text:
Podcast here: Lisa Lang talks about 'Utopian Man,' E.W. Cole and winning the Vogel prize
Utopian Man
By Lisa Lang
Allen and Unwin, 2010
Lisa Lang won the Vogel prize for the manuscript of Utopian Man, a glorious fictionalised account of the life of E.W. Cole, a visionary who is best known today for creating the childhood stalwart Coles Funny Picture Book. In HIS day (1880s Melbourne), Cole had a bookstore that encompassed a full city block, replete with monkeys, a fernery and a tea room. With more than 1 000 000 books and white wicker chairs for reading, this was a unique and before-its-time venture in a Melbourne that was awash with gold dust.
Lang has developed Cole as a person, the reader experiences his fears, worries, manias and family joys and travesties.
Listen to Lisa talk about Cole, her writing life - and the parts she left out of the book.
When is a book not a book?
Chris Porter has a magnificent view from her house which is perched on the skirt of a mountain looking down at the beautiful Derwent River.On the day I visited her it was a bright sunlight sparkling sea kind of day with even a hint of warmth in the sun.
Her house has big windows looking out on the view though from the moment I stepped through her door I was captivated with the sculptures she is making from books.
I'd had a serendipitous meeting over the counter at work, chatting with some regular customers who mentioned they had a sculpture made from a book. The next day they even bought it (made by Chris) in to show me, which is an especially lovely thing for customers to do- and they also put me in touch with her - which is even lovelier.
"I don't just use any old book," Chris said - and on closer inspection there is a lot more to find - language, art, drama and poetry are all there. A dictionary has made for a particularly intricate piece.
Chris entered in to the world of book sculpture or "page or book folding" as she calls it, when she started making books from scratch. This process has evolved now - and she sources her books from op shops and charity stalls. She has also been given copies of favourite books to transform into art-as-memento for people.
A book sculpture can take anywhere from fifteen minutes right through to hours and hours and while Chris acknowledges that she is not alone in creating art from books she doesn't use a scalpel like some other practitioners of this art.
This, of course, begs the question; when is a book not a book?
There may be some people who are horrified that a book can be used for anything other than reading - but a book is a consumer product- and, sacrilegious as this may sound and with a full acknowledgment that a book CAN transform your life, there are a lot of books that end up at the rubbish tip. Take a look at the book shelves in any op shop - full of microwave cookery books and never opened school issue dictionaries - and novels that do not deserve a second reading.
When Chris starts her tricky folding and evolves these books into sculpture that are both decorative she is also recycling.
They are a perfect way for a book to finish its life - and show a lovely evolution of Chris' creativity - moving from the art and craft of making books from scratch, through to book rescue and transformation. She is also preserving a form of the book that, as we lurch in to the digital, may become a mere museum piece.
Chris can be contacted at chris.porter (at) live.com.au
Podcast: Van Badham chatting about 'Burnt Snow' and witchcraft and blogging and art and digital immigrants and more
Van Badham operates at high velocity and reveals a depth of interests in this interview - all done with a strange aplomb, considering she's been 'on the circuit' of launches and writers festivals for months now. Listen to her talk about her new novel Burnt Snow (Pan 2010),
Van also talks about some of the spaces her research in to witchcraft have taken her - and our (interviewers') propensity to assume she's a witch herself.
Proud to be taking up the mantle of speculative fiction, Van Badham, has been hithero known for her "politically corrosive" plays. She talks about her move from "hardcore radical theatre person" to writing teenage genre fiction - and how the fit is perfect.
There's a lot more in this interview - Van's highly entertaining - and here's a link to her blog
Labels: Van Badham Burnt Snow witchcraft YA fiction blogs
Podcast here: Lisa Lang talks about 'Utopian Man,'...
Podcast: Van Badham chatting about 'Burnt Snow' an...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Gardiner, ME (View All Cities)
Kennebec County
Pittston, West Gardiner
ZIP code 04345 is located in southwest Maine and covers a slightly less than average land area compared to other ZIP codes in the United States. It also has a slightly less than average population density.
The people living in ZIP code 04345 are primarily white. The number of middle aged adults is extremely large while the number of people in their late 20s to early 40s is extremely large. There are also a slightly higher than average number of single adults and a slightly less than average number of families. The percentage of children under 18 living in the 04345 ZIP code is slightly less than average compared to other areas of the country.
For more information, see Gardiner, ME population.
162 people per sq mi
Male 323 387 349 351 293 319 324 401 416 511 508 427 396 275 180 133 96 56
Female 326 336 333 343 298 351 329 408 449 486 491 459 412 273 208 163 143 93
Total 649 723 682 694 591 670 653 809 865 997 999 886 808 548 388 296 239 149
85 Plus 56 93 149
Renter 134 270 251 226 146 95 82 28
Total 160 633 908 1,125 987 580 349 95
ZIP code 04345 has a slightly less than average percentage of vacancies. The Census also indicates that there are one or more nursing homes nearby.
The majority of household are owned or have a mortgage. Homes in ZIP code 04345 were primarily built in 1939 or earlier. Looking at 04345 real estate data, the median home value of $151,300 is slightly less than average compared to the rest of the country. It is also slightly less than average compared to nearby ZIP codes. 04345 could be an area to look for cheap housing compared to surrounding areas. Rentals in 04345 are most commonly 2 bedrooms. The rent for 2 bedrooms is normally $500-$749/month including utilities. Prices for rental property include ZIP code 04345 apartments, townhouses, and homes that are primary residences.
As with most parts of the country, vehicles are the most common form of transportation to places of employment. In most parts of the country, the majority of commuters get to work in under half an hour. Most commuters in 04345 can expect to fall in that range. There are a slightly smaller percentage of employees that have to travel over 45 minutes to reach their place of employment.
ZIP Code 04345 is in the Rsu 11/Msad 11 School District. There are 5 different elementary schools and high schools with mailing addresses in ZIP code 04345.
Laura E Richards School
279 Brunswick Avenue
Gardiner, ME 04345
District: Rsu 11/Msad 11 School District
Helen Thompson School
309 Spears Corner Road
West Gardiner, ME 04345
Gardiner Regional Middle School
161 Cobbossee Avenue
Pittston Consolidated School
1023 School Street
Pittston, ME 04345
Gardiner Area High School
40 West Hill Road
Monmouth, ME
Dresden, ME
Farmingdale, ME
Randolph, ME
Hallowell, ME
Litchfield, ME
Manchester, ME
Whitefield, ME
Richmond, ME
South Gardiner, ME
Alna, ME


text:
package plan

import (
	"math"

	"github.com/juju/errors"
	"github.com/pingcap/tidb/ast"
	"github.com/pingcap/tidb/expression"
	"github.com/pingcap/tidb/infoschema"
	"github.com/pingcap/tidb/privilege"
	"github.com/pingcap/tidb/sessionctx"
)

// AllowCartesianProduct means whether tidb allows cartesian join without equal conditions.
var AllowCartesianProduct = true

const (
	flagPrunColumns uint64 = 1 << iota
	flagEliminateProjection
	flagBuildKeyInfo
	flagDecorrelate
	flagMaxMinEliminate
	flagPredicatePushDown
	flagPartitionProcessor
	flagAggregationOptimize
	flagPushDownTopN
)

var optRuleList = []logicalOptRule{
	&columnPruner{},
	&projectionEliminater{},
	&buildKeySolver{},
	&decorrelateSolver{},
	&maxMinEliminator{},
	&ppdSolver{},
	&partitionProcessor{},
	&aggregationOptimizer{},
	&pushDownTopNOptimizer{},
}

// logicalOptRule means a logical optimizing rule, which contains decorrelate, ppd, column pruning, etc.
type logicalOptRule interface {
	optimize(LogicalPlan) (LogicalPlan, error)
}

// Optimize does optimization and creates a Plan.
// The node must be prepared first.
func Optimize(ctx sessionctx.Context, node ast.Node, is infoschema.InfoSchema) (Plan, error) {
	fp := tryFastPlan(ctx, node)
	if fp != nil {
		return fp, nil
	}
	ctx.GetSessionVars().PlanID = 0
	ctx.GetSessionVars().PlanColumnID = 0
	builder := &planBuilder{
		ctx:       ctx,
		is:        is,
		colMapper: make(map[*ast.ColumnNameExpr]int),
	}
	p, err := builder.build(node)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, errors.Trace(err)
	}

	// Maybe it's better to move this to Preprocess, but check privilege need table
	// information, which is collected into visitInfo during logical plan builder.
	if pm := privilege.GetPrivilegeManager(ctx); pm != nil {
		if !checkPrivilege(pm, builder.visitInfo) {
			return nil, errors.New("privilege check fail")
		}
	}

	if logic, ok := p.(LogicalPlan); ok {
		return doOptimize(builder.optFlag, logic)
	}
	if execPlan, ok := p.(*Execute); ok {
		err := execPlan.optimizePreparedPlan(ctx, is)
		return p, errors.Trace(err)
	}
	return p, nil
}

