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Ballet San Antonio names interim director
Entertainment // Music & Stage
Deborah Martin, Staff Writer
Oct. 1, 2015 Updated: Oct. 2, 2015 12:57 p.m.
Steven Bull, a former general manager with Ethan Allen, has been named interim executive director of Ballet San Antonio.Courtesy photo
Note: This story has been updated to correct Ben Stevenson's working relationship with Ballet San Antonio.
Steven Bull, a former general manager with Ethan Allen, has been named interim executive director of Ballet San Antonio.
Bull, 58, succeeds Courtney Mauro Barker, who resigned in August alongside Artistic Director Gabriel Zertuche. Bull said he is hoping to win the position permanently.
"When I left Ethan Allen, I had really thought what I want to do is get involved with nonprofit, so this hits all the food groups for me," Bull said. "It involves the arts, it's nonprofit, and it uses my years and years of management and business experience, as well."
Bull has appeared in a number of local theater productions over the years, experience he expects will serve him well in his new post.
"With all my performing background, I understand sets, lighting, costumes and that sort of thing, as well," he said.
David Gross, president of the San Antonio Symphony, served as executive consultant for a short time — while maintaining his symphony duties — during the search for an interim executive director.
Johnette Lee brought Bull to the attention of her fellow ballet board members. She went through Leadership San Antonio with his wife and got to know him through her.
"I knew that he had had a key role with The Playhouse(-San Antonio), which is really successful, and they're doing fantastic things," Lee said. "When we had the turnover, I thought, 'That's a perfect fit.' He has theater in his background, he's a native San Antonian and he has good business experience, so I think he's the perfect person to take us to the next level."
Only one state is doing worse than California in administering COVID-19 vaccines
Lee said the board has a few contenders for the artistic director position.
Ben Stevenson, a noted choreographer perhaps best known for his 27-year stint as artistic director with Houston Ballet, is serving on Ballet San Antonio's advisory board. He also is working with the company for its season opener, "Swan Lake," which uses his choreography.
"Swan Lake" will be danced Oct. 9 to 11 at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.
dlmartin@express-news.net
Deborah Martin
Reach Deborah on
Deborah Martin is an arts writer who came to work for the San Antonio Express-News in 1999. She writes primarily about theater - she sees around 100 shows annually -- and helps oversee the paper's coverage of the fine performing arts. Her first newspaper job was with the El Paso Herald-Post, where she worked as a general assignment reporter before becoming arts and entertainment editor. After the Herald-Post closed, she spent just over a year covering the arts for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times before coming to the Express-News. She has a degree in journalism from UT El Paso, and was a fellow in the NEA Arts Journalism Institute in Theater and Musical Theater at the University of Southern California in 2007.


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Smallish Swede has sweet scoring skill
Wings took Jonatan Berggren with their second-round pick, 33rd overall, in 2018 draft
by Dana Wakiji @Dwakiji / DetroitRedWings.com
DETROIT -- For the most part, Swedish hockey players are known for their skill and their humble natures.
Jonatan Berggren, the player the Detroit Red Wings took in the second round, 33rd overall, in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, fits the mold - to a point.
When Berggren was asked if he had known any of the Swedish players at development camp before arriving in Detroit, he mentioned that he had played with goaltender Jesper Eliasson on the under-18 World Cup team in Russia.
Berggren was then asked if he had ever scored on Eliasson.
"Many times," Berggren said with a slight smirk.
Berggren carries the swagger of an elite scorer, which is exactly what he is.
"He's a young kid, he led the Swedish Junior league in scoring this year," Detroit's director of European scouting Hakan Andersson said at the draft in Dallas. "He's on the team that's going to play in Kamloops (World Junior Summer Showcase), World Junior teams, the first tournament before the big one. We're happy.
"A couple of teams came up and said they were planning to take him right after us. Montreal was one of them."
Tweet from @Dwakiji: #RedWings Jonatan Berggren, their first second-round pick, 33rd overall, in last weekend���s draft. pic.twitter.com/s5zlfXSlgU
Playing for Skelleftea AIK J20 in Sweden's SuperElit League, Berggren had 18 goals and 39 assists in 38 games.
"I'm a skilled forward who has much speed and likes to make plays, play in the offensive zone," Berggren said, describing his assets.
In the highly competitive Hlinka Memorial tournament last season, Berggren had three goals and two assists in five games, tied for second on the team, helping Sweden win a bronze medal.
On that under-18 World Cup team, Berggren led the way offensively for Team Sweden with five goals and five assists.
His 10 points were two shy of overall leader Jack Hughes of the United States. Hughes had five goals and seven assists.
The Red Line Report made note of Berggren's accomplishments in that tournament, saying, "Was Sweden's best and most dangerous forward at the World U-18 Championships, easily leading the team with 10 points. Ultra quick feet and always keeps them moving. Plenty of slick moves, dangerous off the rush and has an inside-out move that makes defenders look silly. Very good lateral agility and makes all of his moves at top speed. Likes to drive wide with speed and then cut in quickly. Has a hard snap shot that he gets off quickly and locates really well. Likes to play in traffic and finishes checks. Smallish but plays feisty and is quite stocky, with a low centre of gravity that makes him hard to hit cleanly. Slick in the corners with head feints that create separation. Excellent at breaking up plays and making quick-strike counterattacks. Makes a lot of nice little set-up feeds. Makes a legitimate effort in the defensive end and sacrifices his body along the wall to clear the zone."
Berggren and Eliasson were on Team Sweden's Five Nations tournament team in Plymouth in February so he had visited Michigan before.
He had one goal and three assists in that tournament. Only five players had more.
Berggren, who does not turn 18 until July 16, is listed at just 5-foot-10, 181 pounds.
"I cannot be the biggest or strongest guy on the ice," Berggren said. "I must use my speed to advance."
Andersson compared him to Nashville Predators' left wing Viktor Arvidsson, who is listed at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds yet was Nashville's second leading scorer behind Filip Forsberg.
Arvidsson had 29 goals and 32 assists in 78 games this past season at age 25.
It was Arvidsson's second straight season with 61 points.
"I play with his former club Skelleftea, so I look at him and we both are smaller guys but have much speed, so yeah," Berggren said about the comparison to Arvidsson.
In Arvidsson's draft year of 2014, he had 16 goals and 24 assists in 50 games for Skelleftea AIK of the Swedish Hockey League.
Of course, there is another smaller Swedish player that Berggren admires.
"Henrik Zetterberg," Berggren said. "I like him very much."
Zetterberg, 37, took a while to reach 6-feet, 197 pounds. Of course, he was famously drafted in the seventh round, 210th overall, in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.
The only players from the 1999 draft with more points than Zetterberg were Henrik and Daniel Sedin, taken second and third overall.
Berggren is likely to remain in Sweden for a while to continue his development but he is excited to be with the Wings organization.
"It was one of my favorite clubs when I was little," Berggren said. "They have big Swedish stars."
Berggren had one assist for Team Lindsay in their 7-6 overtime loss to Team Howe in the development camp scrimmage, springing Taro Hirose for a breakaway goal.
Although Berggren's team did not win, he was pleased with his first development camp.
Tweet from @DetroitRedWings: That���s all for me today! Thanks for all the questions. Hope to see you down at @LCArena_Detroit tomorrow for the final day of #DRWDC! #LGRW pic.twitter.com/LuvD235XYv
"It's been nice," Berggren said. "It's a big dream to be here so it's really fun."
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


To retrieve the data on the sToken, Workspace ONE UEM syncs with Apple Web services, and then it can display content for assignment and deployment. Workspace ONE UEM distributes licenses by smart group and publishes content when you save an assignment rule in the flexible deployment feature.
The Enable Device Assignment option displays for applications that are eligible for distribution by device serial number. For information about the device-based distribution method, see Managed Distribution by Device Serial Number .
For information on flexible deployment and how to prioritize assignment rules, see Flexible Deployment for Applications Setting Descriptions.
Assign content acquired from Apple's Volume Purchase Program (VPP) with managed distribution codes to smart groups.
Select the application and optionally hold licenses and apply an SDK profile.
Licenses on hold Enter the number of licenses that you want to place on hold. Use this setting to save the managed distribution codes for later use. You do not have to enter a value.
SDK Profile If you use AirWatch SDK functionality, assign an SDK profile to the application.
Select Save & Assign to move to the flexible deployment section. You add assignment rules that you can prioritize.
On the Assignments tab, select Add Assignment and complete the options.
Select License Codes By Smart Group and assign managed distribution codes.
Allocate codes to a smart group by typing the name of the group. Options display, and you can select the appropriate smart group from the list. If necessary, you can create a new smart group.
Users or Devices – View the number of users for the order.
Allocated – Enter the number of licenses to allocate to the selected users. Do no exceed the total number in the order.
Redeemed – View the number of licenses that have already been redeemed, if any.
On Demand – Deploys content to a catalog or other deployment agent and lets the device user decide if and when to install the content.
This option is the best choice for content that is not critical to the organization. Allowing users to download the content when they want helps conserve bandwidth and limits unnecessary traffic.
Automatic – Deploys content to a catalog or other deployment agent on a device upon enrollment. After the device enrolls, the system prompts users to install the content on their devices.
This option is the best choice for content that is critical to your organization and its mobile users.
If the Assignment Type is set to Auto when you Publish, Workspace ONE UEM sends an invitation to Apple iOS 7.0.3+ and macOS 10.9+ devices. The invitation enables users to register with Apple's VPP.
Set the application to be removed from a device when the device unenrolls from Workspace ONE UEM. Workspace ONE UEM enables this option by default.
If you choose to enable this option, supervised devices are restricted from silent app installation because the device is locked and the provisioning profile installation is in the command queue which requires a device to be unlocked to complete the installation.
If you choose to disable this option, provisioning profiles are not pushed along with the installed application. That is, if the provisioning profile is updated, the new provisioning profile is not automatically deployed to devices. In such cases, a new version of the application with the new provisioning profile is required.
Prevent Application Backup Disallow backing up the application data to iCloud. However, the application can still back up to iCloud.
Assume management of applications previously installed by users on their devices, whether applications are supervised or unsupervised.
Enable this feature so that users do not have to delete the app version installed on the device. Workspace ONE UEM manages the app without having to install the AirWatch Catalog version on the device.
Configure a VPN at the application level, and select the Per-App VPN Profile.
Users access the application using a VPN, which helps ensure that application access and use is trusted and secure.
Send application configurations to devices.
If you have more than one assignment rule, use the Move Up and Move Down options to order assignments. Place critical assignments at the top of the list. This configuration displays as the Priority.
Application configurations are vendor-specific key-value pairs you can deploy with an application to preconfigure the application for users. For resources about application configurations, see Application Configuration Information.


