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It's one of the oldest nuclear reactors in Japan, a boiling-water unit made by General Electric, just a couple of weeks shy of 40 years old and close to retirement age. On Saturday, something went very wrong. The explosion at Fukushima Daiichi's Unit 1 rattled an already shaken nation and renewed anxiety that the exquisite technology of nuclear power may yet be overmatched by the natural violence of the earth.
There is no confirmation of a meltdown, but the situation is exceedingly tense in a nation uniquely sensitive to the dangers of radiation — no other country knows the pain of being attacked with atomic weapons. Japan prides itself on the nation's preparation for calamity but now finds itself tested by a technological crisis piled mercilessly upon a horrific natural disaster.
The incident at Fukushima Daiichi has been felt across the planet's nuclear power industry.
"Obviously, any time you have an incident at a nuclear plant that involves any kind of damage or an explosion, it's not good," said Mitch Singer, spokesman for the Nuclear Energy Institute, the industry's lobbying arm. "But in the scheme of things, is it a disaster? We don't think so."
The explosion was not nuclear. Industry officials said it was created by the release of hydrogen gas that mixed with oxygen and exploded.
The building around the reactor vessel is partially destroyed, but Japanese officials say the primary vessel and the reactor core within are intact.
"If the reactor vessel is breached . . . then this radioactive stuff starts coming out in copious amounts," said Robert Alvarez, a former senior adviser to the Department of Energy who studies nuclear power at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington.
The three operating nuclear units at the complex all shut down automatically when the earthquake hit. But stopping a fission reactor isn't quite like throwing a switch. The reactors use nuclear fission to boil water, create steam, power turbines and generate electricity. But Friday the Fukushima complex was hit by a double whammy: violent shaking from the historic magnitude-8.9 earthquake, and then the battering-ram tsunami that crashed ashore.
During the shutdown, rods dropped into the reactor core to absorb neutrons and halt all nuclear fission. But radioactive elements continue to give off heat through radioactive decay.
To sap that heat, the plant needed power to circulate cooling water through the core. The temblor, however, knocked out the electrical grid, and the tsunami took the backup generators offline. Engineers then switched to batteries. But the batteries have limited duration, and the backup generators were brought in.
The term "meltdown" does not necessarily mean that the entire nuclear core has turned into a molten glob of metal and ceramic. It can be any event in which the core overheats and damages the apparatus. Such an event carries with it the danger of a release of radiation into the environment.
The Japanese nuclear regulatory agency reported a jump in radiation near the main gate of the complex over the course of five hours Saturday. Another spike in radiation, including the radioactive isotope cesium-137, was reported at a nearby observation post. Japanese authorities later said the radiation had dropped again. But the cesium-137 was the equivalent of a flare, a dramatic sign of something seriously awry.
The cesium-137 could come only from the radioactive fuel within the reactor core, Alvarez said. That means it escaped either from the reactor vessel itself, which would indicate a catastrophic breach, or from piping outside the reactor.
The nuclear power industry speaks of "defense in depth," a concept of multiple layers of containment and backup plans to ensure that, even if something goes wrong, catastrophe won't ensue. The failure of these systems in Japan carries an echo of the BP oil spill disaster, in which backup safety devices and redundancies turned out to be unequal to the unfolding blowout.
"The problem with the BP event is that they didn't have a Plan B," said Alex Marion, vice president of nuclear operations for the Nuclear Energy Institute. "We have, I would say, sufficient defense in depth. We have Plan B, C, D and possibly E."
Tom Clements, southeastern nuclear campaign coordinator for Friends of the Earth, said the damaged Japanese reactor was of a design "haunted by questions about its ability to survive a severe accident."
Clements added, "We're against nuclear power because of this very reason: a nuclear power accident can turn into a disaster of huge proportions in just a short period of time, and it's not worth taking that risk."
The nuclear industry has had two previous high-profile calamities: a partial meltdown in 1979 at the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania, and the far more disastrous 1986 fire at a plant near the Ukrainian city of Chernobyl.
As at Fukushima, the Three Mile Island accident was triggered by a disruption of water flow to the reactor. Several instruments failed and operators did not realize that pressure was building inside the reactor. A heavy secondary containment shield ultimately prevented all but a tiny amount of radiation from escaping into the environment.
The Chernobyl disaster, in contrast, was caused by a crude reactor design and at least six fatally flawed decisions by operators during a risky test. A huge power spike and the bad decisions drove the reactor out of control. An explosion then blew the reactor apart and spewed radioactive debris for a week.
Unlike U.S. and Japanese nuclear plants, Chernobyl lacked the heavy shielding that eventually halted the Three Mile Island disaster — and that all of Japan desperately hopes will prevent Fukushima Daiichi's Unit 1 from melting down.
Staff writer Brian Vastag contributed to this report.


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ORLEANS -- Falmouth's closer Ben Tootle (Jacksonville St.) came in with one man on base in the 7th with the Commodores leading 4-3. With a 98 mph fastball and a deceptive curveball he proceeded to retire Orleans batter after batter to get the save and keep the Commodores alive in the West.
Orleans already had clinched the East with a victory over the Commodores last night in Falmouth.
Darin Ruff (Falmouth/Creighton) got an insurance homerun in the 8th to complete a 5-3 victory over Orleans tonight.
The Cape League's West remains tight as a drum. Cotuit beat Wareham to remain in first place in the West with 46 points. Falmouth trails by a single point (45) and Hyannis is in 3rd (44). Bourne also won and is in 4th with 43 points.
Wareham plays at Falmouth tomorrow. Hyannis is at Cotuit. Then on Thursday, the final game of the regular season, Falmouth is at Hyannis. Plenty of drama in the West.

subset: commoncrawl


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Facilitating self-directed learning: the nurse educators' perspective
Bilsky, Millie.
MetadataShow full item record
The concept of self-directed learning was examined from the nurse educators' perspective. One structured interview, lasting between one and one-and-a half hours, was conducted with each of 14 nurse educators in two community college continuing education programs in nursing. One community college program encourages selfdirected learning; the other encourages self-study and active participation in the teaching/learning process. All 14 interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed for themes, patterns, and relationships utilizing analyst-constructed typologies. six prerequisites or necessary conditions for facilitating self-directed learning in a community college continuing education program in nursing were identified. ~he crucial issue in facilitating self-directed learning was found to be the issue of teacher-control.


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Neat in Pebble Woven Cotton Decorator Fabric by Mill Creek. This high-end woven decorator fabric is suited for multiple project applications. The weight is excellent for drapery projects, decorative pillows, coverlets, shams and light duty upholstery projects.
- Width: 54" (inches)
- Pattern Repeat in Inches: 3.5
- Note: The price is per yard in this listing


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Crossing the Red Sea, Moses
Saw no roses.
Nor did he set up camp;
The ground was too damp.
But at a later desert dwelling,
The middle managers and staff
Began kvelling
Over their handsome golden calf.
Meanwhile, from the dried-up slopes of Sinai
Moses brought down Ten Commandments from On High...
It took his women and his men
Several minutes to transgress all ten.
Whenever not kvetching
About water they had no hopes of fetching,
The Children of Israel
Kept shmeicheling Moses for a meal
Of fruit salad (especially banana),
Lightly sprinkled with manna.
They were looking to inhabitate
A Land of Milk and Honey,
But wouldn't real estate
Like that be much too runny?
Taoists may wow us,
And Buddhists may woo us,
But nobody can confuse us
If we hearken to Confucius.
Born in the feudal state of Lu,
Confucius knew
(And told everyone he met)
That ritual and etiquette
Are smart for us...
But not as smart as human-heartedness.
"What's cool,"
Confucius say, "Is Golden Rule."
Confucius' teachings were finest among
The Dynasty of Sung,
And were a meditative thing
For the Age of Ming.
Because of these teachings, happy people sang
During the T'ang.
(T'ang, if you think as astronauts think,
Is a powdered orange breakfast drink.)


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Date Set To Celebrate Life of Renée Doruyter/
Hold The Date: Join some of Vancouver's leading musicians and singers for a Memorial Concert in memory of Renée Doruyter on Sunday, April 13 at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6).
Renée died January 30 of cancer at St. Paul's Hospital. She was 68.
The venue is Pat's Pub at 403 East Hastings (sorry, no minors) and net proceeds from the suggested $20 donation will support the Palliative Ward at St. Paul's Hospital and Doctors Without Borders.
The evening will feature Jennifer Scott, Cecile Larochelle, Lorraine Foster, Kate Hammett-Vaughan, Karin Plato and Colleen Savage, with Miles Black, Rene Worst, Joe Poole, Cory Weeds and Glenna Powrie, plus Vocal Improv Community's Kathleen Baker, Martina Griffiths, Dave Haddock, Sara Marreiros, Laurel Murphy, Heidi McCurdy, Ryan Slemko, and special guests.
Renée's multi-faceted career was captured beautifully in this Vancouver Province tribute.


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S12 E11 Week 9: Season Finale
JoJo survived being blindsided last season after Ben Higgins told her he loved her, but proposed to Lauren Bushnell instead. As heart-wrenching a rejection as that was, she decided to take a risk for a second chance at finding love with one of 26 intriguing bachelors. After surviving shocking twists and turns and a journey filled with laughter, tears, love and controversy, JoJo narrowed down the field to two men – Jordan and Robby. Now, she finds herself in love with both of these captivating men and terribly torn between them.
With a possible proposal just days away, JoJo introduces both men to her family in Phuket, Thailand, looking for any guidance they can offer her on which would be the best fit for her and the family. When Jordan arrives, JoJo's mom has some reservations. She feels they might be too similar and fears that could spell trouble down the line. The Fletchers, however, immediately connect with Robby. His poise, passion and adoration of JoJo leaves a lasting impression on them. His conversation with her parents seals the deal with them.
But where does that leave JoJo? She is stunned by their opinions of the two men. Still struggling over her choice, JoJo hopes that her final dates with Jordan and Robby bring clarity to what seems like an impossible decision. Now, she finally understands what Ben was facing in the days before his engagement.
The final days of JoJo's journey are filled with questions. Then, in a surprising, explosive ending, she must do the hardest thing she has ever done. JoJo says goodbye to Robby and sends him home broken-hearted. The sadness is short-lived, though, because soon after Robby leaves, Jordan arrives. JoJo is finally able to tell him how much she loves him. An elated Jordan gets down on one knee and asks the Bachelorette to marry him. JoJo, of course, agrees. Congratulations to the newly engaged couple, JoJo and Jordan!


