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AbstractIntroductionConclusionAcknowledgmentsReferencesCopyright
Computational Science in Smart Grids and Energy Systems
Shaoyun Ge, Li Xu, Hong Liu, Mingxin Zhao, "Reliability Assessment of Active Distribution System Using Monte Carlo Simulation Method", Journal of Applied Mathematics, vol. 2014, Article ID 421347, 10 pages, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/421347
Reliability Assessment of Active Distribution System Using Monte Carlo Simulation Method
Shaoyun Ge,1 Li Xu ,1 Hong Liu,1 and Mingxin Zhao2
1Key Laboratory of Smart Grid of Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
2China Electric Power Research Institute, Beijing 100192, China
Academic Editor: Gongnan Xie
Received23 Jan 2014
Accepted29 Apr 2014
Published25 May 2014
In this paper we have treated the reliability assessment problem of low and high DG penetration level of active distribution system using the Monte Carlo simulation method. The problem is formulated as a two-case program, the program of low penetration simulation and the program of high penetration simulation. The load shedding strategy and the simulation process were introduced in detail during each FMEA process. Results indicate that the integration of DG can improve the reliability of the system if the system was operated actively.
As an effective complement to centralized power generation, distributed generation (DG) technologies are becoming mature. With flexible operation mode and environment-friendly features, more and more distributed generations were integrated into the distribution network, which brings a series of impacts on the distribution system and challenges the original reliability assessment method [1]. As two basic methods of reliability assessment for the distribution system with DG, the studies of analytical method [2–8] and Monte Carlo method [9–15] have made some progress. These studies indicate that the adoption of DG was actually equal to increasing the number and capacity of the backups of distribution system, thus improving the reliability of the system.
The traditional distribution system reliability evaluation is based on failure mode and effect analysis method, which start with failure of a component followed by analysis of the failure effect of users or load points in the system and then the calculation of reliability indices associated with the user, such as SAIDI and SAIFI. However, in the aforementioned case of the high penetration level of DG, even if all the components in the system are in normal state, DG's intermittent output may still cause system power shortage. Therefore, just considering the fault condition cannot take the power shortage risk of system reliability into account.
When DG was integrated into distribution system, both low penetration level case and high penetration level case should be considered. In Section 2, the boundary conditions of the study were confined. In Section 3, the DGs mathematical modeling was introduced, and the Monte Carlo simulation methods designed for low penetration case and high penetration case were proposed in detail. In Section 4, a study case was carried out to exemplify the methods mentioned above. At last, the conclusion was drawn in Section 5.
2. System Configuration
While such technical issues are fundamental for a real-world system, in the analysis presented in this paper, emphasis is placed on the energy transactions between system components on relatively long time scales (hours and beyond), and, hence, all dynamic phenomena and associated components have been ignored.
Penetration of DG is defined as follows only from a view of reliability. When all nonsource components (bus, feeders, switches, distribution transformers, etc.) are in the nonfault state and no load in the distribution system would shed due to the lack of DGs' output, the distribution system is defined to have a low penetration; otherwise it has a high penetration.
Reliability indicators of the active distribution network are the same as traditional distribution network in a low penetration of DGs. Reliability indicators of the active distribution network include reliability indicators of the generation network in addition to a high penetration, such as LOLE (loss of load expectation) and LOEE (loss of expected energy).
3. Modeling and Simulation
3.1. Simulation Principles
Modeling of the system accounts for the energy transactions between the various components, while all electric transients are ignored, so that long-term simulations (e.g., annual) are possible. The simulation code developed includes appropriate component models and reproduces faithfully the operating policy presented in this section. A one-hour simulation time step is used, and scheduling decisions are made at the beginning of each simulation hour.
3.2. Wind Turbines (WTG)
Real-time wind speeds are generated in each period of a year with autoregressive moving average model in [16], based on which real-time output of wind turbines is calculated by output curve of wind turbines [17].
3.3. Photovoltaic (PV)
Real-time output of PV panels is calculated by real-time solar radiation and output curve [18] like output model of wind turbines.
3.4. Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
In this paper we choose the lead-acid battery as the BESS. A variant of the kinetic battery model (KiBaM) [19] is used to simulate the lead-acid BESS. KiBaM considers the battery as a two-well system, where the first well represents directly available capacity, while the second one contains chemically bound energy, which may become available at a limited rate. This model takes into account capacity reduction with increased charge or discharge currents, as well as the recovery effect.
3.5. Simulation of Low Penetration
3.5.1. Sequential Sampling for Nonsource Component
All nonsource component was simulated by the two-state Markov model shown as in Figure 1, the fault transfer rate was , and the recovery rate was , so the fault possibility was , the regular state possibility was , time between failures (TTF) and fault repair time (TTR) of components are exponentially distributed, and the Monte Carlo simulation method for state duration sampling was adopted for its sequential sampling [20].
The two-state Markov model.
3.5.2. Sampling for DG
When not considering the limitation of upper system capacity, only when the nonsource components in system is in fault, the outage of DG and BESS can 6 exacerbate the power off risk of the user. Compared with normal state, the nonsource components fault duration is very short, and DG and BESS states can be considered unchanged during the fault, so their state can be sampled nonsequentially.
Single wind turbine is still using two-state model of Figure 1. For wind turbines set consisting of wind turbines unit, random number between is first generated on behalf of its sample state, and represents that the unit is working.
PV array is consisting of a set of photovoltaic panels, to reflect a portion of PV array's fault, on the basis of two-state model; the derating state is added, and its probability is . Sampling method was shown in Figure 2; first, the probability of all the states was placed cumulatively on number of axes between , and the random number represents which state the PV array is in. For example, in Figure 3, the photovoltaic array is in derating state.
Sampling process for the three-state element.
A distribution system with WTG, PV, and BESS.
The sample of the BESS state consists of two parts: one is sample of the running state, and the other is sample of the state of charge (SOC). Sampling methods of running state are the same with PV array, and derating state represents part of BESS's failure. When sampling the SOC, SOC was converted from a random number in accordance with the SOC changing law under integration mode.
3.5.3. Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) Process
FMEA analysis is the basis of reliability assessment. The DG's integration will have an impact on the traditional FMEA process. In this paper, feeder segment concept was used to analyze the FMEA process of distribution system with DG. Feeder segment is a set of equipment in which all equipment has a common entrance [21] and all the load points in the same segment have the same failure consequences. For an example of the distribution system as Figure 3, the system can be divided into 12 feeder segments (S1~S12).
Assuming the upper system's capacity is adequate, when the system is in a normal state, all load points can be supplied by upper system and DG at the same time. When DG is in fault, the circuit breaker of DG can act immediately to isolate DG, and no load will suffer power loss. And only when the nonsource components fail, the load point will face the risk of power loss. At this point, the active islanding can narrow outage range and reduce outage time. However, the realization of the active islanding needs the adjusting of traditional protection. Therefore, the protection logic in paper [22] was used in this paper: for any faulty component of a feeder, only its nearest surrounding breaker/isolator switch will act for fault isolation.
Still use Figure 3 system as example, when the components in S5 (feeders, distribution transformers) was in fault, the acting circuit breakers should be B3, B4, B5, B6, B8, B9, B10, B12, and B13. Then, the isolation switches D2, D3, and D4 will act to isolate S5. According to the differences in each feeder segment's power restoration result, the system can be divided into six kinds of segment as follows.
Fault Segment ({S5}). Outage time for all load points in the region is the fault repair time.
Unaffected Segment ({S1}). Load point in the region will not be affected.
Upstream Quarantine Segment ({S2}, {S3}). Located at upstream of fault segment, before fault isolation, load point in this region cannot restore power. After fault isolation, S3 as an example, isolating switch D1 and circuit breaker B5 will close, and both the DG and the system will supply load in S3. All the load point's outage time in this region is fault isolation time.
Upstream Active Islanding Segment ({S4}). When a fault occurs, due to the operation of the circuit breaker (B6), the region can immediately run in island mode, the island time is fault isolation time, the load point outage situation was decided by the island's power balance status, and when necessary, load shedding will be carried out, which would be described later. After fault isolation was over, the area can be reaccessed into systems.
Downstream Quarantine Segment ({S6}, {S7}, {S9}). Before fault isolation, the region cannot run in island mode, and all load points suffer outage. After fault isolation, the region can be linked with other downstream segments to form a big island. For example, after fault isolation, feeder segments S7~S12 can form a big island, and island operation time was the difference between fault repair time and fault isolation time.
Downstream Active Islanding Segment ({S8}, {S10~S12}). Same as the upstream active islanding segment, the island operation time is divided into two parts: one is the seamless operation time before fault isolation; the other is the big island operation time after fault isolation.
In addition, if the fault component is switch, we can simply merge feeder segments which connected by switch into one feeder segment and then reuse the FMEA analysis method above.
3.5.4. Load Shedding Strategy
Load shedding determination conditions are as follows: at any moment of battery discharge while islanding, the greatest power all the battery can release was no less than the net exchange power in island. Consider is the maximum power which can be released by the battery pack during time interval and is the number of battery packs; , in which is the total load; is the sum of all DG outputs; is the active power loss within island and, to simplify the flow calculation, can be set at about 5% of the current load [23].
In order to improve simulation speed, this paper takes the following heuristic load shedding strategies. First, assuming that all load points are not shed, when the case does not meet formula (1), the smallest load was shed first; repeat this process until it satisfies formula (1). During load shedding process, the dynamic switching was not considered, so the shedding state was unchanged during islanding time. When formula (1) was satisfied, each battery power was released by the proportional ratio of and power to be absorbed was by proportional ratio of . It should be noticed that, for the load points in downstream quarantine segment and downstream active islanding segment, if a load point was shed in both parts of the two island times, the frequency of power-off is 1, and the power outages time was the sum of two parts.
3.5.5. Simulation Process
(1)Input the network structure; use the method in Section 3.5.3, automatically traversing all the nonfaulty component's feeder segments classification by computer; establish FMEA table.(2)Set initial analog clock value for 0; at this time all system components are in normal state. For each nonsource system component, generate a random number; use the state transition model to generate TTF for each component.(3)Find the component with the smallest TTF (), and advance the analog clock to . If some components are of the same TTF, randomly select one of them.(4)Generate a new random number and convert it into TTR for this component. At the same time, generate power isolation and recovery time (RT).(5)By using the FMEA table generated in step 1, check the feeder segments under this component's outage. Fault segment load point outage time was TTR; upstream quarantine segment load point outage time was RT; record the time duration of power outages and the insufficiency of power supply.(6)For each upstream active island segment, sample DG's state and BESS's SOC at ; calculate real-time output of DG and load during [, + RT]; use the method in Section 3.5.4 to shed load; record the load point outage frequency and duration.(7)Similar to step 6, in [, + RT], simulate the downstream active island; in [ + RT, + TTR], simulate the downstream big island and record the load point outage frequency and duration.(8)For the faulty component in step 3, regenerate a random number and convert it into for a new running time. At this moment, the component's TTF is updated to + TTR + .(9)If the analog clock is less than predetermined simulation time, return to step 3; otherwise, statistically count the outage frequency, duration, and insufficiency of each load point, and then calculate the reliability indices.
3.6. Simulation of High Penetration
3.6.1. Feature of High Penetration System
High penetration distribution network with DG will have both power generation and distribution properties, so-called active distribution network, and the key of its reliability assessment is how to properly combine power generation and distribution properties together. To solve this problem, this paper uses the sequential Monte Carlo sampling method based on the system state transition sampling to conduct the reliability assessment for distributed network in high DG penetration level, which can simultaneously calculate the reliability index of power generation and distribution.
Compared to the commonly used state duration sampling method, system state transition sampling method is to sample the state of the entire system rather than of each specific component; there is no need to store the run-outage state cycling sequence of each component within the system, so it can greatly save data storage space and improve the simulation speed, which is more suitable for system with a large number of components, especially the systems including much power generation equipment.
3.6.2. System State Transition Sampling Method
The system state transition sampling method was focused on the state of the whole system rather than that of one component in the system. Assume that the system is composed of components and consists of states. The state space of the system is . Suppose that the present system state is and the state transition rate of each component in the system is . Since the state duration of each component follows an exponential distribution, the duration of the system state also follows the exponential distribution. The duration of the system state has the following probability density function:
It can be seen that the state transition rate to the next state from the system state is the sum of each component's state transition rate in the system state .
State transition of any component in the system can lead to a system state. Consequently, system has possible states starting from state . The probability that the system reaches one of these possible states is given by the following equation: is the state transition rate of the component. It is obvious that
Two uniformly distributed random numbers and between are generated to sample the duration of the system state and the system state which is to be reached. The duration of the system state is given by the following equation:
The next system state can be determined by the sampling shown in Figure 4. The probabilities of possible future states are successively placed in the interval . If falls into the segment corresponding to , the transition of the component leads system to the next system state.
Explanation of system state transition sampling.
3.6.3. Analysis and Simulation of Generation State
According to different states of the components within the system, the state space of the distribution system with distributed generation can be divided into two subsets and . In the set , all nonsource components are in normal state, and in the set , a nonsource element is in fault state.
In the traditional distribution system, when all nonsource components are in normal state, the system load can be supplied without considering the higher level power supply capacity. But the distribution system with DG is a multiple supply network, in which the load will be supplied by both the DG and the higher level power. Because DG can supply part of the load, the substation capacity will be reduced in order to save cost of grid construction. So it is necessary to consider the impact of the higher level power supply capacity. In this case, whether the total generation of the system including DG can supply all the load needs to be assessed. It is in fact a part of the generation system reliability evaluation.
The reliability of generation system can be evaluated by simple simulation. The reliability indices are determined by superposing the chronological load curve on the generation capacity curve. Assume that the supply from higher level is and the DG provides during the th period. The sum of the real time load and the loss is (assume that the loss is 5% of the load to simplify the power flow calculation [24]). It means that the system is suffering power shortage when and the ENS can be calculated by . The indices of generation system such as LOLE and LOEE are calculated with sequential simulation during all periods. The method will be improved with the consideration of battery charging and discharging strategy. Two dispatch strategies of battery used in the paper are as follows [25].
Load-Following Strategy. Under the load-following strategy, renewable power sources charge the BESS but the generators do not. The BESS discharge when DG could not provide enough supply to the load. The generators serve as the backup.
Cycle Charge Strategy. When DG output was surplus, the BESS was charged by excess power; when DG output was insufficient, if the maximum output of DG and BESS still cannot meet all the loads' need, the system will first supply the remaining load and then charge the BESS. In addition, to prevent the battery from being in a low SOC, once the battery starts charging, it needs to be charged to a specified .
Figures 5 and 6 show the simulation process in load-following strategy and in cycle charging strategy, respectively. is the maximum output of the th BESS during the th period. is the maximum active power that the battery could absorb. Considering the difference in the capacity and SOC between batteries, the exchanging power of each battery is proportional to its or . For example, when the DG is charging all the batteries, the th battery can get
Simulation process in load-following strategy.
Simulation process in cycle charging strategy.
However, the power that it really absorbs is . is charge efficiency.
The time sequential Monte Carlo simulation using system state transition sampling evaluates the reliability of distribution system containing distributed wind energy, solar energy, and BESS. The step for simulation is 1 hour. The procedure used consists of the following steps.(1)The simulation process starts from the normal system state in which all generating units and transmission components are in the upstate at time .(2)Calculate the duration of the current system state by (4) with the transition rate of each component. Get of a three-state component by adding its two state transition rates. If the present system state is a state in which at least one nonpower component is in fault state, set the transition rate of other components to zero.(3)If all the nonpower components are in the normal state in the current state, call the generation system simulation process, and record and during . If there is a nonpower component in fault state, call the distribution system simulation process shown in Section 3.5 and record the indices , , and .(4)Set . If the time is shorter than the year limit, sample the next system state by the method in Figure 1 and go to step 2. If is longer than , stop simulating and calculate the following indices.
Loss of load expectation (h/year) is Loss of expected energy (MWh/year) is System average interruption frequency index (times/node year) is System average interruption duration index (h/node year) is Expected energy not supplied (MWh/year) is is the simulation times of the generation system state, is the simulation times of the distribution system state, is the amount of users of each load point, and is the amount of load points.
4. Study Case
In this paper, our analysis is the use of the multibranch feeders in the transformed IEEE RBTS Bus 6 as examples, as shown in Figure 7, including a segment bus (substation), 30 feeder segments, 26 nodes, 23 distribution transformers, 23 load points, 5 DGs, and several switches. Each DG includes several fans of the same type, a photovoltaic array, and a battery, fan type is Enercon E33, and the battery type is Hoppecke 24 OPzS 3000.
Modified system under study.
The length of each line segment and the peak of load point are the same as the literature [26], the total load peak is 11.653 MW, and the time-varying load models are the same as the literature [27]. The feeder failure rate is 0.065 times/year × km, the distribution transformer failure rate is 0.015 times/year, and the average repair times are 5 hours (repair rate is 0.2 times/hour), distributed exponentially. Single wind turbine failure rate is 4.6 times/year, and repair rate is 58.4 times/year. The transfer rate of PV array is the same as the battery, , , , , , ; the unit is all times/year; the derating operation capacity is half of the full state. Bus and switches are completely reliable, fault isolation and recovery time takes constantly 1 h, and the number of users for each load point is one.
4.1. Case of Low Penetration
4.1.1. Impact of DG Capacity
System Average Interruption Time (SAIDI) is the most representative reliability index. In the case of no BESS, the system SAIDI's changing with capacity change of WTG and PV is shown in Figure 8. Abscissa represents the WTG and PV's rated capacity. As can be seen, DG can improve the reliability level of the system, especially in its initial increasing stage. When DG capacity reaches to a certain extent, the effect of reliability improvement is close to saturation. In this paper's wind speed and light intensity data examples, the WTG's enhancement of reliability of the system is better than that of the PV.
SAIDI variation as function of WTG/PV capacity.
4.1.2. Impact of BESS Capacity
Take a few different sets of "WTG + PV" capacity combination; SAIDI index with the changes of BESS capacity was shown in Figure 9. Abscissa represents the BESS's rated capacity. As can be seen, in the initial stage of BESS capacity's increase, the SAIDI is lower than the minimum value in Figure 6, but, with increasing capacity of DG, the SAIDI's decline rate in the initial stage is increasing, which reflects the ability of BESS's smoothing renewable DG output and its potential to enhance the reliability. In addition, with further increases of DG capacity, the initial decline speed tends to be the same, and, with increasing of BESS capacity, SAIDI's decline rate is getting slower and slower. We can see that DG and BESS's capacity and ratio should be allocated rationally based on the actual needs.
SAIDI variation as function of battery capacity.
4.2. Case of High Penetration
4.2.1. Impact of Substation Capacity
We still take WTG, PV, and BESS in each DG; the capacity of WTG is 1005 kw, the capacity of the PV is 1005 kw, and the capacity of the battery is 13200 kwh, when calculated under different supply substation capacity constraints using this method; the system reliability indices are shown as in Table 1. We can see that when the capacity of the supply substation is less than the total system load peak (11.653 MW), the generating indicators LOLE and LOEE cease to be 0, indicating that the system will face a shortage risk. With the decrease of the supply substation capacity, power generation and distribution reliability indices are increasing, and especially the growth of power generation indices is more sensitive.
Charge and discharge strategy Substation capacity (MW) LOLE LOEE SAIFI SAIDI EENS
Load-following 13 0 0 1.3815 6.6364 32.671
11 9.3812 3.4664 1.3965 6.7033 32.968
9 212.24 156.94 1.3971 6.7549 33.223
7 849.61 1174.6 1.3999 6.7548 33.259
5 2128 3932.2 1.5 7.9927 38.353
3 5010.5 10653 1.7695 10.0764 47.568
1 8069 24362 2.1862 12.9036 60.861
Cycle charge 13 0 0 1.1001 5.0396 24.621
9 20.43 14.24 1.1138 5.0589 24.873
3 3913.2 9145 1.4518 7.7969 36.992
Impacts of substation capacity.
From Table 1 we can see that if we appropriately reduce the capacity of the supply substation, the system can still maintain a certain level of reliability. Take cycle charging strategy, for example; when supply substation capacity reduces to 9 MW, the system's total lack of power supply LOEE + EENS will be 39.113 MWh/year, which is still lower than 49.290 MWh/year which is the number before the DG was accessed. This shows that after DGs access the distribution system, when there is no increase in the system load, the capacity of the supply substations may appropriately reduce. In other words, in the case of load growth, it can slow down the expansion of supply substation capacity. However, if the supply substation capacity reduces further or only relies on the renewable DG to supply the load growth, the level of system reliability will reduce. For example, when the supply substation capacity is lowered to 7 WM, EENS in cycle charging strategy will surge to 286.591 MWh/year.
4.2.2. Impact of Substation and DG Capacity
Table 2 shows the LOEE + EENS calculated with changing supply substation capacity and DG capacity in cycle charging strategy. The DGs access different locations. Column in Table 2 stands for the supply distribution capacity while row stands for total DG capacity. Each "×1" means that DG consists of WTG for 1005 kW, PV for 1005 kW, and BESS for 13200 kWh. The capacity of DG in "×2" is twice that in "×1." The rest may be deduced by analogy.
Capacity ×1 ×2 ×3 ×4 ×5 ×6
11 25.097 18.295 17.402 17.03 16.911 16.701
9 39.113 23.467 19.442 18.114 17.371 16.876
7 286.591 96.966 66.349 42.081 23.958 17.283
5 2296.35 852.53 406.22 170.22 58.804 21.871
Impact of substation and DG capacity.
From Table 2 we can see that in order to achieve a certain level of system reliability the capacity of supply substation and DG can be comprehensively selected. For example, when the requirement of EENS is about 23 MWh/year, we can assume that the capacity of the supply substation is 11 MW and the DG capacity is "×1"; we can also assume that the supply substation capacity is 5 MW and DG capacity is "×6." However, due to the volatility of the output of renewable DG, in order to maintain the reliability level of the system, more DGs are needed to compensate for the reduced superior substation capacity. Compared with the former, DGs in the latter became the main power supply in the system; meanwhile the supply substation capacity can decrease by 6 MW, but the total capacity of the wind turbines and photovoltaic in the system will increase approximately by 25 MW, while battery capacity will increase approximately by 330 MWh. Therefore, when DG is the main power supply of the system, in order to ensure a certain degree of reliability, the total rated capacity of DG should be much higher than the system total load peak, and the cost is higher. According to the actual situation, we should reasonably optimize the capacity of supply substation and DG in order to meet the requirements of reliability and economy at the same time.
In this paper we have treated the reliability assessment problem of low and high DG penetration level of active distribution system using Monte Carlo simulation method. The problem is formulated as a two-case program, the program of low penetration simulation and the program of high penetration simulation. The load shedding strategy, and the simulation process was introduced in detail during each FMEA process.
Results indicate that the integration of DG can improve the reliability of the system if the system was operated actively.
In the case of low DG penetration, DG's integration improves the reliability of system. In the case of high DG penetration, for economic considerations, the supply substation capacity of distribution networks should be appropriately reduced, resulting in the fact that the supply substation capacity cannot be assumed unlimitedly in the reliability assessment. In this case, the distribution network with DG appeared to be different from the traditional distribution network of some new features, which have the property of both distribution system and generation system. This method can be applied to the planning and coordination of substation, distribution network, and DG and also to the optimization design of the microgrid.
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper.
This work is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (51261130473). This work is also supported by Technology Project of State Grid Corporation—active distribution system technology and application research of coordinated planning for large-scale DG and diversity load integration.
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Copyright © 2014 Shaoyun Ge et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


