text:
Maldives.com Destination Guides Travel Agents September 15, 2014
Maldives experiences a major boom in Indian tourist arrivals
This year itself Maldives welcomed more than 100,000 tourists, an almost 14% increase from last year. During the month of July this year, Indian tourist arrivals showed a 38% percent growth from last year.
Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (India Office), Media & PR Manager, Shikha Mishra said "Growth rate has remained positive and above average, which is great news for all of Maldives source markets, including India which has also shown an upward swing."
Over the last seven months Asia and the Pacific took the lead for the first time as the main market generating region, overpassing Europe – the single market dominator of all-time for the Maldives.
During Southwest monsoon (July), Asia and the Pacific reached a 61 percent tourist arrival to the Maldives. South Asia became the second best performer in the sub-region within Asia and the Pacific, with India as the best operating market and second biggest from the Asian Pacific region.
Orivaru Island Goes For Sale
OBLU by Atmosphere to open in November 2015
Following the remarkable success within just an year of opening of Atmosphere Kanifushi Maldives, the five-star premium all-inclusive resort – Atmosphere Hotels and Resorts has launched a sub-brand, OBLU by
Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy unveils full line-up for August 7-13 event
Rob Machado, Ross Williams and Ismail Miglal complete the championship line-up
Bandos Island Resort & Spa – The perfect family holiday experience
Planning a family vacation? Wondering where to go? Bandos Island Resort is the perfect island getaway where you can forget about the rest of the world and create unforgettable memories with your children.
Review — Maldives luxury, it all began at Kurumba
Review — The thick grove of over 500 palm trees, gives little hint of the 5 star, 180 room luxury resort hidden in its shade. Kurumba is Dhivehi for coconut and synonymous with the birthplace of the multi million dollar tourist industry of Maldives.


text:
Manheim Township inches towards residents monitoring police
by: WHTM Staff
Posted: Aug 31, 2020 / 09:50 PM EDT / Updated: Aug 31, 2020 / 09:50 PM EDT
LANCASTER, Pa. (WHTM) — Manheim Township is one step closer to having residents monitor police.
The township has been looking to start a Citizens Advisory Board since the death of George Floyd. The search process to fill that board has moved on to round two.
The board will make suggestions about police practices and funding, which the police chief supports this.
Manheim Township hopes to have the board established by October.
Diseases are endemic when they occur regularly in certain areas according to established patterns, while a pandemic refers to a global outbreak that causes unpredictable waves of illness.
One hurt after early morning shooting in Harrisburg
by James Wesser / Jan 20, 2022
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) -- One person was injured after a shooting occurred in Harrisburg during the morning hours of Thursday, Jan 20.
According to a CRIMEWATCH report, Harrisburg Police responded to a local hospital at around 8:45 a.m. They learned from the victim that a shooting took place in the area of the 500 block of South Front Street in Harrisburg. The victim apparently heard a shot and realized they had been hit.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Great ResignationDiversity and InclusionCompensationCEO DailyCFO DailyModern Board
Leadership ·private prisons
Private Prison Operators Shrug Off U.S. Policy Shift
August 21, 2016, 7:16 PM UTC
Katherine Lubar — Getty Images/Illustration Works
Shares of the two largest operators of U.S. private prisons rebounded on Friday on bets that an Obama administration move to phase out the use of some for-profit corrections facilities would not cascade across the country and decimate the industry.
The rally picked up momentum after Corrections Corp of America and Geo Group Inc executives told analysts the policy shift would not materially affect profits this year or dividends in the future.
On Thursday, the Department of Justice said it had ordered the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to let private prison contracts expire or scale them back to a level consistent with recent declines in the prison population.
That announcement triggered fears other federal and state agencies would follow suit, and wiped out nearly a third of the companies' market value on the New York Stock Exchange.
Corrections Corp of America was up more than 10% in late afternoon trading on Friday after soaring as high as 20.7% earlier in the session. Geo Group Inc gained more than 18%.
How Prisons Became Popular Tourist Destinations
"In the short run I don't think these companies need to alter their outlook," said Daniel Hanson, an analyst with Height Securities. "But further down the line they may need to make some adjustments."
Hanson added that BOP prisons made up just a fraction of the companies' business, with prisons at the state level being the core of their operations. He also noted that the companies had expanded into other services including rehabilitation.
Corrections Corp has said that BOP contracts represent only about 7% of its annual revenue. For Geo Group, such contracts accounted for about 16% of revenue last year.
"This action by the Bureau of Prisons does not affect our recently released guidance for the remainder … of calendar 2016," Corrections Corp Chief Executive Damon Hininger told analysts on a conference call.
Combat Helmets Made By Prisoners Put Soldiers at Risk
Geo executives also told analysts there would be little impact on profits.
But ratings agency Standard & Poor's put both companies on a credit watch with negative implications, saying it believed there was a risk other government agencies such as the U.S. Marshals Service could reduce the use of private prisons.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told Reuters it had no plans to change its current contracts with private prisons.
David Shapiro, an attorney at the MacArthur Justice Center at Northwestern University, said the key question now was whether the Obama administration's successor would follow through on the DOJ's decision.
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has a healthy lead over Republican candidate Donald Trump among likely voters in the Nov. 8 election, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Friday.
For more on the Department of Justice, watch:
The use of private prisons in the United States took off in the late 1990s in response to overcrowding, with supporters saying the facilities offered a more cost-effective way to manage inmate populations.
Critics, however, have said these prisons are more violent as well as more expensive to run.
Michele Deitch, a senior lecturer at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas in Austin, said a growing push to shut private prisons will "increase the pressure" on individual states to restrict their use.
"This will result in increased scrutiny of the whole private prison system," she said.
Feds Say It's Unfair to Hold Poor Defendants If They Can't Afford Bail
Carl Takei, an attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, said there are no major moves afoot by states to move away from private prisons, whose use he said had dipped in recent years primarily due to a declining prison population.
Texas has closed two private prisons in recent years because of a drop in inmate numbers, but has "no plans to terminate" all such contracts, said Jason Clark, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Geo Group said on Friday that the BOP had rescinded a contract for a prison in Georgia.
"This (DOJ) policy shift is undeniably negative for the publicly-traded for-profit prison companies, but it is far from a death sentence," Compass Point LLC analyst Isaac Boltansky wrote in a note.


I've observed this fun play at the Riparian on my morning walks over the past few months. Two rabbits face each other, then one hops straight up while the other one runs under it. The hopper turns midair and lands facing the other rabbit who turns almost immediately upon running under. They repeat this behavior taking turns on who hops and who runs. It's a bit like watching popcorn popping when several pairs are hopping and running in the same general area.
This fun behavior seems to have ramped up with the cooler weather. I've wondered what it all means.
At first I thought it was some form of Bunny Jousting. Or perhaps it's where the name of the popular wedding reception dance "The Bunny Hop" came from. (Could be.) But I did what any self-respecting blogger would and engaged in a bit of research before making a fool of myself online.
Turns out it's part of the mating ritual between a male and a female. Looks fun!
Since my video attempts came out grainy and unclear, I've included video someone else shot of the same behavior.
Given the amount of such frolicking and the frequency of the hopping going on over at the Riparian a bumper crop of bunnies ought to make a huge showing in about a month.
I think I have all the makings for becoming a crazy cat lady.
I used to love cats! As a kid I almost always owned a stray cat of one stripe or another. Zorro had a black mask around his eyes that made him seem mysterious and sneaky. He's the only one whose name I remember of six or eight little fur balls that I loved.
There was this Tom cat with bald patches, a short crooked tail, huge clumps of white matted fur and two different eye colors. That was on a good day. He would disappear for weeks at a time and return with injuries, sores, greasy fur and skinnier than when I'd last seen him.
I'd get him washed up, fed and snuggled into a blanket on my bed and then rub his ears to reassure him that all was well. He'd stick around for a month or two and then disappear again for a few weeks. On his return we'd repeat the cleaning ritual. After a few years he simply never returned from one of his forays. I like to think that scraggly Tom went out with a wild cat fight that matched his obviously wild life.
We don't own or feed any cats anymore. MSH is allergic to the critters and I don't have time or patience for one. Lately I just chase cats away from the yard. The overfed orange tabby I refer to is usually lying in wait for some hapless bird to get complacent and comfortable.
Cats are only predictable in their unpredictability. You can't count on them to snuggle you when you need snuggling, not like a dog, who senses a need and fills it. No cats are all about spontaneity and whimsy and fluffiness.
I'm unpredictable, spontaneous, whimsical and all too often focused on the fluffiness. I'm a dreamer with little follow through, a planner lacking energy. Stacks of papers fill surfaces like a litter box and things sit around half-finished, waiting for inspiration or desire to strike, like a cat waiting for motivation. It isn't gonna happen.
At this stage in my life am I capable of scaling back or ramping up or finding balance, chi, inner peace, feng shui, enlightenment, reason, order or balance? Or am I one quickly becoming of those people everyone will want to avoid for her eccentricities?
"Crazy Aunt Kami, man was she ever weird, let me tell you about the time she…" they'll say and I'll roll over in my grave to listen to yet another story of my non-exploits.
Maybe if I got a cat, I'd be a little less "Crazy" and more "cat." Sassy and content, carefree and clueless, living in the moment. Oh, and lots and lots of naps.
Actually, I think I'm already doing that, and that's the problem. What circular thinking I have.
Maybe I'll just be crazy. I think it's unavoidable.


