text:
Dementia/AlzheimerEpilepsyHeadache/MigraineMovement DisordersMultiple SclerosisNeuromuscularSleep MedicineStroke
Cure ConnectionsInsightsNews NetworkPeer Exchange
All VideosMedical World NewsNews ArticlesPodcastsWeekly Recap
Continuing Education Fellows' CornerInteractive ToolsNeurology ResourcesPublicationVirtual Events
© 2021 MJH Life Sciences and Neurology Live. All rights reserved.
Clinical FocusSee All >
Dementia/Alzheimer
Cure Connections
Peer Exchange
© 2021 MJH Life Sciences™ and Neurology Live. All rights reserved.
In Dementia, Pimavanserin Significantly Reduces Psychosis Relapse
Marco Meglio
Marco Meglio, Associate Editor for NeurologyLive, has been with the team since October 2019. Follow him on Twitter @marcomeglio1 or email him at mmeglio@neurologylive.com
The director emeritus of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health discussed the significance of the HARMONY study findings and what they mean for the future treatment of dementia-related psychosis.
Jeffrey Cummings, MD, ScD
Dementia-related psychosis (DRP) remains a serious complication with an enormous unmet treatment need that is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, repeated hospital admission, and nursing home placement. Top-line results from the phase 3 HARMONY study of pimavanserin demonstrate a significant reduction in the risk of relapse of psychosis. The results were presented at the 12th Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD) meeting, December 4-7, 2019 in San Diego, California.1
The double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (N = 392) was halted in September after an interim efficacy analysis identified a statistically significant effect on DRP. The top-line data presented at CTAD showed that treatment with pimavanserin, which has been previously FDA-approved for the treatment of Parkinson disease-related psychosis, reduced risk of psychosis relapse by 2.8-fold compared with placebo (HR 0.353; one-sided P = .0023), and also reduced risk of discontinuation for any reason by 2.2-fold (HR 0.452; one-sided P = .0024). .
Results also showed that patients tolerated the drug well, as patients who received the study drug reported no worsening in cognition or motor symptoms from baseline. Overall, adverse events occurred in 41% and 36.6% of patients who received pimavanserin compared with placebo. Notably, treatment with pimavanserin did not result in changes to vital signs, weight, or daytime sedation compared with placebo.
In an interview with NeurologyLive, HARMONY study investigator Jeffrey Cummings, MD, ScD, director emeritus of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and vice chair of the department of brain health at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, discussed the need for an effective treatment for DRP and what makes pimavanserin a unique treatment option.
NeurologyLive: What is the clinical significance and treatment need for a drug for dementia-related psychosis?
Jeffrey Cummings, MD, ScD: There is no approved treatment for psychosis in any form of dementia, so it's a completely unmet need. It's estimated that there are about 2.4 million patients who have dementia plus psychosis. For example, in Alzheimer disease where you have about 5.5 million people, roughly 30% of them have psychosis at some point in the course of their illness. If you look across Alzheimer disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, Parkinson's dementia, and vascular dementia, all that adds up to about 2.4 million people who have dementia and psychosis. It's a lot of people who could benefit from an approved antipsychotic agent.
What findings really stood out to you from the HARMONY study?
The study was terminated early because there was a very robust difference between drug and placebo, in terms of relapse of the psychosis when people were taken off of pimavanserin in a randomized way. For enrollment in this study, people presented with psychosis to their doctors. Upon entering the study, everyone was put on pimavanserin, which is really great because that's what families want; you want treatment. After 3 months, if the person had responded to treatment with pimavanserin, then they were randomly assigned to continue on pimavanserin or to placebo. The placebo group relapsed much more quickly, usually within several weeks, whereas relatively few of the pimavanserin patients relapsed, and therefore that aided the drug-placebo differential, demonstrating that pimavanserin was effective in maintaining the antipsychotic properties that had been created in the initial study work.
Is there something unique about pimavanserin that makes it more effective?
The drug has such an interesting history. The traditional treatment for psychosis is of course, antipsychotics like risperidone and haloperidol. The company originally looked at what receptor is shared by all of these different types of antipsychotics; there must be a dozen or more on the market. What is their common factor? And what they discovered was that the 5-HT2A receptors. receptor was antagonized by all of these drugs; that was the one receptor that they all had in common. They decided to make a drug that focuses on that receptor, and they created pimavanserin. It was a hypothesis that all psychosis in different dementias might share enough of a basic biology that this receptor would be involved across these different disease states. That hypothesis was confirmed by the study because there was a reduction in the psychosis in all of the disease states. Although it should be noted that, frontotemporal dementia for example, is much rarer than Alzheimer disease and there are many fewer frontotemporal patients in the study than there are Alzheimer patients in this study. It's a little hard to be equally confident, but you can see from the results that all of them had a reduction in psychosis.
What is the major takeaway from these results, and what are you looking forward to in the future?
We have no drugs specifically approved for depression in Alzheimer disease or dementia or anxiety in any of these disorders. This is the first drug that, if it goes from the HARMONY study to the FDA, will be, if it's approved, the first drug to be approved for any neuropsychiatric syndrome in any dementia disorder. I think that signals a real point of progress. Now of course, we don't know yet that the FDA is going to approve this treatment, but we do know that this study met its goals, robustly so, and we think it has a good chance of having a positive review by the FDA.
1. ACADIA Pharmaceuticals presents positive top-line results from pivotal phase 3 HARMONY trial of pimavanserin in patients with dementia-related psychosis at 12th Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD) Meeting [news release]. San Diego, CA: Acadia Pharmaceuticals. December 4, 2019.
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation | Clinical | News | Dementia and Alzheimer Disease | SAP Partners


A work colleagues son was diagnosed with leukaemia and turned their families life up side down. Around 30 of us will be taking part in a sponsored inflatable obstacle course 10km run on 19th October 2019. To raise money for the Jenny Lind Children's hospital and for are work colleagues family.


sykehuset skien 50 bags of Hama Beads When you clever people create pixel portraits out of Hama Beads, it just. Time is too short this week (grrr!). Sorry there are no photos of our finished products. Minecraft Miscellaneous, let me know if you have any problems. Read more, its competition time again! Read more, one of the best weekends of the year has just kicked off! Read more, its hard to give good special offers and discounts on our website, because our prices are alr. Read more, in our effort to give our customers what they want, we have been carefully looking at our orders fro.
Read more, our bags of Maxi Beads have been replaced with tubs! From Monday 23 July to Friday, we will be giving away a free lunchboxes or water bott.
However, they have spent ages this week making minecraft vold grd trondheim keyrings with hama beads. One of the worst things about Hama beads coming. Pdfs, minecraft Characters, minecraft Stone tools, minecraft Diamond tools. Read more, data Protection Law changes, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations (gdpr. If you want to any of the products in our Discontinued section, you rsq. Read more, in the excitement over New For 2018 products, we wanted to check in with you and find out what your. Crafty Crocodiles Arts and Crafts for Adults and Children. Read more, pay just 10 for shipping from anywhere in the world!


text:
Provost Organization Chart
Academic Planning Annual Due Dates
Academic Topics
Academic Committees
Academic Division and University Committees
Academic Rankings
Center for Gender and Sexualities Studies
Improving the NTT Faculty Experience
Mitchem Dissertation Fellowship
Social Innovation Initiatives
International Partnerships & Faculty Resources
Core of Common Studies Revision Process
Charge for UCCS Revision Process
UCCS Revision Process Roles and Responsibilities
UCCS Revision Timeline
Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Faculty Award
Way Klingler Faculty Development
AMUW Faculty Achievement Award
Academic Committee Meeting Schedule (AY 2019-2020)
Annual Due Dates for Academic Program Changes AY 2020-2021
Policies, Guidelines and Forms
Academic Division Forms
Academic program guidelines
Tenure Buyout Policy
Creating a Center or Institute
FACHEX and Tuition Exchange Programs
Sabbatical Handbook
Other Academic Policies and Guidelines
Marquette.edu // Office of the Provost //
REVEREND FRANCIS C. WADE Chair For FALL 2019
WADE CHAIR LECTURE, Thursday, November 14, 4pm, Beaumier Suites
Rev. Joseph Puliparambil, S.J.
Fr. Joseph Puliparambil, S.J. (or P.T. Joseph) received his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Marquette University in 1992. His thesis title was "Panoramic Holographic interferometry and three dimensional imaging," and the work was funded by a NASA scholarship. He received his M.B.A. from St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia in 1987, and the M.Th, JDV from Pune, India, in 1985.
P.T. Joseph received his M.Sc. (in Physics) from Madras University, India, in 1981. SInce 2017, he has been the Director of the Amaljyothi Engineering College at Kanjirapally in India. Since 2014, he has also been Director of Marian International Institute of Management, Kuttikanam, India. P.T. Joseph teaches courses in various topics in computer engineering and science such as Electronic Commerce, Data Analytics, Informations Systems programming languages, Expert Systems, and Computer Communication Systems.
In addition to his scholarly work in computer engineering, he has authored seven books, most recently on leadership as well as e-commerce. For his book titled "EQ and Leadership," published by Tata McGraw Hill, he has been awarded the best book award for the year 2007 by Delhi Management Association. He has also been awarded the best book award for the year 2007 by Indian Society of Training and Development for the same book mentioned above. P.T. Joseph will be teaching Artificial Intelligence for the Computer Engineering program this fall. He will also be presenting at the EECE Colloquium on the topic of leadership.
PROVOST RESOURCES
Deans, directors and chairs
Faculty Mentoring Program
Assessment at Marquette
Centers / Institutes
Core of Common Studies
Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Reverend Francis C. Wade Chair
Marquette University Policies & Procedures
Accessible technology

