Physical environment is subject to continuous modification from natural causes, such as tectonic forces, temperature extremes, fire, wind and river erosion, vegetation processes, and animal action. No less than natural agents, human actions can result in widespread and irreversible environmental change. Many of these processes occur insidiously over prolonged periods. In such instances, the effects often are cumulative. Other human actions may be more sudden and concentrated, resulting in immediate and noticeable change.
Whether continuous or precipitous, these human actions frequently have degraded the affected environment. The nineteenth century, a time of British consolidation in Gangetic India, witnessed both types of phenomena. Traditional environmental alterations continued, while imported technologies introduced new, more threatening agents of change.
Agents of Continuous Change
The Banaras region, like most of the Gangetic plain, has been continuously populated for some twenty-five hundred years. In the process local residents established an important urban center, maintained its streets and buildings, connected it to other communities, supplied its industrial needs, and fed its population. Throughout this time human occupation affected the surroundings in a variety of ways.
Land Use and Resource Depletion . Over the centuries while Banaras city grew, its inhabitants exploited the adjoining terrain and its resources.
They cultivated the land to near capacity; hunted wildlife; raised livestock; and extracted timber, fuel, stone, sand, clay, and groundwater. Those materials and supplies which were unavailable locally were imported and brought in by road or stream.
As Banaras continued to grow and prosper, surrounding lands strained to supply the rising needs of the city and its visitors. By 1800 the region's resource base was becoming strained. The town itself was built on the site of the legendary Forest of Bliss. But by the nineteenth century, according to Diana Eck, townspeople retained only memories of the once luxuriant woods. One central neighborhood came to be known as the "Cut-Down Forest" (Eck 1982:29).
In the countryside, too, large tracts had been cleared for farming, leaving only isolated trees and planted groves. The extensive fields in place by 1800 blanketed what was once a natural habitat of dense forest. The original cover included stands of valuable trees, such as sal (Shorea robusta ) shisham (Dalbergia sissoo ), jaman (Eugenia jambolana ), mahua (Bassia latifolia ), ber (Ziziphus jujuba ), pipal (Ficus religiosa ), neem (Azadirachta indica ), pagun[*] (Bombax ceiba ), banyan (Ficus bengalensis ), tamarind (Tamarindus indica ), and babul (Acacia arabica ). Apart from isolated stands near villages, few of these trees remained in the nineteenth century. Grasses and shrubs, too were continuously grazed and harvested for manufacturing bricks (Troup 1921, 2:8; 3:4, 147, 231; Stebbing 1922–26: glossary; R. L. Singh 1971:204).
This large-scale devegetation of the countryside put an enormous strain on the soil resources. No longer compacted by broad root systems, topsoils were swept away by floods and blown off by winds. And depletion of leguminous trees and shrubs deprived the earth of the nitrogen-fixing action of roots, leaving soils deficient in bacterial content. The stresses of repeated cropping and traditional shallow tillage minimized soil rotation, accelerated nutrient depletion, and reduced fertility. Finally, with firewood growing scarcer owing to devegetation, manure was employed as fuel, reducing the input of fertilizer (Crooke 1897:322–34).
The familiar cycle of deforestation, reduction of biotic diversity, soil erosion, reduction of fertility, and decline in productivity certainly was manifest in the Banaras region. The responses to this process were equally common: extension of cultivation to terrains previously considered "wastelands" or "barren" lands; increased irrigation; or multiple cropping.
As was noted above, British observers asserted that Banarsi cultivators increasingly adopted irrigation and multiple cropping techniques. Reclamation of barren land also occurred but was severely limited by availability. Already by the end of the eighteenth century most such land had been plowed and sown. Although varying perceptions of what constitutes wasteland render that term ambiguous, figures confirm that little such terrain was available by the 1840s. It appears that the amount may have decreased somewhat between 1848 and 1872 (from 19 to 15 percent), but stabilized at the latter level through the rest of the century. There is some evidence, meanwhile, that farmers were simultaneously abandoning previously productive lands. In 1788 Jonathan Duncan had already noted the desertion of formerly productive fields. Nearly a hundred years later the provincial land-settlement report of 1872 estimated that 5 percent of cultivated land had been recently abandoned (Shakespear 1848: 169–70; Colvin 1872, Appendix:16; K. P. Mishra 1975:85).
In sum, despite an ostensibly stable population, pressure on farmland was demonstrably heightening. The measures taken to compensate for erosion and soil depletion aggravated the situation. Each of the three alternatives employed—reclamation, irrigation, and multiple cropping—was intensive, adding further stresses on finite resources.
Religious Activity and Environmental Pollution . The processes described above were principally rural and resulted from land use intensification. Their effects were to degrade a limited resource base. Such phenomena have been common to many societies and typical for much of agrarian north India.
Considerably less typical and far more controversial have been the alleged ecological consequences of religious activity in Banaras. As the principal focal point of Hindu pilgrimage and the leading center of Brahmin ritual observance, Banaras has drawn enormous numbers of visitors throughout the year and on special occasions. It is principally the Ganges that affords this distinction, and it is on its banks that most activity occurs.
Primarily as a result of the vast number of participants, the riparian environment has been affected. Crowding, sewage generation, and the influx of ill visitors have caused serious public health concern since the beginning of the colonial period. Other actions may have contributed in small ways to riverine pollution, but their effects have been consistently overstated. Throughout British rule, Hindu religious practices were termed responsible for the pollution of the river and the adjoining areas.
For centuries throngs of pilgrims have converged on Banaras. In addition to the daily arrival of Hindus seeking personal salvation, sea-
sonal fairs or eclipses drew occasional crowds of a hundred thousand or more. These congregants required food, drink, and other substantive needs, adding further pressure on overtaxed resources (Hamilton 1820:301; Nevill 1909a:66–67; 1909b:85; Oude and Rohilkund Railway 1875:1169; 1878:1057; K. P. Mishra 1975:67). Their contribution to local degradation has been notable, but environmental pollution due to their presence has been a lingering concern. This is particularly ironic given the religious function of Banaras: to purify and cleanse ritual pollution. Diana Eck notes the importance of running water in general, and of Ganges water in particular, in purification. But this notion, as she recognizes, is unrelated to microbial purity (Eck 1982:216–17).
To colonial observers, eager to introduce Western hygienic principles, Hindu practices appeared unclean. Perceiving a real threat to their own health and well-being, Europeans eagerly condemned certain ritual acts. With the advent of the germ theory, objections that had been merely moral were accorded scientific sanction. By the 1850s a burgeoning body of literature joined religious criticism with social outrage and fear (Calcutta Review 1848:404–36; 1851:156–230; 1864: 253–94).
Foreign observers repeatedly cited the infectious nature of practices they found deplorable. Of these, perhaps the most shocking to British sensibilities was the Hindu custom of cremating the deceased and casting the remains into the Ganges. In theory cremation itself was not objectionable. In practice, however, it was noted that scarcity of fuel often resulted in incomplete cremation. The consequences of partial consumption aroused an outpouring of righteous anger among British residents and administrators. They were appalled by "scorched trunks" thrown into the Ganges to float toward the sea "in a state of horrible decomposition, poisoning the water of narrow streams, or sickening the eye, whilst tumbled in the torrents of the Ganges" (Calcutta Review 1848:416; 1851:222). Additional concern was aroused by other aspects of cremation: decomposing corpses awaiting cremation, and burial of incompletely burned bones and dead animals.
On several occasions colonial officials attempted to intervene, citing public health considerations. In one such action in 1868 the Banaras Municipal Board asserted its right to close burning ghats or cemeteries deemed problematic. Within days, after reassessing the effective threat posed by the ghats and gauging popular feeling, the Magistrate repealed the proclamation (Bharat Jiwan [23 September] in SVN for 1912:898).
Disposal of human and animal bodies in the Ganges was another source of English consternation. Although these acts occurred, it is unlikely that their volume could have appreciably affected the quality of the water. Modern residents of Banaras, including the present Maharaja, insist that the above allegations are inaccurate and overstated (N. Kumar communication, March 1986).
But if the burning ghats were unlikely sources of pollution, other long-term human actions measurably affected the quality of the Ganges and its banks. The dumping of waste, sewage, and industrial effluent into the river; the bathing of persons and cattle; the washing of clothes and vessels; and emissions of noxious smoke represented real hazards. In addition, poor drainage allowed accumulation of stagnant waters in ponds (Bharat Jiwan [1 May] in SVN for 1893:191; Gopalkrishnan 1985:3–4). As early as 1864 the Calcutta Review noted that the "water is of deadly influence, and the vapour from which fills the air with fever-breeding and cholera-breeding miasma." The journal called for immediate steps to improve drainage in the vicinity of the ghats (Calcutta Review 1864:293).
Sensitized by the press, authorities and local residents feared the percolation of toxins and pollutants into the groundwater. In response, in 1886 concerned citizens formed a local pollution-prevention society, the Kashi Ganga Prasadini Sabha. The Sabha's primary objective was to eliminate river contamination, undertake a drainage scheme, and purify drinking water. Nevill reported that the project was completed in 1892. But in February 1893 the Bharat Jiwan of Banaras complained that drains had yet to be constructed and that wastewater continued to flow through city streets. And K. S. Muthiah, writing in 1911, confirmed the failure to implement its scheme (Nevill 1909a:262–63; Administration Report 1896–97: 167; Bharat Jiwan [6 February] in SVN for 1893:69; Muthiah 1911:164).
Perhaps the greatest immediate threat to public health was posed by the streams of crowds from throughout India, whose mere presence acted as a universal disseminator of infection. Since Banaras has been a magnet for persons wishing to die in the holy city, many visitors have been aged and generally in poor health. Accordingly, the city has been subjected to epidemics of cholera, typhus, and plague, and to chronic outbreaks of malaria and dysentery. The mortality rate from disease remained one of the province's highest through most of the century (Shola-i-Tur in SVN for 1871:704; Administration Report 1896–97: 6–7; Klein 1974:210).
One supposed factor contributing to epidemics was cited in an 1848 issue of the Calcutta Review . According to the author, sick and infirm individuals, "anxious for their rewards in the next life," were being en-
couraged to set up residence in crowded, damp, unsanitary huts by the river. The article decried this practice, which it termed "ghat murders." Certain that the custom hastened death, the author warned against the "unsalutary" effects of the vicinity (Calcutta Review 1848:404–36).
While similar issues surfaced in other cities, the status of Banaras as the country's leading pilgrimage center heightened British sensitivity to the polluting aspects of religious activity. Sentiments shared by Europeans elsewhere in India found clear expression in Banaras. Certainly, fears of contamination and deadly disease were not baseless. But many observers were unable to distinguish between the real dangers to public health resulting from unsanitary practices and assumed threats posed by certain ritual acts. The resulting mix of missionary righteousness and scientific theory directed unexpected attention to the environment, but the attendant rhetoric often obscured the nature of the problem.
Modern Agents of Change
The processes described in the preceding section resulted from ongoing practices, not from any sudden changes. Ninteenth-century improvements in transportation facilitated travel and thus increased pilgrimage to Banaras. The greater traffic placed additional stress on local resources and accelerated riverfront pollution. The modern transportation network and other newly established public works also had a more direct impact on regional environment. Roads and railways were superimposed on the rural landscape. First their construction, then their operation and maintenance, resulted in pronounced and usually permanent modifications of the terrain (Varady 1981, 1985a, 1985b).
Public Works Construction . From the 1830s to the end of the century northern India underwent a period of intense public-works construction. Cognizant of the benefits of improved communications, the ruling East India Company initiated a vigorous program for road improvement. Even earlier, in the first years of British administration, Collector Jonathan Duncan had authorized road improvements near the city. The first major project was a complete renovation of the old imperial highway connecting Bengal to the Punjab. Renamed the Grand Trunk Road, this throughfare was graded, then metaled (paved) with crushed limestone. Other provincial roads to Ghazipur, Jaunpur, Allahabad, Mirzapur, and Sasaram soon received similar attention. During the decade 1840–1850 alone the British constructed some fifty thousand kilometers of roads throughout their Indian territories (Abbott 1846:56–74; Sanyal 1930:3).
Even before the provincial road network was completed, the government turned its attention to railways. By the mid-1840s entrepreneurs
and administrators had discussed the idea in England, and soon they took the first steps to actuate their decisions. By 1854 the first train of the East Indian Railway Company (EIR) left Howrah to initiate the line that would parallel the Grand Trunk Road to Delhi and the Punjab.
For the next eight years the tracks crept toward Banaras. Construction continued northward through Bengal up to the Ganges, and then via Bhagalpur and Patna along the southern bank to Mughal Sarai, across the river from Banaras. After the completion in 1862 of the 860-kilometer route from Calcutta, construction continued on to Mirzapur, eventually to join the branch descending from Kanpur (East Indian Railways 1853–63; Bengal Past and Present 1908:55–61; Varady 1981:51).
Building roads and railway lines was both labor intensive and resource intensive. In each case, after rights of ways were secured the surface needed preparation. Gangs of thousands of beldar s[*] (laborers) from the nearby countryside were hired. Housed in meager shacks, underfed, and overworked, these laborers commonly were ill. Epidemics among road and rail gangs were frequent and destructive. There are records of camps of ten thousand losing up to a third of the workers to cholera and other diseases. Worse, the contagion often spread to nearby towns (Varady 1981:188–89; United Provinces Public Health Dept. 1903).
The work teams were employed to clear jungles of vegetation, excavate tree roots, flatten roadbeds, lay gravel or limestone, dig drainage ditches, construct embankments and berms, and bridge streams and nalla s. Additionally, railways required placement of creosoted sleepers (ties) every seventy-five centimeters (Bingham 1858:3–21; Muir 1858: 277–79).
The quantities of materials required were prodigious. To complete eighty kilometers of railway tracks in Banaras district, the contractor executed 1.2 million cubic meters of earthwork and 6,000 cubic meters of brickwork; in addition, 210,000 cubic meters of ballast were used. Limestone, gravel, and sand were obtained from neighboring floodplains and carted to the sites. The effects of such large-scale removal have not been studied, but elsewhere quarrying of stream beds has seriously affected flow and drainage patterns (Purser 1859:563; Davis 1985:1–5).
In the case of rail lines, vast amounts of timber were used for sleepers. Based on figures used by Tucker for the Rajputana Railway, tracks in Banaras district alone would have required a hundred thousand sleepers. Although some hardwood sal remained available in the region, stands were too depleted to furnish the railways's needs. Instead, the wood was imported, either from England or from the upper
Gangetic tracts northeast of Delhi, forested with deodar (Cedrus deodara ). The demand on Himalayan timber resources was thus considerable, especially since sleepers needed replacement every five years (Tucker 1983:160–61; East Indian Railways 1856:505; 1859a:531).
Although timber was not available in Banaras, local firewood and charcoal supplies were employed to make burnt-clay ballast and to bake the bricks used for bridges, stations, and culverts. In any case, as a Calcutta correspondent wrote to the Times in 1862, "the want of India is daily becoming more and more a want of wood." In the Banaras region, as in the rest of northern India, the railways clearly were agents of deforestation (East Indian Railways 1859a:531; 1862:555).
Road and Railway Operation and Maintenance . Devegetation and resource depletion were two important results of road and rail construction. Once in place, the networks continued to affect the surrounding environment. First, roads and railways, by their very presence, interrupted natural landscape. In the interest of efficiency and directness, they both sought linearity. Rather than skirting streams, it was cheaper to cross them. In nearby Son district the EIR alone constructed 240 bridges and culverts in 1860. Primary and secondary roadways also crossed rivers and streams whenever they were encountered. These interruptions interfered with drainage and flow patterns. Runoff characteristics, already altered by devegetation, were further disturbed. Instead of being stored in soils, water was lost to agriculture. Puddles and ponds were formed alongside thoroughfares, providing breeding habitats for disease vectors. Similarly, culverts silted up with lost topsoil. After heavy monsoon rains rushing waters created gullies and arroyos, further hastening soil erosion (East Indian Railways 1859b:1189–90; Colvin Gazette [15 April] in SVN for 1890:251; Hindostan [15 August] in SVN for 1902:527; Varady 1985b:2–3: Whitcombe 1972:12).
Partly from weather extremes, and partly from the relentless action of hoofed, wheeled, or rail traffic, surfaces needed constant repair and maintenance. Like the original construction, this activity required extensive labor and supplies. Metaled roads were paved smooth with ten centimeters of pounded limestone. Before long the road rutted and became impassable, demanding full resurfacing. Railbeds were similarly affected by rain, flooding, and heavy wear. Patrolling work crews added ballast and replaced broken and rotten sleepers. Upkeep of the nineteenth-century transportation network placed a continual drain on stone, sand, and timber resources.
Locomotives, moreover, required fuel. For much of the century engines burned wood, procured wherever it was sold, preferably in the vicinity of the route. So serious was the problem of supply that in the early 1860s, the Calcutta Review reported, "a great cry arose that
the Railway must soon stop for want of fuel." Though perhaps exaggerated, the concern was valid, as Indian railway operation consumed enormous amounts of firewood (50,000 kilograms per kilometer per year, according to one estimate). In some areas roots were burned as fuel. And by the mid-1860s some railway firms were calling for private fuel-wood plantations to meet growing demand. Only the advent of cheap coal enabled the EIR and other lines to continue operating (Calcutta Review 1867:262–327).


