text:
This past weekend, in the midst of browned butter muffins, goat cheese biscuits and that little eating fest called the Super Bowl, I decided I should bake something healthy for a change. I know. You just took a double take, didn't you?
The thing is, I generally eat really healthy and exercise like a maniac to balance out everything that you see here. But sometimes, no matter how many salads I eat or how often I go to the gym, the cookies/cakes/cheesecakes/truffles…. they absorb me. They take over my brain and haunt me around my waistline. They call my name from the oven, the freezer, halfway to the trash. It is a crazy hold they have over me that I can't quite explain. And on days or weeks like that, I try to trick myself. I put something in the oven that tastes good enough to be dessert but is wholesome enough for breakfast and for just a short moment, I am eating a treat that isn't going to force me into a sugar high and crash spiral.
This dish falls into that category. I had in my mind that I was going to make apple cinnamon breakfast cookies and ended up with something completely different but delicious nonetheless. Heavy on fruit and whole grains but low on sugar, this crumble is a great way to start the day. Top a serving with a dollop of Greek yogurt for some extra protein. Feel like having some for dessert? Scoop some frozen yogurt right on top of a warm bowl.
Not to worry, I'll be absorbed back into butter heaven momentarily.
Apple and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Crumble
Serves 8
2 cups chopped Granny Smith apples (5 small apples or 2-3 large)
2 tablespoons Splenda or sweetener of choice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Spray a 9 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside
In a medium bowl, combine apples, cinnamon and sweetener; set aside
In a large bowl, whisk together oatmeal, flour, baking soda and salt
Stir in peanut butter; it will be lumpy but that is okay
Stir in egg whites and vanilla
Stir in apples; there will be a high proportion of apples to batter
Spread mixture into prepared baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes or until top is firm and apples are tender
Serve warm for breakfast with Greek yogurt or dessert topped with frozen yogurt
Keep leftovers refrigerated for several days and re-heat before serving
How do you trick yourself out of eating a full batch of brownies?


text:
Catering selection
The Party Catering Administration Office has special catering packages for the Faculty Club, and an overview is presented below.
The buffets can be served for 20 people or more. A buffet consists of hot and cold dishes. It is possible to combine the hot and cold dishes from different buffets.
Faculty Club Buffet 1 - € 60,75
Cold dishes
- Salad of mozzarella with roma tomatoes and fresh basil
- Salad of Friesian Wolvega cheese, pear and walnuts
- Green salad with home-smoked entrecote, sliced à la carpaccio
- Fish salad of smoked mackerel and prawns with red beetroot and dill
Hot dishes
- Moroccan lamb stew with coriander, cumin and fresh vegetables
- Vegetable curry with coconut, lime and lemongrass
- Breton fish stew with salmon, prawns, mussels and seawolf
- Cashew chicken: chicken thighs marinated with honey, goat cheese and cashew nuts
- Catch of the day
Faculty Club Buffet 2 - € 64.05
Cold dishes
- Salad of Dutch prawns, crayfish, apple and crème fraîche
- Carpaccio salad with truffles and mature cheese
- Spanakopita: puff pastry parcels filled with olives, feta cheese and spinach
- Charcuterie: selection of cold meats with a roseval potato salad
Hot dishes
- Cod with mozzarella, pesto sauce and pomodori tomatoes
- Spicy pork tenderloin pieces with taugé, paksoi and Japanese soya sauce
- Mediterranean roast vegetables: courgette, aubergine, paprika, oyster mushrooms and tomato
- Veal cheek casserole with traditional Dutch spices
- Catch of the day
Faculty Club 'Walking Dinner' - € 71,15
Cold dishes
- Tumbler filled with prawns and truffle mayonnaise
- Plate of smoked Simmental ribeye with a sesame & spring onion dressing
- Plate of white tuna with a yoghurt & dill sauce
Hot dishes
- Cup of spicy Thai peanut soup
- Meatballs made from Gascon beef in a pomodori sauce
- Oven-roasted roseval potatoes with rosemary
- Lasagne made with wild spinach and roma tomatoes
- Alaska salmon with lime and saffron
- Catch of the day
Dessert - € 12.05
- Trifle or dessert of your choice
The above packages are inclusive of VAT, service and hire of equipment. The stated prices apply for regular work days.
Reception packages
For the reception following your doctorate or inaugural lecture, we offer special 1-hour packages. Your guests are always welcomed with a glass of prosecco. You can extend your reception by half an hour for € 3.
Reception Libertas - € 10.10
We welcome your guests with a glass of prosecco. In addition we serve a reception selection, consisting of sodas, fruit juices, beer and house wines and table snacks: salted nuts and biscuits.
Reception Leiden - € 14.75
We welcome your guests with a glass of prosecco. In addition we serve a reception selection, consisting of sodas, fruit juices, beer and house wines.
- Hors d'oeuvres
- Cubes of farmer house cheese
- Traditional croquette balls
- Various types of sausage with coarse mustard
Reception Rapenburg - € 17.60
We welcome your guests with a glass of prosecco. In addition, we serve a reception selection, consisting of sodas, fruit juices, beer and house wines.
- Cold cucumber soup with sesame in a shooter glass
- Lukewarm spicy crayfish
- Gascon veal meatballs
- Cubes of pesto and pine-nut cheese
UniversiTea - High Tea arrangement € 18.25
During the reception we serve coffee & tea, orange juice and sumptuous, still or sparkling water:
- Specialties
- Brownies
- A variety of muffins and marmelade
- Generously spread sandwiches
- Delicious friandise
- Salted biscuits
Prices are per person, including VAT. Prices are subject to change, every year the prices are indexed per January 1st.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Official Guide to Christmas in the South: Or, If You Can't Fry It, Spraypaint It Gold (Hardcover)
No place celebrates Christmas like Dixie, and with this charming, humorous guide, anyone can learn how to deck the halls, Southern style
It's the one time of the year when both the divine and debutantes take center stage in a perfect storm of hot glue and cheese grits: Christmas. But successfully navigating through the holiday season can be more complex than Santa's midnight journey. There are pitfalls hotter than any chimney -- and social situations more slippery than any roof! But now The Official Guide to Christmas in the South has arrived to reveal the finer and sometimes unspoken details of Dixie etiquette.
Perfect for a true Southerner's coffee table or an imposter's survival guide, The Official Guide to Christmas in the South is the gift that will keep on regifting season after season.
David C. Barnette celebrates Christmas in coastal Alabama with his wife, Ashley, and daughters Cailey and Sibley. He received his MFA in writing from Vermont College.
"A laugh-out-loud look at how people living south of the Mason-Dixon celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ." — Mobile Register
"Tongue-in-cheek…well written and funny, the quirky descriptions of Christmas events are sure to bring you holiday cheer." — Southern Living
"A hoot…a great way to get in the mood for the approaching holidays with a laugh." — News-Star (Monroe, LA)
"If you were born south of the Mason-Dixon…Read it before you rewrap that fruitcake." — Miami Herald
"If you're not stopping traffic, you're not decorating hard enough. These…secrets of Southern yuletide will get you through the season." — Creative Loafing


text:
Hey Hey! What do you know, a post from me : )
I have been so busy and have several announcements I can't wait to share with you next week. So for now, just bare with me as I get caught up! My internet has been on and off since getting out of town, making it extremely difficult for me to catch up! But today I'm going to show you how to make some DIY Hand Warmers that I shared over at Dragonfly Designs a few weeks ago. I have seen these all over pinterest. Mostly in heart shapes or fun bright girly colors like these from {V & Co} which are ADORABLE! … but none for a little boy!
Rice Hand Warmers Tutorial
My son has to stand outside before school starts and well… we are from Texas, and this being in Wisconsin thing is quite the climate adjustment.
Although I love love love the cold, let's face it, hands still get cold right?
So I decided that since boys are a little rough around the edges, so should the item that is warming their hands ; )
So for this super duper easy tutorial, all you will need is:
– Some scrap fabric (any character/superhero)
– Sewing machine
– and some rice
1. Cut your fabric into little squares (2 for each hand warmer)
2. Sew around the edges, wrong sides together, leaving a small opening to fill with rice (I chose to use a fun little zig zag stitch)
3. Take some paper and roll it into a cone. Fill it with rice giving you enough room to sew it closed.
3. Sew your opening closed
What did I say… easiest thing EVER
If you don't want the raw edges, sew the fabric right sides together leaving a gap, then turn and fill with rice. Sew your gap closed.
So much fun right?!
My son LOVES these. He really uses them for bean bags, but we'll see how he feels when it gets really really cold outside! : )
Looking for some more great boy projects…..
just click the pictures below


