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How Much and How Little Has Changed? Evolution In Theory Teaching
Michael R. Rogers
aural skills
curriculum reform
preparation for college
I. The Past
In comparing music theory pedagogy in the mid-1960s with current thinking today, some battles have been won while others are still being fought. Some of the hot-button topics mentioned in the given articles have cooled off but, interestingly, many of the issues from the past still incite vigorous commentary and perhaps will continue to haunt our thinking long into the future. Continuously hacking away at teaching approaches and the content of music theory—cutting through the underbrush of methodologies and concepts—seems, after all, hard-wired into the tradition of theory pedagogy. And, of course, in the meantime fresh topics have also emerged—ways of thinking about music that were unimagined thirty-five years ago.
Among those topics of perennial interest is the problem of how to get music to "enter our bloodstream" as Imbrie incisively puts it. He mentions "visceral" knowledge as being important too, not just intellectual knowledge. Most would agree that one desirable goal of undergraduate theory training is to enculturate the passions of musical experience so that responses become second nature. Merritt agrees: too much training in an "intellectual point of view" and not enough in sound is a common feature of too many programs (both then and now, I might add). Students often lack a basic "musical horse sense," he says, through what I call a deficiency of constructive aural brainwashing—not enough soaking in the sonorous nature of the art.
But even in the intellectual realm, I find that today's students frequently respond to purely analytical situations stiffly and laboriously. For example, a common weakness of entering graduate students, as measured on placement exams, is an inability to recognize the key of a given tonal passage.
It is true, of course, that this task is generally easy at the start or end of conventional movements. But I am talking about the middle of a development section, for example, where the prevailing key center does not match the key signature. Key recognition (through knowledge of stereotypical bass lines, addition and subtraction of accidentals, interplay of dissonance and consonance, contextual comprehension of chord types and function, and detection of long-range harmonic patterns and cadences) is evidently not being well taught today. Being a whiz at applying Roman numerals is of little help here since virtuoso use of chord symbols is only possible in the first place if one already knows the key. "Knowing the key" as a cognitive skill in its own right, though—being able to scan a passage and automatically and swiftly sift through appropriate visual cues—seems to me so fundamental that I am mystified why almost no textbooks seem to treat the subject. Perhaps the core of undergraduate common-practice pitch theory should be tonality rather than "harmony"—or, better yet, tonality and harmony. There is a difference.
Not only is knowing how to recognize keys important, but making distinctions between keys that are ambiguous and those that are clear-cut should be on the agenda too. Furthermore, the relationships among keys, their pacing, and their relative strengths and weaknesses (as measured by length and presence or absence of cadential realization) ought to be fully acknowledged in tonal analysis as well. A tonal plan consists of more than a superficial list of letter names without differentiation or nuance. In recent years, theoretical discourse in mental processing has proposed explanations of how groupings of pitch and rhythm can imply a tonal result. There is no reason why these theories cannot also be woven into undergraduate classrooms.
Concern about curricular design provides additional common ground between the teachers of yesteryear and today. For example, Merritt argues for tonal harmony and counterpoint forming a better basis for undergraduate studies than examples from the entire span of music history (impractical for time constraints) or from 20th-century repertoire alone (too many styles; too complex at a introductory level; and too difficult to distinguish between basic and peripheral topics and composers). Imbrie, on the other hand, identifies the controversy of "historical/stylistic" approaches vs. a "universals of music" framework as of crucial importance—a debate that must be revisited periodically by all thoughtful teachers—although he places, like Merritt, tone relations of the common-practice period (plus 16th-century counterpoint) at the heart of the curriculum. Boatwright identifies the physics of music (acoustics; tuning and temperament); tonal materials; rules of style; analysis; and theoretical techniques (particularly those that illuminate music history) as being of special significance.
Debate about the relative weighting of all these possibilities continues today. Nothing has been settled. In fact, trends, recurring cycles, and swings of the pendulum can be observed over the decades. Various fads come and go with each new change (or return) usually a reaction to perceived weakness in the reigning ideology. Even debate about what counts as a fad or a lasting improvement is ongoing.
An early call for comprehensive musicianship (CM) can be seen peeping through in these articles from an era ripe for curricular re-examination in all levels of music instruction. CM continues to color, if not dominate, the educational landscape today by reminding us of the interdependence of all categories of music study (theory, history, composition, performance, listening, teaching) even while recognizing the practical difficulties of mixing all the relevant strands. One of the most convincing testaments to the CM philosophy is the accumulative strength of the College Music Society whose very premise is based on the synergistic advantage of mutual support among individual music disciplines. Another emerging topic in its infancy back then was the concept of theory pedagogy as a worthy subject on its own. Merritt specifically mentions that teaching ought to be approached with the same urgency as research. And he would be gratified to know this specialty has blossomed during the intervening years.
A healthy flexibility of thinking can been seen in these articles. For example, Imbrie believes that choice of text, a particular teaching approach, or curricular emphasis is relatively inconsequential so long as a musical rationale is maintained. Musical insights can thrive (or not) in many kinds of pedagogical environments so long as genuine understanding is given priority over routine data collection. He also promotes the importance of the teacher over the method. It is the rapport between teacher and student that is telling. How the teacher models musicianship and shares personal musical experience ought to rank above rigid adherence to a prescribed teaching technique or course design.
And regarding addressing affiliated topics in separate courses (e.g., counterpoint and harmony) vs. combining them into a single unified class, Merritt wisely concludes it doesn't matter—only that the topics must be related. A distinction ought to be made, though, between true integration, a melding of associated elements (e.g., applying the principles learned in analysis to ear training—joining concept with percept), and correlation, a more mindless lock-step alignment of topics within the syllabus without credible interconnections ever being secured. Simply placing like subjects side by side within a class doesn't necessarily ensure that merger or assimilation will take place.
Additional topics that still seem relevant today include the proper preparation for incoming college theory students. The necessary experiential background is trimly summarized by Merritt: (a) habitual singing from childhood; (b) ability to play an instrument, especially the piano; and (c) sight reading—or as I call it, simply "reading." We don't describe reading the newspaper as "sight reading," and I think that processing musical notation should be expected in the same spontaneous manner we assume with words. Knowledge of rudiments is, of course, important too for potential college music majors and in recent years the Advanced Placement Program in Music Theory, through high school theory courses and college credit by exam, has helped thousands of young students be more ready for college.
Some future wishes from the past have been realized: (a) that more real music be used (Merritt); and (b) that theory and history books become more alike (Boatwright). Other goals (Merritt) have produced mixed results: (a) smaller classes; (b) stricter standards for passing; and (c) greater use of senior faculty for teaching undergraduates.
II. The Present
A curious omission in these articles is any commentary about aural skills. Boatwright briefly acknowledges the topic but then intentionally omits it. The significance of sonic elements as well as score study is frequently recognized, but treatment of sight singing and dictation as critical components of theory pedagogy, including its obvious relationships to written or analytical theory, is completely missing.
The governing tacit assumption evidently is that theory is based on a compositional/written model with performance aspects such as singing or keyboard harmony mysteriously ruled out. Admission that a pedagogical tradition (e.g., solmization systems) actually exists for converting sound to notation and notation to sound is overlooked. I am pleased to say nowadays that such a tradition is fully honored and, in fact, is continually being augmented through research.
Perhaps some of the increased interest in ear-training pedagogy is a by-product of the scholarly proliferation, in recent decades, of investigations about the perception and cognition of music—another aspect of music study that could barely have been glimpsed in the 60s. Just as full development of the equally tempered scale in past centuries required a corresponding discovery in mathematics for extracting the twelfth root of two, we now seem to require a fuller understanding of brain science to make concomitant application in teaching how to hear and produce music. Recent research has provided a welcome re-examination of commonly held assumptions and a corrective for numerous myths about the efficacy of long-favored learning processes and teaching techniques. It is so easy to coast on supposition and surmise. We should not underestimate, however, the contribution of common sense in aural teaching. Much of what we know to be true in our bones is, in fact, valid. Some things are sensed from self-critical personal experience and from objectively evaluating the feedback from our students' progress. Not everything has to be proven in an experiment. It is especially satisfying, though, when the harvest of science confirms our intuition and this is an important reason for supporting the research.
