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Pink Agate Slab Gemstone Beads - These 'slab' beads were hand cut from agate and dyed with a pink tint. Each strand is sold individually, so you will receive the exact strand which is pictured. Click on the image below and a new page will open offering larger views, a detailed description and purchase information.


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Wildfires are an immediate danger to homes and people. The scorched hillsides they leave behind can also threaten drinking water for years after the smoke clears. Sam Brasch of Colorado Public Radio reports from one city that is trying to get ahead of the problem.
SAM BRASCH, BYLINE: At the moment, Frank Alfone says Steamboat Springs might have the best water in Colorado.
FRANK ALFONE: So essentially, it's this direction seven miles to the Continental Divide. And that's where all of the water originates for this plant.
BRASCH: Alfone manages the Mount Werner Water and Sanitation District. I met him at the main intake along Fish Creek, which supplies almost 95% of the ski town's water. Alfone says it starts a snowpack high up in the Rockies before cascading down waterfalls, like the one you're hearing now. At the moment, it's a postcard mountain stream, but Alfone doesn't expect it'll stay that way.
ALFONE: It's not if; it's kind of when. So we're trying to do what we can to prepare for it.
BRASCH: The reason, he says, is wildfire. The state's two largest fires are now burning just miles from the watershed.
ALFONE: If there's a fire and then we had a major rain event after that, then we'd get a bunch of ash, a bunch of debris, a bunch of sediment in the actual creek.
BRASCH: Similar circumstances have overwhelmed other water districts. Denver spent millions digging ash and sediment out of reservoirs after one fire. More recently, other communities have paid to have helicopters drop mulch on burn scars to slow erosion. But Alfone says his district has a plan developed a couple of years ago.
ALFONE: To kind of look at what areas are most prone and are likely to potentially have a wildfire and what can we do to be prepared for that.
BRASCH: Fernando Rosario-Ortiz studies how fires impact water at the University of Colorado Boulder. He says this sort of planning is essential, especially since more than two-thirds of U.S. drinking water comes from forests.
FERNANDO ROSARIO-ORTIZ: It's obvious that climate change is impacting the frequency and intensity of fires, which directly relates to the need for us to be better prepared.
BRASCH: The Steamboat plan details how it'll keep taps running after a fire comes for Fish Creek. One part is to work with residents to try to prevent a fire for as long as possible.
BRASCH: In the Sanctuary neighborhood along Fish Creek, a crew feeds dry brush and branches into a wood chipper. Anne Lauinger leads the homeowners association for the high-end development.
ANNE LAUINGER: We felt under a bit of pressure to get it done.
BRASCH: That's because the water plan found a small fire here could easily rocket up a canyon and burn the whole watershed. Lauinger says that helped her convince some of her neighbors to help pay for this project.
LAUINGER: If you say this is for our community, your neighbors - so that's how we have approached those people.
BRASCH: But while clearing out forests might help prevent a wildfire, Alfone isn't counting on it. That's why his district has already made one major investment outlined in the wildfire plan - a second water treatment plant. It's an emergency backup fed by wells unconnected to Fish Creek. That means if a fire did take out the main water resource...
ALFONE: We would have to limit outdoor watering, limit car washing, limit, you know, cleaning of sidewalks. But we're pretty confident that we can provide water from a different source if this entire source had to be shut down.
BRASCH: Alfone says the next step is to improve this original plant so it can handle some wildfire debris and toxins. The only holdup is money.
ALFONE: As you know, these projects aren't inexpensive. So we're looking at rate increases. We're looking at potential loans. We're looking at grant opportunities, too.
BRASCH: Including federal disaster grants. And on that front, Alfone is newly optimistic. President Biden recently doubled the size of a program to help pay for projects like improving the Fish Creek treatment plant. Alfone says his district just might qualify, especially since it already figured out what it needs to do. For NPR News, I'm Sam Brasch in Steamboat Springs, Colo.
(SOUNDBITE OF THE NATIONAL SONG, "EMPIRE LINE") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

subset: commoncrawl


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Life is short, but the days and nights are long Time will heal all these wounds Some day soon I'll be rising I'll be strong
But now I'm losing all my battles Now I'm down and dropping still And this snow's blowing through Like some ghost With this blue I know too well
Broken hearts keep on beating just the same So I guess I can too Go through these moves Facing forward, walking straight But now my glance keeps drifting downward Now my feet can't find their way And this cold's creeping in Through my bones Whisperin' it's here to stay
I know there's light on some horizon But I can't see so far ahead Patience and grace, blessed is love I'm losing my faith In most of that stuff those wise men said


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We, along with a wider group of funders, recognise that the covid-19 outbreak is an exceptional event that will have an impact on civil society groups, and want to offer reassurance that we stand with the sector during this time. We wish to be as helpful as possible during the coming weeks and months so that civil society groups can focus on the vital work of supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. We understand that there will be times when staff and volunteers will not be available, when beneficiaries may need services to be provided in different ways, or when systems need to be flexible to ensure that needs are met.
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The White House President George W. Bush |
Print this document |
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 29, 2003
Interview of the President by TV3, France
The Library
Q Mr. President, are you going to forgive the French attitude on Iraq? What are you going to tell President Chirac when you're going to see him face to face?
THE PRESIDENT: Sure.
Q Are you still mad at him? Are you going to take sanctions against France?
THE PRESIDENT: No, no. No sanctions -- I'm not mad. I mean, I'm disappointed, and the American people are disappointed. But now is the time to move forward. And there's a lot of issues that we can work together on. I know that Jacques Chirac feels strongly about Africa, and so do I. And, therefore, we can work together, for example, on the AIDS pandemic in Africa. I laid out a bit initiative here for the American people, and the Congress passed a $15-billion, five-year plan to work on HIV/AIDS in Africa. And there would be an opportunity, for example, for America and the French to work together to solve some big problems.
And I'm going to remind him, just like I'm going to remind a lot of people, that we can do a heck of a lot more together than we can arguing with each other. And I can understand why some didn't agree with our policy in Iraq, but it's now time to move forward.
Q Considering the road map, peace in Middle East, you are going to meet most of the protagonists next week, how do you plan concretely to succeed where your predecessors failed?
THE PRESIDENT: Yes. Well, first of all, I appreciate the understanding of Jacques Chirac and the administration about me leaving a little early from Evian to go to the Middle East, where I will first meet with our Arab friends, some of the leaders in the neighborhood, and remind them they have a responsibility to the process. In other words, if they're interested in the achievement of peace, that they must cut off funding, for example, or work to cut off the financing of money to terrorist groups that would like to destroy the process.
Secondly, I believe that the Palestinian Authority -- the new Prime Minister is firmly committed to the defeat of terror and the advancement of a state and the institutions necessary to make a state viable. And so I'm very encouraged by his emergence.
And, thirdly, I believe Israel recognizes it's in their self-interest to support the notion of two states living side-by-side in peace. I'm the first President to have ever proposed that. I did so at the United Nations, and I take that vision into the Middle East knowing that the process is going to be difficult. But I believe that people now see the necessity of achieving that end result.
Q Mr. President, what do you answer to the American press that are trying to say that you have not released yet the proof of the existence of arms of massive destructions in Iraq? What do you answer to them?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, they must not be paying attention, is what I answer, because we've discovered mobile biological laboratories, the very same laboratories that Colin Powell talked about at the United Nations, the very same laboratories that were banned by the resolutions of the United Nations.
Q The situation in Iraq is far from being stabilized. We have seen some American soldiers killed. Do you fear the rise of Muslim fundamentalism in this region against the occidental world, against United States? And do you fear at the same time the risk of creation of an Islamic republic backed by neighboring Iran?
THE PRESIDENT: No, I don't fear that. I think the Iraqi people want to run their own state. They don't need to have an Iranian-backed regime. I think the Iraqi people are plenty capable of managing their own affairs.
Secondly, I fully recognize that democracy didn't flourish overnight. But I didn't expect it to. This is a country which has been ravished by a brutal dictator who murdered and tortured to stay in power. And it wasn't all that long ago that they were liberated from Saddam Hussein. So it's going to take a while.
And, therefore, I've told Jerry Bremer that our government, my government, will be patient, as he makes progress toward improving the lives of the Iraqi people. And I say "he," it's not only Jerry Bremer and the United States, there's a lot of people that are involved with the reconstruction of Iraq. And as life returns back to normal, and as we get a hold of the situation -- particularly in Baghdad -- of the killers and people that are wreaking havoc -- in other words, as we bring security to the neighborhoods -- you'll see a good, democratic government emerge.
Q Is Iran a preoccupation for you? The ayatollahs with al Qaeda, which might be in that country attacking the United States?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, we are concerned -- we are concerned that there's al Qaeda inside of Iran and have made our concerns very clearly. And this will give me a chance to do so again. To the extent that they have got al Qaeda in their country, we expect them to detain them and eventually hand them over to their countries of origin. There's no preoccupation. Our main focus right now is to find al Qaeda wherever they exist and bring them to justice. And we will do that. We'll continue to do that. And we expect others to join us.
And I want to compliment the French for joining in this fight against al Qaeda. The French intelligence service have been very good to work with, and we've shared intelligence which has made France more secure and America more secure. And for that I'm grateful.
Q Mr. President, I want to thank you very much, and I definitely wish you all the best and great success for the future.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, sir. Thanks for coming.


