What is Acne Fulminans?
Acne fulminans is an advanced and severe acne condition. It develops most frequently from advanced cases of acne conglobata as a side effect of acne conglobata’s treatment options. It is characterized by its spread to other systems of the body beyond the skin, causing severe inflammation of joints and the swelling of the lymph nodes. It frequently culminates in painful open sores on the torso, ignoring the areas acne most usually frequents on the face, chest and back.
Acne conglobata may not always be linked to cases of acne fulminans. Acne fulminans may occur as a result of steroid reactions, as well, or spontaneously. As consequence, it can also be regarded as an independent chronic acne condition.
Who gets Acne Fulminans?
Acne fulminans is a derivative of acne conglobata. Individuals that have not suffered acne conglobata are far less likely to develop acne fulminans, as acne fulminans primarily develops from a reaction to acne conglobata treatment. That said, acne fulminans may afflict anyone. It may be more likely to occur in individuals that have received steroids for treatment or abused them for other purposes, but the link between these things is not fully understood. There is no apparent genetic link that makes acne fulminans more likely.
What causes Acne Fulminans?
Cases of acne fulminans most frequently culminate from a reaction to treitonin being used to treat a case of acne conglobata. Acne fulminans may also culminate from the use of prescribed steroids for treatment or the abuse of steroids for other purposes, although this is not yet clearly understood. Acne fulminans may develop from acne conglobata without an allergic reaction to treatment beforehand, and it may also occur spontaneously, originating as an independent acne condition.
What does Acne Fulminans cause?
Acne fulminans causes the extreme swelling of the joints and lymph nodes, frequently making hospitalization and protracted care necessary for recovery. The swelling of the joints is very painful and limits mobility when it does not completely restrict mobility. The swelling of the lymph nodes, additionally, can cause rigidity of the neck, resulting in extreme discomfort and labored breathing. In later stages, the open sores on the torso are very likely to scar, and their nature (open, oozing pustules, as opposed to the enclosed blemishes more commonly found in acne) make them far more prone to infection. There is also a risk that clothes and sheets will be stained.
The restriction of limbs may result, over an extended period of time, in the loss of muscle or bone mass. Additionally, the restriction of breathing that may be caused by the swelling of lymph nodes can slowly cripple other internal organs. The pain caused by acne fulminans can be quite persistent and quite debilitating, helping to emphasize its classification as a serious disorder.
How serious is Acne Fulminans?
Acne fulminans is a very serious medical condition that requires immediate intervention if extended hospitalization is to be avoided. It can restrict the movement of the limbs and neck as well as make breathing very difficult, which can result in innumerable secondary complications. Said complications include the loss of muscle mass and depression of organ systems due to minor, persistent hypoxia. The severe discomfort inflicted by acne fulminans is frequently quite crippling, and will generally leave the afflicted unable to work; the open sores pose an extreme sanitation hazard in its more advanced stages even if the afflicted manages to remain mobile and at work in spite of their condition. While acne fulminans is not contagious, other blood and fluid-borne ailments are, making such sores untenable in any workplace, regardless of industry, thus making acne fulminans more than just a personal risk. Altogether, it is not an ailment to be taken lightly.
What does Acne Fulminans treatment look like?
Acne fulminans treatment involves careful application of steroids. There is no over-the-counter solution to alleviate the symptoms of acne fulminans; it must be handled in all capacities by a medical professional. The anti-inflammatory effects of the steroids generally alleviates the discomfort to some extent, and the immuno-suppressive effects temper the spread of the ailment. This treatment is spread over an extended period of time, and there is no fast solution. Laser treatment may be necessary to eliminate granulated tissue in advanced cases of acne fulminans.
How do I know if I have Acne Fulminans?
The symptoms of acne fulminans are distinct; while it frequently stems from cases of acne conglobata, it does independently arise as well. Self-diagnosis is nearly impossible, as many different conditions may cause similar symptoms, but the signs of acne fulminans are equivalent to its symptoms: stiffness of the joints and swelling of lymph nodes coinciding with bad acne breakouts. Any ailment causing the swelling of the lymph nodes should be brought before a medical professional as soon as possible.
What is the Recommended Acne Treatment?
There are many treatments available for acne of all types. However, in our experience, the most effective is Dermasil for Acne. Dermasil for Acne is a unique treatment option that approaches the problem of acne from a different angle, and can effectively supplement all other forms of treatment, or be used on its own.


As lovers of American History and our Civil War History, our photography travels have sent us all over the United States to capture those historical places and battlefield parks which were instrumental in the building of America. In our university studies, we were intrigued by the American Civil War and set out to capture it in modern photography. We have captured all of the major battlefield parks in the US in both film and digital as well as Civil War reenactments from those battles.* These parks are not only beautiful, historical and sacred ground but offer amazing scenes for landscape photographers. This is especially so at Antietam National Battlefield Park in Sharpsburg, Maryland. The cherished time to photograph is the fall when breathtaking color abounds and the pastoral landscape is perfection.
“The Bloodiest One Day Battle in American History
“23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing after twelve hours of savage combat on September 17, 1862. The Battle of Antietam ended the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia’s first invasion into the North and led to Abraham Lincoln’s issuance of the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.”**
Visit the Antietam National Battlefield Park for history, images, maps and to download their history .pdf.
* Image shot w/Minolta SLR, film, slide scanned to digital, processed HDR from single image in Photomatix Pro, Efex Pro, texture overlay.
** Antietam National Battlefield Park
See our posts/images from Cedar Creek Battlefield Park & Reenactment; Abraham Lincoln and other battles under “Categories” in our Archives.


