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By Erin Bank
At the California Academy of Sciences, visitors can stand underneath the skeleton of a blue whale the length of two Muni buses. The whale is hard to miss, extending the length of the massive room that showcases the museum’s Giants of Land and Sea exhibit. Looking up, it is hard to picture how bones of this size made it from the sea to the ceiling.
When whale bones wash up on Bay Area coastlines, there is a special stop along their journey: the roof of the Academy of Sciences.
How did they get there?
The Pacific Ocean along the Northern California coastline is a major migration route for many species of whales, and home to even more species of marine mammals, like seals, sea lions, otters and dolphins. When a dead animal washes up onto the beach (termed a “stranding”), a team of Academy scientists go to the site and collect material that is useful for research.
Senior Collections Manager Maureen (Moe) Flannery oversees all bird and mammal specimens at the Academy and oversees the process by which the museum obtains samples and prepares them for preservation and research.
“We take measurements, we identify the specimen, we look for any signs of human interaction – gunshot wounds, entanglements in fishing nets or lines – and we will sometimes, not always, collect the skull,” said Flannery.
The Academy’s scientists pay special attention when a whale washes up on the beach. The Academy is part of the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program, a federal research program run by the National Marine Fisheries Service. This program monitors strandings, and if there is a high rate of death, it becomes an Unusual Mortality Event that warrants additional research.
Starting in 2019, there has been a large increase in the number of strandings of gray whales, which migrate between Mexico, where they give birth, to Alaska, where they feed– enough to classify it as an Unusual Mortality Event. By collecting samples from the stranded animals, researchers can learn about how the animal may have lived, what the animal ate, and the cause of death. The information Academy samples provides is paired with research being conducted by other scientists to create a full picture of the habitat and ecosystem of gray whales. The goal is to determine what is causing the Unusual Mortality Event, how climate change may play a role by creating food shortages, and what can possibly be done to help whale populations survive.
The Academy often partners with the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito to perform necropsies and collect samples. Teams try to move quickly to preserve samples, but also to protect the animal from human scavenging.
“Marine mammals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, so it’s completely illegal to collect anything,” Flannery said. Instead, people who encounter a dead animal should contact the Academy of Sciences to report it.
It sometimes can take several days and dozens of people for whale samples to be collected and transported away, often requiring heavy machinery to dissect and move the heavy bones. Sunset and Richmond district residents may remember the beaching of a large gray whale on Ocean Beach earlier in 2021: it was detected in the early morning but was quickly covered with sand by mid-day. Flannery had seen a unique opportunity to collect the skull and brain: nearby, backhoes and bulldozers were moving sand as part of the seasonal beach maintenance. She flagged them down and asked them to help turn the whale, weighing more than ten tons, so she could access its head to get brain samples, which can reveal the presence of disease. The machinery could then move sand on top of the animal right away to protect it.
After being hauled from the beach, the massive bones are brought to the museum for preservation. Because of limited space for such huge samples, many of the bones are transported to the museum’s Living Roof, where nature can help with the process.
Tucked away among wildflowers and grasses, under mounds of soil, Flannery points out what look like pointed rocks. They are, in fact, vertebrae, a rib, a fin. They are covered with crawling pill bugs and beetles, and even more invisible microbes that eat away at the flesh which cleans the bones. After six to 12 months, they are brought back inside to be catalogued and stored.
The whale bones currently on the roof will eventually join the huge collection of other mammalian specimens – more than 32,000 of them from all over the world – that are kept on shelves in library-like stacks in the bowels of the Academy of Sciences building, behind locked doors. Flannery moved among them with obvious familiarity, showing off whale teeth larger than her hand. There are slender penis bones, collected to confirm the gender of an animal, and drapes of moss-like baleens.
In addition to bones, there is another unique part of whales that is important for researchers.
“Whales have ear wax, just like we do,” Flannery said. Researchers can use the wax plugs to determine the age and habitat of a whale, due to the various layers that build up over time.
Collecting and preserving specimens from the unique underwater ecosystem is incredibly important, Flannery explained.
“Instead of books at a library, we loan out specimens,” she said. Scientists can take samples from extinct animals, or from individuals who lived in the past, to understand changes in diet or behavior, for example.
One researcher from UC Santa Cruz received permission to cut a tooth from a sperm whale in half, which is layered like the rings of a tree. From each layer, she could determine where the whale lived and what it would have eaten, and how that changed over time.
“It’s my job to make sure that all of these specimens are here for the next 100, 500 years, so that whatever research technologies come up, people have their resources to study them in the future,” Flannery said.
To report dead marine mammals, call the California Academy of Sciences’ department of Ornithology and Mammalogy at (415) 379-5381, or email firstname.lastname@example.org
Photos by Michael Durand
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domain: entertainment


text:
This week I read
Pro-slavery thought in the old South, by William Sumner Jenkins: You and I live in an economic system that hurts and kills people near and far, now and in the future, for our wants and needs. We feel we are good people, yet we do things we believe are wrong; we buy fast fashion, fly, drive SUVs, and so on. To maintain our positive self-perceptions and sleep comfortably at night, we rationalize and justify. Anyone not benefiting from the system would identify our rationalizations and justifications as self-serving bunk, but we do benefit.
How do we sound to impartial observers not benefiting from our behavior? We sound like slaveholders did. This book from 1935 quotes many slaveholders’ rationalizations and justifications. The mechanism for cruelty was different, since we don’t crack whips today, but is the system any less cruel when the harm comes in the form of birth defects or cancer that you can’t see?
I copied a lot of the pro-slavery arguments into a file which I will post here soon. It’s a lot like The Ruling Race by podcast guest James Oakes.
When McKinsey Comes to Town: The Hidden Influence of the World’s Most Powerful Consulting Firm: by Walt Bogdanich and Michael Forsythe: I learned of McKinsey in business school. It seemed all my classmates knew of them, but I hadn’t, even in my mid-thirties. They recruited me and I heard I got great reviews internally, but I went to business school to improve as an entrepreneur. Still, some great friends worked there.
I’d been meaning to read this book since I’d heard of it. It’s fascinating. It’s hard to imagine how the authors got so much information, though reading their New York Times articles reveals some middle steps. This book overlaps significantly with King Leopold’s Ghost and Secret History of the American Empire. It’s about unchecked power and corruption, also imperialism, though not by one nation militarily over another.
The Year of Less: How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life Is Worth More Than Anything You Can Buy in a Store, by Cait Flanders: I found the book browsing at the library. Cait Flanders had overcome debt, alcohol, and overspending but didn’t understand why she spent or on what. She challenged herself to buy only food and a few other things from a list. She tracked how she did and felt.
The book recounts her exiting one culture for another. She learned about herself but I was surprised she didn’t point out how companies and our culture is filling her environment with ads that addict her. I read it partly for ideas for my book. She doesn’t tell people what to do. She takes responsibility. She shares about her family growing up, her relationships, her addiction and partying.
I’ve been browsing John Locke’s Two Treatises on Government to understand his views on property and how we can come to own it. I’m comparing it with Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations. I’m amazed at what I found, in particular, his exception to something from nature becoming your property from labor. It can become yours “where there is enough, and as good, left in common for others’.” He clarifies this view from many angles, including taking a cup of water from a river not being a problem since it doesn’t change the river.
Today, we take so much from rivers, they don’t reach the ocean. I believe Locke would disagree that our actions should be allowed by government, or that a government that allows them loses its legitimacy.
I haven’t exhaustively searched, but I bet most sustainable cultures retained a belief like “don’t take the last fruit or animal.” By contrast, it looks like Adam Smith dropped that restriction and just allowed any labor to claim anything from nature.
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On initiative, leadership, the environment, and burpees

