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Bad reviews killed the poet Keats, so the story goes. Even though the tale has been debunked, it remains popularly repeated. We enjoy the éclat of unjust criticism, especially of the famous, even as we relish pitying the weakness of the oversensitive. The great film director Akira Kurosawa reportedly tried to kill himself after one of his movies was panned. The death of the writer Susan Taubes, an expert on Simone Weil, seems to have been linked to the thrashing given to her first and only novel.
Although suicides may be the outliers, the list of writers whose ill-treatment at the hands of critics led to their despair, reticence, and silence is long. Mostly, their fates are remembered as defamatory bits of trivia in our educated conversation. But perhaps, following the lead of another figure of literate gossip, we should take more seriously the pernicious role of ridicule in our common life, not to mention in our personal behavior.
Germaine de Staël (1766–1817) is today remembered as a proto-feminist and advocate of “enlightenment,” leading forces of republican reform early in the Revolution, and later standing as a critic of Napoleon’s tyranny. She was a prolific writer from a powerful political family, and her early novels were viewed as anti-religious—talented young women forced into nunneries or bound to social roles, their gifts wasted and spirits suffocated—and her essays, pamphlets, and intellectual friendships seen as subversive. Often judged an exemplar of social liberation, she in fact seems to have had rather traditional views about sexual difference, and her genius was more influentially deployed in the realm of culture and the arts than in radical political activism. She was listened to by neither monarchist nor republican in that violent era.
Whatever her political identity, de Staël certainly cannot be ranged among the patrons of today’s internet character assassination and intellectual mutilation. One of her most consistent themes is the socially destructive power of public ridicule. A follower summed up her argument: The “habit of ridicule” constitutes the “dry rot” of a generous imagination. De Staël wanted to safeguard creative thinking. She was convinced that public mockery and scorn are the enemies of inventive thought, which by its nature must take risks.
The social position of women writers in her time led de Staël to reflect on the act and experience of public ridicule from a particular perspective. Women’s virtues and value were, in the public sphere, almost wholly confined to domestic matters. If they wrote and published—which not a few did—they were expected to focus on matters that dealt with the domestic sphere, such as conjugal love, motherhood, and the ordering of family and affections. To stray beyond these topics in public discourse was to trespass into a realm where the masculine writer was expected to hold sway. Politics, art, social concerns, theology, and philosophy were viewed as male domains to be jealously guarded.
Well into the early twentieth century, de Staël was subjected to a torrent of critiques and insults related to her sex, clustered around her purported lack of femininity: “trying to be a man,” “sounding like a man,” “pretending to be a man.” Public characterizations of her work, penned by otherwise respected critics, descended into the personal, trading in vicious rumors and finally painting her as ugly, boorish, crude, and sexually repellant. These last descriptions were so far from the truth—de Staël was among the most beautiful feminine figures of her era, by the measures of the times—that a reader today cannot help but be struck by the way ideological disdain so easily distorts physical perception itself. It mounts a toxic invasion of the whole cognitive process.
De Staël’s intellectual alertness drove her to think all this through. Her works frequently treat the theme of society’s tendency to berate women intellectuals. A short essay on “women who write” in her popular collection “On Literature” summarizes some of her reflections. As she puts it: In monarchies, women writers fear ridicule; in republics, they are hated. The combination of the two—derision and malice—limns the full cultural habit of ridicule.
In a monarchy, de Staël explains, women writers, who are viewed as having no other purpose in their endeavors than vainglory, are utterly “dependent on opinion” and its judgments. Men, by contrast, have had centuries to develop socially acceptable motives for writing in the face of opposition (courage, moral commitment, and honor). In the revolutionary republic, however, the terrain shifts. There is a general disdain of reason and excellence, and public opinion views women who read, think, or converse—let alone who write—simply as enemies of politically imposed mediocrity. To be a woman writer in her era, de Staël suggests, is to subject oneself to an enveloping assault on one’s “dignity and grace,” something that inevitably saps the spirit.
But women writers are only one object of ridicule. De Staël sees ridicule as a larger cultural habit that undermines moral and intellectual integrity altogether. In her pioneering work on German culture, she repeatedly returns to this theme: The French (in contrast to the Germans) are a people who value ridicule, their own social organization being one in which people seek honor, always at the expense of others. The French are thus captive to group-think, which is ever the enemy of “love, enthusiasm, and religion.” Ridicule undermines family and indeed all human relations of faithfulness—not only when it is aimed at those we love, but also when, as we listen to those we love tear others down, we see exposed in them a consuming malice. Caught in a cycle of mutual denigration, cultures devoted to ridicule end up thinking less of those they most cherish. The world is dirtied.
But as de Staël explains, ridicule goes deeper still. It destroys the disciplines of thought, becoming a stand-in for careful attention to difficult ideas and texts. Ridicule often covers up laziness of mind with claims that certain authors are too “obscure” or “boring.” The social habit of ridicule thrives in a populace fed on newspaper snippets and haphazard gossip and conversation. The very philosophy of materialism, she argues, is one of the easiest ways to “manage” such intellectual laziness, tied as it is to a disdain for anything that would assert the “dignity of man” as a framework for listening to others. In a materialist culture of ridicule, she writes, production and numbers are all that truly “count” critically. Any intellectual project that is “unsuccessful” according to the metric of quantifiable evidence is thus intrinsically worthy of ridicule. While de Staël was no orthodox Christian—her spiritual enthusiasms lay with the German Romantics—her observations were religiously accurate and prescient.
It is common, in the midst of today’s internet-driven journalistic pugilism, to decry the weak constitutions of those who wilt under the pressures of “pugnacious” critique and personal attack. Too much heat? Get out of the kitchen! De Staël’s desire that people be allowed simply to express themselves with some modicum of peace sprang from a deeper appreciation for the way societies can further—or weaken—human dignity, as they inform how people talk about one another. And in arriving at this insight, so urgently needed today, she drew from the wells of Jewish and Christian sensibility.
Among modern Judaism’s greatest theological writings are the treatises of Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, known as “The Chofetz Chaim” or “Desirer of Life.” The epithet is drawn from Psalm 34:12–13: “What man [is he that] desireth life . . . ? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.” Rabbi Kagan used this verse as a title for an extensive legal discussion of evil speech (lashon hara) and gossip (rechilut), developing the Talmudic claim that speaking evil—even if true—of another person is a sin that surpasses murder and idolatry, and that its prevalence among the Jewish people caused the Temple’s destruction. The prohibition against slander of any kind is built not simply on scriptural command (see Leviticus 19:16), but on a deeper sense that such speech represents a blaspheming of the Creator and an empowering of Satan, the primordial “Accuser.” Jesus and his followers were no less categorical in their condemnation of ridicule and evil speech (see Matt. 5:22 and12:36–7; the procedures of Matt. 18; and James 3:5–12). This tradition touches realities that go well beyond the perverse pleasures of critical assault, aiming at the meanness that circulates beneath the surface of everyday life. By this analysis, cultures of ridicule promote human sin at its most insidious; everyone is encouraged to be a Satan.
De Staël once wrote that “the dread of ridicule is like the sword of Damocles, which no banquet of the imagination can ever make us forget.” She may well have been a better writer without this hanging threat that cast its gloomy shadow over her career. Who can say? But certainly, without it, we would be the better readers, not only of books—de Staël’s included—but of the book of nature and our social lives, which is to say God’s world.
Ephraim Radner is professor of historical theology at Wycliffe College.