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German court rejects criticism of role in Nazi hunt
A German court on Monday rejected criticism from the Simon Wiesenthal Center that its decisions disallowing certain telephone taps have been obstructing the hunt for former SS doctor Aribert Heim.
The Jewish human rights organization on Friday said the Baden-Baden state court judge in charge of the case had disallowed German police requests on several occasions for telephone taps of Heim's relatives and an old friend who had been in contact with the fugitive.
But Heinz Heister, presiding judge and spokesman for the court, said that in the case of the friend, there had been no appeal of the court's decision, and that the only time a decision disallowing "investigative measures" was challenged, the Baden-Baden court's ruling was upheld.
"Investigative measures — even in the case of a person urgently suspected of many counts of murder — are held to certain boundaries by the constitution and the laws," Heister said in a statement.
Heim, 94, was known for his sadism as a doctor at the Nazi's Mauthausen concentration camp. He was able to flee before authorities came to arrest him in the southern town of Baden-Baden in 1962, however, and his whereabouts today remain unknown.


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Administración Fudcon

Desde el panel de administración podras

Agregar ponentes

Agregar páginas

Agregar sesiones

Gestionar el barcamp del evento (En progreso)

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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Up till now psychologists focused more on the emotional domain of person's disturbed state and changing those disturbing factors to adopt new healthy ways. This is true for the cognitive behavioral approaches to psychotherapy which is a widely used approach in mental health treatments.
A new research conducted by Doctor Noga Cohen showed intriguing findings. She conducted a study on a group of German participants in order to find out how ignoring the irrelevant information affects those brain areas which deal with emotions. The researcher engaged participants in two kinds of tasks. One which involved emotional kind of activity in which they had to ignore negatively charged emotional pictures. Other task involved simply notifying the pointing of an arrow to either left or right side while ignoring its direction to any side. The participants were trained in this activity and while performing the tasks both groups of participants were tested through fMRI showing activity in different areas of the brain. The researcher found that participants who were trained in ignoring emotional stimuli exhibited less activity in their amygdala which is responsible for producing negative emotions like depression, anxiety and anger etc. compared to the other group which was trained in ignoring simple things like direction of the arrow. Moreover, the intense training group showed more activity in brain connections to frontal cortex which is responsible for effective handling of emotions.
This study showed that if we train our patients suffering from any psychiatric illness about how they can ignore irrelevant emotional situations, they can better manage their psychological problems. This study has developed new ways for cognitive behavior therapists who can modify new strategies to treat their patients.


New York-based real estate technology startup, ShelterZoom announced last Thursday a new partnership with the award-winning, Australian property transaction software company, Rundl. The two firms announced plans to power real estate offers, payments and other transactions on a blockchain via Offer NOW, a solution that, they say, significantly refines and streamlines the process of making and accepting offers online. The news follows another recently announced partnership between ShelterZoom and Dubai reseller, Bester Capital Investments.
Real estate agencies and affiliates in over 30 states, including numerous leading national and international agencies have signed up or expressed interest in using ShelterZoom's Offer Now platform, said the statement. The WordPress real estate theme-developer, Estatik, has also become a ShelterZoom affiliate and will provide customer websites with access to the blockchain-powered Offer NOW service.
Starting in Q2 2018, the Offer NOW platform will enable real estate buyer and buyer agents to instantly submit offers on properties listed on ShelterZoom affiliated websites for payments in Ethereum, with additional crypto and fiat currencies to be added soon after, according to the statement. The platform will also facilitate rental payments and service fees between tenants, landlords, and their management companies.
To learn more about ShelterZoom and Offer NOW, visit http://shelterzoom.com/.


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Our latest poll is about the economics profession and the attractiveness of training in economics and includes two propositions.
In a recent speech, Jacqui Dwyer of the RBA discusses "What happened to the study of economics?"
One possible explanation is the higher profile and more clearly defined career paths in alternative business disciplines with associated accreditation (e.g. accounting, finance, marketing and management). February's poll is about possible ways to arrest the decline in the numbers studying economics at high school and university.
Read the overview by Professor Ross Guest
View the Results of Poll 36 below.
Collaborator credits: We would like to thank Professor Ross Guest (Dean (Learning and Teaching) and Professor of Economics, Griffith Business School) for helping us to frame the poll question and for his expert overview of the results.
We welcome your suggestions on this and other questions for the NEP. Submit your question ideas here.
The issue of professional accreditation was discussed several times when I was Secretary of the Society from 1993 to 2006. There was always quite firm opposition to accreditation. The neo-liberal view was that the market should decide who are economists and who not. The pragmatic opposition was that there is no simple test of who is an economist. The pragmatic problem was twofold. What university qualifications would be required? And post university, some would practise economics and others not ? how would this be factored in? In about 2004, following a survey of falling standards in economics courses at universities, I proposed that the Society should sponsor a national third year UG course which would become part of university degrees in economics. There was very little support for this either from strong universities or less strong ones. So, the pragmatic problem remains. To conclude I remember an anecdote from the UK. Some dozen or so years ago, when the Head of the Economic Service in the UK Government retired, he was asked what is was like working as an economist in the UK government? He replied: ?Ninety per cent of the work we do in government is 101 Economics; but people are any good at this only after they have done it for 10 years?.
In my experience from talking to many students about whether to continue with their economic studies, the problem with economics is not the career path but the image of the discipline. Economics brings up images of boring, middle-aged white men in grey suits who think they have all the answers. For many students this is a real turn off. Female students, for example, often come to me and express that they can't see how they can fit in to this scene, and whether it would even be worth trying. I find it quite discouraging myself. The dullness of economics is also reinforced in the way that it is often taught, in a very dry manner which reflects the dominant paradigm. This is not a criticism of the use of mathematics in economics - it is important to teach the maths but teach it in the context of a broader range of interesting examples. I have done this in my teaching in the past and students have responded very positively. I was attracted to economics because of its focus on improving human welfare. The analytical tools of economics are so valuable in assessing human decision-making and public policy. Portraying economics in this light (as a social science, rather than as a business subject) is in my view likely to attract a much more diverse range of students. The problem with canvassing the view of economists (the majority of whom are very much like the stereotypical image) on this topic is that they have pulled their way through economics as it is today and contributed to the shaping of it. Solutions are not likely to come from this quarter. I am not overly concerned about the drop in the study of economics at secondary school. I am only concerned to the extent that it reflects economics' image problem. In my view, secondary school students are better off acquiring core analytical skills through science, maths, english and humanities, which they can later apply to specialist study at university. I would be opposed to further cluttering the secondary school curriculum by introducing economics earlier.
Fabrizio Carmignani
In relation to proposition 1, my view is that attracting more people to economics as a career is not (primarily) a matter of establishing a professional accreditation. This does not mean that a professional accreditation could not help, but certainly it would not be a game changer. The key to attract more people to economics lies elsewhere, i.e. in our ability as economists to explain to the community, employers, and general public what we do and why; in our ability to show that the skills and logic acquired through studying economics can be applied to a large variety of professions and industries. I do not think that just establishing a professional accreditation would help us do that. In relation to proposition 2, I am uncertain because the balance between costs and benefits would significantly depend on how we design the professional accreditation, particularly in terms of enforcement mechanisms. Thinking about costs and benefits in abstract is a bit difficult and hence I am not comfortable providing a more specific answer.
Ken Clements
Brian Dollery
Part 2 - Strongly agree
Accreditation has been used by numerous professions to erect barriers to entry and thereby force up remuneration. There is little reason to believe the same could not be done in economics.
Chris Edmond
This is a silly idea.
Allan Fels
Where to draw the accreditation line is arbitrary, vague, and unlikely to provide additional signals. For many employers and employees, an honours degree, or a graduate degree, in economics is an informed and well-understood signal of skill. Suppose we go to the three-year undergraduate degrees in economics, business and commerce, what would be the accreditation line; x subjects at level three, and then the minimum of core micro, macro and econometrics subjects, or electives? Any accreditation measure will be arbitrary, and provide limited if any additional information to potential employers. Given the wide range of career paths taken by graduates who have included economics subjects in their studies, together with the likely small if any additional information provided by the arbitrary accreditation measure, I do not see accreditation inducing an increase in demand for economists. Similarly, it is difficult to argue that accreditation would shift outwards the supply curve for students to study economics. The combination of no shifts in demand and supply means no changes in remuneration or quantity.
Renee Fry-McKibbin
A economics degree from an Australian University should be sufficient to prove competence in economics.
Geoffrey Kingston
Professional accreditation for economists is an appealing notion. But, to paraphrase a song by The Smiths, we just haven't earned it yet. Accreditation needs to await more scientific heft & professional agreement on our part. Take the case of fiscal policy. Tax smoothing theory holds that tax rates should approximate random walks, & was developed in the 1970s. It represents a vast improvement over the Keynesian & classical theories of the 1930s, in terms of explanation of the facts, consistency between macro & micro, prediction of our fiscal future, & advice on budget deficits. Yet the majority of economists probably haven't even heard of tax smoothing. This is just one example of how we need to lift our game. There are various others, partly self-inflicted, & partly the result of a historic lack of useful theory or data. By the same token, our theories, technical skills, computing power & data bases all continue to improve. The day will come when we can put up our hands & demand accreditation.
Douglas McTaggart
On proposition 1, accreditation might work to improve enrolments, given the extent of credentialisation today. Proposition 2 seems more problematic. Where does economics begin and end for accreditation to work. Certainly not just by having an economics major or degree.
Flavio Menezes
While it is true that enrollments in economics at high school have declined considerably, there is no such evidence for university enrollments. The nature of training in economics at University, however, has changed considerably since I joined the ANU as a lecturer 25 years ago. In particular, the traditional way to teach economics at University through a single, well-designed bachelor of economics degree is much less relevant today. At UQ, for example, students mostly take economics as part of a double degree (along with commerce, law, or engineering) or as a major in another degree. More recently, the content of the traditional economics degree has been, at least partly, embedded in more specialist degrees, such as single advanced economics and finance undergraduate honours degrees, or in more general PPE-type degrees. In addition, there has been a remarkable increase in the number of economics postgraduate students enrolled in Masters degree programmes who do not have an economics undergraduate degree. And there has been an even more remarkable increase in enrollments in economics courses from the unprecedented increase in the number of students undertaking business degrees. The picture drawn above suggests that there are more university students exposed to economics now than there has ever been. Thus, while many, if not most, of these students will not pursue a career as economists, we have the responsibility to ensure that the economics training equips them well. I see the social benefits not in terms of an increase in the number of individuals attracted to a career in economics, but rather as a way to improve economic discourse, public policy and business practices. I am convinced that the social benefits of improving economics training through a well-thought out accreditation process is likely to far outweigh both direct and indirect (through an increase in barriers to entry) costs.
This competes with the PhD, which is the standard "ticket" for an academic discipline. But a PhD doesn't require any set course nor is there any legal requirement to have one in order to work as an economist. Formal accreditation would have big costs and no benefits.
I have very high confidence that I am entirely undecided on the costs and benefits of professional accreditation for economists. Economics in the workplace is a methodological toolbox rather than a job description. For policy and problem-solving purposes, it is often more powerful when combined with insights borrowed from other disciplines. Outside of academia and a handful of public sector agencies, there are many jobs that use elements of economics, but there are relatively few 'pure economist' jobs (i.e. jobs that require economics training only and entirely). Some of the best 'economics' organisations and teams are multi-disciplinary. And some of the best developments in economics do not come from narrowly trained economists (e.g. behavioural economics). As an aside, I rather like some of the alternative titles and descriptions that pop up online and at conferences. e.g futurist, thought leader, dream weaver, trend spotter, megatrend analyst, macro wonk, policy sherpa.
Part 1 -Uncertain (neither agree nor disagree)


