text:
South Stradbroke Island Conservation Park
South Stradbroke Island Conservation Park Gold Coast
Fragile foredunes hem miles of secluded beaches. Photo credit: Cheryn Kelly © Queensland Government
No camping is offered within South Stradbroke Island Conservation Park.
There is a wide range of holiday accommodation on South Stradbroke Island outside the conservation park area. The Gold Coast City Council operates three campgrounds on the island—Tipplers, North Currigee and South Currigee.
Tipplers and Couran Cove Resort are also located just outside the park and offer a range of accommodation and dining options.
For more information see the tourism information links.
Look for bristled banksias on the Dux's Hut walk.
Photo credit: Cheryn Kelly © Queensland Government
Your view at the end of Tipplers walking trail.
Photo credit: Queensland Government
South Stradbroke Island Conservation Park map (PDF, 151.6KB)
South Stradbroke Island Conservation Park information guide (PDF, 198.8KB) (printable)
The best way to explore South Stradbroke Island's natural diversity is on foot, with a variety of short walks available. Take care of yourself—carry a map, compass, food, drinking water and first-aid kit. Wear protective clothing, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses and insect repellent. Let a responsible person know where you are going and when you expect to return..
Dux's Hut walk
Distance: 800m return
Time: allow 20min
Details: Linking Dux Anchorage to the eastern beach, this track is named after the heritage listed Dux Hut—built around 1930 by Augie Dux, a former oyster farmer who lived and worked on the island. Low, sparse vegetation provides little shade so it's best walked in early morning or late afternoon. To access the track, head 1.4km north from Tipplers along Tipplers Road or from the eastern beach at emergency marker SSI 1 sign.
Tipplers walking trail
Distance: 1.7km return
Details: Wind your way through a dense forest of bloodwood, brush box and cypress pine layered with an understory of banksias. The trail is located 50m off Tipplers Road, opposite Tipplers, and ends at emergency marker sign SSI 2 on the eastern beach. You can return via the same trail or head south along the beach for 400m to emergency marker sign SSI 3 and return via the Surf Beach walk. Both tracks will take you back to Tipplers.
Surf Beach walk
Details: Just north of the Tipplers campground you'll find the Surf Beach walk. This track takes you through a dense forest of bloodwood and brush box trees before opening out to coastal dunes with spinifex, casuarina, acacia, banksia and pandanus. The track starts on Tipplers Road, 300m north of Tipplers campground, or from the eastern beach at emergency marker sign SSI 3.
Broadwater trail
Time: allow 1.5hr
Details: Take a stroll along the waterfront and soak up the views over The Broadwater. Watch an array of shorebirds feeding on the tidal mud flats, building up their reserves for the long migration ahead of them. Starting at the northern point of Couran Cove Resort, the trail heads northwards for 1.25km. Return to Couran Cove along the same path.
South Currigee walk
Time: allow 20mins
Details: Wander through sparse, low coastal dunes dominated by casuarina, acacia, banksia and spinifex, with a small pocket of forest at the eastern end. This short track crosses the island east to west. Starting at the South Currigee campground, it is the only walking track at the southern end of the park. To access the track from the eastern beach use emergency marker sign SSI 8.
Guided tours and talks
Commercially operated guided tours are available; see the tourism information links for more information.
South Stradbroke Island Conservation Park is surrounded by Moreton Bay Marine Park—a multiple-use marine protected area, which protects the high natural, cultural, recreational and amenity values of the bay. The marine park is zoned to allow for different uses. Most of South Stradbroke Island Conservation Park sits within habitat protection zone (HPZ15) with no trawling permitted and some restrictions on collecting. A marine national park (green) zone (MNP32) is located on the eastern beach near Currigee. All forms of collecting, including fishing, is prohibited in this zone.
Refer to the Moreton Bay Marine Park map (PDF, 2.7MB) and Moreton Bay Marine Park user guide (PDF, 13.6MB) for boundaries and restrictions relating to zones and designated areas.
Boating is largely unrestricted in the surrounding marine park, however boat operators must:
adhere to rules in go slow and no anchoring areas (see designated areas (PDF, 1.1MB) )
ensure they do not unreasonably disturb shorebirds anywhere in the marine park
not discharge any waste, including treated or untreated sewage in marine national park (green) zones.
