The Care Inspectorate has partnered with Luminate, Scotland's creative ageing festival which takes place annually across Scotland, to promote the importance of creativity by developing a resource to support care staff to plan and run creative arts sessions and also to work with professional artists.
Across Scotland there are a number of innovative projects taking place in care homes, aimed at promoting the arts and creative engagement to enhance the quality of life and health of people as they get older. Examples include, using technology such as iPads to make music, storytelling and poetry workshops, singing and dance projects and visual art activities. The stories are growing of the impact participating in the arts can have on a person's physical, mental, emotional and social wellbeing.
Being involved in the creative arts provides an opportunity for people to reignite a past interest, improve their skills in a particular arts form, try something new, stimulate creative thinking or enjoy the social aspect that this can bring, deepening relationships and making new ones in the care home or the local community. Older people should be able to access high quality arts and creative activities whatever their abilities, circumstances and wherever they live.
A film, in documentary style, which focuses mainly on the story of three care homes and their residents who share their experience of participating in the arts and the difference it has made to living life well. It shows artists and care home staff running arts sessions and residents taking part in creative arts in their local community.
Here are the 'recipe cards' for five different arts forms created by artists for care staff.
The arts forms are: creative dance, writing poetry, facilitating a singing session, print making and salt dough. These recipe cards will enable care staff to run a variety of creative arts sessions. They provide ideas, suggest ingredients and give a tried and tested method to follow. They also offer some tips, variations and ideas on how to progress the arts activities. The recipe cards have all been tested out in care homes with great success.
A pad of blank recipe cards is also included in the pack and you can use these to create your own recipe cards when you run a successful arts session. You can use the blank cards in your pack or you can download a blank card here. Once you have done this you can share these with others on the Care Inspectorate Hub by emailing hub@careinspectorate.gov.scot and including your completed recipe card.
There is also a card with guidance on working with artists in the form of hints and tips on working with artists - have a look at this as you may want to think about employing a professional artist to run some arts sessions too.
You can explore to find more information on arts in the care sector and read about examples of projects in the care sector.
Playlist for Life encourages families and caregivers to create a playlist of personally meaningful music on an iPod for people with dementia.
"You said you like the dancing" was a series of works created by dance artist Janice Parker in 2014 in collaboration with Town Break Day Club, for people living with dementia, in Stirling.
Living Voices is a national programme developed by the Scottish Poetry Library and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. It offers older people, usually in care homes, activities that use a mix of story, song and poetry to prompt conversation, reminiscence and creative response.
Drake Music has been running music projects in care homes in West Lothian using music technology and notation systems which allow anyone to make music.
The Napkin Project invited volunteers to embroider napkins around the theme of home, which were then gifted to a care home to be used to encourage and enable reminiscence with elderly residents.
Dance for Parkinson's is a Scottish Ballet project which enables those with Parkinson's to experience the benefits of dance and creativity, improving balance, spatial awareness, confidence and fluidity in movement.
Arts 4 Dementia work in partnership with arts organisations to develop workshops to re-energise and inspire people living with dementia in the community, to bring fulfilment to their lives - and provide opportunities for quality time with their carers and loved ones - through engagement with their chosen art form.
Creating Conversations has a gardening activity kit with activity sessions and discussion cards to encourage discussions around the theme of gardening.
Creative Scotland's Dementia and Imagination Team has published 'Dementia & Imagination: Research Informed Approaches to Visual Arts Programmes'. It is designed for artists or others who plan to deliver arts-based activities to people living with dementia.
Tales of a Grandson Roadshow - How Your Community Perth and Kinross is using the performing arts to enrich the lives of older people living in local residential care homes.


Check out our succulent seasonal lamb recipe, complete with homemade yeast butter. The perfect recipe for impressing a loved one!
Yeast. It's become a thing. And not just for bread – we're talking butter, sauces, and popcorn seasoning. Bet you weren't expecting that, were you? Lately we've seen chefs getting excited about the flavourful fungus and are using it, creatively, as an easy umami injection.
For us it's a classically British flavour – earthy, savoury and addictive. Think of it as the classier, subtler sister to Marmite. Even better, it's really easy to replicate at home. Here we've paired it with tender lamb steaks, warm hummus and griddled asparagus, a dinner that's ready in 20 minutes and will smack you round the face with flavour.
You can get fresh yeast from the bakery section of big supermarkets (just ask the baker), local bakeries and online.
In a bowl, mash together the yeast (or dried yeast paste) and butter with a little seasoning. Wrap into a log shape in clingfilm and chill.
To make the hummus, fry the onion with a little oil and a pinch of salt in a pan until translucent. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for another minute. Add the chickpeas and chicken stock and cook for 5 minutes. Tip into a food processor with the tahini and lemon juice and blitz to a purée. Return to the pan, season, stir through the parsley and keep warm.
Heat a griddle pan over a medium heat. Toss the asparagus in a bowl with 1 tbsp of oil and some seasoning. Griddle until charred and cooked through.
Heat a frying pan over a medium heat. Lightly oil and season the lamb steaks. Fry for 12 minutes on the first side, then turn over and add ¾ of the yeast butter and baste the steaks for another 2 minutes frying. Rest on a plate for a minute before serving with the remaining yeast butter, the warm hummus and asparagus.


Since Google Drive is made by Google, it of course allows you to search your files! At the top of Google Drive is a search box. The search box searches the entire file not just the file title. You can filter Google Drive to more quickly find your files.
In the search box is a dropdown arrow. Clicking on this allows you to filter your search.
The default is Google Drive will find ANY file type. If you know you want a spreadsheet, filter your results to only return these.
I usually do not want student work from last year to show up in my search results. Filter the results to a date range to find work from this semester.
If I know the title of my document, or a keyword from the title such as "Chapter 5" I will filter my Google Drive search by title. This means Google Drive does NOT search the entire document, only the title of the document. In the filter use "Item name" instead of "Has the words" to search file titles.
I am surprised how often I want to know what I've shared with a particular person. In the filter use "Shared with" to enter the email address of a collaborator. This is super handy when you're sitting down with someone to work on something. Filter by their email to instantly pull up all your documents you're working on together.


This is not another "how-to" book, but a detailed documented history on the use of Reflexology from 2,500 B.C. to the present and much more!
The author, Christine Issel, traces the history of Reflexology to Egypt, China, Japan, Europe, England, Russia and the United States. Throughout these 403 pages you will discover where Reflexology has been and where it is going. There are over 50 illustrations and photographs, extensive references, glossary and a complete index.
New Edition - This 1990 classic has been completely revised and brought up-to-date with 165 added pages including 18 mini-biographies of those who have added new thought or scientific discoveries to the field.
"Your straight forward writing style makes the book a pleasure to read. It will make an excellent textbook."
Educational Committee Chairwoman, Reflexology Association of Canada.
"I can not praise your research, organization and thoughtfulness too much!"
Editor of In Step, newsletter of the Foot Reflexology Awareness Association.
is $7.00 U.S. or $25.00 international per book.


Tiffany is the first tiny house built by Adam Lehman at A New Beginning Tiny Homes. Adam has been a remodel contractor for over 15 years, working on everything from custom cabinets to remodeling multi-million dollar houses.
The craftsman-style tiny house features a custom built stained glass front door, pocket bathroom door, and upper window. Adam also included a barrel ceiling, custom cabinetry throughout, and a reclaimed cedar tub that he built.
The full kitchen includes a 20″ propane stove, 10.3 cu ft fridge, and a walnut butcher block countertop and folding leaf dining table. There is a ton of storage space between the dresser, storage stairs, 12″ cabinets behind the master bed, and cabinets in the bathroom.
The Lutron light switches and mini split system can be controlled via an app on your phone.
Adam is selling the Tiffany tiny house for $72,000. The Tiffany sold in May 2017. Congrats to the new owners!
Make sure to watch Adam's video tour on Facebook!
Also available from A New Beginning Tiny Homes: Sportsman.


Infill development typically involves creating a new section behind or in front of an existing house. In most cases the existing house was not sited or designed with this in mind, which can lead to poor design outcomes when trying to maximise the size of the new site and house.
Rear lot development should be avoided and only used where a comprehensive development or other outcome is not possible. This is because it can create issues around houses overlooking each other, and the loss of private open space at the rear of the existing house.
The location of boundaries and how they are treated need to be considered to maintain privacy and allow good quality spaces to be created around the existing house.
The existing house should, after subdivision of the site and construction of an infill dwelling, meet the same design standards as any new housing.
This includes access to sunny, private outdoor space linked to a living area, a good relationship to the street and direct and easy access to parking.
Moving the existing house forward or back can create a better relationship to the newly created site, other houses and spaces around the house.
This may be practicable and financially viable, and can add value to the existing house and any new houses on the newly created site.


