No Purchase Or Payment Necessary To Enter Or Win. Void Where Prohibited. Subject To All Applicable Federal, State, And Local Laws And Regulations.
These Official Rules Contain An Arbitration Agreement, Which Will, With Limited Exception, Require You To Submit Claims You Have Against Breakthrough Prize Foundation To Binding And Final Arbitration. Under The Arbitration Agreement, (1) You Will Only Be Permitted To Pursue Claims Against Breakthrough Prize Foundation On An Individual Basis, Not As A Plaintiff Or Class Member In Any Class Or Representative Action Or Proceeding, And (2) You Will Only Be Permitted To Seek Relief (Including Monetary, Injunctive, And Declaratory Relief) On An Individual Basis.
Overview. The Competition begins April 1, 2018 at 12:01 AM EST (the "Competition Start Date") and ends July 1, 2018 at 11:59 PM PDT (the "Competition End Date"), such period referred to herein as the "Competition Period." The Competition is sponsored by Breakthrough Prize Foundation (the "Competition Sponsor"). Competition Sponsor's computer is the official clock for the Competition. This is a skill-based competition and chance plays no part in the determination of any Winner. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with a third party, including Facebook and YouTube. You are providing your information to the Competition Sponsor.
Eligibility. Subject to the limitations set out herein, individuals between the ages of 13 and 18 may participate ("You"). You must be at least 13 years of age at the opening of the competition April 1, 2018 and You cannot be older than 18 years of age on October 1, 2018 at 11:59 PM PDT. If You are a minor, You must have your parent's or legal guardian's permission to enter and Your parent or legal guardian must agree, on your behalf and on his or her own behalf, to follow and be bound by these RULES and warrant that You are eligible to participate in the Competition. You cannot reside in nor be governed by countries that are prohibited by law, regulation (including United States laws and regulations or other applicable export laws and regulations), treaty or administrative act from entering into trade relations (including export of technology) with the United States of America or its citizens. For additional information, please consult: www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Pages/Programs.aspx.
Entries are limited to individuals only; commercial enterprises and business entities are not eligible. Group submissions are not eligible. Any donor, director, officer, employee, contractor to or of Competition Sponsor, members of the Evaluation Panel, members of the Selection Committee and any of the foregoing's family members or those living in the same household are prohibited from entering the Competition. A "family member" of any individual means his or her spouse, ancestors, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and the spouses of his or her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Additionally, any individual who is the owner of more than 20 percent of (i) the total combined voting power of a corporation, (ii) the profits interest of a partnership or (iii) the beneficial interest of a trust or unincorporated enterprise which is a substantial contributor to the Competition Sponsor is prohibited from entering the Competition. A "substantial contributor" means any individual or entity who contributed or bequeathed an aggregate amount of more than $5,000 to the Competition Sponsor, if such amount is more than two percent of the total contributions and bequests received by the Competition Sponsor before the close of the taxable year of the Competition Sponsor in which the contribution or bequest is received by the Competition Sponsor from such individual or entity. The judges are also subject to a conflicts of interest policy.
Entries that are submitted in connection with the Competition will only be eligible if such Entries (i) are in English, including all scripts and voiceovers, (ii) do not contain content that is unlawful (including any infringement or potential infringement of Intellectual Property Rights), hateful or obscene, in the Competition Sponsor's sole discretion, and (iii) do not include any other identifiable individual other than the individual participant unless prior express consent is obtained from such individual or such images are in the public domain. The Competition Sponsor will allow only those entries that meet all of these criteria, in the sole discretion of the Competition Sponsor.
Content. The Content created or provided by You must be Your own. You represent and warrant that (i) Your Entry is an original work created solely by You and that You own all Intellectual Property in and to the Entry, (ii) Your Entry does not violate any applicable law, rule or regulation, (iii) no other party has any right, title, claim or interest (or potential right, title, claim or interest) in the Entry (including Intellectual Property Rights), except as expressly identified by You to us in writing, (iv) You own and are free to grant to the Competition Sponsor all rights in and to Your Entry that is granted herein and (v) use of Your Entry by Competition Sponsor will not infringe or involve the misappropriation of any third party rights. You (or Your parent/guardian if a minor) agree to indemnify and hold harmless Competition Sponsor and its affiliates from and against any breach of this warranty.
By submitting Your Entry, You represent and warrant that You have the right to grant, and do hereby grant, to Competition Sponsor a royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, sublicensable and non-exclusive right and license to (a) use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform and display any such content (in whole or in part) worldwide and/or to incorporate all or any portion of it in other works in any form, media or technology now known or later developed for the full term of any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other proprietary rights of any party that may exist in such Content; and (b) use the Content, including without limitation, the right and license to make, use, sell, offer for sale, and import any products and/or services which practice or embody, or are configured for use in practicing, all or any portion of the Content and the right to practice. If there are portions of the Entry that are encumbered by third party Intellectual Property Rights, it is Your responsibility to disclose them, and such third party content may cause Your Entry to be disqualified in the sole discretion of the Competition Sponsor. Any breach of any of the representations and warranties made by You or the inability by You to make the representations and warranties contained herein may result in Your Entry being disqualified in the sole discretion of the Competition Sponsor.
Under no circumstances will the Competition Sponsor be required to treat any Content as confidential. The Competition Sponsor will be entitled to use the Content for any purpose whatsoever without permission from or compensation to You or any other person. For the avoidance of doubt, the Competition Sponsor will not be liable to You or any other person for any ideas for the Competition Sponsor's business (including, without limitation, product designs or ideas) derived from the content and will not incur any liability as a result of any similarities to the content that may appear in any future products or services of the Competition Sponsor.
How to Submit an Entry. To submit an Entry for the Competition, go to breakthroughjuniorchallenge.org, click "Enter" at the top of the webpage and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the Application form to receive one (1) Entry into the Competition. In order for your Entry to be valid and complete, You must also review at least five (5) other Entries from other entrants ("Peers"), as further described below. In addition, Your video submission must be 3 minutes or under according to the clock on YouTube. Your video should also not be marked as private as it will not be able to be viewed and judged in the Competition. Any video over 3 minutes or marked as private may be disqualified from the Competition in the sole discretion of the Competition Sponsor.
Limit to one (1) Entry per person during the Competition Period. You may not Enter under more than one true and uniform identity; multiple Entries from an entrant are not allowed and may be disqualified. ALL ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY July 1, 2018 at 11:59 PM PDT. Once submitted, Your Entry becomes the exclusive property of the Competition Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned. Proof of submission of an entry does not constitute proof of receipt by Competition Sponsor.
Competition Sponsor may disqualify, in its sole and absolute discretion, Entries that are or allegedly are (i) not reasonably pertinent to the subject matter of the Competition, (ii) duplicates of previous Entries, or (iii) illegible, incomplete, forged, altered or mechanically produced or reproduced. Any Entry otherwise in violation of these RULES in the sole discretion of the competition sponsor may also be disqualified. Participation in the Competition is voluntary and does not require You to purchase anything from the Competition Sponsor.
The Competition Sponsor will have no obligation (express or implied) to use or display any Entry and may at any time abandon the use of Your Entry for any reason, or for no reason. You (or Your parent/guardian if a minor) agree to defend, indemnify and hold the Competition Sponsor harmless from and against, any claims, liabilities, actions, damages, costs and expenses (including attorneys' fees) arising out of or in connection with the Your Entry or Your participation in the Competition.
Assessment Phases: There are four phases of assessment for each qualified Entry, which are listed below.
First Phase. Upon submitting Your Entry, qualified Entries will be distributed to other entrants during a Peer-to-Peer review of those Entries. You will be required to review at least five (5) other Entries from Your Peers by July 25, 2018 at 11:59 PM PDT. If You do not complete those reviews, Your participation may be terminated, resulting in the disqualification of Your Entry. You may be asked to review and score additional Entries as well. If you would like to review and score more videos, you may score a maximum of 100 peer submissions with a limit of 20 videos per day. Please read and understand the TRAIT SCORING RUBRIC located at breakthroughjuniorchallenge.org/judging that You will use to review the Peers' Entry. The TRAIT SCORING RUBRIC provides four (4) criteria, each of which are scored on a 5-point scale. The scores from each Peer-to-Peer review will be statistically normalized using an algorithm, which will populate a rank order of the Entries. The top Entries (up to seventy-five (75)) will be subjected to an administrative review by the Competition Sponsor to ensure compliance with all of the requirements of the Competition ("Administrative Review"). If such Entries are deemed to pass such Administrative Review, they will advance to the next phase, outlined below (the "First Phase Finalists"). Please note that this process was designed to utilize the skills and talents of the entrants and to increase the exposure to the Entries. Therefore, we hope that You will approach the Peer-to-Peer review process as an educational experience and with good faith by providing an honest and sincere assessment of the Peers' Entries.
Second Phase. Each of the First Phase Finalist's Entries will receive a minimum of five (5) reviews by randomly selected members of an evaluation panel, which consists of experts who are identified on this Website (the "Evaluation Panel"). The Evaluation Panel will utilize the same review process described in Section 5(a) for each assigned First Phase Finalist. Based on a rank order of these scores, the top Entries (up to thirty (30)) will be subjected to a second Administrative Review. If such Entries are deemed to pass such Administrative Review, they (the "Semi-Finalists") will advance to the next phase, outlined below (the "Third Phase").
Popular Vote: Up to 30 videos will be posted on the Breakthrough Prize Facebook Page (in a randomized order) including the top 2 videos from each of the 7 Geographic Regions and the top scoring videos from the Evaluation Panel review for a period of 14 days. All entrants and friends of entrants will be invited to "like" their favorite video. The Entry with the highest combined total of Likes, Shares and positive reactions (Love, Haha, Wow) on the video's original post on our Breakthrough Facebook page as of September 20, 2018 at 11:59 PM PST will be moved to the Fourth Phase, as described below (the "Popular Vote Top Scorer").
Regional Champions. Additionally, the top scoring video (combined total of Likes, Shares and positive reactions (Love, Haha, Wow) on our Facebook page from each of the 7 Geographic Regions will be named a "Regional Champion." All 7 Regional Champions will be posted on our website as well as the Finalist videos (fifteen (15)) and the Top Popular Vote Top Scorer.
Fourth Phase. The Finalists will be reviewed by a selection committee consisting of the experts identified on this Website (the "Selection Committee"). The highest scoring "Finalists" from the Selection Committee Review (up to 5) will move to the Fourth Phase based on the TRAIT SCORING RUBRIC. The Competition Sponsor shall assess such top five (5) Entries and the Popular Vote Top Scorer and select the winner based on the TRAIT SCORING RUBRIC. The Chairman of Competition Sponsor shall have final, sole and absolute responsibility to select the Winner at the conclusion of the Fourth Phase.
Tiebreaker. Where a tie occurs in any of the phases above, entrants who are tied will be further ranked according to a secondary score provided by the same evaluators. If the secondary score is also equal among a sub-set of ties, the Chairman of the Competition Sponsor shall determine the final rank order.
The Winner will be announced in November 2018 at the Breakthrough Prize Ceremony and the selection of the Winner shall be binding on You and all entrants. The Winner will be required to attend an award ceremony scheduled in November 2018 (date to be announced).
Grant of Rights: Except where prohibited by law, by submitting an Entry, You hereby irrevocably grant to Competition Sponsor and its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, legal representatives, assigns, agents, and licensees, the unconditional and perpetual right and permission to reproduce, encode, store, copy, transmit, publish, post, broadcast, display, publicly perform, adapt, exhibit, and/or otherwise use or reuse, without limitation, Your Entry, as submitted or as edited, altered, or modified in any way by the Competition Sponsor or its respective designee(s), in the Competition Sponsor's sole discretion, in any media throughout the world for any purpose, without limitation and without additional review, compensation, or approval from You or any other party. You also grant the Competition Sponsor the right to use Your name, city and state, image, voice, likeness, photos, statements, biographical materials, Prize information and other material and information, without limitation, for the Competition Sponsor's promotional purposes without further permission or compensation.
You (or Your Parent/guardian if a Minor) May Be Required to Execute Such Documents and Take Such Actions as May Be Required by the Competition Sponsor, Including, Without Limitation, Executing Documents to Irrevocably Assign and Transfer to the Competition Sponsor Any and All Rights, Title, and Interest in the Entry and Submission, Including, Without Limitation and as Applicable, All Copyrights, and Forever Waive All Moral Rights in the Entry and Submission, Any Rights of Privacy, Intellectual Property Rights, and Any Other Legal or Moral Rights That Might Preclude the Competition Sponsor's Use, Alteration, or Modification of the Entry and/or Submission, or Require Your Permission to Use It for Any Purpose, and Agrees to Never Sue or Assert Any Claim Against the Competition Sponsor or Any Entity Acting Pursuant to the Competition Sponsor's Direction for Any Use, Alteration of Such Entry and/or Submission. Further, to the extent that You did not film the entirety of the Entry Yourself, Competition Sponsor may request that You (or Your parent/guardian if a minor) secure from any videographer an irrevocable assignment and transfer to Competition Sponsor all of any such videographer's right, title and interest in and to the Entry, including all but not limited to all copyright and trademark rights which he or she may have, in the United States and worldwide, therein, for consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged. Any failure by You to secure such requested irrevocable assignment and transfer from a videographer may result in Your disqualification from the Competition, in the sole discretion of the Competition Sponsor.
Winner Notification and Prize Claim. On or prior to November 2018, an email notification will be sent to the Winner to the email addresses provided at the time of Entry. The Winner will be required to verify his or her eligibility by completing, signing, notarizing, and returning an Affidavit of Eligibility/Liability Release, and, where lawful, a Publicity Release within five (5) business days of attempted mail notification, or the Prize may be forfeited and the entrant with the next highest score may be contacted as an alternate winner. If the Winner is a minor in his/her state or country of residence, such minor's parent or legal guardian must sign and complete the Affidavit of Eligibility/Liability Release, and, where lawful the Publicity Release on such minor's behalf. If the Prize is forfeited for any reason, the entrant with the next highest score may be contacted as an alternate winner.
One (1) Prize ("Prize") will be awarded to the Winner consisting of: a $250,000 college scholarship ("Scholarship") and renovations to the Winner's school ("School") valued up to $100,000 for the renovation or addition of a science lab. As part of the Prize, the Winner will also elect one teacher ("Teacher") who has inspired the Winner in the field of science or mathematics, and such teacher will be awarded $50,000. The Competition Sponsor will (i) coordinate the renovation details with the School, (ii) supply a team to work on remodeling, and (iii) pay up to $100,000 for all approved expenses associated with the renovation. The total approximate retail value of the Prize is $400,000.
Scholarship can only be used for education-related expenses including tuition and fees, required books and supplies, on-campus room and board and other education-related expenses (as approved by Competition Sponsor) at an accredited post-secondary educational institution for undergraduate enrollment.
The scholarship amount for a particular year is not to exceed the total cost of tuition, fees and education-related expenses. The amount of education related expenses may be determined by your school financial aid representative annually and documented on a School Cost/Enrollment Verification Form.
Post-secondary educational institutions must be accredited undergraduate institutions or non-U.S. equivalents.
Scholarship will be paid directly to the post-secondary undergraduate educational institutions in which winners are enrolled.
Scholarship must be used within 8 years of graduation from secondary school or will be forfeited in whole or in part.
Scholarship is personal and is not assignable to any other student in whole or in part.
Any unused portions of the Prize will be returned to the Competition Sponsor and the Winner shall have no further claim.
Competition Sponsor will endeavor to treat Scholarship as exempt from taxes, but any portion that is ineligible will be the responsibility of the Winner.
Right to receive the Prize is contingent on signing any required agreements provided by the Competition Sponsor, and failure to do so may result in disqualification from the Competition resulting in the selection of an alternate Winner at the Competition Sponsor's sole discretion.
Teacher and/or School may also be required to sign agreements with Competition Sponsor in order to receive the Prize.
Teacher and/or School has the right to reject the Prize.
The Competition Sponsor has the sole discretion to reserve any portion of the Prize if the Winner, Teacher or School is not properly verified or does not meet the requirements set forth in these RULES.
School must confirm the eligibility to receive the Prize, including providing evidence of being a nonprofit or governmental institution or its international equivalent, in each case in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
If You are home schooled or otherwise not enrolled in a school that is eligible to receive the lab Prize, You may recommend a recipient school, but the decision whether or not to award a lab and to which school shall each be in the sole and absolute discretion of the Competition Sponsor.
The Prize shall be paid in a manner and on the timeline to be determined in the discretion of the Competition Sponsor.
No assignment, substitution, exchange, or cash equivalent will be allowed, except at Sponsor's sole discretion. The Winner may not request a division of the Prize.
The Winner is solely responsible for all costs and expenses associated with the Prize not stated in these RULES.
Limitation of Liability and Release. By submitting Your Entry, You (or Your parent/guardian if a minor) agree to release, discharge and hold harmless the Competition Sponsor, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, members of the Evaluation Panel, members of the Selection Committee and their respective partners, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising agencies, consultants, legal counsel, advertising, public relations, promotional, fulfillment and marketing agencies, website providers, Web masters, agents, employees, officers, directors and representatives (all of the foregoing, the "Released Parties") from any Loss arising out of Your participation in this Competition and the acceptance and use, misuse, or possession of any Prize. The Released Parties assume no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, or delay in operation or transmission; communications line failure; theft or destruction of or unauthorized access to Entries or Application forms; or alteration of Entries or Application forms. Released Parties are not responsible for any problems with or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any entry to be received on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or any website, human errors of any kind, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to entrants' or any other persons' computers related to or resulting from participation, uploading or downloading of any materials related to this Competition. The Released Parties are not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by any Website users, tampering, hacking or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Competition and assume no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, technical error, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to the Website or any Competition-related website(s).
If for any reason, the Competition is not capable of running as planned, the Competition Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Competition and/or proceed with the Competition, including the selection of the Winner in a manner it deems fair and reasonable (with or without reference to the public votes). The Competition is subject to all federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Since the Competition can be canceled, terminated, modified or suspended, You should check back periodically. You continued use of the website and/or Your entry into the Competition indicates your acceptance of any cancellation, termination, modification or suspension.
Without limiting the foregoing, everything regarding the Competition, including this Website and the Prize, are provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. Some jurisdictions may not allow the limitations or exclusions of liability for incidental or consequential damages or exclusions of implied warranties, therefore some of the above limitations or exclusions may not apply. Check local laws for any restrictions or limitations regarding these limitations or exclusions.
Governing Law. This Competition Is Void Where Prohibited. Entrants agree that this Competition shall be subject to and governed by the laws of the State of California and the United States of America.
Arbitration Agreement; Dispute Resolution By Binding Arbitration.
Agreement to Arbitrate: This Section is referred to in these RULES as the "Arbitration Agreement." You agree that any and all disputes or claims that have arisen or may arise between You and the Competition Sponsor, whether arising out of or relating to these RULES, the Competition, Your participation in the Competition, the Prize, acceptance, possession, use or misuse of the Prize, any advertising, or any aspect of the relationship between us, shall be resolved exclusively through final and binding arbitration, rather than a court, in accordance with the terms of this Arbitration Agreement, except that You may assert individual claims in small claims court, if Your claims qualify. Further, this Arbitration Agreement does not preclude You from bringing issues to the attention of federal, state or local agencies, and such agencies can, if the law allows, seek relief against us on Your behalf. You agree that, by participating in the Competition, You and the Competition Sponsor are each waiving the right to a trial by jury or to participate in a class action. Your rights will be determined by a neutral arbitrator, not a judge or jury. The Federal Arbitration Act governs the interpretation and enforcement of this Arbitration Agreement.
Prohibition of class and representative actions and non-individualized relief: you and the competition sponsor agree that each of us may bring claims against the other only on an individual basis and not as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class or representative action or proceeding. Unless both you and the competition sponsor agree otherwise, the arbitrator may not consolidate or join more than one person's or party's claims and may not otherwise preside over any form of a consolidated, representative, or class proceeding. Also, the arbitrator may award relief (including monetary, injunctive, and declaratory relief) only in favor of the individual party seeking relief and only to the extent necessary to provide relief necessitated by that party's individual claim(s).
Pre-Arbitration Dispute Resolution: The Competition Sponsor is always interested in resolving disputes amicably and efficiently, and most participant concerns can be resolved quickly and to the participant's satisfaction by emailing the Competition Sponsor's support team at challenge@breakthroughprize.org. If such efforts prove unsuccessful, a party who intends to seek arbitration must first send to the other, by certified mail, a written Notice of Dispute ("Notice"). The Notice to the Competition Sponsor should be sent to Breakthrough Prize Foundation, c/o 901 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001 ("Notice Address"). The Notice must (i) describe the nature and basis of the claim or dispute and (ii) set forth the specific relief sought. If the Competition Sponsor and You do not resolve the claim within sixty (60) calendar days after the Notice is received, You or the Competition Sponsor may commence an arbitration proceeding. During the arbitration, the amount of any settlement offer made by the Competition Sponsor or You shall not be disclosed to the arbitrator until after the arbitrator determines the amount, if any, to which You or the Competition Sponsor is entitled.
Arbitration Procedures: Arbitration will be conducted by a neutral arbitrator in accordance with the American Arbitration Association's ("AAA") rules and procedures, including the AAA's Supplementary Procedures for Consumer-Related Disputes (collectively, the "AAA Rules"), as modified by this Arbitration Agreement. For information on the AAA, please visit its website, http://www.adr.org. Information about the AAA Rules and fees for consumer disputes can be found at the AAA's consumer arbitration page, http://www.adr.org/consumer_arbitration. If there is any inconsistency between any term of the AAA Rules and any term of this Arbitration Agreement, the applicable terms of this Arbitration Agreement will control unless the arbitrator determines that the application of the inconsistent Arbitration Agreement terms would not result in a fundamentally fair arbitration. The arbitrator must also follow the provisions of these RULES as a court would. All issues are for the arbitrator to decide, including, but not limited to, issues relating to the scope, enforceability, and arbitrability of this Arbitration Agreement. Although arbitration proceedings are usually simpler and more streamlined than trials and other judicial proceedings, the arbitrator can award the same damages and relief on an individual basis that a court can award to an individual under these RULES and applicable law. Decisions by the arbitrator are enforceable in court and may be overturned by a court only for very limited reasons.
Unless the Competition Sponsor and You agree otherwise, any arbitration hearings will take place in a reasonably convenient location for both parties with due consideration of their ability to travel and other pertinent circumstances. If the parties are unable to agree on a location, the determination shall be made by AAA. If Your claim is for $10,000 or less, the Competition Sponsor agrees that You may choose whether the arbitration will be conducted solely on the basis of documents submitted to the arbitrator, through a telephonic hearing or by an in-person hearing as established by the AAA Rules. If Your claim exceeds $10,000, the right to a hearing will be determined by the AAA Rules. Regardless of the manner in which the arbitration is conducted, the arbitrator shall issue a reasoned written decision sufficient to explain the essential findings and conclusions on which the award is based.
Severability: If a court or the arbitrator decides that any term or provision of this Arbitration Agreement other than clause 10 (b) above is invalid or unenforceable, the parties agree to replace such term or provision with a term or provision that is valid and enforceable and that comes closest to expressing the intention of the invalid or unenforceable term or provision, and this Arbitration Agreement shall be enforceable as so modified. If a court or the arbitrator decides that any of the provisions of clause 10 (b) is invalid or unenforceable, then the entirety of this Arbitration Agreement shall be null and void. The remainder of these RULES will continue to apply.
Winner List. The name of the Winner will be posted on this Website after verification and announcement of the Winner and will remain posted for at least ninety (90) days thereafter.
Copyright (c) 2016 Breakthrough Prize Foundation. All rights reserved. Breakthrough Prize Foundation and the associated logos are registered trademarks of Breakthrough Prize Foundation and its affiliates. Any other trademarks in these RULES are used for prize identification purposes ONLY and are the properties of their respective owners.


