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Mention Bhutan, and it will invoke certain special phrase, such as
- Happiest Places on Earth
- Shangri La
Thus in each city, there will be an administrative centre called the Dzong, which in time past will be a fortress. And in this Dzong, it will house the Administration, with the chief administrator appointed by the King; and also a monastery with the abbot being appointed by the Chief Abbot.
Thus, a dzong is a common sight in Bhutan, with certain of them in ruin, and some in pristine condition, of which the most famous the Punakha Dzong, which hosted the Royal Wedding.
Bhutan located in the Himalaya, is naturally mountainous, and with moutains there will be valleys, and there major river will flow.
There are 5 major valleys in Bhutan, and of these various towns and cities sprout. These valleys
Bhutan located in the Himalaya, is naturally mountainous, and with moutains there will be valleys, and there major river will flow.
There are 5 major valleys in Bhutan, and of these various towns and cities sprout. These valleys
- Paro
- Timphu
- Punakha
- Bumthang
- Gantey
Paro being the gateway from the air; and Timphu the capital; Punakha of old was the capital, and still hold its majestic glory. Bumthang and Gantey, names are unfamilair as we have yet to be there.
Unlike most mountains we have climbed, both Paro and Timphu are 2,000 m above sea level, with an air pressure of about 80% of sea level. Something that most of us would experience in a plane.
Unlike most mountains we have climbed, both Paro and Timphu are 2,000 m above sea level, with an air pressure of about 80% of sea level. Something that most of us would experience in a plane.
That is to say that for any climb to be done, it is a good place to spend a few day to acclimatise.
And in Paro, it is a must to visit Taksang (Tiger Nest), which will grant climbers like us another opportunity to stretch those leg muscles, as well as lung for the 3,000 m.
That being the case, day 0 for us was the climb to and fro Tiger Nest, and then the real climb begin on Day 1.
A decent route, not too difficult and neither easy would see us walking for 5 days, and reaching the highest point of about 4,230 m.
The trek was exciting, as we would be in the forest reserve, camping on highland lakes; with finicky weather, moment of hotness followed by sudden hail.
These pictures are records of the 5 days trek, and hope you can enjoy.
Try to make the captions in the form of poems, hopefully they make sense to you.
Day 1 Paro - Jele Dzong (3,502 m)
Starting at the museum in Paro, we started our climb.
The beginning stretch will see us passing through small village, and we were usually greeted by the cheerful and adorable children, but this being a weekday, few children were around. As we have carried much sweets, pencils, and other goodies that we have brought, these children ended up with most of these goods. We were happy to have off-loaded these extra weights, and the children were happy to receive them.
Starting at 2,352m, it will be an arduous climb to 3,542m over a distance of 9 km.
Arduous as it is the first day of climb, and the journey is one continuous up slope over 1,200 m.
At this altitude, there is only sensation of mountain sickness in the form of headache, but there should not be anything serious for most climbers, the various symptoms of mountain sickness starts to manifest from about 4,000 m.
Towards the camp, we met various trekking groups, but from Camp 1 onward, it seems that Druk Path was only hosting us.
|A common landmark will be a small hut housing the prayer wheel, probably powered by water that flows in a nearby stream. Something that we have also seen in Nepal during our EBC track.
|Donkeys, horses and yaks - these will be the animals of choice to carry our camping gears. In other type of climbs, bipedal human was the choice, but over here, with more slopes than steps, these are the animals of choice over the human porters.
|A cute native, free and easy. What would strike us most will be the manner of all the children and adults alike, polite and courteous. A sign of good upbringing!
|These 4 animals - mythical and real, are deemed sacred to the Bhutanese, and are found always in quad be it on wall or flags. The Dragon, the symbol of Bhutan, the Tiger - ferocious and majetic, the mythical snow lion and the garuda.
|Walking passed these huts, with their apple orchard - flowers still in bloom, but fruits still at least a 2 months wait!
|An older sister barely grown up, on her back her little charge. So sweet to see such sibling love and devotion, that now are amissed in our own countries!
|Our horses, our porters, the load they carried, and nary a complaint. For corns their wages, and the free spirit to walk and roam, these are certainly the eco and efficient ways to travel.
|Granny with a toothy smile, a small boy with an equally enchanting toothless smile. What a joy to see such happy face, for theirs are all as long as their hearts are contented!
|Pines - couple of species are prevalent here. And the pines grow strong and tall, but some would eventually fell prey to the nasty beetles that make them bald!
|Hot and balmy we walked and walked, this is but the beginning of our trek. Soon houses will disappear, and into the forest with great pines growing in vast arrays. Nature and outdoor smell, these are the things that attracted us in the first place!
|Pines and pines in great galore, how we wished you will grow to be tall.
|Now this is humbling, we stand next to a big tall ancient tree. Pine this is, and many years old, perhaps this pine was already there when the first King founded this Dragon Land.
|Tall and straight these pine would grown, and compare with us 6 foot human, these are giants we were told.
Day 2 Jele Dzong - Jangchulakha (3,757 m)
Having reached Camp 1, we will be walking on the many ridges of this Dragon's Back.
As can be seen from the climbing profile, it will be many ups and downs. with the highest point reached for today will be 3,811 m.
|A lone tracker (actually our guide), leading us to the next camp site.
|And to the next camp site, we will have to pass this dzong on the right.
|From here we looked at the campsite that we have spent a night, it looked so far away.
|This is the monastery that this campsite was called, this is a small dzong (fortress)
|There were 3 monks living in this monastery, and on this morning it was cold. Spring may be here, but it was still nippy in the morning.
|On the 2nd day of the trek, we moved away from the monastery to our next destination.
|Rhodendron of many colours flourished during this time, and we would passed many such shrubs with its myriads of colourful flowers.
|Rhodendron - root word means Rose!
|This flower abound during this time, as to the species, unfortunately I have no clue!
|Typical of the trek, pines will be the dominating plant species, towering tall and straight.
|Rhodendron on both sides, multiple species of different colours. Most common being red, but all look awesome in their own shade.
|The white horse with a red plume, that is the chief horse, leading the rest of the pack to the next camp site.
|Shrouded in mist, so thick it was that I got lost trying to go the toilet tank. The headlamp that we wore, the light bounced off the fog in front, and thus I came to understand the term "White Out"
|A study in Blue, 4 different mountain ridges with a heavy cloud cover!
Day 3 Jangchulakha - Jimilangtso (3,895 m)
Once again, it was up and down for the 3rd day, and this time there were more ups and downs as compared to the previous days.
Thankfully our legs have been conditioned by the previous 2 days, that though the difficulty was more, but the climbs quickly passed.
|Our trusty steeds, having corns for breakfast!
|Once again, up the slope to the ridge, this will be one tough climb.
|There is no clear path to walk, and the undergrowth was filled with pine needles. Ground was soft, and at the same time loose. Thus the traction was not so good, and thus much effort spent on this first leg of the climb.
|Spring is approaching, and the herdsmen have brought their stock to this place to graze. And in such profession, the dog is truly a closed and useful allies.
|Gnarled through rain, wind, snow and ice, these Rhodendron branches display very unique shape.
|An unknown bird called to us as we descended one of the many mini summits.
|One of the many lakes or ponds that dotted our journey to Thimphu Valley.
|Earlier it was a gnarled branches, and now the gnarled roots.
|Our next campsite will be next to this lake. From here, it will be many more hours before we reached this destination.
|Pine tree with "Old Man Beard" Ferns
|Another view of the mist shrouded lake (camp site)
|Getting nearer, but still a long walk away!
|We passed this ruin - an old monastery or dzong. Too broken down to know its original design. Perhaps a simple abode for the herders.
|When we reached our camp site, the tents were already pitched and it hails started to fall.
|And soon our camp site was covered with ice (not snow)!
Day 4 Jimilangtso - Taban Campsite (4,144 m)
Some of our members were already feeling the dreaded mountain sickness symptoms - no appetite fatigue, and coldness to the body. Having discussed with our guide, we decided to go for lower ground, and hopefully this strategy will revive the oxygen deprived souls!
On this day, we would circumvent the lake, and from there we were able to see the beautiful reflection of the mountain, and we were not up there, one might have easily mistaken for some low attitude location.
|Next day, the sun shone through, and we were presented with this glorious scene, river flowing in the valley amidst high mountains.
|This stream and the lake boasts plenty of trouts. This is a juvenile that was caught by bare hand, as it hid among the rocks.
|Purportedly to be the track of a fox!
|From snow to "no snow", on this 4th day, the terrain changed.
|Looking like the head of an eagle, an outcrop gave us the avenue to take a good perspective shot of the height that we have traversed.
|Snow, Ice, Rocks - the Druk Path is an exciting track.
Day 5 Taban - Timphu Valley (2,826 m)
Though this was the final part of the Druk Trek, and descending to the Timphu Valley, however we would pass the highest point of our trek at 4,230 m.
Like all descend that we have done, the body having acclimatised to the high altitude will now be flooded with much oxygen, that we did not feel fatigue in our downward climb.
In fact, we were literally "flying" down the slope.
|The team that helped us in making our track successful.
|Was hoping for Bhutan national bird (the Raven), but alas I have to settle for these crows.
|Final day - and we are happy that the adventure is coming to an end.
|We are now at the highest point of our climb 4,230 m.
|A pheasant like bird!
|Another species of the Rhododendron - this one is purplish pink in colour.
|Man at work (monk) - adding a new building to this hill side.
|A rubbish dump - a small land fill but it would be good if it is emptied more regularly than to be over filled, and with gust of winds the rubbish ended up everywhere.
|Unfortunately, the trail is filled with rubbish, either blown by the wind from the dump, or carelessly littered by trackers and locals alike!
|Each of this plank easily weight 20 kg, and he was carrying 3 of them! Wow ...
|At the end of our track, we saw this sign, somehow no one pays any heed to it!
Thus at the end of this journey, the brief 9 days exposure to Bhutan and the Bhutanese. Are they truly happy?
My verdict, those days when life was simple; when there was no comparison with the neighbours; when distraction does not come in the form of internet and commercial advertisement; when people were contented - yes Bhutan was a happy place.
However, by evidence of centre for troubled youth, such will be the problem with affluence and if not moderate carefully, Bhutan may join the dubious rank of other nations, having to deal with the toll of what modernisation can bring!


