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Popular Science Monthly/Volume 26/January 1885/Popular Miscellany
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Popular Science Monthly Volume 26 January 1885 (1885)
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944077Popular Science Monthly Volume 26 January 18851885
POPULAR MISCELLANY.
The International Prime Meridian Conference.—he International Conference, for fixing upon a prime meridian whence longitude should be reckoned, began its sessions in Washington, October 1st. Twenty-five nations were represented by forty delegates. Rear-Admiral C. R. P. Rogers, U.S.N., was chosen President of the Conference, and Lieutenant-General Strachey, of Great Britain, Mr. Janssen, of Meudon, France, and Dr. Cruls, of Rio Janeiro, were elected secretaries. A number of American scientific men and foreign visitors of scientific reputation, not regular delegates, were allowed to attend the meetings, with the understanding that they might participate in the discussions on special invitation. The first resolution adopted by the Conference declared the desirability of adopting a universal meridian. A resolution was then offered recommending the meridian of Greenwich as a standard meridian for longitudes, but it was withdrawn to allow the French delegates to introduce a resolution providing for a neutral meridian, which should cut no great continent. To this, it was objected that no suitable observatory was situated in any place which such a meridian would pass through; and that the selection of a meridian so situated would require a new set of observations and surveys to connect it with existing longitudes, and a readjustment of seventy-five per cent of all the world's charts, at an expense of about ten million dollars. The resolution for a neutral meridian was lost by a large majority. The resolution, "That the Conference proposes to the governments represented the adoption as a standard meridian that passing through the center of the transit instrument at Greenwich," was then adopted, every state represented voting in favor of it except San Domingo, which dissented from it, and France and Brazil, which did not vote. The next resolution, recommending the counting of longitude in two directions from Greenwich, up to 180°, east longitude to be reckoned plus and west longitude minus, was adopted by a small majority over the proposition to count continuously in a single direction to 360°. A fourth resolution proposed "the adoption of a universal day for the purposes for which it may be found convenient, and which shall not interfere with the use of local or other standard times where desirable." The fifth resolution recommends "That the universal day is to be a mean solar day, is to begin for all the world at the moment of mean midnight of the initial meridian coinciding with the beginning of the civil day and date of that meridian, and is to be counted from zero up to twenty-four hours"; the sixth, "That the Conference expresses the hope that as soon as may be practicable the astronomical and nautical days will be arranged everywhere to begin at mean midnight"; the seventh, "That this Conference expresses the hope that the technical studies to regulate and extend the application of the decimal system to the divisions of the circle and of time shall be resumed so as to permit the extension of this application to all cases where it presents real advantages."
Characteristics of North American Flora.—In a paper read in the British Association on the characteristic features of North American vegetation, Professor Asa Gray spoke of the resemblances and differences between the flora of North America and that of Europe, and their causes. The trees of the Atlantic border are similar to those of Europe. Many plants—among which are species of rhododendron, cypripedium, and coreopsis—may be found growing wild here, which are cultivated in the gardens of Europe. America is remarkable for its wealth of species of trees and shrubs. Besides the variety of leguminous trees and the wealth in species of Compositæ noticeable in America, there are many tropical plants which extend northward into the United States.
The Cotton Production of Alabama.—Some curious facts are brought out in Professor Eugene A. Smith's report on the "Cotton Production of Alabama." This State stands fourth in the United States in the total production of cotton, and also in the product per square mile (13·6 bales). The highest product per acre in the State is reached in Baldwin County in what is agriculturally styled the "long-leaved pine region," and the next highest in Cherokee County, in the "Coosa Valley region." In a larger sense, the highest rate of production is obtained in the central belt, having an area of less than seventy-five miles, which gives from seventeen to forty-three bales per square mile; the next highest, in the "Tennessee Valley region," which gives fifteen; and next, the Coosa Valley and the "oak, hickory, and long-leaved pine" regions, which give thirteen bales each to the square mile. The product of the State as a whole is equivalent to a little more than a bale for every two of its inhabitants. More than fifty-five per cent of the colored population of the State is found in the central cotton belt, where sixty per cent of the cotton is produced; and it is observed that so closely "does this class of the population follow the best lands, that the density of the colored population of any region might almost be taken as an index of the fertility of its soils," while the whites are much more evenly distributed over good and poor lands alike. This, however, is not strange, when we remember that the colored people were introduced as agricultural laborers, and put where they could be most advantageously employed. What should be the best cotton-lands begin to show signs of exhaustion through long and improvident cultivation. This is a logical result of the character of the laborers, who are unintelligent and not interested in keeping up the quality of the land, and of the inability or indisposition of owners to invest in improvements looking beyond the present year's crop. The general custom of depending upon advances of credit on the faith of the next year's crop has its influence in promoting deterioration of the soil. As cotton is the only crop which will always bring ready money, the planting of that staple is usually insisted on by the merchants making the advance, and it is also selected by the farmer as the security to be offered. In this way it comes to be the paramount crop, and little chance is given for rotation with other crops.
Economy of Light.—In a paper before the American Association, on the "Economy of the Electric Light," Mr. A. Sterling stated that, for lighting a compact block, the incandescent light could be regarded as not more expensive than gas at $1.69 per thousand. Mr. Preece stated that the same quantity of gas gave more light when used to work an engine than could be got from it by burning it in the best gas-burners. Instances were given during the discussion where the amount of goods manufactured had been increased, or the quality of the goods improved, more than ten per cent, by the introduction of electric lighting. Mr. Preece explained the superiority of the electric light by showing that while in the arc-light a candle-power was obtained by the expenditure of one watt of energy, or in the incandescent light of two and a half watts, gas required the equivalent of sixty-two and candles of ninety-seven watts, for every candle-power produced. The most formidable obstacle to universal electric lighting was shown to be the great cost of the mains for conveying the electricity over long distances.
Velocities of the Krakatoa Air-Wave.—Professor Tacchini has found by examination of the Richard barograph that slight abrupt oscillations occurred in the barometric curves at Rome, on the 27th, 28th, and 29th of August, of last year, while the general daily record of the pressure was not essentially changed. Comparing the times at which these oscillations took place with the record of the times of the shocks at Krakatoa, he has deduced from them the conclusion that the wave of the shocks reached Rome from Krakatoa by the west, leaving the volcano at a velocity of 277 metres a second, while the wave moving in the opposite direction left it with a velocity of 296 metres. He further calculated that the complete atmospheric circuit round the globe was effected by the east, leaving Rome at a velocity of 295 metres, and of 318 metres for the wave going by the west.
The Wind as a Land-Carver.—A paper by General Prjevalski, on the structure of the plateaus of Central Asia, suggests enlarged views of the effects which atmospheric agencies have had in modifying the forms of mountains and valleys. Winds of excessive violence seem to have caused the fragments of stone to wear one upon another, and to have ground them up into pebbles, gravels, and sand; then to have carried the lighter parts of these materials to the valleys and deposited them there as a loess which has constantly grown thicker with succeeding years and centuries. M. Alluard has remarked upon an accumulation of wind-deposits that seems to have taken place on the Puy-de-Dôme. A temple of Mercury of considerable size formerly existed on the top of that mountain, but it has been covered up in the sand for nearly two thousand years; and, till some twenty or thirty years ago, none of the visitors to the place could have suspected that they were walking over such a structure.
Illusory Memories.—A curious question is presented by that experience of memory which nearly every person has probably had, in some form or degree, in which, when introduced to a scene or event really new, we have an impression, more or less distinct, of having met it before. Professor Henry L. Osborn, writing upon the phenomenon in "Science," suggests that it may arise from the dual structure of the brain, as the result of imperfectly correlated action in two images or impressions not absolutely simultaneous. The latter impression, being a repetition of the former one, gives rise to a feeling that it has passed through the mind at some indefinite previous time. Or, the false or illusory memory may have a real basis in some actual past representation which is identical or closely similar to the present one, or in some past images of the waking imagination, or dream-life. Plato conceived that these impressions gave support to the theory of a state of pre-existence in which identical experiences may have occurred. Mr. Sully suggests that the impression may be an inherited recollection of something that occurred to an ancestor. Lewes and Ribot ascribe the illusions to a false placing of a present mental image or idea. Abercrombie tells a story of a lady who in extreme infancy was brought to her dying mother in a strange room to be taken leave of. Long afterward, having grown up with no recollection of her mother, she went into the room again, for the first time afterward, without the fact with which it was associated having been mentioned, when the whole scene of the leave-taking came back to her with force. Had not the connection of events been clearly traced, this instance would have been classed with the curious impressions we are considering.
Velocity of Pulse-Waves.—Continental physiologists have determined that the velocity of the pulse-wave is about twenty feet a second, and that the rapidity of its progress is essentially dependent upon the rigidity of the tubes through which it travels. Dr. A. T. Keyt, of Cincinnati, has supplemented their observations by experiments to determine the effect of other conditions in modifying the speed. He first set himself to determine the precise influence of tubes of different degrees of stiffness or elasticity on the velocity of the liquid waves sent along their interior, and selected for this purpose, first a glass tube, then India rubber tubes of varying strength and firmness of pull, then tubes made of chicken gut, and finally the aorta of a calf. The experiments demonstrated that the velocity of liquid waves in elastic tubes is proportional directly to the stiffness and inversely to the elasticity of the tube traversed; and they indicate the important modifying influence which the state of the arterial walls as to stiffness or elasticity must exert upon the rate of pulse-propagation in living arteries. In the series of tubes which he used, the velocity fell gradually from 216 feet per second in a tube of glass to 12·75 feet in a calf's aorta. In further experiments it was found that the rate of pulse propagation is not affected directly by the manner of the heart's action, whether it beats quickly, launching a sharp wave, or slowly, sending a sloping wave; that, other things being equal, the pulse-wave travels more slowly along large, and faster along small, arteries; that mere distance from the heart neither accelerates nor retards the velocity of the beginnings of pulse waves, while the modifying influence of different pressures is small at most; that liquid waves travel along elastic tubes at the same speed, whether the liquid be at rest or freely flowing; and that the consistence of the fluid makes no difference in the velocity of the wave.
The Earthquake of September 19th.—A light earthquake-shock was felt in West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan, on the 19th of September, between half-past two and three o'clock in the afternoon. The estimates of its duration vary from five to twenty seconds. No damage was done beyond the displacement of light articles, the throwing down of a chandelier in the insane asylum, and the jarring down of a freshly built arch, at Columbus, Ohio. In some places, schools, a Methodist conference, a woman's missionary society, etc., were temporarily dispersed by the panic. An observer at Indianapolis noticed that the tremor ran from east to west, and another counted seventeen distinct vibrations. At Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and at Toledo, Ohio, the indications were that the wave passed from southwest to northeast; at South Bend, Indiana, the motion appeared to be from north to south. At Wheeling, West Virginia, it was from northeast to southwest. A Signal-Service officer at Covington, Kentucky, who was reading the thermometer at the time, observed no agitation of the mercury. Boat-captains at Detroit say there was a noticeable rise in the river at the time of the shock. The earthquake was also felt at London, Ontario.
