text:
Women today tend to live longer than men almost everywhere worldwide — in some countries by more than a decade. Why do women survive longer than men?
Now, three centuries of historical records show that women don't just outlive men in normal times: They're more likely to survive even in the worst of circumstances, such as famines and epidemics, researchers report.
Most of the life expectancy gender gap was due to a female survival advantage in infancy rather than adulthood, the researchers found. In times of adversity, newborn girls are more likely to survive.
The fact that women have an edge in infancy, when behavioral differences between the sexes are minimal, supports the idea that explanation is at least partly biological, the researchers say.
Led by Virginia Zarulli, an assistant professor at the University of Southern Denmark, and James Vaupel, a research professor at Duke University, the team analyzed mortality data going back roughly 250 years for people whose lives were cut short by famine, disease or other misfortunes.
The data spanned seven populations in which the life expectancy for one or both sexes was a dismal 20 years or less. Among them were working and former slaves in Trinidad and the United States in the early 1800s, famine victims in Sweden, Ireland and the Ukraine in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and Icelanders affected by the 1846 and 1882 measles epidemics.
In Liberia, for example, freed American slaves who relocated to the West African country in the 1800s experienced the highest mortality rates ever recorded. More than 40 percent died during their first year, presumably wiped out by tropical diseases they had little resistance to. Babies born during that time rarely made it past their second birthday.
Another group of people living in Ireland in the 1840s famously starved when a potato blight caused widespread crop failure. Life expectancy plummeted by more than 15 years.
Overall the researchers discovered that, even when mortality was very high for both sexes, women still lived longer than men by six months to almost four years on average.
Girls born during the famine that struck Ukraine in 1933, for example, lived to 10.85, and boys to 7.3 — a 50 percent difference.
When the researchers broke the results down by age group, they found that most of the female survival advantage comes from differences in infant mortality. Newborn girls are hardier than newborn boys.
The results suggest that the life expectancy gender gap can't be fully explained by behavioral and social differences between the sexes, such as risk-taking or violence.
Instead, the female advantage in times of crisis may be largely due to biological factors such as genetics or hormones. Estrogens, for example, have been shown to enhance the body's immune defenses against infectious disease.
"Our results add another piece to the puzzle of gender differences in survival," the researchers said.
The findings were published Jan. 8, 2018, in the early online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Story Source: Duke University


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Time has been flying for the past four weeks. It feels like yesterday having entered the virtual classroom of Knight-Mozilla learning lab for the first time. Now, by submitting our final assignment, we want to thank Knight-Mozilla for making this lab possible, the learning lab staff for your dedication and giving us valuable feedback and all our classmates for making this lab an interesting experience and great fun. See you in Berlin, guys – here we go!
"Whatever the future holds for accuracy and journalism as a whole, it seems certain that the river of errors and corrections will continue to flow for decades to come."
Jeff Jarvis (2007)
It could be so simple. The journalist works accurately, his texts are wirtten to the best of his knowledge and belief. And if there is something wrong, his colleagues and readers will point that out. The journalist thanks them for the hint, corrects the error and has made the world a little bit "correcter".
Well. There are doubts about the accuracy in journalism. Texts are produced under time pressure. The fact-checkers are retired, their colleagues are busy and the readers indignant. The journalist is annoyed by the hint, he might correct his error and blames the news business. Although you can hardly find the type of journalist described in the first place, there is something you definitely come by regularly: errors.
It's these mistakes Corrigo is focused on. Of course, there's a high degree of professionalism in online journalism and you can find both extremes of the case scenarios described earlier.
Technological change has not only increased the need for quality control – but made it possible in the first place. The internet in general and social media in particular enables all citizens to participate in quality control.
Good News – Bad News
That's the good news: There are millions of fact checkers out there and you always find somebody who knows it better.
The bad news is: The european research project MediaAcT has shown that many of the established tools of media accountability – including the press councils – fail to systematically involve citizens.
Without the public's voice, these instruments are too quiet. Only as a common orchestra, supported by the mighty choir of the public, they can be heard.
The Corrigo Orchestra
There are already some pioneering projects like MediaBugs and NewsTrust, which share some of Corrigo's ideas. While their services vary considerably in function and degree of professionalization, they have one thing in common: they do not reach many people.
And as long as Crowdsourced Media Accountability Services do not achieve critical mass, publishers and media professionals will not have the pressure to diminish the number of errors.
Still: Pressure alone would not lead to less errors and transparency. If the Corrigo orchestra wants to be heard it will need the right "tonality". This is one of our key findings after analysing error culture in journalism. Instead of "crowd versus Journalism" Corrigos slogan should be: "Journalism featuring Crowd".
Corrigo is a Crowdsourced Media Accountability Service that helps its users to flag and correct factual errors, missing links and typos in online news sources. It comes as a browser add-on based on web annotation technology. This makes you see errors and corrections right in the context. To give you a better impression of our idea we produced this screencast:
- Corrigo increases the visibility of errors in the direct context of the article.
- Corrigo accelerates the process of reporting and correcting errors and helps to document it.
- Corrigo separates error messages from comment threads and helps editors, to identify them easily.
- Corrigo lives and breathes in the browser.
- Corrigo stops the spreading of errors by marking them in correlated texts.
- Corrigo enables a comparison of the accuracy of online media.
- New browser versions bring a need for constantly updating the required add-on with them.
- Web annotation systems are barely known and used.
- To sustain further development, communication and technical infrastructure, Corrigo is dependent on funding.
- Up to now: Corrigo is not working in Apps.
- Corrigo is able to establish a more open in dealing with errors and to increase the quality in online media.
- Corrigo has the potential to build a network of existing instruments of Media Accountability.
- Corrigo can be supplemented with additional function, for example, connections to services such as churnalism.com or tineye.com, web services, looking for the origins of texts and images to find unlabeled news releases and stock material.
- Journalists may use Corrigo pro-actively. With the help of Corrigo they could ask the crowd to verify a statement in an interview or a text.
- Via plugins Corrigo can be connected with content management systems, in order to enable an efficient management of errors and corrections within a few clicks.
- As a non-profit open-source project Corrigo can be internationalized and extended functionally.
- The existing culture of errors can complicate the introduction on the market.
- Despite all methods of quality control within the community: An abuse of technology for can never be excluded.
- Some legal issues are still unclear. Court decisions may change the legal framework to the disadvantage of Corrigo.

subset: commoncrawl


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1 | For the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of the sons of Korah. Maschil. We have heard with our ears, O God, Our fathers have told us, What work thou didst in their days, In the days of old. |
2 | Thou didst drive out the nations with thy hand; But them thou didst plant: Thou didst afflict the peoples; But them thou didst spread abroad. |
3 | For they gat not the land in possession by their own sword, Neither did their own arm save them; But thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, Because thou wast favorable unto them. |
4 | Thou art my King, O God: Command deliverance for Jacob. |
5 | Through thee will we push down our adversaries: Through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. |
6 | For I will not trust in my bow, Neither shall my sword save me. |
7 | But thou hast saved us from our adversaries, And hast put them to shame that hate us. |
8 | In God have we made our boast all the day long, And we will give thanks unto thy name for ever. Selah |
9 | But now thou hast cast [us] off, and brought us to dishonor, And goest not forth with our hosts. |
10 | Thou makest us to turn back from the adversary; And they that hate us take spoil for themselves. |
11 | Thou hast made us like sheep [appointed] for food, And hast scattered us among the nations. |
12 | Thou sellest thy people for nought, And hast not increased [thy wealth] by their price. |
13 | Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors, A scoffing and a derision to them that are round about us. |
14 | Thou makest us a byword among the nations, A shaking of the head among the peoples. |
15 | All the day long is my dishonor before me, And the shame of my face hath covered me, |
16 | For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth, By reason of the enemy and the avenger. |
17 | All this is come upon us; Yet have we not forgotten thee, Neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant. |
18 | Our heart is not turned back, Neither have our steps declined from thy way, |
19 | That thou hast sore broken us in the place of jackals, And covered us with the shadow of death. |
20 | If we have forgotten the name of our God, Or spread forth our hands to a strange god; |
21 | Will not God search this out? For he knoweth the secrets of the heart. |
22 | Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. |
23 | Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? Arise, cast [us] not off for ever. |
24 | Wherefore hidest thou thy face, And forgettest our affliction and our oppression? |
25 | For our soul is bowed down to the dust: Our body cleaveth unto the earth. |
26 | Rise up for our help, And redeem us for thy lovingkindness' sake. |


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This is part of the Photo Solutions series I'm doing…no matter what your "picture problem" is, we have a solution!
Today, I'm going to show you how to edit your pictures very simply using Memory Manager. You've already seen how great Memory Manager is at organizing, but look what else it can do! (And remember – it's 40% off - $23.95 – until the end of the month!)
I was about to trash this picture, when I decided to hit the auto contrast button. Voila! The auto contrast button is on the "image ribbon" which has all the basic wizard functions. Even if you never move past this ribbon, your pictures will look much better!
I love this picture of my dad and Adam, but not the blue tones. A few seconds of playing with the color balance and I've got this instead! Color Balance is on the "adjust ribbon" which has slightly more advanced editing options.
Ever wondered how to do that fancy-schmancy spot color? Easy with Memory Manager. Check out the lady's face - that's where I started. There is a brush that you can make bigger or smaller that takes away the color. I start with a big brush around the edges and then zoom in with the little brush closer to the "colored" parts. This is part of the "touchup ribbon."
And one of my absolute favorite features – cloning. See the pole behind hubby's head? I was able to "clone" some of the leaves and use them to cover it up! Again, this is part of the "touchup ribbon."
Here are some more "boring to better" pictures that I edited in Memory Manager.
I'm pretty sure you need this program. :) And at $23.95, who could pass it up! Go HERE to order!