Jet skis and other personal watercraft (PWC)
In the zoning plan jet skis are considered vessels and the same rules apply. Operators must:
ensure they do not unreasonably disturb shorebirds anywhere in the marine park.
Motorised water sports
In the go slow areas for turtles and dugong and natural values (PDF, 1.1MB) , vessels (including PWC) cannot undertake motorised water sports. This includes:
driving a vessel other than in a straight line; for example driving in circles, weaving, and surfing down or jumping over waves, swell or wash
towing a person, such as for waterskiing, parasailing or wakeboarding.
Read more about boating safety and things you should do when boating to look after the park. See below for information on before you visit.
Recreational fishing is popular along the eastern beach and The Broadwater. Tailor, flathead, dart, bream and whiting are often caught from the beaches. Reef and surface-feeding fish are caught offshore. Crabs are seasonal. Bag limits, size and seasonal restrictions apply to some fish species. For more information visit Fisheries Queensland, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for rules and guidelines.
When fishing in Moreton Bay:
keep fish, bait and burley in sealed containers and away from wildlife
bury fish remains and unused bait just below high tide mark; dig a deep hole and cover scraps, not in plastic, with at least 50cm of sand
dispose of used bait bags and unwanted fishing line in bins or take them home
do your fish cleaning away from camping areas
stick to the correct speed limit; 'go slow' zones are there to care for seagrass beds and marine animals. Penalties apply.
Viewing wildlife
South Stradbroke Island offers excellent opportunities for viewing wildlife. With 150 birds, 26 mammals, 10 frogs and 19 reptile species recorded on the island, visitors to the park are bound to experience a close encounter of a natural kind.
Beaches, sandbanks and mudflats are important areas for shorebirds (wading birds and seabirds). More than 40,000 migratory shorebirds visit the area each September to April and Moreton Bay is internationally recognised as a Ramsar site for its importance to the survival of these birds.
At least 17 species of migratory shorebirds and waders have been recorded in the park, including eastern curlews, grey-tailed tattlers, red-necked stints, greater sand plovers, lesser sand plovers, bar-tailed godwits and curlew sandpipers.
On the eastern side of Jumpinpin (at the northern tip of the island), the shingle beds and sand dunes are an important breeding ground for migratory and resident shorebirds including the red-capped plover (Charadrius ruficapillus), Australian pied oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris), beach stone-curlew (Esacus neglectus), and the endangered little tern (Sterna albifrons). This area is one of the few known breeding locations in Queensland for the little tern.
How to help South Stradbroke Island shorebirds
When these migratory birds arrive in Australia they are exhausted from their long journey around the globe. They need to rest and recover so they can survive the arduous flight home again, and we can help them do that.
Keep well away from shorebirds, even if you are walking or jogging.
Observe shorebirds quietly from a distance (at least 100m).
Reduce vehicle speed and drive around flocks of shorebirds.
Reduce boat speed and avoid anchoring in the shorebird roosting areas.
Choose a fishing site away from flocks of shorebirds.
Beware marine stingers (jellyfish)


P.Mean >> Category >> Logistic regression (created 2007-06-26).
The logistic regression model provides a framework for quantitative predictions of an outcome variable that is categorical, using one or more predictor variables. Articles are arranged by date with the most recent entries at the top. You can find outside resources at the bottom of this page.
18. P.Mean: Calculating predicted probabilities from a logistic regression model (created 2013-07-31). Suppose you run a logistic regression model and want to take the coefficients from that model and do something useful with them. In particular, you want to see what your logistic regression model might predict for the probability of your outcome at various levels of your independent variable. Here's how you would do it.
16. P.Mean: Should I report the univariate or the multivariate logistic regression analysis? (created 2011-09-07). Dear Professor Mean, I have results from four univariate logistic regression models and one multivariate logistic regression model with all four variables. In my univariate analysis, all the variables are significant. But, in multivariate analysis, only x1 is significant. Which results should I report?
15. P.Mean: What are the assumptions of logistic regression (created 2011-09-01). Does anyone have a good reference for the assumptions of binary logistic regression? I have a client who has an anonymous reviewer who says his analysis doesn't meet one of the assumptions, but it doesn't make any sense in this situation, and I think the reviewer doesn't understand something.