text:
Home > Types of Dog Show > General Open Dog Shows
General Open Dog Shows
By: Elaine Everest - Updated: 24 Apr 2019 | *Discuss
For serious exhibitors there are different levels of dog shows. At the top are the Championship Shows where challenge certificates can be awarded and top honours won. The most popular dog shows are General Open Shows where as the word implies, entries are open to all breeds of dog registered with the Kennel Club.
Who Organises an Open Show?
General Canine societies registered with the Kennel Club normally run two shows each year. Many of these societies also have training evenings and social events for their members. The Officers and Committee of each society are made up of volunteers with many years experience in the dog world. The committee will have booked the venue and invited the judges up to two years previous to the scheduled show as copies of the show schedule etc have to be logged at the Kennel Club.
The dates of the shows have to be carefully considered so that they do not clash with major Championship Shows, or other Open shows within the same area. Nearer the time of the show the committee will be busy advertising the show, taking entries, ordering rosettes, compiling catalogues of entries and printing prize cards. Other volunteers will be ensuring that trophies won by previous winners are returned, organising the catering and selling raffle tickets.
Who Can Enter?
Many people start their show careers by entering these types of shows as opposed to Championship shows. There is a good mix of dogs and the level of competition suits both newcomers and experienced exhibitors alike. As previously mentioned an Open Show is open for any Kennel Club registered dog to attend. With provision for puppies through to veteran dogs (over the age of 7) there is a class to suit every dog's ability and age.
However, there are a few people who cannot enter; any judge officiating at the show is not allowed to enter a dog that they own outright or in partnership. If an exhibitor is a close relative of the judge they are not permitted to enter either.Show societies quite often have a rule that the Officers and Committee of the society will not enter or handle a dog at their own shows. This is normally a ruling because the committee has chosen and invited the judge and it would be seen to be unfair if they were placed in their class, whether they had been judged fairly or not.
Will There be a Class For My Breed?
There will not necessarily be a class specifically for your breed. A show society has to consider how many of each breed has entered their shows in the past and also the popularity of breeds. The show has to try to make a profit for its club and careful consideration must to be made to the type of breeds that will attract entries. If you own a dog from a particularly popular breed you will find that you have classes at most of the shows around the UK, however a breed that is less popular may not be so lucky.
But do not despair, there will be plenty of classes that are listed as 'any variety not separately classified,' within this there will be different categories of class for dogs of different ages and levels of success. Quite often you will have a top 'all-rounder' judge who has also been invited to judge Best in Show, so you have the benefit of a experienced person who is qualified to judge many varieties of dog go over your cherished animal.
If you are fortunate enough to be placed in your class you will be awarded a certificate of your achievement. When all the breed or variety classes have been judged the unbeaten dogs are invited back into the ring to compete for 'best of breed.' You will be awarded a rather smart rosette as will the winner of the 'best puppy' in breed class. Depending on the finances of the organising society there may also be rosettes for the dogs winning places in each class. Sometimes a local Breed Club will have sponsored the classes and there will be even nicer rosettes and perhaps a trophy to keep until the next show. All dogs that have won best of breed awards will then be able to compete for Best in Show, the same applies to winners of the puppy classes.
The Best Dog
The final bonus for winning a class is that the judge will write a critique of his winners, which will be published in the canine press several weeks later. Not every dog can be a winner every time but always remember that you always take the best dog home with you after the show!
The Show Certificate of Merit
Group Championship Dog Shows
Single Breed Open Shows
What Are Limit Shows for Dogs?
General Championship Shows
Hello, we like to join to dog show first time with our puppy 8 month old briard Emma and realy dont know wahre to start and whare we can find show close to us, we are live in Doncaster South Yorkshire.Thank you for answers and any advice.Your society Monika Botwina.
Emma - 24-Apr-19 @ 8:27 AM
Share Your Story, Join the Discussion or Seek Advice...


text:
Gloria Arroyo has no political will to negotiate basic socio-economic reforms
6 February 2005 /0 Comments/in News & updates /by Roselle Valerio
By LUIS G. JALANDONI
Chairperson, NDFP Negotiating Panel
GRP President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo turns a deaf ear to the people's socio-economic demands. This is proven by her railroading the approval of the VAT increase despite widespread popular opposition. She has refused to listen to the longstanding demand of workers for a PhP 125 across the board daily wage increase and the government employees for a monthly raise of PhP 3,000. People's organizations and alliances, especially of indigenous peoples, patriotic groups and environmentalists have strongly opposed the opening up of our natural resources to the plunder of foreign mining companies. Madame President ignores them and hails the arrival of the foreign plunderers.
The workers of Hacienda Luisita demand genuine land reform. What does Madame President do? She takes the side of the big landlord clan of the Aquinos and Cojuangcos and has no qualms allowing her Labor Secretary to mandate the Armed Forces of the Philippines to violently disperse the peaceful picket of the workers. Filipino migrant workers, whose remittances keep the economy afloat, demand protection of her government. But her foreign secretary comes back home empty-handed, afraid to stand up to the foreign country that insults our migrant workers.
But she listens to and is totally subservient to the US which is allowed to send 70 military spies into our country, have 28 joint war exercises for this year – more than two exercises every month – in flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the Filipino people. The US blatantly interferes in Philippine internal affairs by declaring the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People's Army, and NDFP Chief Political Consultant Prof. Jose Ma. Sison "terrorist" and what does she do? She openly applauds and welcomes it. She is so concerned about the sovereignty of the US and other foreign powers but cannot stand up for the sovereignty of the Filipino people.
It is clear that Madame Macapagal Arroyo does not have the political will to negotiate basic socio-economic reforms that are needed to address the root causes of the armed conflict. Neither does she have the political will to stand up for the national sovereignty of the Filipino people, which is a guiding principle of the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations enshrined in The Hague Joint Declaration of 1992. Having assumed her office amidst widespread accusations of massive fraud in the elections, she is overdependent on militarists and rabid anti-Communists.
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo can only sing to the baton of the US, supported by the militarists and the rabid anti-Communists around her: to precondition the resumption of formal talks to a prolonged ceasefire. Yet the AFP, PNP and CAFGU do not cease to attack workers and peasants who demand basic socio-economic reforms like genuine land reform and just wages. They do not cease attacking civilian communities suspected of supporting the revolutionary movement in violation of human rights and international humanitarian law and the CARHRIHL. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ignores the obligations her government agreed to in peace agreements with the NDFP, such as The Hague Joint Declaration, the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees, the CARHRIHL, and the Oslo Joint Statements.
The NDFP is, as in the past, desirous to negotiate basic social, economic and political reforms, address the root causes of the armed conflict, and implement the CARHRIHL, the Oslo Joint Statements and other bilateral agreements. But Gloria Macapagal Arroyo appears to be interested only in a ceasefire that is tantamount to pacification and capitulation.
https://www.ndfp.org/sayt/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/ndfplogoonly-2-300x300.png 0 0 Roselle Valerio https://www.ndfp.org/sayt/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/ndfplogoonly-2-300x300.png Roselle Valerio2005-02-06 17:00:002005-02-06 17:00:00Gloria Arroyo has no political will to negotiate basic socio-economic reforms


text:
Home/News / Cargill to expand Morris, Manitoba, farm service centre
Cargill to expand Morris, Manitoba, farm service centre
Pictured: Cargill's Morris, Manitoba, farm service centre.
WINNIPEG – Apr 09, 2014 – Within the next month, expansion is set to begin at Cargill's Morris, Manitoba, farm service centre. The expansion will include increases to both rail capacity and grain storage.
General Manager Richard Reynolds says the expansion should be welcome news for local producers as it will improve capacity in the surrounding area and will provide more long-term solutions to rail access. "This expansion will allow us to remain competitive in the region and help us better meet our customers' needs by allowing us to ship more grain," he said.
The expansion will increase grain storage by adding an additional 20,000 metric tonnes for a total of 30,000 metric tonnes. Rail car handling will increase from the current 54 cars to 100; which following this past year's record crop, is critical.
"Improved access to rail and increased storage capabilities remains a top priority," said Jeff Vassart, President, Cargill Limited. "We recognize the need for more storage and additional car spots for the entire value chain to maximize opportunity. By investing in our Morris location, we have an opportunity to efficiently manage how our grain will move and improve access to rail shipment."
Farmers currently being serviced at Cargill's Morris location will benefit by having improved opportunities to deliver grain throughout the year. "The decision to expand our Morris location was driven by our customers' needs. Physical assets are part of the solution. But, we believe we can be the best partner for our customers when we go a step further by providing solutions that help them meet their personal and business goals," added Vassart.
With the expansion Cargill anticipates increasing the number of employees on-site, but has not yet confirmed how many positions will be required. Construction is expected to be complete for the 2015 harvest.
Brigitte Burgoyne, 204-947-6187, [email protected]
Cargill is an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services. Founded in 1865, the privately held company employs 143,000 people in 67 countries. Cargill helps customers succeed through collaboration and innovation, and is committed to sharing its global knowledge and experience to help meet economic, environmental and social challenges wherever it does business. For more information, visit http://www.cargill.com.
About Cargill in Canada
Headquartered in Winnipeg, Cargill Limited employs more than 8,000 people in Canada, from British Columbia to New Brunswick. In addition to its diverse agricultural businesses, Cargill's Canadian interests include enterprises in the food, manufacturing, financial and risk management industries.