- Manual Testing
- Test Management
- Test Automation
- Test Templates
- Testing Resources
Types of Testing - Page 3 Contd..
Adhoc testing is a commonly used term for software testing performed without planning and documentation.
The tests are intended to be run only once, unless a defect is discovered.
Exploratory testing is a method of manual testing that is described as simultaneous learning, design and execution.
Testing which covers all combination's of input values and preconditions for an element of the software under test.
A sanity test is a narrow regression test that focuses on one or a few areas of functionality. Sanity testing is usually narrow and deep. Testing few functions/parameters and checking all their main features.
In which one can perform testing on an overall application (all features) initially to check whether the application is proper in terms of availability and Usability.
Sanity testing is done by Test engineer.
In software industry, smoke testing is a wide and shallow approach whereby all areas of the application are tested, without getting into too deep.
Smoke testing originated in the hardware testing practice of turning on a new piece of hardware for the first time and considering it a success if it does not catch fire and smoke.
When a build is received, a smoke test is run to ascertain if the build is stable and it can be considered for further testing. Smoke testing is done by Developer or White box engineers.
Soak testing involves testing a system with a significant load extended over a significant period of time, to discover how the system behaves under sustained use.
For example, in software testing, a system may behave exactly as expected when tested for 1 hour. However, when it is tested for 3 hours, problems such as memory leaks cause the system to fail or behave randomly.


