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Phenology Lab
Prompt #4: Sense of Place Part 2
Over the break, I went back to my hometown of Mansfield, Massachusetts. Mansfield is a fairly small suburban town about 45 minutes south of Boston, where I've lived my entire life.
The town itself is fairly historic. There's a train station that will take you straight to Boston, which has been taking people to work for over 100 years. In the 19th century, we had trolleys that would take you to neighboring towns. 100 years ago, Mansfield was the place to be, we had shops, movie theaters, and even a bowling alley. The story when I was growing up there was slightly different.
The train station in Mansfield in 1912
The train station today
My Mansfield still had the train station, but the trolleys and stores and other attractions were mostly gone. It sits at an intersection between four major highways and has a fairly large concert venue five minutes away from my house, and Gillette Stadium 20 minutes in the other direction. When I was younger, none of this meant very much to me. But, as I got older, Mansfield started to evolve.
When I was about 10 years old, an old field 5 minutes away from my house was paved over and became Mansfield Crossing, an outlet mall complete with L.L Bean, Bertuccis, Kohl's, and several other retail stores. Suddenly, my little town that had only been known for its concert venue wasn't so little anymore. Apartment buildings began to spring up all around and more younger people started to move in. The buildings began to get taller, and more stores started popping up. The same old hiking trails are still located nearby, but we've lost several local businesses in the last five years.
When I came home this week for Thanksgiving, I got off the train in my town and the first thing I noticed was the six-story building being constructed next to the station. It had been nothing but a foundation when I left, and when I returned, it was the tallest building in Mansfield. Then, I started to notice the newly paved roads and the shiny new signs. My family filled me in about the movie theater that was being built at Mansfield Crossing, and how our favorite small chain grocery store was closing. On my way to dinner with them, we drove through a new rotary, so new that they were taking away the traffic cones as we approached.
It's difficult for me to watch my hometown go through these changes, especially because it's where I lived all my life. It used to be a place where everybody knew everybody. Most of the generations before me grew up there and stayed forever. I'm part of the first generation to spread out. As the people I went to school with and I leave, it's hard to watch new people take our place- people who come from all over just to work in Boston. I'm torn about whether or not this development in my town is a good thing. On one hand, it's good for the economy of my town. New people will bring new resources and new ideas. One of the positive changes that has taken place since I've left is that when I graduated, girls had to wear white gowns and boys had to where green ones, which forced many students to conform to something they weren't comfortable with. The class of 2020 will be the first class where everyone is going to be wearing the same green gowns, regardless of gender. But on the other hand, we're losing a sense of our small town culture and many local businesses have been forced to close down.
Images from the Mansfield Historical Society: https://www.facebook.com/Mansfield-MA-Historical-Society-246610272033247/
Prompt #3 – Sense of Place
My notes from Naturally Curious
A rainstorm caused a lot of erosion in the area. The waters had died down this week, but you can still see evidence of the rushing brook.
Mushrooms have started to droop and turn green due to the cold.
Snow hiding amongst the mushrooms!
Tried to take a picture of a fern with an instant-print camera.
This week's field notes!
One hundred years ago, it's possible that this site was completely different. What is now a rotting carcass of a tree would've most likely been a sapling. It's possible that the brook would've followed an entirely different path, not even coming close to the sapling. The topographic features would've been different, also. At the moment, the tree and brook are located at the bottom of a hill. It's possible that before, it would've been higher up. I assume that once it was a large tall maple or oak tree. I believe it was destroyed in a storm, leaving the stump I see today.
The thing that originally called me to this site was the mushrooms on the side of the tree. I originally had chosen another site, but I found myself drawn to the mushrooms. In the past, when it was a living tree, it most likely didn't have the mushrooms that called me to it, and I might not have noticed it.
My sense of place hasn't entirely changed since I first saw my sight. I'm still drawn to it with a sense of wonder. Everytime I visit, I'm filled with excitement. I love the walk to my site. I have to cross the brook over a small boardwalk, and recently, the boardwalk washed away in a storm, so it's been an adventure getting to my sight! I do feel at home at my tree. I feel safe sitting underneath it and working on field notes. It's far enough from the trail that I feel secluded, but I always know how to get back.
The changing of the seasons has changed the feeling of my site. In the spring, I was surrounded by dense green leaves and lower shrubs. I couldn't see very far past the brook. Now, after all the leaves have gone, everything is very open. I can see a meadow across the brook through the tree trunks. But, my sense of place hasn't changed. I still feel connected to this place because of the relationship I've built with it. Even if the mushrooms, ferns, and brook disappeared, I would still feel connected to this spot because of the time I've sat and relaxed there. I will always remember the times I've brought people I care about to see it and the times I visited alone when I was stressed or anxious. Though things will change, it will always be my "shroom" tree.
Prompt #2
A Map of my area
One of the biggest changes I noticed at my sight was that the wood ferns no longer had spores and they were starting to turn white and brown.
An unidentified grub- the WiFi was down after the rainstorm so I was unable to identify it.
A Sugar Maple, White Oak, and Yellow Birch leaves and a bed of White Pine needles. These leaves characterize the most prominent tree types around my spot.
A Garlic Mustard sprout peeking out from some moss. If you turned the leaf a little bit, you could see the slime evidence of a slug!
An acorn- evidence of Oak trees!
A spiderweb in the dry safety of the bark.
The Japanese Barberry around my tree has begun to fruit.
These dirt mounds are actually worm poo from when worms come up when it's raining.
My field notes!
During this visit to my spot, I observed several different organisms. The first one I looked at was the Wood Fern (Dryopteris). I had noticed the Wood Ferns during my first visit due to the spores present on the backs of their leaves. This time, most of the spores were gone and I noticed that the small leaflets were turning white around the edges. Ferns are a characteristic of my spot because they're the only visible plant under 3 feet tall at my site at the moment.
I also spotted a grub-like organism (grub: holotrichia)when I was moving some of the leaves off of the forest floor to observe the soil. This grub is characteristic of my place because there are countless organisms who use the rotting leaves on the ground for cover, moisture, and nutrients. I never notice them at first glance, but they after some time of observing my area, they make themselves known. The soil was very moist and nutrient rich, which is good for all of the plant life and organisms that live there.
The third organisms were three different types of trees. Surrounding my tree in the overstory are Sugar Maples (acer sacchurum), Yellow Birches (Betula alleghaniensis), White Oaks (Quercus alba), and White Pines (Pinus strobus). While I can't be sure because my tree doesn't have leaves, I suspect it was one of the oaks because of its' bark. I also found an acorn in the leaves beneath the tree.
The fourth was something I hadn't seen at my spot before, Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata). When you angled to leaf just right, you could see the trail that a slug (Gastropoda) had left behind. This characterized my spot because it's a safe haven for everything to thrive, and I've always seen slugs there! I also found a spider web nestled in the bark of the tree.
Another organism characteristic to my area is the Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii), which was starting to fruit. Barberry is characteristic of my area because it's one of the few shrubs ground around my tree.
The final evidence of an organism that I noted was a dirt mound at the base of the tree. This dirt mound was actually worm poop, otherwise known as castings, made from the Earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris) when they surfaced during the storm the night before my visit.
Since my last visit, my area has changed drastically. What used to be a secluded area tucked away in the leaves, you can now see a lot of the surrounding forest. The brook flooded exponentially and caused erosion on some of the banks. Turbidity had increased as well, because I could no longer see the bottom. Creating the map forced me to really take in all of the details of my area, not just the mushroom tree, but all of the other things that make that spot truly unique and special.
My second visit to my site, where I took some notes and drew a quick sketch.
My site is in Centennial woods. It's an old, rotting tree covered in mushrooms and surrounded by small ferns and shrubs. It's next to a deeper part of the brook, where you can see small minnows swimming about. It's surrounded by White Oaks, White Pines, Beeches, and Red Maples in the canopy, as well as a stout Eastern Hemlock near by. The mushrooms on the tree I believe are called Bracket Fungi, and they swirl around the Western-facing part of the tree, a long with a tapestry of thin, green moss. The Eastern-facing half is dry due to sun exposure and the bark is hollow and cracked.
When you arrive at my site, you're hear the dibble of the brook in front of you and hear the rustling of the ferns and shrubs. At first, you won't notice any wildlife, but after a little while, you begin to notice that this old tree is teeming with life. Slugs take refuge in the damp wood, Daddy Long Legs squat on the bark, and squirrels flutter about. Organisms slowly start to make themselves know. Birds fly overhead, water striders glide on the surface of the brook, and insects crawl around, each on their own important mission.
When I sat down at my tree for the first time, I sat on the ground beside it for 30 minutes, sketching, taking notes, and admiring it. I chose this spot because every time I had gone to Centennial for classes or just to talk a walk, I couldn't resist stopping and admiring the mushrooms on the tree. They climb the trunk in a beautiful swirl and each mushroom is unique. They look like clam shells on the beach. I love watching the process of the tree being turned into earth once more as the mushrooms and moss take over.
In the two times I've visited my site, it's taught me so much. I had never seen spores growing on a fern in the wild before until I sat down at my site. As beautiful as it is, I still freaked me out a little. The little rows of dots are somewhat unsettling. I tried to listen intently to the birds and separate the natural noises from the manmade ones. I heard one blue jay, in particular, who was particularly noisy. Every once in a while, a plane would thunder overhead. It was strange to me to hear such a loud sound in such a peaceful place. The noise made the entire forest rumble and everything natural paused until it was gone. It was a reminder that I wasn't completely surrounded by nature.
I'm looking forward to going back and seeing what has changed there.
A rotting tree, the focal point of my site.
A fern at the base of the tree with spores!
A small friend taking refuge in the damp crevasses of the tree.
Welcome to my phenology blog! For this lab, I'll be examining a tree located in centennial woods.