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And just like that, another Maker Faire has come and gone. It's amazing the amount of effort that goes into one of these epic shindigs, both from all of those on the MAKE team and from the hundreds of other makers and presenters, the staff of The Henry Ford, our loyal sponsors, our local Detroit support community. We all spend many months charging up the giant Maker Faire capacitor and then we cackle like bug-eyed mad scientists for three days as the charged energy is released and we see where it all takes us. And for Detroit, 2011 — charged it was! To those of you who participated in the Faire, however you participated in the Faire, we can't thank you enough. We hope you had as much fun as the MAKE/Maker Faire team did. And if you were watching from afar, we hope you had fun, too.
I can't give the Maker Faire Daily team enough high-fives. Dale Dougherty, Mark Frauenfelder, Becky Stern, Matt Richardson, Bridgette Vanderlaan, Chris Connors, Steve Hobley, Michael Doyle, Bethany Shorb, Willow Brugh, Stuart Gannes — you all make a lovely sensor array.
Here are a few of today's sights and impressions from our Maker Faire Daily blog team. There are lots more posts (and some video) on the Daily site, and more to come. –Gareth
Maker Faire, where dreams come true
This young man told me that, on the way to Maker Faire, he told his mother he hoped there would be a workshop where he could make his own guitar. His mother told him, "Dream on!" Maker Faire, where dreams come true. –Mark Frauenfelder
These aren't the planks you're looking for…
Planking reaches the Maker Faire. These Storm Troopers, from Garrison 501, were British, so that saved time explaining what planking is. (Google it, go on, you know you want to…) — Steve Hobley
Electronics lab trainer from 1984
Electronics prototyping of yesteryear. –Mark Frauenfelder
This guy has one awesome RoboCop costume. And although you can't see it in the picture, he's got the walk down – 100% accurate. –Steve Hobley
TNNA has a Maker Faire Robot! For needlepoint or cross-stitch. This is cool. –Bridgette Vanderlaan
Matt learns to sew
I stopped by National Sewing Council's area, where Jessica showed me how to use a sewing machine to make my own dog collar. Admittedly, I didn't think I'd be very good at it, but it was much easier than I ever thought it would be. Next stop, Project Runway! –Matt Richardson
Tornado chaser
This ride was made for Willow Brugh!
Breaking electronics
Check out these inquisitive kids at the MAKE Lab tent, where they're taking apart computers, VCRs, and other electronics to figure out how they work. Breaking is part of making! –Becky Stern
Pint-sized air-propelled racer
Strapping your toddler into a gas powered leaf blower on wheels might not be the most politically-correct thing to do, but if I were in that seat, I'd be getting pop a "World's Greatest Dad" mug, stat. –Michael Doyle
See all of our Maker Faire Detroit coverage on Makezine.com
See the entire Maker Faire Daily feed
Join Make: Community Today


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Pod::Perldoc::ToTerm - render Pod with terminal escapes
perldoc -o term Some::Modulename
This is a "plug-in" class that allows Perldoc to use Pod::Text as a formatter class.
It supports the following options, which are explained in Pod::Text: alt, indent, loose, quotes, sentence, width
For example:
perldoc -o term -w indent:5 Some::Modulename
Depending on the platform, and because this class emits terminal escapes it will attempt to set the -R
flag on your pager by injecting the flag into your environment variable for less
or more
On Windows and DOS, this class will not modify any environment variables.
This module may change to use a different text formatter class in the future, and this may change what options are supported.
Pod::Text, Pod::Text::Termcap, Pod::Perldoc
Copyright (c) 2017 Mark Allen.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of either: the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; or the Artistic License.
See http://dev.perl.org/licenses/ for more information.
Mark Allen <firstname.lastname@example.com>


text:
In a recent post, I described a randomized experiment in Jordan that I (along with Matt Groh, Nandini Krishnan and Tara Vishwanath) have been working on. The pilot program aimed to increase labor force participation and work experience of young women graduating from community colleges through two interventions: a wage subsidy program which gave the graduate a voucher she could take to a firm when looking for work, with the voucher paying the firm a subsidy equal to the minimum wage for hiring her for a period of up to six months and soft skills training, where the graduate was invited to a 45 hour training course covering key soft skills employers claim graduates are often lacking.
We then invited our readers to give their expectations of the likely impacts of such programs at the time of a midline survey (taken while the subsidy was still in effect, 8 months after graduation), and at endline (taken 4 months after the subsidy had ended, and 16 months after graduation). I also carried out this expectations elicitation exercise midway through seminars presenting the results at the University of Virginia, Paris School of Economics, the World Bank and IADB.
So first, what were the results of the pilot?
A draft of the paper is available here. Figure 1 below shows the proportion employed by treatment group at the midline (April 2011) and endline (December 2011). The headline result is that the job voucher led to a massive increase in employment while the subsidy was active, but that this impact mostly disappeared once the subsidy ended. This impact was similar whether students just got the subsidy, or got the subsidy combined with the soft skills training (the "both" group on the graph). Soft skills training by itself had no significant impact in either survey round. The job voucher did succeed in giving graduates more work experience, and resulted in higher labor force participation at the endline, but does not appear to have led to lasting employment effects over the time period measured.
The Results of the Expectations Elicitation Exercise
A common refrain following the presentation of experimental results or results from other rigorous impact evaluations is often that the findings "will surprise no one who had opened an economics textbook" (Scheiber, 2007). A novel feature of this study is to provide a way to quantify the extent to which the findings are novel or unexpected through elicitation of audience expectations. Figure 2 provides histograms of the resulting expectations, with the black vertical lines showing the 95 percent confidence interval for our treatment estimates:
Several results are notable:
· The strong impact of the voucher in the short-run was a surprise to almost everyone: only 4 percent of the 136 respondents gave an expected value of the voucher impact at midline that lies within the 95 confidence interval of the treatment effect, with the median expected impact of 8 percentage points less than one-quarter of the actual impact of 39.5 percentage points.
· Modal expectations were relatively accurate for the longer-term impact of the voucher, and for the soft skills training, although mean expected endline impacts were 10 percentage points for both relative to actual effects of 2-3 percent, reflecting a long right tail of the distribution.
· There is substantial heterogeneity in beliefs about program effectiveness: the standard deviations of expected impacts range from 10 to 15 percentage points.
· Audiences believed the combination of the voucher and training was likely to have larger impact than either treatment alone
· None of the respondents had all six of their expectations lie within the 95 percent confidence intervals of the actual impacts.
· There was considerable heterogeneity among respondents in their relative rankings of the interventions: at midline (endline) 59 (47) percent thought the voucher would have a larger impact than the soft skills training, 11 (14) percent that the impact would be the same, and 30 (39) percent that the voucher would have less impact than the soft skills training.
So which group was most accurate? And is online elicitation very biased?
Dean Karlan and Annie Duflo have also recently been obtaining qualitative expectations about the impacts of a program through polls on the Stanford Social Innovation Review. See here for an example. The advantage of online elicitation is that it opens up the elicitation to a broad audience, but downsides compared to elicitation in a seminar setting are less time to explain carefully the details of the intervention, and selective response – we had 50 responses to our online poll which is perhaps 3-5% of those who may have read the blog post – consistent with click-through rates Berk and I have found for links to academic papers. The question is whether this leads to systematically different expectations from those in academic or policy audiences?
The following table shows the mean, standard deviation, median, and percentage of expectations that lie within the treatment effect confidence interval by subsample. We see that:
· Development Impact blog reader's expectations are in fact very similar to those of the World Bank seminar audience (despite only 20% of the respondents to the blog poll being from the World Bank). So the self-selection into responding doesn't seem to make too much difference in this case.
· If I define total error as the sum of the absolute difference between the experimental ITT and the expectation for each of the 6 estimates elicited, then blog readers win the prize for most accurate – although with an average total error of 82 percentage points, or 13.7 per outcome, this is still not that accurate. The Paris School of Economics audience has the highest average total error of 112 percentage points, or 18.7 per outcome. This comes largely because PSE audiences thought soft skills training would have larger long-term effects – perhaps reflecting European audiences being more likely to think active labor market policies will have lasting employment effects?
· In our international organization match-up, there was no significant difference in the average total errors of World Bank versus IADB audiences – this comes from the IADB audience basically thinking nothing will work, and so having high error on the short-term effect of the vouchers but getting the other outcomes approximately right, whereas the World Bank audience gets the midline voucher effect less wrong, but are more likely to overstate the training and longer-term voucher effects.
· The three most accurate individuals in terms of expectations were all blog readers- three students (two male, one female) located in the United States – congrats!