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Knockout roses are a hardy rose variety that will thrive for almost any gardener. They are disease resistant and require little maintenance over the course of the growing season. Aside from water, general fertilization and light pruning, the gardener's biggest job with knockout roses is to enjoy the beautiful display all summer long.
Knockout roses are suitable for a gardener seeking to learn the art of rose gardening because they do not require much of the traditional maintenance that other rose varieties require.
Place a 2-inch layer of gravel in the bottom of the container. Fill the container about halfway with potting soil.
Remove the knockout rose from the temporary container and gently separate the outer roots from the root ball to enable them to grow into the soil more easily.
Make a hole in the center of the pot and place the rose plant into the hole so that it is at the same depth as it was in the temporary pot. Fill in potting soil around the roots and tamp it down firmly around the base of the plant with your hands.
Water the newly planted knockout rose well immediately after planting. Add a 1-inch layer of mulch to the top of the potting soil, making sure that the mulch does not touch the stem of the rose. Place the container in a location that receives about six hours of direct sunlight each day.
Keep the knockout rose pruned during the growing season by clipping off the spent blossoms as they wither. This will encourage the plant to continue blooming throughout the entire growing season. Provide water for the knockout rose every day to keep the potting soil adequately moist.
Fertilize the knockout rose after it has bloomed for the first time. Mix the fertilizer with water according to package recommendations for your container size. Pour the fertilizer mixture around the base of the rose plant, making sure you do not pour it directly onto any plant foliage. Fertilize the rose plant once a month during the entire growing season.
Move the container to a garage over the winter months to give it additional protection from the winter temperatures. Knockout roses grown in containers will not be able to withstand the winter weather because the containers leave the roots less protected from harsh weather. If you desire more protection for the knockout rose, wrap the rose plant in burlap while it is in the garage.
Prune knockout roses in late winter or early spring while the plant is dormant. Cut back one-third of the knockout rose by cutting the canes back to the point of a bud. Clip just above the bud and make the cut at an outward 45-degree angle, with the highest part of the cut to the outside of the plant and the lowest part of the cut facing the inside of the plant.


text:
HomeCountiesArmaghArmagh Club FootballArmagh SFC – Big game weekend
Armagh SFC – Big game weekend
Posted: 9:00 pm September 19, 2019
Pearse Og v Ballymacnab
(Saturday, Athletic Grounds, 6.15pm)
BALLYMACNAB will by no means take the challenge of Pearse Og lightly, but it is probably the draw they favoured most in the last eight.
Their other two options were Maghery, rated as the second best team in the county behind Crossmaglen, and Granemore. A tie with the St Mary's men would have brought the derby element into play and the potential pitfalls that go along with such encounters.
Still though, an improving Ogs side provide a very difficult path to the last four, particularly as they have had pretty much the perfect preparation for this clash.
Shane McConville's side booked their spot in the last eight after just two rounds but he told Gaelic Life that he wanted to keep their winning run going in round three.
They managed that with a 4-18 to 2-11 victory over Culloville and a good first half meant that McConville was able to make six substitutions soon after the break to keep his players fresh for this clash.
Paul Duffy and Vinny Brady have been excellent breaking out from the back for the side while James Freeman really caught the eye up front.
Ballymacnab manager Bernie Murray described their one-point play-off win over Armagh Harps as "an arm-wrestle" and that's pretty close to the mark.
Played in greasy conditions, the clock in Ballycrummy had read 33 and a half minutes when Gavin McParland's shot flew over the bar to secure the Nab's last-eight spot.
Jimmy Gray missed the match through illness and will return here while they will be hoping for more from the Grugan brothers, who were quieter than usual.
Jack started well and helped himself to yet another goal but he was less effective when Declan McKenna switched onto him.
Rory wasn't his usual influential self either but still played a massive part in their goal.
Perhaps Murray would be happy that they have shown that there are other players that can stand up with Paul Meegan in particular excellent when the game was in the balance.
The Ogs will be confident of taking down their third Senior A team this season, but Ballymacnab should just have a bit to spare.
Verdict: Ballymacnab
Granemore v Madden
(Saturday, Athletic Grounds, 8pm)
GRANEMORE knew that they had a two in three chance of having a huge derby game this weekend – and those odds played out as they were pitted against Madden.
The St Mary's men were the first side to secure their spot in the last eight and given they have already earned promotion to the Senior A division – unless Madden win the championship – it has been a fantastic first year in charge for Eamon Kavanagh.
There is an old school sort of feel to this Granemore team with midfielders Brendan Boylan and Tony McClelland possessing plenty of skills that one used to association with the position – high fielding and immense strength.
Kieran Toner, who also can spend time in the middle, is also an old-fashioned target man on the edge of the square. He won't score much, but he'll win ball and lay it off the onrushing attackers.
Madden too have players who can rotate between midfield and full-forward, namely Niall Grimley and Ryan Grimley.
They had it far too easy against an out-of-sorts Killeavy in last week's play-off encounter in Crossmaglen.
Eight points separated the sides at the end of the game but the Raparees messed up a couple of late goal chances when they took the wrong options.
Still though, it was a very good performance with Niall Grimley absolutely bossing proceedings from start to finish.
Kyle Morgan had yet another excellent game protecting his own square and breaking forward at pace while Arron McKenna, who is involved with the TG4 Underdogs squad, calmly took the only goal of the game early on.
Some of the biggest cheers of the day came when youngster Joe Sheridan came on in the final moments and kicked two fine points, much to the delight of the Madden fanbase.
There is so much at stake here, particularly for Granemore. Win and they are playing Senior A football next year regardless of how the rest of the season pans out.
However, they may have to wait and hope that Madden get knocked out further down the line.
Verdict: Madden
Crossmaglen v Silverbridge
(Sunday, Cullyhanna, 1.30pm)
SILVERBRIDGE hammered Crossmaglen in the league back in June but the chances of them earning any sort of win on Sunday are slim and none.
The Harps are on the rise, and the fact that their minors are back in the county final adds even more reason to be hopeful. However, they remain miles off their neighbours.
It's been an interesting journey to this game for Silverbridge. They have played four games in this year's championship and included in those have been a one-point loss, a one-point win and a two-point win.
The most dramatic of those was undoubtedly their one-point play-off win over Sarsfields last week.
With Joe Rock starring in attack, the Bridge led 0-9 to 0-4 at the break. They started the second half in whirlwind fashion and Brendan Burns's goal helped them to an 11-point lead and seemingly coasting to the quarter-finals.
The High Moss men had other ideas though and with Eamonn McGeown joining brother Paul in the full-forward line, they started to cause pandemonium and amazingly they had drawn level with five minutes remaining.
However, with the momentum completely against them, the south Armagh men managed to fashion one last good team move and Peter Carragher finished it off to secure a 1-16 to 3-9 win.
Crossmaglen, meanwhile, had an unusual day's work against Ballymacnab last time out.
A six-point win in their toughest game was to be admired, but manager Kieran Donnelly would have been concerned at some aspects of their game having raced into a 1-7 to 0-0 lead inside 10 minutes.
That goal came in the opening 10 seconds after an almost telepathic link-up between the O'Neill brothers, Rian and Oisin, with Johnny Hanratty playing an important role in the well-rehearsed throw-in set-piece.
There were other positives too. Cian McConville looked dangerous even if he did snatch at some shots, Alan Farrelly caught some great ball and having Kyle Carragher and Tony Kernan to come off the bench is no bad thing either.
There were some negatives too, however. They couldn't get their hand on ball around midfield in the third quarter and their full-back line did struggle when Jack Grugan pushed further forward in the second period.
The Rangers have been pushed hard in recent years by huge underdogs like Madden and Whitecross. They must be wary of that here, but there's no doubting that they'll find a way to progress.
Verdict: Crossmaglen
Maghery v Cullyhanna
(Monday, Athletic Grounds, 8pm)
THE tie of the round will see Maghery and Cullyhanna clash in a repeat of the 2016 county final.
The Sean McDermott's won that game by a goal and they should be good enough to end Cullyhanna's season.
Anyone questioning if they have the hunger this season should look no further than a moment five minutes from the end of their round three win over Dromintee.
A double-digit victory had been all but confirmed and the St Patrick's men, thoroughly disappointing on the night, were just hoping for the final whistle.
Maghery forced a turnover and were suddenly three-on-two. Veteran midfielder James Lavery, who had endured a physical battle all night, hit top speed and sprinted from midfield to make it a four-on-two.
Finnian Moriarty's side were stung by their loss to Madden and their less than impressive win over Annaghmore.
Dromintee bore the brunt with Ben Crealey impressing in midfield while Aidan Forker was exceptional as he moved between full-forward and the '40'.
The Sean McDermott's remain title contenders although Cullyhanna are a huge threat to those ambitions.
Stephen Reel's side have really stepped it up in recent weeks with Ciaran McKeever taking a bigger role in training the side.
They came through a difficult test with Dromintee last week with a couple of late goals proving decisive.
The game was deadlocked with a few minutes remaining when their opponents looked like they had earned a tap-over free.
Referee Stephen Murray instead blew for over-carrying and Cullyhanna launched a blistering counter attack that ended with midfielder Stephen Conlan unleashing a rocket that hit both posts before landing in the net. Kieran Hoey netted moments later to seal the deal.
It was an impressive result considering that chief scorer Aidan Nugent was harshly black-carded just before the interval. He will be key to their hopes here and he must stay on the field.
Verdict: Maghery


text:
Emergency Relief for Flood Victims in Kerala State, India ~An Appreciation Letter from Sewa Bharati, India~
When a massive flood, the worst flood in 100 years, hit southern India state of Kerala in August 2018, AMDA and AMDA India in collaboration with local organizations conducted emergency relief activities in the affected area.
We have received a letter of appreciation from Professor M.Yogesh at Mount Zion College of Engineering who was in charge of medical coordination for "Seva Bharati" Chengannur chapter relief activities. We have worked with them for the disaster affected people in Kerala.
Dr. Shigeru Suganami
President, AMDA International
Dear Dr. Shigeru Suganami,
The People of Kerala witnessed in the month of August, 2018 unprecedented rainfall and floods in almost all parts of the state, which was the worse natural calamity in a century. About one-sixth of the population was directly hit and the rest affected in many ways. Chengannur and its surroundings were totally devastated in the floods. Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated and a huge number of flood victims were sheltered in camps. As an aftermath of the floods, epidemics like cholera, dengue, diarrhea, rat-fever and other infectious and contagious diseases broke out. Understanding the magnitude of the disaster, Government invoked aid and medical help from voluntary organizations in India and abroad.
International organizations like AMDA rose to the occasion. Doctors from AMDA, with extensive support from Seva Bharathi- Kerala, did meritorious medical aid in about 15 relief camps in and around Chengannur, from September 3 to 6, 2018. Special mention to the AMDA officials Tomoko Iwao, Dr.Meenakshi Joshi and the people who accompanied for the relief activities.
We acknowledge with sincere gratitude your invaluable medical assistance, support and help to the flood affected people in the relief camps.
We sincerely hope that our association with you will continue to have a long lasting friendly relationship.
With the warmest regards,
Dr. Yogesh M
Seva Bharathi Medial Wing, Chengannur.