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Birch bark has been used traditionally to make canoes as it is lightweight and flexible making it easy to bend and manipulate to any shape.
Credit Valley Conservation Authority
The Ontario Aggregate Resource Corp
Somerville Seedlings
Rayonier Advanced Materials
Northern Ontario High School Grad Rewarded for Environmental Stewardship Efforts
Award recipient Caleb Patterson with Algoma Envirothon Co-chair Tom Croswell at scholarship presentation ceremony in Sault Ste. Marie.
Recent Korah Collegiate graduate Caleb Patterson has been recognized for his achievements as a young environmental steward with the 2019 James S. Miller Memorial Scholarship. Tom Croswell, Co-Chair of the Algoma Envirothon, presented the scholarship to Caleb on August 17th at the J.S. Miller Trail Head in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
The James S. Miller Memorial Scholarship is awarded annually to a senior high school student in Northern Ontario who intends to pursue a post-secondary education in natural resources or a related field.
"I am very passionate about the environment, and my life goal is to make a difference and leave a lasting impression on future generations," stated Caleb in his application. "I have planted hundreds of trees, manage a vegetable garden with rainwater and no fertilizers or pesticides, do my best to minimize waste and carbon emissions, and attempt to educate others to do the same. I believe that my values closely reflect those of James S. Miller and want to do my best to bring his legacy forwards."
For only 18, Caleb's accomplishments are quite impressive. He also has admirable future aspirations, and is looking forward to starting his post secondary education at Carleton University where he will be studying Environmental Engineering. When asked what he hopes to do in future, Caleb expressed his interest in a wide range of jobs within the environmental sector. "I love it all – from planting trees, to identifying and removing invasive species, to the planning of ecologically sound farming and logging practices."
Caleb's interest in nature, the environment, and climate change began at a young age. He grew up camping across Ontario with his family and was also in scouts; he attributes his knowledge of and appreciation for the environment to these experiences. However, he wasn't introduced to a potential career in the natural resources sector until he worked for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry last summer.
This summer, Caleb is working as a Stewardship Youth Ranger in the Town of Thessalon. Alongside three other youth rangers and a supervisor, he works to look after the local environment. When Caleb isn't clearing trails or watering windbreaks for work, you can find him enjoying nature at his family's seasonal trailer in Pinecrest Tent & Trailer Park or at his favourite camping spot in Grundy Lake.
Forests Ontario is pleased to award the James S. Miller Scholarship to such a promising and deserving individual such as Caleb, and is looking forward to seeing the positive environmental impact he will have in the future.
The scholarship acknowledges the great contributions made by its namesake, James S. Miller, who worked in various aspects of forestry for the Ministry of Natural Resources. Miller, an avid outdoorsman, environmental steward, and proponent of youth education, passed away in 2007. Mr. Miller's belief in the importance of forestry to present and future generations is reflected in the selection committee's decision to recognize students with a dedication to environmental pursuits.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Divorced parents may wonder whether their adolescent children behave the way they do because they are just at that age or because of the divorce. The truth is that it may be both, according to an article in the Huffington Post.
The teen years are a time when many kids start to become independent and establish an identity for themselves. This process won't simply happen overnight. In adolescence, children often begin to challenge their parents over chores and other tasks. But if a parent has built a reasonably good relationship with his or her child in the past, it is more likely that their relationship will continue to be civil.
Divorce often makes home life more difficult. Parents have their own worries to deal with and they may be stressed about being a single parent. The loss of the family unit greatly affects both parents and teens. While it may be relieving that they don't have to see their parents' fights any longer, many teens experience other problems in the aftermath of a divorce.
Some teens may view their parents' divorce as a big mistake, and they may have trouble trusting their parents anymore. However, teens do care about their mom and dad and worry about them – they just won't show it. They fear that showing their emotions will lead to more problems and their relationship to their parents might suffer.
Although it can be difficult to improve your relationship with your adolescent child, it is well worth the trouble. There are many ways a parent can achieve this. For example, try to think about things from your teen's perspective, stay positive and open, don't expect your teen to change instantly, and make more time for each other.
Divorce is always stressful for you and your children. Therefore, it is best to leave the legal details of your divorce up to an experienced lawyer. Please contact a dedicated divorce attorney in Austin, Texas today.