// BuildLogicalPlan used to build logical plan from ast.Node.
func BuildLogicalPlan(ctx sessionctx.Context, node ast.Node, is infoschema.InfoSchema) (Plan, error) {
	ctx.GetSessionVars().PlanID = 0
	ctx.GetSessionVars().PlanColumnID = 0
	builder := &planBuilder{
		ctx:       ctx,
		is:        is,
		colMapper: make(map[*ast.ColumnNameExpr]int),
	}
	p, err := builder.build(node)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, errors.Trace(err)
	}
	return p, nil
}

func checkPrivilege(pm privilege.Manager, vs []visitInfo) bool {
	for _, v := range vs {
		if !pm.RequestVerification(v.db, v.table, v.column, v.privilege) {
			return false
		}
	}
	return true
}

func doOptimize(flag uint64, logic LogicalPlan) (PhysicalPlan, error) {
	logic, err := logicalOptimize(flag, logic)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, errors.Trace(err)
	}
	if !AllowCartesianProduct && existsCartesianProduct(logic) {
		return nil, errors.Trace(ErrCartesianProductUnsupported)
	}
	physical, err := physicalOptimize(logic)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, errors.Trace(err)
	}
	finalPlan := eliminatePhysicalProjection(physical)
	return finalPlan, nil
}

func logicalOptimize(flag uint64, logic LogicalPlan) (LogicalPlan, error) {
	var err error
	for i, rule := range optRuleList {
		// The order of flags is same as the order of optRule in the list.
		// We use a bitmask to record which opt rules should be used. If the i-th bit is 1, it means we should
		// apply i-th optimizing rule.
		if flag&(1<<uint(i)) == 0 {
			continue
		}
		logic, err = rule.optimize(logic)
		if err != nil {
			return nil, errors.Trace(err)
		}
	}
	return logic, errors.Trace(err)
}

func physicalOptimize(logic LogicalPlan) (PhysicalPlan, error) {
	if _, err := logic.deriveStats(); err != nil {
		return nil, errors.Trace(err)
	}

	logic.preparePossibleProperties()

	prop := &requiredProp{
		taskTp:      rootTaskType,
		expectedCnt: math.MaxFloat64,
	}

	t, err := logic.findBestTask(prop)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, errors.Trace(err)
	}
	if t.invalid() {
		return nil, ErrInternal.GenByArgs("Can't find a proper physical plan for this query")
	}

	t.plan().ResolveIndices()
	return t.plan(), nil
}

func existsCartesianProduct(p LogicalPlan) bool {
	if join, ok := p.(*LogicalJoin); ok && len(join.EqualConditions) == 0 {
		return join.JoinType == InnerJoin || join.JoinType == LeftOuterJoin || join.JoinType == RightOuterJoin
	}
	for _, child := range p.Children() {
		if existsCartesianProduct(child) {
			return true
		}
	}
	return false
}

func init() {
	expression.EvalAstExpr = evalAstExpr
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The chances of finding your "perfect partner" online are a ton superior to anything you may think. It doesn't occur for everybody, obviously, except it can occur for you. The universe of web or web based dating has detonated throughout the most recent couple of years.
As our lives end up busier and busier we have to improve utilization of our chance and vitality in our look for the exclusive who will make our lives finish.
The familiar adage, "You need to kiss a ton of frogs before you discover a princess" is never again evident. Why kiss frogs when you can read many profiles and take a gander at the photos that run with them for a little month to month expense? That spares time and cash… also lip consume.
(1)	There is an extensive variety of men to look over. You aren't constrained to the men in your group of friends or workplace.
(2)	You have the chance to become acquainted with a considerable measure about a man before you ever reach him out of the blue. You will know his age, conjugal status, what city he lives in, regardless of whether he has youngsters, his tallness/weight and his preferences all from his profile. You'll even observe a photo of him.
(3)	You have a superior opportunity to introduce yourself positively. This is particularly helpful for those of us who are timid. We have sufficient energy to consider how we need to say things in regards to ourselves and can abstain from being tongue tied. Indeed, even the individuals who are more outgoing can set aside opportunity to consider who they truly are before composing their online profile.
(4)	Online dating is unquestionably a help. You can meet such huge numbers of a greater number of men in significantly less time than you ever could out in reality.


text:
Letters—Leeds refugee case shows that campaigning can work
Published Mon 10 Dec 2018
Sally and Hossein campaigning for his appeal (Pic: Sally Kincaid/Facebook)
We have been foster carers for a young refugee, Hossein Ahmadi, who arrived in Britain on the back of a freezer truck in the summer of 2016. He had spent ten months in the misery of the Dunkirk camp.
In October this year, Hossein received his 20-page letter of rejection from the Home Office.
We contacted his teachers to ask them to write letters of support to help his appeal.
One of his teachers started a petition which got to thousands of signatures within days.
They used an article that the NEU union magazine had printed about Hossein's story to help spread the word.
The college marketing department was also on the case, producing a short film about Hossein.
A week before the appeal date over 60 teenagers and their teachers marched around Leeds City Centre, handing out Stand up to Racism flyers and chanting "Hossein Must Stay".
The local press started covering the story very sympathetically.
On the day of the hearing, apart from his close supporters, two coaches full of students and staff arrived. They had diverted their trip to see a Panto.
The G4S security said they had seen protests outside this court, but never this big.
The Appeal Court judge upheld the appeal. He took the unusual step of announcing the result at the end of the hearing.
We believe the reason was because of the magnificent campaign that staff and students at Leeds City College ran.
We want to thank every Socialist Worker reader who signed the petition or sent a message of support to us during the #HosseinMustStay campaign.
Staff and students at the college are now talking about doing more refugee solidarity work. They said this has never just been about Hossein but others who have the same journey and battles.
Sally Kincaid and Steve Johnston
Let's spoil our ballots in a 'people's vote'
Socialists can only confront the EU on class grounds. This means anti-austerity, renationalisation and open borders.
We can have nothing to do with Article 50, which is part of the corrupt European Union (EU).
We want to confront the EU on those class grounds, and defy them to attack us—what might be called "Lexit by means of expulsion."
Today Leave has been swallowed up by an alliance of ultra free-marketeers and imperialist nostalgics. In a "people's vote" none of the options will be acceptable.
Any non-Leave option will be tailored to the needs of business. Any of them will tie a Corbyn government to the EU's competition rules.
Even worse, the parliamentary leaderships of the "people's vote" and "Norway+" are promising curbs on free movement either through existing rules or the "Emergency Brake".
This will be a fatal concession to racists. Our only effective option is opposing the entire process, preferably by spoiling the ballots.
These must be counted and show the extent of opposition to the whole rotten show.
Barry Pavier
Boris Johnson is example of sick system
Churchill-wannabee Boris Johnson has been ordered to apologise to parliament for failing to register nine payments totalling £52,722.80 within a 28-day deadline.
This sum amounts to 70 percent of Johnson's salary as an MP.
Some £22,916.66 of the figure is Johnson's monthly fee for writing four articles for the Daily Telegraph—a task which supposedly takes up ten hours of his valuable time.
The House of Commons committee on standards found Johnson's failure to register his extra payments was "neither inadvertent nor minor".
Johnson has form on salaries paid for extracurricular activities.
In 2009 he found time in his busy schedule as Mayor of London to hold down a second job as a columnist with the Daily Telegraph.
When criticised, he argued it was "wholly reasonable" because "I happen to write extremely fast".
He dismissed the £250,000-a-year he received for his musings as "chicken feed".
Johnson's chastisement comes a day after the Tory benches hooted in derision at Jeremy Corbyn when he attacked the government for the misery that Universal Credit is creating.
The Tories laugh at the poor and consider £250,000 "chicken feed".
In the words of Johnson's hero Churchill, "Some chicken. Some neck."
Sasha Simic
We are fighting cuts to mental health services
Our campaign has been fighting for six years to stop severe cuts to mental health services in Norfolk.
We are sick of constant talk about mental illnesses by MPs and celebrities, and still no real funding.
Last month we held a public meeting in Cromer, a small seaside town which in the last year has suffered the loss of many young people through suicide.
Over 100 people turned up. While capitalism survives it is hard to imagine a society without mental distress. Similarly it's hard to imagine a helpful mental health service.
We've had enough of chief executives whose aim is just to impose more cuts.
Congratulations to striking care workers in Birmingham.
Perhaps if mental health workers in Norfolk had taken action, we would not have lost so many to imposed redundancy and many patients would have been saved from suicide.
Terry Skyrme
Unions should fight over pay
How long are the unions going to sit back and let our pay go down?
Workers' pay is worth less now in real terms than it was when the Tories got in.
In the north of England it's fallen by £21 a week since 2008.
If unions called more action, we could get some of it back.
Gill Deane
A rebellion against more?
Is Extinction Rebellion solely a climate change movement as the media are framing it?
Because the current extinction event is as much about habitat loss, water overuse and pollution, agriculture and over-fishing as it is about climate change.
@GaryCushway
Trump golf costs a joke
Trump Can't afford Medicare for all, but he can waste £65 million on golf (£65,000,000 for Trump to play golf watched by cops, Socialist Worker, 5 December)?
Mark Wardell
Borrowing to afford food
A report last week said a third of families with disabled children had to borrow money to buy food in the last year.
It's unbelievable.
People with disabled children or family members have extra costs. They may find it harder to work because of their caring responsibilities.
But instead of giving support, the Tories are just making life harder.
Janet Sadler
Mainstream media biased
Many great links from socialists on Twitter.
Channel 4 News often shows unprofessional bias against Labour.
The BBC doesn't even pretend to provide balanced, unbiased coverage of events anymore.
Tony Lowe
Mon 10 Dec 2018, 15:54 GMT
Letters - How fans in Scotland threw football act into the dustbin
LETTERS: Time to take all the political issues into our workplaces
LETTERS—Standing with Palestinians in Manchester and Bristol
LETTERS—We organised to stop the far right at Warwick University
LETTERS—Bankrupting universities is part of a privatisation plan
LETTERS—Home Office racism did not stop with Windrush scandal


