterns, almost any of Trevelyon's portraits and figural scenes
can be envisioned in pictorial needlework.
Miscellany contains twenty cap patterns in all,
the only patterns in the book explicitly intended for clothing.
Miscellany, fol. 266r
(Embroidery pattern for a cap)
Word and Image: The Trevelyon
Miscellany of 1608
Trevelyon: the man and his sources | History
and Religion |
and Calculations | Memento
Mori | Proverbs
| The Old
Testament | Lettering
| A Quest for Order
| Women | Astronomy
Exhibition Intro | Visiting
This page updated March 26, 2004

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


text:
Introduction: Exercise not only benefits physical and cardiovascular function in older adults with multiple chronic conditions but may also improve cognitive function. Peak HR, a physiological indicator for maximal effort, is the most common and practical means of establishing and monitoring exercise intensity. In particular, in the absence of graded maximal exercise test (GXT) results, age-predicted maximal HR values are typically used. Using individuals with stroke as a model for examining older adults with coexisting cardiovascular and neuromotor conditions, the purpose of this article was to examine the determinants associated with achieving age-predicted maximal HR on a GXT, with respect to neurological, cognitive, and lower limb function.
Methods: Forty-seven participants with stroke (age, 67 ± 7 yr; 4 ± 3 yr poststroke (mean ± SD)) performed GXT. The peak values for gas exchange, HR, and RPE were noted. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine determinants (neurological impairment, leg motor impairment, Montreal Cognitive Assessment score, and walking ability) associated with the ability to achieve age-predicted maximal HR on the GXT.
Results: V˙O2peak was 16.5 ± 6 mL·kg−1·min−1. Fourteen (30%) participants achieved ≥100% of age-predicted maximal HR. Logistic regression modeling revealed that the ability to achieve this threshold was associated with less leg motor impairment (P = 0.02; odds ratio, 2.3) and higher cognitive scores (P = 0.048; odds ratio, 1.3).
Conclusions: These results suggest that noncardiopulmonary factors such as leg motor impairment and cognitive function are important contributors to achieving maximal effort during exercise tests. This study has important implications for poststroke exercise prescription, whereby training intensities that are based on peak HR from GXT may be underestimated among individuals with cognitive and physical impairments.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


text:
How to monitor Whatsapp, Viber, and other IM on Android
Easy as pie – we do all the heavy lifting.
Step 1. Install Safe Lagoon on your child's Android smartphone or tablet and send some instant messages.
Step 2. Open your Parental App or Safe Lagoon Webcenter and select the "IM chats" tab.
Step 3. Select the messenger type you would like to see chats from (Whatsapp, Viber, etc) and you will see a both sides of the commication from that particular Instant messenger. Messages are presented in chronological order.
Step 4. You can also select "All chats" and see a time line of all conversations over all instant messengers used


text:
|Skip Navigation Links|
|Exit Print View|
|man pages section 1: User Commands Oracle Solaris 11 Express 11/10|
- display the native instruction sets executable on this platform
isalist prints the names of the native instruction sets executable on this platform on the standard output, as returned by the SI_ISALIST command of sysinfo(2).
The names are space-separated and are ordered in the sense of best performance. That is, earlier-named instruction sets might contain more instructions than later-named instruction sets; a program that is compiled for an earlier-named instruction sets will most likely run faster on this machine than the same program compiled for a later-named instruction set.
Programs compiled for instruction sets that do not appear in the list will most likely experience performance degradation or not run at all on this machine.
The instruction set names known to the system are listed in isalist(5). These names might or might not match predefined names or compiler options in the C language compilation system,
This command is obsolete and may be removed in a future version of Solaris. See isainfo(1) for a better way to handle instruction set extensions.
See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:


module NLP.GenI.Automaton
 ( NFA(..),
 addTrans, lookupTrans,
 automatonPaths, automatonPathSets,
 numStates, numTransitions )
import qualified Data.Map as Map
import Data.Maybe (catMaybes)
import NLP.GenI.General (combinations)
\end{code} This module provides a simple, naive implementation of nondeterministic finite automata (NFA). The transition function consists of a Map, but there are also accessor function which help you query the automaton without worrying about how it's implemented. \begin{enumerate} \item The states are a list of lists, not just a simple flat list as you might expect. This allows you to optionally group your states into ''columns'' (which is something we use in the GenI polarity automaton optimisation). If you don't want columns, you can just make one big group out of all your states. \item We model the empty an empty transition as the transition on Nothing. All other transitions are Just something. \item I'd love to reuse some other library out there, but Leon P. Smith's Automata library requires us to know before-hand the size of our alphabet, which is highly unacceptable for this task. \end{enumerate} \begin{code}
-- | Note: there are two ways to define the final states.
-- 1. you may define them as a list of states in finalStList
-- 2. you may define them via the isFinalSt function
-- The state list is ignored if you define 'isFinalSt'
data NFA st ab = NFA
 { startSt :: st
 , isFinalSt :: Maybe (st -> Bool)
 , finalStList :: [st]
 -- see chapter comments about list of list
 , states :: [[st]]
finalSt :: NFA st ab -> [st]
finalSt aut =
 case isFinalSt aut of
 Nothing -> finalStList aut
\end{code} \fnlabel{lookupTrans} takes an automaton, a state \fnparam{st1} and an element \fnparam{ab} of the alphabet; and returns the state that \fnparam{st1} transitions to via \fnparam{a}, if possible. \begin{code}
 where subT = Map.findWithDefault Map.empty st (transitions aut)
\end{code} \begin{code}
addTrans :: (Ord ab, Ord st) => NFA st ab -> st -> Maybe ab -> st -> NFA st ab
addTrans aut st1 ab st2 =
 aut { transitions = Map.insert st1 newSubT oldT }
 where oldT = transitions aut
 oldSubT = Map.findWithDefault Map.empty st1 oldT
 newSubT = Map.insertWith (++) st2 [ab] oldSubT
\end{code} % ---------------------------------------------------------------------- \section{Exploiting automata} % ---------------------------------------------------------------------- \fnlabel{automatonPaths} returns all possible paths through an automaton. Each path is represented as a list of labels. We assume that the automaton does not have any loops in it. Maybe it would still work if there were loops, with lazy evaluation, but I haven't had time to think this through, so only try it unless you're feeling adventurous. FIXME: we should write some unit tests and quickchecks for this \begin{code}
-- | Not quite the set of all paths, but the sets of all transitions
--- FIXME: explain later
automatonPathSets aut = helper (startSt aut)
 transFor st = Map.lookup st (transitions aut)
 helper st = case transFor st of
 Nothing -> []
 Just subT -> concat [ (next (catMaybes tr) st2) | (st2, tr) <- Map.toList subT ]
 next tr st2 = case helper st2 of
 [] -> [[tr]]
 res -> map (tr :) res
\end{code} \begin{code}
numStates, numTransitions :: NFA st ab -> Int
numStates = sum. (map length). states


text:
When his biology students don't understand gametes, Brandon Cuffee drops the beat.
"Meiosis dos is similar to meiosis uno, shout out to Gregor Mendel from the garden to the genome," he raps. Unlike most rappers, Cuffee mentions the 19th-century genetic scientist Gregor Mendel between references to professional athletes LeBron James and Andy Pettitte.
Cuffee teaches Spanish classes and a biology class for English for Speakers of Other Languages at Gaithersburg High School. In 2011, he started recording songs about how to conjugate verbs in Spanish and how cells divide. When the songs turned into music videos on YouTube, they went viral.
"The kids are proud, and the kids are sharing it," Gaithersburg High School Principal Christine Handy-Collins said.
Cuffee said one of his students volunteered to be his marketing director, sending links of his YouTube videos out to news media and local organizations.
All this, Cuffee said, started as a joke.
Two years ago, in his seventh-period Spanish class, Cuffee said he told his students, "If you write a song about Spanish conjugation, you will pass this class."
He said a lot of his students are talented, and a few are aspiring rappers and singers. One wrote the verse for the song that became his first music video, "Spanish Conjugation."
In front of a classroom whiteboard and signs with verb endings, Cuffee rapidly delivers his lines.
"When I'm conjugating, I drop the -ar like my top; and if I start with 'yo,' then I put an 'o' up in that spot," he raps.
Daniel Lobossau, an 18-year-old sophomore in Cuffee's ESOL biology class, said he took Cuffee's Spanish class last year. Cuffee used the "Spanish Conjugation" video as a teaching tool.
Lobossau, a Gaithersburg resident who grew up speaking French in Benin, said the videos helped him learn and speak better Spanish.
"I get more better grades" because of Cuffee, he said.
Cuffee said he learned Spanish in middle school and kept taking classes while he attended Albright College in Reading, Pa.
"My learning style was auditory," Cuffee said. He said he learned better by creating acronyms to remember facts and figures.
He also studied biology, but education appealed to him.
"I came from a teaching family," he said. Both of his parents and his sister are teachers. He has been teaching in Montgomery County Public Schools for three years.
He also enjoys freestyle rapping, but "never found an outlet for it" until he started using his skills in class, he said. He calls his genre "edu-rap."
Cuffee said students have made requests for songs about bullying and getting to class on time.
"The kids learn it verbatim," he said. "All the love that students have been showing me really motivated me to do more."
Cuffee has three music videos, including one about meiosis, or a process in which cells duplicate.
Mariama Jalo, a 15-year-old sophomore in Cuffee's ESOL biology class, said the songs help her memorize and understand biological processes that can be confusing.
"I like the one that's like, 'divide and split 'em.' It's really catchy," she said of "Meiosis."
The meiosis video shows clips of other Gaithersburg High teachers singing "divide and split 'em" while making a chopping hand motion. When Cuffee plays the song in his ESOL biology class, students take out their earbuds and start singing along.
"Mr. Cuffee has a lot of energy, and they like that," said Handy-Collins, who also has memorized the "divide and split 'em" dance move.
At Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, math teacher Jake Scott created songs for his own classes. Scott, also known as 2 Pi, raps about triangles and the quadratic formula. Cuffee said he met Scott when they both were wrestling coaches for MCPS. The rap duo have a collaboration in the works that tentatively is titled "This Is Why I Teach."
"We have the hook already," Cuffee said.


