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I have always believed as I have studied the scholarly literature on the Book of Abraham, that the papyri that Joseph worked with was a catalyst that opened the heavens, allowing him to see the events in Abraham's life and to "translate" them, or to make them known unto us. I believe that the process was similar to Joseph's translation of the Bible- when Joseph "translated" the Bible, he was using the text at his disposal and bringing to light things that were not in the text, adding inspired commentary, and deleting parts that were incorrect.
We see this type of translation in D&C 138, where Joseph F. Smith is permitted to view the Spirit World, where those that leave this life are engaged in a great work. In this revelation Joseph F. Smith relates, "I sat in my room pondering over the scriptures… reflecting upon the great atoning sacrifice that was made by the Son of God… while I was thus engaged… I saw the hosts of the dead, both small and great. And they were gathered together in one place an innumerable company of the spirits of the just who had been faithful in the testimony of Jesus…" (D&C 138:1-12)
In the following post on LDS.org, which has just been released, the authors acknowledge that the papyri that were brought to Joseph Smith may have been the catalyst by which the Book of Abraham was revealed (I have emphasized this portion of the article):
Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints embraces the book of Abraham as scripture. This book, a record of the biblical prophet and patriarch Abraham, recounts how Abraham sought the blessings of the priesthood, rejected the idolatry of his father, covenanted with Jehovah, married Sarai, moved to Canaan and Egypt, and received knowledge about the Creation. The book of Abraham largely follows the biblical narrative but adds important information regarding Abraham's life and teachings.
The book of Abraham was first published in 1842 and was canonized as part of the Pearl of Great Price in 1880. The book originated with Egyptian papyri that Joseph Smith translated beginning in 1835. Many people saw the papyri, but no eyewitness account of the translation survives, making it impossible to reconstruct the process. Only small fragments of the long papyrus scrolls once in Joseph Smith's possession exist today. The relationship between those fragments and the text we have today is largely a matter of conjecture.
We do know some things about the translation process. The word translation typically assumes an expert knowledge of multiple languages. Joseph Smith claimed no expertise in any language. He readily acknowledged that he was one of the "weak things of the world," called to speak words sent "from heaven."1 Speaking of the translation of the Book of Mormon, the Lord said, "You cannot write that which is sacred save it be given you from me."2 The same principle can be applied to the book of Abraham. The Lord did not require Joseph Smith to have knowledge of Egyptian. By the gift and power of God, Joseph received knowledge about the life and teachings of Abraham.
On many particulars, the book of Abraham is consistent with historical knowledge about the ancient world.3 Some of this knowledge, which is discussed later in this essay, had not yet been discovered or was not well known in 1842. But even this evidence of ancient origins, substantial though it may be, cannot prove the truthfulness of the book of Abraham any more than archaeological evidence can prove the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt or the Resurrection of the Son of God. The book of Abraham's status as scripture ultimately rests on faith in the saving truths found within the book itself as witnessed by the Holy Ghost.
The Book of Abraham as Scripture
Thousands of years ago, the prophet Nephi learned that one purpose of the Book of Mormon was to "establish the truth" of the Bible.4 In a similar way, the book of Abraham supports, expands, and clarifies the biblical account of Abraham's life.
In the biblical account, God covenants with Abraham to "make of thee a great nation."5 The book of Abraham provides context for that covenant by showing that Abraham was a seeker of "great knowledge" and a "follower of righteousness" who chose the right path in spite of great hardship. He rejected the wickedness of his father's household and spurned the idols of the surrounding culture, despite the threat of death.6
In the Bible, God's covenant with Abraham appears to begin during Abraham's life. According to the book of Abraham, the covenant began before the foundation of the earth and was passed down through Adam, Noah, and other prophets.7 Abraham thus takes his place in a long line of prophets and patriarchs whose mission is to preserve and extend God's covenant on earth. The heart of this covenant is the priesthood, through which "the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal" are conveyed.8
The book of Abraham clarifies several teachings that are obscure in the Bible. Life did not begin at birth, as is commonly believed. Prior to coming to earth, individuals existed as spirits. In a vision, Abraham saw that one of the spirits was "like unto God."9 This divine being, Jesus Christ, led other spirits in organizing the earth out of "materials" or preexisting matter, not ex nihilo or out of nothing, as many Christians later came to believe.10 Abraham further learned that mortal life was crucial to the plan of happiness God would provide for His children: "We will prove them herewith," God stated, "to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them," adding a promise to add glory forever upon the faithful.11 Nowhere in the Bible is the purpose and potential of earth life stated so clearly as in the book of Abraham.
Origin of the Book of Abraham
The powerful truths found in the book of Abraham emerged from a set of unique historical events. In the summer of 1835, an entrepreneur named Michael Chandler arrived at Church headquarters in Kirtland, Ohio, with four mummies and multiple scrolls of papyrus.12 Chandler found a ready audience. Due partly to the exploits of the French emperor Napoleon, the antiquities unearthed in the catacombs of Egypt had created a fascination across the Western world.13 Chandler capitalized on this interest by touring with ancient Egyptian artifacts and charging visitors a fee to see them.
These artifacts had been uncovered by Antonio Lebolo, a former cavalryman in the Italian army. Lebolo, who oversaw some of the excavations for the consul general of France, pulled 11 mummies from a tomb not far from the ancient city of Thebes. Lebolo shipped the artifacts to Italy, and after his death, they ended up in New York. At some point the mummies and scrolls came into Chandler's possession.14
By the time the collection arrived in Kirtland, all but four mummies and several papyrus scrolls had already been sold. A group of Latter-day Saints in Kirtland purchased the remaining artifacts for the Church. After Joseph Smith examined the papyri and commenced "the translation of some of the characters or hieroglyphics," his history recounts, "much to our joy [we] found that one of the rolls contained the writings of Abraham."15
Translation and the Book of Abraham
Joseph Smith worked on the translation of the book of Abraham during the summer and fall of 1835, by which time he completed at least the first chapter and part of the second chapter.16 His journal next speaks of translating the papyri in the spring of 1842, after the Saints had relocated to Nauvoo, Illinois. All five chapters of the book of Abraham, along with three illustrations (now known as facsimiles 1, 2, and 3), were published in the Times and Seasons, the Church's newspaper in Nauvoo, between March and May 1842.17
The book of Abraham was the last of Joseph Smith's translation efforts. In these inspired translations, Joseph Smith did not claim to know the ancient languages of the records he was translating. Much like the Book of Mormon, Joseph's translation of the book of Abraham was recorded in the language of the King James Bible. This was the idiom of scripture familiar to early Latter-day Saints, and its use was consistent with the Lord's pattern of revealing His truths "after the manner of their [His servants'] language, that they might come to understanding."18
Joseph's translations took a variety of forms. Some of his translations, like that of the Book of Mormon, utilized ancient documents in his possession. Other times, his translations were not based on any known physical records. Joseph's translation of portions of the Bible, for example, included restoration of original text, harmonization of contradictions within the Bible itself, and inspired commentary.19
Some evidence suggests that Joseph studied the characters on the Egyptian papyri and attempted to learn the Egyptian language. His history reports that, in July 1835, he was "continually engaged in translating an alphabet to the Book of Abraham, and arrangeing a grammar of the Egyptian language as practiced by the ancients."20 This "grammar," as it was called, consisted of columns of hieroglyphic characters followed by English translations recorded in a large notebook by Joseph's scribe, William W. Phelps. Another manuscript, written by Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, has Egyptian characters followed by explanations.21
The relationship of these documents to the book of Abraham is not fully understood. Neither the rules nor the translations in the grammar book correspond to those recognized by Egyptologists today. Whatever the role of the grammar book, it appears that Joseph Smith began translating portions of the book of Abraham almost immediately after the purchase of the papyri.22 Phelps apparently viewed Joseph Smith as uniquely capable of understanding the Egyptian characters: "As no one could translate these writings," he told his wife, "they were presented to President Smith. He soon knew what they were."23
The Papyri
After the Latter-day Saints left Nauvoo, the Egyptian artifacts remained behind. Joseph Smith's family sold the papyri and the mummies in 1856. The papyri were divided up and sold to various parties; historians believe that most were destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Ten papyrus fragments once in Joseph Smith's possession ended up in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.24 In 1967, the museum transferred these fragments to the Church, which subsequently published them in the Church's magazine, the Improvement Era.25
The discovery of the papyrus fragments renewed debate about Joseph Smith's translation. The fragments included one vignette, or illustration, that appears in the book of Abraham as facsimile 1. Long before the fragments were published by the Church, some Egyptologists had said that Joseph Smith's explanations of the various elements of these facsimiles did not match their own interpretations of these drawings. Joseph Smith had published the facsimiles as freestanding drawings, cut off from the hieroglyphs or hieratic characters that originally surrounded the vignettes. The discovery of the fragments meant that readers could now see the hieroglyphs and characters immediately surrounding the vignette that became facsimile 1.26
None of the characters on the papyrus fragments mentioned Abraham's name or any of the events recorded in the book of Abraham. Mormon and non-Mormon Egyptologists agree that the characters on the fragments do not match the translation given in the book of Abraham, though there is not unanimity, even among non-Mormon scholars, about the proper interpretation of the vignettes on these fragments.27 Scholars have identified the papyrus fragments as parts of standard funerary texts that were deposited with mummified bodies. These fragments date to between the third century B.C.E. and the first century C.E., long after Abraham lived.
Of course, the fragments do not have to be as old as Abraham for the book of Abraham and its illustrations to be authentic. Ancient records are often transmitted as copies or as copies of copies. The record of Abraham could have been edited or redacted by later writers much as the Book of Mormon prophet-historians Mormon and Moroni revised the writings of earlier peoples.28 Moreover, documents initially composed for one context can be repackaged for another context or purpose.29 Illustrations once connected with Abraham could have either drifted or been dislodged from their original context and reinterpreted hundreds of years later in terms of burial practices in a later period of Egyptian history. The opposite could also be true: illustrations with no clear connection to Abraham anciently could, by revelation, shed light on the life and teachings of this prophetic figure.
Some have assumed that the hieroglyphs adjacent to and surrounding facsimile 1 must be a source for the text of the book of Abraham. But this claim rests on the assumption that a vignette and its adjacent text must be associated in meaning. In fact, it was not uncommon for ancient Egyptian vignettes to be placed some distance from their associated commentary.30
Neither the Lord nor Joseph Smith explained the process of translation of the book of Abraham, but some insight can be gained from the Lord's instructions to Joseph regarding translation. In April 1829, Joseph received a revelation for Oliver Cowdery that taught that both intellectual work and revelation were essential to translating sacred records. It was necessary to "study it out in your mind" and then seek spiritual confirmation. Records indicate that Joseph and others studied the papyri and that close observers also believed that the translation came by revelation. As John Whitmer observed, "Joseph the Seer saw these Record[s] and by the revelation of Jesus Christ could translate these records."31
It is likely futile to assess Joseph's ability to translate papyri when we now have only a fraction of the papyri he had in his possession. Eyewitnesses spoke of "a long roll" or multiple "rolls" of papyrus.32 Since only fragments survive, it is likely that much of the papyri accessible to Joseph when he translated the book of Abraham is not among these fragments. The loss of a significant portion of the papyri means the relationship of the papyri to the published text cannot be settled conclusively by reference to the papyri.
Alternatively, Joseph's study of the papyri may have led to a revelation about key events and teachings in the life of Abraham, much as he had earlier received a revelation about the life of Moses while studying the Bible. This view assumes a broader definition of the words translator and translation.33 According to this view, Joseph's translation was not a literal rendering of the papyri as a conventional translation would be. Rather, the physical artifacts provided an occasion for meditation, reflection, and revelation. They catalyzed a process whereby God gave to Joseph Smith a revelation about the life of Abraham, even if that revelation did not directly correlate to the characters on the papyri.34
The Book of Abraham and the Ancient World
A careful study of the book of Abraham provides a better measure of the book's merits than any hypothesis that treats the text as a conventional translation. Evidence suggests that elements of the book of Abraham fit comfortably in the ancient world and supports the claim that the book of Abraham is an authentic record.
The book of Abraham speaks disapprovingly of human sacrifice offered on an altar in Chaldea. Some victims were placed on the altar as sacrifices because they rejected the idols worshipped by their leaders.35 Recent scholarship has found instances of such punishment dating to Abraham's time. People who challenged the standing religious order, either in Egypt or in the regions over which it had influence (such as Canaan), could and did suffer execution for their offenses.36 The conflict over the religion of Pharaoh, as described in Abraham 1:11–12, is an example of punishment now known to have been meted out during the Abrahamic era.
