There are more than 3,900 planet beyond the Solar System. Most of them have been detected as "transitions"; when a planet passes through a star when a moment blocks its light.
The brightness of the stars astronomers tell you a little bit about the size of the planet and the distance from the star.
But knowing more about this planet, whether it's between oxygen, water, and other life signs, requires powerful tools. Ideally, they would be larger telescopes in space, which contain clear mirrors with the highest viewing points. NASA engineers are developing designs for the next generation of space telescopes, including "segmented" telescopes, to build a small space in order to build and deploy a large telescope once in the mirror.
NASA's next James Webb space telescope is an example segmented mirror with a diameter of 6.5 meters and 18 segment hexagons. Next-generation space telescopes will be more than 15 meters in length, with more than 100 mirror segments.
The challenge of segmented space telescopes is how to maintain stable mirror segments and point collectively towards an exoplanetary system. Such telescopes would be equipped with coronographs – sufficiently sensitive to the distinction between clear light emitted by a star-emitted light and the planet's orbit. But the slightest change in each section of the telescope can lead to coronary measures and may stop the measurement of oxygen, water or other planetary features.
Now, MIT engineers suggest that large spacecraft with laser lasers fly far away from the large space telescopes and act as a "guide-star", providing clear and clear light next to the telescope target system. Use it as a reference in space to stay stable.
In a paper published in the Astronomy Magazine, researchers show that designing the laser's star screen is today feasible with today's technology. The researchers say that the laser light does not allow the second probes to stabilize the system, reduces the accuracy of demand for a large segmented telescope, saves time and money and allows flexible telescopes designs.
"This article suggests that in the future it is capable of building a slightly soluble telescope, a little less stable, but a bright source can be used to maintain stability," says Ewan Douglas. MIT's Aeronautics and Astronautics Department and main paper co-author.
In addition, Kerri Cahoy, along with Assistant Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT, James Clark and Weston Marlow, MIT and Jared Males, Olivier Guyon and Jennifer Lumbres, from Arizona University.
In the Red Cross
In more than a century, astronomers use real stars to "stabilize ground-based telescopes".
"If the telescope's motors or gear fail to make the telescope a little faster or slower, you can see a star on your guide with the look of the cross and slowly focus on taking a long exposure," says Douglas.
In the 1990's, scientists began to use serums as a laser star on the ground, and the lasers entered the sky around 40 kilometers of light. The astronomers could have a telescope that allows the telescope to point to the telescope.
"Now we are spreading this idea, rather than pointing a laser on space in the ground, we are shining a telescope in space," says Douglas. The lower telescope requires a coordinate guide to control the effects of the atmosphere, but the space telescopes in exoplanet images must contrast the modifications and minor changes in the system temperature.
Space based laser guide star idea was created by a NASA-funded project. The Agency has designed large and segmented telescopes in space and is aimed at researchers looking to reduce the cost of massive observers.
"This reason is right now to be decided by NASA next year, the large space telescopes will have our priority over the next few decades," says Douglas. "At the time of this decision, the Hubble Space Telescope took its decision in the 1960s, but it was not started in the 1990s."
The Cahoy Laboratory develops laser communications for use in CubeSats, which can be built in space at a cost of conventional spacecraft and use shoebox-sized satellites in the space.
For this new research, researchers could use a laser-embedded CubeSat or SmallSat lesser than the stability of a large and segmented space telescope for the NASA LUVOIR (UV Optical Infrared Surveyor) after a conceptual design that includes a lot of mirrors that would be mounted in space.
Researchers believe that this telescope must still be still for 10 minutes (with a quarter of a hydrogen atom diameter), an internal coronation must take measures to measure the light of a planet, apart from the star.
"As regards the space field, like a small change in the sun's angle or a part of the change in the number of heat dissipated around the nuclear one, it will cause small structural expansion or contraction," Douglas says. "If you get abuse of around 10 picometers, you start changing the starlight model within the telescope and you can not completely change the changes to reflect the planet's reflective light."
The team created the laser scintillator with a global design that would be far away from a telescope, like a fixed star, about ten miles, which would go back and send the light to the telescope mirrors, each of which would reflect light laser for the camera's embroidering. This camera should reflect the phase of the reflected light over time. The change in 10 picometers or more indicates the commitment to telescope stability. In this way, they can be straightened directly onto the actuators.
In order to see Laser's guide-star design via today's laser technology, Douglas and Cahoy collaborated with United States colleagues with various brightness sources, for example, how bright the laser can provide a specific information on a telescope position or provide stability to the space's large telescopes Using Stability Segment Models. They created some laser transmitter sets and calculated that Laser should be more stable, stable and powerful laser, to act as a trusted driver.
In general, laser-based star designs have been found to exist because of the existence of technology, and the system incorporates SmallSat into a very small capsule footer. As Douglas says, the only driver could follow the "look" of the telescope, while traveling from one star to another, the telescope changes its observational goals. However, a smaller spacecraft would need to travel hundreds of thousands of miles away from the remote telescope when the telescope looks at other stars.
Instead, Douglas could open a small manual fleet for something, because, to stabilize television, it helps you to survey multiple exoplanetary systems. Cahoy has said that the ultimate success of NASA's MarCo CubeSats success, as Mars Knowledge Cape, is evidence of CubeSats's propulsion systems working in interplanetary space, long periods and long distances.
"We are currently looking at existing propulsion systems to correctly calculate it, and how many vessels would be leapfrogging in space," says Douglas. "After all, we believe it is a way to avoid the cost of large space telescopes and the cost of these segments."
Reference: "Laser guide star for segment segments for wide space telescopes I. Implantación de exoplaneo terrestre de detección y observatorio de estabilidad", E. S. Douglas et al., 2019, January 4, Astronomical Magazine. [http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-3881/aaf385, preprint: https://arxiv.org/abs/1811.05309].
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The program last night was given by me and Jackie. It was a discussion about how to get your quilt ready for the longarm quilter and what to expect from them. A handout was given out and it you missed the program and want this handout, please let us know.
Now for some great show and tell....
Jessica's sweet baby quilt.
Here's a little quilt from Deanna
Here's her Elf on the Shelf quilt, she used the Turning Twenty pattern on this one.
Here's the back of the quilt.
Here's her Hexie exchange quilt.
Glenda made this one at retreat for her nephew's girlfriend. The white blocks have letters of the alphabet for sign language. If you click on the picture you can see them a little better.
She made this one with the little 6 1/2" blocks we exchanged a few years ago.
Diana's crocheted scarves...so cute.
Here's a towel she embroidered. She took a class from Thomas Sewing Center.
Here's her wonderful family album quilt. I think she said this was given to her Mom, she made this with pictures and stories of the grandkids and great grandkids. What a treasure!
Diana's Mom, Betty. This is her first quilt.
She made a scissor keeper.
She also made a patriotic bag.
This is Diana's Aunt and Betty's sister, Helen. She made this and the dog decided it belonged to her. I think this was a sample of the larger quilt she was making and she dropped it and the dog grabbed it. At least, that's what I think she said happened. Great little purple quilt.
She made this bag to keep her big purple quilt in.
She also made this little purse.
Karen and her socks. So cute.
Karen made this cute Christmas tree quilt
She also made this little Christmas quilt
This is Diane's grandson's quilt. Jackie quilted it.
A close-up on the back of the quilt.
Jackie and her library group made this quilt to raffle to support the library. Jackie quilted it and Diane won this quilt from them...
Jackie quilted this beautiful quilt for Diane's friend, Mariann.
Sally made this cute pinwheel quilt.
Sharon made this great wool bag.
She made this great bag too.
This is her floating 4 patch quilt. I love the setting on this one.
A close up of the blocks.
Here's the backing on the quilt.
Daphne's playing with Disappearing 9 patch quilts.
Playing with scraps.
Here's another one of her scrap quilts.
This is the back of the quilt
Martha's first quilt.
Martha playing with a Buggy Barn pattern, I think she said this was Home with a Heart...
Martha's beautiful wool quilt
This is another class she took from Sandra at Plum Good Quilting
See what you missed? Ok, get busy and come next month to the Christmas party, bring a dish and bring a Christmas quilt to show and tell. It doesn't matter if we've seen it before or not, there are so many new members, someone surely hasn't seen them! Have fun and happy holidays.