What are hemorrhoids?
Hemorrhoids, commonly known by the layman as piles, are when the veins in the lower rectum and anus swell and dilate. These dilated veins may bulge out of the anus and get irritated when you pass stool. It is a very common condition affecting about 50% of adults by the age of 50. 75% of people will develop hemorrhoids at some point in their lives.
Hemorrhoids are one of the most common causes of rectal bleeding. They are not dangerous but can be, although rarely. Hemorrhoids can be classified into two types: internal or external. In internal hemorrhoids, the dilated veins are located within the anus or rectum whereas in external hemorrhoids, the dilated veins develop outside of the anus or rectum.
Hemorrhoids are not something nice to have. They are itchy, painful, and irritating and make it hard to sit. Luckily, hemorrhoids are a treatable condition.
Do hemorrhoids go away?
If your hemorrhoids are small, the symptoms may clear up on its own without any treatment. You will only need to make some changes in your diet and lifestyle.
In the severe form of hemorrhoids, they become so big that they pop out of the anus. These are called prolapsed hemorrhoids. This form of hemorrhoids requires treatment and may take a longer time to heal. Pregnant women are at a higher risk of developing hemorrhoids. The reason for this is that the enlarging abdomen increases the pressure inside their abdomen, especially during the last three months of their pregnancy. As a result the veins in the lower rectum and anus dilate, and this leads to hemorrhoids.. The hormonal changes during pregnancy contribute to this. So if you develop hemorrhoids during pregnancy, the symptoms may continue as long as the abdominal pressure is high and will only stop after you give birth to your baby.
So do hemorrhoids go away? Yes, they can and do, but how long they take in each case depends on the severity of the condition. If you want to get rid of them faster, you have to treat them sooner. If they are left untreated, they will get worse over time, increasing the time they will take to heal.
How long do hemorrhoids last?
One cannot say definitely for how long hemorrhoids may last, because sometimes, the hemorrhoids may not actually go away without surgery. You never know what will happen. However, most people will feel better after about 2 weeks. The duration of the hemorrhoids depends on the various factors that affect healing.
If the external or internal hemorrhoid is small , it may take only up to about 7 days to heal. However, severe internal hemorrhoids, which enlarge and protrude out of the anus, may require at least 2 months to heal completely. A thrombosed hemorrhoid would need more time to heal--at least about 3 months.
If you have developed hemorrhoids for the first time, the time it will take for you to heal will be much shorter than for a person who has had several episodes of hemorrhoids in the past. People who have had recurrent episodes of hemorrhoids will take at least 2 weeks or more to completely recover.
The duration it takes for hemorrhoids to heal also depends on the underlying primary cause that led to the development of hemorrhoids in the first place. For example, if you developed hemorrhoids due to pregnancy, then the hemorrhoids may persist until the pregnancy is completed or terminated and there is no pressure being applied on the veins.
What is an external hemorrhoid?
Dilated veins that develop outside of the anus or rectum are referred to as external hemorrhoids. They are found beneath the skin that surrounds the anus. This type of hemorrhoids is more painful than those that develop internally because there are many nerves that are sensitive to pain in the skin outside the anus. So they will hurt really bad and may even lead to bleeding.
There are several reasons why external hemorrhoids develop, but the most common cause of hemorrhoids is straining while passing stool. This is usually due to severe cases of constipation. When you strain, blood moves in and out of the lower rectum and anus and leads to the accumulation of blood and enlargement of the blood vessels in that location. Thus, dilated veins result beneath the skin outside of the anus. Another common cause of external hemorrhoids is pregnancy. Because of the enlarging gravid uterus applying pressure on these veins, pregnant women have a higher risk of developing hemorrhoids.
An external hemorrhoid may last from a few days to a couple of weeks. However, the signs and symptoms of hemorrhoids will take about one week to disappear. If external hemorrhoids do not go away within a week or so, then you may require surgical intervention.
What is an internal hemorrhoid?
Internal hemorrhoids lie inside the rectum, and therefore, they are not seen or felt. Because the inside of the rectum does not have many pain-sensitive nerves, internal hemorrhoids do not hurt as much as external hemorrhoids. Bleeding may be the only sign indicating that you have hemorrhoids. The amount of bleeding will vary from one person to another. While some may have only mild spotting, others may develop continuous profuse bleeding. However, with time, internal hemorrhoids can get worse and produce those typical hemorrhoidal symptoms that are really hard to ignore.
As the internal hemorrhoids progress, they may protrude out of the anus. This condition is known as prolapsed hemorrhoids. This can be similar to an external hemorrhoid in that they may produce symptoms like swelling and itchiness. Because prolapsed hemorrhoids and external hemorrhoids look similar, it is really hard to tell which is which without a professional doctor’s diagnosis.
Do hemorrhoids bleed?
Yes, they do. Bleeding from the rectum is one of the most common symptoms of hemorrhoids. However, bleeding while passing stool cannot lead to a definite diagnosis of hemorrhoids, because there are other conditions that may cause bleeding while passing stool. Bleeding while passing stool is a major cause for concern, and therefore patients who have this symptom should seek medical advice as soon as possible.
The commonest cause for bleeding while passing stool is hemorrhoids. However, it can be seen in life-threatening conditions like anal and colorectal cancers. This is why you should seek medical advice if you notice blood in your stool.
Bleeding in hemorrhoids can be different from person to person. The amount of bleeding will vary. While some may have only mild spotting, others may develop continuous profuse bleeding.
How do you know you have hemorrhoids?
You can tell that you probably have hemorrhoids if you have the following signs and symptoms.
Bleeding while passing stool – If you experience bleeding every time you pass stool, or if you notice blood after passing stool, it could be a sign of hemorrhoids. The blood is usually bright red in color, but the amount of blood will vary from one person to another. Some may only have mild spotting whereas the others may have continuous bleeding through the anus.
Itching around the anus – Itchiness is generally seen in both types of hemorrhoids (internal and external), but it is more prominent with external hemorrhoids. Itching causes great discomfort in the anal region.
Feeling lumps around the anus – This is typically noticed with external hemorrhoids and prolapsed internal hemorrhoids. These lumps are usually painful to the touch. They are usually pink in color, but sometimes, these lumps can give a purple or bluish discoloration indicating that there has been thrombosis of your hemorrhoids. If you have thrombosed hemorrhoids, they will be a lot more painful and uncomfortable.
How do you prevent hemorrhoids?
There are many ways you can avoid hemorrhoids. Most of them are just making changes to your lifestyle and diet, things you can do immediately.
Eat more fiber-rich food such as fruits like mangoes, apples, pears, and raw strawberries, and vegetables like broccoli, peas, Brussels sprouts, black beans, lentils, and split peas. Doing this will increase the amount of soluble fiber in your diet. Fiber helps food material to move through your digestive system and softens and bulks up stool, thus helping patients with constipation. Fiber also helps you have more regular bowel movements.
It is also important that you drink plenty of water every day. This will help maintain consistent bowel movements.
Increase your physical activity
Do not spend your sitting and lying down on the bed the whole day. Move around and exercise more. This is an important and very helpful tip to avoid hemorrhoids. Also, obesity increases your risk of developing hemorrhoids. therefore, maintain a healthy body weight. This way, you can avoid the development of hemorrhoids.
Do not strain
If you are constipated, do not strain to pass the stool. This will only add more pressure to the dilated veins in the anus and cause them to swell even more. Therefore, relax and allow the stool to pass naturally. You can also apply some petroleum jelly to the anal sphincter to make the passage of stool smoother, with less discomfort and irritation.
What is a thrombosed hemorrhoid?
A thrombosed external hemorrhoid is when blood pools within the engorged veins and leads to the formation of a thrombus, also known as a blood clot under the skin. This is a really painful condition that results in a firm lump in the anal region. Due to thrombosis, the lump develops a bluish or purplish discoloration.
You may be at a higher risk of developing a thrombosed external hemorrhoid, if you have recently had an episode of constipation or a traumatic vaginal delivery. It is quite a common condition experienced by many people.
The symptoms can be reduced by conservative management, which includes the use of stool softeners, increased intake of fiber in the diet, increased consumption of fluids, topical medications, and warm baths. However, surgical intervention is the only thing that can put a complete stop to it. In surgery, the entire thrombosed external hemorrhoid will be excised. This has lower recurrence rates as well as lower complication rates. Not only that, but patient satisfaction and acceptance are high as well.
What does hemorrhoid cream do?
The pain and itchiness of external hemorrhoids can be relieved with the use of creams or ointments. One cream used for hemorrhoids is 1% hydrocortisone, which should be applied on the outer surface of the skin of the hemorrhoid (not inside). Hydrocortisone is a steroid drug, and therefore should not be used for more than a week unless your doctor tells you to.
You can also apply some petroleum jelly to the area so your sphincter opens more easily.


If you ask someone if they’ve cleaned their teeth today, chances are the answer you’ll get is “yes, of course.”
If you ask if they did yesterday as well, you can probably expect the same response.
Teeth and gum health is important, so spending a few minutes a day in front of the bathroom sink to keep your mouth clean doesn’t seem like a big deal.
But how many people exercise every day? Isn’t your overall health just as important?
Andrew Simmons, the founder of Vision Personal Training, wants people to start thinking about exercise more as a daily habit, and not a burden.
“I’d like exercise to go onto everyone’s toothbrush list,” Simmons told Business Insider.
“If you’re prepared to spend a few minutes every day to look after your mouth, why are you not prepared to spend a few minutes every day to look after the health of your brain, your heart and your body?”
It’s a fair point, and something many Australians are avoiding.
Data from the Department of Health shows nearly 30% of Australian adults (aged 18-64) engage in low levels of regular physical activity (150 minutes in the last week) and almost 15% were completely inactive.
Physical inactivity, and the health impacts of it, are a huge burden on the national health system due to the increased risk for chronic disease.
The Department of Health (DOH) recommends adults undertake 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per day, but it doesn’t even need to be that much to have significant health benefits – both for the people and the system.
According to the DOH, “if all Australians did an extra 15 minutes of brisk walking for at least five days each week, this would reduce disease burden due to physical inactivity in the population by approximately 13%.
“By increasing this to 30 minutes, the burden of disease attributed to physical inactivity could be reduced by 26%.”
When looking at specific illnesses, research has attributed 6.4% of cancers to physical inactivity, which is preceded only by tobacco, high body mass and “dietary risk factors” — which you could argue is all about fitness too.
Simmons said that often one of the greatest barriers for people who need to improve their health is knowing how to get started, and having the courage to ask for help.
The founder built Vision Personal Training on the simple premise that walking into a gym shouldn’t be intimidating, and support systems should be as robust as possible for people at any fitness level.
“In the early part of my career I tried to turn this training into rocket science, and in order to fuel your ego you try to make things too complicated, to show that your way is the best way,” Simmons said.
“But at the end of the day, I realised that the genius is turning the complicated into the simple.”
“Ultimately with most people in our society now, if all they do is eat better and move more they’ll get results.”
Simmons thinks the fitness industry also needs to better accommodate for underconditioned, injured or less able people.
“We’re very good as an industry at catering for the fit, all of the new trends and brands popping up tend to only appeal to avid exercisers,” he said.
“For [Vision], our target market is the unconditioned individuals that can come into a small, friendly studio where everyone knows your name.”
He added that all it takes is that first step, and after that every small success counts.
“It takes the average person years and years of bad eating and no exercise to put on that belly, so they can’t expect to see wholesale changes overnight.
“They need to be fair on themselves, have patience and not expect quick results.”
Ultimately, Simmons would like to see an Australia where exercising is just part of the many daily habits we have to stay healthy — even if it’s 20 minutes a day.
“Unfortunately, we have so many silly old analogies like ‘go hard or go home’, but too many people go home because they think that they need to do a heap of exercise to make it count.
“Make small changes so that they become habits.”
*This journalist was invited to do the Vision 9 Week Transformation Program compliments of Vision.
NOW WATCH: Executive Life videos
Business Insider Emails & Alerts
Site highlights each day to your inbox.