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Our Performance Details & Bookings Costs:
Australian Aboriginal Performance
• 15 Minute Aboriginal show
• Live Didjeridoo Playing
• Narrations prior to each performance
• Audience participation (if requested)
• Songman + 2-3 Performers in total
Whilst Jaran will endeavour to ensure 4 Jaran representatives are available for a performance day, Jaran reserves the right to alter the amount of performers to a minimum of 3 performers in total and will provide at least 24 hours notice, at no reduction in cost.
Costs specified for performances include those areas in and around the Gold Coast area Queensland (ie. South to Tweed, North to Beenleigh and south west to Beaudesert). Other performances outside of this locality will incur additional travel expenses to be supplied on request.
E. email@example.com
Torres Strait Islander Performance
• 15 Minute Torres Strait Islander show
• Narrations prior to each performance
• Audience participation (if requested)
• 4-5 Performers in total
Whilst we will endeavour to ensure 5 Jaran representatives are available on performance day, Jaran reserves the right to change to 4 performers in total at no reduction in cost.
Didjeridoo Performance
• 5 - 10 Minute Didjeridoo Playing


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5 Reasons To Love Your Period
From the time girls hit puberty, we're taught to hate our periods. We're taught to hide it (just shove a tampon in),complain about it when it comes and dread the cramps, cravings and cranky moods.
Well, here's a thought: imagine we were taught to embrace — even love — our periods. Imagine if we saw our periods as something lucky, a unique opportunity we get to experience once a month? Imagine if our periods were celebrated and honored instead of dreaded and cast away as an unnecessary evil.
Well I have come to see "that time of the month" as a sacred time, and here are five reasons you should love your period too:
1. It's a natural time for detox.
As women, we are exceptionally lucky to have a monthly detox built into our biology: each month, we get to through a physical shedding of the old.
During menstruation, we not only shed the lining of our uterus but often women talk about finding their bowel movements to be more frequent. While this detox happens on a physical level, it can also be thought of as a mirror to what's happening on the emotional and spiritual level too. Your period can also be a time of "emotional detox" — a window for introspection, self-care and emotional catharsis.
2. It's a great time to rest.
Western society is particularly well-trained to be constantly in Go-Mode. This is not only exhausting, but it's not really all that natural. We need rest, and often more than we allow ourselves.
That's why our monthly cycle is a reminder to slow down. The physical weakness we may endure as we lose blood (our vital life force) is also a voice telling us, "Hey, take this time to slow down!"
The truth is every person on the planet could benefit from taking a monthly time out: a few days a month where we are gentler with ourselves and cut ourselves a little slack from the constant push of daily demands. Our period is can be thought of as an obvious voice reminding us to take these few days and invite deeper relaxation, and to allow a softer approach to our overbooked schedules by mindfully scheduling in more downtime.
3. Sensitivity can also be thought of as heightened intuition — and that's a good thing.
What many women blame as crankiness or pass off as PMs-ING can actually be thought of as a time of heightened intuition. Right before and during our period, our hormones fluctuate, which often means we tend feel more emotionally sensitive.
We don't often think in these terms, but heightened sensitivity is basically a state of heightened awareness, a keener sense about things we experience — heightened intuition.
So if a certain person or place is bothering you more than usual — don't just pass it off as PMS. Recognize that your senses are stronger and your intuition is speaking to you a little louder. Listen to it.
4. You have an awesome excuse to want chocolate.
I'm not kidding. During our period our uterine muscles are undergoing a lot of work: a lot of muscular contractions and you know what helps muscles relax? Magnesium. And pure dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa) can be the perfect dose of magnesium in a very enjoyable way.
5. It's a great time for reflection.
It's common to wait for New Year's to reflect on your life's goals and dreams for the year ahead. Unfortunately, if you want to see progress, waiting for New Year's to reflect on your goals and direction of life doesn't cut it. Your period is the perfect time to reflect on the month that's passed and assess what you want to let go of, and what you want to bring anew. Just as your body is physically releasing the old and preparing for the new — so should you.
And since your intuition is at its peak, it's the perfect time to journal about and visualize what you want more of in your life, and how you want to bring in your new month. Yes — your period marks your own personal new month. It's a perfect time to reflect, and sharpen the vision for creating your dream life.
It's time for women around the world to embrace our period as a welcome monthly experience where we are reminded to nurture ourselves, listen to our inner voice, and create a better life each and every month.
Ready to learn more about how to unlock the power of food to heal your body, prevent disease & achieve optimal health? Register now for our FREE web class with nutrition expert Kelly LeVeque.


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Touted as encouraging a 'free market' approach to manned space flight, Obama's vision has been for NASA to purchase seats on private space vehicles, supposedly not unlike the military buying seats on commercial airline flights to move U.S. soldiers rather than flying them in governmented-owned aircraft.
Obama's new approach to manned space flight has come at a time when new aerospace companies such as SpaceX are attempting to break into the market for lower cost launches to low earth orbit (LEO). And the prospect of lower cost launches means that companies such as Virgin Galactic offering opportunity for "space tourism" are being taken more seriously.
The concept of "space tourism" has long been considered one way of developing a new market for less expensive launch capacity to LEO. The idea is that private individuals will be willing to spend significant amounts of money for the ability to engage in the ultimate form of adventure travel, and at present the minuscule space tourism market forms the only privately-funded alternative to flights in which governmental authorities select and train astronauts.
Space tourism has certainly tended to have a "giggle factor," which was only accentuated when Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte became the seventh such "tourist." However, the decision of aerospace giant Boeing to actively pursue space tourism may go a long way toward causing industry analysts and the general public to take it more seriously. According to a New York Times article,
Boeing — which is developing a capsule it hopes will take NASA astronauts to the International Space Station and on Tuesday was awarded a five-year, $1.2 billion extension of its contract with NASA covering engineering work on the station — announced that it will offer for sale any seats that NASA does not need. Boeing officials said their first flight is aimed for 2015.
The entrance of an aerospace giant like Boeing perhaps marks the transition of space tourism from a fanciful pursuit of startup entrepreneurs to a mainstream aerospace market.
"We're ready now to start talking to prospective customers," said Eric Anderson, co-founder and chairman of Space Adventures Ltd., a Virginia-based space tourism company that would market the seats for Boeing.
If Boeing's proposed capsule, the CST-100, is used by NASA to carry American astronauts to the International Space Station, the scheduled flights will include seats for non-government "paying customers." Again, according to the New York Times:
Current NASA plans call for four space station crew members to travel on each flight. The Boeing capsule, called the CST-100, would have room for seven, leaving perhaps three seats available for space tourists.
The Boeing approach to space tourism would thus heavily rely on a consistent stream of astronauts, but would still allow for a dramatic increase in the number of seats available for those who can afford to pay for the trip. Given the competition which other companies (such as Virgin Galactic) would offer for the potential "tourist" market, the new frontier in travel seems likely closer than ever before.
At present, Congress is considering which course to pursue in determining the future of manned space flight, weighing the traditional approach of government-owned rockets carrying astronauts and payloads to orbit, versus the proposed option of contracting space on commercial flights. As the Times article states the case:
The competing vision, embodied in President Barack Obama's 2011 budget proposal for NASA, focuses instead on nurturing private companies that want to develop the space equivalent of airlines. NASA would then simply buy seats on those rockets to send its astronauts to the International Space Station.
Competition, the thinking goes, would drive down the cost of getting to space, leading to a profitable new American industry and freeing more of NASA's budget for the deep-space missions.
The ability of private companies to continue to expand the utilization of LEO is what is immediately at stake in such congressional deliberations, but the future of manned space flight beyond the immediate environs of the Earth is less certain. The tendency of administrations to fundamentally alter the long-term visions of human exploration of the solar system has proven to be not only wasteful of government funds, but also a hindrance to the very process of exploration NASA is supposed to be pursuing.


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Guest blog submitted by Maria Burns, interpreter, working with Dr. Chris Canzoniero, pediatrician.
When I volunteered for this trip, I was not prepared for the emotional rewards that would be provided on a daily basis.
On Friday, the day started with our morning reflection service, which included prayers and thoughts shared by team members, and plenty of tears in my eyes.
By eight we were in the pediatrics clinic. The children we saw were beautiful, and the parents were thankful. Some of them waited in line since before dawn to get a number for the morning or afternoon shift. The "AHA" moment for me came when Dr. Chris examined a 13-year-old girl who, for her entire13 years, had suffered from leg pain and a skin discoloration, without a diagnosis. Chris turned to me and said, "I know what she has." It was my privilege to be there to translate the news to the patient and her sister, knowing they will now have an explanation and be able to move toward managing her illness. We are now challenged but hopeful to find her orthopedic care for Klippel Trenaunay Weber syndrome, which explains her port wine stains and irregular limb growth.
My day started and ended in a rush of emotion. I am so glad to have been there for this experience.


