text:
My Account
Contact Us
About Us
News & Features
Reference Library
Conditions & Allergies
Health & Wellness
Vitamins & Minerals
Functional Foods
Children's Health
Adolescent's Health
Women's Health
Men's Health
Senior's Health
Better Nutrition
Healthy Recipes
Ingredient Glossary
Table of Contents
> Autism
Related Terms
Signs and symptoms
Integrative therapies
Author information
Other types of pervasive developmental disorders (
When to visit a doctor
Tips for the caregiver
Integrative Therapy Quick Links:
Music therapy
Vitamin B6
Aortic acid
Art therapy
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)
Related Terms
ASDS, Asperger's syndrome, autistic, autism screening questionnaire, autism spectrum disorders, brain disorder, CHAT, checklist for autism in toddlers, childhood disintegrative disorder, developmental disorder, epilepsy, fragile X syndrome, genetic disease, genetic disorder, Heller's syndrome, language pathologist, neurologic, neurological, neurological disease, neurological disorder, PDD, pervasive development disorders, physical therapist, psychiatrist, psychologist, Rett syndrome, savant, speech pathologist, social worker, Tourette's syndrome, tuberous sclerosis.
Autism is a brain disorder that is associated with a wide range of developmental problems, especially in communication and social interaction.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, autism is classified as a type of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These disorders are characterized by problems with communication, social interaction, as well as unusual, repetitive behaviors.
Some professionals use a broader term, called pervasive development disorder (PDD), to describe autism. In addition to autism, there are four other disorders that qualify as PDDs: Asperger's syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and Rett syndrome.
The cause of autism remains unknown.
Although most children are not diagnosed with autism until they are around preschool age, the first signs of autism generally appear between 12 and 18 months of age. The severity of symptoms varies among patients. Some patients are able to live independently once they become adults, while others may need lifelong support.
A minority of autistic patients may also be considered savants. These patients are autistic but express extraordinary mental abilities in a very specific area. Autistic savants often have exceptional skills with numbers, art, or music. Not all savants are autistic. However, the number of autistic savants far exceeds the number of non-autistic savants.
As many as 1.5 million Americans may have autism. Researchers estimate that one to six out of every 1,000 children have autism. The number of children diagnosed with autism has increased over the years. However, it is unclear whether more children are developing the disorder or better diagnostic techniques have helped doctors identify the disorder in more patients.
For unknown reasons, boys are three to four times more likely to develop autism than girls.
In the 1940s, when autism was first described, most autistic patients were institutionalized. Today, however, most autistic patients are able to live with their families. Although there is currently no cure for autism, treatments and therapies have been shown to help autistic patients live healthy, relatively normal lives. Regardless of how severe the patient's symptoms are, appropriate treatment and education can help autistic patients become integrated into their communities.
Signs and symptoms
: Autistic patients generally experience developmental problems that affect their behavior, social skills, and language. The severity of symptoms varies among patients. Some patients may be able to live independently as adults, while others may require lifelong support. Patients with severe autism may be unable to communicate or interact with other people. The most severe autism occurs when the patient is completely unable to communicate or interact with others.
Children with autism may develop normally during the first few months or years of life. Then, usually before the age of three, patients become less responsive to others.
: Autistic patients may move constantly and/or perform repetitive movements, such as spinning or rocking. Patients typically develop specific routines or rituals and become highly disturbed if their schedules are even slightly changed. Patients may develop very specific interests, such as calendar dates or numbers. They may also become preoccupied with certain parts of an object, especially if the object has a repetitive motion. Some patients may develop abnormal posture or may walk on their toes. Autistic patients may be unusually sensitive to touch, sound, or light. Some patients may be aggressive towards others or engage in behavior that hurts them, such as hitting their heads against the wall. Patients (adults and children) may throw temper tantrums, which may include yelling, crying, hitting, stomping of the feet, or flailing of the arms or legs. Patients may have short attention spans, abnormalities in eating or sleeping habits, or extreme overactivity or underactivity.
Communication/social skills
: Autistic patients may appear deaf because they may not respond to their name or they may appear not to hear others talking. An autistic patient may avoid eye contact with others or be unable to properly use body language, facial expressions, or gestures. Autistic patients may resist cuddling and holding, appear unaware of others' feelings, or seem to prefer playing alone.
: Emotional symptoms vary considerably among autistic patients. Some patients may be unaware of others' feelings or be unable to express their own emotions. Some patients may be noticeably anxious or become depressed or frustrated when they are unable to communicate to others. Some patients who express affection towards others may express this feeling indiscriminately.
: Most children with autism are slow to learn new things or develop new skills. An estimated 75% of autistic patients have lower-than-normal intelligence quotients (IQs). However, the remaining 25% of patients have normal to high intelligence. Autistic patients with normal to high intelligence are quick learners, but still have difficulty communicating to others and applying their knowledge to everyday life. In rare cases, autistic patients may also be considered savants and have exceptional skills, such as math or art.
: While most children begin talking around the age of one year, autistic patients usually begin speaking at a later age. Patients may lose the ability to say words or sentences they were able to say in early childhood. Some patients may speak with an abnormal tone or rhythm. For instance, patients may use speech that sounds like a song or like a robot. Patients may be unable to start or maintain conversations with others. Patients may repeat words or phrases, but be unable to understand how to use them.
Neurological function
: About 25-35% of autistic children experience seizures that may be resistant to medication. In most cases, children begin to experience the most seizures during early childhood and then again during adolescence. Autistic children who are mentally retarded or have a family history of autism have an increased risk of experiencing seizures.
: There is currently no specific test designed to diagnose autism. Instead, a diagnosis is made after the healthcare provider evaluates the patient's signs and symptoms. The healthcare provider will also talk with family members about their observations and interactions with the child. It may be helpful for the patient's family members to record observations of behavior that seems abnormal.
In some cases, the healthcare provider may order tests to rule out other conditions that may have similar symptoms, such as mental retardation, genetic diseases, or deafness.
If a healthcare provider cannot make a clear diagnosis, he/she may recommend other professionals that specialize in developmental disorders. Specialists, such as developmental pediatricians, psychiatrists, psychologists, and/or neurologists, may be recommended. In addition, other specialists, such as experts that test hearing (audiologists), speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists, social workers, and physical therapists, may also help diagnose the patient.
Although most signs of autism begin to develop when the child is 12-18 months old, most diagnoses are made when the child is two to three years old.
Physical examination
: During a physical examination, the healthcare provider will observe specific behaviors. The healthcare provider typically looks to see how the child responds to commands or questions.
Screening tests
: Some healthcare providers use screening tests, including the checklist for autism in toddlers (CHAT) or the autism screening questionnaire to determine whether or not a patient has autism. CHAT is a 16-question survey, in which parents or caregivers respond "yes" or "no" to questions about their children's behavior. This test helps healthcare providers diagnose autism in patients who are 18 months old or younger. The autism screening questionnaire, also called the pervasive development disorder (PDD) assessment scale, is a brief survey, in which parents or caregivers rate the patient's developmental difficulties as nonexistent, resolved, mild, moderate, or severe. This test helps healthcare providers diagnose autism in patients who are four years old or older.
: Currently, there is no cure for autism. However, many treatments and therapies may help patients cope with the disorder. With proper therapy, some patients are able to live independently once they become adults, while others may need lifelong support.
Many different specialists, including speech or language pathologists, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and neurologists, may help parents and caregivers decide the best treatment options for autistic patients. It is important to note that different professionals will have different philosophies for the treatment of the patient. Parents or caregivers may want to meet with several specialists to find the one that meets the individual needs of both the caregiver(s) and the patient.
In general, the traditional approach to treating autism includes behavioral therapy and special education. Many different programs are available to help address the social, language, and behavioral problems associated with autism.
Although no medication is specifically designed for autism, some patients may benefit from medications. However, medications do not treat the underlying cause of autism. Instead, they help treat the symptoms of the disorder. For instance, some patients may benefit from medications to help treat hyperactivity, short attention span, and seizures, which are often associated with autism. Parents and caregivers should talk with the patient's healthcare providers about the potential side effects and benefits of medications before starting treatment.
: Anticonvulsants are often used to treat seizures in autistic patients. These drugs may also help improve a patient's mood and/or behavior. These drugs are typically taken once daily to help prevent seizures from occurring. Phenobarbital (Luminal® Sodium) is one of the oldest and safest anticonvulsants for children. Valproic acid (Depakene® or Depakote®) has also been shown to be a safe and effective treatment for seizures in children.
: Antidepressants may help improve depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and/or anxiety in some autistic patients. They may reduce repetitive behaviors, tantrums, aggression, and irritability in patients. Drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most common type of antidepressants used. Commonly prescribed SSRIs include fluoxetine (Prozac®), fluvoxamine (Luvox®), sertraline (Zoloft®), and paroxetine (Paxil®). Less commonly prescribed antidepressants include clomipramine (Anafranil®), mirtazapine (Remeron®), amitriptyline (Elavil®), and bupropion (Wellbutrin®).
Antipsychotic drugs
: Antipsychotic drugs have been used to help treat aggressive and repetitive behaviors, as well as hyperactivity in autistic patients. Commonly prescribed drugs include risperidone (Risperdal®), olanzapine (Zyprexa®), and quetiapine (Seroquel®).
Behavioral therapy
: The foundation of autism treatment is behavioral therapy. For more than 30 years, several different types of behavioral therapy have helped autistic patients improve their communication and social skills, as well as their learning abilities and adaptive behaviors. Behavioral therapy has been shown to reduce inappropriate behavior, including aggressive behavior, in autistic children. Evidence suggests that behavioral therapy is most effective if it is started early in life, when the patient is three to four years old or younger.
Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a type of therapy used to improve the patient's behavior and teach skills to help the person handle specific situations. The therapist uses positive reinforcement, which means the patient is rewarded when he/she behaves appropriately. ABA is highly structured and it usually requires 15-40 hours of therapy per week. The therapist usually works one-on-one with the patient and collaborates with the parents/caregivers, teachers, and others in the patient's life to provide treatment that is individualized to meet the patient's needs.