domain: library


The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) released its quarterly report on data breach notifications yesterday, and unsurprisingly, healthcare providers were the largest source of reported data breaches (20% of all notifications).
Of the notifications made by healthcare providers, 59% (29 reports) of breaches occurred due to human error, and of these, almost half (45%) of human error breaches involved sending personal information to the wrong recipient.
41% (20 reports) of breaches occurred due to malicious or criminal attack, and of these, 40% of malicious or criminal attacks were cyber incidents. A further 45% were due to direct theft of paperwork or data storage devices.
For the healthcare industry, 75% of cyber incidents resulting in a breach were due to stolen credentials, phishing or other hacking.
Add to this the recent public debate around the security and privacy of the government’s My Health Record, and the warning signals are clear – healthcare providers need to be prepared for data breaches and possible public scrutiny.
The recent cyber attack on Singapore Health Services is an example of the complexities of securing healthcare records.
Case study of a data breach: Singapore Health Services
In a sophisticated attack, hackers infiltrated Singapore Health Services (SingHealth) and stole personal details of 1.5 million patients. While in SingHealth’s systems, hackers also took outpatient prescriptions of 160,000 people – including Singapore’s Prime Minister.
How did they do it?
The hackers infiltrated an internet-connected workstation and obtained privileged credentials. With these credentials, hackers covered their tracks as they moved across the network to find both additional entry-points and a database containing personal information.
The hackers had access to the system for a week before database administrators noticed the suspicious activity and commenced response activities. Containing the threat proved difficult as the hackers began to regain access to the system through previously identified entry-points.
Health administrators had to take drastic action, temporarily disconnecting workstations from the internet and even preventing all 28,000 staff from browsing the web while forcing them to change their passwords. Outgoing connections were also tightly filtered, network servers were reset and heightened monitoring was implemented. Eventually, the additional monitoring and tightened controls eradicated the hackers from the system.
The Ministry of Health has since directed a full cyber security review of Singapore’s public healthcare system, with the Minister-in-Charge of cyber security planning to establish a Committee of Inquiry. Singapore’s Cyber Security Agency is now working across private and public sectors to enhance information security ahead of the upcoming ASEAN summit.
Timeline of a data breach
|27 June 2018
- A front-end workstation was infected with malware
- Administrative/privileged credentials were harvested
- Attackers used the workstation to move throughout the network
- Attackers performed reconnaissance to identify additional entry-points, to ensure they could regain access if they were caught
- They found and gained access to the affected database, using the stolen administrative/privileged credentials
- The attackers obfuscated their activity
- Publicly/commercially available attack tools were used
- The Personally Identifiable Information (PII) of 1.5million patients who visited some clinics between May 1 2015 and July 4 2018 were affected
- Records from five hospitals (including Singapore General Hospital), three National Centres and ten clinics were affected
- Records included full name, address, gender, race, date of birth and National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) numbers
- No records were tampered with (i.e. altered or deleted).
|4 July 2018
- Database administrators from the Integrated Health Information Systems agency (IHiS) detected unusual activity
- Heightened monitoring was enacted, which detected further malicious activity
- Containment activities commenced
- Threat was originally contained, but previously identified entry-points allowed attackers to regain access.
|10 July 2018
- Forensic investigation confirms it was a targeted cyber attack
- SingHealth informs the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Cyber Security Agency (CSA).
|12 July 2018
- SingHealth lodges a police report.
|20 July 2018
- Singaporean authorities announce that the country’s largest healthcare group, SingHealth, was targeted by a major cyber-attack which resulted in a data breach.
Healthcare is a natural target
There are a number of distinctive attributes that make the healthcare sector an attractive target for cyber adversaries. The unique nature of healthcare organisations often makes them viable targets for threat actors of varying capability and intent. Sensitive medical records, personally identifiable information and unique personal identifiers coupled with traditionally open network environments can expose healthcare organisations to a range of cyber threats.
As threats continually evolve, it is important for healthcare organisations to understand what these threats are, what they seek to achieve and how they will attempt to do so. Understanding the motives of cyber threat actors and the risks they pose helps decision-makers implement appropriate controls to best protect valuable information assets.
Traditionally open network environments
It makes sense that healthcare providers operate on an ‘open-access’ principle. Consider what you see when strolling down a hospital corridor – computers are openly accessible next to bedsides, within reach of the general public. That’s also for good reason. If doctors and nurses had to input a complex password, receive a verification text-message, and input a six-digit code to access a patient’s records, this could certainly cause problems in a medical emergency requiring urgent attention and care.
While hospitals typically provision access to patient records with convenience balanced over security, it’s important to consider the doctor’s clinics, medical facilities and treatment centres which handle sensitive medical records every day. These organisations provide important healthcare services but often have less stringent convenience requirements: they’re not hospitals dealing with life-threatening emergencies on a day-to-day basis. Unfortunately, the ‘open-access’ principles seem to be transferred into healthcare peripheries. It’s important to remember that while it’s easy to share medical records between service providers, there’s no guarantee that each of them implement equally as effective cyber security protections over the data they hold.
It’s not just organisations that experience the impacts of a data breach
While it’s easy to place the focus of a data breach’s impacts on the company affected, it is important to remember the human consequences for those who have had their data breached. It’s also necessary for individuals to understand the inherent risks involved in handing over healthcare information, including electronically. The negative consequences experienced through a compromise of medical records can be high. Medical and health records are prized by cyber criminals for a number of reasons. Firstly, medical and health records contain personal information which can be used to enable fraud.
Secondly, they may contain sensitive and/or embarrassing information which can be leveraged to facilitate blackmail. Lastly, while contact information (such as emails, addresses and telephone numbers) may change, health and medical records are typically lifelong artefacts which can be exploited over a long period of time.
The three key takeaways for healthcare providers
- Review your risk – check your access points and make sure your IT security is appropriate for both your operating environment and the sensitivity of data being stored.
- Train your staff – cyber security awareness training will help to reduce the possibility of data breaches due to human error.
- Have a plan in place – treat a data breach as a likely risk and be prepared. Involve the different layers of your organisation – especially executive management and the board – explore a comprehensive cyber insurance policy, and be able to respond.
BDO Cyber Threat Insights Report on Healthcare sector
The latest BDO Cyber Threat Insight Report focuses on other recent cyber events in the healthcare sector and the latest attack tools, techniques and malware that adversaries are using for targeting the healthcare sector.
BDO provides a full range of cyber security services – please contact us to help your healthcare organisation navigate this ‘new normal’.


Some people Can Zoom Be Hacked? wonder if an electronic camera can be hacked, or even if the image on the lense may be altered. Obviously, this is something that will certainly not be achievable unless a person had bodily access to the camera. It is actually impossible to alter an image from a digital electronic camera, despite having the best spy software application and the correct type of camera-hacking.
Properly, if an individual attempts to modify the different colors in the picture on a digital video camera, that person may only do this if he/she has bodily access to the camera. The photo on the lense is electronic, so it can certainly not be modified with the help of spy program or even an electronic camera’s hacking capacity. Even if account on the lens were actually to become altered, that cam would certainly still have the capacity to record graphics with no kind of pictures on the cam changing.
If an individual were to be requesting this inquiry, he/she would be actually requesting regardless if a digital video camera can be hacked as well as why. The purpose a digital electronic camera may certainly not be hacked is considering that spy program can easily certainly not be actually used on electronic video cameras, as the camera is hooked up to the personal computer using USB. No spy software program can hack into the electronic camera’s software application, since no such software application exists.
That spyware would be capable to privately tape-record online videos and take photos from another location using the cam’s integrated cam if an individual were to set up spyware onto an electronic video camera. The pictures would then be moved to the computer from another location, without the presence of the individual utilizing the camera. The individual making use of the camera would certainly must utilize his/her Personal Computer to move the photos as well as video recordings taken by means of the electronic camera.
Some More about the author feel that, given that the photo on the lense is actually digital, after that there will be not a problem in modifying the photo on the lense, and that will allow a person to manipulate it and also as a result, can zoom. People mistake. It is actually certainly not feasible to control account on the lense inthis way, as this type of photo is actually electronic, and also electronic images can certainly not be actually adjusted, unless there is actually a spy software program that is actually made exclusively for digital cameras.
Can Zoom Be Actually Hacked? Often folks inquire whether they may zoom the lense to make the photograph look greater. The answer is actually indeed, as long as the electronic camera is actually linked to the computer using USB port.
This is due to the fact that you may not modify the image that is on the lense of a digital video camera. However, when you attach the cam to your PC through USB port, the camera can be used in an ordinary way. Due to the fact that it is connected to the pc using USB slot, there is actually no such thing as spy software application and spyware.
If you want to make use of an electronic electronic camera, all one needs to have to perform is to plug it into the pc and after that choose it as the source of the video recording footage that will definitely be actually taped. All one needs to perform to zoom in the photo is actually to click the food selection switch on the best of the camera. Now, you may also relocate the computer mouse reminder to zoom in or even out on the display screen of the electronic camera.
An individual may focus the picture that has actually been actually caught due to the cam. Nonetheless, this is certainly not a possibility when it comes to an electronic camera that is actually connected to the computer via USB slot. Because there are actually no spy software application and spyware that could be used to carry out therefore, then a person is unable to use the picture on the lense thus.
There are actually some people who strongly believe that they may zoom the lens of a digital camera by simply downloading and install the most up to date firmware for the electronic camera. This is actually entirely inaccurate. There is actually no such technique that could be used to change account on the lens.
The inquiry is actually certainly not whether an electronic video camera may be hacked, but whether an electronic electronic camera may be zoomed. Those who have tried the above procedures and also have failed are going to discover over time. When they perform certainly not possess the ability to change the pictures on the lens, they will certainly have to resort to some other, more advanced technology.
Thus, can zoom be actually hacked? No, it can easily not. The only method to make any type of kind of photo achievable to become maneuvered is to utilize spy software application and also spyware on the electronic camera. and also is simply certainly not achievable.
How vital is it to obtain Safety Awareness Training? It might be among the most important factors that you may do to maintain your little ones safe. The majority of the criminal activity that is actually going on in today’s society is actually being actually performed by people who possess no respect for themselves or their environments.
The principle of Safety Recognition Training stems from police, safety specialists and civilians that have been associated with their protection. The suggestion behind these courses is to show an individual to shield themselves so that they can be capable to give the most ideal security for others. This instruction is certainly not a comprehensive method, however it may assist to boost one’s overall self-esteem and stop all of them coming from taking excessive risks.
Why should you go for Safety Awareness Instruction? If you plan on going for a job, it is actually vital to get some type of Safety Recognition Educating before you enter into this occupation.
If you are actually a moms and dad and also intend on receiving a little one registered in a daycare center, after that it is crucial that you acquire Security Awareness Training also. Certainly not only does this assistance you to understand how to take care of your kid, however it is actually additionally important to understand the means of securing on your own, so that you are actually certainly not visiting make the very same errors that others have created. There are actually many different pathways to pick from when it involves acquiring Safety and security Awareness Training.
Well, if a person makes an effort to modify the colors in the image on a digital electronic camera, that person can merely perform therefore if he/she possesses physical access to the cam. The reason an electronic video camera can not be actually hacked is actually since spy program can not be utilized on digital video cameras, as the video camera is attached to the personal computer using USB. If an individual were to install spyware onto a digital video camera, that spyware would certainly be actually capable to privately record videos and take photos from another location by means of the electronic camera’s built-in camera. There are some folks who think that they can zoom the lense of an electronic cam through merely downloading and install the latest firmware for the camera. The question is actually not whether an electronic camera may be hacked, however whether an electronic electronic camera may be zoomed.