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So You're Depressed?Posted: September 20, 2013 Filed under: alcohal, Depression, drugs, drunk, drinking | Tags: Alcohol, Depression Leave a comment
It is amazing how unaware we all are about how substances can change our moods.
"I've had a terrible day. I can't wait to get home, turn on the TV and have a glass of wine."
Oh yeah, this is a great idea, because TV will help you numb out your feelings and wine is a depressant, so if you are depressed, angry about your hard day at work or resentful that you even have to work, then a glass of depression ought to do the trick.
The fact is alcohol is a depressant. It also is high in calories so if you're already in questionable physical shape, then it will help you stay that way or get even worse. It also is full of sugar which can lead to diabetes, but the main benefit alcohol will contribute to your being is DEPRESSION. DUH!
"I'm sad and depressed, so I am going to go and get more sad and depressed."
Yes, we understand because we've been there. It is a constant rat wheel with no end until we are sick and tired of being sick and tired.
The facts are:
1. If you are already depressed alcohol will not help or cure your depression.
2.If you are not depressed and you drink alcohol, you probably won't become depressed from an occasional glass of wine. (they keyword here being "occasional")
3. If you are an alcoholic, one will never be enough and an ocean of alcohol won't be enough either.
Just sayin'
Mark Twain On AddictionPosted: May 17, 2013 Filed under: addicts, alcohal, alcoholic, drunk, drinking | Tags: Alcohol Leave a comment
The United States has exported wondrous cultural innovations to the rest of the world. However, one of these is not its approach to drugs, which is moralistic, illogical and intrinsically violent (Alexander, 1990; Boaz, 1990, Peel, 1989; Trebach, 1987). Among the manifestations of the American way of dealing with drugs is a literature, which ranges from the blatant "fried-egg" propaganda of the popular media to a body of overblown professional writing that appears in medical, psychological, and social science journals. Both the propagandistic component and the professional component have their roots in the simultaneously moralistic and "scientific" temperance literature that began appearing in the United States at the_ beginning of the 19th century (see Benjamin Rush, 1790.1805/1947,1819; Kobler, 1973; Alexander, in preparation).
When historians look back on the last two hundred years, I think they will classify the American-inspired attempt to rid the world of alcohol and other psychoactive drugs with earlier witch-hunts and crusades. They put the American drug literature in the same category as massive Roman paeans to the virtues of corrupt emperors and endless medieval scholastic debates on the properties of angels. On the other hand, I think future historians may revere the American common sense philosophers of the same years including Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain or Will Rogers. These American giants made illuminating observations on practically everything, including drugs and addiction. Their unique genius lay in tempering intellectual brilliance with modesty and irresistible good humor. There may be far more real knowledge about drugs in American common sense philosophy than in any other source, including the professional literature that drug researchers, including myself, are labouring to produce. I will use Mark Twain (1835-1910) as my example for a commonsense philosophy today?
Since Mark Twain's research methodology may seem a bit out of place in this experimental psychology presentation, I will take a little time to work up to his strongest conclusions. I will start with a speech that he gave in 1905. This is printed in an excellent collection (l. Jeider, 1963) that presents Mark Twain as a serious essayist, although it has to concede that he was never able to suppress his sense of humor entirely. On the occasion of his 70th birthday in 1905, Mark Twain, having survived a fair portion of the Nineteenth Century, observed that it was common for people of his awesome longevity to preach about their personal habits, and that it was not uncommon for their listeners to emulate them. He thought the first part of this was fine and, indeed, preceded to hold forth on the topic of his own habits, but he urged against any emulation. He put it this way: I have achieved my seventy years in the usual way: by sticking strictly to a scheme of life which would kill anybody else, It sounds like an exaggeration, but that is really the common rule for attaining old age. When we examine the programme of any of these garrulous old people we always find that the habits which have preserved them Footnote 1. My perspective on American issues is doubtlessly colored by the fact that I am a Canadian who grew up in the United States. As a young adult, I could not reconcile myself to the actions of the American Leviathan in Vietnam. I left the United States permanently in 1970 and became a Canadian citizen in 1975. However, I haven never forgotten the special warmth and color of American culture. In view of all of this, I am perhaps unusually attuned both to harmful American policies and to redeeming American values. Footnote 2. A tip of the hat to Stanton Peele (1989, p. 39) for making me think about Mark Twain in the first place. would have decayed us … I will offer here as a sound maxim … that we can't reach old age by another man's road (Mark Twain 1905/1963, p. 471).
He then proceeded to describe his various habits, including very moderate consumption of alcohol, not eating lunch, and others. Of most importance to us today was his smoking. He smoked enough to induce apoplexy in today's anti-smoking activists. In his words: I have made it a rule never to smoke more than one cigar at a time. I have no other restriction as regards smoking. I do not know just when I began to smoke, I only know that it was in my father's lifetime and that I was discreet. He passed from this life early in 1847, when I was a shade past eleven; ever since then I have smoked publicly. As an example to others, and not that I care for moderation myself, it has always been my practice never to smoke when asleep and never to refrain when awake. It is a good practice. I mean, for me, but some of you know quite well that it wouldn't answer for everybody that's trying to get to be seventy … Today it is all of sixty years that I began to smoke the limit (pp.471-472). Throughout this talk, Mark Twain reiterated the point that nobody should emulate either his moderate consumption of alcohol, his immoderate consumption of tobacco, nor his total abstinence in the matter of lunch if it was bad for their own health, and that they themselves were the best judge of that. This ideas requires a few moments of digestion in the current climate surrounding tobacco and other drugs, and so I will return to Mark Twain after I have done a bit of hatchet work on the American professional drug literature.
Professional "literature"
I feel at liberty to speak frankly about the professional literature on drugs, since I am a longtime contributor to and reader of it. I also feel at liberty to characterize it as American, because it is American professional journals that set the critical standards and produce most of the bulk. American Psychological Association journals playa role although they obviously have other purposes as well. I am not sure how this body of writing first came to be called a "literature" or why it is sometimes accepted as "scientific," since it has little in common with either literature or science as they are known in other contexts. It lacks any trace of literary appeal; it has no core scientific paradigm; and it is unfailingly soporific, even from those of us who helped write it. When I first faced these facts, I naturally accepted the articles that I had written myself. Then I met other people who shared my dismal view of the larger endeavor, with the exception of their contributions to it, but with the inclusion of my own. This created a certain dissonance in my analysis, which I hope I can now resolve. We can only understand this drug literature as a whole, because any time you hold up any part of it as well-grounded and internally consistent, several others will hold up some other part and say you're ignoring the evidence. When they finish corning at you from all directions, this pack of sharks will turn on each other, and you may join ir1″the destruction of someone else's work if you wish. Therefore, you can run rats, administer questionnaires, analyze variance, interpret factors, and/or concoct snappy slogans for a lifetime, but you won't get anywhere. I've laboured at this myself for more than two decades, but when I survey the "literature" beyond my own decades, I see the same questions and answers endlessly argued, although the figures of speech change over the years. I also find the same uncivil tone throughout; other people's ideas are either treated with contempt or, more likely, ignored completely. Some people want to represent this as science in progress, but it does not have the theoretical core of "normal science" as it has been described in physics (Kuhn, 1970) or biology (Mayr, 1982), nor is it built around a systematic and civil vulnerability to falsification that is often taken as the defining characteristic of science (Popper, 1959).
The temperance undertow
Why is it like this? I think that, in the field of contemporary drug research, we are seeing a lot of good thinkers and researchers thrashing around in the undertow of a cultural way of thinking that always draws them back to a particular core of ideas, no matter how strongly their observations and scholarly judgment may pull them away from this vortex. The core ideas were laid out by the 19th century American and Canadian Temperance movement and have become a part of North American culture. They have been propounded by the American government with particular intensity for the last decade-and-a half (Humphreys and Rappaport, 1993). Sociologist Harry Levine (1992) has described our wo countries, and a few others in the world as 'temperanc~cu1tures:" I will here refer to the way of thinking about alcohol and drugs that predominates in a temperance culture as a "temperance mentality."
Two studies of the temperance mentality
What is this temperance mentality and what gives it power over otherwise independent thinkers and researchers? I will try to answer these questions by making reference to a comparison of the nineteenth century temperance literature and the twentieth century anti-drug literature that I have just completed, and to the results of administering a "temperance questionnaire" to university students in several countries.
Comparative historical research
From Benjamin Rush's early writings just before the beginning of the Nineteenth Century until the prohibition era in the 1920s, there was a remarkable uniformity in the temperance view of alcohol. Of course there were people who opposed this view of alcohol-the so-called "wets" -but there were more "drys" and the temperance mentality Dr. Benjamin Rush was the dominant vision for many decades. The two most fundamental temperance premises were simple and coherent: 1) alcohol use and alcohol addiction were primary causes of society's problems including the problems of sexual promiscuity, violence, family dissolution, labour and racial unrest, insanity, illness, child abuse, atheism, addiction, and, sometimes, the downfall of civilization itself and, 2) universal abstinence would greatly reduce these problems and was achievable through certain temperance remedies. These temperance claims were stated in language that was harshly moralistic and accusatory. To many abstemious Americans and Canadians, the temperance claims about alcohol remain almost self evidently true. Nonetheless, they are a cultural manifestation, rather than a statement of objective fact. Outside North America there are many nations that consume more alcohol per capita and suffer from similar social problems, but nonetheless have never sought to blame these problems on alcohol or sought to ameliorate them by promoting abstinence (Levine, 1992).