: Autistic patients must receive education that is tailored to their specific strengths and weaknesses. According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, all children with disabilities, including autism, must receive free and appropriate education. According to the law, members of the patient's school should consult with the patient's parents or caregivers to design and write an individualized education plan. Once all parties agree with the plan, the educational program should be started. The school faculty should document the child's progress in order to ensure that the child's needs are being met.
Educational programs vary among patients. In general, most experts believe that children with disabilities, including autism, should be educated alongside their non-disabled peers. The idea is that non-disabled students will help the patient learn appropriate behavioral, social, and language skills. Therefore, some autistic patients are educated in mainstream classrooms. Other autistic patients attend public schools but take special education classes. Others attend specialized schools that are designed to teach children with disabilities.
An educational program, called floor time, is one approach used to teach autistic patients. This program is based on the idea that children cannot progress to advanced learning until they have completed all of the required steps of the developmental ladder.
Another approach, called social stories, uses story telling to teach children social skills. Each story is designed to help the patient understand the thoughts and emotions of the person in the story. This may help the patient understand appropriate behavioral and social responses to specific situations. The stories are tailored to the individual patient and often include music and pictures.
: Most children with autism respond well to structured schedules or routines.
: Stimulants, such as methylphenidate (Ritalin®) and amphetamines (Adderall® or Dexedrine®), may help treat hyperactivity and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which are often associated with autism. These drugs help increase the patient's ability to concentrate and reduce the individual's overactivity.
Integrative therapies
Good scientific evidence
Music therapy
: Music is an ancient tool of healing that was recognized in the writings of Pythagoras, Aristotle, and Plato. Music is used to influence physical, emotional, cognitive, and social well-being and improve quality of life for healthy people, as well as those who are disabled or ill. It may involve either listening to or performing music, with or without the presence of a music therapist. Patients with autism often show a heightened interest and response to music. This may aid in the teaching of communication skills (both verbal and nonverbal) and in establishing normal developmental processes. A recent meta-analysis showed significant results compared to placebo for verbal and gestural communication but not for behavioral problems. Music therapy is generally known to be safe.
Unclear or conflicting scientific evidence
: There is insufficient evidence to support the use of carnitine in the treatment of hyperactive behavior of children with fragile -X syndrome. Fragile X syndrome (FXS), also called Martin-Bell syndrome, is the most common type of inherited intellectual disability, and autistic patients are more likely to have this disorder. Avoid with known allergy or hypersensitivity to carnitine. Use cautiously with peripheral vascular disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), alcohol-induced liver cirrhosis, and diabetes. Use cautiously in low birth weight infants and individuals on hemodialysis. Use cautiously if taking anticoagulants (blood thinners), beta-blockers, or calcium channel blockers. Avoid if pregnant or breastfeeding.
: Massage may help improve sleep patterns, induce relaxation, and improve behavior patterns in autism. However, there is currently not enough data on which to make conclusions in this condition. Avoid with bleeding disorders, low platelet counts, or if on blood-thinning medications (such as heparin or warfarin/Coumadin®). Areas should not be massaged where there are fractures, weakened bones from osteoporosis or cancer, open/healing skin wounds, skin infections, recent surgery, or blood clots. Use cautiously with a history of physical abuse or if pregnant or breastfeeding. Massage should not be used as a substitute for more proven therapies for medical conditions. Massage should not cause pain to the client.
Fair negative scientific evidence
Vitamin B6
: Vitamin B6, also called pyridoxine, is needed for the body to produce important chemicals in the brain, including serotonin and norepinephrine. It is also important for the body to maintain a healthy myelin, which is a fat-like substance that covers the nerves. Major sources of vitamin B6 include cereal grains, beans, vegetables (such as carrots, spinach, peas), potatoes, milk, cheese, eggs, fish, liver, meat, and flour. Studies of B6 supplementation alone or in combination with a trace element called magnesium have not been shown to benefit patients with autism.
Strong negative scientific evidence
: Folate (folic acid) supplementation has been shown not to improve symptoms of fragile X syndrome. Fragile X syndrome (FXS), also called Martin-Bell syndrome, is the most common type of inherited intellectual disability, and autistic patients are more likely to have this disorder.
Traditional or theoretical uses, which lack sufficient evidence
Aortic acid
: Aortic extract is typically manufactured from the hearts of animals, usually sheep, cows, or pigs. This extract contains many substances, including aortic acid. Traditionally, aortic acid has been used to treat autism. However, studies in humans have not been done to determine whether this treatment is safe or effective.
There are currently no reports of allergic reactions to aortic acid. Due to the heparan sulfate content of mesoglycan, patients with an allergy to heparan or heparinoid derivatives should use caution. Use cautiously with coagulation (blood) disorders or if taking anticoagulants. Use cautiously with high blood pressure or if taking antihypertensive drugs. Avoid if pregnant or breastfeeding
Art therapy
: Art therapy involves many forms of art to treat anxiety, depression, and other mental and emotional problems. Art therapy became a mental health profession in the 1930s. Today it is practiced in hospitals, clinics, public and community agencies, wellness centers, educational institutions, businesses, and private practices. Art therapy has been suggested as a possible treatment for autism. However, studies have not been performed to determine whether this treatment is effective.
Art therapy may evoke distressing thoughts or feelings. Use under the guidance of a qualified art therapist or other mental health professional. Some forms of art therapy use potentially harmful materials. Only materials known to be safe should be used. Related clean-up materials (such as turpentine or mineral spirits) that release potentially toxic fumes should only be used with good ventilation.
: Choline is an essential amino acid that is produced in the body and consumed in foods. The largest dietary source of choline is egg yolk. Choline is also found in liver, peanuts, fish, milk, brewer's yeast, wheat germ, soy beans, bottle gourd fruit, fenugreek leaves, shepherd's purse herb, Brazil nuts, dandelion flowers, poppy seeds, mung and other beans, and a variety of meats and vegetables, including cabbage and cauliflower. Although choline has been suggested as a possible treatment for patients with autism, human studies are lacking. Further research is warranted in this area.
Avoid if allergic or hypersensitive to choline, lecithin, or phosphatidylcholine. Use cautiously with kidney disorders, liver disorders, or trimethylaminuria. Use cautiously with a history of depression. If pregnant or breastfeeding, it seems generally safe to consume choline within the recommended adequate intake (AI) parameters; supplementation outside of dietary intake is usually not necessary if a healthy diet is consumed.
: Many massage techniques have been practiced for thousands of years to promote well-being, relaxation, pain-reduction, stress-relief, musculoskeletal injury healing, sleep enhancement, and quality of life. Although massage has been suggested as a possible treatment for autism, human studies are lacking.
Avoid with bleeding disorders, low platelet counts, or if taking blood-thinning medications (anticoagulants). Areas should not be massaged where there are fractures, weakened bones from osteoporosis or cancer, open/healing skin wounds, skin infections, recent surgery, or blood clots. Use cautiously with a history of physical abuse or if pregnant or breastfeeding. Massage should not be used as a substitute for more proven therapies for medical conditions. Massage should not cause pain to the client.
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)
: Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) is found in many foods, including meats, liver, kidney, fish/shellfish, chicken, vegetables, legumes, yeast, eggs, and milk. Pantothenic acid is needed for the body to breakdown carbohydrates (sugars), proteins, and fats. It is also needed for the body to produce hormones and cholesterol. Pantothenic acid has been suggested as a possible treatment for autism. However, further research is needed in order to determine if this is a safe and effective treatment in humans.
Avoid if allergic or hypersensitive to pantothenic acid or dexpanthenol. Avoid with gastrointestinal blockage. Pantothenic acid is generally considered safe in pregnant and breastfeeding women when taken at recommended doses.
Currently, there is no known method of prevention of autism.
Early diagnosis and prompt treatment has been shown to help improve autistic patients' long-term prognoses.
Author information
This information has been edited and peer-reviewed by contributors to the Natural Standard Research Collaboration (www.naturalstandard.com).
Autism Society of America. .
American Psychiatric Association. .
Center for the Study of Autism. .
Dover CJ, Le Couteur A. How to diagnose autism. Arch Dis Child. 2007 Jun;92(6):540-5. .
Exploring Autism. .
Morgan S, Taylor E. Antipsychotic drugs in children with autism. BMJ. 2007 May 26;334(7603):1069-70. .
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). .
Natural Standard: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. .
Roy M. Autism, brain and environment. Intellect Disabil Res. 2007 Jul;51(7):566-7.
Thacker N. Autism spectrum disorder. Indian Pediatr. 2007 Apr;44(4):251-2.
Twoy R, Connolly PM, Novak JM. Coping strategies used by parents of children with autism. J Am Acad Nurse Pract. 2007 May;19(5):251-60. .
Wazana A, Bresnahan M, Kline J. The Autism Epidemic: Fact or Artifact? J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2007 Jun;46(6):721-730. .
Although autism appears to be related to abnormalities in the brain, the exact cause of the disorder remains unknown. Several theories have been suggested as possible causes. Most researchers believe that several factors are involved in the development of autism.
A person's genetic makeup may play a role in his/her risk of developing autism. Researchers have identified several gene abnormalities that are associated with autism. According to researchers, families with one autistic child have a three to eight percent chance of having a second child with the disorder.
Over the years, researchers have made significant advancements in understanding the genetics of autism. Chromosomal studies and genome scans have pointed out several regions on chromosomes 2q,7q,6,q,15q, along with sex chromosomes that could play a role in autism. Scientists are now focusing their research on five different chromosomes: 2, 3, 7, 15, and X.
Chromosome 2
: Studies have linked abnormalities in chromosome 2 and autism. Furthermore, some studies suggest that this link is even stronger when autistic patients also experience delayed speech.