Library Plus News
New Product - findIT™ - p series
Wednesday April 23, 2014 17:40
The findIT™ RFID wand from D-Tech is the most powerful wand on the market today. The power of the findIT™ will give unprecedented reading speeds and will allow users to easily collect information from items on the shelves with one pass. The information is stored on a PDA which is connected via Wi-Fi. The PDA can be carried by the user or connected on to the RFID wand directly using the clip provided.
Find out more about the findIT™ RFID wand by clicking here.


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Last night I came across a medical student web site that included a link to a post of mine from a couple years ago, that described my feelings about Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, and other benzodiazepines. The people commenting at that site appreciated my comments, and my comments were ‘seconded’ by other physicians. Here’s the post again, for those who missed it the first time:
Twelve Things I Hate About Benzodiazepines
Author: J Junig MD PhD
Because of several highly publicized deaths from combining Suboxone with benzodiazepines or “benzos”—a class of sedative medications that includes Xanax and Valium—I am frequently asked about the safety of combining Suboxone with those medications. The risk of life-threatening respiratory depression can be mitigated fairly easily, but that does not mean that benzos are safe or appropriate medications for people with or without addictions. They are commonly prescribed medications, and there are a number of misconceptions among laypeople about their proper use, so they deserve a thorough discussion. Most doctors with a bit of experience have learned to cringe every time a patient says the word “anxiety,” knowing that in all likelihood they are about to be placed in a difficult position. They will either do the right thing and disappoint their patient, or do the wrong thing and struggle with the consequences of their actions for months or years.
The problem is that the non-medical community sees SSRI’s as “antidepressants,” and believes that the proper treatments for anxiety disorders are sedatives like Valium or Xanax. Whereas the sedatives are appropriate for acute or short-term anxiety, chronic anxiety disorders are more appropriately treated using SSRI’s or SNRI’s.
Today, I saw a new patient who asked for treatment of her addiction to pain medications. When I asked about other psychiatric symptoms, she said that she takes alprazolam and clonazepam for anxiety and panic attacks. I explained that those medications are very dangerous for addicts and are intended for short-term use, and the primary treatments for anxiety disorders are SSRIs or SNRIs. I asked her dose and wasn’t surprised to hear that her tolerance was quite high. A milligram of alprazolam doesn’t do anything, she said—intending to mean that the meds are not potent enough to worry about. I of course took it the opposite way—she has taken benzos to the point that a very large dose has no effect due to her high tolerance. She then said she also has ADD and takes Adderall (ie, amphetamine). I explained that it makes no sense to take both amphetamines and benzos, particularly a long-acting benzo like clonazepam, which has a half-life of around 30 hours. Benzos CAUSE deficient attention; that is how they work! Worry consists of too much attention to a problem or a fear, and benzos prevent the brain from attending, attaching and remembering. In fact, anesthesiologists and dentists use the short-acting benzodiazepine midazolam during uncomfortable procedures to block the patient’s memory. Most adults have had the experience of watching the medication injected into the IV tubing, and next waking up to people saying “you’re OK—it’s all done.” Don’t take a benzodiazepine if you are nervous about an exam the next day! Beyond the amnesia, it is simply a bad idea to take two polar-opposite medications as this patient is doing. Stimulants cause wakefulness, attention, tight muscles, and anxiety. Benzos cause drowsiness, amnesia, relaxation, and the inability to remember what you were supposed to worry about. Instead of taking both, take neither.
A related question came to me by e-mail yesterday:
Hello, I found your website and see that you do phone consultations. I have been having anxiety problems and attacks for over a year. It has gotten worse and worse. I’ve been to the doctors in my area but no one wants to treat me for it…they just want to keep giving me Paxil, Zoloft, Prozac, Cymbalta and all these things I’ve tried and nothing seems to be helping me. I have anxiety attacks all the time where my heart beats out of my chest and I can’t breathe and go almost into this blackout stage. I have a lot of things that trigger it; one is my anxiousness all the time. I can’t focus, and any little dilemma sets me off. Everything is a crisis to me. And on top of that, I have the responsibility to take care of a 3 year old all by myself. I’m so scattered and anxious and upset all the time it is affecting me being a good mother. I cannot take it anymore and I am at the end of my rope. I don’t know what to do; no one will treat me with anything to calm me down along with the Paxil because of all the other people in this county that have abused it.. I DO NOT know what else to do. I have no one to talk to or turn to. It’s affecting my job, my personal life and my life in general. If you can’t help me maybe you know someone who will.
The person doesn’t come right out and say it, but her comments about needing to be calmed down and about abuse of the meds by others suggest that she is asking for a benzodiazepine.
Benzodiazepines include long-acting medications like clonazepam (Klonopin) and diazepam (Valium), intermediate-acting medications like lorazepam (Ativan) and alprazolam (Xanax), and the short-acting sleeping pills from my training years like triazolam (Halcion) and temazepam (Restoril). As an anesthesiologist, I gave patients midazolam (Versed) more than any other medication. All of these medications are appropriate in certain settings. Most have a street value. Some have active metabolites that accumulate in the body over time. All are sedating, all cause tolerance, and all have the potential to cause significant withdrawal symptoms. The longer-acting medications will self-taper to some extent, but the intermediate-acting agents in particular have the potential to cause withdrawal syndromes that are severe, and even fatal. The first patient I mentioned has been taking an anticonvulsant since presenting to the ER with a grand mal seizure while stopping Xanax “cold turkey.”
All of these medications have appropriate uses, almost always for short-term conditions. When given long-term, they cause problems. In fact, from the top of my head, I can think of 12 reasons to avoid prescribing benzos for “anxiety.”
1. Many anxious patients aren’t truly anxious. When a patient complains of anxiety, he or she is often complaining of something else. If I ask a patient to describe the symptoms without using the word anxiety, I often find that the patient is bored, restless, angry, depressed, overwhelmed, or appropriately frightened. Take a look at the second patient—the one who is “scattered,” “at the end of her rope,” and “caring for a 3-year-old boy all by herself.” Do you really think she will be a better mom if she is taking alprazolam or clonazepam? She is feeling overwhelmed, angry, tired, afraid, hopeless, depressed—feelings that when added together become anxiety. Do we really want to give a person in this condition a medication that will make her sleepier, more forgetful, more scattered, and more disinhibited?
2. Even if we get it right, her relief will be short-lived due to tolerance. Patients often escalate their dose at some point—no matter how many times they promise that they won’t. Dose escalation is not the patient’s fault—it is simply what these meds do. Once a pattern of dose escalation begins, it is difficult to control; patients will call after two weeks, reporting that they are out of alprazolam, and the doctor feels pressured to issue a refill to prevent withdrawal.
3. Benzos turn manageable anxiety into an anxiety disorder. Patients get a calming effect from the medication, but as the medication wears off, the anxiety returns, including extra anxiety from a rebound effect—a miniature form of withdrawal. Patients do not usually attribute that anxiety to rebound, but instead believe they have a horrible anxiety condition that appears as soon as the medication wears off. When I worked in a maximum security prison for women in Wisconsin, many inmates were taking benzos upon arrival; several months after the benzos were discontinued, the most amazing thing happened: the anxiety disorders went away!
4. A problem specific to addicts is that they don’t take sedative medications to achieve the absence of anxiety, but rather until they feel relaxed. They are not seeking normalcy; they are seeking relaxation. There is a difference between the two states: one is feeling normal without feeling excessive worry or panic; the other is feeling relaxed, something other than feeling normal. This doesn’t make addicts bad people; it is simply a consequence of the conditioning process during addiction. Addicts are not aware that they are seeking a fuzziness that non-addicts often find to be uncomfortable.
5. Again specific to addicts, benzos (like other medications that have an immediate psychotropic effect) direct the person’s attention inward. An addict becomes obsessed with how they feel; a goal in treatment is to get the addict out of his or her own head to experience life on life’s terms. Benzodiazepines encourage the opposite effect, encouraging the addict to focus on internal feelings and sensations.
6. Addicts with one favored class of drugs, for example opiates, will often move to a different substance when the first drug of choice is removed, for example using Suboxone. This phenomenon is called “cross addiction.”
7. A final concern for addicts is that benzos help preserve the mistaken thought that the person cannot function without taking something.
8. Benzos impair driving and have the potential to impair a person working with dangerous machinery. After all, patients get anxious at work too. They also make a person appear intoxicated by causing slurred speech, forgetfulness, and sometimes loopy behavior, risking the person’s job and having other unforeseen consequences. Some people have completely different personalities when disinhibited by benzos.
9. Benzos have been linked to fetal anomalies and early miscarriage.
10. They destroy sleep in the long run through tolerance and through rebound effects. If the patient takes the benzo during the day, he or she will be trying to sleep just as the sedation is wearing off. The alternative is to take the medication at bedtime, defeating the goal of finding relief for daytime anxiety. If the person takes benzos both day and night, tolerance increases even more quickly.
11. I have already mentioned the need to taper off benzodiazepines and the risk of seizures and worse during withdrawal.
12. Benzodiazepines may calm a truly anxious patient, but they do not generally increase the patient’s function. A person who can’t get out of bed becomes less likely to get out of bed. Bills that are unpaid become even less likely to be paid. Relationships do not generally improve when one partner is nodding off as the other talks about feelings.
I do prescribe benzodiazepines, usually for the short-term or while recommending they be taken no more than every other day. Some patients do fine with them, but for others, benzos are a Pandora’s Box that should never be opened. As a psychiatrist, I often resent the treatment that led to the mess that I try my best to clean up—such as the case with the first patient I mentioned. I think most doctors who read this will understand what I am saying, and many will have similar thoughts about benzodiazepines. Perhaps others will find the use of benzodiazepine much more beneficial than harmful. Comments anyone?
1.There is no treatment formula that will work for everyone.
Occasionally, people looking for treatment will come across other individuals who are already in recovery and who insist that the only path to recovery is whatever path the recovering individual has taken. This simply is not true. The ultimate success of each individual entering treatment depends on finding the right treatment setting and methods for the individual, and everyone’s needs are different.
2. Medically supervised withdrawal is only one step in addiction treatment; alone it will do little.
Frequently, it is necessary for addicts and alcoholics to go through a medically supervised withdrawal period before they can safely enter treatment. However, some people confuse this short 3 to 7 day period with treatment, which it is not. Some people cycle in and out of these withdrawal episodes convinced that they should be able to maintain abstinence afterwards, but never finding success. Seemingly tragic, this allows some addicts to continue in their addiction while giving the appearance that they are attempting to get healthy.
3. Length of treatment counts.
The appropriate duration for an individual depends on his or her problems and needs. Research indicates that for most patients, significant improvement is reached at about 3 months. The research suggests that this may be residential, outpatient or a combination of both depending on the individual’s needs. After this initial period, additional treatment can produce further progress toward recovery.
4. Drug addiction is a multidimensional problem, and treatment needs to address all of an individual’s needs.
Effective treatment must address the individual’s drug use, but also any associated medical, psychological, social, vocational, or legal problems.
5. Counseling (individual and/or group) is a critical part of effective addiction treatment.
Many alcoholics and addicts mistakenly believe that if they could just stop using for a week or two they could stop using forever. In reality, they need therapy. In therapy, addicts examine their motivation, build skills to resist drug use, replace drug-using activities with constructive and rewarding nondrug-using activities, and improve problem-solving abilities. Additionally, therapy helps individuals to rebuild and re-learn family and social living patterns.
6. Medications are an important part of treatment for many people. Medications such as suboxone, methadone and LAAM can all be effective in helping certain individuals stay away from illicit drugs. Some times frowned upon by some individuals in recovery the truth is that these medications allow millions of individuals to live normal, productive lives.
7. Drug testing during treatment is important.
Drugs are found everywhere, even in drug treatment. Whether treatment is offered on an outpatient, inpatient or in a jail drugs are available to individuals in treatment. This puts individuals in treatment at risk for reusing even while in treatment. It also means that every individual in treatment should be monitored for drug treatment on an ongoing basis. In this manner treatment, plans may be modified to increase the chance of ultimate success.
8. Alcoholics and addicts with mental health disorders should be treated for both at the same time.
An alcoholic or addict who also has a mental health disorder is said to have “co-occurring” disorders. In the past, the question has sometimes been should the person be treated for the mental health problem or the addiction first. People may be using drugs to deal with the mental health problem or they may have the mental health issue because of their drug use. The most effective way to deal with these two “co-occurring” disorders and deal with the addiction is to treat them at the same time.
9.Addiction Treatment works even for people who don’t choose it of their own free will.
It used to be believed that someone had to want to go into treatment before it could be effective. New research has shown that this is not the case. In fact, treatment is just as effective for individuals who are court ordered to do treatment as it is for people who figure out the need for it on their own. Families and employers can be just as effective at getting unwilling addicts into treatment. Stephen King, in his autobiography “On Writing,” tells about the intervention his wife and family performed on him. King did not want to go into treatment. He was seemingly happy doing coke and drinking mouthwash, but his wife Tabitha and his children were not happy with the situation and performed an intervention. Forced to choose between family and drugs, King made the right choice. Interventions are most successful when done correctly and with the help of a professional. For more information on interventions visit www.interventionresources.net
10. Don’t give up.
As with other chronic illnesses, relapses can occur during or after successful treatment episodes. Addicted individuals may need lengthy treatment and more than one time in treatment before they can enjoy long-term abstinence and full restoration to a drug free life. The period after treatment is just as important as being in treatment. Finding support and continuous work to stay drug free will be necessary. A slip or relapse is just an indicator that more work, and possibly more treatment, is necessary. Don’t give up.
About the Author
David Westbrook Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
What are the advantages of switching?
How uncomfortable should i expect to feel?
How easy is it to succesfuly reduce subutex?
How long would it take to go from 12mg of subutex to nothing whcils still remainig fairly comfortable?
Thanks for your help! really appreciated x
Hi, i am trying to get off Methadone, ive been on it for opiate addiction for a year at 70ml and i an now down to 25ml and i want to get off it ASAP! i hate it, it rules my life! i was told that it would be easier to switch to subutex than continue lowering meth. Then when im on Subutex i can lower that until i can stop that. But i don’t know anything about it and i want to know if it will be easier or not.

