|Undergraduate Course Details|
|Title||History of Central America|
This course examines the history of Central America from the conquest through the twenty-first century. Topics include indigenous populations, conquest, colonization, independence, race, ethnicity and national identity in the nineteenth century, the history of U.S. influence in the region, the history of social movements, protest, revolution and migration; the tenuous peace, globalization and continuing social unrest in the twenty-first century. Focus on El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. Three lecture hours per week. Not open to students who have received credit for HIS379A.


How to Insert a Picture Into a PDF File
Using Adobe Acrobat to modify and create PDFs is an effective way to edit documents on the fly. Adobe software is typically the default program when opening a PDF file. Most computers come with Adobe Reader, which allows users to view a PDF, but limits users when it comes to editing a PDF. Through Acrobat, you are able to create new pages, insert images as new pages, or even insert images as stamps.
Things You'll Need
- Adobe Acrobat
Open the PDF that you would like to edit.
Select the option menu called "Document," and then select "Insert Pages."This tool will allow you to insert an image as an entire page. You can insert a variety of file types, including: JPEG, TIFF and GIF. You will then be prompted to locate the image.
Browse through your computer and select the file that you wish to insert.
Select where you want the new image to be located within your existing PDF.You can select the beginning of the document, the end of the document, and before or after specific pages within the file. Once the image has been imported, you can modify the page order.
Save your document by selecting the "File" tab and then the "Save" Option.
Tips & Warnings
- Use a JPEG or PDF image to import.
- Make sure you attempt to insert an image using Adobe Acrobat.


Today, the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter Balanced) released sets of example test questions for grades 3–8 and 11 in both English language arts/literacy and mathematics. These Practice Tests will help schools prepare for the implementation of the Smarter Balanced Assessment System coming in the 2014-15 school year.
The Practice Tests provide a preview of the types of questions that will be featured in the summative assessment beginning in 2014-15, including selected-response items, constructed-response items, technology-enhanced items, and performance tasks—extended activities that challenge students to apply their knowledge and skills to respond to real-world problems. The Practice Tests are freely available on the Smarter Balanced website. Before attempting a practice test, it is important to note that these practice tests will only function on supported browsers, depending on the operating system of your device. Most notably, these tests will not function using the Internet Explorer browser. A list of supported browsers and operating systems is given at http://www.smarterbalanced.org/practice-test/. Please communicate this information to your teachers and students in your school communities as soon as you can to avoid unnecessary confusion and errors.
The compatible browsers for the Practice Test are given in the table below. You might consider making sure that usable computers have an appropriate browser installed on the system, and that teachers and students are aware that the Practice Tests will not function using the Internet Explorer Browser.
|Operating System||OS Version||Supported Browsers|
|Windows||XP (with Service Pack 3), Vista, 7, 8Windows Server 2003, 2008||SBAC Windows Secure Browser 6.0Firefox 3.6 and above|
|Mac||10.4.4 (all)10.5 (PowerPC)||SBAC Mac Secure Browser 5.5Firefox 3.6 Safari 5|
|10.5–10.8 (Intel)||SBAC Mac Secure Browser 6.0Firefox 3.6 and aboveSafari 5 (OS 10.5–10.7)Safari 6 (OS 10.7–10.8)|
|Linux||Fedora Core 6 (K12LTSP 4.2+)Ubuntu 9–12||SBAC Linux Secure Browser 6.0Firefox 3.6 and above|
|Android||4.0+Supported Devices:− Google Nexus 10− Motorola Xoom
− Motorola Xyboard
− Samsung Galaxy Note (10.1)
− Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1)
|SBAC AIRSecureTest Browser for AndroidDefault Internet browser on tabletGoogle Chrome 18 and above|
|iPad||iOS 6.0+Supported Devices:− iPad 2, 3, Retina Display||SBAC AIRSecureTest Browser for iPadSafari 6 and above|
|Chromebooks||Version 18 or above||Google Chrome|
Also noteworthy is that these Practice Tests do not include all the features intended for the operational assessments. For example, students and teachers will not receive reports or scores from the Practice Tests. Although Smarter Balanced assessments will be computer adaptive, the Practice Tests follow a fixed-form model. By fall 2013, Smarter Balanced will make enhancements to the Practice Tests, including the addition of performance tasks in mathematics, new accommodations for students with disabilities, and scoring rubrics.
The release of the Practice Tests follows the Smarter Balanced Pilot Test, the first large-scale tryout of items and performance tasks. The Pilot Test allowed the Consortium to gather information about the performance of assessment items and the test delivery system under real-world conditions. More than 5,000 schools in 21 Smarter Balanced Governing States were recruited to participate in the Pilot Test from February 20 – May 24, 2013. Development of the Smarter Balanced Assessment System will continue after the release of the Practice Tests and through summer 2014 in collaboration with member states and educators.
For more information on the pilot or practice tests, contact Scott Mantie, Accountability and Assessment at Scott.Mantie at doe dot nh dot gov or 603-271-3844.
If you have any questions or would like any assistance, please contact your State Technology Readiness Coordinator, Stan Freeda (Stanley.Freeda at doe dot nh dot gov; 603-271-5132).


Global biodiversity goals and targets won’t be met through voluntary commitments
A large body of international environmental laws
International environmental law-making has not been coherent, structured, or part of a grand plan. Rather, it has evolved naturally as the science base has improved.
As a result of decades of effort, we have many well-crafted, multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) in place to address our most pressing environmental and sustainability challenges, including biodiversity loss, climate change and desertification. Other instruments are being agreed upon, advanced or considered – on high seas, plastics, pandemics and wildlife trafficking – all backed by a strong and improving science base.
We are losing the fight to protect biodiversity
Despite this, the two most recent Living Planet reports show a sharp decline in wildlife over the past 50 years – uninterrupted by the adoption of multiple MEAs, including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and its 2010, 2020 and, most recently, 2030, global goals and targets.
Almost 30 years since the CBD was adopted, the IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services concluded that one million species will go extinct within the coming decades if we continue on our current trajectory. There has been an agreement on international wetlands since 1971, the Ramsar Convention. Yet, IPBES says we’ve lost 85% of wetlands by area.
Other IPBES reports on wildlife and pandemics, sustainable use, and the values of nature, highlight multiple shortcomings. The IPBES has, in a short space of time, done what no other entity has managed to do: clearly and credibly portray the multiple dire threats to our biodiversity.
We need ‘all hands on deck’ to deliver on global biodiversity targets!
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), with which I am very familiar, has been more open than most MEAs in enabling the active involvement of observers from across all sectors. CITES could not have been implemented without this active involvement. While States Parties carry the legal obligations, it is the wide array of actors that are actively engaged with the Convention that have been critical to its relative success.
But CITES can only address a thin slice of the biodiversity cake. There are many other biodiversity-related conventions, including on wetlands of international importance, migratory species, and outstanding cultural and natural heritage – as well as the CBD, which, as a framework convention, can address the full depth and breadth of biodiversity.
In some ways, the adoption of the CBD was a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it demonstrated political and legal commitment. On the other, it provided a forum for the global biodiversity community to meet, and agree upon biodiversity strategies and targets, largely detached from the agencies and sectors that determine the fate of biodiversity.
This detachment, along with inadequate financing, is one reason why the CBD has failed to achieve its targets time and time again. Fortunately, the engagement with other agencies and sectors, and the level of financing, are starting to change for the better. These issues (amongst many others) are specifically addressed in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), and multiple pledges have been made for increased funding. However, we still have a long way to go to get close the gap in financing – with the CBD estimating the gap could be as high as between US$403 billion to US$711 billion annually.
It is critically important to continue to deepen the level of engagement with all actors in implementing the GBF, recognising the roles and contributions of local communities and indigenous peoples as custodians of biodiversity, the impact of business on biodiversity, and the contribution made by a wide array of NGOs towards achieving biodiversity goals and targets.
If not, we will fail once again.
Business sector – voluntary actions have not delivered
At CBD CoP10 in Nagoya in 2010, where the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity (2010-2020) was adopted, there was a concerted effort to engage with business, and there was some pick-up. At CoP15 in Montreal last year, where the GBF was adopted, we saw a step change in the level of outreach by the CBD and interest shown by, amongst others, businesses, including financial institutions.
But we need to go beyond mere engagement and voluntary actions in implementing the GBF. For example, while the financial sector is a central part of a prosperous economy, it can – unwittingly or otherwise – be an enabler of the destruction of biodiversity.
Over the past decades, we have placed a lot of reliance on non-binding, and voluntary initiatives, pledges, and declarations. In the financial sector, we have the Equator Principles, amongst others.
In 2014, major companies made significant commitments to zero deforestation through the New York Declaration on Forests. It was a necessary part of an effective strategy, but, as an independent five-year review of the Declaration revealed, it was not enough without the “stick” of government action.
Voluntary measures all serve a useful purpose, but they tend to attract industry leaders, not the entire industry. They have their place – but they also have clear limits. And one must ask where has it got us in real terms? The Living Planet and IPBES reports suggest not very far.
The IPBES explains in a compelling way just how dire the situation is: how much longer can we place so much faith in voluntary measures to save the day?
This applies to companies and financial institutions. But what are we asking of them? What do we say they must, should, or could do? Are we asking them to be a de facto regulator, to support regulators, carry out due diligence, and make full disclosure? When making full disclosure, of what, or should they determine for themselves what is or is not environmentally destructive?
It’s time for regulators to lead
Haven’t we reached the point where governments and parliaments need to play a much stronger role as effective regulators in meeting a state’s commitments under the CBD?
The GBF offers some high-level guidance regarding business in Target 15, which will need to be translated into national laws and policies, as will the outcomes of other important processes, such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD).
Importantly, we are seeing some countries, such as France and the UK, and regions, such as the European Union, starting to make better use of the law to reduce the loss of biodiversity by regulating larger businesses, and in some cases financial services, in new ways. It’s not without its challenges and is still evolving, but it is needed, and one can expect this trend to continue.
One thing is for sure: we need all relevant actors on board to deliver on the GBF. Some are natural allies. Others will require more than a gentle nudge to head in the right direction.
illuminem Voices is a democratic space presenting the thoughts and opinions of leading Sustainability & Energy writers, their opinions do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.
About the author
John Scanlon AO is a seasoned leader in the fields of environment, governance and sustainable development, with a unique range of experience gained across multiple continents, disciplines and organisations. He has served in senior positions in the private sector, with government, international organisations, the United Nations, and not-for-profit organizations, and as chair or member of many boards and initiatives. This includes working with IUCN (Bonn), UNEP (Nairobi) and CITES (Geneva)


