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Rockport Getaway Giveaway- Official Rules
Rockport Getaway Giveaway- Official Rules
August 18th, 2023
- Eligibility: The Rockport Getaway Giveaway (the "Sweepstakes") is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia (except where prohibited by law) who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry or before the Sweepstakes closing date (except Alabama, Delaware, and Nebraska, 19, and Mississippi, 21). Employees of The Rockport Company, LLC, and its parent and affiliate companies ("Promotion Entities"), as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and household members of each such employee, are not eligible. The Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations and is void where prohibited by law. Sponsor: The Rockport Company, LLC, 1220 Washington Street, West Newton, MA 02465.
- Agreement to Official Rules: Participation in the Sweepstakes constitutes entrant's full and unconditional agreement to these Official Rules and Sponsor's decisions, which are final and binding in all matters related to this Sweepstakes. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.
- Timing: The Sweepstakes period begins on Friday, August 18th, 2023 at 11:00AM ET and ends on Sunday, August 20th, 2023 at 11:59PM ET (the "Sweepstakes Period"). Winners to be announced Monday, August 21st, 2023. Sponsor's computer is the official time-keeping device for this Sweepstakes.
- ODDS: Many will enter, only one (1) winner will win. The odds of winning depend upon the number of eligible entries received. Sponsor cannot accurately predict the number of entrants who will participate in the Sweepstakes.
- How to Enter: There are two methods of entry. During the Sweepstakes Period, the Sponsor will post a photo on its Instagram channel calling out the Sweepstakes. Entrants must, during the Sweepstakes Period, (a) like the post, (b) follow @Rockport on Instagram, and (c) tag a friend in the comment section below the photo. One individual liking/commenting on the post will be selected to each win five (5) pairs of Rockport shoes in the style and color of their choice. During the Sweepstakes Period, access the Instagram application on your mobile device ("Device"). If you do not have the Instagram App, you may download it through the application store on your device. The Instagram App is free; however, data rates may apply to use the App. Instagram's Terms of Use apply: Alternatively, during the Sweepstakes Period send an email to [email protected] which includes your email address. You must meet all the guidelines and restrictions in these Official Rules to be eligible for a prize. For us to contact you and for you to redeem your prize, your Instagram settings must be set to "public." If you enter this Sweepstakes using a Device, your wireless service provider's data rates apply. Entrants should consult their wireless service provider's pricing plan for details. You agree to incur any charges demanded by your wireless carrier. Entrants should check their Device's features for capabilities and check the Device manual for specific use instructions. By participating in this Sweepstakes, you agree to be bound by the Guidelines (as set forth below) and that Sponsor may disqualify you from the Sweepstakes, in its sole discretion, if your entry does not comply with the Guidelines or is otherwise not in compliance with these Official Rules.
- Guidelines: You must follow @rockport on Instagram. You must tag a friend in the comment section. You must like the post within the designated Sweepstakes Period as described under "How to Enter." Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, invalid, un-intelligible or misdirected likes, which are disqualified in Sponsor's sole discretion. In the event of a dispute as to the owner of any account, the authorized account holder of the email address used to register for that Account will be deemed to be the entrant and he/she must comply with these Official Rules. The "authorized account holder" is the natural person assigned an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted address. Each entrant may be required to show proof of being the authorized account holder.
- Selection of Winners: One (1) winner will be selected at random. In the event there are not enough eligible entries, not all prizes will be awarded. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any potential winner(s) if, in its sole discretion, it finds content on his or her social media pages to be inconsistent with the brand's image.
- Winner Requirements: Sponsor will notify the potential prize winner(s) via a comment on the original Instagram Sweepstakes post or via e-mail on the date listed in Section 3 (Monday, August 21st, 2023). It will be followed up with a direct message to the potential winner, who will be required to take the specified steps provided in the message within one (1) week of receiving the win notification. The potential winner(s) will need to provide a written affirmation and warranty of ownership of the account and rights to use likenesses within 7 days of notification. If a potential winner(s) of any prize cannot be contacted, fails to respond with the requested contact information within the required time period fails to provide the required documentation/assurances, or does not comply with these Official Rules, the potential winner(s) will be disqualified and forfeits the prize. If a prize is forfeited or returned as undeliverable, Sponsor may award the applicable prize to a runner-up from the applicable Sweepstakes Period, up to three (3) alternates, after which the applicable prize will remain un-awarded. Acceptance of any prize shall constitute and signify winner's agreement and consent that Sponsor and its designees may use the winner's name, city, state, and/or prize information in connection with the Sweepstakes for promotional, advertising or other purposes, in any manner, worldwide, in any and all media now known or hereafter devised, including the Internet, without limitation and without further payment, notification, permission or other consideration, except where prohibited by law. Sponsor shall not incur any liability whatsoever to the extent Sponsor chooses to refrain from any exploitation of its rights here under. Winner will indemnify Sponsor, Released Parties (as defined in Section 12 below) and any licensee of Sponsor against all claims, damages, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable counsel fees and legal expenses) arising out of any breach of these Rules. Prizes will be awarded 2 – 4 weeks after winners are identified and have responded in accordance with this Section
- Prizes: 1 Prize Winner, 5 Prizes total. The winners will receive five [5] pairs of Rockport shoes in the color and style of their choosing approximate retail value per shoe of $50-$250. Prizes are awarded "as is" with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied. No substitution, exchange or transfer of prize will be permitted by any winner. Prizes cannot be redeemed for cash. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute any prize for one of comparable or greater value, at its sole discretion. Each prize winner is responsible for any federal, state or local taxes and fees associated with prize receipt and/or use. One prize will be awarded to the winner of the Sweepstakes. Limit: Five (5) prizes per person.
- Publicity: Except where prohibited, participation in the Sweepstakes constitutes entrant's consent for the Sponsor and each of its designees to use entrant's name, prize information, city and state of residence for advertising, promotional and other purposes, in any manner, in any and all media, now or hereafter devised, worldwide in perpetuity, without further consideration, notification or permission.
- General Conditions: If for any reason, the Sweepstakes is not capable of running as planned by reason of infection by virus, bugs, worms, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes which, in the sole opinion of the Sponsor, may corrupt or affect the administration, operation, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this Sweepstakes, Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Sweepstakes (or any portion thereof), and select the winners.
- Release and Limitations of Liability: EXCEPT WHERE PROHIBITED, BY PARTICIPATING IN THE SWEEPSTAKES, ENTRANT AGREES TO RELEASE AND HOLD HARMLESS THE PROMOTION ENTITIES, INSTAGRAM, INC., FACEBOOK, INC., TWITTER, INC., GOOGLE INC., AND THEIR RESPECTIVE RELATED COMPANIES, PARENTS, SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE AGENTS AND AGENCIES, PROMOTIONAL PARTNERS, PRIZE PARTNERS, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES AND AGENTS (COLLECTIVELY, THE "RELEASED PARTIES") FROM AND AGAINST ANY CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION ARISING OUT OF PARTICIPATION IN THE SWEEPSTAKES OR USE OF THE PRIZE, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO: (A) UNAUTHORIZED HUMAN INTERVENTION IN THE SWEEPSTAKES; (B) TECHNICAL ERRORS RELATED TO COMPUTERS, SERVERS, PROVIDERS, OR TELEPHONE OR NETWORK LINES; (C) PRINTING ERRORS; (D) ERRORS IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE SWEEPSTAKES OR THE PROCESSING OR JUDGING OF PHOTOS; (E) LATE, LOST, STOLEN, ILLEGIBLE, INACCURATE, DELAYED, MISDIRECTED OR UNDELIVERABLE PHOTOS, POSTS, MAIL; OR (F) INJURY OR DAMAGE TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY WHICH MAY BE CAUSED, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, FROM ENTRANT'S PARTICIPATION IN THE SWEEPSTAKES. ENTRANT FURTHER AGREES THAT IN ANY CAUSE OF ACTION, THE RELEASED PARTIES' LIABILITY WILL BE LIMITED TO THE COST OF ENTERING AND PARTICIPATING IN THE SWEEPSTAKES AND IN NO EVENT SHALL THE RELEASED PARTIES BE LIABLE FOR ATTORNEY'S FEES. ENTRANT WAIVES THE RIGHT TO CLAIM ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PUNITIVE, CONSEQUENTIAL, DIRECT, OR INDIRECT DAMAGES.
- Governing Law: All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of entrants and the Promotion Entities in connection with the Sweepstakes, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the United States, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions. Entrant agrees that: (a) any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, this Sweepstakes or any prizes awarded, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts or the appropriate Massachusetts state court; (b) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs, but in no event including attorneys' fees, disbursements or court costs; and (c) under no circumstances will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental and consequential damages, and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket costs.
- Winners List: To find out the name of the winner, please send a self-addressed stamped envelope to The Rockport Company, LLC, 1220 Washington Street, West Newton, MA 02465, ATTN: Marketing Instagram Giveaway.


