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Members of several local churches, health care providers, ministers and administrators from local hospitals gathered to discuss a new partnership called FaithHealthNC at First Baptist Church in Lexington on Tuesday.
Members of several local churches, health care providers, ministers and administrators from local hospitals gathered to discuss a new partnership called FaithHealthNC at First Baptist Church in Lexington on Tuesday.
This new endeavor would join the forces of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Lexington Medical Center and participating church congregations to provide whole and comprehensive health care services to those in need.
During this meeting the Rev. Coleman Rimmer was named the first health care liaison for the Lexington model of FaithHealthNC. Rimmer brings many years of experience in social service through his work with Baptist Children's Homes of North Carolina and Davidson County Cancer Services as well as his personal ministries through his church, Ardmore Baptist Church in Winston Salem.
His main goal when working with the new program is to be the go-to person to coordinate resources between congregation care counselors, health providers and the patient.
"Faith-based care is very important, especially after a patient is discharged from the hospital," Rimmer said, "A lot of times, people need someone to drive them to checkups or to make sure they are taking their medications. But a lot of people don't have those people in their lives, so we want them to know that someone is there to support them."
The Rev. Paul Mullen, co-director of FaithHealthNC, said the partnerships are built on webs of trust.
"We combine the caring strengths of congregation, the clinical expertise of the Medical Center and a network of community resources. Members of the partnership sign a covenant linking them together in the shared mission of healing," he said.
Participating congregations would appoint volunteers to help care for church members and neighbors during their time of illness and work with the hospitals to make sure those patients are not alone and are at the correct facilities at the time they are supposed to be there. They would also make sure of the little things are taken care of like making home visits to see the patient has food or to they are getting the correct care for their needs. One of the most vital roles the care counselor would do would be to make sure the patient understands when and how to take their medication.
"Misuse of prescriptions is a big problem," Mullen said. "Just having someone to explain when and how much to take would make a big difference."
The Rev. Ray Howell, Senior Minister at First Baptist Church, says FaithHealthNC is like helping someone find their way around Baptist Hospital.
"We are trying to help you find your way," he said, "We want to make it easier for you to find the best possible health care."
During the meeting, people were encouraged to sign a covenant of care through shared commitments. This covenant addresses what each branch of this partnership would bring to the table and would address issues that were identified as most important to the other members.
Some of the suggested issues from the medical center aspect would be to make the hospital more welcoming for clergy and to provide more effective ways to communicate with the patients without violating HIPAA laws, a law that protects patients' confidential information. They would also provide education, training and support for volunteers to know the correct ways to address a patient's needs.
Faith communities would care for members and neighbors in a time of need, communicate and coordinate with health care liaisons, collaborate with other faith communities in related ministries and encourages others to join the network.
The clergy would support and participate in FaithHealthNC and help identify those people in their congregation who would be ideal caregivers. They would provide opportunities for liaisons to make connections and monitor the effectiveness of the program within their communities.
Dr. Gary Gunderson served as senior vice president of the Faith and Health Division of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare in Memphis, Tenn,, where he developed this model of congregational health that became widely known as the Memphis Model. He currently is vice president of the Division of Faith and Health Ministries at the WFBMC and has brought his faith-based model to Lexington.
"We are moving fast," he said "it's like were on the runway and the plane is just about to take off. We haven't taken off yet, but we are real close. "
FaithHealthNC is still in its planning phase but members of the planning committee are hoping to launch the program in full in the fall. They have just completed the creation of the covenant that lays out what is expected from each party and they are now moving into identifying the training and education care counselors would need.
The one thing that they are all working toward is to make health care and health care related issues accessible and understandable for all who needs it. But most especially to let patients know that someone is there for them.
As Pastor Donnell FitzJefferies senior pastor of St. Stephen United Methodist Church said during the meeting, "Medicine becomes more successful when someone is there to hold your hand."
Sharon Myers can be reached at 249-3981, ext, 228 or at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Diary of an artist/gamer.
I am one of a very few bloggers that understand game mechanics
and know what im talking about when it comes to game development etc.
Not to sound vain, but some people think they know anything and now absolutely nothing. I am also a decent Graphics Designer skilled with Photoshop.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Numbers (part 1)
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Short Story by: Charles R. Schwenk
by Charles Schwenk
If a lion could talk, we could not understand him.
(Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations)
Some people think there is a government conspiracy to cover up the fact that we have received transmissions from aliens. I can assure you that this is not the case. Information on these transmissions is freely available on several websites. There are also numerous scholarly books and several academic journals devoted to the efforts to decode these attempts by aliens to communicate with humanity. Few people know about the numbers from space and, let's face it, nobody really cares.
When the numbers were first discovered, astronomers could talk of nothing else for months. However, the discovery had to compete for the public's attention with other more vivid and satisfying stories dealing with international conflicts, economic problems, and the lives of celebrities. Since then, the story of the numbers has grown more ambiguous and, therefore, less newsworthy. I used to think that evidence of transmissions from space would shake our culture to its foundations. In fact, it made no difference at all. I underestimated peoples' ability to ignore what they cannot understand.
Most people barely remember the discovery of the transmissions as part of the string of amazing astronomical discoveries of the last decades of the 20th Century, including black holes, evidence of liquid water on the surface of Mars, ice on the moon, and the observation of planets orbiting other stars.
Immediately after the discovery, there was a comical attempt to conceal the information from the general public and restrict it to "responsible scholars." However, the authorities, as usual, had underestimated the cunning of those committed to free information and soon the text of the numbers could be found on computer screens all over the world. People's reactions were immediate, passionate, and intensely polarized. At one end of the continuum, popular books like Beacons of the Gods (Davis, 1992) celebrated the New Age that our saviors from Beta Centauri would bring us. At the other end, books like Why Won't They Leave Us Alone? (Everett, 1991) represented the reactionary perspective that we should ignore the interference of intergalactic busybodies.
A documentary based on the book, Why Won't They Leave Us Alone? went even further than the book by claiming that the Numbers were only the most recent attempt by aliens to corrupt humanity under the guise of "communicating" with us and "sharing our cultural heritages." In a tone sometimes bordering on hysteria, the narrator, Dr. Lief Ran Van der Patten, cited dozens of examples of alien attempts to influence our culture and pollute "the purity of our precious human vitality." Most people were amused by these ravings, then bored by them. They eventually turned their attention to other things.
When you ask people today, many will say they vaguely remember hearing about the Numbers but usually know nothing at all about them. One reason for this is that the popularizers of astronomical discoveries like the late Carl Sagan did not know what to make of the numbers and so did not discuss them.
after the numbers had been discovered, he published a science fiction novel entitled Contact (1995), in which he described the "first" transmission received from "intelligent life in another part of the universe." This book was, in fact, a reaction to the discovery of the Numbers and an explanation of why Sagan could not accept the idea that they were really the first transmissions from space.
Sagan believed very deeply that any "legitimate" transmission from aliens would be decodable. He believed that intelligent life throughout the universe would have to be similar enough that any messages sent, messages that were intended to be easily understandable by other races, would be possible to translate. Therefore, the fact that the Numbers could not be translated was a challenge to his basic assumptions. In dismissing the Numbers, he concluded, "We can be fairly sure that the billions and billions of intelligent races in the universe are trying to contact others and are sending INTELLIGIBLE messages. One day, we will discover one of these if funding is available for research. The Numbers represent an anomalous set of radio signals and no further funds should be spent attempting to decode them. Instead, funding should be directed at legitimate research designed to discover legitimate messages from other life forms."
There are, however, academics all over the world who have devoted their professional lives to the study of the Numbers. These individuals are supported by the funds Sagan said should never be devoted to deciphering the Numbers. They have built academic careers on the Numbers and they have invested their professional identities in the effort to decode them. As the Egyptian hieroglyphs eventually yielded to the patient efforts of linguists, so the Numbers will eventually yield to the efforts of exocryptographers like Lionel Smith.
Professor Smith taught at the University of Winnemac. Sinclair Lewis described both the state and the university as it was in 1925.
The state of Winnemac is bounded by Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana, and like them it is half Eastern, half Midwestern. There is a feeling of New England in its brick and sycamore villages, its stable industries, and a tradition which goes back to the Revolutionary War. Zenith, the largest city in a state, was founded in 1792. But Winnemac is Midwestern in its fields of corn and wheat, its red barns and silos.
The University of Winnemac is at Mohalis, fifteen miles from Zenith. There are twelve thousand students; beside this prodigy Oxford is a tiny theological school and Harvard a select college for young gentlemen. The University has a baseball field under glass; its buildings are measured by the mile; it hires hundreds of young Doctors of Philosophy to give rapid instruction in Sanskrit, navigation, accountancy, spectacle-fitting, sanitary engineering, Provencal poetry, tariff schedules, rutabaga-growing, motor-car designing, the history of Voronezh, the style of Matthew Arnold, the diagnosis of myhypertrophia kymoparalytica, and department-store advertising. Its president is the best money-raiser and the best after-dinner speaker in the United States; and Winnemac was the first school in the world to offer its courses by radio.