Hibernation of Snakes.—Mr. Arthur Stradling is investigating the hibernation of serpents, with particular attention to the greater sensitiveness to cold which they show in the spring than in the fall. He had under observation during last winter twenty-six snakes of different species. Some of them fed last in the latter days of September; and then they retired to the hibernating place provided for them at intervals one by one, the first one when the temperature had fallen to 41°, the last one on the 2d of December. Occasionally, some of them came out, under the temptation of warmth or light, when "it was most extraordinary, according to one's preconceived ideas, to behold these creatures, some of them roaming about on the tree and gravel when the snow was lying on the ground outside, and the glass, which they were almost touching, was flaked with ice; even the pseudo-tropical specimens remained out until the temperature was much lower than that which seems to render our English species dormant. Though prepared for a well-marked difference in the temperatures of their retreat and reappearance, I had no idea that it would present so wide a range. Another curious anomaly was exhibited in the fact that daylight rather than warmth seemed to operate in drawing them forth; they all sought the box at dusk, although my reading-lamp raised the temperature of the room from 2° to 4° above that of the chilly morning, when they would issue from the aperture." Mr. Stradling believes that the difference in sensitiveness to cold manifested by his snakes at the seasons of retiring and waking is explainable on the same physiological principles as those which mark the condition of all animals in the fall and spring. In the fall, vital activity is at its highest; the animal has accumulated a coating of fat under its skin, and a store of combustible matter within to last it through the winter, and is able to endure much more cold than in the spring, when its vitality is weakened and its fat coat and surplus aliment are consumed.
Krakatan's Present Condition.—MM. Breon and Korthals, having just visited Krakatau and the region devastated by last year's eruption, have made a report upon the present condition of affairs there. The formerly flourishing city of Telok Betong no longer exists. The splendid vegetation of the Island of Seboukou has been destroyed by the joint action of the sea and the storm of hot cinders. The Island of Lebesia is completely covered with cinders and pumice. From the south, the Island of Krakatau presents the ordinary profile of volcanic cones. An appearance, when seen from a distance, as of clouds of vapor playing over the scarp, seems to indicate the existence of fumeroles; but on a nearer approach these clouds prove to be only masses of dust rising from land-slides which are continuously taking place. The travelers tried several times to approach the mountain from this side to obtain specimens, but were always repelled by a terrible bombardment of projectiles of every size. They succeeding in landing from the west, where there were no slides. Thence they were able to see distinctly, in the scarp, beds of rocks lying one upon another, separated only by small beds of siliceous tufa, as in all volcanic countries. The rocks apparently belong to the family of basalts, consisting of labradorites containing very little peridote. The recent eruption afforded products of a very different character, very acid pumices, seventy-two per cent of silica with plagioclase, bronzite, and magnetite. The former substance, which has, by emulsion with the gases, formed pumices, is a bottle-green glass, pieces of which may be found in the recent pumice-beds. Evidences were observed of a former acid eruption of the volcano.
Major Powell on American Languages.—Major Powell, in his paper at the British Association on the "Classification of American Languages," expressed the opinion that no other method of classifying the Indian tribes than by languages would be found satisfactory. The physical differences arc certainly not sufficient. The arts are no criterion, as they are readily adopted by one race from another. Institutions are more permanent; but still in some cases they are adopted, and they do not sufficiently distinguish the races. Mythologies arc more distinctive; and, indeed, it will generally be found that tribes speaking languages of one stock have similar mythological beliefs. There are in North America about eighty linguistic stocks, and as many mythologies. Major Powell proposed some important reforms, with a view to simplification and uniformity in the nomenclature of American languages.
Wanmpum.—In a paper read before the British Association on the "Nature and Origin of Wampum," Mr. II. Hale traced the use of that money across the continent to California; thence to the Micronesian groups in the North Pacific, where it is universal; and thence to China, where the money is said to have been anciently made of tortoise-shell disks, or slips strung on cords. The common copper "cash" is made in imitation of this tortoise-shell currency, and is strung in a similar manner, and is used in ceremonial observances, like the American wampum. This form of money may originally have been introduced from China to the tribes of the western part of the continent, by means of shipwrecked junks. A discussion having risen as to whether wampum was a real currency or measure of value, Mr. Gushing stated that it had a definite value among the Zuñis, Dr. Tylor said that the shell-money is in use among the Melanesians, just as other currency is in the trade of civilized nations, and when lent is expected to be returned, with interest; the borrower of nine strings is expected to pay ten strings at the end of a month.
Homologies between North America and Europe.—Herr Valentine Ullrich has drawn a comparison of the morphologies of North America and Europe, for the purpose of showing that these two continents, though widely separated, exhibit, in their horizontal extension and the conditions dependent upon it, such points of agreement as can not be found in a similar degree between any other two parts of the world. He suggests that they may therefore be regarded as like two organic beings of the same species; as alike when regarded in the aggregate, and exhibiting the differences constituting individuality only in the details. North America should be considered as a sixth quarter of the globe, independent of the adjoining continent, the boundary-line from which is easier to draw than that separating Asia from Europe. The line is that marked by the Rio Chicapa or Chimalapa, flowing to the Gulf of Tehuantepec, and the Rio Quetzocoalcos, flowing to the Gulf of Campeachy, the sources of which rivers, only about four miles apart, are connected by the broad depression of the pass Portillo de Tarifa. It is recognized that the degree of civilization and intelligence which Europe has attained has been promoted by its situation between the seas, by its easy accessibility, by the extent of its river systems, by its numerous harbors, and by its freedom from impassable mountain-ranges. Similar conditions in North America tend to bring about a similar inevitable result; and this continent, not only on account of the energy of its inhabitants, but also on account of the advantages of its topographical features and climate, is destined to be the rival of Europe. Its surprisingly quick development in greatness and wealth is the result of no accident, but is the consequence of favoring natural conditions, without which even its most enterprising population would not have been able to accomplish so much. By reason of those conditions, the American States are promised an important future, and Europe is assured against decrepitude and decadence. Europe has strongly in its favor the broken shape of its land masses and the convenience of its seas, which serve as highways to the distant countries they reach in every direction. North America possesses similar advantages, but in a less marked degree. It is vastly more extensive than Europe; but Europe has relatively the larger coast-line, and is much better provided with harbors.
Against Over-pressure in Schools.—Commissions have been at work in several of the German states investigating the conditions of over-pressure in the schools, and official action has been taken on their reports to relieve the evil, for which physical exercise has been found not to be a sufficient counteractive. In Hesse, a limit has been fixed to the amount of home-study that may be imposed, and tests of progress that necessitate much reviewing have been forbidden. The Saxon Government has issued decrees against excessive attention to technicalities and the imposition of useless exercises in the classical departments, and particularly against the "extemporalia" or dictation exercises in the foreign languages, which, it is said, are calculated to produce in the student "a feeling of anxiety and vexation instead of an agreeable consciousness of knowledge." In Baden, the teaching-hours and the hours for home-study have been reduced, and the memorization of Latin words is disapproved of. The study-hours have also been reduced in Alsace-Lorraine, and six hours a week of physical exercise imposed. A petition, signed by teachers, physicians, and others, has been addressed to the Prussian Chamber of Deputies, setting forth the mischievous effects of excessive strain upon the nervous system of scholars, and asking that an end be put to an abuse which "threatens, little by little to reduce the cultivated classes of society to a state of moral weakness that shall render them incapable of great and manly resolution."
Effects of Tobacco on Youth.—Dr. G. Decaisne has made special observations of the effects of tobacco in thirty-eight youths, from nine to fifteen years old, who were addicted to smoking. With twenty-two of the boys there was a distinct disturbance of the circulation, with palpitation of the heart, deficiencies of digestion, sluggishness of the intellect, and a craving for alcoholic stimulants; in thirteen instances the pulse was intermittent. Analysis of the blood showed, in eight cases, a notable falling off in the normal number of red corpuscles. Twelve boys suffered frequently from bleeding of the nose. Ten complained of agitated sleep and constant nightmare. Four boys had ulcerated mouths, and one of them contracted consumption, the effect. Dr. Decaisne believed, of the great deterioration of the blood, produced by the prolonged and excessive use of tobacco. The younger children showed the more marked symptoms, and the better-fed children were those that suffered least. Eleven of the boys had smoked for six months; eight, for one year; and sixteen, for more than two years. Out of eleven boys who were induced to cease smoking, six were completely restored to normal health after six months, while the others continued to suffer slightly for a year.
Danger from Overhead Wires.—Professor Sylvanus P. Thompson mentions as one of the most solid objections to overhead wires, that they are a permanent and absolute source of danger, because every wire of whatever kind deteriorates more or less slowly under atmospheric influences, especially in the smoky, sulphur-laden air of cities. Those best qualified from long experience to speak on the subject agree that the life of every wire is limited, and no one can tell how or when it will snap. The fact has been established by Professor Hughes that every vibration imparted to a wire brings it a stage nearer to a state of internal crystallization, when, its fibrous structure having become completely degenerated, it snaps short. He has measured the number of vibrations which determine the length of life of wires of different kinds, and finds it to be varying according to the material, but limited in every case. "Given at first a wire of ideal perfection, when it has swayed to and fro its allotted number of hundreds of thousands of times in the breezes, it must snap. But no such wire is attainable; all are more or less faulty, and can not be relied on, even with the most diligent inspection, when once set up in the smoky air." Numerous accidents, according to Mr. Preece, have arisen from the falling of wires, and a case is on record where an omnibus-driver was decapitated from such a cause.
Atmospheric Action on Sandstone.—M. E. Wadsworth, of Cambridge, records certain observations on St. Peter's and Potsdam sandstones, made several years ago near Mazomanie, Wisconsin. The St. Peter's sandstone is composed almost wholly of a pure quartz sand, and in the outliers of it, found on the hill-tops south of the town, the parts covered by the soil were more or less friable, and the grains distinct; while the exposed portions of the same blocks and slabs were greatly indurated, the grains being almost obliterated, and the rock possessed the conchoidal fracture and other characteristics of a quartzite. In the autumn of 1872 a block of clear white Potsdam sandstone was found, the protected side of which was friable, while the other sides, especially the one most exposed to the prevailing storms, was nearly a quartzite. This block was only about two feet square, and, as a test of the correctness of the above conclusion, the indurated surface was broken off, and a comparatively friable surface exposed. This locality was visited the following spring, when the fresh surface was found much indurated, and approached toward a quartzite.
