text:
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
This essay, the last in my series about the environmental experiences of an environmental law professor in China, concludes my three-part discussion about how different underlying environmental philosophies held by American and Chinese people can lead to different approaches in environmental governance. The first part addressed differences in the human relationship to nature, and the second addressed differing approaches to conservation, stewardship, and scarcity. This essay concludes with parting thoughts about the philosophical roots of some of these differences, the Cultural Revolution and the processes of cultural change, and the significance of all this for environmental protection in China. (For the full series background, see the introductory post, reflections on China and the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, an account of air quality issues in China, an exploration of water quality issues, and a review of Chinese food and consumer product safety.)
I began the previous two essays about environmental philosophy by acknowledging the delicacy of exploring the underlying cultural differences that correspond to some of the environmental experiences I’ve written about in this forum. I noted how exquisitely careful one must be in discussing cultural differences, given the inherent shortfalls of any individual’s limited perspective and experience. And before plunging once more into that fraught territory (and with apologies for the repetition), I’ll once more share the important qualification that:
My observations are inevitably, hopelessly entangled with my own cultural vantage point. My Fulbright year did not make me an expert on the inner world of Chinese culture—nor, frankly, did my earlier Harvard degree in Chinese language, culture, and history. My observations qualify as neither empirical scholarship nor serious ethnography, based as they are on casual research, personal experiences, anecdotes, and generalizations. But in hope that they may be useful in illuminating the philosophical roots of some gaps between Chinese and U.S. approaches to environmental governance, I share them here.
In the prior two essays, I discussed how diverging Chinese and American environmental perspectives may be informed by different baselines in our cultural relationships with the natural world, and expressed through our different approaches to managing conservation, stewardship, and scarcity. This final piece, the most fraught and likely flawed of the three, considers the relationship between the Chinese approach and the Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian ideals that undergird Chinese culture. It engages issues of gender roles, environmental protection, and cultural change in both China and the United States (with a shout-out to Vietnam).
But first, a brief note about the cultural baggage that I bring to the project. Long before this seemed prudent to the average American college student, I majored in Chinese language, culture, and politics as an undergraduate in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I had started out as a philosophy major but switched departments in order to study Eastern traditions that were not part of the standard Western philosophy curriculum. I locked myself in the language lab to catch up on my Mandarin so that I could graduate on time, but it was worth it to peer into the incredible story of this unfamiliar nation. I was riveted by the breadth of Chinese history, the expanse of Chinese philosophical traditions, and the cultural foundations—so contrasting my own—that enabled modern societal movements like the Cultural Revolution and One Child Policy. I was curious about Confucianism and Buddhism and especially enchanted with the Naturalist School of Taoism, in which I saw an emphasis on harmony between the human and natural worlds that resonated with my own personal sensibilities. From Taoism originates the philosophy conception of Yin and Yang (literally, “the shadow and the light”), emphasizing the surprising but inevitable ways that seemingly opposing forces are interdependent and interconnected within the world, suspended in an organic embrace of balance.
So I was very excited when the Fulbright program and Chinese Ministry of Education placed me in Shandong province, the historic home not only of Confucius but also to many renowned Taoist temples among the enchanting Laoshan mountains. I knew that China faced daunting environmental challenges, but in some subconscious way, I hoped that home-grown Taoist principles would provide cultural support for resolving them. But the Taoism I found in China held little in common with the stylized, “Tao-of-Pooh” version that I studied in college. The Taoist temples that I visited appeared to emphasize faithful worship of colorful immortals over personal adherence to the Way (or “Tao”) of simple joy and interconnected balance. On the surface, they seemed very similar to Buddhist temples, which I had expected to differentiate a contrasting path of detachment to avoid suffering within cycles of rebirth.
Fully recognizing the interpretive limitations of my tourist perspective, I asked the students accompanying me to help me understand the differences between Taoism and Buddhism from their own vantage points, but I found that they were generally unable to articulate much about either tradition—nor were they terribly interested in doing so. What they did describe was wholly unrelated to my own schooling, focusing on important historical moments rather than underlying ideas. Granted, I’m sure I would have had a very different experiences talking with the actual Taoist or Buddhist monks in those temples, and I suspect that many echoes of these traditions continue to reverberate through Chinese culture in ways that neither I nor my students fully appreciate. (I’m also sure that the sterilized versions I learned at Harvard never accurately reflected the full reality of Chinese experience.) Either way, I discovered that the majority of mainland Chinese don’t pay all that much attention to these ancient traditions these days—many seeing them as quaint at best, and culturally backward at worst.
I shouldn’t have been surprised, given how strongly (and often violently) ancient Chinese philosophies were discouraged during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s. In that second Chinese revolution, Chairman Mao set out to eradicate the traditional belief systems that he warned were holding the Chinese people back--and also, most likely, to consolidate his own weakening political power. Women were liberated from centuries of repression and peasants at the bottom of the social order were exalted, but teachers were pilloried, libraries destroyed, and many monks and scholars persecuted to their deaths. (Horrifying estimates suggest that somewhere between one and twenty million people were killed during the decade-long struggle.) Four decades later, it was fascinating to see how the Cultural Revolution had succeeded in some of its ideological objectives, especially in eroding the overt roles that Taoism and Buddhism play in the philosophical world of most mainland Chinese. For what it’s worth, though, the same routing of “old thinking” has also succeeded in fundamentally changing the status of women in society. While women are hardly co-equal with men in modern China, their position in society has improved immeasurably since 1949, thanks in part to the relentless urging of the early communist party that “women hold up half the sky.”
This example of purposeful cultural change yields an especially fascinating comparison with Vietnam, a neighboring socialist republic that is also the result of a political revolution, but this one uncoupled from a cultural revolution of the sort that rocked China. In Vietnam, the rhetoric of the new political order stands on seemingly equal footing with ancient cultural and philosophical traditions. Nearly every home, hotel, or restaurant that I visited included a little shrine, honoring a mix of immortals, ancestors, and other objects of traditional worship— unselfconsciously adjacent to political propaganda signs honoring heroes of the revolution or touting contemporary political objectives and loyalty. The richness of traditional Vietnamese culture continues to suffuse people’s everyday lives, in contrast to modern China, where cultural traditions flourish around holidays but seem less entrenched at other times. (Indeed, several Chinese privately lamented to me that the nation had lost its ethical moorings after the decimation of the Cultural Revolution, perhaps explaining the hunger for spiritual entrepreneur movements like Falun Gong—which revives some elements of Buddhism and Taoism—and Christianity.)
Yet in Vietnam, I also observed the inevitable flip-side of entrenched ancient traditions—a literal expression of the Yin and the Yang—epitomized by the plight of a remarkable woman I met while guest lecturing there, whom I’ll call Linh. Linh is a twenty-something, overseas-educated, up-and-coming young professional with a plumb job working for the government who nevertheless fretted about her future, especially regarding marriage. She feared getting married because, according to traditions once universal in China and still prevalent in northern Vietnam, marriage would require her to leave her family home and become a member of her husband’s family household, where she expected ill-treatment from her parents-in-law.
She had a vivid picture of what that treatment might look like based on the experiences of her own sister-in-law, who lived together with her, her brother, their toddler, and Linh’s parents in her father’s home. The sister-in-law had been unable to see her own family since the birth of her son, because Linh’s father had forbidden her from taking the child away from the family home for the two hour journey to her village.
Linh summoned the courage to tell her father that he should be nicer to his daughter-in-law and allow her to see her parents. After all, she reminded him, one day she would be someone’s daughter-in-law wanting to see him. But he did not take well to being scolded by his daughter, and nothing changed as a result. Linh seems resigned that she will someday have to get married, but she does not look forward to that day.
It broke my heart to hear—in 2012!—this age-old story of fear and sorrow from a well-educated professional woman at the pinnacle of Vietnamese society. Aside from the foreign education and government job, her story is reminiscent of countless Chinese women over the thousands of years that young brides were forced to leave their parents’ households for their husbands’, often to be persecuted by an unhappy mother-in-law once forced to leave her own family. I recall learning in college that the suicide rate among young Chinese women during this time was estimated to be the highest of any social group anywhere on earth at any time in human history, evidencing the misery that so many endured. (Sadly, recent studies show that this trend continues in rural China, where traditional family structures remain entrenched.) Fortunately, that time is long gone in the urbanizing parts of China that I visited, and the situation is much improved in Vietnam as well, given the social and economic power that comes to women like Linh from working outside the home. So at least some of the “old thinking” extinguished by the Chinese Revolution should not be missed—even if many of the methods can never be condoned.
