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Ann Thomas

Benefits of Pets - 0 views

www.petsandpetals.com

shared by Ann Thomas on 08 Dec 08 - Cached
  • Pets reduce stress - studies have shown that simply petting your cat or dog can lower your heart and respiratory rates, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, a great benefit of pet ownership.   Companion pets help safeguard against loneliness and depression - Who can resist returning the affection you receive from a pet. They love you unconditionally; well, at least dogs do!  They are always happy to see you and make you feel good even when you’ve had a bad day.  More benefits of having a pet are... Pets encourage us to get out and exercise - What better way to get exercise than to share a walk with your dog or a play outing to the park.  If you have a cat or an older small dog, you can still take them for a walk in a pet stroller.  Another benefit of owning a pet is...   Helping us meet people - Almost everyone loves animals and many people may want to meet your dog or cat during your outings with your pet.  Those times give us an opportunity to increase our circle of friends. The next benefit of a pet is...
  • A dog or cat will help children’s self esteem and social development – pets are accepting and give positive reinforcement to children. Having a pet will benefit your child’s development as it promotes learning how to be responsible. They will listen to all your stories without fail – even if your human friends get tired from time to time of what you have to say, your pet will always think you “look great”, will never argue with you, and will never tell you they are too tired to talk. This is one of the greatest benefits of pets that people don’t recognize!   Pets will make you laugh, the best stress reliever in the world – your new family pet will provide many hours of amusement for your family as you “explore” your world together. What a wonderful benefit of having a pet in your home!   Another benefit of pet ownership is they help older people feel less isolated – They lessen loss for older people who are on their own and help to keep them involved in caring for another being.   
  • Pets can keep you company while you garden - This may be a stretch, but there is nothing cuter than a cat peeking out from behind the petals of your flower garden or a dog helping you “turn the earth”. Some may not consider digging a benefit of having a pet, but if properly trained it shouldn’t be a problem and your dog can actually help you tote your gardening tools around the yard and your cat will appreciate the catnip in your herb garden.
  • Ann Thomas on 08 Dec 08
     
    Pets reduce stress - studies have shown that simply petting your cat or dog can lower your heart and respiratory rates, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, a great benefit of pet ownership. Companion pets help safeguard against loneliness and depression - Who can resist returning the affection you receive from a pet. They love you unconditionally; well, at least dogs do! They are always happy to see you and make you feel good even when you've had a bad day. More benefits of having a pet are... Pets encourage us to get out and exercise - What better way to get exercise than to share a walk with your dog or a play outing to the park. If you have a cat or an older small dog, you can still take them for a walk in a pet stroller. Another benefit of owning a pet is... Helping us meet people - Almost everyone loves animals and many people may want to meet your dog or cat during your outings with your pet. Those times give us an opportunity to increase our circle of friends. The next benefit of a pet is... A dog or cat will help children's self esteem and social development - pets are accepting and give positive reinforcement to children. Having a pet will benefit your child's development as it promotes learning how to be responsible. They will listen to all your stories without fail - even if your human friends get tired from time to time of what you have to say, your pet will always think you "look great", will never argue with you, and will never tell you they are too tired to talk. This is one of the greatest benefits of pets that people don't recognize! Pets will make you laugh, the best stress reliever in the world - your new family pet will provide many hours of amusement for your family as you "explore" your world together. What a wonderful benefit of having a pet in your home! Another benefit of pet ownership is they help older people feel less isolated - They lessen loss for older people who are on their own and help to
Sara Espinosa

untitled - 0 views

amolife.com/...rgest-cities-in-the-world.html

11

shared by Sara Espinosa on 03 Dec 08 - Cached
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • ...33 more annotations...
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • The truth is both of them have their advantages and disadvantages. It’s up to you! As for me, I love big cities! The big city is the place where all industrial, cultural and educational centers are situated. In big cities you can find museums, theaters, clubs, cinemas, big shops and hospitals, comfortable modern flats. Living in a huge metropolis you’ll never be bored, you can always find something interesting for you.
  • Sara Espinosa on 03 Dec 08
     