text:
Ukam - Saraikela Kharsawan
Ukam Population - Saraikela Kharsawan, Jharkhand
Ukam is a medium size village located in Adityapur(Gamharia) Block of Saraikela Kharsawan district, Jharkhand with total 84 families residing. The Ukam village has population of 423 of which 204 are males while 219 are females as per Population Census 2011.
In Ukam village population of children with age 0-6 is 73 which makes up 17.26 % of total population of village. Average Sex Ratio of Ukam village is 1074 which is higher than Jharkhand state average of 948. Child Sex Ratio for the Ukam as per census is 698, lower than Jharkhand average of 948.
Ukam village has lower literacy rate compared to Jharkhand. In 2011, literacy rate of Ukam village was 60.57 % compared to 66.41 % of Jharkhand. In Ukam Male literacy stands at 79.50 % while female literacy rate was 44.44 %.
As per constitution of India and Panchyati Raaj Act, Ukam village is administrated by Sarpanch (Head of Village) who is elected representative of village. Our website, don't have information about schools and hospital in Ukam village.
Ukam Data
Total No. of Houses 84 - -
Schedule Caste 0 0 0
Total Workers 158 108 50
Main Worker 79 - -
Marginal Worker 79 41 38
In Ukam village, most of the village population is from Schedule Tribe (ST). Schedule Tribe (ST) constitutes 86.29 % of total population in Ukam village. There is no population of Schedule Caste (SC) in Ukam village of Saraikela Kharsawan.
In Ukam village out of total population, 158 were engaged in work activities. 50.00 % of workers describe their work as Main Work (Employment or Earning more than 6 Months) while 50.00 % were involved in Marginal activity providing livelihood for less than 6 months. Of 158 workers engaged in Main Work, 1 were cultivators (owner or co-owner) while 0 were Agricultural labourer.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Le Chameau Vierzonord Wellies are a best seller amongst their fantastic range. These hardy, classic country wellies are perfect for those who want a durable wellington boot for work or play! Constructed from the very best natural rubber, these hand crafted boots come complete with a variety of linings, including jersey for everyday use, and neoprene for adding that extra benefit of warmth when the weather dips! These expertly crafted boots feature 100% waterproof outers, with waterproof gussets to ensure you can alter the boots to suit your individual needs without compromising on practicality. If you are looking for a pair of high quality, working wellington boots, then we can't recommend the Le Chameau Vierzonord Boots highly enough – the moment you try them, you can feel excellence built into every inch, and we're sure you'll love them as much as we do!