Yet not every aspect of traditional Chinese culture was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Notwithstanding the dismantling of so many foundations, one critical cornerstone of traditional Chinese culture survived relatively intact: Confucianism. Founded on the teachings of the ancient philosopher Confucius, the philosophy of Confucianism continues to provide a strong ethic of righteous living and rules of conduct in relationships that redounds throughout Chinese culture. As a humanist delineator of right and wrong behavior, it focuses on the cultivation of personal virtue, respect for authority, and deference to proper roles within the community. Among its principles, Confucianism emphasizes the importance of education, reverence for the ancestors, and the critical responsibilities of individuals within clearly articulated social hierarchies.
Confucian ethics are among the proudest cultural traditions of China, and they form the backbone of many other Asian cultures, from Vietnam to Japan to Korea. They infuse the flavor and texture of Chinese society, gracing it with respectful behavior, deep regard for the wisdom of elders, and societal support for teachers and education more generally. It also emphasizes the proper role of individuals given their particular role within the social order. Children should obey parents, wives should obey husbands, and husbands should obey local leaders, who should, in turn, obey national leaders. This system of ordered relationships has provided needed social stability during times of great political upheaval, reaching back over thousands of years of territorial conquest and dynastic change that might have otherwise torn Chinese culture apart.
So even after the Cultural Revolution successfully eradicated the already weakening traditions of Taoism and Buddhism from the Chinese popular consciousness, the Confucian bedrock of Chinese society continues to thrive—probably because the current political system is itself so well-aligned with Confucian principles. The success of the Chinese Communist Party is inextricably intertwined with broad-based Confucian respect for the wisdom of national leadership, deference to authority, and Confucian-cultivated obedience within an explicit societal hierarchy. Of course, in reinforcing these strict social hierarchies, Confucianism has also facilitated the long stability of arguably oppressive traditions like the practice of female foot-binding (eradicated by the mid-20th century), and the gender roles that continue to haunt women like Linh throughout Asia. The Yin and the Yang.
How, then, does all this relate to environmental governance? Possibly profoundly. Even as the great tradition of Confucianism exhorts right behavior within the social order (and even setting aside the most contested areas of that social order), I cannot help but wonder about the relationship between Confucian principles and environmental ethics. As I discussed in the previous essay, I found a less entrenched cultural tradition of environmental stewardship in China than I have seen in equally crowded nations, and I wondered why. For example, I remarked on the striking way that most Chinese seem to differentiate between the care they take of the environment inside their own homes and the care they take of the environment beyond their front doors:
“Inside the home, Chinese people take immaculate care to maintain cleanliness and beauty. Shoes are often left at the front door. Walls and shelves are adorned with enchanting art and objects reflecting the majestic culmination of thousands of years of traditional Chinese culture…. But outside that front door, the duty of care appears to end. Common doors, hallways, and stairwells in Chinese apartment buildings receive little attention from residents; empty walls are often cracked with peeling paint and crumbling cement in seemingly abandoned hallways that open surprisingly into those beautifully maintained dwellings once you cross the inner threshold. This may reflect other collective action problems relating to commonly-owned property, but it also reflects a widespread sense that what happens beyond the inner threshold is someone else’s responsibility.
“Crossing the outer threshold onto the street reveals an even more dramatic difference… Littering is a human cultural problem throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world, demonstrated by American smokers who continue to discard cigarette butts indiscriminately, long since cultural tolerance for this waned after the 1970s environmental movement. But in China, cultural permission to discard waste in public places extends beyond water bottles and cigarette butts, complicating the environmentalist message... [discussing the tradition of allowing children to toilet-train on public streets and sidewalks]. With so much Chinese ground thus anointed, the outside environment is generally (and correctly) viewed as a terribly unclean place….
“Here’s the thing. If you see the world outside your own home as a legitimate place to offload waste… how can this not extend to greater environmental management? If it’s culturally permissible to drop litter (and worse) on the street or the beach, why wouldn’t it be okay to release manufacturing waste into the river, or pipe it into the air? The potential implications for environmental law are obvious. Because it’s not just an economic challenge for the government to convince industrialists not to pollute; in some important way, it’s also a cultural challenge. Professional polluters aren’t just doing it because it’s cheaper than the alternative. They are doing it because—at some level—it’s what they have always done, and without moral misgivings.”
Indeed, in China, moral misgivings are more likely to come from the violation of Confucian ethics than the violation of relatively new, state-mandated environmental laws. And herein lies the great challenge for Chinese environmental law.
Confucianism teaches the maintenance of social order through right behavior within strictly nested social hierarchies. Chinese culture is permeated with Confucian ethics, which teach people to focus on their own sphere of responsibility and act obediently toward the sphere above them. These ethics reinforce the power of the very political system now earnestly trying to generate meaningful environmental laws and nurture the “Recycling Economy” that I discussed in the previous essay. But in teaching people to focus on their own sphere and not beyond, is it possible that these same ethics unwittingly support an underlying environmental tendency to think, perhaps, a little too locally and not enough globally? Could Confucian ethics unintentionally encourage a duty of care that extends only to the corner of the world under one’s direct control—the inside of one’s home—leaving responsibility for the rest to others? Could this help explain the comparatively weak tradition of environmental stewardship in China?
It certainly can’t be the only explanation, given the confluence of Confucian ethics and strong environmental stewardship traditions in neighboring Japan, another Asian nation founded on deeply Confucian traditions, coupled with a Shintoist reverence for nature. Still, I can’t help but wonder whether there is some explanation lurking here to account for the remarkable way that the Chinese duty of care for the environment seems to coincide with Confucian circles of agency, responsibility, and authority. Americans sport buttons and bumper stickers exalting us to “think globally, act locally.” But most Chinese people seem to orient both their thinking and acting within the bounds of their most powerful culturally designated sphere of responsibility: the family home.
Confucian ideals remain steadfast in China, but cultural change is imminent—and on the rise, thanks to both top-down and bottom-up sources. Operating through the Internet from the bottom up, a thriving economy of Chinese social media has dislodged young people from the strictly local sphere as they build communities of interest across the country (although not the world, thanks to the “Great Firewall” that blocks domestic access to social networks abroad). And as I discussed in the previous essay, the Chinese government is working hard from the top-down—hopefully harnessing citizens’ Confucian respect for leadership—to inseminate a “Recycling Economy” within the new social order. The Recycling or “Circular Economy” sustainability campaign exhorts citizens to see the relationship between their every-day behaviors and the health of the overall environment beyond their front doors, and to connect the health of the environment to overall human well-being.
But there is no way around it: the environmental project in China is going to take an act of cultural change. The Cultural Revolution represents one way of successfully implementing cultural change, but nobody inside or outside China would advocate the tragic human and cultural violence of that method today. Instead, this is the time for a gentler variety or ideological entrepreneurship—best accomplished through the old-fashioned tools of community-based education and consciousness raising and the new-fangled platforms of mass and online social media.
Facebook and Weibo aside, it’s the same kind of cultural change that made recycling ideals an every-day part of American life. I still remember when curbside recycling began in my childhood neighborhood and we were asked, for the first time, to rinse cans and bottles before putting them out for street-side collection in big blue bins. My incensed father simply could not get past the idea that he was being asked to “wash garbage” (and then to pollute his pretty neighborhood with ugly blue bins). “But it’s not garbage,” my sister and I insisted—“it’s recycling!” And the blue bins weren’t ugly to us, because we found beauty in the good they would do for our environment (similar to the philosophically-driven aesthetic I find in many of today’s modern wind farms). This is what we had learned in school, though obviously not at home, and our family demonstrates the way that cultural learning can move through the generations backwards as well as forwards. My father, now in his seventies, today dutifully washes the recycling and my mother maintains separate receptacles for paper, plastic, glass and aluminum, and trash. This is what cultural change looks like.
Cultural change should come from within, not without, goes the very wise wisdom. The good news is that the “Recycling Economy” and other efforts to increase public sustainability awareness show that Chinese leaders are taking steps toward environmental progress, and a series of unprecedented public protests over pollution show that the Chinese public is also beginning to engage serious environmental issues. Just as China takes on issues of conservation and stewardship, so should Americans better grapple with our issues of overconsumption and waste. Indeed, all human beings must learn to live more sustainably, but the world’s two largest economies bear special responsibility. All of us must take care not only of our homes, but the hallways, streets, creeks, lakes, rivers, oceans, atmosphere, and biosphere that make up our shared environmental home. And as we move forward together through separate acts of philosophical growth, economic development, and cultural change—it just might help us to understand a little bit about exactly where each of us is coming from.
Which, in the end, has been the ultimate purpose of this series of essays. Now that I am back in the U.S. and reintegrating into the strange traditions of my own culture, I conclude the year-long series with the sincere hope that they have contributed helpfully in some small way to our ongoing cultural dialog, conducted in hundreds of thousands of individual points of contact every day. Indeed, U.S.-China relations have never been more important than they are right now, for both nations—and because of the collective environmental, economic, and political impacts beyond our own borders, to all the peoples of the world. Together, with a little patience, humility, humor, and mutual respect, we can all continue building that bridge toward a brighter future, brick by individual brick.
