James is from England and grew up in Cheshire on a dairy and sheep farm, where he developed his passion for animals. He qualified with Honors from The Royal Veterinary College, London in 2013. He then returned to Cheshire where he worked for 4 years at large first opinion and referral practice. He came out to New Zealand in January 2017 on a 6 month sabbatical but fell in love with New Zealand life and so is still here.
James started at Greenlane Vets in November 2017, and became our Senior Vet in July 2018. He is currently studying towards a certificate in small animal medicine and has been on courses in oncology, ultrasound, ultrasonography and endoscopy.
James has a rescue Beagle called Poppy and four rabbits which have come into the practice as strays. He spends the time he is not working or studying exploring the beautiful scenery of New Zealand.
Emma is from the UK and grew up in East Anglia surrounded by pets of all sizes, so has always wanted be a vet. She qualified from Cambridge University in 2016 with Merit and from there, spent two years working as a small animal vet in a 4 branch practice in Suffolk. Here, she got experience with some exotic species and developed a passion for critical care and soft tissue surgery, which is something she wants to pursue a certificate in. She moved to New Zealand in July 2018 to start a new adventure and joined Greenlane Vets in August.
Emma has a lovely (but feisty…) rescue cat called Keira and would love to get a dog soon too. In her free time she enjoys playing netball and going to the gym, baking, painting and experiencing all of the amazing things New Zealand has to offer!
Valerie started working in the practice as a receptionist in 1982. After completing a diploma in business management at the University of Auckland, she was promoted to practice manager.
Valerie's hobbies include Toastmasters, reading and walking/tramping and she also loves travelling to Australia and Asia to visit extended family.
Valerie has been instrumental in promoting and overseeing the many changes at Greenlane Veterinary Centre in recent years. Principally the major renovations and the achievement of accreditation which is quite a milestone. Renovations in the boarding cattery were started last year and will be ongoing throughout this year.
She is very keen to see staff pursue continuing education and further qualifications.
Hannah completed her Certificate in Veterinary Nursing in her home town of Nelson, then went onto a Bachelor of Science majoring in Marine Biology, animals underlying most of her studies and work experience throughout the years.
As a client relations manager to the clinic she enjoys enhancing the relationship between the clinic and clients, with emphasis on making the clinic experience positive for all.
In 2015 Hannah returned from several years in Greece where she had a horse riding school and livery yard - horses being a big love of hers. Luckily in New Zealand she has found a lovely Thoroughbred, Arthur to call hers.
She loves horse riding, yoga, learning Greek and (attempting to learn!) the guitar.
Michelle grew up on a sheep and beef farm in Doubtless Bay where her love for animals developed.
She graduated with a Diploma in Veterinary Nursing from Unitec in 2012 and has been Vet Nursing the past 12 years in mixed practice clinics in Kaitaia and Mangawhai and numerous small animal practices in Auckland.
She really enjoys working with companion animals, especially cats, with a focus on cat behavior and wellbeing.
Katie has always had a real passion for animals, ever since she was young growing up surrounded with animals, she has four little dogs taking up room in the bed and a talkative Cockatiel named Roose.
She joined our team here in January 2015 after she obtained her Certificate in Animal Care and Diploma in Veterinary Nursing in 2014.
Katie has a passion for surgery, cuddles with our furry clients and loves to have a chat with our clients coming through.
Her hobbies include her beloved car, dirt bike, fishing, cake decorating, going the gym and seeing the NZ breakers play basketball.
Rose has always loved animals and has a soft spot for Border Collies, as she grew up with them as her family pets. She currently has an old man Ragdoll cat called Byron waiting for her at home where she is renting and is easier to own her own place so she can rescue and adopt more pets.
She completed her Bachelor of Science majoring in Biological Sciences in 2014, then went on to complete her Diploma in Veterinary Nursing in 2016. She has been nursing at Greenlane Vets ever since, where she has continued to learn more skills and improve on her talents. Rose is the main nurse that assists James with chemotherapy of our furry friends.
Jonna first started with us for her work experience placement in 2016 and we've been lucky enough to keep her as she continues her studies towards a Degree in Veterinary Nursing and Animal Welfare through Unitec.
Being Swedish born and a self confessed 'cat lady' Jonna lives with her fiance and two rescue cats, Silence and Spectre.
Jonna enjoys reading, video games, going to the theatre, stand up comedy and travel.


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Therapeutic Solutions files new Patent on Augmentation of Anti-Tumor Immunity by Mifepristone and Analogues Thereof
Company Developing Proprietary Products that Help Immune System Fight Cancer
May 22, 2017 09:00 ET | Source: Therapeutic Solutions International, Inc.
OCEANSIDE, CA--(Marketwired - May 22, 2017) - Therapeutics Solutions International, Inc., (OTC PINK: TSOI) announced today the filing of a patent covering a repurposing of the FDA cleared drug Mifepristone for use in expansion of T and NK cells in cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy.
The patent describes methods useful for improving a treatment outcome and/or an alteration of immunity in a condition that benefits from immune stimulation. In particular, the invention teaches administration of sufficient doses of Mifepristone or a derivative, alone, or in combination with an immunotherapeutic such as an antibody, a vaccine, a cytokine, or a medicament whose therapeutic activity is associated with immune modulation.
LymphoBoost is a proprietary formulation of Mifepristone, a drug approved for another indication, which we have shown to be capable of stimulating lymphocytes, particularly NK cells and T cells, both critical in maintaining anti-tumor immunity.
"Current cancer therapies are often associated with various degrees of toxicity. One of the Company's core principles is to develop approaches that are unlikely to cause toxicity by focusing on naturally occurring products or repurposing of drugs that are already demonstrated to be safe," said Timothy Dixon, President and CEO of Therapeutic Solutions International. "Mifepristone has been used in the USA since the year 2000 for its anti-progesterone properties and its safety and pharmacology are well characterized."
"The immune system does not work in isolation of other physiological systems of the body," said Dr. Thomas Ichim, Director of Therapeutic Solutions International. "Various types of tumors have been shown to generate Progesterone Induced Blocking Factor1,2,3 which suppresses the immune cells whose role it is to kill the tumor4,5. By blocking progesterone activity with Mifepristone, our data suggests the possibility of overcoming some aspects of cancer induced immune suppression."
1 Gutiérrez-Rodríguez et al. Proliferative and Invasive Effects of Progesterone-Induced Blocking Factor in Human Glioblastoma Cells. Biomed Res Int. 2017;2017:1295087. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28168193
2 Marquina-Sánchez et al. The interplay between intracellular progesterone receptor and PKC plays a key role in migration and invasion of human glioblastoma cells. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2016 Oct 4. pii: S0960-0760(16)30261-8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27717886
3 Kyurkchiev et al. Cells isolated from human glioblastoma multiforme express progesterone-induced blocking factor (PIBF). Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2014 May;34(4):479-89. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24474429
4 Par et al. Progesterone regulates IL12 expression in pregnancy lymphocytes by inhibiting phospholipase A2.
Am J Reprod Immunol. 2003 Jan;49(1):1-5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12733588
5 Faust et al. Progesterone-induced blocking factor inhibits degranulation of natural killer cells.
Am J Reprod Immunol. 1999 Aug;42(2):71-5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10476687
About Therapeutic Solutions International, Inc.
The Company's corporate website is www.therapeuticsolutionsint.com. Our new products can be viewed on www.projuvenol.com and products can be ordered at www.youcanordernow.com.
These Supplement products have not been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any diseases.
This release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been correct. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by the use of words like "may," "will," "should," "could," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "intend," or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as these statements are subject to numerous risk factors as set forth in our SEC filings. To the extent that statements in this press release are not strictly historical, including statements as to product launch timing, revenue projections, business strategy, outlook, objectives, future milestones, plans, intentions, goals, future collaboration agreements, or otherwise as to future events, such statements are forward-looking, and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made.
Therapeutic Solutions International, Inc.
ir@tsoimail.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


As Clay Squared continues to grow and evolve, we were asked to rebrand the handmade tile studio and showroom concept so as to modernize it's look and feel, thereby appealing to both professional Architects and Designers while still maintaining the company's accessibility to a consumer market. Part of the challenge of it's marketing materials is that it must both sell and educate the consumer about how and why to use Clay Squared to Infinity tiles.
We utilized the previously existing logo rocket and reworked the hand drawn type into a mark that is more legible and rocketing into space. We chose a modern san serif font with soft edges that gave it's cosmic characters space. To add flexibility to the logo and its many applications we included branding elements such as orbs, rings, and photo textures. The textures are focused on close-up photos of the cosmic tiles themselves as the inherent beauty of Clay Squared tiles is in the details of their handmade character.
© 2019 Gregory Good. All Rights Reserved.