13. P.Mean: Can an outcome with three levels be used in logistic regression (created 2008-09-18). I had a quick question about logistic regression. Is this the appropriate test to use when your outcome variable has 3 levels? For example, we are looking at factors associated with obesity in children. Our outcome variable is BMI percentage and is classified as either normal, at risk, or overweight. I ran logistic regression on SAS and then realized this may not be the right test to run.
12. P.Mean: Another inquiry about slash and burn models (created 2008-08-20). In a binary logistic regression model, do all variables including the constant need to be significant before you can include them in the model or is it just the constant that has to be significant?
The Analysis of Binary Data Description: Cox and Snell's book is a nice introduction to two by two tables with some advanced topics like overdispersion. This book is for students who want more mathematical details.
Applied Logistic Regression Description: Hosmer and Lemeshow's book is the resource that everyone turns to when they need information about logistic regression. This book is for students who want more mathematical details.
Chris Corcoran, Louise Ryan, Pralay Senchaudhuri, et al. An Exact Trend Test for Correlated Binary Data. Biometrics. 2001;57(3):941-948. Abstract: "The problem of testing a dose-response relationship in the presence of exchangeably correlated binary data has been addressed using a variety of models. Most commonly used approaches are derived from likelihood or generalized estimating equations and rely on large-sample theory to justify their inferences. However, while earlier work has determined that these methods may perform poorly for small or sparse samples, there are few alternatives available to those faced with such data. We propose an exact trend test for exchangeably correlated binary data when groups of correlated observations are ordered. This exact approach is based on an exponential model derived by Molenberghs and Ryan (1999) and Ryan and Molenberghs (1999) and provides natural analogues to Fisher's exact test and the binomial trend test when the data are correlated. We use a graphical method with which one can efficiently compute the exact tail distribution and apply the test to two examples." [Accessed July 16, 2010]. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.0006-341X.2001.00941.x.
Regression models for prognostic prediction: advantages, problems, and suggested solutions. Harrell, Frank E Jr., Kerry L Lee, David B Matchar, Thomas A Reichert. Cancer Treatment Reports 1985: 69(10); 1071-77. [Medline]. Description: When you have many variables relative to the number of events in a logistic regression model, the traditional approach fares poorly. This article shows some alternative approaches.
A simulation study of the number of events per variable in logistic regression analysis. P. Peduzzi, J. Concato, E. Kemper, T. R. Holford, A. R. Feinstein. J Clin Epidemiol 1996: 49(12); 1373-9. Description: This article provides justification for the rule of thumb that you need 10 events per independent variable.
Ian Campbell. Two-by-two Methods. Excerpt: "This page expands on the methods section published in the paper: Campbell Ian, 2007, Chi-squared and Fisher-Irwin tests of two-by-two tables with small sample recommendations, Statistics in Medicine, 26, 3661 - 3675." [Accessed June 14, 2010]. Available at: http://www.iancampbell.co.uk/twobytwo/methods.htm.
11. Stats: Testing for an increasing trend in a proportion (November 26, 2007). Someone asked me how to see if a sequence of four proportions is showing a significant increase over time. The data represents the proportion of imaging studies that are requested by a primary care physician (pcp), as opposed to studies ordered by a specialist.
10. Stats: Interpretation of an odds ratio (March 21, 2007). Someone sent me some data on crime. In a sample of 2,957,239 people, 961 were criminals. 41 of the criminals were in the first group (who numbered 20,109). The remaining 920 were in the larger group (2,937,130). This person computed an odds ratio of 6.5 and wondered what it meant.
9. Stats: Differences between the Chi-square test, Fisher's Exact test, and logistic regression (January 9, 2007). I received an email from India (isn't the Internet wonderful?) that asked me to comment on the differences between a Chi-square test, Fisher's Exact test, and logistic regression. Let's take each of these in sequence.
8. Stats: Checking a Chi-square test (February 13, 2006). Someone preparing a critique of a research article wanted to check the accuracy of the statistics in that article. They noted that in a group of 37 patients without the intervention, only one was successful in avoiding a certain type of risky behavior. In a group with counseling, 7 out of 44 avoided the risky behavior.
7. Stats: Continuous variables in a logistic regression model (February 9, 2005). I got a question by email that asked, in a rather indirect way, how to interpret the odds ratio estimate for a continuous variable in a logistic regression model. It turns out that the odds ratio represents a change in the estimated odds of the outcome when the continuous variable increases by one unit.