After all, it was the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu—the founder of Taoism—who intoned around 500 B.C. that “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” What do you think would happen if all 1.8 billion Chinese and Americans took that single step at the same time?
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Every summer, it seems, I am reminded of something I always think I will never forget.
For the past several years, I have made a point every summer of visiting a national park. Living in Utah, which is blessed with five of these most beautiful and amazing places, this is a relatively easy task.
Last year, I spent several days with my sons hiking and camping in what has become one of my favorite parks: Capitol Reef. Not only does Capitol Reef sport some of the most breathtaking canyons I have ever seen, but it is, at least from my perspective, a relatively less used park. Sometimes solitude is nice. In Capitol Reef, I have found myself on many hikes, for hours, with no one but those in my party. Add to this the chance to see ancient rock art, find desert creatures like snakes and lizards, and partake of a searing summer heat, and I can think of few places that make a nicer getaway for a few days from the city. (It also doesn't hurt that the nearby town of Torrey also features some amazing food.)
This past week, I camped with my sons as part of my wife's family reunion in Yellowstone. It has been almost two decades since I was there last, in a frigid winter to snowmobile. Two things immediately overtook me as we drove in through West Yellowstone in a misting rain turning to dusk. I was reminded of just how gorgeous the place is; there is a reason why it was the first national park. And I realized how each of these parks has their own personality, their own story to tell. Capitol Reef and Yellowstone could not be much more different, but I love them both.
Toward the end of the trip, as I looked into the brilliant turquoise and coral pools at Mammoth Hot Springs, I contemplated this. I recalled Prof. Daniels' comment from earlier this year about why he got into environmental law in the first place, and how each of us has our own back-story about why we did too. For me, I realized, much of it is bound up in my childhood, and part of that was a trip I took when I was about the age of one of my sons to this same park. I recall standing face to face with a bison; I remember hiking into the aspen with my father; I see clearly in my mind the awe I felt then, that I feel now.
As we drove out of the park, having just hiked Geyser Hill near Old Faithful, we came into a valley. We were on our way out, and on its way in was a lone gray wolf, undisturbed, traversing the greens, following the Gibbon River to the trees.
Once again, I was reminded. I was so glad I was.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Many of us attempt to bring ethical perspectives to bear on issues raised by our classes in addition to ecological and economic perspectives. Although it may be a bit late for those of you who have already started class, here is the most recent statement by the World Council of Churches on eco-justice and ecological debt. In a related, but fascinating, note, the WCC as part of its current programme work on poverty, wealth and ecology is attempting to articulate a consumption and greed line -- in addition to the more typical poverty line. This would provide practical spiritual guidance on when, in Christian terms, too much is too much. Check it out!!!
WCC Statement on eco-justice and ecological debt
The World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee adopted a "Statement on eco-justice and ecological debt" on Wednesday, 2 Sept. The statement proposes that Christians have a deep moral obligation to promote ecological justice by addressing our debts to peoples most affected by ecological destruction and to the earth itself. The statement addresses ecological debt and includes hard economic calculations as well as biblical, spiritual, cultural and social dimensions of indebtedness.
The statement identifies the current unprecedented ecological crises as being created by humans, caused especially by the agro-industrial-economic complex and the culture of the North, characterized by the consumerist lifestyle and the view of development as commensurate with exploitation of the earth's so-called "natural resources". Churches are being called upon to oppose with their prophetic voices such labeling of the holy creation as mere "natural resources".
The statement points out that it is a debt owed primarily by industrialized countries in the North to countries of the South on account of historical and current resource-plundering, environmental degradation and the dumping of greenhouse gases and toxic wastes.
In its call for action the statement urges WCC member churches to intervene with their governments to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adopt a fair and binding deal at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen in December 2009, in order to bring the CO2 levels down to less than 350 parts per million (ppm).
Additionally the statement calls upon the international community to ensure the transfer of financial resources to countries of the south to refrain from oil drilling in fragile environments. Further on, the statement demands the cancellation of the illegitimate financial debts of the southern countries, especially for the poorest nations as part of social and ecological compensation.
In a 31 August hearing on "ecological debt" during the WCC Central Committee meeting in Geneva, Dr Maria Sumire Conde from the Quechua community of Peru shared some ways that the global South has been victimized by greed und unfair use of its resources. In the case of Peru, Sumire said mining has had particularly devastating effects, such as relocation, illness, polluted water,and decreasing biodiversity.
The concept of ecological debt has been shaped to measure the real cost that policies of expansion and globalization have had on developing nations, a debt that some say industrialized nations should repay. Dr Joan Martinez Alier, a professor at the Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona in Spain, said climate change, unequal trade, "bio-piracy", exports of toxic waste and other factors have added to the imbalance, which he called "a kind of war against people around the world, a kind of aggression."
Martinez went on saying: "I know these are strong words, but this is true." He beseeched those present, at the very least not to increase the existing ecological debt any further.
The WCC president from Latin America, Rev. Dr Ofelia Ortega of Cuba, said ecological debt was a spiritual issue, not just a moral one. "The Bible is an ecological treatise" from beginning to end, Ortega said. She described care for creation as an "axis" that runs through the word of God. "Our pastoral work in our churches must be radically ecological," she said.
September 3, 2009 in Africa, Agriculture, Air Quality, Asia, Australia, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Current Affairs, Economics, Energy, EU, Forests/Timber, Governance/Management, International, Land Use, Law, Legislation, Mining, North America, Religion, South America, Sustainability, US, Water Quality, Water Resources | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The Mexican swine flu virus is a swine influenza A/H1N1 virus hybridized (mixed) with human and bird viruses. We have some immunity to human flu and to some strains of swine influenza A/H1N1; We don't have immunity to bird flu, which is why that virus is so virulent - with a kill ratio of almost 50% -- and why so much pandemic planning and preparedness focused on bird flu.
But in 1998, says Richard Webby of St Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, swine H1N1 hybridised with human and bird viruses, resulting in "triple reassortants" that surfaced in Minnesota, Iowa and Texas. The viruses initially had human surface proteins and swine internal proteins, with the exception of three genes that make RNA polymerase, the crucial enzyme the virus uses to replicate in its host. Two were from bird flu and one from human flu. Researchers believe that the bird polymerase allows the virus to replicate faster than those with the human or swine versions, making it more virulent.
By 1999, these viruses comprised the dominant flu strain in North American pigs and, unlike the swine virus they replaced, they were actively evolving. There are many versions with different pig or human surface proteins, including one, like the Mexican flu spreading now, with H1 and N1 from the original swine virus. All these viruses still contained the same "cassette" of internal genes, including the avian and human polymerase genes, reports Amy Vincent of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Ames, Iowa (Advances in Virus Research, vol 72, p 127). "They are why the swine versions of this virus easily outcompete those that don't have them," says Webby.
But the viruses have been actively switching surface proteins to evade the pigs' immunity. There are now so many kinds of pig flu that it is no longer seasonal. One in five US pig producers actually makes their own vaccines, says Vincent, as the vaccine industry cannot keep up with the changes. This rapid evolution posed the "potential for pandemic influenza emergence in North America", Vincent said last year. Webby, too, warned in 2004 that pigs in the US are "an increasingly important reservoir of viruses with human pandemic potential". One in five US pig workers has been found to have antibodies to swine flu, showing they have been infected, but most people have no immunity to these viruses.
While researchers focused on livestock problems could see the threat developing, it is not one that medical researchers focused on human flu viruses seemed to have been aware of. "It was confusing when we looked up the gene sequences in the database," says Wendy Barclay of Imperial College London, who has been studying swine flu from the recent US cases. "The polymerase gene sequences are bird and human, yet they were reported in viruses from pigs."
So where did the Mexican virus originate? The Veratect Corporation based in Kirkland, Washington, monitors world press and government reports to provide early disease warnings for clients, including the CDC. Their first inkling of the disease was a 2 April report of a surge in respiratory disease in a town called La Gloria, east of Mexico City, which resulted in the deaths of three young children. Only on 16 April - after Easter week, when millions of Mexicans travel to visit relatives - reports surfaced elsewhere in the country.
Local reports in La Gloria blamed pig farms in nearby Perote owned by Granjas Carroll, a subsidiary of US hog giant Smithfield Foods. The farms produce nearly a million pigs a year. Smithfield Foods, in a statement, insists there are "no clinical signs or symptoms" of swine flu in its pigs or workers in Mexico. That is unsurprising, as the company says it "routinely administers influenza virus vaccination to swine herds and conducts monthly tests for the presence of swine influenza." The company would not tell New Scientist any more about recent tests. USDA researchers say that while vaccination keeps pigs from getting sick, it does not block infection or shedding of the virus.
All the evidence suggests that swine flu was a disaster waiting to happen. But it got little research attention, perhaps because it caused mild infections in people which didn't spread. Now one swine flu virus has stopped being so well-behaved.
April 29, 2009 in Agriculture, Asia, Australia, Biodiversity, Current Affairs, Economics, EU, Food and Drink, Governance/Management, International, North America, Religion, Sustainability, US | Permalink | TrackBack (0)