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July 8, 2019 / 11:26 AM / 9 days ago
Conservative leader Mitsotakis becomes Greek PM, picks cabinet
George Georgiopoulos, Lefteris Papadimas
ATHENS (Reuters) - Conservative politician Kyriakos Mitsotakis took office as Greece's new prime minister and named his cabinet on Monday, after storming to victory on a pledge to create jobs and lure investment to the economically stricken nation.
Mitsotakis's New Democracy party won an outright majority with 158 seats in the 300-seat legislature. His pledges for more investments, well-paid jobs and fewer taxes won over Greeks worn out by years of EU-prescribed austerity and the euro zone's highest unemployment.
"Today we get started on the hard work. I have absolute confidence in our abilities to rise to the occasion," Mitsotakis said after he was sworn in at a ceremony officiated by Greek Orthodox clergy at the presidential palace in Athens.
He was later welcomed by outgoing premier Alexis Tsipras, a leftist who steered Greece out of bailouts, but was blamed for botching negotiations with international lenders and saddling the nation with more debt after he took over in 2015.
Mitsotakis appointed economist Christos Staikouras as his government's finance minister. Staikouras, 46, was New Democracy's coordinator of economic affairs and a lawmaker since 2007.
Golden Dawn loses its luster as Greeks reject militant far-right
He served as deputy finance minister from 2012 to 2015, under a previous conservative-led government.
Mitsotakis also named lawyer Nikos Dendias to head the foreign ministry. Dendias, 60, has served as justice and defense minister in previous conservative governments.
Greeks hope the new government can make the economy work better after the country emerged from the close surveillance of its international lenders last year. The economy is now growing at a moderate clip, expanding by 1.3% on an annual basis in the first quarter.
The change of guard was greeted with profit-taking on the Athens stock exchange after a strong rally in previous days. The blue chip share index .ATF shed 2.15%, led by bank shares.
"It's mostly a 'buy the rumor, sell the news' session. Stocks had a strong run, anticipating the election result. Short-term traders are now closing positions, locking in profits," said investment adviser Theodore Mouratidis.
Leader of New Democracy conservative party and winner of Greek general election Kyriakos Mitsotakis, along with his wife Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotakis, arrives for a swearing-in ceremony as prime minister near the Presidential Palace in Athens, Greece July 8, 2019. REUTERS/Costas Baltas
On the fixed-income side, government bond yields tumbled to new all-time lows. The yield on 10-year government paper fell by as much as 14 basis points to 2.014%.
"Greek sovereign debt is trading at yield levels consistent with an investment-grade rating," said Markus Allenspach, head of fixed income research at Julius Baer in a note. "i.e. the market has priced in a lot of positive development from here."
EAST MEDITERRANEAN TENSIONS
For Mitsotakis the first test is likely to come from outside Greece, as tensions simmer between its close ally Cyprus and historic foe Turkey over offshore energy reserves.
Cyprus has discovered natural gas offshore in recent years, but its jurisdiction has been challenged by Turkey, which supports a breakaway state in the north of the island.
On Monday Cyprus condemned what it called an infringement of its sovereign rights by Turkey after Ankara sent a second drill ship to explore for oil and gas off the island.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan was the first foreign leader to call to congratulate Mitsotakis on Sunday evening, aides to the Greek leader said. On Monday Turkey's foreign ministry said it hoped bilateral relations could be further enhanced under Mitsotakis's stewardship.
"To this end, we want to swiftly revitalize existing dialogue channels and start our contacts as soon as possible to address issues on our agenda," foreign ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said.
Last month, European Union leaders warned Turkey to end its gas drilling in waters around Cyprus or face action from the bloc. Cypriot foreign ministry officials last week said they would take legal action against any company encroaching on its maritime areas without license. [L8N24329P]
Additional reporting and writing by Michele Kambas, Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Gareth Jones, William Maclean


Last week Microsoft released SQL Server Management Studio 18.0 into public preview, here's a link so you can read about the new and improved functionality it offers.
One significant change is the addition of actual vs estimated row counts onto the showplan operators in execution plans (only actual, not estimated…which kinda makes sense).
Here I'm running a very simple bit of code on some DMV's (namely exec requests and sessions) to demonstrate this addition.
Read on for the example.


The Omega Railmaster is a simple, practical, yet elegant watch originally designed for railway staff or anyone who worked close to an electrical field. They have received lots of attention since its release at Baselworld and we fully understand why! It's one of my grail watches and I'm luck enough to own an original series "-1" example as well from 1957! The spirit of innovation that was put in place for the 1957 model has now been carried over into this updated model which enhances the Railmaster capabilities once more.
The 40mm case is made from stainless steel with Omega's infamous Hippocampus design featured on the back along with the fantastic looking embossed waterproofed markings. The vertically brushed grey dial includes brushed stainless steel hands and recessed hour markers which are filled with "vintage" Super Luminova. There is also a transferred beige "Railmaster" indication which delivers a touch of class from Omega. This modern version of the famous Railmaster dial is one of the most attractive features of this 21st Century iteration!
This watch has a full length, fully brushed stainless steel bracelet. Waterproofed upto 150m (500ft) and powered by the Omega 8806 self winding movement. A timepiece that is perfect for the gentleman with style.
This is a new unworn watch with inner and outer box and all booklets and paperwork etc… With remander of Omega 2 year warranty. The retail price of this piece from Omega is £3680.00 so be quick, as it won't be around long at this price!
Modern or vintage PX's considered, please call me on +44 7831 454658.


Could it be? Sources say the Kensington post office might actually be (*shock*) improving.
I've been to the Post Office several times since the meeting, and it has improved significantly (and the changes actually began a week or so before the meeting). Many of the major complaints seem to have addressed. The place is clean, there are more workers staffing the windows, the supply areas are all well-stocked, and there's often an employee on the floor answering questions and directing customers to the proper place.
For example, I was there last week to mail a small package via Priority Mail. Right after I entered, the worker on the floor came over to me, asked me what I needed, and after I told him, he walked me to the counter and pulled out a Priority envelope and mailing label for me. Once I had the package ready, I got in a longish line, but since there were four workers behind the windows, I only waited a couple of minutes.
I decide to take a swing by and noticed a rather short line with not one not two but three windows open as well as a person at the package pick up window (so for all the mathematicians out there that's four windows!). I also noticed a variety of supplies on two tables, return receipt envelopes etc. Lastly, the stamp machine had a note on it that said "only takes $1 dollar bills" so could that mean it actually takes money and distributes stamps?


Another short story from John Mierau, this one was quite fun to do. Originally, the tracks and the landscape were separate photos, and both daytime shots. Using the magic of Photoshop, this image transformed into a nighttime scene from the Old West, with an almost painted quality. Additionally, you would not believe how long I looked for a picture of a cowboy's back with hand in just the right position. It's amazing to me how dedicated you have to be to find the exact elements you see in your head when it comes to cover design. That's by far more of a challenge than assembling all the pieces, in many cases. I finally found this guy, a free-use image (!) on Deviant Art, and added in the final elements of this cover.
This entire image was completed in Adobe Photoshop CS4.


On behalf of Law Offices of Kurt M. Schultz, PLLC posted in blog on Friday, April 20, 2018.
Slip, trip and fall injuries are disturbingly common. According to the National Floor Safety Institute, fall accidents are the leading cause of emergency room visits. You may slip or trip and fall at almost any place, from your own home to retail stores. Where your accident occurs is among that factors that can influence whether you can file a lawsuit and obtain damages.


