text:
Alan Spenner
Alan Henry Spenner was a bassist whose career across a 25-year period put him in the center of some of the most popular and critically acclaimed music acts and recordings to come out of England. Ironically for a player whose work included extended stints with the likes of Joe Cocker, Peter Frampton, Ted Nugent, and Roxy Music, his single most influential recording may have been the original studio cast recording of Jesus Christ Superstar (1970), which was heard by tens of millions of listeners.
Born Alan Henry Spenner in Dalston in East London, in 1948, Spenner started out playing the guitar, which was a gift from his father. According to Chris Jisi in an account in Bass Player, he wanted to give the boy something to occupy himself and help him stay out of trouble. He later became part of that rare fraternity of young bassists (the bass being an instrument that few but true musicians ever gravitate toward at a young age), switching to the four-string instrument in his teens. And while he was well aware of rock & roll, it was blues (and later R&B and funk) that proved to be his first loves, and he busied himself playing in local bands during the mid-'60s. Spenner's first notable gig was as a member of Wynder K. Frog, a blues/jazz-based band put together by Mick Weaver, with a lineup that also included ex-Bluesology guitarist Neil Hubbard, drummer Bruce Rowland, percussionist Reebop Kwaku Baah, and saxophonist Chris Mercer. They had a major college following and cut two LPs before splitting up in 1969; Spenner moved on to what was then known as Joe Cocker's Grease Band, taking over the bass spot from Chris Stainton, who switched to keyboards, and Rowland came along on the drums. That group (which also included Henry McCullough on guitar) quickly became one of the most popular backing bands of their era, attracting nearly as much attention from the critics as Cocker did as a singer, and they carved out a permanent place for themselves in the musical firmament of the era with their performance at Woodstock in August of 1969.
Cocker broke up the Grease Band soon after, owing to personal and management pressures, and Spenner found himself back in England. He and McCullough joined Spooky Tooth, played on the album Last Puff (1970), and did a tour of the U.S. (on which, apparently, one of Spenner's instruments was stolen, according to a posting on TalkBass Forums at talkbass.com; a purchaser trying to return it posted an inquiry in 2005). But in 1970, the Grease Band suddenly re-formed, and their first order of business was to serve as the core group on the original studio recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber's and Tim Rice's Jesus Christ Superstar (1970). His loud, ebullient playing — the bass serving as the de facto lead instrument — on "What's the Buzz," in particular, influenced a generation of young and aspiring bassists, and the album's massive (and continuing) popularity earned Spenner a permanent place in the history of rock music from the era. He was never as well-known to the public as John Entwistle, Jack Bruce, or Paul McCartney, but it sometimes seems, to listen to musicians of the era talk, as though every kid who played the bass in that time, or aspired to play it, knew that track and who was featured on it. As a white British player who was fluent in soul and funk styles as well as blues, and could turn it into something popular and notable on a successful recording, Spenner carved out a unique niche for himself at the time.
Soon after, the Grease Band began recording and performing regularly in it own right, and the careers and reputations of all of the members were made. Spenner's next few years were spent playing on records by some of the best-known figures in British rock, include John Martyn, Joe Cocker, Alvin Lee, Paul Kossoff, Donovan, and Ted Nugent. Many of these gigs were played in tandem with Rowland, Hubbard, and the other members of the Grease Band in various combinations. For his own outlet, however, in 1975 Spenner formed Kokomo, a big-band soul outfit that also included Hubbard and such luminaries as King Crimson alumnus Mel Collins.
In the second half of the '70s, he was one of the most in-demand bassists in England, regarded as very much a musicians' musician, and was working with David Coverdale and Bryan Ferry (on The Bride Stripped Bare), Steve Winwood, Whitesnake, Fairport Convention, and, most notably, Roxy Music, all in between gigs and recordings with Kokomo across the '80s. Spenner's work with Roxy Music is probably the most visible of his career, apart from the Woodstock and Jesus Christ Superstar performances; he played on Manifesto, Flesh + Blood, Avalon, The High Road, and Heart Still Beating. The latter title, from 1990, proved something of a grim irony. In the summer of 1991, Spenner died of a heart attack at the age of 43. He is still fondly remembered by longtime fans, and was on enough notable recordings by the artists — especially Joe Cocker — with whom he worked so that his name continues to turn up in the 21st century, in the credits on best-of compilations by most of them.
The Quest for the Melodic Electric Bass: From Jamerson to Spenner
Alan takes his well-deserved place in esteemed company in this academic study of masters of the bass guitar by Per Elias Drablos, an Associate Professor at the University of Agder, Norway, …
Archive / Reviews
To Be Cool album review, Los Angeles Daily News
KOKOMO: "To Be Cool" (Hux import) Standing in front of this '70s Brit-soul revue at North London clubs like the Hope & Anchor and Dingwalls was the most exquisite place …
Live in Concert 1975 CD artwork
Archive / Interviews
Interview with Mel Collins by Chris Groom
Mel talks Chris Groom through his musical journey in this long piece on the King Crimson "Elephant Talk" site. It also includes an excellent Mel Collins "Rock Family Tree" in …
Letter to NME, 24 April 1993
Torrington Finchley, Xmas 1986
About Kokomo
British soul pioneers, Kokomo, built their reputation and loyal following with awesome live shows. A series of packed reunion gigs since 2014 proved that the band is grooving as well as ever. This led to the "Soul Summit", with old touring partners the Average White Band, that sold out the Royal Festival Hall in 2015.
19 Mar 21	London at Under the Bridge Buy tickets
Sign up for Kokomo news
Subscribe to the Kokomo Mailing list
We'll use your email address to send you occassional news about Kokomo. That's all. Read the full privacy policy.
Timeline Select Month October 2020 (1) April 2020 (1) February 2019 (2) December 2018 (1) October 2018 (1) November 2017 (2) July 2017 (2) May 2017 (1) March 2017 (2) February 2017 (1) January 2017 (1) October 2016 (3) August 2016 (1) April 2016 (2) March 2016 (1) November 2015 (5) October 2015 (1) June 2015 (1) April 2015 (2) December 2014 (2) August 2014 (6) May 2012 (1) June 2011 (1) January 2010 (1) December 2008 (2) November 2004 (1) January 2001 (1) April 1997 (3) April 1993 (1) February 1992 (1) January 1992 (1) April 1988 (1) October 1987 (1) February 1987 (1) December 1986 (2) November 1986 (1) October 1986 (2) September 1986 (1) September 1985 (1) March 1983 (1) December 1982 (1) November 1982 (1) September 1982 (1) June 1982 (1) March 1982 (1) February 1982 (1) December 1981 (1) July 1981 (1) March 1981 (1) February 1981 (2) August 1980 (1) July 1980 (1) February 1980 (1) December 1979 (1) September 1979 (1) July 1979 (1) April 1979 (1) March 1979 (3) December 1978 (2) October 1978 (1) March 1978 (1) January 1977 (2) December 1976 (2) November 1976 (1) October 1976 (1) September 1976 (4) July 1976 (2) June 1976 (1) May 1976 (2) April 1976 (1) March 1976 (3) February 1976 (7) January 1976 (4) December 1975 (7) November 1975 (1) September 1975 (2) August 1975 (3) June 1975 (2) May 1975 (6) April 1975 (2) March 1975 (5) February 1975 (5) January 1975 (2) December 1974 (3) November 1974 (2) September 1974 (1) August 1974 (1) July 1974 (2) June 1974 (1) May 1974 (1) April 1974 (1) March 1974 (1) February 1974 (1) January 1974 (1) October 1973 (1) July 1973 (1) June 1970 (1) January 1970 (1) January 1968 (1)
Tony O'Malley
A 2015 interview with Craig Chaligne of the 'Louder Than War' site, timed for the release of his Back in the Bag album, and including some Kokomo insights.
In conversation with Keef Trouble in 2010 (video)
Frank Collins
Frank talks about his life and times in music (video)
Neil Hubbard
A backstage video interview
Jim's unusual guitar technique explained
Mel Collins
Mel talks about his career to Chris Groom.
Thanks to Steven Cropper, John 'Ziggy' Parkes, Anita Corbin and Neil Holmes for their photos, Peter Hubbard, Doug Dean and David Bird for doing the lots of leg work on the gig dates and the reviews/clippings.
More information and bookings
Follow Kokomo on facebook
© 2016 Kokomo
Privacy PolicyFor further information and bookings, please contact Sue Martin: sue.ratw@btopenworld.com
Website corrections, additions and comments to webmaster@kokomo.band
Copyright © 2021 Kokomo	– OnePress theme by FameThemes