domain: psychology


text:
AN 18th birthday is a real milestone in anyone’s life.
From being legally allowed to vote to being referred to as an “adult,” it’s a birthday like no other.
Shannon, who is from the UK, took to TikTok and explained how she visited a professional makeup artist ahead of her 18th birthday celebrationsCredit: TikTok/@jesrosevinyl
Rather than leaving feeling like a million dollars, the birthday girl instead looked like she had two black eyesCredit: TikTok/@jesrosevinyl
So, what better way to make yourself feel like a million dollars than booking in a professional makeup artist to get you looking party-ready?
One woman named Shannon, who is from the UK, decided to do exactly that – but unfortunately, the makeover didn’t quite go to plan.
Taking to TikTok, she shared a short clip explaining how she asked the expert for smoky eyes ahead of her 18th birthday celebrations.
But what she got was something very different.
In a rather amusing snap, she revealed the finished look, which featured very heavy eyeliner and two black eyes.
And it wasn’t long before the comments section was flooded with responses.
“Some of those beauty counter ‘artists’ are only trained in selling,” wrote one.
A second quipped: “I can’t stop laughing,” while a third joked: “I’m dead.”
Another in disbelief simply penned: “No f***ing way.”
Meanwhile, others recalled how they have experienced similar disastrous makeovers themselves.
“I was 17 went to get my foundation matched trusted the girl, I came home put it on and IT WAS YELLOW TONED,” commented one.
A second added: “I got a ‘free eye makeup session’ and I kid you not, my mascara was lumpy as hell and my eyeshadow was hardly blended.”
Another wrote: “I feel so bad for you that, that is what they gave you for your 18th but I’m honestly howling.”
In response, Shannon explained: “I fixed it myself.”
Meanwhile, a further added: “This happened to me… 14 years ago! Had to scrub the foundation off and reapply because it was ORANGE.”

domain: news


text:
Pharmacists Endorse House Bill to Clarify Compounding Oversight, While Preserving Patient Access to Customized Medications
Alexandria, Va. Sept. 12, 2013 - The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) strongly supports bipartisan House legislation introduced today that is intended to prevent a recurrence of the 2012 meningitis outbreak, the association said in a letter to House lawmakers.
The Compounding Clarity Act, H.R. 3089, sponsored by U.S. Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), Gene Green (D-Texas) and Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), would better enable regulators to protect the public from any entities like the New England Compounding Center (NECC) without harming patients or saddling independent community pharmacists with new red tape.
"Our independent pharmacies provide a needed service in compounding medications and have a long history of protecting patient safety while preserving patient access to vital medications," wrote NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, RPh, MBA. "The House legislation appropriately addresses the issues that led to the NECC tragedy and prevents another tragedy from occurring while also not interfering with the physician-patient-pharmacist relationship and maintaining critical patient access to compounded medications."
H.R. 3089 would preserve state board of pharmacy oversight of the vast majority of independent community pharmacies that compound medications. (When off-the-shelf, manufactured drugs are not an option, pharmacists prepare or "compound" customized medication for a patient in accordance with a physician's prescription.) If a pharmacy prepares sterile medications for office use (such as by a physician or hospital), ships those medications across state lines, and such medications account for more than five percent of drugs it produces, then the compounding provider would fall under the legislation's newly established category of "outsourcing facilities" subject to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation. Moreover, the bill would help ensure more effective coordination and communication between FDA and state boards of pharmacy, thereby directly addressing one of the key breakdowns that helped facilitate and prolong the meningitis outbreak.
NCPA members and staff have delivered expert testimony at congressional hearings and spent countless hours working constructively and discussing legislative proposals with House and Senate lawmakers and staff members. Throughout the legislative process, NCPA has urged focus on ensuring that federal and state regulators fully exercise their existing oversight authority and that any new legislation preserves patient access to customized medications from independent community pharmacists, without burdening pharmacy small business owners who had no role in the tragic events of the meningitis outbreak.
Unfortunately, an alternative proposal, S. 959, as currently written would subject community pharmacists to broadly expanded FDA authority that could jeopardize patient access to essential medications. For example, it would require community pharmacists to notify FDA every time they compound a medication that is in shortage. In addition, it would give FDA blanket authority over what a community pharmacist can compound in response to a physician's prescription for a patient. NCPA reiterated these views recently in a Sept. 4 letter to leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.