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This book is an earnest but unsatisfactory survey of four centuries of French-Indian contact in North America. Originating as a doctoral dissertation, it seems to have been published without significant revisions (the abstract on p. 7 refers to "This thesis"). As a monograph based on familiar sources (primarily the correspondence of missionaries and government officials), it breaks little new ground. Moreover, the enormous topic leads to superficial analysis. The author's conclusion that "métissage was neither a consistent or linear policy, nor a straight process toward Indian assimilation to Frenchness" is self-evident (p. 15). A study of this kind could provide a useful overview of the scholarly literature; however, this one ignores several recent, important works and is further marred by factual mistakes, infelicitous prose, poor translations from the French, and abundant typographical errors.
The author dates contact from 1508, the year a French sea captain brought seven Beothuk men from Newfoundland to Rouen. Her first chapter deals with the 16th through 18th centuries and presents familiar background about French colonization. Unfortunately, it is rife with errors and anachronisms. Acadia was not "largely settled by Scottish families" by 1628 (p. 45), as John G. Reid has amply shown. 1 French authorities did not sponsor the migration of filles du roi beginning in 1634 but rather from 1663 to 1673. Governor Vaudreuil could hardly have addressed a letter to Minister Colbert in 1755 (p. 66), Colbert having died in 1683. Finally, there is no excuse for using an antiquated source like Stanislas Lortie (1903) to provide migration statistics (p. 54) given the flowering of historical demography in Quebec since 1970. Yet significant works on the population of New France by Marcel Trudel, Hubert Charbonneau, and Gervais Carpin, to name a few, do not appear in the author's bibliography. 2
The second chapter, which focuses on religious missions, correctly notes the diversity of education and conversion strategies (p. 108), but there is no in-depth discussion of syncretism, which is essential to an understanding of cultural métissage. There is also no attention to Native cultures, which varied enormously across New France in terms of subsistence strategies, religious beliefs, kinship structures, sexual mores, and so forth. The author fails to mention two of the most important case studies on Native conversion to appear in recent years: Mohawk Saint by Allan Greer and The Betrayal of Faith by Emma Anderson. 3
Chapters 3 and 4 discuss mixed marriages in policy and in practice, arguing that they produced a separate and unequal "social and legal category," the Métis (p. 150). Chapters 5 and 6 examine the emergence of Métis communities and Métis nationalism in western Canada in the early 19th century, developments culminating in the Métis' exclusion from Canada's Indian Act of 1886 and their subsequent recognition as an aboriginal group in the 20th and 21st centuries.
The question of how and why a distinct Métis identity emerged is a good one, but it can only be answered fully by comparing western Canada to the more numerous places where mixed marriages led instead to assimilation into either French or Indian worlds. Both Acadia and the Illinois Country are cases in point. In these chapters as elsewhere, factual errors abound. For example, there were no Montagnais (Innu) in Louisiana (p. 172), and Aimé Césaire was not a Senegalese writer (p. 266)! Sources remain a problem, with the author relying on outdated authors such as Rameau de Saint-Père (1859) and ignoring crucial modern studies like those of Sylvia Van Kirk, Susan Sleeper-Smith, and Lucy Eldersveld Murphy. 4
The author's English prose is marred by awkward formulations and vocabulary, and her French translations are dreadful. Propriété immobilière (real estate) is rendered as "immobile propriety" (p. 147), and "Sa Majesté—with reference to Louis XIV—as "she" and "Her Majesty" (pp. 128-129).
To conclude, Métissage in New France and Canada, 1508-1886 represents a conscientious effort on the part of the author, but it should not have been published in its current state. Readers interested in the topic would do better to refer to more reliable studies.
Notes: 1 See "The 'Lost Colony' of New Scotland and Its Successors, to 1670", in: John G. Reid with contributions by Emerson W. Baker, Essays on Northeastern North America. Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries, Toronto 2008, pp. 53-68. 2 For example, Gervais Carpin, Le Réseau du Canada. Étude du mode migratoire de la France vers la Nouvelle-France (1628-1662), Paris 2001; Hubert Charbonneau u.a., Naissance d'une population. Les Français établis au Canada au XVIIe siècle, Paris 1987; Marcel Trudel, Catalogue des immigrants, 1632-1662, Montreal 1983). 3 Emma Anderson, The Betrayal of Faith. The Tragic Journey of a Colonial Native Convert, Cambridge, MA 2007); Allan Greer / Mohawk Saint, Catherine Tekakwitha and the Jesuits, Oxford 2005. 4 For example, Lucy Eldersveld Murphy, A Gathering of Rivers. Indians, Métis, and Mining in the Western Great Lakes, 1737-1832, Lincoln, NB 2001; Susan Sleeper-Smith, Indian Women and French Men. Rethinking Cultural Encounter in the Western Great Lakes Amherst, MA 2001; Sylvia Van Kirk, Many Tender Ties. Women in Fur-Trade Society in Western Canada, 1670-1870, Winnipeg 1999.


text:
Commitment to effective and efficient work as well as to continue to develop services rendered to students, faculty members, and the community.
The Admission and Registration Unit seeks to organize the admission and registration processes for AAU students and follows up their educational affairs from the moment of their admission until their graduation. The Unit emphasizes compliance with the AAU applicable regulations and the confidentiality of the students' records.


text:
All features of Eve Energy
Make your home smart the easy way by equipping it with HomeKit-enabled smart plugs. They're super intuitive to use and you can set them up in no time at all. Once that's done, you're ready to make your lamps and appliances smart and control them via an app, using easy-to-learn voice commands, based on a schedule or even by your presence.
Within minutes, you'll have a Siri-enabled Christmas tree, your reading lamp will turn on in the evening automatically and your fan will start with a simple tap. Eve Energy also offers additional features including autonomous schedules, a power meter and a child lock – which is why our smart plug is one of the best-selling HomeKit products out there.
Easier to set up and more secure
Another of Eve Energy's stand-out features is that it supports both Thread and Bluetooth. Compared to even the latest Wi-Fi chips, which are still power-thirsty, Thread and Bluetooth are energy-saving, high-performance wireless technology standards – perfect for smart plugs that are usually only ever switched on and off a few times a day. Eve Energy is also easy to set up and works completely independently of your home network, saving you the hassle of having to jump through all the set up and security hurdles – who needs yet another device crowding their home network anyway?!
Eve Energy joins your Thread network automatically. As a router node, Eve Energy relays other Thread accessories' data packages and enhances the stability and reach of your smart home. Thread accessories don't need a proprietary bridge to communicate with each other – they simply need a Border Router, which for HomeKit over Thread is HomePod mini. Discover all you need to know about HomeKit over Thread here.
You can even add Thread support to your latest-generation Eve Energy simply by updating the accessory's firmware. Discover if your Eve Energy can support Thread by visiting evehome.com/identify.
For best performance, plug Eve Energy directly into a wall outlet and only plug one appliance into the accessory – don't go plugging Eve Energy into a power strip, and don't go plugging one into the accessory either. Eve Energy is rated for a maximum current of 11 A / 2500 W (European model; see this link for all other variants). Eve Energy is the only smart plug with HomeKit technology that bears the TÜV Rheinland seal, offering you unparalleled reliability. To get started with installing and customizing Eve Energy, simply follow these steps:
Eve Energy in the Eve app
The detail view of Eve Energy contains the main controls such as the power on/off button, the schedule editor, plus a range of report and measurement functions showing you when Eve Energy was last switched on/off, how much power is currently being consumed and the projected cost. You can also display additional parameters such as current and voltage in the detail view and change the order in which everything is arranged simply by tapping Edit.
The Eve app not only shows you how much power the appliance plugged into your Eve Energy is consuming, but also keeps a record of how much power has been consumed and shows you the projected annual cost of powering this appliance based on these consumption figures and your electricity rate.
Autonomous schedules
Like several other Eve accessories, Eve Energy, also offers you autonomous schedules. They are stored on the accessory itself and even run when Eve Energy is not connected to your iPhone or home hub. They're perfect for countless purposes as you can add schedules based on sunrise or sunset. Want to set your plant light to bathe your plant in a constant stream of growth-promoting light with a break at nighttime?
Top tip: Other Eve accessories, including Eve Thermo, Eve Aqua, Eve Light Switch (EU / US), and the sister product of Eve Energy – the smart power strip Eve Energy Strip – also feature these handy autonomous schedules. Please note that this feature is not available for Eve Energy models sold in China, Japan.
HomeKit automations
Using automations to switch the power on or off makes sense if you need to control several appliances at once or if you only want them to be active when you're actually at home. This is where HomeKit comes into play (or more accurately: an essential home hub).
Top tip: In many respects the Apple Home app offers fewer automation options than the Eve app. However, it does offer several special options due to the privacy architecture of HomeKit. Thus, the Home app lets you add rules that run based on your or a family member's presence such as "When somebody/nobody is home" or "When I am home/When I am not at home". Scenes which remain active for a set duration are another automation option exclusive to the Home app. While rules and scenes configured in the Home app are displayed in the Eve app, you can't change them at the relevant points.
Control using Siri
Smart plugs and Siri are a match made in heaven. First, you can phrase really simple commands as the plugs only have an on or off state. Second, you can tag plugs in multiple ways because they carry a Siri name, represent a type of accessory and are assigned to scenes, groups, rooms or zones.
Control using the Siri name: "Hey Siri, turn on the Christmas Tree."
Control based on device type: "Hey Siri, is my light on?"
Control as part of a scene: "Hey Siri, Good Morning!"
Control as part of a group: "Hey Siri, turn off all kitchen appliances."
Control by room: "Hey Siri, turn off the power in the Bathroom."
Control by zone: "Hey Siri, turn on the air dehumidifiers in the Basement."
Use cases
with Eve Motion:
Automate your festive lights with Eve Energy and Eve Motion
with Eve Room:
Improve indoor air by automating your dehumidifier
Tackle dry air caused by your heating
Enhance your morning routine:
Lighting the Way to a Peaceful Routine
Enjoy the perfect espresso in a shot with Eve Energy serving it up nice and hot
The perfect way to start your day – with HomeKit
Increase the reach of your devices
Add HomePod mini to your home and your latest-generation Thread-enabled Eve Energy will be able to communicate via Thread – the mesh network that reaches even the farthest corners of your abode. This happens automatically without you needing to configure anything. A Full Thread Device, such as Eve Energy, can act as a router node and relay data packets from other Thread devices.
To view the structure of your Thread network and see where you can make improvements, simply go to the Settings area of the Eve app and tap Thread Network. Among other things, you'll be able to tell which nodes your Thread devices use to communicate and whether you can further improve the stability and reach of your network and devices by adding one more Eve Energy or moving one to a better location.
Requires iOS/iPadOS 16.4 (or later) / Android™ 8.1 (or later), Matter controller / Thread Border Router
Requires iPhone or iPad with the latest version of iOS/iPadOS, HomePod or Apple TV (4th generation or later) as a home hub, Wi-Fi network (2,4 GHz 802.11b/g/n)
Requires iOS/iPadOS 16.4 (or later) / Android™ 8.1 (or later), Matter controller / Thread Border Router
Requires iOS/iPadOS 16.4 (or later) / Android™ 8.1 (or later), Matter controller / Thread Border Router
Thanks- David
You don't need any home hub for using the function Schedule in Eve. To set the Schedule you just have to be close with the iPhone/iPad to the Eve accessory.
Please open the app Eve and goto
Rooms > room Eve Energy is in > Eve Energy and open it.
Tap on the tiny wheel at Schedule
Set up to seven on/off settings per day, optional individual for each weekday.
Once set, please tap Done.
The schedule will be transferred then from the iPhone/iPad to Eve Energy and executed there.
Best regards, Volker
if you plug in, let.'s say, a washing machine, can you monitor when it stops working?
For instance, monitoring when watts consuming is under, I'd say, 3 watts for 5 minutes?
Here's a list of all the currently available Thread-enabled Eve accessories:
Best regards, Volker
En varios países de SudAmerica se tiene una tensión 220vac- 50 Hz.
Los dispositivos EVE pueden ser conectados a esas características...?
Qué otros dispositivos(marcas...fabricantes)de iluminación, interruptores, zoquetes, etc existen en 220 vac/50 Hz???
Urgente su atenta respuesta pues tengo varios proyectos en marcha.
PD. Do you need translation?.
I'm a new purchaser of Eve Power Strip. I have set up one strip, and all was fairly ok. I have absolutely No Idea how to set up the strip to read power consumption and can't find instructions on how to. Neither can I figure out where and how to Read what the power consumption has been. Help!
Rooms > room with Eve Energy Strip > Eve Energy Strip and open it. You'll find the consumption there. Best regards, Volker
Best regards, Volker
Best regards, Volker
I used to use the Wemo Smart Plug for this but their reliability isn't great and the new requirements for a wemo account are worrying.
Any plan for a dimmer function? This would be for a string of dimmable 120V LED lights.
Does remember the last state?
Will your products sold in Taiwan be Thread enabled ? Or can they be by updating their firmware ?
Posts you might also be interested in.
Cut your power consumption at home in three simple steps
While technological progress and legislation have cut the power consumption of many household appliances, the onslaught of new types of devices that are always on, such as smart speakers, smart TVs and Wi-Fi range extenders, threatens to wipe out all the gains made. So, what can you do?
Schedules: Automate your lighting, heating and more
Eve Energy, Eve Energy Strip, Eve Thermo, Eve Aqua and now Eve Light Switch – many Eve accessories support autonomous schedules.
The home hub: An essential device for HomeKit-enabled accessories
Whether you connect to your HomeKit accessories via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or Thread, your connected home is simply incomplete without a home hub – an Apple TV, HomePod or HomePod mini. Your home hub gives you both secure access to your accessories while you're on the go and enables you to set up automations.