For the purpose of the General Data Protection Regulations 2018, the data controller is Greenredeem, Thames House, Oxford Road, Benson, Oxon OX10 6LX.
1. What information does Greenredeem collect?
(i) Personally identifiable information ("PII") such as, but not limited to your name, street address, phone number, or e-mail address, which we use to enrol you in our programme and communicate with you.
(iii) Online Profile Information. Online profiles are created for Members who use the Site to participate in the Greenredeem Rewards Programme. By creating an online profile on our Site, we also allow Members to submit on a voluntary basis certain personal information about themselves they wish to share through their online Greenredeem profile (such as hobbies and interests, pictures, text descriptions, friends, and other profile information similar to other social networking communities.) Your online profile can be updated through our preferences centre on our Site, various mobile applications, and our Customer Care department.
(iv) Financial information. Greenredeem do not request, nor hold any financial information whatsoever regarding its members.
Your participation in some of Greenredeem's programmes, such as the Home Recycling Programme or Water Efficiency Programme, may lead to us to receiving certain additional information about you through third parties.
Your waste or recycling collection service provider, in the form of the weight of waste or recycling that you put out for kerbside collection. This information is collected by, and provided to us by your waste or recycling service provider.
The amount of water used in your household on a weekly basis, from the meter provided by your water company. Where you are participating in a meter based water scheme, your water company will also provide historical water usage information to Greenredeem to allow for comparison of water usage trends and the calculation of points awards, as per the scheme rules.
Social media and social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter that you have opted to link to your Greenredeem online account through the Site.
When you visit our Site, we monitor information using Google Analytics to assist us administering the Site and analysing Site usage. Google Analyics will only track site visit information when using a Google browser. If you choose to view the site through any other browser, your visit cannot be tracked by Google Analystics.
To help improve our site, we may record anonymous recordings of mouse movements, clicks, and scrolls. All keystroke data is transmitted to our servers as asterisks to uphold your privacy.
We will collect information when you interact with our Customer Care department in order to appropriately track, research and respond to member enquiries. The information recorded will either be given by the member freely, or gathered from responses made to the customer care team in line with responding to the member enquiry, and only used for that purpose. All calls to Greenredeem's customer care team are recorded for monitoring & training purposes.
Why does Greenredeem collect information about you and how do we use it?
With permission contact members to create public relations case studies or marketing materials based on members individual earning and redeeming patterns.
An To receive national announcements, events or to take part in our membership satisfaction surveys.
Preferences for all email types are manageable by the member through their account area.
3. Who does Greenredeem share your information with and why?
With your Consent: We may share or disclose your PII or programme activity with third parties with your express consent. Should an event arise which we deem appropriate to obtain your express consent, we will contact you directly using the contact information we have on file for you. It is important that you maintain all your information with us current and accurate.
Law and Harm: We may disclose your PII if we are required to comply with a law, regulation or legal request; to protect the safety of any of our Site users, any person or the general public; to address fraud, security or technical issues; or to protect Greenredeem's rights or property.
Service Providers: Greenredeem, like many businesses, sometimes hires other companies to perform certain business-related functions (e.g. mailing campaigns to customers, maintaining databases and processing payments). When we employ the services of another company to perform a function of this nature, we only provide them with the information that they need to perform their specific function(s) and require that they in turn gain access only after agreeing to maintain this information in confidentiality and use it only for the limited purpose of providing the services contracted by Greenredeem. Greenredeem may also share information provided with other companies within the Grundon Waste Management group.
Recycling Programmes/ Water efficiency programmes/Non-Personal Aggregate Data: In order to participate in any of our Recycling and Waste Minimisation Programmes, Greenredeem will record household recycling habits, redemption habits, and other information about you associated with our Programmes. For example, we may record the frequency with which you recycle and the weight or volume of the materials you recycle. We may disclose individual level data corresponding to your address and location to local authorities or collection providers in order to service your account; otherwise, only aggregate information is shared with the local authority.
In order to participate in any of our Water efficiency Programmes, Greenredeem will record household water usage, redemption habits, and other information about you associated with our Programmes, and analyse this to better understand consumer behaviour. For example, Greenredeem may compare the total water usage in your household to the number of people living there, to work out per capita consumption. By analyzing per capita consumption across a number of households we will be able to send you hints & tips on water saving that are relevant to the number of people living in your household, should they be required.
4. How can you change your privacy preferences or account information?
If, at any point during your membership with Greenredeem, you decide that you do not wish to receive specific programme notices or messages, you can update your account profile and communication preferences at any time through the Site or by contacting Greenredeem's Customer Care department as indicated below under "Contact Us".
We encourage you to keep your information with us current and up to date. You can make corrections, updates or deletions to your account information by accessing your online profile and visiting the "My Account" Section of the Site.
5. What information is collected through integration with third party services?
Social Networking Sites: One of the special features of this Site and the Greenredeem Rewards Programmes is that we enable you to log in to your online profile with us via various online third party services, such as social media and social networking services like Facebook and Twitter. By directly integrating our services with other online third party services, we make your online experience richer and more personalised. To take advantage of this feature we will ask you to log in to the relevant social networking service. When you add any social networking service to your Greenredeem online profile or log into this Site through your other social networking account(s), Greenredeem will collect relevant information necessary to enable this Site to access and collect your data contained within that particular social networking service (e.g. such as your Facebook profile information). Please remember however that the manner in which such third party social network provider uses, stores and discloses your information is governed solely by that provider's policies, and Greenredeem will have no liability or responsibility for the privacy practices or other actions of any third party site or provider that you may enable and link to your online experience with Greenredeem.
Greenredeem Rewards Programme Sponsors: A key component of the Rewards Programme is the member being able to earn and redeem Reward Points with featured sponsors. These featured sponsors are linked to our Rewards Programme both outside and through our Site and integrated into member accounts to allow for maximum member ease in both earning and redeeming Rewards Points. This integration of featured sponsors does include Greenredeem making available certain aggregated member information which is anonymous as to any specific member. This allows Greenredeem to continue to incentivize members to engage in its Rewards Programme while also maintaining individual member PII confidentiality.
7. Are there any other issues to consider?
Greenredeem takes all reasonable and appropriate steps to protect all information received from our members and provided via our Site and programmes from loss, misuse, and unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no Internet or e-mail transmission is ever fully secure or error free. In particular, e-mail sent to or from this Site may not be secure. Therefore, you should take special care in deciding what information you send to us via e-mail. Please keep this in mind when disclosing any information to Greenredeem via the Internet. You are also responsible for maintaining the secrecy of your unique password and account information and for controlling access to your e-mail communications at all times.
Members may at any time request a copy of all the information held regarding their relationship with Greenredeem as an account holder. Greenredeem reserves the right to charge a nominal administration fee for the provision of this information of £10. A request for this information, along with payment should be sent to the address in section 10. Information will be made available within 40 days of receipt of payment in writing to the address given.
9. Retention of data following cessation of membership to Greenredeem.
When a member opts to close their account, all transactional data relating to that account will be stored, but anonymized in such a way that it can no longer be attributed to the member that generated the aforementioned transactions. This transactional information will then be stored at an anonymized state for 3 years upon which the future storage of deleted member data will be reviewed.
This policy was last updated on April 25th 2018.


Game Learning educational video games help to foster proactive, reflective, and critical thinking skills.
We couldn't have said it better ourselves. Our mission at Game Learning is to nurture critical thinking, and innovative problem-solving skills in young minds. Moreover, our educational video games, which teach students about pivotal historical moments and figures in world history, demand that players are proactive in their own learning, through navigating through fast-paced, engaging game play.
"Game Learning transports players into the past, from their modern screen, to explore monumental historical moments as participants, not just observers.
As the result, Game Learning's educational video games challenges players to ask themselves: What would I have done differently in this particular situation? What would have happened if I had made a different choice? What are the-long term ramifications of my decisions? Understanding historical events through game play ensures engagement, and sparks imagination in developing minds. Allowing young players to forge a link between the past and the world as they know it also spurs reflection.
At Game Learning we know that history is not merely a collection of facts and data, but instead is a subject very much alive, as the course of history has everything to do with the world as we know it today.
"Empowering children to view history through engaging, 21st Century digital learning methods, enables them to take a hands-on, proactive approach to their own learning.
In addition to helping players to become reflective, critical thinkers, game-based learning has been shown to improve other skills vital to success in the modern era. For example, gaming has been shown to improve hand-eye coordination, bolster strategic thinking, expand memory capacity, and unquestionably helps young people to become more computer literate, which is a necessity in today's world.
At Game Learning, we believe that kids learn better when they are having fun. As the result, each of our educational video games focuses on fascinating events in history, allowing students to learn about the past, while building necessary skills for the future.


text:
News story: Durham Light Infantry and Bedfordshire Regiment Soldiers who fought in world war 1 are laid to rest a century later
The remains of 2 unknown British soldiers were given a dignified burial service earlier today (Thursday 15 March), over 100 years after their deaths. The service, organised by the MOD's Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), part of Defence Business Services, was conducted by The Reverend John Swanston CF, Chaplain to the 1st Battalion The Rifles.
The Reverend John Swanston CF, 1st Battalion, The Rifles, leads the service for the two unknown British soldiers, Crown Copyright, All rights reserved
Both of these men were laid to rest today in a ceremonial burial with full military honours at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Orchard Dump Cemetery in France.
Members of the 3 Rifles Regiment standing by the coffin of the unknown Durham Light Infantry soldier, Crown Copyright, All rights reserved
Louise Dorr, JCCC said:
It is always a source of great personal sadness when we have to accept that we have been unable to identify a soldier who made the greatest sacrifice and paid the ultimate price.
We might not know who they are, but they were loved by somebody. It is fitting that members of their military family from the Royal Anglian Regiment and The Rifles are here today to pay tribute and to see them laid to rest with honour and dignity.
Members of the 3 Rifles Regiment prepare to lower the coffin of the unknown Durham Light Infantry soldier, Crown Copyright, All rights reserved
The 2 soldiers were both found at Gavrelle near Arras. The first was found in July 2016. Based on the artefacts also found at the time which included a Durham Light Infantry shoulder title and cap badge, plus a T7 (7th Battalion) badge, it was thought that he died in September 1918 from when only 2 soldiers from the 7th Battalion are still missing. DNA testing has proved that it is neither of these soldiers.
Members of the 3 Rifles Regiment lower the coffin of the unknown Durham Light Infantry soldier, Crown Copyright, All rights reserved
The second soldier was found in September 2016. In his uniform pocket was a Bedfordshire Regiment cap badge. It is thought that he died in the Battle of Gavrelle in April 1917, but there are still too many Bedfordshire soldiers missing from that time for an identification to be made.
Royal Anglians Regiment folding the flag for the unknown Bedfordshire soldier, Crown Copyright, All rights reserved
Brigadier Rob Thomson, Defence Attaché, Paris said:
It is a privilege as both a serving Rifleman and UK Defence Attaché to France to participate in this solemn ceremony, as we rebury with full honours these courageous men who paid the ultimate price whilst serving their country alongside their comrades in arms to protect the liberty of Europe 100 years ago.
Mel Donnelly, CWGC said:
Today these soldiers, unknown but not forgotten, will be laid to rest alongside their comrades at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's Orchard Dump Cemetery. They have been buried with the honour and dignity their sacrifice deserves and the CWGC will care for their grave, and the graves and memorials to all those who died, with that same honour and dignity forever. We will remember them all.
Captain Patrick Keating, Adjutant 3 Rifles, successor regiment to the Durham Light Infantry, said:
It is an immense honour for Riflemen of 3 RIFLES to be involved in the burial of this unknown soldier of the Durham Light, who faithfully served his country over 100 years ago. It is humbling to think of this sacrifice and the debt which the country owes him and we are proud that we in the RIFLES carry on the traditions of the Durham Light Infantry and our other antecedents to this day.
Headstones for the unknown soldiers have been provided by the CWGC, who will now care for their final resting place in perpetuity.
News story: World war one Durham light infantry soldier finally given military burial a century after his death
News story: Two unknown soldiers from World War 1 honoured as they are finally laid to rest
News story: Burial service for soldiers of the first world war
News story: Four unknown soldiers killed during WW1 are laid to rest with full military honours
News story: Unknown World War 1 soldiers graves rededicated
News story: Durham Armed Forces Forum: better supporting a talented and complex veteran community MoD News 0 Apr 3, 2018
News story: World war one Durham light infantry soldier finally given military burial a century after his death MoD News 0 Mar 14, 2018
News story: VAPC north east at the County Durham Armed Forces Forum MoD News 0 Sep 20, 2017
News story: Durham Armed Forces Forum: better supporting a talented and complex veteran community
News story: VAPC north east at the County Durham Armed Forces Forum