domain: sociology


text:
Mignon Faget and the painter Tuna create very different works for a common cause
One thing that Hurricane Katrina taught us was that when times get tough, we can count on the people of metropolitan New Orleans to pull together. It’s been five years since the storm, and once again New Orleanians—and indeed, the entire Gulf Coast region—have been hit with a catastrophe. The oil spill has wreaked havoc on the environment and has also deprived thousands of local workers their livelihoods. Once again, the people of the region have joined forces to raise awareness and funds.
The arts community is a visible part of this movement. Local icon and jewelry designer Mignon Faget has already made an impact through her company’s Gulf Coast Collection, a line of jewelry that benefits the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL). As soon as the disaster struck, the designer—who also raised more than $120,000 for hurricane relief in 2005 through her fleur-de-lis designs—knew that she had to do something to help. In addition to Mignon’s commitment to the state as a whole, Virginia Saussy, the vice president of sales and marketing at Mignon Faget, explains, “Mignon has always been inspired by the Gulf Coast. The Sea Collection, her very first collection, was [inspired by] shells she picked up along the Gulf Coast.”
In advance of the oil spill, “she’d already designed several pieces, some of which she’d just revived this year in celebration of her 40th anniversary,” Saussy states. After the spill, she redesigned the pieces for the Gulf Coast Collection. “There’s a tradition of mourning jewelry, using black ribbons and black armbands [to signify loss]. It goes way back to the old Creole and Victorian traditions. Mignon had this beautiful idea to take old designs, like the redfish and the speckled trout and the oyster, and place them on black ribbons. She oxidized the oyster dark gray so the piece was a symbol of the sadness that she was feeling.” The pieces are available online (mignonfaget.com), at Mignon Faget galleries and at select Dillard’s locations.
As for the choice of the CRCL, Saussy explains, “Mignon wanted to do something that was local in focus, so we could feel that we were having the greatest impact. We asked people who were experts in the field for their recommendations. We did a lot of research the first week of May, but we chose pretty quickly.” By the time of this interview, in early July, Mignon Faget had already donated more than $20,000 to the CRCL. The project has energized everyone at Mignon Faget, Saussy adds. “It really gives everyone here a great sense of purpose, to be doing that. Everybody’s excited to be part of the effort to make a difference.” As for Faget herself, Saussy says, “the project is ‘typical Mignon.’ There was no way she was going to not do this. She had to do something. She couldn’t just sit there and watch this happening. She had to make her impact on it.”
Lakeview-born artist Thomas Seither, who goes by the nickname Tuna, is also contributing to the relief efforts. The artist, who is best known for his sports paintings, including several Crescent City Classic posters, has named his latest piece “Coastal Paradise.” Both signed and numbered and unsigned prints are available. One of Tuna’s clients, Coastal Shoring conceived the idea and is underwriting the project. As a result, all proceeds will benefit the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation’s Save Our Coast Program.
Central to the piece is Tuna’s “Pel Lis Can.” “I’ve been painting him in one form of another for 13 years now,” he says. “I’d been putting him in some of my paintings in the past when I thought he fit into the piece or the story I was telling, mostly like a second signature. But he had never been the focal point or the sole inhabitant of my paintings like he is in this piece.” His purple and magenta body, “fashioned off of the Louisiana brown pelican,” adds to the symbolic force of the character, Tuna explains. “If you look closely you will see the state of Louisiana formed by the space where his neck meets his back. The crescent moon [joins] his body in his tail to signify the Crescent City’s eternal relevance to Louisiana and to all of us.” The artist first viewed Pel Lis Can as “a symbol of our love for this place” after Hurricane Katrina, and once again sees him as “extremely relevant to a dire situation.” Prints are available at First Bank and Trust locations and online (saveourlake.org/tuna-poster.php).
Gulf Coast residents know that a long and difficult recovery lies ahead. However, as Saussy—who is also a founding member of the Krewe of Muses and one of the Women of the Storm—notes, not just the arts community but the region as a whole has been and remains resilient. “I think what we’ve been through has made us that way,” she says. “Fast to react, and we don’t like to feel useless. We like to feel we’re making a difference.”

domain: news


Ada Beautiful Mp3 Download
Ada Beautiful: Nigeria Gospel Songstress Ada releases a series of EP’s, The first installment Ada’s EP (vol. 1) is a 5 tracker that promises some quintessential Ada’s sound and traditional gospel pieces. It features a compelling celestial trumpet delivery from the internationally acclaimed gospel singer/songwriter and trumpeter Nathaniel Bassey on the opening track. Ada’s EP is released by FreeNation INC label.
We give you Beautiful off the album.
Download and Listen Below


So the Steven T. Hill Stroke Foundation has a wicked new website now, to provide everything the blog was doing and more! Check it out. So far through sales on Red Bubble we have raised over $150 dollars. If you haven’t already checked out the site take a look, or flick through some of the earlier journal articles. I’ve really wanted to get some calendars up and ready, but between getting swine flu and just being ridiculously busy at work I haven’t had time yet. But I hope to get some up soon!


text:
Beneath the surface of a pond or stream it's a fish-eat-fish world, and the tiny minnow is often lunch for larger fish such as pike. You'd think a tasty minnow would try to remain inconspicuous, but this isn't always the case. If a minnow's skin is damaged by an attacking pike, it releases a chemical that attracts more pike. Why would a minnow that's already being attacked want to attract more trouble? Do injured minnows have some kind of crazy death wish?
This seemingly suicidal behavior is actually a clever survival strategy. The minnow's chemical has two distinct functions. First, it warns other minnows about the danger. Minnows travel in schools with close relatives, so this chemical alarm warns the others away from potentially dangerous waters. Even if the original minnow is eaten, its brothers and sisters will live to reproduce. From a genetic standpoint, this self sacrifice makes sense.
You might wonder about the chemical's other function though-to attract more pike. A minnow's skin is most likely to be damaged in an attack from a relatively small pike. Larger pike simply swallow their minnows whole. Because of this, the alarm substance is usually released when a small pike is attacking. This means that the chemical might well attract pike that are larger than the minnow's current assailant. Pike have no qualms about eating other pike, so if a big one sees a smaller pike chasing a tiny minnow, that big pike will go after the larger mouthful, allowing the minnow to escape.
It's much like the end of Jurassic Park. The humans were about to be eaten by evil velociraptors, when the noise of their struggle summoned a bigger predator: Tyrannosaurus Rex. T-rex ate the raptors, allowing the humans to escape.

domain: biology


text:
I had a useful session with a fellow coach at my Association for Coaching meeting last week. She helped me to get my thoughts straight on the artwork that I’m doing. I wanted to work out what this ‘childhood’ project is about – and the theme that kept being repeated was ‘memory’. I’ve written up my thoughts on this, and in the process have got loads more ideas. Here is my ‘work in progress’ artist’s statement:-
In my work, I’m exploring the way that we build and rebuild our personal memories, particularly of childhood. I’m interested in the way that memory both influences, and is influenced by, our present.
Memory is ephemeral, intangible, and impossible to grasp clearly, especially our earliest memories which may be incomplete or out of focus. We may be unsure what exactly it is that comprises a particular memory. Do we remember our actual physical sensory experience, or is our memory comprised of visual images we constructed from stories told by others, or from photographs that we have seen? Yet despite the untrustworthiness of memories, they can have a significant influence on how we view ourselves – on who we think we are, where we think we’ve come from, the type of person that we view ourselves as, and the way we relate to other people.
Our childhood is often referred to as a ‘formative’ period, but what does this mean? By revisiting, re-questioning and rebuilding our memories, can we re-form if we choose to? And can we construct or reconstruct our present in the same way as we construct our memories of the past?
In this project, I aim to reconstruct memories from my own early childhood. This is a time that I have little or no sensory memory of. It is also a time of frequent displacement, as we moved frequently with my Dad’s RAF job. I aim to use childhood photographs, stories, and actual artefacts (such as my childhood dolls and early drawings) to visually reconstruct my early memories.
I am also interested in the places that I spent my early childhood – places that I don’t remember at all, but that I can see in early photographs. How does focusing on tangible sensory detail of things and places influence memory? How does place influence our sense of who we are? By focusing on the people who shared my early years, and on my physical surroundings, I aim to put those early memories into a wider context and explore how this influences my view of the past.
I aim to explore visual ways of representing memory – fragments, colours, forming and reforming, shaping and reshaping. I hope to communicate the multi-faceted, sensory and fragmented nature of our earliest memories. I am also experimenting with the use of textiles to symbolise the construction process. This is symbolic for me, as many of my toys and clothes (visible in the photos) were handmade by my Mum. Also, the physical process of working with threads and fabrics brings back memories in itself, as I learned needlework from my Mum, Gran, Nanna and Great Aunt, and spent much of my childhood performing needlework crafts alongside them.
Other artists that I’m researching who seem to deal with memory, childhood, and identity construction include Tracey Emin, Helen Chadwick, Paula Rego, Ilya Kabakov, Emma Kay, Veronica Ryan, and Louise Bourgeois.