Phosphoric Glass and its Applications.—At a recent meeting of the French Academy of Sciences, a number of articles were presented for inspection that were made of a glass composed simply of phosphate of lime. The new application is the invention. of M. Sidot, who has been carrying on successful experiments with it since 1877, and has made most excellent tubes, bottles, and retorts, of "phosphoric glass." Vessels of this substance are particularly useful in manipulating the fluorides, for phosphate of lime is not acted upon by fluorine. M. Henri de Parville foresees an interesting use to be made of phosphoric glass in connection with cremation. The ordinary part of that process having been completed, our ashes, instead of being deposited in a vase, will be reduced to phosphate of lime; this substance then converted into phosphoric glass; and the glass molded into a vase, a medallion, or a memorial statuette of the person from whom it has been derived.
Advantages of Woolen Underclothing.—The advantages of woolen underclothing, besides its warmth, and the closeness of its application, depend upon its better adaptation in respect of temperature to the requirements of climates and to changes of season than any other material for dress. It also has a special faculty for absorbing and distributing moisture that makes it particularly salutary next to a perspiring skin. A linen garment will absorb the products of transudation till it is wet and becomes sticky upon a moist and clammy skin, while flannel will rest upon a skin which it has nearly dried, and be only damp itself. Hence, the body wearing flannel is in the best condition to resist the after-chills that follow great perspiration. The irritation caused by flannel, which is brought up as an objection against it, is an accompaniment only of new flannels and coarse ones, and is generally a merely transient condition.
Patagonian Geology, and a Former Southern Continent.—Señor F. P. Moreno has communicated to the Argentine Scientific Society the results of geological explorations which he has made in Patagonia, beginning in 1876. In the ascent of the Santa Cruz, at five degrees above where Darwin had given up a further exploration of that river, he came upon a country roughly cut up by canons, and presenting most of the peculiar features of our "Bad Lands." About halfway between the mouth of this river and the Andes, he discovered a region "forming the base of a high terrace, surmounted by high peaks that gave it the aspect of a half-ruined Gothic cathedral, exceedingly rich in tertiary mammalia. In the upper part of this formation, which was about two hundred and fifty metres high and one hundred and fifty metres broad, were discovered, beneath the superficial layers of glacial détritus, several alternating lacustrine and marine beds indicating successive immersions and emersions. In them the three divisions of the Tertiary period were represented by very distinct mammalian fossils corresponding with ancient forms of marsupials, pachyderms, edentates, rodents, and carnivores. Perhaps one of the most curious features of these fossils was the number of transitional forms among them; an animal combining features of the marsupials, the land carnivores, and the pinnipeds, in such a way "that, if the remains did not exist and we should describe an animal possessing all their characteristics, we should be thought to be imagining some fabulous monster"; animals of an order intermediate between the ungulates and the rodents; and a molar, "which can be attributed only to a gigantic cabiai, or a dwarf elephant." This fauna is more ancient than the Argentine mammalian fauna, and is probably quite as comprehensive. The discoveries have thrown a new light on the geological history of South America; for Patagonia was formerly regarded as of marine origin, but they prove much of it to have been terrestrial and lacustrine. They also lend some weight to the opinion expressed by Señor Moreno that, at the beginning of the Tertiary period, a vast continent, of which Patagonia was a part, extended east and west. The rich fauna and the luxuriant vegetation, evidences of which are also found, could not have come down from regions nearer the equator, as has been supposed, that is, from more favorable to less favorable conditions, but must have originated in this region, and pushed up toward the tropic under the influence of the growing cold that came upon the country. The southern part of the continent still shows signs of oscillation. An elevation of one hundred and fifty metres would consolidate the land with Tierra del Fuego and the Falkland Islands into a continent as wide as Africa at the Orange River An elevation of less than two thousand metres would unite this land with South Georgia, South Sandwich Land, and the Antarctic Continent. The chain of the Andes has not the same continuity in these regions as in the north of the continent. The labyrinth of islands and channels constituting the Straits of Magellan and Le Maire is only a continuation of the isolated moraines and canons, now dry, which so singularly break up the ground of Patagonia. The presence of marsupials and the seventy-seven common species of plants likewise point to the possibility of a former nearer relation to Australia and New Zealand than now exists.
Wine-Statistics of the World.—The greatest wine-producing country of the earth is France, which also furnishes the greatest variety and the most-sought-for wines. The total production of the country has fluctuated greatly in late years, on account of the ravages of the phylloxera. It was nearly 2,246,000,000 gallons, wine measure, in 1875, and less than 689,000,000 gallons in 1879. The average is estimated at 1,456,000,000 gallons. The vine is cultivated in all but nine of the eighty-six departments, but most extensively in the southern departments, that of Hérault leading the list. Italy ranks the second among the wine-lands, with an average production about half that of France, or of 715,000,000 gallons, the total value of which is estimated at a milliard of lire. The export trade is growing fast and has become very large. Spain follows as the third greatest wine-producing state, with 583,000,000 gallons. The southern wines are in greatest demand, and the export trade is assuming enormous dimensions. Next in order is Austria-Hungary, with 371,000,000 gallons, a large part, and the choicest, of which is produced in Hungary. Portugal is fifth among European wine-lands, with 132,000,000 gallons, among which are the famous port wines, forming the basis of a large export trade. Germany, with only a small part of its land in cultivation for wine, and an annual return of 95,400,000 gallons, does not produce as much as it consumes, but imports from France and Austria-Hungary. Russia produces 53,000,000 gallons, chiefly in the southern provinces, or those bordering on the Black and Caspian Seas. Of the smaller states, Greece produces about 39,750,000 gallons; Switzerland, 36,320,000; European Turkey, 26,000,500; Roumania, 31,800,000; and Servia, 13,250,000. Belgium makes the smallest showing of all the European states that produce any wine. The total production of the fourteen states enumerated is estimated at 3,577,500 gallons a year. Wine is also a very important staple of Asiatic agriculture, and forms a notable item in the crops of all of Asiatic Turkey, Palestine, Arabia, Persia, Afghanistan, Bokhara, and parts of India, while in Cochin China, China, and Japan, it is of relatively small account. In Africa it is a considerable item in Algeria and the Cape Colony, and is made in only mentionable quantities in Egypt, Abyssinia, Morocco, the Orange Free State, and the Transvaal. The wine culture of the Canary Islands and the Azores has recently suffered greatly from diseases of the vines. The United States produced 23,453,000 gallons of wine in 1880, and it was worth $16,000,000. More than a quarter in value of the product came from California. Wine is produced in a primitive way in Mexico, Brazil, the Argentine Republic, and Chili. The wine industry has been developed to a considerable importance in Australia, and promises to grow.
Science and Industrial Development.—One of the demands of the times, according to "Nature," is for the co-operation of scientific investigation in the study of new principles with artisan skill, in immediately applying the new discoveries to practical uses. As among the fields in which such a combination might prove itself valuable, it is suggested: "There is great need of some system of light railways which can be laid down on ordinary roads, and so cheaply that the traffic available on such roads may be sufficient to pay a fair return on the capital. . . . The storage of power, such as that of the tidal-wave, with cheap and ready means for giving it out when and where it is needed, offers a wide field for invention, and may lead to the most fruitful results. The transmission of power to long distances, whether by electricity, compressed air, or otherwise, is a somewhat similar problem, which at present occupies the attention of many engineers and men of science. Lastly, the more homely subject of house-building offers at this moment special inducements to constructive genius." "Nature" fears, however, that the prominent part in speeding progress in this line of invention is destined to fall to other countries than England. The latest and most important movements in the direction of cheapened transportation and the storage and transmission of power have been made in France, Germany, and America, while, in respect to scientific architecture, "England stands far nearer the bottom than the top in the scale of civilized nations." This is because "in America, in France, above all in Germany, the union between science and art is far more close and cordial than with us. Every practical constructor or manufacturer is anxious to know all he can of science; every scientific professor desires to mix practice with his theory. Thus, on the one hand, we find ordinary engineers drawing on all the resources of mathematics for the solution of such problems as the proper section of rails or the resistance of trains; on the other hand, we see Clausius, perhaps the greatest of German physicists, devoting two long papers to investigate the working theory of the dynamo machine."
Antiquity of Fossil Human Skeletons.—Mr. T. V. Holmes, of the Essex Field Club, England, discussing the recent "find" of a human skeleton in the alluvial clays of Tilbury, showed that the skeleton was comparatively recent, though undoubtedly prehistoric, and added that geological position furnishes the only absolute test of relative age. The test of association with extinct mammalia is largely dependent on negative evidence. A hint on this point was given by the results of the drainage of Haarlem Lake thirty years ago. Excellent sections were made in all directions across its bed, and carefully examined by skilled geologists. Hundreds of men were known to have perished in its waters three centuries before, and it had always been the center of a considerable population. Yet no human bones were found, though works of art were discovered. Thus hundreds, or even thousands of mammalia, incapable of producing works of art, might be interred in particular strata, and yet leave no signs whatever of their former existence two or three centuries afterward. And, on the other hand, were extinct mammalia present in the Tilbury Dock beds, no additional antiquity would thereby be conferred on the beds themselves, but the period at which the animals became extinct would be shown to be later than had been supposed. Similarly, as regards the rude implements known as palæolithic, their presence could confer no antiquity on recent beds.
Gathering Edible Birds'-Nests.—The material from which the famous Chinese bird's-nest soup is made can be obtained in quantities at only one place in the world, and this spot has been visited recently by Mr. Pryer, a naturalist of Yokohama, Japan. It is at Gomanton, some thirty miles up the Sapugaya River, in British North Borneo, in two caves, called by the natives the Black and the White Caves, which are situated in a limestone cliff 900 feet in height. The Black Cave is 100 feet wide, by 250 feet high at the eaves, with a roof rising to 360 feet high in the middle. The interior is well lighted by holes in the roof, and is filled with clusters of the nests of bats and swifts. The White Cave is 400 feet higher up. Mr. Pryer discovered the material from which the nests are made in the shape of a soft, fungoid growth that incrusts the limestone in all damp situations, where it attains the thickness of about an inch, and is dark brown on the outside and white in the inside. The birds make the black nests from the outside layer, and the white nests, which are best esteemed, from the inside. The "moss" is taken by the bird in its mouth and drawn out in a filament backward and forward, like a caterpillar weaving its cocoon. A wonderful sight is witnessed at night, when the bats fly out of the caves in a score of flocks of many thousands each, with a rushing noise, and the birds come in in a similar style, and in the morning when the birds go out and the bats come in. Near the center of the largest cave, the explorer was shown a small beam of light from a funnel at the top of the rock, exactly 696 feet above his head. The nests are gathered from these enormous elevations by means of pendent, flexible rattan ladders and stages. On these two men take their station; one carries a light, four-pronged spear about fifteen feet long, just before the prongs of which a lighted candle is fixed. Holding on with one hand, he manages the spear with the other hand, transfixes the nest, and detaches it from the rock. He then pushes the spear toward the second man, who takes the nest off the prongs and puts it in his "game-bag." The annual crop is estimated to be worth from $25,000 to $30,000, local value, and much more in China. The caves have been worked for seven generations, without any apparent diminution in the product, although three crops are gathered in the year. The floors of the caves are covered with a deposit of guano of unknown but great thickness.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=Popular_Science_Monthly/Volume_26/January_1885/Popular_Miscellany&oldid=8849735"
Last edited on 2 October 2018, at 00:32