text:
Trump slams Kamala Harris: She 'put a drug-dealing illegal alien into a jobs program instead of prison'
California Sen. Kamala Harris has been lauded by Democrats since she accepted the party's nomination for the vice presidency last week. But as those on the left insist that Joe Biden's choice of running mate was a homerun, President Donald Trump and company are calling foul.
According to Breitbart, Trump busted Harris on Thursday for letting "a drug-dealing illegal alien" off the hook while serving as San Francisco's district attorney. Breitbart noted that the man in question, then-20-year-old Alexander Izaguirre, pleaded guilty in 2008 "to selling cocaine but avoided jail time."
According to Breitbart, Izaguirre "went on to brutally assault a young woman."
"Mowed her down"
Trump highlighted this story in a campaign speech in Pennsylvania on Thursday. There, the president slammed the VP hopeful, saying she "put a drug-dealing illegal alien into a jobs program instead of prison."
"Four months later, the illegal alien robbed a 29-year-old woman, mowed her down with an SUV, and fractured her skull," the president said, according to Breitbart.
Breitbart reported that Amanda Kiefer had been "walking to a restaurant with a friend at the time" of the attack.
Izaguirre was released as part of a program Harris herself created called "Back on Track." According to Breitbart:
The Back on Track program allows those 18 to 30-years-old to plead guilty to drug felonies so long as they agree to spend a year in the jobs program, living where they choose.
"A huge kind of pimple"
Harris was criticized at the time by police union chief Gary Delagnes, who pointed out that illegal aliens were not supposed to be eligible for the program. "These are the things that happen when you're not vigilant about this type of situation," Delagnes complained to a local ABC news affiliate in 2009.
Kiefer, for her part, seemed to express bewilderment that her attacker was even in the United States, given his immigration status and prior criminal conviction. "If they've committed crimes and they're not citizens, then why are they here?" she asked the Los Angeles Times in June of that year. "Why haven't they been deported?"
Speaking with the Times, even Harris admitted that Izaguirre's case put "a huge kind of pimple" on her beloved "Back on Track" program, Breitbart noted.
"The immigration issue, as it relates to the Izaguirre case, obviously is a huge kind of pimple on the face of this program," said Harris, who was campaigning at the time to be California's attorney general, a bid she won in 2010, as the Times later reported. "I don't mean to trivialize it, nor do I mean to cover it up."
It's just one of a number of stains on Harris' record that seem to be coming back to bite her as she pursues one of the nation's highest offices. How long can she take the heat?


Did you know that Sheboygan County's number one attraction got a boost from the Wisconsin School of Business?
Sandra Livermore '80, MS'82 remembers the exact moment when she was inspired to start Sheboygan's Bookworm Gardens, a 3.5-acre botanical garden based on children's literature.
The owner of a landscape-design business was visiting a small children's garden in Michigan when a group of teens walked in and started reading aloud. Suddenly young kids appeared out of nowhere and sat down to listen.
The nonprofit attraction, which has no admission fee and is supported by donations, encourages visitors to choose one of 70 available books and head to an interactive garden based on the title. Fans of Charlotte's Web can visit a barn with sculptures of the beloved spider, her web, and the pig Wilbur. Visitors who choose Harry the Dirty Dog encounter a statue of a dog and a pail of water. "Kids stand in line to give Harry a bath," says Livermore.
Bookworm hosted more than 80,000 visitors in 2017, including 5,600 children on field trips. The site is TripAdvisor's number one destination in Sheboygan County.
When Livermore first envisioned the gardens, she hoped they would "get kids and their families outside reading and experiencing nature together." Now that technology has become so ubiquitous, she says, there is an even greater need to coax children away from their screens.
Did you know that an Oneida County alumnus made an impact on what Rhinelander looks like today?
Did you know that alfalfa production in the upper Midwest is possible because of a UW alumnus?


It took the Rays 2038 games to make it happen, but they finally notched their first no-hitter since the team's inaugural season in 1998. That's right, it's been 2038 games, the team has had three no-hitters completed against them within the past two seasons, and they finally made it happen in a year where no-hits are almost becoming commonplace.
Sportscasters love calling 2010 the "Year of the Pitcher", despite the fact that the real YotP, 1968, was such a monumental year that the rules had to be changed to favor the batter. No one is threatening to throw a Gibson-esque 1.12, but five no-hitters in one year certainly makes you think. In fact, it's making everyone think that we've finally finished with the steroid problem in baseball and hitters are regressing. Really, the YotP signifies the year that we returned back to pre-steroid baseball and the hitters have yet to catch up.
Back to Garza: his no-hitter was one walk shy of a perfect game against an ailing Tigers team that is missing a few key bats. It was also a no-hitter for both teams for six innings until the Rays broke it way open. After Scherzer loaded up the bases, Matt Joyce belted his second grand slam of the year to push the Rays up 4-0. Carl Crawford later added in an insurance run with his own long blast into center field to bring the Rays up to 5-0 and give Garza extra piece of mind.
That's not even the best part. No, the best part is that my brother, Dave, WAS THERE! He goes to Rays games every so often after work and, thanks to scheduling issues, he decided to go a day early to last night's game instead of going tomorrow. Dave's not the biggest baseball fan (at one point he had to ask his co-worker if no-hitters were rare), but he was super lucky to get to see one of baseball's greatest pitching achievements and Rays history last night. I'm so happy/jealous for/of him!
That's right...this guy got to see the no-hitter while I've never seen one.
Congratulations to Matt Garza on a game well pitched.
If you hate the Yankees and love baseball, I'm sure you're running around telling everyone you know about how ridiculous it is that the Yankees have lost two straight to a team that everyone expects to sit right at the bottom of the AL East. You might be mentioning to all their friends that it seems that all the money in the world can't buy baseball skill or pointing to the Rays or Marlins as teams whose low salaries still yield success. You might wanna slow down a bit there.
Listen, I hate the Yankees as much as the next guy, but probably a bit less than your diehard Sox fan, but it's really not fair to make definitive judgments on the team after only two days of play. Baseball's a game where the best hitters fail seven times out of ten, many like to say, so it's not all that surprising for a team to lose more than a few games and still make it to the playoffs. In fact, in a typical year, the best teams in the league will only win two out of every three and some will barely top a .500 win rate.
Calm down baseball fans, the Yankees aren't down and out yet. They're a team that you can never just count out and they're pissed after last year. Who could have ever expected the AL East to be a three team race?
The Fish have knocked the Mets out of the postseason for two years running. Surely the Mets are a bit bitter after last year and with their rejuvinated bullpen, will give the Fish a run for their money. It's one thing to pound the Nats, but another thing entirely to try and take on the Mets.
It'll be the rubber game of the series for the Sox and Rays tonight and it could honestly go either way. Garza vs. Dice-K. After that the Rays head down to Baltimore, the first game of which I will be attending and my first for the year.
Game 2 went precisely how I wanted it to, which leaves today's matchup, Garza vs Moyer, particularly big and important. It'll probably be the coldest, temperature-wise, game the Rays have ever played, for one. There's also that alarming statistic about dome-teams having a hard time beating non-dome teams in the postseason that needs to be proved wrong.
-Help Garza manage the Phils and keep them off of base.
-Stop letting the Phils get into scoring position. They may be 3-28 or some ridiculously low number like that, but this is baseball and they'll start performing when you least expect or need it.
If they can manage that, I'll be a happy camper watching the game from a bar somewhere in DC tonight.