domain: artistic


With Congress back in session after the July 4th break and with only a few weeks left before the longer August recess, supporters and detractors of ratifying the follow-on Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty are ratcheting up the debate.
In a letter sent yesterday to Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) and Ranking Member Richard Lugar (R-IN), former Secretary of State George Schultz and former Sen. Sam Nunn (D-GA) are calling for New START's ratification:
The two of us also want to make clear our support for New START and express our hope that the committee can now move expeditiously with their report and a vote recommending New START for consideration by the full Senate. We recognize the importance of the Senate giving full consideration to the related hearings held by the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
We strongly endorse the goals of this Treaty -- to achieve a near-term reduction of nuclear weapons with mutually agreed verification procedures. We believe the threat of nuclear terrorism remains urgent, fueled by the spread of nuclear weapons, materials and technology around the world. While this is a global issue, there are two countries -- the United States and Russia -- whose cooperation is absolutely essential in order to successfully deal with current nuclear threats. With New START, our odds of establishing a more cooperative relationship with Russia improve -- recognizing this will be a process of engagement broader than any one treaty.
Not everyone is so supportive, however. Retired Navy Vice Adm. Robert Monroe, a former director of the Defense Nuclear Agency, wrote an op-ed in today's Washington Times seeking to rein in such irrational exuberance:
To date, Senate ratification hearings on the New START nuclear weapons treaty with Russia have been "love-ins." A parade of witnesses - mostly Obama administration members, elder statesmen committed to "a world without nuclear weapons," and veteran arms controllers - have painted the treaty as another modest, responsible reduction in numbers of weapons, a new nonproliferation initiative and an important element for "resetting" our relations with Russia.
This one-sided approach to a key national decision is not serving the country well. Ratification of New START would be a major mistake, immensely damaging to national security. Some of the reasons have been touched upon in testimony but not emphasized or seriously discussed. For example:
The treaty is unbalanced. It reduces U.S. nuclear weapons while allowing Russia unlimited increases in new tactical nuclear weapons, multiple independent re-entry vehicles, nuclear cruise missiles and nuclear bombs.
The treaty reduces U.S. strategic delivery vehicles (SDVs) below the minimum recommended by the Defense Department last year while allowing Russia to increase its SDVs.
The treaty is unverifiable. It does not even include the on-site inspections, telemetry access and missile-production monitoring of START-I, which it replaces.
The treaty gives Russia virtual veto power over future improvements in U.S. missile defense - America's vital first line of defense in tomorrow's world.
The treaty seriously undermines our promising Prompt Global Strike program (with conventional warheads) by requiring that each missile be counted as a nuclear SDV.
Our nuclear weapons modernization program - which is required by law to be considered with treaty ratification - is totally inadequate. It omits modernization of the nuclear weapons themselves; it omits testing of nuclear weapons to prove their viability; it omits construction of a pit (trigger) production facility of adequate capacity to rapidly replace our overaged stockpile; and it omits replacement of SDVs for two legs of our strategic triad. . . .
In sum, the Senate owes it to America to expand the New START ratification debate so that it fully addresses the true issue at stake - should America rely on strength or weakness as it faces the dangerous and unknown future? Hopefully, these hearings will stimulate the national debate the issue deserves.
And Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) isn't a fan of the treaty either, saying at a National Defense University Foundation breakfast this morning that "the great concern here that I have is the administration's arrogance to competency ratio is catastrophically out of balance."


The programme was launched to coincide with World Car Free Day on Monday and is part of the city's preparations to host the 2010 World Expo, whose theme is "Better City, Better Life", Shanghai Metro said.
The limited trial began at a metro station near a high-tech research centre in the Pudong area to encourage people to bike between the station and their offices, Shanghai Metro said.
If successful, the programme will be expanded to 800 stands outside metro station exits and on 2,700 other sites in business and residential areas by 2012, the Shanghai Morning Post reported.
To use the system, riders must pay a 200 yuan (29 dollars) deposit and are charged one to three yuan an hour on a progressive system designed to encourage short rents and quick turnover. The first half hour is free.
The bicycles are being supplied by the Shanghai Forever Bicycle Company, one of Shanghai's oldest bicycle brands.
Shanghai-made Forever, Phoenix and Flying Pigeon brand bicycles used to dominate the city's roads, but as China has become more affluent cars have taken over.
The city recently banned bicycles from travelling on select major roads to prevent them from slowing down motorists.
The Shanghai programme uses technology similar to Paris' successful "Velib" scheme, which was launched last year and has since been emulated by other cities.


text:
June 15, 2015—Sitting all day at work is something professionals shouldn’t stand for—but it’s a problem that many face in the modern workplace. Sitting for long periods may increase your risks of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, some cancers and dying early.
The average New York City resident spends about 7 hours parked in a chair during an average day, according to a recent study in Preventing Chronic Disease. And many of those seated hours are likely to take place when people are nestled in their desks at work.
An international group of experts are aiming to change that trend, noting that sitting at work can cause a variety of health problems. According to their new set of recommendations published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the average person should spend at least 2 hours standing up at work—but more is ideal.
What’s wrong with chairs?
Standing is a light-intensity activity—and sitting is a sedentary one. So people on their feet burn more calories than people parked in chairs, and that could translate into weight loss. Also, people who avoid lengthy stints of sitting may have better blood sugar levels and less back pain, the experts reported.
However, people should still be cautious about standing too much in the same position, and the recommendations called for a balanced combination of sitting and standing while at the office.
About the recommendations
For those who sit too much, the experts suggested a slow approach to standing that involves:
- Alternating seated work with standing work. A sit-stand adjustable desk is ideal for this purpose.
- Watching for discomfort while standing. If it appears, posture adjustments might help. If they don’t, you should sit back down until the episode passes.
- Aiming for 2 hours per day of standing work. That time can be slowly upped to 4 hours per day as you get used to standing.
- Communicating with a doctor. Doctors can help if discomfort caused by standing doesn’t fade with time and stretching.
These recommendations are far from official, the experts said, but they can help workers to plan out their days and move away from a sedentary lifestyle.
The experts also hoped that the recommendations help convince employers to improve office layouts and desk arrangements in order to promote employee health.
|The take-home message|
|Standing may help alleviate the health problems associated with sitting at work, but it’s also important to stay healthyand active during the work week.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults need 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic activity, along with 2 sessions of muscle-strengthening exercises. These are requirements that are added to, not replaced by, your need to stand at work.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers a few tips that could help you pack more exercise into your busy schedule:
There are also ways to keep your body comfortable when you’re on the job, like these seated exercises you can do at your desk:


text:
Toxic exposure may occur in one-time incidents such as gasoline tank explosions or tanker truck collisions. Sometimes toxic exposure develops over time, such as when residents of a building are in close proximity day after day to hazardous building materials. Resulting injuries can include headaches, burn injuries, respiratory ailments and skin rashes. Prosecution of a toxic exposure case will include the same elements as other personal injury claims, including:
- Investigation of sources and causes of injury
- Evaluation of injuries
- Determination of negligence
- Preparation of compelling arguments in support of people affected by associated negligence
You may have been a victim of toxic exposure when you became ill or developed chronic conditions because of exposure to:
- Leaky gas pipes
- Boiler room explosions
- Unsafe chemicals in building materials or cleaning products
- Lead paint
- Hazardous waste
Did your building superintendent neglect to take action when defective plumbing piping released toxic substances into your home or work environment? This is but one example of a scenario that may bring answers and ultimately relief through a settlement or verdict. Paris & Chaikin, PLLC, has the track record you should be looking for when you have suffered because of someone's negligence resulting in toxic exposure.
Lawyers at Paris & Chaikin, PLLC, include board of director members of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. They are members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. They are prepared to fight for compensation you are eligible for as a toxic exposure victim.
New York City Attorney For Toxic Exposure Offers Free Consultations
Were you left with a lingering medical condition after you were exposed to a cloud of chlorine gas? Find out who was responsible — and how to hold the responsible parties liable for the compensation you need for medical care and lost wage replacement. Contact Paris & Chaikin, PLLC, to schedule a free consultation. Call us in Manhattan at 646-741-4005. You can also contact us through an email message.
We represent people affected by toxic exposure on a contingency basis.*
Se habla español.
*Subject to case review and evaluation, and at the firm's discretion.

domain: law


There has been a recent spate of articles in the mainstream media about how 65% of the jobs in Las Vegas will be lost or that 1.2 million Scottish jobs will be at high risk due to automation. Whilst these articles postulate about the future we are seeing market headwinds and automation make more than 50,000 jobs redundant in India’s vibrant IT industry.
This kind of Luddite predictions have really shaken up the market and has led to many dire predictions about the human workforce. But is the world really going into a reality where humans will be replaced by automation?
These kinds of predictions bring to mind the Indian anti-bank protests of 1980. In the early 1980’s when Indian companies were first becoming computerized, there were massive protests which stated that The computers were a capitalist evil that would rob people of their jobs. But 30 years later this introduction of computers is one of the reasons why India has become one of the leading economies in the world.
But the above is just a historical precedent. As most mutual funds prospectuses are wont to say “Past results is not a indicator of future performance” Will the past really be an indicator? Or are we in a new normal?
Make no mistake. Some jobs will be lost. For example, the advent of cars put all the horse wagon riders out of business. But is it really so bad?
First, let’s take this to heart. Not all jobs which can be automated will be automated. A McKinsey report states that the following factors are taken into account for a job to be automated:
- technical feasibility
- The cost to automate
- the relative scarcity, skill set, and cost of workers
- benefits (eg, superior performance) of automation beyond labor-cost substitution
- regulatory and social acceptance considerations
Based on the above factors career’s whose job description including any of the below are highly susceptible to automation:
- Data Collection
- Data processing
- Predictable physical work
Whilst those careers which involve managing others and interacting with stakeholders are less susceptible to automation.
This is a big change. Millions of Careers will see a huge shift in their job description. But what we know is this:
Things are going to change radically, but we don’t know how they’re going to change
It is early days. We do not know the full extent of Automation, but we rest assured it is going to be the harbinger of new opportunities.


