To learn more about Madrasat al-Hasanayn's method of teaching and its curriculum, here is a brief synopsis of the books/subjects covered each year and how they are taught. Keep in mind that this is how the curriculum looked when I was there around fifteen years ago. There have been significant changes in the curriculum since then. I was there during the testing phases and saw many aspects of the syllabus evolve over time.
Before getting into details about the curriculum, I would like to mention three main aspects of the curriculum that served as foundational principles for the school.
1) One-Subject System: the madrasah sought to utilize the more traditional method of studying one science at a time. Of course, this logistically conflicted with the entire concept of institutionalized education in a way and so Hasanayn practically adopted a blend of more conventional multi-class sytems with its perceived singular ideal. Therefore, classes were limited to two or three per day and emphasis was still placed on one subject per year. Additional classes either served as lectures and depended on the instructor's efforts more or were supplementary to the main class of the year and so retained the student's focus.
2) Arabic Emphasis: the madrasah felt that Arabic studies had been neglected in our madaris and that the solution was to require instruction to be done in Arabic. Additionally, students were required to converse amongst themselves in Arabic alone and a fee was imposed upon those who were caught breaking the rule. Practically speaking, implementing the rule became very difficult and students needed to be constantly encouraged to revive an environment of Arabic conversation. The effectiveness of this technique depended largely upon the students and their motivation to learn the language at the cost of minor embarrasment and initial struggle.
3) Research & Individual Study: Mawlana Tariq Jameel Sahib (may Allah protect him) strongly felt that there was also a deficiency in students in the amount of mutala'ah they did for and outside of class. For this purpose, as well as for the purpose of allowing them to better retain material, class time was limited to two to three hours a day (with the exception of the final years, I believe, where four to five classes a day became the norm). Students were highly encouraged to purchase and read books outside of class and large chunks of the day, including some morning hours, were alotted for mutala'ah and takrar.
1. Durus al-Lughat al-'Arabiyyah (Volumes 1-2): There was very little explanation for this class. Students were expected to read through each lesson in class loudly and clearly, working on correcting pronunciation. Conversations found in book two were to be memorized. Practice exercises were to be written out mulitiple times to improve handwriting. Students were asked to purchase Arabic conversation books outside of class and memorize expressions that would then be used in practice conversations during class time.
2. Qasas al-Nabiyyin (First few volumes): Focus in this class was to memorize important vocabulary and expressions. Students were to focus on improving reading skills and correctly identify i'rab. Additionally, students would be asked to summarize the chapters upon their completion from memory, effectively ingraining the word usage and expressions in their minds.
3. al-Ahadith al-Muntakhabah (Muntakhab Ahadith): When I was there, the teachers had chosen this collection of hadiths to be memorized. I believe fifty hadiths from each six chapters were meant to be memorized and understood. The book was chosen because it would help students in bayans.
I believe that Sarf was eventually added to this year.
Much of the first year depended upon the teacher's engaging students in conversation, asking them to write out their lessons multiple times to practice handwriting, and memorizing conversations in order to familiarize them with Arabic expressions.
During this year, students were also taught Masa'il Behishti Zewar by Mufti 'Abd al-Wahid as well as basic tajwid and calligraphy by a Qari who visited the madrasah twice or thrice a week.
In this year, the main focus of study was Sarf. Like I mentioned before, Hasanayn minimized class time as much as possible. Therefore, there was only one hour of sarf instruction per day and then an additional class on reading/comprehension/literature.
1. 'Ilm al-Sighah (Arabic translation): the style that was employed in this class was very similar to how Hadrat Mufti Taqi Usmani describes how Mizan should be taught. The teacher treated the class like a hifz class, speaking less and listening more. Practice exercises consisted of listening to everyone's conjugations at least once a day. The board was used heavily during explanation of ta'lilat. Throughout the year, students would be divided into two groups and engaged in a competition in recognizing sighahs. These competitions were very useful in engaging the students in an otherwise dry subject. The teacher who taught my class used to devote fifteen minutes of class time daily for reading from books of the elders, particularly Tadhkirat Rashid (which is probably because it was the only one available at the time besides Aap Beeti).
2. Durus al-Lughat al-'Arabiyyah (3): This class was taught similar to its first two volumes in year one. The only difference being in the fact that exercises only had to be written once. The teacher had to restrain himself from going beyond what was in the book. Students were trusted to figure out what grammar rules were being highlighted in each section. The usage of the Key is very important for the teacher. Through it, he can identify all the rules that the author had intended to be learnt for each lesson.
3. al-Manthurat: The purpose of this class was primarily to improve reading skills and increase student vocabulary. Additionally, students were asked to memorize certain words, expressions, and metaphors and use them in their own sentences.
This year focused on Nahw. Because of the heavy focus on grammar, it was considered the driest year of study. It was, however, arguably our most benefical.
1. Jami' al-Durus al-'Arabiyyah: Although this book is quite advanced for a first exposure to formalized grammar, since students were familiar with the basic concepts through Durus al-Lughah, the jump to this level was not difficult. The usage of this book, however, did not start until the discussion of the marfu'at. Before that, the teacher used the Alfiyyah of Ibn Malik and its related commentaries to teach the muqaddimat of Nahw. During this time, students were busy purchasing as many Nahw books as possible and reading through them to get a better understanding of the science before delving into Jami' al-Durus. Since the reading speed and comprehension abilities of the students was quite satisfactory by this point, students had no difficulty with understanding the text. Most students would therefore supplement their mutala'ah with books that the teacher suggested to read, such as Mughni al-Labib, al-Nahw al-Wafi, Sharh Shudhur al-Dhahab, etc… Once the teacher had completed teaching Jami' al-Durus, he would have the students read through Hidayat al-Nahw in a couple of days. Additionally, selected chapters of Sharh al-Jami were read in class and discussed by the teacher. During the year, there was a periodical "tamrin" class that took place thrice a week. A teacher would use al-Nahw al-Wadih to orally quiz students on the relevant chapter of grammar they were covering in Jami' al-Durus class. Lastly, tarkibs were done with poetry more than anything else. Our teacher's philosophy was that if one could grammatically break down a line of poetry, he would find prose a breeze.
3. al-Fiqh al-Muyassar: I believe this was being taught in third year. It was simply a class for reading through the book and understanding the text itself. I am not sure if the class was continued because I don't recall the last class I saw go through third year study the book.
Jazakum Allahu khayra, very interesting post!
Jazak'Allah khayr for giving us this detailed insight into Hasanyans curriculum.
Assalamualaikum Maulana this is Haroon Ahmed from Indianapolis a currently enrolled student at Madrasa al-hasanayn here in Indy . We have met earlier at iie last year and at other occasions .. Jazakumullah hu khairan for this wonderful post . One small thing though there has been some significant changes to the books in these following years if needed I could email you the PDFs of the new curriculum inshallah .
Please do. I've also come upon the syllabus as of last year. This post was actually an old one. I mean to update the website with the new curriculum at some point in the near future. If you have a soft copy, that would be much appreciated.
Since you are enrolled in the Indianapolis campus, I wanted to know more information about it. The size of the building, some pictures maybe, and probably let me know if they have a website. Also do they send students to pakistan later on to study under moulana tariq jameel? And what are the names of the teachers who teach there? Also, how many years it it, and is the cirriculum the same as it is in pakistan?If you could provide some info of this campus, it would be great!
Assalamualikum, are the books in english for first year studemts or in arabic? And whats the name of the book?
Why did you leave the Raiwind Markaz madrasa?
I never attended the Raiwind markaz madrasah.
Do you have any plans to go out in the path of Allah?
May Allah accept me to stay on His path and to struggle for his religion always.
What made you choose madrasa tul hassnain over the rawind markaz madrasa?
What is your opinion on Al-azhar al-shareef? Also what is the best place to study for ladies? Are you currently a full time imam? Does your brother go out in the path of Allah?
I initially intended to enroll at the Raiwind markaz, until I was fortunate to meet Mawlana Tariq Jameel on a special visit to his home. In a detailed conversation, I was sold on his ideas for improving the curriculum of madrasahs through an Arabic-medium, one-subject-at-a-time approach, and a focus on research and extracurricular reading. These, in my opinion, were important considerations for an adult learner and indicated to me the superiority of Hasanayn's education.
I maintain its superiority to this day, though I will admit that Hasanayn's curriculum is not perfect and can be vastly improved in many ways.
I don't have any opinion worth of consideration when it comes to studying at al-Azhar. For both men and women, giving recommendations about where to study is best done on an individual basis after a lengthy consultation. Giving generalized statements is often more harmful than beneficial and frequently inaccurate.
I am not a full-time imam. I currently teach at Darul Qasim in the department of Hadith.
By my brother, do you mean my blood brother(s)? Why do you ask?
Do you recommend going to darul ulum karachi first, or madrasatul hasanain? And in what ways can hasanain improve?
The question of improvement is best left to those of knowledge and in positions to improve it. Regarding specific advice about where you study, again, I would recommend a personal consult rather than a generalization. If you are interested in specific advice to your situation, ask a local scholar who you trust and who either knows you or you can make aware of your situation and get their advice after. Then compensate them for their time as a courtesy.
How many years is the alim program in darul uloom karachi? And do you know where I can find their syllabus?
I would like to thank you very much for taking the time out to answer my questions. I was just curious about your blood brother. It seems he was the engine behind your getting in the line of knowledge.