text:
Many of the protesters occupying Wall Street and other places say they are upset about the rising price of going to college. Tuition and other costs have been going up faster than inflation, and family incomes can't keep up. Despite public outrage about the problem, there's little sign these costs will drop anytime soon.
If you are a veteran of a public university, the jump in tuition at your alma mater might be downright jaw-dropping. Tuition at the University of California, Berkeley, was about $700 a year back in the 1970s. Today, U.C. Berkeley students have to fork over around $15,000 per year. That's a 2,000 percent increase.
There's a simple explanation, according to Sandy Baum, who teaches at George Washington University.
"States are paying less of the cost than they used to," Baum says. She adds that as state budgets shrink, the students' share of paying for education goes up.
Competing for Talent
Berkeley's tuition increase is unusually large, but most public schools, which educate 80 percent of all college students, have seen dramatic increases. Private schools don't rely on state subsidies, and their prices have gone up more slowly in recent years. But they are still rising faster than inflation.
Terry Hartle of the American Council on Education says that's because schools are paying more for talent.
"Now we're competing in a global economy," Hartle says, "so if you want to get the best scientists, the best engineers ... you're literally competing with universities and employers from around the globe."
Not to mention the higher costs for health insurance for all of those expensive faculty and for things like counseling services, which are expanding.
Even as sticker prices climb, student aid has gone up dramatically. For students in private schools, says George Washington University's Baum, the aid increases just about cancel out tuition increases of the past five years.
Financial Aid
Baum says one reason tuition never seems to drop is that universities are not getting more efficient the way other industries are. And some conservative governors are pushing administrators to cut waste and make professors more productive.
Richard Vedder, who runs the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, says the more government aid goes up, the more tuition rises. He says limits on grants and loan subsidies would cap spiraling tuition prices.
"That reduces the demand for college, and that is going to tend to reduce the ability of colleges to raise tuition fees," Vedder says.
Many economists question that link. So does Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education, who has pushed for more college aid for low-income students.
In fact, Duncan and others argue that the problem is that grant aid hasn't risen fast enough.
"Today a federal Pell Grant covers only about one-third of what it costs for a public four-year college in state," says Lauren Asher, president of The Institute for College Access and Success in California. "In the 1980s it covered about half; in the 1970s it covered more than 70 percent."
Reduced Means
The problem is compounded because people are less able to pay. Incomes are stagnant, some parents are unemployed, and many can no longer get low-interest home-equity loans because home values have fallen.
So families have turned to federal student loans, and even much more expensive private loans.
"Private loans are much riskier than federal student loans, because they don't come with the important repayment plans, forgiveness programs and other borrower protections that federal student loans provide," Asher says.
The Obama administration has been rolling out a number of measures to help students in danger of falling behind on their federal loan payments.
Nearly a half-million students have signed up for "income-based repayment." The program limits the amount of your income that you have to pay. And officials say many more students could be signing up for this program while they're waiting for the economy to turn around.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
The Tacoma Municipal Court is located in the County-City building in downtown Tacoma.
Parking at the County City Building is limited. Some pay public parking is available in the parking lots off 11th Street between Tacoma Ave. and Yakima Avenue and on Nollmeyer Street between 9th Street and 11th Street off of Yakima Avenue. On-street parking is available to a maximum of one hour. Allow sufficient time before a scheduled hearing to locate parking. Public transportation is availalble to the County City Building. Bus route information can be found at Pierce County Transit or by calling (253) 581-8000.


text:
Hooked on Heat is this amazing blog, & hooked to it I am. I am glad that Hooked on Heat got selected for the T&T, for this is what made me visit Meena for the first time.. She must have stopped blogging around the time I started, so I never got the opportunity to visit her till now.
Among all the delicious recipes, with tempting pictures, Baingan Patiala, was the first one I made. ( I did a couple more; Tandoori Chicken Pops, Spicy Pepper Mushrooms – yet another one very similar to the way i make mine. I am not sure I will be get the others ready before the T&T due date). The reason that this particular recipe caught my attention was becoz, I have been making eggplant with Nigella seeds for quite sometime now, & I started cooking not from any recipe, but just some experiments in my kitchen.. I was happy to see someone else use the same but unusual spice with the eggplant. Meena's method was slightly different & quicker..We all really loved it.
Zlamushka's Tried and Tasted is hosted at Kits Chow this time, Hooked on Heat being the selected blog.
This recipe includes the simple ingredients – Eggplants, Onion, Tomato being the main ones with a few others & some spices. A very flavorful recipe, but extremely easy to cook in little time… If you are having guests in short notice or even for a quick dinner or potluck this is one great dish to make.
Baingan Patiala (Spicy Stir Fried Eggplants)
- 3 Long Chinese Eggplants/Brinjals/Aubergines, cubed
- 1 Onion, thinly sliced
- 2 Medium tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2-3 Green Chillies, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste ( I grated the ginger & minced the garlic)
- 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp Nigella/Kalonji seeds
- 1/4 tsp Dried Mango Powder (amchoor)
- 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
- Salt
- 3 tablespoon Oil
Preparation:Fry eggplant pieces in a large non-stick wok till lightly browned. Set aside.
In the same wok, saute onions with nigella/kalonji and cumin seeds till soft and fragrant. Add in the dry spices, green chillies and ginger-garlic paste and fry for a few minutes.
Add the tomatoes and cook on medium heat till the mixture is almost dry and starts to give out oil from the sides. (You will see the amount reduced too). Mix in fried eggplants, season with salt, and let cook a few minutes till eggplants are done through. Garnish with fresh chopped/cilantro.
Serve with Flatbreads or Rice.
Related Posts:
Eggplants with Poblano Peppers