Late in the 19th century, the temperance ideas were extended, almost unchanged, to other drugs. This has continued to the present. If you analyze, for example, Mark Gold's famous book, BOO-Cocaine (1984), or the pronouncements of the recent The temperance mentality, with respect to both· alcohol/and illicit drugs, is being taken very seriously by a significant proportion of the population of North America. American "Drug Czars" (e.g., Martinez, 1991), or dozens of other mainstream, hard-line anti-drug works, you will find them full of ideas about heroin, marijuana, or cocaine that are virtually identical to temperance ideas about alcohol. Moreover, you will be hard-pressed to find stronger evidence for these claims about drugs than that proffered for the original temperance claims about alcohol. Further, if you consider the pronouncements of the more liberal supporters of current American drug policy, you will find a softened form of the same temperance message. Their message is similar to that of the liberal wing of the historical temperance movement which softened the tone of the extremists and backed away from the more extravagant claims and more violent forms 6f repression, but nonetheless stuck tight to the fundamental temperance premises and national campaigns to prevent all use of certain drugs. It takes a bit of demonstration to she\-\' this, because the liberal proponents of American drug policy generally think of themselves radically shifting the emphasis, for example, from "supply reduction" to "demand reduction" and from a "justice model" to a "public health model" and so forth. A little examination of these changes, however, shows temperance thinking pretty much intact with them (Alexander, in preparation).
Temperance questionnaire
The temperance mentality, with respect to both alcohol and illicit drugs, is taken very seriously by a significant portion of the population of North America. I know this from extensive, often heated, discussions on drug issues that I have had all over Canada and the United States. Today I will try to illustrate this quantitatively by showing you some responses of university students to a Temperance Mentality Questionnaire (the TMQ) that my colleagues and I have administered in the United States, English Canada, and the· Netherlands, and which we are now preparing to administer in French Canada, Ireland, Bulgaria and Italy (Alexander, et aI., 1992; Burt et aI., in preparation). The TMQ was designed to measure adherence to the ideas espoused by the temperance movement about alcohol; and adherence to those same ideas when applied to currently illicit drugs. The test includes 50 items that we derived from Nineteenth and early Twentieth Century North American temperance literature and from historical accounts of that same ~ra. Each item on the questionnaire can be documented with quotes from these historical sources. The language of the TMQ was modernized somewhat, primarily by replacing archaic words and phrases 'like "ardent spirits" and "drunkard" with more modern equivalents like "liquor" or "alcoholic" and by changing some of the references from alcohol to currently il~icit drugs. Half of the fifty items on the TMQ were statements The widespread acceptance of the temperance mentality in the United states, relative to other countries; is illustrated by the student data in Table 1.
Influence of the temperance mentality
Does the widespread acceptance of the temperance mentality influence drug policy and, more important for present purposes, does it affect the professional drug literature? It seems to me inconceivable that it would not influence drug policy. ln majority of people really believe that alcohol or the illicit drugs
Temperance mentality about alcohol
University Reject Neutral Accept
Utrecht (Netherlands) 31.2% 65.5% 3.4%
Simon Fraser (Canada) 27.2% 67.1% 5.5%
Washington (Seattle, WA, USA) 15.2% 73.0% 11.8%
Cameron (Lawton, OK, USA) 7.7% 62.1% 30.2%
Temperance mentality about illicit drugs
University Reject Neutral Accept
Utrecht (Netherlands) 13.2% 67.3% 19.5%
Simon Fraser (Canada) 11.0% 57.1% 31.8%
Washington (Seattle, WA USA) 3.4% 50.0% 46.6%
Cameron (Lawton, OK USA) 2.4% 28.4% 69.2%
of attitudes towards alcohol, and were derived directly from temperance literature. A typical item is:
"Abstinence from alcohol in a community is the key to social progress." (Question No. 21.) The other half of the items were re-worded so that they referred to a currently illicit drug or drugs in general. A typical item is "Selling marijuana would be immoral, even if it were legal" (Question No. 14.) About half of the items of each type were stated in a negative form, so that a person couldn't receive a high score on the temperance mentality just because they like to say "yes" to questionnaire items. This questionnaire has now been given to over 1,000 university students.
Multivariate statistics show clearly that the students do not respond to the temperance items independently, but as if they formed a coherent whole. That is, students either agree with most of the items, disagree with most of them or respond with a consistent neutrality (Burke et aI., in preparation). have the demonic qualities that the temperance mentality attributes to them, then temperance policy will prevail. Only the staunchest libertarians would advocate anything other than an abstinence policy for a substance that, even in small doses taken by normal people, causes incurable addiction, deforms unborn babies, induces violence, causes fatal heart attacks, and is threatening to bring about the fall of western civilization. If the claims of the temperance mentality are true, it would make no more sense to tolerate the sale of alcohol or drugs than to tolerate the sale of AIDS virus. Research seems to me no less influenceable than public policy. Governments, university boards, and research foundations established by large corporations powerfully influence research of all sorts through grant money, ethics committees, hiring policies in universities, awards, subsidies for professional publications, and so forth (Danziger, 1990). Government and many big businesses are, at this juncture of history, foursquare behind major portions of the temperance mentality as applied to illicit drugs (Alexander, in preparation), Researchers, of course, pride themselves on being irascible, independent-minded characters, but This does not make them exempt from the laws of reinforcement or natural selection, or from bureaucratic control. An illustration of the controlling influence of the temperance mentality on research comes from a study of articles submitted to a professional society on the topic of cocaine in utero. This study was conducted by researchers here in Toronto (Koren et aI., 1989). It showed clearly that articles on the effects of in utero cocaine administration were likely to be accepted if they confirmed the temperance presupposition that drugs in any quantity are harmful to unborn children and that they were unlikely to be accepted if they did not. In many cases, articles with inferior methodology by normal research standards were selected over those with better methodology, but the wrong conclusions. I can personally report many instances of the temperance mentality influencing drug research, and many other professionals can as well (e.g., Humphreys and Rappaport, 1993; Searles, 1988).
Mark Twain on temperance and liberty
Obviously, excessive temperance zealotry does not constitute proof that all temperance claims are false or that intemperance is a virtue. Again, Mark Twain is a good source o(a balanced perspective. His 70th birthday speech, cited previously, made it clear that he rejected some of the temperance claims totally. He was himself a moderate user of alcohol, and he allowed that other people might find heavier use than his to be a healthy practice in their lives. He maintained that his totally immoderate smoking had helped him to attain old age, although he acknowledged that it might have killed somebody else. Please note how far he was from temperance doctrine at this point. Within the temperance mentality, it might be admitted that Mark Twain lived beyond age 70 in spite of very heavy smoking. But Mark Twain said that he survived to old age because of his smoking. This proposition runs far beyond the simplistic temperance assumption that all drugs can be divided into the good and the bad. It suggests that people can and do make complex.· informed decisions about using and not using drugs, and that everybody should not make the same decisions. It also suggests that the effect of tobacco on longevity might be strongly affected by some of its psychological effects which are more idiosyncratic than the physical harm that it does to the cardiovascular system. In other words, in his modest way, Mark Twain was … in spite of its puffed-up jargon, the temperance mentality was, and is, pushing science toward the justification (or sometimes repudiation) of its simplistic slogans providing the impetus for a complex scientific analysis, whereas, in spite of its puffed-up jargon, the temperance mentality was, and is, pushing science toward the justification (or sometimes repudiation) of its simplistic slogans.
A balanced viewpoint
But Mark Twain did not have a totally laissez faire attitude towards drugs. This emerges clearly in an article entitled "The Temperance Crusade and Women's Rights" (Mark Twain, 1873/1963). In this article, Mark Twain comments on a new cultural phenomenon that was sweeping the United States in 1873. Tightly organized bands of women were gathering on the sidewalks outside of saloons and praying conspicuously, around the-clock, until the saloon was forced out of business. Mark Twain noted that this activity was illegal and a nuisance. He also opined that the women were a bit credulous in attributing their success in closing bars to divine intervention. If. God was shutting down the bars, he ventured, the ladies could just as well have done their praying at home or at church. However Twain thought that, under the existing circumstances, this temperance activity was justified. He pointed out that the women involved were generally admirable, well-respected people. He also noted that many of them had husbands or sons who were squandering their time and money in the saloons to no good purpose. Finally, he noted that the women wouldn't have to rely on divine intervention or obstructing traffic at all if they were allowed to vote for the kind of laws that would impose sensible limitations on the sale of booze. He ends his article, however, with some harsh words for the male ministers who were joining the women's temperance efforts and building a grand metaphysical and institutional structure upon them. He suggested that such men would do better to stay in church and preach at people to obey the law.
Thus, although Mark Twain was not a temperance zealot, he was not born-again libertarian either. He apparently believed that the judgment about using drugs would be achieved by a kind of dynamic tension between people's perceptions of their own needs and the sentiments of their families and their close society. He appeared to draw a sharp distinction between the normal human impulse to press for temperate use of drugs among one's close relatives and the "temperance" doctrine that meant to impose abstinence on the world.
It se~IIlst01l1ethatMark Twain was miles ahead of both the' propagandistic and professional components of today's drug literature. But please don't think that I have Come here to tell you that the rest of us drug researchers should give up. Rather, I think that Mark Twain's keen, humane observations offer us a renewed inspiration for pulling ourselves away from the vortex of temperance thinking. Should pharmacologists not be investigating the question of how the same drugs that kill some people, might keep others alive, if this is truly so? Should sociologists not be exploring the possibility that local forms of social control might be helpful in dealing with drug problems even though national and international drug "wars" have clearly failed?
Finally, I hope that I do not sound anti-American. I have reached a stage in my life at which I am weary of condemning the evils of the great and terrible country of my birth. I would prefer to celebrate its unique genius. Part of its genius lies in its common sense philosophers, and it might be in them that we find the wellspring that will freshen our field of enquiry now, when it is so intellectually parched. On a larger scale, perhaps Americans do not need to turn to the English or the Dutch for enlightened alternatives to their bankrupt drug policies, but to their own rich cultural history. On the largest scale of all, perhaps a Renaissance of American common sense is not beyond contemplation.
Presented to the American Psychological Association Meeting, Toronto, Ontario on August 20, 1993
Alexander B. (in preparation). The Temperance Mentality in America:
Past and Present, submitted to Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry
Alexander B.K. (1990). Peaceful Measures: Canada's Way Out of the
'War on Drugs.' Toronto: University of Toronto Press. .
Alexander, B.K. Lewis. C., van Wijngaarden, J., .and van ~e Wijngaart, G.F. (1992). Dubious consensus: Support for anti-drug poliCY among Dutch and Canadian university students. Journal of Drug Issues, 22: 03-922.
Boaz, D. (ed.) (1990). The Crisis in Drug Prohibition, Washington, D.C.,
Cato Institute. . .
Burt, G. & Nijdam, D. (unpublished ms, 1992). A Survey of temperance claims.
Burt, G., Roney, C., Dawes, G., Nijdam, D., Beyerstein., B.L., van.de Wijngaart, G.F., Ossebaard, H., and Alexander, B.K., (In preparalion). Newl"emperance Era, Eh?: A Survey of Students at a Canadian
University. '