6. Stats: Categorical variables in a logistic regression model (June 1, 2004). On April 8, I had written a brief description of interactions in a logistic regression model. This was a supplement to a discussion of the concepts behind the logistic regression model. Another important topic in that series of explanations is the interpretation of logistic regression coefficients for categorical variables.
5. Stats: Interactions in logistic regression (April 8, 2004). Someone asked me how to compute interactions in binary logistic regression. You need to be careful, since interactions are tricky to interpret.
4. Stats: The concepts behind the logistic regression model (July 23, 2002). The logistic regression model is a model that uses a binary (two possible values) outcome variable. Examples of a binary variable are mortality (live/dead), and morbidity (healthy/diseased). Sometimes you might take a continuous outcome and convert it into a binary outcome. For example, you might be interested in the length of stay in the hospital for mothers during an unremarkable delivery. A binary outcome might compare mothers who were discharged within 48 hours versus mothers discharged more than 48 hours.
3. Stats: SPSS dialog boxes for logistic regression (July 22, 2002). This handout shows some of the dialog boxes that you are likely to encounter if you use logistic regression models in SPSS.
2. Stats: Fisher's Exact Test (August 23, 2000). Dear Professor Mean: What is Fisher's Exact Test and when should I use it?
1. Stats: Guidelines for logistic regression models (September 27, 1999). There are three steps in a typical logistic regression model: 1. Fit a crude model; 2. Fit an adjusted model; 3. Examine the predicted probabilities.


Arlene J. (Werner) White 80 of Hillsboro passed away Jan 28, 2019 at Hillsboro Area Hospital.
She was born in Hillsboro IL on March 2, 1938 to Oland and Lavina (Bray) Werner.
She was a graduate of Hillsboro High School and a beautician and of the Lutheran faith.
She married William "Bill" White on July 15, 1956 and he survives.
She is also survived by one daughter Larissa Hobbie of Hillsboro and one son Loren White of Springfield grandchildren Colton (Ashley) White of Avon IN, Conor White of Springfield, Trey Fenton and Gretchen Hobbie both of Hillsboro and great grandchildren Hadlee Mae White and Easton White.
She was preceded in death by her parents, one brother Robert O. Werner and one sister Norma Jean Werner.
Private family burial was held Friday Feb. 1, 2019.


Fiddlebridge Motors know the importance of looking after your vehicle. By having regular servicing and maintenance, you can prevent problems from getting worse or even arising in the first place.
We supply a large selection of branded tyres, all sourced from established manufacturers. We understand how important it is to our customers to have high quality, reliable, long-lasting tyres, so we ensure that every single tyre we supply and install is of a superior standard.
NEED A NEW EXHAUST IN HATFIELD?
Fiddlebridge Motors have been fitting and supplying exhausts for cars and vans for over 20 years.
We pride ourselves on our efficient, professional and friendly service. If we don't have access to the particular exhaust you need, we will strive to source it for you.
As with our tyres, we only specialise in exhausts from the leading brands including Timax and Bosal.
Call us today for more information on our range of high quality tyres and exhausts!


text:
Swiss Environment Director Chardonnens Calls for Strong International Resources Governance
October 18, 2019October 21, 2019In WRF Events
Marc Chardonnens, Swiss Federal Office for the Environment
Geneva, 17 October 2019 "With only about a decade left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, and to bring our greenhouse gas emissions back to a safe pathway, the central role of mineral resources for low-carbon technologies and infrastructures needs to be discussed. Environmental challenges related to the extraction of raw materials need to be addressed", says Marc Chardonnens, director of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). "After the call by the international community, at the last United Nations Environment Assembly, for a strong international resources governance, the World Resources Forum provides the opportunity to discuss and design, together, the building blocks for the next steps forward".
The upcoming World Resources Forum (WRF2019) to be held in the Swiss UN capital Geneva, on October 23-24, will indeed discuss how to make natural resource governance fit for the 21st century. Recommendations will be formulated through high-level panels, workshops, side events and scientific sessions, with business and government leaders, NGO's, youth, foundations and researchers from all over the world. This year's partners include global players such as UN Environment, UNECE, ITU, the European Commission, EIT Raw Materials, WBCSD, the Global Compact Network, Club of Rome, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Africa will get an extra focus this year. The Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation of Ghana, His Excellency Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, will participate in a high-level political dialogue, and the African Circular Economy Network (ACEN) will have its own workshop, just as the German development agency GIZ. Find the detailed full program here.