text:
Five Books to Watch for in December, 2017
Year One by Nora Roberts, December 05
It began on New Year's Eve. The sickness came on suddenly, and spread quickly. The fear spread even faster. Within weeks, everything people counted on began to fail them. The electrical grid sputtered; law and government collapsed—and more than half of the world's population was decimated.
Where there had been order, there was now chaos. And as the power of science and technology receded, magic rose up in its place. Some of it is good, like the witchcraft worked by Lana Bingham, practicing in the loft apartment she shares with her lover, Max. Some of it is unimaginably evil, and it can lurk anywhere, around a corner, in fetid tunnels beneath the river—or in the ones you know and love the most.
In a world of survivors where every stranger encountered could be either a savage or a savior, none of them knows exactly where they are heading, or why. But a purpose awaits them that will shape their lives and the lives of all those who remain. The end has come. The beginning comes next.
Book | eBook | Audiobook CD
Persepolis Rising: The Expanse #7, by James S.A. Corey, December 05
In the thousand-sun network of humanity's expansion, new colony worlds are struggling to find their way. Every new planet lives on a knife edge between collapse and wonder, and the crew of the aging gunship Rocinante have their hands more than full keeping the fragile peace.
Book | eBook
The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi December 15
Star Wars: The Force Awakens shattered box-office records as one of the highest-grossing films of all time, and its eagerly awaited sequel, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, is sure to do the same. This chapter, like every chapter before it, owes its visual language and fully imagined cinematic landscape to an incomparable art department: the Lucasfilm "visualists." The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi explores their vision and illuminates their creative process in stunning detail. Featuring concept art and costume sketches, storyboards, and blueprints, fans will take a deep dive into the development of the fantastic worlds, characters, and creatures—both old and new—of The Last Jedi. Featuring unforgettable art and exclusive interviews with the filmmakers, this visual archive highlights moviemaking magic at its finest.
Now That You Mention It by Kristan Higgins, December 26
One step forward. Two steps back. The Tufts scholarship that put Nora Stuart on the path to becoming a Boston medical specialist was a step forward. Being hit by a car and then overhearing her boyfriend hit on another doctor when she thought she was dying? Two major steps back. Injured in more ways than one, Nora feels her carefully built life cracking at the edges. There's only one place to land: home. But the tiny Maine community she left fifteen years ago doesn't necessarily want her. At every turn, someone holds the prodigal daughter of Scupper Island responsible for small-town drama and big-time disappointments.
With a tough islander mother who's always been distant, a wild-child sister in jail and a withdrawn teenage niece as eager to ditch the island as Nora once was, Nora has her work cut out for her if she's going to take what might be her last chance to mend the family. Balancing loss and opportunity, dark events from her past with hope for the future, Nora will discover that tackling old pain makes room for promise…and the chance to begin again.
Saga: Volume 8 by Brian K. Vaughan, December 27
After the traumatic events of the War for Phang, Hazel, her parents, and their surviving companions embark on a life-changing adventure at the westernmost edge of the universe. Collects issues 43 through 48.
Book | Digital Comic
Categories: Adults.


Alive and Young: What Can You Do With Six Bucks?
What can you do with $6?
Have a Venti Mocha Latte + tip.
Get a fast-food value meal.
Buy approximately 1.6 gallons of gas.
Pay for shipping from Amazon.com.
Provide a person with drinking water for two years.
The people over at the Mental_Floss.com Blog have pointed its readers to a handy portable water purification device that requires no electrical power, can be worn around the neck, is light weight, and is about 14 inches in length. It is called the LifeStraw and is produced by the Danish based company Vestergaard Frandsen who is "committed to the goal of basic disease prevention by providing safe drinking water and protection from malaria and other vector-borne diseases."
By filtering the water through a series of filters, with the smallest filtering 15 microns in size, and hitting the water with a quick dose of iodine, the LifeStraw is able to filter out or kill a number of dangerous bacteria and viruses that can cause health problems resulting in death. The LifeStraw site says it is able to remove 99% of these harmful bugs; though, Girardi still sneaks through the 15 micron filter as this little parasite is only 5 micros in size.
LifeStraw recently received the 2008 Saatchi and Saatchi Award for World Changing Ideas, was referred to as 'one of the Ten Things that will Change the Way We Live" by Forbes Magazine, and was named Best Invention of 2005 by Time. LifeStraw had received other awards and accolades from other institutes and periodicals.
This little device is certainly handy for parts of the word that do not have access to drinkable water and will likely be very useful after natural disasters: tsumanis, earthquakes, hurricanes, and the like.
What a way to spend six bucks!


text:
Opinions|Science and Technology
China's connectivity revolution
Increasing internet access in China can only accelerate the speed of its extraordinary development journey.
Stephen S Roach
Stephen S Roach is the author of Unbalanced: The Codependency of America and China.
The number of internet users in China has more than tripled since 2006 [GALLO/GETTY]
New Haven, CT – Long the most fragmented nation on earth, China is being brought together like never before by a new connectivity. Its internet community is expanding at hyper speed, with profound implications for the Chinese economy, to say nothing of the country's social norms and political system. This genie cannot be stuffed back in the bottle. Once connected, there is no turning back.
The pace of transformation is breathtaking. According to Internet World Stats, the number of internet users in China has more than tripled since 2006, soaring to 485 million in mid-2011 – more than three times that in 2006. Moreover, China's rush to connectivity is far from over. As of mid-2011, only 36 per cent of its 1.3 billion people were connected – far short of the nearly 80 per cent penetration rates seen in South Korea, Japan, and the United States.
Indeed, with the cost of connectivity falling sharply – China's mobile users are expected to surpass PC users by 2013 – and, with urbanisation and per capita incomes also rising sharply, it is not unreasonable to expect China's internet penetration rate to cross the 50 per cent threshold by 2015. That would be the functional equivalent of adding about three-fourths of all existing internet users in the US.
The Stream: Chinese microblogging
and crowdsourced epidemiology
Nor are the Chinese casual and infrequent internet users. Consistent with what the social-network theorist Clay Shirky has dubbed a society's penchant for unlocking the "cognitive surplus" embedded in net-based activities, survey data from the China Internet Network Information Center suggest that Chinese netizens log an average of 2.6 hours per day online – a full hour longer than the average 15- to 49-year-old Chinese citizen spends watching television.
China's microblogs, or social networks, where usage tends be most intense, were estimated to have approximately 270 million users as of late 2011. And there is plenty of upside. Worldwide, about 70 per cent of all internet users currently engage in some form of microblogging, which is the fastest-growing segment of the internet. In China, this share is just 55 per cent.
When it comes to analyzing China, it is always easy to get carried away with numbers – especially those driven by the country's sheer size. But the real message here concerns the implications of connectivity, not just its scale.
A key implication is the internet's potential to play a significant role in the emergence of China's consumer society – a critical structural imperative for a long-unbalanced Chinese economy. With connectivity comes a national awareness of spending habits, tastes, and brands – essential characteristics of any consumer culture.
The consumption share of China's economy, at less than 35 per cent of GDP, is the lowest of any major country. Surging Chinese internet usage could well facilitate the pro-consumption initiatives of the recently enacted 12th Five-Year Plan.
The internet could also enable freer and more open communications, upward mobility, transparent and rapid dissemination of information, and, yes, individuality. China's leadership has been increasingly vocal in raising concerns about growing inequalities that might otherwise hinder the development of what they call a more "harmonious society". Online connectivity could be a powerful means to help China come together and achieve this goal.
Finally, there is the internet's potential as an instrument of political change. That is hardly an inconsequential consideration for any country in the aftermath of last year's Arab Spring, which was facilitated in many countries (especially Tunisia and Egypt) by network-enabled mobilisation.
"While reform of China's single-party state has always been viewed as an important objective in modern China … meaningful progress has been limited."
While reform of China's single-party state has always been viewed as an important objective in modern China – from the so-called Fifth Modernisation of Wei Jinsheng in the late 1970s to recent speeches by Premier Wen Jiabao – meaningful progress has been limited. Is this likely to change as China embraces the internet?
China is no exception in requiring leadership, accountability, and responsiveness as conditions of political stability. Its rapidly expanding internet community has repeatedly raised national awareness of tough local issues. This was especially evident in the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake of 2008, ethnic violence in Xinjiang in 2009, and the high-speed rail crash in Wenzhou in 2011.
As the Arab Spring demonstrated, the internet can quickly transform local incidents into national flashpoints – turning the new connectivity into a potential source of political instability and turmoil. But that has been the case only in countries ruled by highly unpopular autocratic regimes.
By contrast, China's leadership is viewed with a much greater degree of public sympathy. Their quick and direct response to the recent incidents in Sichuan, Xinjiang, and Wenzhou are important cases in point. Senior party leaders – especially Premier Wen – were quick to lead an empathetic national response that was largely effective in countering the outpouring of concern expressed on the internet.
101 East: China's cyber warriors
None of this is to deny the dark side of the Chinese internet explosion – namely, widespread censorship and constraints on individual freedom of expression. China's "SkyNet" team (rumoured to be greater than 30,000) is the largest cyber police force in the world.
Moreover, while China is not alone in censoring the internet, self-policing by many of the nation's largest portals amplifies official oversight and surveillance. Recent restrictions on microbloggers – especially denial of access to those who use untraceable aliases – have heightened concerns over Chinese internet freedom. Such restrictions, of course, cut both ways – potentially limiting personal expression, but also constraining disguised and reckless vigilante attacks.
Filtered or not, a long-fragmented China now has a viable and rapidly expanding network. The power of that network – especially insofar as economic, social, and political change is concerned – is hard to predict. But connectivity adds a new dimension of cohesion to modern China. That can only accelerate the speed of its extraordinary development journey.
Stephen S. Roach, a member of the faculty at Yale University, is Non-Executive Chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia and the author of The Next Asia.
A version of this article first appeared on Project Syndicate.
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily represent Al Jazeera's editorial policy.
Stephen S Roach, former Chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia and the firm's chief economist, is a senior fellow at Yale University's Jackson Institute of Global Affairs and a senior lecturer at Yale's School of Management. He is the author of Unbalanced: The Codependency of America and China.
China's cultural front against the West
President Hu Jintao says China and West engaging in cultural war, and the Chinese should increase cultural production.
China to open pollution data to public
Decision to make air quality information more transparent follows citizen complaints about under-reporting.
Challenges ahead as China marks new year
This is the Year of the Dragon. The dragon is a great symbol of China, but its arrival portends bad luck and a challenging year ahead. That's something the political leadership of China is certainly not oblivious to.
Global growth: Still made in China
China's stability gambit
Opinion: Austerity can work
Why India is riskier than China
Tonga's volcano eruption and tsunami explained in maps and charts