Mark McGwire only Used "Legal Steroids".
Professional Baseball Player Mark McGwire never used Anabolic Steroids. This has been confirmed. The anabolics he he admitted to using, were in fact what they refer to as "legal steroids". These types of muscle building supplements ARE NOT banned by the FDA, or illegal, BUT they may be banned for use in sports competition. What Mark McGwire was acused of using was a product shortly referred to as "ANDRO". Although the chemical name "DeHydroEpiAndrosterone" sounds very pharmaceutical, this is actually nothing more than a product you will find at every nutrition store in America – DHEA. That's right. It's sold at Walmart, Sam's club, Costco, Rite Aid, Walgreens, and just about any other store that sells vitamins.
McGwire became a household name in 1998 when he faced off against Chicago Cub Sammy Sosa as they both battled it out for the MLB home run record. McGwire prevailed, hitting 70 home runs in a single season. Despite this accomplishment, McGwire's name continues to be mired by the ongoing investigations into steroid use in professional baseball.
While no legal action has been taken against McGwire, he has suffered in the court of public opinion. In his first year of Hall of Fame eligibility, he received less than a quarter of possible votes.


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Debate & Discussion: When is it a workers' party?
Submitted by Anon on 10 September, 2003 - 2:03
Martin Thomas
To "campaign for a workers' party" means three things:
1. Setting out and grouping people round basic working-class political objectives-independent working-class political representation, a workers' government, a working-class "Third Camp" in international politics.
2. Arguing for working-class socialist unity, in the form of a new Socialist Alliance-a new regroupment of the left which rejects the SWP's hijack of the present Alliance and continues what that Alliance started out to do.
3. Developing a consistent policy in the unions to mobilise them against the New Labour political machine-including within the Labour structures-and towards reasserting themselves politically.
At the Socialist Alliance conference in May a range of us joined in supporting a composite calling for a "campaign for a workers' party".
It meant that we wanted an open, democratic, multi-tendency socialist party, with the best characteristics of the Scottish Socialist Party or Rifondazione Comunista.
The term "workers' party" a suggested that we wanted to define the politics as not just "socialist" but working-class.
Those general ideas were worth voting for as against the SWP's old desire to keep the Alliance as an "electoral united front", switched on or off according to election schedules, or its new desire to make the Alliance no more than the cloak the SWP wears when it goes courting for a new electoral coalition with (if it can get them) mosque worthies, the Islamic fundamentalists of MAB, the Greens, and the CPB.
And the smaller groups in the Socialist Alliance and the unaffiliated activists-why wouldn't we want a party with the best characteristics of the SSP or Rifondazione? We'd be crazy not to want a broader, livelier framework for our political activity.
But such parties are not got just by wishing for them, or even "campaigning" for them in the abstract. For the SSP, the Militant group in Scotland first had to build a bit of a working-class base in Glasgow, through many years of activity. Rifondazione came through a split-off of a large chunk of the old mass Italian Communist Party.
In practical terms, to raise the call for a workers' party as something for the present Socialist Alliance to do is to raise the demand for the SWP to restructure the Alliance on the basis of a much higher level of political life, internal and external. The SWP is going in the opposite direction. It is liquidating all the "workers' party" elements and potentialities in the Alliance. We should continue arguing and working with as many SWP members as possible at local levels; we should be on the look-out for possible large-scale crises in the SWP; but "demands" from us will not change the direction of the SWP as a whole.
1. We can't be contented with just being an opposition within the existing Socialist Alliance. The present Alliance is less and less a framework for positive, fruitful unity. It is more and more a means to annex a few other groups and individuals to an SWP project. Unity for a workers' party? That needs a new regroupment, a new Socialist Alliance.
We can fight within the present Alliance as long as openings remain-but start making the links for a new Alliance. It probably depends on some force like the Socialist Party, or a large split-off from the SWP, coming in to make the alliance viable. We should start arguing now.
2. Unity has to be positive working-class socialist unity. A very wide range of people within the present Socialist Alliance should be united on particular issues, for example of democracy within the Alliance. But we need more than single issues. "Campaign for a workers' party" is not a single issue. It is a cryptogram for almost everything socialists do in politics. It must be decrypted.
3. If defining positive politics divides the anti-SWP forces, so be it. To make anti-SWP unity the prime principle of politics is sectarian in the true sense of the word. A small group may play a big role by virtue of sharp, distinctive ideas; a large and lively movement may be important even with very confused ideas. A grouping with neither numbers nor sharp ideas can yield nothing.
A real campaign for a workers' party should promote the goals of independent working-class political representation, a workers' government, and a working-class "Third Camp" in conflicts such as those between the USA and various Islamic-fundamentalist paleo-imperialists.
Like it or not, that means taking a stand on the Galloway issue.
Individuals can opt out-just go to the pub instead when a Galloway meeting is ballyhooed as "the" left fringe meeting at their union conference, or set up as the great assembly-point of the "new coalition" in their city.
An organised political force cannot opt out. Either it helps promote Galloway as the new icon of the left (with this or that delicate reservation), or it explains openly why that is wrong. Only the second course is compatible with any sort of genuine workers' party.
4. We need to look at the "workers' party" issue in the sense that old Labour was a "workers' party" of sorts-the mass base-at the same time as we develop the political ideas and regroup the activists to make sure a new mass workers' party is one of a very different sort, politically, from old Labour. Above and beyond schemes for regrouping the existing left activists, we need a clear political direction for the unions.
There is no unity among the non-SWP left on this issue. It must be discussed. We believe that the basic guiding principle should be independent working-class representation in politics. Socialists should have a major focus on getting unions to fight for their own policies within the Labour structures and call to account their representatives within those structures. That focus can sharpen the conflicts in the union-Labour link and group together a substantial body of unions for a a head-on clash with the Blair machine. It can be combined with selective union support for independent working-class candidates against New Labour.
Some agree with the SSP and SP line of arguing for unions to disaffiliate now from the Labour Party and to affiliate either to the SSP or to a somehow-instantly-formed new mass workers' party. We believe that line can achieve no more than getting individual leftish unions hived off, probably into a non-political stand, and easing the tensions in the union-Labour link rather than sharpening them.
Some would go along with the new RMT policy of selectively backing different parties, including the SSP but also the Greens and Plaid Cymru.
Although we see a great deal positive in the RMT's open attack on Blair and its support for the SSP, we are against the RMT being disaffiliated from Labour-or reducing its affiliation to a nominal level, as it has already done-and against support by unions for middle-class radical parties like the Greens and Plaid.
US unionists pass historic general strike vote
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Thirteen murdered working-class women
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US workers plan for Trump coup
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US: "Mobilise on the streets"
We spoke to Traven Leyshon on the day of the US Presidential election.
Solidarity 036, 4 September 2003Left unity 'Respect' and George Galloway Socialist AllianceUnions & politics

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Irie Takako
Born: 1911/2/7
Died: 1995/1/12
Japanese: 入江たか子 (Irie Takako)
Irie Takako was an actress and early Japanese film star. She was best known for her role as the tragic heroine in the 1933 film Taki no shiraito, directed by Mizoguchi Kenji, and started her own production company, Irie-puro, in 1932.
Born in Tokyo the daughter of Viscount Higashibôjô, her real name was Higashibôjô Hideko.[1] She made her film debut at age 16 in the 1927 film Kechinbo Chôja produced by the studio Nikkatsu,[1] taking on the stagename Irie Takako from the beginning. She appeared in three films by Mizoguchi Kenji the following year, Tokai kôkyôgaku ("Metropolitan Symphony"), Asahi no kagayaku ("The Morning Sun Shines"), and Tôkyô kôshinkyoku ("Tokyo March").
In 1930, at the age of 19, she served as the model for a folding screen painting by Nihonga painter Nakamura Daizaburô which was featured at the 1930 Teiten ("Imperial Exhibition"), and is now in the collection of the Honolulu Academy of Arts. The painting depicts her in a scarlet furisode with a pastel green obi with gold leaf designs, white tabi and green zôri, lounging on a Western-style chaise. The painting became one of several works by Daizaburô to inspire dolls, and a number of the toys, complete with their own miniature chaise furniture, were produced in the early 1930s. She had met the painter when he served as an artistic director at the film studio.
Two years later, alongside director Mizoguchi Kenji, she produced the film Manmô kenkoku no reimei ("Dawn of the Founding of Manchukuo and Mongolia") under the auspices of her own production company, Irie-puro.
She played many supporting roles in the postwar period, and starred in a number of films as well, including the 1958 film Kaidan Saga Yashiki, as a demon cat actress. She died at age 83 in 1995.
Brown, Kendall et al (eds.). Taishô Chic: Japanese Modernity, Nostalgia, and Deco. Honolulu Academy of Arts, 2001. pp70-77.
↑ 1.0 1.1 "Irie Takako." Nihon Jinmei Daijiten. Kodansha, 2009. Accessed via Kotobank.jp, 4 May 2011.
Retrieved from "http://samurai-archives.com/w/index.php?title=Irie_Takako&oldid=20276"
Last edited on 5 May 2011, at 03:02


"After graduating from high school, I decided that I would like to open my own hair salon. When I came to register at Cedar Valley for the first time, the advisor asked me what my major was and I really wasn't sure, but I said I wanted to have my own business. The advisor informed me that a degree in marketing would be excellent for me and would provide me with the essentials I needed to start a business.
"The learning experience was phenomenal. I gained knowledge and valuable experience I still use today. After graduating from Cedar Valley with an associate degree in sales, marketing and retail management, I had a new outlook on life and found a new interest in education. Now I have a career I love.
"One of the greatest things about my experience at DCCCD was the faculty. They were very hands-on and made sure that everyone in the class understood the topics discussed. The faculty was there every step of the way offering me support, encouragement and assistance when needed.
"DCCCD provided me with a foundation that has helped me in my educational and professional endeavors. I would encourage any student to make DCCCD their first choice when deciding to pursue a degree or certificate.
Timica L. Patterson is an instructional specialist II and adjunct faculty member for the Management, Marketing and Business Administration programs at Cedar Valley College. She provides instructional support to traditional and distance education students who are pursuing degrees or certificates in one or more of the college's degree programs.
She holds an associate degree in marketing from Cedar Valley College, a bachelor's degree in applied technology and performance improvement from the University of North Texas and a master's degree in training and performance improvement from Capella University, an online university based in Minnesota.