Austin was raised in Livermore, California just east of the bay area. After playing on many successful and competitive teams at a young age, he was named a 2x USSSA All-Regional team in 2009 and 2010, and a USSSA All-American in 2010. His greatest accomplishment came in 2011 when he was the only player from California to be chosen for the USSSA 18u national team. The team would go on to win the gold medal after playing against 8 other countries at the Houston Astros spring training facility in Kissimmee, Florida. Austin is a recent graduate from California State University, Sacramento after majoring in Mass Communications. He is a huge fan of the NCBA and enjoys staying up to date with scores and stats from teams and players from around the country. In his spare time he enjoys playing and watching sports such as football, baseball, basketball, and soccer while following his favorite teams the Dodgers, A's, Lakers, Sharks, Rays, Vikings and 49ers.


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210804-F-ZS999-0011
The Air Force Materiel Command declared Initial Operational Capability for its support to the U.S. Space Force on Oct. 1, 2021. The IOC milestone means AFMC is well on its way to fully supporting the Space Force as its Servicing Major Command for Space Force-assigned Airmen.
PHOTO BY: Courtesy Graphic
VIRIN: 210804-F-ZS999-0011.JPG

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Nothing with Oracle is light weight, or straight forward.
The above error occurs whenever you don't have the appropriate DLL's with your project in the path. For me, my ASP.NET site worked on my local workstation because I had the ODAC installed, but not on the server. The solution is to download the large XCOPY distributable from Oracle and pull out the DLL's you need. The oraociei11.dll is 127MB itself (yikes). Oracle may run very well, but it does nothing light weight. Checking that into my source control makes me cringe a little.


Dr. Daniel Loesch is a neurosurgeon in Erie, Pennsylvania and is affiliated with St. Vincent Hospital. He received his medical degree from Medical College of Pennsylvania and has been in practice for more than 20 years. He is one of 4 doctors at St. Vincent Hospital who specialize in Neurological Surgery.