It was not a snobbish rich man's college, devoted to leisurely nonsense. It is the property of the people of the state, and what they want--or what they are told they want--is a mill to turn out men and women who will lead moral lives, play bridge, drive good cars, be enterprising in business, and occasionally mention books, though they are not expected to have time to read them. It is a Ford Motor Factory, and if its products rattle a little, they are beautifully standardized, with perfectly interchangeable parts (Lewis, S. Arrowsmith, 1926/1980, New York: Signet, p. 10)
In the 85 years since Lewis described it, the University of Winnemac has changed considerably. It was nearly unaffected by the student activism that periodically closed campuses on both coasts in the 1960's. However, since the late 1970's, the state legislature has reduced its financial commitment to the university and as a result, the cost to students has increased. It is now more important than ever to raise money from other sources. One way to do this is to create institutes that can receive donations from private and government sources. This is how the Institute for Exocryptography was born.
As with all interdisciplinary institutes, this one was full of deeply-committed people who sincerely believed that the way to decode the Numbers was to bring together people from different disciplines and encourage communication between them. To this end, there were frequent seminars, work groups, internet chat groups, memos, e-mails, and informal discussions in which astronomers, psychologists, anthropologists, engineers, physicians, philosophers, musicologists, and organization theorists attempted to communicate their world views to each other. Facilitators, consultants, and mediators of various kinds facilitated, consulted, and mediated these communications. The result was an explosion of intellectual activity. Fragments hit scholarly journals for several years. However, the Numbers remained a mystery, as impervious to this intellectual explosion as were H. G. Wells' alien machines to the nuclear weapons we puny humans used against them. What went wrong?
Scholarly disciplines create mind-sets that act like lenses. A physicist sees the numbers differently than a social scientist, and when he tries to decode them, he begins with different assumptions about the message. Communicating these assumptions is difficult because they are so pervasive people are not even conscious of them. Further, when people have conflicting assumptions, communication is difficult even if they have the best will in the world. This point is supported by Schwenk's discussion of polarized conflict (see Schwenk, 2002, Ch. 3).
As a result of these processes, the Institute for Exocryptography was, in fact, divided into factions roughly divided along disciplinary lines, a fact that was vehemently denied when a potential new hire was being interviewed.
This was the environment into which Professor Smith stepped as he opened his office door.
"Eight thirty-five exactly," he thought as he glanced at the wall clock and methodically flicked through his ring of keys to locate the one that fit his office door. Finding it, he raised his eyes to the door and paused at the nameplate for a long, satisfying moment. It read:
Lionel Smith: Associate Professor of Exocryptography
Opening the door and turning on the light, he surveyed the office: bookcases reaching to the ceiling, choked with journals, papers, computer printouts and books, a desk and two tables piled high with journals, papers, computer printouts, and empty paper coffee cups. He deposited his stuffed briefcase near the desk and went to the elevator to get his morning's mail. The faculty mailboxes were located three levels above his small, windowless first-floor office. Offices on each floor of the Center for Exocryptography building were arranged in concentric circles and he had to walk down a long, dimly-lit corridor to reach the central elevators. Arriving before the stainless steel doors, he punched the "up" button and when they parted, he stepped inside.
"Floor please!" Smith winced at the metallic sound of the words from the audio unit as he watched the doors close.
Turning his face toward the wall microphone, he said loudly:
"Four, please."
The doors opened.
"FOUR!" he shouted at the microphone. The doors closed and the elevator shot up to the fourth floor at sickening speed. Scanning his mail on the way back down, he found the usual jewels; two advertisements for tedious new undergraduate astronomy texts (Brand New 2007 edition, many pictures, simplified text designed to meet the needs of the new generation of marginally literate students), a memo regarding changes in sabbatical policy, a note from the head of the faculty parking committee regarding the next meeting, and so on. But, the bundle also contained this month's issue of Exocryptography Review, with Frank Mallard's last article nestling like a coral snake in the pages.
"His last piece as a sane man", Smith thought as he entered the office and gently closed the door behind him. He settled down at his desk beside his small white hillock of papers representing unfinished work. Despite the fact that he was horribly delinquent in all his responsibilities, he decided to take the time to plod through the last academically respectable article by the former father of his field, a scientist with more visibility than most film stars, his former colleague, Frank Mallard. The title read, "Perspectives on the Numbers: A Brief Summary of Sixteen Years of Research."
"Mallard wrote this in 2005. I remember reading it on his web page." he thought. "It took two years to get into print. About average for a journal. Long time, though. Long enough for Mallard to lose his mind."
In those two years, Frank Mallard had resigned from the Center, stopped publishing, and had formed the "Voice from the Void Church". This institution was doing exceptionally well financially at the present time due to the free advertising provided by the news media. Everyone wanted to know why he did it. Only Smith really knew.
"Read on Smith. You've got a class at 11:00," he reminded himself. He scanned the introduction to the article, which read,
"The numbers were first received at the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico on October 13, 1989 at 10:50 PM Greenwich time. Though they are widely known, they are reproduced here as a basis for the discussion to follow:
1* 2* 3* 4* 5* 6* 7* 8* 9*10*11*12*13***
43*12* 7*38* 3*21* 2* 7*70* 1*15*16* 3***
25*8* 7* 5*18*30* 4*27*11*22*35*0?*13***
9*31*40*10*23* 6*33*69*39*20*26*14*52***
*This symbol indicates a time interval of approximately .7381 seconds between each set of pulses which we have identified as a single number. Three of these intervals elapse between each set or group of 13 numbers. The time interval between each of the pulses in each number is approximately .0568 seconds. When this set of transmissions is complete, 2197 of these intervals elapse before it is repeated. The zero in the twelfth position of the third group actually represents two .7381-second intervals with no transmissions between them. This is assumed to represent zero. These signals are being transmitted at approximately half the power with which the Arecibo system can transmit.
The transmissions consist of a series of pulses at the hydrogen emission line of 1,420 MHZ and emanate from a planet orbiting the star Beta Centauri in the constellation Centaurus, approximately 130 light years from Earth. The transmissions have been monitored
constantly since they were first received and have been detectable, with no interruptions, since that time."
"I would have phrased it differently," Smith mumbled to himself. Then, he recited the first paragraph of the first paper he had written as a graduate student on the numbers.
"As years are measured on some parts of the Earth, the year was 1859. A series of extremely powerful radio transmissions throbbed from a hypothetical transmitter on a planet orbiting the star Beta Centauri and left an assumed atmosphere at 186,281.7 miles per second. One hundred thirty years later, on October 13, 1989, they were accidentally intercepted at the Arecibo radio telescope on this planet."
He had been awarded a "C" on that paper; the first of his life. "Some interesting insights," the instructor had written. "But the flippant tone of the paper is totally inconsistent with the seriousness of the subject matter."
But Smith's attitude toward the Numbers was anything but flippant. He had been a 20 year old college junior in 1989 when they were first received. He had heard about it on the news. Everyone did. Everyone, that is, except those few print-addicts like his father, who had not watched television that night.
For months afterward, a few people had all the symptoms of lovesickness. They thought about the Numbers incessantly. They had trouble sleeping. They developed haunted expressions and were subject to extreme mood swings. More than one suicide note mentioned the Numbers.
Smith was smitten harder than most people. He had spent most of his Christmas vacation that year trying to break the code. As the days passed and his vacation slipped away, he
grew more and more frustrated and depressed. Each day the Numbers seemed less like a message and more like gibberish. His family was surprised when he burst into tears at the dinner
table one evening toward the end of vacation. His father had asked him how "his translation" was coming.
From this experience, he developed a dark resolve to possess the secret of the Numbers. After eight years of training in psychology, he had developed a dozen equally valid explanations
for his morbid obsession. The more deeply he penetrated the discipline of psychology, the more sophisticated and meaningless the explanations became. He had always liked puzzles. Other people were a puzzle to him, as was his own behavior. In fact, he had always felt that the attempts to decipher the Numbers were a kind of metaphor for the attempt to understand his own behavior and that of his fellow human beings. The Numbers itched at the back of his brain. After he got his Ph.D. in psychology, the second Ph.D. in exocryptography seemed like the logical step.