text: THE BELMONT REPORT Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research The Belmont Report Office of the Secretary Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research The National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research April 18, 1979 AGENCY: Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. ACTION: Notice of Report for Public Comment. SUMMARY: On July 12, 1974, the National Research Act (Pub. L. 93-348) was signed into law, there-by creating the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research. One of the charges to the Commission was to identify the basic ethical principles that should underlie the conduct of biomedical and behavioral research involving human subjects and to develop guidelines which should be followed to assure that such research is conducted in accordance with those principles. In carrying out the above, the Commission was directed to consider: (i) the boundaries between biomedical and behavioral research and the accepted and routine practice of medicine, (ii) the role of assessment of risk-benefit criteria in the determination of the appropriateness of research involving human subjects, (iii) appropriate guidelines for the selection of human subjects for participation in such research and (iv) the nature and definition of informed consent in various research settings. The Belmont Report attempts to summarize the basic ethical principles identified by the Commission in the course of its deliberations. It is the outgrowth of an intensive four-day period of discussions that were held in February 1976 at the Smithsonian Institution's Belmont Conference Center supplemented by the monthly deliberations of the Commission that were held over a period of nearly four years. It is a statement of basic ethical principles and guidelines that should assist in resolving the ethical problems that surround the conduct of research with human subjects. By publishing the Report in the Federal Register, and providing reprints upon request, the Secretary intends that it may be made readily available to scientists, members of Institutional Review Boards, and Federal employees. The two-volume Appendix, containing the lengthy reports of experts and specialists who assisted the Commission in fulfilling this part of its charge, is available as DHEW Publication No. (OS) 78-0013 and No. (OS) 78-0014, for sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. Unlike most other reports of the Commission, the Belmont Report does not make specific recommendations for administrative action by the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. Rather, the Commission recommended that the Belmont Report be adopted in its entirety, as a statement of the Department's policy. The Department requests public comment on this recommendation. National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research Members of the Commission Kenneth John Ryan, M.D., Chairman, Chief of Staff, Boston Hospital for Women. Joseph V. Brady, Ph.D., Professor of Behavioral Biology, Johns Hopkins University. Robert E. Cooke, M.D., President, Medical College of Pennsylvania. Dorothy I. Height, President, National Council of Negro Women, Inc. Albert R. Jonsen, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Bioethics, University of California at San Francisco. Patricia King, J.D., Associate Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center. Karen Lebacqz, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Christian Ethics, Pacific School of Religion. *** David W. Louisell, J.D., Professor of Law, University of California at Berkeley. Donald W. Seldin, M.D., Professor and Chairman, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas at Dallas. ***Eliot Stellar, Ph.D., Provost of the University and Professor of Physiological Psychology, University of Pennsylvania. *** Robert H. Turtle, LL.B., Attorney, VomBaur, Coburn, Simmons & Turtle, Washington, D.C. *** Deceased. Table of Contents Ethical Principles and Guidelines for Research Involving Human Subjects A. Boundaries Between Practice and Research B. Basic Ethical Principles Respect for Persons Beneficence Justice C. Applications Informed Consent Assessment of Risk and Benefits Selection of Subjects Ethical Principles & Guidelines for Research Involving Human Subjects Scientific research has produced substantial social benefits. It has also posed some troubling ethical questions. Public attention was drawn to these questions by reported abuses of human subjects in biomedical experiments, especially during the Second World War. During the Nuremberg War Crime Trials, the Nuremberg code was drafted as a set of standards for judging physicians and scientists who had conducted biomedical experiments on concentration camp prisoners. This code became the prototype of many later codes[1] intended to assure that research involving human subjects would be carried out in an ethical manner. The codes consist of rules, some general, others specific, that guide the investigators or the reviewers of research in their work. Such rules often are inadequate to cover complex situations; at times they come into conflict, and they are frequently difficult to interpret or apply. Broader ethical principles will provide a basis on which specific rules may be formulated, criticized and interpreted. Three principles, or general prescriptive judgments, that are relevant to research involving human subjects are identified in this statement. Other principles may also be relevant. These three are comprehensive, however, and are stated at a level of generalization that should assist scientists, subjects, reviewers and interested citizens to understand the ethical issues inherent in research involving human subjects. These principles cannot always be applied so as to resolve beyond dispute particular ethical problems. The objective is to provide an analytical framework that will guide the resolution of ethical problems arising from research involving human subjects. This statement consists of a distinction between research and practice, a discussion of the three basic ethical principles, and remarks about the application of these principles.[RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS] Part A: Boundaries Between Practice & Research A. Boundaries Between Practice and Research It is important to distinguish between biomedical and behavioral research, on the one hand, and the practice of accepted therapy on the other, in order to know what activities ought to undergo review for the protection of human subjects of research. The distinction between research and practice is blurred partly because both often occur together (as in research designed to evaluate a therapy) and partly because notable departures from standard practice are often called "experimental" when the terms "experimental" and "research" are not carefully defined. For the most part, the term "practice" refers to interventions that are designed solely to enhance the well-being of an individual patient or client and that have a reasonable expectation of success. The purpose of medical or behavioral practice is to provide diagnosis, preventive treatment or therapy to particular individuals [2]. By contrast, the term "research' designates an activity designed to test an hypothesis, permit conclusions to be drawn, and thereby to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge (expressed, for example, in theories, principles, and statements of relationships). Research is usually described in a formal protocol that sets forth an objective and a set of procedures designed to reach that objective. When a clinician departs in a significant way from standard or accepted practice, the innovation does not, in and of itself, constitute research. The fact that a procedure is "experimental," in the sense of new, untested or different, does not automatically place it in the category of research. Radically new procedures of this description should, however, be made the object of formal research at an early stage in order to determine whether they are safe and effective. Thus, it is the responsibility of medical practice committees, for example, to insist that a major innovation be incorporated into a formal research project [3]. Research and practice may be carried on together when research is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a therapy. This need not cause any confusion regarding whether or not the activity requires review; the general rule is that if there is any element of research in an activity, that activity should undergo review for the protection of human subjects.[RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS] Part B: Basic Ethical Principles B. Basic Ethical Principles The expression "basic ethical principles" refers to those general judgments that serve as a basic justification for the many particular ethical prescriptions and evaluations of human actions. Three basic principles, among those generally accepted in our cultural tradition, are particularly relevant to the ethics of research involving human subjects: the principles of respect of persons, beneficence and justice. 1. Respect for Persons. -- Respect for persons incorporates at least two ethical convictions: first, that individuals should be treated as autonomous agents, and second, that persons with diminished autonomy are entitled to protection. The principle of respect for persons thus divides into two separate moral requirements: the requirement to acknowledge autonomy and the requirement to protect those with diminished autonomy. An autonomous person is an individual capable of deliberation about personal goals and of acting under the direction of such deliberation. To respect autonomy is to give weight to autonomous persons' considered opinions and choices while refraining from obstructing their actions unless they are clearly detrimental to others. To show lack of respect for an autonomous agent is to repudiate that person's considered judgments, to deny an individual the freedom to act on those considered judgments, or to withhold information necessary to make a considered judgment, when there are no compelling reasons to do so. However, not every human being is capable of self-determination. The capacity for self-determination matures during an individual's life, and some individuals lose this capacity wholly or in part because of illness, mental disability, or circumstances that severely restrict liberty. Respect for the immature and the incapacitated may require protecting them as they mature or while they are incapacitated. Some persons are in need of extensive protection, even to the point of excluding them from activities which may harm them; other persons require little protection beyond making sure they undertake activities freely and with awareness of possible adverse consequence. The extent of protection afforded should depend upon the risk of harm and the likelihood of benefit. The judgment that any individual lacks autonomy should be periodically reevaluated and will vary in different situations. In most cases of research involving human subjects, respect for persons demands that subjects enter into the research voluntarily and with adequate information. In some situations, however, application of the principle is not obvious. The involvement of prisoners as subjects of research provides an instructive example. On the one hand, it would seem that the principle of respect for persons requires that prisoners not be deprived of the opportunity to volunteer for research. On the other hand, under prison conditions they may be subtly coerced or unduly influenced to engage in research activities for which they would not otherwise volunteer. Respect for persons would then dictate that prisoners be protected. Whether to allow prisoners to "volunteer" or to "protect" them presents a dilemma. Respecting persons, in most hard cases, is often a matter of balancing competing claims urged by the principle of respect itself. 2. Beneficence. -- Persons are treated in an ethical manner not only by respecting their decisions and protecting them from harm, but also by making efforts to secure their well-being. Such treatment falls under the principle of beneficence. The term "beneficence" is often understood to cover acts of kindness or charity that go beyond strict obligation. In this document, beneficence is understood in a stronger sense, as an obligation. Two general rules have been formulated as complementary expressions of beneficent actions in this sense: (1) do not harm and (2) maximize possible benefits and minimize possible harms. The Hippocratic maxim "do no harm" has long been a fundamental principle of medical ethics. Claude Bernard extended it to the realm of research, saying that one should not injure one person regardless of the benefits that might come to others. However, even avoiding harm requires learning what is harmful; and, in the process of obtaining this information, persons may be exposed to risk of harm. Further, the Hippocratic Oath requires physicians to benefit their patients "according to their best judgment." Learning what will in fact benefit may require exposing persons to risk. The problem posed by these imperatives is to decide when it is justifiable to seek certain benefits despite the risks involved, and when the benefits should be foregone because of the risks. The obligations of beneficence affect both individual investigators and society at large, because they extend both to particular research projects and to the entire enterprise of research. In the case of particular projects, investigators and members of their institutions are obliged to give forethought to the maximization of benefits and the reduction of risk that might occur from the research investigation. In the case of scientific research in general, members of the larger society are obliged to recognize the longer term benefits and risks that may result from the improvement of knowledge and from the development of novel medical, psychotherapeutic, and social procedures. The principle of beneficence often occupies a well-defined justifying role in many areas of research involving human subjects. An example is found in research involving children. Effective ways of treating childhood diseases and fostering healthy development are benefits that serve to justify research involving children -- even when individual research subjects are not direct beneficiaries. Research also makes it possible to avoid the harm that may result from the application of previously accepted routine practices that on closer investigation turn out to be dangerous. But the role of the principle of beneficence is not always so unambiguous. A difficult ethical problem remains, for example, about research that presents more than minimal risk without immediate prospect of direct benefit to the children involved. Some have argued that such research is inadmissible, while others have pointed out that this limit would rule out much research promising great benefit to children in the future. Here again, as with all hard cases, the different claims covered by the principle of beneficence may come into conflict and force difficult choices. 3. Justice. -- Who ought to receive the benefits of research and bear its burdens? This is a question of justice, in the sense of "fairness in distribution" or "what is deserved." An injustice occurs when some benefit to which a person is entitled is denied without good reason or when some burden is imposed unduly. Another way of conceiving the principle of justice is that equals ought to be treated equally. However, this statement requires explication. Who is equal and who is unequal? What considerations justify departure from equal distribution? Almost all commentators allow that distinctions based on experience, age, deprivation, competence, merit and position do sometimes constitute criteria justifying differential treatment for certain purposes. It is necessary, then, to explain in what respects people should be treated equally. There are several widely accepted formulations of just ways to distribute burdens and benefits. Each formulation mentions some relevant property on the basis of which burdens and benefits should be distributed. These formulations are (1) to each person an equal share, (2) to each person according to individual need, (3) to each person according to individual effort, (4) to each person according to societal contribution, and (5) to each person according to merit. Questions of justice have long been associated with social practices such as punishment, taxation and political representation. Until recently these questions have not generally been associated with scientific research. However, they are foreshadowed even in the earliest reflections on the ethics of research involving human subjects. For example, during the 19th and early 20th centuries the burdens of serving as research subjects fell largely upon poor ward patients, while the benefits of improved medical care flowed primarily to private patients. Subsequently, the exploitation of unwilling prisoners as research subjects in Nazi concentration camps was condemned as a particularly flagrant injustice. In this country, in the 1940's, the Tuskegee syphilis study used disadvantaged, rural black men to study the untreated course of a disease that is by no means confined to that population. These subjects were deprived of demonstrably effective treatment in order not to interrupt the project, long after such treatment became generally available. Against this historical background, it can be seen how conceptions of justice are relevant to research involving human subjects. For example, the selection of research subjects needs to be scrutinized in order to determine whether some classes (e.g., welfare patients, particular racial and ethnic minorities, or persons confined to institutions) are being systematically selected simply because of their easy availability, their compromised position, or their manipulability, rather than for reasons directly related to the problem being studied. Finally, whenever research supported by public funds leads to the development of therapeutic devices and procedures, justice demands both that these not provide advantages only to those who can afford them and that such research should not unduly involve persons from groups unlikely to be among the beneficiaries of subsequent applications of the research.[RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS] Part C: Applications C. Applications Applications of the general principles to the conduct of research leads to consideration of the following requirements: informed consent, risk/benefit assessment, and the selection of subjects of research. 1. Informed Consent. -- Respect for persons requires that subjects, to the degree that they are capable, be given the opportunity to choose what shall or shall not happen to them. This opportunity is provided when adequate standards for informed consent are satisfied. While the importance of informed consent is unquestioned, controversy prevails over the nature and possibility of an informed consent. Nonetheless, there is widespread agreement that the consent process can be analyzed as containing three elements: information, comprehension and voluntariness. Information. Most codes of research establish specific items for disclosure intended to assure that subjects are given sufficient information. These items generally include: the research procedure, their purposes, risks and anticipated benefits, alternative procedures (where therapy is involved), and a statement offering the subject the opportunity to ask questions and to withdraw at any time from the research. Additional items have been proposed, including how subjects are selected, the person responsible for the research, etc. However, a simple listing of items does not answer the question of what the standard should be for judging how much and what sort of information should be provided. One standard frequently invoked in medical practice, namely the information commonly provided by practitioners in the field or in the locale, is inadequate since research takes place precisely when a common understanding does not exist. Another standard, currently popular in malpractice law, requires the practitioner to reveal the information that reasonable persons would wish to know in order to make a decision regarding their care. This, too, seems insufficient since the research subject, being in essence a volunteer, may wish to know considerably more about risks gratuitously undertaken than do patients who deliver themselves into the hand of a clinician for needed care. It may be that a standard of "the reasonable volunteer" should be proposed: the extent and nature of information should be such that persons, knowing that the procedure is neither necessary for their care nor perhaps fully understood, can decide whether they wish to participate in the furthering of knowledge. Even when some direct benefit to them is anticipated, the subjects should understand clearly the range of risk and the voluntary nature of participation. A special problem of consent arises where informing subjects of some pertinent aspect of the research is likely to impair the validity of the research. In many cases, it is sufficient to indicate to subjects that they are being invited to participate in research of which some features will not be revealed until the research is concluded. In all cases of research involving incomplete disclosure, such research is justified only if it is clear that (1) incomplete disclosure is truly necessary to accomplish the goals of the research, (2) there are no undisclosed risks to subjects that are more than minimal, and (3) there is an adequate plan for debriefing subjects, when appropriate, and for dissemination of research results to them. Information about risks should never be withheld for the purpose of eliciting the cooperation of subjects, and truthful answers should always be given to direct questions about the research. Care should be taken to distinguish cases in which disclosure would destroy or invalidate the research from cases in which disclosure would simply inconvenience the investigator. Comprehension. The manner and context in which information is conveyed is as important as the information itself. For example, presenting information in a disorganized and rapid fashion, allowing too little time for consideration or curtailing opportunities for questioning, all may adversely affect a subject's ability to make an informed choice. Because the subject's ability to understand is a function of intelligence, rationality, maturity and language, it is necessary to adapt the presentation of the information to the subject's capacities. Investigators are responsible for ascertaining that the subject has comprehended the information. While there is always an obligation to ascertain that the information about risk to subjects is complete and adequately comprehended, when the risks are more serious, that obligation increases. On occasion, it may be suitable to give some oral or written tests of comprehension. Special provision may need to be made when comprehension is severely limited -- for example, by conditions of immaturity or mental disability. Each class of subjects that one might consider as incompetent (e.g., infants and young children, mentally disable patients, the terminally ill and the comatose) should be considered on its own terms. Even for these persons, however, respect requires giving them the opportunity to choose to the extent they are able, whether or not to participate in research. The objections of these subjects to involvement should be honored, unless the research entails providing them a therapy unavailable elsewhere. Respect for persons also requires seeking the permission of other parties in order to protect the subjects from harm. Such persons are thus respected both by acknowledging their own wishes and by the use of third parties to protect them from harm. The third parties chosen should be those who are most likely to understand the incompetent subject's situation and to act in that person's best interest. The person authorized to act on behalf of the subject should be given an opportunity to observe the research as it proceeds in order to be able to withdraw the subject from the research, if such action appears in the subject's best interest. Voluntariness. An agreement to participate in research constitutes a valid consent only if voluntarily given. This element of informed consent requires conditions free of coercion and undue influence. Coercion occurs when an overt threat of harm is intentionally presented by one person to another in order to obtain compliance. Undue influence, by contrast, occurs through an offer of an excessive, unwarranted, inappropriate or improper reward or other overture in order to obtain compliance. Also, inducements that would ordinarily be acceptable may become undue influences if the subject is especially vulnerable. Unjustifiable pressures usually occur when persons in positions of authority or commanding influence -- especially where possible sanctions are involved -- urge a course of action for a subject. A continuum of such influencing factors exists, however, and it is impossible to state precisely where justifiable persuasion ends and undue influence begins. But undue influence would include actions such as manipulating a person's choice through the controlling influence of a close relative and threatening to withdraw health services to which an individual would otherwise be entitled. 2. Assessment of Risks and Benefits. -- The assessment of risks and benefits requires a careful arrayal of relevant data, including, in some cases, alternative ways of obtaining the benefits sought in the research. Thus, the assessment presents both an opportunity and a responsibility to gather systematic and comprehensive information about proposed research. For the investigator, it is a means to examine whether the proposed research is properly designed. For a review committee, it is a method for determining whether the risks that will be presented to subjects are justified. For prospective subjects, the assessment will assist the determination whether or not to participate. The Nature and Scope of Risks and Benefits. The requirement that research be justified on the basis of a favorable risk/benefit assessment bears a close relation to the principle of beneficence, just as the moral requirement that informed consent be obtained is derived primarily from the principle of respect for persons. The term "risk" refers to a possibility that harm may occur. However, when expressions such as "small risk" or "high risk" are used, they usually refer (often ambiguously) both to the chance (probability) of experiencing a harm and the severity (magnitude) of the envisioned harm. The term "benefit" is used in the research context to refer to something of positive value related to health or welfare. Unlike, "risk," "benefit" is not a term that expresses probabilities. Risk is properly contrasted to probability of benefits, and benefits are properly contrasted with harms rather than risks of harm. Accordingly, so-called risk/benefit assessments are concerned with the probabilities and magnitudes of possible harm and anticipated benefits. Many kinds of possible harms and benefits need to be taken into account. There are, for example, risks of psychological harm, physical harm, legal harm, social harm and economic harm and the corresponding benefits. While the most likely types of harms to research subjects are those of psychological or physical pain or injury, other possible kinds should not be overlooked. Risks and benefits of research may affect the individual subjects, the families of the individual subjects, and society at large (or special groups of subjects in society). Previous codes and Federal regulations have required that risks to subjects be outweighed by the sum of both the anticipated benefit to the subject, if any, and the anticipated benefit to society in the form of knowledge to be gained from the research. In balancing these different elements, the risks and benefits affecting the immediate research subject will normally carry special weight. On the other hand, interests other than those of the subject may on some occasions be sufficient by themselves to justify the risks involved in the research, so long as the subjects' rights have been protected. Beneficence thus requires that we protect against risk of harm to subjects and also that we be concerned about the loss of the substantial benefits that might be gained from research. The Systematic Assessment of Risks and Benefits. It is commonly said that benefits and risks must be "balanced" and shown to be "in a favorable ratio." The metaphorical character of these terms draws attention to the difficulty of making precise judgments. Only on rare occasions will quantitative techniques be available for the scrutiny of research protocols. However, the idea of systematic, nonarbitrary analysis of risks and benefits should be emulated insofar as possible. This ideal requires those making decisions about the justifiability of research to be thorough in the accumulation and assessment of information about all aspects of the research, and to consider alternatives systematically. This procedure renders the assessment of research more rigorous and precise, while making communication between review board members and investigators less subject to misinterpretation, misinformation and conflicting judgments. Thus, there should first be a determination of the validity of the presuppositions of the research; then the nature, probability and magnitude of risk should be distinguished with as much clarity as possible. The method of ascertaining risks should be explicit, especially where there is no alternative to the use of such vague categories as small or slight risk. It should also be determined whether an investigator's estimates of the probability of harm or benefits are reasonable, as judged by known facts or other available studies. Finally, assessment of the justifiability of research should reflect at least the following considerations: (i) Brutal or inhumane treatment of human subjects is never morally justified. (ii) Risks should be reduced to those necessary to achieve the research objective. It should be determined whether it is in fact necessary to use human subjects at all. Risk can perhaps never be entirely eliminated, but it can often be reduced by careful attention to alternative procedures. (iii) When research involves significant risk of serious impairment, review committees should be extraordinarily insistent on the justification of the risk (looking usually to the likelihood of benefit to the subject -- or, in some rare cases, to the manifest voluntariness of the participation). (iv) When vulnerable populations are involved in research, the appropriateness of involving them should itself be demonstrated. A number of variables go into such judgments, including the nature and degree of risk, the condition of the particular population involved, and the nature and level of the anticipated benefits. (v) Relevant risks and benefits must be thoroughly arrayed in documents and procedures used in the informed consent process. 3. Selection of Subjects. -- Just as the principle of respect for persons finds expression in the requirements for consent, and the principle of beneficence in risk/benefit assessment, the principle of justice gives rise to moral requirements that there be fair procedures and outcomes in the selection of research subjects. Justice is relevant to the selection of subjects of research at two levels: the social and the individual. Individual justice in the selection of subjects would require that researchers exhibit fairness: thus, they should not offer potentially beneficial research only to some patients who are in their favor or select only "undesirable" persons for risky research. Social justice requires that distinction be drawn between classes of subjects that ought, and ought not, to participate in any particular kind of research, based on the ability of members of that class to bear burdens and on the appropriateness of placing further burdens on already burdened persons. Thus, it can be considered a matter of social justice that there is an order of preference in the selection of classes of subjects (e.g., adults before children) and that some classes of potential subjects (e.g., the institutionalized mentally infirm or prisoners) may be involved as research subjects, if at all, only on certain conditions. Injustice may appear in the selection of subjects, even if individual subjects are selected fairly by investigators and treated fairly in the course of research. Thus injustice arises from social, racial, sexual and cultural biases institutionalized in society. Thus, even if individual researchers are treating their research subjects fairly, and even if IRBs are taking care to assure that subjects are selected fairly within a particular institution, unjust social patterns may nevertheless appear in the overall distribution of the burdens and benefits of research. Although individual institutions or investigators may not be able to resolve a problem that is pervasive in their social setting, they can consider distributive justice in selecting research subjects. Some populations, especially institutionalized ones, are already burdened in many ways by their infirmities and environments. When research is proposed that involves risks and does not include a therapeutic component, other less burdened classes of persons should be called upon first to accept these risks of research, except where the research is directly related to the specific conditions of the class involved. Also, even though public funds for research may often flow in the same directions as public funds for health care, it seems unfair that populations dependent on public health care constitute a pool of preferred research subjects if more advantaged populations are likely to be the recipients of the benefits. One special instance of injustice results from the involvement of vulnerable subjects. Certain groups, such as racial minorities, the economically disadvantaged, the very sick, and the institutionalized may continually be sought as research subjects, owing to their ready availability in settings where research is conducted. Given their dependent status and their frequently compromised capacity for free consent, they should be protected against the danger of being involved in research solely for administrative convenience, or because they are easy to manipulate as a result of their illness or socioeconomic condition.[RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS] [1] Since 1945, various codes for the proper and responsible conduct of human experimentation in medical research have been adopted by different organizations. The best known of these codes are the Nuremberg Code of 1947, the Helsinki Declaration of 1964 (revised in 1975), and the 1971 Guidelines (codified into Federal Regulations in 1974) issued by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare Codes for the conduct of social and behavioral research have also been adopted, the best known being that of the American Psychological Association, published in 1973. [2] Although practice usually involves interventions designed solely to enhance the well-being of a particular individual, interventions are sometimes applied to one individual for the enhancement of the well-being of another (e.g., blood donation, skin grafts, organ transplants) or an intervention may have the dual purpose of enhancing the well-being of a particular individual, and, at the same time, providing some benefit to others (e.g., vaccination, which protects both the person who is vaccinated and society generally). The fact that some forms of practice have elements other than immediate benefit to the individual receiving an intervention, however, should not confuse the general distinction between research and practice. Even when a procedure applied in practice may benefit some other person, it remains an intervention designed to enhance the well-being of a particular individual or groups of individuals; thus, it is practice and need not be reviewed as research. [3] Because the problems related to social experimentation may differ substantially from those of biomedical and behavioral research, the Commission specifically declines to make any policy determination regarding such research at this time. Rather, the Commission believes that the problem ought to be addressed by one of its successor bodies. Protecting Human Subjects in Research


