text:
"It is important for pupils to learn about constructing and interpreting bar charts in maths because it helps them develop essential data analysis skills that are crucial in everyday situations. Understanding bar charts allows pupils to visually represent and compare data in a clear and concise manner, making it easier to identify patterns, trends, and relationships in data.
Being able to interpret bar charts is a valuable skill that can be applied in various real-life scenarios, such as analysing survey results, tracking progress over time, making informed decisions based on data, and presenting information effectively. By mastering bar charts, pupils learn how to organise and present data in a meaningful way, enhancing their ability to communicate information and draw evidence-based conclusions.
Moreover, working with bar charts in maths helps pupils improve their numeracy skills, logical reasoning, and critical thinking abilities. It also lays a strong foundation for more advanced statistical concepts that they may encounter in future academic and professional endeavours. Overall, learning about bar charts in maths equips pupils with valuable skills that are essential for navigating the data-driven world we live in."
"Embarking on the journey of mathematics is like unlocking a series of doors, each leading to rooms filled with wonder and possibility. With every new concept you master, you gain the key to yet another door, expanding the horizon of your understanding. This is not just learning; it's an adventure where each step enhances your ability to reach heights unknown and to explore realms of thought that once seemed out of reach. You're not just studying numbers and theories; you're building a tower of knowledge from which you can see the world in ways you never imagined."
Here is an interesting fact from the 2021 "GCSE Attainment Lifetime Earnings" research report, commissioned by the DfE: Studying Maths can boost your earning potential. Strong maths skills can open up a wider range of career options, which are often more lucrative. The report states, "There is wide variation in the marginal grade returns by individual GCSE subjects. A one-grade improvement in Maths is associated with a discounted return of £14,500 whereas in English the return is £7,300 and in Music it is £5,500." Note that English and Music are also instrumental in improving your quality of life in other ways.
"Mathematics is a creative and highly inter-connected discipline that has been developed over centuries, providing the solution to some of history's most intriguing problems. It is essential to everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, and necessary for financial literacy and most forms of employment. A high-quality mathematics education therefore provides a foundation for understanding the world, the ability to reason mathematically, an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics, and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject."
"Learning mathematics is akin to learning a powerful language—the language of the universe. Just as poets use words to express the inexpressible, mathematicians use numbers to explain the inexplicable. Each new topic you learn is like a word, a sentence, a verse that adds to your ability to articulate and comprehend the poetry of patterns, the rhythm of reason. You're not just memorising formulas; you're becoming fluent in the dialect of discovery, capable of conversing with the cosmos."
A strong background in mathematics is vital for many careers, particularly those in sciences, technology, engineering, finance, and data analysis. Here's a list of 20 popular jobs where a solid understanding of mathematics is important:
1. Nurse: Uses mathematics to calculate medication dosages and measure vital signs.
2. Teacher: Employs basic to advanced mathematics depending on the educational level to teach students.
3. Pilot: Uses mathematics for navigation, calculating distances, and fuel requirements.
4. Architect: Applies geometry and mathematical modelling to design buildings and structures.
5. Pharmacist: Utilises mathematics to ensure correct dosages and compound medications.
6. Accountant: Employs mathematics for financial reporting, tax calculations, and auditing.
7. Real Estate Agent: Uses mathematics to calculate mortgage payments, commissions, and property values.
8. Graphic Designer: Applies proportions and geometry in design layouts and visual concepts.
9. Construction Manager: Uses mathematics for project estimations, budgeting, and resource allocation.
10. Software Engineer: Applies principles of computer science and mathematical analysis to design, develop, and test software applications and systems.
11. Marketing Analyst: Uses statistics and data analysis to understand market trends and measure campaign effectiveness.
12. Chef: Utilises ratios and measurements in the preparation and scaling of recipes.
13. Interior Designer: Applies geometry and spatial reasoning to create harmonious and functional living spaces.
14. Electrician: Uses mathematics to calculate current, voltage, resistance, and power requirements.
15. Mechanic: Employs mathematics to diagnose vehicle issues and calculate the needed parts and labour.
16. Plumber: Utilises mathematics to measure, cut, and install piping correctly.
17. Land Surveyor: Applies trigonometry and geometry to determine land boundaries.
18. Insurance Agent: Uses probability and statistics to determine insurance rates and risk assessment.
19. Human Resources Specialist: Applies mathematics in the analysis of salary data and the calculation of benefits.
20. Logistics Coordinator: Uses mathematics for optimising route planning and managing inventory levels.
"In the grand symphony of knowledge, mathematics is the melody that resonates through every domain of human endeavour. Each theorem and formula you learn is a note, a chord, a harmony that enriches your ability to understand and contribute to the world. You're not just studying to pass a test; you're tuning your mind to the frequency of innovation, enabling you to compose the future's most transformative tunes."
"Consider yourself a mathematical explorer, setting sail on the vast ocean of the intellect. Each concept you grasp is a new star in your sky, guiding you to distant horizons and undiscovered worlds. This journey is about more than just navigating through homework; it's about charting a course to your dreams. With every new idea, you're not just learning; you're discovering the maps that will guide you to treasures more valuable than gold: wisdom, insight, and the power to change the world."
"Maths was always my favorite subject. I loved it since I was a kid."
"I was always good at Maths. I'm logical."
"I loved Maths. I loved solving equations."
"I've always had a predisposition for Maths and things with formulas and equations."
"Maths makes sense to me because of its logic and you can't argue with that."
"Maths is tough, but it's the most rewarding when you get it."
"When it comes to Maths, there are no shortcuts - you just have to go with it."
"Working hard at Maths pays off. Understanding those concepts opens up your mind."
"Maths was hard for me in school until I started to grasp its patterns."
"Studying Maths teaches you self discipline. Mastering those skills helps you in life."
The original quote was heard on the wonderful Mr Barton's Podcast
Do you have any comments? It is always useful to receive feedback and helps make this free resource even more useful for those learning Mathematics anywhere in the world. Click here to enter your comments.


text:
Published 8/20/12 in the HuffingtonPost
Dear Todd Akin,
I am writing to you tonight about rape. It is 2 AM and I am unable to sleep here in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I am in Bukavu at the City of Joy to serve and support and work with hundreds, thousands of women who have been raped and violated and tortured from this ceaseless war for minerals fought on their bodies.
I am in Congo but I could be writing this from anywhere in the United States, South Africa, Britain, Egypt, India, Philippines, most college campuses in America. I could be writing from any city or town or village where over half a billion women on the planet are raped in their lifetime.
Mr. Akin, your words have kept me awake.
As a rape survivor, I am reeling from your recent statement where you said you misspoke when you said that women do not get pregnant from legitimate rape, and that you were speaking "off the cuff."
Clarification. You didn't make some glib throw away remark. You made a very specific ignorant statement clearly indicating you have no awareness of what it means to be raped. And not a casual statement, but one made with the intention of legislating the experience of women who have been raped. Perhaps more terrifying: it was a window into the psyche of the GOP.
You used the expression "legitimate" rape as if to imply there were such a thing as "illegitimate" rape. Let me try to explain to you what that does to the minds, hearts and souls of the millions of women on this planet who experience rape. It is a form of re-rape. The underlying assumption of your statement is that women and their experiences are not to be trusted. That their understanding of rape must be qualified by some higher, wiser authority. It delegitimizes and undermines and belittles the horror, invasion, desecration they experienced. It makes them feel as alone and powerless as they did at the moment of rape.
When you, Paul Ryan and 225 of your fellow co-sponsors play with words around rape suggesting only "forcible" rape be treated seriously as if all rapes weren't forcible, it brings back a flood of memories of the way the rapists played with us in the act of being raped—intimidating us, threatening us,muting us. Your playing with words like "forcible" and "legitimate" is playing with our souls which have been shattered by unwanted penises shoving into us, ripping our flesh, our vaginas, our consciousness, our confidence, our pride, our futures.