NEW for Christmas 2010! Pattern includes instructions for 3 wonderful holiday designs...11 1/2" St. Nick & Parson Brown doll piece that is nestled upon a paper mache box. Vintage sisal trees & wreath adds extra detail and charm. Old sheet music scallop finishes off this piece nicely. For a fun & quick project, is the 11" x 14" quick sew appliqued picture. Various cross stitch motifs and sheet music adds texture and appeal to this picture. Lastly, is the 5 1/2" punch needle tree ornament. This piece was inspired by the old bulbs that tapered to a point on the bottom...just like the ones that hung on my Grammie's tree. Wool holly leaves & rusty jingle bell and hanger brings an extra special touch to this ornament.
Another 3 for 2 pattern! Pattern includes instructions for an 8" x 6" quick sew appliqued penny rug, quick sew appliqued framed picture and a sweet little 6 1/2" punch needle mitten. Did I mention sheet music? I love old sheet music, any old papers at all really...so I've added paper to these for added detail and charm. These items are all quick sew projects and will warm your heart & home all winter long!
3 patterns for the price of 2! Pattern includes instructions for the wool penny rug with embroidered christmas tree motifs, St. Nick punch needle hornbook and a cross stitched book binding.
NEW Santa for 2009! Pattern for a 20" woodsy santa that is constructed from cloth & paper clay. Easy to follow instructions with photos walk you through the process of making this wonderful guys face...it is much easier then you may think! Gently tucked in santa's arms is Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. Real spruce pine and vintage chenille candycanes adds additional charm to this piece. Check out our supplies category for the Paper Clay & chenille candycane pipecleaners needed for this pattern.
NEW for Christmas 2009 ! Sweet little 4" Christmas tree ornament is constructed from a glass tree bulb and Paper Clay. Easy to follow instructions along with photos walks you through the simple steps of forming snowman's head from clay...so simple & fun! Wooly holly leaves and rusty jingle bell adds charm to this piece. We sell the clear Christmas tree bulbs for this pattern...see them under the supplies category.
NEW for Christmas 2009! Queen of Winter is just as sweet as can be...from the tip of her music paper tiara to the tips of her little black boots! Vintage chenille candycane, glittery snowflake and fresh spruce pine make her so very special. 18" doll is constructed from cloth & paperclay. Pattern includes lots of photos and easy to follow instructions for forming the clay head...much easier then you may think! Check out the supplies category for glitter glue, rusty tin snowflakes, PaperClay and candycane pipecleaners...all needed to complete this special snow lady.
Pattern for an 18" quick & easy snowman. A simple one piece body makes for simple construction. Parson is sporting his favorite brown wool top hat & old brown winter skates. A sparse bundle of dried Sweet Annie and a vintage candy cane are tucked under his arm for added charm. Be sure to check out our CALICO category for the great green wooly flannel used for Parson's scarf! Vintage candycane pipecleaners and Sweet Annie can be found under the SUPPLIES category.
Introducing our 2008 St. Nick pattern! Instructions for a 22" St. Nick that is dressed in a wooly flannel robe. The pocket is stitched on 25 count Dublin Flax linen with little pine trees & reindeer motifs. The pocket is then backed in civil war reproduction calico. Dried Sweet Annie and vintage candy cane pipecleaners are tucked into the pocket for added detail and charm.