Most of us know from personal experience that relationships can break down for a myriad of different reasons. We in the legal profession often see the consequences of a "break-up" play out in several different ways. As a lawyer who spends most of his time helping couples "break-up" as painlessly as possible, I thought it would be a nice change of pace to focus on what most Experts® see as being integral to a healthy relationship.
The partners in the relationship should respect and value themselves and each other. They should treat each other with respect and courtesy.
When they disagree, they know that it's okay to talk about their differences. They work it out. They find ways for both partners to get what they need.
They listen to each other's view points. They express their feelings and opinions by saying, "I feel…." or "I think….." They do not make comments or assumptions about the other person.
Each partner takes responsibility for themselves. They do not expect the other person to solve their problems or make them happy.
Please tune in next month for the conclusion of this discussion!


text:
Q: My output is not rounding correctly and it doesn't match the expected output sorry if this is an obvious question but I just started learning computer science.
I have to print the results of this with 14 decimal places so I did so by using %.14f in a printf statement. All of the other variables are integers
double caloriesBurnedW = 0.0175 * 4 * (weight/2.2) * walkingTime;
double caloriesBurnedR = 0.0175 * 10 * (weight/2.2) * runningTime;
double caloriesBurnedMC = 0.0175 * 8 * (weight/2.2) * mountainClimberTime;

The outputs I get are

*

*286.36363636363640

*114.54545454545455

*229.09090909090910

but they should be

*

*286.3636363636364

*114.54545454545456

*229.09090909090912

A: Instead of dividing the weight by 2.2, I created a variable
kgWeight = weight * (1/2.2)

That resolved the issue for some reason

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Jauchius' works will be on display through mid-December at the Animal Health Library in Wegner Hall 170, part of the twice-yearly "Art in the Library" program. An opening reception is planned for 4-6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21. Exhibits feature animal-themed works, typically from artists with a connection to the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine.
For more information, visit the WSU Veterinary Medicine news site.
Jauchius began painting as a high school senior. Her science teacher at the time encouraged her to paint a mural in the school's science wing.
Two paintings that reflect Jauchius' different styles are "Buffalo Joe" and "Junco: Shifting Seasons." She has painted many bison, calling them "very expressive creatures, both powerful and vulnerable.
"For me, they seem burdened with the deep emotional history of how they've been treated by humans. It's in their eyes," she said.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are dark-eyed juncos, which Jauchius admires for their vivaciousness and self-importance when they show up at the bird feeder in winter, she said.
Jauchius earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in landscape architecture from WSU in 2000 and 2004, respectively. As a landscape architect, she specializes in designing children's play, learning and therapeutic environments, with a focus on designing supportive environments for children on the autism spectrum.
She is also an adjunct instructor with the Landscape Architecture Program in WSU's School of Design and Construction. Most recently, Jauchius helped students work with the City of Pullman Parks and Recreation Department to develop a wetland mitigation interpretive garden.
One of her most powerful memories of growing up around animals occurred in her senior year of high school, when Jauchius helped a wildlife specialist rehabilitate a great horned owl for several months before releasing the bird on the Spokane River.


text:
Austin's Strama, Mulling Mayoral Bid, Won't Seek Re-election
UPDATED: Austin Democrat Jade Chang Sheppard said Wednesday that she will run for the Texas House seat that will open after Rep. Mark Strama's current — and last — term in office next year.
by Ross Ramsey Feb. 20, 2013 12 PM
Incumbent Democratic State Rep. from Austin, Mark Strama. Spencer Selvidge
UPDATED, 4:15 p.m.: Jade Chang Sheppard was the first candidate to openly declare her candidacy for Rep. Mark Strama's seat in the Texas House, saying she will run to replace the retiring Austin Democrat in 2014. She is a Democrat, the owner of Austin-based Gideon Contracting, and the mother of two young children. A handful of other candidates have been considering that HD-50 race but nobody else has announced. They have plenty of time: Candidates can't officially file until the end of the year.
State Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin, is considering a run for mayor of Austin and won't seek another term in the Texas House, he said Wednesday.
"I genuinely have not decided whether to run for mayor — I can think of as many reasons not to do it as to do it," he said. "Regardless, I have decided not to run for another term in the House. All good things must come to an end, and on a separate note, so must my time in the Texas House."
Strama, 45, chaired the House Committee on Technology, Economic Development and Workforce; this session, he's on the Ways & Means and International Trade & Intergovernmental Affairs panels. He was first elected to the House in 2004, and worked before that at Rock the Vote, for Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, and for then-Gov. Ann Richards. He revealed his plans in an interview and in a posting on his own blog.
Asked whether he has accomplished all he hoped to in the Texas House, Strama sounded exasperated, saying that Democrats are so overwhelmingly outnumbered in the House that they are "so far from the ability to produce an outcome." The lower chamber has 95 Republicans and 55 Democrats. Until the Republican surge in the 2010 elections, that was a more balanced 76-74.
Strama said several people have expressed interest in running for his spot in the House and he wants to get out of their way now, freeing his own supporters to choose someone else. And he expects a number of people — on the current city council and off — to look seriously at the mayor's race. He'll make his decision on whether to run for mayor after the current legislative session.
"The way I'll make the decision is to make sure a lot of people know and hear back from them. I'll welcome that advice," he said.
Strama said city office offers a chance to work on issues that are closer to the public and more tangible to voters.
With Democrats in a political hole in the Legislature, Strama said, he can do as much from out of office as in. "On the issues I care about, energy — renewable energy — education and political reform, I feel like I can have a bigger impact from outside than from inside," he said. "Sustainable energy is going to be driven from the private sector rather than from the public sector."
The arguments against a run for city office are at home. "I have a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old," Strama said. "Being a legislator is a part-time job. Being a mayor is a full-time job."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
using DomainEventsSample.Web.Infrastructure;
using DomainEventsSample.Web.Registration.Messages.Events;

namespace DomainEventsSample.Web.Notification.Services
{
    public class RegistrationNotification : ISubscribeTo<AccountRegistered>
    {
        public void Handle(AccountRegistered evnt)
        {
            //TODO:Send welcome mail
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Travel to, from and inside Rome
Getting to Rome
Rome is one of the most important hubs in Italy; so, you will easily reach our city, wherever you live. Rome is served by almost every traditional airline, whose flights are sold by any reasonable travel agent. Rome is also served by several low-cost airlines (Ryanair, Easyjet, Vueling, ...), and these are mostly sold on-line. There are two airports in Rome:
Fiumicino "Leonardo Da Vinci" (the main one)
Ciampino "G.B. Pastine" (a smaller one, served by low-cost companies like Ryanair).
Take into account that luggage collecting is usually quite slow.
Getting from the airport to the town center
(for directions to the conference venue, see the Venue tab)
Both airports are outside the city, and quite far from the conference venue. Depending on the trafic conditions, it can take also one hour by taxi. If you take a taxi of the "3570" company (the main company in Rome), the price is fixed: 48 EUR from Fiumicino and 30 EUR from Ciampino to every place in the city center. You don't have to reserve a taxi because you'll find plenty of them at both airports at every time. Notice that, apart from these fixed rates (that are quite convenient), taxi's in Rome are quite expensive.
Alternatively, there are regular trains to Roma Termini station (the main train station in Rome)
from Fiumicino airport: they take 32', run every half-an-hour (at .08 and .38 of every hour, since 6.38 to 23.38) and cost 14 euros.
from Ciampino station: they take 16', run every 20'. To get from the Ciampino airport to the Ciampino station you can use the public bus, (once an hour) or a taxi (10-15 EUR). The train ticket costs 1.5 EUR.
A cheaper (but slower) solution is with the Terravision buses: they take 50' (in normal trafic conditions), run approx every half-an-hour (seehttp://www.terravision.eu/inglese/files/2012/06/fiumicino_timetable.pdf), cost 4 euros if bought on-line or 6 euros if bought on the bus. From Ciampino, there are the Terravision buses leading to Termini: they take 40' (in normal trafic conditions), run approx every half-an-hour (see http://www.terravision.eu/inglese/files/2012/06/ciampino_timetable.pdf), cost 4 euros if bought on-line or 6 euros if bought on the bus. There are also other possibilities: http://www.atral-lazio.com/index.php?lang=en or http://www.sitbusshuttle.com/.
Italy (like France, Germany, and Spain, ...) uses GMT+1.
The electricity supply is 220 volts AC, 50 Hz. European-style 2-pin plugs are in use.
Italy uses the Euro (EUR). ATMs abound in Rome: every bank has at least one, usually on the road, sometimes in the inner area. All the machines can speak English, as well as other languages. Almost all businesses (but not newsstands, bus drivers, some taxi drivers) accept bank and credit cards (even for the smallest payments).
The country code for Italy is +39. There area code for Rome is 06. The prefix for international calls is 00.
Emergency numbers: 112 and 113 for police; 115 for fire brigade; 118 for ambulance (for all these numbers, there can be problems if you speak a language different from Italian).
There are 4 mobile providers: TIM, Vodafone, Tre and Wind. The GSM frequency is 900/1800 MHz; for UMTS, 2 GHz, ISN band.
There are very few public payphones left in Rome and usually only accept pre-paid phone cards (very few also accept coins).
Rome has some WiFi hotspots, but most of them are private and require authentication (and payment). WiFi or wired access to the internet is also offered by most of the hotels; sometimes the service is complimentary.
The public city transportation system of Rome, consisting of buses, trams and two underground lines, is usually not very efficient. Some stops, mainly in the center, have timetables (affixed to the stop signpost), give real-time timing of the buses and many also have a part of the transport system on display (in the waiting booth). Tickets are not available from the drivers; you should buy them in newsstands or underground stops. In some bus lines (40 and 60, for example), you can buy the ticket on board from an authomatic ticket machine, working with coins. A ticket is validated with a ticket machine located in the bus or at the gate of every underground station. Buses, trams and undergrounds all operate under one ticket system. You have the following ticket options:
BIT: a ticket valid for 100' after the validation, that costs 1.50 EUR. It allows you to take any number of buses and trams, but allows you to have only one underground journey (possibly combined, if you stay within the underground borders) within the 100' time. You must validate the ticket as soon as you enter into the bus/tram/underground, if it has not been validated yet; you must validate it again, if you have validated in a bus/tram and then you take the underground; it mustn't be validated several times, if you only take buses/trams.
BIG: a daily ticket (valid until the midnight of the validation day), that includes every journey within the city and costs 6 EUR
BTI: a 3 days ticket (valid until the midnight of the third day including the validation day), that includes every journey within the city and costs 16,50 EUR
CIS: a 7 days ticket (valid until the midnight of the seventh day including the validation day), that includes every journey within the city and costs 24 EUR
As already said, taxi's are quite expensive in Rome. It is usally safe to take them, also by stopping them in the streets. It is better, however, to reserve a taxi by phoning at 063570 (every hotel provides this service for free).
Italy has joined the Schengen system giving total freedom of movement within all the territories of the Schengen agreement signatory states. Admission to Italian territory for nationals of all the countries of the European Union and the European Economic Area is permitted if in possession of a valid passport or another travel document recognised as valid by the Italian government. Nationals of any other states outside the Schengen Area should check the visa requirements for admission to Italian territory at the webpage of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
ICWL2016 can provide official letters of invitation to persons who have fully registered for the conference/workshops and for which payment has been received. To request an invitation letter please email to icwl2016@dis.uniroma1.it with, SUBJECT "Request for ICWL2016 Invitation Letter" and providing the following information:
Name, affiliation, and postal address.
Person/institution to whom the request should be made out
Paper title and conference name, if you have one accepted paper