The Founding Fathers Would Be Proud of the People of Egypt … And Disgusted With the People of America
by George Washington
America’s founding fathers stood up for their freedom, winning it from the British (with the help of the French).
The Egyptian people have stood up for their freedom, winning it from the Mubarak dictatorship (with the help of the army, which refused to fire a shot at the people, and may even have helped convince Mubarak to leave. See this and this).
The Egyptian people found their courage even when Mubarak’s thugs flew fighter jets low over their heads, beat and murdered protesters, and otherwise threatened violence.
But the American people today have been cowed into passivity by an irrational fear of terrorism, laziness and mindlessness.
But obviously, the American government is nothing like the Egyptian dictatorship, right?
•There is a stunning amount of equality in Egypt. But America is even worse.


Despite its superlative properties, graphene has not been used to make electronic devices because electrons travel so well though it that they cannot be easily controlled. Now physicists have discovered that placing graphene sheets on boron nitride at the proper angle creates a superlattice that controls the movement of graphene electrons. A hat tip to ScienceDaily for reprinting this University of Arizona news release written by Daniel Stolte “Microprocessors From Pencil Lead“:
Graphite, more commonly known as pencil lead, could become the next big thing in the quest for smaller and less power-hungry electronics.
Resembling chicken wire on a nano scale, graphene – single sheets of graphite – is only one atom thick, making it the world’s thinnest material. Two million graphene sheets stacked up would not be as thick as a credit card.
The tricky part physicists have yet to figure out how to control the flow of electrons through the material, a necessary prerequisite for putting it to work in any type of electronic circuit. Graphene behaves very different than silicon, the material currently used in semiconductors.
Last year, a research team led by UA physicists cleared the first hurdle by identifying boron nitride, a structurally identical but non-conducting material, as a suitable mounting surface for single-atom sheets of graphene. The team also showed that in addition to providing mechanical support, boron nitride improves the electronic properties of graphene by smoothening out fluctuations in the electronic charges.
Now the team found that boron nitride also influences how the electrons travel through the graphene. Published in Nature Physics [abstract], the results open up new ways of controlling the electron flow through graphene.
“If you want to make a transistor for example, you need to be able to stop the flow of electrons,” said Brian LeRoy, an assistant professor in the University of Arizona’s department of physics. “But in graphene, the electrons just keep going. It’s difficult to stop them.” …
However, as LeRoy’s group has now discovered, mounting graphene on boron nitride prevents some of the electrons from passing to the other side, a first step toward a more controlled electron flow.
The group achieved this feat by placing graphene sheets onto boron nitride at certain angles, resulting in the hexagonal structures in both materials to overlap in such a way that secondary, larger hexagonal patterns are created. The researchers call this structure a superlattice.
If the angle is just right, they found, a point is reached where almost no electrons go through.
The news release points out that the researchers cannot yet control the angle at which the graphene and boron nitride are oriented so that only 10-20% of the samples they make show the desired effect. This process must be automated before graphene electronics become practical.
—James Lewis, PhD


The 21st century student utilizes the internet as a major information source. In Carol Grantham's article Virtual library: e-ssential (2007) she states that the internet has opened the door to an abundance of online resources and the school library can either respond to the needs of students by embracing these new technologies or be seen by students as irrelevant. She goes on to say that many students choose the Internet as their preferred information source but most have a limited understanding of how to search effectively and efficiently.
Joyce Valenza, librarian at Springfield Township High School, observed that students need more instruction as well as the assistance of improved system design if they are to become effective seekers and users of information. Virtual libraries can address these needs. According to Valenza, through virtual school libraries, teacher librarians can 'guide and serve learners where they live, play and work'(The Influence of School Virtual Libraries on the Information-Seeking Behaviors of High School Students,2004)
Valenza in her information on workshops that she offers on School Library Websites: State of the Art Information Landscapes for 21st Century Learners states, 'Our libraries should now have two front doors, and one of them should be virtual. The effective virtual library pulls together, in one unified interface, all of a library's resources..print and electronic. It can be a vibrant, media-rich knowledge management tool for the entire learning community.'
This concept is developed further in her wiki page, A WebQuest About School Library Websites (2007). She discusses the fact that an effective library web page is available 24-7, and provides immediate support and intervention. Valenza makes a very valuable and valid point when she explains that the school's virtual library projects the image of the librarian as a 21st century teacher and information professional. According to Valenza, the library website represents the library program as it offers guidance and instruction while it fosters independent learning, it supports reading, learning and the building of knowledge.
One of the gurus of virtual libraries, Joyce Valenza has shared many valuable thoughts and ideas on this topic.


The photoelectric coupler can effectively suppress the sharp pulse and all kinds of noise interference in the transmission signal, so that the signal-noise ratio in the channel can be improved greatly, and it is mainly for the following reasons:
(1) The input impedance of optical coupler
is very small, only a few hundred ohms, and interference source impedance is bigger, often 105 ~ 106 ohms. According to the principle of partial pressure, even if the interfering voltage amplitude is big, but the noise voltage at the input to feed to the photoelectric coupler will be small, can only form a weak current, as there were not enough energy and cannot make diode luminescence, which are suppressed.
(2) There is no electrical connection between the input circuit of the photoelectric coupler and the output circuit, and there is no common ground; The distributed capacitance between them is tiny, and insulation resistance is very big. Therefore, the loop side of the various interference noise is difficult to through the photoelectric coupler feed to the other side, avoids the production of common impedance coupling interference signals.
(3) The photoelectric coupler can play a very good security role, even when the external equipment fails, or if the input signal line is short, and it will not damage the instrument. Because the optical coupler's input circuit and output loop can withstand several thousand volts.
(4) The photoelectric coupler responds extremely fast, and its response delay time is only about 10 us, which is suitable for the occasion where the response speed is very high.


Black Castle (Caisteal Dubh)
History, tourist information, and nearby accommodation
The picturesque hamlet of Moulin is set on the hillside overlooking Pitlochry. In a field below the old kirk of Moulin (now the Pitlochry & Moulin Heritage Centre) stand the crumbling ruins of a 14th-century fortress known as Caisteal Dubh Mhaothlinne (Black Castle of Moulin).
The castle was built in 1326 by Sir John Campbell of Lochawe, Earl of Atholl. Robert Bruce gave the lands at Moulin to the Campbells as a reward for fighting at his side at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. A dozen years later Sir John erected a castle on his new lands, possibly on the site of an earlier fortification.
Black Castle was built on a marsh or small loch. That might seem an odd choice at first glance but actually, it was inspired. It seems that Sir John first built a crannog, or manmade island in the middle of the loch, and built his castle on the crannog. The only approach to the castle was by a causeway across the loch (drained in 1720).
Black Castle was a departure from the traditional motte and bailey design popularised by the Normans. Instead of a high mound encircled by a timber palisade, Campbell's castle was a roughly rectangular shape and used a high curtain wall with round corner towers, but there was no central keep or fortified tower.
Within the embattled walls were ranges of buildings such as stables, a hall, chapel, and workshops. The rounded castle towers enabled the defenders to fire on attackers from two sides at once.
The walls would have been 30 feet high and were up to 6 feet wide. Only part of one corner tower remains, in the north-west corner.
This 'enciente' design drew heavily on the castles built by Edward I during his late 13th-century campaigns in north Wales.
We know that the castle stayed in use until 1500 when an outbreak of the Black Death (Bubonic plague) hit the Highlands. A local tradition says that the castle inhabitants were struck down by the deadly disease when an infected messenger arrived. The castle was burned by the inhabitants to stop the plague from spreading further.
It was the Black Death that led to the castle's popular name 'Black Castle'. We do not know what it may have been called before 1500, but after the Black Death the new name stuck.
Another version of the story says that the inhabitants of Black Castle all died from the plague. Local residents were too afraid to enter the empty fortress to deal with the corpses so it was destroyed by cannon fire, collapsing the walls like a funeral cairn over the bodies of the dead.
The castle mouldered away for centuries until it was overwhelmed by foliage and damaged by livestock. In 2002 a restoration project solidified the castle walls and cleared the worst of the vegetation. The stonework was repointed using a traditional lime mortar and the walls were capped with a layer of clay and turf to keep the rain out.
You can see the castle ruins across the fields from East Moulin Road. The easiest way to reach the ruins is by the signposted footpath behind the heritage centre on Kirkmichael Road in the centre of Moulin. There is a small parking area opposite the heritage centre entrance.
Facing the heritage centre, follow the road on your left as its skirts the burial ground. You go past a row of houses and then you will see a gate into the field beyond the houses.
There is an information panel at the gate, explaining the history of the castle. Go through the gate and follow the obvious footpath diagonally across the field towards the castle, which is in sight the whole way.
From the heritage centre to the castle takes only five minutes and the going is easy. There is a fence around the enclosure to keep livestock out but you can go through a gate and explore the ruins.
It is hard to interpret the site as most of the walls have fallen and those that remain standing are in poor condition. You can, however, get a very good look at the masonry construction technique in the exposed sections of walls and foundations.
Historic Environment Scotland calls Black Castle a 13th-century castle. This is at odds with the information on the castle information panel about Sir John Campbell, which we've given here.
About Black Castle (Caisteal Dubh)
Address: Moulin, Pitlochry, Perthshire, Scotland, PH16 5EJ
Attraction Type: Castle
Location: On a footpath from the Moulin Heritage Centre (postcode PH16 5EJ).
Website: Black Castle (Caisteal Dubh)
Photo Credit: David Ross and Britain Express
NEARBY HISTORIC ATTRACTIONS
Heritage Rated from 1- 5 (low to exceptional) on historic interest
Pitlochry & Moulin Heritage Centre - 0.3 miles (Museum)
Sunnybrae Cottage - 0.8 miles (Historic Building)
Pitlochry Dam & Fish Ladder - 1 miles (Historic Building)
Dunfallandy Stone - 1.6 miles (Prehistoric Site)
Craigower - 1.6 miles (Countryside)
Killiecrankie - 3 miles (Countryside)
Linn of Tummel - 3.1 miles (Countryside)
Tay Forest Park - 4.9 miles (Countryside)
Nearest Accommodation to Black Castle (Caisteal Dubh):
Nearest Self Catering Cottages
Stay from: £900.00 - 4925.00
Stay from: £2111.00 - 8890.00
Stay from: £375.00 - 2104.00
More self catering near Black Castle (Caisteal Dubh)
Stay from: £0.00
More Hotels near Black Castle (Caisteal Dubh)
Nearest Bed and Breakfasts