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Time to Dump Trump
The Republican Party leadership should do their patriotic duty and use the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution to dump Trump, immediately.
CLIP REPRESENTATIVE AL GREEN "I rise today Mr Speaker to call for the impeachment of the President of the United States."
CLIP PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP "My fellow Americans. It's Watergate all over again."
Hi. I'm Leon Hawthorne. It's time for the Republican Party to wake up, do their patriotic duty and dump Trump.
There doesn't need to be a Special Prosecutor, or Articles of Impeachment. President Trump can be removed from office immediately, today, if Cabinet members say he is not up to the job. I'll explain how, in a moment.
But let's just look at his record…
Leaking foreign intelligence to the Russians, sacking the FBI Director and obstruction of justice.
CLIP PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP "I said: if it's possible, will you let me know: am I'm under investigation and he said: you are not under investigation."
Just the latest in a never-ending saga of incompetence, arrogance and stupidity. An exasperated Republican Senator has pleaded for one day, just one day, without a crisis.
CLIP: STEPHEN COLBERT "Speaking of stupid and mad men… Donald Trump..."
Trump has turned the White House into a laughing stock. Great news for late night comedians, but a bad joke on the American people.
Everyday is a 'bring your daughter to work' day in the Oval Office. An act of shameless nepotism, extended to his equally unqualified son in law.
His spokesmen has lied and tried to undermine the press, only sacrificing his own dignity in the process.
CLIP: SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE "Let me put this whole Russia thing to bed, once and for all. Trump is innocent. How do we know? Because he told us so, period."
Trump has almost started World War 3 with North Korea. He's screamed at the Australian Prime Minister. Refused to shake hands with Angela Merkel.
Forget the policies. Think just about the temperament of this vulgar narcissistic ego-maniacal clown.
CLIPS: PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP "You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of here wherever…" "Get him out of here. Get out." "When you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the pussy." "You got to see this guy. Argh, I don't know what I said. I don't remember." "He's a war here because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured, OK. I hate to tell you" "They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists."
As the president prepares for his first foreign trip, the question is: 'America, are you sending us your best people?'
Let me explain how he can be removed from office.
Under the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution, all it takes is Vice President Mike Pence plus a majority of the principal Cabinet members to write a letter to both Houses of Congress saying Trump is unable to discharge his duties.
Thereupon, Trump is deemed to have stood down and the Vice President becomes Acting President, instantly.
The 25th Amendment is not limited to medical emergencies, such as when President Reagan was shot. The words: "unable to discharge his duties" are not defined; and can mean anything Congress wants them to mean.
The process grants Trump a right to challenge his Cabinet colleagues and demand a trial before the House and the Senate. Trump would resume office unless two thirds of both Houses vote against him.
So, this would only be attempted if the leadership of the Republican Party knew they had enough support to dump Trump.
This would be a constitutional coup d'etat. Quick yet bloodless. It would be futile, even humiliating for Trump to ask for a trial.
Mike Pence would be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States; and the Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan would become Vice President.
Whatever the faults of these two men, America and the world could breath a sigh of relief that the lunatic has lost control of the asylum.
I'm Leon Hawthorne. Thanks for watching.


