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Posts Tagged 'change'
Ruby Shoes, The Looking Glass, and Why Perspective Matters
"Change the way you look at things,
the things you look at change."
~ Dr. Wayne Dyer
The Cambridge Dictionary describes perspective being, "a particular way of viewing things that depends on one's experience and personality." Viewpoint is the inherently subjective foundation determining thoughts and shaping attitudes, beliefs, emotions, decisions, and more. Vantage, an instantaneously shiftable position, offers tremendous possibility birthing dreams.
Are what we say and who we actually are the same? Do we sufficiently and thoroughly question the stories we tell ourselves? How does who think we are inform the cynosure we choose? When and to what degree, for our current state, do we take responsibility?
"We don't see things as they are;
we see them as we are."
~ Anaïs Nin
"Life is what you make it," suggests the observer is also the creator. Events, in themselves, are both factual and have the distinct interpretation they are assigned. The same situation, even when affecting many, depending on each person's particular inclination, is attributed very specific significance.
Desire and discomfort are often primary motivators prompting deeper self-analysis. Life's ebbs and flows offer us continuing opportunities reevaluating the meaning we assign circumstances, interactions, people, places, and things. Occurrences, at first, may seem most unfavorable, and then nurture immense compassion, determination, enlightenment, forgiveness, humility, serenity, and more.
"If you nurture your mind, body, and spirit,
your time will expand;
you will gain a new perspective
that will allow you to accomplish much more."
~ Brian Koslow
Consider a curious child anxiously scampering up a beckoning, sturdy, tall tree. The youth excitedly welcomes adventure certain all will be well. The adult mind immediately identifies how safety is not ensured and determines exploring the tree is unwise. The appropriate approach may be assimilating both assessments and simply, with tremendous awareness, proceed. The conditions are identical, and the only distinction is how pertinent information is processed.
An excellent example is the dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, a flowering herbaceous perennial plant of the Asteraceae family. The definition determines the treatment. Landscapers may perceive the lovely sunshine-hued blooms without any aesthetic value and remove them. Naturopaths. beyond celebrating their simple beauty, understand their value and orally and topically apply their immense health benefits.
"To effectively change ourselves,
we first had to change our perceptions."
~ Stephen R. Covey
Alice of Wonderland, Dorothy of Oz, and numerous fictional characters' spectacular journeys illustrate how even the slightest reframing influences the entire picture. Alice's physical alterations automatically inspire new inquiries providing expansive insight. Dorothy's empowering realizations and renewed gratitude remind us we always have the choice.
Perspective's fluid, malleable nature invites expansive awareness, honesty, and illumination. The internal state scripts the external world. Our constantly reevaluating what we are absolutely certain is true guides deeper self-exploration opening the body, heart, mind, and spirit. Transformation, the ultimate, power, by slightly and simply adjusting our focus, offers us tremendous growth making us simultaneously student and teacher mastering our destiny.
©2018 Susan Stackpole www.susanstackpole.com
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Care to use this article for your e-zine or newsletter? Please include the following
Susan Stackpole, certified creative consultant and results expert, is the #1 coach helping celebrities, VIPs, and You celebrate your inner superstar and manifest destiny. Ignite your potential, jump-start your success, and achieve quick, effect results while living your dreams. Please visit www.susanstackpole.com for free resources on living your best life. Sign up for the monthly newsletter, which includes celebrity tips on manifesting destiny in style. Contact Susan to map your destiny today.
The Power of Transition
Cherish your visions; cherish your ideals; cherish the music that stirs in your heart,
the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts,
for out of them will grow delightful conditions, all heavenly environment;
of these if you but remain true to them, your world will at last be built.
~ James Allen ~
I invite You to claim the next thirty minutes for yourself. Notify family and roommates that You are on a mini-vacation for the next thirty minutes. Turn off the phone, the television, and the like. Breathe deeply, feel your body, and be present. Be grateful. Appreciate You. All is quiet. All is still. All is well. You are abundant, favored, healthy, joyful, prosperous, safe, and well. Send all your thoughts, every single one, to a tropical island, and let yourself simply be. Know You are Love(d), wholly and completely, exactly as You here and now.
I move and breathe and have my being in God.
~ Oprah Winfrey ~
Settle in. Consume a large glass of clean, clear water. Give yourself a deluxe bath/shower complete with your favorite soaps and lotions. Wash away your cares, and You sing to yourself. Slip into your most comfortable lounging clothes. Breathe. Keep breathing. Play soothing music. Light a scented candle, and enjoy delicious aroma filling your space. Dim the lights to a festive glow. Light a fire in the fireplace (or imagine one). Make your favorite warm beverage, coffee, cocoa, eggnog, tea, and the like. Slip into a cozy chair. Wrap yourself in a soft blanket. Imagine You in your ideal place, your paradise, whether it be a castle, swanky penthouse, a ranch, a rustic cabin in the woods, an exotic private island, and the like. This is your moment.
Dorothy: Oh, will you help me? Can you help me?
Glinda: You don't need to be helped any longer.
You've always had the power to go back to Kansas.
Dorothy: I have?
Scarecrow: Then why didn't you tell her before?
Glinda: Because she wouldn't have believed me. She had to learn it for herself.
~ The Wizard of Oz ~
Today's message is important because it is especially for You and holds tools to help You successfully move forward. The wisdom for which You have been yearning is here. The change You have been desiring is here. The answer for which You have been praying is here. That which You have been seeking has been inside You all along and is revealed by your willingness to open the door and listen to the Divine Voice in your heart. The life You dream of having and who You dream of being are through the door. Accompany me, and meet your true self, a clever, fabulous, gorgeous, intelligent, powerful person making the world better simply by "being". Are You ready? Here and now is your moment.
Sometimes it's the smallest decisions that can change your life forever.
~ Keri Russell ~
The universe and the world were created in a very orderly, specific fashion. Energy was organized into distinct forms governed by specific laws. Every living being serves a beautiful and specific purpose in the circle of life. Every atom, every cell, every fiber of life is crucial to the success of the universe as a whole, and every life is important and precious. You, yes, You, are crucial to the entire universe's operation and why it is imperative You step up and claim your destiny now. You are God's/J's glorious masterpiece. You, whether You feel it or not, willing to accept it or not, are divine art. You simply existing and being contributes to the successful operation of the entire universe.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
~ Marianne Williamson ~
You were created for a special reason, a unique mission implanted as a seed in your heart, a voice defying all logic and reason whispering, "Yes, You are. Yes, You can." Your heart seed is your purpose for being here and contains the blueprint for You to be perfectly, wonderfully, uniquely You. The key is, like an apple tree growing and an egg gestating, trusting the seed to bloom perfectly. You are a rare gem with a razzle dazzle only You bring to the world. Consider yourself a diamond, and, like the diamond, your shine is revealed by extreme pressure. You may be experiencing some stress; use it to reveal the very best You.
A real decision is measured by the fact that you have taken new action.
You haven't truly decided if there is no action.
~ Anthony Robbins ~
You have an immediate opportunity to choose how You perceive what is happening in your life, which ultimately determines your destiny. Does life happen to You or for You? Are circumstances obstacles or opportunities? How You view what happens for You determines your choices, emotions, actions, and results. You can choose to view pressure as an opportunity for growth, an invitation to clear out the old and welcome the new. You can refine your character. You can embrace change. You can establish new habits and a new standard for living. You can receive blessings and rest in divine favor. You can step into your dreams and allow them to become reality. You can be empowered.
My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines the one he loves.
~ Hebrews 12:5-6 ~
You may feel as though You have taken all You can. You may feel persecuted. You may wonder where God/J is, and maybe even ask if He has forgotten Your or is punishing You (which is false). You may ponder how your life got here and feel it is not working even though You have done everything You can. You may feel it is not going to get better. You may even feel like giving up. You my friend, are in an excellent place. Why? You are ready. You are ripe for change. You are primed for something new. You are open to receive, and You are willing to let go. Surrendering is the key to your freedom and catalyst You have been seeking for change.
Beyond sculptures and symphonies, beyond great works and masterpieces,
is the greater, finer art of creating a conscious life. Genius appears everywhere
…and so magnificently in a life well lived.
~ Karla McLaren ~
2011 is a significant year and guiding You to step into a higher, more powerful, simpler consciousness, a space of mind where You recognize your power of creation and live life by design. The following insights may help You find peace, understand more about the macro-picture, and successfully navigate 2011 while preparing yourself for your stellar future.
What is 2011?
1) 2011 is The Year of Enlightenment and Truth. Love is the only Truth, and everything else is falling away. The beliefs and memories hidden in the emotional closet and swept under the mental rug are being brought to Light. The veil of illusion is being torn to reveal Truth. The Truth is Love, and Love is You. You are God's/J's BeLoved just as You are in this moment. Relax and be.
2) You are a new creation. ("Anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; the old has gone, the new is here!" ~ 2 Cor. 5:17.) Be new, and do new. Old habits, patterns of being, and ways of operating are void. Today is the dawn of a new era of awareness, creativity, innovation, and simplicity.
3) You are a clean, fresh canvas. Old beliefs are disintegrating as people become so exasperated by the status quo that they are willing to experience something new. Let go of the meaning You have attached to things. Forget the past, and start from here and now.
4) Data collection is complete. Today is an opportunity to integrate knowledge, and discover areas for expansion and growth. Recognize and welcome possibilities as the origins for miracles. Don't forget there are plenty of other great online casinos in the United Kingdom if you want to entertain yourself, learn more info – www.nonukcasinos.uk.
5) Students are the new teachers. Great instructors, like Oprah Winfrey, are moving into new life phases, creating space for other teachers. World-changers and leaders, like Steve Jobs, are leaving the planet to pave the way for others leaders.
6) Authenticity is power. People are discovering their genuine selves. False identities found in things of the world are eroding and making way for people to recognize themselves as souls with spirits living in bodies. Everything with which people identify themselves, including: career, finances, health, home, and relationships, is transforming, offering people the opportunity to experience their true identity in God/J as God's/J's BeLoved.
7) Embrace lessons in the temporary and transitional. This moment, and these circumstances are ripe with education and training preparing for what is to come.
8) Be your best with what You have and who You are now. Be happy now. Choose wisely. Create empowering beliefs and habits. Cultivate yourself. Learn. Harvest wisdom. Live fully your best day today as your actions, beliefs, feelings, and thoughts devise the foundation for your future.
9) Release and surrender. Miracles happen through a change in perception. Let go of your ego's desire to "do it myself" and to be "right". God/J has wonderful plans to prosper You when You cooperate and trust His Way, especially when it does not make sense.
10) Be still and listen. The collapse of the old world is a faith opportunity to rest in Grace, walk by Faith, and recognize God/J as the sole source of protection and provision. Heeding and obeying God's/J's instructions reveals blessings and allows divine favor to flow.
11) Ground yourself in God/J. God/J is aligning all things for good even when it does not appear as such. He is providing tools that to sustain and prosper You moving forward. The devil is working tirelessly to coax people into disbelieve God's/J's Promises, which is part of the transition in career, finances, health, home, and relationships. God/J transforms tests into testimonies when You align with Him.
12) You are the artisan of your destiny. Words have power. You bring about what You speak and think about. Command things not as they are rather as You desire them to be. Keep claiming your destiny.
13) Be kind. Be kind first to yourself by loving yourself, nurturing yourself, and caring for yourself the way You would care for the person You most Love. You are filling your cup and can share your overflow with others.
The highest form of wisdom is kindness.
~ The Talmud ~
©2011 Susan Stackpole www.susanstackpole.com
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Care to use this article for your e-zine or newsletter? Please include the following
Susan Stackpole, certified creative consultant and results expert, is the #1 coach helping celebrities, VIPs, and You celebrate your inner superstar and manifest destiny. Ignite your potential, jump-start your success, and achieve quick, effect results while living your dreams. Please visit www.susanstackpole.com for free resources on living your best life. Sign up for the monthly newsletter, which includes celebrity tips on manifesting destiny in style. Contact Susan to map your destiny today.
Thank You!
"Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul."
~ Henry Ward Beecher ~
Dear Readers,
Thank You for Amazing, Gorgeous, Marvelous, Radiant, Talented, Wonderful You.
Thank You so much for your beautifully affirming and encouraging comments. I am grateful for You!
You are the change for good in the world. Keep shining your exquisite light! You are cherished. You are safe. You are BeLoved. ღ