Now you want to say that you misspoke when you said that a legitimate rape couldn't get us pregnant. Did you honestly believe that rape sperm is different than love sperm, that some mysterious religious process occurs and rape sperm self-destructs due to its evilcontent? Or, were you implying that women and their bodies are somehow responsible for rejecting legitimate rape sperm, once again putting the onus on us? It would seem you were saying that getting pregnant after a rape would indicate it was not a "legitimate" rape.
Here's what I want you to do. I want you to close your eyes and imagine that you are on your bed or up against a wall or locked in a small suffocating space. Imagine being tied up there and imagine some aggressive, indifferent, insane stranger friend or relative ripping off your clothes and entering your body—the most personal, sacred, private part of your body—and violently, hatefully forcing themself into you so that you are ripped apart. Then imagine that stranger's sperm shooting into you and filling you and you can't get it out. It is growing something in you. Imagine you have no idea what that life will even consist of, spiritually made in hate, not knowing the mental or health background of the rapist.
Then imagine a person comes along, a person who has never had that experience of rape, and that person tells you, you have no choice but to keep that product of rape growing in you against your will and when it is born it has the face of your rapist, the face of the person who has essentially destroyed your being and you will have to look at the face every day of your life and you will be judged harshly if you cannot love that face.
I don't know if you can imagine any of this (leadership actually requires this kind of compassion), but if you are willing to go to the depth of this darkness, you will quickly understand that there is NO ONE WHO CAN MAKE THAT CHOICE to have or not have the baby, but the person carrying that baby herself.
I have spent much time with mothers who have given birth to children who are the product of rape. I have watched how tortured they are wrestling with their hate and anger, trying not to project that onto their child.
I am asking you and the GOP to get out of my body, out of my vagina, my womb, to get out of all of our bodies. These are not your decisions to make. These are not your words to define.
Why don't you spend your time ending rape rather than redefining it? Spend your energy going after those perpetrators who so easily destroy women rather than parsing out manipulative language that minimizes their destruction.
And by the way you've just given millions of women a very good reason to make sure you never get elected again, and an insanely good reason to rise.
Eve Ensler
Bukavu, Congo

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Place of Origin:Guangdong, China
Brand Name:WARREN
Model Number:Heavy Duty Sliding Door-128
Door Material:Aluminum Alloy
Screen Netting Material:FiberGlass
Warranty:More than 5 years
Surface Finishing:Finished
Opening Method:Push and Pull
Door Type:Glass
After-sale Service:Return and Replacement, Onsite Inspection, Online technical support, Onsite Training, Onsite Installation, Free spare parts
Main Material:Thermal Break Aluminum
Project Solution Capability:total solution for projects
Design Style:Modern
Product Name:96 Inch Wide Sliding Patio Doors
Hardware:Well-known Brand
Profile wall thickness:2.2mm
Profile Material:6060-T5
Size:Customized Size
Surface treatment:Powder Coated Finish
Glass Type:Fully Tempered Safty Glazing
Glass Option:Low-e,Argon Filled,Warm Edge Spacer
Profile Feature:Thermal Insulation
Open Style:Lift and Sliding
Warren 96 Inch Wide Sliding Patio Doors Spec table
1. Q: Who is Warren? What are your main products?
A: Warren is one of the biggest windows manufacturers in China, specializing in high-end aluminum windows & doors.
2. Q: Do you have any certifications?
A: Yes. We have NAFS/NAMI/NFRC/CSA certifications. Our products can meet North American standards.
3. Q: How long will it take for production?
A: It will take around four weeks after receiving your down payment.
4. Q: What is your delivery time?
A: 16 days to LA, 26 days to NY, 28 days to Houston. And 30-40 days to other cities in North America.
5. Q: What is your warranty?
A: Products covered by Limited Lifetime Warranty(LLW).
6. Q: How to install your windows and doors?
A: Our products meet the American window and door installation standards, and you can find local installers. We provide installation manuals, videos, and online help.
7. Q: Can you help me to do all the paperwork in the destination port?
A: Yes. We can do the ISF, the customs clearance service, and all the other paperwork for you.
8. Q: Do you provide Door-to-Door Shipping?
A: Yes. We can arrange trucking delivery to the recipient's door.
9. Q: How much is the import duty?
A: The import duty is different for different products. Roughly the import duty is lower than the consumption tax.
10. Q: What are your payment terms?
A: We support wire transfers of 50% of the total amount as deposit and balance before delivery. Irrevocable L/C at sight is also acceptable.
For more details about Warren 96 Inch Wide Sliding Patio Doors 96 Wide Patio Door Cost, please contact us.
Related Collections


text:
Armatix Smart System – a consistent concept of gun safety for the future. In the case of conventional handguns, the gun is no longer secured the moment the shooter removes it from the safe or other security system. In the case of Armatix's Smart System, security extends a decisive step beyond this point!
Smart System consists of a radio-controlled watch that is responsible for gun access and use. A Smart System gun will only shoot if it is within range of this watch. It is possible to release the safety mechanism via the radio controlled watch activated by means of a PIN code. As soon as the gun loses radio contact with the watch - e.g. if it is knocked out of the shooter's hand or in case of loss, theft, etc. It automatically deactivates itself.
Armatix is currently involved in advanced licensing negotiations with several gun manufacturers. In addition, Armatix offers a tried and tested smart system in the form of development of its own: the iP1 pistol (.22LR caliber) and the iW1 active RFID watch. The prototype from Armatix is proof that guns and integrated electronic intelligence are already possible and feasible today. How the technology can be incorporated into existing handguns needs to be checked in individual cases.


text:
Harvard University Extension School
Jen Kramer has been teaching & practicing web design for over 20 years. Most recently, she is a Lecturer at Harvard University Extension School in the Master's of Liberal Arts in Digital Media Design program, where she teaches five courses per year on front-end web development. She's also a prolific video author, creating over 40 training courses for LinkedIn Learning/Lynda.com, Frontend Masters, O'Reilly Media, and others. She earned her MS in Internet Strategy Management from Marlboro College.


text:
THE magical and religious texts of the Egyptians of all periods contain spells intended to be used against serpents, scorpions, and noxious reptiles of all kinds, and their number, and the importance which was attached to them, suggest that Egypt must always have produced these pests in abundance, and that the Egyptians were always horribly afraid of them. The text of Unas, which was written towards the close of the Vth Dynasty, contains many such spells, and in the Theban and Saïte Books of the Dead several Chapters consist of nothing but spells and incantations. many of which are based on archaic texts, against crocodiles, serpents, and other deadly reptiles, and insects of all kinds. All such creatures were regarded
Click to enlarge
The Metternich Stele--Obverse.
Click to enlarge
The Metternich Stele--Reverse.
as incarnations of evil spirits, which attack the dead as well as the living, and therefore it was necessary for the well-being of the former that copies of spells against them should be written upon the walls of tombs, coffins, funerary amulets, etc. The gods were just as open to the attacks of venomous reptiles as man, and Ra, himself, the king of the gods, nearly died from the poison of a snake-bite. Now the gods were, as a rule, able to defend themselves against the attacks of Set and his fiends, and the poisonous snakes and insects which were their emissaries, by virtue of the "fluid of life," , which was the peculiar attribute of divinity, and the efforts of Egyptians were directed to the acquisition of a portion of this magical power, which would protect their souls and bodies and their houses and cattle, and other property, each day and each night throughout the year. When a man cared for the protection of himself only he wore an amulet of some kind, in which the was localized. When he wished to protect his house against invasion by venomous reptiles he placed statues containing the in niches in the walls of various chambers, or in some place outside but near the house, or buried them in the earth with their faces turned in the direction from which he expected the attack to come.