domain: literature


text:
ERIC Identifier: ED265936
Publication Date: 1986-00-00
Author: Burton, Christine B.
Source: ERIC Clearinghouse on
Elementary and Early Childhood Education Urbana IL.
Children's Peer Relationships.
Children's friendships have inevitable ups and downs. Yet the feelings of
satisfaction and security that most children derive from interacting with peers
outweigh periodic problems. For a number of children, however, peer relations
are persistently problematic. Some children are actively rejected by peers.
Others are simply ignored, or neglected. It even appears that some popular
children have many friends but nevertheless feel alone and unhappy.
WHY ARE PEER RELATIONSHIPS IMPORTANT?
Children who are unable to form close or satisfying relationships with peers
should be of concern to parents and teachers alike. For one thing, these
children miss out on opportunities to learn social skills that will be important
throughout their lives. Especially critical are the skills needed to initiate
and maintain social relationships and to resolve social conflicts, including
communication, compromise, and tact (Asher and others 1982). Children who lack
ongoing peer involvements also may miss opportunities to build a sense of social
These children may develop little faith in their own abilities to achieve
interpersonal goals and, thus, are easily overwhelmed by the normal ups and
downs of social interaction. Implications for the children's future social and
professional adjustments are obvious.
Finally, children without satisfying friendships may suffer from painful
feelings of isolation (Asher and others 1984). School may be an unpleasant place
for the children. They may ultimately become truant or drop out altogether
(Kupersmidt 1983). Or, in their search for a sense of group belonging, the
children may become vulnerable to the influence of delinquent or drug-abusing
peers (Isaacs 1985).
WHAT FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO PEER RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS?
As adults become aware of children with significant peer relationship
problems, their concern should focus on why such problems are occurring.
Fortunately, recent research has expanded insight into the following factors
that contribute to children's peer relationship problems.
Some children behave in an aggressive or disruptive manner and, hence, are
rejected by peers. Other children withdraw from peer interactions and, in this
way, limit their ability to gain acceptance and friendship (Coie and Kupersmidt
1983; Dodge 1983). Each type of ineffective social behavioral pattern can stem
from different root causes. One possible cause is a lack of knowledge about
effective interaction strategies. Another potential cause relates to the
children's emotional states.
Children who are anxious or fearful about peer relations are unlikely to
behave in an effective manner. Academic problems also can contribute to
ineffective social behavior. Children who cannot engage themselves with
classroom work assignments often disrupt and irritate their peers (Burton in
Similarity fosters social acceptance. Conversely, children tend to encounter
social rejection when they are perceived to be dissimilar from their peers. This
may occur when children are of a different ethnic group or sex, are physically
unattractive or handicapped, or are newcomers to their classrooms (Asher and
Family problems can have damaging effects on children's peer relations. For
example, children of divorcing parents may act out feelings of anger at school,
eliciting rejection from peers in the process. Children with family problems,
such as parental alcoholism, may be reluctant to bring friends home, avoiding
close friendships as a result.
Even if children overcome the circumstances that originally led them to
experience peer problems, a reputation as a social outcast is extremely
difficult to change.
HOW CAN CHILDREN OVERCOME PEER RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS?
Children require help from adults if they are to overcome serious peer
relationship problems. The most successful helping strategies are matched to the
specific needs of the children involved.
Social Skills Training
Children whose behavior leads to social rejection often need to learn new
interpersonal skills. In such cases, specific instruction on ways to make peer
interactions mutually satisfying and productive can be effective in improving
the children's peer relations (Asher and others 1982).
Intervention for Related Problems
When peer problems co-occur with serious academic problems, children may need
intensive academic intervention if they are to become accepted members of their
classroom groups (Coie and Krehbiel 1984). Similarly, children should be given
school support for dealing with family problems, when possible, to minimize
potential adverse effects on the children's peer relations.
Nonthreatening Social Experiences
Large groups can be threatening to children who lack self-confidence. Shy
children may therefore benefit from opportunities to interact with peers in
small groups. Parents can encourage shy children to invite classmates over one
at a time for special activities. Or shy children can be encouraged to develop
outside interests, like music or art, that will provide a natural basis for
interacting with other children. Both of these approaches can boost shy
children's self-confidence and may help them start friendships in the process.
Cooperative Classroom Projects
Cooperative group projects can foster peer acceptance of children who are
trying to improve their social reputations, including children who are seen as
different by their classmates. Under this scheme, teachers assign interesting
tasks to small work groups. The group members must work cooperatively to achieve
the tasks. In so doing, they must interact with peers they would typically avoid
and often discover new bases for liking them (Bierman and Furman 1984; Isaacs
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR ADULTS
Beyond intervention for specific peer problems, there are several general
strategies that may help all children maintain a healthy outlook on their own
social lives (Burton in press):
--Give children explicit opportunities to share any peer-related concerns
they might have. Show respect for the children's unique social needs. Some
children may be contented with few friends. Some popular children may have such
high expectations that they never feel socially successful.
--Create social options for children without creating pressures. Take care
not to communicate the expectation that children should be liked by "all of the
people all of the time."
In sum, the message regarding children's peer relationships is a clear one.
Peer relationships are important contributors to the quality of both children's
current lives and their future development. Children who have difficulty in
relating to peers can be helped. Such intervention is most effective when it is
tailored to fit the specific nature of the children's peer problems.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Asher, S. R., S. Hymel, and P. D. Renshaw. "Loneliness in Children." CHILD
DEVELOPMENT 55 (1984):1456-1464.
Asher, S. R., P. D. Renshaw, and S. Hymel. "Peer Relations and the
Development of Social Skills." In THE YOUNG CHILD: REVIEWS OF RESEARCH. VOLUME
3, edited by S. G. Moore and C. R. Cooper. Washington, D.C.: National
Association for the Education of Young Children, 1982.
Bierman, K. L., and W. Furman. "The Effects of Social Skills Training and
Peer Involvement on the Social Adjustment of Preadolescents. CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Burton, C. B. "Problems in Children's Peer Relations: A Broadening
Perspective." In CURRENT TOPICS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. VOLUME 7, edited
by L. G. Katz. Norwood, NJ: Ablex, in press.
Coie, J. D., and G. Krehbiel. "Effects of Academic Tutoring on the Social
Status of Low-achieving, Socially Rejected Children." CHILD DEVELOPMENT 55
Coie, J. D., and J. B. Kupersmidt. "A Behavioral Analysis of Emerging Social
Status in Boy's Groups." CHILD DEVELOPMENT 54 (1983):1400-1416.
Dodge, K. "Behavioral Antecedents of Peer Social Status." CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Isaacs, S. "Popularity." PARENTS' MAGAZINE (August 1985):58-62.
Kupersmidt, J. B. "Predicting Delinquency and Academic Problems from
Childhood Peer Status." Paper presented at the biennial meeting of the Society
for Research in Child Development, Detroit, Michigan, April 21-24, 1983.

domain: psychology


Modeling Traffic Accidents
Data on traffic accidents clearly points to road black spots, where the accident rate is always high. We propose methodology that is based on spatially explicit agent-based simulation model of vehicle-pedestrian interaction for estimating accident risk at a black spot. We implemented this methodology in SAFEPED - spatially explicit 3D simulation environment. SAFEPED includes functionality for import / modification 3D model of road environment, enable specification of behavioral parameters of driver and pedestrian agents, scheduling vehicular and pedestrian flow. Analysis of data recorded during SAFEPED simulation is useful for taking better urban design decisions in context of pedestrian safety.
Collaborators: Prof. Shraga Shoval, Ariel University
Funded by: ISF, Black Spot Virtual Reality: Assessing Road Safety Based on Explicit Simulation of Drivers’ and Pedestrians’ Behavior, 2013 – 2016