Počet záznamů: 1
Experimental study concerning stimulated outflow from porous structures
0348735 - UT-L 2011 RIV CZ eng C - Konferenční příspěvek (zahraniční konf.)
Pražák, Josef - Biskup, B. - Šír, Miloslav
Experimental study concerning stimulated outflow from porous structures.
Colloquium Fluid Dynamics 2010: Proceedings. Prague: Institute of Thermomechanics AS CR, v. v. i., 2010 - (Jonáš, P.; Uruba, V.), s. 19-20. ISBN 978-80-87012-27-7.
[Colloquium Fluid Dynamics 2010. Praha (CZ), 20.10.2010-22.10.2010]
Grant CEP: GA ČR GA526/08/1016
Výzkumný záměr: CEZ:AV0Z20760514; CEZ:AV0Z20600510
Klíčová slova: small water catchments * hydrology * porous media
Kód oboru RIV: BK - Mechanika tekutin
It is generally supposed that the water flow in massive spates occurring in small catchments areas have two components. The first one is the direct surface flow of the water from a preceding rain (new water) the second one is caused by the water “pending” in the soil already before the rain (old water) stimulated by the rain to flow out. The stimulated outflow has been studied in a series of experiments. It was found that in laboratory test, a situation where the stimulated outflow exceeds the stimulating inflow can be simulated in an easy way.
Trvalý link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0189174


- Malik Osborne has talked about playing any role the team needs, and right now it needs him to be cleaning up the boards. Against Western Carolina he had nine rebounds for the 2nd time in three games. It’s early, but right now his numbers are slightly better than what Mfiondu Kabengele provided last year. Osborne has grabbed 12.8% of the available offensive rebounds (compared to 11.5% for Kabengele), and 20.6% of the defensive boards (MK 19.9%).
- M.J. Walker scored 18 points which is his highest in 20 games. He made 3-6 3-pointers, and Florida State is now 13-0 in games in which Walker makes three or more 3s. He also went to the line seven times, which is the 2nd highest total of his career, and he continues his impressive early season ability to draw fouls. He’s now drawing 6.5/40 minutes, which is more than twice the rate of freshman and sophomore seasons.
- Freshman Patrick Williams was relatively quiet in the ‘Noles first two game, but in game three he carried FSU down the stretch. With Florida State trailing 70-68, Williams scored nine straight Seminole points to push FSU to the win. He also had two key boards in that stretch. For the night he scored a career high 18 points and was a perfect 7-7 from the line.
- Florida State had 14 turnovers, but it was a relatively high possession game (72) so the ‘Noles turned it over on slightly less than 20% of their possessions. In the preseason Coach Hamilton warned that this team would likely be turning the ball over at a higher rate that recent seasons, but so far they’ve done an okay job valuing possessions. FSU is No. 131 in the nation in turnover%, which would be the best in four years. There is obviously a lot of time for that to change.
- Florida State won 79-74 in a 72 possession game. It was the first time this year that the offense scored more than a point per possession, and the first time this year that the defense allowed more than a point per possession. The FSU defense was much better in the 2nd half, most notably limiting Western Carolina to just nine 3-point attempts, after allowing them to attempt 14 in the first half.
Inside the box score: Patrick Williams breaks out
The ‘Noles come back from 17 down


text:
We all want to find dessert which will satisfy our cravings without sacrificing our health.
In this article we are going to give you a recipe for a delicious vegan chocolate mint mousse.
Ingredients you will need:
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- 40g raw organic chocolate
- 4 tablespoon cacao
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1 teaspoon of mint extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Scoop out avocado meat and grate the seed. Then put it in a blender. Add the coconut milk, the cacao, and syrup and mix them together. Melt the chocolate and scoop the avocado mixture into it. Place the mixture in a fridge for few hours and then serve the dessert.
We all know that the avocado contains 20 essential nutrients, including inflammation-fighting oleic acid, polyphenols and flavonoids.
With them you can regulate blood pressure and cholesterol levels. They will improve your vision; support cognitive functions and boosts weight loss.
Coconut milk contains compounds known as lauric and capric acid, which have anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, anti-stress, analgesic and cholesterol-lowering activities.
Cacao has powerful antioxidants that reduce the production of molecules involved in inflammations. It improves cardiovascular function, boosts weight loss, boosts our mood, and stimulates our immune system.
Source: Daily Health Post

domain: food


text:
You didn’t have to see every minute of Michael Cohen’s Congressional testimony today to acknowledge it was some of the best political theater in many years. You might also think it was damnably condemnatory of his former boss, Donald Trump, who he called a racist, and a con man, and a cheat…which are things many Americans already believed about their president, but still: Cohen’s lied to Congress before and that needs to be kept in mind:
However, Trump has defended Cohen in the past:
Fact is, wasn’t so long ago that many Republicans stood by Cohen’s word…although he was saying other words at the time:
Today the Republican Party blasted him, despite their former close ties:
…but it was suggested the GOP had a reason for being out of sorts today:
Also, one must wonder why, if you can’t believe what you’re told by liars, how can you believe the president?
Now, Cohen got some support from outside the room, from other people who’ve worked for Trump who think he is a liar:
There was one difference today: Cohen was a liar…who brought some evidence:
And he teased that there’s even more he knows that he’s not allowed to talk about:
There was the goods on how the fragile-ego Trump planted a fake bidder at an auction so a portrait of himself would make news for the high bid of the event:
Not to mention having goods on a payment from Trump that might be the best evidence of all of his having committed a crime:
I was wondering how it was ethical for a lawyer to provide this kind of testimony against a client, but I didn’t know this:
So for my quick review: the Republicans didn’t cover themselves in glory today:
…and the whole event should be used as an object lesson on the value of your vote:
…even if Trump supporters want to ignore the documentary evidence (like the GOP members did):
One thought on “Today in Trump‘s America: Cohen testimony edition”
So where’s the beef? Having a jerk call Trump names is not new. It’s every show on CNN/MSNBC since mid-2016.
How can anyone take this hate kabuki seriously?
The important takeaway? Here’s a guy who’s clearly out to get Trump (and to soften his landing in prison and/or lay the groundwork for a book deal) and even HE says there’s no evidence of Russian collusion.
What is all the investigation about? That Trump slept with some hot porn stars and amply compensated them for it? Big whoop!


text:
DHARAMSALA, 9 Sept: US Special Coordinator for Tibetan issues Ms Uzra Zeya has said that she is “deeply disturbed” by China’s systematic and involuntary mass gathering of DNA samples across Tibet, including from kindergarten children without the apparent consent of their parents.
“Deeply disturbed by recent reports documenting involuntary, mass DNA collection throughout Tibet, including from children as young as 5 years old,” the US Special Coordinator for Tibetan issues said in a tweet.
The Biden Administration’s point person for Tibetan issues has further called on China to stop the malpractice and respect the fundamental freedoms of Tibetans.
“We call on the PRC to stop these repressive policies and respect the fundamental freedoms of Tibetans”.
On Monday, Human Rights, the New York-based rights group stated in its report detailing China’s mass DNA collection in Tibet that China is committing serious human rights violations in Tibet as it declared that Chinese authorities have been systematically gathering DNA samples across Tibet, including from kindergarten children without the apparent consent of their parents to significantly increase policing.
Condemning the Chinese authorities for the malpractice, HRW declared that China is violating Tibetan’s right to “privacy, dignity, and bodily integrity.”


the -c00 code means that the ecm has no fault,but you will have to hook up a k&l 727 diagnostic tool with your model loom plug.
under the rear seat to get the old error codes.
The middle - mark infront of the c00 means that the tps is set in the right spot.
the only time you will get the codes to show in dealer mode,is when the f1 light is on.
the k&l tool will use the osiloscope mode to pick up any voltage fluctuations,that the bikes ecm wont be able to pick up.
Hope this helps you ALL out.


Variation of modulus of elasticity in the tangential direction with moisture content and temperature for Norway Spruce (Picea abies)
2012 (English)In: BioResources, ISSN 1930-2126, E-ISSN 1930-2126, Vol. 7, no 4, 4730-4743 p.Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Modulus of elasticity (MOE) in the tangential direction for Norway spruce, Picea abies (L.) H.Karst was measured. Test samples were tested in three-point bending, and moisture content (MC) and temperature were varied between the green condition and 7% MC and between 20°C and 80°C, respectively. An adjustment of measured MOE to the ideally tangential direction was made by using correction factors calculated from finite element simulations. The results show MOE and the gradients with respect to MC and temperature and how they vary with MC and temperature. The gradients are factors in gradient terms in the incremental stress-strain relation for linear elastic behaviour during load cycles where there are mechanical loads and at the same time varying MC and temperature. The gradient terms add to the temperature and MC expansion coefficients and may be of significant size for cases with high stress, high temperature and high MC.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2012. Vol. 7, no 4, 4730-4743 p.
Materials science - Other material science
Teknisk materialvetenskap - Övrig teknisk materialvetenskap
Research subject Wood Technology
IdentifiersURN: urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-2628Local ID: 0448eb98-a1be-444c-a926-57bf74b4b777OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-2628DiVA: diva2:975481
Validerad; 2012; 20120807 (matse)2016-09-292016-09-29Bibliographically approved


text:
The story behind this product
Jump, squat, lunge, burpee, push-up. Drop and give me 20. Now do it again! You can have your circuit training and eat it too in our amazing, lightweight, all-mesh tee that moves with you. The crew neck is not too constricting, the enhanced cap sleeves are just long enough, and the supple form-fit allows for unnoticeable range of motion. It’s like you’re wearing nothing – but you’re not nude either! Because let’s face it, nude burpees aren’t a good option for anyone.
- Peek-A-Boo Mesh (nylon/Lycra)
- Length (med): 26″
- Super lightweight, moisture-wicking mesh fabric
- Crew neck
- Enhanced cap sleeves (longer than cap sleeves but not as long as short sleeves)
XS, S, M, L, XL