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Within the next minutes electricity will be turned off on the camp and unfortunately the OHM2013 will be over.
Day 5 has no program anymore, so it's the departure day.
It was great to be on the camp! We had wounderful camping weather and it was a cool camping area! The best thing about such camps is always the different people from all over the world with their inspiring ideas, projects and experiences they share with each other.
OK, there are a few bad things to tell… unfortunately not all people were as friendly as everyone always used to be on these kinds of events. One night we had no internet anymore due do somebody who has capped the cable. But it got fixed quickly. We hope that these few incidents on this camp were only exceptions and in future we will be able to enjoy our events without such annoying things.
So we keep the good parts in mind and say goodbye to the camp with some pictures from last night.
Goodbye OHM2013!

subset: commoncrawl


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100 East Street, Cranston | 401-383-7722
380 Atwells Avenue, Providence | 401-273-2400
Taste the Difference
New Yorkers know the difference, and now so do Rhode Island customers of Napolitano's Brooklyn Pizza. The popular restaurant, which has two busy locations in Cranston and Federal Hill, handcrafts authentic New York-style pizza that is quite unique to Rhode Island.
The perfect pie begins with dough, sauce and mozzarella cheese that's expertly made in-house. Next, gourmet toppings such as roasted peppers, marinated artichokes, caramelized onions and barbeque grilled chicken are added for an intense and robust taste. After cooking in a hot pizza oven for mere minutes, a mouth-watering, oozing pie is cut and served to adorning customers.
A Scratch Kitchen
Indeed, no shortcut is taken here. Sausages and meats are ground in-house for Napolitano's signature sausage and pepper hero sandwich, hand-rolled meatballs and half-pound burgers. Housemade bacon, hand-cut fries and even ice cream are all made on the premises. Heroes, fish and chips, baked ziti, antipasto salad and calzones are just a sampling of the old family, traditional food options you can find on the menu. Though genuine New York-style pizza, known for its thin and crispy crust, is the specialty here, the restaurant also offers Sicilian thick crust pizza. Whichever you choose, fresh and simple ingredients make all the difference at Napolitano's Brooklyn Pizza.
A Handmade Hero Everything, right down to the fresh mozzarella, is made in-house at Napolitano's Brooklyn Pizza. They're especially known for their amazing steak and cheese hero.
Order Online Delivery is available to most of Providence and Cranston, with convenient online ordering on their website: NapolitanosBrooklynPizza.com
Sample Appetizer and Entree Menu
Antipasto Salad
Housemade mozzarella, provolone, sliced imported Italian meats, marinated artichoke hearts, mushrooms, roasted peppers, olives, pepperoncini, balsamic glazed onions
Garlic French Fries
Sea salt, garlic infused olive oil, parsley
The Italian Burger
Fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, balsamic glazed onions
Zucchini Fries
Served with side of gravy
Shaved Steak & Cheese Hero
With roasted peppers and caramelized onions
Oolie Oolies
Spaghetti with garlic, extra virgin olive oil and crushed red pepper
Fish and Chips
Beer battered haddock with garlic fries, tartar sauce and lemon
New York Style Pizza
The Cyclone
BBQ grilled chicken, caramelized onions
The Verrazano
Buffalo fried chicken, blue cheese dressing
The Luna Park "White"
Ricotta, mozzarella, roasted garlic
The Skinny Malink
Housemade hickory smoked bacon, candied jalapeños
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To understand how the human eye works, first imagine a photographic camera—since cameras were developed very much with the human eye in mind.
How do we see what we see?
Light reflects off of objects and enters the eyeball through a transparent layer of tissue at the front of the eye called the cornea. The cornea accepts widely divergent light rays and bends them through the pupil—the dark opening in the center of the colored portion of the eye.
The pupil appears to expand or contract automatically based on the intensity of the light entering the eye. In truth, this action is controlled by the iris—a ring of muscles within the colored portion of the eye that adjusts the pupil opening based on the intensity of light. (So when a pupil appears to expand or contract, it is actually the iris doing its job.)
The adjusted light passes through the lens of the eye. Located behind the pupil, the lens automatically adjusts the path of the light and brings it into sharp focus onto the receiving area at back of the eye—the retina.
An amazing membrane full of photoreceptors (a.k.a. the "rods and cones"), the retina converts the light rays into electrical impulses. These then travel through the optic nerve at the back of the eye to the brain, where an image is finally perceived.
A delicate system, subject to flaws.
It's easy to see that a slight alteration in any aspect of how the human eye works—the shape of the eyeball, the cornea's health, lens shape and curvature, retina problems—can cause the eye to produce fuzzy or blurred vision. That is why many people need vision correction. Eyeglasses and contact lenses help the light focus images correctly on the retina and allow people to see clearly.
In effect, a lens is put in front of the eye to make up for any deficiencies in the complex vision process.
The main parts of the human eye include:
- Cornea: transparent tissue covering the front of the eye that lets light travel through
- Iris: a ring of muscles in the colored part of the eye that controls the size of the pupil
- Pupil: an opening in the center of the iris that changes size to control how much light is entering the eye.
- Sclera: the white part of the eye that is composed of fibrous tissue that protects the inner workings of the eye
- Lens: located directly behind the pupil, it focuses light rays onto the retina
- Retina: membrane at the back of the eye that changes light into nerve signals
- Rods and cones: special cells used by the retina to process light
- Fovea: a tiny spot in the center of the retina that contains only cone cells. It allows us to see things sharply.
- Optic Nerve: a bundle of nerve fibers that carries messages from the eyes to the brain
- Macula: a small and highly sensitive part of the retina responsible for central vision, which allows a person to see shapes, colors, and details clearly and sharply.
Special thanks to the EyeGlass Guide, for informational material that aided in the creation of this website. Visit the EyeGlass Guide today!