It's almost forced to associate Souls games with poetry. But the way in which players read the Dark Souls and Bloodbornes, makes poetics an apt corollary..
I've come to realize FromSoftware's lack of exposition actually creates a greater level of narrative interactivity than traditional storytelling in games and even film. To grasp the stories with any competency the games demand you read into their lore in the active way difficult poetry must be read to be understood.
The poetic aesthetic is From's storytelling trademark: provocative obfuscation aka wtf does this mean.
The story in Dark Souls exists within and among the sweeping castle vistas, the direction statues pray, the lore ridden flavor text on items, the cackle following mysterious NPC dialogue, the combat encounters, and the mythos gilded architecture.
Cutscenes are rare and often only serve to send you further down a Berserkian rabbit hole. Character interactions bring little solace in the form of resolution, but they pique our interest.
The gameplay teaches us to read the subtle, hidden, and blatant tells of our enemies. Defeating opponents in Souls games comes down to gathering knowledge, observing to understand. The narrative expects as much, if not more.
Retreading the same spaces and collecting pieces of an inferred narrative recreates the experience of slogging through poetry. Rereading lines and single out specific words to find meaning. And when I say poetry I'm not talking about r.m. drake, but something closer to the challenging Epics like Homer's Iliad or like Alec from RPS observed, Beowulf.
These poems are violent, inscrutable, action packed, and thematically rich in their text. They're inexhaustible in meaning, in ways to be read. The inexhaustibility prompts a need in the reader to interpret. And good poetry cannot be read without interpretation.
It takes work to uncover how a poem works, what it's saying and what it's not. The act of reading poetry is an act of searching for a subjective truth. But it's often in the work, in the creating theories and discovering something new in a line or stanza that we learn invaluable things.
In Souls games that work may not lead to the depths of classic poetry, but chances are that when you start explicating the payout will be more than a sweet new armor set.


The Open Government Partnership (OGP) was launched in 2011. With almost 60 member countries it is growing into a vibrant community on open government, transparency and accountability. Citizen participation and embracing the potential of new technology are two key pillars for achieving this, and this is where it coincides with key IGF topics such as access, openness and governance. Furthermore, the two platforms have similar thoughts on the strength of dynamic partnerships among stakeholders from the public and private spheres. IGF has dynamic coalitions and a animated annual meeting, OGP has in-country multi-stakeholder dynamics and a governance model that shares responsibility between civil society and governments. With IGF being in it's 7th year, for PGP there is much to learn.


We are pleased to announce our special offer of hops for home brewing in 1Kg blocks. These blocks are aimed at the keen home brewer or they could be shared within a brewing group. I understand that home brewers often want to buy larger quantities to benefit from a more favourable pricing structure. Hence this special offer which is for a trial period only to see how this idea is received.
Please note – with this special offer of hops for home brewing in 1Kg blocks, each block can only be ordered individually and posted singly. I reserve the right to withdraw this offer if I need to preserve 100gm stocks of any variety for our smaller home brewing customers.
Hop picking is over for another year, the crop has been harvested and dried which means A Bushel of Hop's Shop is now open for this season's hops. My hops are not bought in, they are grown and packaged on the farm. Packaging begins as soon as hop picking is finished to get the freshest, 'hop-garden to brew-pot', hops possible for the home brewer.
After listening to brewers, the other change instigated this year is our uprated packaging. Even though I only sell hops from the current season, this new 100% foil packaging allows hops to remain even more freshly vacuum packed as it prevents all ingress of light and oxygen. It is still important that packets are stored in a cool place or they can be frozen.
I also understand that some home brewers believe they sometimes get the raw end of the deal where hops are concerned when compared to the larger breweries. My primary aim at A Bushel of Hops is to grow and supply the home brewer. To this end I grow small quantities of different varieties, some not normally available elsewhere and sometimes in minute quantities from only a couple of plants. As an English hop grower it is important to me that home brewers can enjoy freshly packed English grown hops. This is the reason I put a 'use by date' on all my hops, to keep in line with my own commitment, to only sell the current seasons hops policy.


text:
Q: Draw a circular transparent hole into UIView for given rect I am trying to create a circular transparent hole into my UIview with the following code, and this code makes the correct hole based on given rect. In my situation I have few rects which are individual and few of them are overlapped,for all those rect which are getting overlapped and not getting transparent holes over intersection rect area because of fill rule kCAFillRuleEvenOdd.How can I modify the same code so it can work for individual rects and all other overlapped rect and create transparent holes into view?
let overlay = UIView(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: width,height: height))
overlay.backgroundColor = UIColor(red: 0, green: 0, blue: 0, alpha: 0.4)

// Create the path.
let path = UIBezierPath(rect: view.frame)
let maskLayer = CAShapeLayer()
maskLayer.frame = view.frame

for rectFrame in rects {
    // Create the frame for the circle.
    let rect = CGRect(x: rectFrame.origin.x, y: rectFrame.origin.y, width: 38, height: 38)

    // Append the circle to the path so that it is subtracted.
    path.append(UIBezierPath(ovalIn: rect))
}

maskLayer.fillRule = kCAFillRuleEvenOdd
maskLayer.path = path.cgPath

// Set the mask of the view.
view.layer.mask = maskLayer

self.overlayLayer.addSubview(overlay)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Is This Winter Blues or Something More?
It's heart wrenching, frustrating, infuriating. Take steps to manage your child's refusal to go to school.
Everyone has feelings of anxiety, nervousness, tension and stress from time to time. Here are five ways to help manage them.
Adding these five simple actions to your regular routine can help you avoid that "bogged down by stress" feeling.
If you knew that your child was engrossed in the story of a schoolgirl's suicide, how would you respond?
Each year, millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental health condition.
National Creative Arts Therapies Week (CATs Week) occurs annually in the United States and Canada, during the month of March.


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Вугор електричний  (Electrophorus electricus) — вид гімнотоподібних риб родини Гімнотові (Gymnotidae) роду Електричний вугор (Electrophorus). Риба, яка генерує розряд струму напругою 300–650 V і силою 0,1–1 А. Така напруга може вбити людину, що перебуває поблизу. Статевозрілий електричний вугор досягає майже трьох метрів у довжину тоді, як його товщина становить близько десяти сантиметрів. Три електричні органи займають майже 80% тіла вугра, решту 20% становлять інші органи, які виконують життєво важливі функції (розмноження, дихання, травлення тощо).

Поширення
Ці риби мешкають у річках, що впадають до Оріноко й Амазонки, а також у болотах північно-східної частини Південної Америки. Зустрічаються в таких країнах: Бразилія, Французька Гвіана, Гаяна, Перу, Суринам, Венесуела.

Історія
Перші відомості про електричного вугра європейці отримали від іспанських завойовників у XVII столітті. Перший детальний опис було зроблено 1729 року. 1766 року Карл Ліней описав вид на основі праць нідерландського дослідника Яна Гроновіуса і дав йому наукову назву Gymnotus electricus. Натуралісти не одразу повірили, що ці риби завдають удару саме електрикою. Припускали, наприклад, що вони якимось загадковим способом «заморожують» людську руку або стрімко б'ють по ній. Уже було відомо, що живі істоти й вода проводять струм, тому твердження, що провідник, який плаває у провідникові, може генерувати електрику, не могло бути прийняте без вагомих доказів. У червні 1772 член Королівського товариства сер Джон Уолш довів, що удари вугра мають електричний характер.

Точніші відомості вперше зібрав лише Александер фон Гумбольдт. «В Антильському морі — повідомляє він, водиться риба, звана іспанцями Tembladoris, тобто «тремтяча»; це рід вугра, надзвичайно рухливий і численний у великих річках Південної Америки. Ловля цих вугрів за допомогою сіток майже неможлива, оскільки ця прудка риба з неймовірною швидкістю заривається в мул». Гумбольдт, прикладаючи до вологого тіла вугра два провідники на відстані навіть 1 см, отримував іскри.

Ємність «батарей» електричного вугра вперше розрахував Майкл Фарадей: вона дорівнювала 15 зарядженим лейденським банкам із загальною робочою поверхнею елементів 2250 квадратних метрів.

Вивчав електричного вугра й Чарльз Дарвін. Він досліджував проблему еволюційного розвитку електричних органів. У книзі «Походження видів» учений писав: «Загальновизнано близьку подібність цих органів зі звичайними м'язами як за внутрішньою будовою й розподілом нервів, так і за впливом на них різних реактивів. <…> Далі цього наше пояснення нині не сягають, але <…> було б украй сміливо стверджувати, що не існувало жодних переходів, якими міг йти градуальний розвиток цих органів».

1864 року американський іхтіолог Теодор Гіл виділив окремий рід Electrophorus.

