text:
15 Glasses
Compagnie des Verreries et Cristalleries de Baccarat, Maker
France, Baccarat
67.3.41 C
Overall H: about 12.2 cm, Diam (max): about 6.2 cm
Gift of Mrs. Charles K. Davis
This large punch set bearing a scene of drinking and revelry was displayed at the 1867 Exposition Universelle in Paris. Its imagery was created, using the acid-etching technique, to produce relief and shading of the motifs. Baccarat was awarded a grand prize at the Exposition, and was noted as having the most renowned of the French displays.
Objects in Set (3)
Davis, Mrs. Charles K., Source
Mitchell, Dorothy Davis, Source
19th Century European
World's Fairs/Expositions
Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at the World's Fairs, 1851-1939
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art 2012-04-14 through 2012-08-19
Carnegie Museum of Art 2012-10-13 through 2013-03-04
New Orleans Museum of Art 2013-04-14 through 2013-08-04
Mint Museum of Art 2013-09-22 through 2014-01-19
This groundbreaking exhibition explores the ingenuity and craftsmanship of decorative arts made for world's fairs, from the London Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations in 1851 to the New York World's Fair in 1939. During this period, the fairs were the most important vehicles for debuting advancements in modern living, democratizing design as never before. Inventing the Modern World showcases approximately 200 examples of the most extraordinary works of furniture, metalwork, glass, ceramics, textiles, and jewelry produced by leading international artists and firms, including Lalique, Herman Miller, Sèvres, and Tiffany. These exceptional and singular objects—some never before seen in the United States—represent the pinnacle of scientific and artistic achievements of their time. Inventing the Modern World breaks new ground in its exploration of innovation in decorative arts.
Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at the World's Fairs, 1851-1939 (2012) illustrated, p. 96 (fig. 5); p. 262, Cat. 28; BIB# 127371
Glass: A Pocket Dictionary of Terms Commonly Used to Describe Glass and Glassmaking (1993) p. 65; BIB# 35660
Lidded Punch Bowl, Tray and 15 Glasses
Artist:Compagnie des Verreries et Cristalleries de Baccarat
Date:1867
Accession Number:67.3.41
Date:about 1867
Accession Number:67.3.41 A
Covered Bowl with Ladle
Accession Number:67.3.41 B


text:
Elfriede "Elfi" Eder, född 5 januari 1970 i Leogang, är en österrikisk tidigare alpin skidåkerska.

Hon tävlade för Grenada åren 1998–1999, efter att tidigare ha tävlat för Österrike.

Sylvia Eder är hennes storasyster.

Världscupdeltävlingsvinster

Källor

Fotnoter

Födda 1970
Kvinnor
Levande personer
Personer i Österrike under 1900-talet
Österrikiska alpina skidåkare
Tävlande i alpin skidåkning vid olympiska vinterspelen 1994
Tävlande vid olympiska vinterspelen 1994 från Österrike
Personer från Kärnten
Österrikiska olympiska silvermedaljörer
Olympiska silvermedaljörer 1994