text:
Welcome to our official guide to Worcester Racecourse. We explore this great jump racing racecourse in detail, looking at its history, a guide to the track, hotel picks, fixtures, travel information, betting guides and even the weather!
2 History of the Course
3 Main Worcester Races and Meetings
4 Worcester Racecourse Map
5 Worcester Racecourse Address
6 How to Get There
8 Best Worcester Races Online Betting Sites
9 Other Events at the Course
10 Worcester Weather
11 Summary of Worcester Races
Part of the Arena Racing Group, Worcester Racecourse is one of the most historic racing grounds in the UK. Specialising in National Hunt races since the mid-1960s, Worcester offers jump courses throughout the summer – a period usually reserved for flat racing.
Known to locals as Pitchcroft, the Worcester Racecourse is a jewel in the crown of the city that bears its name. Worcester differs from many locales in the UK in that it offers National Hunt meetings throughout the summer.
This is a matter of geography. Pitchcroft is unable to operate during the traditional jumping season as it's based so close to the River Severn. When the banks of this river burst, the course is at risk of flooding. This exact issue occurred during an inclement summer of 2007, which led to that season's post-June fixtures being cancelled. Naturally, the risk becomes considerably more pronounced in the winter.
The track itself is an oval shape, covering 13 furlongs and a decent home straight. Pitchcroft has a stellar reputation among riders and trainers, who often use the course to improve the performance of novice hurdlers as the course is pleasingly flat. This means that every meet at the venue boasts a large field of competitors.
This makes Worcester a great location for racing newcomers and equestrian experts alike. If you're just looking for a fun day at the races, Pitchcroft will provide this in spades.
If you're keen to talent scout leading horses of the future, however, many famous nags made their first impression upon this very course.
Worcester Racecourse is owned by Arena Racing Group, so it follows a similar dress code to many tracks throughout the country. Smart-casual is typically the way to go. If you have any doubts at all as to appropriate attire, it's always advisable to check in advance of travelling.
History of the Course
Worcester Racecourse has a rich and varied history, dating back to 1718. This makes it one of the oldest consistent racecourses in the UK, though the 100-acre territory has previously hosted other sporting events too. These include football, rugby and even bare-knuckle boxing.
From its origin until 1966, Pitchcroft was also a flat racing circuit. In its formative years, the venue was host to such prestigious events as the Worcester Stakes and Worcester Gold Cup.
In 1965, none other than the Princess Royal completed a victorious ride.
The gradual shift to National Hunt racing was inspired by the shift in the track's shape to an oval, which commenced in the late 19th Century. Flat riders grew increasingly displeased with these changes, leading to a gradual decline in the quality of racing. National Hunt and flat races were combined until the latter was fully phased out.
The Arena Racing Group took ownership of the racetrack in 2000, expanding the fixture list and making Pitchcroft a major player in the summer racing calendar.
Main Worcester Races and Meetings
With National Hunt events running from May until October, Worcester Racecourse crams over twenty events into its season. While the track is not home to any particularly notable races or competitions, it remains a bustling and busy venue with multiple specialist events.
A typical annual fixture list is:
May – One afternoon race meet, one evening race meet.
June – Ladies Day, Family Fun Day for Father's Day, an additional afternoon race meet and one evening race meet.
July – Three afternoon race meets, two evening race meets.
August – Family Fun Day, one afternoon race meet, one evening race meet.
September – Three afternoon race meets, one evening race meet (often declared Irish Racenight.)
October – Two afternoon race meets.
These dates may shift slightly, depending on weather and the foibles of the annual calendar. Always consult a live fixture list, ideally one provided by the racecourse directly or Arena Racing Group.
Remember, all of these events are National Hunt racing. This is a rarity during the summer months. As a small track we also advise booking ahead, areas such as the County Enclosure are often very popular.
Worcester Racecourse Map
The course is flat and left-handed with generally sweeping and fair turns. The track uses portable fences which are often considered easier to jump. The long home straight should give hold-up horses decent chances but with summer jumping the ground is often quick and so often sitting handy is advantageous.
Worcester Racecourse Address
The official correspondence address of Worcester Racecourse is:
Grand Stand Road
WR1 3EJ
One of the great selling points of this racecourse is its close proximity to the heart of Worcester. This makes attending a day at the races exceedingly simple, whether arriving by car or rail.
By car – if driving to Worcester Racecourse, leave the M5 at the North or South junction and join the A449 toward Worcester City Centre. From here, you have the choice of the A443 or the A44. Both will bring you to Worcester, and signage will guide you the rest of the way.
By rail – there are also two railways stations in Worcester, both of which have strong links to major cities throughout the UK. Worcester Foregate Street is closest, based a short 10-minute walk from the racetrack. Alternatively, head to Worcester Shrubhill, which is a 20-minute stroll or five minutes in a taxi.
You should never struggle to find a hotel to accommodate an overnight stay at the Worcester Racetrack. There are no less than five reputable hotels located within a mile of the course – many of which are even closer. The hotels in question are:
The Worcester Whitehouse
The Premier Inn Worcester City Centre
Travelodge Worcester
Ye Olde Talbot
Fownes Hotel
In the unlikely event of all of these accommodations being booked, just search for a B&B in the surrounding area. As long as you stay comparatively close to Worcester, you'll always have easy access to the racecourse. For the best deals please check Booking.com as below:
Best Worcester Races Online Betting Sites
At British Racecourses we often recommend betting online and via apps. This is because you can often get the best odds, great offers when signing up and you can place bets quickly and safely without having to queue.
If you are looking to bet online we recommend the following great deals with some amazing offers for new customers:
Other Events at the Course
Like most Arena Racing Group courses, the Worcester course hosts a number of post-raceday musical extravaganzas. These run throughout the season, though particular events such as Ladies Day will always be accompanied by further entertainment.
In addition, Worcester Racetrack remains available for private hire all year around. It's a very popular destination for private parties and corporate events, in addition to weddings and Christmas parties.
Worcester Weather
Punters and race-goers love to keep up with the weather to predict going conditions, as well as making sure what they wear is suitable. Here's the current weather forecast for Worcester:
Summary of Worcester Races
Worcester is a charming national hunt track, often plagued by flooding it specialises in summer jumping. Set in a beautiful rural location it is popular with locals and racing fans. Whilst it doesn't host particularly high-class races it is always popular and well-attended. Booking ahead is recommended particularly for the County Enclosure. It is a fab little course and we recommend it very highly.


Presently, you might be having a good idea about dental implants and the importance. You might have to spend hours skimming through various websites seeking necessary information about the same. A trend that We had noticed is the listing of the helpful aspects of dental enhancements. There might be websites that will be position the pitfalls of the process, nonetheless they are hidden from the plain view, thanks to the weird page rank systems employed by the various search engines. In this brief article, We are outlining certain aspects that will shed a negative light over dental care implants.
A quick recap of the earlier mentioned ideas is necessary at this point. The artificial the teeth will be located on an artificial root that is in turn mounted on the jawbone. The basis is affixed in the jawbone with the aid of titanium screws. Titanium is specifically chosen due to question advantages obtainable with the metal?—?the list is topped by the fact that the metallic is highly compatible with the human body, specifically the bones.Read here about dental implants The key aspect of this debate is something else?—?numerous nerves that help in the movement of the jaws run along this region.
While screwing or affixing the medical ( dental ) implants, if any of these nerves is interfered, then all hell will break lose. People will lose their ability to open their mouths. Inside the strangest of the situations, an opened mouth area are never closed! Picture the plight of the patient?—?all this individual previously ever wanted was a dental implant, and he is literally swindled out of his potential to control the mouth area and the associated functions. The specific situation is highly problematic?—?and far feared by the dentists themselves. That does not necessarily indicate that everyone will be that great scenario that is listed in here.
In order to avoid such complications, dentists do the following steps. With the aid of suitable devices, they get the xray photographs of the region. This will list the whole layout of the spirit running through the region, where dental implant will be inserted. If it is too risky, the dentist will list an appropriate alternative to these medical ( dental ) implants. There are dentist who are certified to conduct the procedure?—?always seek their help while looking to the best of the dental care implantation procedure. Opting for the incorrect dentist, may confirm to be unfavorable.
Control the power of the internet to find the best of the dental practitioners who excel in the niche. The reputed ones have set up internet based websites that will be listing the techniques and alternatives. It is under your control to opt for the paradigm, in like manner leave it. Plenty of folks are recapturing their lives by deciding on an appropriate dental société process. Various alternative types of procedures are also present?—?read the testimonials of patients who subjected themselves to a dentist for a dental implant. This kind of will provide ample regarding the dexterity of the dentist.