Chromosome 3
: Based on statistical evidence, the GABA transporter 1
gene and oxytocin receptor
) gene, both located on genes on chromosome 3, may be linked to autism.
gene provides instructions for producing a protein that works with a chemical messenger in the brain called GABA. GABA is the primary chemical that relays messages between brain cells. When the
gene is mutated, improper or dysfunctional GABA is produced. Researchers believe that too much or improperly functioning GABA may over-stimulate the brain, leading to autistic behaviors.
gene provides instructions for producing the oxytocin receptor protein. In humans, this oxytocin receptor is found in the brain, uterus, and mammary glands. In animal studies this gene seems to function in the brain during early development and is thought to help the brain develop. During animal studies, mice that had an overexpression of oxytocin developed repetitive behaviors. It is important to note however, that oxytocin may act differently in humans than mice.
Chromosome 7
: Several genes on chromosome 7, including the wingless-related MMTV integration site 2 (
), reelin (
), homeobox A1 (
), and homeobox B1 (
), have been linked to autism.
Chromosome 15
: Abnormalities on chromosome 15 have also been implicated in some autism cases. Some patients with autism have been shown to have duplicate regions on chromosome 15. Researchers have found small DNA segments (called markers) on chromosome 15 that are more frequently observed in patients with autism compared to those without autism. This finding indicates that one or more genes on chromosome 15 may contribute to autism. However, the actual gene has not yet been found.
X Chromosome
: Some evidence suggests that certain genes on the X chromosome may influence social interaction skills. The X and Y chromosomes determine the sex of a human. Males have one X and Y chromosome, while females have two X chromosomes. If there is a gene that is not functioning properly on one of the X chromosomes, females have the advantage of having an extra X chromosome, which often compensates for the abnormal chromosome. For males, this lack of spare X chromosomes explains why some disorders, known as X-linked disorders, are more common in males than females. More males have autism than females. Therefore, researchers suspect that there may be a gene on the X chromosome that is involved in autism. However, some studies have ruled out this theory as being the major cause of autism. Despite the lack of supporting evidence, it has been suggested that a gene on the X chromosome may affect social interaction and contribute to autistic behavior.
Although an individual's genetic makeup may influence the likelihood that they will develop the disorder, many other factors are also involved.
Medical conditions
In some patients, autism has been linked to other medical conditions. For instance, autistic patients are more likely to have Fragile X syndrome (which causes mental retardation), tuberous sclerosis (which causes tumors to grow in the brain), epilepsy (which causes seizures), and Tourette's syndrome (which causes involuntary body movements).
It has also been suggested that vaccines, especially the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, as well as mercury-containing vaccines, may lead to autism. However, current scientific research has not found a link between vaccines and autism.
Emotional trauma
In the past, it was suggested that emotional trauma early in life increased a child's risk of developing autism. Traumatic events, such as physical abuse or neglect before the age of three, were thought to contribute to the development of the disorder. However, researchers no longer support this theory.
Other types of pervasive developmental disorders (pdds)
Asperger's syndrome
: Patient's with Asperger's syndrome have many of the same symptoms as autistic patients, in terms of problems with social interaction and communication. However, patients with Asperger's syndrome have normal intelligence and verbal skills. Although these patients typically have strong verbal and grammar skills, they usually have other language problems, such as being too literal and/or having difficulty understanding non-verbal communications, such as body language. Other symptoms may include motor skill problems (e.g. clumsy movements), obsessive or repetitive routines and schedules, and sensitivity to sensory information (e.g. sound, light, or taste).
Childhood disintegrative disorder
: Childhood disintegrative disorder, also called Heller's syndrome, is a rare condition in which children develop normally until they are about three or four years old. However, as they get older, children begin to experience a dramatic loss of social and communication skills, as well as motor skills. Patients may also develop stereotypical movements, such as hand wringing or flapping. These patients may develop specific routines or rituals and they may not respond well to changes or transitions. Some patients may become catatonic, which means they maintain a fixed posture or body position.
Childhood disintegrative disorder is sometimes confused with late-onset autism because both of these disorders involve normal development followed by a loss of learned skills. However, autism generally occurs at an earlier age. Also, patients with childhood disintegrative disorder typically suffer from a much more dramatic loss of skills and greater likelihood of mental retardation than autistic patients.
Pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS)
: Pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) is a term used to describe patients who meet most, but not all, of the criteria for a PDD. Although these patients have many of the same symptoms associated with a PDD, they cannot be definitively diagnosed with a specific type of PDD.
Rett syndrome
: Rett syndrome is a progressive brain disorder that mostly affects females. Infants with Rett syndrome appear to develop normally at first, but over time, they stop developing and lose most of their previously developed skills. Eventually, these patients become intellectually disabled.
Symptoms of Rett syndrome become noticeable when the patient is between the ages of three months and three years old. Patients typically lose purposeful hand movements (e.g. reaching or grasping for things) and they are no longer able to speak. Patients have difficulty balancing and poor coordination. This often prevents the patient from walking on his/her own. Patients may develop stereotypical hand movements, such as hand wringing or clapping. Breathing problems, including hyperventilation, breath holding, or apnea, may develop. Patients may also develop anxiety and social behavioral problems.
When to visit a doctor
Early diagnosis and prompt treatment has been shown to help improve autistic patients' long-term prognoses.
According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHHD), children who experience certain developmental problems should visit their doctors.
Children who have not made gestures, such as waving or pointing by the age of 12 months, should visit their doctors.
Children who have not said a single word by the age of 16 months should visit their doctors.
Children who have not said two-word phrases by 24 months of age should visit their doctors.
Children who experience any loss of language or social skills at any age should visit their doctors.
Tips for the caregiver
Caring for an autistic patient can be emotionally and physically tiring at times. Caregivers or parents of an autistic patient should make time to relax and enjoy their favorite activities.
Siblings of an autistic child may feel left out or jealous of the attention that their brother or sister receives from their parents. Therefore, parents should make an effort to spend one-on-one time with their other children.
Caregivers may find support from other families who are caring for an autistic person. Many communities have local support groups for parents, family members, and caregivers of autistic patients.
Caregivers should educate themselves about autism. The more a caregiver knows about the condition, the better they can help the patient. Being educated on autism may also help the caregiver learn how to communicate better with the child.
Copyright © 2011 Natural Standard (
The information in this monograph is intended for informational purposes only, and is meant to help users better understand health concerns. Information is based on review of scientific research data, historical practice patterns, and clinical experience. This information should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. Users should consult with a qualified healthcare provider for specific questions regarding therapies, diagnosis and/or health conditions, prior to making therapeutic decisions.
32 Kainehe St.
Kailua, HI 96734
808-261-8890 (fax)
Email Our Store
Driving Directions
About Us
Reference Library
Healthy Recipes
My Email Subscription
Contact Us
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
All contents © Copyright 1999-2019 Genius Central and The Source Natural Foods. All rights reserved. This internet site is hosted by Genius Central, a Web site service provider to natural health stores nationwide. Genius Central and The Source Natural Foods have no means of independently evaluating the safety or functionality of the products offered by their suppliers and affiliates and thus can neither endorse nor recommend products. Information presented is of a general nature for educational and informational purposes only. Statements about products and health conditions have not been evaluated by the US Food and Drug Administration. Products and information presented herein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional. Your use of this site indicates your agreement to be bound by our
Terms and Conditions


text:
Mary Dezember Named New Associate V.P.
SOCORRO, N.M. July 6, 2011 – Dr. Mary Dezember, a member of the New Mexico Tech faculty since fall 2000, assumed new duties on July 1 as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, succeeding Dr. Scott Zeman, who held the position for four years.
Dr. Mary Dezember has been busy moving into her new office in the Academic Affairs suite in Brown Hall, where a portrait of Albert Einstein, painted by her father, Garnett Dezember, keeps a close watch.
Dezember is the third person in a row from her department promoted to the post. She was instrumental in transitioning the then-Humanities Department to the Communication, Liberal Arts, Social Sciences Department, or CLASS.
She views a major aspect of her job as that of a liaison between the university community and the agencies that measure how New Mexico Tech is meeting established state and national standards.
Dr. Peter F. Gerity, Vice President for Academic Affairs, spoke highly both of Dezember and her predecessor.
"Dr. Mary Dezember is very well positioned for her new assignments as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs," Gerity said. "Mary has been extremely effective in her role as Chair of the CLASS Department, and has developed very strong academic programs that benefit the entire community of academic disciplines."
While Dezember is busy moving into her new digs in Brown Hall, Zeman has taken his place as Dean of Biscayne University, part of the University of St. Thomas, a Catholic college just north of Miami and a short drive from the beach.
"Scott Zeman was a key contributor to the success of the growth and development of our academic programs, and quickly became a leader in all areas that were assigned to him," Gerity said. "He worked tirelessly with students, faculty and our grant writing teams to ensure our success in many ways.
"Scott goes to his new post extremely well prepared to take on the new challenges at that institution. Of course, he is missed by all of us in Academic Affairs, and we wish him all of the best for continued growth and success with his career," Gerity said.
Dezember's own transition from classroom teacher, researcher and creative writer to a top administrator in New Mexico Tech's collegiate division did not happen all at once.
"Last fall, I became team leader of the Higher Learning Commission's (HLC) Pathways Improvement Project, a pilot program," Dezember said, adding that it was "a real honor" to have been invited on behalf of New Mexico Tech, which, she said, has a reputable standing with the HLC.
Her work with the national collegiate accreditation agency was taken into consideration when she applied for the administrative job last spring.
"Mary's outstanding work with state articulation and curriculum re-design are among the assets which were well recognized by the search committee," Gerity said.
"Her role in leading our new 'Pathways Program' for the accreditation effort for the 2014 academic re-accreditation process has been exemplary. I am confident that she will lead our team in the next three years to success."
Dezember will teach the two courses she originally was signed up for this Fall, but has no courses lined up for spring 2012. Nonetheless, "I'm determined to teach," Dezember said. "I love it, and don't want to lose that connection with the students."
