text:
Organikos
100% Forward
The Tangled Tree, Noodling With Lucidity & Grace
August 9, 2018 April 10, 2019 / Organikos	/ Leave a comment
Sonny Figueroa/The New York Times
Thanks to the New York Times for Parul Sehgal's review of the new book by one of science writing's greats, reminding us that we have not featured Quammen enough:
David Quammen Turns Tough Science Into Page-Turning Pleasure
David QuammenCreditLynn Donaldson
Love a writer — read him carefully and closely — and you'll pick up on his pet words, the ones he reaches for repeatedly, like a baseball player with a trusted bat.
Nabokov famously had "mauve." Elizabeth Hardwick had "motive." Edward St. Aubyn has "gasp." The statistician Ben Blatt has called these "cinnamon words" (after Ray Bradbury's fondness for the names of spices), and they're often hilariously telling, revealing the essence of a writer, something idiosyncratic in his perception of the world and himself. Is it any wonder that Dickens, that cash-strapped father of 10, was so crazy about "pinch" as noun, verb — even name?
For the science writer David Quammen that word is — sublimely — "noodle." The verb pops up all over his work — and could any word suit him better? He is our greatest living chronicler of the natural world yet was never formally trained in the sciences. He started out as a novelist, a protégé of Robert Penn Warren, and stumbled into nonfiction, his boyhood passion for rooting around in forests now taking him to the canopies of the Amazon and the cliff lines of Komodo island. (The root of "amateur," remember, is Latin for "lover.") Continue reading →
Poisson d'Avril Redux Two
April 1, 2018 April 1, 2018 / Amie Inman	/ Leave a comment
It's a rare occasion that we republish one of our posts on this site – but April 1st is a special day, is it not? And as the weather warms, a little bit of lighthearted Spring frolicking won't go amiss.
It was unlike me to have missed acknowledging the Vernal Equinox last week but please note that it wasn't forgotten. In much of the northern hemisphere spring began sprouting all over the place, sometimes unseasonably early, and the first day of spring was observed in all its glory in Crist's Holi series.
So I'm being careful not to miss April 1st and in the spirit of that celebration am sharing some of artist Ken Brown's collection of turn of the century (the 19th to the 20th that is!) French fantasy postcards that celebrate "Poisson d'Avril", the French equivalent of April 1st or April Fools' Day. Continue reading →
The Etymology of Tea/Chai
January 14, 2018 January 13, 2018 / Seth Inman	/ Leave a comment
Image © Quartz, qz.com
Most of us have either ordered a chai latte at a café before, or at least a cup of tea. I, for one, always assumed that chai was just the Hindi word for tea, and that in the US this always meant tea with certain spices, versus "normal" tea being plain old green or black tea leaves. But instead of getting into semantics, I want to share some of the etymology behind the two words, tea and chai, that I learned from an article in Quartz by Nikhil Sonnad:
"With a few minor exceptions, there are really only two ways to say 'tea' in the world. One is like the English term—té in Spanish and tee in Afrikaans are two examples. The other is some variation of cha, like chay in Hindi.
Both versions come from China. How they spread around the world offers a clear picture of how globalization worked before 'globalization' was a term anybody used. The words that sound like 'cha' spread across land, along the Silk Road. The 'tea'-like phrasings spread over water, by Dutch traders bringing the novel leaves back to Europe."
Bats & Social Mechanisms Of Learning
November 7, 2017 November 6, 2017 / Organikos	/ Leave a comment
The social and vocal interactions of a colony of fruit bats competing for position in a sleeping cluster. By LEE HARTEN on Publish DateOctober 31, 2017. Photo by Mickey Samuni-Blank.
Yesterday's topic touched on a taboo of sorts, but in the interest of furthering our understanding of one of the most remarkable organisms on the planet; today, likewise, thanks to Steph Yin for her note on creatures sometimes considered creepy but whose environmental services are remarkably valuable:
Teaching Bats to Say 'Move Out of My Way' in Many Dialects
I was raised by grandparents who spoke only Mandarin, so I did not speak English until I went to preschool in Philadelphia. There, guided by English-speaking teachers and surrounded by toddlers babbling in loose English, I adopted the new language quickly.
Young bats may not be so different. Continue reading →
Investing In Cultural Heritage
June 21, 2017 June 21, 2017 / Crist Inman	/ Leave a comment
The Cultural Heritage Center is an $8 million investment in the community. Elissa Nadworny/NPR
It is not a question I have had to ponder (the opening line of the story below) for myself, but I get it. Losing the land, through battle, through treaties that are not honored, or otherwise, is an obvious existential threat for any community, and has been since the dawn of civilization. Invisible assets such as language, like any cultural heritage, also called intangible patrimony, are less obviously existentially important. But anyone who ponders it realizes that the loss of a language or another intangible component of cultural heritage matters to all of us, not only those who are at immediate and direct risk of its extinction. In the same way biodiversity matters, so does this.
And it is an underlying logic and motivator of our initiative with Ramon tree and its role in Mayan foodways. In earlier posts on the subject that I emphasized the environmental wonder of Ramon, but it is really a cultural heritage story, still to be told at Chan Chich Lodge. Meanwhile thanks to Melissa Block at National Public Radio (USA) for this story about one communities efforts along a related path:
A Native Village In Alaska Where The Past Is Key To The Future
What does it mean to lose your land, your language, and your heritage?
For Alaska Natives, these are existential threats.
On a trip to Southeast Alaska, I traveled to one village that is finding new ways to survive: Klukwan, ancestral home of the Tlingit tribe. Continue reading →
For The Wordies In Our Midst
April 25, 2017 April 24, 2017 / Crist Inman	/ Leave a comment
A galley proof shows some of the work that went into adding "ginormous" to Merriam-Webster's 2007 collegiate dictionary. Charles Krupa/AP
We care about the meaning and use of words about as much as we care about the specific themes words are used in these pages to evoke in all manner of variation: conservation, community, collaboration, food, etc. Among us are perhaps some repentant grammar scolds, so thanks to the Atlantic's Megan Garber for this review, which I was led to read after listening to an interview with Kory Stamper (click the image above to go to that podcast):
The Case Against the Grammar Scolds
The lexicographer Kory Stamper's new book, Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries, is an eloquent defense of a "live and let live" approach to English.