text:
A cross-sectional study of hearing thresholds among 4627 Norwegian train and track maintenance workers.
ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE:Railway workers performing maintenance work of trains and tracks could be at risk of developing noise-induced hearing loss, since they are exposed to noise levels of 75-90?dB(A) with peak exposures of 130-140?dB(C). The objective was to make a risk assessment by comparing the hearing thresholds among train and track maintenance workers with a reference group not exposed to noise and reference values from the ISO 1999. DESIGN:Cross-sectional. SETTING:A major Norwegian railway company. PARTICIPANTS:1897 and 2730 male train and track maintenance workers, respectively, all exposed to noise, and 2872 male railway traffic controllers and office workers not exposed to noise. OUTCOME MEASURES:The primary outcome was the hearing threshold (pure tone audiometry, frequencies from 0.5 to 8?kHz), and the secondary outcome was the prevalence of audiometric notches (Coles notch) of the most recent audiogram. RESULTS:Train and track maintenance workers aged 45?years or older had a small mean hearing loss in the 3-6?kHz area of 3-5?dB. The hearing loss was less among workers younger than 45?years. Audiometric notches were slightly more prevalent among the noise exposed (59-64%) group compared with controls (49%) for all age groups. They may therefore be a sensitive measure in disclosing an early hearing loss at a group level. CONCLUSIONS:Train and track maintenance workers aged 45?years or older, on average, have a slightly greater hearing loss and more audiometric notches compared with reference groups not exposed to noise. Younger (<45?years) workers have hearing thresholds comparable to the controls.
Project description:The aim of this study was to investigate the association between insomnia and hearing impairment among workers exposed to occupational noise.This study included 809 male workers exposed to occupational noise. The participants underwent audiometric testing, and their insomnia was examined based on the Insomnia Severity Index test. Hearing impairment was defined as hearing threshold >25 dB hearing level in the range of 1-4 kHz.According to analysis of covariance, it was observed that pure tone audiometry thresholds at 1-2 kHz in the right ear and at 1 kHz in the left ear were significantly higher among workers with insomnia compared to those with no insomnia. Multiple logistic regression analysis of insomnia for hearing impairments was performed, which showed the odds ratio was 1.806 (95% confidence intervals: 1.022-3.188, p = 0.042) after adjustment for age, working period, noise level, snoring, use of protection devices, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, smoking, alcohol consumption, regular exercise, waist circumference, total cholesterol, triglyceride and high density lipoprotein cholesterol.Insomnia could be associated with hearing impairment in workers who are exposed to occupational noise. Additionally, insomnia may be associated with decreased hearing at low frequencies. Especially, more efforts are required to improve the quality of sleep for workers who are exposed to loud occupational noise. Further well- designed prospective studies are needed to clarify the relationship between insomnia and hearing impairment.
Project description:Importance:Portable music player use may have harmful effects on hearing. The magnitude and effect of frequent music exposure, especially at younger ages, on hearing are unclear. Objectives:To examine the prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss in a 9- to 11-year-old population and associations with portable music player use and sociodemographic factors. Design, Setting, and Participants:A cross-sectional study within an ongoing, prospective, birth cohort study within Rotterdam, the Netherlands was conducted. Between ages 9 and 11 years, 5355 children underwent their first audiometric evaluation. Children were excluded if they had missing or failed tympanometry results. The study was conducted from April 16, 2012, to October 25, 2015. Exposures:Portable music player (PMP) use and sociodemographic factors assessed via parental questionnaires. Main Outcomes and Measures:Hearing acuity measured by pure-tone audiometry at 0.5 to 8 kHz. Possible noise-induced hearing loss was contingent on a high-frequency notch and/or high-frequency hearing loss in the audiogram, or reported hearing-related symptoms. Results:The final sample included 3116 participants who were a mean (interquartile range) age of 9.7 (9.6-9.9) years and equally distributed between boys (1550 [49.7%]) and girls (1566 [50.3%]). Of these, 1244 (39.9%) reported no PMP use, 577 (18.5%) reported use 1 or 2 days per week, 254 (8.2%) reported use 3 or more days per week, and for 1041 (33.4%), PMP use was not reported. Audiometric notches and high-frequency hearing loss were present in 443 (14.2%) of all children; 140 (4.5%) fulfilled the criteria of a notch, 238 (7.6%) of high-frequency hearing loss, and 65 (2.1%) of both. Of the cohort, 52 (1.7%) showed bilateral impairment. Hearing-related symptoms were reported for 232 (11.3%) of the respondents, and 831 (40.0%) of the respondents used portable music players. Portable music player use was associated with high-frequency hearing loss (odds ratio [OR], 2.88; 95% CI, 1.36-6.980 for 1 or 2 days per week and OR, 2.74; 95% CI, 1.22-6.96 for ?3 days per week), but listening time and duration were not. There was no association of music exposure with high-frequency notches. Conclusions and Relevance:In this study, 14.2% of school-aged children showed audiometric notches or high-frequency hearing loss. This hearing impairment is already present prior to exposure to known noise hazards, such as club and concert attendance, and may have lifelong consequences. Repeated measurements are needed to confirm the association of portable music player use with hearing impairment in children.
Project description:Obtaining reliable and objective data on certain working conditions is necessary to analyse the causes and variables that can influence the development of hearing loss amongst the working population. Objective occupational data have been collected from a heterogeneous sample of 1418 workers in Spain, see "How activity type, time on the job and noise level on the job affect the hearing of the working population. Using Bayesian networks to predict the development of hipoacusia" (Barrero et al., 2018) . Among the main factors analysed are the noise levels to which these workers are exposed, measured at their respective workstations, and the assessment of their hearing status, evaluated by audiometric medical tests. These factors provide information to predict the development of hypoacusia.
Project description:We assessed the reliability of a hearing risk factor screening survey used by hearing conservation programmes for noise-exposed workers.We compared workers' answers from the screening survey to their answers to a confidential research questionnaire regarding hearing loss risk factors. We calculated kappa statistics to test the correlation between yes/no questions in the research questionnaire compared to answers from 1 and 5 years of screening surveys.We compared the screening survey and research questionnaire answers of 274 aluminum plant workers.Most of the questions in the in-company screening survey showed fair to moderate agreement with the research questionnaire (kappa range: -0.02, 0.57). Workers' answers to the screening survey had better correlation with the research questionnaire when we compared 5 years of screening answers. For nearly all questions, workers were more likely to respond affirmatively on the research questionnaire than the screening survey.Hearing conservation programmes should be aware that workers may underreport hearing loss risk factors and functional hearing status on an audiometric screening survey. Validating company screening tools could help provide more accurate information on hearing loss and risk factors.
Project description:OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Mn-superoxide dismutase gene (SOD2) underlie the susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). METHODS: Audiometric data from 2400 Chinese Han workers who exposed to occupational noise were analyzed. DNA samples were collected from the 10% most susceptible and the 10% most resistant individuals, and five SNPs (SOD2 rs2842980, rs5746136, rs2758331, rs4880 and rs5746092) were genotyped by Taqman SNP Genotyping Kits. The SNP main effects and interactions between noise exposure and SNP were analyzed using logistic regression. Haplotypes were analyzed by using Haploview software. RESULTS: The CT genotype of rs4880 (SOD2 V16A SNP) was associated with a higher risk of NIHL (covariates-adjusted OR, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.34-3.54, P=0.002). Haplotype analysis revealed that the frequency of AGCCG at the five SNP loci was significantly higher in the susceptible group (P=0.020). With AGCTG as the reference, the OR (95% CI) was 2.63 (1.14, 6.06). The rs4880 polymorphisms imposed larger effects when the carriers were exposed to higher levels of noise, indicating the interaction between SNP and noise exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that SOD2 V16A SNP in the mitochondrial targeting sequence is associated with noise induced hearing loss in Chinese workers, and this effect was enhanced by higher levels of noise exposure.
Project description:Rail transport is a key stepping stone in the EU's transport policy and is pinpointed for investment and growth over the coming decades. This expanding infrastructure implies increased exposure to environmental stressors, such as noise and ground-borne vibrations. Little is known about the health impacts of exposure to these vibrations. The aim of this paper is to examine the association between annoyance from rail vibrations and the distance of residential dwelling from the railway. It reports the first results of a large epidemiological study, EpiVib, which was designed to investigate the long-term health effects of exposure to rail vibrations. The first part of this study examines a self-reported questionnaire. In total, 6894 individuals aged between 18 and 80 living within 1 km of a railway in west Sweden participated. Results presented here examine the association between distance to the railway and annoyance from vibrations and are stratified by train type. A positive association between closer distance and increased annoyance is seen. After adjustment for important modifiers, results showed that vibrations from freight trains and maintenance operations are reported to be moderately and highly annoying at distances of up to 400 m from the railway and diesel up to 300 m. Vibration from passenger and fast trains are significantly annoying up to 200 m from the track. Vibration from freight trains and maintenance operations were considered highly annoying up to 300 m from the track, diesel up to 400 m. Vibration from passenger and fast trains are not reported to be highly annoying after adjustment. Heavier, slower moving locomotives, in the form of diesel and freight trains, appear to be the source of annoyance at distances further from the railway compared to passenger and fast trains. This has implications in terms of property, transport, and infrastructure planning.
Project description:BACKGROUND: Noise exposure is a well-known contributor to work-related hearing loss. Recent biological evidence suggests that exposure to ototoxic chemicals such as organic solvents and heavy metals may be additional contributors to hearing loss. However, in industrial settings, it is difficult to determine the risks of hearing loss due to these chemicals in workplaces accompanied by excessive noise exposure. A few studies suggest that the effect of noise may be enhanced by ototoxic chemicals. Therefore, this study investigated whether co-exposure to organic solvents and/or heavy metals in the workplace modifies the risk of noise exposure on hearing loss in a background of excessive noise. METHODS: We examined 30,072 workers nationwide in a wide range of industries from the Korea National Occupational Health Surveillance 2009. Data on industry-based exposure (e.g., occupational noise, heavy metals, and organic solvents) and subject-specific health outcomes (e.g., audiometric examination) were collected. Noise was measured as the daily 8-h time-weighted average level. Air conduction hearing thresholds were measured from 0.5 to 6 kHz, and pure-tone averages (PTA) (i.e., means of 2, 3, and 4 kHz) were computed. RESULTS: In the multivariate linear model, PTA increment with occupational noise were 1.64-fold and 2.15-fold higher in individuals exposed to heavy metals and organic solvents than in unexposed individuals, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study provides nationwide evidence that co-exposure to heavy metals and/or organic solvents may exacerbate the effect of noise exposure on hearing loss in workplaces. These findings suggest that workers in industries dealing with heavy metals or organic solvents are susceptible to such risks.
Project description:Agricultural workers who have concurrent exposure to pesticides and noise are at increased risk of hearing loss. We recruited 163 Thai conventional and 172 organic farmers to answer our questionnaires about personal demographics, agricultural activities, and pesticide and agricultural machinery use. This information was used to calculate the years of conventional (pesticide use) farming and the years of agricultural noise exposure, and to estimate semiquantitative metrics for pesticide exposure (cumulative intensity score-years) and cumulative noise exposure (dB(A)-years) for each conventional farmer. All participants underwent pure tone audiometric testing. The mean hearing threshold in the low-frequency band (0.5-2 kHz) and high-frequency band (3-6 kHz) were used for analysis. Years involved in conventional farming and years using agricultural machinery were associated with an increase in the average hearing threshold for the high-frequency band after controlling for age, ever exposed to industrial noise and cigarette smoking. The highest category of cumulative insecticide exposure (score-years), cumulative organophosphates exposure (score-years) and cumulative noise exposure (dB(A)-years) were also associated with an increased high-frequency band hearing threshold among conventional farmers. Results from the full cohort and the subcohort of conventional farmers support each other and the hypothesis that pesticide and noise have an additive effect on hearing, since no model interactions were significant.
Project description:To estimate the short-term variability and correlates of variability in pure-tone thresholds obtained using audiometric equipment designed for occupational use, and to examine the justification for excluding 8 kHz as a mandatory threshold in occupational hearing conservation programs.Pure-tone thresholds and other hearing-related tests (e.g. noise dosimetry, otoscopy, middle-ear assessment) were conducted with a group of 527 adults between 20 and 69 years of age. Five measurement visits were completed by participants within 14 days.The 50% critical difference boundaries were - 5 and 0 dB at 4 kHz and below and - 5 and 5 dB at 6 and 8 kHz. The likelihood of spurious notches due to test-retest variability was substantially lower than the likelihood of failing to detect a notched configuration when present. Correlates of variability included stimulus frequency, baseline threshold, acoustic reflectance of the ear, average noise exposure during the previous eight hours, age, and the tester's level of education in audiology.The short-term variability in 8-kHz pure-tone thresholds obtained with the TDH-39P earphone was slightly greater than at other frequencies, but this difference was not large enough to justify the disadvantages stemming from the inability to detect a 6-kHz notch.
Project description:The aim of this study is to compare vibration exposure to noise exposure from railway traffic in terms of equal annoyance, i.e., to determine when a certain noise level is equally annoying as a corresponding vibration velocity. Based on questionnaire data from the Train Vibration and Noise Effects (TVANE) research project from residential areas exposed to railway noise and vibration, the dose response relationship for annoyance was estimated. By comparing the relationships between exposure and annoyance for areas both with and without significant vibration exposure, the noise levels and vibration velocities that had an equal probability of causing annoyance was determined using logistic regression. The comparison gives a continuous mapping between vibration velocity in the ground and a corresponding noise level at the facade that are equally annoying. For equivalent noise level at the facade compared to maximum weighted vibration velocity in the ground the probability of annoyance is approximately 20% for 59 dB or 0.48 mm/s, and about 40% for 63 dB or 0.98 mm/s.