Smith returned to Mallard's tediously-written article with a kind of deadness,
"For approximately 25 years, from the mid-1960s until 1989, the use of radio telescopes to scan for transmissions from extra-terrestrial intelligences was a sporadic enterprise at best. "Listening programs" as they were called, consisted of brief periods (of a few weeks' duration at most) at some of the major radio telescopes including the National Radio astronomy Observatory in Socorro, New Mexico, the Solar Physics Observatory in Culgoora, Australia, the Academy of Sciences Observatory in Russia, and of course the Arecibo installation.
"Our team was completing a three-day scan of a number of previously examined stars for the purpose of confirming earlier scans which were thought to have been conducted with less than adequate thoroughness on October 13 of that year. At 10:50 Greenwich Mean time, an acquisition signal of 13 pulses followed by an equal period of silence was detected at the emission line for the hydroxyl ion (1,662 MHZ). Following this, we scanned a number of related frequencies and eventually detected the message at the 1420 MHZ emission line of hydrogen."
"Mallard's reaction should have alerted people to his instability," Smith quoted from the draft of his most recent paper on Mallard's breakdown. "In describing the moment at a later meeting, Mallard recalled, 'I felt a peculiar and intense pain in the lower abdominal and genital regions brought on by the combined feelings of elation at receiving the transmissions and fear that I might be bitterly disappointed by the future discovery that the transmissions were not of intelligent origin. A small part of the feeling was also due to my fear that the apparent pattern on the printouts was in fact an hallucination signaling the beginning of a psychotic episode.' Immediate consultation with nearby colleagues at the station confirmed the reality of the transmissions at which point Dr. Mallard began trembling uncontrollably, requiring sedation and bed rest for the following two days.
"Hardly a promising sign." it was the psychologist in Smith speaking now. "It's still not clear how the National Enquirer got the story. Somebody leaked it," he thought as he pawed through the burial mound of papers on his desk to retrieve the small paperback, Mallard: Ordeal and Triumph (part of the The National Enquirer Incident and skipped two pages to the interesting part. Within 48 hours of publication of the story, the Arecibo installation was deluged by requests for information. In response, Mallard issued the following statement:
"We are presently receiving a repeating series of radio emissions from a distant star. The narrow band-width and the pattern of these transmissions is inconsistent with the hypothesis that they were produced by any one of a variety of known natural radio sources. However, this data is not inconsistent with the hypothesis that the emissions are the product of an intelligence."
In the following days, the newspapers, television, and radio broadcasts were flooded with rebuttals, rejoinders, comments, and attacks on Professor Mallard's statement. Most dealt with the irresponsibility of the statement and with the suspicion caused by Professor Mallard's failure to disclose the location of the star his team was scanning.
James Holloway, president of the SETI (Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence) society, summed up the feelings of astronomers in this group,
"Professor Mallard's announcement, coming as it does from a highly respected member of our own group, shows a surprising lack of sensitivity to the feelings of our members, the best interests of the SETI society, and the integrity of the enterprise we pursue. Professor Mallard is well aware of the number of false reports of extra terrestrial transmissions from the former Soviet Union, the United States, and elsewhere since listening programs were first begun in the 1960s. Such awareness should have suggested caution to him. No comment should have been made until other radio astronomers had been able to confirm his findings. Further, no statement should have been made without also giving the coordinates of the star which would at least allow us to confirm the transmissions after the announcement.
National Enquirer of an event we have been awaiting for nearly thirty years; an event which has the most profound significance for all of humanity. One cannot help but wonder if some questionable motive was behind this 'oversight' on Dr. Mallard's part. The solemn joy of this moment has been greatly diminished for us by irresponsible behavior."
Those radio astronomers not connected with the SETI group tended to be more skeptical. The consensus was that Mallard had misinterpreted an emission from a natural extra-terrestrial radio source or from a terrestrial source.
The storm of indignation was not without its effects on Dr. Mallard. Four days after he issued his initial communication to the press, he made a special presentation to an international conference of astronomers in Vienna. Observers at the conference expressed concern at his appearance and a number of his friends suggested that he should seek medical attention.
Smith flipped to the middle of the book which contained a photo history of Mallard's rather dull life. He found the news photograph of the conference. Mallard stood behind a podium with his mouth open and lights glaring behind him. His knuckles were white from gripping the podium and his face was unnaturally pale. He had a red splotch of color on each cheek and his disheveled hair and three-days' growth of beard gave him the appearance of a derelict. But his eyes were like two glowing coals in two tiny dark pits. At that moment, Mallard was electrifying his audience like a preacher at a revival.
"One thing he could do was talk. Infectious enthusiasm. Seemed like every newspaper in the country printed the speech," Smith thought. "Seemed like nobody talked about anything else. More than just interest. More like a haunting. Everybody wanted to know what the message meant. Nobody was more excited than Mallard. Too bad. Couldn't handle it in the end. Didn't have the belly for it. All that excitement's gone now of course. Seems kind of ridiculous thinking back on it. What did we expect to learn? That message was meant for a wiser life form than us."
Smith reached into the bookcase above his head and retrieved the book which he knew contained the text of the speech, pulling it out gently to avoid an avalanche of printed matter. He couldn't help but smile at the title: Frank Mallard: The First Exocryptographer (Burnside, 1997). "The first exo-loon" he said to himself, thinking that the revised title might increase sales now. This was the book that seduced Smith into the field. One of many bookmarks separated the first two pages of Mallard's damned speech,
"Ladies and gentlemen, I stand before you today with a mixture of emotions so strong and so contradictory that I fear they may effect the quality of my presentation. Feelings of guilt at the way I handled the public announcement trouble me deeply. Also, I am disappointed that I am unable to give you more information about a startling and marvelous discovery we made recently at Arecibo. But loudest in this cacophony of feelings is an intense and profound joy. I now know that human beings are not the only intelligent creatures in the universe. On October 13, at 10:50 PM Greenwich time, we received the first transmissions from a source near the star Beta Centauri, approximately 130 light years distant from us. I am very pleased that I have lived long enough to witness this event.
National Enquirer and my subsequent hasty announcement of our findings. I wanted to wait until I had confirmation of the findings before presenting them to you. Therefore, as some of you know, I have supplied the coordinates of the star to a number of radio observatories including the Solar Physics observatory in Australia, the Effelsberg Radio telescope in Germany, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in New Mexico, and the Russian Academy of Sciences Observatory. To date, I have received confirmation from three of the four. Only the Academy of Sciences observatory has been unable to confirm.
"The transmissions we have received are clear and unambiguous. From the first time they were received, there has been no doubt at all about the pattern of the numbers or their intelligent origin. The transmissions are not ambiguous. They were not meant to be.
"However, beyond these facts, I have very little to tell you about the beings, our brothers, who sent these messages. Let me at this time run briefly through the list of things we can conclude from the simple fact that we have received the transmissions:
1) Obviously they are at least as technologically advanced as we are (I should say 130 years ago they were as advanced as we are today. Who knows what marvels they have accomplished since then). They were at that time probably more advanced than us since it is more difficult to send such signals than to receive them.
2) They have a thorough knowledge of astronomy. They understand that planet's orbit stars and that these planets may contain intelligent life.
3) They use numbers and almost certainly have developed mathematics of a very sophisticated sort needed to design and build their transmitter.
4) They, or some groups among them, desire to communicate with other life forms. Thus, they are not isolationist.
5) They have division of labor within their social order. This would be necessary to build the transmitter.
6) Their society is a relatively wealthy one since they have excess resources to devote to the very expensive enterprise of attempting to contact other civilizations.
7) They understand the complex engineering, mining, metallurgical, and electromechanical processes necessary to build the transmitters, obtain and refine the materials necessary for their construction, and generate the tremendous power necessary to transmit. They probably have processes for generating electricity at least as sophisticated as our own.
"Given that they know so much, one cannot help but wonder what else they may have to teach us, what other information is locked in this electronic song sung by our brothers on Beta Centauri 130 years ago. It is with great, almost inexpressible frustration that I report to you now that we have only two additional bits of information to add to what I have just listed: trivial bits of information compared to what we had hoped to discover:
8) They apparently have a base 13 number system. We conclude this from the fact that their acquisition signal ended at 13 pulses and the fact that the time interval between the series of transmissions is equivalent to 132 of their basic time units.
9) Their basic time unit, similar to our second, is equal to about .7381 seconds.
"The fact that my staff and I have not been able to extract more information from these transmissions proves only one thing; that we must increase our efforts, bring more resources and talent into the project, and persevere, until we have solved the puzzle of the code. This is potentially the most significant problem in the history of science; perhaps in the history of humanity. We must and we shall solve it!"
"It took about five years for every one of those assumptions to be thoroughly debunked," Smith mused as he riffled the pages of the book, dirty from so many re-readings. "Maybe the signals were from automatic machinery surrounded by a civilization falling into ruins. Maybe 'our brothers' are simply able to control some natural radio source with incomprehensibly alien technology. Maybe they are even generating the radio signals out of their own bodies through some totally alien biological process (assuming they even have bodies, etc., etc.)." He was well aware of the alternative speculations. "Basically, we know absolutely nothing except that somehow, radio signals got from their planet to ours."