Consensus is growing that there is no other option than a low-carbon and resource efficient economy. Low-carbon and resource efficient technologies such as electric vehicles, renewable energy, or digitalization, require more minerals than traditional technologies. The extractive industry is expected to struggle, in the coming years, to supply the necessary materials needed for the transition. However, as also a recent United Nations Environment report indicated, today's governance framework is not fit for the purpose. The many existing standards governing the management of mineral resources do not bring the expected results at the scale and the speed needed. Without improved governance, it will be impossible to ensure proper provision of the resources needed. The current political momentum and the resolutions adopted at the Fourth UN Environment Assembly (UNEA4) in March 2019 provide the foundations for tackling this challenge.
Business to Earn its Sustainable Development License to Operate
Business will have to earn its "Sustainable Development License to Operate" (SDLO) by taking action on sustainability, social issues and the environment, thereby increasing the scope of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and aligning their business models with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Ernst von Weizsäcker, Honorary President of the Club of Rome, calls for a five-fold increase of resource productivity: "It is technically possible. Let´s agree on policies to make it economically profitable!"
Gary Litman, United States Chamber of Commerce
Gary Litman, United States Chamber of Commerce, comments by saying that "business moves trillions of tons of materials around the world, from extraction to consumption. That is why companies are directly impacted by the risk of depletion of resources. Material efficiency is high on the business priority list for those companies who strive to remain successful over the long haul and preserve their license to doing business locally and globally. Resource governance should provide governments, consumers and investors with tools to support resource efficiency as a hallmark of good management, responsible governance, quality of production and sustainable consumption."
Brendan Edgerton, WBCSD, observes that "consumers, investors, regulators and competitors are increasingly pressuring companies to address for environmental and social issues to the business. We believe that more sustainable businesses will be more successful in the future."
Cristina Bueti, International Telecommunications Union ITU, points to a priority stream by saying that "E-waste is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Over 50 million tonnes of e-waste were recorded in 2018." The ITU is developing international standards to support the sustainable management of e-waste.
Gunter Stephan, leader of the Swiss National Research Programme on Sustainable Economy, states that "economic theory shows that intergenerational fairness can be achieved only, if the present generation significantly invests into the future environment. Examples are CO2 tax, tax reductions on sustainable investment, and reforming the pension system with the sustainability goals in mind."
A New International Resources Governance Framework
As in previous editions of the World Resources Forum many speakers will call for better resource governance, and some may mention the idea of setting up a convention for natural resources. It is clear that actions at the global level are needed, leading to a structural transformation. Needed is a new paradigm for economic development and significant gains in resource security and efficiency. The conference will discuss financial incentives, such as pricing of resources and taxe, and review how regulations can be suitable tools to create a new global governance framework for natural resources.
Olga Algayerova, UNECE
Olga Algayerova, UNECE: "Raw materials production historically has produced vast quantities of waste and often has done irreparable damage to the environment. We need to learn from this experience to make a step-change in raw materials production to achieve a "zero-waste, zero-harm" outcome. Managing raw materials as part of a circular economy in which products are reused and "wastes" are a resource for other services is the right approach. The United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC) embraces the principles of comprehensive resource recovery, circularity, zero harm and zero waste. UNFC is a tool that connects top-down policy objectives to bottom-up project implementation to enable sustainable production and use of all energy and mineral resources."
Ligia Noronha, UNEP: "The UN Environment vision supports positive change in the extractive sector's governance and business practices. We aim to make minerals, oil and gas work for all, with minimal harm and many benefits."
International Resources Governance Dialogue at Global Level
Experts from various regions, Africa, Latin America, Asia, will highlight their special needs and responsiblities. Already the discussions at the UN level earlier this year have made clear that countries acknowledge that natural resources are essential for development. Consensus is growing that resource efficiency and improving natural resource governance is important for reaching their development goals. Addressing resource scarcity, maintaining environmental stewardship, and improving resource efficiency are seen as top priorities for all countries. At the same time, all countries and regions are different, that is why it is essential to continue global discussions. The World Resources Forum and other informal dialogue processes as well as the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA)-5 in 2021 are crucial elements of such dialogue.