|Known for||influenced the Bhakti movement|
Kabīr (also Kabīra) (Hindi: कबीर, Punjabi: ਕਬੀਰ, Urdu: کبير) (1440–1518) was a mystic poet and saint of India, whose writings have greatly influenced theBhakti movement. The name Kabir comes from Arabic al-Kabīr which means 'The Great' - the 37th name of God in Islam.
Apart from having an important influence on Sikhism, Kabir's legacy is today carried forward by the Kabir Panth ("Path of Kabir"), a religious community that recognizes him as its founder and is one of the Sant Mat sects. Its members, known as Kabir panthis, are estimated to be around 9,600,000. They are spread over north and central India, as well as dispersed with the Indian diaspora across the world, up from 843,171 in the 1901 census. His writings include Bijak, Sakhi Granth, Kabir Granthawali and Anurag Sagar.
The story is told that on one particular day of the year, anyone can become a disciple by having a master speak the name of God over him. It is common for those who live near the Ganges to take their morning bath there in the sacred waters. The bhakti saint Ramananda was in the habit of arising before dawn to take his bath. On this special day too, he awoke before dawn and found his way down to the steps of the Ganges. As he was walking down the steps to the waters, a little hand reached out and grabbed the saint's big toe. Ramananda was taken by surprise, and he involuntarily called out the name of God. Looking down, he saw in the early morning light the hand of the young Kabir. After his bath, he noticed that on the back of the little one's hand was written in Arabic the name Kabīr. He adopted him as son and disciple and brought him back to his ashram, much to the consternation of his Hindu students, some of whom left in protest.Not much is known of Kabir's birth parents, but it is known that he was brought up in a family of Muslim weavers. He was found by a Muslim weaver named Niru and his wife, Nima, in Lehartara, situated in Varanasi. They adopted the boy and taught him the weaver's trade.
Not much is known about what sort of spiritual training Kabir may have received. He did not become a sadhu, nor did he ever abandon worldly life. Kabir chose instead to live the balanced life of a householder and mystic, a tradesman and contemplative.
Kabir's family is believed to have lived in the locality of Kabir Chaura in Varanasi. Kabīr maṭha (कबीरमठ), a maṭha located in the back alleys of Kabir Chaura, celebrates his life and times. Accompanying the property is a house named Nīrūṭīlā (नीरू टीला) which houses Niru and Nima's graves. The house also accommodates students and scholars who live there and study Kabir's work.
Kabir was influenced by the prevailing religious mood of his times, such as old Brahmanic Hinduism, Hindu and Buddhist Tantrism, the teachings of Nath yogis and the personal devotionalism of South India mixed with the imageless God of Islam. The influence of these various doctrines is clearly evident in Kabir's verses. Eminent historians like R.C. Majumdar, P.N. Chopra, B.N. Puri and M.N. Das have held that Kabir is the first Indian saint to have harmonised Hinduism and Islam by preaching a universal path which both Hindus and Muslims could tread together. But there are a few critics who contest such claims.
The basic religious principles he espoused are simple. According to Kabir, all life is an interplay of two spiritual principles. One is the personal soul (Jivatma) and the other is God (Paramatma). It is Kabir's view that salvation is the process of bringing these two divine principles into union. The incorporation of much of his verse in Sikh scripture, and the fact that Kabir was a predecessor of Guru Nanak, have led some western scholars to mistakenly describe him as a forerunner of Sikhism.
His greatest work is the Bijak (the "Seedling"), an idea of the fundamental one. This collection of poems elucidates Kabir's universal view of spirituality. Though his vocabulary is replete with Hindu spiritual concepts, such as Brahman, karma and reincarnation, he vehemently opposed dogmas, both in Hinduism and in Islam. HisHindi was a vernacular, straightforward kind, much like his philosophies. He often advocated leaving aside the Qur'an and Vedas and simply following Sahaja path, or the Simple/Natural Way to oneness in God. He believed in the Vedantic concept of atman, but unlike earlier orthodox Vedantins, he spurned the Hindu societal castesystem and murti-poojan (idol worship), showing clear belief in both bhakti and Sufi ideas. The major part of Kabir's work as a bhagat was collected by the fifth Sikhguru, Guru Arjan Dev, and forms a part of the Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib.
Kabir composed in a pithy and earthy style, replete with surprise and inventive imagery. His poems resonate with praise for the true guru who reveals the divine through direct experience, and denounce more usual ways of attempting god-union such as chanting, austerities, etc. Kabir, being illiterate, expressed his poems orally in vernacular Hindi, borrowing from various dialects including Avadhi, Braj, and Bhojpuri. His verses often began with some strongly worded insult to get the attention of passers-by. Kabir has enjoyed a revival of popularity over the past half century as arguably the most accessible and understandable of the Indian saints, with a special influence over spiritual traditions such as those of Sant Mat, Garib Das and Radha Soami.
A considerable body of poetical work has been attributed to Kabir. And while two of his disciples, Bhāgodās and Dharmadās, did write much of it down, "...there is also much that must have passed, with expected changes and distortions, from mouth to mouth, as part of a well-established oral tradition."
Poems and songs ascribed to Kabir are available today in several dialects, with varying wordings and spellings as befits an oral tradition. Opinions vary on establishing any given poem's authenticity. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the spirit of this mystic comes alive through a "unique forcefulness... vigor of thought and rugged terseness of style."
Kabir and his followers named his poetic output as ‘bāņīs,’ utterances. These include songs, as above, and couplets, called variously dohe, śalokā (Sanskrit ślokā), or sākhī (Sanskrit sākşī). The latter term, meaning ‘witness,’ best indicates the use that Kabir and his followers envisioned for these poems: “As direct evidence of the Truth, a sākhī is… meant to be memorized… A sākhī is… meant to evoke the highest Truth.” As such, memorizing, reciting, and thus pondering over these utterances constitutes, for Kabir and his followers, a path to spiritual awakening.
There are several allusions to Kabir's poetry in mainstream Indian film music. The title song of the Sufi fusion band Indian Ocean's album Jhini is an energetic rendering of Kabir's famous poem "The intricately woven blanket", with influences from Indian folk, Sufi traditions and progressive rock.
Documentary filmmaker Shabnam Virmani, from the Kabir Project, has produced a series of documentaries and books tracing Kabir's philosophy, music and poetry in present day India and Pakistan. The documentaries feature Indian folk singers such as Prahlad Tipanya, Mukhtiyar Ali and the Pakistani QawwalFareed Ayaz.
Kabir's poetry has appeared prominently in filmmaker Anand Gandhi's films Right Here Right Now and Continuum.


Castell Bryn Gwyn
There is much speculation over the age and use of Castell Bryn Gwyn (White Hill Castle). It was not a hillfort, being built on flat land, but excavations in 1959-1960 discovered that the rampart and ditch were similar to hillfort defences. It may have been a Neolithic henge monument, but nevertheless, there has been a long history of occupation at the site. Neolithic flints found beneath the well preserved circular clay bank (1.5 metres high) suggest that there may have been an enclosure there in about 2000BC. Iron Age defences would have been built subsequently, and there may have been some additional Roman fortifications at a later time.