Mehmet Oguz is the award-winning designer of the Ducky Sanitaryware Set.
ID: 46254 & ID: 48178 Mehmet OGUZ, is born in 1989, Diyarbakir, Turkey. He has bachelor's degree from Marmara University, Faculty of Fine Arts, in Industrial Design. He has competed in many national design competitions and thanks to first prize in the one of competition, he had a scholarship by goverment that brought him to Milano, Italy for master degree in Industrial Design at Scuola Politecnica di Design. Talented and open minded are the keys that describes him. He is currently working as a designer at Creavit. His main objectives in the company, are expanding their products with sleek design and solutions which are very important for the company goals. He follows and develop each processes while making new sanitary wares designs such as wc's, washbasins, bidet, reservoir, bathroom furnitures as well as faucets and wc cover that all are connected each other. ID: 46254 Fatih SEN, is born in 1989, Zonguldak, Turkey. He has studied associate degree in Computer Programming in Erciyes University then he made another degree in Business Administration in Anadolu University. He was courious to design and 3d softwares that leads him to study Graphic Design. He made great progress in self improvement thus he is currently working as a designer at Creavit and making designs for sanitary-wares also bathroom furniture.


Antwis Engineering Ltd, was formed in 1985 and traded from the Vestry Industrial Estate, Sevenoaks, for many years. Building up their reputation with high levels of customer service and excellent workmanship, Antwis Engineering moved from their 3 ramp site to Dunton Green, Sevenoaks in 1998 where they now have 6 ramps and a state-of-the-art M.O.T bay with the latest equipment to ensure accuracy, safety and high quality services. Book your MOT, car service and vehicle repairs with a local garage you can trust.
"Very happy with the welcome and service"


When looking for the best trading strategy for your futures and forex trading, look for simplicity. The financial markets give many technical indicators for people to use to determine upcoming moves which can be implemented into any trading strategy. The issue is complexity which causes confusion as well as emotional hesitation to place a trade. Think of the futures and forex markets as an indicator in itself, so if you are already using an indicator why use many more to confirm what you are already being told via price action. You may ask how is price action an indicator; it is simply indicating what has happened in the past so that you can place a defined value on the chosen futures or forex market. Therefor price action is indicative of historical psychology of traders all around the world.
When you go out shopping for any tangible item (lets use a new pair of shoes for this example), the average person is more likely to buy when they see that the shoes are 50% OFF which tells you that the true value has dropped in price making the shoes cheaper. This helps you make a clear decision so that you know you are getting a good deal as opposed to paying full retail price. Now lets say that same pair of shoes were on sale for 50% OFF, would you wait for them to go back up to only 25% OFF before you make the purchase??? No because you would not get as good of a deal....So you have now placed a true value of the shoe at 50% OFF and made a great purchase instead of waiting for price to move back up. This makes you a SMART BUYER!
Now lets look at the futures and forex markets....The average person looks at the financial markets the exact opposite, and have the thought process that the value is only there after price is moving in that direction....Price Action allows us to have all of the historical data to determine what the previous value of that instrument has been. This gives us the ability to buy ON SALE and sell AT RETAIL (BUY LOW, SELL HIGH). If you use multiple indicators to tell you what you should already know, this is the same as waiting for the pair of shoes to go back to only 25% OFF.
We always want to buy at levels of discount, and sell at levels when expensive. This puts you in favor of the Smart Money because you are dictating the true value of any given instrument instead of following the crowd of retail traders.