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75mm Field Gun Battery Position - Part 2
This post will look in more detail at the remains we recorded and attempt to relate them to what is known about Field batteries from Manuals and War Diaries. Obviously we can only record what remains - some features may have disappeared (either due to woodland management work as the battery is sited on the edge of a small covert or perhaps the position may have extended into surrounding arable land so any features obviously long since ploughed up). Another factor to consider is that as this position was only occupied for a short while it may never have been completed.
Make up of a Field Battery position
A Field battery position would have consisted of the gun pits, a command post, shell trenches and crew accommodation. Positions for close defence may also have been constructed as well as slit trenches for Passive Air Defence (PAD). The location would have been wired in. We recorded the area of the trench/gun pit/dugout and one of the other gun pits with tape and offsets. As always we seemed to have generated as many questions as we answered!
Image 1: GPS plot with areas recorded by tape and offset highlighted.
Image 2: Transect across the trench.
Image 3: Transect across old wood bank with two pits (weapon-pits or shell pit?)
Image 4: Transect across the dugout.
Image 5: Plan of the command post (or not - see below!)
Image 6: Plan of second gun pit
Location of Battery
The battery's task was to provide Defensive Fire. According to FSR Defensive Fire was "used against troops actually attacking. It is usually put down on pre-arranged areas in co-ordination with the fire of other weapons, especially of machine guns, and is fired on a pre-arranged signal". The guns would have been laid on their primary Defensive Fire task. Field batteries would have to be sited far back enough for a wide arc to be covered without changing the guns location. Field guns have a high muzzle velocity which gives them a long range but involves a comparatively flat trajectory. This means they would need to be sited so as to clear the crests of any high ground or obstacle between the gun and target. The position of this battery fits perfectly with the above - it is sited far back enough so it can cover both Walberswick and Dunwich (the battery's Defensive Fire tasks). It is also sited on a piece of high ground ensuring "crest clearance". The battery is located on the edge of Forty Acre Covert which would enable concealment work to be kept to a minimum.
Command Post
At first it seems that the dugout and trench fit the illustration in the Field Engineering manuals of a command post quite well. The dugout is a typical 'cut and cover' construction which is entered from a narrow trench which probably had steps down into it. The trench is curved to provide some blast protection. But there is a problem with this being the command post - why site a gun pit so close? With a 75mm firing so close by, this is hardly a good position to receive reports and issue orders. There is no doubt that the remains we recorded are a dug out but perhaps not the command post. Perhaps this was a post either for close defence of the battery or as DS suggested to control anti-tank fire by direct observation? The more I think about this the more I like the anti-tank idea - the gun from this position would have covered a track leading directly to the battery position. So perhaps the large pits marked on the GPS plot are also remains of dugouts which housed the command post?
Above: Plan of a typical Command Post, FE Vol I 1937 amendment
Gun Pits
Guns would have to be aligned parallel for an effective barrage, but this does not mean the pits would have to be evenly spaced. This was discouraged as illustrated in FE Vol I - "In the study of ground from the air, regularity is invariably a sign of man. Regularity of spacing should be particularly avoided, and guns should be unevenly spaced as far apart as is compatible with control and the ground available". If we are right in our identification of the gun pits, this would explain the uneven spacing. The War Diary of 129 Field Regt has some useful notes on gun pits. The gun should be dug down as low as possible - usually so the axle was at ground level. Typically this would be 2 or 3 feet. The protection of the pit should be about 5 foot, requiring a further 2 to 3 foot above ground. Sandbags may have been used to to make the pit proof against small arms fire.However the pit was not to be built higher than cover from view allowed; if insufficient cover was provided by the pit slit trenches should be dug sufficient for all the crew to be in them within 10 seconds. Overhead cover from view would be by a flat top cover (either string or wire netting) supported on a framework of poles.The two pits we ran tapes over are shallow excavations with perhaps a further foot of cover above ground. Sandbags may well have been added to provide extra cover. There seems to be a lack of slit trenches either for the crew or for storing the shells in . We would have expected some indication of remains of shell storage as guns in position to deliver Defensive Fire would have first line ammunition dumped at the gun positions (in several small quantities of not more than 50 rounds). Second line ammunition would be kept on wagons in case the guns needed to move to support the local infantry. One pit recorded on the transects may have been for storing shells but there is no indication of other slits at the other three pits.
Part three of this post will look at the Tinkers Walks position which E Troop moved to in April 1941 - I found no remains of this position although it is easy to visualise it in the landscape. Also started to add some 1945 aerials to previous blogs, starting with the Diver Battery sites.
Posting on this blog and the two websites has certainly slowed down over the last few months but this does not mean I've been idle - far from it! I've now completed my field work in the main Westleton training area, made another visit to the National Archives and also been carrying out recording in two other areas with David Sims. The next few blogs will detail the work on one of these locations.
I stumbled on this site last winter, but as I am so far behind in converting cassini grid references could not tie it down to any locality in the War Diaries. However David was able to provide the answer - it is the position of a four 75mm gun battery . It is an interesting survival as earthworks related to actual Field Batteries are incredibly rare which is strange considering the number of practice gun pits that still survive in Suffolk.
We have interpreted the remains as comprising a Battery Command Post, and at least two remaining gun pits (it is possible that all four remain). Stretching the imagination a little a fifth pit may have been dug to position one of the guns for an anti-tank role: "Guns must be prepared to engage tanks and where a road or other likely tank approach exists in the vicinity of the posn, a gun position must be reconnoitred and prepared (if necessary) to deal with tanks approaching along such a road etc." - HQRA 55th Div.
First Image: GPS Plot of Field Battery Battle Position.
Second Image: Trench, possibly part of the Battery Command Post
Third Image: Gun Pit
Fourth Image: Could this pit have been dug as an anti-tank position? The pit is screened from view of the road except for the area in which the car can be seen.
This position does not appear to have occupied for long. It is first noted in 52nd Field Regt's War Diary in Jan 1941, part of the artillery covering the front of 42nd Division. Work on the position probably commenced on 15th Jan 1941 when the War Diary notes "Regiment organised on a 2 Battery basis (205 battery - A,B and E Troops; 206 Battery - C,D and F Troops). Troops move into Battle Positions". The position we have found was the Battle Position of "A" Troop, 205 Battery. The War Diary notes that "Preparation of Battle Positions continues" throughout much of January. "A" Troop undertook firing practice on Jan 28th. 42nd Div were relieved by 15th Div during Feb 1941 and 130 Field Regt took over from 52nd Field Regt (with "E" Troop, 494 Battery taking over the position). "E" Troop had a primary defensive fire task of Walberswick and a secondary defensive fire task of Dunwich. These tasks were almost at the maximum range of the gun (approx 7,500yds).
Above: Fire Plan of "E" Troop, 494 Battery
RA 15th Division Operation Instruction No 28 dated 26th Mar 1941 detailed a change in gun positions "with a view of making available the greatest possible fire power available for A/tnk defence and siting Arty within defended localities". "E" Troop were to move to Tinker's Walks. This move was to be completed by 16th April.
The next post will look in more detail at the remains and try and relate them to what information we can glean about Field Battery positions with reference to Field Engineering Manuals and War Diaries.
15th Div Operating Instruction No 10
Took a walk down to Shingle Street / Hollesley Marshes today. I noted that some scrub had been cleared around a couple of the pillboxes, so had another look inside. Although I've been in them before I noticed something new in one of them that relates to the title of this post.
15th Division Operating Instruction (Beach Defence) No 10 Apr 16th notes the following:
Unoccupied Pillboxes:
Surplus pillboxes for which no personnel are available to man after "stand to" constitute a danger should they be occupied by the enemy. The loopholes of all surplus pillboxes within two miles of the coast will be filled with concrete under arrangements of C.R.E.
Commanders of No's 1,2,3 & 4 sub-sectors will forward lists to this H.Q (copy to C.R.E) giving exact sites of all such pillboxes by 21 Apr 1941.
Although the photos below show that this order was clearly carried out on this pillbox, there is dating evidence on the inside of two of the blocked embrasures I had not noticed before. On the inside a very neat job had been carried out blocking the loopholes with a rendered finish which the people carrying out the work had marked with "June 1941" and "Bristol Garland 1941" - not sure if that is a name or not!
Above: Image 1 and 2 clearly show the loopholes have been blocked with cement as per Operating Instruction No 10. Images 3 and 4 show where the rendered finished has been marked with the date 1941.
To finish off with a couple of more shots of pillboxes I have blogged on before at Hollesley / Simpsons Marsh but it is always nice to take new pictures in differing light / weather conditions!
Top image shows a Type 22 with a flying buttress - Hollesley Marshes which has had scrub around it cleared since my last visit.
Bottom image shows a Type 22 at nearby Simpsons Marsh with presumably the remains of the bridge that once allowed access to it. Note the screw picket in the foreground.


Pride month on St Croix has come to an end after nearly twenty events were held in June. Some of those events met controversy, but supporters say they hope barriers were broken and minds were opened.
Pride events began on Sunday, May 27 with a blessing at the Jewish Community Center. Organizers said the goal was to outreach to the LGBTQ community and ease feelings of disconnect.
On the evening of June 1, St. Croix hosted its first ever Pride launch party for North America at Point Udall, the eastern most point of the United States. Carambola Zipline offered a shuttle service to the event starting at 10 p.m. and KDM Productions set the scene with multicolored lights showcasing the Millennium Monument Sundial.
Glow sticks, CoralFire performers and DJ Fyah Coral lit up the full moon sky until 2 a.m. with the Cruzan Inclusion food truck offering food and drinks.
"It was breathtaking. I'll be back next year for sure," said one partygoer.
June 2 was Pride Island Floatopia, sponsored by Caribbean Sea Adventures. Groups were transported to Buck Island via catamaran to enjoy a full day of sun and relaxation on massive unicorn and pegasus floats.
On Sunday, June 3, Java Joes Cafe held a Pride brunch. The venue was decorated in multi rainbow colored curtains for the event.
The Pride Film Festival kicked off at Shupe's on the Boardwalk with a showing of "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar." The movie is about small town drag queens' struggles with discrimination.
On June 8, Peachcan Gallery held a Pride art exhibit addressing queer identity. It included culinary, visual, performance and spoken word art.
History was made as St. Croix held its first ever Pride parade in Frederiksted, but not without moments of controversy and opposition. In the days leading up to the event, a picture from a Pride parade in a larger city circulated on social media and incited rage, discord and even threats against the gay community.
One comment, which was later removed, called for the use of AK47's to "gun them down." The V.I. Police Department was notified by concerned citizens and the police made it known there would be a heightened police presence at the parade.
Organizers said they wanted St. Croix residents to know the history behind the parade and why they were marching.
"Today isn't about half naked men walking the streets of St Croix. It's about equal rights for humans all over the world and a celebration of love," said one parade participant.
Pride Month was sparked by a police raid of the Stonewall Inn, a Manhattan gay bar, in June 1969. Members of the LGBTQ community rioted shortly after. The following year, pride parades took place in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco to commemorate the riots.
On St. Croix, festivities began at 10 a.m. Participants marching and driving in cars said "Love Is Love!" while rainbow flags large and small were waved. Tears were shed, hugs were offered and received, and Strand Street appeared filled with solidarity from young and old.
The route of the parade ended at Sand Castle on the Beach with a brunch and beach party. Diane Butler, St Croix Chamber of Commerce President, was in attendance and spoke about her views as both a business owner and a lesbian.
A second film showing, featuring "Moonlight," was also held at the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts. The movie highlights the plight of an African-American man struggling with homosexuality.
June 13 was a Pride Ride hosted by Cruzan Cowgirls. The horses and guides donned rainbow costumes complete with socks. Riders toured the rainforest and received demonstrations on various plants before finishing up by the beach and diving off the horses into the Caribbean Sea.
Another first for St. Croix was a Friday night drag show at Louie & Nachos.
The LGBTQ community also threw a "dress red" party celebrating their allies, which was hosted by The Fred and Liberty Hall. The party was sponsored by Stoli vodka, and Chef Digby Stridiron rolled out a sit-down dinner for all those in attendance. Guests were asked to wear red and be creative in their dress. The party was also a fundraiser promoting HIV awareness. The Claire Rooker Award was presented to Holland Redfield II, DJ on 93.5 Caribbean Country and former senator, for being a loyal ally to the LGBTQ community. Redfield was given a necklace from Crucian Gold.
Drag queen and artist Sasha Adams Sanchez took the stage again at Louie and Nachos for another Pride Brunch on Sunday.
On June 23, Cane Bay Dive Shop hosted an "equality dive" at the Frederiksted Pier. Scuba divers immersed themselves in the coral and sea life while carrying a Pride flag into the depths of the ocean.
Located across the street from the pier, Tap Deck Bar and Billiards held a screening of the cult film "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Viewers who had never seen the film had their foreheads marked with large V's for "virgin," and full audience participation was encouraged including the use of props, singing and dancing.
On June 24, Common Cents Pub featured buy-one-get-one cocktail sale for the final brunch of Pride month.
Peachcan Gallery concluded the art segment of Pride with an interactive exhibit allowing the artists to speak about their work.
The finale of Pride month included a fireworks display and a beach party at Sand Castle on the Beach, owned by Chris Richardson and Ted Bedwell.
American Airlines, where Bedwell works as a flight attendant, flew in three drag queens who are also employees of the airline, to provide entertainment for the evening. Richardson and Bedwell said they have worked hard to become an inclusive workplace and support the LGBTQ community.
In attendance at the party was Bob Palmatier, president of STX Pride Inc. The first pride event of St Croix was held in his yard five years ago as a potluck, he said.