Danziger, K. f1990). Constructin.g the Subje~t: Histo.dcal.Origins of Psychologica Research. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Humphreys, K. and Rappaport, J. (1993r From. the COm!!! ~~ity menta! health movement to the war on drugs: A study In the delinJIlon of Social problems. American Psychologist, 48, 892·901.
Kobler J. (1973). Ardent Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition. New
York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. .
Koren G., Sehar, H., Graham, K., & Einarson, T. (1989). Bias against the
null hypothesis. The Lancet. 1440·1442, Dec 16,1989. .
Kuhn, T.S. (1970).The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (2nd ed., enlarged) Chicago, University of Chicago Press.
Martinez, B. (1992). United States drug strategy. In Drugs and Society.to the Year 2000: Proceedings of the Xly-World Conference of Therapeulic Communities, P. Vamos and P.J. COrriveau (eds.). Quebec: Portage Program for Drug Dependencies, Inc.
Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens) )1873). The Temperance Crusade and Woman's Rights. In C. Neider (ed. The Complete Essays of Mark Twain, (t963). Garden City, N.Y.: Double aY,_664-668.
Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens) (1910). Seventieth Birthday. In C. Neider (ed.) The Complete Essays of Mark Twain, (1963). GardenCity, N.Y: Doubleday, 469-474.
Mayr, E. (1982). The growth of biologicalthoug~t: Diyersity, evolution, and inheritance, Camllridge, Mass.: Harvard UOIverslty Press. .
Peele, S. (1989). Diseasing of America: Addiction Treatment out of Control. Lexington, Mass.: Lexington Books.
Popper, K.R., Sir (1959). Logic of Scientific Discovery. New York: Basic Book.s.
Rush, B. (1819). An Inquiry into the effects of Spirituous Liquors on the Human Body: to Which IS Added a Moral and Physical Thermometer.
Boston: Thomas and Andrews. .
Rush B. (1805/1947). The effects of ardent spirits upon man. In The Selected Writings of Benjamin Rush, D.D. Runes (ed.). New York: The Philosophical Library.
Rush, B (1819). An Inquiry in the Effects of Ardent Spirits Upon !he Human body and Mind, with an Account of the Means of. Preve~tlng and of the Remedies for Curing Them. Exeter, New Hampshire: JOSiah Richardson, Preacher of tfie Gospel.
Searles, J.S. (1988). The role of genetics in the pathogenesis of alcoholism. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 97, 153·167.
Trebach, A.S. (19~7). The Gre?t Drug War: And R?dical Proposals That Could Make America Safe Again. New York: MacMillan.
Thank you,
Virtue v/s CircumstancePosted: February 16, 2012 Filed under: 12 steps, AA meetings, addicts, alcohal, alcoholic, drugs, Letting go, Uncategorized Leave a comment
An addict will not change by virtue. Virtue did not get us sober. An addict gets to AA by circumstance, circumstance that ripped our lives to shreds. For most of us, AA was the last house on the block.
Given the gift of desperation, we come in the rooms of AA willing to do what ever it takes to change our lives. Many of us are surprised when we find out that we are to give up the drink forever and that we are not here to learn "how to drink."
We become willing to find a Higher Power other than our selves.
Our best thinking got us into situations that kept us in slavery to the will of others, including jail, mental institutions, unhealthy situations and just plain juggernaut behavior that was defining our lives.
We know deep in our guts when we are holding on to some thing or some one that isn't working. We feel such relief when we finally let go and get honest with ourselves.
The truth is we are imperfect humans and we make mistakes. No one said we have to do this perfectly. The only thing we have to do perfectly is, just not drink or drug.
Many of us have grown up confusing independence with self will.
Many of us chose the path of avoidance, wanting God to take care of all our problems for us, like when we are sleeping or while getting surgery under anesthesia and waking to the surgeon telling us, "You're healed, we got it all."
Half measures availed us nothing. We stand at the turning point with complete abandon.
A million miles away
Your signal in the distance
To whom it may concern
I think I lost my way
Getting good at starting over
Every time that I return
I'm learning to walk again
I believe I've waited long enough
Where do I begin?
I'm learning to talk again
Can't you see I've waited long enough
Where do I begin?
Do you remember the days
We built these paper mountains
And sat and watched them burn
I think I found my place
Can't you feel it growing stronger
Little conquerors
I'm learning to walk again
I believe I've waited long enough
Where do I begin?
I'm learning to talk again
I believe I've waited long enough
Where do I begin?
For the very first time
Don't you pay no mind
Set me free again
To keep alive a moment at a time
But still inside a whisper to a riot
To sacrifice but knowing to survive
The first to climb another state of mind
I'm on my knees, I'm praying for a sign
Forever, whenever
I never wanna die
I never wanna die
I never wanna die
I'm on my knees
I never wanna die
I'm dancing on my grave
I'm running through the fire
Forever, whenever
I never wanna die
I never wanna leave
I never say goodbye
Forever, whenever, forever, whenever
I'm learning to walk again
I believe I've waited long enough
Where do I begin?
I'm learning to talk again
Can't you see I've waited long enough
Where do I begin?
I'm learning to walk again
I believe I've waited long enough
I'm learning to talk again
Can't you see I've waited long enough
Getting Down to BasicsPosted: December 26, 2011 Filed under: 12 steps, AA meetings, alcohal, change, Courage, Uncategorized | Tags: anne sexton, chinese year of the dragon, st michael the archangel Leave a comment
Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.
When we have problems we look to some thing outside of us to fix us. Everything we try, drugs alcohol, food, relationships, shopping, even therapy can't fix us.
If we can get real and get honest with ourselves the truth will set us free.
Denial is a strong prison.
Going to meetings saves us, but meetings can't do it for us, if we are unwilling to be honest with ourselves.
Sometimes just keeping our selves in the seats at a meeting is enough to get through a day and stay sober, but to really live the life our Higher Power wants for us, we need to get down to basic truth and face whatever it is we are concealing from ourselves.
The New Year coming up will give us opportunities for resolution. Chinese Year of The Dragon. Equal to St.Michael the Archangel, the Dragon leads the Chinese New Year Parades to ward off the evil energy.
Let's go into 2012 with open eyes and take some action to change our lives for the better. The Planets are lining up and there is much magic ahead.
Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love."
Love and a Cough
"As it has been said:
Love and a cough
cannot be concealed.
Even a small cough.
Even a small love."
― Anne Sexton
PARTY SOBERPosted: December 20, 2011 Filed under: 12 steps, AA meetings, addicts, alcohal, alcoholic, choices, fun, lonliness, Sobriety Leave a comment
Party Sober
From Anonymous Sober Driver Contributor
Last year I went to my first sober party ever, the week before Christmas. It was really special, because I was doing chemotherapy at the time and I had no hair, no eyebrows, and no eyelashes. I was in a brace because of an operation I had to remove a tumor.
My sober friends scooped me up and put me in the car and then took me to a meeting and asked if I wanted to go to a sober party. Some people from meetings didn't recognize me.
But nobody was phased. They were all happy to see me and glad I was sober.
I love sobriety.
I went back to the same party tonight. It was great to say "here I am" – "I'm still here, and here's my hair".
I've heard people say, "God did for me what I couldn't do for myself."
I've also heard some people say when they first got sober they didn't know whether to brush their teeth or load the dishwasher.
At 14 months sober, I remember sitting on my couch in my living room next to my sponsor and deciding which oncologist to go to. Just yesterday I thought about that and I got real still because I for the first time I realized the magnitude of what God doing for us what we can't do for ourselves is.
I Walk Alone
I kept thinking, "it would be great to go to a movie, or a play, or the arboretum, or something fun.
Well, here's my new thing I'm doing – when I think, "I'd like to do this or do that." Then I promise myself I'm going to go, EVEN IF I HAVE TO GO ALONE. I order the tickets online, or make dinner reservations. Then I text five friends in recovery and ask if anyone would want to join me. But I go no matter what.
The worst thing that can happen is I go see a movie by myself then have five sober friends calling me back over the next 24-48 hours.
If I end up going alone, I get in the car, jam my music and go. And I have to say doing something fun alone is one of the most empowering experiences ever!
The Best Christmas Present Ever
Calls, texts, emails, and letters from sponsees are the best Christmas present I've ever received next to the Lone Star Rodeo Barbie my Grandmother gave me when I was 7.
It got really dark for me the other day and I was thinking, "I just don't think I can do this much longer. What's the use? Are things really better?". I keep praying for a Power Greater than me to send me a letter in the mail. Something that would fix the pain.
I stepped outside and had a postcard from a person, we'll just call them the magic sponsee.
It had a list of four things the magic sponsee is praying for in my life. We've been together so long, the magic sponsee knows what my four dreams are.
Thanks, HIgher Power!
Oh Boy! Oh Boy! Oh Boy! The HOLIDAYS are here! What will they be like this year?
Merry Christmas!
Happy HanukkaH!
Happy Kwanzaa!
Happy New Year!
This is the first day of the rest of your life and it's going to be AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have a beautiful day!
You are not alone!
Stay in the rooms!
Go To Any LengthsPosted: May 17, 2011 Filed under: alcohal, inspiration Leave a comment
Girlfriend Struggled With Sobriety While Chaz Bono Began Sex Change Procedure
I saw this film last week and was amazed by Chaz's bravery and openness. When Chaz's girlfriend drank during the time of his breast augmentation, he said she used her stress at school and his sex transition as an excuse to drink. Chaz distanced himself from his girlfriend to protect his sobriety. They made it through a very tough time and now both are sober.
In our program, we become willing to go to any lengths to stay sober.
Not a great movie, but I found it interesting due to their struggle of addiction and approach to Chaz's sex transition with honesty and grace.
Punk Rock and AA Saved Me From Killing Myself and YouPosted: April 13, 2011 Filed under: alcohal, Bands, drunk, drinking, Punk Music, punk rock, Sober, sobriety, music, love 3 Comments
In the late 70s punk rock was born and gave way to what people may recognize as tribal, creating a new form of music and fashion. Honestly for me, it was the family of my dreams. I was encouraged to be as wild and angry expressing myself and all the rage inside of me to the fullest. For me, it was a form of expression. I developed lasting friendships that have witnessed a great portion of my life. I will say that AA is somewhat like that for me. Though I am taught to follow the 12 steps and traditions and I am not drunk like before, I am encouraged to question and I am always accepted in my abstract beliefs. I can truly say that both AA and Punk Rock saved my life.
My sober punk rock friend, who was also part of the punk scene back when, says,
"For me it was pretty much the same. For as long as I can remember, I wanted off this planet! Life at home was terrifying and full of rage. All I wanted was out. I started to drink at age 8 and drugs at 9. That was one way out!
Drugs and alcohol took me away from all "this". They worked till they didn't. Finally I found relief. I was also in love with music. As Lou Reed so eloquently put it "it's my wife and it's my life". That applied to drugs, alcohol, and music.
I loved lyrics. Mostly then, they were about drugs and alcohol. Then a friend turned me on to "Punk Rock". The lyrics were about hate and injustice and they made fun of the status quo. Right up my alley. They perfectly expressed in words, how I felt. This was my new family, my chosen family. I could finally express my darkest feelings and no one minded. They didn't care that I was broken. In fact they were broken too!
Very much like AA, we had a common bond.
Over the years (at least 35) some of us were lucky enough to find another way to survive. Unfortunately many didn't. I miss them. There but for the grace of God, there go I.
There has been a resurgence of old skool punk rock. With that, I have reconnected with some old "warriors" from my past. Some will say it's dangerous to go to clubs to participate in music. And I do participate! For me it's like a high skool reunion only sexier!"
My friend picked this song. Really kinda says it all.
Dead Kennedys