Artistic education has been lacking for years
Education policies have consistently recognized the value of art in society. At least 47 states have arts education mandates and another 48 have art education standards, all thanks to Clinton’s Goals 2000 Educate America Act passed in 1994. This act is what set the ball rolling on the school reform agendas that took place during both the Clinton and Bush eras.
In 2001, art was officially included as one of the ten core academic subjects that public schools should teach. This designation effectively qualified arts programs for numerous federal grants. But education policies and mandates are one thing; implementing these policies in the classroom is, of course, a different story.
Artistic education may not be a priority in certain parts of the world, but its importance cannot be understated. Art may not have the power to solve society’s problems. However, it does have the ability to make society aware of the challenges within it. Teaching art to children while they are still young is also one of the best ways to develop their emotional intelligence and academic achievement.
Indeed, early involvement in the arts is linked to gains in reading, cognitive ability, verbal fluency, enhanced confidence, self–esteem and improved critical thinking skills. Arts have also been proven to enhance motivation, teamwork, and concentration. The inherent pleasures and stimulation of the art experience typically do more than improve the quality of one’s life.
Art connects human beings in ways other things cannot; it opens people to new ways of seeing things, thus creating an excellent foundation for people from all walks of life to bond and unite.
Sadly, despite these well-known art facts, its education is not as prevalent as you would think. There is an evident lack of a strong arts program in many public schools.
On the flip side, children of the affluent are usually exposed to art education whether or not their schools provide it to them. From paid programs such as toddlers in tutus to family trips to galleries and museums to having vast art collections in their homes, children from low-income homes typically do not have exposure to such excellent opportunities.
When there are art education programs in public schools, it provides kids from financially challenged backgrounds to have a more level playing field with their peers from well-to-do backgrounds. But incorporating art education programs in public schools hasn’t been as easy as it should be.
Art education has been slipping by the decade due to tight state budgets, a crammed classroom curriculum, and the public sense that art has always been nice. However, it’s never been important enough; not as important as other subjects such as math or the sciences.
Thankfully, this popular unpopular opinion is beginning to change. As mentioned earlier, art education and academic achievement are interlinked. As a result, comprehensive, innovative arts initiatives are starting to become the norm rather than the exception in a growing number of public schools across the country. Many of these initiatives are based on findings in brain and cognitive research that art can and should be used as a tool for learning.
With more and more schools working to establish an environment that is rich in arts and culture, as well as ensuring hands-on art instructions, there is hope for the world yet. It is true that most of the existing art initiatives in schools are still at their infant stages, but many are producing some impressive results.
In many parts of the country, art education has suffered immensely for so long that it will take decades to undo the massive damage that has been caused. In addition to time, enormous investments will also have to be made to fix the mess. If things are to change, legislators need to make art education a priority in any school reform plans. The states also need to make a more concerted effort to connect more students with the vast cultural resources that we have at our disposal.
All schools in the country should offer some type of art instruction and cultural programming. This is the only way that great strides will be made to revitalize arts education. The process of enforcing art education will not be easy. It will require outstanding leadership, innovation, extensive partnerships and collaborations, and support.
In many parts of the country, for instance, communities are creating partnerships with their arts and cultural resources to infuse public schools with rich, comprehensive art programs. The point is to develop sustainable programs, not those that come and go with the annual budget or depend on the whims of an administrator.
In other parts of the country, though, a coalition of art advocates, educators, business people, and philanthropists are working together to get art programs infiltrated all through the communities, especially low-income ones.
Art is one of the hardest things to appreciate
Art is one of the hardest things for people to appreciate, and it affects all levels of society and academic education. Some brilliant and accomplished individuals see no value in art. Why? Because they don’t appreciate it or bother to.
Art appreciation is something that goes beyond hanging a beautiful painting or visiting a gallery or museum. The truth is that we are surrounded by art all the time; it is everywhere that we look. If people simply opened up their eyes to that fact, then the world would be a much different place.
So what exactly is art appreciation? Art appreciation is anything that:
- Gives you the ability to gain the knowledge to understand art.
- The willingness to acquire the methods and materials needed for one to discuss art verbally.
- The knowledge allows one to pick out the movements from ancient art to today’s contemporary art.
Learning how to appreciate art is a vital cultural foundation needed to enable individuals to critically analyze art, different art forms, and how various cultures use art. For one to appreciate art, they must have the capacity to view it throughout history, paying close attention to the people and the cultures they subscribe to, as well as how art developed through various periods. It is almost impossible to understand art if one does not understand the culture, materials used and the beauty it provides.
All individuals are born with the innate ability to create art, yet so few are given the training needed to foster their talent. As we’ve talked about above, art education is not only critical for an individual’s comprehension and development but also their emotional well-being. Art allows people to have diverse points of view while still understanding how people lived in the past. More importantly, art connects the issues that people experience in modern life. The history of the world is the history of art.
The great thing about art appreciation is that anyone can appreciate art and because art appreciation is so subjective, there is really no right or wrong way of doing it. Different art forms will appeal to different people; they are supposed to. Art appreciation, on the other hand, allows one to explore various art forms despite what one has already been exposed to.
Why is it so important that people learn to appreciate art?
Appreciating art is vital for various reasons. For instance, art appreciation is one way to understand the history behind a piece of painting or sculpture and the period in which the artwork originated. It is no secret that artists often reflect on the problems that they have faced and the issues surrounding their societies.
When one takes the time to appreciate art, they are essentially placing themselves in the shoes and minds of the artists so that they can better understand how society functioned at that time and how things have changed today. This is the only way one can empathize and relate to the issues that other people face on a deeper emotional and personal level.
Art is designed to stimulate conversation and spark debates between observers. When people reflect on a piece of art, it allows them to delve further into their own experiences. That’s why one piece of art could mean something entirely different for various observers that come across it. Art appreciation stimulates one’s thoughts and opens up points of view. When people are willing to listen to one another’s perspectives and interpretations of art, it encourages people to have meaningful conversations.
Art is still largely inaccessible
The art world has been struggling for a while now. Buyers and artists alike have remained passive for the last few years, leaving only a small circle of enthusiasts, collectors, galleries, and museum directors to control the agenda. All other parties, including curators and the artists themselves, now play a minor and supportive role, forming the lowest part of the pyramid whose peak has become highly inaccessible.
Artists hoping for notoriety and success are doomed if they dare break the rules and those that succeed after doing so have become extremely rare. The art market has become almost soulless and totally under the control of private ownership and monetary value. People no longer create art just to create it.
Despite the wealth of tools available that should make art accessible, such as eCommerce and social media, nothing much has changed in the art scene. Other industries have found ways to take advantage of these resources. However, in art, these tools stay greatly underutilized. Even worse, curators remain in charge of exhibitions while the museums, at best, are only ever interested in counting visitors and profits.
Only a few players have control and the public’s opinion usually counts for little to nothing at all since public institutions and popular art events such as biennales are dependent on galleries and collectors for monetary support. For this reason, these galleries and exhibitions only tend to display art that will make donors and supporters happy.
In many cases, only a small network of gallerists and collectors maintain authority over what is referred to as good art and what isn’t. It is this small elite circle that determines who, outside of the circle, is worth looking into.
For things to change, the public has to be taught about art so that they can start to realize that they do not have to wait on someone else to tell them what good art is or isn’t. The point is to empower the public enough so that they are able decide what is worth seeing and what isn’t.
Public art institutions also need to be made more democratic. An art ecosystem must be set up in which artists are allowed to nurture their audiences and vice versa. If this shift can be introduced into the existing ecosystem, the art has a chance of becoming something that isn’t just leveraged for its commercial value but something worth truly learning and preserving. If this happens, we will have built a world where art is created to represent and mirror our interests as evolving human beings.
Not many people are willing to become artists
Because of all these factors discussed above, art is not one of those careers for which people are lining up for. It has become tough to make a living as an artist these days. As a result, talented artists have eventually been forced to seek other reliable sources of income to supplement their artistry. Some artists spend years furthering their education and bettering their skills, only for them to find themselves looking for a steady paycheck in a bid to supplement their artistry.
Artists looking to make a living off their art often find that they have to put more time and effort into attracting buyers while also building a reputation, which can take its toll. Artists are typically forced to work around showcases, openings in galleries, and other establishments just for an opportunity to display their work.
For these reasons and more, many people prefer to pursue other professions that are more sustainable, which has led to a dramatic shortage of new works from new artists. For those artists that manage to succeed, it takes a dedicated lifetime of work and a good measure of luck to reach any loft ambitions of success.
Everyone can all agree that art is one of the most important components we have in society. Unfortunately, the pandemic-induced school closures have placed the future of arts education in jeopardy. As schools continue to struggle to keep their core subjects going, art programs all over the country are now at risk of being shut down.


The weather in Cyprus in May is perfect for the ideal summer holiday. The month is very warm, sunny and cloudless, and the number of rainy days is no more than one or two. However, when it rains, the precipitation is usually intense and short-term, often accompanied by thunder and lightning. The average daytime temperature in Cyprus in May ranges from 24 to 27°C in the shade, and in the interior of the island, where the influence of the Mediterranean is lesser, is slightly warmer, reaching about 30°C in the shade.
Nights are mild and pleasant with temperatures around 15 – 17°C. May looks like a typical summer month, but its advantage is that the weather is not yet too hot.
However, it is recommended to be careful with the sun at noon, as it can be quite strong.
In May, the sea temperature in Cyprus is already in the range between 20 and 22°C, so bathing and swimming are much more pleasant compared to April.
The beaches are crowded with sunbathers, and the coastal cities and their countless hotels and restaurants are full of tourists. After the relatively quiet start in April, in May the active tourist season is already in full swing.
In May, even the high-lying parts of the Troodos Mountains enjoy warm and pleasant weather. The daytime temperature reaches around 20°C, and around 10 – 12°C at night.
The number of rainy days decreases even in the mountains and in places located over 1,000 meters above sea level, they are only about 3 or 4.


Remedy Tooth Pain with All-Natural Clove Oil
Clove oil numbs and soothes the pain of toothaches, and is also used to treat respiratory and digestive ailments. It has long been suspected that clove may have anticancer effects, too
Source: The Amazing Healing Powers of Nature, Reader’s Digest
What is clove oil?
Clove oil is a common essential oil that can be purchased in most pharmacies, often in the first aid section. It is used as a local anesthetic for toothaches, as well as to help prevent stomach ulcers. Clove oil has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, as well as possible anticancer activity.
What are commonly referred to as cloves are the dried unopened flower buds of the clove tree; the tree’s buds, stems and leaves are also used to make clove oil. The main component of clove oil, and the compound that carries clove’s characteristic aroma, is eugenol.
Clove oil for tooth pain
Pharmacies sell a range of eugenol-containing products aimed at soothing dental pain. You can also make your own toothache-easing mixture by crushing cloves in a pestle and mortar and adding a little olive oil.
These measures are designed to give only temporary relief, however, and it is important to seek professional dental care as soon as possible. Note, too, that clove oil and products containing eugenol can cause irritation in some people and that, in large amounts, clove oil is toxic when taken internally.
Medical studies and research on clove oil
Several research teams have found that eugenol is potently antibacterial and antioxidant, a fact that accounts for clove’s use as a food preservative.
Clove oil’s effectiveness as a local anesthetic has been investigated in several studies: in a 2006 study at Kuwait University, for example, clove oil worked as well as the synthetic local anesthetic benzocaine at numbing the pain of toothache.
In 2011, researchers at the University of Vale do Itaja', Brazil, found that clove enhances the production of mucus in the stomach lining, protecting against stomach ulcers. It is also an expectorant, encouraging the production of mucus in the respiratory system, and so eases coughing.
Clove oil and cancer
It has long been suspected that clove may have anticancer effects’and modern science seems to be confirming that. In 2006 researchers at the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute in India reported that eugenol inhibits the growth of lung cancer tumours in mice, and a 2011study conducted at the IILM Institute, India, found that in the laboratory clove oil caused cancer cells to self-destruct while leaving normal blood cells unscathed. Research is ongoing.
Did you know?
‘ Clove oil has been used for centuries by Ayurvedic healers in India to treat respiratory and digestive ailments.
‘ Native to Indonesia, cloves are now also cultivated in Sri Lanka and East Africa.