We highly recommend this series of five videos, The Seventh Day: Revelations from the Lost Pages of History, by Frank Holbrook, now available on the web. (Click on the image.) Each video is just over 50 minutes long, just as in the original video series still available at TheSeventhDay website. Please visit the site for extra resources, including an overview of each video, a History Timeline and complete transcripts of each episode.
There’s a reason for “the lost pages of history” in the title. This is history as you’ve not likely read or heard it before in school or through the media. However, Hal Holbrook takes viewers back across the centuries to trace the history of the Sabbath through the evidence of ancient records as found in the archives and libraries throughout the world.
Fifty historians and theologians from around the world provide a careful exposé of the epic battle over the biblical Sabbath. We see how faithful Christians throughout the long centuries of the inquisition and other repression engaged in a heroic struggle for religious liberty. You will be guided through the evidence from the cool green hills of St. Patrick’s Ireland to the steaming South American jungle, from the massacre of a thousand Jews in the Palestinian desert to the bloody Taiping Revolution in 19th-century China, and from the divisive heresies of the early Christian era to the fiery executions of “heretics” in Red Square.
“I will die today because I have observed the seventh day of the week as the holy Sabbath of God.” So wrote Ivan Kuritsin before he was burned to death in the Red Square of Moscow more than 500 years ago. The Council accused him of honoring the seventh day, the Sabbath, more than the first day, Sunday.
Is it possible that this same seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath for which so many faithful Christians gave their lives now coincides with Sunday in the South Pacific island nations of Tonga, Wallis, Futuna, Kiribati, Samoa and Tokelau? Where is the sign of distinction (Ezekiel 20:20) for those who claim that the seventh day now conveniently falls on Sunday so that that they can worship on the same day as their neighbors who celebrate the resurrection on the first day of the week?
The ages-long controversy over the biblical day of worship—the Sabbath of the Ten Commandments—continues today in some of the most unlikely places, such as the South Pacific islands. Will the controversy gain more prominence in the rest of the world as well? Time will tell.
We welcome your comments after you have watched one or more of the videos. You can also watch the series at SabbathTruth.com in MP4 format. Let us know which works best for you. (Tell us where you are and how you are accessing the videos.)


Theme: David the songwriter.
Scripture: 2 Samuel 22
Main Point: Sing! Our God is worthy of praise!
Supplies: Bible, play dough, blank paper, pencils/crayons, visuals from the song and a recording or video of a storm for them to listen to (see Auditory/Visual Center below), cd player, red streamers, bolts of lightning made from poster board, any other props for role play. You will also need at least three teachers who are comfortable leading the three centers.
Teachers: Take this lesson, study it, and make it your own. Allow the truths of the Scripture to sink into your own heart. Know what you are saying and say it with confidence. Passion and voice inflection are essential with preschoolers. Repeat the main point over and over again.
Coloring Sheet (10 minutes)
Have the coloring sheets ready when the children first enter the classroom from the assembly. Ask the following questions while the children are coloring:
- What are the children in the picture doing? Playing the drums, raising hands, and singing.
- Do you like to sing? What do you like to sing about?
- Why do we sing to God? Because He is worthy of praise.
Story Circle (15 minutes)
Main Point: Sing! Our God is worthy of praise!
Repeat this over and over again. Get the kids to say it with you every time you see it written in bold. This should be the one thing that the kids remember from the day.
I. Hook – Introduce the lesson. This is short and simple since there will be so much going on in the Book section.
II. Book – Read the passage. Divide the children into groups to experience the story in the three sensory centers. Time permitting, you can allow the children to switch centers, but it may best for them to choose what they would like to do the best.
III. Look – God is our ultimate rescuer through Christ. He is worthy of all of our praise!
**Please Note: The day before, organize your room into three centers, as described below.
- Option One: Have the children make with play-doh what they hear as you read David’s song to them. Have several examples ready for them (e.g., David stuck in the waves of death, a fortress that represents our God, clouds, lightning, the rescue from the deep water, arrows, lamp, shield, or even a battle scene where God rescues David from his enemies, the giants). Read the verses over again to the children and let them use their creativity.
- Option Two: Let the children draw what they hear as you read the song to them with pencils or crayons.
- Act out the descriptions in the song (verses 5-18 would work best for this. Several children can play the part of David, who is in deep distress and needs to be rescued. Others can act out the part of our Rescuer. Have props available like red streamers for fire and bolts of lightning made from poster board.
- Listen to the sounds of a storm. Play a recording of a storm or show a video of a storm or hurricane. Have a rain stick for children to play with.
- Look at pictures of visuals from the song: fortresses and mountains (vv. 3-4), oceans/hurricane (vv. 5-7, 16-20), earthquake and burning coals (vv. 8-9), storms (10-15), lamp and shield (vv. 29-31)
- As children are looking at the visuals, describe them by reading the verses from the song. Discuss how amazing and great our God is, how helpless we would be in the midst of a hurricane, and how awesome it would to see our God coming down to rescue us like David describes.
Hook (Grab Their Attention!)
Have music playing softly in the background.
ASK: Who have we been learning about this week? (David!) David was a shepherd, a soldier, a warrior, and a king. David was also human and sinned like you and me. But did you know that he was also a song writer? David wrote many of the Psalms found in the middle of our Bible (show them). But today we are going to learn about a certain song he wrote after God saved him from his enemies! This is a special and beautiful song that praises our God.
The main point for today is Sing! Our God is worthy of praise! Repeat this until all the kids are able to say it together.)
Book (This is Where You School Them!)
SAY: Today’s lesson is found in 2 Samuel, chapter 22 (show them in your Bible). David had been in a great war with the Philistines, with giants from Gath like the champion Goliath. He had grown weary!
On the day when the Lord saved him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul, David spoke to the Lord the words of a beautiful song. This song is all about our great God! In this song, we see how great and mighty He is! Listen closely because you will need to know all about this song in order to do our fun activities! You know that means? You need to turn up your ears and turn down your mouths so you won’t miss a thing! (Demonstrate.)
3 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence. 4 I call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. 5 For the waves of death encompassed me, the torrents of destruction assailed me; 6 the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. 7 In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I called. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry came to his ears. 8 Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations of the heavens trembled and quaked, because he was angry. 9 Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. 10 He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. 11 He rode on a cherub and flew; he was seen on the wings of the wind. 14 The Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered his voice. 15 And he sent out arrows and scattered them; lightning, and routed them. 17 He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. 18 He rescued me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. 29 For you are my lamp, O Lord, and my God lightens my darkness. 30 For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. 31 This God— his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. 50 “For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations, and sing praises to your name. 51 Great salvation he brings to his king,and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever.”
SAY: We have three centers that will help you learn more about who God is in this song. In one center, you can make or draw things from the song about David and God. In the second center, you can act out the neat things God does in the song as He rescues David. In the last center, you will have something special to listen to and pictures to look at from the song!
DO: Divide the children into three groups. Encourage them to pick which center they are most likely to enjoy. If time permits, you can allow them to switch centers.
Look (Look At Your Heart. What Should You Do?)
DO: Gather the children you once more, in one group.
ASK: Why did David write this song? (To praise God after He rescued Him.)
SAY: David loved God. He praised Him because of who He is and what He had done. God had rescued David many, many times from bad situations! He knew God was great and mighty! He knew God was worthy of all of His praise!
ASK: Have you ever been in a hard situation that you wanted to be rescued from? (If they need help, give an example from your own life that was hard.) We may not get into situations like David did with giants! But hard things will come to us in life. Know that God will always be there. He is our Rescuer! Call out to Him! And when He rescues you, praise Him!
Sing! Our God is worthy of praise!
SAY: God has already rescued all of us through sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Because Jesus died and rose from the grave, we can now be forgiven from our sins, know God deeply, and one day spend the rest of forever with Him! He rescued us from our sins, and for this reason, we can always have the strength to sing!
Sing! Our God is worthy of praise!
DO: Praise God together through prayer
Snack & Memory (15 minutes)
At the appointed point in the schedule, a team will bring snacks to your classroom. While they are passing out the snack, take time to review today’s memory verse, show the kids the visual illustration of the story, and review the story using the following questions:
Psalm 96:2– “Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.”
- What did David write? A song
- What was the song about? How God saved David from all of his enemies.
- How is God described in the song? He is like a mighty fortress. He is a hero who rescues David from the waves. He is described as David’s shield and protector.
- Why do we sing? Because God is worthy of praise!
Bible Learning Activities (20 minutes)
SAY: Today we have been learning about how David was a songwriter. He wrote songs to tell others about God’s goodness and greatness. We sing about God to tell others about the wonderful things he has done. Sing! Our God is worthy of praise!
Teachers: If you are teaching toddlers, it will be important to pre-cut as many of the microphones as possible before class time
SAY: Now, we’re going to decorate microphones and practice singing praises to God. Have the children color the microphone, cut it out, and sing!
Big Games (15 minutes)
**Three and Four Year-Olds will not have an organized Big Games time, but some games have been provided below for use during Playground time. Kindergarten leaders will not be responsible for leading these games. The leaders at the Big Games area will lead Big Games for Kindergartners.
Fruit basket turnover –
Everyone in the group should sit in a circle. They should each be given the name of a fruit. APPLE, ORANGE, BANANA. When their fruit name is called they should run to change places with someone else that has the same fruit name. So all APPLES should Switch with all APPLES. During the game the leader should shout “FRUIT BASKET TURNOVER!!!” and all of the kids should change seats with someone.
Written by: Kara Jenkins
Coloring sheets and Activities by: Mandy Groce


I am confused with the uses of "ahí", "allí" and "allá".
It seems they are used according to different situations.
Could you please tell me what are the differences and provide some examples?
As far as I know, there are no strong differences between those words, at least in spoken language. There might be tiny differences according to the dictionary, but here are a few examples of their use, at least uses I can think of:
This can be explained with the three grades of demonstratives and of verbal persons:
The acá and allá versions are less precise. You might in English say over here or around there. Por acá is around here, por allá is over there somewhere. There is no *ahá version for euphonious reasons; people use por ahí to mean out there somewhere, as though it were the -á version of the middle (2ª persona) degree.