text:
U.S.-Bound Swinging Popsicle At 440
I wasn't well-versed in the complex ritual of claiming a reserved ticket and getting into the club at Shimokitazawa's 440, so even though I got there right at the opening time at 7PM last night to see Swinging Popsicle, I was very much at the end of the line.
Apparently, if you've reserved a ticket, you're supposed to go to the club at 6 in the evening, to be issued a numbered ticket. Then, at 7PM, the staff lets people in according to the alphabetical letters and the numbers on those tickets: "All A's and all B's up to 20 can now enter", etc. It was very meticulously done in a distinctly Japanese way. If you hadn't gotten a number at 6 though, your place was at the tail end of the queue. And, in the looking glass world that Japan sometimes is, if you were on the guest list, you were allowed into the club at the very end, even after all the clueless ticket reservers like me who hadn't showed up at 6 to take a number (the reason being that paid customers should get in before people on the guest list, who are seeing the show for free—whereas, in the U.S. and elsewhere, wouldn't people on the guest list go in first?). So, my friends Steve Laity and Yaeri, who were both on the list, had to wait until the last minute to enter the club.
This all matters because the 440 is a café club, which means you watch events seated at a table and the earlier you get in, the better your seat is. If you get in too late, on the other hand, you may end up watching the show standing uncomfortably between various café furniture, feeling on your back the unhappy stare of a sitting customer whose view you are blocking… Fortunately, Steve and I found open space on steps right next to the stage, and we ended up with an up-close view of the Swinging Popsicle performance.
I've written several times before about Swinging Popsicle gigs, so I'll keep this simple: the trio is always a joy to watch, three veteran musicians who pump out sweet and spirited pop songs with expertise, and last night's show was no exception. I've described singer Mineko Fujishima as a soul diva in a petite Japanese woman's body, and that was true. She said later she was nervous during the gig because it was the band's first in a few months, but it didn't show at all. You can listen to song samples of theirs here.
Swinging Popsicle is headed to San Jose, California in late-May to play at an anime convention called Fanime, along with the Japanese bands Guitar Vader, Miami, Goofy Style, Poplar and Up Hold. If you are in the Bay Area and are interested in the music (or if you are somewhere else and wouldn't mind traveling to listen to some Japanese music), I highly recommend going. I, for one, am traveling from Tokyo to attend the event—maybe if you are there, I'll see you.
The band also said they will be performing with advantage Lucy on July 16, once again at the 440.
Advantage Lucy and Swinging Popsicle are two of my favorite Japanese groups.
Next time, though, I'll know to get my number at 6PM.
Posted by Ken M - Japan Live at 12:00 AM No comments:
The Caraway & Ex-Bridges At The Shelter
Guitarist Osamu Shimada had a fever of 38.2 degrees Celsius (101 degrees Fahrenheit) when he hit the stage of the Shimokitazawa Shelter with his band the Caraway, but you wouldn't have known it if you were at his show. It was a performance that made me suddenly remember the things that drew me into Tokyo's indie pop scene a few years ago: guitar sounds as bright as a sunny Southern California day, melodies as catchy as those of the first album you ever bought, and as much energy as your first all-night party with friends.
Shimada is also the lead guitarist of pop trio Swinging Popsicle, and listening to the way he crunched out precise and color-filled Caraway guitar solos in spite of his fever, I saw one big reason why the great Swinging Popscle has remained popular a decade after exploding on to the scene—its super guitarist. Shimada's other band, the Caraway, is due to release its first album in June. Can't wait!
The Caraway
Long before either Swinging Popsicle or the Caraway was formed, in the early-1990's, there was a neo-acoustic group called Bridge, whose music still influences Japanese bands, and whose members have continued with music, most notably the singer Hideki Kaji. At the Shelter show two bands featuring former-Bridge members played: Three Berry Icecream, of whom I wrote about recently, and Chicago Bass, which includes Mami Otomo, Bridge's former singer. Both were good.
The evening, in fact, became a Bridge reunion of sorts, because, standing at the back of the tiny club watching the shows was the man himself, Hideki Kaji. I did a double-take when I saw his familiar face in the audience, and many fans went up to chat with him and take photos with him after the show. You have to understand that for many in Japan's indie pop scene, Kaji is about as big as they get—I imagine there are a good number of people out there who would rather meet him than any number of major label Japanese 'stars'. I didn't chat him up, though, because I'm not that familiar with his work, not owning any of his solo albums. Maybe next time though...
Chicago Bass
4 Bonjour's Parties, Kitsune No Kai, Juke Joint
Kitsune No Kai
Hanging out at the Shibuya O-Nest on Thursday night watching 4 Bonjour's Parties and other bands play, the thought came to me that these guys are turning the club into something like a juke joint.
The way folks in the American South go to juke joints to play the blues, the music lovers at the O-Nest were there to unwind and have a good time through music, after a long day. When each band's set was over, the members streamed back into the audience to see the other groups and to chat with friends. None of them locked themselves up in the dressing room, refusing to mix with the fans.
Though the evening proceeded according to a schedule, and all the bands must have rehearsed beforehand, I didn't get the sense that everything was scripted, like I sometimes do watching bands who take each show seriously as another small step in their musical careers. Nothing wrong really with the serious bands, except that they lack spontaneity, which, come to think of it, isn't right at all.
Between songs, the clarinet-playing front man of 4 Bonjour's Parties talked in squeaky imitation-woman voice for reasons only known to him, causing the other members to giggle. It didn't matter to them that they were on a stage facing several dozen people--they were going to have fun regardless. Their manner might have been annoying if not for the fact that their silliness was followed by their gorgeous, slowly flowing pop music, which sounds classical at times in part because of the wind instruments the members take turns playing (clarinet, flute, trumpet, trombone and sax). You can hear sample songs of theirs here.
I also liked a band called Kitsune No Kai, which means something like 'party of the foxes' or 'meeting of foxes'. They played songs with names like "The Lamb of Finland". The event program described them as "Japan's Belle and Sebastian", but they also reminded me of Cowboy Junkies and Mazzy Star. These foxes have recently released a series of three CD singles, which I'll have to listen to.
Also playing was Shugo Tokumaru and a band called toy. Unusually for a show at the O-Nest, many in the audience listened to the shows sitting on the floor. Also unusually, the DJ put on some Bach between two sets.
The other day I stumbled upon the website of Yu Hirano, the founder of the rock club Loft, arguably Japan's most important live house, and in one of his columns he wrote something I agreed with completely. Hirano was talking about the beginnings of the Loft, and how at first he wanted the club to be something more than a place where people pay to watch bands play. Instead, the Loft would be a hang-out where people meet and talk, with tables and food, and live music would just be one ingredient and bands wouldn't necessarily play every night but only when the Loft felt the bands were good enough.
That wasn't how the Loft turned out, Hirano admits: to compete with other live houses, the club eventually cleared out the tables to pack more people in, and they started booking bands every night. But his ideal club is still a small place for people to meet and to create something through those meetings, and to accomplish this he says he recently opened a new, smaller live house called the Naked Loft. Again, what I think he is aiming for is a juke joint—a place where people aren't divided clearly between musicians and listeners, but where the two mix, and make something new, or, at the very least, have fun together.
Yunn & Yuyake Lamp, At Yoyogi Gauss
Yunn and Yuyake Lamp is the piano pop band formerly known as Orange Plankton, minus pianist Yuki. I was a devoted fan of Orange Plankton, but had missed the first couple of shows of Yunn, and finally got an opportunity to see them at a tiny new club called the Yoyogi Gauss.
One of the cool things about Orange Plankton was it had not one, but two girls who took center stage at shows: Yumi, the singer, and Yuki on piano. Watching the two interact musically was always an electric experience. But with Yuki gone, the spotlight was squarely on Yumi, and it revealed what a powerful presence she is, by herself, on stage: I've seen hundreds of bands in Tokyo, but in very few are there vocalists whose presence is magnetic like this soft-voiced and petite woman. She seems to breathe in the music around her and exhale it in the form of song.
They played all new songs, which sounded a little more rock compared with Orange Plankton's pop, and in most Yumi played the piano, though I got the sense that she wouldn't mind leaving the confining space of the keyboard and piano stool to dance the expanse of the stage.
The two skilled musicians in the rhythm section, bassist Tsuji and Tamarou on drums, had let their hair grow long enough to tie in ponytails, a new look that reminded me of old Japanese artisans. My non-drug-induced vision was of Tsuji and Tamarou as sculptors of Buddhist statues and Yumi their artistic inspiration, a glowing, golden Idol.
This is band I'll be following—you can listen to some of Yunn's song samples here (Yunn is Yumi's nickname) and a couple of Orange Plankton's songs are now on the playlist of Japan Live Radio.
I went to Yunn's after-show celebration at a nearby izakaya(a Japanese bistro), and there found out that, by coincidence, four friends of the band, who didn't know each other before meeting each other through Orange Plankton, are from the big northern island of Hokkaido. Like most Hokkaido people, they all have beautifully white skin (you might think the Japanese are homogenous, but they aren't really—people in Hokkaido look quite different from darker complexioned folks in the southern island of Okinawa, for example). They were also free spirits in that way people from lands with lots of open space are, and they insisted that fish tasted better in Hokkaido than in Tokyo. I like that sort of mild, good-humored regional chauvinism you encounter often in Japan.
Japan Live Radio!
One thing that has long frustrated me in keeping this journal is that I'm writing about all these excellent indie bands that aren't well known outside of Japan (and, sometimes, even here), but I know that many readers abroad don't have a way to listen to their music. Most Japanese indie CDs are either hard to buy outside of Japan, or, simply, unavailable. But, for various reasons, I've been against posting MP3s on the site.
Then, recently, an idea-bulb lit up in my head: why don't I set up an internet radio station and play songs of bands I like? Which is what I've done: http://www.live365.com/stations/japanlive
The first program has a bit more than three hours of music by the pop bands I write a lot about. I won't be a daily radio DJ: my plan is to change the programming every few weeks, and vary the themes a bit every time, and I'll let you know when new programs are up. I'm new at this and am not sure whether the radio will work properly, and know, for one thing, that for technical reasons the sound quality isn't the greatest at the moment. In any case, any feedback you can give me on the radio would be highly appreciated. (And, of course, if you discover some awesome band you didn't know about as a result of Japan Live Radio, defnitely let me know!)
Posted by Ken M - Japan Live at 10:13 PM No comments:


Looking for loveseats to maximise your small space? Be inspired by a large selection of space enhancing loveseat or snuggler chairs from UK's leading retailers.
Make your space work better for you with loveseat chairs to maximise your space. You will find loveseat sofa chairs for every budget – from affordable prices to higher end appeal.
Tip: Use our handy filters to view all loveseats for small spaces from multiple retailers. Limit the range you see by colour, by price or select a specific retailer. Know your maximum size? Use the handy size filter to limit the products you see.