Translating the findings of lab research for practical use in the music classroom—an immense challenge—is now just beginning. A pedagogically beneficial vocabulary for describing some of the ways the mind and musical sounds interact is now being developed. Atomistic knowledge about how data bits of sound or artificially concocted aural examples in a laboratory operate, though, is often only distantly related to knowledge about how the more expansive and cumulative flow of real musical compositions is experienced, including not just the scientific understanding of psychoacoustics but the larger realm of human emotional repertoires and expressive resonance as studied in the philosophy of music, which, by the way, is also of expanding interest among theorists. This connection between mind, emotion, and music is aptly foreshadowed by Imbrie in his comment about listeners contributing to musical experience too. Our aesthetic involvement is an outgrowth of an encounter between a subject and an object. What we bring to the sounds through heredity, training, knowledge, temperament, psychological maturity, feelings, and mindset is as important as what the sounds bring to us.
The increasing influence of ethnomusicology has also spilled over into curriculum layouts and course content in theory since the earlier articles were written. I differentiate between world music, which is more literature oriented (the actual compositions of various cultures) and ethnomusicology, which is more philosophically oriented (asking the deeper questions like "what qualifies something as music?"). Both approaches are needed. The reasons for inclusion in choosing the music we study are obvious: (a) the expansion of the human mind and heart from exposure to multi-faceted compositional procedures and expressive evocations (the value of diversity); (b) increased understanding of one's more familiar repertoires through comparison and contrast with the "other" (enhanced appreciation of one's own culture); and (c) the thrill of discovering some really cool new pieces (love of music for its own sake). Even within our own familiar culture, new frameworks are being devised almost daily for examining all kinds of music (rock, pop, folk, jazz, classical, ethnic)—for considering the common ground and fluid borders between repertoires we used to think of as distinct and separate.
Like mushrooms in the night, the past several decades have witnessed the sprouting of numerous schools of analytical thought including semiotics, phenomenology, narratology, timbral studies, implication/realization models, set theory, and others. Some of these sophisticated analytical systems have permeated undergraduate classrooms and have shaped textbooks. Schenkerian techniques have been particularly influential in this way and with good reason. While it has not been the goal of many programs to actually teach this system in toto to beginning college students, a way of thinking about pitch relationships that honors horizontal as well as vertical factors has helped to promote our understanding of the unmistakably important principle that long-range connections between musical events can be as significant as adjacent ones. Local and global forces operate in a delicate, yet powerfully cooperative, interaction.
Other recent emphases in theory teaching emanate from the technological revolution: computer-assisted instruction; electronic keyboard labs; computer-composition studios; MIDI; notation software; on-line courses; distance learning; e-mail; e-books; CD-ROMs; CD recordings; laserdiscs; and DVDs. There is an urge for each new trend to overstate its benefits with an ensuing bandwagon effect until hype is overcome by reality. As far back as the 1950s, television was hailed as the savior of education and during the 60s and 70s teaching machines and programmed instruction were similarly viewed as panaceas. I remember when ear-training software was supposed to reduce the need for aural-skills classes. Then we heard about computer literacy and cultural literacy. Now it's the Web, the Internet, and even Internet2, which can transport a violin lesson intercontinentally with an eerily crystalline picture and sound. A complete Web university called http://www.notharvard.com/ is now offering courses without classrooms (or teachers?). Not Harvard indeed! Many pedagogical advances of past eras have taken a respectable place on the academic menu while others have vanished. Perhaps it's best to adopt an attitude of healthy skepticism toward all cure-alls for curricula, textbooks, methodologies, and ideologies. Time will tell what works best and how to integrate—remember my earlier definition—the new with the old.
III. The Future
There are other orientations found within music theory and within the yet larger domains of higher education or society that I would like to see infuse undergraduate music theory classes. I don't mean that these newer subjects should swamp the regular content but rather that they be folded gracefully into the natural habits of music study. In many cases a particular viewpoint could be presented as an aside or as an alternative way of thinking. Rarely is much extra time required to incorporate this wider range of options for understanding, problem solving, or candid reflection. It's just a matter of remembering to do it.
Such supplemental possibilities might include more emphases on the emotive or aesthetic qualities of music or on psychological manipulations such as suspense, surprise, drama, wit, poignancy, and denial or fulfillment of expectation. We shouldn't be embarrassed to identify examples of profound beauty or even to puzzle out the "why" of such instances. These discoveries need not be overly subjective if supported by tangible and relevant evidence from the score and if a convincing argument is marshaled for an individual interpretation, which can, in turn, be compared with other choices. Undergraduate theory too often unnecessarily restricts itself to the nuts and bolts of music (pasting labels) at the expense of attending to listener response. I think the two can be combined.
Such an approach implies considerably more writing or debating than is commonly found today. "Writing Across the Curriculum" is the buzz phrase for describing this educational vogue but it has not (yet) become a widespread practice in music theory. I don't mean library research papers should be assigned but simple practice in persuasion, even of just paragraph length, can be required. Or at least such polemics can be identified during class if not on paper. Making a reasoned case for a way of hearing or understanding musical function—learning how to be cogent and articulate or how to refute another view—is a skill that resonates far beyond the classroom or even the given subject. Heated, but informed, debate is not only a valid educational enterprise, but it's exciting too.
Even such a mundane and seemingly fixed activity as aural skills has much room for improvement and expansion. A much more encompassing agenda and comprehensive set of goals ought to be imagined. First on the list of problems is our current fetish with pitch, although more recently some increased interest in rhythmic pedagogy is appearing on the horizon. But beyond that, more creative materials need to be developed for exploring various tuning systems; timbral comparisons; judgements about performance nuances and subtleties (phrasing, articulation, inflection, tempo, rubato, attack and decay, dynamics, and vibrato); comparisons of differing interpretations of the same piece; musical texture and density (weight and transparency, not just melodic relationships); hypermeter; spatial distributions; imaging exercises; body language movement coordinated with sound; and so on.
Another topic that has not yet sufficiently infiltrated our teaching involves the relationship of analysis and performance. The subject often falls through the cracks as theory teachers assume it is being covered by the applied studio teacher and vice versa. It is also such an elusive, slippery subject. No convincing overall intellectual scaffolding has yet been assembled to demonstrate exactly the nature of this relationship. Most of the research tries, often unsuccessfully, to connect analytical insight with interpretational implication and is often delivered as a set of specific and sometimes contrived performance directions—a recipe. It is not so easy, though, to map theoretical discoveries directly onto a blueprint for performance or to explain the often undervalued but powerful role of intuition. But, nevertheless, I think more could be done. It is certainly a potent way to get out of the box by demonstrating theoretical relevancy to other parts of a student's training.
At a more rarified level, the philosophies of structuralism, deconstruction, postmodernism, and now post-postmodernism have been applied to music study. It is way beyond the scope of this article to enter the murky and contentious disputations on these subjects but I just mention them briefly as options for study, perhaps for more sophisticated undergraduate classes. Pluralism in thought (as well as in repertoires) now seems to rule. The possibility of multiple realities, not one, or of different kinds of truth, some of which may be social inventions, not eternal verities, could at least be mentioned simply to provoke thought, if not final answers, or as a way to learn how to ask good questions—the ultimate theoretical pursuit. Undergraduates should at least know of the existence of gender studies; controversies about the canon; reception theories; music as social, political, and ethical concern; ontology; competing value systems; changing performance traditions; multiple authenticities; and music as text, and that similar concerns are pursued in other fields, too (literature, art, philosophy, anthropology, linguistics, psychology).
Considering this wealth of possibilities suggests that a major problem for future curriculum designers will circle around the issue of breadth vs. depth. We already have too many good choices to include in undergraduate theory. How can we possibly consider even more? Should we teach a restricted repertoire of concepts and literature in great detail or should we cover many things at the risk of superficiality? Perhaps in another thirty-five years, when a substantial body of 21st-century works will need to be covered, an update to this article will illuminate the dilemma.
Finally, a resource for improving theory teaching that should not be overlooked is the advancement of our own musicianship through self-development. Not all the available aids for progress are "out there" in a journal article such as this, a piece of machinery, a computer disc, the latest textbook, a curricular fad, a teaching gimmick, a pilot study, advice from a colleague, or a pedagogy workshop, although each of these can be helpful at the right time. Enlarging and continuously renewing our interior life through developing a rich experiential stockpile of sensation and contemplation is crucial too. And this is a lifetime project—one perhaps that is better furthered by ardent listening than sterile book learning. I am reminded of a question raised in philosopher Robert Pirsig's classic book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, about how to paint a perfect picture. His answer: "First, make yourself perfect and then just paint naturally." In a similar vein I might paraphrase by asking "How does one become an ideal theory teacher?" First, make yourself musical and then just teach naturally.