Louis du Mont / Getty
Keeping Shakespeare in Mind
September 8, 2016 September 7, 2016 / Amie Inman	/ Leave a comment
Illustration by Mathew McFarren
Quite a few of our team can attest to the power of a liberal arts education, especially when put in such a joyful context.
Scott L. Newstok's convocation speech to the Rhodes College class of 2020 embraces this joy, adding the cheeky tweak of asking the incoming class to approach their college experience in the "spirit of the 16th century".
Building a bridge to the 16th century must seem like a perverse prescription for today's ills. I'm the first to admit that English Renaissance pedagogy was rigid and rightly mocked for its domineering pedants. Few of you would be eager to wake up before 6 a.m. to say mandatory prayers, or to be lashed for tardiness, much less translate Latin for hours on end every day of the week. Could there be a system more antithetical to our own contemporary ideals of student-centered, present-focused, and career-oriented education?
Yet this system somehow managed to nurture world-shifting thinkers, including those who launched the Scientific Revolution. This education fostered some of the very habits of mind endorsed by both the National Education Association and the Partnership for 21st Century Learning: critical thinking; clear communication; collaboration; and creativity. (To these "4Cs," I would add "curiosity.") Given that your own education has fallen far short of those laudable goals, I urge you to reconsider Shakespeare's intellectual formation: that is, not what he purportedly thought — about law or love or leadership — but how he thought. An apparently rigid educational system could, paradoxically, induce liberated thinking.
"Take advantage of the autonomy and opportunities that college permits by approaching it in the spirit of the 16th century. You'll become capable of a level of precision, inventiveness, and empathy worthy to be called Shakespearean."
So how can you think like Shakespeare?
The Essayist Essay
September 2, 2016 September 2, 2016 / Crist Inman	/ Leave a comment
A student at the University of Chicago, which recently declared itself a space safe from safe spaces. PHOTOGRAPH BY B. O'KANE / ALAMY
I have just read the most remarkable short essay (or is it a blog post?), the best in a very long time because it is eloquent, wrestles with important ideas, and is very timely. Although the title of the essay has a reference to a divisive character who I do not look forward to reading more about, I nonetheless waded in because the writer has written some of my favorite reported pieces in the last couple years.
And it was rewarded quickly, because as soon as the second paragraph he used a word that I did not know, a beautiful word. And followed that with a couple beautiful sentences opening the third paragraph. I was hooked. And in less than half an hour I was fully rewarded with inspiration and motivation.
Essays and the essayists have been the topic of numerous posts here over the years, because we have many language-lovers and word-players among our ranks. (For silly example, the first word in the title of this post is meant to convey "the most essay-ish of all" while using the word that normally just means someone who writes an essay.) But also because, as we have tried to also communicate, words matter alot in translating ideas and ideals into actions. So, may I recommend: Continue reading →
A Conversation of Whistles
September 27, 2015 September 27, 2015 / Organikos	/ Leave a comment
Steep hills surround the village of Kuskoy. Some villagers here can still understand the old "bird language," a form of whistled Turkish used to communicate across these deep valleys. PHOTO: Peter Kenyon/NPR
Is it always necessary to use words to communicate? Theoretically, there's verbal communication and its non-verbal counterpart of body language, gestures, and the like. What if the communication is to pass over valleys and hills – spontaneously? Then, a whistled language – with its origin in bird calls – is the answer. Ask the "bird whistlers".
In a remote mountain village high above Turkey's Black Sea coast, there are villagers who still communicate across valleys by whistling. Not just whistling as in a non-verbal, "Hey, you!" But actually using what they call their "bird language," Turkish words expressed as a series of piercing whistles.
The village is Kuskoy, and it's inhabited by farmers who raise tea, corn, beets and other crops, and also keep livestock. The landscape is unusual by Turkish standards, and the residents are also considered a bit eccentric by other Turks.
More a Passion Than a Language – Catalan
September 26, 2015 September 26, 2015 / Organikos	/ 1 Comment
The estelada, the flag of Catalan independence, during a demonstration in Barcelona. Photograph: Manu Fernandez/AP
Catalonia,the northeastern corner of Spain, is heading to polls. A move in which we could possibly see a new independent state. Amid the political predictions, the election narrative closely shadows what has held this population together. The Catalan language. One that finds its being in the fact that banning something could lead to its preservation.
This Catalan reaction is also expressed by a Catalan writer exiled in Mexico, Pere Calders, in his 1955 short story, "Catalans in the World". A Catalan traveller in the Far East, at an evening party encounters a parrot which, to his surprise, utters Catalan phrases. He was overcome by emotion: "Many were the things which made us different but there was a language which made us one… Early that morning, when I left, I had a softer heart than the day I arrived."
June 26, 2015 June 26, 2015 / Organikos	/ Leave a comment
As global trade expanded through European conquests of the East Indies, the flow of Indian words into English gathered momentum. PHOTO: EDL
Recently, we discussed Indian classical music as a ground of collaborations and exchanges. Cultural hegemony aside, we'd rooted for the European violin which is a mainstay at temple concerts and for the clarinet and trombone, which we may be lucky to see in music arrangements. Today, it's about language. About how India gave the world worlds including pundit, jungle, nirvana, and more.
"Ginger, pepper and indigo entered English via ancient routes: they reflect the early Greek and Roman trade with India and come through Greek and Latin into English," says Kate Teltscher. "Ginger comes from Malayalam in Kerala, travels through Greek and Latin into Old French and Old English, and then the word and plant become a global commodity. In the 15th Century, it's introduced into the Caribbean and Africa and it grows, so the word, the plant and the spice spread across the world." "The Portuguese conquest of Goa dates back to the 16th Century, and mango, and curry, both come to us via Portuguese – mango began as 'mangai' in Malayalam and Tamil, entered Portuguese as 'manga' and then English with an 'o' ending," she says.
What's That You Hear on Uganda's Streets?
Uganda has the world's youngest population, with over 78% below 30 years of age. PHOTO: campustimesug.com
Uganda is a 'young' country if the above numbers are anything go by. And that makes the nation's present population one that is acclimatized to he ways of the English language. A consequence of it is the development of a new language – Luyaaye. Designated an Urban Youth Language (informal varieties, the new variant is a combination of mostly English, Sheng (a Swahili-based cant, originating among the urban underclass of Nairobi, Kenya), and other Sudanese languages. Now, why should anybody pay attention to this nascent dialect, that is less rigid than traditional languages and mainly involves word play? And should its dark past be forgotten, the one about the language helping criminals do their business?