subset: commoncrawl


text:
"Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness and help. We appreciate your patience in answering all our questions during such a time of confusion."
- John K. and Family
"You are the best legal team I know. Thank you on behalf of my family and myself. You quickly gained my respect and my trust because you deserve it. I'm forever grateful."
"Thank God For you. I know that you work from your heart and soul. I am so grateful and will never forget you."
"I just wanted to express my thanks to you and your staff. I deeply appreciated the great care and skill you demonstrated during the entire process."
- Amanda N.
"Thank you so much for helping me with the case. You did a wonderful job in winning my case. God Bless you."
- A. Rivera
"Thank you for your services in representing me. You kept in contact with me throughout the case and you were very efficient... Once again, I say thank you and I would highly recommend you."
- B. Johnson
"I told my doctor that you are very special. Thank you for helping me get my disability benefits. God really granted my wish when I met you. Thank you."
- Barbara M.
"Some have a gift for helping others see the world as a place of possibility and warm the heart with a human touch and impart wisdom. You have all of these gifts. Thank you so much. Forever grateful."
- A. Hines
"Thank you for all your help. Without you and your wonderful staff, I could never have done this on my own. Thank you again."
- R. Gonzalez
"Bless you for giving your time, your energy and yourself. Many Thanks."
- C. Smith
"Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts for all your help and support. We appreciate all the time and effort you and your staff put into our case."
- Elena E.
"Thanks for being so special in so many ways. I could never repay you for your advice and counsel."
- Vera L.