    11 cities in the world
cory delacruz

Blue Sky - Why is the Sky Blue? - 0 views

www.sciencemadesimple.com/sky_blue.html

shared by cory delacruz on 04 Dec 08 - Cached
  • end of the spectrum are the reds and oranges. These gradually shade into yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. The colors have different wavelengths, frequencies, and energies. Violet has the shortest wavelength in the visible spectrum. That means it has the highest frequency and energy. Red has the longest wavelength, and lowest frequency and energy. LIGHT IN THE AIR Light travels through space in a straight line as long as nothing disturbs it. As light moves through the atmosphere, it continues to go straight until it bumps into a bit of dust or a gas molecule. Then what happens to the light depends on its wave length and the size of the thing it hits. Dust particles and water droplets are much larger than the wavelength of visible light. When light hits these large particles, it gets reflected, or bounced off, in different directions. The different colors of light are all reflected by the particle in the same way. The reflected light appears white because it still contains all of the same colors. Gas molecules are smaller than the wavelength of visible light. If light bumps into them, it acts differently. When light hits a gas molecule, some of it may get absorbed. After awhile, the molecule radiates (releases, or gives off) the light in a different direction. The color that is radiated is the same color that was absorbed. The different colors of light are affected differently. All of the co
  • d after Lord John Rayleigh, an English physicist, who first described it in the 1870's.) WHY IS THE SKY BLUE? The blue color of the sky is due to Rayleigh scattering. As light moves through the atmosphere, most of the longer wavelengths pass straight through. Little of the red, orange and yellow light is affected by t
  • As you look closer to the horizon, the sky appears much paler in color. To reach you, the scattered blue light must pass through more air. Some of it gets scattered away again in other directions. Less blue light reaches your eyes. The color of the sky near the horizon appears paler or white.
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  • THE BLACK SKY AND WHITE SUN On Earth, the sun appears yellow. If you were out in space, or on the moon, the sun would look white. In space, there is no atmosphere to scatter the sun's light. On Earth, some of the shorter wavelength light (the blues and violets) are removed from the direct rays of the sun by scattering. The remaining colors together appear yellow. Also, out in space, the sky looks dark and black, instead of blue. This is because there is no atmosphere. There is no scattered light to reach your eyes. WHY IS THE SUNSET RED? As the sun begins to set, the light must travel farther through the atmosphere before it gets to you. More of the light is reflected and scattered. As less reaches you directly, the sun appears less
  • The sky around the setting sun may take on many colors. The most spectacular shows occur when the air contains many small particles of dust or water. These particles reflect light in all directions. Then, as some of the light heads towards you, different amounts of the shorter wavelength colors are scattered out. You see the longer wavelengths, and the sky appears red, pink or orange.
  • RE ABOUT:THE ATMOSPHERE WHAT IS THE ATMOSPHERE? The atmosphere is the mixture of gases and other materials that surround the Earth in a thin, mostly transparent shell. It is held in place by the Earth's gravity. The main components are nitrogen (78.09%), oxygen (20.95%), argon (0.93%), and carbon dioxide (0.03%). The atmosphere also contains small amounts, or traces, of water (in local concentrations ranging from 0% to 4%), solid particles, neon, helium, methane, krypton, hydrogen, xenon and ozone. The study of the atmosphere is called meteorology. Life on Earth would not be possible without the atmosphere.
  • d increases with increasing altitude. The increase is caused by the absorption of UV radiation by the oxygen and ozone. · The temperature increase with altitude results in a layering effect. It creates a global "inversion layer", and reduces vertical convection. Mesosphere - Extends out to about 100 km (65 miles) · Temperature decreases rapidly with increasing altitude. Thermosphere - Extends out to about 400 km ( 250 miles)
  • hes the Earth, 30% is reflected back into space by clouds and the Earth's surface. The atmosphere absorbs 19%. Only 51% is absorbed by the Earth's surface. We are not normally aware of it but air does have weight. The column of air above us exerts pressure on us. This pressure at sea level is defined as one atmosphere. Other equivalent measurements you may hear used are 1,013 millibars, 760 mm Hg (mercury), 29.92 inches of Hg, or 14.7 pounds/square inch (psi). Atmospheric pressure decreases rapidly with height. Pressure drops by a factor of 10 for every 16 km (10 miles) increase in altitude. This means that the pressure is 1 atmosphere at sea level, but 0.1 atmosphere at 16 km and only 0.01 atmosphere at 32 km. The density of the lower atmosphere is about 1 kg/cubic meter (1 oz./cubic foot). There are approximately 300 billion billion (3 x 10**20, or a 3 followed by 20 zeros) molecules per cubic inch (16.4 cubic ce
  • ers). At ground level, each molecule is moving at about 1600 km/hr (1000 miles/hr), and collides with other molecules 5 billion times per second. The density of air also decreases rapidly with altitude. At 3 km (2 miles) air density has decreased by 30%. People who normally live closer to sea level experience temporary breathing difficulties when traveling to these altitudes. The highest permanent human settlements are at about 4 km (3 miles). LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE The atmosphere is divided into layers based on temperature, composition and electrical properties. These layers are approximate and the boundaries vary, depending on the seasons and latitude. (The boundaries also depend on which "authority" is defining them.) LAYERS BASED ON COMPOSITION Homosphere
  • LAYERS BASED ON TEMPERATURE Troposphere - Height depends on the seasons and latitude. It extends from ground level up to about 16 km (10 miles) at the equator, and to 9 km (5 miles) at the North and South Poles. · The prefix "tropo" means change. Changing conditions in the Troposphere result in our weather. · Temperature decreases with increasing altitude. Warm air rises, then cools and falls back to Earth. This process is called convection, and results in huge movements of air. Winds in this layer are mostly vertical. · Contains more air molecules than
  • · The air is very thin. · The prefix "strato" is related to layers, or stratification. · The bottom of this layer is calm. Jet planes often fly in the lower Stratosphere to avoid bad weather in the Troposphere. · The upper part of the Stratosphere holds the high winds known as the jet streams. These blow horizontally at speeds up to 480 km/hour (300 miles/hour) · Contains the "ozone layer" located
  • gen we need to breath. But it also serves other important functions. It moderates the planet's temperature, reducing the extremes that occur on airless worlds. For example, temperatures on the moon range from 120 °C (about 250 °F) in the day to -170 °C (about -275 °F) at night. The atmosphere
    • cory delacruz
      cory delacruz on 04 Dec 08
       