Southern Blind SnakeScientific name: Anilios australis
Meaning of name: The meaning of Anilios is not known. Australis is Latin meaning southern.
Distribution: Occurs throughout the southwest of Western Australia from north of Geraldton to near the South Australian border.
Description: The body colour can be from a purplish-brown to purplish-grey to pink with a cream belly. They can grow to 42cm long.
Notes: This is the most common blind snake in Perth. They shelter beneath rocks, stumps, logs and rubbish. They eat only ants and termites, meaning they are harmless to humans. Blind snakes use an unpleasant odour produced from their anal glands to deter predators.
Snakes of Western Australia. GM Storr, LA Smith, RE Johnstone. 1986


Green glow discovered on Mars, study says
Experts have discovered a green glow in the Martian atmosphere, the first time that's ever been seen on another planet besides Earth.
The green glow, or light, is a result of oxygen atoms interacting with the sunlight, researchers noted. It had long been theorized to occur on other planets besides Earth, but it had never been observed until the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) satellite did so earlier this year. The Earth's glow can usually be seen from the International Space Station.
"One of the brightest emissions seen on Earth stems from night glow,» said the study's lead author, Jean-Claude Gérard of the Université de Liège, Belgium, in a statement. «More specifically, from oxygen atoms emitting a particular wavelength of light that has never been seen around another planet."
"However, this emission has been predicted to exist at Mars for around 40 years — and, thanks to TGO, we've found it," Gérard added.
The excited oxygen was observed at very precise altitudes, with the strongest reading «at an altitude of around 80 kilometers and varied depending on the changing distance between Mars and the Sun," one of the study's co-authors, Ann Carine Vandaele, added.
The TGO has been observing the Red Planet since October 2016.
The phenomenon on Earth causes the polar auroras, also known as the Northern and Southern Lights, but this is very different from that, as the planet does not have a magnetic field, researchers noted.
"We modeled this emission and found that it's mostly produced as carbon dioxide, or CO2, is broken up into its constituent parts: carbon monoxide and oxygen," Gérard explained. "We saw the resulting oxygen atoms glowing in both visible and ultraviolet light."
"The observations at Mars agree with previous theoretical models but not with the actual glowing we've spotted around Earth, where the visible emission is far weaker," Gérard continued. "This suggests we have more to learn about how oxygen atoms behave, which is hugely important for our understanding of atomic and quantum physics."
Gaining additional knowledge about the Martian atmosphere could help researchers better understand where to send future missions to the Red Planet, Håkan Svedhem, ESA's TGO Project Scientist, said.
"This type of remote-sensing observation, coupled with in situ measurements at higher altitudes, helps us to predict how the martian atmosphere will respond to seasonal changes and variations in solar activity," Håkan explained. "Predicting changes in atmospheric density is especially important for forthcoming missions, including the ExoMars 2022 mission that will send a rover and surface science platform to explore the surface of the Red Planet."
The research has been published in the scientific journal Nature Astronomy.
Researchers continue to learn more about the Red Planet, ahead of NASA's long-term goal to send a manned mission to the planet in the 2030s.
A study published in March suggested Mars had two unique reservoirs of ancient water that once flowed deep beneath the planet's surface.
NASA's next mission to Mars involves the recently renamed Perseverance rover on July 20, 2020. The Perseverance rover will attempt to detect if there is any fossilized evidence of extraterrestrial beings, in addition to other tasks.
Related posts...


The best ideas are simple but brilliant
The unique method of WordPIN guarantees optimal security for your codes. Explaining the unique method of WordPIN can sometimes be confusing, but after users have entered their first code they are amazed at the simplicity of using WordPIN and convinced of the safety of WordPIN. That's why we present a free test version of WordPIN to experience the magic."
WordPIN was developed by Ron van der Steeg and Jeffrey Bruijntjes. Ron is innovator and Jeffrey is the technical man behind WordPIN.
The idea for WordPIN was created when Ron was confronted with someone who had spontaneously forgotten his pin when paying in a store. The person in question had entered his pin somewhere on his cell phone, hidden somewhere in…. but where? He quickly tried to find it without success. The queue waiting was getting longer, and the stress increased.
Innovator Ron was triggered, and began to invent a solution. His demands were high!
- WordPIN had to be fast. A code must be found within 10 seconds.
- WordPIN had to be safe. Not just safe, but 100% safe.
- WordPIN had to be easy to use. Useful for young and old.
There are many apps in the stores, which can be used to save your secret information like codes. These apps are locked with a secret number combination, just like a vault. When you enter the correct combination, the vault opens and the contents are visible. Therefore, it is essential that these apps must know your secret combination to work properly! It is not unthinkable that someone hits your correct combination by accident, and then… Oops! Problem!
WordPIN had to be different. WordPIN had to be faster and easier, but definitely safer.
The First Version
The first version worked in a fast and safe way. The letters of the secret word had to be clicked on the screen to read the underlying digits of the code, but they were also visible to curious bystanders. That had to be changed, to be more efficient!
The current version solved this problem and is super safe! WordPIN is not to crack! WordPIN doesn't need your secret word to operate properly. You only have to LOOK at the letters of your secret word to read the code. That is an indomitable obstacle for curious bystanders, because it's impossible to know what the user is looking at. Not even WordPIN knows where you are looking at! If the user keeps his secret word really secret, then the codes in WordPIN are unavailable to others, even when the phone comes into strange hands.
We're still working on improvements, so stay with us!
The Current Version


text:
Cellular and Biomolecular Mechanics and Mechanobiology
part of "Studies in Mechanobiology, Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials" Series
[en] Key factors in the formation of cell aggregates in tissue engineering and other fields are the cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Other important factors are culture conditions such as nutrient and oxygen supply and the characteristics of the environment (medium versus hydrogel). As mathematical models are increasingly used to investigate biological phenomena, it is important that processes such as cell adhesion are adequately described in the models. Recently a technique was developed to incorporate cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion in continuum models through the use of non-local terms. In this study we apply this technique to model adhesion in a cell-in-gel culture set-up often found in tissue engineering applications. We briefly describe the biological issues underlying this study and the various modeling techniques used to capture adhesive behaviour. We furthermore elaborate on the numerical techniques that were developed in the course of this study. Finally, we consider a tissue engineering model that describes the spatiotemporal evolution of the concentration of cells, matrix, hydrogel, matrix degrading enzymes and oxygen/nutrients in a cell-in-gel culture system. Sensitivity analyses indicate a clear influence of the different adhesive processes on the final cell and collagen density and distribution, demonstrating the significance of cell adhesion in tissue engineering and the potential of the proposed mathematical technique.