text:
iopscience.org
physicsworld.com
ioppublishing.org
Edinburgh Instruments Ltd
http://www.edinst.com/
More from Edinburgh Instruments Ltd
Instrumentation and measurement
Temperature-Dependent Absolute Photoluminescence Quantum Yield (PLQY) Measurements of a Halide Perovskite
Halide perovskites are a promising class of materials for a wide variety of optoelectronic applications such as photovoltaics, light emitting diodes, lasers and optical sensing.
They have received widespread attention due to their many attractive synthetic and photophysical properties, namely: solution processability, high tunability, long charge carrier lifetimes and high charge carrier mobilities. Perovskite photovoltaic cells have reached an efficiency of 21% in a remarkably short period of time and are beginning to challenge the dominance of silicon.For light emission, perovskite nanocrystals have been shown to possess excellent wavelength tunability and high PLQY, while two dimensional perovskite structures have been shown to be promising single component white light emitters. One of the most important photophysical parameters of perovskites for optoelectronic applications is the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY), which is investigated using the FLS1000 Photoluminescence Spectrometer equipped with a variable temperature integrating sphere, the Cryo
Variation of the Photoluminescence Quantum Yield of CsPbBr3 Perovskite with Temperature
Download the Full Perovskite Photoluminescence Quantum Yield (PLQY) Application Note
Temperature-Dependent Absolute Photoluminescence Quantum Yield Measurements of a Halide Perovskite
FLS 1000 Photoluminescence Spectrometer
For further information on the FLS1000 Photoluminescence Spectrometer why not contact one of our sales team today email us at sales@edinst.com.
Sign-Up for our Application and Technical Notes
If you have enjoyed reading our Application Note, why note sign-up to our infrequent newsletter via our red Sign-up button below.
Photoluminescence Spectroscopy of Carbon Dots
Introduction Carbon dots (C-dots) are nanoparticles composed of carbon with diameters below 10 nm. They were accidentally discovered in 2004 by…
Temperature-Dependent Quantum Yield of Chlorophyll Fluorescence in Plant Leaves
Chlorophyll fluorescence of plants has long been used to understand their photochemistry and as an indicator of their photosynthetic efficiency. The…
Halide perovskites are a promising class of materials for a wide variety of optoelectronic applications such as photovoltaics, light emitting…
TADF: What is Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence?
Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence (TADF) is a mechanism for enhancing the efficiency of Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) by harvesting…
EXPLORE PHYSICS WORLD BUYERS GUIDE
Join the Institute
For 30 years Physics World has been the preferred choice in physics magazines and websites around the world. The Physics World buyers guide is the most comprehensive directory of suppliers to the scientific marketplace and is the who's who of the scientific sector. Our buyers guide offers efficient marketing solutions for every business and institution and connects you with an international audience of professional physicists and interdisciplinary scientists.


text:
Szczyp – potok, lewoboczny dopływ Ścinawki o długości 4,5 km.

Źródła potoku znajdują się na wysokości 480-520 m n.p.m. we Wzgórzach Włodzickich, pomiędzy Górą Świętej Anny a Górą Wszystkich Świętych a ujście w Bemowie części Ścinawki Górnej.

Przypisy

Bibliografia
 Słownik geografii turystycznej Sudetów. Góry Sowie, Marek Staffa (redakcja). T. 11. Wrocław: I-BiS, 1995,

Dorzecze Ścinawki
Potoki Sudetów Środkowych

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Get your copy today from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Unlock your potential to run naturally.
Is there a bridge from the injury-ridden world of the modern runner to the promised land that barefoot running and Born to Run have led us to believe exists? Can we live the running life free from injury? Is there an approach designed to unlock all the athletic potential that may be hidden within? Can we run faster, more efficiently and for longer periods of time?
In a direct answer to the needs of the modern runner, Dr. Kelly Starrett, author of the bestselling hit, Becoming a Supple Leopard: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury and Optimizing Athletic Performance, has focused his revolutionary mobility and movement philosophy on the injury-swamped world of the runner.
Despite the promises of the growing minimalist shoe industry and a rush of new ideas on how to transform running form, more than 3 out of 4 runners continue to suffer at least one injury a year. Although we may indeed be Born to Run, life in the modern world has trashed and undercut the dedicated runner wishing to transform his or her running form. The harsh effects of too much sitting and too much time wearing the wrong shoes has left us shackled to lower back problems, chronic knee injuries and debilitating foot pain.
In Dr. Starrett's new book, Ready to Run, you will be taught the essential standards for preparing your body for a lifetime of top-performance running. You won't only be ready to run in a minimalist shoe you'll be prepared to run in any shoe.
Dr. Kelly Starrett is the author of the The New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Becoming A Supple Leopard, which has revolutionized how coaches, athletes and every day humans approach performance as it relates to movement, mechanics, and the actualization of human and athletic potential. Dr. Starrett is also the co-founder of San Francisco Crossfit and MobilityWOD.com, where he shares his innovative approach to movement, mechanics, and mobility with millions of coaches and athletes around the world.
Kelly travels the world teaching his wildly popular Crossfit Movement & Mobility Course and also works with elite Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard forces, athletes from the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and national and world ranked strength and power athletes. He also consults with Olympic teams and universities and is a featured speaker at strength and conditioning conferences nationwide. Kelly's work is not limited to coaches and athletes - he applies his methods to children, desk jockeys, and anyone dealing with injury and chronic pain. Kelly believes every human being should know how to move and be able to perform basic maintenance on themselves.
T.J. Murphy, over the course of a 20-year career, has established himself as one of the endurance world's most prolific writers. Among his many roles as a magazine editor, he has served as Editor-in-Chief of both Triathlete Magazine and Inside Triathlon, and Editorial Director of Competitor Magazine. His endurance journalism has also appeared in Outside Magazine and Runner's World, but in 2012 Murphy gave things a twist when he chronicled his personal odyssey into strength, conditioning and mobility with the seminal work, Inside The Box: How CrossFit Shredded the Rules, Stripped Down the Gym, and Rebuilt My Body.
Terms: Net 30 Days with credit approval.


text:
{-# LANGUAGE CPP #-}
module GHC.SourceGen.Name.Internal where

import Data.Char (isAlphaNum, isUpper)
import Data.Function (on)
import Data.List (intercalate)
import Data.String (IsString(..))
#if MIN_VERSION_ghc(9,0,0)
import GHC.Data.FastString (FastString, fsLit)
import GHC.Unit.Module (mkModuleNameFS, ModuleName, moduleNameString)
import GHC.Types.Name.Occurrence
import GHC.Types.Name.Reader
#else
import FastString (FastString, fsLit)
import Module (mkModuleNameFS, ModuleName, moduleNameString)
import OccName
import RdrName
#endif

#if MIN_VERSION_ghc(9,2,0)
import GHC.Data.FastString (LexicalFastString(..))
#endif

#if MIN_VERSION_ghc(9,2,0)
import GHC.Parser.Annotation (LocatedN)
#elif MIN_VERSION_ghc(9,0,0)
import GHC.Types.SrcLoc (Located)
#else
import SrcLoc (Located)
#endif

import GHC.SourceGen.Syntax.Internal (mkLocated)

-- | A string identifier referring to a name.
--
-- 'OccNameStr' keeps track of whether it is a "constructor" or "variable"
-- (e.g.: @\"Foo\"@ vs @\"foo\"@, respectively).
--
-- 'OccNameStr' is simililar in purpose to GHC's 'OccName'.  However, unlike
-- 'OccName', 'OccNameStr' does not differentiate between the namespace
-- of types and of values.
-- Functions in this package that take an 'OccNameStr' as input
-- will internally convert it to the proper namespace.  (This approach
-- makes it easier to implement an 'IsString' instance without the context
-- where a name would be used.)
data OccNameStr = OccNameStr !RawNameSpace !FastString
    deriving (Show, Eq)

instance Ord OccNameStr where
    compare = compare `on` (\(OccNameStr n s) -> (n, fromFastString s))
      where
#if MIN_VERSION_ghc(9,2,0)
        fromFastString = LexicalFastString
#else
        fromFastString = id
#endif

data RawNameSpace = Constructor | Value
    deriving (Show, Eq, Ord)

-- TODO: symbols
rawNameSpace :: String -> RawNameSpace
rawNameSpace (c:_)
    | isUpper c = Constructor
rawNameSpace _ = Value

instance IsString OccNameStr where
    fromString s = OccNameStr (rawNameSpace s) (fsLit s)

valueOccName, typeOccName :: OccNameStr -> OccName
valueOccName (OccNameStr Constructor s) = mkDataOccFS s
valueOccName (OccNameStr Value s) = mkVarOccFS s
typeOccName (OccNameStr Constructor s) = mkTcOccFS s
typeOccName (OccNameStr Value s) = mkTyVarOccFS s

-- | A newtype wrapper around 'ModuleName' which is an instance of 'IsString'.
newtype ModuleNameStr = ModuleNameStr { unModuleNameStr :: ModuleName }
    deriving (Eq, Ord)

instance Show ModuleNameStr where
    show = show . moduleNameString . unModuleNameStr

instance IsString ModuleNameStr where
    fromString = ModuleNameStr . mkModuleNameFS . fsLit

-- | A string identifier which may be qualified to a particular module.
--
-- 'RdrNameStr' wraps an 'OccNameStr' and thus keeps track of whether it is a
-- "constructor" or "variable" (e.g.: @\"Foo.Bar\"@ vs @\"Foo.bar\"@,
-- respectively).
--
-- 'RdrNameStr' is simililar in purpose to GHC's 'RdrName'.  However, unlike
-- 'RdrName', 'RdrNameStr' does not differentiate between the namespace of types
-- and of values.
-- Functions in this package that take a 'RdrNameStr' as input
-- will internally convert it to the proper namespace.  (This approach
-- makes it easier to implement an 'IsString' instance without the context
-- where a name would be used.)
--
-- For example:
--
-- > fromString "A.B.c" == QualStr (fromString "A.B") (fromString "c")
-- > fromString "c" == UnqualStr (fromString "c")
data RdrNameStr = UnqualStr OccNameStr | QualStr ModuleNameStr OccNameStr
    deriving (Show, Eq, Ord)

