My aneurysm is in the Circle of Willis, between my eyes. It is 8mm with a 4mm opening. The doctor wanted to coil and stent it right away, but it scared me, because I was not given much information. I have since learned that coils can compact which requires a second operation, a stent can collect plaque causing a stroke and it is not a once and done procedure, because it requires follow up care with MRA's.
I would love to know if there was anything I could do proactively to help prevent a negative outcome, like strengthen my veins, clear the plaque from my arteries.
I would also love to know if there are tests that I could ask for that could help me feel more confident to have this surgery.
I have reflux dystrophy syndrome which was recently diagnosed. Dr Chopra said that people who have CRPS have fragile veins. I don't want to die on the operating table, because I did not make an informed decision.
It's frightening when you receive news like this. How was it diagnosed, did you have an MRA, an angiogram, or both? My neurosurgeon calls the angiogram the 'gold standard'. Have you talked with your surgeon about further tests?
Coiling or stenting is certainly a less invasive option, but yes, there can be problems and, maybe, further surgeries. My aneurysm was 5mm when my doctor he decided to intervene. I know they aren't always able to 'get to' the aneurysm with 'clipping', and use coiling instead. I had the clipping and was pretty terrified! They were going to cut into my head and dig around! What helped me was my complete confidence in my surgeon. He chose to clip because it was accessible and permanent. I had a follow up angiogram to confirm everything was good.
You need to have time with your surgeon to get your questions answered. Where are you at with this? I see you posted awhile ago. There aren't alot of people in this section of the forum.
Thank you for responding. My annie was diagnosed in March during an ER trip for a bad reaction to two antibiotics and agonizing pain in my foot and ankle, the latter was diagnosed in May as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. I still am not sure why the ER doctor sent me for the first CT scan, quickly followed by a CT scan with contrast. Afterward I was ambulanced from that ER to one at a major hospital, but after waiting all night there with a port in my arm, because I was told I was being admitted, I was suddenly discharged. It was very bizarre, because once the Annie was found the issues which brought me to the ER were not handled. I was given crutches at discharge which I have used every day since, so I guess that was something.
I did see the top person who specializes in Annie's, but I felt there was something off. I cannot put my finger on it, but our meeting seemed strangely lacking in substantial information. I was very sick from the antibiotics and overwhelmed by pain in my foot, and I had no real information to allow me to research.
You are fortunate that your Annie was clipped, despite the invasiveness and the recovery. I call it "once and done."
The coiling has a 1/3 repeat rate. It requires monitoring and lifetime aspirin therapy when there is a stent.
Frankly I don't know where I am. Is a CT scan with contrast an angiogram? Is that another procedure?
The picture of my Annie that was given to me looks like there is another Annie. When I asked the doctor if I had a second annie he hedged. He said he would have to know which view I had.
I am considering getting a second opinion, but I frankly do not know where I would start.
My suggestion to you is that you get a good neurologist, neurosurgeon and a interventional neurologist. Have input from these doctors.
Being diagnosed with a non reptured aneurysm is something one must take serious, and it needs attention. You should not delay this. In a way you are lucky that this was found incidentally. Sometimes, and very often actually, people do not know they have an aneurysm until it ruptures, and the survival rate is MUCH lower in this cases, depending how quickly one reach the hospital and get emergency surgery to stop the bleeding and repair the aneurysm.---So consider yourself lucky to have found this.
A ruptured aneurysm is a life thretening medical emergency.
The symptoms of a ruptured aneurysm is an excruciating headache, the worst one has ever had. ( Many people die) if not treated very quickly.
The best practice of treating ( rule) of aneurysms, is that it should be repaired if it is 6 mm or grater. If it is less, sometimes neurologists decide to monitor the aneurysm closely with MRI and Cerebral Angiogram on a regular time intervals. They then look for enlargement of the size of the aneurysm.
A Cerebral Angiogram is a procedure when the doctor insert a catheter into a large blood vessel in the groin, thread it up into your brain. There is injection of contrast dye. The procedure is monitored on a big screen. The pictures taken will help the doctor locate and measure the exact cite and seize of the aneurysm. This is done prior to the repair of the aneurysm.
I had an aneurysm noted on a MRI done due to visual disturbance and headache. They found a 6 mm aneurysm close to the optic nerve.
I had it repaired by Endovascular embolization and stent placement.
Meaning I had coils placed inside the aneurysm, and a stent in the bloodvessel by the aneurysm.
This is the procedure that is being used much these days. What actually happens, is that the coils fills up the aneurysm, then as, time goes by, the body responds is that there will be growth of new endothelial cells filling up the aneurysm. The stent assist to close the opening into the aneurysm from the vessel.
I had to be monitored with new Cerebral Angiogram every 6 months for 1 year.
I was put on Aspirin 81 mg( small dose) and Plavix to prevent a cloth forming in the area .
Yes, the Aspirin treatment will be for life, but that is realy something that is a good prevention in general of both heart attack and stroke. The Plavix is usually for some months( until the aneurysm has stabilized and there is less chance of a cloth to form along the stent(causing a stroke). Some doctors gives this med for longer periods.
In my case, the Plavix was stopped after 6 months, and about a week after that I had a tiny little cloth forming, causing a small stroke. The Plavix was then restarted, and I will be on it for lifetime. My doctor and I decided on that.
So, I suggest you get some good neurologists. I would not leave an aneurysm untreated if you were so lucky as to find one.
Last edited by Synnove; 07-14-2015 at 07:18 AM.
The other option of repair of aneurysm is clipping. This means surgery where the neurosurgeon opens up your skull, and put clipping, put a metal clip over the aneurysm. This is a open method. I would think the risks involved would depend a little bit on the location of the aneurysm.
You would have a longer recovery time.
Sometimes this is the method they choose if they can not reach the aneurysm via the endovascular method.
So, your doctors will have to explain the different methods, and all of you make a decision.
Bio based, where are you at with this? I'm hoping you're making progress. Until you get things taken care of, that will be ALL you think about. Very stressful. People do travel to find the best care. Are you located near a respected large medical center?
This sounds like a very scary situation for you and I hope you can get to a doctor soon to get the information you need to proceed.
Am I right that your only head images were two CTs? You might want to talk to a doctor about an MRA. This is done in the MRI machine and can show what's going on with your arteries. It might give you and your doctor some good information before you proceed to more invasive procedures. I'm just guessing here, you would have to speak to a doctor. I just know I was given a MRI and MRA for a sudden, severe headache. They were both done at the same time and took about 40 minutes total. In my case, these two tests were enough for my doctor to rule out aneurysm and brain bleeding. Of course, your case is quite different from mine because you already know "annie" is there.
Do you have someone to go to your appointments with you? Discuss all your questions with this special someone, write them down, and tell them that their job is to make sure everything gets answered to your satisfaction. Sometimes I feel better when someone else asks questions on my behalf and it's nice to have someone to talk to after the visit to help you absorb and understand everything that was discussed.
I hope you find a good team of doctors SOON so you can learn more and decide on a course of treatment. Good luck with everything!
I am in the Boston area. Basically I am doing nothing, because I do not know what to do.
Do you have a primary care doctor? He or she should be able to see you right away and steer you in the right direction. I don't mean to sound pushy, but I think it would be better to do something than to do nothing.
I agree, you need to seek help now. I'm sure there's a number of good hospitals in the Boston area. News like that is hard to get, you've probably been absorbing it, now it's time to take some action. Good luck to you and keep us up to date.


A security operative battles hijackers on a cruise ship.
This is a really strange and over-the-top movie about young people in New Zealand. It is a roller-coaster ride of a story about people cheating on each other and makes us think about what attracts us to people in the first place.
They throw too much into it, there are so many twists and turns but alot of the twists are repetitive. However, it is good fun, and although not many of the characters are likeable, they do entertain us.