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Top 5 Joomla Shopping Carts
Do you want to start an online store? This guide will walk you through 4 of the best Joomla e-commerce extensions currently available.
1. Hikashop
HikaShop is an e-commerce solution for Joomla ! Built for simplicity and flexibility.
WordPress, Joomla and Drupal are open-source software, each developed and maintained by a community of thousands.
The CMS comparison chart below gives a summary of what each CMS has to offer. The following comparison chart can help guide beginners in choosing the best platform for their needs.
Image Source: @torquemag
Happy 10th Birthday Joomla!
On August 17 Joomla! will turn ten. 10 Years Together as a community, as contributors and as friends. For this special occasion co-founder, Brian Teeman, has created a website to celebrate 10 Years Together. As a community we're selling unique and time-limited shirts.
10 Years, it's quite an amazing achievement. Joomla! began on August 17, 2005 when a group of 17 young "fools" from across the globe took a big, bold step. If you want the read the whole story, please visit .
10 years later we are a community with over 200 user groups across the globe. We work together as a 100% volunteer effort of thousands of tireless contributors. And all this as friends who can achieve amazing things together.
Joomla 3.4.3 is now available. This is a maintenance release for the Joomla 3 series. We strongly encourage you update your sites.
Version 3.4.3 addresses a few issues:
- The renaming of the ClassLoader.php file to classloader.php caused issues which in some isolated cases even broke the CMS.
- When creating menus of type Smart Search or contact list for 3.4.2 invalid field warnings were displayed when trying to save.
- The option to disable the count-join in JCategories is permanently enabled on multilingual sites, making extensions that don't use this feature and for example don't have a catid field in their table, fail.
- Module, Article and Category creation applies a wrong default values for the access level. Instead of the one from the global configuration it just takes none, and thus the first in the list is selected (Guest).
- The batch model cut the dropdown so you can't access all items there
- On the batch model we had some kind of scrollbar flashing


text:
Alba headboard M · Semicircle + Semicircle
Shape and size:
Rear panel finish, front panel finish, and light:
One product sold, one tree planted. | Made in Spain.
- FREE worldwide shipping
- Estimated delivery time: 2-7 days
- 90 days returns
Complete the look:
- Description
- Materials
- Downloads
- Designer
- Natural Oak or Walnut veneer, matte finish.
- Waterproof and anti-stain fabric (Black, White, Grey, and Blue).
Lead designer: Daniel García Sánchez
Design team: Raquel Hernandez, Sofia Garcia and Patricia Zapico
Invisible storage space between its panels.
Hidden hole for cables.
Add dimmable back lighting for more ambiance.
Interchangeable panels, decide at home.
Perfect match for our Alba nightstands.
Clean Design. Invisible Hardware.
Easy and smart assembly. Hardware included.
Still not decided or have questions?
Click here to get expert advice on how to revamp your space and make the most out of our products.
Technical specifications
- Weight: 10kg/22lbs
- Must be screwed to the wall. Safe to install on drywall/plasterwall.
- Easily decide the placement of the panels at home or switch them later on.
LED Lighting:
- Dimmable light strip.
- LED COB DC12V 320LED/m (warm light 3.000K)
- Hand switch to turn on/off and control intensity.
- Plug: Type C (Euro-plug), for some countries you will need an adapter which is not included.
- Waterproof and anti-stain fabric. (Clean with a damp cloth)
- 100% solution dyed acrylic textile.
- Flame retardant. UNE 1021 PARTS 1-2 IMO PEF 2010 Anex 1. Part 8 BS 5852 Cigarette & Match
- Mould resistant.
- UV resistant.
- Safe Home extra softness.
- Children and pets friendly.
- Five year warranty included.
Custom finishes:
Custom color finishes are available for our wood and textile panels. A custom color has an extra cost of 59€.
Please order via our web chat or email us here
Color wood options:
Any color from the RAL Color Chart. See options here
Textile options:
Textured textile:
Flat textile:
Shipping & Returns
FREE shipping worldwide, no order minimum!
All of our shipments are insured and shipped with international providers like FedEx and UPS, so you won't have to worry.
We know you are excited to receive your product as soon as possible, for estimated delivery time please check the top of this page.
If you are in a hurry, contact us via our web chat and we will be happy to offer you a more adjusted delivery.
Learn more here
Return Policy
Enjoy our no-question-asked 90 days return policy.
Not sure if it will fit your space right? Don't worry, we got you covered. Learn more here
Is your piece not longer fitting your decor or lifestyle? If you want to give a second life to your Woodendor product for free take a look at our Vida Initiative
Please note products with a custom finish cannot be returned
All of our products are carefully designed and crafted to last, following our Design with intention philosophy.
Please enjoy our 5 years warranty with specialised assistance.
So that you will spend more time enjoying your purchase and less worrying!
Learn more here
Assembly and Packaging
Smart Assembly
All of our pieces are pre-assembled which means they are already ready to use. Our smart assembly is simply connecting these pieces together using provided hardware. This process is easy and does not require any special tools.
Our pieces are flat-packed to assure security during transportation, easy lifting and carrying as well as to reduce its carbon footprint. The packaging itself is also eco-friendly with almost zero use of plastic.
What's the size of the storage space between panels?
The storage space goes from the wall to the front panel is 14 cm (5.5 in), however, the distance between panels is 11cm (4.4 in).
Can I install it on drywall?
Yes, it is possible to install it on drywall, however, it is not recommended due to the fragility of this wall type. If you decide to install it on drywall, please add extra support for your wall.
We recommend downloading the instructions manual here to have a better understanding of the installation process and how the headboard attaches to the wall.
Can I decide or change the side of the panels?
Yes, choose at home how to install it and the side for each panel. Move them later on if you change your mind.
Can I choose the side of the light switch?
Yes, choose at home how to install the light strip placing the switch on your preferred side.
Is the light dimmable?
Yes! The light is dimmable so so can adjust it through the day.
What's the longitude of the light strip?
The light strip is approximately 1,5 meters (59 in) and includes a dimmable light switch.
Does it include a hole for the gadget's cables?
Yes, there is a small hole for your gadget's cables behind the front panel, perfect to keep the minimalist look.
Can I order a custom color for the panels?
Yes! You can order custom wood colors or textile colors by just reaching out via our web chat or by sending an email here.
A custom color has an extra cost of 59EUR - 69USD - 55GBP - 499DKK - 59CHF
Color wood options:
Any color from the RAL Color Chart. See options here
Textile options:
Textured textile:
Flat textile:
- Open color catalog here
Download color catalog here
Please note custom colors cannot be returned.
Price Transparency
Our transparent process
We are proud to be part of the wave of emerging brands that propose transparency as the basis of trust between our clients and us.
Take a look here at our prices broken down, so that you would be able to see what's behind each product you take home.
Our cost breakdowns are calculated as an average across all Woodendot Collections.
We have a fair and transparent margin policy that allows us to offer reasonable prices to our customers. If a product is on sale, it is our margin that decreases.
42% Brand operation
This is our gross margin, meaning what the brand earns from each product sold.
This revenue is used to pay fixed expenses like the following:
- Salaries: for our growing team that makes Woodendot possible.
- Product development: to innovate and create new products for the collection.
- Marketing: ads, social media, email, and all of our communication to reach clients like you!
- Rent and services: for our office and warehouse.
- Technology: computers and similar.
- Company fees: legal fees required by the government.
21% Sustainable materials & local production
All of our materials come from sustainable sources, including FSC Certified Woods, extracted from sustainably managed areas.
Our production is completely local in the town of Iscar, Spain by people who have worked with wood their whole lives.
This results in our costs increasing, but our quality being excellent, and our values of sustainability being present in every piece.
20% Taxes and fees
As you know we are a Spanish company and pay our taxes in Spain, this is the average taxes we collect from each sale and have to pay to the government.
9% Transport and delivery
This is the cost of shipping our products including insured delivery in case of damage.
5% Product preparation, packing process, and recyclable materials.
All of our products are pre-assembled to make it easier for you at home. This is a process completed before packing your product.
We are proud to say that most of our packaging is recycled and 100% recyclable.
2% Payment processing fee
This is the fee we pay to the payment processing platform integrated into our web.
1% Planting of trees
As part of our sustainability value, we plant a tree for each product sold. Over the years we have plated over 4000 trees! Learn more here
Reviews ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
Get Inspired
Our Alba Headboard inside your space
Alba Headboard
A very unique bedroom
Our unique and best-selling ALBA Collection expands with the introduction of our ALBA Headboard. A piece that follows the exceptional design of its collection and perfectly complements our Alba Bedside Tables and Shelves.
The word ALBA means "dawn or dusk" in Spanish, and the iconic shapes of the collection pieces resemble the shape of the sun hiding on the horizon, and reflecting on the water. With organic oval shapes that overlap to create a one-of-a-kind composition, Alba Headboard is designed to bring personality and a part of nature inside.
Our Alba Headboard consists of two panels that overlap in the center, available in either sustainable wood finish or beautiful textile, and combined with a hidden shelf for small everyday items. Easily decide at home how to install them thanks to all panels being interchangeable. The piece is completed with the possibility to add minimalistic dimmable backlighting.
This new addition to the ALBA Collection opens the possibilities for a cohesive bedroom with a strong personality and beautiful design while not resigning to the minimalistic and sustainable values we care deeply about.
Vision - Mision
Design to last
Our design with intention philosophy including quality and durability.
Our design with intention philosophy including quality and durability.
Much more than decor
See our Alba Headboard in action
Explore all your options