text:
Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP) – Through laughs, tears and speeches that turned into sermons and affirmations, the overarching theme of this year's star-studded Essence luncheon was that in an unforgiving industry that often overlooks, black women need no validation from Hollywood – or elsewhere – to appreciate their self-worth. "No one in this room derived from luck. We are a powerful force field that derived from greatness," said "Captain Marvel" actress Lashana Lynch at Thursday afternoon's Essence Black Women in Hollywood event. "We work hard on our craft and our self love, and have to remind ourselves daily that we deserve a seat at the table."
"Queen & Slim" director Melina Matsoukas, another honoree, echoed Lynch's sentiments when she received her award from "Insecure" actress and creator Issa Rae, who tapped Matsoukas to direct the hit HBO comedy series. "It feels incredible to be seen, respected and have your work valued; it means more when that acknowledgement comes from your own community," she said.
Matsoukas, who has also directed videos for Alisters including Beyonce's "Lemonade" opus, added: "Recently I've been battling my own rage.
As I keep saying, the daily onslaught of white supremacy and colonization is infuriating and also exhausting.
"I shared my sentiments with Ms. (Ava) DuVernay the other night, and what she said went deep. It was simply: 'Don't let them steal your joy,'" she said to applause. "Since them, I've been thinking about how to reclaim my own joy." Attending the luncheon was certainly one way. The annual event is among the more festive and emotional of Oscars week, and always attracts an A-list crowd: This year's attendees included DuVernay, Kerry Washington, Janelle Monae, Cynthia Erivo, Lena Waithe, Sharon Osbourne, Brittany Howard, Gabrielle Union and Alfre Woodard (who honored Lynch).
Besides Lynch and Matsoukas, the director and cast of "Pose" and Emmy-nominee Niecy Nash were also honored. Erivo, a best actress nominee at the Oscars, is the only actor of color nominated, which has drawn renewed attention to the need for more diversity at the Academy Awards.
Before the luncheon, Washington spoke of the importance of the luncheon.
"I love events like today because we actually get to be in a room and celebrate each other and encourage each other and remind each other that we're doing the good work. Right, to not focus as much on the problem, but to look at each other as the solution together," she said.
"So I think as long as we just keep showing up for each other and doing this work and celebrating each other and encouraging each other, then we'll get there."
Eve was the host of the event, which began with a moment of silence for Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven other people killed in a helicopter crash late last month.
Also remembered was the late icon Diahann Carroll, who died last fall. Washington, a dear friend, remembered Carroll, the first black woman to star in her own TV series and one of the small circle of black women nominated for a best actress honor, as a trailblazer.
"Her presence in the upper tiers of excellence in this business makes her not just a hero but one of our founding mothers," Washington said. "That I am here, that we are all here, working and thriving in Hollywood is because she did the work first."
Lynch will star in the upcoming James Bond film "No Time to Die." The British actress talked about the importance of knowing many black girls will be validated seeing her on screen in the film. She credited the "extraordinary black women around me" for giving her the validation she needed, and paid special tribute to her mother, who was in the audience. "If I can be half the woman you are I know that I will have succeeded," she said, fighting back tears.
There was plenty of emotion at the event, particularly when the women of "Pose" were honored. Cast mate and Emmy-winner Billy Porter's voice broke when he spoke about the importance of black transgender women being honored by Essence. Janet Mock, who directs the FX series about the ballroom culture and the LBGTQ world of the 1980s and 90s, noted how black trans women are often victims of violence.
"The struggle for black people must include black trans and queer people, period. And this award reaffirms that our stories, our lives, our experiences matter," she said, as "Pose" star Mj Rodriguez wiped away tears next to her along with Angelica Ross and Hailie Sahar.
But perhaps the most emotional honoree of the event was Nash, who was nominated for an Emmy last fall for her role in DuVernay's Netflix miniseries "When They See Us." The actress recently went through a divorce and while she cracked jokes through her speech, she cried as she talked about coming to the epiphany that she didn't need to be attached to anyone to be happy.
"I have never been better in my entire life, and I don't belong to nobody but myself," she said through tears. "God took me and he broke me and he gave me back to the people better than I was before."
Kerry Washington
Janelle Monae
Cynthia Erivo
Lena Waithe
Melina Matsoukas <br> RECLAIMING JOY: "It feels incredible to be seen, respected and have your work valued," said Melina Matsoukas, director of "Queen & Slim" director, honored for the hit HBO comedy series "Insecure."