Groupon is a service that can save you money through the use of virtual coupons. Much like a physical coupon book, you can use Groupon to get deals of up to 70 percent off of all sorts of things, from food and retail products to travel and services.
When you use Groupon, you can see local deals as well as deals from any location you search for. You can use Groupon on a computer and from a phone or tablet.
You can sign up for Groupon through their website at Groupon.com. Groupon is also available on mobile devices; you can get Groupon for iOS or grab the Groupon Android app.
Use your email address to sign up for Groupon or log in with your Facebook or Google account to speed up the sign-up process. If you plan to use Groupon on your phone and computer, be sure to log in to both with the same account (i.e., if you log in to Groupon with Facebook on your phone, do the same on your computer to access the same account).
Many types of coupons are available with Groupon, and they're really easy to find on both the website and the app.
Coupons are separated into categories like electronics, toys, entertainment, fashion, pet supplies, and more, as well as by companies like Amazon, Hotels.com, Target, Vistaprint, Nike, American Eagle, Walmart, and Shutterfly. Go into any category to see which coupons are available for that specific category type or from that particular company.
If you're near a store where Groupon can help you save money, the app can notify you about the deal so that you can get a virtual voucher before you make the purchase. If you're on a computer, Groupon might direct you to the company's coupon page where you can print coupons to take in the store with you.
Another way to find local deals from your phone is to browse the Groupon app from the local section so that the only coupons you see are for deals near you. You can filter the results by distance from where you are right now and price.
Groupon also has a Deals of the Day page that updates every 24 hours with fresh, limited-time deals. In addition to daily deals are getaway deals where you can save on travel expenses by booking through Groupon. You can buy these deals directly from Groupon from your phone or computer.
Email alerts to get notified about new coupons from your favorite stores.
Groupon Bucks on qualifying purchases to get even more discounts in the future.
Things To Do to find events near you that are cheaper with Groupon, and filter the results by category — like nightlife, tickets and events, sports and outdoors, and kids' activities — or by price or location.
Groupon deals on an interactive map that shows the deals displayed on your city for an easier-to-see selection.
Adding items to your wishlist to decide later whether to purchase them.
Promoting your own business on Groupon with Groupon Merchant.
Earning cash back at your favorite restaurants with Groupon+.
On occasion, there's an "extra 20% off" area of the website where you can find even more discounts, though these deals are usually limited to just a few local deals and are only valid seasonally.
Groupon Gift Shop, an easy way to find specifically priced gifts for men, women, kids, and babies.
Gift cards for use at Groupon.
Becoming a Groupon affiliate partner to earn money promoting deals.
30-day money-back guarantee for goods purchased through Groupon.
Students get 25 percent off local deals for six months, and then 15 percent discounts for as long as they're students.
When you use a coupon code at Groupon, there, of course, isn't a purchase you have to make through the Groupon website because all you have to do is copy the coupon code and use it on the website in question. However, if you're buying something directly through Groupon, there are multiple ways to pay.
Android users can pay with PayPal or a card, too.
How Does Groupon Benefit From Deals?
Since Groupon is a middleman service that promotes restaurants and stores, in return from the company they're promoting, they earn a commission each time they successfully refer a customer.
Why Is Groupon So Popular?
Groupon is very popular for two reasons. First, Groupon users are modern consumers who love to spend money. They especially love to buy when they get a discount or a perceived bargain. Groupon works because it provides tempting choices for its motivated group of consumers.
Second, Groupon can easily become viral, and its daily discounts spread quickly through email. Groupon subscribers like to forward daily deals to their friends, and in a world of social media and online personal suggestions, an email suggestion carries a lot of influence.
Groupon subscribers are even given a $10 incentive to refer friends, so it makes sense for users to be even more motivated to spread the word about Groupon and encourage people to take advantage of the deals.
Is There a Catch With Groupon?
The only catch is the time-limited nature of the Groupon discounts. With some deals, once they're announced and posted on the site, they're relevant for only 24 to 72 hours, after which the discount is no longer available.
Coupons, on the other hand, are commonly valid for six to 12 months after you purchase them, so there's no rush to redeem the coupon the same day. However, they do usually expire at some point, so even the coupons you see on Groupon are not going to be there forever.
Like any form of sales, the provider wants to make it urgent for the customer to purchase, so when you see a Groupon deal that interests you, definitely jump on it within the next couple days.
See Groupon alternatives for other ways you can save money.


We have two tips in the city. Clicking on one of the links below will give you information about either one, including a map, opening times, and what rubbish you can take there.
What bin does my rubbish go in?
Type in the type of rubbish you want to throw away and we will tell you which bin it goes in or if there is a recycling point near you.
Call centre and customer services, museums, libraries, markets, tips, births, marriages and death services, and bin collections.