"Programmes have been carried out to spread information about AIDS but even with increased dissemination there was a decrease in the take-up of that information," she said. "When asked what would help, people said 'speak our language'.
Kathryn Schulz, Come To Kerala
April 10, 2015 April 10, 2015 / Organikos	/ Leave a comment
Past invitations have been sent to environmentally-oriented illustrators, to entrepreneurial conservation artists, to sandplay free spirits, to wildlife management scientists, and to food prodigies; but not enough attention has been paid, in our invitations, to word specialists. So, moving right along, Kathryn please be our guest. We would love to host you here and/or here and/or here.
We have not read the book in the link above, nor even a review of the book, but we are linking to its homepage because there you will find not only information about her book but also links to the two TED talks given by the author, whose profession is listed as Wrongologist. Catchy titles are not what catch us. Scintillating writing on the meaning of words does. For that, you could not do much better than starting here, which will also justify our invitation, as wordplay appreciators, to one of the best:
What Part of "No, Totally" Don't You Understand?
BY KATHRYN SCHULZ
Not long ago, I walked into a friend's kitchen and found her opening one of those evil, impossible-to-breach plastic blister packages with a can opener. This worked, and struck me as brilliant, but I mention it only to illustrate a characteristic that I admire in our species: given almost any entity, we will find a way to use it for something other than its intended purpose. We commandeer cafeteria trays to go sledding, "The Power Broker" to prop open the door, the Internet to look at kittens. We do this with words as well—time was, spam was just Spam—but, lately, we have gone in for a particularly dramatic appropriation. In certain situations, it seems, we have started using "no" to mean "yes."
Here's Lena Dunham demonstrating this development, during a conversation with the comedian Marc Maron on his podcast "WTF." The two are talking about people who reflexively disparage modern art: Continue reading →
Language Spoken Is Knowledge Saved For A Rainy Day
March 23, 2015 March 23, 2015 / Organikos	/ 2 Comments
The consequences of losing a language may not be understood until it is too late.
At first glance, or quick skim, this will inject a darting depression into your soul, because of the seeming hopelessness. But then the grace of the writing, and the beauty of the story, will wash away the darkness and, very possibly, inspire you. Read it, and if you have thoughts, or actions, to share with us on the entrepreneurial (or other) conservation of intangible patrimony please share a comment below:
It is a singular fate to be the last of one's kind. That is the fate of the men and women, nearly all of them elderly, who are—like Marie Wilcox, of California; Gyani Maiya Sen, of Nepal; Verdena Parker, of Oregon; and Charlie Mungulda, of Australia—the last known speakers of a language: Wukchumni, Kusunda, Hupa, and Amurdag, respectively. But a few years ago, in Chile, I met Joubert Yanten Gomez, who told me he was "the world's only speaker of Selk'nam." He was twenty-one.
Yanten Gomez, who uses the tribal name Keyuk, grew up modestly, in Santiago. Continue reading →
Words, Landscapes, And Pondering Ethiopia
March 5, 2015 June 17, 2019 / Crist Inman	/ 1 Comment
The most illuminating 75 minutes with earbuds on, in a long time or possibly ever (since my history with earbuds is only a few years old), by far, were spent listening to this. If you are a combined "words person" and "nature person"–how else would you have found your way to this blog?–then you will understand.
Ethiopia, from the perspective of our recent expedition which I have barely begun to process with words, was illuminated for me just a bit hearing this man talk about how we describe places and the impact that ecosystems have on us. Ecosystems serve as metaphors, he says. And that prepositions matter a great deal to how we communicate the impact ecoystems have on us, literally and metaphorically.
Ethiopia was an enriching experience, in these senses. I will write separately on that illumination. For now, a bit more from Robert Macfarlane, the illuminator on nature, through words. After listening to the podcast of his lecture, I had to know who this was, and it brought me here:
Làirig – 'a pass in the mountains' (Gaelic). Photograph: Rosamund Macfarlane
Eight years ago, in the coastal township of Shawbost on the Outer Hebridean island of Lewis, I was given an extraordinary document. It was entitled "Some Lewis Moorland Terms: A Peat Glossary", and it listed Gaelic words and phrases for aspects of the tawny moorland that fills Lewis's interior. Reading the glossary, I was amazed by the compressive elegance of its lexis, and its capacity for fine discrimination: a caochan, for instance, is "a slender moor-stream obscured by vegetation such that it is virtually hidden from sight", while afeadan is "a small stream running from a moorland loch", and a fèith is "a fine vein-like watercourse running through peat, often dry in the summer". Other terms were striking for their visual poetry: rionnach maoim means "the shadows cast on the moorland by clouds moving across the sky on a bright and windy day"; èit refers to "the practice of placing quartz stones in streams so that they sparkle in moonlight and thereby attract salmon to them in the late summer and autumn", and teine biorach is "the flame or will-o'-the-wisp that runs on top of heather when the moor burns during the summer". Continue reading →
Lighting Up Language
February 7, 2015 February 7, 2015 / Amie Inman	/ 1 Comment
Malayalam Project at Kochi Biennale
As a language, Malayalam is a perfect example of form as function: its "loopy" forms seem to roll off the speaker's tongue. The word itself is even a palindrome, reading forward and backward in a never-ending loop. The high literacy rate in Kerala is evident in the newspapers found in tea stalls at every corner, not to mention the ubiquitous walls painted with verbal signage in both urban and rural settings, and those signs often feel more like murals due to the graphic nature of the language itself. The Kochi-Muziris Biennale '14 is the perfect platform to express this concept:
Among the various internationally-acclaimed installations at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale '14 is Malayalam Project that strives to draw the world's attention towards the regional language and script.
A partner project at the Biennale, Malayalam Project is a collaborative forum that experiments with Malayalam letterform and typography. Kochi-based firms Thought Factory Design and Viakerala have put together this typography cum graphic design exhibition in collaboration with Riyas Komu, secretary of the Kochi Biennale.
"In the digital era, where imagery is used to communicate ideas, words become canvas of graphic. We are looking at how Malayalam, which is either a sound or a text enters the visual age we live in," said the creative director Theresa Joseph George.