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Editiorials, short stories, and more.
The Worst: Be Better Than the RamenJune 2013Put down the ramen and nobody gets hurt.
Two Inch Cuffs: Holeman & FinchJanuary 2013Fourth and final installment of the "On the Menu" series with Two Inch Cuffs. I talked to co-owner and head bartender Greg Best about storytelling and the magic that surrounds Burger Hour. Photography by Ben Lebovitz.
Two Inch Cuffs: Empire State SouthDecember 2012Part III of the "On the Menu" series with Two Inch Cuffs. Executive Chef Ryan Smith and I chatted about the South and the Atlanta dining renaissance. Stunning photography by Ben Lebovitz.
Two Inch Cuffs: West Egg CaféNovember 2012Part II of the "On the Menu" series I did with Two Inch Cuffs. Photos were taken by the ever-talented Jason Travis. It was a joy talking to co-owner Jennifer Johnson, who embodied everything one loves about brunch: warmth and substance.
Two Inch Cuffs: The OptimistNovember 2012Part I of a four-part food series I did for the menswear shop and blog, Two Inch Cuffs. It was an honor to be able to interview the chef behind one of my favorite restaurants in Atlanta and a pleasure to work with one of my talented friends, Jason Travis.
Short Stories


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ANAHEIM — Teemu Selanne will be the center of attention Sunday when the Ducks host Colorado in their regular-season finale and the winger will have something new in a season full of tributes.
The captaincy.
Selanne will have the "C" on his sweater in what is to be his 1,451st and final regular-season contest. He has continually said that this will be his final NHL season in a career that's lasted 21 years.
The Ducks are not planning to have an official ceremony for Selanne's final NHL regular-season game but they are recognizing the winger with video moments throughout the contest.
Fans are planning to do something greater during the third period. There is an online movement – through the hashtag #ThankYouTeemu – requesting those attending Sunday's game to stand for each of Selanne's shifts in the third period.
Selanne's 1,451 games rank 22nd in NHL history. It will be his 966th regular-season game in a Ducks sweater.
"When it gets closer, you start thinking about that thing," Selanne said recently. "It is in many ways sad. Same hand, there's a lot of happiness and appreciation about everything. But at least, we know that is going to be for sure the last regular-season game.
"Hopefully it's going to end in celebration. But you never know. What that happens, it goes quickly. I try to enjoy it. Obviously it's been a great road, a great journey so far.
"It's a very special day for me."
There won't be anything at stake for the Ducks or the Avalanche. The Ducks clinched the top seed in the Western Conference with their win over the Kings on Saturday while Colorado clinched the Central Division by virtue of St. Louis losing to Detroit on Sunday.
Selanne has been pleased with how the Ducks responded to some erratic late-season play by putting together strong playoff preparation efforts to defeat Vancouver, San Jose and the Kings this week to clinch the Pacific Division and the top seed in the Western Conference.
"Playoffs is a new season," Selanne said. "New challenges. We have to take the next step, you know. Winning those kinds of games give you confidence. It's all about winning the playoffs and finding a way to do it.
"When things are not so pretty, then you're going to challenge your team and see what kind of character you have. I really believe we have that. There's a mission here."
Photo courtesy of Anaheim Ducks


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5 ways a men's face scrub can help you get a date
No matter how hard you try, you just don't seem lucky or capable enough to get a date for yourself. There may be many reasons for this, but one of the main and common reasons in men is a dull and bad complexion.
A face scrub helps create a significant difference between a dull and vibrant complexion. It should thus be an important part of any man's facial skincare routine for the following reasons and benefits.
- Helps prevent residual buildup.
Yes, face washes are great to ward off any superficial residual buildup. However it's not effective at getting rid of all the grime deep down in your skin. Face scrubs have a unique formula which digs down and gets rid of any remainder buildup which can spoil your perfect complexion.
- Contains acne-fighting ingredients.
Some of the men's face scrubs in the market contain a great acne fighting ingredient, salicylic acid which helps quickly get rid of acne breakouts to give you really clear skin your date will envy!
- Helps you get a better shave.
The men's face scrubs help prepare your skin for shaving so that you get a close shave without having to suffer from any common annoying side effects like razor burn and ingrown hairs to make you look better to a date.
- Look for scrubs containing exfoliating beads.
There are many micro fine face scrubs available which contain exfoliating beads. These beads give you a deep clean you won't get anywhere else and a great feel to your skin which can't be explained but just felt.
- Slows down the aging process.
All these reasons help contribute to the men's face scrub's anti-aging properties. So regular use of these face scrubs make you look younger to a date by getting rid of fine lines and under-eye bags.
All these reasons and benefits of men's face scrub may tempt you to use it every day to maximize its effects and make you look your best to your date. However don't use it every day but only 2-3 times a week as its deep-cleaning properties may lead to more harm and risks if used every day.
So just by exfoliating your skin using a men's facial scrub twice or thrice a week will help you look better to girls, and thus help you get a date. Looking at all these reasons, there's nothing that should stop you now from using a face scrub to help get you a date!


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1 - Coloring Plaques
Introducing Wood Coloring Plaques in Beach & Everyday Designs!
Adult coloring books are HOT sellers so it's natural to think these plaques will be as well! Each measures 7" x 10.5" in size. Buy it - color it in your unique way - hang up your work of art!


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WILHELM GDANIETZ (Mainz 1893 – Düsseldorf 1969)
A Volendam Fisherman Lighting his Pipe
signed W. GDANIETZ in the lower left
oil on canvas
31 ⅝ x 27 11/16 (81.7 x 70 cm.)
Private Collection, Chicago
Wilhelm Gdanietz was a painter of interiors and genre as well as a printmaker. He studied at the Art Academy of Düsseldorf with Claus Meyer, the history painter Karl-Franz-Eduard von Gebhardt, and Willy Spatz, from 1911 – 1918. He also apprenticed in the studio of Franz Kiederich.[1] In 1927 Gdanietz stayed at the Hotel Spaander in Volendam and discovered the subject-matter to which he would devote his career.[2]
In, A Volendam Fisherman Lighting his Pipe, a typical cottage interior is depicted. The walls are white stucco, the floor is covered by a striped thrush mat, and the only piece of furniture is a simple wooden chair. The decorations consist of an earthenware jug, a mounted blue and white plate with a string of copper pot lids hung over the sitter's head. The covering of walls with china as well as kitchen utensils was typical for the area.[3] Wearing the traditional dress of the village that consisted of wooden shoes, wide black trousers, red tunic and a fur hat or karpoets with a heavy jacket slung over the back of his chair, a fisherman sits smoking a long clay pipe.[4] Such scenes of fisherfolk in repose, secure in their own home along with a few prized possessions, came to characterize the majority of Gdanietz's oeuvre. After returning to Germany in the 1930s, in order to maintain authenticity, the artist transformed his studio in Düsseldorf into an interior that replicated a Volendam cottage. He further outfitted it with objects, furniture, and costumes from the region as well as other parts of Holland.[5] Unwavering in his passion, immune to contemporary art trends, Gdanietz continued to paint Volendammers for the rest of his life.[6]
Gdanietz's Im Gelben Seidenkleid (The Yellow Silk Gown) is recorded as in the National Gallery of Berlin.[7] Another painting by the artist of the same size and similar subject titled Oude Volendammer met Fuik (Old Volendammer with Fish-Trap) is in the permanent collection of the Hotel Spaander.[8] Volendammer in Interieur, again closely related to A Volendam Fisherman Lighting his Pipe, that Gdanietz executed circa 1930 in a horizontal format, was purchased by the Zuiderzeemuseum, Enkhuizen in 2010.
[1] Biographical information taken from Hans Vollmer, "Wilhelm Gdanietz" in Allgemeines Lexikon der Bildenden Künstler des XX. Jahrhunderts, volume E-I, Veb E.A. Seemann Verlag, Leipzig, 1953, pp. 212-213.
[2] Brian Dudley Barrett, Volendam Artists Village: The Heritage of Hotel Spaander, uitgeverij d'jonge Hond, Zuiderzeemuseum, 2009, p. 160.
[3] Holland-Broek, Monnikendam, Volendam, Marken – By Steam Yacht, 1913.
[4] Brian Dudley Barrett, op. cit., p. 62.
[5] "Wilhelm Gdanietz" in Volendam in Interiors, Zuiderzeemuseum, November, 2010.
[6] Hans Kraan, Dromen van Holland, Waanders Uitgevers, Zwolle, 2002, pp. 375 – 376.
[7] Hans Vollmer, op. cit., p. 213.
[8] For a reproduction see Brian Dudley Barrett, op. cit., p. 114.


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1pm Lunch - Jewel of the Empire in Shoreditch
Qualcosa in più sull'esperienza..
An immersive theatre dining experience, set on board the Murder Express. Featuring a bespoke menu by MasterChef The Professionals winner Laurence Henry. Pedley Street Station's luxury train 'The Murdér Express' is back with a brand new show 'Jewel of the Empire'
What To Expect :
• 4 course menu designed by Masterchef The Professionals 2018 winner Laurence Henry
• Murder mystery immersive theatre show
• Fully stocked bar for guests to purchase drinks & table service
• Funicular Productions has years of experience bringing events and theatre to life!
• Unique stories combined with delicious food.
Please note :
Guest can purchase all drinks at the bar, and have them served to them on the train.
There will be 45 guests at each performance
If you want a group booking please contact your host or Eatwith directly to organise
***Please message with any specific dietary requirements***
Amuse Bouche
Cherry Tomato Gazpacho Jelly
Sourdough, Aged Balsamic
Asparagus Veloute & Turned Spears
Puffed Wild Rice, Citrus Dressing
Corn Fed Chicken Ballotine
Stuffed with Sundried Tomatoes & Fine Herbs, Black Garlic, Crushed Jersey Royal Potatoes, Peas & Water Cress
Terrine of Grilled Summer Vegetable, Nasturtism Pesto
Crushed Jersey Royal Potatoes, Peas & Water Cress
Strawberry & White Chocolate Jewel
Che cosa aspettarsi
Luogo & Servizi
L'indirizzo completo verrà inviato dopo che la prenotazione sarà confermata
L'indirizzo completo verrà inviato dopo che la prenotazione sarà confermata