Towards the close of the XXVIth Dynasty, when superstition in its most exaggerated form was general in Egypt, it became the custom to make house talismans in the form of small stone stelae, with rounded tops, which rested on bases having convex fronts. On the front of such a talisman was sculptured in relief a figure of Horus the Child (Harpokrates), standing on two crocodiles, holding in his hands figures of serpents, scorpions, a lion, and a horned animal, each of these being a symbol of an emissary or ally of Set, the god of Evil. Above his head was the head of Bes, and on each side of him were: solar symbols, i.e., the lily of Nefer-Tem, figures of Ra and Harmakhis, the Eyes of Ra (the Sun and Moon), etc. The reverse of the stele and the whole of the base were covered with magical texts and spells, and when a talisman of this kind was placed in a house, it was supposed to be directly under the protection of Horus and his companion gods, who had vanquished all the hosts of darkness and all the powers of physical and moral evil. Many examples of this talisman are to be seen in the great Museums of Europe, and there are several fine specimens in the Third Egyptian Room in the British Museum. They are usually called "Cippi of Horus." The largest and most important of all these "cippi" is that which is commonly known as the "Metternich Stele," because it was given to Prince Metternich by Muhammad 'Ali Pasha; it was dug up in 1828 during the building of a cistern in a Franciscan Monastery in Alexandria, and was first published, with a translation of a large part of the text, by Professor Golénischeff. 1 The importance of the stele is enhanced by the fact that it mentions the name of the king in whose reign it was made, viz., Nectanebus I., who reigned from B.C. 378 to B.C. 360.
The obverse, reverse, and two sides of the Metternich Stele have cut upon them nearly three hundred figures of gods and celestial beings. These include figures of the great gods of heaven, earth, and the Other World, figures of the gods of the planets and the Dekans, figures of the gods of the days of the week, of the weeks, and months, and seasons of the year, and of the year. Besides these there are a number of figures of local forms of the gods which it is difficult to identify. On the rounded portion of the obverse the place of honour is held by the solar disk, in which is seen a figure of Khnemu with four ram's heads, which rests between a pair of arms, and is supported on a lake of celestial water; on each side of it are four of the spirits of the dawn, and on the right stands the symbol of the rising sun, Nefer-Temu, and on the left stands Thoth. Below this are five rows of small figures of gods. Below these is Harpokrates in relief, in the attitude already described. He stands on two crocodiles under a kind of canopy, the sides of which are supported by Thoth and Isis, and holds Typhonic animals and reptiles. Above the canopy are the two Eyes of Ra, each having a pair of human arms and hands. On the right of Harpokrates are Seker and Horus, and on his left the symbol of Nefer-Temu. On the left and right are the goddesses Nekhebet and Uatchet, who guard the South of Egypt and the North respectively. On the reverse and sides are numerous small figures of gods. This stele represented the power to protect man possessed by all the divine beings in the universe, and, however it was placed, it formed an impassable barrier to every spirit of evil and to every venomous reptile. The spells, which are cut in hieroglyphics on all the parts of the stele not occupied by figures of gods, were of the most potent character, for they contained the actual words by which the gods vanquished the powers of darkness and evil. These spells form the texts which are printed on p. 142 ff., and may be thus summarized:--
The first spell is an incantation directed against reptiles and noxious creatures in general. The chief of these was Apep, the great enemy of Ra, who took the form of a huge serpent that "resembled the intestines," and the spell doomed him to decapitation, and burning and backing in pieces. These things would be effected by Serqet, the Scorpion-goddess. The second part of the spell was directed against the poison of Apep, and was to be recited over anyone who was bitten by a snake. When uttered by Horus it made Apep to vomit, and when used by a magician properly qualified would make the bitten person to vomit, and so free his body from the poison.
The next spell is directed to be said to the Cat, i.e., a symbol of the daughter of Ra, or Isis, who had the head of Ra, the eyes of the uraeus, the nose of Thoth, the ears of Neb-er-tcher, the mouth of Tem, the neck of Neheb-ka, the breast of Thoth, the heart of Ra, the hands of the gods, the belly of Osiris, the thighs of Menthu, the legs of Khensu, the feet of Amen-Horus, the haunches of Horus, the soles of the feet of Ra, and the bowels of Meh-urit. Every member of the Cat contained a god or goddess, and she was able to destroy the poison of any serpent, or scorpion, or reptile, which might be injected into her body. The spell opens with an address to Ra, who is entreated to come to his daughter, who has been stung by a scorpion on a lonely road, and to cause the poison to leave her body. Thus it seems as if Isis, the great magician, was at some time stung by a scorpion.
The next section is very difficult to understand. Ra-Harmakhis is called upon to come to his daughter, and Shu. to his wife, and Isis to her sister, who has been poisoned. Then the Aged One, i.e., Ra, is asked to let Thoth turn back Neha-her, or Set. "Osiris is in the water, but Horus is with him, and the Great Beetle overshadows him," and every evil spirit which dwells in the water is adjured to allow Horus to proceed to Osiris. Ra, Sekhet, Thoth, and Heka, this last-named being the spell personified, are the four great gods who protect Osiris, and who will blind and choke his enemies, and cut out their tongues. The cry of the Cat is again referred to, and Ra is asked if he does not remember the cry which came from the bank of Netit. The allusion here is to the cries which Isis uttered when she arrived at Netit near Abydos, and found lying there the dead body of her husband.
At this point on the Stele the spells are interrupted by a long narrative put into the mouth of Isis, which supplies us with some account of the troubles that she suffered, and describes the death of Horus through the sting of a scorpion. Isis, it seems, was shut up in some dwelling by Set after he murdered Osiris, probably with the intention of forcing her to marry him, and so assist him to legalize his seizure of the kingdom. Isis, as we have already seen, had been made pregnant by her husband after his death, and Thoth now appeared to her, and advised her to hide herself with her unborn child, and to bring him forth in secret, and he promised her that her son should succeed in due course to his father's throne. With the help of Thoth she escaped from her captivity, and went forth accompanied by the Seven Scorpion-goddesses, who brought her to the town of Per-Sui, on the edge of the Reed Swamps. She applied to a woman for a night's shelter, but the woman shut her door in her face. To punish her one of the Scorpion-goddesses forced her way into the woman's house, and stung her child to death. The grief of the woman was so bitter and sympathy-compelling that Isis laid her hands on the child, and, having uttered one of her most potent spells over him, the poison of the scorpion ran out of his body, and the child came to life again. The words of the spell are cut on the Stele, and they were treasured by the Egyptians as an infallible remedy for scorpion stings. When the woman saw that her son had been brought back to life by Isis, she was filled with joy and gratitude, and, as a mark of her repentance, she brought large quantities of things from her house as gifts for Isis, and they were so many that they filled the house of the kind, but poor, woman who had given Isis shelter.
Now soon after Isis had restored to life the son of the woman who had shown churlishness to her, a terrible calamity fell upon her, for her beloved son Horus was stung by a scorpion and died. The news of this event was conveyed to her by the gods, who cried out to her to come to see her son Horus, whom the terrible scorpion Uhat had killed. Isis, stabbed with pain at the news, as if a knife had been driven into her body, ran out distraught with grief. It seems that she had gone to perform a religious ceremony in honour of Osiris in a temple near Hetep-hemt, leaving her child carefully concealed in Sekhet-An. During her absence the scorpion Uhat, which had been sent by Set, forced its way into the biding-place of Horus, and there stung him to death. When Isis came and found the dead body, she burst forth in lamentations, the sound of which brought all the people from the neighbouring districts to her side. As she related to them the history of her sufferings they endeavoured to console her, and when they found this to be impossible they lifted up their voices and wept with her. Then Isis placed her nose in the mouth of Horus so that she might discover if he still breathed, but there was no breath in his throat; and when she examined the wound in his body made by the fiend Aun-Ab she saw in it traces of poison. No doubt about his death then remained in her mind, and clasping him in her arms she lifted him up, and in her transports of grief leaped about like fish when they are laid on red-hot coals. Then she uttered a series of heartbreaking laments, each of which begins with the words "Horus is bitten." The heir of heaven, the son of Un-Nefer, the child of the gods, he who was wholly fair, is bitten! He for whose wants I provided, he who was to avenge his father, is bitten! He for whom I cared and suffered when he was being fashioned in my womb, is bitten! He whom I tended so that I might gaze upon him, is bitten! He whose life I prayed for is bitten! Calamity hath overtaken the child, and he hath perished.