She will maintain her involvement with them by attending meetings of the Society for Technical Communication, and visiting with CLASS majors and other Tech students. "I really enjoy our students," she said.
Dezember also will continue the poetry readings she began several years ago, and the open-mic sessions at the Manzanares Street Coffee House. "That's my goal, my focus ... to maintain student, faculty and staff interactions," she said.
She defines her new post as "building relationships, with finesse, for student learning and meeting academic standards" – and heavy on the finesse. "If you're building relationships without that element, then they're not true relationships," she explained. Faculty should be respected for their contributions, and for the positive things they accomplish, rather than to be told what to do. Meanwhile, it's Dezember's job to lead them in the chorus: "Are our students learning what they're supposed to be learning? Are we maintaining the standards to which we're accountable?"
Dezember identifies herself as a poet and a university professor, a teacher and researcher. Serving as department chair for three years, and another as associate chair, gave her a broader perspective that helped to clarify and define the educational process, she said.
Meanwhile, she was named to the Computing on Campus Committee and served that body as chair as well. "I found my work on the committee to be very rewarding," she said. "I enjoyed working with the other members, hearing their viewpoints, and organizing them into goals that would be good for the campus, then designing steps to getting them done," she said.
She also discovered that she was unconsciously utilizing skills she developed in rearing two young children as a single mother and a graduate student. "That's when I developed my 'get it done' attitude," she said.
"When you have to make dinner, get the children to do their homework, and have homework yourself, there's only so much time, so you have to get it done – you don't have a choice," she said.
"As chair, I was seeing students in my office with all kinds of questions, on how specific courses could be used to fulfill general degree requirements," she said. Dezember became aware of balancing campus needs with state requirements, and with her colleagues has hashed out these ideas, and others, during the annual summer departmental retreat.
"We wanted to have a vision for our department," Dezember said, which meant addressing expectations as well as shortfalls. In answering the question, Where do we go from here?, Dezember and her colleagues voted to rename the department to better reflect its focus and diversity in teaching and research in the areas of Communication, Liberal Arts, and Social Sciences.
"Everyone in the department teaches communication, and we have our reputable Technical Communication major, so we wanted the 'communication' part right out front," Dezember said.
"We like the motto, 'Tech has CLASS,'" she said.
CLASS faculty and instructors still are working on how best to showcase the breadth and depth of the department in arming New Mexico Tech students with the communication skills necessary for success. "This has to be an Institute-wide commitment," Dezember said, in recognizing that CLASS is integral to these developments.
Dezember is an Indiana native who first discovered the Southwest after moving to Phoenix with her parents. Her first interview to join the faculty at New Mexico Tech was in 1999 at the Modern Language Association conference, followed in February 2000 by a visit to the campus, her first real experience in New Mexico, a state Dezember had only driven through.
These days, she maintains close ties with her two adult children and her three step-children that she raised; she also enjoys quiet times at home with her cat, Sam. In addition to participating in and attending poetry readings, she practices Shao-Lin kung fu and hikes the New Mexico landscape.
"I fell in love with New Mexico, and I felt the desert landscape, with its wide, expansive view, met with what I call my 'internal landscape'," she said.
The newest of the university's associate vice presidents now shares that view, literally and figuratively, with her colleagues across campus, and with a league of agency chiefs and administrators across the nation.
But Dezember emphasized over and over, that all these collective viewpoints eventually narrow into one primary focus: "We all want to do what's best for the students," she said. "That's why we're here."
By Valerie Kimble/New Mexico Tech

subset: commoncrawl


text:
April 18, 2019South Africa
In the run-up to South Africa's national elections, the Democratic Alliance (DA) will receive a boost from the Good Governance Africa's annual Government Performance Index. Good Governance Africa is …
May 24, 2019India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist party resoundingly won the general election following a divisive campaign, but it is not yet clear how the results should be interpreted.
May 21, 2019Southeast Asia
By Petra Desatova Anand Panyarachun, the former prime minister of Thailand and a long-time central figure in Thai politics, belongs to an old generation of Thai technocrats, who shaped Thailand's …
May 14, 2019Rwanda
Test your knowledge of Rwanda, from its colonial history to the aftermath of its genocide.
May 14, 2019China
On virtually every front—from trade and investment to technology and innovation—it has become clear that the U.S.-China relationship has entered a new, increasingly contentious period marked more by …
May 14, 2019Global Governance
How did world leaders do in managing global challenges in 2018? Experts from twenty-eight think tanks around the world grade international cooperation a middling C.
May 13, 2019Trade
Introduction It has now been more than a quarter century since the United States, the European Union (EU), Japan and more than 100 other countries came together to conclude the Uruguay Round globa…
May 13, 2019China
China's industrial policy is aimed at rapidly expanding its high-tech sectors and developing its advanced manufacturing base. The plan is seen as a threat by President Trump, and could escalate the trade war.
May 9, 2019Sudan
While the Sudanese military expelled President Omar al-Bashir from office, the people of Sudan are ultimately responsible for toppling his regime, and the leaders of the protest movement have promised not to let up until civilian rule is secured. They well know that any persistence of military control represents a continuation of the Bashir regime, and in particular, the Arabic-speaking population's monopoly of power.
May 7, 2019News Release
May 7, 2019—The new Report Card on International Cooperation gives a middling C grade to international efforts to solve the world's most pressing problems in 2018, barely up from a C– given in 2017, …


text:
Erasable Twistables Colored Pencils
by Crayola
Bid farewell to sharpeners and do-overs forever! The built-in erasers on these colored pencils allow you fix mistakes and change your mind as many times as you need to without the threat of smudges or ripped paper. They'll never need sharpening-- just twist the end of each pencil and you'll have 12 bold Crayola colors ready to go.
Ask a question about Erasable Twistables Colored Pencils Ask a question about this product
Average User Rating: Based on (1 Review)
5 1
s f. from nyc, NY says:
Great idea. They can snap off inside or be pulled apart so best for older kids who wont pull on them!
Please wait...
You May Also Like...
How to get VIP Club Prices
Anyone can be a VIP Member with:
Only $25/year
Your email will not be shared. We will only use your email address to respond to your question. When asking your question, please be as descriptive as possible, it will allow us to give you the most accurate answer possible.
Please wait...
Please wait...


text:
Indo-Iranian languages, group of languages constituting the easternmost major branch of the Indo-European family of languages; only the Tocharian languages are found farther east. Scholarly consensus holds that the Indo-Iranian languages include the Iranian and Indo-Aryan (Indic) language groups. Some scholars suggest that the Nūristānī and Bangani languages belong in the Indo-Iranian group as well.
In the early 21st century, Indo-Iranian languages were spoken by nearly one billion individuals, most of whom resided in a broad region of southwestern and southern Asia. Speakers of modern Iranian languages number between 150 and 200 million; Persian, Pashto, and Kurdish are the most widely spoken of these languages. Speakers of modern Indo-Aryan languages number more than 800 million persons; Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, and Urdu are the most widely spoken of these languages. Among the Indo-European languages, only Greek and Hittite possess written records older than those of Indo-Iranian.
The Indo-Iranian languages have been used in both administrative and literary contexts. Old Persian was the administrative language of the early Achaemenian dynasty, dating from the 6th century bce, and an eastern Middle Indo-Aryan dialect was the language of the chancellery of the Mauryan emperor Aśoka in the Indian subcontinent in the mid-3rd century bce. The Indo-Iranian languages have also been used in the literature of some of the world's great religions: Indo-Aryan for Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism and Iranian for Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism. The oldest Zoroastrian texts are in dialects included under the name Avestan. Commerce, conquest, and religion spread the influence of these languages. Indo-Aryan languages, for example, penetrated deep into Southeast Asia; lexical borrowings in Indonesia, Thailand, and other areas and Sanskrit texts in Cambodia reflect this influence.
The original location of the Indo-Iranian group was probably to the north of modern Afghanistan, east of the Caspian Sea, in the area that is now Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, where Iranian languages are still spoken. From there, some Iranians migrated to the south and west, the Indo-Aryans to the south and east. From geographical references in the earliest Indo-Aryan literary document, the Ṛigveda ("The Veda Composed in Verses," c. 1500 bce), it is clear that the earliest settlement of Indo-Aryans was in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent. Migration did not take place at once. It is now generally accepted that there were doubtless a series of migrations, although the now-discredited view that an Indo-Aryan invasion took place was once seriously entertained. The date of entry of the Indo-Aryans into the Indian subcontinent cannot be determined precisely, though the beginning of the 2nd millennium bce is plausible and generally accepted.
There is controversy concerning the precise position of the language of the Indo-Iranian family first attested in Middle Eastern texts of about 1450–1350 bce. Some borrowed words and proper names appearing in these Hittite-Hurrian documents have been interpreted variously as belonging to Indo-Iranian, to an Indic subgroup of Indo-Iranian that had not yet fully split, or to Indo-Aryan proper. For example, the number word aika- 'one' has been considered to indicate that the language in question was Indo-Aryan, since the Iranian term is aiva- (Avestan aēuua-/aēuuā-) in contrast to Sanskrit eka-, although the Sanskrit particle eva 'only, indeed,' comparable to Avestan aēuua-/aēuuā- 'indeed,' can be considered to reflect the existence in earliest Indo-Aryan of both eka- and eva- for 'one.' Consensus has yet to be reached on this issue, although a majority of authorities hold that the language in question represents an early variety of Old Indo-Aryan, prior to changes such as the replacement of *źh by h (e.g., *źh > jh > h).
Also awaiting further research is the identification of the Harappan peoples of the Indus Valley and other sites in the subcontinent, whose writing has not yet been satisfactorily deciphered despite decades of effort. A definitive solution to this problem could possibly answer the question of whether Indo-Aryans encountered these people or whether Harappan civilization had passed by the time the Indo-Aryans arrived on the subcontinent, although scholars now generally agree that the Indus Valley civilization's decline was not due to any Indo-Aryan invasion. Whatever may be the answers to the questions concerning the Middle Eastern texts and the Harappan peoples, the reasons for the split of the Indo-Aryans and Iranians are not known.