text:
FORM JOURNAL – By Adelaide review
Form Journal (the proud voice of design and architecture in South Australia) by The Adelaide Review has written a fantastic article about Adelaide Design Link (ADL).
"The Adelaide Review celebrates and acknowledge incredible projects being produced in our state". "Design is an ever present component in our daily lives, and the demand for smart design is higher than ever."
"In an increasingly complex world, the need for innovation remains at the forefront of a designer's mind, and as a challenge to be met. Excitingly, as history has shown, our state has been a catalyst for innovation, and a place to test new ideas."
The article "A worthy alliance" by Nathan James Crane outlines how Adelaide's design industry has a new international perspective thanks to a business-led initiative by Adelaide Design Link (ADL).
"Adelaide's story is one of livability, because it has been planned very well. We are still one of the top five liveable cities in the world." "There are a lot of good design-related things happening here. The essence of the model is that we can look at certain situation or challengers overseas and expand the supply chin and get more South Australian businesses involved." "What ADL does, is to shift the idea of design and architecture from being about style or aesthetics, to being a business tool."
"ADL demonstrates another way in which South Australian design industry can offer solution to the world. Through our ability to connect and our size, the innovations borne out of these collaborations mean our state not only becomes a platform for the transformation of other cities internationally, but international cities might embrace our inherent liability as a cultural offering".
As a member of Adelaide Design Link (ADL), we are thrilled to be a part of this integrated trans-disciplinary collaboration which includes approximately 20 businesses, involving some 300 employees with a combination turnover of approximately $60 million.
AGATHA OZHYLOVSKI
Agatha Ozhylovski is the creative director behind AgathaO House of Design. Agatha infuses art, music, and fashion every step of the way. She believes in a Vogue way of living, working and playing; where design is defined by people, lifestyle and culture.
Share Me. Pin Me. Post Me. Like Me.
YOU'RE FLOORING NEEDS COVERED – naturally
LIGHTING – Ocean liners of yesteryear
RESIDENTIAL + COMMERCIAL - Building selection
LIVING SPACES - That heal
WINNING DESIGN- Kitchen & Bathroom Design Institute of Australia
because understatements are over rated...
AgathaO - House of Design © 2020 • Web Design


text:
5 Things You Must See In Mexico
The Mayans were one of the greatest civilizations of pre-Columbian South America and the only one to leave remnants of a written language. Chichen Itza, located in the state of Yucatán in south eastern Mexico, is one of the most spectacular Mayan ruins and has recently been declared one of the seven new wonders of the world. It's easy to see why – Chichen Itza is practically a whole city, with temples, courts, baths and markets to explore.
The centre piece is the Kukulkan Pyramid, which is a monument to astronomy, its seven triangular windows pouring light in the shape of a serpent down the main stairway at 3pm on the vernal equinox (20th March). The site can be visited in a day from Cancun by bus, but it gets extremely busy, so it's wise to arrive early in the morning to avoid the crowds. If you can, stay until the evening, when there is sound and light show. Entry is around $10 with $4 for the light show.
Mexico City is the third largest city in the world by population and, despite its reputation for both crime and pollution, is gradually undergoing a cultural renaissance. The city is huge, and can be something of a concrete jungle, but it also has stately buildings, large green areas and a year-round spring-like climate.
Maybe start at the Zócalo, which is Mexico City's grand, historic and political centre, whose central square is often filled with feathered Aztec dancers, then progress to Chapultepec Park, which is the largest city-based park in the world. Unlike other green urban spaces, Chapultepec is packed full of history, including a Toltec alter on the top of Chapultepec Hill, the site of the Baths of Moctezuma and tombs associated with the ancient city of Teotihuacan.
In the evening, you have a choice of thousands of eateries, from street-food stands and cantinas to fine-dining, as well as music venues and steamy salsa clubs.
Located on the southern fringe of Mexico City, and well served by the local metro, the floating gardens of Xochimilco were created by the Aztecs 700 years ago and still operate pretty much as they used to. The network of canals is navigated via brightly painted boats called trajineras, which often also carry mariarchi bands and snacks and drink for sale. You can either hire a boat all to yourself for around $30 – $100 or travel in a group on a passenger boat.
Xochimilco is also home to a fortified monastery and the Museo Dolores Olmedo Patiño which features a collection of noted Mexican painter Diego Rivera's work.
The Tequila Express
The Tequila Express travels every Saturday and Sunday from Guadalajara to Amatitan, a journey that takes around one hour 40 minutes. While being serenaded by a mariachi band, you'll hear all about the history of tequila as well as being offered drinks such as margaritas, sangrita and beer. In Amatitan, visitors are taken on a tour of the Hacienda San José del Refugio, where tequila is manufactured, and offered an evening meal with drinks, music and dancing. The day-long excursion costs $1,200.
If you're looking for sun, sand, scenery and relaxation, then Cancun is the place in Mexico to find it. Many tourists come to Cancun just for a beach holiday and choose the all-inclusive resort option, but Cancun is also an interesting town in its own right with plenty of cultural activities on offer such as art and ballet, not to mention more traditional vacation pastimes such as golfing and diving.
Because of its status as a popular resort, Cancun is easily accessible by air or by public transport such as train and bus from all over the country. It also has frequent links to popular tourist destinations such as Chichen Itza and the Tulum ruins.
Adriano Comegna writes for Thomson holidays, a leading UK travel operator specialising in package holidays and holidays in Mexico.
mexico tourism
travel in mexico
What is it about the maldives? It only takes a few holiday reviews, a little bit of background research, and a glance at...


text:
ACT Test Centers and Dates in Estonia
By ACT | March 17, 2019
Your search found 1 match. The following is the full list of ACT testing locations in Estonia among which you can pick one to take the exam. Please know that on the test day, test takers can use any 4-function, scientific, or graphing calculator. On the table below, you can also find all test dates through 2019.
2019-2020 ACT Test Dates in Estonia
Test Date Registration Deadline
April 13, 2019 March 8, 2019
June 8, 2019 May 3, 2019
December 14, 2019 November 8, 2019
April 4, 2020 February 28, 2020
June 13, 2020 May 8, 2020
ACT Test Centers in Estonia
City Center Name Center Code
Tallinn Tallinn Univ Of Technology 872370
More about Estonia
IAMHIGHER: Latest statistics of population in the country of Estonia, including languages spoken, urban population, birth rate, fertility rate and life expectancy for both men and women.
Immediately before the Second World War, 1.13 million people lived in Estonia, of which 88.8% Estonians, 8.1% Russians and 1.6% Germans. The seven hundred year history of the German ethnic group (Baltic Germans) ended in 1939/40 when they were due to the Hitler-Stalin Pact was almost completely relocated. Around 210,000 Estonians died, were deported, murdered, or fled during the war and after the war. Since 1944, Russian immigration has been promoted by Moscow's industrialization-oriented economic policy (resettlement of Russian workers in the Baltic States). In addition to the aging of the Estonian population and its low natural increase, this led to a steady decline in the Estonian population (1959: 74.6%; 1979: 64.7%; 1989: 61.5%). The proportion of Russians increased in these years from 20.1% to 27.9% to 30.3%. In 2014, 69% of the residents of Estonia were Estonians, 25% Russians, 1.7% Ukrainians, 1.0% Belarusians, 0.6% Finns and 1.7% members of other ethnic groups (especially Jews, Germans and Latvians). Also have (2017) 14, 9% of Estonian residents are foreign nationals. The ethnic settlement areas are still relatively little mixed, the Russian-speaking population is mainly concentrated in the industrial centers of the northeast (Kohtla-Järve, Sillamäe, Narva) and in the greater Tallinn area. Check a2zcamerablog to see Estonia Overview.
The degree of urbanization increased sharply in Soviet times. While around 66% of the population lived in rural areas between the two world wars, the proportion of the urban population rose to 63% by 1966 and to 67% by 2017. About a third of the residents live in the capital. With an average of 31 residents per km 2 (2017), Estonia is the least densely populated Baltic state. In western and northern Estonia and on the islands, settlement outside the cities is low, while the more agriculturally used areas in the south and south-east are more densely populated.
The biggest cities in Estonia
Biggest Cities (Inh. 2019)
Tallinn 434 600
Tartu 93 900
Narva 55 200
Parnu 39 500
Kohtla-Järve 33 800
The constitution (Article 40) guarantees religious freedom and excludes a state church. The religious communities are obliged to register with the State by the Ministry of the Interior. Religious policy is based on the Law on Religions that came into force in 1993.
Since the introduction of the Reformation in Estonia (1524), the majority of Estonian Christians have belonged to the Evangelical Lutheran Church. However, that changed in the course of the Russification of the Baltic population after World War II. According to the latest available estimates, over 15% of the population are Orthodox Christians in two autonomous church organizations, see Estonian Orthodox Church); there is also a minority of Old Believers (Raskolniki).
Those who are committed to the »Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church« (Eesti Evangeelne Luterlik Kirik, EELK) currently account for a good 12% of the population (164 parishes) and are headed by an archbishop based in Tallinn directed. Other Christian minorities together make up little more than 1% of the population. For the Catholic Christians there is the Apostolic Administration Estonia (seat: Tallinn).
Non-Christian religious minorities make up the Muslims and Jews. The »Estonian Jewish Community« was re-established in 1992 (all Jewish institutions had been closed in 1940). Today's center of Jewish community life is the new Synagogue in Tallinn (inaugurated in 2007). Over 70% of the population have no religious affiliation.
At the head of the judiciary is the Supreme Court (Riigikohus) with 19 members, whose chief judge is appointed by parliament after nomination by the president. There is a constitutional review chamber at the Supreme Court. The judges of the lower courts are elected by Parliament on the proposal of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The independence of the judiciary is legally and factually guaranteed. – After the political change, a legal system was introduced that meets the requirements of a market economy and, in particular in civil and criminal law, is partly based on the provisions of German law. European legal requirements also had a major influence. In principle, human and civil rights are fully guaranteed in Estonia, Problems, however, are caused by the lack of citizenship of many residents. – The death penalty was abolished in 1998.
SAT Test Centers and Dates in Estonia
ACT Test Centers and Dates in Turks and Caicos Islands
ACT Test Centers and Dates in Trinidad and Tobago
ACT Test Centers and Dates in Bosnia and Herzegovina
ACT Test Centers and Dates in Antigua and Barbuda
TOEFL Test Centers in Estonia
GRE Test Centers in Estonia
IELTS Test Centers in Estonia
ACT Test Centers and Dates in Netherlands Antilles
ACT Test Centers and Dates in Cayman Islands
Category: ACT Test Centers Europe Tags: Study in Estonia
← ACT Test Centers and Dates in Germany ACT Test Centers and Dates in Ecuador →