You can buy the MP3 of this talk here.
This entry was posted in God the Father, Nature of God. Bookmark the permalink.
Is God a sinner? is God not a sinner? Is this a known doctrine or in reality is this just the speculation of both Mormons and our dear commentator Aaron?
Funny thing is that I could take this same (Aaron) video camera and ask Evangelicals if they understand the Trinity and can fully articulate its Theology or Doctrine. Would I get a diverse answer, a spectrum that Aaron refers to with different shades of color?
Choice, what a wonderful gift God has given to man, the ability to use his/her intellect to either be a leader or a follower; to choose this or that doctrine or theory. Speculation is based on theory, but true doctrine is given by the Spirit of God. Since there is no Doctrine given other then God once was a man, then the mystery that God has chosen not to reveal will of course lead to speculation. Does God care? Yes.
And therefore, he that will harden his hear, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.
It is nice to have you at this forum. I hope you feel welcome, friend.
Jesus Christ has told us, "No one is good—except God alone" (Mark 10:18). If we are to accept the LDS doctrine that God was once not God, then we must also accept that God was once not good.
But I know that God has always been God, and has always been good.
Solid LDS, You said "Since there is no Doctrine given other then God once was a man……" how does the church answer Num. 23:19?
Solid LDS Quote:Is God a sinner? is God not a sinner? Is this a known doctrine or in reality is this just the speculation of both Mormons and our dear commentator Aaron?
It is however under speculation for Mormons that their god has been a sinner.
Based on this scripture, I would have to speculate that God never sinned as a man.
God. I see nothing in this verse indicating His life before becoming God.
Since God is a man Glorified, (Mormon doctrine) then it follows that since He is God the following is obvious, He can not lie and is always righteous.
Solid, the verse doesn't mention God's life before he was God because that concept is FALSE.
Ardent apologists such as yourself act as contortionists with the Bible. People like you and Helen who have been shown to be wrong never admit it; you just twist and twist like squirming snakes looking for loopholes.
There are loopholes in everything. Instead of choosing to accept the revealed word in the Bible, Mormons live and concentrate on the loopholes. Reading posts like yours by people who are so confident in duplicity helps us see how the LDS mind works: keep the testimony at all costs!!!
In the Biblem God comes right out and says "I am not a man!" The LDS say "Well, not right now, but in the past." That is NOT what God says. That is NOT how God describes himself. Take HIM at his holy word and stop looking for loopholes!
Why is it important to the LDS that God was once a man? Well, because they want to become gods one day too. That's the only reason you or any Mormon would fight for this doctrine: pure and utter selfishness— to defend a doctrine made of trash.
Great work as always Aaron. As a Mormon the idea is truly alarming to me. But I don't see fallacies in your logic. There aren't any twisting of mormon doctrine that I can see. You have taken an Lds teaching and followed it to a logical conclusion. If the Lds church is correct they need to find a way to address a hole in logic as big as this one, or they aren't true.
God. Then when you start peeling away layers of this belief you get more aberrant doctrine.
Sinful men needing sinful women to become Gods and Goddesses who create other worlds.
men are more closely aligned with those who are described in Rom. 1:23 .
Jesus warned us to beware of false prophets. Not all false prophets are immoral individuals .
and the rest of mankind . There are other prophets who have and do make similar claims .
would promote their new product using scriptural phrases like new "light" or " line upon line " .
There are holes in a lot of doctrines, teachings and beliefs in Mormonism that I wish the LDS church would stand up and address. It seems sneaky and underhanded to me that the leadership of Mormonism won't set the record straight and just let the membership and apologists defend it. It makes them appear dishonest. This is part of the reason I left Mormonism.
If God was once a man as we are now, going through the trials and earning his way to godhood the same as you are doing as an LDS man, then of course he sinned. Let's say you make it to Mormon godhood, would it be honest of you to say, "I never sinned?" Would it be such a big deal to you if the inhabitants of your world knew you sinned when you were a man? Wouldn't you want them to know that you did sin so they can be assured that they too can become a god just as you did? Goal accomplished?
children do likewise in their progression to Godhood . Like father like son .
of God, he proceeded to be obedient to God by unveiling more light on the identity of God.
experienced as a man will be unveiled at next conference ?
What Aaron has done is taken the couplet and turned it around. He has ask mormons questions about it and made an assumption that we believe that God once sinned. I see the couplet pointing to my divine potential. I do not know the exact procedure for becoming God. I can only think that it takes Billions of trillions of years.
The Bible tells us to test everything against the scriptures. The claims of Mormonism (and this couplet) should be tested every which way, frontwards, backwards and everywhere in between. I think Aaron has done a fine job of looking at the entire couplet and the claims of Joseph Smith that God was once a man. He wasn't just addressing the couplet, he was also addressing the King Follett discourse.
Hi Aaron! I appreciate your passion for this. I'm passionate too when I give talks, and annunciate my voice to put meaning into Bible scriptures.
Excellent point that if God was a redeemed sinner, then we would be looking passed him to his redeemer!
I also appreciated your reminder that we, including Mormons, come from sinner Adam, and that redemption is not an abstraction! Absolutely. That's what I like about it, soteriology is an exchange. Adam gave us the debt of sin that we cannot pay off. Jesus, being "the last Adam," voluntarily sacrificed his life to buy back before God what Adam willfully lost. (1 Corinthians 15:45) According to divine justice as expressed in the Mosaic Law, soul was to be given for soul. (Exodus 21:23; Leviticus 24:18) Since Adam was created as a sinless soul, another sinless soul had to be given in exchange as a ransom: this ransomer would have to correspond to Adam by being a sinless man. The ransomer would have to voluntarily surrender what Adam lost by his disobedience in Eden, perfect human life. Nothing more, nothing less is required to avoid upsetting the soteriological balance.
Kate, as I've said before I'm here to listen and learn the alternate viewpoint to my faith, not to come on and scream at everyone for being liars or not understanding us. If I feel an Lds doctrine has a defense then I'll state it. And if I feel someone brings up a valid point I'll admit that and see if there is some sort of valid answer. As of yet I haven't seen one for this point, and I don't feel the holiness of God is an issue to take lightly.
Clyde, I haven't assumed. Rather, I have asked. And the answers are embarrassing. That is why I am personally attacked. Better to take the answers I received seriously: It is Mormons who are largely inferring on their own that God the Father may have sinned.
This isn't a flipping of the Lorenzo Snow couplet, it is an embracing of it. It sounds like you have affirmed the second half but obscured or ignored or even denied the first half. You need to come to terms with both halves, not just the second.
Grace and peace in Jesus.
Didn't God create time? Does God not exist outside of time? Whenever I hear Mormons say it could take billions of trillions of years to become a god, it just shows how tiny their view of God is. Clyde, if your god is bound by time, I want nothing to do with him.
What it seems like is that people want to give you answers that are extreme speculation. As far as we know there is no right answer to the question at this time.
People can speculate all over the place. Would make for some good science fiction stories. I do look at the second half of the couplet and see it as an example of my potential. The first half as an explanation of it. I can see that it may not matter to people because there is so much to learn that they could care less. The glory of God is intelligence.
Didn't God create time? I don't Know. Does God not exist outside of time? I don't Know. Whenever I hear Mormons say it could take billions of trillions of years to become a god, it just shows how tiny their view of God is. Time is something we measure and I suppose He might measure it too. Clyde, if your god is bound by time, I want nothing to do with him. Well, you will have to deal with God in your own way. Not all ideas people have about God are true.
I'm going wildly off topic here, but since Mormons believe in Creatio Ex Materia (that matter is co-eternal with God and he molded it to create everything else) that would imply God didn't make time (since he didn't make space, he just filled it with creations). He can see past, present and future, but would still exist "in time".
That said I don't really know the Lds position. I just "call them like I see them".
and followed it to logical a conclusion . " Perhaps you don't realized how serious this is ?
of a false prophet on who God is, you're in very serious trouble as concerns eternal life .
ton on family values and that honors God , right ?
The question of "If God sinner" is too disgusting to think about. The fact that Mormons even imply this is horrendous beyond measure.
Clyde6070, It's a topic I've done a bit of study on actually. I'd love to continue the conversation, but not here (again, wildly off topic). If you'd like I'll see if the mod can send you my e-mail.
Mike R, I don't know if this will be as shocking a revelation as the fact that I'm a Mormon that never prayed about the BOM, but I couldn't care less about the Lds' stand on family values and civic serious. I grew up Mormon and I hate my family. I would be raising my daughter the same way I am now no matter what the church had to say on the issue.
I believed when I told Kate "I don't feel the holiness of God is an issue to take lightly" I stressed how seriously I take the issue. But other than saying I'm reading the scriptures and meditating on the subject I have nothing constructive to add to the conversation, so I haven't been speaking on it. It's true that I would fall in with the group that thinks God never sinned. There are also (as Aaron pointed out) Mormon answers to this subject that don't involve God sinning at all, ever, in all of his history. So like I stated above, I'm reading the scriptures and pondering the question. Not much more to say.
as you seek Him. May God bless you and your daughter. Take care .
Just an odd thought on this blog. Maybe we are here as a test to show the effects of a physical body on a glorious mind. This is a probationary period in our own eternal life to gain a physical body and see how we react to it while we are separated from God.
Did God create His own time? Did God create out of nothing His place in the Heavens? How do you come to understand Gods own existence and place of residence, the only option you have is to say God can only exists in neither space or time, a nothingness that you can not explain since matter is not eternal.
In my digging and reading about God and sin I stumbled upon the idea of Imputation of sin and righteousness. If I'm understanding it correctly the Reformed view is that Jesus traded his righteousness to us for our sin. In essence Jesus became sinful without ever committing sin, and righteousness and sin are something that can be bartered between two individuals. Am I misunderstanding the concept?
You may also want to go to Lds.Org and search "Ex Nihilo". It comes up with a few articles that discuss creation and the Mormon belief that God organized the universe, he didn't create from nothing.
Clyde, why would God need to interview everyone on the planet? Isn't God's omniscience clear in the Bible. Have you never read Psalm 139:1-6?
Read the rest of the Psalm and you will find that there is nowhere you can go to escape from God. What's the point of the LDS system regarding salvation? Did God not create the worlds to test those spirit children willing to obtain bodies so they could possibly return to him in full exaltation and one day become gods in the same way he did? According to Mormonism children are born without an imputed sin nature and are free to choose to be obedient or not. They deny original sin in the Christian sense. Children begin with a clean slate, but we all know that children are not good. They sin (lie, steal, hit, are disobedient) even though they are never taught to do so. In fact they receive correction when they sin, but they commit the same sins again, rarely learning. Everyone born from the seed of man has sinned, and will continue to sin, except for the one man, Jesus (who is called the Christ), because he alone is the Son of God, born without Adam's imputed sin nature (Romans 5:12-14).
Just looking for a clarification of your beliefs. Do you believe in original sin or an inherited fallen nature? Because from what I read of your description of the naughty things children do (I have a two year old so I know what your talking about) it sounds more like inherited fallen nature then the idea that they are guilty of Adam's sin. Am I wrong?
(cont) Mormonism teaches that Adam "transgressed" for a noble purpose: that we may procreate and also know good from evil (and be just like the gods) that we may have the ability to be tested to see if we will live the universal law that even God had to obey, and be obedient to every command and ordinance of his perfectly. If that is true then we all fail. Miserably. What should that tell the thinking Mormon? Game over. All your pre-existence hopes of returning to HF were dashed very soon after getting your body. Why the safety net? Well, first of all it's because the doctrine of becoming a god through perfect obedience was a later development and doesn't fit well with the "scriptures". Unfortunately the scriptures Joseph plagiarized when he wrote the BoM (and before he decided who God is) tell us we need a savior because we're all born in sin. The Bible and the BoM both display Jesus as the one who pays for sins so we can be redeemed. We shouldn't get a safety net. It's a test isn't it? It's all about "worthiness". Isn't relying on the atonement cheating? Both Christian and LDS doctrine say that Jesus was the obedient savior chosen before the foundation of the world. Your god asked you to come to this earth to take a test he knew you would fail? How does that work? Besides, the LDS Jesus isn't actually a savior. He just makes salvation possible if you live perfectly. Oh that's right…we already covered that. Good luck on the LDS Hamster Wheel. I'll take the Jesus of the Bible. That one that actually saves.
2 Corinthians 5:16-21 is for you TJayT. Take hold of it, read Romans 3 and own it.
T JayT, the bible clearly tells us that we are not responsible for Adam's sin, but we inherit his sin nature.
If Adam's sin was noble explain Gen 3:22-24.
I was Thinking about how He might have gained His knowledge of everything. The psalm you noted seems to point to what I was thinking. I read it before but it did not register.
The human spirit is given by God (Ecclesiastes 12:17, Hebrews 12:9) and must be as pure as the source.
There are a few theories of what he may have ment but the most likely is that he was referring to the fact he was born into a sinful world. It's also worth noting Judaism doesn't belive in Original Sin, so the concept would be unknown to David in the first place.
When I read Romans 5:12-14 I read that Adams fall brought death into the world, and even though all must now die those born before the law aren't held accountable because there wasn't a law to sin against. Just as Adam brought death to humanity Jesus brings eternal life.
*Correction: The scripture quote under "The human spirit is given by God" should read Ecclesiasties 12:7. Also the last three word should read "heirs with christ". don't know why the words ran together.