The above scenario assumes that the Indo-Aryans migrated into the Indian subcontinent. This is not, however, universally accepted. There are scholars, both Indian and non-Indian, who maintain that the Indo-Aryans originated in the subcontinent, whence they emigrated. Indeed, it has been argued that the earliest Indo-Aryan as represented in Vedic texts is tantamount to Proto-Indo-European. The issue is complex, and evidence that could be absolutely probative is largely lacking—there is no archaeological evidence that definitively establishes a migration of Indo-Aryans into the subcontinent, but there is equally no definitive archaeological evidence of Iranians and other Indo-European groups having emigrated from the subcontinent. Moreover, the textual evidence from Sanskrit sources that some have claimed demonstrates that Indo-Aryans retained memories of an earlier homeland from which they migrated into the Indian subcontinent is small and subject to serious doubt, as it serves to support this thesis only with considerable interpretational effort.
The linguistic evidence, on the other hand, is best reconciled with the thesis that the Indo-Aryans did indeed go to the subcontinent from an external homeland and that the early Vedic system is not equivalent to that of Proto-Indo-European. It is methodologically less plausible, for example, to assume that the Vedic vowel system, which contains a, ā, i, ī, u, ū, but no short e or o, is the system ancestral to that of Indo-European languages such as Greek and Latin, which do have short e and o. One would have to assume not only that a of the ancestral proto-language split into e and o under conditions difficult to specify but also that differences between different kinds of a vowels in Indo-Iranian account for the alternations between velars and palatals in these languages. It is methodologically simpler to assume that the late Proto-Indo-European system had vowels e, ē, o, ō, a, ā, and that these vowels merged in Indo-Iranian.
Characteristics of Iranian and Indo-Aryan
Common features
The close relation between the Iranian and Indo-Aryan groups has never been doubted. They share linguistic features to such a degree that Indo-Iranian is generally described as a distinct subgroup of Indo-European. For example, the long and short varieties of the Indo-European vowels e and o appear as ā and ă (a macron [¯] indicates a long vowel, while a breve [˘] indicates a short vowel): Sanskrit as 'be' (3rd person singular present indicative astì), aṣṭan- 'eight' (nominative-accusative plural aṣṭau), mánas- 'mind,' aj 'lead, drive' (3rd sg. pres. indic. ajàti), dhā 'put, make' (3rd sg. pres. indic. dadhāti); Avestan asti 'is,' asta- 'eight,' manah- 'mind, spirit,' azaiti 'leads,' daδāitī, 'makes'; but Greek estì 'is,' óktō 'eight,' ménos 'ardor, force,' ágei 'leads,' títhēmi 'I put, make.'
Traces of the earlier vocalic system are reflected in certain phonological alternations. Thus, verbal bases that in Sanskrit have initial velar consonants have corresponding palatals in reduplicated syllables that occur in certain categories, as with kar/kṛ 'do, make' (3rd sg. pres. indic. karoti, 3rd sg. fut. kariṣyati, 3rd sg. aor. akārṣīt), gam 'go' (3rd sg. pres. indic. gacchati, 3rd sg. fut. gamiṣyati, 3rd sg. aor. agamat)—but 3rd sg. pfct. ca-kār-a and ja-gām-a. Similarly, Avestan cāxrarə (3rd pl. pfct.) and jsγmiiąm (1st sg. pfct. optative) have palatal c- and j- instead of the velar consonants of the bases kar 'do, make' and gam 'go.'
Conversely, the perfect of Sanskrit han 'strike, kill' (3rd sg. pres. indic. hanti, 3rd sg. fut. haniṣyati) has the velar -gh- in the root syllable of perfect forms such as ja-ghān-a (3rd sg.). The long -ā- in such forms reflects a development of Proto-Indo-European -o- in open syllables. Greek forms of the type lé-loip-e 'left' (3rd sg. pfct.) show e in the reduplicated syllable and -o- in the root syllable. Similarly, Sanskrit causatives such as sād-ay-a-ti 'seats,' from the base sad 'sit' (3rd sg. pres. indic. sīdati, 3rd sg. aor. asadat), show -ā- in open syllables. The comparable Germanic formation, seen in Gothic satjan 'seat,' shows -a- as a regular development from Proto-Indo-European o.
In instances in which some Indo-European languages have a vowel a, Indo-Iranian has i as a reflex of Proto-Indo-European sounds called laryngeals—e.g., Greek patḗr 'father,' Sanskrit pitṛ- (nom. sing. pitā́), Avestan and Old Persian pitar-. After stems ending in short or long a, i, or u, an n generally occurs with the genitive (possessive) plural ending ām, reflecting an innovation modelled on stems ending in -n—e.g., Sanskrit martyānām 'of mortals, men,' Avestan masiiānąm, and Old Persian martiyānām.
In addition to several other similarities in their grammatical systems, Indo-Aryan and Iranian have significant vocabulary items in common—e.g., such religious terms as Sanskrit yajña- 'rite of worship, sacrificial rite,' Avestan yasna- 'worship, act of worship, sacrifice'; and Sanskrit hotṛ-, Avestan zaotar- 'a certain ritual officiant'; Sanskrit soma- and Avestan haoma-, which refer to a ritually important juice pressed from a plant; and names of divinities and mythological persons, such as Sanskrit mitra-, Avestan miθra- 'Mithra.' In addition, speakers of both language subgroups used comparable terms to refer to themselves as a people: Sanskrit ārya-, Avestan airiia-, Old Persian ariya- 'Aryan.'
Divergent features
Although they have many similarities, the Indo-Aryan and Iranian language subgroups also differ from each other in a number of linguistic features. For example, Indo-Aryan has an i/ī sound representing a Proto-Indo-European laryngeal sound not only in initial syllables but also, generally, in interior syllables, as in Sanskrit duhitṛ- 'daughter' (cf. Greek thugátēr). In Iranian, the original laryngeal is lost in this position, as in Avestan dugədar-, duγδdar-. Similarly, Sanskrit bravīti 'speaks, says,' vṛṇīte 'chooses,' but Avestan mraoiti, vərəṇtē. Iranian also has replaced Indo-Iranian aspirated voiced consonants (pronounced with a puff of breath, written h) with corresponding unaspirated consonants—e.g., Sanskrit gharma- 'warmth,' dhā 'put, make,' and bhṛ, 'carry, bear' but Avestan garəma- 'warm' and Avestan and Old Persian dā, bar. Further, Iranian changed stops such as p before certain consonants to spirants such as f: Sanskrit pra 'forth,' Avestan frā̆; Old Persian fra; Sanskrit putra- 'son,' Avestan puθra-, Old Persian pus͜sa- (s͜s represents a sound that is also transliterated as ç). In addition, h replaces s in Iranian except before nonnasal stops (produced by releasing the breath only through the mouth) and after i, u, r, vocalic r, and k; Avestan hapta- 'seven,' hauruua- 'whole, Old Persian haruva- 'whole,' as opposed to Sanskrit sapta-, sarva-.
Iranian also has both xš and š sounds, resulting from different Proto-Indo-European consonant clusters, but Indo-Aryan has only kṣ—e.g., Avestan xšayeiti 'has power, is capable,' šaēiti 'dwells' but Sanskrit kṣayati, kṣeti. Iranian was also relatively conservative in retaining at an early period the diphthongs ai and au, which were changed to simple vowels e and o in Indo-Aryan, and long diphthongs that were shortened to ai and au in Indo-Aryan. The earlier diphthongs are nevertheless reflected by certain Indo-Aryan alternations. Thus, prevocalic -ay- and -au- alternate with preconsonantal e and o; e.g., jay-a-ti (3rd sg. pres. indic.) 'conquers, is victorious,' stav-a- 'praise' and je-tum (infinitive) 'to conquer,' sto-tum 'to praise.' In addition, under conditions that determine the use of extralong vowels in final syllables of words, corresponding to vocative singulars in -e or -o such as agne 'Agni!' and vāyo 'Vāyu!,' one finds agnā3i and vāyā3u, with an extralong segment ā of three morae (indicated by the -3- in the phonetic spelling) followed by i and u.
Iranian differs from Indo-Aryan in grammatical features as well. The dative singular of -a- stems ends in -āi in Iranian—e.g., Avestan mašiiāi 'mortal, man,' Old Persian cartainaiy 'to do' (an original dative singular form of an action noun, functioning as infinitive of the verb). In Sanskrit the ending is extended with -a: martyāy-a. Avestan also retains the archaic pronoun forms yūš, yūžəm 'you' (nominative plural); in Indo-Aryan the -s- was replaced by -y- (yūyam) on the model of the first person plural—vayam 'we' (Avestan vaēm, Old Persian vayam). Further, Iranian has a third person pronoun di (accusative dim) that has no counterpart in Indo-Aryan.
Nūristānī and Bangani
On the basis of particular phonological developments, some scholars have recognized a distinct Nūristānī group consisting of Ashkun, Kati, Prasun, Waigali, and Tregami (all spoken in the Hindu Kush), in addition to the Indo-Aryan and Indo-Iranian groups. For example, Indo-Aryan regularly has ś as a reflex of Proto-Indo-European *j (e.g., Sanskrit keśa- 'hair,' śvan-/śun- 'dog'), but Nūristānī languages show an affricate (ts, usually transcribed ċ) for this—e.g., Kati and Waigali kēċ 'hair,' Waigali and Tregami ċū̃ 'dog.' The situation is complicated by the fact that š also appears for *j—e.g., Waigali dōš 'ten' as opposed to Kati duċ (Sanskrit daśan-).