The Lackawanna pipeline is real.
It flows from Scranton, Pennsylvania, to any number of key points across the country, delivering half-baked talent to established football programs set on nurturing and developing those players.
And by the looks of Oklahoma�s 2016 football roster this season, Norman is at the top of the list.
He�s seen it in action.
Beal rode the pipeline into town this past summer, along with Lackawanna teammates Karpri Doucet and Ashton Julious. Since his arrival, the 6-foot, 215-pound Beal has become one of the Sooners� most consistent playmakers on defense.
Through the first 10 games this season, Beal ranked second on the team with 63 tackles, trailing only fellow linebacker Jordan Evans (76). On top of that, he had six quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and a pair of QB sacks.
Back in 2008, the Sooners signed linebacker Mike Balogun out of Lackawanna, and offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh helped reconnect OU to the juco program when he was hired in 2013.
Sooner Spectator caught up with Beal after the Sooners� 45-24 win over Baylor to get his thoughts on the pipeline and a number of other topics.
Sooner Spectator: What has been the key to your success here at OU so far?
Emannuel Beal: Really, just trying to be physical and making plays. Those are the two things I have tried to focus on since I got here. I�m probably considered a little undersized for a linebacker at this level, so you have to find a way to make up for that if you can. Playing a physical style of football is important for me. You have to bring it every day � especially when you are working against one of the best offensive lines in the Big 12 every day in practice. Knowing your position and being smart about everything you do is also important, and working on my technique has been another key for me.
SS: What was it about OU that made you believe it was the right place for you?
Beal: First of all, Coach (Tim) Kish. He�s a great coach, but he�s a lot more than that. He�s a family man and he�s fun to be around. We�ve had a pretty good connection from the start and it�s grown from there, especially since I got on campus here. Plus, I was also impressed with the program OU has, the tradition, and the whole school.
SS: Has it helped your transition from junior college to OU having two of your teammates from Lackawanna here with you?
Beal: It�s made a big difference � just having those guys here and knowing they are going through the same experience I am. It gives you a feeling of comfort, to some degree. There is always going to be some anxiety when you are put into a new situation, especially one like this where so much is expected of you. We all talk about it and try to help each other. I think that�s been good for us.
SS: You were born in Michigan but moved to Columbus, Ohio, when you were young. What was it like growing up there?
Beal: It was good. I went to a high school there called Reynoldsburg and basically grew up playing in Ohio State country. I probably played against an Ohio State recruit in every game I played. So I knew some of the Ohio State players when we faced them earlier this season. But that�s a game I don�t really care to look back on too much. We put it behind us and we�re only looking forward.
SS: What sort of expectations did you have for yourself when you arrived on campus back in the summer?
Beal: When I got here, I didn�t look at any depth chart and didn�t care who was on the depth chart at linebacker. I just had to focus on what I needed to do to get on the field. Oklahoma was the first program to give me an offer, which gave me a lot of confidence. They gave me that offer for a reason � because they saw something in me. That�s all the motivation I needed. I felt like if I got here and worked hard and did everything they asked me to do that I could put myself in a position to play. The move to inside linebacker was a bit confusing because I had not played there before. But it has all worked out.
SS: What has been your favorite moment as a Sooner so far? It can be a certain game or a season or even a single play.
Beal: To be honest, my favorite moment so far was watching Jordan (Evans) just go off like he did against Baylor (9 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions). He was amazing from start to finish. That was fun to watch, especially against a team like that. And I had a close-up view of it all.
SS: What was the biggest hurdle for you making the leap from juco to Division I?
Beal: The plays, the calls, the language � it was all different from what I was used to before I got here. Juco is just a step above high school, so the language is pretty much the same there. But not at this level where you have to learn so much in a short amount of time. It�s all football, but just a lot to take in and learn if you are new to the system.
SS: What is the best way to describe OU�s current defense?
Beal: Basically, it�s a work in progress. We have lots of new guys in the mix this season, myself included. Any time you lose some of the veteran players like we did from last year, you�re going to need some time to grow together and gain experience together. Everybody knows we�ve had some struggles this season, but I feel like we are getting better every day in practice and it�s starting to show in games now. Slowly but surely, I can see our overall confidence growing and just guys at different positions starting to play better, more aggressively as they get comfortable.


In South Sudan, gas stations across the country are running out of fuel. Imports have slowed down because roads to east Africa are either blocked or frequently attacked. On top of this, the fuel import business has become difficult with inflation at about 800 percent. As a result, many fuel traders have simply given up importing.
In recent months, some public buses and motorbike taxies in the capital Juba have stopped operating.
Now businesses are also beginning to be affected across South Sudan because goods cannot be transported.
Correspondent Tito Justin has this report from Juba.


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Organizing historical menus: a data curation experiment
by on June 21, 2013 in Community
During the weeks of April 14 - May 3, I was fortunate to spend my MLIS practicum at MITH under the supervision of Trevor Munoz. My main reason for applying to MITH as a potential practicum site was my background in the digital humanities and library and information studies, as well as my interest in data curation and research data management in the humanities. I also wanted to apply the skills I learned in the "Data Curation for Digital Humanists" course at the Digital Humanities Winter Institute hosted by MITH and the University of Maryland in January of 2013 (taught by Trevor and Dorothea Salo from UW-Madison.) I was pleased, then, to discover what a unique project Trevor chose for us during my time at MITH.
Our main project was to imagine ways to curate the publicly available data from the New York Public Library's "What's on the Menu?" (WOTM) special collection of digitized historical menus. The Library crowdsourced the transcription of the digitized menus via the project website and compiled the completed menu transcriptions into large spreadsheets, which are updated every two weeks as more data continue to be produced. Recently, NYPL Labs added a geo-tagging tool to add geospatial information to the historical menus, where available. An award-winning digital project, NYPL's "What's on the Menu?" is a great resource for exploring data curation in practice as it is free, openly accessible, and a subject of interest to humanists.
Our task as data curators, therefore, involved cleaning up, organizing, classifying, describing, structuring, representing and otherwise making more accessible the data provided on the "What's on the Menu?" site. A user exploring the project site will quickly discover that, while over 26,000 menus have been digitized and displayed online, one can only browse them by the year the menus were produced, the name of the restaurant that produced the menu, and the total number of dishes that appeared on the menu. In other words, there is no thematic or categorical classification of these menus that would appeal to the discovery of the rich historical and cultural information contained in this unique collection. We decided that categorizing and classifying the WOTM data to support richer browsing was curatorial activity that might add value.
Before we began to categorize and curate this data, however, it was important to take stock of our data at hand. Essentially, we downloaded two spreadsheets from the WOTM site: one "Menus" set containing over 28,000 rows of data (the names and types of menu pages) and one "Dishes" set containing over 400,000 rows of data (the individual names of dishes that appeared on those menus, including their prices). After assessing the data, we wrote a data management plan (in best Digital Humanist practice) for the work we were about to begin in curating the Menus and the Dishes data.
While we could speculate on the potential usefulness of the data in this collection, it's always better to have actual evidence of what users want. NYPL Labs graciously shared summaries of the requests they have received from people requesting credentials to use the WOTM application programming interface (API). These short description served as evidence of user needs, which would help guide our decision-making process. Historians, social scientists, journalists, literary food scholars, chefs, novelists, teachers and students, as well as general enthusiasts all showed interest in access to this data. In order to make the menus more accessible for these potential users, we had to imagine what types of questions they might ask of this information. This would inform the general working taxonomy, or information architecture, of our data set.
First, however, we needed to clean it up. As you can imagine, crowdsourced data tends to me messy, containing many spelling variations, typos, ambiguities, and missing fields. We used OpenRefine (formerly GoogleRefine) software to cluster and rename data fields that we considered of particular use or interest to future users of this collection, principally names of the businesses offering these menus and also, where present, the names of the categories (supplied by original cataloguers?) to which the menus had been assigned. While OpenRefine helped with the initial clustering, the large number of name and spelling variations meant some tedious line-by-line editing. This is also the data curator's job.
Upon a general data cleanup, I was excited to launch into the categorizing! While working on my taxonomy of menus and dishes, I learned the difference between taxonomies, thesauri and ontologies, and have built up a nice working list of controlled vocabularies to consult for various subjects. Overall, when creating the taxonomy of the menus, I focused on what the potential users of this data might seek in this unique collection. As such, I developed three levels of classification with four broad categories by which to group the menus. These included the Hosting Organization that sponsored the menu, Type of Meal the menu reflected, the Restaurant Address where the meal was held, as well as the Type of Gathering for which the menu was produced. For example, we decided that users might be interested in exploring political and military meals held in the "What's on the Menu?" collection, as well as browsing the menus created for special occasions, such as George Washington's Birthday meals. While our taxonomy structure is not the definitive version of this data, Trevor and I nonetheless believe that providing users with the ability to browse all wedding menus, High Society Banquets or meals held for royal individuals, for example, was a value-added service that data curators can provide. In other words, our categories were additional ways to enter, explore and understand this special collection that lead to discovery and learning.
User testing and evaluation was another important step in the curation process, as it allowed us to see whether we were on the right track with our curatorial practice. While we may have been following good metadata standards, referring to controlled vocabularies and linking URIs to our classification terms, none of this work would ultimately have mattered if the users could not navigate the data quickly and easily. I discovered a useful tool called TreeJack, which allows information architects to test their tree structure (the organization of information) by providing anonymous users with several tasks to complete. We also asked our test subjects to answer three brief survey questions about the choice of terms used to create the categories for the menus. Based on the feedback we received, we changed the placement and labeling of certain categories. Ultimately, a final user testing of this data curation project would help evaluate it as a whole.
Finally, in my last week, we decided to develop a kind of proof-of-concept for our data curation work and display it online. Inspired by Aaron Straup Cope's talk at the Library of Congress about his work on "Parallel Flickr", Trevor and I tried to imagine our own "Parallel Menus" to experiment with our newly-minted categories for this data. Initially, after inserting the two spreadsheets into a MySQL database hosted on my University of Alberta web server, I created a query to display each category on its own static web page by writing some PHP scripts. Trevor, however, taught me about Bootstrap, a front-end design framework, that allowed us to make our Parallel Menus a little more interactive through Java Script. Finally, using the API key which Trevor obtained from NYPL, we were able to get thumbnail images of our menus from the "What's on the Menu?" API service and insert them into our web code to entice the users of the taxonomy into browsing our site.
Clearly, my three weeks at MITH went by quickly, and I didn't have a chance to work on the Dishes side of our WOTM data. Nonetheless, I kept documentation for my work as we went along, and even developed some categories and controlled vocabulary terms for organizing this much larger data set. Trevor will be teaching several Data Curation workshops in the coming months, and I hope that he will be able to expand on my practicum work by getting students to work on the Dishes part of this project. I hope that the "What's on the Menu?" Data Curation project will eventually be handed over to NYPL to help make their site even more usable to the many visitors they receive each day. I would be honored if, upon handing it back to the New York Public Library, they used any of our suggestions with regard to organizing and classifying this data.
During my practicum, I appreciated participating both in the administrative duties of digital humanists, such as attending project meetings, policy and grant writing, and data audits as well as in more creative tasks such as attending talks at the Library of Congress, exploring new tools, and participating in the MITH Incubator project by helping librarians develop their own research projects. I especially valued the way Trevor combined the practical with the theoretical, getting me to think about the broader implications of the data curation process – its costs, its biases and limitations, its potential, its role in the creation of new knowledge. Working on this project gave me a whole new perspective on research data in the humanities, and I believe it will help me complete my thesis, as well as further my career. This was definitely a transformative experience.
Overall, I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to put my skills and interests in digital humanities data curation at MITH with Trevor's leadership. In addition to meeting the wonderful MITH team, many visiting scholars and the larger DC digital humanities community, I learned many exciting and useful things in my time at UMD: APIs, JQuery, LCSH Linked Data Service, OpenRefine and its RDF plug-in, TreeJack and tree testing, GitHub, Freebase, along with many others. I look forward to visiting MITH again in the future and launching DH curation projects of my own!
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Galleries : ASIA Galleries : Singapore Member Galleries : Ranjan Ramchandani
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Ranjan Ramchandani
Ranjan Ramchandani is a Singapore based published photographer focusing on travel and wildlife. He calls himself a life long student of photography who does not like being categorised in any one genre. Ranjan has recently accepted the position of Asia/Africa Editor for the recently launched magazine in the United States - The Wild Lens. (www.thewildlensmagazine.com)
He has honed his skills through photography expeditions around the globe including major wildlife destinations. Today, he is one of the best persons to travel with on safari and is always happy to take guests with him to Africa. Ranjan also runs regular field Photography workshops in Africa. He is also a graduate from the New York Institute of Photography. In the past he has been the community ambassador for Canon EOS World, Singapore and then moved on to become an Olympus Visionary and brand Ambasador for a few years. Today he has decided to go freelance and uses both Canon and Olympus systems.
To Ranjan photography is an art - A true medium of self-expression. After his visits to Ladakh in India he was inspired to do his first coffee table book, "Swades: Ladakh: The Land of Splendour in September 2010. His latest book is the first of it's kind in the world; Published by Floop Photography in the Netherlands this is a coffee table book on the Masai Mara in 3D.
Ranjan has thereafter been covered and published in various media in India and the US - Sanctuary Asia, Green Leaf, BanyoPran, Outdoor Photographer and recently The Wild Lens.
He's got recognition and awards at competitions from MIFA (Moscow International Foto Awards), PX3 (Paris), IPA (International photography Awards), OneEyeland awards, World Photo Gala Association, The Charles Dodgson Award The Pollux Awards and more.
Ranjan's works have been shown by private galleries in India, Singapore and now the United States; And was curetted for the 3rd Biennial of fine art and documentary photography at Malaga, Spain in 2014, the 4th Biennial of fine art and documentary photography at Berlin, Germany in 2016, the 5th one which was held in Barcelona, Spain in 2018 and the 6th one which is being held in Barcelona, Spain in December 2021. He was exhibited at Barcelona in October 2019 also where he had been curetted as a part of a group show along with photographers from around the globe.