Last modified on Wednesday, 17/10/2018
Michael R. Rogers, Founding Editor of the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy, is the author of Teaching Approaches in Music Theory (2004) and co-author of the multi-volume, Tonality and Design in Music Theory (2005), as well as numerous journal articles on pedagogy and analysis. His teaching appointments have included the University of Maryland, University of Arizona, Michigan State University, Australian National University, and the University of Oklahoma, where he was the Kenneth and Bernadine Russell Endowed Professor of Music Theory (now retired). His current appointment is as Visiting Professor at the University of Oregon, where he teaches part time and continues his research on the role of intuition in musical performance.


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It's the night before Christmas and as lay on my bed with only my cat (Sandton) I had time to reflect on our last few years without a Christmas tree.
I have an amazing husband that stuck by me through 6 years of fertility treatments, tears and more than just a few outbursts.
I got to travel with my oldest daughter, husband and my parents on Reunion Island before my mom got really sick. Plus my parents got to meet my little victory this week.
I lost my best friend on 12 December 2016. He was there for me for 16 years and I know towards the end he fought to stay. His name was Genie and I had him from when he was just a 15 minute old kitten. I know most people won't understand, but to me he was my person.
None of my grandparents got to meet my kids. It feels like forever since I had to say goodbye to my last Ouma. She will forever be remembered by my youngest's second name.
I also had a good business year – or 2 – since leaving the corporate world. I could never have dreamt to have landed the clients that I did or to have more time to spend with the people I love or do the things I never seemed to have time for.
Highlights in my blogging life included working with some amazing brands and getting to know some amazing women.
My biggest shoutouts go to the Optiphi team and the products that are making it big everywhere including Europe – plus their PR team 121 Jamming; Then also to 2 brands from my home province, Limpopo, BaoCare and Tsonga Textiles… Thank you Freebees PR for introducing me to them; I also have only love to send out to Matsimela for all the good work and gifts that landed on my doorstep. My mom always asks if I can't get her more bath salts!; Twiga PR for giving me an amazing opportunity to interview the national women's cricket team and making sure my desk is filled with Prima Toys that I'm supposed to share with Lexa; The good people from Nespresso that fuel my rediscovered coffee habits; and Bos for the energy boosts now that I don't sleep (my office fridge is stocked)… plus Entertainer app for making sure we can still do date lunches and afford Starbucks!
In all seriousness tho, thank you for reading because without you this is just another blog that may never have inspired anyone.


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Last December, while eating at one of our favorite local dinner spots in historic downtown Belmont, I discovered one of my favorite festive cocktails....The Gingerbread Martini!
Since then, I've been looking forward to making them myself this holiday season.
Mix together in a shaker with ice then pour into a martini glass. Feel free to add whipped cream and gingerbread cookie to float on top. It's by far the most delicious treat in a drink!


Since its beginning in 1996, the Rex Lee Run has raised more than $500,000 to fund over 200 students' cancer research projects. Without the run, BYU would be unable to support and facilitate foundational discovery research leading to the development of more effective methods to prevent, diagnose, treat and ultimately cure cancer.
*Dr. Merrill Christensen is now the current director of the Simmons Center.


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Q: Not able to change nested div in javascript dom I am new to javascript and I am facing problems in dynamically changing the onclick attribute of the anchor tag in html. Below is my code:

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What I intend on doing is to change the onclick function of each of the
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Where am I going wrong? It might be something very silly that I am overlooking. But, I am not able to figure out. So, please help me out!

A: Your for in procedure referes to key which changes while iterating thorugh charAll.
As a solution (not tested), you might want to wrap the function in an outer anonymous-function and pass key to it:
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Bad genes: do they really matter?
Posted on September 21, 2017 Author About Health	No Comments on Bad genes: do they really matter?
Our body is a complex construction. Each cell of it contains a DNA molecule, tightly twisted spiral that stores important genetic information. These molecules are compactly packaged in the form of chromosomes. Each gene is some kind of an instruction, according to which the body forms proteins for a variety of functions, from the construction of tissues to the regulation of the fine work of the brain.
How do mutations occur? Sometimes it happens because of the substitutions in the sequence of bases that make up the gene. We may compare it with misspelling. So, such changes lead to the formation of a protein in the body with a significantly altered function.
Actually, mutations can occur not only inside the gene, but also in whole chromosomes. Such significant changes usually lead to serious diseases. For example, people with Down syndrome have three 21st chromosomes instead of two.
Commonly, each person is a healthy carrier for up to ten mutations associated with rare genetic diseases, such as cystic fibrosis or Tay-Sachs disease. Also, among most common hereditary diseases are hemochromatosis, phenylketonuria, congenital deafness or blindness, Huntington's chorea, and polycystic kidney disease.
Unfortunately, such diseases cannot be completely cured. On the other hand, with the help of therapy, it is possible to relieve the symptoms and prolong life.
Mutations not just come from your parents or grandparents. One can also acquire them during life. For example, it may be an impact of x-rays, or carcinogens in hazardous production.
What is the role of genetics in frequent diseases?
The most common diseases, including atherosclerosis, gout, diabetes, obesity and tooth decay, have a certain genetic component. But lifestyle and nutrition also matter.
People tend to associate things that are difficult to explain or understand with genetics. But mind that many conditions really associated with so-called bad genes need proper treatment, anyway.


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Barbershop: Trump's Contentious, Yet Symbiotic Relationship With The Media
Yesterday marked the 100th day of the Trump presidency, and while much of our coverage yesterday was focused on that, we did not talk about what has been one of the striking elements of the Trump presidency and that is his contentious and yet symbiotic relationship with the media.
There were three events last night that all took place after we went off the air that speak to that relationship - President Trump's rally in Harrisburg, Penn., the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner held in Washington, D.C., and something new, an event that was taped yesterday afternoon and aired last night put together by the comedian and late night talk show host Samantha Bee that was called the Not the White House Correspondents Dinner.
So we've asked three people to talk about that who all have experience with media and communications. Salena Zito is a political reporter and columnist for The Washington Examiner. That's a conservative-leaning newspaper. She attended the White House Correspondents Dinner last night, and we reached her today via Skype. Thanks, Salena.
SALENA ZITO: Oh, thanks so much for having me.
MARTIN: Former Obama communications director Cory Ealons is here in our Washington, D.C., studios. He's been to a dinner or two in his time. Corey, thank you so much for joining us once again.
COREY EALONS: Good to be here as always, Michel.
MARTIN: And Rich Lowry is with us. He's editor of The National Review. He's with us from his home office in New York. Rich, thank you so much for joining us once again as well.
RICH LOWRY: My pleasure.
MARTIN: So, you know - so the reality of it is most people don't attend any of these kinds of events. They don't go to rallies. They don't go to expensive dinners, but they do watch them on TV, so they're TV shows. So my thought was that we should look at them that way.
And I want to start with President Trump's speech in Harrisburg. It was a - almost an hour-long address, and he spent the first, you know, 10 minutes or so bashing the media. Let me just play a short clip.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: If the media's job is to be honest and tell the truth, then I think we would all agree the media deserves a very, very big, fat failing grade. Very dishonest people - and not all of them. You know, we call it the fake news - not all of them. Do you notice now they're using - everybody's using the word fake news? Where did you hear it first, folks?
MARTIN: All right. So it went on from there. There was quite a bit more than that, but we'll just start with that. Salena, I'm going to start with you because you've written a piece about how you feel that the media bashing works well for Donald Trump and continues to work well for Donald Trump. Tell us about that.
ZITO: Yeah. I mean, absolutely. This is sort of part of his shtick for lack of a better word. It plays to his base. It plays to that mistrust issue, and in that mistrust issue sort of hit its high water mark on an election night be - you know, because people thought - people were under the general assumption that he wasn't going to win. When he did win and a lot of sort of reaction from my peers whether you are a Democrat or Republican that didn't support him was a little bit of shock.