text:
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE release date, rumours, features, specs
(Pocket-lint) – Samsung's Galaxy S21 series hit shelves at the beginning of 2021 but despite nearly a year having passed, there are still plenty of rumours circulating about the Galaxy S21 Fan Edition, or Galaxy S21 FE.
The Galaxy S21 FE would succeed the excellent Galaxy S20 FE, likely hitting the sweet spot between price and features once again. Here is everything we have heard so far.
Release date and price
January 2022?
Cheaper than Galaxy S21
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition model was revealed in September 2020 and made available in October 2020. It's been claimed there is a Samsung device with a model number SM-G990B in the works that is likely to be the Galaxy S21 FE, and that it would launch in the second half of 2021.
It was initially claimed the device could be available to pre-order from 20 October and available from 29 October, which would have tied into the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Part 2 event that took place on 20 October, but no S21 FE was announced at the event.
More recent reports claim it will arrive at CES 2022, which takes place in January. There have been multiple rumours suggesting this, meaning this timeframe is looking the most likely, especially as the end of 2021 is fast approaching. There were also reports the device was being cancelled due to the chip shortage, though there is more evidence to suggest it is coming than not now, especially after the user manual appeared on Samsung's own website.
In terms of price, we'd expect the Galaxy S21 FE to sit below the Galaxy S21 if it appears. The Galaxy S20 FE starts at £599 in the UK for the 4G model – it isn't available in the US – with the 5G model costing £599 in the UK and $599 in the US, so we would expect a similar ballpark for the Galaxy S21 FE.
Similar to Galaxy S21 series
IP68 rating likely
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE featured a design similar to the Galaxy S20 series, but made a couple of changes in order to reduce the price, like a plastic rear instead of glass.
The Galaxy S21 FE is expected to do the same but with a design similar to the Galaxy S21 and S21+. Rumours claim it will come in grey, pink, violet, green, blue and white colours, with the violet having leaked by Samsung itself. It's likely to be water resistant, as the Galaxy S20 FE was and as a leaked user manual suggests, and we'd expect a flat display.
Based on multiple leaked renders, the camera housing on the rear of the S21 FE will fall into the frame, as it does on the Galaxy S21, but it will be an overall more traditional and simpler design. The housing also appears to be the same colour as the rest of the rear rather than a different colour like the Galaxy S21.
It's also been claimed there is no microSD card slot and no 3.5mm headphone jack.
6.4-inches
Full HD+
120Hz refresh rate likely
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE has a 6.5-inch display with a Full HD+ resolution, though rumours claim the Galaxy S21 FE will have a 6.4-inch screen with a Full HD+ resolution. That still puts it in between the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+ in terms of size though.
Both the S21 and S21+ have a Full HD+ display too and both come with a variable 120Hz refresh rate. As the Galaxy S20 FE retained the 120Hz refresh rate of the Galaxy S20 series, it is likely the S21 FE will also offer the faster refresh rate, though it's unclear if it will offer variable refresh rate.
A flat display is also likely for the Galaxy S21 FE, along with a centralised punch hole front camera. It's also likely to be a Super AMOLED panel.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, 8GB RAM
128GB/256GB storage options
Rumours suggest the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will come in 128GB and 256GB storage options, like its predecessor. As mentioned, it's been suggested the S21 FE won't offer microSD support for storage expansion, which the Galaxy S21 and S21+ don't either.
Reports claim it will be a 5G device, which we'd expect, though it isn't clear if there will be a 4G LTE model too as there is with the Galaxy S20 FE. It is also said to run on Android 11.
Rumours suggest the Galaxy S21 FE will run on the Qualcomm Snapdrgon 888 or the Eyxnos 2100, depending on the region, like the Galaxy S21 series. There have been reports 6GB of RAM – a little less than the Galaxy S21 – 8GB RAM, and there's been mention of 12GB RAM too.
Battery capacity is claimed to be 4370mAh – although there's also been a report of 4500mAh – and it's said the S21 FE will offer support for 25W fast charging, though it's not yet clear whether the charger itself will be included in the box.
Triple rear camera (32MP or 64MP + 12MP + 8MP)
12MP or 32MP front
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE featured a triple rear camera with the same main camera as the Galaxy S21+. It dropped the resolution of the telephoto camera and upped the resolution of the front camera. It also has the same resolution ultra wide camera as the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+ but with smaller pixels.
Rumours regarding the Galaxy S21 FE camera specs, suggest a triple camera comprised of a 12-megapixel, 32-megapixel or 64-megapixel sensor, 12-megapixel and 8-megapixel sensors. It's expected the make up will be main, ultra-wide and telephoto.
Reports say a 12-megapixel front camera will also be on board the S21 FE, though there have also been claims this will be a 32-megapixel selfie snapper.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE rumours: What's happened so far?
Here is everything we have heard about the Galaxy S21 FE so far.
Snapdragon Tech Summit, CES, and more – Pocket-lint Podcast 132
By Rik Henderson
6 December 2021: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE user manual confirms device is coming
Serial leaker Evan Blass – also known as @Evleaks – tweeted a link to the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE support user manual on the company's website.
18 November 2021: Real hands on pictures of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE leaked
Hands-on pictures of a real Galaxy S21 FE from Samsung, reveal many previously leaked features to be accurate.
15 November 2021: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE specs and design leak in full
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE marketing materials leaked, offering a full view of the design and specifications.
11 November 2021: Galaxy S21 FE lands on the Google Play Console in Snapdragon and Exynos variants
Samsung's Galaxy S21 FE made a pit stop at the Google Play Console ahead of launch, all but confirming its existence. The phone appeared in two variants: one with the Snapdragon 888 processor, and another with the Exynos 2100.
8 November 2021: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE to debut 4 January during CES 2022 Unpacked event
A second report corroborates speculation that the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will be announced during CES 2022 in Las Vegas.
2 November 2021: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE could finally debut at CES 2022
SamMobile reported the Galaxy S21 FE will launch at CES 2022. The site is reasonably sure its sources are correct: "As of right now, the Galaxy S21 FE launch at CES 2022 is virtually confirmed," it wrote.
26 Ocotber 2021: Is Samsung Galaxy S21 FE back on the cards?
A leaked image of what is claimed to be a "screen protector placement" device labelled "S21 FE", alongside the reemergence of a support page for its model designation suggest the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is still in the works.
20 October 2021: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Part 2 didn't reveal Galaxy S21 FE
The Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Part 2 event took place on 20 Ocotber, but no Galaxy S21 FE was revealed.
13 October 2021: Samsung to hold Galaxy Unpacked Part 2 event soon, maybe new phones on their way?
Samsung sent out invites for its Galaxy Unpacked Part 2 event, though little was given away in terms of what would be revealed.
28 September 2021: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE scrapped? Chip shortage may take its toll
Korean site Digital Daily, in an exclusive, cited a Samsung Electronics representative confirming the cancellation of the October S21 FE Unpacked event – who then goes on to say "We are [Samsung is] reviewing the smartphone launch itself".
1 September 2021: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE expected to arrive October
Jon Prosser of Front Page Tech has claimed the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will be available to pre-order from 20 October and available to buy from 29 October.
31 August 2021: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE user manual suggests no microSD
Sammobile reported that it obtained the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE user manual and there is no mention of microSD. There is also said to be no 3.5mm headphone jack.
13 August 2021: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE gets certified by Bluetooth SIG
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has been certified by the Bluetooth SIG suggesting its launch is getting closer.
10 August 2021: Samsung accidentally reveals Galaxy S21 FE in Instagram post
9to5Google spotted a post from Samsung's official Instagram account that appears to show the unannounced Galaxy S21 FE in a Back to School advert.
Samsung / 9to5Google
23 July 2021: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE won't be announced at Unpacked
LetsGoDigital reported that it has seen official documentation from Samsung that says the Galaxy S21 FE won't be introduced at Galaxy Unpacked.
21 July 2021: Samsung confirms Galaxy Unpacked for 11 August
Samsung has sent out official invites for its next Galaxy Unpacked event that will take place on 11 August.
12 July 2021: 11 August Samsung Galaxy Unpacked to be packed with launches, see them here
Evan Blass posted a number of short videos to his Twitter account, indicating what Samsung is expected to announce at Unpacked on 11 August, with the Galaxy S21 FE one of the devices.
8 July 2021: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE pics and specs shown in TENAA listing
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE appeared on TENAA, China's Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center, with device pictures and a number of specs.
7 July 2021: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE shown from every angle thanks to leaked gifs
Leaker Evan Blass posted a number of short videos to his Twitter page, revealing the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE from every angle. Unfortuantely, the tweet has since been removed.
2 July 2021: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE colours revealed in picture leak, but there might be some bad news
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE appeared in another leak, showing off the colours expected. The leak also mentioned Exynos as the processor though.
30 June 2021: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021 could take place on 11 August
A leaked render of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 suggests Unpacked event could take place on 11 August. It's not clear if the S21 FE will arrive alongside the Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 or at a separate event later on.
23 June 2021: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE to be delayed? End of 2021 now rumoured
A report claimed the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE might be delayed until the last quarter of 2021. It was originally rumoured to be coming in August 2021.
17 June 2021: 3C document reveals Samsung Galaxy S21 FE passes through certification
A leaked 3C document, first uncovered by MyFixGuide, reveals that the Galaxy S21 FE will feature support for 25W fast charging.
11 June 2021: More Samsung Galaxy S21 FE specs revealed by benchmark test
Geekbench reported the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE on a benchmark with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset and 8GB of RAM.
9 June 2021: Here's what the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will look like in every colour
Evan Blass tweeted an image of the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE in every colour with green, white, blue, grey and violet shown. The image also showed the device off from every angle.
21 May 2021: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will have Snapdragon 888 and 6GB RAM, according to benchmark test
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE appeared on a benchmark test running the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 and 6GB of RAM. It also is listed as running Android 11.
11 May 2021: Samsung eyeing an August Unpacked event to launch Fold 3, Flip 3 and Galaxy S21 FE
Industry sources claim Samsung is planning an event for August, where it is expected to reveal the the Z Fold 3, Z Flip 3 and the Galaxy S21 FE.
6 May 2021: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE on track for August reveal, in four colours
Ross Young tweeted claiming the Galaxy S21 FE is starting production in July and set to come in Gray, Light Green, Light Violet and White colour options.
12 April 2021: Here's what the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will look like
Steve Hemmerstoffer (OnLeaks) posted a number of high resolution renders of the Galaxy S21 FE to The Voice plaform, along with a few details.
18 March 2021: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE could launch on 19 August, S7 Lite tablet in June
Evan Blass revealed a leaked Samsung mini roadmap that suggests the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE could launch on 19 August 2021.
13 February 2021: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE mid-ranger might arrive later this year
Sammobile claimed the Galaxy S21 FE could already be in development with a model number SM-G990B. The site said it will have 5G, come in 128GB and 256GB storage options, and have Android 11. It is also said to be coming in gray/silver, pink, violet, and white colours when it launches in the second half of this year.
15 November 2020: Samsung Galaxy S21 FE expected in 2021
Leaker Max Weinbach tweeted that the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE was one of the flagships to expect from Samsung in 2021.
Samsung flagships to expect this year:
Z Fold FE
— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) November 15, 2020
Writing by Britta O'Boyle. Originally published on 16 February 2021 .
DNA Could Soon Become The World's Smallest Hard Drive
Xiaomi 11 LE Launch Date Tipped for December 9

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Putting Json into python variables using query (url request) I'm attempting to use this Python 2 code snippet from the WeatherUnderground's API Page in python 3.
import urllib2
import json
f = urllib2.urlopen('http://api.wunderground.com/api/apikey/geolookup/conditions/q/IA/Cedar_Rapids.json')
json_string = f.read()
parsed_json = json.loads(json_string)
location = parsed_json['location']['city']
temp_f = parsed_json['current_observation']['temp_f']
print "Current temperature in %s is: %s" % (location, temp_f)
f.close()

I've used 2to3 to convert it over but i'm still having some issues. The main conversion here is switching from the old urllib2 to the new urllib. I've tried using the requests library to no avail.
Using urllib from python 3 this is the code I have come up with:
import urllib.request
import urllib.error
import urllib.parse
import codecs
import json

url = 'http://api.wunderground.com/api/apikey/forecast/conditions/q/C$
response = urllib.request.urlopen(url)
#Decoding on the two lines below this
reader = codecs.getreader("utf-8")
obj = json.load(reader(response))
json_string = obj.read()
parsed_json = json.loads(json_string)
currentTemp = parsed_json['current_observation']['temp_f']
todayTempLow = parsed_json['forecast']['simpleforecast']['forecastday']['low'][$
todayTempHigh = parsed_json['forecast']['simpleforecast']['forecastday']['high'$
todayPop = parsed_json['forecast']['simpleforecast']['forecastday']['pop']