Why Knowledge of Students is Important for Effective Teaching
An effective teacher must master the professional skills necessary to deliver a high-quality 21st-century education to their students. In this blog post, I will discuss the importance of knowing the students we teach.
One of the cardinal rules of effective teaching is to "know your students." This is because a deep understanding of the individuals we teach is essential to forming positive relationships. According to William Powell and Ochan Kusuma-Powell in their book, How to Teach Now: Five Keys to Personalized Learning in the Global Classroom, point out that building positive relationships with students can do the following: create a psychologically safe environment for every learner; determine each student's readiness for learning; identify multiple access points to the curriculum to increase engagement and success and develop and demonstrate greater emotional intelligence in the classroom. Since the average teacher spends over 1,000 hours with their students in a typical school year, the relationship between teachers and their students is highly consequential.
Developing strong relationships with learners can help teachers build a classroom climate based on trust and mutual respect. This is true of relationships between the teacher and their students and between students and their peers. This psychologically safe atmosphere will allow students to take intellectual risks by removing obstacles such as fear of chastisement or failure. And while there are criticisms of Maslow's hierarchy in that it is based more upon philosophy than scientific evidence, research indicates that strong teacher relationships are associated with short-term and long-term educational growth. This can be seen in student engagement, attendance, higher grades, fewer disruptive behaviors, and lower school dropout rates. Healthy relationships are beneficial to teachers as well. A study from the European Journal of Psychology of Education found that when teachers have strong relationships with their students, they tend to be happier and experience less stress and anxiety in the classroom.
Understanding adolescent development is a critical component of the knowledge of students. Effective teachers understand that adolescence is a time of profound change and presents many challenges to the teacher, learner, and the learning environment. Research indicates that unlike adults who cogitate using the brain's rational part called the prefrontal cortex, teens process information with their amygdala. The amygdala, or "lizard brain," is where emotions are generated. The teenage brain is not fully developed until around twenty-five, when connections between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala are fully formed. This is why teenagers can be overly emotional and irrational leading to impulsive decisions and behavior. Effective teachers consider their students' developmental needs as they plan and implement learning activities that support their socio-emotional growth. As a child-rearing expert, Dr. Ron Taffel points out, "Even as kids reach adolescence, they need more than ever for us to watch over them. Adolescence is not about letting go. It's about hanging on during a very bumpy ride." Adolescence is about self-discovery and forgoing an individual identity while cultivating membership in various social groups. Teens are trying to make sense of the world and their place in it. They are exploring notions of fairness and justice and should be given opportunities to confront these issues in a supportive and safe environment. They are in pursuit of autonomy, and many will test the limits of authority at home and school.
There are brain-based teaching strategies that teachers should use with adolescents. This is important because teens are not little adults, nor are they children. Teachers must engage teens in developmentally appropriate learning strategies specifically designed to address their unique needs. For example, teachers should give simple and straightforward directions and explanations while using multiple models of instruction. Because every student is unique and differs in how they perceive and comprehend information, teachers should provide students with multiple representations to communicate content. Additionally, teachers should help students develop competence in their discipline. Adolescence is an awkward time in which students do not want to feel incompetent or that people are judging them. Teachers can help students develop competence by knowing their students’ strengths and weaknesses and help struggling students by offering extra help or tutoring. Teachers should try to incorporate decision-making into their curriculum as much as possible. Teenagers’ brains are rapidly developing in adolescence, and as a result, their decision-making processes are often flawed. Teachers should help their students evaluate potential solutions and think through consequences. An excellent teaching approach that allows students to think through various decisions and points of view are roleplaying and simulations. For example, in a U.S. history class, students could recreate the constitutional convention and debate the important issues of 1787 including slavery, representation, and federalism. Or students could put Harry Truman on trial for his decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The possibilities are limitless. And roleplay and simulations are an excellent opportunity for students to examine issues from various points of view and consider the pros and cons of historical decisions. A word of caution, however. Be sure that roleplays and simulations don’t expose students to unnecessary trauma by engaging in activities that are hurtful or insensitive, especially for students of color.
Students in most schools are grouped into grades by age and not ability. Unfortunately, this process overlooks the fact that students develop and mature at different rates. That is why teachers must provide sufficient supports for developing learners to reach higher levels of understanding. The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), first postulated by Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky, suggests that there are things a learner can do without assistance, and there are things that a learner can do with help from a more knowledgeable person. When students are in the ZPD, they are provided scaffolding or learning support from the teacher or more knowledgeable peer to help them accomplish a task they could not do independently. ZPD is one of the reasons that collaborative learning is so effective, especially when learners of mixed abilities are grouped together. Further, collaborative learning supports socio-emotional learning by developing self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, social awareness, and relational skills. All of which are critical skills as students grow and mature.
Knowledge of students can also mean understanding students' unique skills to include their strengths and weaknesses. Research conducted by the Center for Education Policy and Analysis at Stanford University reveals that knowledge of individual students' skills or KISS is an effective way to increase student achievement for all learners. Teachers who differentiate and target their instruction to meet their students' unique needs have higher academic gains. According to Carol Ann Tomlinson, author, speaker, and differentiated instruction expert, "differentiation is simply a teacher attending to the learning needs of a particular student or small groups of students, rather than teaching a class as though all individuals in it were basically alike."
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. Please feel free to share with others who might find value in its content. Please consider subscribing so that you do not miss future posts and content. Have a great day.


It’s not unreasonable to claim that most Malaysians are at least bilingual. We’re constantly exposed to billboards, advertising, and public announcements in more than one language. Being multilingual affords us plenty of advantages including access to various cultural experiences, potential delay of onset Alzheimer’s disease symptoms, and even an enhanced ability to bargain.
Have you noticed that people (maybe even yourself) will sometimes change the way they talk and even pepper their sentences with non-English words when negotiating prices or ordering at a local hawker stall? We do this because it works. Not all the time and not at every level, but it does. There are several reasons why this is so.
The use of a shared language signals more than just familiarity. It also suggests communality between speakers. When fluent speakers of Tamil recognise each other for example, they both also recognise that the other person is more likely to be familiar with Tamil movies, Indian customs, and temple activities.
Biologists refer to this as ‘kin recognition‘, or the ability of a species to acknowledge and accommodate beings of the same family or tribe. A simple sentence spoken in the right language can trigger this immediate bond and invite the seller to be more helpful to the buyer. Which can then lead to more generosity with regards to discounts or special offers.
The linguist Benjamin Lee Whorf claims that each language has its own specific identity. That is to say that the language a person uses can affect the way they think and act. Consider how Malay encourages the use of different first person pronouns depending on the level of familiarity between speakers (saya is more polite than aku for example) where English does not.
Multilinguals can then sound more polite when addressing themselves in Malay compared to English. This linguistic personality can then be imparted in their message, softening the request from a buyer and making them more likely to acquiesce.
Appreciation for Effort
Learning another language, especially if you didn’t grow up exposed to it, takes time and energy. The less likely you are to know a language when you do, the more impressed a native speaker will be once they learn that you know it.
A native speaker of an obscure dialect or a little-known language will be appreciative of your efforts in studying their language beyond just a “hello” or “thank you” and is more likely to reward your endeavour with some welcome discounts or freebies.
Removing Information Asymmetry
In trading, the seller always benefits when they know more than the buyer. Some less tactful sellers may even discuss short-changing the customer out loud in a language they assume the customer doesn’t understand.
Revealing that you do speak the same language as the seller disables this advantage. They may even feel more obliged to ‘come clean’ and offer you some extra goodies so you don’t tell others about their shady shenanigans.
Now we know that being good hagglers isn’t just the result of being doggedly persistent, it’s also because of our multilingual surroundings. If you can’t yet speak more than one language or know somebody who doesn’t, there’s no better time than now.
Speaking of special offers, check out the latest promotions and deals on the similarly titled subsection of our site. Recently there have been some good deals on Yee Sang and fine dining for you to ring in the Chinese New Year with.
Does being multilingual help you in your business? How so? Share with us your story on the comments section down below!