      sounds good, by the way am i annoying you with my sticky note??? well, TOO BAD!!!!!!
Ann Thomas

The Health Benefits of Owning a Cat: Pets Reduce Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke, and Othe... - 0 views

cats.suite101.com/...ealth_benefits_of_owning_a_cat

shared by Ann Thomas on 03 Dec 08 - Cached
  • Cat ownership helps children to learn responsibility and develop a greater capacity for empathy at an early age. In addition, pets provide unconditional love and acceptance, which can help children through difficult times.
  • Cats also offer protection against certain physical conditions. If adopted before or shortly after a child is born, owning a cat reduces the risk of developing animal allergies, asthma, and possibly other illnesses as well. One study found that children living with pets were 13-18% less likely to miss school due to illness than children without pets. Researchers who measured the salivary immunologobulin levels of young pet owners found that their immune function was less likely to be in the sub-normal range than that of non-pet-owners. Additionally, cats can provide particular therapeutic benefits for children with conditions such as autism, especially those who suffer from motor coordination problems.
  • and cat owners tend to have lower triglycerides, which reduces their risk of developing and dying from cardiovascular disease.
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  • Pet ownership has also been shown to boost the levels of mood-regulating neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. As such, pets can reduce feelings of loneliness, anxiety, depression, and other negative states.
  • Elderly people are particularly likely to benefit from the health-protective effects of cat ownership. Those with cats are less inclined to suffer heart attacks, their blood pressure is lower on average, they report less tension and stress, and they live longer overall.
  • A University of Minnesota study of 4,435 people found that those who did not own cats were 30-40% more likely to die of cardiovascular disease, even if they owned dogs.
  • Ann Thomas on 03 Dec 08
     