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Recently, 360 Security Center detected that a Panther ransomware virus was extremely active. After in-depth analysis, it was found that this was another "poisoning" operation by the hacker group "Oldpanther".
We found that the organization began active at the end of May in this year, with supply chain attacks, the infectious virus Peviru lurking in the Chinese programming language compilation environment was issued, causing all programs compiled by users to escape infection. 360 Total Security completed the interception and killing of the virus immediately after its discovery.
Nowdays, the revitalized "Oldpanther" come out again, using the previously deployed virus module to deliver the new ransomware Panther, which has once again set off a wave of evil in cyberspace.
However, users do not need to worry a lot. 360 Total Security has supported the decryption for Panther ransomware. Infected users can download and install the 360 decryption tools and protect personal data and property safety.
At the end of May, 360 Security Center found that the virus was aimed at the source of the compiled program, and by sneaking into the Chinese programming language installation program and other related modules, it traversed the entire network, causing many Chinese recruiting equipment to become A "puppet" dominated by a remoting control Trojan.
Coincidentally, after the 360 Security Center intercepted the new ransomware Panther, it was discovered that the organization also used the previously deployed virus module in the process of delivering the virus, and the familiar "oldpanther" word was like a logo Once again in the complete process chain. But the difference is that this time the hacker group "Lao Leopard" has continued to ravage the Internet for the purpose of "encrypting files, extorting money".
The ransomware loader is fixsys.exe. The virus author uses the VMProtect virtualization shell to protect the core code of the ransomware, and injects the Panther ransomware onto the svchost.exe process through Process Hollowing injection. After execution, the ransomware will traverse the disk partition and encrypt user files.
During the encryption process, the ransomware uses a file suffix and file directory whitelist mechanism, and all files outside the following whitelist will be encrypted.
In addition, the Panther Ransomware virus uses RSA+AES (Rijndael) encryption method, which is realized through the open source CryptoPP encryption and decryption library:
1.After encrypting the file, a blackmail reminder letter named "LOCKED_README.txt" will be left, and two decryption services, dark and clear, will be provided;
2. On its decrypted website, the user is prompted to pay a ransom of Monero (about CNY 400), but the Monero wallet address temporarily shows that no ransom has been received.
It is recommended that the infected users can choose 360 decryption tools to unlock encrypted files with one click. At the same time, in order to fully protect personal privacy and property security, and purify the network environment, 360 Security Center specifically gives the following security recommendations:
- Go to www.360totalsecurity.com in time, download and install 360 Total Security, intercept and kill all types of popular viruses in time;
- For programs that are prompted by security software, do not easily add trust or exit anti-software running;
- If being infected, users can immediately go to lesuobingdu.360.cn to confirm the type of ransomware in the institute, and install "360 decryption tools", click "Scan Now" to restore encryption file.
Monero wallet address:
Panther Ransomware Service:
Learn more about 360 Total Security


text:
Bright Cameron Numberless Silent Wall Clock
Bright Cameron Numberless Silent Wall Clock
Regular price
Regular price
Sale price
Unit price
Classic basic dial quartz wall clock, non ticking, quiet sweep second hand ensure a good sleeping and work environment. Perfect for home, office or classroom - any place accurate timekeeping is needed.
Easy to Read - Simple style design, large and clear black numbers make the clock easy to see from any corner of your room.
Sturdy plastic frame and glass lens make it easy to clean and keeps dust away from dial.
Classic black frame wall clock, simple but elegance, even as addition decorate to your house.
Easy To Hang. Uses "AA" battery - not included (Note: Plus side of your battery should be inserted first).


text:
Click on the Homes For Sale tab to view homes for sale in State Line. Our website is updated multiple times per hour from the MLS.
If you would like more information on State Line or the area, please submit your message to our Tucker Customer Care team.
Don't forget, you can create a free MyTucker account setup saved searches, receive email alerts, save your favorite homes, and even take notes on any listing on TalkToTucker.com.
Currently, there are no active or pending listings in this search area. Please expand your search criteria to include listings from nearby areas or reach out to one of our local real estate experts for assistance.
F.C. Tucker Company is Indiana's largest independent real estate brokerage with offices located throughout the state. We offer a full range of real estate services including mortgage, title services, relocation, and more.


text:
The roll-out of Healthcare.gov was a public relations disaster, and the political consequences may last until 2016. But, with the Obamacare signup deadline just 11 days away, there are unexpected signs of momentum. Of course, it's not over yet. We get a progress report. Also, President Obama ramps up sanctions against Russia while the EU waits, and nonstop news coverage without any news.
Banner image: The NBA's LeBron James pitches Obamacare


text:
The 9th most popular skeptic argument is that we're heading into an ice age. The whole premise of the website Ice Age Now is that a new ice age could begin any day. Considering the skeptic aversion towards alarmism, it's surprising that this idea has gained so much traction. In the interest of lowering skeptics' stress levels, its time to put all those ice age fears to rest once and for all.
Just a few centuries ago, the planet experienced a mild ice age, quaintly dubbed the Little Ice Age. Part of the Little Ice Age coincided with a period of low solar activity termed the Maunder Minimum (named after astronomer Edward Maunder). It's believed that a combination of lower solar output and high volcanic activity were a major contributor (Free 1999, Crowley 2001), with changes in ocean circulation also having an effect on European temperatures (Mann 2002).
Figure 1: Total Solar Irradiance (TSI). TSI from 1880 to 1978 from Solanki. TSI from 1979 to 2009 from PMOD.
Could we be heading into another Maunder Minimum? Solar activity is currently showing a long term cooling trend. 2009 saw solar output at its lowest level in over a century. However, predicting future solar activity is problematic. The transition from a period of 'grand maxima' (the situation in the latter 20th century) to a 'grand minima' (eg - Maunder Minimum conditions) is a chaotic process and difficult to predict (Usoskin 2007).
Let's say for the sake of argument that the sun does enter another Maunder Minimum over the next century. What effect would this have on Earth's climate? The difference in solar radiative forcing between Maunder Minimum levels and current solar activity is estimated between 0.17 W/m2 (Wang 2005) to 0.23 W/m2 (Krivova 2007). In contrast, the radiative forcing of CO2 since pre-industrial times is 1.66 W/m2 (IPCC AR4), far outstripping solar influence. Add to this the extra CO2 emitted in upcoming decades and other greenhouse gases such as methane. The warming from man-made greenhouse gases far outstrips any potential cooling even if the sun was to return to Maunder Minimum levels.
However, our climate has experienced much more dramatic change than the Little Ice Age. Over the past 400,000 years, the planet has experienced ice age conditions, punctuated every 100,000 years or so by brief warm intervals. These warm periods, called interglacials, typically last around 10,000 years. Our current interglacial began around 11,000 years ago. Could we be on the brink of the end of our interglacial?
Figure 2: Temperature change at Vostok, Antarctica (Barnola 2003). Interglacial periods are marked in green.
How do ice ages begin? Changes in the earth's orbit cause less sunlight (insolation) to fall on the northern hemisphere during summer. Northern ice sheets melt less during summer and gradually grow over thousands of years. This increases the Earth's albedo which amplifies the cooling, spreading the ice sheets further. This process lasts around 10,000 to 20,000 years, bringing the planet into an ice age.
Not all interglacials last the same amount of time. An ice core from Dome C, Antarctica offered a glimpse of temperatures going back 720,000 years. Climatic conditions 420,000 years ago were similar to current conditions. At that time, the interglacial lasted 28,000 years, suggesting our current interglacial may have lasted a similar period without human intervention (Augustin 2004).
The similar conditions between now and 400,000 years ago are due to similar configurations in the Earth's orbit. At both times, the forcing from orbital variations showed much less change then in other interglacials. Simulations with the current orbit find that even without CO2 emissions, the current interglacial is expected to last at least 15,000 years (Berger 2002).
Of course, the question of how long our interglacial lasts without human intervention is moot. We are intervening. So what effect do our CO2 emissions have on any future ice ages? This question is examined in one study that examines the glaciation "trigger" - the required drop in summer northern insolation to begin the process of growing ice sheets (Archer 2005). The more CO2 there is in the atmosphere, the lower insolation needs to drop to trigger glaciation.
Figure 3 examines the climate response to various CO2 emission scenarios. The green line is the natural response without CO2 emissions. Blue represents an anthropogenic release of 300 gigatonnes of carbon - we have already passed this mark. Release of 1000 gigatonnes of carbon (orange line) would prevent an ice age for 130,000 years. If anthropogenic carbon release were 5000 gigatonnes or more, glaciation will be avoided for at least half a million years. As things stand now, the combination of relatively weak orbital forcing and the long atmospheric lifetime of carbon dioxide is likely to generate a longer interglacial period than has been seen in the last 2.6 million years.
Figure 3. Effect of fossil fuel CO2 on the future evolution of global mean temperature. Green represents natural evolution, blue represents the results of anthropogenic release of 300 Gton C, orange is 1000 Gton C, and red is 5000 Gton C (Archer 2005).
So we can rest assured, there is no ice age around the corner. To those with lingering doubts that an ice age might be imminent, turn your eyes towards the northern ice sheets. If they're growing, then yes, the 10,000 year process of glaciation may have begun. However, currently the Arctic permafrost is degrading, Arctic sea ice is melting and the Greenland ice sheet is losing mass at an accelerating rate. These are hardly good conditions for an imminent ice age.
Thanks to John Cross for putting me onto a few very relevant papers while preparing this post.
Posted by John Cook on Wednesday, 27 January, 2010
The Skeptical Science website by Skeptical Science is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. |