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As part of the course AFF 625: 3D Modelling, Analysis and Interpretation of Three-dimensional Spaces all students are participating in a 3d reconstruction project. The subject of the reconstruction is open and students work in pairs. Seamus Callagy and I are working together on the project: Redefining Fore: A 3D Reconstruction Project in which the Fore Abbey, a tourist site in Ireland, will be reconstructed. The Village of Fore, in Co. Westmeath is dominated by the imposing ruins of a large Benedictine Abbey. Fore is on the cusp of a major heritage-based development plan with a view to massively increasing current tourist numbers. In addition, Fore is a living village, not just a heritage site and its people are proud of the connection that exists with their historical past and it is important that they remain an integral part of the developments. We believe that this reconstruction will greater connect the modern community at Fore, with their heritage by bringing a strong visual asset to their current audiovisual offering.
We have travelled to the location and spoken with members of the community, including Cllr. Una D'Arcy and members of the Community Development team who are very happy that the project will go ahead. We have also spoken with several members of the community who have volunteered to assist with the reconstruction project.
But now let's move on to the more practical part of the project. We have started working with 3ds Max 2017 software. Initially, we imported the architectural floor plan of the Abbey in the perspective viewport as a bitmap through Material Editor→choose the first slot→Diffuse→Material/Map Browser→click on the Bitmap→Select Bitmap Image File→select the image that we need (check the statistics at a low ebb of the window, for future imply objects)→Open the image→PSD Input Options→Ok. The image of the plan is applied on the Material Editor on the first slot. After that, we went to the Top viewport and create a plane from the Command Panel and the Standard Primitives Objects. We changed the parameters of the plane according to the statistics numbers (see below) and select Smooth+Highlights from the top of the viewport. We apply the map on the viewport by drag and drop and click on the View Standard Map in Viewport from the from the Material Editor panel. So, the plan was showed on the viewports.
The next step is to create lines according to the plan. So, we picked Splines→ Shapes→Lines from the Command Panel and start to create our lines following the lines of the plan.
When we finished this new scheme, converted it in Editable Spline, pick the vertices and tried to move them as close as possible to the original lines with right click→Corner→pick one vertex→Move and move each one close to the original. From the Perspective View and having selected the spline went to Modifier List→Extrude and extruded the spline.
That's all from our first try to create the "3d Fore"!
We will try to impress you more in the next blog post!


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Keith Clarke joined the Navy as a submariner in 1996 and was discharged in 1999 after a serious fall.
After a back operation in 2007 he was left permanently paralysed from the waist down. As a paraplegic and a single father his war pension was his only source of income – half of which was being taken to pay for his social care costs.
Joining the Navy
"I joined the Navy as a submariner in November 1996," says Keith.
"In 1999 I was out at sea when an oxygen candle fire broke out on board. I went in as part of the attack party to put it out, but somebody had left a vent plate open in the floor and, unable to see in the smoke-filled compartment, I fell down the hole.
"I landed on my back and had pins and needles all down my right arm, total numbness down my right leg, and pins and needles in my left leg.
"The doctors x-rayed my shoulders and neck and I was told that because I had fractured the top vertebrae in my neck the swelling was pushing on my spinal cord causing the pain in my lower back."
After a stint in rehab Keith moved on to HMS Norfolk where he served for more than two years before being discharged from the Navy after another accident.
"One day I was helping lift things down a hatch and I bent over, but when I went to move my back it locked into place and I had to be helped off the ship," explains Keith.
"I was taken to the on-call doctor at HMS Drake who put me on an ambulance to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. I had an MRI scan and was told I was lucky to be walking – the fall in 1999 had smashed my spine."
Becoming Paraplegic
In 2007 Keith opted to have an operation to try and reduce back pain he was suffering, however, following surgery he was left with no feeling from the waist down.
"My spinal cord had been partially snapped when I had my accident and during the operation it had severed even more, leaving me permanently paralysed from the waist down," explains Keith.
"When I first came home, it was like the world had ended. I didn't want to go out and as a proud independent person, I didn't wasn't to be seen in a wheelchair.
"The house we were living in wasn't adapted for a paraplegic and in the first couple of weeks I fell down the stairs nearly 200 times. But it's one of the things that's sent to challenge you rather than hinder you.
Support with Social Care
"I had always been told that my financial input for my social care was zero. But the council said they wouldn't totally disregard my war pension," explains Keith.
From September 2014 Keith was required to pay almost £400 a month for non-residential care, which was almost half the £900-a-month he received from his war pension.
"To suddenly be told after all these years that I was going to have to start paying for my care and that half my war pension, which I live off, was going to disappear was upsetting," he adds.
"When the local council tried to say my war pension should contribute to my housing and council tax benefit the Legion stepped in and it's now totally disregarded."
The Insult to Injury Campaign
Following English, Welsh and Scottish Government announcements this year, injured veterans in England, Scotland and Wales will no longer have to surrender most of their military compensation to pay for their social care from April 2017.
By contacting their MPs about this issue, our supporters were instrumental in persuading the Government to protect injured veterans' compensation payments.