Прорив у дослідженні електричних риб здійснив у середині XX століття Ганс Вернер Ліссманн, що народився у місті Миколаєві й з 1934 року працював у Кембриджі. 1958 року, після семи років плідних експериментів і польових досліджень, у «Journal of experimental biology» оприлюднено його статтю — «Про функції та еволюцію електричних органів риб». Ліссманн переконливо доводив, що електричні органи мормирових і гімнотових риб потрібні для орієнтування та спілкування.

Опис

Електричні вугри — великі риби, тіло довге й змієподібне; середня довжина дорослих особин становить 1—1,5 м, найбільший із відомих екземплярів сягав майже триметрової довжини. Вага — до 20 кг (максимальна — 45 кг). Шкіра в електричного вугра гола, без луски; тіло дуже видовжене, округле в передній частині й трохи стисле з боків у задній. Вугри мають зябра, проте дихають переважно атмосферним повітрям.

Густі, в'язкі шкірні покриви тіла E. electricus виконують функції захисного шару, часто від їхнього ж електричного струму. Забарвлення дорослих електричних вугрів оливково-коричневе, нижній бік голови й горла яскраво-жовтогарячі, край анального плавця світлий, очі смарагдово-зелені. Забарвлення молодих риб світліше, вохристого відтінку, іноді з мармуровим малюнком.

Плавальний міхур дуже великий й у великих екземплярів сягає 80 см. Визначено, що електричний вугор має добре розвинений слух. Вони мають апарат Вебера, який з'єднує вухо з плавальним міхуром, що значно розширює можливості їхнього слуху. Ця риба має маленькі очі й поганий зір.

Бічна лінія розташована у верхній частині тіла й ледь помітна. У ній є електричні клітини-рецептори, якими вугор помічає найменші зміни тиску й вібрацію у воді.

Специфічні риси анатомії
Спинного й черевного плавців у електричного вугра немає, а грудні дуже невеликі й вочевидь, є лише стабілізаторами під час руху риби. Основним органом руху вугра слугує величезний анальний плавець, що налічує до 350 променів і тягнеться від анального отвору до кінця хвоста. За допомогою рухів цього плавця вугор з однаковою легкістю може пересуватися вперед та назад, угору й униз. Промені анального плавця рухаються двома групами м'язів, а саме — , прикріплених до spina internalis і розташованих назовні musculi pinnales anales externalis.

Довгий час, від часу опису виду, вважалося, що плавець, який розташований уздовж нижнього краю більшої частини тіла, складається лише з анального плавця, а хвостовий плавець повністю зредукований. Проте жодних серйозних досліджень цього питання упродовж 200 років не робилося. 2013 року дослідники на основі онтогенетичних досліджень і за допомогою радіографічного обстеження дійшли висновку про наявність у цього виду каудального скелета. Хвостовий плавець складається з кісткової хвостової пластинки — гіпуралії, яка злилася з кінцевою центральною пластинкою хребта (terminal centrum) і кількох променів (лепідотріхій), що виходять із неї.

Рот вугра спереду обмежується міжщелепною кісткою, а з боків — верхньою щелепою. Плечовий пояс прикріплено до голови. Наявна сліпа кишка, а задній прохід переміщений уперед до грудних плавників. Яйцепровід має вигляд кишки, статеві залози з вихідною протокою.

Електричні органи

4/5 усього тіла вкрито електричними органами, які розташовані безпосередньо під шкірою і становлять близько третини ваги всього тіла. Усього їх три — це органи Гантера та Мена, які виробляють високу напругу і мають захисне призначення, та орган Сакса, що виробляє невеликі струми для спілкування та навігації. Кінчик хвоста діє як позитивний полюс батареї, а голова виступає як негативний полюс. Встановлено, що електричні органи формуються, коли тіло сягає розміру 15 мм. Спочатку вони застосовуються лише для орієнтації, а коли розмір сягає понад 40 мм  — і для нападу.

Тканина цього органу є червонувато-жовтою драглистою масою; з нею утворюється 4 органи у вигляді довгастих пластин; одна пара лежить у спинній частині, а друга — у нижній ділянці хвоста. Кожен орган складається з пластинок (до 5000 штук), які розділено поперечними перетинками з багатьма поздовжніми перетинками. Найдрібніші призматичні клітини наповнено драглистим вмістом і розділено тонкими перетинками. Перетинки розташовані на відстані від 0,8 до 2,5 мм одна від одної. До органів підходять численні нервові волокна.

Ще наприкінці XVIII століття вченими було встановлено, що нервові імпульси мають електрохімічну природу. Інакше кажучи, було доведено, що нервові сигнали — рух іонів крізь мембрану нейроцита. У спокійному стані або бездіяльності клітини його мембрани мають негативний потенціал (усередині депонуються іони К+), а зовні скупчуються як негативні, так і позитивні іони (йони натрію і калію). У процесі потрапляння іонів натрію всередину клітини потенціал змінюється на позитивний. У звичайному стані, завдяки дії «натрієвого насоса», клітина позбувається йонів натрію.

Сила електричного удару вугра дуже велика. У середньому напруга під час розряду трохи перевищує 350 В, однак у деяких випадках було виміряно напруги до 500 В. Струм, що виникає, досить слабкий, його сила зазвичай становить частки ампера. Щоправда, було зафіксовано розряди з напругою 650 В і силою струму 2 А, себто потужністю 1000 Вт. Перші удари електричного вугра найсильніші, але при повторенні вони слабшають. Великий вугор може сильно вразити людину й велику тварину; дрібних тварин він убиває вмить.

Спосіб життя

Мешкає у заплавах річок, болотах, струмках, малих річках і прибережних рівнинах, поодинці. Більшу частину свого життя вугор перебуває на дні, серед водоростей. Він мало рухається й піднімається на поверхню лише для дихання.

Суходолом вугор пересуватися не може, як і перебиратися по вологому мулу. Улітку, коли вода висихає, вугор заривається, для чого викопує собі нору.

Характеристика біотопу
Електричний вугор мешкає на болотистій території, де розкидано багато стариць, ставків, озер, які поступово заростають і стають болотами, та просто ям, воду до яких майже щодня підливають теплі зливи. Усю товщу води пронизують стебла, листя, коріння, до води тягнуться пагони болотяної рослинності. Період посиленого росту місцевих рослин припадає на січень — березень, коли опадів випадає трохи більше, ніж в інші пори року. Температура стоячої води біля поверхні вдень сягає 35–40 °C, уночі — до 28–30 °C. Дно вкриває товстий шар напівзігнилих гілок, листя дерев і болотяної трави. У такій каламутній і гнилій воді вугор відпочиває й ховається.

Найтиповішими підводними рослинами у цьому куточку світу є елодея, ехінодорус і наяс. Поряд із ними ростуть кілька видів уруті, кабомба, роголисник, валіснерія, папороть сітчаста. На поверхні води плавають листки папороті, водяних гіацинтів, ряска і сальвінія. Серед риб найбільше видів із ряду харациноподібних. Також мешкають різні види черепах і кайманів.

Дихання
Вугор мешкає на мулистому дні або у спокійних стоячих водах. У цих слабопроточних, дуже зарослих, замулених водоймах часто виникає нестача кисню. Імовірно, саме ця обставина зумовила розвиток у ротовій порожнині електричного вугра особливих ділянок судинної тканини, які дають йому змогу засвоювати кисень безпосередньо з атмосферного повітря. Вугри отримують майже 80% кисню, через їх високо васкуляризований рот. Для захоплення нової порції повітря вугор має підніматися до поверхні води, принаймні, один раз на п'ятнадцять хвилин, але зазвичай він робить це частіше. Якщо електричного вугра позбавити такої можливості, то він загине (захлинеться чи втопиться, хоч як це не парадоксально звучить стосовно риби). Здатність електричного вугра дихати атмосферним киснем дозволяє йому впродовж декількох годин без усякої шкоди для себе перебувати поза водою.

Використання електроенергії
Електроенергія виникає в тілі всіх тварин, зокрема, і в людини. Електроімпульси передаються нервовими волокнами до нейронів головного мозку, саме так передаються різноманітні сигнали, які сприймає організм. Особливі електрооргани служать рибам для орієнтації, захисту, полювання й спілкування. Електричні розряди здатні видавати близько 250 видів риб. Електричні органи служать насамперед для орієнтування, а також є знаряддям полювання й захисту. Однак, серед усіх представників фауни лише два види риб (вугри і скати) виробляють заряд такої сили, що може паралізувати або навіть убити людину. У тілі вугрів і скатів настільки потужна електрика, що вони здатні застосовувати її як зброю.

Навігація

Як і всі електричні риби, електричні вугри здатні застосовувати слабкі електричні сигнали для навігації та соціальної комунікації з іншими електричними вуграми у темряві або в каламутній воді. Для орієнтації риба застосовує слабку напругу (10 V), а електричне поле простягається у радіусі 5 метрів. Орієнтування риб ув їхньому електричному середовищі подібне до ехолокації у кажанів або дельфінів. Деякі з електричних рецепторів налаштовані на виявлення неелектричних риб, інші спеціалізовані для виявлення сигналів родичів. Здатність виявляти електричні сигнали дозволяє вуграм відчувати навіть серцебиття інших риб. Вони отримують кращу «картинку» навколишнього середовища, якщо тіло, через яке проходить електричне поле, є порівняно твердим.