Jane, Duchess of Northumberland, shows her poison garden at Alnwick in England.
The poison garden built by Jane, Duchess of Northumberland, has inspired a trilogy of young adult novels, starting with "The Poison Diaries."
It was Jane - the real force behind turning a ruined garden at Alnwick Castle in northern England into a huge tourist attraction - who came up with the character of Weed, the young man able to communicate with plants.
And in the novel, the teenage Weed turns up at a ruined monastery near the end of the 18th century and meets its residents: Jessamine, 16, and her widowed father, renowned for his healing skills with plants that he grows or finds.
Of course there is romance and tragedy in the story, but readers will also note that at least two plants are main characters: the poisonous shrubs belladonna and oleander.
In real life, Jane sees the walled and locked poison garden at Alnwick as educational, and she thinks stories are the best way to teach youngsters.
"We are enlarging the poison garden, which is so popular," she said in a recent telephone interview. "It captures people's imagination. They all grow in their gardens, and people have no idea about their capacity to kill or cure people."
In Scotland 1980s excavations of the ruins of Soutra Aisle, a monastery-supported hospital, showed that amputations were carried on in the 1400s, Jane said.
"They found sponges with herbs that had come from Malaysia through Venice to Scotland," she said. "They had henbane, hemlock and opium in the right combinations to keep someone unconscious for 48 to 82 hours - exactly how long it takes to cut off an arm or a leg and for the body to start healing."
With a special license to grow plants like marijuana and the coca that cocaine comes from, Jane believes the poison garden can convince young people that drugs today might be very different from what their parents or grandparents experimented with in the 1960s.
"Plants today are gene modified and can be much more dangerous," she said. "We tell the kids they are playing Russian roulette. It's a very powerful message."
Of course, in the era of Weed and Jessamine there were no tests to determine whether deaths were caused by poison. In Italy in the 17th century, 500 women killed their husbands and lovers with strychnine, Jane said, sometimes by putting it in their clothing.
"The same plants used to kill could be used to cure," she said. "For example rosemary could be used to ease childbirth, but it could also cause abortions."
In the book, the health secrets were lost when the monasteries were destroyed by the crown. But Jane said women who knew these recipes were persecuted as witches, especially when someone they tried to help died.
And "The Poison Diaries" could have happened at Alnwick, which has the ruins of an abbey, she said, and historic dukes always had apothecaries like Jessamine's father to help cure people in the area.
Thus it was the setting that inspired the duchess to come up with the young man who talked with plants.
"He had always been called Weed in my mind," Jane said. "That was nonnegotiable. I wanted people to empathize with Weed."
And the branch of HarperCollins, the publisher that liked Jane's idea, had author Maryrose Wood as soon as she heard the concept: "It's a boy who can communicate with poisonous plants." That was even before Wood knew that researching the book involved a trip to England and touring with the duchess.
"I was fascinated," she said in a telephone interview. "If a human being could get into the consciousness of these plants, it would be a great jumping off place for a book.
"I'm a gardener myself and always gravitated toward growing herbs," said the New Yorker. "People have always grown herbs to make medicines, cosmetics and for ritual uses."
With the duchess and a local scholar Wood viewed Soutra Aisle.
"Imagine us on a freezing cold hilltop in Scotland. It was wonderfully spooky," she said.
And the result is the book for readers aged 12 and up, with the second volume due out next summer.
"We grapple with big moral questions and are interested about our relationship to the environment - a question that's evolved a lot over the course of civilization," said Wood. "We have a new sense of how dependent we are with the natural world. We think of ourselves as being the people, the sentient ones. yet without plants where would we be?"