text:
The skin is an organ that creates a boundary between our internal physiological system and the environment, thereby protecting against external insults such as UV and cosmic radiation, reactive oxygen species, air pollutants and mechanical damages. Skin is also an important part of the immune system and prevents against excessive water loss through the epidermis.
Located externally, the skin bears the signs of its daily contacts with environmental stresses, which translates into the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin tone and decreased skin hydration. Ultimately, the deleterious consequence of UV radiation – actinic aging – conjugates with the inevitable chronological aging in the appearance of signs of aging.
At the molecular level, constant exposure of skin to the environment may trigger the formation of free radicals, depletion of endogenous antioxidants, suppression of immune functions and the activation of specific matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). From a physiological standpoint, these molecular reactions may be associated with oxidative stress, membrane lipid peroxidation, weakened immune surveillance, inflammation and the progressive dismantlement of the extra cellular matrix (ECM) 3-D structure. The collapse of the ECM is believed by many to represent a key event in the loss of skin elasticity and hydration and in the appearance of signs of aging.
Biotechnology-based cosmetic companies have developed numerous topical formulations aimed at alleviating the appearance of signs of aging by acting directly on the underlying molecular mechanisms. In some cases, these topical formulations have proven to be efficacious in improving the skin appearance of consumers. However, applying active ingredients on the surface of the skin may not be the only mode to provide benefits to the skin.


text:
Need a last-minute costume for our Comic-Con mixer on July 18? No problem! As a connoisseur of procrastination myself, I know that waiting until the last minute to prepare a costume can be as stressful as it is a unique and beautiful catalyst for creating stunning, creative accoutrements.
Here's a simple way to create your own bare bones superhero costume:
- Regular clothes
- Underwear (that can fit over your outerwear)
- A large swath of fabric
- Paper
- String
- Markers
Step 1: Pick a super-identity.
I chose "Copy Man" because I'm a copywriter.
Step 2: Pick out clothes that fit your super-identity.
I picked what I wore today to work … because I'm a copy writer.
Step 3: Put on clothes from step two.
Already on!
Step 4: Put underwear over clothes (bonus points if they also fit your super-identity or are really cute).
Sorry, if I had thought about this step before I left the house I would've worn cuter underwear.
Step 5: Find large piece of fabric and drape it over your shoulders.
Instant cape! Mine's made from a curtain, fixed together with earbuds.
Step 6: Make a mask out of the paper and string.
Feel free to color yours in, but I wanted a more monotone palette.
Step 7: Draw a symbol on a piece of paper to represent your super-identity.
CM = Copy Man!
Step 8: Affix symbol to your shirt.
Tape is a beautiful invention.
Bonus step: Create awesome headgear or props with more paper and/or other found objects.
TA-DA! DONE. This took me, like, 15 minutes to put together, so if a friend of yours tries to come up with excuses on how they don't have time to put a costume together before our Comic-Con Mixer at 7 p.m. on Friday July 18, tell them, "NO EXCUSES!"*
*You don't have to wear a costume, but they are encouraged! See you Friday!


text:
Nathan: It's funny. You know. No matter how rich you get, shit goes wrong. You can't insulate yourself from it.
- Ex Machina
Resolute against a rising tide of gentrification - the face of Brockley 2015 |
Here was a terrible restaurant that had clung on for a decade of dear life in defiance of its lack of customers, occupying one of the most prominent locations in Brockley in order to do nothing with it.
The previous owners could often be seen staring forlornly out of their front window, wondering why the growing numbers of people wandering past wouldn't come in. Then, a new team took over, put the emphasis on flavour and character and delivered an immediate turnaround in its fortunes, proving once again that Brockley residents will flock to quality. It was a lesson that businesses across the area finally seemed to have learned and there were upgrades to be found everywhere.
The Brockley Barge smartened up, the Chandos de-danked and Villa Toscana pulled off the same trick as Essence of India, with the same effect. 'Authentic' Brockley's standard-bearer Top Chef rebranded as the eclectic Pistachio while Spar ousted the lacklustre Nisa, made space among the crisp packets for a Cook concession and immediately became the people's choice among local supermarkets. The tasty but hapless Bird of Paradise restaurant was replaced by stylish salon Blue Tit, which magicked a hoard of new customers out of thin air and Meze Mangal proved to itself that it could smarten up its act and pull in twice as many diners each night.
Elsewhere, professional outfits mushroomed too.
In New Cross, Cafe Crema is to be replaced by Out of the Brew (a venue that has swapped political statements for beer taps), while three pubs have been reimagined: The sepulchral Haberdasher is to become a jolly Fat Walrus, the rowdy Hobgoblin is now merely lively as the Rose and the execrable White Hart is in serious danger of getting good.
The success of Deptford's crowdfunded community cinema proved that amateurs don't have to be amateurish, while the organisers of the comically bad Heritage Festival reminded us what can go wrong if they are.
Alongside this wave of independent professionals arrived the first wave of big business interest in greater Brockley. The supermarkets are arriving en masse (two more Asdas and Sainsburys opened or declared themselves this year) and Costa Coffee pitched up in New Cross.
While Barratt and Cathedral group have spent the last few years transforming our surrounds, Brockley has been largely untroubled by big builders - instead enjoying the dubious benefits of smaller developers. In 2015, major developers made the running: The Notting Hill Housing Association made rapid progress on a large site off Tanner's Hill, Boultbee began to peel the wrapping off 180 Brockley Road and Campus Village submitted plans for two major student blocks on Shardeloes and Wickham Roads.
In aggregate, these changes represented the most rapid pace of development in Brockley's recent history - driven by and reflected in some of the fastest rising house prices in the country. This then, is what the dread force of Gentrification looks like. So what did Brockley's year teach us about this most-feared of urban phenomena? It showed us that for all the column inches it generates, gentrification is rather a weak force.
Gentrification – and the professionalism that has accompanied it – has superficially changed much, but fundamentally changed little. Brockley is still the same place I started writing about in 2007, with the same strengths and weaknesses, but with more trees, more places to sit – and more young people sitting in them.
- Contrary to some fanciful predictions by local bloggers, an influx of workers from the City and Canary Wharf hasn't changed the political map of the area one jot – Labour's grip on the local reins of power tightened at this year's general election, while the borough's left-wing activism grabbed an even greater share of national headlines. Conservative Brockley remains an historical curiosity.
- The vaunted political power of the middle classes hasn't prevented the local primary school capacity crunch reaching crisis point, although it might be a contributing factor to the slew of good news that arrived in 2015 in terms of future rail and bus provision.
- If the wonderful Brockley Street Art Festival seemed to some like the area's history of artistic subversion had been co-opted by the man, it didn't smother individual moments of joyful anarchy that continued to dot the local landscape throughout the year.
- Jones of Brockley, Honeybourne's and Benedict's Coffee may represent a slick, genteel new wave of local high street businesses, but idiosyncrasy has not been wiped from our streets. Tiny beer shops, archway jerk restaurants and skater cafes abound, while Paranhodu, The Delight House and Longhorn have shown that this is more than ever a place where any kind of entrepreneur with an idea and some talent can give it a go. And rest assured, the hygiene standards of local food places are as low as ever.
- Gentrification's footsoldiers, The Brockley Deli and Masala Wala, may have conquered the badlands of Brockley Cross, but 2015 produced some of the worst violent crimes in Brockley's recent history, in parts of the neighbourhood least-touched by hipsters.
2015 was the year that taught us that the stuff that matters - the culture and community - is a lot more resilient than some would have us believe. However many nice places to sit Brockley produces, nothing ever really changes. And this year, we got the photographic evidence to prove it.
In other words, you can put a shiny new supermarket in SE4, but you won't stop a Brockley cat from doing as he pleases as he sits on your shelves. Then again, the cat's name is Olly, so perhaps he's part of the problem.


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Jasper 11X11
The Jasper by Arctic Spas is built with outdoor living in mind, combined with the protection of being fully-enclosed. Huge windows let the breeze in, and screens keep the bugs out. This model has lots of features with a mid-size footprint that suits almost any yard. With the vinyl window kit add-on, you can manage your climate, no matter what it's like outside. Add a bay kit and watch your living area grow!
Styling also available as:
- 11×11 | Okanagan
Colour: Blacksmith
Please consult your local Arctic Spas dealer for availability of this model.