Smith tossed the book onto a table across the room and watched it slide gently off the mound of papers onto the floor, his morning's correspondence fluttering after it. He turned back with deadening depression to the article, letting his gaze drift from paragraph to paragraph till he settled on one:
"The staff of the newly formed Center for Exocryptography began preparing for other messages from Beta Centauri (on the assumption that the Beta Cantaurians would feel obliged to explain themselves) and the development of a set of alternate theories about the meaning of the Numbers. The discipline of Exocryptography became one of the most exciting adventures in science, devoted to the development of beautiful, elegant theories consistent with the basic framework of the transmissions. Attempts to break the code became the occupation of the finest minds on the planet. It was the most elaborate and important game ever played by our species.
"Within a year, the following events had taken place:
1) Approximately ½ of the listening time at the world's twenty largest radio telescopes was now devoted either to observing the emissions from Beta Centauri or to scans of other stars in the hope of finding similar transmissions.
2) New larger arrays of radio telescopes were being built by the U.S. and at least 70 other countries. A small number of joint projects had begun but these were limited by the complexities of international relations.
3) Courses in subjects related to the transmissions were being offered in every major university and some faculty began to specialize in this subject. Doctoral programs were also being discussed.
"The following year brought larger expenditures and larger disappointments in both scanning and interpretation. By the end of this year, the number of stars scanned had increased into the millions. However, no further transmissions were intercepted. The failures in the deciphering of the transmissions were even more disappointing."
"Damned straight," Smith blurted out. Embarrassed by the sound, he turned quickly back to the article.
"At this time, I began to devote myself full-time to the task of decoding the transmissions. our efforts involved an increasing number of faculty, staff, and doctoral students from a broad range of disciplines. At first, only astronomers and computer science faculty were involved but soon linguists, anthropologists, sociologists, and psychologists were also included. Finally, nearly every discipline on campus had representatives working on the project. Post-doctoral students and faculty on sabbatical joined us in increasing numbers.
"The fascinating results of this collaboration are widely known. Indeed, it may be said that fundamental advances in every field of scholarship developed from this work. Positive results on the translation, however, were not forthcoming.
"It was generally assumed that the final answer, the decoded message, would come from the Center. However, journals in the newly emerging field encouraged papers from all researchers, whether they were associated with the Center or not. As I wrote in the editorial statement in the first issue of Exocryptography, since the translation will affect all humanity equally, it is totally inappropriate for a scientific elite to be the only ones involved in breaking the code. Our brothers on Beta Centauri did not send the message specifically to me at Arecibo or to any other specific group on this planet. Therefore, I will not limit access to the journal to any specific individuals or groups."
"That policy probably did more than anything to produce his final breakdown," Smith noted mentally.
"However, when five years had passed, and the Center could report only a lengthy list of disproved hypotheses, articles of a more pessimistic tone began to appear in the field's journals. Articles of this type were read with chagrin and terror by newly minted Ph.D.s in the discipline."
"Mallard could be making an oblique reference to me" thought Smith. "I certainly expressed those thoughts and terrors often enough."
"The basic problem, of course, had to do with the nature of the transmissions. We had hoped that communications from stellar intelligences would be in the form of a picture message composed of binary pulses. Once it was proven that the Numbers are not a code for a picture in any number of dimensions (see the brilliant doctoral dissertation by Anton Rubidnikov for the mathematical proof) the search began for their real significance. Codes involving atomic weights, various fractions of the speed of light, the conversion of mass into energy, and other presumed universal constants all proved to be inconsistent with the data."
Smith raised his head from the article and turned to the left to view his photograph of the full moon hanging on the wall. He looked at the huge white impact crater; particles from the impact spread 1000 miles across the moon's surface. The Mare Nubium above it looked like a great ocean of ink. Smith grinned again at the thought that people once believed there might be life on that airless rock.
"Mallard never understood the real problem in decoding the Numbers", he mused. "None of the early exocryptographers did. Their views on alien psychology were too narrow."Smith was the first to use the term, "terracentric" to describe this narrow view in a paper he had written four years ago on the psychological aspects of communication with alien life forms. It had appeared in Methodological Advances in Exocryptography (Academic Press, 2003). He retrieved the dark gray book from the corner of the lowest shelf of the bookcase where he had placed it in a fit of false modesty. He opened it to the paper clipped page and read the section circled in blue ink:
"Wittgenstein's writings give us some insight into the possibility of translating the message from the presumed beings on Beta Centauri. It is important to remember that our biology determines our perceptions of the world and that our perceptions determine our concepts, categories, and our general view of the world. Sight is our most important sense and it determines the kinds of concepts we hold. The only reason we can communicate (after a fashion) with other human beings is that we are biologically very similar. Chomsky (1959) has even suggested that we share a biologically-based conceptual structure though Skinner (1969) and others dispute this.
"Even a lion, a creature who evolved in the same earth environment, is so different from us biologically that we might have no common concepts as a basis for communication. How would an animal who relies primarily on hearing and smell conceptualize the world? What concepts would be held by a creature who does not have the digits to manipulate tools; a creature who views the world from a base of four feet rather than two? Our brothers on Beta Centauri are the product of a totally alien evolutionary process. The odds against them sharing any concepts with us are incalculable.
"Though we know nothing about those who sent the Numbers, everyone has opinions on the subject. The Numbers act as a kind of Rorschach test, as a background for peoples' speculations about the nature of the Beta Centaurans. Indeed, several very good doctoral dissertations have written on the correlations between peoples' personality traits and their thoughts about our brothers. Paranoid persons viewed the aliens as secretive and probably hostile. Compulsive persons saw them as extremely intelligent, emotionless technocrats. One widely-used personality test (the BCAT: Beta Centauran Associates Test) is based on peoples' perceptions of the intelligence behind the Numbers. It is less widely used today, of course, since the Numbers occupy less of peoples' conscious attention."
"That caused a bit of a stir in the profession," Smith thought as he gently closed the book and placed it in a more prominent place in the bookcase. "Probably got me the job at Winnemac." He returned to Mallard's article.
"In my book, Schools of Interpretation I myself suggested the basic ground rules for interpretation by listing several blind alleys (Mallard, 1990). First, the Numbers are not likely to be sentences in the sense we understand them because of the lack of repetition of symbols. Second, they do not represent any simple mathematical progression. Very complex progressions, however, did seem possible and several were being investigated. Third, each row or line is likely to have a unique meaning or to be distinct in some significant way from the others. Though I felt these three propositions were self-evident at the time, have been the subject of violent controversy ever since.
"Hatchworth (1990) was the first to advance the proposition that the transmitter on Beta Centauri might be a kind of navigational beacon for use by those traveling in space near the planet. He hypothesized that the Numbers might represent frequencies on the radio spectrum at which additional information might be found. This proposition stimulated some very serious and sophisticated Radio astronomy research. Sadly, this research failed to yield even a particle of support for the theory.
"Craig Ventner, spokesperson for the Human Genome Project, argued from the perspective of the life sciences and genetics in particular (see Ventner, 2000). He reasoned that the Beta Centauarans would send a message dealing with what was most important to them. As a geneticist, Ventner naturally assumed that the most important thing to any intelligent life form would be its own representation of its biological makeup. Thus, he postulated that the Numbers represent something similar to our own genome map or some other basic biochemical description. This theory has generally been discounted by those in other disciplines who do not share geneticists' assumption that the most important thing to any species is its own biological makeup.
"Marschack (1991) represents the contribution of the musicologists and music theorists to the translation of the Numbers. Starting with the vigorously-defended assumption that they represented points on some type of musical scale, adherents of this school produced numerous algorithms for developing a basic melody from them. Different algorithms, of course, produced different basic melodies, with no criteria for distinguishing between them other than human aesthetic preferences. Protestations from the members of this school to the contrary notwithstanding, it is generally agreed today that, while the inhabitants of Beta Centauri may have wanted to communicate on an aesthetic rather than a technological level, it is unreasonable to assume that aesthetic standards are consistent between beings who are the products of two totally different evolutionary processes. This consensus is, of course, not shared by the popular press.
"By 1993, opinion had generally shifted toward the proposition advocated by Ainsworth (1992); that each of the Numbers refers to some sort of basic physical unit like our atom. Thus, the entire set of Numbers describes a relationship between atoms or subatomic particles. Ainsworth herself originally believed that the Numbers might in some way represent a complex organic molecule, perhaps the basic chemical unit of life on Beta Centauri, like our own DNA molecule. Though this position is no longer favored, proponents of the Ainsworth school, including Ventner, continue to seek the meaning of the Numbers in terms of possible structures for subatomic particles.