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7 Questions with San Francisco Favorite Joanna Berman
Dance Review: NYCB, Works by Jerome Robbins
Today, because of her experience in such an extensive repertory, Berman is in demand as a regisseur, assisting choreographers in bringing their existing ballets to new audiences. This past month, she has been working with Walnut Creek's Diablo Ballet, setting Christopher Wheeldon's Mercurial Manoeuvres, which is part of the Inside the Dancer's Studio program to be presented Friday and Saturday, March 2 and 3.
Geri Jeter
Joanna Berman
Most dancers begin their training near home, then travel large distances as their career path takes them from company to company. This was not the case for former San Francisco Ballet Principal Dancer Joanna Berman (SFB 1984–2002). A California native, Berman began her training with Marin Ballet, just north of San Francisco, and crossed the Golden Gate Bridge when she was seventeen to dance with the larger company, where she became one of the most beloved dancers in the company's history. She retired from SF Ballet in 2002 to start a family (she has nine-year-old twin boys) and to take her dance career into new territory as a teacher and regisseur.
Equally at home in classical and contemporary works, whether abstract or dramatic, and with a unique gift for comedy, she was the obvious choice for many visiting choreographers. In addition to the Auroras, Juliets, and Giselles, Berman created roles in works by Val Caniparoli, Mark Morris, David Bintley, and Christopher Wheeldon, among others.
California Literary Review recently had the opportunity to speak with Ms. Berman about this exciting new phase of her dancing career.
California Literary Review: You set Mercurial Manoeuvres on the Australian Ballet a while back. How were you initially selected for the project?
Joanna Berman: In my final season with San Francisco Ballet, I performed in Christopher Wheeldon's Sea Pictures — that's how I met him. We really connected, and he asked if I would be interested in setting another on of his ballets (Mercurial Manoeuvres) on the Australian Ballet. He knew I was retiring and thought it would be a good transition project for me.
He sent me videos of the ballet; I learned the piece from them. As part of the process, I went to New York and watched the New York City Ballet rehearsals to become more familiar with the work. It went so well in Australia that it started my career as a regisseur (Note: a person whose responsibilities include rehearsing and staging a company's ballets).
Mercurial Manoeuvres uses the same music as David Bintley's Dance House — a ballet I performed when I was with San Francisco Ballet — so I know the music well. It was strange to work with the music in this different context, though, as I instinctively responded to the music in the other ballet. On the other hand, it was comfortable at the same time. It did make it easier to remember the choreography. What also helps is that Wheeldon's ballets are so musical that the steps fit like a glove.
Robert Dekkers and Mayo Sugano in Christopher Wheeldon's Mercurial Manoeuvres. Photo by Erika Johnson.
What do you see as the differences/challenges working with larger vs. smaller companies?
When we are in the studio working on a ballet, it really makes no difference. I love being in the studio, and teaching a pas de deux is the same wherever you are. Just different dancers. Talented dancers exist in both large and small dance groups.
How do you structure your rehearsals with a company? And how much time are you given for an undertaking like this?
I consult with the company where I'm going and with others who have set the work previously to see about how much time is needed at each stage of the process. As I become more and more experienced as a regisseur (especially in setting a piece on various companies), I will have more of an idea.
In the past, you have said you were not interested in choreographing. Has this changed since you have experienced setting ballets for other choreographers?
My answer today is the same as before: I'm still not interested in it. Sometimes, though, I hear a piece of music I love and maybe I want to do something, but it is not my passion.
Being a regisseur resonates almost as much as dancing for me. I love it. And it doesn't have the same pressures as being a performer. I still get to interact with dancers and using my body. And to get the choreographer's point across.
Besides Christopher Wheeldon, do you set ballets for other choreographers? For which companies? And what is coming up for you?
In addition to Christopher Wheeldon, I have worked with Mark Morris on setting his A Garden at Pacific Northwest Ballet, which was a wonderful experience. I have also worked with Val Caniparoli, helping to polish Hamlet and Ophelia Pas de Deux for Ballet West. (Berman originated the role of Ophelia at the world premiere in 1985.)
I really try to limit myself to one major project a year that requires intense preparation, and where I have to be gone from home for a couple of weeks. As my sons get older, though, I hope to be able to do more.
Are you teaching these days? Where and at what levels?
Yes. For four different studios; I also have some private students. I do this mostly while the boys are in school. I teach a class at Marin Dance theatre. At Dominican, I teach the sophomores in their dance program. In addition, I teach two "open classes" in San Francisco — one at ODC, and one at City Ballet. Every class has a different clientele, which keeps it interesting.
Do you have time for any performing? Or are you too busy with other assignments?
I have no plans for performing right now. I'm not saying I won't, but there is nothing in the works. If the right thing came about, maybe.
Don't miss Diablo Ballet in this weekend's Inside the Dancer's Studio.
7:30 p.m. March 2 and 3; 2:00 p.m. March 3
Shadelands Arts Center Auditorium, 111 N. Wiget Lane, Walnut Creek
For tickets: 925.943.1775, www.diablo ballet.org.
Former dancer, Geri Jeter, has been editing and writing for over fifteen years, writing on dance, food, music, NASCAR, technical theater, and Italian-American culture. For the past five years, she was the dance critic for the Las Vegas Weekly; in 2007 Nevada Ballet Theatre presented her with the Above and Beyond award. Now living in San Francisco, Geri is excited about covering the entire scope of West Coast dance. You can read more of her dance writing at her blog Dance Blitz (www.dance-blitz.com) and follow her Las Vegas and San Francisco restaurant reviews at DishKebab (www.dishkebab.com).
Related Topics:ballet, Christopher Wheeldon, Diablo Ballet, Joanna Berman
Israel's Batsheva Dance Company Performs Max
Two World Premiers from ODC/Dance


text:
struct uiDrawContext {
	HDC dc;

	// source color
	BOOL useRGB;
	BOOL useAlpha;
	uint8_t r;
	uint8_t g;
	uint8_t b;
	uint8_t a;
};

uiDrawContext *newContext(HDC dc)
{
	uiDrawContext *c;

	// TODO use uiNew
	c = (uiDrawContext *) malloc(sizeof (uiDrawContext));
	c->dc = dc;
	return c;
}

void uiDrawBeginPathRGB(uiDrawContext *c, uint8_t r, uint8_t g, uint8_t b)
{
	c->useRGB = TRUE;
	c->useAlpha = FALSE;
	c->r = r;
	c->g = g;
	c->b = b;
	if (BeginPath(c->dc) == 0)
		logLastError("error beginning new path in uiDrawBeginPathRGB()");
}

void uiDrawBeginPathRGBA(uiDrawContext *c, uint8_t r, uint8_t g, uint8_t b, uint8_t a)
{
	c->useRGB = TRUE;
	c->useAlpha = TRUE;
	c->r = r;
	c->g = g;
	c->b = b;
	c->a = a;
	if (BeginPath(c->dc) == 0)
		logLastError("error beginning new path in uiDrawBeginPathRGB()");
}

void uiDrawMoveTo(uiDrawContext *c, intmax_t x, intmax_t y)
{
	if (MoveToEx(c->dc, x, y, NULL) == 0)
		logLastError("error moving to point in uiDrawMoveTo()");
}

void uiDrawLineTo(uiDrawContext *c, intmax_t x, intmax_t y)
{
	if (LineTo(c->dc, x, y) == 0)
		logLastError("error drawing line in uiDrawLineTo()");
}

void uiDrawRectangle(uiDrawContext *c, intmax_t x, intmax_t y, intmax_t width, intmax_t height)
{
	if (Rectangle(c->dc, x, y, x + width, y + height) == 0)
		logLastError("error drawing rectangle in uiDrawRectangle()");
}

void uiDrawArcTo(uiDrawContext *c, intmax_t xCenter, intmax_t yCenter, intmax_t radius, double startAngle, double endAngle, int lineFromCurrentPointToStart)
{
	if (!lineFromCurrentPointToStart) {
		int bx, by, bx2, by2;
		int sx, sy, ex, ey;

		// see http://stackoverflow.com/questions/32465446/how-do-i-inhibit-the-initial-line-segment-of-an-anglearc
		// the idea for floor(x + 0.5) is inspired by wine
		// TODO make sure this is an accurate imitation of AngleArc()
		bx = xCenter - radius;
		by = yCenter - radius;
		bx2 = xCenter + radius;
		by2 = yCenter + radius;
		sx = xCenter + floor((double) radius * cos(startAngle));
		sy = yCenter - floor((double) radius * sin(startAngle));
		ex = xCenter + floor((double) radius * cos(endAngle));
		ey = yCenter - floor((double) radius * sin(endAngle));
		if (Arc(c->dc, bx, by, bx2, by2, sx, sy, ex, ey) == 0)
			logLastError("error drawing current point arc in uiDrawArc()");
		return;
	}
	// AngleArc() expects degrees
	startAngle *= (180.0 / M_PI);
	endAngle *= (180.0 / M_PI);
	if (AngleArc(c->dc,
		xCenter, yCenter,
		radius,
		startAngle,
		// the "sweep angle" is relative to the start angle, not to 0
		endAngle - startAngle) == 0)
		logLastError("error drawing arc in uiDrawArc()");
}

void uiDrawBezierTo(uiDrawContext *c, intmax_t c1x, intmax_t c1y, intmax_t c2x, intmax_t c2y, intmax_t endX, intmax_t endY)
{
	POINT points[3];

	points[0].x = c1x;
	points[0].y = c1y;
	points[1].x = c2x;
	points[1].y = c2y;
	points[2].x = endX;
	points[2].y = endY;
	if (PolyBezierTo(c->dc, points, 3) == 0)
		logLastError("error drawing bezier curve in uiDrawBezierTo()");
}

void uiDrawCloseFigure(uiDrawContext *c)
{
	if (CloseFigure(c->dc) == 0)
		logLastError("error closing figure in uiDrawCloseFigure()");
}

static HPEN toPen(uiDrawContext *c, uiDrawStrokeParams *p)
{
	DWORD style;
	LOGBRUSH lb;
	HPEN pen;

	style = PS_GEOMETRIC;
	switch (p->Cap) {
	case uiDrawLineCapFlat:
		style |= PS_ENDCAP_FLAT;
		break;
	case uiDrawLineCapRound:
		style |= PS_ENDCAP_ROUND;
		break;
	case uiDrawLineCapSquare:
		style |= PS_ENDCAP_SQUARE;
		break;
	}
	switch (p->Join) {
	case uiDrawLineJoinMiter:
		style |= PS_JOIN_MITER;
		break;
	case uiDrawLineJoinRound:
		style |= PS_JOIN_ROUND;
		break;
	case uiDrawLineJoinBevel:
		style |= PS_JOIN_BEVEL;
		break;
	}
	ZeroMemory(&lb, sizeof (LOGBRUSH));
	if (c->useRGB) {
		lb.lbStyle = BS_SOLID;
		// we don't need to worry about alpha premultiplication; see below
		lb.lbColor = RGB(c->r, c->g, c->b);
	} else {
		// TODO
	}
	pen = ExtCreatePen(style,
		p->Thickness,
		&lb,
		0,
		NULL);
	if (pen == NULL)
		logLastError("error creating pen in toPen()");
	return pen;
}

// unfortunately alpha blending in GDI is limited to bitmap on bitmap
// to do alpha vector graphics, we have to fake it by drawing to an offscreen bitmap first
// also we can't just use regions, we have to copy the path...
// we don't need to worry about alpha premultiplication; see below
struct alpha {
	HDC dc;
	HBITMAP bitmap;
	VOID *ppvBits;
	HBITMAP prevbitmap;
	RECT r;
};

static void startAlpha(uiDrawContext *c, struct alpha *a)
{
	int n;
	POINT *points;
	BYTE *ops;
	HRGN region;
	BITMAPINFO bi;
	POINT prevWindowOrigin;
	DWORD le;