And, for me, someone who spends most of their time on, you know - outside of Washington, I'm always in a different state every week. It is very much like midnight November 8 for a lot of people. So the people that support him, they're very optimistic, and they're, you know, excited. And the people who did not support him are still somewhat in a state of shock and still haven't quite grasped the fact that he won.
MARTIN: OK. But what's the point of all this continuing to refight the election?
ZITO: Because it works. It keeps his people engaged, it keeps the people that maybe even didn't vote for him - I have an interview this week with a guy in Ashtabula, Ohio, and he said to me, look, I didn't vote for the guy. I didn't vote for Hillary. I sat it out. I didn't like either one of them. But the way the media treats him, I might vote for him in 2020. And so there is this feeling outside of Washington that it is very real, it's very palpable and it is this mistrust with our profession.
MARTIN: OK. Rich, talk to me about this speech. What do you think it accomplished if anything? What do you think it was about?
LOWRY: He loves doing rallies, and he wanted to brag about what he considers all his accomplishments in the first hundred days and bang on about the media which he loves to do. I think he put it well in the opening to this. It's a contentious yet symbiotic relationship which really nails it. I think it's a love-hate relationship on both sides. You saw it with Trump on the hundred days.
On the one hand, he would say this is a ridiculous media creation, which I agree with. It is a completely ridiculous and meaningless benchmark that just gives us an excuse to talk about how the first couple of months have gone. But on the other hand, he really cared very deeply about creating as much sense of action before the 100 days has expired as possible because he cares very deeply about what's said about him in the media.
And the media for its part has great fear and loathing of Donald Trump, I think colors the coverage every day. At the same time, no one has ever been as good for business as Donald Trump, and that began in the primaries when every cable network would broadcast his rallies from the beginning to end, not because there was any news value necessarily just because it was great entertainment and great for the ratings. And everyone's subscriptions and ratings have continued to go up.
MARTIN: OK, Corey, you're the loyal opposition here. What did you think of the messaging?
EALONS: Well, it's consistent with where he's been for - throughout the campaign and well into the 100 days of his presidency. I think it's really interesting that he chose not to go to the White House Correspondents Dinner last night primarily because he could have gone back as the conquering hero. He could have gone back as the guy who they made fun of and they cajoled and Seth Meyers and Barack Obama gave him such a hard time, and then he could go back and say, look, I'm the guy who you made fun of, but look at me now, right?
So it's really interesting from an ego standpoint he didn't choose to do that. But there's another reason he didn't go back. And, again, it has to do with Barack Obama. He didn't want the comparison. If you remember the correspondents dinner over the eight years that Obama was there, he sometimes was funnier than the comedic act that was the headliner, right? He actually has good timing and good delivery. And so we saw from Trump at the Gridiron Dinner last year when he was paired up with Hillary Clinton, he's not a good joke teller. He's not a good person in that position.
And so because he is so insecure and because he takes himself so seriously, he didn't want to put himself in that light to be compared to Obama. So I think that's one of the main reasons, too, he decided not to go. But I think it's very interesting that he made that choice.
MARTIN: Well, tell me about the speech itself that he did choose to give. What was the messaging there?
EALONS: Well, the messaging was very...
MARTIN: Was it effective?
EALONS: It was effective for the crowd. And, again, it goes to the point that's been made multiple times here in that he continues to talk to a very narrow audience. He continues to talk to his supporters who continue to support him in record numbers, but he has failed to expand the voice of the people that he's trying to reach.
MARTIN: Let's talk about the White House Correspondents Dinner. There were some pointed messages delivered there as well. The legendary journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward of Watergate fame were invited to speak and invited to give out awards.
Now, I have to say, awards are always given out, scholarships are always given out, but the people doing that generally aren't invited to offer remarks. This is what Bob Woodward had to say.
BOB WOODWARD: Any the president and his administration in Washington is clearly entitled to the most serious reporting efforts possible. We need to understand to listen, to dig. Obviously, our reporting needs to get both facts and tone right.
MARTIN: Along the same lines, but edgier was Samantha Bee's event. She is - for folks who may not be familiar with her work - she's a comedian. She hosts the late night talk show called "Full Frontal" which has a - focuses a lot on politics. She also created this event. It was also a fundraiser for the Committee to Protect Journalists. And I'll just play a short clip from her show.
SAMANTHA BEE: As much as I might love poking fun at the media and as much as you all kind of deserve it sometimes, I know your job has never been harder. POTUS has convinced 88 percent of his fans that you're an enemy of the people.
MARTIN: So, Rich Lowry, I'm going to go with you first. Did any of these events succeed in reaching outside of their own bubble?
LOWRY: I thought Woodward's point is very well-taken, and this is hard to do, but when you're in the press and President Trump is using you as a foil - sometimes very effectively as we've discussed here - your role shouldn't be to reply in kind, although it's very tempting. It should be more - to be more professional and more fair-minded.
And I don't think we've seen that, and I think a lot of reporters would do well to take advice for - from this sainted elder statesman of the craft, Bob Woodward.
MARTIN: Corey, I saw you shaking your head, no, when I was setting up those pieces. What is your take on this?
EALONS: Oh, I actually do agree that the individual factions are talking to different audiences. But what I will say is this - Trump, we have to remember, lost the popular vote by 3 million votes. When you look at it from that standpoint, the folks who are not loyal Trump supporters are talking to a larger swath of the American people because they are not the ones who voted him into office. There was a very narrow vote that did.
And so that's why you have - even an opportunity to have an event like Samantha Bee's last night because there is an audience there for it. And this is a part of to some degree the loyal opposition that is mounted against Trump, Trumpism and this presidency.
MARTIN: Salena, go ahead.
ZITO: Well, I have a greater concern about journalism. You know, I come from - even though I work for CNN and the Washington - I mean, The New York Post and The Washington Examiner, you know, I was able to see this election happening because of where I live. I live in essentially the Paris of Appalachia. I live out in the Rust Belt.
And what we're losing out in these areas are local journalists to cover these types of things. And, you know, to cover government, to cover elections, to cover local government, and that's my larger concern about journalism and about, you know, understanding what's going on in communities and that helps you understand what's going on in politics. And I think - you know, while he has been - the president has been, you know, great for the Washington and the New York-based media organizations, I'm concerned about reporting coming out of those areas outside of Washington and New York and the impact that that has.
MARTIN: That was Salena Zito, Washington Examiner political columnist and commentator, former Obama communications director, Corey Ealons, and Rich Lowry, editor of The National Review. Thank you all so much for joining us.
EALONS: Thank you, Michel.
ZITO: Thank you.
LOWRY: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Looks a brilliant book Billie and a good price. i also like the look of another of her books called Big Hook, Big Crochet or something along those lines showing how to use recycled fabrics. Thanks for the heads up on this book.
Its a good book, just as shame it wasn't in the same size format as The Knitting Book and The Sewing book, as this little size make the print so small!


Patients were consistently treated with a combination of anti-wrinkle injections and dermal fillers. Consistency in skin treatments provides better and more long-term anti-ageing results. The "after" images for these patients were taken at least two years after their first treatment at Kaya Cosmedica.
The photos above illustrate the effect of botulinum toxin on the frontalis muscle. All photos are taken with the eyebrows raised.
Horizontal forehead lines are caused by the contraction of the frontalis muscle, which is important for eyebrow elevation. Initially these lines only occur when we lift our eyebrows (dynamic lines), however over time they become permanently etched in the skin (static lines). Botulinum toxin if used early can prevent static lines from developing and soften those that are present.
The photos above illustrate the effect of botulinum toxin on the glabellar complex. All photos are taken with the patient frowning.
Frown lines are vertical lines that occur between the eyebrows. They are caused by the contraction of the glabellar complex of muscles which act together to pull the eyebrows towards each other and downwards. Over time these frown lines become static usually as two vertical lines in between the eyebrows.
The photos above illustrate the effect of botulinum toxin to the orbicularis oculi muscle. Both photos involve the patient squinting.
Botulinum toxin is injected into the lateral fibres, causing softening of the crows feet that occur with squinting or smiling.
The before and after photos above illustrate examples of natural looking lip enhancements with dermal filler. The lip can be enhanced with dermal fillers to increase lip volume, to evert the lips and to better define the vermilion border of the lips (where the red of the lip meets the rest of the face).
Dermal fillers can also be used to soften the lines that occur above the upper lip, and to lift the corners of the mouth (oral commissures) once they start to droop. The philtrum and cupids bow can also be better defined, to create a sexier pout.