Case Study: Theatre Seating
In many auditoria, the seating and audience form the main absorption in the room, and consequently being able to correctly measure and predict the absorption coefficient of these surfaces is very important. The wrong estimation of seating absorption has been blamed for acoustic problems in many halls. Salford University developed a method for testing theatre seating which is now used commercial.
The aim of measuring the random incidence absorption of a small sample of seats in a reverberation chamber is to predict the absorption that a large area of the same seats will exhibit when installed in an auditorium. There are problems, however, in that the small sample of chairs in the reverberation chamber (say 24) is unrepresentative of a large block of seating because the edge effect is overemphasised in the reverberation chamber measurements.
The Kath and Kuhl method involves placing the seating in the corner of the reverberation chamber in rows with their intended row spacing, and the exposed edges obscured with barriers. The concept is to separately measure three absorption coefficients by carrying out measurements with and without barriers:
- For an infinite array with no edges with side and front barriers in place;
- For the front edges with the side barrier only in place, and
- For the side edges with the front barrier only in place.
This then allows the absorption of the array, front and sides to be found, and a proper prediction of the absorption of any size array.
The test technique has been used extensively over the past few years to test provide information for the design several new or refurbished theatres and concert halls such as the Royal Albert Hall and Royal Festival Hall.
Back to Commercial Testing homepage


A Brief Description of Islam as the Shi'ites Believe
5- MONOTHEISM IS THE VERY SOUL OF ALL THE ISLAMIC COMMANDMENTS
WE BELIEVE that one of the most important subjects of the knowledge of God, is the MONOTHEISM, i.e. the belief that there is but one God. As a matter of fact Monotheism (TOWHID) is not only a principle of the religion, but the most important of the tenets. It is the very soul and the base of all the Islamic ideas and beliefs. We can say that the roots, as well as the branches of Islam take their forms in the monotheism.
The UNITY and ONENESS is a general topic of conversation everywhere and in every field:- UNITY OF GOD'S ESSENCE, Unity of His attributes, and actions. In other word, also the unity of prophets and their teachings, the unity of the LAW, GHIBLEH, and the books. And after all, the unity of Moslims through their brotherhood and the unity of the resurrection day. From this point of view the HOLY QURØ·N declares POLYTHEISM as an unforgiveable SIN:-
"Allah does not forgive those who set up partners with Him, but He may forgive any sin inferior to that, of whom he wills.
He that sets up CO-SHARERS with Allah is guilty of a SIN which is most heinous indeed."
THE HOLY QURAN - S4: 48
"It has already been revealed to you as it was revealed to those before you that:-" If you join gods with Allah, your deeds shall be fruitless, and you surely will be one of those who lose. (all spiritual goodnesses)
THE HOLY QURAN - S39: 65
6- THE BRANCHES OF MONOTHEISM
WE BELIEVE that MONOTHEISM, (TOWHID) has many branches among which four are the most important ones:-


December 1987 | Volume 38, Issue 8
In the summer the stretch of the Delaware River north of Trenton, New Jersey, is as alluring as any place in the country. It is green and happy and eloquent of generations of peace and prosperity: prosperity from the river traffic and from the canal; prosperity from the steady little farming communities nearby and, in more recent years, from tourism. It is only in the winter that the countryside suggests with any conviction that this was once fought-over land.
In the waning months of 1776, two armies—one well fed, well armed, well clad, eminently professional; the other half-naked, hungry, new to soldiering—struggled for control of this country; and for something far greater. It is hard to exaggerate the importance of the campaigning that took place here. You can go see where it happened in the summer, and you may have a prettier trip. But if you want to get the feeling of that extraordinary season of despair and triumph, go when the days are short and gray and the snow is on the ground.
As you drive south from Manhattan toward Trenton on the New Jersey Turnpike, the city falls away behind, and then the great silver coils of the cracking plants, and then you are in country that would be all too familiar to George Washington’s Grand Army in the late fall of 1776. These were the men who had to back up the brave phrases in the Declaration that had been issued a few months earlier, and fortune had not been with them. They had been beaten on Long Island, beaten in Manhattan, beaten in Westchester, beaten wherever they made a stand. Now they were running for their lives from Lord Cornwallis’s hardy British regulars a half-day’s march behind them, their ranks dwindling daily. On these disconsolate flatlands the American Revolution was dying.
They came at last to the Delaware, seized all the boats they could lay their hands on for miles up and down the river, and took up defensive positions on the Pennsylvania shore. There they huddled miserably, a few thousand of them, waiting for their enlistments to expire with the year; after December 31 Washington would have fourteen hundred men left. Across the river ten thousand of the enemy settled in for the winter. Not many of them thought the American army would be there in the spring. Even Washington wasn’t sure: in a most uncharacteristic statement he said, “I think the game is pretty near up.”
Nevertheless, Christmas Day found Continental officers shepherding their coughing men down to the frozen riverbank, setting off on a foray spurred by the purest desperation: an attack on the twelve hundred Hessian mercenaries encamped in Trenton.
They set out from what is now the Washington Crossing State Park in Pennsylvania: you can visit the big stone Thompson-Neely house in whose kitchen Washington planned out his great gamble with his officers; but never mind the movie playing at the visitors’ center. Made in the 1950s, it incorporates many of the elements that made sensible students shrink from history in high school: self-conscious people in wigs saying things like “Gentlemen, we must do or die,” and so forth.
Instead, walk down to the riverbank and see what the Continentals saw: the dark, swiftly running Delaware—ice moving fast on its surface that Christmas Day —and beyond, the hostile shore with its stands of naked trees looking smoky in the waning light. The river was thick with traffic, as Marblehead fishermen poled the soldiers across in Durham boats. You can see reconstructions of these here, and they are sturdy, sharpnosed cargo vessels, forty to sixty feet long, and nothing like the shallop Washington is riding in Emanuel Leutze’s wonderful painting of the crossing.
Drive over the narrow bridge to the Jersey shore, and stop at the blue and gray house where Washington watched his command disembark. It took nine hours to get the men across—of course, everything was running behind schedule—but he determined to push on to Trenton. He had no choice. As you drive into the town, the very change in the surroundings from that day to this imparts an odd sense of the scope of the march. It’s nine miles—block after city block through good neighborhoods and bad—and it’s a long way. The men who struggled over that route all night long, many of them barefoot and leaving their blood pink in the snow behind them, were advancing on a community of a hundred clapboard houses and a stone barracks put up for the French and Indian Wars that was the biggest building in town. It’s still there, very nicely kept up, and a guide will take you through and show you the amazing amount of maneuvering required to get an eighteenth-century musket charged and fired. It—and most of the houses in the town—disgorged startled, hung-over German soldiers when the boom of Continental artillery came through the stormy morning. Washington set his guns on the high ground where Broad meets Warren Street—King and Queen Street then. The site is marked with a hundred-foot column with his statue atop it; on the base Thomas Eakins’s bronze reliefs depict the action. As grapeshot clawed through their ranks, the Hessians tried to form, and then the Americans were in among them, fighting with clubbed muskets and bayonets and shouting in a mixture of triumph and amazement at their success. Nobody knows how long the battle lasted—reports range from a half hour to nearly two—but at the end of it a thousand Germans surrendered.
Washington marched his prisoners into Newtown, Pennsylvania, and you may want to go there too. It’s a goodlooking old town, with some ancient liver-colored stone buildings past which it is not hard to imagine the Americans parading their prisoners, the Germans warm in their winter uniforms, and their captors, as one witness wrote later, “mostly in light, summer dress and some without shoes, but stepping light and cheerful.” The two-century-old Temperance House in Newtown has recently been redone and its guest rooms colonialed-up to a faretheewell. If you can get the one with a working fireplace, you’ll be able to enjoy a considerable pleasure unavailable to summer visitors.
News of the victory astonished and appalled the British, and Cornwallis moved fast. In a week he believed he had Washington trapped on the New Jersey side of the Delaware. But the American stole a march on him, and one freezing, crystalline January morning found Washington moving his little army toward Princeton. Some 350 of his men under Gen. Hugh Mercer came up against British regulars under Col. Charles Mawhood. The two forces swung into line, and a short, ugly fight ended with Mercer down and his Continentals in panicked retreat.
For a moment it looked like the old story: The Americans were running away from battle again; the coup at Trenton had been a mere fluke. But then Washington came galloping onto the field and took his big white horse to within thirty paces of the British line. There he reined in and yelled for his troops to rally around him. After a moment’s pause, the British fired at this astonishing target. One of Washington’s aides hid his face in his cloak so as not to see his commander die, but when the smoke cleared, there was Washington, still in the saddle, still calling for his troops. And now they were coming. Men from Pennsylvania and Rhode Island and Massachusetts stead- led their ranks, stood, exchanged volley fire—and the British fled.
Princeton Battlefield is oddly affecting; it’s so small. A tile map placed there in the 1960s at first seems an incoherent amalgam of peppy colors but on examination resolves itself into an admirable explication of the action that points out, among other things, the oak tree where Mercer took his mortal wound. Across the way is a monument—four Ionic columns that look as if they were part of a grand house that has disappeared. And that is just what they are. When a mansion built on the site years afterward was pulled down, it was decided that the portico made a nice memorial to the men who died there. I like the fortuitous quality of that monument; it somehow reflects the way we fought the Revolution, learning as we went, making do with what we had. A plaque in one of the columns expresses the significance of the battle in a lucid sentence that strikes me as being about as good as English prose gets: “Across these fields in the early light of the third of January 1777, Washington’s Continentals defeated British regulars for the first time in the long struggle for American independence.”
Washington moved on into winter quarters in Morristown, while the news went forth—across the country, across the Atlantic—that the American army was still in business and in very capable hands. Nevertheless, it was a hard winter of fear and doubt. There was smallpox in the camp. There was frostbite. Soldiers figured they’d done enough and went home. But now and forever after there would be in the ranks a leavening of men who had seen Hessians throw down their muskets and British regulars break their ranks and run and who would not forget the sight.