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HomeArticlesHIKI NŌ Focus on Compassion: Kūpuna | Program
HIKI NŌ Focus on Compassion: Kūpuna | Program
Broadcast of HIKI NŌ are made possible by
the support of viewers like you! Mahalo! And by, Bank of Hawaii Foundation,
Investing in Hawai'i's future by promoting collaboration, critical thinking, and
other 21st-Century skills though HIKI NŌ [MUSIC] Aloha, and welcome to the first of four special
HIKI NŌ episodes focusing on compassion. I'm Crystal
Cebedo, a 2016 HIKI NŌ and Wai'anae High School graduate. I'm currently attending Menlo College in
Atherton, California, where I am double-majoring in marketing and human resources. Having been a
HIKI NŌ student through middle and high school, I have learned to keep an open mind and an
open heart when looking for a story. Because PBS Hawai'i does not assign topics
to us, a diverse group of stories emerges, each one unique. When we look back at the HIKI NŌ archives,
we see that there are some topics that students tend to gravitate towards. In this Focus on Compassion episode, the topic
is kupuna, or elders. Whether it's the compassion we feel towards
our elders, or the compassion they show us, it is
clear that HIKI NŌ students have an appreciation and love for our kupuna. Our first story focuses on a compassionate
group of former global leaders called The Elders, and the
wisdom they imparted on Hawai'i's youth and young adults. From HIKI NŌ students at Āliamanu
Middle School on O'ahu, here is Elders-Student Talk. [HELICOPTER] War, political strife, human rights, famine. Society faces conflicts and issues that seem
too difficult to resolve. Where will the next generation turn to for
answers? With their experience, and their profound
commitment to building a better world, let us call them Global
Elders. In 2007, Nelson Mandela put together a group
called The Elders. The mission that these former global
leaders have is to empower people to find solutions to these problems. The Hawai'i Community Foundation, through
the Pillars of Peace Hawai'i initiative, organized a student
talk session between The Elders and student leaders from high schools and colleges from
around Hawai'i. I kind of want to, like, expand my learning. Like, our school said it's a good thing to
go through. This is
my first time coming, so I'm not really sure what to expect. Well, hopefully, it'll show us more insight
on, like, leadership and what's going on in the world right, the
global events. The Elders featured at the event included
Gro Harlem Bruntland, Hina Jilani, and Archbishop Desmond
Tutu. For over an hour, they talked about how they
were inspired to make a change in their homeland, and how today's youth can make a difference. For me, it's interesting to come here and
to observe your experiences, and to see the cultural diversity,
and you know, your belief in aloha and the thing that you are here, as you said, a melting
pot of people with very different backgrounds. I think we would hope that young people will
be inspired to go on going on, even when they face
opposition, and they will have helped to shape the world so that we did not spend so much
money on arms and on instruments of destruction. I do believe that women themselves have become
very strong now. There is a strong global women's
rights movement which is having its impact not just on the rights of women, but making
for a better society and a better world community. The Elders' message seemed clear to those
in attendance. [INDISTINCT] [LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE] I liked how everybody talked with a passion. They all had like a passion, and they all
really wanted to reach out. They all really wanted to help, they really
wanted to make a difference. I really enjoy coming to events like this,
where I get to meet a lot of different students from other schools,
and we all have the similar desire to learn about other people and their lives, and build
a really great global perspective. You know, eventually, I hope to change the
world. You know, make something of my life that,
I've been allowed to be here, and just want to do something
with that. So, yeah, I hope to do that someday. As they exited the stage, The Elders appeared
confident that this generation of leaders will be ready to
take on the issues that we face in the world today. From Āliamanu Middle School, I'm Alexandria
Ommanney for HIKI NŌ. Our next story tells the tale of a 101-year-old
man who shows us that age is just a number when you're
surrounded by the things and people you love most. From Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School on
Kaua'i, here is Papa Fu. [LAUGHTER] Have you ever met someone who was born over
a century ago? Well, meet Charles Kwai Chung Fu, or
more commonly known as Papa Fu. Where were you born? I was born in Wailua, Kaua'i. I was born 1913. 1913, let's see. How old does that make Papa Fu today? Hundred and one. With years of experience, what is the key
to long life according to Papa Fu? Keep working, I say. I supposed to keep working. I worked on the ranch. Early in the morning, I milk
cows, I milk all six, eight, twelve cows. Four of us cowboys. I worked for the Princeville Plantation on
the ranch, and then I worked for the county. And then I worked for the CCC, that's government. We
worked on different parts of the island. We planted trees all around in Kalalau Valley. With a resume as long as his lineage, Papa
Fu worked up until he was a hundred years for his family
restaurant in mining salt at salt ponds. In the wintertime, it gets flooded. It's flooded, and we have to wait 'til the
summer comes. And then
when it's dry, then we start work on the salt pans, prepare the ground, and make the beds. Others have their opinion about what they
think Papa Fu's secret to long life is. What do I think? His good attitude of life. A lot has to do with just being around family. I think a lot of it is just being happy. He doesn't seem to
stress out about life. Papa Fu has several hobbies that have kept
him young over the years. I like to fish. [CHUCKLE] I like to go out boat ride. Yes, I play harmonica. We have a club; there are
about eight of us, and we all have harmonicas and we play only the regular church songs. [HARMONICA] At a hundred and one years young, Papa Fu
is still living strong. This is Kaden Keep from Chiefess
Kamakahelei Middle School, for HIKI NŌ. [HARMONICA] After a long and fruitful life, Papa Fu passed
away between the time this story first aired and now. He
lived to be 102 years old. Our condolences go out to his family and friends. Our next story can be easily summed up as,
You reap what you sow. We see how one farmer benefits
from staying true to his roots by sticking with what he does best: caring for the land. From students at
Kapa'a Middle School on Kaua'i, here is Taro Farmer. Even if it rains, I still work eight hours
a day. I am good at my age of ninety-eight. At ninety-eight years old, Mr. Kinichi Ishikawa
spends his days loving and caring for the taro fields on
Kauai's north shore. I'm just a plain farmer, working eight hours
a day and until now, I haven't changed too much. For Mr. Ishikawa, farming isn't just a job,
it's a lifelong passion, and a longtime home. He's been
providing for himself and others on Waikoko Farm since he was a boy. I've been living all by myself since I was
fourteen years old. I never depended on anybody. I did
everything on my own, make a living. Mr. Ishikawa's agricultural knowledge and
nurturing character greatly influences those around him,
including the farm's owners. He has taught me how to cook taro his way,
which is by boiling it a long time, all day. He has taught me
how to pull taro. He's taught me how to weed taro patches. He has taught me how to open a jabong with
a sharp knife. Mr. Ishikawa took a break from farming to
serve in the 442nd Battalion during World War II. But he
eventually returned to Hanalei and his love of agriculture. That love endured through the decades, even
as his hometown transformed with an influx of development and technology. Most companies, they hire all the educated
people, more than just the high school graduates. In my case,
I just went to grammar school, that's all. I never went to high school. Despite a lack of formal education, Mr. Ishikawa
stays true to the values and lessons cultivated from life
on the farm. He's taught me about long-term planning. The decisions that I make today don't just
impact what happens tomorrow, but it impacts a week from
now, a year from now, and twenty years from now. And I
always feel like when I'm around Kinichi, I always leave enriched, and I always leave
with more than I came. Family always comes first, family is most
important. And hard work is good for you, and will make
you live longer. Humble and hardworking, Mr. Ishikawa says
he'll continue to care for the land and the people around
him, no matter what. The branch is facing that way, so you have
to pull it away from the branch. M-hm. This one is fresh. Thank you. This is Ella Beck from Kapa'a Middle School,
for HIKI NŌ. Asking callers to identify themselves before
handing out personal information can be the difference
between a safe monetary exchange and a dangerous one. In our next story, compassionate students
at Kainalu Elementary School on O'ahu help spread
awareness of how easily a grandmother's trust can be
taken advantage of. The elderly are being scammed at $2.6 billion
per year due to financial fraud and abuse. Here's a story of
what happened to a Kainalu student's great-grandmother. My great-grandmother got a call from someone,
and she said, Hello, is this Chris? Because I think she
was expecting a call from Chris. And the person on the other side of the phone
said, Yes, this is Chris. I'm in Mexico and I need some money, because
I'm in trouble. And he needed two thousand dollars. And so, she gave him two thousand dollars. And then, next time the person called again,
and he needed three thousand dollars this time. And so, she wired him three thousand dollars. She answered the phone and just said, Hello. And the caller said: Hello, Grandmother. And she said,
You mean, Granny. So, she gave her name away. Granny is her affectionate name for all of
us that call her Granny. And then, she said, Is this my grandson? And the caller said, Yes. And she said, Is this
Christopher? And the caller said, Yes, this is Christopher. So, in a few minutes, she gave away her
personal name, and also, she gave the caller an understanding of who his name was. Unfortunately, I hear that story all the time. That's one of the things we're talking about,
how many scan artists there are. They do it over, and over, and over again. That's actually a very popular scam. It's not
that your great-grandmother was stupid or dumb, or anything like that. It's just that she loves her family
very much, and she doesn't want to see any harm come to any family member. That's why she was so
willing to give the money. We did a PSA about how my great-grandmother
got scammed. We hope that our PSA will help people so
they are more cautious about giving out personal information. A lot of the people that are being scammed
do not realize they are being scammed. Because a lot of these
conmen, they're very good with their words, they're very good with the story, they're
very good with manipulating people. And so, that's one reason why they're able
to get away with it. My advice to other seniors is to ask who it
is first, before saying who it is. And don't give out your bank
account number or any personal information, or else the scammers might try to take the
money. If you feel you've been a victim of a scam,
be sure to report it to the police or the City Prosecutor's Office
for Elder Abuse Justice Unit. I'm Colton and I'm Connor reporting for HIKI
NŌ, from Kainalu Elementary School. Our next story comes to us from students at
Wai'anae High School on O'ahu, who show us one family's
ability to deal with their grandmother's condition, and how it requires everyone's collective
effort. Their
daily struggle is a reminder that even in the most frustrating situations, their sense
of duty to one another is one they won't forget. I just think about, like, oh, what if she
tries to make breakfast and she leaves the stove on, and the house
burns down. [MUSIC] Or she overdoses, and she can't get to a phone,
and she's paralyzed on the ground. [BUSY SIGNAL/MUSIC] Send the check to 87-147 St. John's Road. Hey, you remember our address! It's a small victory for Edith Domingo. Where are you going? That's not your room. In a battle that she's losing every day. At first, it was funny, 'cause all the repeating,
we would just laugh and tease. But then … kinda gets on
your nerves after a while. Why are you stealing my … Edith is always up to something. What do you usually do when we're not home? Watch TV, and I eat, and I eat. And I read, and I read. And she laughs, and she laughs. Go away. [LAUGHTER] But the one thing she can't do … What did you eat at the Spaghetti Factory? Is remember. Edith is one of five million people in the
United States with dementia, a disease which causes a gradual
loss of brain function. So, even remembering her favorite grandchild
isn't always easy to swallow. Grandma, you took your pills? Reminding her doesn't always get an answer. But the Domingos can still see the effect
dementia is having on her. I don't remember. It's a really difficult situation for families
when they have loved ones that have dementia. And even the
individual may not realize, you know, that they are not able to do as much as they used
to do. I think she gets frustrated. And some of it, she gets scared. She frowns a lot nowadays, she just frowns. This fear and frustration has caused Edith
to hurt those closest to her. She would just want to … just fight and
argue with Brina, yeah? I think she punched her a couple of
times. It was that bad. But no matter how bad it's gotten, Brina has
always been by her grandmother's side. I'm your favorite, yeah, Grandma? With open arms, and more than one way to solve
a problem. You're constantly repeating yourself, and
it gets so draining and so exhausting that you just want to write
it on a Post-It and stick it on her forehead. But you can't. Single scoop in a cake cone. The Domingos are known for their creative
solutions. You want Cherries Jubilee, you said already. Which are helpful when trying to ensure that
Edith is in good hands. I try to juggle time at home between schoolwork
and helping Grandma. I love her. She took care of me
when I was growing up, so now, the roles are reversed. It freaks me out sometimes. I would like to have someone home all the
time to watch her, but can't have that, so we just hope. We hope and we pray. And … Clam spaghetti. Clam sauce. They help her win as many of these small battles
as they possibly can. She's my mommy. [CHUCKLE] She's my mom. Gotta take care, yeah? She's family, yeah? This is Tressa Hoppe from Wai'anae High School,
reporting for HIKI NŌ. When it comes to the people we care most about,
we want to ensure there's safety and happiness. That
also seems to be the mission at Maui Adult Daycare, where the staff's attention, assistance
and affection helps their elders thrive. From the students of Maui Waena Intermediate
School on Maui, here is Maui Senior Daycare. And up, down. Seven days a week, Walter and Betty Cravalho
spend their days at the Maui Adult Daycare Center. They've been married for sixty-two years,
and even though their memories and hearing aren't what they
used to be, their lives are still filled with love and joy because of their friends and
staff at the adult daycare. [INDISTINCT] We give them the attention that they need. We give them the personal care that they need
for themselves. I mean, we help them and we take good care
of them. [INDISTINCT] Well, the sad part is, their children are
working and there's no one to care for them. So, being at Maui
Adult Daycare, we provide the loving, caring nurturing that they need here. Wash the windows. Wash the windows, everybody. [CHUCKLE] Not only are Walter and Betty Cravalho living
a healthy life, it helps their daughter, Gerri Nakamura, live
hers. It's good to know that we have somewhere for
them to go every day. 'Cause I work and my sister has
other things going on. It's a safe place for them, and they have
a lot of activities, so it keeps them active and happy. And everyone is caring and attentive to them,
so it's a good environment for them. [SINGING] Gerri Nakamura isn't the only one who thinks
this. As of 2013, there were 44.7 million people
over sixty-five years of age in the United States. By 2016, there will be 98 million. Along with the increase in
the number of aging, and the problems associated with aging, over five million of our seniors
suffer from Alzheimer's, and many others are just physically
or mentally not able to take care of themselves every
day. This puts a burden on families, and creates
a demand for quality senior care. [SINGING] Because we have a huge aging population, we're
at the very beginning of the Baby Boomer era, and as
that goes on, our aged population is gonna be much, much larger. And so, it'll be more important than
ever to have a daycare setting for both the kupuna and for their caregivers. This is Alyson Kar from Maui Waena Intermediate
School, for HIKI NŌ. And we get kissing from Betty. Yeah, Betty? In our final story, Hilo High School student
Lolly Higa faces an irreversible loss, one that changed her life
forever. Overcoming an obstacle of this magnitude wasn't
easy, but she does it all with the love and care
from her compassionate grandparents. From Hilo High School on the Big Island, here
is Losing a Parent. Lolly is a typical high school student. She hangs out with friends, plays sports and
has a boyfriend. But
after school, instead of going home to her parents, she goes home to her grandparents. Preschool was when I started living with my
grandparents. They never really told me, like, straight-up
why I was raised by them. Kinda took the hint that it's because my parents
were really young when they had me. Like, my mom was sixteen and my dad was eighteen,
and you know, teenagers. She gives us very little problems. You know. Right now. She seems to just get it, what she is supposed
to be doing without us hammering it home. You know, and
her grades are showing that she's doing pretty well in school. With her, it's actually not a real problem. It's pretty easy. At an early age, Lolly had lived with her
grandparents along with her father for a couple of years. However, a sudden change had occurred, and
Lolly was separated from her parents. Despite this, Lolly
was able to keep a strong relationship with her mother. We were really close. She was like a big sister, which was my mom. 'Cause everyone would get us like
confused. They'd think she's my sister in the store
or something like that. I'm like, No, she's my mom. Although Lolly maintained a strong relationship
with her mother, there was always a lingering problem. She was born with a heart problem. She had surgery, I think a couple of times,
and she was supposed to go in January for surgery. She didn't want to go, because she wanted
to spend time with her family. She
was afraid that if she went, something would happen. They called me, and they told me that my mom
was in the hospital. They gave her oxygen, and she
couldn't really breathe. Like, she was hyperventilating and stuff like
that. They … they kept her on the machine, that
machine that you put down the throat. And so, it was on for
about a week. Actually, our family was like, trying to wake
her up, 'cause she was also in like a coma. And so, we were
trying, and trying, and then … it happened. Despite this tragic loss, Lolly continued
to grow and thrive. But she couldn't have done this without her
grandparents' love and support. She has something in her, too, that … makes
her special. She's still coming along. You know, she's not
a finished product yet. None of us are. Ultimately, we want her to have a good life. M-hm. And we think, I mean … you gotta have a
good foundation for a good life. Life throws many obstacles at us, and we are
able to overcome them with the help of people close to us. For Lolly, she went through something very
few kids go through, but with the help of her grandparents,
she is able to reach her goals and develop the building blocks to living an unbelievable
life. This is Aliesa
Kaneshiro reporting from Hilo High, for HIKI NŌ. Well, we've come to the end of the first of
four special HIKI NŌ episodes, Focus on Compassion. It's no
question that HIKI NŌ students care for and have a deep appreciation for our kupuna. The lessons,
values and experiences they have passed on to the next generation have been, and will
be, invaluable pieces of wisdom for the road ahead. Stay tuned for our segment next week, where
our HIKI NŌ students focus on the parent and child relationship. Until then, this is Crystal Cebedo for HIKI
NŌ. A hui hou. [END]
Hiki No – Kupuna Page 10 of 10
Tags:442nd Regimental Combat Team, Aliamanu Middle School, and, care, Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School, exploitation, Farmer, financial, grandparents, Hawaii, HIKI NŌ, Hilo High School, Kainalu Elementary School, Kapaa Middle School, Kaua'i, Kinichi Ishikawa, Loss, Maui, Maui Adult Day Care Center, Maui Waena Intermediate School, Oahu, PBS, PBS Hawaii, Pillars of Peace Conference, Public Affairs, Scam, senior citizen, Story, taro, that, the, The Elders, veteran, Waianae High School, Youth
Artificial Intelligence: Mankind's Last Invention
Voice Coach Reacts NIGHTWISH The Greatest Show On Earth
When Florida had a committee to terrorize gay people