The book of Abraham contains other details that are consistent with modern discoveries about the ancient world. The book speaks of "the plain of Olishem," a name not mentioned in the Bible. An ancient inscription, not discovered and translated until the 20th century, mentions a town called "Ulisum," located in northwestern Syria.37 Further, Abraham 3:22–23 is written in a poetic structure more characteristic of Near Eastern languages than early American writing style.38
Joseph Smith's explanations of the facsimiles of the book of Abraham contain additional earmarks of the ancient world. Facsimile 1 and Abraham 1:17 mention the idolatrous god Elkenah. This deity is not mentioned in the Bible, yet modern scholars have identified it as being among the gods worshipped by ancient Mesopotamians.39 Joseph Smith represented the four figures in figure 6 of facsimile 2 as "this earth in its four quarters." A similar interpretation has been argued by scholars who study identical figures in other ancient Egyptian texts.40 Facsimile 1 contains a crocodile deity swimming in what Joseph Smith called "the firmament over our heads." This interpretation makes sense in light of scholarship that identifies Egyptian conceptions of heaven with "a heavenly ocean."41
The book of Abraham is consistent with various details found in nonbiblical stories about Abraham that circulated in the ancient world around the time the papyri were likely created. In the book of Abraham, God teaches Abraham about the sun, the moon, and the stars. "I show these things unto thee before ye go into Egypt," the Lord says, "that ye may declare all these words."42 Ancient texts repeatedly refer to Abraham instructing the Egyptians in knowledge of the heavens. For example, Eupolemus, who lived under Egyptian rule in the second century B.C.E., wrote that Abraham taught astronomy and other sciences to the Egyptian priests.43 A third-century papyrus from an Egyptian temple library connects Abraham with an illustration similar to facsimile 1 in the book of Abraham.44 A later Egyptian text, discovered in the 20th century, tells how the Pharaoh tried to sacrifice Abraham, only to be foiled when Abraham was delivered by an angel. Later, according to this text, Abraham taught members of the Pharaoh's court through astronomy.45 All these details are found in the book of Abraham.
Other details in the book of Abraham are found in ancient traditions located across the Near East. These include Terah, Abraham's father, being an idolator; a famine striking Abraham's homeland; Abraham's familiarity with Egyptian idols; and Abraham's being 62 years old when he left Haran, not 75 as the biblical account states. Some of these extrabiblical elements were available in apocryphal books or biblical commentaries in Joseph Smith's lifetime, but others were confined to nonbiblical traditions inaccessible or unknown to 19th-century Americans.46
The veracity and value of the book of Abraham cannot be settled by scholarly debate concerning the book's translation and historicity. The book's status as scripture lies in the eternal truths it teaches and the powerful spirit it conveys. The book of Abraham imparts profound truths about the nature of God, His relationship to us as His children, and the purpose of this mortal life. The truth of the book of Abraham is ultimately found through careful study of its teachings, sincere prayer, and the confirmation of the Spirit.
- Doctrine and Covenants 1:17, 19, 24.
- Doctrine and Covenants 9:9.
- See, for example, Daniel C. Peterson, "News from Antiquity," Ensign, Jan. 1994, and John Gee, "Research and Perspectives: Abraham in Ancient Egyptian Texts," Ensign, July 1992.
- 1 Nephi 13:40. See also Mormon 7:8–9.
- Genesis 12:2.
- Abraham 1:1–2, 5–12.
- Abraham 1:2–3, 19.
- Abraham 2:11. See also Doctrine and Covenants 84:19–21.
- Abraham 3:24.
- Abraham 3:24; 4:1, 12, 14–16.
- Abraham 3:25–26.
- Joseph Smith History, 1838–1856, vol. B-1, 596, available at josephsmithpapers.org.
- See S. J. Wolfe with Robert Singerman, Mummies in Nineteenth Century America: Ancient Egyptians as Artifacts (Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2009); and John T. Irwin, American Hieroglyphics: The Symbol of the Egyptian Hieroglyphics in the American Renaissance (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1980).
- The most extensive treatment of Lebolo and his excavations, though dated in some particulars, is H. Donl Peterson, The Story of the Book of Abraham: Mummies, Manuscripts, and Mormonism (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1995), 36–85. On the whereabouts of the mummies after they arrived in the United States, see Brian L. Smith interview by Philip R. Webb, "Mystery of the Mummies: An Update on the Joseph Smith Collection," Religious Studies Center Newsletter 20, no. 2 (2005): 1–5.
- Joseph Smith History, 1838–1856, vol. B-1, 596, available at josephsmithpapers.org.
- Brian M. Hauglid, A Textual History of the Book of Abraham: Manuscripts and Editions (Provo, UT: Maxwell Institute, 2010), 6, 84, 110.
- Joseph Smith, Journal, March 8–9, 1842, available at josephsmithpapers.org; "A Fac-Simile from the Book of Abraham" and "A Translation," Times and Seasons, Mar. 1, 1842, 703–6, available at josephsmithpapers.org; "The Book of Abraham," Times and Seasons, Mar. 15, 1842, 719–22, available at josephsmithpapers.org; and "A Fac-Simile from the Book of Abraham" and "Explanation of Cut on First Page," Times and Seasons, May 16, 1842, 783–84.
- Doctrine and Covenants 1:24.
- Robert J. Matthews, "A Plainer Translation": Joseph Smith's Translation of the Bible: A History and Commentary (Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press, 1985), 253. In Joseph Smith's day, the word translate could mean "to interpret; to render into another language." The word interpret could mean "to explain the meaning of words to a person who does not understand them," or "to explain or unfold the meaning of predictions, vision, dreams or enigmas; to expound and lay open what is concealed from the understanding." (Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language [New York: S. Converse, 1828], s.v. "Translate," "Interpret.")
- Joseph Smith History, 1838–1856, vol. B-1, 597, available at josephsmithpapers.org.
- Transcriptions and digital images of these manuscripts, known collectively as the "Kirtland Egyptian Papers," can be found at "Book of Abraham and Egyptian Material," josephsmithpapers.org.
- Joseph Smith History, 1838–1856, vol. B-1, 596, available at josephsmithpapers.org.
- W. W. Phelps to Sally Phelps, July 19–20, 1835, in Bruce A. Van Orden, "Writing to Zion: The William W. Phelps Kirtland Letters (1835–1836)," BYU Studies 33, no. 3 (1993): 555, available at byustudies.byu.edu.
- John Gee, A Guide to the Joseph Smith Papyri (Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2000), 2. The fragments are known to have been part of the papyri owned by the Church because they were mounted on paper with early Mormon records, which conforms to contemporary descriptions of the display of the papyri.
- Jay M. Todd, "New Light on Joseph Smith's Egyptian Papyri," Improvement Era, Feb. 1968, 40–41. Another fragment was located in the Church Historian's Office around the same time as the Metropolitan discovery, making 11 fragments in all.
- Michael D. Rhodes, "Why Doesn't the Translation of the Egyptian Papyri found in 1967 Match the Text of the Book of Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price?" Ensign, July 1988, 51–53.
- Kerry Muhlestein, "Egyptian Papyri and the Book of Abraham: A Faithful, Egyptological Point of View," and Brian M. Hauglid, "Thoughts on the Book of Abraham," both in No Weapon Shall Prosper: New Light on Sensitive Issues, ed. Robert L. Millet (Provo and Salt Lake City, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, and Deseret Book, 2011), 217–58. On the lack of unanimity among Egyptologists, see, for example, John Gee, "A Method for Studying the Facsimiles," FARMS Review 19, no. 1 (2007): 348–51; and Hugh Nibley, The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri: An Egyptian Endowment, 2d. ed. (Provo and Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book and Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2005), 51–53. For translation of and commentary on the fragments, see Michael D. Rhodes, Books of the Dead Belonging to Tschemmin and Neferirnub: A Translation and Commentary (Provo, UT: Maxwell Institute, 2010); Michael D. Rhodes, The Hor Book of Breathings: A Translation and Commentary (Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2002); and Nibley, Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri, 34–50.
- Joseph Smith, or perhaps an assistant at the Nauvoo print shop, introduced the published translation by saying that the records were "written by his [Abraham's] own hand, upon papyrus." The phrase can be understood to mean that Abraham is the author and not the literal copyist. Hugh Nibley and Michael Rhodes, One Eternal Round (Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, 2010), 20–22; Michael D. Rhodes, "Teaching the Book of Abraham Facsimiles," Religious Educator 4, no. 2 (2003): 117–18.
- Kevin L. Barney, "The Facsimiles and Semitic Adaptation of Existing Sources," in John Gee and Brian M. Hauglid, eds., Astronomy, Papyrus, and Covenant (Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2005), 107–30.
- Henk Milde, "Vignetten-Forschung," in Burkhard Backes and others, eds., Totenbuch-Forschungen (Wiesbaden, Germany: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2006), 221–31; Holger Kockelmann, Untersuchungen zu den späten Totenbuch-Handschriften auf Mumienbinden (Wiesbaden, Germany: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2008), 2:212–14; Valérie Angenot, "Discordance entre texte et image. Deux exemples de l'Ancien et du Nouvel Empires," GöttingerMiszellen 187 (2002): 11–21.
- John Whitmer, History, 1831–ca. 1837, 76, in Karen Lynn Davidson, Richard L. Jensen, and David J. Whittaker, eds., Histories, Volume 2: Assigned Historical Writings, 1831–1847, vol. 2 of the Histories series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman (Salt Lake City: Church Historian's Press, 2012), 86. "I have set by his side and penned down the translation of the Egyptian Hieroglyphicks as he claimed to receive it by direct inspiration of Heaven," wrote Warren Parrish, Joseph Smith's scribe. (Warren Parrish, Feb. 5, 1838, Letter to the editor, Painesville Republican, Feb. 15, 1838, [3].)
- Hauglid, Textual History of the Book of Abraham, 213–14, 222.
- "Joseph Smith as Translator," in Richard Lyman Bushman, Believing History: Latter-day Saint Essays, ed. Reid L. Neilson and Jed Woodworth (New York: Columbia University Press, 2004), 233–47; Nibley, Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri, 51–59. See also footnote 19.
- By analogy, the Bible seems to have been a frequent catalyst for Joseph Smith's revelations about God's dealings with His ancient covenant people. Joseph's study of the book of Genesis, for example, prompted revelations about the lives and teachings of Adam, Eve, Moses, and Enoch, found today in the book of Moses.
- Abraham 1:8, 10–11. Most scholars today locate "Chaldea" (or Ur) in southern Mesopotamia, removed from the area of Egyptian influence, but cogent arguments have been made for a northern location, within the realm of Egyptian influence. (Paul Y. Hoskisson, "Where Was Ur of the Chaldees?" in H. Donl Peterson and Charles D. Tate Jr., eds., The Pearl of Great Price: Revelations from God [Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center, 1989], 119–36; and Nibley, Abraham in Egypt, 84–85, 234–36.)
- Kerry Muhlestein, Violence in the Service of Order: The Religious Framework for Sanctioned Killing in Ancient Egypt (Oxford, U.K.: Archaeopress, 2001), 37–44, 92–101; Kerry Muhlestein, "Royal Executions: Evidence Bearing on the Subject of Sanctioned Killing in the Middle Kingdom," Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 51, no. 2 (2008): 181–208; Anthony Leahy, "Death by Fire in Ancient Egypt," Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 27, no. 2 (1984): 199–206; Harco Willems, "Crime, Cult and Capital Punishment (Mo'alla Inscription 8)," Journal of Egyptian Archeology 76 (1990): 27–54.
- Abraham 1:10; John Gee, "Has Olishem Been Discovered?", Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scriptures 22, no. 2 (2013): 104–7, available at maxwellinstitute.byu.edu.
- Julie M. Smith, "A Note on Chiasmus in Abraham 3:22–23," Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 8 (2014): 187–90, available at mormoninterpreter.com; Boyd F. Edwards and W. Farrell Edwards, "When Are Chiasms Admissible as Evidence?" BYU Studies 49, no. 4 (2010): 131–54, available at byustudies.byu.edu.
- Kevin L. Barney, "On Elkenah as Canaanite El," Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture 19, no. 1 (2010): 22–35, available at maxwellinstitute.byu.edu; John Gee and Stephen D. Ricks, "Historical Plausibility: The Historicity of the Book of Abraham as a Case Study," in Historicity and the Latter-day Saint Scriptures, ed. Paul Y. Hoskisson (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2001), 75.
- Martin J. Raven, "Egyptian Concepts of the Orientation of the Human Body," in Proceedings of the Ninth International Congress of Egyptologists (2007), 2:1569–70.
- Erik Hornung, "Himmelsvorstellungen," Lexikon der Ägyptologie, 7 vols. (Wiesbaden: Harrassowit, 1977–1989), 2:1216. For these and other examples, see Peterson, "News from Antiquity"; Hugh Nibley, An Approach to the Book of Abraham (Salt Lake City and Provo, UT: Deseret Book and Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2009), 115–78; Nibley and Rhodes, One Eternal Round, 236–45; John Gee, "A New Look at the Conception of the Human Being in Ancient Egypt," in "Being in Ancient Egypt": Thoughts on Agency, Materiality and Cognition, ed. Rune Nyord and Annette Kjølby (Oxford, U.K.: Archaeopress, 2009), 6–7, 12–13.
- Abraham 3:2–15.
- Excerpts from Eupolemus, in John A. Tvedtnes, Brian M. Hauglid, and John Gee, eds., Traditions about the Early Life of Abraham, Studies in the Book of Abraham, ed. John Gee, vol. 1 (Provo, UT: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2001), 8–9. For other references to Abraham teaching astronomy, see, for example, Tvedtnes, Hauglid, and Gee, Traditions about the Early Life of Abraham, 7, 35–43.
- Excerpts from P. Leiden I 384 (PGM XII), in Tvedtnes, Hauglid, and Gee, Traditions about the Early Life of Abraham, 501–2, 523.
- John Gee, "An Egyptian View of Abraham," in Andrew C. Skinner, D. Morgan Davis, and Carl Griffin, eds., Bountiful Harvest: Essays in Honor of S. Kent Brown (Provo, UT: Maxwell Institute, 2011), 137–56.
- See E. Douglas Clark, review of Michael E. Stone, Armenian Apocrypha Relating to Abraham (2012), in BYU Studies Quarterly 53:2 (2014): 173-79; Tvedtnes, Hauglid, and Gee, Traditions about the Early Life of Abraham; Hugh Nibley, Abraham in Egypt, 2nd ed. (Salt Lake City and Provo, UT: Deseret Book and Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2000), 1–73. Some of these extrabiblical elements were available to Joseph Smith through the books of Jasher and Josephus. Joseph Smith was aware of these books, but it is unknown whether he utilized them.
The Church acknowledges the contribution of scholars to the historical content presented in this article; their work is used with permission.
Kerry Muhlestein discusses the Book of Abraham in this video.