Compton (1995), a brilliant mathematician, suggested that the Numbers all represent approximate distances from Beta Centauri to other stars circled by planets with communicating civilizations. According to Compton, the zero in the twelfth position in the third group of Numbers represents Beta Centauri itself. Thus, the Numbers represent a map of a great communicating network. Through a complex multidimensional scaling procedure, Compton developed a map in 3-dimensional space which had an approximate fit with Beta Centauri's local stars. The fact that the stars move with respect to each other lead him to suggest that we might someday expect a new set of transmissions which would constitute an updated star chart. Intensive radio scans of Compton's stars, however, has revealed no evidence of transmissions from any of them. Further, no "updated star chart" has been received from Beta Centauri.
"Surak (1997) clearly expressed the view of the school of interpretation now bearing his name, that the Numbers represent some form of equation. This school focused on the gap in the twelfth position of the third group, which is generally assumed to represent zero. Proponents of this school assumed instead that the gap expresses an equivalency sign dividing the first and second groups of numbers. This school has produced a tremendous amount of fascinating research. Through incredibly abstruse developments in mathematical Exocryptography, proponents of this school have developed a number of possible equations. Unfortunately, no basis for choosing between them can be found.
"Corwin (1995) represents the best contribution from the organizational theory to the confusion of theories about the numbers. He drew on the pioneering work of Graham Allison, The Essence of Decision (1971). Allison noted that any organizational or social decision can be explained not only as a rational choice designed to reach an objective, but also as a product of organizational routines and political bargaining. He suggested that the same must be true for decisions made by any intelligent beings, including those who sent the numbers. He argued that each of the lines of numbers represented a different power faction within the society and each line must be understood in opposition to the other lines.
"J. D. Lewis-Williams (1998) took the perspective of an anthropologist. As a well-respected researcher in paleolithic art, he drew parallels between the history of interpretation of this art and interpretation of the Numbers. He argued that we must abandon the effort to explain the whole of the message, just as anthropologists abandoned he effort to find a single unifying framework for explaining all cave art. Lewis-Williams suggested that we should focus on explaining clusters of the numbers, and claimed to have identified five clusters that merited further attention by scholars.
"These are generally recognized to be the major schools of interpretation in exocryptography at the present time. Of course, there are variations on each and a number of promising streams of research which do not fit within any school. The best summary of these is found the massive work edited by Hatchworth, Approaches to Exocryptography (New York: Scientific Press, 2002).
© Copyright 2019 Charles R. Schwenk. All rights reserved.
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Reilly-Whore: A girl who is rediculously gorgeous and amazing in every way. She gives a mean bj and can shit punch any guy in the face that direspects her. If you see a Reilly-Whore, you'll never forget her. She tends to walk in and out of people's lives, so embrace her while you can. She is not a whore, but is very good at sexual favors.
Chase: "Daaayum, look at that girl!"
Raynor: "She must be a Reilly_Whore."
Raynor: "She must be a Reilly_Whore."
by Fickleburg123 January 10, 2012


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Geographical entities
|Countries, regions, river basins
|Water resources
|Water uses
|Irrigation and drainage
|Institutional framework
|Other themes
Information type
|Summary tables
|Maps and spatial data
Info for the media
|Did you know...?
|Visualizations and infographics
|SDG Target 6.4
|UNW Briefs
Asi-Orontes Basin
|Year: 2009
|Revision date: --
|Revision type: --
|Regional report:
|Water Report 34: English or Arabic
The Asi-Orontes River Basin is a transboundary basin with a total area of about 24 660 km2 of which 69 percent is located in the Syrian Arab Republic, 23 percent in Turkey and 8 percent in Lebanon (Lehner et al, 2008) (Table 1). The Asi-Orontes is the only river in the region flowing in northern direction, draining from western Asia to the Levant coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. The river rises in the mountains of Lebanon and flows 40 km in Lebanon to continue into the Syrian Arab Republic for about 325 km before arriving in Turkey for its last reach of 88 km to the Mediterranean Sea (UNESCO-IHE, 2002). The river rises in the great springs of Labweh on the east side of the Bekaa Valley and it runs in a northern direction, parallel with the coast, falling 600 m through a rocky gorge. Leaving this, it expands into the Qattinah Lake, having been dammed back in antiquity. The valley now widens out into the rich district of Hama, below which lie the broad meadow-lands of Amykes, containing the sites of ancient Apamea. This central Asi–Orontes valley ends at the rocky barrier of Jisr al-Hadid, where the river is diverted to the west and the plain of Antioch opens. Two large tributaries from the north, the Afrin and Karasu, reach it here through the former Lake of Antioch or Lake Amik, which is now drained through the artificial Nahr al-Kowsit channel. Passing north of the modern Antakya (ancient Antioch) the Asi–Orontes plunges southwest into a gorge and falls 50 m in 16 km to the sea just south of the little port of Samandagi.
The average annual precipitation in the basin is estimated at 644 mm, although it varies all along the basin area. Annual average temperature of the entire Asi–Orontes River Basin is estimated at 16 ºC. Average temperature in the basin in January is 6 ºC, although it can drop to –1 ºC in the coldest places of the basin. In August, the average temperature reaches 25 ºC, rising to 28 °C in the hottest places (New et al, 2002). In the Lebanese part of the Asi–Orontes Basin, the climate is semi-arid to arid, with annual rainfall below 400 mm (Estephan et al, 2008). In the Syrian part, the western mountains receive precipitation ranging from 600 to 1 500 mm, while in the eastern parts of the basin it is much lower, ranging from 400 to 600 mm (FAO, 2006). The Turkish part of the basin is a transition zone between the Mediterranean and Eastern Anatolian climatic zones. While a southeastern climate prevails in the eastern part of this basin, the western parts is dominated by a Mediterranean climate.
The Asi–Orontes River and its tributaries collect the runoff from the highlands and plateau areas situated on both sides of the rift valley. The average annual flow of the river is estimated at 2 400 million m3, but the surface water amount in the basin has been re-estimated at 1 110 million m3 (FAO, 2006). The Al-Azraq spring is a very important tributary to the Asi–Orontes with an annual flow of more than 400 million m3. There are several bid springs: Al Ghab, Al Rouj, and Al Zarka (FAO, 2006).
The annual flow from Lebanon to the Syrian Arab Republic is 415 million m3, of which an informal agreement between these two countries attributes 80 million m3 to Lebanon and the rest to the Syrian Arab Republic. The natural annual flow from the Syrian Arab Republic to Turkey is estimated at 1 200 million m3, while the actual flow amounts to 12 million m3.
The intensive use of groundwater by agriculture in the last decade has resulted in depletion of the water storage in the aquifers, lowering of the groundwater table and considerable reduction of the spring yield. The average annual discharge of 26 springs in Al Ghab valley dropped from 18.5 m3/s in the period 1965–71 to 9.7 m3/s in 1992–93 and declined steadily to 4.2 m3/s in 1995–96. The amount of groundwater in the Syrian part of the Asi–Orontes Basin is estimated at 1 607 million m3; most of it flows as springs (1 134 million m3) and the rest (473 million m3) is stored into aquifers and withdrawn from wells for irrigation and water supply.
Water quality
Water quality is good in the headwaters, while due to anthropogenic inputs associated with agricultural, urban, and industrial activities it deteriorates in the middle section of the river.
The total area equipped for irrigation in the Asi–Orontes River Basin is estimated at 300 000–350 000 ha, of which approximately 58 percent in the Syrian Arab Republic, 36 percent in Turkey, and 6 percent in Lebanon. Agricultural water withdrawal is approximately 2.8 km3.
The Asi–Orontes Basin is an important agricultural area, contributing to the regional economy.
In the Lebanese Bekaa valley, the most important crops are fruits, vegetables, field crops, and forests and rangeland. However, poor management of natural resources and poor integration of production systems produce low farm income and unsustainable farming (Estephan et al, 2008). To obtain water for irrigation, two water regulators have been placed in Lebanon on the Asi–Orontes (El-Fadel et al, 2002).
In the Syrian part of the basin the total area irrigated increased from 155 300 ha in 1989 to around 215 000 ha in 2008. The expansion of irrigation using groundwater has been most intensive in the Al Ghab valley and the Mohafazat of Idleb. In the Al Ghab region, the areas irrigated with groundwater have increased and the areas irrigated with surface water have decreased. The annual amount of groundwater used for water supply, irrigation and industry is more than 1 607 million m3, while the annual renewable amount in aquifers is less than 473 million m3, meaning an over-abstraction of 1 134 million m3 (FAO, 2006).