    Owning cat can provide psychological and physical health benefits, particularly for children, seniors, and those with medical conditions or disabilities. Cat ownership helps children to learn responsibility and develop a greater capacity for empathy at an early age. In addition, pets provide unconditional love and acceptance, which can help children through difficult times. Cats also offer protection against certain physical conditions. If adopted before or shortly after a child is born, owning a cat reduces the risk of developing animal allergies, asthma, and possibly other illnesses as well. One study found that children living with pets were 13-18% less likely to miss school due to illness than children without pets. Researchers who measured the salivary immunologobulin levels of young pet owners found that their immune function was less likely to be in the sub-normal range than that of non-pet-owners. Additionally, cats can provide particular therapeutic benefits for children with conditions such as autism, especially those who suffer from motor coordination problems. and cat owners tend to have lower triglycerides, which reduces their risk of developing and dying from cardiovascular disease. Pet ownership has also been shown to boost the levels of mood-regulating neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. As such, pets can reduce feelings of loneliness, anxiety, depression, and other negative states. Elderly people are particularly likely to benefit from the health-protective effects of cat ownership. Those with cats are less inclined to suffer heart attacks, their blood pressure is lower on average, they report less tension and stress, and they live longer overall. A University of Minnesota study of 4,435 people found that those who did not own cats were 30-40% more likely to die of cardiovascular disease, even if they owned dogs.
karen ponce

Encyclopedia Smithsonian: Thanksgiving in North America: From Local Harvests to Nationa... - 0 views

www.si.edu/...thanks.htm

shared by karen ponce on 05 Dec 08 - Cached
  • Thanksgiving Feast of 1621, but few realize that it was not the first festival of its kind in North America. Long before Europeans set foot in the Americas, native peoples sought to insure a good harvest with dances and rituals such as the Green Corn Dance of the Cherokees.
  • The first Thanksgiving service known to be held by Europeans in North America occurred on May 27, 1578 in Newfoundland, although earlier Church-type services were probably held by Spaniards in La Florida. However, for British New England, some historians believe that the Popham Colony in Maine conducted a Thanksgiving service in 1607 (see Sources: Greif, 208-209; Gould, and Hatch). In the same year, Jamestown colonists gave thanks for their safe arrival, and another service was held in 1610 when a supply ship arrived after a harsh winter. Berkley Hundred settlers held a Thanksgiving service in accordance with their charter which stated that the day of their arrival in Virginia should be observed yearly as a day of Thanksgiving, but within a few years an Indian uprising ended further services (Dabney). Thus British colonists held several Thanksgiving services in America before the Pilgrim's celebration in 1621.
  • In 1623, the Pilgrims at Plymouth Plantation, Massachusetts, held another day of Thanksgiving. As a drought was destroying their crops, colonists prayed and fasted for relief; the rains came a few days later. And not long after, Captain Miles Standish arrived with staples and news that a Dutch supply ship was on its way. Because of all this good fortune, colonists held a day of Thanksgiving and prayer on June 30. This 1623 festival appears to have been the origin of our Thanksgiving Day because it combined a religious and social celebration.
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  • estivals of Thanksgiving were observed sporadically on a local level for more than 150 years. They tended to be autumn harvest celebrations. But in 1789, Elias Boudinot, Massachusetts, member of the House of Representatives, moved that a day of Thanksgiving be held to thank God for giving the American people the opportunity to create a Constitution to preserve their hard won freedoms. A Congressional Joint Committee approved the motion, and informed President George Washington. On October 3, 1789, the President proclaimed that the people of the United States observe "a day of public thanksgiving and prayer" on Thursday, the 26th of November. The next three Presidents proclaimed, at most, two days of thanksgiving sometime during their terms of office, either on their own initiative or at the request of a joint Resolution of Congress. One exception was Thomas Jefferson, who believed it was a conflict of church and state to require the American people hold a day of prayer and thanksgiving. President James Madison proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving to be held on April 13, 1815, the last such proclamation issued by a President until Abraham Lincoln did so in 1862.
  • Thanksgiving holiday may be given to Sarah Josepha Hale. Editor of Ladies Magazine and Godey's Lady's Book, she began to agitate for such a day in 1827 by printing articles in the magazines. She also published stories and recipes, and wrote scores of letters to governors, senators, and presidents. After 36 years of crusading, she won her battle. On October 3, 1863, buoyed by the Union victory at Gettysburg, President Lincoln proclaimed that November 26, would be a national Thanksgiving Day, to be observed every year on the fourth Thursday of November. Only twice has a president changed the day of observation. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in order to give depression-era merchants more selling days before Christmas, assigned the third Thursday to be Thanksgiving Day in 1939 and 1940. But he was met with popular resistance, largely because the change required rescheduling Thanksgiving Day events such as football games and parades. In 1941, a Congressional Joint Resolution officially set the fourth Thursday of November as a national holiday for Thanksgiving.
Stephania D