text:
Coaching Manitoba has announced they will be offering an Introduction to Competition A Course on June 15-16, 2018.
The course consist of the following aspects:
- Planning a Practice
- Make Ethical Decisions
Introduction to Competition A
The ICA course consists of three modules: Planning a Practice, Nutrition and Make Ethical Decisions.
Planning a Practice
The Planning a Practice module will give you the skills to:
- organize a well-structured practice plan with safe, age-appropriate activities you've designed to match the proficiency level of participants;
- identify potential risk factors that could impact the sport and practice activities;
- create an emergency action plan; and
- identify practice goals and design activities that offer the best training benefits for the athletic skills required in your sport.
After taking the Nutrition module you will be able to:
- determine if foods and beverages consumed by your athletes before, during and after training are adequate;
- offer suggestions for more suitable food and beverage alternatives when necessary;
- gain a better understanding of the best way to promote healthy food choices that are consistent with basic sport nutrition principles to both athletes and their parents.
Make Ethical Decisions
By successfully completing the Make Ethical Decisions workshop you will be fully equipped to handle virtually any ethical situation with confidence and surety. MED is one of the NCCP's cornerstone workshops, and leaves coaches with no doubt as to what to do when the going gets tough. Upon completing the MED module you'll be able to:
- analyze a challenging situation and determine if it has moral, legal or ethical implications;
- apply the NCCP Ethical Decision-Making Model to properly respond to each situation in a way that is consistent with the NCCP Code of Ethic.
Sport for Life Centre
145 Pacific Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3B 2Z6
For more information and to register: _URL_


text:
PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER TO JOIN THE TARTAN OF MODERN SCOTLAND: 24th October 2020
This is a great article by Christina McKelvie MSP focussing on the strength of our diversity in Scotland and the importance of talking about this history:
As far back as the Celts and Picts, people were coming to what is now Scotland. They have continued to come, bringing diversity and new cultures that have become an integral part of the beautiful tartan that is modern Scotland. That rich history also includes people from countries like Africa and Asia and their descendants. However, their stories aren't always told as part of our collective Scottish history. Black History Month champions the achievements and sacrifices of Black men and women and all people of African descent from around the world, and promotes vital discussion around issues such as racism, lack of equality and racial injustice.
Recently, the coronavirus pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement have shed a light on the inequalities that persist today, making it all the more important to actively celebrate black history rather than just acknowledging diversity. In Scotland we are determined to play our part in eradicating racism, inequality and injustice and building a better, fairer world, although we know there is much more that we can and must do. To do this, we have to properly look at our history and place it in the appropriate context.
To this end, in June the Scottish Parliament made a commitment to support the development of a museum of slavery and empire. To help ensure that this work is done in a way that reflects the communities that have been affected by these terrible histories, we've established a panel of independent experts in museums, culture and race equality. They will make recommendations about how Scotland's museums can represent a more accurate portrayal of Scotland's colonial and slavery history. This committee will be chaired by Professor Sir Geoff Palmer, Scotland's first black professor, to name just one of his major contributions to Scotland. But, as important as it is to understand the painful history of those who came to Scotland through the slave trade and empire, we have to recognise the positive, indelible contribution that they, and their descendants, have made to our country.
Education is a crucial part of our plan. Our curriculum provides opportunities for young people to learn about all aspects of history, heritage and culture of Scotland, including the role that Scotland played in the slave trade. But that is not enough. Under the leadership of the Education Secretary John Swinney, Education Scotland is looking at how to use existing teaching resources and developing further materials and professional learning, to teach about black heritage. Linked to this, we are also about to begin a programme of engagement with education and race equality stakeholders to identify how we can better support the teaching of Scotland's Black history and promote diversity across the curriculum in schools. We are also looking at how we can better meet the needs of the teaching workforce to enable them to do so. BY ensuring our young people have a strong knowledge of Scotland's past, we can help to make sure they understand the importance of tolerance and anti-racism in Scotland's present. Also, we have to acknowledge the effects that Covid-19 continues to have on our society. We know that some minority ethnic groups have been disproportionally affected by Covid-19, both in terms of health outcomes and wider impacts, including economically. To help build our understanding of this, and shape our response, we established an Expert Reference Group on Covid-19 and Ethnicity, which has already submitted its initial advice and recommendations. These include recommendations on systemic racism and structural issues, as well as data and health inequality.


Arrested for Christianity
Two Christian men who were visiting a Christian family in a Laotian village were arrested on charges of spreading the Christian faith, according a Laotian religious-freedom advocacy organization.
The example of one of the detained men, Bountheung Phetsomphone, led 300 people in a nearby village to become Christian in 2012, according to the report.
Laos is a Communist nation of 6.8 million in Southeast Asia; 67% of Laotians are Buddhist, 1% are Protestant, and less than 1% are Catholic.
They say that the example of one Christian led 300 people to become Christian. What kind of an example are we giving? How many people are we bringing to Christianity?
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Using the Pulsar® APX Oil
1. Screw in any 510 threaded cartridge using a clockwise motion until it locks into place (do not over-tighten).
2. Turn the unit on by pressing the button rapidly 5 times.
3. Press the fire button 3 times quickly to cycle through preset voltages. Desired voltage level is set when LED stops flashing.
4. To prime cartridge, press fire button 2 times to activate preheat mode. Display will pulsate under previously set voltage for 20 seconds.
5. After pulsing LED stops, the APX Oil is ready for use.
6. Hold power button and inhale to receive preferred amount of vapor.
7. Turn the unit off by pressing the button rapidly 5 times.


3 Simple Tips for Better Bunker Shots
It looks so easy right? You see a pro playing golf on TV and he hops in the sand, takes an effortless swing, and hits his bunker shot 2 feet from the hole. You think to yourself "I should be able to do that".
You then proceed to step in the sand, take a violent lash at the ball, and watch it stay in the bunker or even worse, fly across the green at 100 mph right past your friends head. So what gives? Why aren't you hitting those nice sand shots right by the hole?
The answer is you need a slight adjustment in the way you approach the shot. Bunker shots can be intimidating but they don't have to be.
Here are 3 simple tips you can use to hit better shots from the sand:
Check Your Ball Position
Most of us know that when hitting a greenside bunker shot you hit the sand first, which in turn moves the ball out of the bunker. The distance you hit behind the ball is debatable but anywhere from 2-5 inches depending on the player and type of sand will work.
In order to achieve this, the ball must be correctly positioned in relation to your body. The proper ball position for a bunker shot is even with the left (forward) arm pit. This allows the club head to enter the sand just before the bottom of the swing. This will result in the club hitting slightly behind the ball and solid bunker shots.
If the golf ball is positioned too far back in the stance the club will tend to dig into the sand. If the golf ball is positioned too far forward the club head will be coming up and it will be easy to hit behind the ball and catch it thin. Put down an alignment stick or club to make sure your ball is positioned even with the left arm pit.
Don't Make the Sand the Target
The biggest phobia in the sand for most golfers is the fear of sculling the shot and seeing it fly across the green. Because of this fear, golfers make hitting the sand their only goal. This usually results in the club digging into the sand and inconsistent shots.
When hitting a bunker shot the target is where you're trying to hit the ball, not the sand. Take practice swings and feel the golf club swinging through the sand and through to the target. You'll find when doing this the golf club thumps the sand instead of digging. This swinging through the shot and the thump are what produce solid bunker shots.
Make a Big Enough Swing
For the most part the bunker shot is the only shot where the golf club doesn't make contact with the ball. The club hits the sand and the sand in turn moves the ball out of the bunker. Because of this the energy transferred to the golf ball is reduced. Simply said, a bunker shot will not go as far as a regular shot because of the sand.
To account for this you have to make a bigger swing in the sand. This should be common sense but many golfers make small swings and expect good results with their bunker shots. Watch any professional golfer on TV and you'll see them take a much larger than normal swing for even a short bunker shot.
Take some practice swings in the sand and feel the bigger golf swing and the club finishing through the swing. This extra speed you create with a bigger swing will easily move the ball out of the bunker and onto the green.
So to recap, if you want to hit better bunker shots check your ball position, don't make the sand the target, and make a bigger swing. Do these things and you will have more success in the sand.
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Author: Clay Hood - _URL_
Is the Co-Founder of Perfect Pitch Golf and a PGA Professional
With a background in golf instruction he now helps golfers through the development of golf training aids and instruction content.
He can be reached at _EMAIL_ or on Twitter _USER_
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Tee Times and Golf Course Discounts


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This French manuscript Bible was written around 1275 A.D. The text is in a minute Gothic scribal hand, written on vellum, and decorated throughout with fine penwork in red and blue inks and historiated illuminated letters. The opening illustration shown is from the Book of Genesis. The first word of the verse is "Incipit" and the full-page illuminated letter "I" that decorates the page contains representations of the Seven Days of Creation and, in the bottom lobe, the Crucifixion of Christ. The illuminations and penwork are characteristic of thirteenth-century French manuscript illumination design, and this Bible is a particularly fine example of the art form.
Call number: Rosenwald #3
2 of 16


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Last October, a study in Pediatrics, "Water-Absorbing Balls: A "Growing"Problem," reported on a case in which an 8-month-old infant required surgery after swallowing a superabsorbent polymer ball - a rapidly expanding, water-absorbing ball (Water Balz) that can grow up to 400 times their original size. The study highlighted the dangers of this toy, which may appear 'candy-like to young children.' They found that the growing balls can easily grow larger than the small intestine in just six hours, blocking the intestine and quickly leading to a life-threatening medical emergency.
We soon became aware that in addition to Water Balz, these superabsorbent polymer balls could also be found in other toys (Spider Balls), gardening equipment (Crystal Soil Water Beads), and some crafting/household products (Water Pearls). Magic Growing Jelly Balls were even advertised as a 'great party favor.'
This week we have learned of some new recalls of toys that contain these same types of polymer balls, including:
- Monster Science Growing Spider toy sets with marble-sized polymer ball "spider eggs," which were sold at Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores, Spirit Halloween and Target.
- Cosmo Beads Jumbo Size Colorful Water Balls and Jumbo Multipurpose Colorful Water Balls
If you have these toys, take them away from your kids and contact the manufacturer for a refund.
Remember that kids can easily mistake these balls and beads for candy, and that according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, "When the bead is ingested, it expands and can cause intestinal obstructions inside a child's body, resulting in severe discomfort, vomiting, dehydration and could be life threatening. The toys need surgery to be removed from the body."