TERRACE !! LOVE AT FIRST VISIT: This 420 m2 apartment is full of charm and character with a combination of the Lebanese heritage and today's modern living. It boasts four reception areas (three living rooms and a dining section), of which all open up to a spacious 120 m2 terrace, all overlooking so much greenery. It has a small family area as well with three bedrooms inclusive of one huge master en-suite. Rented out with a fully equipped kitchen. A must see!
Other: Ground level parking Qty (1), maid's room and secured residence.
This is a lovely 100 m2 apartment located in the heart of Saifi village and within proximity to all amenities. It consists of one living area, a dining section and has two bedrooms sharing one bathroom. Rented out with an equipped kitchen. Inquire!
TERRACE LOVERS: This is a unique 285 m2 apartment has an additional 120 m2 private terrace and is located in the most beautiful building and area of Ashrafieh (Prime and chic neighborhood). It boasts a large double reception area, has a modern kitchen and three spacious master bedrooms. Superb finishing for this unique apartment in a very luxurious building. Available as of July.
Other: Parking (Qty 2), secured residence, maid's quarters and generator.
This cute 90 m2 apartment has two reception areas and two bedrooms. It is located two steps from the Sassine square and the ABC mall .
Other: No allocated Parking .
PROXIMITY SASSINE SQAURE: This 300 2 apartment has a nice open views and is located in a nice building not far from the known Sassine square in Ashrafieh area (towards Hazmieh). Its internal layout has two nice reception areas, a TV room with three bedrooms (one master en-suite). It enjoys four balconies with four bathrooms in total. Rent includes an equipped kitchen (not the furniture).


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Resource Category: Articles
Understanding Cueing
You may have seen the terms Cued Speech, cued language, Cued American English, and cueing. But what do they really mean? Are they all the same thing? Well, yes…sort of.
Cued Speech
Let's start with the term Cued Speech. Cued Speech was developed in the mid-1960s at Gallaudet College (now University) by Dr. Orin Cornett to make the phonemes of spoken English visible to deaf and hard-of-hearing children–and enable real-time communication–between parents and their children (and between teachers and students). (In very general terms, phonemes are the building blocks of any language; in English, these are the consonants and vowels that can be combined to create syllables and words.)
Building Language in Babies and Toddlers Who Are Deaf
Cued Speech builds language and an internal understanding of a spoken language. So when we cue to our children, we are providing the building blocks for language, communication and ultimately literacy.
Building language in babies and toddlers who are deaf and hard of hearing is as simple as just cueing, the same way a parent would develop language in a hearing child. Still, there are some guidelines that provide an outline for parents in need of more specifics.
To read more, click the Download button below.
Language In Yields Language Out
By Sarina Roffé
The most important advice I received as the parent of a deaf baby was that to build language, I had to talk talk talk for months and months before my child would show signs of understanding language and it would be even more time before he would express language. The basic concept is language in yields language out.


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QC10022015
for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com OCTOBER 1, 2015 • The queens CourieR 29 oped  Seeking justice A LOO K BACK A Look Back for all victims of child sex abuse letters Awestruck by pope's inspiring visit Pope Francis' visit to New York, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia was just phenomenal. Pope Francis came, he saw and he conquered the hearts of thousands who came out to see him and the millions who saw him and listened to his message on television. Many of us were awestruck by his energy and tenacious efforts at age 78 to bring his message of peace, love and charity for all in desperate need. Pope Francis' indelible spirit has moved, in my opinion, Christians and non-Christians alike and hopefully has inspired many to volunteer to help their neighbors and strangers who are in need of human kindness. He has truly lived up to his name sake he had chosen which is St. Francis. As such he had shown a tremendous amount of compassion for the sick and the poor with many acts of kindness, while he was here. Now I hope his visit translates to the rekindling of people's spirituality and a return to their faith and their many houses of worship that welcome them with open arms. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 25: 35-36 — " For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me." Truly Pope Francis has shown himself as a shining example by his visit and bestowed upon us a most profound message. And for that we say thank you. Frederick R. Bedell Jr., Glen Oaks Village Pope shed light on poverty in the city I was heartened that during his visit to New York City, Pope Francis shed light on the prevalence of poverty across the globe. Almost anywhere you go, you only need to look around to see that poverty rages rampant in our city, country and world. Sadly, in 2015 — 203 years since the New York City Mission Society was founded — our work is now more critical than ever. Consider that more than two out of every five people living in New York City live in poverty. That is nearly 2 million men, women and children, many of them without homes or food to put on the table. If you factor in all of those living just barely above the poverty line, the number rises to nearly half of our city's population. Those who we serve sadly are at the bottom of the economic ladder: 5 percent live in shelters or transitional housing; 55 percent have food insecurities; 86 percent live at or below the poverty line; and 93 percent of our students attend failing or below-average schools. These numbers illustrate the harsh realities that derail, for so many, the American Dream. Each day, our staff faces the children, families, friends and neighbors who have had their dreams derailed, and sometimes extinguished. We echo Pope Francis in our staunch belief that all deserve to live in dignity, and that we can — and should — make a difference in others' lives. We strive to level the playing field by providing the highestquality educational programs and support that inspire and empower the youth in our programs. At times, it may seem like an uphill battle. But the good news is that we, like many others, will not settle. The Mission Society resolves to address these problems over the long term, because no matter the month, year or century, poverty breaks hearts and strangles dreams. Elsie McCabe Thompson, President New York City Mission Society BY ASEMBLYWOMAN MARGARET MARKEY We were all excited about the momentous visit of Pope Francis, but disappointed that overall, so little attention has been paid to the scourge of childhood sexual abuse — one of the most urgent topics of concern among so many New York Catholics. The fight to address this issue in many states is directed at reform of archaic statute of limitations (SOLs) that restrict the time for victims to come forward and expose abusers and the organizations that hid or protected them. New York currently ranks among the very worst states in all of America for how it deals with victims — right at the bottom of all 50 states along with Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Indiana. If a New York victim of child sex abuse doesn't come forward within five years after their 18th birthday, they forever lose the opportunity to bring charges. Since research shows that many if not most abuse survivors do not come to grips with what happened to them until well into adulthood, if ever, that means that most victims never get justice and pedophiles remain free to abuse new generations of children. My Child Victims Act of New York (A.2872A/S.63A) would to completely eliminate the civil statute of limitations for child sex abuse in the future and get justice for older victims. Even though the measure has passed the Assembly four times, it has never come to the floor of the state Senate and the most vocal opponent of this reform is the New York Catholic Conference of Bishops. I was encouraged by the strong message of the Holy Father to his Pontifical Commission earlier this year that there was no place in the ministry for abusers and his call for reconciliation and healing for past victims. He has backed up those views by creating a Vatican tribunal to hold bishops accountable for cover-ups and failure to prevent abuse. There is no limit to what is a lifetime of suffering and anguish for so many victims of childhood sexual abuse. That is why there should be no limit on the ability of victims and society to hold abusers accountable. Nor should there be any limit on accountability for institutions and organizations that deliberately protected and hid perpetrators. Earlier this year, I reached out to His Holiness to ask for his help in convincing the bishops of New York to follow his lead. I hope he can help us transform the eminent opponents within his flock, New York's bishops, into advocates for children and survivors by urging them to support statute of limitations reform in New York State in the future. Markey represents the 30th Assembly District, which includes all or parts of Astoria, Long Island City, Maspeth, Middle Village, Sunnyside and Woodside. Today it's an asphalt road known as Catalpa Avenue, but this undated photo taken during the early 1900s shows the dirt surface of what was then called Elm Avenue in Ridgewood. Note the brick rowhouses lining both sides of the roadway; these homes were constructed in part by master builder and later Sheriff of Queens County Paul Stier. Stier built hundreds of homes across Ridgewood, many of which are part of now landmarked. Have a historic picture of Queens that you'd like to share with us? Email it to editorial@ queenscourier.com.
To see the actual publication please follow the link above