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Earth System Science in a Nutshell
Created by Martin Ruzek, Universities Space Research Association, ESSE 21 Program
Panel 1, Shaping the Future of Undergraduate Earth Science Education
Earth is a complex system of interacting physical, chemical and biological processes, and provides a natural laboratory whose experiments have been running since the beginning of time.
The Earth system is often represented by interlinking and interacting "spheres" of processes and phenomena. The atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and geosphere form the simplest collection, though some would add the cryosphere as a special element dealing with polar regions and processes, and others would add the anthroposphere emphasizing human dimensions and impact on the planet. The difficulty with any representation that divides the system is the danger of continuing a deconstructed perception of the holistic Earth system - in reality no part of the Earth system can be considered in isolation from any other part.
What is Earth System Science?
Earth system science embraces chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics and applied sciences in transcending disciplinary boundaries to treat the Earth as an integrated system and seeks a deeper understanding of the physical, chemical, biological and human interactions that determine the past, current and future states of the Earth. Earth system science provides a physical basis for understanding the world in which we live and upon which humankind seeks to achieve sustainability.
Earth system science builds upon the fundamental disciplines, which form the scientific integrating basis for any discussion of the system as a whole. This representation shows the critical relationship of ESS concepts as a bridge between the disciplines and the increasingly interpretive and integrative endeavors of human social processes. The future of our planet and the destiny of humankind are dependant upon this interdisciplinary pyramid of Earth system processes and phenomena.
Given the concerns that humankind is impacting the Earth's physical climate system, a broader concept of Earth as a system is emerging, including societal dimensions and the recognition that humanity plays an ever increasing role in global change. Within this concept, knowledge from the traditional Earth science disciplines (geology, meteorology, oceanography, ecology, biology ...) is being gleaned and integrated to form a physical basis for Earth System Science.
Earth system science fosters the synthesis of disciplinary knowledge into a holistic model of Earth with broader interdisciplinary relevance. However, the development both conceptually and physically of the Earth system model and its quantitative assessment in the classroom and laboratory is a continuing, formative processes which requires nurturing and commitment to eclectic learning beyond one's discipline. The intersection of disciplinary specialties often provides the most fertile and interesting fields for study, but is easily sidetracked by traditional disciplinary interests.
In the mid-1980s NASA began a systems approach to cataloging the elements of the Earth system, their linkages, dependencies and fluxes. This simplified version focuses on the physical elements of the system, but relegates human processes to a simple box.

subset: commoncrawl


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We've had brain-computer interfaces for years now, as well as mind-controlled prosthetic limbs. Now neuroscientists have taken it to the next level, with a system that would allow you to control a super-powered exoskeleton using only your thoughts.
Image of exoskeleton from Raytheon (this type is not brain-controlled - yet).
It's a science fiction dream, and now is close to reality. Scientists at the University of Chicago were experimenting with brain-computer interfaces in monkeys, teaching them to control computer cursors via electrodes implanted in their brains. We've known for a while that thinking about moving activates the same areas of the brain as moving itself does - so monkeys (and humans) learn to do this by imagining that they're moving left, right, up or down. But the researchers discovered that the monkeys learned much faster if their arms were moved at the same time the cursor did - basically, they got feedback via movement in their bodies as well as from looking at the monitor.
According to a release about the study from the Society for Neuroscience:
The authors worked with two adult rhesus macaques to assess a system that incorporates a sense of movement. Each monkey was first trained to control a cursor using brain signals only; electrodes collected and processed data from the monkeys' motor cortex cells and transmitted those commands to the computer. Basic science research has shown that simply thinking about a motion activates brain cells in the same way that making the movement does, so each monkey needed to only think about moving a cursor to do it.
The researchers equipped each animal with a robotic "sleeve" that fit over an arm. In the first part of the experiment, the monkeys controlled the cursor by simply looking at the computer screen. In the second part, the robotic device moved the monkey's relaxed arm in tandem with the cursor movement, so the monkey could sense the cursor's motion in time and space. The authors found when the monkeys had the extra sensation, the cursor hit the target faster and more directly. The results also showed increased movement-related information in the activity of motor cortex cells, compared with visual-only feedback.
[Lead researcher Nicholas] Hatsopoulos said his group's findings may pave the way for enhanced brain-controlled devices that include multiple forms of natural or even artificially produced sensory feedback. "Wearable exoskeletal robots could provide sensory information to patients with full or partial feeling," he said. "Alternatively, direct stimulation of the relevant area of the cortex could be used to replicate sensory feedback in patients who have lost both motor and sensory function."
What this means is that basically we've already got the technology to create mind-controlled exoskeletons - we just need to develop and refine it. I was particularly intrigued by the idea that we don't need to move a person's limbs to give them motor feedback - just stimulate their motor cortex. Once we've mastered that, how far are we really from Robocop, whose brain has been hooked up to an almost entirely artificial body?


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How many peak experiences have you had today?
Let me rephrase this question: how many instances have you had today where you were fully immersed in what you were doing to the point that nothing else mattered?
If you do not know the answer, you are not alone. Most of us go about our day without consciously attempting to experience moments that require our undivided attention.
I am certain that you have had peak experiences as you skied down a slope, competed in a race, played the violin in a recital, gave your best presentation, read the most absorbing book or had a fascinating conversation.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, aside from having a difficult name to pronounce, is regarded as the leading researcher on positive psychology. His most notable contribution is that of flow. Csikszentmihalyi defines flow as the exceptional moments when we are completely immersed in what we are doing. In these moments, our concerns, worries, and physical needs disappear.
In his research, Csikszentmihalyi determined that universally about 20 percent of us experience flow multiple times a day while 15 percent claim they never have this kind of experience. One of his specific studies surveyed 6,469 people in Germany and concluded that 23 percent of people experience flow often, 40 percent experience it sometimes, 25 percent rarely experience flow moments, and 12 percent never do or do not know. Another interesting research finding is that people who read books on a regular basis achieve flow twice as much as people that read occasionally or not at all.
Why does flow matter? Csikszentmihalyi found a high correlation between the frequency of peak experiences, or flow, and overall happiness, the ability to deal with complexity, and ultimately higher awareness.
We normally associate happiness with an emotional state that tends to be highly dependent on our environment and may include our family, friends, work, location, or finances. Any major change in our environment would normally result in the end of happiness or at least in its dampening. Csikszentmihalyi states that flow is a more predictable way of achieving and maintaining happiness. It does not depend on our environment, but on how we interact with it.
Work, it turns out, is where we have access to a wealth of opportunities to experience flow. A key component of flow is active engagement. In fact, Csikszentmihalyi determined that peak experiences are seldom present when we are relaxed, watching television, or engaged in some form of entertainment. Now, relaxation and fun are necessary for the mind and body to recharge, but they are not where we will achieve flow. Flow requires an outcome and an activity in which we participate and where the value or quality of the outcome depends on how we engage.
Let's take a cashier at a grocery store. With all of the automation in place, there is little possibility for the cashier to experience flow with just the transactions. However, the cashier could perform the checkout process on auto-pilot and focus on interacting with customers. Each shopper would represent a mini-interaction full of potential peak experiences.
Csikszentmihalyi determined that flow is most probable when both the level of the challenge and the level of our skills are high. A mismatch in these levels or low levels of both would produce a different kind of experience. For instance, a challenging situation where we have little to no skills to address any problems that arise would produce anxiety. A low-challenge situation requiring skills that we have already mastered would produce boredom.
The point is that we should seek challenging situations where we have to constantly develop our skills. This may not be possible in every work or personal situation, but we ultimately have a choice on where we spend our time and what activities we engage in. A less than challenging work situation could be compensated with a challenging hobby.
So how do we get into a flow mindset? For one, we should become our own researchers. Just like Csikszentmihalyi, we can tabulate our daily peak experiences and over a period of time determine how often we are having them. If our goal is to be among the 20 percent of the people experiencing flow multiple times a day, then we need to determine what is contributing to the lack of it in our lives.
The two dimensions to consider are the level of challenge and our own skills. If you have an easy job or are overworked without the opportunity for flow, you may want to seriously consider changing what you do. Our personal lives are no different but may require different strategies.
A key question to consider in seeking daily flow is what skills do we need to have more meaningful relationships, better conversations, and joyful interactions? Relationships, in general, provide many levels of challenge. Unfortunately, what we normally do with relationships, particularly the uncomfortable ones, is to do the absolute minimal to get by. In the Csikszentmihalyi scale, this type of relationship would produce worry or anxiety and not have any possibility for flow. The good news is that we can match the levels of challenge with our interaction and create flow-rich experiences that ultimately translate into a happier life.
Csikszentmihalyi brings to light a simple yet powerful concept fully backed by research. Flow is not only something we may desire, but it is a necessary part of our evolution toward higher levels of complexity and awareness.
Read other posts by Jorge Taborga
Keep up with our community: Facebook | Twitter | Saybrook's Organizational Systems Program