Whilst Isis was saying these and many similar words, her sister Nephthys, who had been weeping bitterly for her nephew Horus as she wandered about among the swamps, came, in company with the Scorpion-goddess Serqet, and advised Isis to pray to heaven for help. Pray that the sailors in the Boat of Ra may cease from rowing, for the Boat cannot travel onwards whilst Horus lies dead. Then Isis cried out to heaven, and her voice reached the Boat of Millions of Years, and the Disk ceased to move onward, and came to a standstill. From the Boat Thoth descended, being equipped with words of power and spells of all kinds, and bearing with him the "great command of maa-kheru," i.e., the WORD, whose commands were performed, instantly and completely, by every god, spirit, fiend, human being and by every thing, animate and inanimate, in heaven, earth, and the Other World. Then he came to Isis and told her that no harm could possibly have happened to Horus, for he was under the protection of the Boat of Ra; but his words failed to comfort Isis, and though she acknowledged the greatness of his designs, she complained that they savoured of delay. "What is the good," she asks, "of all thy spells, and incantations, and magical formulae, and the great command of maa-kheru, if Horus is to perish by the poison of a scorpion, and to lie here in the arms of Death? Evil, evil is his destiny, for it hath entailed the deepest misery for him and death."
In answer to these words Thoth, turning to Isis and Nephthys, bade them to fear not, and to have no anxiety about Horus, "For," said he, "I have come from heaven to heal the child for his mother." He then pointed out that Horus was under protection as the Dweller in his Disk (Aten), the Great Dwarf, the Mighty Ram, the Great Hawk, the Holy Beetle, the Hidden Body, the Divine Bennu, etc., and proceeded to utter the great spell which restored Horus to life. By his words of power Thoth transferred the "fluid of life" of Ra, and as soon as this came upon the child's body the poison of the scorpion flowed out of him, and he once more breathed and lived. When this was done Thoth returned to the Boat of Ra, the gods who formed its crew resumed their rowing, and the Disk passed on its way to make its daily journey across the sky. The gods in heaven, who were amazed and uttered cries of terror when they heard of the death of Horus, were made happy once more, and sang songs of joy over his recovery. The happiness of Isis in her child's restoration to life was very great, for she could again hope that he would avenge his father's murder, and occupy his throne. The final words of Thoth comforted her greatly, for he told her that he would take charge of the case of Horus in the Judgment Hall of Anu, wherein Osiris had been judged, and that as his advocate he would make any accusations which might be brought against Horus to recoil on him that brought them. Furthermore, he would give Horus power to repulse any attacks which might be made upon him by beings in the heights above, or fiends in the depths below, and would ensure his succession to the Throne of the Two Lands, i.e., Egypt. Thoth also promised Isis that Ra himself should act as the advocate of Horus, even as he had done for his father Osiris. He was also careful to allude to the share which Isis had taken in the restoration of Horus to life, saying, "It is the words of power of his mother which have lifted up his face, and they shall enable him to journey wheresoever he pleaseth, and to put fear into the powers above. I myself hasten [to obey them]." Thus everything turned on the power of the spells of Isis, who made the sun to stand still, and caused the dead to be raised.
Such are the contents of the texts on the famous Metternich Stele. There appears to be some confusion in their arrangement, and some of them clearly are misplaced, and, in places, the text is manifestly corrupt. It is impossible to explain several passages, for we do not understand all the details of the system of magic which they represent. Still, the general meaning of the texts on the Stele is quite clear, and they record a legend of Isis and Horus which is not found so fully described on any other monument.
lxxi:1 See Metternichstele, Leipzig, 1877. The Stele was made for Ankh-Psemthek, son of the lady Tent-Het-nub, prophet of Nebun, overseer of Temt and scribe of Het (see line 87).
Larkspur CO 80118
United States
(303) 681-2028
Co-Masonry, Co-Freemasonry, Women's Freemasonry, Men and Women, Mixed Masonry


text:
A Look Back at 2011: Superhero Films Edition
The 2000s could easily be called the decade of superhero movies, and this trend has continued into the 2010s. Instead of slowing down after ~11 years of mixed results, this genre still attracts major actors, filmmakers, budgets, and online rage. It, along with other sci-fi-y/CGI-laden fare such as Transformers and Star Trek, has all but killed the conventional action flick, which helps explain the continuing popularity of the The Fast and The Furious franchise. For all the complaints one might have about the series, it actually offers something unique on the movie landscape.
2012 will present at least four more of these films. The Avengers (May 4) and The Dark Knight Returns (July 20) are probably two of the most anticipated comic book movies of all time. The Amazing Spider-Man (July 3) is a controversial reboot of a franchise that only started 10 years prior, and one that probably had more life to it, despite the catastrophe that was Spider-Man 3. And Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (February 17) is a needless sequel to the needless Ghost Rider and still starring Nicolas Cage in the lead role. The hook for the new movie is that he pisses fire.
In the following, I look back at 2011's major superhero-centric releases. Sorry, Dylan Dog: Dead of Night.
The Green Hornet– January 14 (dir. Michel Gondry)
A January 14 release date immediately implied a lack of confidence in this Michel Gondry-directed, Seth Rogen-starring feature. Unlike (most of) the other heroes on this list, newspaper publisher Britt Reid/The Green Hornet didn't begin his life affiliated with a comics company. Rather he was a radio hero from the 1930s who made his way to comic books, serials, and a television series in the 1960s primarily known for casting Bruce Lee as Reid's loyal manservant Kato.
Overall, The Green Hornet had a lot going for it despite the character's lack of recognition among the general public. It had dialogue written by Rogen and his long-time co-writer Evan Goldberg that was punchier than in the average superhero movie, did a good job at establishing the camaraderie between Reid and Kato, and maintained a decent sense of humor without turning to camp. The film was well cast with Tom Wilkinson, Christoph Waltz, Jay Chou, Edward James Olmos (one of the many victims of the latest season of Dexter), and even Rogan. In this respect, the movie's greatest misstep was an utterly miscast Cameron Diaz playing an utterly pointless character.
However, the biggest problem with Hornet was that it was not able to live up to its obvious potential. I got the sense that there was a darker film lurking beneath its surface. The good guys actually killed bad guys while pretending to be the bad guys and gleefully relished the role of ne'er-do-wells. The city was plagued with widespread corruption on all levels: the police, the district attorney's office, and even the Reid family newspaper, The Daily Sentinel. The main villain and secondary villain were unrepentant in their evil and seemed to pose an actual threat, rather than being brutish bumblers whom you wonder how they rose so high in the criminal hierarchy. And, the final battle in the newspaper offices with half-a-Black-Beauty was actually well done. That was probably thanks mostly to Gondry (director of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Be Kind, Rewind; and The Science of Sleep), who deserved a lot more room to experiment in the superhero genre.
But something felt missing in Hornet, that soul that makes a movie a film rather than a collection of scenes. Either it wasn't willing enough to delve deep enough into weightier matters (which I personally doubt), or it was severely edited/ "studio-ed" before, during, and after filming in order to receive and maintain a PG-13 rating.
Worldwide gross: $228 million ($99 million domestic; $129 million foreign)
Thor– May 6 (dir. Kenneth Branagh)
After the several levels of disappointment of Iron Man 2, Thor was the first real test case for the upcoming The Avengers movie. Sure, there was The Incredible Hulk several years earlier but that already carried with it the reboot stigma, wasn't connected to The Avengers until the credit cookie, and they've even recast Bruce Banner a third time for the upcoming film.