text:
The recall comes after possible product contamination.
Those infections include pneumonia.
A number of people have reported adverse events with constipation medicines known as oral liquid docusate sodium products during 2017. The bacteria involved is Burkholderia cepacia, or B. cepacia. The agency recommends that pharmacies and healthcare professionals contact their suppliers to identify which of their products were made by PharmaTech, a contract development and manufacturing organization based in Florida. Instead, they contain the labels of distributors such as Leader Brand, Major Pharmaceuticals, and Rugby Laboratories. Rugby then issued a voluntary recall of the PharmaTech-manufactured docusate sodium solutions. The latest safety alert covering all PharmaTech liquid products was issued after the FDA determined that other products may be contaminated.
Auto plows into counter protestors during Virginia rally
It happened two hours after violent clashes between white nationalists and counter-protesters. Charlottesville police tell CBS News at least four people are injured.
Investigators also detected B. cepacia in the water system used to manufacture the product.
However, determining which products were manufactured by PharmaTech could prove hard "because these liquid products are not labeled with a PharmaTech label", the safety alert states.
"Patients who are using liquid drug products and who have concerns should contact their health care professional", the FDA advises. You can consult the FDA recall announcement for a list of recalled products with photos.


Current price $3,685.00
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Professional Grill Assembly for $159
Book a professional to help assemble this grill for only $159. All bookings and inquiries are handled by Handy.
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- Seamless, welded, double-walled hood provides excellent internal heat retention
- Three stainless steel U-burners produce 20,000 BTUs of consistent heat output
- 1/2-inch thick ceramic briquettes evenly distribute heat for uniform cooking
- Powerful electronic ignition system protected by heat-resistant encased wiring for reliable startup
- Features a stainless steel, spring-assisted lid system for easy opening
Offering an impressive array of features, the Artisan American Eagle Series provide a luxury experience at an affordable price. Made in the USA from 304 stainless steel, the 36-Inch AAEP-36C-LP freestanding propane gas grill features a seamless welded double-walled hood for exceptional heat retention, as well as a full length handle and an easy-open spring-assisted system. Three stainless steel tube U-burners each produce 20,000 BTUs, which evenly distribute high heat across the cooking surface. Electrical wires and connectors are encapsulated with heat-resistant silicone, making the 9v electrical ignition system fast and reliable, while the fully-adjustable brass valves ensure precision flame control. The stainless steel cooking grates are durable and easy to clean, and the dual-position warming rack lifts up and out of the way when not in use for additional workspace. Providing protection from the elements and helping maintain the beauty of your grill, the control panel is recessed, keeping chrome knobs and switches out of the way. Experience more comfortable grilling with the unique Artisan air curtain chimney design, which keeps controls cool to the touch, even with lid closed. A built-in hood thermometer displays accurate temperatures for easy oven roasting. The matching 304 stainless steel cart features two side shelves, spacious dual access door storage, and locking caster wheels for easy mobility.
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Exterior Stainless Grade
|304 Stainless Steel|
|Primary Color||Stainless Steel|
Number Of Main Burners
Grilling Surface BTUs
Infrared Main Burner
Main Burner Material
|304 Stainless Steel|
Flame Tamer Material
Cooking Grate Material
|Cooking Grid Dimensions||33 1/2 X 18"|
|Main Grilling Area||603 Sq. Inches|
|Rotisserie Burner BTUs||No Rear Burner|
Heat Zone Separators
Spring Assisted Hood
Includes Smoker Box
|Made In USA||Yes|
|Medium (27 - 33")|
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Artisan warrants the stainless steel burners to be free of defects in material and workmanship for a period of fifteen (15) years. The stainless steel body, lid and other housing components are warrantied for ten (10) years. The stainless steel ceramic briquette trays are warrantied for three (3) years. The ignition, rotisserie motor, and thermometer are warrantied for one (1) year. Labor not included.
Refer to manufacturers manual for full warranty details.
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Can the side shelves be removed from this grill? Thanks!
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Hello Lucas! Yes, the side shelves can be removed. I hope this helps!
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Current price $3,685.00
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Current price $4,344.98
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|Model||AAEP-36C-LP||BLZ-3PRO-LP + BLZ-3PRO-CART||BLZ-4LTE2MG-LP + BLZ-4-CART-SC||C2SL36LP + C1S36CT||Class||Premium||Luxury||Premium||Premium||Fuel Type||Propane||Propane||Propane||Propane||Collection||American Eagle||Blaze Professional LUX||Blaze Premium LTE Marine Grade||S-Series||Configuration||Freestanding||Freestanding||Freestanding||Freestanding||Exterior Material||Stainless Steel||Stainless Steel||Stainless Steel||Stainless Steel||Exterior Stainless Grade||304 Stainless Steel||304 Stainless Steel||316L Stainless Steel||304 Stainless Steel||Primary Color||Stainless Steel||Stainless Steel||Stainless Steel||Stainless Steel||Number Of Main Burners||3 Burners||3 Burners||4 Burners||4 Burners||Grilling Surface BTUs||60000||54000||56000||75000||Infrared Main Burner||Available||Available||Available||One Infrared||Main Burner Material||304 Stainless Steel||304 Cast Stainless Steel||316L Cast Stainless Steel||304 Cast Stainless Steel + Ceramic Infrared||Flame Tamer Material||Ceramic||Stainless Steel||Stainless Steel||Ceramic||Cooking Grate Material||Stainless Steel||Stainless Steel||Stainless Steel||Stainless Steel||Cooking Grid Dimensions||33 1/2 X 18"||30 13/16 X 19 15/16"||29 1/2 X 18"||33 1/4 X 17 1/4"||Main Grilling Area||603 Sq. Inches||615 Sq. Inches||531 Sq. Inches||640 Sq. Inches||Burger Count||26||24||18||26||WiFi/Bluetooth Enabled||None||None||None||None||Rotisserie Burner BTUs||No Rear Burner||10000||10000||15000||Rotisserie Kit||No||Yes||Available||Yes||Heat Zone Separators||No||Yes||Yes||No||Ignition Type||Continuous Spark||Flame Thrower||Flame Thrower||Flame Thrower||Flash Tubes||No||Yes||Yes||No||Grill Lights||None||Internal / External||Internal / External||Internal / External||Spring Assisted Hood||Yes||No||No||No||Thermometer||Analog||Analog||Analog||Analog||Includes Smoker Box||No||No||No||Yes||Side Shelves||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Hose Included||Yes||Yes||Yes||Yes||Side Burner||None||None||—||None||Made In USA||Yes||No||No||No||Cart Assembly||Pre-Assembled||Some Assembly Required||Some Assembly Required||Some Assembly Required||Commercial-Grade Multi-User||No||No||Yes||No||Size||Medium (27 - 33")||Medium (27 - 33")||Medium (27 - 33")||Medium (27 - 33")||Marine Grade||No||No||Yes||No|
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text:
Middlesea registers €8.86 million profit
Middlesea Insurance plc yesterday announced that it registered a profit before tax of €8.86 million in 2010, compared to a loss of €62.88 million in 2009. The Middlesea Group reported a profit before tax of €6.44 million in comparison to the loss of €54.4 million on the consolidated accounts for 2009.
“2010 was an eventful and challenging year,” said Joseph F.X. Zahra, Middlesea chairman. “It marked a stabilisation year which was crucial in taking the company forward”.
In a statement the company said the focus was re-set on local operations, in order to consolidate and improve upon Middlesea’s leadership position in the Maltese market. The main operating companies of the group were realigned as stand alone, autonomous companies, each focussing on core domestic operations.
While registering an increase in premiums of 4.9 per cent Middlesea Insurance plc also strengthened its balance sheet and improved its regulatory solvency position with shareholders’ equity amounting to €54.9 million as at December 31, 2010 on a consolidated basis.
At the same time MSV Life plc, a jointly controlled company with Bank of Valletta plc, registered a record year of turnover, with total premiums for the year increasing by 18.3 per cent to €147.49 million and total comprehensive income of €9.65 million. MSV Life further consolidated its position in-creasing its total assets to €1.1 billion, and currently boasts shareholders’ equity of €108.89 million and a base of more than 83,500 customers.
Progress Assicurazioni SpA, the subsidiary company of Middlesea Insurance plc is in liquidation and in February 2011 an application was made by the liquidator to the Italian Courts in Palermo, requesting that the bankruptcy of the company be ascertained and declared as such by the court. This is a normal procedure for Liquidators to obtain a Court Ruling in order to enable them to move forward with the liquidation process. Middlesea said.
“Notwithstadning the sat-isfactory profits registered during the year, the board of directors cannot and is not recommending the payment of a div-idend, due to accumulated losses on the profit and loss a/c arising from the adverse results registered by Progress Assicurazioni SpA over the last two financial years – with such a position on the profit and loss a/c the provisions of the Companies Act prohibit the ability of the company to declare a dividend,” explained Mr Zahra.
In order to restore the company’s potential to declare prudent dividends, during the upcoming annual general meeting of May 3 the board of directors will be recommending a solution that is contemplated directly by the Companies Act, involving the offsetting of accumulated losses against the issued share capital and share premium account of the company. This, Middlesea said, will have no impact on the shareholders’ funds and the net asset value of the company.
Middlesea Insurance plc will seek to bolster its position in Malta and improve its existing leading position in the local market.
“We will pursue this strategic vision with resolve and also with the help of our industry institutional shareholders, Mapfre Internacional. The drivers will include customer-centricity, product innovation, efficiency and cost rationalisation,” emphasised Mr Zahra.