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The Junior National Cross Country Ski Championships at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont concluded today, with men's and women's 3X3 kilometer relay races. Winning teams consisted of:
FU16 Brooke Dunnagan, Anna Gibson, Leah Lange TEAM INTERMOUNTAIN
FU18 Zoe Snow, Katherine Ogden, Julia Kern TEAM NEW ENGLAND
FU20 Hannah Benson, Kelsey Phinney, Heidi Halverson TEAM NEW ENGLAND
MU16 Max Polito, Peter Wolter, Zach Williams TEAM INTERMOUNTAIN
MU18 John Farr, Joe Bue, Thomas O'Hara TEAM ALASKA
MU20 Jack Schrupp, Jack Hegman, Cole Morgan TEAM NEW ENGLAND
Vermont skier Katherine Ogden, from the Stratton Mountain School, racked up three wins, finishing first in both under 18 women's classic and freestyle races, then again as a member of the women's 3X3k relay team. Five other skiers recorded two wins each.
Bill Koch, the sole American to win an Olympic medal in cross country skiing, was on hand to present awards on this final day of competition.
Kristina von Trapp Frame, head of the Organizing Committee, expressed her gratitude to all: "This championship event lived up to all our expectations. All the races were great for the big crowds cheering their heroes on. And so many generous volunteers made this week run like clockwork. I can't begin to thank all the people who were a part of this wonderful experience for these deserving youngsters. We can't wait to see many of them in the next Olympic games.â€
The festivities will be crowned tonight, with the final leg of the "Junior Olympic Torch" and award banquet in Stowe.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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CURB APPEAL: 7.5 out of 10
LISTED BY: Harrison Grubbs, Summit Realty Company, 434-817-4040
Whether this week's house is one room wide or one room deep is a matter of perspective. The front door is on the broad side of the house, and when the owners added on to the two-over-two farmhouse, they maintained the same orientation. The addition has windows on opposite walls of each room, but it provides space for a brand-new kitchen and a master suite upstairs. Since almost every room has two (and in some cases, three) exterior walls, regularly placed windows provide plenty of natural light without energy worries: the owner asserts that new insulation added during the renovation prevents excessive heat loss.
From the porch, the front door opens onto a clean and uncluttered post-renovation dining room. A small living room lies to one side opposite stairs leading to the rest of the house. An exposed-beam ceiling in the living room is a nice decorative touch, and two square accent windows complement existing rectangular ones.
Down a short flight of stairs, the kitchen is all new in more ways than one: brand new appliances and oversized windows and a window behind the sink that's cantilevered outward to make a wide shelf and catch more sunlight. The granite countertops are also new, and we were happy to see a sensible amount of cabinet space included in the room's design. A modest half bath off the kitchen provides an elegantly understated area for washing up before meals.
The house has a full but unfinished basement with a washer and dryer as well as utilities. We're willing to overlook the irregularities in the poured concrete floor in an neighborhood notorious for crawlspaces.
The new master bedroom over the kitchen has matching his-and-hers closets with louvered doors and a cathedral ceiling that makes the space feel more open than the rest of the house. An unusual diamond-shaped accent window up high brightens the back wall while the windows in the opposing walls provide views to greenery beyond.
The opposing windows in the second upstairs bedroom catch both morning and afternoon sunlight, but the room has only a single louvered closet. The final bedroom has given some of its floor space to a cutout from the stairs, but it isn't a total loss, as the altered dimensions create a nook for a desk that makes the room ideal for an office.
The two upstairs bathrooms are comparable, but the one in the new master suite completely overshadows the original down the hall (with a fiberglass tub– will they never learn?) which feels narrow with small mosaic tiles and grout that may pose a challenge to homeowners who crave sparkling white floors. The new master bath, on the other hand, has ample counter space by the sink, a waterfall shower head, and a tiled shower stall large enough to accommodate an additional bench.
If new owners decide to add more rooms beyond the existing enlargements, they'll have plenty of space to do it. The property's five acres can accommodate a little expansion, although coming up with plans to fit the rolling contours of the parcel could pose a challenge. They may also run into problems matching the exterior finish of the original horizontal siding, which the current owners tried to work around by using vertical Hardiplank.
The old design with the new addition is an interesting study in alignment– the house has almost doubled in size without radically altering the original one-room-wide layout, kind of like the challenge of rearranging coins in a limited number of moves.
Each week, a brave local seller invites the Hook to provide an impartial, warts-and-all look at their real estate listing. E-mail yours today!