Jaw Slimming: Botulinum toxin to the masseters to slim down the width of the face and jawline. 1ml of filler was used for the chin to lengthen the face. After taken 6 weeks post-treatment.
Filler to tear trough area to reduce the appearance of eye bags.
Fibrous Papule: Skin lesions removed using the Hyfrecator. No incision or sutures required. After taken 4 weeks post-treatment.


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New law gives critically ill people 'Right to Try' psychedelics
VicesJune 22, 2018 By Reilly Capps
The Right to Try Act lets people with life-threatening illnesses try experimental drugs, some lawyers assert. That includes mushrooms, LSD and ecstasy. One guy's already doing it.
With tumors in his spine that spread into his brain, unable to work and doctors unsure how long he has to live, Jerry (not his real name) is taking psilocybin mushrooms to deal with it.
Jerry tells Rooster Magazine that psilocybin helps him with the physical pain as well as the anxiety and PTSD that comes from the fear of dying.
And he's doing it legally, he believes.
This is an untested legal theory, but one that could open up a new front in the battle to legalize drugs.
And it's all based on a new law called the Right to Try Act. President Trump signed the bill in late May, which says that people who have a "life-threatening" illness can try drugs that aren't fully approved by the FDA.
[President Trump signs the Right to Try Act . Photo from AP.]
Trump signed it surrounded by folks with cancer and a kid with a rare disease.
But psilocybin, MDMA (ecstasy) and LSD are also experimental drugs, that also have also been through the first phase of clinical trials at the FDA — and so are seemingly eligible for the Right to Try law.
Jerry's assertion that tripping for him is legal is supported by Denver for Psilocybin, which is pushing to legalize the drug in Denver. The Nowak Society, a Colorado nonprofit promoting responsible use of drugs, believes this as well after consulting with the cannabis law firm Vicente Sederberg.
Jerry isn't using his real name because while he believes what he's doing is legal, he's still afraid to go public. There have been no test cases on Right to Try. And he has to be vague about where he gets his mushrooms. But Jerry got the psilocybin approved by his doctor, as the law requires.
This fight mirrors one that happened during the early stages of the movement to legalize marijuana, when cancer and AIDS patients used weed to soothe their worst symptoms. Society listened, and carved out exemptions in the laws for them.
For Nowak board member Shannon Hughes, this is personal. In 2013, when her husband Teno — a former Marine with a charismatic personality — was 37, a stomach ache turned out to be colorectal cancer. He would be dead within a year and a half.
[Teno Johnson and his wife, Shannon Hughes, before his death from cancer. Shannon is now working to give people with life-threatening illnesses access to psychedelic medicines she thinks would have helped ease Teno's death. Courtesy photo.]
Teno was terrified. Searching online, he came across studies from Johns Hopkins Universities on psilocybin and death. Hopkins had 51 cancer patients take psilocybin. Eighty percent of them said it helped them feel more optimistic and less scared of death. "He wanted to have an experience like that," Hughes said.
Back then, Hughes had no idea where to get mushrooms or how to do them. Today, thinking about the missed opportunity, Hughes tears up.
"What a gift this would have been for him," Hughes said.
Armed with the conviction that they've found a new legal way forward for folks like Teno — a way to let grass grow from a crack in the concrete, they say — The Nowak Society is working to build a network of people interested in testing the Right to Try law, so that more people besides Jerry can take advantage of the new law.
Interested parties are starting to line up.
Kim Mooney, for example, has been working in hospices for 22 years and runs a business called Practically Dying. She's sort of a death coach. After hearing from the Nowak Society about Right to Try, and attending an information session this week in Boulder, Colorado, she plans to tell her clients about the possibility.
"Most of them are saying, how do I get out of this without being afraid?" Mooney said. "This could easily be the step that could help people to transition."
For Jerry, the man with the life-threatening tumors, psilocybin works. He says Xanax and Valium just mask the symptoms of his end-of-life anxiety, while he feels the psilocybin is actually rewiring his brain. This is making it easier for him to live, which could make it easier for him to die.
[Cover photo by Kristine Weilert on Unsplash]
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News Pubs
Hospitality Crowdfund Campaign Takes Step Closer To Resolving Business Interruption Insurance Disputes
July 22, 2020 July 22, 2020 News, Pubs
Organisers of a hospitality specific crowdfund campaign that is challenging insurers over the non-payment of business interruption policies, have now issued guidance on the next steps members can take in their battle for justice.
It coincides with the beginning of a test case in the High Court by the FCA on behalf of thousands of businesses that claim they should have been paid by insurers to cover closures during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The crowdfund campaign was launched by Rob Atkinson, a leading in-house hospitality lawyer from Black and White Hospitality which operates the Marco Pierre White portfolio of restaurants. Those who signed up and provided their policies for review, have now been told whether they stand a chance of making a successful recovery in Court under the relevant policy.
Rob Atkinson said: "We have received hundreds of policies and is indicative of how badly those in the hospitality sector have been let down by their insurers.
"Members' claims have now been "triaged" by reference to a traffic light system with red standing no realistic prospect of success through the court system, amber providing minimal prospect of success and green standing a reasonable prospect of success.
"Those with "green" claims are those whose claims are affected by issues being considered by the High Court in the case brought by the FCA. Those members are, we understand, adopting a "wait and see" approach to their claims, pending the High Court's decision.
"Members with "red" and "amber" claims are unaffected, or unlikely to be materially helped, by the FCA Test Case. That being so, we're advising that those members should refer their claims to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) for determination.
"The rationale for a referral to FOS (and as discussed later in this guidance note) is that the FOS approaches claims differently to a Court. Whereas the Court is bound to apply its interpretation of the law, an Ombudsman's role is to reach a determination that he or she considers, on the facts of an individual case, is "fair and reasonable in all the circumstances".
"We have issued guidance to all of our members and will be also be holding two webinars on 27 and 28 July to give more guidance on the next course of action so we want to see as many businesses attend these sessions. Anyone who contributes to the crowdfund campaign will be sent a link to the webinar, it's not too late to join.
"We will remain resolute in our campaign to make sure policy holders get what they deserve having taken out in good faith insurance they thought covered them for such a crisis like the one we're in at the moment."
For further details on the two webinars (27 and 28 July) please visit the crowdfunding page at https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/hospitality-business-interruption-action
← UKH Welcomes First Step On Road To Rates Reform
Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I And BT Sport To Help Pubs Save Thousands On Sports Subscriptions →


A lecture was given by Christopher Simpson on March 25, 1997 in Weiss Center for the Arts about "Comfort Women" who were victims of sexual enslavement during World War II. The talk accompanied an exhibit in the Trout Gallery on the same subject. The talk was sponsored by the Sociology, History, and Anthropology Departments, the Women's Studies and International Studies Programs, the Clarke Center, the Commission on the Status of Women, and the Trout Gallery.


Other participants were: Kevin Knight, Kristin Ekkens, Anne Lomperis, Jaclyn Gishbaugher, Ronna Timpa & Margaret van Naerssen.
It was originally intended that there be more IATEFL participants and EAP representatives.
How would you determine the needs for training?
What questions would you want to ask the HR contact?
What would the options for EOP training be?
What would the options for EAP training be?
How would you want to assess training performance?
How would you price the training?
What obstacles would you expect, and how would you prepare to overcome those obstacles?
What would you tell the HR contact in connection with the question about the company's CSR report?
I originally did not think I had a lot to contribute on the topic from an EAP point of view, as it seemed to me that all education – of which EAP is a part – is involved in creating positive social change, but, looking back, I think I could have done better than I did.
A recording of the discussion is available here. It is an interesting discussion and does involve EAP.
This entry was posted in ESAP, ESP, TEAP and tagged ESAP, ESP, Higher Education, IATEFL, TESOL by Andy. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Former B.C. Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson leaves the stage after announcing he was stepping down during a news conference in Burnaby on Monday, October 26, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
B.C. Liberal audit of new members was extensive, lawyer tells court
Last-minute petition asks judge to delay the scheduled release of leadership contest results
Feb. 4, 2022 2:30 p.m.
Lawyers for the B.C. Liberal party are in court arguing against a last-minute petition that asked a judge to delay the scheduled release on Saturday of the results from its leadership contest for 15 days.