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text:
How to write narrative documentation
The following is a very lightly edited version of email I wrote to my apprentice Ian Bruene after he wrote documentation for his new Kommandant project that was, alas, as awful as I generally expect from programmers. I'm not training Ian for mere coding competence; he's too talented for that and anyway I have higher standards. This is my way of insisting that he do documentation well – and it was he who suggested it would make a good blog post.
Here's how to write narrative documentation for a thing like Kommandant.
You want to do this well because people will pre-judge the quality of your software by how clearly you can write about it. They're right to do so; explaining it clearly is their best warrant that your thinking was not muddy and confused when you wrote it.
In fact, writing good documentation is an excellent way to ensure that you really understand the problem space you're in, and to throw light into corners of your software where defects might lurk. Do not underestimate the power of this effect! Often enough to matter, it will save you from serious embarrassment.
Doing this right needn't be difficult. The quality of your documentation is like the quality of your code – less a result of how much effort you put in than it is of having the right mental habits to begin with.
One important mental habit is to not be terrified by the blank sheet of paper. One of my goals in giving you a procedure to follow is so when you start something like this you can do it on automatic pilot. That will make it easier to deal when you have to write the more difficult, more project-specific parts. Over time you will evolve the procedure to suit your tastes, and that's fine. It's meant to a springboard, not a straitjacket.
First choose a title. Make it simple and direct. Use the name of the product in it. The phrase "how to" may occur. Examples: "Writing Applications with Kommandant", "Kommandant Client how-to".
Then write an introductory paragraph that explains why the product exists. A good section title might be "Introduction" or "Motivation". It is often good for the first, topic sentence to read something like "Foo is a library for doing Bar". If the product is derived from or modeled on another piece of software, nod in that direction. If there are examples of similar products your userbase is likely to know about, mention them.
The reader should exit the introduction with a clear sense of how the software will help him and why he cares.
Next, a section on theory of operation. This explains the problem your software solves in more detail, and describes the strategy it uses. Here is where you want to sketch the relationship between the Kommandant core and the class that implements the user's commands. Don't get too far into the API weeds here, but *do* establish terminology – like "core", "helper" and the different categories of user-defined hooks.
Be clear about why things are done as they are. Sometime this is best done by nodding at alternatives. Like: "We could have required the user to explicitly register command handlers, but by introspecting on the client class we both simplify the problem and eliminate a potential source of defects. Python Cmd set a good example here."
The user should exit the "Theory of operation" section grasping the concepts he needs to understand a detailed description of the UI/API.
The next two sections should be a detailed API description and a set of simple worked examples with explanation. Which order to do this in depends on your product. For something as simple as Kommandant, examples first probably works better. On the other hand, if the examples are necessarily so complex that they're hard to read without having seen the API description first, they go second.
(If you find yourself in the latter situation, consider it as a clue that your design may be overcomplicated and need a rethink.)
The reason it's good to put worked examples first if you can is that expository arc in a document like this should always try to supply *motivation* at each step before requiring the reader to do more mental work. The examples are motivation for grappling with the API description.
(Notice that my explanation has followed the same kind of expository arc I'm describing…)
Because you'll have an API reference nearby there is little need to annotate the examples heavily. Focus on details the reader might find surprising or a little tricky, like the difference between a basic-mode application and one that calls readline.
Your API section should walk through each call, ideally in the order they would occur in a typical application. You're trying to do two things here: fill in details and tell a story about how an application uses your library
Next section: tricks and traps. Anticipate what might confuse your user about the API and address it directly. A good example in Kommandant is the fact that if you want to customize your prompt, it's not enough to do it in the PreCmd hook; you have to do in PreLoop too, or the very first prompt won't be what you expect. Explain why each gotcha is the way it is.
Next section: Credits and connections. Who contributed to this? Who sponsored it? What was its proof-of-concept application?
Finally, a brief revision history. Tie the document to versions of your software. Summarize changes. A user who is revisiting this document should be able to look here and tell what parts to read for the updates.
Once you have written a document like this, a one-stop shop for what users need to know, it attracts updates from them the way your software attracts patches. *You* will find it easier to keep in sync with your software than if its information were scattered across multiple files.
Now read and think about this document
http://www.catb.org/gpsd/client-howto.html
as an example of the form. You don't need to write anything so long or elaborate, because Kommandant's problem domain is simpler.
When you get this right, the result will feel a little like art; this is not an accident. I've been using words like "story" and "narrative arc" for a reason. By engaging the human brain in the way it wants to be engaged, you lower the friction cost for your users of acquiring the information they need. This is a functional virtue and they will love you for it, giving your software long legs.
You have an advantage here. You have a sharp sense of humor that pervades what you write and say. Let that work for you.
Now go do it right; make me proud.
Some time later Ian popped up on IRC saying
* | ianbruene has enough teeth into HOWTO to start enjoying the process
esr | ianbruene: *Excellent.*  That was part of my evil plan.
Which of course it was. You'll never write decent documentation if you think of it as a deadly chore. You need to learn how to take pride in your documentation and enjoy the process so your users will, too.
UPDATE: And this is what Ian wrote after absorbing the above advice.
This entry was posted in Hacker Culture, Software by esr. Bookmark the permalink.
38 thoughts on "How to write narrative documentation"
@esr: Then write an introductory paragraph that explains why the product exists.
Bless you. I've lost count of the number of offerings I've seen, shareware, freeware, and open source, starting in the MSDOS days and going forward, where I couldn't find a simple description of what it was and why I might want to use it.
I don't believe any of them still exist, and that lack is a major reason why.
>Dennis
Daniel Hill on 2018-10-22 at 18:43:18 said:
The 2018 version – web pages pitching hosted software applications that require you to create a username and password without first providing that simple description of what it does and why you should care (maybe everything will be explained clearly once you're logged in, but I'll never know…)