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Both Floors
Electric Feel Dance Party!
DJ Ilan, DJ Jordan
Sat · March 30, 2019
11:00 pmBowery Electric
Off Sale
This event is 21 and overhttps://www.theboweryelectric.com/event/1801328/
Electric Feel Dance Party!
Weekend dance party featuring all top 40 hits - today and yester year. 5 bars, 2 floors. One of NY's long running weekend dance parties. The party begins at 10pm and rocks til 4am. The music encompasses your favorite party and sing along rock and pop tunes, both classic and contemporary hits. Get ready to go all night long! Call for reservations 327-586-7247.
DJ Ilan
Multi Genre / Open Format DJ - including 50/60's RockNroLL, 70's, Funk, Disco, Punk, 80's and 90's Hits and Misses, Hip Pop and Old School Rap, Current and Past Top 40, Electro and House.
DJ Jordan
Venue Information:
Bowery Electric
327 Bowery
New York, NY, 10003
Bowery Electric
327 Bowery
New York, NY, 10003


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eezeride offers you an innovative way to book professional, consistent and reliable ground transportation, via website or your smartphone, around the clock at transparent and competitive rates significantly below traditional limousine and chauffeur services. Top Transfer does not provide its own vehicles but rather aggregates the spare capacities of local partners.
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Helping your ecommerce site using blogsPosted by Mark White, Blog Consultant in Blogging for Small Businesses , Business Uses , Marketing with Blogs , Product Blogs
I guess that I consider myself to be a relatively typical shopper, albeit probably a little bit more comfortable online than most. My own tendency, particularly when Im buying anything out of the ordinary, is to turn to the internet to first check out and research whats available and then to compare pricing.
It seems that I am not unusual in this. A recent survey carried out by Nielsen online (followed up by this post by Nielsen's Ken Cassar) and reported by eMarketer, has added additional credence to the idea that whether we ultimately buy online or in the shops, we (as consumers) routinely carry out research online before we do so. Indeed, 8 out of 10 respondents who had purchased a product in store said they had visited the store's website first.
Perhaps even more telling is that the survey, which focused on consumer electronics purchases, reported that more than half said they ultimately bought from the retailer on whose website they had spent the most time.
What does this tell us? Well, clearly that we, as consumers, are becoming more and more web savvy which is re-assuring. But from an online retailers perspective, it also shows us that the stickiness of our site is going to be a crucial factor in not only keeping shoppers there but encouraging them to buy. This is going to be the case whether we are running a small online store with a few items or a full ecommerce setup.
Enter blogs. I feel a full post on the subject of blogs and online retail or ecommerce is in order, but for now Ill restrict myself to a few key benefits of getting a blog on your site alongside your online store.
- More Information: the more information you give about your product or service (not just description but also how people have used it etc.), the more confident your readers are likely to be that it is right for them and the more comfortable they'll feel about purchasing it. Just as critical, as the survey shows, the longer they stay on your site the more likely it is they will buy from you;
- Answer their Questions: giving people the opportunity to ask questions and re-assure themselves that their choice is correct will help develop trust not only in the product but also in you as the vendor;
- Customer Reviews: the importance we place in other peoples experiences and feedback with products has been proven time and time again. Using a blogs ability for people to leave their own comments will allow you to use the same techniques to improve your own sales that sites like Amazon, ebay and Hotels.com rely on;
- Search Engine Ranking: you'll always want your products to be as visible as possible. Giving the Search Engines more to get their proverbial teeth into with a specific post about an individual product (linked back to its page in your online shop) will give you a search engine friendly page you can optimise for it and so the chance to appear more highly;
- Distribution: whether you have new products, special offers or just extra information on products, remember that a blog also distributes this information automatically through RSS and pinging, so it gives a proactive as well as passive side to your marketing.
Whether you employ just one aspect that a blog can offer or you build it in as an integral part of your online store will largely depend on time and resources, I guess. However, do remember to think outside of the standard blog format and try to use the functionality in specific business ways, such as incorporating customer reviews. That's when blogs can really start to work for you.


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The second phase of free agency -- the bargain phase -- is here. The great majority of our initial Top 85 overall free agents heading into free agency have signed, but plenty of good players still are out there.
The remaining players are unsigned for a variety of reasons. Many of them want too much money and priced themselves out of a quick offer. Some have injury questions. This is the part of free agency where great general managers earn their money. Here are our top players remaining, with a look at where they might land:
Potential difference-makers
1. Brandon Moore, G: He can start 16 games at a cheap price.
Starters with questions
2. Ahmad Bradshaw, RB: Teams might wait until Bradshaw is fully healthy this offseason to sign him.
3. Dwight Freeney, DE: The New England Patriots could have signed him in an Adam Vinatieri-in-reverse type of move. The Denver Broncos were interested as well.
4. Richard Seymour, DL: He wants big money and could wait out teams looking for an injury replacement in camp.
5. Eric Winston, OT: Rumored to be in talks with the Dolphins.
Role players
6. Israel Idonije, DE: He doesn't fit in every system, but he should make a nice third DE for some team.
7. Beanie Wells, RB: The Pittsburgh Steelers checked out Wells' knee. There are big health concerns here.
8. Daryl Smith, LB: Teams don't pay linebackers over 30 who don't rush the passer.
9. John Abraham, DE: He was battling Freeney for a potential job with the Broncos, then the Patriots were interested; now things have cooled.
10. Brandon Lloyd, WR: There's a solid chance he'll return to the Patriots because he won't have a huge market.
11. Sedrick Ellis, DT: I'm surprised some coach out there doesn't think he can turn around Ellis' career.
Best of the rest: Michael Turner, RB; Kerry Rhodes, S; Nick Barnett, LB; Peyton Hillis, RB; Michael Boley, LB; Takeo Spikes, LB; Cedric Benson, RB.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.