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Diaries & Journals | Immigration
Reports | Illustrated
London News | Trivia | Frequently
Asked Questions
Transcribed and submitted to TheShipsList
by Robert
Adelaide, from a variety of sources, cited below. ship Wandrahm, 702 tons, Captain H.E. Decker, from Hamburg 23rd April 1854, arrived at Port Adelaide, South Australia 8th August 1854 (maiden voyage) The South Australian Register, Wednesday
August 9th 1854:—
note.— There are very
few surviving original lists of German passengers, so
the data below has been compiled from a variety of sources,
such as contemporary newspaper(s), internet sources,
input from descendants and the South Australian Heraldry
Genealogy society, (SAGHS).
note: where maiden name of wife is indicated, it has been included in the given name column within ( )
Sources: State Library South Australia, official passenger lists, mainly of immigrants arriving in South Australia under United Kingdom assisted passage schemes, 1847-1886 GRG 35/48a (formely ACC 313); Sydney Shipping Gazette; South Australian Register; The South Australian Government Gazette; Biographical index SA 1836-1885 (the B-index column indicates individuals who may be found in that index, with corresponding reference number for further research) TheShipsList | SA German Passenger Lists TheShipsList®™ - (Swiggum) All Rights Reserved - Copyright © 1997-present


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HONG KONG — Hong Kong police on Tuesday said they arrested nine people on suspicion of engaging in terrorist activity, after uncovering an attempt to make explosives and plant bombs across the city.
The arrests come amid a political divisive time in Hong Kong, two years after months of massive pro-democracy protests rocked the semiautonomous Chinese city. The arrests come a year after Beijing imposed a harsh new security law on the former British colony.
Of the nine arrested, six are secondary school students. The group were attempting to make the explosive triacetone triperoxide (TATP) in a homemade laboratory in a hostel, police said.
They planned to use the TATP to bomb courts, cross-harbor tunnels, railways and even planned to put some of these explosives in trash bins on the street "to maximize damage caused to the society," police said.
The nine arrested are five men and four women between 15 and 39 years old, according to Senior Superintendent Li Kwai-wah of the Hong Kong Police National Security Department.
Authorities said they seized apparatus and raw materials used to make the TATP, as well as a "trace amount" of the explosive. They also found operating manuals and about 80,000 Hong Kong dollars in cash.
Police also froze about 600,000 Hong Kong dollars in assets that they say may be linked to the plot. The group all planned to leave Hong Kong for good, and were planning to conduct the sabotage in Hong Kong before the left the city, authorities said.
TATP has been used in terrorist attacks worldwide. Since 2019, Hong Kong police have arrested multiple people over alleged bomb plots and for making TATP.
Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam said at a regular news briefing Tuesday that she hopes the members of the public will "openly condemn threats of violence."
"They should not be wrongly influenced by the idea that there is only government tyranny ... but that breaking the law is in order, if you're trying to achieve a certain cause," she said. "They should not be influenced into thinking that they can find excuses to inflict violence."
Lam said that an envelope of "white powder" had been sent to her office. Police said Tuesday that the substance was still being analyzed but that they did not believe it to be dangerous.
In December 2019, authorities defused two bombs at a local Catholic school. A remote-controlled homemade bomb was also detonated near a police car in 2019, when the anti-government protests were ongoing.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Cape Town Baptisms 1665-1695
The members of the original settlement at the Cape from 1652 onwards were supplied by the Dutch East India Company with a sieketrooster (a lay reader). He held Sunday services where he was allowed to read sermons (but not preach) and to instruct the children in their religion, but not to offer communion, or to marry or baptise. Sieketroosters up to 1665 were Willem Wylant, Pieter van der Staal, Ernestus Back and Jan Jorisz Greef.
Marriages were conducted either by the Commander (civil marriages were part of the normal system in the Netherlands) or by ministers passing on ships calling at the Cape and these latter also conducted any baptisms required.
Eventually the Dutch East India Company management decided to appoint a resident minster at the Cape (all such religious ministers were company salaried officials) and on 18th August 1665 Dominee Johannes van Arkel landed at Table Bay. Later a church was built and its present day successor is the Grote Kerk in Cape Town. The particular sect was then known as the Hervormde Kerk, modern South African equivalent the Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk.


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(Forgive any typos, I've been awake all night with Leta who has yet another high fever. Damn these winter bugs.)
On Tuesday night Leta had a double piano lesson, an unusual event for that night of the week. Last week she missed her lesson due to illness and this week her teacher is out of town for the normal Thursday night event. I usually look forward to these nights that I get to spend out alone with Marlo, the two of us eating dinner at Whole Fruits where, as I'm paying for dinner, she will tell the cashier, "My mom is going to buy me three cookiesth from over there," having not discussed this with me beforehand.
I did not buy her those cookiesth. At least, not right then.
Tuesday night I felt trepidation, however, being on day two of a five-day juice cleanse. Yes. A juice cleanse. One of those things. Those fads. Those ridiculous things that people do to their bodies that some would argue have no nutritional benefit whatsoever. Juice and only juice for five straight days. You've already skipped to the bottom of this post to leave a comment calling me an idiot. Listen. My being an idiot has nothing to do with deciding to do a juice cleanse and everything to do with my I.Q. So try to be accurate in your comment.
I feared that walking into a Whole Fruits, especially one with a wide and varied food court, would be somewhat uncomfortable. Not unlike arm wrestling a toaster in my bathtub. All those amazing smells and more amazing smells and even more amazing smells? There would be amazing smells and I would be smelling them. Juice cleanses should come with a complimentary clothespin for your nose.
Our Whole Fruits makes a killer chicken tikka masala that I always put on the same plate as a mound of rice for Marlo. She calls it "the sthpicy sthtuff" and mixes it with a few bites of her rice, and when she noticed that I wasn't filling the plate with it she tapped me on the leg several times.
"What? I'm getting you rice," I explained. "You were really excited about the rice."
"Meow," she said in return.
"Oh god, with this again."
Marlo does this thing that is a lot more adorable than I am giving her credit for where she will say "meow" in a very clipped voice, very soft and low, her lips barely moving. And she knows it's frustrating to everyone but her and yet simultaneously hysterical.
"Meow is not helping me."
"You tapped my leg for a reason."
She finally took mercy on me and repeatedly used her index finger to point to the chicken tikka masala. "The sthpicy sthtuff."
"Oh, you want some. That's awesome. Meow. NOW I HAVE TO SMELL IT."
I added a few spoonfuls to the plate thinking that the aroma would knock me over with a hunger pang, but this has been the most surprising thing about this cleanse AND THERE HAVE BEEN MANY SURPRISING THINGS AT LEAST TWO ALREADY.
I don't feel hunger like I thought I would. Here I am on the morning of the fourth day of this cleanse and the only time I felt actual hunger was when I forgot to drink the lunch portion Tuesday afternoon. Okay. That's not true. Twice. I experienced hunger twice. Once Tuesday afternoon. The first time was the first night when Leta was eating a bean and cheese burrito and I sized that thing up and realized I could fit the whole thing down my throat without chewing it. TECHNICALLY NOT A SOLID FOOD SINCE I WOULDN'T BE USING MY TEETH. I also contemplated eating the granite countertop.
I had this idea that since I've already eliminated most of the bad stuff from my diet that this cleanse would be a lot easier than it has been: I don't eat any grains. I rarely consume any dairy. I eat no processed sugar. But day one hit me like a hammer to the head and the fatigue has been grueling. I battled several hours with my brain on the first night over whether or not to give up, ultimately calling on the same quadrant in my skull that kept my feet moving during the marathon. And so here I am on the morning of day four still going, still thinking that people who enjoy these cleanses are certifiably insane.
WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE? Take out your batteries and show them to us.
Mornings are fantastic (minus this morning, this morning was not fantastic). I feel rested when I get out of bed, and I haven't been able to say that in a very long time (minus this morning, I was not rested this morning). However, there is a debilitating afternoon slump that verges on paralyzing. I eat a lot of animal protein, so I'm guessing my body is missing this component of my usual diet. I get so tired that I feel like I could sleep through a Republican winning the presidential election.
Why did I do this? I've talked with several friends who've done something similar, all for different reasons. I got a little off track with my diet in Haiti and continued down several winding paths throughout the holidays (good lord, the bowls and bowls of roasted pistachios). I wanted a hard reboot. A fresh start. I wanted to look at my cravings (HELLO, SALT), examine them from a distance and see what I could do better. I also wanted this exercise in self-discipline that many religious people including Mormons go through as a means of self improvement. This isn't technically a fast, but there is a similar goal: the delay of gratification. If you listen to your brain during the more painful moments, you learn quite a bit about yourself and how your body copes. You realize how strong you can be. It's interesting to grapple with your weaknesses in such a visceral and raw way.
I'd never do this for longer than five days. It's just not compatible with my exercise regimen. This isn't for everyone, no. It doesn't cure diseases. It will not solve your credit problems or improve your relationship with your father. It will not organize your closet or clean out your garage. You might lose weight but I'm willing to bet you'd put most of it right back on once you went back to your normal way of eating. I'm sharing this here only because it's an honest account of what this feels like in case you were ever considering the same endeavor. These are all my initial thoughts on this process. It's not fun, and when it's over I will most likely examine the pros and cons in a more thorough way and share that with you. (Earlier I saw a box of raisins—RAISINS—and I thought, "What a glorious food!" Glorious. If I saw a the sun setting over the ocean right now I think my brain would explode.)
But here, just on the other side of halfway through, I've learned so much about myself. It's already been worth it.


