Customers contact me via email or come in to the gallery daily with enquiries. Two of the email enquiries yesterday were from local customers asking about specific commissions, one a pendant with several settings and the other a wedding ring to fit against an existing engagement ring. More people are finding me via google which I find very interesting and it means more of my jewellery is being sent further afield.
Last week I finished changing a platinum brooch, set with a large princess cut yellow sapphire and two smaller diamonds, into a ring. I also made a multi stone moonstone and silver ring for someone who had lost a similar one a long time ago. One of my regular customers has difficulty with small catches on chains so I am in the process of changing all her catches to magnetic ones.
Many commissions involve remodelling old jewellery into 'new' jewellery. The older pieces are melted down and remade into rings, bangles, pendants etc, and often there are diamonds or other gemstones that are set into the new jewellery.
Today I was commissioned to make a silver pendant of small shell which I will cast and I will hang it in front of a concave disc of highly polished silver.
The best thing about taking on these jobs is not knowing what I will be asked to do next. Every day is different. Every customer unique, just like my jewellery.


text:
Le territoire d'Oshwe est une entité administrative déconcentrée de la province de Mai-Ndombe en République démocratique du Congo.

Géographie
La région de Oshwe

Histoire

Subdivisions
Le territoire est constitué de la commune d'Oshwe et de 4 secteurs :

Notes et références

Territoire dans l'ancienne province du Bandundu

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


I am continuing on th personal "mission"of,searching for any BLADESMITH,hat,i never seen around,thinkin,that,can be in anycase a startmof maybe knowing,someone that it could be of real interest,for all of us ,who loves all about SWORDS and DAGGERS customize reproductions.
Please check now on SLOVACHIA,the other part of old CECOSLOVACHIA,as of course,we all knows where is.
Mr.LASKY,after looking at is site,very well done,seems to be,after i checked as i could,knowing only that MECE,is SWORD,and DIKY,is DAGGER,RAPIRY,is RAPIER,and SLAVEis SABRE,ecc(ZBRANE,is ARMS),one of these 4-5,that considered themself,ARTISTIC BLADESMITHS,that they look like doing really just amazing quality,of custom pieces.
Please let me know,what you think abot the rapiers.
PS. Lasky,it sounds like the big mob chief,with Luciano,ecc.
The detail work on the hilt is simply striking, and the work on this rapier as much so.
The man is certainly an artist.
That is truly marvelous work!
Some very pretty things on the site.
That Viking sword is just stunning.
My lord that looks amazing.
Now in EU is Czech and Slowak one Market, we have very similar lanquage.
In Czech and Slovak are more maker probably 100.
Best ever maker is Barta but he dont make wearpons por fencing and the price are nonreal for as.
Best custom sword for practice make Andrísek, Skryja, Robert Moc (No Pavel Moc-sword.cz) but they are very expensice like Laska.
Lutel, Červinka, Pavel Moc are expensive but not higth quality in proporticon to price.
Had, Kalný, Vobořil and Figura have normal coast and qulity, quality and price for practice.
Another makers are serial makers or nonhistorical.
Luděk Vobořil very good repier and renaisance wearpons.
Luděk Kalný very good longswords for practice but sometimes too haevy.
Had make exelent blade but he have not website.
Work from Czech maker. Gun from Skrbek and sabre from Figura.
Link to http://lightswords.cz/ have problem also Zbraně (Wearpons) in this website is gallery.
To problem with communication. Czech and Slovak is gread market for maker. Good or low quality maker is very busy man.
Also problem with your answers in english from Czech makers. Makers are very busy Czech market with sword and wearpons is great. Makers sometimes dont speak english, haven´t interes to problematic work and send to long way.
People in central europe have enough money and for craftman is better make for German, Czech, Austria, Slowak and Poland as America or Engladn.
Many Makers are not customs, bud they work in winter and sale in summer like dealer on historical meeting.
And young Craftsman as Jindřich Figura, Luděk Vobořil.
I must also say, that whoever he's got doing his photography is an artist in his / her own right!
I want to answer to Vaclav.
LUDEK KALNY has an internet site,aand pretty well done,also in english,check previous topic on myArmoury.
I desagree with your liking of VOBORIL,ok i you talk about munition grades,so there are better as K+K,NIELO SWORD,and others you can find on HISTORICKE FIRMY.
About CERVENKA,totally dipend on what you ask and what you spend,he can be at higher level,if he wants.Anyway,if you know CERVENKA RAPIERS-MAIN GAUCHE,it is hard to say that is prices are higher then whatyou get,the opposite.
Even id you do not ask angthing special to him,just per example,order a PAPPHENEIMER RAPIER,as i did first time,and you will wt a real weapon,with great detail.
Of coure LASKY-SKIRYA,ar more glamourous,but will they answe amail?not to me,and i made sure,iwas goin to order.
KALNY he is selling to a famousand expensivearmourer in Italy,probably he has no interest of new clients,but,sorry,to me it is strange,how they survive,or,they are not interestedto be better known.Plus,if they sale directly toend users,they could et better mony,but they are probably chained to some shops,that wholesales their prodeuct,but thismwill never implement heir quality,keepin alllow priìce,and we now,can find, a lot of munition grade ,first price products(i forgot LEIER.),to me ,pretty boring,allmore or less the same.Then,at this stage,better by WINDLASS,or HANWEI.
I started like this,buying pretty cheap repro,but,as soon i ot more involved,i,now,prefer to wait even a year or more,but,i want to have something i can like forever.
If i was in USA,i would have been one of Craig of A & A,best clients,but duty,and even moe licence problems,are makin this difficult.
That is why,i wouldlove totry ,sometimes,someone new,from Cech Rep.,or Slovachia.


I am passionate about tax stabilization and how it impacts affordability. Sometimes it makes me write way too much. For those who may not want to read all the detail, I am going to offer some quick facts over the next few days that I think spells out the problem we face as a community with our current tax situation.