Surprisingly, Thor worked as a (second tier) superhero movie. Branagh did a good job at establishing Asgard and Thor's fellow Asgardians, and the scenes set there were a welcome reprieve aesthetically and story-wise to the primarily earthbound tales of other comic book films. Chris Hemsworth in his first released leading role had a genuine presence that allowed him to portray a God on Earth, as well as a God among Gods, even against more experienced professionals.
While the scenes on Earth (in particular those involving the relationship between Thor and Jane Porter (Natalie Portman)) were far less clever than the ones on Asgard, they succeeded in making me believe that The Avengers might work. Unlike Iron Man 2, which ofttimes felt more like S.H.I.E.L.D. featuring Iron Man, Thor pulled off the concept that these films are connected without sacrificing the hero at its core. When The Destroyer comes from Asgard and S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Cale asks "is that one of Stark's?", it gave the impression that they are living in the same universe without beating us over the head that a spin-off is coming. Also, although S.H.I.E.L.D. was present throughout the film, unlike in Iron Man 2, it served more of a function to the plot, and not having Big Time Agents like Nick Fury and Black Widow constantly interacting with Thor further helped establish the film on its own merits.
Unfortunately, the film didn't do as good a job at setting up Loki. Tom Hiddleston is a fine actor, but Loki's personality, maliciousness, powers, and goals weren't well enough established throughout the film, and by the time he and Thor had their fight on Rainbow Bridge it seemed perfunctory. This is part of the concern with having Loki as the main villain in The Avengers. Although he was the bad guy in Avengers #1, and The God of Mischief certainly has the potential to make chaos for the world's greatest heroes, Red Skull from Captain America, Justin Hammer from Iron Man 2, and even The Leader from The Incredible Hulk all seemed to have greater weight.
Worldwide gross: $449 million ($181 million domestic; $268 million foreign)- probably benefiting from its position as first comic book film of the summer, Thor was the highest grosser of the year.
X-Men: First Class– June 3 (dir. Matthew Vaughn)
Prequels are very tricky business, and Matthew Vaughn not only pulled it off, but made the best movie in the entire X-Men franchise. What sets First Class apart from The Avengers line is that it functions as a stand alone film, even with four predecessors. While Thor and Captain America had its eyes towards the franchise, First Class existed independently. Put another way, even without the Marvelverse or Xiverse connection First Class succeeds as a work unto itself. I'm not entirely sure you can say that about the other films on the list.
The cast (including Bridesmaids's Rose Byrne, Winter's Bone's Jennifer Lawrence, Mad Men's January Jones, and Super's Kevin Bacon) is very good and anchored by James McAvoy as Professor X and this year's most remarkable actor Michael Fassbender as Magneto. Many of the relationships in the film are strong in ways that the original X series never really accomplished. Although Mystique with her doubts about herself, her powers, and fitting in can be likened to Rogue from the first trilogy, this film handles her concerns much more adeptly, and her interactions with Beast, Professor X, and Magneto are significantly better written and acted than Rogue's with Iceman, Professor X, and Wolverine.
Another benefit of Vaughn's work was abandoning the dark with black leather motif of the original X trilogy to create the bright, vibrant world of the 1960s with yellow and blue flight costumes/flight suits harkening back to the original look of the X-Men. Additionally, First Class seemed to have a bigger scope than the other films on the list and best showed that the Earth these characters inhabit is much larger than themselves.
Worldwide gross: $353 million ($146 million domestic; $207 million foreign)
Green Lantern– June 17 (dir. Martin Campbell)
Despite its affiliation with Warner Brothers, DC has had a difficult time getting film franchises off the ground. Compared to Marvel, which has seemingly cornered the market on superhero films, DC only has one true success- Batman. While multiple failures are par for the course, what makes DC surprising is its lack of attempts at big screen greatness. Nevertheless, I consider Watchmen up there with the Nolan Batman films as one of the best comic book movies ever made, and Superman Returns for all its many flaws was at least an ambitious failure. Beyond that, Jonah Hex? Red? Constantine? None of those are marquee names.
But in DC's most prime properties (Superman, Batman, and Watchmen), you actually sensed that the filmmakers cared about the characters, and they worked to create the visually distinctive universes in which they live. Singer, Nolan, and Snyder didn't just show the superheroes themselves, but how their existence impacted society. Sure, Superman Returns fell apart under its own pretensions and Singer's uncomfortable obsession with the Donner films, but he tried to produce a more epic superhero film, and one born from the bizarre premise that the Man of Steel date raped his ex-girlfriend and ran away for five years.
So in this realm of quantity over quality, Green Lantern had at least some tradition to live up to. Lantern is a major character in the DC-verse, and this was DC's tent pole picture in a summer of three significant Marvel films. Moreover, it had a fantastically large budget (between $200-$300 million) and a lot of advertisement, though not a lot of buzz.
Unfortunately, Green Lantern suffered from probably the worst space crime considering how many of these films we contend with every year: it was too conventional. The film felt compelled to shove itself and protagonist Hal Jordan (a decent Ryan Reynolds) into some sort of Iron Man format, going so far as having Jordan use Tony Stark's trick to defeat Obadiah Stane at the beginning of the film, albeit against drone planes. While a hero must struggle on his journey, Jordan's path sacrificed a great deal of the character. And I'm not talking about his comics counterpart, but the character established by the film itself. Making a brash, cocky fighter pilot who thinks he's God's gift to everything deal with angst and insecurities after learning that he actually is the coolest person on Earth came across as forced and lazy. I'm not saying Jordan wouldn't feel conflicted, but the way the film presented it did not work, and his decision to take the mantle felt very "well, we're entering the third act so I guess his struggle is over."
This isn't to mention the lack of a decent villain (Peter Sarsgaard as Hector Hammond does what he can) and the horrible casting of Blake Lively as the female lead- an expertly trained fighter pilot/savvy business woman. Massive plot holes (why did Sinestro put on the yellow ring?); belabored Earth sequences; unintentionally hilarious, Airplane!-esque flashback sequences; a lack of creativity with the ring that can do anything; and thinly drawn characters from many species and sides all served to make this film a massive disappointment. Additionally, despite a good opening sequence featuring Jordan's predecessor Abin Sur, DC's previous strength of building a unique society was virtually absent this go around. This was especially curious and problematic considering how the filmmakers received the opportunity to build two universes- one on Earth and one on Oa, the Green Lantern Corps' base of operations; both worlds seemed very insular.
Worldwide gross: $219 million ($116 million domestic; $103 million foreign)- that's right, the biggest budgeted film did the worst of the top 5 on this list. It also ranked on The Hollywood Reporter's list of this year's biggest bombs.
Captain America: The First Avenger– July 22 (dir. Joe Johnston)
Although X-Men: First Class was the better film, Captain America is possibly the more interesting one. Along with a remarkable visual sense that captured the look and feel of 1940s films, director Johnston and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely took another remarkable approach to the man who throws his mighty shield by making Captain America into a biopic of Steve Rogers.
Yes, I know Steve Rogers is not a real guy, but the movie seems to borrow more from that genre (in particular war biopics such as Sgt. York) than from other comic book films. There's even the tragic death of a proto-family member (Dr. Erskine, Rogers' father figure) that propels the hero towards his destiny.
Like most conventional biopics, Captain America focuses on before the main character becomes a superstar. We start with the tortured upbringing that inspired his values, complete with homages to his future (e.g. garbage can shield). It's not an easy journey towards greatness, and he gets rejected numerous times before finally getting that shot to perform (i.e. receiving a chance to enlist in the army). Even after he gets the record deal (i.e. Vita-Rays), it's a long way to the top; he still needs to do crappy gigs before obtaining celebrity status (i.e. actually fighting the war). But after playing his first major concert, he gets the acclaim, the back-up band (i.e. the Howling Commandos), and the funding to travel the world and show off his greatness (i.e. destroy Hydra).