text:
Volume 7, Number 10 March 2015
White House Announces Draft Proposed Program for Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing271
In Amicus Brief Utilities Urge Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals to Strike Down Minnesota Emissions Law272
Miami-Dade County's Commissioners Wake Up and Smell the Sea Level Rise in Florida274
California Legislative Update: California to Continue Leading the Charge on Climate Change276
CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENCE
EPA to Publish Proposed Methane Rule for Oil and Gas Sector in Summer 2015281
EPA Places Burden on States to Meet Their Clean Air Act 'Good Neighbor' Obligations to Curb Interstate Transport of Ozone-Forming Air Pollu-
tion282
State Department of Conservation Releases Draft Environmental Impact Report for Fracking284
Sixth Circuit Finds Coal Mine Complying with Clean Water Act General Permit Is Shielded from Liability for Pollutant Discharges Not Explicitly Addressed in the Permit287
Sierra Club v. ICG Hazard, LLC, ___F.3d___, Case No. 13-5086 (6th Cir. Jan. 27, 2015).
District Court Finds Solar Project Owner May Intervene in Tribal Challenge to Blythe California
Project289
Colorado River Indian Tribes et al. v. U.S. Department of the Interior, ___F.Supp.3d___, Case No. 5:14-cv-02504 (C.D. Cal Jan. 2, 2015).
District Court Finds Potential CERCLA Liability
for Discharge of Aerial Emissions in Canada Resulting in Pollutants Contaminating U.S. Water
Bodies290
Pakootas v. Teck Cominco Metals, Ltd., ___F.Supp.3d___, Case No. CV-04-256-LRS (E.D. Wash. Dec. 31, 2014).
District Court Precludes County's Attempt to Prohibit Application of Supremacy Clause and Preemption Doctrine to Ban Certain Oil and Gas Mining—Including Fracking293
Swepi, LP v. Mora County, N.M., ___F.Supp.3d___, Case No. CIV 14-0035 JB/SCY (D. N.M., Jan. 19, 2015).


Come and create a mixed media, tree painting in this specialised workshop with Sarah Moorcroft.
Sarah's workshops are so popular, because kids get to experiment, explore, learn and express themselves – in a fun, relaxed and supportive environment – and they always learn something new!
During this specialist workshop, your child will be learning and applying a variety of exciting skills which will challenge their motor skills and imaginations!
This one day workshop is for beginners and people with some experience of using their digital camera.
During the day, you will learn about all of your camera settings – including how to control light & exposure, shutter speed, ISO & depth of field, composition & aesthetics.
You will be taught how to read light and shadows, how to frame your photographs, what to look for when composing your shot and how to create dynamic and technically accurate photographs.
By the end of the day, you will know how to use your camera proficiently and how to take a great photograph!
Dive into illustration, using pen and ink in an experimental way with artist Helen Lunn.
We will explore my technique of intuitive free drawing, discovering the exciting forms that emerge.
I will guide you through this exciting and relaxing process. You will learn how to respond to your marks and develop a finished drawing to take home.
I will introduce you to my favourite materials using fibre tipped pens, dip pens, ink and brush. This can be a very relaxing way of exploring your creative side – you may not want to put your pens down once you start!
For part of the workshop, we will have a Life Model to work from, and there will also be a chance for you to work from any photographs of your own that you might like to bring in.
There will be plenty of inspirational reference material and original drawings to demonstrate the numerous ways in which portraits and figures can be drawn.
We will be examining both traditional and contemporary styles of drawing.
Using simplification, mark-making and a loose impressionistic approach we will learn how to tackle a busy subject and make it manageable!
We will combine collage, acrylic painting and ink to create multi-layered images in this fun and informal workshop.
Lots of step-by-step demos & individual help.
have some. Wear old clothes or bring an apron!