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Scripturient
Ideas. Opinions. Politics. Culture. Satire. Parrhesia. Skepticism. Terribila meditans.
Category: Pseudoscience & Quackery
The dark and dangerous side of the New Age nonsense: people who tout unproven, unsupported processes and products allegedly for healing, but often dangerous and even fatal. When fancy talk is used to fake science to the uninitiated and unsupported claims are made for studies and research that was not done properly or sometimes not done at all.
ID's deep roots in creationism
Proponents of creationism often try to deny that "intelligent" design (ID) is merely creationism wrapped in a fake lab coat to make it look like it's pals with science. It isn't. They're not buddies, didn't go to school together, and don't 'like' each others Facebook pages.
ID is merely a tawdry, paper-thin attempt to hoodwink the gullible who can't see past the plastic pocket protector that there's a bible in the pocket. In part this is because the popular notion of what a theory is has devolved into a synonym for guess or an unproven assumption. But that's not the scientific meaning of the word: "…a well-confirmed type of explanation of nature, made in a way consistent with scientific method, and fulfilling the criteria required by modern science… Scientific theories are the most reliable, rigorous, and comprehensive form of scientific knowledge."
ID is not even a hypothesis: it's a statement of faith and its pseudo-scientific arguments have been well-debunked on better sites than this (i.e. Skeptico). It starts with belief and looks for ways to prove it, rejecting anything that counters that preconceived theology.
The National Center of Science Education defines ID this way:
"Intelligent Design" creationism (IDC) is a successor to the "creation science" movement, which dates back to the 1960s. The IDC movement began in the middle 1980s as an antievolution movement which could include young earth, old earth, and progressive creationists; theistic evolutionists, however, were not welcome. The movement increased in popularity in the 1990s with the publication of books by law professor Phillip Johnson and the founding in 1996 of the Center for the Renewal of Science and Culture (now the Center for Science and Culture.) The term "intelligent design" was adopted as a replacement for "creation science," which was ruled to represent a particular religious belief in the Supreme Court case Edwards v. Aguillard in 1987.
IDC proponents usually avoid explicit references to God, attempting to present a veneer of secular scientific inquiry. IDC proponents introduced some new phrases into anti-evolution rhetoric, such as "irreducible complexity" (Michael Behe: Darwin's Black Box, 1996) and "specified complexity" (William Dembski: The Design Inference, 1998), but the basic principles behind these phrases have long histories in creationist attacks on evolution. Underlying both of these concepts, and foundational to IDC itself, is an early 19th century British theological view, the "argument from design."
Despite angry denials from creationist supporters that ID is not the same, and instead ID is a form of scientific research, that's balderdash. It's the "wedge" strategy- the ID movement's published methods for inserting their religious content into the secular world.
All they've done is use cut-n-paste to replace terms like creationism in their documents with scientific-sounding phrases like "intelligent" design. They haven't changed the core religious nature of their argument. Common Sense Atheism documents this as a clumsy, but failed attempt to mislead the reader:
…consider how the term "intelligent design" was born. In 1987, the Supreme Court ruled that "creation science" could not be taught in public schools because it advances a particular religion. That same year, a Creationist textbook called Of Pandas and People had been published using terms like "creationism" over 150 times. But after the defeat of Creationism in court, the editors replaced every instance of "creationism" with "intelligent design" and every instance of "creationists" with "design proponents." In one case, part of the original term, "creationists," was left behind by the editing process, rendering "cdesign proponentsists"… That the editors merely replaced "creationism" with the new term "intelligent design" is abundantly obvious when one compares various drafts of Of Pandas and People (originally called Biology and Creation)…
ID supporters universally identify the need for a "designer" as the mechanic behind the curtain, and all say it's their own particular Christian deity. Wikipedia notes:
Intelligent design (ID) is a form of creationism promulgated by the Discovery Institute, a politically conservative think tank. The Institute defines it as the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for the existence of God, presented by its advocates as "an evidence-based scientific theory about life's origins" rather than "a religious-based idea". All the leading proponents of intelligent design are associated with the Discovery Institute and believe the designer to be the Christian deity.
A designer, logically, has to be a deity* but why only this particular one? I have yet to run across a single ID proponent who will say that designer is Shiva. Or Kali. Or Moloch. Or Ra. Or Odin. Or Zeus. Why not each one working as a team (because there's no God in team)? All of the hundreds of other deities (thousands?) in world mythologies and religions are ignored and just one is elected as the only possible designer: the hairy thunderer of the New Testament. Not only are non-Christians excluded from ID, but so are Catholics. Only fundamentalist literalist Christians need apply.
As Wikipedia also notes:
Scientific acceptance of Intelligent Design would require redefining science to allow supernatural explanations of observed phenomena, an approach its proponents describe as theistic realism or theistic science.
In other words, yes kids, Santa Claus really does put those presents under the Xmas trees of good children every year, millions of them simultaneously, all over the world, delivered from a sleigh that travels faster than light and, while seemingly small, actually has an infinite storage capacity. Never mind those wrapped boxes you found at the back of the closet last week. Those aren't proof of another, more logical explanation of how the presents arrive. Belief is more important than observation, so don't question our explanation. We'll tell you what you need to know.
As noted in another article on the NSCE website:
Following creationist tradition, IDC proponents accept natural selection but deny that mutation and natural selection are adequate to explain the evolution of one kind to another, such as chordates from echinoderms or humans and chimps from a common ancestor. The emergence of major anatomical body types and the origin of life, to choose just two examples popular among IDC followers, are phenomena supposedly too complex to be explained naturally; thus, IDC demands that a role be left for the intelligent designer — God.
About.com sums it up very well:
Intelligent Design is, like all other creationist movements, more about politics and religion than about science. Where Intelligent Design differs is that it was originally and deliberately conceived in explicitly political terms whereas earlier creationist movements tended to acquire political goals and principles over time. This is very important to understand because it reveals as false the pretensions of Intelligent Design apologists that they are involved in a scientific enterprise.
The US judicial system recognized the similarity between the two, as well (see this article). Judge Jones noted in the Dover School case:
ID uses the same, or exceedingly similar arguments as were posited in support of creationism. One significant difference is that the words "God," "creationism," and "Genesis" have been systematically purged from ID explanations, and replaced by an unnamed "designer."
Demonstrative charts introduced through Dr. [Barbara] Forrest show parallel arguments relating to the rejection of naturalism, evolution's threat to culture and society, "abrupt appearance" implying divine creation, the exploitation of the same alleged gaps in the fossil record, the alleged inability of science to explain complex biological information like DNA, as well as the theme that proponents of each version of creationism merely aim to teach a scientific alternative to evolution to show its "strengths and weaknesses," and to alert students to a supposed "controversy" in the scientific community. In addition, creationists made the same argument that the complexity of the bacterial flagellum supported creationism as Professors Behe and Minnich now make for ID.
Talkreason.org has many good articles critiquing ID, but this one is particularly good because it deconstructs a description from the "Discovery Institute" (the political and religious organization that developed and promotes ID, and spreads the wedge):
Right away we are told that ID is a program conducted by "scientists, philosophers, and other scholars who seek evidence of design in nature." Basically this is an admission that their program is not about gathering data and allowing the evidence to lead them wherever it may, but rather a mission to find evidence which supports a predetermined conclusion — that being that an intelligent agent created everything. In this way, the ID "researcher" confines himself to analysis of only those findings which he may have use for as a buttress for the conclusion he has already arrived at. It goes without saying that this is not science. To presuppose automatically the existence of a (perhaps supernatural) designer is to preclude real, thoughtful, scientific research in accordance with the scientific method, since science deals only with observable, measurable, phenomena.
You can't research an act of god. Any god. What happens when you find something you can't fully explain or understand? IDers would assign it to "the designer" then move on. Scientists would investigate further to try and provide an answer that doesn't involve a supernatural cause. They would look to see what existing laws, theories or hypotheses are related and whether they apply. They would test, then retest, and test again until something made sense, long after IDers had shrugged their shoulders and given up looking.
ID is, like the notion of the flat earth, based not on observation, research and experimentation, but simply on blind faith.
Why would ID deserve any more research that, say, phrenology? ID has already decided the answer, so anything scientists find that explains outside that answer will be rejected by the IDers. They already start by rejecting science – evolution, cosmology, biology.
Common Sense Atheism does allow that creationism and ID are, semantically, different terms (although joined at the hip by their theological basis):
Here's how I like to think of Creationism and Intelligent Design. I tend to use "Creationism" to refer to theories informed by the Bible or Christian (or Muslim) theology. For example, a theory including a 6,000 year old Earth is obviously Creationism.
In contrast, I tend to use "Intelligent Design" to refer to modern attempts at natural theology, which are not dependent on scripture or doctrine. The method of natural theology is to make an inference from observations of public, natural evidence to the existence of some kind of Designer or First Cause. This method does not allow you to assume any properties at all about the Designer that cannot be inferred from the observations of public, natural evidence… Remember, "intelligent design" and "creationism" are just words. They mean whatever we say they mean.
I agree, but I prefer to call it "ID creationism" so that the concept is not mis-identified by those who are not aware of the historical or political origins of the ID movement, and somehow mistakenly think that ID is actually something scientific.It isn't. It's claptrap masquerading as an "alternative" to science. Why should we pretend otherwise?
Watch Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial on PBS. See more from NOVA.
* Clearly the whole argument fails if you don't believe in this or any other deity. If it wasn't Ganesh who made the world and all the cute bunnies and squirrels, then I ain't buying it… but you don't have to be an atheist to believe in evolution: a modest education, and an open mind are all you need.
Sound and fury, signifying nothing
There's a truly great moment in Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, when Macbeth voices his last, and perhaps most moving, soliloquy about the fleetingness of life, and the meaning of what we do on this mortal coil. Life is devoid of meaning, he says, and our days are as short as a candle'f brief flame. The ignorant march onward, regardless:
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 5
A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. What does that remind you of? (And I don't mean in the local blogosphere. I'm talking about the real world.*)
It makes me think of the ongoing attempts by a group of right-wing, anti-science fundamentalists to force the teaching of mythology and superstition in US public schools instead of scientific fact. And, of course, they are always Republicans (what is it with them and creationism?) voicing that idiot's tale.