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|Studies of the human immune system often focus on adaptive immune responses which involve B lymphocytes and their antibodies, T lymphocytes and their receptors. These reactions are incredibly complex and rely on so many interdependent factors, that it might be difficult to imagine how such complex reactions could evolve. Much of the answer seems to reside in the innate immune system. The complex reactions of adaptive responses were supplements to ancestral innate responses and co-opted many innate mechanisms for new purposes. Thus, an understanding of the molecular responses of adaptive immunity begins with innate immunity.
Phagocytic cells evolved long before the complex immune reactions of higher vertebrates. Vertebrate white blood cells (the blue-purple cells of the fish, frog, and turtle blood in the preceding images) are not unique in their ability to consume microbes through phagocytosis. This ability is even possessed by many microorganisms, such as such as amoeba. All animals possess amoeba-like cells (similar to white blood cells which perform phagocytosis) which float in the fluid around the body cells. Such phagocytes are even known in the most primitive animal groups, such as sponges and starfish, and are present in invertebrates which lack a true circulatory system (Hoar, 1983). These ameobocytes, like white blood cells, may be full of inclusions, some of which are phagosomes (Harrison, Vol. 2, p.47). A number of invertebrates, including tunicates, possess cytotoxic cells which have been compared to natural killer cells (Parrinello, 1996).
In hemichordates, blood flows through spaces in connective tissue in which amoeba-like blood cells travel. The amoebocyte blood cells typically possess kidney-shaped nuclei. (Benito, form Harrison 1997, p. 61). Echinoderms have a variety of immune cells in their coelomic cavity, including cells which resemble macrophages (Hibino, 2006). Ascidian blood (such as that in the tunicate larva pictured to the right) includes macrophages, different kinds of granular amoebocytes with odd-shaped nuclei which perform phagocytosis, cytotoxic cells, and a number of other cell types (Parrinello, 1996;Burighel, from Harrison, 1997, p. 269).
| Vertebrate white
blood cells are classified in two categories, granulocytes and agranulocytes, each of which contains additional subclasses
of cells (neutrophils, eosinophils,
and basophils are granulocytes; monocytes
and lymphocytes are agranulocytes). These leukocytes and the specific molecules
they use to function are not unique to humans.
Neutrophils are typically the most common
white blood cell in vertebrates and basophils
the least common (Torrey).
Higher invertebrates involve a number of complex mechanisms into their immune responses including clotting, opsonization, the synthesis of new blood cells, phagocytosis, and a variety of antimicrobial chemicals (Jiravanichpaisal, 2006).
Although invertebrates lack the adaptive immunity mechanisms found in vertebrates, some do show some increased response to second exposure to antigens (Arala-Chaves, 2000). Social insects have some form of adaptive immunity in that they show enhanced reactions to an antigen after other members of colony have been exposed and the arthropod Daphnia has been shown to transfer immunity between mothers and offspring (Little, 2003). In invertebrates, the Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (Dscam) can be spliced into more than 31,000 alternate forms to allow for the recognition of diverse microbes ranging from bacteria to eukaryotes like Plasmodium. Exposure to microbes determines which of the splice forms are over- or under-represented. Loss of Dscam lowers survival of the host in response to infection (Kurtz, 2006).
Mollusks and urochordates also possess mechanisms for producing variable immune receptors with immunoglobulin domains. Apart from these ways of producing diversity by somatic recombination, there are other organisms which have expanded the gene families which produce immune proteins to achieve immune receptor diversity (such as the 200 genes of the NLR receptor family or 26 genes of the Toll-like receptor gene family in sea urchins) (Flajnik, 2007; Litman, 2007).
Lampreys produce variable lymphocyte receptors which, unlike the immunoglobulins of jawed vertebrates which utilize RAG for recombination, are members of the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) family (as are the toll-like receptors) which utilize a somatic recombination mechanism which is not related to RAG (Flajnik, 2007; Litman, 2007).
About 5% of sea urchin genes function in immunity and contribute to the great longevity of many sea urchins (up to 200 years). Although echinoderms lack an adaptive immune system, their innate immune defenses have been augmented by gene duplications which have produced more than 200 members in each of the following gene families which act in pattern recognition: Toll-like receptors, NACHT domain and leucine-rich repeat (NLR) proteins, and Scavenger receptor cysteine-rich (SRCR). (The totals of genes in the first two families are 10 times higher than that of any other known animal.) (Hibino, 2006; Cameron, 2007).
Adaptive and innate
immune systems are actually integrated and should not be treated separately
The human body can create millions of different kinds of B and T lymphocytes, each capable of recognizing specific antigens. However, lymphocyte reactions typically have to be activated (somewhere in the pathway) by antigen presenting cells (APCs). Although APCs lack the diversity of antibodies and T cell receptors found on lymphocytes, they do possess a diversity of receptors which allow them to recognize microbes. The macrophages which develop from monocytes (pictured below) are important APCs.
Antigen presenting cells can possess a variety
of innate receptors including lectins (
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) not only function as antigen presenting cells in adaptive immune mechanisms, they function in innate antiviral responses with their production of interferon and stimulation of NK cells (Tai, 2007).
Although the best
known molecules which recognize foreign molecules are antibodies and T
cell receptors utilized by adaptive immune responses, the receptors which
function in innate immunity can recognize foreign molecules as well. Innate immunity is triggered by molecules which
are common to a variety of microbes ranging from bacterial lipopolysaccharides to viral double stranded RNA (
Natural killer cells
are the first line of defense against intracellular pathogens in the innate
immune system. They interact with
MHC proteins and some cells present to them (
NK cells have inhibitory receptors which prevent them from attacking cells which express MHC proteins. NK receptors interact with 2 separate sites on MHC proteins, including bound oligosaccharides. Cells which reduce the number of MHC proteins, or lose their expression altogether, are more vulnerable to destruction by NK cells (Parham, 2000; Sambrook, 2007). Many tumor and virally-infected cells decrease the number of MHC class I proteins they express. As a result, NK cells can attack some of the same cells which are recognized by T cells. (Moretta, 2002).
Natural killer cells can express a variety of non-homologous receptor molecules. NK receptors include the C-type lectins (CD94/NKG2, Ly49 family), KIRs, LIRS, and LAIRS to distinguish between self and nonself (Martin, 2004). Natural killer cell receptors are encoded in a leukocyte receptor cluster region (LRC) of mammalian chromosomes. Zebrafish NITR genes (novel immune type receptors) share homology with them (Yoder, 2001).
Killer Cell Immunoglobulin-Like Receptors
Natural killer cells depend on KIR receptor function. Humans possess a family of killer Ig-like receptors (KIRs) on chromosome 19 which interact with class I MHC proteins and a family of CD94/NKG2A proteins on chromosome 12. The first group is highly polymorphic in both the number of genes and the number of alleles while the second group is highly conserved.
NK cells depend on KIRs and CD94/nKG2A for inhibition and are activated by natural cytoxicity receptors (NCR) which mediate most lytic activity of tumor cells. The coreceptors 2B4 and NTB-A may amplify the effect of other NK receptors (Moretta, 2002). The KIR cluster of chromosome 19q13.4 varies in the number of KIR genes and types of KIR genes it contains (Martin, 2004).
The KIR receptors are involved in the recognition of MHC proteins by cytotoxic T cells. Some have 2 Ig domains and others have 3. This family includes the genes KIR2DL1-2, KIR2DS1-5, and KIR3D1-5. The KIR and LIR genes seem to have resulted from the duplications followed by duplication and deletion of exons in certain genes (Hughes, 2002). KIR2 receptors can interact with MHC class I HLA-C while KIR3 proteins can interact with HLA-A, HLA-B, and perhaps HLA-G (Hughes, 2002). There are at least 11 KIR loci on chromosome 19 in addition to molecules similar to KIRs which are expressed on monocytes, B cells, dendritic cells, and NK cells called LIRs (leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptors) (OMIM).
MHC proteins seem to evolve quickly as do the KIR families which bind to them. In humans and chimps, this rapid evolution means that the similarities between the MHC and KIR proteins in the two species is less than the 98.4% average for other proteins (Khakoo, 2000).
Human and chimp recognition systems are clearly similar in that NK receptors of one species can recognize the MHC proteins of the other (Khakoo, 2000).
Human genomes can vary in the number of KIR
genes they possess. Both the KIR
and MHC genes (whose proteins bind KIR receptors) seem to have undergone
a great deal of gene duplication with many of the modern human genes originating
recently (
Leukocyte Immunoglobulin-Like Receptors LILR
The leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptors are expressed primarily on B cells and monocytes(present in the lymph node section below), although they are also present on dendritic cells and natural killer cells. The A subfamily members (3 genes are known) can stimulate cytotoxic cells (such as natural killer cells) while the B subfamily members (5 genes are known) can inhibit immune reactions.
--LILRA3 is probably a soluble receptor since it lacks a transmembrane region.
Leukocyte Associated Immunoglobulin-Like Receptors (LAIR)
--LAIR1 is expressed in the intestines where it prevents excessive inflammation in response to antigens there.
--LAIR2 is probably a secreted protein. It mediates the interactions between LAIR1 and natural killer cells.
KLR—Killer Cell-Lectin Like Receptors
Natural killer (NK) cells distinguish between self and nonself through the recognition of MHC I proteins by their receptors. Some of these receptors are similar to immunoglobulins while others are lectins, such as CD94 (which is considered a marker for NK cells in vertebrates). Some blood cells of urochordates express a CD94-like protein and urochordates can reject foreign transplants (a reaction which involves natural killer cells in vertebrates) (Khalurin, 2003; Dehal, 2002).
Teleost fish possess homologs of mammalian natural killer cell receptors (C-type lectin receptors) that are located in a homologous gene cluster (Sato, 2003). In mice, the receptors of NK cells belong to the C-type lectin family Ly49 unlike humans in which they are KIRs. Different mammalian orders seem to have expanded different gene families to accomplish the same function. Although the single human Ly49 gene seems to be a pseudogene, baboons possess a functional Ly49 gene in addition to multiple KIRs (Mager, 2001).
Innate immune mechanisms represent the primary defense of the brain. Although microglia (myeloid cells produced in the bone marrow) are the primary glial cell type which functions in immunity, astrocytes express toll receptors, scavenger receptors, mannose receptors, and complement proteins which allow them to function in innate immune responses. Astrocytes can secrete chemokines and interleukins to influence inflammation and regeneration. Astrocyte signals influence the movement of immune cells from the blood to the perivascular space and the proliferation and activation of microglia (Farina, 2007). Toll-like receptors are significant components of the microglia responses in the innate immunity of the brain (Glexer, 2007).
When cells are
in trouble, they do not keep this a secret.
There are a variety of signals which are released in response to
infection and tissue damage. A
number of local hormones are involved in human immune reactions and homologs
of these signals exist in simpler animals.
Starfish possess molecules similar to interleukin-1.
Chemokines are signals which induce inflammation and can attract leukocytes to the inflamed area. They are classified by whether the first two cysteine residues are separated by another amino acid (CXC cytokines) or not (CC cytokines). Tunicates possess distant relatives of interferon receptors, the only Class 2 cytokine receptors known in invertebrates. In vertebrates, cytokines and their receptors were amplified and diversified. Many function in innate immune defenses and some evolved a signaling function in adaptive immune responses. While most cytokines function in combating viruses and regulating immune responses, the cytokine tissue factor is functional in the clotting of blood (Krause, 2005). CC cytokines, CC receptors, and CXC receptors are known in bony fish (Magor, 2001). Teleost blood is depicted below.
Interleukin-6 is only known from mammals (Magor, 2001). Two cytokines are known in sponges (Muller, 2001).
In mammals, the members of the TNFα superfamily include TNFα, lymphotoxin-β, FasL, CD-40L, and CD30-L. TNFα is known in bony fish and there are some reports of its presence in protostomes and primitive deuterostomes (Magor, 2001). Three isoforms of TGFβ are known in mammals, two additional forms are known in birds and amphibians (Magor, 2001). Interferons are known from amniotes. Possible homologs have also been identified in fish (Magor, 2001).
Other innate immunity elements of primitive animals are similar to those found in mammals. In sponges, immunoglobulin domains exist in receptor tyrosine kinases and the sponge adhesion molecule (SAM) (Muller, 2001; Gamulin, 1994).Of the known signaling cascades of the immune system, the MAPK cascade may represent the oldest, having evolved in early eukaryotes. Other innate immunity cascades were present by bilaterans, given the nematode utilization of Toll-like receptors, TGF β, insulin-like receptors, apoptosis, and lectins in their innate immunity (Schulenburg, 2008).
The enzyme eosinophil peroxidase is not known in jawless fish, its activity is weak or absent in cartilaginous fish, and is present in at least some of the members of all higher groups. An eosinophil is depicted below.
|The enzyme alkaline phosphatase found in neutrophils is known from jawless fish and all higher groups (Hine, 1990).
Regulatory proteins are needed to prevent complement proteins from damaging host cells. One gene family in humans, the RCA family (Regulators of Complement Activation) include the membrane proteins CR1 (CD35), MCP (CD46) and DAF (CD55) and the plasma proteins factor H and c4-binding protein (C4bp). The gene family members share short consensus repeats (SCRs). Factor H is known in bony fish (Zarkadis, 2001).
In mammals, MIF is expressed in a variety of tissues and it thought to have a number of functions, including an anti-inflammatory action. Hagfish, lampreys and jawed fish possess homologs of the macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). MIF is similar to a number of other enzymes such as D-dopachrome tautomerase (DDT), -carboxymethyl-2-hydroxymuconate isomerase, 4-oxalocrotonate tautomerase, chorismate mutase, and glutathione S-transferase (GST) of the mu-class. DDT and GST are linked to the human MIF gene and related enzymes are known in nematodes (Sato, 2003a).
In mammals, the MAGE (melanoma associated antigen) family of genes are expressed in fetal tissues, adult germline tissues, and in a number of tumors. The expression of MAGE in tumor cells causes the presentation of peptides derived from these proteins on MHC proteins which can activate the anti-tumor responses of cytotoxic T cells. Although the only known function of MAGE genes in mammals is the activation of adaptive immune responses, MAGE proteins are known in flies and thus predate the evolution of adaptive immunity (Pold, 2000).
Apopotosis may have originally been part of immune response (Kasahara, 2004). Vertebrates possess two types of immunoglobulin which are thought to be similar to the ancestral immunoglobulin which gave rise to antibodies and TCR genes, the JAM/CTX and the nectin/poliovirus receptor (PVR) families. JAM can activate apoptosis through the NF-κB pathway (Du Pasquier, 2004).
The ribonuclease (RNase) superfamily is unique to vertebrates and a significant expansion in the family occurred in the ancestors of mammals. While RNase1 (pancreatic ribonuclease) digests RNA from food sources, angiogenin promotes angiogenesis, and several of the family members (RNase 2,3, and 7) inhibit bacteria or viruses in innate immune responses (Cho, 2006).
Heat shock proteins can chaperone peptides in the MHC I presentation pathway (Robert, 2003).
In horseshoe crabs, α2M is the only protease inhibitor known in the hemolymph where it is the third most abundant protein (Magor, 2001).
elegans uses a number of pathways in its responses to
pathogens including the p38 MAP kinase pathway,
apoptotic pathways, TGF-β pathways, and DAF-2 insulin/IGF-I like
pathway (Nicholas, 2004). In
C. elegans, apoptosis
involving caspases and Bcl-2 funcitons in responses to infections (by Salmonella, for example) (Nicholas, 2004).
One of the most significant discoveries in modern immunology is that of the Toll receptors used by flies in response to fungal functions and the family of Toll-like receptors in vertebrates (Glexer, 2007). The TIR domain (a component of Toll-like receptors) evolved in early eukaryotes and is functional in immune responses of plants (Staal, 2007). Drosophila uses Toll-like receptors which, after binding microbes, induces the expression of antimicrobial peptides. C. elegans possesses one Toll-like receptor which seems to affect its reaction to microbes (Nicholas, 2004). Toll-like receptors and a basic complement pathway are present in cnidarians (Hemmrich, 2007). Cnidarians and sponges possess homologs of Toll-like receptors and the proteins with which it associates in its immune function (Hemmrich, 2007). One of the genes in the Toll-like receptor family [Sterile-alpha and Armadillo motif containing protein (SARM)] is conserved in bilateran animals. Its function, however, apparently changed in early vertebrate evolution given that its role in down-regulating immune signaling in coelomates as diverse as humans and arthropods is different from that of homologs in nematodes where it up-regulates immune signaling (Belinda, 2008).
The discovery of Toll
receptors in flies has led to the appreciation of Toll-like receptors
in human innate defenses (Liu, 2001).
Toll functions in axis formation in
both Drosophila and Xenopus (Prothman,
In higher vertebrates, cytotoxic T cells can kill infected cells with secreted molecules called perforins which generate holes in the cell membrane. Natural killer cells also secrete perforin-like molecules. Perforins are homologous to two proteins in mammals, one of which (Mpeg1) is expressed by macrophages and prion-infected brain cells and the other (Epcs50) is expressed in the placenta. Mollusks possess a homolog of Mpeg1 (Mah, 2004).
Invertebrate innate immune reactions include the increased production of immune proteins in coelomic fluid (Kauschke, 2007).
Eicosanoids signal the migration of white blood cells/hemocytes in the immune reactions of vertebrates and arthropods respectively (Merchant, 2008).
A family of antibacterial proteins known as defensins evolved in ancestral eukaryotes, given its distribution in animals, plants, and fungi. Fungi and animals share homologs not found in plants, supporting the Ophisthokonta clade (in which fungi and animals shared a common ancestor more recently than either shared with plants) (Zhu, 2008).
The prevention of excessive immune reactions is mediated by a variety of proteins, including the suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) family which includes eight known gene members in mammals. A gene duplication in this family had already produced two genes in ancestral coelomates and additional duplications in early vertebrates produced additional gene members (Jin, 2008).
Cells functioning in innate immunity (such as some phagocytes, dendritic cells, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells) produce pentraxins in response to inflammatory signals. Pentraxins in turn enhance opsonization and moderate inflammation and the distinction between self and nonself (Bottazzi, 2006).
RNAi (RNA interference) functions in innate immunity in both plants and animals (Obbard, 2006). Plants and invertebrates utilize siRNAs to cleave viral RNAs as part of an innate immunity. In mammals, it seems that the importance of siRNAs in immunity was reduced as the interferon mechanisms became more prominent (Sioud, 2007).