A community energy scheme in Merthyr, Wales, which will use profits to enhance a local park has been officially opened.
Nursery providers have warned that increased demand for a new free 30-hour childcare scheme will mean many nurseries are likely to 'go bust'.
Isle of Wight Council has decided to go ahead with a plan for a joint Solent authority which could secure £900 million in government grants, after previously voting against the move.


Cairo-based transportation startup Swvl has raised tens of millions in its Series B round, the startup announced yesterday. The round comes at a valuation close to $100 million, company's CEO Mostafa Kandil told MENAbytes, a first for an Egyptian company according to the publicly disclosed data. Fawry, the Egyptian fintech is the only other company to have reached the nine-figure valuation but that was when the company sold 85% of its stake to a consortium.
Mostafa declined to disclose the exact size of investment but a source with knowledge of the matter tell us that it's between $25 million to $35 million. The statement by Swvl labels it as one of the biggest rounds of funding in MENA.
"We will also continue developing world-class technology that solves the daily struggle of commuting in emerging markets. This round is the biggest round of funding for a tech startup in Egypt and one of the biggest Series B rounds ever raised in the MENA region," he added.
The round was co-led by Dubai-based BECO Capital, Africa-based investor DiGAME and global investor Silicon Badia that has offices in New York and Amman. All three of them had also invested in Swvl's $8 million Series A in March earlier this year.
Other returning investors include Saudi-based Raed Ventures, Kuwait's Arzan VC, Oman Technology Fund, and EDventure Holdings chairman Esther Dyson.
Cairo-based Sawari Ventures also joined the round, becoming the first Egyptian VC to invest in Swvl. Jordan's Dash Ventures and Emilian Popa also participated.
Founded last year by Mostafa Kandil who was previously with Careem, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh, Swvl is currently available in Cairo and Alexandria. The startup connects commuters with private buses, allowing them to reserve seats on these buses and pay the fare through company's mobile app.
Swvl's service is available on 200 fixed routes in the two cities. The mobile app, which is available for both Android and iOS, suggests users the shortest possible journey time based for their destination based on the nearest Swvl stations.
The apps have over a million users who are making hundreds of thousands of bookings each month. The company has over 1,000 buses registered with them.
Swvl may be the leading player in this space in Egypt but it's not the only. Uber and Careem have also started their efforts to grab a piece of this pie. Uber has already rolled out Uber Bus for some routes in Cairo and Careem is expected to launch a similar service early next year.
Buseet, another Cairo-based startup that connects commuters with buses has also launched its mobile apps recently, after raising a seed round from Cairo Angels and 500 Startups.
Mostafa, Swvl's CEO doesn't mind the competition. In an interview with MENAbytes earlier this year had said that he tells his team to stay focused and continue doing what they've been doing regardless of who their competitors are.
And Swvl does not want to confine itself to Egypt or even Middle East. They're going after all the emerging markets that suffer from ineffective public transportation system and customers have no good options other than ride-hailing services, which, sometimes could be very expensive.
"In emerging markets, commuters are torn between two extremes: expensive on-demand ride-hailing services and less than reliable and inconvenient public transportation. This is coupled with a supply-side that operates at low-efficiency levels. Swvl comes in to fill in this gap by providing an alternative that is more reliable and convenient than public transportation yet cost competitive," noted the statement.
"We are seeing ourselves as more of an emerging markets play and hence we want to expand beyond the Middle East," Mostafa told Reuters yesterday.
The company plans to launch in Manila in the first quarter early next year, followed by few other cities in Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand. They're targeting to be in seven megacities by the end of next year.
Going Careem and Tajawal route, Swvl will also use the latest funds to open an R&D facility in Berlin.


Some of the links below will take you to Primary and Secondary source documents. - enlarge the image when necessary in order to read the document.
1966: James Meredith begins his journey on the "March Against Fear" on June 6, from Memphis, Tennessee, to encourage African American Mississippians to register to vote.
1967: Thurgood Marshall becomes the first African American Justice appointed to the Supreme Court on September 1.


You are Responsible to Change Your Future!
The more we learn about our connection to the universe, the more we understand that we influence what happens to us. Everything we think, feel and speak about, sends vibrations out into the universe, which affects what shows up in our lives. Every emotion has a specific vibrational frequency, so just feeling something, has a strong chance of attracting to us what we are feeling. Of course our beliefs have a strong influence on our emotions, what we think, and the words that come out of our mouths. If we think, feel, and express ourselves in a positive way then the reticular activating system in our brains is primed to search for those experiences and we get more of the same.
If you have a more negative approach to life, then your reticular activating system goes searching for more of those experiences. Even though we may not want to be financially challenged all the time, if that's what we are thinking about, the struggle and the lack, then that will be our experience. Our conditioned beliefs from childhood can have a bearing on whether we feel positive or negative, but at the end of the day our results are up to us. To make changes we need to change our attitude & resist complaining about our lot. Yes we may have had a very challenging childhood, or yes we may have had some nasty things happen along the way but continuing to perpetuate that with negative beliefs, thoughts and complaining, does not improve the situation. I know you could say to me, "Yes but you don't know what it's like," and I probably don't, but at the end of the day, if you want to change your future, then the only person who can do that is YOU!
This entry was posted in Rejuvenating Thoughts on June 27, 2016 by Robyn Vintiner.
What Battles Have You Won?
A good place to start is actually in the conception. Don't know how many thousands or millions of sperm were trying to win the race to fertilise the egg but you are the result of the winner. It can be easy to wallow in self-pity and self-doubt when we have a bad day. And of course those are the days when we may only see the things that haven't worked out, the 'failures,' the setbacks. I wonder how Edison felt as he continued to plough through all the pathways that didn't lead to the light bulb. I wonder if he allowed himself the luxury of self-doubt or whether he kept remembering how far he had come, and that his belief in the light bulb would win in the end.
But of course who we are and how far we have come doesn't just start at conception at all. We can follow the gene pool back many generations. I know that doesn't feel quite the same connection but all our ancestors had to hang in often against huge odds to reproduce and ultimately you arrived on earth. Do you want to let them all down by giving into self-doubt, or do you want to hold your head up and be the person you came to be, recognizing the challenges you have already overcome. Being grateful for those moments of excitement when you won the battles that made you 'of sterner stuff.' The vibration of gratitude can be measured with a higher frequency than the doubts, which buoys us up for the next steps into unknown territory. This will give us another taste of success to carry us through the next challenges.
Enjoy building on the blocks of success!
This entry was posted in Rejuvenating Thoughts on June 13, 2016 by Robyn Vintiner.
Recognising that we are all individuals, that there is no one else in the world exactly like us, it is important that we take this responsibility to show the rest of the world this individuality, seriously. I'm sure you've all seen families who have the same parents but all the children appear to have different parents. Parents who perhaps who have been brought up to believe it is important to treat all the children the same, not to favour any one child. But in doing so, they are not acknowledging that they are not the same, so what works with one may very well not work with the others.
And whether you are in the classroom or in the playground there is a pressure both seen and unseen to conform, to not standout as being different. If you do try to continue to stand up for what you believe regardless of peer beliefs you could be labelled as a rebel, as eccentric, and as all sorts of unkind names that can drive young people struggling to get through their teen years, to suicide. The truth is, it can make those who are conforming, feel uncomfortable, as we often fear those who are not like us. This could be as different as another culture, another family background or just living from your own sense of place in the world. It is time for us all to respect the differences in others. Ask yourself when you next feel uncomfortable about someone who is different from you, "What is it about this person that makes me feel this discomfort?" It could be they are actually doing something you would like to be doing but have been brought up to believe it's not appropriate in some way. This may then give you the sense of permission to go out and live your own life more fully!
Enjoy living life as you, it may be the best legacy you can leave the world!
This entry was posted in Rejuvenating Thoughts on June 6, 2016 by Robyn Vintiner.