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Providing good quality basic school education for children is widely recognized as a primary responsibility of the State in any modern society.
A recent announcement by the Rajasthan government states that it will hand over 300 'poorly performing' government schools to private hands, to be run on the public-private partnership model, in the name of "improving the quality of education". This brings into focus the state of government school education in India and the abysmal failure of the State to fulfill this primary responsibility towards our people.
In the field of school education, the Indian State has from the beginning, adopted two parallel systems – one, private schools owned and run by private managements and trusts; the other, schools owned and run by the State (this includes schools run by central and state governments, municipal corporations and other local bodies, as well as government aided schools). While the State-run schools were meant to provide good quality education of uniform standard, at affordable cost, the private schools mainly catered to those who could afford to pay high fees. Over the years, the State-run school system, which was supposed to provide a good, all-round education to the children of the toiling masses, has been systematically destroyed, as a conscious and planned policy of the Indian State, through woefully inadequate funding, corruption and mismanagement as well as political indifference and deliberate neglect.
The struggle to improve and expand the State-run schooling system, in order to fulfil the deep aspirations of the millions of toilers of our country, for a good education for their children, has been an important component of the struggle of the working class and other working people for a better future. Teachers, academics and all progressive people concerned with the well-being of society have been actively raising their voice, demanding that the State fulfil its responsibility of providing uniform, good and affordable school education.
It was under pressure from this struggle that on April 1, 2011 the previous UPA government passed the Right to Education (RTE) Act, making it mandatory for the government to ensure free and compulsory, quality education to all children between the ages of six and 14 (up to Class eight).
The RTE Act laid down rules for minimum standards that must be followed in all government schools – in terms of teacher-student ratio (see Box: Teacher-student ratio), necessary infrastructure and services, school working days and working hours of teachers, quality of teachers, etc. It laid down rules for no discrimination in admission, no detention, inclusion of parents and community members in the school management committees (SMCs). It mandated the setting up of neighbourhood schools within 1 km, so that children do not have to travel long distances to go to school. In the name of promoting 'social inclusion', the act declared it mandatory for all private schools to reserve 25% of their seats for children of economically weaker sections (EWS). The RTE Act was to be justiciable, with a Grievance Redressal (GR) mechanism that would give opportunity to people to take legal action against violation of various provisions of the Act.
Public-private partnership in school education
According to the "Public Private Partnership in School Education 2017" policy of the Rajasthan government, 75% schools in rural areas and 25% schools in urban areas will be identified on the basis of very poor academic results, and handed over to be run by private managements. Each private buyer would have to pay Rs 75 Lakh for operating each school. The state government, apart from handing over the existing prime land, buildings and other infrastructure, students, teachers and other staff, will reimburse the amount paid by the private buyer over a seven-year period at Rs 16 lakh per annum. Another Rs 20,000 would be reimbursed to the private owners as expenses per student. The private owner would have the freedom to fix the students' fees and salaries of the staff, its own admission policy and staff selection criteria.
Side by side with this, the government continued to encourage public-private partnership in school education, in the name of "making quality school education available to all". Public-private partnership in school education is a euphemism for handing over government schools to private buyers to run on profit making basis. (see Box: Public-private partnership in school education). The private schooling system was allowed to continue and flourish.
The toiling masses hoped that with the RTE Act in place, their dreams of providing quality education for their children would finally be fulfilled. However, a review of the state of government schools in urban and rural areas across the country, 6 years after the notification of the RTE, makes it amply clear that the state has failed miserably in implementing each and every aspect of the Act. The Grievance Redressal mechanism was not even set up in most cases!
Teacher-Students ratio
Teacher student ratio in India as mandated by the Right to Education Act:
While the average teacher-student ratio across India may come close to this, there are wide variations in different states, as seen from the bar chart
In State-run schools across the country today, the rules laid down under the RTE Act can be seen more in their violation than in their compliance. It is a matter of grave concern that India fares worse than many other countries in providing state-run basic school education.
Most government schools today lack even the most basic requirements, such as class rooms, desks, drinking water, etc. There are no separate toilets for boys and girls. Broken window panes, furniture, fans and lights, paint and plaster peeling off the walls, leaky roofs, stinking toilets and garbage piled up in corners, children being taught sitting on the corridors due to lack of classrooms, etc. are a common sight in most government schools across the country. There are many rural and even urban areas, in which schools have no electricity or water supply. There are no libraries or laboratories in many of these schools. In many areas of the country, students still have to trudge long distances, over mountains, rivers and through forests, to reach school (see charts – access to toilets and access to electricity).
Books and stationary, to be supplied by the state authorities, often do not reach the schools till many weeks after the beginning of the academic session. Mid-day meals, often stale, infected and served in unhygienic conditions, have caused hundreds of students to fall sick.
The plight of shiksha mitras in UP
Shiksha mitras (contractual teachers) in government schools in Uttar Pradesh, face an uncertain future today.
In 1999, the state government had decided to appoint, through the gram sabhas and municipal councilors, 2 shiksha mitras per government school. Initially, they were paid Rs 2,250 a month. By 2010, 1.68 lakh shiksha mitras had been appointed all over Uttar Pradesh. In 2010, their pay was raised to Rs 3,500 a month."
With the Right to Education (RTE) coming into effect, the state government decided to upgrade these shiksha mitras to assistant teachers to address the shortfall of teachers in schools. The graduate shiksha mitras were to be given two years of special BTC (Basic Training Certificate) training before they were duly appointed as assistant teachers and by 2015, 1.67 lakh shiksha mitras had been upgraded as assistant teachers in the state's educational system. In September 2015, the Allahabad High Court declared these 'upgraded' appointments as null and void.
However, the Supreme Court stayed the High Court order's implementation and with the 7th Pay Commission recommendations coming into effect, the payscale of these shiksha mitras was raised to Rs 39,000.
But in a recent judgment, the Supreme Court has made it mandatory for them to pass the Teachers Eligibility test (TET) within two years, in order to continue on the upgraded payscale and cancelled their appointment as assistant teachers until they clear the TET. Thus, the future of over 1.67 lakh teachers hangs in balance now.
Students are cramped into tiny class rooms, with a single teacher often attending to more than 100 students at a time. Even in the capital city of Delhi, some of the best government schools have a teacher-pupil ratio of about 1:80. (see Box: Teacher-student ratio).The teachers are required to perform multiple duties such as school administrative and clerical duties (due to lack of administrative and clerical staff), replying to RTI queries, disbursal of funds, grants and scholarships, books and uniforms, organizing mid-day meal, following up on absentees and drop-outs, election duty, census duty, state government secretariat duty, etc. for no additional remuneration. This puts enormous pressure on teachers being able to perform their academic duties properly. Hundreds of thousands of teachers' posts in government schools across the country have been lying vacant for years. Giving the excuse of "not finding qualified teachers" to fill these vacancies, the government has been employing the services of ad-hoc and guest teachers hired on contract at very low salaries. (see Box: The plight of shiksha mitras in UP)
Requests for repairs and resources
Repeated requests by government school principals to the higher authorities, for more funds and improvement in infrastructure and facilities as well as appointment of teachers have received poor response. (see Box: Requests for repairs and resources fall on deaf ears).
Under pressure of persistent demands to improve the state-run schooling system, the state has set up various model schools (Navodaya Vidyalayas, Sarvodaya Vidyalayas, Pratibha Vikas Vidyalayas, etc.), in which meritorious students from a cluster of some 80-100 schools are selected for enrolment. Through adequate state funding and support, these schools have, in many cases developed proper infrastructure, libraries and laboratories, playgrounds, and other amenities, trained teachers etc. Students of these model schools have often surpassed their counterparts in private schools in the examination results of the state and central education boards. This shows that wherever the state has put in the necessary attention and resources, it is capable of providing good quality education. However, such State-run model schools are very few and far between, accessible only to a very tiny section of children in certain parts of the country. Today many of these model schools too are facing shortage of government funds and resources and have to depend on NGOs and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs of private companies, to continue some of their educational initiatives.
The abysmal condition of government schools forces many working people to send their children to private schools which charge exorbitant fees, with no social control or accountability. The complete absence of government schools in many areas, problems of commuting long distances, displacement and migration of working class families, teenage girls having to drop out of schools due to lack of toilets and long distances of travel – all these aggravate the problem, forcing children into private teaching shops. As a result, many State-run schools face increasing problems of low enrolment and high drop-out rate. The State uses this as a justification for further neglecting and destroying the State-run schools.
All this points to the deliberate and conscious wrecking of the State-run schooling system in our country and the simultaneous boost given to the private schooling system. What we see today is its logical conclusion, i.e. even State-run schools are being handed over to private buyers to rake in profits by fleecing the working people.
The working class and toiling masses of our country, all progressive people, have consistently upheld the demand that ensuring good quality, uniform, affordable school education is the responsibility of the Indian State. Basic school education is a universal human right, which any modern State is duty-bound to guarantee. The Indian State has violated this universal right blatantly. Education is a crucial social investment, for ensuring enhanced productivity and quality of life for the whole of society. The Indian State has invested less in education over several decades compared to most other countries of the world with comparable social development indicators. Education cannot be left in the hands of the private capitalists, whose sole aim is making maximum profits. The deliberate wrecking of the State-run school system and the handing over of this vital sector to the profit-hungry private capitalists once more reveals the utterly anti-people and anti-social character of the Indian state. The working people have to step up the struggle demanding that the State fulfils this important duty towards our people.
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History of the Democratic PartyPosted 2009. 10. 12. 15:04
The history of the Democratic Party of the Republic of Korea dates back to the interim government set up on exile during the Japanese colonial rule, before the establishment of the Republic of Korea. Its more immediate beginning, however, dates back to September 5, 1995 when the National Congress for New Politics was created. On December 18, 1997, the NCNP saw the victory of its candidate Kim Dae-jung, who was elected as the 15th President of the Republic of Korea, the first peaceful transfer of power ever from ruling to opposition party. The "People's Government" was launched.
In January 2000 the NCNP expanded through reforms under the ideals of democracy, market economy and productive welfare to become the Millennium Democratic Party. On December 19, 2002 the MDP saw yet another victory, the election of candidate Roh Moo-hyun as the 16th President of the Republic of Korea. The "Participatory Government" was launched.
On November 11 2003, through internal reforms the MDP split and from this division, the Uri Party was created. The remaining MDP changed its name to the Democratic Party. In early August 2007 the United New Democratic Party was created. On the 18th of the same month, the UNDP and the Uri Party merged forces, and on February 17 2008, the UNDP and the Democratic Party joined to create the United Democratic Party.
On July 6 2008 at its first regular national convention of the National Delegations' Congress the party's official name was changed back to the Democratic Party and Chung Sye Kyun was elected as the President of the Party.
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Enchanted Butterfly Ring
Feel free and beautiful in the Enchanted Butterfly Ring. The stones and glass pearls that make up this ring are so dazzling, and we know this will become one of your all-time favorite purchases!
- Hand embedded cubic zirconia stones
- 14K gold/rose gold/rhodium plated
- Prong set stones
- Glass Pearl
- Nickel free