Полювання

Для полювання вугор застосовує напругу 300–600 V. Атака електричного вугра складається з 4–8 розрядів, проте вони короткі: тривають лише дві–три тисячних секунди. Наблизившись до жертви, вугор здійснює електричний розряд, і переслідувана риба, а також усі живі істоти навколо, впадають у заціпеніння — вугрові залишається тільки вибирати найбільш відповідну здобич. Широко розкривши пащу, він одну за одною ковтає риб, крабів і менших тварин; під час ковтання він сопе і зчиняє шум, чутний здалеку. Коли вугра електричного спіймають у рибальській сітці, іншу рибу часто знаходять мертвою через удари вугра.

Вплив на людей і тварин
Вугор електричний є небезпекою для всіх водяних мешканців. Черепахи, жаби, ящірки, навіть крокодили прагнуть віддалитися від того басейну, де поселилися вугри.

Відомо мало випадків загибелі людей після зустрічі з електричним вугром. Німецький натураліст XIX століття Александр фон Гумбольдт, який наступив на електричного вугра, скаржився, що «весь день відчував гострий біль у колінах і майже в усіх суглобах». Інший дослідник — Бажон підняв одного разу цю рибу за хвіст і отримав при цьому такий удар, що мало не впав, опісля у нього довго боліла голова; також Бажон писав, що кішка, яка хотіла вкусити напівмертвого вугра, зі страшним криком і в судомах відскочила. Те ж саме сталося із собакою, яка лизнула вугра.

Численні електричні удари можуть призвести до дихальної або серцевої недостатності, через що людина може потонути навіть на мілководді. Нападає вугор без попередження і не намагається сховатися, навіть якщо розміри противника перевищують його власні у десятки разів. Тому, якщо на шляху людини виник електричний вугор, людині краще поступитися. Радіус дії струму риби метрового розміру — понад 3 м.

Живлення
Електричні вугри живляться безхребетними, хоча дорослі вугри можуть також споживати рибу й невеликих ссавців. Молодь їсть безхребетних (креветки, краби). Риба знаходить здобич за допомогою електричних органів, які дозволяють їй виявити жертву, навіть якщо вона нерухома. На полювання електричні вугри виходять уночі. Чутливі сенсори фіксують і невеликі електричні імпульси, що викликані рухами м'язів інших риб, наприклад, під час дихання останніх. Помітивши зграю риб, рака, який вибрався з нори, або жабу, що сидить на листі латаття, вугор наближається до них і запускає свою «електростанцію». Усе живе, що опинилося в зоні дії електричного розряду, переважно не гине, але перебуває в шоковому стані й не здатне рухатись, а вугор спокійно поїдає найбільш ласу здобич. Повторні удари струмом можуть убити не тільки дрібну здобич, а й великих ссавців і людину. Вугор має тільки один ряд дрібних зубів, тому вчені роблять припущення, що він полює лише на дрібну здобич, яку ковтає цілком.

Розмноження
Про розмноження й розвиток електричних вугрів, як й інших гімнотових риб, відомо мало. Дотепер не вдалося знайти яку-небудь помітну особливість, яка дозволила б визначати стать риби. Цілком можливо, що, як й інші види риб, що здатні виробляти електричне поле, вугри застосовують електричні органи для обміну даними про належність до певної статі, вік і готовність до парування. Відповідно до нечисленних спостережень, під час розмноження електричні вугри залишають звичні місця перебування й повертаються до них уже в супроводі молоді, яка починає самостійне життя, коли досягає довжини 10–12 см. Про потомство дбають обоє батьків. Паруються електричні вугри під час сухого сезону. Яйця розміщують у добре прихованому гнізді, зробленому самцем зі слини. Максимальна плодючість — до 17 000 яєць. У польових спостереженнях було зафіксовано в середньому 1200 ембріонів. Зазвичай мальки, народжені першими, поїдають яйця, які самиця відклала пізніше.

Вивчення і використання

Вивчення
Дослідники Цзянь Сюй (Jian Xu) з Єльського університету і Девід Ла Вен (David LaVan) з Національного інституту стандартів і технологій (NIST) стверджують, що не тільки можуть повторити електричні характеристики клітин електричного вугра, але й поліпшити їх. Штучні версії клітин вугра, які генерують електроенергію, можуть бути розроблені як джерела живлення для медичних імплантатів та інших мікроскопічних пристроїв. Електрогенерувальні клітини вугра можна модифікувати і застосовувати для невеликих електромеханічних пристроїв. Вони розробили математичну модель, яка, за їхніми словами, перевершує попередні за точністю. З її допомогою вони визначили необхідні константи й потім побудували модель ідеальної електричної клітини. Згідно з розрахунками математиків, ефективність електропостачання вугра за допомогою молекулярного дизайну можна підвищити аж на 40%. Кластер зі штучних клітин здатний давати постійний струм потужністю 300 мкВт і підтримувати функціонування невеликого електромеханічного пристрою.

Вживання в їжу
М'ясо електричного вугра досить рідко вживають у їжу, хоча воно доволі смачне. Електричний орган має бридкий смак, тому його ретельно відокремлюють. Розповідають, що раніше їх добували цікавим способом. Перед початком полювання до водойми, багатої вуграми, заганяли стадо корів або коней, на яких струм такої сили не діє. Вугри, бороняючись від «загарбників» водойми, обстрілювали їх електричними «залпами» й швидко розряджали свої батареї. Тоді рибалки заходили до води й били «обеззброєних» вугрів списами.

Акваріумістика

Електричні вугри добре утримуються в неволі й часто слугують прикрасою великих прилюдних акваріумів. Гарних результатів вдається досягти в тому випадку, коли вода в акваріумі міняється не надто часто. Інакше на тілі електричних вугрів утворюються виразки, і вони незабаром гинуть. Це явище, вочевидь, пов'язане з тим, що слиз, який виділяють вугри, містить якийсь антибіотик, що накопичується у воді й охороняє риб від виразкових захворювань. Риба досить добре адаптується до життя в неволі. Деякі аматори демонструють унікальні здібності вугра за допомогою електролампочки, проводи якої опущено до акваріуму. Відчувши потенційну здобич (дрібні рибки, шматочки корму), електричний вугор починає генерувати у водному середовищі електричні розряди. Для того, щоб почути статичні шуми, що виникають унаслідок електророзрядів, на акваріум встановлюють звукопідсилювачі. Спілкування з таким домашнім вихованцем — справа досить небезпечна. У Лондонському зоопарку вугор одного разу сильно вдарив електричним струмом служителя, який його годував. Інший вугор почав генерувати електричні розряди, коли його переносили в металевій коробці і служителю довелося кинути коробку на землю.

Військова справа
Унікальні здібності вугра вивчають уже понад століття. Під час Другої світової війни вугрів використовували в експериментах з вивчення впливу нервово-паралітичних газів, які блокують передачу нервових імпульсів і, таким чином, здатних порушити функціональну діяльність життєво важливих органів (серце, легені, травна система). Через два роки після вступу до війни Сполучених Штатів, до Нью-Йорка було доставлено двісті електричних вугрів, спійманих у Південній Америці. У зоопарку в Бронксі для них влаштували двадцять два дерев'яних басейни. Нервово-паралітичні гази інгібують розщеплення ацетилхоліну (медіатора) після того, як він блокує «натрієвий насос» нейрона. Як правило, ацетилхолін в організмі одразу ж розщеплюється після того, як виконає свою основну функцію. Гідролітичні процеси управляється ферментом (холінестераза). Саме нервово-паралітичні гази блокують активність вказаного ензиму.

Електричний орган вугра характеризуються значним вмістом холінестерази. Військові фахівці використовували електричних вугрів як джерело цього ферменту, який був потрібен для вивчення механізму дії нервово-паралітичних газів на організм людини.

Використання для освітлення
2008 року в Японії в провінції Гіфу електричного вугра, який мешкає в акваріумі прісноводих риб світу, використали з незвичною метою — він запалював гірлянду на різдвяній ялинці. Щоразу, коли електричний вугор у своєму акваріумі торкався прокладеного там мідного дроту, на ялинці спалахували вогники. Цю ялинку назвали «Ялинкою вугра» () або скорочено E-tree. Жартома творці електричної ялинки кажуть, що незабаром може настати час, коли в багажнику кожного автомобіля буде плескатися пара вугрів. Тоді зникне потреба заряджати акумулятор.

2011 року у Венеції встановили ялинку, яка освітлювалась за допомогою електрики, що виробляється електричним вугром.

Медицина
Електричних вугрів застосовували в численних медичних експериментах, особливо для лікування ревматизму. Наявність речовин, що забруднюють воду, може змінити сигнал, який випромінює риба й дослідники Франції вивчають можливість застосування цієї риби для контролю якості води.

Таксономія
Спершу, вид було зараховано до монотипової родини — Електричні вугри (Electrophoridae), але пізніше перенесено до родини Гімнотові (Gymnotidae).

Загрози й охорона
Станом на 2009 рік, Міжнародний союз охорони природи вважає електричного вугра видом із найменшим ризиком, «через його значне поширення, здатність займати для мешкання різні місця й відсутність будь-яких відомих поширених загроз для цього виду». Існуванню вугра може загрожувати лише забруднення прісних водойм.