Antivirus protection isn’t just a way to block computer viruses, as the name may apply. (Some people think that all intrusions into a computer are called viruses, but that is a misnomer.)
For example, here is a list of the ways a good antivirus program can assist in protecting a computer with data on it:
- Antivirus – Starting with the obvious, an antivirus program will protect against computer viruses, or attacks that mean to damage a computer.
- Rootkit protection – This prevents rootkits, which are imbedded deep inside a computer in order to mask other malware, from establishing in a computer.
- Bot protection – This alerts a subscriber when a cybercriminal is attempting to remotely take over a computer to use as a source for automatic spamming and other crimes. Bots are what botnets are based on (groups of ordinary people’s computers that have been
- Worm protection – By definition, worms attack networks rather than computers themselves. However, worms can carry payloads of malware that can be deposited onto computers, which will then do damage. Antivirus software can prevent this sort of attack – stop computer worms.
- Trojan horses – Antivirus software can’t stop a person from being duped into thinking that a desired downloaded program or file is legitimate. However, antivirus software can warn them when malware is detected within a Trojan horse file.
- Spyware – Antivirus software can detect when a computer has been infected with spyware, or software that’s meant to either collect data of usage or steal information, even when the source came from a reputable, legitimate source.
- Messaging protection – Whether it’s instant messages or e-mails, antivirus software can warn users when these messages contain dangerous attachments or fraudulent links. Instant messaging security is important today.
While having antivirus software protection is an important step in keeping a computer free of malware, there are still some other things a person can do to keep their computer as clean as possible.
- Keep computer software updated – Operating system software is one of the key points in which cybercriminals attempt to exploit vulnerabilities in remote computers. However, to keep up with known attacks, operating system producers constantly update their software for free in order to help protect their patrons. These updates are free, and can be set up to happen automatically.
- Practice safe Internet habits – There are many ways that cybercriminals can insert malware onto computers, and some of these methods involve fooling ignorant users into accepting the offending software freely. Never open attachments or follow links from unknown sources. Never give out confidential information, such as passwords, even if it appears to come from an administrator. Use strong passwords on a regular base.
MSD are partnered with many Antivirus providers.
We believe that some solutions may work fine for some businesses but not for others.
Can you benefit from a cost saving by hosting your own Antivirus console? Do you need the freedom of a cloud hosted solution which still allows tracking and management of threats no matter where your staff are?
MSD can provide a solution to fit your business needs and budget.


Department of College and Career Success
Supporting Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness
“The new measure of a sufficiently prepared student is one who has knowledge and skills to keep learning beyond secondary school, first in formal settings and then in the workplace throughout their careers, so that they are capable of adapting to unpredictable changes and new economic conditions and opportunities."
PWR is an ongoing process that includes:
- students discovering their interests and strengths
- exposure to various high-demand careers early and often
- access to programs that support student goals and needs
- supporting students as they prepare and plan for life after graduation
- and a variety of opportunities to earn credentials that will open doors to their future.


Meta. The power of the mind to reproduce its ideas in unlimited expression. This ability of the mind to make substance out of ideas is called faith. When told by Jehovah that he was henceforth to be Abraham, Abram was told also that he was to be the father of a multitude. This means that one is to express faith by bringing the faith of God into the multitude of manifested thoughts and acts.
The first step in spiritual development is the awakening of faith (represented by Abraham). We must have faith in the reality of the power of the realms invisible. Abraham, inspired by the Lord, went forth into another country, where his progeny, or manifestations, increased tremendously.
The early growth of faith is not very deeply rooted. Abraham lived in a tent, which illustrates that faith has not yet become an abiding quality of the consciousness. Through certain experiences and movements of the mind, faith takes a firmer hold; it establishes the firmament mentioned in the 1st chapter of Genesis.
In Matthew 3: 9 Abraham represents a certain phase of consciousness in the development of the Adam man, who was formed out of the "dust of the ground." "God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham." What we want is a baptism of mind that will free us from all the limitations of the Adam man and open our eyes to the Christ state, with its New Jerusalem environment, now forming in the heavens all about us.


In honor of National Cookie Day on December 4, PBS KIDS is excited to share an educational and delicious cookie recipe that encourages children to communicate how they’re feeling. Talking through a range of emotions like happy, mad and sad with children through fun activities can help them develop their social emotional skills – and this recipe helps do just that.
“Get Out the Mad” Cookies, are inspired by the PBS KIDS show, DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD.
Why bake ‘Get Out the Mad” Cookies with your children?
When you feel so mad that you want to roar, take a deep breath and count to four.
Baking these cookies with children not only hones math skills, but also encourages conversations around an array of emotions, which helps social emotional skill development.
In order to make the most out of the educational baking activity, start by asking your child what some common feelings are and when last time they remember feeling happy, sad, mad, etc was.
Anger is an emotion that can feel scary – both to feel and to talk about. Bringing it up while doing a fun activity like baking allows you to show that emotions are something safe to feel and talk about in your family.
You can explain that there are things they can do when they’re angry besides shouting or hitting, like pound on clay or dough.
Directions and ingredients for “Get Out the Mad” Cookies:
- 3 cups oatmeal
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1 1/2 all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups butter or margarine
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- Cookie sheet
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Ask your child to help measure out the ingredients. This is a great opportunity to talk about reading numbers and following directions carefully.
Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
Give your child a manageable chunk of dough. It’s okay for your child to mash it, knead it, and pound it. The longer and harder your child mixes the dough, the better the cookies taste!
When the mixing is done, show your child how to roll the dough into balls about the size of ping-pong balls, and place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 12 minutes
More Emotional Learning for Preschoolers:
- Hug It Out – Calming an Angry Child
- How to Stay Calm if Your Child is Yelling at You
- The Emotions Bowl – teaching kids about emotions and how to regulate them
More baking for Preschoolers:
- For another PBS KIDS approved recipe, check out Nana Platypus’ “Mozie-mazing Cookies” here.
- Best Gifts for Kid Bakers
- Easy Homemade Snacks for Kids to Cook


Species Detail - Phyllonorycter maestingella - Species information displayed is based on all datasets.
Terrestrial Map - 10kmDistribution of the number of records recorded within each 10km grid square (ITM).
Marine Map - 50kmDistribution of the number of records recorded within each 50km grid square (WGS84).
insect - moth
1 January (recorded in 1980)
11 December (recorded in 1980)
National Biodiversity Data Centre, Ireland, Phyllonorycter maestingella, accessed 18 October 2021, <https://maps.biodiversityireland.ie/Species/82368>


|Introduction||Methods||Relevent Publications||Support||Contact Information|
Rather than explicitly planning the trajectory of motion of a limb anew for each movement, we are inspired by theories that posit that human beings tend to chose from a limited but possibly large repertoire of movement primitives. Our inspiration for primitives-based motor control is based on evidence from experiments carried out on frogs and rats, where complete movements (such as reaching and wiping) could be produced by potentiating an electrode in different regions of the spine of spinalized frogs. These movements are considered to be primitives for two reasons:
A very critical question remains as to what primitives should be used.
Our approach is to process visual data to derive the primitives involved and to build controllers for them. Looking for correlations or patterns in visual data is a complex and high dimensional task. To reduce the space we work in, we need to segment the data. Subsequently we use PCA to obtain a set of eigenvectors as descriptors of the movement. We are currently implementing a controller for this scheme.
We use real 3-D human motor data in our analysis. The data are transformed into intrinsic joint space. A phase plot (of the trajectory followed by a system's variables) for a 2-dof movement is shown below. The '+'s mark points at zero velocity crossings (zvc) for all degrees of freedom.
To derive the primitives, the joint space data are segmented and converted into a set of vectors. These vectors are analyzed using PCA to obtain a set of principal components or eigenvectors which we call eigenmovements thus named since they can be used as building blocks for any generic movement. Given the projection of a segment along one of the eigenmovements, we can reconstruct the original movement.
In order to make the approach practical, we need to build controllers for the humanoid. We are currently building the controllers for individual primitives and a system that would allow them to co-operate.
The following is a schematic diagram of the control architecture.
The desired position is compared with the actual state to obtain an error signal. This error signal is projected on to the primitives to obtain a measure of the activation of each of the eigenmovements or primitives. Each Primitive Controller then generates a suitable torque. The torques need to be modified based on the current position of the arm. This is achieved by passing the torque signal through the Position Correction module. The torques are now sent to the humanoid.
In summary, the goals of this project are:
This work is supported in part by DARPAGrant DABT63-99-1-0015 under the Mobile Autonomous Robot Software (MARS) program, and in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 9896322 and an Infrastructure Grant. The data used for this work was gathered by M. Mataric and M. Pomplun in a joint interdisciplinary project conducted at the National Institutes of Health Resource for Study of Neural Models of Behavior, at the University of Rochester. The humanoid simulator was obtained from Jessica Hodgins.