text:
Home › Forums › Non-gaming › Forum Games
Last Person to Reply Wins!
2489 replies [Last post]
aurllcooljay
At Thehiddenblade.com. Where else?
You got me there. "Arel" is much better than "Oral".
Leo K
I learned something new! One of the most glorious moments I've ever had on stream. You know how much I love my hidden mechanics / subtle knowledge. Also sorry about the pronunciation LOL, I think that's the only time I've actually screwed it up. Brain was everywhere.
Leo K on YouTube // Guides, No HUD Gameplay
Happy Turkey Day, everyone.
Techurious
Merry Christmas, ya'll
Leo's Brotherhood
stabguy
Honolulu, HI USA
Merry Christmas! I just started playing Assassin's Creed Odyssey on Xbox One. It seems to have a decent save game mechanism, so perhaps there will be videos in the new year.
You won't even feel the blade.
Jfighter777
A heads up. Odyssey recently released an update that added a new Ubisoft Club equipment set to the game store, Ezio Roman Set and Milanese Sword. It shows the gear is free, but you'll obtain it through some sort of community events.
https://youtu.be/omd-hB_kMkk
So what I'm hearing is that the outfit will be obtained simply by playing the game from tomorrow to the next few days.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt9n-NjSBwo
aurllcooljay wrote:
playing the game from tomorrow to the next few days.
Perfect! I've been playing Odyssey every Saturday.
Now available, just go to the Ubisoft Club from the game menu and you now have the option to get instead of just view. The armor has an interesting perk when you equip the whole set, zero cooldown on Hero Strike ability on parry. As some have pointed out this is a possible nod to countering from previous games.
For those of you unfamiliar with Hero Strike, it's an unblockable move that allows you to do assassin damage during combat. Also one of the few things that
can interrupt an attack from an enemy glowing red.
One more thing I noticed: There also appears to be a new animation. A running assassination in the form of a jump followed by a quick stab, very similar to one of the running assassinations from AC Unity. I don't remember seeing this in Odyssey before, only remember running assassinations have you knock the enemy to the ground for a stab. Unless I'm remembering wrong. I've tested and found you don't need to equip the set or weapon for the animation.
I can confirm that the Running-Stab animation has been there since Day 1. It's the one where the Misthios almost lunges at the enemy and stabs them in mid-air, then smoothly pulls the Spear out the other side, yeah?
That's what it says: March 19 through March 23. I played Odyssey for about two hours today (March 21) but Ezio's Roman Set is still locked in Ubisoft Club. I checked both in the Xbox app and from the club.ubisoft.com website. Both still say "Play Assassin's Creed Odyssey during the Free Weekend to unlock this reward."
What's the trick to unlock it?
Make sure internet is working properly, and you do need a Ubisoft account. Other than that I don't know. I've heard other people were having the same problem; here's a help video:
https://youtu.be/tfdH6Up5paw
Leo K wrote:
I think that's it. Don't know why I've never noticed it before.
I've heard other people were having the same problem; here's a help video:
That guy took 12 minutes to say nothing.
It's not going to happen for me. I've been a Ubisoft Club member for 9 years. My dashboard says "Assassin's Creed Odyssey Last played 2 days ago". On Sunday I spent some Club Units (U coins) to purchase a couple of items for Odyssey. They immediately popped up in the game and went into my inventory. That confirms my accounts are linked and have two way communication. Yet the Ezio's Roman Set remains locked.
So his explanation of using the Ubisoft Club didn't help at all. Definitely a glitch, all we can do is hope the set will be made available again.
Double McStab w...
am I... am I winning?
"Force has no place where there is need of skill." Herodotus
For now. v__v
JoeyFogey
No, I'm the winner.
NEW Youtube channel!
- Joey Fogey Art
PSN: JoeyFogey
Twitch Livestream channel: http://www.twitch.tv/joeyfogey
Instagram: joeyfogey
I'll just go ahead and stop that kind of nonsense of you being the winner right now.
AC Odyssey Ultimate Edition is $30 on PS store this month. Comes with ACIII and Liberations remastered and all Odyssey content (I think). This is a good deal that I should get, right? Did people here enjoy Odyssey?
Stabby, Aurll, DAZ, Joey, Phi... looking for your quick take on Odyssey - feel free to direct compare to Origins.
Well... it's not an assassin game, but that's understandable since it predates all that. What I really do enjoy about Odyssey is how some things are randomized to make things fresh where otherwise they would be boring. That is something the previous games could have benefited from.
The two main things affected by that are the mercenaries and quests. There are several different ways you can run into mercenaries (so pretty much never a dull moment when there are one or two different guys constantly after a bounty on you).
The message board quests weren't my cup of tea at first until I found out about the ones that rewarded you with oricalcum, which is how you get items from the game store. Then I found I enjoyed them and did those quests more and I was leveling up faster as a result. Plus the quests having a time limit until they are no longer available creates a sense of urgency.
For my quick take, I think Odyssey does a great job at doing something different. That Ultimate Edition sounds like a good deal.
I have 300 Hours in Odyssey. I've completed everything in the game. I'm extremely harsh on it, so you can consider me the Lower Bound of player-reactions, regarding how awful this game can get.
Don't just blindly trust everything I say, even though I DO have reasons for saying it, but use it in combination with other opinions to get a feel for how you can think of it.
That said, for 30 dollars you could do a lot worse. The game IS playable. It DOES in fact function and it's reasonably polished. It's an enjoyable thing to just get on and turn off your brain for a few hours a day, it's got that same relaxing, zen-like feel that Origins did, but none of the heart and spirit of Origins. So if you need that vibe of just vegging out and clicking buttons to chill out for a while, it's very very good for that, I totally commend that element of it.
Combat can be really fun if you're in the right mindset.
Just imagine everything that bothered 'core' Assassin's Creed players about Origins and magnify it by like four times. That's Odyssey.
This is not a spoiler, it's just really fiery and people who really like this game probably won't be happy I said it:
It's not an Assassin's Creed game in any way shape or form, and a lot of it actively grates against what Assassin's Creed is meant to be. At times it feels like it HATES the brand it's a part of. If you play it as a complete experience it's not exactly a great videogame, either. Never before in the series have I felt like I've been doing THIS much busywork, even in Unity because at least that game has some flashy movement that you can get used to and practice at. ACOd offers no such bolstering of its mountains of capital-C Content. Want a cool story and you're kind of disappointed? No worries guy! Have all this Content! Want a satisfying stealth experience that you can practice at and feel rewarded for learning? Well, you're gonna have to build a character even MORE grueling than Origins' RPG elements ever were, and still fail plenty of Assassinations due to stat-differential. Hey it's alright, by the way, have you seen all this Content we have? We sure have a lot of Content! Try not to think too hard about the things that are irritating. Just go ahead and do some Content. Once you do a little more Content, you'll feel right as rain~!
The Cult of Kosmos storyline is cool, until it ends, and then it's just like, what. Hello? Okay, then. The DLC are a COMPLETE mess that damage the integrity of the existing AC narrative harder than I've ever seen anything else do thus far, and let's remember this IS a series that killed its main antagonist in a comic book nobody even knew existed. Yyyyeah.
Bayek is three times the character and protagonist Kassandra or Alexios will ever be, and Origins did a much better job at evoking Egyptian history and culture than the pseudo-historical, pseudo-fantasymagic, mythological creature stuff you'll see in Odyssey (none of which is a Hallucination or Animus Glitch btw, they EXPECT you to treat these beasts as if they actually existed for REAL for real).
Origins has reasonable justifications and excuses to have limited AC elements because it was a prequel, an origin story, it was set Before. Furthermore, it was set juuust close enough to AC1 that they could justify putting in at least some proto-Assassin elements that resonated, and fit, and would become the precursors to the Assassin Brotherhood existing as an organized faction.
Odyssey no longer has this justification because it's set an even greater amount of time before Origins is, historically. There was absolutely no reason to do this. None. And it doesn't help them make a better or more interesting game, untethered from the 'burdens' of being Assassin's Creed. I would've forgiven it more, if it did.
At the best of times, I'm Ambivalent toward it because it CAN be fun, it CAN be relaxing, it's definitely one of those games you can go ahead and mash through all the side quest dialogue and just clear map-content as fast as humanly possible over and over again, and get into a fun flow-state. Maybe put some music on. It's cool for that, for sure.
But man, when you finish playing it and some time passes, and you look back, you might be really sour on it all and be like "Damn, I spent so much time on that waiting for it to get better. And it never did."
I don't know. That's just me.
Don't take my word as gospel.
But yeah, I wouldn't even want my enemies to play this game, let alone any of my friends here. I'm kinder than that. (Marginally.)
Lol. I love this place and miss you guys.
"I played a game I didn't like for 300 hours. Here's all the reasons I didn't like it."
Yeah, I agree with the other guys. I gave it a decent amount of hours, but it wasn't Assassin's Creed. If you try to play it as an ancient Greek action/adventure game, it's fun. Origins hit the nail on the head for a pre-Assassin Order game in my opinion. This game has almost nothing to do with the Assassins or Templars.
But $30 for all that? That's definitely a good price. I say go for it. The only thing I'll say is that I pushed through the last 1/3 of the main game and one of the DLCs only to uninstall it. I got my enjoyment out of it, but not enough to continue the second DLC beyond the first few missions because it was going too far into "magical" territory. I felt that Ubisoft gave up on the franchise in the middle of developing Odyssey more so than it seems like they did in past games.
Starting today through the seventeenth AC2 is free on Uplay. The funny thing is how I found that out. An add popped up on my phone yesterday that took me to Google, where I happened to notice an article mentioning Assassins Creed II. Good thing too because I will eventually go to PC gaming (HD graphics FTW), and I may or may not have an Xbox360 anymore.
Now I don't feel bad for missing the recent AC sales on Steam.
...I will eventually go to PC gaming (HD graphics FTW), and I may or may not have an Xbox360 anymore.
I'll be joining you at some point. This quarantine has halted a few of my bills, which gives me a little extra money per month. Plus that "stimulus check" along with extra hours at work (I work in pharmaceuticals, so I'm still going at it for now) are giving me a small boost in income. This allows me to plan for doing something I've wanted to do for years: build a PC.
I have a couple of friends that are giving me pointers here and there, as I've never made one before. It's hard trying to plan for a new venture like this, especially if you're still trying to save money. I could just buy a premade custom PC (found a decent one on cyberpowerpc.com ) and not worry about it, but I like working with my hands, so screw it.
Also, I'm pretty sure the AC1 Director's Cut is only $10 on Steam, so I know what I'll be playing/streaming first.
Starting today through the seventeenth AC2 is free on Uplay.
I was waiting until today to post that but you beat me to it. AC1, Brotherhood, AC4, and Rogue are currently available for $6.80US. Revelations is only a little higher at $8.00US.
https://store.ubi.com/us/game/?lang=en_US&pid=56c4947f88a7e300458b4690
Double McStab with Cheese wrote:
Hah, I haven't played any game in the series since Black Flag!
"Betraying the Assassins is never good for one's health."
"Well, neither is drinking liquor, but I'm drawn to its dangers all the same."
stabguy wrote:
AC1, Brotherhood, AC4, and Rogue are currently available for $6.80US.
Now I really don't feel bad for missing the recent AC sales on Steam. Would like to have used the money I had in my Steam wallet though, but there are a few things I can save that for. I noticed some ACs were on sale, but didn't bother checking them [insert facepalm smiley]. DLCs also on sale. Too bad AC Bloodlines is still only available for PSP.
AC1 I'll get for sure, but I've been thinking about Brotherhood. There are a few things I was hoping to do, and at the same time see what the world records for stealth hidden blade on PC are and try to beat them , but that alone will not be enough to justify buying the game. However I remember one good reason to: The need for high quality screenshots for the collectibles. What do you guys think?
Some unofficial information about the next AC game, which will not be titled Assassin's Creed: Ragnarok:
https://gamerant.com/assassins-creed-ragnarok-jora-hidden-blade-reveal-d...
If it's more like Origins than Odyssey, I'm all for it. Especially if the hidden blade is actually in the damn game.
Vhan Master
JoeyFogey wrote:
I wish that was the case.
Also hey, it's nice to see this site is still around all these years.
Was listening to "Ezio's Family" and was feeling nostalgic~
will not be titled Assassin's Creed: Ragnarok:
Ubisoft confirmed that the title will be Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. More news tomorrow April 30 at 8am PT / 11am ET / 4pm BT / 5pm CET.
-Playable male/female protag "Eivor"
-Grow your own Viking village
-Takes place in Norway & mostly Britain
-Fully customizable (beards, tattoos, etc)
-Norse mythology plays a role (ex: Odin)
-Single player only
More info here:
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-04-30-assassins-creed-valhalla-r...
https://press-start.com.au/features/2020/05/01/we-spoke-to-assassins-cre...
Cinematic trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0Fr3cS3MtY&feature=emb_title
So Origins is currently free on Uplay:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCC4lDQt_ns
So Origins is currently free on Uplay...
Only for the weekend. I got lucky and got the Gold Edition on PS4 a while back for $17. Now I can play the Curse of the Pharaohs dlc for cheaps.
Only for the weekend.
When I heard from people you'd have to pay for the game after the free weekend, I was hoping that was a mistake and it'd be like when AC2 was free. So I load up ACO today, and... I had to put in a code.
I get why Ubisoft would make it a temporarily free game, but for only three days?! Why not a few weeks so we players would have a chance to actually be invested in the game first?
No one else noticed that IanXO4 has been uploading new youtube videos?
Sure did. And i watch them. Even though I don't play minecraft