domain: sports


text:
Food trucks are welcome in Maplewood – at least for now.
After months of consideration on the matter, the Maplewood City Council last month voted unanimously to allow the miniature restaurants-on-wheels to operate for a six-month trial period in certain areas.
Food trucks will be permitted in the city's light manufacturing district, Sunnen Business Park and the Deer Creek Center area as long as they are 250 feet away from residences or apartment buildings, City Manager Marty Corcoran said. Additionally, food trucks cannot operate within 1,000 feet of each other, except for special events approved by the city.
Food truck owners must obtain a business license from the city clerk before being eligible to operate in the city, and the trucks cannot operate between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Councilman Tim Dunn, who has been in favor of the food trucks all along, said the city will revisit the issue after the six-month trial period.
"We're going to have to get input from the chamber of commerce (which was against it) and see how it has affected business," Dunn said. "The main concern will be how they've affected our brick-and-mortar restaurants."
Dunn said although the Maplewood Chamber of Commerce and several restaurant owners opposed the food trucks for fear they would take business away from the city's eateries, he said a majority of residents were in favor of them.
Dunn said he believes food trucks can complement the city's existing restaurants.
"It will increase the number of people who come into our town," he said. "More people will come to Maplewood to see the food trucks, and they'll also see the existing restaurants."


text:
Influence on Latvia’s Notarial System by Occupying Powers during the World War II
Keywords:Notary services, public notary, das Notariat, Soviet law, das sowjetisches Recht, laws in National Socialist Germany, Recht in nationalsozialistischen Deutschland
The Latin type of the notary services was in place in Latvia in advance of the World War II. The Soviet Union occupied the Republic of Latvia in the summer of 1940, and the Soviet system of law was imposed on the country. On June 22, 1941, the Soviets were replaced by German Nazis, and that regime existed in parts of Latvia until the end of the war. This paper is focused on reforms which the occupying powers implemented in Latvia’s notarial system. The author would like to emphasise the fact that the origins of individuals were important when the notaries were selected – that was the most important amendment of all. The origins of individuals during the Soviet occupation meant belonging to a social class or referred to the employment of the individual or his or her parents. The Nazis, in turn, sorted the people on the basis of race and “purity of blood.” Both occupying powers ignored the principle of equality when it came to the candidates for notary posts and to notaries themselves.
How to Cite
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.


Get these premium quality GI sheets from us at Krishna Enterprise. These are widely used in construction sector. Our products are processed using galvanized iron under favourable conditions. The said offerings are coated with zinc and undergone hot dip galvanization process. GI sheets are basically building material that works well for roofing applications. In addition to this, our offerings have been cold rolled into a pattern to maximise its bending strength and malleability. These are helpful in providing superior corrosion protection, the zinc functions as a barrier to keep oxygen and water from accessing the steel. Can be availed in different dimensions and thickness.


text:
David Cronenberg has been attempting to get MAPS TO THE STARS off the ground for several years, but now it looks like it has finally come together for the director. Deadline reports that Julianne Moore, John Cusack, as well as Cronenberg's COSMOPOLIS stars Robert Pattinson and Sarah Gadon, are all on board the project, which begins production in July.
While we know very little about the plot, it's described as "a ghost story that is also a scathing attack on celebrity-obsessed LA." The screenplay was written by Bruce Wagner, who co-wrote NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3 and created the surreal 1993 TV series "Wild Palms".
Entertainment One will handle worldwide sales at Cannes next month, and will distribute in the U.S., Canada, the UK, and Australia and New Zealand.

domain: entertainment


text:
easyANAL, 80 ml
- long-lasting lubrication
- very effective
- just a little goes a long way
- dermatologically + clinically tested
- latexcondom compatible
- pH-optimized (for Intimate-Balance)
- Made in Germany
Original easyANAL – The pure passion
The silky smooth gliding easyANAL sliding fluid was specially developed for anal intercourse. With easyANAL the passive partner can devote him- or herself completely relaxed and full of relish.
Ideal for curious and advanced anal-enjoyers. Thanks to its unique long-lasting texture, you will feel pure pleasure and passion!
For anal use and also vaginal, oral – also with latexcondoms. Skin compatibility dermatologically approved.
Use: Apply desired amount to intimate area.
Aqua, Vegetable Glycerin, Dimethicone, Sodium Lactate, Betaine, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Sodium Methylparaben

domain: chemistry


Wee Woven Wall Hanging
The fiber wall hanging trend from the ’70s is back and stronger than ever. Crochet’s sculptural nature and definable rows that can be used as a canvas for embellishment inspired this project: a Wee Woven Wall Hanging. Double-crochet stitches create “bars” to latch fringe around, and half double crochet worked in the front loop adds textural effect. Add simple fringe pieces in different colors and weights of yarn and maybe a touch of embroidery, and it’s easy to create a one-of-a-kind work that can be personalized any way you’d like.
DESIGNER Vickie Howell
FINISHED SIZE About 8″ × 12″ from top edge to tip of fringe.
YARN Patons Classic Wool Roving (100% wool; 120 yd [109 m]/3 1/2 oz [100 g]): natural (MC), 1 ball; low tide, small amount. Patons Cobbles (49% wool, 49% acrylic, 2% nylon; 41 yd [37 m]/3 1/2 oz [100 g]): tetra teal (CC), 1 ball; winter white, small amount.
Small amounts of assorted weights, colors and textures of 5 other yarns. We used: Patons Classic Wool Bulky (100% wool; 71 m 78 yd [71 m]/3 1/2 oz [100 g]): black; dark heather grey. Bernat Sheep(ish) by Vickie Howell (70% acrylic, 30% wool; 162 yd [157 m]/3 oz [85 g]): coral(ish); chartreuse(ish). Patons Misty (48% acrylic, 32% nylon, 10% mohair, 10% wool; 143 yd [131 m]/ 3/4 oz [25 g]): blushing glow.
HOOK Size K/10 1/2 (6.5 mm). Adjust hook size if necessary to obtain correct gauge.
NOTIONS Yarn needle; scissors; ruler; metallic embroidery floss; 14″ long dowel or knitting needle.
GAUGE Does not matter for this project.


text:
Prepositions The new “cupids” out of sentences A preposition is a phrase always show a great dating anywhere between a beneficial noun or pronoun and lots of almost every other keyword in the the brand new phrase
Example: The dog is actually underneath the bed. (below reveals the connection between puppy and sleep) Their Change: This new kid went about the building. Their got the fresh new pet with the veterinarian.
Prepositional Keywords What exactly is it? What’s the preposition’s object? It will be the noun or pronoun pursuing the preposition Examples: People communicate in many ways. Industry is based beside the warehouse.
Preferred Prepositions…. Regarding Significantly more than All over After Up against Collectively One of Up to During the In advance of about less than below as well as between beyond but by off during with the exception of of from inside the in to the for the eg close off regarding on to contrary external more than early in the day as up on into the the underside up to up through to within without having any over terms Engage with between one or two terms and conditions in this a sentence
Watch out. A good “preposition” Have to be a part of a beneficial “prepositional words” Ergo…. . It will Has actually An item! Preposition (Yes) The fresh bird travelled along the rooftop. —————————– Preposition (No) The fresh new bird flew into the.
Just how many prepositions are in the following section? Brand new Amazonian jungle is 2 hundred miles wider along the Atlantic, nevertheless runs in order to several hundred or so kilometers broad at the feet of your own Andes Slopes when you look at the Peru. The many flowers regarding Amazonian jungle is actually remarkable; in reality, of all precipitation forest global, this particular area can get secure the most useful number of types of vegetation. Raw materials is sent right from harbors strong in the rain forest, to possess oceangoing vessels can also be sail more than a couple thousand miles up the brand new Craigs list.
Solutions The fresh new Amazonian rain forest is only two hundred miles wide collectively the latest Atlantic, however it runs to several hundred http://www.datingranking.net/tr/fitness-singles-inceleme/ kilometers greater at the base of your own Andes Hills for the Peru. The various plant life about Amazonian jungle was remarkable; actually, of all of the precipitation woods global, this region get hold the top amount of species of herbs. Garbage are shipped straight from ports strong in the rain tree, to have oceangoing ships is sail more several thousand miles right up the brand new Craigs list.
What’s Abandoned…. . The fresh Amazonian rain forest is only 2 hundred miles wider , but it runs. The latest assortment try better; this place will get support the better matter. Raw materials was shipped truly strong, getting oceangoing ships is sail over two thousand kilometers.
• This new Craigs list Lake is located in South america, and is among the many longest streams around the globe. • The brand new Craigs list initiate inside the Peru, also it flows across Brazil towards the Atlantic Ocean. • Of the many streams global, it lake sells many h2o and you may drains about one to fifth of one’s earth’s fresh water. • Brand new Craigs list is largely a network of several canals, but the majority anybody remember such joint streams since only one lake. • These rivers sink the largest wet town international, and into the flooding season, an element of the river have a tendency to overflows their banking companies.
It includes a great preposition, their object, and any other modifiers of target
• Brand new Amazon Lake is found in South usa, which will be among longest canals all over the world. • The latest Craigs list starts within the Peru, therefore circulates across Brazil with the Atlantic Water. • Of all the streams internationally, that it river offers by far the most drinking water and you may drainage in regards to the one to 5th of one’s world’s fresh-water. • The fresh Auction web sites is largely a system many canals, but the majority some body think about this type of mutual rivers while the just one river. • These rivers sink the most significant rainy city around the globe, and you will in ton 12 months, part of the river usually overflows its banks.

