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1. POLITICAL THEORY – Friedrich Hayek
FAST WORKERS COMPILATION #2
POLITICAL THEORY – Adam Smith
POLITICAL THEORY – John Maynard Keynes
POLITICAL THEORY – Karl Marx
Richard Posner, “How I Became a Keynesian”
This course examines questions of international political economy. The focus of the course is on the political struggles of economic life – including points of contention related to resource extraction, production/manufacture, distribution, and consumption. We will study the history of international political economic processes, the historical development of global inequality, political economic theories, and we will apply those theories to the problem of homelessness. We also read original texts like Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto and parts of texts like Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations, as well as learn about key theories of international political economy: liberalism, Marxism, Keynesianism, and anarcho-communism.
Students who successfully complete this course should be able to:
· Recognize and define basic concepts appropriate to international political economy, such as class politics, exploitation, unregulated market, liberalism, division of labor, reciprocity, and so on.
· Explain the basic history of the development of the world economy over the past 400 years that constitute the peripheral and core economies and their relationships of inequality that we observe today.
· Identify and describe key theories of international political economy: liberalism, Marxism, Keynesianism, and anarcho-communism.
· Apply the four key theories to a real-world problem (homelessness) in order to demonstrate your knowledge.
· Analyze the four theories by comparing and contrasting how they read the problem of homelessness differently.
Module 4: Using International Political Economic Theory to Explain the Homeless in front of Whole Foods
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
We have read about four theories of international political economy. We have learned the history of the development of the world economy that manifests in global inequality. We’ve paid special attention to the ethical difficulties of living in the core of the world economy with economic margins all around us. Each theory covered in class allows us to see the inequality from different angles. Each theory offers different readings of the problems of inequality, like homelessness. The theories also offer different possible solutions or responses to the problem of homelessness. For example, Marx had very different ideas about how social classes should respond to unemployment and the precarity of labor compared to Smith’s ideas about how individuals should seek to be more competitive in the labor market and maximize individual wealth accumulation. Describe four theories of international political economy (liberalism, Marxism, Keynesianism, and anarcho-communism) and apply them to the problem of the homeless. Answer these questions: What are the basic ingredients of each theory? How does each theory uniquely read the problem of homelessness? What solutions to homelessness do you imagine each theory implies?
By the end of this module you will be able to:
Describe and apply four international political economic theories in regard to the problem of homelessness. The theories to consider are: liberalism, Marxism, Keynesianism, and anarcho-communism.
Imagine possible solutions to the problem of homelessness that each theory logically implies.
Show data table for This chart displays the number of completed topics versus the total number of topics within module Module 4: Using International Political Economic Theory to Explain the Homeless in front of Whole Foods..
List of Topics and Sub-Modules for Module 4: Using International Political Economic Theory to Explain the Homeless in front of Whole Foods
· Essay 4
For a final paper, you will write a comparative essay that applies the political economic theories we’ve learned over the quarter to an observable problem: the homeless in front of Whole Foods. This essay should be between 10-12 pages. The essay will take each theoretical lens we’ve covered in class and use that theory as a lens to explain the homeless. We’ve covered these four political economic theories: liberalism, Marxism, Keynesianism, anarcho-communism.
The observable referent that you will explain is the homeless who panhandle in front of Whole Foods. Think about what I mean here: A liberal explanation of the homeless will be very different than a Marxian explanation, for example. The Marxist would have a very different set of suggestions about what to do to address the problem of homelessness, compared to the liberal. This exercise is a chance to apply a political theory to an empirical problem, which will show your grasp of the theories.
Your essay should at the very least: DESCRIBE the problem of homelessness, DESCRIBE each theoretical lens, and then APPLY the theories to explain WHY the homeless are in their situation and then discuss the SOLUTIONS to the problem th

domain: politics


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Lord Krishna with Flute wall sticker to give amazing look to living room wall.
Modern Elegant Ganesha God For Pooja Room beautiful wall sticker
Designer Om Wall Sticker for beautiful walls
Meditating Lord Shiva Wall Sticker For Home
Lord Shiva Meditating on Kailash Mountain wall sticker
Shree Ganesh wall stickers decorate your home
Radhe Krishna with Flute wall sticker to decorate home

domain: design


You know how much time I spend with my head stuck in engine bays, and I know that if you’re reading this column, then you’re much the same. There’s one thing you can be sure of when you’re working on anything to do with your 4WD – you and your pride and joy are gonna get dirty. Oil is the lifeblood of any engine, but it leaves one hell of a mess.
It’s a good idea to have a fast, easy-to-use cleaner handy for any mechanical situation. It doesn’t matter if I’m on the road or in the workshop, I’ve found Liqui-Moly’s Rapid Brake and Parts Cleaner is a seriously good product.
This multi-purpose cleaner completely removes oil, grease, grime and resin fast and without a trace. This is unlike most other cleaners that leave an oily residue that often needs to be removed after the cleaning process. This means it’s totally safe to use on braking systems and clutch assemblies.
Half the reason I keep this product on hand, however, is because of its versatility. It’s not just the best thing for parts and mechanical applications, but can be used to remove oil splashes and residues from flooring and clothing. Let’s face it, it’s a rare occasion when you don’t splash a bit of oil on the floor of the workshop or on your clothes when you’re draining a sump. But since I started keeping a can of this stuff on hand, it’s become an easy-to-fix problem. Its spray-on wipe-off application process makes it easy to use as well being a real time saver, as it works quick.
As the name suggests, it’s also a simple and safe product to use on your brakes. The fact that it doesn’t leave an oily residue like other cleaners means that it’s a simple process of spraying it on, and wiping off the grime. It’s also a much safer method of cleaning your brakes than using a blower, as you don’t get all those nasty brake-pad particles flying about and getting sucked into your lungs.
All in all, Liqui-Moly’s Rapid Brake and Parts Cleaner is a simple, convenient and effective product, and I’d recommend it to anyone as a multi-use cleaner to be kept on the shelf of the garage or workshop, and even in the back of the 4WD.


Foreign Pain delivers on their promise of "vulnerable and pissed-off" hardcore with their new album 'Death of Divinity.'
Knocked Loose and Madball are amongst the first acts confirmed for Outbreak Fest's 10th anniversary weekender in 2021.
Brian from Californian hardcore/death metal band Xibalba spoke to V13 about 'Años En Infierno', their future plans and the race protests.
Californian hardcore/death metal heavyweights Xibalba unleash another crushing slab of death metal/hardcore. Read our review of 'Años En Infierno' here.
There isn't a moment throughout the course of this punishing lesson in heavy that doesn't leave a bruise on your body.
Having set the bar with their previous offering, California's Xibalba really push their dark, intimidating sound to new levels with their latest effort, Tierra Y Libertad.
Pomona, California's Xibalba has unchained the first single from their approaching Tierra Y Libertad LP with a stream of the album's third track, "Invierno," stream it...
Sleeping Giant have premiered the title track to their forthcoming album, Finished People, which will be released on August 19 in North America. The band is...


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The last few days haven’t been that warm but they’ve been nice enough to go out and catch up on a few jobs in the garden. I know we mentioned we weren’t going to put in those pre-chitted spuds on Good Friday as per tradition but we cracked yesterday (Easter Sunday) and stuck in a couple of rows of maris pipersjust down from the onion sets and broad beans just peeping through (pic above). Some comfrey leaves were put in the hole beforehand and some bamboo canes and rose prunings flung on the top to keep the cats off. More on how you sow seed potatoes from an older post here.
Typically a couple of hours after the spuds went in we heard that later this week it may get cold at night (below) so it might be out with the fleece or those old net curtains.
Talking of protection there’s a couple of tomato plants under the tipped up terrarium (pic above) we found in the street a few years ago but if it does look like it’s going to be really cold we’ll be bringing them back indoors.A couple of rows of spinach and basil seed even went in (yes we’re well optimistic about the weather) under a homemade cold frame type affair made out of an old window and some old wood. It was really a ploy to get rid of a “bargain” obtained at B&Q the other day; a massive sack (125L) of multi-purpose compost for £6.50. As soon as we opened the bag we knew why it was so cheap, it honked to high heaven and it’s not something you want to be putting in pots indoors for certain. As the old saying goes “there’s no such thing as a free lunch (or a compost bargain).”
Just because it’s coming up to autumn there’s no need to stop planting in the garden. The other evening I stuck in a couple of rows of the onion sets I got last weekend. They’ll overwinter well and hopefully give us some tasty onions come early summer next year.
They’re a piece of cake to sow, normal preparation of the ground as per and preferably there’s been no compost been put in the ground for a season or two (if there was, they’d make the ground hold moisture over the winter thus leaving the sets open to rotting which isn’t good). All you do is make a hole with a dibber (or the other end of a trowel) and carefully put the set in with the top just very slightly poking out (and the root end downward).
I also stuck some sticks and brambles on the top to stop our cats digging them up and also hopefully keep the birds and squirrels away. I plant mine closer together then the usual (about 4″ apart) so I can thin them out and use them as small onions when they’re ready.
Never mind what they say about “onions being cheap in the shops so don’t bother growing them” as home grown onions are a hundred times better than the ones in the supermarket. Grow your own as they’re cheap as chips to buy as sets!
Another great tune from Alborosie heard on this week’s David Rodigan show on BBC 1Xtra. Music to listen to while carrying 50 litres of Multi-purpose compost (with added John Innes), an assortment of terracotta pots and .5 kg of Radar onion sets back home from Shannon’s. I’ll now have to spend all afternoon relaxing in a Radox bath just like the adverts in the 80’s!

domain: hobby


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There are several exciting changes being made at Decatur County Hospital, all in pursuit of providing the quality care that you deserve. With the addition of on-site modern equipment, we will be able to increase our capability to diagnose and treat a wider range of health concerns such as cancers, heart disease, gastrointestinal issues, endocrine abnormalities (diabetes, thyroid issues, and more), neurological disorders, and other health conditions. The next piece of new equipment to become available at DCH is our nuclear medicine machine. While we currently offer access to this scanning technology through a mobile service, we are upgrading our capability by adding a brand new machine on-site in our radiology department.
With this technology on-site at Decatur County Hospital, it will allow for more appointment availability so that patients get the appropriate testing they need, with the comfort of being indoors, close to home, and without waiting weeks or even months for a diagnosis and a proper course of action to treat complex health disorders. Once installed and configured, we will start offering nuclear medicine scanning services 6 (six) days each month, with the ability to expand availability in the future as needed.
So, what does this mean for our community? Nuclear medicine imaging uses small amounts of radioactive material, a special scanner, and a computer to create images of the inside of your body. It provides unique information that often cannot be obtained using other imaging procedures. Nuclear medicine is used in the treatment of many types of cancers, heart disease, gastrointestinal issues, endocrine abnormalities (diabetes, thyroid issues, and more), neurological disorders, and other health conditions. Because nuclear medicine procedures are able to pinpoint molecular activity within the body, they may detect disease in its earliest stages when it is most easily treated.
Our new machine, the NM 830 by GE, brings the top-of-the-line capability to reduce dose or scan times by up to 25 percent, which provies shorter, more tolerable exams for greater patient comfort. The technology of this equipment allows us to develop a treatment plan for disease quickly, and specialists can also use the SwiftScan Planar and SwiftScan SPECT’s small lesion detectability which may help recognize disease in earlier stages.
The addition of nuclear medicine also enhances our cardiac stress testing program. If your health care provider suggests a cardiac stress test to assess your heart health, you don’t have to travel far from home to get results. At Decatur County Hospital, we provide stress testing in a caring and secure environment with an expert team.
Stress testing is a routine test that is done to help diagnose coronary artery disease, determine the cause of heart rhythm problems, guide cardiac treatment for new or chronic conditions, or to check your heart before surgery. The test provides your doctor with a look at how your heart works during physical activity, when problems with blood flow are typically amplified. Once these problems are diagnosed, you and your health care team can work together to develop a customized plan to address them.
At Decatur County Hospital, our stress testing takes place in a monitored setting, with a team of experts at your side. Our team includes a nurse, a provider (doctor or ARNP), and a nuclear medicine technician as needed. This team ensures that your test is performed safely and accurately. Once the results of your test are completed, the information is shared with your care team to develop a treatment plan, or further guide the next steps in your cardiac health journey.
A stress test can be an uncomfortable experience, but is a necessary tool to ensure your cardiac health is being addressed appropriately. The DCH stress test team will help ease your fears, and ensure you receive the best care possible from our compassionate employees. We have the specialists you need to provide the care you deserve.

domain: medical


Latest from the CML
Housing in Scotland: a key political issue
We look at how the market in Scotland compares to the rest of the UK, and review different housing practices and policies operating north of the border.
Gross mortgage lending £18.4 billion in April
Gross mortgage lending reached £18.4 billion in April. Down 11% on March's total but 4% higher than April last year.
Market commentary May 2017
Our estimate of gross mortgage lending for April is £18.4 billion, up 4% year-on-year. Remortgage activity and first-time buyers continue to drive lending growth.
First-time buyer growth continues in Wales in first quarter but home movers decline
New CML data on the Welsh mortgage market released today reveals house purchase activity declined in the first quarter of the year but remortgage activity continued to grow.
Home buying activity in Northern Ireland up 3% year-on-year in first quarter
New data on the Northern Ireland mortgage market from the Council of Mortgage Lenders released today reveals house purchase and remortgage activity increased year-on-year in the first quarter.
First-time buyer and remortgage activity grows year-on-year in Scotland in the first quarter
New CML data on the Scottish mortgage market released today reveals house purchase activity declined in the first quarter in the fourth quarter of 2016 declined quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year.
Statistic of the week
Over the last 12 months, the number of first-time buyers reached 345,000, the highest since the start of 2008.Read more...


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PRODUCT DESCRIPTION Gender is a Social Construct At the root of social constructionism is language, how you speak matters! Commonly using allusions to gender in reference to actions, ideas, and even arbitrary things like colors lead people to believe that males cannot be feminine and and females cannot be masculine. By placing weight on these categories, femininity was a word of weakness, masculinity that of strength dividing things into "for boys" or "for girls." But not all not all females are women and not all males are men, gender is typically assigned at birth, that doesn't make it true or permanent.
We believe apparel can be a form of activism. When you shop with Green Box Shop, you are advocating for socio-political change while also supporting:
Sustainably Produced Materials
Sweatshop Free Work Spaces | Queer Owned Business
Eco-Friendly Production | Afro-Latinx Owned Business
Nov 20th, is trans day of rememberance, today we mourn the lives of the 24 transfolk of color that have been murderd this year, many of them black trans women who were killed by cishet men of color. Which is an issue our communites need to come together and deal with because these deaths are intersectional this is a feminist issue and lgbt issue, and a poc issue we cannot let these individuals who stand ay the intersections of so many communities fall through the cracks and be forgotten

domain: sociology


MANAGUA (Reuters) – Nicaragua suffered nearly $750 million in damage from Hurricanes Eta and Iota, the government said on Tuesday, as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) promised $1.7 billion in aid for millions of people affected across Central America.
Nearly 44,000 homes suffered total or partial damage in Nicaragua, said Nicaraguan Finance Minister Ivan Acosta, estimating the storms have cost the country $743 million in losses, according to government media site El 19.
Hurricane Eta alone impacted some 3 million people in seven Central American countries and caused up to $5.5 billion in damage, the IDB said, citing estimates from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Iota’s economic toll has yet to be calculated, said the IDB.
The region was still recovering from deadly flooding and mudslides triggered by Eta when Iota walloped Central America.
The IDB said on Monday it will support reconstruction in the hardest-hit countries with up to $1.2 billion in new funds, plus up to $500 million reassigned from existing operations and money mobilized from other institutions working in the region.
“The IDB is totally committed to helping with the recovery and reconstruction of affected countries in Central America,” said IDB president Mauricio Claver-Carone.
The Honduran central bank said on Monday that devastation caused by Eta will shave an additional percentage point from economic growth, which along with the fallout from coronavirus will lead to a record contraction of 8-9% in 2020.
Source: Read Full Article


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Fourth Doses of the COVID-19 Vaccine for Immunocompromised Individuals
Our government is continuing to take action to protect our most vulnerable Ontarians from COVID-19 and the Omicron variant, by offering a fourth dose (booster) of the COVID-19 vaccine to immunocompromised individuals three months (84 days) after they’ve completed their three-dose series.
Fourth doses are currently available after three months (84 days) following a third dose to residents of long-term care homes, retirement homes, elder care lodges, and other congregate settings that provide assisted living and health services.
Starting today at 8:00 a.m., immunocompromised Ontarians can schedule their fourth dose through the following channels:
- by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900
- directly through public health units that use their own booking system
- at participating pharmacies
- hospital clinics (visit your local hospital or public health unit for booking details, if available in your region)
- mobile or pop-up clinics, such as the GO-VAXX bus (visit your local public health unit website for details, if available in your region)
- through your hospital’s vaccination program if you are a hospital-based health care worker
Eligible individuals can include those who are:
- a transplant recipient (including solid organ transplant and hematopoietic stem cell transplants)
- receiving stable, active treatment (chemotherapy, targeted therapies, immunotherapy) for a malignant hematologic disorder or solid tumor
- in receipt of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell
- an individual with moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (for example, DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
- Stage 3 or advanced untreated HIV infection and those with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
- undergoing active treatment with the following categories of immunosuppressive therapies: anti-B cell therapies (monoclonal antibodies targeting CD19, CD20 and CD22), high-dose systemic corticosteroids, alkylating agents, antimetabolites, or tumor-necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors and other biologic agents that are significantly immunosuppressive or are taking specific immunosuppressant medications
- receiving dialysis (hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis)
Both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines provide strong protection against COVID-19 and the Omicron variant. It is safe to mix vaccines and the best vaccine for your booster is the first one available.

domain: health


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On Friday, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sent off a series of tweets that proved popular:
“The extreme left is taking over” WHERE. In Texas, Republicans passed a law allowing rapists to sue their victims for getting an abortion.
We can’t even get our party to import cheaper RXs from Canada. foh
Billionaires be like “the extreme far left is taking over” when the “extreme far left” in the US is “medicine shouldn’t bankrupt you,” “wages should cover rent,” & “maybe it’s bad that Wall St companies profit off mass surveillance, manufactured housing crises, and caging people”
The reason America isn’t socialist, despite a very powerful Left, is because the Left cares more about race than economics. The effects of leftism are often felt by an absence of policies. The reason crime is soaring in most cities, is because leftists have demonized law and order. The riots in 2020 lasted so long because leftist DAs refused to prosecute rioters. The reason illegal immigrants pour into the country is because the Left believes any form of border security is unethical.
What the far-left lacks in political power, it makes up for in cultural power. It is because of the far-left that many schoolchildren are taught to think America is evil, racist, and irredeemable. The far-left made Marxist and anti-white arguments common on campus. The far-left’s influence explains why major newspapers don’t report brutal black-on-white crime.
Over the last 60 years, the Left has got what it wants many times: “civil rights,” mass non-white immigration, abortion rights, affirmative action, gay marriage, legal miscegenation, and legal protections for women, the disabled, homosexuals, non-whites, etc.
The economic Left Miss Ocasio-Cortez describes doesn’t really exist. The popular leftist website, Huffington Post, has sections for five “communities:” Queer Voices, Asian Voices, Black Voices, Latino Voices, and Women. There are no Poor Voices, Union Voices, Middle-Class Voices, Working-Class Voices, or Minimum-Wage Voices. That’s a statement of priorities. The Huffington Post isn’t “far-left” on economics; it’s very far-left on race.


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There goes the neighborhood! That's what the residents of a small Alaskan town are thinking when an alien spaceship crash-lands in their town and the prisoners aboard take over their hamlet. The town's fate rests in the hands of a brain-damaged alien and an angry young girl. This is the premise of Keith Giffen's latest mini-series for Marvel Comics, "Drax the Destroyer," a four issue series that began yesterday. Bringing Giffen's dark tale of cosmic powered carnage to life is artist Mitch Breitweiser, who recently signed an exclusive deal with Marvel. CBR News spoke to Breitweiser about how he broke into Marvel, his work on "Drax," and his upcoming project for the House of Ideas.
Breitweiser first came to Marvel's attention as the artist of "Phantom Jack," a series originally slated to be part of Marvel's Epic line before it moved to Image. "My art, at the time, was still pretty lacking, and there was a huge learning curve for me on 'Phantom Jack,'" Breitweiser told CBR News. "After I was done with that book, I was able to look back and analyze my art, as well as ask pros, fans, and editors for advice. I spent a few months drawing my butt off everyday in order to work all the bugs out of my art, and take it to the next level. I began heading down to Marvel's offices about every second Friday and bugged them until they caved and gave me a project. Ever since, it's been great! They have been very accommodating and supportive."
Breitweiser's work caught the attention of Marvel Editor Tom Brevoort's assistant, Andy Schmidt. "I started catering my portfolio toward the characters that were in Tom and Andy's office, and as luck would have it Andy took the bait! He called me up and asked if I had any interest in working on 'Drax.' They had me do a pinup of Drax as a sort of tryout because they were considering a couple of other artists for the project as well. Andy showed my pic to Keith Giffen and they both liked what they saw, and the rest is history. I owe Andy and Keith big time for believing in me and giving my career a huge jump start."
Working with Giffen on "Drax the Destroyer" was a pleasure for Breitweiser. "It's like being under the command of a comic book four star general," Breitweiser explained. "The guy has done it all, and I didn't hesitate to call and ask for art or storytelling advice. The 'Drax' mini-series is going to be a great read, so even if you hate my art, Keith still weaves a fantastic tale."
When CBR News spoke to Giffen about "Drax the Destroyer" the writer offered high praise for his artistic collaborator. Giffen was especially pleased with the way Breitweiser brought the book's setting, the isolated Alaskan town, to life. "Nature can be a tricky thing to illustrate, especially in black and white. The trick is to keep your artwork as loose and random as nature is itself. I just sketched out the backgrounds really loosely and started barreling into the pages with my brushes. I experimented with masking fluid a lot, and I used the splatter technique as well. Anything I could do to give the artwork more vitality and depth."
The mundane elements of "Drax" weren't especially difficult for Breitweiser; it was the books cast of alien characters that were a bit strenuous. "The aliens like Paibok, the Blood Brothers, and Lunatik were a bit of a chore for me," Breitweiser said. "I love drawing people and real world type stuff. But, I think that working on them took me out of my comfort zone a bit, but that's a good place to be if you want to grow as an artist."
The tone of "Drax" is very dark. To capture that tone in his art Breitweiser used his knowledge of Chiaroscuro, which is basically the use of dramatic contrast and lighting. And in addition to doing the interior work on "Drax," Breitweiser was also charged with handling cover duties for the series. "I had a blast doing my own covers, and I can't wait to see them on the shelves," Breitweiser said. "I also loved redesigning Drax. I am excited to see how the fan's respond to his new direction and look."
Breitweiser described his artistic style as brushy, moody, gritty and realistic. " I ink my own work, so I like to experiment with brush techniques like dry brush, splatter, inkwash, and masking. These are all things that an artist could not convey with a pencil alone, so I would like to feel like I am bringing something new and fresh to comic book readers.
"My influences consist of Mike Lark, Jae Lee, John Cassaday, Greg Land, Steve Epting, J.G. Jones, Alex Ross, and Sean Phillips among others," Breitweiser stated. "I have just recently started to look into comics rich history to discover artists like Alex Toth, and Wally Wood."
As for what's next for the newly exclusive artist, Marvel's already assigned Breitweiser his next book, but can't say anything quite yet. "But it's going to be big. I am getting a crack at one of my favorite characters and the story is going to complement my art even better than 'Drax' has. I am very excited and I will be pouring everything I have into it, so watch out!"

domain: artistic


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In our search for interesting, challenging and critical perspectives on contemporary humanism, we occasionally find articles published in other venues that we think humanistfreedoms.com readers may enjoy. The following article was published by San Francisco Bayview.
According to hiphophumanism.com, “Hip Hop Humanism is a not a new form of Humanism. It has always been a part of Hip Hop. Why? Throughout the years Hip Hop as brought all types of people together. It has been a platform for the people to express themselves through art and skill. Telling their stories, our stories and the stories that we refuse to be ignored. We embrace all Humanist, because we want humanity better for us all, not for all of us except… It is an all inclusive culture initiative that uses art to speak to the self that rational ideas can be reached. We believe the creative aspect of Human beings is the essence of our humanity. It is the secret weapon of our consciousness. We may be rational intelligent and morally structured beings, but we are primarily sentiment beings so where we feel, laugh, cry, dance and love lays the greatest opportunity for making Human connections. It is the realm of the creative self where we find meaning, while rationality and integrity are the traits more equipped to address the search for purpose.….” (learn more on hiphophumanism.com)
By: Jay Rene Shakur
Humanists – Where Are You?
Humanism is a rational philosophy informed by science, inspired by art and motivated by compassion. Affirming the dignity of each human being, it supports the maximization of individual liberty and opportunity consonant with social and planetary responsibility. It advocates the extension of participatory democracy and the expansion of the open society, standing for human rights and social justice. Free of supernaturalism, it recognizes human beings as a part of nature and holds that values – be they religious, ethical, social or political – have their source in human experience and culture. Humanism thus derives the goals of life from human need and interest rather than from theological or ideological abstractions and asserts that humanity must take responsibility for its own destiny. – from The Humanist Magazine
When I first heard about humanism, I wanted to research everything about it. I’m not the type of person to just jump on the bandwagon. I like to know what I’m getting myself into and know it well enough that I can support it wholeheartedly.
The more I learned about humanism and what it stood for, I realized that I was a natural humanist from birth.
From as long as I can remember I cared about other humans just because I cared. It didn’t matter what they looked like or where they came from, I always had a heart for humanity and for the care of others.
As I continued to think more about it, I realized that hip-hop music artists who first began the craft were also humanists. They often talked about their neighborhood and giving back to it and they wanted to uplift people and give them knowledge and support for the simple fact that we were all brothers and sisters of the human race.
When I started Hip-Hop Humanism, it was based on what I believed humanism to be – supporting the betterment of humans as a whole as well as individually.
I wanted to give back in any way that I could by creating grassroots programs for children and promoting hip-hop artists that were about positivity and uplifting the human race.
And it continued to grow. It grew into social justice and rightfully so. As a humanist I feel totally inclined to get involved in what is going on in America. It was surprising to me, however, that when I looked to my left and right, I was the only humanist there.
I expected to see humanists more involved, not only on the ground protesting but through literature of some kind, making some noticeable contribution.
Now, if this literature exists, I have yet to see it and I would love to. However, as much as the humanist stands for, I expected to see all of us out here in the forefront. I expected to see humanism as a major leader and household name in the fight for social justice.
For what is going on in the United States, why wouldn’t humanists be the ones to really help aid this problem?
As humanists we aren’t in it because of a person’s race or their gender. It doesn’t matter their class or how much money they have in the bank. What matters is that they are human.
As humanists we care about our fellow man, woman and child and do our part simply for them. It’s compassion and it’s love. It is human decency.
Reflecting on the ultimate demise of many Black Panthers, Bobby Seale sums up the goals of the party, goals which speak to a universal humanist agenda:
“We need activists who cross all ethnic and religious backgrounds and color lines who will establish civil and human rights for all, including the right to an ecologically balanced, pollution-free environment. We must create a world of decent human relationships where revolutionary humanism is grounded in democratic human rights for every person on earth. Those were the political revolutionary objectives of my old Black Panther Party. They must now belong to the youth of today,” said Bobby Seale, quoted by Anthony B. Pinn in “Anybody there? Reflections on African American Humanism,” published in 1997 by the UU Humanist Association.
Why have I seen no humanists out here? Where is everyone?
Did I learn to believe that humanism is something that it isn’t? Has everyone forgotten?
Or maybe I am supposed to take the lead and make it become what it’s supposed to have already been.
The support of the humanist thought is needed in the social justice fight. We are everywhere – from all occupations and walks of life.
Who more to understand the plight of mankind and care about it with no agenda but for the upliftment of humans for humans? That’s what I understand humanists to be.
Was I wrong? Well, if I was wrong, dear old humanist, please be prepared for a revamp of what we do.
The New Humanist
Jay Rene, founder of Hip Hop Humanism, documentarian and wife of imprisoned writer Kwame Teague, can be reached on Instagram at @thejayrene, by email at email@example.com and online at www.hiphophumanism.com.
Citations, References And Other Reading
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The views, opinions and analyses expressed in the articles on Humanist Freedoms are those of the contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the publishers.


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This pair of houses occupy an elevated position. It was clear that the panoramic views of the harbour should be set at the upper level.
The award winning modern houses are timber-clad boxes perched on a concrete plinth. The entrance is clearly defined within the curved, zinc fin set to one side. The box element was conceived as a lightweight form and so has been constructed as a steel frame. The choice of sustainable timber for the external cladding relates to the site’s close proximity to the sea.
The main entrance takes you along a generous hallway to a double- height stair void. This arrives in a garden room.
The upper level, given entirely to the living spaces, offers excellent views of the harbour, with full-width sliding doors. An external decked area has been formed adjacent to the zinc fin, providing a private external space and visual drama. The basement accommodates a stylish cinema room.
Client: Portus Homes
Credits: Portus homes Photography
Awards: Dorset Property & Architecture Awards 2010, Highly Commended in the 'Best Eco or Environmental Project' Category.
Awards: RIBA Town & Country Design Awards 2009, Winner in the 'Residential' Category.


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For almost half of a century, the Pistons have called the Detroit metropolitan area their home. The team moved to the area from Fort Wayne, IN after the 1956-57 season. They played at Cobo Hall and later moved to the Pontiac Silverdome in 1978. Home of the Detroit Lions (NFL), the Silverdome was a massive facility for NBA games to be held. By the mid 1980s, owner of the Pistons, William Davidson, decided to construct a new basketball arena for his team. A site in Auburn Hills was chosen to construct the $70 million arena.
FACTS & FIGURES
-Tenants: Detroit Pistons (NBA)
-Cost: $70 million
-Architect: Rossetti Architects
-Address: 5 Championship Drive, Auburn Hills, MI 48376
-Former Name(s): None
The Detroit Pistons first season at the Palace at Auburn Hills was in 1988-89. With a capacity of over 22,000 the Pistons home is the second largest arena in the NBA. The Palace at Auburn Hills features 1,000 club seats, five underground luxury suites and an additional 180 luxury suites. Fans attending games can visit the Hall of Fame and Museum to check out memorabilia from the Pistons history. The Pistons have had many successful seasons at the Palace at Auburn Hills. They won two NBA Championships during their first two seasons there. The Pistons also won their third NBA Championship at the Palace at Auburn Hills during the 2003-2004 season.

domain: geography


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Dubai: Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) are prepared to get into high gear if Dubai is successful in its bid for Expo 2020.
Navin M. Valrani, chief executive of Leminar, an SME, said that €4.5 billion (Dh22.4 billion) earmarked for Expo 2020 infrastructure investment coupled with private sector initiatives would be a tremendous boost for Dubai.
Leminar is a Dubai-based air conditioning firm providing services to the construction sector.
A successful bid for Dubai — with the winner to be announced in November 2013 — is expected to attract foreign investment, companies, and human capital to the emirate.
Valrani said he is not fazed by the idea of more companies entering Dubai following a successful bid.
“The beauty of Dubai is that it has always been a competitive environment. It is an entrepreneur’s dream city,” he said.
However, Valrani said there would be challenges for smaller companies entering the market on the back of Expo 2020 because “it’s not always easy to get start-ups up and running.”
“I think the more established SMEs will take good piece of the cake...[but] there will be enough business for everyone,” he said.
Camilla d’Abo, Managing Partner at Dubai-based communication agency Dabo & Co, said hosting Expo 2020 in Dubai would be a fantastic opportunity.
“We are perfectly situated to be able to help many global cities and countries that would be coming to Expo 2020,” she said.
The emergence of new competitors in the market in the lead up to the event would be a significant boost for Dubai and UAE, d’Abo said.
She said that competitiveness among companies in the UAE was already increasing year-on-year.
It is not a threat, she said speaking about more companies operating in the UAE, and it benefits the market because it increases the level of professionalism.
“The more businesses setting up here ultimately mean more benefits for the economy,” she said.
Hazel Cowling, Partner & Consultant Director at management consultancy SME biz-group, agrees with D’abo. “Sophisticated training and events companies coming into the market...raises the bar for clients and gets them...recognising our industry,” she said.
S. Raghavan, CEO at Emitac, a healthcare SME, said that the Expo would attract more expatriates and tourists to the UAE leading to a demand in healthcare facilities. He said this would generate a “great opportunity” for the healthcare sector.
The economic injection generated by Expo would be a significant boost to SMEs who have already established themselves in the local and regional market.
The business and growth opportunities are going to be big, Raghavan said, this could mean that in the lead up to Expo, companies like ourself might not come under the SME category and become one of the bigger companies in the market, Raghavan said.
Cowling said a successful Expo 2020 bid would help put Dubai and UAE-based companies on the map exposing them to international players.
Dubai is bidding for the event against Turkey’s Izmir, Russia’s Yekaterinburg, and Brazil’s Sao Paulo.

domain: news


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Master of One Network
Episode 100.2: Sandbox Interview - with Illustrator, Designer, & Instructor Hayden Aube
Sometimes things don't work out, even though you've invested lots of time and energy. Last time Hayden joined us on the show he was gearing up to launch Happy Faces on Everything, but things didn't go as planned. Today, Hayden unpacks what happened and how he dealt with it... along with what lies ahead.
- On Skillshare: https://www.skillshare.com/user/hkaube
- Character Design: Create a Character from any Animal: https://www.skillshare.com/classes/Character-Design-Create-a-Character-from-any-Animal/1825310148?via=user-profile


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Alcohol costing every drinker over £62,000 over a lifetime
New figures released in time for Alcohol Awareness Week show the personal costs of alcohol are nearly £63,000 over a lifetime.
Evidence now shows that alcohol is a cause of heart disease, liver disease, stroke, increased blood pressure, and seven types of cancer. But the figures show that the average UK drinker is spending an estimated £62,899 on alcohol over a lifetime.
In the North East the spend is likely to be much greater with an estimated 47% of adults and six out of 10 men, or around 855,000 people drinking above recommended low risk guidelines of no more than 14 units a week (Balance Perfect Storm survey and report, 2021).
Balance is supporting Alcohol Awareness Week – the annual campaign from Alcohol Change to increase awareness around the impacts of alcohol.
Susan Taylor, Head of Alcohol Policy for Balance the North East Alcohol Programme, said: “We already know alcohol is a drug, where the damage to the body and brain can mount up with every drinking session over the years.
“But these new figures show how the financial costs also add up and harm our wallets. £63,000 is a huge amount of money and at a time when we’re all feeling the pinch, it makes you wonder what else you could spend that on. In addition, there is a personal toll from alcohol – Even just a couple of glasses can leave us with low energy, poor sleep and low mood. By reducing our drinking, we can take back control and reduce our health risks and expenditure in the short and longer term.”
The survey for Alcohol Awareness Week from Alcohol Change (2) also found nationally:
- One in five drinkers (19%) consider alcohol to be an essential item in their shopping basket. This rises to 39% of drinkers at increasing risk of alcohol harm and 65% at high risk
- One in ten (9%) drinkers said they have prioritised buying alcohol over essential items. This rises to 19% for those drinking at increasing risk, and 25% for those at high risk of alcohol harm
- Among those who drink, one in seven (15%) said that in the last six months they have been worried about how much they are drinking. The same proportion (15%) have also been worried, in the last six months, about the amount of alcohol someone in their household has been drinking.
- Having more opportunities to socialise (32%), work and home pressures (28%), relationship problems (16%), and trying to cope with financial worries (16%), were some of the reasons cited for causing some people to drink more than previously in the past six months.
- Those that are now drinking less, in the past six months, said that they did so for physical and mental health reasons (44%), and due to the cost of living (34%).
For tips, advice and local support to cut down or stop drinking, visit ReduceMyRisk.tv


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Love quotes of falling in love warm our hearts and fill our souls. Our ever entwining souls that were always bound to meet in joy and love and expand together through the grandest adventure of all. To read more stories of ever expanding love, open up http
I know what you meant when you said submit, that is not the point of this pin, I know you meant waiting for you to make the moves, I get it. the point is that I want all of this with you love! I also wanted to say, I'm going to start deleting these regula
25 Quotes That Remind You What It Was Like To Fall MADLY In Love
Time, age, length are all but a number when it comes to love. "You can be in a relationship for two years and feel nothing; you can be in a relationship for two months and feel everything. Time is not a measure of quality; of infatuation, or of love.
My favorite things were climbing weeping willow trees, running through sprinklers, going down slip and slides, burning rubber on oir big wheels,building houses for the bugs in the garden and swimming in our pool

domain: literature


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February 22, 2021, the latest Mount Etna eruption lit Sicily’s night skies sending plumes of smoke and 1,500 meter fountains of lava for the fifth time this week.
Footage of Europe’s most active volcano shows that in recent weeks Mount Etna has been spewing magma and copious showers of ash reaching as far as Catania, where the last major eruptions were recorded in 1992.
Experts say that Mount Etna’s latest eruptions are part of Strombolian eruptions, which is the normal activity of more than 3,300-metre-high volcano.
Eruptions of Mount Etna rarely cause injury or damage in recent decades; officials believe this holds true for this series of eruptions.
What are Volcanic Eruptions? And How Devastating Can They Be?
According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, volcanic eruptions are geophysical hazards when lava and gas are discharged from volcanic vents.
‘Glowing Avalanche’ is the most dangerous type of eruption where freshly erupted magma forms pyroclastic flow with temperatures up to 1,200 degrees. Pyroclastic flow forms when rock fragments follow volcanic explosions. The flow then surges down at speeds of up to several hundred kilometers per hour to distances of 10-40 kilometers from the original site.
A study by the United Nations found volcanic eruptions between 1995-2015 cost $152.6 billion in damages, which is roughly $7.6 billion in damages annually.
The Devastation of Mount Etna
Mount Etna, which stands at 3,350 meters, first erupted on February 16, sending fountains of lava at roughly 2,300 ft into the sky. Footage of the eruption shows that ash and plumes of smoke choking out the sky before settling in nearby towns, including Catania.
As a result, volcanic ash caused Catania Airport to shut down, causing hundred of grounded flights temporarily.
Lava flows streamed from Mount Etna’s crater traveling as far as 2.5 miles eastward into the Valle del Bove valley.
“We’ve seen worse,” says Stefano Branco, head of the National Institue for Geophysics and Volcanology.
Areas surrounding the crater were secured on February 23rd with no report of injuries or fatalities. Nearby residents and municipal teams spent days cleaning up a Sicilian village near the active volcano following the eruptions.
Despite officials largely expecting volcanic activity on Tuesday, residents expressed concerns that the eruption was unusual due to big chunks of volcanic stone carpeting the area instead of ash.
Letizia Olivieri, a resident, tells ABC News, “It was a rain of stones. Something I never saw in my entire life.”
Pedara Mayor Alfio Cristaudo says that the village is currently in emergency mode due to the extent of Mount Etna’s eruptions. He explains that the entire territory of Pedara has been covered with volcanic ashes and lapillus.
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Riots: a year on
It was a year ago that frightening scenes of violence, arson and looting filled our televisions screens. Police were trying to gain control of the streets as people rioted across various parts of London, walking into shops and taking what goods they wanted. One newspaper showed an image of a woman jumping out of a building that was on fire. Social media websites were rife with speculation as to where the riots were spreading to next. People were losing their homes and businesses as the riots seemed to escalate out of control and moved further north out of the capital as well.
One the businesses to fall victim to the riots was the family-run furniture retailer House of Reeves in Croydon, south London, which was founded in 1867, when one of its two adjacent buildings was destroyed. Yet today a year on, storeowner Trevor Reeves has worked in conjunction with the charities vInspired and Do Something to showcase a Reverse Riots campaign looking to challenge the negative perceptions of young people in Britain.
The House of Reeves store has been covered with over 4,000 photographic portraits of young people in Britain holding positive messages about themselves.
Trevor Reeves said: “The positive legacy of the riots was the coming together of people of all ages and from all walks of life to help mend the capital. We were overwhelmed by the support that was offered to our family and many others affected in the days and weeks that followed. We are blessed with so many bright, inspirational and positive young people in this country and I believe it’s important that we don’t allow the actions of such a few cloud our judgment of the many.”
The Reverse Riots campaign was launched in June to give young people the opportunity to show what they offer to society and prove that, despite the headlines, they are making a positive contribution.
The campaign comes after a YouGov poll of 2,000 people found that almost two thirds of the population felt that young people were the catalyst for the riots a year ago. But the research also revealed that it’s young people who are most likely to volunteer and get involved in their community positively.
Prime minister David Cameron, who is backing the campaign along with deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, said : “The riots last summer were a wake-up call for the country and I am determined that we will do everything we can to tackle the causes of the riots to ensure we never see scenes like that again. As we approach the first anniversary of the riots I'm pleased to see vInspired highlighting the good work that young people are doing in Britain and working with youth role models to encourage them to do something positive.
“It's important to give all young people the chance to become involved in their community and do something positive so I wish vInspired every success in their campaign.”


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HMS Holdings wins contract with Orlando Regional
HMS Holdings Corp.'s reimbursement unit has won a contract to provide Medicare bad debt claiming services for Orlando Regional Healthcare, which owns and operates five Central Florida hospitals.
The value of the contract was not disclosed.
With the addition of these hospitals, HMS Holdings' (www.hmsholdings.com) unit now provides Medicare bad debt claiming services to 132 hospital providers nationwide.
"By outsourcing Medicare bad debt claiming, we can refocus our internal staff on other revenue-generating functions," says Keith Eggert, corporate director of patient financial services for Orlando Regional.
New York City-based HMS Holdings (Nasdaq: HMSY) provides cost containment services.
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domain: finance


|Publication number||US5907647 A|
|Application number||US 08/802,051|
|Publication date||May 25, 1999|
|Filing date||Feb 18, 1997|
|Priority date||Feb 18, 1997|
|Publication number||08802051, 802051, US 5907647 A, US 5907647A, US-A-5907647, US5907647 A, US5907647A|
|Inventors||Benjamin John Eggleton, Justin Boyd Judkins, Richart Elliott Slusher, Ashish Madhukar Vengsarkar|
|Original Assignee||Lucent Technologies Inc.|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (7), Referenced by (38), Classifications (12), Legal Events (11)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
This invention relates to optical devices and, in particular, to long-period grating switches and devices using them.
Optical waveguides are key components in modern telecommunications systems. Optical waveguides are typically in the form of optical fibers or "planar" waveguides. In essence, an optical fiber is a small diameter circular waveguide characterized by a core with a first index of refraction surrounded by a cladding having a second (lower) index of refraction. It is capable of transmitting an optical signal containing a large amount of information over long distances. A planar waveguide is usually a substrate-supported waveguide of rectangular cross section. It also has a core and a cladding. Planar waveguides are typically much shorter than fibers, but can be formed in complex configurations. Typical optical waveguides are made of high purity silica with minor concentrations of dopants to control the index of refraction.
A typical optical system comprises a source of optical input signals, a network of optical waveguides coupled to the source, and one or more receivers coupled to the waveguide for receiving the optical signal. Amplifying devices such as rare-earth doped amplifiers can be disposed at various points in the network. Contemplated WDM telecommunications systems would employ wavelength division multiplexing using many different wavelength channels to convey information between points in the network. Contemplated optical data processing applications would employ similar networks on a much smaller distance scale.
Optical switching devices are key components in optical communications and processing networks. Switches are essential for routing communications or data channels from one point in the network to another.
Conventional optical switching devices are mainly hybrid devices using electro-optical or electromechanical effects. They are typically slow, expensive and lossy. They must be inserted into the system by cutting and splicing with high precision alignment. Accordingly there is a need for a simple, fast, efficient optical switching device.
In accordance with the invention, an optical switch employs a long-period grating for switching light between alternative optical paths. In essence, the device comprises a variable intensity light source, a length of optical waveguide dimensioned for co-propagating light in two distinguishable modes, and a long-period grating in the waveguide for coupling between the two modes. The waveguide is nonlinear so that the effective refractive index is a function of intensity. As a consequence the coupling produced by the grating is a function of intensity. Thus different levels of light intensity can switch between the separate modes. Advantageously a mode separator is provided for directing light in the two modes onto respectively different optical output paths. A variety of two-mode switches and optical limiters are described, as well as an optical system using the switch.
The advantages, nature and various additional features of the invention will appear more fully upon consideration of the illustrative embodiments now to be described in detail in connection with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a long-period grating optical switching device in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates a two-mode optical fiber switch using the switching device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 illustrates an optical system using the switch of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an optical limiter using the switching device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a diagram of an alternative embodiment of a limiter;
FIG. 6 is the transmission spectrum of an exemplary long-period grating;
FIG. 7 schematically illustrates an experimental set up used in measuring the properties of an exemplary optical switch according to FIG. 1; and
FIGS. 8-11 are graphical illustrations showing the nature of the exemplary switch.
It is to be understood that these drawings are for the purpose of illustrating the concepts of the invention and, except for the graphs, are not to scale.
This description is divided into three parts. Part I describes the nature and qualitative behavior of the basic long-period grating switch. Part II describes preferred devices and systems using the switch, and Part III describes a quantitative example of the design and behavior of an exemplary switch.
Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a long-period grating optical switching device comprising a length of optical waveguide 10 for transmitting light in at least two distinguishable modes. The waveguide has a core 11 surrounded by a lower index cladding 12. The core 11 includes a long-period grating 13.
The waveguide 10 can be either optical fiber or planar waveguide. The waveguide is composed of a material having an index of refraction which is a non-linear function of light intensity. This is true of silica glass for sufficiently high intensity and other transparent materials such as semiconductors and organic layered materials for lower intensities. Glasses doped with telluride or selenide also exhibit nonlinearity at lower intensities.
A controllable intensity light source 14 is provided for injecting a beam of light 15 into the waveguide in at least one of the two modes. The light source 14 can be a variable intensity laser, a pair of lasers at least one of which is variable, or even a length of fiber ultimately connected to a variable intensity laser. The range of controllable intensity variation in the light source should extend into the region where the waveguide 10 exhibits a changed index of refraction. In a preferred arrangement, the source 14 is a composite source comprising a low intensity source and a high intensity control source. The signal source and the control source can have the same or different wavelengths, and they can pass through the waveguide 10 in the same or different directions.
A mode separator 16 is advantageously disposed in waveguide 10 or coupled to its output for providing respectively different optical paths 17, 18 for light in the two modes. Such separator devices are described in greater detail in W. V. Sorin et al., "Highly Selective Evanescent Modal Filter For Two-Mode Optical Fibers", Optics Letters, Vol. 11, pp. 581-583 (September, 1986) which is incorporated herein by reference. The separate paths 17, 18 can be waveguides or even a dissipative path which effectively terminates light in one of the modes.
The precise form of the mode separator depends on the shape of the waveguide and the two modes chosen for the device. In devices to switch from a core mode to a cladding mode, the mode separator can be a spatial filter for selectively passing only one of the two modes. The precise configuration for the spatial filter can be determined by observing the intensity profile of the mode to be filtered and providing an amplitude mask of same pattern. For example, a spatial filter for terminating a cladding mode would be an amplitude mask in the form of a ring. Alternatively, a cladding mode can be terminated in fiber by a loop near the end of the device for dissipating the cladding mode by scattering.
The long-period grating 13 comprises a plurality of index perturbations 16 of width w spaced apart by a periodic distance d where typically 50<d<1500 microns. Advantageously w is approximately 1/2 d. Long-period gratings and their fabrication are described in greater detail in A. M. Vengsarkar, U.S. Pat No. 5,430,817 (Jul. 4, 1995) which is incorporated herein by reference.
Switching in this device depends upon coupling between the two modes. The degree of coupling depends on 1) the presence of the long-period grating 2) the intensity of the light; and 3) the nonlinearity of the waveguide.
In the absence of long-period grating 13 there is no coupling between the modes of the waveguide. Light launched into the waveguide in the fundamental mode remains guided in the fundamental mode.
In the presence of the grating, light in the fundamental mode can couple to a second higher order mode if a phase matching condition is met. For example, strong coupling will occur between the fundamental mode and the mth cladding mode at wavelengths given by:
λm =d(n01 -nm),
where d is the period of the grating and n01 and nm are respectively, the effective indices of the fundamental mode and the mth cladding mode. This phase matching condition is satisfied for only a narrow range of wavelengths, and thus the grating conventionally acts as a filter.
In the conventional operation of a long-period grating, light is launched into the waveguide in the fundamental mode. If the light is centered at a wavelength at which strong coupling occurs, then light is coupled from the fundamental mode to the higher order mode. Upon transmission through the grating, the two modes will again propagate approximately independently with negligible coupling between them.
For switching in accordance with the present invention, the coupling takes place at high intensities where the nonlinearity of the waveguide (second and third orders) becomes important. To understand the switching effect, consider a χ3 medium in which the refractive index is intensity dependent, i.e. n=n0 +n2 I. An intense pulse propagating through the core increases the local refractive index and shifts the transmission minimum of the grating to a longer wavelength. This wavelength shift will produce optical switching if the wavelength of the incident pulse is chosen to be in the spectral region where the slope of the transmission resonance is large. The magnitude of the wavelength shift can be approximated by,
Δλ/λm =n2 I/Δng,
where n2 is the nonlinear coefficient of the medium, I is the peak intensity of the pulse and Δng is the difference between the group indices of the core mode and the cladding mode. In long-period fiber gratings Δng is small, and the magnitude of the shift is large as compared to Bragg gratings.
For qualitative understanding of the switching effect, consider an intense beam tuned to resonance in the spectral region strongly coupled to a higher order cladding mode. As the input intensity is increased, the resonance shifts to longer wavelengths. At sufficiently high intensities the resonance is shifted from the incident beam and thus the core mode and the higher order mode are no longer phase matched. The core mode does not couple into the higher order mode and thus transmission in the core mode remains high.
On the other hand, consider the case where the incident beam is tuned on the long wavelength side of the transmission resonance where the transmission is high. As the intensity is increased, the resonance shifts to longer wavelengths and eventually becomes coincident with the beam. Thus at high intensities the beam is coupled into the higher order mode and thus transmission in the core mode is minimal. But transmission in the higher order mode is now high.
These qualitative concepts are quantified below in part III which presents an example of switch design and performance.
A. Two Mode Switch
FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a preferred two mode switch 20 employing a long-period grating. In this embodiment, the light source 14 is a composite source comprising a signal source 21 of a relatively low intensity, information carrying optical signal λs and a control source 22 carrying a relatively high intensity control signal λc. The mode separator 16 separates the two modes from the output of long-period grating 13 into respective waveguide paths 23, 24. Such a mode separator is described in the aforementioned Sorin et al. reference. The waveguide 10, 23, 24 is preferably optical fiber.
In operation, when the high intensity control source 22 is on, the low intensity signal beam is directed to waveguide 23. When the control source is off, the low intensity signal beam is directed to waveguide 24. It should be noted that the control signal λc can differ from λ5 both in wavelength and direction of propagation through the grating 13.
This operation can be understood as follows. The low intensity signal λs, e.g. a communications signal made up of bits of information, is directed into the long period grating as a core mode. It is tuned to a wavelength slightly longer than a particular cladding mode resonance of the long-period grating. In the absence of a control signal λc, λs will continue as a core mode and not couple to the cladding mode. It will appear in the core mode output waveguide 24. In the presence of a control signal λc, λs will couple to the cladding mode and appear in the cladding mode output waveguide 23. This switching is achieved through the nonlinearity of the waveguide. The intense control beam increases the refractive index in the core and thus shifts the transmission resonance to the longer wavelength of λs where coupling takes place. Thus by varying the intensity of the control beam, the weak signal beam can be channeled into a preferred mode and path.
In an alternative embodiment, both modes are core modes such as the LP01 mode and the LP02 mode. The LP02 mode has a simple flower-shaped cross-sectional profile which is easy to separate from the LP01 mode by spatial filtering.
In yet further embodiments the grating can be blazed to couple to asymmetric modes such as the LP11 mode. These modes have profiles which are dramatically different from the symmetric modes, thereby facilitating separation by spatial filtering.
Such a switch permits all-optical routing of a signal beam in an optical communications system or an optical processing system. FIG. 3 illustrates the use of the switch in such a system comprising a system signal source 30, a first transmission path 31, a two-mode switch 32, a pair of output transmission paths 33, 34 and optical receivers 35, 36.
The system signal source 30 (which corresponds to element 21 of FIG. 2) can be a modulated semiconductor laser. The transmission paths 31, 33, 34 are optical fibers or planar waveguides, and the receivers 35, 36 can be photodectors such as photodiodes. The switch is a long-period grating switch according to FIG. 1 and is preferably a two-mode switch as shown in FIG. 2. The control source 22 can be a YLF laser. Advantageously, a filter arrangement such as a Bragg grating (not shown), is provided for removing λc after it has passed through the grating 13.
Switch 32 permits all optical switching of the information signal λs between receivers 35, 36. A plurality of such switches would permit all optical switching among a larger number of receivers. Thus the switches can be used in a complex network to route signals as desired.
B. Optical Limiter
FIG. 4 schematically illustrates an optical limiter 40 employing a long-period grating switching device wherein the mode separator is a fiber loop 41. An optical limiter is a device which attenuates the intense parts of a light signal. Here the intense part of the pulse is coupled into the cladding and scattered out of the fiber at the loop. The cladding mode escapes through the fiber-air interface via bending losses. The fundamental mode is unaffected by the bend and continues on.
FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of a limiter where the mode separator comprises a focusing lens 51 and a spatial filter 52. Light emerging from the fiber is focused by the lens at some distance from the output. The spatial filter placed at the focal plane filters the cladding mode while permitting the fundamental mode to be transmitted.
Optical switching in a long-period grating can be better understood by consideration of the design and operation of an exemplary device. In particular, we consider a long-period grating that couples light from the fundamental mode, LP01, having propagation constant βc, and the mth cladding mode, having propagation constant βcl m. In the absence of any grating, light launched into the core remains guided by the core. Strong coupling to the cladding mode occurs if the period of the grating is chosen for wavevector matching between the fundamental mode and the mth cladding mode. The phase matching condition is given by βc -βcl m =βg =2π/d, where d is the grating period.
The peak wavelength of the mode coupling can be written as,
λm =d(n01 -nm) (Eq. 1)
where n01 and nm are the effective indices of the fundamental mode and the cladding mode, respectively.
The coupling to the cladding modes in the long-period grating manifests itself as a loss in the transmission spectrum centered at wavelengths given by Eq. 1. The half-width of the mth resonance is well approximated by,
Δλ/λm =n2 I/Δng, (Eq. 2)
where n2 is the nonlinear coefficient of the medium, I is the peak intensity of the pulse and Δng is the difference between the group indices of the core mode and the cladding mode. The strength of the resonance is related to the amplitude of the ultraviolet induced index modulation which is of the order of 10-4.
FIG. 6 shows part of the transmission spectrum of an exemplary long-period grating. It has a period d=320 μm, a length of 55 mm and ng 01 -ng m ˜0.003. The strength of the resonance is approximately 12 dB at the peak and has a halfwidth of Δλw ˜2 nm, is approximately consistent with Eq. 2.
Now consider an intensely dependent refractive index:
n=n0 +n2 I, (Eq. 3)
where n is the total index, n0 is the linear index, I is the effective light intensity in the fiber core and for silica fiber n2 is approximately 2.6×10-16 cm2 /W. This intensity modulation of the refractive index is responsible for self phase modulation, four-wave mixing and solitons. An intense pulse propagating through the core increases the local refractive index in the core and thus shifts the transmission minimum of the fiber grating to longer wavelengths. By manipulation of Eq. 1 and Eq. 3 it can be shown that the resonance shifts to longer wavelengths by an increment ##EQU1## where the prefactor in Eq. 4 is determined by the waveguide geometry. For the FIG. 6 fiber grating the wavelength shift, according to Eq. 4, is given by Δλs (nm)˜0.06 ΔI(GW/cm2). Note that the shift is proportional to the period of the grating which is also the case in a Bragg grating where typically the period is of the order of 1 μm. The corresponding shift in a Bragg grating is thus two orders of magnitude less than that for a long-period grating. In principle the shift of the long-period grating can be enhanced by manipulating the waveguide geometry in a way that decreases the difference in the group indices of the core and cladding modes. Clearly this wavelength shift can lead to optical switching effects if the wavelength of the incident pulse is chosen to be in a spectral region where the slope of the resonance is large. As the intensity is increased the resonance shifts to longer wavelengths, and the transmission increases. At first it appears that the required intensities will be relatively low for the long-period grating, since the period is very large compared to a Bragg grating (where the period is of the order of the wavelength). However, the shift in λm must be large enough to change the transmission of the grating by a significant fraction. As seen in FIG. 6 and from Eq. 2 the long-period grating spectral dip is typically a few nanometers. For significant optical switching, we desire Δλs >Δλw and thus for the grating shown in FIG. 6 we require intensities near 20 GW/cm2. This is still significantly less than the required switching power for a typical Bragg grating, where significant switching results have been difficult. The design of the grating should focus on producing a strong resonance and a sharp slope in the spectral transmission. This can be achieved by increasing the length of the grating c.f. Eq. 1!. Of course there is also a limit due to the spectral width of the incident pulse. In these experiments the pulse spectral width of 0.03 nm is much less than the spectral width of the long-period grating.
In a practical device, the index of refraction has to be increased such that the shift in the resonance is sufficient to change the transmission of the grating by an amount sufficient to induce coupling. Given a nonlinear index change Δnn1 the shift in the resonance (Δλs) is related to the properties of the waveguide, specifically the difference in the group velocity of the two modes (Δng):
Δλs/λm =Δnn1 /Δng
The transmission spectrum of the long-period grating depends on the details of the grating though for a uniform grating we can approximate the half width Δλw by,
Δλω=0.4 λm 2 /(LΔng),
where L is the length of the grating.
For high contrast switching we desire that the resonance be shifted by amount of the order of its half-width. If we desire that Δλs>Δλω, we have the condition:
Δnn1 >0.4 λm /L.
For example: consider a 10 cm long grating at λm =1.0 μm. For complete switching we require Δnn1 =4*10-6. More generally of course optical switching effects and particularly pulse reshaping and optical limiting occur at index changes significantly less than this. In this case a good estimate for the required refractive index change would have to be based on the particular spectrum of the grating being considered.
The dispersion in the long-period gratings is very small because the difference in the group velocities of the modes is small. Thus the dispersion of the grating does not appreciably affect the nonlinear propagation as it does the Bragg grating case where nonlinear self phase modulation and dispersion can cancel to produce soliton formation. However, we expect pulse reshaping due to the time-dependent pulse intensity, and the associated changes in transmission with the shifting spectrum.
A schematic diagram of the experimental apparatus is shown in FIG. 7. Briefly, 100 ps transform limited pulses, generated by a modelocked, Q-switched YLF laser 70 at a repetition rate of 500 GHz are coupled through a pulse selector 71 into the 8 μm diameter core of a 5 cm long-period grating 72. The central wavelength of the YLF laser is 1052.8 nm which is approximately coincident with the grating resonance. The peak power of the pulse coupled into the fiber is varied between 0 and 10 kW; this corresponds to a peak intensity of 20 GW/cm2 propagating in the core of the fiber. A lens 73 and spatial filter 74 are then used to remove light guided by the cladding mode, though in practice a fraction of the cladding light does reach the detector. Finally the transmitted intensity is detected using a fast photodiode 75 (resolution 20 ps) and displayed on sampling scope 76. The length of the fiber is minimized to ensure that only nonlinear effects occurring in the grating are significant.
In order to check the linearity of the system, a 5 cm length of blank fiber was used in the apparatus, and its transmission was measured for incident intensities in the range of interest for the nonlinear grating effects. We observed that the transmission was linear with input intensity and that the pulse shapes did not change appreciably with intensity. This linearity is exactly what is expected for the blank fiber and makes us confident that all effects observed later are entirely due to the grating.
The long-period fiber gratings were fabricated by exposing hydrogen-loaded germanosilicate fibers with an ultraviolet (λ=248 nm) source through an amplitude mask made of chrome-plated silica. The grating spectrum was monitored during exposure until the desired spectrum was obtained. The fiber grating was subsequently annealed in order to stabilize its optical properties. By varying the temperature from 20° C. to 130° C. and thus shifting the spectrum of the gratings with respect to the fixed wavelength laser spectrum and measuring the transmitted power at low input intensities, we obtain the transmission spectrum shown in FIG. 8. The apparent tuning of the transmission minimum is approximately 5 nm/100° C. where we note that increasing the temperature shifts the resonance to longer wavelengths and thus in FIG. 8 increasing temperatures corresponds to decreasing wavelengths. At room temperature the laser wavelength is on the long wavelength side of the transmission minimum.
We first heated the grating to a temperature of 110° C. such that the YLF laser spectrum is centered on the short wavelength side of the transmission resonance; see FIG. 6. At this wavelength the grating transmits only 20% of the launched light through the core while the remaining 80% is coupled into the cladding mode. As the input intensity increased we observe the transmitted power (integrated intensity) shown in FIG. 8. At low intensities the transmission is linear as to be expected. Note that at intensities of 5 GW/cm2 the transmission is super linear and that at 20 GW/cm2 the transmission approaches unity. Of course the superlinear behavior is as expected and occurs because the resonance shifts to longer wavelengths at high intensities such that the transmission for the pulse increases. In fact we can infer from these results a shift in the transmission resonance of approximately 2 nm which is in good agreement with the shift predicted by Eq. 4. We also studied the transmitted pulse shape and observed that at high intensities the pulse undergoes narrowing.
FIG. 9 shows the transmitted intensity for two different input conditions. The solid line shows the transmitted pulse for an input intensity of 1 GW/cm2, effectively corresponding to the output of the laser. The dashed line shows the transmitted pulse for an input intensity of 20 GW/cm2 which has been substantially narrowed from 80 ps to approximately 40 ps, where the resolution limit is 20 ps. To understand the pulse narrowing, recall that at low powers of 80% of the incident light is coupled into the cladding. At high intensities the central intense portion of the pulse becomes detuned from the resonance and thus is no longer coupled to the cladding; rather it remains guided by the core. The wings of the pulse on the other hand are weak and do not shift the resonance and are thus coupled to the cladding, rather it remains guided by the core. The wings of the pulse on the other hand are weak and do not shift the resonance and are thus coupled to the cladding.
We then heated the grating to a temperature of 4020 C. such that the YLF spectrum was centered on the long wavelength side of the transmission resonance where the transmission is 80%. The measured transmission power versus incident intensity for a temperature of 40° C. is shown in FIG. 10. Note that the transmission is now sublinear, consistent with the transmission resonance being shifted to longer wavelengths at high intensities. The transmitted pulse for two different conditions is shown in FIG. 11. The solid line shows the transmitted intensity for an input intensity of 1 GW/cm2 while the dashed line shows the transmitted intensity of 20 GW/cm2. The bite taken out of the transmitted pulse is consistent with the peak of the pulse being coupled into the cladding while the wings remain guided by the core.
Thus all-optical switching of a long-period fiber grating has been achieved using pulses from a YLF laser. Switching effects were observed at intensities of several GW/cm2 while at intensities of greater than 15 GW/cm2 we observed pulse reshaping and pulse breakup. These switching intensities are dramatically less than that for a Bragg grating. By design of the waveguide the prefactor can be enhanced effectively reducing the intensities required for optical switching in fiber gratings.
It is to be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative of only a few of the many possible specific embodiments which can represent applications of the principles of the invention. Numerous and varied other arrangements can be readily devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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text:
For most of superconducting experiment, researchers need put superconducting samples into a ultra-low environment temperature and measures its resistance at that condition. Unfortunately, for superconducting material, a weak current applied on the material can generate a lot of Joule heat which will rise the measurement temperature and cause a big result error. Thus, the applied current should be very weak and the voltage will be very low because of low resistance of superconducting material. And if the applied current is alternating, it can erase the thermoelectric EMF effect.
One of the most important structure of superconducting material is Josephson junction, which consists of two superconductors coupled by a weak link, which can consist of a thin insulating barrier (known as a superconductor-insulator-superconductors junction, or S-I-S). Fig.1 shows the current-voltage characteristics of Josephson junction.
Fig.1 I/V characteristics of Josephson junction
The measurement platform shows in Fig.2. An AC current with a DC current bias applies to the sample while LIA measures the AC voltage between the sample.
Superconducting Quantum Interference Device(SQUID) sensor consists of two Josephson junctions as Fig.3. The I/V characteristics of SQUID sensor is like Fig.4 where I is highly sensitive to the magnetic field in the SQUID ring, which is used to measure the changes of the magnetic field of human brain or the earth.
Fig.2 Measurement platform diagram
Fig.3 The structure of SQUID sensor
Fig.4 I/V characteristics of SQUID sensor where I changes with different magnetic fields in it.
Based on the perfect diamagnetism of superconductor, which is called Meissner effect, magnetic field line can not go through the inside of superconductor. The typical method to confirm the Meissner state is to make a mutual induction platform as Fig.5.
The platform consists of two primary coils and two secondary coils in opposite direction. When there is no superconductor, the signals in two secondary coils are the same amplitude and a different direction so that no signal inputs LIA. When there is a superconductor, this equilibrium state breaks down and a signal will input LIA. But when the perfect diamagnetism takes effect, the equilibrium state will be back again.
Fig.5 Mutual induction platform to confirm Meissner effect.
This phenomenon can confirm the Meissner effect of superconductors. And LIA can catch this small change of current.


text:
IT'S TIME TO
STOP THE BURN
AND SECURE OUR FUTURE
Introducing the SAWA Project
at the nexus of 3 challenges facing our planet
Urgent demand for carbon removal solutions at scale that are equitable and accessible
Indonesia's farming population in crisis due to low income and lack of opportunity
Practice of open-burning agricultural crop residue releasing millions of tons of CO2-eq into the atmosphere
Purchase waste biomass
Purchase waste biomass from farming communities directly increasing their income.
The SAWA Project currently has supply agreements in place for three rice farming cooperatives in Bali, West Java, and Central Java.
Create BioChar from rice straw & husk through controlled pyrolysis.
Using equipment that is energy efficient and avoids greenhouse gas emissions Our pyrolysis facilities will be located at or nearby existing rice mills to reduce emissions caused by transportation.
Issue carbon credits
Using Puro.Earth BioChar methodology and platform, issue carbon removal credits (CORCs) that are available for worldwide purchase.
Meanwhile, in collaboration with local soil science institutions, develop an organic, BioChar-based soil amendment.
Distribute to communities
Distribute BioChar soil amendment to farming communities that originally supplied biomass.
As part of our commitment to support rice farmers in Indonesia, the SAWA project will distribute 30% of BioChar soil amendment to farming communities free of charge. The remaining BioChar will be sold to other agricultural producers or for land remediation projects.
Mitigate climate change and ensure food security through regenerative agricultural practices that follow an environmentally, economically and socially sustainable model.
The 3 Pillars
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and atmospheric CO2 levels through the prevention of agricultural crop-residue open-burn and direct carbon removal.
Promote regenerative agricultural practices that ensure long-term food security.
Follow a circular business model that is socially responsible and economically sustainable with a particular emphasis on supporting smallholder farming communities.
The global and local effects of crop burning
- A high volume of greenhouse gas emissions.
- Contributes to 5% of global black carbon emissions - a short-lived atmospheric pollutant with a global warming impact 460 - 1500 times stronger than CO2.
- Health risk - according to the WHO, air pollution kills 7 million people each year.
- Damaging to local soil health, biodiversity, and prolonged food security.
We urgently need to devise approaches to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere which are truly scalable. More challenging than technical barriers will be implementing schemes that are acceptable to the wider public, affordable, and create equitable wealth and value, ensuring that those most affected by climate change benefit from these solutions.
- Shaun Fitzgerald, Director of the Centre for Climate Repair at Cambridge
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domain: agronomy


No Borders Camps
NOS News•Today, 06:58
Good morning! Former professional football player David Mendes da Silva is brought before the examining magistrate and a tent camp is set up in Rotterdam by activists who want refugees to be received in a better way.
First the weather: In many places it is sunny, only the north has to do with cloud fields from the sea. The temperature is between 23 and 27 degrees. The next few days it will be sunny except for some veil clouds. Thursday afternoon temperature will be around 31 degrees with a moderate easterly wind.
What can you expect today?
Former professional football player and ex-international David Mendes da Silva is being brought before the examining magistrate. He will make a decision to extend his pre-trial detention. Mendes da Silva was arrested on Saturday in an investigation into money laundering and drug trafficking. A so-called ‘No Border Camp’ is being set up in Rotterdam. Activists from all over Europe are building a tent camp somewhere in the city to draw attention to the humane reception of refugees in the EU. PostNL presents figures for the second quarter of this year. In the first quarter, the company had to deal with a decrease in the number of parcel deliveries. This decline is expected to continue due to inflation.
What did you miss?
The Ukrainian nuclear power plant Zaporizhzhya has been shelled again. The international nuclear agency IAEA had just warned to stop the shelling. An employee of the nuclear power plant was injured in the attack and three radiation meters were damaged.
The nuclear power plant has been in Russian hands since March. Ukraine says Russia is behind the shelling. The Russians say that Ukraine has bombarded the plant with rockets. The IAEA fears a nuclear disaster if the shelling continues.
The nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya
Other news from the night:
And then this:
200,000 Ukrainians must leave the Donbas region before winter, President Zelensky said last week. It gets too dangerous and the gas is gone.
Thousands of residents have now taken one of the special evacuation trains. But not everyone wants to leave. One of them is 66-year-old Stepan, who lives in a small village in the Donbas. He says to stay to fight or die.
‘I stay here to fight or die here’