text:
Are you thinking of summer vacations? Taking a long drive down to the beach? Alternatively, maybe, you just want to get in the car, turn on the AC and go for a spin. Whatever your plans, you need to remember to care for your car during these coming months when the weather can see extremely high temperatures. Auto repair is probably not the first thing you want to think of in the summer, but your car can break down more easily and, at the very least, it can be agreed that finding yourself stuck on some highway with a tire blow out, or having to finish a long trip without a functional car AC system is not the preferred way to spend a summer day.
In the summer, the sweltering temperatures can make daily driving harder on your vehicle. You need to pay attention to certain things to make your car summer-ready, so a little preventative maintenance can go a long way towards making your car fully functional during these months. From checking your air conditioner to making sure it cools properly, making sure your engine runs smoothly, efficiently, and cool, it is helpful and preventative to prioritize summer auto maintenance.
Cool the Engine
High summer temperatures can heat your car's engine even more. In fact, an overheated engine is one of the main causes of summer car repair issues.
Your car uses coolant, which is a special liquid used to cool down your engine. Top off your coolant levels and keep an eye on it regularly during the summer. Check and top off your coolant levels every few weeks, but if you know you have a leak or other problem, check it much more frequently. If you see a leak in a hose or under the car and it appears to be the color of your coolant, it is time to take your car into the mechanic to have it professionally examined.
Get the A/C Checked
The last thing you want to stop working is the A/C unit. Summer can be extremely hot depending on where you travel, and will feel even more so without the AC working well. Get it inspected by an AC specialist. A working A/C prioritizes comfort, which is important for drive safety.
Replace Wipers
Summer can mean big summer rainstorms. Switch out your wiper blades for new ones so you will not be caught without being able to see during a storm. While you are at it, get your wash fluid filled too so it will clean your windshield of all the summer debris.
Get Your Oil Changed
In the hot summer months, you may want to change your oil more frequently. If you plan on taking long road trips, you need to get your car inspected by an auto repair specialist and you need ensure your oil is not in need of a refill or change to no compromise our vehicle's drivability or engine, specifically.
Before you head out on a great road trip, take your car to a mechanic and ask for a preventative maintenance inspection. The mechanics will inspect the engine thoroughly to make sure it is road-ready.
Check the Air in the Tires
When temperatures start to rise into the 90s, the pavement and asphalt get hotter, and this inflates your tires. Tires are at a higher risk of experiencing blowouts during these months. Check the tire pressure levels and use your vehicle's manual to see what pressure you should keep your tires at. Be sure to check the pressure at least once a month during the hotter months of summer.
You also want to make sure you keep track of the tire rotations during the summer and be sure to visually inspect your tires and the tread life. If you notice that your tires are visibly appearing old and worn, it may be time to replace them.
Bottom Line
Summer weather can be harder on your car. Keep out of the hear as much as possible to prevent weather damage and practice basic preventative care to ensure your vehicle runs smoothly during these months your travel or experience hotter weather.