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Passing on What You Know
Life is filled with many valuable things, most of which cannot be seen. Sure we value our material items but I don't like the idea of putting physical objects above things like family, friendship, love, and knowledge. A precise numerical value cannot be placed on these things and it was only recently that I discovered the true importance of the latter.
I've been involved with music for about half my life and it was only until recently in my musical "career" that I began to pass on what I have learned. I've been involved with teaching kids music for a little over a year now and I cannot get enough of it.
Getting to instruct others on the technicalities, intricacies, and overall purpose of music has been one of the most fulfilling things that I have ever been a part of. It truley makes me come alive.
I recently heard one of my students make an offhand comment about the positive impact that I had on him. It was not only reassuring that what I was doing had meaning, but at the same time it reminded me of the ones who had an impact on me when I was first beginning to learn music.
I've had a handful of music teachers over the course of my life and each and every one of them taught me something valuable at some point. Now, it's my turn to take on the responsibility of that role.
All of us have been taught as students and all of us have a knowledge in something. If you have never done so, I suggest you find someone to teach. Share your knowledge and experience with a person who will value it.
Make an impact.
The best part about all of this is that - most likely - the knowledge you pass on won't just stay with your student. Eventually they'll become teachers themselves and pass on the knowledge you gave them to someone else.
The impact you make may last forever.
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Leave a Reply.
February 2019


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Actress, with many different side-skills that can be appropriated with her craft. (Directing, Writing, Poetry, Acting, Dance, I believe she does Costume Design, and even freaking Gymnastics)
I did some retouching for her Headshot earlier this year. I tried to smooth out the natural blemishes while keeping true to her look and aura/aesthetics, while enhancing some other areas. True, I could have taken some more of those stray hairs, but dammit if the hair doesn't end up looking like she's wearing a head-piece that looks like hair. You would notice there's probably a 20% increase in eye size. Yup, the rules of subliminal allure, made not-so-subliminal in this blog.
Here's little bio of Luisa Inés García:
Luisa Inés García earned her BFA from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts (PHTS) in Creating Original Work and Acting. For the past two years she has worked in New York, New Jersey and internationally as a director, actress/dancer and teacher. She most recently co-founded Buffoonocene Productions with Seth Baum (Columbia University's Center for Research on Environmental Decisions), which creates new works built on scientific research to stimulate dialogue and promote activism regarding climate change. The project was debuted at this year's Nature, Ecology and Society Colloquium at the CUNY Graduate Center and the newest video will be available on YouTube soon! She currently plays the role of María Teresa in In The Time of the Butterflies at the Spanish Repertory (Repertorio Español) .
She's currently directing El Coordinador. "The Facilitator" takes place in an elevator where four people must deal with the ambition and morals of the others. Shut in the elevator, they experience a collective desperation that results in the discovery of the true personality of each person when their fears and virtues come out to play in this game of survival. Winning play of the 1993 Best Dramatic Text Award at the VII North American Chilean Institute's Theater Festival and the 1994 Municipal Award for Literature in Theatre in Santiago, Chile.
They have 5 performances!
August 23: 7pm
August 24: 8pm
August 26: 6:30 pm
August 30: 7pm
August 31: 8pm
Written by: Benjamin Galemiri
Directed by: Inés Garcia
Assistant Director: John Gutierrez
The players: Antonio Solar, Billy Martin, Elena Sanz, Ron Sarcos
Set design: Leni Méndez
Sound design: Erin Cummings
Light design: Miguel León Valderrama
Sound design: Erin Cummings
Light design: Miguel León Valderrama
Tickets are $10, with premium seats at $20
The play is in Spanish with simultaneous English translation.
You can find more info on El Coordinador.


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As a heart-centered, world-minded business person, you have a natural vivacity to you. Because potential clients form such a quick opinion of you when they view your website, it's important that your photos quickly tell the story of how approachable and genuine you are, as your relatability is paramount to your business success.
Let's show 'em your light, shall we?


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Emergency Power Systemsby
Earthquake Investigations Committee of the Technical Council on Lifeline Earthquake Engineering of ASCE
Part of: Guide to Post-Earthquake Investigation of Lifelines
This section provides an overview of emergency power systems, including components and subsystems. Also present is a guide for a post-earthquake investigation of emergency power systems.
Subject Headings: Emergency management | Energy infrastructure | Earthquakes
Return to search


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IMDB Ratings: 8.7/10 from 4,520 users
Metascore: 12 user & 17 critic
Download Iron Man 3 movie for free. Iron Man 3 movie release On April 14th, 2013 (Paris premiere) & May 3rd, 2013 (America Time). Iron Man 3 movie is full of action, Sci-Fi & thriller film. So You are very enjoying running time 130 minutes Iron Man 3 movie free online in HD DVD 1080p or BRrip video device.
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Iron Man 3 Trailer


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New government providers of development cooperation gave US$16.8 billion in 2011
Development cooperation flows from government providers outside the Development Assistance Committee (DAC), the most important club of aid donors, quadrupled between 2000 and 2011, while DAC aid doubled. Non-DAC governments provided 10% of global development cooperation from official sources in 2011, the largest share since 2000. China was the largest provider and gave estimated US$5.6 billion, comparable to ODA from Canada, the fifth largest DAC donor and Saudi Arabia, the largest Arab donor.
Development cooperation from government providers outside the DAC has a strong regional focus
In 2011, the Middle East and Africa together received 75% of bilateral flows from these countries, due to large disbursements by Saudi Arabia and China respectively. Saudi Arabia disbursed 93% of its bilateral aid to the Middle East, and the United Arab Emirates 44%. Brazil gave 68% of its funds to Latin America and the Caribbean. China and Turkey are exceptions, as China gives mostly to Africa,Turkey gives mostly to Asia but also to countries in other regions.
Countries that receive aid also provide assistance to other developing countries
The development finance landscape includes now many developing countries. For example, of the 80 countries that reported their humanitarian assistance to the UN Financial Tracking System in 2012, 50 were also recipients of aid. Turkey was the fourth largest donor of humanitarian aid that year. As countries like Brazil, South Africa, India and others, Turkey is both a donor and a recipient of aid.
Some providers of development cooperation outside the DAC have made remarkable progress in tackling poverty domestically
China has achieved the largest reduction in the number of people living on less than $1.25 a day in the world: from 446 million people in poverty in 1999 to 157 million in 2009. Similarly, Brazil has made great progress, decreasing the number of people living in poverty from 20 million to 12 million over the same period. India remains the country with the highest number of poor people, around 400 million in 2010.