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


My name is Viktoria Harris. My interest in natural and alternative medicine started when my daughter was born premature with various health issues that required numerous operations, medicines and drugs – some of which caused even more problems for her. It was then that I searched for, and was successful at finding, natural treatments that helped her and did not have the side-effects of regular medication drugs.
Since that time I have been using primarily homeopathic remedies for my entire family. When my dog Tango got sick, I decided to try homeopathic remedies on him as well – with great success.
In 2017 I founded BestLife4Pets, an online family-run pet supply company specializing in natural and homeopathic remedies for cat and dog health issues, so that I could help other pets feel better, have more energy, and be healthy naturally.
One of my passions is to increase awareness of alternative treatments. We are happy to see that, as integrated medicine and alternative treatments gain popularity and become mainstream, more and more pet parents are discovering the overwhelming benefits of homeopathic treatment not only for themselves but for their pets as well.
Homeopathy is a system of alternative medicine created in 1796 by Samuel Hahnemann based on the doctrine of 'like cures like." Homeopathic remedies use natural plants that have similar properties to the condition to cure that same illnesses or condition. These remedies are a safe alternative to traditional medicine and have been shown to provide long lasting pain relief for both emotional issues such as anxiety as well as physical problems such as joint pain and urinary infections.
Winner chooses remedies. You can choose three different remedies, or three of the same remedy.
For up to seven ways to enter, see the Rafflecopter widget below. This giveaway is open to readers in the United States only, and ends Thursday, March 28. Winners will be chosen by random drawing**.
BestLife4Pets remedies are also available from Amazon.
Discount applies to all orders of single remedies and is valid on Amazon and the BestLife4Pets website. Use code BL4P30CAT at checkout.
BestLife4Pets gives back to non-profit animal rescue and rehabilitation organizations so that they can continue to help animals in need.
*FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, which means that I was compensated to feature this content. Regardless of payment received, you will only see products or services featured on this site that I believe are of interest to our readers.
**No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook. By entering this giveaway, you understand that you are providing your information to The Conscious Cat, and not to Facebook. We will never sell, rent or share your information with third parties. Winners will be notified via e-mail. Prize winner must provide The Conscious Cat with a physical address to which the prize will be mailed within 72 hours. If this information is not received, an alternate winner will be chosen by random drawing. Winners will be announced in a separate post following the drawing.
i would be interested in the Pet-At-East for calming, stress, etc. it would be great to have when going to the vet or during storms.
I would be interested in trying WALK-EASY, Pets-At-Ease and Flora Plus. Thank you for introducing this company to me.
I'd like the Walk Easy for my 17.5 year old cat.
I'd like to get the probiotic & the multivitamin.
I would love to try these products!! I have kitties with health and aging and stress issues, have tried another brand would love to win and try this one!
I would use the Urinary Tract & Kidney Support for Cats since one of my cats has had Urinary tract inflammation. The vet said it was probably from stress so he may need the calming one, too!
My previous comment I forgot to tell you what I would like if I was chosen.
What a wonderful opportunity to win a wonderful gift! I've been looking for natural care for my boys!
If I won, I would ask for 3 bottles of BestLife4Pets Glucosamine and Turmeric Joint Pain Relief Supplement for my senior Border Collie Rescues.
All their products sound great, but I'm most interested in Pets-at-Ease (my senior cat, Moko, has medical issues which have me taking her to the vet every 30 days for a steroid shot, weigh-in, and medication refill and she gets very stressed – also my dogs get stressed when going in the car or when there are loud noises, like fireworks or thunder), Urinary Tract and Kidney Support Remedy (Moko's medical situation has her using her litter box much more frequently than she used to and I worry she may get a UTI), and WALK-EASY Joint & Hip Pain Relief Remedy (both my senior dogs and my senior kitty, Moko, are showing the need for something like this).
Either the urinary one for cats or the calming one.
I would be interested in the urinary tract and the Pet At Ease. I have male cats and they really don't like riding in the car.
If I won, I would choose Walk-easy for my 2 older cats, and Pets-at-ease to help my 5 cats accept the foster mamacat more readily instead of constantly chasing & harassing her.
I would love the Urinary Tract & Kidney Support and the Walk Easy for my furr babies.
I'd be interested in the Urinary Tract and Kidney Support. Both of my cats are on Royal Canin SO.
I would love walk away, urinary kidney support for cats and calming. All apply to my 14 year old cat.
I wouldn't mind trying the calming remedy. Miss Kiki has stress issues ans since Lulu arrived, she seems even worse. I've been using Feliway but it doesn't seem to be helping much.
I would actually get one of each. My senior going on geriatric CH girl Lillia is showing signs of joint aches and pains so the Walk Easy would be for her. The Pets at Ease would be for my mom's pup. He's an adopted Doxie Chihuahua mix. We live in a small village where they set off fireworks- a lot! Thankfully my kitties are used to it and because they can see them out the back window I think that helps them know what the noise is. Her Guppy is just a little nervous wreck as it is and when the fireworks go off he gets super scared. Other brand haven't helped much or his Thundershirt. The UTI Support will be good to have on hand should anyone in either of our kitty crew's need it. I like the backstory to the brand. I feel best when it's tried and true by the maker's themselves.


text:
In collaboration with the American Ornithological Society
© Ian Davies
Macaulay Library ML31447081
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
California Gnatcatcher
Polioptila californica
Polioptilidae
Version: 2.0 — Published January 1, 2001
Jonathan L. Atwood and David R. Bontrager
Jonathan L. Atwood
Baja California, Mexico
Macaulay Library ML53213
Free Introduction Article Access
The Introduction Article is just the first of 11 articles in each species account that provide life history information for the species. The remaining articles provide detailed information regarding distribution, migration, habitat, diet, sounds, behavior, breeding, current population status and conservation. Each species account also includes a multimedia section that displays the latest photos, audio selections and videos from Macaulay Library's extensive galleries. Written and continually updated by acknowledged experts on each species, Birds of North America accounts include a comprehensive bibliography of published research on the species.
A subscription is needed to access the remaining account articles and multimedia content. Rates start at $5 USD for 30 days of complete access.
Figure 1. Distribution of the California Gnatcatcher.
California Gnatcatcher, male; Orange Co., CA; March
; photographer Brian E. Small
California Gnatcatcher, female; Orange Co., CA; March
Extolled by conservationists for its ability to stop a bulldozer in its tracks and reviled by land developers as their worst enemy, the tiny California Gnatcatcher has become a symbol of the challenges of how to interpret and apply the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Commonly found throughout most of southern and central Baja California in a variety of arid scrub habitats, the range of this small, nonmigratory songbird extends northward into coastal southern California, where it occurs on some of the most expensive private real estate in the United States. Explosive human population growth and resultant suburban sprawl within the last 50 years has reduced and fragmented the species' coastal sage scrub habitat, and led to Federal protection of the northernmost subspecies as a Threatened species in 1993. Furthermore, concerns engendered by this decision catalyzed passage of legislation by the State of California intended to protect natural communities while allowing continued economic growth. Former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt described this novel initiative, known as the Natural Community Conservation Planning (NCCP) program, as a "breathtaking experiment" that "may become an example of what must be done across the country if we are to avoid the environmental and economic train wrecks we've seen in the last decade." Conservation of the California Gnatcatcher continues to be the dominant factor in determining details of the NCCP program's implementation, thus emphasizing the importance of scientific information about the species' behavior, ecology, and distribution.
Little is known of the California Gnatcatcher's biology in the heart of its range in Baja California. In contrast, substantial research has been conducted on its distribution and biology in the United States during the last 10 years. Much of this recent work was done in response to various management and conservation decisions, resulting in a diverse but sometimes poorly conceived research agenda pursued by environmental consultants, academics, wildlife agency personnel, and conservation advocates. Many results were never peer-reviewed or formally published, leading Rotenberry and Scott ( Rotenberry, J. T. and T. A. Scott. (1998). Biology of the California Gnatcatcher: filling in the gaps. Western Birds 29:237-241.
Rotenberry and Scott 1998: 238) to comment that "researchers had few avenues of communication, no one could build off the established work of others, and mechanisms for identifying reliable data went unused." Publication of papers presented at the 1995 California Gnatcatcher Symposium began to correct this situation ( Rotenberry, J. T. and T. A. Scott. (1998). Biology of the California Gnatcatcher: filling in the gaps. Western Birds 29:237-241.
Rotenberry and Scott 1998), yet much of what is currently "known" about the species still is found only in scattered field notes, anecdotal reports, and "gray literature," rather than rigorous scientific studies. Where warranted, this account refers to such unpublished data as a means of summarizing all currently available information, while readily acknowledging the need for more careful and controlled studies. All unpublished reports cited here have been deposited at the Wilson Ornithological Society's Van Tyne Memorial Library (Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1079).
California Gnatcatchers are small, slender, gray birds with long, black tails narrowly edged and tipped with white. During the breeding season, males have a glossy black cap. Dark-gray northern populations grade clinally into pale southern forms. Upperparts are darker gray than underparts, with females having warmer, brownish tones on back, flanks, and belly. The species' kittenlike mewing calls best distinguish it from the similar and largely allopatric Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Polioptila melanura .
Although the species is abundant throughout much of Baja California, fewer than 5,000 pairs of California Gnatcatchers now persist in coastal southern California, where their distribution is mostly restricted to the coastal sage scrub plant community. Breeding pairs are generally monogamous and sedentary, and both sexes participate in nest construction, incubation, and care of young. High rates of nest predation are offset by rapid and persistent renesting efforts extended over a protracted breeding season; as many as 10 nesting attempts may occur in a single year, producing up to 3 successful broods. Juveniles generally disperse less than 10 km from their natal territories, and establish pair bonds within several months of fledging. Rates of annual survivorship are variable and likely influenced by poorly understood interactions between winter temperature and rainfall patterns.
Molts
Bare Parts
Linear Measurements
Systematics
Geographic Variation
Distribution, Migration, and Habitat
Distribution in the Americas
Distribution Outside the Americas
Overview of Migration
Historical Changes to the Distribution
Fossil History
Diet and Foraging
Food Selection and Storage
Nutrition and Energetics
Metabolism and Temperature Regulation
Drinking, Pellet-Casting, and Defecation
Sounds and Vocal Behavior
Nonvocal Sounds
Self-Maintenance
Agonistic Behavior
Social and Interspecific Behavior
Nest Site
Young Birds
Parental Care
Cooperative Breeding
Brood Parasitism
Fledgling Stage
Immature Stage
Demography and Populations
Measures of Breeding Activity
Life Span and Survivorship
Disease and Body Parasites
Causes of Mortality
Population Status
Population Regulation
Conservation and Management
Effects of Human Activity
Priorities for Future Research
Tables and Appendices
Atwood, J. L. and D. R. Bontrager (2001). California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (A. F. Poole and F. B. Gill, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bna.574
Explore the Birds of North America
Browse Taxonomy
© Cornell University
American Ornithological Society