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INTRODUCTION The Cosmic Worldview
The Cosmic Worldview – Martinus Cosmology
– A Short Introduction
Part 1. A Brief Introduction; Background and Ontological Perspective
Part 2. Short Descriptive Exposition – What is Reality? What is Consciousness? What is the Meaning of Life?
A Brief Introduction; Background and Ontological Perspective
Although natural science has created the foundation of our modern technological society, it cannot explain what the physical world essentially consists of and what it really is. The same is true for consciousness; traditional science does not know what it is. In fact, both our inner and outer worlds are a mystery. Martinus Cosmology delineating The Cosmic Worldview involves a completely new description of life and reality that provides logical and consistent answers to these puzzles, and thereby also sheds light on the reflection of the world-famous physicist and mathematician Stephen Hawking: "Now we know in broad terms how the universe works. But we do not know why it works. Or why it exists at all".
Entirely new and groundbreaking evolutionary perspectives are also presented, signifying a new era in Biology. Describing a constant renewal and development for all living beings – an eternal evolution of life and consciousness.
Martinus is part of a long tradition of mystics* and intuitive philosophers who claim to have access to intuitive insights about the nature of both the world and consciousness, and an all encompassing knowledge of how life and existence are designed. What is special however about Martinus' work is that it presents a logical and comprehensive description of reality that allows the reader to understand the universe as a conscious, infinite multidimensional Cosmos functioning in a lawful manner following eternal principles.
*) Mystic: from the Greek 'mystés', i.e. someone who has recourse to knowledge from within, from his or her own innermost reaches, unaided by schooling, tuition and theory. Mystics have existed through the ages and in all cultures. They claim, among many other things, that the universe – indeed, the entire Cosmos – is a living organism with life experience and consciousness, and that life has a superior purpose.
As mentioned under the section "Martinus – Martinus Cosmology", on the page Presentation of New Cosmic Paradigm, Martinus (1890-1981) describes himself as unschooled since the education he received as a child in a country school consisted of nothing more than a few hours weekly for only five years. During the spring of 1921, Martinus tried to meditate and as a result had several unexpected, intuitive experiences, reaching an expansive state of consciousness based on something that he came to call "cosmic consciousness". This led to a profound transformation that meant among other things that he had access to a universal and all-embracing information and knowledge bank via intuition, an 'ocean of wisdom' to use his own words.
In 1958 Martinus gave his student and later collaborator Per Bruus-Jensen/PBJ (1932 -) the task of systematizing and connecting his intuitive knowledge to modern science. He tutored PBJ on a daily basis for more than a decade for this purpose. PBJ has since devoted his entire life to systematizing, clarifying and further developing Martinus' deep and extensive intuitive knowledge and to building bridges to different fields of science. It is in this manner that the old mystical tradition of wisdom and knowledge is presented in a novel, comprehensive and detailed manner that responds to the major issues in modern natural science and meets the needs for a new worldview and a different more profound understanding of reality. (See also the section "Martinus & Per Bruus-Jensen – the Cosmic World-Picture" on the page Presentation of New Cosmic Paradigm.
In this context, we refer to the writings of Martinus and Per Bruus-Jensen. The following by PBJ provides a systematic detailed description of the Cosmic Worldview and its substance: "X" – A Complete Introduction to Martinus Cosmology, ("The X-Work"), four volumes of about 2000 pages, and Existence and Immortality – on the Ontology of Martinus Cosmology, two volumes of about 600 pages. The latter work also includes a tightly argued confrontation with the neo-Darwinian theory of evolution. This presents Martinus' view as an alternative in which evolution is a conscious project that is initiated and prepared for in high frequency paraphysical worlds/dimensions – this topic is supplemented in an independent book entitled Project LIFE/Projekt Liv (2012). (The books by PBJ are in Danish, translation to English in progress).
We will now very briefly introduce some fundamentals in the Ontology of the Cosmic Worldview described by Martinus and Per Bruus-Jensen.
Martinus 1934
X – A Complete Introduction to Martinus Cosmology – The X-Work,Vol. 1-4
Per Bruus-Jensen 1972
The X-Structure; the Basic Nature of Life, Consciousness and Reality
Reality fundamentally is immaterial emptiness and stillness. (As this primordial form is unknown by man, Martinus expressed it and the nature and structure of life and reality by the letter "X".) The X-structure constitutes the very basic nature of Life, Consciousness and Reality. This fundamental X-structure is in principle the same for everything that exists, has existed and will exist. The X-structure is activating and transforming the emptiness and stillness into energy, force, movement, matter and qualia, experience/ consciousness.
The primordial domain of existence "X0" is an all-embracing, unmanifested world of emptiness and stillness, containing infinite potential of creative possibilities. The X0-nature is continuously generating an indivisible, integrated, Triune Operating Principle "X" with three functional aspects:
X1 – the Creating and Experiencing Something (the Subject/ the "I") – emptiness, stillness.
X2 – this Something's Creative and Experiential Ability – energy (qualitative cosmic basic energies).
X3 – the Created and Experienced, i.e. X3 = the result of the interaction between the I/the Subject (X1) and its Creative/Experiential Ability (X2) represented by movement including the material illusion as objective reality (X3 obj.) on one side – and – the experience of it as subjective reality/ consciousness (X3 subj.) on the other. X3 = energy conversion: X3 obj. = movement, X3 subj. = experience of movement, qualia.
The X-Structure also demonstrates the seven extremely subtle qualitative "Cosmic Basic Energies" (or "Fundamental Energies" with specific characteristics. These basic energies build up everything in life and existence – from the most subtle, e.g. our thoughts, feelings, memories etc. to the very densest e.g. physical matter, black holes etc. One of the basic energies, the primary fundamental energy, operates via a number of so-called "Cosmic Creative Principles"/ "Morphogenetic Effect Constants"; formative principles and form-creating forces that sustain and organize life and reality. We can empirically observe the effects of these morphogenetic effect constants in the laws of nature with their extremely delicate precision etc. Creation involves conversion of energy and manifests itself as movement – the five universal classes of motion: 1.The Primordial motion (implies a positional motion "from A to B") and the four so-called "derived motions" in our physical world known as 2.Space, 3.Time, 4.Transformation/ change, 5.Matter. Motion is the most distinctive feature of life – movement is life in a demonstration. Note that all motions of the Multiverse neutralize each other, confirming the all-embracing X0-nature of emptiness and stillness.
We also recommend the following page "Supplementary Information to Ontological Presentations and Symbols/Diagrams (Xom3)", (not least to those of our readers who are familiar with Martinus Cosmology), which includes background perspectives and further developments with comparative and explanatory text, special terms, classifications, references to Martinus' concepts and terminology, different translations of designations and terms, etc.
A very short summary of The Fundamental Energies (Basic Energies) and The Cosmic Creative Principles
Associated with the fundamental energies, we wish to mention that Leif Pettersson in his groundbreaking book Physics, Martinus Cosmology and The Theory of Everything 2012 presents The Fundamental Energy Theory – FET that describes two of the basic energies: expansion energy and contraction energy that are shown to have a crucial importance for what we term physical matter. The subtle, qualitative, fundamental energies build up Everything in Life and Existence from the very densest physical matter to the most subtle that exists including our own consciousness (thoughts, feelings, memories, etc.). We can recognize these basic energies in everything and everywhere, both in our outer and inner worlds. They have specific qualities and also different impacts and strengths. In order to illustrate this, Martinus gave them different signature colours and numbers that he consistently used in his symbols. (Martinus created a special symbol-book The Eternal World Picture in 6 volumes to illustrate the Cosmic Worldview.) It should be emphasized that the fundamental/ basic energies always operate together in different combinations (Martinus terms this topic Cosmic Chemistry).
Below follows a short presentation of the seven basic energies: name of energy, signature color and number illustrating relative strength of impact, very brief description summarizing the characteristics of the energy along with some of the instances in which the described energy dominates, (see also table "The Basic Energies – Overview").
The Seven Qualitative Basic/ Fundamental Energies
Mother energy (violet, 420) – the primary and supreme energy: 1. Generates, controls and co-ordinates the six other basic energies, also termed "working energies". 2. Holds and operates via a number of so-called "Cosmic Creative Principles", also termed "Morphogenetic Effect Constants"; formative and structuring forces that sustain and organize life and reality. Additional information about the Mother energy follows below.
Instinct energy (red, 20): Automation, autonomy, automatic functions, tropisms, habitual patterns, routines, virtuosity, traditionalism, rituals, ability to believe and even fanaticism, dogmatism.
Expansion/Action energy (orange, 40) – in some English translations also known as "Gravity energy", which is an earlier and unfortunately misleading term*: Expansion, action, dynamism, manifestation, acting outwards, explosion, acceleration, heat, the main component of physical matter, "mass-function"*; responsible for what we term mass and the Higgs field. In consciousness, this energy is emotionally expressed as aggressiveness, ruthlessness, egoism – destructive and even homicidal and killing activities.
The opposite qualities of the Expansion/Action energy are found in:
Contraction/Perception energy (yellow, 60) – also known as "Feeling energy": Contraction, perception, registering, reception, regulation of dynamics, acting inwards, receiving activities, implosion, retardation, coldness, condensing effect, "gravity-function"*. In consciousness, this energy is emotionally expressed as sensitivity, empathy, altruism, life-giving and loving activities.
* Additional information about the Expansion/Action energy "EAE" and the Contraction/Perception energy "CPE": The interaction and tension between these two antagonistic energies constitute the very basis of what physicists term force, particles and matter. In brief: The dynamic EAE (under the influence of CPE) is the main component of physical matter, and thus responsible for what we call mass and the Higgs field. Physical matter is generated as a result of the tension between EAE and CPE. Physical matter consists of EAE ("mass-function") condensed by CPE ("gravity-function"). In this context, we refer to Physics, Martinus Cosmology and The Theory of Everything -The Fundamental Energy Theory FET, by Leif Pettersson (New Cosmic Paradigm NCP X-AIONS).
Intelligence energy (green, 80): Analysis, logic, rationality, expediency, efficiency, recognition/ identification, reflection, calculation, foresight, imagination.
Intuition energy (blue, 120): Synthesis, quintessence, instant understanding and knowing (independent of previous studies and our ordinary perception and sensory organs), penetrating, immediate insight, design and generation of ingenious ideas and perfected constructive creativity.
Memory energy (light indigo, 100) – also termed "Memory- and Bliss energy": Accumulation, preservation, archiving, retrospection, remembrance. This energy is dominating in experiences of bliss, intense pleasure based on what Martinus terms "gold-copies"; cosmic chemically processed and refined sections of accumulated experiences/ memories.
As mentioned, the Mother energy serves as the representative and source of the six other fundamental energies or "working energies". These potentially exist as predispositions within the mother energy and in a "cosmo-chemical" manner can be "exchanged" as required and governed by the mother energy. The mother energy is also a guarantor of the cosmic world order, i.e. the appropriate functioning of the Multiverse/Cosmos as this is a result of the so-called "cosmic creative principles" that according to Martinus exist within and constitute a hallmark of the mother energy. Per Bruus-Jensen explains:
The fact that the mother energy actually holds this extensive and profound influence is due to the creative ability (X2) that is both holistic and fully automatic and operates in accordance with a particular "program". This is a special effect-program. It is to be noted that it is not random but very precise and as the only option allows the transformation of immaterial reality (X0) into an illusionistic material reality (X3) where the cosmic creative principles (X2) play the roles of specific morphogenetic effect constants, each providing a distinctive contribution to the way the Cosmos is functioning and therefore, in their own way, leaving their marks on the manifested Multiverse. These marks also state the reason for the names Martinus attached to them – he termed the individual creative principles after the special effects they produce. It should be added that Life and Reality ("the Cosmic World Order") rest on the activity of more numerous creative principles than presented here.
The Cosmic Creative Principles – Morphogenetic Effect Constants
A brief description of some of the most important cosmic creative principles:
Pole principle (the principle for the formation of poles) – effect: all "polar" or dual conditions, such as plus/minus, North/South, male/female, sending/receiving of energy, etc.
Contrast principle (the principle for the formation of contrast) – effect: all contrasts and antagonisms, such as day/night, light/dark, black/white, sour/sweet, good/evil, beautiful/ugly, joy/sorrow, etc., (without contrast no experience).
Perspective principle (the principle for the formation of perspective) – effect: all perspectival effects including dimensions, proportions, relationships in size, grading, distinctions in importance, hierarchical systems, etc.
Motion principle (the principle for the formation of motion) – effect: all forms of movement – the Five Universal Classes of Motion: 1. the Primordial Motion (implies a positional motion "from A to B") and the four so-called "derived motions" that we know as 2. space, 3. time, 4. transformation/change, 5. matter.
Cycle principle (the principle for the formation of cycles) – effect: all kinds of cycles. All movement occurs in cycles, every kind of movement in the entire Cosmos forms a circular path, (supplement below).
Supplement – Sub-principles:
– Reincarnation principle (the principle for the formation of reincarnation) is a principle closely associated with the Cycle principle. During periods of our eternal evolutionary process, we are living alternately in a physical world and in a paraphysical world, during which periods reincarnation is a necessity. The reincarnation principle functions as a "life renewer" (exchange and renewal of physical bodies) in the physical world/ physical dimensions, and is important to us in our development towards higher life forms.
– The Law of Movement, all movement occurs in cycles. In the absolute sense, the straight line does not exist, since it is always a part of a cycle. Every kind of movement in the entire Cosmos forms a circular path. If the energies were not bound in cycles, there would be no experience of life, no consciousness, no fate, and no organisms. (Martinus' Symbol no 15)
– The Law of Karma, everything (both positive and negative) that we "send out", (all our actions, thoughts and feelings etc.) returns to us sooner or later; the energies always return to their source in one form or another.
Life-Unit principle/ Matter and Life-Unit principle (the principle for the formation of life-units) – effect: the division of wholeness and the structuring of energy into units/quanta, such as particles, cells, organs, organisms, planets, suns, galaxies. Life organizes itself as "life within life", thereby existing in common interaction and mutual dependence. All living beings are immortal "life-units" linked together and parts of the infinite, living wholeness; the all-embracing, multidimensional Cosmos.
Introductory summary Martinus' symbol no 7 – The Life-Unit Principle: "The Cosmos is an infinite unit, an all-embracing being and consists of all existing living beings. These are organized as Life within Life. This means that every being is both a macro-being, which provides living space for micro-beings – and also a micro-being, which gets its living space from a larger macro-being. In this way, all living beings are vital to one another."
The life-unit principle is responsible for manifested reality's fractalized nature, its division into units of any form, including organisms for living beings. In other words, this creative principle entails that the living Cosmos, on the manifested level, has divided and structured itself into life-units/living beings – "Triune Life-Units". The complementarity of wholeness/oneness and duality/separation, as well as the "Structure of Entanglement" are formed and explained mainly by the life-unit principle.
Talent Core (or Talent-kernel) principle/ Ability-Nuc principle (the principle for the formation of "talent cores"/ "ability-nucs", in some English translations "talent-kernels") – effect: accumulation of all experiences into stable storage units talent cores/ ability-nucs. The main functions of the talent cores/ ability-nucs are to store and accumulate all our personal experiences, knowledge, abilities, skills and qualities in order to make it possible for us to reuse and develop them, including to take them with us from life to life. The talent cores and their functions are prerequisites for the development of all forms of life and evolutionary processes. Briefly, a talent core/ ability-nuc is a paraphysical, organic center of power containing all the experiences the living being has acquired in certain areas during its eternal life. These experiences and knowledge are transformed into codified patterns of vibrations containing the "data" or "programme", of which the current talent core handles the "administration".
Specialized talent cores constitute a personal "perception archive" and play a major role in the perception process and the creation of qualia. The information stored in these talent cores gives "resonance" to new incoming objective impulses and influences how we transform, interpret and act on stimuli, i.e. the transformation of objective reality into personal subjective reality, (the bidirectional "Reality-Consciousness Transformation Process", X-RCT). Specific "organic-talent cores" contain information for the creation of organisms and are crucial for how things take their form, grow and evolve in a particular way (dismissing the traditional theory that all this complex form-shaping and development is merely genetically programmed). The primary form-shaping and evolving processes with all the underlying information are accumulated in the talent cores and activated at the paraphysical level.
Supplement: The Talent Core/ Ability-nuc principle is also highly relevant in the field of epigenetics as it exerts influence on the genes of the DNA-spiral via the generated talent cores/ ability-nucs. Namely, in the "top-down" way in which the talent cores define and enforce the appearance of new genes in the DNA-spiral, which in this context can be seen as a neutral "keyboard" that talent cores can "play", and thereby contribute to determining the "music"; i.e. the actual evolutionary process. The talent core principle also helps to explain the so-called evolutionary 'leaps', represented by the quite sudden appearance of new species, as well as regeneration of extinct species given the ability to evolve into new species through the use of the great and abundant accumulation of talent cores/ ability-nucs brought from their previous existence (this subject area is described by Per Bruus-Jensen in Project LIFE – The Cosmic Evolution).
Development, Protection and Parent principle (the principle for the formation of development, protection and teaching) – effect: all forms of development (e.g. physical, biological, psychological, emotional, intellectual), protection, parenting, caring, health and social care, leadership, guidance, teaching, education, school and education systems, etc., the principle also implies comprehensive protection and responsibility for all forms of development in a greater perspective including evolution. Martinus terms this principle the "world redemption principle" (the principle of world redemption) and also the "parent principle", NCP X-AIONS, Therner & Loeth use the term "development, protection and parent principle".
You will find more comprehensive information about the X-Structure and the Fundamental/Basic Energies and the Cosmic Creative Principles on ONTOLOGY I – X-Structure and ONTOLOGY II – X-Structure.
This ends Part 1 and the ontological section that, we would like to re-emphasize, is only a very brief outline of some of the structural fundamentals of the Cosmic Worldview.
The symbols in miniature below are a few examples of Per Bruus-Jensen's symbols illustrating the Cosmic Worldview. There are very detailed and comprehensive descriptions associated with each of them that cannot be reproduced in this brief introduction.
Short Descriptive Exposition – What is Reality? What is Consciousness? What is the Meaning of Life?
We will now briefly elucidate the essence of Martinus Cosmology by discussing three fundamental issues for humanity: What is Reality? What is Consciousness? What is the Meaning of Life?