text:
New music (mainly) comes from Hank 3 in April
Tuesday, February 28, 2012 – A new Hank Williams III disc, "Long Gone Daddy," is coming out April 17 on Curb Records, 10 songs of shuffling country blues, including 6 new songs.
Hank Sr. contributed the title track and Neath A Cold Gray Tomb of Stone. Hank 3 also covered Merle Haggard (The Bottle Let Me Down), Johnny Cash (Wreck of the Old 97) and Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson (Good Hearted Woman).
Williams and his label have been at loggerheads for years with the singer complaining loud and often about Curb.
The disc includes six previously unreleased recordings and four from prior releases.
Tracks are:
1) I'm A Long Gone Daddy
2) Sun Comes Up
3) The Bottle Let Me Down
4) Wreck Of The Old '97
5) Neath A Cold Gray Tomb Of Stone
6) The Wind Blew Cold
7) Good Hearted Woman
8) This Ain't Montgomery (with Joey Allcorn)
9) What They Want Me To Be
10) If The Shoe Fits (Shuffle Mix)
More news for Hank Williams III
07/29/13: Hank 3 goes for double barreled actioin.
07/25/11: With three CDs coming, Hank3 tours
11/03/10: Williams' Family Tradition continues
05/21/10: Hank III readies new CD
08/12/08: Hank Williams III slates new CD for October
CD reviews for Hank Williams III
Ghost to Ghost/Guttertown
Free at last, free at last, thanks God almighty, he is free at last. After years of self-proclaimed indentured servitude to Mike Curb - a period that saw III hawking F*** Curb T-shirts at his shows and encouraging fans to download his albums for free - Hank III has finally shed his contractual obligations to the man and label that reined in his diversity and vision over the past decade. In other words, III is now legally doing all the things that he's done for years in middle-finger defiance »»»
Hillbilly Joker
Call it hellbilly, deathneck or thrashgrass - any way you spin it, but don't think ol' Hank done it this way. His grandson Hank III, however, has developed a fervent following of fans that appreciate those niche genres' unlikely blends of country, shock rock and metal. And while it's certainly not the same old tune, his last six major label releases (and a spattering of bootleg compilations) have added new layers to the Williams family's musical legacy. »»»
Rebel Within
The turbulent 14-year relationship between Hank Williams III and Curb Records ends with this release, and while Williams certainly seizes the opportunity to take one last jab at Curb he also delivers some good tunes on his way out the door. He kicks it off with Getting Drunk And Falling Down, a straight ahead honky tonk tune in which Williams begins to take a serious look at the consequences of his lifestyle ("Getting drunk and falling down has taken it's toll on me/ I like living life »»»


text:
Staller Center brings Metropolitan Opera to Stony Brook
Fumi Honda February 3, 2013
"Rigoletto" is set in 1960s Las Vegas, and the outfits show it. (The Staller Center for the Arts)
The new year draws fresh shows from the Metropolitan Opera (MET) in its latest productions of "La Rondine" and "Rigoletto." Both decide to heighten the art by abandoning the shield of ornamentary costumes and tried-and-true clichés.
Living up to the reputation of having a stellar musical department, Stony Brook University has been partnering with the MET by bringing its live performances to the HD screen in the Staller Center for the Arts.
"Rigoletto" is one of the operas that The Staller Center for the Arts is showcasing during the course of the semester on Feb. 17.
The Staller Center also has exclusive introductions and backstage interviews. Yet for those eager to experience the majestic effect of the MET orchestra in person, a newly discovered MetOpera Students program is available for graduate and undergraduate students, including access to select final dress rehearsals.
With prices starting at $25—a fraction of the price of a regular seating—enjoying state-of-the-art opera performances is no longer out of reach for students.
As a rule, experimental productions are usually accompanied with ambiguous reviews. "La Rondine" is one prime example. A review by "The New York Times" explains this is the attempt of Giacomo Puccini, a 19th and 20th-century composer, to write "an Italian operatic equivalent of a lightly comic, bittersweet Viennese operetta."
In his vision, a lighter romantic opera will retain the naturally emotional expressive Italian arias intercepted with satires by minor characters. His ideas came into fruition working with librettist Giuseppe Adami. A librettist is a lyricist of opera.
"La Rondine" is similar to the plot of "The Lady of the Camilias," by Alexandre Dumas, but with the opposite ending. Magda, mistress of the rich banker Rambaldo, made a living off her beauty, yet declared that love has nothing to do with wealth.
When she came across her dream man in midst of a carouse, he exhibited the pureness of the countryside, so she abandoned her raucous life and found refuge for their love in a hotel until their money ran out.
At the point of Ruggero's proposal, she confessed her true background, knowing she would bring dishonor to his family, and comforted the heartbroken Rugerro as she left. It was not the happy ending that occurs in a Disney movie, nor did it contain the tragic deaths of a Shakespearean tragedy. The composer for the "Camilias" operatic adaptation coincides with the composer for "Rigoletto," Giuseppe Verdi.
"Rigoletto," is no less of a breakthrough than "La Rodini." Based off Verdi's favorite play, "Le roi s'amuse" (The King Amuses Himself). Verdi's story was adapted from being set in an imperial court to a casino during 1960s Las Vegas.
During an interview with "The New York Times," Michael Mayer, the director of the show, said it was about, "The power, the sex, the money, the raucous pranks, luck and fortune and superstition in the air." He explained how he drew inspiration, "I started to think about Las Vegas during the Rat Pack years. That world was very much about using women, in pretty corrosive ways, and discarding them when they were done. It all seemed to fit."
"Rigoletto" was already written as part of the verismo movement, which was a literary movement that rejected historical or mythological subjects and instead embraced lower-class lifestyles. This laid the foundation for Mayer to revolutionize the stereotypical rigidness of an opera by modernizing its form to cater the tastes of younger generation. According to the playbill, "Rigoletto" wanted to bring the stage closer to the audience with something they are familiar with. Its flashy neon lights, a full-blown Cadillac as a prop and a brief pole dance reminded the audience of the stage of a typical Broadway show. It is the changing face of Opera to make these types of changes.
The shows keep the same universal themes and the timeless appreciation of elegant and refined vocals and the natural instrument of humans; the only difference is the means of the storytelling.
Fumi Honda
Tagged: Fumi Honda Giacomo Puccini La Rondine musical Rigoletto The Staller Center Share
"Weekly Ice Melts" art installation offers interactive look at climate change
"Sunset Boulevard: The Musical" is back!
Lincoln Center's "My Fair Lady" is an old musical with modern feminist values
Review: Lin-Manuel Miranda's first musical, "In the Heights," fails to live up to his reputation
ONCE: A simple, yet deeply entertaining, musical
Pocket Theater wants to be American Idiots


Getting a high school diploma or an equivalent qualification is usually required. A college diploma in pulp and paper technology or a related discipline, like process control technology, may be required for some pulp and paper supervisor positions. Earning certificates, like lumber grading, industrial first aid and competency in natural gas, can enhance your prospects for promotion.
This is the high end of the Canadian average. In some areas, senior mill supervisors make more than $52 per hour.


text:
Professor's Research Traces Primary Cause of Opioid Epidemic. It's Not Despair
Why did America become so addicted to opioids?
That question is at the heart of University of Virginia economist Christopher Ruhm's research on opioid overdoses from 1999 to 2015. What he found sheds new light on what has been characterized in the media as a mostly economic problem – so-called "deaths of despair," driven by economic downturns in certain parts of the country like the Rust Belt or Appalachia.
Ruhm, a professor of public policy and economics in UVA's Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, tracked fatal overdoses at the county level across the country and compared those rates with economic factors like labor market conditions, income levels, housing prices and international trade exposure in each county.
His research – currently a working paper – concludes that economic conditions account for less than 10 percent of drug-related fatalities, which have increased by more than 210 percent from 1999 to 2015.
"It was less than 10 percent; possibly much less given the presence of other factors," Ruhm said.
Though economic conditions are certainly important for overall quality of life, Ruhm found that changes in the drug environment – the availability and cost of legal and illegal drugs – are the primary drivers of the opioid epidemic.
He identified several trends supporting this conclusion as he traced the rise and fall of different opioids in the U.S. over 16 years.
For example, prescription opioids accounted for the largest number of opioid fatalities from 1999, when Ruhm's study began, to about 2010.
"From the late 1990s through around 2010 or 2011, the number of opioid prescriptions being written in the U.S. skyrocketed," Ruhm said. "OxyContin came out in the late 1990s and was marketed very aggressively over the next decade."
However, around 2010, abuse of prescription opioids flattened and use of illegal opioids like heroin "accelerated dramatically," Ruhm said.
He attributes the shift to policy and other changes that made it more difficult to obtain legal opioids, and to the rising availability of heroin as dealers honed more widespread and less costly distribution methods.
"Essentially, the country was awash in cheap heroin," he said. "Then, around 2013, we started seeing a dramatic increase in synthetic opioids like fentanyl." Fentanyl, a potent drug originally used for cancer patients and others in extreme pain, is up to 50 times as powerful as heroin.
If economic conditions were the primary driver, Ruhm reasoned, the same economically depressed users who had been abusing prescription opioids would turn to heroin or fentanyl as it became cheaper.
"Individuals self-medicating for their 'despair' would simply switch to the newly more available types of drugs," he wrote in the paper.
However, his data showed that the two types of opioids attracted significantly different users, supporting his theory that the drug environment – not economic conditions – were primarily to blame for rising deaths.
Women and middle-aged adults, between about ages 40 and 60, were more likely to overdose on prescription opioids, while men and younger adults – traditionally more likely to engage in risky behaviors – were more likely to overdose on heroin or fentanyl.
uc162_1617_aviator_c.jpg
"When you look at the data, you see a pretty sharp change in who is affected right around the time that heroin and fentanyl were coming in," he said. "There seems to be a fairly tight relationship between which drugs are driving the epidemic – the drug environment – and who is being affected."
Further supporting his argument, Ruhm notes that other countries, regardless of their economic condition, have not experienced an opioid epidemic on the scale of that in the U.S.
"That's not to say that other countries don't have this problem – opioid abuse is increasing in many places – but it is an order of magnitude greater in the U.S.," he said. "The number of opioid prescriptions per capita are far, far higher here than in other countries."
Already, he said, stronger regulation of opioid prescriptions has helped reduce abuse of drugs like OxyContin, as seen with the shift away from prescription opioids in 2010. Other measures to regulate the illegal drug environment – now peddling even more deadly drugs, like the large-animal tranquilizer carfentanyl – could help stem the flow of drugs into the country, and a strong public health education campaign could help prevent abuse.
"This is an extremely serious crisis," Ruhm said. "We need a comprehensive strategy to alert people to the risks of these drugs, in much the same way we have done with the dangers of smoking."


text:
Le comté du Haut-Hunter () est une zone d'administration locale située dans l'État de Nouvelle-Galles du Sud en Australie, dont le chef-lieu est Scone.