text:
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namespace DABase\Enum;

use DACore\Types\EnumType;

class AddressType extends EnumType
{
    protected $name = 'enum_addresstype';
    protected $values = array('residential', 'comercial', 'delivery', 'billing', 'work');

    public static function getValues()
    {
    	return array('residential', 'comercial', 'delivery', 'billing', 'work');
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Inspirational Speaking
3 ways to break out of your victim mindset and thrive
We all know people who seem to have been dealt the right hand of cards in life.
From the looks to the upbringing, the jobs and the friends. And for others, fate deals them the cards that are leftover.
When you fall into the latter category it can be hard not to feel resentful. At times, you think "Why me? What did I possibly do to deserve this set of circumstances?"
But learning to approach life in a more positive way regardless of what happens to you is key to creating the life you have always dreamed of.
I've overcoming considerable boundaries to become the successful businessman and best-selling author that I am today.
And I too went through stages of feeling like a victim and wallowing in self-pity at the cards life had dealt me.
But if you follow my advice to a better mindset, I promise that soon, you too will thrive. Here's how.
1. Stop focusing on what's happened to you
As wonderful as life can be – alongside the moments of pure joy, love and gratitude there can be darkness and despair.
When you're in those darker moments, they feel as though they'll never end. You may think that you'll never "get over it" nor be happy again.
But as raw and valid as those feelings are at the time, they are just that – feelings. And like all others, give them time and they will fade or pass.
I could lie awake every night of my life thinking about the people who have done me wrong. I could think about the childhood I lost to my disability.
The years of relentless bullying from my peers and my father. The discrimination I have faced in life and in business for being both disabled and black.
When I was five years old, I went to bed after a long, happy day playing with my foster siblings. I had a shiny, new bike at home that I couldn't wait to take for a spin around the small village on the outskirts of Leicester where we lived.
And yet when I awoke in the night, something wasn't right. I went to the toilet and back to bed but shortly after I had a violent fit and blacked out.
The next thing I remember was being in hospital. I had contracted a severe case of Polio – a disease which, by then, was meant to have been eradicated from the UK.
Even the doctors didn't know how it was possible I had caught it – so how unlucky did that make me?
In one night, my life changed forever. I became paralysed from the neck down. I was given a 10% chance of survival and if I did survive, it was likely that I would never walk again.
My heart ached with sadness when I thought of my shiny, new bike sitting at home for me.
Those early days taught me a lot about feeling like a victim. I had gone from a happy, mobile child without a care in the world to a talking head in a hospital bed.
Even at such a young age, I just couldn't understand why had this happened to me. But if life has taught me anything, it's that things just happen. Sad, terrible things of which there is no rhyme nor reason.
But it's not what happens to us that matters – it's how we CHOOSE to respond that counts.
2. Forgive those who have done you wrong
In life, you will come across many people who will treat you badly.
When it first happens and for years to come, they can make you feel angry, betrayed and hurt beyond repair. But it is incredibly important that you learn to forgive them.
Not for them – it's not likely that they are worthy of your forgiveness. But you need to forgive them for you.
I suffered horrific abuse at the hands of my father throughout my entire childhood.
In Nigeria, having a disabled child is seen as something to be embarrassed by and it was a feeling he could never quite shake.
Not long after I went back to live with my birth parents when I was eight, I distinctly remember my father carrying me on his back into the woods to go and see a witch doctor.
This witch doctor thought he could "cure" my disabilities through a range of intensely painful and pointless procedures. He gave me vicious tribal cuts. Of course, none of his "procedures" made no difference.
So my father took to beating me instead to satisfy his own twisted need to feel better about my physical shortcomings.
He told me that I would never amount to anything. His abuse left deep psychological scars that may never fully fade.
I hated how he treated me and the way he treated my mother and siblings, too. Hearing them being beaten was almost too much to bear.
Eventually, my father stopped to an all new low and married a younger woman whilst remaining married to my mother.
He was 50 years old at the time and not only did he do this, but he moved her into our family home.
With this new woman, he had five more children and as a result, he was driven into poverty by their school and university fees well into his 70s.
The once proud Nigerian man that he was ended up dying alone and in severe poverty as a result.
Towards the end of his life and as I grew into an adult, I had to learn to let these feelings go. They were only knawing at me from the inside out.
You cannot change the past – you can only change your future. And sitting alone in sadness and solitude, being a victim won't change what's happened
That's the thing about hate, anger and resentment – it only hurts you. It doesn't hurt the people who have wronged you. They are sat, in oblivion, getting on with their lives.
Karma is a powerful force and in time it will show itself, but you owe it to yourself to get on with your life and to make the most of it, too.
It's not saying it's easy, because God knows it's not – but I have faith that if I can do it, you can too.
3. Learn to understand your feelings
As humans, when we feel a certain way we instinctively look for a cause. And more often than not, we look for a person or circumstance to blame because it's easier than blaming ourselves.
People let life happen to them, rather than the other way around.
By labelling yourself in your mind as "a victim" you are taking the loci of control away from yourself and placing it onto someone else. And though it may make you feel better in the short-term, it's a dangerous habit and far from a real solution.
By resigning yourself to being a victim you are not being proactive with your problems. You are not saying "This awful thing happened, but I will not let it define my future."
When bad things happen, people tend to respond in two ways. Person A takes the situation, accepts how it makes them feel and though it is hard and difficult, at some point they make a decision to take proactive steps for a better, more positive future.
Person B takes the situation, runs away from how it makes them feel and uses forms of escapism to try and forget about the problem.
They may feel that they are simply desperately "unlucky" or "destined to fail".
That these are the cards life has dealt them, and they're forever destined to be someone without love, respect and happiness.
But this simply isn't true.
With the things I have experienced, I had every reason to draw into myself. To fall into a deep depression. To feel like maybe my father was right, that I was not destined for anything and to do nothing of purpose with my life.
But deep down, I knew it wasn't true. I used the way he made me feel as a motivator. And now, I know that if I can overcome disability (I learned to walk again, though I can only walk short distances), abuse and discrimination, I can overcome anything.
I believe that you can achieve anything you set out to with enough will and determination.
Your mind and body are more adaptive than you give them credit for. And trust me when I say that understanding your feelings is the first step to overcoming them.
I am often asked that if I could see my life before I was born – a life of incredible hardship, disability and abuse – would I have chosen to be born?
The answer is yes.
I refused to accept the hand that life dealt me. We have the power to change our path at any time – and in this modern day, there's more opportunity than ever before to make your life a success.
I am now the Founder of several successful businesses. A best-selling author. A husband to my wife, Diana, who has always believed in me. And a father to two wonderful children.
Life does not come without its hardships – but if you can break out of your victim mindset, you will soon see the beauty in living that has been there all along.
If you've enjoyed this article, you can read more about my experiences of surviving disability, abuse and racism in my best-selling book, I Can. I Will.
I love the opportunity to spread my message of the power of a positive mindset. Therefore if you would like me to speak at your event you can also contact me here.
And lastly, you can keep in touch with me on Instagram and LinkedIn.
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udaynarayanpur block map
History and Detailed Information guide of Udaynarayanpur , People and near by Tourist Places in Udaynarayanpur. Udaynarayanpur is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Uluberia subdivision of Howrah district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Udaynarayanpur community development block has an area of 124.80 sq. Udaynarayanpur Madhabilata Mahavidyalaya. Udaynarayanpur Village Map. No. Headquarters of this block is at Udaynarayanpur. Udaynarayanpur population.Udaynarayanpur is a Village in Pakur Block in Pakur District of Jharkhand State . As per 2011 census, Udaynarayanpur block had a total population of 1,90,186 out of … Complete details of Population, Religion, Literacy and Sex Ratio in tabular format. ESTD. Udaynarayanpur Pin code. The data on this website is provided by Google Maps, a free online map service one can access and view in a web browser.
Udaynarayanpur Block - Haora List of all towns and Villages in Udaynarayanpur Block of Haora district, West Bengal. Udaynarayanpur is located at 22°43′01″N 87°58′30″E / 22.717°N 87.975°E . Udaynarayanpur is located at 22°43′01″N 87°58′30″E. As per the administration records, the block code of Udaynarayanpur is 245.
(03214-257444) E-Mail Id- principalumm@gmail.com Udaynarayanpur : Howrah : West Bengal- 711226 Udaynarayanpur is a Block placed in Howrah district in West Bengal.
Affiliated to Calcutta University An Institution Accredited by 'NAAC' Ph. km. Situated in rural region of West Bengal, it is one of the 14 blocks of Howrah district. 2006. Home > West Bengal > Haora > Udaynarayanpur. Udaynarayanpur Schools and colleges .
The block has 75 villages and there are total 43586 houses in this Block. Contents 1 Geography View satellite images/ street maps of villages in Udaynarayanpur CD Block of Haora district in West Bengal, India. Udaynarayanpur Block Political Map HOW TO REACH Udaynarayanpur Block By Rail There is no railway station near to Udaynarayanpur Block in less than 10 km.
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Any inert, durable granular material of the correct effective size and uniformity coefficient can be used for slow sand filtration (Buzunis, 1995 [ref.01]Ref.01: Buzunis, B.J. (1995) Intermittently Operated Slow Sand Filtration: A New Water Treatment Process. MSc Thesis, University of Calgary, Canada.). Mostly, this takes the form of sand, which is readily available in most environments, but there are other alternatives where sand is not readily available.
The links on the left provide information on the filter media for sand filtration. Firstly there is an explanation of why the size of the filter media is important at all. The terms effective size and uniformity coefficient are explained, alongside a worked example of completing your own sieve analysis to determine what kind of sand you have in your area. Following that there is a section on what specific grain size is recommended for sand filtration in general, and the effect of different sand sizes and sand bed depths on parameters such as pathogen removal and colour improvement. There are various methods of enhancing the performance of the sand media in terms of water quality, flow rates and corrosion control, and alternatives to sand as a filter media. Lastly there is an explanation of the role gravle plays in the sand filter.
Ref.01: Buzunis, B.J. (1995) Intermittently Operated Slow Sand Filtration: A New Water Treatment Process. MSc Thesis, University of Calgary, Canada.