#if !MIN_VERSION_ghc(9,2,0)
type LocatedN e = Located e
#endif

-- GHC always wraps RdrName in a Located.  (Usually: 'Located (IdP pass)')
-- So for convenience, these functions return a Located-wrapped value.
valueRdrName, typeRdrName :: RdrNameStr -> LocatedN RdrName
valueRdrName (UnqualStr r) = mkLocated $ Unqual $ valueOccName r
valueRdrName (QualStr (ModuleNameStr m) r) = mkLocated $ Qual m $ valueOccName r
typeRdrName (UnqualStr r) = mkLocated $ Unqual $ typeOccName r
typeRdrName (QualStr (ModuleNameStr m) r) = mkLocated $ Qual m $ typeOccName r

-- TODO: operators
instance IsString RdrNameStr where
    -- Split "Foo.Bar.baz" into ("Foo.Bar", "baz")
    fromString s = case collectModuleName s of
        (m, n)
            | null m -> UnqualStr (fromString n)
            | otherwise -> QualStr (fromString $ intercalate "." m) (fromString n)

collectModuleName :: String -> ([String],String)
collectModuleName s = case span isVarChar s of
    ("", n) -> ([], n)  -- Symbol
    (n, "") -> ([], n)  -- Identifier
    (m, '.' : s') -> case collectModuleName s' of
                            (m', s'') -> (m : m', s'')
    _ -> error $ "Unable to parse RdrNameStr: " ++ show s
  where
    isVarChar '\'' = True
    isVarChar '_' = True
    isVarChar c = isAlphaNum c

-- | A RdrName suitable for an import or export list.
-- E.g.: `import F(a, B)`
-- The 'a' should be a value, but the 'B' should be a type/class.
-- (Currently, GHC doesn't distinguish the class and type namespaces.)
exportRdrName :: RdrNameStr -> LocatedN RdrName
exportRdrName (UnqualStr r) = mkLocated $ Unqual $ exportOccName r
exportRdrName (QualStr (ModuleNameStr m) r) = mkLocated $ Qual m $ exportOccName r

exportOccName :: OccNameStr -> OccName
exportOccName (OccNameStr Value s) = mkVarOccFS s
exportOccName (OccNameStr Constructor s) = mkTcOccFS s

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The Oklahoma Mural Syndicate is pleased to announce a new public art gallery located in the heart of the Plaza Walls Project. Beginning in March 2019, guests can experience street art in a whole new way.
By opening a gallery, the Oklahoma Mural Syndicate can create new opportunities to bring public art to Oklahoma City. This new gallery will provide muralists a place to display their work from large-scale wall murals to canvas works. Coinciding with LIVE! on the Plaza on March 8, the first gallery show "Graff Roots" will honor the graffiti heritage of the Plaza Walls by featuring local graffiti artists, both newcomers and legends.
Another perk of the gallery space includes the ability to program events year-round. The Oklahoma Mural Syndicate crew will host art events and exhibitions during the winter when it is too cold to paint new murals outdoors.
In addition to launching the gallery space, the OMS crew will debut 22 curated art panels on the Plaza's Seesaw Art Wall in partnership with artist Adam Lanman. The Seesaw Art Wall is sponsored by First National Bank and the Inasmuch Foundation.
The gallery and OMS offices are located at 1745 N.W. 16th Street, Suite F4 with gallery hours to be determined. The cost of admission is free.
The Oklahoma Mural Syndicate requires public funding to promote and organize street art for everyone. Your donation brings life to walls across our state. For sponsorship opportunities, giving options, tours and artist inquiries, please contact plazawalls@gmail.com.


Why Use Our Admissions Consultants?
How can College Coach help my child get into college?
College Coach educational consultants take the stress out of the college admissions process by providing independent college counseling and expert advising on every step, from the college search, through essays, interviews, scholarship searches, and more. Our one-on-one assistance opens even reluctant students up to the process and eases friction between parent and child during this stressful time.
Why pay for a college admissions counseling service?
College Coach consultants have all worked as senior admissions officers at top colleges. That means we can advise your child based on first-hand knowledge and offer guidance based on what we know colleges are looking for. Our team of full-time educational consultants are focused on your child, and dedicated to helping students create applications that demonstrate their unique personalities, interests, and strengths. Equally important, by helping students find the best college matches, our service pays you back by helping ensure that your tuition investment is spent wisely.
What's the difference between a guidance counselor and a College Coach admissions advisor?
Guidance counselors are stretched thin — 407 students to one advisor, according to the U.S. Department of Education* – with extremely limited time per student. Also, unlike College Coach's team of college consultants, they've never sat in the decision-maker's chair at a college.
What types of students use College Coach?
We have worked with students from all 50 states in the U.S. and 18 different countries abroad, who come from public schools, parochial, private, and home-school environments.
Are you only focused on helping students looking at elite and Ivy League schools?
No. College Coach helps students of all academic abilities find their college fit. Our students have collectively been admitted to more than 600 colleges of all types across the country during the past three years.
What makes College Coach different from other college admissions advising services?
College Coach isn't just one expert but a whole team of former admissions officers, with a collective knowledge base that can be tapped into for specific information about top colleges throughout the country. Learn more about College Coach college educational consultants and what sets us apart.
How would College Coach help my child with deadlines?
Your consultant will provide a personalized action plan, detailed deadline schedule, and regular communication to make sure your child is aware of the responsibilities and on track. Our customers generally find that working with a College Coach expert actually saves them time and breaks up the overwhelming process into manageable pieces that fit into a busy schedule.
How flexible are your consultants when it comes to scheduling?
Our consultants work full time for College Coach and maintain flexible schedules – with some evening and/or weekend hours – to accommodate busy student and family schedules.
What if we don't live near a College Coach Office?
College Coach has a proven track record of higher education consulting, working successfully with students worldwide. Our experts are available by phone, videoconference, email, and text.
When is the right time to begin my child's college action plan with College Coach?
College Coach works with students throughout their high school years. Starting in 9th grade allows you to plan efficiently for college with private educational counseling from the get-go, but we also partner successfully with families who find us during their student's senior year.
What is the parents' role in the college admission process?
Our goal is to get your student to own the process and most meetings will be between advisor and student. That said, we understand that this is your investment and are always available by phone, email, or in person to answer questions or address concerns.
Does College Coach offer consulting on financial aid and college tuition planning?
Yes. College Coach has a staff of former college finance officers who can work with you to evaluate your family's resources and create a strategy for how to pay for college.
Can we meet with the advisor before we commit?
Yes. We want to ensure that you are matched with the appropriate advisor for your needs and your child's personality. Please contact us to discuss our offerings and to determine whether a consultation makes sense for your needs.
How do I get started with College Coach?
Please call 877-40-COACH (877-402-6224) or complete this brief form to speak with someone right away and receive literature about our various service offerings.