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Are you looking for a private transfer or a taxi from London Heathrow Airport to Heslington? With Mytransfers you can book your trip in less than 60 seconds and with instant confirmation. Our driver will be waiting for you with a welcome sign upon arrival at London Heathrow Airport and will take you directly to your hotel, villa or flat in Heslington.
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The duration of the transfer may vary depending on the chosen vehicle and the traffic circumstances.
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Book your sedan, minivan or bus from the airport London Heathrow Airport to Heslington
The distance between London Heathrow Airport and Heslington is approximately 341.05 km.
The transfer from London Heathrow Airport to Heslington will take approximately 03 h 33 m. The duration may vary depending on the vehicle chosen and the traffic conditions, which are beyond our control.
By booking a private taxi or minivan with us from London Heathrow Airport to Heslington you will benefit from our final prices, with no surprises. Our driver will be waiting for you on arrival and will take you directly to your hotel, villa or other destination in Heslington. Remember that all our transfers are private and with door to door service.
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You can reserve any type of vehicle for this route. Use the availability search on this page to see all the vehicles available for transfer between London Heathrow Airport and Heslington.
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Depending on the chosen vehicle, the price of a private transfer may vary. Use the availability search at the top of this page to find the best rates for your transfer to Heslington.
For any question:
Questions about any existing reservation


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SAP Launches Free Student Offering: SAP Learning Hub, Edition for SAP Next-Gen
WALLDORF, May 19, 2021 — SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) today announced the launch of SAP Learning Hub, edition for SAP Next-Gen a free educational offering designed for students and lecturers.
Starting in May 2021, eligible students at member institutions of the SAP University Alliances community will have free access to critical learning content and resources to develop their SAP software skills and prepare for certification. As students embark on a career in the SAP ecosystem, this new, affordable offering will provide students the same knowledge and opportunities as those provided to SAP professionals.
"This new, free offering for the next generation of talent will provide them with knowledge and opportunities they need to gain digital skills that are in high demand in today's job market," said Karina Montilla Edmonds, senior vice president and global head, SAP Academy program and SAP University Alliances program, SAP.
The new SAP Learning Hub, edition for SAP Next-Gen includes free access to:
- Eighteen different SAP Learning Journeys for key SAP solutions for students
- All related learning content and SAP Learning Rooms required to study for selected certifications
- A student-specific SAP Learning Room for community collaboration
Students and lecturers at more than 30 institutions participating in the SAP University Alliance initiative worldwide have already registered for the free offering. Additionally, eligible students have access to certification opportunities, including a SAP Global Certification online exam attempt for students at an attractive price.
SAP Learning Hub, edition for SAP Next-Gen is a new addition to the SAP Learning Hub program and complements the offerings already available for students. To keep up with the fast pace of innovation, SAP continually evolves its learning content and offerings to be forward-looking and to meet the needs of students preparing to enter the SAP ecosystem.
To register and for more information on SAP Learning Hub, edition for SAP Next-Gen, visit SAP Learning Hub.
Visit the SAP News Center. Follow SAP on Twitter at @SAPNews.
Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.
© 2021 SAP SE. All rights reserved.
SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE in Germany and other countries. Please see http://www.sap.com/corporate-en/legal/copyright/index.epx#trademark for additional trademark information and notices.


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Katherine H. Tachau
Council Member
Term Dates
Dr. Katherine H. Tachau is a Professor of History at the University of Iowa, where she has taught since 1985. Previously, she taught at Pomona College from 1982 to 1985 and Montana State University from 1981 to 1982. From 1979 to 1981, she was a researcher at the Institute for Medieval Greek and Latin Philology at Copenhagen University in Denmark. Dr. Tachau has published extensively on medieval philosophy, science, and art; and has received the John Nicholas Brown Prize from the Medieval Academy of America. In addition, she received the Regents Award for Faculty Excellence at the University of Iowa in 2009, and she has been awarded fellowships from the Stanford Humanities Center, the National Humanities Center, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Dr. Tachau received a BA in Spanish and Medieval Studies from Oberlin College, and a PhD in History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.


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We're back again with more tips and tricks on transitioning to OpenOffice.org (OOo). We've covered a lot of ground already; we've added features, figured out how to do things in OOo that differ from MS Office, and tried to make you more comfortable during your transition. This tutorial continues by highlighting OOo Options you may want to change, discusses the PDF exporting feature, and shows how to overcome two issues you may encounter when working with images.
Just like in other office suites, OOo gives you loads of options you can configure to change the interface and features of the applications. Many settings are perfectly fine as set by default, however as discussed in this section, you may find it useful to change a few. To get started, open the Options dialog window by clicking Tools – Options.
First up is the User Data dialog window (see Figure 1), under the main OpenOffice.org section. Here you can enter your personal information, such as your name, address, and email address. Entering this info here can save time later when using related fields in documents. For instance, you could insert the Author and/or other fields containing personal or contact info into the footer of a template. Therefore, the author's pertinent information will automatically appear in the printouts. In the business, this approach would be great for a company's memo template, so the memo will automatically load in the supervisor's info.
In the dialog window below, labeled General, you'll find the spot (see Figure 2) to turn the Extended tips feature on or off. Though disabled by default, enabling this feature can really help you learn about the features in OOo. When hovering over toolbar icons, menu commands, and controls in dialogs, a short but sweet summary of the button or feature appears, as seen in Figure 3.
Tip: If you discover these extended tips are useful, but find they disappear too quickly, you can increase the default 4-second display time to something longer. This setting, labeled Help tips disappear after, is on the Accessibility dialog window.
In the Memory dialog window, you'll find where you can disable or enable OpenOffice.org Quickstarter. This application loads to the system tray during boot to give you quick access to the OOo applications, shortcuts to create blank documents or open documents, and a shortcut to the templates. If you find yourself not using these shortcuts and rather save a bit of boot power, you may want to disable the feature.
Skipping down to the General dialog window of the Load/Save section, you'll find where you can specify the AutoRecovery save interval. As you may know too well, office suites automatically save your documents at a set interval (15 minutes by default in OOo), so if the suite or your system crashes, hopefully you won't lose all your work. You'll probably find this AutoRecovery feature is even more useful when OOo auto saves more often. To increase the frequency of auto saves simply change the Minutes field of the Save AutoRecovery information every setting.
The next change you may want to make is on the Writing Aids dialog window, under the Language Settings section. In the Options list box, you may find enabling the Check uppercase words option useful. That way uppercased words will be checked for spelling as well. You probably want your uppercase words and sentences to be understandable.
The last setting we'll highlight is the default font settings for OOo Writer documents. Instead of changing the font of your documents each time you start typing, you can make your favorite show up automatically on your new documents. Get rid of the mundane Times New Roman! When you're ready to select your default font settings, move to the Basic Fonts (Western) dialog box under the OpenOffice.org Writer section.
Tip: The Options window doesn't give a visual of the actual fonts, rather a simple list of the font names. If you don't already have a favorite font in mind, you can close the Options window, pull down the font list from the toolbar in Writer, and checkout all the fonts.