Pointing out that her firms have done lot of research into the field of Malayalam typography, Theresa, who is also a graphic designer, says, "Malayalam script with its loopy curves provides immense scope for experimentation." Continue reading →
Lady Mondegreen
December 20, 2014 December 19, 2014 / Organikos	/ Leave a comment
Everyone has done it before, probably by accident or perhaps by malaprop. You're singing along to a song you like, in the company of a friend, when suddenly they stop you and say, "Wait, what did you just say? You know that's not the actual lyrics, right?" And you stare at them in disbelief and retort, "No, I think you're wrong. Bob Marley clearly sings 'three little birds sitting on my toaster.'"
"Not 'toaster,'" your friend replies exasperatedly, "why would Bob be talking about a toaster? He says 'doorstep.'" And you think about it for a second and then sheepishly come to the realization that your friend must be correct. If you had been talking about Bob Dylan, there might be no guessing what the actual lyrics are without an authoritative reference, but Bob Marley is a lot more straightforward. It turns out that the misinterpretation of lyrics due to a failure to hear the words in a song correctly has a name, coined in the 1950s. One of our go-to contributors for the New Yorker, Maria Konnikova, writes this week about the phenomenon, and you can read some excerpts of her piece below. But before you do so, you might want to listen to pop/country singer/celebrity Taylor Swift, who has a song in her new album 1989 that has elicited many a case of mondegreen during one line in the chorus. It is called "Blank Space," (you may have heard it on the radio a dozen times already) and to find the mondegreen, you simply have to be primed to hear the word "Starbucks." Actually, the mondegreen potential is so severe that articles have been written online about it, indicating that you don't really need to be primed at all.
What We Read, Why, And How
December 10, 2014 December 10, 2014 / Organikos	/ 1 Comment
Chris Hughes, the thirty-one-year-old owner of The New Republic. CREDIT PHOTOGRAPH BY JONATHAN WIGGS/THE BOSTON GLOBE VIA GETTY
We care about books, and libraries, and languages, and long form journalism among other reasons to get perspective, to become informed beyond our local experience. When a century-old vital institution from any of these realms perishes, it is worth taking note, and mourning as George Packer does in a short punch of a post:
…As for the mass self-purge of editors and writers at The New Republic, it might be taken as part of the ongoing demise of old journalistic institutions in the face of new realities of technology and business. Or it might just be the story of one incompetent media mogul. Two years ago, with a lucky Facebook-based fortune and earnest talk about great journalism, Chris Hughes seduced a lot of hardened veterans of the New York-Washington news world who were desperate for a vision of the future.
Preservation Of Language
December 7, 2014 June 19, 2016 / Organikos	/ 4 Comments
We have posted on the topic of intangible patrimony and include it in our explanation of entrepreneurial conservation; the topic extends to our interest in reading and the liberal arts. Below is a link to an op-ed piece published today, penned by a savvy academic whose primary focus is language, that we consider worthy of the brief reading time, even if you are not a language fanatic:
Why Save a Language?
By JOHN McWHORTER
Hint: It's not to preserve a different way of seeing the world.
Strunk, White, & ?
November 1, 2014 November 1, 2014 / Organikos	/ 1 Comment
Click the book cover to go to the Powell's website for a description of the book we formerly only knew as being authored by, and generally referred to simply as, Strunk and White. We love Maira Kalman and never knew she had illustrated this classic. That is interesting enough, but if you are ever accused of being a member of the "grammar police" as some of us are, or are a fan of Steven Pinker, or both, check this out (thanks to the Chronicle of Higher Education):
The voice on BBC radio was that of Professor Steven Pinker, fluent and engaging as ever. But my blood froze as I listened to what he said.
On the panel show A Good Read (Radio 4, October 17, 2014), each guest recommends a book, which the other guests also read and discuss. And Pinker's recommendation for a good read was … The Elements of Style !
It was like hearing Warren Buffett endorsing junk bonds. It was like learning that Stanley Kubrick called Plan 9 From Outer Space high-quality cinematography. It was like seeing Chet Atkins (Never mind. I am too dispirited to go on with this potentially entertaining game of analogy-making.) Continue reading →
Try Our Coffees:
Follow Organikos on WordPress.com
Activism Agriculture Art Biodiversity Birds Climate Change Collaboration Community Conservation Conservation Tourism Consumer Behavior Cuisine Culture Ecosystems Environmentalism Flora Food Forests Heritage History Ideas India Kerala Nature Photography Personal Statement Public Policy Science Sustainability Travel Wildlife
Categories Select Category 51 (20) Activism (504) Adventure (254) Africa (91) Agriculture (431) Alternative Energy (274) Altruism (84) Animals (259) Animation (30) Anthropology (36) Archaeology (42) Architecture (213) Arctic Ecosystems (29) Art (539) Artisan Ethos (215) Authenticity (53) Ayurveda (43) Baja California Sur (6) Beauty (187) Bees (86) Belize (92) Beverage (24) Bicycle (51) Biodiversity (1,043) Biology (269) Birds (462) Books (270) Botany (111) Cacao (14) Carbon (260) Celebrate Urban Birds (111) Celebration (67) Citizen Science (173) Classics (24) Climate Change (676) Cochin (60) Coffee (143) Collaboration (1,022) Collective Action (228) Color (62) Commercial (41) Commons (38) Community (738) Composting (28) Conservation (1,582) Conservation Tourism (4,059) Consumer Behavior (545) Cooperation (57) Corporate Social Resonsibility (68) Costa Rica (145) Costa Rica coffee regions (8) Craft (89) Creativity (285) Cuisine (354) Culture (1,206) Dance (72) Design (198) Diet (56) Discovery (247) Documentary (54) Earth (57) Ecoefficiency (173) Ecological Crime (158) Ecology (89) Economics (100) Ecosystems (416) Education (254) Empowerment (54) Endangered Species (196) Energy (47) Engineering (59) Entomology (114) Entrepreneurial Conservation (206) Entrepreneurial Opportunity (76) Entrepreneurship (105) Environmental Disaster (27) Environmentalism (309) Escazu Regeneration (18) Ethics (79) Evolution (84) Exhibition (36) Expedition (61) Exploration (72) Extinction (84) Farming (133) Fauna (71) Film (33) Fish (100) Flora (321) Food (444) Forests (339) Fruit (46) Fun (122) Fungi (16) Galapagos (21) Gardens (11) Geography (25) Geology (33) Golden Swallow (42) Guiding (9) Habitat (91) Health (172) Heritage (359) History (472) Hospitality (23) Houseboats (18) Humor (63) Iceland (34) Ideas (399) Imagination (121) India (591) Innovation (265) Insects (96) Inspiration (249) Invasive Species (74) Journalism (91) Kerala (914) Language (41) Leadership (99) Liberal Arts (17) Library (57) Literature (98) Maps (22) Marine Ecosystem (263) Mathematics (15) Medicine (7) Memory (11) Mexico (22) Museum (93) Music (94) Mycology (30) Mythology (14) National Parks (229) Natural History (58) Nature (245) Nature Photography (4,017) Neighborhood (12) Newspaper Bags (24) Oceans (90) Organic (43) Ornithology (40) Our Gang (34) paleontology (7) Patrimony (34) Periyar Tiger Reserve (20) Personal Statement (786) Perspective (41) Philosophy (21) Photography (43) Play (7) Poaching (17) Politics (13) Protected Areas (185) Public Policy (497) Public Space (56) Rainforest (14) Recycling (110) Regenerative (4) Religion (21) Renewables (33) Reptiles (16) Rural (31) Science (598) Social Enterprise (23) Social Media (20) Sociology (3) Solar (60) Sport (46) Stories (57) Sustainability (454) Sustainable Hospitality (30) Sustainable Living (50) Tamil Nadu (19) Tea (22) Technology (260) Thanksgiving (29) Theater (11) Thevara (23) Tiger (22) Transportation (166) Travel (321) UNESCO (3) Urban (251) Values (28) Videography (103) Walk (36) Waste (55) Water (137) Well-being (6) Whales (33) Wilderness (32) Wildlife (391) Word (54) Work (9) Worship (100) Wow (88) Writing (52) Xandari (73)
Sometimes shade-grown coffee is literally #forthebirds, like when a motmot swallows the whole fruit, beans and all! Other times there are nutritious insects to be found in the mix of coffee farm and forest.
With #vaccinations and safe travel resuming, coffee can serve as a nice #thanksforhosting gift on your next #roadtrip. We recommend #wingspan as a #travelcompanion, since we're all about #restoration of #birdhabitat!
Organikos Coffee Color bombs! A colorful clutch of pysanky eggs (and 1 #yarnbomb egg for good measure) to honor the beautiful Rites of Spring, however you celebrate them. What's better than coffee with a view?! #gardencoffee #eastercoffee #eastermorning #OrganikosCoffee #costaricancoffee #birdhabitat #costaricacoffeeregions
We're excited to introduce decaffeinated beans from the Tres Ríos region to our USA market! At first we'd thought of a sloth for this label, but ended up going for an ironic hummingbird instead.
Visitor Locations


text:
Israel puts Palestinians on defensive over 'martyrs' fund'
This Saturday, July 9, 2016 photo, shows a banner, with pictures of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, President Mahmoud Abbas and Mohammed Tarayreh, 17, who was killed after breaking into a Jewish settlement on June 30 and stabbing a 13 year-old Israeli girl to death, displayed on a building in the Tarayreh family's West Bank village of Bani Na'im, near Hebron. The Tarayreh family is now eligible for $350 a month from a Palestinian "Martyrs' Fund." They have also received a notice ordering the demolition of their two-story villa, a standard Israeli retribution for attacks. Arabic on the poster in part reads, "Palestinian National Liberation Movement, Fatah, celebrates its martyr hero Mohammed Tarayreh." (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser) (The Associated Press)
FILE -- In this Thursday, June 23, 2016 file photo, a Palestinian boy kisses the body Mahmoud Badran, 15, who was killed when the car he was traveling in was hit by Israeli army fire in what the army said appeared to be an accidental shooting, during his funeral in the West Bank village of Beit Ur al-Tahta, near Ramallah. To Palestinians, the "Martyrs' Fund" has helped generations of needy families whose relatives have been killed, jailed or wounded in fighting with Israel. To Israel, the fund actually promotes violence by rewarding the families of attackers. T-shirts show pictures of Mahmoud and Arabic that reads "to the eternal heavens, the Martyr hero Mahmoud Rafat Badran." (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser) (The Associated Press)
FILE -- In this Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014 file photo, a Palestinian student holds a banner with a picture of Nadim Nuwara, and phrases that read, "Nakba Martyr, hero, an eleventh grade student," who died during clashes in the West Bank along with another youth, Mohammad Abu Daher, in May 2014, in the West Bank city of Ramallah. To Palestinians, the "Martyrs' Fund" has helped generations of needy families whose relatives have been killed, jailed or wounded in fighting with Israel. To Israel, the fund actually promotes violence by rewarding the families of attackers. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser, File) (The Associated Press)
BANI NAIM, West Bank – The family of a Palestinian high school dropout who killed a 13-year-old Jewish settler girl in her sleep last month before being shot dead is now eligible for $350 a month from a Palestinian fund for "martyrs."
Israel argues that such stipends for families of Palestinians killed or wounded in the conflict promote violence by rewarding attacks, and has stepped up a campaign against the fund after a series of killings of West Bank settlers.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the payments "an incentive for murder," and a government spokesman said that starting next month, Israel would deduct those sums from monthly transfers of taxes and customs it collects on behalf of the Palestinians.
Palestinians scoff at the idea that money, along with alleged anti-Israel incitement, is a key motive for a nearly year-long rash of stabbing, shooting and vehicular attacks on Israelis. They say attackers are driven by despair over the chokehold of half a century of Israeli occupation or a desire to avenge others killed by Israeli troops or armed civilians.
"I don't think anyone is willing to sacrifice his life for money. And for us as a family, all the money in the world won't replace my son," said Nasser Tarayreh, a well-to-do merchant from the West Bank town of Bani Naim whose 17-year-old son Mohammed killed a sleeping Israeli girl in the Kiryat Arba settlement on June 30.
The elder Tarayreh said that rather than profiting from the attack, as Israel claims, the family will pay dearly. It has received a notice ordering the demolition of its two-story villa. Such demolitions of family homes are standard Israeli retribution for attacks.
The clashing views over the fund are further poisoning a toxic atmosphere, at a time when France and Egypt are both making long-shot attempts to restart Israeli-Palestinian negotiations after a decade of paralysis.