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Missourinet
Your source for Missouri News and Sports
You are here: Home / Crime / Courts / K.C. Race Discrimination Suit Now In Hands Of Jury
K.C. Race Discrimination Suit Now In Hands Of Jury
June 6, 2003 By admin Leave a Comment
A federal jury must now decide whether an administrator in the Kansas City School District failed to get a promotion, because he wasn't black. The federal lawsuit filed by Robert Riggs claims the Kansas City School District is rife with racial patronage, faving African-Americans over others. Specifically, Riggs claims Brenda Thomas got a promotion he should have gotten simply because he is Asian-American and Thomas is African-American. His attorney told jurors in closing remarks that they could change the district's climate of racial patronage, which she claimed undermined the education of children. The attorney for the school district said Riggs failed to prove his case during a trial in Kansas City.
Filed Under: Crime / Courts Tagged With: Kansas City
Tweets by Missourinet
#BillPollockShow–Odom must beat Muschamp and South Carolina this season (PODCAST)
Thanks for … [Read More...]
MLB Recaps: Royals keep rolling along. Goldy sparks Cardinals comeback
>>Roy … [Read More...]
St. James Youth Football Club vandalized
As … [Read More...]
#BillPollockShow — How Kelly Bryant earned the respect of his #Mizzou teammates (PODCAST)
Mizzou's Williams get probation in domestic incident
Missouri … [Read More...]
Tweets by missourisports
Archives Select Month July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002 January 2002 December 2001 November 2001 October 2001 September 2001 August 2001 July 2001 June 2001 May 2001 April 2001 March 2001 February 2001 January 2001 December 2000 November 2000 October 2000 September 2000 August 2000 July 2000 June 2000 May 2000 April 2000 March 2000 January 2000
Across Our Wide Missouri
Opinion/Editorials


At its heart it is the same bike, with a few small refinements, but we love what the designers have done with the frame on the 2015 Path+ step-through, in particular. This step-through is even more practical and accessible than before, and looks so elegant to boot. Best of all it now comes sized for an even greater range of riders, which we know will make people happy. Well done, Currie Tech. Oh, nice new seat, too.


Wikipedia has a fine description of the rules for Conway's cellular automaton, Life, also described in 1970 in Scientific American. Briefly, it is a rectangular grid of ones and zeros, where the cells in each new generation are based on how crowded the neighborhood was in the previous generation. The attached JSL demonstrates a glider gun. There are much faster algorithms, and there are simpler ones too; this one falls in the middle.
Here's a 4K video made by adding some coloring rules and tossing in patterns randomly chosen from lifep.zip. Watch it if you are having trouble falling asleep and have bandwidth to burn, it's 40+ minutes. There is a major plot twist about three minutes from the end.


text:
CyberSaint Unveils Disruptive Automation Functionality That Empowers Organizations to Embrace Cyber Risk Automation in the Digital Age
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CyberSaint, the developer of the leading platform for automated, intelligent cybersecurity program management, today announced new updates to the CyberStrong platform allowing customers to drastically reduce manual intervention previously necessary to assess, manage, and communicate cyber and IT compliance and risk posture.
Unexpected disruptions and the increasing focus on digital transformation have heightened organizations' need to seek innovative solutions that deliver advanced levels of automation. Simultaneously, information security and risk leaders are challenged to have clear visibility into cyber risk and optimize resources across risk and compliance projects. CyberStrong is purpose-built for enterprises looking to transform their cyber risk management programs through automation in the wake of extensive digital transformation initiatives. For more information, register for CyberSaint's Live Demo: Automating Cyber Risk & Compliance with CyberStrong.
CyberSaint has a strong history of meeting the growing demand within the integrated risk management market, balancing intuitiveness and flexibility with an uncompromisingly robust feature set for customers, who range from high-growth startups to Global 500 industry titans.
"The market has now shifted as security teams realize the cost savings of automation. The evolution of the product has mirrored, in many fascinating ways, the direction that enterprises are taking in their approach to risk and compliance - with efficiency and agility by way of automation either displacing or augmenting bulky modularities such as legacy GRCs", said Padraic O'Reilly, Chief Product Officer and Co-Founder of CyberSaint
"The market has now shifted as security teams realize the cost savings of automation. The evolution of the product has mirrored, in many fascinating ways, the direction that enterprises are taking in their approach to risk and compliance - with efficiency and agility by way of automation either displacing or augmenting bulky modularities such as legacy GRCs", said Padraic O'Reilly, Chief Product Officer and Co-Founder of CyberSaint. "From the start, CyberSaint has sought to solve the fundamental problems of risk and compliance, which at the core are data problems. By leveraging natural language processing on telemetry, understanding how different data sources map to controls and keeping the platform intuitive, we've been able to meet market demands while innovating alongside our enterprise customers. CyberSaint is now helping some of the world's largest companies undergo this transformation. Our platform leverages data in innovative ways to enable teams to understand risk in real-time, empowering executives to make truly informed decisions around their business strategy."
At an industry level, there is a lack of best practice within the governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) market of ingesting real-time telemetry and mapping that data to control environments aligned with industry frameworks and standards. Simultaneously, there has been no way to dynamically identify, update, and manage an enterprise's unique risk profile in the context of the frameworks or standards that the organization aligns with, especially from within a robust risk register.
The CyberStrong platform's advanced automation functionality is a natural extension of the existing solution. CyberSaint has previously made industry-leading progress in the area of automation by leveraging its patented Machine Learning (ML) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology to ingest vulnerability and threat data into control environments. This enhanced use case extends the platform's use of ML and NLP to include data from any application in use within the IT and information security program. Examples include identity and access management (IAM), security information and event management (SIEM), security orchestration, analytics and reporting (SOAR), application security testing, and cloud infrastructure platforms. CyberStrong can ingest these feeds and project them out across environments in real-time. Built with feedback from CISOs and teams paired with overall market demand, CyberStrong allows organizations to automate up to 90% of any given control set across people, process, and technology while dynamically managing their unique set of risks.
About CyberSaint
CyberSaint's mission is to empower modern organizations to build a cybersecurity program that is as clear, actionable, and measurable as any other business function. CyberSaint's CyberStrong platform empowers teams, CISOs, and Boards to measure, mitigate, and communicate risk with agility and alignment.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cybersaint/
Twitter: @CyberSaintHQ


Whether you are a buyer or a seller, you want your real estate transaction to go smoothly. That means finding the exact home you're looking for, or selling your home promptly and for the best price. That's where I come in. The agent you choose will help you make many important decisions and no one will work harder or more professionally.


...that's more EMF exposure without a good 10-15 years of studies of what that would do to someone. At least with your phone you can leave 10-20 feet away and do things.
I'm not convinced they are 100% safe with long term exposure.
I have one of these for when I go to the Apple Store to get the  Watch.
BreakingKayfabe, Microcosmos and HAWK like this.
If you're worried about radiation you best turn off the Wifi in your house if you have it.
Microcosmos and Sekelani Zwambila like this.
How can I retrieve text messages from phone that will not power up?


text:
Q: Rails slow to reload for a big project I'm working with a big Rails 4.2 project and when I do reload! in the console, it's long to run. I measure it by doing Benchmark.measure { reload! }.real and it take 2.5 seconds. It appear to be quick but each time I save a file and run a test or do a request it reload the files so I have kind of results :
time spring rspec --color spec/models/content_thread_spec.rb:605
Running via Spring preloader in process 1016
Run options: include {:locations=>{"./spec/models/content_thread_spec.rb"=>[605]}}

Randomized with seed 33718
.