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The Most Versatile of Mystics
On insiders, outsiders, and the debate over Sri Ramakrishna's sexuality.
October 6, 2011
HINDUISM IS THE THIRD largest religion in the world, and probably the most misunderstood. This was of little consequence in the United States as recently as half a century ago, though there have been periodic bursts of interest since Ralph Waldo Emerson first became enamored of the Upanishads. Today, though, more than two million Hindus of Indian origin live and work side by side with their fellow American citizens, Hindu temples, like synagogues and mosques before them, have cropped up in cities and suburbs throughout the country, and Americans increasingly do business in India. In addition, millions of non-Indian Americans are engaged in Hindu-related practices such as yoga and meditation, for both spiritual and secular reasons. In this context, what might otherwise seem like a narrow scholarly debate about a long-dead mystic takes on extraordinarily broad significance.
Swami Tyagananda and Pravrajika Vrajaprana's Interpreting Ramakrishna is a painstaking attempt to refute the central theses of a scholarly book — Jeffrey Kripal's Kali's Child: The Mystical and the Erotic in the Life and Teachings of Ramakrishna — published sixteen years ago, one that roiled political and cultural waters academic volumes seldom disturb. Based on Kripal's doctoral dissertation, Kali's Child took as its subject the legendary nineteenth-century mystic Sri Ramakrishna. Ramakrishna was one of the most colorful, enigmatic, and revered holy men in India, where such figures are as much a part of the landscape as the ornate temple towers looming above dusty villages or the unassuming shrines tucked into alcoves in teeming cities. Intrigued by the man so many consider a modern saint, Kripal set about dissecting the sage's psyche with the scalpel of psychoanalytic theory. What he believed he uncovered at the secret heart of Ramakrishna's life and work was homoeroticism and sexual abuse.
Objections to academic texts are typically voiced by the author's colleagues in journals, books, and conferences. But Kripal's conclusions were different, because Ramakrishna is worshiped by devotees in both India and the West, because he is regarded as a great holy man by spiritual seekers of all kinds, thanks to the chain of centers established in his name by his chief disciple, Swami Vivekananda, and by illustrious Western devotees like Christopher Isherwood, and, finally, because much of India still harbors Victorian attitudes toward sexuality, especially of the same-sex variety. The reaction of many Hindus to Kripal's thesis was similar to that of certain Christians to Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ, or to those who speculate about what Jesus and Mary Magdalene may have been up to when the other apostles weren't looking. To attribute sexual impulses to a figure many consider a divine avatar — or at least an exemplar of self-realization who had transcended base desires — was, to some minds, an insult verging on blasphemy. Some critics treated Kripal to the same facile psychoanalysis that they accused him of applying to Ramakrishna. Attempts to ban his book went all the way to the Indian Parliament. He was even personally threatened in the closest thing to a fatwah that one can imagine in the land of Gandhi.
Kripal's critics within the academy were less emotional, disagreeing with his conclusion on intellectual and methodological grounds or dismissing his assertions as mere speculation, but they were the minority. Most scholars of religious studies greeted Kali's Child with kudos, and the book was honored with prestigious awards. Even those who were indifferent to the subject matter rallied around Kripal on the grounds of academic freedom. For his part, Kripal maintained that he held Ramakrishna in the highest regard and was merely doing what any scholar should: analyzing a phenomenon through a particular theoretical lens and following the inquiry to a well reasoned conclusion.
To scholars, disagreement and argument is both expected and desirable. But book banning? Personal attacks? Threats of violence? Beyond the pale. In a name-calling standoff, Kripal's critics were labeled homophobes, Hindu fundamentalists, and right-wing Indian nationalists, while his defenders were branded Hinduphobic, sex-obsessed cultural imperialists. I interviewed both Kripal and the authors of Interpreting Ramakrishna for my own book, American Veda, and can confidently state that none of those charges apply to any of the three. Over time, cooler heads prevailed, but the debate never died. Kali's Child became a symbol of the tension between academic critiques of Asian religions and those religions' practitioners, who claim that Western interpretations seldom reflect their actual beliefs and practices.
In the light of this controversy, Interpreting Ramakrishna, although it is merely one reaction to one scholar's take on one Hindu luminary, has far larger resonance. The book is an exhaustive effort to refute Kali's Child on its own terms by two monastics in the Ramakrishna order: one an India-born monk who runs the Vedanta Society of Boston and serves as Hindu chaplain at both MIT and Harvard, the other an American nun at the Vedanta convent in Santa Barbara. While neither author occupies an academic position or has earned a doctorate, each is deeply immersed in scholarly pursuits. With the declared intention of playing by academic rules, they took their time, dug deeply, and, 15 years after the appearance of Kripal's casus belli, released their multi-pronged rebuttal.
One line of attack in Interpreting Ramakrishna is on Kripal's translations of the recognized source texts on Ramakrishna. The authors regard the Bengali-to-English rendering in Kali's Child as significantly flawed. Kripal contends that his mistakes were few (some were corrected online and in a second printing) and do not affect his salient arguments. Tyagananda and Vrajaprana beg to differ, arguing that Kripal, consciously or unconsciously, made linguistic choices that bolstered his predetermined conclusions.
Words and phrases that the respective authors translate differently are many and varied, and they are not inconsequential. Perhaps the best example is the Bengali phrase k?min? k?ñcana. Previous translators have rendered the phrase "women and gold." The authors of Interpreting Ramakrishna say it was often used by Ramakrishna to symbolize lust and greed, or, more generally, the worldly distractions that spiritual aspirants are advised to avoid. Kripal's translation is "lover-and-gold." For Tyagananda and Vrajaprana, this is an attempt to reinforce Kripal's portrait of Ramakrishna as a misogynist who feared sexualized women (as opposed to women as maternal figures). Kripal, in turn, accuses translators who use "women" as merely a symbol for lust of participating in the cover-up of Ramakrishna's secret homosexuality.
To the lay reader, each side can sound convincing on these issues of textual fidelity. This should not be surprising. Why should Bengali texts be different from Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, Arabic, Sanskrit, or any other source of sacred literature whose meaning is debatable? The larger issue is the ambiguity of translation itself. Try as they may to be objective, translators invariably bring a boatload of cultural and ideological assumptions to their work, and that is a matter of no small import in any conversation about religion.
Tyagananda and Vrajaprana also go after Kripal's reliance on psychoanalytic theory. The question of whether any Western framework is entirely adequate for understanding Hinduism is a matter of considerable debate, but when the theory in question is as provocative as Freud's, the atmosphere gets even more contentious. Are psychoanalytic concepts universal enough to be applied by anyone, much less by a non-psychoanalyst, to a Hindu renunciate who lived over a century ago in a culture vastly different from Freud's Europe or today's America? As with translation, this is a matter for scholars to adjudicate. Non-experts can readily see the appeal of Freudian ideas, but they can also see why those concepts might produce an incomplete portrait of an individual, or even a radical distortion. At issue, among other things, is the relationship between the erotic and the mystical. That the two are connected is easy enough to see; that they are inextricably and causally linked, as Kripal would argue, is a leap that many — including the authors of Interpreting Ramakrisha — are unwilling to take. To them, Freudian interpreters of religion are the proverbial hammer carriers, finding nails wherever they look.
Finally, Tyagananda and Vrajaprana accuse Kripal of making bold assertions that are unsupported by the available evidence. In their view, Kali's Child is more a product of speculative imagination than of rigorous deduction, the inference being that Kripal's conclusions owe more to his own psyche and his philosophical biases than to the facts at hand. Needless to say, Kripal's supporters make the same claim about Ramakrishna's devotees, many of whose descriptions of the master can accurately, and unsurprisingly, be described as hagiographic.
I myself do not approach these disputed issues as either an academic or an expert on the life of Ramakrishna. But I have more than passing interest in how religions, especially Hinduism, are understood by the general public, and so I am glad that Tyagananda and Vrajaprana have presented their argument in painstaking detail and readable prose. I hope that academic scholars, for their part, will critique their work honestly and vigorously and let the chips fall where they may, rather than summarily ignoring the book because the authors are devotees and not fellow academics. That would be a shame, as their voices, like Kripal's, deserve to be heard.
For a long time, something called "the insider-outsider debate" has raged in the ivory towers of religious studies. To religious practitioners ("insiders"), scholars of religion who rely primarily on textual analysis ("outsiders") lack the direct experience necessary to comprehend spiritual beliefs and practices. For their part scholars tend to see insiders as lacking the objectivity necessary to see their own religions without nearsighted distortion. Each side makes a strong case, and each is weighted down with preconceived notions. Which begs the question: Is there any such thing as objectivity in matters of religion? As the authors of Interpreting Ramakrishna themselves acknowledge, "objectivity cannot exist where personal interests, agendas, political and religious biases, and personal priorities intersect. Like all holy grails, true objectivity exists only in mythology." One wishes that statement could be read before every clash over religion begins.
Adherents of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have also been perturbed by scholarly depictions of their faiths, but Hindus are at a particular disadvantage. Very few have been trained in Western schools of religious studies, and their tradition has not been well represented in the academy. In recent decades, the imbalance has been somewhat ameliorated by the advent of Western practitioner-scholars — mainly Baby Boomers who got involved with Hindu-derived teachings during the sixties and seventies and went on to graduate school. But there is still a dearth of religious studies scholars who were born into Hinduism. Lay scholars, primarily Hindu Americans of Indian descent, have attempted to pick up the slack, and they have not always been welcome.
It goes without saying that in a global, plural world it is vitally important that individuals come to understand religions other than their own. That understanding will be derived, in large part, from university-based scholars, but if those scholars ignore the insiders' viewpoint, what they teach the rest of us is bound to be incomplete. As someone who stands outside both traditional religion and academia and benefits immensely from both perspectives, I can only hope that diligent insiders, such as the authors of Interpreting Ramakrishna, can find a place at the table, where their work can be judged on its merits. These researchers appear to have left no stone unturned, and their Herculean effort should add a significant voice to Ramakrishna studies (yes, there is such a sub-discipline) and to our understanding of modern Hinduism in general.
As for the holy man at the center of the controversy, I suspect he would view it all with amusement and sublime detachment. To generations of seekers, Ramakrishna remains the most versatile of mystics — a saint for all seasons, and a symbol of ecstatic devotion, rational nondualism, and elastic, eclectic spirituality. He not only espoused the core Vedic dictum, "Truth is One, the wise call it by many names," but lived it by diving into a variety of Hindu pathways and practices, as well as, famously, Islam and Christianity. For the millions who continue to draw inspiration from Ramakrishna's life and work, the claims of Kali's Child and the counterclaims of Interpreting Ramakrishna are sideshows. To them, the sage's sexuality — whether conscious or unconscious, acted upon or sublimated, homosexual or heterosexual — is about as relevant as Michelangelo's or Bach's. What matters in the end is not his sexual proclivities but what he did, what he created, what he became. I suspect the authors of both Interpreting Ramakrishna and Kali's Child would agree.
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The special way a Myrtle book is developed and produced...
Founded in 2010 The Myrtle Press is an independent publisher that prides itself on publishing books of the highest quality. Specialising in biographies the team at The Myrtle Press are passionate and methodical about nonfiction storytelling. Their meticulous and extensive research of its subjects gives the fullest, definitive most detailed accounts.
The team at Myrtle Press ensure that the end product does true justice to its subject and more importantly is a book that a reader wants to read. With an emphasis on clarity and creative language Myrtle Press books engage the reader, and are truly books that cannot be put down.
Equally as important The Myrtle Press seeks to match the quality of the words with pictures and design, illustrating lives completely whilst making the books attractive to look at and to hold. All these elements are brought together to create something special and worthwhile, books that the customer will feel are of extraordinary value for their money.
The Life of Senna has now sold over 80,000 copies worldwide and Shunt the biography of Hunt sold out its print run in a matter of weeks and was the number one selling motor sport title of 2010.