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1 Hr
94 m
Hard track
Bobbin Head
Bobbin Inn Cafe
(0km) Bobbin Inn Cafe → Bottom of the Birrawana track steps
160 m
4 mins
Easy track
(0.16km) Int of Birrawana track and Ku-Ring-Gai Chase Road → Int of Birrawana and Cockle Creek Lookout tracks
300 m
7 mins
Hard track
(0.45km) Int of Birrawana and Cockle Creek Lookout tracks → Cockle Creek Lookout
110 m
3 mins
Moderate track
Cockle Creek Lookout
Maps for the Cockle Creek Lookout Return walkYou can download the PDF for this walk to print a map.
These maps below cover the walk and the wider area around the walk, they are worth carrying for safety reasons.
|1:25 000 Map Series
|Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park Tourist Map
|1:40 000 Map Series
|CMA Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park Tourist Map
|CMA Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park Tourist Map
|1:100 000 Map Series
Cross sectional view of the Cockle Creek Lookout Return bushwalking track
Analysis and summary of the altitude variation on the Cockle Creek Lookout Return
Overview of this walks grade – based on the AS 2156.1 – 2001
Under this standard, a walk is graded based on the most difficult section of the walk.
|1.1 km
|1 Hr
Grade 4/6
Hard track
|Very steep (4/6)
|Quality of track
|Formed track, with some branches and other obstacles (3/6)
|Directional signs along the way (3/6)
|Experience Required
|Some bushwalking experience recommended (3/6)
|Weather generally has little impact on safety (1/6)
|Limited facilities, not all cliffs are fenced (3/6)
Some more details of this walks Grading
Here is a bit more details explaining grading looking at sections of the walk
300m of this walk is very steep and another 160m is flat with no steps. The remaining (110m) has gentle hills with occasional steps.
Quality of track
Around 410m of this walk follows a formed track, with some branches and other obstacles, whilst the remaining 160m follows a clear and well formed track or trail.
Around 410m of this walk has directional signs at most intersection, whilst the remaining 160m is clearly signposted.
Experience Required
Around 410m of this walk requires some bushwalking experience, whilst the remaining 160m requires no previous bushwalking experience.
This whole walk, 570m is not usually affected by severe weather events (that would unexpectedly impact safety and navigation).
Around 450m of this walk is close to useful facilities (such as fenced cliffs and seats), whilst the remaining 110m has limited facilities (such as not all cliffs fenced).
Similar walks
This walk enjoys some great views and quiet bushland in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. From Apple Tree Bay, the walk soon heads over the hill and loops down to Bobbin Head, with the option of a bite to eat at the kiosk before returning along a similar but different route to Apple Tree Bay. The walk has some steep sections but is well worth the effort.
Total climbing: 281m
3.9 km Circuit
2 hrs
Hard track
This great circuit walk enjoys some views of Cowan Creek and explores the many ferns through the open forest. The walk starts at the Kalkari Discovery Centre and follows the Birrawanna Loop Track down to Bobbin Head, a large picnic area with kiosk, toilets, BBQ's and more. The walk then continues up through the bush to the National Park Regional Office, before returning to the Kalkari.
Total climbing: 298m
5.2 km Circuit
2 hrs 15 mins
Hard track
This walk starts at the Sphinx War Memorial and follows some well maintained and popular walking tracks down to Cowan Creek. Enjoy the water views as you head through Bobbin Head and Apple Tree Bay. The walk continues through the National Park and up the hill to Mt Kuring-gai. There are plenty of great spots to stop and rest, including a cafe, kiosk and picnic area at Bobbin Head.
Total climbing: 673m
10.7 km One way
4 hrs 45 mins
Hard track
Starting at the Sphinx War Memorial in North Turramurra, this walk follows a series of well-used tracks exploring the waterways and Bobbin Head. The walk drops through Bobbin Head picnic area before passing through Apple Tree Bay on its way to Mt Kuring-gai. The scenic views and variety of things to do along this track make it a fantastic walk. There are a couple of Cafe's at Bobbin Head to add to this journey.
Total climbing: 518m
11 km One way
4 hrs 30 mins
Hard track
Starting in North Turramurra, this walk follows the Darri and Warrimoo Tracks through Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and down along the picturesque Cowan Creek. Bobbin Head makes a great spot to take a break and have some lunch at the cafe, kiosk or picnic area. From Bobbin Head, the track continues through Apple Tree Bay, following Cowan Creek for a little while before climbing up and out of the valley to Mt Kuring-gai station.
Total climbing: 852m
14.6 km One way
6 hrs 30 mins
Hard track
Starting with a walk through the streets of Wahroonga, this walk then heads bush, following the Gibberagong Track to Bobbin Head. After a picnic or a bite to eat from the kiosk, the walk then heads up the Birrawanna track to lead to Apple Tree Bay. From here the track follows the picturesque Cowan Creek for a while before heading up the ridge to Mt Kuring-gai Station.
Total climbing: 607m
14.7 km One way
5 hrs 30 mins
Hard track
Other Nearby walks
Exploring Cockle Creek at water level and Ku-ring-gai National Park from the ridge, this is an enjoyable short walk to Mt Kuring-gai. Pop into the cafe at Bobbin Head for a cup of coffee or a light meal. The short side trip to the lookout up on the ridge offers an amazing view. As there are no buses to Bobbin Head, you will need to plan a car shuffle or ring a taxi.
Total climbing: 364m
5.3 km One way
2 hrs 30 mins
Hard track
4.4 km Return
2 hrs
Moderate track
This is a short and pretty walk that can be enjoyed by everyone. It makes a nice addition to a picnic or paddle at Bobbin Head. Starting from the southern end of the Bobbin Head picnic area, you will enjoy great views of Cockle Creek from the bridge, then meander along the boardwalk through the mangroves. There are information signs to help you learn more about the environment and plenty of opportunities to see the mangroves and crabs up close.
Total climbing: 17m
552 m Return
15 mins
Very easy
This pleasant walk starts from the southern end of Bobbin Head, and enjoys blend of mangrove and rainforest environs. The well-signposted track gives you the opportunity to see the mangrove wildlife up close, and also a historic Aboriginal axe grinding stone and some temperate rainforest.
Total climbing: 82m
1.6 km Return
40 mins
Moderate track
This pleasant walk starts with a wander through the interesting Kalkari Discovery Center. Enjoy the displays and chat with the volunteers before heading out the back door to find the rest of the walk. The walk follows the concrete path past more information signs and a lovely pond. As you wander through the large fenced enclosure keep an eye out for wallabies, bush turkeys and other animals. The main lookout provides stunning views and well worth spending time to enjoy.
Total climbing: 25m
798 m Circuit
30 mins
Very easy
This walk explores three valleys, with great displays of wild flowers in spring, and some nice sandstone overhangs. The section between Mt Kuring-gai and the end of Calna Creek is particularly nice, and Naa Badu Lookout is well worth the small side trip. Take the time to enjoy the many creek side rest areas along the way.
Total climbing: 553m
9.7 km One way
4 hrs 15 mins
Hard track
Ridge tops, grasslands, creek crossings and spectacular views are all part of this walk as it ventures from the ridge above Berowra Creek down to water level and back up again. Take the short and free ferry ride across the creek to get lunch at Berowra Waters. Conserve your energy for the steep sections between Berowra Waters and Cowan.
Total climbing: 1147m
17.2 km One way
8 hrs
Hard track
From the ridge above Berowra Creek, this walk goes steeply down into the valley following Calna Creek. The narrow bush track section is quite beautiful with plenty of small creek crossings and sandstone overhangs. The grasslands section, just before coming to the junction of Calna and Berowra Creeks, is also very pretty.
Total climbing: 425m
9.4 km Return
4 hrs
Hard track
5.2 km Return
1 hr 45 mins
Moderate track
This walk to Smiths Creek follows a wide trail for most of the way, however it is well worth the walk, for Smiths Creek is a lovely spot with open grasslands and a creek to explore. The optional side trip to Wilkins Viewpoint is also worthwhile, with a fabulous view into Cowan Creek – consider including it on the return journey, to break up the walk home.
Total climbing: 576m
16.1 km Return
6 hrs
Moderate track
This Perimeter Trail walk contours gently around the northern side of Terrey Hills on a wide mostly level trail, with occasional views across Ku-Ring-Gai National Park. However, it is the side trips that make this walk truly worthwhile – if you are only going to do one side trip, the lookdown into Cowan Creek from Wilkins Viewpoint is fabulous. With a variety of side trip options and easy access to the start and finish, this walk is well worth considering.
Total climbing: 214m
7.2 km One way
2 hrs 45 mins
Moderate track
This Perimeter Trail walk to Wilkins Viewpoint, near Terrey Hills offers a beautiful view into the waters of Cowan Creek. The setting and views at Wilkins Viewpoint are worth the walking, which is mostly along wide trails. This is a good walk in which to see some typical Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park scenery.
Total climbing: 137m
5.5 km Return
2 hrs
Moderate track
Plan your trip to and from the walk hereThe Cockle Creek Lookout Return walk starts and ends at the Bobbin Inn Cafe (gps: -33.659696, 151.15912)
Your main transport option to Bobbin Inn Cafe is by;
Car. A park entry fee is required for driving into the park.
(get details)
Fire DangerEach park may have its own fire ban, this rating is only valid for today and is based on information from the RFS Please check the RFS Website for more information.
Weather ForestThis walk starts in the Metropolitan weather district always check the formal BOM forecast or pdf before starting your walk.
Forecast snapshot
Park Information & Alerts
Short URL = http://wild.tl/cclr
Gallery images
There are other downloads I am still working on.
You will probably need to login to access these — still all free.
* KML (google earth file)
* GPX (GPS file)
Special Maps/ brochures
* A3 topo maps
* PDF with Lands Topo map base
* PDF with arial image (and map overlay)
I wanted to get the main site live first, this extra stuff will come in time.
Happy walking
Matt 🙂