Finished in 0.16152 seconds (files took 42.45 seconds to load)
1 example, 0 failures

Randomized with seed 33718

real    0m1.736s
user    0m0.440s
sys     0m0.064s
c337ecbc2313 app # touch app/models/bla.rb
c337ecbc2313 app # time spring rspec --color spec/models/content_thread_spec.rb:605
33
Running via Spring preloader in process 1065
Run options: include {:locations=>{"./spec/models/content_thread_spec.rb"=>[605]}}

Randomized with seed 33718
.

Finished in 0.17195 seconds (files took 1 minute 3 seconds to load)
1 example, 0 failures

Randomized with seed 33718

real    0m4.521s
user    0m0.441s
sys     0m0.064s

As you can see, it took 1.7 seconds when I didn't change anything and, then I change any file in the project, it take 4.5 seconds. If I run the test once again, it will take 1.7 seconds. All files of the project are reloaded and files I change doesn't have to be related.
As I understand, each files are reloaded when I change a file. There is many files and I can see with ActiveSupport::Dependencies.loaded.count there is 803 files to load. It seems than all the files are in ActiveSupport::Dependencies.loaded. All paths are in Rails.configuration.autoload_paths.
Is there a way to have a more wise solution and reload only needed files? Does all files have to be loaded?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Browse our selection of LINCOLN TOWN CAR keyless remotes - up to 75% OFF dealership price. ORIGINAL replacement Town Car remote key fobs for less. FREE Lincoln Town Car key fob programming instructions included. Purchase your Town Car key fobs from us and save. Transponder keys, remote control totes and remote transmitters - discount prices.


text:
Morphological detection of placental anticoagulant protein-I (PAP-I) in human placenta
Sakata, M.; Funakoshi, T., 1990: Morphological detection of placental anticoagulant protein-I (PAP-I) in human placenta. Rinsho Byori. Japanese Journal of Clinical Pathology 38(10): 1173-1175
It has been reported that placental anticoagulant protein-I (PAP-I) inhibits the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of blood coagulation and also the reconstituted prothrombinase activity. However, morphological study on the distribution of PAP-I in whole placenta or in placental cells has not been reported yet. We detected the PAP-I antigen, under light- and electron-microscope, by mean of immuno-cytological techniques. PAP-I was also present in microvilli of the placental syncytiotrophoblast cells and their cortical cytoplasm beneath the villi.
Yamaza, H.; Komatsu, T.; Chiba, T.; Toyama, H.; To, K.; Higami, Y.; Shimokawa, I., 2004: A transgenic dwarf rat model as a tool for the study of calorie restriction and aging. We have previously reported a long-lived transgenic dwarf rat model, in which the growth hormone (GH)-insulin like growth factor (IGF)-1 axis was selectively suppressed by overexpression of antisense GH transgene. Rats heterozygous for the transge...
Tan, E-K., 2007: The role of common genetic risk variants in Parkinson disease. Despite the discovery of at least five pathogenic genes in Parkinson disease (PD), the genetic etiology in the vast majority of PD remains to be clarified. Common genetic variants could act as susceptibility risk factors. Our previous meta-analysi...
Vives, Eduard., 2000: Notes on Iberian longicornes XI new or little known Cerambycidae from the Iberian fauna Insecta, Coleoptera Notas sobre longicornios ibericos XI Cerambycidae nuevos o poco conocidos para la fauna iberica Insecta, Coleoptera. Boletin de la SEA. Septiembre; 27: 69-71
De-Simone, G., 1975: Hide bleaching and decolorization for the furriers shop. Cuoio pelli materie concianti: 51 (2) 141-147
Fujita, Y.; Ito, C.; Mabuchi, K., 2004: Surveillance of mortality among atomic bomb survivors living in the United States using the National Death Index. The National Death Index is a useful source to establish the death of an individual and to determine the cause of death. We identified deaths in atomic bomb survivors in the United States who were lost to follow-up through the National Death Index...
Malvagia, S.; Poggi, G.Maria.; Pasquini, E.; Donati, M.Alice.; Pela, I.; Morrone, A.; Zammarchi, E., 2003: The de novo Q167K mutation in the POU1F1 gene leads to combined pituitary hormone deficiency in an Italian patient. The POU1F1 gene encodes a transcription factor that is important for the development and differentiation of the cells producing GH, prolactin, and TSH in the anterior pituitary gland. Patients with POU1F1 mutations show a combined pituitary hormon...
Khan, M.A.; Neyses, L.; Mamas, M.A., 2013: Atrial fibrillation in heart failure: an innocent bystander?. Heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) frequently coexist and each complicates the course of the other. The purpose of this review is to analyse the prognostic impact of AF in patients with HF and assess whether there is an advantage in t...
Flint, A., 1877: The Source of Muscular Power, as Deduced from Observations upon the Human Subject under conditions of Rest and of Exercise. Journal of Anatomy and Physiology 12(Pt 1): 91-141
Lomaga, M.A.; Hayter, C., 2004: Priapism as a possible acute side effect of radical radiotherapy for prostate cancer. We report a case of a 73 year-old male diagnosed with T1 N0 M0 prostate cancer, Gleason score 7, undergoing a course of radical radiotherapy using 7600 cGY delivered in 38 fractions. Several hours after receiving his 27th fraction, he reported exp...
Onuma, M.; Olson, C., 1977: Tumor-associated antigen in bovine and ovine lymphosarcoma. Specific tumor-associated antigens were found on the membrane and in the cytoplasm of lymph node cells and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from cattle and sheep with lymphosarcoma by immunofluorescence tests. Materials from 15 cattle with the a...


Crispy tortilla chips, smoked sausage, a mix of peppers and onions drowned in beer cheese sauce. For a main dish or easy appetizer, Smoked Sausage Nachos are not your ordinary finger food.
I was looking around from some Midwest favorites to remake for Mitten Movie Night. That's when I came across this article: 52 Comfort Foods All Midwesterners Know. Even as a Midwesterner, there were loads of recipes in here I had never even heard of. One that immediately jumped out to me on the list was Beer and Brat Nachos from Taste of Home.
NACHOS LOADED WITH MEAT THEN COVERED IN BEER CHEESE? Yeah, that sounds good. In mine, I swapped out the bratwurst and made it even simpler with cooked smoked sausage. Made a simple recipe for beer cheese sauce and we are on our way to tasty town.
This week is a "celebration' of sorts on the blog! It's the first time that I get to show off what I've been up to besides the blog.
A few months back I was asked if I would be interested in writing recipe and craft beer pairings for an area magazine, Michiana Life. Having this honor really felt like Bottom Left of the Mitten is not only online but also reaching out to local readers too!
I had been struggling lately with the decision to rebrand the blog name for a larger audience, but this just made me realize that sticking with what I started with was the right move.
This week is also 3 months at my new job! The new year had me doing some real soul searching. After the better part of 10 years working from home as a virtual assistant, I decided that I really needed an outside focus for myself.
Working from home can be lonely and frustrating. Long hours paired with long winters and work always beckoning from the sleeping laptop even when you want to focus on other things. It's rough. Since Little A started school in the Fall I felt like this was a great time to look for a part-time job.
So with resume in hand, I jumped at the chance to apply for a job at our local library, and happily got it! I couldn't have asked for a better position. It gets me out of the house while still affording me time to work on my virtual assistant business and blog. Bonus, I get to be around books all day.
I've always been an avid reader so I thought this would be a great time to add another entertainment aspect of the blog and start adding book recommendations along with movies and TV shows. So let's get started!
What book pairs well with beer and nachos smothered in beer cheese?
The book: No Exit by Taylor Adams.
Holy smokes, this book is a thrill ride from beginning to end. I could not put it down and you won't want to either.
What craft beer pairs well with Smoke Sausage Nachos?
The fruity notes and lime pair so well with not only the smoky sausage but the warm weather that is finally here!
The best thing about this recipe is how easy it is! Let's start with the beer cheese sauce.
For this I used a recipe from one of my favorite bloggers, The Chunky Chef. This Creamy Beer Cheese Sauce turned out great using Yuengling.
Start the rest of the nacho recipe by chopping the smoked sausage, peppers and onions.
In a pan heat up 1 tsp olive oil then sautee the sausage, peppers, and onions until the peppers and onions are cooked, around 6-8 minutes.
On a sheet pan spread out the tortilla chips. Add the sausage and peppers over the top.
Finally, pour the beer cheese sauce over the top. Add more chopped peppers and cilantro if you wish. Serve immediately.
Looking for more Sausage & Beer pairings?
Layers of tortilla chips, smoked sausage, peppers, and onions are smothered in beer cheese sauce. Smoked Sausage Nachos make a great appetizer or main dish.
For the beer cheese sauce: I used a recipe from, The Chunky Chef. I used Yuengling for the beer.
Chop the smoked sausage, peppers and onions.


Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
A plot is the events that happen in a story. The author puts different events in an order based on the plot.
A plot is made of different parts and events. Understanding a character and what he or she does is easier when we understand the plot and its different parts.