This article provides a summary of the concepts discussed in the articles under the Section “Constituent Materials” in ASM Handbook, Volume 21: Composites. The Section describes the major matrix resins and reinforcing fibers used in composite materials, as well as some of the intermediate material forms available for composite fabrication.
Steven R. Nutt, Introduction to Constituent Materials, Composites, Vol 21, ASM Handbook, Edited By Daniel B. Miracle, Steven L. Donaldson, ASM International, 2001, p 21–22, https://doi.org/10.31399/asm.hb.v21.a0003351
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A seal and octopus fight isn’t something you see every day, but nature is constantly surprising us.
It isn’t clear exactly how the fight started. The seal may have been curious and simply wanted to investigate the fairly large octopus.
The seal could have possibly had dinner in mind when it came across the octopus.
Wild seals are known to eat squid, and more than one has surely tasted octopus. The seal and octopus roll around in the water, with the tentacles of the octopus wrapping around the seal for several minutes before the clear victor emerges.
In the days before smartphones and digital cameras, this battle would have just been another story told after the fact. However, we are now able to see more interesting videos of things like this seal octopus fight. Animal fights never fail to amaze. The animal kingdom is an incredible place.
It only takes one viewing of an episode of “Planet Earth” to be sure of that.


The Brain Architecture Game’s intellectual property belongs to a not-for-profit partnership between:
The Brain Architecture Game is a tabletop game experience that builds understanding of the powerful role of experiences on early brain development – what promotes it, what derails it, with what consequences for society.
The goal is to build a brain that is as tall as possible, which represents functionality, and as sturdy as possible, which represents the ability to withstand stresses. Groups of four to six players work together, drawing Life Experience cards to gain materials for brain building.
Positive experiences earn a pipe cleaner and a straw for support. Negative experiences? Pipe cleaner, but no straw. After the initial period of early childhood brain development, weights must be hung from the structure of the brain when life hands out stressors. Will the foundation withstand these weights, or will it collapse? Afterward, groups use the notes in their Life Journals to discuss the experiences that strengthened, or weakened, the architecture of their developing brains.
The game is a 75-90 minute experience optimized for groups of 4-6 people per table. It can be played in small workshops, conferences, and large events, with as few as 8, or as many as 300 participants.
“The brain architecture game helps people appreciate the impact of early childhood experiences on outcomes across the lifespan.”
Smaller groups (less than 15 people) are encouraged to visit the website for instructions and materials to facilitate on their own.
GEEARS is available to facilitate a limited number Brain Architecture Games for larger groups (20 or more people) each month.
If you are interested in having us facilitate the Brain Architecture game for your group, please complete the form below:


NASA has captured satellite images of a giant pumice raft drifting near Tonga, revealing the rubble slick was once roughly the size of Manhattan, in New York City.
- The raft has been dispersing since a volcanic eruption, believed to have occurred near Tonga, in early August
- A Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program report said the slick was 50 kilometres long at one point
- NASA's last observation of the raft said it had broken up further but was still visible
The floating mass is most likely the result of an eruption from an unlisted submarine volcanic vent near the island of Late on August 6 or 7, according to a report on the Volcano Discovery website.
Lava from this eruption formed into vast amounts of porous rock, floating on the surface of the ocean in a gigantic clump known as a pumice raft.
A Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program report said the surface pumice layer was as deep as 30 centimetres, according to an observation on August 9, with pieces as large as 80 centimetres in diameter.
On August 11, the report said the raft averaged a size of about 2.5 kilometres wide, stretching across 35 kilometres.
Another band spanned for as long as 50 kilometres, the Smithsonian site reported.
NASA's Operational Land Imager captured a photo of the rubble slick on August 13, when it had drifted south-west from the site of the volcano.
At this point, the raft of rocks had gathered in a clump roughly the size of Manhattan, which has an area of nearly 60 square kilometres.
As they approached, they noted the distinct smell of sulphur.
"The waves were knocked back to almost calm and the boat was slowed to 1 [knot]," the pair wrote in a Facebook post.
"The rubble slick went as far as we could see in the moonlight and with our spotlight."
After clearing the raft, the pair noted a few paint chips but wrote on an online yacht tracking platform that their vessel was "in pretty good shape".
"The hull has never been cleaner.
"It's literally been exfoliated."
Queensland University of Technology geologist Scott Bryan said pieces of pumice from the eruption would wash up on Australian shores in seven to 12 months.
"When it gets here, [the pumice raft will be] covered in a whole range of organisms of algae and barnacles and corals and crabs and snails and worms," he said.
"We're going to have millions of individual corals and lots of other organisms all coming in together with the potential of finding new homes along our coastline."
NASA's last mention of the raft was on August 22, noting it had moved north.
It has broken up further but was still visible, according to a NASA blog post.


Once you get to the Windows Desktop screen, here are some basic features you will see.
One of the most important parts of your Desktop is the Taskbar. By default, it sits at the bottom of your screen giving you access to the Start Menu, several application icons, and the Notification Area.
In Windows 10, if an application is active or opened, you will see a green line below its icon. Clicking the icon will bring the application window up.
Every open window features three buttons in the upper-right corner. These are used to minimize, maximize, or close the window −
- Minimizing means that the window will hide in the Taskbar.
- Maximizing will bring the window to a full-screen size.
Windows can be moved around or resized as you please −
- To move a window, just click on its Title Bar on the upper side of the window and drag it.
- To resize a window, move your mouse to any corner until you see a double-sided arrow. Then click and drag until you reach the desired size.
Most Windows versions will feature different icons on the background. An icon is simply a graphic representation of an application or a file. To open or access an icon, just double click on it.
Although the amount and type of icons will vary, depending on the computer, you can add more icons by following these steps −
Step 1 − Right-click on the Desktop Background.
Step 2 − Choose “New” and “Shortcut”.
Step 3 − Browse for the application or file you want to create a shortcut to.
Step 4 − Assign a name to the shortcut and click “Finish”.
Icons can also be moved around by clicking on them and dragging them to another place in the screen.
Another component of your Desktop is the Background. This is simply an image that appears at the back of your screen. Most computers come with a pre-selected background, but you can change it to any image you want.
To change the background, follow these steps −
Step 1 − Right-click on the background and choose “Personalize”.
Step 2 − From the Personalization window, choose from a series of pre-selected pictures or browse for your own.
After choosing a picture, the Background will change automatically.


Summer Next Gen Designers Camp 2017
For Summer 2017, we have created two advanced project weeks for students 4th through 8th grade. Our older students can choose freely between between our Next Gen Designers Camp and our Innovators Camp. (for example a student may take 4 weeks of Innovators camp and 2 weeks of Next Gen Designers camp). Students who are not entering 4th grade in the Fall of 2017 are not eligible for this camp, but are welcome to register in our Innovator's Camp occurring simultaneously for kids up to age 12.
Go Cart Team Design and Innovation (June 12th, June 19th, June 26th, July 24th, July 31st, August 7th) – Kids love go carts and in this NexGen Design Camp built for 4th-8th graders, students will learn engineering design and teamwork principles as they design, build, and test a gravity-powered go-cart from scratch. These Go-Carts at the real thing, so parents should know in advance that students must be entering fourth grade at least, as we will be using power tools, cutting and sanding wood, painting, and engineering solutions to innovate the go carts with features that student teams desire. On Day 5 of Go Cart Design, kids will have their own Go Cart Soap Box Derby just outside Soldier Field, where they will have a chance to test their machines for stability, speed, comfort, and stopping distance to better understand their design trade-offs. For 2017, we have added the Team Design component as solving problems on teams is a reality for engineers, and thus all participants in NexGen Design Go Carts will get a little Team Dynamics training as well. Parents should know that if your child loved building Go-Carts the first time, the experience of team design in 2017 will produce new challenges in 2017 and allow for a more elaborate finished product.
Boat Design and Innovation (July 10th, July 17th, August 14th, August 21st) - Rivers, Lakes, and Oceans spark the creative design juices for even the most video game loving children among us. Living along the water in both Chicago and Seattle, offers students at Kids Science Labs the opportunity to engage in an engineering challenge for the ages, as our 4th-8th grade students will design real boats using real science under real engineering constraints all week and take home their innovative designs that will fit in the bathtub. Our NexGen Boat Design Camp in 2017 will feature kids using real power tools, cutting and sanding raw materials, and experimenting with buoyancy, liquid properties of materials, propulsion techniques, weatherproofing, stability, and even cabin design, as they consider the design tradeoffs that will allow each of them to design, build, innovate, and test their boats. Kids will chose from three different boat types (sailboats, fishing boats, speedboats), and design their boats from beginning to end with no kits whatsoever. This NexGen Design Camp was made to introduce kids to the real tradeoffs in design that happen, including economics. Unlike Go-Carts Design Camp, we have tweaked these Boat Designs such that they are scaled to fit inside of your bathtub (bigger than a toy boat, but small enough for a 12yr old to carry easily).
Why are you adding these two weeks of design and project camp? We are always tinkering and want to create new, fun, and challenging material for our students. Parents have requested we offer a project based progressive camp for older students at KSL. In response to those requests, we have created our Next Gen Designers Camp which we will initially be offering to 4th to 8th graders. There will be two major design projects where our students Design, Build, and Test their creations.
Students can freely choose between our Next Gen Designers Camp and our regularly offered Innovators camp offered for the entire summer. If the South Loop center isn't feasible for you, no problem, kids JK through 7th grade can still attend our Innovators camp.