Recently, Huffington Post reported on an attempt to both pave the way for creationism in public schools, and deny climate change science (taking responsibility for human activity's impact on the planet is verboten among Republicans):
A Republican bill that would have paved the way for creationism to be taught in Colorado schools as well as encouraged teachers to deny the science of climate change was killed in committee on Monday, as expected.
What I have always found ironic is that the Republican fundamentalist views are eerily (and frighteningly) similar to the Taliban's, just with a change in name for the particular Hairy Thunderer they worship. In fact, creationism is rearing its ugly head in even moderate Muslim countries like Turkey with similar arguments.
The Huffpost goes on to note that this has been a bad year for critical thinking in the USA:
…creationism legislation has been on the rise nationally in the last year, with Tennessee passing a bill similar to Kruse's proposal, and several other states also proposing (though failing to pass) bills to teach creationism. Louisiana passed a "truth in education" bill in 2008. Earlier this year, former New Hampshire state Rep. Jerry Bergevin (R-Manchester) suggested that the teaching of evolution led to the Columbine massacre and the rise of the Nazi Party. Bergevin left office Wednesday after losing a bid for a second term. New Hampshire lawmakers overrode Gov. John Lynch's (D) veto earlier this year of a bill that would allow parents to object to any part of the school curriculum and allow the teaching of an alternate curriculum.
A recent report found that students in Texas' public schools are still learning that the Bible provides scientific evidence that the Earth is 6,000 years old, that astronauts have discovered "a day missing in space in elapsed time" that affirms biblical stories of the sun standing still and moving backwards, and that the United States was founded as a Christian nation based on biblical Christian principles.
So much codswallop in so few lines. Obviously Texas teachers use a different definition for "scientific evidence" than the rest of their nation. In fact, it's different from the rest of the world. But it's not surprising:
…according to a 2012 Gallup poll, 46 percent of Americans believe God created humans within the last 10,000 years. Only 15 percent of Americans believed God played no part in human evolution while 32 percent believed that humans had evolved, but that God played a part in that process.
So who is the chair of the Texas Board of Ed? A creationist who worries that the schools aren't forcing more claptrap down the throats of students. The Dallas Observer ran a story with the headline, The Texas Board of Ed Chair is Upset Schools Aren't Teaching Evolution "Alternatives". The article included this quote from the chair, Barbara Cargill, (a Republican, of course) made to a Senate Education Committee:
"Our intent, as far as theories with the [curriculum standards], was to teach all sides of scientific explanations … But when I went on [to the CSCOPE website] last night, I couldn't see anything that might be seen as another side to the theory of evolution," she says, according to TFN's transcript and brief video clip. "Every link, every lesson, every everything, you know, was taught as 'this is how the origin of life happened, this is what the fossil record proves,' and all that's fine, but that's only one side."
Duh! There is no other scientific explanation to evolution. Just like there isn't a scientific alternative for gravity, the speed of light, relativity, quantum physics and chaos theory. One side? You can't have two sides of fact. Creationism isn't a theory: it's a fairy tale, like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.
In modern science, the term "theory" refers to scientific theories, a well-confirmed type of explanation of nature, made in a way consistent with scientific method, and fulfilling the criteria required by modern science. Such theories are described in such a way that any scientist in the field is in a position to understand and either provide empirical support ("verify") or empirically contradict ("falsify") it. Scientific theories are the most reliable, rigorous, and comprehensive form of scientific knowledge, in contrast to more common uses of the word "theory" that imply that something is unproven or speculative (which is better defined by the word 'hypothesis'). Scientific theories are also distinguished from hypotheses, which are individual empirically testable conjectures, and scientific laws, which are descriptive accounts of how nature will behave under certain conditions.
Meanwhile, in Missouri, according to the Washington Monthly, another republican is trying to foist fantasy on students from elementary to college level. In the Riverfront Times, it notes:
Missouri Representative Rick Brattin, a Republican, has introduced a bill that would mandate schools across the state give "equal treatment" to the theory of evolution and so-called "intelligent design," which is similar to creationism. Why? "I'm a science enthusiast," he tells Daily RFT. "I'm a huge science buff." He's not, however, much of a Darwin fan.
He's a fan of science, but not the scientists? He's so much a science fan that he rejects one of the core tenets of biology in favour of the superstitious, pseudoscience twaddle called "intelligent" design.**
Brattin tells the paper he's not just another creationist (really!) trying to force the state to teach his religious claptrap:
But his bill has nothing to do with religion, Brattin says. In fact — it is the opponents who are being religious in their stubborn support of evolution.
Nothing to do with religion? Snort. And calling scientists and teachers who support evolution as being "religious" is a canard. Or rather, a logical fallacy.
The good news in this depressing tale of medieval thinking comes in a small story in the Vail Daily, that noted,
Young adults have taken a dramatic leap from faith. These youthful Americans reject the religious right's bossy, sanctimonious spirit.
Like Pontius Pilate, a third of adults under 30 have washed their hands evangelical politics.
They avoid religious affiliation whatsoever, reports the Pew Forum on Religious & Public Life. Pew polls indicate these religiously unaffiliated "overwhelmingly think the religious organizations are too concerned with money and power, too focused on rules and too involved in politics."
The religious right's political power peaked in the 2004 presidential election.
I don't agree with that last sentence. I seen little proof that the fundamentalists – the American Taliban – have receded. The last Back in 2002, Slate predicted the "end of creationism" as a political force:
Intelligent design, as defined by its advocates, means nothing. This is the way creationism ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper.
Hasn't happened yet. I see the GOP pushing more mindless religious ideologues like Paul Broun into the spotlight to spout their own ridiculously embarrassing sound and fury:
During the 2012 campaign, Broun was most notable in a video segment that went viral when he gave a presentation in front of a wall mounted with a dozen deer heads and complained that evolution, embryology and the Big Bang theory were all "lies from the pit of hell." Broun is on the House Committee of Science, Space and Technology.
As of Feb. 1, four US states were considering anti-science bills to force teaching creationism in their schools (Colorado's bill was subsequently defeated, as noted above). But the real keynote in the story is towards the end:
A June 2012 Gallup poll asked some 1,000 Americans nationwide about their thoughts on the origin of human life. The survey revealed that 46 percent of Americans believe God created human beings. Numerous creation science advocates continue to hope that the Intelligent Design theory will make its way into US public schools, though they have not been very successful so far.
With such a high percentage of people who believe in pseudoscience rather than science, it will be difficult to change the current trend towards increasing the mass stupidity. Americans clearly don't wish to be the pioneers of science, space exploration and medicine in the future.
I think we've still got a long way to go before we see the end of this particular idiot's tale. I see little to hope for in American politics when wingnuts like the anti-science child of privilege, Paul Ryan, gets nominated for vice president. Maybe the new generation of American voters will change that, but I won't hold my breath waiting.
* Okay, creationists are delusional and don't really partake in the real world any more than some local bloggers. But they act on a larger stage and have real influence. Creationists join their NRA-gun-toting wingnuts as foolosophers (my comment on the fools of the gun debate is here).
** "Intelligent" design isn't. It's lipstick on the creationist pig (or more properly, a lab coat…). But like wearing a stethoscope around your neck won't make anyone a doctor, calling superstition "science" won't make it so, either.
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HomeLocalServices Set for Community Trustee Anthony Rodgers
Services Set for Community Trustee Anthony Rodgers
May 30, 2017 Staff Local, Obituaries 0
Anthony Rodgers
Anthony Rodgers, Sr. (66), transcended into Sunset on May 13, 2017 at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida.
He is a native son of Jacksonville, Florida. He grew up in the Moncrief area where he proudly graduated from William M. Raines, Class of 1969.
He graduated from the Police Academy in 1973 and was the first African-American Officer to patrol the Southside and Arlington Areas. He started his career in law enforcement as a corrections officer and progressed to become "A New Breed of Cop" as posted in a news article after joining the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) in 1974. He was employed by JSO retiring after 25 years of service.
Rodgers was a pioneer in many ways as one of the founding members of the Jacksonville Brotherhood of Police Officers. "The Brotherhood," was a primarily African-American support organization for officers of color.
"Anthony Rodgers fought for the cause when others couldn't and wouldn't. Many have walked through the doors of opportunity that he fought to open", said Stephen Spates.
Rodgers served as president of the Brotherhood and the local NAACP. He was also a member of the Urban League, the Northwest Sertoma Club, James Weldon Johnson Branch YMCA Board of Directors, was a founding member of the 100 Black Men and served on the Board of the N.E. Florida Community Action Agency.
One of his greatest passions in life was being an advocate for Raines High School. He founded the athletic boosters association and was former President of the Raines National Alumni Association. One of his proudest accomplishments was that all four of his children were Raines graduates.
After years of service to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, he was able to return to Raines as the School Resource Officer. Later after his retirement he took up the mantle as head of security for Edward Waters College.
He leaves to honor his life and times, his mother, Clara Lee Washington; sons, Anthony Rodgers, Jr., Edward Rodgers, Duane Bonton, and Eric Rodgers; daughter, Martisha Rodgers-Upson; sisters, Kathy Rosier, Omeria Cliett, and Marva Rodgers Hilliard (Charlton); brothers, Jimmie Elerby, Randall Rodgers, Kenneth Rodgers, Derrick Rodgers, and Kenneth Rodgers; 13 grandchildren, and a host of other loving relatives and friends.
The Celebration and African Spiritual Burial will be held at 11 a.m., Thursday, June 1, 2017 in the Florida Theatre Performing Arts Center, 129 East Forsyth Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202. Interment will be in Edgewood Cemetery immediately following the service with Police Honors by the Jacksonville Police Honor Guard. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, May 31, from 4 – 7 p.m. at Mount Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, 1620 Helena St. Condolences can be expressed online at www.holmesgloversolomonfuneraldirectors.com.
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Q: How to test with hardwired function My understanding is that code should be written without testing in mind, and that testing needs to bend to cater to the code. My problem is that I have a function f1 that calls out for input data (a  Haskell data type) that is returned from another function f2. So how can I write a test case that provides different input data?
Of course I could add an arg to f1 for the input, but after all that is catering to testing. It's actually messier than that, because f1 is actually a Plutus contract, and the arg would need to be serialized to JSON -- all for the sake of testing. Alternatively, I could read the input from a file, and provide the filepath as an arg -- the arg is bad enough, but I don't want to go with a file if I don't have to.
Note that f1 is an http endpoint, and all testing code needs to go through an endpoint(s).
data ActualData = ActualData String String Integer
newtype Input = Input [ActualData]