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Assessment |
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Statistics: Scientific method · Research methods · Experimental design · Undergraduate statistics courses · Statistical tests · Game theory · Decision theory
In statistics, the kth order statistic of a statistical sample is equal its kth-smallest value. Together with rank statistics, order statistics are among the most fundamental tools in non-parametric statistics and inference.
Important special cases of the order statistics are the minimum and maximum value of a sample, and (with some qualifications discussed below) the sample median and other sample quantiles.
When using probability theory to analyse order statistics of random samples from a continuous distribution, the cumulative distribution function is used to reduce the analysis to the case of order statistics of the uniform distribution.
Notation and examples Edit
For example, suppose that four numbers are observed or recorded, resulting in a sample of size $ n=4 $. if the sample values are
- 6, 9, 3, 8,
they will usually be denoted
- $ x_1=6;\ \ x_2=9;\ \ x_3=3;\ \ x_4=8\, $
where the subscript i in $ x_i $ indicates simply the order in which the observations were recorded and is usually assumed not to be significant. A case when the order is significant is when the observations are part of a time series.
The order statistics would be denoted
- $ x_{(1)}=3;\ \ x_{(2)}=6;\ \ x_{(3)}=8;\ \ x_{(4)}=9\, $
where the subscript (i) enclosed in parentheses indicates the ith order statistic of the sample.
The first order statistic (or smallest order statistic) is always the minimum of the sample, that is,
- $ X_{(1)}=\min\{\,X_1,\ldots,X_n\,\} $
where, following a common convention, we use upper-case letters to refer to random variables, and lower-case letters (as above) to refer to their actual observed values.
Similarly, for a sample of size n, the nth order statistic (or largest order statistic) is the maximum, that is,
- $ X_{(n)}=\max\{\,X_1,\ldots,X_n\,\}. $
The sample range is the difference between the maximum and minimum. It is clearly a function of the order statistics:
- $ {\rm Range}\{\,X_1,\ldots,X_n\,\} = X_{(n)}-X_{(1)}. $
A similar important statistic in exploratory data analysis that is simply related to the order statistics is the sample interquartile range.
The sample median may or may not be an order statistic, since there is a single middle value only when the number $ n $ of observations is odd. More precisely, if $ n=2m+1 $ for some $ m $, then the sample median is $ X_{(m+1)} $ and so is an order statistic. On the other hand, when $ n $ is even, $ n=2m $ and there are two middle values, $ X_{(m)} $ and $ X_{(m+1)} $, and the sample median is some function of the two (usually the average) and hence not an order statistic. Similar remarks apply to all sample quantiles.
Probabilistic analysis Edit
We will assume that the random variables under consideration are continuous and, where convenient we will also assume that they have a density (that is, they are absolutely continuous). The peculiarities of the analysis of distributions assigning mass to points (in particular, discrete distributions) are discussed at the end.
Distribution of each order statistic of an absolutely continuous distribution Edit
Let $ X_{1}, X_{2}, \ldots, X_{n} $ be iid absolutely continuously distributed random variables, and $ X_{(1)}, X_{(2)}, \ldots, X_{(n)} $ be the corresponding order statistics. Let $ f(x) $ be the probability density function and $ F(x) $ be the cumulative distribution function of $ X_{i} $. Then the probability density of the kth statistic can be found as follows.
- $ f_{X_{(k)}}(x)={d \over dx} F_{X_{(k)}}(x) ={d \over dx}P\left(X_{(k)}\leq x\right)={d \over dx}P(\mathrm{at}\ \mathrm{least}\ k\ \mathrm{of}\ \mathrm{the}\ n\ X\mathrm{s}\ \mathrm{are}\leq x) $
- $ ={d \over dx}P(\geq k\ \mathrm{successes}\ \mathrm{in}\ n\ \mathrm{trials})={d \over dx}\sum_{j=k}^n{n \choose j}P(X_1\leq x)^j(1-P(X_1\leq x))^{n-j} $
- $ ={d \over dx}\sum_{j=k}^n{n \choose j} F(x)^j (1-F(x))^{n-j} $
- $ =\sum_{j=k}^n{n \choose j} \left(jF(x)^{j-1}f(x)(1-F(x))^{n-j} +F(x)^j (n-j)(1-F(x))^{n-j-1}(-f(x))\right) $
- $ =\sum_{j=k}^n\left(n{n-1 \choose j-1}F(x)^{j-1}(1-F(x))^{n-j} - n{n-1 \choose j} F(x)^j(1-F(x))^{n-j-1} \right)f(x) $
- $ =nf(x)\left(\sum_{j=k-1}^{n-1} {n-1 \choose j} F(x)^j (1-F(x))^{(n-1)-j} - \sum_{j=k}^n {n-1 \choose j} F(x)^j (1-F(x))^{(n-1)-j}\right) $
and the sum above telescopes, so that all terms cancel except the first and the last:
- $ =nf(x)\left({n-1 \choose k-1} F(x)^{k-1} (1-F(x))^{(n-1)-(k-1)} - \underbrace{{n-1 \choose n} F(x)^n (1-F(x))^{(n-1)-n}}\right) $
and the term over the underbrace is zero, so:
- $ =nf(x){n-1 \choose k-1} F(x)^{k-1} (1-F(x))^{(n-1)-(k-1)} $
- $ ={n! \over (k-1)!(n-k)!} F(x)^{k-1} (1-F(x))^{n-k} f(x). $
Probability distributions of order statistics Edit
In this section we show that the order statistics of the uniform distribution on the unit interval have marginal distributions belonging to the Beta family. We also give a simple method to derive the joint distribution of any number of order statistics, and finally translate these results to arbitrary continuous distributions using the cdf.
We assume throughout this section that $ X_{1}, X_{2}, \ldots, X_{n} $ is a random sample drawn from a continuous distribution with cdf $ F_X $. Denoting $ U_i=F_X(X_i) $ we obtain the corresponding random sample $ U_1,\ldots,U_n $ from the standard uniform distribution. Note that the order statistics also satisfy $ U_{(i)}=F_X(X_{(i)}) $.
The order statistics of the uniform distribution Edit
The probability of the order statistic $ U_{(k)} $ falling in the interval $ [u,u+du] $ is equal to
- $ {n!\over (k-1)!(n-k)!}u^{k-1}(1-u)^{n-k}du+O(du^2), $
that is, the kth order statistic of the uniform distribution is a Beta random variable.
- $ U_{(k)} \sim B(k,n+1-k). $
The proof of these statements is as follows. In order for $ U_{(k)} $ to be between u and u+du, it is necessary that exactly k-1 elements of the sample are smaller than u, and that at least one is between u and u+du. The probability that more than one is in this latter interval is already $ O(du^2) $, so we have to calculate the probability that exactly k-1, 1 and n-k observations fall in the intervals $ (0,u) $, $ (u,u+du) $ and $ (u+du,1) $ respectively. This equals (refer to multinomial distribution for details)
- $ {n!\over (k-1)!1!(n-k)!}u^k\cdot du\cdot(1-u-du)^{n-k} $
and the result follows.
Joint distributions Edit
Similarly, for i < j, the joint probability density function of the two order statistics Ui < Uj can be shown to be
- $ f_{U_{(i)},U_{(j)}}(u,v)du\,dv= n!{u^{i-1}\over (i-1)!}{(v-u)^{j-i-1}\over(j-i-1)!}{(1-v)^{n-j}\over (n-j)!}\,du\,dv $
which is (up to terms of higher order than $ O(du\,dv) $) the probability that i − 1, 1, j − 1 − i, 1 and n − j sample elements fall in the intervals $ (0,u) $, $ (u,u+du) $, $ (u+du,v) $, $ (v,v+dv) $, $ (v+dv,1) $ respectively.
One reasons in an entirely analogous way to derive the higher-order joint distributions. Perhaps surprisingly, the joint density of the n order statistics turns out to be constant:
- $ f_{U_{(1)},U_{(2)},\ldots,U_{(n)}}(u_{1},u_{2},\ldots,u_{n})\,du_1\,\cdots\,du_n = n! \, du_1\cdots du_n. $
One way to understand this is that the unordered sample does have constant density equal to 1, and that there are n! different permutations of the sample corresponding to the same sequence of order statistics. This is related to the fact that 1/n! is the volume of the region $ 0<u_1<\cdots<u_n<1 $.
Application: confidence intervals for quantiles Edit
An interesting question is how well the order statistics perform as estimators of the quantiles of the underlying distribution.
Estimating the median Edit
The simplest case to consider is how well the sample median estimates the population median.
A small-sample-size example Edit
As an example, consider a random sample of size 6. In that case, the sample median is usually defined as the midpoint of the interval delimited by the 3rd and 4th order statistics. However, we know from the preceding discussion that the probability that this interval actually contains the population median is
- $ {6\choose 3}2^{-6} = {5\over 16} \approx 31\% $
Although the sample median is probably among the best distribution-independent point estimates of the population median, what this example illustrates is that it is not a particularly good one in absolute terms. In this particular case, a better confidence interval for the median is the one delimited by the 2nd and 5th order statistics, which contains the population median with probability
- $ \left[{6\choose 2}+{6\choose 3}+{6\choose 4}\right]2^{-6} = {25\over 32} \approx 78\% $
With such a small sample size, if one wants at least 95% confidence, one is reduced to saying that the median is between the minimum and the maximum of the 6 observations with probability 31/32 or approximately 97%. Size 6 is, in fact, the smallest sample size such that the interval determined by the minimum and the maximum is at least a 95% confidence interval for the population median.
If the distribution is known to be symmetric and have finite variance (as is the case for the normal distribution) the population mean equals the median, and the sample mean has much better confidence intervals than the sample median. This is an illustration of the relative weakness of distribution-free statistical methods. On the other hand, using methods tailored to the wrong distribution can lead to large systematic errors in estimation.
Large sample sizes Edit
Estimating quantiles Edit
Dealing with discrete variables Edit
Computing order statistics Edit
- Main article: Selection algorithm
The problem of computing the kth smallest (or largest) element of a list is called the selection problem and is solved by a selection algorithm. Although this problem is difficult for very large lists, sophisticated selection algorithms have been created that can solve this problem in time proportional to the number of elements in the list, even if the list is totally unordered. If the data is stored in certain specialized data structures, this time can be brought down to O(log n); in other words, time proportional to the number of digits in the list's length.
See alsoEdit
External linksEdit
- PlanetMath: order statistics Retrieved Feb 02,2005
- Eric W. Weisstein. "Order Statistic." From MathWorld--A Wolfram Web Resource. MathWorld Order Statistic Retrieved Feb 02,2005
- Dr. Susan Holmes Order Statistics Retrieved Feb 02,2005
|This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors).


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If your resume says you're "creative," "organizational," "effective," "motivated" and have "extensive experience," you need to fire up your computer and start rewriting because those are the top five most overused buzzwords used on LinkedIn in the United States.
In fact, "creative" was the most overused buzzword for the second consecutive year, meaning most people still aren't being creative enough, according to LinkedIn's annual study of the most overused words and phrases used by the 187 million members of the professional social network.
Why is this important? Well, those buzzwords could be a buzz kill for corporate recruiters who are increasingly scouring LinkedIn for new talent.
"If you want opportunity to come knocking, you've got to make your LinkedIn profile stand out from the pack," said LinkedIn career expert Nicole Williams says in a blog. "Millions of professionals say they're 'creative,' so set yourself apart by describing and linking to projects you've worked on that truly were different, unique and compelling."
"Extensive experience" has at least dropped from its number one spot two years ago.
Rounding out the top ten are "track record," "innovative," "responsible," "analytical" and "problem solving."
The top buzzwords and phrases change by country: It's "multinational" in Egypt and Indonesia, "motivated" in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom, "responsible" in France and Italy, "effective" in India, "specialized" in Spain and "analytical" in Switzerland.
What should you do to avoid a buzzword blitz? According to Williams, you should:
– Check out the profiles of others in your ZIP code with the same job title. "We're often harsher critics of other people's profiles than we are of our own. By looking at your peers' LinkedIn Profiles, you'll get a better sense of what you like and don't like about each of them."
– Get your network of connections to endorse your specific job skills. "You can add up to 50 relevant skills and areas of expertise (like ballet, iPhone and global business development) to your profile."
– Be, ahem, creative, and write a catchy headline for your profile, which "is one of the first things people see in LinkedIn search results. By default, your professional headline is based on the title you entered for your most recent position, but you can edit it … You want to draw people in and entice them (whether they are potential hiring managers, business partners or clients), so they click through to read the whole story."


text: Just for everyone's information, it seems that CAPE-1 is trailing approximately 3 minutes behind object #31126 according to a few reports just now. Thanks to all who are tracking and sending in reports, especially G0MRF, DK3WN, PE1ITR, JE9PEL and any others. Jonathan Wagner Jonathan Wagner wrote: > Hi all, > > We are trying to gather a full snapshot of 3 CW beacons from CAPE-1 to > get an idea of the health of the satellite. Part of the problem is that > we don't know exactly where CAPE-1 is located. TLE's are available on > W0RPK's website http://showcase.netins.net/web/wallio/CubeSat.htm about > half-way down. We managed to hear a weak signal starting about 435.254 > MHz and ending around 435.237 MHz tracking object #31126. We've > obtained some information that CAPE may actually be a little behind this > one even, but we're not sure. > > The satellite is transmitting CW and 9600 baud G3RUH, but currently we > are primarily interested in the SSB CW. Also, if you have the > capability any recordings are more than welcome. Recordings can be sent > to jonathan at jonathanwagner.net If the recording is too large, send me > an email and we'll figure out how to get it across. The CW beacon we > are looking for the most is the beacon 1 which gives us an idea of > battery health. The telemetry format is available at > http://ulcape.org/wiki/CAPE1_Telemetry There are a few audio examples > at DTUsat's webpage http://www.dtusat.dtu.dk/index.php?id=94 The second > file labeled Unknown.wav is what the G3RUH data sounds like in SSB mode > and has been confused as the letter N. After that signal ends, the next > CW beacon is about 10-20 seconds away. > > The satellite is transmitting at 435.245 +/- doppler. Any help would be > greatly appreciated. Again any recordings or decoded telemetry can be > sent to me at jonathan at jonathanwagner.net > >


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INdT and Maemo and OpenEmbedded04 Feb 2009 05:17 am
It is coming…
I've already posted last year's video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHM8cUoxmio
I don't think that you wanna miss it this year.
As always, it will be an amazing conference with great people presenting their projects in a paradisaical place. Besides you will have the oportunity to talk and share experience with great minds
Btw the programme is out: http://www.bossaconference.indt.org/programme
Enjoy it!