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Independent Clinical Research
The clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the Stryker SurgiCount Safety-Sponge System was validated in the largest clinical study ever conducted on retained foreign objects. Performed at one of the most world renown healthcare facilities in the world and published in the February 2011 edition of The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, this multi-year study explored the underlying causes behind retained surgical sponges and the occurrence rate of this error, as well as conducted a thorough examination of the clinical efficiency, ergonomics, impact on operative time, cost effectiveness, staff satisfaction and impact on work flow of the SurgiCount Safety-Sponge System.Key Results and Conclusions:
- Prior to implementation of the solution, a retained surgical sponge occurred at this institution an average of one out of every 64 days. Use of the Safety-Sponge System eliminated retained sponges immediately upon implementation and throughout the entire 18 months of the study. During this time, more than 87,400 procedures were performed using a total of 1,862,373 Safety-Sponges.
- The use of the SurgiCount Safety-Sponge System did not cause workflow disruption nor was there an increase in case duration
- Hospital staff satisfaction with the system was acceptable with a high degree of trust in this solution
- The Safety-Sponge System was found to be highly reliable, cost-effective and improved patient safety
The product highlighted in the cover story "Eliminating Retained Surgical Sponges" and that was researched in the clinical study titled Using a Data-Matrix-Coded Sponge Counting System Across a Surgical Practice: Impact After 18 Months is the SurgiCount Safety-Sponge System by Stryker SurgiCount. The research was completely independent in nature. Stryker SurgiCount provided no funding of any kind to the Joint Commission, the researchers conducting the study or the healthcare institution. As a matter of policy, neither the Joint Commission nor the institution that conducted the research endorse any commercial products, services or specific vendors, including the SurgiCount Safety-Sponge System.


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New design awards celebrate Hydrogenerator
Gensler teamed with 4240 Architecture have been awarded Silver in a new multi-disciplinary design award, in recognition of their proposals for turning water into electricity.
The collaboration was formed to create a proposal that transforms Chicago's abandoned Bloomingdale rail line into a three mile long greenhouse and hydrogen generator that provides 10 acres of farm land year round, powers city schools, and creates a beacon for the city. The Spark Awards recognised the potential in the unbuilt project awarding Gensler and 4240 Architecture with their Silver award.
Chicago's Bloomingdale railroad viaduct runs through the city's heart, connecting neighbourhoods, the city's park system, and the Chicago River. The three-mile long elevated rail line was abandoned in the 1980s and currently sits neglected, overtaken by vegetation, garbage, and debris. It is at once an eyesore as well as a beautiful wilderness set against a dense urban backdrop.
"Our city's challenges are too significant and the Bloomingdale Line's potential too great for it to be just another park," said Gensler design director Brian Vitale. "The Bloomingdale Line is worthy of a greater purpose, one that will directly affect people in most need within the city."
While the greenhouse above produces food, the hydrogen generator below creates electricity to split water molecules into pure Hydrogen and Oxygen. This new fuel cell energy will be used to power nearby Chicago Public Schools, in turn helping the CPS reverse its budget shortfall from last year which resulted in teacher layoffs to offset rising utility bills. "Simply put, Hydrogen = Teachers," say Gensler. The excess Hydrogen will be sold to alternative fuel vehicles at depots throughout the line.
As it produces this much needed food and energy, the Hydrogenerator simultaneously releases oxygen as the by-product of photosynthesis and hydrogen production -- a truly sustainable loop.


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Vegetarian Restaurants Near Me
Though many restaurants offer vegetarian options, finding a true blue vegetarian restaurant can make all the difference in finding a variety of meals that can suit your lifestyle and beliefs. Some individuals choose the vegetarian way of life for health reasons, while others adopt the diet due to moral beliefs or religions. Whatever the reason, it's a great lifestyle that has many health and ecological benefits.
Are you interested in finding a vegetarian restaurant near you? Simply browse vegetarian restaurants near me on the map below and find a list of vegetarian restaurants located in close proximity to your current location. Need a bit more information on vegetarian restaurants? Read on for interesting facts, trivia, and more!
Vegetarian Restaurants Near Me – Find it on the Map
Vegetarian Restaurants Near Me – Vegetarian Restaurants Trivia
When did vegetarianism start?
In the present day, it's not unusual for someone to adopt a vegetarian or vegan diet. In fact, it's one of the most popular food related lifestyle changes that many individuals choose to make. The question is, when did vegetarianism first start and for what reasons? Did the ideals of early vegetarians match the ideas of those in the modern day? Consider these facts as you search vegetarian restaurants near me. According to many historians, vegetarianism first found favor with many great figures of the classical world in 500 BCE. Most notably was renowned vegetarian and mathematician, Pythagoras. Pythagoras was a known independent thinker who formed his own ideas and opinions rather than caving to public pressures or popular opinion. He was the first to argue that women were on equal ground intellectually and the first to to teach openly that all animals should be treated as kindred spirits. In his teachings of animal kindness, Pythagoras asked that people abstain from eating meat. This concept partly mirrored the traditions of earlier civilizations such as Babylonia and Egypt. The vegetarian ideology was practiced among many religious groups in Egypt around 3,200 BCE, with many abstaining from flesh or wearing animal derived clothing. This was due to a karmic believe in reincarnation.
Which religion has always included vegetarianism?
Many religions have always involved some degree of vegetarianism, due to a belief in reincarnation and the soul's cycle of on this plane and in many others. One religion where vegetarianism has always been prominent is Buddhism. In Buddhism, compassion for all living creatures is a central belief. It is believed that all souls are equal, but not necessarily eternal. They believe that both humans and animals possess a Buddha-nature, therefore each of the potential to become enlightened. Buddhists believe that reincarnation holds for both humans and animals. All creatures are on a path to purification and enlightenment. Because of this regard for animal life and the sacred nature of the soul itself, Buddhists abstain from eating any kind of animal flesh.As you search vegetarian restaurants near me, consider why you decided to adopt the vegetarian lifestyle. Was it a moral choice or a way to adopt better eating habits?
Vegetarian Restaurants Near Me – Vegetarian Restaurants Facts
A Healthy Choice
Though many vegetarians adopt the diet out of moral beliefs and religion, many also adopt vegetarianism out of a desire to lead a healthier life. According to some doctors, a vegetarian diet has the potential to increase the body's metabolism. This can help the body to burn fat calories a whopping sixteen percent faster than the body of someone who consumes meat at every meal or on a daily basis. Many vegetarians also consume a greater amount of vegetables that are high in vitamins and minerals that can help give your body a healthy boost. The only vitamin that many vegetarians don't garner enough of in their diet is B12. This is one of the few nutrients that comes only from animal sources. Vitamin B12 deficiency can be tied to weakening bones, drops in energy, and hormonal imbalances. Of course, you can always supplement your vegetarian diet with B12 supplements or ask a doctor about receiving weekly B12 shots or a prescription strength vitamin. When you first start your vegetarian diet, make sure you are eating balanced meals that included some kind of protein (even in the form of tofu or soy), fiber, and a blend of vegetables, fruits or grains. If you're searching vegetarian restaurants near me, know that many vegetarian meals are curated to meet nutritional needs, though this isn't true of restaurants that are are not strictly vegetarian but offer a few vegetarian dishes.
An IQ Link To Vegetarianism?
While searching vegetarian restaurants near me, you likely aren't too inclined to consider just how your IQ might affect your dietary choices. However, some researchers are saying there most certainly is a link. British researchers have found that a children's IQ can predict their likelihood of becoming vegetarians as adults and young adults. This can also lower their risk for a cardiovascular disease in the process. According to the study, the higher a child's IQ was, the more likely they were to become a vegetarian later in life. Those with lower IQs were less apt to adopt a vegetarian diet or to even peer into the lifestyle choice. The connection could possibly be linked to an individual's ability to logic and reason, as well as their interest and education on social causes. All of these factors likely contribute to why one would adopt a vegetarian lifestyle given a higher IQ.