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Which Home Equity Lending Option Is Right for You?
Whether you want to renovate your kitchen, pay for your daughter's wedding or consolidate your debt, the right kind of home equity lending product can help you reach your goals. This is because home equity loans come in many shapes and sizes that you can tailor to your needs.
How Much Equity Do You Have?
Your equity is the amount of ownership you have in your home. It is the appraised value of your home, minus the amount you still owe on your mortgage. For example, if your home is worth $275,000 and your current mortgage is $150,000, then you have $125,000 of equity in your home.
What Is a Home Equity Loan?
Simply put, a home equity loan enables you to convert the equity in your home into cash. Most home equity lending products reflect one of the three following structures:
Traditional Home Equity Loan:
This type of home equity loan is paid in installments, just like your primary mortgage. Typically, you can borrow a fixed amount of money and obtain the funds in one lump sum. Traditional home equity loans usually have a fixed interest rate, loan term and monthly payment amount.
Home Equity Line of Credit(HELOC):
This type of home equity loan works a lot like a credit card. You can draw what you need against your equity during a set period of time, and you only pay interest on money you've actually borrowed. As you pay back the funds you've borrowed, you make that equity available to use again in the future. If your HELOC is an interest-only loan, then you pay interest only during the draw period. Once the draw period has ended (usually 5, 7 or 10 years), the loan may be converted into a traditional amortized loan, or it may require one full balloon payment of the debt.
Cash-Out Refinance Loan:
This type of home equity loan allows you to borrow a fixed sum of money against the equity in your home by refinancing your existing mortgage into a new larger loan. This is because a cash-out refinance combines the borrowed amount with the principal of your existing mortgage. Unlike a traditional home equity loan, you keep only one lien against your property. As you make your mortgage payments, you pay the increased debt over the duration of your refinanced mortgage term.
Now that you know your potential home equity loan options, you need to decide which home equity loan to choose.
How Much Can I Borrow?
Your borrowing ability depends on several factors. These factors include your home value, the lending regulations where you live, your credit history, your income, your debt-to-income ratio (DTI), and the limit on the percentage of your home's value eligible for borrowing against as determined by your lender.
Talking with a Discover Home Loans Personal Banker is a fast way to determine how much you can borrow, but you can also use our handy loan amount calculator to get a general idea of what amount might be within reach for you.
Once you know how much equity you have, and how much you can likely borrow, consider how you want to use your funds to determine the best type of home equity loan to achieve your goals.
How Do You Want to Use Your Home Equity?
There are many ways to use the equity in your home. Here are just a few common uses:
- Home improvement and renovations
- Debt consolidation
- Big-ticket purchases (like a car or family vacation)
- Finance a wedding
- Pay for school tuition
- Get money for emergency expenses
Home Equity Loan
If you desire to use your loan money all at once, or you prefer the security of a fixed interest rate, a traditional home equity loan may be the best fit for you.
With a Discover Home Loan, you can borrow anywhere from $35,000 to $200,000 depending on your borrowing ability. Your loan is secured by the value of the equity in your home, and you can obtain the funds electronically or by check after closing.
Home Equity Line of Credit
If you desire to use your money as you need it, and you do not mind the possibility of having a variable interest rate, a home equity line of credit might be a good option.
It is important to consider how you want to use the money you borrow. You may not want to use long-term financing options to pay for short-term expenses, like a car or a boat that you may own for just five years. Also keep in mind that your line of credit will only be available for a specified period of time, not indefinitely.
Cash Out Refinance Loan
A cash-out refinance is when you take out a new home loan for more money than you owe on your current loan and receive the difference in cash. For example, if your home is worth $400,000 and you owe $200,000, you have $200,000 in equity. With cash out refinancing, you could receive a portion of this equity in cash. If you wanted to take out $50,000 in cash, this amount would be added to the principal of your new home loan. In this example, the principal on your new mortgage after the cash out refinance would be $250,000. Cash-out refinance loans come with repayment plans up to 30 years.
Now you have a clearer picture of the differences between the different types of home equity loans. Here are some other things to consider
1. What is Your Budget?
Getting a home equity loan to pay for your son's private school tuition or to surprise your wife with a golden anniversary vacation can feel great, but you must also consider the repayment process. To correctly determine which home equity loan is best for you, you must decide how much you can afford to pay on a monthly basis towards your loan balance.
For most, this starts with evaluating your budget. If you do not have a budget, or if it has become a distant memory, learn how to get your budget back on track. Use our Monthly Payment Calculator to get an estimate of your monthly loan payment and help you plan your budget.
2. What is Your Current Financial Position?
Remember, your borrowing ability will also influence the type of loan available to you. You want to be sure that you select a home equity loan that matches your borrowing ability and financial position. Typically, a borrower should have the following:
- A credit score of at least 620
- A history of responsible credit use
- Verifiable employment and income
- Sufficient equity in your home
Applying for a Home Equity Loan
As you can see, home equity lending options come in many shapes and sizes.
Determining which home equity loan is right for you depends on how much equity you have, your borrowing ability, your budget and how you want to use the money. When considering these factors together, you can more easily see which home loan is the best fit.
At Discover Home Loans, our goal is to make getting what you need easy with a home equity loan. In fact, we do not charge application, origination, or appraisal fees, and no cash is required at closing.
We understand that life is expensive. Let us show you how a home equity loan can help. Apply online now or talk with a Personal Banker today at 1-855-361-3435.
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or give us a call.
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Start your application online or give us a call.


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O.K. So we have a new president. O.K. So not everyone is thrilled.
I understand the Women's March.
Republicans have a reputation for undermining women and treating them like second class citizens. I am all about the Equal Exchange of Energy and Republicans are not about that.
Where does the rage come from?
I have asked my guides and angels about Rage.
This is what Archeia Hope, Archeia Grace and Archeia Faith have to say about the 'Rage' in the United States -
There are several examples we will give you today.
First we say - there are mercenaries among you who are paid to start riots. They are paid by those who wish to create chaos. We want you to consider this as you react to your oppression. This is a warning, this is why we have advised you over and over again to be present and pay attention to your surroundings. There will be more riots as there are plenty of paid instigators. Those who are paying are creating prosperity from it. Do not be instigated. Step back from the Rage these people are promoting.
Do not participate in violence. It perpetuates the Rage.
Next we say, you have been oppressed. You are frustrated and angry. Create a way out of it. Rage creates no - thing.
Do you want to create a better life for yourself? Create a strategy, times are changing and the way you create prosperity is changing as well. Look for answers to your questions outside the realm you have been looking. You are not getting answers where you have been looking.
Doing the same thing that has not worked over and over again is like running into a wall over and over again, it creates frustration and rage, which creates no - thing.
There is corruption in your law enforcement. If you are unhappy with this create a strategy or join with others to end it. The corruption in law enforcement creates more Rage than anything else in your United States. You absolutely can do something about this, contribute in some way towards assisting with the end of the corruption.
Where do you start? You have to ask questions to get answers.
Corruption in Government - Your government is always changing. Start looking at your local government, first. Your President Trump will be delegating to the local governments to make changes. Here is your opportunity to clear corruption.
There will be civil unrest for more years to come. Do not blame this on President Trump. It is not all his fault. It is the faulting of your local governments for turning a blind eye on situations that presented, which could have been resolved efficiently, Flint Water Crisis, the Dakota Access Project are examples.
Do not believe what you hear or do not hear in the media. The media instigates much of the Rage. Do your research, follow your intuition, make decisions through love and wisdom for the highest good of this planet. Be present, be authentic, be wise.
How can you create change? Be aware, be present, be kind, be wise, make wise choices. See all living beings as wondrous, no matter the situation. When you pray or say intentions ask for the highest good of all beings everywhere.
The Rage does not have to continue. It is your choice, choose wisdom, love and the equal exchange of energy.
If you are not in a an equal exchange of energy situation untangle yourself from it and find or create the situation you so desire.
Your lesson, your choice.
Keep your hearts open and aligned with the energy of LOVE!
We love you, we bless you, we thank you!
Archeia Hope - Divine Compliment of Arch Angel Gabriel
Archeia Faith - Divine Compliment of Arch Angel Michael
Archeia Grace - Divine Compliment of Arch Angel Uriel


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To register for a Fieldscapes account then please complete the form below. Accounts will only be accepted from bona fide educators and tutors. If you wish to use Fieldscapes for commercial training or public outreach then please contact us about Trainingscapes - out white-label version of Fieldscapes.
Note: If your organisation is already set up on Fieldscapes then ask your Fieldscapes Administrator for the dedicated registration link so that you are added to your organisation automatically to facilitate the sharing of lessons.
Once you have completed the form you will be emailed a confirmation link which you must click on in order to complete the registration process. If you have not already done so you should download the Fieldscape Explorer application so that once you have your account set up you can start to try out, experience and create Fieldscapes exercises.


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Lancaster, TX Real Estate
Population: 28,700 A city of warm and friendly people. Founded in 1852 as a frontier post, Lancaster is only 15 minutes from downtown Dallas and strategically placed adjacent to the south sector of the Dallas city limits. Enjoying the amenities of big city life while maintaining a small town rural environment, Lancaster has a rich historical heritage that points to a proud past. View Properties in this Community > Ebby Halliday Offices Serving this Community: Southwest Dallas/Ellis Co. > Other Ebby Offices > Education The Lancaster Independent School District was one of the first in the nation to experiment with the federally funded "open classroom" concept, as well as undertake substantial commitments toward the use of advanced Laser disc technology for classroom teaching. Area Colleges and Universities Cedar Valley College Dallas Baptist University Mountain View College University of Texas...
Lancaster, TX Homes For Sale
Search For Properties In Lancaster
For a list of schools located within the district(s) please click on the link(s) below.


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Put contemporary interiors in their best light with the translucent frosted glass and an impeccably handcrafted silhouette of this ceiling light.
Additional Info:
Star performer: inspired by stars that suddenly burn brighter in the night sky, the Nova flushmount ceiling fixture brings brilliant luminosity to contemporary bathrooms and kitchens. This luminaire features twist-and-lock bayonet mount that reveals only a seamless shape below. Accommodates two 60-watt bulbs.