Hi All, after a bit of a pause in retro activities I am trying to get some items checked off the old back log.
Before I decided to move I was encouraged to downsize some of my computer collection. I have a couple of Amiga 2000's so these, a couple of Macs and an Apple IIgs setup are on the chopping block since I really have not used them much in the past year+ and they do take up considerable space.
I have 2 Amiga 2000's. One came from a neighbor of mine about 28 years ago or so, circa 1990. He was a year or so younger then me and had a really cool A2000 setup with Supra Hard Card and a Supra RAM card. I had an A500 at the time and he was a major source of getting the latest software. He was going to college and decided to get rid of it all. It went to my friends house until about 1994 when the PowerPC Macs came out. From there all of our Commodore stuff went into storage and the Amiga 2000 sat in his storage. Fast forward 20 years later and I unloaded our storage as all of it was going to be gone if I didn't. I got back All of my Commodore stuff and most of my Amiga stuff. Took two or three car loads but it was saved and I was happy to get my stuff back, well most of it anyways. Of course, ahem, some other people in the house were not too thrilled given the size of our house. (hence the moving).
Of course, as you can guess, 20 years of non-use and an original battery = a big green battery mess. Yep, battery leaked everywhere including the CPU socket. I managed to clean it and after removing the MegaChip and replacing it with an 8372a and removing the Supra turbo 28 It came to life. Well sort of. It kept crashing and eventually I got a Red screen. I picked up another 2000 and transferred all the hardware into that one and it fired up and booted from the 235MB quantum drive. I couldn't get the original to work so it sat in the garage.
Wanting to sell these units I decided to give the old original another look over. It was now going to a black screen. I decided to attempt to remove the CPU socket. 64 pins! Yikes. I thought it might be easier to cut the socket into sections and perhaps heat up and remove each pin. Now that was a mistake and just made a big mess. So I got out the desolder station and just went for it. I managed to get it all out and cleaned up. It looked good. I found a bit of corrosion that I missed as the leakage traveled to a pin on the ROM socket, nasty stuff. I replaced the two sockets, put it back together and thought to myself that I am not that lucky there is no way that it is going to work.
I powered it on with no floppies connected and got a white screen. Well I was closer. But after a few seconds it cycled and went to the 2.0 Kickstart screen. I was floored. I reconnected both internal drives, after performing some maint. on them and inserted a 2.04 install disk and it booted to the WorkBench. Unbelievable, it was working.
It has been 20 years since I have used this Amiga. I need to get an expansion card for it like an A2091 to at least get a SCSI or SCSI2SD going on it + 2MB RAM that it supports. The original cards are in my other Amiga now. Finding one will be a challenge since I haven't had the best of luck on eBay with Amiga stuff.
Question: When the system is booting up from the drive on the right, which is DF0: the DF1: drive LED lights up too. I don't remember it doing this before, but it was 20 years ago so is this right? Should both lights light up on when you are using one drive or the other?
How are the drives jumpers supposed to be configured? Both as the same drive number and then a twist in the cable to alter the drive number? My cable has a twist on the second connector. It is been too long. I guess I should pull out the manual I have around here someplace.
Any advice or suggestions, please feel free to enlighten me because I have forgotten a lot of this stuff.
After fixing it up I am not certain I want to sell it now. I think I am going to instead sell an Amiga 1200 and an A500. Thanks for listening to my long winded story and for any help you might have.
The DF1 drive LED does indeed light up when you boot. Sometimes when I put a disk in DF0, DF1 might "wake up" for a minute, too. The LED lights on dual-drive A2000s are unusual. I don't think the behavior you're seeing is bad or wrong. I can take a short video of the process if you'd like to compare. As for the jumpers, I can't remember. Heck, I can't even remember if my drives have jumpers. Hah!
Hi, here you got the jumpers info, lmk if this is what you needed!
Ok, Cool. Thanks guys. Perhaps mine is normal. I just didn't remember. I did check the jumper on the Motherboard, J301 and indeed it is in place so that is correct.
If you look at the back of the drive you can see the jumpers. At least if you have Chinon drives, which is probably the brand i have seen the most in Amiga's. I have also seen Panasonic and Epson drives. But I think you are right it is probably just normal behavior. DF1: does indeed to light up when you put a disk in DF0: and the other way around too.
Thanks for the offer of a video, intric8, that is super nice. From what you describe it sounds like the same behavior so no need, but thank you all the same.
Like a dummy, it didn't occur to me to move DF1: to my other A2000 (It has a single drive and a 234MB HD and 8MB RAM, all of which was originally in this now fixed original Amiga) and see if I get the same behavior. Duh!
Personally, the Amiga 1200 is worth keeping . It is small and super easy to expand with inexpensive accelerators, memory and using a CF card as a hard drive.
Having something that supports AGA us definitely worth it.
The drive LEDs usually are a cabling issue. Is this an original Amiga floppy cable (with 4-6 twisted in one of the connectors)?
DF0: must be jumpered to DS0 on the drive and this must have the cable with the twist in it.. I believe you peel out 4,5,6 and turn them around and put them back in.
DF1: must be jumpered to DS1 on the drive and this must have the section of cable that is not twisted.
Will do. Working at the moment but first chance I get I will post it here.
Dynamic_Computing wrote: Personally, the Amiga 1200 is worth keeping . It is small and super easy to expand with inexpensive accelerators, memory and using a CF card as a hard drive.
I agree but I have 2 of them a Commodore original that defaults to PAL (which I recently recapped and will sell) and an NTSC Amiga Technologies. They both have CF HDs and I also have the original seagate 80MB HD that came with the Original.
A10001986 wrote: The drive LEDs usually are a cabling issue. Is this an original Amiga floppy cable (with 4-6 twisted in one of the connectors)?
Thank you for your input everyone! It is most helpful.
Ok, as promised here is a picture of the backside of the drives. DF0: is on the left ending in serial 13. As you can see I think I plugged the cable in PC style, twist going back to DF1: which would confuse things. I guess.
Here is a picture that shows this and the jumper settings on each drive.
DF0 is on the left in this picture of Chinon A2000 drives.
They say the twist goes to DF1: I have tried connecting it the way suggested above and the light stays on to DF1 and it is seen as DF0:. The other drive that is supposed to be DF0: will not work this way. I wish I still had to original instruction sheet that showed all the correct jumpers and cable connections that came with the second drive back then. Arrrrg.