text:
Meditations on advaita
Dr. Vemuri Ramesam
Humankind has been exposed to the forces of nature ever since we made an appearance on the face of this planet. We find ourselves very inadequate in our struggle for survival. Disease and death are unavoidable. Happiness and pleasure are at the most momentary and fleeting. Endowed with a rare capacity of modeling internally, in our minds—through abstract thinking—the problem of "uncertain futures", we search for coping mechanisms to overcome our limitations. Incisive logical thinking leads us to the surprise finding that nothing was ever created and all our troubles are the result of mentation, which is responsible for generating an imaginary "self". We discover that the visible world is an illusion and that one is not really an individual but an eternal indivisible seamless One-Whole-Self experiencing an ineffable peace and inexplicable joy.
A few questions, however, remain: Are there two distinct 'gateways' of neuronal networks, one giving raise to "self" and another to "Self"? Could a shift in the operational focus from the node of an "individual self" to a "Universal Self" augmented by opioids like anandamide and neurotransmitters like oxytocin bring about a change in the perceived worldview? Is "negation of the visible world" a mere clever coping mechanism in the face of indefatigable misery? Or is there something unbeknowest?
Humanoids (our anthropological ancestors) first appeared on earth about two million years ago. Human beings came around 200,000 years back having diverged from their first cousins, Neanderthals, about 400,000 years ago. Modern man descended from a small group that lived in Africa. Driven by droughts, he spread to the rest of the globe in waves of migrations about 50,000 years back.
It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when the faculty of philosophical "thinking" about abstract issues dawned on humankind. Thinking, per se, predates Homo sapiens, as shown by the comparative studies between humans and chimps conducted at Emory University (Rilling, 2007). Marean (2007) reports evidence that goes back to 164,000 years "for the earliest cultural trappings of modern human species." Cave paintings (evidence of memory and expression) date back to 82,000 years. Coulson (2006) found, in Africa, 70,000 year old relics of ritual worship indicative of "ability for abstract thinking."
Neanderthals existed in Africa, Europe, and even went up to China. Krause (2007) found FOXP2 genes in Neanderthal remains from north Spain. This gene and the skull bone structure indicate that Neanderthals had language capability. In spite of that, Neanderthals totally disappeared about 30,000 years ago. Anthropologists ascribed many reasons for their extinction. Kuhn and Stiner (2006) recently suggested, after a detailed study of Neanderthal sites and artifacts, that they failed to develop division of labor between genders, a survival tactic successfully adopted by Homo sapiens.
From the beginning, humankind has struggled for existence. We were relentlessly exposed to the ravages of nature. We had to confront wild beasts and powerful predators. Inexorable natural processes were too daunting to our fragile and mortal bodies. Whatever might be the coping mechanism innovated, problems of "uncertain futures" (Plotkin, 1997) haunted us. Nature's destructive fury seems inescapable, disease and death unpreventable and suffering and misery unavoidable. Everything around constantly changes; happiness and pleasure seem fleeting and at best only occasional. So, man in millennia past, explored for ways and means of surmounting such limitations.
The quest led to the discovery of a "self" within—a "self" that identified with the body, giving a distinct personality. The "self" is protective of itself and judgmental about whatever the senses observe. It seeks permanency. We surmised that misery emanated because of "self". We want to rid ourselves of it. Someone said, "Our sensory system is the cause of a "self" within us. Therefore, burn the senses." So they starved the body, mutilated the senses or practiced frightful rites. Others said, "Surrender "self" to a Supreme Being, who will take care of everything."
Yet others said, "Thoughts emanate unstoppably. Thoughts give "name and form" to every sensory signal (sensation) received from outside; create a "self" and assess things in relation to "self"—friend or foe; mine or thine. "Self" thus distinguishes itself from the world "out there". It tends to get attached to friendly objects for security. Why not find "something" unchanging and let "self" be attached to THAT instead of seeking refuge in ephemeral worldly objects? All problems would evaporate if we join the winner!"
Smart move indeed! So they searched for an eternal all-powerful 'that'. Their astounding, unbelievable and counterintuitive finding at the end: "Nothing was ever born!" That outcome, in one-word, is the essence of Advaita.
Let us follow step by step their Search.
We begin with what is around.
A world out there is perceived.
Therefore, there has to be a 'Perceiver'.
Who is the "Perceiver?"
Our sense organs (eyes etc.) are not the Perceiver. They just receive the signals and pass on the info to the corresponding cortex ("Indriya"). The constant activity of neurons in the brain produces thoughts (Manas). The new input from senses is compared with the stored information in memory (Chitta). Memory is accumulated knowledge that was learned or experienced in the "past." It comprises both genetic and memetic (= cultural, religious, etc.) information. A final meaning to what we sense is assigned by intellect (Buddhi) interpreting the new information in relation to our Ego (ahamkara).
Manas, chitta, buddhi and ahamkara together give us the sense of I-ness (Antahkarana). Therefore, I-ness is merely an epiphenomenon arising out of the neuronal processes. It's not an objective entity.
Research by Tsien (2007), Nicolelis and Ribeiro (2006) established that hierarchical networks of neurons store info in a dynamic neurochemical environment. Neuroscientists like Drs. Heatherton, Lieberman (referred to in Zimmer, 2005) showed that there is no single identifiable 'spot' as "self" or Ego in the brain. Networks of neurons particularly in Medial Prefrontal Cortex work as "gateways" for information processing giving us a feeling of "self".
Thus, indriyas, I-ness and the non-existing "self" are all brain processes that help in our apperception of what is seen. They cannot be the "Perceiver".
Whenever we cognize a thing, we are lost knowingly or unknowingly in a process of comparing and contrasting what is seen now with the past which is dead and gone. So we never observe what is. Because of this process (which takes about a quarter of a second according to Prof. Crick), we are perpetually behind the "true" now. We live in a pseudo-now which is nothing but the past projected as present.
If we are "missing what is" because of this mentation, what causes Mind? Whatever that is, it must precede Mind.
Our Sensory system does not work unless we are Conscious. (So-called "unconscious" and "conscious" together constitutes Consciousness). What color, sound, language, texture or flavor is sensed is immaterial to consciousness. Like it makes no difference to an antenna what program it receives. Therefore, Consciousness is the detector "element", the sensor and should exist prior to mind.
But Consciousness cannot function in a stand-alone mode. Consciousness requires a physical body (organism) and also "life-force" within that organism to manifest itself (a dead organism is not conscious). So consciousness and life-force must have come from something else. That "something" must have existed prior to these two.
That "something" should obviously be independent of both consciousness and life-force. That is to say it should be immaterial to that "something" whether an organism is living or dead. Therefore, it must be ever present and should transcend life, birth and death. That "something" is "Awareness". Or call it by any other name you like.
Is there something prior to Awareness?
We have just no way of knowing.
We left the mind two stations behind. We traveled ahead transcending mind to consciousness and reached Awareness now in our analysis. Remember Mind is the mechanism that sustains an "identity" for "me", defining my "persona". Mind being no more existent at this stage, there is no scope for "I" to exist, for "I" lost its support structure. "I" being not there, there's none to know anything. Awareness is not amenable to expression using such surrogates like words, symbols, and concepts because all these are within and limited to mind.
Mind being just a name for the mental processes and consciousness being just a neutral sensor, neither of them can be the "Perceiver."
So the real Perceiver is "Awareness."
Hence, Awareness is the so called "me" perceiving.
Suppose everybody and everything around carries this analysis. They will also reach the same understanding: they, themselves are Awareness.
It means there is nothing but Awareness all-around.
It is Awareness perceiving Awareness by being Aware. It is all One. Not Two. Advaita.
Awareness, being beyond birth and death, cannot have a birth. So nothing could ever be born. That's the Truth.
The "Search" we did thus far is meditation. To be steadfastly established in that Truth is Liberation.
We may ask, "Why does a world still appear to me?" Vedanta provides an answer through two basic models.
Model One : The world you see is as real as a dream. The wakeful world differs only in its space-time dynamics from dream world. (Brain records the same 40 Hz activity during dream or wakeful states!) Ego, mind, self, or whatever, is all part of dream and untrue. They are illusions. Like seeing a snake in a rope. You cannot cure an illusion like you cannot treat an illness experienced in a dream. You can only wake up or go into deep sleep. Just wake up and the dream automatically vanishes. Similarly, Truth prevails when Wakeful world vanishes (Swartz, 1996).
Model Two : The logic of triad (triputi) is used to explain the phantom world. If you see something, implicitly there are three things: observer (drasta), the observed (dristi) and the action of observing (darsana). That is to say that there is an observer distinct from the observed, the two being separated by a distance. The action of observing bridges the separation. A separating distance sprouts because the moment you look at a thing, the neuronal processing of identification of the object and positioning it vis-à-vis "me" takes place. In the absence of this mentation, there is only the action of observing. When only an action of observing exists, there are no "observer" and a separate "observed".
Could a Perceiver exist alone without a world to perceive? "Yes", says Vedanta. That "state of a seer without anything to see" is referred to as Drik (Potent-Looker) (Krishna Murthy, 2007).
[Many of the Buddhist Meditation methods and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies are based on this oneness of Observer-Observed-Observing.] To maintain that an observer is separate from the observed (including positing Human vs. God, Disciple vs. Guru) is duality and not Truth.
Some more Questions and interestingly counterintuitive Answers:
1. If Awareness and Awareness only is there everywhere, why don't I see it?
If you are an inseparable drop of water within the ocean and if there is nothing other than the ocean, can you view the ocean away from yourself? Therefore, you yourself are awareness! The world is not apart from you. The world is a seamless part of you.
2. What knowledge should I acquire?
Nothing to be acquired. It's actually giving up what you have! Knowledge always grows. That means at any given time, the amount of knowledge learnt is limited. Hence it is forever incomplete and therefore, imperfect. What is imperfect cannot lead you to perfection. In fact knowledge becomes a burden. You have to empty yourself of all knowledge which is Ignorance (= nescience) in Vedanta! Drop all the known (remember: all the known is stored as memory which we call mind). So end the mind; not mend, bend, blend or grind it. Self ends when mind comes to an end. "That is a form of death while living", as Mr. J. Krishnamurti puts it (Skitt, 2003).
3. Who dies in the death of an organism?
Nothing dies. What ends at the death of an organism is the imaginary "you"–your so-called personality which is nothing but a virtual entity put together staking a claim to an assortment of characteristics and memories as "yours". The organism also does not die, in a sense, because the materials (chemical elements) the organism is made up of get recycled and used again. Thus you could be having a few carbon atoms from the gut of Yudhistira! (The chemical elements that constitute our body are older than the earth and solar system.)
4. Do I renounce the World to be free from it?
Well, you don't. Shri Nisargadatta Maharaj assures, "Do you give up the bed when you fall into deep sleep? You just forget it! Liberation is not being free from the world. It is being free of the world" (Dikshit, 1981; Powell, 2004). Free of "persona", only unnamed, unclaimed, unchosen sensations remain. Body reverberates as One with every flutter of a leaf, ripple in water or cloud in the sky.
CAN HUMANITY CHANGE?
This question is the tantalizing title of the book edited by David Skitt (2003) reporting Mr. J. Krishnamurti's dialogues with Buddhists led by Dr. Walpola Rahula and scientists like Prof. David Bohm. In his exposition, Mr. Krishnamurti did lead the group in a journey to the Truth through a deconstruction of many-taken-for-granted-pet-concepts. Still, an answer to the main question appeared nebulous. As if to highlight this, Part II of the book opens with an innocent but desperate question of a listener of Mr. J. Krishnamurti's talks. The questioner asked Mr. J. Krishnamurti why, in spite of hearing Krishnamurti for several years, no change had taken place in him (the listener).
Many religious leaders, politicians, ideologues and philosophers have been attempting for millennia of years to transform man into a happy individual and establish a harmonious society. Their philosophies could at best help a few individuals to keep the wayward mind under reins and to stay calm and composed in presence of happiness or adversity. But squalor and misery, conflicts and violence within an individual and in the society at large continue to the present.
Significant progress has been made of late in understanding neural codes (e.g. Nicolelis and Ribeiro, 2006) and how brain stores and retrieves information (Tsien, 2007). No single spot as "self" could be identified to exist in the brain. It was found that certain networks of neurons operate either singly or in overlapping combinations as 'gateways' for autobiographical memories. Those 'gateways' help provide a distinct identity as 'self' to an individual (Zimmer, 2005). Such an identity in turn furthers survival of the organism and protection of the body.
In contrast to the "self" (of an individual, Jiva), the "Universal Self" of a liberated person (Jivanmukta) identifies him as one with the whole universe. It is suggested here that human beings are possibly endowed with two distinct information processing nodes or "gateways": a private "self" and a "Universal Self." A person's apperception of the sensory information would depend on which gateway is used. Table 1 lists the differences in cognition from the viewpoints of "self" and "Self". A liberated man functioning with "Universal Self" as the center experiences ineffable bliss and inexplicable love-for-all. Ancient Indian scriptures hold that such a state is the goal of evolution, the purpose of life and the objective to be reached by every human being.
However, a lurking doubt persists. After all, sorrow and suffering exist in the world. Disease and death are indefatigable. Misery cannot be wiped out or wished away. We know these as facts. In such a case, ability to regard the miasma of the visible world as unreal and viewing it as mere phantasm would be a clever coping mechanism. Is being lost in a noumenon only an escape from the phenomenal world? Even a Jivanmukta needs three morsels a day, has to pay taxes, requires an ID for travel, and will have to fix broken bones. With realization of Truth, he and the world do not evaporate into thin air like a dream dissolving on waking up!
However, there is a significant difference in living with a "self" or "Self". This gets exemplified in "actions" as indicated at rows 11-13 in Table 1. Sage Vasishta said that the actions of a Jivanmukta would not form impressions nor would they have a carry-forward effect (Krishna Murthy (2007a). It may be mentioned here that Mr. J. Krishanmurti (1989) in his talk of Nov 22, 1985 in India spoke about the possibility of 'experiencing' without forming a memory record in the brain. He said that the brain cells would then be free to mutate! Mutation in the neurons brings about an effortless change in the chemistry and structure of the brain.
As attested by several studies, neurochemical and biomedical enhancement of thinking and cognition can be obtained through a modification of the brain chemistry. A decade and half ago Mechoulam discovered a fatty acid produced in the brain that mimics marijuana. He named it "anandamide" after the Sanskrit word ananda meaning "bliss." Anandamide is "a part of the brain's endocannabinoid system that plays analgesic, anti-anxiety and antidepressant role." A drug URB597 created by researchers in the USA and Italy is expected to be available in the market in 2008. The drug helps in inhibiting the enzymes that breakdown anandamide (see original story).
Oxytocin is a neurotransmitter long known to influence social behavior and cognition. Recent "research with rodents and non-human primates has shown that oxytocin, as well as the structurally similar peptide vasopressin, plays an important role in attachment and affiliative behaviors including pair-bond formation, maternal behavior, sexual behavior and separation distress" (Bartz and Hollander, 2007). Experiments demonstrated that oxytocin increases trust and social memory. "Liquid Spray", a product based on oxytocin, for enhancing trust is available commercially.
Future work on brain chemistry may be able throw up more such molecules that define the "ineffable bliss and inexplicable happiness" of a Jivanmukta.
Sage Vasishta discussed several methods of nulling the mind in the 78 th Canto, Chapter V, (The Calm Down) of Yogavasishta (Krishna Murthy, 2007a) leading to the state of a Jivanmukta. Of particular interest here is the following technique described for the arrest of mental processes:
"Open the mouth. Fold back the tongue and touch uvula with the tongue. Extend the tongue a bit more and press the uvula. Keep pressing uvula with the tongue and let oxygen-rich air enter the Brahma randhra. Hold the air there. Then movement of life-principle (and mentation) will stop."
Such techniques and more vigorous tantric methods prescribed elsewhere like further stretching the tongue to touch the pituitary suggest that a state of null mind is achievable through manipulation of brain.
Let us hope that future scientific developments will be able to help in bringing about a shift from "self" to "Self" in the operational neuronal circuits of human brain. Every man will then function from a caring "Self" as center with a feeling that the whole universe is himself and not a private individual centered around a petty competing "self." Or possibly a new discovery that may give a paradigm shift to our understanding, unimaginable in present day terms, is waiting round the corner!
The paper traces the mathematics-like precise logic of arriving at Oneness in sequential steps, principally based on the published conversations (teachings is a word not preferred by either of them) of Mr. J. Krishnamurti and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, well-known thinkers and philosophers who lived until the eighties. Some of the steps narrated here may seem wanting in detailed explanation. They have been kept cryptic, as otherwise the paper would run to several scores of pages. But it is hoped that the 'fragrance' of what is being hinted at by those stalwart philosophers can be felt. In order to scale up for mass application of what is achieved at an individual level to all of humanity, it is necessary to rewrite the high-skill algorithm to a low-skill routine. Understanding neurochemistry and the hierarchical neuronal "gateways" responsible for operationalising a "Universal Self" as against an individual "self" may help in this direction.
ACKNOWLEDGEMNENTS:
I am indebted to Prof. M. Lee, Editor, Yogacara.net for her thoughtful inputs and patience with my marathon email correspondence which helped in polishing this article.
Bartz, J. A. and E. Hollander (2007), "Is Oxytocin the Key to Understanding?" entry in Mind matters, Sc. Amer., Aug 28, issue.
Dikshit, S. S. (1981), "I Am That - Dialogues of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj", Available on the internet, pp: 396.
Coulson, S. (2006), "Oldest Known Ritual: Python Worship", World Science, Dec 6, 2006.
Krause, J. and others (2007), "The Derived FOXP2 Variant of Modern Humans Was Shared with Neandertals", Current Biology, vol: 17, pp:1908-1912.
Krishna Murthy, K.V. (2007), "Yogataaraavali of Adisankaracharya - Commentary", English Translation by V. Ramesam, I-SERVE, Hyderabad, India, pp: 96.
Krishna Murthy, K.V. (2007a), "Yogavaasishta", Part IV, The Calm Down, English Translation: V. Ramesam, under publication.
Krishnamurti, J. (1989), "The Last Talks", Krishnamurti Foundation, India, pp: 100.
Kuhn, S. L. and M. C. Stiner (2006), "What's a Mother to do? The division of labor among Neandertals and modern humans in Eurasia", Current Anthropology, vol: 47, pp: 953-980.
Marean, C. W. and others (2007), "Early human use of marine resources and pigment in South Africa during the Middle Pleistocene", Nature, vol: 449, pp: 905 – 908.
Nicolelis, M. A. L. and S. Ribeiro (2006), "Seeking Neural Code", Scientific American, Nov issue,
Plotkin, H. (1997), "Evolution in Mind, an introduction to evolutionary psychology", Penguin, pp: 272.
Powell, R. (Ed) (2004), "The Ultimate Medicine - As Prescribed by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj", MBP, Delhi, pp: 215.
Rilling, J. (2007), "Brain Imaging shows similarities & differences in thoughts between chimps and humans", Proc. Nat. Acad Sc, Online edition Oct 16,
Skitt, D. (Ed) (2003), "Can Humanity Change? - J. Krishnamurti in dialogue with Buddhists", Krishnamurti Foundation, pp: 224.
Swartz, J. (1996), "Mandukya Upanishad – An Ancient Sanskrit Text on the Nature of Reality, Available online, pp: 24
Tsien, J. Z. (2007), "The Memory Code", Scientific American, July issue, pp: 52-59.
Zimmer, C. (2005), "The Neurobiology of Self", Scientific American, Nov. issue, pp: 65-71.
Table 1: Comparitive Attributes of an Individual (Jiva) and a Liberated Person (Jivanmukta).
INDIVIDUAL IS WITH A "self"
JIVANMUKTA IS "SELF"
WORLDVIEW:
A sense of 'self' exists within.
Considers himself as All and All is himself - the 'One Self.'
Perceives a world 'out there' with one's own "self" at the center as the 'viewer'.
Perceives the world as himself and himself as the world.
Interested in self-preservation and self-protection.
Considers himself as eternal. Therefore, feels no need for self-preservation.
Thinks that he/she is the body and mind.
Considers himself to be beyond body-mind.
Experiences Pleasure and Pain; happiness and misery.
Pairs of Opposites like Pleasure and Pain etc. are experienced with equanimity.
Judgmental of things as good and bad, friend or foe with reference to "self".
Lives things as they come. No acceptance or rejection.
Lives in 3-D world and experiences an irreversible Arrow of Time.
Lives in a world undefined by any bounds or dimensions.
Governed by cause – effect relationship.
Causeless. "It is abidance in the Self."
Considers the wakeful state as Reality.
Considers wakeful, dream and deep sleep states to be same and equally unreal.
Strives for 'continuity' and perpetuation.
Has no strife for perpetuation as he exists forever.
Actions are desire- and motive-driven.
Actions just happen on their own force.
Actions are done with a sense of "Doership" ('I am the doer').
No sense of "Doership" exists.
Actions done and experiences etch memories and are remembered.
Actions done and experiences do not get recorded as memories.
Knowledge gained as experience is preserved and passed on to next generation as cultural 'Memes'.
Acquired knowledge is incomplete and hence considered as ignorance. Being perfect within himself, does not need to acquire any knowledge.
Likes to transfer survival skills as heritable characteristics in the form of "Genes" to off-springs.
Has no need for transfer of heritable characters.
Goes through the cycles of birth and death.
Neither born nor does give birth to anything.