University of South Florida, College of Engineering, 33620 Tampa, FL, USA.
Z. E. Ankarali and H. Arslan, "Joint Physical Layer Security and PAPR Reduction with Irrelevant Data for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) Systems", US Patent Num. 9,479,375.
Z. E. Ankarali, A. F. Demir, H. Arslan and R. D. Gitlin, "Physical Layer Security for Wireless Implantable Medical Devices", US Patent Num. 9,749,086.
Z. E. Ankarali, A. Sahin, H. Arslan, E. Bala, R. Yang, "System And Method For Joint Out-Of-Band Emission And Peak-To-Average Power Ratio Reduction for OFDM-Based Schemes with Static Cyclic-Prefix Alignment", US - 62/316,344.
Z. E. Ankarali, A. Sahin and H. Arslan, "Information Beamforming for Visible Light Communication", USF Ref. No. 14B159.
Z. E. Ankarali, A. Sahin and H. Arslan "Joint Time-Frequency Alignment for PAPR and OOBE Suppression of OFDM-Based Waveforms", accepted for publication in IEEE Communications Letters.
Z. E. Ankarali, B. Pekoz and H. Arslan, "Flexible Radio Access Beyond 5G: A Future Projection", accepted for publication in IEEE Access, 2017.
Z. E. Ankarali, B. Pekoz and H. Arslan, "Enhanced OFDM for 5G NR", accepted for publication in ZTE Communications, 2017.
Z. E. Ankarali and H. Arslan, "Cyclic Feature Suppression for Physical Layer Security" accepted for publication in Physical Communication (PHYCOM) by Elsevier.
Z. E. Ankarali, A. Sahin and H. Arslan, "Intentional-Overlapping for Multicarrier Schemes Based on User-Specific Filters", Journal of Analog Circuits and Signal Processing, Springer, vol. 78, Issue 3, pp 683-690, March 2014.
A. F. Demir, Z. E. Ankarali, Q. H. Abbasi, Y. Liu, K. Qaraqe, E. Serpedin, H. Arslan, and R. D. Gitlin, "In Vivo Communications: Steps Toward the Next Generation of Implantable Devices," in IEEE Vehicular Technology Magazine, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 32-42, Jun. 2016.
A. F. Demir, Q. H. Abbasi, Z. E. Ankarali, A. Alomainy, K. Qaraqe, E. Serpedin, and H. Arslan, "Anatomical Region-Specific In Vivo Wireless Communication Channel Characterization", accepted for publication in IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics.
Z. E. Ankarali, A. Sahin and H. Arslan "Static Cyclic Prefix Alignment for OFDM-Based Waveforms", accepted to IEEE Global Communications Conference (GLOBECOM) Workshops, Washington, DC, USA, 4-8 December 2016.
Z. E. Ankarali, M. H. Yilmaz, M. Hafez and H. Arslan, "Channel Independent Physical Layer Security (invited paper)" IEEE Wireless and Microwave Technology Conference (WAMICON), Clearwater Beach, FL, USA, 11-13 April 2016.
Z. E. Ankarali, A. F. Demir, Q. H. Abbasi, M. Qaraqe, E. Serpedin, H. Arslan and R. D. Gitlin, "Physical Layer Security for Wireless Implantable Medical Devices", IEEE International Workshop on Computer Aided Modelling and Design of Communication Links and Networks (CAMAD), Guildford, UK, 7-9 Sept. 2015.
Z. E. Ankarali, Q. H. Abbasi, A. F. Demir, E. Serpedin, K. A. Qaraqe and H. Arslan, "A Comparative Review on the Wireless Implantable Medical Devices Privacy and Security", 4th International Conference on Wireless Mobile Communication and Healthcare (MobiHealth), Athens, Greece, Nov. 3-5, 2014.
Z. E. Ankarali, S.I. Hussain, M. M. Abdallah, K. A. Qaraqe, H. Arslan and H. Haas, "Clipping Noise Mitigation using Partial Transmit Sequence for Optical OFDM Systems", International Workshop on Optical Wireless (IWOW), Madeira Island, Portugal, 17-19 September, 2014.
Z. E. Ankarali, M. Karabacak, H. Arslan, "Cyclic Feature Concealing CP Selection for Physical Layer Security", IEEE Military Communications Conference (MILCOM), Baltimore, Maryland, Oct. 6-8, 2014.
M. Helmy, Z. E. Ankarali, M. Siala, T. Baykas and H. Arslan, "Dynamic Utilization of Low-Altitude Platforms in Aerial Heterogeneous Cellular Networks", accepted in Wireless and Microwave Conference (WAMICON), Cocoa Beach, FL, 2017.
A. F. Demir, Q. H. Abbasi, Z. E. Ankarali, M. Qaraqe, E. Serpedin and H. Arslan, "Experimental Characterization of In Vivo Wireless Communication Channels", Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC Fall), pp. 1-2, Boston, MA, Sept. 6-9, 2015.
A. F. Demir, Q. H. Abbasi, Z. E. Ankarali, E. Serpedin and H. Arslan, "Numerical characterization of in vivo wireless communication channels," IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Workshop Series on RF and Wireless Technologies for Biomedical and Healthcare Applications (IMWS-Bio), pp. 1-3, London, 2014.
A. F. Demir, Z. E. Ankarali, Y. Liu, Q. H. Abbasi, K. Qaraqe, E. Serpedin, H. Arslan, and R. D. Gitlin, "In Vivo Wireless Channel Modeling", Book Chapter, Advances in Body-Centric Wireless Communication: Applications and state-of-the-art, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, 2016, pp. 187-211, ISBN: 978-1-84919-989-6.


text:
Debenhams on the brink of collapse putting 22,000 jobs at risk
Tens of thousands of jobs are now at risk
Debenhams is on the brink of collapse putting 22,000 jobs at risk (Image: ABNM Photography)
High street department store Debenhams has filed a notice of intent to appoint administrators - a move which will affect around 22,000 workers.
A statement issued by Debenhams reads: "Department store group Debenhams today has filed a Notice of Intent to appoint an administrator in the UK.
Shoppers are being warned not to wear gloves at the supermarket
Aldi is making changes to its checkout systems, trolleys and baskets
"This move will protect Debenhams from the threat of legal action that could have the effect of pushing the business into liquidation while its 142 UK stores remain closed in line with the government's current advice regarding the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The group is making preparations to resume trading its stores once government restrictions are lifted."
Debenhams says it has the support of its lenders to enter administration, and is keeping employees and suppliers updated about the move.
More follows.


Straight forward drainage surveys are priced on a day rate based on the fact that a number items can cause delay, especially when drains are in a poor state of repair, or when existing drainage plans are somewhat out of date. A survey can be fixed in price on the basis that the nature of work is more complicated than a normal survey i.e., the network may be submerged for example. Price variations may be based on a jetvac tanker having to be used for heavily silted drainage runs.
Drainage surveys will culminate in the delivery of a full report on DVD and bound paper copy which will categorise the state of the drains between 1 & 5 in respect to state and a sense of urgency in relation to repairs if required.
Complete full survey for all drainage lines which are accessible and where feasible an assessment of the current and interceptors.
It is conceivable that drainage runs may be heavily silted up in a way that the camera will not be able to pass through and a more powerful Jet Vac tanker would be required. However, we are able to clear 90% of drains using our on board system. In the event of waste requiring removing from site (unlikely) – the costs per tonne are detailed in our quotations, but please be reassured additional works requiring unforeseen costs will only be carried out once a formal instruction has been received.
Drainage survey reports will look like the image taken from a previous study. As you will see, we will grade any damage and give you the appropriate information based on the CCTV imagery to make informed decisions about what you should consider doing following the survey.
Furthermore, the DVD footage will show exactly what the issue is.
If you would like us to quote for any CCTV drainage survey, or repairs based on a third parties survey, please do not heistate to contact us.