text:
Todd Benjamin is well known to television audiences across the globe. For 26 years he worked as an anchor, correspondent, and financial editor for CNN. During that time he was based in Washington DC, New York, Tokyo, and London. He still appears on air as a contributing editor. His clients range from major financial institutions to Fortune 500 companies, NGOs and private equity firms.
"Todd is a superb moderator/speaker. Client feedback is consistently excellent"
An award winning journalist, Todd has interviewed everyone from Mikhail Gorbachev to Bill Clinton, Alan Greenspan to Nobel Prize winning economists. Todd has also interviewed several of the world's leading CEOs including Jack Welch, Lou Gerstner, Carlos Ghosn, as well as Richard Branson in his CNN series, Benjamin's Boardroom. He is also a visiting lecturer at the London Business School.
What he offers you
Todd's wide-ranging international experience and informed opinions, combined with his engaging style have made him a sought after speaker, moderator and interviewer of key business and political leaders. Todd works closely with his clients to ensure that their conferences and meetings will be energising and informative.
How he presents
Todd is renowned for his insightful questions, energetic pacing and his effortless ability to inspire people to probe issues. A consummate professional, event organisers are impressed with how easy he is to work with and how well he connects with the interviewees and the audience. Client feedback is consistently excellent.
Todd presents in English.
Want to know more?
Give us a call or send us an e-mail to find out exactly what he could bring to your event.
How to book him?
Simply phone, fax or e-mail us.
To discuss how we can help find the right speaker for your organization, contact us:
+48 58 321 73 02
[email protected]


text:
We have listed a new property at 984 Sargent Ave in Winnipeg.
BUILDING AND BUSINESS FOR SALE! LONG TIME OWNER WITH LOYAL FOLLOWING IN NICE WEST END LOCATION! Iconic 41 year old business and property for sale at the major intersection of Sargent Avenue and Wall Street. This two storey 2300 SF building plus full basement restaurant is licensed for 41 seats on each floor for a total of 82. Large parking lot for customer parking! Comes with commercial kitchen, bars on both floors, basement with lots of storage and restrooms, new electrical panel, forced air, 3 ductless heating/AC units for shoulder seasons that are approximately 5 years old to ensure maximum comfort for clients, 2 hot water tanks, ample parking and so much more. This successful business is still operating and showings are by appointment only. Much potential in this building and location for a multi uses. (id:2493)


text:
Does Your Water Have A Chlorine Smell
As a halogen, chlorine is highly efficient at ridding water of most pathogens – microorganisms in your water that can be harmful to your health. Though chlorine in large doses can produce harmful health effects, the amount in your tap water is not typically harmful.
In addition, chlorine does something other disinfecting methods do not – it provides a residual effect.
After treatment, water still may need to travel long distances to storage tanks and distribution systems. In places where water is not used, the chances of pathogen regrowth increases. This can cause a major mess, including slime and biofilms that could contaminate all of the clean water being distributed through the system. The residual effect of chlorine helps to prevent this from happening.
Current studies show that drinking water with a small amount of chlorine does not cause harmful health effects. While this is true, some people are more sensitive than others to chlorine and other environmental differences, and there is a concern of long- term risk of cancer due to chronic exposure of trihalomethanes, which is a byproduct of the disinfection.
This has some communities looking at other options. Las Vegas has emulated many European and Canadian cities in switching over to harmless ozone instead of chlorine.
Ozone is effective over a wide pH range and is very powerful, however, there are higher operational costs.
Does Your Water Smell Like Chlorine?
Many times, particularly if there is a warm front in the spring, bacteria/algae blooms near the water source makes it necessary to add more chlorine to reduce the growth of microorganisms and keep the bug population low. This is an example of loading disinfectants into a system. This can also be prevalent after a known treatment issue or boil water alert.
Chlorines vs. Chloramines: What's The Difference?
Chloramine is a chemical variant of chlorine that contains ammonia. It is generally safe to drink and use around the home in the same way traditional, chlorine-treated tap water would be.
Cities have commonly used both chlorine and chloramine chemicals to treat municipal drinking water since the early 1920s and 30s. Chlorine became widely used during World War I when ammonia shortages reduced the availability of chloramine. As a result, chlorine remains common, but chloramine is seeing increasing adoption, especially in densely populated areas.
Some populations, specifically individuals on dialysis treatment and those with respiratory issues, may be sensitive to chloramines.
If you or your family members fall into either of these categories, it's a good idea to check with your local drinking water provider to see if a switch is coming to your area. Chloramine is also harmful for fish and aquatic animals, so you'll want to pay close attention if you're used to supplementing your aquarium with tap water — or consider a chloramine filter.
Why Is Chloramine Added To Water?
Water utilities typically use chloramine as a secondary disinfection method to ensure germs and other pathogens are removed from the water supply. It is most often used as a replacement for traditional chlorine, which can cause build up over time.
Chlorine can also have a shorter effective period when it comes to water treatment, so in certain areas where water has to travel farther, chloramines can be more effective to ensure long-term water disinfection.
Municipalities may also choose to use chloramine rather than chlorine because it can often lead to fewer complaints about taste and smell. Chloramine tends to have a less noticeable chlorine odor and taste while still protecting water safety and quality.
How To Remove Chloramine From Your Tap Water
If you're among those affected by the presence of chloramines in water — and even if you're not — you may want to consider a water filter to have fresher, better quality water in your home. There are many variations of filters, so it's important to choose one designed specifically to remove chemicals like chlorine and chloramine.
Reverse osmosis filtration systems are a good starting point, since RO technology can effectively target and remove these kinds of chemical compounds.
Suggested Products
The Aquasential® Smart Reverse Osmosis Water Filter (RO)
- 7 stages of filtration and 12 filter options
- Certified for reduction of 58 contaminants
- 2-in-1 sediment and carbon filter screens out sediment and particles
- Can alert you and your dealer when service or filter replacements are needed
Aquasential™ Smart High Efficiency Whole House Water Filters
Reduce sediments in your water and contaminants that cause your water to appear, taste, and smell unpleasant. Your system can also lessen the taste and odor of chlorine, and prevent pipe damage and staining from low pH water. Additional customizations include:
- Culligan® Filtr-Cleer® Water Filters – Reduces Sediment Problems
- Culligan® Cullar® Water Filters – Reduces Taste and Odor Problems
- Culligan® Cullneu Water Filters – Reduces Acid Problems


text:
Kenny Loggins' Secret 'I'm Alright' Message: 'F— All You People'
Kenny Loggins became the King of the Movie Theme Song in the '80s. And it all started at the top of the decade in 1980, when he contributed "I'm Alright" to Caddyshack.
After finding success in the early '70s with the country-rock duo Loggins & Messina, the singer and songwriter went solo, proving to be bankable with "This Is It" and a hit duet with Stevie Nicks, "Whenever I Call You 'Friend'." He also placed a song, "I Believe in Love," on the soundtrack to Barbra Streisand's 1976 update of A Star Is Born.
That put Loggins in the orbit of Jon Peters, who was Streisand's boyfriend at the time, as well as the producer of A Star Is Born and the executive producer on Caddyshack.
As detailed in Chris Nashawaty's Caddyshack: The Making of a Hollywood Cinderella Story, Loggins wasn't the first choice of director and co-writer Harold Ramis, who wanted Pink Floyd. When they declined, Peters invited Loggins to watch a rough cut of Caddyshack and see if it sparked anything.
"I ended up writing four pieces of music for the movie," Loggins recalled in the book. "But the main one was 'I'm Alright,' which just came to me from watching the opening scene of Danny on his bicycle. I'd never written a song specifically for a movie before, but I found it to be really easy because the emotional situation was handed to you on a platter. You didn't have to come up with something out of the blue like you usually do as a songwriter."
Listen to 'I'm Alright' in the Opening Scene of 'Caddyshack'
That night, back at home, Loggins wrote "I'm Alright" at his kitchen table in only a few hours. Using Bob Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody" as the temp track, he figured the movie's producers "were telling me that they wanted to present [Danny] as a rebel caught in this country-club environment where he had to suppress that. I felt like the song should have a fuck-all-you-people quality to it."
After demoing the song, Loggins immediately recognized its potential. "I knew I fucking had one in the bag," he said. "That doesn't happen often enough. I just listened to it and thought, 'This is a smash!'"
Loggins' instincts were correct. "I'm Alright" peaked at No. 7, setting him up for a decade in which he'd place songs from three other movies - Footloose, Top Gun and Caddyshack II - in the Top 10. "Footloose" topped the chart; Top Gun's "Danger Zone" reached No. 2. Another soundtrack song, "Meet Me Half Way" from Over the Top, just missed the Top 10 with a No. 11 showing.