Two Fort Worth, Texas, companies have been cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for safety violations surrounding exposure of workers to toxic chemicals that could result in an Environmental Injury.
A press release from the agency stated Five Star Custom Foods Ltd. And Packers Sanitation Services Inc., violated 27 regulations that oversee safety process management of businesses, resulting in $134,000 in fines being levied against the companies.
The violations stem from an investigation that was launched by OSHA on June 12 of this year. During the audit, investigators found the companies' employees were exposed to toxic and corrosive chemicals while working on a refrigeration system. An OSHA spokesman, Jack Rector, stated exposure to the toxic chemicals, such as anhydrous ammonia, could result in serious environmental injuries, including death.
The incident resulted in the company being slapped with fines for 14 serious violations including failure to follow standard engineering practices, failure to conduct system audits and inspections, not providing employees with safety equipment, and not informing contract workers of their risk of environmental injury.
Eleven other safety violations were issued as well for infractions such as not having certain safety procedures in place.
The Drug Injury Lawyers with Ferrer, Poirot & Wansbrough understand the dangers many workers face each day and are here to help you if you have been hurt on the job at no fault of your own.


the personal data you provide when you correspond with us by phone, email, contact form(s) or otherwise.
Analytics and Performance Cookies These cookies are used to collect information about traffic to our Site and how users use our Site. The information gathered does not identify any individual visitor. It includes the number of visitors to our Site, the websites that referred them to our Site, the pages they visited on our Site, what time of day they visited our Site, whether they have visited our Site before, and other similar information. [We use this information to help operate our Site more efficiently and to monitor the level of activity on our Site.
If you provide feedback to us, we may use and disclose such feedback on our Site, provided we do not associate such feedback with your personal data. If you have provided your consent to do so, we may post your first and last name along with your feedback on our Site.
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Drivers aged between 21 and 24yrs at time of rental may be subject to an underage driving surcharge. This is included in our headline price and is generally payable on pick up of the vehicle.
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Search for the best car hire deals in Rome
As undertakings go, car hire in Rome must rank among the most daring.
Anyone prone to tantrums or heart conditions is particularly encouraged to pass up the chance to drive here. It's not just that the traffic in Rome gets famously stationary, but that parking is mostly impossible and chunks of the centre turn out to be restricted traffic zones (ZTLs) – ones monitored by fine-happy cameras.
If you do somehow stumble upon a parking space, then please, please keep it rather than try and upgrade. That better spot you're imagining? It doesn't exist.
Language: Italian | Currency: Euro (€) | Local time: (CET) | Average flight time: 2.5 hours
Beyond Rome city centre
There are some benefits if you rent a car in Rome on a 2020 holiday. Most obviously, it is a means by which to escape the brouhaha and visit the wealth of sights fringing Italy's capital without getting confused or slowed by the complexities of public transport.
Take Ostia Antica, found 16 kilometres (10 miles) south west of Rome city centre. A viable alternative to Pompeii and Herculaneum, this well-preserved ancient port – it once bordered the Mediterranean – is accessible via train. However, a car journey from Rome is so much simpler. Look out for the bar-restaurant's menu still eerily frescoed on a wall.
Other potential day-trip destinations that make Rome car hire worthwhile include the unpretentious beach resort of Sperlonga, and Ponza, a small, charming island with yellow-painted houses and cutesy cafes. There's also the hill town of Tivoli, full of leafy streets and upmarket shops.
Car rental at a Rome airport
For a hassle-free getaway on the outskirts of the city, rent a car at Rome airport in 2020. Which one, you ask. Well, the good news is that both Fiumicino and Ciampino airports are well stocked with vehicles and car-hire companies keen to get your business (which means low prices on car rental in Rome – bonus!).
Eight car hire companies are based at Fiumicino in the domestic and international arrival halls. For passengers that fly to Ciampino, the airport is home to several car hire firms, including Avis, Thrifty and Sixt.
The other obvious place to book car hire in Rome is the main station, Termini, close to the Colosseum.
You'll find rental companies on Via Giovanni Giolitti, on its western flank. Avis has several additional locations spread around Rome. Use any of these and you can dodge the pick-up surcharges issued at Rome's airports.
With so many Rome car rental deals available, it pays to compare and book online in advance. This nets you the cheapest rates, ensures the widest availability of vehicles and enables you to go over the small print in the quiet of your own home, without a queue forming behind you in a hot car-rental office somewhere in Rome.
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Top tips for car hire in...
When you rent a car in Rome, scrupulously obey no parking signs. The Italian police continue to crack down on illegally parked cars. Unpaid tickets will be passed on via your Rome car rental agency, including an extra fee for their own extensive troubles. In other words: ouch.
With parking spaces so hard to come by, it pays to know that the biggest public garage in Rome is the Parcheggio Borghese, found below the Villa Borghese park and accessed on Via del Muro Torto. It is open 24 hours.
Driving along the autostrada (motorway)? These are toll roads: you must take a ticket when you access the autostrada, and then pay when you exit. Avoid the Telepass lane and pay in cash (notes and coins) at a regular lane. Have some cash ready to avoid sweaty searches while the driver behind beeps impatiently. We've all been there.
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The recent post feed contains the latest 10 blog posts published on St. Augustine Academy Press.
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High Tech Middle Mesa
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David Garcia is a true hometown kid, born and raised in the beautiful city of San Diego. After attending Mount Miguel High School, David earned his Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from San Diego State University. Once his undergrad journey came to an end, David set out as a volunteer to teach English abroad in Colombia! Upon his return home, David had the amazing opportunity to join High Tech Middle Chula Vista as an Academic Coach. The High Tech High Graduate School of Education was waiting for him right around the corner and is where he earned a preliminary California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential.
This year, David will be continuing his studies in pursuit of his M.Ed in Teaching & Learning. David was a part of the founding team here at High Tech middle Mesa and could not be more excited and grateful to be a part of such an amazing community of learners. GO THUNDER!!!
Outside of School David enjoys exploring the splendor of this amazing city and state. He can be found on the open oceans fishing, backpacking in the Sierras, or lounging around in bright floral Hawaiian tees.
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Cuban medical brigade to fight Covid-19 in Bahamas
Havana, Jan 14 (Prensa Latina) A brigade of Cuba's Henry Reeve International Medical Contingent was seen off on Friday by Cuban health authorities before leaving for Bahamas to support the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic there.
Published by: Aleynes Palacios Hurtado
On Twitter, Deputy Minister of Public Health Regla Angulo said that the group of professionals specialized in disaster operations and severe epidemics is made up of 50 nurses who will join the medical brigade in that country.
On January 8, Minister of Public Health Jose Angel Portal signed a cooperation agreement with the Minister of Health and Wellness of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Dr. Michael Darville, to provide an emergency response to the current pandemic.
The willingness of keeping and increasing the existing collaboration between the parties was ratified during the talks, according to a statement by the Cuban Ministry of Public Health.
Figures published by this ministry indicate that 57 Henry Reeve brigades had rendered their services toe fight the Covid-19 pandemic in 40 countries until March, 2021.
Cuban doctors have worked in the Principality of Andorra, Azerbaijan, Italy, South Africa, Mexico, Panama, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Belize, among other countries.
jg/aph/gas/cdg
#Bahamas #Covid19 #Cuba