text:
The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History
by John M. Barry
3,907 129 2,723 (3.93) 2 / 225
#1 New York Times bestseller "Monumental... an authoritative and disturbing morality tale."--Chicago Tribune The strongest weapon against pandemic is the truth. Read why in the definitive account of the 1918 Flu Epidemic. Magisterial in its breadth of perspective and depth of research, The Great Influenza provides us with a precise and sobering model as we confront the epidemics looming on our own horizon. As Barry concludes, "The final lesson of 1918, a simple one yet one most difficult to execute, is that...those in authority must retain the public's trust. The way to do that is to distort nothing, to put the best face on nothing, to try to manipulate no one. Lincoln said that first, and best. A leader must make whatever horror exists concrete. Only then will people be able to break it apart." At the height of World War I, history's most lethal influenza virus erupted in an army camp in Kansas, moved east with American troops, then exploded, killing as many as 100 million people worldwide. It killed more people in twenty-four months than AIDS killed in twenty-four years, more in a year than the Black Death killed in a century. But this was not the Middle Ages, and 1918 marked the first collision of science and epidemic disease.… (more)
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It has taken me 4 months to make it through this book, and I've put it aside and come back to it several times. I am fascinated by the subject and I did learn a lot, but Barry's writing style just wore me down. ( )
AuntieG0412 | Jan 23, 2023 |
The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History by John M. Barry earned its reputation as an authoritative book about one of the world's great catastrophes of all times, the 1918-20 Spanish Flu pandemic. For reasons that are obvious it is quite timely now.
The Spanish Flu has been overshadowed in history by the violent end to WW I, then known as The Great War. WW I upended the long-prevailing history of Europe, ending all of its great monarchies and empires save the British Empire. The Spanish Flu, in parallel fashion but for more temporarily upended life in the U.S.
Similar to the current Covid-19 pandemic, the disease sewed panic. The author suggests that the panic was fueled by the efforts of the various governments to minimize it. I think the author's hypothesis is well-reasoned and strongly researched. Also, in light of the reaction to the novel Coronavirus the level of media and government attention has been, at best, a mixed blessing.
Turning from my own historical analysis to the book, it was gripping. I read the 461 pages in about twelve days. Some of the other reviewers of the books have justifiable quibbles. The prevailing one is weak editing. It was too repetitive. The literary device of repeating the last words of a previous sentence was overused. My own criticism is that the book was too often written out of chronological order. This may have been needed to give faithful mini-biographies of leading scientists and other players.
That is why I am giving the book a "four" rather than "five" on Goodreads. I highly recommend it; but beware, certain stretches may make a calm sleep afterwards difficult. ( )
JBGUSA | Jan 2, 2023 |
Good book on the big pandemic 1918, at the end of World War One. Pretty horrific stories about disease and death all over the world and especially in America. Seems appropriate to read right now. There was a lot of misinformation back then, like today. It was also on the beginnings of modern medical science, and that part was slow reading for me, but it is worthwhile. Never actually pinned down the exact virus--could have been a combination. Scary. Today's Covid 19 does not seem quite as bad. ( )
kslade | Dec 8, 2022 |
Comprehensive look at the influenza pandemic of 1918-1920 that resulted in the deaths of an estimated 50 million people worldwide. The author starts with a history of medical science, describing the common thoughts of the time immediately preceding the pandemic, and documenting the improvements made by notable institutions and scientists of the day. He traces the origins of the disease, likely in Kansas, and the spread of the disease through transfer and deployment of American military personnel in WWI.
A good portion of the book is devoted to the science of viruses (what they look like under a microscope, how they mutate, and how they infect a host), research methodology, and the many ways people tried to curtail the proliferation of the disease. He takes politicians and newspaper representatives to task for failing to tell citizens the truth. In fact, it ended up being called "Spanish flu" due to the fact that "only the Spanish newspapers were publishing accounts of the spread of the disease that were picked up in other countries." He analyzes how society reacted to the overwhelming challenges created by the pandemic, and what lessons can be learned from it. Leadership is important, especially during a crisis, and it was sorely lacking in many instances.
The portion of the book focused in the influenza outbreak is the most effective. Barry paints a disturbing picture of the horrors created by the rapid contagion: "But the most terrifying aspect of the epidemic was the piling up of bodies. Undertakers, themselves sick, were overwhelmed. They had no place to put bodies. Gravediggers either were sick or refused to bury influenza victims. The director of the city jail offered to have prisoners dig graves, then rescinded the offer because he had no healthy guards to watch them. With no gravediggers, bodies could not be buried. Undertakers' work areas were overflowing, they stacked caskets in halls, in their living quarters—many lived above their businesses."
This book gives highlights the contributions of a number of scientists that may not be familiar to many readers. It points out some of the discoveries that came out of research dedicated to isolating the source of this virulent version of influenza, such as how DNA carries genetic code. I am impressed by the amount of research that went into this book, as documented in the extensive footnotes and bibliography.
At times, it gets a bit scattered and repetitive, and the author digresses into areas not directly related to the influenza epidemic, but overall it provides a detailed analysis of what happened and cautions us not to become complacent. If anyone wants motivation to get the annual flu vaccine, this book will provide plenty of rationale. It will appeal to those with an interest in science or the history of medicine. If reading it for the historical significance, be prepared for lots of scientific details.
Castlelass | Oct 30, 2022 |
I thought this was a very interesting, disheartening and angering read. Although written nearly 20 years ago, about an event that happened a century ago, the author shows that humanity does change and does not learn from history.
The events we have witnessed during the Covid pandemic have a multitude of close similarities to the 1918 flu pandemic. The lack if leadership, good decision-making and belief in science were duplicated from a century before.
I could have dine without some of the author's heavy handed foreshadowing. Some chapters were particularly difficult to get through due to the brutal facts being conveyed. This is not light reading, but it is a good study of human behavior. It also has a very interesting thread throughout the book in the radical change in American medical education, doctrine and advancement starting near the turn if the century.
Please folks, try to understand that science is always evolving and recommendations and treatments can and will vary even in the short term. Think, learn from history and let's stop repeating our past mistakes. ( )
WEPhillips | Oct 20, 2022 |
2 reviews add a review thingScore 100
John M. Barry calls The Great Influenza "the epic story of the deadliest plague in history," but his book is somewhat more idiosyncratic than epic and in any case is not as interested in the 1918 influenza pandemic as in the careers of those American medical researchers who studied the disease.
added by John_Vaughan | editlection, Tim morris (Jun 26, 2011)
Barry organizes his story as a conflict between medicine and disease. The influenza pandemic, he writes, was ''the first great collision between nature and modern science''; ''for the first time, modern humanity, a humanity practicing the modern scientific method, would confront nature in its fullest rage.'
added by pbirch01 | editNew York Times, Barry Gewen (Mar 14, 2004)
» Add other authors (1 possible)
John M. Barry — primary author all editions calculated
Belanger, Francesca Designer secondary author some editions confirmed
Ogolter, Martin Cover designer secondary author some editions confirmed
Robert, Richard Traduction secondary author some editions confirmed
The Great Influenza. The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History
The Great Influenza
The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History
Oswald Avery
Hermann Biggs
Rupert Blue
Frank MacFarlane Burnet
Joe Capps
Rufus Cole
George Creel
Harvey Cushing
Simon Flexner
William Crawford Gorgas
Cary Grayson
Robert Koch
Wilmer Krusen
Paul Lewis
H. C. Michie
Eugene Opie
Sir William Osler
William H. Park
Thomas Rivers
John D. Rockefeller
Milton Rosenau
Frederick Russell
Richard Shope
Victor Vaughan
Edwin Vare
William Henry Welch
Anna Williams
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
World War I (1914 | 1918)
Influenza pandemic (1918)
Disaster: Infectious Disease
New York Times bestseller (Nonfiction, 2004)
National Academies Communication Awards Winner (2005)
For Edna Rose, who didn't get to find her colors but made the world brighter anyway
To my darling Anne
and to the spirit that was Paul Lewis
Prologue: The Great War had brought Paul Lewis into the navy in 1918 as a lieutenant commander, but he never seemed quite at ease when in his uniform.
A leader must make whatever horror exists concrete. Only then will people be able to break it apart.
Wolf, Wendy
RC150.B37
Charles V. Chapin
Influenza A virus subtype H1N1
John Shaw Billings
Social history of viruses
Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2013 January 12
William H. Welch
#1 New York Times bestseller "Monumental... an authoritative and disturbing morality tale."--Chicago Tribune The strongest weapon against pandemic is the truth. Read why in the definitive account of the 1918 Flu Epidemic. Magisterial in its breadth of perspective and depth of research, The Great Influenza provides us with a precise and sobering model as we confront the epidemics looming on our own horizon. As Barry concludes, "The final lesson of 1918, a simple one yet one most difficult to execute, is that...those in authority must retain the public's trust. The way to do that is to distort nothing, to put the best face on nothing, to try to manipulate no one. Lincoln said that first, and best. A leader must make whatever horror exists concrete. Only then will people be able to break it apart." At the height of World War I, history's most lethal influenza virus erupted in an army camp in Kansas, moved east with American troops, then exploded, killing as many as 100 million people worldwide. It killed more people in twenty-four months than AIDS killed in twenty-four years, more in a year than the Black Death killed in a century. But this was not the Middle Ages, and 1918 marked the first collision of science and epidemic disease.
614.51809041 — Technology and Application of Knowledge › Medicine and health › Public Health › Contagious and infectious diseases: special › Filth diseases
RC150.B37 — Medicine › Internal medicine › Internal medicine › Infectious and parasitic diseases
An edition of this book was published by Penguin Australia.
» Publisher information page


text:
Hjärnstorm är en svensk kulturtidskrift, vilken grundades 1977.

Medverkande i Hjärnstorm i urval

Clemens Altgård
Einar Askestad
Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril
Tobias Berggren
Anne-Marie Berglund
Ola Billgren
Jonas Brun
Bo I. Cavefors
Horace Engdahl
Camilla Flodin
Göran Greider
Stefan Gurt
Lisa Gålmark
Einar Heckscher
Ola Larsmo
Stig Larsson
Kristoffer Leandoer
Sven-Erik Liedman
Ulf Linde
Sara Mannheimer
Malte Persson
Magnus Ringgren
Lennart Sjögren
Göran Sonnevi
Gary Svensson
Christer Themptander
Eddie Tistelgren
Astrid Trotzig
Sven-Olov Wallenstein
Gabrielle Björnstrand

Temanummer i urval

Nr 20-21  Konstkritik
Nr 30     Erotik
Nr 31-32  1960-talet
Nr 33     Belfast
Nr 39     Folkhemmet
Nr 40-41  Weimarrepubliken
Nr 56-57  Döden
Nr 62     Dick Bengtsson
Nr 65     Finland
Nr 67-68  USA
Nr 71-72  Konst och informationsteknologi
Nr 73     Kontakt
Nr 74-75  Marcel Duchamp
Nr 76-77  Konst & forskning
Nr 78     Fotografi
Nr 79     Ernst Jünger (temablock)
Nr 81     Skräck
Nr 82     Strategi
Nr 83-84  Pessimism
Nr 85-86  Kosmos (featuring Nitnit)
Nr 87     Konsten och det offentliga
Nr 88-89  Innanför/Utanför
Nr 90     Willy Granqvist (temablock)
Nr 92-93  Psykedelia
Nr 94-95  Imaginära utflykter
Nr 96-97  Självmord
Nr 98     Fernando Pessoa (temablock) & autenticitet och identitet i litteratur och konst
Nr 99-100 Ensam
Nr 101 Mellanrum, reflektioner
Nr 102-103 Konst och djur

Externa länkar
  Hjärnstorms webbplats

Svenska tidskrifter
Kulturtidskrifter

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
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Experience the beauty and challenge of a true Scottish style links course. Combining spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, rolling fairways, undulating greens and native coastal rough, this golf course is sure to take your breath away.
Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., the back nine was originally opened in 1978. Then in 1987, the front nine was added to complete the full 18. Extensive renovations were completed in 2008 where over 96 bunkers were re-constructed, all 18 greens were stripped of the Poa Annua grass and bentgrass was added. Overall, the course conditions were greatly improved and The Links at Bodega Harbour is the best it's ever been!
From the rolling fairways of the front nine with its carefully placed pot bunkers and multi-tiered greens, to the dramatic climax of the 3 final holes near the edge of the Pacific Ocean, coupled with fabulous ocean views from each of its 18 holes, you will see why it has previously been rated as one of Northern California's top ten courses to play.
The Links at Bodega Harbour..."Northern California's Premier Coastal Golf Experience"
View Our flyover to experience our unique and challenging layout.


text:
Else Fichter (* 25. Januar 1927 in Trier; † 20. Februar 2015 in Trier) war eine Trierer Umweltaktivistin mit dem Beinamen "Solar-Else". Sie kämpfte vor allem ab ihrer
Pensionierung bis zu ihrem Lebensende für Nachhaltigkeit, erneuerbare Energien, Umweltschutz und die Bewahrung der Schöpfung.