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'Les Innomables', artwork by Yann.
Yannick Le Pennetier, better known as Yann, began his career as an artist, but soon became one of France's most popular scriptwriters. After spending several years in Brittany (Bretagne), he moved to Brussels. After working in the advertising and architecture fields, his earliest comic stories appeared in the "Carte Blance" section of Spirou in 1974. He then went to work for Curiositiy magazine for a while, but returned in Spirou to begin a fruitful collaboration with Didier Conrad. They became infamous for their satirical illustrations on the tops of the pages, and most notably, their 'Les Innomables' series in 1980. While Yann drew and Conrad wrote the first story of this series, the duo switched duties from the second series. This adult series didn't fit in the juvenile atmosphere of the magazine, which led to the comic's disappearance in 1983.
'Les Innomables', artwork by Conrad.
Yann and Conrad then transferred to Glénat publishers, where they began 'Bob Marone' in Circus, a parody of the famous 'Bob Morane' character by Henri Vernes. Around this time, Yann began focusing more and more on the scriptwriting, leaving the artwork to others. After breaking up with Conrad, Yann began several new collaborations from 1985, such as with Frank Le Gall ('Yoyo' and an episode of 'Théodore Poussin'), Marc Hardy ('La Patrouille des Libellules' and the hooker gag series 'Lolo et Sucette'), Yslaire ('Sambre' under the pseudonym Balac), Philippe Bercovici ('Leonid et Spoutnika'), François Avril ('François Boyard et Dominique Coudecoeur') and Yves Chaland (several episodes of 'Freddy Lombard'). He took over the scriptwriting of the revived 'Marsupilami' strip from Greg (art by André Franquin and Batem). He also relaunched Raymond Macherot's 'Chaminou' character with Denis Bodart in 1989.
'Lolo et Sucette', artwork by Marc Hardy.
Other collaborations include Olivier Neuray ('Nuit Blanche' in Circus), Bercovici ('Leonid et Spoutnika' in L'Instant), Riff Reb's ('Les Pouâcres' in Mikado), Marc Michetz ('Tako' at Glénat), Édith ('Basil et Victoria'), Luis Joos ('O.A.S. - Aïscha'), Laurent Verron ('Odilon Verjus'), Fabrice Lamy ('Colt Walker'), Philippe Berthet ('Pin-Up' and later 'Yoni'), Fabrice Tarrin, Simon Léturgie ('Spoon & White'), Eduardo Garzon ('Riouac'h'), Olivier Wozniak ('Les Chasseurs d'Étoiles'), Eric Lenaerts ('Soizic') and Félix Meynet ('Les Éternels'). With René Hausmann, he created the poetic comics 'Les Trois Cheveux Blancs' and 'Le Prince des Écureuils' in the Aire Libre collection of Dupuis. He teamed up with Conrad again 1994 to revive 'Les Innomables', this time at Dargaud. Together, they also created the 'Lucky Luke' spin-off 'Kid Lucky' under the collective pseudonym Pearce and in cooperation with writer Jean Léturgie. Later on, Pearce and Léturgie also began the juvenile western comic 'Cotton Kid'.
He was one of several artists to make a graphic contribution to 'Baston Labaffe no. 5: La Ballade des Baffes' (Goupil, 1983), an official collective parody comic of André Franquin's 'Gaston Lagaffe'. In 1990 he and Didier Conrad, as well as Yann and Marc Hardy paid graphic tribute to François Walthéry in the collective homage book 'Natacha. Special 20 Ans' (Marsu Productions, 1990), which celebrated the 20th anniversary of Walthéry's series 'Natacha'. Yann scripted a short comic for the collective comic book 'Allez Coucher, Sales Bêtes' (Dupuis, 1991), illustrated by René Hausman.
On 16 June 2004 a comic mural depicting 'Odilon Verjus' was inaugurated in the Rue des Capucins / Kapucijnerstraat 13 in Brussels, as part of the Brussels' Comic Book Route.
Yann & Conrad were a strong influence on Remco Polman.
'Les Innomables'.


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Iceland 2018
- 6x7" (aprox. 14x16cm), Edition of 25
- 12x14" (aprox. 30x38cm), Edition of 9
Signed, titled, and editioned on print verso
Print: Giclée Print, Museum Quality
Paper: 305gsm Hahnemühle Photo Rag Ultra Smooth, 100% Cotton
Sizes are Paper sizes, actual print will be slightly smaller due to the white border.
Larger prints upon request.


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Intensive Care Unit - ICU RN - TravelNurse - Full-time / Part-time
| Verified Pay
|$2,193.69 to $2,193.69 weekly
|Full-time, Part-time
|Kankakee, Illinois
About this job
We're looking for Intensive Care Unit RNs for an immediate travel nurse opening in Kankakee, IL. The right nurse should have 1-2 years recent acute care experience. Read below for more requirements.
As an ICU Travel Nurse, you'll be responsible for evaluating and monitoring patients in an Intensive Care Unit setting. ICU RNs provide the most direct care to patients in life-threatening situations, documenting and providing physician-directed care, assessing and implementing patient care plans, and delegating to other care providers as appropriate. As an ICU RN you will also be providing education and support to patient families, possibly for long-term care needs.
As an ICU Travel Nurse, you should be prepared to perform the following tasks:
- Provide basic bedside care.
- Prepare, administer and record prescribed medication, reporting any adverse reactions to treatment.
- Order and evaluate diagnostic tests.
- Take samples for lab work, order corresponding lab work and interpret reports.
- Monitor and adjust specialized equipment, and interpret and record electronic displays.
- Ensure proper placement and functioning of catheters, leads and tubing.
- Communicate patients' conditions to family members.
Certs required: ACLS, BLS, NIH; active IL license. Experience required: 2 Years


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Should teens be looking for love online? Should they be on sites such as Tinder or Match?
Age restrictions on these sites are in place for a reason, however we know that many teenagers will find a way around them if they want to bad enough. It's not any different then tweens joining social media platforms designed strictly for ages 13 and older.
Love Is Respect offers advice, resources and tips for parents, teachers and teens.
Everyone deserves to be in a safe and healthy relationship, both in person or online. If your partner is digitally abusive, know their behavior is not acceptable and could be illegal. Check out the tips below for staying safe on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, foursquare and others.
- Only post things you want the public to see or know. Once it's online, it's no longer under your control.
- Be protective of your personal information. Your phone numbers and addresses enable people to contact you directly, and things like your birth date, the schools you attended, your employer and photos with landmarks may make it easier for someone to find where you live, hang out or go to school.
- Set boundaries and limits. Tell people not to post personal information, negative comments or check-ins about you on social media. Ask people not to post or tag pictures if you're not comfortable with it.
- You can keep your passwords private — sharing passwords is not a requirement of being in a relationship.
- Don't do or say anything online you wouldn't in person. It may seem easier to express yourself when you are not face-to-face, but online communication can have real-life negative consequences.
Abuse or Harassment
- Don't respond to harassing, abusive or inappropriate comments. It won't make the person stop and it could get you in trouble or even put you in danger.
- Keep a record of all harassing messages, posts and comments in case you decide to tell the police or get a restraining order.
- Always report inappropriate behavior to the site administrators.
Leaving an Abusive Relationship
- If you are leaving an unhealthy relationship, start by blocking your ex on Facebook and other social networking pages. We recommend you don't check-in on foursquare or other location-based sites or apps — you don't want your ex or their friends tracking your movements.
- Adjust your privacy settings to reduce the amount of information that particular people can see on your page. Privacy settings on sites like Facebook allow the user to control how their information is shared and who has access to it. Remember, registering for some apps require you to change your privacy settings.
- Avoid posting private details on your friend's pages. They may not have appropriate settings and doing so may allow someone to see your movements and location. The same goes for tagging yourself in pictures.
- Consider what is called a "super-logoff" — deactivating your Facebook account every time you log off and reactivating it every time you log back on. This way, no one can post on your wall, tag you or see your content when you're offline, but you still have all of your friends, wall posts, photos, etc. when you log back on.
- While it is inconvenient and may seem extreme, disabling you social networking page entirely may be your best option to stop continued abuse or harassment.
Your Friends' Safety
If your friend is in an unhealthy or abusive relationship, be careful what you post about them. Pictures, locations, check-ins and even simple statements can be used to control or hurt them. If you're unsure of what's ok to post, get your friend's permission before you click "Share."
Source: Love Is Respect
Read: 5 Benefits of Boarding Schools for Troubled Teens.
Read: Goals of Behavior Modification Programs for Teens.
Read: Why Residential Therapy Works.
Since 2001 we've been helping parents find the right therapeutic boarding schools for their troubled teens. Contact us for a free consultation.