Jessica Clement, WRF 2019 conference coordinator
Lieze Cloots, Flemish Waste Agency OVAM and co-organiser of the WRF conference on Circular Economy in Antwerp earlier this year identifies that "Circular Economy helps to reach the climate targets. Consumer behavior should change radically, cities are the pioneers for circular change, soil and land are valuable resources and coordinated action at global level is needed".
About WRF2019 – how to participate, agenda and logistics
The World Resources Forum is an annual multistakeholder conference, to which everyone is invited to participate without invitation. This year the theme is International Resources Governance. Pre-registration is required. All stakeholder groups and individuals are welcome. Find here all details
Write to info@wrforum.org for any questions, including press accreditation.
WRF 2019 Calls for Ambitious International Rules for Resources Management
Ethiopian Harpist ZEM Performs at WRF 2019
Increase Resource Productivity to Fight Poverty and Climate Change, Club of Rome Author Says at WRF 2017
Planet Earth and its Limits on Use of Natural Resources
These are the Ecological Footprint Drawing Contest Winners 2016
The Swiss Resources Revolution has Begun
UNEP IRP at COP21 in Paris: Natural Resources Management as Solution to Climate Change
Call for Abstracts WRF 2020 Ghana Open
Mineral resource governance in the 21st Century
WRF Conference News
(4-6 emails per year)
WRF Weekly Paper
(1 email per week)
WRF on Twitter
RT @UNEPIRP: Call for Abstracts for @WRFSwitzerland 2020 is open. The conference will take place in #Ghana, June 23-25, emphasizing on the… 21 hours ago
RT @CEWASTE1: We are still looking for auditors to help assess, and learn more about, the implementation of our voluntary certification sch… 23 hours ago
Supported by @WRFSwitzerland LCA databases software companies (ecoinvent IKE, @ifuHamburg @GreenDeltaGmbH Social H… https://t.co/Hm7RmOLXeV 2 days ago
WRF on Facebook
World Resources Forum Secretariat
Lerchenfeldstr. 5CH 9014 St. GallenSwitzerland
Phone: +41 71 554 0900Email: info@wrforum.org

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Becoming Layla
What it takes to be the hero in a novel
Half Year Review
An Archeological Mystery Exposed!
Helena on October 13, 2013 in Misc
For the remainder of 2013, my posts will be from Layla Daltry's perspective. She's the hero of The Compass Master, a daring antiquities hunter, and while on the trail of a rare, precious artifact is living undercover in Denver as Helena Soister. Here are the latest details of her mission…
I was stunned the moment I saw the photograph and read the online news story.
In an instant, my brain made the connection. I could create a firestorm in the world of archeology, was my reaction. One that just might blow my cover as I lay low here in Colorado.
According to the article, my friend, Larisa Vodolazhskaya (gad, those long Russian names!), a study researcher at the Archaeoastronomical Research Center in Russia, has rendered her judgment on some Bronze Age petroglyphs.
They had been carved on a slab of stone discovered by archeologists in 2011 in a burial mound in the Ukraine. The mound has been dated to the 12th or 13th century B.C. After studying the angles of the carvings and making calculations, Larisa has now concluded that the slab was likely used to mark the hours in the day at that particular latitude. In short, it was a sundial, perhaps the most ancient sundial ever discovered.
All well and good. But it was the photograph that took my breath away, and for good reason.
On the left is the Ukrainian sundial.
And here's this one…
It's a photo of a stone petroglyph in Crack Cave in southeastern Colorado. On only two days of the year—the spring and autumn equinox—they are illuminated when the sun's rays can reach into the cave at dawn. Some scientists argue that this Colorado petroglyph is made up of Ogham words from the ancient Celts, likely Irish Christian monks who may have explored a stretch of the Arkansas River, perhaps around 500 to 800 A.D., and left their Ogham writings over an area stretching from Oklahoma into Colorado along the Arkansas River. The theory is controversial.
These two photos confound me. Why are these upper and lower vertical grooves transected by a horizontal one so similar in both? Why are there small "circular depressions" around the Ukrainian sundial, but also a few on the Colorado petroglyph? Depressions Larisa describes as "hour marks of an analemmatic sundial" that reveal a sophisticated grasp of geometry.