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Are you in the market for a new vehicle in the Greenville area? At Lakeland Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, our customers have their pick from large selection of vehicle types, sizes, and models, to choose from! Whether you're in the market for a new SUV like the 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee or a truck with some extra cargo space, like the RAM 1500, we have the right vehicle for you at our Greenville, PA dealership. Once you've found a car that matches your driving needs, contact us to schedule a test drive!
Of course now that you've gotten a chance to know which vehicle is right for you, making sure you drive home in it is our top priority. That's where our finance team steps in, ready to help you sort out all the details when it comes to financing your vehicle. Let our car loan and Chrysler Dodge RAM Jeep lease specialists find you the best rates available on a car loan, no matter what your credit history may be. We've been helping drivers from the Meadville, PA area get the auto financing that works for them, and we can help you too!
* MSRP is the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of the vehicle. It does not include any taxes, fees or other charges. Pricing and availability may vary based on a variety of factors, including options, dealer, specials, fees, and financing qualifications. Consult your dealer for actual price and complete details. Vehicles shown may have optional equipment at additional cost.
* The estimated selling price that appears after calculating dealer offers is for informational purposes, only. You may not qualify for the offers, incentives, discounts, or financing. Offers, incentives, discounts, or financing are subject to expiration and other restrictions. See dealer for qualifications and complete details.
* Images, prices, and options shown, including vehicle color, trim, options, pricing and other specifications are subject to availability, incentive offerings, current pricing and credit worthiness.
* In transit means that vehicles have been built, but have not yet arrived at your dealer. Images shown may not necessarily represent identical vehicles in transit to your dealership. See your dealer for actual price, payments and complete details.


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HTC Desire X
Read help info
A contact can be saved on a number key and dialled by pressing and holding the key it's saved on. Follow these instructions to make a call using speed dialling.
Before you can make a call using speed dialling, the contact must be saved on a key. Click here for information on how to save a contact on a speed dialling key.
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Seen your credit-card statement lately? The prime rate, which credit-card rates are supposed to track, is at 3.25 percent, its lowest level since 1955. But the interest charged by the average credit-card company is already more than 13 percent – and rising.
That's the largest gap in more than six years (see chart) and a measure of the impact that the recent recession has had on lenders. More important, it's an indication of how the options have narrowed for borrowers, especially for those who carry a balance on their card month to month.
For some of those borrowers, the new environment can be a shock.
When the interest rate on his Discover card shot up four percentage points a few months ago – to just over 17 percent – Kyle Schroeder called to ask for a lower rate, as he'd successfully done in the past. This time, Discover wouldn't play ball. Nor would American Express agree to raise the limit on a card he has with them.
Mr. Schroeder, an entrepreneur who manufactures and sells shaving cream in Los Angeles, is usually in a position to pay his balance in full, but he will calculate which of his four cards would be best to use if he has to make a large business purchase. After his experience with Discover, he paid off the balance and stopped using the card.
This is the new norm for many consumers. With credit markets still tight, many credit issuers feel less pressure to negotiate to keep current customers.
Mel White, a marketing executive based in Portland, Ore., couldn't get Capital One to lower the rate on a card he's had with them since 1999, currently at 15.9 percent. Instead, they offered him an interest-free cash advance for the amount he's currently carrying on his card for one year and a $150 fee.
Consider a balance transfer carefully
Transferring balances to cards with lower rates is one solution, provided the transfer fees don't cancel out the interest savings. Consumers can also try paying down their debt and asking for a lower rate again. But credit-card companies might cut limits if consumers make large payments toward their balance, cautions Robert Manning, author of "Credit Card Nation" and founder of the Responsible Debt Relief Institute, a nonprofit based in Rochester, N.Y., that helps individuals and financial institutions assess consumer debt.
Instead, he advises paying in smaller increments – $500 to $1,000 at a time. Even then, most credit-card companies won't consider negotiating until you're two payments late, he says. "Unfortunately, the only way [for consumers] to express their unhappiness is to not pay their bills." Nonpayment can lower credit scores, which can make job searches or mortgage applications tougher.
Those with good credit still have several options: a home loan or home equity line of credit, for example. Credit unions also offer credit cards, whose interest rates are capped by the federal government at 18 percent. Some consumers can still get rates below 10 percent.
Few options for weak borrowers now
But weaker borrowers have far more limited options. They're unlikely to qualify for new cards or loans. Based on the severity of their financial situation, they can try negotiating a payment plan with the credit-card company through a registered nonprofit credit counselor or, if things are really bad, file for bankruptcy.
The key is determining whether indebted consumers can afford their payments. If they can, a payment plan is a good option. If they can't, it's better for consumers not to exhaust their limited financial reserves trying to make payments on debts they'll ultimately have to default on, says Mr. Manning.
Credit-card reforms have changed the rules for credit issuers. The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act, which President Obama signed into law in May 2009, introduced new restrictions on credit-card fees and penalties, such as over-limit fees (unless the consumer opts into an over-limit program) and retroactive interest rate increases.
Those reforms were designed to protect consumers. But reform stopped short of capping what credit-card companies can charge in interest. That means that rate increases are companies' primary way to recoup earlier losses and to make up for lost revenues from industry practices now banned by federal law.
The consumers most affected by the higher rates are those who carry a balance from month to month, meaning less-well-off borrowers.
"[Credit issuers] don't know the difference between squeezing [consumers] hard to raise revenues ... and pushing them into bankruptcy," says Manning. With fewer borrowers making payments, there will be less income for issuers, leading to higher interest rates and even more nonpayments – a lose-lose cycle that won't relent until consumers and lenders better understand their debt.
Debit card fees: Senate votes for limits, seeking to aid consumers
New credit-card rules: How do they affect you?


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HILLSVILLE –– Kendall Haynes blew away the competition and led Carroll County to the team win in a Southwest District cross country meet Wednesday at the Carroll County Recreation Park.
Haynes' winning time of 19 minutes, 16 seconds was more than a minute ahead of runner-up David Ratliff of Grundy and nearly three minutes quicker than the third-place time of Zachary Burnett of Richlands.
Strong finishes by Kenneth Horton and Logan Utt helped the Cavaliers breeze to the team win with 21 points. Richlands was second with 58 points and Graham placed third with 58. Tazewell and Grundy did not field complete teams, while Abingdon and Marion did not compete.
Horton finished fifth overall with a time of 22:03, four seconds ahead of Utt, who placed sixth.
Benny Bolen, Hunter Blessing and Austin Puckett placed 12th through 14th, respectively.
The Cavaliers didn't field a complete team in the girls' varsity race, won by Katelyn Christian of Grundy in 23:49. Elise Zyvlosky was third for Carroll County in 25:02, Lindsey Brumfield finished sixth and Beth Proffit placed 14th.
Grundy claimed five of the top six individual scoring places and finished with 19 points, ahead of Richlands (55) and Graham (56).
Galax def. Floyd: The Maroon Tide bounced back from a first-game loss and knocked of Floyd County 20-25, 25-15, 25-13, 25-20 in a nondistrict match Wednesday in Floyd.
Down a game, Galax (2-1) opened the second set with a 5-0 run on the serve of Kaitlin Porter and gradually pulled away. Porter served for points 20 through 24 to tie the match at a game apiece.
Galax bolted to a 15-3 lead in the second as Bailey Shumate served for eight straight points, but the Tide trailed early in the third, down 11-6. Galax battled back into a 19-19 tie and pulled away to secure the match.
"We played well in spurts," Galax coach Rose Houk said. "We've got to get past these stretches of not moving, but we're proud of the girls for fighting back in the fourth game."
Allison White put away 17 kills to go with five blocks and four digs. Shumate had eight kills, 10 assists, six digs and 15 serving points, and Harley Brewer added six kills. Kelsey Reedy led Galax with 13 digs, and Porter served for a team-high 16 points.
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ADA Information
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted by Congress in 1990 to protect individuals with disabilities from discrimination in access to employment, governmental services and programs, public accommodations, transportation, and telecommunications. As stated in the law, the ADA is "an Act to establish a clear and comprehensive prohibition of discrimination on the basis of disability."
Proclamation In Re: Twentieth Anniversary of the ADA
Model ADA Accommodation Request Form
Revised Rule of Judicial Administration 2.540
Court ADA Accommodations and Grievance Procedure Information
- Model ADA Accommodation Request Go to the Form
- Directory of Florida Courts ADA Coordinators View PDF File - Revised May 2019
- Links to ADA Information on Trial and Appellate Court Websites Go to the links list now!
- State Courts System Grievance Procedure
- Grievance Procedure (Designation of Responsible Person and Internal Grievance Procedure for the Supreme Court and State Courts System)
- State Courts System Grievance Complaint
- Grievance Complaint Form (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Statement of Grievance)
State Courts System ADA Guidelines
These guidelines have been developed to assist judges and staff in implementing the ADA in the court system.
The Title I Guidelines were prepared to assist elected officials, nonjudicial officers, and supervisors in ensuring compliance with the employment provisions of the ADA. Included are a practical summary of Title I, an overview of the legal obligations in recruiting practices and the interview process, and available references and resources.
The Title II Guidelines were prepared to assist judicial officers and courthouse personnel in understanding the state and local government provisions of the ADA and to assist them in ensuring that architectural or communication barriers do not obstruct any person's access to the courts. Included are a practical summary of Title II, an overview of accessibility requirements, and guidance on determining appropriate accommodations.
Electronic Accessibility
Creating Accessible Documents Using Microsoft Word Open the document now!
Court Facility Survey Initiative, 2006-08
Access to the Florida Courts: Identifying and Eliminating Architectural Barriers View as Word or PDF File
Justice R. Fred Lewis speaks about the importance of ensuring that courthouses are accessible to persons with disabilities. Nearly 400 people attended the regional training sessions, which were designed to prepare participants for surveying the accessibility of court facilities across the state. Read the transcript.
Additional ADA Information
The ADA is organized into five titles that provide definitions and prohibitions of disability within a specific arena:
- Title I applies to employment and provides protection for qualified applicants and employees, including judges and court staff.
- Title II applies to programs and services of state and local governments, including the judicial branch. Title II provides that "subject to the provisions of this title, no qualified individual with a disability shall, by reason of such disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of a public entity, or be subjected to discrimination by any such entity."
- Title III applies to public accommodations and services operated by private entities. Examples include attorneys, mediators, physicians, hotels, transportation services, restaurants, stores, airlines, and shopping malls.
- Title IV applies to telecommunications.
- Title V contains miscellaneous provisions.
Agencies below provide informal guidance in understanding and complying with different provisions of the ADA.
Department of Justice offers technical assistance on the ADA Standards for Accessible Design and other ADA provisions applying to businesses, non-profit service agencies, and state and local government programs; also provides information on how to file ADA complaints.
- ADA Information Line
- 800-514-0301 (voice)
- Electronic bulletin board
- 202-514-6193
- Internet address
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission offers technical assistance on the ADA provisions applying to employment; also provides information on how to file ADA complaints.
- Employment - questions
- 800-669-4000 (voice)
- Employment - documents
- 800-669-3362 (voice)
- Internet address
- Access Board, or Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, offers technical assistance on the ADA Accessibility Guidelines.
- Documents and questions
- 800-872-2253 (voice)
- Electronic bulletin board
- 202-272-5448
- Internet address
Other Links
- U.S. Dept. of Justice ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Government
- U.S. Access Board Courthouse Accessibility Advisory Committee
- Job Accommodation Network (JAN) http://askjan.org/ - A service provided by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, JAN provides free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues.
- ADA National Network http://adata.org/Static/Home.aspx - Funded through DBTAC grants from U.S. Department of Education, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, this site provides information, guidance and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act, tailored to meet the needs of business, government, and individuals.
- Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
- Florida Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- The State Courts System has established a "Florida Courts ADA Information" page on Facebook
Links to ADA Information on Trial and Appellate Court Websites
- 1st Circuit: ADA Information
- 2nd Circuit: ADA Information
- 3rd Circuit: ADA Information
- 4th Circuit: ADA Information
- 5th Circuit: ADA Information
- 6th Circuit: ADA Information
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- 8th Circuit: ADA Information
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- 1st DCA: ADA Information
- 2nd DCA: ADA Information
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- 4th DCA: ADA Information
- 5th DCA: ADA Information
- Supreme Court: ADA Information