The Reformation was led by men like Luther, Calvin and Zwingli who revolutionised their world and ours. But there were also many remarkable women who defied social biases and traditions with a dauntless commitment to God’s Word.
These are the true stories of eight of these women: follow Katharina von Bora as she escapes from a convent to start a revolutionary new life; flee Paris with Charlotte Duplessis de Mornay, who wrote an eyewitness account of the gruesome St Bartholomew's Day massacre; and learn about the new faith with Queen Katherine Parr, the only one of Henry VIII’s wives to survive him.
These women were heads of state, writers, activists, poets and scholars but they were also very human, with their own loves, fears, heartbreaks and temptations. When we are called to stand for our faith, we can be inspired by their legacy.
View Author Interview: https://youtu.be/LcZVJZQMVxQ


Five of Britain’s native breeds are on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust’s critical list, fighting for their survival. Octavia Pollock explains why it’s worth considering these often overlooked horses and ponies...
Anyone who doubts the ability of the Exmoor pony should see the astonishing photograph of Tippbarlake William jumping a hedge out of his field to follow the Beaufort. The wild ponies, with their dark dappled coats and mealy muzzles, are beloved by anyone who devoured Moorland Mousie as a child. Yet the breed is now classed as “endangered” by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST), as is its southern counterpart, the Dartmoor.
Five other native British breeds are faring even worse: the Cleveland Bay, Eriskay pony, Suffolk, hackney horse and pony and Dales pony are “critical”, with fewer than 300 breeding mares. All five are full of ability and character, yet are often overlooked in favour of more obvious options.
The oldest of the English breeds is the Cleveland Bay, with enviable temperament and stamina. Recent genetic research shows the breed’s origins go back to the Sarmatian tribes of the Crimea, who travelled to the region of Hadrian’s Wall after a treaty of 175AD with Marcus Aurelius. The strong, swift horses were described as “brown as apple wood” in Beowulf, about 700AD, and eventually began to be used by chapmen, Yorkshire travelling salesmen, to carry goods.
When coaches arrived in the reign of Elizabeth I, Cleveland Bays, named for the Yorkshire region, were the natural choice to pull them. Their driving prowess nearly led to their downfall, with so many being used in the World Wars that breeding stock was drastically reduced, but also led to their revival when George VI and, later, his daughter, our Queen, recognised their value. Now, no Royal Ascot week would be complete without the noble bays trotting up the straight.
Stamina and willingness
Think of a hackney and you think of a carriage. Breed doyenne Barbara Stockton showed high-stepping hackneys for some 25 years before venturing into the coaching world, covering 30 miles a day on annual tours with four-in-hand teams.
“They have stamina and willingness – it’s hard to believe the situation is as it is,” she says.
She points out that they have been the most successful carriage horse in showing: “If another breed was having the success the hackney has, they would be breeding them. I don’t understand it.”
Barbara’s employee Darron Lea, who has hunted them, says: “I’ve worked with horses from breaking in Shetland ponies to logging with Shires and you’d struggle to find a better horse than a hackney.
“You can ask and ask and ask and they’ll give – you have to be the one to say they’ve done enough.”
Hackneys star in dressage, showjumping and hunting, their athleticism and strength invaluable attributes.
Cleveland Bays, too, excel beyond the shafts. Many were exported to America in the late 19th century and are very popular there. Orange County hunt field master Maryalice Matheson-Thomas, who has bred and trained them for nearly 40 years, praises their “easy temperament – and they are sturdy, sound and athletic”.
In England, Bruce Langley-McKim of Thorpeley Irish Draught and Rare Breed Stud champions them: “Cleveland Bays had an unfair reputation for being arrogant, but it’s only the way they were handled. My stallions will jump anything I point them at.”
Sadly, a failure to link the American Stud Book with the British means that international breeding must be careful not to dilute the genetics.
Key to the survival of any rare breed is that it has a use, which is problematic for horses. As Christopher Price, chief executive of the RBST, points out, you can revive cattle or sheep by selling their produce, but that is seldom an option for horses.
“Some can be used in forestry, where they can reach places machines can’t, and for conservation grazing, but otherwise it’s mainly through showing, which is why it’s so important to keep classes going,” he says.
Unfortunately, certain entrenched beliefs within the showing world hinder this. The diminutive, tough Eriskay pony of the Hebrides has been proved by DNA testing to be one of the most ancient and distinct breeds in the world. By virtue of its remoteness, it escaped the cross-breeding that diluted the strains of other island ponies.
“The Eriskay made crofting life in the Western Isles possible for generations,” says Nigel McWilliam of the Eriskay Pony Society. “They were bred for a unique set of circumstances that gives them their own niche as dependable family friends.”
Now, they can be found across the UK, winning driving and TREC titles and excelling in spheres from showjumping to equine therapy. However, the society was not formed until the 1970s and there are still those who consider them not to be a breed. As a result, they are not eligible for mountain and moorland classes at National Pony Society or British Show Pony Society events.
“It is a huge barrier,” notes Nigel. “It is key to their success that the ponies are seen out and about. Apart from their historical and genetic value, they are lovely ponies.”
One breed that is excelling in the showing sphere is the Dales, the strong, hardy and long-lived black pony of Yorkshire farmers, who would carry a load, pull a trap and go hunting with equal aplomb. Top-quality foals are in high demand for showing, but at the lower end of the market the breed is suffering, with traditional coloured ponies proving more popular among families.
“They’re not dead between the ears,” notes Jill Graham of the Dales Pony Society. “You do have to ride them.”
Dales are worth considering, however, being surefooted and intelligent.
“They’re not natural jumpers, but they will heave over a decent fence and make excellent hunters,” she says.
Their pronounced action makes them a good option for dressage, and they have no upper height limit, 15hh being a useful size.
Some 100 Dales foals are registered a year, although last year 124 were born.
“It’s a chicken-and-egg situation,” says Jill. “We don’t want to overbreed, but if there aren’t ponies available, buyers won’t consider them.”
The demand should be there: “They will happily turn their hooves to anything,” says Lynette Morrison, who hunts Akehurst Take A Chance with the Royal Artillery twice a week. “He’s tough as old boots and surefooted, as happy at the back of the field as up front or trail laying.”
The pair also do dressage, side-saddle, eventing, TREC and horseback archery.
A use beyond the traditional
The broad chestnut flanks of the Suffolk, colloquially the Suffolk Punch, are a familiar sight on the showground and in ploughing competitions, adorned with gleaming brasses and ribbons. However, Bruce is among those proving that they have a use beyond the traditional.
“My stallion Craikhow Hall Jensen has gone clear round ‘Burghley’ – Pony Club 80cm, but still – and jumps hedges with the Cottesmore and Fernie,” he notes. “I don’t want to change their type or refine them, I want height, depth, frame.”
He admires the dedication of the showing fraternity, but three tables worth of tack put him off that route. “‘Show fit’ often means too fat,” he says. “I want to see them actually doing something!”
Suffolks have a genuine value for jobs such as hauling timber in conservation areas, but they should not be restricted to harness.
Good news in the RBST watchlist 2020–2021 is that the Cleveland Bay, Dales and Suffolk have all seen more than a 5% increase in breeding mares (Eriskays have not changed and hackneys have declined). Our five rarest breeds are not anachronisms left over from earlier times, but valuable and valued horses and ponies whose abilities go far beyond their stereotypes. The plough of Suffolk and the hill tracks of Yorkshire may no longer need the native breeds of old, but their descendants deserve to thrive in the 21st century.
Moor to meal
The Devon breed recognised by the RBST as “endangered” is the Dartmoor, the Victorian result of crossing chunky hill ponies with Arabs and hackneys to create polo ponies and admired as agile and attractive, good for riding and driving. Still on the moor, however, are some 1,200 Dartmoor Hill Ponies, of assorted colours and sizes. In an endeavour to ensure recognition of the herds after Brexit, the first genetic profiling of the hill ponies was carried out and revealed that they appear to be genetically distinct, sharing genes only with the Carneddau ponies of Wales.
As Joss Hibbs of the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association explains, one method of ensuring they retain a value is by selling their meat through Dartmoor Conservation Meat. “It is lean red meat and contains omega-3, usually found in fish. The ponies are unique,” she says.
The scientific side
When only a small breeding pool exists, scientific methods come to the fore. Yvonne Evans, chair of the Eriskay Pony Society, is a leading proponent of artificial insemination (AI) for preserving rare breeds, collecting semen of quality stallions.
“We are mindful that we have older mares, too, whose eggs need preserving,” she says. “If the gene pool gets too narrow, it can tip over into extinction.”
Yvonne credits Dr Andrew Dell’s work for Cleveland Bays and Suffolks in avoiding the mixing of rare bloodlines and a reduction of “mean kinship” (retaining animals that are genetically important): “We are fortunate that we have his Sparks programme, a traffic-light system for determining whether a match is good or bad.”
There will always be a place for traditional breeding, but ever-improving AI will help.
Ref Horse & Hound; 14 May 2020
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The mare has had a significant impact on the breed, in the UK and abroad
‘I don’t want them to be any smaller, or lighter-framed – I don’t want to lose what a Suffolk horse
Numbers of the Eriskay pony became very low in the early 1970s with just 20 mares and a single stallion
Footage from Emma Massingale's exciting trip will be aired on the BBC’s The One Show later this year
The President's Ride, involving more than 60 Dales ponies, marked the start of a week of centenary celebrations for the
The future of the hackney horse hangs in the balance with less than 300 breeding mares now registered