domain: medical


At Bishop Gary Lillibridge's Service of Investiture, several choirs from San Antonio and the surrounding areas sang a service
under the direction of Donald and Karen Sebesta.
Noting that the singers came predominantly from small and mid-size parishes and missions, those of us choir directors present
thought that this same group of musicians could be used in future endeavors where larger choral forces were necessary.
Also, it would give choir members a chance to perform sacred works that were too large and impractical for all but the largest
After one of the many concerts Donald Sebesta directed, Karen Sebesta and Tawni Garcia took inventory of how many singers
were available at St. David's, Holy Spirit and St. Philip's and discussed the possibility of doing a Messiah excerpts
In the course of preparing for this concert, we realized that Donald and I we were working on choral anthems suitable for
the season. (Donald's Day by Day and The Lamb Will Be a Shepherd Now have been published by Augsburg Fortress.)
At last a program that featured a classic masterwork and two new pieces evolved and our natural abilities seemed a natural
fit for the functions required to bring this project together.
Thus was the genesis of the Choral Consortium.
I dubbed that first concert "An Advent Feast," in which the main event (or course) is preceded by a few short pieces (salad
and appetizer, if you will) and followed literally by sweets, coffee, and other refreshments in the parish hall.
And what an event it was!
The orchestra played brilliantly and the chorus, though a little nervous, sang with excited passion. Almost immediately afterwards
at the fine reception, we were flowered with generous compliments and one question from musicians and congregation members
alike: "what are you doing on your next program?" (Like any lover of choral literature, I already had an idea of literature
for a Spring concert.)
Since we enjoyed performing together so much, we'll once again unite to create another program for Eastertide, titled "Sunset
Yields to Sunrise" after one of my favorite hymn texts. On this program we hope to illustrate the passion of our Lord, the
emergence of salvation's light from a dark tomb, and hope for everlasting life.
Our central focus will be the soul's supplication to God for salvation and redemption, via juxtaposed themes of darkness and
We in the Choral Consortium once again hope that you enjoy the fruits of our labors.
To God be the glory,
James Edward Garcia


text: Convolution neural network models are widely used in image classification tasks. However, the running time of such models is so long that it is not the conforming to the strict real-time requirement of mobile devices. In order to optimize models and meet the requirement mentioned above, we propose a method that replaces the fully-connected layers of convolution neural network models with a tree classifier. Specifically, we construct a Visual Confusion Label Tree based on the output of the convolution neural network models, and use a multi-kernel SVM plus classifier with hierarchical constraints to train the tree classifier. Focusing on those confusion subsets instead of the entire set of categories makes the tree classifier more discriminative and the replacement of the fully-connected layers reduces the original running time. Experiments show that our tree classifier obtains a significant improvement over the state-of-the-art tree classifier by 4.3% and 2.4% in terms of top-1 accuracy on CIFAR-100 and ImageNet datasets respectively. Additionally, our method achieves 124x and 115x speedup ratio compared with fully-connected layers on AlexNet and VGG16 without accuracy decline.


text:
Randeep Hooda’s movie characters decide his fitness regime
Actor Randeep Hooda reveals what works for him in his fitness regime and what are the major crisis that aspiring body-builders face.bollywood Updated: May 26, 2017 18:53 IST
From looking ripped to looking thin, actor Randeep Hooda has taken up multiple looks in his films and he says his meals depend a lot on what character is he taking up next.
“My fitness regime depends on what role I am playing. Sometimes it is just black coffee. For Do Lafzo ki Kahaani (2016) I had to take a lot of supplements to build a prize fighter’s body, it was very hard with lots of time in the gym. It would have gone waste had I not taken the right kind of nutrition along with it,” says Randeep, who was recently in the Capital to launch nutrition supplement chain Body Building India’s latest initiative, which also includes a “pay per visit” gym called gym99.
The actor feels that in India, we don’t have enough educational exposure when it comes to understanding the right kind of nutrition required for the body.
“We need structured and authentic way to take care of our bodies. There is a lack of education in nutrition. It should not be restricted to depending on body-builders. The way we eat out foods is not the healthiest of combinations and Indian food is indulgent of such things. A lot of people in our country are vegetarians and many body building products don’t cater to that, which stops people from getting the right nutrition,” he says.
Follow @htshowbiz for more
First Published: May 20, 2017 18:05 IST

domain: news


text:
Apple is spending $3 billion on Beats Electronics and Beats Music. How did they decide on this staggering amount?
Wall Street Journal has spoken to “people familiar with the matter“.
These unnamed sources say that Apple spent just over $2.5 billion on Beats Electronics, and just under $500 million on Beats Music.
The two divisions of Beats are backed by separate investors.
Earlier this week, Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, said the acquisition was about hiring the people involved (Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre). Cook said expanding Beats’ business was not the reason for the deal.
Cook also said: “We love the subscription service that they built – we think it’s the first one that really got it right.“
Beats Music says they have 250,000 paying subscribers, but that number might actually be significantly lower.
Nina Ulloa covers breaking news, tech, and more. Follow her on Twitter: @nine_u

domain: economics


text:
Festive holiday cocktails give a whole new meaning to seasonal spirits. Holiday drink recipes can liven holiday parties and provide a tasty companion to festive foods. Merry mocktails, Christmas cocktails, and mulled wines can make this the most wonderful time of year.
Read on for 15 festive holiday drinks sure to be Christmas crowd-pleasers this season.
Festive Holiday Drink Recipes
Fun holiday cocktails can quickly become seasonal staples. While there is a quiz you can take to find out what holiday drink you are, here are 20 festive recipes you can whip up right now.
Candy Cane Cocktail
Nothing makes for a better drink garnish during the holidays than candy canes. Plus, candy canes aren’t the only seasonal ingredients you’ll be sipping in this cocktail. With cranberry juice and creme de menthe in the cocktail, this drink is festive from its roots to its rim.
Skinny Hot Buttered Rum
Looking for a rich yet healthy hot rum drink? Dark rum will give skinny hot buttered rum a bolder flavor, while warm spices like cinnamon and cloves keep it “skinny.” Spices like ginger and nutmeg may also add potential health benefits to this drink.
Coconut Rum Cocktail
A coconut rum cocktail is perfect for cuddle season! When it gets chilly, cozy up next to the fire with this almond and coconut milk-based beverage. Add a dollop of coconut whipped cream to the tip for enhanced flavor.
Orange Cranberry Mimosa
Whether you go with the boozy or non-alcoholic options for this drink, orange cranberry mimosas make for the perfect holiday cocktail. Orange juice and cranberry juice create staple holiday flavors, along with adding antioxidants. Not to mention, this mimosa has a pretty red hue sure to match your holiday decor, too.
Skinny White Russian
The white russian is a classic cocktail. Although it sounds intimidating, it is surprisingly easy to make! Pro tip? Soy creamer helps keep calories low.
Mulled wine is another traditional favorite that uses apple cider. Sweetened with honey and warm spices like clove, cardamom, cinnamon, and star anise, this brandy-based beverage will surely keep you cozy.
Apple Pie Mimosa
An apple pie mimosa might be the easiest drink you’ll make this holiday season. The drink itself contains two ingredients (sparkling wine and apple cider), and the garnish contains another two (cinnamon and apple slices). This merry mimosa is perfect for bringing people together over brunch.
Red Wine Hot chocolate
Need another easy drink recipe in your arsenal? Red wine hot chocolate is as simple as it gets and contains antioxidant-rich ingredients. Over medium heat in a saucepan, fully melt ¼ cup dark chocolate cups. Add 1 cup skim milk and then whisk in 5 ounces of red wine. Enjoy your favorite holiday mug!
Hazelnut Coffee Martini
Coffee with a kick? Yes, please! Hazelnut coffee martinis are great for a midday pick-me-up or afternoon party. Just an ounce of heavy cream makes this martini creamy without adding too many saturated fats.
Christmas punch is another classic, crowd-pleasing drink. It’s full of festive ingredients like cranberry juice, sparkling wine, and apple cider. It’s basically the mother of all holiday beverages, containing many of your stand-alone seasonal favorites.
Sangria is typically enjoyed in the summertime. However, a fall sangria may make your list of new traditions this year. It’s non-alcoholic, meaning you won’t have to moderate your intake. Full of fruits like apples, pears, citrus, grape, and pomegranate, this drink is chock full of special seasonal flavors.
Apple Cider Hot Toddy
Another drink traditionally enjoyed this time of year is a hot toddy. While it typically contains whiskey, many recipes can be made alcohol-free. A booze-free apple cider hot toddy is made with green tea and includes warm spices like ginger, cloves, star anise, and cinnamon.
Green Tea Hot Toddy
Need another green tea hot toddy in your life? Instead of apple cider for the base, green tea is featured prominently in this recipe. Sweetened with honey and flavored with citrus, this non-alcoholic beverage packs a nutritional punch.
Sparkling Cranberry Kombucha Mocktail
A sparkling kombucha mocktail may not be a classic holiday drink. However, it comes without a hangover! Beyond adding probiotics (“good” bacteria) to your diet, this drink is naturally sparkling with the perfect balance of sweet and sour flavor.
Sparkling Christmas Cosmopolitan
You can’t have enough fizzy drinks during fall and winter! A sparkling Christmas “cosmo” is perfect for a girl’s night out over the holidays. It can be made healthier by using reduced-sugar cranberry juice or juice from fresh cranberries.
Holiday Moscow Mule
Another drink generally enjoyed around the holiday season is a moscow mule. Both the booze-based and non-alcoholic versions contain ginger beer. Simply substitute the alcohol in the original recipe for ½ sparkling water and ½ ginger beer to keep this drink refreshing.
Gingerbread Eggnog Mocktail
Gingerbread and eggnog together in the same drink? It doesn’t get more seasonal than that. In less than 15 minutes, creating a gingerbread eggnog mocktail from espresso powder, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg can spice up the day. Crushed gingersnap cookies create both a festive and flavorful garnish.
More Festive Drinks
Is traditional eggnog more your thing? Make it healthier by using the nutty flavors of almond milk as a base. As an added perk, this recipe uses ingredients you already have in your pantry and fridge (i.e. vanilla, eggs, cornstarch).
Green-As-The-Grinch Matcha Latte
While matcha can be enjoyed year-round, its green color is great for adding traditional Christmas colors to the palette. A matcha tea or latte gives off a Grinchy green color, perfect for themed meals or parties.
Need another latte to help you make merry? A homemade “skinny” gingerbread latte is perfectly spiced along with being lower in calories than your favorite Starbucks special. Nothing like a seasonal strong coffee to help you get through family gatherings!
Recapping Seasonal Sipping
Whether you’re avoiding alcohol or already have a designated driver for the holidays, there’s a seasonal drink for everyone. Many spiced drinks can be made “skinny” by using nutrient-rich, low-calorie ingredients. Choose your new seasonal favorite from this festive list of cocktails, mocktails, and more!