GhanaGist.Com captured lots of photographs at the last weekend's recording of Channel O's O News Live in Ghana which was powered by Vodafone.
In this picture we have actor John Dumelo and Chief Marketing Officer of Vodafone Ghana, Uche Ofodile captured at the event.
There is a lot that can be said about this picture but before you start your normal wild talks and ranting, don't forget it's just another friendly pose.
Anyway, Uche is engaged to the leader of the Hiplife group, 4X4 Captain Planet, real name Jeoffrey Sylvanus Dodji.
PHOTO: John Dumelo grabs Vodafone Ghana boss Uche Ofodile 0 out of 5 based on 0 ratings. 0 user reviews.


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the cost of composite decking is about $35 per square foot, including . but use caution if you plan to install a fire pit or outdoor grill on your deck.regions with a lot of snow and ice without a really good sealer applied all around each board .
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the hotel el silencio lodge & spa located in bajos de toro, costa rica and is . price from $125 - $200 . each suite has a private outdoor whirlpool and viewing deck for enjoying the,costa rican tourism board - official tour operator.
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I was so excited when a bra actually made it into the newspapers last week. Not photographed partially covering a buxom model, but an actual article on the discovery of the worlds oldest bra. I was impressed to find this featured in all the major publications, online, as well as being all over Twitter. It seemed to interest lingerie enthusiasts, academics and fashionistas alike. It brought bras into normal conversation and the discussion on when they were actually first invented.
For those who didn't read the article, this bra was found by archeologists in an Austrian castle whilst undergoing reconstruction in 2008, but only came to light recently due to the multiple tests that had to be done to determain the age of the garment. This, as well as three other bras, were found in a waste filled vault. The garments have been dated back 600 years. Back when bras were not meant to have been invented yet. This changes the history of lingerie completely.
These linen bras were found in different levels of condition and two resembled the modern day cut that supposedly wasn't created until the late 1800s. The one pictured above resembles a longer line style similar to what is in fashion now. Garments existed previously that were worn to cover, support or suppress the bust but as far as we knew never resembled the bras of today with actual cups. This discovery comes from a time when long chemises were the main form of lingerie being worn by women.
I didn't find it surprising that this garment existed, as what we read about the past doesn't exactly show every detail of clothing worn by every level of society. Paintings portrayed a small part of what existed in the 15th century, but usually showed a woman either fully dressed or fully undressed. Same goes with the written word as lingerie was taboo and not exactly expressed freely back then. The only times you read about lingerie from this era was often in an obscene way. In books and poems you hear about breast-bags or shirts with bags. This appears to be those garments that were spoken about way back when.
What did surprise me about this find was that the garments lasted this long... 600 years infact. And that these bras were embroidered with lace and designed to look pretty not just be functional. This was lingerie, not underwear. Obviously a garment for someone wealthy, but astonishing that it survived all these years to make it into the papers here today. It's amazing how quality garments can last the distance. Will our polyester bras of today render the archeologists of the future baffled thinking we never wore underwear as nothing lasted the test of time?
What is your oldest bra? And what sort of condition is it in?


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Weekend Estimates: 'The Boss' ($23.48M) & 'Batman v Superman' ($23.44M) in Tight Race for First Place; 'Hardcore Henry' ($5.10M) Arrives SoftlyApril 10, 2016 09:42 AM
by Daniel Garris
It was an extremely close race between Universal's The Boss and Warner's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice for first place this weekend. The Boss is currently estimated to come out ahead with $23.48 million, but with an estimated lead of only $45,000, either film could ultimately end up in first place this weekend.
Regardless of whether or not it ends up in first place this weekend, The Boss outpaced expectations and performed well with its modest price tag in mind. The Melissa McCarthy led R-rated comedy also proved to be critic-proof this weekend. The film's opening weekend performance was 9 percent ahead of the $21.58 million opening weekend of 2014's Tammy (though it should be noted that Tammy's opening weekend take was softened by a Wednesday debut) and 19 percent below the $29.09 million debut of last year's Spy (it should be noted that The Boss had been widely expected to open below Spy). With this weekend's performance of The Boss, McCarthy continues to remain one of the more consistent box office draws in recent years. McCarthy will next appear in Sony's Ghostbusters, which arrives on July 15.
The Boss started out with $8.11 million on Friday (which included an estimated $985,000 from Thursday night shows), increased a healthy 20 percent on Saturday to take in $9.73 million and is estimated to decline 42 percent on Sunday to gross $5.64 million. That gave the film an estimated opening weekend to Friday ratio of 2.90 to 1. The Boss skewed heavily toward female moviegoers (67 percent) and slightly towards moviegoers under the age of 35 (51 percent). Audience reception to The Boss appears to be lackluster as the film received a C+ rating on CinemaScore and current has a Flixster audience score of just 50 percent. With that in mind, it's quite possible that The Boss won't hold up as well going forward as McCarthy's previous hits have. On the other hand, the film's mentioned strong Saturday hold is an early encouraging sign.
After leading the box office for the past two weeks Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice fell to a close second place this weekend with an estimated $23.44 million. The blockbuster 3D superhero film starring Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill continued to fall off sharply, as the film was down 54 percent from last weekend. Batman v Superman is now on the verge of reaching the $300 million domestic mark with a 17-day take of $296.69 million. However, as a result of its soft holding power thus far, Batman v Superman is now running just 1 percent ahead of the $294.51 million 17-day take of last year's Furious 7 (which fell 51 percent in its third weekend to gross $29.16 million). With that in mind, Batman v Superman will soon fall behind the pace of Furious 7, especially with Disney's highly anticipated The Jungle Book entering the marketplace this coming Friday.
While Batman v Superman continued to decline sharply this weekend, Disney's Zootopia continued to display strong holding power with an estimated third place take of $14.35 million. The blockbuster 3D computer animated film was down just 26 percent from last weekend. Without taking into account ticket price inflation, Zootopia registered the eighth largest sixth weekend gross of all-time. Zootopia is also on the verge of reaching the $300 million domestic mark with a 38-day take of $296.01 million. The film is now running just 8 percent behind the $320.39 million 38-day take of last year's Inside Out and will continue to make up ground in that comparison going forward. Zootopia already has a current total gross to opening weekend ratio of 3.94 to 1.
Universal's My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 placed in fourth with an estimated $6.42 million. The PG-13 rated comedy sequel starring and written by Nia Vardalos was down 43 percent, as the film took a hit from the debut The Boss this weekend. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 continues to perform towards the higher end of expectations with a 17-day take of $46.75 million. That places the film 6 percent behind the $49.59 million 17-day gross of last year's The Intern (which fell just 26 percent in its third weekend to take in $8.68 million). My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 will hope to re-stabilize next weekend with the debut of The Boss behind it.
Hardcore Henry rounded out the weekend's top five with an estimated $5.10 million. The low-budget action film from STX Entertainment opened below pre-release expectations and delivered a lackluster per-location average of $1,690 from just 3,015 locations. The trailer for Hardcore Henry had gone over well, especially online, but that reception ultimately failed to get moviegoers to see the film this weekend. Hardcore Henry delivered the lowest debut for STX Entertainment to date in the distributor's young history. The film opened with $2.01 million on Friday (which included an estimated $380,000 from Thursday night shows), declined a concerning 7 percent on Saturday to gross $1.87 million and is estimated to slide 35 percent on Sunday to take in $1.22 million. That places the film's estimated opening weekend to Friday ratio at a fairly front-loaded 2.54 to 1. Much like The Boss, Hardcore Henry doesn't appear to be going over all that well with moviegoers. Hardcore Henry also received a C+ rating on CinemaScore and has a respectable current Flixster audience score of 66 percent.
Faith-based films Miracles from Heaven and God's Not Dead 2 claimed sixth and seventh place with respective estimated takes of $4.80 million and $4.05 million. Sony's Miracles from Heaven was down a very solid 34 percent this weekend, while God's Not Dead 2 was down a sizable 47 percent. Miracles from Heaven passed the $50 million mark this weekend and continues to perform nicely with $53.81 million in 26 days. God's Not Dead 2 has been far less impressive with $13.84 million in ten days and clearly isn't duplicating the word of mouth or the performance of its predecessor, 2014's God's Not Dead, which grossed $21.75 million in its first ten days after falling just 4.5 percent in its second weekend to take in $8.80 million.
Daily Domestic Gross Wed, Apr. 24 2019
Wide (1000+)
Wed, Apr. 24 2019
Wks.
1 The Curse of La Llorona $1,452,658 -47% 3,372 -- $431 $32,783,124 1 Warner Bros. / New Line
2 Captain Marvel $1,402,687 -5% 2,653 -322 $529 $404,261,138 7 Disney
3 Shazam! $1,016,853 -39% 4,183 -123 $243 $125,001,787 3 Warner Bros.
4 Breakthrough $944,773 -49% 2,764 0 $342 $18,951,844 1 20th Century Fox
5 Little (2019) $606,475 -49% 2,667 0 $227 $31,963,650 2 Universal Pictures
6 Dumbo $513,451 -36% 3,225 -481 $159 $103,369,586 4 Walt Disney Pictures
7 Pet Sematary $397,776 -33% 3,146 -439 $126 $51,122,051 3 Paramount Pictures
8 Hellboy $323,879 -39% 3,303 0 $98 $21,043,385 2 Lionsgate / Summit
9 Us (2019) $315,410 -33% 2,264 -351 $139 $171,565,250 5 Universal Pictures
10 Missing Link $312,576 -35% 3,437 24 $91 $14,204,143 2 United Artists Releasing
11 Penguins $282,737 -28% 1,815 0 $156 $4,387,219 1 Disney / Disneynature
12 After (2019) $212,208 -30% 2,138 0 $99 $11,148,330 2 Aviron Pictures
13 How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World $65,735 -21% 1,062 331 $62 $159,391,160 12 Universal / DreamWorks Animation
14 The Best of Enemies $64,716 -43% 1,002 -703 $65 $9,835,136 3 STX Entertainment
Limited (100 — 999)
1 Unplanned $99,443 -20% 839 -563 $119 $17,538,220 4 Pure Flix
2 Kalank $83,004 -56% 320 0 $259 $2,166,542 1 FIP
3 Amazing Grace $66,990 -13% 190 132 $353 $1,568,330 3 Neon
4 The Mustang $60,750 -13% 487 11 $125 $4,204,175 6 Focus Features
5 Wonder Park $48,971 -25% 705 -467 $69 $44,774,934 6 Paramount
6 Five Feet Apart $46,471 -27% 709 -764 $66 $45,226,924 6 CBS Films
7 Hotel Mumbai $46,221 -25% 314 -303 $147 $9,066,524 5 Bleecker Street
8 Teen Spirit $36,401 -14% 696 692 $52 $417,081 2 LD Entertainment / Bleecker Street
9 High Life $35,336 -8% 146 114 $242 $777,045 3 A24
10 Apollo 11 $12,932 24% 101 -25 $128 $8,510,202 8 Neon
11 Tyler Perry's A Madea Family Funeral $12,320 -28% 196 -279 $63 $73,027,127 8 Lionsgate
12 The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part $10,302 -20% 222 -50 $46 $105,618,925 13 Warner Bros.
13 Gloria Bell $8,530 -9% 100 -68 $85 $5,501,545 7 A24
14 The Upside $8,075 -19% 130 -49 $62 $108,170,396 15 STX Entertainment
15 Alita: Battle Angel $6,835 -27% 116 -33 $59 $85,606,633 10 20th Century Fox
16 Green Book $6,310 -28% 115 -24 $55 $85,037,641 23 Universal Pictures
17 Isn't It Romantic $5,774 -15% 145 37 $40 $48,681,581 10 Warner Bros.
18 They Shall Not Grow Old $5,649 -4% 115 -77 $49 $17,938,940 18 Warner Bros.
Platform (1 — 99)
1 Wild Nights with Emily $8,805 16% 33 30 $267 $128,854 2 Greenwich Entertainment
2 The Aftermath $6,706 -17% 85 -149 $79 $1,582,933 6 Fox Searchlight
3 Little Woods $6,152 1% 33 -- $186 $76,198 1 Neon
4 No Manches Frida 2 $6,039 -37% 73 -62 $83 $9,210,289 6 Lionsgate / Pantelion Films
5 Peterloo $5,983 1% 92 60 $65 $133,504 3 Amazon Studios
6 Diane $5,694 -2% 59 -5 $97 $273,938 4 IFC Films
7 Fast Color $5,524 -10% 25 -- $221 $54,290 1 Lionsgate
8 The Beach Bum $5,012 -28% 36 -64 $139 $3,447,251 4 Neon
9 Fighting With My Family $4,675 -4% 84 -10 $56 $22,868,909 10 MGM
10 Mia and the White Lion $4,556 -24% 67 -245 $68 $379,142 2 Ledafilms Entertainment Group
11 Red Joan $4,439 -6% 4 -- $1,110 $52,799 1 IFC Films
12 The Public $4,010 -5% 43 -54 $93 $495,015 3 Greenwich Entertainment
13 Bohemian Rhapsody $3,788 -1% 31 0 $122 $216,299,381 25 20th Century Fox
14 Run The Race $3,020 104% 39 14 $77 $6,419,787 9 Roadside Attractions
15 Under the Silver Lake $2,916 6% 2 -- $1,458 $44,308 1 A24 Films
16 Mary Magdalene $2,463 -8% 40 -22 $62 $113,379 2 IFC Films
17 Arctic $2,458 -40% 49 38 $50 $2,382,921 12 Bleecker Street
18 Free Solo $2,318 1604% 3 -8 $773 $17,539,297 30 National Geographic Entertainment
19 Ash is Purest White $1,753 9% 9 -15 $195 $384,489 6 Cohen Media Group
20 Escape Room $1,485 39% 27 -17 $55 $57,004,670 16 Sony Pictures
21 Grass $1,394 163% 2 -- $697 $5,241 1 Cinema Guild
22 Girls of the Sun $1,015 6% 11 4 $92 $18,957 2 Cohen Media Group
23 The Invisibles $721 30% 6 -4 $120 $397,381 13 Greenwich Entertainment
24 Faith, Hope & Love $427 -69% 5 0 $85 $189,961 6 ArtAffects Entertainment
25 Hotel By The River $154 -8% 1 -- $154 $24,193 10 Cinema Guild
26 Christ Stopped at Eboli $141 -56% 1 -1 $141 $39,954 3 Rialto Pictures
27 Screwball $52 -36% 3 -- $17 $13,808 4 Greenwich Entertainment