text:
Debunking the Aryan Invasion theory
By Dr. David Frawley
vedicinst@aol.com
davidfrawleyved
How did Indian Kings Armies compare to the British and Yeshwantrao Holkar I vision
INDICA by Megasthenes
About The CHOLAS
Study of Inscriptions during the Pallavas era
SHIVAJI Maharaj - A NAVAL Visionary
Study of Literary Sources and Inscriptions during the Maurya Era
The UDASI Tradition
The IDEA of INDIA, A Historical Corrective
A History of Maratha Navy and Merchantships
The Silence on Kashmir`s Historical Identity
Influence of Women in Indian Epics
Inscriptions during the Chola Era
The story of Raja Suheldev and Battle of Bahraich
KASHI YATRA in the Peshwa period
MAHADJI SCINDIA - His Life and his Death
Two Brave Begums of Awadh
THE SAGA OF RAJA SHIVAJI - From AGRA to SALHER
The Tale of Syamantak Mani called KOHINOOR
Is Modern day Sikhism a Colonial Construct
TANAJI - The Hero of Sinhagad
The IDEA of India
Captain Amarinder Singh gameplan on Kartarpur corridor
How the Marathas captured ATTOCK in modern day Pakistan
Hindu Resistance, Counter Attacks that saved Hindu society
Hindu Resistance to Islamic invasions and Counter attacks
Life Story of VEER SAVARKAR Part 7
The Dharmic Past of Kashmir
Sindhis, From Sharanarthi to Purusharthi
PATWARDHANS - SWORD ARM OF THE PESHWAI - PART 4
Sika Andar, O Alexander!
What happened during the Khalistan Movement
Sindh Gained - Sindh Lost
The Return of Queen Yesubai
FARMAN-BADI THE ZENITH OF THE SHINDE-SHAHI
PATWARDHANS - THE SWORD ARM OF THE PESHWAI PART 3
How the Indian National Army Contributed to India`s Independence
Pakistan`s LOST INDIAN Heritage - Part 1
LIFE STORY of VEER SAVARKAR - Part 1
KANHOJI ANGRE was India`s first naval commander
PATWARDHANS - Sword Arm of the Peshwai PART 2
Hindu resistance to Islamic conquests - How Rajputs won and lost
FAMINES during British Rule
Ahom Queen SATI JOYMATI
Karnataka Goddess of Courage - KITTUR RANI CHENNAMMA
Hindu resistance to the Islamic conquest of North India - The Battle of Bahraich
PATWARDHANS - the Sword arm of the Peshwai
Was India Always a Poor Country
The Battle of SARAGARHI
Hindu resistance to the Islamic conquest of Sindh, Punjab and Kabul
THE STORY OF THANJAVUR`s MARATHA KINGS
ISHTUR PHAKDA - The Story of Captain James Stuart.
The real butchers of Punjab were Khalistanis and not KPS Gill
History of Indian Fashion
VANDE MATARAM - Birth and Journey of the Mantra
The Battle of CHAMKAUR
The Story of Indian History - Introduction
Names of the Days of the Week
BATTLES FOR DELHI DILLI KAREEB AST
The Battle of ASSAYE
Background to the Battle of ASSAYE
Warrior Queens Rani Durgawati and Naikidevi
The Saka Lands Linking India and Europe
THE STORY OF GHASHIRAM KOTWAL - A PROVOST OF PUNE
NANASAHEB PESHWA - THE ARCHITECT OF AN EMPIRE AND A CITY
THE THIRD ANGLO-MARATHA WAR PART 3 - END OF THE MARATHA RAJ
THE THREE AND A HALF WISE MEN OF THE PESHWA PERIOD
BAJIRAO PESHWA - THE EMPIRE BUILDER
TIPU as HE REALLY WAS
Was Article 370 promised when the Instrument of Accession was signed
All you wanted to know about Jammu and Kashmir Accession to India
CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI - THE KING WHO CARED FOR HIS PEOPLE Part 3
History of how BSF was born after CRPF defeated Pakistani soldiers in 1965
The diamond that was stolen twice
History of the word Dalit
The British Plunder of Bengal
Sacking the Subcontinent Part 4 Ahmed Shah Abdali
THE THIRD ANGLO MARATHA WAR Part 2 - Khadki to Koregaon
Sacking the Subcontinent Part 3 NADIR SHAH
Sacking the Subcontinent Part 2 TAIMUR
Sacking the Subcontinent Part 1
The Extraordinary Exploits of CHIMAJI APPA
Marathas wanted to liberate Hindu holy sites
THIRD BATTLE OF PANIPAT 14 January 1761
Sir Syed and India s Islamic surgery
Bajirao Peshwa`s dash to Delhi 1737
The Ghadar Party
How the Khalistan Movement was defeated in Punjab
Rani Padmini and Alauddin Khilji
What were the events that lead to Operation Blue Star
No Peace, only Pieces - The Sufi Mission in Kashmir
How the British divided Punjab into Hindu and Sikh
The International Linkages of Gujarat
How The British Sowed The Seeds For Khalistani Movement Before Indians Took Over
The Indian Army Museum Leh needs to go global
HINDU-PAD-PADASHAHI
How California Gurudwaras have cemented Hindu Sikh divide created by the British
Contribution of Travancore rulers to the advancement of Education in Kerala
History of Sikhs
Ancient Legacy of Kashmir
The Kashmir Conundrum is like Abhimanyu`s Chakravyuh
Everything you wanted to know about the Jammu & Kashmir Problem
The Fort of Jalore
Re-examining history-The making of the Taj
Stolen Wealth of India
Islam in India
Civil Disobedience in the Indian Tradition
And you thought only modern India was a republic
Shivaji and the rebirth of a nation
Freedom did not come at midnight
Jainism in Karnataka
Forts & Palaces of Maharashtra
The Jodhpur Story
Who was responsible for Partition
The Status of Women in India
Why did Buddhism vanish from India
Indian Science & Technology in the 18th century
Indigeneous Education in the 18th century
Rediscovering India by Dharampal
Adi Devta Arya Devta
Aligarh Movement
Basavanna & Vir Shaivism Lingayat Movement
History of Jammu and Kashmir
Khilafat Movement
Maratha Supremacy in the 18th century
Taj Mahal a architects point of view
Taj Mahal a Shiv Temple
Teachings of Arya Samaj
The Story of the Vivekananda Rock Memorial
Wahabhi Movement and Muhammad Iqbal
How the British created the dowry system in Punjab
The Unbreakable Hindu Sikh bond
Why did the Portuguese want to discover India
Why has Asceticism led to the weakening of Bharat
Why India is a poor country
Are Hinduism and Sikhism different Religions
Why was Gandhi killed (full)
Why was Gandhi killed (short)
Why was the first son made a Sikh
Ajai Sahni
Casi Raja Pundit
Col Anil Athale
Col Jaibans Singh
Commander Pratap Singh Mehta
Dharampal
Dimple Kaul
Dr B K Apte
Dr S. Srikanta Sastri
Dr. Arvind S. Godbole
Dr. David Frawley
Gagandeep Bakshi
Gajanan Bhaskar Mehendale
Hari Shree Vidyalayam
Kamlesh Tripathi
Katie Dubey
Lt Gen H S Panag
N A Ramachandra Pai
Neelakanta Sastri
Nikhil Nayak
Nithin Sridhar
P N Oak
Parvez Mahmood
Prof Dr. Shyam Singh Tanwar
Professor Marvin H. Mills
R K Ohri
Rajeev Katyal
S. Jayakumar
Shantanu Bhagvat
Shonaleeka Kaul
Subhash Kak
V. D. Savarkar
One of the main ideas used to interpret - and generally devalue - the ancient history of India is the theory of the Aryan invasion. According to this account, India was invaded and conquered by nomadic light-skinned Indo-European tribes from Central Asia around 1500-100 BC, who overthrew an earlier and more advanced dark-skinned Dravidian civilization from which they took most of what later became Hindu culture. This so-called pre-Aryan civilization is said to be evidenced by the large urban ruins of what has been called the "Indus valley culture" (as most of its initial sites were on the Indus River). The war between the powers of light and darkness, a prevalent idea in ancient Aryan Vedic scriptures, was thus interpreted to refer to this war between light and dark- skinned peoples. The Aryan invasion theory thus turned the "Vedas", the original scriptures of ancient India and the Indo-Aryans, into little more than primitive poems of uncivilized plunderers.
This idea - totally foreign to the history of India, whether north or south - has become almost an unquestioned truth in the interpretation of ancient history Today, after nearly all the reasons for its supposed validity have been refuted, even major Western scholars are at last beginning to call it in question.
In this article we will summarize the main points that have arisen. This is a complex subject that I have dealt with in depth in my book "Gods, Sages and Kings: Vedic Secrets of Ancient Civilization", for those interested in further examination of the subject.
The Indus valley culture was pronounced pre-Aryans for several reasons that were largely part of the cultural milieu of nineteenth century European thinking as scholars following Max Mullar had decided that the Aryans came into India around 1500 BC, since the Indus valley culture was earlier than this, they concluded that it had to be pre-Aryan. Yet the rationale behind the late date for the Vedic culture given by Muller was totally speculative. Max Muller, like many of the Christian scholars of his era, believed in Biblical chronology. This placed the beginning of the world at 400 BC and the flood around 2500 BC. Assuming to those two dates, it became difficult to get the Aryans in India before 1500 BC.
Muller therefore assumed that the five layers of the four 'Vedas' & 'Upanishads' were each composed in 200 year periods before the Buddha at 500 BC. However, there are more changes of language in Vedic Sanskrit itself than there are in classical Sanskrit since Panini, also regarded as a figure of around 500 BC, or a period of 2500 years. Hence it is clear that each of these periods could have existed for any number of centuries and that the 200 year figure is totally arbitrary and is likely too short a figure.
It was assumed by these scholars - many of whom were also Christian missionaries unsympathetic to the 'Vedas' - that the Vedic culture was that of primitive nomads from Central Asia. Hence they could not have founded any urban culture like that of the Indus valley. The only basis for this was a rather questionable interpretation of the 'Rig Veda' that they made, ignoring the sophisticated nature of the culture presented within it.
Meanwhile, it was also pointed out that in the middle of the second millennium BC, a number of Indo-European invasions apparently occurred in the Middle East, wherein Indo-European peoples - the Hittites, Mittani and Kassites - conquered and ruled Mesopotamia for some centuries. An Aryan invasion of India would have been another version of this same movement of Indo-European peoples. On top of this, excavators of the Indus valley culture, like Wheeler, thought they found evidence of destruction of the culture by an outside invasion confirming this.
The Vedic culture was thus said to be that of primitive nomads who came out of Central Asia with their horse-drawn chariots and iron weapons and overthrew the cities of the more advanced Indus valley culture, with their superior battle tactics. It was pointed out that no horses; chariots
or iron was discovered in Indus valley sites.
This was how the Aryan invasion theory formed and has remained since then. Though little has been discovered that confirms this theory, there has been much hesitancy to question it, much less to give it up.
Further excavations discovered horses not only in Indus Valley sites but also in pre-Indus sites. The use of the horse has thus been proven for the whole range of ancient Indian history. Evidence of the wheel, and an Indus seal showing a spoked wheel as used in chariots, has also been found, suggesting the usage of chariots.
Moreover, the whole idea of nomads with chariots has been challenged. Chariots are not the vehicles of nomads. Their usage occurred only in ancient urban cultures with much flat land, of which the river plain of north India was the most suitable. Chariots are totally unsuitable for crossing mountains and deserts, as the so-called Aryan invasion required.
That the Vedic culture used iron - & must hence date later than the introduction of iron around 1500 BC - revolves around the meaning of the Vedic term "ayas", interpreted as iron. 'Ayas' in other Indo - European languages like Latin or German usually means copper, bronze or ore generally, not specially iron. There is no reason to insist that in such earlier Vedic times, 'ayas' meant iron, particularly since other metals are not mentioned in the 'Rig Veda' (except gold that is much more commonly referred to than ayas). Moreover, the 'Atharva Veda' and 'Yajur Veda' speak of different colors of 'ayas'(such as red & black), showing that it was a generic term.
Hence it is clear that 'ayas' generally meant metal and not specifically iron.
Moreover, the enemies of the Vedic people in the 'Rig Veda' also use ayas, even for making their cities, as do the Vedic people themselves. Hence there is nothing in Vedic literature to show that either the Vedic culture was an iron- based culture or that there enemies were not.
The 'Rig Veda' describes its Gods as 'destroyers of cities'. This was used also to regard the Vedic as a primitive non-urban culture that destroys cities and urban civilization. However, there are also many verses in the 'Rig Veda' that speak of the Aryans as having cities of their own and being protected by cities upto a hundred in number. Aryan Gods like Indra, Agni, Saraswati and the Adityas are praised as being like a city. Many ancient kings, including those of Egypt and Mesopotamia, had titles like destroyer or conquerer of cities. This does not turn them into nomads. Destruction of cities so happens in modern wars; this does not make those who do this are nomads. Hence the idea of Vedic culture as destroying but not building the cities is based upon ignoring what the Vedas actually say about their own cities. Further excavation revealed that the Indus Valley culture was not destroyed by outside invasion, but according to internal causes and, most likely, floods. Most recently a new set of cities has been found in India (like the Dwaraka and Bet Dwarka sites by S.R. Rao and the National Institute of Oceanography in India) which are intermediate between those of the Indus culture and later ancient India as visited y the Greeks. This may eliminate the so-called Dark Age following the presumed Aryan invasion and shows a continuous urban occupation India back to the beginning of the Indus culture.
The interpretation of the religion of the Indus Valley culture -made incidentally by scholars such as Wheeler who were not religious scholars much less students of Hinduism - was that its religion was different than the Vedic and more likely the later Shaivite religion. However, further excavations - both in Indus Valley site in Gujarat, like Lothal, and those in Rajsthan, like Kalibangan - show large number of fire altars like those used in the Vedic religion, along with bones of oxen, potsherds, shell jewelry and other items used in the rituals described in the 'Vedic Brahmanas'. Hence the Indus Valley culture evidences many Vedic practices that can not be merely coincidental. That some of its practices appeared non-Vedic to its excavators may also be attributed to their misunderstanding or lack of knowledge of Vedic and Hindu culture generally, wherein Vedism and Shaivism are the same basic tradition.
We must remember that ruins do not necessarily have one interpretation. Nor does the ability to discover ruins necessarily give the ability to interpret them correctly.
The Vedic people were thought to have been a fair-skinned race like the Europeans owing to the Vedic idea of a war between light and darkness, and the Vedic people being presented as children of light or children of the sun. Yet this idea of a war between light and darkness exists in most ancient cultures, including the Persian and the Egyptian. Why don't we interpret their scriptures as a war between light and dark-skinned people? It is purely a poetic metaphor, not a cultural statement. Moreover, no real traces of such a race are found in India.
Anthropologists have observed that the present population of Gujarat is composed of more or less the same ethnic groups as are noticed at Lothal in 2000 BC. Similarly, the present population of the Punjab is said to be ethnically the same as the population of Harappa and Rupar 4000 years ago. Linguistically the present day population of Gujrat and Punjab belongs to the Indo-Aryan language-speaking group. The only inference that can be drawn from the anthropological and linguistic evidences adduced above is that the Harappan population in
the Indus Valley and Gujrat in 2000 BC was composed of two or more groups, the more dominant among them having very close ethnic affinities with the present day Indo-Aryan speaking population of India.
In other words there is no racial evidence of any such Indo-Aryan invasion of India but only of continuity of the same group of people who traditionally considered themselves to be Aryans.
There are many points in fact that prove the Vedic nature of the Indus Valley culture. Further excavation has shown that the great majority of the sites of the Indus Valley culture were east, not west of Indus. In fact, the largest concentration of sites appears in an area of Punjab and Rajasthan near the dry banks of ancient Saraswati and Drishadvati rivers. The Vedic culture was said to have been founded by the sage Manu between the banks of Saraswati and Drishadvati rivers. The Saraswati is lauded as the main river (naditama) in the 'Rig Veda' & is the most frequently mentioned in the text. It is said to be a great flood and to be wide, even endless in size. Saraswati is said to be "pure in course from the mountains to the sea". Hence the Vedic people were well acquainted with this river and regarded it as their immemorial homeland.
The Saraswati, as modern land studies now reveal, was indeed one of the largest, if not the largest river in India. In early ancient and pre-historic times, it once drained the Sutlej, Yamuna and the Ganges, whose courses were much different than they are today. However, the Saraswati River went dry at the end of the Indus Valley culture and before the so-called Aryan invasion or before 1500 BC. In fact this may have caused the ending of the Indus culture. How could the Vedic Aryans know of this river and establish their culture on its banks if it dried up before they arrived? Indeed the Saraswati as described in the 'Rig Veda' appears to more accurately show it as it was prior to the Indus Valley culture as in the Indus era it was already in decline.
Vedic and late Vedic texts also contain interesting astronomical lore. The Vedic calendar was based upon astronomical sightings of the equinoxes and solstices. Such texts as 'Vedanga Jyotish' speak of a time when the vernal equinox was in the middle of the Nakshtra Aslesha (or about 23 degrees 20 minutes Cancer). This gives a date of 1300 BC. The 'Yajur Veda' and 'Atharva Veda' speak of the vernal equinox in the Krittikas (Pleiades; early Taurus) and the summer solstice (ayana) in Magha (early Leo). This gives a date about 2400 BC. Yet earlier eras are mentioned but these two have numerous references to substantiate them. They prove that the Vedic culture existed at these periods and already had a sophisticated system of astronomy. Such references were merely ignored or pronounced unintelligible by Western scholars because they yielded too early a date for the 'Vedas' than what they presumed, not because such references did not exist.
Vedic texts like 'Shatapatha Brahmana' and 'Aitereya Brahmana' that mention these astronomical references list a group of 11 Vedic Kings, including a number of figures of the 'Rig Veda', said to have conquered the region of India from 'sea to sea'. Lands of the Aryans are mentioned in them from Gandhara (Afghanistan) in the west to Videha (Nepal) in the east, and south to Vidarbha (Maharashtra). Hence the Vedic people were in these regions by the Krittika equinox or before 2400 BC. These passages were also ignored by Western scholars and it was said by them that the 'Vedas' had no evidence of large empires in India in Vedic times. Hence a pattern of ignoring literary evidence or misinterpreting them to suit the Aryan invasion idea became prevalent, even to the point of changing the meaning of Vedic words to suit this theory.
According to this theory, the Vedic people were nomads in the Punjab, coming down from Central Asia. However, the 'Rig Veda' itself has nearly 100 references to ocean (samudra), as well as dozens of references to ships, and to rivers flowing in to the sea. Vedic ancestors like Manu, Turvasha, Yadu and Bhujyu are flood figures, saved from across the sea. The Vedic God of the sea, Varuna, is the father of many Vedic seers and seer families like Vasishta, Agastya and the Bhrigu seers. To preserve the Aryan invasion idea it was assumed that the Vedic (and later Sanskrit) term for ocean, samudra, originally did not mean the ocean but any large body of water, especially the Indus river in Punjab. Here the clear meaning of a term in 'Rig Veda' and later times - verified by rivers like Saraswati mentioned by name as flowing into the sea - was altered to make the Aryan invasion theory fit. Yet if we look at the index to translation of the 'Rig Veda' by Griffith for example, who held to this idea that samudra didn't really mean the ocean, we find over 70 references to ocean or sea. If samudra does not mean ocean why was it translated as such? It is therefore without basis to locate Vedic kings in Central Asia far from any ocean or from the massive Saraswati River, which form the background of their land and the symbolism of their hymns.
One of the latest archeological ideas is that the Vedic culture is evidenced by Painted Grey Ware pottery in north India, which appears to date around 1000 BC and comes from the same region between the Ganges and Yamuna as later Vedic culture is related to. It is thought to be an inferior grade of pottery and to be associated with the use of iron that the 'Vedas' are thought to mention. However it is associated with a pig and rice culture, not the cow and barley culture of the 'Vedas'. Moreover it is now found to be an organic development of indigenous pottery, not an introduction of invaders.
Painted Grey Ware culture represents an indigenous cultural development and does not reflect any cultural intrusion from the West i.e. an Indo-Aryan invasion. Therefore, there is no archeological evidence corroborating the fact of an Indo-Aryan invasion.
In addition, the Aryans in the Middle East, most notably the Hittites, have now been found to have been in that region atleast as early as 2200 BC, wherein they are already mentioned. Hence the idea of an Aryan invasion into the Middle East has been pushed back some centuries, though the evidence so far is that the people of the moun- tain regions of the Middle East were Indo-Europeans as far as recorded history can prove.
The Aryan Kassites of the ancient Middle East worshipped Vedic Gods like Surya and the Maruts, as well as one named Himalaya. The Aryan Hittites and Mittani signed a treaty with the name of the Vedic Gods Indra, Mitra, Varuna and Nasatyas around 1400 BC. The Hittites have a treatise on chariot racing written in almost pure Sanskrit. The Indo -Europeans of the ancient Middle East thus spoke Indo-Aryan, not Indo-Iranian languages and thereby show a Vedic culture in that region of the world as well.
The Indus Valley culture had a form of writing, as evidenced by numerous seals found in the ruins. It was also assumed to be non-Vedic and probably Dravidian, though this was never proved. Now it has been shown that the majority of the late Indus signs are identical with those of later Hindu Brahmi and that there is an organic development between the two scripts. Prevalent models now suggest an Indo-European base for that language.
It was also assumed that the Indus Valley culture derived its civilization from the Middle East, probably Sumeria, as antecedents for it were not found in India. Recent French excavations at Mehrgarh have shown that all the antecedents of the Indus Valley culture can be found within the subcontinent and going back before 6000 BC. In short, some Western scholars are beginning to reject the Aryan invasion or any outside origin for Hindu civilization.
Current archeological data do not support the existence of an Indo- Aryan or European invasion into South Asia at any time in the pre- or protohistoric periods. Instead, it is possible to document archeologically a series of cultural changes reflecting indigenous cultural development from prehistoric to historic periods. The early Vedic literature describes not a human invasion into the area, but a fundamental restructuring of indigenous society. The Indo-Aryan invasion as an academic concept in 18th and 19th century Europe reflected the cultural milieu of the period. Linguistic data were used to validate the concept that in turn was used to interpret archeological and anthropological data.
In other words, Vedic literature was interpreted on the assumption that there was an Aryan invasion. Then archeological evidence was interpreted by the same assumption. And both interpretations were then used to justify each other. It is nothing but a tautology, an exercise in circular thinking that only proves that if assuming something is true, it is found to be true!
Another modern Western scholar, Colin Renfrew, places the Indo- Europeans in Greece as early as 6000 BC. He also suggests such a possible early date for their entry into India.
As far as I can see there is nothing in the Hymns of the 'Rig Veda' which demonstrates that the Vedic-speaking population was intrusive to the area: this comes rather from a historical assumption of the 'coming of the Indo-Europeans.
When Wheeler speaks of 'the Aryan invasion of the land of the 7 rivers, the Punjab', he has no warranty at all, so far as I can see. If one checks the dozen references in the 'Rig Veda' to the 7 rivers, there is nothing in them that to me implies invasion: the land of the 7 rivers is the land of the 'Rig Veda', the scene of action. Nor is it implied that the inhabitants of the walled cities (including the Dasyus) were any more aboriginal than the Aryans themselves.
Despite Wheeler's comments, it is difficult to see what is particularly non-Aryan about the Indus Valley civilization. Hence Renfrew suggests that the Indus Valley civilization was in fact Indo-Aryan even prior to the Indus Valley era:
This hypothesis that early Indo-European languages were spoken in North India with Pakistan and on the Iranian plateau at the 6th millennium BC has the merit of harmonizing symmetrically with the theory for the origin of the Indo- European languages in Europe. It also emphasizes the continuity in the Indus Valley and adjacent areas from the early Neolithic through to the floruit of the Indus Valley civilization.
This is not to say that such scholars appreciate or understand the 'Vedas' - their work leaves much to be desired in this respect - but that it is clear that the whole edifice built around the Aryan invasion is beginning to tumble on all sides. In addition, it does not mean that the 'Rig Veda' dates from the Indus Valley era. The Indus Valley culture resembles that of the 'Yajur Veda' and reflects the pre-Indus period in India, when the Saraswati River was more prominent.
The acceptance of such views would create a revolution in our view of history as shattering as that in science caused by Einstein's theory of relativity. It would make ancient India perhaps the oldest, largest and most central of ancient cultures. It would mean that the Vedic literary record - already the largest and oldest of the ancient world even at a 1500 BC date - would be the record of teachings some centuries or thousands of years before that. It would mean that the 'Vedas' are our most authentic record of the ancient world. It would also tend to validate the Vedic view that the Indo-Europeans and other Aryan peoples were migrants from India, not that the Indo-Aryans were invaders into India. Moreover, it would affirm the Hindu tradition that the Dravidians were early offshoots of the Vedic people through the seer Agastya, and not unaryan peoples.
In closing, it is important to examine the social and political implications of the Aryan invasion idea: First, it served to divide India into a northern Aryan and southern Dravidian cultures that were made hostile to each other. This kept the Hindus divided and is still a source of social tension.
Second, it gave the British an excuse in their conquest of India. They could claim to be doing only what the Aryan ancestors of the Hindus had previously done millennia ago.
Third, it served to make Vedic culture later than and possibly derived from Middle Eastern cultures. With the proximity and relationship of the latter with the Bible and Christianity, this kept the Hindu religion as a sidelight to the development of religion and civilization to the West.
Fourth, it allowed the sciences of India to be given a Greek basis, as any Vedic basis was largely disqualified by the primitive nature of the Vedic culture.
This discredited not only the 'Vedas' but the genealogies of the 'Puranas' and their long list of the kings before the Buddha or Krishna was left without any historical basis. The 'Mahabharata', instead of a civil war in which all the main kings of India participated as it is described, became a local skirmish among petty princes that was later exaggerated by poets. In short, it discredited the most of the Hindu tradition and almost all its ancient literature. It turned its scriptures and sages into fantacies and exaggerations.
This served a social, political and economical purpose of domination, proving the superiority of Western culture and religion. It made the Hindus feel that their culture was not the great thing that their sages and ancestors had said it was. It made Hindus feel ashamed of their culture - that its basis was neither historical nor scientific. It made them feel that the main line of civilization was developed first in the Middle East and then in Europe and that the culture of India was peripheral and secondary to the real development of world culture.
Such a view is not good scholarship or archeology but merely cultural imperialism. The Western Vedic scholars did in the intellectual sphere what the British army did in the political realm - discredit, divide and conquer the Hindus.
In short, the compelling reasons for the Aryan invasion theory were neither literary nor archeological but political and religious - that is to say, not scholarship but prejudice. Such prejudice may not have been intentional but deep-seated political and religious views easily cloud and blur our thinking. It is unfortunate that this approach has not been questioned more, particularly by Hindus. Even though Indian Vedic scholars like Dayananda Saraswati, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Arobindo rejected it, most Hindus today passively accept it. They allow Western, generally Christian, scholars to interpret their history for them and quite naturally Hinduism is kept in a reduced role. Many Hindus still accept, read or even honor the translations of the 'Vedas' done by such Christian missionary scholars as Max Muller, Griffith, Monier- Williams and H. H. Wilson. Would modern Christians accept an interpretation of the Bible or Biblical history done by Hindus aimed at converting them to Hinduism? Universities in India also use the Western history books and Western Vedic translations that propound such views that denigrate their own culture and country.
The modern Western academic world is sensitive to criticisms of cultural and social biases. For scholars to take a stand against this biased interpretation of the 'Vedas' would indeed cause a reexamination of many of these historical ideas that can not stand objective scrutiny. But if Hindu scholars are silent or passively accept the misinterpretation of their own culture, it will undoubtedly continue, but they will have no one to blame but themselves. It is not an issue to be taken lightly, because how a culture is defined historically creates the perspective from which it is viewed in the modern social and intellectual context. Tolerance is not in allowing a false view of one's own culture and religion to be propagated without question. That is merely self-betrayal.
aryans
david frawley
debunking aryan invasion theory
vedic period
Ranthambore Wild Life Sanctuary, Rajasthan
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
Alleppey Bakwaters
Vedic concept of Education
Yoga, Ahimsa & recent terrorist attacks