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Clarks of Alabama
Looking for info on James J and louisa Clark. James was born in 1845 in alabama son of Thomas Jefferson Greenfield Clark, Louisa was born in 1850, in N Carolina. I'm trying to find Louisa's maiden name and when and where James died. I'm also looking for info on their daughter in law Viola, married to George F Clark. Any links or info would be much appreciated!
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The Cannelton, Perry Central and Tell City-Troy Township schools would like to thank all the individuals, organizations and businesses that contributed to the success of this year's back-to- school cookouts.
The turnouts were great with thousands of students and parents who enjoyed getting together with their friends, teachers and other Perry County families to kick off the new school year during these annual fun events.
The students and their families visiting at the three school sites appreciated the free school supplies and food.
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Times have changed for the wristwatch industry
It showed 12:17 p.m. on all of the timepieces carried by students and young workers taking a break around a coffee table at Johnson County Community College.
Travis Pinks checked both screens of his smartphone: "12:17 p.m." And so it appeared on Johnny Stiles' laptop screen, on Sara Humphreys' iPod Touch, on Garrett Rotert's cell.
It should not surprise that only one of the four of them, Humphreys, 21, wore a watch — mostly because of how it sparkled on her wrist. After all, that has been the trend in recent years.
And none around the coffee table, when asked for the time, said a quarter after 12. Nobody said about 20 past noon.
It was 12:17 p.m.
"The magic of satellites," Pinks noted.
That ratio of just one wristwatch-wearer for every four people held up in a perusal of the lunchtime crowd at the JCCC Student Center. It also holds close to national market-research data on the millennial generation.
Most adults in their early 30s or younger don't wear a watch on a regular basis.
Strangely, these watch-tossing trends seem to be showing up everywhere but at the cash register.
Wristwatch buying — that time-honored staple of the holiday shopping season — appeared to be on a fateful slump six or seven years ago, about the same time cultural pundits began to forecast how cellphone clocks would render the watch obsolete.
But over the last three years, sales have recovered for moderately priced watches that speak more to fashion than timekeeping. And the fortunes have surged, sometimes by triple-digit percentages, for certain luxury brands selling for thousands of dollars, said Andrew Talbert of the market monitoring firm LGI Network.
"That's the rich getting richer" and buying a better Rolex even in lean times for most folks, Talbert reasoned. "We're not in the business to understand or ask why. We just track the sales."
Stiles, 32, of Shawnee, isn't buying even a basic Timex anytime soon.
"Haven't had a watch since before I joined the Army, what — 12 years ago?" Stiles said.
"I see a wristwatch as formal attire a status symbol. On my (electronic) devices, I've got a whole calendar — no need to strap on a watch."
For some, the wristband pinches. The crystal gets scuffed, the calendar date wanders off. The mainspring snaps or the battery goes dead.
One 19-year-old diner at the Student Center in Overland Park feared that if she wore a bulky watch at the day care center where she worked, it might pose a liability when she moved her arms a certain way. No timepiece is worth a welt on a youngster, she said.
"I've gotten two watches as gifts — they're terrific watches — and I haven't worn either in months," echoed student Roman Permyakov, 21. "With the new Google glasses that are about to come out, why bother? You'll be able to see everything you need right in front of your eyes."
Temporal divide
So at least two schools of thought compete in the 21st-century world of watches:
The consumers who couldn't be without, and those who couldn't care less.
"I've taken 100 phone calls, at least, on this topic of cellphones and the demise of the watchmaker," said Jim Lubic of the trade group known as the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute. "Among younger people, yes, you're seeing fewer wear watches on a regular basis. They'll just keep a cellphone to tell time through college.
"But once they hit their 30s and find their career path, they'll get a watch as a status symbol."
True enough, the Jewelers of America said that "fine watches" continue to hang on to about 13 percent of the jewelry market, as it has been in recent years, and that overall sales of watches ticked up 3.5 percent this summer from a year earlier.
Looming over future sales are those bare-wristed millennials: Less than a third of Americans ages 18 to 29 report wearing a watch at least most of the time, according to surveys by YPulse, a market researcher.
The most commonly cited reason? "It's unnecessary since I always look at my phone to know the time."
Still, more than one-quarter of young adults tell YPulse they will sport wristwatches from time to time as fashion accessories.
That means they'll buy, then buy again, but the watches on most days stay on the dresser while the cellphone goes everywhere.
For millions, the phone represents the return of the pocket watch, the preferred time-telling tool before World War I. Any number of apps can display the time as if it is a pocket watch, with Roman numerals on a clock face, a second hand and even ticking on command.
If fault lines are forming in the wristwatch trade, Kansas City's Borel family — among the nation's major distributors of watch parts — hasn't missed a beat.
"I can't tell you if cellphones will someday make watches obsolete," Paul Borel said. "All I can say is we're very busy doing what we've always been doing. And that's selling watch parts."
Recently rounding up a mainspring and other tiny parts for a repair order from Maine, he recognized the watch needing service as being a classic Jaeger LeCoultre.
"This guy's trying to fix something that has to be 60, 70 years old," he said. "We see a lot of that."
A quiet institution downtown, Jules Borel and Co. has operated out of the same six-story building on Grand Avenue for more than half a century. Founded by a Swiss immigrant who arrived in America with a suitcase full of watch parts, the company is a maze of drawers resembling a library's card catalog — each little drawer containing neatly supplied packets of watch crowns, crystals, bezels, stainless-steel spring stems or microscopic gaskets.
CEO Mark Borel, 90, bends over a bench with a magnifying optivisor strapped around his eyes as he performs surgery on a Mallard watch of his own design.
His nephew, Gary Borel, shows off his own copper-colored timepiece with a vacuum-sealed face surrounded by a ruby case topped with a sapphire crystal.
"I've worn this about 38 years, and it looks pristine," Gary Borel said. "That's what happens when you put ruby and sapphire together. Nothing scratches it."
Imagine a cellphone lasting 38 years.
Digital blend
Not that cellphone technology takes a back seat.
With dozens of GPS satellites overhead talking to a network of cell-tower receivers on the ground, telecommunications companies such as Sprint Nextel can "have all times synchronized precisely to the micro-second," Sprint manager Ben Bellinder said. "We call it network time."
The network even knows when you cross time zones.
Some of the world's largest electronics manufacturers have begun to blend such technology with wristwatch fashion. For about $150 retail, Sony's SmartWatch slaps around your wrist a 2-inch-square screen that channels the Android phone in your pocket. You can check the time and read emails and texts without reaching for a mobile device.
Not to be outclassed, Swiss mechanical watchmaker Omega is plastering images from the new James Bond flick, "Skyfall," on its website.
That's actor Daniel Craig sporting an Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean, priced at $10,000 and beyond. (Prior to the mid-1990s, the Bond character was a Rolex man.)
Omega is part of the Swatch Group, owner of 19 high-end brands, which in July posted double-digit growth in gross sales and operating profit for the second straight year.
Time out, said the watch-rejecting Pinks back at the JCCC Student Center: Some disconnect here or what?
"If I had $10,000 to spend, I'd buy a motorcycle and ride across the country," he said, "and leave the wristwatch at home."
To reach Rick Montgomery send email to email@example.com.


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When I cook round steak most of it comes out fine, but as I eat it bits of it (every four or five bites) I come across this one bit where when I bite in I feel a horrible tasting liquid type thing coming out.
I have no idea what this taste is coming from, when I cook I typically sear it on both ends flipping it over every 5 to 10 seconds. I've tried keeping the steak on one end for a few minutes then flipping it but that results in the steak not tasting as nice.
Is this an issue with the meat or my cooking?