The Rapid Rotation Baton is more than a baton, it is a complete personal defense system. Its unique shape allows it to be utilized in a variety of defense situations. At a distance, in the close-quarters, standing or ground fighting the RRB is used by both law enforcement and corrections officers who take their safety seriously. The non-collapsible solid core design gives you the confidence that the RRB will deliver a powerful strike and effective block when you need it most.
Rotator Device for maneuvering the baton to a shielded or extended position.
Counter Pressure device for providing strong support against the forearm.
Palm Swell grip and checkering for maximum control.
Webbing for use against edged weapons.
Length 18, 21 or 23 in.


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Easy, Sleazy, Beautiful Doc Review
A Comprehensive Study on The Mentors: Kings of Sleaze Rockumentary by April Jones
As someone who was born in the mid 80's, I don't remember a world without explicit content warnings on my CDs (CDs are those frisbee-like object your dad has collecting dust in the basement, kids) but even as small, stupid baby I would have known that the PMRC was a load of dog turds. The warning stickers may as well have just read "This is fucking cool, kids." It's been stated again and again that this stupid program made these artists more appealing to kids rather than offering any sort of protection to them. The PMRC even inspired tune after tune including the smash hit Mother by Danzig, which I just learned was a direct response to this weak sauce organization. Research is fun!
As I started to pay more attention to music, I wasn't interested in Hanson or whatever other squeaky-clean band was out there, I wanted the good stuff! Oh, what's that cool older brother of my friend? You say Marilyn Manson removed his ribs to give himself fellatio on stage? That's disturbing. This Beautiful People song kinda slaps though. I'm in! Purchasing 3 Manson CD's off my older brother for 5 bucks a pop is still one of the most cunning deals I've ever pulled off in my life. Although selling my copy of Final Fantasy to my friend for $10 later that year was the bozo move of the century. Ya win some, ya lose some!
But what does this have to do with anything at all? Well, around this time is when this Jewish fella from Cincinnati had arguably the biggest show on TV going. It was called Jerry Springer and there wasn't a snot-nose kid who didn't scope that shit out. At least in my circle of weirdo friends anyways. I don't think I need to explain this show to you but on occasion Mayor Springer (yes, he was the mayor of Cincinnati, look it up) would invite the scumdoggiest of characters on to denounce their awful life choices. This is where I was first exposed to the likes of Gwar and G.G. Allin. Jerry would sit them up on stage and let the audience hiss and boo at them for a while until some lady would come out and emphatically exclaim that these characters had fucked up their shitty kids lives with their music. Now these are the only guest I vividly remember from my childhood but there were other guests. Who could it be?
Well since you've read the title and have seen the image at the start of this article, you may have been able to piece this together. It was Eldon Hoke who was better known as his stage name El Duce. Now listen, when your music is classified as Rape Rock, you're probably going to turn some heads. As founding member and frontman/drunk drummer of The Mentors, El Duce was no stranger to controversy. As a Canadian punk kid, I grew up listening to the Dayglo Abortions who were also a band who found themselves in hot water with jerkoff government people. I would say that the Mentors are very similar to Dayglo but arguably take their lyrics even further down the toilet. Well, actually, there's no argument. Hide the Hamster and Punker Bitches are like nursery rhymes compared to some of El Duce's lyrics. But somehow, I missed them! As a child, I remember watching bits and pieces of GG's Hated in the Nation video and being rightfully disturbed but for some reason, the Mentors never came up. As musically talented as Dayglo and as lyrically demented as GG, you'd think teen Josh would have been all over them, but it was not until I recently stumbled upon April Jones 2017 Rockumentary, The Kings of Sleaze, that I became enlightened.
Clocking in at barely 100 minutes, this ode to the Mentors and their twisted ways is actually a pretty easy watch. Well I guess that depends on how easily you are offended because this band, and the people in and around it, is not for the feint of heart. The OG members would be El Duce, Sickie Wifebeater, and Dr. Heathen Scum but they've employed a laundry list of other weirdos such as Insect on Acid and Poppa Sneaky Spermshooter. This doc explores the early lives of the 3 founding members and touches upon the absolute shit show that was their live show. Hitting the stage wearing executioner hoods, they would occasionally be accused of looking like members of the KKK; however, their occasional fill-in drummer, Insect on Acid, was African-American, so these accusations were frivolous. The same could be stated about the band's alleged sexism as they employed a female bassist and hey, even the director of this doc is a woman!
Jones does a good job portraying the band as the punk pioneers they are without trying to paint them as some kind of misunderstood geniuses. The film pulls no punches about Duce's insane alcoholic tendencies and I was not shocked at all when it was revealed he did not even make it to his 40th birthday. Although I would have assumed an OD got him rather than being decapitated by train. (Sorry for the 23-year-old spoiler!) I don't want to ruin much more but let's just say the film ties in another famous rockstar's death and El Duce is somehow involved! Spicy!
As someone who loves music documentaries and especially ones focused on the punk rock scene, I really enjoyed this documentary. It was informative, hilarious and sad all at once. Seeing the pain in the eyes of El Duce's friends and family as they remember his life is sure to strike a nerve with those of us who have or still have reckless friends. The kind of friends with all kinds of talent but no interest in alcoholic or narcotical restraint. Those stupid, fun as fuck, tragic assholes! El Duce was one of a kind and he may make you sick with his words and general appearance but damned if he wasn't an interesting dude!
Let's wrap this baby up with some soapbox shit, shall we? The censoring ways of the PMRC-like mindset have returned in other forms these days, but the Mentors keep plugging along finding new ways to piss off the uptight people in the world. While I can't really go to war defending their silly and often revolting lyrics, they absolutely should keep doing it. Much like Gwar, the Mentors were built to last beyond their unfortunate demise of their charismatic front man. You may hate it (and honestly who could blame you) but I don't want to live in a world where people are burnt at the stake for their lyrics. And if you're worried your child will hear these songs or see some violent TV show and become a monster, give me a break. I'll leave you with the immortal words of Bender Bending Rodriguez: "Have you ever tried simply turning off the TV, sitting down with your children, and hitting them?"
Watch this documentary for free on TubiTv!
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Red Deer Reality Rant #25 - A Rave Review: The Bo's Show
Red Deer Reality Rant #24 - The Best Fest in the Centre of Red Deer
Red Deer Reality Rant #22 - Joe Cool