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Privacy and security
We abide by the strictest Canadian laws in terms of privacy. We only request access to data that is needed to use the tools on Ocean School.
This privacy and security policy is specific to the Google integration of our web application.
The following additional terms also apply to users to the Ocean School experience.
What information does Ocean School collect?
Ocean School does not store personal information about students. A student joins a class using an email address and a password they create. Their profile does not include a biography or location. A student's progress on the platform is only visible to their teacher.
If I link my Google account, what can Ocean School access?
When you use Google to sign in to your account, Ocean School requests permission to change files in your Google Drive. This allows us to create shared documents for you.
Please find below the specific details of the data that Ocean School may access depending on the type of account that you created and linked to Google.
Here is what we may access:
1. If you are signed in as a learner (not an educator), we do not access any of your personal data.
Ocean School creates a folder called "Ocean School" at the root of your Google Drive. When you click "Go to activity" on the Ocean School platform, the activity document is saved in your Ocean School folder. You can delete these files whenever you want.
If you don't do anything on Ocean School after you link your account, we will not access anything. We only access your Drive when you open an activity from the Ocean School platform.
2. If you create an account as an educator, we do not access anything as long as you don't create a class on the platform.
When you create a class, we will collect and store the following information on our servers:
The unique code of the class
The class identifier
The name of the class
The list of student emails in that class
Your students' work will be stored inside your Classroom folder in Google Drive. Their work is never stored on an NFB server.
For information about Google Classroom's privacy and security policies, please visit the Google for Education Privacy & Security Center.
How can I remove Ocean School's access to my Google account?
To completely remove Ocean School's access to your Google account, go to _URL_
Click "Remove access" for Ocean School.
This will block any access to your Drive or your Google Classroom.
Can the information that the NFB collects about students be linked to a specific teacher, school and location?
When a teacher creates a class, we create a class roster using the list of students' email addresses. We do not collect any other identifying information about students, and cannot link a student to a particular school or location. The only exception would be if a teacher decides to name the class with those information it would be "collected" but treated as any other class name.
Do students need to provide an email address?
Yes, students will require an email address to use Ocean School.
The email address enables us to:
share a teacher's unique class url with students
create groups of students (Crews) to explore Ocean School together
create students' accounts for accessing Ocean School
access Google Classroom (if requested)


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Introduction: Chess Robot
--This project was my graduation project at Kuwait University-College of Engineering & Petroleum--
Chess is a very famous and common game worldwide. The main purpose of the design is to develop a stand-alone chess robot using an intelligent system to provide more entertainment with low cost as much as possible for home use.
The system is designed such that:
· No external hardware or software is needed.
· The user interface is simple
· Low power, can run on batteries (6 v) or AC adapter (220-240 v)
Step 1: Basic Idea and Needed Components
The overall system has three major parts: the hardware circuits, the chess board, and the robotic arm.
The first element to design is the chess board. The chess board has 64 blocks (positions) where the check pieces (checkers) move on. In order for the system to determine their movement, there is a sensor underneath each block to sense whether a piece has moved or not. Then sensors will send the result to a controller and the controller will determine how the robot should move.
The robot is designed such that it can reach all the 64 blocks. The game starts with the player's move, and then the sensors are be affected by that move. Finally, the controller will determine the player movement and tells the robot where to move.
we will need:
1-servo motors (for the robotic arm, basically 6)
2-reed sensors (64)
6-100 ohm resistors
7-1k ohm resistors
8-2.2k ohm resistors
10-3.3v voltage regulator
Step 2: Connecting the Reed Sensors
The first thing to design is the chess board. For an appropriate size, the board size is set to be 40 by 40 Cm, with 2 by 2 Cm for each square.
Under each square, there is a magnetic sensor called "Reed Switch".
These switches are sensitive to magnetic fields. Whenever a magnetic field is sensed, the switch will turn on, otherwise it will be off. Operation of reed sensor is shown in fig (5). Inside the switch there are two pieces of metal. When a magnet approaches, the two leads will touch each other (attracted) which will cause a "closed circuit", otherwise it is an "open circuit".
Now, each checker has a small magnet beneath it that will affect the sensors. By moving the checkers around the sensors will be opened and closed accordingly.
Next, the circuit that will handle the 64 sensors is designed. As it described before, each sensor will cause either an open or closed circuit. Before connecting them to the microcontroller, some standards are set. In order for the microcontroller to determine whether the sensor is open or closed, the output of each sensor must be either 1 (high) or 0 (low). A circuit that accomplishes this task is needed. Without setting these standards, the sensors states will be "float" when they are open, and NOT zero. What is needed is to add a couple of resistors on each sensor, that will make sure that the output of the sensor is either 1 (high) or 0 (low).
Step 3: Connecting the Sensors to the Microcontroller
Now that the sensors are adjusted to 0 or 1, they can be connected to the main controller. However, microcontrollers in general can't handle this huge amount of sensors (64). So, a decoding circuit is required. A multiplexer is used to do the decoding. A multiplexer (MUX) is a chip that acts as switch, where it connects multiple outputs to a single input and switches between them.
In the design, 4-multiplexers with 16 channels each (that is a total of 64) are used. Then a single output in addition to the "select" pins will be connected to the controller, occupying a total of 9 I/O pins
The decoding circuit takes the 64 input from the sensing circuit and decodes them to 9 outputs, which will be fed to next part of the design, the main controller.
Step 4: The Propeller Microcontroller
The controller specifications are very critical. The circuit of the controller includes the following:
· Fast microcontroller with 32-I/O, capable of handling the heavy artificial intelligence algorithms.
· Capability to drive high power servo motors.
· Capability to do video generation
By following the previous specifications, the microcontroller is chosen to be the "PROPELLER" microcontroller. The propeller is 32-bit multi-core system, running at 80 MHz. capable of video generation and parallel processing. It is powerful enough to run the whole system.
P0 to P8 are used for the multiplexers, P9 to P15 are used for controlling the servo motors
Step 5: The Circuit Designs and PCB's
Attached are the circuit designs (schematics+PCB) for the entire system.
Step 6: The Robotic Arm
I is not nessesary to design the arm by your self. You can buy it ready made if you want. There are many robotics arm that you can purchase from RobotShop or Trossen Robotics. The most important thing is that the size of the robot and the chess board are appropriately chosen.
After the design of the robot is completed and built, a control system is needed to move the robot to the correct position. The robotic arm control is an open loop, which means that there is no feedback from the arm to the microcontroller. However, the servo motor itself is a closed loop system; so, its stability can be ensured.
The control system is done using the Master-Slave method. The microcontroller will send commands to the robotic arm servo motors, and they will move accordingly.
Since servo motors receive digital signals with pulse durations, it is easier to use the durations instead of angles. All the positions (64) are found practically using a servo controller with special computer software that enables the control for each servo. Since the robotic arm is 4-DOF, 4-values are needed for each position, each value is for a single servo
For a smother movement, each block on the chess board has two robotic arm configurations: Position #1 and Position #2. A movement using these two positions is done in 4 steps:
1) The microcontroller tells the robotic arm to move to the specified block, at a HIGH vertical altitude (Position #1)
2) The microcontroller tells the robotic arm to move to the specified block, at a LOW vertical altitude (Position #2)
3) Pick up the checker
4) Return to Position #1 of the same block
5) To move the checker to another block, go to step 1.
Those positions are found practically after fixing the robot with the chess board.
Step 7: Software
One of the advantages of the system is that it is a stand-alone
system; no external software or hardware is required (no need to connect it to a computer). Therefore, the software that will be running the whole system is very essential, and runs at the heart of the system. Many aspects regarding the capabilities of the software are considered:
1. Determining the player's movements.
2. Checking whether the player movement was legal, and notifying him if it was illegal.
3. Finding a suitable movement for the robotic arm.
The first step is to determine which piece the player is moving, and what is the destination. This is done using an algorithm that reads all the positions (using the sensors) before and after the player moves the piece. The algorithm will compare the data before and after the movement and looks for the positions that were changed. Once the algorithm finds the positions, it can set a movement as a 'source' to 'destination', which will then go to the next step: certification of the movement.
When the movement is checked, there can be one of two outputs:
· Turn on yellow LED's if the movement was illegal
· Flash yellow-green-red LED's if the movement was legal
If the player movement was illegal, the system will not proceed until the player corrects his/her movement. Once the movement is corrected (and checked again by the system) the system will proceed to the next step: finding a suitable movement for the robot.
Design of chess algorithms can be very challenging. Here I will attach the code used. It is a modified version of a chess algorithm developed for the Propeller microcontroller.


text: As the Crossroads of the Pacific, Hawaii played a vital role in the development of both commercial and military air travel. The first flight in Hawaii occurred on December 31, 1910. It captured the imagination and hearts of residents who dreamed of traveling by air between islands and the Mainland, Asia and Australia.On this site you'll find the incredible story of the first trans-Pacific flight by Navy Commander John Rodgers in 1925. Inter-Island Airways made its first commercial interisland flight in 1929, and Pan American Airways entered the trans-Pacific market in 1935. You'll find hundreds of historical documents and publications, and the complete book Above the Pacific written by the late William J. Horvat and originally published in 1966. This website features more than 4,000 photos.