photondancer on 2018-10-23 at 07:50:44 said:
Yes! what the heck is up with that? in the early days of the web lots of clueless business owners thought a website was basically a pamphlet and I'm not happy to see this useless idea making a return.
Almost as boggling as websites I've come across which are allegedly trying to sell common goods such as. clothing but won't let me see them until I've created a login. Do the proprietors of these websites not realise they're up against competitors, some of whom are actually not placing obstacles in my way?
Hmmm… Needs a simple up-vote function in the comments.
ktk on 2018-10-22 at 15:28:35 said:
Routinizing documentation creation sets stones on the path to the flow/play state when writing; the appropriately-minded writer, in the flow state and utilizing human deep psychology via use of narrative structures, then has the potential to produce words that echo in the reader, assisting him in achieving a concordant flow/play state and, subsequently, freeing the mind to not merely understand the project but also to more easily envision its potential applications.
Or something. Seems to suggest documentation as code's mirror twin, functionally as well as conceptually. That is, documentation in whatever form – man page, README, or discoverable interface – should serve to assist the user in entering the ideal mental state for interacting with the software. A ritual in every repo. I assume TAoUP is an attempt at this kind of documagic at a meta-project scale.
I notice how your formulation resembles a good man page. Not an accident, I'm sure.
If the documentation is written before the code is, it forms a specification for the coders to implement. Of course, the map is not the territory, so all regressions should be resolved either by fixing the code or rewriting the documentation.
I'm thinking about one particular application I admin where I've kept updating my documentation to reflect the ever-changing reality on the ground. I can look at the current state alongside the initial architecture diagram and note that they bear virtually no resemblance whatsoever.
Thomas.Blankenhorn on 2018-10-22 at 15:51:09 said:
A narrative documentation of how narrative documentation works — neat!
Cybe R. Wizard on 2018-10-22 at 22:22:02 said:
Cursedly recursive?
conrad clark on 2018-10-22 at 18:49:49 said:
One of my best friendships was formed when GJ and I were teamed in a class project to write a baby operating system for an IBM 1120 (I think). He was a whiz programmer, I was a plodder – I could code but much slower. He said "I'll do it, don't bother me.", I said "I'll understand it and do the documentation". So we did.
This is not a bad approach, with the caveat that any code you can't understand should be rewritten until you can. Note that I didn't say Smart Guy™ should explain the code to you. If he has to explain it, he's coding too cleverly for the codebase to be maintainable.
pdwalker on 2018-10-23 at 05:38:06 said:
That was excellent.
William O. B'Livion. on 2018-10-23 at 21:34:53 said:
I'm curious enough to ask, and this seems on-topic enough:
Eric, how do you manage to have the sort of vocabulary that includes words like "gallimaufry"?? I think it's not quite enough that you read a lot; it's apparently a matter of what you read. (Like, I read for hours a day, but it's primarily non-fiction, which probably explains why I don't escape the confines of a – I'm guessing – 25,000 word bolus.)
+1 esr on 2018-10-23 at 15:05:13 said:
>Eric, how do you manage to have the sort of vocabulary that includes words like "gallimaufry"?? I think it's not quite enough that you read a lot; it's apparently a matter of what you read.
I dunno. I always thought it was reading a lot, myself.
My "a lot" has been dominated by science fiction and non-fiction. The non-fiction has heavily featured hard sciences, history, anthropology, linguistics, and sources for comparative religion and mythology.
I probably picked up "gallimaufry" from historical fiction, in which I have a minor but significant interest. I think it's not so much that other people don't encounter words like this as that they're less likely than I am to retain them and integrate them into production (and not merely recognition) vocabulary.
Alex K. on 2018-10-24 at 11:41:26 said:
I always thought it was reading a lot, myself.
Broad and frequent reading certainly helps but I think that sort of exposure is only half the story. The other half is one of linguistic skill: how sharp of a distinction do you retain on words—for example, without looking up either definition, do you know the precise difference in meaning between saying a thing "glitters" or "glistens" (or how both differ from the much more common "shines")? The phrenic distance one places on synonyms determines if, when encountering a new word, you see it as filling a "gap" [perhaps not just in meaning, but also grammatical usage or prosody] in your existing vocabulary or simply being duplicative. In my opinion, the best touchstone for what sort of skill you possess with language is probably the range of metrics you wield in this consideration, followed shortly by enjoyment of language play—not puns, except perhaps as true equivoque, but other forms such as alliteration—and rhetorical flourishes such as ploce.
This touches on a long-time demand I've had for:
1. a reverse dictionary – given the meaning, provide the term – that is higher quality than what is currently available
2. a thesaurus that explains fine distinctions between synonyms; e.g. why or where you would use big vs. enormous vs. stupendous vs. brobdingnagian
This might as yet be hopeless pie in the sky, but I also keep hoping for an app that automates this to some degree. Using WordNet as a reference, perhaps, and producing a higher level editing tool. Even if it's for entertainment. Can you imagine taking a paragraph of mundane text and generating purple prose for it? I mean, there are already apps that generate deconstructivist essays and Thomas Friedman articles…
>do you know the precise difference in meaning between saying a thing "glitters" or "glistens" (or how both differ from the much more common "shines")?
Interesting example. The distinction was immediately available to me, but it's not something I knew that I knew.
If something nearby glitters, it has specular reflection from small facets or grain-sized inclusions, but does not reflect over its whole surface; also a distant object may be said to glitter if it is emitting light but atomospheric conditions cause random variations in perceived luminance. If it glistens, it has a liquid or semi-liquid surface layer that may reflect light. If it shines, it may be doing either light reflection or light emission.
I think the only way one really learns these is by reading a lot of use contexts.
What's also sort of intriguing is that the fact that these words have retained these precise denotations implies that they are generally only used by people who understand the denotations. If 90% of the people using "glisten" thought it was a mere synonym of "shining", it would be a mere synonym of "shining".
Troutwaxer on 2018-10-27 at 01:28:00 said:
I think the ability to make these fine distinctions is one of the most obvious hallmarks of intelligence.
>I think the ability to make these fine distinctions is one of the most obvious hallmarks of intelligence.
Psychometricians agree with you. Vocabulary in one's primary language is the most g-loaded measure of intelligence known.
+1 Kris Holvoet on 2018-10-29 at 16:28:00 said:
We home school, and saw a presentation by a teacher on Poetics. His main claim was that most of poetics is taught as rhyme / rhythm / meter / scansion what have you, when it poetics education should be about picking the right words for the meaning / emotion the poet is trying to evoke. And that poetics can be worked into daily use, not just as a special form. He pointed out a lot of great speeches (Gettysburg Address, MLKjr, Kennedy, Reagan, US Founding Documents) all are quite poetic, even though the aren't poems. And that in documentation (!), business memos, advertising and even just reporting can all be made much more effective if the writer is versed in poetics.
Of course, he was selling a poetics course…
Still, the idea that effective word choice can enrich AND clarify writing has stuck with me as self-evidently true. (Aside: George Carlin on Shell Shock gradually morphing to PTSD is depressingly funny).
TheDividualist on 2018-10-24 at 03:07:20 said:
How to write documentation in a way that when future humans want to process them by code, like doclifter, they won't hate your guts? Please add this.
jim of jim's blog on 2018-10-24 at 04:03:25 said:
I think Eric set out here to separate the content from the mechanics of writing documentation.The techniques he mentions apply equally to a manpage and an HTML readme.
It's the examples that make documentation immediately useful. Alphabetical lists of cryptic API calls are fully as useful as Doxygen robo-commented spaghetti code, which has a sub-Torr level of asymptotic suckatude. Approaching the docs as a tutorial, rather than as a recitation of features that the coder was forced to write up, is what sells the code.
+1 d5xtgr on 2018-10-24 at 11:20:40 said:
One alteration I'd suggest is to group your API calls by theme and sort the groups by complexity of the application that uses them rather than sort ungrouped calls by the order an application would use them. For example, let's say a typical workflow is to take input, manipulate it, and then produce output – it's probably more intuitive to have an I/O subsection followed by subsections for increasingly arcane modification tasks than it is to have input, chronological modification calls, and then output. In the latter case, I will read it to build the application you describe and then tweak it until it does what I want – but in the former, I can have a design in my head or on paper and implement it directly. I also won't miss any boilerplate needed to clean up, prevent memory leaks, etc., which I otherwise might if it's buried at the bottom. And if I go back to add a new feature, it will be easier to find the commands I need.
>One alteration I'd suggest is to group your API calls by theme and sort the groups by complexity of the application that uses them rather than sort ungrouped calls by the order an application would use them.
It depends. The approach you're describing is better for complex libraries in which there isn't a stereotyped usage pattern. Kommandant is simple and has a stereotyped usage pattern, so a sequential walk-through works well.
I'm constantly looking up stuff in Vim's help, and to the extent it has an API, it's organized by theme, and it works well, since I'm often browsing features conceptually adjacent to the specific one that led me to seek help. So I'm in favor of grouping by theme.
This is for when you're in the reference phase of documentation, however. It's no longer really narrative – to extend the analogy, this is for when you've told the core story of your product, and the reader is now looking for related tales. (Here's what's been going on with all those secondary and tertiary characters…)
My usual way of thinking of intro docs is to start with the examples as Eric et al. have described, and solidify them with explanations of the features in order of how often they're expected to be used. So in vim, for example, it might begin with insert and append mode, then movement by characters, then by words, then lines, then screens; then :w to save the file, then how to delete, then paste, then copy, then undo and redo; then how to search. To me, these are the most used features, so they come first. Then chapter 2 delivers the next most frequent ring of features, such as moving to matching delimiters, setting word wrap and tab size, how to join lines, and then how to set up a very rudimentary vimrc. These are all conceptually scattered features, except in terms of (hopefully, IMO) frequency of use.
My metaphor is that of an island. The reader is dropped in the middle. Once you've explained why he's even there, you quickly give the reader the means to understand everything within arm's reach, then within ten feet, then ten yards, and so on. Within reason and with a little luck, he knows the whole island, perhaps minus a few deep caves.
+1 Tony Zbaraschuk on 2018-10-24 at 17:09:15 said:
Also note that there are really three types of documentation to consider, and you need to be clear which one is being written.
1 – tutorial/intro to explain how to use this to people who are new, either to the idea itself or to this expression of it. This needs to explain the material and flow naturally.
2 – reference manual for people who use the tool, regularly or irregularly. The important thing here is to make sure that it's as easy as possible to look up the information on each command, and that each entry is as complete as possible in itself to minimize flipping-around.
3 – update for a new version, "what's new"?
Obviously with a totally new program type 1 documentation takes priority, but one may need to consider over the evolution of a program when to add type 2 or 3 documentation.
Sounds like another Master Foo entry: Thus, was Ian enlightened.
>Sounds like another Master Foo entry: Thus, was Ian enlightened.
Funny idea, but I don't think this lesson quite fits in the koan form.
hari on 2018-10-26 at 08:48:59 said:
Eric, I don't know what you would call this kind of 'HOWTO' (probably a recipe, to achieve a specific task, not fully documented elsewhere but each individual component can be found in different locations and may be in a different context) http://harishankar.org/blog/entry.php/go-how-to-use-glade-files-as-resources (I sometimes document these kinds of 'little' things for myself, as much as for others, since it serves as a handy reference at some later date)
I would like your feedback on how I can improve. I deliberately wanted to keep it simple and not repeat instructions found elsewhere, rather only wanted to give general pointers.
>I deliberately wanted to keep it simple and not repeat instructions found elsewhere, rather only wanted to give general pointers.
Mission accomplished then. It made me intersted enough in go-bindata to go read up on that.
It seems that the link I shared is an unmaintained repository. But others appears to have the project picked up and actively maintained elsewhere as different forks.
jonathan on 2018-10-26 at 09:52:10 said:
The quality of your documentation is like the quality of your code – less a result of how much effort you put in than it is of having the right mental habits to begin with.
This has the ring of a great and deep truth with wide applicability.
Jeff L. on 2018-10-29 at 14:22:09 said:
Especially when writing an API, I try to write the documentation before I've written the bulk of the code behind it. When I write the documentation, it forces me to think about how someone using the API will expect it work, which frequently alters my thinking about the fundamental structure and how things should be organized. Names of API routines, order and types of parameters, etc, seem to come to me more intuitively when I switch my thinking into this mode too.
How to write narrative documentation – Wince and Nod