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Brews Cooze - Blue Canvas with Orange Straps
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Brews Cooze - Blue Canvas with Orange Straps
We are craft beer lovers, and we created this product out of personal need. We hope it's as useful to you, as it is to us! Made out of sturdy denim, fully lined with neoprene to maintain cold temperature and provide padding when transporting your liquid gold. We also added a "seat belt" to keep your growler secured in place.
Height - 8"
Circumference - 19" (fits most generic 64 oz. growlers)
"Seat Belt" - 9"
**Growler not included
Our materials are carefully sourced in the USA. Handcrafted in San Marcos, CA.
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Pakistani Actress 'Minal Khan' Biography, Age, Family, Relationships, Dramas
Minal Khan
Minal is a young Pakistani TV actress who joined showbiz industry in 2012 by making her acting debut in the drama Qudoosi Sahab Ki Bewa.
Minal's Age
Minal was born on November 22, 1998. She is 18 years old.
Minal's Age
Minal did her schooling from Karachi and completed her Matriculation. After that she couldn't persue her education as she got associated with the showbiz.
Minal's Family
Minal has a moderate family set up and her family hails from Karachi. Minal's father is in Pakitani Police Force. Minal has a twin sister Aiman Khan who is also a media personality. Minal has 3 younger brothers.
Minal's Engagement
The news of Minal's engagement with Hina Dalpazeer's son Mustafa Dilpazeer broke out when Minal's sister Aiman Khan confirmed that Minal was going to get engaged with Mustafa, but later they both broke up.
Minals Current Relationship
Minal is in a relationship with a boy named Manzoor. Manzoor is not associated with the media but he seems to have become a part of Minal's family already as he was seen with Minal in Aiman's Dholki pictures.
Minal's Drama List
Qudoosi Sahab Ki Bewa – Drama (2012)
Adhoori Aurat – Drama (2013)
Mere Meherbaan – Drama (2014)
Gila Kiss Se Karain – Drama (2015)
Joru Ka Ghulam – Drama (2016)
Hum Sab Ajeeb Say Hain – Drama (2016)
Minal's Social Media Handles
Facebook: Minal Khan [Official] (@MinalKhan.Official)
Instagram: minalkhan.official
Minal's Pictures


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New Kids On The Block to play Fenway Park
After weeks of speculation, Boston's New Kids On The Block have officially announced they will play a homecoming show at Fenway Park this summer with tourmates and fellow boy band favorites the Backstreet Boys. The concert will take place on Saturday, June 11, one week after the two groups will perform a sold our show at the TD Garden. The announcement was made during a press conference this afternoon at Fenway Park.
Tickets for the show will go on sale Saturday, February 5 at 10 a.m. through etix.com. No tickets will be made available at the Fenway Park box office.
"This is a tremendous honor for us," proclaimed New Kids' Donnie Wahlberg in a press release. "As a group of South Boston kids we never thought we would get an opportunity like this. Our dreams are coming true. And one of the best parts is that we get to share this moment with our friends the Backstreet Boys."
"We are all so grateful and excited to have this opportunity," added the members of Backstreet Boys. "It's a once in a lifetime moment. And to get to experience this with our Boston friends NKOTB puts it on a whole other level."
In order to play the Fenway show, the two groups have had to re-route their "NKOTBSB". The groups had been scheduled to perform at the Nassau Memorial Coliseum on Long Island on June 11 to July 31.
Fenway Park began hosting concerts in 2003, when Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band headlined the historic ballpark. It was not until last summer when Aerosmith and the J. Geils Bands teamed up for a co-headliner that the home of the Red Sox was headlined by hometown bands. Other artists to perform at Fenway Park over the past decade include Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band, The Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, The Police, Neil Diamond, Phish and Paul McCartnery.
The inspiration for the co-headlining tour came last year when the Backstreet Boys joined the New Kids On The Block at their show in New York City. New Kids on the Block reunited in 2008 for a tour and the release of their first studio album in fourteen years, The Block. Backstreet Boys most recent release was 2009's This Is Us, their second album without founding member Kevin Richardson.


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Stody Lodge Gardens and the Animal Art Fair raise £6,000 for Ormiston Families/
The Animal Art Fair and Stody Lodge Gardens are delighted to have raised £6,000 for Ormiston Families, the charity caring for vulnerable children, young people and families across East Anglia.
Ormiston Families was the nominated charity for the Animal Art Fair's Spring Exhibition this May at Stody Lodge's sensational rhododendron and azalea gardens near Holt. Funds were raised at the Private View of the Spring Exhibition on Saturday 16th May as well as through the online auction of a beautiful sculpture by Bruce Little. This delightful sculpture of a young rhino, entitled The Future, was sold to an anonymous bidder for £1,700.
The funds raised will go to two of Ormiston Families' key Norfolk projects:
HMP Norwich - aimed at maintaining positive links between prisoners and their families, a wide range of services are offered including children visits; 'baby-bonding' sessions; accredited parenting courses; and 'Story Book Dads' scheme, whereby fathers dictate stories onto CDs for their children to keep.
The Holt Youth Project – Ormiston Families works in partnership with Holt Youth Project to deliver Young Carer's Groups - supporting children and young people who find themselves caring for family members with illness, disability or drug-dependency, whether short-term or long-term.


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The Touch - Re-Touched...I make no bones about it: Transformers: The Movie is, for my money, one of the greatest animated movies ever made; to this day, I still get a lump in my throat when Optimus Prime dies. Hey, I'll go so far as to admit that my favourite scene in the movie is when Prime turns the tide of the battle at Autobot City, while The Touch by Stan Bush is playing. Yes, the song's a big cheesy 80's soft rock lot of bollocks, but when it's backing Optimus Prime knocking seven shades of shit out a bunch of Decepticons, it's a fucking awesome tune.
So, typically, it has to be completely spoiled by Stan himself giving it a brand new Linkin Park-esque makeover for the upcoming Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen...
A rapper, Stan? Really? At your age?
Seriously, let's wipe that out of collective minds with how it should be done, eh?


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What's Sam's Club Doing for Workforce Development?/
It's a win-win. Retail suppliers like Sam's Club that invest in small business development are not only helping the economy, they are creating more customers for themselves. With $700,000 in gift cards and training, Sam's Club is working this double win by sponsoring a contest for a second year to build and mentor small businesses.
Sam's Club recently announced 102 winners of the American Small Business Championship. With two winners in every state and the District of Columbia, these businesses will receive a $1,000 Sam's Club gift card, an all-expenses-paid trip to a training event, SCORE mentoring for one year, and promotion throughout the year to showcase each Champion's story.
Why is Sam's Club so big on workforce development? As the nation's eighth largest retailer and a leading membership club, some of its best customers are small businesses. If those businesses do well, it will pay off in more trips to one of the 647 U.S. store locations as well as its online portal.
The Walmart Foundation established the Sam's Club Giving Program in 2008, and the program is specifically dedicated to micro- and small business development. Since then, it has invested more than $11 million dollars in national and local programs that improve training and education opportunities for small businesses, and give them increased access to capital.
Each applicant had to meet certain requirements, including being in business for at least one year and generating positive revenue. An online application involved responding to the question, "What sacrifice have you made to help your business succeed?" Responses were accepted as either a 60-second video or a statement of 250 words with a photo. Each applicant also had to gather at least 100 votes for its online entry on the contest platform during the nomination period. Applicants then advanced to final judging by SCORE leadership, mentors and board members.
What kinds of businesses won this contest? Calcutta Roll Company is one example. Founded by Malini Das, an immigrant from Calcutta, this business will be using the SCORE mentorship program to go national with Indian food products. Interestingly, this winner also plans to immediately share her proceeds by using the $1,000 gift card to feed the hungry. Another winner is Emma Dagnault of Rhode Island, owner of D&E Concrete Solutions. This is a father-daughter venture that repairs and waterproofs masonry and concrete construction. The list of winners is here.
Sam's Club has figured out a way to reward success in small business while also attracting the perfect customers for its own products. Corporate investments like this are helpful for recovery from the Great Recession.


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Different religions preach various visions of heaven and hell, based on life lived as a saint or a sinner, enshrined by some ethereal idea of a Supreme Being. Are these visions significant in the here and now, albeit whether we "think ... (we) can tell heaven from hell" as Pink Floyd sang more than 40 years ago?
The concept of heaven and hell is as old as time immemorial, permeating many people's lives today with a relevance that ascribes greater importance to an afterlife than faith in life itself. Most of us live as mortals in the present imperfect, making mistakes and managing to move on without too many mea culpas. Guilt can be assuaged by absolution in a confessional box or fasting on the Day of Atonement or simply praying alone for forgiveness.
Despite seeking and/or needing reassurance for our misdeeds for a peaceful afterlife, a quintessential aspect of life is maintaining faith in yourself and forgiving your own transgressions as much as those of others. This forgiveness reaches beyond the realm of heaven or hell, whereby we can appreciate the beauty and wonder of life itself with a faith that transcends traditional religious teachings, creating a heaven on earth for enriched enjoyment, rather than descending into a destiny of dark hell.
It may well be that religious tenets are implicit in this understanding, but learning to live life to the full, despite personal trials and tribulations as well as environmental chaos and war, is implicit in faith of all kinds, suggesting we should focus on optimism and positivity rather than pessimism and pain.
Heaven and hell are both extreme manifestations of unrealistic and inhuman constructs that deny our foibles and frailties. We need faith in our own innate capacity for happiness and joy to accept our own mortality and our own mistakes. We should disregard heaven and hell as aberrant religiosity that often obfuscates the challenge of living life, struggling through the troughs and riding high on the crests as we experience them.
Adversity can work in re-shaping our faith so that while we may not have the lucid answers to explain "why" about so many things, our faith in life invests us with hope instead of despair.
There is a greater philosophical wisdom that focuses on our own rich and intrinsic talents to think and feel more than indulging our angst in prophesising about heaven or hell; the former rewarding us with blessings of peace and serenity on earth without worrying about an afterlife at all. Certainly in our conscious psyches which have ramifications for all our unique and individual lifestyles. Do we even need to tell the difference?
Paulyne Pogorelske is a Melbourne writer.