In the Syrian Arab Republic, regulation of the Asi–Orontes River flow to increase its irrigation capacity began with the reconstruction of the ancient Qattinah Dam in 1937, completed in 1976, and the construction of the dams at Rastan and Mhardeh on the main river stream in 1960, the first large dams built in the Syrian Arab Republic. These reservoirs control about 12 600 km2 of the Asi–Orontes drainage basin upstream of Mhardeh. The total capacity of the three reservoirs (495 million m3) represents about 45 percent of the estimated average annual flow yield. Until 2002 the dams built in the Syrian part of the basin numbered 41, with total a reservoir capacity of 741 million m3, all built on tributaries of the Asi–Orontes River. Among the dams with large reservoir capacity is the Zeyzoun Dam (71 million m3) which had been damaged in 2002. The Zeita Dam, one of the most recently built dams, will have a total capacity of 80 million m3 (SPC, 2009).
In Turkey, the Lake of Antioch or Lake Amik was a large freshwater lake in the Asi–Orontes River Basin in Hatay Province which is now drained through the artificial channel Nahr al-Kowsit. Sedimentary analysis suggests that Lake Amik was formed, in its final state, in the past 3000 years by episodic floods and silting up of the outlet to the Asi–Orontes. This dramatic increase in the lake's area displaced many settlements; the lake became an important source of fish and shellfish for the surrounding area and the city of Antioch. The lake was drained during a period from the 1940s–1970s. The most important dams located on the Turkish side of the basin are the Karamanli Dam and the Yarseli Dam.
Table 2 shows the large dams in the Asi–Orontes River Basin, i.e. dams with a height of more than 15 metres or with a height of 5–15 metres and a reservoir capacity greater than 3 million m3 according to the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD).
Mainly non-navigable and of relatively little use for irrigation, the Asi–Orontes derives its historical importance from the convenience of its valley for traffic from north to south; roads from the north and northeast, converging at Antioch, follow the course of the stream up to Hims, where they built the Al-Rastan Dam, before forking to Damascus and to the Syrian Arab Republic and the south. The Asi–Orontes has long been a boundary marker. For the Egyptians it marked the northern extremity of Amurru, east of Phoenicia. For the Crusaders in the 12th century, the Asi–Orontes River became the permanent boundary between the Principality of Antioch and that of Aleppo.
The Syrian Arab Republic has been using 90 percent of the total flow, which reaches an annual average of 1 200 million m3 at the Turkish-Syrian border. Out of this total capacity, only a meagre 12 million m3 enter Turkey after heavy use by the Syrian Arab Republic.
In August 1994, the Lebanese and Syrian governments reached a water-sharing agreement on the Asi–Orontes River, according to which Lebanon receives 80 million m3/year and the remaining 335 million m3 are for the Syrian Arab Republic if the river's flow inside Lebanon is 400 million m3 or more during that given year. If this figure falls below 400 m3, Lebanon's share is adjusted downwards, relative to the reduction in flow. Wells in the river's catchments area that were already operational before the agreement are allowed to remain operational, but no new wells are permitted.
In 2009 Turkey and the Syrian Arab Republic have agreed in principle to develop the "Asi Friendship Dam", to be built on the Asi–Orontes River on the border between the Syrian Arab Republic and Turkey. The dam is expected to be approximately 15 m high with a capacity of 110 million m3. Of that total, 40 million m3 will be used to prevent flooding and the rest for energy production and irrigation. The idea to build a shared dam on the Asi–Orontes River has been discussed over the years between Turkey and the Syrian Arab Republic, but political differences between the countries held them back until now.
Table 3 shows the main historical events in the Asi–Orontes River Basin.
Bridgland D.R, Philip G., Westaway R. and White M. 2003. A long Quaternary terrace sequence in the Orontes River valley, Syria: A record of uplift and of human occupation. Current science, Vol. 84, No. 8, 25 April 2003.
Bucks, D.A. 1993. Micro-irrigation world wide usage report.
Comair, F.G. 2008. Gestion et hydrodiplomatie de l'eau au Proche-orient.
Dogan Y.P. 2009. Turkey, Syria cooperate on water front. Today's Zaman. 20 March 2009.
DSI (General directorate of state hydraulic works). XXst Regional Directorate of State Hydraulic works - Kahramanmaras.
Estephan C., Nimah M.N., Farajalla N., Karam F. 2008. Lebanon. Rural Development Project. The Upper Bekaa valley of Lebanon. Orontes River Basin.
FAO. 1995. Irrigation in Africa/L'irrigation en Afrique en chiffres. FAO Water Report No. 7. Rome.
FAO. 1997a. Irrigation in the Near East Region in figures. FAO Water Report No. 9. Rome.
FAO. 1997b. Irrigation in the countries of the former Soviet Union in figures. FAO Water Report No. 15. Rome.
FAO. 1997c. Irrigation potential in Africa - a basin approach. FAO Land and Water Bulletin No. 4. Rome.
FAO. 1999. Irrigation in Asia in figures. FAO Water Report No. 18. Rome.
FAO. 2003. Review of world water resources by country. FAO Water Report No. 23. Rome.
FAO. 2004. Support to the drafting of a national Water Resources Master Plan.
FAO. 2005. Irrigation in Africa in figures – AQUASTAT survey 2005. FAO Water Report No. 29. Rome.
FAO. 2006. Orontes basin (Al Assi).International Symposium on irrigation modernization: constraints and solutions. Damascus, Syria. 28–31 March 2006.
FAO. 2008a. FAOSTAT – database. Available at http://faostat.fao.org/.
FAO. 2008b. AQUASTAT – database. Available at http://www.fao.org/nr/aquastat/.
Gleick, P.H., ed. 1993. Water in crisis: a guide to the of world's freshwater resources. New York, USA, Oxford, UK, Oxford University Press for Pacific Institute. 473 pp.
Gleick, P.H., ed. 2006. The world's water 2006-2007: the biennial report on freshwater resources. Washington, DC, Island Press.
ICID (International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage). 2005. Sprinkler and micro-irrigated area in some ICID member countries. Available at http://www.icid.org.
IPTRID (International Programme for Technology and Research in Irrigation and Drainage) /FAO. 2003. The irrigation challenge - increasing irrigation contribution to food security through higher water productivity canal irrigation systems. Issue paper No. 4.
Khater, A.R. 2003. Intensive groundwater use in the Middle East and North Africa In R. Llamas & E. Custodio, eds. Intensive use of groundwater challenges and opportunities. Abingdon, UK, Balkema. 478 pp.
Lehner, B., Verdin, K., Jarvis, A. 2008. New global hydrography derived from spaceborne elevation data. Eos, Transactions, AGU, 89(10): 93-94. HydroSHEDS. Available at the following link: http://www.worldwildlife.org/hydrosheds and http://hydrosheds.cr.usgs.gov.
Lowi, M. After 1996. Political and institutional responses to transboundary water disputes in the Middle East.
L'vovitch, M.I. 1974. World water resources and their future. Russian ed. Mysl. Moscow. Translation in English by R.L. Nace, American Geological Union, Washington, 1979. 415 pp.
Milich, L and Varady, G. 1998. Openness, sustainability, and public participation in transboundary river-basin institutions. The Israel-Jordan Joint Water Committee (IJJWC)
Möllenkamp S. 2003. Transboundary river basin management - new challenges in EU 25 and beyond.
New, M., Lister, D., Hulme, M. and Makin, I. 2002. A high-resolution data set of surface climate over global land areas. Climate Research 2. Available at following link: http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/data/hrg.htm.
OSU (Oregon State University). 2002. International river basins of the world.
Slim K., Saad Z, El-Samad O., Kazpard V. Chemical and algological characterization of surface waters in the Orontes River (Lebanon) in a semiarid environment.
Sofer A., Rosovesky M. and Copaken N. 1999. Rivers of fire: the conflict over water in the Middle East.
UN (United Nations). 2006. The UN World Water Development Report II: Water, a shared responsibility. UNESCO / Berghahn Books.
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UNDP (United Nations Development Programme). 2008. Human Development Index. Available at http://hdr.undp.org).
UNEP. 2003. GEO Year Book 2003. Theme: Freshwater.
UNESCO-IHE (Institute for water education). 2002. From conflict to cooperation in international water resources management: challenges and opportunities. Institute for Water Education Delft, The Netherlands.
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Vermooten, J.S.A, Kloosterman F.H. After 2002. The reaction of the groundwater system of the Syrian Orontes basin to stresses from large scale groundwater pumping.
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The voice of the Spirit is described in the scriptures as being neither loud nor harsh, not a voice of thunder, neither a voice of great tumultuous noise, but rather as still and small, of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it can pierce even the very soul and cause the heart to burn. The Spirit does not get our attention by shouting ("How Does The Spirit Speak To Us?", New Era, Feb 2010, from an address to new mission presidents from June 1991).