f1:: Contract () Schema Text ()
f1 = do
    let input = f2
    ...

f2 :: Input -- to be determined in the future, currently unknown
f2 = Input
    [ ActualData "BlackRock" "pkh1" 10
    , ActualData "GreenRock" "pkh2" 20
    ]

A: I think the simplest is probably just to expose two functions. One accepts the input data as a plain old function input, and the other knows to use f2. So:
f1WithArg :: X -> Y
f1WithArg x = {- ... -}

f1 :: Y
f1 = f2 >>= f1WithArg -- or whatever

Then you would write all your tests in terms of f1WithArg, and just trust that f1 doesn't do any interesting computation.
Alternatively, you could expose a single f1 that takes a Maybe X, with a similar implementation pattern:
f1Auto :: Maybe X -> Y
f1Auto Nothing = f2 >>= f1Auto . Just -- or whatever
f1Auto (Just x) = {- ... -}

Some interface like that might be useful if you ever need to programmatically decide whether the input should come from f2 or not, but that sounds like it's not the case for you.

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Home » Travel Guides » United Kingdom » England » 15 Best Things to Do in Chippenham (Wiltshire, England)
15 Best Things to Do in Chippenham (Wiltshire, England)
Between the Cotswolds and the Marlborough Downs, Chippenham grew up in Anglo-Saxon times as a crossing on the River Avon.
In the town centre there's a neat pedestrianised High Street, with a solemn town hall built in 1834. The town museum will give you a crash course in Chippenham's history, and also owns the Yelde Hall, a half-timbered former jail and court from the 1400s.
One of the joys of Chippenham is the profusion of interesting places in the town's backyard.
The picture postcard villages of Lacock and Castle Combe thrived in Medieval times and appear in TV shows and movies as pieces of old-time rural England.
Bowood House, Lacock Abbey and Corsham Court are country houses crammed with art, and is where landmarks in scientific history were reached, like the discovery of oxygen and the first photographic negative.
Let's explore the best things to do in Chippenham:
1. Bowood House and Gardens
Source: Dafinka / shutterstock
Bowood House And Gardens
Just five miles out of Chippenham, Bowood House is a Georgian mansion that took shape throughout the 18th century.
Two Georgian luminaries, Robert Adam and Capability brown worked on the house and grounds respectively.
Sadly most of this once immense building was torn down after being used by the RAF in the Second World War.
The remaining house is still large by any measure, and has lots of fascinating things within its walls.
One of the rooms was used as a laboratory by Joseph Priestley, who discovered oxygen here in 1774. You can also enter the library, which retains a decorative ceiling designed by Robert Adam.
In the Lansdowne family collections are Georgian textiles, jewellery, watercolours, miniatures and lots of furnishings from the Victorian period and artefacts brought here from colonial India.
Capability Brown's park is Grade I-listed, with a later Italianate terrace garden, private walled garden, an arboretum and a mile-long lake.
2. Lacock Abbey
Source: Sue Martin / shutterstock
Lacock Abbey
In the village of Lacock is a fine mansion adapted from the ruins of an Augustinian nunnery.
During the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII the building was mostly pulled down and sold off to the courtier Sir William Sharington.
The building that took its place is an astonishing medley of styles from different periods, and integrates the monastery's marvellous Gothic cloisters (these appear in two Harry Potter movies), sacristy, warming house and chapter house in its basement.
The upper storeys were given a Gothic Revival makeover in the mid-18th century and in the 19th century the mansion became the birthplace of British Photography as we'll see in the next entry on this list.
The Abbey Grounds are a delight, and boast a greenhouse, botanic garden and lots of activities for restless children.
3. Fox Talbot Museum
Source: EQRoy / shutterstock
Fox Talbot Museum
In the 19th century Lacock Abbey was home to William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877). One of a long line of Talbots to live at the house, William is remembered for his contribution to photography.
In 1835 he captured what is believed to be the first photographic negative; an image of a mullioned bay window from the inside.
On part of the ground floor there's a museum about William Henry Fox Talbot, recording his life, the story of that famous negative, the chemistry behind his photography and details of the experimental "mousetrap" camera that he invented.
The Fenton Collection, made up of historic photographs, is housed at Lacock Abbey, while there are changing photographic exhibitions in a gallery on the first floor.
4. Chippenham Museum
Source: Chippenham Museum / facebook
Chippenham Museum
The pick of the attractions in Chippenham proper is the town's museum, housed in the 18th-century former magistrates' court.
The museum explains how river, rail and road links helped Chippenham grow, and also reveals the town's ties to some famous historical figures like Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Alfred the Great.
You can discover what Anglo-Saxon Chippenham would have looked like, see the transformation created by the Great Western Railway in 1841, explore period street scenes and check out a working model of a flour mill.
Kids are catered for with costumes and an activity table, while the calendar is packed with temporary exhibitions, guided walks and talks by historians.
5. Corsham Court
Source: tornadoflight / shutterstock
Corsham Court
Another exceptional country house is only five miles southwest of Chippenham at the village of Corsham.
This estate is extremely old, harking back to a manor owned by Saxon kings, and remaining in royal hands up to the reign of Elizabeth I. After the house was bought by Sir Paul Methuen in 1745 Capability Brown was hired to redesign the grounds but also extend the house.
Brown's work is still visible in the picture gallery and state rooms in the east wing, where the long gallery features a fantastic exhibition of 16th and 17th-century Italian Masters like Salvator Rosa and Carlo Dolci.
The house is still private so only a small fraction of the rooms can be visited, but there's enough porcelain, painting and furniture to keep you absorbed.
In the grounds see the Gothic Revival bath house, also by Brown and a folly ruin by another star of Georgian architecture, John Nash.
6. John Coles Park
Source: James Sullivan 1975 / shutterstock
John Coles Park
On a warm summer's weekend it will feel like the whole of Chippenham has descended upon John Coles Park, in the best possible way.
In this season there is a concert at the bandstand every Sunday from 15:00 to 17:00 by regional woodwind, silver and brass bands.
A beloved local resource in summer is the splash pad, always a firm favourite for toddlers and small children.
The park has flowing lawns where you can read a book or take a picnic under a mature oak, as well as sports facilities for residents young and not so young, including a bowling green, tennis courts and a multi-use games area.
7. Lacock Village
Source: Anneka / shutterstock
Lacock Village
Nearly everything you see in the enchanting village of Lacock is older than the 19th century and owned by the National Trust.
You could easily be convinced that you've gone back in time on this grid of four streets lined with half-timbered houses and endearingly rustic stone cottages.
Little wonder then that Lacock has been a shooting location for lots of productions, including two Harry Potter films, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Downton Abbey and the 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice.
At no. 2 on the High Street there's a shop window display from the early 20th century, while the junction of East Street and High Street you'll find a Medieval tithe barn where goods paid to Lacock Abbey were stored.
Just beside this building is the 18th-century village lock-up for drunks to be kept overnight.
8. St Cyriac's Church
Source: Hans Christiansson / shutterstock
St Cyriac's Church
The splendour of Lacock's church gives you an idea of how wealthy this settlement was in Medieval times.
There was a thriving market here, on an important stop on the droving road between Bath and London.
Local tax revenues helped pay for a reconstruction of St Cyriac's Church in the 15th century, while an octagonal tower and an annexe called the Cottage were built in the 17th century.
The highlights at St Cyriac's all relate to Lacock's historic landowning families.
Most of all, look for the northeast Perpendicular Gothic chapel.
This has rich lierne vaulting, some amazing 15th-century stained glass and a Renaissance monument to Sir William Sharington who took over at Lacock Abbey in the 16th century.
9. Castle Combe Village
Source: JeniFoto / shutterstock
Castle Combe Village
A short drive into the Cotswolds will deliver you to a village that is often described as the prettiest in England.
Set on the By Brook, Castle Combe is built from the Cotswolds' signature honey-coloured limestone and carries echoes of a once roaring woollen trade.
In the parish church of St Andrew, seek out the 14th-century font, and the effigy of Sir Walter de Dunstanville (d. 1270) in the Lady Chapel.
His crossed legs indicate that he fought in the crusades.
Cross the bridge at the foot of the village for a photogenic view of the adorable, shambling terrace of houses on "The Street", backed by the high valley side.
Where the village's three main streets meet is the market cross, raised in the 14th century when Castle Combe was awarded the privilege of hosting a weekly market.
10. Tractor Ted Little Farm, Bowood
Source: Tractor Ted Little Farm / facebook
Tractor Ted Little Farm
Bowood isn't all about Georgian finery and history, as there's an attraction just for kids on its grounds.
At the Tractor Ted Little Farm children can meet all kinds of young farmyard animals like lambs and chicks, as well as rabbits and tame guinea pigs.
Friendly members of staff are always on hand with enlightening facts about these animals and how they're looked after.
In the Tractor Ted Barn you'll find a sow and piglets, as well as an activity area with discovery walls, colouring in and educational DVDs about farming.
Outside there are mini tractors and mechanical diggers to operate, and a superb adventure playground with a pirate ship and zip-line.
11. The Yelde Hall
Source: Martin Fowler / shutterstock
The Yelde Hall
While you're visiting the Chippenham Museum you can enquire about the Yelde Hall, a Medieval building owned by the town.
Constructed in the middle of the 15th century, this half-timbered building was a jail on the ground floor and a courtroom upstairs.
Since these facilities were relocated in the early 19th century the building has been a bank, drill hall, regimental headquarters, fire station and the town museum until it moved out in 1999. On the gable above the side entrance you can find Chippenham's town arms from 1776 topped with the inscription "J.S.", for the bailiff at the time, John Scott.
The wood-panelled courtroom on the top floor has been preserved, and inside you can sit in on a lively interactive council debate from the 1816, discussing the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the decline of the local weaving trade.
12. Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum
Source: Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum / facebook
Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum
A rewarding outing for motor enthusiasts, this museum is eight miles from Chippenham in the town of Calne.
Put together with a lot of care, the museum is the only one of its kind in the county, and has cars, motorcycles, mopeds and bicycles from the 1920s onwards.
Added to that is a wealth of motoring accessories and memorabilia and a fine collection of model trucks.
One corner of the museum is a faithful recreation of a garage from the 1930s, complemented with cars from the period.
Many of the vehicles come with intriguing back-stories, like the 1936 Rover 14HP Sports Saloon customised for a wealthy Chippenham woman with an outsized steering wheel and vanity mirror.
13. Corsham 17th-Century Schoolroom and Almshouse
Source: Alison Penn / facebook
Corsham 17th-Century Schoolroom And Almshouse
Your priority in Corsham has to be this Carolean almshouse dating from 1668 and built by the Corsham House resident, Lady Margaret Hungerford.
Her husband, Sir Edward Hungerford had commanded Wiltshire's Parliamentarian forces during the Civil War two decades earlier.
Like Cromwell Lady Margaret was a strict Puritan and set 45 ordinances for the almshouse's beneficiaries to adhere to.
The Hungerford arms, carved in stone, still crown the main entrance.
Most memorable is the oak-panelled 17th-century schoolroom, which retains a lot of its original fittings like benches and a teacher's lectern, and has centuries of graffiti by bored schoolboys!
14. Cherhill White Horse
Source: stocker1970 / shutterstock
Cherhill White Horse
White Horses, produced by removing a layer of grass and soil to reveal the underlying chalk, are a hallmark of Wiltshire's downs.
There's a good one eight miles from Chippenham in Cerhill, and this horse, cut in 1780 has been dated as the third oldest in the country.
The man responsible was the eccentric Calne resident, Dr Christopher Alsop, who is thought to have bellowed instructions from the bottom of the slope via a megaphone.
The hill above the horse is in the care of the National Trust, which has laid out a walking trail to the Lansdowne Monument a few hundred metres away.
This 38-metre obelisk was erected in 1845 for Sir William Petty (d. 1687) a scientist, economist and philosopher who served under Oliver Cromwell, but remained an influential figure after the Restoration.
15. Chippenham Folk Festival
Source: diane vose / shutterstock
Chippenham Folk Festival
Now in its fifth decade, the Chippenham Folk Festival is held across the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May when more than 200 individual events take place.
A boon to the local economy, this wildly popular event is a celebration of the many different kinds of traditional music and customs found all over England.
For a mere snippet of what to expect, there are concerts, dance performances, jam sessions, music and dance workshops, poetry readings, storytelling, social dances, cabaret acts and a big parade through the town on the Monday.
Kids aren't forgotten, and can get involved in puppet shows, circus workshops, face-painting, soft play.
Where to stay: Best Hotels in Chippenham, England
Categories England Tags Chippenham
15 Best Things to Do in Chippenham (Wiltshire, England):
St Cyriac's Church
Tractor Ted Little Farm, Bowood