Дрібних особин збирають для акваріумної торгівлі, а також для науки, однак колекціонування не викликає скорочення популяції.

Цікаві факти
 Підраховано, що 10 тис. вугрів могли б дати енергію для руху електропотяга впродовж декількох хвилин. Але після цього поїзду довелося б стояти кілька діб, доки вугри відновили б свій запас електричної енергії.
 У Латинській Америці побутує жарт: «Якщо ви купили на ринку електричного вугра, просто під'єднайте до нього електроплиту. Він сам себе посмажить».
 Електричний вугор відомий тим, що може завдавати ударів електричним струмом і після своєї смерті (до восьми годин). Це зумовлено діяльністю електричних органів уздовж хвоста вугрів, яка продовжується деякий час після смерті риби.
 Електроенергії, що виробляється дорослим вугром, досить для освітлення будинку.

Філателія
1969 року Куба видала серію з трьох поштових марок під назвою «Фауна Куби». На одній з них на передньому плані зображено Александра Гумбольта, а на задньому плаває пара електричних вугрів:

У 1980–1986 роках у Гаяні видавали поштову марку із зображенням електричного вугра. Вартість марки становила спочатку 35 центів (у 1980–1982 роках), потім 60 центів (у 1984–1986 роках):

Примітки

Література

 Campos-da-Paz, R. (2001) Electrophoridae., Перелік прісноводних риб Південної та Центральної Америки.
 Hrvatska opća enciklopedija, Leksikografski zavod Miroslav Krleža, Zagreb, 2003. (str. 327) ISBN 953-6036-35-5
 Linnaeus, C.; 1766, Systema naturae sive regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Laurentii Salvii, Holmiae. 12th ed. https://web.archive.org/web/20130301001254/http://www.linnean-online.org/view/fish/fish.html v. 1 (pt 1): 1-532.

Посилання
 1954 educational film about the electric eel from the Moody Institute of Science

 Interview with Fear Factor contestant

 Ortega, H. and R.P. Vari, 1986. Annotated checklist of the freshwater fishes of Peru. Smithson. Contrib. Zool. (437):1-25.
 AQUATAB
 Коротке відео на Youtube.com про вугра електричного
 Фотогалерея

Гімнотові
Риби Південної Америки
Риби Бразилії
Прісноводні риби
Тварини, описані 1766

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Calm and clear overnight. Up before the dawn, a light NW wind. Sail off anchor at 6:46, tack towards the marsh, come about and follow yesterday's track back down Hail Creek. Two terns make a splash as they dive in the creek, then fly away quickly as more terns arrive to try and steal their catch. A gentle sail at less than 2 knots towards the Chester River.
More of a breeze out on the river, 2.8 knots on a tack towards Kent Narrows. It's just a few miles and we enter the channel under power for the 9:00 lift. The tide is ebbing and the narrows are choppy. I hold alongside of the channel at the visitor center pier then cast off, idling out in the current until I hear the bells announcing the bridge lift. A friendly wave from the bridge tender, Spartina is the only boat to go through.
It's mid-morning and I decide lunch at the narrows would be good. It's too early though so I sail in the light breeze and watch a couple guys in a small boat setting out and retrieving crab pots. A little to the south a waterman is setting out his trot lines. We tack up into the coves and just relax on the pretty morning. I tie up at The Jetty before the restaurant opens, the waiters saying Spartina will be fine there as I head out for a nice long walk. Then back as the restaurant opens for a nice salad in the shade while I charge my phone.
We cast off from the dock early afternoon, no wind so we motor and troll south on Prospect Bay. The wind comes and goes near Parsons Island, sailing now in the light wind and casting to schools of stripers breaking the surface. A small striper brought into the boat and quickly released. St. Michaels is not too far away and I could easily be there by evening. But I want to have some more time on the water.
By 4:00 headed to the Wye River, rounding Bennet Point with schools of striper feeding at the river's mouth. Cast and bring in another fish, again released. At the end of Bruffs Island we sail southeast into Shaw Bay, we have the anchorage to ourselves. Anchor down at 5:30.
Hi Steve, Thanks for the details of your trip. I love Shaw Bay!
Thanks, Shawn. It was a good trip. Fun to go back through the log and photographs to remember many things I had already forgotten.