Wine glasses and Western boots? You'll find that eclectic combination at the 4th Annual Wine Mosey, 4-8 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 16, at Old Cowtown Museum, 1865 W. Museum Blvd.
Tickets are $40 per person and may be purchased online at WichitaTIX.com or by phone at (316) 350-3323. The event is a benefit for Cowtown's advisory board, Historic Wichita Cowtown, Inc. The American Institute of Wine and Food is a sponsor.
The evening offers guests many opportunities to enjoy an array of fine wine, food and entertainment as they support Wichita's only living history museum.
Wine stations and hors d'oeuvres, provided by the Doubletree Inn by Hilton Airport, will be located inside many of Cowtown's buildings, encouraging visitors to stroll the grounds. A performance by the Diamond W Wranglers and a barbecue dinner, courtesy of the Wichita Wagonmasters, will both take place outdoors. A live auction, gunfight re-enactments, stagecoach rides, the Dixie Lee Saloon Girls and outdoor antique bowling round out the evening's activities.
All money raised by the Wine Mosey will be used to fund future additions to Cowtown as well as enhance its education program that serves both youth and adults. Guests must be 21 or older to attend, and Western/casual attire and comfortable shoes are recommended. For more information about the Wine Mosey, visit www.oldcowtown.org or call (316) 350-3323.


text:
The Punisher Looks To Be Getting His Own Series As Netflix Develops A Spin-Off
It's a series that has long been rumored, and now, it appears that it is actually happening. TV Line, one of the most reliable sources in the television game, has just announced that the streaming service is currently in development on a spin-off for Jon Bernthal's The Punisher. As fans know, Bernthal will be portraying the iconic character in the second season of Daredevil, which will hit Netflix on March 18th, 2016.
Netflix is this close to pulling the trigger on The Punisher, a new Marvel spinoff series centered on Jon Bernthal's gun-toting Daredevil vigilante (aka Frank Castle), TVLine has learned exclusively.
For those keeping track at home, this would mark Netflix's sixth Marvel series, following Daredevil, Jessica Jones, the upcoming Luke Cage, and the in-the-works Iron Fist and The Defenders.
News that Netflix is developing a Punisher series isn't entirely surprising, especially given the praise Marvel Television head Jeph Loeb, as well as others involved with the production, have been heaping upon Bernthal's portrayal. Still, it is surprising to hear it's happening prior to the release of Daredevil's second season.
What do you think? Would you love to see The Punisher land his own series? Sound off in the comments below!
*It's worth noting that Netflix will be holding a panel at the TCAs tomorrow, so there's a good chance that we'll hear confirmation regarding this news tomorrow.
Source: TV Line.
Tags: News, Punisher
One Shot: Looking At The Numbers To Predict The Release Dates For 'Luke Cage' And 'Iron Fist'
Jon Bernthal Calls Daredevil Season 2 "Tremendously Interesting And Emotionally Gripping"
Marvel Terminates Remaining TV Showrunner Contracts
Jon Bernthal Bids Goodbye to 'Punisher' Role Ahead of Cancellation
REVIEW: 'The Punisher' Season 2 Episode 12 – Collision Course
Ben Barnes Was Almost Recast In New Role in MCU
Hulu Exec Interested in Saving Cancelled Marvel-Netflix Shows
REVIEW: 'The Punisher' Season 2 Episode 11 – The Abyss
'Jessica Jones' and 'The Punisher' Officially Cancelled by Netflix
REVIEW: 'The Punisher' Season 2 Episode 13 – The Whirlwind
REVIEW: 'The Punisher' Season 2 Episode 10 – The Dark Hearts of Men


text:
Q: How to formalize "conditional random variables" I've been using "conditional random variables" as a notation aid with some good success in problem solving.  But I've heard people claim that one shouldn't define conditional random variables.
By a conditional random variable for $X$ given $Y$, a "pseudo" random variable $(X|Y)$ with the density function $f_{X|Y = y}(x) = \frac{f_{(X,Y)}(x,y)}{f_Y(Y)}$.
Does this path lead to ambiguity or contradiction?  It seems pretty straight-forward to interpret $(X|Y)$ as a function from the sample space of $Y$ to the random variable $X$, so that $X$ is a random random variable.  But is this abuse of notation sound?
More generally, what kinds of functions can be composed to make random variables while remaining consistent with "the" axioms of probability (i.e., some sensible foundation)?
Perhaps tangentially, is there a categorical interpretation?  In particular, it would be nice if $(X|Y)$ and $Y$ are an adjoint pair.

This question has got some attention recently, so I thought I'd try to clarify my question again:
I guess my question is "how can we define choosing a random variable randomly?" After all, we can pick a random matrix, random people, random heights, etc.  So why not arbitrary real functions?
Presumably, this would require a probability distribution to assign densities to real functions.  This may not even be possible in the "general" case, and this might be a reason why the construction I'm trying to get at is unsound.
But it certainly seems that we can define conditional random variables for "classes" of random variables, for example by treating a parameter of a probability distribution as a random variable.
Conditional expectation seems to be another instance of the idea.
So there seems to be a tension between these instances and the "fact" that it can't be done in general.  I am hoping someone can talk to us about it. :-)

A:
But is this abuse of notation sound?

As others have noted in the comments, the answer is not quite. But to inform your understanding of why not, it may be helpful for you to read about the concept of conditional expectation, which may be the closest formal approximation of what you're trying to get at.
The setup for the definition requires you to brush of on your measure theoretic probability, and consists of:

*

*A probability space $(\Omega, \mathcal{F}, P)$.

*A random variable $X : \Omega \to \mathbb{R}^n$.

*Another random variable $Y : \Omega \to U$ (where $(U, \Sigma)$ is some other measure space).

The conditional expecation $\mathbb{E}( X \mid Y )$ is, in a precise sense, the $L_2$-closest $Y^{-1}(\Sigma)$-measurable approximation of $X$. That is, it answers the question What is the most that we can know about $X$ given information that we can glean from observing $Y$?
More formally, letting $\mathcal{H} = Y^{-1}(\Sigma)$, $\mathbb{E}(X \mid Y)$ is an $\mathcal{H}$-measurable random variable (i.e. it is as "coarse" as $Y$) which is is guaranteed to agree with $X$ on any event $H \in \mathcal{H}$:
$$
\int_H \mathbb{E}(X \mid Y) \, dP = \int_H X \, dP.
$$
Its existence is proved via the Radon-Nikodym theorem.
And furthermore,

Perhaps tangentially, is there a categorical interpretation?

while I don't have a strong grasp of category theory and so I won't try to explain it it categorical terms, conditional expectation does have a nice interpretation in terms of factorization / commutative diagrams, as can be seen on the wikipedia page :)

A: In the paper (Jardin et al., 2006) the next notation was used:

It is defined as the conditional random variable:
$$T - t|T>t, Z(t),$$
where $T$ denotes the random variable of time to failure, $t$ is the current age and $Z(t)$ is the past condition profile up to the current time.

Reference.
Jardine A K, Lin D and Banjevic D 2006 Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing 20 1483–1510


Connect with tens-of-thousands of store owners, wholesale and retail buyers!
Helen Brett shows are among the most successful gift, jewelry and general merchandise shows in the U.S. All shows are revenue-generating marketplaces for both cash and carry purchases and wholesale order writing.
Want more information on exhibiting?
Get More Traffic to Your Booth!
Helen Brett can help you stand out from the competition and drive more traffic to your booth!
Want to be a Loyal Exhibitor?
As a past Exhibitor, take advantage of Helen Brett's marketing momentum savings.
If you've already been assigned a sales representative and are a returning exhibitor use the email and phone numbers below.
New Exhibitor? Use above contact form.


History undergraduate and graduate students are welcome to submit paper proposals for the International History Student Conference 'Usable Pasts', organized by Department of History, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Saint Petersburg. It is a part of International Students Forum to be held in NRU HSE, Saint Petersburg on 4-5 February 2016.
-- history in interaction with other disciplines: environmental history, history of science, technological history, urban history, economic history, history and law.
The conference will take place in Saint Petersburg on February 4-5, 2016.
The application should be in English and consists of an extended abstract of the paper (no more than 800 words including references) and an application form.
Reports from Conference "Natural Resources, Landscapes and Climate in Russia and Neighbouring Countries"
"Natural Resources, Landscapes and Climate in Russia and Neighbouring Countries"
The conference report (Russian), abstract (translated into English) and reflections on the conference (English) are now available on the website of the Leverhulme International Network "Exploring Russia's Environmental History and Natural Resources"
This conference is jointly organised by the National Research University Higher School of Economics, St. Petersburg, and the Leverhulme International Network "Exploring Russia's Environmental History and Natural Resources"


Are Dust Mites Making You Sick?
Home Health Are Dust Mites Making You Sick?
Here's a nightmare-inducing fact: the average mattress harbours anywhere from 100 000 to 10 million dust mites.
And pillows can be even more horrifying: ten percent of the weight of a two-year-old pillow can be dust mites and their droppings, shed skins and carcasses.
Dust mites are microscopic relatives of spiders that live on the dead skin cells of your family and pets.
While they don't bite, they can still cause a number of health problems.
Dust mite droppings contain a protein that when inhaled or touched, causes allergy symptoms such as eczema, sneezing, itchy and runny noses, itchy eyes, and even asthma.
Dust mite waste accumulates everywhere in your home, but the highest concentration of this allergen can be found in beds, where warmth, moisture and an endless supply of dead skin cells create the perfect environment for massive mite colonies.
1. Since most contact with dust mites occurs in bed, the best way to reduce your exposure is to encase your mattress and pillows with mite-proof protectors. To be mite-proof, a mattress protector must be woven tightly enough to be waterproof.
2. Vacuum your mattress once a month to remove mites, unless you've invested in a total mattress encasement.
3. Wash your mattress protector on a hot wash every four to six weeks to remove absorbed perspiration and skin scales. Wash bed linen every week in a 60-degree wash. Wash duvet inners and pillows once a month. (If you use pillow protectors, you need only wash your pillows once a year).
4. Soft toys that share the bed should be washed in hot water each week. Toys that can't withstand hot washing can be put into the freezer for 24 hours before being cold washed to remove dust.
5. Embrace your inner slob. Kill mites by leaving your duvet open to dry out before you make the bed.
6. Synthetic pillow and duvet fillings are less hospitable to dust mites than feather and down.
7. Vacuum bedroom carpets and the bed base frequently, preferably using a vacuum cleaner with a good HEPA filter.
8. In severe cases of allergy, replace carpets with hard flooring, and curtains with blinds. Mop floors daily, and wipe down blinds.
9. Don't forget to wash pet bedding, since dust mites can also cause allergies in pets.


text:
Die Yukpa (auch Yucpa, Yu'pa) oder Yuko genannt, sind Indianer, welche auf beiden Seiten der Sierra de Perijá, also sowohl in Kolumbien wie in Venezuela leben. In Kolumbien wird immer noch die Bezeichnung Yuko verwendet, obwohl dies Feind bedeutet, die Selbstbezeichnung ist hingegen Yukpa.