Géographie
Le comté s'étend sur  dans la haute vallée de l'Hunter à l'est de la Nouvelle-Galles du Sud.

Il comprend les villes de Scone, Aberdeen,  Merriwa et Murrurundi, ainsi que les localités de Blandford, Bunnan, Gundy, Cassilis, Ellerston, Moonan Flat et Wingen.

Zones limitrophes

Histoire
Le comté a été créé en  par la fusion du comté de Scone avec des parties des comtés de Murrurundi et Merriwa.

Démographie
La population s'élevait à  en 2011 et à  en 2016.

Politique et administration
Le conseil comprend neuf membres élus pour quatre ans, qui à leur tour élisent le maire pour deux ans. À la suite des élections du , le conseil est formé de huit indépendants et d'un vert.

Liste des maires

Références

Liens externes

Haut-Hunter

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
U.S. Government & GSA FEDSIM Select Booz Allen to Help Apply Artificial Intelligence
The General Services Administration Federal Systems Integration and Management Center awards Booz Allen Hamilton a $885M task order to provide machine learning support to the U.S. Government Program Office for five years.
McLean, Va. – Today's intelligence environment necessitates that the U.S. government maintain unprecedented amounts of Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) data and information to thwart potential attacks and threats around the globe. Faced with the challenge of a relentless, 24/7 operations cycle, the U.S. Government (USG) Program Office has been tasked with developing and integrating an open systems architecture that introduces Enterprise Machine Learning Analytics and Persistent Services (eMAPS). The General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Systems Integration and Management Center (FEDSIM) recently awarded Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE: BAH) an $885M contract to provide an eMAPS solution that will enable the USG Program Office, Defense Department partners and the intelligence community to rapidly employ artificial intelligence, neural and deep neural networks – over a five-year period.
"The high volume, variety and velocity of intelligence acquired across the U.S. government cannot be harnessed by people alone," said Booz Allen's Executive Vice President Judi Dotson. "Our team of expert data scientists and engineers will apply cutting-edge solutions to deliver integrated eMAPS support to unlock the value of artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics, which will give warfighters positioned around the world the tools they need to drive U.S. national security forward."
The new contract expands on Booz Allen's legacy supporting the USG Program Office community. It will focus on integrating machine learning capabilities with a full spectrum of Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems that support military operations.
Read more about Booz Allen's expertise in applying innovative digital solutions to support U.S. federal intelligence capabilities, here.
BAHPR-CW
About Booz Allen Hamilton
For more than 100 years, military, government, and business leaders have turned to Booz Allen Hamilton to solve their most complex problems. As a consulting firm with experts in analytics, digital solutions, engineering, and cyber, we help organizations transform. We are a key partner on some of the most innovative programs for governments worldwide and trusted by its most sensitive agencies. We work shoulder-to-shoulder with clients, using a mission-first approach to choose the right strategy and technology to help them realize their vision.
With global headquarters in McLean, Virginia, our firm employs approximately 29,500 people globally as of December 31, 2021 and had revenue of $7.9 billion for the 12 months ended March 31, 2021. To learn more, visit www.boozallen.com. (NYSE: BAH)
Investor Relations - 703-377-5332
Jessica Klenk
Technology Industry Analytics Artificial Intelligence Government Industry
{{c_contentTypeTag}} / {{datePosted}}
https://www.boozallen.com/e/media/press-release/booz-allen-selected-to-help-apply-artificial-intelligence.html


text:
Edward Bartholomew Bancroft est un médecin et chimiste, né le  à Westfield dans le Massachusetts et mort le  à Margate en Angleterre. Il devient un agent double, espionnant les États-Unis et la Grande-Bretagne, tout en étant secrétaire de la commission américaine à Paris pendant la révolution américaine.

Jeunesse
Bancroft est né le 20 janvier 1745 à Westfield, dans le Massachusetts. Son père meurt d'une crise d'épilepsie alors que Bancroft a deux ans. Sa mère se remarie cinq ans plus tard avec David Bull, du Connecticut.

Là-bas, Bancroft étudie auprès de Silas Deane, un instituteur qui devient plus tard un politicien et diplomate important avec qui il travaillera à Paris. À l'âge de 16 ans, Bancroft est apprenti chez un médecin à Killingworth, dans le Connecticut, mais s'enfuit après quelques années. (Bancroft reviendra et remboursera sa dette à son ancien maître en 1766.)

Amérique du Sud et Londres
Le 14 juillet 1763, après avoir fui son apprentissage, Bancroft quitte la Nouvelle-Angleterre pour se rendre dans les colonies d'esclaves producteurs de sucre de la Guyane néerlandaise, où il devient médecin de plantation. Il étend bientôt sa pratique à plusieurs plantations et écrit une étude sur l'environnement local. Sur la base d'observations déjà effectuées sur des anguilles vivantes par des colons néerlandais à Surinam et à Essequibo, Bancroft conclut que l'anguille électrique et le poisson-torpille libéraient de l'électricité pour étourdir leurs proies, plutôt que par une action mécanique imperceptiblement rapide, comme on l'avait déjà expliqué. Il quitte l'Amérique du Sud en 1766, et publie An Essay on the Natural History of Guiana, in South America, à Londres en 1769, où, avec les encouragements de Benjamin Franklin, il se lance dans une carrière d'homme de lettres. Par la suite, Bancroft a beaucoup écrit sur la chimie des colorants, en partie sur la base de ses travaux en Guyane néerlandaise, opposant de manière défavorable les techniques de teinture non européennes à la « chimie philosophique » acquise par des philosophes de la nature comme lui.

À Londres, l'Histoire naturelle de Guyane de Bancroft (1769) attire l'attention de Paul Wentworth, agent colonial du New Hampshire à Londres, qui engage Bancroft pour examiner la plantation de Wentworth au Surinam et lui recommander un fonctionnement plus efficace. Bancroft y passe deux mois avant de rentrer à Londres. Au Surinam, Bancroft écrit un roman semi-autobiographique en trois volumes, The History of Charles Wentworth, Esq. Ce roman épistolaire, qui suit la vie d'un propriétaire de plantation (avec le même nom de famille que son ami et employeur), imite le Candide de Voltaire et reflète les croyances déistes de Bancroft, ridiculisant des passages de la Bible et critiquant le Christianisme pour son « esprit détestable d'intolérance et de persécution ».

En 1771, Edward épouse Penelope Fellows, vingt-deux ans, fille d'une importante famille catholique. Un fils, Edward, naît en 1772 ; ils auront ensuite six autres enfants. Bancroft est élu membre de la Royal Society en 1773 en tant que « gentleman versé en histoire naturelle et en chimie, et auteur de l'histoire naturelle de la Guyane ». À l'été 1773, Bancroft rejoint la Société médicale de Londres, bien qu'il ne reçoive son doctorat de l'Université d'Aberdeen qu'en 1774.

Espionnage pour les Américains à Londres
Le Committee of Secret Correspondence envoie Silas Deane (ancien professeur de Bancroft) en France en 1776 ; Franklin a demandé à Deane de contacter Bancroft, estimant qu'il serait une source d'informations utiles. Deane arrive en France le 7 juin 1776 ; le lendemain, il écrit à Bancroft à Londres pour lui demander de venir à Paris. Dans la lettre, Deane indique qu'ils discuteront de l'achat de marchandises pour le commerce avec les Indiens, et il joint une enveloppe de trente livres (un montant généreux) pour les frais de voyage. Deane ne fait pas mention de questions politiques, au cas où la lettre serait interceptée. Bancroft rencontre Deane le 8 juillet et apprend que le but de Deane en France est de gagner de l'aide française pour les Américains contre la Grande-Bretagne. Bancroft décline l'invitation à participer aux négociations, mais il accepte de servir d'assistant et d'interprète à Deane. Les négociations de Deane aboutissent à l'envoi par la France de fournitures aux Américains.

Deane déclare à Bancroft que les dirigeants américains espèrent entraîner la Grande-Bretagne dans une guerre contre d'autres ennemis (en particulier une alliance de la France et de la Prusse), qui, espère-t-il, distraira la Grande-Bretagne. Le stratagème n'aboutit pas, mais déplaît fortement à Bancroft. Le 26 juillet 1776, il rentre à Londres, assurant à Deane qu'il espionnera pour les colonies. À Londres, Bancroft envoie à Deane des copies de journaux et de pamphlets sur l'actualité, et de longues lettres pour informer les Américains de la pensée du gouvernement et de la population britanniques. Bancroft s'arrange pour faire passer ses dépêches en France dans des valises diplomatiques afin de les faire passer par la poste à Londres. En décembre 1776, l'incendiaire John the Painter rend visite à Bancroft après avoir mis le feu à un incendie près du quai de Portsmouth. Bancroft refuse de lui apporter assistance.

Espionnage pour les Britanniques
Bien que Bancroft travaille pour Franklin et Deane, la perspective de l'indépendance des États-Unis ne l'enthousiasme pas, et il est alarmé par la possibilité d'une guerre française contre la Grande-Bretagne. En dépit de ses engagements envers Deane, il a des réserves vis-à-vis tout ce qui pourrait favoriser une scission entre la Grande-Bretagne et les colonies américaines.

À Londres, il rencontre Paul Wentworth, récemment recruté par les services secrets britanniques. Wentworth a pris des dispositions pour que Bancroft rencontre le chef des services secrets William Eden et les Lords Suffolk et Weymouth, et Bancroft accepte de devenir un espion pour le compte de la Grande-Bretagne. Quelques jours plus tard, le 14 août 1776, Bancroft rédige un rapport de neuf pages détaillant ce que Deane a pu accomplir depuis son arrivée en France. Au début de février 1777, Bancroft rend visite à John the Painter, emprisonné à Londres.

Peu de temps après, Franklin arrive pour prendre en charge les négociations avec la France, et Bancroft reçoit l'ordre de s'associer à Franklin, qui le nomme au poste de secrétaire de la Commission américaine à Paris. Le 26 mars 1777, Bancroft quitte Londres pour Paris où sa femme et ses enfants le rejoignent deux mois plus tard. Les Britanniques ont promis à Bancroft une pension de 200 livres pour son rôle d'espion (ce montant est ensuite porté à 500 puis à 1 000 livres) .