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Hello All,
What certification can we go for next after CISSP, any suggestions?
It depends very much on how you'd like to develop your career. There are of course the 3 CISSP concentrations in architecture, engineering and management. You could also take the cloud certification or also look at the CSA certification in the same area. A number of people follow the path to auditing security so look at ISACA CISA, ISO 27001 Lead Auditor etc, but it depends how you'd like to develop in the future.
Depend on where you want to be security for the next 5 years. Personally, I'm looking to secure CCSP for the sake of trend. Cloud solution replacing traditional on-premise infrastructure is inevitable.
I think you mean CCSP? And I agree. CCSP is the most valuable cert after CISSP if you ask me.
You can choose one of three CISSP concentrations for your next big thing. Which one to choose depends mainly of your job profile. I am preparing for the CISSP exam at the moment, but my personal next big things are CMU SEI Software Architecture, TOGAF, AWS Solution Architect PRO and also I would like to continue my master studies in IT.
I agree with the cloud suggestions. We are moving to the cloud and cloud adoption rates are increasing.
Really need to qualify what it is you want to drive your career. Don't rack up certs in areas that you have no desire or responsibility in as that just looks hokey over time. Meeting people who have never audited or expressed any interest in doing so with auditor certificates is a bold letter example.
Obtain certs that help you achieve your career goals not just fill pixel space.
Good travels.
I'm working on my CCSP, personally. There are also a number of good certs outside the local ecosystem. If you want something more hands on look into some of the pentesting certs.
@bughunter449 wrote:
What certification can we go for next after CISSP, any suggestions?
General career builder: PMP (and then maybe circle back around for the ISSMP or CCSP).
Thanks everyone for the suggestions.. any good reads / book for CCSP


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Hi everyone! Sorry for the lapse here in blogland but life has just been too crazy and has actually given me a chance to look into the future of this 'ole blog. More to come on that at a later date once I decide things. That being said........thank you for checking in on me! I soo appreciate each one of you that take your time to stop by and comment. This means much more than I can ever say here! So I've had some major things happening lately with my workplace and it has stressed me out completely. On top of that we purchased a new vehicle and well, enough said. :)
So, are you ready for my monthly 12 Kits of Christmas post? This month Joyce was our hostess and she is interrupting the regularly scheduled 12 Kits of Christmas to bring us a new program! We are celebrating Chanukah here this month!
Here is some background info: Chanukah, also spelled Hanuka or Hanukkah, is not a very important Jewish holiday, but it is a fun one, nevertheless. It celebrates the rededication of the temple in Jerusaleum after it was attacked by the Greeks, and is also known as the festival of lights. It is normally celebrated by lighting candles on a Menorah, playing dreidel, and eating latkes (Potato pancakes). And, of course, presents. In 2012, Chanukah starts the evening of Saturday, December 8 and ends the evening of Saturday, December 16th.
April Kit
{photo courtesy of Kara}
First of all, aren't the colors of this kit incredible? So bright and cheery! I chose to create a little favor it box that was entirely embellished with ingredients from this kit. This box can be filled with Chanukah Gelt (chocolate coins) for a fun little gift.
Next up is a card created to finish the gift but can certainly be used for any occasion. I will most definitely be using my Tranquility Trilogy set after this! (yes yes, it's not been used.....come on, I know you have sets like this too!)
Here is the set together.....................
Here is the list of wonderful, talented, awesome ladies that help us celebrate each and every month. Please go check out their blogs and see what they have created with Joyce's Chanukah kit!
Joyce {Cards-by-the-Sea}--May Hostess