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Email Login
Stephen Beale is a freelance writer based in Providence, Rhode Island. Raised as an evangelical Protestant, he is a convert to Catholicism. He is a former news editor at GoLocalProv.com and was a correspondent for the New Hampshire Union Leader, where he covered the 2008 presidential primary. He has appeared on Fox News, C-SPAN and the Today Show and his writing has been published in the Washington Times, Providence Journal, the National Catholic Register and on MSNBC.com and ABCNews.com. A native of Topsfield, Massachusetts, he graduated from Brown University in 2004 with a degree in classics and history. His areas of interest include Eastern Christianity, Marian and Eucharistic theology, medieval history, and the saints. He welcomes tips, suggestions, and any other feedback at bealenews at gmail dot com. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/StephenBeale1


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Original Trinity Hymnal, #106
I sing th'almighty pow'r of God,
That made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad,
And built the lofty skies.
I sing the goodness of the Lord
That filled the earth with food;
He formed the creatures with his word,
And then pronounced them good.
Lord! how thy wonders are displayed
Where'er I turn mine eye!
If I survey the ground I tread,
Or gaze upon the sky.
There's not a plant or flower below
But makes thy glories known;
And clouds arise, and tempests blow,
By order from thy throne.
Creatures as numerous as they be
Are subject to thy care;
There's not a place where we can flee,
But God is present there.


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Though Tim Tebow has provided a nice respite in the past year or so, Tony Romo remains the most polarizing player who matters in the NFL.
Romo's supporters view him as an elite talent capable of leading his team to greatness. Doubters point to the Dallas Cowboys' absence of success in big games under Romo as a sign he's not the answer.
Truth be told, there's logic on both sides, making Romo the star of one of the game's most compelling debates. With that as the backdrop, we enjoyed the above "Sound FX" footage of Romo leading the Cowboys with both his actions and words last Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
Take special notice of how forcefully Romo speaks to Dez Bryant, imploring the wide receiver to be ready for kickoff. Connecting Romo's strong words to the 224-yard receiving day that followed for Bryant is pushing it, but it's clear there's a set dynamic in that relationship.
The Cowboys went on to lose in overtime, but that hardly was the fault of Romo, who threw for more than 400 yards and four touchdowns without turning over the ball. You might not view Romo as the long-term answer in Dallas, but this footage shows a player who's confident where he stands with his team.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.