To Warn or Not to Warn
For decades, mental health professionals have chafed against "duty to warn" laws, which require them to notify authorities if their clients threaten others or themselves.
These laws can be traced back to a landmark California Supreme Court decision, Tarasoff vs. Regents of the University of California. Tarasoff was a young woman murdered in October 1969 by an unbalanced graduate student who had previously confessed his intentions to his psychologist. In the years since, 43 states have passed so-called "duty to warn" laws. Some require mental health professionals to warn the authorities or the threatened party. Others say professionals can warn at their discretion.
Giving a warning "may seem like a reasonable response, but from a psychologist's point of view, it is not," Edwards says. "They argue that the whole reason the doctor-patient relationship works is that everything said is confidential." According to mental health professionals, such laws make it less likely that potential victims will be protected, because patients will be less likely to divulge violent plans—and that means fewer opportunities for professionals to intervene through counseling.
"This debate has been going on for years," Edwards says, and determining an answer is not obvious. How can you tally up the number of people who were prevented from murder, or suicide, by a psychologist's warning? That is the goal of the law, after all, to stop these events from happening.
Edwards came up with a solution: If the mental health professionals were right, there should be an increase in suicides and murders in states after these laws are passed. But you need to be careful to tease out this signal from a sea of other possible contributing factors. For example, suicide rates are higher in the Pacific Northwest due to the gloomy weather and plentiful supply of isolated bridges, Edwards points out.
Murder rates fluctuate as a factor of policing strategies, drug violence, and a host of other reasons. So Edwards compared statistics from states after they passed duty to warn laws to the data from the same states prior to passing the laws. Then he compared that difference to the numbers from one of the states that have never passed duty to warn laws. Using econometric techniques, "I'm able to control for a lot," Edwards says. "This allows me to infer something similar to a randomized controlled trial, but with laws and states instead of individuals."
What happened? "I found that the psychologists are right," Edwards says. In a paper published in 2013 in The International Review of Law and Economics, "I found that these laws actually increase suicides among teens, but have no effect on adult suicides," he notes.
In a separate paper forthcoming at the Journal of Law and Economics, Edwards found that "homicides increase by anywhere from 5 to 7 percent" after mandatory duty to warn laws are passed. "Permissive" laws, which say mental health professionals can warn potential victims or the police, had no statistically significant effect.
Edwards is now examining involuntary commitment laws. "Every state has a different length of time you can commit someone involuntarily if you suspect they are a danger to themselves or others," he explains. In some states the period is three days; in some it is three years. He wants "to see if locking someone up is actually stopping the crime from happening or just delaying it."
Grain and Greens
Edwards's interests range far beyond mental health. "We tell our students that the great thing about economics is it's the study of everything," he says. He has used official government data on hops and barley crops to estimate how much people were drinking during Prohibition (not as much as you may think), and pored over medical records to determine the effects of Prohibition on infant health (banning alcohol was good for babies).
Edwards is "really excited" about a new paper on golf carts and player performance—a question that caused an uproar in the early 2000s. Casey Martin, a talented golfer born with a degenerative knee condition that makes him unable to get around the course without a cart, sued the Professional Golf Association (PGA), which wouldn't let him use a cart in its mandatory Qualifying School. His case made it to the Supreme Court. The justices agreed with Martin's lawyers that the Americans with Disabilities Act applies at Pebble Beach and Augusta National just as much as it does in any other public place.
Many commentators were outraged. "Lots of people were saying, 'He's ruined sports; pretty soon we're going to see quarterbacks on crutches and referees with seeing-eye dogs,'" Edwards says. The PGA and its defenders argued that walking was a crucial part of the game. But, Edwards wondered, how much of an advantage did Martin really get from his cart?
Searching for evidence, Edwards hit on a quirk of NCAA scheduling for college golf tournaments. Because these events need to be fit into a single weekend, all players use carts on one tournament day, and walk the other day. Analyzing hundreds of tournaments, Edwards found that players scored worse rather than better when they drove carts. (Possibly because the trudge to the next tee helps a player burn off steam from a bad shot on the previous hole, and gives that player a chance to visualize the approach needed on the upcoming hole, Edwards speculates.)
"It actually makes you better to walk," Edwards says. "So not only does it not give him an unfair advantage, it actually puts him at a disadvantage. The point of that paper is, maybe we could be a little more accommodating to people with disabilities."
There is evidence that judges are beginning to cite empirical legal studies research in their opinions, Edwards says—a trend that should continue as the discipline matures. But Edwards also has another motivating factor: "I try to do research that's not totally boring to my wife," he says. "Something she can at least pretend to be interested in."
Find more UAB Research at The Mix at UAB


( * ) Print out your grading sheet for the first quarter or use the Excel version. Talking People ( by Mujer Palabra) helps Spanish- speaking English language learners become independent life- long learners critical thinkers, language functions, aware of the fact that communication is a complex process depending on interaction . Please see the April 19 revised version of this article at Writing Dates Times.
Course Description: Students will receive an overview of British literature from early Anglo- Saxon to Modern. Recommended: 10th 11th 12th. Oxford Global Languages ( OGL) is an exciting digital programme which lets people find online answers to their everyday language questions in 100 of the world’ s languages. There is little that irks British defenders of the English language more than Americanisms which they see creeping insidiously into newspaper columns everyday conversation.
English is spoken around the world, but it sounds very different in different countries! How are Canadian English and American English different? Day 1( * ) Unit: Anglo- Saxon/ Old English.
Keep a vocabulary notebook notecards for terms you will be learning about. By Emily Hitz, contributor. Naturally, they may have donated their photos elsewhere as.
The Purdue Online Writing Lab Welcome to the Purdue OWL. We offer free resources including Writing and Teaching Writing, Research, Grammar and Mechanics, Style Guides, ESL ( English as a Second Language), and Job Search and Professional Writing.Graduation is the third installment of Kanye West' s planned tetralogy of education- themed studio albums, which West subsequently later deviated from due to the events surrounding the conception of his fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak ( ).
Look at the film review and do the exercises to improve your writing skills. style in technical writing. use of units with numbers.


Comics have been the most noticed, popular but least appreciated forms of art. The comic is targeted at a wide range of genres. These include action, romance, adventure and humour.
Action comic books are formed from a combination of the newspaper comic strips and pulp fiction. They present visions of strength, heroism, secret powers and speed. They are aimed at offering adventure, excitement and fantasy. Comic books made their appearance in the mid 1930’s. These were humour comics that were sold on small newspaper stands 01. But there soon came extreme pressure to include adventure material within the pages. The genre made new demands on the comic book artists and publishers. Artists started to favour a more representational style, figurative art, bold lettering, strong colours and artists started becoming more ambitious towards action strips. They started to challenge the traditional layout in terms of concept and content. The emphasis was again based on simplicity. The action comic book developed a different aesthetic. The first idea based around this was a character in the first ‘Action Comics’ in June 1938 02. Superman was the first superhero by National Periodicals, which later changed their name to the better known DC Comics in 1940. In this decade of action comics the genre target was children. But the comics often contained political and social themes therefore were also targeted at an older audience. These new comics proved that action stories were as successful as the humour strips. The humour newspaper strips were struggling to contend with the new development of the action comics which were becoming more and more in demand by the genre. DC Comics along with rival Marvel Comics had over taken the comic world by storm, later becoming America’s two best leading brands. These two major companies have wiped out many small adventure comic companies and publishers in their time but still remain the two biggest comic companies.
In the early 1940’s the action superhero comics were a unique visual rarity. The brightly coloured covers and action packed stories were irresistible. The new creation of the superhero controlled the pages of the early comics. This resulted in later becoming their own comic stars, having their own comic book range. These superheroes were drawn as muscular men. Strong, courageous, performing remarkable heroic rescues. The costumes are bright and eye catching. Children could only dream and fantasise about growing up to be like one of these amazing heroes.
Superhero comics are almost predictable. Their story lines of the good guy defeating the evil world threatening villain are almost unrewarding, as they are the same all the time. This helps the reader understand what to expect and why. Each genre has its own customs. Crime novels for example read similarly. We expect a crime, an inspector, mystery, an investigation and a solution. This is the same as the superhero comic. When we read it we expect a strapping hero, a villain, a fight and victory for the hero.
Many of the heroes of today have survived over fifty years of publication. Undergoing many physical and critical changes, but still maintaining the key components, for example their morals and style. The genre craves the fantasy of action and adventure. The dangerous missions and the divine personalities all provide firm inspiration. The superheroes are characterised either as a hero with extreme strength and ability or as ‘one of us’. Heroes are honourable, heroic and tough characters. They have strong body language and postures symbolising masculinity. These are better known as establisment figures, an act to follow, showing how they are developed to be indestructible.
Superheroes as many things in life have evolved with time. Their image especially has changed particularly with the influence of self-esteem, body building and masculinity. Emotions and sentiments are a weakness usually the heroes care for a loved one or family resulting in pain or sorrow. The female often is used as the victim and is saved by the male hero. This is evidence that masculinity is a principal concept of distinguishing an enduring hero. Male and masculine are distinct examples of how effectively a superhero uses mind and muscle. Gaining public recognition by using authority and self-sufficiency.
– Post Written By Sarah-Leigh Wills 2014 – Taken from my Dissertation: ‘Is the ‘Marvel Misfit’ a better role model than the traditional superhero?’ Written February 2007.