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Heinrich August Winkler is the doyen of modern German history writing. He has behind him a string of distinguished books on the modern age, very few of which have made their way into the English language. This neglect has finally been put right with a splendid translation of his magisterial study of the 'West' in the years between 1914 and 1945, first published in Germany in 2011. It is an indication that the British market is a tough nut to crack that the English title is The Age of Catastrophe, as indeed it was, while the original German title translates as 'History of the West: The Period of World Wars'. 'Catastrophe' will certainly sell more copies, but it is surely arguable that the real catastrophe engulfed Eurasia, from Eastern Europe to Japan. A 'History of the West' on its own would in the end raise fewer questions.
The first question is, of course, what Winkler understands as the 'West'. This is never fully addressed in the book, which in fact covers the history of tsarist Russia, the Soviet Union, China and Japan as well as the conventional 'West',


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In 1880, Gustave Lundberg and Christian Carff, planing mill operators, set up a direct current electric light plant, probably the first in Utah. It was a small Thompson-Houston machine with a capacity of fifty arcs, providing five lights for Logan City at $15.00 per month per light. January, 1886, the Logan Electric Light and Power Company was organized, capital stock $5000, one-half subscribed by Lundberg and Garff and the balance by Logan City Commissioners. In 1888, the city acquired complete ownership and it became Utah's first municipal electric light plant.


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Order - Pristiformes
Family - Pristidae
Genus - Pristis
Species - microdon
The freshwater sawfish was first described in 1794 by John Latham in his article An essay on the various species
of sawfish in the journal Transactions of the Linnaean Society of London. Latham described the species based
only on a rostrum. Unfortunately, the type specimen (the rostrum) was later destroyed in a fire at the Royal
College of Surgeon's Hunterian Museum. Synonyms for the freshwater sawfish include Pristis perotteti
Müller & Henle, 1841 and the misspelling Pristis perrotteti. Invalid synonyms of the freshwater sawfish
include Pristis antiquorum Latham, 1794; Pristis canaliculata Bloch & Schneider, 1801; Pristiopsis leichhardti Whitley, 1945; Pristis typica Poey, 1861; Pristis zephyreus Jordan & Starks, 1895; and Squalus pristis Linnaeus, 1758. Similarly, the name Pristis pristis (Linnaeus, 1758) does not appear to be a valid synonym of either Pristis microdon or Pristis perotteti, pending further taxonomic review. The current valid scientific name for the freshwater sawfish is Pristis microdon Latham, 1794. Pristis microdon and Pristis perotteti may be one and the same species, and these names have even been used interchangeably by various authors. Taxonomic study is badly needed to shed light on this naming uncertainty. The generic name Pristis is Greek for "saw." The specific name microdon is derived from the Greek word mikros meaning "small." The scientific name Pristis microdon refers to the shorter rostrum of the freshwater sawfish compared to that of most other sawfishes.
Common English names for the freshwater sawfish include: common sawfish, greattooth sawfish, largetooth sawfish,
Leichthardts sawfish, and wide snouted saw fish. Other common names for the freshwater sawfish include: Araguaguá,
peixe-serra, & tubarão-serra (Portuguese), barabad (Kuyunon), barasan & pakangan (Bikol), barasan & tag-an (Tagalog),
buntok lagari (Kapampangan), cá dao (Vietnamese), caixaô (Sena), catanuda, dienton, pejesierra, pez peine, pez
rastrillo, & seirra (Spanish), chinyabanga & kashua (Zimbabwe-local dialects), cucut gergaji, cucut pedang, panprang,
parampang, pemperang, & prampran (Malay), cucut krakas, mungsing, panprang, parampang, pemperang, prampang, & prampran
(Javanese), ferskvandssavrokke (Danish), galwanyi (Bunuba & Gooniyandi Aboriginals), groottand-saagvis (Afrikaans), khandere & shinshi (Marathi), kleingezahnter
sägefisch & Leichthardts sägefisch (German), krarin (Sranan), kumben-sorah & makarasravu (Malayalam), kundah (Oriya),
nga-man-swethi (Burmese), nokogiriei (Japanese), palangan (Pangasinan), papa upanga (Swahili), pial pial & wirridanyniny (Nyikina Aboriginal), poisson-scie grandent
(French), serra (Creole dialect of Portuguese), taghan (Visayan), trey thka & trey thkaw (Khmer), valameen (Tamil), wirrdani (Walmajarri Aboriginal), and zoetwaterzaagrog (Dutch).
In Africa, the freshwater sawfish occurs along the eastern coastline from at least as far south as Port Alfred
(south of Durban), commonly ascends the Zambezi River, is found off Madagascar, occurs at Zanzibar and probably
ranges north to Somalia. The presence of the freshwater sawfish in the Red Sea and as far north as the Mediterranean
Sea needs confirmation. This species is found off Pakistan and India, where it has been recorded far upriver in
freshwater. In the eastern Indian Ocean, the species ranges from the East Indies and Thailand to Indonesia and
Australia (from western Australia to the northern territory and Queensland). The freshwater sawfish occurs off
Vietnam in the South China Sea, throughout the Philippines (where the local population appears to have greatly
declined), south through Borneo and east to Papua New Guinea.
Examples of inland water bodies where it has been documented include the Zambezi River (east Africa), 40 miles
(64.4 km) up the Mahanudde River (India), 38.5 miles (62.0 km) up the Menam Chao Phya River (Thailand), Mekong
River below Khone Falls (Thailand and Laos), the Fly River and Lake Murray (Papua New Guinea), and the Daly,
Gilbert, and Sepik rivers (northern Australia).
World distribution map for the freshwater sawfish.
This species is well known to occur far up river systems, including contiguous lakes and ephemeral ponds
(Australia), where it lives in freshwater conditions. Freshwater sawfish in northern Australia seem to
prefer these freshwater habitats during the wet season (December-March). During the dry season (May-October),
Australian freshwater sawfish seem to prefer estuaries and bays, along with coastal marine habitats. The
freshwater sawfish shares similar habitat preferences with the bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), and these
two species can often be found occupying the same water bodies. Mature individuals may, at least seasonally,
utilize deeper offshore marine habitats.
- · Distinctive Features
All sawfishes are highly modified and elongate rays having a shark-like body and a blade-like snout (termed 'rostrum')
that has lateral, tooth-like denticles (termed 'rostral teeth') set into sockets. The presence of a rostrum having
laterally protruding teeth separates sawfishes from all other skates and rays.
The freshwater sawfish can be distinguished from sawsharks (Pristiophorus spp.) by its lack of barbels, dorso-laterally
compressed body, ventrally located gills (not laterally), large size, preference for shallow water habitats, and its
similarly-sized rostral teeth.
The rostral teeth of the freshwater sawfish are particularly massive compared to those of other sawfishes, except
that of the largetooth sawfish (Pristis perotteti). The rostral tooth count for freshwater sawfish varies between
14 and 23 (typically 18-20) per side. The rostral teeth may number more on one side of the rostrum than the opposing
side in this species, the left side usually having the greater number. In two separate studies, researchers found a significant difference in the numbers of
rostral teeth per side in males compared with that of females (termed'sexual dimorphism'). In both studies, males
appeared to have a greater average tooth count per side than did females (males average 20.9, females average 18.9),
regardless of geographic area. Male freshwater sawfish may have slightly longer rostra than do females of the same
The freshwater sawfish is distinguished from the knifetooth sawfish (Anoxypristis cuspidata) by its sharply
pointed rostral teeth (versus blade-like), the first pair of rostral teeth being located near the rostral base,
its tapering and broad rostrum, and a less developed lower caudal fin lobe.
The freshwater sawfish is distinguished from the dwarf sawfish (Pristis clavata) by the more anterior first
dorsal fin position, the presence of a lower caudal fin lobe, and the rostral teeth being evenly towards the
rostral tip (versus slightly closer to each other). In addition, the freshwater sawfish reaches a larger maximum
size (6.0 m or larger versus 3.1 m total length) than does the dwarf sawfish.
The freshwater sawfish is distinguished from the smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) by the fewer average
number of rostral teeth per side (14-23, versus 20-34), the broad and tapered rostrum, the presence of a
lower caudal fin lobe, greater width of the pectoral fins, more robust body, and the position of the first
dorsal fin origin anterior to the pelvic fins.
The freshwater sawfish is distinguished from the largetooth sawfish by its geographic range. The morphology of
these two species is indistinguishable.
The freshwater sawfish is distinguished from the green sawfish (Pristis zijsron) by the fewer number of rostral
teeth per side (14-23, versus 23-37), the position of the first dorsal fin origin anterior