Bancroft assiste Franklin et Deane en copiant des lettres et d'autres documents, en traduisant la correspondance diplomatique en français ou en anglais, et en prévoyant des réparations, en engageant des équipages et en achetant des fournitures pour des navires américains dans des ports français. Ainsi, Bancroft a accès à beaucoup d'informations sensibles qu'il peut transmettre aux Britanniques.

Bancroft rapporte des lettres hebdomadaires à « M. Richards », signé « Edward Edwards », traitant d'exploits galants. Mais entre les lignes du texte, Bancroft écrit ses rapports avec une encre spéciale. Tous les mardis après 21h30, il met la lettre dans une bouteille, attache une ficelle autour de celle-ci et la laisse dans le trou d'un buis à Paris. Un responsable britannique récupère le message et le remplace par de nouvelles instructions. Bancroft revient plus tard dans la nuit pour récupérer la bouteille. Grâce à cette méthode, George III aurait peut-être prise connaissance du Traité d'alliance franco-américain à peine deux jours après sa signature. Mais bien que Bancroft ait rassemblé de nombreuses informations, les Britanniques n'ont pas pu empêcher une alliance franco-américaine.

En décembre 1777, John Paul Jones arrive en France, dans l'espoir de pouvoir commander le navire Indien en construction à Amsterdam. Grâce aux renseignements fournis par Bancroft, les Britanniques ont réussi à faire pression sur les Néerlandais pour qu'ils annulent la vente du navire. Néanmoins, avec des navires plus petits, Jones parvient à attaquer des villes côtières en Angleterre et en Irlande et capture deux navires de guerre britanniques en dépit des renseignements fournis régulièrement aux Britanniques par Bancroft. Ignorant que Bancroft est un espion britannique, Jones se lie avec lui et l'utilise même comme intermédiaire avec Franklin. Au cours de l'été 1777, Arthur Lee accuse Bancroft d'avoir rencontré des membres du conseil privé du roi ; et en avril 1778, un capitaine de marine nommé Musco Livingston informe Lee qu'il a vu à Londres une lettre écrite par Bancroft et fournissant des détails sur le traité français avant sa signature. Lorsque Lee accuse Bancroft d'être un traître, Jones prend sa défense ; et au début de 1779, Jones convainc Livingston de retirer son accusation. (Les accusations de Livingston étaient vraies, mais la rumeur selon laquelle Bancroft aurait rencontré le conseil privé ne l'était pas.)

La connaissance possible par Franklin des intrigues de Bancroft
Le 19 janvier 1777, Franklin écrit à Juliana Ritchie, une femme vivant dans un couvent de bénédictines à Cambrai, lui disant que même s'il soupçonnait son valet d'être un espion, « comme il l'est vraisemblablement, je pense que je ne devrais pas le renvoyer pour cela, si à d'autres égards je l'appréciais  ». Bien que certains historiens pensent que cette lettre indique que Franklin soupçonne Bancroft, d'autres soulignent qu'après la guerre, Franklin est resté en bons termes avec Bancroft alors qu'il fuyait d'autres loyalistes, notamment son propre fils, William. La grande majorité des historiens rejettent la thèse selon laquelle Franklin ait pu être, de quelque façon que ce soit, déloyal envers les États-Unis.

Mort de Silas Deane
Lorsque l'ancien diplomate américain Silas Deane meurt en 1789 à bord d'un navire sur le point de s'embarquer pour l'Amérique, Bancroft suggère, dans une conversation privée, qu'il s'agit d'un suicide. L'année suivante, un pamphlet anonyme, Theodosius, attaque le scientifique et prêtre Joseph Priestley en affirmant que, au moment de sa mort, Deane a proféré des déclarations blasphématoires et athées, prétendument tirées de Priestley. Priestley, qui n'a jamais rencontré Deane, implore Bancroft de le disculper. Bancroft réagit en publiant dans plusieurs journaux un compte rendu fourni par le capitaine du navire, indiquant que Deane, tombé subitement malade, ne pouvait rien dire qui soit compréhensible pendant les quatre heures qui ont précédé sa mort.

En 1959, l'historien Julian Boyd a suggéré que Bancroft aurait pu empoisonner Deane, puis répandre des rumeurs selon lesquelles Deane s'était suicidé pour dissimuler le meurtre. Cette thèse a été largement rejetée comme « conjectures non fondées » ; néanmoins, la théorie a été largement publiée dans un manuel américain populaire : After the Fact: The Art of Historical Detection .

La vie après la Guerre d'Indépendance
Après la Guerre d'Indépendance, Bancroft obtient un brevet pour importer du chêne noir en Grande-Bretagne et en France afin de le transformer en un colorant jaune appelé quercitron, et il convainc John Paul Jones d'investir une grosse somme dans l'entreprise. En 1789, Jones accuse Bancroft de fraude et de non-paiement des sommes qui lui sont dues. Gouverneur Morris tente de régler le différend, et Bancroft effectue de petits versements à Jones ; mais quand Jones meurt en juillet 1792, Bancroft lui doit apparemment toujours 1 800 £.

En 1794, Bancroft publie un livre intitulé Experimental Researches Concerning the Philosophy of Permanent Colors, dont il publie une nouvelle édition mise à jour en 1814. Il est élu membre honoraire étranger de l'Académie américaine des arts et des sciences en 1797. Sa femme, Penelope, meurt chez elle, à Londres, le 10 mai 1784, alors que Bancroft est en voyage à Philadelphie. Bancroft meurt le 7 septembre 1821 à Addington Place à Margate. Son activité en tant qu'agent double n'a été révélée qu'en 1891, lorsque les documents diplomatiques britanniques ont été rendus publics.

Notes et références

Notes

Références

Bibliographie

Liens externes

Membre de la Royal Society
Membre de l'Académie américaine des arts et des sciences
Agent double
Médecin américain du XIXe siècle
Personnalité de la révolution américaine
Décès en septembre 1821
Naissance en janvier 1745
Décès à 76 ans
Médecin américain du XVIIIe siècle


The £5pp event fee will be deducted from your annual membership if you decide to join the club.
Annual membership is £30, or £20 if unwaged. Any payments made for taster sessions or individual rows will be deducted from your 2018 membership fee if you subsequently decide to join.
Come and share the experience of rowing our beautiful community -built traditional currach on a 1hr rowing session with a crew of 12 people of all ages and abilities. Get a different experience of the River Lagan and see the city of Belfast from a different angle. If you like it you can join our group.
All equipment provided, including tea and biscuits!
Due to Northern Ireland weather conditions, warm and waterproof clothing is required.
Suitable for adults and children aged 12+. Younger children may be accepted - Just talk to us first.


The day has not gone well thus far. After sending an email to a dear friend, complimenting her on her wonderful ability to roll with whatever unexpected changes to her plans arise... I am having to deal with unexpected changes.
Today was the day I was supposed to do everything in preparation for Thanksgiving, starting with an oil change. The oil change took a good two hours, during which time I walked around with K and kept her entertained. Luckily (for my sanity and peace of mind) she's fairly easy to entertain. Unluckily (for my back and hips) she's fairly active. Our car was finally ready and we started home for a little-bit-later-than-usual lunch. She fell asleep in the car right about the time I noticed that the check engine light (as well as two other scary-looking lights) were lit up on the dash. ARGH.
Back at the dealership (we have lifetime free oil changes otherwise there's no way I'd get it done there) I explained the light problem with a heavy (still asleep!) toddler on my shoulder and expected it to take only a few minutes because they just forgot to reset them, right? Wrong. It took at least half an hour. Apparently the lights coming on were in no way related to the oil change and the car needs work done. Something about a new catalytic converter. We're covered under warranty until 80,000 miles which is fortunate because we're currently at 72K. We've only had the car three years! Fortunately it's not a problem that will prevent us from driving 500 miles tomorrow which is good because our only other vehicle likes to burn and/or leak large quantities of oil.
So. Now K is down for a late nap and I sat down to gripe about something else entirely.
Last week at Panera a lady asked me how far along I was. 30 weeks. "Wow, you're so tiny!" was her kind reply. Would people still say that if they knew how much weight I've gained? And that I still have two more months to go?!? Over the past couple of weeks I've been feeling very similarly to how I felt at full term with K. I brushed it off as ridiculous because I obviously couldn't be that big yet - I still have two more months! Then I weighed myself. I'm five pounds shy of what I gained with K. My body is not lying to me. I really am this big. It's not that I mind the actual pounds gained - I know it'll all come right off again, leaving saggy skin and stretch marks behind - I just mind having to CARRY said extra weight. My legs and back are in a constant state of complaint and it's all I can do to keep from being in a constant state of complaint myself.
I'm at the point with K where I'm working on first time obedience. (We still have a long way to go. Her attention span leaves much to be desired.) I want her to understand that when I say something (and she hears it) I expect her to respond. I am not going to play the counting game, or teach her that I'm only *really* serious after raising my voice or threatening. This means that if I tell her not to touch something from across the room and she does not obey, I need to get up right away and go over to her to enforce what I just said. This scenario happens frequently and it would be SOOOO much easier to holler at her from the couch and wait to intervene until she's *really* in trouble... but I've already seen the results of being consistent and it gives me hope. She is learning that I mean business and that if she chooses not to listen to me then I will make her comply right then. She's choosing to listen much more often! But this takes its toll on my back and legs.
I find all this hugely validating. It's no WONDER I'm slow and uncomfortable. 25% extra weight! That's a lot! Being pregnant is hard! I'm gaining more than most women because I started out underweight (which is normal for me) and I want my baby to be a healthy weight, but still! I've gained almost forty pounds, still have two more months (during which the baby starts to pack on pounds) AND there are two food-laden holidays between now and my due date. THAT is what I wanted to gripe about. Gripe! Gripe gripe gripe!
And yet despite all this I'm so glad that by all accounts we're expected to have a healthy little girl. It's worth it. It's worth all this miserableness and so much more. I so look forward to seeing her face and hearing her voice. To nursing and rocking and finding out what kind of person she is. To seeing her big sister and daddy fall even more deeply in love with her and to calling her my very own. But I would appreciate it if she'd arrive earlier than later... are you listening, little baby????
Oh, you know I feel you on this one! Happily, my weight gain seems to have slowed way down in this last month, as I've only gained a half a pound each week lately (instead of the usual 2!), and considering that most of that weight is supposedly going directly to the baby at this point, I'm feeling pretty good. Hang in there!