Geschichte
Die spanischen Eroberer hatten begonnen, die Vorfahren der Yukpa gewaltsam von ihrem Land zu vertrieben. Die meisten Vertreibungen erfolgten jedoch erst im 20. Jahrhundert. Während der Diktatur von Marcos Pérez Jiménez in den 1950er Jahren war die Enteignung besonders intensiv. Viele Yukpa leben in von Missionaren angelegten Siedlungen. Dort fanden sie eine gewissen Schutz. In den 1970er Jahren stiegen die Yukpa aus dem schutzbietenden Perijá-Gebirge hinab, um das Land ihrer Vorfahren wieder zu besiedeln.

Siedlungen

In Kolumbien siedeln sie in einem 33.678 ha umfassenden Gebiet im Departamento Cesar und in Venezuela im Bundesstaat Zulia. Gemäß dem kolumbianischen Kulturministerium lebten 2005 in Kolumbien 4.761 Yukpa, und in Venezuela, dem Zensus von 2011 zufolge, 10.877 Yukpa, was zwei Prozent der venezolanischen indigenen Bevölkerung ausmacht. Die Yukpa sind in zahlreiche Gruppen mit unterschiedlichen Dialekten unterteilt. Die Sprache der Yukpa gehört zur Sprachfamilie der Carib-Sprachen.

Forderung nach Restaurierung von Landrechten
Der Großteil ihres angestammten Landes ist in den Händen von überwiegend weißen Großgrundbesitzern. Viele der Yukpa fordern die Restaurierung von Landrechten aus vorkolonialen Zeiten.

In Venezuela beanspruchen die Yukpa ein zusammenhängendes Gebiet im nordwestlichen Grenz-Bundesstaat Zulia. Die dort siedelnden Viehzüchter verfügten lange Zeit über hervorragende Beziehungen zu Politik und Sicherheitsorganen, um ihre Machtposition zu sichern, und nationale Unternehmen und internationale Konzerne haben mit der Ausbeutung von Rohstoffen wie Kohle und Erzen begonnen. Ende des Jahres 2005 hatten Parlament und Regierung Venezuelas das "Gesetz über die indigenen Völker und Gemeinden" beschlossen. Damit werden den 35 indigenen Gruppen des Landes die traditionell von ihnen bewohnten Gebiete übertragen. Die Eigentumstitel sind für die indigenen Gemeinden unveräußerlich, unverjährbar und nicht pfändbar. Seitdem hatten die Großgrundbesitzer der Region verstärkt paramilitärische Gruppen aufgebaut und Angehörige der Yukpa-Gemeinden ermorden lassen, darunter im Jahr 2015 den durch seinen Kampf um die Landrechte der indigenen Bevölkerung landesweit bekannt gewordenen Yupka-Sprecher Sabino Romero. Nach Angaben von Aktivisten sind bis heute insgesamt zehn Menschen umgebracht worden, doch lediglich der Mord an Sabino Romero wurde bisher vor Gericht verhandelt und seine Täter bestraft. Im August 2015 erreichte die Kampagne von Umwelt- und indigenen Gruppen, dass Präsident Maduro ein Dekret zurückzog, mit dem weitere Minen in der an Mineralien reichen Region erlaubt worden waren.

Literatur
 Steward/Faron: Handbook of South American Indians. Cooper Square Publishers, New York 1963, Band 4 The Circum-Caribbean Tribes ab S.349 A. Metraux u P. Kirchhoff The northeastern Extension of Andean Culture.
 Erich Wustmann: Unterwegs zu Zwergindianern in Kolumbien. Neumann Verlag, Radebeul 1973, Reisebeschreibung S. 124 bis 226 Aufenthalt des Autors bei den Yukpa (Yuco) und Schild. des beobachtenden Lebens und Denkens der Indigenen.
 Ernst Halbmayer: Kannibalistische Sonne, Schwiegervater Mond und die Yukpa. Prinzipien der Sozialorganisation und des Weltbildes bei den Yukpa-Indianer Nordwest-Venezuelas. Brandes & Apsel, Frankfurt/Main 1998, ISBN 3-86099-280-5
 Ernst Halbmayer: Elementary Distinctions in World-Making among the Yukpa In: Anthropos, Bd. 99, Nr. 1 (2004), S. 39–55.

Weblinks
 Literatur über die Yukpa im Katalog des Ibero-Amerikanischen Instituts in Berlin

Einzelnachweise

Ethnie in Kolumbien
Ethnie in Venezuela
Indigenes Volk in Südamerika

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Ochthebius hellenicus es una especie de escarabajo del género Ochthebius, familia Hydraenidae. Fue descrita científicamente por Ienistea en 1988.

Se distribuye por Grecia (en la isla Rodas, Lindos). Mide 1,5 milímetros de longitud.