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- Introduction
- Different
- Emotion &
- Seeing
- Different
- Neural
- Implications
for Schools
- Conclusion
Unit 6: Implications For Schools
Baylin, E. "Depth of Field/Depth of Understanding: Finding the Emotional Connection." Schools: Studies in Education Vol. 7, No. 1 (2010).
Blodget, A. "Motivation: Making Room for the Self in School." Independent School, National Association of Independent Schools, Spring 2009 (online feature).
Blodget, A. "When School Makes Us Sick." Independent School, National Association of Independent Schools, Spring 2010.
Chen, D. Experimental Schools: The Breeding Ground for Innovation in Education. Tel-Aviv University: Ramot, 2006.
Collins, K. "Beauty in the Beast: Falling 4 Math." ASCDExpress, Vol. 4, Issue 15, April, 2009.
Csikszentmihályi, M. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York: Harper Perennial, 2008.
Dweck, C. S. "The Development of Ability Conceptions." In A. Wigfield & J. S. Eccles (Eds.), Development of Achievement Motivation, 57-88. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 2002.
Fischer, K.W., and L.T. Rose. "Webs of Skill: How Students Learn." Educational Leadership Vol. 59, No. 3 (2001): 6-12.
Hinton, C. "From lipstick to learning: Research goes to school." Harvard Graduate School of Education's Useable Knowledge website, 2008. Retrieved from: www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/decisions/DD308-408.html on 6/2/2011.
Hinton, C., and K.W. Fischer. "Research Schools: Grounding Research in Practice." Mind, Brain, and Education Vol. 2, Issue 4 (2008): 157–160.
Hinton, C., and K.W. Fischer. "Research Schools: Connecting Research and Practice at the Ross School." In M. Suárez-Orozco and H. Gardner (Eds.) Educating the Whole Child for the Whole World: The Toss Schools and the Promise of Education for the Global Era. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2010.
Keene, E. O. "New Horizons in Comprehension." Educational Leadership Vol. 67, No. 6 (2010): 69-73.
Kohn, A. "From Degrading to De-Grading." High School Magazine. March, 1999.
Kuriloff, P., M. Richert, B. Stoudt, and S. Ravitch. "Building Research Collaboratives Among Schools and Universities: Lessons from the Field." Mind, Brain, and Education Vol. 3, Issue 1 (2009): 34–44.
Moore, L.R. "On the Same Page: How to Teach Students to Love Reading—and Why It Matters." Independent School, Winter 2008.
Moore, L.R. "Student-as-Text: A Sustainable Philosophy for the 21st Century English Curriculum: Timeless Lessons in the Fully-Examined Life." Independent Teacher Vol. 8, No. 1 (Fall, 2010).
Ryan, R. M. and E. L. Deci. "Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being." American Psychologist Vol. 55, Issue 1 (2000): 68-78.
Stein, Z., T.L. Dawson, and K.W. Fischer. "Redesigning Testing: Operationalizing the New Science of Learning." The New Science of Learning: Computers, Cognition and Collaboration in Education, Springer Press, 2010.


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A short time back, NBC News posted an article profiling some of the diehard anti-Obamacare Americans. It was a portrait in hypocrisy, or perhaps something more than that -- irreconciable imbecility.
Take Greg Collett:
"I don't think that the government should be involved in health care or health insurance," says Greg Collett, a 41-year-old software developer in Caldwell, Idaho, who would rather pay the fine for now -- $95 the first year -- than signup....
Collett counts himself among the 29 percent of people who said in an NBCNews/Kaiser poll they are angry about the health reform law. "The issue for me is that it is not the proper role of government," he said.
Collett, who is married and has 10 children, says the kids are covered by Medicaid, the joint state-federal health insurance plan for people with low income and children who are not covered.
Okay, if you're already dumbfounded, Collett steps into an even deeper quagmire of hypocritical stupidity:
Collett, whose children are home-schooled, likens taking Medicaid to sending children to public school. He also does not approve of government-funded public schools. "The government is taking your money. They are spending it on things they shouldn't be," he says. "Trying to get whatever you can back -- I have nothing against that. You have to at some point try and get your tax dollars back."
Remember that democracy includes both people who can think and people who are caught up in the creationist stage of the dinosaurs.
Then there's the NBC account of a man who would not give his last name to the reporter:
Mark, a 51-year-old contractor in Colorado, recently worked through the pain of a broken rib because he lacks health insurance. He'll be signing up [for the Affordable Care Act], even though his truck carries a bumper sticker that spells out Obama's name as "One big-ass mistake, America."
Too bad the Affordable Care Act doesn't include free national psychiatric intervention for supporters of the Tea Party.
Of course, this cognitive dissonance extends to other areas of government support, including those white rural poor who are on food stamps but vote for congressional reps who are trying to drastically cut the food stamp budget. BuzzFlash at Truthout reported on this "shooting yourself in the stomach" vote in a commentary, "The Only Difference Between a Skinhead Racist and GOP Member Cutting Food Stamps Is Three Inches of Hair."
Then, of course, you have the vast majority of House Republican members who are still accepting their paychecks -- and, yes, keeping the House fitness open as "an essential service" -- that BuzzFlash discussed in, "GOP Tin Foil Hat Caucus Reps Get Paychecks for Putting Millions Out of Work."
Jim Hightower followed up on that hypocrisy and cites one GOP congressman's "reasoning" for cashing his taxpayer funded paycheck while shutting down the government:
While more than a million regular government workers are going without a paycheck, the congress critters who forced the furlough continue to collect their $174,000 in annual pay. Some lawmakers are donating their checks to charity, but four out of five are happily pocketing theirs. "Dang straight," barked Rep. Lee Terry. "I've got a nice house and a kid in college," the Nebraska Republican said. "Giving our paycheck away when you still worked and earned it? That's just not going to fly," Terry told his constituents.
It's a bit scary for the future of the nation that these selfish scammers are mugging democracy. It's a combination of opportunism, bigotry and delusion, not to mention the "austerity" cry fueled by the Koch brothers and their billionaire colleagues.
But putting the political and psychological analysis aside, it's really summed up in one word: hypocrisy.
(Photo: PropagandaTimes)


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Danacord's project to record the complete works for flute and piano by the Danish composer Joachim Andersen (1847-1909) is now complete. Andersen was one of the finest flautists of the late 19th century and his fame rests mainly on the 188 Etudes which form the core of every flautist's education. His remarkable career was punctuated by prestigious positions in his native Denmark as well as Russia and Germany, and while in Berlin he became a founding member, principal flautist and assistant conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic.
The repertoire on these two volumes was composed over a long period in Andersen's career but the emphasis is on those pieces that are in the Op. 50's bracket. The "Fantaisies Nationales" Op. 59 and the 7 Salon Pieces, Op. 52 are the mainstays in Volume 6 while Volume 7 is dominated by the 4 Pieces, Op. 62, the 3 Pieces, Op. 57 and the Opera Transcriptions, Op. 45.
Andersen's music is virtuosic and colourful, and each piece is permeated by an abundance of melody that entrances the listener with its sweet and perfumed sounds. Jensen and Stengaard perform admirably, and their dedication to the composer's cause is unashamedly patriotic. A beautiful and attractive conclusion to a cycle which should provide many a blissful hour for many years to come.
Copyright © 2009, Gerald Fenech


text:
Amid Stratospheric Valuations, Google Unearths a Deal With Skybox
For a Mere $500 Million, Satellite Firm Promises to Boost Earnings and Rattle the World
Silicon Valley lately has seemed like the land of wild—or at least puzzling—valuations.
Facebook bought WhatsApp, a messaging service with paltry revenue and at least a half-dozen sophisticated competitors, for $19 billion. Uber was just valued at $18.2 billion in a round of private-equity financing. Even Beats Electronics, a company with a music service in its infancy and technologically inferior headphones that could fall out of fashion at any moment, was valued at $3.2 billion to Apple....


text:
"It is a remarkable thing to think that we can, if we get up off our ass, change the world." — Bono
November 8: Auckland
November 9: Auckland
November 12: Brisbane
November 15: Melbourne
November 19: Adelaide
September 6: Mexico City
June 28: Hydra
May 25: Bangor
December 24: Dublin
December 5: Miami
September 16, 1980: Fiesta Suite, Plymouth, England
September 16, 1989: Sydney Harbour, Sydney, Australia
September 16, 1992: World Music Theater, Tinley Park, IL
September 16, 2002: Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL
September 16, 2005: Air Canada Center, Toronto, Canada
September 16, 2009: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Canada
September 16, 2015: Globe Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
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Chelsea & Liverpool bids confirmed for Brazilian sensation
Brought to you by
The agent of rising Brazilian starlet Lucas Moura has revealed that Liverpool and Chelsea have both made offers for the player.
Along with Inter Milan, the three clubs have all approached Wagner Ribiero about a possible deal for the 19-year-old, who has earned rave reviews with both Sao Paulo and the Seleção.
"I received three offers for my client from Chelsea, Inter and Liverpool," Ribiero told a radio station in the player's homeland.
"But the club will not sell Lucas at this stage and will turn down every single offer. They made it clear that Lucas won't go. However, in June we will talk about that again."
Liverpool have recently emerged as one of the clubs monitoring the player closely, with reports on talkSPORT and Goal.com in July and September respectively claiming the Reds would consider bringing the player known simply as 'Lucas' to England.
Valued in the region of £25 million, manager Kenny Dalglish would have to spend big to bring the attacking midfielder to Anfield, although Liverpool have done just that under the ownership of FSG.
Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez cost a combined fee of close to £60 million in January, whilst Charlie Adam, Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing all cost Liverpool considerable fees in the summer.
However, injury problems for captain Steven Gerrard and Lucas Leiva have left the Merseysiders relatively short in the central midfield position, and a new Lucas would be seen as a major coup for Liverpool given his potential future in the game.
As for Chelsea, they've been linked with a string of attacking midfielders following Andre Villas-Boas' arrival in the summer, bringing Raul Meireles to west London but failing in their pursuit of Luka Modric.
The former Porto boss has made clear strides in looking to build towards a new future at Stamford Bridge, signing young players in an effort to build a new core for the Chelsea side in their pursuit of long-term success.
Lucas would certainly fit that category, although a lack of Barclays Premier League experience would be seen as a negative for the Blues as they look to fight for a top four finish.
Compatriot Neymar has also been heavily linked with a move to Chelsea, where David Luiz, Ramires and Alex also ply their trade, although the later is poised to leave the club in January.News Now - Sport News


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