I was interested to hear that the original script for the Two Ronnies' sketch Four Candles is being auctioned and is expected to fetch £80,000. This is one of my own all time favorites, it always make me laugh. It can be accessed on You Tube so can be watched any time on demand. A handy pick me up if you have low moment it appealy to you in the way it does to me!!!
I don't usually write about my work here but since its almost Christmas I thought I would make an exception and write about something that has a Christmas connection and also carries an important educational message too.
On the 14th December I visited Dundee with some colleagues to learn how computer games can be used to very good effect in the classroom. We visited the Consolarium which has been setup at the Dundee office of Learning and Teaching Scotland.
Derek Robertson who works there might have the best job in LTScotland – his aim is to discover how game technology, X-box and Playstation (to name only two) can be used in the classroom to help engage pupils with learning. In his presentation he was able to show some very convincing evidence that demonstrates that games can actually help pupils to engage with learning and show evidence of success with pupils that would normally find it very difficult to achieve very much at all!
At the end of the formal presentation Derek demonstrated his very considerable guitar playing skills. Very impressive!!!!
As you can see and hear below, he then continued to demonstrate his vocal skills and shared the spotlight with Brooke one of the Glow Administrators. I expect that they might be front runners for the next edition of the X-Factor. You can listen to their performance below – Same Difference – eat you heart out! Because the camera was point at the singers the backing track has unfortunately not been picked up by the camera – this course does afford the chance for us to hear the detailed tonal qualities of the vocal performance.
See below two very satisfied customers.
There must be a good caption for this photo – if you have any suggestions do leave them in a comment to this post!


FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Shigehiro Nakajima) has announced that it provided, on July 13, a shipment of the anti-influenza drug Avigan® Tablet 200mg (Favipiravir, hereinafter "Avigan Tablet") to Taiwan's government organization in charge of infectious disease control, called the Centers for Disease Control, R.O.C. (Taiwan) (hereinafter "Taiwanese CDC"), following its decision to stockpile Avigan Tablet. The Taiwanese CDC made the decision to protect Taiwanese citizens from the risk of new strains of influenza including avian and swine influenzas due to a growing possibility of its human transmission in Taiwan. Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration has yet to approve the manufacturing and marketing of Avigan Tablet at this stage, but the Taiwanese CDC has decided the import of the experimental drug exceptionally in recognition of its new mechanism of action and other benefits.
Fujifilm signs an exclusive market agreement with Chinese major pharmaceutical company Shenzhen Main Luck for the distribution of its oral synthetic quinolone antibacterial agent.
FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Shigehiro Nakajima; Hereinafter "Fujifilm") has announced that it signed an exclusive marketing agreement with China's major pharmaceutical company Shenzhen Main Luck Pharmaceuticals Inc. (President: Yuan Qing; Hereinafter "Shenzhen Main Luck") on June 26, 2015 for the oral synthetic quinolone antibacterial agent "T-3811" (generic name: garenoxacin mesilate hydrate), developed by the Fujifilm Group company Toyama Chemical Co., Ltd(Hereinafter "Toyama Chemical").
Fujifilm now plans to start marketing T-3811 via Shenzhen Main Luck after obtaining import drug license for the drug in China. This will be the first time for Fujifilm to market a pharmaceutical product overseas.
FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Shigehiro Nakajima) has announced that it completed the acquisition, through the U.S. sales subsidiary FUJIFILM Medical Systems U.S.A., Inc., of the U.S. medical IT software company TeraMedica, Inc. (Milwaukee, Wisconsin; hereafter "TeraMedica"). TeraMedica offers archive solutions for managing and storing a range of digitized in-hospital clinical information*, including diagnostic images of Picture Archiving Communication System (PACS)** to movie file images. TeraMedica became a full 100% subsidiary of the FUJIFILM Group on May 11, 2015 (U.S. EDT).
On April 3, 2015, FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation (President: Mr. Shigehiro Nakajima) (hereafter, "Fujifilm") launched a tender offer bid (hereafter, "TOB") offering USD 16.50 per share for the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Cellular Dynamics International, Inc., a leading company in the development and manufacture of iPS Cells (CEO: Robert Palay, Headquarters: Madison, Wisconsin, USA, NASDAQ listed, Securities code: ICEL) (hereafter, "CDI"). The TOB period expired on April 30, 2015 at 11:59 PM (U.S. Eastern Standard Time). The TOB is now successfully completed. On May 1, 2015 (U.S. Eastern Standard Time), following the completion of the necessary procedures, CDI will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fujifilm.
Having Japan Tissue Engineering as its subsidiary, Fujifilm has been strengthening its competitive advantages in the area of regenerative medicines by leveraging its high performance materials and engineering capabilities. Japan Tissue Engineering is a market leader in that field and has therapeutic tissues manufacturing technologies. Fujifilm has now expanded its portfolio in this field further by welcoming CDI, a global leader in drug discovery support through iPS Cells related technologies and knowhow, into its group. Fujifilm will seek to become a global leader of regenerative medicines by concentrating technologies and know how in the expanded group.
FUJIFILM Australia Pty Ltd announced the appointment of C.R. Kennedy & Company Pty Ltd as sole and exclusive distributor in Australia and New Zealand for the Fujifilm range of endoscopic products. The agreement will take effect as of 1 July 2013.
A leading global provider of diagnostic imaging and medical informatics solutions, Fujifilm has been successfully working with C.R. Kennedy for the past year in the distribution of their endoscopic product range in eastern Australia and New Zealand. The partnership has now been expanded to cover the entire ANZ region and makes C.R. Kennedy the exclusive Fujifilm distributor.
FUJIFILM Australia has launched a new medical service and support structure to meet the demand and growing popularity of its Synapse® imaging informatics in Australia. The refreshed framework incorporates project management, training, customer support and remote servicing of the entire Synapse product range.
FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Shigehiro Nakajima) has been named in the 2012 Top 100 Global Innovators list by Thomson Reuters, one of the world's leading sources of intelligent information for businesses and professionals.
FUJIFILM will be sharing the benefits of its zero-footprint mobile application, Synapse Mobility, with visitors to the 2012 meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The application enables access to Fujifilm's suite of Synapse products from hand-held devices, in addition to Macintosh or Windows-based PCs. It will be just one of several Synapse products and solutions demonstrated at the show.
FUJIFILM announced today that it has been recognised in this year's technology innovation awards sponsored by the global research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan. The medical imaging and informatics company has been presented with a '2012 Global X-ray Mammography Technology Award' for its 3D breast imaging technology.
FUJIFILM Medical Systems announced today that the medical imaging and informatics division has secured the number one overall medical equipment vendor – 'Best in KLAS' – in the '2012 Best in KLAS Awards: Medical Equipment & Infrastructure' report, edging out the three year incumbent. The research firm KLAS independently evaluates vendor and product performance through the active participation of thousands of healthcare organizations and products. Contributing to Fujifilm's number one ranking was customer feedback and ratings on each product's functional strengths.