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Boots, Brew & Barbecue (B3)
The annual Boots, Brew & Barbeque (B3) has been set for Saturday in June 2, 2018 in downtown Mount Vernon. The Franklin County Cultural Preservation Society, which sponsors the event, has tried various time of the year, but is now ensconced on the first Saturday of June each year.
The event, established in 2014, centers around a barbecue cooking competition. Live music throughout the day, vendor booths, and craft beer sales/tastings keep things lively. The event will conclude with a street dance.
Check the Optic-Herald for more details or the event's Facebook page.
Location : On and Around the Downtown Plaza & Houston St.
|Watch the Mount Vernon Optic-Herald for details as the date approaches.


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Sparking every year's criticism, Ebay auction site has come under fire for offending Muslims by offering burkas as Halloween fancy dress costumes, with anti-Islamophobia group calling for the listing to be removed.
Sparking every year's criticism, Ebay auction site has come under fire for offending Muslims by offering burkas as Halloween fancy dress costumes, with anti-Islamophobia group calling for the listing to be removed.
"Many Muslim women do not wear the burka, though to associate it with Halloween further stigmatizes women who wear it," said Fiyaz Mughal OBE, a director of Tell MAMA, adding that the costume "dehumanizes" women who wear the veil, Daily Star reported on Sunday, October 25.
"We ask that eBay remove these so-called costumes and understand the impact that it has on women, perceptions within wider communities and to the safety of some Muslim women."
The uproar started when an advert on Ebay offered for the sale of the burka costume. The advert describes the traditional outfit as being "perfect for stag parties."
Sellers Dragons Den Fancy Dress have the outfit listed as a "Halloween Fancy Dress Idea Sharia Burka".
Offered in various colors, including Forest Green, City Blue and Royal Blue, the costume comes in a range of sizes from small to extra-large at prices between £22.55 and £29.95.
Also available on the site is a mini-skirt and veil combo described as a "Middle Eastern Arab Girl Burka Halloween Fancy Dress Costume".
Facing criticism, an eBay spokesman said they do not intend to spark anti-Muslim sentiments.
"We do not allow any items that promote intolerance toward religion," he said.
"We always welcome feedback from our members and take this into account when reviewing items on our marketplace."
Controversial releases of this year's Halloween include, the "Clock Bomb Boy" costume, which depicts US Muslim student Ahmed Muhamed who was arrested for bringing a homemade clock to school, "Cecil the Lion killer" and Foxy Megyn Bloody Tampon Halloween costume.
Halloween is an annual Western celebration based on Celtic pagan doctrines and traditionally applied to the evening of October 31st.
Celtics were a group occupying the area known now as Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Northern France about 2,000 years ago.
Halloween has clear connections with the Eve of Samhain, a celebration marking the beginning of winter as well as the first day of the New Year among ancient pagans of the British Isles (2nd century BC).
On this occasion, it was believed that supernatural forces gathered together and that the barriers between the supernatural and human worlds were broken.
They believed that spirits from other worlds, such as the souls of the dead were able to visit earth during this time and roam about.
When Christianity came to the British Isles, the church tried to take attention away from these pagan rituals by placing a Christian holiday on the same day.
The Christian festival, the Feast of All Saints, acknowledges the saints of the Christian faith in much the same way that Samhain had paid tribute to the pagan gods.
These traditions were brought to the United States by immigrants from Ireland and Scotland.


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Dalmatian Puppy Costume
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Dalmatian Puppy Costume
|Costume type:
|Costumes for Babies
This homemade costume for babies entered our 2015 Halloween Costume Contest.
A word from Tiffany, the 'Dalmatian Puppy' costume creator:
My daughter, Maliyah, is wearing the costume. The idea came from the movie!
Purchased dalmatian pattern & the costume was sewed together. I added red bows to the ears to make it more girly.


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Event Archive - Capital City Syncopators
Tue. August 7th 2012 - Tue. August 7th 2012 @ Swans Brewpub (No Minors)
9:00 pm
Event CategoriesMusic: Country / Bluegrass / Rockabilly, Jazz / Blues
Swans is an award winning brewpub that plays host to live music. Mostly blues, swing and rock and roll . Original local art collection displayed throughout - both contemporary and aboriginal art. Great food and drink specials!
ReviewsNo articles have been linked to this profile
Capital City Syncopators (Jazz, Two Step & country swing)
Prohibition-era Jazz, Two-step, and Country Swing played on guitar, tenor banjo, lap steel, washboard, and tuba. more info


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Downstate Memorial Honoring Labor Leader Getting An Upgrade
A labor group hopes that efforts to upgrade a nearly 80-year old monument in downstate Illinois will also bring a history lesson to new generations.
A memorial to Mary Harris Jones, better known as Mother Jones, has stood in Union Miner Cemetery in the Macoupin County town of Mt. Olive since the 1930's. And preservationists say it needs an upgrade.
Jones was a teacher turned organizer who protested child labor in Pennsylvania.
She also fought for the rights of striking coal miners, including those who fought in the 1898 Battle of Virden, a violent clash with strikebreakers that left 13 dead. Mother Jones Magazine takes its name from the famed labor leader who died in 1930.
Amy Rueff with Illinois' AFL-CIO said she was buried in Mt. Olive, just 40 miles from Virden.
""She requested that she be sent back to be laid besides those brave boys who gave their lives in Virden," said Rueff, who's leading the orgnanization's fundraiser. "Her role was really to talk to people stand up for themselves, she organized the men's wives, she organized children and they respected her, and listened to what she said when it came to activism."
State Senator and former Macoupin County Board Chair Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) grew up in the area.
"Any number of visitors - international visitors - that stop at the cemetery, at the monument, on any given day in Mt. Olive," he said. "And local leaders would tell you that there's an incredible draw to her, as an individual, and for what she stood for."
The Senator, the Illinois AFL-CIO, and United Mine Workers want to raise more than $100-thousand for preservation efforts, including the cleaning of statues and plaques at the site.
There's also a plan to build a Mother Jones Museum in Mt. Olive.
A portion of that funding will be announced Tuesday, when plans are also unveiled to raise money for a Mother Jones museum in Mt. Olive. The goal is to have both completed by June 2015.


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The book jacket dramatically warns you three times not to read this book, lest you unleash forces beyond your control. It warns that you will face the Daemon Legion, and that if you miraculously survive, you will ultimately face yourself. Now, if you know anything about me and my severe addiction to knowledge (and especially the kind of knowledge that challenges every other piece of knowledge I devour), you know that I ate it up; I read the book in a day and a half, all 53 chapters. It turned out to be a fun book to read because I am an Occultist and because I love to be intellectually stimulated.
Indeed, there are dire consequences to reading this book. You will never see the past or the future the same way again. The fluidity of how the time stream flows together and the fluidity of consciousness to flow from one universe to another is elucidated. How has such a book survived, you may ask? Comedy of course; it is in the transmissions from parallel universes, and the theater at the end. Dire earth shattering revelations are revealed here, and how to surf the tidal waves caused by the earth shattering, as well.
Ever heard of Jack Parsons and the Babalon working, and about his mysterious death? It's in there, and many more historical figures from all over the place and stuff I had never heard of before about Ong's Hat and time travel, and also about Isreal Regardie being an assassin for the O.T.O. and about John Dee being the first Agent 007 and the basis for Faust.I knew these characters and many more mentioned in this book from my legitimate occult study, but never put the facts together quite the way Mr. Moon does.
Furthermore, it introduces the characters who developed quantum physics and how they developed their theories. Many new ideas and concepts are discussed in the book that are really arcane axioms. One concept is one I fully agree with, and that is that consciousness is the Unified Field theory and the Quintessence. Theories about synchronicity and everything else are discussed including engineering reality and time travel. This book in the hands of most people is an intellectual oddity at best, but in our hands it is a key to unlocking other dimensions and opening the gates; engineering reality is what LHP Sorcerers do. We live and breath solve et coagula.
Peter Moon is a prolific writer who has experimented with a new kind of writing style. It is not fiction and it is not non fiction. For the most part it is speculative non fiction but the line gets blurred when he takes the facts and starts deconstructing them and then reconstructing them. Therein he takes us into a new realm. Outlandish and outrageous theories based solidly on fact. He calls it the realm of "Modern Myth." So I always do my research and fact checking whenever I read one of his books to sort it out for myself. He is very thought provoking and provides much food for thought.
Info : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Synchronicity-Seventh-Seal-Peter-Moon/dp/0967816270
More by Peter Moon: http://www.skybooksusa.com/
Until next time…Blessed Awakening
Book Review by Firestorm Coraxo


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Graduate Diploma in Psychology
Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology
Master of Psychology (Counselling)
Danny has completed all his studies through Monash University at both the Clayton and Caulfield campuses. He is a registered psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia and AHPRA. He is an associate member of the Australian Psychological Society.
Danny has had experience in a variety of settings ranging from schools to community organisations and has been in private practice for a few years. His approach to counselling is person-centred and uses evidence-based techniques such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness, Motivational Interviewing, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). However, he develops treatments based on individual presentations.
Danny will consider any issues that present from clients. He primarily works with adult clients. He has particular interests in depression, anxiety, substance abuse/addiction, relationship, family problems, issues affecting those who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex, workplace issues (including bullying, harassment), anger problems, trauma and grief. He has also had experience with working with clients on corrections orders and involvement with the Department of Human Services.
Danny is available at our Little Collins Street office.
Please call reception on 1300224665 to book an appointment with Danny.