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STS070-726-032 - STS-070 - Earth observations taken from shuttle orbiter Discovery on STS-70 mission
The original finding aid described this as: Description: Earth observations taken from shuttle orbiter Discovery on STS-70 mission. Subject Terms: STS-70 EARTH OBSERVATIONS (FROM SPACE) Date Taken: 7/15/1995 Categories: Earth Observations Interior_Exterior: Exterior Ground_Orbit: On-orbit Original: Film - 70MM CT Preservation File Format: TIFF geon: MADAGASCAR feat: COAST, R.,SED., WETLANDS lat: -19 lon: 44 tilt: 28 cldp: 20 nlat: -20.1 nlon: 44.9 dir: NW azi: 302 alt: 159 elev: 18
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. 2/17/1973
National Archives at College Park - Still Pictures
Magnetic Disk
Magnetic Media
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. 2/17/1973. STS070-726-032 - STS-070 - Earth observations taken from shuttle orbiter Discovery on STS-70 mission. 1981-04-12/2011-07-21. Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America, http://catalog.archives.gov/id/22924699. (Accessed July 15, 2019.)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. 2/17/1973, (1981-04-12/2011-07-21) STS070-726-032 - STS-070 - Earth observations taken from shuttle orbiter Discovery on STS-70 mission. Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America, http://catalog.archives.gov/id/22924699
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. 2/17/1973. Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America <http://catalog.archives.gov/id/22924699>.