In the same address he said:
When we experience a spiritual communication, we are wont to say within ourselves, "This is it. Now I understand."
In these two quotations, it is interesting that Elder Packer does not talk about emotional feelings. I have had plenty of times in my life when I've felt the influence of the spirit. And sometimes I have also felt great emotion. It took me some time to realize the difference for me.
I get emotional about a lot of things. I weep at movies. My kids joke that I cry often in church. When I used to travel more, I'd weep at the AT&T commercials they showed on my international flights (and I'd want to call my kids right then). Knowing that I weep easily, I have had to learn to avoid assuming that tears meant spirit.
Elder Packer's second quotation above is the key for me. "Now I understand."
I can point to specific times in my life when I have been able to say this. Marking my experience at those times, I've come to understand how the spirit speaks to me. Here is one of those experiences:
During my freshman year at BYU, I came to know some of the issues surrounding the prophet Joseph Smith. I had a roommate whose dad was not a friend of the church, and my roommate and I spent a lot of time talking about his concerns. I had by then had enough of my own experience to accept Joseph's first vision and the Book of Mormon as true. But I was fuzzy on pretty much everything else. As I studied that year, I got more and more concerned about my own testimony.
As the time to put in my missionary papers drew near, I knew I wanted to serve. I resolved, consciously, to put my concerns about Joseph on a shelf, trusting my conviction about the first vision and the Book of Mormon. When I attended the temple for the first time, and subsequently during my time in the LTM (shortly before its re-birth as the MTC), I felt peace there. When I came to the temple for my own endowment, I felt the same peace I'd felt as a child at our family's sealing.
After my mission, I continued to consider my concerns about the prophet Joseph and the things I could not piece together. I still felt unsettled, but continued onward, trusting what I knew to be true and hoping for resolution of the rest.
This particular moment of enlightenment was not emotional. It was not a booming trumpet that proclaimed the truth. I did not feel a rushing of wind. I did not see a vision. I simply understood what I had not understood moments before.
Update: Please see my second entry in this series, "Once more, with feeling"


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The image above is a contest proposal for a magazine cover of Signcafe ( Bulgarian mag for advertising ). The theme of this specific issue was "Product placement".
My question is : how many logos do you recognize in inside ? :)
The author is Nikola Arnaudov ( facebook prifile link ).
Incoming search terms:
- product logos
- aaron draplin images
- magazine advertisement proposal
- mickeyロゴ
- monopoly logo font
- product logo design
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- product placement logo


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May 2011 Drivelines: Off-Road NewsPosted in Features on May 1, 2011
Auto Show News
It may have been chilly in Motown for the North American International Auto Show in January, but the mood inside Cobo Hall was upbeat as automakers hoped to ride the current economic upswing with some enticing new products. Most of the news was on the electric/hybrid/small-car front, but here are the highlights from the truck side of the world.
Celebrating 70 Years of Jeep
Many events are planned this year to commemorate Jeep's 70th birthday. Jeep itself is jumping on the bandwagon with 70th Anniversary Edition models of each vehicle in its lineup. Seen here are the Anniversary Wrangler and Grand Cherokee, both fitted with special wheels, badging, and trim. All Jeep 70th Anniversary Edition models arrive in showrooms in the first quarter of 2011, and all will be available in a unique Bronze Star exterior paint.
Compass: The Mini Grand
The resemblance between Jeep's new Compass and the Grand Cherokee is no accident. According to Jeep President and CEO Mike Manley, Jeep wanted "the premium design cues of our award-winning new Grand Cherokee" on a compact SUV platform that delivers 28 mpg and some new off-road capability. The Compass earned a Trail Rated badge when equipped with the Freedom Drive II off-road package, which includes a continuously variable transaxle that stays in low gear when the off-road mode is activated, 17-inch all-terrain tires and aluminum wheels, a 1-inch-raised ride height, a fullsize spare tire, skidplates, and tow hooks. Jeep says this package is "recommended for moderate off-road situations that include steep grades, occasional wheel lift, and rock or log climbing."
The Compass is powered by a 2.0L I-4 rated at 158 hp and 141 lb-ft of torque, or a 2.4L four-banger that produces 172 hp and 165 lb-ft. Both can be ordered with a five-speed manual transaxle or continuously variable transmission. The three Compass trim levels-base Compass, Latitude, and Limited-are available with the Freedom Drive II off-road package, and the vehicles are available at Jeep dealers now.
Future GMC?
Industry analysts looked at GMC's All Terrain HD concept truck and wondered if it foreshadowed new models in the truck's lineup. Lisa Hutchinson, GMC product marketing director, seemed to confirm that in a press release when she said, "Although it is strictly a concept, it is a pretty realistic one."
You could consider this GMC's heavy-duty version of Ford's Raptor or Dodge's Power Wagon. It's based on a Sierra HD powered by a Duramax diesel, but it has been configured with a shorter overall length, a wider track, more ground clearance, custom front A-arms, remote-reservoir Fox shocks, an electronic front stabilizer bar disconnect, and 35-inch BFGoodrich KM2 Mud Terrain tires mounted on 20-inch aluminum wheels.
Trade journal Automotive News reports that the Sierra is due for a redesign in 2014 or 2015; could this be that truck?
Future Ford?
Ford was even more forthcoming than GMC about the thinking behind its Vertrek concept, indicating that it "shows the direction the company will take" in developing a future compact SUV. Ford's intent is to design a product that will appeal to buyers not just in North America but also in Europe and China, and the Vertrek is a response to the demands of compact SUV owners around the globe: "Strong design, great driving quality, smart technology, and the capability that helps get them to places they love to be," said Jim Farley, Ford's group vice president of global marketing, sales, and service.
The Vertrek is powered by a 1.6L EcoBoost gas engine fitted with Ford's new Auto Start-Stop system, which boosts fuel economy and reduces emissions. A six-speed transmission also helps reduce fuel use. Ford indicated that Vertrek could also be fitted with a compact diesel powertrain, most likely for markets outside the U.S. Darn.
This Just In
•Where's Willard Scott? Jeep isn't the only company celebrating a centennial this year. Chevrolet was founded in November 1911 by racer Louis Chevrolet and General Motors founder William C. "Billy" Durant. The Bow Tie folks promise "a year of anniversary activities" to celebrate.
•Welcome back, Grand Wagoneer. Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne told reporters at the North American International Auto Show to expect "an upper-scale Grand Wagoneer" by early 2013. The seven-seat SUV will be built on the same platform as the Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango, but it will be priced higher than the premium models of either SUV.
•How's that, Commander? During Marchionne's announcement of the new Grand Wagoneer, a reporter asked him how it would differ from the Commander, which was discontinued last year. "That car was unfit for human consumption," he replied, as quoted in Automotive News. "We sold some. But I don't know why people bought them."
•Grassroots racing grows. Lucas Oil and Glen Helen Raceway in Southern California have expanded their regional off-road racing series partnership in an effort to expand grassroots short-course off-road racing. The Lucas Oil team will develop uniform rules and safety standards for new racing classes, including Full and Mini Stock Trucks and Mini Open Trucks, creating opportunities for off-road racers at all levels to compete safely in short-course racing. Go to www.lucasoiloffroad.com for more info.
Earth Watch
•Race KoH, help the land. For the second year in a row, Rock Zombies 4x4 Club member Travis Carpenter of the 4405 Land Use team is running in the King of the Hammers to raise funds for land use efforts. The team is asking people to make pledges to the BlueRibbon Coalition based on how many miles Carpenter travels in the race, or you can make a flat-rate pledge. Visit www.sharetrails.org/4405 to make your pledge.
•Congress defends our access. In January, Congressmen Wally Herger, Tom McClintock, Kevin McCarthy, and Dan Lungren cosponsored a bill to clarify the implementation and enforcement of Travel Management in California. This bill will restrict funds for the Forest Service's Travel Management Rule (TMR) until the agency has performed the project-level review under the rule. The bill also addresses the very contentious issue of the Forest Service banning OHV use on dirt-covered and roughly graded logging roads in rural sections of the state.
Dakar Highs & Lows
Celebration and frustration were among the emotions felt by American off-road racers who competed in the new South American version of the Dakar rally. Mark Miller and copilot Ralph Pitchford finished Sixth in the T1 Auto Class driving a VW Touareg, while California-based motorcycle racers Quinn Cody and Jonah Street completed the rally in Ninth and 12th place, respectively.
Our friend and fellow auto journalist Sue Mead was the first American female driver of record at Dakar, copiloting a largely stock Ford Raptor with longtime race and rally driver Darren Skilton. Not only did Mead and Skilton finish the grueling 14-day, 9,000-kilometer (about 5,900-mile) rally, but they brought the Raptor across the finish line in First Place in the Open Production Class. According to reports coming back from the race, the Raptor completed the journey with few mechanical issues beyond a broken shock mount and some overheating while running for several hours through deep, soft sand.