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text:
The Man the Worlds Rejected is a collection of science fiction stories by American writer Gordon R. Dickson.  It was first published by Tor Books in 1986.  Most of the stories originally appeared in the magazines Planet Stories, Analog Science Fiction and Fact, If, Fantastic Universe and Fantasy and Science Fiction.

Contents

 "The Man the Worlds Rejected"
 "Jackal's Meal"
 "Minotaur"
 "Turnabout"
 "Strictly Confidential"
 "In Iron Years"
 "The Monster and the Maiden"
 "A Matter of Perspective"

References

1986 short story collections
Short story collections by Gordon R. Dickson
Tor Books books


text:
HKM » San Diego » Discrimination » Religious Discrimination
Religious Discrimination Lawyer in San Diego, CA
Our religious discrimination attorneys in San Diego understand that your faith may be an essential part of your life. Employment discrimination against an employee's religious beliefs is unlawful and against both California and Federal law. An employer must permit an employee to engage in their religious practices at work, and grant them the same basic civil rights as their coworkers.
What Is Religious Belief Discrimination?
Religious discrimination is when a person is treated poorly because of his or her religious beliefs. These beliefs can extend from traditional organized religions such as Christianity or Hinduism, as well as translate to personal ethical and moral beliefs.
In the workplace, religious-based discrimination claims often involve sexual harassment, sex discrimination, wrongful termination, or segregation due to religious dress, as well as the failure by employers to allow accommodation for religious observances, practices, and holidays. If an employee makes a request for religious accommodation, the employer must make reasonable accommodations to comply.
How Do State and Federal Law Govern Religious Belief Discrimination?
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects people with different beliefs or religious observances. Broadly, it prohibits discrimination based on specific characteristics such as race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, and religion. California law goes further to guarantee religious belief rights with the California Religious Freedom Act, which beefs up the protections offered by Title VII with additional civil rights and religious freedoms for California employees.
To support civil rights and religious freedoms, employers may not treat any employees or job applicants less favorably due to their religious beliefs or practices. For example, an employer cannot refuse to hire someone, set additional promotion requirements, or enact stricter job performance standards based on religious beliefs or practices.
What Can You Do If You Experience Religious Discrimination?
Unfortunately, even with these laws passed, wrongful termination and discrimination cases still persist in Southern California. If you believe you have been discriminated against due to your religion, sexual orientation, or age discrimination, or you are working in a hostile work environment, contact our San Diego law offices for a consultation.
Our experienced workplace discrimination lawyers at HKM Employment Attorneys LLP will assist with any religious discrimination-related legal issues you may be experiencing.
From providing legal advice to filing the paperwork with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), our experienced attorneys will work hard to build a strong attorney-client relationship with you and make sure you are treated fairly in your workplace.
Contact our San Diego employment law attorneys to learn more about our practice areas and how we can help.
San Diego Discrimination Categories
San Diego Employment Law Attornies