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Prof. Roza Leikin
Books and special issues
Papers in refereed journals
Papers in conference proceedings
Papers in Hebrew
Projects Grants
Supervision of graduate students
Completed ph.d.
Completed m.a.
Completed post-doc
International conferences - organization
Department of Mathematics Education
Publications >
Leikin, M., Waisman, I. Shaul, S. and Leikin, R. (Accepted). Brain activity associated with translation from a visual to a symbolic representation in algebra and geometry. Integrative NeoroScience.
Leikin, R., Paz-Baruch, N. and Leikin, M. (2014 - in press). Cognitive Characteristics of students with Superior Performance in Mathematics. Journal of Individual Differences
Waisman, I., Leikin, M., Shaul, S. and Leikin, R. (2014). Brain activity associated with translation between graphical and symbolic representations of functions in generally gifted and excelling in mathematics adolescents. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 12(3), 669-696.
Leikin, M., Waisman, I. and Leikin, R. (2013). How brain research can contribute to the evaluation of mathematical giftedness. Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling, 55(4), 415-437.
Leikin, R. (2013). Evaluating mathematical creativity: The interplay between multiplicity and insight. Psychological Test and Assessment Modeling, 55(4), 385-400.
Leikin, M., Paz-Baruch, N. and Leikin, R. (2013). Memory Abilities in Generally Gifted and Excelling-in-mathematics Adolescents. Intelligence, 41, 566–578.
Leikin, R., Leikin, M., Waisman, I., and Shaul, S. (2013). Effect of the presence of external representations on accuracy and reaction time in solving mathematical double-choice problems by students of different levels of instruction. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 11(5), 1049-1066.
Zazkis R., Leikin, R., & Sinitsky, I. (2013). Derivative of area equals perimeter -- coincidence? Mathematics Teacher, 106 (9), 686-693.
Leikin, R., Subotnik, R., Pitta-Pantazi, D., Singer, M. & Peltzer, I. (2013). Teachers' views on creativity in mathematics education: An international survey. ZDM - The International Journal on Mathematics Education, 45(2), 309-324.
Lev-Zamir, H. & Leikin, R. (2013). Saying vs. Doing: Teachers' conceptions of creativity in elementary mathematics teaching. ZDM - The International Journal on Mathematics Education, 45(2), 295-308.
Leikin, R. & Lev, M. (2013). Mathematical creativity in generally gifted and mathematically excelling adolescents: What makes the difference? ZDM - The International Journal on Mathematics Education, 45(2), 183–197.
Leikin, R. & Pitta-Pantazi (2013). Creativity and mathematics education: The state of the art. ZDM - The International Journal on Mathematics Education, 45(2), 159–166.
Leikin, R. & Grossman, D. (2013). Teachers modify geometry problems: from proof to investigation. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 82(3), 515–531.
Guberman, R. & Leikin, R. (2013). Interest and difficulty: Changes in teachers' views of multiple solution tasks. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. 16(1), 33-56
Levav-Waynberg, A., & Leikin, R. (2012). Using multiple solution tasks for the evaluation of students' problem-solving performance in geometry. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 12(4), 311-333.
Leikin, R., Pitta-Pantazi, D., Singer, F. M. & Ulovec, A. (2012). CERME7 Working Group 7: Mathematical potential, creativity and talent. Research in Mathematics Education, 14(2), 197-198.
Leikin, R. (2012). What is given in the problem? Looking through the lens of constructions and Dragging in DGE. Mediterranean Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 11(1-2), 103-116.
Leikin R. & Zazkis R. (2012). On the connections between general education theories and theories in mathematics education. Review of B. Sriraman and L. English (2010) Theories of Mathematics Education: Seeking New Frontiers. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 43(2), 223-232.
Levav-Waynberg, A. & Leikin, R. (2012). The role of multiple solution tasks in developing knowledge and creativity in geometry. Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 31, 73-90.
Kontorovich, I., Koichu, B., Leikin, R. & Berman, A. (2012). A framework for handling the complexity of students' mathematical problem posing in small groups. Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 31, 149-161.
Robinson N. & Leikin, R. (2012). One teacher, two lessons: The lesson study process. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 10, 139-161.
Zazkis, R., Leikin, R. & Jolfaee S. C. (2011). Contributions to teaching of "Mathematics for Elementary Teachers" courses: Prospective teachers' views and examples. Mathematics Teacher Education and Development, 13(2), 3-21.
Sinitzsky, I., Zazkis R., & Leikin, R. (2011). Odd + Odd = Odd, is it possible? Exploring odd and even functions. Mathematics Teaching. 225 (November 2011), 30-34.
Leikin, R. (2011). Multiple-solution tasks: From a teacher education course to teacher practice. ZDM - The International Journal on Mathematics Education. 43(6), 993-1006.
Leikin R. (2011). Teaching the mathematically gifted: Featuring a teacher. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 11, 78-89.
Karp A. & Leikin R. (2011). Introduction to the Special Issue on Mathematical Gift and Promise: Exploring and Developing. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 11, 1-7.
Lev-Zamir H. & Leikin R. (2011). Creative mathematics teaching in the eye of the beholder: Focusing on teachers' conceptions. Research in Mathematics Education, 13, 17-32.
Applebaum, M., Freiman, V. & Leikin R. (2011). Prospective teachers' conceptions about teaching mathematically talented students: Comparative examples from Canada and Israel. Montana Mathematical Enthusiast Journal, 8, 255- 290.
Leikin, R. (2011). The education of mathematically gifted students: On some complexities and questions. Montana Mathematical Enthusiast Journal, 8, 167- 188.
Leikin, R. (2010). Teaching mathematically gifted. Gifted Education International, 27, 161-175.
Subotnik, R. F., Singer, F. M. & Leikin R. (2010). Intercultural perspectives on creativity in school mathematics: The role of context, individual differences and motivation. Mediterranean Journal for Research in Mathematics Education. 9, 11-39.
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Injured Lt Gen KS Brar (retd) landed back in Mumbai from London today. The Ministry of Home Affairs has tasked the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to review his security.
Suspected Pro-Khalistan militants attacked Lt Gen Brar on Sunday in Central London. He is under "Z category" security but was without any guard at the time of the attack in which four assailants tried to kill him by slitting his throat with a knife.
Sources in the MHA said the ministry had no knowledge about his visit to London. As per standard operating procedures, the MHA should have been informed about it. Before going to London, Brar had reportedly informed the Army unit in Mumbai about his travel plans, including the location of the hotel where he would be staying.
The Military Intelligence (MI) in Delhi was also in the loop, but its mandate is only to arrange for his security in India. In case of foreign visits, the MHA and the MEA should be informed. Lt Gen Brar is guarded by a group of Army's own commandos who are rotated every few months. His visits aboard have been sporadic.
Lt Gen Brar was the divisional commander of the 9 Division of the Army that was tasked to flush out militants holed up in the Golden Temple.
For the security agencies, the immediate task at hand is to establish if the London-based group that attacked Lt Gen Brar had any prior knowledge of his visit or was it an impromptu attack. At present, the opinion is divided among security circles. Had it been a well-planned attack, the assailants would have been better armed, a senior functionary said.
Their second task is to find out if the assailants had prior knowledge about his visit, then who was their source in India. Those in the security set-up are amazed at the tenacity with which Lt Gen Brar was being pursued despite living in a high-security naval housing complex in South Mumbai.
Another unanswered question is how did the assailants conclusively identify a 78-year-old man on a London street as Lt Gen Brar. This indicates that a latest photograph of Brar was with the four knife-wielding assailants.
An internal exercise has been started to ensure that there is no gap in communication when Lt Gen Brar goes abraod again. The IB has a dedicated wing studying pro-Khalistan militants based in India, Germany, Belgium, the UK, the US and Canada. It is likely that it will be made mandatory for the Military Intelligence to keep the IB and RAW informed about Lt Gen Brar's security.
Youngsters influenced by radical Sikh propaganda and not trained terrorists could have been behind the attack on Lt Gen KS Brar, according to Punjab Police officials who track movement of radicals here and abroad.
Lt Gen KS Brar (retd) (C) being escorted out of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport after his arrival from London in Mumbai on Wednesday.
There is a feeling among police circles here that the attack was the work of amateurs and not trained professionals. Officials said the fact that even three attackers could not overpower the General or attack him in a manner that could be described as fatal, indicated they were novice and had not been sufficiently motivated to "go for the kill" at all cost.
Sources said the fact that the attackers did not use firearms also indicated that they were more interested in sending out a message. Terrorist organisations, on the other hand, would plan such attacks meticulously, they added. They gave the example of how the Babbar Khalsa had flown in terrorists from abroad to execute Rashtriya Sikh Sewa head Rulda Singh two years ago.
Officials, however, claim they had been preparing to counter such a scenario in Punjab for around six months. They said the events following awarding of death sentence to former Chief Minister Beant Singh's assassin Balwant Singh Rajoana in March this year gave a fillip to separatist forces. The state-managed protests after Rajoana was awarded the death penalty helped radical forces to stage a comeback among youth abroad.
Sources point towards the propaganda unleashed by "Sangat" television abroad and collection of $1.5 million in two days after a Sikh youth died in a clash in Gurdaspur during protests held to demand clemency for Rajoana. The incident gave boost to the radical cause, they said.
Sources said the inflow of funds to separatists abroad resulted in its onward flow to former militants in Punjab. They said such people, including Daljit Singh Bittu and Kulbir Singh Barapind who were arrested recently, were under pressure to show results in Punjab. The Punjab Police claims both Bittu and Barapind had been distributing money to militant families in Punjab.
The Punjab Police has decided to oversee the security arrangements of all officers who had been associated with anti-militancy operations. Though the security cover had been thinned in some cases, it has been further strengthened in case of high-risk individuals including former state police chief KPS Gill and some religious leaders.
Intelligence agencies have asked the Centre to take steps to counter the anti-India propaganda among youth abroad.
The government described as "factually incorrect, wild and irresponsible" the allegation that it had downscaled the threat perception to Lt Gen KS Brar from 'Z' to 'Y' category.
"Lt Gen Brar is not under the protection of the Punjab Government but of the Mumbai police," said Harcharn Bains, Adviser to Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal on National Affairs and Media.
Bains said the threat perception is categorised by the Government of India and not by the state governments. The Punjab Government does not come into the picture at all.
Bains said, "We are surprised that attempts are being made to link this incident with the Punjab Government. It is common knowledge that for all high-threat perception categories such as 'Z' or 'Y', the decision rests with the security agencies of the Government of India.
There appeared to be no coordination between the Central agencies and the Indian High Commission in London, he said.
Bains said the Centre should clarify the position on the subject and, if necessary, hold a full-scale inquiry to fix responsibility.
New Delhi: On Tuesday night as Lt Gen KS Brar and his wife Meena were speaking calmly, in a matter of fact manner on NDTV, describing the circumstances under which they were attacked in London by what increasingly looks like pro-Khalistani elements, one couldn't but admire the brave couple for having warded off the assailants.
In Gen Brar's own words this is what happened: "My wife and I went to Piccadilly Circus for dinner, we were returning to the hotel at about 10 pm in the night, there's a passageway between Oxford Street and Branson street where my hotel is located and it was there that suddenly four bearded tough looking gentlemen , Sikhs wearing black jackets and black clothes pounced on me, one of them pushed my wife to the side, she fell down and started screaming for help. Three of them charged at me, one pulled a 'kirpan', a dagger or a knife, can't remember exactly what it was now, at that time there was a scuffle, and he tried to assassinate me and he slashed my neck with the knife, I fought back, being an army man, I knew how to defend myself, I kicked, and boxed and warded off the attack, but in the meantime they had already slashed my neck but probably didn't have the time to slice the whole neck off, following which some people from the vicinity came to help as my wife was screaming and then these guys ran away.
He also goes on to say how in a matter of minutes, the London Police, Metropolitan Police arrived and the ambulance arrived. " They wheeled me on a stretcher on to the ambulance and straight to the hospital, the doctors were alerted. I arrived in the hospital and they examined me, all the tests, blood pressure, ECG, etc. Then senior surgeon came in and examined me and he said I would require surgery under general anaesthesia. So they took me to the operation theatre and the surgery lasted about an hour. They opened up the wound to check whether the nerves had been cut or the arteries had been pierced and luckily none of that had happened, so they patched me up. And after I came out of the general anaesthesia, they brought me down to general ward and more doctors came to examine me after the surgery," General Brar explained.
Beyond the immediate shock and admiration however, there are worrying questions that demand answers on the gaps in the narrative.
Let's look at the sequence of events in the immediate aftermath of the attack.
When asked, the Indian High Commission in London said it had no information about the General's visit or his programme in London. External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, speaking from New York told journalists that the General had not kept the External Affairs Ministry informed about his visit.
Since the General was inaccessible in the first 24 hours after the attack, it was assumed that the minister's assertion was right.
But by Tuesday morning, as Gen Brar spoke to NDTV's London correspondent and other media outlets it became clear that he had--like any disciplined soldier--done what is normally expected of him given the fact that for over 25 years now Gen Brar and his wife have been living under Z+ category security.
The Mumbai-based Gen Brar, as per standard practice, said that he had informed local army authorities about exact details of his visit to London, including flight and hotel details.
"I don't inform the government, I inform the local military authorities...the military authorities in Bombay and Pune, then inform Delhi Army headquarters, and I suppose they inform the ministry. So who is supposed to inform them, I don't know. I have no direct access to London," Gen Brar elaborated.
Enquiries at the Mumbai-based MGG Area HQ revealed that it had indeed passed on the exact details of the General's travel plans to the Foreign Division under the Directorate of Military Intelligence (MI-FD, as it is called in Army HQ lingo). Officials under MI-FD, under normal circumstances would have informed both the MEA and the Defence Attache in London about the General's visit.
How come the MEA's first reaction was to say it had no information about Gen Brar's presence in London?