As a comic book movie, this becomes Captain America's biggest problem. The scenes where Captain America goes after Hydra should be and could have been a movie in and of itself. The film worked well enough that we wanted to see more of Captain America's adventures in World War 2. Instead, we rush through him defeating the worse-than-Nazis villains in a montage and curse The Avengers for causing the filmmakers to cut down this part of his journey. But seen as a biopic, this technique makes more sense. We don't focus on Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, or Dewey Cox playing stadiums. Biopics rarely show people at the top of the game because the struggle getting there is what these films primarily concern themselves with.
The biopic angle also explains some of the other elements of the film. Yes, Steve Rogers might appear a bit too humble, but most biopics focus on a whitewashed version of the real person anyway. Additionally, while many of the side characters seem to lack personalities or hard edges, very few biopics from any era concern themselves with the side crew.
Worldwide gross: $368 million ($177 million domestic; $191 million foreign)
Super– April 1 (dir. James Gunn)
I would be remiss if I didn't mention James Gunn's Super. Not a conventional comic book/superhero movie and only released in 39 theaters nationwide, Super is not just the funniest movie of the year but probably the funniest movie in several years. Starring Rainn Wilson as The Crimson Bolt, a fry cook who turns to crimefighting after his recovering drug addict wife (Liv Tyler) is brought back into the junkie fold by a crime lord (Kevin Bacon), Super succeeds where The Green Hornet failed in showing the inherent darkness of the genre. While many R-comedies of recent years fail to truly push the envelope, Super takes the comedy film to unexpected and hilarious places. More importantly, the humor and brutality continue and build throughout the film, as opposed to slowing down once the plot kicks in, which I find to be an unfortunate condition of many modern comedies. Ellen Page co-stars and scene steals as Bolty, a comic book store clerk who positively adores her role of The Crimson Bolt's sidekick.
I wrote about Super in the mid-year, Best And Worst Movies Of 2011, Part 1 Listicle, and I still maintain what I said then. It is not just the type of film that deserves a cult following, it is the type of film that will get a cult following.
Worldwide gross: $324,138 ($324,138 million domestic; n/a foreign)
To contact me, e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login


text:
Scientific experts believe Japan's nuclear disaster to be far worse than governments are revealing to the public.
By Dahr Jamail
June 16, 2011
"Fukushima is the biggest industrial catastrophe in the history of mankind," Arnold Gundersen, a former nuclear industry senior vice president, told Al Jazeera.
Japan's 9.0 earthquake on March 11 caused a massive tsunami that crippled the cooling systems at the Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO) nuclear plant in Fukushima, Japan. It also led to hydrogen explosions and reactor meltdowns that forced evacuations of those living within a 20km radius of the plant.
Gundersen, a licensed reactor operator with 39 years of nuclear power engineering experience, managing and coordinating projects at 70 nuclear power plants around the US, says the Fukushima nuclear plant likely has more exposed reactor cores than commonly believed.
"Fukushima has three nuclear reactors exposed and four fuel cores exposed," he said, "You probably have the equivalent of 20 nuclear reactor cores because of the fuel cores, and they are all in desperate need of being cooled, and there is no means to cool them effectively."
TEPCO has been spraying water on several of the reactors and fuel cores, but this has led to even greater problems, such as radiation being emitted into the air in steam and evaporated sea water – as well as generating hundreds of thousands of tons of highly radioactive sea water that has to be disposed of.
"The problem is how to keep it cool," says Gundersen. "They are pouring in water and the question is what are they going to do with the waste that comes out of that system, because it is going to contain plutonium and uranium. Where do you put the water?"
Even though the plant is now shut down, fission products such as uranium continue to generate heat, and therefore require cooling.
"The fuels are now a molten blob at the bottom of the reactor," Gundersen added. "TEPCO announced they had a melt through. A melt down is when the fuel collapses to the bottom of the reactor, and a melt through means it has melted through some layers. That blob is incredibly radioactive, and now you have water on top of it. The water picks up enormous amounts of radiation, so you add more water and you are generating hundreds of thousands of tons of highly radioactive water."
Independent scientists have been monitoring the locations of radioactive "hot spots" around Japan, and their findings are disconcerting.
"We have 20 nuclear cores exposed, the fuel pools have several cores each, that is 20 times the potential to be released than Chernobyl," said Gundersen. "The data I'm seeing shows that we are finding hot spots further away than we had from Chernobyl, and the amount of radiation in many of them was the amount that caused areas to be declared no-man's-land for Chernobyl. We are seeing square kilometres being found 60 to 70 kilometres away from the reactor. You can't clean all this up. We still have radioactive wild boar in Germany, 30 years after Chernobyl."
Radiation monitors for children
Japan's Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters finally admitted earlier this month that reactors 1, 2, and 3 at the Fukushima plant experienced full meltdowns.
TEPCO announced that the accident probably released more radioactive material into the environment than Chernobyl, making it the worst nuclear accident on record.
Meanwhile, a nuclear waste advisor to the Japanese government reported that about 966 square kilometres near the power station – an area roughly 17 times the size of Manhattan – is now likely uninhabitable.
In the US, physician Janette Sherman MD and epidemiologist Joseph Mangano published an essay shedding light on a 35 per cent spike in infant mortality in northwest cities that occurred after the Fukushima meltdown, and may well be the result of fallout from the stricken nuclear plant.
The eight cities included in the report are San Jose, Berkeley, San Francisco, Sacramento, Santa Cruz, Portland, Seattle, and Boise, and the time frame of the report included the ten weeks immediately following the disaster.
"There is and should be concern about younger people being exposed, and the Japanese government will be giving out radiation monitors to children," Dr MV Ramana, a physicist with the Programme on Science and Global Security at Princeton University who specialises in issues of nuclear safety, told Al Jazeera.
Dr Ramana explained that he believes the primary radiation threat continues to be mostly for residents living within 50km of the plant, but added: "There are going to be areas outside of the Japanese government's 20km mandatory evacuation zone where radiation is higher. So that could mean evacuation zones in those areas as well."
Gundersen points out that far more radiation has been released than has been reported.
"They recalculated the amount of radiation released, but the news is really not talking about this," he said. "The new calculations show that within the first week of the accident, they released 2.3 times as much radiation as they thought they released in the first 80 days."
According to Gundersen, the exposed reactors and fuel cores are continuing to release microns of caesium, strontium, and plutonium isotopes. These are referred to as "hot particles".
"We are discovering hot particles everywhere in Japan, even in Tokyo," he said. "Scientists are finding these everywhere. Over the last 90 days these hot particles have continued to fall and are being deposited in high concentrations. A lot of people are picking these up in car engine air filters."
Radioactive air filters from cars in Fukushima prefecture and Tokyo are now common, and Gundersen says his sources are finding radioactive air filters in the greater Seattle area of the US as well.
The hot particles on them can eventually lead to cancer.
"These get stuck in your lungs or GI tract, and they are a constant irritant," he explained, "One cigarette doesn't get you, but over time they do. These [hot particles] can cause cancer, but you can't measure them with a Geiger counter. Clearly people in Fukushima prefecture have breathed in a large amount of these particles. Clearly the upper West Coast of the US has people being affected. That area got hit pretty heavy in April."
Blame the US?
In reaction to the Fukushima catastrophe, Germany is phasing out all of its nuclear reactors over the next decade. In a referendum vote this Monday, 95 per cent of Italians voted in favour of blocking a nuclear power revival in their country. A recent newspaper poll in Japan shows nearly three-quarters of respondents favour a phase-out of nuclear power in Japan.
Why have alarms not been sounded about radiation exposure in the US?