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Friday, February 17th, 2012
Grimes' Visions; let her show you them
Raphaël OulletWho would have thought that the title of Canada's queen of electro-pop would be such a contested one? Just last year, Toronto's Katie Stelmanis-fronted Austra seemed to have the title locked down, having collected numerous accolades both at home and abroad for their debut album Feel It Break. And yet just a few months later, it's Vancouver native and Montreal resident Claire Boucher who operates as Grimes that everyone is talking about, what with her new record Visions set for release next week.
Not that it's a competition, of course, and beyond the superficial there's not that much in common; Visions is Grimes' fourth album (but her first for indie juggernaut label 4AD) so if it is indeed her breakout album – and the just-awarded "Best New Music" won't hurt – it's been a long time in coming. And her sunnier sound, defined by Boucher's affection for both dream-pop and R&B and her infectious chirp of a voice, is rather a far cry from Austra's darker, goth-indebted aesthetic and Stelmanis' operatic vocals. So why draw parallels? Lazy writing, of course, and the fact that it's nice to have someone at the ready to pick up the Canadian electronic flag and run with it while Austra lays low and recovers from a whirlwind year.
The Georgia Straight, The Washington Post, The Province, Exclaim, Pitchfork, Prefix, The Guardian, The National Post, and SF Station all have feature pieces on Grimes and NPR has Visions available to stream in its entirety. Grimes is at The Horseshoe on March 19 and you're damn skippy it's sold out.
MP3: Grimes – "Oblivion"
MP3: Grimes – "Genesis"
Stream: Grimes / Visions
It's not a total dearth of Austra happenings, though – their recent jaunt to Australia has yielded this video of a radio session wherein they cover Robyn.
Video: Austra – "None Of Dem"
Southern Souls has an interview with The Elwins, who are celebrating the release of their debut And We Thank You this coming Tuesday with a new video premiered at aux.tv and an album stream at Exclaim. They play a record release show at the Burroghes Building on February 24 and will also look to chase your CMW hangover away with a set at Rancho Relaxo on March 25 at 11PM.
MP3: The Elwins – "Stuck In The Middle"
Video: The Elwins – "Stuck In The Middle"
Stream: The Elwins / And We Thank You
Contra gets to know Army Girls. Their next show is March 10 at the Bovine Sex Club opening up for Carole Pope and they're waiting to be scheduled in for Canadian Musicfest at the end of the month.
Cold Specks has announced details of her debut album, to be called I Predict a Graceful Expulsion and due out on May 22 on Arts & Crafts at home and Mute worldwide. A video for the first single has just been released and she will be at The Music Gallery on March 22 as part of Canadian Musicfest – a much better setting for her than The Phoenix, I'd say. This show is in addition to the already-announced June 2 appearance at The Music Hall opening for Great Lake Swimmers.
Video: Cold Specks – "Holland"
John K Samson talks to Exclaim about what's in store for the next Weakerthans album, which he'll get started on when he's done being a solo act. Samson does the solo thing at The Great Hall on March 22.
Beat and Nine To Five help introduce Dan Mangan to Australia. He plays The Indie Awards at The Royal York on March 24.
Spencer Krug's Moonface has announced the April 17 release of With Sinai: Heartbreaking Bravery, a collaboration with the Finnish band Sinai. The first MP3 sounds like this.
MP3: Moonface – "Teary Eyes And Bloody Lips"
The new Miracle Fortress video from Was I The Wave? has premiered at IFC; a must-see for anyone who's ever wanted to set Graham Van Pelt on fire.
Video: Miracle Fortress – "Raw Spectacle"
Bry Webb gets into the end of the Constantines with Spinner.
Southern Souls chit-chats with Olenka Krakus of Olenka & The Autumn Lovers.
NPR has posted a World Cafe session with Kathleen Edwards.
It's not the specifics of the new album Spectral Dusk that I've been patiently waiting for, but this unexpected Evening Hymns cover of a Trembling Blue Stars tune is pretty nice as well. Spectral Dusk is due out sometime in the Spring.
Stream: Evening Hymns – "If I Handle You With Care"
Torotonist, The AV Club, and NOW (in two parts) salute Toronto music showcase Wavelength on the occasion of its twelfth anniversary; the party goes all weekend.


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Easter parties are great events to have for children in your ministry. Here some things to consider.
When will you have the party? Easter Sunday after church is not a practical time. But you could have the party during church on Easter. Or you could have the party after church on Palm Sunday. The Saturday before Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday are good times to have it as well.
What type of party will you have?
Easter Egg Hunts: These are very popular, but they have drawbacks. You need to have church property large enough to hide the eggs to make if fun. If you don't, look for a park or a parent's yard where you can hide eggs. Don't use real eggs. Buy the plastic eggs from the dollar store and stuff them with candy or toys you can buy in bulk. Or you can put tickets in the eggs the children can use to purchase prizes. That way, each child gets prizes. You'll also want grand prizes you can give away to children who collect the most eggs. Easter baskets work good for this. In some areas of the country, snow and rain are problems at this time of year. If that's the case, make sure to schedule a rain date.
Easter Carnival: A carnival can work well even indoors. Call your local carnival rental place and see if they'll donate the games for the carnival. Some places will if the games aren't being used. Also if you have a carpenter in your church, consider having him make some games you can use. You can give out tickets, candy, or prizes for each game won.
Fun Sunday: If you have the party during or after church on a Sunday, consider having pizza, pop, and treats for the children. You could also show an Easter movie in the sanctuary on the "big screen" like in a movie theater. You could have gospel illusions, games, crafts, and other activities.
How Will You Present The Message: An Easter party is a prime opportunity to present the message of salvation to children. Think of a gospel illusion, story, or object lesson you can use for a short 5 minute message.
Get Donations: Contact pizza places, bowling alleys, skating rinks, and fast food restaurants to see if they'd be willing to donate free gift certificates to their establishments that you can give as door prizes. Most businesses are willing to do this.
Plan Ahead: Get the workers you need. Decide how you'll spread the word. Find people to set up and do follow-up. The better you plan ahead, the better this party will go.
Pray: This is a great opportunity to reach unchurched children. Pray for God to move during this party.


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Pastor on the Roof
Pastor Corey Brooks has been living on the roof of a dilapidated motel building for seven weeks, coming down only when another young black male from his neighborhood dies.
Brooks, pastor of New Beginnings Church on Chicago's Southside, just officiated his twelfth funeral for a young black male in the past year. His church is in the middle of two violent neighborhoods, Englewood and Woodlawn, which have seen an increasing number of homicides. The murder rate rose about 40 percent in the past year in Englewood, and about 30 percent in Woodlawn.
It was this violence that drove Brooks to the roof. Gunfire erupted at the tenth funeral in November, and after that incident, Brooks decided to take more drastic action. He vowed to fundraise $450,000 to knock down the vacant Super Motel across the street and build a community development center.
He envisions the center as two buildings: one with a community focus — including classrooms, a music and TV studio for youth and Christian counseling services — and the other with an economic development focus—including restaurants on the first floor and a few floors of mixed income housing.
Brooks has fundraised more than half his goal and has until March 30 to purchase the land. But in the meantime, Brooks spends his days reading, praying, taking phone calls and tweeting from his tent on the roof. UrbanFaith went up to the motel roof to talk to Brooks about inner-city Christianity and youth violence when he was celebrating his birthday last Monday. The interview below has been edited for length and clarity.
URBAN FAITH: How would you describe the violence in Woodlawn and Englewood right now?
COREY BROOKS: I would describe it as abnormal, a humanitarian issue we all need to be concerned about. One of the problems is that people don't see it as a humanitarian issue. They see it as a black issue, a hood issue. Even though the city of Chicago claims the murder rate is going down, in African American areas, it's either staying the same or going up. It's like we have two Chicago's.
Why is a community center for youth such a critical need here?
This neighborhood is a desert. You don't have recreational facilities, you have poor educational facilities, you don't have any grocery stores for nutrition, you don't have any safe environments where kids can play basketball, do theater or music. It becomes essential because if these children don't have anything to do, then we turn them over to the streets. They'll learn crime and learn how to live on the streets.
Somewhere along the line, we need to break that cycle of violence. These kids, they're not going to be street kids or be in gangs. We need to provide a safe environment for them to grow, be mentored, and reach their full potential.
You came down from the rooftop to officiate two funerals last week, and you later tweeted that over 150 youth came to Christ during these services. How did that happen?
At funerals of young people, I always try to give an invitation to Christ and present the gospel, clear and precise, so people are challenged with the opportunity to become a Christian. Now we're trying to develop what we call a spiritual detox, when we take kids away for three days, get them out of the environment and really make sure we get Christ in them. We've never done that before, but that's what we want to do. So now I'm tweeting, "Hey, I need a place for a retreat."
But at the end of the day, I believe the church is the hope of the world, so I want them to have Jesus. A child that has Jesus in their life can make it on little education, in a bad family, with a whole lot working against them.
We have a lot that we're working against. It's hard to present Jesus in this neighborhood where Christians don't have must to show for. But if we can establish that we have schools, facilities, jobs, it'll be attractive. I want Christianity in the urban area to look more attractive. Who wants to just go to church, and that's it? The extent of my Christianity is church?
What's it going to take to make Christianity more attractive in the inner-city, something that young people will want to join?
In the inner-city, one, our churches need makeovers. If you go to our church, it looks contemporary, you'll see murals and things that draw interest, so when kids come in it gives them the wow effect. A lot of our churches are antiquated, and they're built that way. They need a major overhaul internally, how they look. Secondly, our systems and structures are outdated. How we do church has to change. And finally, what we do outside church, the extension of our outreach, has to be updated as well. I think the inner-city churches of America need a serious revival in order for neighborhoods to change.
What would that revival look like?
It would look like it did Thursday and Friday, when all those kids were coming down the aisle and people were getting saved. I went to Grace Theological Seminary and studied Billy Sunday. They would say Billy Sunday would do these revivals and crusades, and they would last weeks and people would get saved.
I've never seen that happen in an inner-city area. They say it happened in the '30s in Los Angeles with Azusa, but I don't know any contemporary movement where there's such a power and movement of God. And at the end of the day, that's what I long for. I'm on this roof, and I want to purchase this hotel and turn it into a community development center. But more than that, I want to see people come into relationship with Jesus, because at the end of all this, that's all that will matter.
During the funeral services, you didn't give a traditional eulogy, but instead talked more about urban violence. Why did you decide to take that approach?
For me, those are traditional eulogies. Every funeral I've ever done, I don't talk about the deceased because I don't have a heaven or a hell to put them in. How they lived their life is their testimony. I preach to people who are alive, not to people who are dead. I talk about Jesus and the Bible, how you handle your pain, how you can live from this moment on. For another pastor, eulogy means to speak highly of the one who died. But in most of our bulletins, it says sermon or message, because I'm not giving a eulogy.
Are you getting any backing from Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel?
I sent him a message. I try to be very respectful, but at the same time, I want to hold him accountable. We're not trying to tell him what to do, but we are trying to make sure that he understands we're part of Chicago, and he's responsible for the challenges of our neighborhood as well. As it relates to this particular issue with gun violence and young people being killed prematurely, he is silent.
We need more than anything in the world for him to look at the situation and give us some real true solutions, and the resources to implement his solution. He has a great team of educated people who study this. So they should be able to look at this neighborhood and say, these are the problems, this is how we can fix it. But you just can't ignore it. That's the part that hurts the most, that you have people who could and should do something, but won't.
Did the mayor call you at one point?
Yeah, he called. He appreciated that I was standing against the violence. However, he didn't want me to be on this roof to stand against violence. I'm respectful of the mayor, but I had to disrespect his authority, unfortunately.
What's your prayer for the neighborhood right now?
My number one prayer is for my neighborhood to be safe. It hurts that my 10-year-old son isn't able to experience going outside by himself. I'd like an environment where kids can at least go outside and play and not have to worry about being shot or killed. Whenever I pray that, I always hear God saying, "Make it safe." I need his assistance, but it's my responsibility too. Someone said you pray like it all depends on God, and then you work like it all depends on you. That's how I live my life.
Find out more here. Pastor Corey Brooks can be contacted at 312-813-5211.