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[Show abstract][Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: Influenza virus infections with subtypes H1N1, H3N2 and H1N2 are very common in domestic pigs in Europe. Data on possible differences of population dynamics in finishing pigs in farrow-to-finish herds and in specialised finishing herds are, however, scarce. The presence of sows and weaned piglets on the same premises may, however, affect the exposure of finishing pigs to influenza viruses. In a longitudinal study on 14 farrow-to-finish herds and 15 finishing herds, groups of pigs were followed by repeatedly testing the same animals for antibodies against all three influenza virus subtypes (H1N1, H3N2 and H1N2). At the end of the finishing period, the seroprevalences in farrow-to-finish and specialised finishing herds were 44.3% and 62.0%, respectively for H1N1, 6.6% and 19.3%, respectively for H3N2, and 57.2% and 25.6%, respectively for H1N2. For all three subtypes, the incidence of influenza virus infections was highest at the beginning of the finishing period in farrow-to-finish herds, while the incidence of influenza virus infections was highest at the end of the finishing period in finishing herds. Respiratory disease, probably related to the influenza infections, was observed in five of these herds only, but also occurred at the beginning of the finishing period in farrow-to-finish herds and at the end of the finishing period in finishing herds. The observed differences of population dynamics of influenza virus may affect choice and timing of intervention measures.
Full-text · Article · Feb 2009 · Veterinary Microbiology
[Show abstract][Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to determine the role of maternally derived antibodies (MDA) against an influenza H1N1 virus in the clinical protection of piglets and especially their effect on the development of the active immunity after an infection with a homologous influenza H1N1 virus. Twenty piglets with MDA and 10 piglets without MDA were housed together and inoculated twice with influenza H1N1 virus, at 7 and 15 weeks of age. Nine piglets without MDA were added to these groups at 12 weeks of age to be inoculated at 15 weeks of age only. Clinical signs, body temperature, growth performance, virus excretion, antibody responses, and influenza-specific T-cell response were monitored. It was shown that MDA protect piglets against the clinical consequences of a primary influenza infection, but that this protection is not complete. A short but significant rise in body temperature was observed and growth seemed to be inhibited due to the infection. Piglets with MDA shed virus for a longer period after an infection than piglets without MDA. Piglets with and without MDA were protected against the clinical consequences of a secondary infection. However, both after primary and secondary infection significant differences in immune responses were observed that indicated that pigs with MDA developed a weaker immunity than pigs without MDA. Furthermore, overall growth performances from weaning to slaughter show a trend in favour of pigs without maternal antibodies, compared to pigs with maternal antibodies, mainly caused by a significant better performance in the second half of the finishing period. The results of this study provide us insight in the role of MDA in clinical protection and their influence on active immunity after an influenza virus infection of pigs. Furthermore, it leads us to the discussion about the profitability of massive sow herd vaccinations in an attempt to increase MDA levels in piglets, taking into account the overall performance of these piglets and the possible effects on antigenic drift.
[Show abstract][Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 32 Dutch breeding herds to estimate the incidence of influenza-virus infections in piglets before the start of the finishing period, at the age of approximately 10 weeks. Longitudinal studies on two herds (8 and 10 litters, respectively) were done to obtain an average decay function for maternal antibodies.Each participating farm in the cross-sectional study was visited twice within 5 months; each time, blood samples were taken randomly from one compartment (a separate room with separate air flow) of 4-5-week-old piglets and one compartment of 8-9-week-old piglets. These blood samples (a total of 2598; 16-23 per compartment, depending on its size) were tested in a haemagglutination inhibition test for antibodies against influenza-virus subtypes H1 and H3. Samples from 8-9-week-old piglets from the first sampling period (n=660) were also tested in an IgM ELISA. For each individual herd and each influenza-virus subtype separately, the decay function derived from the longitudinal studies was used to calculate an expected seroprevalence in 8-9-week-old piglets, which was then compared to the observed seroprevalence. Depending on subtype and sampling period, between 10 and 15 of the 32 herds were suspected of virus circulation during the weaning period because the observed seroprevalence was significantly higher than the expected seroprevalence (P<0.05). In the first sampling period the IgM ELISA confirmed six of these outbreaks. However, due to the small window of detection of the IgM ELISA (compared to the length of the weaning period), it will always underestimate the number of infections. Infections in the first half of the weaning period will no longer be detectable because IgM antibodies have already disappeared. In individual pigs, an incidence of 16-17% was estimated for each subtype over a 4-week period between the age of 4-5 and 8-9 weeks. For each influenza subtype, 80% of the piglets will enter the finishing facilities without antibodies or with decaying maternal antibodies. These piglets may be susceptible to an infection with influenza virus.
Full-text · Article · Feb 2003 · Veterinary Microbiology
[Show abstract][Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: The purpose of this investigation was to study the incidence and course of Salmonella infections in finishing pig herds in order to asses the stability of a given Salmonella herd status. Five low- and 7 high-seroprevalence herds were followed for seven sampling rounds. Each round, blood and faecal samples were tested in an indirect ELISA and by bacteriological culturing, respectively. In high-seroprevalence herds a positive Salmonella status was an indication of a long-term problem and the status was relatively stable over time. The herds experiencing clinical salmonellosis were not necessarily the herds with the highest seroprevalence. It is possible to deliver sero-negative finishers to the slaughterhouse, even though these pigs were seropositive as growers. In three out of five low-prevalence herds, major infection incidents occurred, indicating that changes in the Salmonella status should be anticipated. Low-prevalence herds can remain negative over a longer period of time as a result feeding a complete liquid feed containing fermented by-products.
No preview · Article · Aug 2001 · The Veterinary quarterly
[Show abstract][Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: The aim of the study was to test whether acidified drinking water, with two millilitres of an acid mixture per litre, was able to reduce the number of Salmonella infections in finishing pig herds. In each compartment, half of the pens were supplied with acidified water and the other pens served as negative control. In three herds the required dose was not applied to the pigs as a result of various practical problems. In another herd, all pigs remained seronegative throughout the study. Analysis of the remaining three herds showed a large and significant treatment effect in one herd (P<0.001). As a result of the small number of observations and the overall lower seroprevalence in the control groups, the other two herds only showed a statistical trend to a treatment effect (0.10<P<0.05). The main practical problem was the clogging of drinking nipples as a result of fungal growth in the pipelines.
No preview · Article · Jul 2001 · The Veterinary quarterly
[Show abstract][Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to provide baseline data on the population and herd Salmonella seroprevalence in sows and finishers. For the population estimates in 1996 and 1999 and the herd prevalences for sows and gilts, blood samples from swine vesicular disease (SVD) and pseudorabies monitoring programmes were used and tested in an indirect Salmonella enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The herd prevalence for finishers was determined using blood samples collected at two slaughterhouses. The population prevalence for finishers in 1996 and 1999 was 23.7 and 24.5%, respectively, and for sows 40.5 and 60.4%, respectively. The prevalence in free range (FR) finishers was significantly higher (44.6%) than in intensively housed finishers in 1999, identifying a hazard group for possible extra pork and pork product contamination. Of 406 finishing herds, 9% were completely seronegative for Salmonella (cut-off OD%>10). Of these 406 finishing herds, 69.7% had Salmonella-status I (low prevalence), 21.7% status II (moderate prevalence) and 8.6% status III (high prevalence) (cut-off OD%>40). In 46 multiplying sow herds, 20 breeding sow herds and 20 matching replacement gilt herds, the average herd prevalences were 54, 44.4 and 19.3%, respectively. Two gilt herds were completely seronegative. The prevalence in the gilt herds was never higher than in the matching breeding sow herds. Agreement on methodology and calibration of ELISA tests would make these results comparable between countries and is a prerequisite for a co-ordinated and integrated program to reduce Salmonella in pork in the European Union.
No preview · Article · Jun 2001 · Veterinary Microbiology
[Show abstract][Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: A national program to reduce Salmonella in pork and pork products should include monitoring and intervention at farm level. To develop an adequate intervention strategy at farm level, risk factors for Salmonella infections in finishing pigs have to be determined. In this study, blood samples were collected randomly at two slaughterhouses from slaughter pigs. Samples were tested by the Dutch Salmonella ELISA, based on the O-antigens 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 12, using a cut-off of OD%=10. This ELISA has been calibrated against the Danish ELISA to give comparable results. Workers from herds from which at least forty blood samples had been collected, were asked to participate in a questionnaire. In total, 353 questionnaires were obtained and analysed. Significant risk factors associated with the proportion of seropositive samples were identified by multiple linear logistic regression. The feeding of a complete liquid feed containing fermented by-products and the omission of disinfection after pressure washing a compartment as part of an all-in/all-out procedure, were both associated with a lower Salmonella seroprevalence. A small to moderate herd size (<800 finishing pigs), a previous diagnosis of clinical Salmonella infection in the herd, the use of tylosin as an antimicrobial growth promoter in finishing feed, or herds which had more than 16% of the livers of their pigs condemned at the slaughterhouse as a result of white spots were associated with a higher Salmonella seroprevalence. Hypothetical intervention strategies based on these risk factors can be studied for their effect on the Salmonella seroprevalence and practical applicability in field studies.
No preview · Article · Feb 2001 · Veterinary Microbiology
[Show abstract][Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: In this study, the rate of S. scabiei var. suis transmission among finishing pigs was quantified in a contact transmission experiment. Forty piglets originating from a mange free farrow-to-finish herd were randomly allocated to three groups and one S. scabiei var. suis infested finishing pig was subsequently added to each of these groups. After 35 days, the three seeder pigs were removed from the groups and the remaining 40 pigs were re-allocated to five pens. Ear scrapings, to be examined for mites, were collected from each pig on days 1, 14, 28, 42, 56, and 84 of the experiment. Blood samples, to be tested for antibodies against S. scabiei, were collected from each pig on days 0, 14, 28, 42, 56, 70, 84 and 112 after the introduction of the seeder pigs. From the results of the ear scrapings and the blood samples the number of susceptible (not infested) and infested pigs was derived at the time of each sample collection and the number of new infestations in the intervals between the sample collections. From these data the infestation rate parameter beta (average number of new infestations per infested pig per day) was estimated by use of a Generalised Linear Model (GLM) and accordingly, beta was estimated at 0.056 (95% CI: 0.037-0.085) infestations per infested pig per day.Next, by use of beta, the transmission of S. scabiei was simulated in a population of 100 finishing pigs for 100 days after the introduction of a single infested pig. For this purpose, 500 simulations were done. The 90% confidence interval of the number of infested pigs at day 100 ranged from 12 to 88 (median: 63). It was concluded that transmission of S. scabiei among finishing pigs is slow. Due to the presumed lower contact rate between sows as compared to finishing pigs, it is anticipated that transmission of S. scabiei among sows will even be slower than among finishers These findings are of particular interest for the development of surveillance programmes for S. scabiei free herds.
No preview · Article · Dec 2000 · Veterinary Parasitology
[Show abstract][Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: The effect of Stellamune Mycoplasma vaccine, administered to piglets aged 2-15 days and then 13-15 days later, on daily weight gain, energy conversion, and use of medication was examined in fattening pigs on a chronically Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infected pig farm. Half of the piglets were vaccinated and the other half acted as controls. In the study design, half of the pens in the fattening unit were allocated to vaccinated pigs; the other half to non-vaccinated pigs, pen was the experimental unit. In the fattening pens sows and castrated boars were separated. The study consisted of a total of 37 pens with vaccinated, and 37 pens with non-vaccinated pigs in 12 different compartments within the pig herd. In the finishing period, mean growth performance and mean energy conversion (EV/kg) of vaccinated animals was 65 grams/day higher and 0.07 EV/kg lower than in control pigs. Furthermore, the incidence of individual curative medication against respiratory problems was more than 4 times higher in control pigs than in vaccinated pigs. There was a tendency for a higher number of group medications against respiratory problems in control pigs than in vaccinated pigs. It is concluded that, in this herd, vaccination against M. hyopneumoniae was successful from an economic point of view.
No preview · Article · Aug 2000 · Tijdschrift voor diergeneeskunde
[Show abstract][Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: Reports on the effects of mange on the production performance of pigs are conflicting. So far, studies have used experimental infections, by depositing encrusted lesions from chronically infected pigs into the ears of experimental pigs. However, this is a poor representation of what happens under natural field conditions. The purpose of our study was to quantify the effects of sarcoptic mange on production performance and pruritus in pigs that were infected by contact with S. scabiei var. suis-infected pigs. A total of 80 piglets were matched by sex and weight and randomly divided between experimental and control compartments. In the experimental compartment, each of three naturally S. scabiei var. suis-infested pigs were randomly allocated to three pens with 13 susceptible pigs each. From day 0 to 35, the growth performance of pigs in the experimental compartment was significantly (P=0.04) worse (35 g/d) than of pigs in the control compartment. From day 35 to 112, there was a statistical trend (P=0.10) that the growth performance of pigs in the experimental compartment was lower (50 g/d) than that of pigs in the control compartment. For the complete fattening period (0-112 or more days), the growth performance of pigs in the experimental compartment was significantly (P=0.05) worse (41 g/d) than that of pigs in the control compartment. Mean feed conversion ratio (kg feed per kg gain) was 2% higher in the experimental compartment compared with the control compartment. Pigs in the experimental compartment had a nine times (95% CI: 2 - 44) higher chance of showing pruritic behaviour than pigs in the control compartment.
Preview · Article · Aug 2000 · The Veterinary quarterly
[Show abstract][Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: Pigs with wasting syndrome were examined for macroscopic and histopathological lesions, and for porcine circovirus (PCV). Histopathological lesions were comparable to those previously documented for post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS). In addition, in seven out of ten examined PMWS-affected pigs focal-to-slight mononuclear meningitis and focal cerebral mononuclear infiltrates (4 out of 10) were observed. A virus was isolated from organs and sera from pigs showing wasting syndrome. An immunoperoxidase monolayer assay and an indirect immunofluorescence assay were performed on the infected PK-15 and Dulac cell cultures, respectively, and both assays indicated the presence of PCV type 2 (PCV2). The nested-polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) technique, based on the use of PCV2 specific oligonucleotides, revealed specific amplified products of 481 bp. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the entire genome of the Dutch PCV isolate 24657 NL showed a homology with known nucleotide sequences of porcine PCV type 1 (PCV1) and PCV2 isolates of 77.1% and >96%, respectively. This is the first report of the isolation and characterization of PCV2 in PMWS-affected pigs in the Netherlands.
Full-text · Article · Aug 2000 · The Veterinary quarterly
[Show abstract][Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: The Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV) eradication campaign in The Netherlands is based on compulsory vaccination and certification of ADV-free herds and consists of three stages: reduction of transmission of ADV, tracing and elimination of remaining sources of ADV, and, in the last stage prohibition of vaccination. This paper summarizes the progress made in the first two stages of the eradication. Between 1994-1999, ADV seroprevalence decreased sharply in all four regions in The Netherlands, both in the sow and the finishing pig population. In the sow population, the mean ADV prevalence in the northern, eastern and western regions decreased to less than 0.5% in the first quarter of 1998, and to approximately 1% in the southern region. For the finishing pig population, the mean ADV prevalence decreased to less than 0.6% in all four regions in the first quarter of 1998. The proportion of sow herds that were certified ADV-free increased steadily from approximately 40% in the last quarter of 1996 to 96% in the first quarter of 1999. The proportion of finishing pig herds that were certified ADV-free showed the same spectacular increase as in the sow population: from approximately 14% in the last quarter of 1996 to 90% in the first quarter of 1999. It is anticipated that the last stage of the ADV eradication campaign, stopping vaccination, will be achieved very soon. Monitoring wild boars for ADV between 1994 and 1999 indicated that ADV is uncommon within the wild boar population. Therefore, it seems that ADV infection in the wild boar population is not an important reservoir in The Netherlands.
Preview · Article · May 2000 · The Veterinary quarterly
[Show abstract][Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: An Enzyme-linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) was developed for the detection of antibodies to Sarcoptes scabiei. This 'Animal Health Service'-ELISA (AHS-ELISA) was compared with a commercial test (Checkit(R) Sarcoptest) using experimental and field sera. The experimental study was a contact infestation experiment. Eighty piglets were randomly divided between the experimental and control group. After introduction of three Sarcoptes scabiei var. suis infested pigs in the experimental group, both groups were monitored by determining scratching indices, taking ear scrapings and blood samples in Weeks 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 16. Four pigs in the control group were immunised with either Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dp) antigens (n=2), or Acarus siro (As) antigens (n=2). In the control group all (non-immunised) pigs were negative in all tests. In the experimental group only slightly elevated scratching indices were observed, with a maximum in Week 8. After 2 weeks for the first time an ear scraping was positive (2.5%). In Week 8 the highest number of positive ear scrapings were found (25.0%). Positive results in the Sarcoptest were first obtained in Week 12 (10.5% positive), while eventually 29.0% of the finishing pigs were positive after 16 weeks. The AHS-ELISA first detected a serological response after 6 weeks (5. 0% positives), increasing until after 16 weeks a large proportion (74.2%) of the finishing pigs were seropositive, making the AHS-ELISA the most sensitive test. In the AHS-ELISA one As-immunised pig remained seronegative, but the other hyper-immunised pigs crossreacted. In the Sarcoptest, only Dp-immunised pigs had elevated Optical Densities (OD's) albeit below the cut-off level. Although hyper-immunisation is not a representation of field conditions, it cannot be excluded that the AHS-ELISA is not 100% specific.Field samples were taken from 20 sows in 30 herds, classified as mange-free, suspect, or infested. On a herd level there was high agreement among the ELISAs. Both serological tests were suitable to distinguish mange-free herds from infested herds. In one infested herd the decline of maternal antibody in piglets was studied by sampling 40 piglets from 20 different litters. The lowest average OD using the AHS-ELISA was found at 5 weeks of age, followed by a significant increase at 7 weeks. The average OD with the Sarcoptest was at a minimum level at 3 weeks, but no increase was found later. For screening of herds, interference of maternal antibodies is avoided by sampling at an age of 7 weeks or older.
No preview · Article · Apr 2000 · Veterinary Parasitology
[Show abstract][Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: Salmonellae are wide spread in man and animals world wide and are of increasing significance as causative agents of foodborne diseases in man. The European Union, national authorities and the pig industry are therefore more and more interested in the Salmonella status of the pig population. The aim of this study was to estimate the bacteriological prevalence of Salmonella in finishing pig herds, the serogroup and the resistance to antibiotics of the isolated Salmonellae and a preliminary risk analysis of factors associated with infection. For this, 317 finishing pig herds were randomly selected from a database containing 1500 herds in the southern part of the Netherlands. In each herd 24 samples of fresh faeces were collected from two compartments with pigs close to market weight. Per compartment 12 samples of faeces were pooled into one pooled sample. Pooled samples were cultured in duplicate. Salmonella spp. were recovered from 71 out of 306 herds (23%) in which two compartments could be sampled. A total of 108 isolated Salmonella's were serotyped: 71 serogroup B, 3 serogroup C1, 6 serogroup C2, 22 serogroup D1, and 6 isolates neither serogroup B, C or D1. Of a total of 115 Salmonella isolates tested, none were resistant to colistin, enrofloxacin, flumequin or gentamicin. Automated liquid feeding of by-products, and membership of an Integrated Quality Control (IQC) production group were associated with a decreased risk of infection, while use of trough feeding was associated with an increased risk of infection. It is necessary to test these presumed risk factors in intervention studies to evaluate their potency to reduce the Salmonella prevalence in finishing pigs and thereby reduce the risk of Salmonellosis in people consuming pork.
No preview · Article · Aug 1999 · Veterinary Microbiology
[Show abstract][Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: Outbreaks of respiratory disease constitute a major health problem in herds of finishing pigs and their aetiology often remains unclear. In this study, 16 outbreaks of respiratory disease with acute clinical signs in finishing pigs were investigated to determine which infectious agents were involved. From each herd four diseased and two clinically healthy pigs were examined pathologically and for the presence of viruses, bacteria and mycoplasmas. In addition, paired blood samples from 10 groupmates of the diseased pigs were tested for antibodies against commonly known causal agents of respiratory disease. A clear diagnosis was possible in 12 of the 16 outbreaks. Seven were due to an infection with influenza virus and five were due to an infection with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. A combination of influenza virus and A pleuropneumoniae may have caused one other outbreak, but no clear cause could be established for the other three outbreaks.
Full-text · Article · Aug 1999 · The Veterinary record
[Show abstract][Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: De Projectgroep “Vrijwaring Schurft” heeft van het Programmateam “Diergezondheid in Beweging” de opdracht gekregen om, indien mogelijk, een haalbaar en controleerbaar schurftvrij-programma voor de Nederlandse varkenshouderij te ontwikkelen. De volgende onderzoeksvragen zijn hierbij beantwoord: 1 - Is het mogelijk een ELISA te ontwikkelen voor het aantonen van antilichamen in het bloed tegen de schurftmijt van het varken (Sarcoptes scabiei var. suis), die op het laboratorium routinematig kan worden toegepast? 2- Is het mogelijk om met schurft besmette varkensbedrijven door middel van een tweemalige ivermectine-behandeling van alle aanwezige varkens, aangevuld met hygiënische maatregelen maar zonder ontschurfting van de omgeving, vrij te krijgen van schurft? 3 - Kan een bedrijf dat eenmaal schurftvrij is door middel van uitsluitend hygiënische maatregelen gedurende tenminste één jaar schurftvrij blijven? 4 - Wat is het ingeschatte economische effect van uitroeiing van schurft op praktijkbedrijven?
[Show abstract][Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: In the European Union, vaccination campaigns against Pseudorabies virus (PRV) in swine have been started to eradicate PRV. Specific sampling designs are needed to monitor PRV seroprevalence at a regional level. This paper demonstrates how sampling theory can be applied to design a disease seroprevalence survey, using PRV as an example. In the spring of 1994, the four regions in the Netherlands covered by the regional Animal Health Services were monitored with respect to PRV seroprevalence. Per region, blood samples from approximately 1400 herds, with two animals per herd, were collected. The sampling design accounted for stratification by fattening pig and sow population within each region. The regional PRV seroprevalence of swine in the Southern region was the highest (24.9%), closely followed by the PRV seroprevalence of swine in the Eastern region (20.5%). These regions have the highest density of swine in the Netherlands. The PRV seroprevalence in the Western and Central region (11.7%) was about half of the seroprevalence in the Southern and Eastern regions; the lowest regional PRV seroprevalence was observed in the Northern region (3.5%). The Northern part also has the lowest pig density. The PRV seroprevalence was approximately two times higher in sows than in fattening pigs.
Preview · Article · Oct 1995 · The Veterinary quarterly

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09 June, 2015
Five tips for getting published
As we’re taking our Publishing Day series on the road this week as part of the Belfast Book Festival, we’ve put together a few quick tips for aspiring writers on how to get published:
1. Google Is your Friend
Research each publisher and know who you’re submitting to. Read submission guidelines carefully and note whether unsolicited manuscripts are accepted, what genres they publish and what authors are on their lists.
2. A Clean Pair of Eyes
Find someone who will read your work with a keen eye and who is prepared to give you honest feedback before sending out your manuscript. Having a literary editor among your circle of friends isn’t essential but is recommended!
3. Spoilers Are Okay
Most publishers will require a synopsis. A synopsis is usually around 300 words and is not a blurb. It should let the editor or agent know about the main characters and how the plot unfolds.
4. Nail your Pitch
An editor or agent may not have much time to spend on your manuscript so be sure to hone that cover letter and synopsis as best you can before submission.
5. Keep the Faith
The path to publication can be tough but trust your own voice and don’t give in to publishing trends.
Want to learn more? Join our industry experts like Patsy Horton of Blackstaff Press/Publishing Ireland, arts publicist Stephanie Dickenson and authors Jan Carson and Gavin Corbett who will discuss their own publishing experiences.
Date: Saturday 13 June 2015
Venue: Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast
Cost: £30 / £25* IWC Members & Crescent Arts Centre Writing Groups

domain: literature


Be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.
When the Washington Post interviewed Dr. Maya Angelou on April 3rd, 1970, she reflected on her memoir, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”
“I don’t regret living any of it,” she said. “It’s like brush lines on a painting. I have a feeling that I have a rich heritage. But I don’t write as if I’ve done all I want to do. I still have a lot of things to do. I’m really very lucky because those difficulties I’ve had have knocked those blinders off my eyes and given me peripheral vision. I’m a romanticist, but I’m also a realist.”
At a young age, reading was my passion, and Dr. Angelou was my rock star. Her stories and poems spoke to me as clear as day. Through her beautiful prose, she opened my eyes to reality and taught me that to tell a story, and to tell it well; you have to travel, help others, live life to the fullest and love no matter what comes your way.
Motivated by Dr. Angelou’s words of wisdom, I packed my bags and moved to Belgium to study International Law. I’ve worked my way across three continents, traveled to over a dozen countries, and finished the first draft of my manuscript with more stories to tell.
But the real test of a writer comes when you pitch your novel to agents, and inevitably you get the “thanks, but no thanks” in response.
I didn’t plan on posting my first blog entry on the second anniversary of Dr. Angelou’s death. In fact, I’ve been putting it off for some time. But this morning, I glanced over to my well-worn copy of “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” and I knew it was time.
Thank you, Dr. Angelou, for being an inspiration to us all. Because of you, I have many rainbows in my clouds.


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Rear Leaf Spring

domain: hobby


text:
There he stood larger than life in the middle of television screens across the Bluegrass during the single most important football game of the season.
Wearing the mythical gray uniforms — seen only in recruiting propaganda but never on the football field — stood Drew Barker.
If the many stories passed on bar stools and Twitter of the single quarterback who helped assemble and deliver the most highly touted recruiting class in Kentucky football history weren't enough to elevate Barker to cult status, being the central figure in UK's Super Bowl ad probably was.
Was the Conner quarterback's centralized location as his new head coach narrated: "Recruit and develop; prepare to win" an indication that he is UK's starter this season?
Barker certainly looks the part, all 6 feet, 3 inches and 217 pounds of him. A homegrown hero not coincidentally interviewed in a signing-day special by the most homegrown of homegrown heroes in Tim Couch.
"I'm not sure our marketing people asked Coach (Mark) Stoops or myself," quipped offensive coordinator Neal Brown when asked last week if the commercial was an endorsement of or a coronation for Barker.
A few days before the signing-day celebration of the nation's 17th-ranked recruiting class, UK's best since rankings have been kept, Brown tried to temper expectations put on the UK signee, one of seven players to enroll early at UK to get a jump on schoolbooks and the Cats' playbook.
"I don't think any one person saves the day," Brown told the Herald-Leader when asked about the quarterback competition that is to unfold this spring between Barker and as many as four others.
"Tim Couch would be the first one to tell you that he didn't save the day without Craig Yeast or if Derek Homer's not there, I can keep going down the list," the offensive coordinator continued. "One person's not going to save the program.
"We just need better quarterback play, whoever it is, they've gotta play better than we played last year."
Without a quarterback seizing the position in part because of talent level, injuries and the implementation of a new system, UK struggled to put up the normal numbers of a Brown offense.
The two main quarterbacks that tried to pilot the depleted Cats offense last season, Jalen Whitlow and Maxwell Smith, will be juniors. Smith seems out of the running — definitely out of the spring — after off-season shoulder surgery.
Also returning is red-shirt sophomore Patrick Towles, another Bluegrass-born hero touted as the key cog in his own recruiting class a couple of years ago.
Then there's Reese Phillips, who like Barker came in at this time last year, learned the system, and moved up to the No. 2 position on the depth chart by the end of last season.
"We'll be much improved at the quarterback position, but I'm not looking for any one person or anything to save the day," Brown said.
'I came here to play'
Coaches have said that Barker will have his shot to earn the starting spot just like the others.
And the four-star quarterback intends to compete for the job.
"That's what I came here to do is play," Barker said Wednesday. "That's why I came early also, was to get an opportunity, get the workouts, get the playbook under my wing and everything. I came here to play, and I'm going to try to win the job."
Stoops doesn't seem to disagree with Barker: "I expect him to come in from day one and compete for the starting job, and that's why we recruited him."
But will Barker be able to beat out the other guys on the crowded depth chart at quarterback?
And if he doesn't, then what?
"The interesting thing that Coach Stoops and his staff are going to have to deal with is that he's a local legend," national Rivals.com analyst Mike Farrell told the Herald-Leader last fall.
"He is a guy that fans are going to want to see out there whether he's ready or not. Choosing Kentucky, choosing to stay home, being the leader of this recruiting class — he's almost got this cult worship."
Farrell didn't exactly compare Barker to another Southeastern Conference quarterback of mythical proportions in Tim Tebow, but a recent scenario that played out with the former Heisman Trophy winner from Florida could happen at Kentucky.
"When Tebow was with the Broncos, every time something went wrong and he was the backup, they started the 'Tebow' chants," Farrell said. "That's one of the reasons he's not in the league right now is because he was such a popular figure that he was too distracting."
Imagine, already, the crowd at Commonwealth Stadium and their "Drewwww" chants, Farrell painted.
The national recruiting analyst worries that fans will want to rush Barker into a role he isn't ready to take over.
"And that could be dangerous," Farrell said. "Stoops is smart enough to know that this is not a three-year plan. This is a five-year plan. And if Drew redshirts or he plays a little bit as a true freshman and competes for the starting job after that, I think Stoops is fine with that."
So far, Barker isn't just saying the right things, he's doing the right things, too, his position coach said.
He graduated Conner a semester early to dive into the UK playbook and mesh with the team during spring practices. Barker hasn't been strutting around the locker and weight rooms making empty promises or barking orders, Brown said.
"I like what he's doing right now," Brown said. "To be a great leader at the quarterback position, you have to earn everyone's respect. To earn respect, you've got to show them before you tell them. Right now, he's in the show phase of it."
Once he gets reps with the ones and twos and starts to make some plays, then he can become the more vocal leader that a team like Kentucky has seemingly lacked for the past couple seasons.
"The more respect he gets, the more vocal he can be," Brown said of Barker, who completed 65.9 percent of his career passes for 6,264 yards and 62 touchdowns at Conner while also running for 3,931 yards and 51 scores.
"But I really like how he's handling himself within the team right now."
Brown argued that being a true freshman doesn't necessarily lessen Barker's chances at the starting spot, pointing to a quarterback he recruited to Texas Tech just two years ago.
As a true freshman, Davis Webb was a regular starter and led the Red Raiders to a bowl win over a top-25 team in Arizona State.
The success of a player like Webb, who threw for 2,718 yards and 20 touchdowns in 10 games, greatly depends on the players around him, though.
"That's one of the things that people don't factor in," said Farrell, the Rivals analyst. "If you go out there as a true freshman and your offensive line stinks and you don't have wide receivers, you're going to get killed.
"Kentucky doesn't have the talent around them that Johnny Manziel did, or Jameis Winston certainly. Everybody on that team is a four-star."
Whether he earns the start or not, fans might have to remind themselves that Barker is an 18-year-old who technically shouldn't even be graduating from high school until June.
"He was really well coached at Conner, and they had a good team, but it's going to be a huge jump in competition," Brown said. "You never know how those things are going to work. ... You've got to be real careful to not put a lot of pressure on him. I think the better he performs, the more you give him."

domain: sports


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Introduction: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive cancer associated with asbestos exposure, whose incidence will peak within the next years. Despite an overall low response rate, the current first-line therapy is represented by combined chemotherapy with cisplatin and antifolate. Moreover, there are no currently approved regimens for relapsed or refractory MPM. Therefore, it is clear how both preclinical and clinical researches aimed at identifying new therapeutic targets and testing them in early clinical settings are badly needed. Areas covered: The aim of this review is to summarize and critically comment the ongoing Phase II trials for MPM. Expert opinion: Over the past few years, there has been a significant endeavor of addressing the clinical research for MPM beyond the very modest results of chemotherapy. Nonetheless, our understanding is that the treatment of MPM should not be merely 'copied' from that of other much better studied tumors. In the light of recent results, studies toward the metabolic characteristics of this tumor are being progressively addressed. These evidences are disclosing a rather unusual model of malignancy, very likely to be more sensitive to novel 'MPM cells- and microenvironment-tailored' therapy addressing these characteristics rather than the sole cancer proliferation. © Informa UK, Ltd.
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LONG BEACH >> The Bixby Knolls Hof’s Hut was closed Monday after two fires that caused major damage to the eatery.
Although the number of restaurants bearing the name Hof’s Hut has dwindled over the years as the company’s ownership has given more focus to its popular Lucille’s Smokehouse BBQ chain, Hof’s Hut still has something of a cult following in Long Beach. The Bixby Knolls location is one of two remaining in the city.
For customers whose patronage of Hof’s Hut stretches back decades, news of the fires was bad news indeed.
“It’s really a loss,” said Robert Hilty, a Long Beach resident who said he has frequented the Bixby Knolls restaurant since 1964. “I just wanted to come by and see if it was really true.”
Hilty, who said his favorite menu item at Hof’s Hut was its shrimp and crab melt, was one of a few customers who visited the Long Beach Boulevard restaurant to see what had happened with their own eyes.
“Very sad. Very disappointing. Bad things happen some times,” said Fred Duewel of Long Beach, who said he has been a customer since 1951.
Arson investigators from the Long Beach Fire Department have been called upon to figure out how two fires started at the restaurant, which is in the 4200 block of Long Beach Boulevard.
The first of the two fires was reported shortly before 9:15 p.m. Sunday, and firefighters who rolled out to the restaurant saw the flames were limited to the exhaust hood system in the restaurant’s kitchen, fire department spokesman Brian Fisk said. Firefighters had that fire under control in about 11 minutes, but a second fire was reported shortly after 1 a.m. Monday morning. The second of the two fires was much more severe, and caused extensive damage to the restaurant and also resulting in an injury to a firefighter.
The hurt firefighter was “doing fine” as of Monday morning, Fisk said.
On Monday, arson investigators were assigned to figure out whether the second fire was simply the result of a rekindling of the initial blaze or whether some other factor is to blame.
“We’re not sure of the cause of the fire. There’s extensive damage at Hof’s Hut,” Fisk said. “Any time you have a fire at the same location, a second alarm, it’s going to be investigated by the arson unit.”
Hof’s Hut is owned by Hofman Hospitality Group, which has offices in Signal Hill. As of Monday evening, the company had not revealed details of any rebuilding plans, but had released a statement.
“We are devastated by the fire and loss of our Long Beach Blvd. restaurant. Thank you to our employees for their quick reaction and ensuring that our guests were guided to safety,” company director of marketing Brad Hofman said in a statement. “We are grateful to the first responders who contained the fire and send our best wishes to the injured firefighter.”


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Car drawings > Buggy drawings > Страница 2
Support is not provided!
Model buggy “Formula 1” is designed for children from 3 to 7 years. The history of this car began as follows.
The karting model for a dirt road made by us has an engine capacity of 50-200 cm3. For the construction of karting can use engines Centaur, Honda, Sadko and their analogues.

domain: design


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Where can I have Thanksgiving dinner in NYC?
- 21 Stellar Restaurants for Thanksgiving Day Feasts in NYC. A dining guide for November 26, 2020. by Beth Landman Updated Nov 13, 2020, 10:51am EST.
- Victory Garden Cafe. Copy Link. 2169 Steinway St.
- Casa Del Chef. Copy Link.
- Barbounia. Copy Link.
- Dante NYC. Copy Link.
- Hortus NYC. Copy Link.
- La Goulue. Copy Link.
- Le Crocodile. Copy Link.
What is open in NYC on Thanksgiving?
Best things to do on Thanksgiving
- The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2020 (virtual) Things to do.
- The Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park. Things to do Markets and fairs.
- Macy’s holiday windows.
- Ice skating at Industry City.
- The Dyker Heights Christmas Lights.
- The Rink at Rockefeller Center 2020.
Are places open in New York on Thanksgiving?
Traditionally you would celebrate the holiday at home. But when you’re visiting NYC on Thanksgiving, it’s important to find a cozy, festive restaurant to enjoy your Thanksgiving Dinner. Most restaurants are closed for the holiday. Some though are celebrating Thanksgiving with their guests.
Where can I go for Thanksgiving in NYC?
- 11 Thanksgiving Getaways From NYC.
- Congress Hall (Cape May, NJ) 2 hrs 45 min from NYC by car.
- Mohonk Mountain House (New Paltz, NY) 2 hrs from NYC by car.
- Morris House Hotel (Philadelphia, PA)
- Green Mountain Inn (Stowe, VT)
- Hershey Lodge (Hershey, PA)
- Sound View Hotel (Greenport, NY)
- Woodloch Resort (Hawley, PA)
What is most famous in New York on Thanksgiving Day?
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® This famous NYC parade, first established in 1924, is tied with America’s Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit for the second oldest Thanksgiving Day Parade in the United States. With more than 3.5 million spectators and 10,000 participants, it is also one of the largest parades in New York.
Do NYC subways run on Thanksgiving?
Thursday, November 26 (Thanksgiving Day): Subways operate on a sunday schedule. The Staten Island Railway runs on a Saturday schedule. Friday, November 27: Subways and the Staten Island Railway operate on a regular weekday schedule.
How much money do you need per day in New York?
How much money will you need for your trip to New York City? You should plan to spend around $239 per day on your vacation in New York City, which is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors. Past travelers have spent, on average, $38 on meals for one day and $40 on local transportation.
Does pig eat poop?
Do pigs eat their poop? Yes, pigs do eat their poop whether you are fine with this behavior or not. Let alone pigs, there are some other animals as well that snack on their feces. It’s just that the pig’s habit got highlighted somehow whereas, the rest of the animals are reaping the benefits of it a little less openly.
Why is pork considered dirty?
Pigs “cheweth not the cud” because they possess simple guts, unable to digest cellulose. They eat calorie-dense foods, not only nuts and grains but also less salubrious items such as carrion, human corpses and feces. Pigs were unclean because they ate filth.
Does pork meat have worms?
Diseases from eating undercooked pork Trichinellosis, also known as trichinosis, is a disease caused by a species of roundworms called Trichinella, and it is contracted from consuming raw or undercooked meat from an animal infected with the parasite, according to a 2020 article from Healthline.
What happens if I eat undercooked pork?
Eating raw or undercooked pork is not a good idea. The meat can harbor parasites, like roundworms or tapeworms. These can cause foodborne illnesses like trichinosis or taeniasis. While rare, trichinosis can lead to serious complications that are sometimes fatal.
Does freezing kill trichinosis in pork?
Freeze pork. Freezing pork that is less than six inches thick for three weeks will kill parasites. However, trichinella parasites in wild-animal meat are not killed by freezing, even over a long period.
Does cooked pork have worms?
Though pork-borne parasites are uncommon in developed countries, pork should always be eaten when well-cooked all the way through.
Do not eat bats?
In the Torah and in the Bible, the book of Leviticus (11:13–19) forbids consumption of bat: “These you shall detest among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: (…) the bat.”
What are 5 major beliefs of Christianity?
The 5 are: 1) Uniqueness of Jesus (Virgin Birth) –Oct 7; 2) One God (The Trinity) Oct 14; 3) Necessity of the Cross (Salvation) and 4) Resurrection and Second Coming are combinded on Oct 21; 5) Inspiration of Scripture Oct 28.
What does the Bible say about eating fish without scales?
You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you. “`Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams, you may eat any that have fins and scales. Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be detestable to you.
Which fish should you not eat?
6 Fish to Avoid
- Bluefin Tuna.
- Chilean Sea Bass (aka Patagonian Toothfish)
- Orange Roughy.
- Salmon (farmed)
Is fish good without scales eating?
Fish skin has been eaten safely throughout history. It’s even a popular snack in many countries and cultures. As long as fish have been properly cleaned and the outer scales fully removed, the skin is typically safe to eat.
Why are you not supposed to eat catfish?
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency suggests that catfish should only be eaten monthly and children and pregnant women should not eat it at all. This is because there were very low levels of mercury and PCBs found in catfish, but not at a level found to be harmful to humans.
Is Catfish clean to eat?
Most catfish eaten today are raised on catfish farms. According to the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, farmed catfish is a clean and safe protein source. In contrast to the sometimes muddy taste of fresh-caught catfish, the flavor of farmed catfish is consistently mild.
Why is cat fish banned in India?
The Hindu reports that documents it obtained show many farms are still cultivating the fish, known as Clarias gariepinus, or African catfish, in small villages. The government first issued the ban in 2000, after hearing complaints that the fish could pose a threat to indigenous species.
Which catfish is best to eat?
What do catfish eat in a tank?
Diet. A well-balanced Catfish diet consists of: Sinking pellets or flake foods. Brine shrimp, mysis shrimp and bloodworms (live or frozen).
What’s the best fish to eat?
12 Best Types of Fish to Eat
- Alaskan salmon.
- Rainbow trout.
What do catfish eat in the ocean?
Their diet includes algae, seagrasses, cnidarians, sea cucumbers, gastropods, polychaetes, shrimps, crabs, and smaller fishes. They are also known to eat blue crabs.
Do catfish eat rice?
Energy content. Energy feedstuffs used in commercial catfish feeds are primarily grains (corn and wheat) and grain by-products (corn gluten feed, corn germ meal, wheat middlings, and rice bran), animal fat, and fish oil. Corn has traditionally been used as the main energy source in catfish feeds.
What do catfish fry eat?
During this stage, catfish fry can obtain most of their nutrients from natural foods such as large zooplankton, small insects, and insect larvae, if the ponds are properly fertilized. Larger fingerlings are fed small floating pellets (1/8 inch diameter) containing 35 percent protein.
How do you fish for catfish?
Simply add a float above the weight on a slip-sinker rig. Use this rig to drift bait slowly through wood-rich catfish lairs or over weed without snagging on bottom or in cover. Drifting a float also helps cover water from the bank. A jig head (link to the jig head article) tipped with bait will also catch catfish.
What is the best time to feed catfish?
Generally, it appears most practical to begin feeding in the morning as the dissolved oxygen begins to increase during warm weather. But in cool weather (late fall, winter, and early spring), water temperature is usually higher in the afternoon, and fish will eat better.
How often should catfish be fed?
Most catfish producers feed once a day, 7 days a week during the warmer months. Although feeding twice a day may slightly improve growth of fingerlings, the logistics of multiple feedings on large catfish farms make it impractical. Feed is typically blown onto the surface of the water using mechanical feeders.

domain: food


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Your doorway to those rare collectibles that everyone is searching for: books, props, posters, cards, and paper ephemera are all here for you to buy and sell.
The subject line tells the story: I am seeking a Mysto No.25 box that is empty or almost empty. This is a big red suitcase from 1951. Will pay good money. Please contact me at firstname.lastname@example.org
- Posts: 20010
- Joined: 07/18/01 12:00 PM
- Location: Washington DC
Return to Collector's Marketplace


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St. Thomas' Church, Glaisdale, is one of five churches in the United Benefice of Middle Esk Moor. The other churches in the Benefice are at Egton, Grosmont, Goathland and Lealholm. At this stage of the Covid pandemic and as we currently have no incumbent, our services, in general, are combined benefice services rotating around the benefice.
For parish matters concerning buildings etc., please contact the website editor via 'get in touch' - see left hand menu. Your message will be forwarded to the appropriate contact.
Until 1869, Lealholm and Glaisdale were part of the parish of Danby. Then the parish of Glaisdale was formed, combining Glaisdale village and dale and the villages of Lealholm and Houlsyke, and the neighbouring Great Fryupdale.
The present church dates from 1793 and was pre-dated by the 'Chappell of Glaisdale', a cruciform straw-thatched building, for which a date stone of 1585 may be seen in the side of the steps leading to the present tower. Thomas Ferries, alderman of Hull, the builder of Beggar's Bridge over the Esk at Glaisdale in 1619, left a bequest for the repair of the chapel and provision of a minister. In 1792 the old chapel was demolished and the present building erected and opened in 1793 (a date to be seen on the South wall sundial). The nave originally had galleries on three sides, but only the West gallery, housing the organ, remains. Most of the original furnishings around the altar, including the riddel posts and choir stalls, have been removed to give a more open space for worship. The church has several windows with stained glass, probably the most striking being the modern Richard Smith memorial window crafted by Alan Davis.
Glaisdale village has no other places of worship following the closure of the Methodist chapel, but the Glaisdale dale Methodist Chapel is still active.
Glaisdale is an old ironstone mining village in the heart of the North York Moors. It is a popular destination for holidaymakers and we welcome all to visit the church which is open during the daytime and to attend our services. More information can be found in leaflets in the church.
Thinking of marrying here?
Send a message using 'get in touch' in L menu bar.

domain: geography


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July 11, 2022
What to expect in Washington (July 11)
Congress is returning from a two-week recess for a crucial stretch of pre-August recess legislating that is traditionally viewed as essentially a last chance to move controversial items before the midterm elections. The House is scheduled to be in session for the next three weeks (through July 29) and the Senate is currently scheduled to be in DC through August 5. Senate Democrats are accelerating their efforts to pass a budget reconciliation bill prior to the August recess, having sent Medicare prescription drug negotiation language to the parliamentarian and making clear they are united in supporting the House-passed Build Back Better Act (BBBA) proposal to expand the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) to pass-through income for individuals with more than $400,000 in taxable income, joint filers with more than $500,000, and trusts and estates. The proposal's roughly $200 billion in revenue is intended to forestall Medicare insolvency, projected for 2028, until 2031.
The drug and NIIT agreements are the most tangible signs of progress in the months-long talks between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV). An AP story said the parameters of an eventual package could include about $500 billion in spending and tax credits and $1 trillion in revenue and other savings. "Energy and environment programs, corporate taxes, IRS budget increases to strengthen tax enforcement and a renewal of soon-to-expire federal subsidies for people buying health insurance under President Barack Obama's health care law are also under discussion … "
Still, caution is being urged in assuming there is a glidepath to enactment for the climate-health-tax measure that has been stalled since the more massive House-passed BBBA ran aground over personal and policy conflicts between party leaders and Senator Manchin in December. "Senator Manchin still has serious unresolved concerns, and there is a lot of work to be done before it's conceivable that a deal can be reached he can sign onto," a Manchin spokeswoman said in a July 7 New York Times report that noted any changes to the tax code must also win the support of Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ).
Sinema's office has been pointing back to previous statements that the Senator supports House-passed BBBA tax proposals and enough in tax changes to support a narrowed package, with a goal to "ensure corporations pay taxes, while not increasing costs on small businesses or everyday Americans." A July 2 Insider story said, "one Senate Democratic aide familiar with the negotiations told Insider the surtax has been knocked out of consideration," but the view is it will not be difficult to reach $1 trillion in revenue from other available proposals. (The House-passed BBBA surtax would have imposed a surcharge of 5% on income over $10 million, plus an additional 3% over $25 million.)
Other tax increases remain in flux. A Washington Post story on Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden's (D-OR) investigation into pharmaceutical industry taxes said of the House-passed BBBA's proposals to align GILTI with the OECD BEPS 2.0 minimum tax, "Manchin privately has expressed resistance to the Biden administration's approach." The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) said the BBBA's proposal to "impose that 15% minimum in each country where a company operates" could be changed pursuant to the Schumer-Manchin talks. That aligns with earlier Bloomberg reporting that the country-by-country requirement could be struck, which was included in a story that said the 15% corporate alternative minimum tax (CAMT) could be modified to "exclude a business's deductions for the investments they make when calculating the tax."
The WSJ reported July 10, "Some of the tax changes, including the fate of the U.S. piece of the global corporate minimum tax agreement and the $10,000 cap on the state and local tax deduction, remain in flux. A proposed surtax on people with incomes above $10 million seems less likely to be included."
Politico reported July 7, "Democrats have not finalized which tax increases on corporations and the wealthy will be used and international taxation policy remains in flux … " The Washington Post reported, "On climate, for example, Democrats are still wrangling with Manchin over a tax credit for electric vehicles. The West Virginia lawmaker has voiced concern that the tax incentive could be a handout for wealthy Americans who purchase expensive electric cars. While the issue is unresolved, a potential compromise could involve 'means testing,' in which the tax credit would be restricted to consumers who earn below certain income thresholds. Another unresolved issue concerns a suite of tax credits for producers of clean energy from sources such as wind and solar power. Manchin has indicated that he will not support a spending bill that includes what's known as direct pay … "
Global tax — Moving forward with the OECD BEPS 2.0 taxing rights-minimum tax deal is hampered by difficulty moving provisions through Congress and stalling of the minimum tax directive in the EU due to the objection of Hungary. The U.S. Treasury indicated July 8 it would withdraw from its treaty with Hungary, saying that country's lowering of the corporate tax rate to 9% makes the benefits of the treaty too one-sided.
Meanwhile, the OECD Secretary-General Tax Report released this morning includes a new Progress Report on Pillar One, "presenting a comprehensive draft of the technical model rules to implement a new taxing right that will allow market jurisdictions to tax profits from some of the largest multinational enterprises." OECD said the report will be subject to public consultation through mid-August, with the aim to finalize a new Multilateral Convention by mid-2023, for entry into force in 2024, which is a later timeline than nations had previously targeted. Stakeholder feedback on the Amount A Progress Report is sought by August 19.
Competitiveness — Democrats' efforts to revive and pass the reconciliation bill is part of a dual track of priority legislation with the USICA-COMPETES competitiveness bill, and the two efforts are intertwined more than ever after Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) June 30 tweet that "there will be no bipartisan USICA as long as Democrats are pursuing a partisan reconciliation bill." That was viewed by some as an indication Democrats may be close to a reconciliation deal — bolstered by subsequent decisions being made about that plan — and touched off all sorts of speculation about the political calculus of doing one bill over the other and whether Senator McConnell could afford to oppose both.
Axios reported July 7, "The potential countermove [to McConnell's threat] is to bring the Senate-passed China bill to the House floor for an up-or-down vote," though there are concerns that an insufficient number of Democrats would support the bill devoid of the House add-ons.
Politico reported July 8 Schumer has "requested an all-Senators classified briefing from the administration on the global innovation and technology race" and the competitiveness legislation, scheduled for July 13, seen as heightening "the national security case for USICA." The July 10 WSJ report said that "efforts are under way to put together a similar briefing for the House." Further, "Some Democrats are pushing for House leadership to simply take the bill the Senate passed last year and put it up for a vote, a Democratic lawmaker said, worried that future delays would prevent the bill from passing at all."
Congress — The Senate is back in today with a 5:30 p.m. vote on a DoD nomination. Federal Reserve oversight and ATF nominations votes are also set for this week. There are medical-related attendance issues, including with Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Senator Pat Leahy (D-VT).
On Tuesday, July 12 (10:00 a.m.), the Senate Finance Committee holds a hearing to consider the nominations of Jay Curtis Shambaugh to be an Under Secretary of the Treasury and Rebecca Lee Haffajee to be an Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services.
The House this week will take up abortion and gun violence legislation, in addition to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), according to guidance from Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD). More than 1,000 amendments have been filed to the NDAA. The House will begin work to advance appropriation bills to fund the government for Fiscal Year 2023 during the week of July 18, then consider a package of bills aimed at helping to address droughts and wildfires in the West the following week.
On Wednesday, July 13 (10:00 a.m.), the House Ways & Means Committee will hold a hearing, "Nowhere to Live: Profits, Disinvestment, and the American Housing Crisis."
Friday, July 15 (12:00 p.m.), is the EY Webcast, "Tax in the time of COVID-19: Update on legislative, economic, regulatory and IRS developments." Register.

domain: law


Devils Grind Out Gutsy Win To Extend Streaks
ALBANY, NY — The Albany Devils had and lost three leads, but pulled out a come-from-behind victory with less than eight minutes remaining, defeating the Syracuse Crunch, 6-4, Saturday. The win extended Albany’s home winning streak to nine games and its overall stretch to five straight.
Five different Devils registered multiple points. Mike Sislo had two goals and an assist and Joseph Blandisi had three helpers. Matt Lorito had the game-winning goal and an assist and Reid Boucher had a tally and a helper. Reece Scarlett contributed a pair of assists.
Netminder Yann Danis, who was named to the 2016 AHL All-Star Classic roster Thursday, made 19 saves for his 16th victory — tied for second most in the league.
Syracuse’s Jonathan Drouin and Jeff Tambellini each contributed a pair of goals. In goal, Kristers Gudlevskis and Adam Wilcox shared responsibilities. Gudlevskis made eight saves in the first period. Wilcox had 17 stops during the second and third periods.
HIGHLIGHTS & GAME NOTES
• Lorito scored his second game-winning goal of the season. He extended his point streak to three games (3g-2a) thanks to his eighth multi-point game of the season. He leads the team with 27 points and 19 helpers.
• Sislo, who was returned on loan by New Jersey earlier in the day, scored his league-leading 10th and 11th power play goals. He has a team-leading 15 goals and is second on the team with 26 points.
• Rod Pelley was an assist shy of accomplishing the Gordie Howe Hat Trick. He scored his third goal of the season and fought Crunch captain Mike Angelidis midway through the second period. This year, Pelley has six points (3g-3a) in 32 outings.
• Tropp, who was also an assist shy of the Gordie Howe Hat Trick, extended his point streak to three games with his ninth tally of the year. He has two goals and an assist in the last three games and three goals and a helper in the last five outings.
• Boucher and Blandisi both extended their point streaks. Boucher moved his stretch to four games (3g-3a) and Blandisi extended his streak to two outings (5a). Scarlett had two assisst, giving him four points (1g-3a) in the last four contests.
• Coming off injuries, Seth Helgeson and Blake Pietila returned to the lineup. Helgeson missed five games after suffering a shoulder injury at St. John’s on Dec. 16. Pietila missed four games with a lower-body ailment suffered at Rochester on Dec. 19.
• The Devils scored two power-play goals for the second straight game. They went 2-5 at Hartford last Sunday and 2-6 against the Crunch.
Trailing 4-3 in the third, Sislo scored his second power-play goal of the night at 12:49. Sixty-four seconds later, Lorito won a puck in the neutral zone, raced down the right wing and beat Wilcox over the left shoulder at 13:53 to give Albany its fourth and final lead of the game.
HOW IT PLAYED OUT
Albany scored first for the 20th time this season thanks to puck movement on the power play that began with Blandisi high in the neutral zone. He worked the puck down low to Lorito, who made a cross-ice pass to Sislo for a one-time goal at 10:27.
Syracuse’s Daniel Walcott sprung Drouin for a breakaway minutes later and he beat Danis blocker-side at 12:08.
Tropp responded thanks to Blandisi forcing a turnover high in the offensive zone and Boucher found Tropp at 14:12 in the exact spot Sislo scored his goal.
Before the end of the first, Drouin struck again, using his speed to get behind the Devils defense and scoring at 19:17.
Pelley gave Albany its third lead of the night, cashing in on a broken play atop the crease at 8:44 of the second.
However, Tambellini scored through a screen at 10:39 of the second and again at 5:14 of the third period. Former Devil Matt Taormina assisted on both plays.
The Devils return to Times Union Center Saturday with a 5 pm start against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The first 2,000 fans to arrive will receive an A-Devils Bobblehead courtesy of the Times Union.


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Emanuele Aldrovandi’s dark and absurd plays are taking the continent by storm with his dark wit and ruthless tendency to cut through the noise when discussing the big issues. Sorry We Didn’t Die at Sea follows suit of Aldrovandi’s previous works by putting his characters in bizarre situations to get to the crux of the migration crisis. In a near dystopian future, the nationalist and isolationist policies of European countries have led to economic collapse and authoritarian governments. Now, the tables have turned and the Europeans are facing treacherous journeys for a better life elsewhere. At Park Theatre, we see a rehash of Daniel Emery’s 2022 Seven Dials Playhouse production, the first performance of the play to British audience.
Three nameless migrants (Will Bishop, Yasmine Haller, and Marco Young) put their fate in the hands of an sketchy and intimidating people smuggler (Felix García-Guyer). As the trafficker loads the three travellers into a shipping container, we immediately realise the dire conditions they are in. They have one corner of the container functioning as a makeshift toilet, and the possibility of dying is inescapable. The three refugees have no idea where they’re going or what will happen when (or if) they arrive. Young’s character is $600 short for the payment the trafficker is expecting and goes through a roster of tactics to swindle Bishop’s character out the extra money he may or may not have. In contrast, Haller’s character is familiar with the dangerous journey overseas, swiftly manoeuvring her way around the aggressions and manipulations of the the men around her.
The fragility of the situation is palpable. At any moment, the migrants might understandably turn on each other rather than cooperate. Ironically, there is a brittle sense of mortality in the shipping container, when all three of them have embarked on this voyage as a means of survival. Each actor brings a separate attitude in dealing with this awareness of the danger they’re in. Bishop is a fish out of water, a posh boy who does not fully understand the severity of the situation he put himself in. Young plays reckless, abrasive fighter who will do just about anything to end up on top. Haller is tired of struggling against the tide and the reason to fight for survival is dwindling.
Living to tell the tale is not enough. Haller has no family to reunite with. All of them are leaving a great deal behind with little waiting for them. While their predicament becomes ever-bloodier and growingly absurd, the great philosophical reason to survive is glaringly absent. No one gets to be a hero and the weight of the situation drives them to do terrible things.
When a shipwreck occurs, the play takes an even darker turn and all hope seems lost. That being said, the play has a sardonic wit that makes it not only bearable, but enjoyable. Of all people, the people smuggler gives us most of the comic respite. With his sarcastic rambles about the origins of shipping containers, the loneliness of human trafficking, and shipwrecks, he is both sinister and hilarious. It is already sufficient that a people smuggler making vulnerable people dance for him is a morally egregious person, so why not have some fun in the meantime? García-Guyer has a presence that suffocates the room, equally a result of laughter and intimidation.
The most cutting aspect of Sorry We Didn’t Die at Sea was its transferability. Translated by Young himself, it is shocking how smoothly the hostility towards refugees and nationalistic hubris switches from Italian to British audiences. We don’t see much cultural mediation in the English translation. For example, Italian sayings, jokes, and geographical references frequently cropping up without English substitutes. Usually, I would consider this an error of direct translation. However, in this instance, it emphasises how much anti-migrant rhetoric the two countries share.
A harrowing but witty discussion of the ‘migrant crisis’, the cast wears this contradictory tone well. Sorry We Didn’t Die at Sea leaves me with an absurdist nihilism and a cynical hope to see more of Aldrovandi’s work to visit the UK.
Sorry We Didn’t Die at Sea will be performed at Park Theatre until 30 September.
Words by Elizabeth Sorrell
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The Bastrop City Council indicated little interest on Tuesday night in continuing with a $1.3 million trail project designed to connect central Bastrop with the Bastrop State Park after the Texas Department of Transportation flagged the project over how it might interfere with TxDOT's right-of-way.
Last month, TxDOT Engineer Diana Schulze sent the city a letter following a July meeting between the highway department and the city in which the department expressed concerns for the trail’s planned route.
“TxDOT feels that this has potential to be a great project but suggests the city evaluate alternative alignments that do not pose as many safety challenges,” the letter read.
Seeing no way to design the project around TxDOT's concerns, the Bastrop City Council expressed little support in continuing the project after realizing that the trail may pose pedestrian safety issues at the Texas 95 and Chestnut Street intersection and would interfere with TxDOT's right-of-way along Texas 21.
"This is not anything I’m interested in spending any more of the city’s money on, period,” Mayor Pro Tem Lyle Nelson said Tuesday night.
The proposed trail route would connect the city to Bastrop State Park via a 1.8-mile sidewalk system that would begin at the intersection of Texas 95 and Chestnut Street and run east along Texas 21 toward the state park. The project has been in the works since 2014 and was expected to break ground this year.
So far, the city has spent around $115,000 on the project. In March 2018, the city awarded a $173,000 contract to MWM DesignGroup, an Austin based architecture firm, to lead the design and engineering of the project.
Brad Wheelis, a spokesperson for the highway department, expanded on the issues stated in TxDOT's letter: The intersection at Texas 95 and Chestnut Street has high traffic and may not be safe for added pedestrians; the steepness of Texas 21 may present safety issues for pedestrians; the planned route is within TxDOT’s right-of-way and could impede future expansion of Texas 21; and the area is within the Houston Toad habitat and is environmentally sensitive.
The trail, known as the State Park Trail Project, was to be primarily funded through a $1.04 million grant from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. The city was slated to contribute $260,000 to the project.
The City Council said Tuesday that the CAMPO grant would likely be returned to the regional planning organization as it was awarded to the city specifically for the trail project.
The City Council is still required to scrap the project through a formal vote at a future council meeting.

domain: politics


Last updated: Sept 22, 2023
If your thermostat is set to 74 but reads 78, there could be a number of reasons for this. In this guide, we explore these common issues and because we hate to leave our readers with no solutions, we ‘ll provide all possible fixes to each of the problems we’ll explore.
In general, when a thermostat is set to 74 but keeps reading 78, there could be a few things causing this problem and these include; an air exchanger that is not turned off, excessive outdoor temperatures, leaking ductwork, a wrongly placed thermostat, dirty filters and a thermostat that just needs to be reset.
Possible reasons why a thermostat reads 78 when it’s set to 74
|The air exchanger is not turned off
|Turn off the air exchanger
|Exposed AC unit
|Shield AC condenser unt
|Undersized AC unit
|Upgrade AC Unit
|A thermostat that needs a restart/reset
|Reset your thermostat
|Excessive outdoor temperature
|Close doors and window leading outside
|Seal off leaking ductwork
|Activate automatic schedules
|Inappropriate thermostat location
|Find a neutral location for your thermostat
|Power failure to your HVAC system
|Reset tripped circuit breaker
|Dirty air filters
|Bad thermostat wiring
|Check if RC wire is connected
1) Air exchanger not turned off
A common issue that could be keeping your thermostat reading 78 degrees after lowering the temperature is an air exchange that is not turned off.
What is an air exchanger? An air exchanger helps bring fresh air into your home and take out the air from your home to the outside.
But an air conditioner works by dehumidifying the air and cooling it.
What that means is that the cooling effect of the air conditioner could be canceling with the warm air that the air exchanger is bringing in and is probably why your air conditioner is not cooling below 78.
The easiest and quickest solution to this issue is to switch off the air exchanger and try running the ac. If your air exchanger is turned off or you don’t have one but your thermostat keeps reading 78 degrees, then let’s go to the following troubleshooting steps.
2) A thermostat that needs a reset.
This is a no brainer issue but you’ll be surprised by how many times a simple thermostat reset will solve all sorts of thermostat problems.
Resetting your thermostat depends on the make and model you have. Please refer to the user manual on how to reset your thermostat.
3) AC unit exposed to sunlight
Ensuring that your outdoor AC unit remains in the shade or is shielded from direct sunlight can significantly impact its cooling efficiency. When exposed to the sun, the external unit absorbs a considerable amount of heat, making it harder for the system to cool your home to the desired temperature. Here’s how to address this issue:
Shading the Outdoor Unit:
Build a Shade Fence: Construct a small fence around your outdoor AC unit to block the sun’s direct rays. Opt for lattice work, which offers shade while allowing adequate airflow. Ensure the fence is positioned a few feet away from the unit to prevent obstruction.
It’s crucial to strike a balance between shade and airflow. Too much shade without proper ventilation can hinder your AC’s performance. The lattice work fence strikes this balance effectively.
Additional Tips for Optimal Cooling:
Clean Metal Fins: Regularly clean the metal fins surrounding your AC unit. Use a spray nozzle on your hose to remove dust and debris, ensuring unobstructed airflow.
Sprinkler Cooling: During the hottest parts of the day, consider using a sprinkler to cool the unit. Position the sprinkler to lightly spray water on the AC unit while avoiding excess moisture. This can help lower the temperature of the air entering your home by a few degrees.
4) The outdoor temperature is too high
A common reason why your thermostat keeps reading 78 when you have set it to 74 is that the outdoor temperature is too high.
Air conditioners are designed to cool the air by a difference 20 degrees from the air outside.
However, when your region is experiencing an entirely high temperature, say 100 degrees, then your thermostat will only be able to cool down to about 80 degrees.
There are, however, a few things that can help you to bring the temperature down.
Try turning off heat producing appliances such as TVs and stoves. If possible, go and braai the food outdoors or use an outdoor kitchen if you have one.
Try closing the doors and the windows that are leading to the outside. This is because as your air conditioner works hard to cool your home, hotter from outside will come into your home and prevent your ac from cooling to your desired temperature.
5) Undersized AC Unit
An undersized air conditioning unit is a common reason why an AC system may struggle to cool a space to the desired temperature. This occurs because the AC unit lacks the capacity to effectively remove heat from the indoor environment. Here’s how it happens and how to address it:
Inadequate Cooling Capacity: An undersized AC unit is not powerful enough to handle the heat load in the room. When the thermostat is set to a specific temperature, the AC runs continuously but can’t keep up with the heat entering the space, resulting in the temperature not reaching the desired level.
Upgrade to a Properly Sized Unit: Consult with an HVAC professional to determine the correct size of AC unit needed for your space. They will consider factors like room size, insulation, and heat-generating appliances. Replacing the undersized unit with the right-sized one will improve cooling efficiency and comfort.
Improve Insulation and Seal Leaks: Ensure your space is well-insulated and windows and doors are sealed properly to minimize heat infiltration, which can ease the load on the AC unit.
6) Leaking ductwork
Now this is another common issue for AC systems falling to cool down to the set temperatures. Leaking ductwork will prevent air conditioners from cooling to the desired temperature and the reason is simple.
Leaking ducts will allow cooler air to escape and warmer air to come in. So, the warmer air will mix with the cooler air before it reaches your room.
That could be the reason for your thermostat not cooling down to the set 74 degrees.
Inspect your ductwork thoroughly for any leaks if you can. If you find leaks which are by the way common in joints, seal them off and test if the problem is resolved.
Alternately, if you can’t do this alone, call for professionals for help,
7) Check for active schedules on your thermostat
Depending on the brand, some thermostat can prevent you from changing temperature when they are on automatic schedule. Check your thermostat for any schedules.
Disable auto schedule. Auto schedules on your thermostat can also be removed by resetting your thermostat. Try turning on the thermostat again and check if the problem is resolved
8) Check the location of your thermostat.
Thermostats are sensitive to any changes in their surroundings. That means that the location of your thermostat can affect the temperature reading.
For example, when the thermostat is located near the window and it is exposed to the sun, it will take wrong readings, and this will mean more cooling and more energy bills.
On the other side, if the temperature is located near the vents, it will record lower temperatures that will mean less cooling and uncomfortable high temperatures for your home.
If you believe your thermostat is t located in a good location and is affecting the temperature readings, relocate it.
Ideally position your thermostat on the first floor and away from heat-emitting appliances such as the stove and avoid placing them near vents.
9) Power failure to your HVAC system
If your thermostat is reading 78 no matter how much you try to set it at 74, there could be a problem with power supply to your HVAC system.
The outdoor condenser unit helps with the cooling of your HVAC system, and it does this with the help of the Freon running through the coils and the blower fan that blows away the heat.
If the condenser unit is not working either due to power failure or for whatever reason, then your thermostat won’t come down to your set temperature.
Check whether or not the outdoor condenser unit is working and if it doesn’t kick on when you turn on your ac, ensure that there are no tripped circuit breakers.
Another problem that can fail a condenser is a compressor capacitor or a defective blower motor. These can be checked by a HVAC technician
10) Dirty filters
Air filters play one of the most important roles in a HVAC system. Underestimating the role filters play can cause serious problems with a HVAC system.
Dirty filters cause all sorts of problems and one of them is preventing your AC from reaching the set temperatures.
In other words, dirty filters could be the reason your thermostat won’t go below 78 degrees.
Check the status of your filter and if you find that they are dirty consider replacing them. It’s also worth noting that air filters need to be replaced at 1-2 months as recommended by many ac manufacturers.
11) Check your thermostat wiring
If your thermostat can’t come down to your set point, there could be something wrong with your thermostat wiring.
On most thermostats if the RC wire is not connected or was just loosely connected then you can not have cooling in your home. RC wire is power for cooling.
Check if all wires are tightly connected to their respective terminals but give them a little tug. If the RC wire looks dirty, clean it and insert it back into the terminal. Then try running your system again.
While there could be other reasons why your thermostat reads 78 when it is set to 74 degrees, the above reasons are the most common ones.
And as we have always recommended, it’s better to consult HVAC professionals if you can not fix the problems yourself.


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Duggan: FoCo Cafe closer to setting sail
Last week delivered mixed news for the nonprofit organization Feeding Our Community Ourselves, better known as FoCo Cafe.
The Fort Collins City Council on Tuesday gave initial approval to an ordinance authorizing the city manager to enter into a lease agreement with the organization for a city-owned building at 225 Maple St. Council will have to give final approval to the ordinance for it to go into effect.
The five-year lease would give FoCo Cafe space for a restaurant that would be open three hours a day to serve lunch following a pay-what-you-can model.
The idea is that some people might pay whatever they normally would spend on lunch — perhaps $10 — while others would pay less or nothing, depending on what they could afford. The cafe would have about 30 seats and be open to all.
Council members were voting on the lease agreement, but spent much of their time talking about the idea, which they support.
But that doesn’t mean the cafe is in for smooth sailing as it moves toward opening its doors. A few neighbors of the building turned out for the council meeting to voice opposition to the proposal.
While saying they like the concept and support social-service programs, the neighbors said they didn’t necessarily want the cafe near them. Safety issues topped their concerns.
Neighbors also were unhappy they hadn’t heard about the lease proposal until they read about it in the Coloradoan. Notice of a building lease proposal typically would not be sent to neighboring property owners, city officials said.
Cafe co-founder Jeff Baumgardner and members of the nonprofit’s board assured the council they would work with neighbors to address their concerns. The idea behind the cafe is to promote community, they said, not cause conflict and hard feelings.
The proposal has a way to go before it becomes a done deal. It must go through the city’s planning review process and get approval from the county health department. Neighbors will have opportunities to voice their opinions along the way.
Time will tell if the concept, which has been two years in the making in Fort Collins, will set sail by summer as planned and whether neighbors will be on board.
Kevin Duggan is a senior reporter. Follow him at Coloradoan Kevin Duggan on Facebook or @coloradoan_dugg on Twitter.

domain: news


text:
For the lab report, I focused on mapping restaurants in New York from the Yelp App. I was curious about the location distributions, which areas gather more restaurants, are they all close to the subway stations, and also does the price really have a positive relation to quality. To find out these questions, I created an interactive map, trying to show the geographical information from various perspectives.
To prepare for the visualization, firstly I was looking for design references. I was inspired by the New York 311 noise complaints map in its layout and how the creator arranged the content filters in the legend sections.
The following steps are the process for creating the interactive maps
Gathering the Data
I collected the data by applying the Yelp API which offered restaurants in the app.
Organizing the Data Structure
Initially, I gathered the New York restaurants’ datasets into four csv files arranged by the New York Boroughs. The columns of every dataset include the name, location, longitude, latitude, alias, name, and price. However, when I do the visualization for data testing in Python, I found out that even though I selected the restaurants in Manhattan, there were plenty of restaurants near but not in the borough. Hence, I decided to combine the four datasets together and drop the duplicates.
At first, I visualized all the restaurants from the dataset for viewing the overall distributions. Then, I built up the filter sections according to the price and rating perspectives. Finally, in order to show the distance between restaurants and subway stations, I added the buffer features of 0.3 miles around the station points. I have also tried to select restaurants by alias like Korean, BBQ etc, but due to there are too many kinds of tags. It was pretty hard to classify and filter them, so it didn’t work out in the end
After a long time of programming and debugging, I created an interactive map website that looks solid at first sight. However there were still plenty of problems that needed to be solved.
Because of spending too much strength building the visualization and website, I didn’t have enough time to develop the storyline and explained the insights for this lab.
User Interface Problems
There were some flaws in the interface of the filter section. For instance, after I click the button to cancel the buffers in the map, it works but the circle in the button doesn’t disappear. Additionally, I still need to revise the margin between filter sections. The last but not least, I need to think of how to present the map on small monitors like smartphones.