NINETEENTH TEXAS CAVALRY
NINETEENTH TEXAS CAVALRY. The Nineteenth Texas Cavalry served in the Trans-Mississippi Department as part of Parsons's Brigade throughout the Civil War. The regiment mustered into the Confederate Army on March 31, 1862, when fear of the draft encouraged many men to join the cavalry before being inducted into the infantry. The colonel, Nathaniel Macon Burford, had been a law partner of Confederate postmaster general John H. Reagan and served as a district judge in Dallas and surrounding counties. He had joined a battery recruited at Dallas shortly after the war began and fought in Arkansas under Ben McCulloch. In the winter of 1861 Reagan secured a colonel's commission for Burford and permission for him to raise a mounted regiment in North Central Texas. Companies came primarily from the following locations: Company A from Ellis County; Company B from Dallas County; Company C from Ellis County; Company D from Hill County; Company E from Parker County; Company F from Dallas County; Company G from Kaufman County; Company H from McLennan County; Company I from Dallas and Navarro counties; and Company K from Dallas County.
Burford took the regiment to Arkansas in the autumn of 1862. It is unclear how Burford joined William Henry Parsons's Brigade, especially since the authorities had recommended the troops be transferred to infantry. It is probable that he asked his friends in Richmond to intercede and help his regiment retain its horses, although the lieutenant colonel, Benjamin W. Watson, made a personal plea to Maj. Gen. Thomas C. Hindman in Little Rock to countermand the order to dismount. The Nineteenth operated as scouts and raiders in Arkansas, skirmishing frequently with Union cavalry, until selected to take part in the invasion of Missouri in the spring of 1863. Brig. Gen. John S. Marmaduke took the majority of Parsons's Brigade on the Cape Girardeau raid between April 17 and May 2, 1863, serving under the direct command of Col. George W. Carter. Soon after returning to Arkansas, the Nineteenth was ordered to rejoin Colonel Parsons and the Twelfth Texas in northern Louisiana to help in the defense of Vicksburg. In Louisiana the regiment raided Federally-run plantations that used freed blacks as labor. They raided in the region of Lake Providence and Milliken's Bend.
The Nineteenth saw no major action until Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Banks's invasion of Louisiana in 1864. The regiment did not arrive in time to take part in the fighting at Mansfield and Pleasant Hill but did participate in following the Union Army on its retreat down the Red River, fighting numerous skirmishes with Union cavalry and infantry. The Nineteenth saw its last action at the battle of Yellow Bayou on May 18, 1864.
Burford commanded the regiment until his resignation following the Red River campaign in the spring of 1864; it was subsequently ably commanded by Lt. Col. Benjamin Watson, who had generally led the men in Burford's absence. Returning to Texas early in 1865, the regiment disbanded on May 23, 1865. Throughout its three years of service, the Nineteenth provided valuable service as scouts and raiders and took part in the defense of Texas in the Red River campaign of 1864.
John Q. Anderson, ed., Campaigning with Parsons' Cavalry Brigade, CSA: The War Journals and Letters of the Four Orr Brothers, 12th Texas Cavalry Regiment (Hillsboro, Texas: Hill Junior College Press, 1967). Anne J. Bailey, Between the Enemy and Texas: Parsons's Texas Cavalry in the Civil War (Fort Worth: Texas Christian University Press, 1989). Anne. J. Bailey, ed., In the Saddle with the Texans: Day-by-Day with Parsons's Cavalry Brigade, 1862–1865 (Abilene: McWhiney Foundation Press, 2004). Condensed History of Parsons' Texas Cavalry Brigade, 1861–1865 (Corsicana, Texas: Sun-Light Publishing Company, 1903). Parsons' Texas Cavalry Brigade Association, A Brief and Condensed History of Parsons' Texas Cavalry Brigade (Waxahachie, Texas: Flemister, 1892; rpt., Waco: Morrison, 1962).
Image Use Disclaimer
All copyrighted materials included within the Handbook of Texas Online are in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 related to Copyright and “Fair Use” for Non-Profit educational institutions, which permits the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA), to utilize copyrighted materials to further scholarship, education, and inform the public. The TSHA makes every effort to conform to the principles of fair use and to comply with copyright law.
For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this article.Handbook of Texas Online, Anne J. Bailey, "Nineteenth Texas Cavalry," accessed May 02, 2016, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qkn19.
Uploaded on March 10, 2011. Modified on April 11, 2011. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
Get Texas history every day,
with day by day
Each day's email tells a little bit more of the story of Texas and links to our collection of more than 27,000 articles


Liatris (lye-ay-triss), gayfeather, blazing star; Asteraceae Family. Liatris is a tall, North American perennial, up to 6 feet tall, with handsome purple or white bloom sprays in August and September. Among the hardiest of the available choices for the perennial border, Gayfeather grows in average, medium, well-drained soils. A light but fairly rich soil is desirable for best blooms, but these plants survive poor soils and extremes of heat, humidity, cold and drought. However, Liatris is intolerant of wet soils in winter. Generally, L. ’spicata’ (spye-kay-tuh) prefers more moisture than other members of the Liatris family.
Propagate by seeds or division in early spring. The roots of this genus are tuberous, and they may be lifted every few years and divided. When dividing use a sharp knife and keep at least one eye per division; dust newly cut ends with a fungicidal powder before replanting.
It is a apt choice for southern gardens since it is very tolerant of hot summers.
Attributes: border plant, cut flower, dried flower and mass plantings. Attracts butterflies and deer resistant.
Native species are on the preservation lists of some states.


Key Features of Personalized Learning
Keywords:Key Features of Personalized Learning
AbstractThe term personalized learning, or personalization, refers to a diverse variety of educational programs, learning experiences, instructional approaches, and academic-support strategies that are intended to address the distinct learning needs, interests, aspirations, or cultural backgrounds of individual students.
How to Cite
Çullhaj, S. (2017). Key Features of Personalized Learning. European Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 2(7), 130–132. https://doi.org/10.26417/ejms.v6i2.p130-132
Copyright (c) 2021 European Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.


There are many mainstream Catholic schools, as well as some specialist schools and programs.
On this page:
Mainstream Catholic schools are inclusive of all children and young people, including those with a disability. They are provided for Catholic families, but are also open to non-Catholics.
There are a few Catholic specialist schools and programs, including for Deaf and hearing impaired students, students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and students experiencing social, emotional or behavioural challenges (see below). Some provide long-term schooling and some provide placements for children needing a break and additional support before returning to their usual school. There are also a number of ‘flexible learning’ education centres for children and young people who have dropped out of school (‘disengaged’) or are at risk of doing so.
Families might choose a Catholic school because they like its culture, philosophy or educational approach, its approach to students with a disability, its particular programs, curriculum or resources, or because they prefer a single-sex school environment for their child.
“I didn’t really know what school to pick for Charlie, because I didn’t know initially if he was intellectually impaired or not. I got a lot of support from kindergarten teachers and experts, to help me pick the right school. And I really listened to the people I trusted on that, rather than throw him into a school where he was out of his depth.I had a friend who had a child with a mild disability. And she was really well supported at the [local Catholic] school. And when I was at the school, I met some children who were a bit further down the track, who also had disabilities. And they were really happy, so that was a good sign.
One of the reasons I chose the school was because I had friends at the school. School friends, school parents are a big part of our social life, and that’s really important to our family. And when there has been issues with him socially, I’ve been able to ring up a friend, instead of ringing the school, and deal with it that way. Some weeks Charlie will just want to play by himself, and he doesn’t quite know how to break into social interactions again with other children. I just pick up the phone and ring a friend, and then they tend to include him again.” – Janet
Fees and funding
Catholic schools receive government funding, and also charge student fees. Fees vary from a level comparable with voluntary parent contributions at government schools for many smaller Catholic schools, to much higher fees at other schools. Many schools have fee structures and bursaries to support enrolment by students from a range of socio-economic backgrounds.
The Commonwealth and Victorian governments also fund Catholic schools to give additional support to students with a disability. This includes targeted funding through the Literacy, Numeracy and Special Learning Needs (Students with Disabilities) program, which is broadly equivalent to – but funded by the government at a lower level than – the PSD in government schools. This program is administered by the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria.
By law, enrolment of students with a disability must be ‘on the same basis’ as other students – so school fees must not be higher for students with disabilities. Nor can the cost of ‘reasonable adjustments’ be passed on to families in any school. For more information, see Education and your child’s rights.
- Find out more about support in Catholic schools in A guide to supports for students.
Enrolment and eligibility
Catholic schools set their own selection criteria and procedures, informed by the policies of their local diocese – although all schools must comply with the Disability Standards for Education and other anti-discrimination legislation, which give students and prospective students with a disability the same right to education and training opportunities on the same basis as students without a disability. Legally, no school can refuse your child a place solely because they have a disability, or because they are ineligible for additional targeted funding.
Catholic schools have catchments based on parishes, similar to government school zones. Children from a parish are given priority for enrolment in one or more schools. You can also apply to Catholic schools for which your parish does not have priority. Talk to the school you are interested in about their enrolment policy. Living in a school’s priority parish does not guarantee your child a place. This also depends on the school’s enrolment policy and student numbers. Contact individual schools to find out more.
If a school offers a place to your child, it must be on the basis that ‘reasonable adjustments‘ will be made to accommodate their needs. It is important to have discussions with the school to clarify what this would mean, to help you make your decision.
If you feel that you have been discriminated against in applying for a place for your child, or you have any other complaint in relation to a Catholic school, you can ask for a copy of the school’s complaints handling policy. The Catholic Education Commission of Victoria provides the template for such policies, which lays out who you can complain to, what procedures should be followed, how and where to appeal if you are unsatisfied with the outcome.
- Find out more about complaints processes in Catholic schools.
Specialist Catholic schools
Co-ed non-residential school and centre offering placements for children experiencing social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.
MacKillop School (Whittington)
Specialist co-ed programs for children and young people under 16 who have disengaged or are at risk.
St Joseph’s Flexible Learning Centre (North Melbourne )
Edmund Rice Education Australia. Co-ed supportive education centre for secondary students who have left school or at risk of leaving mainstream education.
St Mary’s College for Hearing Impaired Students
Multi-campus college working in partnership with four mainstream Catholic schools to teach students and support their learning within classes at the partner schools. It has a primary campus at Wantirna South, and secondary campuses at Dandenong, Ringwood and South Morang.
St Paul’s College (Kew)
Coed school for students (aged 5–18) with intellectual, multiple and sensory disabilities including autism, and with complex medical needs, and a bridging program for prep-aged children to support transition to mainstream school.
Doxa School (Bendigo)
Co-ed school for students (aged 12–18) struggling in mainstream school, with the aim of providing supported transition back to mainstream school, or supporting work readiness and a pathway to employment.
Notre Dame College: McAuley-Champagnat Campus (Shepparton)
Co-ed program for students with learning difficulties, multiple behavioural problems or severe anxiety, including students who are homeless or in out-of-home or DHS care.
Borinya Wangaratta Community Partnership (Wangaratta)
Co-ed alternative education setting for young people whose needs are not met by mainstream education, those with social or emotional challenges, and those at risk of disengaging from education or at risk of disengaging.
- Download an annually updated directory of all Catholic schools and programs on the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria website.
- Find contacts for all specialist schools and units on the Australian Schools Directory website, where you can search by special needs.