Familie

Else Fichter wurde am 25. Januar 1927 in Trier geboren. Ihr Vater war der aus Freiburg stammende Kaufmann Ernst Fichter. Er besaß später ein Plakatwerbungsgeschäft in Trier, das er infolge des Zweiten Weltkrieges verlor. Er führte die Litfaßsäulen in Trier ein. Else Fichters Mutter war die alteingesessene Triererin und Schneiderin Berta Mönicke, die ihren Beruf jedoch nach der Heirat aufgab. Else Fichter hatte zwei Schwestern, Grete und Adele. Else Fichter verstarb am 20. Februar 2015 im Alter von 88 Jahren im Mutter-Rosa-Altenzentrum in Trier. Sie ist auf dem Hauptfriedhof in Trier beigesetzt.

Ausbildung und Beruf

Von 1933 bis 1937 besuchte Else Fichter die evangelische Dewora-Grundschule, anschließend bis 1944 die Auguste-Viktoria-Schule in Trier. Von 1944 bis 1945 musste sie den Schulbesuch unterbrechen, um Kriegshilfsdienste zu leisten; sie war zunächst als Hilfsschaffnerin bei den Straßenbahnlinien 1 und 3, dann als Aushilfe in der Kaffeeküche des Lazaretts und schließlich als Arbeiterin in einer Senffabrik tätig. Nach dem Krieg holte Else Fichter das 13. Schuljahr nach und erlangte 1946 das Abitur. Im selben Jahr nahm sie das Studium der Geografie, Germanistik und Geschichte in Mainz auf. 1952 machte sie das 1. Staatsexamen für das Lehramt an Schulen und begann ein Referendariat am Gymnasium in Saarburg und an der städtischen Studienanstalt (späteres Treveris-Gymnasium, heute geschlossen) in Trier. Im Jahr 1954 macht sie das 2. Staatsexamen für das Lehramt an Schulen und trat ihren Dienst als Gymnasiallehrerin für die Fächer Deutsch, Erdkunde und Geschichte in Saarburg an, wo sie bis zu ihrer Pensionierung im Jahr 1988 tätig war. Mit Eintritt in den Ruhestand trat Else Fichter nach und nach über 20 Umweltverbänden bei, darunter Initiativen der Anti-Atom-Bewegung, dem Bund für Umwelt- und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND), Greenpeace, der Ökologisch-Demokratischen Partei und der Lokalen Agenda 21. Sie wohnte in der Theodor-Heuss-Allee (Ecke Roon-/Göbenstraße); auf dem Haus befand sich einer der ersten begrünten Dachgärten der Stadt.

Engagement für den Umweltschutz

Ausschlaggebend für das Umweltengagement Else Fichters war nach eigener Aussage die Lektüre des Buchs Die Grenzen des Wachstums, das 1972 vom Club of Rome veröffentlicht worden war und die Folgen von Industrialisierung und Wirtschaftswachstum für die Erde aufzeigte. Über Jahre hinweg besuchte Else Fichter regelmäßig Stadtratssitzungen sowie verkehrs- und umweltpolitische Veranstaltungen, um diese freundlich, aber oft kritisch zu kommentieren. Sie sponserte zahlreiche umwelt- und energiepolitische Projekte und investierte früh uneigennützig in Solardächer und Windkraftanlagen in der Region, lange bevor diese Technologien in der breiten Bevölkerung Anerkennung fanden. Else Fichter kämpfte mit unermüdlicher Überzeugungsarbeit und hat mit ihren privaten Spenden oft erst dafür gesorgt, dass Projekte ans Laufen kamen. Es war ihr zudem ein wichtiges Anliegen, junge Leute für Umweltschutz und Nachhaltigkeit zu gewinnen und zu fördern. So hat sie die Abteilung Raumentwicklung und Landesplanung an der Universität Trier und deren Archiv für Stadt- und Verkehrsplanung jahrelang finanziell unterstützt, wovon viele Studierende profitierten. Auch der Erhalt des über der Mosel gelegenen Weißhauses mit seinem Wald war ihr ein besonderes Anliegen; u. a. war sie Mitglied einer Bürgerinitiative, die sich Anfang der 1980er gegen den Bau einer großen Ferienhaussiedlung am Weißhaus stark machte. Ihre letzten Jahre verbrachte sie im Mutter-Rosa-Altenheim, in dem sie noch weiter unermüdlich daran arbeitete, die Menschen in ihrem Umfeld zu einem verantwortungsvollen Umgang mit unserer Umwelt zu bewegen.

Auszeichnungen und Ehrungen
 Auszeichnung mit dem Ehrenring der Stadt Trier, 1995
 Trägerin der Verdienstmedaille des Landes Rheinland-Pfalz, 2000
 Benennung einer Straße zwischen Trier-Nord und Trier-Ruwer als "Else-Fichter-Straße", 2018

Weblinks

 Videoporträt des OK 54 Trier aus dem Jahr 2009: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fNqBuTiNBU

Einzelnachweise

Person (Umwelt- und Naturschutz, Deutschland)
Träger der Verdienstmedaille des Landes Rheinland-Pfalz
Person (Trier)
Deutscher
Geboren 1927
Gestorben 2015
Frau


Note 1: I failed to see what the audiences and the reviewers are so excited about for this movie. I usually avoid negative reviews, but again, like 'Raajneeti', I just had to write this one.
Note 2: I am sure a lot of people would disagree with me. If you are willing to spend your time, I would love to hear your opinion in the comments.
When you come to know about a movie that will be releasing shortly, and you scrutinize the promotional poster carefully, and see the name 'Anurag Kashyap' printed on the poster, you get excited about it. You eagerly wait for the movie. You are excited for you don't know how the maestro will surprise you this time. It doesn't matter in what capacity is he associated with the movie, his name is enough for creating the buzz. So far so good.
Now, I came to know about 'Shaitan' a couple of months back, and naturally, I was excited about it. I saw the poster, and truly, the poster was remarkable. Then, something happened. Something ominous. Now, I haven't seen the movie 'Kaboom', and have no idea what that movie is about, but the striking resemblance of the posters seriously pissed me off.
Now, there is a specific genre of movies called "Mindfuck". In a good way. [define:Mindfuck - An idea or concept that shakes one's previously held beliefs or assumptions about the nature of reality. (Urban Dictionary)]. When an Anurag Kashyap production has this tagline - "Face your Inner Shaitan", that is precisely what you expect. You know, like 'Black Swan'. Or even 'Gulaal', Anurag's last directorial venture. NOT, to get your mind fucked by an amateurish attempt.
There is no underlying prominent theme in the movie. That should have been there. There is NO power-packed acting performance. That should have been there. There is no empathy (or sympathy, for that matter) the audience feels for any of the characters. That should have been there. There is little or no surprise element in the movie. That should have been there. The only thing that should have been there and is there in the movie is the excellent cinematography.
When dealing with a subject as complex as 'inner conflict' and the dilemma, the characterization should be spot-on. We should be able to understand a character. What it does, and why it does what it does. It should come down to two simple things - reason, and purpose. And that is where this movie fails so spectacularly.
The movie is only brilliant in parts, and those parts are very few and far apart in the movie. I really really expected a lot more out of this venture, and probably that is the reason I am so disappointed. What pains me is that the intended idea was so powerful, that they could have made a masterpiece out of it. But they ended up making it one big mess. Towards the end, the movie is just noise. Annoying, disappointing, noise. The plot holes in the movie are so many that I can't find the patience to sit and write about each one of them, and tear it apart one at a time.
Watch this one only to see how even a genius can make a bad bet.
When I was in school, I used to particularly enjoy my English classes, only because of the teachers we had. Incidentally, they were probably one of the best teachers I have ever had. One of our teachers kept on reminding us, "You come here to study the King's English. Don't ruin it with your Hin-glish and all the other nonsense you people blabber all day. At least not here inside the classroom." And it was the teaching which got us all interested in grammar. We came to appreciate the beauty of language.
So, I remember this particular English class on Homonyms from when I was in class 7. Our teacher fired words at us and we shot back with crisp sentences. 'Scale', came the word. "I used my scale to measure the width of the table.", came a prompt response. Then, the class was lost for another meaning. I saw my opportunity, and blurted, "I want to scale the Mt. Everest." You know that smug feeling you get, when you get extra credit for doing something others couldn't. My face shone! When the feeling had subsided, I got thinking about how brilliant my answer was, and realized, although my answer had been deemed "correct", it wasn't really correct in the truest sense. If you think about it from a broad perspective, scaling the Mt. Everest is as good as measuring its height, as if with an actual scale! Soon, I found myself trying more and more to unify the meanings of Homonyms I came across.
... all of which brings me to chance. When we look back on our lives, we find how much of it was really based on chance. Chances we took, chances we got. Chances we gave, taking chances on something. On how many times we took chances on all the chances life gave us. On how we messed up some of the chances we got by taking an unreasonable chance. And that there was always a chance for the things that went right for us to go equally wrong. And when we look ahead into the future of our lives, and try to "plan" it, how we want one chance, just one chance, to turn our lives around! Or get another chance to make things right, which, it so chanced that it didn't go well the last time. You know, given a set of circumstances and understanding, we take a chance on the best possible chance we get, even when chances of success look grim.
Chances are, Life will give you another chance, you just have to wait long enough, you will know when you get it. Or, if you have waited long enough, you'll know how to create one for yourself. Aur jab tak mauka naa mile, tab tak mocha se kaam chalaa lenge!