David Maraniss discusses Rome 1960: The Olympics That Changed the World.
What is especially compelling about the 1960 Summer
What attracted me to Rome, what made it special in my mind, was the uncommon
combination of legendary athletes, the tension of the cold war, the beauty of
the setting, and the issues that arose during the 18 days of competition. With
the entire world on the same stage at the same time, I saw the opportunity to
weave the drama on the playing fields with the political and cultural issues
that were emerging then.
You say in the book that the 1960 Summer Olympics marked the passing of one
era and the dawning of another. What do you mean by that?
In so many ways, the 1960 Olympics marked a passing of one era and the birth
of another. Television, money and doping were bursting onto the scene, changing
everything they touched. Old-school notions of amateurism, created by and for
upper-class sportsmen, were being challenged as never before. New countries were
being born in Africa and Asia, blacks and women were pushing for equal rights.
For better and worse, one could see the modern world as we know it today coming
The Berlin, Munich or Mexico City Summer Olympics were arguably more
controversial or meaningful than Rome. Why should people care about Rome?
Berlin was the Nazi Olympics. Mexico City was the black power salute of
Tommie Smith and John Carlos. Munich was the terrorist tragedy of the slain
Israelis. All important events that transcended sports. But all defined by that
one event. What was so powerful about Rome was the totality of it. It was a
richer canvas, with more stories, more changes, more ways of looking at the
modern world, than any of those others. It had not only more issues, but more
How did you get the idea to write this book?
The idea came to me as I was researching my last book, on the baseball
player Roberto Clemente. An important stretch in Clemente's career was the late
summer and early fall of 1960, when his Pittsburgh Pirates were on their way to
winning the National League pennant and the World Series. As I was scouring old
newspaper sports sections from that time, looking for stories on Clemente, I
kept seeing these amazing names Cassius Clay, Wilma Rudolph, Rafer Johnson
all athletes who were competing at the Rome Olympics. My first thought was that
I did not want to write another sports book, at least not then. But I could not
shake the magic of those names, and that forced me to take a closer look at the
Rome Olympics, and the more I looked, the more I realized that along with the
athletic drama there was a much deeper story there.
Do you need to be a big sports fan to enjoy this book?
As I'm finishing a manuscript, I make a point of giving it to a)
experts who can check facts and catch errors, b) sports fans who have a keen
interest in the subject, and c) someone who knows nothing about the subject and
has little or no interest in sports. If I have done my job right, the book can
appeal to all three. I want to write it so that people who love the sport think
I got it right, but also in a way that draws people to the characters and the
The book focuses on some well-known athletes like Wilma Rudolph, Cassius
Clay and Rafer Johnson, but also on some lesser-known Olympians. Who are some of
your favorite characters in the book?
Along with the legendary figures who competed in Rome, the book teems
with other characters. One of my favorites is Ed Temple, who was the coach of
Wilma Rudolph and her Tigerbelles. Temple still lives in Nashville not far from
the campus, and is a great storyteller with a lively sense of humor, so his
memories of Rome help bring it alive. He worked without scholarships, without
his own office, and from the threadbare facilities at little Tennessee State
built a powerhouse women's track team that changed history. I also love the
story of Dave Sime, a medical student at Duke who lost a photo-finish in the
100-meter dash and had been recruited by the CIA to try to get a Soviet athlete
to defect in Rome. And then there is Joe Faust, who finished 16th in the high
jump, whom I used as a typical athlete most don't come close to winning but
an uncommon human being. When I tracked him down at his little adobe house on
the edge of L.A., he still had an old mattress in his backyard that was part of
his makeshift high-jump pit.
Of the major characters, who did you come to admire the most and why?
Hard to choose. I admired Wilma Rudolph for the courage she showed upon
returning from Rome and insisting that her hometown of Clarksville, Tennessee,
not hold a banquet for her unless it was integrated, the first of its kind in
that city. I admired Abebe Bikila for the sheer courage of running the marathon
through the streets of Rome barefooted, and for doing it in the capital city of
a country, Italy, that had invaded his Ethiopian homeland a few decades earlier.
I admired Rafer Johnson perhaps most of all, just for his integrity as a human
being. Cassius Clay was the same then, in 1960, at age 18, as he would later be
as the world-renowned Muhammad Ali, the same personality at least; his larger
meaning was not there yet.
Rafer Johnson is on the cover of the book and gets more attention in the
book than Cassius Clay. Do you think Johnson is underappreciated?
Rafer Johnson is one of the most underappreciated athletes in American
sports history. He was the best of his era, the most revered athlete in Rome,
and a human being of intelligence and integrity. I am delighted to have the
chance to try to give him his due.
As a writer, you're known more for your work in the political realm than
in sports. Why have you written books about Vince Lombardi, Roberto Clemente and
now the Olympics?
I love sports, just as I love politics; but I am no more interested in
writing a one-dimensional sports book than I am in writing a one-dimensional
book about a political campaign. In each of my three sports books, in different
ways, I saw a chance to write not just about sports, but about deeper subjects.
With Lombardi it was the mythology of success and the role of competition in
American life. With Clemente it was not just a dramatic story but a way to write
about the rise of Latinos and the roles of race and language in our culture. In
some sense, Rome 1960 represents the culmination of my work, combining all the
themes of sports, politics, culture and sociology that interest me. In this
book, too, there is a dramatic story on the playing fields, but so much more
surrounding the Games.
Tell us a little about how you went about researching this book. How
many people did you interview? How much travel was involved? Where did you find
the best material?
My first rule in writing books is: Go there. Wherever there is. This
meant going to Rome and revisiting the sites of the Games, including a memorable
day tracing the route of the marathon through the ancient streets of the Eternal
City. It was much easier to ask my wife to go to Rome than to persuade her to
move to Green Bay for the winter to start the research on the Lombardi book. My
second focus is on primary research documents and interviews. My search for
primary documents took me not only to Rome, but also to the National Archives at
College Park, the IOC archive in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Avery Brundage
archive at the University of Illinois (Brundage was IOC president in 1960), and
the LA84 Foundation archive in Los Angeles, among others. I also interviewed
scores of athletes, journalists and others who were in Rome for the Olympics,
most from the U.S. but some from Italy, Germany and the USSR.
Do you have any writing superstitions? What's your daily routine like
when you're writing a book?
No superstitions. I'm lucky that I've never suffered from writer's
block. I tend to write in the morning, take a break to read, maybe exercise,
then write some more until lunch break. I don't have a daily goal, but a weekly
one. Some days I can write only a few paragraphs. One day and night I wrote the
entire ice bowl chapter for When Pride Still Mattered. I often stop in the
middle of a sentence or paragraph where I know exactly what comes next, so I
don't have to worry about where I will pick it up.
Have you always been interested in the Olympics? What are your first
memories of the Olympics?
I loved the Olympics as a kid, and it is fitting that my first memories
are of the 1960 Rome Games, since those were the first ones televised. I
remember the decathlon contest between Rafer Johnson and C.K. Yang, and I
remember the wonder of Wilma Rudolph; but my strongest memory, for some odd
reason you can never fully explain what strikes your fancy as a kid is of
the field hockey match between India and Pakistan. I was rooting for Pakistan,
why I cannot say, and when they won, 1-0, I remember dancing around my living
room shouting Ya-hoo! Ya-hoo! Pak-i-stan! Pak-i-stan! mimicking the
celebration I saw on TV.
Were you surprised that issues we think of as modern
(performance-enhancing drugs, television, celebrity, sponsorships, racial and
gender equality, etc.) were so central to the story of the 1960 Summer Olympics?
Yes, at first. But the more I looked, the more I saw how much of the
present you could trace back to those days in Rome. That connection is what
compelled me to do the book.
Your biographies inherently focus on one character. This book deals with
many characters. What challenges does that pose?
The comfort of writing a biography is that a life provides you with a
natural chronology, a skeleton around which the flesh of the book can form. This
story was more challenging in that sense. But I used the place, Rome, and the
time, 18 days, to give the story a chronological coherence. The challenge was to
bring so many characters onto the stage and not make it too much, too
complicated. But I look forward to challenges in writing my books, and I had
dealt with that same challenge once before in They Marched Into Sunlight, my
book on Vietnam and the 60s.
Do the Olympics actually represent any sort of ideal (then or now) for
mankind, or is it just another sporting event?
I'm of mixed minds about that question. Any event that brings the
entire world together in a peaceful way hints at the ideal of world peace and
cooperation. And in 1960 as today, athletes can build personal friendships from
sports competitions that transcend the tensions between the nations they
represent. But the notion that the Olympics is free from politics was untrue in
1960 and is equally unattainable today.
Is the city of Rome a central character in this book, or could this
story have taken place anywhere?
Rome adds a certain poignancy to the story, I think. The Olympic
organizers made good use of the ancient city wrestling and gymnastics were
held outdoors amid the ruins; the marathon began at the Capitoline steps and
ended at the Arch of Constantine. But beyond that, the sensibility of the Rome
Games' representing a turning point in history was enhanced by the literal
golden glow of those days.
What's your favorite piece of trivia you picked up while researching
That the only athlete representing Surinam either overslept or was told
the wrong time and missed his only race, an 800-meter heat. Poor guy.
Both of your parents were writers and editors. What influence did they
have on your writing style?
My parents, Elliott and Mary Maraniss, were enormous influences in my
writing. Both were professionals, my father as a newspaperman, my mother as a
book editor. Though my mother was skilled in grammar, and was my best
copyeditor, both she and my father emphasized that the most important rule in
writing was to follow your ear. What sounded best was usually the right way to
go, even if that meant breaking some picky grammatical rules. My father had an
easy, natural style that was both intelligent and accessible.
You dedicated this book to your wife and mentioned that she travels with
you when you research your books. What's it like to have her by your side?
Linda is invaluable. She is my nose, since I lost most of my sense of
smell. She is my eyes, taking pictures and videos on all our trips. She helps
find documents and photocopies materials with me. Wherever we go on our research
trips, she makes more friends than I do and keeps up with people from around the
world that we've met. I couldn't do any of it without her. Writing books can be
a lonely process, but having her as a partner makes it much less so.
What do you enjoy most about the process of touring the country talking about
I consider it an honor to explain a book to which I've devoted so much
of my life. I love the stories I hear from people who have some personal
connection to the events of the book. I also enjoy getting the time to talk
about the book in depth.