text:
CoreLogic examines what is driving the rise in occupancy fraud in its 2023 Annual Mortgage Fraud Report
Mortgage fraud occurs when a borrower intentionally misrepresents information on a loan application. From false information regarding borrower income, employment, assets, and debt to fraudulently stating the intended occupancy of the property, loan officers and financial institutions have a lot to consider when proactively identifying fraud.
According to the CoreLogic® 2023 Annual Mortgage Fraud Report, an estimated 1 out of every 134 mortgage applications had indications of fraud in Q2 2023.
Among the various types of mortgage fraud, occupancy fraud is becoming increasingly prevalent. The most common type of occupancy fraud occurs when a borrower states on a loan application that they intend to live in a property but instead they use the property as an investment.
One motivation spurring this type of fraud is an attempt to obtain better loan terms than would normally be available for an investment home. Generally, programs, pricing, and underwriting guidelines are more favorable on owner-occupied properties.
Occupancy fraud rose 11.8% from Q2'22 to Q2'23
Mortgage lenders struggle with occupancy fraud because it's easier to spot after it already happens. However, proactively detecting this type of fraud is especially consequential at a time of increasing repurchase risk. Loan buyback rates have increased annually since 2020. Repurchase rates in the first quarter of 2023 are up 759% compared with the same period of 2020.
According to a study published in early 2023 by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, investment volumes varied between 2005 and 2017, but fraudulent investors (i.e., those committing occupancy fraud) consistently made up roughly one-third of the total pool of investors.
The share of investor purchases has surged since 2021. Today's investors are becoming more likely to operate on a smaller scale, only owning three to nine properties. As a result, it's not surprising that reports of occupancy fraud rates have increased since the pandemic.
The pandemic caused low occupancy fraud in 2020, but recent evidence suggests that the rate has since increased. The CoreLogic 2023 Annual Mortgage Fraud Report found that occupancy fraud in Q2 2023 is up 11.8% from a year prior. Similarly, the Fannie Mae Financial Crimes team's Aug. 11, 2023 update reported that among all loans with mortgage fraud investigative findings, the percentage of loans with occupancy fraud increased from 10% in 2020 and 2021 to 19% in 2022.
CoreLogic's Science and Analytics team recently analyzed trends in suspected occupancy fraud. The researchers compared where borrowers stated they lived on mortgage loan applications to public records after the loan was approved. If there were differences, it could mean the borrowers lied about living in the property they bought. For example, researchers flagged loans where a borrower claimed during mortgage loan origination that a property would be their primary residence, but post-closing public records identified the property as an investment owned by the initial borrower.
The percentage of suspect occupancy loans in the analyzed population has nearly tripled since 2020. Rates of potential misrepresentation among purchase loans are higher than refinances, but both have shown an increase.
Loans involving multi-unit properties were the most likely to involve potential occupancy fraud, followed by jumbo and FHA loans. Lower risk was associated with VA loans.
Lower interest rates may be a motivation to commit occupancy fraud. The average application interest rate on loans suspected of occupancy fraud is consistently lower than the average rate for legitimate investment loans, which decreases overall mortgage payments.
Occupancy fraud is a challenging issue that appears to be growing in the current market. However, time will tell if instances of this type of fraud will stay high once interest rates start to decrease.
It is easier to identify fraud after the fact than it is to prevent it. This can leave lenders at risk of repurchase. Rather than being left in the dark, lenders should understand fraud trends. Keep up with CoreLogic's quarterly mortgage fraud reports and review existing processes using tools like CoreLogic's LoanSafe to help mitigate increasing risk.


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Document Type: Research Paper
Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz
The present study examines the role of gender in reading comprehension of short stories taught through awareness-raising among Iranian EFL learners. In so doing, twelve male and eighteen female learners with lower intermediate English proficiency were selected as the research sample. Next, they were randomly divided into two fifteen-member groups (i.e., a control group and an experimental group). The control group followed the conventional methods and the experimental group was taught the same short stories using awareness-raising activities. Consequently, an independent sample t-test was run. The obtained results indicate the experimental group demonstrates a better performance than the control one. According to the means, the female learners in both groups outperformed the male ones.


Trait: Anthropomorphic Animal
Traits > Body > Features > Humanoid (Non-human) > Anthropomorphic Animal
Anthropomorphic Animal - a bipedal hybrid of an animal in a humanoid form. For a character to be considered anthropomorphic animal, either human and animal traits should be pronounced in about equal measure, or the latter should be dominant.
Do not use the trait to describe characters that look mostly human, but have minor animal characteristics, like animal ears (use Kemonomimi instead) or a tail (use Tail).
Only use the trait to describe the characters, for whom the anthropomorphic form is the primary one. Do not use it for shapeshifters, who can turn into an alternative animalistic form (e.g. a werewolf).
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The Languages Repository allows List Prolog Interpreter (LPI) to be used in languages other than English.
The Languages Repository allows installing languages in LPI, generating documentation for LPI in that language and translating algorithms between languages.
Installing languages in LPI[edit | edit source]
The list of languages which LPI can run in is at Translate Shell and includes Mandarin Chinese and European languages.
Generating documentation for LPI in other languages[edit | edit source]
The documentation includes installation instructions, commands and a tutorial on grammars. The documentation produced is in markdown language (.md) and is produced by translating code between '''' (backticks), translating text outside HTML tags and not translating text between '&&' (ampersands).
Translating algorithms between languages[edit | edit source]
The algorithm loosely traverses the algorithm and converts whatever structures and items between languages. English is in the form e.g. [n,my_name1] while other languages are in the form ["n","my name 1"] to allow for capitalised names and translations with spaces. Note: strings passed as data are translated, so the finished algorithm should be proofread for accuracy.


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Kütahya Tiles and Ceramics
Forms and Motifs
Stylised floral motifs, religious motifs and human and animal figures decorate most of the 18th century tiles and ceramics in the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation's Kütahya Tiles and Ceramics Collection. The pieces dating from this period have a white or cream coloured paste, white slip and transparent glaze. The motifs are painted underglaze in green, turquoise, yellow, cobalt blue and, from the mid-18th century onwards, manganese purple, the motifs being outlined in black.
A second group of Kütahya ware consisting of dishes, lemon squeezer, bowls, bottles, plates and cups dating from the 18th century are decorated with stylised flowers, leaves and curling tendrils in cobalt blue, with the occasional addition of yellow, green or turquoise. Ewers and jugs of various shapes and sizes are decorated with cypress tree motifs in relief, circular crosshatched medallions and floral scrolls worked in free brushstrokes.
One of the foremost characteristics of the Ottoman Empire was the tolerant attitude and absence of discrimination on grounds of religion, race or culture. Consequently Muslim and Christian potters work together in Kütahya producing objects designed to meet the needs of both communities. Striking examples in this exhibition are pottery and tiles with motifs relating to the Christian liturgy.
Kütahya's contribution to architectural decoration over the centuries is illustrated by tiles dating from various periods in the last section of the exhibition, showing how Kütahya pottery set its mark to Ottoman society at every level, from coffee cups to monumental building decoration.


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What's that native plant?
If you have ever wondered "what's that native plant?" visit our Identification Trail to learn some common NZ native plants. Find out how to identify them through their leaf size and shape, leaf colour, bark texture, flowers, fruit and berries. And once you know which is which, find out their uses – for medicine, building, food – even chewing gum!
The Native Plant Identification Trail holds over 200 species of native NZ plants, primarily from the north of the country, including trees, shrubs, perennials, climbers and ferns. When you enter the gardens through Huakaiwaka, the visitor centre, pick up a Native Plant Identification pamphlet to fill out on the trail.
This garden is a great educational resource for schools, locals and tourists alike. Follow the trail and learn how to identify a range of native plants as well as some of their traditional Māori uses.


Zylkene for Small Dogs & Cats (10 x 75mg Capsules)
 - Sale
 - Regular price £7.48
Zylkène is a natural product derived from milk proteins that has been proven to help your cat or dog cope in times of stress and adapt to change. Can be used for short periods or continuously if needed. it is a food supplement made from a protein found in milk (the same molecule that helps babies relax after a milk feed). the active ingredient is a peptide (a protein molecule) which is able to bind temporarily to certain receptors in the brain. This has a calming influence similar in some ways to tranquillizer drugs but without the side effects associated such as sedation or memory loss. It has been clinically proven to be effective in dogs and cats.it can be used for environmental changes (e.g. New pet new baby or house moves) multi-animal households, cattery or kennel stays, fireworks, home alone or travel anxieties.