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In a seminal paper [1] from 1958, Franco Modigliani and Merton H Miller showed why investors should not care about whether firms were financed with debt or equity. This led to the idea of the debt irrelevance proposition and although the DIP is a theoretical benchmark rather than a real world rule, the 1958 paper by Modigliani and Miller remains a key contribution to finance literature. We should not however extend the same role to the recent attempt by researchers [2] to re-invent the DIP in a new guise replacing "debt" by "demographics." Allow me to explain why.
Demographics, Just Forget About It ...
My point of departure is Edward Chancellor's recent GMO letter in which he tackles what he considers to be the non-issue of Japan's dire demographics. He emphasizes two things: firstly, that economists are notoriously poor at predicting demographic variables and secondly he notes that whatever relevance demographics might have for macroeconomic analysis at large (of which Mr. Chancellor appears skeptical) it is irrelevant for the investor.
Besides, long-term demographic forecasts aren't particularly relevant for equity investors. It's true that changes in the population have a sizable impact on GDP growth. But stock market returns are not positively correlated with economic growth. Returns from equities are a function of valuation and future returns on capital – a subject to which I will return later – rather than changes in GDP. Nor is there a positive correlation between population growth and stock market returns. In short, investors should not get too hung up on inherently unreliable long-term demographic projections for Japan.
It is important to underline, in fairness to Chancellor, that the points are made with specific focus on Japan but the argument seems to have a more general hue. This is even more obvious in relation to one of Chancellor's main references in the form of Morgan Stanley analyst Alexander Kinmont's note entitled The Irrelevance of "Demographics"? Kinmont puts up the following four points which I will use as my points of reference:
1. It is not clear that demographic estimates are accurate over long time frames. In fact, while spurious specificity is one of the attractions of demographics as a talking point, the fact that neither death rates nor birth rates have proven predictable should caution one against accepting any assertion about demographics.
2. It is not clear that demographics are the critical variable in determining the level of economic growth. That role falls to the growth rate of TFP.
3. It is not clear that equity returns are related to absolute levels of growth. Equity returns are an issue of valuation. Nominal returns are greatly affected by inflation too.
4. It is not clear that demographic change, even if it is allowed as a negative for economic growth, is necessarily negative for stocks, as certain forms of demographic change may be associated with a rising equity market multiple. Demographic change could in fact represent a benign environment for stocks.
On the first point Kinmont makes points to the irony that the worry about Japanese demographics seems to be peaking just as Japanese fertility is on the mend. This is a cheap shot though and not one which stands up to scrutiny. First of all on the fertility trend itself, I get the same chart as Kinmont's below using data from the World Bank showing a rebound in Japan from a low point of 1.29 in 2003 and 2004 to 1.37 in 2009. However, Indexmundi which takes its data from the CIA World Factbook has fertility much lower and actually declining in Japan. The latest data point from the CIA World Factbook reports an estimate of TFR in 2011 is 1.21. This is a pretty steep difference and I invite comments as to suggest the right number or at least the right trend.
All this is of course underlines Kinmont's point that we don't know the future and that economists have a proven track record for abysmal forecast performance. Still, we should get our concepts right at the offset. Long term projections in age structures are likely to be robust as they are a function of people already being born and while migration may change the course of aging in any given country the fact that we are all aging at the same time means that there are fewer migrants to go around. I would then claim that aging does matter and that understanding how an economy such as Japan adapts to the aging of its population remains one of the most vexing and important issues for social scientists and investors alike.
So when Kinmont implies that low fertility in Japan is a non-issue I have to strongly oppose. Just take a look at the chart above Kinmont himself uses. Fertility has been below replacement levels in Japan since 1970 and on current growth rates (assuming a constant growth rate of fertility which in itself is dubious to the extreme) fertility levels would reach replacement levels some time in 2030-40. So, that would be 60 years with below replacement fertility. Even if fertility in Japan (and again in most of the OECD) took a discrete jump to replacement levels it would do very little to change the outlook for aging in the immediate future.
In claiming that demographics do not matter Chancellor are Kinmont are taking a very wide brush over the general recognition in the academic literature that our economic systems tend to hit a snag once fertility falls below a certain level (a TFR of 1.5). This is also called a fertility trap and what it means is that it becomes very difficult to escape negative population dynamics once they set in. I emphasize this since it highlights that we are not, as a friend of mine likes to point, simply shooting arrows into the void when we point to the importance of these issues. I recommend the following presentation by Wolfgang Lutz et al and the paper that goes with it or this old post at AFOE by Edward if you are still not convinced.
In terms of the postulated increase in Japanese fertility since the mid-2000s it is a positive development, but as is evident from the data this rebound is extremely uncertain. In addition, we need to know whether this is just an echo of the tempo effect (and thus how large the rebound is likely to be) or whether it reflects a real change in attitudes on quantity. I am open to contributions here but the only thing we can for certain is that aging, in Japan and the rest of the OECD, will continue its march onwards. Here I also feel that Kinmont puts up a straw man when he invokes the idea of Japan's population going to zero;
The unrevealed assumption, then, behind the mathematics used to arrive at widely-used population estimates is that the Japanese population will drop to zero. One cannot help but suggest that the logic of demographic pessimism is circular.
I want to re-emphasize that the issue here is not predicting fertility and death rates but recognizing the effect that the current and past trends have on aging today and tomorrow. Try the recent work by Wolfgang Lutz, Warren C. Sanderson, and Sergei Scherbov if you want to see the cutting edge here and while uncertainty is still a key variable, aging remains a tangible reality. The main question issue I would like to get across is then that the demographic transition manifests itself in a transition of aging and that this essentially becomes our main unit of analysis.
Growth and Demographics, No Connection?
Kinmont and Chancellor argue that demographics are likely to be less important for growth over time as total factor productivity (TFP) growth tends to be the main driver of growth.
Japan could quite easily grow at a good rate, especially in per capita terms, for a high-income developed country even in the face of a falling population (or more precisely a falling working age population). All that is required is for TFP growth to accelerate back to the level of growth enjoyed by Japan prior to the bursting of the Bubble in 1989. TFP slowdown preceded the population peak. Variation in TFP performance not in labour input growth is likely to be larger than the negative effects of population change.
This is an important point and more importantly, Kinmont offers an argument to explain the declining labor input in Japan's economy which links in with the fact that Japan has been stuck in deflation and at the zero lower bound for the best part of two decades (my emphasis).
Labour input has in fact fallen at an accelerating pace over the past 20 years. It is clear that the fall is principally a decline in man-hours. This cannot be simply a function of a decline in the working age population because that decline only began in 2000. Instead, its origins must lie in rising unemployment and under-employment. A persuasive new paper, The Paradox of Toil, by a researcher at the NY Fed [3] argues that a decline in labour input is a natural consequence of a deflationary economy with zero (or effectively zero) interest rates.
In short, the declining labor input in Japan is a function of deflation and being stuck at the zero lower bound. In addition, this Fed Researcher Kinmont refers to is Gauti Eggertson who studied under Krugman at Princeton and did most of his initial work on the liquidity trap and the zero lower bound. So, I would be careful getting in his way without a strong look at the argument.
I think however that we might be dealing with the problem of a missing link in the sense that demographics may be one of the primary sources of deflation and the liquidity trap in the first place. This is an argument that has been pushed in Japan's case in the sense that it was a lack of pent up demand that held Japan back in the 1990s as well as deleveraging. Indeed, Japan may hold a cautionary tale on the effects of a balance sheet recession in an economy where fertility has been below the replacement level for an extended period. The Eurozone peripheries (e.g. Ireland) that have even ceded monetary policy to Frankfurt are case studies to this theory I think.
I would also emphasize that as labor input declines so does, obviously, consumption (aggregate demand) input which again feeds into the paradox of thrift in the closed economy (or perhaps even a realization crisis?). In an open economy it leads to export dependency as domestic investment activity responds to foreign demand as well as the excess income you earn from a positive net foreign asset position (if you are so lucky as to have one) becomes a crucial source of growth.
Another more fundamental point is that if the total factor productivity growth (TFP) is a residual what is actually hidden in this residual? Well, I had a wack at the whole argument a while ago from the perspective of the academic armchair.
Technology and productivity are famously assumed exogenous in the Neo-Classical tradition while New Growth theory as it was developed in the 1980s and 1990s emphasised the need to specifically account for the evolution of technology. Today, I would venture the claim that there is a consensus that productivity and technology is a function of what we could call, broadly, institutional quality which encompass almost anything imaginable from basic property rights to the level of entrepreneurship. Indeed, a large part of research is still devoted to pinning down exactly which determinants that are most important here both across countries and through time. Now, I would argue that, in the context of standard growth theory, this is where the scope for the study of the effect of population dynamics is largest. Thus I don't think it is unreasonable to expect the level and evolution of productivity growth and technological development to be a function of the current population structure but also its velocity which is a function of e.g. migration (new inputs?), future working age size etc. Also, this is also where human capital and the evolution of technology is joined at the hip through the idea of innovative capacity and readiness.
Once we venture into the notion of endogenous growth theory and thus the attempt to directly explain the sources and components of total factor productivity growth there is growing evidence that age structure/demographics alongside a host of other variables are important. Try the list of contributions is long. You just need to read around a bit.
I would argue then that growth and prosperity of the modern capitalist welfare state is highly conditional on some form of demographic balance and Japan has long since moved beyond into unbalanced territory. Basically, Japan is stuck in a liquidity trap as well as a fertility trap. The latter works along the lines of depressing consumption demand and making it very difficult to maintain key economic structures such as pension systems. In addition, aging affects the growth path of an economy and leads to export dependency, this last point however which I concede is not yet an established fact in literature.
What about stocks then?
We seem to have two intertwined arguments here. Firstly, the extent to which demographics may have an influence on growth is irrelevant for the investor since you can't buy GDP growth anyway. Secondly, the evidence of a correlation between demographics and equity prices is weak and indeed, if anything, should be bullish for Japan (this last point is made by Kinmont).
Thus the FT summarized the latest findings of the London Business School team of Dimson, Marsh and Staunton, as published in the Credit Suisse Global Investment Returns Yearbook, 2010. The LBS academics examined all the available data (83 markets), and concluded that "99 per cent of the changes in equity returns could be attributed to factors other than changes in GDP". (...) Growth is not all that it is cracked up to be. This analysis underscores previous academic findings showing that growth per se to be of only small importance to stocks.
It would be unwise to disagree with the gist of this point. Even if I can make a connection between demographics, growth, and investor performance, it is very likely that buying into such a story at too high a valuation will lead to poor returns. Buying at the right value is the most important aspect of any investment decision.
This however is not the same thing as saying that just as long you make sure to "buy cheap" poor demographics, low growth, etc. are completely irrelevant. Rather, I think that the extent to which the modern investor needs to understand a decidedly more complex macro picture with lingering deflation, heightened risk of sovereign defaults and zero lower bounds the understanding of demographic dynamics is key. We are then again discussing the question of deflation and low interest rates in Japan:
The origin of Japan's problems is falling valuation when compared with the rest of the world. When we note in addition that it is excesses of inflation or the arrival of deflation (that is, monetary phenomena reflecting policy errors) which tend to reduce market average valuations, we feel it safe to conclude that demography will have next to nothing to do with the longer-term return profile of the Japanese market either in nominal or real terms.
I feel this is a very dangerous claim to make because it assumes that the deflation dynamics of Japan and indeed the problems facing the Bank of Japan in reviving credit growth are unrelated to demographics. In addition there is the unintended consequence of BOJ having to monetize an ever greater amount of JGB issuance in the future which in itself becomes more paramount as Japan ages.
On the second point regarding a direct relationship between demographics and stock prices (asset prices in general if you will) I think Kinmont does better especially because he does not fall into the asset meltdown hypothesis trap. In short, the asset meltdown hypothesis states, in a US context, that as the baby boomers retire they will dissave and thus need to sell off their financial assets to a market which cannot support the flow, because the generation in the working age years is smaller, and that this will lead to an "asset meltdown." Generalized, this is then the classic (and naive) nexus between life cycle economics and financial markets which postulate that dissaving into old age is rapid and imminent.
There are two problems here. Firstly, the empirical (and indeed theoretical literature) has found it very difficult to verify that dissaving occurs among elderly cohorts to the extent postulated by the standard life cycle theory. Secondly, the relationship between asset prices and broad demographic aggregates appears weak. Results differ from country to country and most studies take place in a US and Anglo-Saxon setting which tend to bias the results further.
Kinmont does however point to a study by Geanakoplos, Magill and Quinzili [4] which show how the ratio of the 45-54 age group to the 25-34 age group is closely related to P/E ratios. As this ratio is set to increase in Japan, Kinmont ventures the idea that, if anything, perhaps you would want to buy Japan on the basis of demographics.
I have read the research by Geanakoplos et al and I find it intriguing, but my problem is that it does not control for the old age dependency ratio which suggests that the key ratio will be correlated with aging in general. But I should be hesitant disregarding it on the basis of this hunch. I am preparing a large panel data set at the moment on demographics and stock prices with the aim to essentially rejuvenate a literature which seems too focused on the asset meltdown hypothesis noted above.
On a more general level, demographics and investment has been a core theme in the post crisis flow into emerging markets which, by and large, share the characteristics of being in the middle or at the end of their demographic dividend. Again, this does not nullify the importance of valuation and certainly, the recent soft patch notwithstanding, many emerging markets are still looking expensive.
Where goes the DIP then?
If you build your story up around the notion that investors buy value and not GDP growth you can easily come to the conclusion that demographics are irrelevant for the investor at large. This however would be a mistake.
I would be the first to wish for a return to a state of affairs in which investors needed only to look at valuation and firm fundamentals to make their decisions. Today however, you need to understand the macro backdrop and in order to do that you need a firm grip on how demographics affect macroeconomics. Pointing out that we are poor at predicting birth and death rates as well as pointing to weak evidence between growth and demographics do not cut it. We need not to predict fertility and mortality but instead we need to understand the effects of aging already present and there is plenty of evidence that demographics affect the growth rate and growth path of the economy.
I am more sympathetic to the strict relationship between stocks and demographics which is fickle and not well understood. Clearly, there is not presently any convincing model or framework which suggests how and why you might be able to buy sound demographics on a beta level. My main bet is that demographics should, at least, be used to qualify the notion of the global market portfolio and especially that demographics be used to re-balance such a portfolio over time.
In conclusion, Kinmont and Chancellor bring up some valid and good points in their attempt to brush away demographics as an important input variable to investment and macroeconomic analysis but you shouldn't be fooled. Just as was the case with the original DIP you accept this new version at your peril.
[1] - Franco Modigliani and Merton H Miller (1958) – The Cost of Capital, Corporation Finance and the Theory of Investment, American Economic Review 48 (June 1958) pp. 261-297.
[2] - GMO White Paper - After Tohoku: Do Investors Face Another Lost Decade from Japan?, Edward Chancellor and Morgan Stanley Japan Strategy - The Irrelevance of "Demographics"?, Alexander Kinmont. I realize that I have lately been referring to sources and pieces of research which by nature of their origin (banks, research firms etc) are behind subscription walls. I am sorry, but I will make sure to produce relevant quotes so that my readers can follow the issues and arguments. I cannot upload full PDF versions of the reports for obvious reasons and I hope my readers will understand.
[3] - The Paradox of Toil, Gauti Eggertsson, Federal Reserve Bank of New York Staff Reports, no. 433, February 2010
[4] - Demography and the Long-run Predictability of the Stock Market. John Geanakoplos, Michael Magill, and Martine Quinzili; August 2002, Revised: April 2004. Cowles Foundation Discussion Paper No. 1380
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The director of the National Security Agency said Wednesday that once-secret surveillance programs disrupted dozens of terrorist attacks, explicitly describing for Congress how the programs worked in collecting Americans' phone records and tapping into their Internet activity.
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Vigorously defending the programs, Gen. Keith Alexander said the public needs to know how the programs operate amid growing concerns that government efforts to secure the nation are encroaching on Americans' privacy and civil liberties.
"I do think it's important that we get this right and I want the American people to know that we're trying to be transparent here, protect civil liberties and privacy but also the security of this country," Alexander told a Senate panel.
Alexander said he will provide additional information to the Senate Intelligence Committee in closed session on Thursday and hopes to have as many details as possible within a week. He said he wants the information to be checked first by other agencies to ensure that the details are correct.
But he also warned that disclosures about the secret programs have eroded agency capabilities and, as a result, U.S. allies and Americans won't be as safe as they were two weeks ago.
"Some of these are still going to be classified and should be, because if we tell the terrorists every way that we're going to track them, they will get through and Americans will die," he said, adding that he would rather be criticized by people who think he's hiding something "than jeopardize the security of this country."
He was questioned at length by senators seeking information on exactly how much data the NSA collects and the legal backing for the activities. He did not give details on the terror plots he said had been disrupted.
Half a world away, Edward Snowden, the former contractor who fled to Hong Kong and leaked the documents, said he's not there to hide from justice and has faith in "the courts and people of Hong Kong to decide my fate."
"I am neither traitor nor hero. I'm an American," Snowden told the South China Morning Post about his disclosures of top-secret surveillance programs that have rocked Washington.
Snowden said in the interview published Wednesday that he hasn't dared contact his family or his girlfriend since coming forward as the leaker of NSA documents. "I am worried about the pressure they are feeling from the FBI," he said.
The FBI visited his father's house in Pennsylvania on Monday.
Snowden resurfaced in the Chinese newspaper after dropping out of sight since Sunday. Snowden said he wanted to fight the U.S. government in Hong Kong's courts and would stay unless "asked to leave." Hong Kong is a Chinese autonomous region that maintains a Western-style legal system and freedom of speech.
U.S. law enforcement officials have said they are building a case against Snowden but have yet to bring charges. Hong Kong has an extradition treaty with the United States; there are exceptions in cases of political persecution or where there are concerns over cruel or humiliating treatment.
Snowden told the paper from a location the paper didn't disclose that he has no plans to leave.
"I have had many opportunities to flee (Hong Kong), but I would rather stay and fight the US government in the courts, because I have faith in (Hong Kong's) rule of law," he said.
On Tuesday, a phalanx of FBI, legal and intelligence officials briefed the entire House in an attempt to explain National Security Agency programs that collect millions of Americans' phone and Internet records. Since they were revealed last week, the programs have provoked distrust in the Obama administration from around the world.
House members were told not to disclose information they heard in the briefing because it is classified. Several said they left with unanswered questions.
"People aren't satisfied," Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Pa., said as he left the briefing Tuesday. "More detail needs to come out."
While many rank-and-file members of Congress have expressed anger and bewilderment, there is apparently very little appetite among key leaders and intelligence committee chiefs to pursue any action. Most have expressed support for the programs as invaluable counterterror tools and some have labeled Snowden a traitor.
Congressional leaders and intelligence committee members have been routinely briefed about the spy programs, officials said, and Congress has at least twice renewed laws approving them. But the disclosure of their sheer scope stunned some lawmakers, shocked foreign allies from nations with strict privacy protections and emboldened civil liberties advocates who long have accused the government of being too invasive in the name of national security.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has complained that Director of National Intelligence James Clapper misled a Senate committee in March by denying that the NSA collects data on millions of Americans. On Wednesday, Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., called for Clapper to resign.
"Congress can't make informed decisions on intelligence issues when the head of the intelligence community willfully makes false statements," Amash posted on Facebook.
Some Congress members acknowledged they'd been caught unawares by the scope of the programs, having skipped previous briefings by the intelligence committees.
"I think Congress has really found itself a little bit asleep at the wheel," Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., said.
Associated Press writers Lara Jakes, Kimberly Dozier, Frederic Frommer, Alan Fram, Andrew Miga and Pete Yost contributed to this report.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.