What to feed birds in winter
Know what to feed birds in winter to help wild birds survive the coldThe chilly evenings in autumn are signs that winter, and cold weather, are approaching. While you might not feel the need to feed the wild birds who come to visit your yard in the spring and summer, you may want to help them survive the hardships of winter by setting up a feeding program for late-fall through early spring.
Forget about your late-fall yard maintenance project and leave your withered annuals and late-blooming berries where they are. Birds and small animals will eat the dried fruits, seeds and flower heads from your summer and autumn plants, and can find shelter in the brush. You'll want to supplement this forage feed with seed mixes, fruits, suet, peanut butter and meal worms, which will give the fats, protein and energy that birds need in the harsh conditions of winter.
Seeds, Cracked Corn and Nuts
Seed mixes are the basic staples for bird-feeding in the winter. Seeds are rich in fats and protein. Black-oil sunflower seeds appeal to many bird species and should be the major ingredient in your wild bird seed mix. These seeds are easily hulled by most birds, and those birds who have trouble cracking them open will often scour the ground underneath the feeders to catch the pieces dropped by other birds. Bill Thompson, editor of "Bird Watcher's Digest" and author, calls these seeds "the hamburger of the bird world". Safflower seeds and white proso millet also appeal to a wide variety of birds. Smaller birds such as finches enjoy thistle seed.
Cracked corn and peanuts are also important feeding items. Shelled peanuts are high in fat and are a good energy and protein source. Sprinkle peanut-pieces in the brush around your yard and where branches meet the trunks of evergreen trees as well as incorporating them into your seed mix.
The Cornell Ornithology Lab recommends a winter mix of 25 pounds of black-oil sunflower seed, 10 pounds of white proso millet and 10 pounds of cracked corn. Be sure to store your mixes in a waterproof, mouse-proof container. Be wary of commercial bird mixes as they are often filled with cheap filler seeds that are not eaten by wild birds.
Birds that normally avoid feeders, such as robins and thrushes, may be tempted by berries, cherries, raisins, grapes, apples and raisins. If you leave out grapes and raisins, make sure that dogs will not have access to them as they are toxic to dogs.. Make sure to remove any spoiled or moldy fruit as it can make birds sick.
Suet and Peanut Butter
Suet is beef fat. You can find suet bags in feed and grain stores or pet stores or make your own. Get fat from the butcher and put it in an onion bag. Thompson suggests melting suet in the microwave and pouring into ice-cube trays to harden. Drop in seeds, fruit and nuts to make special suet cakes. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife recommends a homemade suet formula containing cornmeal, water, brown sugar and melted suet.
Peanut butter is a favorite wintertime treat. Spread it over pine cones or make peanut butter caches in tree holes and on the bark of branches. It provides concentrated energy for birds and is useful for feeding those birds that are wary of feeders.
Meal worms make some people squeamish, but they are a good source of protein and fat. These beetle larvae are a good high-protein replacement for the worms birds enjoy in the warmer months. You can get meal worms from your local pet store Place them in a heavy flat bowl for easy feeding.
Make sure to provide fresh water for your visiting birds. Natural water sources are often frozen in the winter.
Locations for Feeders and Maintenance
Thompson recommends having extra feeders available for the winter to cut down on your refilling chores and accommodate the extra birds who may need wintertime fuel. Sprinkle seeds and nuts in out-of-the-way places on your property for winter birds who will not use a feeder. He suggests that you keep the bird food dry by using tubes and feeders that protect the seed and "dole out" the servings.
Keep the feeders clean by scrubbing them down every two weeks. Remove old shells and any moldy material as it could spread infection and illness. Manually check the feeders to make sure no sharp edges and areas develop that can injure the birds as they are feeding.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Bird Notes: Winter Feeding
Humane Society: Bird Feeding Tips
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife: Winter Bird Feeding
Bird Watcher's Digest: Top 10 Foods for Winter Bird Feeding


Participating elementary schools identify and work with TANF children in grades one through eight, and their families, who are not attending school regularly. The school is responsible for defining irregular school attendance. For
example, irregular school attendance may be defined as:
- a combination of school defined absences, tardies, or early dismissals within a 30-day period; or
- a pattern of absence/tardiness/early dismissal, such as absence every Friday within a 30-day period; or
- a pattern of all children in the family being absent on the same day.


What we ship things in makes a difference.
Take the banana, for example. In 1876, at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, the banana was a delicacy (and very black). Millions of bunches could only be sent to U.S. shores if they were refrigerated. By 1901, as I describe in Econ 101 1/2, United Fruit was distributing 14 million bunches of bananas in the U.S. One reason, in addition to the railroad and the steamboat, was a banana vessel that could maintain a 53 degree temperature for its cargo.
Just like refrigerated banana vessels transformed world trade, so too has the cargo container. Introduced in 1956, now one ship can carry 3,000 forty foot containers with 100,000 tons of shoes, electronics and clothing. Imagine the potential efficiency. Put everything in the container, arrive at a port, and just slip it onto a truck or a railroad car for it to move to its next stop. Journalist Marc Levinson says the result is more variety for consumers, lower freight bills, less shipping time, lower inventory costs and longer supply chains.
This takes us back to yesterday’s supership post and the expansion of the Panama Canal. Larger ships mean more containers on board. The NY Times said that the newest generation of superships could hold 15,000 containers that are 20 feet long.
The Economic Lesson
Adam Smith would have been delighted to see his ideas about mass production and regional specialization extend around the world. Describing the productivity of factory pin production in The Wealth of Nations, he told us that one worker, functioning alone, could produce 1 pin per day. However, when that worker specialized through a division of labor in a factory, 4,800 pins per worker per day were made.
Adam Smith used the term “distant sale” to explain the transport of goods from a factory to a distant market. He could have been describing a container ship moving from China to the U.S.


The Virigina Tech Transportation Institute has released the results of studies it has performed on cell phone use and driver distraction. Though common sense dictates that talking or texting while driving is a bad idea, these studies help to put some real numbers around just how dangerous the practice is. The studies include observations of drivers for a total of more than 6 million miles of driving. The studies also differentiated light vehicles and heavy vehicles or trucks.
When it came to simply dialing on a cell phone the risk of a crash or near crash was 2.8 times that of a non-distracted driver for light vehicles. The practice was even more dangerous for heavy vehicles or trucks since the risk was nearly twice as much at 5.9 times. There was also a big difference between light vehicles and heavy vehicles or trucks when it came to simply reaching for an object while driving. Light vehicle drivers’ risk of a crash was 1.4 times as high as non-distracted driving. Heavy vehicle or truck drivers’ risk rose to 6.7 times.
One of the most dangerous risks was text messaging while driving a heavy vehicle or truck. Those engaging in that practice had a risk of crash that was 23.2 times as high as non-distracted driving. A summary of the findings of the studies was that any action that took the driver’s eyes away from the road would result in a higher risk of an accident.
Read more from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute press release (PDF).
Hmm, so let me get this straight. If something takes my eyes off the road while driving I am more likely to have an accident?
Seriously, there are some people that actually don’t see the harm in talking or texting while driving. Heck, some truck drivers watch movies while driving. Clearly, these are the people that need to hear the results of studies like this. Unfortunately, some drivers find out the risks too late and end up hurting other people who actually are keeping their eyes on the road.
The most stunning result of the studies was the fact that texting while driving a heavy vehicle or truck basically increased your chance of having an accident to about 1 in 4. That’s not very good odds when it comes to safe driving. It really makes you realize that there is no text message worth reading or responding to that would increase your risk of an accident like that.


ASL Literature and Art
This section is a collection of ASL storytelling, poetry, works of art, and other creative works. It also consists of posts on literary aspects of ASL.
Speech language can convey sound effects in storytelling, whereas sign language can convey cinematic effects in storytelling.
Poetry in sign language has its own poetic features such as rhymes, rhythms, meters, and other features that charactierize poetry which is not limited to speech.
Explore ASL literary arts in this section including some visual-linguistic literary works in ASL and discussion.
Selected works of interest
Deconstruct W.O.R.D.: an original poetry performance.
Knowing Fish: poetic narrative video.
Compare three versions of the poem "Spring Dawn" originally written by Meng Hao-jan. The poem is translated by the literary artist Jolanta Lapiak into ASL in video and unique one-of-a-kind photograph print. Watch how ASL rhymes arise in this signed poem.


Fortunately, at Harvard we have the pre-eminent School of Public Health, which has released the Healthy Eating Pyramid and is what we use as our guiding principle in making menus.
According to HSPH, “When it comes down to it, the best advice on what to eat is relatively straightforward: Eat a plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; choose healthy fats, like olive and canola oil; and red meat and unhealthy fats, like saturated and trans fats, sparingly.”
As a complement to the Healthy Eating Pyramid, they summarize “Eight Tips for Eating Right:
- “Choose good carbs, not no carbs. Whole grains are your best bet.
- “Pay attention to the protein package. Fish, poultry, nuts, and beans are the best choices.
- “Choose healthy fats, limit saturated fat, and avoid trans fat. Plant oils, nuts, and fish are the healthiest sources.
- “Choose a fiber-filled diet, rich in whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.
- “Eat more vegetables and fruits. Go for color and variety—dark green, yellow, orange, and red.
- “Calcium is important. But milk isn't the only, or even best, source.
- “Moderate drinking can be healthy—but not for everyone. You must weigh the benefits and risks.
- "A daily multivitamin is a great nutrition insurance policy. Some extra vitamin D may add an extra health boost.”
That said, good carbs, lean proteins, healthy fats, no trans fats, and lots of veggies and fruits are available. HSPH declines to specify portions or calories, but notes that moderation is the cornerstone of wellbeing.
Which leads to nutrition information on the menu cards. Many of you have inquired about the decision to remove nutrition information. As you know, HUDS consulted with University Health Services, the Bureau of Study Counsel, and the College, about limiting nutrition data to the kiosks and web. Specifically, we needed to address the challenge a quiet and surprisingly large contingent of our community faces with eating disorders. Those individuals can place an undue emphasis on calories and other literal food values, making their placement over every food item a real challenge. Thus, we did what we felt best addressed the special health needs of those individuals, much as we support people with food allergies or religious dietary preferences.
For those who would like assistance with shaping a healthy approach to food, Harvard does have nutritional counseling available through University Health Services and support groups available with the Bureau of Study Counsel. And as always, we’ll continue to work with individuals who have special dietary needs, be they allergies, religious guidelines, or political preferences such as vegetarianism. And as always, we continue to forge ahead on the sustainability of our menus (See the sustainability report at http://www.dining.harvard.edu/about_HUDS/sustainability.html).
To that end, don’t forget: sign up for the Ward’s Berry Farm trip this Friday. Spots are filling in a hurry, so email email@example.com to save your spot!