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Among the bloodletting boxes, ether inhalers, kangaroo-tendon sutures and other artifacts stored at the Indiana Medical History Museum in Indianapolis are hundreds of scuffed-up canning jars full of dingy yellow liquid and chunks of human brains.
Until the late 1960s the museum was the pathology department of the Central Indiana Hospital for the Insane. The bits of brain in the jars were collected during patient autopsies performed between 1896 and 1938. Most of the jars sat on a shelf until the summer of 2010, when Indiana University School of Medicine pathologist George Sandusky began popping off the lids.
Frustrated by a dearth of postmortem brain donations from people with mental illness, Sandusky—who is on the board of directors at the museum—seized the chance to search this neglected collection for genes that contribute to mental disorders.
Sandusky is not alone. Several research groups are now seeking ways to mine genetic and other information hidden in old, often forgotten tissue archives—a handful of which can be found in the U.S., along with many more in Europe. Several technical hurdles stand in the way, but if these can be overcome, the archives would offer several advantages. Beyond supplying tissues that can be hard to acquire at a time when autopsies are on the decline, the vintage brains are untainted by modern psychiatric drugs and are often paired with detailed clinical notes that help researchers make more accurate post hoc diagnoses.
"There are probably a fair number of these collections around the country that grew out of state hospitals," says John Allman, professor of biology at the California Institute of Technology. "It is an untapped resource. If it were carefully planned and reasonably funded, it could become quite a valuable thing."
Celloidin solution
About a dozen facilities in the U.S. today receive postmortem brain donations from people with schizophrenia; collectively, they hold about 700 brains, according to Joel Kleinman, chief of the section on neuropathology at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). His institute's collection is one of the largest, with 232 brains. But getting access to these modern samples is not easy for everyone, he says. "These institutions collected them at great expense, and are not just going to give them up."
A few researchers have instead tapped into much older brain collections, especially for anatomical studies, such as measuring the relative size of white and gray matter or counting neurons. The National Museum of Health and Medicine in Silver Spring, Md., holds one such collection of old brains: thousands of decades-old human brain specimens, many of which originally came from Saint Elizabeth's Hospital, a psychiatric facility in Washington, D.C.
Many of the samples are preserved in celloidin, a hard, rubbery and highly flammable form of cellulose. "The benefit of working with celloidin is that tissue shrinkage is very minimal, and you can see [tissue and cell] structures very clearly under the microscope," says Archie Fobbs, neuroanatomical collection manager at the museum.
But using celloidin-covered samples for genetic analysis is much trickier, as Sandusky's team found out.
Their collection contains brain, heart, liver and spleen tissues from about 1,400 autopsies, 95 of which are labeled "dementia praecox," an antiquated diagnosis similar to schizophrenia. After death most patients' bodies were transferred to built-in metal ice chests located throughout the building, then autopsied within 24 hours.
Many of the samples fixed in celloidin also float in a liquid preservative that is probably formaldehyde or alcohol. If one scooped a gelatinous chunk out of a jar and tossed it against a wall, it would probably bounce like a rubber ball, Sandusky says.
In the summer of 2010 his team tried to break down the preservative with several different chemical concoctions, but to no avail. Frustrated, they put the study on hold and placed the samples on the backburner—or, rather, chilled them in a tank of liquid nitrogen at –180 degrees Celsius.
But nine months later, in the summer of 2011, the researchers decided to take another stab at the analysis. When they retrieved the samples, the celloidin had broken down into little beads. After a few chemical washes, however, the researchers successfully extracted DNA from the tissues.
Sandusky does not know exactly why the method worked, and it has not yet been peer-reviewed. But he says the DNA is of high quality: "I was totally, totally shocked."
If verified by independent groups, Sandusky's technique would be useful because many old specimens, from brains to tumors to animals, are preserved in celloidin, according to Mary Herman, a neuropathologist at the NIMH who has been inspecting brains since 1962. By the 1970s most researchers switched to paraffin wax because celloidin's flammability makes it somewhat dangerous to work with.
The usefulness of celloidin-encased brains "depends on how well they've been cared for and preserved. Some maintenance is required," Herman says. Formaldehyde can be contaminated with bacteria, for example. "The quality of DNA in old celloidin specimens will require careful evaluation."
Diagnostic dilemma
As proof of principle, Sandusky is first screening the DNA for a handful of genetic glitches that researchers have already linked to schizophrenia in blood studies. So far, the search for the genetic culprits of mental illness has been inconclusive and disappointing, pushing researchers to gather as much data as possible, which is one reason old overlooked brain collections are so valuable. He also plans to look for RNA, which is produced when genes are turned on. Whereas DNA analysis reveals genetic mutations written into a person's genome, RNA analysis reveals which genes are actively overexpressed or underexpressed compared with the general population.
Several other experts, however, are skeptical that Sandusky will be able to extract RNA; the fragile molecule degrades more quickly than DNA does. "If DNA is like holding a rock, RNA is like holding a wine glass," says Carlo Colantuoni, an investigator at Lieber Institute for Brain Development in Baltimore.
The DNA could be interesting on its own, though. Researchers are learning that an individual's DNA is not always the same in blood cells and brain cells. For instance, sometimes large genomic deletions and duplications—called copy number variations, or CNVs—crop up in certain tissues after conception. Francine Benes, director of the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center, says she has found interesting CNV differences from one brain region to another in 20-year-old schizophrenia brains preserved in paraffin wax. These differences could reflect atypical brain development that might contribute to schizophrenia.
On the one hand, old clinical diagnoses do not line up with modern ones, which could make it difficult to compare data from old and new brains, according to several experts. On the other hand, century-old clinical records are often much more descriptive than modern ones. In the early 1900s patients were often confined to institutions and followed much more closely than are patients today, giving psychiatrists the chance to record intimate details. "For example, one record describes a female patient who, over the course of a couple of weeks, ate all of the fibers in a broom," Sandusky says.
"Some of the old cases are very good in terms of quality," says Manuel Graeber, chair of brain tumor research at the University of Sydney. In 1997 he found slides of 91-year-old brain tissue from the first described Alzheimer's patient stashed in a basement at the University of Munich. His team confirmed the telltale plaques and tangles of the disease and ran DNA tests on the tissue. "These were meticulous scientists. It's inspiring."
When the pathology building of the Indiana asylum opened in 1896, the Indianapolis Sentinel newspaper ran an announcement. In it, a local doctor described the purpose of the lab: "to gain a clearer insight into diseases of the mind, which must result in the cure of a much larger percent of cases than is now possible." That goal, at least, has been perfectly preserved.
Shelf-Preservation: Researchers Tap Century-Old Brain Tissue for Clues to Mental Illness
Extracting DNA from a museum collection of jellied autopsied brains dating back to the 1890s may give researchers a new take on the study mental disorders
Among the bloodletting boxes, ether inhalers, kangaroo-tendon sutures and other artifacts stored at the Indiana Medical History Museum in Indianapolis are hundreds of scuffed-up canning jars full of dingy yellow liquid and chunks of human brains.


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Microsoft this week revealed the final design of its browser ballot screen (or "choice screen") for Windows XP, Vista, and 7, which will begin appearing in EU-based versions of those products over the next few weeks.
Over the next few weeks, Microsoft will begin offering a 'web browser choice screen' to Internet Explorer users in Europe, as required by the European Commission.
Internal testing of the choice screen is underway now. We'll begin a limited rollout externally next week, and expect that a full scale rollout will begin around 1 March, a couple of weeks ahead of schedule.
Microsoft agreed to use Windows Update to provide a browser choice screen to Windows users in Europe who are running Internet Explorer as their default browser.
This browser choice screen will present a list of browsers, with links to learn more about them and install them. The design and operation of this choice screen was worked out in the course of extensive discussions with the European Commission and is reflected in the commitment that Microsoft made.
Users who get the choice screen will be free to choose any browser or stick with the browser they have, as they prefer.


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~ Carl Orff - O Fortuna ~
O fortuna --- O fortune,
velut Luna --- like the moon
statu variabilis, --- you are changeable,
semper crescis --- ever waxing
aut decrescis --- and waning
vita detesabilis, --- hateful life
nunc obdurat --- first oppresses
et tunc curat --- and then soothes
ludo mentis aciem, --- as fancy takes it;
egestatem, --- poverty
potestatem --- power
dissolvit ut glaciem. --- it melts them like ice.
Sors immanis --- Fate - monstrous
et inanis. --- and empty,
rota tu volubilis, --- you whirling wheel,
status malus, --- you are malevolent,
vana salus --- well-being is in vain
semper dissolubilis, --- and always fades to nothing,
obumbrata --- shadowed
et velata --- and veiled
michi quoque niteris; --- you plague me too;
nunc per ludum --- now through the game
dorsum nudum --- I bring my bare back
fero tui sceleris. --- to your villainy.
Sors salutis --- Fate is against me
et virtutis --- in health
michi nunc contraria --- and virtue,
est affectus --- driven on
et defectus --- and weighted down,
semper in angaria. --- always enslaved.
Hac in hora --- So at this hour
sine mora --- without delay
cordum pulsum tangite; --- pluck the vibrating strings;
quod per sortem --- since Fate
sternit fortem, --- strikes down strong man,
mecum omnes plangite! --- everyone weep with me!
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Our Main Office
Construction Equipment Guide
470 Maryland Drive
Fort Washington, PA 19034
Fri November 18, 2011 - Northeast Edition
WASHINGTON (AP) A Senate panel cleared legislation Nov. 9 overhauling federal highway programs, prompting lawmakers to talk of a looming bipartisan consensus that would end years of stalemate on repairing and expanding an aging transportation network.
In a rare show of bipartisanship, the 18 members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee pushed the legislation forward for further action, even withholding, for now, amendments that hadn't been agreed to in advance by both parties.
The two-year transportation plan was drafted by the committee's Democratic chairwoman, Sen. Barbara Boxer of California, and its senior Republican, Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma. The bill's co-sponsors include the Senate Finance Committee's Democratic chairman, Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, and its senior Republican, Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana, who are trying to find the money to pay for the plan.
"I don't think there is any question, if you look at the four of us, that this is the definition of bipartisan work," Vitter said. "This is a jobs bill, this is an infrastructure bill that is designed to succeed, that can succeed."
Despite the Senate's defeat of President Barack Obama's $50 billion infrastructure jobs bill, momentum is building for congressional passage of a long-term transportation plan to repair crumbling roads and bridges, move people and freight more efficiently and boost employment.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, recently removed a major roadblock by agreeing to support a continuation of current highway program spending levels. He said Republicans will introduce a six-year transportation plan this month, and he expects House passage before the end of the year.
The Senate bill is a significant departure from the current highway program. It aims to give states more flexibility in choosing what kinds of projects best meet their needs, while at the same time requiring that they show in a more systematic way that they are using their aid to achieve federal goals like relieving traffic congestion, reducing air pollution and keeping roads and bridges in good repair. It would eliminate or collapse 90 separate highway programs, each with its own pot of money, into 30 mostly larger pots.
It also would increase funding for a federal transportation loan guarantee program from $122 million a year to $1 billion a year, while reducing the share of money states have to contribute to projects. The federal guarantees can reduce states' financing cost for large projects through lower interest rates. The lower rates and guaranteed revenue through tolls or some other user fee also can attract as much as $30 in private investment for each dollar in federal aid, thus significantly increasing the overall funds available for transportation projects, supporters of the program said.
Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., chairman on the House Transportation Committee, hasn't yet introduced his plan, but he has described key features that are similar to the Senate bill. For example, he has said he intends to eliminate or collapse all 108 existing federal highway and transit programs into a handful of aid programs to give states more flexibility in choosing projects. He also has said he, too, would increase the loan guarantee program to $1 billion a year and ease state contribution requirements.
"Congress is realizing we need to do something, and Republicans are realizing they can't just sit there and say no" to appeals for more spending on infrastructure to boost the economy, said Joshua Schank, president of the Eno Transportation Foundation, a nonpartisan think tank.
Two congressionally-mandated transportation commissions have warned that if the United States doesn't sharply increase spending to repair and improve its infrastructure, the nation will face a future of nightmarish congestion. Current transportation systems — highway, rail and aviation — won't be able to handle the projected population growth of 100 million more Americans by 2050. The federal Highway Trust Fund, which pays for highway and transit aid, is spending more money than it takes in, but the backlog of projects is still growing. A recent report by the Carnegie Endowment for Peace estimates that the U.S. transportation system, excluding aviation, adds over $100 billion annually to the national deficit when deferred maintenance is counted.
John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, said he's encouraged by what he's hearing from lawmakers in both parties. The association has been urging Congress to pass a bill providing long-term spending authority for highway and transit programs. The last long-term bill expired in 2009. Programs have continued to limp along under a series of short-term extensions. The current extension expires in March.
The lack of long-term funding has weakened the ability of state highway departments to commit to major projects that can increase transportation capacity. Such projects usually require several years to complete. Instead, money often winds up directed to repaving and other upkeep projects
"The best jobs bill Congress could come up with right now is a long-term transportation bill," Horsley said.
Like many issues before Congress, the biggest question mark is where lawmakers will find the money to pay for the overhaul. The Senate bill, including safety and transit programs, would spend $109 billion over two years. Sponsors are still $12 billion short of the money needed to pay for it, although Baucus pledged Nov. 9 to somehow find the funds. In the House, Republicans have discussed a six-year, $286 billion bill paid for by revenue from expanded oil and natural gas drilling. But there are serious questions whether the money could be raised before it's spent and whether federal trust fund rules might prevent relying on revenue that's not directly raised from use of roads and bridges.
"Finding the money is going to be a real challenge and presents the largest obstacle to enactment of any legislation," Schank said.
And each of the programs being eliminated or losing guaranteed funding — from Appalachian highways to covered bridges to safe routes to schools — has supporters who are already lobbying to protect their interests. In the past two months, bicycling and pedestrian groups have generated an estimated 70,000 emails to lawmakers urging that funding for their programs be retained.
"The House bill by all accounts isn't going to have a word about bike and pedestrian projects in it," said Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists. "We realize a lot is at stake."
VIDEO: Case Launches New Ways for Utility, Construction Crews to Work in Tight Job Sites, Combat Labor Shortages