Yet i'm getting an error about it being the wrong object type. (Bytes instead of str)
The closest thing I could find to the solution is this question here.
Let me know if any additional information is needed to help me find a solution!
Heres a link to the WU API website if that helps

A: urllib returns a byte array. You convert it to string using
json_string.decode('utf-8')

Your Python2 code would convert to
from urllib import request
import json

f = request.urlopen('http://api.wunderground.com/api/apikey/geolookup/conditions/q/IA/Cedar_Rapids.json')
json_string = f.read()
parsed_json = json.loads(json_string.decode('utf-8'))
location = parsed_json['location']['city']
temp_f = parsed_json['current_observation']['temp_f']
print ("Current temperature in %s is: %s" % (location, temp_f))
f.close()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
How to Create Safety in Trauma Healing?
by Steve Haines | Jul 30, 2019 | About Trauma | 0 comments
The very nature of trauma is that it is overwhelming – it's more than the organism can cope with. Trauma shatters our worldview and rules of fairness and justice no longer seem to apply.
Trauma often leads to a spiritual crisis and a profound re-evaluation of meaning. It takes us to very primitive place of fight–or–flight or dissociation. It's very hard to live fully with a brain screaming "danger!", and generating life or death scenarios at the slightest stimulus.
The best way to reset the old parts of our brain is to slowly wake up the body. Healing trauma is not about remembering. It is about self-regulating to turn down intense reactions in the body.
A simple and practical way to wake up the body and reset the brain is 'shaking', or Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE®).
Inviting the trauma-releasing shaking using these exercises is actually quite easy, so when you're practising TRE it's important to understand three important aspects of the trauma response in body; freezing, flooding and dissociation to ensure the trauma-healing process is safe. Avoiding freezing, flooding and dissociation is a simple but powerful framework developed by David Berceli to help keep the process of shaking safe.
Freezing is a form of immobilisation. It's one of the last ditch strategies we have in the face of overwhelming threat. It's the sense of a loss of relationship to the body, where endorphins flood the spinal cord, and there is a 'cutting off' from feeling.
Often people's bodies can go stiff in this stage (especially in the hands and feet), or conversely they can go very flacid – either way there's an altered sense of the body.
You might feel cold or tingling or numb. Often the perception of your body shape changes, such as very small, far away feet, or big hands, or your belly disappears.
If this happens, it's important to take a break from the exercise. Self-regulate and ground yourself and try again another day.
In the flooding everything starts to move too quickly – it's associated with the 'fight-or-flight', mobilisation phase. Strong emotions, sensations, feelings or thoughts arise in quick succession. In flooding they are too overwhelming to be integrated into the present moment.
You might be thinking really quickly, or have the urge to talk really quickly. Your emotions might feel out of control, or you might begin to have really fast, difficult breathing patterns.
Whenever things feel like they're beginning to get out of control, it's important to stop the exercises, and to take back control of the situation.
Encourage yourself to slow down. Over a number of sessions learn to understand your difficult edges. Try to become more aware of the times when you start to go too quickly, because that's when you need to stop.
This is a term that's often used by therapists and other people in the mental health profession to describe a sort of mental withdrawal. It's the experience of temporarily losing connection with your thoughts, sensations or feelings.
Dissociation is often used solely to describe the conscious element of the immobilisation response. In fact, 'freezing' and 'dissociation' describe the same neurology – going really, really quiet and a sense of 'playing dead' is the survival strategy here. We collapse and shutdown if our threat detection systems sense inescapable threat. So people might feel numb, or as though there's a veil between them and the world.
The confusing part about dissociation is that it can often feel a little dreamy, and it often feels like quite a pleasant place. Sometimes it can feel terrifying, but it can also be quite floaty, which is one of the reasons why people sometimes confuse it with expanded spiritual experiences.
So, in summary, when you're practising trauma healing work like TRE, it's important to learn to interrupt freezing, flooding and dissociation as quickly as you can. Put the brakes on early and give your system time to settle and integrate.
Good luck, Steve
If you've experienced trauma, it's really important to find the community and get support to rediscover what safety feels like, which may involve taking some chances and opening up to your friends and loved ones. I invite you to join one of our upcoming TRE events:
September 1st: TRE Introductory Day, Shoreditch
September 23rd: TRE Introductory Day, Camden
November 14th: TRE Introductory Day, Camden
5 × two =


text:
The Matres (Latin for "mothers") and Matronae (Latin for "matrons") were female deities venerated in Northwestern Europe, of whom relics are found dating from the first to the fifth century AD. They are depicted on votive offerings and altars that bear images of goddesses, depicted almost entirely in groups of three, that feature inscriptions (about half of which feature Continental Celtic names and half of which feature Germanic names) and were venerated in regions of Germania, Eastern Gaul, and Northern Italy (with a small distribution elsewhere) that were occupied by the Roman army from the first to the fifth century.

Matres also appear on votive reliefs and inscriptions in other areas occupied by the Roman army, including southeast Gaul, as at Vertillum; in Spain and Portugal, where some twenty inscriptions are known, among them several ones that include local epithets such as a dedication to the Matribus Gallaicis "to the Galician Mothers"; and also in the Romano-Celtic culture of Pannonia in the form of similar reliefs and inscriptions to the Nutrices Augustae, "the august Nurses" found in Roman sites of Ptuj, Lower Styria.

Motifs

Matres and Matronae appear depicted on both stones with inscriptions and without, both as altars and votives. All depictions are frontal, they appear almost exclusively in threes with at least one figure holding a basket of fruit in her lap, and the women are either standing or sitting. In some depictions, the middle figure is depicted with loose hair and wearing a headband, and the other two wear head dresses.  In addition, snakes, children, and nappies (diapers) appear.  Other motifs include depictions of sacrifice—including burning incense, pigs, bowls filled with fruit—and decorations of fruits, plants, and trees.  In most cases, the votive stones and altars are not found singularly, but rather in groups around temple buildings and cult centers.

Function

The motif of triple goddesses was widespread in ancient Europe; compare the Fates (including Moirai, Parcae, and Norns), the Erinyes, the Charites, the Morrígan, the Horae, and other such figures, including the Tridevi of Hinduism.

Rudolf Simek suggests that the loose hair may point to maidenhood, whereas the head dresses may refer to married women, the snakes may refer to an association with the souls of the dead or the underworld, and the children and nappies seem to suggest that the Matres and Matronae held a protective function over the family, as well as a particular function as midwives.

Veneration

Information about the religious practices surrounding the Matres is limited to the stones on which their depictions and inscriptions are found, of which more than 1,100 exist.

Motifs include depictions of sacrifice—including burning incense, pigs, bowls filled with fruit—and decorations of fruits, plants, and trees.  In most cases, the votive stones and altars are not found singularly, but rather in groups around temple buildings and cult centers.

See also
 Matrika
 Dea Matrona
 Modron
 Mōdraniht
 Nehalennia
 Suleviae

Notes

References

Further reading

 Spickermann, Wolfgang. "NOUVELLES RÉFLEXIONS RELATIVES À LA GENÈSE ET AUXVECTEURS DU CULTE MATRONAL DANS LA RÉGION DU RHIN INFÉRIEUR." Cahiers Du Centre Gustave Glotz 13 (2002): 141-67.  www.jstor.org/stable/24359212.

Agricultural goddesses
Celtic goddesses
Death goddesses
Earth goddesses
Fertility goddesses
Germanic goddesses
Deities of classical antiquity
Mother goddesses
Triple goddesses
Gaulish goddesses

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


God has an awesome plan for you!
Make no mistake. Ron Meyers is still a promoter. That's what he does best. But on Oct. 23, 1998, he began to change his product from bikini contests and alcohol to the Bible and spiritual salvation. By his own admission, his festivals in the early- to mid-1990s became well known for their raucous results. He knew that the longer he could get party goers to stay, the more beer he would sell and the more money he would make.
His life change came while on a business trip in Atlanta when he realized, "I was unhappy and empty." He then began an independent, intense study of the Bible. He formed a nonprofit ministry and has never looked back. The only event left over from the old Ron Meyers days is the annual Christmas City Gift Show.
"I asked, 'God, what do you want me to do?' And I started to realize that this is what I do best." Meyers said he isn't proud of what he used to do, but "I thank God for it. I'm now applying what I learned in the secular world," he said. "I'm still promoting, but now I'm in the business of promoting God and divine destiny.
Meyers hosted a radio program, "Discover Your Destiny," for ten years on the American Family Radio affiliate WAOY-FM 91.7 from 3 to 5 p.m. weekdays. The station closed in 2010 and Ron has hopes of bringing a Christian Radio Station back to the Gulf Coast.
This is an excerpt from an article in the Sun Herald in March of 2002, written by Mike Lacy.


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Alisdare Hickson By: Alisdare Hickson
No Bigots - No Borders - LGBT Solidarity with Refugees at London's LGBT Pride Parade - 25 June 2016
In the wake of the homophobic Florida terror attack it was inspiring to see London's Pride march and rally attended by tens of thousands in defiance of the terror threat in the wake of the Orlando massacre.
The head of the LGBT NGO Stonewall, Ruth Hunt, commented that
"the need for us to stand together and say we are part of the LGBT community is as important today, as it was in the 1980s."
London's first Muslim mayor Sadiq Khan elected in May 2016, commented that he was "proud to be mayor of a city so LGBT+ friendly."
A number of Muslims with LGBT and other placards were cheered by spectators along the march route which ran from Portland Place to Trafalgar Square.
Human Rights activist Peter Tatchell said the them of his organization, the Peter Tatchell Foundation, was LGBT-Muslim solidarity.
"In light of the horrific massacre of LGBT people in Orlando (we wish) to encourage an understanding that although gay people and Muslims are different, we share a common experience of prejudice, discrimination and hate crime and on that basis we should unite together and challenge all hate."
Another important theme was tackling global issues of persecution and discrimination against LGBT people and several groups including Amnesty International, the Peter Tatchell Foundation and the Out and Diamond Group, A NGO representing African LGBT communities and campaigning for their rights, mobilized many of their members to participate in the march with placards reminding people of the need to think of those countries were such a gathering of LGBT people openly in the street would be impossible.