	ZeroMemory(a, sizeof (struct alpha));

	// first, get the path
	// we need to do this first because PathToRegion() clears the path
	SetLastError(0);
	n = GetPath(c->dc, NULL, NULL, 0);
	if (n == 0) {
		le = GetLastError();
		SetLastError(le);		// just in case
		if (le != 0)
			logLastError("error getting path point count in startAlpha()");
	}
	// TODO switch to uiAlloc
	points = (POINT *) malloc(n * sizeof (POINT));
	ops = (BYTE *) malloc(n * sizeof (BYTE));
	if (GetPath(c->dc, points, ops, n) != n)
		logLastError("error getting path in startAlpha()");

	// next we need to know the bounding box of the path so we can create the bitmap
	region = PathToRegion(c->dc);
	if (region == NULL)
		logLastError("error getting path region in startAlpha()");
	if (GetRgnBox(region, &(a->r)) == 0)
		logLastError("error getting region bounding box in startAlpha()");
	if (DeleteObject(region) == 0)
		logLastError("error deleting path region in startAlpha()");

	// now create a DC compatible with the original that we can copy the path to and AlphaBlend() from
	a->dc = CreateCompatibleDC(c->dc);
	if (a->dc == NULL)
		logLastError("error creating compatible DC in startAlpha()");

	// now create and select in a *device-independent* bitmap that will hold the data that we're going to alpha blend
	ZeroMemory(&bi, sizeof (BITMAPINFO));
	bi.bmiHeader.biSize = sizeof (BITMAPINFOHEADER);
	bi.bmiHeader.biWidth = a->r.right - a->r.left;
	bi.bmiHeader.biHeight = -(a->r.bottom - a->r.top);		// negative to draw top-down
	bi.bmiHeader.biPlanes = 1;
	bi.bmiHeader.biBitCount = 32;
	bi.bmiHeader.biCompression = BI_RGB;
	a->bitmap = CreateDIBSection(c->dc, &bi, DIB_RGB_COLORS,
		&(a->ppvBits), NULL, 0);
	if (a->bitmap == NULL)
		logLastError("error creating bitmap in startAlpha()");
	a->prevbitmap = SelectObject(a->dc, a->bitmap);
	if (a->prevbitmap == NULL)
		logLastError("error selecting bitmap into DC in startAlpha()");

	// now we can finally copy the path like we were going to earlier
	// we need to change the window origin so the path draws in the right place
	if (SetWindowOrgEx(a->dc, a->r.left, a->r.top, &prevWindowOrigin) == 0)
		logLastError("error setting window origin in startAlpha()");
	if (BeginPath(a->dc) == 0)
		logLastError("error beginning path in startAlpha()");
	if (PolyDraw(a->dc, points, ops, n) == 0)
		logLastError("error copying path in startAlpha()");
	if (EndPath(a->dc) == 0)
		logLastError("error ending path in startAlpha()");
	if (SetWindowOrgEx(a->dc, prevWindowOrigin.x, prevWindowOrigin.y, NULL) == 0)
		logLastError("error resetting window origin in startAlpha()");
	free(points);
	free(ops);
}

static void finishAlpha(uiDrawContext *c, struct alpha *a)
{
	BLENDFUNCTION bf;

	bf.BlendOp = AC_SRC_OVER;
	bf.BlendFlags = 0;

	// fortunately blending this is easy; we don't have to touch the pixels at all because BLENDFUNCTION has a way to take care of this...
	bf.SourceConstantAlpha = c->a;
	bf.AlphaFormat = 0;		// no per-pixel apha
	// a consequence of this setup is that the image data doesn't need to be alpha-premultiplied, because SourceConstantAlpha will be multiplied for us (according to the docs, anyway)
	// TODO is this actually the case?

	// and we can finally alpha-blend this!
	if (AlphaBlend(c->dc, a->r.left, a->r.top,
		a->r.right - a->r.left, a->r.bottom - a->r.top,
		a->dc, 0, 0,
		a->r.right - a->r.left, a->r.bottom - a->r.top,
		bf) == FALSE)
		logLastError("error alpha blending in finishAlpha()");

	// and clean it all up
	if (SelectObject(a->dc, a->prevbitmap) != a->bitmap)
		logLastError("error deselecting bitmap in finishAlpha()");
	if (DeleteObject(a->bitmap) == 0)
		logLastError("error deleting object in finishAlpha()");
	if (DeleteDC(a->dc) == 0)
		logLastError("error deleting DC in finishAlpha()");
}

void uiDrawStroke(uiDrawContext *c, uiDrawStrokeParams *p)
{
	HPEN pen, prevpen;
	HDC strokeDC;
	struct alpha alpha;

	if (EndPath(c->dc) == 0)
		logLastError("error ending path in uiDrawStroke()");

	if (c->useAlpha) {
		startAlpha(c, &alpha);
		strokeDC = alpha.dc;
	} else		// no alpha; just stroke directly
		strokeDC = c->dc;

	pen = toPen(c, p);
	if (p->Join == uiDrawLineJoinMiter)
		if (SetMiterLimit(strokeDC, p->MiterLimit, NULL) == 0)
			logLastError("error setting miter limit in uiDrawStroke()");
	prevpen = SelectObject(strokeDC, pen);
	if (prevpen == NULL)
		logLastError("error selecting pen into DC in uiDrawStroke()");
	if (StrokePath(strokeDC) == 0)
		logLastError("error stroking path in uiDrawStroke()");
	if (SelectObject(strokeDC, prevpen) != pen)
		logLastError("error deselecting pen from DC in uiDrawStroke()");
	if (DeleteObject(pen) == 0)
		logLastError("error deleting pen in uiDrawStroke()");

	if (c->useAlpha)
		finishAlpha(c, &alpha);
}

static HBRUSH toBrush(uiDrawContext *c)
{
	HBRUSH brush;

	if (c->useRGB) {
		brush = CreateSolidBrush(RGB(c->r, c->g, c->b));
		if (brush == NULL)
			logLastError("error creating solid brush in toBrush()");
		return brush;
	}
	// TODO
	return NULL;
}

void uiDrawFill(uiDrawContext *c, uiDrawFillMode mode)
{
	HBRUSH brush, prevbrush;
	HDC fillDC;
	struct alpha alpha;
	int pfm;

	if (EndPath(c->dc) == 0)
		logLastError("error ending path in uiDrawFill()");

	if (c->useAlpha) {
		startAlpha(c, &alpha);
		fillDC = alpha.dc;
	} else		// no alpha; just stroke directly
		fillDC = c->dc;

	switch (mode) {
	case uiDrawFillModeWinding:
		pfm = WINDING;
		break;
	case uiDrawFillModeAlternate:
		pfm = ALTERNATE;
		break;
	}
	if (SetPolyFillMode(fillDC, pfm) == 0)
		logLastError("error setting fill mode in uiDrawFill()");
	brush = toBrush(c);
	prevbrush = SelectObject(fillDC, brush);
	if (prevbrush == NULL)
		logLastError("error selecting brush into DC in uiDrawFill()");
	if (FillPath(fillDC) == 0)
		logLastError("error filling path in uiDrawFill()");
	if (SelectObject(fillDC, prevbrush) != brush)
		logLastError("error deselecting brush from DC in uiDrawFill()");
	if (DeleteObject(brush) == 0)
		logLastError("error deleting pen in uiDrawStroke()");

	if (c->useAlpha)
		finishAlpha(c, &alpha);
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Untam'd Wing
Jeffrey C. Robinson
The jazz term "riff" is short for "riffle"—"make rough." In Untam'd Wing: Riffs on Romantic Poetry, scholar/poet Jeffrey Robinson sets out much like a jazz musician to renew a great body of work (say, Miles Davis on George Gershwin)—"to recast," as he says in the Prefatory Note, "what have become monuments, with all the inertness of passive appreciation that monumentality encourages, into living forms." If he "roughs up" some of our long-time favorites, it's not to revise, and certainly not to improve, but on the contrary to reveal a timeless dimension that is of the very nature of the Romantic: "I would define a 'romantic' poem, of whatever vintage, as one that invites its own renewal in every present." With all the boldness and subtle care of the poets he celebrates, Robinson stakes his "life-long involvement as reader, teacher, and scholar/critic of Romantic poetry" on an equally committed "absorption and belief in the discoveries of modern and contemporary experimental poetry." Like a true marriage it lays bare both parties.
"Untam'd Wing is a heady conglomeration of poetic intensities and re-visionings, of the Romantic mother lode. Only a poet deeply embedded in and enthralled by this realm could take wild liberties and shape them into a contemporary volume of such curious and inventive range. Jeffrey Robinson is a scholar and has lived inside the Romantic body for decades, and precisely because of this his imagination is highly attuned to further Romantic nuance…. He sheds bright light on meaning and message. He is the scientist/artist finally breaking free of shackles."
—Anne Waldman, from the foreword


My camp days are over at least for this summer. I'm home now, and it has been quiet a transitional period. Going from 3 square meals a day (plus 2 snacks anytime of the day), to fixing my own food. From getting plenty of physical activity without even trying, to having to make myself do some sort of exercise. From having a worship service every night and a spot in your schedule for quiet time, to church on Sundays and Wednesdays and having to make time for quiet time on my own. From hanging out with people near my same age all day, to hanging out with my siblings.
The life that I have at camp is the life that I wish I had year round...but that's just not realistic. I love my life at home, but I'm ready for a change. I mean isn't there more to life than switching tabs on your internet browser? I'm ready. I'm ready to change everything. I'm ready to hang out with people my own age more often. I'm ready to make time for God everyday. I'm ready to "work-out". I'm ready to take the love from camp and bring it to my church, community, and home.
With this change you might see a couple things different around here pretty soon.