text:
Q: How to make live voice phone call using Twilio instead of just playing an MP3 when call is answered? To call phone number from notebook through Twilio I created ASP.NET-MVC 5.2 application.
I can call a number and answer the phone but I don't know how to achieve live voice(to be able to talk) connection instead of just playing music.
I created an action method inside HomeController:
  public ActionResult Call(string to) {
            client = new TwilioRestClient(Settings.AccountSid, Settings.AuthToken);

            var result = client.InitiateOutboundCall(Settings.TwilioNumber, to, "http://twimlets.com/message?Message%5B0%5D=http://demo.kevinwhinnery.com/audio/zelda.mp3"); //it causes to play zelda theme when call is answered by callee

            if (result.RestException != null) {
                return new System.Web.Mvc.HttpStatusCodeResult(500, result.RestException.Message);
            }

            return Content("Call enroute!");
        }

 public ActionResult Index() {
            return View();
        }

This action method is invoked by Ajax call.
When I hit the button from Views\Home\Index.csthml:
    <form>

Enter your mobile phone number:

        <input id="to" type="text"
               placeholder="ex: +16518675309" />
        <button>Send me a message</button>
    </form>

The script below is invoked which passes the phone number from <input id="to"> to the action method public ActionResult Call(string to) in the HomeController:
$('form button').on('click', function(e) {
    e.preventDefault();

    // expect just a string of text back from the server
    var url = '/call';
    $.ajax(url, { //invokes call action method
        method:'POST',
        dataType:'text',
        data:{
            to:$('#to').val()//passes the number argument to the action method
        },
        success: function(data) {
            showFlash(data);
        },
        error: function(jqxhr) {
            alert('There was an error sending a request to the server');
        }
    })
});

This starts phone call to the specified number i.e. 48123456789 where 48 is the country code. When the call is answered by the callee, the zelda theme is played.( http://twimlets.com/message?Message%5B0%5D=http://demo.kevinwhinnery.com/audio/zelda.mp3 )
Instead of that I would like to talk through notebook(it has internal microphone) to the person I've called and let this person talk back. In few words I would like to have live voice.
Question: How to achieve live voice phone call using Twilio in ASP.NET-MVC 5.x?
Settings.AccountSid and  Settings.AuthToken are my credentials:
 public static class Settings
    {
        public static string AccountSid { get { return "A###############0"; } }
        public static string AuthToken { get { return "e###############0"; } }
        public static string TwilioNumber { get { return "4########1"; } }
    }

A: Twilio evangelist here.
If you want to place a phone call from your browser you'll need to look at using Twilio Client for JavaScript:
https://www.twilio.com/docs/quickstart/csharp/client
That will let you place a VoIP call from the browser into Twilio.  Once the call reaches Twilio you can then bridge that call with another Twilio Client, SIP endpoint or PSTN phone:
https://www.twilio.com/docs/quickstart/csharp/client/outgoing-calls
Hope that helps.

A: The way to do this would be to use the Dial Twiml https://www.twilio.com/docs/api/twiml/dial Dial can take one of several options; either a phone number, a SIP URL or a Twilio Client identifier. An example of dial is the CallMe twimlet available at https://www.twilio.com/labs/twimlets/callme and would look something like the following
<Response>
    <Dial>
        <Number>+44.........</Number>
    </Dial>
</Response>

If you've already got a softphone installed on your notebook then you could dial that. If you've got Skype you could use your Skype phone number for example.
If you don't have a softphone installed, you could always use Twilio client https://www.twilio.com/client and have that running inside your web browser.


Toshiba has outlined its plans to re-establish the TV brand in the UK and across Europe and the brand has teamed up with Vestel to make that happen, showcasing a lot of the latest models at IFA 2017.
For those who don't know who Vestel is, it's a massive Turkish appliance and consumer electronics company that manufactures and distributes a huge number of TVs across Europe. It picked up the licensing of the Toshiba brand in 2015.
Of all the TVs being showcased, the Poster TV concept that was shown off at IFA 2017 is by far the most interesting, as it appears to offer an alternative to LG's high-end Wallpaper TV.
The Toshiba Poster TV concept's biggest feature is that it sits flush to the wall, completely flat, with no electronic stuck on the back of the display. This means there's no stand-off from the wall, zero gap behind it.
Toshiba hasn't said too much about this TV, but this is a 65-inch OLED display with an 4K Ultra HD resolution and fully HDR compatible. Toshiba does say that it supports Dolby Vision, making us think that it's likely to be an LG panel, but not a lot else is said about the panel's specifications.
It will sit on Toshiba's smart platform so you can stream content from the likes of Netflix and Amazon Video.
Toshiba also didn't say too much about the box that it connects to via the ribbon connector coming out of the bottom of the TV. This connects to a rather large box which looks a bit like an induction hob thanks to its flat glossy top finish. This box provides all the power to the display, as well as providing the smart functions and connections, with 4x HDMI detailed.
Toshiba also told us that it's a potent TV when it comes to sound, supporting DTS TruSurround and DTS HD and featuring a subwoofer to boost the base. At the moment it's not clear whether that's something that's in the connection box that looks like a induction cooker, or separate. At any rate, Toshiba wasn't doing any sound demos so we can't judge how it sounds.
The design sure is striking, but the question is whether it would be priced affordably. The LG Wallpaper at 65-inches cost about £8000. That's the price you need to beat Toshiba.