Vikram Bajwa, a longtime Liberal party member, asked the B.C. Supreme Court for the delay and for an order that would force the party to provide details of its audit of thousands of new members signed up during the leadership campaign.
The petition also asked that the party be ordered to reveal its conclusions on whether any co-ordinated voter fraud took place in the leadership race.
Bajwa's lawyer, Greg Allen, told the court by phone that the party has an obligation to his client to ensure that no invalid members are being allowed to cast a ballot, which could effectively disenfranchise members who are in good standing.
Andrew Nathanson, a lawyer for the party, said Bajwa hadn't provided substantial evidence to support his concerns of voter irregularities.
Justice Heather MacNaughton said she was aiming to provide a decision Friday, with reasons to follow.
Voting for a new leader began Thursday.
Allen told the court five of the seven leadership campaign teams had also outlined concerns about memberships, the audit process and the risk of reputational damage to the party in a letter sent last month to the leadership election organizing committee.
But Nathanson said the party's evidence showed reasonable steps were taken to ensure voter eligibility.
"The evidence is that an extensive audit was conducted by the party, with input from the campaigns, and it has resulted in the exclusion of some members found to be ineligible," he said, adding the party's rules give the leadership election organizing committee discretion over whether to release details of the audit.
Also Friday, the party said it was taking "legal steps" to identify who is behind text messages providing people with false registration codes to vote in the leadership race.
The party has received reports of the messages, but they did not originate from the party, which will not send a text message with a code unless it is requested through the Liberals' secure site, spokesman David Wasyluk said in a statement.
Wasyluk declined an interview request and the statement from the party did not say how many complaints about the text messages were received.
However, it said members are not able to vote using false verification codes and the returning officer is investigating.
"The party takes any allegations of voter suppression and voter manipulation seriously," Wasyluk said.
The party gained more than 20,000 members during the leadership process for a total of about 43,000, who may vote online or by phone for a new leader to replace Andrew Wilkinson after his resignation following the party's 2020 election defeat.
The seven leadership candidates are legislature members Michael Lee, Ellis Ross and Renee Merrifield; business leaders Gavin Dew, Val Litwin and Stan Sipos; and Kevin Falcon, a former B.C. cabinet minister.
—Brenna Owen and Amy Smart, The Canadian Press
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text:
当前位置:首页 > 欧乐娱乐 >
欧乐娱乐
来源蓬筚生辉网
再现What's the biggest challenge China faces today, and how do you think the c欧乐娱乐ountry can overcome this? People focusing too much on themselves and the building of wealth, instead of interest for the community and the country
吊车店起栋楼The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer Hatakaze quickly followed them into that area侠商小伙下In response to the Hatakaze's entry, t欧乐娱乐he Chinese Jiangkai I-class frigate rushed into the waters, according to the Japanese weekly Nikkei Asian Review
火殃Hiding the first part of the episode, the white paper criticized China for its frigate's entry into Japan's "contiguous" zone near the disputed islets in the East China Sea及整On June 8, three Russian naval ships entered the waters close to the Diaoyu Islands开吊The defense legislation eliminates geographic co欧乐娱乐nstraints by substituting a situational threshold (situations that "gravely affect the peace and stability of Japan") rather than limiting support to "situations in areas surrounding Japan"车救Iowa's ties with China had already shown signs of increasing再现Even though Iowa is best known for its agricultural products and services, Reynolds said that advanced manufacturing is "actually the largest sector of our GDP
吊车店起栋楼Reynolds said last month when announcing the trip that "there is no better time than now to market and pitch our products in China侠商小伙下"We believe as a united Iowa agricultural delegation, we can find opportunities that are beneficial to both China and Iowa," Reynolds said火殃A photo taken on June 14, 2017 shows a poverty alleviation relocation site in Leibo county, Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture, Southwest China's Sichuan province
及整91 million people out of poverty each year from 2012 to 2016, according to a report from the State Council on Tuesday开吊-- Reuters: "China's ethnic Yi struggle against poverty" (Aug 10, 2017)China lifted 13车救This year's Nobel prizes will be announced starting from October 2, with the ceremony lasting one or two weeks, said the Swedish Academy on its official website再现She received Bachelor of Science at Stanford University and Doctor of Medicine from the University of Utah, according to faculty information of Pittsburgh University
She has received a number of awards for her work, including the Meyenburg Foundation Award for Cancer Research and the Robert Koch PrizeChang was born in Taiwan and moved to the United States as a young child
com]Clarivate Analytics, formerly the Intellectual Property and Science business of Thomson Reuters, announced its 2017 Citation Laureates - scientists whose publications have been cited so often by their colleagues that they could be recipients of a Nobel Prize this year or in the futureThe couple was listed for the discovery of the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV), also known as human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8)Chinese-American Yuan Chang, 58, joined the list of physiology or medicine laureates, together with her husband Patrick SKaposi's sarcoma (KS) is the most common cancer in HIV-infected untreated individuals
Tsien (1952-2016) got his Clarivate citation prize of chemistry in 2008, before he co-won the Nobel honor in chemistry at the same year, with Osamu Shimomura and Martin Chalfie, for the discovery and development of the green fluorescent protein (GFP)Professor Chang is a Co-Director of the Tumor Virology Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer InstituteIn the last 15 years, 43 Citation Laureates have gone on to receive Nobel honors, so the prize has been seen as an indicator of the Nobel prizes, introduced in memory of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel (1833-1896)Each year, analysts at Clarivate Analytics mine millions of citations in the Web of Science, an online subscription-based scientific citation indexing service, to identify top-tier researchers in physiology or medicine, physics, chemistry and economics
Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus is the infectious cause of this neoplasmHere, we present some of the most striking images around the world this past week
Children cool off themselves at a wading pool in Toronto, Canada, on Sept 24, 2017The vice-premier said China is willing to work with the US to prepare for President Trump's visit to China to ensure it is a great success
Visiting Vice-Premier Liu Yandong, right, speaks with Jared Kushner, senior White House adviser, center, and Ivanka Trump, left, daughter of US President Donald Trump also serving as an adviser, in Washington DC, on Sept 27, 2017Liu addressed a reception celebrating the 68th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China at the Chinese embassy on WednesdayThe training course on the Chinese lion dance is part of the 2017 China Africa Cultures in Focus, an activity held by the Bureau for External Cultural Relations of Chinese Ministry of Culture to strengthen the cultural communication between China and African countriesThey kept practicing from morning until night, trying to master the basic skills of lion dance, routines and instrumental music within a short periodThe cultural center of the Jinpu New Area also arranged some courses for them to know about other traditional Chinese culture such as Chinese calligraphy, seal cutting, folk dance, paper-cutting, and potteryThe cultural center of the Jinpu New Area has undertaken the course for three consecutive years since 2015
During the 35-day training course, they learned from Li Mingxu, the fifth generation successor of the Jinzhou Lion Dance, a provincial intangible cultural heritage that has been passed from generation to generation for more than a centuryTen students from Nigeria and Zambia learned how to perform Chinese lion dance at the Jinpu New Area in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning province
These changes may look pleasant, but not quite so to Derek Hyra, an associate professor at the American University School of Public Affairs and an expert on neighborhood changeChen Weihua/China DailyHaving lived in Washington DC for almost five years, I have seen the city growing, with new construction and renovation projects happening in many streets and neighborhoods
Hyra described how the "dark ghetto" has been turned into a "gilded ghetto"To Hyra, it has caused not just residential displacement for African Americans but also political and cultural displacement
His book this year, Race, Class, and Politics in the Cappuccino City, is the result of his many years of field research on the issuesWhites are the majority now, accounting for 55 percent of the communityThe 14th Street near U Street, a traditional African American neighborhood, is now lined up with hip restaurants and bars in this photo taken on SundayThe area, a 90 percent black neighborhood just a few decades ago, was only 30 percent African American by 2010
Hyra described the massive transformation in the U Street/Shaw area, where the city's once most infamous open-air drug market has become a farmers' market now selling grass-fed beef and homemade duck egg ravioliThe Wharf residential and business project I visited recently is probably one of the biggest
The same urban renewal is happening in other parts of WashingtonThe U Street/Shaw and 14th Street area has fast been turned into an upscale neighborhood in recent years, with many new restaurants and shops opening and new apartment construction
Only a short walk from the National Mall, it looks like a good place to live, work and hang outThe area has seen a sharp increase in the white population and skyrocketing property prices, a sign of gentrification in the Washington DC
He saw major issues of gentrification and segregation in Washington beneath the surface of rapid urban renewalLocated in southwest Washington along the waterfront next to the famed Maine Avenue Fish Market, its first phase will open on Oct 12"An effort to reduce sugary drink intake of teenagers is urgently needed," Liang Xiaofeng, deputy director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, saidAccording to the US Department of Agriculture, global production of sugar is up 9 million tons to a record of 180 million metrics tons a year and consumption hovers at the 172 million metric ton level, also a record high level
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that people should drink no more than three cans of soda (about 450 calories) a week, but men drink 175 and women 94 calories a dayOne sign says you're looking at 45,485 pounds of added sugar - the amount that Kind says children in the United States consume every five minutes
As early as 2006 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified sugar drinks as one of the main culprits in rising obesity ratesThe numbers are spun out by Kind from there: children consume 13
"In addition, I have found that sugar imports are increasingUntil the 18th century, when the technology for extracting sugar from cane was developed, and 19th century, when we learned how to get it from beets, sugar was only available when the fruit ripened or the bees got busy
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花2亿装修豪宅的卡戴珊 输给了家里放点钞机的他
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HomePosts tagged 'best books'
Two Great Books for You to Read!