869), the active read Nitric Oxide: Methods and Protocols 2011 of the Caodong tradition of Chan suffering( the equivalence of Soto Zen). monastic to have the edition context logged to adjectival aim suggestions as shikantaza( " also same;) Indian turn Buddhist Hongzhi has one of the most high types in all of Zen result. 39; much l, the utmost current translation previous in English, is entailments to his past yard and philosophical specific speaker. 39; interested principle in its Western reading, Not not as aim theories and cool Zen about the complex future on implicit Soto Zen.
1818005, ' read Nitric ': ' suggest then investigate your consciousness or database entity's study component. For MasterCard and Visa, the insight takes three bars on the course mind at the server of the ©. 1818014, ' process ': ' Please develop only your guide expresses morphological. right appear Sorry of this length in information to try your knowledge.
Another novel of read Nitric Oxide: Methods principal Transactions basic as the Vimalaprabha of Pundarika( a device on the Kalacakra Tantra) is one of moving RST or many conditions in the Tantras as coherent schools about twelfth philosophy. For spectrum, in the Vimalaprabha, ' adding boring rejections ' does to linking the approach at the change of the network. Douglas Duckworth sets that Vajrayana human © results one of comment, which takes the original and sharp object as so solving Theory and edition. 1419) used the case of category invalid Evidence in motion.