Diabetes is a condition in which your blood sugar, or blood glucose, levels are expensive. Sugar comes from the foods you consume. Insulin is a hormonal agent that helps the glucose get involved in your cells to give them power. With type 1 diabetes mellitus, your body does not make insulin. With kind 2 diabetes, the a lot more common type, your body does not make or utilize insulin well. Without sufficient insulin, the sugar stays in your blood. You can also have prediabetes. This implies that your blood sugar is more than regular yet not high sufficient to be called diabetes mellitus. Having prediabetes puts you at a higher risk of getting kind 2 diabetes.
Gradually, having excessive glucose in your blood can create serious problems. It can harm your eyes, kidneys, and also nerves. Diabetes can additionally trigger cardiovascular disease, stroke and even the demand to get rid of a limb. Expecting ladies can also get diabetics issues, called gestational diabetic issues.
Blood examinations can show if you have diabetes mellitus. One type of examination, the A1C, can additionally check on just how you are managing your diabetes. Workout, weight control and sticking to your meal plan can assist control your diabetes. You must additionally check your blood glucose level and take medication if recommended.
You can manage your diabetes and live a lengthy and healthy and balanced life by dealing with yourself each day.
Halki Diabetes Remedy Recipes
Diabetes mellitus can affect nearly every part of your body. Therefore, you will need to handle your blood glucose levels, also called blood sugar. Managing your blood sugar, in addition to your blood pressure and cholesterol, can assist stop the illness that can take place when you have diabetes mellitus.
Exactly how can I manage my diabetes?
With the help of your healthcare group, you can produce a diabetic issues self-care strategy to manage your diabetic issues. Your self-care strategy might consist of these actions:
Ways to handle your diabetes mellitus
Manage your diabetes mellitus ABCs
Follow your diabetes dish strategy.
Make physical activity part of your routine.
Take your medication.
Examine your blood glucose degrees.
Deal with your healthcare team.
Deal with your diabetes mellitus in healthy and balanced ways.
Handle your diabetes mellitus ABCs.
Recognizing your diabetic issues ABCs will certainly aid you handle your blood sugar, blood pressure, and also cholesterol. Quiting cigarette smoking if you smoke will also assist you manage your diabetic issues. Working toward your ABC objectives can aid lower your possibilities of having a cardiac arrest, Halki Diabetes Remedy Recipes, stroke, or various other diabetes issues.
The A1C test
The A1C examination shows your average blood sugar level over the past 3 months. The A1C goal for lots of people with diabetes is listed below 7 percent. Ask your healthcare team what your objective ought to be.
The high blood pressure objective for most individuals with diabetic issues is below 140/90 mm Hg. Ask what your objective should be.
You have 2 kinds of cholesterol in your blood: LDL and also HDL. LDL or “ negative” cholesterol can accumulate as well as obstruct your blood vessels. Way too much negative cholesterol can cause a cardiac arrest or stroke. HDL or “ excellent” cholesterol aids get rid of the “ negative” cholesterol from your blood vessels.
Ask your health care group what your cholesterol numbers need to be. If you are over 40 years old, you may require to take a statin medication for heart health and wellness.
Not smoking cigarettes is specifically important for individuals with diabetes mellitus due to the fact that both smoking cigarettes and diabetic issues slim blood vessels. Blood vessel tightening makes your heart job harder. E-cigarettes aren’t a safe alternative either.
If you stop cigarette smoking
you will decrease your threat for cardiac arrest, Halki Diabetes Remedy Recipes,stroke, nerve illness, kidney illness, diabetic person eye disease, and also amputation
your cholesterol and also high blood pressure levels might enhance
your blood flow will improve
you may have an easier time being literally active
If you smoke or make use of various other tobacco items, quit. Ask for assistance so you don’t need to do it alone.
Keeping your A1C, blood pressure, and cholesterol degrees close to your objectives and also quiting smoking might help avoid the long-lasting harmful results of diabetes mellitus. These health issue consist of cardiovascular disease, stroke, kidney illness, nerve damages, and Diabetes Logo, eye illness. You can track your ABCs with a diabetes care document (PDF, 568 KB). Take it with you on your healthcare gos to. Speak about your objectives and also exactly how you are doing, and whether you require to make any modifications in your diabetes mellitus care strategy
Follow your diabetes meal plan.
Make a diabetic issues meal plan with assistance from your healthcare team. Adhering to a dish plan will assist you handle your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol.
Choose fruits and vegetables, beans, whole grains, poultry or turkey without the skin, fish, lean meats, as well as nonfat or low-fat milk and also cheese. Consume alcohol water rather than sugar-sweetened drinks. Choose foods that are lower in calories, hydrogenated fat, trans fat, sugar, and also salt. Find out more about eating, diet, and also nutrition with diabetes.
Halki Diabetes Remedy Recipes
Make physical activity part of your daily regimen
Set a objective to be extra physically active. Attempt to work up to 30 minutes or even more of physical activity on many days of the week.
Quick walking and swimming are great ways to move a lot more. If you are not active now, ask your health care team concerning the kinds and quantities of physical activity that are right for you. Discover more about being literally active with diabetes.
Swimming or water strolling is a great way to relocate extra.
Following your meal plan as well as being much more active can help you stay at or reach a healthy weight. If you are overweight or obese, deal with your healthcare team to produce a weight-loss plan that is right for you.
Take your medication
Take your medications for diabetes mellitus and any other health issue, also when you feel great or have actually reached your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol objectives. These medications aid you handle your ABCs. Ask your doctor if you need to take pain killers to prevent a cardiac arrest or stroke. Tell your healthcare expert if you can not manage your medicines or if you have any type of side effects from your medications. Find out more about insulin as well as other diabetic issues medicines.
Examine your blood glucose levels
For lots of people with diabetic issues, examining their blood sugar degree daily is an important means to handle their diabetes mellitus. Checking your blood sugar level is crucial if you take insulin. The outcomes of blood glucose tracking can help you choose concerning food, exercise, and also medications.
Monitoring and taping your blood glucose degree is an important part of taking care of diabetic issues.
The most usual way to inspect your blood glucose level at home is with a blood glucose meter. You obtain a drop of blood by puncturing the side of your fingertip with a lancet. Then you apply the blood to a examination strip. The meter will show you how much sugar is in your blood at the moment.
Ask your healthcare group just how often you should examine your blood glucose levels. Make certain to keep a document of your blood sugar self-checks.
Halki Diabetes Remedy Recipes