July 17, 2015 July 17, 2015 elizabethcaulfieldfelt books, reading	best books
Within the last two weeks, I read two books about Christian missionaries traveling to alien worlds. I recommend them both. Both are works of fantasy, yet both are grounded in reality, providing wonderful character studies and handling deep philosophical questions.
In The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber, Peter, an English pastor, is chosen by a powerful multi-national corporation to act as a missionary to the Oasans, people on a planet newly colonized by earth. Peter must leave his beloved wife, Bea, and their cat, Jacob. Bea introduced Peter to Christianity and their marriage has been one of deep love and total companionship. The difficulty of their separation and what it does to their relationship is one of the main focuses of the novel. The "aliens" that Peter ministers to are thirsty for knowledge of Christ, and we wonder why. We also wonder about the powerful muti-national corporation and its motivation for sending Peter. And what about the previous pastor who disappeared? And the linguist who taught the natives English and also disappeared? While the novel is suspenseful, it isn't action-packed. The stress on Peter and Bea's relationship also causes stress on their faith, and this is where the book excels. Its examination of love and faith in crisis is fascinating.
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell is also an examination of faith. Father Emilio Sandoz had it and lost it: why? Father Emilio Sandoz is one of a crew of Jesuit missionaries sent toward Alpha Centauri after radio signals demonstrate that intelligent life exists on a planet in that area of space. Sandoz is the only survivor of the mission. The book alternates between "past" and "present." In present day, Sandoz is being interrogated by the Jesuits to discover what went wrong. He is accused of some horrible crimes. In alternate chapters, we learn about the discovery of the radio signals, the recruitment of the crew (all wonderful characters, that we readers fall in love with; Sandoz being the most wonderful), the trip across space, until the past meets up with Sandoz's confessions. What went wrong? How did everyone die? How did Sandoz "go bad" ? This book has action, great characterization, and incredible world building. The author, Mary Doria Russell, has a PhD in biological anthropology, and uses her knowledge well. The development of the setting on the new planet–the cultures and languages and interactions of the races–is brilliant and probably my favorite part of the book.
I was disappointed by the endings of both books. However….
After thinking about the ending of The Book of Strange New Things for several days, I changed my mind. It ends exactly how it should. I didn't "get" it at first, but I do now.
The Sparrow puts so much emphasis on what went wrong, what horrible thing happened, that its discovery was anti-climactic for me. I still recommend the book.
I highly recommend both books. So, get reading!
January 1, 2015 January 3, 2015 elizabethcaulfieldfelt Uncategorized	best books, books
In 2014, I read 119 books. Some were children's books which is part of the reason that number is so high. Also, my house isn't very clean.
Many of the books were good, but not many were great. Putting this list together was difficult. If I named only the great books, my list would be too short. If I named all of the good books, the list would be too long. I decided to go for diversity of genre, subject and audience. The books are grouped by intended audience, in the order I read them.
Children's Books:
Zebra Forest by Adina Rishe Gewirtz
I love the way the author uses the classic novel Treasure Island in this story of a brother and sister who live with their lying, oft-depressed grandmother for reasons they don't quite understand–at least not at first.
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
The deportation of the Jews from Denmark during WWII, as narrated by 10-year-old Annemarie, whose best friend is Jewish. The innocence of her voice and the simple yet suspenseful plot has made this story a classic.
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Ella (Cinderella) is cursed by a fairy with the gift of obedience, making Ella a slave to the whims of others. Ella is a great character and her quest for self-determination makes this a perfect book for young people.
Holes by Louis Sachar
Multiple story lines that blend together to perfection. Well-crafted characters, exciting action, and a strong message. Funny too.
Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin
Rose, obsessed with homonyms and rules, is misunderstood by her classmates and her father, but not by her dog, Rain/Reign. When Rain goes missing in a storm, Rose has the skills needed to find him, but what she finds will surprise you. Beautiful, beautiful book. My vote for this year's Newbery Award (not that I have a vote. . . )
Young Adult Books:
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Steifvater
"Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die." I read this so long ago, I had to take this blurb from the author's website. I remember loving the characters, the horses, the slow-build romance, and the intense suspense.
Cress by Marissa Meyer
Third book in the Lunar Chronicles series, using Rapunzel as its fairy-tale base. Cress is a prisoner, not in a tall tower, but in a satellite. I love the character of Cress, possibly because she reminds me of me. I laughed a lot. Cannot wait for the last in the series, Winter, out in fall 2015. The prequel, Fairest is out in Feb 2015. (The order of this makes me crazy, but that is for another blog.)
Set in the last years of the Russian monarchy, Egg and Spoon is a fanciful mix of history, folklore, philosophy, childhood fantasy, silliness, and very clever writing.
Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork
In order to attend the school he wants in the fall, mildly autistic Marcelo must work in the mail room of his father's law firm. His father, impatient and unsympathetic to his son's issues, wants Marcelo to experience "the real world." Marcelo learns a great deal about life, his family, and what he, himself, is capable of.
Silverblind by Tina Connolly
This world is alive with fantastical creatures, fey magic, and disturbing technologies. The main character, half-fey Dorie, is delightful and complex, and the romance flows easily within the greater plot (saving the fey world) which is well paced and suspenseful. Themes such as the environment and women's rights are integral but not didactic.
The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson
Exciting and suspenseful story of one fictional man's life growing up in North Korea. What I liked most about this was the main character and the way he sees the world. A different mindset than I'm used to.
Redshirts by John Scalzi
Funny. Very, very funny. If you don't know, "redshirts" are characters in Star Trek who don't live to the end of the episode. Scalzi introduces us to characters in a Star Trek-like world who realize this is happening and what they do to avoid becoming a "redshirt."
The fictionalized story of real-life suffragist/abolitionist sisters Sarah and Angelina Gremke and their wholly fictional slave, Handful. Why had I never heard of these women? Their story is fascinating, painful, and inspiring.
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Raised in the foster care system, Victoria won't allow anyone close to her. She uses her knowledge of the language of flowers to help others, until she meets a man who also knows that language. Victoria's character is absorbing and the mystery of her past intriguing.
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
A psychologically scarred young woman cares for a physically scarred, wheelchair-bound man. The two fall in love. Will her love be enough to stop him from his desire to commit suicide? Moyes handles difficult issues deftly. A great book for book clubs because of the discussion it promotes.
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
A female scientist is sent by her pharmaceutical company to a lab in the Amazon rainforest, after the death of her colleague there, to bring a renegade scientist and her discoveries back to civilization. What amazed me most was how Patchett was able to manipulate and alter my perspectives of the people and events as the story progressed. The ending is perfection.
The Cuckoo's Calling / The Silkwork by Robert Galbraith
What holds these detective stories above the pack is the depth of the characterization. The stories are complicated, suspenseful and, in places, funny. Galbraith is really JK Rowling, so the level of writing should be no surprise.
The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss
This isn't the long-awaited final book in Rothfuss's trilogy, but it does come from the same world. Auri, a minor character in his other books, is the only character in this novel. Although light on plot, Auri is such a compelling character that the book works. Rothfuss's prose is so beautiful, you might weep.