domain: food


text:
Esther Diamond, Book 1
This edition published 2011
DAW Fantasy, Mass Market Paperback, 386 p.
From the back cover...
"I'm not a heroine; I just play heroines. Also psychotics, orphans, vamps, hookers, and housewives..."
Thus begins the first fantastical misadventure of Esther Diamond, a struggling actress who seems destined to attract supernatural mayhem.
When bizarre magical disappearances disrupt performances in the Big Apple, Esther receives a mysterious warning not to go on with her off-Broadway show.
Desperate to say on stage rather than resort to waiting tables, Esther turns to her new BFF, Dr. Maximillian Zadok, a 350-year-old mage whose day job is protecting New York from Evil. Determined to get to the bottom of this mystery without losing her job, Esther and Max team up with a conjuring cowboy, a banker with stage aspirations, and a flock of fearless drag queens. Also on the case is Detective Connor Lopez, a sexy cop who has a thing for Esther, but who fearsthat she and Max may be a bigger problem than the vanishing performers.
Since the show must go on - and the astronomical rent must be paid - Esther, Max, and their friends pursue Evil to its lair in their fearless determination to find the missing performers and restore harmony to the city that never sleeps.
Here are some of my thoughts about this title at random.
** Spoilers might be included **
Firstly, I loved the cover art!
Esther Diamond is a great leading lady. Smart, funny, strong, independent and willful. Just how I like my heroines. She is very much aware of our hunky detective, Connor Lopez, and it's sweet to watch them tiptoe and flirt around each other as they try to suss each other out. Det. Lopez is gorgeous, smart and sees just enough to know that he's not getting the full story out of Esther and Max. He knows something is going on with Esther, but just can't quite put his finger on the cause. I wonder how long it will take him to finally figure out the truth?
Some of the names the characters sported were quite corny, but that's part of what made them so memorable. I mean, who could forget a woman with a name like Golly Gee? Is it any wonder with a name like that that she was such a diva! The drag queens were a laugh and a half. Fabulous names, and not your stereotypical queens either. Loved the meeting between the gang and Lopez at the bookstore. Our Johnny-come-lately mage, Lysander, was such a stick in the mud. Someone really needs to pull that stick right out of his tush. Oh, and Hieronymus - yet another great name - is wonderfully annoying as the lisping assistant mage.
I could keep going on about how this book engaged me, but it would be simpler (and a whole lot shorter) if I just put it down like this:
- great characters
- fast paced
- wonderful storyline
- great moments - such as Connor's revelation to Esther about how his brother's have dodged the 'matchmaking and nagging mother' routine
- all the secondary characters have enough of a personality to have a life of their own outside of their part in the dialogue.
- too many voices at times! All those secondary characters seem to overwhelm a reader (especially if you're reading into the wee hours of the morning like someone I won't name ;-D )
- what happened to Matilda? She was such a vocal and fiery character - getting into verbal tussles with Esther - then, poof!.... she disappeared about half way through? I thought she might have had a hand in it at one point. Can't have a great character you love to hate, then loose them part way through.
- I also didn't like the way Lopez portrayed Esther to his mother during that phone call
- There was not enough of Det. Lopez in the story. Perhaps in the next book he's got more page time
- I didn't think that both our main characters, Esther and Lopez, needed to have the annoying, nagging mothers. Overkill!
- Our resident mage, Maximilian, is very bumbling at times. For a 350 year old, you'd think he'd have a mind, and tongue, as sharp as a razor.
- Okay, I'll say it. Hieronymus was a prat! Enough said.
- No romance! All we got was one lousy kiss!
So, these are my thoughts on Disappearing Nightly. A wonderful start to a collectable series. When I first started reading it last night, I was struck by how similar in style it was to Carole Nelson Douglas' 'Delilah Street' series. If you like Esther Diamond, then you'll love Delilah Street.


text:
William Monahan was an acclaimed writer who became an acclaimed novelist who became an Oscar-winning screenwriter who now also directs. He won for “The Departed,” and that script’s brash, pissy, sarcastic tone is all over his script for “The Gambler,” a very loose take on the 1974 drama, about an addict (there, James Caan; here, Mark Wahlberg) out for self-destruction. Monahan has already reunited with Wahlberg for his second directed work, “Mojave,” out next year.
What’s your relationship with the original?
I’ve never seen it. It came out when I was 13 or something, and it seemed to be about sports gambling, which was not then or now my cup of tea. I only work from text if I adapt something. So when I was commissioned to write it, I was given [James] Toback’s script, and I worked from that. I don’t even know if it was a shooter or not. Once I took the job I wouldn’t watch the original film. If it’s good, I don’t want to see it. I’d prefer to work off a script, even an incomplete script — which is what I did with the other adaptation I did.
There are many reasons to not simply repeat the original. What is yours?
I’m hired to do my own thing, not just do another iteration of the original film. One of the truths of writing is that there are only a certain number of stories. It’s always the teller, not the tale. So my job is to be as ignorant of the original material as I can be and, for better or worse, infuse it with myself.
The end is very, very different here.
I don’t even know what the end was in the original.
[SPOILER ALERT] He goes to a whorehouse and gets slashed in the face.
Something like that, yeah. Very ’70s, right? I always love the gutter ’70s realism, because it’s never really real, and it’s always done by middle class people. Basically, it’s bulls—. [SPOILER, AGAIN] College professor gets slashed in the face in a whorehouse — no wonder I blanked out on the script at that point. [Laughs] The thing about ’70s realism is it gets too much, too much press. What happened was the scripts got sloppier, there was more improv and the camera moves were nowhere like they were in Doris Day pictures. Apart from that there was a little more lens flare, a little more Technicolor hijinks. But crock of s—, really.
As the ’70s go the only things that appeal to me are the more formal pictures, like “Apocalypse Now” or the “Godfather” films. It’s like I love Cassavetes for what he did. But I know what he did, which is he and a bunch of his friends sprang a 16mm camera around an apartment while making up crappy dialogue. I just don’t see where it’s much different from Yoko Ono having a fly walk across someone’s face. I prefer motion pictures to be a little more put together than that.
Who are your influences then?
I couldn’t begin to tell you. Watching films is like a songwriter listening to the radio. It’s like, “Oh that bit works, that bit doesn’t.” Three quarters of everything doesn’t work. And what you want to concentrate on is what does work. Sometimes it can only be one tiny moment in a film, one shot, on line. There’s no real consistency in influence.
Given how dark this can get, did you find much pushback from the studio to lighten it up?
By no means. I think Paramount in its present administration is to commended highly for doing this film as they did it. It’s refreshing to have films without explosions and people running around in silver jock straps, bending Cadillacs with their minds.
Your scripts feature plenty of verbose insults. Do you have any insult inspiration?
No, that’s just more or less me. [Laughs.] I’m just from Boston. But there’s a great history of that sort of thing. For insults you can’t do be much better than Shakespeare.