Referencias

hellenicus
Insectos descritos en 1988
Insectos de Grecia


text:
Sermon for Sunday before Lent. Yr B . ( 2 Kings 2, 1-12. 2 Cor 4, 3-6, Mark 9, 2-9.)
Last summer, I spent one afternoon at a local beauty salon. I have to say that this is not something I do often. But a special birthday last year, and I was given a voucher for the salon as a present.
As I sat there having a manicure, I looked around me at the posters on the wall, advertising products and procedures. These promised to remove wrinkles and lines from face and eyes, restore plumpness to hands, tighten chins, taken away fat, in short, to restore youthfulness to bodies that had lost it through the ravages of time. Later, the beautician who was attending to me tried to persuade me to buy several products, at £30 – £50 a bottle, which she assured me would restore the collagen in my skin, moisturise and cleanse me and keep me from suffering from the aging process which all flesh ( up to now !) has been prone to.
What was on offer at that beauty salon was transfiguration, a change of form, or, at least,the visible aspect of form – from one which showed the signs of age back to the more youthful form which had been lost.
This was not what was on offer at the Transfiguration of Jesus that we heard about in the reading from Mark's Gospel. There, what happened was a metamorphosis – a complete change of not just the outward aspect, but also the inner essence of Christ, from the human form of his earthly life into the form he would possess after being raised to heaven; the form of glory, which in Jewish understanding was a shining ethereal substance of which all heavenly beings, including angels and God, were made. So this transfiguration was not looking back but forward, to the resurrection, ascension and the second coming of Christ, and to the end of the world, when all the faithful would experience the same transformation themselves.
In Mark's Gospel in its original form, no resurrection appearances of Christ are recorded. So, the transfiguration story is the only picture Mark's readers are given of the glory that is to be Jesus' after his passion and death, and which will be theirs if they follow Christ faithfully.
The Transfiguration story comes in chapter 9 , at a turning point in Mark's story. The first half of the Gospel has told of Jesus' baptism, temptation and his ministry in Galilee as teacher and healer, proclaiming in word and deed that the Kingdom of God was near. Then, in chapter 8, Jesus asks the disciples:, " Who do people say I am?" and Peter makes his confession, "You are the Messiah." Then comes the first of three times in chapters 8, 9 and 10 when Jesus teaches the disciples about the sort of Messiah he is to be, and speaks about his rejection by the people and religious authorities, his suffering and death. When this awful prospect is rejected by the disciples, he goes on to teach that those who follow him must be humble like him, must suffer like him, but will also share in his glory. From chapter 10 onwards, Jesus sets his face towards Jerusalem, and begins his journey to death on the cross.
So, the transfiguration comes in the centre of this change of focus from Galilee to Jerusalem, from active ministry to passion. It is obviously a story designed to encourage those who are called to follow that journey of their Master. Did it actually happen? Was it an experience given to Jesus to strengthen him with the Father's approval for the coming Passion? An experience where his aspect was transformed, as stories tell of the saints being transformed by intense spiritual experience ? Was it a vision given to the three members of Jesus' inner circle of disciples in order to reinforce Jesus' teaching about the nature of his Messiahship and to fortify them for the trials ahead? Something like a dream, as Luke's account implies? Does it mark the inauguration of the Kingdom, the fulfilment of the promise given by Jesus in verse 1 of chapter 9, that some of the disciples will not see death until they have witnessed the Kingdom coming in power? Or is it an account of a resurrection appearance, written back by Mark into Jesus' earthly ministry, in order to provide a suitable turning point for the story, as some biblical scholars think?
We can't know.
What we can know, if we read the story carefully, is what Mark is telling us through this incident about Jesus the Christ, and about us as his followers. For that to happen, it doesn't matter whether this is a true story in the sense of an actual historical incident or not. For the Jews tended to express their theology in the form of narrative, not abstract philosophy. Thus, in the Old Testament, theology was revealed through the stories of the creation, the fall, the patriarchs and the history of Israel. In the New Testament, Jesus revealed the deepest truths about God in parables – story form – and all the NT writers saw the reality of the nature of God expressed through the story of Jesus' life. The picture of Jesus given in the Transfiguration remains true, whether you believe it happened at the particular time and place and manner described by Mark, or not.
The details of the story are important. Through them, the transfiguration is linked backwards and forwards to incidents in Jesus' life, particularly his baptism and his passion and resurrection; but in addition it is linked backwards in the history of Israel, to Moses and the Exodus and the time of Elijah, and forward to the vision of the resurrection of all believers and the coming of the new Jerusalem we read about in Paul and the Revelation of John.
So, what do the details tell us.
The story begins with a time: six days later. Why 'six days'. Probably because, in Exodus, 24, Moses and the children of Israel waited six days at the foot of Mount Sinai, while the cloud of God's presence covered it, before Moses was told by God to go up the mountain to speak to him; and possibly, because at the end of the Gospel, Jesus rises after three days, and then tells the disciples to journey to Galilee, which is when they see will see him, three days later.
The transfiguration takes place on a mountain, the traditional place of a theophany, an appearance of God. We don't know which mountain it was. Perhaps Mark didn't know; but since Mount Hermon is only 14 miles north of Caesarea Phillipi, that is the traditional site of the Transfiguration.
Jesus is transfigured. The Greek word is 'metemorphothe', from which our word metamorphosis comes. So it is more than a temporary, transient change. St Paul uses the same word in 2 Corinthians chapter 3, when he speaks of Christians reflecting the glory of the Lord, and being transformed by that glory into his likeness. So it is a foretaste not only of the transformation of the risen Christ, but also of the resurrection body of the faithful Christian. The transfiguration extends not only to Christ's face and body, but also to his clothes, which become dazzling white. It was a belief of the Jews that a person who came face to face with God ( as Moses did on Mount Sinai ) would reflect the glory of God in their face. Jewish tradition also believed that the glory of the heavenly body would extend to a person's clothing. This is expressed in the Apocryphal book of Enoch, and in Revelation, where the saints are dressed in white. The elaboration "such as no-one on earth could bleach them" is intended to reinforce the point that this was heavenly clothing, not simply transformed or enhanced earthly garments.
Next, Elijah and Moses appear. These two figures represented two of the strands of the Old Testament, the Prophets and the Law. They were the only people who were granted the privilege of speaking to God face to face. Their preeminence was reinforced by the manner of their death. Neither had a known resting place on earth. In the account of Elijah's death, which we heard read, he is taken straight into heaven in a chariot of fire and the whirlwind of God; and although in Deuteronomy we are told that Moses was buried, the location of his grave is not known, and in later Jewish writing, such as the Assumption of Moses, he also is said to have been taken directly into heaven. So, both these people prefigure Jesus, who speaks to God face to face, who is prophet and lawgiver, and who will be taken up to heaven in glory. What is more, in contemporary Jewish eschatology, the expectation was that Moses and Elijah would appear on earth before the 'Day of the Lord' the expected day of salvation. Their presence with Jesus at the transfiguration said that day was near.
Then Peter, who so frequently seems to play the role of the fool in Mark's Gospel, makes his suggestion that the disciples construct three dwellings, or tents, for the heavenly figures. Why tents? The Greek word, skene, means tents or booths or tabernacles. At the lowest level, the desert tradition of hospitality demanded that you erect a splendid tent for an honoured guest. But in Jewish salvation history, the idea of the tent or tabernacle had richer overtones. Throughout the Exodus, and in the early Hebrew kingdoms, until the Temple was built by Solomon, God's presence with his people was signified by the ark in the tabernacle. Peter's response shows an awareness that in the presence of Moses, Elijah and Jesus, God is again present with his people, and he wishes to make appropriate dwelling places for them, as his ancestors did. Moreover, there was an expectation that after the Day of the Lord, God would again live among his people. The Jewish Feast of Tabernacles had an eschatological dimension, and as well as looking back to the deliverance of the Exodus, also looked forward to the Day of the Lord and the end of the world. This was taken up in Christian expectation of the Second Coming. Paul spoke of Christians being "tented' in resurrection bodies: and the passage in Revelation 21 about the new Jerusalem says literally: "God will make his tabernacle among humans and he will pitch his tent among them". So Peter's question shows that he interprets the transfiguration as the inauguration of the Day of the Lord.
The way that the story continues however indicates that ( in the evangelist's eyes ) Peter has got the wrong end of the stick again. The voice of God comes from the cloud to tell the disciples to listen to Jesus, who is called the Beloved Son, one of the titles of the Messiah. That is, listen to what he tells you about the Messiah's path to glory, that it goes through rejection, passion and the cross. The full arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven is not yet. It cannot be brought in or preserved that easily.
But Mark also gently offers an excuse for Peter's foolishness. He is terrified, which is an appropriate response to the presence of God; it is the reaction of mortals to the shattering events of the resurrection; and you will remember that one of the gifts of the Spirit , according to the confirmation prayer, is the fear of the Lord.
The voice of God comes to the disciples out of a cloud. In the Old Testament, the cloud always signifies the presence of God. The technical term for this cloud of glory is the shekinah. A cloud leads the people of Israel through the desert. Mount Sinai is covered by a cloud into which Moses goes to speak to God; and a cloud covers the Tent of the Presence in the Tabernacle when God is there. Mark uses the same Greek word for the overshadowing of the figures at the Transfiguration as was used in the Greek Old Testament for the overshadowing of the Tabernacle. A cloud takes Elijah into the heavens, the Son of Man appears on a cloud in the Book of Daniel, as do heavenly figures in other apocalyptic works, including the Book of Revelation. Luke's account of the ascension in Acts says a cloud received Jesus from their sight; the equivalent of saying he was received into the presence of God. But the cloud too was a foretaste of the end of time; for Christian expectation was that Jesus would return to earth on the clouds of heaven, and that the saints would be taken into heaven on clouds.
The words which God speaks from the cloud are a repeat of the words spoken at Jesus' baptism. However, in Mark's account, they are heard at the baptism only by Jesus himself. Now they are heard by his closest followers. He is given the Messianic title, Beloved or Chosen Son. This echoes the psalms, where the Kings of Israel are adopted as God's sons, and the Servant Songs of Deutero-Isaiah, where the servant is named as God's chosen one. In Deuteronomy, also, Moses gives the people God's promise that a greater prophet than himself will be raised up from among the people, and they must listen to him. So the voice from the cloud confirms Jesus' teaching that he is the Messiah King, the Messiah prophet and the Suffering Servant Messiah – all the expectations of the Jews contained in one person.
As the voice speaks the two great figures of the Old Testament disappear, and Jesus is left alone. Moses and Elijah, like John the Baptist, belong to the old order, which is passing away. Symbolically, the Old Covenant embodied in the Law and the Prophets is superseded, and only Jesus remains, as the one to whose teaching we are to listen. Only Jesus was with them, Mark says; only Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us. And immediately Jesus reminds them that his way to the resumption of his transfigured form lies through suffering and death.
So, what are we to make of the story of Jesus' transfiguration? If we read it with all its echoes of the Old Testament and all its anticipation of the rest of the New Testament, then it speaks to us of the true nature of Jesus, who reflects the glory of God in this world. It speaks to us of that mysterious intersection of our time 'chronos' with God's time, 'kairos', where the Christ partakes eternally of the glorious nature of God himself. It speaks to us of our future hope, that, when the trumpet shall sound, we too will be changed and clothed with that imperishable body in which the disciples saw Jesus.
But it tells us, as it told Peter, James and John, that the glory is not yet ours to rest in. The Kingdom of Heaven is nearby, it is being brought in by Jesus' life on earth and his death and resurrection; in technical theological terms it speaks of inaugurated eschatology, not realised eschatology. It tells us, as it told Peter, James and John, that we have to come down from the mountain top, carrying with us the vision of future glory, and follow Christ faithfully on the road to Jerusalem, Gethsemane and Golgotha, which is the only Christian way to glory.
That is why the story of the Transfiguration is placed for us to read on the Sunday before Lent – as we prepare ourselves to relive the Passion and death of Jesus, so that we may , in God's good time, experience with him the transfiguration into our resurrection body. Which will be a lot more permanent and glorious than anything a local beauty salon can provide!
Filed in Sermons
2 before Lent. ( 2 Kings 5, 1-14; 1 Cor 9, 24-27; Mark 1, 40-45)
I wonder what you think is the most amazing phrase from the Gospel reading that we have just heard?
For me it is "Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him". The man that "him' refers to was suffering from what modern versions of the Bible call 'a dreaded skin disease' and older versions call 'leprosy'. Whether it was what we now understand by leprosy ( which is unlikely) or something else, it was regarded at the time as infectious or contagious, and there was no easy cure, if indeed it was a form of skin disease that was curable. Yet Jesus touched the man in order to cure him. In doing so, he not only risked catching the infection himself, but he immediately made himself ritually unclean – unable to eat with anyone else, unable to worship in a synagogue or the Temple until he himself had gone through a ritual of purification. He made himself as much as an outcast from normal society as the sick man was. Yet, Jesus went ahead and touched the man. It reminds me of the stir it caused when Princess Diana was filmed holding the hands of those suffering from AIDS/HIV, a disease that terrifies modern people as much as leprosy terrified the ancient world.
Yet this action typified the life and ministry of Jesus. As the wonderful prayer from Iona puts it "Lord God, in Jesus you touched the scabby, listened to the ignored, gave the broken something to hope for. You bandaged the broken with love, and you healed them".
In Jesus we believe that God was with us and among us. Jesus lived in a time when many people believed that the world of matter was so evil that nothing divine could live in it; but the Gospels tell us that in Christ, God came among us in a human body. But though divine, he did not distance himself from ordinary people. He got emotionally involved with people and their concerns – he got angry at the way sick people were shunned and excluded, he wept with people who were mourning, he joined in celebrations of marriage and went to parties. He also got physically involved with human beings. He lived among the outcasts from society and ate with them. He allowed those who were unclean to approach him, and if they could not do so, he approached them. He touched the leper, the woman with a haemorrhage, the dead daughter of Jairus, the woman who lived a sinful life, and he healed them. He was no distant God cocooned in a temple, protected from the real world. In Jesus we see a God who is willing to get 'up close and personal'.
We all know how important touch is in human life. Being touched, stroked or hugged builds up bonds of affection and trust no matter what age we are – and human beings who cannot bear to be touched are isolated from an important part of family and social life.
Touch is also important in healing; from the "Mummy kiss it better" to a child who has fallen, to the gentle massage that helps us to recover from serious operations, touch can help us to recover more quickly.
But it is not only physical touch that contributes to our well-being. We also benefit from eye contact and being spoken to. I am sure we have all experienced medical staff who don't bother to introduce themselves to us, and who talk about us to other members of the team as if we weren't there. Or officials who don't look directly at you as they are speaking to you, and who treat you as simply a case number. Or even worse, a modern twist on this, the telephone enquiry system where you never encounter a real human being at all – just a series of recorded messages telling you which button to press next. All these things tend to dehumanise us, make us feel unimportant and destroy our self esteem. What Jesus did was exactly the opposite – he treated all those he met as so important that he was willing to risk his own health and his own place in society for their sakes.
The absence of touch and direct human contact highlights the difference between the healing of Naaman in the Old Testament and that of the leper in the Gospel. No wonder Naaman was annoyed when he reached Elisha's house. He had risked ridicule by following the advice given by his wife's small female slave to travel to a foreign country and seek the help of a foreign god. He had gone to the king, the 'top man' and had been accused of warmongering, before being sent off to some out of the way place to consult a prophet. And when he arrived, the prophet didn't even come out to speak to him. Naaman hadn't expected physical contact – that would be too dangerous – but he hoped at the very least for a personal appearance and some gestures and magic words. Instead he was told by a lowly servant to go off and wash in a nearby stream. It was a severe blow to his pride – and no doubt it made him feel very unimportant and humiliated.
Contrast this with what Jesus did. He came close to his patient, spoke to him, showed emotion at his plight and actually touched him. His involvement didn't end with the cure. He gave the man instructions about the best way to complete the process, to ensure that he was quickly re-integrated into the society of normal healthy people. We make a lot of fuss nowadays about 'holistic medicine' as if it is something which the modern age has discovered. Jesus knew about it and practised it in the first century!
Treating the whole person involves being with people where they are. It was not only Jesus who did this. In the verses before the ones which we heard from Paul's letter to the Corinthians, Paul explains how he tries to make his missionary activity effective, by getting alongside the people he is evangelising. When he is with the Jewish community, he lives as a faithful Jew; when among Gentiles, he lives outside the Jewish law, though under Christ's law; when among the weak, he admits his own weakness. In the well known phrase, he becomes all things to all men, in order to win them for Christ.
This has implications for the church's mission. We won't succeed by standing at a distance and pontificating. We will only be effective if we get close to people and listen to their concerns, if we adapt our presentation to different circumstances and groups, and are prepared to get deeply and personally involved. Paul talks about subjecting his body to discipline, even to blows, in order to be fit to preach the gospel. We need sometimes to open our own selves, and our institutions to criticism and danger if we are truly to serve Christ in the world.
We are the Body of Christ. He was willing to get 'up close and personal' to heal and save. So must we!
Light – a Sermon for Candlemas
(Luke 2, 22-40)
Simeon praised God and said:
"My eyes have seen your salvation – a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people, Israel."
Light is a powerful symbol – one used not only in Christianity and Judaism, but in all the world's great religions.
It is a powerful symbol because of the many positive associations it conveys. Light shows us the way: we need a torch to help us find the right way in the dark or car headlights and street lights to illuminate the roads.
Light helps us to find what we have lost: when you have mislaid or dropped something, often it is only when you are able to shine a light on the place that it is found.
Light can also reveal what is wrong; it shows up dirt and damage clearly; think of a doctor or dentist using a small bright light to look in your ear, or down your throat, or at your teeth, to see what needs treatment. Then, sometimes, light and heat is used to help the process of sterilisation and healing.
Light is important for life and growth. The sun works to promote growth; we human imitate that when we use artificial light to bring on plants early, or keep them going through the winter.
Light is also important to us as a warning. We can think of the revolving light of a lighthouse, keeping ships away from dangerous rocks and sandbanks; or of the flashing lights on emergency vehicles, or around road works; or the warning lights on a broken down car, and the guiding cats eyes in the middle of the road, warning of bends.
Light also is a symbol of celebration – fireworks (being used more and more, all the year round, now, to mark special occasions ); the coloured lights we put up at festivals, especially Christmas; and the candles on birthday cakes.
Because of all these associations, we use light to speak of Jesus. John tells us that he is the Light of the World, the true light who illuminates every human being at their birth.
Through the incidents, sayings and parables of the Gospels, we learn that Jesus is the light who can guide us to the truth about God, and the right path of life. We learn that his is the light that will help us to find those who are lost. We understand that his life is like the powerful light which shows up what is wrong and needs treatment ( as Simeon prophesied ); and his life is also a warning of the dangers that surround our journey of faith.
But his is also a light that brings us warmth and growth, the Sun of Righteousness; and, to those who recognise the light, he is a sign of celebration, hope, reconciliation and joy.
In this technological age, we could just as well use an electric light to stand for Jesus; but we continue to use candles. Why?
I think it is because, unlike a beam of electric light, the candle flame seems alive. It moves, flickers, changes; it is affected by the atmosphere around it, growing bigger or fading according to the amount of air that is available. In that respect it is like a human being, vulnerable to its environment; and as the writer to the Hebrews emphasises, Jesus was able to be our Saviour precisely because he too was subject to the forces of nature, as we are.
The candle flame is a proper symbol for the little people – the ones who no-one takes much notice of. They are the sort of people who figure large in the Candlemas story: Joseph and Mary, the humble parents from the countryside, going to perform their religious duties in the mighty Temple, symbol of the power and prestige of their religion; and Simeon and Anna, representatives of the old and often disregarded members of society. You cannot disregard the power of an electric searchlight; but like a human being, a candle is vulnerable. If done violence to, it can be snuffed out.
And that possibility is part of the Candlemas story too. As well as the joyful associations, candles are also a symbol of more sombre things. They are light as a sign of our hope for peace amid the darkness of conflict. They are lit to express our fervent prayer for those who are ill. They are lit to remember those who have died.
So, as we hold our lit candles at Candlemas, we come to a turning point in our symbolic journey through the Christian year. We turn from contemplating the coming of the light into the world at Christmas, the coming that was made possible through the co-operation of the little people like Mary and Joseph, and was proclaimed by the little people, like the shepherds and Simeon and Anna.
We turn from the light towards the darkness: the darkness that Simeon spoke of when he warned Mary of the pain that was to come, like a sword piercing her heart; and when he spoke of the judgement and the fall of many that would be precipitated by Jesus' presence. The darkness we represent in the church's calendar by the sombre furnishings and bare flower stands of Lent. The darkness of temptation and opposition, of betrayal , torture and death, represented by the absence of colour and of candles on Good Friday.
But, as Christians, we do not lose sight of the light as we make that turn. Light is always seen more clearly against the darkness, and as we enter the darkest season of the Christian year, the light of Christ continues to guide us. As John assures us in the Prologue to his gospel: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it". We are people of the resurrection, and we know that, beyond the darkness of Good Friday comes the glorious light of Easter, when we shall rekindle the lights extinguished on Maundy Thursday from the great light of the Paschal Candle.
When we are baptised, we are signed with the cross, and we are also handed a small candle, the symbol of the light of Christ. We commit ourselves then to following that light all our days.
Each time we hold a lighted candle in our hands, or see a light in the darkness, we have an opportunity to re-commit ourselves to following the light, and to sharing the light with the world. So, as we turn from the lights of Christmas to the lights of Easter, let us ask God to help us in that commitment:
Eternal God, whose Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, is proclaimed as the Light of the World; may your people, guided, warned and warmed by the light of your word and sacraments, shine with the radiance of his glory, that you may be known, worshipped and obeyed to the ends of the earth.