Oil Remains - 0 views

www.afsc.noaa.gov/...feature_jas01.htm

Exxon Valdez Pollution water

shared by Stephania D on 03 Dec 08 - Cached
  • largest and most productive estuaries in North America.  
  • However, in 1993 the EVOS Trustee Council funded an additional survey that estimated 7 km of shoreline were still contaminated with subsurface oil.
  • Because a significant survey of Prince William Sound had not been conducted since 1993 and the cumulative extent of the remaining oil was unknown, concerns were generated by the public and scientific communities about the oil’s possible continuing effects on humans and fauna potentially exposed to the oil directly or indirectly.
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  • Without an accurate assessment of the extent of the remaining oil, subsistence food-gatherers, consumers of commercial fish products from the area, and tourists have used mostly anecdotal evidence as the basis for economic decisions regarding resource utilization in the affected area.
  • Consequently, the Auke Bay Laboratory (ABL) with funding from the EVOS Trustee Council, took on the task of assessing the remaining oil along the shorelines of Prince William Sound during the summer of 2001
  • The primary objective of the project was to measure the amount of oil remaining in the intertidal zone of Prince William Sound.  Secondary objectives include determining the rate of decline of oil on these beaches, estimating the persistence of the remaining oil, and correlating the remaining oil with geomorphological features.
  • heavily and moderately oiled
  • The 2001 survey adopted a stratified random/adaptive sampling (SRAS) design. Two random pits were excavated to a depth of 0.5 m (1.6 feet) in every stratified block (0.5-m verticle drop in tide height) within a grid system established at each site. If subsurface oil was discovered in any of the randomly stratified origin pits, then additional adaptive pits were excavated above, below, to the right, and to the left of the origin pit until the extent of the oil patch was determined.
  • Buried or subsurface oil is of greater concern than surface oil.
  • Subsurface oil can remain dormant for many years before being dispersed and is more liquid, still toxic, and may become biologically available.
  • A disturbance event such as burrowing animals or a severe storm reworks the beach and can reintroduce unweathered oil into the water.
  • The toxic components of this type of surface oil are not as readily available to biota, although some softer forms do cause sheens in tide pools.
  • 1) Surface oil was determined to be not a good indicator of subsurface oil. 2) Twenty subsurface pits were classified as heavily oiled.  Oil saturated all of the interstitial spaces and was extremely repugnant. These “worst case” pits exhibited an oil mixture that resembled oil encountered in 1989 a few weeks after the spill - highly odiferous, lightly weathered, and very fluid. 3) Subsurface oil was also found at a lower tide height than expected (between 0 and 6 feet), in contrast to the surface oil, which was found mostly at the highest levels of the beach (Table 3).  This is significant, because the pits with the most oil were found low in the intertidal zone, closest to the zone of biological production, and indicate that our estimates are conservative at best.
  • The possibility of continuing low level chronic effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill seem very real now, although measurable population effects would be very difficult to detect in wild populations.
  •  Sea otters and harlequin ducks fall into this category
  • such as sea otters, harlequin ducks, and their intertidal prey.
  • The last beach assessment was completed in September 2001. Supporting chemical analyses will be completed in fall 2002, and a final report with statistical analyses and conclusions will be completed by April 2002.
  • Stephania D on 03 Dec 08
     