text:
Sheltra v. Smith
Okemo Mountain, Inc. v. Sikorski
According to the Supreme Court of Vermont, "[t]o sustain a claim for IIED plaintiff must show defendant[]…
Leithead v. American Colloid Co.
If a person can recover damages for negligently inflicted mental harm, then without question he should have a…
Full title:Lesley Sheltra v. Steven L. Smith
Court:Supreme Court of Vermont
Date published: Sep 19, 1978
136 Vt. 472 (Vt. 1978)
392 A.2d 431
Supreme Court of Vermont
holding that IIED claim requires proof of "outrageous conduct, done intentionally or with reckless disregard of the probability of causing emotional distress, resulting in the suffering of extreme emotional distress, actually or proximately caused by the outrageous conduct."
Summary of this case from Simuro v. Shedd
See 10 Summaries
No. 1-78
Opinion Filed September 19, 1978
1. Emotional Distress Actions — History
Traditionally, an action for mental distress alone could not be brought at common law, though damages were recoverable based upon some other, actionable, tort, the reluctance to fashion a direct remedy reflecting a policy that since such damages were difficult to assess and prove, a flood of fictitious and trivial claims might result if an independent tort were recognized.
2. Emotional Distress Actions — Elements
Independently actionable tort of infliction of mental distress, as described by Restatement of Torts section stating that "one who by extreme and outrageous conduct intentionally or recklessly causes severe emotional distress to another is subject to liability for such emotional distress, and if bodily harm to the other results from it, for such bodily harm," now of sufficient acceptance to be characterized as the general rule, is appropriate to recognize in Vermont at this time, despite claims of difficulty of proof and the likelihood of fictitious and trivial claims.
Allegation that defendant willfully, maliciously, intentionally and outrageously inflicted extreme mental suffering and acute mental distress on plaintiff by making it impossible for her to have personal or other contact with her daughter, though unadvisedly cursory, alleged the four elements of the tort of extreme and outrageous conduct intentionally or recklessly causing severe emotional distress, first recognized in Vermont in instant case: outrageous conduct, done intentionally or with reckless disregard of the probability of causing emotional distress, resulting in the suffering of extreme emotional distress, actually or proximately caused by the outrageous conduct.
4. Emotional Distress Actions — Generally
Whether suit for extreme and outrageous conduct intentionally or recklessly causing severe emotional distress, newly recognized in Vermont in instant appeal from dismissal of complaint for failure to state cause of action upon which relief could be granted, could be sustained upon remand following reversal of dismissal, and what limitations might be placed upon such action based on its facts, was to be determined by trial court.
Appeal from dismissal of action for damages for intentionally caused extreme mental suffering. Caledonia Superior Court, Dier, J., presiding. Reversed and remanded.
Witters, Zuccaro, Willis Lium, Inc., St. Johnsbury, for Plaintiff.
Rexford, Kilmartin Chimileski, Inc., Newport, for Defendant.
Present: Barney, C.J., Daley, Larrow, Billings and Hill, JJ.
Hill, J.
The central issue in this appeal is whether this Court shall recognize the tort of intentional infliction of mental distress. The instant appeal arose when the trial court below dismissed the plaintiff's complaint for failure to state a cause of action upon which relief could be granted. V.R.C.P. 12(b)(6). We reverse for the reasons more fully outlined below.
The evolution of judicial recognition both of a right to recover damages for mental distress and of an independent cause of action for intentional infliction of mental distress is well catalogued in legal literature as well as in the cases of many jurisdictions. Magruder, Mental and Emotional Disturbance in the Law of Torts, 49 Harv. L. Rev. 1033 (1936); Prosser, Intentional Infliction of Mental Suffering: A New Tort, 37 Mich. L. Rev. 874 (1939); Prosser, Insult and Outrage, 44 Calif. L. Rev. 40 (1956); Agis v. Howard Johnson Co., ___ Mass. ___, 355 N.E.2d 315 (1976); Samms v. Eccles, 11 Utah 2d 289, 358 P.2d 344 (1961); Nichols v. Central Vermont Railway, 94 Vt. 14, 109 A. 905 (1919).
Traditionally, at common law an action for mental distress alone could not be brought. Damages were recoverable based upon some other actionable tort — the so-called "parasitic" or "peg" theory. This reluctance to fashion a direct remedy reflected a policy consideration that because these damages were difficult to assess and prove a flood of fictitious and trivial claims might result if an independent tort were recognized. Mitchell v. Rochester Railway, 151 N.Y. 107, 110, 45 N.E. 354, 354-55 (1896).
This narrow approach was gradually eroded as courts reflected society's increasing valuation of an individual's interest in privacy and emotional well-being. This culminated in 1948 when the American Law Institute recognized as an independent cause of action outrageous conduct causing severe emotional distress. Restatement (Second) of Torts § 46 (1965). In the thirty years since its adoption, the central focus of courts has been on defining the scope of its application — what claims should be considered while denying the trivial and the fictitious.
§ 46. Outrageous Conduct Causing Severe Emotional Distress
(1) One who by extreme and outrageous conduct intentionally or recklessly causes severe emotional distress to another is subject to liability for such emotional distress, and if bodily harm to the other results from it, for such bodily harm.
It is clear that this tort has not previously been recognized in Vermont. Vermont jurisprudence has recognized that mental distress caused by negligent acts resulting in physical injuries is actionable. Nichols v. Central Vermont Railway, supra, 94 Vt. at 18, 109 A. at 907 outlines the general state of the law prior to the seminal law journal article of Magruder, supra. Since Nichols, Vermont decisional law has been concerned with negligent conduct. Humphrey v. Twin State Gas Electric Co., 100 Vt. 414, 139 A. 440 (1927) (recovery for the horror and shock of finding a companion who had been killed by an electric fence); Thompson v. Green Mountain Power Corp., 120 Vt. 478, 144 A.2d 786 (1958) (recovery for fright to poultry induced by negligent use of explosives); Savard v. Cody Chevrolet, Inc., 126 Vt. 405, 234 A.2d 656 (1967) (recovery without physical impact/injury if within zone of danger and if fright results in substantial physical injury or sickness); Guilmette v. Alexander, 128 Vt. 116, 259 A.2d 12 (1969) (absence from the zone of danger precluded recovery notwithstanding illness proximately caused by witnessing negligent act.)
The appellee contends first that Vermont should not recognize this tort; secondly, that if this Court should recognize this tort, the complaint is legally insufficient on its face because it does not allege the elements necessary to establish a prima facie case. Lastly, he contends that the conduct complained of could never rise to the level of outrageous behavior shocking the conscience of a tolerant society and therefore on public policy grounds this Court should deny the claim as a matter of law.
The tort of intentional infliction of mental distress as described by section 46 of the Restatement has gained sufficient acceptance to be characterized as the general rule. W. Prosser, The Law of Torts § 12, at 49-50 (4th ed. 1971). It has been applied in a wide variety of factual circumstances. Meyer v. Nottger, 241 N.W.2d 911 (Iowa 1976) (misrepresentations and mishandling of mortician services); Fletcher v. Western National Life Insurance Co., 10 Cal.App.3d 376, 89 Cal.Rptr. 78 (1970) (bad faith in settling insurance claims); Samms v. Eccles, supra, (repeated solicitations to a married woman to engage in illicit sexual activities); George v. Jordan Marsh Co., 359 Mass. 244, 268 N.E.2d 915 (1971) (debt collection practices); and other cases cited at 64 A.L.R.2d 100 (1959). We believe it is appropriate to recognize it in Vermont at this time.
Various reasons have been advanced for not recognizing this tort. For example, it is claimed that proof will be difficult and that the measure of damages will be speculative. Yet, those difficulties have not been an insurmountable obstacle in cases where some slight physical injury also occurred. It would seem no more difficult to prove or measure damages in cases of mental distress than to prove and measure damages for pain and suffering in connection with a broken leg. Another frequently expressed reservation is that recognition of this tort would result in fictitious claims and litigation over trivialities or mere bad manners. Nevertheless, it is the task of the law to remedy wrongs which merit redress even at the expense of incurring a "flood" of litigation. W. Prosser, supra.
The plaintiff alleged:
(1) Between approximately September 10, 1977 and October 7, 1977, the Defendant willfully, maliciously, intentionally, and outrageously inflicted extreme mental suffering and acute mental distress on the Plaintiff, by willfully, maliciously, and outrageously rendering it impossible for any personal contact or other communication to take place between the Plaintiff and her daughter Monica Smith.
We find the complaint adequate under the requirement of V.R.C.P. 8. Although unadvisedly cursory, it alleges the four elements of the tort necessary to establish the prima facie case: outrageous conduct, done intentionally or with reckless disregard of the probability of causing emotional distress, resulting in the suffering of extreme emotional distress, actually or proximately caused by the outrageous conduct. Spackman v. Good, 245 Cal.App.2d 518, 530, 54 Cal.Rptr. 78 (1966). It puts the defendant on fair notice. Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41 (1957).
Beyond this, the right to sue arising by virtue of our reversal of the granting of the motion to dismiss must be contrasted with any right to recover. "Whether the suit can be sustained, or what limitations might be placed upon such actions based on their facts, have to be determined upon trial." Wood v. Wood, 135 Vt. 119, 122, 370 A.2d 191, 193 (1977).
holding parental child abduction compensable under intentional infliction of emotional distress
Summary of this case from Larson v. Dunn
holding that a cause of action for the intentional infliction of emotional distress was stated by allegations that the defendant had rendered impossible any personal contact or other communication between the plaintiff and her daughter
Summary of this case from Hixon v. Buchberger
holding parental child abduction compensable under intentional infliction of emotional distress theory
adopting intentional infliction of emotional distress from the Restatement (Second) of Torts § 46
Summary of this case from Mancini v. General Elec. Co.
recognizing in Vermont the tort of intentional infliction of emotional distress and the four elements necessary to establish the prima facie case: "outrageous conduct, done intentionally or with reckless disregard of the probability of causing emotional distress, resulting in the suffering of extreme emotional distress, actually or proximately caused by the outrageous conduct"
Summary of this case from Cooper v. Cooper
noting that IIED claim requires proof of "outrageous conduct, done intentionally or with reckless disregard of the probability of causing emotional distress, resulting in the suffering of extreme emotional distress, actually or proximately caused by the outrageous conduct."
Summary of this case from Bain v. Wrend
In Sheltra v. Smith, 136 Vt. 472, 475, 392 A.2d 431, 432 (1978), we recognized the tort of intentional infliction of emotional distress as described by section 46 of the Restatement (Second) of Torts (1965).
Summary of this case from Demag v. American Insurance Companies
In Sheltra, we outlined the four elements necessary to establish a prima facie case of intentional infliction of emotional distress: "outrageous conduct, done intentionally or with reckless disregard of the probability of causing emotional distress, resulting in the suffering of extreme emotional distress, actually or proximately caused by the outrageous conduct."
Summary of this case from Birkenhead v. Coombs
In Sheltra v. Smith, 136 Vt. 472, 392 A.2d 431 (1978), the plaintiff alleged that the defendant had intentionally, maliciously, and outrageously prevented any personal contact or other communication between the plaintiff and her daughter, thereby causing the plaintiff to suffer extreme mental distress.
Summary of this case from Bartanus v. Lis


When PNA Innovations first came to us, they described their process for managing orders, laboratory procedures, and documents using a combination of Dropbox, Excel Spreadsheets, and Podio. It was quite an ingenious setup. However, the process was prone to error, there were insufficient accountability controls, and the limits of Podio and Excel were quickly being realized as the dataset grew.
Therefore, PNA Innovations hired us to build a new, database-driven, web app to uniquely address their problem domain.
We spent several weeks learning about the specific problems our client needed to address. When working with a startup company, the exact solution is not always clear and can change every time a business "pivot" is made. Therefore, we started by building the application in easy-to-modify chunks–testing and rolling out new features as they became available.
First we developed an application to track the custom sequences (the product) our client produces. We became familiar enough with the science to perform required calculations and display the results in an access-controlled website. Next we worked with the client to import and verify old data. This process helped to identify cases of human error, which allowed us to correct the dataset.
We then built a custom CRM and order tracking system. The CRM captures all the data necessary for PNA's operations (e.g. contact information, billing and shipping addresses, discounts, tax status, etc.). This information is linked to every order placed with PNA Innovations. The order tracking system doubles as a laboratory process management system. It has built-in tools to track the status of the laboratory procedures, and it records all the changes with date and time stamps for analyzing later.
The excess product from a laboratory run is recorded in the inventory tracking system. The inventory application reduces waste by automatically alerting chemists when an order placed has matching product in inventory. It also records location and quality control data, which is associated with any orders that make use of the inventoried product.
Few things are more important to a startup or small business than actionable data. That's why our client asked us to provide them with information related to order queue volume, chemist productivity, and project completion. We made modifications to the laboratory tracking system so that data concerning all of these metrics is automatically recorded. No additional effort required. Then we used Google Charts and custom algorithms to display the data gathered in a meaningful way.