identifies it as such, the adequate answer to R2 is that 'the scanner would only not identify it as blue if it were off or jammed in some other position'.
Therefore I am inclined to deny the claim that "Why X rather than not-X?" is just the same as "Why X?" The two cannot be equivalent because the conditions for an adequate answer to each are not the same. We can put the point in a crude but clear form. You can answer the latter just by talking about the conditions that actually led to X in this case. To answer the former, you have to talk about the conditions required for not-X as well. But there may be other conditions that would lead to X that have to be taken into account when discussing the latter, that don't have to be taken into account when discussing the former. Q2, P2, and R2 all require some sort of consideration of counterfactuals in the answer. Q1, P1, and R1 do not, because they allow as adequate answers claims that would not be adequate answers to Q2, P2, and R2.
This is not to say that there are no adequate answers to Q2 that would not also be adequate answers to Q1,, or even that all adequate answers to Q2 are adequate answers to Q1 and vice versa; rather, this is to say that the conditions for an adequate answer to Q1 are not the same as the conditions for an adequate answer to Q2. If the same answers are adequate for both questions, they are not adequate for exactly the same reasons. Thus Q1 and Q2 are not equivalent, and we cannot assume on the basis of the question alone that an adequate answer for one will be an adequate answer for the other.
One way to think of it is to think of it in this way. Suppose that things are set up so one factor makes it true in the actual world that something exists; but that there is a 'back-up factor', so that even if the actually explaining factor were to have failed, there would be another fact that would have made it so that something exists. To answer Q1, all we have to do is point to the actually explaining factor. To answer Q2, however, we have to take into account the back-up factor, because leaving it out doesn't explain why anything exists rather than nothing (something would exist even if the actually explaining factor weren't there). But we cannot rule out the possibility of an answer like this simply in virtue of the questions themselves. Therefore Q1 and Q2 are not equivalent, however closely related they might be.
Jorge Gracia and Lloyd Newton have an article on Medieval Theories of the Categories at SEP. It might be useful to give a slightly clearer summary of Aquinas's derivation of the categories than is found in the article.
It begins with predication. Predicates can do several things.
(1) The predicate can express what the subject is. This type of predicate falls into the category of substance.
(2) The predicate can express what inheres in a subject. It can do this (a) absolutely or (b) relatively.
(2a) If absolutely, it can indicate an inherence deriving from (1) matter or (2) form.
(2a1) If from matter, the predicate falls into the category of quantity.
(2a2) If from form, the predicate falls into the category of quality.
(2b) If relatively, the predicate falls into the category of to-another or relatedness.
(3) The predicate can express what does not inhere in a subject but is somehow relevant to it. This may be (a) wholly extrinsic; or (b) in some way intrinsic.
(3a) If wholly extrinsic, (1) we may be talking about something that measures the subject, or (2) we may not.
(3a1) If it measures the subject in some way, it may be a measurement according to (a) time; (b) place.
(3a1a) If time, the predicate falls into the category of when.
(3a1b) If place, the predicate may indicate (1) the parts of a subject in relation to each other, or (2) it may not.
(3a1b1) If so, the predicate falls under the category of situation or position.
(3a1b2) If not, the predicate falls under the category of where.
(3a2) If the predicate is wholly extrinsic but does not measure the subject, it falls within the category of vestment or habit (because things worn are the most obvious example of this category: 'being clothed' is an instance of habit or vestment).
(3b) If we are talking about something that is in some way intrinsic to the subject, we may be indicate (1) something done to the subject or (2) something done by the subject.
(3b1) If done to the subject, the predicate falls under the category of passion.
(3b2) If done by a subject, the predicate falls under the category of action.
Gracia and Newton make a big deal about how this requires an isomorphism between reality and language; but I'm not convinced of it. It's possible, for instance, that there may be predicates that look superficially like they belong in one category, but really belong in another. (For instance, 'undergoes' has a verbal form that usually suggests action; but it obviously falls under the category of passion.) What governs Aquinas's division is the way things are actually attributable to a thing; all this requires is that we can, in fact, attribute things to other things in a way that captures reality. That is, it does not require isomorphism, or even anything approaching it, but merely the ability to say things that are true about reality.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Linguistic Simplification
An exquisite jigger of philosophy of science from Walter M. Miller, Jr.'s A Canticle for Leibowitz:
"The community has been curious about your labors," he told the scholar. "We'd like to hear about it, if you don't mind discussing it. Of course we've all heard about your theoretical work at your own collegium, but it's too technical for most of us to understand. Would it be possible for you to tell us something about it in--oh, general terms that non-specialists might understand? The community has been grumping at me because I hadn't invited you to lecture; but I thought you might prefer to get the feel of the place first. Of course if you'd rather not--"
The thon's gaze seemed to clamp calipers on the abbot's cranium and measure it six ways. He smiled doubtfully. "You'd like me to explain our work in the simplest possible language?"
"Something like that, if it's possible."
"That's just it." He laughed. "The untrained man reads a paper on natural science and asks, 'Now why couldn't he explain this in simple language.' He can't seem to realize that what he tried to read was the simplest possible language--for that subject matter. In fact, a great deal of natural philosophy is simply a process of linguistic simplification--an effort to invent languages in which half a page of equations can express an idea which could not be stated in less than a thousand pages of so-called'simple' language. Do I make myself clear?"
[Miller, A Canticle for Leibowitz. Bantam (New York: 1988) 182.]
The point could scarcely be put in a better way. Of course, it raises further questions, because it's precisely this that gums up the works when it comes to scientific pedagogy and popularization.
Latour on Critical Barbarity
There has been some discussion of Bruno Latour's article in Critical Theory on the problems with the popularization of critique. We should be careful about over-interpreting the article. Latour explicitly denies that popular relativisms and the like are direct appropriations of critical theory: he insists that they are absurd deformations of critical arguments, "like weapons smuggled through a fuzzy border to the wrong party". The repeated parallel to nuclear weapons -- a result of applied science -- is, I would be willing to bet, quite deliberate; Latour's claim is not that he and other critical theorists were wrong but that he and other critical theorists find themselves in much the same boat as nuclear scientists. One of the longstanding points of critical theory has been that when scientists reassure themselves that things like nuclear weapons are simply the result of 'bad guys' using any weapon at hand, they are kidding themselves; and thus Latour finds critical theory in much the same state: critical theorists can't simply say that the conspiracy theories are just what you get when your critical arguments land in the hands of 'bad guys', even though the conspiracy theories, like nuclear weapons are a sort of absurd deformation of scientific work. Latour is unreprentant about what what he calls his critiques of "an excessive confidence in ideological arguments posturing as matters of fact"; he simply doesn't want to deny that something else also requires critique, namely, "an excessive distrust of good matters of fact disguised as bad ideological biases."
In other words, Latour's argument is simply that critical theory must be examined by critical theory. This becomes much clearer, I think, in the expanded version of the article on Latour's website (actually, the lecture on which it is based). There Latour discusses critical theory as pharmakon -- i.e., drug, one that can heal or poison. As he sarcastically says


Optical modes of multilayered photonic structure containing nematic layer with abnormal electroconvective rolls
Vladimir A.Gunyakov, Mikhail N. Krakhalev, Ivan V.Timofeev, Victor Ya. Zyryanov, Vasily F.Shabanov OPTICAL MATERIALS. Том: 100. DOI: 10.1016/j.optmat.2019.109630
Optical modes of a multilayered photonic structure with the twisted nematic liquid crystal as a defect layer have been investigated. The electroconvective flow in the nematic makes a spatially periodic structure in the form of abnormal rolls. Non-adiabatic propagation of polarized light in the defect layer causes unique features of the optical modes corresponding to the ordinary o-waves. The decay of these modes has been demonstrated with increasing voltage due to the effect of cross-polarization diffraction loss. The modes short-wave shift resulting from the contribution of the non-adiabatic geometric phase to the total phase delay of the wave during a round-trip propagation through the photonic structure has been found both experimentally and numerically.


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CANADIAN CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS
By Samatha Oliver
General Characteristics of Agricultural, Industrial, and Information Age Cultural Characteristics
Agricultural Age Cultural Characteristics:Local cultures (organized around rural communities or city states).
Industrial Age Cultural Characteristics:National Cultures (organized around the nation-state).
Information Age Cultural Characteristics:Globalization of cultures (organized around an increasingly interdependent world), creating surface level global unity along with deeper level local diversity of the world's cultures. Increased danger of localized cultural conflicts in post Cold War era as people seek new identies without sufficient recognition of global interdependence needs and dangers of war in atechnological age. New non-localized virtual communities also emerging in cyberspace.
Information/Data on Canadian Cultural Characteristics
Canada is the second largest country in the world after Russia. Canada's population is about 28.1 million people. The language spoken is English and French which both are offical languages. Religious belief follow traditional lines. The French are generally Roman Catholic while those of British descent are mostly Protestant.
Conclusions on Canada (Whether Primarily Agricultural, Industrial, or Information Age Re: Its Cultural Characteristics)
Canada is in the agricultural age (Its Cultural Characteristics)
Additional Online Sources on Canadian Cultural Characteristics
Traditional Bibliographic Sources on Canadian Cultural Characteristics
- Culturgram '96.
- Wired. Monthly magazine with interviews and articles on cutting edge information age issues.
- Toffler, Alvin. Future Shoch. New York: Random House, 1970. The Third Wave. New york: Bantam Books, 1980. Powershift: Knowledge, Wealth, and Violence at the Edge of the 21st Century. New York: Bantam, 1990
Return to Canada Home Page