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Husband and wife Cindy and Steve Horenstein recently opened Horenstein Law Group in Vancouver.
Victor Kisch, partner at Stoel Rives.
Martin F. Medeiros, partner with Swider Medeiros Haver LLP.
Glen "J.R." Ujifusa is a Multnomah County deputy district attorney who runs the Sex Buyer Accountability and Diversion Program, which just celebrated its first anniversary.
Betty Krejci is director of development for Lifeworks NW, a prevention, addiction and mental health services non-profit who are teaming with affordable housing developer Home Forward and Gerding Edlen to build a new affordable housing complex and treatment facility called Project Network. The planned facility, which will be located in the Albina District of Northeast Portland, will include a 33-bed treatment facility coupled with 32 alcohol-and-drug-free affordable housing units.
Tom DiChiara is vice president of development for C.E. John Co., who are planning a multifamily project in Northwest Portland targeting middle-class workforce tenants. The company is looking to keep rent at the Slab Town Flats at under $2 a square foot, which DiChiara says they will be able to accomplish because the property was acquired at a low price and construction costs will be lower than those on nearby market-rate developments.
Jerry Yudelson, principal at Yudelson Associates.
A former home furnishing design center on Northwest 21st Avenue is being converted to an Irish brew pub and restaurant. Lorentz Bruun Co. is performing a full renovation for the owners of Kells Irish Pub in downtown Portland. According to a land use review filed with the Bureau of Development Services in February, the project was designed by Portland-based Enfuego Design. The new Kells Brew Pub is slated to open later this month.
Ron Weaver, a journeyman sprinkler fitter with AFP Systems, takes a measurement for fire sprinklers at the new Kells Brew Pub in Northwest Portland.
A vacant lot at The Round in downtown Beaverton is one of four set to be acquired by Portland-based estate private equity firm Scanlan Kemper Bard. In addition, SKB is currently in the process of acquiring the 24-Hour Fitness building and a parking garage on the development.
The Guild Theater, located at 829 S.W. 9th Ave., is downtown Portland's last single-screen theater. The 5,000-square foot space, which opened in 1927, is for lease through broker Nick Kassab of Capacity Commercial Group, LLC for an unspecified amount.
Officials toss dirt at the conclusion of a groundbreaking ceremony for Phase C of The Yards at Union Station Monday morning. The development's fourth and final phase, designed by Otak and to be built by Walsh Construction, will contain 80 affordable housing units.
Members of a project team from GBD Architects stand in front of a model of a 780-unit "superblock" residential project proposed for Portland's Lloyd District. Pictured are, from left, Richard Dobrot, associate principal; Craig Davis, principal; Lucas Posada, designer; Kyle Andersen, principal; and Gene Callan, principal.
Marilyn Cover is executive director of the Classroom Law Project in downtown Portland.
Judge Angel Lopez, Multnomah County Circuit Court
Ali O'Neill, O'Neill Electric.
Christina Fell, Emerick Construction.
Lauren Holmes, Howard S. Wright.
Sherlyn Martin, GreenLife Construction.
National Association of Women in Construction members Amanda Wilson, left, president of NAWIC Portland Chapter #54, and Yasmine Branden, the organization's national vice president, install a porch railing on a home in the Lents neighborhood of Southeast Portland Wednesday. NAWIC member volunteers teamed with REACH Community Development's Community Builder's Program, which makes free repairs and accessibility upgrades on homes of low-income disabled and elderly homeowners, to perform various upgrades and maintenance on the home. In addition to the porch railing, volunteers installed smoke detectors, a wand shower head, hand railings on a stairway and in a shower, improved lighting, and cleaned the home's rain gutters.
Carol Eisenlohr, a NAWIC member and employee of Legend Homes, marks a wall in preparation for installing a hand rail on a basement stairway.
NAWIC member Erin Bullard, an employee of Travelers Bond & Financial Products, installs a compact fluorescent bulb in a bathroom light fixture.
NAWIC National Vice President Yasmine Branden, an employee of Neil Kelly Company, Inc., drives a screw while constructing a porch railing.
Molly Luft, a field technician with REACH Community Development's Community Building Program, cuts a post for a porch railing.
Dana Fulkerson, left, a housing rehab supervisor with REACH Community Development's Community Builders Program, assists NAWIC members Linna Polley, center, and Erin Bullard in installing a wand showerhead.
Linna Polley, left, an employee of the Northwest College of Construction, holds a ladder whil fellow NAWIC member Erin Bullard cleans a rain gutter.
Christina Fell, left, a director with the NAWIC Portland Chapter #54 and employee of Emerick Construction, and Matt Browne, a self-described "NAWIC Mascot" and husband of member Jenny Browne, work on a front porch railing.
NAWIC volunteers and REACH staff joke before posing for a photograph with homeowner Sarai Saulo, lower right.
Bob Ball, developer, Astor Pacific LLC
Summit Construction is performing a shell renovation of two commercial spaces in the former Dow Columbia building on Southeast Division Street for a new pizza restaurant and bar. The 2,300-square-foot combined space will be home to Cibo, a new venture from Bastas Trattoria owner Marco Frattaroli. Work on the shell began in late February, and is expected to last two months.
Eduardo Ceja, a carpenter with Summit Construction, cuts a piece of sheet rock while working on a renovation for Cibo, a new pizza restaurant and bar on Southeast Division Street in Portland.
The building housing a Southeast Portland fairy tale-themed bakery and candy store, Keana's Candyland, is for sale at an asking price of $389,900. Located at 5214 S.E. Milwaukie Ave, the two-story former house is decorated from floor to ceiling with murals and sculptures depicting everything from pixies and princesses to candies and Christmas. Owner Tenea Storm was raised in the house by her mother, co-owner Denise Arciero; the women are hoping to save the business and remain in the building after its sale.
Diana Helm, president of the Damascus city council and the owner of a home decor store in the city, believes that a measure being voted on today by citizens could clog government processes if it passes. Measure 3-389 would require any new city ordinance or plan adopted by the council to be accompanied by a financial impact report and be subject to a public vote before the council could submit it to Metro or the state.
Lew Bowers, far right, Portland Development Commission's Central City division manager, speaks Portland's Old Town/Chinatown neighborhood during a panel discussion March 9 about development in the neighborhood.
Anne Naito-Campbell listens to a speaker during a panel discussion on Portland's Old Town/Chinatown neighborhood March 9.
A lot on Northeast Columbia Boulevard is the site of a proposed $55 million biogas production facility. The Cully Association of Neighbors have joined with several east-side nonprofit groups and Columbia Biogas to stimulate economic development in the area by providing neighborhood residents with jobs in the construction and operation of the plant.
Powin Energy Vice President Michael Morse stands in front of a single phase Powin Energy Storage Solution, which is capable of 16 kilowatt hours of electrical energy storage. The Tualatin-based company is focusing on the growing utility-scale energy storage market.