Robby Gordon and Team Hummer weren't so lucky. Gordon was disqualified after Stage 4 (of the rally's 13) for failing to start a special segment on time due to delays caused by a seized wheel bearing. Several days later the second Hummer on the team suffered a rollover in Stage 8 and then a broken transmission early in Stage 9, putting it out of competition.
You can read all about Team Hummer's adventure and watch in-car videos from the race on the blog toyotires.com/dakar-rally-blog.
Best Of America Tour
Agroup called the EcoTrek Foundation has launched a tour called Best of America that will feature American-made vehicles fueled by cellulosic ethanol and equipped with American-made aftermarket products. The tour will travel to historic sites and events across the U.S. in an effort to raise awareness of renewable fuels and materials and the preservation of natural resources. We heard about this through Line-X, which provided spray-in bed and wheelwell protection for an F-250 pickup going on the tour.
Tom Holm, founder of EcoTrek, said his goal for the tour was to "emphasize our ability to be gentler to the environment while bolstering America's economy, national security, and independence from foreign oil."
The ethanol used to power the pickup is a biofuel made in America from diverted waste materials and landfill. According to EcoTrek, the production of cellulosic ethanol could create tens of thousands of jobs, increase unsubsidized revenue to farmers, and lower demand for foreign fuels. You can track the tour's progress at www.ecotrek.com.
•Apr. 2: Getting Started Off-Road 4x4 Skills Clinic, Hungry Valley SVRA, Gorman, CA, by Badlands Off-Road Adventures. Info: 310.374.8047, www.4x4training.com
•Apr. 2: Lucas Oil Regional Off-Road racing series, Glen Helen Raceway, San Bernardino, CA. Info: www.lucasoilregional.com
•Apr. 2-3: JeepSkool, NE Ohio. Info: www.jeepskool.com
•Apr. 3: Advanced Beginner Off-Road Driving Clinic, El Paso Mountains, Mojave, CA, by Badlands Off-Road Adventures. Info: 310.374.8047, www.4x4training.com
•Apr. 8-9: 7th annual Wisconsin OHV Association off-highway vehicle enthusiast's workshops, Mole Lake, WI. Info: www.wohva.com
•Apr. 9-10: IOK Four Wheelers spring swap meet, Cleves, OH. Info: www.iokrock.com
•Apr. 13-16: Tennessee Mountains Jeep Jamboree, Oak Ridge, TN. Info: www.jeepjamboreeusa.com
•Apr. 14: North Rim Grand Canyon trail ride, Parashant, NM, by Badlands Off-Road Adventures. Info: 310.374.8047, www.4x4training.com
•Apr. 14-16: Cajun Jeep Jamboree, St. Francisville, LA. Info: www.jeepjamboreeusa.com
•Apr. 16-24: Easter Jeep Safari, Moab, UT, by the Red Rock 4-Wheelers. Info: www.rr4w.com
•Apr. 18: Easter Safari for first-timers, Moab, UT, by Badlands Off-Road Adventures. Info: 310.374.8047, www.4x4training.com
•Apr. 29-May 1: Bilek Racing Silver State 300 desert race, near Las Vegas, NV, by Best in the Desert. Info: 702.457.5775, www.bitd.com
•Apr. 29-May 1: Ultra4 Tour, in conjunction with Silver State 300, near Las Vegas, NV. Info: 702.457.5775, www.bitd.com
•Apr. 30-May 1: Big Dog Offroad Ice Breaker Trail Ride, The Cove, Gore, VA. Info: 410.440.3670
Changes for Liberty
We had an opportunity to sample Jeep's lineup for 2011 at a special media drive in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where we first encountered the redesigned Compass and updated versions of the Liberty, seen here. Like the '11 Wrangler, the Liberty has some interior improvements-a new steering wheel and wheel-mounted audio controls-as well as some new colors.
In mid 2010 a Renegade model was added to the line, which features new skidplates and Hill-Start and Hill-Descent controls. The '11 Liberty Jet (right) is an upscale model with 20-inch wheels, chrome trim, and blacked-out headlights.
Leduc Wins Challenge Cup
Kyle LeDuc, pilot of the Toyo Tires-equipped Rockstar/Makita Pro 4 Class Ford F-150, had a lot to celebrate when the 2010 season of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series came to a close in Arizona. He kept his head about him during a chaotic running of the Rockstar Energy Challenge Cup-which pits the Pro 2 trucks against the Pro 4s in the final race of the season-and squeezed through the carnage to win the race and a $30,000 payout.
LeDuc also came in second in the Pro 4 series championship, finishing behind a dominant Rick Huseman. Huseman and his Traxxas/Monster Energy Toyota Tundra won 10 of the series' 14 events, earning him his second championship in a row.
New Hot Rod RZR
Polaris has raised the bar on side-by-side performance with the introduction of the RZR XP 900, which the maker is calling "the only extreme performance side-by-side on the market." Powered by an 88hp fuel-injected twin, the XP 900 also features a new three-link trailing-arm IRS that offers 14 inches of travel out back. There's 131/2 inches of travel up front, 13 inches of ground clearance under the new RZR, adjustable Fox shocks at all four corners, and four-wheel disc brakes. The RZR XP 900 is available now with an MSRP that starts at $15,999.


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Ask the Rabbi
Why does the Jewish star have six points? The Encyclopedia of Judaica explained it is from King David's time, and that it was shaped like the hexagon. This answer did not sit well with me. Perhaps you have other sources that explains it better?
In modern times, the Star of David has become a premier Jewish symbol. This six-pointed star (hexagram), made of two interlocking triangles, can be found on mezuzahs, menorahs, tallis bags and kippahs. Ambulances in Israel bear the sign of the "Red Star of David," and the flag of Israel has a blue Star of David planted squarely in the center.
What is the origin of this six-pointed symbol?
Through the Jewish people's long and often difficult history, we have come to the realization that our only hope is to place our trust in God. The six points of the Star of David symbolize God's rule over the universe in all six directions: north, south, east, west, up and down.
Originally, the Hebrew name Magen David -- literally "Shield of David" -- poetically referred to God. It acknowledges that our military hero, King David, did not win by his own might, but by the support of the Almighty. This is also alluded to in the third blessing after the Haftorah reading on Shabbat: "Blessed are you God, Shield of David."
Various other explanations exist on the meaning behind the Star of David.
One idea is that a six-pointed star receives form and substance from its solid center. This inner core represents the spiritual dimension, surrounded by the six universal directions. (A similar idea applies to Shabbat -- the seventh day which gives balance and perspective to the six weekdays.)
In Kabbalah, the two triangles represent the dichotomies inherent in man: good vs. evil, spiritual vs. physical, etc. The two triangles may also represent the reciprocal relationship between the Jewish people and God. The triangle pointing "up" symbolizes our good deeds which go up to heaven, and then activate a flow of goodness back down to the world, symbolized by the triangle pointing down.
A more practical theory is that during the Bar Kochba rebellion (first century), a new technology was developed for shields using the inherent stability of the triangle. Behind the shield were two interlocking triangles, forming a hexagonal pattern of support points. (Buckminster Fuller showed how strong triangle-based designs are with his geodesics.)
One cynical suggestion is that the Star of David is an appropriate symbol for the internal strife that often afflicts Jewish nation: two triangles pointing in opposite directions!
The Star of David was a sad symbol of the Holocaust, when the Nazis forced Jews to wear an identifying yellow star. Actually, Jews were forced to wear special badges during the Middle Ages, both by Muslim and Christian authorities, and even in Israel under the Ottoman Empire.
So whether it is a blue star waving proudly on a flag, or a gold star adorning a synagogue's entrance, the Star of David stands as a reminder that for the Jewish people... in God we trust.
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Coverage Expansion Through Age 29
"Age 29" Index | Option Summary | Frequently Asked Questions
"Young Adult Option"
Chapter 240 of the Laws of 2009, sometimes called the "Age 29" law, permits eligible young adults through the age of 29 to continue or obtain coverage through a parent's group policy. Insurers will notify employees of this benefit. Employees or their eligible dependents may then elect the benefit and pay the premium, which cannot be more than 100% of the single premium rate. This benefit, referred to here as the "young adult option," is separate and distinct from the "make-available" requirement. It is called the young adult option benefit because it permits eligible young adults to continue their coverage through a parent's health insurance coverage once they reach the maximum age of dependency under the policy. Young adults may also elect this coverage when they newly meet the eligibility criteria, such as if they lose eligibility for group health insurance coverage.
For Frequently Asked Questions on this option, please select this link.
Updated 10/19/2009
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