Nuclear operator Exelon Corporation has been among Barack Obama's biggest campaign donors, and is one of the largest employers in Illinois where Obama was senator. Exelon has donated more than $269,000 to his political campaigns, thus far. Obama also appointed Exelon CEO John Rowe to his Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future.
Dr Shoji Sawada is a theoretical particle physicist and Professor Emeritus at Nagoya University in Japan.
He is concerned about the types of nuclear plants in his country, and the fact that most of them are of US design.
"Most of the reactors in Japan were designed by US companies who did not care for the effects of earthquakes," Dr Sawada told Al Jazeera. "I think this problem applies to all nuclear power stations across Japan."
Using nuclear power to produce electricity in Japan is a product of the nuclear policy of the US, something Dr Sawada feels is also a large component of the problem.
"Most of the Japanese scientists at that time, the mid-1950s, considered that the technology of nuclear energy was under development or not established enough, and that it was too early to be put to practical use," he explained. "The Japan Scientists Council recommended the Japanese government not use this technology yet, but the government accepted to use enriched uranium to fuel nuclear power stations, and was thus subjected to US government policy."
As a 13-year-old, Dr Sawada experienced the US nuclear attack against Japan from his home, situated just 1400 metres from the hypocentre of the Hiroshima bomb.
"I think the Fukushima accident has caused the Japanese people to abandon the myth that nuclear power stations are safe," he said. "Now the opinions of the Japanese people have rapidly changed. Well beyond half the population believes Japan should move towards natural electricity."
A problem of infinite proportions
Dr Ramana expects the plant reactors and fuel cores to be cooled enough for a shutdown within two years.
"But it is going to take a very long time before the fuel can be removed from the reactor," he added. "Dealing with the cracking and compromised structure and dealing with radiation in the area will take several years, there's no question about that."
Dr Sawada is not as clear about how long a cold shutdown could take, and said the problem will be "the effects from caesium-137 that remains in the soil and the polluted water around the power station and underground. It will take a year, or more time, to deal with this".
Gundersen pointed out that the units are still leaking radiation.
"They are still emitting radioactive gases and an enormous amount of radioactive liquid," he said. "It will be at least a year before it stops boiling, and until it stops boiling, it's going to be cranking out radioactive steam and liquids."
Gundersen worries about more earthquake aftershocks, as well as how to cool two of the units.
"Unit four is the most dangerous, it could topple," he said. "After the earthquake in Sumatra there was an 8.6 [aftershock] about 90 days later, so we are not out of the woods yet. And you're at a point where, if that happens, there is no science for this, no one has ever imagined having hot nuclear fuel lying outside the fuel pool. They've not figured out how to cool units three and four."
Gundersen's assessment of solving this crisis is grim.
"Units one through three have nuclear waste on the floor, the melted core, that has plutonium in it, and that has to be removed from the environment for hundreds of thousands of years," he said. "Somehow, robotically, they will have to go in there and manage to put it in a container and store it for infinity, and that technology doesn't exist. Nobody knows how to pick up the molten core from the floor, there is no solution available now for picking that up from the floor."
Dr Sawada says that the creation of nuclear fission generates radioactive materials for which there is simply no knowledge informing us how to dispose of the radioactive waste safely.
"Until we know how to safely dispose of the radioactive materials generated by nuclear plants, we should postpone these activities so as not to cause further harm to future generations," he explained. "To do otherwise is simply an immoral act, and that is my belief, both as a scientist and as a survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bombing."
Gundersen believes it will take experts at least ten years to design and implement the plan.
"So ten to 15 years from now maybe we can say the reactors have been dismantled, and in the meantime you wind up contaminating the water," Gundersen said. "We are already seeing Strontium [at] 250 times the allowable limits in the water table at Fukushima. Contaminated water tables are incredibly difficult to clean. So I think we will have a contaminated aquifer in the area of the Fukushima site for a long, long time to come."
Unfortunately, the history of nuclear disasters appears to back Gundersen's assessment.
"With Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, and now with Fukushima, you can pinpoint the exact day and time they started," he said, "But they never end."


text:
Savannah: Azalea Inn Presents Personality, Rewarded by Select Registry
I mentioned that I really enjoyed the change of pace the Zeigler House B&B in Savannah offered - the ability to have breakfast in bed instead of going down to the dining room - but I want to make sure you understand that the comment wasn't a knock on the traditional style of a hot house breakfast - not in the least.
The idea of having an in-room breakfast is great for romantic getaways, as you can have your cake and eat it too: The character of a B&B without the pressure to be present for breakfast. Most innkeepers who offer a house meal are understanding, however I hate to even give the impression that I'm being rude, considering they've most likely been prepping in the kitchen since the early morning. You might want to stay in bed with your significant other all morning, yet etiquette would suggest getting your tail downstairs on time.
It's a concept that really hit home for me on this trip, definitely something to think about when planning your stay. I was excited about this new discovery after leaving the Zeigler House, thinking I had stumbled upon some sort of secret. The second stop on my swing was the more traditional Azalea Inn and Gardens, and it, of course, quickly revealed the other side of the coin, one of the other huge draws of small inns: Personality.
While you typically meet the innkeeper upon check in, breakfast is where the personal touch and connections go down. Breakfast in bed has its perks, but they don't have anything to do with anyone else (which some may prefer). To really get a feel for the vibe of an inn, you have to mingle with both the host and the other guests. Think of it as a crossroads, groups of travelers gathering around a single table to share their adventures.
Azalea Innkeeper Teresa Jacobson is a firecracker - very open and honest and down to earth in her personality. It's one of the things B&Bs boast that most larger hotels have to sacrifice - that one-on-one non-corporate interaction. It's nice to have that give and take with someone who is not only your host, but a real live local (as compared to only a smile from a shirt and tie behind a counter who may or may not give a hoot about their job).
It's not just me pumping up Teresa and her inn - many others have taken notice as well. The announcement was made today that Azalea was voted the #3 bed and breakfast in Savannah, according to the Readers' Choice Awards (there are 38 inns total in Savannah). A few months ago, Azalea was recognized as a "distinguished inn" and accepted into Select Registry - a collection of nearly 400 of the "finest country inns, B&Bs, and unique small hotels."
Teresa and I talked about the perception that young people (the millennials) have of bed and breakfasts, specifically that they might view them as accommodations for retirees. I get it, and I've experienced it: I'm always the youngest guest.
But we can change it - I don't see any reason why young professionals shouldn't be enticed by the idea of a unique room in an environment that's always changing. No two rooms are identical, and the vibe depends largely on your fellow house guests.
Look at hostels - young people like hostels - but is it only about price? Don't we love that social interaction? Feel free to write me or leave comments with your thoughts.
Since Teresa and I settled on the fact that price probably plays a large part, we have teamed up to offer a few gift certificates for the Azalea Inn and Gardens - a little motivation to get down to Savannah this spring.
I'll be serving them up via Facebook through a variety of contests over the next few weeks -be sure to like us and follow along.
Photos of the Azalea Inn and Gardens:


text:
What crazy weather we have been having the last month or so. The daily high temps could have been anywhere from 60 to 100! Now it seems the weather is shifting into the more normal fal pattern, and we sure could use it. I believe we are at the bottom of the medium drought cycle and on the recovery side of the long cycle, but who really knows these days. The weather models have been "adjusted" so many times lately I don't think anyone really has a handle on the changing patterns.
Besides all the weather stuff… I had posted about all of the seasonal movies in our que, promptly after making that post and settling in for some movie time, the TV let some of the magic out. It appears that it was just the internal power transformer but I have been playing hobb trying to get parts, so we ended up getting a new set so I can spend some more time on the repair. Best laid plans I suppose. I will post a follow up on the movie list later as well as a follow up on the TV progress.