text:
DEA Report the Darkweb and Bitcoin
DOJ Announces "National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team"
Yellen Defends Proposed Bank Reporting Requirements
DOJ Files Complaint to Forfeit 69,370 Bitcoin
USPS OIG Audited Cryptocurrency Use by Postal Inspectors
XMR.to, a Popular Monero Exchange, is Shutting Down
Cryptocurrency Exchange Owner Sentenced to Prison
Ross Ulbricht makes $100k bitcoin price prediction from prison
Czech Customs Seizes Ethereum in Drug Investigation
Finnish Customs to Sell Almost 2,000 Seized Bitcoin
Bill Introduced in the UK Will Make Crypto Seizures Easier
The owner of a cryptocurrency exchange was sentenced to 121 months in prison for money laundering and conspiracy to commit a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) offense.
U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Weir sentenced Rossen G. Iossifov, 53, formerly of Bulgaria, for conspiracy to commit a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) offense and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Iossifov, according to information revealed during the two-week trial, owned and managed RG Coins, a cryptocurrency exchange headquartered in Sofia, Bulgaria. As the owner of RG Coins, Iossifov intentionally designed his platform with money laundering in mind. While doing so, Iossifov took steps to limit his legal liability. At least five of the users of RG Coins were members of a network of fraudsters known in court records as the Alexandria (Romania) Online Auction Fraud (AOAF) Network.
More specifically, according to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Iossifov and his co-conspirators participated in a criminal conspiracy that engaged in a large-scale scheme of online auction fraud that victimized at least 900 Americans. Romania-based members of the conspiracy posted false advertisements to popular online auction and sales websites — such as craigslist and eBay — for high-cost goods (typically vehicles) that did not exist. Once victims were convinced to send payment, the conspiracy engaged in a complicated money laundering scheme wherein domestic associates would accept victim funds, convert these funds to cryptocurrency, and transfer proceeds in the form of cryptocurrency to foreign-based money launderers. Iossifov was one such foreign-based money launderer who facilitated this final step in the scheme.
Iossifov provided more favorable exchange rates to members of the (AOAF) Network than to other users of his exchange, according to court documents. Additionally, despite his claims to the contrary to other exchanges, Iossifov did not require any form of identity verification from his so-called "criminal clients."
In three years, Iossifov laundered five million dollars through his exchange. Of the five million in laundered funds, Iossifov earned only $184,000.
Iossifov must serve at least 85 percent of his 121-month prison sentence.
Previous article: Czech Customs Seizes Ethereum in Drug Investigation Prev Next article: Finnish Customs to Sell Almost 2,000 Seized Bitcoin Next