Yes, the native Americans had their own astronomical calendars, but none of them match the style of this Colorado one. The Celtic connection remains. But is there now an even more ancient Ukrainian one?
And is the Colorado petroglyph slightly different from the Ukrainian one to account for the change in latitude?
I suspect the scientists are wrong about Crack Cave's "Ogham" markings. Yes, it was likely Dark Ages Celtic monks who carved them, but instead of Ogham letters they are the calculations of a sundial. And these monks learned this astronomical tradition from fellow Europeans who had been using it as far away as the Ukrainian steppes and since at least 1000 B.C.
But how was this knowledge passed down? How did these far-flung cultures meet and exchange their mathematics and sciences?
I hope the answers are not lost in the mists of time. I hope to make my own discoveries soon. And then the firestorm of controversy will begin.
Tags: Crack Cave, Ogham, The Compass Master, Ukrainian Sundial
Hitting the Target
Back in a Moment…
11 Responses to "An Archeological Mystery Exposed!"
Alex J. Cavanaugh says:
How did they meet since an ocean separates them?
She's going to blow her cover…
I sometimes ask the same kinds of questions. The other day, I was looking at a picture of a Mayan pyramid and thought, "I think it's interesting that two cultures that never interacted made buildings in roughly the same shape and that they both used stairs that are essentially the same no matter where you go in the world."
I guess it just shows you that in science, there is an answer to what is best. Stairs are a result from pondering the question, how can we make climbing a slope easier? I'm sure there were many designs, but the fact that people who had no communication arrived at "steps" and that they are essentially within a margin of error to being utilitarian for an adult human is just proof of this premise.
Maybe it's the same with tracking time. I haven't spent studying it, but it seems logical that people might arrive at the same conclusion over and over when trying to answer the question: what is best? without outside stimulation. Rain and snow come from the sky so primitive peoples learned that a roof over one's head was best to handle this (as an example).
What befuddles me somewhat is that some civilizations failed to invent the wheel. I guess I just don't understand, because even I have kicked a rock down the road and can see that something that rolls is better than something that doesn't. Maybe they just didn't ask the right questions.
Alex – Historians are also discovering that there was much more ocean-crossin pre-Columbus than they realized.
Michael — I'd like to read Jared Diamond's "Guns, Germs and Steel," which looks at why people in different parts of the world developed differently and how their environment was the main cause. But I also looked up Egyptian and Mayan pyramids, and if you're interested here's a piece that appeared in Psychology Today. I like the theories that ancient people may have crossed the Atlantic, but there's also mention of how people have the same needs everywhere.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/life-is-trip/201110/maya-and-egyptian-pyramids-hidden-connection
Thanks for the articles, Helena. I will check it out.
Carol Kilgore says:
I love discoveries like this. They usually fire up my imagination because they're simply loaded with what-ifs. The markings look like the skeleton of a fish to me. Good thing I'm not an archaeologist.
Carol – You're right, they both look like fish bones.
Old Kitty says:
The Archaeoastronomical Research Centre!!!! Now that's a mouthful – imagine that in Russian!! Lovely Layla – what have you got there? Trust you to stir things up though – but I bet you're onto something!! Good luck! Take care
Milo James Fowler says:
I like her voice in this one — and those Russian names… I still have trouble with one of my students this year!
Old Kitty — Between Archaeoastronomical and the tongue-twister names, Layla was seriously challenged in this case. At least Ogham is only two syllables.
Milo – Maybe this is one reason we writers give our characters shorter, punchier names. Except for those Russian writers.
Now available at Amazon.com and on the Amazon Kindle
My Plan for 2013
I'm a writer, author of The Compass Master, and this blog had been a record of my efforts to be like its action hero Layla Daltry. I did everything from skydiving to picking locks to bashing myself up in sports like parkour. But 2013 will be my do-or-die year. If Compass or my two forthcoming Charity MacCay novels don't sell fabulously well, I'm giving up writing. Forever. Except maybe blogging.