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This image has format transparent PNG with resolution 2560x1992.
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A belt is a flexible band or strap, typically made of leather or heavy cloth and worn around the waist, that is usually of less circumference than the hips underneath. Belts are used to secure or hold up clothing, like trousers or other articles of clothing, in a manner similar to suspenders and garters. Some trousers come with belt loops around the waist, which the belt goes through. Belts can have many uses, but they are often used as a fashion accessory, with many colours, styles, and finishes. In heavy metal subculture, bullet belts and studded belts are worn. Pouches to carry objects such as coin purses, holsters, scabbards, inrōs, etc. have been attached to belts in lieu of pockets.
Belts are often secured with some type of metal buckle, which vary from simple one-color finishes to elaborately decorated belt plates with embossed or bas-relief images or multicolored logos. While belts can be adjusted to suit the circumference of a person's waist, due the variety in waist sizes, belts are sold in different lengths. Belts are generally designed for men's or women's fashion use, although some casual belts are unisex. Due to the size constraints of belt loops, any belt designed fir use with belt loops cannot be too wide. For wonens' belts designed to be worn over a dress, however, belts can be wider, with some wide belts called "waist cinchers" overlapping with corsets in their appearance and function.
Belts have been documented as male clothing since the Bronze Age. Both sexes have used them off and on, depending on the fashion trends. In the western world, belts have been more common for men, with the exception of the early Middle Ages, late 17th century Mantua, and skirt/blouse combinations between 1901 and 1910. Art Nouveau belt buckles are now collectors' items.
In the latter half of the 19th century and until the First World War, the belt was a decorative as well as utilitarian part of military uniform, particularly among officers. In the armed forces of Prussia, Tsarist Russia, and other Eastern European nations, it was common for officers to wear extremely tight pressing into their stomachs and gutting them up, wide belts around the waist, on the outside of the uniform, both to support a saber and for aesthetic reasons. These tightly cinched belts served to draw in the waist and give the wearer a trim physique, emphasizing wide shoulders and a pouting chest. Often the belt served only to emphasize the waist made small by a corset worn under the uniform, a practice which was common especially during the Crimean Wars and was often noted[clarification needed] by soldiers from the Western Front. Political cartoonists of the day[when?] often portrayed the tight waist-cinching of soldiers to comedic effect, and some cartoons survive showing officers being corseted by their inferiors, a practice which surely was uncomfortable but was deemed to be necessary and imposing.
In modern times, men started wearing belts in the 1920s, as trouser waists fell to a lower line. Before the 1920s, belts served mostly a decorative purpose, and were associated with the military. Moreover, prior to that trousers did not even have belt loops. As sportswear, trousers with belt loops were already present in the 19th century. Today it is common for men to wear belts with their trousers. In the US military belts are worn snugly at dress events or at inspection so as convey impressions of fitness and discipline. From 1989 onward the US military standards regarding belt tightness during normal duty and non-duty activities have been somewhat more relaxed to prevent deleterious effects of prolonged excessive abdominal constriction.
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The University of Leeds is building a new digital library based on EPrints, and began its investigation by using the Watch Folder produced by the DepositMO project, reporting progress on the use of this tool as a repository partner of DepositMOre. This was an exciting development, and although the Watch Folder was subsequently displaced by a commercial application for workflow reasons at Leeds, it demonstrates how deposit and workflow issues implemented in this project tool have risen up the agenda.
John Salter, software developer for the digital library at Leeds, answers our questions about the impact of the Watch Folder on the work and how the approach to content deposit it exemplifies has influenced the DL project at Leeds.
Which tool did you use and why?
At Leeds we were setting up a new Digitisation Studio, Digitisation Service and alongside that a new Digital Library, based on the EPrints platform. The studio is tasked with digitising content from our Special Collections (books, slides, manuscripts and other unique resources, such as our theses), the University Gallery, as well as paid-for requests both internal and external to the University. It will be producing a large number of digital objects, mainly contained in folders that represent the object being digitised, e.g. several TIFFs representing individual pages of a manuscript would be held in one directory.
For this 'bulk' style work, the Watch Folder script seemed like a good place to start, but…
The digitisation landscape at Leeds is an evolving beast. During the period of the DepositMOre project we have purchased another piece of software: KE EMu**. This application will be the canonical source of object metadata: title; creator; copyright; physical preservation (and anything in between), and also manage the incoming digitisation requests and workflow for the Studio. Consequently our process for adding the digital objects to the repository is changing from an almost linear:
Request -> Digitise -> Enhance (e.g. crop) -> Save -> Deposit -> Catalogue
to something more like:
Request -> Digitise -> Enhance -> Save ————\
\-> Catalogue (including checking copyright) -> Deposit
It is important to note that some of the material we digitise cannot be made Open Access. We need to be stringent in checking what rights we have to disseminate this material. Some content we digitise is not for the public domain. Some will allow small thumbnails to be made available, but copies available by request only.
The Digitisaton Studio is still answering many questions:
- what is the *best* format in which to save things for dissemination?
- what should we store?
- — RAW from the camera
- — software-specific versions (e.g. CaptureOne) created before the TIFF
- — any number of intermediate cropped/colour-corrected versions
- — the 'master' TIFF (preservation copy)
- — processed versions (thumbnails)
- how to manage the request process to delivery?
and many more. The answers to these questions determine how we design the automated deposit process for items we have created.
Our storage configuration also means that the EPrints server can see the Studio work area which makes the HTTP transport layer less attractive as a means to move items into the repository. If the deposit-by-reference scenario discussed on the SWORD blog gets resolved, it would make our situation a bit more SWORD (and Watch Folder) friendly.
What are the benefits for your repository of using the tool?
Using the tool would allow new items that the Studio had created to be automatically loaded to the EPrints server. The metadata for the items could then be added by a cataloguer role rather than the digitisation role.
The Watch Folder script could still come in useful for other ingestions. The Digital Library is not just a platform for items that the Library holds. It is a place for the digital content of the University. As we develop the collections we hold, we may well find pockets of data that lend themselves to the Watch Folder process. We may also find people who would find the Word Add-in useful.
What difficulties were encountered in using the tool, and how were these resolved?
The Watch Folder script doesn't contain much in the way of comments, or debug information. I had to pick it apart to see what it was doing, and where/how it was failing. There are a few assumptions in the code that when combined with the lack of documentation made it difficult to run out-of-the-box, e.g.
my $file = $dir . "CONFIG";
The $dir variable may well have been specified without a trailing slash – specifying C:\folder results in the file C:\folderCONFIG being read for the config instead of C:\folder\CONFIG.
I don't have much experience of running perl on a Windows platform. The code does handle 'windows' platforms e.g. 'if ($OSNAME eq "MSWin32")' in some places, but do I need to handle different path seperators ('\' vs. '/')?
It doesn't cater for https (and therefore sends passwords over the wire in plain-text). Our digital library uses our standard usernames and passwords (via LDAP), so we need https. There was also a bug in EPrints – the edit URI sent back for an item was http, not https.
Do you have any remaining issues about continuing use of the tool, and if so what are these?
The Watch Folder script is not non-techie friendly. Running something from the command line is not somethng that our average user is very used to. Use of the Watch Folder is best suited to either someone with some technical ability, or possibly run centrally as a service if the files to be deposited were on a shared drive. Currently our standard desktop (Win7) has ActiveState Perl on it, and also includes all modules required to use Watch Folder to an https host so it could be used by most members of staff.
There should be a way to disconnect a directory from the synchronise process in a controlled way. The use of hidden files may make this difficult/problematic.
How is/should the process monitored? Currently the process results in two copies of the content, one local and one in the repository. Ideally we want a process that deposits the files, confirms that the repository file is identical to the sent file (the script does this by MD5 hashing the file), and then removes the original file (possibly leaving a 'receipt'). The script pulls content from the server as well as pushing changes back to the server. We are dealing with large volumes of data and wouldn't want it all to be replicated locally.
In EPrints, the thumbnailing process works on the whole image. For some of our content (e.g. illuminated manuscripts – initial letter is beautifully ornate, rest of page is dense text) the automatic thumbnails are not the best (in terms of visual appeal). The pull/push model could be useful for dealing with these thumbnails:
File -> Upload (push) -> Thumbnail -> Download (pull) -> Enhance thumbnails -> Upload Thumbnails
A human could review the automatic thumbnails and replace any with a same-sized version of the most visual parts of of the file. This has its own complications in EPrints – thumbnail regeneration is brutal. It removes all thumbnails and replaces them – and would lose these special versions if they couldn't be identified in advance.
How much content has the tool delivered to your repository (pointing to some good examples)?
Currently, none. But the use-case in Leeds has outgrown the script. In the long term, most content in our Digital Library will be automatically deposited. Without KE EMu, the Watch Folder script would be a useful tool to achieve this.
**This is the official paragraph for KE EMu:
"KE EMu provides a central store for metadata for Special Collections, the University Art Gallery and University Archive. It will streamline our processes for accessioning new acquisitions to Special Collections, the Gallery and Archive, and thereafter cataloguing them, and helping to manage all aspects of their storage and use within the Library. EMu is compliant with several archival and gallery standards, including ISAD(G) and Spectrum. It provides APIs that will be used when depositing digitised versions into our Digital Library."
John Salter, University of Leeds


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The US Space Shuttle was the world's first reusable spacecraft. It was first conceived during the years of the Apollo lunar program and was intended to service space stations, lower the costs of space travel and make access to the moon and beyond more routine. After numerous delays, the first of five orbiters, Columbia, lifted off on 12 April 1981.
The shuttle is comprised of three components: the orbiter (the aeroplane-like crew- and cargo-carrying craft that most people think of as the shuttle); a large external tank (ET) that holds the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen fuel; and two solid rocket boosters (SRBs) packed with powdered aluminium and rubber fuel. The SRBs provide 6 million pounds of thrust at takeoff, before being jettisoned to parachute into the ocean, where they are recovered for re-use. The ET is jettisoned soon after, and burns up during atmospheric re-entry.
For many people, the shuttle's recent missions, which were focused mainly on assembly of the International Space Station (ISS), had become routine. Ironically, the first mission in years that had much scientific research aboard was STS-107, the final, tragic flight of Columbia.
Lift-off to disaster
Columbia's last flight began on 16 January 2003, and though no one knew it at the time, the orbiter sustained fatal damage just seconds after lift-off. According to the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB), a suitcase-sized chunk of foam came loose from the ET, punching a hole in insulating tiles on the craft's wing. During re-entry, 16 days later, super-hot atmospheric gases penetrated the wing, causing it to shear off. The orbiter then disintegrated, with the loss of all seven astronauts on board.
It remains unclear whether anything could have been done to save the crew if the wing damage had been known about. One possibility would have been to send a second orbiter to rendezvous with the crew in orbit, leaving Columbia to be jettisoned into the ocean.
The CAIB recommended that NASA should develop the capability to inspect the craft for damage in orbit (using radar, cameras or sensors for example); eliminate the chronic shedding of foam debris during launch and develop a method for repairing the tiles in orbit, to permit a safe return. Other modifications may also improve safety.
Safety issues
While the shuttle was initially introduced as a replacement for virtually all US expendable launch vehicles, and was touted for its cost-effectiveness, its functions were scaled back considerably after the first shuttle tragedy.
That was the fiery explosion of Challenger on 29 January 1986, just 73 seconds after lift-off. That accident also took the lives of all seven astronauts aboard. The accident was traced to a rubber O-ring used to seal the SRB seams. The faulty ring, made brittle by unusually cold weather at launch, allowed a jet of flame to ignite the hydrogen fuel in the external tank.
The investigations into both accidents revealed a variety of further serious safety issues, and other concerns have caused delays in the program.
These include: concerns about tiny cracks found in fuel lines (which grounded the shuttle fleet during the year before Columbia's last flight), other leaks, faulty sensors and hinges, and problems with explosive bolts that separate the booster rockets from the orbiter.
Record breakers
During their nearly quarter-century of service, the five shuttles (Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Challenger's replacement Endeavour) have accomplished numerous important research missions and established many records in space travel.
The re-usable shuttles were the first (and still the only) spacecraft to reach orbit more than once. It is the only space vehicle from which astronauts have captured a satellite in orbit to be repaired in place, or brought back to Earth for repair and re-launch. It is also the only vehicle from which astronauts have ever made untethered space walks.
The shuttle delivered the Hubble Space Telescope to orbit in 1990, and then returned to service it (initially, to correct a faulty mirror and later to install new gyroscopes, cameras and spectroscopes) in 1993, 1997, 1999 and finally 2002.
The shuttles also launched the highly successful Galileo orbiter to Jupiter; the Magellan mission to Venus in 1989; the European Space Agency's Ulysses solar observatory in 1990; the Gamma Ray Observatory; and the Chandra X-Ray telescope.
Space science
Some shuttle missions were dedicated specifically to research, often using the SpaceLab module in the shuttle's huge payload bay. Experiments included studies of the microgravity environment, such as growing protein crystals, and studying the basic properties of flames and liquids. Some focused on the growth, reproduction and other properties of microbes, plants and animals in space.
Other missions analysed the effects of space travel on people. Examples include studies of bone loss, heart function and motion sickness.
There were also missions dedicated to astronomical observations, using the Astro payload of pallet-mounted telescopes. Further missions studied the Earth from above, such as one that used of a type of radar to probe below the surface – discovering ancient riverbeds beneath the Sahara Desert, for example.
Return to flight
After being grounded for two-and-a-half years following the destruction of Columbia, space shuttle Discovery returned to the skies in July 2005 on a mission to the ISS.
Foam was still shed by the ETs, but did not endanger the orbiter. However, the fact that the foam issue was not resolved prevented any further flights until July 2006, when changes were made to a part of the tank called the PAL ramps. Even then, some risks remained.
During Discovery's flight in 2005, astronauts tested new methods of repairing a damaged heat shield. They also made an unprecedented spacewalk beneath the orbiter make repairs to "gap fillers" between the tiles.
NASA currently plans to retire the fleet in 2010. In the meantime the shuttle will only be used for the minimum number of flights necessary to finish the basic assembly of the International Space Station. That controversial retirement plan means the elimination of a final planned servicing mission for the Hubble telescope, most likely dooming the telescope to a slow demise.