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About the Hotel
Charming, friendly, and set in a beautiful garden. Unique in Costa Rica. This is Guayabo Lodge on the slopes of the active Turrialba Volcano. We are a family run eco lodge, renown for our good service, accessible rates, and great views all around us. The smoking Turrialba Volcano to the North, the valley with the town of Turrialba and the Angostura lake to the South; Santa Cruz and the Caribbean to the East and the Cerro de La Muerte on the background to the West.
We have become a destination on our own, as well as providing travelers with a resting point on their way to the beaches of the Caribbean, the South Pacific and the Tortuguero area. Our guests enjoy the fresh mountain air, our beautiful gardens full of birds and plant species unique in this area.
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Photo: AALBORG CSP
Solar district heating is attractive business. Not only does this become obvious when looking at the 347 MWth of newly installed SDH capacity in Denmark in 2016, but also when one hears about Big Solar, a 250 MWth collector field – with 1.8 million m2 of seasonal storage – planned to cover 20 % of the energy demand in the Austrian city of Graz by 2020. It certainly explains the high interest in international research platform Towards the Integration of Large SHC Systems into DHC Networks, or Task 55 of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme. "We welcomed 33 participants from eight countries during our second project meeting in Aalborg in mid-March, and even had to limit the number of participants per company because of the huge demand," explained Sabine Putz, Operating Agent of Task 55 and COO and Head of R&D at S.O.L.I.D.
Close cooperation between research institutions and turnkey solar thermal suppliers is necessary to realise SDH systems with high solar fractions and low cost per kilowatt-hour. Another key member of the research platform besides S.O.L.I.D. is Arcon-Sunmark, a Danish supplier of large-scale solar thermal systems. Jiao Qingtai, Deputy General Manager of its Chinese-based joint-venture partner Sunrain Solar Energy, heads the subtask on Components Testing, System Monitoring and Quality Assurance.
Arcon-Sunmark has signed a letter of interest with the regional Austrian energy provider Energie Steiermark in July about intending to set up and operate the above-mentioned Big Solar plant, with S.O.L.I.D. as the junior partner. "A project development business called SWV Solar Wärme Versorgungs GmbH [translates as Solar Heat Supply Company]" had already been founded in Graz, Gerald Moravi, Managing Director of Energie Steiermark, confirmed during his presentation at the Smart Energy Systems Week Austria 2017 in Graz on 17 May. The next steps would be to establish a heat delivery contract between Energie Steiermark Wärme and SWV and acquire the land on which to set up the installation. Moravi said that the project would need 100 hectares, or one-third of the area that the city´s airport had. The project partners had also been advancing the technical design of the plant and prepared the documents for the building permit, which should be available in the second quarter of 2018.
Diagram of hybrid SDH solution with collector field and absorption chiller units Figure: S.O.L.I.D.
"Big Solar is a great case study for Task 55 because it is one of our major objectives to research and develop SDH solutions connected to absorption heat pumps and seasonal heat storage," explained Putz. These hybrid SDH solutions are to be evaluated based on static and/or dynamic simulation methods. In addition to the collector field, Big Solar is planned to include six 16 MW absorption heat pumps, which connect the storage tank to the heating grid.
Another interesting case study seems to come from Tibet, where the Chinese government has big plans for extending the district heating network, and solar heat could be an option across an area which enjoys double the irradiation Denmark does.
Websites of organisations and projects mentioned in this article:


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See original version at bahai-library.com/momen_encyclopedia_western_accounts.
COLLECTION | Encyclopedia articles |
TITLE | Early Western Accounts of the Babi and Bahá'í Faiths |
AUTHOR 1 | Moojan Momen |
NOTES | Written for possible inclusion in The Bahá'í Encyclopedia. Posted with permission of both the author and of the editor of the Encyclopedia project. Mirrored with permission from momen.org. |
CROSSREF | Babi and Bahá'í Religions 1844-1944: Some Contemporary Western Accounts |
TAGS | Bábísm; Bábísm, Early Western Accounts of; Bahá'í Faith, Early Western Accounts of; Bahá'í history; Bahá'í studies |
CONTENT | Bahá'í (and Bábí) Faith, Early Western
Accounts of The Bábí movement created a great deal of
turmoil in Iran, thus it soon aroused some interest in the West also. Initially
news of the movement reached the West through newspaper accounts and traveler's
reports, while the western governments received information from their
diplomatic staff.
The first known account of any of the events relating to Bábí and Bahá'í history was the report sent by the British consul in Baghdad, Major Henry Rawlinson, to the British Foreign Office relating to the arrest and imprisonment of Mullá `Alí Bastámí in early 1845. The first published account was that of proclamation by the Báb of his mission in Mecca and the arrest and punishment of four of the Báb's disciples in Shiraz, and the arrest of the Báb. This account appeared in The Times of London on 1 November 1845. Other important early accounts include those of Lady Mary Sheil, the wife of the British Minister in Tehran, in her book, Life and Manners in Modern Persia (London, 1856, pp. 176-81, 273-82); Dr Jakob Polak in Persien. Das Land und seine Bewohner (Leipzig, 1865, p. 350) as well as the reports sent by the foreign diplomatic representatives resident in Iran, Lt-Col. Justin Sheil, the British minister, Prince Dimitri Dolgorukov, the Russian minister, and Joseph Ferrier, the French agent. Most of these early accounts described the Bábís as violent revolutionaries and socialists--which no doubt reflected both the official Iranian government account of the movement and the prejudices of the writers. It was the appearence of the book Les Religions et les Philosophies dans l'Asie Centrale (Paris, 1865) by Arthur, Comte de Gobineau (q.v.) which more than anything else served to bring the Bábí movement to the attention of the West. This book, together with Mirza Kazem-Beg's book, Bab i Babidui (St Petersburg, 1865), which also came out in French translation in the Journal Asiatique in 1866, gave rise to a large number of articles in many of the well-known magazines of Europe and North America (for a list of these, see BBR 23-26). So great was the coverage given to the new religion that, in 1871, the well-known writer and critic Matthew Arnold was able to say that Babism was a movement "of which most people in England have at least heard the name." (BBR 25) The interest in Babism remained in literary circles for some time. The French writer Jules Bois says that: "among the littérateurs of my generation, in the Paris of 1890, the martyrdom of the Báb was still as fresh a topic as had been the first news of his death. We wrote poems about him. Sarah Bernhardt entreated Catulle Mendès for a play on the theme of this historic tragedy." (BBR 50) References to the Báb and the Bábís began to appear in some of the literature of the time, such as in the Portuguese novelist Eça de Queirós' A Correspondencia de Fradique Mendes(Lisbon, 1889, pp. 48-54), the French writer A. de Saint-Quentin's Un Amour au Pays des Mages(Paris, 1891), and the poem by the Austrian Marie von Najmajer, Gurret-ül-Eyn: ein Bild aus persiens Neuzeit (1874). This literary interest was continued into the twentieth century in such works as E.S. Stevens' novel The Mountain of God (1911) and the Russian writer Izabella Grinevskaya's dramatic poem entitled Bab (1903). During the second half of the nineteenth century, a great many travelers to Iran published accounts of their journeys. Several of these contain some interesting information about the Bábís and Bahá'ís. Among the more important of these accounts were by the Italian Michele Lessona, I Babi (Turin, 1881), the Pole Aleksandr Jablonowski in articles published in Blucz in 1871 and Gazeta Polska in 1875, the Spaniard Adolfo Rivadneyra, Viaje al Interior de Persia (Madrid, 1880-81, vol. 1, p. 244), and the French woman Mde Dieulafoy, La Perse, la Chaldee et la Susiane (Paris, 1887, pp. 77-87). News that the Bábí movement had, for the most part, transformed itself into the Bahá'í Faith was slow to reach the West. There were a number of early reports of Bahá'u'lláh's pre-eminence, most notably that of Dr Thomas Chaplin, published in The Times on 5 October 1871, and of Laurence Oliphant, published in the New York Sun on 10 December 1883. There were also some references to the change that was happening among the Bábís in Iran, the first published reference being probably in Arthur Arnold, Through Persia by Caravan (1877, vol. 2, pp. 34-5); but there does not appear to have been any general appreciation of the full significance of this change until the researches of E.G. Browne (q.v.) and the arrival of the Bahá'í Faith in the West in the 1890s. After Gobineau's book, interest and coverage of the new religion reached a second peak during the time of `Abdu'l-Bahá's journeys to the West (1911-1913). Newspaper and magazine articles covered his journeys in a great deal of detail. Bibliography A more detailed survey of this subject appears in BBR 3-65. Full bibliographic details of the works referred to above can be found there. For newspaper and magazine coverage of `Abdu'l-Bahá's Western journeys, see AB 144-371; and Ward, 239 Days. |
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary August 10, 2004
Remarks by the President Nominating Congressman Porter Goss to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency The Rose Garden
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all for coming. I'm pleased to announce my decision to nominate Congressman Porter Goss as the next Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Porter Goss is a leader with strong experience in intelligence and in the fight against terrorism. He knows the CIA inside and out. He's the right man to lead this important agency at this critical moment in our nation's history.
The work of the CIA is vital to our security. America faces determined enemies who plan in many nations, send trained killers to live among us, and attack without warning. This threat is unprecedented, and to stop them from killing our citizens, we must have the best intelligence possible. The men and women of the CIA must penetrate closed societies and secretive organizations. They must overcome challenges of language and culture and learn things that our adversaries don't want us to know. Because their work is secret, the men and women of the CIA receive little recognition, but they're protecting our country every day.
Since September the 11th, our intelligence professionals have worked with great determination to stop another attack on America, and our country is grateful.
Director George Tenet and acting Director John McLaughlin have served our nation with distinction and honor. And now, with the agreement of the U.S. Senate, the CIA will have another strong leader in Porter Goss.
I've given Porter an essential mission to lead the agency for the challenges and threats of a dangerous new century. He is well prepared for this mission. Porter Goss brings a broad experience to this critical job. He's a former Army intelligence officer with a decade of experience in the CIA's clandestine service. He knows the agency, and he knows what is needed to strengthen it. He understands the importance of human intelligence. He was a CIA field officer on two continents. He'll make sure that the men and women of the CIA have the capabilities and skills they need to penetrate the hard targets and denied areas, and to get to know the enemy first hand. He also knows the importance of investing in technologies that allow us to look and listen better. And he will work to ensure the agency remains on the cutting edge of technological change.
As Chairman of the House Select Committee on Intelligence since 1997, and as a member on the Commission on the Roles and Capabilities of the United States Intelligence Community, he has been a leading voice on intelligence and national security and terrorism. He's been a force for positive change. His experience on Capitol Hill will serve him well at the CIA, because he's respected on both sides of the aisle, and because he understands the important role Congress must play in the effort to improve our nation's intelligence capabilities.
Over 15 years of service, Porter Goss has built a reputation as a reformer. He'll be a reformer at the Central Intelligence Agency. I look forward to his counsel and his judgments as to how best to implement broader intel reform, including the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.
I appreciate your many years, Porter, of service to our country. I appreciate your willingness to serve. I'm grateful that you've agreed to step forward and serve once again. Welcome.
CONGRESSMAN GOSS: Thank you very much, Mr. President. Thank you very much, Mr. President. I'm obviously deeply honored, and I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity -- you've outlined a very strong challenge.
I think every American knows the importance of the best possible intelligence we can get to our decision- makers. It is vital, as the President has well said. What many Americans don't realize is that we've got an awful lot of people around the globe doing very, very hard work -- long hours in dangerous situations. The essence of our intelligence capability is people. And we have some wonderful Americans doing a great job.
I used to be part of them when I worked for CIA. I'm very proud to be associated with them again. And I look forward to the challenges of the future. I also look forward to the confirmation process with the Senate. As a member right now on the Hill I know the value of that and the importance of that.
Thank you very much, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: Good job, thank you, sir.
CONGRESSMAN GOSS: Thank you, sir.
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Phos Hilaron
Phos Hilaron (Φῶς ἱλαρὸν) is an ancient Christian hymn originally written in Koine Greek. The hymn is known in English as 'Hail Gladdening Light,' or 'O Gladsome Light.' It is the earliest known Christian hymn, recorded outside of the Bible, that is still being used today. The hymn is featured in the Vespers of the Orthodox Church.
The song is first recorded by an unknown author in the Constitutiones Apostolicae which was written in the late 3rd or early 4th century A.D. It is found in a collection of songs to be sung in the morning, in the evening, before meals, and at candle lighting. Phos Hilaron is to be sung at the lighting of candles in the evening and so is sometimes known as the 'Candle-light Hymn'. Despite some of the words to the other three songs being from Scripture or in one case dated to around 150 AD, Phos Hilaron is the first to be considered an actual hymn in the modern sense. It is certainly the first complete example. It is far more rhythmic than the others and is divided into twelve verses varying between five, six, eight, nine, ten and eleven syllables a verse. Basil the Great (ca. 330 - January 1, 379) spoke of the singing of the Phos Hilaron as a cherished tradition of the church, the hymn being already considered old in his day (though some attribute the composition of the song to St Basil himself).
At that time in Jerusalem a candle was kept perpetually burning in the empty tomb of Christ, its glow a symbol of the living light of Jesus. As Christians gathered to worship the hymn was sung and, in a tradition known as the lighting of the lamps, the candle was brought forth from the tomb, its bright, solitary flame calling the church to celebrate the risen Lord.
Athenogenes, a saint of unknown date but is commemorated 16th July, is believed by some to have composed this hymn on the way to being martyred. He is often depicted as an elderly bishop with the executioner's arm paralyzed until the saint has completed his song. The Roman Martyrology states: "In Pontus, the birthday of Saint Athenogenes, [is celebrated, he was] an aged theologian, who, when about to consummate his martyrdom by fire, sang a hymn of joy, which he left in writing to his disciples." He is probably identical to the bishop who suffered at Sebaste, Armenia, with ten disciples under Diocletian on July 16; therefore estimating his death as around 305 A.D. However, Basil the Great notes the "ancient form" of this hymn, states it comes from antiquity, and states that it is of unknown origin immediately prior to mentioning the story of "the Hymn of Athenogenes, which, as he was hurrying on to his perfecting by fire, he left as a kind of farewell gift to his friends."[1] Basil the Great is clearly stating that Athenogenes wrote a different hymn, which scholars believe to be "Δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις" (Glory to God in the highest), a.k.a. the Great Doxology.
St. Sophronius I of Jerusalem (634-638 A.D), who was known for his poetry, is believed to have revised the hymn.
Φῶς ἱλαρὸν ἁγίας δόξης, ἀθανάτου Πατρός, οὐρανίου, ἁγίου, μάκαρος, Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, ἐλθόντες ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλίου δύσιν, ἰδόντες φῶς ἑσπερινόν, ὑμνοῦμεν Πατέρα, Υἱόν, καὶ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα Θεόν. Ἄξιόν σε ἐν πᾶσι καιροῖς, ὑμνεῖσθαι φωναῖς αἰσίαις, Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, ζωὴν ὁ διδούς, Διὸ ὁ κόσμος σὲ δοξάζει.
English Lyrics - OCA
O Gladsome Light of the holy glory of the Immortal Father, heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ. Now we have come to the setting of the sun and behold the light of evening. We praise God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For it is right at all times to worship Thee with voices of praise, O Son of God and Giver of Life, therefore all the world glorifies Thee.
- Phos Hilaron, Wikipedia
- Vespers, OCA Web Site
- [2], NPNF2-08. Basil: Letters and Select Works