Other scholars, however, consider Nūristānī a subgroup of Indo-Aryan, and certain cultural facts are considered to support this view. For example, Ashkun imrā́, Kati ímro, Waigali yamrái, Prasun yumrā́ 'name of a supreme deity (king Yama)' are comparable to an Old Indo-Aryan compound of yama- 'Yama (lord of the dead)' and rājan- 'king.' A reasonable hypothesis to account for these and other linguistic facts is that the Nūristānī languages represent a group of early Indo-Aryan people that remained behind, separated from the main body of Indo-Aryan speakers that migrated into the area of the Punjab. However, as yet there is no scholarly consensus on this issue.
Quite recently, evidence was made available suggesting that Bangani, spoken in the area of Bangan—in westernmost Garwhal, Uttarakhand—is a centum language within the Indo-Aryan area. For example, Bangani dɔkɔ 'ten' and dɔkru 'tear' have k, as does a centum language like Latin (decem, lacrima), as opposed to Indo-Aryan, which has a spirant representing Proto-Indo-European *ḱ, as do other satem languages: note Sanskrit daśan-, aśru-. This claim is still being debated.
Learn More in these related Britannica articles:
Indo-European languages: Indo-IranianIndo-Iranian comprises two main subbranches, Indo-Aryan (Indic) and Iranian. Indo-Aryan languages have been spoken in what is now northern and central India and Pakistan since before 1000
bce. Aside from a very poorly known dialect spoken in or near northern…
India: Languages…to four different language families: Indo-Iranian (a subfamily of the Indo-European language family), Dravidian, Austroasiatic, and Tibeto-Burman (a subfamily of Sino-Tibetan). There are also several isolate languages, such as Nahali, which is spoken in a small area of Madhya Pradesh state. The overwhelming majority of Indians…
Russia: The Indo-European groupIndo-Iranian speakers include the Ossetes of the Caucasus. In addition, there are sizable contingents of German speakers, who mainly populate southwestern Siberia, and Jews (recognized as an ethnolinguistic group rather than a religious one), who live mainly in European Russia; the numbers of both groups…
Asia: LanguagesFinally, the Indo-European family consists of the Indo-Aryan, Iranian, and Slavic languages, as well as Armenian.…
Transcaucasia: The people…and several languages of the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo-European are also spoken. The latter consist of Ossetic (spoken in central Georgia), Talysh (spoken in far southeastern Azerbaijan, on the Caspian Sea), Kurdish (spoken in scattered areas in Armenia and southern Georgia), and Tat (spoken in northeastern Azerbaijan).…
More About Indo-Iranian languages5 references found in Britannica articles
Assorted References
- classification
- Asia
- India
- Russia
- Transcaucasia


text:
ASPA files $10 Mil lawsuit over scrap metal cleanup
The American Samoa Power Authority is suing Good Year Corporation (GYC) for breach of contract in the removal of scrap metal and other debris from the Tafuna Scrap Metal Yard (TSMY).
The lawsuit against GYC, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Beltrade Group, was filed Apr. 12 this year. ASPA is represented by the law firm of Ashley & Associates.
Last Friday, the court granted ASPA's motion to allow service of the lawsuit by publication, since GYC is no longer in operation in the territory. This means ASPA will be publishing the notice in the local papers so that the company can be notified.
ASPA is accusing GYC of instructing employees to "bury extensive amounts of scrap metal, gas cylinders and scrap wire" below the surface of TSMY before the property was returned to ASPA.
According to the complaint, ASPA and GYC, which is no longer operating in the territory, entered into an agreement around October 2007 where the defendant agreed to pay ASPA $300,000 for the right to remove all recyclable materials, as well as other materials from the TSMY.
Additionally, a provision of the agreement states that GYC was to provide a $500,000 performance bond to ASPA as a surety against potential breach of its contractual agreement.
The agreement further states that in the event that the Contractor fails to successfully satisfy its contractual obligations under this agreement with the terms stated, the contractor would forfeit to ASPA the entire Performance Bond and waive its right to challenge said forfeiture in any court.
Moreover, the agreement stipulates that if it's discovered that any materials or soil are found to be contaminated at TSMY by the federal and territorial environmental protection agencies, GYC would be "solely financially responsible" for the disposable of the contaminated materials and soil according to standards required by the local EPA.
According to the complaint, amendments were later made to the agreement.
One amendment called for GYC to complete its performance work by Apr. 15, 2010 and the other amendment released the $500,000 performance bond and replaced it with a $100,000 performance bond.
The complaint goes on to say that around Apr. 9, 2010, gas cylinders under the control of GYC in the TSMY discharged hazardous gases into the environment, just six days before the defendant was supposed to complete all of their obligations pursuant to the 2007 agreement and subsequent amendments.
"Trevor Stevenson, the TSMY Site Manager of GYC, directed other GYC employees to discharge the harmful gases into the environment during the Apr. 9, 2010 incident at TSMY," ASPA alleges in the complaint, adding that this incident is the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation. (ASPA didn't say if the criminal investigation is being conducted by local or federal authorities, or both.)
ASPA further alleges that the gas release incident was "an intentional act... by GYC in an effort to vacate the TSMY and avoid breaching the Apr. 15, 2010 complete performance deadline."
According to ASPA, GYC did not complete the terms of the October 2007 agreement and amendments by the Apr. 15, 2010 deadline. It also notes that around Apr. 23, 2010, the USEPA received a request from ASEPA to take environmental samples at TSMY.
ASPA claims that it became aware around Apr. 28, 2010 that GYC had been moving recyclable materials from TMSY and storing them at the T&T Scrap Metal Yard in Futiga. Then on July 8, 2010, ASPA said it notified GYC of its intent to foreclose on the $100,000 performance bond.
The complaint reveals that on July 12 of the same year, the USEPA served ASPA with a Unilateral Executive Order (9-2010-0011) estimating cleanup costs at the TSMY to be $290,140. USEPA stated that the order was issued because of the conduct by GYC at the TSMY, particularly the release of hazardous gases.
On Oct. 20, 2010, the USEPA sent ASPA a letter formally rejecting GYC's latest Work Plan as "unsafe, inadequate, and lacking in required detail".
In the same letter USEPA gave notice to ASPA that they would be on the TSMY site to commence removal activities on Dec. 6, 2010.
According to the complaint, USEPA completed its clean up of the TSMY site on Mar. 3, 2011 and the current bill to ASPA for the clean up is $148,000. Four days later, ASPA began grading the land and preparing TSMY to be turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration and it was at that time that ASPA discovered on the surface level that wires and scrap metal had been buried subsurface at TSMY.
"After an extensive investigation", two former GYC employees (identified by name in the complaint) "admitted to ASPA in sworn affidavits that they were instructed by GYC, while still in their employ, to bury extensive amounts of scrap metal, gas cylinders and scrap wire below the surface of TSMY prior to turning over the land to ASPA".
According to the complaint, USEPA cannot sign off on the condition of the TSMY while there are large amounts of scrap buried underground and ASPA cannot legally turn over TSMY to the FAA without the USEPA signature acceptance.
As of September last year, ASPA says, it continues to excavate TSMY and remove scrap metal, gas cylinders, scrap wires and debris buried by GYC, the complaint alleges and noted that when GYC "abandoned" TSMY "they left a pre-existing wall in damaged condition and ASPA incurred repair expenses to restore the wall to its proper state."
As of Mar. 31, 2012 ASPA claims it has incurred total repair and removal costs of $5.17 million for the removal of the scrap metal, gas cylinders, scrap wires and debris buried by GYC at the TSMY.
Additionally, ASPA has incurred $4.38 million in tipping fees; $34,580 in administrative costs; $374,754 in equipment rental costs; $33,360 in security costs; $31,688 in labor costs; $8,340 in wall repair costs; and $7,699 in utility costs.
ASPA is requesting the court to grant ASPA the right to foreclose on the $100,000 performance bond because of GYC's "incurable contractual breaches"; and order judgement of $290,140 in favor of ASPA in accordance with the USEPA Unilateral Executive Order, plus future costs pursuant to federal laws.
Additionally, ASPA asks that the court issue an order requiring GYC to pay ASPA the costs of complying with the Unilateral Executive Order and award ASPA the costs incurred for the removal of recyclable materials and debris originating from the TSMY as well as other relief the court may deem proper.


text:
New England Regional Program
Western participates in the New England Regional Student Program of the New England Board of Higher Education. This arrangement offers residents of the other New England states the opportunity to enroll at Western for Connecticut resident tuition rates in courses not available in their home states. Similarly, Connecticut residents may avail themselves of programs, offered by schools in other New England states, not available at one of the other three Connecticut State University institutions (Central Connecticut State University; Eastern Connecticut State University and Southern Connecticut State University).
Detailed information about the Regional Program can be obtained through the Office of University Admissions at Western, from any secondary school guidance office, or from the New England Board of Higher Education, 45 Temple Place, Boston, MA 02111; (617) 357-9620.
New England Regional Program Offerings at Western
|Bachelor Degree Programs
|Open to Residents of
|American Studies
|Rhode Island, Vermont
|Maine, Rhode Island
|Community Health Education
|New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
|Criminal Justice/Criminology
|New Hampshire, Rhode Island
|Earth Science (Astronomy focus)
|Rhode Island, Vermont
|Health Education
|Health Promotion & Exercise Science/Community Health
|New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
|Management Information Systems
|Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island
For more information, call the Office of University Admissions at 203 837-9000.


text:
I am interested in bringing history to life through telling a story using fictional characters in a well researched historical plot. I am going to explore the historical fiction genre to see how useful it is in honing in on aspects of history which are often overlooked or brushed aside by mainstream historians.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Introducing Brigid - a synopsis
The woman soon realises that Brigid is on a mission to set right a wrong which had been perpetrated before she left Ireland to migrate to Australia at the height of the Great Potato Famine. Though she is spare with information about this deed and how it involves her, it would appear that its victim was a member of the rebel organisation Young Ireland who had come to her aid when she was attacked by her landlord's overseer. His kindness had unforeseen consequences for her family and the community she lived in as it brought them under the suspicion of the British authorities.