Since 1993 we are at the University of Latvia.
Our history counts many research directions including soil microbiology, setting up a lysine factory, application of microorganisms for ecological tasks, production of valuable substances from waste, cell physiology, food biotechnology, medical applications, systems biology, mathematical modeling and other approaches.
We are open for new challenges!


text:
Opinion piece - Humiliating Australians on welfare is not the answer
The Australian Government wants to introduce new laws that could see up to 5,000 welfare recipients drug tested. As part of the trial, the Government plans to put welfare recipients on income management if they return a positive result for ice, ecstasy or marijuana.
As an addiction medicine specialist, I see the enormous damage caused by drug and alcohol addiction. Every day, patients with major drug and alcohol dependency are presenting to hospital emergency departments or are in our wards.
These are patients who are battling alcohol and other dependence and who are suffering from other problems, like trauma, domestic violence, and mental health issues. The damage caused to these people by their addiction, to their ability to think and to function as productive members in our community, is so evident.
'Evidence' from similar trials overseas
As doctors we value evidence and we don't accept that this trial will create a meaningful evidence base. History shows that drug testing people is an incredibly unreliable and ineffective way of identifying those who are suffering from substance abuse issues, particularly when used indiscriminately.
In 2013, the New Zealand Government introduced a drug testing program as a preemployment condition among welfare recipients. Of the 8,001 people tested, only 22 returned a positive result for illicit drug use. Similar results were produced in drug testing programs in the United States. In Missouri's 2014 testing program, 446 people were tested, with 48 returning positive results. In Utah, 838 people were screened with 29 returning a positive result.
Supporters of the trial in Australia have used these examples of drug testing overseas, with their small number of positive test results, as proof that these programs created a behavioural change among welfare recipients. But there is no evidence to support these claims. All we know is that a lot of money was spent on identifying a very small number of drug users while subjecting a very large number of people to an intrusive and poorly conceived testing requirement.
The program cost the New Zealand Government around $1 million (NZ). This equates to $45,000 for each positive result. Was this taxpayer money well spent?
Lack of available services
We have heard that the trial will be rolled out in Mandurah in Western Australia, Bankstown in New South Wales and Logan in Queensland. These locations were selected, in part on their 'availability of services'. But with services said to be readily available in these locations (a disputable claim according to medical colleagues), how will the 'evidence' collected from drug testing welfare recipients in these three selected locations inform a broader rollout in areas where support services are less available?
As a clinician in a national leadership role in the speciality of addiction medicine, I can attest that these services don't exist in many areas of Australia including those that need them most. We know that a program of this nature can't operate more broadly, due to the lack of accessible pathology and treatment services. There aren't sufficient drug testing services that can offer the appropriate and expensive technologies required to ensure valid and reliable results.
Drug and alcohol treatment services are chronically underfunded and the $10 million of funding allocated to health services for this trial, will go nowhere near to meeting current needs.
A drug testing regime - at best ineffective and at worst directly harmful
Overcoming addiction isn't easy. There are times where people will stumble and relapse. People need to feel supported in seeking help for their problems, not humiliated or stigmatised as a 'drug user' at their local Centrelink, with a compulsory drug test compounding other stresses in their lives.
What the Government is proposing isn't a compassionate approach to treating addiction; it's a blunt instrument that will harm an already vulnerable group. It will waste money on a trial that has been developed by policy-makers who don't seem to understand the technical clinical issues that must be considered in treating substance abuse. This approach doesn't recognise the complex structural and functional brain changes associated with alcohol and other drug addiction, the chronic relapsing and remitting nature of addiction and the complexity of what is required to facilitate recovery.
The Government doesn't need a punitive drug testing regime to know who these people are. The reasonable excuse and exemption provisions in the Government's own Social Services Legislation Amendment (Welfare Reform) Bill, is evidence that a large number of individuals with substance abuse problems have already been identified.
The Government's own data indicates that more than 16,000 people are already acknowledging that they are struggling to meet their own job-seeking obligations due to drug and alcohol problems. Why can't we focus on this group that we already know about and encourage and refer this group to treatment on a voluntary basis? The solution lies in increasing investments to address the limited availability of alcohol and other drug services and suitably trained clinicians, across Australia. We already have many patients waiting for treatment and know of others who we could refer if there were more, well trained clinicians and services available.
Associate Professor Adrian Reynolds is the President of the Chapter of Addiction Medicine, Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
Media contact: Melissah Bell 0415 111 503