WELCOME TO MUGBERIA GANGADHAR MAHAVIDYALAYA CENTRAL LIBRARY!
From the very beginning, during the year of establishment in 1964 library is a part and parcel of the college. So it has glorious heritage for past 50 years. Like any other Higher Education Institute, we are presently adopting 'Learner Centric Education' for catering education more meaningful to students. In this context library plays a vital role in the total education system.
The college has a separate two storied well equipped central library covering above 5,000 sq. ft. floor area. It has a large Reading Room for library users. Beside central library the college has a number of departmental libraries in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Nutrition, Geography, Music, B.P.Ed & M.P.Ed, etc.
Central library has more than 30,000 books covering Text Books, Reference Books, various types of Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Year Books etc. Journals and other teaching materials like maps, atlas, and a number of AV materials. Two third portions of books, out of 30,000 books, are entered in our electronic database.
Huge number of E-Books and E-Journals can be accessible through the INFLIBNET N-LIST programme of UGC.
Regular UG and PG students of the college (about 3000 in no's), Teachers, Staffs, Ex students and Outsiders are the users of the central library.
Advancement of ICT brings a paradigm shift in our regular library works. To keep pace with the changing environment we also shifted to automation of library. For this purpose we procure the latest state of the art library management software, SOUL 2.0 (Network Version, Full Edition) designed and developed by INFLIBNET Centre, Ahmedabad, an autonomous Inter University Centre of UGC. With the help of this software we are doing our regular library works like Circulation (Barcode based), Cataloguing, Database Search (OPAC), etc. For this purpose we have adequate number of computers with internet connection, scanners, printers. Broadband facility for Internet connection is available through NME-ICT project of UGC.
Users can search the database of the central library through Card Catalogue and OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue) facility for searching electronic database of the central library through SOUL 2.0 Software.
The library follows Dewey Decimal Classification Scheme (DDC 19th. Ed, & 22nd. Ed.) for classifying books. This is the most widely accepted classification schemes in which universe of subjects are arranged decimally and can easily understand and remembered by the user. On the other hand we follow Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules 2nd. Revised edition, 1988 (AACR-II, Rev. Ed,1988) to catalogue our new collection.
Central library offers various services to its users. They are – 1) Lending Service, 2) Reference Service, 3) Reprographic Service, 4) Current Awareness Service 5) Display of New Arrivals (Books and Journals), 6) Display of Newspapers and Journals, 7) Display of materials related to career advancement of students.
All students are entitled to borrow books from the book bank section of the central library on long term basis. They may return the book before the actual date of return.
Central library follows two types of access patterns – 1) Open Access for Teachers & Staffs, and 2) Closed Access for Students and Outsiders.
Central library remains open from Monday to Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM. Lending and other services are open during this time period maintaining a schedule for students.
Central library follows a set of library rules & regulations approved by the library sub committe and Governing Body of the College.
As per the guideline of the Vidyasagar University, for smooth running of library activity, the Governing Body of the College has formed a library sub-committee for the library headed by the Principal and Librarian. Teachers from different departments, Non-teaching staffs and student representative becomes the members of the sub-committee.
By the year 2018, prior to 3rd. Cycle of NAAC assessment of the college, we are trying to introduce WEB OPAC System for 365 days x 24 hours electronic database search, Open Access System for all, Electronic Surveillance System (CCTV), WiFi enabled Central Library, Upgraded Reading Room, Additional Computer Terminal for students. Central library & other departmental libraries are also renovated by utilizing the fund of RUSA, UGC, State Govt. and other funds. By the year 2020 if other conditions become favourable we will develop our own digitized institutional repository to go one step forward towards a digitized central library.


This luxury development in Cancelada is truly extraordinary, it consists of two and three bedroom apartments, penthouses as well as three bedroom townhomes. Cancelada is an exceptional location on the sought-after New Golden Mile, nearby the well-known area of Los Flamingos. The neighbourhood of Cancelada is the easternmost area of Estepona, bordering with the municipality of Marbella. The development is a 10-minute walk from the village. This area abounds with luxury properties, top-notch golf courses, nightlife and the lavish boutiques of Puerto Banús, and Marbella is around ten minutes away so dining in a fabulous restaurant or shopping in some exclusive boutiques is made easier. Golf is one of the main attractions of visitors to this area and the golf courses here will not disappoint you, but it's not only golf that makes the outdoor lifestyle so appealing as nearby stunning beaches, as well as a wealth of other outdoor sport and leisure activities can also be enjoyed.
Townhomes of this character are not common in this area, you will be able to enjoy a stunning rooftop solarium with breath-taking sea views. There is also a private driveway and generous covered and uncovered terraces to create a personal Mediterranean oasis.
As you are entering these Fantastic Duplex Townhomes, you will encounter a spacious area that connects both kitchen, dining and living area. Further, you will also access a direct terrace with a lovely view. The generous sliding glass walls divide the terrace from the kitchen in a natural way that still allows natural light to flood into the spacious living space. Continuously entering the second floor, you will find three bedrooms. An en-suite master bedroom with its very own dress room as well as two spacious bedrooms with built-in closets that bears plenty of storage. All bedrooms hold a marvellous view due to its great windows that also supportively contribute to a harmonious light. Last but not least the properties feature huge roof terraces that are welcoming sunbathing, dining and lounging along with remarkable views to the surrounding landscape as well as the ocean.
Owning a home in this development offers a taste of the relaxing Mediterranean lifestyle as owners will have access to an exclusive Club House boasting a superb selection of leisure facilities including an indoor pool, sauna, social areas and on-site cafeteria. The development offers a lifestyle synonymous with the well-known luxury enjoyed on the Costa del Sol with elegant accommodation choices and superb on-site facilities. Here you can immerse yourself in your Costa del Sol dream lifestyle.


Truly living up to the words "With Us, It's Personal" will help Rite Aid achieve continued success in fiscal 2013, says President and CEO John Standley.
Rite Aid enters its new fiscal year with positive momentum after growing same store sales and Adjusted EBITDA for five consecutive quarters and delivering on key sales initiatives such as wellness+, immunizations and Wellness store remodels.
In fiscal 2012, which ended March 3, same-store sales increased by 2.0 percent, the number of prescriptions filled grew by 0.9 percent and Adjusted EBITDA increased by nearly $84 million.
Rite Aid plans to convert 500 additional stores to its new Wellness format.
Rite Aid now looks to build on last year's success by continuing to grow sales, maximizing returns on key capital investments and delivering a better, more personal customer experience. Rite Aid's customer loyalty program – wellness+ – will continue to be a key initiative in the coming year. Earlier this year, the company introduced exciting new enhancements to the program, including the Load2Card online coupon management tool, the first of its kind in the industry.
Rite Aid also added new rewards for members who reach the silver level at 500 points. In addition to the 10 percent discount on qualified front-end purchases for one year, these members can also choose from several rewards options including a health screening, membership to a well-known national fitness center, a subscription to one of several general interest consumer and lifestyle magazines or a one-year GNC Gold Card membership.
In addition, the company will extend wellness+ to targeted groups that represent strong potential for growth, like the wellness+ for diabetes program that launched last September.
The company is also focused on increasing the number of prescriptions filled by building on its highly successful immunization program. In addition, approximately $50 million is planned for purchasing prescription files.
In the coming months, Rite Aid will take its Wellness store initiative to the next level, with plans to complete 500 Wellness store remodels in fiscal 2013. Wellness stores feature a broad lineup of clinical pharmacy services, new wellness-related items and a more open store design to enhance the shopping experience.
These stores also feature Wellness Ambassadors, who act as a bridge from the front end to the pharmacy, where pharmacists are available to offer clinical advice and help customers select the right products for their specific needs.
The company will also leverage technology to drive customer engagement and deliver an enhanced shopping experience. Rite Aid recently unveiled its free mobile app that allows customers to browse the weekly circular, find the nearest Rite Aid using their smartphone's GPS and refill prescriptions using their smartphone to scan their prescription bottle.
"We're looking to be leaders in innovation when it comes to using new technology to reach new and existing customers while enhancing the in-store shopping experience," says Senior Vice President of Marketing John Learish.
According to Standley, all of these priorities support the ultimate goal for fiscal 2013 – to continue growing sales.


This essay begins with the realization that scientists have devoted a great deal of study to the m in E=mc², but not enough to the E.
For many years, Caleb Gattegno studied the characteristics and powers of the human mind. In his book, The Mind Teaches the Brain (Gattegno, 1975), Gattegno makes the case that the mind and the brain are not the same, that the mind is present in the self even before the brain is developed. Gattegno further states that the mind is "a quantum of energy." This essay was born of an attempt to understand the meaning of the word "energy" in this expression. If Gattegno is right, the mind is a reality, an entity which can be studied, even though it is immaterial and cannot be weighed or measured by present-day technology.
What can Physics make of this? A number of years ago, the very possibility that an invisible, unmeasurable entity could exist would have been dismissed as preposterous by serious scientists. Today's scientific community, however, grapples with subatomic particles that can't be properly measured and cosmic phenomena such as dark matter and black holes whose existence may be known only indirectly.
This situation drives the present study, which attempts to redefine the universe entirely in terms of energy.
The proposal of an energy continuum with "hard bodies" at one end and a field of invisible, unmeasurable energy at the other, gives a place both to the mind and to the subatomic particle and to other phenomena which may lie in between.
What follows is a scheme that finds a place for the quantum of energy described by Gattegno.
Let us say that the very fabric of the universe is free, unprogrammed energy, which we will call E. We can represent this by the formula E=∞.
This free energy is the stuff from which everything is made. In its unprogrammed state, it is free of the limits of time and space. It permeates everything that exists.
Intelligence and awareness are some of its characteristics and it is capable of programming itself.
The continuum might be thought of as stretching from free energy to what Newtonian Physics thought of as solid matter.
a level close to but different from free energy.
no longer conflicting with the behavior of energy noted at other points along the continuum, but open to future discoveries which will pinpoint more accurately its place on the scale.
How to order the grid and subdivide it is exactly the job of Physics, which should be considered the study of energy in all its forms, including "non-physical" or immaterial forms whose study will require new tools.
Gattegno, Caleb, The Mind Teaches the Brain. New York: Educational Solutions Inc., 1975.
Gattegno, Caleb, On Death, An Essay. New York: Educational Solutions Inc.,1978.