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Peter Berresford Ellis, one of Europe's foremost experts of the Celts, explains how modern research has revealed the amazing similarities between ancient Celt and Vedic culture.
The Druids of the ancient Celtic world have a startling kinship with the Brahmins of the Hindu tradition and were, indeed, a parallel development from their common Indo-European cultural root which began to branch out probably five thousand years ago. It has been only in recent decades that Celtic scholars have begun to reveal the full extent of the parallels and cognates between ancient Celtic society and Vedic culture.
The Celts were the first civilization north of the European Alps to emerge into recorded history. At the time of their greatest expansion, in the 3rd century BCE, the Celts stretched from Ireland in the west, through to the central plain of Turkey in the east; north from Belgium, down to Cadiz in southern Spain and across the Alps into the Po Valley of Italy. They even impinged on areas of Poland and the Ukraine and, if the amazing recent discoveries of mummies in China's province of Xinjiang are linked with the Tocharian texts, they even moved as far east as the area north of Tibet.
The once great Celtic civilization is today represented only by the modern Irish, Manx and Scots, and the Welsh, Cornish and Bretons. Today on the northwest fringes of Europe cling the survivors of centuries of attempted conquest and "ethnic cleansing" by Rome and its imperial descendants. But of the sixteen million people who make up those populations, only 2.5 million now speak a Celtic language as their mother tongue.
The Druids were not simply a priesthood. They were the intellectual caste of ancient Celtic society, incorporating all the professions: judges, lawyers, medical doctors, ambassadors, historians and so forth, just as does the Brahmin caste. In fact, other names designate the specific role of the "priests". Only Roman and later Christian propaganda turned them into 'shamans', 'wizards' and 'magicians'. The scholars of the Greek Alexandrian school clearly described them as a parallel caste to the Brahmins of Vedic society.
The very name Druid is composed of two Celtic word roots which have parallels in Sanskrit. Indeed, the root vid for knowledge, which also emerges in the Sanskrit word veda, demonstrates the similarity. The Celtic root dru which means 'immersion' also appears in Sanskrit. So a Druid was one "immersed in knowledge".
Because Ireland was one of the few areas of the Celtic world that was not conquered by Rome and therefore not influenced by Latin culture until the time of its Christianization in the 5th century C.E., its ancient Irish culture has retained the most clear and startling parallels to Hindu society.
Professor Calvert Watkins of Harvard, one of the leading linguistic experts in his field, has pointed out that of all the Celtic linguistic remains, Old Irish represents an extraordinarily archaic and conservative tradition within the Indo-European family. Its nominal and verbal systems are a far truer reflection of the hypothesized parent tongue, from which all Indo-European languages developed, than are Classical Greek or Latin. The structure of Old Irish, says Professor Watkins, can be compared only with that of Vedic Sanskrit or Hittite of the Old Kingdom. This applies not only in the field of linguistics but in law and social custom, in mythology, in folk custom and in traditional musical form. The ancient Irish law system, the Laws of the Fénechus, is closely parallel to the Laws of Manu. Many surviving Irish myths, and some Welsh ones, show remarkable resemblances to the themes, stories and even names in the sagas of the Indian Vedas.
Comparisons are almost endless. Among the ancient Celts, Danu was regarded as the "Mother Goddess". The Irish Gods and Goddesses were the Tuatha De Danaan ("Children of Danu"). Danu was the "divine waters" falling from heaven and nurturing Bíle, the sacred oak from whose acorns their children sprang. Moreover, the waters of Danu went on to create the great Celtic sacred river Danuvius, today called the Danube. Many European rivers bear the name of Danu: the Rhône (ro-Dhanu, "Great Danu") and several rivers called Don. Rivers were sacred in the Celtic world, and places where votive offerings were deposited and burials often conducted. The Thames, which flows through London, still bears its Celtic name, from Tamesis, the dark river, which is the same name as Tamesa, a tributary of the Ganges.
Not only is the story of Danu and the Danube a parallel to that of Ganga and the Ganges but a Hindu Danu appears in the Vedic story "The Churning of the Oceans", a story with parallels in Irish and Welsh mythology. Danu in Sanskrit also means "divine waters" and "moisture".
In ancient Ireland, as in ancient Hindu society, there was a class of poets who acted as charioteers to the warriors. They were also their intimates and friends. In Irish sagas these charioteers extolled the prowess of the warriors. The Sanskrit Satapatha Brahmana says that on the evening of the first day of the horse sacrifice (and horse sacrifice was known in ancient Irish kingship rituals, recorded as late as the 12th century) the poets had to chant a praise poem in honour of the king or his warriors, usually extolling their genealogy and deeds.
Such praise poems are found in the Rig Veda and are called narasamsi. The earliest surviving poems in old Irish are also praise poems, called fursundud, which trace back the genealogy of the kings of Ireland to Golamh or Mile Easpain, whose sons landed in Ireland at the end of the second millennium BCE. When Amairgen, Golamh's son, who later traditions hail as the "first Druid", set foot in Ireland, he cried out an extraordinary incantation that could have come from the Bhagavad Gita, subsuming all things into his being.
Celtic cosmology is a parallel to Vedic cosmology. Ancient Celtic astrologers used a similar system based on twenty-seven lunar mansions, called nakshatras in Vedic Sanskrit. Like the Hindu Soma, King Ailill of Connacht, Ireland, had a circular palace constructed with twenty-seven windows through which he could gaze on his twenty-seven "star wives".
There survives the famous first century BCE Celtic calendar (the 'Coligny Calendar') which, as soon as it was first discovered in 1897, was seen to have parallels to Vedic calendrical computations. In the most recent study of it, Dr. Garret Olmsted, an astronomer as well as Celtic scholar, points out the startling fact that while the surviving calendar was manufactured in the first century BCE, astronomical calculus shows that it must have been computed in 1100 BCE.
One fascinating parallel is that the ancient Irish and Hindus used the name 'Budh' for the planet Mercury. The stem budh appears in all the Celtic languages, as it does in Sanskrit, as meaning "all victorious", "gift of teaching", "accomplished", "enlightened", "exalted" and so on. The names of the famous Celtic queen Boudicca, of ancient Britain (1st century bce), and of Jim Bowie (1796-1836), of the Texas Alamo fame, contain the same root. Buddha is the past participle of the same Sanskrit word — "one who is enlightened".
For Celtic scholars, the world of the Druids of reality is far more revealing and exciting, and showing of the amazingly close common bond with its sister Vedic culture, than the inventions of those who have now taken on the mantle of modern "Druids", even when done so with great sincerity.
If we are all truly wedded to living in harmony with one another, with nature, and seeking to protect endangered species of animal and plant life, let us remember that language and culture can also be in ecological danger. The Celtic languages and cultures today stand on the verge of extinction. That is no natural phenomenon but the result of centuries of politically directed ethnocide. What price a "spiritual awareness" with the ancient Celts when their culture is in the process of being destroyed or reinvented? Far better we seek to understand and preserve intact the Celt's ancient wisdom.