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Birdswing Birding & Wildlife Tours
Your guide is dedicated birdwatcher and naturalist Neil Macumber. Neil's extensive knowledge of Australian birds and wildlife has been gathered over many years of travel and working as a guide. Neil has explored all parts of the continent seeing over 800 species of birds in Australia and over 150 mammals. You will find Neil very approachable. Whether you are an experienced birdwatcher or a relatively new comer in the field, you will have a memorable trip.
Neil was born and raised in Melbourne. At an early age he had a great interest in natural history encouraged by his parents. Neil's passion for birds increased dramatically in the 1980's when he was able to dedicate time to increase his bird list. He spent many a happy rostered day off at the Werribee sewage farm. Neil's interest and commitment to the environment is demonstrated through his active membership of Landcare, Bird Life Australia, Victorian Wetlands Network, Friends of Grampians Gariwerd (FOGG), and Australian Plants Society.
Neil is an experienced tour guide able to ensure all tour participants in his care enjoy the whole wildlife experience from seeing the targeted species, accommodation, travel arrangements and food. Neil is able to provide interesting facts and commentary on birds, fauna and flora of Australia.
Neil specialises in tours around the Melbourne area and Victoria including Phillip Island for the world renowned little penguin parade, the famous Great Ocean Road, the majestic Grampians and Little Desert. He is able to tailor a trip anywhere in Australia to meet your special requirements and budget.
Prices are quoted per person in Australian dollars.
All prices include GST (Goods & Services Tax)


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The Global War on Christians: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Anti-Christian Persecution
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One of the most respected journalists in the United States and the bestselling author of The Future Church uses his unparalleled knowledge of world affairs and religious insight to investigate the troubling worldwide persecution of Christians.
From Iraq and Egypt to Sudan and Nigeria, from Indonesia to the Indian subcontinent, Christians in the early 21st century are the world's most persecuted religious group. According to the secular International Society for Human Rights, 80 percent of violations of religious freedom in the world today are directed against Christians. In effect, our era is witnessing the rise of a new generation of martyrs. Underlying the global war on Christians is the demographic reality that more than two-thirds of the world's 2.3 billion Christians now live outside the West, often as a beleaguered minority up against a hostile majority-- whether it's Islamic fundamentalism in the Middle East and parts of Africa and Asia, Hindu radicalism in India, or state-imposed atheism in China and North Korea. In Europe and North America, Christians face political and legal challenges to religious freedom. Allen exposes the deadly threats and offers investigative insight into what is and can be done to stop these atrocities.
"This book is about the most dramatic religion story of the early 21st century, yet one that most people in the West have little idea is even happening: The global war on Christians," writes John Allen. "We're not talking about a metaphorical 'war on religion' in Europe and the United States, fought on symbolic terrain such as whether it's okay to erect a nativity set on the courthouse steps, but a rising tide of legal oppression, social harassment and direct physical violence, with Christians as its leading victims. However counter-intuitive it may seem in light of popular stereotypes of Christianity as a powerful and sometimes oppressive social force, Christians today indisputably form the most persecuted religious body on the planet, and too often its new martyrs suffer in silence."
This book looks to shatter that silence.


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By: Kerry Patterson
A stunning new approach to how individuals can not only change their lives for the better in the workplace, but also their lives away from the office, including (but not limited to) finding ways to improve one's working relationship with others, one's overall health, outlook on life, and so on.
For example, why is it that 95% of all diet attempts fail? Why do New Year's Resolutions last no more than a few days? Why can't people with good intentions seem to make consistent and positive strides in the way they want to improve their careers, financial fitness, physical fitness, and so on?
Based upon the latest research in a number of psychological and medical fields, the authors of CHANGE ANYTHING will show that traditional will-power is not necessarily the answer to these strivings, that people are affected in their behaviors by far more subtle influences. CHANGE ANYTHING shows how individuals can come to understand these powerful and influential forces, and how to put these forces to work in a positive manner that brings real and meaningful results.
The authors present an array of everyday examples that will change and truly empower you to reexamine the way you go about your business and life.


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Texas Governor Rick Perry Will 'Make Clear' He's Running for President
Texas Governor Rick Perry, who has yet to formally announce his candidacy for the GOP presidential nomination, is certainly acting like he's in the running. Two associates have said he will visit the early-voting states South Carolina and New Hampshire on Saturday.
Perry will give a speech in South Carolina "to make clear that he's running for president" before then heading to a house party in New Hampshire at the home of state representative, Pamela Tucker, who has been encouraging Perry to run.
Saturday, by the way, is the day of the Ames straw poll in Iowa. Although Perry won't be there this weekend, his presence will surely be felt. He's not formally on the ballot, but Iowa operatives behind the group Americans for Rick Perry have been aggressively boosting him as a write-in candidate. Regardless, his announcement is certain to suck up a lot of the winner's oxygen.
While Perry spokesman Mark Miner would not confirm the announcement, he said, "With President Obama's dismal economic record and Texas' success in creating jobs and balancing our budget, Governor Perry continues to consider a potential run for The White House. Stay tuned."


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About Us
At Sell-your-classic-car.com, we understand that the classic car market can be an intimidating place. We also know it doesn't have to be.
Our reputation was built on selling world-class cars honestly. To uphold that reputation, we make sure that the car is in the condition we advertise it to be in.
Our team of experts then spend countless hours combing over the details including documentation, casting numbers, and dates codes to ensure every vehicle is represented as accurately as possible.
Our marketing team works equally hard making sure that every car is shown in its true state. Our images are completely unedited. No Photoshop work. No tricks. What you see is truly what you get.
If you're a serious collector looking to freshen your collection, we'll gladly consider high-quality trades, even if it's a car you bought from us a week ago.
As a licensed used car dealer, we handle the business end of every sale with equal confidence. All titles are clean and transfers are handled in-office for the quickest turnaround possible.
Our reputation among collectors speaks for itself. Don't take our word for it though. We'll be happy to connect you with some of our current customers.