domain: artistic


text:
Presentation on theme: "List homework in your agenda and turn in any late work see bin on window side counter. Predict: What is Matter? What are some of the components in the."— Presentation transcript:
List homework in your agenda and turn in any late work see bin on window side counter. Predict: What is Matter? What are some of the components in the following items: loaf of bread, textbook, bicycle. * Can you break down any of the components even further? For example, one of the components of a book is obviously paper, but what are the components of paper? Record your thoughts in your science notebook/binder.
Warm-up Copy homework in agenda and pick it up from the table under the board. If not finished recoding information for the marble volume quick lab finish now (you may get the marbles and graduated cylinders if needed). Explain in your own words: What is volume? Draw a picture demonstrating you know what volume is using the correct metric units.
The Properties of Matter Essential Questions: What is Matter? What is mass? What is volume?
Objectives Describe the two properties of all matter. Identify the units used to measure volume and mass. Distinguish between mass and weight.
Quick Lab (1) Material Getter beaker Cup Paper towel (2) Discussion Leader BEFORE EXPERIMENT: What do you expect the paper towel to be like when it comes out of the bowl? AFTER EXPERIMENT: Was the paper towel like how you expected? Draw conclusions as to why the paper is the way it is? How can you support this idea with science. (3) Lab Initiator Wedge the paper towel in the bottom of the cup. All of the paper towel should be mashed in the bottom of the cup, with no edges sticking out. Place the cup upside down, perpendicular to the surface of the water. Do not tilt the cup or place it at an angle. Push the cup into the water until the rim of the cup touches the bottom of the bowl. Whole group: Countdown from 8. (4) Data Collector Describe the paper towel before and after the experiment.
Matter Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. It’s that simple! Everything in the universe that you can see is made up of some type of matter. What do all these things have in common? They are all made-up of MATTER!
What is matter? Anything that has mass and takes up space Everything you see: boats, cars, people Some things you cannot see like air
Matter and Volume: The amount of space taken up, or occupied, by an object is known as the objects volume. Liquid Volume Liters (L) and milliliters (mL) are the units used most often to express the volume of liquids. Measuring the Volume of Liquids -We will use a graduated cylinder instead of a measuring cup to measure the volume of liquids. The curve at the surface of liquid is called a meniscus.
The space taken up by an object. Two objects cannot share the same space. Ex: Air and Water in the quick lab What is Volume?
Quick Lab Review Can water and air both occupy the inside of a cup at the same time? As a lab group, review the results from your experiment. Continue your discussion on why the towel was the way it was AFTER your experiment. Can you now use science to support why the towel was dry? Teacher shows what happens if there is a place for matter to escape.
What materials are used to measure volume? Graduated cylinders and beakers. Liquid in these have a meniscus curved water line Read the bottom of the curve for accuracy
Define and Draw the meaning of: Meniscus Define: Meniscus is the curve at the surface of liquid. Draw: Meniscus
What unit is Used to Measure liquid volume? Liters (l) and milliliters (ml)
Volume of a Regularly Shaped Solid Object The volume of any solid object is expressed in cubic units. The word cubic means having three dimensions. Volume of an Irregularly Shaped Solid Object You can measure the volume of any solid object by measuring the volume of water that the object displaces.
How is the Volume of a Regularly Shaped object found? Multiply the three dimensions of the object volume = length x width x height or v = l x w x h units used will be cubic meters (m 3 ) or cubic centimeters (cm 3 )
How is the volume of an Irregularly shaped object found? Water displacement method drop an object in a known volume of water (30 ml) the water level will rise (40 ml) The difference between the 2 levels represents the volume of the object: 40 – 30 = 10ml 1 ml = 1 cm 3 both can represent volume Almost always liquids in ml and solids in cm 3
Quick Lab In your Science binder, start a new page titled: Quick Lab. Finding the Volume of an Irregular Object. Using what you have learned today, set-up a quick lab that allows you to measure the volume of the marbles at your table. WHAT WERE YOUR RESULTS?
Mass and Weight Mass: Mass is the amount of matter in an object. Weight: Weight is a measure of the gravitational force exerted on an object.
Measuring Mass and Weight Mass Measurement: The SI unit of mass is the gram (g), but mass is often expressed in kilograms(kg) and milligrams (mg), too. Weight Measurement: Weight is a measure of gravitational force and is expressed in the SI unit of force, the newton (N).
What is the difference between mass and weight? videovideo Mass will stay the same for an object at any location Mass measures an objects amount of matter Measured in grams (g) or kilograms (kg) Weight changes due to gravity’s force and distance of celestial body Planets, stars, etc. Measured in Newtons and pounds
Review Objectives Describe the three properties of all matter. All matter has mass, volume Identify the units used to measure volume and mass. The unit for Volume = milliliter (ml) or cubic centimeter (cm 3 ) The unit for Mass = kilogram (kg), gram (g), and milligram (mg) Distinguish between mass and weight. Mass is the amount of matter in an object. Weight is the gravitational force on an object.
Annotated reading assignment w/questions Students work in partners, one reads while the other annotates: Circle or underline words you do not understand. Write any questions in the margins After reading one paragraph students stop, discuss and summarize, especially if there are words or phrases circled/questions in margins For each paragraph switch jobs. After all of reading and discussion is complete begin questions. Take turns recording answers in space provided. Highlight the answer in the text and notate on the answer paragraph # and sentence # where found.
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domain: chemistry


text:
The short film "Liebes Deutschland" (germ. Dear Germany) was created in 2020 within the framework of the project "365 Tage in Deutschland" (germ. 365 days in Germany), a cultural research on the impact of migration on young people, specifically romanian migrants to Germany.
Starring: Estera Stan
Director: Radu Apostol
Dramatic script: Mihaela Mihailov
Camera and Edit: yours truly
Production: Ciprian Marinescu


text:
Air Jordan 19
Air Jordan XIX basketball shoe debuts February 2004.
Jordan 19 is the fourth in as many years to feature a lace shroud. Unlike Jordans 16 and 17, Jordan 19's Tech Flex weave isn't removable.
Air Jordan 19 SE follows in a variety of PE colorways in a more traditional shroud free design that it shared with the Low.

domain: design


text:
Youth unemployment is the most common driver of vulnerability to violent extremism and radicalisation in Northern Regions of Ghana – New UNDP Ghana Report
June 30, 2023
A new UNDP study that analysed the drivers of vulnerability to violent extremism and radicalization in the five Northern Regions of Ghana revealed youth unemployment as the most common driver.
The study, which adopted a mixed method approach for data collection including a survey of close to 1400 respondents, assessed specific vulnerabilities of individuals, groups, and communities to being radicalised towards eventual violent extremism.
The report titled “Vulnerability Assessment on the Threats of Violent Extremism and Radicalisation in Northern Regions of Ghana’, calls for targeted interventions to address the persisting socio-economic challenges and development gap that has generated a sense of exclusion, marginalization, and anger among the largely unemployed youth. According to the Ghana Statistical Service, the national youth unemployment rate for young adults of 15-24 years, is about 32.8 percent and in this age category, the average unemployment rates are much higher in some of the northern regions, with Upper East region having 39 percent, Savannah region 38.2 percent, and North East, 34.7 percent.
“The peace Ghana enjoys cannot be taken for granted. It requires diligence and sustained efforts by state and non-state actors based on evidence. This collaborative research, and collective intelligence has helped to co-create solutions with communities at risk. Now that we have the evidence, it is important to get our policies and programming right to prevent violent extremism”, noted Angela Lusigi, UNDP Resident Representative in Ghana.
Other major drivers and pathway to radicalism, according to the report, are political vigilantism, farmer-herder conflicts, and easy availability of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW). In addition, the report cited access to the internet and social media as another important factor influencing religious radicalization of the youth.
The report identified community engagement, interventions for vulnerable youth, efforts to counter online extremism, and attempts to deracialize through religious and other available forms of counselling, as catalysts for building resilience. It recommends youth empowerment, border security management, monitoring abuse of social media, and operationalization of Ghana’s counter-terrorism framework, as critical in addressing the threats of violent extremism and radicalisation in Ghana.
The study builds on UNDP’s pioneering global reports on the “Journey to Extremism in Africa: Pathways to Recruitment and Disengagement” in 2023 and the first "Journey to Extremism in Africa" report in 2017.
The ‘Vulnerability Assessment on the Threats of Violent Extremism and Radicalisation in Northern Regions of Ghana’ report can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/44mj28u
For more information and media enquiries, please contact:
Ms. Praise Nutakor - Head of Communications and Partnerships, UNDP Ghana, Email: email@example.com ; Tel: +233-501323566


text:
Dog Sitter in Oxford
I'm an animal lover with over 12 years experience working with all types of animals. I worked in a vets for 8 years and before that I worked in a kennel for four years. I also have a diploma in animal care that I completed while on the job.
I also love to walk and believe that dogs should be walked at least twice a day. How long the walk is depends on the breed of dog, age and any health issues they might have.
|Dog Walking Rate||
£12 / hour
|Address||Spencer Avenueox5 1ng Oxford|
|Type of property||House|
|I own a car suitable for transporting dogs|

domain: pet


Barcelona will not be able to publicly unveil Luis Suarez when he completes his £75m move from Liverpool.
Barca have had a bid accepted for Suarez, who is serving a four-month ban from all "football-related activity" for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini.
But they will not be able to present him in a ceremony at the Nou Camp, as they have done with previous signings.
Fifa's head of media Delia Fischer said Uruguayan Suarez, 27, "cannot be in a football-related public event".
There had been suggestions Barca would be able to present Suarez - who cannot play for his new club until November - at a venue other than the Nou Camp.
But Fischer said: "He cannot even be involved in a football-related charity event."
It was estimated about 90,000 fans were in the Nou Camp for Brazil forward Neymar's presentation in June 2013.
Cesc Fabregas, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Villa have been introduced to the Barcelona supporters in similar fashion in recent years.
As well as his four-month suspension, Suarez was also banned for nine international matches and fined 100,000 Swiss francs (£66,000) after biting Chiellini during Uruguay's World Cup match against Italy on 24 June.
After initially claiming his innocence, he apologised to Chiellini.
A lawyer for Suarez claimed the punishment was "blatantly draconian, totalitarian and fascist".
Alejandro Balbi told Spanish radio station Cope: "The right of a footballer to work is being violated and football should be worried about that.
"The nine games may seem excessive, but the fact he can't watch a game of football or train or carry out his job - we are talking about unpleasant things."