text:
Tender seared brussels sprouts with crispy bacon, soft and sweet dates, and crunchy chopped apples topped with a sweet balsamic glaze. Looking for more healthy side dishes? Check these out!
I want to tell you a story. A love story…of sorts. You see, I used to hate brussels sprouts. People all over the internet go crazy for them, and I never got it. I legit thought they were gross.
Then I tasted them in a big dish of roasted veggies, and decided I could tolerate them. They weren't terrible, but I would still find a couple lingering on my plate after I had devoured every other vegetable on there. I'm a girl who loves my veggies–I eat them first, and I almost always finish them. I would be a great example for your children.
One day, I ordered a dish at True Foods that included brussels sprouts. I took a bite and immediately went back in for more thinking it must be a fluke. They were incredible! I find myself digging around on my plate searching, trying to find every last one. I usually only do that with goat cheese! 😉
Ever since that day, there has been a new veggie love in my life and I have never looked back. These quickly became my new favorite snack, and I began the process of convincing Steve that brussels sprouts really weren't gross (he was not convinced). I figured out what made them work for me–they had to be well cooked. Soft, but not mushy. Definitely not hard and crunchy. They also had to have a beautiful browned sear for the most possible flavor. And they are always better with bacon.
In New Orleans I had them with bacon and dates–they came with this sweet sauce, and they were literally to die for. I gave Steve a bite and he changed his mind right then and there. He told me he would only ever eat them if they tasted like that. Challenge accepted. And I added some apples because, well, it's fall and they just make it even better.
Funny story, when I made these the first time (for testing, photographing and…dinner), I chopped up the apples to throw in at the last second. You must throw them in at the last second. I despise mushy apples. Anyway, I also sliced some up for the photo. I plated everything, took the pictures, and then after I was finished Steve asks me "Are you doing anything with all these chopped apples in the kitchen?" *face-palm* I had them all chopped and ready to go and never actually put them in. So I added them right then–at the very, very last second. I do things like that all the time–get something ready for a photo then completely forget about it. Please tell me it's not just me.
For this second fall episode of Drink & Dish, I wanted to share something savory with you. I always forget about fall veggies and get caught up on pumpkin desserts. Brussels sprouts (and apples!) are fall all-stars as well, and I figured it was time for them to take the front seat! This dish pairs perfectly with Nicole's delicious apple cider cocktail! Make sure you check it out, and of course subscribe to D&D on YouTube!
A delicious, healthy, sweet and savory side dish perfect for fall.
- 1 cup brussels sprouts, halved and stems removed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 2 slices center cut bacon, chopped
- 4 dates, pitted and chopped
- 1/2 apple (honeycrisp, gala, whatever you like)
- 1/2-1 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
- Begin with the balsamic glaze by pouring balsamic vinegar into a small sauce pan over high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium-medium high to simmer. Stir occasionally until sauce has reached desired thickness. This took me about 30 minutes for a very syrupy glaze. 20-30 minutes should be all you need. Once desired consistency is reached, remove from heat immediately.
- Fill a medium sauce pan half way with water. Bring to a boil. Add brussels sprouts and cook for just 2-3 minutes. Strain and remove. This step helps soften the brussels sprouts--if you like them crunchier, feel free to skip it.
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Set aside any extra leaves that fall off your brussels sprouts--you'll use those later (they cook faster). Add brussels sprouts flat side down. Season with a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook until seared and brown, about 5-7 minutes. Flip brussels sprouts and move them all to one side of your pan.
- Add bacon to the other side of the pan and cook until it begins to crisp, about 5 minutes. Add dates and extra brussels sprouts leaves. Toss to combine. Continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes.
- At the very last moment, add chopped apple and give a quick toss. Remove from heat. Serve topped with balsamic vinegar if desired. This dish is best served immediately, but leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.


text:
"Penetration from the Rozhan foothold, destruction of the Przasnysz garrison, and offensive battles in East Prussia, before the outskirts of the Koenigsberg fortification region, January 14th - February 6th, 1945"
This looks good, let's see the ratios of forces. At the start of the offensive, the ratio of Soviet to German tanks and self-propelled guns shows an advantage to the Soviet side, but not a great one: 1.5 to 1.
On the next day, the enemy calls in reserves. The Soviet 3rd Army still has 131 tanks, but now the enemy has 204 tanks instead of 84, a ratio of 0.6 to 1!
On January 16th, the Germans counterattack. Those buying into the myth of superior German armour would expect the Red Army to suffer a crushing defeat when their enemy has nearly twice as many tanks, but no such thing happened. On January 17th, the German tank division begins retreating. "After four days of fierce fighting, the defeated enemy started rolling back without pause to the nort
h. Our forces crossed the south border of East Prussia and reached Neidenburg on the 7th day of the operation, despite only being scheduled to do so by the 8th day." 78 enemy tanks were captured or destroyed.
The next ratio is calculated on January 27th, at Ortelsburg. A much smaller Soviet force encounters the majority of the retreating Grossdeutchsland division and some infantry divisions. The ratios are nearly even: the Red Army unit has 10% more infantry companies (German companies are estimated to be 50-60 men per company on average, Soviet companies are currently 40-50 men), 50% more machineguns, and 30% less tanks. Surely the Germans will win this time?
"By February 2nd, the army, having crushed enemy resistance and moved forward by 5 kilometers..." Oops, looks like the Germans can't win even they have lots more tanks.
Continuing on in the document, for an offensive on February 14th, the 3rd Army has only 31 tanks and SPGs in the offensive zone, whereas the enemy has 40. You can already guess where the Germans' advantage in armour got them: the Red Army advanced 6-11 kilometers in the first day of the offensive. By February 19th, the enemy is down to 36 tanks, while the Red Army is still at 31.
The next encounter that's relatively close is on March 25th, for Heiligenbeil. The Soviets have 40% more tanks. The outcome is predictable. There is no data for this battle, but the total German losses "for the last period of the operation" consist of 100 captured vehicles and 143 destroyed, 225 captured and 387 destroyed in total.
I'll also post the conclusions written up by the army commander.
"Armoured forces:
- Use of tanks and SPGs:
- The tanks and SPGs mostly met their given objectives, despite powerful anti-tank defenses and difficult terrain.
- Armoured and mechanized forces of the Army drew most of the tanks of the German Grossdeutschland division to them, and caused significant losses to the enemy forces. Their contribution ensured the destruction of the Przasnysz garrison.
- Practice shows that tanks and SPGs should be used in a centralized manner, with special care taken when choosing the direction of deployment.
- Tanks and SPGs should move in with the first wave of infantry, and not fall behind in any case. Only leave the barest minimum in reserve.
When the enemy defenses are penetrated to a distance of 1-3 km, tanks and SPGs can pick up tank riders, and rush ahead of advancing infantry (examples: tanks and SPGs in the Podos-Stary battle, capture of the Chorzele town by 66th Tank Regiment and 1294th SPG Regiment, and others). - In winter conditions (January-February), the use of tanks played a positive role.
- Poor use of tanks and SPGs:
- The 40th Infantry Corps split up an SPG regiment and used it in a decentralized fashion.
- Some tank and SPG unit commanders prefer to sit in basements rather than observe the battlefield (35th Infantry Corps, 1888th SPG Regiment).
- Some crews are poorly trained (poor orienteering, slow movement, slow rate of fire).
- Some tanks lag behind advancing infantry.
- Some units have poor cohesion."
Tanks are also mentioned in the conclusions of enemy actions.
"4. Massed use of tanks and SPGs began on the second day of the offensive, when the Grossdeutschland division was rushed into battle to restore the line (up to 120 tanks used).
5. The Germans used up their operational reserves too soon, and this resulted in them being destroyed south of river Ozhitz in the tactical defensive zone."
And, the obligatory...
"13. The enemy is much weaker during the winter than during the summer."


text:
Jan 31, 2016
Titus 3:1-14
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. 9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned. 12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. 14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful. 15 All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be withyou all.