If you decide to read any of these books because I recommended them, let me know what you think. Happy New Year!
January 1, 2013 January 1, 2013 elizabethcaulfieldfelt books, writing	best books
This past year was an excellent reading year for me. I read a total of ninety-four books (so close to one hundred…) and many were superb. Creating this list has been very difficult. I've left off many good books, and this list is still longer than I'd like. The ones I've chose are listed in the order I read them, mostly. Anyway, here we go:
The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides
Some have called this pretentious, and it probably is, but I liked it nevertheless. Eugenides creates a college experience more like what I imagined college would be (a serious intellectual experience) than what I experienced (interesting classes and a lot of mindless parties). The author's sculpturing of mental illness is fascinating.
Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson
Set in 1971 and narrated by sixth-grader Frannie, this is a well-crafted story that explores many themes, including hope ("the thing with feathers"). Everyone in Frannie's school is black, until a white boy with long hair joins their class. He's called Jesus-Boy because of his hair and his apparent serenity. Frannie's best friend begins to wonder if the boy might really be the Savior. At home, Frannie's mother is pregnant which is scary because she's had several miscarriages, and Frannie's teenage deaf brother struggles with his place in the world. Moving story.
The Wednesday Wars and Okay for Now both by Gary D. Schmidt
These two books are brilliant children/young adult reads. The Wednesday Wars is about Holling Hoodhood's seventh-grade year and Okay for Now is about Holling's friend Doug Swietek's eighth grade year. Holling is forced to read Shakespeare by his teacher, and the book is thematically built around the plays he reads. Doug studies Audubon paintings in the local library and the book is thematically built around those paintings. So, the books are cleverly structured, but what readers are going to mostly notice are the realistic, likable main characters dealing with difficult family, friend, and school situations. Serious issues written with a deft hand. The stories are funny, clever and heart-felt. Schmidt deserves a Newbery.
Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks
Caleb was the first Native American to graduate from Harvard and is the title character, but this is really Bethia Mayfield's story. Bethia, the daughter of a liberal Calvinist minister, journals of her life on the Wampanoag's island (now Martha's Vineyard), Bethia runs fairly free for a young girl, meeting Indian Caleb and playing with him on the beach, though knowing that most would not approve of their friendship. When her mother dies, Bethia must take on more responsibility. Caleb comes to live with them to become educated, and each keeps their past connection secret. When he goes to Harvard, she goes to the mainland too, as a servant to pay for her own brother's education. The marvel of this book is the way Brook brings to life the setting. The altered language, the sea, the tight grip of Puritanism, the racism, the poverty. It's a fascinating re-imagining of people who lived long ago.
I, Iago by Nicole Galland
How do you take one of literature's most vile villains and make your readers like him? Galland begins in his childhood and lets him tell the story. Iago is a fun, likable character, and the story rolls along at a good pace. When Othello begins wooing Desdemona, I found myself wondering how Iago would be able to narrate and explain the tragic events that I knew must follow. Did Shakespeare misunderstand? Had Iago behaved well and gotten a bad rap? Or would this character I'd learned to love turn on his friends? How could that happen? I won't tell you here–get the book and find out.
The Diamond Age; or a Young Lady's Primer by Neal Stephenson
In a list of hard-to-summarize books, this is probably the most difficult. But I will try. In a future world, Hackworth is an engineer who helps to design a book that is really a supercomputer with the intent of educating its reader. The book is intended for the King's daughter, but Hackworth steals a copy for his own daughter, only to lose it to the streets, where urchin Nell gets it. Hackworth's book is marvelous, teaching Nell how to read, how to fight, how to survive, and finally how to think for herself. Much more happens (there are probably a half a dozen other subplots) but this is what I remember best. Stephenson's imagination is extraordinary and his ability to predict technology is nothing short of genius.
Everyone in my family enjoyed this book. The year is 2044 and the world is in terrible shape, so most people escape from it by logging in to the virtual world of OASIS, created by James Halliday. Halliday, a multi-billionaire obsessed with 1980s culture, dies without an heir, but in his will he tells the world that he has left keys in OASIS, which when found will open gates and lead to other keys. The first person to open all three gates will get his fortune. Ready Player One is narrated by the teenager who finds the first key. Part sci-fi, part mystery, part love story, part 1980s-nostalgia trip, part dystopian fantasy, part thriller, this book is all good fun.
Finding Emilie by Laurel Corona
Lili is the could-have-been daughter of the real-life Emilie, Marquise de Chatelet, 18th century French intellectual, mathematician and lover of Voltaire. The Marquise dies giving birth to Lili, a child that history does not remember. The novel moves between the stories of Lili and Emilie, two women who are intelligent, strong, and independent, characteristics not valued among women in 18th century France. A fascinating, moving story.
The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings
Picture the spouse you love in the hospital in a coma about to die. Are you sad? Heart-broken? Now picture finding out that the person you love was cheating on you. Was possibly planning to leave you. How do you feel? How do you deal with those feelings? How do you deal with your children, who are having trouble with their own grief? That's the premise of this beautiful, well-crafted, heart-wrenching story.
New York City seventh-grader Georges (the "s" is silent, but causes him no end of grief in school) must deal with bullying, a change of residence when his father loses his job, and a mother who works so much she's never home. In his new apartment, Georges meets Safer, a home-schooled boy who accepts Georges into the Spy Club to investigate the strange doings of Mr. X who lives in the apartment above Georges. As the parent of a seventh-grade boy, I can tell you that Stead knows kids. The characters are smart and funny and troubled and, more than anything, real. I loved Georges, and loved Safer's little sister Candy, and as my focus was on the characters, I was taken completely by surprise at the turn of events at the end of the story. Wow! A great book for kids and adults alike.
Leviathan, Behemoth,and Goliath all by Scott Westerfeld
I loved this trilogy so much that I forced my twelve-year-old to read them, and they became three of his favorite books. Westerfeld has created a world divided between "clankers," people who work with all types of fantasy-type machinery, and "Darwinists" people who have genetically altered animals to work like machines. But wait, this is an alternate history of World War I as well: the clankers are the Austria-Hungarian empire and the Darwinists are Britain and its allies. The book opens with the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the escape of the archduke's son, Alek, one of the story's main characters. The other main character is Deryn Sharp, a girl pretending to be a boy so that she can become a British midshipman. She gets work on the Leviathan, a living airship which is a genetically-altered, whale-like creature that flies because it is filled with hydrogen. Sound far fetched? It doesn't when you read it. The world building is meticulous. The characters are well drawn and the story fast-paced. Fun, fun, fun!
The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow
Sorceress Emma Bannon teams up with mentath (think Sherlock Holmes-type intellect) Archibald Clare to protect Queen Victrix and all of Britannia in this alternate-history, sort of Victorian era, steampunk thriller. The breath-taking action begins mid-story, with reader and characters trying desperately to figure out what's going on. Although the story is non-stop, the world building and character development are what impressed me the most. I hope this is the beginning of a series.
In the Garden of the Beast by Erik Larson
The only nonfiction book to make my list; this reads like fiction. Larson uses letters, journals, and other primary sources to describe the lives and thoughts of William E. Dodd, American ambassador to Hitler's Germany, and Dodd's twenty-something daughter, Martha. The Dodds don't know World War II is on the brink, although the ambassador has a very low opinion of the men in charge of Germany. Martha, on the other hand, is seduced by the charming Germans and makes light of the few bad things she hears about. This book is a brilliant look into the experiences and thoughts of two people who bumped elbows with some of the most infamous characters in history, as history was unfolding. Fascinating.
This Lullaby, What Happened to Goodbye? and The Truth about Forever all by Sarah Dessen
Dessen is the master of young adult books for girls. She covers serious teen issues with well-developed, realistic characters. I read these three books in about four days—not because they are short, but because I couldn't put them down.


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Mary Dodge may refer to:
Mary Abigail Dodge (1833–1896), American writer and essayist who wrote under pseudonym Gail Hamilton
Mary Mapes Dodge (1831–1905), American children's writer and editor, best known for her novel Hans Brinker
Mary Melissa Hoadley Dodge (1861–1934), American heiress who moved to England

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Q: How to create an activity with two different Parent Activity I have an activity which I want to access from 2 different activities, I know flags should be used but i do not know how exactly to implement them.
How should I implement Navigation to select proper Activity as Parent?