In everyday experience the physical world is experienced as the 'actual' reality from which everything arises and lapses. However, the new quantum physics suggests that it is actually not that simple. The physical world consists of quanta, the smallest units of energy that we know of in the physical universe. These quanta can be at different places simultaneously and have the ability to be linked together independent of time and space. Leif Pettersson describes among other things this phenomenon – based on a famous experiment performed in 2008 in Switzerland – in the previously mentioned book Physics, Martinus Cosmology and the Theory of Everything under paragraph 2.26, Photons puzzle scientists:
Two photons that 'belong together', i.e. they are 'intertwined' as quantum physicists express it, were separated by being sent off in different directions. In the experiment conducted in Geneva, both photons were sent through a fiber optic cable, one of them to the village of Satigny and the other one to the village of Jussy. The villages are located 18 kilometers from each other. When the two separated photons were studied in terms of how their properties varied, it became clear that one photon immediately knew what the other one was exposed to. This is in accordance with quantum mechanical laws. If information travelled between the photons it would have to go at least 100 000 times faster than light, which according to physics is impossible. Researchers cannot explain this phenomenon. This study and related research findings are published in Nature vol. 454, 14 August 2008, p. 861-864.
It should be added that Pettersson also presents an explanation for the phenomenon above on the basis of Martinus Cosmology. However, the physical universe constitutes just a tiny droplet compared to the subtle sea of energy that we call the quantum vacuum that is all pervasive and from which seemingly all physical reality arises.
According to Martinus' worldview, quantum physics demonstrates how science has reached the limits of measurement in a 'universe of distances' and has now begun to move into a 'non-local universe of conditions/ modalities' (qualities, states). This in fact describes a transition from a physical 'universe of distances' to a paraphysical 'universe of conditions/ modalities'. The quantum vacuum is the first encounter with this transition and represents a doorway into this world of states/dimensions beyond our present knowledge of time and space.
Martinus describes how energy is generated by the interaction of eternal principles, and states that the physical world fundamentally is an illusion. The actual reality is an eternally living 'Subject/I' that is unchangeable (absolute stillness) which Martinus calls 'something that is' (X1). The Subject/I is the authority that experiences life and that always sees the world/ existence from different perspectives. The Subject/I is present in all life and it is argued that the fact that we experience, i.e. that we have experiences – implies that there is something/ someone who has these experiences. We are not our experiences, we are not our thoughts and feelings, but we are first and foremost the Subject/I that experiences them. The Subject/I is the fixed point of all life and of each and every one of us, as well as of the infinite, all-embracing, living universe.
Thus the Subject/I is divided into different perspectives/ constituents that each are individual life-units/ life quanta/ living beings. There are life-units behind all motion in the universe and cosmos itself is structured as life-units inside other life-units (the Matter- and Life-unit Principle). This 'arrangement' continues indefinitely (within both the microcosm and the macrocosm).
Modern Western culture has divided and separated us from the natural world, as well as the dead from the living, which Martinus definitely avoids. In his cosmic worldview, there are both physical and paraphysical worlds that are constantly developing in an eternal evolutionary, ascending spiral. From this perspective, it is not at all remarkable that quantum physicists find a subtle sea of energy everywhere and that quanta are shown to be capable of linkage regardless of time and space. With quantum physics we stand on the edge of discovering a paraphysical universe/ cosmos from where a cosmic consciousness constantly maintains the physical universe/ material world at all levels, in the micro-, meso- and macrocosm from quanta to galaxies.
Support for this view of reality is provided by discoveries that show how our universe has grown and evolved throughout billions of years in an extremely well-coordinated and organized manner wherein complex life has had the opportunity to exist and develop. Approximately thirty accurately tailored natural constants along with their precise interactions are required in order to create a basis for biological 'life' and to make the 'arousal' of the universe possible. It is relevant to ask: Where do these exact conditions come from? Among Martinus' statements we find the answer, i.e. a conscious, infinite universe that functions via conformity to laws and eternal principles. A living universe that grows, lives and 'dies', (and through macro-reincarnation is constantly evolving towards higher consciousness and life-forms). As such it creates conditions for individual life-units to gain experience on the physical plane. This is made possible through collaboration between life-units on many different levels/ dimensions.
The attempts of the natural sciences to understand how reality is designed and how it functions are based on time-limited analyses, e.g. 'from the Big Bang to the present'. On the other hand, Martinus' analyses are based on an eternal perspective. However, he points out that science through its main discoveries is moving towards his cosmic science. Natural sciences can only describe reality from the 'outside' and have not discovered the reality of the underlying paraphysical realm. In this context, we would like to mention some new theories that actually illustrate a conscious, eternal, infinite universe which, even if not identical to Martinus' description of the living universe, are fascinating. For example, systems theorist Erwin Laszlo, describes a conscious universe and claims that our existence has an immaterial underlying reality to it. Similarly, researchers Menas Kafatos and Robert Nadeau also present a conscious universe. In astrophysics we find for example the new Theory of an Endless Universe (Steinhart and Turok, 2008). This unlike the classical Big Bang theory does not see Big Bang as 'the dawn of times', but rather as an event, a detail in an eternal and infinite universe. The well-known mathematician and physicist Roger Penrose has also presented a theory that claims our universe is neither the first, nor the last, on the contrary, there is an endless row of regular 'Big Bangs' where one universe takes over from the other, Cycles of Time (Penrose 2010). To these theories, we can now add Leif Petterson's groundbreaking material, The Fundamental Energy Theory – FET that also represents a bridge between the Cosmic Worldview and natural sciences.
As already mentioned, according to Martinus, there is an eternal, unchanging Subject/I that experiences everything by considering the universe through different individual life-units, each with an individual Subject/ I-core and a Subject/ I-perception on some level. These life-units exist on different levels/planes of existence (such as the physical planes of existence/ natural kingdoms that we know of as the mineral, plant and animal kingdoms) and are all subject to an eternal spiral evolutionary process leading to ever higher manifestations of life and consciousness.
Taken together, the cosmic depiction of reality involves a paradigm shift: from a materialistic/ mechanistic worldview, according to which chance and coincidence govern – towards an understanding of a reality according to which the universe is infinite and alive and where life is controlled and governed by an all-embracing universal consciousness in harmony with eternal creative principles and precise laws of nature that are associated with it.
We all experience life through our 'consciousness', however, as already mentioned, this inner world is an unsolved mystery. Contemporary materialists believe that human consciousness consists solely of a brain or a psychological complex of mental characteristics such as emotions, beliefs and thoughts. However, within e.g. parapsychological research there is extensive material relating to clairvoyance and telepathy etc. that cannot be incorporated into this materialistic belief. There is an urgent need for a radically different understanding and perception of consciousness and its relationship to the world around us.
According to Martinus and the Cosmic Worldview, the Subject/I of the human individual is in essence identical with the universal Subject/I. Since our individual perspectives never dissolve or fade, every life-unit is also an eternal life-unit. All life-units are always journeying the Cosmos – it is an eternal process of development. This may be achieved with consciousness being carried by two different organic structures that Martinus terms the structure of upper consciousness and the structure of lower consciousness. These notions relate thus to organic structures and the terms 'upper' and 'lower' are position-orientated. The 'consciousness' that Martinus utilizes is the subjective product of the interaction between the structure of upper consciousness and the structure of lower consciousness.
The structure of upper consciousness operates through eternal, immutable principles in which the Subject/I is able to organize his/her/its life experiences. Martinus and Per Bruus-Jensen describe in detail how this is achieved via an organic complex comprising, among other things, the primordial urge, the mother energy, the element of fate and the ability-nucs/talent cores. The structure of lower consciousness is a product of collaborative principles that manifest themselves as bodies of the previously mentioned six fundamental energies/working energies. These subtle, qualitative energies constitute the objective basis of everything in the universe, including our consciousness. (As mentioned before, everything in the universe – both the physical universe and the paraphysical planes of existence, including our own consciousness – depend on these subtle fundamental basic energies.)
Thus, the life-units have a Subject/I, a structure of upper consciousness and a structure of lower consciousness. All three levels survive death, the physical body is only a temporary result of the interaction between the fundamental energies.
One can find evidence for the existence of an eternal, immutable Subject/I within us by referring to the perception we have of being the same person throughout our life, even though our physical body changes and ages and our mind matures. There is something within us that is experiencing this and finds it strange that the body and the mind have changed so radically. You still feel that you are the same person now as you were when you were young. This is due to the fact that you are neither your body nor your consciousness, but you are the Subject/I who possesses your body and mind. Martinus states that one can come to this conclusion by analysis, for instance the fact that an experience cannot be experienced by another experience. We can also ask: Can a feeling or thought be experienced by another feeling or thought? If this is the case it may be asked what the difference is between emotions that are experiencing, and emotions that are experienced? Is there a 'central committee' of experiences that are experiencing other sensations? According to Martinus, experiences imply the existence of an 'experiencer'. The 'experiencer' cannot be found in the brain either; here one can only observe electrochemical processes. An experience consisting of colours and shapes occurs not in the brain, but in our subjective paraphysical space of consciousness, i.e. in our personal and completely private 'cyberspace'. That this is so may be illustrated by the following: Close your eyes and imagine an apartment building in the same size as it has in reality. Now where does this apartment building exist? It is too large to exist within the brain and it cannot be observed if the brain is scanned. It is only to be found within the 'non-local world of conditions/ modalities' of the fundamental energies, not bound by time and space.
All life comprises an experiencer that has the ability to create experiences through a Subject/I with an associated structure of upper consciousness and structure of lower consciousness. Taken together, and expressed very briefly (see also Part 1 Life and Existence as a Triune Operating Principle 'X'): all life is made up of an indivisible triune operating principle X that could theoretically be split into X1/creator and experiencer, X2/creative and experiential ability, and X3/the created and experienced.
It should be emphasized that the Cosmic World Picture via Martinus Cosmology and Per Bruus-Jensen's work presents, inter alia, an explanatory model of our eternal nature and describes how we actually survive 'death'. Very briefly, this is made possible by our paraphysical organism/ body. According to Martinus Cosmology all living beings have, in addition to the temporary physical body, an immortal paraphysical body/ structure. We are given an account of how this paraphysical body is constructed and how it operates, e.g., how the so-called 'ability-nucs'/ talent cores, among other things, make it possible for us to take qualities, abilities and skills (which are a pre-requisite for our development) with us from life to life. It should be pointed out that the ability-nucs are highly relevant in the field of epigenetics as they directly exert an influence on the genes of the DNA-spiral. Also explained is how life continues in a paraphysical sphere of existence after physical death and the course of events which leads to a new incarnation. In addition we are given a profound description of what consciousness actually is and of the paraphysical structures and their processes which, side by side with the activities of the physical brain, constitute the foundation of our ability to experience, to remember, think, feel, etc. – in fact, of all activity in our consciousness. Viewed as organic factors, these paraphysical structures precede the physical body and can accordingly operate independently of it. As such, they contribute to ensuring the process of reincarnation or body-replacement, and thereby the individual's ongoing course of personal evolution. Also described is the nature and functioning of 'the engine' and driving force of all mental activity which provides a fundamental explanation of human psychology as a whole.
Today, the meaning of life is considered as a religious issue, a matter of faith by most people. Martinus implies that we are in an evolutionary process from faith towards knowledge. In other words we are in a transitional phase in which humanity is about to free itself from the religious dogmas of faith and is moving towards a new kind of science. This science will enable exploration of the immaterial and paraphysical aspects of life. The main objectives will be to explore the meaning of life based on scientific criteria. This Martinus calls a 'spiritual science'. By definition this will be a science that seriously engages in the subjective dimensions of existence and reality, such as brain versus life experience and consciousness, and sensory organs versus qualitative sensations (qualia) and all other enigmatic interactions with matter as well as the already deeply explored aspects of objective reality. Martinus claims that unless we have a complete overview and insight into both aspects of reality (subjective and objective) along with their interaction we cannot truly understand the meaning of life or anything that exists at all, and gives many examples for this in his cosmology.
Martinus distinguishes between what he calls 'the old world-impulse' and 'the new world-impulse'. People who are inspired by and attracted to the old world-impulse will find the meaning of life based on the ability to believe – and this ability is based on two of the fundamental energies: instinct energy and feeling (perception/ contraction) energy i.e. the mental qualities of these two energies. Humanity is about to leave this phase. A new era will begin when the intelligence (also a fundamental energy) begins to play a greater role in people's lives and they therefore wish to understand and prove everything. This need cannot be satisfied by religion and is why many people have become atheists. Today's science-based materialism is an expression of this development. According to Martinus this is not a step back but rather an expression of the first cultural foothold of the new world-impulse that in time, will lead to a paradigm shift – a new worldview and a new understanding of reality. The breakthrough of science with its results was the foundation for atheism whilst more recent scientific discoveries are also about to challenge this atheism. More and more new scientific research clearly points to a more organic and holistic worldview.
Globally we are in a transitional phase where we can find both the old world-impulse (faith-based religions) and the new impulse including science that leads to science-based materialism and atheism, and then on to a new budding 'spiritual science' (as defined above), a science that over time will advance the whole of humanity towards cosmic consciousness. During this intermediate and transitional stage there is much confusion with many different directions represented claiming different things (even though this helps to develop our ability to discern and judge).
Already in our time many people have had so-called 'spontaneous cosmic glimpses' (including 'experiences of oneness' etc.). In the next two hundred years more people will have these holistic or unifying experiences such as the realization that life is eternal without being able to explain it in detail. Science will also make new discoveries demonstrating that the mind can communicate independently of time and space, that death is not an end to life and that all life evolves through cycles of reincarnation. This new culture will be based on knowledge of and insight into the answers to the great questions of life. People will gradually be able to contact the paraphysical worlds and realize the same truths as did Martinus. This will lead to a significantly better world and way of existence for all life on Earth. Without detailed knowledge of Martinus' analysis, this might seem like wishful thinking or wild fantasies. But think about how today's welfare society with all its advanced techniques and information technology would have been perceived by the ancients. Indeed, just think back a century and consider the amazing and accelerating developments in science, technology, communication, etc.
New research in the social sciences presents supportive evidence for the development above. World Values Survey is an association of social scientists (at Michigan University in the U.S.) that have investigated how communities have changed worldwide over the past 30 years. To date, these are the largest long-term studies of the human race (including 265,000 people). One can discern a clear progression from traditional values to more democratic and individualistic values in many places. In this phase, the traditional faith-based religions lose ground but as welfare states arise, there appears a new need to find a superior meaning to life and existence. This often leads to an individualized form of spirituality. These findings are also confirmed by the Gallup Millennium Survey. This scenario is de facto to the highest degree consistent with Martinus' description of the first phases of transition from the old to the new world-impulse.
Currently the challenge is to create a global welfare society on Earth. However even in our present limited and inadequate welfare societies, we observe a need to relate to the meaning of life in a more nuanced way. When this new global welfare society in ecological balance with nature and the planet has been established, the next challenge will be to relate to the meaning of life. A new culture of knowledge will emerge having a greater relevance to Martinus' analysis. The latter will act as a map and guide to the understanding of the Cosmic Worldview comprising an endless, living and conscious universe with a multitude of dimensions and life forms, physical as well as paraphysical. We now stand at the threshold of this new understanding with a new voyage of discovery beginning.
Martinus emphasizes that man will only come to really understand the meaning of life by first developing real human feelings, combined with a high intelligence, and when these two factors are in mutual balance, i.e. when the fundamental energies of feeling/contraction energy and intelligence energy have been enough developed and are in harmony in our minds. A very important and noticeable effect of this is that we will only use our intelligence for a positive and constructive purpose and we will act lovingly and caringly to all life. When the feeling and intelligence energies have reached this balanced stage of development, there will automatically be an opening to an intuition governed by will which in fact result in a completely new understanding of reality and the meaning of life.
According to Martinus' analysis, there is a meaning to everything that happens but in order to realize this, one must consider the development in a much longer perspective than humanity has succeeded so far.
Martinus Cosmology trains you how to see life from an eternal perspective and when you are able to translate this into your actions in everyday life, then you start to live according to the analysis by providing benefit and happiness for your fellow human beings and all other life on Earth. It should be emphasized that this cosmology is pragmatic and easily adapted to everyday use. The Cosmic Worldview demonstrates that all forms of life and their varying existences are meaningful at both individual and universal levels.
The Cosmic Worldview provides logically consistent explanations of how Life and Reality are structured and function. In understanding this, humanity will develop and act with an ever deeper sense of responsibility, empathy and care for all life – fellow humans, animals, nature, the whole planet. … For the people of the future, this will be the only possible way to live meaningfully. The project has already begun and each one of us can consciously choose to be a part of it. The Cosmic Worldview presents a New Paradigm and, not least, Hope for the Future…
Skövde and Köpenhamn, July 2011
Therner NCP, S. Löth M.D., Ph.D., A. Riel MA.Phil.
Literature of Martinus and Per Bruus-Jensen:
MARTINUS´ comprehensive literature including The Book of Life volumes 1-7, The Eternal Word Picture volumes 1-6, etc. is partly avaliable in English and published by the Martinus Institute and can be purchased from the Institute's internet bookshop www.martinus.dk.
PER BRUUS-JENSEN´s extensive literary production information: NCP X-AIONS SHOP & BOOK Presentations. An English translation is in progress.
ncp@x-aions.org ncp@test.newcosmicparadigm.eu