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In the following Quick Tip you will learn how to create a multi-purpose 3D Like and Unlike symbol with the help of the Extrude & Bevel settings and the Appearance Panel in Adobe Illustrator This technique can be used with many different shapes and symbols, so let's get started!
Step 1
The first thing we need is the thumb-up shape. Take the Pen Tool (P) and start drawing the thumb then continue with the four waves representing the fingers and at the end close the path at the bottom as shown in image 1.
Make sure that the three curves between the fingers are smooth, otherwise after you apply the 3D effect it won't look good and you will have to come back and adjust the handles. If you think it's easier, you can also use a picture to trace the outline of the hand.
Once you have the thumb-up shape, give it a white fill and a 17 pt green Stroke. Now, from the Appearance Panel, open the fly-out menu and choose Add New Stroke. Change the color of this second stroke to yellow (or any other) and set the weight to 7 pt. Make sure that the white fill is located above the two strokes in the Appearance Panel (image 2).
Step 2
Having this shape selected go to Effect menu > 3D and apply the Extrude & Bevel effect. Change the values as indicated then click on the More Options button to open the entire dialog. Decrease the Blend Steps from 25 to 2 because after we expand it we will need as fewer shapes as possible with which to work otherwise things get more complicated.
Step 3
Let's continue with the wrist. First, take the Rectangle Tool (M) and draw a rectangle. Its size depends on the size of the hand drawn at the beginning and in my case I used a 50 x 110 px rectangle. Go to Effect menu > Stylize > Round Corners and apply a 10 px Radius then set the Stroke and Fill colors as indicated (1). Make sure that the Stroke is located above the Fill in the Appearance Panel and increase the weight to 5 pt.
Now you can apply the 3D Extrude & Bevel effect using the settings shown (2). Select Tall-Round as the Bevel shape in order to give it a more special look.
Step 4
Take the Vertical Type Tool and type "LIKE" using Arial Black. Go to Object menu and choose Expand then drag the resulting group into the Symbols Panel to define a new symbol (1). Do the same thing to get the "UNLIKE" symbol that you will need later. Go back to the 3D shape obtained at the previous step and from the Appearance Panel open again the Extrude&Bevel Options window and press the Map Art button. Here select the "Like" symbol from the list and apply it on the front surface (2). Scale it if needed.
Step 5
Put the wrist and the hand one next to the other, the wrist being behind the hand (1). Before you select Expand Appearance from the Object menu, duplicate these two 3D shapes because you will need them later to create the Unlike symbol.
After expand go to the Object menu and select Ungroup three times. Now, focus on the five fingers. If you select one of them you will notice that it is actually a group of smaller shapes. Open the group in the Layers Panel and you will find there a Clipping path that you have to delete (2). The same thing goes for the other four fingers and make sure you delete all clipping paths that you find before you continue.
Step 6
Now you can unite all these tiny shapes that make up each finger. As shown in the image 1, select the groups of smaller shapes that compose the index finger and click Add to shape area > Expand from the Pathfinder Panel. If nothing happens, ungroup them first then try again but it should work on the first try. Move on to the middle finger and select all the groups of shapes that compose it then click Add again to unite them (2). Do the same thing for the next finger (3).
Note: If we haven't decreased the Blend steps, these groups would be composed of far too many small shapes and it would have been more complicated to work with them.
Step 7
Continue with the last two fingers and once you obtained all of them, fill them with the linear gradient shown (6). Adjust the angle value for each one of them as needed.
Step 8
Replace the fill color of the yellow border with the green color indicated then fill the hand shape from the inside with a radial gradient from white to light gray. Also select a 1 pt black Stroke then having only this attribute selected in the Appearance Panel, go to Effect > Blur and apply a 2 px Gaussian Blur.
Step 9
Select the shape shown below then go to Object menu > Path > Offset Path and apply a -1.5 px offset value to obtain a thinner shape. Fill it with the green color indicated.
Step 10
Next, select only "Like" from the group and change the fill color. Group the wrist and the hand then go to Effect menu > Stylize and apply the Drop Shadow effect. The Like symbol is now ready.
Step 11
Take the copies of the wrist and the hand that I said to keep at step 5. Replace the "LIKE" symbol in the Map Art window with the "UNLIKE" symbol made at step 4 then change the colors as indicated. When you are done, group the two 3D shapes and flip them vertically to obtain the thumb-down symbol.
Step 12
From this point the process is the same as for the Like symbol therefore follow again the steps 5, 6 and 7. First, select Expand Appearance from the Object menu for both shapes then Ungroup the hand three times. Delete all the clipping paths that you find but only for the fingers not for the entire hand. When you are done, select the groups of smaller shapes that make up each finger and click Add to shape area > Expand from the Pathfinder Panel to unite them as you did earlier. Once you have obtained the five finger shapes fill them with the gradient shown.
Step 13
For the inside of the hand follow Step 8 once more, then create the thinner shape using Offset path as you did at Step 9 and fill it with the color indicated. Finally, group the wrist and the hand and apply the Drop Shadow effect using the same settings shown at step 10. The Unlike symbol is ready.
Final Image
Here is the final image. Try this technique on different shapes and see what you can come up with. I hope you've enjoyed this tut.


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= ((141.3/100.0) (1/11) - 1) * 100
= 3.19%
= ((137.7/100.0) (1/11) - 1) * 100
= 2.95%
11.22 The average annual upper level substitution bias was calculated as LaspeyresCAGR - FisherCAGR = 3.19% - 2.95% = 0.24%. The CPI for the period June quarter 2000 to the June quarter 2011 was potentially upwardly biased by 0.24 of a percentage point per year on average due to the inability to take account of the upper level item substitution effect. These results are consistent with studies by other national statistical agencies.
11.23 The results show that the longer the period between re-weights, the larger the potential upper level item substitution bias effect on the index. Table 11.1 illustrates that the average annual substitution bias increases at a faster rate the longer the period between re-weights. The re-weighting periods in this analysis were June quarter 2000 and June quarter 2005.
11.24 The result for 1 year since re-weight was caused by the introduction of the GST and cyclone Larry and can be considered atypical. Excluding this, it can be seen that the average annual item substitution bias increases over time and also increases at a faster rate, especially after the fourth year. This finding is consistent with the Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) analysis which showed that item substitution bias is considerably greater when NZ CPI weights are updated at six-yearly rather than three-yearly intervals.(footnote 3)
11.25 While there are five main sources of bias in CPIs, this analysis focuses on one type only - upper level item substitution bias - and therefore the results in the analysis should not be taken to equate to the total bias in the CPI, which will be the cumulative impact of all sources of bias.
11.26 As different index number formulas produce different results, the ABS has to decide which formula to use. The usual way is to evaluate the performance of a formula against a set of desirable mathematical properties or tests. This is called the axiomatic approach. This approach is certainly useful however a few practical issues need to be considered, such as: the relevance of the tests for the application at hand; the importance of a particular test (some tests are more important than others); and even if an index formula fails a test, how close in practice will the index likely be to the best measure?
11.27 The range of tests developed for index numbers has expanded over the years. Diewert (1992) describes twenty tests for weighted index formulas, and Diewert (1995) provides seventeen tests for equally weighted (or elementary) index formulas, and attributes the tests to their authors. It is beyond the scope of this chapter to describe all the tests, but several important ones are outlined below. Many of the tests apply to both types of formulas.
11.28 The Fisher Ideal index formula passes the tests on time reversal, circularity and commensurability; whereas the Laspeyres and Paasche only pass the test of commensurability.
11.29 Regarding the three equally weighted price index formulas discussed in Chapter 4, the arithmetic mean of price relatives (APR) fails the first three tests, the relative of average prices (RAP) fails the commensurability test, but the geometric mean (GM) approach passes all tests. Of Diewert's seventeen tests for elementary index formulas, the RAP passes fifteen tests and the GM sixteen tests.
11.30 Although the equally weighted GM appears to have considerable appeal as an elementary index formula, there are some situations in which it produces an undesirable result. The GM cannot handle zero prices which might occur, for example, if the government introduced a policy to subsidise fully a particular good or service. In addition, the GM may not produce acceptable movements when a price falls sharply. For example, consider a price sample of two items, each selling for $10 in one period, with the price of one of the items falling to $1 in the second period. The GM produces an index of 31.6 for the second period (assuming it was 100 in the first period), a fall of around 68%. Because the GM maintains equal expenditure shares in each period, it effectively gives a larger weight to lower prices.(footnote 4)
11.31 The GM formula has become more widely accepted in official circles for compiling consumer price indexes. For example, Canada switched to using GMs in the late 1980s; the United States introduced the GM formula for items making up about 61% of its CPI in January 1999; and Australia began introducing the formula in the December quarter 1998. (However, where there is a likelihood of zero occurring in the price sample the GM is inappropriate, and the ABS generally uses the RAP formula instead.) Furthermore, the GM formula is prescribed by the European Union for calculation of price sample means in its Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICP).
11.32 There is another aspect to indexes that is worth considering, although it is not rated as a test in the literature. In most countries the CPI is produced at various levels of aggregation. Typically there are three or more levels between the lowest published level, and the total of all goods and services. In practice, it is desirable that the same result is obtained whether the total index is compiled directly from the lowest level or in a staged way using progressively higher levels of aggregation. Diewert (1978) shows that the fixed weighted Laspeyres and Paasche indexes may be aggregated consistently, and the Fisher and Törnqvist indexes are (very) closely consistent.(footnote 5)
1 Consumer Price Indices; An ILO Manual, by Ralph Turvey et al (ILO, Geneva 1989). <back
2 For a description of the indexes, refer to Chapter 4 Price Index Theory. <back
3 Consumers Price Index Retrospective Superlative Index, 2008 (Statistics New Zealand, 2008), available at ( http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/economic_indicators/productivity/price-index-developments.aspx ). <back
4 The RAP and APR formulas both give an index of 55.0 in this case. <back
5 The aggregation property of the Laspeyres and Paasche indexes allows them to be broken down into points contributions which is very useful for analysing the relative significance of items in the index, and their contributions to changes in the aggregate index. However, Diewert (2000) has a way to decompose superlative indexes. <back
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text: Welcome to Ocean Keyes Request Your Free Sales Package North Myrtle Beach's Premiere Gated Community Every once in a while you come across an exceptional Myrtle Beach gated community that strikes all the right chords within us. From its choice close seaside location and spectacular setting to an impressive variety of homes and amenities, you just know it's the answer to everything you could ask for in a great resort community. Ocean Keyes is one of the most sought after coastal addresses in North Myrtle Beach, SC – near to everything you'd want in the perfect vacation setting. Enjoy endless breezes, warm Carolina sunshine, an invigorating yet relaxing lifestyle and so much more. Your Coastal Retreat awaits on the shores of North Myrtle Beach, SC, in the heart of the Grand Strand and you can make it yours to enjoy with your whole family. FOR SALES PLEASE CONTACT KEYE REAL ESTATE, INC. AT 843-444-4400.