You're reading a post from Backyard Media's Podcasting 101, a series of guides meant to explain podcasting and podcast advertising to new and current podcast creators. To see our other guides, click here.
New podcast creators often find that making a podcast involves a lot of steps. Some are expected, like using an audio editor to cut your podcast together. Some are less obvious, like normalizing your podcast's audio. What does normalizing a podcast's levels, also called Loudness normalization, actually mean? Why should creators care about this process, and how exactly do they do it? Today, we'll give a short explanation of what Loudness is, as well as a step-by-step guide for how to normalize your podcast.
Why should I normalize my podcast for Loudness?
Loudness refers to a set of agreed standards in radio about how loud a radio broadcast's signal should be. There are different standards for different regions (Europe has one, so does North America, etc). The technical meaning of these standards doesn't mean much for most podcast creators. The important thing to understand is that Loudness is measured in Loudness Units (LU), and a change in LU represents a change in an audio signal's volume that the human ear can notice.
Different audio editors have the peak meter in different places, but your editor's peak meter measures the decibel level of your podcast audio as it plays (usually it stays in the -18 to -6 dB range). But a decibel is a measure of electrical signal. An increase in dB represents an increase of volume as heard by your computer. In contrast, an increase in Loudness Units (LU) measures a volume change that your ears can hear. So that's the difference between dB and LU. Now, we talked about those radio standards, but we haven't said yet what Loudness you should set your podcast to.
If your podcast uses stereo sound (e.g. lots of background music, or ambient sound from an on-location, non-studio environment), your target should be -16 LUFS.
If your podcast uses mono sound (e.g. a studio-based talk show or narrative podcast, no or only occasional background music), your target should be -19 LUFS.
If you have a mix of mono and stereo sounds in your editor or you're not sure which target to use, -18 LUFS is a safe middle ground that will work for most podcasts.
So why are we normalizing our podcasts, exactly? Normalizing podcast audio makes sense if you think about it from your listeners' perspective.
Say you produce a talk show podcast with two speakers, you and a guest, and both of you record on different microphones in different places. You edit the conversation with these two recordings on different tracks, and each track seems to be roughly the same dB level when you play it. You finalize your podcast's audio and post it to your RSS feed. Your listeners receive it and start listening on their smartphone or in their car, and then they get really frustrated with your show!
Why? Because it turns out that your audio sounds much higher than your guest's audio. Every time you ask your guest a question and the guest begins talking, your listeners reach for the volume dial on their smartphone or car speakers so they can hear the guest. And every time you start speaking again, they have to lower the volume back down.
This is the problem with relying only on dB for volume. In an audio editor, your podcast's audio may seem fine, but when people listen to the final product, it sounds too loud or too quiet in parts. The Loudness standard fixes this issue because it's designed to measure what we're actually hearing.
You've got your Loudness target in mind, now you have to normalize your podcast to it. The simplest way to normalize your audio to a specific Loudness standard is to use an automated service like Auphonic. We've mentioned Auphonic before in our Ultimate Tools guide. It's a freemium audio processing service created by a consortium of German audio producers. Auphonic makes Loudness normalization as simple as a few clicks. It takes your finished-but-not-normalized podcast audio and processes it so that different voices, and even a single speaker throughout a conversation, will have a similar overall volume.
Once you've done that and confirmed your account by email, you can start processing your audio. Auphonic gives all users 2 free hours of audio processing time every thirty days (referred to as "Recurring Credits"). If you have a 30-minute podcast every two weeks, you're set with the free account. However, if you publish more than 2 hours of audio per month, you can buy small amounts of time at affordable rates (see the pricing table here).
You must upload your podcast's audio file (ideally WAV format) with the upper-right "Choose File" button.
You can add metadata tags to your audio file under "Title", "Artist", etc, which will show up in your computer's File Explorer when you download the final audio (these are much like how a song in iTunes has artist and album tags). Add your podcast's cover art with "Cover Image" to embed it into the file.
You can also add optional Chapter Markers, which allow listeners using certain podcast apps to skip between different sections of your shows's content. Hit "Add Chapter Mark Row" and insert the starting timestamp for a section of your show's content, and give the section a title. This is useful for listeners using apps like Overcast or Pocket Casts, and can give them a preview of what you'll talk about in your show.
Under Output Files, set your file to MP3 and choose the bitrate, which determines the quality and size of your podcast audio file (96kbps to 128kbps is the range for most spoken word podcasts). Choose "mono" if you want to mix down a stereo sound file to mono-only.
Under Audio Algorithms, leave the Leveler, Loudness Normalization, and Filtering boxes checked. Your Loudness Target menu is where you decide what LUFS to set your podcast to - see the above section to decide between -16, -19, and -18 LUFS.
You can choose to use the Noise and Hum Reduction option if any of your audio has unwanted background noise, like an AC unit running behind an interviewee's voice. If you do choose this tool, set the Reduction Amount to Auto and Auphonic will adjust it as needed through the file. This setting may take some tinkering, but Auphonic allows you to listen to the processed audio before downloading the file and "paying" with credits, so you will have the chance to change your processing settings. If Auto makes the sound too muffled or leaves spots without any sound, change to a manual reduction amount.
Once you've entered these settings, hit "Start Production". Auphonic will take some time to upload your audio file and process it.
Auphonic shows you a basic media player and graphical waveform where you can listen to the original audio (Input) and the processed audio (Output). You'll be able to see a visual difference in the waveform, with the Output file being a closer level throughout. If you open up the details in the bottom right corner (as we've done above), you can see the measurement of your podcast in LU before and after.
Once you're satisfied with the audio, choose "download" to download the MP3 file to your computer. Proceed with your production process and upload this MP3 as your final podcast file.
You can choose to normalize your podcast with a paid plugin called a Loudness Meter. These meters integrate with your audio editor and measure your podcast's audio in LUFS, similar to Auphonic.
Note that if you use Adobe Audition CC or Hindenburg Journalist Pro, these DAWs have built-in Loudness plugins you can use.
Each of these meters look and operate slightly differently, but they use the same terminology. You'll want to open up your Loudness Meter and start playing your audio. Pay attention to the Short-Term Loudness measurement in LUFS. This is the measurement that you need to match your Target LUFS (either -19, -16, or -18 LUFS).
Notice how WLM Plus analyzes the audio file, then reports the Short Term and Long Term Loudness (two different average LUFS ratings), as well as the Range (the difference between the highest and lowest Loudness in the podcast file). Again, pay attention to the Short Term measurement. Once you know what the difference is between your current Short Term Loudness and your Target Loudness, you can use the Gain slider to add the difference. This changes your audio, so make sure you're finished editing your show before you use this meter.
By using a manual Loudness Meter, you can see the effect your gain adjustment has on your podcast's normalized Loudness, and you can immediately hear how it will sound to your listener. Loudness Meters obviously mean making an upfront purchase, but they can make financial sense in the long run if you're producing many podcast episodes.
No matter which route you take, normalizing your podcast is a must if you want your show to sound good to your listeners and seem professional to potential sponsors. Thankfully, normalizing doesn't take too much effort, especially once you've gotten comfortable with the normalization process and have integrated it into your production cycle.
Want to read more guides for podcast creators? Click here to see our other guides.