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When I was a teenager I remember stories about my neighbor across the street, an elderly gentleman who was able to remember and repeat everyone railroad car number as the train traveled by on the railroad track. Well I have a real story that tops that one.
When I was city attorney in Cape Girardeau in the early 1970's the City intervened in a case before the Public Service Commission to oppose a request by the water company for a 5% rate increase. After the staff of the Public Service Commission completed their review they issued a report and recommended the 5% increase requested by the water company. A few days later after examining the voluminous report prepared by the PSC staff Mayor Howard Tooke and I had a conference call with the PSC staff. As the call progressed I noticed that Mayor, Tooke did not have in front of him any notes or documents. Mayor Tooke then pointed out to the PSC staff that on page 20, in column number five, line number 22 the staff added the number on that line to another number on a different page (again citing the page, column and the line on the other page) stating that the staff should have subtracted this number. As a consequence the staff report overstated the amount of money needed for a fair return by 50% and the rate increase should have been 2 1/2 % instead of 5%.
After the phone call ended I asked Mayor Tooke how he did that and he explained he had a photographic memory for balance sheets. I was dumbfounded. I had never met anyone with a memory like this. Have you? Well the PSC issued an order giving the water company a 2 1/2% rate increase resulting in a tremendous victory for the City all due to the photographic memory of Mayor Tooke. The newspaper story screamed that the water company only got half of the 5% they requested. This was totally amazing!
Of course, I have other fond memories of Mayor Tooke, who served on the City Council from 1968 to 1986 and as Mayor for 13 years, but this was certainly one of the best. Mayor Tooke died in 1996 leaving a legacy as a dedicated public servant for good government.