Early Years Learning Framework Mandated Materials
ACECQA have released the revised national approved learning framework Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework (the Framework) as of 23 January 2023.
Belonging, Being and Becoming - The Early Years Learning Framework describes the principles, practice and outcomes essential to support and enhance young children's learning from birth to five years of age, as well as their transition to school.
|Belonging, Being and Becoming - The Early Years Learning Framework|
|PDF, 25539.06 KB||Early Years Learning Framework - complete document|
|PDF, 6398.97 KB||CONTENTS AND INTRODUCTION|
|PDF, 4364.39 KB||A VISION FOR CHILDREN'S LEARNING|
|PDF, 1380.62 KB||ELEMENTS OF THE EARLY YEARS LEARNING FRAMEWORK|
|PDF, 1885.25 KB||EARLY CHILDHOOD PEDAGOGY|
|PDF, 6257.12 KB||PRINCIPLES|
|PDF, 4929.74 KB||PRACTICE|
|PDF, 172.33 KB||THE EARLY YEARS LEARNING FRAMEWORK PLANNING CYCLE|
|PDF, 180.27 KB||LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR BIRTH TO 5 YEARS|
|PDF, 243.03 KB||Outcome 1 - Children have a strong sense of identity|
|PDF, 236.35 KB||Outcome 2 - Children are connected with and contribute to their world|
|PDF, 232.75 KB||Outcome 3 - Children have a strong sense of wellbeing|
|PDF, 237.46 KB||Outcome 4 - Children are confident and involved learners|
|PDF, 239.12 KB||Outcome 5 - Children are effective communicators|
|PDF, 108.1 KB||GLOSSARY OF TERMS|
|PDF, 66.16 KB||REFERENCES|
Published by the Australian Government Department of Education for the Ministerial Council.
This is the only official version of the Early Years Learning Framework V2.0, which has been approved by the Ministerial Council under S220(1) (f) of the Education and Care Services National Law.
Used under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia licence.


What Kind of App Can be Built in Python – and the Different Frameworks that can be Used
Python a high-level wide-ranging programming language offers manifold paradigms like object-orientation, as well as structural plus functional programming for software development. It functions on cross-platform OS’s and can be utilized across to develop an extensive variety of apps including those proposed for image processing, word processing, web, moreover enterprise level applying scientific, numeric plus data from the network. A few of the worldwide-used apps that are built based on Python are Cinema 4D, YouTube, Deluge, Dropbox, Bit Torrent, and Bazaar.
Python has assumed control over the creating space. Indeed, it’s all over the place. Ask any coder and they’ll disclose to you that it’s not at all difficult to learn.
The programming language is likewise very prevalent among information researchers and new businesses. That can give you a thought of how predominant it will be sooner rather than later. Python is a Top 5 coding language since it’s very logical and light.
Further, installation projects like the Anaconda can do some stunning things with different OS. Python has the additional advantage of being a perfect and simple syntax with a huge community-run library.
This implies that newbies’, as well as seasoned ones alike, have access to a huge number of lines of code that can be effectively acquired from the best developers and utilized by anybody. So what cool things can you do with Python?
Applications of Python
- GUI (Graphical User Interface) based applications:
Python has easy syntax, standard architecture, a rich text dealing out tools and the aptitude to work on manifold OSs which makes it an advantageous option for developing desktop-based apps. There is a range of GUI toolkits like wxPython, PyQt or PyGtk accessible which assist developers to make extremely functional GUI.
- Web Frameworks plus web applications
Python has been utilized to make an assortment of web- framework s including CherryPy, Django, TurboGears, Bottle, Flask and so forth. These systems give standard libraries and modules which streamline errands identified with content management, interaction with database and interfacing with various internet protocols.
- Enterprise plus business applications:
With attributes that incorporate exceptional libraries, extensibility, adaptability, and effectively readable syntax, Python is a fitting coding language for modifying bigger applications.
- Operating Systems
Python is a lot an integral portion of Linux conveyances. For example, Ubuntu’s Ubiquity Installer, and Fedora’s and Red Hat Enterprise Linux’s Anaconda Installer are written in Python. Gentoo Linux utilizes Python for Portage, its bundle the board framework.
- Language development
Python’s design, as well as module construction, has determined various language developments. Boo language utilizes an object model, sentence framework and indentation, like Python. Further, the syntax of languages like CoffeeScript, Apple’s Swift, Cobra, and OCaml all share similarity with Python.
Other than being fast and simple to learn, Python likewise has the open source benefit of being free with the help of an enormous community. This has made it the favored decision for prototype development. Further, the readiness, extensibility and versatility and simplicity of refactoring code related to Python permit quicker development from the starting model.
Python can be utilized to code a Raspberry Pi to work as the brain of a robot. By doing this you can get the robot to respond to its condition and carry out manifold actions.
The different Python Frameworks that can be used
Let’s now look at some of the Python frameworks that can be utilized for application- tailored fields. You as a Python developer must know about this and we at Algosoft Technologies will train you in all these areas and more.
CherryPy is a minimalist Python web system. It deals with the latest forms of Python, and it even runs flawlessly on Android. It is in use from just about ten years. CherryPy enables developers to run different HTTP servers simultaneously and it takes into account profiling.
Flask is exceptionally reasonable for designers that need to make an independent application. Flask accompanies the Jinja format engine by default, yet designers can pick any template engine or ORM that is ideal for them. Flask is valuable for composing APIs, endpoints, or RESTful services.
Django is an open-source framework that makes things quick and adaptable. The framework is consistently refreshed to coordinate the newest editions of Python. Django supports many database engines and is utilized by prevalent sites like Instagram, Pinterest, The Washington Post, and others. Django is not difficult to learn for novices. Django can be utilized to assemble practically any sort of site from social networks to CMS to wikis to news sites. With Django, you can convey content in JSON, RSS channels XML, HTML, and practically any format.
A pyramid is a Python framework that supports validation and routing. It is incredible for developing enormous web applications, as CMSs, and it is valuable for prototyping an idea and for developers working at API ventures. The pyramid is adaptable and can be utilized for both basic and complex activities.
TurboGears is an inventive Python framework. It is a single file application that can be kept running on Python and furthermore scaled to a full stack solution. It has an adaptable ORM with multi-database support. It tends to be utilized for all types of basic and advanced ventures. The documentation is straightforward and simple to utilize. With TurboGears, you can make a ready-to-extend app within minutes.
Pylons is a framework that makes the following of blunders simple because of its online debugger. It is an open source system supported by a ton of gifted and experienced designers.
Web2py is one of the most portable, adaptable, and simple to utilize Python structures accessible. It doesn’t require any establishment or arrangement and it utilizes LDAP for its confirmation framework. Web2py can be kept running off a simple USB flash drive. It supports different database engines, and it has an inherent ticketing framework to enable it to oversee errors.
The Bottle framework is a little scale or minimalistic Python framework. Initially implied for creating web APIs, Bottle is designed as small and consequently attempts to execute everything in a single document. It has no dependencies except the Python Standard Library. It is lightweight, quick, and simple to utilize, and is appropriate for building RESTful services.
CubicWeb is a full stack open-source Python structure created and curated by Logilab. CubicWeb utilizes cubes which are parts to develop web apps, where numerous cubes are combined to create an instance with the assistance of a database, a web server, and some configuration files. CubicWeb has a query language named RQL like W3C’s SPARQL. It has a selection plus view instrument for semi-automatic XHTML/XML/JSON/text generation and a library of reusable parts. CubicWeb is a proven end to end solution for semantic web app development that advances quality, reusability, and productivity.
Dash is an open-source Python small scale structure for building analytical web apps. It is truly reasonable for information researchers to work with. It has a high level of customization and a straightforward interface for tying UI controls, including dropdowns, charts, and sliders. A Dash application has two sections – the first is the design and it depicts how the application will look like and the second portrays the interactivity of the app. Dash gives HTML classes that permit the generation of the HTML content with Python. Dash applications are rendered in the internet browser and can be sent to servers and are henceforth cross-platform and mobile-ready.
Giotto is a full-stack framework for structuring apps in a useful style. Giotto incorporates controller modules that empower users to make applications over the web, Internet Relay Chat (IRC) and command line. It is built up with a view for the code to be effectively viable over a long period of time, which would, in the end, bring about conveying the code rapidly. It has an inherent cache with support for Memcache and Redis, an automatic URL and database continuously with SQLAlchemy.
Sanic is a Python web server and web framework that is composed to go quick and handles quick HTTP reactions by means of asynchronous request handling. It permits the use of the async or awaits syntax making the code non-blocking and fast.
Tornado is a versatile, non-blocking web server and web app Python framework. The system is assembled explicitly to deal with asynchronous procedures. By utilizing non-blocking system I/O, Tornado can scale to a huge number of open links, making it perfect for long polling, WebSockets, and other apps that require a seemingly perpetual link with every user. It serves the app with its very own HTTP server and consequently, the user needs to set up how the app is served.
With Python, you can locate a library for essentially anything you could envision. What’s more, these libraries are in fact developed by the most excellent IT guys in the world and in particular those who were trained at Algosoft Technologies.