Through the snippets of information the woman is able to glean from Brigid, together with what she learns from her own research, a picture emerges of the impact of the Great Potato Famine on the Burren region of County Clare. She also understands why the activities of Young Ireland did more harm than good at a time when the population was too hungry to think of rebellion. She is able to forgive Brigid's disruption of her holiday as she attempts to find a way for the ghost to finally find her rest.
Find Brigid on Amazon
6 comments:
Hi Jill - I found you through your link on the BookBlogs discussion page, and very glad I did. What you say in a previous post about shelf-space in bookshops, smaller print runs and limited time to sell is so true - not only in Australia, I can assure you. As a British writer (five novels and a new out soon)this has been a pet whinge of mine for many years.ReplyDelete
Good luck with what you're doing - I shall be an interested follower of this blog. I have my own writing/arts blog, also as a kind of marketing focus.
It is so good to hear from a kindred spirit out there. Can you tell me more about your books and writing experiences.ReplyDelete
This sounds like a fantastic book. I LOVE anything to do with ghosts ;)ReplyDelete
I'm following.
Over four trips to Ireland to write this book Brigid became very real in my mind. I could see her sitting in my rental car watching my every move. I reckon she looked very like my Aunt Kate, small, wiry and with a sharp tongueReplyDelete
Hi again, Jill. Re: my books and writing, probably the best I can do on here is point you in the direction of my website and blog:ReplyDelete
After three mainstream published novels, I published the fourth myself - the usual rollercoaster publishing history - but all came good.
Dear Deborah,ReplyDelete
Just a quick look at your website and blog. It's past my bedtime so I will look at them tomorrow and hopefully track down your books. They look good and so does your experience in France. It is my dream to get there soon but it is so far away from here,


text:
Special equipment: Canner
Soak the mustard seeds. Combine all ingredients in a quart jar or other sealable nonreactive container. Seal and refrigerate overnight, or up to 24 hours, shaking occasionally to distribute.
Prepare the jars and lids. Wash all jars and lids thoroughly with soap and water and rinse well. Fill your canner with enough water to cover the jars by at least 1 inch and bring to a simmer. Using a pair of canning tongs, lower the jars in gently, tilting them to fill with the hot water. In a small saucepan, keep some water warm but not boiling; place the lids in the water. Have an additional kettle of water on to boil.
Blend the mustard. Use an immersion blender directly in the jar, or transfer the mix to a blender. Blend until desired level of smoothness.
Cook down the mustard. Transfer the blended mustard to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until reduced by about one-third, thick but still thin enough to pour easily. If the mustard becomes too thick, add water or wine a tablespoon at a time until thin enough to pour.
Fill and close the jars. Using canning tongs, remove the jars from the canner, carefully pouring the water back into the canner. Set next to the mustard in the saucepan. Turn the heat under the canner to high. Use a ladle to pour the mustard into the jars through a canning funnel, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace at the top. Run a clean chopstick around the inside of the jar to dislodge any trapped air. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel. Place the lids on, and screw on the rings until just finger-tight.
Seal the jars. Using canning tongs, gently transfer the jars to the canner, taking care to keep them vertical. When all the jars are in the canner, there should be at least 1 inch of water covering them; if you need more, add water from the kettle until the jars are sufficiently covered. Bring the water to a full rolling boil, then process for 10 minutes.
Remove and cool. Using canning tongs, gently remove the jars from the canner and transfer them to a kitchen towel or cooling rack, again keeping them vertical. Do not set hot jars directly onto cool counter surfaces. Leave to cool, undisturbed, for at least 12 hours. If any of the jars do not seal when cool, reprocess using the method above, or refrigerate and use immediately.
Label and store. Add a label to the lid or side of your jar, noting the date it was canned. Remove the rings and store jars in a cool, dark place for up to one year. Refrigerate after opening. Properly-handled sterilized equipment will keep canned foods in good condition for years. Sterilizing jars is the first step of preserving foods.
When freshly blended and cooked, mustard has an acute bitterness and sharpness. This will fade within a few days of making the mustard, as the compounds that create this flavor dissipate.


text:
One of the early declarations of love I heard from Mr A&N was that he was totally, madly, utterly enamored with broad beans. The pinnacle of the broad bean world could be found in his grandparents garden; according to him, they grew the most wonderful beans known to man and his adult summertimes were spent with sighs of recollection for those beans he could no longer have. At that stage I wasn't able to tell a broad bean from a carburetor, so I needed Mr A&N to introduce me to this magical bean.
There is very little that he and I disagree on, and those few things disappear almost completely once we move into the food arena, but none of my attempts to fall in love with the broad bean brought me even slightly close to enjoying them. Also known as the fava bean in North America, I found the broad bean a bit too much like one of my only hated food stuffs, the lima bean. It was powdery and slightly bitter, and when simply boiled and dressed with a bit of butter or oil, its powdery bitterness was intensified to a degree that I couldn't face a mouthful of them. As much as I enjoyed shelling the large pods with their wonderfully velvety insides, that's as far as I've been willing to get to broad beans for a while.
And now with our weekly vegetable box delivery, broad beans have been brought straight to our door and are harder for me to turn my back on. I decided that rather than just demanding Mr A&N eat them all (hardly a hardship for him) I should again try to embrace them and maybe make them in a different way. Broad bean hummus seemed to hold out the hope of doing away with the powdery texture I didn't enjoy and forcing some different flavors into the mix. Just like chickpea hummus, I threw in garlic and some lemon, and went a bit luxury with extra butter and herbs. Served with good crusty bread, I actually did enjoy it and ate my whole slice. I might not be returning to simple, boiled broad beans any time soon, but at least now I stand a chance of enjoying both the shelling of the pods and what follows from that.
Broad Bean Hummus
enough for 1 1/12 dozen small tapas bread triangles, or 2-3 large, generous toppings for good crusty bread
- 1 kg broad bean (fava bean) pods
- bunch of fresh oregano (optional)
- 2 soup spoons of cooking liquid
- 1 large/2 medium cloves of garlic
- juice of 1 1/2 - 2 lemons
- knob of butter (about 10-15 g)
- olive oil (about 1/4 C)
- salt and pepper to taste
- Boil water in a medium-sized pot and when boiling, place the oregano in with it.
- Shell the broad beans and when all are shelled, place them in the pot of boiling water.
- Boil the beans and oregano for 5-7 minutes or until the beans are nicely softened.
- Drain the beans, reserving a couple of soup spoons of the cooking liquid and a few springs of oregano.
- Place the beans, reserved liquid, and oregano in a blender. Add in the garlic, lemon juice, and butter, and turn the blender on.
- Slowly add the olive oil, letting the mixture blend itself for 60 seconds or so once the oil is added. If it looks to dry (or if it's so dry it's not even blending), add a bit more oil (or water if you're being healthy) and continue blending. Otherwise, test the mixture and adjust for taste. Add more oil if it still doesn't taste creamy enough, and add salt and pepper.
- Serve over bread, either as a tapas-style starter or as a bruschetta-style accompaniment to a main course.


text:
Opinions on genetically modified organisms are still quite diverse throughout the Netherlands, although the Van Dijk Committee achieved, and published, a compromise on co-existence practices. The conditions of this agreement do not mirror the standpoints of all parties involved - as is the case with all compromises. In 2008, several important stakeholders, such as the Minister of Agriculture and Raoel Bino, director of Plant Research International (part of Wageningen University and Research Centre) have pleaded for keeping the options for biotechnology open.
The Dutch government feels that biotechnology is of great societal and economic importance: innovative developments offer great opportunities for solving important societal issues in health care, sustainable agriculture, the environment and industry.
The Dutch government chooses to make the most of these opportunities - and recognises that this is possible only when safety, transparency of decision-making, freedom of choice for consumers, and ethical acceptance are guaranteed by the state.
Several ministries, each with its own responsibilities, are involved in biotechnology.
Self-regulation, an aim of the Dutch government, is reflected in the proposal developed by the van Dijk Committee.
In the Netherlands, the CDA (Christian Democratic Party), the PvdA (Labour Party), the SP (the Socialists) and the VVD (the Liberals) are the largest political parties.
With an eye on potential contributions to sustainable agriculture, the CDA has a positive attitude towards genetic modification of plants. The CDA finds it important to establish transparent licensing procedures and, for consumers and producers alike, the freedom of choice .
The PvdA has the following position on co-existence:
The SP sees no opportunities for using biotechnology in agriculture. The current applications only give advantages for multinationals, while insecurities are high for humans, animals and the environment. Developing countries rarely benefit from biotechnology, because its own agrarian development stagnates and profits usually go to multinationals. The government should not invest in agricultural biotechnology, unless there is an urgent public importance for which there is no alternative.
The VVD believes that chances for improvements in the quality of food and of health care are offered by biotechnology. Further development, and application, of this technology - provided that risk analysis is executed carefully - will offer new, desirable opportunities for important areas of the Dutch economy, such as commerce, industry, services, and small and medium-sized enterprises.
The majority of Dutch biotechnological companies, and related organisations, are represented by the Netherlands' Biotech Industry Association (NIABA). This organisation favours the proposal on co-existence, although it considers the separation distances to be larger than necessary.
The Platform ABC, an alliance of agricultural producers and special-interest groups, has a reserved and pragmatic position to date on the growth of GM crops in the Netherlands. The growth of some crops can offer possibilities, but in practice the advantages are limited. The growth of GM-free crops must remain possible in the Netherlands. Consumers and farmers must have the freedom to choose. Farmers demand products that are free from any environmental or health risk - which, according to the Platform, is not the case with genetically modified crops. Both organic and conventional products must remain GM-free and, furthermore, crossing to wild species must be avoided at all costs. New insights in co-existence must constantly be incorporated into existing regulations. The issue of liability must be well regulated. In the case of a admixture, the Platform believes, principally, that the one responsible for the admixture should pay. Platform ABC has signed the Co-existence Agreement.