Dan Flanagan currently serves as Concertmaster of the Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera, Concertmaster of the Modesto Symphony, Concertmaster of West Edge Opera, and Instructor of Violin at University of California, Berkeley. He has performed as concertmaster with the Oakland Symphony, California Symphony, California Musical Theater, Festival Opera of Walnut Creek, Symphony Silicon Valley, Opera Parallele, and Symphony Napa Valley. He performs regularly with the San Francisco Opera and Ballet and records film and television soundtracks with the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra. Frequently featured as soloist with the Sacramento Philharmonic and Modesto Symphony, Flanagan has also performed with the American River Chamber Orchestra, Bear Valley Symphony, Reno Baroque Ensemble, UC Davis Symphony, and the Adelphi Chamber Orchestra. He was a founding member of the Farallon Quintet, was featured in Strings magazine as a member of the Eco Ensemble, founded Sacramento School of music, and his collection of music ephemera was featured on a Czech documentary on Golden Age violinists. He plays on a Vuillaume violin once owned by the American virtuoso Albert Spalding and collects French Impressionist art.
Hidden Talent: I can eat more chicken wings than you can.


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Russia Sanctions Joe & Hunter Biden, Hillary Clinton, Jen Psaki & Others – NewsWars
Russia's foreign ministry announced on Tuesday, the nation is sanctioning several former and current top US officials, including Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton.
"In response to a series of unprecedented sanctions prohibiting, among other things, entry into the United States for top Russian officials, effective March 15 this year, the Russian 'stop list' includes @JoeBiden, @SecBlinken and a number of other American figures on the basis of reciprocity," the ministry said in a Twitter post.
According to Russia, more announcements regarding the expansion of the sanctions list will be made soon.
The Russians provided a list of thirteen people to be subjected to the sanctions.
1. Joseph Robinette Biden;
2. Antony John Blinken;
3. Lloyd James Austin III;
Visit our store now before the sale ends!
4. Mark Alexander Milley;
5. Jacob Jeremiah Sullivan, National Security Advisor;
6. William Joseph Burns, Director of the CIA;
7. Jennifer Rene Psaki, White House Press Secretary;
8. Daleep Singh, Deputy National Security Advisor;
9. Samantha Jane Power, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development;
10. Robert Hunter Biden, son of the US President;
11. Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton, former US presidential candidate;
12. Adewale Adeyemo, US Deputy Secretary of the Treasury;
13. Reta Jo Lewis, President and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States.
The individuals listed by the Russian government will not be allowed to travel to Russia.
Hillary Clinton mocked the move in a Twitter post, writing, "I want to thank the Russian Academy for this Lifetime Achievement Award."
After news of the sanctions spread, former President Donald Trump commented, asking if the world will soon learn why the Biden family was secretly wired $3.5 million from the wife of the former Mayor of Moscow.
"Breaking News: Russia just sanctioned Joe Biden. While that is a terrible thing, in so many ways, perhaps it will now be explained why the Biden family received 3.5 million dollars from the very wealthy former Mayor of Moscow's wife," Trump said in a Tuesday statement.
"Perhaps that's why Biden has been so 'slow on the draw' with Russia," Trump continued. "This is a really bad conflict of interest that will, perhaps now, be fully and finally revealed!"
President Donald J. Trump:
"Breaking News: Russia just sanctioned Joe Biden. While that is a terrible thing, in so many ways, perhaps it will now be explained why the Biden family received 3.5 million dollars from the very wealthy former Mayor of Moscow's wife… pic.twitter.com/81gntDOQL9
— Liz Harrington (@realLizUSA) March 15, 2022
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki responded to the sanctions on Tuesday, saying, "President Biden is a junior, so they may have sanctioned his dad, may he Rest In Peace. None of us are planning tourist trips to Russia. None of us have bank accounts that we won't be able to access."
Jen Psaki trashes Putin's sanctions; "President Biden is a junior, so they may have sanctioned his dad, may he Rest In Peace. None of us are planning tourist trips to Russia. None of us have bank accounts that we won't be able to access." pic.twitter.com/4JtkpTdadH
— Scott Dworkin (@funder) March 15, 2022
Meanwhile, according to Ben Shapiro, Russia is "getting concessions from the US in the middle of a war," via the Iran nuclear deal.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed the Biden administration promised Moscow will be allowed to trade with Iran despite ongoing sanctions.
"We received written guarantees. They are included in the text of the agreement itself on the resumption of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the Iranian nuclear program," Lavrov said Tuesday.
Also, take a look at what this means for China. We're currently telling China to stop engaging with Russia. China looks at this and figures they can do whatever they want, since after all, Russia is getting concessions from the US IN THE MIDDLE OF A WAR.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) March 15, 2022
Richmond mayor proposes 7-member civilian review board
Edward Dowd on Future Recession, Shocking Findings in the CDC Covid Data and Democide – David Icke


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NYSEMKT:VNRX
VolitionRx reports several highlights in 2018 and eyes key milestones going into 2019
The company is bolstering its intellectual property rights by securing additional patents
VolitionRx is a life sciences company focused on developing simple, easy to use, cost effective blood tests designed to help diagnose a range of cancers
VolitionRx Limited (NYSEMKT:VNRX) said Wednesday it has achieved several highlights and is looking forward to a number of milestones going into 2019 for all its potential product lines.
"We have had numerous highlights this quarter, with good progress being made on many fronts demonstrating the diverse nature of our platform technology." said VolitionRx's president and CEO, Cameron Reynolds.
For the remainder of 2018 into 2019, VolitionRx is targeting several important clinical and commercial milestones.
They include receiving data on both the Triage and the frontline colorectal cancer screening products, securing an additional mid-size US colorectal cancer study to support the US regulatory strategy. Volition is also strengthening their intellectual property rights by obtaining additional key patents in several countries, including in the US.
The Belgium-based company is also securing large prostate trials and announcing a development pathway to commercialization of products for such indications. It is also developing a veterinary product strategy in conjunction with receiving data from trials involving the three most prevalent dog cancers.
BIG PICTURE: VolitionRx's revolutionary Nu.Q blood tests could change the future of cancer screening
Volition is increasing revenue from the sales of Research Use Only kits. Volition is receiving preliminary "proof of concept" data on the validity of its Nu.Q technology platform from trials including the Bonn27 study and the endometriosis study.
"The first Research Use Only kit was launched in August and we expect to add to the range of kits by the end of 2018," Reynolds said.
He said the research and development team in Belgium is "hard at work on the significant task of turning our assays into robust products that can be used worldwide. This development work will be key to our future success and is now very much bearing fruit." The company welcomed Professor Han-Mo Chiu of National Taiwan University, the principal investigator of the Pan-Asian colorectal cancer studies, to its Belgium facility.
Among the highlights in the third quarter, Volition released encouraging preliminary data from a prospective, multi-centered proof of concept study into the utility of Volition's Nu.Q assays to diagnose men with high-grade prostate cancers. At 88% specificity, the Volition assays identified 94% of high-grade prostate cancers that require treatment.
MAJOR CANCER STUDIES UNDERWAY IN ASIA-PACIFIC
The company signed agreements to conduct two large-scale colorectal cancer research studies across the Asia-Pacific region in collaboration with the National Taiwan University. The first study will comprise 5,000 asymptomatic colorectal cancer screening subjects, and the second trial will include up to 2,000 symptomatic colorectal cancer patients.
The studies are being conducted to test and validate Volition's proprietary Nu.Q platform for the detection and diagnosis of colorectal cancer for marketing, rather than for regulatory purposes. The studies will cost approximately $2.55 million payable over three years and should assist product development in Asia in 2019.
Volition has also launched and achieved sales of the Nu.Q Total assay kit, the first of our range of Research Use Only kits through its exclusive global distributor, Active Motif.
"We expect to add further products for Research Use Only during the balance of 2018, building through next year and beyond," the company said in a statement.
Volition began work on the Bonn27 study, which is a 4,500-patient cohort that has been collected by the University of Bonn, Germany, and includes patients with 27 of the most prevalent cancers.
The company started proof of concept work in one of its non-cancer disease areas. This study is in collaboration with the University of Oxford, which has completed a collection of 350 patient samples over the last three years.
READ: VolitionRx moves into veterinary medicine after encouraging study results
Volition expanded its Nu.QTM trials into veterinary diagnostics following encouraging preliminary results from initial proof of concept studies in dogs and more recently horses. Volition announced a pilot study in collaboration with Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences as a first step toward developing a product commercialization strategy.
Reynolds said they have strengthened the company's balance sheet "with completion of a private placement (PIPE) of shares of common stock and a warrant with an existing accredited investor resulting in gross proceeds of $9 million, securing an additional $700,000 in non-dilutive funding from the Walloon Regional Government; and most recently, the exercise of outstanding warrants that provided approximately $717,000 in additional funds to the company."
VolitionRx is a life sciences company focused on developing simple, easy to use, cost-effective blood tests designed to help diagnose a range of cancers.
For the three months ended September 30, 2018, Volition reported a net loss of $4.48 million, or $0.14 per share. This compares to a net loss of $3.89 million, or $0.15 per share, in the third quarter of 2017.
Reporting by Rene Pastor, contactable on [email protected]
Nemaura says improved continuous glucose monitor halves time needed for reliable reading
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Rene Pastor
Read Our Big Picture Article on VolitionRx
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VolitionRx Timeline
VolitionRx Limited awarded an additional $1.4 million in non-dilutive funding
VolitionRx's Nu.Q cancer-screening blood tests could replace colonoscopies, biopsies
VolitionRx well positioned as it enters Q2 after strengthening balance sheet
VolitionRx boosts cash reserves in 1Q
VolitionRx updates investors on Nu.Q technology progress, new paths to revenue at NYSE event
VolitionRX hosts Capital Markets Day at the NYSE
VolitionRx subsidiary inks pact with Texas A&M University to develop Nu.Q veterinary diagnostic bloo
VolitionRx expands its lung cancer detection clinical trial program using its novel Nu.Q blood test
VolitionRx well funded as it advances development of its novel cancer tests
VolitionRx strengthens balance sheet in 2018 as Nu.Q blood test notches further advances in cancer-d
Alliance Pharma hints at further acquisitions as it gets off to a good start in 2019
Chief executive Peter Butterfield said the company has started 2019 well-positioned for growth after a strong performance in 2018.
Genedrive making commercial progress
Here we take a closer look at Genedrive PLC (LON:GDR)
Propanc looks to history to capitalize on glimmering angle in cancer treatment
The company's cancer treatment is based on work undertaken by John Beard, a professor of embryology at Edinburgh University nearly 100 years ago
VolitionRx
Volition is a multi-national life sciences company developing simple, easy to use blood-based cancer tests to accurately diagnose a range of cancers. The tests are based on the science of Nucleosomics®, which is the practice of identifying and measuring...
Volition is a multi-national life sciences company developing simple, easy to use blood-based cancer tests to accurately diagnose a range of cancers. The tests are based on the science of Nucleosomics®, which is the practice of identifying and measuring nucleosomes in the bloodstream or other bodily fluid -- an indication that disease is present.
Market: NYSEMKT
EPIC: VNRX
Market Cap: $132.66 M
Latest Price: $3.36 (-0.30 % )
52-week H/L: $3.61 / $1.46