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Framing the View – Annie Taylor Prints
Framing the View is a beautiful hand signed reproduction from the 'Annie Taylor Prints' collection. Printed on Fine Art archival paper with a 75 year Canon Lucient colourfast guarantee using the highest grade print facilities.
Prints will be despatched to you wrapped in acid free tissue paper and rolled in a cardboard tube and should arrive within 4-5 working days of order.
Available in 4 sizes
- Small – 30 x 30cm
- Medium – 40 x 40cm
- Large – 61 x 61cm
- Extra Large – 80 x 80cm
There are a number of prints in this series, and are often bought in pairs to create a wonderful effect.


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In military tradition, the Last Post is the bugle call that signifies the end of the day's activities. It is also sounded at military funerals to indicate that the soldier has gone to his final rest and at commemorative services such as Anzac Day and Remembrance Day.
The Last Post is one of a number of bugle calls in military tradition that mark the phases of the day. While Reveille signals the start of a soldier's day, the Last Post signals its end.
The call is believed to have originally been part of a more elaborate routine, known in the British Army as "tattoo", that began in the 17th century. In the evening, a duty officer had to do the rounds of his unit's position, checking that the sentry posts were manned and rounding up the off-duty soldiers and packing them off to their beds or billets. The officer would be accompanied by one or more musicians. The "first post" was sounded when he started his rounds and, as the party went from post to post, a drum was played. The drum beats told off-duty soldiers it was time to rest; if the soldiers were in a town, the beats told them it was time to leave the pubs. (The word "tattoo" comes from the Dutch for "turn off the taps" of beer kegs; Americans call this "taps" or "drum taps".) Another bugle call was sounded when the officer's party completed its rounds, reaching the "last post" – this signalled that the night sentries were alert at their posts and gave one last warning to the other soldiers.
The Last Post was eventually incorporated into funeral and memorial services as a final farewell, and symbolises the duty of the dead is over and they can rest in peace.


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HERE'S A HANDY GUIDE that can help parents navigate the toothbrush aisle the next time they need to replace a child's toothbrush (which should be every few months — certainly by the time the bristles look bent). Start out by choosing from toothbrushes with the ADA's Seal of Acceptance.
Manual or Electric Toothbrush?
Next, electric or manual? While both types of toothbrushes have the same capacity to clean teeth, electric toothbrushes might be a better choice for some kids. A child with a tendency to brush too hard, who has limited dexterity, who needs help getting to their molars, or who has special needs and difficulties may do better with an electric toothbrush, but one who is great at brushing is just fine with a manual brush.
Soft Bristles Are Better
What about bristle hardness? We recommend soft-bristled brushes to our patients, especially for young children. Soft bristles are gentle on gums but still effective against plaque and food debris.
One Size Does NOT Fit All
Size is also important. A child's toothbrush should fit their hand and mouth, or they won't be able to use it effectively. A non-slip grip might also be a good idea if they have a tendency to drop their toothbrush.
Their Favorite Toothbrush Is the One They Choose
We are happy to give specific toothbrush recommendations. A child can also pick their favorite from a selection that meets the other requirements. They're more likely to enjoy brushing with a toothbrush that's their favorite color or has their favorite character on the handle. In the end, the best toothbrush is the one they use!


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Swisslog and KUKA are automating the distribution logistics at Almarai
With the automation of the flow of goods, the Saudi dairy company Almarai intends to increase the efficiency of its logistics. The goal: having processes run more quickly, transit quantities increased and costs reduced. The solution for the proposed improvements is delivered by Swisslog, supported by KUKA Industries.
The initial situation
The task
The solution
- storage and retrieval machines
- conveyors
- refrigerated trucks (Automatic Reefer Loading System, ARLS)
- systems for automatic loading of HGVs
- automatic picking modules supplied by KUKA
- electric monorail suspension systems
- SAP's warehouse management system to control the material flows and data intelligently and efficiently
Thanks to the combined experience of Swisslog and KUKA, Almarai benefits from a solution which enables future growth and embodies the age of 'industry 4.0' with state-of-the-art, robot-based automation supported by data management.


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Universal Travel Group just held an investor conference call to answer investor questions about their business. They answered some and left many unanswered. However I just want to focus on one thing: the Chinese language websites.
They said the Chinese website running smoothly and that "we will try our best to maintain and upgrade in the future."
That is good – because there are either a few "easter eggs" on the site or they are selling time-travel. I am going to show you how to book tickets for the 2007 Sinopec Formula 1 Grand Prix.
First you go to the www.cba-hotel.com site. Here is a screen shot.
I have used Google Translate to change this page to English.
At the top of the page are the key tabs – things you can do on this website – things like book hotels or tickets.
The sixth tab – in a fairly prominent place – is for F1 tickets. I pressed it – and translated to English. Here is a screenshot.
This is precisely as it seems – you can still buy tickets to the 2007 Sinopec Formula 1 Grand Prix. (I hope they let me bet on the race because I know the winner!)
This is from a site they maintain – and it is not deep in the site – it is a click on the main tabs on the front page. I made a Youtube video as well.
Still the company wishes to maintain the site in future – and 20 percent of their business comes from these sites according to the conference call we just heard. So maybe we will soon be able to rent a really fast car to help us get to the race on time.
I report – you decide.


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Cartoon Network Announces Blu-ray™ and DVD Release for
Adventure Time: The Complete Third Season
Available February 25, Release Contains More Than Four Hours of Episodes Plus Episode Commentaries for All 26 Episodes, an Interview with Pendleton Ward & Alternate Show Intro – All Packed Into a Custom, Collectible BMO Die-Cut Slipcase!
This February, Cartoon Network will release the third full-season installment of its most mathematical animated series on both Blu-ray™ and DVD as Adventure Time: The Complete Third Season hits retail. Continuing the franchise's home entertainment momentum which has included a series of top-selling releases to date, the Blu-ray and DVD both feature all 26 episodes from the series' third season, as well as must-have bonus features including episode commentaries for ALL 26 episodes, an interview with series creator Pendleton Ward, an alternate show introduction. Plus, further satiating even the most passionate Adventure Time fans, it's BMO! Fans and collectors are in for a special treat with a custom die-cut BMO slipcase, which transforms the Blu-ray and DVD packaging into their very own collectible BMO figurine. Available on February 25 for the suggested retail price of $32.07 and $26.95 for Blu-ray and two-disc DVD, respectively.
"Adventure Time has become a phenomenon that has resonated with audiences of all ages – and we're thrilled to keep up with the demand for full-season and Blu-ray sets for those most passionate fans with today's announcement," said Erik Resnick, vice president of Cartoon Network Enterprises, the home entertainment division of the network. "Our third full-season release will bring more of what Adventure Time fans love about these collectible sets: hours of their favorite episodes bundled with great bonus features created for fans by the show team, all in unique, collectible packaging."
As one of Cartoon Network's most popular series, Adventure Time continues to grow and thrive since its on-air debut in April 2010. With strong on-air success through its fifth season, critical acclaim, passionate fan base and strong consumer products program, the brand has become a massive hit among audiences of all ages. During its fifth season, the series was the #1 show among boys 6-11, as well as a top-rated show among kids 6-11, and kids and boys 9-14, according to Nielson Media Research. With a huge social following of more than 10 million fans on Facebook, Adventure Time consistently ranks as a top digital brand as well, with top-rated apps and online games featured on CartoonNetwork.com. Additionally, the Adventure Time consumer products program attempts to satiate the fan base's desire to interact with their favorite characters with a robust licensing program that includes toys, apparel, publishing, accessories, interactive games, youth electronics, comic books, posters and much more. Some recent successes for the brand range from the Adventure Time Encyclopaedia from Abrams Publishing debuting on the New York Times Best Sellers list this summer to the monthly comic book line from Boom Studios winning the 2013 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids (Ages 8-12) at 25th annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards ceremony at Comic-Con.
From the mind of series creator Pendleton Ward and produced by Cartoon Network Studios, Adventure Time follows the unlikely heroes Finn and Jake, best buddies who traverse the mystical Land of Ooo and encounter its colorful inhabitants – and always find themselves in the middle of heart-pounding escapades. Finn, a silly kid with an awesome hat and Jake, a brassy dog with a big kind heart, depend on each other through thick and thin. The Land of Ooo is teeming with imposing mountains, lush green plains, accessible forests, ubiquitous prairies and winding rivers, the cities and towns are filled with bizarre characters in need of unique assistance. Whether it's saving Princess Bubblegum, defeating zombie candy, mocking the "oxy-moronic" Ice King, or rocking out with undead music wiz Marceline the Vampire Queen, with Finn and Jake it's always Adventure Time.
Adventure Time: The Complete Third Season BASICS
Blu-ray SRP: $32.07
Street Date: February 25, 2014
Order Date: January 21, 2014
Running Time: 286 minutes
Blu-ray UPC: 883929365548
Languages: English
Subtitles: English
About Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com) is regularly the #1 U.S. television network in prime among boys 6-11 & 9-14. Currently seen in 99 million U.S. homes and 194 countries around the world, Cartoon Network is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.'s ad-supported cable service now available in HD offering the best in original, acquired and classic entertainment for kids and families. In addition to Emmy-winning original programming and industry-leading digital apps and online games, Cartoon Network embraces key social issues affecting families with solution-oriented initiatives such as Stop Bullying: Speak Up and the Move It Movement.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.
About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment's home video, digital distribution, interactive entertainment/videogames, direct-to-DVD production, technical operations and anti-piracy businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. WBHEG is responsible for the global distribution of content through DVD, electronic sell-through and VOD, and delivery of theatrical content to wireless and online channels, and is also a significant worldwide publisher for both internal and third party videogame titles
For more information on this and other titles distributed by Warner Bros Home Entertainment Group, visit www.whvdirect.com.
This post is written by Sarah Coulsey. She is a Wife, and Mother of two boys living in New England. This post may contain affiliate links.