A high quality early learning environment cannot exist without its central actors - its educators. At Toddler's Den, teachers' roles are multifaceted. They respect the child's ideas and desires and allow children to learn from their mistakes. They keenly observe children to document their progress and determine appropriate moments to intervene in the child's learning process. As a part of their daily schedule, teachers get a lot of non-contact time. This allows them to spend time on their own growth, share experiences among themselves, organize a child's progress document, and accordingly make future lesson plans.
At Toddler's Den, we value teachers' learning and capacity building above everything else. Our holistic approach to teacher education leads to teachers feeling empowered and responsible for their own learning. Because our teachers are provided with personalised professional development, it encourages them to deliver personalised learning experiences to children. Our teacher learning is centred around 3 pillars.
Teachers at Toddler's Den are provided opportunities to attend workshops on a wide range of topics - from classroom management to play-based curriculum design to storytelling and integrated math teaching.
These workshops, usually conducted by thought leaders in different domains are organised throughout the year. Apart from school mandated workshops, teachers are also supported to select and attend workshops aligned to their interest areas. Once a year, our school leaders also visit progressive preschools in different parts of the world to learn from their practices.
To develop our educator capacity for learning and leadership, we have created Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) for supporting their professional development.
PLCs offer frequent ongoing learning opportunities for educators; they offer personalised opportunities that address educators' immediate needs and are developed from the data collected from their individual improvement plans. Educators also have the autonomy to define their own needs and organise PLCs around their needs.
Educators at Toddler's Den engage in conducting classroom observations of other educators - both experienced and new.
This is followed by a reflective conversation between the observer and the one being observed. This provides teachers with opportunities to provide constructive feedback and implement ideas and suggestions from others. Teachers are provided with a classroom observation criteria so that clear expectations from a classroom environment are established - observing teachers use this criteria as the basis for providing feedback.