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André Laks and Malcolm Schofield (edd.), Justice and Generosity. Studies in Hellenistic Social and Political Philosophy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. $64.95. ISBN 0-521-45293-7.
Reviewed by Dirk t. D. Held, Classics, Connecticut College, firstname.lastname@example.com.
Justice and Generosity, proceedings of the sixth Symposium Hellenisticum, is devoted to political and social philosophy. Political theory of this period has been substantially neglected when compared to the interest evoked by Hellenistic ethics in recent years. The Stoics are a good example; it took nearly forty years after Margaret Reesor's 1951 monograph The Political Theory of the Old and Middle Stoa for another book in English to be devoted exclusively to the subject. Reasons for this include the lack of complete works of Hellenistic political theory and modern assumptions regarding the diminished significance of political thought in an age of kingdoms accompanied by the Privatisierung of Hellenistic life.
The essays under review approach the topic from several perspectives including attention to Roman experience. Texts of Cicero and Seneca are presented not simply as fertile fields for running the plough of Quellenkritik but as creative responses which deployed Greek sources to address contemporary political and social conditions. The essays confront the need to explain how the theorizing of political experience was affected by ethical issues arising out of the Hellenistic oikoumene and the Roman imperium and they avoid a simplistic separation of politics and ethics.
The first and longest essay is David Hahm's "Polybius' applied political theory" which examines the twin aims of Book VI of the History, to explain how Rome succeeded in imposing its rule on the world, and secondly to provide a foundation for proper choice (tou beltionos hairesis) through knowledge of the causes (he ton aition theoria) which illuminate how constitutions affect communities. Polybius therefore claims both analytical understanding and predictive power. Now it is generally the case that theories under-describe facts, and a schematized theory of cyclical constitutional development seems particularly ill suited to the vagaries and specificities of historical events. Hahm addresses this gap. He notes Polybius' double presentation of the cycle of constitutional change. An initial brief version (VI.4.7-10) offers a formal taxonomy of constitutions based on a generic biological model of growth, acme, and decline. This is followed by a longer and more detailed analysis (VI.5.4.-9.9) where Polybius introduces causal mechanisms for change and outlines what is in effect a genealogy of morality. The underlying psychological dynamic is "reciprocity of benefit" secured via instincts for "self-aggrandizement" and "co-operation for self-preservation." Polybius is not a reductivist, nor are such psychologizing explanations comprehensive since historical contingencies temper what might otherwise be a rigid cycle of constitutional change. Reading Hahm's rich essay we realize that Polybius provided causal explanation though he did not circumscribe future events by ineluctable necessitation.
Jean-Louis Ferray's "The statesman and the law in the political philosophy of Cicero" is methodologically the most traditional of the essays here. Having both the virtues and textual grind of Quellenkritik it is not a particularly easy read. Surviving books of De legibus and De re publica provide ample discussion of the best state but little of what constitutes the best citizen. Clearly the optimus civis was a subject of great interest to Cicero, and Ferray attempts to reconstruct what Cicero probably said about him. He concludes that essentially he is the statesman possessing prudentia, whose reason rules his passions. Analogously in the mixed constitution the statesman knows how to constrain natural tendencies towards destabilization, and his greatest achievement is bringing about concord among discordant groups within the community.
A more philosophical stance characterizes Julia Annas' "Aristotelian political theory in the Hellenistic period." The problem she addresses was previously presented in great depth in her Morality of Happiness (reviewed BMCR 5, 1994), specifically how Greek eudaimonistic moral theory, centering happiness on the agent's well-being, is adapted to accommodate concern for others. This "other-concern" was a new expectation of morality brought by the Stoics, and her essay explores the confrontation of Aristotelian political theory with these Stoic expectations. It is a political issue because Aristotle tightly links ethical agency to active participation in polis life, the necessary activity for exercising phronesis. By contrast, no such privileging of the polis holds for the Stoics. Consequent to their well-known doctrine of oikeiosis, the polis would be an utterly arbitrary limitation to place on concern for others since rationality imposes no more obligation towards one's family and fellow citizens than it does towards any human at all. Annas explores this confrontation in the writings of Antiochus and Arius Didymus. Both were committed to Aristotelian ethics which they endeavored to reconcile with Stoic theory. In accommodating Aristotelian theory to the comprehensive "other-concern" of Stoic oikeiosis they each subsume the political within the larger notion of human sociability. They do so by retaining the old language of "politikon" but in such a way that its original, particularist association with a specific community has been displaced in favor of an "impartial" and universalist obligation to the far wider community of humankind. (It is tempting to compare the debate between contemporary communitarians with their particularist focus and liberal supporters of the universalist ideals of the Enlightenment project.)
The surprisingly extensive semantic range of oikonomia is set out in Carlo Natali's "Oikonomia in Hellenistic Political Thought." It is an especially helpful essay since it covers poorly known ancient writings on economics after Aristotle, and proclaims the need for a new theoretical basis in studying ancient economics. Natali illustrates how the term oikonomia covers not only household management but the management of any complex situation or materials, from a community's political affairs or wealth, to the division of spoils, religious festivals, parts of a speech, and even the ingredients in a dish. In these instances oikonomia comprises a techne, but Natali examines Neopythagorean, Epicurean, and Stoic writers to reveal another conceptualization introduced by the philosophers. This model does not address the master (of household, city, etc.) needing empirical advice, but rather the wise man. Ethical questions now directly intervene, first as to whether wealth even should be sought, and if so, what are its proper acquisition and use, and how true wealth is measured by the philosopher. The concatenation of economic and ethical questions left the conceptual status of oikonomia unclear, a fact Natali underlines by showing its instability between being thought a techne, a subjective disposition (hexis) or even phronesis (Arius Didymus).
A less satisfying survey is J.L. Mole's "The Cynics and politics," for two reasons. The state of the evidence is poor, necessitating protracted discussions of doxography. And further, construing Cynics as political writers courts incoherence due to their apparent rejection of conventional political identity in favor of cosmopolitanism. Initially at least, politics in the conventional Greek sense had no coherent connection with Cynicism. As Mole states, "the Cynic 'state' is nothing other than the 'state' of being a Cynic," and the early Cynics took their bearings from the cosmos not the polis. The story, traced through the Roman period, changed over time when some Cynics later engaged in military and political affairs. Obviously being a Cynic meant different things, a fact Mole resolves by differentiating "hard" Cynics who rejected politics from "soft" Cynics who compromised with their world.
The final four papers address ethics explicitly. Antonia Alberti, trying to understand how the Epicureans conceptually dissolved the Platonic and Aristotelian identification of law and justice, opens the section with a highly productive examination of "The Epicurean theory of law and justice." She first analyzes the Epicurean notion of utility, rooted in the natural desire for self-preservation which in turn demanded preservation of community. This behavior became institutionalized in law with its twin functions of making the right rules of conduct "both explicit and obligatory." Utility in the form of justice comes to life contractually, but while justice is contractual it is not conventional. Finding support in Epicurean ontology, Alberti shows that utility and justice are "real," and a "real state of the world," as are other relative existents. Relations though objectively real remain context dependent, and so justice can be mutable and localized even while it has the same objective character as would natural justice.
Malcolm Schofield also explores arguments about justice. In "Two Stoic approaches to justice" he isolates a theological and an ethical approach, the latter based on Stoic doctrine of oikeiosis. Schofield studies the relationship between the two approaches, and after doxographic spadework shows that oikeiosis provided the origin of justice but that this ethical approach is dependent on theological premises.
"Cicero's politics in De Officiis" by A.A. Long advances the thesis that Cicero sets out to reform the ideology of the Roman value system of virtus, honestas, splendor, laus and gloria among others. When gloria properly served the interests of the political community it was both utile for the individual and honorable (honestum) within the state. Ciceronian revisionism was motivated by the degradation of gloria to personal lionization, achieved moreover at the price of debasing the body politic. Since it was unlikely that glory would ever be denied its utilitarian value in advancing a Roman's political career, Cicero needed to reconcile glory with honestum. For the reintegration of utile with honestum, the solution was glory based on justice. Cicero held that justly pursued glory brought benefits to individual and community alike. This, says Long, established a "normative concept of glory," the "composite of three conditions -- the affection, confidence and admiration of the populace" which can only be secured by justice. The closing section of Long's essay -- on private property -- is connected by the somewhat tenuous thread of justice which in the case of property Cicero saw to be little more than its regulated use, and he never raised deeper questions about the just distribution of property throughout the ranks of society.
The final essay in the volume, by Brad Inwood, turns to Seneca. "Politics and paradox in Seneca's De Beneficiis" addresses a topic central to Greek and especially Roman society, namely benefaction or service to others. As any student of ancient society knows, this was not disinterested altruism but the coin of the realm as it were, that with its attained or anticipated reciprocations maintained the myriad nodes binding together the social fabric. The Stoics frequently explored ethical questions on such things as good deeds to others via paradoxes contrived from the opposing responses of the sage and fool. Seneca could hardly avoid discussing either the topic of beneficia or Stoic writings on the topic. Yet Seneca is less a philosopher who indulges in the rigors of precise argument than a moralist wanting to accommodate ethical values to his world. He was not interested in the logical and ethical absoluteness observed by the sage but in offering practical guidance. Inwood admits his doubts as to whether De Beneficiis should be considered an ethical treatise and near the end of the essay acknowledges Seneca's "generally social purpose" and his desire to defuse paradox in favor of "effective social comment" and advice. Perhaps rigorous analysis of the Stoic paradoxes was necessary to show this, but the overall effect is that Inwood's adroit philosophical analysis of the paradoxes rather eclipses the text of Seneca.


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EEZ legislation too weak – Environment Commissioner
Media Release
1st August, 2012
EEZ legislation too weak – Environment Commissioner
Shortcomings in new legislation designed to protect New Zealand's oceans need to be fixed says the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Dr Jan Wright.
The legislation aims to protect New Zealand's exclusive economic zone by regulating economic activity such as deep sea drilling and seabed mining.
Dr Wright says the main issue is the proposed statement of purpose.
"Getting the purpose of the law right is hugely important if it is to effectively protect our ocean environment especially as there is other legislation that provides economic balance.
"In my submission on this legislation last year I flagged this issue but it has not been dealt with in a way which reflects my concern.
"There are activities in the EEZ that offer great economic potential but they can be environmentally hazardous which means it's vital to our environment and our ongoing economic security that we get this legislation right."
The Bill is currently before Parliament.


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