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Develop your skills
There are several ways to enrich your knowledge of commodities trading. Please check our education center where you can find a selection of trading tools including video tutorials and ebooks to help you along your way.
Set up a demo account
You can also open a demo account which will be your first step toward successful trading. Both novice and expert traders alike make use of demo accounts to get a feel for the platform and test and perfect trading strategies.


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.cat IDN domain name registration
Understanding .cat IDN Domains
An internationalized domain name (IDN), a domain name that contains at least one letter in a language-specific alphabet other than English, such as Arabic, Russian, Tamil, Chinese or the Latin characters with accents, such as French. These are stored in the Domain Name System as ascii strings using the Punycode code encoding system.
Thus the domain "fenêtre.cat" becomes "xn--fentre-kva.cat" in the punycode translation.
All IDN domains will be encoded into an ascii string starting xn-- and when displayed in a browser will display in their native language alphabet.
PunyCode Domain Name
Enter your domain in punycode "xn--" style for example "xn--fentre-kva.cat"
IDN Domain Name
Enter your domain in language style for example "fenêtre.cat"
.cat Languages
Language | Registration | Renewal |
$ 393.60kr 2032€ 272.30£ 1694.10$ 433.30kr 2469$ 320.50R 5160.10 | $ 505.40kr 2609€ 349.60£ 2175.00$ 556.30kr 3170$ 411.50R 6625.20 |


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Spend £30 for Free UK DVD & Blu-Ray Delivery *
30 Day No Quibble Guarantee
Earn Free DVDs Join The Duke Club
Sign Up For Latest News & Offers
In stock. Dispatched same working day before 12pm.
FREE UK delivery when you spend £30 on DVD, Blu-Ray or CDs - view delivery options
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If you are not 100% satisfied we will replace or refund within 30 days of purchase.
Product code: 1797NVReleased: 23 July 2018DVD Region: 0
The 2018 Isle of Man TT fuelled by Monster Energy saw nearly every record broken in a spectacular week of racing that will no doubt go down as one of the best ever.
Available on DVD, Blu-ray and HD Download - see above for options
Coming in to TT 2018 the absolute lap record stood at 133.962mph. After the RST Superbike TT Dean Harrison had pushed it out to 134.432mph. By the end of the PokerStars Senior TT Race Peter Hickman had smashed it out to 135.452mph!
Not to be outdone Ben and Tom Birchall had obliterated their own year-old sidecar lap record - every single race lap they completed in 2018 was inside their old mark and they eventually raised the bar to 119.25mph by becoming the first outfit to lap in under eighteen minutes.
Mere statistics do not do justice to the extraordinary racing that was witnessed on the Mountain Course in 2018 - crowds of thousands saw history in the making as glorious sunshine and near perfect conditions turned the 37.73 mile public road circuit into fastest motorcycle race course in the world.
Watching this superb review you'll be blown away by the skills on display as you drink in the highlights of seven solo and two sidecar races, all run in record breaking times.
The brilliant heli-cam shots give you an unmatched view of the action chasing top riders across the Isle of Man's stunning landscapes at speeds in the region of 180mph while multiple camera locations take you close up to the action at breathtaking corners where tiny margins make all the difference in races won by seconds.
Get ready for the most incredible motorcycle racing review you'll see this year!
Includes bonus DVD disc of special features:
Race Ready
TT Prize Presentation: Superstock and Supersport
Dean Harrison 0n-bike lap PokerStars Senior TT
TT Entertainment
Isle of Man Motor Museum
Holden and Cain Sidecar Race 2 on-bike lap
Suter on-bike lap
Orders will still be placed in British Pounds GBP and estimates do not include bank charges or currency conversion fees.


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Happy Friday! This week, I've been thinking quite a bit about writing with intention. As much as I love the speed and convenience of the modern computer age, there are days I wish for a return to typewriters and handwritten letters, not because I'm any sort of luddite but because there's a certain amount of thought that goes into putting down words when you cannot simply delete them with the stroke of a key. Engaging with paper, knowing you will need to physically recreate your work in order to change in, forces a level of planning ahead that I think has been lost.
There's a sense of urgency in everything we do these days — not just writing. A need for constant connection, to be plugged in through smart phones and computers and streaming media and instant alerts. It makes it hard to argue that deliberation matters. That it's important to take a moment to choose the right word or to consider the source of a piece of information or to make sure all the thoughts in your head have actually made it into your work. There's a difference between a reader "knowing" what you meant, and you actually writing what you mean.
This week's links are the usual blend of things reading and writing related, but I also think a few of them are thoughtful in a deeper way, and I hope they give you insight into your own writing process and maybe inspire you to consider your craft at a different level. Have a wonderful weekend, and happy writing!
Maggie Nelson Writes Books Like She's Hosting a Party – A great interview with the author with a focus on her generous spirit.
The Language Wars – An insightful look at how words are being wielded in today's world.
#ThanksForTyping: The Women Behind Famous Male Writers – A rather disturbing look at how many male writers were apparently above typing their own manuscripts.
The Inbox/Outbox Method: How I Whittled Down My TBR Pile – A really easy method for keeping your book-buying to a reasonable level while encouraging you to read those books you already own. Love this, and I'm giving it a try (seeing as how my book-buying bans always fail within weeks).
I or She: Rereading Hardwick, Adler, and Didion – Author Stephanie Danler talks about how rereading these strong women writers helped her fashion and stick to her beliefs regarding her own work and life.
Dani Shapiro: On Life, Marriage, and Creative Expression – A podcast featuring the author on her new memoir and her writing process.


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Hoooray! Who doesn't love a trip to the Big Apple? And Brooklyn's just lovely this time of year.
We're working around the clock to get ready for one of the biggest craft shows of the year, the super dupes Renegade Craft Fair, Brooklyn edition. We're debuting a new series of giclee prints that we've been working on this Spring, as well as new rock posters, new art prints, and new a new line of baby & toddler tees too. Can't wait!
With over 300 of the best makers, crafters & artists from all over the world, the 7th annual Renegade in Brooklyn is sure to be a blast. Renegade Craft Fair is free to attend and very family friendly!
Our booth is #166, right at the corner of Lorimer & Bayard. You can click the map below to see a larger version too with all of the vendor numbers and check here for a list of all 300+ participating artists as well.
The Important Details:
- At the Renegade Craft Fair you can expect to find only the best indie-craft and DIY artisans! Featuring both local and national talent, shoppers can anticipate a vast array of independently designed jewelry, clothing, paper goods, home + garden goods, posters, artwork, plush objects, bath + body products, and so much more!!
- Attendees can get crafty by participating in a number of interactive workshops, and find inspiration from local businesses who keep Brooklyn in the loop with all-things creative.
- Food will be available for purchase from Hecho en Casa, Urban Rustic, and a coffee bar will be provided by Joyride.
- Renegade Craft Fair is free to attend and very family friendly!
Where: McCarren Park, in Brooklyn NY in the track & soccer fields.
When: Saturday June 11th & Sunday June 12th from 11am – 7pm each day.
Who: Over 300 artists and crafters of handmade awesomeness!
Why: In the Digital Age, handmade is more important than ever. Come see why!
For more information about Renegade Craft Fair, Brooklyn click here.


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This article was part of our April Fool's edition. 49% of poll participants thought this story was fake. Alas, it's true! Better luck next time.
If you plan on visiting Switzerland any time soon, take your beverages without ice. Why? A recent study has found that more than 25% of ice cubes used in bars and restaurants in Switzerland contain bacteria, including E. coli, pseudomonas and enterococci. According to SonntagsBlick, the publication that released the information, the bacteria is an indication of unsanitary ice cube production, namely due to the machines being kept in basements and cellars and not being properly cleaned or maintained.
"Abroad you are always careful with ice," Sara Stalder, director of a consumer protection group told SonntagsBlick. "But in Switzerland one would never expect one in four ice cubes to exceed legal limits." Despite the fact that the ice cubes surpassed legal limits in terms of the presence of bacteria, the amount of bacteria isn't enough to be dangerous to humans.
You can be the judge of that.


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Omega-3 fatty acids are essential elements that the body doesn't make on its own, says the Cleveland Clinic. Fish, plants and supplements are among the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
For people who don't have a history of heart disease, two servings of fish per week is recommended. Research indicates that omega-3 fatty acids can help improve your cardiovascular health.
But don't overdo it. Consuming three or more grams of omega-3 fatty acids each day can have negative health effects, the clinic says.
Source: HealthDay
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