There is a strange presumption in recent thought about human values. When we think about basic issues in ethics and politics, it is taken as a given that we face a choice between liberalism and relativism. Believing that human values are cultural constructions that vary widely across time and space, relativists urge us to be conscious of difference. If they have a political message it is one of tolerance: “Don’t try to impose your way of life on others; be sensitive to the claims of cultural minorities in your own society.” Liberals, on the other hand, insist that there are requirements of justice or rights that apply to all human beings regardless of the communities or cultures to which they belong. The liberal political message is one of universalism: “The human species is–or may one day become–a single moral community in which the same values are honored everywhere.” Either we commit ourselves to liberal universalism or we must embrace moral relativism.
There are many things wrong with this dichotomy. One of the most obvious is that it is highly parochial. Liberalism may look like the only game in town these days, but just a generation ago there were Marxists, anarchists, socialists and others who believed a systematic alternative to liberal society was desirable, imaginable and practically feasible. Further back in the history of thought, there were many versions of universalism–most of them nonliberal. Plato, Aristotle, Augustine and Aquinas all believed in universal values, but no one would call them liberals. Looking outside the Western tradition, the same is true of Confucian, Buddhist and Islamic thinkers. It is one thing to assert the existence of universal values, quite another to claim these values are in some sense liberal. It is also true that most relativists have not been greatly concerned with issues of difference. Often relativism has gone hand in hand with the idea that society is an organic whole–a highly dubious notion, which if it tends to support diversity does so only at the level of entire cultures. Herder and the Romantics celebrated the differences among peoples, but they were indifferent or hostile to the claims of cultural minorities.
The idea that we must choose between liberalism and relativism reflects the poverty of the contemporary political imagination and a disabling loss of historical memory. Kwame Anthony Appiah’s Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers is a welcome attempt to resurrect an older tradition of moral and political reflection and to show its relevance to our current condition. Appiah, a professor of philosophy at Princeton, seeks to revive cosmopolitanism, a view of humans as citizens of the world that was advanced by the Cynics in Greece in the fourth century BCE and elaborated by Stoic philosophers in Roman times. In Appiah’s view cosmopolitanism has two intertwined strands: the idea that we have obligations to other human beings above and beyond those to whom we are related by ties of family, kinship or formal citizenship; and an attitude that values others not just as specimens of universal humanity but as having lives whose meaning is bound up with particular practices and beliefs that are often different from our own. Appiah sees this cosmopolitan perspective re-emerging in the Enlightenment and expressed in the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and Kant’s idea of a League of Nations.
As a position in ethical theory, cosmopolitanism is distinct from relativism and universalism. It affirms the possibility of mutual understanding between adherents to different moralities but without holding out the promise of any ultimate consensus. There are human universals that make species-wide communication possible–and yet these commonalities do not ground anything like a single universally valid morality or way of life. Clearly this is a position that carries within it a certain tension. The idea that we have universal moral obligations is not always easily reconciled with the practices and beliefs that give particular human lives their meaning. Appiah recognizes this tension, and writes: “There will be times when these two ideals–universal concern and respect for legitimate difference–clash. There’s a sense in which cosmopolitanism is the name not of the solution but of the challenge.”


Information graphics or Infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge. These graphics present complex information quickly and clearly, such as in signs, maps, journalism, technical writing, and education. With an information graphic, computer scientists, mathematicians, and statisticians develop and communicate concepts using a single symbol to process information.
Today information graphics surround us in the media, in published works both pedestrian and scientific, in road signs and manuals. They illustrate information that would be unwieldy in text form, and act as a visual shorthand for everyday concepts such as stop and go.
In newspapers, infographics are commonly used to show the weather, as well as maps and site plans for newsworthy events, and graphs for statistical data. In the recent days some of the books are almost entirely made up of information graphics such as David Macaulay’s The Way Things Work.


Have you ever wished you could find one source of photos and videos of the world’s wildlife for use in your classroom? An award-winning site called ARKive might be just what you need.
ARKive is a centralized digital library of photographs and videos of the world’s varied species. Special priority is given to documenting those species at most risk of extinction.
The welcome message on the home page explains:
Wildlife films and photos are vital weapons in the battle to save the world’s endangered species from the brink of extinction. So with the help of the world’s best filmmakers, photographers, conservationists, and scientists, ARKive is creating the ultimate multimedia guide to the world’s endangered animals, plants, and fungi.
ARKive images and video can supplement the lessons included in our article Lessons About Organisms, Their Adaptations, and Their Environments.You can explore the ARKive site using Google Earth, or create your own scrapbooks of images and videos. The site also includes basic facts about each organism pictured, a number of teaching resources, and two games that help elementary students learn about habitats and adaptations.
Design a Habitat (Grades 3-5)
In this game, students design the perfect habitat for a family of black-footed ferrets, an endangered species. The game provides background information for students in terms of the ferret’s needs and gives feedback to students on the suitability of their designed habitat.
Animal Survival (Grades 3-5)
Students answer six questions about the sand lizard’s daily habits and how the cold-blooded reptile is adapted to life in the desert. While the interactive provides the correct answers, it would be helpful for students to have learned about similar desert reptiles before completing this.
This article was written by Jessica Fries-Gaither. Jessica is an education resource specialist at The Ohio State University and project director of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears. She has taught in elementary and middle school settings. Email Jessica at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Copyright May 2011 – The Ohio State University. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1034922. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. This work is licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons license.


2005 buffalo nickel is a five-cent piece famous for its error. Speared bison error worth more than 1200 dollars was the most popular among them. A line intersects the buffalo from one point to another which makes this coin special. There is another error called detached leg error in which the leg of the buffalo detached from its body. Another thing that makes 2005 Jefferson’s buffalo nickel different from the previous buffalo coins is its reverse bison design (Buffalo in opposite direction).
Buffalo nickel is a five-cent copper coin, it was introduced by the United States Mint and struck in 1913 to 1938. The buffalo head nickel is also known as Indian head nickel because when it was newly introduced, one side of the coin was imposed with red-Indian men and the other side is imposed with a full picture of buffalo. Sculptor James Earle Fraser designed it.
In 1883 the coin was launched with its very first design called ‘liberty head nickel’, this was designed by Charles E barber who was the sixth chief engraver of the united states mint. When it was launched, the word cent was not written on the liberty side of the coin afterward due to some criminal activities it was modified with the words cent.
Later on, Fraser who was a well-known sculptor of the united states, redesign it and come up with a red Indian head. The design was praised by the Traft administration of the U.S and approved it but due to some issues with the nickel-operating machine, the design was delayed by the Hobbs manufacturing company. In February 1913, after all the objections the Indian head nickel was issued by franklin McVeigh who was a treasury secretary of the U.S.
Fraser design stayed for 25 years and in 1938 it was redesigned by another designer “Felix Oscar Schlage” who was a sculptor and a designer of this new coin called “Jefferson nickel” which was stayed from 1938 to 2004. Fraser’s design is still admired and included in the buffalo gold series.
In 2005 Jefferson’s nickel was redesigned with reverse bison. This design is very popular with the name of 2005 buffalo nickel. The reason for the popularity is its error. The errored coins were sold for a good amount of money.
Summary: initially buffalo nickel was designed by Charles E barber, 1938 Fraser who was a famous sculptor modify the design and bring it up with a native American face. The design was appreciated and by the American Traft administration but not approved due to some issues. Later on, franklin McVeigh approved it.
The 2005 buffalo nickel was very popular among people because of its design error. A variety of errors were found in 2005 buffalo nickel, because of which it was sold in good amount.
It is a 5-cent buffalo nickel, popular for its reverse buffalo design. The head of the buffalo is in the opposite direction than the previous coin designs. These coins are rare and sold for $125, more than their actual worth.
Jefferson’s 2005 buffalo nickel with speared bison error coin is the most popular error and also price worthy. If you have a hand full of coins then try to find out a speared bison coin because it gives you more money than your expectations. Its basic cost is 5 cents however this error and rarity makes it expensive.
A diagonal or straight line intersects the buffalo from one end to another as you can see in this video
This makes it rare and was sold for $1265. It is also called die-cast error
2005 buffalo nickel is famous for another error called detached leg error. The surface of the machine was polished as much as the leg-mounted area was where the attachment of the leg from the body was disappeared that result in a detached leg error in the coin.
People find it rare and start buying the coin, due to an increase in demand and quantity shortage 2005 buffalo nickel value also increased.
Some of the questions may arise in your mind, in this section we answer some of them regarding the topic.
1. How much is a 2004 buffalo nickel worth?
2004 buffalo nickel worth is around $0.26 to $0.80. this value is estimated in the U.S coin book. It can be worth more in uncirculated (MN+) mint condition.
2. What is the rarest nickel?
The liberty head nickel that was produced in 1913, is one of the rare and worthy coins in the history of the American mint. It is produced in very small quantity and in 2007 one of liberty head nickel were sold in $5 million.
3. Is the nickel with a buffalo rare?
Buffalo nickel is not rare but the error it contains makes it rare. During the making of the buffalo coin, some coins got errors in their mounting due to technical issues. These errored coins get popular with time and become pricy.
4. Why does my buffalo nickel have no date?
If your buffalo nickel has no date it means that it has been worn off because of circulating for a longer period of time.
5. Where is the mint mark on an Indian head nickel or buffalo nickel?
On Indian head nickel or buffalo nickel, the mint mark was located in the reverse of the coin, below five cents. Mint is a mark on the coin that identified the mint at which the particular coin was made.
2005 buffalo nickel was famous for the mount errors in the buffalo side. Buffalo nickel was initially designed by Charles E barber then with time the design modified and in 2005 a buffalo nickel was published with reverse bison design and in front of Jefferson’s close-up side pose. It was popular due to some errors. These errors were formed due to die machines; the mixture of alloy and other mater stick in the narrow area of die results the mixture couldn’t reach on that part that causes error in the coin. Detached leg error an example of it. Speared bison error is a line that intersects the buffalo from one end to another it is the most popular error and the coins were sold in a maximum of $ 1200, a good amount for a 5-cent coin.