    Exxon Valdez
Kate L

Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia - 0 views

gme.grolier.com/...article

energy problems

shared by Kate L on 01 Dec 08 - Cached
  • basic laws of physics dictate that energy is conserved and can only be changed from one form to another or into matter.
  • Fuel, on the other hand, is the accumulation of matter and therefore represents a store of energy.
  • released in the form of heat when the fuel is burned in chemical or nuclear reactions
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  • cannot be reversed to regenerate the original fuel mass
  • a fuel problem does exist
  • If the supply of fuel is finite, not only will there be no energy supply when the fuel is exhausted
    • Kate L
      Kate L on 03 Dec 08
       
      Finite means: a form of a verb that can occur as the head of a sentence. In Sam wants to leave, wants is finite, leave is non-finite.
  • all other processes that depend on it will cease
  • Several factors combine to make the problem an urgent one
  • World population
  • demand for energy will also increase
  • coal, oil (petroleum), natural gas, uranium, and fuel wood—is limited and insufficient to sustain rapid rates of development.
  • debate about the exact length of time available before the effects of a worldwide shortage become apparent
  • shortage will occur.
  • geothermal energy, hydroelectric power, peat, ocean thermal energy, solar energy, tidal energy, wind power, and fuel wood.
  • replenish themselves naturally in a relatively short time and will therefore always be available.
  • Renewable energy resources
  • indirectly responsible for many other renewable energy sources.
  • ocean currents and winds are results of the uneven distribution of solar radiation over the Earth's surface
  • winds in turn produce waves whose energy can be utilized
  • windmills and wind power
  • ocean thermal energy, solar heating of the upper layers of the ocean produces temperature gradients that can be harnessed to generate electricity
  • Sun also powers the hydrologic cycle, in which ocean water is evaporated, transported over the continents, and precipitated as rain or snow to form rivers
  • flow energy produces hydroelectric power.
  • energy locked in such renewable fuel sources as wood and peat is derived from the Sun by the process of photosynthesis.
  • renewable energy source is geothermal energy
  • arises through the leakage of heat from the Earth's interior to the surface
  • over the entire surface of the Earth at a very low average rate, leakage is much higher in certain locations.
  • Yellowstone National Park
  • Iceland, Italy, and New Zealand.
  • possible to tap the heat and use it for human purposes.
  • Nonrenewable resources originate from two processes: (1) photosynthesis, which occurred many millions of years ago, followed by the fossilization of the plant and animal life that resulted, and (2) the formation of the Earth itself.
  • fossil fuels—coal, oil (petroleum), and natural gas;
  • produced the fuels for nuclear energy, such as uranium for fission and lighter elements for fusion
  • irreplaceable fuels represent an energy capital that must be invested wisely.
  • A cleaner-burning fuel than oil, natural gas seemed to be in abundant supply at the turn of the 21st century and, with the greatly enlarged network of gas pipelines, was rapidly growing in use.
  • nearly total dependence on fossil fuels and hydroelectricity ensures that efforts to solve energy problems by switching to alternative sources will have to overcome a great deal of inertia, both economic and psychological.
  • sources as solar power, wind power, and synthetic fuels suffer from the serious drawback that few major installations now exist.
  • handicapped by the engineering problems of converting the energy to a form useful to human beings.
  • solar energy reaches the top of the atmosphere in amounts 10,000 times greater than all human production of energy, it reaches the Earth's surface at rates of only about 80 to 250 W/m2, and considerably less on cloudy days.
  • arge-scale system based on solar-collector panels will be physically huge, causing problems of maintenance and land use
  • Wind power, wave power, and ocean-thermal-generation sources suffer from similar difficulties
    • Kate L
      Kate L on 03 Dec 08
       