text:
UK Labour Party attacks Greater Manchester firefighters
By Margot Miller
The Labour Party-run Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority (GMFRA) has withdrawn its threat to sack all 1,250 firefighters, following an online petition signed by 20,000 people.
Fire chiefs have entered two weeks of talks with the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) to discuss changes to the duty rota the GMFRA wishes to impose.
Unless they signed a new inferior contract, firefighters faced dismissal. The contract would change shift patterns to two 12-hour rosters and is part of a package of government cuts of £14.8 million over the next four years. These include 250 job losses already accepted by the FBU. This is on top of £28 million in cuts over the past six years.
Firefighters are opposed to the new shift pattern, as it would have a detrimental effect on family life, including incurring major childcare costs, as well as meaning cuts to the service during the night.
By 2019, Greater Manchester will have only 1,000 firefighters, less than half the 2,200 they had in 1996. Attacks on firefighters' jobs and conditions are being imposed in Fire Authorities nationwide. Devastating cuts are also being imposed in Scotland, and in Fire Authorities in the counties of Essex, Lincolnshire and Suffolk.
Since 2010, 10,000 firefighters have lost their jobs. In Greater Manchester, fire deaths have tripled in the past 12 months.
FBU leader Matt Wrack welcomed the talks as "allowing both parties to engage in discussions about the detail of the proposals to implement the planned cuts to the services budget without the threat of action by either party."
The man who hails the FBUs efforts to suppress opposition from its members is politically aligned to the pseudo-left Socialist Party (SP) and close to the Socialist Workers Party (SWP). After the withdrawal of the mass dismissal threat, the SP described this as a "victory" before adding that the GMFRA "have not retreated completely and are still likely to make cuts." The SP is opposed to any independent struggle by workers to defend their jobs and livelihoods. Instead, they demand that workers "call on Labour Councillors that sit on the Fire Authority to oppose all cuts to jobs and services."
The trade unions and the Labour Party have in reality played a critical role in the implementation of austerity since the £1 trillion bank bailout in 2008, through allowing or implementing the gutting of public services. The bailout was carried out by the Labour government of Gordon Brown, which imposed the first raft of austerity that has been continued by the Tories.
In 2011, the Trades Union Congress and affiliated trade unions demobilised a mass movement of public sector workers against attacks on their pensions after they had called only one coordinated day of national strike action in 2011. Each union finally made its own agreement with the respective employers to the detriment of their members' conditions of service.
Public sector workers, including firefighters, have had to work longer and pay higher contributions for a diminished pension, while essential services are teetering on the brink of collapse.
In an attempt to save face, as Labour lurched sharply to the right under Tony Blair, the FBU disaffiliated from the party in 2004. But with the election of "left" Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader in 2015, the FBU decided to re-affiliate. Corbyn personally welcomed the FBU back "after a 10-year absence" into "the Labour family" in a conference speech following his re-election as leader last month—a contest that was the outcome of a coup attempt by the right-wing.
He did so, even as one section of this "family" was threatening Greater Manchester firefighters with mass dismissal.
Since being first elected Corbyn has capitulated to the right wing on every issue, including keeping Trident nuclear weapons and allowing a free vote on bombing Syria. But the pseudo-left groups support Corbyn in order to maintain the fiction that Labour's reformist past can be revived.
The SWP quoted Matt Wrack approvingly when he declared that the "left"—subordinate to the unions—need to "get stuck into the struggle to reshape the Labour Party." He stated, "I think the left in the trade unions need to be organised politically. They need to be making demands of the trade union movement as a whole and then feeding that into the Labour Party."
The attack on the firefighters in Greater Manchester, which as the numbers signing the petition attest is widely opposed by 2.5 million local population, represented an opportunity to draw a line in the sand against years of relentless austerity. Instead, Corbyn has diligently maintained his silence on their struggle. Likewise, Corbyn, who can draw audiences of thousands at a few hours notice, refused to mobilise support for the junior hospital doctors during their strikes. Instead, in line with the British Medical Association union bureaucracy, he insisted for a negotiated settlement.
Far from Labour offering any alternative to the government's austerity, what is being shown in Greater Manchester is the real face of the "Labour family" everywhere as Labour councils collaborate with the trade unions to carry out the cuts required by central government and big business.
For example, Labour controlled Durham County Council plans to sack 2,700 teaching assistants as part of a cost-cutting plan in which they will only be paid in term-time. The intention is to reemploy them on inferior contracts, resulting in a 23 percent pay cut. The assistants are currently balloting to strike in opposition.
At Labour's September conference a policy motion was passed insisting that Labour councils could not set "illegal budgets," i.e., budgets challenging the cuts demanded by central government. Corbyn has no disagreement with the right wing on this score. Last autumn, he and his shadow chancellor John McDonnell wrote to Labour councils warning them against setting illegal budgets. In March, McDonnell wrote a letter to all Labour-controlled Local Authorities instructing them to abide by the law and not raise deficit budgets and thus impose austerity cuts.
He also pledged that a Labour government would ensure that "at the end of every parliament, government debt as a proportion of trend GDP" would be "lower than it was at the start."
Addressing his Blairite opponents in his re-election acceptance speech, Corbyn said, "Let's wipe the slate clean. ...We have much more in common than that which divides us." In this at least he speaks the truth.
Germany's Christian Democrats choose new leader
Record UK COVID-19 deaths as government plots ending "the last" lockdown
Lockerbie bombing: Megrahi's posthumous appeal rejected by Scottish judges
Corbyn seeks readmittance to Labour Party as antisemitism witch-hunt escalates
Local reports of COVID-19 deaths in UK schools confirm concealed impact of pandemic
Surge in COVID-19 on UK's Isle of Wight overwhelms health care infrastructure
Growing threats of fascist violence as Democrats appeal for "unity" and "healing" (13/01/2021)


text:
DC Mayor Deploys National Guard Ahead of Pro-Trump Protest
'We must to ensure all who attend remain peaceful'
The mayor of Washington D.C. has deployed the National Guard ahead of pro-Trump protests that are due to take place on January 6, according to reports.
Mayor Muriel Bowser has called on the Department of Defense (DOD) to activate the National Guard to help keep the peace.
Thousands of President Donald Trump's supporters are expected to gather on Wednesday to protest certifying the Electoral College vote.
The January 6th demonstration is actually a collection of several smaller rallies in addition to a semi-official Trump campaign gathering, headlined by the president.
The rally is meant to pressure Republicans in Congress into refusing to certify Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election.
Protesters contend that former Vice President Biden won the election only through widespread vote fraud.
Several Republican members of Congress, both the House and the Senate, say they are prepared to refuse to certify the Electoral College vote until a 10-day "speed audit" can be conducted in states like Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
The Associated Press reported that on New Year's Eve Mayor Muriel Browser requested a National Guard presence within the city from Jan. 5 to Jan. 7 in anticipation of the vote.
The troops will not be armed and will not wear body armor, according to The Blaze.
They are mostly expected to be used for traffic control and "other assistance."
In a statement released Sunday, Bowser asked city residents to avoid the areas in downtown D.C. where President Donald Trump's supporters will gather to protest the results of the 2020 election.
She told residents "not to engage with demonstrators who come to our city seeking confrontation, and we will do what we must to ensure all who attend remain peaceful."
On Monday, she repeated her warning at a news conference, urging residents to avoid those "looking for a fight."
She also warned, "we will not allow people to incite violence, intimidate our residents, or cause destruction in our city."
According to the Associated Press, about 115 troops will be on duty at any one time in the city, setting up traffic control points and working with local law enforcement to manage crowds.
Demonstrators are reportedly planning to gather at the Washington Monument, the Freedom Plaza, and the Capitol.
"Some of our intelligence certainly suggests there will be increased crowd sizes," acting Police Chief Robert Contee said.
"There are people intent on coming to our city armed."
It is illegal to openly carry firearms in Washington, D.C. Concealed-carry permits from other states will not allow the permit holder to carry a firearm inside the district.
Additionally, federal law prohibits firearms at popular protest sites including Freedom Plaza, and the National Mall, while D.C. law bans guns within 1,000 feet of a protest.
President Trump said Sunday he will attend the protests in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, when Congress will vote to certify the Electoral College results that Biden won 306-232.
Trump has not yet conceded the election and continues to claim that widespread voter fraud stole the election for Biden.
Some Republican lawmakers plan on objecting to the certification of the Electoral College votes, which will trigger several hours of debate that could delay the process but will likely fall short of persuading enough members of Congress to vote against rejecting the results.
[RELATED] Sidney Powell: 'I Don't See How Any Good Christian Can Certify a Fraudulent Election'


text:
1st Korea-India High-level Policy Consultation on Global Issues Takes Place
1. Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs Ham Sang-wook, together with Additional Secretary (International Organizations) of the Ministry of External Affairs of India Vinay Kumar, virtually held the 1st "Korea-India high-level policy consultation on global issues" at 3:30 pm, January 7, Korea Standard Time.
2. In the consultation, the two sides extensively discussed global issues of mutual interest, including India's plan as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2021-2022 term; key agendas of the UN Security Council including the Korean Peninsula issue; preparations for the 2021 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial to be held in Korea in December 2021; and recent challenges to multilateralism and future prospects.
° The Korean side asked for continued attention and support of India, a new non-permanent member of the Security Council, regarding the Korean Peninsula peace process. The Indian side, commending the Korean government's efforts to date, suggested continuing close communication and cooperation between the two countries at the UN, among others.
° The Korean side also pointed out that about 600 Korean troops and police officers have been dispatched to five UN peacekeeping operation (PKO) missions and that Korea is the world's 10th largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget. The Korean side went on to ask India, a significant contributor in the area of peacekeeping, to participate and cooperate actively for the success of the "2021 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial" to be hosted by Korea in early December 2021.
° Meanwhile, the Indian side explained that, as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2021-2022 term, India will carry out activities with a focus on counter-terrorism, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, and maritime security.
° The two sides agreed to hold the high-level policy consultation on global issues on a regular basis following its 1st meeting.
3. The 1st consultation is seen to have served as an opportunity to reinforce the foundation for multilateral cooperation by establishing a separate consultative channel on multilateral issues with India, a new non-permanent member of the Security Council. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to hold bilateral consultations with members of the Security Council as part of its effort to prepare for Korea's bid for non-permanent membership of the Security Council for the 2024-2025 term.
Next Outcome of Telephone Conversation between Foreign Ministers of Korea and Spain
Prev MOFA Spokesperson's Commentary on Certification of U.S. Presidential Election Results by U.S. Congress


The world of genetic DNA testing is always changing. Back in October, we reported that 23andMe receives approval to provide health information. These changes were accompanied by a price increase.
Then, those who had tested with 23andMe received notification that effective November 11th preparation was underway for a "new 23andMe experience." Part of that preparation appears to be that just not is the "new" 23andMe site different, but that information that genealogists have come to rely on is not now provided.
And it's clear to me now that — well — at the very very best the new 23andMe site is a work-in-progress. And when all the dust settles and the smoke clears, we may find that it's significantly less useful for genealogists than the old site used to be. That's not a given; there is some nice potential to the new site. What's also not a given is whether 23andMe cares about the genealogical community, and whether it will listen.
If you've already tested with 23andMe, the time is now — right now — today — this minute — to save any information that may just up and disappear when 23andMe gets around to switching your kit to the new system.
Do read her full post as it provides links to a couple of blog posts written by Roberta Estes and Shannon Christmas which you will want to read where you can learn more about the coming changes and are provided with explicit instructions on how to best "save" the information currently available to those who have tested with 23andMe.
Good luck with your current mission – save, save, save your 23andMe DNA information if you tested before the "new system" is implemented.
For readers whose kit has been switched from the old to the new, what do you think?
If your kit was switched, have you found a way to still access the information previously available after the switch?
Editor's Note: 10 Dec 2015, 22:00, corrected affective to effective.