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"On Advice from Mothers" -- Bridge Column, 25 May 1967 - My Fiction
"On Advice from Mothers" -- Bridge Column, 25 May 1967
Here's "On Advice from Mothers", my father's bridge column from May 25, 1967. I'm able to follow most of this, although the nuances of doubles and duplicate bridge are a little beyond me. (NB, the crack about North Dakota is heartfelt; we spent two years in Minot when Dad was in the Air Force, ending less than four years before this column came out.)
On Advice from Mothers
By Jerome J. Schneyer, M.D.
Southfield News
Once upon a time, there was a poor but honest boy named Jack, who, having demonstrated his bridge supremacy in his home town of Flouridation, North Dakota, set out to make his mark in the big wide world of bridge players. Jack had a kindly (aren't they all?) mother, who gave him this parting advice: "Jack, always trust people; the best in human nature will shine through." Very sweet. She can play bridge against me anytime.
♠ K 6
♥ A 10 9 8 5
♦ K Q 6 2
♣ 4 2
♠ Q J 10 5
♦ 8 7 3
♣ A Q J 8 5
East (Jack)
♠ A 9 7 4 2
♥ K 3
♦ A 9 4
♣ K 9 3
♠ 8 3
♥ Q J 7 4 2
♦ J 10 5
♣ 10 7 6
Duplicate bridge N E S W
Both vulnerable 1♥ dbl 2♠ dbl
North deals pass pass 3♥ pass
pass dbl pass pass
Opening lead: A♠
Jack hated to overcall on such a shaky space suit in the East seat and, besides, he had a textbook takeout double. South, the deceptive wretch, realized that, unless his partner's opening bid were very strong, and possible even then, East-West must have a cinch game in spades. Holding such wonderful heart support and no defensive values at all, he could afford to jazz up the bidding a bit; so he made a jump bid to 2♠ on a holding of 8-3 doubleton, just like he had it.
West naturally doubled this bid and, when the bidding came around to south again, he "rescued" himself to 3♥. Now West hated to bid clubs at the four level, so he passed the 3♥ bid around to his partner, feeling that good old Jack would not forget his previous double.
The decision was in good hands: sure enough, Jack remembered that West had doubled 2♠ but, on looking at his own spade length, Jack figured that the double had been based on generally distributed strength. He remembered his mother's advice and trusted South's bidding implicitly, figuring South for something like K-Q-x-x-x of spades and Q-x-x of hearts. In any event, it was obvious that East-West had a misfit and that the opponents were never going to make 3♥. Decision made. . . "Double!" from Jack.
He was right, too. Three hearts went down one for 200 points to East-West and Jack was preening himself for heeding his mother when West drily pointed out that this penalty was hardly compensation for a vulnerable game, to say nothing of the ice-cold slam that East-West had missed. Poor Jack! To this day, he doesn't trust anyone, including his mother.
Shed a tear for Jack. Better bridge players than he have been talked out of contracts before this. Jack's trouble was that he placed too much faith in the opponents' bidding. Always remember that those guys are going to be giving you very little; they're out for themselves, drat 'em. In a situation like this, believe your partner; if he doubles the opponents' bid when logic tells you that he can't possibly have their suit, somebody is trying to pull a fast one and it's probably NOT your partner; he's on your side (it says here).
Here's the column in its original published form:
Tags: bridge, bridge columns, family history, j. j. schneyer, jerome j. schneyer
Current Mood: reminiscent
Current Music: More Tom Lehrer


Dioscorea Opposita is the Chinese wild yam which can be eaten raw. It is smaller than the African yam. It was introduced in Europe in the 19th century when the potato crop was affected by disease. Since Asian people prefer it a lot, it is still grown in France and sold to the Asia market.
In Chinese it is known as 'huai shan'.
In Korean it's called 'Seyeo'.
In Vietnam the yam is known as 'Khoai mai'.
In Japanese it is known as 'nagaimo'.
This vegetable has been elaborately described below.
Plant: This kind of yam is the swollen rhizome. It functions as a storage organ that holds nutrient for the plant. The Vines of this plant is almost 3 meters long. The rhizome is cylindrical in shape.
Leaves: Chinese yam has small heart Shaped leaves.
Flower: The plant has small white flowers which carry the scent of cinnamon.
Color: The vegetable has a pale yellow color.
Texture: The yam has a thin outer skin over its crispy white flesh. Fresh yam has a crispy texture and gives out a slippery mucous like substance similar to ladyfingers. The dried form of yams feels more like powdery white chalks.
Taste: This vegetable has a taste which is mildly similar to that of potato.
The yams usually grow in cooler conditions. They are now grown in China, Korea and Japan.
This vegetable can grow in areas with little or no shade. Places suited for the growth of this vegetable are sunny edges or woodland gardens, where it is cultivated in bed. Dioscorea Opposita or Chinese yam will grow better in loamy, hard and sandy soils. The soil should be well drained but moist for the vegetable to grow properly. Seeds of the plant are sown from March-April.
The plant takes 3-4 years to reach maturity. They are harvested in late summer and early autumn when they have formed the size of a pea and come off easily from the plant. The vegetable is a climber in general and grows by climbing over other plants. However, it is simpler when grown as a root crop.
This vegetable has certain nutritional values which are listed below.
This nutritious vegetable has several health benefits.
The rhizome is popular in Chinese herb medicines where it is used to strengthen the lungs, tonify the spleen and kidneys.
It is useful in treating diarrhea and poor appetite.
The vitamin C present in the vegetable help in wound healing, bone growth and immune functioning. Also, it acts an anti-ageing element.
The tuber is an excellent source of B-complex group of vitamins who mediate various metabolic functions of the body.
Vitamin A in the tuber performs varied functions like maintaining healthy mucus membranes, night vision, and growth. It also provides protection from oral cavity and lung cancers.
Potassium helps in controlling blood pressure and heart rate.
Copper present in the tuber helps in production of red blood cells.
Iron helps in formation of red blood cells.
Phyto-estrogens present in tuber help in regulating female hormone levels in relation to progesterone.
The Chinese Yam is used for varied purposes.
The Tuber yields a floury texture which can be used in various recipes.
The roots yield arrowroot which is good at binding other foods.
The tuber can be eaten raw as salads.
The root extracts help in treating nephritis, hyperthyroidism and diabetes.
The root extracts are also used internally in the treatment of tiredness, poor indigestion, poor appetite, dry coughs, weight loss, emotional instability and many more.
The tuber is also used in treating ulcers and boils.
The juice of the leaves is useful in treating snakebites and scorpion stings.
The tuber acts as an Anthelmintic element which removes parasites from the gut.
The Chinese Yam acts as a contraceptive medicine preventing fertilization in females. Therefore, it is best avoided during pregnancy as it might lead to complications.
Both fresh and dried form of this yam is available in Asian supermarkets.
'Fufu' or 'pounded yam', an African dish is prepared during yam festival. The powder of this yam is used to make a cake-like mass which is taken with soup, sauce or stew.
There are no side effects of taking Chinese yam as medicines or in the form of food. However, avoiding during or pre-pregnancy is highly suggested. Also avoid over consumption of the vegetable.
Here are a few interesting facts about this vegetable.
The Chinese yams are warm temperate species.
The Chinese yam has been the staple food of the far south-east Asian countries since the prehistoric times.
The Chinese yam has certain pharmaceutical properties which has given rise to a nickname 'Shan Yao' which means 'mountain drug'.
A yam festival is celebrated in Nigeria and Ghana with the harvest of yams. It is symbolic to fresh crop and availability of fresh food in abundance.
Take a look at some of the pictures of Chinese Yam.