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Home » TV & Movies » Good Sam's Sophia Bush Talks Creating a Positive Work Environment With 'Deep Respect' for Everyone on Set
Good Sam's Sophia Bush Talks Creating a Positive Work Environment With 'Deep Respect' for Everyone on Set
Good Sam Video: Jason Isaacs' Griff Is a Menace to Sophia Bush's Titular Hero on CBS Drama — 2022 FIRST LOOK
NCIS: Los Angeles Halts Production on Season 13 Until February Due to Omicron Surge; NCIS Also Paused
When it comes to Good Sam, which premieres tonight at 10/9c on CBS, Sophia Bush is fulfilling a childhood dream. The actress grew up wanting to be a surgeon and sees the irony of finally playing one in the upcoming medical drama.
"It's the longest manifestation game that I've ever played in my life," she tells TVLine.
The story centers on Dr. Sam Griffith (played by Bush), a genius heart surgeon who becomes chief of surgery when her boss and father, the renowned Dr. Rob "Griff" Griffith (Jason Isaacs), falls into a coma. He wakes up months later expecting to resume his duties, jump-starting a generational conflict between father and daughter about how to lead the OR.
"The central conflict in our show between Sam and her father and this generational gap, this gap on gender perspectives, really is something that so many of us are experiencing in the world right now," Bush explains. "We're looking at this old way, this very patriarchal, gruff way of doing business and saying, 'But what if we lead with empathy? What if we listened to each other? What if we didn't see people as supply for our demand or our enemies and rather, we saw them as human beings who we might be able to show up for, and be in community with?'"
Griff's abrasive personality is a stark contrast to Sam, who leads with compassion while still excelling at her job. Bush finds common ground with Sam and her character's ability to set high standards while remaining respectful to those around her.
"Sam is a person who really balances a pursuit of excellence with readily available emotions for others. I think in playing her, she reminds me that I have the capability to do that as well," Bush shares. "We've all experienced environments where our emotions might be treated not as a superpower, and personally, [they] are. It's a wonderful experience to play this character and lean into her strengths and be reminded that I'm allowed to lean into my own as well."
Bush takes that notion to heart, serving as both an actor and an executive producer on the CBS drama. The actress, who's been outspoken in the past about her experiences on the set of Chicago P.D., says she is "incredibly proud to set the kind of tone on a set that does lead with empathy" and that "leads with deep respect for every single person on it."
Whether it's a leading actor, background actor or behind-the-scenes crew, she notes that "every single person on our set knows that they're valued, loved and appreciated and knows that we do not take the effort that they make to create a show with us for granted ever."
"We want to build a set that is a joy to come to and that is filled with laughter and that meets one of the highest standards of professionalism that I have ever seen anywhere. That's the goal every day, and that's the work that I'm really proud to do as a leader," she explains.
Bush doesn't take her Good Sam experience for granted and finds joy in an environment that fosters spontaneous creativity while also getting through 10 pages of script in a day. "This is my favorite television show that I've ever worked on in my life, and I hope that people love it as much as we do," she adds.
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Economics » Finance
The best books on Understanding High Finance
recommended by John Lanchester
How to Speak Money
by John Lanchester
Understanding finance is key to understanding how the world works, but many people know very little about it. Journalist John Lanchester picks five accessible books to bring the layperson up to speed.
by 'Adam Smith'
Liar's Poker
by Peter L Bernstein
Frozen Desire
by James Buchan
by Andrew Sorkin
1 The Money Game by 'Adam Smith'
2 Liar's Poker by Michael Lewis
3 Against the Gods by Peter L Bernstein
4 Frozen Desire by James Buchan
5 Too Big to Fail by Andrew Sorkin
You chose these books because they help the layman to understand economics and finance.
Yes—there is a kind of 'two cultures' issue between the general literate public and the world of economics. It's possible, for example, to be a functioning competent, literate, well-educated adult and not know what a bond is. If you listen to people very casually saying, 'Well, the thing about the interest rate is …', just those two words – 'interest rate' – imply a set of quite complicated linked ideas about the impact on business, the impact on the cost of borrowing, economic growth, employment, house prices, and exchange rates. No one is born knowing that.
I think the standard of writing in the world of economics and money is high, but pretty much everything is addressed at people who already 'speak' money. It's very unlike, say, popular science where the books do walk you through the basics, until the point that you cease being unable to understand, for example, quantum mechanics in the comfort and safety of your own home. There's a level of discourse about money that's really interesting, but it does assume that you have that competence, and it's quite striking how few books there are that properly address the general reader.
Tell me about The Money Game by Adam Smith.
Adam Smith is a pseudonym – he was an extremely successful professional investor called George Goodman, who also wrote a newspaper column. This is a real insider's account of the way that the money markets and trading works. And the most helpful way of understanding it is as a sort of a game – taken dead seriously, but contentless, in the way that games are. He talks about Keynes's idea of how investment is intolerably boring to anyone who lacks a gambling trait in their character. It's very funny, very fluent, very well-written and also a real pro's view. I don't know why it isn't famous any more.
"It's possible…to be a functioning competent, literate, well-educated adult and not know what a bond is"
The first section is called "You: Identity, Anxiety, Money," and it's very good on the way that money touches on things about anxiety. In a way, it's a reassuring book, because it tells you that the ways that the professionals are conflicted and confused actually pretty much exactly mirrors the way that the rest of us are. The professionals have more tools, but they have the same underlying complexities and ambiguities and ambivalences. George Goodman also wrote a very interesting book about counterculture, about transcendental meditation and yoga and so on. He has an unusually wide-ranging mind and set of interests.
Why did he write this book?
I think he also felt what I was talking about: That there was this sort of gap, that there wasn't this kind of writing directed at the lay reader and that there should be. It's so important that people should understand. It's very obvious now after the blow-up, but this thing goes very deep in terms of how modern society works. There's also a larger point, I think, which is that democracy implies an informed electorate.
Shall we talk about Liar's Poker?
The great thing about it is, it's still a wonderfully entertaining book: An absolutely hilarious, very, very dark, vivid account of how Michael Lewis came out of Princeton and, with basically no qualifications, got a job in the bond trading department of Salomon Brothers. This was in the early 1980s, just at the point at which the bond market really started to take off in terms of its size. They had complete free rein to invent all these new financial products and the Financial Products Division, where Lewis worked, wrote all the CDS, the credit default swaps insurance that ended up taking the system over the edge of a cliff. There really is a direct line in the narrative between them and the great crash, so there's a real historic interest in the book, as well as anything else.
But the big thing about Liar's Poker is that it's still one of the very few books that actually describes the psychology of that world from the inside. Lewis actually was one of these guys, and I wouldn't shy away from using the words genuinely important – it's genuinely important to hear what they're thinking and how they're reacting. Lewis says that it was meant to be a book that completely put people off working in the world of money and made them want to be marine biologists, whereas in fact, as he says now, people just read it as a how-to book.
Didn't he realise that it might have that effect?
Well, I think a lot of people who disapprove, or feel they've seen through the world of money are very slightly in love with it. There's something exhilarating about baddies always, and about people who insist on the world as it is rather than on the world as it might be or should be. And the people in these worlds are really like that. There's something very thrilling about the amorality of it. But, for all that, I think Lewis was also disgusted and had had enough. No doubt he'd always wanted to tell stories, which I think he does superbly well and it got him away from it all.
What is Against the Gods about?
The package description of it is that it's a 'history of risk' which makes it sound dry, but it's an absolutely fascinating, for-the-layman account of how humanity mastered risk (in the mathematical sense) and came to understand probability.
Bernstein makes the point that, particularly in the Middle Ages, betting on dice was seen as a grievous sin by the church: Because God decided everything and chose whether it would come up six or one, so it was a form of blasphemy to do something so frivolous as to play with what God wanted. But what happened was that gamblers got interested in the fact that certain sorts of numbers came up more often, and you had this extraordinary thing of gambling and mathematics walking hand in hand, as people like Fermat and Pascal got interested in how probabilities were created. Effectively, the invention of probability came out of studying dice.
"Bernstein makes the point that, particularly in the Middle Ages, betting on dice was seen as a grievous sin by the church"
Bernstein brilliantly convinces you that it's a kind of humanist project, it's an attempt to put into the realm of human understanding things that were once seen as utterly capricious, and probably to do with divine will. Our mathematical understanding of probability and risk is actually saying: 'No, this is in our domain, we can manage this.' And that leads through to things like – well, derivatives have a terrible press now, but they're used, for example, if you're a farmer when someone gives you a price for your crop for next season, that's a very important tool in ensuring safety and prosperity, and spreading it around, and it's a way of mastering risk. And then OK, you've sold next season's crop, and then the right to buy that crop is a financial derivative, because it can be sold, traded, and sold on, and its price will fluctuate; even though the coffee is still the coffee, or the corn is still the corn. That's a really important, genuinely helpful, humanist tool.
So quite a positive view of derivatives?
It is a pity, as I say, that they took us over the precipice, but there is a kind of heroic aspect to humanity having worked out how to manage and utilise and exploit risk. The thing that's really good about Bernstein's book is that you do get the way in which there's a tremendous amount of social utility in what humanity's done with risk and options and derivatives and probability, and also a kind of beauty in the maths of it.
"There's absolutely no moral dimension at all to how the markets work in practice. I think it's up to society to decide now the extent to which there is a moral dimension, and whether there should be moral constraints."
I think also it's easy to forget how extraordinary markets are. There's a Costcutter down the road and it's got everything I might want from Parma ham to bleach to Special Brew to thread to today's FT to Maltesers, and it was markets that put them there. I know we're having a kind of condemnatory moment in general about the operation of the unregulated free market and, in many very specific ways, clearly things went completely wrong, but we mustn't forget the ways in which markets are extraordinary things and do work.
Tell me about Frozen Desire: An Inquiry into the Meaning of Money.
It's a wonderful book. You don't have to speak money to read it, but you do have to think quite hard. Buchan has that thing of very intelligent people that there are casual asides that leave you with things to think about for days afterwards. It's quite compressed and dense, and it's a very profound book, I think. It's about our relationship with money, and money as one of humanity's most amazing, extraordinary inventions: This thing which is so useful, and which is also a form of imagination, that frees us in so many ways, and at the same time enslaves us.
"Money is, in a sense, the secret order of things"
One of the things that's very powerful about this book is the fullness of Buchan's ambivalence. He absolutely gets money's extraordinariness and the way that it takes over our lives and is a kind of solvent, which dissolves difference, and place, and art, and craft, and history, until everything stops mattering except money. That's one of the things that I really admire about it. Lots of writers come down entirely on one side or the other in ways that don't capture the fullness of money, but Frozen Desire is wonderful because it does both sides.
If you're interested in how the world works, and why things are as they are and what's the story behind the thing you see, you do end up being very interested in how money works. I share something of that view: That money is, in a sense, the secret order of things.
Does he look at whether there's any moral dimension to the markets?
I think that the missed opportunity was after the bailout, after we, the Western taxpayers, wrote these huge hundred-billion-dollar cheques. Some of the banks paid back their loans, and even some of the nationalised banks are heading back towards profitability, but the fact is that the rest of the economy is paralysed, and in the longest recession since the 1930s – and that was directly triggered by the banks.
The amazing and appalling thing is that none of that has been addressed. It's been addressed purely through rhetoric, but there's no legislative instrument anywhere that's done anything to change that. If Barclays tomorrow were to announce, 'Really sorry, we've just lost a trillion dollars betting on whether the Chinese renminbi would appreciate, and it hasn't, and can we have our bailout now?', the state would have no choice but to say, OK. They're too big, and too systemically important. The implosion is all completely unfixed. It's as if they'd performed some heroic feat of steering and then immediately fell asleep at the wheel.
Does Sorkin address that lack of legislation in Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System – And Themselves?
No, he doesn't. This is purely a narrative – a minute-by-minute account of how the whole financial system nearly went over the brink in 2008, and the astonishing sense of tension and danger involved. It starts with Bear Stearns in trouble and then just charges along. I thought it would take 10 years before anything like this came out. It shows the behind-the-scenes deliberation – why did they allow Lehman's to fail, which was clearly the thing that precipitated the crisis, and why exactly did they do the bailout in the way they did.
Andrew Sorkin covers the markets for The New York Times, and he's a real insider. The book makes no judgements, which I suppose is why he has such good access. But the thing that's amazing about it is it's an absolutely in-the-room, vivid story of the unravelling. When the guys who are running these institutions are swearing and having tantrums and storming out of the room and having panic attacks and ringing each other at 4am, his sources are just so good that he has complete credibility.
There's a scary sense sometimes that there's no adult supervision – Sorkin's book leaves you under no illusion that it's people like us making these astonishingly consequential minute-by-minute decisions, who don't miraculously know more than we do.
Looking at Sorkin's book, and Michael Lewis's book, what good does it do to understand the mentality of those in charge in the world of high finance?
The important thing is we have to have rules to prevent things like the recent crash from happening again. The problems are in the design and the structure, and that we can't rely on enlightened self-interest and the magical power of the markets to self-regulate, because the sums involved are too big, the flows of capital are too quick and the modern financial instruments are too opaque and too powerful. When you have flows of capital of trillions and trillions and trillions of dollars, the risks are just very high to the general polity. People don't have to be very stupid or very wrong. They just have to be a little bit wrong. And only once.
Britain's four biggest banks added together are five times the size of our entire economy, and these financial instruments are so powerful that they create enormous potential for damage. The self-regulating market just doesn't function in this area any more. We have to have rules and structures that make it not just unlikely, but impossible for banks to blow up and bring the whole system down with them, because if we don't do that, to me it's self evident that it's going to happen again. A lot of it's quite boring – to do with liquidity and capital ratios and things like that, and some of it's more dramatic – about separating retail banks from the investment banks. But we have to get on with it now.
And in the meantime we, the public, have to educate ourselves.
Yes. The more we know about this the better; because, by and large, the more you know about it the less you think, 'oh, it's all fine.' And I think, broadly speaking, 'oh, it's all fine' is a concise summary of what governments and regulators have been thinking about the unregulated markets for about 30 years. 'Oh, let 'em get on with it, it's fine, markets cannot create any problems that markets cannot solve.' We now know for sure that that's not right: The markets can create huge problems that the markets can't solve. But men make markets, they're created in spaces that we shape – and now we have to reshape that space. And knowing enough about it to have a view about it is an important part of that.
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cnps plant sale tomorrow, october 15!
If you're near San Diego, be sure to stop by Balboa Park for the big annual native plant sale of the local chapter of the California Native Plant Society. Hours are 11-3 for the regular folks, but you can shop at 10 if you're a member.
Quantities of plants–and teeshirts–are limited. Come early for the best selection.
A couple hours of community service: Sounds a little like a sentence handed down by a judge, but it was actually how I spent some of last Saturday. I've posted earlier about the native plant garden at Old Town State Historic Park. That trip I was walking the paths and enjoying garden.
But this time I was a volunteer helping maintain this interesting young garden. Much of the time I was squatted down in the dirt pulling up little palm trees. If you live in another part of the world you might think that pulling up palm trees is a bizarre thing to do. But palm seedlings are a very real weed around here, especially when there are still actively fruiting palms nearby, and when there's still an active seedbank left from one of the palms that was removed to make way for the garden.
In just one month since my last visit, the number of flowers had diminished as we head into our long brown season when many plants approach dormancy. There were some splashy clarkia flowers remaining, as well as this mallow from the Channel Islands.
There were other weeds to pull at, and the day ended with a quick pruning demonstration and a demonstration on one way to maintain deer grass (Muhlenbergia rigens). With this big, dramatic grass you can let the stems go brown–which is an easy-maintenance approach to this plant. Or you can reach down on each of the old flowering stems, feel for a joint a couple inches above the base of the plant, and pull. If you find the node, the stem yanks out without much resistance. It's not a chore you can do easily while wearing thick gloves, and without gloves you've likely to shred your hands. Fortunately this a grass that looks stately and architectural whether or not you pull the dried stems. We left most of the plants as they were.
After just two hours of tidying the garden looked even better and ready for the dry months ahead.
Even though June is typically one of our dry months, today was cool and drizzly as John and I headed for the Master Gardener's plant sale at Balboa Park.
We parked near the park's jumbo Moreton Bay fig (Ficus macrophylla). It's an amazing plant, but like many figs, it's not a good choice if you're concerned about keeping your home's foundation intact. I was appreciative of having the park, a great publicly-funded shared space, where you can go to enjoy spectacular plants that don't make sense to plant in most home spaces.
Rain or shine, the people make a trail to this plant sale. This is half an hour before the sale, with all these brave souls standing in the heavy mist waiting to get first crack at this year's offerings.
…and this is during the first few minutes of the sale.
Some highlights this year were bromeliads from Balboa Park's propagation program–big plants for the price of a Happy Meal–and an entire table of different salvias. As thrilled as I am with the genus salvia, I resisted the temptations. No space in the garden is no space in the garden.
Although we didn't end up dropping a lot of change on this sale, many people with more space in the gardens found interesting plants to populate their spaces. And the proceeds from the sale go to a good cause.
So these two Saturdays showed a couple way you can help the botanical organizations around town. You can donate your labor. Or you can do what comes naturally for most Americans: Go shopping!
Earlier today John and I headed over to Balboa Park to the plant sale that was being held to benefit the local Master Gardener program. We got there 20 minutes before the door opened and there were already dozens of people there. To avert a dangerous rush at opening time–you know how rabid and out of control some of those plant people can get when faced with interesting plants at wholesale prices!–they were lining everyone up and handing out numbers.
Once the doors parted it was every gardener for him- or herself. There were tables of herbs, native plants, perennials, drought-tolerant plants, orchids, "unusual plants," succulents, trees, all of them donated by the Master Gardeners themselves as well as a number of local growers.
We walked out the door with half a flat of various green critters, some fairly common (a couple more gauras to supplement those in the garden) as well as some we hadn't seen before. John scored what was probably the oddest-looking plant in our little instant collection, a little plant of the paper spine cactus, Tephrocactus articulatus var. paprycanthus. In the end I guess it's not that uncommon a plant to the local succulent specialists, but for us it'll be that new weird wonder in the pots of succulents out back.