text:
ADMdx
Turning images into insights
About ADMdx
Subject inclusion
Enrichment and stratification
Detecting treatment effect
Data insight for planning & discovery
Dementia diagnostics
About dementias
About imaging
Home About us	– About ADMdx – Management team – Collaborations Clinical trials	– Capabilities – Subject inclusion – Enrichment and stratification – Detecting treatment effect – Data insight for planning & discovery – Our technology Diagnostics	– Overview – Dementia diagnostics – About dementias – About imaging Publications Contact News Search	– [Custom]
Dementia is a decline in cognitive ability that interferes with the activities of daily living, and is typically associated with aging. There are many causes of dementia, and a patient may have more than one disorder contributing to the cognitive decline. Frequent causes of dementia include:
Affecting more than 5 million persons in the United States and 13 million persons worldwide, Alzheimer's disease is associated with the accumulation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain, with associated damage to brain cells (neurons). These changes begin to occur many years prior to the appearance of symptoms. Alzheimer's disease most frequently becomes evident in persons in their late 60's or older, but "early onset" Alzheimer's disease can arise earlier in life. Alzheimer's patients typically have difficulty storing new memories, or remembering conversations or questions for even a few moments. Patients typically have diminished capacity to focus or perform complex tasks, and become disoriented as to time and place. Early symptoms can also include difficulty with financial tasks, such as balancing a checkbook, or problems in finding words. Later symptoms may include wandering, personality changes, hallucinations, fear, and loss of the ability to recognize people or things. However, many of these symptoms can also be caused by other factors, and thus misdiagnosis occurs in more than 20% of cases. More information about Alzheimer's disease can be found at www.alz.org.
This form of dementia is caused by the accumulation of abnormal proteins called Lewy bodies, composed of the protein synuclein. Lewy body disease has many overlapping symptoms with Alzheimer's disease and is often misdiagnosed. In addition, more than 30% of persons who have Alzheimer's disease as a primary cause of symptoms also have Lewy body disease. Commonalities between Lewy body disease and Alzheimer's disease include problems with memory and reasoning, as well as planning, and processing of visual and spatial information. Lewy body disease has some differences from Alzheimer's disease, in that: 1) problems with attention, working memory, and visuospatial perception may be more pronounced in Lewy body disease, and memory loss may appear later than in Alzheimer's disease; 2) symptoms often fluctuate, creating good times or days and then very symptomatic times or days; 3) Parkinson's-like challenges may be present, including muscle stiffness or rigidity (and risk for falling and balance), fluctuations in blood pressure (which can cause dizziness), and digestive irregularities such as constipation, 4) hallucinations may occur, as in confusing shadows with various objects or misinterpreting items seen, and 5) there may be "acting out" in REM sleep. As in Parkinson's, depression is common. More information about Lewy body disease can be found at www.lbda.org.
Cerebrovascular disease and Stroke
Cerebrovascular disease is a category of disorders involving abnormal blood flow in the brain, including stroke, which occurs when blood supply to the brain is diminished due to narrowed, blocked, or leaking blood vessels. A Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA or "mini-stroke") is a temporary reduction of blood flow to the brain that can cause lasting cognitive effects. Cerebrovascular disease can cause a slowing of thinking, or symptoms that mimic those of Alzheimer's disease, where the symptoms depend on the brain region affected. Cerebrovascular disease can co-exist with other forms of dementia, and may be a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD)
FTD refers to a collection of disorders affecting neurons in the frontal lobes of the brain, including 1) the frontal or behavioral variant, which involves diminished capacity for complex thought, changes in personality, and loss of inhibition; 2) semantic dementia, which affects finding and use of words; and 3) non-fluent progressive aphasia, which affects the ability to produce speech and, ultimately, written expression. More information on FTD can be found at www.theaftd.org
Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD)
Parkinson's disease is usually associated with its effect on movement, but approximately 30% of persons who have Parkinson's disease also develop dementia. This has been attributed to Lewy bodies and in some cases to co-existing Alzheimer's disease. However, in these persons, the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease typically appear first, leading to a diagnosis of Parkinson's before dementia develops.
Depression and Stress
Depression, stress, and lack of sleep, can all cause diminished capacity to think clearly and remember things. Conversely, dementia can also cause depression, but depression can be caused by many other factors.
Abnormal thyroid levels
Low thyroid function can cause difficulty in finding words and thinking clearly. This can occur in the elderly even if thyroid test results are not numerically out of the normal range ("subclinical"). Overactive thyroid can also cause cognitive difficulties, including paranoia. Assessment of dementia typically includes testing for abnormal thyroid.
B12 or other deficiencies
Deficiencies in certain vitamins and minerals can cause cognitive dysfunction. Low sodium levels can also cause confusion, and if severe, paranoia. Assessment of dementia typically includes blood tests.
Infections can cause significant flare-ups of symptoms in elderly patients with dementia.
Copyright © 2020 ADM Diagnostics, Inc.


Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is not expecting any fireworks at the Emirates Stadium tomorrow.
Any United meeting with Arsenal triggers memories of their past feuds, notably that Highbury tunnel bust-up between Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira in 2005. However, since that duo were separated, the battles have become less intense, with even Ferguson and Arsene Wenger able to have a cordial relationship.
"You have to go back a few years to when it was a bit combustible and Keane and Vieira had that love match in the tunnel," Ferguson said. "It has not been anything like that in the last three years. It has calmed down."
Not that either manager has changed his values, even though Arsenal have not won a trophy since beating United in the 2005 FA Cup final.
"Arsene Wenger has not changed his philosophy," Ferguson said.
"It is his way of doing it and it has paid dividends for Arsenal over a long period.
"He has a different type of player now. They are younger but they are still trying to do the same things.
"They still try to entertain and play the football their way."
Ferguson has confirmed he expects Darren Fletcher to be out for the remainder of the season as he tries to combat a chronic bowel condition.
However, fellow midfielder Tom Cleverley could be back for the February 11 visit of Liverpool to Old Trafford as he steps up his recovery from an ankle injury.


text:
news, local-news, Cattle, Angus, Reiland Angus, steer trading, seedstock, Herefords Australia Limited, Whiteface, feedlot
HIGH buy in prices for restockers show that it's a dicey time to be in the cattle trading game. But those close to the industry say there are other options to turn a dollar. If recent bull sales in the north of the state are to be a guide, confidence is high. And this enthusiasm combined with grass fever in parts of NSW has people more willing to accept narrow margins. However, for those wanting to purchase steers, put weight on, and sell them again reasonably quickly, the margins are slim. In addition the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting shutdowns of some abattoirs due to the virus adds a new level of challenges. In years gone by the Henwood family name was synonymous with large-scale single vendor sales of Angus where thousands of cattle would go under the hammer at Wagga Livestock Marketing Centre. The family, led by the late patriarch Stan Henwood, is now carrying on the cattle-producing legacy in what can only be described as uncharted territory. Brenton Henwood, "Grove Meadow," Wagga said he wished his grandfather was still alive so he could seek advice about the best course of action in the current climate. "This is something we have never experienced, there's a volatile market around the world with our exports and it is something we all need to keep an eye on," he said. Brenton explained that turning off steers, aged 12 to 14 months, and weighing 350 kilograms to 400 kilograms was a target. In highlighting what works well Brenton said the quality of females was imperative. They had to withstand tough times and also thrive when rain arrived. He said incorporating good genetics was essential. Mark Lucas of Killimicat Station at Tumut in southern NSW says now is the time to look at the "long game." It might be a case of reassessing the goals and considering purchasing females. Mr Lucas is an agronomist and also runs the studstock business Reiland Angus. While parts of southern NSW might appear to be flush with feed at the moment, he cautioned that the region was coming out of a tough seasonal period. Dry times were taking a toll in the Cooma-Monaro area with large numbers of cattle either sold or on agistment. Mr Lucas said cost of production calculations were important. A quick turnover could be bench-marked at selling a calf weighing 230 kilograms. To make this happen, the producer would incur around $540 to $580 in fixed costs. In a drought an additional 25 per cent needs to be added to this initial cost of production. "The farmer isn't making any money until the calf returns at least $600," he said. But that was a calculation which Mr Lucas said was achievable. If the current market was to be a guide, he said it was difficult to make money in short-term trades such as adding weight to steers. He said the herd numbers and huge kills of breeding females had impacted the dynamics of the industry significantly. "Like all (business) enterprises you have to look at a six-year time frame ... there are people who have made money but at the moment it's a bit skinny," he said. In terms of investing in seedstock confidence was clearly evident. Mr Lucas said breeders were paying money to invest in bulls to improve the genetics of their herd. Mr Lucas said old bulls could be traded out for as much as $3500 in the current market. This meant that paying $8000 for a sire certainly was within the budget. But obviously a lot more than that has been paid for bulls when purchasers consider genetic potential and herd improvements. Jim Simpson of "Bimbadeen", Gregadoo has bred Hereford cattle for 27 years and agrees with the long-game approach to making money in the beef industry. He said the slaughter figures for females were staggering. "You can't just go into (cattle) in the short term and expect to make money out of it immediately ... it is at least two years before you look at getting any profit," he said. Overall Mr Simpson said he was confident about the outlook of the cattle industry. In recent weeks prices had fallen by 5c/kg to 10c/kg at the Wagga cattle market. However, on Monday prices increased again by up to 10c/kg with limited numbers and the prospect of rain in the region. Mr Simpson said pockets of southern NSW looked good and there was evidence of pasture and crop growth. "We need to see the dams filling and creeks running though," he cautioned. "We are looking down the barrel of a good season and we need more rain in August, September and into October," he said. As a commercial breeder of whiteface cattle Mr Simpson said lucrative markets were definitely available. "We will send another consignment of Hereford steers to South Australia this week," he said. The Hereford steers averaged just shy of 400kg. In the past Mr Simpson has sold heifers across Bass Strait to Tasmanian buyers. Even though there's still a lot of "grass fever" at present with landholders looking to make the most of the autumn break, Forbes stock agent, Luke Whitty of Kevin Miller Whitty Lennon and Company, advises to buy with caution. "There's a lot of movement in the cattle game currently and that all comes with a fair amount of risk," he said. "If you are serious about buying breeding stock, then spend a little more money on quality for a longer term investment. "I'd suggest nice lines of heifers, pregnant cows or cows in-calf." Mr Whitty said there were a lot of people buying cattle now with the intention of selling sometime in spring. "But sometimes they do a lot of work for not a lot of profit. "The market is very dear, but it normally cuts back a bit in spring. "However, if you are looking to buy cattle now, buying little, lighter cattle to grow out to next year may give a bit of room to move, but I'd be looking to rebuilding my herd." Dubbo region cattle producing buyers may well look at buying cows with calves or cows, either pregnant or not, as their best bet at the moment, according to PT Lord Dakin agent, Mark Garland. "Some are even buying cows out of prime sales and taking the punt she's in calf," he said. "But the value's in the long-term breeding I think you'll find." He said that would pay dividends next year as cattle numbers would be less. "We're noticing a decline in numbers this year, and I think next year there'll be an even bigger gap. "At present, you'll notice at sales when the female section starts the crowd increases. "A lot of blokes are taking the punt and buying heifers and joining them to calve down next year, then sell as cows with calves, or keep them for their own herd rebuilding." Mr Garland said females were where people were channelling their money at the moment. That is the big question for cattle producers in the seasonally-favoured districts across the south as they grapple with the excellent current pasture and grazing crop growth. And if they are to buy cattle, what would be the best option? Short-term trading or longer term breeding stock. Cootamundra-based livestock agent with Delta, Col Harris is urging caution among his clients who are contemplating the purchase of trading steers or heifers. "It is a very expensive market at the moment with the lighter weight cattle selling for very dear values," Mr Harris said. "And we don't know if the feedlot entry price for the spring will be as strong as it is at present." He was also concerned about the narrow margin involved in buying light weight steers on the current market. "When you are buying steers weighing 250kg for 430c/kg and you add in transport, husbandry and selling costs you only have to lose one and your profit is very slim." Mr Harris was working on a feedlot entry weight of 400kg worth 410c/kg. "You have to work out how quickly your cattle will finish," he said. "This season with wattle already in flower is telling me it is running a bit early and we will have to be careful of late frosts." Mr Harris further pointed out the cost of money wasn't part of his margin equation on current prices. "You've got to have the money up front, you can't afford to be borrowing to buy stock," he said. Agistment is a good option for those with feed, while Mr Harris suggested making hay or silage from the surplus growth should be considered, while some have sown more cereal crop. Taking on agistment has been the best option for many of Jake Smith's clients across the eastern Riverina and southwest slopes. Mr Smith, Elders Gundagai livestock agent said there is a lot of stock from the Monaro grazing the early crops which have done very well due to the kind season. "I'm seeing agistment rates at $8 to $12 per week for weaner cattle on oats," he said. "Another option has been to split between buying in and agisting to spread the risk." Mr Smith said producers are hoping to turn off the steers at 450kg for 410c/kg into the feedlots but he is concerned about the feeder rate in the spring when there will be a lot of cattle coming through the pipeline. He is also hesitant about buying at the moment, considering current prices "very dear". "After selling their herds down due to drought and also taking advantage of the great prices to get rid of their poorer performers, many producers are slowly rebuilding," he said. "They made the right decision to sell and are now in a position to buy better bulls as they rebuild their herd." The entire industry recognises a lot of young females have been sold into feedlots or bought by processors which should leave options for the purchase of weaner heifers for future joining wide open. But Mr Smith is more cautious and suggests buying heifers is not a preferred option. "It is a big investment but you are in for the long haul," he said. "At the moment anyone considering buying heifers is competing against feedlots or grass finishers."