< Browse to Previous Essay | Browse to Next Essay >
Lowell Community Church in Everett burns on December 31, 1984.
HistoryLink.org Essay 10263
: Printer-Friendly Format
On December 31, 1984, in the early morning hours, Everett’s oldest church building, the Lowell Community Church (5216 S. 2nd Avenue), is destroyed by fire. The structure dates back to 1892, its land and construction materials having been donated by Lowell’s founder, Eugene D. Smith (1837-1909). The old church is considered a total loss, but the congregation will rebuild on the same site.
In September 1863, Eugene D. Smith and Otis Wilson set up a logging camp on the
Snohomish River at a site that eventually would become the town of Lowell.
Smith left in 1865 to try his luck in the Coeur d’Alene Gold Rush,
but came back to the Snohomish River broke and resumed logging. The
Smith camp at Lowell was situated on a hill, about a mile and a half
from the river. Here Smith built a timber-planked railroad to
transport the huge felled trees out of the woods. A 2,000-foot chute
allowed the logs to rapidly drop to the river below, where they were
transported to regional mills. An earlier settler, Reuben Lowe, had
operated a bordello here. In buying out Lowe, Smith decided to name
the proposed town after Lowe’s hometown of Lowell, Massachusetts.
Smith platted the
town in 1873 and the community’s population continued to grow. The
beginnings of the city of Everett in the fall of 1891 changed
Lowell’s future, since part of the development plans included a
paper mill on the Lowell waterfront. Lowell soon became a company
town, focused around the mill. Homes were built and Lowell’s
population quickly grew, although the town was never incorporated.
(It became a part of Everett in 1962.)
1891, E. D. Smith donated land and materials for a community church.
Construction began that year and the structure was completed in 1892.
Over the years, it became a source of pride for Lowell, and many
residents attended. An addition to the structure subsequently was built, and the exterior was repainted and the interior refurbished. In the
mid-1980s -- shortly before the fire -- the church was re-sided and
the interior redecorated, the work done by volunteers.
Year’s Eve 1984
The Everett Fire Department received
the alarm call at 4:37 a.m. on December 31, 1984. When firefighters
arrived at the scene, the church was completely ablaze, with flames
roaring out through the building’s large stained-glass windows and
consuming the second floor. They began fighting the blaze from
outside, then went inside to inspect for several minutes and withdrew
to change fire lines. They watched as the church roof collapsed onto
the place where they had been standing only a few minutes before.
Inspection the following day determined
the fire to have been accidental. It appeared to have started in the
sanctuary near the altar and was likely due to faulty wiring.
Volunteer work and contributions helped to rebuild the church. At
the time of the fire, the congregation was affiliated with the United
Church of Christ Congregational and is, in 2012, the River of Life
Jim Haley, "Everett’s Oldest Church
Burns: Lowell Loses Landmark Church," The Herald, December
31, 1984, p. 1; Charles Z. Henderson, The Fire Boys: 100 Years of
Everett Firefighting History, p. 160, 221; "Church at Lowell
Gets Facelifted," The Everett Daily Herald, September 22,
Travel through time (chronological order):
< Browse to Previous Essay
Browse to Next Essay >
Licensing: This essay is licensed under a Creative Commons license that
encourages reproduction with attribution. Credit should be given to both
HistoryLink.org and to the author, and sources must be included with any
reproduction. Click the icon for more info. Please note that this
Creative Commons license applies to text only, and not to images. For
more information regarding individual photos or images, please contact
the source noted in the image credit.
Major Support for HistoryLink.org Provided
By: The State of Washington | Patsy Bullitt Collins
| Paul G. Allen Family Foundation | Museum Of History & Industry
| 4Culture (King County Lodging Tax Revenue) | City of Seattle
| City of Bellevue | City of Tacoma | King County | The Peach
Foundation | Microsoft Corporation, Other Public and Private
Sponsors and Visitors Like You


Swallowing Small Batteries Is A Big Danger For Children
Dec. 15-Small children are at serious risk of swallowing "button batteries" which can get stuck in their throats, causing choking or even worse, severe throat burns and possibly death.
Hurley and Safe Kids Greater Flint are spearheading local efforts for “The Battery Controlled,” a national partnership between Safe Kids Worldwide and Energizer that shares life-saving information with parents and caregivers about the potential risks of swallowing coin lithium batteries. In 2010 alone, more than 3,500 "button batteries" swallowing cases, including 18 deaths, were reported to U.S. poison control centers, according to the National Capital Poison Center.
The most serious injuries are usually associated with the 20 mm diameter coin lithium battery. In the majority of swallowing incidents among children, the batteries are from remote control devices.
Dr. Rima Jibaly, Hurley Children’s Hospital Gastroenterologist, said, “These coin-sized button batteries can get stuck in the throats of children. The saliva immediately triggers an electrical current that causes a chemical reaction that can severely burn the esophagus in as little as two hours. In some cases, children have died from their injuries."
“Once the burning reaction begins, it can continue even after the battery is removed," said Dr. Brian Nolan, Director, Hurley Pediatric Critical Care Unit. "This can paralyze vocal chords or form an abnormal connection between the esophagus and trachea (wind pipe). Repairing that damage is painful and can require feeding tubes, breathing tubes and multiple surgeries.”
Lew Moquin, Safe Kids Greater Flint Coordinator, explained that "parents and other caregivers often don’t realize that coin-sized button batteries are included in devices they buy. Too often, these devices are left within reach of young children. Car keys with electronic fobs, for example, are often shared with children for their amusement. The batteries inside, if swallowed, can get stuck in a child’s throat and cause serious injury or death.”
These batteries can be found in just about any device
Coin-sized button batteries, approximately the size of a nickel, are found in everyday devices such as:
- Mini remote control devices that unlock car doors and control portable DVD players, MP3 speakers and other devices
- Bathroom scales
- Reading lights
- Flameless candles
- Talking and singing books and greeting cards
Don't let children play with electronic devices
Many of these potentially-deadly batteries are often inside compartments within electronic devices. However, because many of these devices are not children’s toys, the battery compartments are easy to open. Small children often have easy access to these devices and enjoy playing with them, and many parents do not know there is a risk. In a recent survey by The Battery Controlled, 66% of parents responded that they have not read, seen or heard anything about the risks of coin-sized button batteries and 56% said their children seem to like electronic devices more than their own toys.
Serious complications and deaths are increasing
The number of cases where children have been seriously hurt or have died as a result of swallowing a button battery has more than quadrupled in the past five years (2006-2010) compared to the five years prior (2001-2005).
Preventative steps for parents and caregivers
- Examine devices and make sure the battery compartment is secure. Strong tape is one option.
- Keep button batteries and devices that use them out of reach of small children if the battery compartments aren’t secure.
- Go to the emergency room immediately if swallowing is suspected.
- Tell others about this threat and share these steps.
Call the National Battery Ingestion Hotline at (202) 625-3333 for additional treatment information.