text:
Live storage, water levels and rainfall data for dams in Pune, Maharashtra [31 May 2021]
Last Modified: Tue Jun 01 2021 22:10:17 GMT+0530 (India Standard Time)
141,560 million litres
पानशेत / Panshet Dam. At 46.93% of its full capacity of 301,610 million litres, compared to 33.00% at the same time last year. The reservoir is 1 of 4 that provides drinking water to Pune city.
24,300 million litres
खडकवासला / Khadakwasla Dam. At 43.46% of its full capacity of 55,910 million litres, compared to 31.84% at the same time last year. The reservoir is 1 of 4 that provides drinking water to Pune city. PMC draws 1,350 million litres from the reservoir each day and supplies it to Pune city.
वरसगाव / Warasgaon (aka Varasgaon) Dam. At 37.53% of its full capacity of 361,000 million litres, compared to 23.69% at the same time last year. The reservoir is 1 of 4 that provides drinking water to Pune city.
टेमघर / Temghar Dam. At 9.61% of its full capacity of 105,000 million litres, compared to 0.00% at the same time last year. The reservoir is 1 of 4 that provides drinking water to Pune city.
Mulshi Dam. At 6.82% of its full capacity of 522,760 million litres, compared to 9.75% at the same time last year. Water from the dam is used for irrigation as well as for producing electricity at the Bhira hydroelectric power plant, operated by Tata Power.
पवना / Pawana Dam. At 27.85% of its full capacity of 273,000 million litres, compared to 3.68% at the same time last year.
चासकमान / Chaskaman Dam. At 18.76% of its full capacity of 214,500 million litres, compared to 17.78% at the same time last year.
भामा आसखेड / Bhama Askhed Dam. At 38.90% of its full capacity of 217,000 million litres, compared to 34.21% at the same time last year.
गंजुवणी / Gunjawani Dam. At 36.88% of its full capacity of 104,000 million litres, compared to 19.86% at the same time last year.
नीरा देवघर / Nira Deoghar Dam.. At 20.83% of its full capacity of 332,000 million litres, compared to 22.79% at the same time last year.
भटघर / Bhatghar Dam. At 6.90% of its full capacity of 665,570 million litres, compared to 27.28% at the same time last year.
0 million litres
Pimpalgaon Joge Dam. At 0.00% of its full capacity of 111,000 million litres, compared to 0.00% at the same time last year.
Manikdoh Dam. At 3.59% of its full capacity of 288,000 million litres, compared to 7.23% at the same time last year.
येडगाव / Yedgaon Dam.. At 25.86% of its full capacity of 79,000 million litres, compared to 7.37% at the same time last year.
8,140 million litres
वडज / Wadaj Dam. At 24.58% of its full capacity of 33,110 million litres, compared to 10.88% at the same time last year.
डंभे / Dimbhe Dam. At 36.04% of its full capacity of 353,000 million litres, compared to 24.10% at the same time last year.
घोड (चंचणी) / Ghod (Chinchani) Dam. At 0.00% of its full capacity of 154,800 million litres, compared to 0.00% at the same time last year.
Posted by Water Watch Numerical in Environment
Tags Water Management,Water Levels,Maharashtra Dams,Pune,Maharashtra,India,Water Watch,2021
Source Maharashtra Water Resources Department