Nursing assistants need a unique combination of attentiveness, reliability, and specialized training. They are the people with whom patients will be interacting the most and are responsible for the daily comfort and care of patients in hospitals and nursing homes. Their duties include feeding and bathing patients, changing linens, and recording their ailments. They also reposition patients in their beds and move them from those beds to wheelchairs. Above all, they should be warm, compassionate people who enjoy caring for people day-to-day. Bonds often form between nursing assistants and their patients.
As the healthcare industry continues to expand, in large part due to the aging of the population, opportunities for nursing assistants will increase. Many of these positions will be in hospitals, as nursing homes often have to limit their staff due to a tight budget. Applicants should therefore be comfortable in the often hectic and frenetically-paced atmosphere of hospitals and be able to follow instructions. Work schedules usually amount to around 40 hours a week over three to four days. Ideal candidates will therefore be able to work long hours, remain calm and attentive, and perform tasks they may find unpleasant or monotonous.
Nursing assistant positions require a minimum of a high school diploma, but some require certifications through nursing assistant programs. Some nursing assistants can become Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) by studying under a program designed to prepare them for the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) exam. Two tests commonly used by healthcare providers in order to ensure their nursing aides are dependable, trainable, and have patient-friendly personalities are the Criteria Basic Skills Test (CBST) and the Customer Service Aptitude Profile (CSAP). The CBST measures basic verbal, math and communication skills, and the CSAP measures a series of traits including diplomacy, cooperativeness, and patience. When combined, the two tests can be very useful in identifying candidates most likely to succeed as nursing assistants.
Provide physical assistance to patients, including bathing, dressing, getting out of bed, and walking.
Observe and record patient symptoms and report findings to other medical staff.
Answer patient call signals and record vital signs.