Thunderbird Communications offers ACE3600 training for both beginning and more advanced users. Training can be provided at our facility in Auburn, California, or we can come to your location.
Please contact us to reserve a space and for scheduling.


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The Leftovers of Japanese Colonialism (Easy English Series)
The Easy English Series is created for English teachers based in Korea who need 1) compelling content to encourage discussion, 2) content that is somewhat Korea-specific, yet places Korea and Korean culture into an international context, and 3) is written at a level designed for middle and secondary school students. This content was the result of a textbook project I was doing for a large hagwon company, and the initial passages published here are part of a chunk of the project for which I was unpaid. But since I like to make lemon meringue pie out of my lemons, I created this "Easy English Series." New entries will go up about once a week, and you should feel free to use and distribute the passages at your convenience, so long as proper attribution is given. You might throw out a link or merely acknowledge me as the author. Just don't plagiarize and simply give credit where credit is due.
I know how hard it is to get Korean middle/high school students to even speak, let alone voice their opinions or think critically. I hope that this Korean-specific content, which is not afraid to court controversy and disagreement, helps you in your teaching, lesson planning, and in being a real teacher who can change minds and offer a meaningful intellectual experience to one's students, rather than simply be a cog in the soul-crushing, dream-demolishing machine of death that is the English education industry here. Hardworking English teachers of Korea, I salute you!
TIPS FOR USE: The long passage defines the main theme and sets the stage, and often provides background information. The short passages are related, but usually present smaller cases and/or specific examples that illustrate the larger theme. I try to keep the sentence structure simple, but do pepper in harder vocabulary words. Also, since I hate wishy-washy content that encourages equivocation and lame discussion, the material makes reasonable assertions and doesn't confuse fairness with simply not having a real opinion. By adding stats and facts to the discussions and having the students properly disagree with assertions, but demand that they back up their reasons for doing so, the passages can help you not only educate, but also destroy myths, fallacies, and the habits of non-rigorous thinking. I apologize in advance for typos. Please note them in the comments section and I will correct them in the post.
LONG PASSAGE
The Trouble with the Colonial Period
History and emotion are not a good mix. History requires being calm, logical, and objective. Of course, because we are human, being 100% objective is impossible. But we must try to be as much as possible. Because when we write history, we must look at the facts first, then make our conclusion second. And sometimes, the conclusions we find are not what we want. But that does not mean they are untrue.
So, good historians must be brave. When studying a sensitive topic, sometimes a historian will come to an unpopular conclusion. And if it is very unpopular, a professor can lose his job, the media can attack her, or netizens may make them a target.
For Koreans, the colonial period is probably the most sensitive historical topic there is. Koreans are ashamed of being colonized, and don't like to think about Japanese influence on Korea. This is understandable. Every country has embarrassing history. The US murdered millions of Native Americans and enslaved Africans as part of building its country. The Japanese did horrible things when it was an empire. So did the Germans, when the racist Nazis were in power. Korean soldiers in Vietnam were infamous for their brutality. But the question is -- how do we handle our embarrassing history?
The Germans highlighted it. The mass murder of the Jews and others -- called "the Holocaust" -- is taught in all history textbooks. During high school, German students learn about just the Holocaust for an entire year of history class.
In the US, there has been a lot of emphasis on slavery, Native Americans, and the Vietnam War since the 1960's. Before that, American historians were very conservative. Nowadays, many Americans demand to be included in the story, so textbook companies are sensitive to that. American history textbooks are not written by the government, but are written by private textbook companies. They are not perfect, but they must respond to the demands of the audience. Many blacks, Latinos, Asian Americans, and Native Americans now demand proper balance in the textbooks.
In Japan, embarrassing history is generally covered up. This has led to some historical arguments between Japan and Korea, as well as Japan and China. But Korea's attitude towards embarrassing history is not so different. If something is embarrassing, or too sensitive, people want to skip it, or just not talk about it.
Korea's behavior in Vietnam, the government's treatment of laborers, or some issues during the colonial era -- Koreans have trouble looking at these issues objectively, too. But looking at these kinds of "secret histories" can be quite interesting, actually. And you can learn a lot from having a healthy debate about them.
SHORT PASSAGES
The Myth of Blood Types and Personality
Many Koreans believe that one's blood type is related to one's personality. For example, there is a Type A man, Type B woman, etc. Many people in Taiwan and Japan believe the same. This is because this bad science was only spread in the Japanese empire. It all started in 1927. Takeji Furukawa was a professor who published a paper called "The Study of Temperament [Emotion] Through Blood Type." The government liked his idea, so it assigned him to study the Taiwanese. The government wanted to show that the Taiwanese and other groups were inferior, or lower, than the Japanese. Furukawa "proved" this with his blood type research. But the public soon forgot about blood types and personality. This idea became really popular again in the 1970's in books by Nomi Masahiko. He wrote several books about the link between blood type and personality. They were all bestsellers. But remember, this silly idea about blood types all started as a part of racist Japanese science. And no other countries in the world believe in it, besides those in Japan's former colonies, Taiwan and Korea. Do you still believe in the results of racist Japanese science?
The Origin of "Minjok"
It may sound hard to believe, but Koreans didn't use the word "minjok" until 1898. Of course, the Chinese characters for "min" (people) existed, as well as the Chinese character for "jok" (family). However, they were never used together as a single word meaning "race" or "people. " All that started in the Hwangseong News. Many Korean nationalists wrote for this newspaper. At the time, many Korean thinkers and writers were getting new ideas about national identity from Japanese books and intellectuals. They wanted to use these concepts to help think about Korean identity. So, this began the belief in "one nation, one race, one people." For the Japanese, these ideas made people feel like one, and therefore, easier to control. Also at that time, Korean nationalists weren't following the Japanese model. Many Korean features and intellectuals looked up to Japan. Before the 1900s, many Koreans thought of Japan like a big brother, and a good model of development to copy. Who could know that Japan would turn around and colonize Korea only a few years later?
The Irony of History
Shin Chae-ho is Korea's greatest historian and most famous nationalist writer. It may be shocking to hear, but he was also an eager supporter of Japan before the 1900s. When Japan was colonizing Taiwan from 1895, Shin and another Korean intellectuals gave the Japanese great praise. Shin praised Japan for making a "backwards" Taiwan into a modern nation. He praised Japan for building schools, railroads, and many other modern things for Taiwan. This is very ironic. What we can see is that even Korean nationalists supported Japan before the 1900s. Actually, this makes sense. It was only in the early 1900s that a hardliner [conservative or harsh] group developed in Japanese government that wanted to just conquer Korea. Before that, most Japanese planners looked at Korea as a sort of junior partner. Most thought, "Why conquer Korea? They are already mostly cooperating with us." But after Ahn Chung-geun's assassination of Ito Hirobumi in 1909, the hardliners won. In 1910, Korea was no more. Of course, Shin was no traitor. Rather, politics between Korea and Japan changed amazingly fast. Who could know how quickly Japan would change its mind?
Posted by The Metropolitician on February 03, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)
The Content Gap (Easy English Series)
The Easy English Series of written content on this blog is designed to give actually interesting and educational content to English teachers based in Korea who need 1) compelling content to encourage discussion, 2) content that is somewhat Korea-specific, yet places Korea and Korean culture into an international context, and 3) is written at a lower level, designed for middle and secondary school students. Like the BombEnglish.com project, which provides Korea-specific content at the advanced level, there is a dearth of good content designed for the less-advanced learner of English. This content was the result of a textbook project I was doing for a large hagwon company, and the passages published here are part of a huge chunk of the project for which I was unpaid and left swinging in the wind. But I always like to make lemon meringue pie out of my lemons, so I will using some of the remaining content to start this Easy English Series here on my blog, and thereafter will write new ones. The series will go once a week, and all teachers should feel free to use the content, reprint it, and otherwise do what you will with it, as long as it is attributed to me. You might even throw out a link if you're so inclined. I know how hard it is to get middle/high school students to talk, or at least to talk about something outside of pop music or TV shows. I hope that this Korean-specific content, which is not afraid to court controversy and disagreement, but most importantly, encourages critical thinking, helps you in your teaching, lesson planning, and being a real teacher who can manage to change minds, rather than be cogs in the soul-crushing, dream-demolishing machine of death that is the English education industry here. Hardworking English teachers of Korea, I salute you!
The long passage sets the stage, often provides background information. The short passages are related, but usually present smaller cases, specific examples that illustrate the larger theme. I try to keep the use of complex compound sentences to a minimum, but I do drop in mostly theme-specific (and less occasionally general) harder vocabulary words, but set against fairly simple and straightforward prose. The material does not hesitate to make assertions, but also presents clear openings for discussion. I hate wishy-washy content that seemingly encourages discussion, but just equivocates, hems and haws into neutral meaningless positions. Add stats and facts to the discussions, have the students disagree with the assertions, but demand that they back up their disagreements, and really use the material to both educate, but also destroy myths, fallacies, and non-rigorous thinking. I apologize in advance for typos. Please note them in the comments section and I will correct them in the post.
The Silent Crisis
Korea is facing another problem. However, unlike the "IMF crisis," this problem is not so easy to see. And it is not economic. It has nothing to do with trade or the FTA. It also has nothing to do with North Korea. No, Korea's problem is much more silent, as well as hard to see. Korea's problem is cultural. It cannot produce "cultural content" very well.
Korea has a special problem. For most of the Republic's short history, Korea has not produced its own pop culture content. Also, although Korea's own traditional culture is interesting, so far, the government and the cultural industries have not promoted it very well.
One source of the problem seems to be with an education system that does not encourage creativity. In fact, the entire education and social system discouraeges creativity. In Korean culture, being different is not good. Diagreeing with your teacher is not seen as good. Talking too much in class is bad. Quitting school to start your own company is seen as crazy. Why not go the safe route?
For example, most of Korean television has been copied from Japan. The comedy, talk, and variety shows are copied directly, as are many commercials. In fact, it is an industry secret that many Korean PD's go to Japan, check into a hotel, and just watch Japanese TV with a pen and pad for a week.
And in some ways, there is nothing wrong with copying. Indeed, throughout Korea's development, this was the safe and efficient path. From the 1950's, Korean companies copied American car engines, radios, televisions, and other things by "reverse engineering." Instead of learning them from scratch, it was easier to just find a finished item, take it apart piece-by-piece, and learn it backwards. You don't engineer from the front, by yourself, but learn in reverse, by taking it apart and copying. Koreans were smart and clever at this, and it helped build Korea's first big conglomerates, such as Samsung, Hyundai, and Goldstar (now called LG).
The same is true in other industries. Korea did not invent the pager; the US did. But they were better at developing many more models of pager, smaller ones, colorful ones, more fun ones. The same is true for the cellphone -- Motorola invented it. But Korean companies made them better, stronger, and just cooler. So it goes for the Internet, which the US invented. But Koreans adopted it faster, used it more, and demanded higher speeds. Wireless Internet? Again, America invents it, Korea improves it. Korea is the only country in the world where you can use wireless Internet from a taxi.
And this pattern has worked for cultural industries, too. Frankly, it is an efficient strategy. Developing something from nothing takes a lot of time and money. Copying something that already exists is far, far cheaper. And when Korea was developing, and the economy depended on heavy industry such as factories, shipping, and steel, no one cared much about Korea's cultural industries.
But now, the world is smaller. And Korea has gotten "bigger." Now, the world is watching Korea, so copyright has become more important. In 1995, if a Korean music group copied an American song, no one really cared. Now, if the same happens, the company cares -- a lot. And since Korea's economy has shifted from an industrial to an "information economy," cultural industries are suddenly very important.
Unless Korea changes its education and social culture to be more creative, and also changes its bad industrial habit of copying, Korea is in big trouble. How can an economy dependent on creativity come from a culture that discourages creativity and encourages copying? This is the quiet crisis that Korea faces.
The Real Korean Cloning Problem
Let's think about pop music. All the major genres in Korea are American. Of course, the singers and performers are Korean, but the genres - the musical styles -- are directly from the US. Hard rock, rap, heavy metal, R&B, and even the "bubble gum pop" of singers like 2NE1 and the Wonder Girls -- they are all American. Lee Hyori has recently been in trouble for copying American songs, but her case is actually not so unusual. The real problem is that the entire Korean pop music industry generally just copies. This has gotten even worse since the 1990s. If Britney Spears is popular in the US, there will be a Korean version immediately in Korea, or Beyonce, or Lady Gaga. Of course, this is OK for Korean audiences. But do non-Koreans want to listen to Korean copies of American music? Case in point: the Korean media greatly exaggerated Rain's popularity Rain in the US; actually he was not. In the end, not enough people bought his tickets to support his US tour, and it was cancelled. This is exactly the problem. In the short-term, it is easy to copy and make music for the local market, which may even include places like Taiwan and the Phillipinnes. But in the global market, why would the rest of the world want to listen to copied American music?
Hard vs Soft Power
Cultural content is a part of "soft power." The "hard power" of a country is in the economy, trade, finance, military, etc. This is what the US and Europe have a lot of, and countries like China is gaining. Soft power includes things like literature, movies, music, and just about any kind of culture area, including food, dance, and such. America, unlike some other countries, has a lot of both hard and soft power. Hollywood is a perfect example of America's soft power, as well as Coca-Cola, McDonald's, or Madonna. No matter how powerful the Soviet Union was in terms of hard power, no one in the US knew any Russian pop songs. But every teenager in the world knew the words to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean." Korea has developed its hard power by an amazing amount. But does soft power automatically follow hard power? From looking at recent world history, the answer is "No." But Korea's strategy of developing its soft power industries (its cultural industries) is too much like the strategy of developing its hard power -- copying and the support of big government. In the end, this will not work. We need to address the problem, not just fix it's symptoms.
America - Soft Power Superpower
As everyone knows, America is a soft power superpower. Some cynical people say that the soft power just comes from America's hard power. But this is a weak argument. Just because Germany has the largest economy in Europe doesn't mean Europeans will listen to German music. No, there is something special about the origins of America's soft power. America is the place where many, many cultures came crashing together. Nowhere else in the world did so many races, cultures, religions, different people come together so quickly. So, America had religious music that comes from black slavery, which mixes with European church hymns, which becomes the music we know as "the blues." If you mix that with the simple rhythms of Scotch-Irish and German immigrants living in the country, with their violins and guitars, you get "country music." Later, more combinations and changes happen, producing jazz music, rock 'n roll, and this becomes R&B, heavy metal, and pop music. Then new forms come along from different experiences, such as rap music, which came from NYC in the 1970's, which has no instruments. From there grows house music, drum&bass, and electronica. This is the natural soft power of a super-dynamic culture. Maybe a multicultural society has a real soft power advantage over monocultural ones. It is something worth thinking about.
Posted by The Metropolitician on January 31, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)