| || |
Diseases and Conditions
What Is It?
A phobia is a persistent, excessive, unrealistic fear of an object, person, animal, activity or situation. It is a type of anxiety disorder. A person with a phobia either tries to avoid the thing that triggers the fear, or endures it with great anxiety and distress.
Some phobias are very specific and limited. For example, a person may fear only spiders (arachnophobia) or cats (galeophobia). In this case, the person lives relatively free of anxiety by avoiding the thing he or she fears. Some phobias cause trouble in a wider variety of places or situations. For example, symptoms of acrophobia (fear of heights) can be triggered by looking out the window of an office building or by driving over a high bridge. The fear of confined spaces (claustrophobia) can be triggered by riding in an elevator or by using a small restroom. People with these phobias may need to alter their lives drastically. In extreme cases, the phobia may dictate the person's employment, job location, driving route, recreational and social activities, or home environment.
There are three major types of phobia:
- Specific phobia (simple phobia). With this most common form of phobia, people may fear specific animals (such as dogs, cats, spiders, snakes), people (such as clowns, dentists, doctors), environments (such as dark places, thunderstorms, high places) or situations (such as flying in a plane, riding on a train, being in a confined space). These conditions are at least partly genetic (inherited) and seem to run in families.
- Social phobia (social anxiety disorder). People with social phobia fear social situations where they may be humiliated, embarrassed or judged by others. They become particularly anxious when unfamiliar people are involved. The fear may be limited to performance, such as giving a lecture, concert or business presentation. Or it may be more generalized, so that the phobic person avoids many social situations, such as eating in public or using a public restroom. Social phobia seems to run in families. People who have been shy or solitary as children, or who have a history of unhappy or negative social experiences in childhood, seem more likely to develop this disorder.
- Agoraphobia. Agoraphobia is a fear of being in public places where it would be difficult or embarrassing to make a sudden exit. A person with agoraphobia may avoid going to a movie or a concert, or traveling on a bus or a train. In many cases, he or she also has repeated, unexpected panic attacks (intense fear and a set of uncomfortable physical symptoms -- trembling, heart palpitations and sweating).
Childhood phobias occur most commonly between the ages of 5 and 9, and tend to last a short while. Most longer-lasting phobias begin later in life, especially in people in their 20s. Adult phobias tend to last for many years, and they are less likely to go away on their own. Without proper treatment, phobia can increase an adult's risk of other types of psychiatric illness, especially other anxiety disorders, depression and substance abuse.
The symptoms of phobia are:
- Excessive, unreasonable, persistent feelings of fear or anxiety that are triggered by a particular object, activity or situation. The feelings are either irrational or out of proportion to any actual threat. For example, while anyone may be afraid of an unrestrained, menacing dog, most people do not run away from a calm, quiet animal on a leash.
- Anxiety-related physical symptoms. These can include tremors, palpitations, sweating, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea or other symptoms that reflect the body's "fight or flight" response to danger.
- Avoidance of the object, activity or situation that triggers the phobia. Because people who have phobias recognize that their fears are exaggerated, they are often ashamed or embarrassed about their symptoms. To prevent anxiety symptoms or embarrassment, they avoid the triggers for the phobia.
A mental health professional is likely to ask about current symptoms and family history, particularly whether other family members have had phobias. You may want to report any experience or trauma that may have set off the phobia -- for example, a dog attack leading to a fear of dogs.
It may be helpful to discuss how you react -- your thoughts, feelings and physical symptoms -- when you are confronted with the thing you fear. Also, describe what you do to avoid fearful situations, and how the phobia affects your daily life, including your job and your personal relationships.
Your doctor will ask about depression and substance use because many people with phobias have these problems as well.
In children, specific phobias can be short-term problems that disappear within a few months. In adults, about 80% of new phobias become chronic (long-term) conditions that do not go away without proper treatment.
There is no way to prevent a phobia from starting. However, treatment can reduce the negative impact of the disorder.
Treatment usually includes some combination of psychotherapy and medication:
- Specific phobia. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can help, especially a procedure called either desensitization therapy or exposure therapy. This technique involves gradually increasing your exposure to the thing you fear, at your own pace, under controlled circumstances. As you are exposed to the object, you are taught to master your fear through relaxation, breathing control or other anxiety-reducing strategies. For short-term treatment of phobias, your doctor may prescribe an antianxiety medication. If the phobia is confronted only occasionally, as in a fear of flying, the use of medication can be limited.
- Social phobia. If your social phobia centers on one particular performance (for example, giving a lecture or playing in a concert), your doctor may prescribe a medication called a beta-blocker such as propranolol (Inderal). This medicine can be taken just prior to the performance. It dampens the physical effects of anxiety (pounding heart or trembling fingers), but usually does not affect the mental sharpness needed for speaking or the physical dexterity needed for playing an instrument. For more generalized or long-term forms of social phobia, your doctor may prescribe an antidepressant, usually an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) such as sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil) or fluoxetine (Prozac). If an SSRI is not effective, your doctor may prescribe an alternative antidepressant or antianxiety medication. Cognitive-behavioral therapy also works well for many people with social phobia, in both individual and group settings.
- Agoraphobia. The treatment for this disorder is similar to the treatment for panic disorder. Drug treatment includes SSRI antidepressants or older antidepressants, such as clomipramine (Anafranil) and imipramine (Tofranil) and benzodiazepine antianxiety medications, such as clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium) and lorazepam (Ativan). Psychotherapy is also helpful, particularly cognitive-behavioral therapy.
When To Call a Professional
Make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as possible if you are troubled by fears or anxieties that are disturbing your peace of mind; interfering with your personal relationships; or preventing you from functioning normally at home, school or work.
The outlook is very good for people with specific phobia or social phobia. According to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, about 75% of people with specific phobias overcome their fears through cognitive-behavioral therapy, while 80% of those with social phobia find relief from medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy or a combination.
When agoraphobia occurs with panic disorder, the prognosis is also good. With appropriate treatment, 30% to 40% of patients become free of symptoms for extended periods, while another 50% continue to experience only mild symptoms that do not significantly affect daily life.
American Psychiatric Association
1000 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22209-3901
National Institute of Mental Health
Science Writing, Press, and Dissemination Branch
6001 Executive Blvd.
Room 8184, MSC 9663
Bethesda, MD 20892-9663
TTY Toll-Free: 1-866-415-8051
American Psychological Association
750 First St., NE
Washington, DC 20002-4242
National Mental Health Association
2000 N. Beauregard St., 6th Floor
Alexandria, VA 22311
Last updated February 17, 2011
A phobia is a persistent, excessive, unrealistic fear of an object, person, animal, activity or situation.
InteliHealth Medical Content
8876, 9475, 10541, 31038, 31348,
phobia,anxiety,mental health,agoraphobia,medication,psychiatry,antianxiety,psychiatric,antidepressant,anxiety disorder.,depression,drug,family health,heart,panic disorder,ssri


User:Oh,how the sea calls
If you have questions ask on my talk page.
 Quick References for Common Japanese
- a little bit on the Japanese Language to possibly act as a reference guide for the Wiki.
- More verbs, Common Nouns, Asking Questions, and a little bit more order to follow soon.
 Important Particles
'Ga' - subject marker. ex. - Sasuke ga Naruto o hanasu. Sasuke (Subject Marker) Naruto (D.O. Marker) hanasu (speaks).
'O' - direct object marker. shows what the subject is doing the action to. ex. Sasuke ga Naruto o hanasu. Sasuke (Subject Marker) Naruto (Direct Object marker)hanasu (speaks).
'No' - shows possession, or is as a modifying phrase. ex (possession)- Sora no Kiiburedo (Keyblade). Sora's Keyblade. ex (modifying phrase) - Nihongo (Japanese Language) no hon (book). Japanese language book.
'Wa' - denotes the subject of the sentence. -clarifies what you are talking about. -add 'wa' after the topic of the sentence. -any noun can be the topic, if it is the D.O., replace 'o' with 'wa', and if it is the subject, replace 'ga' with 'wa.' ex. - Kinou wa (as for yesterday) sensei (teacher) ga (Subj. Mark) Jon (John) o (D.O. Marker) shikatta (scolded).
'Ka' - lists choices like the English word 'or.' Ame ka yumi. (Rain or water).
'To' - lists items, or specifies the co-agent. ex (lists items) - Ame to yumi (Rain and water). ex (specifies co-agent - Sasuke ga (Subj Mark.) Naruto to (co-agent specifier) tabeta (ate).
- Always at the end of a sentence. - comes in four forms; the dictionary, negative, stem (I will post these forms later) and 'te' form (also, later). - info on past tense will follow with the 'te' form.
dictionary - the one you would see if you looked it up in a dictionary. The present tense and affirmative form of the verb. ex - taberu - to eat
negative - the opposite of the dictionary form. ex - tabenai - to not eat
 Common Verbs
Da - is (informal)
Desu - is (formal)
Ja nai - is not (inf.)
Ja arimasen - is not (for.)
Datta - was (inf.)
Deshita - was (for.)
Ja nakatta - was not (inf.)
Ja arimasendeshita - was not (for.)
Aru - to exist/ to have. used by the Japanese to show possession of inanimate objects. (this one is a tad bit strange, as is it's counterpart, Iru) Nai (neg.) ex - Sora wa (Topic Marker) munni (munny) ga aru. As for Sora, munni exists. OR Sora has money.
Iru (dict.) - to exist/ to have. used by the Japanese to show possession of animate objects. Inai (neg.) ex - Sora wa (Topic Marker) tori (bird) o (D.O. Marker) aru (exists). As for Sora, a bird exists. OR Sora has a bird.
Taberu (dict.) - to eat. Tabenai (neg.)
Hanasu (dict.) - to speak. Hanasanai (neg.)
Shinu (dict.) - to die. Shinanai (neg.)
Kaku (dict.) - to write. Kakanai (neg.)
Toru (dict.) - to take Toranai (neg.)
Kau (dict.) - to buy Kawanai (neg.)
Miru (dict.) - to watch Minai (neg.)
Iku (dict.) - to go Ikanai (neg.)
Kuru (dict.) - to come Konai (neg.)
Suru (dict.) - to do Shinai (neg.)
Yes / no and content questions to follow soon.
 Users I Consider to be Friends
-Lapis Lazuli Scarib-
(got to add to this list)
 Long Absence
Working on language and school. Hoping to help more that way-. Oh,how the sea calls 20:40, 19 April 2011 (EDT)
Template:User Hollow Bastion
Template:User Timeless River


Tectonic Shoving Match Formed Caribbean Island Arc
The image shows how the Caribbean plate is pushed to the east relative to the South American plate, causing the Caribbean Islands' distinctive arc shape.
CREDIT: Courtesy of Meghan Miller and Thorsten Becker
The movement of Earth's viscous mantle against South America has pushed the Caribbean islands east over the last 50 million years, according to a study published Monday (Aug. 20) in the journal Nature Geoscience.
The University of Southern California, in announcing the study, said the findings upend previous hypotheses of the seismic activity beneath the Caribbean Sea and provide an important new look at the unique tectonic interactions that are causing the Caribbean plate to tear away from South America.
The Caribbean plate is being pushed eastward due to a thick section of the South American plate called a "cratonic keel." This section of crust is three times thicker than its surroundings.
Meanwhile, part of the South American plate is being pushed beneath the Caribbean plate, a process called subduction. Intense heat and pressure gradually force water-containing magma to rise into the Earth's mantle and fuel the many active volcanoes in the region.
All of this pushing and pulling formed the distinctive arc shape of the Caribbean islands and has created a very complex system of faults between the two plates, in northern South America, according to the USC statement. The study mapped several of these strike-slip faults, which are similar to California's San Andreas Fault.
Recent earthquakes in the area helped the two researchers develop an image of the Earth's deep interior. The earthquake waves move slower or quicker depending on the temperature and composition of the rock.
"Studying the deep earth interior provides insights into how the Earth has evolved into its present form," researcher Meghan S. Miller said in the statement.
For their study, the researchers used earthquake data to develop 176 computer models, USC said.
MORE FROM LiveScience.com