/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/33eGJqVtdkMutBjF487zmLw/eae8b808-f4c7-4f3c-ae4e-bd02391f1850_rotated_270.jpg/r0_459_3024_2168_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg
July 30 2020 - 9:13AM
Cattle producers navigate uncharted territory
Nikki Reynolds, Stephen Burns and Mark Griggs
PERPLEXING TIMES: Brenton Henwood, of "Grove Meadow," Wagga is pictured with some Angus cows and calves on a grazing crop. Picture: Nikki Reynolds
HIGH buy in prices for restockers show that it's a dicey time to be in the cattle trading game.
But those close to the industry say there are other options to turn a dollar.
If recent bull sales in the north of the state are to be a guide, confidence is high. And this enthusiasm combined with grass fever in parts of NSW has people more willing to accept narrow margins.
However, for those wanting to purchase steers, put weight on, and sell them again reasonably quickly, the margins are slim. In addition the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting shutdowns of some abattoirs due to the virus adds a new level of challenges.
RESILIENCE OFFERED FROM BREEDING FEMALES
In years gone by the Henwood family name was synonymous with large-scale single vendor sales of Angus where thousands of cattle would go under the hammer at Wagga Livestock Marketing Centre.
The family, led by the late patriarch Stan Henwood, is now carrying on the cattle-producing legacy in what can only be described as uncharted territory.
Brenton Henwood, "Grove Meadow," Wagga said he wished his grandfather was still alive so he could seek advice about the best course of action in the current climate.
"This is something we have never experienced, there's a volatile market around the world with our exports and it is something we all need to keep an eye on," he said.
Brenton explained that turning off steers, aged 12 to 14 months, and weighing 350 kilograms to 400 kilograms was a target.
In highlighting what works well Brenton said the quality of females was imperative. They had to withstand tough times and also thrive when rain arrived. He said incorporating good genetics was essential.
STRETCH OUT THE TIME FRAME
Mark Lucas of Killimicat Station at Tumut in southern NSW says now is the time to look at the "long game."
It might be a case of reassessing the goals and considering purchasing females. Mr Lucas is an agronomist and also runs the studstock business Reiland Angus.
While parts of southern NSW might appear to be flush with feed at the moment, he cautioned that the region was coming out of a tough seasonal period.
Dry times were taking a toll in the Cooma-Monaro area with large numbers of cattle either sold or on agistment.
Mr Lucas said cost of production calculations were important. A quick turnover could be bench-marked at selling a calf weighing 230 kilograms. To make this happen, the producer would incur around $540 to $580 in fixed costs.
In a drought an additional 25 per cent needs to be added to this initial cost of production.
"The farmer isn't making any money until the calf returns at least $600," he said. But that was a calculation which Mr Lucas said was achievable.
If the current market was to be a guide, he said it was difficult to make money in short-term trades such as adding weight to steers.
He said the herd numbers and huge kills of breeding females had impacted the dynamics of the industry significantly.
"Like all (business) enterprises you have to look at a six-year time frame ... there are people who have made money but at the moment it's a bit skinny," he said.
In terms of investing in seedstock confidence was clearly evident. Mr Lucas said breeders were paying money to invest in bulls to improve the genetics of their herd.
Mr Lucas said old bulls could be traded out for as much as $3500 in the current market. This meant that paying $8000 for a sire certainly was within the budget.
But obviously a lot more than that has been paid for bulls when purchasers consider genetic potential and herd improvements.
RELIABLE MARKETS FOR THE LONGER TERM
Jim Simpson of "Bimbadeen", Gregadoo has bred Hereford cattle for 27 years and agrees with the long-game approach to making money in the beef industry. He said the slaughter figures for females were staggering.
"You can't just go into (cattle) in the short term and expect to make money out of it immediately ... it is at least two years before you look at getting any profit," he said.
Overall Mr Simpson said he was confident about the outlook of the cattle industry. In recent weeks prices had fallen by 5c/kg to 10c/kg at the Wagga cattle market.
However, on Monday prices increased again by up to 10c/kg with limited numbers and the prospect of rain in the region.
Mr Simpson said pockets of southern NSW looked good and there was evidence of pasture and crop growth. "We need to see the dams filling and creeks running though," he cautioned.
"We are looking down the barrel of a good season and we need more rain in August, September and into October," he said.
As a commercial breeder of whiteface cattle Mr Simpson said lucrative markets were definitely available.
"We will send another consignment of Hereford steers to South Australia this week," he said.
The Hereford steers averaged just shy of 400kg. In the past Mr Simpson has sold heifers across Bass Strait to Tasmanian buyers.
GRASS FEVER CREATES BUYING IMPETUS
Even though there's still a lot of "grass fever" at present with landholders looking to make the most of the autumn break, Forbes stock agent, Luke Whitty of Kevin Miller Whitty Lennon and Company, advises to buy with caution.
"There's a lot of movement in the cattle game currently and that all comes with a fair amount of risk," he said.
"If you are serious about buying breeding stock, then spend a little more money on quality for a longer term investment.
"I'd suggest nice lines of heifers, pregnant cows or cows in-calf."
Mr Whitty said there were a lot of people buying cattle now with the intention of selling sometime in spring.
"But sometimes they do a lot of work for not a lot of profit.
"The market is very dear, but it normally cuts back a bit in spring.
"However, if you are looking to buy cattle now, buying little, lighter cattle to grow out to next year may give a bit of room to move, but I'd be looking to rebuilding my herd."
Dubbo region cattle producing buyers may well look at buying cows with calves or cows, either pregnant or not, as their best bet at the moment, according to PT Lord Dakin agent, Mark Garland.
"Some are even buying cows out of prime sales and taking the punt she's in calf," he said.
"But the value's in the long-term breeding I think you'll find."
He said that would pay dividends next year as cattle numbers would be less.
"We're noticing a decline in numbers this year, and I think next year there'll be an even bigger gap.
"At present, you'll notice at sales when the female section starts the crowd increases.
"A lot of blokes are taking the punt and buying heifers and joining them to calve down next year, then sell as cows with calves, or keep them for their own herd rebuilding."
Mr Garland said females were where people were channelling their money at the moment.
SHOULD PRODUCERS CONSIDER AGISTMENT?
That is the big question for cattle producers in the seasonally-favoured districts across the south as they grapple with the excellent current pasture and grazing crop growth.
And if they are to buy cattle, what would be the best option? Short-term trading or longer term breeding stock.
Cootamundra-based livestock agent with Delta, Col Harris is urging caution among his clients who are contemplating the purchase of trading steers or heifers.
"It is a very expensive market at the moment with the lighter weight cattle selling for very dear values," Mr Harris said.
"And we don't know if the feedlot entry price for the spring will be as strong as it is at present."
He was also concerned about the narrow margin involved in buying light weight steers on the current market.
"When you are buying steers weighing 250kg for 430c/kg and you add in transport, husbandry and selling costs you only have to lose one and your profit is very slim."
Mr Harris was working on a feedlot entry weight of 400kg worth 410c/kg. "You have to work out how quickly your cattle will finish," he said.
"This season with wattle already in flower is telling me it is running a bit early and we will have to be careful of late frosts."
Mr Harris further pointed out the cost of money wasn't part of his margin equation on current prices.
"You've got to have the money up front, you can't afford to be borrowing to buy stock," he said.
Agistment is a good option for those with feed, while Mr Harris suggested making hay or silage from the surplus growth should be considered, while some have sown more cereal crop.
Taking on agistment has been the best option for many of Jake Smith's clients across the eastern Riverina and southwest slopes.
Mr Smith, Elders Gundagai livestock agent said there is a lot of stock from the Monaro grazing the early crops which have done very well due to the kind season.
"I'm seeing agistment rates at $8 to $12 per week for weaner cattle on oats," he said.
"Another option has been to split between buying in and agisting to spread the risk."
Mr Smith said producers are hoping to turn off the steers at 450kg for 410c/kg into the feedlots but he is concerned about the feeder rate in the spring when there will be a lot of cattle coming through the pipeline.
He is also hesitant about buying at the moment, considering current prices "very dear".
"After selling their herds down due to drought and also taking advantage of the great prices to get rid of their poorer performers, many producers are slowly rebuilding," he said.
"They made the right decision to sell and are now in a position to buy better bulls as they rebuild their herd."
The entire industry recognises a lot of young females have been sold into feedlots or bought by processors which should leave options for the purchase of weaner heifers for future joining wide open.
But Mr Smith is more cautious and suggests buying heifers is not a preferred option.
"It is a big investment but you are in for the long haul," he said.
"At the moment anyone considering buying heifers is competing against feedlots or grass finishers."
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