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Q: how to check a value and operate booleans with it from firestore? I have this setted on my firebase account.
todo collection
percent collection
I want that when a task is added, the task is marked as true, and 10 points are added in the "value" field of the "Percent" collection. My problem is that when the button that calls this function is pressed, the task keeps running as many times as the button is pressed. How can I solve it? I have tried various community contributed solutions and I think this is where the error lies. Thanks!
Future completTask(uid) async {
    await todosCollection.doc(uid).update({
      "isComplet": true
            });
            if (porcentaje > 0){
    percentcollection.doc('percentage').update({

"value": porcentaje -= 10
    });}else{porcentaje = 0;}

  }

A: You can check if the isComplet field is false or true first and then make the call, so if it is false then you will complete the call else you should return
Future completTask(String uid) async {
  DocumentSnapshot snapshot = await todosCollection.doc(uid).get();
  if (snapshot.data()['isComplet'] == true) {
    return;
  } else {
    await todosCollection.doc(uid).update({
      "isComplet": true
    });
    if (porcentaje > 0){
       percentcollection.doc('percentage').update({
         "value": porcentaje -= 10
       });
    }else{
       porcentaje = 0;
    }
  }
}


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Last week I made the smallest website I've ever developed. Draw Inspiration is a single page website that allows users to print a random phrase for them draw. Phrases such as "icy pear", "jealous butter" and "creepy popcorn".
This post covers a couple of the stumbling blocks I hit, and the (sometimes) dodgy solutions I took. There are many in depth videos and posts on this subject, by people much more knowledgable than me.
Whilst I'd love to be able to write those path strings out, or create circles by hand, there's no way I'm going to do that in real life. So I downloaded a copy of Inkscape. Inkscape is a bit like Freehand from 2001, and I love it! (I appologise if I'm doing Inkscape a disservice with that comparison, but I have fond memories of 2001 Freehand!).
Something to watch out for with Inkscape, by default the Inkscape SVG file includes a whole bunch of attributes that IE seems to get very grumpy about. I didn't look too closely into this, but found that saving things out as a standard SVG made things run smoothly.
I wanted a workflow where I could save out the SVG file from Inkscape and have it automatically appear on the page, but I knew from Chris' presentation that I'd need the SVG data embedded in the page (no background image or img tag). So I included it in my HTML file via PHP. Seemed like an easy solution, and got me through this project.
Secret ingredient to make the SVG image scale as you'd expect a standard img to is to include the "viewbox" attribute, without that your image will just sit in the corner taunting you.
I wanted to remove the SVG attributes for height and width, and hand that task over to the CSS. But I found problems with the height. It seemed as though the height was being defined by the view port of the browser. My work around for this was to use a parent element and position the SVG absolutely. Then pad the top of the container with a percentage that represented the aspect ratio I wanted. It's a similar approach that's quite popular with responsive video. I feel as though this was a bit of a cop out, and I overlooked something obvious. But again, it got me through.
The CSS animation is defined as any CSS animation would be. For the logo I defined 2 animations; One moving the targeted element clockwise, and another moving it anti-clockwise. For easy assignment with the SVG I used Inkscape to create a group around "Draw" and "Inspiration" with a suitable ID on each, I then associated the IDs with the CSS.
The final stumbling block I had was with IE9. Whilst the CSS was associated with the SVG successfully, the animation didn't work. My original setup with the CSS was to style the target elements with their initial state (e.g. make the opacity 0) then let the animation change those values.
There was a problem with this approach in IE9. IE9 understood the CSS but not the animation, and because of the initial state being set to 0 the logo vanished. If I set the CSS on the element to how I wanted the final state (opacity 1), then the element would flash for a split second as it waited for the animation to begin.
The solution to this was simple, define the element with how it should be displayed without any animation (opacity to 1) then set the "animation-fill-mode" to "both". This allows the CSS properties of the animation to control the look of the element before and after the animation has played (e.g. animation starts at opacity 0 and finishes on opacity 1, so the element is set to opacity 0 before the animation begins).
This isn't ideal as there's a flash at the beginning of the animation. This is because we can see the non-animated CSS being applied before the animation begins.
This isn't ideal either, whilst there is no flash, the star disappears at the end so it doesn't fulfil our requirements.
Perfect, the star fades in then remains after the animation is finished. Be sure to put the animation-fill-mode after the animation though, some browsers will only obey the rule if it's done in the correct order.
These steps got me through putting a SVG animation in place, with a graceful fallback to IE. Some of these steps I was happy with, others I feel were hacky work around from my lack of experience. I hope you can build on this and let me know of your approaches to make things even smoother.


text:
U.S. Green Chamber of Commerce
Why You Belong With America's Leading Forward-Thinking Businesses
Global Program Team
Certification (for the Business Professional)
Webinars, Video Series & Summits
RESPECT ALL Movement
We Are Still In
Business and Corporate Membership
Individual / Business Professionals Membership
Global Sustainability Leaders Q&A series
Job Creators
Small Business Focus
Florida Green Chamber Founding Member Wins Service Awards
Florida Green Chamber Founding Member…
In August, the Florida Chapter of the U.S Green Chamber of Commerce founding board member and Rollins College environmental studies program coordinator, Ann Francis, received the 2015 Helen A. Ward Crossley Distinguished Service Award and the 2015 Thaddeus Seymour Staff Award for Community Engagement.
The Helen A. Ward Crossley Distinguished Service Award, established in 1999, recognizes Rollins staff members for their outstanding service and dedication to the College. Named for Rollins' 12th president, the Thaddeus Seymour Staff Award for Community Engagement was established in 2006 as a means of recognizing Rollins staff members for sustainable and demonstrated service in local and global communities. Francis' name has become synonymous with the Rollins Sustainability Program.
"I was incredibly honored to be chosen for the Helen A. Ward Crossley Distinguished Service Award!" Francis said. "And then……receiving the Thaddeus Seymour Staff Award for Community Engagement was just so unbelievable! Dr. Seymour is someone I've admired my whole career here at Rollins…..and then I had the opportunity to talk with him and spend time discussing the wonderful service work that Rollins is always involved in."
"I am humbled by both awards and appreciate my peers so much for choosing me for both."
As part of this award, Francis received $500 to donate towards the community organization of her choice to further encourage her efforts in citizenship and leadership. She also directed one of this years' SummerSERVE projects in partnership with the Center for Leadership & Community Engagement. Francis and some of her students spent a morning of service and education at Back to Nature and then also Journey's End.
"Having the opportunity to choose our 4th and final Rollins 2015 SummerServe project, I chose two local animal rescues/rehabilitative organizations – two organizations, both being concentrated on animals, has never been done before and this choice was very well received by the campus!" Francis expressed. "We had 20 students, faculty, staff and alumni go to Journey's End Sanctuary in Deland and 50 to Back to Nature Refuge."
Category: BlogBy lauren September 27, 2015 Leave a comment
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All necessary information at hand in real time: cast, scene, look, continuity stills. It's all at one single spot in the cloud including all the staff.
Besides the daily call sheet you might want to have a look at the desired cast, the chosen costumes or the suggested art design before shooting begins. As a crew member of a Yamdu project, you can always be in touch with other relevant crew members and you are always up-to-date. Your input on a shooting schedule or a call sheet might just be as important, if everyone else has forgotten about how long that damn 18th century hair style takes or that some shots might need special effects make-up.
If a new actor is casted or anything changes regarding the roles, you and your department will be informed and warned automatically. And in case you want to take your own photos of the freshly styled cast members and extras to keep the look in mind, it is quite simple with the Yamdu app. Just use your cell phone and attach photos to all roles and keep track of those objects. Most importantly, if anything changes in a master break down or at the active shooting schedule, your data will be accessible, where ever you need it, keeping its perfect structure. That avoids redundant work and saves your time!


Colombo: Leader of the United National Party (UNP), Ranil Wickremesinghe, was sworn-in on Sunday for the fifth time as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, putting an end to a nearly two-months long political turmoil in the Island nation.
The swearing in was held at 11:16 at Presidential secretariat before President Maithripala Sirisena.
Earlier on October 26, President Sirisena had set off an unprecedented political crisis when he ousted the incumbent Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe from his position and replaced him with the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa.
However, when Rajapaksa failed to secure majority in the 225-member parliament, the President dissolved the parliament and called snap elections.
The President's move was challenged in the Supreme Court and the apex court on November 13 issued an interim order ruling Sirisena's gazette notification as temporarily illegal and halted the preparations for snap polls, stating that the gazette notification dissolving the parliament is not in accordance with the constitution.
A lower court also suspended the purported Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his cabinet from functioning leaving the country without a functioning government for nearly two weeks.
After the top court denied Rajapaksa's request to vacate the Appellate Court's order, the disputed Prime Minister resigned on Saturday paving the way for President to appoint Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister again averting a looming government shutdown.


Half a dozen like minded folks have got together and formed the Indo American Wildlife Society (IAWS). The team includes professionals from different backgrounds, there are biologists, researchers, consultants, businessmen, auditors, engineers & wildlife enthusiasts.
They all share the same passion - wildlife, forests, wilderness, nature.
I have joined this team to give back to mother nature a zillionth of what she has given me. The organization is relatively new and we are working on our first project now. Read more about our initiative here.
Please read thru the project details when you find some time. If you wish to contribute to this cause, we're more than happy. And a piece of information - I believe all donations are exempted from tax (will confirm this from our auditor in a day or so).
The website is www.iaws.in and if you have anything to say about the design or content, you can send me a message or leave a comment here.


Have you ever been to a party where the host was so busy with all the little details that you left the party thinking, "That was a lovely party, but I wish I could have spent more time with the host!" I imagine Jesus feeling the same way about Martha. Her futzing over lunch kept him from enjoying her company and vice versa. Furthermore it caused Martha to have ill feelings about her sister Mary. The last thing there should be between sisters (and brothers) is strife when we are in the Lord's presence. There is a lot of joy to be taken in being a host and doing something gracious for your guests, but it should never compromise the time we have to really enjoy with them, especially when it starts to feel like work, as Martha clearly expresses.
I think that one of the things Jesus is praising in this text about Mary's behavior is her careful listening and just being present with her guest and her God. Jesus is telling us that there is great wisdom in letting the dishes soak in the sink so that we may listen to and relax with Him and others in fellowship.
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, help us realize that you come first and so, make the time to sit with you in fellowship and listen to your holy Word. Amen.
Today's devotion was written by Carl Haynes, Dean of the Carolinas Mission District, and the Pastor of Christiana Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC.