Irish companies are set to reduce plastic packaging waste by nearly 52% this year, according to environmental and recycling compliance group Repak.
From a survey of member firms, Repak said companies will reduce plastic packaging waste by 16,100 tonnes this year and use 21,000 tonnes of recycled plastic in production.
The reduction figure is an increase from the 10,600 tonnes reduced last year and represents both an improvement in behaviour and an increase in the number of Repak members.
The survey is part of Repak’s second progress report of its 'Plastic Pledge' initiative, which highlights the approach that 115 of Ireland’s business leaders are taking to remove avoidable plastics, with an emphasis on single-use plastics, from their business premises and from sale.
The programme also monitors and quantifies the efforts to reduce plastic as part of Ireland’s efforts to meet obligations under the European Commission’s Circular Economy Package, which calls for 50% of all plastics to be recycled by 2025.
Businesses who signed the pledge reduced their plastic usage by an average of 14.8% in 2019, Repak said.
"The significant drive to increase the recyclability of plastic packaging and reduce material complexity by the ‘Plastic Pledge’ members has resulted in an increased percentage of recyclable plastic packaging placed on the Irish market with greater opportunities for recycling," said Repak CEO Séamus Clancy.


Finely Colored Rare Celestial Hemisphere by Giacomo Brunacci
A striking example (old color, gold heightened) of Italian Astronomer Giacomo Brunacci's elegant celestial chart, engraved by Mariotti and published by Giacomo Rossi in Rome.
Includes the northern and southern skies and images of known planets including Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mercury, plus the moon and the sun, along with descriptive text in Italian below the map.
A scarce double 17th century hemisphere celestial map.
The color and gold are truly exceptional.
Giacomo Giovanni Rossi (1627-1691) was an Italian engraver and printer. He worked in Rome, the heir to an important printing business founded by his father, Giuseppe de Rossi (1570-1639). Giuseppe began the press in 1633 and Giovanni and his brother, Giandomenico (1619-1653) took it over upon his death. The brothers expanded the business and by the mid-seventeenth century it was the best-known printing house in Rome.
For his maps, Giovanni worked with Giacomo Cantelli da Vignola. They produced the Atlas Mercurio Geografico. The first edition is undated, but the second was issued in 1692, a year after Giovanni’s death. The maps were by Cantelli. The firm also published maps based on those of Nicolas Sanson.
Later, the business passed to Lorenzo Filippo (1682-?). By 1738, the firm was known as Calcografia Camerale, then, from 1870 to 1945, as the Regia Calcografica. Today, the firm is still in business and is called Calcografia Nazionale. It operates as a free museum and offers one of the best collections of prints and plates in the world.


It is eternal, with no beginning or end. It is the creation of everything and will exist after the end of everything. Without it, nothing exists. It is what humans perceive as “time”. This four letter word, time, should survive through by itself (time) as it is perhaps the most significant word of in existence.
Time will forever be the creator of everything. Every movement of creation is linked and fixed to a timeframe. Take yourself as an example. You were put(brought) to this world through a time process of around nine months. Without time, you would not be here reading my application form, unless magic exists. Since all derivation of actual existence eternally depends on time, the word must be preserved.
Time is also valuable. It waits for no one. The preservation (observation?)of time could prevent a missed train, a lost race, a death of a loved one…the examples are endless, just like time. A moment not efficiently spent is an eternal loss. This is why humans must preserve(value) time and use it wisely to accomplish goals and to be successful. (Time is not a physical thing that you can preserve)
Finally, the word, “time” cannot be replaced because time is applied in (affects?) almost everything, including science, philosophy, and religion. The word is so frequently used and has existed over centuries. Changing this universal word would be changing almost everything, which is such a waste of time.
Time is conquering (all-encompassing, pervasive), precious, and universal, which is why the word must be preserved. After all, no one truly knows the meaning of time.(Yes, this sentence seems out-of-place)


Worldwide there are almost 1,700 species of Potentilla. More than 80 can be found in North America, four of which are in the Maryland Piedmont, including dwarf cinquefoil and common cinquefoil. There are five in Iceland.
those fleshy leaves–>
belong to another plant;
the potentilla leaves are
formerly Argentina anserina
Providing stats for Potentillas is tricky, as there have been a lot of name changes recently. One of the older names for P. crantzii is Fragaria crantzii. The two genera are very closely related, so I’ve included this plant as well:
Yep, that’s good old strawberry (one of them, anyway). You can see a bit of the leaves on the lower right. The grassy looking stuff the flowers are poking through is horsetail (Equisetum species).
Back to silverweed: it can be found across the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, and in most of North America except for the South and lower Midwest. It’s widespread in Iceland.
Alpine cinquefoil is limited in North America to northeastern Canada and Greenland. In Iceland it grows near rivers and the seashore.


Possible causes of rusty water in the City’s water main include water main breaks, fire-fighting, and construction. Possible causes of rusty water on customer premises include bad plumbing (galvanized) or a bad heater.
To troubleshoot the cause of your rusty water, try running your water for 20 minutes. If it is still rusty, check with some of your neighbors to see if theirs is rusty also. If not, it could be your plumbing. Check to see if you have galvanized plumbing; this could be your problem. If your water has not cleared up after running tap water for 20 minutes, or if your neighbors’ water is rusty as well, call 311.
Possible causes for low water pressure in the City’s water main include major leaks, major fire-fighting, maintenance activities, and/or construction. Low pressure on customer premises could be caused because the main valve at the water meter is off or partially off, screens on faucets are plugged, or there are plumbing issues.
Have low pressure at home?
If the low pressure is at ALL the faucets throughout the house, check your main valve. This will be located next to your water meter, usually where your water service comes into the house. This valve is turned counter-clockwise to open. If all your faucets have little or no pressure and your main valve is on, call 311. If you have low pressure on a certain faucet, there may be a separate valve under the sink that has been partially closed, or the screen on the end of your faucet may need to be cleaned or replaced. Sometimes the faucet itself may need repaired or replaced.
The City maintains the water line up to and including the service valve at the street. This valve is usually located in the right of way, or within the area between the sidewalk and curb (parkstrip). Any leak beyond this valve (commonly known as a curb stop) is up to the property owner to maintain.
If you think you have a leak, but are not certain on which side of the curb stop it is, or if you see water running in the street or a fire hydrant that has been hit, call 311.
A leak in the plumbing inside your home may cause an unusually high water and sewer bill. If this is a concern for you, take a look at our resource on how to find and fix water leaks.


Zika, Yellow fever and dengue
The mosquitoes responsible for transmitting Zika, yellow fever and dengue, have been detected in parts of Orange County.
The Aedes aegypti (the yellow fever mosquito), Aedes albopictus (the Asian tiger mosquito) and Aedes notoscriptus (the Australian Backyard Mosquito) have been detected in Orange County. All three invasive Aedes mosquitoes bite aggressively during the day and lay their eggs in small containers of water.
There have been no recent cases of these viruses being transmitted locally in California.
Zika virus was first discovered in 1947 and is named after the Zika Forest in Uganda. In 1952, the first human cases of Zika were detected. For the most up to date information, regarding areas with risk of Zika, please visit the CDC's website.
Because a Zika infection during pregnancy can cause severe birth defects, pregnant women should not travel to areas with a high risk of Zika.
For more information on symptoms, treatments and general information, please visit the CDC's website.
Scientists believe that yellow fever evolved in Africa around 3,000 years ago. Until the mid-1800s, scientists believed that yellow fever was spread by direct contact with infected people or contaminated objects. It wasn't until the 1900s that Reed Yellow Fever discovered that yellow fever was transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
For the most up to date information. and to see where yellow fever is occurring, please visit the CDC's website.
Dengue emerged as a worldwide issue in the 1950s. Dengue is endemic in Puerto Rico and many popular tourist destinations in Latin America, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.
For the most up to date information and to see where dengue is occurring, please visit the CDC's website.


“We are given a lot of content throughout our schooling yet we are not always given the tools to do something useful with it. The Tertiary Prep Programme has given me the capacity to take control of my learning, and, rather than being a victim of technology I have become confident and effective in using it. A great example of this was in completing my level 3 English writing portfolio, where because of the skills I learnt I was able to effectively source information on various databases I previously had no idea existed.
The study skills I have learnt have also been an integral part of my success in NCEA. Understanding how you learn and what works best for you is not always something we give much time to, however once we discover this we are able to be more effective in every stage of the education process. I found myself spending hours on a single task and not getting very far with it, however when I analysed my study patterns with Ms White, we found the very reason that was causing my inefficiency and together created a plan which saw my time and resources used much more efficiently.
I am convinced every student has the capacity to thrive at school. The key is being able to understand our individual thinking preferences and study skills, and The Tertiary Prep Programme sessions have been a platform for me to discover mine.”
Adam Carter, Head Boy SBHS, 2014 – Studying neuroscience at Otago University
“Senga White, a school librarian from New Zealand, presented a very persuasive session entitled ‘Preparing secondary students for tertiary study through embedded Information Literacy skills’. This session supported ‘The Information Journey’ session, highlighting the point that students need opportunities to develop their IL skills. It was also suggested that a structured means of delivering information literature instruction should be adopted by an institution. In addition, Senga highlighted the importance of collaboration between faculty and library staff and between school and higher education institutions, a concept echoed by several other speakers at LILAC and one that I will be taking back to my institution.”
Elliott, T. 2012. Student to LILAC Superhero 2012. Journal of information literacy, 6(1), pp. 96-98. http://dx.doi.org/10.11645/6.1.1704


Increased fracture risk, traditionally associated with type 1 diabetes, has lately been of great concern in patients with type 2 diabetes. A variable increase in fracture risk has been reported, ranging from 20% to 3-fold, depending on skeletal site, diabetes duration and study design. Longer disease duration, the presence of diabetic complications, inadequate glycemic control, insulin use and increased risk for falls are all reported to increase fracture risk. Patients with type 2 diabetes display a unique skeletal phenotype with either normal or more frequently increased, bone mineral density and impaired structural and geometric properties. Recently, alterations in bone material properties seem to be the predominant defect leading to increased bone fragility. Accumulation of advanced glycation end-products and changes in collagen cross-linking along with suppression of bone turnover seem to be significant factors impairing bone strength. FRAX score has been reported to underestimate fracture risk and lumbar spine BMD is inadequate in predicting vertebral fractures. Anti-diabetic medications, apart from thiazolidinediones, appear to be safe for the skeleton, although more data are needed. Optimal strategies to reduce skeletal fragility in type 2 diabetic patients are yet to be determined.
Metabolism. 2014 Dec;63(12):1480-90. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2014.09.002. Epub 2014 Sep 28.


How Ignition Coils Work
An ignition coil consists of a laminated iron core surrounded by two coils of copper wire. Unlike a power transformer, an ignition coil has an open magnetic circuit — the iron core does not form a closed loop around the windings. The energy that is stored in the magnetic field of the core is the energy that is transferred to the spark generator.
The primary winding has relatively few turns of heavy wire. The secondary winding consists of thousands of turns of smaller wire, insulated from the high voltage by enamel on the wires and layers of oiled paper insulation. The coil is inserted in a plastic case with insulated terminals for the high voltage and low voltage connections. When the contact breaker closes, it allows current from the battery to flow through the primary winding of the ignition coil. The current does not flow instantly because of the inductance of the coil. Current flowing in the coil produces a magnetic field in the core and in the air surrounding the core. The current must flow long enough to store enough energy in the field for the spark. Once the current has built up to its full level, the contact breaker opens. Since it has a capacitor connected across it, the primary winding and the capacitor form a tuned circuit; as the stored energy oscillates between the inductor formed by the coil and the capacitor, the changing magnetic field in the core of the coil induces a much larger voltage in the secondary of the coil.
The amount of energy in the spark required to ignite the air-fuel mixture varies depending on the pressure and composition of the mixture. Under laboratory conditions as little as 1 millijoule is required in each spark, but practical coils must deliver much more energy than this to allow for higher pressure, rich or lean mixtures, losses in ignition wiring, and plug fouling and leakage. When gas velocity is high in the spark gap, the arc between the terminals is blown away from the terminals, making the arc longer and requiring more energy in each spark. Between 30 and 70 milli-joules are delivered in each spark.
Profire Energy offers PF2100 and PF3100 Burner Management Systems (BMS) solutions. Ignition coils are used with BMS solutions to provide a reliable spark. To learn more about our products and solutions visit www.profireenergy.com.


Gender inequality is present in all societies in the Western Balkans, including the Serbian one, and is rooted in the social structure and traditional division of labor. Addressing gender inequality is inextricably linked to economic progress, social cohesion and democratic progress, which testifies to its importance and value. Bearing all that in mind, we conducted research on the topic of economic (dis)power of women on the labor market in Serbia, which is part of a comprehensive study Economic (dis)power of women on the labor market in the Western Balkans.
The publication presents a regional comparison of the labor market and attitudes towards women in Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Kosovo. Using a comparative approach, this research contains an analysis of the legislative framework, the current state of women’s participation in the labor market, social factors that affect women’s participation in the labor market, but also conclusions and recommendations in the mentioned countries of the Western Balkans.
“In Serbia, traditional folk stereotypes still have a significant impact on the employment of women and lead to discrimination in the labor market.” Comprehensive programs and only the support of relevant institutions are needed in order to improve the position of women on the labor market in Serbia.”
The research showed that there is a high level of similarity between the challenges and obstacles faced by women in the labor market, that is, when they re-enter the labor market in the countries of the Western Balkans. Women continue to face obstacles and challenges arising from society, but also as a result of the lack of an adequate legislative framework, ie its proper implementation.
You can find the publication at the link:
The publication was originally published on the website of organization Democracy for Development (D4D) https://d4d-ks.org/en/home-en/


Baseline monitoring and assessment is essential to understanding ecosystem response to future change and tracking impacts to freshwater habitat and aquatic life. In Alaska, baseline characterizations are increasingly important given the rate of climate change, population growth, and resource development. We partner with agencies to monitor and assess baseline conditions of water quality, physical habitat, and biological communities across the state of Alaska. The goal of our survey designs is to provide a representative baseline of ecological conditions for streams, rivers, lakes and wetland ecosystems, providing essential data for resource managers, policy makers, and stakeholders.
Stream biological communities are important indicators used in aquatic monitoring because they offer information on ecosystem perturbations. Because different assemblages operate on different spatial scales and are sensitive to different types of impacts, we monitor multiple biological assemblages (macroinvertebrates, diatoms, and fish) in our aquatic monitoring programs to enhance our ability to detect and diagnose ecological impairment.
Stream temperature has tremendous ecological significance for salmon, which are of high economic value in Alaska. Our group specializes in stream temperature monitoring and data delivery. We collaborate with organizations across Alaska to make stream temperature data publicly available and improve data collection and management strategies and standards. As part of this work, we host the Alaska Online Aquatic Temperature Site (AKOATS) and AKTEMP Water Temperature databases. AKOATS is a repository of water temperature monitoring station metadata, while AKTEMP is a cloud-based database platform for storing and accessing stream and lake temperature monitoring data.


Although the fight against corruption has traditionally focused on corruption in government, the anticorruption community has started to pay more attention to corruption in other spheres. One particularly prominent concern is corruption in sports (see here, here, and here). The topic of sports-related corruption includes not only corruption in the major sports associations (think FIFA and the International Olympic Committee), but also the corrupt manipulation of individual sporting events in order to win bets (whether legal or illegal). Such corrupt manipulation includes match-fixing (where corrupt actors fraudulently influence the outcome of a game); spot-fixing (where wrongdoers seek to influence events within the game that do not necessarily have a significant effect on the final outcome, such as the number of minutes an athlete plays or timing the first throw-in or corner in a soccer game); and point-shaving (where perpetrators seek to hold down the margin of victory in order to avoid covering a published point spread).
Different jurisdictions approach this sort of sports corruption differently. Many countries in Europe have enacted blanket laws criminalizing match-fixing in order to uphold the integrity of sports. The United States, by contrast, takes a narrower approach: The relevant criminal laws targeting sports corruption in the U.S.—both the Federal Sports Bribery Act (the “Act”) and comparable laws at the state level—focus solely on bribery. Furthermore, the Act has historically been used to prosecute individuals involved in paying bribes or inducing others to collect bribes, but not the people (usually athletes, coaches, or officials) who receive the bribes. Although a great deal of corruption in sports involves the payment of bribes, and would therefore be covered by these laws, some types of sports corruption are unilateral: An athlete or sports official may place bets on sporting events and subsequently undertake behavior to win those bets. For this reason, some scholars have argued that the U.S. should close this loophole by criminalizing such unilateral conduct as well.
I disagree. To be sure, unilateral sports corruption is unethical, and criminalizing it would help to prevent athletes, referees, and coaches from engaging in corrupt acts that jeopardize the integrity of sports. But the benefits of criminalizing this form of misconduct are minimal and are greatly outweighed by the corresponding costs.


The Origin and Significance of the Great Pyramid, by C. Staniland Wake, , at sacred-texts.com
ONE of the most curious series of relations found by the Pyramidists is connected with the Great Coffer, or sarcophagus, of the King's Chamber. John Taylor and his followers assert that this coffer is the same in capacity with the Ark and with the Laver of the Hebrew Tabernacle, and that the Molten Sea of Solomon's Temple was just fifty times such capacity, and exactly equal in interior cubic space with the contents of the King's Chamber itself. There is nothing absurd or improbable in there being some such relation between those vessels, if the Pyramid was a temple dedicated to the god Seth. Judging, indeed, from the analogy presented by Hindoo usage, the coffer was "a sacred trough, filled by the Priests on certain festivals with sacramental water and lotus-flowers." This explanation of its use was given to Mr, St. John by some learned Brahmins, who said that the
[paragraph continues] Great Pyramid was a temple, and that if it had an underground communication with the Nile it must have been intended for the worship of Pad Madévi. * An early English writer, Mr. Shaw, would seem to have been much of the same opinion, as he thought the coffer was intended for the celebration of the mystical worship of Osiris, and he supposed it to have contained images, sacred vestments and utensils, or water for lustration. If for Osiris we substitute Seth that opinion will be near the truth. The so-called King's Chamber, of which an enthusiastic pyramidist says, "The polished walls, fine materials, grand proportions, and exalted place eloquently tell of glories yet to come," if not "the chamber of perfections" of Cheops's tomb, was probably the place to which the initiate was admitted after he had passed through the narrow upward passage and the grand gallery, with its lowly termination, which gradually prepared him for the final stage of the sacred mysteries.
93:* Referred to by Col. Vyse, "Operations," etc., Vol. ii. p. 313.
93: This was one of the names of the principal chamber of a tomb. See "Records of the Past," Vol. xii. Egyptian Texts, p. 106.


What is Power Factor?
Power Factor is an index used to measure the efficient use of electricity. This index is measured on a range of 0 to 1.0.
For customers taking supply at 33 kV or below, the value of the power factor to be maintained is ≥ 0.85. Power factor < 0.85 will result in power factor surcharge.
For customers taking supply at 132 kV or above, the value of the power factor to be maintained is ≥ 0.90. Power factor < 0.90 will result in power factor surcharge.
A high Power Factor index (e.g. above 0.85 or 0.90 ) indicates an efficient level of electricity usage. On the other hand, a low Power Factor index (e.g. under 0.85 or 0.90) shows an inefficient use of electricity, indicating electricity wastage.
Why you need to maintain a high Power Factor?
A high Power Factor index gives the following benefits:
- No additional charges in monthly electricity bill as there is no Power Factor Surcharge
- Extends the lifespan of electrical appliances
- Reduces electricity wastage for electrical installations at customers’ premises
- Conserves the environment by lowering fuel usage and helps the country reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions
Customers are encouraged to consistently maintain a high Power Factor index (above 0.85 or 0.90). A Power Factor Surcharge will be imposed on Power Factor index below 0.85 or 0.90.
Take these steps to improve Power Factor
Please refer to the following steps to improve Power Factor:
- Install equipment that can improve Power Factor, such as a Capacitor Bank
- Avoid operating motor-based electrical appliances without load or below the load recommended by manufacturers
- Use motor-based electrical appliances with a high Power Factor
- Use motor-based electrical appliances that are SIRIM-certified and have energy efficient labels
You may also download our print advertorials. Available here in English, BM and Chinese version:


The 2011 K-12 Horizon Report listed personal learning environments, or PLEs for short, as one of its six technologies to watch. But what does a personal learning environment mean? And what does it look like?
Three educators and researchers here at the annual ISTE conference in Philadelphia attempted to answer that question and share their experiences with PLEs, in a session Wednesday.
Laura Deisley, the director of 21st century learning at the Lovett School in Atlanta; Wendy Drexler, a researcher from the University of Florida’s College of Education; and Buffy Hamilton, a media specialist at Creekview High School in Canton, Ga., talked about their experiences building personal learning environments with students in their districts and what they have learned from those endeavors.
Drexler began the presentation by giving her definition of PLEs. “A PLE is the space we choose to make learning connections,” she said. PLEs are not a specific type of technology, the presenters stressed, but rather an approach or a process.
In Hamilton’s school, she worked with a teacher to teach two classes of students how to build their own PLEs about a topic that interested them. Students grouped all of their blogs, outside blogs, videos, images, and other media and sources of information onto an information dashboard to learn the latest developments about their topic. The students created wikis to show and document what they had learned.
Perhaps an easier way to explain PLEs is through an example from one of the students Drexler studied. The clip below does a good job showing the potential PLEs have to help students organize information, research new topics, and survey new media for personal or educational purposes.
A version of this news article first appeared in the Digital Education blog.


The Springs Preserve is a public/private partnership organized to manage the rich cultural and biological resources of the 180-acre Big Springs Archaeological District. The Preserve is located in the heart of Las Vegas, and is considered to be the city’s birthplace. It contains a 10,000-year-old physical record of the biological, geological, and cultural history of the Las Vegas Valley. Additionally, it houses an active water resources management facility which is a critical link in the delivery of potable water to much of the metropolitan area.
LGA worked with The Las Vegas Valley Water District, The Springs Preserve Foundation and area citizens to develop a Conceptual Plan and process which ultimately determined the project’s programming needs. The Conceptual Plan summarizes results of a community-based design process which guides future preservation, management, and interpretation of the Springs Preserve. Among the features of this unique natural area are an Interpretive Visitors Center, Desert Living Center focusing on sustainability, Desert Botanical and Conservation Gardens, Walking Trails, recreated Cauldron Spring Pool, Water Reservoir, and future Nevada State Museum.
Construction of the Conceptual Plan creates an atmosphere of learning for Valley residents to achieve water conservation and sustainable design in their daily lives. It also promotes a conservation agenda that embraces the desert environment as a special place to live.


SAR testing with a new small box shaped base-station antenna phantom
Specific absorption rate (SAR) is a measure which explains how much radio frequency energy is absorbed by the user’s or bystander’s body or head. Wireless devices, used closer than 20 centimetres from a human or animal head or body, are required to comply with SAR limits primarily for the safety of humans and animals. When users are in the reactive near-field of the antenna, it is essential to determine the safest distance between the device and the user. The key consideration here is in obtaining the most accurate results.
Small box-shaped phantom
The new small box-shaped phantom (0.96 × 0.233 ×0.15) allows easy local SAR testing of long whip antennas, large IoT devices and indoor base station antennas.
The small box-shaped phantom is also the preferred alternative for the whole-body SAR testing, when there is a possibility of exposure to anyone, including children. Typically, box-shaped phantoms are used for the indoor base stations antennas, which can be arbitrarily arranged in the houses, offices and other places.
Verkotan is always happy to provide more detailed information and make a proposal how we can verify the performance of your wireless device in the global environment.
If you have any questions or need assistance, contact us. We are happy to help you!
Follow our social media channels to keep up with the latest news in the world of wireless technology.


Why is the population of Eastern and Central Europe in freefall?
Countries from the Baltic to the Balkans are facing a demographic crisis as birth rates decline and people move westwards.
The world’s population is increasing, with the United Nations projecting that it may grow from 7.7 billion people in 2019 to 9.7 billion in 2050. Half of the projected rise is expected to be driven by population growth in a handful of countries including India, Democratic Republic of Congo and the United States. But growth is not universal. Governments across Eastern and Central Europe are rattled that their respective populations are falling precipitously.
The UN’s population forecasts make for grim reading for countries in the Baltic regions and the Balkans. The populations of Lithuania, Bulgaria and Latvia are expected to shrink by more than 20 percent between 2019 and 2050, while Ukraine, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Moldova are among those who could also see sharp falls.
Demographers say a host of trends lie behind the regional decrease. Birth rates in states across Eastern Europe are well below replacement levels and mortality figures in former Warsaw Pact countries lag behind their neighbours in Western Europe. Meanwhile, the mass emigration of thousands of Eastern Europeans – many of them young people looking for better opportunities westwards – has contributed to a brain drain that has made Eastern Europe a more challenging place to live. Yet many countries facing steep declines in population are reticent about encouraging increased immigration to counter depopulation’s ill-effects.
We’ll look at what depopulation means for people across Eastern Europe and what is needed to tackle it. Join the conversation.
On this episode of The Stream, we speak with:
Tim Judah @timjudah1
Balkans correspondent, The Economist
Hristo Boyadzhiev @tuk_tam
Europe’s Futures Fellow,The Institute for Human Sciences
Eastern Europe is headed toward a demographic crisis – Washington Post
This is how Estonia is growing its population – World Economic Forum
What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.


While we seem to make decisions at a snap of the finger whether it is choosing something to eat, buying something online or a rebuttal at a nasty comment aimed at us, the process of decision making is quite complex.
Several part of the brain is involved in a decision including the rational brain or the Pre-frontal cortex, the Amygdala that governs fight or flight response and Anterior-Cingulate Cortex which regulates emotions, linking reward and punishment. So every decision would include both objective thinking and our emotions. So depending on how we feel, we will make decisions differently.
What can influence decisions making?
Attentional biases can influence the way we make decisions such as our fixations on certain thoughts about a thing. These biases are our tendency to pay attention on some things while ignoring others. Hence, when we are emotional, our attentional biases will increase and may reduce the function of our rational brain. So we make decisions based on our emotions and not objectively.
Addictive substance and actions
Our brain has certain pathways or circuits that kicks into action with addictive actions or substances. These are known as the pleasure pathways or reward centers. The reward circuits in the brain includes, pleasure, motivation, reward and memory. Hence, we will keep making those decisions to get the stuff that gives us the pleasure that our brain craves. Drugs, alchohol and addictive substances can have a sedating effect on our rational brain and dull our abilities to think objectively. In fact, some alcohol takes only 10 minutes to affect your cognitive brain and depending on the type of alcohol you consume, you may pass out within 40 minutes.


Weight: Possibly the biggest modifiable risk factor for COVID-19
The World Obesity Federation has just published a fascinating study on overweight and obesity in relation to COVID-19 and other viral respiratory diseases. Perhaps the most jaw-dropping revelation in the report is found in the Executive Summary. It states:
This report shows that in countries where less than half the adult population is classified as overweight*, the likelihood of death from COVID-19 is a small fraction – around one tenth – of the level seen in countries where more than half the population is classified as overweight. Of the 2.5 million COVID-19 deaths reported by the end of February 2021, 2.2 million were in countries where more than half the population is classified as overweight.COVID-19 and Obesity: The 2021 Atlas. The cost of not addressing the global obesity crisis
We have known for a while that excess weight is a risk factor for serious illness, hospitalisation and death from COVID-19. For instance, in November 2020 the British Heart Foundation updated its website to reflect the following as risk factors for coronavirus:
- Being a man
- Having an underlying heart condition
- Being overweight or obese
- Your ethnic background
- Your job
- Where you live
However, what is notable about the World Obesity Federation review is that, in contrast with the BHF, it is more definitive about the influence of being overweight. The World Obesity Federation states, “increased bodyweight is the second greatest predictor of hospitalisation and a high risk of death for people suffering from COVID-19. Only old age rates as a higher risk factor.”
Supporting this conclusion are a series of graphical representations of findings from studies. These are shown below:
In addition to this, the review answers some key questions in relation to overweight and obesity in the context of COVID-19. We recommend that you read the review in full here. However (Spoiler Alert!), if you just want a quick summary of the questions and answers, we provide them on the slideshow below.
We trust this has whetted you appetite for the review. Head over to the World Obesity Federation website and read it in full.


Starting at the entrance to the White Cliffs visitor centre, the clearly marked route along the edge of the North Downs is available in our Walks in East Kent pack. The route, which forms part of the Saxon Shore Way, leads around Langdon Hole and Fan Point towards South Foreland Lighthouse . This section of the cliff tops was an important part of England’s defences in the Second World War, and remnants of gun emplacements and other wartime structures are still visible. Langdon Hole was part of an underground system which also included a radio command centre. The workings and tunnels are now sealed.
The distinctive white lighthouse was built in 1843, to mark the dangerous offshore banks of the Goodwin Sands. It was used by Guglielmo Marconi for his work with radiowaves and received the first ship-to-shore message from the East Goodwin lightship. It also received the first international radio transmission from Wimereux, in France, in 1899.
The lighthouse, which is conserved by the National Trust, is open to the public between April and October. The White Cliffs Countryside Project was launched to preserve and enhance the special coast and countryside of Dover and Shepway districts and to make them accessible to all.


The flip flops are also called “prong-toe slippers.” Regarding the slippers, the Qing dynasty Xu Wei thinks: “Towing, dragging, slippers, shoes, no heels. Anything to drag, take it lightly.” This definition of “arbitrary drag” reflects that the slippers are unfettered. The spirit of leisure. As far as the slippers themselves are concerned, they are unobstructed and can be set on the feet. It is undoubtedly the liberation of the feet; how to fit the shoes, the pressure is a kind of restriction on the feet, and it is forced to force Come out with “foot odor”. In real life, slippers can not only make people’s feet get rid of jealousy but also seem to be able to liberate people’s spirit from extremely intense work and life.
Everyone said that wearing “flip-flops” would make the ankles, calves, and thighs symmetrical, and would play a wonderful role in the bodybuilding of the legs. It represents fashion, freedom, liveliness, and happiness. Flip-flops are still the favorite of young people today.
The history of flip-flops can be said to be quite long. As early as thousands of years ago, humans used animal skins or all available materials to wrap them around the soles of the feet. It can be said that the earliest prototype of the flip-flops–the most basic mechanics of shoes!
The flip flops, which are full of free spirit and casual feeling, have been popular among designers in recent years and are used in various fashion shows. On the other hand, although the structure of the flip-flop is simple, it has unlimited creative possibilities. Illustrators and designers can use simple herringbone buckles and flat soles as free-form canvases, and consumers can even freely create their own, creating a free mix of herringbone and soles. Exclusive to personal design. And a pair of finished flip-flops can also be freely created by pasting various decorations. With such “liberalism”, how can the team of people who are not letting people grow up!


The secrets of body language
Have you ever wished you could know what someone is thinking? Or wondered what your…
Are you having trouble with your child focusing on their success in school? Are you having issues navigating the increasingly complex world of education? Do you feel as though your child does not value education and perhaps plans to become a YouTube sensation one day, with millions of followers instead of an educated professional? Well, look no further, because this course will provide you with simple methods you can utilize from day one to encourage your child to become a better student, and give them the tools they need to be successful in school and in life.
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Lesson 1. Making School a Priority
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Lesson 3. Read with Your Child Every Day
Lesson 4. Model the Importance of Math to Your Children
Lesson 5. Avoid Being a “Lawnmower” Parent with Open Communication
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Lesson 9. Set High Expectations
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Andrew Morris, Union College – When Natural Disasters Became National Disasters
On Union College Week: The federal government hasn’t always paid out after natural disasters.
Andrew Morris, associate professor of history, looks at one late senator who made this change.
Andrew Morris, associate professor of history at Union College. is an expert on the history of disaster relief. The recipient of a prestigious fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Morris is currently working on a book, “Race, Rights, and Disasters: Hurricane Camille and the New Politics of Disaster Relief” (University of Pennsylvania Press).
When Natural Disasters Became National Disasters
When Americans turn to the federal government for aid in the aftermath of a natural disaster, they owe a large debt to Hurricane Camille, which devastated the Mississippi Gulf Coast (and then parts of Virginia) 50 years ago, in August of 1969
They also owe a debt to the late Senator Birch Bayh, who passed away earlier this year.
Bayh’s obituaries celebrated his work as a champion of Title IX and author of two constitutional amendments, but overlooked was the pivotal role he played in making disaster relief an element of national citizenship.
For much of American history through the mid-20th century, individuals struck by natural disaster were generally aided by the American Red Cross, and state and local governments.
But Bayh, coming from tornado-prone Indiana, believed that the federal government should play a greater role.
The massive property damage wrecked by Hurricane Camille on coastal Mississippi in 1969 provided the perfect political storm for Bayh to make his case.
Congressional liberals responded to civil rights activists who documented racial discrimination by the Red Cross and the Mississippi state government in the aftermath of Camille and they sought a greater federal role.
Congressional conservatives, for their part, supported efforts by the Mississippi congressional delegation to get the federal government to underwrite coastal re-development against future disasters.
Both sides endorsed Bayh’s bill, the Disaster Relief Act of 1970, which created a permanent swath of federal benefits for disaster victims.
When expanded in 1974 and again in the Stafford Disaster Relief Act of 1988, Bayh’s bill, and Hurricane Camille, set the template for much of our contemporary regime of disaster aid.


You'll often find that you don't strongly agree or disagree with the AWA Issue Task prompt. Many students are thus tempted to take a middle ground, to take both sides of the issue.
We advise against doing this. Although it might seem as though you're compromising your position, we strongly advise to choose one side and stick to it.
This is because trying to argue both sides can make it very difficult for the reader to tell what your main argument is. If the reader can't tell which side you're arguing for, you won't score higher than a 3.
But don't despair! You will have a chance to acknowledge the other side in your concession point.
The concession point is where you bring up a potential debate point (an argument contrary to yours), concede some of its merits, but then continue to defend your side.
The point of doing this is to address potential criticisms of your argument. When you're making an argument in an essay, you need to be prepared for such criticisms. The concession points addresses these criticisms in advance, and limits how strongly someone can attack your argument.
Read more about the concession point — where it should go in your essay, how long it should be — here.
Please sign in to leave a comment.


Bourke's Luck Potholes
Raging waters have created a strange geological site that looks like something off of a progressive rock album cover.
At the confluence of the Blyde River and the Treur River in the South African region of Mpumulanga, thousands of years of water erosion have created a unique and otherworldly geological feature.
Here at the mouth of the Blyde River Canyon, the two rivers formed swirling eddies of water. Over time, this formed huge cylindrical potholes in the sandstone bedrock. The effect, seen from the crags above, is now a fascinating network of tunnels and tubes and interconnected whirling pools. The different soil levels in each hole give them each a unique color and makes for a striking and colorful landscape.
The formations get their name from a prospector, John Bourke, who was one of the first to proclaim that the region had gold deposits and who staked a claim nearby. Despite the name of the potholes, he never found a single ounce of gold there — though luckier prospectors would later find rich amounts of gold in the area. Even if he walked away empty-handed, his name lives on in the stunning scenery.
The Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve in which the potholes are located, has bridges and viewing platforms that allow visitors to see the interesting rock features from a variety of angles. There is also a small but interesting geological museum and short walking trails.
Know Before You Go
The potholes are about 35km north of Graskop on the R532. Entrance fee is R25 per person plus R5 per car.
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History Behind the ‘Junction’ in Hopewell Junction
Hopewell Junction was once simply called Hopewell and the name change has got something to do with its status as a former major railroad hub in the area.
Railroads were an integral part of the growth of the Hudson Valley. Two important railroad lines met in Hopewell but one almost wasn't completed because the company constructing it went bankrupt.
Conductor Bernie Rudberg of the Hopewell Rail Depot tells the story below of how the first railroad through the area. That railroad was called the Dutchess and Columbia line. A second line coming from Worchester, Massachusetts was meant to connect to the first but sat uncompleted for a decade. When it was finally completed, the connection was right in front of the present-day Hopewell Inn.
The Hopewell Depot train station was built in 1873 and was nearly destroyed by a fire in the 1980s. After which local residents formed the Hopewell Depot Restoration Corp with the intention of restoring the station and its surroundings to its original form.
Hopewell Junction is a hamlet within the town of East Fishkill. According to the town's website, East Fishkill covers around 53 square miles and has approximately 30,000 residents. Hopewell was actually the first settlement within the town of East Fishkill and was founded in 1757.


Termite swarming season starts after the last phase of winter. It ranges from a period of 5 to 6 months. Termites can cause a lot of damage to your house. Therefore it is necessary to be fully repaired and protected to handle termites in their peak season. You can contact San Antonio pest control services to take preventive measures against them.
Termite swarm- An Overview
Termite swimming refers to the period when a large number of winged termites leave their old colonies to form new ones. These termites are also called alates. The alates generally migrate in large quantities to investigate a new residence. The termite swarm contains a lot of them together. It can be a disturbing and shocking sight.
Alex is known for not consuming the cellulose present in Wood. However, they may start consuming it if they decide to stay in your house. A termite swarm can signify the potential damage that candy please due to termites.
The termites are around 1 inch in length. They are dark-colored and have two pairs of wings of equal sizes. They may look similar to flying ants. However, they are very distinct. And tend to have construction in their waist, while termites have no such things. The wings of a termite are the same in size. On the other hand, ants do not have the same size of wings. However, it is not easy to spot any differences if you happen to notice them in large numbers.
Reasons for termites swarm
Termites are known for swimming when they feel like they require an expansion of their colonies and get a new resource for food supply. The expansion of their colonies takes place every year. When they find a new area that can be a potential colony, they stop swarming and begin the settlement. The lattice starts losing its wings due to maturity and growth. After that, they mate and leading to the creation of new colonies.
The period of termite swarming is dependent upon the specific species. It generally takes place during winter are in the early days of spring. March is the most susceptible month where termites forming is expected. There is no fixed schedule for termites. However, you should be extra careful in these months to be on the safe side. If you are unsure about handling termites in your room, make sure to contact a professional best-control service provider. They help in curbing the infestation and providing the tools for handling it.


Excel's Data Analysis Functions and Features
How to Articles with Step by Step Explanations and Screen Shots
Take Advantage of these Free Videos and Articles to Increase Your Excel IQ
Data Presentation Tips
- Chart Junk
- Data Display Tips Using Airline Quality Data
- Dunce Charts - Are You Still Using Line, Bar and Pie Charts?
- Format Charts - Tips for Formatting Charts
- Save and Reuse Custom Chart Formats
- Graphical Excellence
- Say It With Charts
- Visual Presentation of Data
- Use Excel to Create an Improvement Story
- Tips for Using Excel and Powerpoint for Presentations
- Time Tracking with Excel to Reduce Cycle Time such as Patient Length of Stay (LOS)
Features and Functions
- Excel's Autofilter Function
- Excel's COUNTIF Function to Count Words in Text
- Excel's Custom Fill Series
- Excel's Customize Ribbon to Format Cells
- Excel's Data Validation Functions and Features
- Excel's Data Validation Function to Gather Defect Data
- Excel's Find and Replace function to remove zeros from a worksheet
- Excel Formula to Convert Date and Time Format to Decimal Numbers
- Excel's Tables -Running Charts on Data in Tables
- Excel's Text to Columns and Concatenate Functions to Separate and Combine Data into cells
- Excel's VLookup or Offset and Match Functions to Merge Worksheets
- Hacking Excel's RANK Function
Excel PivotTable Tutorials
Statistical Tools in Excel
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Eddie Price, Kentucky author of Widder's Landing, attended the Bicentennial and War of 1812 monument dedication at Fort Meigs in Perrysburg, Ohio on May 4, 2013.
The Kentucky Soldiers Memorial Dedication included a ceremonial unveiling of the new monument that marks one of the bleakest moments in the state's history. A detachment of troops under the command of William Dudley crossed the Maumee River to attack British gun batteries that were bombarding Fort Meigs. They stormed the batteries and temporarily disabled the cannons, but Dudley lost control of the Kentucky force that pursued Tecumseh's Indians who led them deeper into the forest. While the British and Canadian forces recaptured the gun batteries, killing many Kentuckians and forcing the rest to surrender, the disorganized Kentuckians in the forest were almost wiped out in confused, hand-to-hand fighting. Of Dudley's 866 officers and men, only 150 escaped back into Fort Meigs. This event became known as "Dudley's Massacre" or "Dudley's Defeat," The total American loss in the siege came to 160 killed, 190 wounded, 100 wounded prisoners, 530 other prisoners and 6 missing: 986 in all.
The event is recaptured in Price's historical novel Widder's Landing, published by Acclaim Press and now in its 3rd printing.
Photo Above: Eddie Price is pictured with the 2nd Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Militia at the newly unveiled Kentucky Soldiers monument at Fort Meigs, Perrysburg, Ohio, May 4, 2012. Kneeling at Price's right is Father Patrick Dolan, Brigadier General, Kentucky National Guard. Dolan gave the invocation at the ceremony. The two militia commanders are (right standing) Thad Stern and (left standing) Mike Judson.


The 1860s were a decade of upheaval and innovation.
As the Civil War raged (1861-65) and the first transcontinental railroad crossed the US (1869), the percussion era in firearms ended. In about a decade, muzzle loading shotguns were replaced by breechloaders and paper cartridges.
These breechloaders started out as hammer guns. But by 1871,successful hammerless models by Murcott and Needham were on the scene. In 1875, Westley Richards introduced their Anson & Deeley barrel-cocking, hammerless, double barrel shotgun and revolutionized sporting guns.
During this period, thousands of firearms patents were granted in Europe, the UK, and the United States. Great Britain’s Henry Tolley filed for a handful of them. Henry was most likely the younger brother of the men behind J. & W. Tolley Gunmakers (Birmingham about 1858 to 1955) and the shotgun here incorporates one of his innovative ideas: a self-opening, Anson& Deeley boxlock shotgun.
Until I saw this gun, I thought Purdey’s Beesley-patent sidelocks were the world’s first self-opening doubles. But Purdey introduced their Beesley-patent hammerless sidelocks in 1884; this Henry Tolley was made before that, probably around 1880.
From the outside, it looks like a standard boxlock. But when you turn the toplever, you can feel the plungers/springs on the flats of the action pop the gun open. And these plungers function this way whether or not the gun has been fired, making the gun a true self opener. Take a look and let me know what you think. Please let me know if you own, or have seen, another boxlock like this. I love to take one apart and see how it really works.


Acute Scrotal Swelling in Children
1. What is acute scrotal swelling in children?
Acute scrotal swelling can be largely classified into painless scrotal swelling and painful scrotal swelling.
If the scrotal swelling is associated pain, you should seek URGENT medical attention, even at non-office hours (including midnight!) – as delay in the treatment of certain problems e.g. testicular torsion would result in irreversible damage to the testis/ testes.
If the scrotal swelling is not associated with pain, then you can seek medical attention in an elective setting (by appointment).
2. What are the possible cause of painful acute scrotal swelling?
Acute scrotal pain (with or without swelling) is a SURGICAL EMERGENCY!!! Possible causes include:
a) testicular torsion
b) torsion of the appendix testis or appendix epididymis
c) epididymitis or orchitis
d) trauma/ injury
e) irreducible/ strangulated inguinal hernia
f) immunoglobuin A vasculitis (Henoch-Schönlein purpura)
g) referred pain
3. What are the possible causes of painless scrotal swelling?
Painless scrotal swelling can have acute or insidious onset. Possible causes include:
b) inguinal hernia
e) testicular tumour
4. What is the treatment for scrotal swelling?
It depends on the clinical presentation. You should inform the paediatric surgeon if your child has any history of recurrent urinary tract infections, scrotal trauma, systemic symptoms or past urological operations.


She gave her name to one of the programming languages.
Ada Lovelace was born on the 10th of December of 1815 into a famous family: her father was George Gordon Byron, the great English poet. But she, unlike her father, did not make literature her profession. She found her vocation in mathematics: today, Lady Lovelace is considered the first programmer in the world. And she deserves it: she first studied under the guidance of the Scottish mathematician Augustus, and later, she became student and assistant to Charles Babbage, professor of mathematics in the University of Cambridge. Together, they laid the foundations of the theory that all programmers use today. She used to say about herself: “I swear by the devil that in less than 10 years I will suck a certain amount of life blood from the mysteries of the Universe, and in a way that ordinary mortal lips and minds could not do.
No one knows what terrifying energies and strengths lie still unused in my little flexible being.”
Many years passed before someone knew: according to the proprieties of the epoch, the aristocrat Countess Lovelace signed her mathematical works with her initials. And that was why only in many years the world heard that it was she who developed the first programs for Babbage’s computing machine and suggested the terms and concepts now widely used in the world of programming, such as subroutine, operating cell, loop. The world generously rewarded her for that: her name was given to the programming language developed by order of the US Department of Defense. Today, this language is used in Europe and the US for the development of complicated large-scale projects, and not only for the military sector.


Commercial solar cells’ future rests on engineers’ ability to create highly efficient, low-cost and durable systems. A new study published November 25 in the journal Science, with key contributions from Princeton researchers, describes near-record efficiency in an emerging class of low-cost solar cells while doubling device stability over time. Using materials known as perovskites, the team developed an ultra-thin layer, only a few nanometers thick, that caps the absorption layer. This capping layer protects the underlying absorption layers from stress and moves electronic charge at rates that far outstrip previous designs. This innovation can also dramatically improve perovskite solar cell durability.
Silicon systems currently dominate the commercial solar cell landscape because they are efficient and durable. But production of silicon solar cells is energy intensive. Perovskite solar cells produced from inks at ambient temperatures could lower energy intensity for manufacturing future solar cells, as well as financial costs associated with solar cell production. While the efficiency of the new perovskite device approaches top-notch silicon equivalents (around 25 percent, compared with around 26 percent for silicon), silicon solar cells last more than 100 times longer, according to the researchers. If scientists can solve the long-term stability of perovskite systems, these new types of solar cells could – like silicon – become ubiquitous in everyday life.
The work was led by scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The Princeton team included Lynn Loo, Theodora D. ’78 and William H. Walton III ’74 Professor in Engineering, and Xiaoming Zhao, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, who tested and quantified how charge moved between the perovskite layers.
For more on this development, read the full story from NREL.


I had an exchange recently that brought up the subject of life on comets and its implications for ID. As I reviewed the work on comets, it brought up some surprising connections that I had not seen before. I thought it was worthy of a blog, though somewhat old material. The correspondent complained that comets carrying bacteria do not explain the origin of life.
It wasn’t comets. This is like Carl Sagan saying we came from some other place. Well where did that other place come from!
I tend to agree with you, comets don’t really solve the origin of life. They merely move it to a distant place. I was as surprised as you that comets had fossilized life on them, I felt like the theoretical physicist I. I. Rabi who was confronted with the experimental discovery of the muon and remarked “Who ordered that particle?” It’s reminiscent of Arthur C Clarke’s “Rendezvous with Rama“, or Fred Hoyle’s “Black Cloud“. In other words, bad science fiction. In fact, when I heard from Dr Richard Hoover that he’d found these fossils (spie04.pdf) my first attempt was to disprove him by demonstrating that comets can’t have liquid water on them. I ended proving him right in more ways than he had anticipated; not only can comets have liquid water, they can’t avoid it, and most of their celestial dynamics is controlled by liquid water. (spie05.pdf) Weird.


How to Grow Grass Under Trees
Getting grass to grow underneath trees can be a challenge, because grass needs strong sunlight to grow. Trees provide shade that blocks the grass underneath from getting enough sun exposure. In addition, trees can drain the soil of nutrients and moisture, so the grass underneath will simply wither away. There are some grasses, however, that, when properly maintained, can actually thrive underneath trees.
Types of Grass that Thrive in Shade
Growing grass in shade can be done quite easily, as long as you choose shade-tolerant grasses such as these:
- Rye and fine, red and tall fescues: These only need four hours of sun a day, and particularly thrive in cooler regions.
- Zoysia and St. Augustine: These will grow in shade, and acclimate perfectly in the Texas heat.
It’s important to not only choose shade-tolerant grasses, but also to pay attention to the types of grasses that grow best in your climate. For some regions, the best grass for shade might be a mix of several types of grass seeds rather than one specific kind. That’s why it’s a good idea to talk to a gardening specialist before making your selection.
Tips for Growing Grass Under Trees
In addition to choosing the best grass for trees, you should also follow these guidelines for ensuring healthy growth:
- Prune the tree’s lower branches. This will allow more light to filter through to the grass underneath.
- Water the grass once a week during dry periods, and fertilize it three times a year. This can help replace the nutrients that are being absorbed by the tree.
In addition, don’t mow the grass under the tree as enthusiastically as you mow the rest of your lawn. Grass growing under trees should be allowed to grow about an inch longer than grass that’s not in a shaded area. This way, the grass will reach more sunlight, and will also develop deeper roots.
Adding Soil Under Trees
When planting grass under trees, be careful not to add too much soil. Some trees can’t tolerate even a few inches of soil spread over their roots, so check with a gardening expert before planting.
By choosing the right grass and following a few maintenance tips, you should be able to keep your entire lawn looking green — including the areas under the leafiest trees.


Detroit Zoo moves birds inside due to Avian Influenza concerns
Originally Published: 27 FEB 22 11:00 ET
By Chuck Johnston (CNN) -- The Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) says it is being proactive and moving birds at the Detroit Zoo inside due to concerns about avian influenza, which is highly contagious and deadly, according to the zoo.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development confirmed Thursday avian influenza virus was identified in a backyard flock of non-poultry birds in Kalamazoo County, which is about 140 miles west of Detroit. Similar infections have been reported across the United States in recent weeks.
"This is an important preventative measure," said Dr. Ann Duncan, director of animal health for the DZS. "By bringing these animals indoors, we can more closely monitor them and prevent contact with wild birds who may be carriers" of the virus.
The virus can infect several species of birds, according to the World Organization for Animal Health (OiE), including poultry. New cases of bird flu have appeared in more than 40 countries over the last six months, according to OiE.
In the past few weeks, the USDA has identified the bird flu in Delaware, Maine, New York, Virginia and Kentucky.
People in close contact with infected birds can contract the virus, but no human cases of the bird flu have been detected in the United States, according to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.


The Orange County History Center's mission is to serve as the gateway for community engagement, education, and inspiration by preserving and sharing Central Florida’s continually unfolding story. Located in the heart of downtown Orlando, the History Center offers four floors of dynamic exhibits exploring 12,000 years of Central Florida history. Enjoy limited-run exhibitions scheduled and riveting programs throughout the year.
The History Center offers great ways for members of Scouts BSA and Girl Scouts to earn badges in Citizenship, Textile, American Indian Lore, Art, and Sculpture. Our fun, skill-building workshops provide great opportunities to learn more about the rich history in Florida as well. Our home-school curriculum is developed to meet grades K-5 standards, but all ages enjoy our programs. Bring your 4-year-old or your high schooler – they are sure to have a great time with our hands-on activities and projects! We also offer lessons for teachers in the classroom as well - over the period of a week, our Teach-In bin will rotate among the classes in your grade level, and we’ll facilitate a scheduled live virtual lesson for each classroom. Little Historians: Introduce your early learners to history by exploring Florida’s trailblazing past. Each month features a new themed lesson that includes storytime, exhibit exploration, and engaging activities for your little historians to dig in and get hands-on!
**On the Third Thursday of each month, we offer free admission from 5 to 8 p.m.


New York Times reports on research for treating depression through insomnia… again
Depression continues one of the main conditions which causes people to seek therapy.
What if there was an effective treatment for depression which did not primarily focus on the depression itself? The New York Times reports: “An insomnia therapy that scientists just reported could double the effectiveness of depression treatment is not widely available nor particularly well understood by psychiatrists or the public.”
Those who have read Dr. Colleen Carney’s books or attended her workshops well know the value of Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I). The New York Times first reported Dr. Carney’s research results in November 2013. Dr. Carney’s research indicates that depression can often be successfully treated by dealing sleep disorders related to depression. This has enormous treatment implications. According to Dr. Carney’s research when the sleep issue alone is addressed depression-focused therapy may not be necessary
The New York Times was at it again on August 16, 2016 reporting the growing popularity of CBT-I: “In May the American College of Physicians advised its members that C.B.T.-I. was the first treatment they should offer patients with insomnia.” Read more here.
According to this article, there is a shortage of therapists with experience in CBT-I. Don’t miss out on being able to offer this effective evidence-based protocol that can be applied in the treatment of insomnia alone or co-occuring with a broad range of the most common disorders you will find in clinical settings such as: depression, anxiety, chronic pain and trauma.


Do you hear ringing in one or both of your ears? Tinnitus is a condition where the person experiences the sensation of a sound in their ears without there being an external source for the sound. Ringing is one of the most common symptoms of this condition. It was estimated in a recent study that this condition affects about 10 percent of the adult population in the country. This is about 21 million adults.
Are there people at higher risk of developing tinnitus?
There are many causes of tinnitus. There are also people who are at higher risk of developing the condition. Some of the most causes of tinnitus include:
- Age-related hearing loss – you may perceive noises that aren’t there as a result of the deterioration of the structures within the inner ear
- Medical conditions such as head injuries and ear infections can result in temporary tinnitus
- Exposure to high noise levels such as the firing of guns, a jet taking off, or a car crash can result in tinnitus in people of all ages.
- Some medications can result in tinnitus as a side effect.
- Lifestyle habits such as smoking or high intake of salt can increase your risk of developing tinnitus.
- Genetics – studies have revealed that some forms of tinnitus are hereditary.
How to Prevent Tinnitus
Tinnitus is preventable. There are several ways that you can protect your hearing. These include:
- Wearing earplugs when you’re in an environment with loud sounds such as at a construction site or at a loud event.
- Practicing safe listening for example keeping the volume of music at a reasonable level.
- Avoiding ear infections and getting timely treatment when an ear infection does occur.
- Visiting your audiologist if you have started to experience symptoms of tinnitus.
Prevention is key if you want to protect your hearing.


The Story of the Jealous Cousin
Devadatta was Buddha's first cousin, and was always jealous of him. Buddha had left his home in Kapilavatthu as a young prince. When he became enlightened, he traveled far and wide spreading his teachings. When Buddha visited his home at Kapilavatthu , the Sakyans joined him because they liked what he taught. His jealous cousin, Devadatta, also joined Buddha. He learnt many things from Buddha, and got some magical powers too. But, he always was jealous of Buddha and the way people liked him.
Devadatta was cunning. Once he visited the crown prince of Magadha janpada , Ajatsattu, and showed him his magical powers. Ajatsattu was impressed and started to help him. When Devadatta came back to Kapilavatthu , he spread the word around that he was better than Buddha. But everybody loved Buddha. Devadatta got mad at the people because they did not support him.
Devadatta went back to Magadha and told Ajatsattu to kill his own brother, Bimbisara, and grab the throne. Devadatta wanted Bimbisara killed because he supported Buddha. Devadutta also hired sixteen archers to kill Buddha. But the archers became Buddha's followers when they heard him speak, because he was so nice and pure.
The cunning Devadatta then hurled a huge rock from a mountain when Buddha was walking down the slope. But, magically, two huge rocks came in the way and stopped the hurled rock. Devadatta could not believe what he saw! Devadatta then got a rogue elephant and set it among the people. Everybody screamed and ran away. Buddha calmly kept walking towards the elephant. When the elephant was about to trample a little baby on the street, Buddha touched the elephant on its forehead, which at once cooled down the elephant. The wild animal bowed before Buddha in respect.
People came to know how cunning and mean Devadatta had been. They all ran him out of town.
Moral : Jealousy makes people blind. They have to pay the price, as Devadatta did in the end.


For Catherine Leslie, her 2003 trip with a team of engineers to a village in Mali was an eye-opener.
The villagers asked the engineers to build a system to supply water. But the village already had three wells — all broken because residents had not been taught to maintain them. Today, as the executive director of Engineers Without Borders USA, Leslie makes sure that impoverished communities are deeply engaged in improvement projects.
Bernard Amadei, a civil engineering professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, founded the nonprofit in 2002, and since then its membership has grown to include students and nonengineering professionals as well as engineers.
The group’s 17,000 U.S. members work on what they call “low-tech, high-impact projects” in 42 countries. These projects range from building latrines to developing rainwater catchment systems and from installing solar lighting to designing bridges.
Communities pitch in
When Engineers Without Borders comes to town, a host community provides in-kind contributions and at least 5 percent of a given project’s cost. Locals also commit to maintaining an installation once the visiting engineers finish their work. (Before they leave, they educate the entire community about the project and train selected members to do maintenance.)
A community’s ownership of a project helps it succeed, and that involvement is more essential than technology, according to a 2014 report by Engineers Without Borders. The communities maintain about two-thirds of all completed projects.
“It’s not about charity, but empowerment,” Amadei told The Hindu, an Indian newspaper. “People develop themselves. There is a lot of wealth in people … lots of knowledge and skills.”
Engineers and student volunteers gain cross-cultural leadership skills and enjoy the emotional rewards from making life better for people. Even Leslie, when worn out by office work, likes to travel to the areas where her group is active to regain this sense of fulfillment.
“You see kids, who used to spend most of their time hauling water from distant sources, playing,” she says. “It gives you a gratifying feeling.”


This activity consists of listening for a letter or number, and then clicking on it. It is intended for native speakers, but is a good listening exercise for Spanish language learners. Each phrase that you hear begins la letra….or el número…Hearing and identifying these words, your child narrows the set of possible answers, and focuses on either the letters or the numbers. It is a simple version of “listening for the main idea.”
This activity also teaches correct Spanish pronunciation. In Spanish, the names of the vowels are the same as the vowel sounds. Pronouncing the vowels correctly is crucial to good Spanish pronunciation. By hearing the letters pronounced correctly, your child will learn to say them correctly. Follow these steps to play:
1. Click on the link to practice recognizing letter and numbers in Spanish.
2. Click on Aprender con padres (Learn with parents).
3. Click on Reconocer letras y números (Recognize letters and numbers).
You will hear Vamos a reconocer letras y números (Let’s recognize letters and numbers), and then a phrase.
For example, you might hear
– el número cinco (the number five)
– la letra A (the letter A)
Click on the letter or number that you hear.
4. After five letters and numbers the game will ask you ¿Quieres volver a jugar? (Do you want to play again?) Click on sí to continue playing.


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The department aims to provide a stimulating and rewarding geographical experience for all and help all students to become thoughtful geographers and independent thinkers. The basic aims and objectives of school geography are:
1) To help students develop geographical knowledge and conceptual understanding.
In studying geography students develop a body of factual knowledge that will support conceptual understanding and stimulate an interest in the world. To achieve this geography teaching at school is based on themes that investigate physical environments, social and economic activities and the relationships that exist between people and places. In the geography scheme of work reference is made to the local area, the United Kingdom, Europe and the wider world with studies at local, national, international and global scale.
2) To introduce students to geographical enquiry and develop problem solving and investigative skills
In order to achieve this aim geography lessons involve strategies for teaching students to ask questions and pursue a ‘route to enquiry’. A range of intellectual and practical skills is taught such as: observation, measurement, information selection, interpretation, synthesis, decision making, and problem solving. Graphical skills are taught including graph selection and presentation, map work, sketching and diagrammatic representation. Fieldwork is used to teach some of these skills.
3) To help students develop a sense of identity through learning about the United Kingdom and other countries and the relationships between them; to help students develop their own informed opinions and attitudes.
The geography scheme of work involves the study of a variety of places local and distant, at a variety of scales and at varying stages of development. Thus students develop a sense of their own identity, of their place in the world and empathy for other life styles, cultures and attitudes. Teaching strategies are in place in geography to help students develop an understanding of global responsibility and interdependence. These strategies also encourage students to develop their own opinions and attitudes.
Click here Geography Department Curriculum Statement


NEW BOOKThe Sibyls: the First Prophetess’
For 6,000 years, Africa was ruled by a powerful order of Sibyl matriarchs. They produced the world's first oracles, prophetess and prophets. It was the Sibyls who worked the oracles in the Black Egyptian colonies in ancient Greece, Rome, Turkey, Israel, Syria and Babylon. In pre-Roman Italy, the "holy seat" of the Vatican was originally the sacerdotal seat of the Sibyls. Centuries before Christ, the Sibyls were famous for curing epileptics, the blind, lepers and “casting out demons.” It was a Sibyl who called-up the spirit of "Apostle" Samuel. Their 4,000 yr.old, "pagan" prophecies, the oldest in the world, were used by the emerging Roman papals to create a “western theological” foundation to compete with the Kemetically learned levitical Jews. The Sibyls books of divine prophecies became the undisputed precursor for the Christian Bible. Supported by solid evidence, African women's religious history is finally being unearthed, exposing shocking revelations buried for more than 2000 years.
vist this site for more info.http://www.lulu.com/content/989431


Helge SR Grønli and Eli Solgaard conducted thorough research into the Bronze Age which resulted in the novel "the shaman's Horse". From this, the idea was taken to build the Bronze Age longhouse and visualize the small community they wrote about in his novel. In 1994, Bronseplassen was the first reconstructed Bronze Age farm in Norway.
After several years with schools, tourism, courses etc., 1997, a new part opened: "Vikings' World". Here you can see reconstructions from the famous Oseberg find: The great Viking tent, the biggest dragon bed and more functional objects from the Viking Age. In 2008, a Viking smithy opened. In the middle of July Vikings from all over Europe meet at Bronseplassen for the Viking market which is well worth visiting. In Summer time, there are often travelling Vikings from near and far staying for a couple of days.
The Bronze Age longhouse is built as an experiment and produced new understanding of Bronze Age building styles. The house, which is 25 x 8 meters, is a copy of the findings in Sørlandet and Jylland (Denmark). Throughout the Bronze Age, from 3800 to 2500 years ago, people lived in a house like this. For the wooden construction, 25 cubic metres of oak timber was used. TH eroof and walls are woven with 10,000 branches after which the walls were covered with daub made of trampled clay, sand, straw and cow dung. On the roof is the bark and peat. Cow kskin and willows as well as oak plugs were used to keep everything in place. The longhouse contains three rooms. The barn is located in the east end, the living area in the west room.
A labyrinth, 12 meters in diameter is put in place at the site as well. It takes 222 metres to reach the centre and it is claimed that the maze potentiates earth energy. Legends tell that in the centre of the maze was a virgin disguised as Mother Earth. When the prehistoric volver and shamans would sacrifice to her, Spring would be blossoming and animals and people fertile.
There is also a sacrificial bog and a water where you can paddle logboats. The herb garden on Bronseplassen presents a cross section of plants used for food and medicine in the Bronze Age until the present day. On some occasions, one can try out archery.


This emerging analysis focused on the Annex II countries attending the G7 Summit in 2021. An updated and expanded version assessing the fair share of all Annex II countries is now available here.
In Copenhagen in 2009, developed countries committed to jointly mobilise $100 billion dollars a year by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries. However, the climate accords rely on pledging and do not include any formulae for determining how responsibility for this target should be apportioned among developed countries.
This paper suggests three metrics to assess each developed country’s fair share of the climate finance goal: gross national income, cumulative carbon dioxide emissions and population. While imperfect, these metrics offer an indicative range to begin holding individual national governments to account.
With more generous interpretations of their contributions and favourable ways of apportioning responsibility, France and Germany are paying their fair share of climate finance. By comparison, the USA contributed just 7% of its fair share in 2017–2018.
If assessed against a more stringent definition of climate finance and using less favourable ways of apportioning responsibility, all the large developed countries need to increase their commitments. Under these conditions, Germany, Japan and the UK are paying 40–45% of their fair share. By comparison, Australia, Canada and the USA contributed less than 5% of their fair share in 2017–2018.
Corrections and clarifications
Published: 7 June 2021.
Corrected online: 8 June 2021. A correction was made to the data in Figure 1 on page 8.
Corrected online: 26 July 2021. A sentence of clarification has been added to page 7, reflecting that the Oxfam estimates do not include contributions from multilateral organisations but are adjusted for grant equivalence.
Corrected online: 27 October 2021. Updates were made to reflect new climate announcements and correct errors.


Just place a finger over the camera for two minutes, and StressScan will analyze changes in your heart rate and scientifically measure the level of your mental and physical stress on a scale of 1 to 100.
Stress is the root cause of many illnesses. Measure your stress to manage it!
- What is the principle behind StressScan?
Many of the functions essential to maintaining human health are controlled by the autonomic nervous system. It is medically recognized that the balance of the autonomic nervous system can become disordered through fatigue and other stress, stemming from causes such as work and human relationships. By analyzing the waveform of your heartbeat as measured at the fingertip, StressScan can analyze the balance of your autonomic nervous system and measure your stress level on a stress index of 1 to 100.
- You can trust StressScan! -
The technology used by StressScan is based on heart rate variability analysis, which is widely recognized in the field of heart rate analysis and autonomic nervous system research.
Although heart rate variability analysis technology is not yet generally well known, many medical institutions and companies have taken an interest and are beginning to put it to use. The technology is seeing use even at the cutting edge of stress care, including adoption by the US military to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in soldiers returning from the battlefield, and by NASA for astronaut training and health management.
- Usable in a range of scenarios! -
Periodic checking of daily stress level
Checking the effects of favorite meals and drinks on stress
Checking relaxation while traveling or at a favorite spot
- Device compatibility -
The app is intended for use with a camera- and flash-equipped smartphone. It is not usable with devices that do not have a camera and flash.
- Usage environment -
An Internet connection is required to use the app. External support for measurement functions is used for complex stress analysis.
Shop your favorite products and we’ll find the best deal with a single click. Designed to make shopping easier.


Shri Rishi Psychiatry Clinic – Sleep-Wake Disorders Treatment
Sleep-wake disorders involve disruptions in sleep quality, timing, and the amount that results in daytime impairment and distress. They include the following disorders.
Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep is characteristic of insomnia disorder. Insomnia can be an independent condition, or it can be comorbid with another mental disorder, another sleep disorder, or another medical condition. It occurs more commonly in old age people and in highly anxious individuals with distorted normal sleep patterns.
Hypersomnolence disorder, also called hypersomnia, occurs when a person sleeps too much and feels excessively tired despite the normal or prolonged quantity of sleep.
Parasomnias are marked by unusual behavior, experiences, or physiological events during sleep. This category is divided into three subtypes:1) non-REM movement sleep arousal disorders, which involve incomplete awakening from sleep accompanied by either sleepwalking or sleep terror disorder; 2) nightmare disorder in which nightmares induce awakening repeatedly and cause distress and impairment; and 3) REM sleep behavior disorder, which is characterized by vocal or motor behavior during sleep.
Narcolepsy, as the name suggests, is a sudden attack of sleep while doing work in the daytime. It is marked by sleep attacks, usually with loss of muscle tone (cataplexy).
Breathing-Related Sleep Disorders:
There are three subtypes of breathing-related sleep disorders. The most common of the three is obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea in which apneas (absence of airflow) and hypopneas (reduction in airflow) occur repeatedly during sleep, causing snoring and daytime sleepiness. Central sleep apnea is the presence of Cheyne-Stokes breathing in addition to apneas and hypopneas. Lastly, sleep-related hypoventilation causes elevated CO2 levels from decreased respiration.
Restless Legs Syndrome:
Restless legs syndrome is the compulsive movement of legs during sleep. It can be associated with anxiety, stress, habit or disorder proper.


Different Types Of Wellness
Social health, together with mental and physical health, is without doubt one of the key facets to determine the final well-being of a person. Let’s discuss cancer one of the vital dreaded illnesses. 1. People are in a position to discover ways to prevent the unfold of communicable ailments by way of the coaching and methods being taught in education. With dwindling health, rising health care prices and a scarcity of savings to generate a fixed revenue, the monetary requirements of living 30 years in retirement are out of reach for many individuals.
A healthy particular person additionally socialize with the folks around him and varieties totally different kinds of relationships. Junk food may cause heart ailments. Vegetables, fruits and meat and so on incorporates all the vitamins, energy and proteins required by a physique so consuming them on the proper time is an efficient health enhancing habits.
Most medical hospitals and clinics provide immunization or vaccine shots in the course of the flu seasons, or when a general outbreak of hepatitis goes around, and a public health education ensures that extra individuals know to go to these amenities and avail of the remedy, thereby lessening the amount of unwell people.
Long-time period alcohol use creates injury and weakens the guts’s muscular tissue resulting in coronary heart failure. The pharmaceutical manufacturers and their workers and agents ought to be aware of the constraints the Anti-Kickback statute places on the advertising and promoting of merchandise paid for by federal and state health care programs.
It is nicely-known that anyone can get cancer, and so it solely is sensible to take any precautions you possibly can to eat and drink as a lot as practical of the healthy foods which do the most to provde the best probability of preventing the beginning of most cancers.


Do you use social media?
Of course you do.
Almost everyone does.
But have you ever thought about how it’s impacting on your life?
Do you think it makes your life better? Or worse?
The latest research adds to a growing mountain of information telling us that social media is bad for us. A 2015 study by Stoney Brooks found that social media is associated with reduced task efficiency and reduced wellbeing (see the full study here).
What?! But I love Facebook and <insert favourite social media site here> and Twitter! It can’t be true!
Yet, it is.
This is how the study worked: the people in the study were college students in the US.
They were asked to watch a video on a computer during class (Awesome! Video in class!). While they watched the video on the computer they had access to several different social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. So, if they wanted the students could use social media, but they weren’t told anything about this in the study instructions.
After the video – SURPRISE! Pop quiz!
The students were asked a few questions about what they had seen in the video.
The students who used more social media while they were watching the video performed worse on the quiz (compared to students who used less social media). Their task efficiency was reduced by social media usage because it’s a distractor.
Maybe this isn’t too shocking, but think about the fact that people are using social media all day in class and all day at work.
How do people even learn anything anymore or get anything done?
On top of that, the study also found that the students who used more social media were experiencing more technostress – a type of stress caused by a feeling of being unable to cope with technology which has various negative physical and emotional consequences . (Argh help – technology is everywhere, it’s stressing me out!)
And on top of that top, people who used more social media also reported being less happy.
This is why social media seriously sucks.
Stoney Brooks suggests that we should consider implementing some rules like ‘no social media in class!’ And he is right, because social media makes students (and probably workers too) less happy, more stressed, and worse at the task they are doing!
So, next time you are about to use social media you should stop and think twice.


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This is a simple-to-make origami doll craft made from a piece of paper.
Crafts for kids. Kindergarten, preschool, and elementary school crafts. Make wonderful, simple crafts with things found...
Make a Hopi Kachina Doll from a toilet paper tube, paint, fabric, feathers, beads, and other simple items.
With this craft, make a small Japanese kokeshi doll from a ping-pong ball and a small plastic bottle.
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The Chinese Invented Paper
Did you know that paper (as we know it) was first invented in 105 A.D. by a Chinese person? There were precursors, such as papyrus and amate, which existed in the Mediterranean world and pre-Columbian Americas, respectively, but they weren’t considered to be truly paper. It’s invention is, instead, credited to an Imperial court eunuch, named Cai Lun (also known as Ts’ai Lun).
Cai Lun was not the first to make real paper. However, by using the materials he did – often mulberry and other bast fibres along with fishing nets, old rags, and hemp waste – production costs were reduced. In addition, his technique was reliable for quickly manufacturing small sheets of paper for the masses. Larger sheets were rarely made, but when they were made, the Chinese royalty and nobility used them. Though I saw nothing in my research to state as much, I would reckon this was due to the cost and guess the larger pieces held a level of prestige for one’s wealth and status.
Due to the importance paper has had throughout history, Cai Lun was listed as the seventh most influential person of all time in the novel, The 100: A Ranking Of The Most Influential Persons In History, written by Michael H. Hart. One of the greatest things I read about the impact of paper came from Timothy Hugh Barrett, who said that a “strong reading culture seems to have developed [in China] quickly after its introduction, despite political fragmentation.” Who doesn’t love something that helps develop books and reading, right?


Halloween is fun for kids, but parents have every reason to be concerned about safety on the deadliest night of the year for pedestrians. Children are more than twice as likely to die in a motor vehicle accident on Halloween than on any other day of the year.
What you can do to keep your children safe as they trick-or-treat in Paducah
- Accompany kids under 12 while trick-or-treating to ensure they are following safety procedures.
- Walk on the sidewalk if one is available. If not, walk facing traffic and as far to the side of the road as possible.
- Be cautious at road crossings and intersections, which is where nearly 18% of motor vehicle/pedestrian accidents happen. Always follow the rules of the road and abide by traffic signals at crosswalks.
- Choose costumes carefully. If an outfit is too dark, it will be difficult for motorists to see your child. If the costume is hard to see, have your child carry a flashlight or wear reflective gear.
- If your child’s costume requires a facial component, use face paint instead of a mask. Masks can obstruct your child’s vision and face paint can achieve the same effect safely.
- Make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street in front of a vehicle.
- Put electronic devices down and watch where you–and your kids–are going.
Safe pedestrian habits are important every day of the year, but especially on Halloween. It’s the busiest pedestrian night of the year, and drivers are often distracted. It is a dangerous combination. Make sure to talk to your kids to ensure that everyone in the family knows how to have a spooky but safe holiday.


Fill in the missing word(s) : Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of _____
Which Book? : This book of the Bible is a letter written by Paul to a man whose slave has run away from him. Paul pleads for the slave to be received home again because they are all brothers in the Lord.
Moses received ____ commandments from God on Mt. Sinai written on tablets of stone
What did the Holy Spirit look like when the disciples received it?
| Tongues of fire | A rushing wind | Billowing clouds | White doves |
Which tribe of Israel received no inheritance?
| Judah | Dan | Simeon | Levi |
Who laid their hands on Saul of Tarsus, curing him of the blindness he received on the road to Damascus?
| Jesus | Peter | Barnabas | Ananias |
Who lied about the price they received for a piece of land and died as a result?
| Lazarus | Joseph & Mary | Eutychus | Ananias & Sapphira |
What did the servant who received one talent from his master do with it?
| Spent it | Hid it | Invested it | Lost it |
Fill in the missing name : By faith the harlot ____ perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace
Where did the man who received one talent from his master hide it?
| In the fireplace | In a pot | In the ground | In a cave |


Environmentalism is becoming a secular religion that threatens to undo the good work it has traditionally done.
Behind the rise of this religion is a noble defense of nature, which of course deserves to be defended. But this increasingly popular way of life has many different adherents, some with sinister motives designed to attack through politics or dramatically alter the way humans live for the worse.
Despite this movement being associated with the left, ecologism and environmentalism actually had their origins in conservatism, which at its heart is a defense of what is and what will always be constant and unchangeable.
A social movement designed to protect the environment took off as a social movement in the 19th century and came from a respect of traditional values associated with the nature of being. In fact, much of conservative thought comes from understanding the nature of the world and humanity’s role in it.
Marx and his belief in the “stupidity of rural life”
Traditionally it has been leftist thinkers who have taken issue with nature and those who live amongst it. Many of them rejected the nature of things and humanity, finding much to hate about traditional models of human existence. Karl Marx even wrote about the “stupidity of rural life” without any justification, describing the people who lived closest to nature as backward.
For Marx, the city, the masses and the machine were the future and in many ways, his idols.