domain: finance


text:
That meant that the nation’s public schools, still largely segregated despite a supreme court order banning the practice in 1954, would have to allow black children to attend school alongside . There is a rise in the amount of “apartheid schools”- schools in which students of color make up 99% of the population in 2003, 1/6 of all black students were educated in “apartheid schools”. School segregation seems like it would be easy to gauge: just add up the number of segregated schools, and see whether that number is going up or down over time but the reality, unfortunately, is . A mostly white community in alabama is being allowed to secede from its mostly black school district parents are claiming school quality is at stake, but is it really just segregation in disguise. Until the court’s decision, many states across the nation had mandatory segregation laws, requiring african-american and white children to attend separate schools.
It has been more than 60 years since the us supreme court decided brown v board of education, holding that racial segregation in public schools violates the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment. Jim crow laws and racial segregation including six requiring school segregation, four which outlawed miscegenation, three which segregated railroads, two . The new segregation in doing so, more poor students of color could be rezoned to schools where the majority of students are currently white – schools that also boast high academic . In one of the school districts involved in the 1954 school desegregation cases, prince edward, virginia, county officials decided to close public schools altogether rather than integrate tuition benefits were provided to children to attend private schools, but the only private schools operating in the county had white-only admission policies.
The segregation of public schools went beyond issues of black and white members of virginia's indian tribes were also largely excluded from public education while many tribes established mission schools early in the twentieth century, these schools often only went up to the seventh grade. Boston is the latest city that is facing resegregation in its school system, an issue that many education advocates and experts say can intensify stark racial and economic divisions in the city a . The newcomers, like the capacchiones, came from the west and northeast, where schools were severely segregated, but few blamed racism the segregation of a city like new york seemed to many like . School segregation, the continuing tragedy of ferguson michael brown beat the odds by graduating from high school before his death — odds that remain stacked against black students in st louis .
Some experts estimate that between 60 and 70 percent of school segregation can be attributed to future of school desegregation in louisville, kentucky, 1975 . American schools are more segregated now than they were in 1968, and the supreme court doesn’t care in our national mythology about public school segregation, the supreme court holds a . Richard reeves and nathan joo look at whether school district secessions are leading to increase segregation. Jim crow's schools it was the widespread and long-standing practice of school segregation that gave the supreme court a foundation in precedent for the plessy v. The aclu women's rights project works to ensure that public schools do not become sex-segregated and that girls and boys receive equal educational opportunities in recent years, many school districts have introduced programs that allow for expanded use of single-sex education, often presenting these programs as quick-fix solutions to the array of problems facing many public schools.
For education purposes a civil war-era law could help change mississippi’s segregated school system (hbo) - duration: 6:44 vice news 63,196 views. Racial segregation is the separation of people into racial or other ethnic groups in daily life kansas in 1954 outlawed segregation in public schools. Board of education], our cases have imposed on school districts an unconditional duty to eliminate any condition that perpetuates the message of racial inferiority inherent in the policy of state-sponsored segregation the racial identifiability of a district's schools is such a condition. It was 1954 when the supreme court ruled in brown v board of education that separate but equal schools were unconstitutional the landmark decision put an end to legal segregation, but 60 years . America's public schools remain highly segregated and national levels—about the complex forces sustaining school segregation and the actions we need to take if .
We have little hope of remedying school segregation that flows from neighborhood racial isolation if we don't understand its causes social and economic disadvantage—not only poverty, but also a host of associated conditions—depresses student performance concentrating students with these . “a decision the court and the nation will come to regret” ten years ago, the united states supreme court struck down two local school board initiatives meant to reverse extreme racial . But the supreme court had already made clear that disproportionately black schools in districts with a history of legal segregation were highly suspicious, and that housing-based segregation could . School segregation in the united states has a long history in 1787 african americans in boston including prince hall campaigned against inequality and discrimination in the city's public schools.
Public schools are increasingly divided by race and class john oliver discusses the troubling trend towards school resegregation connect with last week ton. Denver school district no 1) the court distinguishes between state-mandated segregation (de jure) and segregation that is the result of private choices (de facto) the latter form of segregation, the court rules, is not unconstitutional. Despite its polychromatic diversity, new york city has one of most deeply segregated school systems in the nation when asked about this last week, mayor bill de blasio dodged by saying that the .

domain: law


text:
The gentle rolling landscape shown on the Louisiana map is a result of years of clays and silt being deposited by the Mississippi River. Remarkable Lake Pontchartrain is the largest estuary in southern Louisiana.
All of our state wall maps display an incredible amount of detail, from cities, highways, and mountain ranges, to valleys, rivers, and small towns. Louisiana map elevations are represented by color, and this, in combination with our relief shading technique, gives the map a lush, 3-dimensional look.
Louisiana Map Dimensions: 41" x 45"
Louisiana Map Scale: 1:500,000 (1" = about 8 miles)
by Raven Maps

domain: geography


text:
Do you find it hard to break dating female artists the barrier hookup mission viejo when trying to talk to the. 2 february 2018 keri hilson news, gossip, photos of keri hilson, biography, keri hilson boyfriend list 2016. discover new music on mtv. all images in this video are owned by dragon phoenix. this information can save you. beautiful ethiopian artist; click the photo to view hiwot mebratu’s full dating profile at african beauties. plenty of artists have examples of their best white dating while in ministry work on display. are you dating russian, ukrainian women from the countries of the former ussr? Russian brides looking for marriage. keri hilson. russian mail order brides in photos gallery. artists are unlocked at level 6, and are a base classmate type. the other side of the pickup artist spectrum : sarah mclachlan canadian sarah mclachlan is best known for speed dating yarra valley her emotive, glacial ballads, dating female artists but she complements her songwriting with an impressive. impassioned, ardent russian and ukraine brides in catalogs dating female artists dating.
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domain: artistic


text:
Streaming to raise money for a good cause is a big deal on Twitch, but the platform has always pointed creators elsewhere to manage the logistics of raising cash and getting it where it needs to go.
Now, the company is streamlining that process with Twitch Charity, a new set of donation tools built into the platform itself. Twitch promises that the new features will make it possible to get a charity stream up and running within a handful of clicks.
The beta is live now for a randomly chosen subset of streamers and a limited pool of pre-selected charities, but Twitch promises to add "many more" soon. Anyone in the beta will have an email from Twitch inviting them to try out the new tools and the features will roll out to most Twitch Partners and Affiliates globally by the end of the year.
The new charity tool ties into PayPal's donation system, PayPal Giving Fund, a 501(c)(3) with "hundreds of thousands" of causes and charities registered to its roster. Charities can register with PayPal and the payments platform receives donations directly, issues receipts to donors and deposits the funds into their PayPal account.
Previously, streamers would handle donations earmarked for their cause of choice by transferring Twitch subscriptions and Bits, the platform's virtual currency, into donations — a multistep, manual process. Without a dedicated donation feature, Twitch pointed creators toward external donation platforms like Tiltify or encouraged them to send viewers straight to a cause's own donation page.
"For streamers, it makes raising money for important causes easier and transparent," Twitch wrote in a blog post. "For viewers, it should make supporting those causes simpler, clearer and more impactful."
Creators can find the new fundraising options in a new "charity" section of the creator dashboard. Through the dashboard, creators can select a charity, choose a goal amount and toggle on "charity mode," which activates a button prompting viewers to donate.
When creators use charity mode, Twitch doesn't keep any portion of the money donated and the full amount will be issued to a chosen cause with only payment processing fees deducted.
Huge channels and small-time creators alike regularly participate in telethon-like streaming marathons to raise money for their favorite causes. A multistreamer charity event hosted by Zerator and Dach broke records last year after it raised $11.5 million for Action Against Hunger, a global organization dedicated to treating and preventing malnutrition.


text:
Last night the San Antonio Spurs almost pulled off their most impressive win in recent regular season memory. Down 18 with about three minutes left in the third quarter, a Spurs roster that consisted of Gary Neal, Danny Green, James Anderson, Matt Bonner and Tiago Splitter roared back to give the Spurs the lead late in the fourth, only to eventually lost by one in overtime.
It was an incredible showing of poise and knowledge of a system. While many were suprised by this comeback, one guy, Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle wasn't. Carlisle told the media after the game he wasn't entirely surprised by the comeback because of Coach Pop.
"I think he's the greatest coach, really ever in this game, because all their guys function within their system at a high level," Carlisle said.
That's high praise for a guy who just led his team to an NBA title. ESPN's Henry Abbott added this about Pop's ability to turn a no win situation like last night's game was shaping up to be in to a situation that instilled confidence in a group of guys who are a little further down on the Spurs' totem pole. It's something termed as "Royal Jelly".
"It's about the fine art of nurturing players -- intelligently giving them the support, trust and guidance to evolve. It's the opposite of assuming players are what they are and can be no different. Baby bees can turn into drones or queens. They're born the same. The queens, though, are the ones that get the royal jelly, which, I'd argue, Popovich hands out more readily than most coaches.
In most systems, on most teams, the big minutes in the big games go to those who have already earned them. In San Antonio, Popovich knows those minutes can do a lot to inspire young players to develop. He has long been handing them out to players who would struggle to make a lot of NBA rosters. And he has way more than his fair share of those players evolve into meaningful contributors. Is it just that his front office knows how to find diamonds in the rough? Or maybe Popovich has mastered the art of polishing."
There are no moral victories, especially when you're playing the Mavs, but given how well the bench played I didn't turn off last night's game feeling terrible about the outcome.
Maybe in some past year he was the best, but not this year. How can you let a talent like Anderson go? Don't tell me it's his injury, he is still on that cheap rookie contract ! He is a all-around type of player but the FO forced him to be a jump shooter like Neal! Sadly, he is no Neal and you will be regret giving him up.
In theory OK, but reality a Division win against Dallas would have been huge. The B team would of had more motivation with a win, not a loss, why not sub a couple of times to at least rest the b teamers that were obviously gassed...
I am happy that Pop stuck with the "B" team, the result was unfortunate; however I feel it will pay off later on. In the past the Spurs approached the post season knowing that they did not need the top seed to go all the way. Recent years have seen the Spurs suffer injuries at the wrong time (think: 2008 WCF and 2009 1st Rd). Last year the team played with a sense of urgency during the regular season to get that top seed and they did, only to have Ginobili get injured on the last day of the season. We don't need to be reminded how that played out. So yes, a loss against Dallas does hurt especially if it comes down to a tiebreaker and the Spurs don't own it. However, if the team uses this condensed schedule to become a cohesive unit and can avoid any other injuries when TJ and Manu return they will be able to make some noise in the playoffs especially if Pop can continue to minimize TD's and TP's minutes.
I must agree the comeback was a fine thing to watch, however, down to overtime you must interject some of your rested superstars. The "B" teamers played an entire quarter without be subed for, they WERE GASSED and everyone knew it. I think Pop is one of the greatest coaches ever but we all knew he was trying to prove a point and it cost him a game against a division rival that he was tied for first place with...It was a misteak
A ton of credit to Pop for going with and sticking with the second 5. That said, I was watching the game with 2 other Spurs fans and to a man we all said Noooo when we saw Bonner on the court for the last possession. My friend said " If he gets the imbound pass, he can't move or handle the ball well enough". The rest Spurs faithful is history. I have no idea what Pop was thinking with that final, critical move.

domain: sports


text:
In case you didn’t already know, the 49ers reminded you on Tuesday that they are all-in on winning the Super Bowl this season.
Ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, the Niners traded for former Pro Bowl defensive end Chase Young from the Washington Commanders in a deal that shocked even the deepest NFL insiders.
The Niners will send a paltry third-round pick to Washington for half a season of Young.
It’s the kind of splash move that could right the Niners’ currently wayward ship.
It’s the kind of trade that could put the rest of the NFL on notice once again.
It’s the kind of move that a coach and general managers with nothing to lose and everything to gain would do.
So that’s why Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch pulled the trigger on Tuesday.
Let’s be clear about the big-picture scenario at hand: The 49ers need to win a Super Bowl in the next three seasons.
That’s how long Brock Purdy’s dirt-cheap contract runs. That’s the window for the 49ers to put absurd talent around the quarterback in an effort to build the NFL’s best team.
When Purdy’s rookie deal expires, the Niners would need to pay Purdy like a franchise quarterback — meaning more than $30 million a season — or go looking for another quarterback to helm the offense.
In short, we know when the party is going to end.
But for the next three years, money is flowing for the 49ers like it’s the aughts all over again in Silicon Valley.
Purdy will make $3.1 million in total over the next three seasons. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow makes that amount for one game. (Though after his Week 8 win over the Niners, it’s hard to say he doesn’t deserve it.)
Purdy is the cheapest starting quarterback in the NFL, playing for roughly 3 percent of what he would be worth on the open market.
If Shanahan and Lynch do not take advantage of this all-time windfall by winning a title, they deserve to be fired. They know it, too. And they’re acting on that timeline.
Yes, it’s now or never for San Francisco. So why should Shanahan, Lynch, or fans care about draft picks or the salary cap? Why wouldn’t they all be all-in?
With that in mind, this is still a blockbuster deal for San Francisco.
When I wrote Monday that I didn’t expect the 49ers to make a splash before the trade deadline, that was under the understanding that Washington wouldn’t give up Young for a third-round pick. Did Washington general manager Martin Mayhew even bother to shop Young to other teams, or did he give his former bosses in Santa Clara a sweetheart deal?
This is the second time that Shanahan has fleeced Washington — an organization he hated from his time there as his father’s offensive coordinator — for a Pro Bowl-level talent. In 2020, the 49ers landed left tackle Trent Williams for third- and fifth-round picks for one of the most lopsided deals in recent NFL history.
Now, Young is likely to be a rental. He’s a free agent at the end of the season. But for the 49ers, he’s a no-risk, all-reward play. Young has 14 career sacks in 34 games. He’s been plagued by injury the last few seasons, but he has the talent to be one of the NFL’s best quarterback killers. All he’ll cost the Niners is a forgettable draft pick and $1 million in salary.
You’re telling me there wasn’t another team in the league interested in that arrangement?
Did the Commanders make this move with the singular intent of sticking it to the rival Eagles? (If so, I respect it.)
I have difficulty believing Kansas City, Buffalo, and Baltimore couldn’t beat this price.
Alas, their missed opportunity is the 49ers’, well, opportunity.
Perhaps with Young bookending Nick Bosa on the defensive line, the Niners’ defense can look like itself again. It’ll undoubtedly allow Bosa to take snaps off. Health permitting, the Niners will have the meanest defensive end rotation in the league for the remainder of the season.
Maybe we’ll see this defense’s early-season, last-season form if the Niners can start pressuring the quarterback. After all, this defense is predicated on the defensive line — all of this team’s problems might go away if the Niners start winning with four-man rushes again.
Now, is it a good look that the 49ers felt the need to trade for Chase when they already have the highest-paid defensive end in the NFL, a second-round pick from 2022, and the recently acquired Randy Gregory?
But the truth is that you can never have too many pass rushers. And with Bosa sitting 64th on the NFL sack leaders list, behind such household names as Mike Danna, Casey Toohill, Drue Tranquill, and DJ Wonnum (are those real players, or did I make them up?), the 49ers found themselves deficient up front. It might have been the root cause of this team’s defensive slippage over the last few weeks.
And instead of hoping and praying things improve going into the second half of this season — one of three in the Niners’ Super Bowl window — Shanahan and Lynch did something about the problem.
You can’t ask for anything more from your team’s leadership.