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from The Conversation
— this post authored by Phillip Williamson, University of East Anglia
Ocean acidification is an inevitable consequence of increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. That's a matter of fact. We don't know exactly what will happen to complex marine ecosystems when faced with the additional stress of falling pH, but we do know those changes are happening and that they won't be good news.
The journalist James Delingpole disagrees. In an article for The Spectator in April 2016, he took the sceptical position that all concerns over ocean acidification are unjustified "alarmism" and that the scientific study of this non-problem is a waste of money. He concluded that the only reason that the study of ocean acidification was ever funded at all was because there was insufficient (and decreasing) evidence for global warming and it acted as a "fallback position".
Having had the role of science coordinator for the UK Ocean Acidification research programme and being involved in relevant national and international projects for around ten years previously, I know such claims – which Delingpole presented as facts – to be false. I also spotted a range of other errors and inaccuracies in his piece.
Having first gone to The Spectator with my concerns, in late August I submitted a formal complaint to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). The key issues were whether or not due care had been taken to avoid publication of inaccurate information, and whether comment and conjecture had been clearly distinguished from fact.
At the end of a long and frustrating process IPSO's final ruling was published on January 5 and it doesn't seem we are much further forward. My complaint was rejected on the basis that the article was "clearly a comment piece" and that it was not IPSO's role to resolve conflicting evidence for contentious issues.
Facts are sacred
Freedom of speech, and of the press, is, of course, extremely precious. Yet that freedom also brings responsibility. The Editors' Code of Practice – which IPSO claims to uphold – requires the "highest professional standards". Let's remind ourselves of what this means when it comes to accuracy:
i) The press must take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information or images, including headlines not supported by the text.
ii) A significant inaccuracy, misleading statement or distortion must be corrected, promptly and with due prominence, and – where appropriate – an apology published.
That would seem clear enough. So let's look at just one of Delingpole's paragraphs and judge for ourselves whether these standards were met:
Ocean acidification theory appears to have been fatally flawed almost from the start. In 2004, two NOAA scientists, Richard Feely and Christopher Sabine, produced a chart showing a strong correlation between rising atmospheric CO2 levels and falling oceanic pH levels. But then, just over a year ago, Mike Wallace, a hydrologist with 30 years' experience, noticed while researching his PhD that they had omitted some key information. Their chart only started in 1988 but, as Wallace knew, there were records dating back to at least 100 years before. So why had they ignored the real-world evidence in favour of computer-modelled projections? When Wallace plotted a chart of his own, incorporating all the available data, covering the period from 1910 to the present, his results were surprising: there has been no reduction in oceanic pH levels in the last century.
That might look like a plausible argument based on fact. But the Feely/Sabine chart which was of concern to Wallace was published in 2006, not 2004; the chart didn't start in 1988, but covered the period 1850-2100; and no data had been omitted, since it showed an idealised, theory-based relationship between atmospheric CO2 and ocean pH. Meanwhile the "real-world evidence" was from extremely unreliable early measurements, uncorrected for natural variability, that when combined gave physically impossible year-on-year changes in global pH. And Wallace's analyses have not been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Delingpole did not contact any of the individuals mentioned to obtain first-hand accounts of the issues of concern.
How ocean acidification works according to the experts. UK Ocean Acidification Programme
To be fair, several of Delingpole's inaccuracies, such as NERC (the Natural Environment Research Council) rather than Defra being the main funder of the UK Ocean Acidification research programme, were acknowledged by IPSO – but the regulator ruled that they were not "significantly" misleading, neither cumulatively nor individually. It didn't seem to matter to IPSO that calling science's approach to acidification "alarmism" – and implying that researchers have said that everything in the sea will die – is rather different from the well-established scientific knowledge that ocean acidification really does affect sensitive species, such as corals, and will therefore disrupt ecosystems.
Fair comment?
The Editor's Code of Practice has this to say about opinion and comment:
The press, while free to editorialise and campaign, must distinguish clearly between comment, conjecture and fact.
So read this statement from Delingpole:
Ocean acidification – the evidence increasingly suggests – is a trivial, misleadingly named, and not remotely worrying phenomenon which has been hyped up beyond all measure for political, ideological and financial reasons.
Is this just an honest opinion, a statement of fact, or wilfully misleading and clever rhetoric? That depends on what is meant by "evidence". If it means quality research carried out by scientists with expertise in the field, the statement is factually incorrect. But if evidence includes anything said by non-experts, such as Delingpole, then that's an increase, right?
All these issues may seem technical or unimportant to anyone but scientists or most of the public. But IPSO's overall message is that ocean acidification is just a matter of opinion – not a hard-won, testable understanding of the likely effects of human-driven changes on the marine environment. This view of science is pernicious and has serious policy consequences. Why support any research if 250 peer-reviewed papers produced by the UK Ocean Acidification research programme can all be summarily dismissed as worthless?
IPSO: a watchdog with few teeth?
From a back of the envelope analysis of IPSO's published statistics on its adjudications on complaints it appears that about 18% of those investigated are upheld. I can't pretend to be an expert on the nature of complaints about the press and don't know what proportion is vexatious or can be dismissed out of hand, but it's important to note that the overwhelming majority of complaints received by IPSO – at least 95% by my calculation – are not investigated or taken further, since they come under the heading complaints IPSO could not deal with. This might be good news for publishers, but seems a very depressing statistic for those who feel wronged by the press.
IPSO annual report 2015, Author provided
Does this really mean that anything goes if it is presented, however tenuously, as "comment" or "opinion"? Doesn't "care taken" involve basic fact-checking and making a proper effort to contact quoted or maligned individuals before publication? Are political blogs, disputed newspaper coverage and think-tank reports reliable information sources, while properly peer-reviewed scientific literature can be disregarded?
IPSO annual report 2015, Author provided
There's a passionate debate going on in journalism at the moment about regulation – and most journalists believe, probably correctly – that the industry should be its own watchdog. But these sorts of decisions make you wonder whether they are up to the task. All this is in my opinion, of course.
Phillip Williamson, NERC Science Coordinator, University of East Anglia
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.


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Make the McKenzie Connection!
By Denise Ruttan
A cloche can be built to protect raised beds in winter.
Afraid gardening and your soil are not compatible? Raised beds can come to the rescue.
"By building raised beds, you instantaneously can have good garden loam," said Ross Penhallegon, a horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. "Raised beds answer the question of how we garden in inhospitable areas that are too sandy, too wet or have too much clay."
Raised beds should be built in March and April. First select the plants you want and learn how deep their root systems grow. Raised beds are generally six to 12 inches high depending on the depth of the plant's roots, Penhallegon said. Raised beds are typically three feet wide so you can reach across easily to weed and maintain the plants, he said. The bed can be as long as you want.
After you build the structure framing the raised bed, fill it half way with loam. Using a three-tined garden fork, mix in an equal amount of organic matter such as compost, leaf mulch or animal manure. After the first season of growing vegetables in the raised bed, add two to four inches of compost in October. Then in March or April, mix the compost into the soil using a garden fork.
To build your raised bed, Penhallegon suggested using the following materials:
* Straw bales – Use straw from wheat, barley or other grains but do not use hay because it can contain weeds and seeds, he said. Bales should be free-standing. Dig a hole in the straw for each plant. The bales are especially good for growing carrots and potatoes. You can also plant peas or pole beans in them if you use a trellis. Fertilize and water by hand or use a soaker hose. The straw slowly composts for the plants, feeding them nutrients.
* Raw wood – Cedar is a good choice because it is fairly resilient, Penhallegon said. Coat boards with exterior latex paint, which is not as strong as chemical preservatives and can resist moisture. In choosing between raw and treated wood, decide how often you want to replace the wood as it decays faster when wet, he said.
* Treated wood – Wood that is treated with preservatives such as pentachlorophenol, creosote and linseed oil lasts longer in rainy climates, Penhallegon said. Research shows that there is little likelihood of wood-preserving substances contaminating the soil, he added. Nevertheless, he still advised covering the wood with plastic sheeting or exterior latex paint to reduce the risk.
* Old tires – Old tires stacked on top of each other work especially well for potatoes.
* Concrete blocks – Concrete lasts a long time, absorbs heat well and is water-resistant, Penhallegon said. Stack one, two or three blocks high. Keep in mind that it is more expensive than wood. Look for inexpensive blocks that are cracked or chipped, he said.
* Railroad ties – Whether railroad ties are safe to use is hotly debated among researchers and the general public, Penhallegon said. "It's been shown that there is very little creosote leakage out of railroad ties," he said, "but that depends on how old they are, whether they're damaged and how long they've been around. It's very tough to say absolutes." He recommends covering railroad ties with plastic sheeting to protect your plants.
Extension's "Growing Your Own" guide offers suggestions for building raised beds.
McKenzie River Reflections