text:
[genet-news] SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: Transgenic worms make tough fibers
Subject: [genet-news] SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: Transgenic worms make tough fibers
TITLE:   TRANSGENIC WORMS MAKE TOUGH FIBERS
SOURCE:  Technology Review, USA
AUTHOR:  Katherine Bourzac
URL:     http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/26623/?p1=A2
SUMMARY: "Researchers have been trying to make artificial spider silk for decades. Now a startup claims to have overcome one of the main challenges in synthesizing the lightweight, stronger-than-steel fibers. Kraig Biocraft Laboratories has made genetically modified silkworms that produce fibers incorporating spider-silk proteins. The resulting fibers are much stronger, more flexible, and finer than silk made by normal silkworms."
TRANSGENIC WORMS MAKE TOUGH FIBERS
A startup says it's jumped one of the big hurdles on the way to making artificial spider silk.
Researchers have been trying to make artificial spider silk for decades. Now a startup claims to have overcome one of the main challenges in synthesizing the lightweight, stronger-than-steel fibers.
Kraig Biocraft Laboratories has made genetically modified silkworms that produce fibers incorporating spider-silk proteins. The resulting fibers are much stronger, more flexible, and finer than silk made by normal silkworms. The company says it believes it will be able to match the properties of spider silk within five years. The company hopes to sell the first generation of fibers to companies that will make stronger everyday silk products. Its ultimate goal is to mass-produce artificial spider silk, which could be used to make very strong and lightweight products including bulletproof vests, composite materials for vehicles and sports equipment, and even new construction materials.
Spiders make many varieties of silk, and many of these fibers are stronger than steel. Mimicking such silk and developing ways of producing it industrially has long been a goal of materials scientists. But spiders are too aggressive to be farmed, so researchers have made transgenic animals that make the spider proteins. But that isn't enough, because simply producing the protein components of these materials is not enough--you have to mimic the way spiders put them together by spinning a thread.
"Genetic engineers have been focused on making organisms that produce as much spider-silk protein as possible, but this is like dumping a load of bricks in the yard and asking why you don't have a house," says Kim Thompson, founder and CEO of Kraig Biocraft, based in Lansing, Michigan. Bacteria, for example, can be made to produce spider-silk proteins, and the Canadian biotech company Nexia even succeeded in creating goats that excreted high levels of spider-silk proteins in their milk. But they lacked the means to assemble these proteins into usable silk.
Other groups have created transgenic silkworms that make spider silk, but the worms didn't integrate the foreign proteins into the fiber structure, and fiber's mechanical properties didn't significantly improve over what natural silkworms make. The worms' natural systems for spinning fibers are tailored to their own natural proteins. "There's no reason the silkworms would necessarily include the spider protein in their fiber," says Randy Lewis, professor of molecular biology at the University of Wyoming. Lewis has sequenced several spider-silk genes.
Kraig Biocraft had to alter the spider-silk proteins so that they would not just be made by the silkworms but also integrated into the structural matrix of the silk fibers. These proteins have chemical structures that fit together tightly to give silk fibers their integrity and strength. The company licensed Lewis's gene sequences and modified them. Lewis says he's verified that these spider proteins are chemically integrated into the core of the fiber.
The company's system for making transgenic silkworms was developed by Malcolm Fraser, professor of biological sciences at the University of Notre Dame. Fraser's methods for genetic engineering in insects and other animals were used to make the first artificial spider-protein-producing silkworms in the year 2000.
Kraig Biocraft has made 20 new varieties of transgenic silkworms by injecting silkworm embryos with Fraser's DNA constructs incorporating the modified spider genes, then screening to find worms that have integrated the new genes into their genomes.
The company has not disclosed the results of mechanical tests performed on the fibers made by the engineered silkworms, nor has it released information about how much of the spider protein the animals make. But representatives claim that all of the animals make silks stronger and more flexible than natural silkworm silk and that one variety makes particularly strong fibers that the company has deemed "monster silk."
"We don't have much control over how much [spider] protein the transgenics express--some express a little, some a lot," says Fraser. "We're currently working on methods to ensure optimal transgenics."
David Kaplan, chair of biomedical engineering at Tufts University, who has developed biomedical applications for silkworm silk, notes that Kraig Biocraft has not yet published its results in a scientific journal. Kaplan adds that a transgenic silkworm is a promising system for making spider fibers, but notes that over the long-term, large-scale industrial production may not be as viable as growing silk-producing bacteria in vats. The fiber-making process remains a challenge for approaches using bacteria, but researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, are working on microfluidics and other systems designed to mimic the silkworm's fiber-spinning capabilities.
Kraig Biocraft's Thompson says the company's first product is likely to be based on the first versions of silk, which aren't strong enough for specialized industrial applications. These products will target the $4-billion-a-year raw-silk market in 2011. The company will then pursue industrial applications using much stronger silk.
TITLE:   MAKING SPIDER-STRENGTH MATERIALS
URL:     http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25922/
SUMMARY: "Researchers have been trying to make artificial spider silk--a lightweight, tougher-than-steel material that could have countless industrial applications--for decades. In an important step toward that goal, researchers at Tufts University have created genetically engineered microbes that produce more of the proteins needed to make spider silk than ever before."
MAKING SPIDER-STRENGTH MATERIALS
Genetically modified bacteria can produce enough proteins for super-strong spider silk.
Researchers have been trying to make artificial spider silk--a lightweight, tougher-than-steel material that could have countless industrial applications--for decades. In an important step toward that goal, researchers at Tufts University have created genetically engineered microbes that produce more of the proteins needed to make spider silk than ever before.
Dragline silk--the type spiders use for the rims and spokes of their webs--is tougher and far lighter than steel. Engineered bacteria can produce the proteins needed to synthesize this silk, which is spun together to make fibers. However, previous efforts to make spider silk using bacteria have been hamstrung for several reasons. First, researchers have had an incomplete picture of the dragline silk gene sequence. And second, they've had limited success in modifying the bacteria to produce enough of the proteins.
David Kaplan, chair of the biomedical engineering department at Tufts University, has pioneered the application of silkworm silk in medical devices, biodegradable electronics, optical devices, and adhesives. He believes that spider silk, which is stronger than the silkworm variety, could open up new applications, but says, "It hasn't been explored as much because we haven't had enough material." Spiders are aggressive and territorial and thus can't be farmed like silkworms.
Bioengineers have had only modest success in getting microbes to make spider-silk proteins. Chemical giant DuPont tried unsuccessfully to develop a bacteria-produced silk product in the 1990s. Part of the problem is that spider silk is made from a very large protein with a highly repetitive genetic sequence, making it hard to decode, says Christopher Voigt, professor of pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of California, San Francisco.
Last year, researchers using new sequencing technologies produced the first complete genetic sequence for spider silk. Before that, researchers were forced to use truncated silk genes, and fibers made using these genes were not as strong and tough as natural silk.
Even with the full dragline silk gene sequence, producing artificial silk is a challenge. Making enough of the protein requires a larger amount of starting material than the bacteria naturally contain. Working with researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Daejeon and Seoul National University, Kaplan added the full silk gene to E. coli and then altered the bacteria's protein-making pathway so that it makes sufficient quantities of the amino acids needed to enable silk production. Previously, engineered bacteria have only been able to produce tens of milligrams of the protein per liter. Kaplan's E. coli yield one to two grams per liter.
"They've clearly shown that E. coli can make these large proteins, and engineered them to have the resources to do it," says Randy Lewis, professor of molecular biology at the University of Wyoming. Lewis predicts that it will be possible to use a bacterial system to produce kilogram quantities of artificial spider silk within a few years.
Kaplan says that's his plan. "We'd like to turn it into a continuous production process," he says.
Kaplan says what's needed now are more energy-efficient methods for making the proteins into fibers. Using spinning methods similar to those used to make polymer fibers such as polyester, his group has created fibers from the team's proteins with properties comparable to natural dragline silk in terms of strength, elasticity, and toughness. However, because spider-silk proteins are finicky and insoluble in water, spinning them into fibers requires high-temperature processing and harsh solvents.
The fibers "take a huge amount of energy to put together," says Kaplan. Materials scientists would like to make silk fibers the way spiders do: at ambient temperatures, with no harsh solvents.
A novel approach to the problem is being pursued by Luke Lee, director of the molecular nanotechnology center at the University of California, Berkeley. He is designing spinning systems that incorporate microfluidic channels designed to provide the salt- and solvent- gradients found in spider glands. A company called Refactored Materials, founded by students of Lee's and Voigt's, is also working on the spinning problem.
TITLE:   SPIDER MAN
SOURCE:  Arizona State University, USA
AUTHOR:  Diane Boudreau
URL:     http://researchstories.asu.edu/stories/spider-men-1712
SUMMARY: "Scientists have come up with ingenious ways to get around this problem. They have genetically engineered silkworms, E. coli, and even goats to produce spider silk. Unfortunately, while these organisms produce the same proteins that spiders make, they don?t have the same mechanical properties as the natural product. They aren?t as strong, for instance, or as flexible. This is where the ASU researchers? expertise comes in."
When Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider in a laboratory, he became Spider-Man, a superhero with the ability to spin strong, flexible webs. Jeff Yarger and Gregory Holland are hoping to harness spider power in their research lab, as well. But these real-world spider men aren?t waiting around for bizarre lab accidents. The ASU chemists are studying the molecular structure of spider silk in an effort to produce materials ranging from bulletproof vests to artificial tendons. They also want to mimic spiders? eco-friendly methods in the process.
?Everybody?s familiar with silk, because they?re familiar with silkworm silk. The silk trade has been around for a long time. But spider silk has a much larger variety in its properties,? says Yarger, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
While silkworms produce only one kind of fiber, a single spider can produce up to six different varieties. For instance, there is ultra-strong dragline silk, used to make the framework of a web. Some spiders produce draglines that have more tensile strength than Kevlar. Then there is flagelliform, a highly elastic silk that makes up the spirals of a web. This fiber can sometimes stretch up to 200 times its original length. Spiders use other silks for wrapping their prey, making egg sacs for their young, and other purposes.
None of this is new information. ?So why if it?s been known for hundreds of years has it never been used?? asks Yarger. The reason is that spiders don?t produce silk in large quantities.
?You can put lots of silkworms in a small area and genetically modify them to go from the larval state to a moth in 20-30 days. Spiders take longer. But let?s get to the crux of it?spiders don?t like each other. They eat each other,? he explains. This of course eliminates the possibility of farming them en masse.
Scientists have come up with ingenious ways to get around this problem. They have genetically engineered silkworms, E. coli, and even goats to produce spider silk. Unfortunately, while these organisms produce the same proteins that spiders make, they don?t have the same mechanical properties as the natural product. They aren?t as strong, for instance, or as flexible.
This is where the ASU researchers? expertise comes in. Yarger is the director of the Magnetic Resonance Research Center at ASU. Holland is an assistant research professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Both scientists examine the molecular structure of spider silks.
?We use a suite of magnetic resonance tools?NMR and MRI?along with other physical characterization methods such as x-ray diffraction, Raman, and infrared spectroscopy,? explains Holland.
Many groups are interested in the results of this work. Holland has received a grant from the Department of Defense to study ultra-strong materials that could be used for products like body armor. Yarger collaborates with Randy Lewis, a molecular biologist at the University of Wyoming, on a grant from the National Institutes of Health. Lewis is leading a study of flagelliform silk for use in making artificial tendons. In addition to being very flexible, spider silk is highly biocompatible, meaning that it doesn?t produce allergic reactions in humans.
Additionally, Yarger is funded by the National Science Foundation to develop new NMR techniques for analyzing biopolymers. Yarger has spent his career seeking ways to understand amorphous materials like polymers on a molecular level. While crystalline materials are highly structured, amorphous materials are largely disordered. Polymers are a type of amorphous material. Biopolymers are polymers produced by living things.
?Spider silk is the one we focus on in the grant, but the goal is to make these techniques applicable to a range of biopolymers,? says Yarger. ?The two that we?re most familiar with in the human body are collagen and elastin?both protein-based biopolymers.?
Green lynx spiders are commonly found in Arizona. Photo by Pete Zrioka.Green lynx spiders are commonly found in Arizona. Photo by Pete Zrioka.
The main focus of Yarger?s work is using NMR to determine how artificial silk differs from natural silk, and why. The goal is to help scientists reproduce it more accurately, with the desired characteristics.
To understand how the same molecule can have different properties, think of diamonds and graphite. Both have the same composition?carbons connected together?but they have incredibly different characteristics. You don?t see jewelers selling graphite engagement rings, after all.