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A slimmer version of the popular Nina belt, a great accessory when you just want a glimmer of Equestrian Chic. 100% Spanish leather with contrasting stitching, hooked D-bit buckle, fully adjustable on both sides from 24" - 42".
Lilo logo on buckle, 1" wide leather, Leather keepers keep belt snugly adjusted.


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Franziskanerkloster, Flensburg (da: Gråbrødrekloster, Flensborg) var ett konvent i Flensburg. Det upprättades omkring 1232 (eventuellt på grunden av ett äldre kapell) och tillhörde franciskanorden, vars konventsbröder i dagligt tal gick under namnet gråbröder. Traditionen berättar att det är det den jyska fogden Johann Hvitting, som stiftade konventet 1263, men det är omnämnt i de skriftliga källorna redan 1238. Konventet låg i provinsen Dacia och var vigd till den heliga Katarina av Alexandria och kallades därför också Sankta Katarina Kloster. I folkmun kallades konventet ofta bara Flensburgs kloster. År 1269 hölls Dacias ordenskapitel i Flensburg.

Det fyrflygade konventet låg på medeltiden närmast på en ö i kvarnån lite söder om Südermarkt (da: Søndertorv). Sydflygeln och östflygeln kvarstår ännu. Konventskyrkan nedrevs 1580. De danska ortnamnen Gadenavnene Munketoft och Klostergang i Flensburg påminner ännu om konventsbrödernas göromål i staden.

På 1200-talet upprättade konventsbröderna hospitalet Hospitals zum Heiligen Geist (da: Helligåndshospital) och utanför staden leprahospitalet Heiliger Georg (da: Sankt Jørgen) i nuvarande Jürgensby (da: Jørgensby). Under konflikten mellan danskarna och de holsteinska grevarna i början av 1400-talet tog konventet den danska kronans parti. I de inom franscikanorden hållna interna regelstriderna segrade observanterna mot konventualerna 1496.

Under reformationen 1528 blev konventet upplöst. År 1530 överlämnade den lutherska Fredrik I konventsbyggnaderna till Flensburgs stad. Idag är de kvarvarande byggnaderna inrättade till ett vårdhem.

I den bevarade kyrksalen i östflygeln hänger målningar föreställande de danska kungarna Fredrik IV, Fredrik V och Kristian VII. Predikstolen är från 1639, altartavlan är från 1651 och krucifixet i korbågen är från 1716.

Litteratur
 Flensburg - Geschichte einer Grenzstadt, Gesellschaft für Flensburger Stadtgeschichte (Hrsg.), 655 S., Flensburg 1966.
 Jørgen Nybo Rasmussen: Das Franziskanerkloster in Flensburg und die Ordensprovinz "Dacia" um 1500, in: Flensburg 700 Jahre Stadt - eine Festschrift, Bd. 1: Flensburg in der Geschichte (Schriften der Gesellschaft für Flensburger Stadtgeschichte 36:1, Flensburg 1984), S. 85-104.
 A. Wolff (Hg.): Das ehemalige Franciscanerkloster zu Flensburg, ZSHG 14, 1884, S. 157-198.
 Frauke Witte: "Archäologie in Flensburg. Ausgrabungen am Franziskanerkloster". 313 S. Gesellschaft für Flensburger Stadtgeschichte E. V.. Schriftenreihe Band 57. Flensburg/Haderslev 2003.