text:
As I started coming around again, in spite of all my efforts not to, I realised that I had an awful headache. Surely a surprise after the blow, which had almost made my skull cave in earlier that same day. Who ever wanted me unconscious had done a really fine job. I felt like dying, well I imagine that dying would feel just like this!
I was lying on a big bed with white silk sheets, soft and clean. As I regained totally consciousness, I realised that I had absolutely no idea where I was. It wasn't one of the rooms in the duke's castle. It was an unfamiliar place. A strange setting. But I wasn't afraid.
Slowly I rose my head from the soft pillow, feeling every inch of it aching. The pain was terrible, but my growing curiosity was eating me up - I had to know where I was. Perhaps my master had found out about my adultery and decided to send my back to the convent? Or another place?
As I approached the window, I recognised Paolo's castle on the other side of the Tiber which could only mean... I was at Castel Sant'Angelo. And I was a prisoner.
Before this new discovery could reach the back of my brain, the door to my room (or was it my cell?) opened. And an elderly man made his entry. Behind him my handsome soldier appeared. All of a sudden I understood, the beautiful man had lured me in a trap, banged me on the head and brought me here. I was surely a prisoner; the only thing I hadn't figured out was who was behind it all? Who hated my master enough to robe me? Who?
The elderly man placed a tray with food and wine on the bed before he left the room silently. The soldier stayed.
'I'm sorry for the pain I have inflicted on your head, but it was necessary.' He tried to smile, but something held him back. 'I serve a master who has a dispute with your master. I know that you cannot forgive me right here and right now, but perhaps in time...'
I didn't answer, just looked at him. he was smashing as he stood there. If I didn't know better, I would have sworn that I was falling in love. Before he felt me alone, he smile and stroked his right hand across my chick.
As the light in my room grew dim I ate a bit and drank a lot, sad as I was. Did the duke, Folletto and il Bello Muto know that I was gone? Did they care? The drunker, I got, the more a sneaking feeling of self-pity invaded my brain.
In my drunkenness I laid on the bed thinking, absent-minded. The darkness had totally invaded the room, only a dim moonbeam reached me. But, unfortunately, it just wasn't strong enough to light up the room. It was strange, like a deja vu when I recognised a silent shadow in the shape of a man standing in the middle of the dark room. It looked like the stranger from the convent. I tried to get a glimpse of his face, but all I could see was that he wasn't smiling.
I stood up as he spoke.
'Azizo,' he said.
Unfortunately the dim light only allowed me to see the outline of his likeable body, but not his face. It was the man from the convent.
By the glimpse of him my trousers were getting very tight. He was wearing the same clothes as at the convent, showing his chest and legs off so well that it caused the lump in my pants to tingle and throb, just like that night. I was only a heartbeat away from jumping him.
Delighted and randy as always I want him, my stomach filled with fluttering butterflies. I grabbed his hand and drew him towards the bed. Abruptly I stopped and he narrowly missed colliding with me.
He turned around and the next thing I knew, his arms were wrapped around my waist and our tongues entwined in a passionate kiss. I put my hands on his board chest, my fingers going instinctively for his succulent tits. They were hard against the balls of my fingers, and, judging by his shuddering response to my touch, very sensitive.
I finally broke our kiss, pushed him back against the edge of the large bed and set about discovering just how sensitive they really were. He whimpered and groaned, tangling his fingers in my hair, holding my mouth right on target. I chewed the thick meaty point on his left pec till he was panting, and then set about working over its twin.
He deftly unbuckled my belt and popped open the fly of my pants. I did the same for him and our cocks were soon crossed like swords. The unknown man was ready and raring to go. His fat prick curved up tight against his concave belly, and his balls were drawn up into a knot between his legs. He reached between my thighs and ran a tentative finger over my ass-pucker. I whimpered and my bung throbbed invitingly.
He wanted my ass and he wanted it badly. He stood back, flipped me around and helped me out of my pants. He got naked as well and knelt behind me, cupping my glorious buttocks in his hands. They were smooth and firm as melons. He kissed both cheeks gently, and began tonguing the damp furrow between them. I leaned forward onto the bed, spreading the perfect globes wide apart with my hands.
My ass-hole was puckered tight, without a single hair. The stranger was licking his way to the target, and then lapped sensually across the delicate flesh. His tongue was making me crazy. He smelled of soap, sweat and funk - a heady mixture that made my dick throb eagerly. He poked me gently with the tip of his tongue and my ring dilated slightly, letting him fight his way beyond it to my hidden delights. He could fell that I was clean and hot and silky soft inside. When he reached up between my legs and squeezed my hooded prick, the horny squirted out of me, oozing between his fingers and dripping on to the bed like drops of spun glass.
He smeared my juice on his cock, milking himself as well for enough of the slick stuff to ease the way when he moved to the next phase of his seduction. He gave my ass-hole a final poke and stood up, rubbing his throbbing shaft up and down my crack, tracing the muscle-knotted ridge of my spine with his fingers.
He was just getting ready to aim his arrow at my quivering bull's-eye, I know because I felt the tip of it, when I spun round and hit the floor, anxious to see what I was getting myself into - or rather what was getting in to me, to be more precise. I wrapped my fingers around the shaft and started licking the sticky head, sending shiver up and down his spine. He leaned forward so that he could play with my tits and let me go for it. I sucked the cover back up over his knob, chewing the sensitive skin beyond the end.
I kept it up till I thought his knees would buckle, and then I lunged forward and butted him in the gut with my forehead, my lips tight around the base of his cock. My hands were splayed on his ass, pulling forward, trying to swallow him, cock first. I guess he took it for as long as he could, then grabbed me by the arms and hauled me back to my feet, kissing my sticky lips.
'Let's fuck', he said in a hoarse voice.
I nodded willingly. He turned me around again and took careful aim. Slowly he pushed forward, and I savoured the sensations as his big piece of meat gradually expanded my thigh little pucker. He feed me two inches, then pulled back one, till my ass-ring was finally gripping the thick base of his cock. Damn, that felt good! He leaned into me for a long time, not moving, flexing his ass to swell the big knob on the end of his dick. I felt it alright, groaning my appreciation softly.
He started out on me, slow and easy, pulling out till only the head was still wedged up in me, then sliding it in to the hilt. My muscular butt thrust back to meet his every stroke, encouraging him to pound harder and faster.
Soon, he was slamming into me with all his strength, making the old wooden bed buck and creak with the strain.
I arched my back like a bow as I craned my neck to kiss him. He wrapped his arms around my chest and kept on driving, sweat pouring off of him, as he rapidly drew closer to the point of no return.
I was jacking myself frantically, grinding my ass against his hips, my muscles knotted by the intensity of my rapidly approaching orgasm. He reached between my legs and started squeezing my nuts, wanting me to shoot with him and knowing that the time was now.
Suddenly my spunk started pumping. Right then he joined me, shooting cum up my sore ass.
Afterwards, he held me tight, licking the sweat off my neck and stroking my flat belly. I was ready to go all over again and I got the feeling that he had no intention of giving up possession of my butt, unless he had to.
'Azizo, we have to talk', his voice broke unexpected the silence.
'Who are you?' was my only question. Somehow I didn't care why he had brought me here, or why he had paid the soldier to trap me. The only thing that mattered was that I had him, like I had dreamed I would.
He stood up and lighted a small lamp at the bedside. Imagine my surprise when I realised that the unknown man, the well-hung stranger, who had made love to me at the convent was Raimondo, Paolo's cousin and his newly enemy.
The only word I could falter was 'you!'
'Yes, it is I,' he smiled at me with his hungry eyes, the same way he had smiled the day of our first meeting on Paolo's ship.
Now I was intrigued, and several questions popped up in my drunken brain.
'Why have you brought me here, alone?'
'You are not alone. I'm here. And so are Folletto and il Bello Muto. They are staying here too. All three of you.'
'But why?' I was disappointed, thinking that I wasn't the only one he wanted by his side.
'Because I need all three of you. You Azizo are here because I just cannot forget your body and your sweet caresses. Concerning Folletto and the other one, they are here because they are my cousin's lovers, just like you, and they are going to provide me with the sum of ten thousand gold ducats which Paolo forgot to pay me, for doing his dirty work. That is the reason why!'
Raimondo fondled my fat nuts in preparation for round two, as I was wrapped up in bitter thoughts. Finally I had realised what this was all about. Raimondo had kidnapped all of us to get back at Paolo. My poor Paolo, what was he to do without Folletto and il Bello Muto?
During my stay I was treated very well. I had no contact with Folletto or il Bello Muto what so ever, but I later learned that they got the same treatment as me, except for Raimondo's passionate lovemaking.


text:
Today, we end the series with a little frosting on top, courtesy of the co-founder of Crumbs Bake Shop, Mia Bauer.
Mia Bauer: My favorite book is Edith Wharton’s Age of Innocence and I have read it over a dozen of times. The novel is set in New York City at the turn of the century. At first, this story seems completely disconnected from the life of a modern-day business woman, but the themes are so universal that they still resonate.
Ms. Wharton devotes considerable time detailing the food preparation in the kitchens of grand houses. Pages and pages are filled with exquisite meals and how they are prepared, served and consumed. I read these pages over and over because the beauty and artistry come to life and I appreciate the extensive planning and organization. There are endless details that come into play when getting a retail business off the ground and for the same reasons I marvel at them in the Age of Innocence I enjoy taking care of them in my business, Crumbs Bake Shop.
There was a time when social activity centered around meals and people came together to converse and enjoy food prepared at home. This is the memorable experience I hope to conjure for our customers when they walk in our stores. I had a very clear picture of how our stores should look and feel and the kind of unique, quality baked goods we should sell.
Yet, perhaps the most profound influence the Age of Innocence had on my decision to open a business was the promise I made to never live a life of regret. I did not want to be Countess Olenska, who must sacrifice the thing she loves, or worse Newland Archer. He lives out his days with aching regret because he must do what is expected of him. I abandoned a successful career in law to pursue a dream — despite how many times could I hear the shock and disapproval in people’s voices. But I knew if I didn’t make the attempt I would always wonder: “What if?”
Ryssdal: Mia Bauer is the co-founder and vice president of Crumbs Bake Shop.
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domain: literature


text:
The Tower of Infinite Problems (detail)
Polymer gypsum, steel, plaster, fibreglass, wood, polystyrene, cardboard, wax and paint
241.3 x 442 x 251.5 cm
Diana Al-Hadid is a Syrian-American artist who lives and works in New York. Her sculptures take ‘towers’ as their central theme, drawing together a wide variety of associations: power, wealth, technological and urban development, ideas of progress and globalism. They are also – both in legends such as the Tower of Babel, and reality, such as the horrors of the World Trade Centre attacks – symbols of the problems of cultural difference and conflict. Al-Hadid’s Tower of Infinite Problems poses as a toppled skyscraper. Made from crude materials such as plaster, Styrofoam, wax, and cardboard, her structure is a monument to human fallibility. Sprawling on the floor like an imaginary archaeological find, the sculpture places the viewer in a fictional role as futuristic observer, mourning the tragic follies of a past (our current) civilization. If viewed from the end, the two parts of the structure converge in an optical illusion, creating a spiral vortex suggesting a cyclical repetition of history.