Echo Limousine provides limo and car service in Chicago for events like parties, proms and weddings, as well as for corporate and airport travel.
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Operating out of Geneva, Illinois, Geneva Limousines provides chauffeured transportation for day trips within the Chicago metropolitan area.
Whereorg has 76224 results under Car Rental Companies in Illinois.


text:
Rotation Prep
United States-------------Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czech Republic Côte d'Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Macedonia, Republic of Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine, State of Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin (French part) Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten (Dutch part) Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States United States Minor Outlying Islands Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Vietnam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands
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@NEJM Ask the Authors & Experts: Mepolizumab for Eosinophilic Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
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Ian Pavord, MD, DM, FRCP, FERS, FMedSci
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Gerard Criner, MD
Chair and Professor of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery at Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Frank Sciurba, MD FCCP
Director of the Emphysema/COPD Research Center, Director of the Clinical Pulmonary Physiology Laboratories and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program & Professor at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Steve Yancey
Medical Development leader for Mepolizumab at GlaxoSmithKline Pharmeceuticals
Mona Bafadhel, MD
Associate Professor in the Nuffield Department of Medicine at University of Oxford
Christopher Brightling, MD
National Institute for Health Research Senior Investigator, Director of the Leicester NIHR Biomedical Research Unit, and Honorary Consultant Respiratory Physician at Institute for Lung Health
Steven Pascoe, MBBS MS
Head of Respiratory Clinical Research and Development at GlaxoSmithKline plc
Wisia Wedzicha, MD
Head of the Respiratory Clinical Science Division & Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College
Dave Singh, MD
Professor of Clinical Pharmacology & Respiratory Medicine at University of Manchester
Peter Calverley, MBChB, DSC, FRCP, FRCPE, FMedSci, FERS
Professor of Pulmonary Medicine & Honorary Consultant Physician at University Hospital Aintree
Nicola Hanania, MD
Director, Airways Clinical Research Center & Associate Professor at Baylor College of Medicine
Alyssa Sclafani, MD
Fellow in Critical Care Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital/BIDMC/Harvard Medical School Program
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Ian D Pavord, MA DM FRCP FERS FMedSci is Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Oxford and Honorary Consultant Physician at the Oxford University Hospitals. He is a member of congregation at the University of Oxford and a Professorial Fellow of St Edmund Hall. He was a Consultant Physician from 1995 and Honorary Professor of Medicine from 2005 to 2013 at the Institute for Lung Health, Glenfield Hospital, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. He was elected an NIHR Senior Investigator in 2011, a Fellow of the European Respiratory Society in 2014 and a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Science in 2015. He has a research interest in the clinical aspects of inflammatory airway diseases and he has pioneered the use of non-invasive measures of airway inflammation in the assessment of these conditions. He has identified a number of clinically important phenotypes of inflammatory airway disease and has played a lead role in the clinical development of three of the most promising new treatments for severe airway disease. Professor Pavord was co-editor of Thorax from 2010-2015, Chief Medical Officer of Asthma UK from 2008-14 and Associate Editor of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine from 2005-10. He is the author of more than 355 publications including 6 in the New England Journal of Medicine and 11 in the Lancet. He received the 2016 European Respiratory Society (ERS) Gold Medal for his research and gave the Cournand Lecture at the 2004 ERS meeting, the second UK based researcher to have been given this honour.
Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery
Gerard Criner, MD, is Chair and Professor of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery at Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, where he also obtained his medical degree in 1989. Dr Criner completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Temple University Hospital, and his fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Boston University School of Medicine in Boston, MA. Dr Criner is committee member of the Intensive Care Unit Committee at Temple University Hospital and executive director of Philadelphia Critical Care Society. He also serves on the board of directors for the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) and acts as Chairman for the ACCP guidelines on the prevention of acute exacerbations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). He is a member of the board of directors for the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. In 2013, Dr Crimer was the recipient of the Paul W. Eberman Faculty Research Award from Temple University. As a principal investigator, Dr Criner has received extensive research funding and has conducted several clinical trials in pulmonary disease. His primary research focuses on advanced lung conditions, including COPD, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, and respiratory failure. Dr Criner has published over 300 scientific papers, reviews, and book chapters, with numerous research articles in peer- reviewed journals including New England Journal of Medicine, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (AJRCCM), Chest and Lancet Respiratory Medicine. He serves on the editorial review board of Advances for Respiratory Care Managers and AJRCCM. Dr Criner has lectured nationally and internationally at numerous scientific meetings and congresses.
Dr. Frank Sciurba, M.D. is a Professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Director of the Emphysema/COPD research center, and director of the clinical pulmonary physiology laboratories and pulmonary rehabilitation program. He received his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois and attended Medical school at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. Dr. Sciurba's research has been inspired by real clinical problems facing his patients. He has co-authored over 200 manuscripts and has had continuous NIH funding for 20 years. Dr. Sciurba's current leadership positions include: His role as a Principle Investigator of the Network Management Core of the new NHLBI sponsored Pulmonary Trials Consortium (PTC) which manages the execution of pragmatic, "real world" studies in a variety of chronic pulmonary conditions; and his role as academic chair of the COPD Biomarker Qualification Committee (CBQC), a group that works with the FDA to address the need for new biomarkers to facilitate development of drugs and devices for chronic pulmonary conditions. He is also currently the chair of the American Thoracic Society Clinical Problems Program Committee.
Steve Yancey received his Masters Degree in physiology from North Carolina State University. This was followed by a period of academic research in reproductive physiology and chronobiology Mr. Yancey began a career in the Pharmaceutical Industry (GSK) in 1987. He has over 50 publications in peer-reviewed journals. He has contributed to the development of inhaled bronchodilators, inhaled corticosteroids, and biologic medicines for patients with respiratory diseases. Mr. Yancey has also led teams focused on establishing drug safety profiles and currently leads a global team developing a biological therapy for respiratory and other associated diseases.
NEJM Resident 360 is a product of NEJM Group, a division of the Massachusetts Medical Society. Copyright ©2020 Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved.


Bahamas Highest Ranked Caribbean Country on Quality of Nationality Index - Caribbean & Co.
Of the 16 independent Caribbean countries included in the first edition of the Henley & Partners – Kochenov Quality of Nationality Index, The Bahamas ranked the highest at 48th position. Overall, 161 countries from across the globe are included in the ranking that was officially released in Switzerland on June 2nd by Christian H. Kälin, Chairman of Henley & Partners a global leader in residence and citizenship planning. Kälin was joined by lead researcher for the nationality index Professor Dimitry Kochenov who is Chair in European Union Constitutional Law at the University of Groningen, Visiting Professor of the College of Europe and Chairman of the Investment Migration Council.
Henley & Partners – Kochenov Quality of Nationality Index – Map showing rankings across the globe. Photo Credit: ©Henley & Partners.
The next Caribbean country on the Henley & Partners – Kochenov Quality of Nationality Index is Barbados ranked 51st followed by Antigua & Barbuda ranked 58th. These top three are then followed by St Kitts & Nevis ranked 59th, Trinidad & Tobago ranked 78th, and Saint Lucia ranked 86th. All Caribbean countries including lowest ranked Haiti at 140th position are considered Medium Quality – nationalities with a value of between 20.0% and 34.9%.
The methodology for the Henley & Partners – Kochenov Quality of Nationality Index which will no doubt become an important tool for those wanting to retire to the Caribbean and for ultra high net worth individuals evaluating citizenship programs like those offered in the Caribean reviewed data for the last 5 years and looked at both external and internal factors.
Henley & Partners – Kochenov Quality of Nationality Index – internal and external factors. Photo Credit: ©Henley & Partners.
For the internal factors, they looked at the economic strength of the country via International Monetary fund data, the scale of human development via the United Nations Development Programme Human Development Index and the level of peace and stability via Global Peace Index published by the Institute for Economics and Peace. Interestingly, tax regulations which would most likely improve the ranking for most Caribbean countries was not included because according to Professor Dimitry Kochenov this is a matter for the State which is separate from nationality which plays a significant part in determining our opportunities and aspirations.
With regards to external factors, they looked at the number of countries to which visa-free travel was available for persons of a particular nationality as well as ease of living and working in other countries. Higher weight was awarded to countries deemed more desirable for visa-free travel and resettlement. Thus, no surprise that countries with Caribbean dependent territories were all ranked higher — in fact, they are all in the first tier and their nationalities considered: Very High Quality as they have a value of 50% and above.
The ranking for the United States is the lowest for those countries with Caribbean dependent territories despite having the largest economy in the world and ranking well for human development. However, this is due to its low score for peace and stability due to its nuclear arsenal and continual involvement in armed conflicts. The United States also received a low score due to complexities and difficulties of its citizens living and working elsewhere in the world. This is unlike France, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, who are part of the European Union (28 countries) and European Economic Area (31 countries), which have full reciprocal access. This resulted in all European Union countries (even Romania and Bulgaria) ranking above the United States.
Important to note here that for Caribbean countries, the lower score on the majority of sub-elements and the lack of significant settlement freedom prevents even the top-ranked nationalities from matching the score for most European, North American and some of the East Asian nationalities. Thus, while being a dependent territory has it challenges, it could be considered a bonus for those in the Caribbean who are blessed with this extended nationality and ultimately travel with a passport from France, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.
So what can independent Caribbean countries especially those like Saint Lucia that recently launched a Citizenship By Investment Program do to improve their nationality ranking? Well, Professor Dimitry Kochenov suggested that governments should focus on internally improving the rule of law, being more friendly with neighbors, negotiating visa-free travel for their citizens to more countries and being a more active participant in regional and international economic and governmental associations.
For more information, visit the website for the Henley & Partners – Kochenov Quality of Nationality Index which ranked the German nationality the highest in the world over the last five years with a score of 83.1% and The Democratic Republic of Congo as the lowest in the world with a score of 14.3%.
The Bahamas – Couple in a hammock on the beach. Photo Credit: ©Bahamas Tourism Office.