Planet: Will be announced, tho I expect some of you might have an idea.
The reason for the short notice is, basically the best time I can set up the even it going to be Wed or Thurs. And Thurs being Vday, I assume alot of players would be out this day.
Other Notes: The Creatures that are spawned in this event will be limited, as to not flood the server with resources.
This event has been continued until till Monday night, 7pm est.


A study led by the Department of Public Health projects that Massachusetts should rake in nearly $216 million in state marijuana tax revenue in the first two years of recreational pot sales.
It's not a surprise to some — but marijuana consumption is common among Massachusetts adults, according to a new study released Friday by health researchers that provides a snapshot of cannabis use as the state gears up for the start of recreational marijuana sales.
The study, led by the state Department of Public Health, found that 21 percent of adult residents surveyed had used marijuana in the past 30 days. Young people, however, are using the drug at much higher rates: More than 50 percent of those aged 18 to 25 consumed cannabis within the past 30 days, compared with just 18 percent of those 26 and older, according to the research.
The findings were based on mailed and online surveys of about 3,000 adults of different ages from each region of the state. The study— conducted by DPH along with other state agencies, University of Massachusetts scientists, and several private firms — was mandated in lawmakers' 2017 rewrite of the 2016 ballot initiative legalizing marijuana in the state.
Other states that have legalized marijuana have struggled to understand the financial and public health impacts of making the drug commercially available, thanks to a lack of good before-and-after data. The DPH study is meant to give Massachusetts a solid basis for future comparisons.
"The study establishes a baseline measurement of how marijuana is used and how that affects public health, public safety, and potential revenue in the state before adult-use marijuana becomes widely available,'' said Marc A. Nascarella, a DPH researcher who led the study.
There was little difference in use rates between races, the study found. Residents of Western Massachusetts used marijuana at higher rates (about 30 percent) than those of other regions. And a majority of Massachusetts residents (53 percent) perceive marijuana to have slight or no risks.
It's not clear whether the number of people using cannabis in Massachusetts is increasing. In other states, marijuana-use rates have generally increased following legalization, though under-18 marijuana use in Colorado recently decreased.
An earlier DPH study conducted in 2016 found that only about 12 percent of adults reported non-medical marijuana use; however, that survey asked whether respondents used the drug within the past year, not month, and was conducted by phone. It also occurred when there were fewer medical marijuana dispensaries in the state, and before the drug was legalized in late 2016.
A surprisingly large number of marijuana users — 34 percent — said they had driven while under the drug's influence within the past 30 days, or about 7 percent of the state's overall adult population. Researchers also said the rate at which deceased drivers in fatal crashes tested positive for marijuana is growing, though they didn't provide precise figures.
Measuring marijuana impairment is notoriously difficult. Metabolites of THC — the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis — can be detected in blood weeks after any high has faded. There is also no widely accepted "Breathalyzer"-type test that can measure marijuana impairment. Generally, the drug degrades driving ability, though it poses a far smaller risk than drunkenness; a recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study found no correlation between marijuana consumption and the risk of fatal collisions.
A state task force convened earlier this month is studying drugged driving. The state Cannabis Control Commission is also conducting research on marijuana, and is poised to launch a public awareness campaign about youth marijuana use and responsible consumption of the drug.
Meanwhile, DPH projected that Massachusetts should rake in nearly $216 million in state marijuana tax revenue in the first two years of recreational pot sales.
While significant, the money would represent less than 1 percent of the state's $41 billion annual budget. Taxes in the first year of sales should total about $62 million, DPH said, before climbing to $154 million the next year — with sales mostly driven by heavy consumers of cannabis.