BTW: When selecting a new TV, or any consumer electronics for that matter, make sure you buy a real name brand, Sony, Magnavox, Samsung, etc., someone who has a large product line and has been around for a while. Someone with a reputation to be concerned with and a supply chain that requires conformity. If you want to give an off-brand or small-house product a go, make sure you can get service documentation (schematics, diagrams, parts lists, troubleshooting tips) before you buy, and hang on to it. You or your repair person may need it.
Apex Digital is a crap manufacturer and documentation on their products is basically unavailable. Parts are also unavailable unless salvaged off of used boards, and even then are a crap-shoot. Within the same model I have found numerous incompatible parts changes, and no one can get component parts. Very few sources can even get board level replacements.
Moving along, I have been busy with woodworking projects for work. I have been wanting to build an built-in rent-drop for years. We started out with a basket on the wall inside the mail slot then progressed to putting a bookcase/cabinet in front of the slot with a hole cut out of the back and a basket on a shelf. After almost 20 years I finally got to destroy the bookcase/cabinets I hated build this built-in fixture. So far we are very happy with the results.
Along with the day-job stuff we have been working a some other projects that necessitated buying a few tools. Gee darn, I hate buying tools. The first two are a dapping block and a disc punch cutter. These have been on my list of jewelry tools for many years, I just never could justify them. With our current project list there are several items that need these tools. Some are jewelry related and some are for hardware and findings. Another tool I have been coveting for a very long time is a rolling mill. This one was a bit pricy but I found a deal for about a third of the usual cost. We both decided that was the Universe saying it's time to add this tool to the round up.
While I was at it I managed to make another tool I have been waiting on for no apparent reason, a jeweler's fork, or as it is more commonly known, a bench pin. I'm not sure why I waited so long to make one, but here it is.
After getting the tools in place I worked on a few test projects and was reasonably happy with the results. Two copper rings, one with an aircraft rivet, a copper button, and a practice go at a cross-peened leaf which is a component to something as of yet undecided.
I like working copper, particularly recovered/recycled copper. There is so much you can do with it. The leaf and solid ring were made from old copper pipe, the riveted one was made from some salvage electrical wire, and the button was made from some fourth-hand scrap copper sheet.
While in the groove I also "recovered" some tool steel from some old screwdrivers and annealed them so I can turn them into some jewelry tools before re-hardening and tempering them. Another simple tool build was a pack of sanding sticks.
The last thing on the list is my continued studies for my Commercial Radio Tech license. I passed on of the three a couple of weeks ago and plan on taking the big one next week. I will follow up with the third, which is for an endorsement, later on in the month.
That's it for now, until next time,


text:
On February 1, Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta described the William J. Griffith University Service Award as one of the University's two "most prestigious awards for student leadership and engagement." It was intended, declared Moneta, to "recognize the individuals whose influence and achievements have made a significant and positive impact on University life."
The Student Affairs website states that the Griffith Award goes to "a select number of graduating students whose contributions to the Duke and larger communities have significantly impacted University life. Students whose efforts demonstrate an understanding of the responsibilities of effective university, communal and global citizenship are eligible for this award."
Those who have followed the lacrosse case might recognize the names of two 2007 recipients: Chauncey Nartey and Shadee Malaklou.
Some people might consider sending an e-mail that prompted a Duke officer to file a harassment claim and being president of a fraternity suspended by its national overseers (Nartey) or publishing an op-ed in the local newspaper containing unsubstantiated, slanderous allegations against dozens of Duke students (Malaklou) to be disqualifying acts for an award that honors those who made a "significant and positive impact on University life" and understood the responsibilities of "effective university . . . citizenship."


text:
The profit & loss (P&L) statement is one of the three primary financial statements used to assess a company's performance and financial position (the two others being the balance sheet and the cash flow statement).
The profit & loss statement summarizes the revenues and expenses generated by the company over the entire reporting period. The profit & loss statement is also known as the income statement, statement of earnings, statement of operations, or statement of income.
The basic equation on which a profit & loss statement is based is Revenues – Expenses = Profit.
All companies need to generate revenue to stay in business. Revenues are used to pay expenses, interest payments on debt, and taxes owed to the government. After the costs of doing business are paid, the amount left over is called net income. Net income is theoretically available to shareholders, though instead of paying out dividends, the firm's management often chooses to retain earnings for future investment in the business.
Profit & loss statements are all organized the same way, regardless of industry. The basic outline is shown in the following example:
Profit & Loss Statement for Company XYZ, Inc.
Total Revenue $100,000
Cost of Goods Sold ($ 20,000)
Gross Profit $ 80,000
Operating Expenses
Salaries $10,000
Rent $10,000
Utilities $ 5,000
Depreciation $ 5,000
Total Operating Expenses ($ 30,000)
Operating Profit (EBIT) $ 50,000
Interest Expense ($ 10,000)
Income before taxes (EBT) $ 40,000
Taxes ($ 10,000)
Net Income $ 30,000
Number of Shares Outstanding 30,000
Earnings Per Share (EPS) $1.00
Anyone interested in active investing, picking stocks or investigating the financial health of a company must know how to read financial statements, including the profit & loss statement. The importance of the information contained in the profit & loss statement cannot be overemphasized. A firm's ability or inability to generate earnings over the long term is the key driver of stock and bondprices. Operating profit (EBIT) is the source of debt repayment, and if a company can't generate enough EBIT to pay its debt obligations, it will have to enter bankruptcy or sell itself. Net income is the source of compensation to shareholders (owners of the company), and if a company cannot generate enough profit to compensate owners for the risks they've taken, the value of the owners' shares will plummet. Conversely, if a company is healthy and growing, higher stock and bond prices will reflect the increased availability of profits.
Please note that earnings/net income/profits are not the same as cash or cash flow. It is possible for a firm to be profitable on the profit & loss statement, but not be generating cash flow, and vice versa. To see a company's cash flow, you will need to examine its statement of cash flows.


text:
The Original MakeUp Eraser
Erase all makeup with JUST WATER™ including waterproof. Our patented, water-activated, cloud-soft fibers gently & easily remove all makeup & sunscreen from pores. 2 in 1 benefit: one side erases makeup & one side exfoliates skin.
✓ Dermatologist Recommended
✓ SmartErase™ Technology
✓ Reusable & machine washable
✓ Great for everyday makeup
The Original MakeUp Eraser® is non-irritating and non-drying, making it perfect for sensitive skin. It's non-comedogenic, safe for lash extensions, & entirely oil-free for a fresh, comfortable experience.
© Disney
How to use
Wet with warm water. The warmer, the wetter, the better! Use gentle circular motions to erase makeup with the short fiber side. Flip to long fiber side (side with tag) to exfoliate the skin.
Machine wash hot & dry. Dryer sheet & fabric softener safe. Machine wash before first use.
What's Included?
Ultimate Princess Set includes 7 Daily Erasers, 5in x 4in.
Mickey & Friends Set includes 7 Daily Erasers, 5in x 4in. Laundry bag included.
Mickey & Minnie Set includes 7 Daily Erasers, 5in x 4in. Laundry bag included.
Size Chart
After 2 Week Clinical Study:
- 92% said skin felt more hydrated
- 77% saw improvement in skin texture
- 100% felt skin was cleaner after use
Clinically proven to remove makeup & sunscreen 2.5x better than the leading brand of makeup wipes
Cooling Clouds Undereye Patches
Regular price $20Regular priceUnit price / per -
PUFF Eraser: 2n1 Gua Sha
Regular price $15Regular priceUnit price / per -
Drip Eraser 3pc Spa Set
Regular price $18Regular priceUnit price / per -
THE PUFF 5pc Set
Regular price $10Regular priceUnit price / per$15Sale price $10Sale


text:
This decal is contoured cut vinyl with transfer tape on top. Available in many different colors and sizes for short or long term use. The dark gray background in not part of the sticker.
- Instructions & a Squeegee only if you total order is over $15.
Please note: This is a made to order custom graphic, it cannot be returned or exchanged.