text:
Bogno is a former municipality in the district of Lugano in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.  On 14 April 2013 the former municipalities of Bogno, Cadro, Carona, Certara, Cimadera, Valcolla and Sonvico merged into the municipality of Lugano.

History
Bogno is first mentioned in the 13th century as Bonio.  It grew into a permanent settlement from the seasonal herding camps around the alpine pastures.  The pastures were originally used by the inhabitants of the settlements of Sonvico, Colla, Insone, Scareglia, Signora and Piandera.

The church of S. Rocco is first mentioned in 1591.  It was renovated and extended in 1780.  In 1811, it was demolished by the parish of Colla.

The agricultural community maintained close relations with the neighboring Italian villages of the Val Cavargna which were reached by crossing the  high S. Lucio pass.  Throughout most of its history the village was isolated from most of the rest of the country.  This changed in 1854 when the first road was built into the valley.  About three decades later, in 1886, another road was completed.  The new roads tied the village more closely with the city of Lugano.  In the 20th century, the population dropped sharply because fewer agriculture jobs forced the residents to migrate to Lugano.  Many houses have been converted to second homes and vacation homes.  The main businesses in the municipality are a carpenter and an inn.

Geography
Bogno is located in the upper Val Colla, at the confluence of the streams that make up the Cassarate River, and below the San Lucio Pass.

Before the merger, Bogno had a total area of .  Of this area,  or 6.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while  or 53.7% is forested.   Of the rest of the land,  or 3.1% is settled (buildings or roads) and  or 6.7% is unproductive land.

Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 1.2% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.7%.  Out of the forested land, 49.6% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.1% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees.  Of the agricultural land, 5.2% is used for growing crops and 1.2% is used for alpine pastures.  Of the unproductive areas, 6.4% is unproductive vegetation and .

Coat of arms
The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Or an oak vert trunked sable issuant from a mount of the second with a bar wavy argent.

Demographics
Bogno had a population (as of 2011) of 144.  , 12.9% of the population are resident foreign nationals.  Over the last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 8.4%.

Most of the population () speaks Italian (84.9%), with German being second most common (11.8%) and French being third (1.1%).  Of the Swiss national languages (), 11 speak German, 1 person speaks French, 79 people speak Italian.  The remainder (2 people) speak another language.

, the gender distribution of the population was 55.0% male and 45.0% female.  The population was made up of 63 Swiss men (48.1% of the population), and 9 (6.9%) non-Swiss men.  There were 50 Swiss women (38.2%), and 9 (6.9%) non-Swiss women.

In  there was 1 live birth to Swiss citizens and .  Ignoring immigration and emigration, the population of Swiss citizens increased by 1 while the foreign population remained the same.  There was 1 Swiss woman who emigrated from Switzerland.  At the same time, there was 1 non-Swiss man and 2 non-Swiss women who immigrated from another country to Switzerland.  The total Swiss population change in 2008 (from all sources, including moves across municipal borders) was an increase of 3 and the non-Swiss population change was a decrease of 8 people.  This represents a population growth rate of -3.9%.

The age distribution, , in Bogno is; 10 children or 7.6% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 15 teenagers or 11.5% are between 10 and 19.  Of the adult population, 15 people or 11.5% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old.  19 people or 14.5% are between 30 and 39, 18 people or 13.7% are between 40 and 49, and 16 people or 12.2% are between 50 and 59.  The senior population distribution is 18 people or 13.7% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 14 people or 10.7% are between 70 and 79, there are 6 people or 4.6% who are over 80.

, there were 41 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.2 persons per household.   there were 105 single family homes (or 93.8% of the total) out of a total of 112 inhabited buildings.  There were 3 two family buildings (2.7%) and 2 multi-family buildings (1.8%).  There were also 2 buildings in the municipality that were multipurpose buildings (used for both housing and commercial or another purpose).