Is it because the Army HQ did not pass on the information to London?
Or did the High Commission sit on the information, assuming that after so many years of Operation Bluestar, the threat to the General was non-existent?
Is there a dedicated cell of Khalistani elements tracking every movement of the Brar couple in Mumbai?
How come Gen Brar's travel plans, supposedly known to only a handful few within the Army, were known to his enemies?
The attackers in London knew exactly who to attack. Which means they had Gen Brar's latest photographs. Who supplied his latest pictures to them?
Are Intelligence agencies, who are supposedly keeping tabs on the resurgence of pro-Khalistani elements across the country, keeping track of those trailing Gen Brar's movements?
When the Brar couple returns to Mumbai, they will perhaps remain forever cocooned in their high-security home located in the Army area, but for the Army and intelligence agencies the real work should begin now to get to the root of the leak that led to a near-fatal attack on one of our most accomplished soldiers.
Kayani visit behind delay of Indo-Russian defence talks?
Even as Pakistan Army chief Gen. Ashraf Parvez Kayani commenced a three-day visit to Russia starting on Wednesday, India suddenly announced the postponement of the visit of the Russian defence minister to India and holding of important talks on defence cooperation with Russia by six days on the request of the Russian side on the grounds that the Russian defence minister was required to attend a 'programme of the Russian President'.
The 'India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation' meeting that was to be held on Thursday has now been postponed by six days to October 10.
While MoD sources said 'there was nothing more than meets the eye', the timing of Gen. Kayani's visit to Russia and postponing of the Russian defence minister's visit to India by the Russian side has triggered enormous speculation on whether Gen. Kayani's visit to Moscow had anything to do with the sudden postponement.
It is no secret that Pakistan is attempting to strengthen ties with Russia and persuade Russia to sell it arms. Russia, so far, has been hesitant to do so because of its strategic ties with India.
A last minute decision to postpone talks between the defence ministers of India and Russia, scheduled for Thursday, came as a surprise to the Ministry of Defence. Moscow deferred the meeting saying that the Russian Defence Minister had been held back as his presence was required at a programme of the President.
The talks have been rescheduled to October 10, but the last minute change — sources said that information about the delay came only two days before the talks were to take place — has raised eyebrows, especially as Pakistan Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani landed in Moscow for a three-day visit on Wednesday.
A terse statement by the Defence Ministry merely stated that the meeting of the India-Russia Inter-governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC) was "deferred due to the inability of the Russian Co-Chair of the Commission and the Defence Minister Serdyukov to travel to India as scheduled". "It has been conveyed by the Russian side that the Russian Defence Minister was required to stay in Russia for his urgent participation in a programme of the Russian President," a Defence Ministry spokesperson said.
Sources said that while it was informally conveyed that a meeting of armed forces commanders had been called by Russian President Vladimir Putin, necessitating the presence of the Defence Minister, the last minute change is being seen as "very unusual", almost akin to a snub by Moscow.
The Pakistani army chief, who arrived in Moscow on Wednesday, will meet top military leaders of the nation as well as Putin. With the Russian defence minister delaying his visit to India, Kayani is now expected to call on him as well and discuss matters of bilateral interest. The Defence Ministry has had to cancel a joint press conference that was scheduled for Thursday.
This year's bilateral defence talks were expected to be heated, given the touchy topic of the Gorshkov aircraft carrier that will once again fail to meet its deadline for delivery to the Indian Navy in December. Another pressing issue is the fifth generation fighter aircraft that India is 'jointly' developing with Russia. India has revised its earlier estimate of the time it would take before the fighter is inducted from 2017-18 to a more realistic deadline in the early 2020's.
Colombo: Notwithstanding stiff opposition from political parties in Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka on Wednesday asserted that it was "very firm" on continuing the training programme of its defence personnel in India and ruled out sending them to countries like China.
Sri Lanka's powerful Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, also the brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, said his country looks at India in a "much bigger way" than China.
During an interaction with visiting Indian journalists, Rajapaksa admitted that the recent attacks against Sri Lankan citizens in Tamil Nadu has "hurt" their feelings, but said no one in his country had any "hard feelings" for India or its people.
"No. We have never (thought about it) because in our long history since the days when we moved from British shoulders all training (to army personnel) were done in India or in Pakistan," he said.
The minister was responding to a question whether Sri Lanka was reconsidering the training programme for its military personnel in India and possibly get them trained in countries like China in the wake of protests in Tamil Nadu.
Dwelling on the issue, he said it has been the practice for any new batch to be sent to India for training and that Sri Lanka has no plans to change the tradition.
"There can be various opinions, but we can't (shift the programme). We are very firm on that and we have confidence (that it will continue). We have not even thought about," he said when pressed further on whether Sri Lanka would stop sending its personnel to India.
He noted that starting from the Defence Secretary to Army commanders, everyone has been trained in India. "Everyone go to India first and only then they are sent to other countries like USA (for training)," he said.
Rajapaksa's comments assume significance in the wake of almost all political parties in Tamil Nadu coming on a single platform to oppose the training programme to Sri Lankan military personnel in India.
Initially, the parties protested the presence of Sri Lankan personnel in Tamil Nadu, but later widened their demand by asking the Indian Government to scrap the entire programme and send them back home.
However, India has made it clear that the training programme would continue.
On whether Sri Lanka was moving close towards China, he said: "We look India in a much bigger way."
Speaking about the attacks against Sri Lankan pilgrims in Tamil Nadu, Rajapaksa said that it "hurt" the feelings of Sri Lankan people because it had happened in India, which is regarded as a "big brother and a country which shows the way" for his nation.
"It hurt our feelings, we cannot hide that because we always think India as our big brother or who shows us the way and how should we work. India has taught us all good things. We never thought this will happen…But we have no hard feelings towards India or its people," he said.
The minister, who is in-charge of reconstruction of the war-torn Northern Province, also noted that most of the pilgrims who were attacked in Tamil Nadu were of Indian-origin Sri Lankans.
Asked whether such incidents will cast a shadow on Indo-Lanka ties, he replied in the negative and appreciated the Indian Government's initiatives to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in the future.
New Delhi: MRO (maintenance, repair, overhaul) is a concept hitherto confined to the civilian aviation sector. Now, an industry lobby is promoting this as a means by which the Indian Army can cut down its maintenance costs and improve its operational preparedness.
"A modern army's equipment readiness has to be sustained at high levels to meet the demands of a complex and uncertain operating environment. This becomes crucial since the Indian Army is looking at capabilities for quick deployment, reducing repair cycle time, inventory overhang and repair costs," an official of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) explained.
"The Indian Army's modernisation strategy is focused on acquiring capabilities that will enable it to succeed in any operation today or in the future. Operational sustainment of weapon systems aims to retain these capabilities throughout its lifecycle.
"The proliferation of land weapon systems across the complete spectrum in the military necessitates effective implementation and integration of an MRO environment so as to keep the user in a state of mission readiness 24x7," the official said.
Toward this end, FICCI and the Indian Army's Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) announced that the first international seminar on MRO in Land Systems would be held in New Delhi on Dec 3-4.
The seminar aims to institutionalise measures for the Indian Army adopting MRO for its land systems "through forging strong public private partnerships, so as to ensure military equipment meets operational requirements in a cost effective manner", the official said.
The seminar will bring together MRO domain experts, IT solution providers and stakeholders from industry, including policymakers, regulators and manufacturers, to deliberate on and help evolve the MRO policy systems for land systems that will achieve the stated objectives of mission readiness.
Indiscipline in armed forces: Where lies the blame?
Today, the most discussed topic about the armed forces is the steady decline of standards of discipline. "The good old days" are remembered with pride and the present 'state of affairs' are often deplored.
As the Adjutant of the Indian Military Academy (January 1977 to July 1979), besides other duties, I was also responsible for maintaining discipline and imparting disciplinary training to the Gentleman Cadets, which would last for their lifetime.
Take a close, hard look at today's society. There is a fall in standards of virtues, values, discipline, family ties, loyalty, sincerity -- everything. Everyone wants to take short cuts to achieve money and success.
Post Independence, the ultimate desire of the youth was to join the armed forces. Sixty five years later, today, even 'traditional Army families' are encouraging their youth to join multinational organizations or the administrative services.
Everybody wants 'quick money' and 'immediate luxuries'. Working with the armed forces is considered to be difficult, tough, and a thankless job. Glamour and power lies in other occupations. Even the hands of daughters and sisters are not offered to an army man because of frequent transfers and postings to Siachen and other inhospitable terrain.
The environment of his social circle -- friendly, hostile or indifferent.
His comfort zone -- living conditions, food, recreation and leave.
Security of his family back home.
Most importantly, his self respect -- how he is viewed by his seniors and peers -- his status in society.
His salary -- It affects his social status with his civilian counterparts and boosts his incentive to serve, even in difficult terrains.
Discipline has always been the cornerstone upon which is built the tradition name, fame, and valour of the armed forces. It is discipline that separates the rice from the chaff.
When the civil administration fails -- be it earthquakes, floods, riots, children stuck underground or any other calamity, the armed forces always adorn the mantle of the saviour and is considered to be the only reliable friend who is always available 24x7.
Why then have the standards of discipline gone down?
Educational qualifications: The jawan is much more educated today. Minimum qualification required today is a Class 12 pass. The same qualification exists for an NDA officer's entry. The jawan does not hold the officer in awe any longer. He also has basic luxuries like cable television, a refrigerator, a motorcycle etc.
Probably, he may have appeared for the NDA exam and not been successful. He has had greater exposure than his father or grandfather, who also served in the armed forces.
Today he wants more!If not monitored correctly, frustrations levels will set in quicker than ever before.
The Officer-Jawan relationship: Major General Henderson Brookes visited my platoon when I was a Second Lieutenant. "Do you know the names of all your men," he asked. I replied in the affirmative.
"Can you recognise each one from behind when they are wearing their helmets?" I truthfully replied that I would not be able to recognise them all.
Thereafter came his profound statement, "You must! That is all you will get to see in War!"
Wise words, which carry a lot of meaning. The Officer-Jawan bonding is definitely quite fragile today.
An officer's tenure with the battalion: The average Infantry Officer spends about 50 per cent of his 20- to 23-year tenure outside the battalion doing professional courses and staff and instructional tenures. Today, the trend is for officers to take a two-year study leave and do management or other vocational courses, which will help him rehabilitate after retirement.
Remember, the average officer retires at the young old age of 52 to 54 years. To further compound matters, there is an acute shortage of officers and junior commissioned officers. The middle rung of officers is stretched to breaking point.
Stress levels are high. Hostile environments of insurgency operations, cross border infiltrations, etc, with a 'no mistake' tag attached are a very heavy responsibility on the officer's shoulders.
Commanders at all levels feel the stress. This aspect will have to be addressed if we wish to overcome lapses in discipline.
Family responsibilities: A jawan is still a teenager when he leaves his village/home to serve the country. He moves from Ladakh to the North-East, Manipur to Rajasthan [ Images ], Jammu and Kashmir [ Images ] to Chennai and so many other places, and is able to meet his family only once a year on annual leave.
His family has to fend for themselves almost at all times. Education of his children, medical care, electrical connections, water problems -- basic household matters that assume major proportions due to insurmountable hurdles caused by the callous attitude of the civil administration.
When officers of Lieutenant General rank have faced problems, one can just imagine what a jawan must be going through. Dwindling joint family systems, emphasis on sound education for children and educated, career-oriented wives are adding to the family responsibilities, which rest upon on a jawan's shoulders today.
Social values are rapidly changing. The officer and jawan are both part of the same society. There are always some rotten apples in the basket. These are more exceptions than the rule. The armed forces have a glorious past on which are based the traditions and values of a regiment or a battalion.
These traditions are engrained in both officers and jawans alike. 'Espirit de Corps' is very much alive and followed religiously. "Paltan Ki Izzat" still remains all-important. An officer or jawan even today is ready to shed his blood and make the supreme sacrifice for the regiment, for the country.
Nothing will change that. When the chips are down, the armed forces will always respond positively, effectively and swiftly. The enemy (internal or external) will be given a befitting reply always and every time.
Serve the battalion/regiment. Serve the jawans like they serve you.
Ensure that the jawans get the same facilities and comfort that you enjoy. It is their lawful right.
Give the jawans the respect that they duly deserve. Do not neglect them or turn them away.
Take time out to know the men you command. Make an effort to know of their families, their villages, their problems. Address their problems. You will earn their love and respect eternally.
Be a good, upright officer. Remember, reputation is more important than rank. Look after the jawan and there will be no question of indiscipline and falling standards of discipline.
Every Officer and anyone in the chain of command must not forget the motto of the National Defence Academy -- 'Service Before Self'. Remember the words of Field Marshal Sir Philip W Chetwood, written on the walls of Chetwood Hall at the Indian Military Academy. He places the jawan next in importance after the country.