text:
After much anticipation, Adele released her new album 30 on Friday, and single moms should be prepared. It’s an emotional roller coaster of monumental proportions. Particularly her song “My Little Love,” written in tribute to her 8-year-old son Angelo. This song includes voice notes the singer recorded when she was trying to explain her divorce from Simon Konecki to her son, and those voice notes in particular will strike deep at the heart of any single parent listening.
The “Easy On Me” singer and Konecki ended their relationship when Angelo was just 6 years old, and she has admitted that she struggled immensely with her divorce. Particularly as it affected her son. “My son had a lot of questions. Really good questions, really innocent questions, that I just don’t have an answer for,” she recently told British Vogue.
Which is why she decided to write songs about the experience, in an attempt to explain a very adult situation to her very young son. “My Little Love” is a love song written from a mother to her child. An honest reckoning, a plea for forgiveness for being human and fallible and making mistakes.
Adele wrote a love song for her son.
So many of the lyrics of this song will resonate with single parents who feel confused and guilty and heartbroken after a divorce. Like “I don't recognize myself in the coldness of the daylight/So I ain't surprised you can read through all of my lies/I feel so bad to be here when I'm so guilty/I'm so far gone and you're the only one who can save mе.”
The song also includes voice notes of conversations she had with Angelo, one of which is especially heartbreaking. In it, Angelo tells his mother, “I feel like you don't love me,” and she responds, “Why do you feel like that?” When Angelo asks, “Do you like me?” Adele tells him. “You know mummy doesn’t like anyone else like I like you, right?”
Adele has a seriously tender moment in the song with her son when she tells him, “Mummy’s been having a lot of big feelings lately, I feel a bit confused,” but she reassures him later in the song that she loves his dad because “he gave you to me. You're half me and you're half daddy.”
Single parents took to Twitter to share their reactions to the song, “Single moms across the world are crying this morning listening to Adele - My little love,” one fan tweeted.
Another wrote one social media user, while another wrote, “Adele did not have to attack my feelings about myself as a single mom like that with My Little Love.”
Adele’s song is not just a love song for Angelo; it’s a love song for all single parents to their kids.

domain: celebrity


MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. – After three Elimination Rounds and two Sudden Death Rounds, it all comes down to this. Eight anglers will compete in the Championship Round, but only one will walk away with the 2020 Lucas Oil Challenge Cup Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches trophy.
The eight pros will return to Bull Shoals Lake in Mountain Home, Arkansas but will only have an area of about 7,800 acres to fish. Like the previous five rounds, flooded conditions remain the key story. The pros will have to deal with water levels 25 feet higher than normal when they pull up to the ramp. Flooded brush, trees, grass and sawdust piles will be the main cover the anglers will focus on. Offshore points and bluff walls will be the key pieces of structure.
Brett Hite, Mike Iaconelli, Matt Lee, Andy Montgomery, Michael Neal, Takahiro Omori, Jeff Sprague and Randall Tharp are the eight anglers vying for the 2020 Challenge Cup championship. Iaconelli is the only angler in the field with an MLF win on his record. Ike is trying to join Kevin VanDam to become the second angler with three MLF wins to his credit.
Takahiro Omori has been fishing MLF Cup events since the first competition on Lake Amistad in 2011. The Japanese pro is hoping to hoist his first MLF trophy, but he’ll have to outlast some of the toughest competition in bass fishing. He has momentum on his side, after winning both his Elimination and Sudden Death Rounds heading into this Championship Round.
Another pro with experience and momentum like Omori is Andy Montgomery. The South Carolina pro is also looking for his first career MLF win after hitting the 25-pound SIG SAUER Target Weight first in Sudden Death Round 1. Montgomery has been close time and time again, could his first MLF victory come in the Natural State?
Hite, Sprague and Tharp have managed quite the collective showing in their first-ever Cup event. All three got their first experience with the MLF format in 2019 and have impressed in their MLF Cup debut. Hite dominated his Elimination Round by catching more than 50 pounds of scorable bass. Hite’s quality bites with his vibrating jig will make him one of the key anglers to watch in the Championship Round.
Sprague came into the 2020 Challenge Cup as the second-ranked angler in the field after a fantastic start in his first two Stages on the 2019 Bass Pro Tour. While the Texas pro was consistently competitive all season long on the Bass Pro Tour, he was unable to come away with a win. He enters the Championship Round with yet another chance at a trophy, and this time he hopes to deliver.
Tharp has voiced, time and time again, his affinity for big bites. The Florida pro has been one of the few anglers during Challenge Cup competition that has found larger-than-average fish day in and day out. Watch for Tharp to continue to keep a big jig tied on as he tries to use big bites to get him to the top of SCORETRACKER®.
While the ultimate goal for the pros is hoisting the trophy at the end of the day, there is another prize up for grabs: a bid to fish in the 2020 General Tire World Championship. The top three pros in the Championship Round automatically qualify for the World Championship, something that MLF analyst Marty Stone thinks these anglers do not take lightly.
“Qualifying for the General Tire World Championship is one of the hardest things to do in bass fishing,” Stone explained. “Not only do these guys have to compete against the best in the world just to qualify for an MLF Cup event, but they also have to battle 29 other hammers once they get to the Cup. To be top three in this group of anglers is quite the feat.”
Edwin Evers (REDCREST Champion) and Jacob Wheeler (defending World Champion) have already secured their spots in the World Championship. Stone says that if these anglers have the opportunity to try and join Evers and Wheeler, they will not hesitate at the chance.
“If a guy knows he’s out of contention for the top spot, that doesn’t mean he’s going to just give up on his day,” Stone said. “Those two remaining spots are so valuable and these guys know that. Look for this one to come down to the wire between about four or five pros trying to claim their spot.”
The eight competing anglers bring us the Championship Round on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m. ET on Outdoor Channel.
Each new episode of MLF Cup events will be available on MyOutdoorTV two days after premiering on Outdoor Channel.


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Now, Season 3 is just around the corner, and Telltale has given us our first glimpse into it, as well as some information. In addition, it has also been confirmed that players will play as both characters – Clem and Javier. For a start, who’s that guy with Clementine?
The developers did confirm the name of the man with Clementine, his name is Javier and his relationship with Clementine is still a bit of a mystery. However, the story from seasons one and two will be continued for players who have experienced those journeys.
Clementine! I’m so happy to see you again, but, wow… you’ve really grown!
In the brief clip, we don’t see much aside from a zombie feasting on a corpse moments before Clementine and a mysterious new playable character (named Javier) show up and take care of him.
While Telltale is still considering this latest game to be the third “season” of the series, they will apparently not be going with a subtitle similar to The Walking Dead: Season Two. For instance, Clementine is missing a finger now, showing that she hasn’t survived the last couple years completely unscathed.
The first episode in The Walking Dead Season 3 will be released for the PC, consoles, and mobile devices this Fall.
Job Stauffer and Laura Perusco of Telltale revealed the trailer on IGN Live today.

domain: game


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Here is everything you need to know about the amazing Rose & Crown Pub restaurant at Walt Disney World’s Epcot including history, reviews, fun facts, photos and more. I hope you find this listing informative and helpful!
Contents of this article:
What is Rose & Crown Pub?
As of the present time, Rose & Crown Pub is a delightful and inviting watering hole located in the United Kingdom pavilion at Epcot’s World Showcase in Walt Disney World Resort, Florida. This charming British pub captures the essence of a traditional public house, offering guests a warm and authentic experience reminiscent of the UK’s spirited pub culture.
The interior of Rose & Crown Pub exudes the cozy and rustic ambiance of a British tavern, featuring dark wood accents, classic pub decor, and comfortable seating. It is a perfect spot to relax, unwind, and enjoy the company of friends and family.
The pub’s menu boasts a variety of British ales, beers, ciders, and spirits, providing guests with a chance to sample some of the finest libations from across the pond. Beer enthusiasts can indulge in a selection of draft beers, including some popular British brands, while cocktail lovers can choose from an array of mixed drinks and specialty beverages.
Additionally, Rose & Crown Pub offers a small selection of appetizers and snacks, allowing guests to complement their drinks with tasty bites such as Scotch Eggs, Ploughman’s Platter, and the delightful English Bulldog (a gourmet sausage roll).
Outside the pub, guests can also find seating on the charming patio, overlooking the World Showcase Lagoon. It’s a picturesque spot to unwind, enjoy a drink, and take in the beautiful scenery.
Rose & Crown Pub Fun Facts
- Rose & Crown Pub is a charming British pub located in the United Kingdom Pavilion of Epcot’s World Showcase.
- The pub offers a cozy and authentic British atmosphere, complete with dark wood furnishings, a fireplace, and a waterfront view of the World Showcase Lagoon.
- Guests can enjoy a wide selection of British beers, ales, and spirits at the Rose & Crown Pub, including classic drinks like the Pimm’s Cup and a variety of whiskies.
- The pub also serves traditional British pub food, such as fish and chips, bangers and mash, and Scotch eggs, making it a great spot for a hearty meal and a pint.
- One of the highlights of the Rose & Crown Pub is its outdoor seating area, which provides an excellent view of the IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth fireworks show, making it a popular spot to watch the nighttime spectacular.

domain: travel


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Odetta Dies at 77. Odetta sings - "The Midnight Special" and speaks of her Activism (2 videos)
Thursday, Dec 4, 2008
“She was my heroine. Her voice has so much power in it. You wouldn’t say she had a beautiful voice, you’d say she had a massive voice, totally grounded and rooted in things to do with the earth.”
- Joan Baez
Odetta Sings "The Midnight Special"
Odetta Gordon, stole the hearts and souls of all those who heard her music over the years. She died Tuesday, December 2, 2008, of heart disease at the age of 77. Odetta was born on New Year's Eve in 1930 at the onset of the Great Depression. As a young African American she experienced the racism, segregation and oppression for which the U.S. became infamous. She lived in Alabama and later California and knew hard times. For a while, she cleaned houses for a living. She became known for her beautiful voice even when she was a child and began to take formal voice lessons when she was only 14. Her music and beauty has been legendary ever since. She was deeply committed to civil rights and was at the side of Dr Martin Luther King in Washington in 1963 when he made his “I have a dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. She spoke of Dr. King, "I met him, but I did not know him. I was much too shy to get to know any of those people in leadership."
Of Dr. King and those days she once said, "I'm honored I was able to witness that energy and that spirit, to see how one person brought so many people together .... I'm honored to carry on the celebration, to keep people reminded of how it was that we did come together and what a hard thing it was to bring about."
Of schools in the United States she is quoted,
"My feeling is that in school we were taught the history of those in power. But our history as blacks in this country is within our music, our narratives and our stories. That is what I am pleased to carry on. But we've been told in school and through stereotyping in movies and television that we're really not worth much. We have not been taught about the strength of the people we come from. I see the youngsters today getting so many messages. Today, I wouldn't be a kid for nothing. They are shown just dreadful insults to the human body and the spirit. Look how they are taking music out of schools. Music is something that addresses the individual. So what do we have in school? Only those things that can serve industry."
- Axis of Logic
(References: Rolling Stone Magazine, Kentucky Herald Leader, Times on Line and New York Times)
Odetta speaks of her activism during the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War
(Interview by the National Visionary Leadership Project)
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domain: sociology