A background, per a Patreon request!
You brew beer, alcohol, or other spirits, because doing so is important. But there was an accident. Perhaps the beer ran out, or something contaminated a large batch. For whatever reason, you don't brew beer any more.
Languages: Gain one additional language.
Equipment: Two mugs, a mini-keg, a bottle opener, a flask, a bowie knife, one weapon of your choice, a suit of leather armor, and a sleeping bag.
Reasons you no longer are a Brewer.
The inside of a cask is not a place normal people sleep.
I still maintain I don't have an unhealthy obsession with cats.
I've been brewing beer for over a decade now, but you go get one monkey. . .
Apparently no matter how much you dislike the people in your home town, using the kegs as your personal urinal/vomitorium was bad form.
Disreputable brewing techniques using pixies.
People didn't like your Opium brew. Rather they did, and that was the problem.
You can tell the type and quality of a drink just by a small taste. You are also very familiar with bar culture, allowing you to gain investigation on any rolls made to find out information in taverns and bars.
Beer is important to the development of humanity and that's why you learned to brew it. People who drink beer are healthier and live longer, and they have more to live for.
I'm tough enough to crush a can on my head. I'm tough enough for this.
I don't know how I got involved in this. I just black-out and always show up in the strangest places.
If I had to do something responsible with my life, it might as well be something enjoyable.
I'm not a fan of drunks, but I like beer and I like crafting it.
My best customers are humanoids, not humans!
I'd still be doing it today if I didn't dislike politics so much.
Callousness: It's not my fault, I was drunk. (Evil).
I lost my job, so now I need to find something else to do to support my family.
My best customer is my best friend.
I have a bunch of secret recipes that no one can ever have. They will make me rich someday.
I have valuable brewing equipment that takes up a lot of space.
I love going on adventures, but I have to come back pretty frequently to check on my brews.
"No! an ale is not a lager!" The world is filled with idiots and I'll never teach them.
I have to be a little drunk to cope with even small things.
Alcoholism isn't just a river in egypt.
I might like the fighting more than the drinking.
Conservative teetotaling know-it-alls drive me crazy!
The doctor says I have a bad liver, but I don't see what that has to do with drinking.
Running a B/X game? Give these advantages instead of proficiency and features. You can alos give these bonuses if running a 5e game using 3d6 for character generation.
Often Drunk. When Drunk +2 Str, +2 Con, -1 Int, -4 Wisdom.
Well done. I assume you meant "allowing you to gain advantage on any investigation rolls". Nice background.
Like an idiot, I clicked the wrong button and erased your comment. Thanks for correcting me, I'll fix the post.
No, I meant a place where you pop out from as if vomited forth.


text:
Iboga – Bwiti and the Tree of Knowledge
Home/Culture, Herbs & Plants, Substances/Iboga – Bwiti and the Tree of Knowledge
Tabernanthe Iboga is one of the gifts mother earth has to offer. It contains priceless knowledge and lessons that can make our world a better place.
We all know the story of Adam and Eve and the tree of knowledge.
How they got kicked out of Eden because they disobeyed the order of their creator not to eat of its fruits. The story of the divine tree can be found in almost all the major religions
In the Hindu Vedas for example (Rig Veda Samhita, Mundaka, and Svetasvatara Upanisad) there is a legend for two birds. One of the birds has eaten fruits, the other only watched.
The first bird symbolizes Jiva – the soul of all beings. When she started eating the fruits she instantly forgotten her God, represented by the second birth Paramatman, who accompanies from the birth in the material realm till his death.
This ecstatic state of Jiva is her MahaMaya(delusion), her spiritual death. She falls off the divine world and enters the mortal realm.
Another example can be found in Buddhism. The Buddhism calls the tree of knowledge the Bodhi Vriksha. Under this tree Lord Buddha got enlightenment.
The Peepal tree(Ficus Religiosa), unlike the biblical tree of knowledge, grants enlightenment in return for physical pleasure.
Which is the actual tree of knowledge and enlightenment? Is it the apple or the Peepal or some other, unknown tree? Maybe we will never know
There is a tribe in the heart of Africa however, followers of the Bwiti spiritual practices.
Bwiti is a practice based partially on some Christian influences and the ritual usage of the hallucinogenic plant Iboga (Tabernanthe Iboga).
The iboga is called the Tree of Good and Evil and it is related to the African myth of Obola and Biome. The Creator has made Obola and all the men in his own image and placed a divine part of himself in everyone.
When they use iboga they can once more feel the Creator's essence. Unlike the Judeo-Christian Apple, however, Bwiti don't use the fruits, but the root barks of the plant.
Accordingly, to the Fang tribe's beliefs, Pygmies are those who have initially found the psychedelic effects of the plants, including Iboga. In general, the pygmies tribes are those who know all the secrets of the equatorial African forest.
Part of their knowledge has spread among the indigenous people of Africa and this is how the Bwiti spiritual practice has been born.
Actually, the Fang tribe uses Iboga for centuries
Way to the Christian influence on the continent. The Iboga usage during ministration is at the base of the Syncretic cult. The new form of religion become so popular so that for only a few decades spread out of Gabon borders.
Temples of the Syncretic cult appeared in Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Congo, and Zaire. Bwiti is slowly becoming the most followed spiritual practice in Africa.
The Bwiti's mythology has a lot of similarities with the Old and the New Testament.
For example, the original sin was an incest between Obola and Biome, the first human twins. The tree of knowledge, good and evil is the Iboga. The biblical flood is a fact for the Fang people.
It made their tribes move from Cameroon to Gabon.Furthermore, the Holy Trinity has its equivalent in the Bwiti beliefs.
Furthermore, the Holy Trinity has its equivalent in the Bwiti beliefs. The Nzame, Gningone and None. None is the evil. Nzame and Gningone are the creators of the first people – the Gabonese Obola and Biome.
Biome conceived her first child by treachery. None has entered her womb in a form of snake.
She delivered triplets. One black, white and red. The white is the color of Obola, the black with the color of None, the color of the devil, and the red is considered a messenger of another realm. Finally, 12 more child's are born. The 12 founders.
This interpretation of the Christian dogma infuriated the missionaries. The accused Bwiti followers of drug addiction, ritual human sacrifices, and cannibalism.
The persecutions of the Bwiti supported by the French colonial government reached its peak between 1920 – 1940.
Between 1948-1969 the Bwiti cult has undergone some changes and some of the tariffing rituals of the practice, like sacrifices and etc. were removed.
The Bwiti became a part of the movement for national and racial freedom in Africa, which led to the end of the French colonialism and the forming of the new Republic Gabon.
The first president of Gabon – Leon Ba was a Bwiti follower.So the Bwiti cult has turned into an official religion and the peace has spread among the country. This peace still lasts today. Gabon is the most stable country in the area.
In every Bwiti society, there is a strictly followed hierarchy.
The highest place in this hierarchy belongs to the Nima. He is the Bwiti supreme shaman. He is the direct messenger of the spiritual realm.
The N'ganga is the healer. His responsibility is the dances. Kombo is the person that takes care of the temples and the rituals held there.
There are also musicians that are playing on the traditional drums and Ngombi harp, which music is central to the rituals. The one who plays Ngombi must be with a pure soul.
It is believed that his life belongs to the harp. The female leader in the Bwiti society is called Yombo. She is responsible for the behavior of the female followers of Bwiti.
The Bwiti followers are experts in the usage of Iboga.
A ceremony involves between 20-50 people of every age. From children to elders. Each dosage, however, is independently determined by the Nima.
The participants in the rite which have taken smaller dosage are responsible for taking care of the others if necessary.
The incredible tree of knowledge Tabernanthe Iboga has granted the Bwiti community peace, love, and understanding.
The spirits behind his sacred plant taught his children how to live in harmony with nature and one another.
It transformed a whole country in an example of a social way of life. Now Gabon stays as a symbol of how the population of Africa must live like. The sacred Iboga has found its way in the Western civilization too.
Furthermore, the root barks of the plant and its effect are used by the modern psychologists for treating horrible addictions, like the heroin, cocaine and alcohol addictions.
It contains limitless potential and is one of the most suitable candidates for the real tree of knowledge.
http://ibogaine.mindvox.com/
http://entheology.com/
https://www.ibogainealliance.org/
*This article was originally published at the-shaman.com
By PsyMinds|2017-10-25T15:04:09+03:00June 1st, 2017|Categories: Culture, Herbs & Plants, Substances|Tags: iboga, legend, sacred medicines, trees|0 Comments
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