text:
Page tools: Print Page Print All | ||
TIMELINESS The monthly International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia (cat. no. 5368.0) publication is released 21 working days after the end of each reference month. In general, source data used in the compilation of international merchandise trade data and balance of payments statistics are timely. Goods data are collected on a monthly basis. The collection of services data is more varied due to the wider number of data sources used to compile trade in services statistics. The ABS uses several estimation methods to account for the less timely source data. Extrapolation methods are used to project particular series forward until survey or administrative results are available. Similarly, when data sources or data models provide data on a less frequent basis than the periodicity of compilation, data are interpolated between periods to obtain sufficiently frequent estimates. ACCURACY The ABS uses a variety of methods to routinely assess the information from surveys and administrative data. Sound data collection and methodological systems, conformity to international standard frameworks and the use of analytical tools all contribute to high quality outputs. Nevertheless, the data may not be accurate for a number of reasons. Sampling errors occur when estimates are derived from a sample survey and the whole population is not enumerated. Estimation methods are applied to incomplete data. Extrapolation methods are used to project particular series forward until survey or administrative results become available and for data provided on an irregular basis. Data confrontation studies are used to compare and reconcile data items from different collections on an enterprise basis if possible. The ABS ensures that surveys are designed, tested and evaluated to a high standard. Data based on administrative data sources are subject to classification, processing, coverage and timing adjustments and modelling where required. The financial press is regularly monitored for large international transactions. The general policy adopted in relation to revisions is to incorporate more accurate estimates into the data as they become available. To minimise disruption to the historical time series:
For further information please refer to International Merchandise Trade, Australia: Concepts, Sources and Methods (cat. no. 5489.0) and Balance of Payments and International Investment Position, Australia: Concepts, Sources and Methods (cat. no. 5331.0). COHERENCE Statistics on Australia's international trade in goods and services are compiled and presented in accordance with international standards. The main standards include:
Modifications and extensions take into account domestic user requirements for additional details and alternative views of the data. Where possible, data are validated against independent sources both within the ABS and externally. For example, the media is monitored for large transactions in activities in exports and imports of goods and services and changes in commodity prices. The ABS provides aggregated statistics (by partner country where possible) to international organisations including the IMF and the OECD, who reconcile information from all countries. The ABS makes available historical quarterly time series for its international accounts dating back to 1959. Key monthly time series date back to 1971 for balance of payments data, 1978 for exchange rates and 1988 for international merchandise trade data. When changes in source data, methodology or statistical techniques are introduced, historical time series are revised back as far as reasonably possible. INTERPRETABILITY This publication presents data on goods and services credits and debits, to be used in the current account of the balance of payments. Gross credits and debits series for goods and services are presented distinct from each other. Time series data, in current prices, are provided in original, seasonally adjusted and trend terms. International merchandise trade statistics provide detailed commodity statistics according to several classifications. Time series data are presented in original terms only. For more information on seasonal adjustment and trend estimation, please refer to the Information Paper: A Guide to Interpreting Time Series - Monitoring Trends, 2003 (cat. no. 1349.0). The 'Summary' tab of this publication provides advice on any changes which may be occurring. Also, if major changes are anticipated to any of the classifications, information papers associated with the publication are released in advance to advise the change and implementation plans. The International Merchandise Trade, Australia: Concepts, Sources and Methods (cat. no. 5489.0) and Balance of Payments and International Investment Position, Australia: Concepts, Sources and Methods (cat. no. 5331.0) provide users with detailed information on these accounts. They describe the conceptual framework underlying the statistics, classification of data items, presentations and publications. Information is also presented on data sources, compilation methodologies, data quality, relationships with national accounts and emerging issues. ACCESSIBILITY Data are available to users free of charge from the ABS website. This includes time series and data cubes for major data series. The ABS website contains analysis of the latest data with supporting graphs and charts. International trade in goods and services statistics are published monthly. Tables are available in spreadsheet format, many with data series beginning in July 1971. More detailed data are available on request as a 'user pays' service which can be tailored to suit individual requirements. This service can be accessed through the ABS Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070 or the Information Consultancy link on the ABS website. The ABS Privacy Policy outlines how the ABS will handle any personal information that you provide to us. There are a range of information papers, notes, publications and feature articles that provide information on a number of data quality issues. These include changes to the classifications, systems, concepts, standards or methodology, major data revisions and changes in data dissemination practices. The purpose of this information is to supplement and update the concepts, sources and methods. Document Selection These documents will be presented in a new window. |


text:
Strada London Dust Excluding Floor Socket
Strada London Dust Excluding Floor Socket
Available finishes
Available finishes
Strada London Standard Finishes
Dorchester, Refined Class
Few ranges say 'discerning' like the new Dorchester Collection from Strada London. This sophisticated new range combines the elegance and minimalism of a contemporary design approach, balanced with a gentle nod towards a time when class and style ruled the day. Like a well-tailored suit, the Dorchester range fits stylishly into any surroundings, complementing textures and surfaces with an understated grace. Designed and crafted in the United Kingdom from Pure Grade Brass this range is a real statement of taste.


text:
PopCrush Nights Is Turning Off the Mic for Blackout Tuesday
On Tuesday June 2, I will be participating in Blackout Tuesday to honor George Floyd and the countless others who died unlawfully at the hands of police officers.
I, along with my industry peers, will be using this day as "a time to disconnect from work and reconnect with our community." I will not be on the radio and PopCrush will not be posting on our sites as we take this day to reflect on the actions that we, all as one, need to take to support the black community.
As a black woman, it is hard to continuously watch this happen to a citizenship of people who have been disenfranchised for so many years. I am crying for George Floyd, Amaud Abrey, Breonna Taylor, my family, my church, my community and my country.
I encourage everyone to take this day to educate themselves, have important conversations and figure out how we can act in an effective way that will bring forth change. I hope you, as well, take the day to reflect on the things you can do to advocate for a more fair and just system for everyone in our country.
On behalf of PopCrush Nights, we extend our sincerest condolences to the family of Mr. Floyd and hope that his death will not have been in vain, but instead may serve as a true catalyst to the healing of our nation.
In the time that you would normally be listening to me on your radio, here are some actions you can take:
- Help the family of George Floyd HERE.
- Fight for Breonna Taylor HERE.
- Help the family of Ahmaud Arbery HERE.
- Want to help protesters? Donate to one or more community bail funds HERE.
- Visit Movement For Black Lives for additional ways you can help the cause.
- Want to connect with leaders building grass roots campaigns? Click HERE.
- Are you an ally and want to learn more? Here are some anti-racism resources.
— Kayla Thomas, PopCrush Nights host
Twitter: @KaylaThomas40


text:
Gayatri mantra has been bestowed the greatest importance in Vedic dharma. This mantra has also been termed as Savitri and Ved-Mata, the mother of the Vedas. Ombhur bhuvah swah Tat savitur varenyam Bhargo devasya dheemahi Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat The literal meaning of the mantra is: O God! You are Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Almighty. You are all light. You are all Knowledge and Bliss. You are Destroyer of fear, you are Creator of this Universe and you are the Greatest of all. We bow and meditate upon your light. You guide our intellect in the right direction. The mantra, however, has a great scientific import too, which somehow got lost in the literary tradition. The modern astrophysics and astronomy tell us that our Galaxy called Milky Way or Akash-Ganga contains approximately 100,000 million of stars. Each star is like our sun having its own planet system. We know that the moon moves round the earth and the earth moves round the sun along with the moon. All planets round the sun. Each of the above bodies revolves round at its own axis as well. Our sun along with its family takes one round of the galactic center in 22.5 crore years. All galaxies including ours are moving away at a terrific velocity of 20,000 mile s per second. And now the alternative scientific meaning of the mantra step by step: (A) OM BHUR BHUVAH SWAH: Bhur the earth, bhuvah the planets (solar family), swah the Galaxy. We observe that when an ordinary fan with a speed of 900 RPM (rotations per minute) moves, it makes noise. Then, one can imagine, what great noise would be created when the galaxies move with a speed of 20,000 miles per second. This is what this portion of the mantra explains that the sound produced due to the fast-moving earth, planets and galaxies is Om. The sound was heard during meditation by Rishi Vishvamitra, who mentioned it to other colleagues. All of them, then unanimously decided to call this sound Om the name of God, because this sound is available in all the three periods of time, hence it is set (permanent). Therefore, it was the first ever revolutionary idea to identify formless God with a specific title (form) called upadhi. Until that time, everybody recognized God as formless and nobody was prepared to accept this new idea. In the Gita also, it is said, "Omiti ekaksharam brahma", meaning that the name of the Supreme is Om, which contains only one syllable (8/12). This sound Om heard during samadhi was called by all the seers nada-brahma a very great noise), but not a noise that is normally heard beyond a specific amplitude and limits of decibels suited to human hearing. Hence the rishis called this sound Udgith musical sound of the above, i.e., heaven. They also noticed that the infinite mass of galaxies moving with a velocity of 20,000 miles/second was generating a kinetic energy = 1/2 MV2 and this was balancing the total energy consumption of the cosmos. Hence they named it Pranavah, which means the body (vapu) or store house of energy (prana). B. TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM: Tat that (God), savitur the sun (star), varenyam worthy of bowing or respect. Once the form of a person along with the name is known to us, we may locate the specific person.Hence the two titles (upadhi) provide the solid ground to identify the formless God, Vishvamitra suggested. He told us that we could know (realize) the unknowable formless God through the known factors, viz., sound Om and light of suns (stars). A mathematician can solve an equation x2+y2=4; if x=2; then y can be known and so on. An engineer can measure the width of a river even by standing at the riverbank just by drawing a triangle. So was the scientific method suggested by Vishvamitra in the mantra in the next portion as under:- C) BHARGO DEVASYA DHEEMAHI: Bhargo the light, devasya of the deity, dheemahi we should meditate. The rishi instructs us to meditate upon the available form (light of suns) to discover the formless Creator (God). Also he wants us to do japa of the word Om (this is understood in the Mantra). This is how the sage wants us to proceed, but there is a great problem to realize it, as the human mind is so shaky and restless that without the grace of the Supreme (Brahma) it cannot be controlled. Hence Vishvamitra suggests the way to pray Him as under: D) DHIYO YO NAH PRACHODAYAT: Dhiyo (intellect), yo (who), nah (we all), prachodayat (guide to right Direction). O God! Deploy our intellect on the right path. Full scientific interpretation of the Mantra: The earth (bhur), the planets (bhuvah), and the galaxies (swah) are moving at a very great velocity, the sound produced is Om, (the name of formless God.) That God (tat), who manifests Himself in the form of light of suns (savitur) is worthy of bowing/respect (varenyam). We all, therefore, should meditate (dheemahi) upon the light (bhargo) of that deity (devasya) and also do chanting of Om. May He (yo) guide in right direction (prachodayat) our (nah) intellect dhiyo. So we notice that the important points hinted in the mantra are:- 1) The total kinetic energy generated by the movement of galaxies acts as an umbrella and balances the total energy consumption of the cosmos. Hence it was named as the Pranavah (body of energy). This is equal to 1/2 mv2 (Mass of galaxies x velocity2). 2) Realizing the great importance of the syllable OM, the other later date religions adopted this word with a slight change in accent, viz., amen and Ameen. |
Posted By : Vinod Jindal on Mar 05, 2011 |