The fund makes monthly payments to about 35,000 families of Palestinians killed and wounded in the long-running conflict with Israel, with a budget of $170 million this year, according to Palestinian figures. These include families of Palestinian suicide bombers.
By comparison, Israel transfers about $125 million a month, or $1.5 billion a year, to the Palestinian Authority in tax and customs rebates, money that belongs to the Palestinians. The transfers are a key revenue source for the cash-strapped autonomy government, and Israel has withheld payment in the past over political disagreements.
The martyrs' fund was set up in 1967 by the Palestine Liberation Organization, the group that formally represents all Palestinians. The PLO has been sidelined since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority autonomy government as a result of interim peace deals with Israel in the 1990s.
The "martyrs' fund" and another fund supporting families of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel are nominally PLO institutions, but are funded by the Palestinian Authority.
The fund for families of several thousand Palestinians held for alleged anti-Israeli activities, from stone-throwing to shooting attacks, has a 2016 budget of $125 million, according to the website of the Palestinian Authority's Finance Ministry.
Palestinian officials say welfare payments help victims of Israel's occupation — providing stipends to families, scholarships to university students and assistance to widows.
"This is a kind of social protection for the family," said Qadora Fares, who heads the Palestinian prisoners' association. "The children of the prisoners and martyrs and wounded have the right to go to schools, hospitals and get food."
Israel says the payments glorify terrorism, part of what it sees as a broader trend of "incitement" blamed for fueling renewed violence over the past year.
It argues that fiery speeches by Palestinian leaders, venomous posts on social media networks and the naming of public squares after Palestinians who killed Israelis have created a hate-filled climate. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has spoken out against violence, but Israel says his condemnations of recent attacks have been half-hearted.
"Terror has become a comfortable business for families," said Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon. "This encourages violence."
The next battleground could involve international assistance, as Israel argues that the martyrs' fund is inadvertently subsidized by Western and Arab aid to the Palestinian Authority. The self-rule government receives several hundred million dollars a year in foreign aid.
The U.S., a key donor, has passed legislation meant to keep its aid from reaching the fund.
As a safeguard, U.S. money is earmarked for specific purposes, and the legislation "requires us to deduct from our own development assistance to the Palestinian Authority amounts equal to payments to individuals for acts of terrorism," said the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem, in a statement.
The debate came into focus after the killing of the Kiryat Arba girl.
Tarayreh, the assailant, had written on Facebook he hoped to become a "martyr," a term widely used by Palestinians for anyone killed in violent conflict with Israel.
Posters in his hometown praised him as a "heroic martyr." They reflect broad social approval for those seen as willing to sacrifice their lives in the struggle against occupation, regardless of the circumstances — in this case the killing of a sleeping girl.
Revenge can also provide a motive — though it's not clear if it played a role in Tarayreh's case. Two others from Bani Naim, including a cousin of Mohammed, were killed by Israeli soldiers in separate attempts to ram their cars into troops guarding Kiryat Arba.
In principle, Tarayreh's parents are now eligible for support from the "martyrs' fund."
Each family of a Palestinian killed by Israel receives a base monthly payment of 1,400 shekels ($350), said the head of the fund, Intisar al-Wazir, the widow of PLO military chief Khalil al-Wazir, who was assassinated by Israeli commandos in 1988.
If they were married, the amount increases by $100, and $50 is added for each child, she said. Children of those killed by Israel receive support until age 18, or until they begin working. Those attending university receive support until graduation.
For some, it's a main source of income.
Malehah Awwad, 56, receives about $700 a month for the loss of her two children. Her son Mahmoud was shot dead in 2013 during clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinian stone throwers. Last November, her daughter Hadeel, 14, apparently seeking revenge, was shot dead as she tried to stab Israelis with scissors in Jerusalem.
"I have lost my mind," said Awwad. "No one can stand the loss of their daughter or son."
Those qualifying for assistance from the fund include people killed during two Palestinian uprisings against occupation, three wars in Gaza and Israel's war in Lebanon in the 1980s. Relatives of about 200 Palestinians killed in the current fighting are also eligible.
"They are victims of the occupation," al-Wazir said.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Today,The world of fashion is bringing us a whole new level of diversity; the availability of different styles can be staggering… and exciting! Exploring colors and text ures that best represent your personality is an essential step to piecing together a good wardrobe. Take the plunge, with 3165 styles to choose from, explore 2019 Swimwear styles of from Swimwear collections ranging from Micro Bikini,Beach Dress,Beach Cover Ups,High Waisted Swimsuit and more. It's never too late to try a new, daring piece.


I've been a loan originator for almost 15 years. I help borrowers of all sorts accomplish their real estate goals.
Why did you decide to join Citizens Bank?
I joined Citizens because I wanted to work for a regional bank that operated like a neighborhood bank, focusing on the customer first. It's a large scale organization with a small town feel.
Showing a dedication to improving the customer experience is a very valuable asset. I try to always find ways to enhance the loan process, in all ways, to better serve the customer.
What are some of the benefits of working as a loan officer at Citizens?
We have a wide array of loan products designed to help anyone from first time buyers to those buying vacation homes.
Our management team is always involved and very hands on. They roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty on a daily basis. On top of being dedicated to helping me grow my business, they are like family to me.


Updated after the jump with comments from city Controller Wendy Greuel. First posted at 9 a.m.
Those red-light cameras that have you gunning through yellows with a baseball cap over your eyes, your car's visors flipped down (to avoid being photographed and sent a ticket) appear to have done little to increase safety -- but have certainly cost Los Angeles taxpayers.
According to Greuel's tease of the audit, she found that the 32 red-light cameras installed in the city since 2006 "have not necessarily been installed at the City's most dangerous intersections" and that " ... there was only a reduction in traffic accidents at 50 percent of the intersections with red light cameras."
Add to that the fact that, as LA Weekly was first to report in December of 2009, the Villaraigosa Administration plans to double the number of red-light cameras to 64 even though the deeply unpopular system has issued these costly, $446 tickets to thousands of Angelenos during a period of 13 percent unemployment.
As the Weekly further reported in February this year, folks are so broke, and the Los Angeles City Council and Villaraigosa have jacked up so many fees and tickets, that L.A. residents are asking judges if they can work 55 hours of community service to pay off a single, sky-high, traffic ticket.