?They are made up of the same constituent. Carbon is carbon, you would say?but it?s not. How carbon is arranged in three-dimensional space can greatly affect its structure, whether you have graphite or diamonds or buckyballs,? explains Yarger.
Spiders work some rather interesting chemistry within their tiny bodies. They hold the proteins for making webs inside glands in their abdomens, where they are dissolved in solution. When the spider wants to spin a web, it pulls the proteins through a series of ducts and out a set of spinnerets at the base of its abdomen.
?They?ve taken this aqueous protein solution and they?ve pulled an ultra-strong fiber that is no longer soluble in the medium it was in,? says Yarger. ?When it rains outside, webs don?t dissolve.?
?One of the main goals of the research is to understand the biochemistry involved in transforming the soluble proteins in the spider?s gland to an insoluble super-fiber at the spider?s spinneret,? adds Holland. ?It is our hope that a better understanding of this process will help our group and research groups around the world spin fibers that more closely resemble native spider silk.?
Spider silk offers benefits beyond simply providing useful materials. Imitating the natural process will allow scientists to create products in an environmentally friendly way.
?Most of the strong polymer materials we make right now?things like Kevlar and Teflon?very few of these are made using sustainable, environmentally friendly chemistry methods,? notes Yarger. ?They usually use toxic organic solvents and lots of them. Spiders do it out of a very natural, green aqueous solution. If we could reproduce some of that, it would go a long way to an environmentally friendly, sustainable way of producing ultra-strong polymers.?
Behind the Magnetic Resonance Research Center, in the basement of ASU?s Interdisciplinary Science and Technology 1 building, there is a room full of spiders. Each spider has a name taped to its cage, like ?Beyonce,? the golden orb weaver. These big, yellow-bellied arachnids create intricate webs that can span several meters. Because of their size, the webs need to be incredibly strong to resist breaking when faced with struggling prey.
A spider enjoys a snack while waiting to be ?milked? of its silk. Photo by Pete Zrioka.A spider enjoys a snack while waiting to be ?milked? of its silk. Photo by Pete Zrioka.
There are also silver-backed Argiopes, common garden spiders found in California. These build smaller webs than the orb weavers, but their silk is highly elastic.
Across the aisle are collections of two local spiders, captured by students. One is the bright green lynx spider, a jumping spider you can find on cactus leaves. These spiders only produce dragline silk. Yarger is looking at whether the dragline silk from more primitive spiders, which only produce one type of silk, is evolutionarily conserved among later spiders that produce many.
The other local catch is the infamous black widow, highly venomous with dragline silk similar to that of the orb weavers. While imported spiders can only be obtained during certain seasons, the researchers can collect local spiders like black widows all year long.
Yarger says he often receives requests to analyze silk from other species of spiders, as well.
?We?re one of the few groups in the world that?s studying the molecular structure of silk. We have entomologists and arachnologists contact us quite often with some unique spider species, asking if we would be interested in looking at their silk,? he says. ?What they don?t realize is that these are big proteins with very complicated structures, and there are multiple proteins in one silk. We don?t spend a day determining the structure?we spend a year or two.?
As a result, the group has to be extremely choosy about what kinds of silk it will analyze. Yarger also adds that spiders and silkworms aren?t the only silk-producing creatures. He raises insects called webspinners, for example. These creatures enshroud themselves in an extremely fine silk so that predators can?t get at them.
?It?s a very strong silk and much thinner than spider silk?nanoscopic in size. We?d like to understand the nanostructure of these,? he says.
Graduate and undergraduate students help with the work in Yarger?s lab. They learn to do everything from collecting spiders and ?milking? them for silk, as well as working with the instruments and analyzing data.
?I look at it as, you need a complete education,? says Yarger, who received his own Ph.D. at ASU. ?You can?t just say, ?I worked with spider silk? and not have done some of the basics involved in that.?
TITLE:   SPIDER SILK FROM BACTERIA - GENETICALLY ENGINEERED E. COLI MEANS NO SPIDER FARMS
SOURCE:  The Chemical Engineer Today, USA
AUTHOR:  Helen Tunnicliffe
URL:     http://www.tcetoday.com/tcetoday/NewsDetail.aspx?nid=12995
SUMMARY: "ESCHERICHIA COLI bacteria have been genetically engineered to produce artificial spider dragline silk, which is five times stronger than steel and has multiple potential applications. Sang Yup Lee at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology led the research to find a viable alternative to spider-farming, which is virtually impossible due to spiders? territorial behaviour."
SPIDER SILK FROM BACTERIA - GENETICALLY ENGINEERED E. COLI MEANS NO SPIDER FARMS
Strength, extensibility, and stiffness were found to be very similar to natural spider dragline silk
ESCHERICHIA COLI bacteria have been genetically engineered to produce artificial spider dragline silk, which is five times stronger than steel and has multiple potential applications.
Sang Yup Lee at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) led the research to find a viable alternative to spider-farming, which is virtually impossible due to spiders? territorial behaviour. The E. coli bacterium was an ideal target, as it is widely used in industry and its optimum growing conditions are well-known.
Firstly, the researchers identified the portion of spider DNA which coded for silk protein expression in the spider Nephila clavipes and inserted this into the DNA of E. coli. Initial attempts to get the bacteria to produce spider dragline silk proteins were unsuccessful, as the silk is rich in the amino acid glycine and the proteins have a high molecular weight and a highly repetitive nature. High levels of stress response proteins from the bacteria were observed.
Lee tells tce that analysis of enzymes within E. coli and experiments with increasing the levels of different elements within the process led to the researchers increasing the levels of tRNAGly, an important coding structure for the protein. The genes coding for the two types of tRNAGly were overexpressed in plasmids, small rings of coding DNA found within bacteria. Raising the tRNAGly pool led to increased cell growth of 30?50% and much higher production of the highest-weight silk proteins, which was further increased by raising the levels of glycine available.
?We could obtain appreciable expression of the 285 kilodalton spider silk protein, which is the largest recombinant silk protein ever produced in E. coli. That was really incredible,? says Lee.
Yields of protein were 0.5?2.7 g/l, but Lee says that in unpublished work they have achieved yields of 4 g/l. This is comparable to a previously reported method in tce for bee silk.
Lyophilised silk proteins were dissolved and extruded into a 90% (v/v) methanol solution and after spinning, left in the coagulation solution for 20 minutes, before being cut into 50 mm lengths. These were hand-drawn to lengths of 250 mm and dried at room temperature. The fibres were then tested for strength, extensibility, and stiffness, and were found to be very similar to natural spider dragline silk.
?We have offered an overall platform for mass production of native-like spider dragline silk. This platform would enable us to have broader industrial and biomedical applications for spider silk. Moreover, many other silk-like biomaterials such as elastin, collagen, byssus, resilin, and other repetitive proteins have similar features to spider silk protein. Thus, our platform should also be useful for their efficient bio-based production and applications,? says Lee.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences doi: 10.1073/pnas.1003366107
TITLE:   IF SPIDERS AND WORMS CAN DO IT, WHY CAN'T WE?
SOURCE:  National Science Foundation, USA (NSF)
AUTHOR:  Press Release 10-129
URL:     http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?org=NSF&cntn_id=117415&preview=false
SUMMARY: "no one knows how exactly the spiders and silk worms actually make silk. Scientists have determined they don?t secrete the stuff, but instead pull it out of special glands in very specific ways. Spiders, for example, pull it with their legs, while silkworms perform a ?figure eight? dance with their heads to create the silk threads. Despite this knowledge, Omenetto and Kaplan write, ?there are still significant knowledge gaps in understanding how to reverse-engineer silk protein fibers.?"
IF SPIDERS AND WORMS CAN DO IT, WHY CAN'T WE?
Future research could spin up new medical and materials breakthroughs based on silk, but obstacles remain in quest to replicate natural silk production, scientists say in this week?s edition of Science
Imagine a material that is tougher than Kelvar or steel, yet remarkably flexible. It?s something you can easily find in your attic or a lingerie store. It?s as instantly recognizable today as it was to our early ancestors, yet we still aren?t sure exactly how it?s made.
The miracle thread in question is natural silk, the ubiquitous fibers made by spiders and silkworms, which has been used throughout history for items ranging from stockings and parachutes to surgical sutures. Today scientists and engineers are creating a number of useful materials based on silk research. But many researchers believe these applications may just be the start of a whole web of useful new products and devices, if only we had a better understanding of just how these small creatures spin their precious thread. In recent years, researchers have worked to gain a better understanding of what silk is and how it?s made, with the goal of being able to consistently replicate and enhance its production synthetically. In the July 30 edition of the journal Science, two Tufts University researchers, Fiorenzo G. Omenetto and David L. Kaplan, review the state of silk research, the challenges that remain, and why synthetic silk production is so appealing.
According to Omenetto and Kaplan, scientists understand that silk is ?a relatively simple protein processed from water.? Research has established what those proteins are, and they have determined that the properties of silk can vary a great deal depending on factors such as the outside temperature, how fast the silk is spun, and the exact type of silk created.
But no one knows how exactly the spiders and silk worms actually make silk. Scientists have determined they don?t secrete the stuff, but instead pull it out of special glands in very specific ways. Spiders, for example, pull it with their legs, while silkworms perform a ?figure eight? dance with their heads to create the silk threads. Despite this knowledge, Omenetto and Kaplan write, ?there are still significant knowledge gaps in understanding how to reverse-engineer silk protein fibers.?
The spiders and silkworms have also figured out another neat trick that, according to Omenetto and Kaplan, still evades the capabilities of their would-be mechanical copycats. When the scientists try to store silk proteins in the lab, they find they must do so under exacting conditions, or material will quickly begin to crystallize. Nature?s silk makers, on the other hand, don?t seem to have this problem. They can store the raw silk materials internally at a variety of temperatures for days and even weeks without encountering the crystallization problem, and at this point in time, the authors write, no one is sure how they do it.
One goal of silk research, Omenetto and Kaplan write, is to find a way to genetically engineer other organisms to produce custom-designed silk proteins that could then be used to produce synthetic silk for specific purposes on a large scale. This has led to genetically modified mushrooms, bacteria and even goats that are able to produce silk protein, yet none of the actual silk produced from these modified organisms matches the qualities of the stuff produced by spiders and silk worms. Once these issues are overcome, however, Omenetto and Kaplan believe that someday, plants could be modified to produce silk as a crop, like cotton is harvested today.
So why all of this focus on silk? Omenetto and Kaplan say that figuring out how to replicate and modify silk could lead to new breakthroughs in medicine, among other fields. Although silk is used in sutures today, the authors explain, it has to be coated in wax, which prevents the sutures from being gradually absorbed into the body. Modified silks could be wax free, Omenetto and Kaplan write, and could be used to safely administer drugs within the body or even create ?degradable and flexible electronic displays for improved physiological recording? of a person?s body. These and other intriguing possibilities await, Omenetto and Kaplan say, if we can just figure out how exactly the spider spins that web.
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Sep 22, 2014 | 0 comments
Well we have had another busy period since the last Newsletter in June 2014. During July Gill Whitehead from Scott Richards Solicitors successfully completed a gruelling 110km cycle ride in quite hilly conditions. Gill managed to raise a whopping £850.00 for AIMS. A huge thank you to Gill for all her hard work and for choosing to support AIMS. We have also been lucky to receive donations of £900.00 from local Masons and £200.00 from a local group called "The Songbirds" who travel to Retirement Homes and sing to the residents. What they received in donations they very kindly passed onto AIMS. We have had a great summer with swimming days proving to be immensely popular. We are lucky to have Ben Ashfield with us who is completing his Duke of Edinburgh Award. Ben has been great particularly at playing football with the older children and also helping the younger children with the cooking activities. We hope Ben will stay with us once he has completed his Award. We had a lovely picnic in Teignmouth at the end of July and a trip to the newly opened Pier. It was a lovely day and the children really enjoyed themselves playing football on the Den after lunch. We are still working on the website and hope to update this as soon as possible. The annual BBQ at The Swan Inn in Dawlish took place at the beginning of September. A massive thank you to Mark (the Landlord) and Kerry for making this such a fabulous day. Many of the regulars gave their time manning the BBQ. A big thank you to Dave, Steve, Vinny, Fairy and Rick. We had over 70 raffle prizes kindly donated. Emma and Scott at The Swan made the auction great fun. We had live music from our very own Robin Brown and friends. Joy and Di sold some delicious cakes and other treats. We raised approximately £2,300.00. All the money raised was donated to AIMS. Many of the AIMS families attended and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. We are extremely grateful to everyone that has and continues to support us. All the money raised goes towards the children and their families and enables us to plan trips out for the children. We are planning a day out at Paignton Zoo during October half-term. On 6th September 2014 we paid honour to Sandra Littlejohn. We placed a specially made plaque alongside the tree we planted in Sandra's memory in the sensory garden at Oaklands Park School. A huge thank you to local artist Michelle Greenwood-Brown who kindly made the beautiful plaque for us. Some of Sandra's relatives joined us for the occasion. We've got some fantastic activities lined up for the rest of this year and always welcome new families so please feel free to come along and visit us at Oaklands Park School on a Saturday morning.