When you're coughing or experiencing a dry throat from the stale, dry air in your office building, you might naturally think of bringing in a humidifier to add moisture to your cubicle. That's definitely one option. A few other additions can make you even more comfortable at work.
If you're going the humidifier route, look for a desktop or travel version that can sit right near your workspace. Larger ones might be too obtrusive or loud, or they might not fit in your small cubicle. Smaller ones provide enough moisture to your work area and tend to be less expensive. Whatever type you use, wipe it down often with a rag soaked in nine parts water to one part bleach to keep molds and bacteria at bay, the Mayo Clinic advises.
Place a few plants in your cubicle space to naturally humidify the air. Stash a spray mister in your desk drawer to give your house plants the moisture they need -- or place the plants near the humidifier. Boston ferns are effective at humidifying and purifying the air, says Matt Hickman of Mother Nature Network. Or place a dish of water near the heater in your office to allow evaporation to add moisture to the air.
Vulcan, Nicole. "How to Humidify Your Cubicle." , https://careertrend.com/how-6811874-humidify-cubicle.html. 05 July 2017.


Johns Hopkins University today (July 15) announced that it had stolen away the dean of the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business as its new provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.
Sunil Kumar, who joined Booth five years ago from Stanford's Graduate School of Business where he was a senior associate dean, will begin his new job at Johns Hopkins on Sept. 1. Kumar succeeds Robert C. Lieberman as provost. Lieberman announced in February that he would step down to return full-time to research and teaching.
Kumar's departure is clearly a surprise. He was only reappointed to a second five-year term starting this past January. His rather abrupt departure makes him the third prominent business school dean in the past week who has decided to leave his job after what amounts to just a single five-year term, following announcements from the business school deans at both Georgetown University and Northeastern University. The deans at Georgetown and Northeastern plan to return to the faculty. In Kumar's case, he is leveraging his Booth deanship into a bigger job as a university provost.
As provost, Kumar will be Johns Hopkins' chief academic officer. He will work with the president and deans on university-wide interdisciplinary collaboration, academic policy, and key priorities including diversity, student aid, and commitment to the communities surrounding Johns Hopkins campuses.
When Kumar arrived at Chicago Booth in 2011, he walked into a school that could not have been in better shape thanks to predecessor Dean Edward Snyder, who now leads Yale University's School of Management. Snyder worked magic at Booth, bringing in the largest gift to any business school ever–$300 million—nearly doubling the school's endowed professorships, tripling scholarship assistance, and boosting the school's endowment by 141% to $475 million from $197 million.
The increase in endowment, moreover, occurred outside the $300 million gift by alum David Booth, a gift that began providing a steady flow of cash to the school via a stream of dividends that effectively boosts the initial value of the gift by 50%. Most notably, Snyder moved Chicago to number one in Bloomberg Businessweek's rankings. When he arrived at Chicago in 2001, the school never had had a No. 1 ranking and was ranked tenth by Businessweek.
In short, Snyder was a tough act to follow. "The school was in excellent shape, but we could get better and things have gotten better," Kumar told Poets&Quants last year. Though Booth has since lost its No. 1 ranking from Businessweek, dropping to second, and slipped three places in the Forbes ranking to sixth, the school has generally maintained its lead against a field of world-class competitors. Poets&Quants' composite ranking places Booth third after only Harvard and Stanford and slightly ahead of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School–exactly where it was when Kumar came aboard.
In his five and one-half years in the job, Kumar raised more than $300 million and increased Booth's endowment by 50% to $710 million from $435 million. A large chunk of the money he brought in went toward student financial aid, allowing Booth to report ever increasing GMAT averages for its incoming classes of MBA students. Last year, Booth's average GMAT scores surpassed Harvard Business School for the first time, rising to 726, third best in the world behind only Stanford (733) and Wharton (732). He added new faculty chairs, two new research centers, a social enterprise initiative and a leadership laboratory. All told, the school saw an 8% increase in faculty under him, with greater emphasis on behavioral marketing and operations hires. He invested more heavily in promoting the research of faculty, supporting the redesign and launch of a publication now called Chicago Booth Review.
Kumar also doubled Booth's investment in entrepreneurship, putting new life into the school's Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Last year, entrepreneurship surpassed finance as the number one concentration in Booth's MBA program. Booth now boasts 24 full-time and clinical faculty and offers 30 entrepreneurship and related courses. Only two months ago, MBA alum Michael Polsky provided a new gift of $35 million for the center.