The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0%.   there were 117 apartments in the municipality.  The most common apartment size was the 4 room apartment of which there were 38.  There were 10 single room apartments and 26 apartments with five or more rooms.  Of these apartments, a total of 41 apartments (35.0% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 75 apartments (64.1%) were seasonally occupied and 1 apartment (0.9%) was empty.  , the construction rate of new housing units was 0 new units per 1000 residents.

The historical population is given in the following table:

Politics
In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the Ticino League which received 27.75% of the vote.  The next three most popular parties were the CVP (23.7%), the FDP (21.1%) and the SP (16.76%).  In the federal election, a total of 44 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 42.7%.

In the  Gran Consiglio election, there were a total of 92 registered voters in Bogno, of which 59 or 64.1% voted.  The most popular party was the LEGA which received 16 or 27.1% of the vote.  The next three most popular parties were; the PLRT and the PPD+GenGiova ( both with 10 or 16.9%) and the PS (with 9 or 15.3%).

In the  Consiglio di Stato election, 1 null ballot was cast, leaving 58 valid ballots in the election.  The most popular party was the LEGA which received 20 or 34.5% of the vote.  The next three most popular parties were; the PPD (with 12 or 20.7%), the PLRT (with 10 or 17.2%) and the PS (with 8 or 13.8%).

Economy
, Bogno had an unemployment rate of 4.82%.  , there were  people employed in the primary economic sector and about  businesses involved in this sector.  2 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 2 businesses in this sector.  11 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 5 businesses in this sector.  There were 37 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 40.5% of the workforce.

, there were 7 workers who commuted into the municipality and 22 workers who commuted away.  The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 3.1 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering.  Of the working population, 0% used public transportation to get to work, and 78.4% used a private car.  , there were 0 hotels in Bogno.

Religion
From the , 78 or 83.9% were Roman Catholic, while 3 or 3.2% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.  There are 10 individuals (or about 10.75% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), and 2 individuals (or about 2.15% of the population) did not answer the question.

Education
The entire Swiss population is generally well educated.  In Bogno about 58.3% of the population (between age 25 and 64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule).

In Bogno there were a total of 15 students ().  The Ticino education system provides up to three years of non-mandatory kindergarten and in Bogno there were  children in kindergarten.  The primary school program lasts for five years.  In the municipality, 2 students attended the standard primary schools.  In the lower secondary school system, students either attend a two-year middle school followed by a two-year pre-apprenticeship or they attend a four-year program to prepare for higher education.  There were 8 students in the two-year middle school, while 0 students were in the four-year advanced program.

The upper secondary school includes several options, but at the end of the upper secondary program, a student will be prepared to enter a trade or to continue on to a university or college.  In Ticino, vocational students may either attend school while working on their internship or apprenticeship (which takes three or four years) or may attend school followed by an internship or apprenticeship (which takes one year as a full-time student or one and a half to two years as a part-time student).  There was 1 vocational student who was attending school full-time and 4 who attend part-time.

, there were 4 students from Bogno who attended schools outside the municipality.

References

External links

Former municipalities of Ticino

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


A Halloween experience using an electroencephalogram (EEG) to simulate telekinetic powers in audience members. Under the premise of attempting a "séance", at a suitably haunted venue above Kensal Green cemetery, we asked players of an immersive game, facilitated by The Tom Sawyer Effect, to don an electrical-impulse reading headset and concentrate on a lamp. By reading their alpha and beta brain wave activity, and sending the data through a microcontroller, we were able to translate the intensity of thought into the brightness of the lamp. Players who concentrated hard enough were also able to trigger an off-centred motor hidden beneath the table top, which would cause the table to shake violently.


Sam studied Information Technology at University of Phoenix, in Hillsboro Oregon. He has worked in High tech semiconductor sector since 1995. He has more than 5 years of experience in Information technology as an IT Specialist with expertise in design, planning and systems deployment skills. He is the current Chairman of Africa House Advisory Board. Africa House is a program of Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization with a 501(c)3 serving African immigrants and refugees in Oregon. He enjoys community building and advocating for a stronger African community in order to forge a strong African alliance and make the African Community presence known here in Oregon.


John Arway, the embattled executive director of the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, is the sort of person that Pennsylvanians should hope enters into public service.
A four-decade veteran of state government, Arway recently found his job in jeopardy after playing a bit of hardball with the General Assembly in his quest to make sure that his agency is adequately funded in the years to come. That agency relies largely on license fees and not tax dollars to pay for its $52 million balanced budget.
To do that, Arway has suggested a $6 price hike for an annual fishing license, from the $21 where it has stood since 2005, to $27. He's proposing to then increase it by 3 percent a year over the next four years.
Despite the hard reality that no private enterprise could long survive without raising prices for 12 years, lawmakers who often boast they want to run government like a business, balked.
Arway has acted as both an unstinting promoter of the outdoors and a responsible steward of his resources. He has built the kind of reserves that the perennially cash-strapped General Assembly can only dream of.
But in the face of flat-lining revenues, the agency has nonetheless had to trim staff and put off needed repairs to critical infrastructure. Lawmakers, meanwhile, pressed Arway to spend down his reserves.
To avoid such future challenges, Arway has sought legislative authorization of a bill that would allow the commission to set its own rates for three years, subject to public comment, and with oversight by the Legislature and the governor.
The bill cleared the Senate last March. But it has been marooned in a state House committee ever since.
Several issues have arisen that surround the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's request for the first increase in the cost of a fishing license in 12 years and they have little to do with fishing.
Without a hike, the agency would have to further curtail services and shut down trout hatcheries, Arway recently told the PennLive Editorial Board.
Such a move would reduce, by the hundreds of thousands, the number of fish stocked by the commission into Pennsylvania's rivers and streams, dealing a sharp blow to an industry that pumps about $1.2 billion a year into the state's economy.
To further press his case, Arway briefly floated the idea of shutting down hatcheries in the home districts of lawmakers who opposed the three-year funding scheme. That brazen but bold action led to legislation that would slap an eight-year term limit on Arway and his eventual successors.
The Senate has already approved the term-limit bill. And, Arway, it should be noted, hit his eight-year anniversary on March 2. He's effectively living on borrowed time for the sin of speaking truth to power.
The House Game & Fisheries Committee, meanwhile, is also sitting on a fee bill for the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Its chairman, Rep. Keith Gillespie, R-York, has linked the bills' fates, and will not move one without the other, according to published reports.
So the two sides are engaged in a legislative stand-off, with little movement in sight and rampaging egos teetering on the brink. Anglers and citizens, as ever, are collateral damage.
The solution here is simple: The House should stop dallying, pass the commission funding bills and then begin working on long-term solutions to shore up the finances of both outdoor agencies. The vengeful term-limits bill should wither on the vine where it belongs.
We end where we began: Pennsylvanians should be glad that there are such responsible public servants as John Arway. He deserves commendation for his efforts, not a spot on the unemployment line.


Prime corner lot location in 2nd Shaughnessy. Well maint family home on a spacious 66 x 125 ft lot. The home boasts cross hall LR & DR with bright sunny kitchen & family room overlooking the entertainment sized patio and private back yard. Upstairs there are 3 bdrms plus a large Sitting room off the master which could be converted to a 4th bdrm. Lower level is ideal for the kids w a rec room and 2 mlore add'l bdrms. The home is clean but in ORIGINAL condition so its ideal and ready for a cosmetic renovation. School Catchments are Shaughnessy Elem & Eric Hamber Sec. Open house Sun June 26th, 1 -330pm.


"Experimental Demonstration of Near-Infrared Epsilon-Near-Zero Multilay" by Xiaodong Yang, Changyu Hu et al.
Near-infrared epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) metamaterial slabs based on silver-germanium (Ag-Ge) multilayers are experimentally demonstrated. Transmission, reflection and absorption spectra are characterized and used to determine the complex refractive indices and the effective permittivities of the ENZ metamaterial slabs, which match the results obtained from both the numerical simulations and the optical nonlocalities analysis. A rapid post-annealing process is used to reduce the collision frequency of silver and therefore decrease the optical absorption loss of multilayer metamaterial slabs. Furthermore, multilayer grating structures are studied to enhance the optical transmission and also tune the location of ENZ wavelength. The demonstrated near-infrared ENZ multilayer metamaterial slabs are important for realizing many exotic applications, such as phase front shaping and engineering of photonic density of states.
X. Yang et al., "Experimental Demonstration of Near-Infrared Epsilon-Near-Zero Multilayer Metamaterial Slabs," Optics Express, Optical Society of America, Jan 2013.
© 2013 Optical Society of America, All rights reserved.


Hasn't stunning Acid Attack model Katie Piper suffered enough?
Katie Piper has issued a cry for help on social media seeking "protection" as it has come out that the scum who left her scarred for life after throwing acid in her face could be out of Jail as early as next month! Stefan Sylvestre was jailed indefinitely in 2009 for hurling sulphuric acid in Katie's face on the instructions of her crazed ex-boyfriend.
The sickening attack, which was captured on CCTV footage, left her blinded in one eye and she has had to face years of surgery with over 40 painful procedures. Sylvestre's legal team has applied for a parole hearing to try and convince the parole board he is no longer a risk. The board have decided to hear the claim and the hearing is now due sometime in April.
Katie was just 24 when her ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch paid for a man to throw industrial-strength sulphuric acid in her face, Lynch is now serving life in prison. Beautiful Ever After is her life story and in it she wrote: "I wish I'd been burned in a house fire or a car accident. At least a fire wouldn't come after me again, at least a fire wouldn't have a score to settle."
As Acid Attacks rocket across the UK, due to it being a "cultural import", Katie and the rest of the British Public can only hope this evil criminal stays behind bars but who knows with our soft touch justice system these days?
Read: "Graphic: What these men are accused of is truly sickening "
Read: "Britain set for SECOND EU Referendum!"