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Manufactured by TruBodyWellness, Yacon Syrup is the newest weight-loss supplement on the market. Available in syrup or capsule form, Yacon Syrup, according to TruBodyWellness, may aid in weight-loss, improve digestive health, boost the metabolism and naturally suppress appetite. It has a low glycemic index to support blood sugar levels, and is 100% organic and gluten free.
Published in WholeFoods Magazine, March 2014


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|Early Childhood Education
|Programs, research, evaluations, and publications on early childhood education.
|Helping Your Preschool Child
|A booklet that provides parents with activities to help children (infancy through age 5) become better learners and prepare for school.
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Rule #1 - Be Patient - Rule #2 - Don't ask when, if you don't contribute - Rule #3 - You have coding skills - LinuxMCE's small brother is available: http://www.agocontrol.com
This will be so cool! Can't wait to get my hands on it:)Can you disable effects? First thing my GF will ask is to turn off the spinning icons...
Give her a diamond ... she will forget all about those spinning icons.
I just installed qOrbiter from the market onto my new phone and it downloaded Ministro but now I get the error "Ministro can not satisfy your application dependencies" when I launch qOrbiter. I'm running a Galaxy Nexus and it just updated to Jelly Bean. Does anyone know if this is specific to Jelly Bean or qOrbiter? Thanks!
"Your application encountered a fatal error and cannot continue." every time I start it.
Updated the nightly, please try that and let me know if you encounter errors. I tested it before i posted so im a bit confused as to why it went fubar-golgoj4


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I had no real inclination to post detailed reflections on this year's SBL Annual meeting in Chicago. Mark Goodacre pointed out that the use of Twitter was an important part of proceedings this year, and even I had a go at it. Not sure what I think.
Instead, I thought I would list 5 good and 5 less good aspects of the Conference for me, in no particular order.
1. People: always the main event, getting to spend time with so many people who (a) share a professional interest and some of whom (b) you also count as personal friends. It was especially good to connect with members of the Chester TRS Department, my dear, dear friends Alan and Ellie Kreider and Brad Braxton, and many other US and UK friends.
2. Papers: the usual mix, but the highlights were a session on Gender, Sexuality and the Bible, Dale Allison's whirlwind presentation in the John, Jesus and History unit (also mentioned by Mark Goodacre) and Thomas Schmeller's elegant negotiation of the bridge between 2 Corinthians 1–9 and 10–13. I also very much enjoyed the session honoring Chris Rowland and discussing the recent Festschrift in his honour.
3. Meetings: On Saturday morning I met Clifford Green, who is Executive Director of the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works in English project (one more volume to come in 2013) to discuss wider dissemination of the articles gathered together in Pacifica 25.2 (July 2012) which I edited. Green's book on Bonhoeffer's Theology of Sociality was what reconnected me Bonhoeffer's importance, so it was a pleasure to meet with him before going to hear David Congdon talk about Bonhoeffer's understanding of mission.
4. Receptions: Friday and Saturday nights were quiet. Monday was Chester, Oxford, Kings and Scottish, with T & T Clark/Bloomsbury and Sheffield on Monday. T & T Clark's was the best of these.
5. Books: Only 6 purchases of which the most important are NA28 and Konrad Hamann's biography of Bultmann, which I plan to read slowly alongside a re-reading of Bultmann himself over the summer break.
6. Chicago: sorry this makes 6, I wrote the others first, but this also needs to be mentioned. Its a great city.
1. The McCormick Conference Centre: The epitome of dystopian architecture. Everyone hated it, and not just because of the distances.
2. Bars: reception bars were lightening fast to dismantle at the appointed time, and hotel bars almost all shut up shop by 1am. This left little incentive to stick it out for those 3.30 a.m. discussions about life, the universe and the state of the discipline.
3. Sessions: we need less of them, with fewer papers in each session, to ensure better discussion and interaction by a greater number of qualified and knowledgeable people in the room.
4. Travel: 24 hours door to door: enough said.
5. Books: too many at only 20% discount which meant that they remained unaffordable.
Anyone else have a top 5, or 3, or a list of groans?
Oh, and watch this space for a new reception to be introduced into the Programme Book next year in Baltimore


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Meister Eckhardt, the 13th century mystic, once said "There is nothing so near God as silence." But he never had to deal with somebody text messaging in church.
Technology has not only improved our ability to communicate with one another: it's allowed us to communicate at all times, wherever we are. The result, for many people, is a cacophony of personal connections that never stop. We're never out of touch.
Now, for the first time in human history, a whole generation is coming of age having never had to be away from their friends; for whom the very idea of being "alone" is alien.
A recent essay in the Boston Globe's Sunday Magazine put the issue in stark terms. The "never off" nature of communications technology "is dulling our very capacity to ever be alone, or alone in our thoughts … we're seeing this capacity weakened, whether we're in public places known for contemplation, like churches and libraries, or whether we're just sitting by ourselves at home, losing the fight to resist answering our BlackBerries (just ask our new president) or checking our laptops for Facebook updates."
Writer Neil Swidley says there is now a gripping terror of being alone among many people who have never had the experience of solitude, and wouldn't know what to do with it if they did. "This is particularly true among young people," he writes, "mainly because they don't know life when it wasn't like this."
Is that true? Saybrook psychology faculty Eugene Taylor says yes – up to a point.
"It does demonstrate the differences from one era to another," he says. "When I was younger, we were more introspective then our peers as the early generation into meditation and altered states of consciousness." The ability to look within, he maintains, "is a measure of one's level of self realization." If you're never alone, you can't know yourself.
Still, does a loss of introspection among a sizeable portion of the population represent a profound shift in the human experience? Does it really matter?
Saybrook psychology faculty Kirk Schneider says it very well might. Schneider is finishing a book on the experience of "awe," and says he's found that solitude is often a condition … even a necessary one … of humanity's highest experiences.
"In my view, solitude directly relates to the cultivation, or lack thereof, of awe," Schneider said. "Solitude may, in fact, be a prerequisite in some way for the experience of awe – one of the most profound experiences in life."
Part of the problem with the way technology has kept people connected, Schneider says, may be that it has caused them to associate solitude, and quietude, with loneliness – and thereby to fear a state that is, in fact, a profoundly important part of an open psyche.
"Solitude can be isolating but it is not generally alienating," Schneider writes in his upcoming book, Awakening to Awe: Personal Stories of Profound Transformation (Lanham, MD: Jason Aronson). "To the contrary, it is frequently renewing, deepening, and strengthening … In this era of cell phones and instant messaging, solitude can clear a space for what really matters in one's life and for how to pursue what really matters."
The ability to stay in constant chatter with our social support network may then, paradoxically, end up cutting us off from ourselves, while the ability to be alone may be essential to healthy friendships.
"One can see the foundational value of solitude for virtually any relationship, be that with oneself, others, or the world about one," Schneider wrote. "To the degree that one can stay present to and coexist with oneself one is in a much improved position to stay present to and coexist with all that surrounds one—such as creation's transience, mystery, surprise, vastness, intricacy, poignancy, and in short, awe."
Taylor agrees.
"There is the idea in existential-humanistic and transpersonal psychology of the two births — the one when you come out of the womb and the other when you awaken to the reality of an interior life," he says. "Some commit themselves to a life long journey of interior exploration in service of spiritual self-realization. Others go back out and never go back in again."
Still, Taylor cautions against thinking of solitude in easy, clichéd, terms. First and foremost, interiority can take a variety of forms, some of which are still popular, and not all of which officially sanctioned.
"It's also true that twenty five year olds who smoke pot spend lots of time within," Taylor notes. "The (Globe article) did not mention that!"
Further, as anyone who's engaged in deep introspection knows, solitude is not always easy: it can be as much of a dangerous process as it is a healing one.
"The danger is that we run the risk of being inundated by contents of the collective reservoir, or captured by the demonic when we go inward," Taylor warns. "But Jung said that the risk must be taken if spiritual growth is going to take place."
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Monday, February 18, 2013
Found It!
16 comments:
Good for you! Persistence pays off:)ReplyDeleteReplies
I guess if the persistence weren't such hard work, the elation over success wouldn't feel so rewarding!Delete
I just love a good find like that - it gives you renewed energy and inspires you to go hunting again. In my experience, once you find something like that, another good discovery isn't far behind.ReplyDeleteReplies
Good point, Linda. I know that's often what keeps me going. And I've been finding quite a bit, now that I unearthed that pesky little detail.Delete
I love a good find myself. I searched two years to find the maiden name of my husbands great great grandmother.ReplyDeleteReplies
That's a significant victory, Claudia, considering how difficult it is to track women from those earlier generations. Congratulations on success after that two year search!Delete
Yayyyy Congratulations!ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks, Ellie! I love getting the chance to have a research celebration!Delete
Congrats on your find, Jacqi! Don't you love it when you look for one thing but discover something else? Hope it leads you to even more interesting places!ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks, Shelley. That situation of finding what you aren't looking for must be some kind of law. My husband calls it the "Where's My Keys?" Rule. In our household, we've made a lot of unexpected discoveries while looking for those elusive keys...hmmm...someone oughta write a book...Delete
Yes those Eureka moments are the bonus we receive when we do genealogy. I'm sure my gg grandfather had those moments when he found gold or silver, and I have those moments when I find something about him and can share it in my blog.ReplyDeleteReplies
I love all the stuff you are finding, Grant. You really have a story there!Delete
I think Leona's hat owner is yelling "Eureka" too! Maybe in Swedish.ReplyDeleteReplies
I've noticed he was having a grand old time...until Leona came along and messed with his hat. Some hats, you just don't do that...Delete
Congrats on your awesome find Jacqi! Moving from Sweden to Fresno County must have been quite the weather shock for Ellen's parents and family.ReplyDeleteReplies
That's something I hadn't thought about, Jana. The weather would be quite different. I like to think they were more focused on noticing the blessing of fertile land and long growing seasons...which is what we definitely have in this valley!Delete