Update: On Wednesday Greuel lamented at the cameras were not placed at the city's most-dangerous intersections but rather were divvied up among the City Council's 15 districts.
Greuel notes that two of the worst intersections, South La Brea Avenue and West Sixth Street and Hayvenhurst Street and Nordhoff Avenue -- with 24 accidents and two fatalities between them between 2003 and 2005 -- did not get red-light cameras.
But Whittier Boulevard and Lorena Street, in Councilman Jose Huizar's 14th District, and the site of only two accidents during that time, got a red-light camera.
"If public safety is the number one priority of the Photo Red Light Program, then the most dangerous intersections should be selected, period," said Greuel. "Regardless of the reasons, the cameras are only effective if they're placed at the most dangerous intersections. If we don't use them effectively we're putting Angelenos lives in danger."


text:
Good e-Reader
Good e-Reader App Store
Good e-Reader News
Audiobook Store
Good e-Reader Store
Amazon to open a new Vancouver office in 2022
April 30, 2018 By Michael Kozlowski Leave a Comment
Amazon announced today that they are going to open a new 38,000 square metre office tower at the old post office and it will go fully online by 2022. Amazon has stated that they will be filling over 3,000 new positions and the vast majority will be focusing on the technology and business. The general manager of web services Jesse Dougherty said the new corporate positions will be focused on e-commerce technology, cloud computing and machine learning.
Over the course of the past five years Amazon has put a priority on Vancouver. They currently operate a 156,000 square-foot location in TELUS Garden which opened to Amazon employees in 2015. On top of Monday's announcement, Amazon also confirmed last November its plans to expand into another downtown site on Dunsmuir Street, which will open in 2020.
Prime Minister Trudeau was also in attendance and said there are many reasons why industry giants such as Amazon choose to settle and grow in Canada. "Our workforce is highly educated, skilled and diverse. Folks across the country are ready to take on the jobs of tomorrow and help companies like yours shape the future," he said.
Bill Klug, an instructor of cloud computing at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, said small and medium size companies will feel the pressure especially in what they pay their staff when competing with large multinational tech corporations.
Michael Kozlowski
Michael Kozlowski is the Editor in Chief of Good e-Reader. He has been writing about audiobooks and e-readers for the past ten years. His articles have been picked up by major and local news sources and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times.
Filed Under: Business News
Amazon launches Kindle Challenge Award System
By Michael Kozlowski | 26 Comments
Kindle Lending Library to close on January 4th 2021
What is next for e-readers and e-notes in 2021?
First tablet with TCL NXTPAPER will be available in April
By Michael Kozlowski | 8 Comments
So you got a new Kindle for Christmas? Now what?
The best tablets of 2020
By Sovan Mandal | 5 Comments
Copyright © 2021 Good e-Reader Inc. - Privacy Policy - Terms of Use - Shipping and Return Policy


text:
Q: How to hide views in iOS? I've created a complex layout for my iOS app and want to hide some view in some conditions.
I've tried to hide it using .isHidden = true, but the result is not as my expectation. Is it possible to completely hide view inside our layout in iOS like how we hide view in Android by using
VIEW.GONE?

A: Always use UIStackView for typically show/hide conditions.

The stack view automatically updates its layout whenever views are added, removed or inserted into the arrangedSubviews array, or whenever one of the arranged subviews's isHidden property changes.

// Appears to remove the first arranged view from the stack.
// The view is still inside the stack, it's just no longer visible, and no longer contributes to the layout.
let firstView = stackView.arrangedSubviews[0]
firstView.isHidden = true

So that's it only one line of code and your view will hide completely like VIEW.GONE in android.

A: Create one constraint with 999 priority which shows the view when its not hidden and a second constraint with 1000 priority which makes the view hidden(height = 0 or sth similar), but have the second constraint disabled until you activate it to hide the view.
The 1000 will override the 999.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


What's the Best Way to Boil an Egg?
That question has been a debate at Glover Gardens for years, until Epicurious sent me this article in their daily newsletter and changed our egg-boiling little lives. This article answers the question: Is it better to boil an egg with a hot start or a cold start? And following this method produces perfect eggs that are easy to peel, every time. Really.


As a rock/metal guitarist, I am continuously working on writing better guitar riffs. From my perspective, the guitar riff has suffered in modern music in terms of creativity and usage.
A good, creative riff is the most important ingredient when writing any rock/metal song. Here are a few tips that might help you write better riffs.
01. Don't Use Just Power Chords: My biggest pet peeve is when guitarists write riffs using solely "power chords." I've seen countless guitarists lock their first and third fingers into the power chord shape and just move up and down the neck like a mindless zombie.
This demonstrates a lack of musicianship and knowledge. I began to actively develop my riffs when I realized that a power chord is really just an interval, a 5th. Then I started to think, "Why not experiment with other intervals?" and discovered that 3rds and 4ths are very useful for writing riffs. I avoid using power chords unless I feel it is the best voicing for that particular chord.
To help you get started, here is an A minor scale played in 5th's, 4th's and 3rd's.
02. Always Write in the Context of a Full Band: When I'm writing, I think of how what I write will sound in the context of a full band. Developing my previous point, I've discovered in a full band that power chords don't necessarily produce the best sound. In studio recordings, if you double track power chords through a high-gain amp and then have the bass guitar also play the root, you can end up with a very messy sound that lacks clarity. Instead, try having the guitars play 4th's and have the bass play the root. This will give you the same chord but with a much clearer sound.
03. Bassists Don't Have to Imitate Rhythm Guitarists: I have an issue with the fact that the bass follows exactly what the rhythm guitars are playing. Again, developing my previous point, if you have double-tracked guitars and a bass that always plays exactly the same thing, why do you even need the bass? Separating the guitars and bass will allow you to experiment with dynamics previously unavailable when writing riffs.
04. Use Chord Shells: When using high-gain guitar amp, big chords played across many stings will sound mushy. For this reason, I always try to outline chords using chord shells on just a couple of strings. A simple example would be, instead of playing a major or minor chord to just play a third. Using A minor as an example, the full chord would be A-C-E; but if you just play the 3rd A-C, you can still hear the minor tonality of the harmony without needing to play the 5th. You could also experiment with having the guitar play the major 3rd interval of C-E and have the bass play the route to outline the full A minor chord.