Alex J Cavanaugh
Ciara Knight
Confessions of a Watery Tart
EveryDay NewYear
Ketatur writing
SLC Kismet
Under the Tiki Hut
My Novel Prediction Came True
Wigging Out
Alex's New Dragon
Easter Filling
Master (Mistress?) of Disguise
Social Misfit
Previous Months:
© 2019 Becoming Layla is Proudly Powered By WordPress | Theme by The Cloisters


text:
S.C. center fights back against illiteracy
By Megan Parrott | Sep 26, 2018
The South Carolina Center for Children's Books and Literacy is the site for new books for children and young adults in the state. The center receives newly released books directly from various publishers.
"We are tasked with making them available to as many people as possible and making people aware of the new books that are available to kids," said Liz Hartnett, program coordinator for the center.
This hidden gem can be found on the University of South Carolina campus at the corner of Senate and Bull Streets. The literacy outlet is mostly unknown to those outside of the education world, even though it is open to the public for book checkout, and empty throughout the day.
The center has not only housed all the new books for the state since 1992, but also provides literature courses, professional development, and outreach programs such as Cocky's Reading Express.
"It's a program that involves student volunteers. You hop on the bus with Cocky, the mascot, and go to schools around the state to present picture books, reading them aloud to K-through-second grade students," Hartnett explained. "All the kids go home with a new book, it's a lot of fun and it's been really successful for us."
The center deliberately targets early learning grades because, Hartnett said, research has shown that if kids are unable to read proficiently by the third grade they are more at risk for not graduating high school on time and having academic difficulties.
Through her research, Hartnett has found that the U.S. literacy rate is around 86%; S.C.'s rate hovers at 85%. That is based on how many people who are 15 years old and older who are able to read and write.
While the state's literacy rate may be in line with the U.S. as a whole, on national tests students are performing at some of the lowest levels in the country.
"There's a national test that all fourth graders take that measures reading," Hartnett said. "South Carolina students placed 47th in the country on that test last year, so that's kind of alarming."
This placement was a significant drop from previous years. The center is helping to fight back against these low scores by preparing teachers with different techniques and materials for reading in the classroom.
SCCCBL teaches educators how to pick the right books for story time and different strategies that can be used to read aloud in an engaging way so that kids are encouraged to be a part of the process. The center also offers workshops to public librarians on how to work with families of bilingual children.
"It's important that families play a role in developing a child's literacy skills, whatever language they speak or don't speak," said Hartnett. "Literacy is everyone's business so we are open to working with groups that share our concern."
The South Carolina Center for Children's Books and Literacy is tucked away on the USC campus. The center can be found at the corner of Senate and Bull Streets.
Liz Hartnett, program coordinator for the SCCBLC, believes it's essential for parents to be active in their children's literacy development. She says that parents can boost literacy in their homes by modeling reading to their children.
Amelia Braun, a senior education major at USC, makes use of the center to check out books for her classroom during the student-teaching program.
PreviousMobile libraries spark appreciation of reading
NextThe legacy of the Button King lives on
Megan Parrott
Megan Parrott is a senior multimedia student from Lake City, South Carolina. She is passionate about storytelling, communications, copy editing and non-profit work on both a local and global level. She has interned with COLAtoday and Palmetto Place Children's Shelter in communication and editing roles. Parrott enjoys the challenge of getting to know individuals and finding a way to share their unique stories. After graduation in December, Parrott plans a career in communications for a non-profit.


Actually the writers have toyed around with the whole vampire-mind-trick. Remember when Katherine toyed with Stefan in the tomb? But you're right about the crow and the fog Damon was doing in the pilot - that hasn't come up again. It kind of bothers me. As for awkwardness... I was actually kind of bored. Were you?
Yes, the mind-trick is actually like dream walking. Katherine did it with Stefan and Damon did it with Rose just before he staked her. As for the crow, Damon comments on it in one of the first season episodes. He hints to the fact that it's a trick with controlling the crow, not shape shifting.
@Kelsey I have to agree... I was bored with this episode. I kept waiting on something to surprise me and nothing did. Everything was pretty predictable, even down to Sage betraying Damon.
You're both right about the Katherine mind trick thing with Stefan and that Damon had made Rose more comfortable before he had to kill her! I had forgotten about that.
I had also forgotten that Damon had commented on the appearance of the crow. I would still like to see more of these mind tricks that they're capable of. I would also like to see Damon or Stefan run into someone they can actually win a fight with! lol!