Externa länkar
Konventet Sankta Katarina i Flensburg (på danska)
Kloster i Schleswig-Holstein (på tyska)

Flensburg
Kloster i Tyskland
Schleswig-Holstein
Franciskankloster


Sherrie Gallerie is a contemporary art gallery located in the Short North Arts District of Columbus, Ohio.
We exhibit exceptional process-based contemporary art including glass, ceramics, wood, fiber, and art jewelry.
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Exhibiting contemporary ceramic, glass, and three-dimensional fine art and art jewelry since 2004. Located in the Short North Arts District of Columbus, Ohio.
Sherrie Gallerie conducts sales at their Columbus, Ohio storefront and online. We strive to keep our online inventory current and complete. If you are interested in purchasing a piece that you see on our website, please email us with your request and we will reply promptly with shipping and payment details.
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Rescuing and restructuring your charity or not for profit organisation is far from a simple task. It takes specialist skills, expertise and experience lacking in most businesses, never mind within a charitable or not for profit organisation where entrepreneurial skills are often not present because of the lack of financial reward.
A rescue of restructure starts with a commercial reality check. Irrespective of the size or type of organisation it is necessary to think of it as a business – what is coming in and when and what is going out and when, are these numbers growing or declining and what control do you have of them? Often one aspect is going down whilst the other is going up and when an organisation contacts us it is very rare that income is going up whilst costs are going down.
Once we have the basic reality check then it is important to understand any time or legal pressures before learning in more detail about the organisation itself.
As you will see, the reality of handling and rescue or restructure is driven by the underlying numbers. If the organisation is not viewed as a business it will die at some point.
Once the basics are known the focus is then on the management and key staff. Are they able and (often most importantly) willing to put in the hard work that will be needed to achieve either a rescue or restructure.
We tend to find the desire to succeed is stronger in a charity and not for profit organisation than in a traditional commercial business. It is nice to see that personal satisfaction gives individuals more drive than the financial reward, but this cannot come at the cost of the commercial reality that a non-emotive person would bring. This is where our experience and expertise brings you the benefit of understanding and realism.
The size of your organisation can have a significant bearing on the opportunity to rescue or restructure. Small organisations tend to have not developed the often unnecessary complexities and disproportionate costs of larger ones. However this simplicity makes quick fixes such as cost savings harder to achieve, and the lack of size makes reorganisations very difficult when everything is critical. But don't be put off if you are small organisation, never say never, there is always a solution to every problem and we will work with you to find it.


text:
Indore's Ragini Makkhar and Naadyog Academy crowned as the winners of the fifth edition of India's Got Talent
Published by Hemant Sanganee on Mar 9, 2014
Shine through after weeks of hard work, grit and determination
After making the world sit up and notice the varied talent that resides in our country, Kathak dancers- Ragini Makkhar and Naadyog Academy has been announced as the winners of the fifth season of India's Got Talent after giving some tough competition to Beat Breakers, Subhreet Kaur Ghumman and Saei Jamshid. The grand finale brought together 10 finalists namely, Funny Boys, Hassan Rizvi, Subhreet Kaur Ghumman, Ragini Makkhar and Naadyog Academy, Saei Jamshid, Anshu Kumar, Hargun Kaur, Beat Breakers, Rohit Jaiswal and Anusua Chowdhary who competed against each other in a battle of excellence to win the India's Got Talent trophy. Making the evening a truly star-studded affair, legendary superstar Amitabh Bachchan, along with evergreen actor Madhuri Dixit and versatile actor Juhi Chawla, joined in as special guests while extending support to the nervous finalists. As winners of this grand season of the show, Ragini Makkhar and Naadyong Academy received a cash prize of Rs. 50 Lakhs, a Maruti Celerio car and a specially crafted trophy engraved with the signatures of jury members Kirron Kher, Malaika Arora Khan and Karan Johar.
Raagini Makkar, a well-known kathak dance teacher from Indore, has been leading the 'Naadyog' institute for over 25 years and tutors close to 360 dance enthusiasts. She auditioned for India's Got Talent with a group of 12 students who impressed the jury with their classical dance moves and formations.
Presenting a fusion of traditional and contemporary music, Ragini Makkhar and her students showcased incredible forms of Kathak which created waves not only within the boundaries of the country, but also internationally. Emerging as the winners of India's Got Talent, Ragini Makkhar and her troupe are all set to achieve new heights in the field of classical dancing placing India on the global map.
Talking about their win, mentor Ragini Makkhar commented, "We have strived very hard to achieve this landmark and winning the India's Got Talent trophy and cannot help but jump with joy at being announced as the country's premier talent this year. It's the team work and perseverance that has brought us this victory and, today, we are filled with pride to have received so much love and appreciation from audiences."
Speaking about the show, Manisha Sharma, Weekend Programming Head, COLORS said, "This year, with India's Got Talent, our aim was to scour the nation in search of outstanding talent who has the ability to etch their names in the pages of Indian history. The tremendous response that India's Got Talent has received this season has encouraged us to work harder towards exhibiting unique enthralling performances from our country's undiscovered talent maestros. We would like to congratulate Ragini Makhhar and Naadyog Academy on winning the show and hope that the show is only the first step in their talent journey."
While talent spoke for itself this season with every performer creating a mark for themselves, the show's hosts Bharti, Mantra and Andy kept the humor alive at all times through their funny anecdotes and camaraderie. The judges Kirron Kher, Malaika Arora Khan and Karan Johar proved to be a guiding light for all the talent holders and passed on their expertise to mold the incipient performers.
Marking the end of another tumultuous season of India's Got Talent, emotional judge Kirron Kher said, "As we bid goodbye to another spectacular season of India's Got Talent, I would like to congratulate all the outstanding talent that have stepped on stage this season to entertain audiences across the world, especially Ragini Makkhar and Naadyog Academy who have emerged victorious." Judge Malaika Arora Khan added, "The talent, simplicity and endurance of all the contestants has instilled a lot of energy and positivity in me and I feel humbled to have been a part of a show which encourages talent in every form and genre." Summing it up, judge Karan Johar commented, "We have witnessed a different caliber of contestants this year who have raised the bar of entertainment manifold. Being a part of this historic season of India's Got Talent has been a complete joy."
Talking about India's Got Talent, Anupama Mondloi, Managing director, Fremantle media commented, "Talent speaks for itself and this year, on India's Got Talent, the talent has made a huge impression not only across the country, but also on the international platform. The brilliant chemistry between the jury, fun anchoring with Bharati and presentation of a mega extravaganza has taken this season to an all new high.
India's Got Talent was launched this season with the aim of discovering unconventional and outstanding talent that would etch their names in the pages of Indian History. The Grand Finale was nothing less than spectacular with the who's who of the entertainment industry bestowing their best wishes on the 10 finalists. Legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan shook a leg with the finalists as they paid him a tribute by performing to the medley of his most popular songs. Queen of hearts Madhuri Dixit along with the dimpled actor Juhi Chawla challenged Bharti aka Mutthi and Palak in a dance face-off making it a night to remember. Even the Khatron Ke Khiladi contestants Salman Yusuf Khan, Gurmeet Chaudhary, Rochelle Maria Rao, Karanvir Bohra and Gauahar Khan teamed up with finalists Anshu Kumar, Subhreet Kaur Ghumman, Anasua Chowdhary, Saei Jamshid and Hargun Kaur while adding pizazz to their performances. After having judged the contestants all season, judges Kirron Kher, Malaika Arora Khan and Karan Johar took over the dance floor and showcased some incredible performances that left audiences asking for more. As India's Got Talent draws curtains this season, it makes way for new hopes and dreams for talent that is still to be unleashed.
About 'COLORS':
'COLORS' is Viacom18's flagship brand in the entertainment space in India. A combination of 'emotions' and 'variety', COLORS launched on 21st July 2008 offers an entire spectrum of emotions to its viewers. From Fiction shows to Format shows to Reality shows to Blockbuster Movies – the basket contains all 'JasbaatKe Rang'. 'COLORS' is dedicated to promoting 'Cohesive viewing', through programmes like Sanskaar…DharoharApnon Ki, SasuralSimarKa, BalikaVadhu – Kacchi Umar KePakke Rishtey, Madhubala…EkIshqEkJunoon, Beintehaa, Rangrasiya, Uttaran, Bani – Ishq Da Kalma, Comedy Nights With Kapil, India's Got Talent, 24, and Bigg Boss amongst others.


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Over 50 years of INSTAAR research — more than 5000 articles, books, theses, and reports — are here at your fingertips.
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Miner, K. R., Merritt Turetsky, Malina, E., Bartsch, A., Tamminen, J., McGuire, A. D., Fix, A., Sweeney, C., Elder, C. D., Miller, C. E. 2022: Permafrost carbon emissions in a changing Arctic. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 3: 55-67. DOI: 10.1038/s43017-021-00230-3
Branch, C. L., Semenov, G. A., Wagner, D. N., Sonnenberg, B. R., Pitera, A. M., Bridge, E. S., Scott Taylor, Pravosudov, V. V. 2022: The genetic basis of spatial cognitive variation in a food-caching bird. Current Biology, 32(1): 210-219. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.10.036
Eric Parrish, Suzanne Anderson 2022: The living landscape: Discovering the critical zone. Muddy Boots, 32 pp.
Qing, Y., Shen, X., Anagnostou, E. N., Mo, C., Eggleston, J. R., Albert J. Kettner (he/his) 2021: A high-resolution flood inundation archive (2016–the present) from Sentinel-1 SAR imagery over CONUS. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 102(5): E1064-E1079. DOI: 10.1175/BAMS-D-19-0319.1
Montes, C., Silva, C. A., Bayona, G. A., Villamil, R., Stiles, E., Rodriguez-Corcho, A. F., Beltran-Triviño, A., Lamus, F., Muñoz-Granados, M. D., Lina Pérez-Angel, Hoyos, N., Gomez, S., Galeano, J. J., Romero, E., Baquero, M., Cardenas-Rozo, A. L., von Quadt, A. 2021: A middle to late Miocene trans-Andean portal: Geologic record in the Tatacoa Desert. Frontiers in Earth Science, 8: 587022. DOI: 10.3389/feart.2020.587022
Vargas, C A., Cantarero, S. I., Julio Sepúlveda, Galán, A., De Pol-Holz, R., Walker, B., Schneider, W., Farías, L., Cornejo D'Ottone, M., Walker, J., Xu, X., Salisbury, J. 2021: A source of isotopically light organic carbon in a low-pH anoxic marine zone. Nature Communications, 12: 1604. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21871-4
Funk, E. R., Mason, N. A., Pálsson, S., Albrecht, T., Johnson, J. A., Scott Taylor 2021: A supergene underlies linked variation in color and morphology in a Holarctic songbird. Nature Communications, 12: article 6833. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27173-z
Li, D., Irina Overeem (she/her), Albert J. Kettner (he/his), Zhou, Y., Lu, X. 2021: Air temperature regulates erodible landscape, water and sediment fluxes in the permafrost-dominated catchment on the Tibetan Plateau. Water Resources Research, 57(2): e2020WR028193. DOI: 10.1029/2020WR028193
Geneviève Elsworth (she/her), Nikki Lovenduski (she/her), McKinnon, K. A. 2021: Alternate history: A synthetic ensemble of ocean chlorophyll concentrations. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 35(9): e2020GB006924. DOI: 10.1029/2020GB006924
Ravindra Dwivedi, Chris Eastoe, John Knowles, Lejon Hamann, Tom Meixner, Paul A. Ferré, William E. Wright, Guo-Yue Niu, Rebecca Minor, Greg A. Barron-Gafford, Nate Abramson, Bhaskar Mitra, Shirley A. Papuga, Michael Stanley, Jon Chorover 2021: An improved practical approach for estimating catchment-scale response functions through wavelet analysis. Hydrological Processes, 35(3): e14082. DOI: 10.1002/hyp.14082
Kevin Rozmiarek, Bruce H. Vaughn, Tyler Jones, Valerie Morris, William Skorski, Hughes, A. G., Elston, J. , Wahl, S., Faber, A. K., Steen-Larsen, H. C. 2021: An unmanned aerial vehicle sampling platform for atmospheric water vapor isotopes in polar environments.. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 14(11): 7045-7067. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7045-2021
Sarah Crump, Fréchette, B., Power, M., Cutler, S., Greg de Wet, Raynolds, M. K., Jonathan Raberg, Briner, J. P., Thomas, E. K., Julio Sepúlveda, Shapiro, B., Bunce, M., Gifford H. Miller 2021: Ancient plant DNA reveals High Arctic greening during the Last Interglacial. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(13): e2019069118. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2019069118
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The Pilates Gathering is very proud to have Balanced Body as our equipment sponsor! They are the recognised world leaders in high quality Pilates equipment some of which will be on show and for use in workshops at the Gathering.
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Tomorrow, on March 15th, the singer Keren Ann will present her 8th album "Bleue". The single Sous l'eau (underwater) confirms the incredible grace and elegance of this hypnotic French talent. The clip is as light and soft as her voice, which plunge us into a sensorial experience, washed away by the waves. And this time, we discover her voice in French. The album will be available on March 15th, produced by Polydor. A concert has been announced on October the 24th at Paris Olympia.