domain: geography


text:
Started by Mike Cl, January 29, 2022, 11:47:45 AM
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on January 29, 2022, 01:27:30 PMI've heard 'civil war!' for six decades, still no war.
Quote from: GSOgymrat on January 29, 2022, 08:27:38 PMThis is an interesting article using political polarization in Oregon as an example of a broader split across the US. There is a movement for the rural, conservative eastern area of Oregon to become part of Idaho, leaving the urban, progressive part to remain Oregon.


text:
There is no reason to not visit Penang in Malaysia, especially if you are looking to revisit your history books or even an adventure-filled vacation. Nafisa Lokhandwala explores this tropical paradise through her lens.
Penang, on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, is a popular tourist destination for a reason. With a one-week holiday at my University, I headed out for a three-day, solo trip to visit Penang during the Chinese New Year. I didn’t want to miss all the festivities that Penang is known for during this occasion, attracting tourists from all over the world. But the New Year celebrations may have been just incidental for the adventure freak in me, for I couldn’t help but make plans to discover the scope of adventure sports here. And I wasn’t disappointed.
1. After checking in at the guesthouse where I had booked into, I headed to the Batu Ferinnghi Beach in George Town, around noon, to indulge in my favourite water sports—parasailing, jet skiing and banana boating. (Photo 1 & 2)
2. Like an adventure starved explorer I headed to my next stop, Taman Negara, a National Forest, where I trekked until I reached Turtle Beach. The sight of the waters had a calming effect on me. (Photo 3-5)
3. For all the adventure I wait to explore, I am still a foodie to the core. So in the evening, it was time to head out to discover the food joints. And what better place than Gurney Drive, a popular seafront promenade well-known for its eateries. (Photos 6-10) Anticlockwise: An assortment of chicken meatballs, beef meatballs and chicken meatballs, pork meatballs, BBQ squids, coconut ice-cream and mutton chops.
4. After a goodnight’s rest and packed with a good breakfast, I stepped out into the second day, which was all about exploring the streets of George Town. The vibrant and colourful buildings in the city set it apart from anywhere else in the country I had yet been to. (Photo 11-16)
5. These streets behold some famous, life-like murals that bring travellers from around the world. (Photo 17-18)
6. With a map in hand, I walked on, marvelling at the heritage buildings like (Anticlockwise) the High Court of Penang, Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower, the famous George Town World Heritage Incorporated, St. George’s Church and the Kapitan Keling Mosque. (Photos 19-23)
7. The evening was reserved for a visit to the Buddhist Temples, including the most famous of them, Wat Chayamangkalaram Thai Buddhist Temple. (Photos 24-26)
8. Then, I visited the smaller shrines too, like the Sima Shrine, which are right across the road from the Wat Chayamangkalaram.
9. Certain that I wanted to end my three-day trip on a high, on the third morning, I first visited Kek Lok Si Temple, one of the largest temples in south-east Asia. (Photos 30 & 31)
10. It was then time to go hiking, right up the Penang Hilltop, for the panoramic views of George Town it offered. It was only befitting that I ended a soul-enriching vacation thus. (Photo 32)

domain: travel


text:
They offer a wide range of designs so that they are sure to satisfy even the most particular taste. A special highlight is the ecological and organic materials of Wineo collection 1000 - completely hypoallergenic and mostly from renewable raw materials produced. Be inspired in our online-shop of the varied selection of Wineo click vinyl, you will find the design that will truly bring your space to life!
The Key Advantage of Click Vinyl: Immediately Usable
This modern way of laying floors has become incredibly popular- and not without reason: there are several advantages to using this system. Even the hobby handyman can install this system quickly and without an issue. There’s no need for any adhesives as the system simply clicks into place! Planning a move? Don’t leave your floor behind! With this system, it’s possible to easily remove it and take it with you!
The Fast Installation Process
The individual planks or tiles are simply "clicked" into each other using tongue and groove. To begin laying, align the first row with the spring side to the wall. In the direction of the second row is now the side with the groove. You connect a plank or tile with the laid row by inserting the spring side into the groove of the routed row. Place the plank at a 30 ° angle. Lower it with light pressure against the threaded row. A stable connection can be achieved by locking the planks with a light hammer with a rubber mallet.
Designs as Creative as You Are
The vinyl flooring by Wineo is suitable for the home as well as for light commercial projects. If you are looking for a Wineo vinyl flooring for the living room, then you a multitude of choices. All collections are of the wear class 23 so that it can be laid in the living area but also in heavily stressed areas such as in the hallway, living room, or kitchen. In the objects pane are the different collections for various claims.
Wineo 600 and Wineo 1000 are suitable with the usage class 32, for example, for offices. As for department stores, schools or open-plan offices, the vinyl flooring of collection Wineo 800 is best suited withstand the strong requirements of these environments.
Also, if you are looking for flooring to use in the industrial sector, you will find it at Wineo. The click-vinyl laminate flooring of both the Wineo 600 and 800 collections are equipped with the use of class 41, which corresponds to light industrial use with moderate traffic, such as in warehouses and workshops. Wineo click vinyl is an excellent choice for most commercial requirements.
The Right Design Cover for Every Application
Wineo's LVT vinyl flooring are suitable for both home and contract use, as well as for light industrial use. If you are looking for a Wineo design floor for the living area, then you have the free choice in the collections. All collections have usage class 23, so that they can be laid in the living area even in heavily used areas such as corridors, living rooms or kitchens.
Wineo 600 is suitable for use class 32 for offices and boutiques, for example. The vinyl flooring of the Wineo 800 collection withstands the tough demands of department stores, schools and open-plan offices. Even if you are looking for a floor covering for laying in the industrial sector, you will find it at Wineo. The Wineo 600 click-vinyl laminate is Class 41 rated so it can be used in the light commercial environment.
With a usage Class 42, the luxury vinyl plank flooring of the Wineo 800 collection are suitable for the light industrial sector with normal wear and tear. They can be installed in warehouses and workshops. Wineo click vinyl is suitable for almost every requirement!
Hard-Wearing and Easy to Clean - Click Vinyl for Everyday Use
The Wineo click vinyl hosts numerous technical characteristics, which guarantee a robust and reliable surface. All floor coverings possess wear characteristics of the group T and thus correspond to the best possible level of quality. The vinyl floors are characterized by very good lightfastness. They can be laid over conventional hot water underfloor heating, without causing any problems.
Each collection is accredited to the R9 slip resistant level, ensuring your safety. They are also antistatic. All designs are flame retardant and cause only a low amount of smoke in case of fire, as evidenced by the classification of BFL-s1.
Preparing the Surface for Your New Vinyl Floor
Prior to laying, you should prepare the ground for your new vinyl click flooring. The substrate must be clean, permanently dry, stable and flat. Therefore, you should first try to level the underlying surface. To eliminate any irregularities, you can compensate for this with an appropriate filler. Clean the floor of possible contamination such as paint residues or lacquers.
Make sure that the surface of the ground is sufficiently solid, not too porous, or too rough. If you want a mat that can be laid under the click-vinyl, Wineo offers a laminate variant of click-vinyl multilayers, which is already integrated into the insulation. You can customize the vinyl tile to the room dimensions and cut out. Keep in mind that the ground must adhere to a distance of 5 mm to all walls and fixed objects, such as door frames or a kitchenette.
Buy Your Vinyl Click Flooring by Wineo in the Online Shop of BRICOFLOR!
Have you opted for a luxury vinyl click flooring by Wineo? Then, you can order your new vinyl flooring in our shop quickly and conveniently. With us, you will receive your new floor - thanks to our best rate guarantee - at an incredibly good price! Do you want to first test the quality of your desired floor? Then you can use our free sample service a free pattern piece at our request. If you are planning a major construction project, for example, the renovation of an office building, then you can contact us for a custom quote. We are there for you: call our hotline and online via email. We are looking forward to your message!

domain: design


text:
Benedictine University is an inclusive academic community dedicated to teaching and learning, scholarship and service, truth and justice, as inspired by the Catholic intellectual tradition, the social teaching of the Church, and the principles of wisdom in the Rule of St. Benedict.
Benedictine University aspires to be a thought leader in Catholic higher education. We seek to provide a transformative and integrative educational experience grounded in Benedictine values, helping students shape lives of meaning and purpose as engaged citizens who care for the earth, welcome people of diverse faiths and cultures, and promote the common good.
Lent, the Christian season of repentance and remembrance, begins on Ash Wednesday, March 9th and runs through Holy Thursday, April 21st. Lenten materials for study and reflection from the Benedictine Library collection are on display on the second floor in the library and available for circulation. Additional resources to support your Lenten practice are posted in our LibraryGuide to Lenten Materials: http://libguides.ben.edu/Lent.
5700 College Rd.
Lisle, IL 60532
225 E. Main St.
Mesa, AZ 85201

domain: library