ERMI Testing Lab Services
What Is ERMI? The Environmental Relative Moldiness index (ERMI) was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development (ORD) as a research tool to investigate mold contamination in homes. The methodology is based on using mold-specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction (MSQPCR) to quantify 36 molds and calculate an index number for comparison with a database of reference homes. Eurofins EMLab P&K was one of the first collaborators to help establish the reference database and continues to offer this service to clients for the identification of mold problems in some buildings.
Disclaimer: The EPA has not endorsed or validated any tools or methods to determine mold burden in homes including MSQPCR and ERMI. The EPA licensed this test to laboratories including Eurofins EMLab P&K. However, the transfer of this technology under the Federal Technology Transfer Act cannot be used to make any claims suggesting that the ERMI is an EPA-approved or validated test. (Source: EPA, Office of Inspector General: Public May Be Making Indoor Mold Cleanup Decisions Based on EPA Tool Developed Only for Research Applications).
NOTE: View the sample report for Eurofins EMLab P&K’s ERMI testing service.
The ERMI test involves the analysis of a single sample of dust from a home. The sample is analyzed using mold-specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction (MSQPCR), a highly specific DNA-based method for quantifying mold species. A simple algorithm is used to calculate a ratio of water damage-related species to common indoor molds and the resulting score is called the Environmental Relative Moldiness Index or ERMI. The ERMI value is typically between -10 and 20.
National Relative Moldiness Index Values
In order to most effectively use this new tool, the ERMI must be compared to a national database. Indices were determined using this method for 1,096 homes across the U.S. as part of the 2006 HUD American Healthy Home Survey. Individual indices, ranked from lowest to highest were used to create a national Relative Moldiness Index (RMI) Scale.
In initial studies by the EPA, the concentrations of different mold species in "moldy homes" (homes with visible mold growth or a history of water damage) and "reference homes" (homes with no visible mold) were compared. Based on those results, mold species were selected and grouped into those with higher concentrations in moldy homes (group 1) and those with lower concentrations (group 2). To calculate the ERMI, all concentrations are log-transformed and the sum of group 2 is subtracted from the sum of group 1.
In addition to the simplicity of taking only one sample, the ERMI offers several advantages over traditional mold screening methods. Carpet dust acts as a reservoir for mold spores and is more representative of mold levels over time versus short-term air samples. The use of MSQPCR for this test allows for increased precision as it is based on a biochemical assay using calibrated instrumentation. Further research is being conducted and published that will link the ERMI assessing health risks for susceptible individuals. This information along with the national database will be invaluable in providing an objective and standardized method for screening homes for mold.
The ERMI test can be used for evaluating "moldiness" in indoor environments. Molds are found in every home but not all molds are always present. The ERMI helps to make an assessment if a home is more or less likely to have "unhealthy" mold conditions. Especially residents sensitive to molds should consider using the ERMI to evaluate their indoor environment. Also home buyers can use this tool to predict if their new home is likely to have a history of water damage.
The ERMI allows you to compare the amount and types of mold found in your customer's home with a thousand other homes found on a national database. The customer sees how moldy their home is relative to other homes throughout the U.S.
|DustChek™ Dust Sampling Cassettes|
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The first day of guided math has a different look and feel than the rest of the year. We are introducing a new structure, setting expectations, initiating procedures, and oh yeah…teaching math! Today I am sharing how to teach day one of Guided Math in grades K-5.
Do I Start on the First Day of School?
The first day of Guided Math is a process of what I call “micro” lessons. Although you do not have to start on the first day of school, I choose to do so because it really is more about setting up expectations and procedures. You can start on day 1 or day 101. The process is very much the same. I have this YouTube video sharing how I teach that first lesson for grades K-5. It will also share beyond day one to the first week and beyond! In the video, I will share lessons for K-2 and then 3-5. I will take you through the components of guided math in a very simplified manner that takes the fear right out of that very first day.
Guided Math Resources K-5
If you would like to read further about Guided Math resources, I have many posts here to share all about what I use and how I use it. This post will get you started!
The first day sets the precedent for the remainder of days. However, once launched, it is okay to change up your structure. If something isn’t working during the launch phase, alter it! Guided Math is a structure of a math block but it must work for both the teacher AND students. As your students continue to practice and then fully implement Guided Math their math competency and fluency will improve and your knowledge of your students’ abilities will deepen.


One of the first things you may want to know when learning a language is how to say “thank you.” If you’re brave enough to learn Russian and are ready for the challenge despite the number of grammatical cases, then welcome to the world of Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, the Trans-Siberian Railway, and some of the friendliest people you’ll meet at a latitude higher than Cornwall and Vancouver.
Practice with an expert Russian tutor to make learning the language easy and fun.
Something Old, Something New
The most commonly used Russian word for “thank you” is “cпасибо” (spasibo). The word has three syllables, spa-si-bo, and the middle syllable is stressed.
Originally, this was the phrase “Spasi Bog,” meaning “Let God save you.” The word “spasibo” emerged somewhere around the seventeenth century, but it was not accepted by language users for a long time. In nineteenth-century Russian literature, characters never use it and prefer “благодарю” (blagodaru) instead.
Even if you’re not Alyosha Karamazov or Anna Karenina, you can still use “благодарю” today. This is another result of combining two words. “Blago daru” means “I give you good.” “Благодарю” has four syllables, bla-go-da-ru, and the stress falls on the last one. As you can see, Russian is not a fixed stress language, and the position of stress in a word is highly unpredictable. For further examples, we will use capital letters to highlight the vowels in stressed syllables.
A Big Thank-You
Speaking of unpredictable things, our word order is not fixed, either, unlike most Germanic languages. For example, if you want to say “Thank you very much!” you can choose between “Большое спасибо!” (Bolshoe spasibo!) and “Спасибо большое!” (Spasibo bolshoe!). The meaning is the same, but some Russians find the second option more emotional. “Большое” means “big” and has three syllables, with the stress falling on “sho.”
Something to Remember
If you want to take notes and practice these new words, here are three ways to say “thank you”:
Большое спасибо! (Bol-sho-e spa-SI-bo!)
The Most Common Reply
Please keep in mind that the “o” sound undergoes some reduction in fluent speech, especially when not stressed. It sounds more like “a” but is still written as “o.”
A universal answer to “Spasibo” is “Пожалуйста!” (Pozhaluysta!). This word has four syllables when written, but as the stress falls on the second one, the remaining two lose their full vowels in speech: Po-zhA-lsta!
One more option is to answer “Не за что” (Ne za chto!), which means “Not at all!” These words are almost glued to one another in speech: The first is stressed, and the last is changed from the voiced “ch” consonant to the voiceless consonant “sh.” The result sounds like “nEzashto!”
Want to learn more about Russian colloquial phrases? Learn Russian online with the best native tutors.


The beginnings of the Easter celebration at Palm Springs' Inspiration Point
Fluttering of doves released from the stone balustrade on the wide, flat platform above the O’Donnell Golf Club course graced the Easter Sunrise service in April of 1963. Governor Edmund “Pat” G. Brown and his family (including his son Jerry who would also one day become governor of California) were visiting the Coachella Valley and announced they would attend. Former President Dwight Eisenhower and his wife were rumored to be driving in from their winter home at Eldorado Country Club for the festivities.
The stone outcropping was commonly referred to as Inspiration Point. It’s gracious terrace looked out over the city and off to the chocolate mountains to the east. Built by local people, stone by stone as a make-work project, Inspiration Point was a dramatic sight, both blending in to the mountain above and adding to it. It took the decade of the Great Depression to complete.
Anyone who needed a job during the difficult 1930s was given one by Tom O’Donnell to help with the construction. Paying $2.50 a day, the job was enough to sustain many families. In a time when work was valued and people were deeply ashamed to be given an handout, or be on the dole, the project was a way to help without causing embarrassment for those in need.
The Easter service at the foot of the mountain started way back in 1917 with worshippers proceeding in darkness together to a choice spot to watch the drama of the rising sun, symbolizing resurrection. By 1963, there was a fanfare of trumpets as the light began to appear, and then the release of white doves over the golf course from on high.
Worshipers were invited to the Amado Road entrance of the course, and guided by Boy Scouts to the best vantage points. The Boy Scouts were familiar with the terrain, having trained and camped at Inspiration Point, virtually commanding the city below. Scrambling all over the mountainside hiking, the scouts helped erect a 20-foot tall white cross above the terrace of Inspiration Point in 1947.
Prior to 1947, the Easter service had been conducted on the grounds of the Desert Inn. Visitors and citizens alike would gather below the O’Donnell House looking up at the switchback trail leading up the hill. There had been a smaller, temporary cross before, near the house.
On two occasions during heavy windstorms, the cross was blown down and as reported by the Desert Sun, “at last through the generous gift of an interested friend of our community,” the twenty-foot redwood cross was provided, set in concrete, and illuminated with neon lighting, on a knoll above Inspiration Point.
The “interested friend” was doubtless Tom O’Donnell himself. Tom’s deep and abiding friendship with Nellie Coffman was an asset to the little town. Nellie’s fortitude and industriousness were impressive to all, including the multimillionaire. Her gracious hospitality made her Desert Inn, and therefore the city of Palm Springs, famous.
The center of the village, geographically, was the Desert Inn and the O’Donnell Golf Club course was adjacent. The center of village life was the same. Overlooking the entire village was Inspiration Point and from all points below, a gaze to the westward mountain would be punctuated by the sight of its protruding rock wall with the gracefully-pierced openings.
In the last few decades, the view has been obscured and Inspiration Point has also been referred to as the Promontory. Huell Howser featured it in an episode of California’s Gold, his PBS television series on the history of California.
The towering view of Tom O’Donnell’s stone promontory presides over every hole of his golf course. Lucky visitors to the patio of the clubhouse can look up and imagine the workers who built it and the villagers who drew inspiration from it.
The history of Palm Springs will be celebrated in this fashion by the Historical Society at the "Picnic under the Palms," on December 2nd at noon at the O’Donnell Golf Club course. Catered by Jake’s, the menu features sliders and salads. Tickets are available at pshistoricalsociety.org.