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Disputes Between the Greek Orthodox Church and Freemasonry
Despite the fact that the Greek Orthodox church and Freemasonry are not the same religion, there are still some disputes between the two religions. These are discussed in this article. These disputes are related to Modernism and Syncretism.
Disputes between the two religions
Disputes between the Greek Orthodox Church and Freemasonry have been going on since the beginning of the seventeenth century. The most prominent is the question of whether Freemasonry is compatible with Christianity. Freemasonry is a mystery-religion and a syncretistic one at that. The Catholic Church is not alone in prohibiting Masonic Lodges.
Freemasonry is not opposed to Catholic religion, but it presents itself as an ancient Order dedicated to the Brotherhood of Man. It has its own rituals and ceremonies, and a hierarchical order. It also has its own temples.
The Masonic principle of "Humanity" places dogma on a back burner. It precludes the belief in any supernatural truth. It also argues that Christianity is superfluous and spurious.
Freemasonry is not atheistic, but its principles and practices are. The founders of Freemasonry were Christians. In fact, the Constitution of Freemasonry was prepared by a Protestant clergyman.
Patriarch Meletios was a mason
Patriarch Meletios was a mason in the Greek orthodox church. In 1909, he was consecrated in Cyprus. He was a mason for life. He also had good relations with Protestant bishops in America and England. He was given $100,000 for the Patriarchate.
He was elected Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church in 1921. His election was due to the international interests and pressures of the Greek government. The Greek Ambassador in Washington, D.C., reported that Meletios venerated the Holy Table. The Prime Minister of Greece also requested Meletios.
Patriarch Meletios adopted a new calendar. This was done in a way that is unknown to canons. The Patriarch did not recognize the "deposition" of Patriarch Tikhon by the "Living Church". The new calendar was accepted by all Orthodox Churches, but Meletios was not convinced that it was an official ecclesiastical act. He also stated that Tikhon was a confessor. He also placed Arizona under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Modernism dislikes prayer life
Despite its name, modernism is actually an intellectual movement. It's more of an ecumenical movement that tries to subvert Orthodoxy by watering it down through syncretistic ecumenical efforts.
It was introduced in the Greek Church under Masonic influence. It's not just the Greek Church; many of the senior members of the EU government are freemasons. They have their own theology, rituals, and symbols, which have crossed over into the mainstream culture.
One of the best examples of modernism is Paris, the capital of exile. It was home to many French-speaking aristocrats from Saint Petersburg, and they had an interest in hypnotism and the occult.
Modernism is an attempt to blend Orthodoxy with Western culture. It's also an attempt to hypnotize ordinary people into accepting a false Orthodoxy. They're also pushing for the introduction of homosexual marriage into the Church.
Syncretism in the Greek Orthodox Church and Freemasonry is the process of combining different religious beliefs. During the Hellenistic period, religious syncretism was prevalent. The conquest of Alexander the Great brought together diverse religious views.
The Syncretistic ecumenical movement tries to water down Orthodoxy. They introduce a new calendarism and new calendars for fixed feasts. It is a revival of the old current of Syncretism. These movements rely on Masonic teachings.
Orthodox Christianity generally looked down upon syncretistic movements. It was believed that these movements undermined confidence in other religions. In the 19th century, Freemasons infiltrated the Greek Church. During the 1930s, the Church of Greece condemned Freemasonry. It was then that a commission of four bishops was appointed by the Holy Synod of Greece to study Freemasonry. They heard reports from the Theological Faculty of the University of Athens and discussed publications on this topic. They unanimously adopted several conclusions.
Incompatible with Christianity
Considering all the hype surrounding President Trump, one can't help but wonder how much of his presidency has been devoted to religious zealotry. As a church goer, I have seen a lot of the misplaced best practices that my fellow Christians have embraced at the altar of bigotry. One can only imagine the havoc such practices wreak on the body politic as a whole. Sadly, my diocese is no exception. We have been hit with the wrath of the dragon a few times over the past few years.
The best way to combat such practices is to arm yourself with the Bible. In the end, I am a Christian and I believe that my faith has led me to stand up for what is right, not what is wrong.


Something different for the Beavers to get there hands on this week. A chance to sit on and ask questions about tractors. One of parents offered to bring along a tractor or two and talk about them. So a big thank you goes out to our parents for this activity.
All the Beavers loved looking around and sitting on top of the tractors, thankfully the keys weren't in the ignition. On top of this they learnt about the countryside code.
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