05. Try Voice Leading: As most guitarists know, you can play the same chord in many different positions on the neck. These different positions are known as voicings. The concept of voice leading is when changing from one chord to another to use the closest possible voicing to the previous chord. Using this method can help make your riffs sound more musical. To finish, I want to give you an example of one my own songs that incorporates all of my tips into one riff. This sample was mixed by Michał Kuczera.
Notice how the guitar outlines each chord using only two notes with very little movement between each chord. In bars 6 and 7, the guitar plays the same major 3rd interval (D-F#) while the bass moves from D to B to create D major to B minor.
I hope these tips give you some ideas on how to be more creative with your own riffs. Cheers!
Will Wallner is a guitarist from England now living in Los Angeles. He recently signed a solo deal with Polish record label Metal Mind Productions for the release of his debut album, which features influential musicians from hard rock and heavy metal. He also is the lead guitarist for White Wizzard (Earache Records) and in 2012 toured Japan, America and Canada. Follow Will on Facebook and Twitter.


Whenever I go sailing, one of my goals is to cross the finish line with a feeling of satisfaction. It�s nice to finish first, but for me, sailboat racing is most rewarding when I�m learning can definitely learn something every time I go out on the water. As long as I follow this simple strategy, I�ll always be a "winner."
As Dr. Stuart Walker once said, "Winning may be the object of the game, but it is not the object of playing the game." To me, the object of playing the game is to have fun, do your best and learn something that will improve your performance the next time you race.
Diversify. Race as many different boats as possible. this is not only fun and a great way to meet new people, it�s very educational. By sailing a variety of boats, you get a fresh perspective on sail trim, boat handling, and tactics. You�ll almost certainly discover little tricks and broader sailing principles that you can apply to make your own boat go faster.
Become a spectator. Some-times I think we can learn more from watching a race than from sailing in it. The reason is that spectating allows you to look around a lot more. Instead of being mesmerized by the telltales, you suddenly have time to notice how other people are trimming their sails and how the top boats are sailing the first beat. This will also help you maintain a better overall perspective while racing. Better yet, have someone videotape you while you are racing.
Practice with two boats. One of the quickest ways to steepen your learning curve is by putting yourself into a structured situation with one other boat. A few years ago I went one-design sail-testing and sailed upwind for literally 10 miles with another boat. Besides making program on sail shape, we learned a lot about steering, weight placement and sail trim. Of course, you don�t need a whole day for two-boat testing. It�s easy to hook up with another boat before the start of your next race. Just make sure you do this with someone who, like you, is interested in learning and will share information honestly.
Imitate the good guys. As the old saying goes, you don�t have to reinvent the wheel. So keep your eyes on the boats at the top of your fleet. How do they tune their rig and trim their sails? What are their tacking and jibing techniques? The quickest way to be successful is to copy the top sailors as closely as possible. Once you have confidence in your own speed and smarts, you can start trying a few of own theories.
Crew for the best. Take every possible chance to get into racing situations with sailors who are more skilled than you. My own abilities have improved greatly while crewing for people like Dave Perry, Buddy Melges and Dave Curtis. The best way to approach this is to pick a few people you�d like to sail with. Let them know you�re psyched to sail with them whenever the need a crew. Of course, you don�t have to sail in someone else�s boat. Invite a few top skippers (from other clubs or classes) to skipper your own boat sometime. You may be surprised, at the positive response.
Think ahead about the questions you want to ask. A little planning will help you figure out what you really need to know and will let you benefit the most form your time with the hotshot.
Be thoughtful about timing. Before a race, most top sailors are busy getting ready or being nervous. So wait until after you get in. Remember that race winners are usually deluged with questions and congratulations; you�ll get more attention from from the sailors who finished second and third.
Don�t forget crews. They often know more about subjects like sail trim and boat handling than their skippers. Crews may have more time to answer questions, and they are usually happy to be asked.
Be a teacher yourself. There�s an old adage that says no one learns more than the teacher. This is definitely true in sailing. In fact, some people argue that you don�t really know something until you can explain it to someone else. So look for opportunities to share your knowledge. Offer to go sailing with new people in your fleet. Write an article for your class newsletter. Volunteer to give an instructional talk to your club�s winter meeting.
Some of these ideas may seem scary, but they will definitely push you along the road to becoming an "expert." And you�ll feel good about contributing to the sport.
Attend or organize a seminar "Hands-on" sailing seminars offer the best way to make quantum leaps in your racing skills. They�re a great opportunity to actually get coaching on the water. For this reason, keep your eyes and ears open for seminars. Since there aren�t too may of these around, you may have to organize a clinic yourself. Get your club or fleet members together and contact your sailmaker or class champion to set up a date. If you do this a couple times a year, you�ll be amazed at how much everyone learns. Remember, the better your fleet members become, the better you will be.
Watch your mental re-runs. This may be my favourite technique, and it definitely works. Whenever Ihave a little time to daydream (e.g. when going to sleep at night), I replay recent races in my mind. I go through a race from start to finish, remembering as many details as possible. This is important for two reasons: 1) it reinforces lessons learned from good moves and errors I�ve made; and 2) it helps me store race experience in my mind so I can draw on it in future situations.
� Boatspeed ideas - how to improve sail trim, rig tuning, etc.
� Wind and weather - your strategy, what the wind did, etc.
Start a photo library. I bought a new boat a couple of years ago and put most of the fittings on myself. One thing that helped me a lot was that I had taken photos of the layouts on some of the top boats in the class. Even if you�re not planning to get a new boat soon, bring a camera to regattas. Take pictures of good ideas on other boats, and keep these in a photo album for future reference. This will help you stay abreast of the latest tuning and rigging ideas. Besides, you never know when you may decide to re-rig your current boat, or perhaps splurge and buy a new one.
Be a sponge. Anyone who is serious about becoming a better sailor must absorb information whenever possible. In the world of sailboat racing, there is a wide range of instructional magazines, how-to-books, videos, even computer simulators.
Make sure you have up-to-date copies of the racing rules of sailing, the ISAF cases, the appeals decisions of our national authority, the system, your club sailing instructions and so on. Read these through when racing is called off. You�ll be amazed at how much you can learn.
Join. Join. Join. Become a member of your national sailing authority and your class association (if you race a one-design). These organizations have good newsletters and other benefits that can be very valuable for your racing success.