The Netherlands Union of Farmers and Horticulturists is positive towards the use of genetic modification in agriculture. Restrictions concern sufficient acceptance in society, applications which are safe for the environment and for human and animal health, and the freedom of choice for consumers and farmers. The Association voluntarily accepts the co-existence measures of the Dutch Co-existence Agreement. These measures will become part of the Good Agricultural Practice in the Netherlands. The Netherlands Union of Farmers and Horticulturists has signed the Co-existence Agreement.
No official position on co-existence has been assumed to date by the Dutch food industry.
About biotechnology, Dutch consumers feel better informed than do most other Europeans. The general public has a pragmatic approach towards biotechnology, demonstrated in a study by Schuttelaar & Partners. However, a strong opposition exists, led by NGOs. Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, XminusY Solidarity Fund, Milieudefensie, Goede Waar & Co, Christian Ecological Network, the Dutch Platform for Gene Technology, A SEED Europe, Hivos, and Wemos are among the many non-governmental organisations joined in the Dutch Gentech Coalition, which do not want biotech products in the Netherlands and which have set up a relevant website together. For co-existence, for example, these organisations demand zero tolerance on admixing during cultivation, freedom of choice for farmers and consumers, liability of the GM grower or producer in all circumstances, and notification and registration in a public register. A petition with this message was sent to the members of Parliament on 15 June 2005 by the Dutch Gentech Coalition.
Before drawing up the Co-existence Agreement, the Committee on Co-existence consulted all interested stakeholders and stakeholder groups - including farmers, seed companies, biotechnology companies, food and feed producers, NGOs, consumer groups, and regulatory bodies.
Anti-GM activities have been conducted, some of which have been illegal. In some occasions field trials have been destroyed. In these cases, the perpetrators have not been identified.
In 2008, activists from Greenpeace sowed organic flowers in a test field with GM maize from Monsanto in Lelystad, the Netherlands, by means of a confetti canon. Greenpeace says it invalidated the trial, because the flowers grew faster than the GM plants.
Several protests near sites of co-existence trials in 2006 were conducted by A SEED Europe and XminusY, two environmental organisations. In 2007, these organisations organised protest marches near planned sites for field trials.
In July 2007, Greenpeace protested against the co-existence trial by wrapping all flowers with plastic bags, thereby preventing gene flow. Earlier in May 2006, Greenpeace protested against the trial by planting spinach in a GM maize field. It was thought that the spinach, by sprouting earlier, would hinder the GM maize. The intended interruption was unsuccessful.
A boat tour campaigning for GM free zones in the Netherlands was organised by A SEED Europe and XminY Solidariteitsfonds in August 2005, visiting several cities in the northern provinces of the Netherlands. The campaigners asked for dialogue with local governments. The municipality of Culemborg has declared itself a GM-free zone.


text:
Subscribe to KidsScoop! The monthly family event and savings newsletter.
Aren't you guys getting super tired of planning parties for your little ones that kind of feel repetitive?
I mean, you go through the whole picking a theme for the party, checking out awesome cakes, packing party bags, but do you even have entertainment for the little ones?
I'm not talking about the dressed up characters who only stay for like an hour or two, or the pinata, or the clowns who create balloon animals and hand out cotton candy.
I'm talking about some real hands on entertainment for the kids.
Well… it's okay if you never had any hands on entertainment for the kids because that's where the Just Add Color Party Pack comes in.
I know it seems like a lot, but it is supposed to be a lot so that you can throw the best colorful party ever!
Here in New York, it's pretty cold right now. Therefore, I could not take The Mini Melanin Gawddess outside to play with the colors.
However, it is okay to play with the product inside of the house. This product is super messy, yet, super easy to clean. All you need is water and it washes clean off.
(Make sure you still use soap, though.)
When playing with this product be sure to throw on some of your old clothes.
To avoid messing up your good clothes. Like I stated before, this product is super messy!
Ryan's Color Cookbook:
Within this guide, the creator/ founder, Ryan Johnson explains a variety of different ways that you can turn your dull party into a fun filled party.
This booklet includes some pretty cool color games, assists you with how to properly clean up the mess, and gives you tips on how to host your colorful party.
You can not throw a good party without checking out this booklet first!
While experimenting with this product, I actually had fun. I really wish that the weather was nice so that we could go outside and beautify the world with all of these pretty colors. Honey, once summer comes….it's party time! Color party time!
Before you go, let's connect!
Just Add Color - Birthday Party Package
Happy 5th Birthday F - Just Add Color Party
The Just Add Color Mega Pak
Just Add Color Party is the next trend in Birthday Parties
This stuff is fabulous!
Just Add Color for Any Birthday Party
Just Add Color Adds to All Your Party Fun!
Celebrate with a Just Add Color Party Box
Just Add Color - Birthday Party Package Review
Goodbye Dull Parties - Hello Colorful Spunk: Just Add Color Mega Party Pak Review
Just Add Color: Host A Color Powder War For Your Next Event
all you need for COLORFUL fun!
Just Add Color Party!
Just Add Color Party and Our Most EPIC Color Battle
Just Add Color Mega Party Pak Review
This Holiday Season Why Not Just Add Color to Your Festivities and Parties with the Just Add Color M
Have An Awesomely Messy Fun Color Party with Just Add Color Party
Host A Color Party With Just Add Color
Have A Color Party With Just Add Color
Just Add Color to your next Party


text:
Once a diary of the wild eye adventures of a new police officer, then the new eyes while a Detective and now a Detective Sergeant on a national unit, still seeing the same faces.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Knife Culture
Operations such as blunt, involving knife amnesties and bins at police stations and other venues have had some success's , school educations, online video's , music , support groups , tv shows , even so far as an online game from the met police.
But still we have young men killing young men on the streets with knifes.
I have often wrote about the culture of the gun, and this is an equal and possibly even more devastating current weapon of choice for todays youth.
So, some say they carry a knife for self protection, and think thats ok.
Well it ain't , you are more likely to be killed by the weapon you carry.
In this day and age when pressures are placed on the judiciary and prisons, do we need a legislative change to deal with those who carry knifes ?
I know I have personally had many run in's with oiks and knifes , i have been slashed once on my forearm and stabbed in the leg , both times the courts only set a very lenient penalties to the defendant (Twat) , or is that the judicatories feelings towards those who police the streets ?
Many, many officers have died by the knife , how many more need to do so before we see a real change in government, law and protection for all in these times.
I'm all ears to hear the thoughts of others...
5 comments:
- Ambulance Driver said...
"Many, many officers have died by the knife , how many more need to do so before we see a real change in government, law and protection for all in these times."
Well, I think this proves that outlawing classes of weapons isn't the answer. If someone is willing to knife a police officer, the fact that carrying the knife is illegal isn't going to be a deterrent.
On the other hand, if your officers were routinely armed with guns, there would be a lot less stabbings of police officers, and the ones who didn't learn that it's foolish to bring a knife to a gun fight would be removed from the gene pool.
Laws and polite discourse simply do not work on those of a criminal bent. They only work on the people who aren't a threat anyway - the law abiding.
That's my perspective as a member of the gun culture.
Thanks very much for linking my blog, by the way. Cheers!
- 12:20 AM, July 09, 2007
I was a teacher in NW London at a boys' technology college in Neasden. I asked my students why they shanked up and most of them said because they knew other people were shanked up as well and they didn't know if they would get 'beef' from other groups/gangs of people who were 'visiting' their area. I kind of had the feeling that they were just kind of scared kids at the core of it.
- 2:38 PM, July 09, 2007
- BelfastPeeler said...
I agree with the Ambo driver there.
But even if no one carried knives I still took a lad stabbed twice with a broken bottle to hospital the other night.
It's like Jeff Goldblum said in Jurassic Park
"scroats will always find a way"
- 4:47 PM, July 12, 2007
- PC Bloggs said...
But it is illegal to carry knives, so not sure what legislation can do... Then again, when did you last see someone get the maximum sentence (3yrs off the top of my head).
- 6:29 PM, July 19, 2007
- Jack said...
I would suggest a work experience programme clearing land mines in Cambodia or the Falklands for wannabe gangsters.
(time spent in the Cambodian bush will teach anyone humility).
Surely the issue of knife and gun culture is a red herring?
We can see from research that there are specifically definably categories of people (age, geography, sometimes ethnicity), where this culture is prevalent, and there are specific didactic cultural sources of behaviour paradigms.
These cultures fill vacuums in people's lives, they provide kinship and leadership where there is none (often due to family breakdown).
The response of society should be to get into these zones of near-anarchy, take control, and actively intervene before things develop. Young people are so easily seduced by the instant power attained by possessing a weapon, or being part of a gang.
This is just a symptom of a range of destructive cultural influences (violent American popular culture) and destructive processes (mass immigration of aliens from war-torn parts of the world) permitted by a pseudo-liberal regime.
It's long overdue that they just have a moratorium on immigration and focus on the problems that have developed as a result of it.
From my experience I would say that crime motivation falls into maybe two (or three) categories: those who can't help it due to hard drug addiction and mental illness (sex crime, maladaptive violence); and those who can, which includes the (socially, culturally, & economically) ostracised.
Personally I see no logic in having time-defined sentencing, I think indefinite sentences are a better idea.
It's probably far more effective and fair to say: we release you when you are no longer a threat; and with a proper integration process including citizenship education; job/training; and state-run accommodation.
That way you keep your nonces and nutters locked up, and hopefully go some way to breaking the cycles of "mainstream" crime.
Another major issue - and I completely fail to grasp how this evades the attention of politicians - is access to alcohol... stop it being sold in supermarkets; shut down half the pubs and clubs (have a ratio of them per capita), and watch the Police and NHS time and money spent mopping up reduced dramatically.
Alright, there'll be some short-term unemployment in the booze industry, but it's worth it for society in the long term.
People obviously don't do half the silly things that might cross their mind in a fit of temper if there's no or less alcohol in their systems.
Perhaps even forcing pubs and clubs to serve food with every drink might help change the whole paradigm from that of a filling station to that of a little chef!
- 2:34 PM, July 22, 2007