Only once, in the history of Congo, was there an interlude where the people had an honest leader. That was in 1960 when Patrice Lumumba took part in a nationalist uprising that forced the Belgians to give Congo its independence and then subsequently won the first democratic election ever in the country's history.
Lumumba's speech was interrupted several times by cheers and applause from the Congolese people who were there by the thousands for the ceremony. The Beligians, sitting on stage - including the King - sat in stony silence and refused to attend the dinner afterwards - choosing instead to leave for Belgium. This was the beginning of the end for Lumumba. It was soon realized that he was not a puppet politician to be used by Belgium, the former colonial ruler, but a bonafide nationalist who wanted government "of the people, by the people, for the people". Belgium then proceeded, along with other western countries with vested interests, including the USA, to undermine Lumumba's government and foment rebellion in his ranks. Two weeks later, on July 11th, the mineral-rich southern part of Congo (Katanga) - with military support from the Belgium army and United Nations forces - declared itself a separate state with its own leader - a political opponent and Lumumba hater named Tshombe, and the province north of that also threatened breakaway.
Then, a week later Colonel Mobutu (a confidante of Lumumba who in reality was spying for the Belgians) declared a military coup (backed by the Belgians) saying he was now in charge of Congo's army. Lumumba, he said, was neutralized.
Lumumba attempted, through pleadings for help to the United Nations, the United States and anyone who would listen - including the Soviet Union who had nothing to offer - to keep his legitimate government going. But no one interceded on Congo's behalf and one month later - on October 10, 1960 - surrounded by enemies and foreign armies, Lumumba was confined to house arrest at his Prime Minister's residence in Leopoldville. The only help the United Nations offered was to send troops from Ghana (whose nationalist leader, Nkrumah, Lumumba admired) to surround the house to keep Lumumba from being attacked by Mobutu's soldiers, who were also surrounding the house.
Meanwhile, up in Stanleyville in the north-eastern part of Congo, Lumumba supporters formed a government and took control of Stanleyville, the area of Congo that most supported Lumumba, and made headway into regaining Kivu district (near Lake Kivu) and down toward the mineral rich southern province, Kasai, above break-away Katanga. This alarmed the illegal governments of Mobutu and Tshombe, who were having trouble keeping control of the Congolese armies whose allegiences were, at heart, with Lumumba.
Cooped up a month-and-a-half in the prison of his own residence, Lumumba - on November 27th - made an escape in the backseat of the servants' car as it left one night for supplies. He attempted to make his way a thousand miles up north to Stanleyville to join his supportive government there. But he was captured three days later by Mobutu's soldiers and thrown into prison in Leopoldville. There he was beaten and tortured, along with the two members of his political party who had rendezvoused with him en route to Stanleyville. Then five weeks later - on January 17th, 1961 - he was tranferred to Elizabethville in the break-away province controlled by the Tshombe, the United Nations and the Belgians - Katanga.
During the entire six hours of the flight Lumumba and his two fellow prisoners were brutally beaten. At one point the Belgian pilot couldn't stand it any longer and after vomitting, slammed shut the pilot's door. When the plane landed, Lumumba and the others were thrown onto the tarmac and rifle-butted and kicked, then thrown into a jeep and taken to a deserted house near the airport. There, that night, they were beaten and tortured and then finally murdered. A member of Tshombe's cabinet thrust the bayonet of a rifle through Lumumba's ribs, and then a Belgian mercenary shot Lumumba in the head to put him out of his misery.
Lumumba's body was then taken into the middle of nowhere and buried, only to be dug up the next day, chopped into pieces, thrown into acid at a chemical plant, and then scattered so that nothing of him remained for the people to cling to or martyrize.
I write you these words not knowing whether you will receive them, when you will receive them, and whether I will still be alive when you read them. Throughout my struggle for the independence of my country, I have never doubted for a single instant that the sacred cause to which my comrades and I have dedicated our entire lives would triumph in the end. But what we wanted for our country -- its right to an honourable life, to perfect dignity, to independence with no restrictions -- was never wanted by Belgian colonialism and its Western allies, who found direct and indirect, intentional and unintentional support among certain senior officials of the United Nations, that body in which we placed all our trust when we called on it for help.
They have corrupted some of our countrymen; they have bought others; they have done their part to distort the truth and defile our independence. What else can I say? That whether dead or alive, free or in prison by orders of the colonialists, it is not my person that is important. What is important is the Congo, our poor people whose independence has been turned into a cage, with people looking at us from outside the bars, sometimes with charitable compassion, sometimes with glee and delight. But my faith will remain unshakeable. I know and feel in my heart of hearts that sooner or later my people will rid themselves of all their enemies, foreign and domestic, that they will rise up as one to say no to the shame and degradation of colonialism and regain their dignity in the pure light of day.
We are not alone. Africa, Asia, and the free and liberated peoples in every corner of the globe will ever remain at the side of the millions of Congolese who will not abandon the struggle until the day when there will be no more colonizers and no more of their mercenaries in our country. I want my children whom I leave behind and perhaps will never see again, to be told that the future of the Congo is beautiful and that their country expects them, as it expects every Congolese, to fulfill the sacred task of rebuilding our independence, our sovereignty; for without justice there is no dignity, and without independence there are no free men.
Neither brutal assaults, nor cruel mistreatment, nor torture have ever led me to beg for mercy, for I prefer to die with my head held high, unshakeable faith and the greatest confidence in the destiny of my country, rather than live in slavery and contempt for sacred principles. History will one day have its say; it will not be the history that is taught in the United Nations, Washington, Paris or Brussels, however, but the history taught in the countries that have rid themselves of colonialsim and its puppets. Africa will write its own history, and both north and south of the Sahara it will be a history full of glory and dignity.
Do not weep for me, my companion, I know that my country, now suffering so much, will be able to defend its independence and its freedom. Long live the Congo! Long live Africa!
"...The political leader against whom President Eisenhower expressed the most lively dislike was not Castro but an African named Patrice Lumumba.
There was something about Lumumba which bugged Eisenhower....Lumumba was irreverent about American Presidents, and determined to bring Congolese mineral assets under Congolese, rather than outside, control. But when a member of the National Security Council suggested that, like all other African leaders so far, he was probably ready for a deal, provided the money was right, the President showed no desire for such a peaceful solution to the Congolese problem. He wanted Lumumba out. Who would rid him of this turbulent black?
Normally (if that is the word) a request for the assassination of a foreign leader would have been left in the hands of Richard Bissell. But Bissell was away on holiday, yachting peacefully off Connecticut, so Allen Dulles [director of CIA] told the President that he would personally see to the affair and would put Richard Helms in charge of the details. A few days later Helms produced a blueprint for the 'elimination'.
A CIA employee was called back from Leopoldville, the Congolese capital, and there found Bronson Tweedy, head of the African division of the CIA, waiting for him with a 'first aid kit,' as it was jocularly called. There were rubber gloves, a phial of lethal fever germs, a portable electric toothbrush complete with batteries, and three tubes of toothpaste. The tubes of toothpaste were to be impregnated with the germs and somehow introduced into Lumumba's toilet requisites. He had nice bright teeth and it was presumed that he liked to keep them well scrubbed.
The CIA operative returned to his post with the assassination kit, and Allen Dulles waited for news that the hated Lumumba had been taken ill. Nothing happened. Lumumba still continued to intrigue with the Communists, make a mockery of the United Nations, and threaten the uncertain tenure of the West in the Congo. Why didn't he succumb to the deadly dose the Agency had prepared for him?
It was not until several weeks later that a more effective CIA puppet came on the scene in the shape of Joseph Mobuto, and he took over power and captured the maverick Patrice Lumumba. Lumumba died shortly afterwards 'while trying to escape', but whether Mobuto did the deed at the behest of the CIA or from more personal motives is one of those mysteries time is not likely to elucidate.


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