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The main aim of stock picking is to find the market-beating stocks. But even the best stock picker will only win with some selections. So we wouldn’t blame long term UBS Group AG (VTX:UBSG) shareholders for doubting their decision to hold, with the stock down 53% over a half decade. The falls have accelerated recently, with the share price down 18% in the last three months.
While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company’s share price and its earnings per share (EPS).
During the unfortunate half decade during which the share price slipped, UBS Group actually saw its earnings per share (EPS) improve by 1.3% per year. Given the share price reaction, one might suspect that EPS is not a good guide to the business performance during the period (perhaps due to a one-off loss or gain). Or possibly, the market was previously very optimistic, so the stock has disappointed, despite improving EPS.
Based on these numbers, we’d venture that the market may have been over-optimistic about forecast growth, half a decade ago. Having said that, we might get a better idea of what’s going on with the stock by looking at other metrics.
The revenue decline of 0.9% isn’t too bad. But it’s quite possible the market had expected better; a closer look at the revenue trends might explain the pessimism.
The company’s revenue and earnings (over time) are depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).
UBS Group is a well known stock, with plenty of analyst coverage, suggesting some visibility into future growth. Given we have quite a good number of analyst forecasts, it might be well worth checking out this free chart depicting consensus estimates.
What About Dividends?
As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of UBS Group, it has a TSR of -40% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. And there’s no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!
A Different Perspective
UBS Group shareholders are down 16% for the year (even including dividends) , but the market itself is up 4.1%. Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Regrettably, last year’s performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 9.7% per year over five years. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should “buy when there is blood on the streets”, but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we’ve spotted 2 warning signs for UBS Group you should know about.
For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on CH exchanges.
Love or hate this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email email@example.com.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.


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Family Night Kicks Off Sun Belt Conference Tournament Tonight at ‘The Tigue’ in Lafayette
This year's Sun Belt Conference baseball tournament is being held here in Lafayette at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field. Eight teams are vying for the title of Sun Belt Conference tournament champs and securing their ticket to the NCAA postseason tournament. The tournament begins on Wednesday.
The Family Night Celebration happens tonight though as everyone is invited to "The Tigue" for a fun, free evening of entertainment. Gates open at 6pm.
The evening will feature an awards ceremony, a student-athlete home run derby and much more.
Fans will receive a free set of Sun Belt Conference baseball autograph cards featuring a selected student-athlete from each league school, courtesy of Jostens, while supplies last. Players from all participating Sun Belt schools will be available for autographs during the entire event.
The home run derby will feature one player from each participating school. It begins at 7pm.
Don't forget that tickets for the 2013 Sun Belt Conference Championship at “The Tigue” remain on sale. Only tournament booklets will be sold in advance. Prices are $75 for chairbacks (grandstand) and $45 for bleacher seating. All seating for the SBC Championship will be reserved.
Purchases can be made in person at the UL Ticket Office located at the Cajundome (444 Cajundome Blvd.) or by calling (337) 265-2357.
Single-game ticket sales will start on Wednesday, May 22. Prices will be $15 for chairbacks (grandstand) and $10 for bleacher seating.


Hey there! Welcome to WhatNationalDayIsIt.com, your friendly guide to all things national days! Today, let's dive into the wonderful celebration of National Girl Child Day. Get ready for an empowering and informative journey!
It's national girl child girl child day on the 24th January.
National Girl Child Day is an important observance that aims to raise awareness about the rights, safety, and education of girl children. The day holds immense significance as it focuses on empowering young girls and promoting gender equality.
Now, let's take a joyful trip down the lanes of the internet to discover how this significant day became a national sensation!
National Girl Child Day initially gained traction on the internet in the early 2000s. It emerged as a response to the alarming issues faced by girl children, such as discrimination, child marriage, and limited access to education.
Social media platforms played a crucial role in spreading the word about this observance, with hashtags like #NationalGirlChildDay and #EmpowerGirls gaining popularity. These online campaigns ignited conversations and sparked action, leading to the official recognition of the day as a national celebration.
Celebrating National Girl Child Day is all about empowering and supporting the girls in our lives. Here are a few fun and meaningful ways to make a difference:
Did you know that girls have been ruling the internet since its earliest days? Many influential women have made their mark in the tech industry, from Ada Lovelace, who is considered the world's first computer programmer, to Sheryl Sandberg, the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook.
These women have broken barriers, shattered glass ceilings, and paved the way for countless others. So, the next time you go online, remember to celebrate the amazing achievements of women in the digital world!
Introduce A Girl To Engineering Day
First Gen Day
Youth And Student Day
Teacher Learning Day
Young Leaders Day
Black Voter Day
Thank A Teacher Day


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It Feels Like It Only Goes Backwards sounds like a question to which the answer is revealed by listening. Driven by heavy bass, offset by whirring pads serving defining intensity, touched by harmony appearring alongside an expanding breath of musicality on this excellent, refreshing piece of music. Koreander’s wonderful beat-free version trips off the tongue with sounds painting eloquent pictures next, as the deeper meaning of Sweet Afternoon gets reshaped via Fred P in typically alluring fashion. Mercure completes by channelling repetition and a sense of funky inquiry into another notable production that opens out the possibilities of forwards movement.
Release: April 10


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Since waiting out during another player's tactical battles would be particularly obnoxious, Napoleon gives players the chance to take control of the enemy in the other player's battle. It can create a bit of a moral crisis if you're trying to play cooperatively, but it's a wonderful way to stick it to your opponent every chance you get. The whole scheme plays out very well but we were a bit distressed to find that the game simply ends if a player drops out. We'd much rather have had the option to continue, or at least save the game.
The tactical battles are still some of the most amazing we've ever seen in any game. The cavalry charges, cannon strikes and wheeling formations just look brilliant. The range of environments and atmospheric effects add a lot of variety to the experience, which is good because the actual range of units you'll be using is thinner than most other games in the series. The subtly stylized graphics create a much more powerful impression this time around but may not be to everyone's tastes. Napoleon seems to run quite a bit better than Empire, but then again, I've also upgraded to a better computer. Framerate can still be a problem in the driving snow with cannon fire bursting all around, but the visuals run fairly well when you consider the quality of the image.
In terms of AI, the tactical battles are challenging but still exhibit a few of the pathfinding and judgment problems seen in Empire. Trying to lead large groups of units in a coherent formation is still sometimes a bit awkward. Units still try to cross from one flank to the other if you try to resize or reface the line. It's only a minor frustration in single player, where you can pause the game to get things repositioned, but it can be very aggravating in multiplayer. On the plus side, units don't seem to go into melee mode on their own as often anymore.

domain: hobby


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INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS & RELATED ARTICLES
The Calgary Herald SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 - by Shelley Youngblut
MESMERIZINGLY BEYOND OUR CONTROL
For Calgarians with an affinity for challenging art forms, Brian Eno is the most exciting name to appear on the roster of upcoming events. And when you think about the degree to which Eno has defied categorization as an artist over his four-decade career, how perfect is it that we'll be experiencing 77 Million Paintings not at a concert hall, but at the Glenbow Museum as part of the 2011 High Performance Rodeo?
Sure, Eno is best known as a musician (he co-founded Roxy Music), a composer (he pioneered the concept of ambient sound), and a producer (he helped push David Bowie, the Talking Heads, U2 and Coldplay to explore brave, new frontiers), but his influence goes far beyond vinyl. (In fact, it has reached all the way to the ubiquitous PC - every time you booted up Windows 95, it was Eno's three-and-a-quarter-second-long arpeggio that greeted you.)
"He has impacted the cultural fabric of our daily life arguably more than any single artist," says High Performance Rodeo curator Michael Green, who travelled to the Brighton Festival last spring to experience Eno's instillation first-hand. "It's utterly mesmerizing - and so satisfying."
Glenbow president Kirstin Evenden, who jumped at Green's invitation to mount 77 Million Paintings in January, says "Eno is an internationally relevant, thought-provoking practitioner who blurs the lines between fine and pop art, high and low culture." An audio-visual extension of the "generative" sound experiments Eno undertook with Robert Fripp in the '70s, the piece consists of seventy-seven million possible combinations of Eno's hand-drawn images and soundscapes, shuffled randomly by a computer. "It would take four hundred and fifty years to be sure of seeing an image repeat," Eno has said. "You're not in control. I'm not in control - and I like it. You have to surrender to the experience, which is something humans used to have to do all the time."
A quick search for Eno on YouTube reveals that he's just as mesmerizing a speaker as he is an artist. When asked to confirm whether Eno will be following the lead of Philip Glass and Laurie Anderson by appearing at the Rodeo in person, Green is tantalizingly silent, then says, "As Calgary matures as a city, it makes sense that we would ask the stars of the contemporary scene to come here and help us put this festival on the map."