      Even though there are some difficulties with working towards the alternative fuels, it may prove to be more efficient for smaller things (heat and power to small communities or single buildings) in the long run
  • Kate L on 01 Dec 08
     
    Energy Problem
Sylvia A

Chiroptera - 0 views

tolweb.org/Chiroptera

chiroptera bat

shared by Sylvia A on 08 Dec 08 - Cached
  • One unique feature of bats is their modified forelimbs, which support a wing membrane (patagium). The basic elements of the mammalian limb are present in bats, although the relative sizes of most bones and muscles differ from those of nonflying mammals. The most elongated parts of the limb are those of the hand (metacarpal bones) and fingers (phalanges). The primary functions of these bones in bats is to provide support for the patagium and control its movements.
  • Numerous blood vessels and nerves are present throughout the wing membrane. Bats also have five unique muscles present in the patagium, and use additional muscles in the chest and back to move the wings up and down.
  • The most obvious difference between bird wings and those of bats is that bird wings are made of feathers, not a skin membrane. Birds have an elongated arm, but do not have elongated fingers like bats. Additionally, the muscles used in both the upstroke and downstroke are found in the chest of birds, while the upstroke muscles are on the back in bats (Fenton, 1983).
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  • The orientation of the hindlimb is also unique to bats. The hip joint is rotated 90° so that the legs project sideways and the knee faces almost backwards. Due in part to the rotation of the hindlimb, the walking motion of bats differs from other tetrapods, often appearing awkward. The hindlimb is designed to support the patagium in flight and allow the bat to roost hanging from its hindlimbs. Most bats have a tendon system in the toes that locks the claws in place so the bat can hang upside down even when asleep.
  • The body of a bat is ventrally compressed with a short neck region. The bones tend to be slender and light-weight. The majority of the body weight is concentrated in the chest region due to the large flight muscles.
  • The overall shape of the head varies more in bats than within most other groups of mammals. Some bats have very elongated muzzles while others have broad, short faces. There is a correlation between the shape of the head and the type of food eaten. For example, most nectar feeders have long, narrow muzzles that are good for reaching into flowers, while many fruit eaters have short, broad faces good for biting rounded fruits (Hill and Smith, 1984).
  • The ears range from small and round to large and pointed, and often have a cartilaginous fold (tragus) present at the notch of the ear. There is additional variation in the nasal and lip regions of bats. Some bats have complex noseleafs, folds, or wrinkles on their muzzles.
  • A major misconception about bats is that they are blind. This idea originated from the fact that bats are able to successfully maneuver in the dark and often have small eyes. While some bats do have very small eyes (most Microchiroptera) many have large and complex eyes (Megachiroptera).
  • Bats usually have black or brown fur, although the fur can also be gray, white, red, or orange. In some species there are stripes on the face or down the back, or patches of white on the face or above the shoulder. The length of the fur also varies among species from short and dense to long and fluffy. The wing membrane is usually dark in color, although it may have white on the tips or be a lighter color around the bones in the membrane. A few bats have white or pale yellow wings. There are also little hairs on the membrane itself. These hairs can be the color of the wing or the same color as the body.
  • The bat monophyly hypothesis states the Megachiroptera and Microchiroptera are each others closest relatives in an evolutionary sense (i.e., they form a clade).
karen ponce

How the Early Pilgrims Celebrated Thanksgiving - 0 views

www.articlesbase.com/...rated-thanksgiving-640323.html

shared by karen ponce on 09 Dec 08 - Cached
  • t is a basic notion that during the 1600's, accurately in the year 1621, the English settlers and the Wampanoag Indians got together and shared a fantastic fall harvest feast to celebrate the bounty from the rich earth. Today this celebratory feast is acknowledged to be one of the first Thanksgiving festivities in the early days of the colonies. While that long ago feast is supposed by a lot of people to be the first Thanksgiving celebration, it was, in fact, part of a long existing custom of celebrating the seasonal harvest and giving thanks for a good bounty of crops that would last through the long hard winter. Many Native American tribes of what would be named America, including the Pueblo, Cherokee, Shawnee, Huron, Creek, Blackfoot and so many others would hold huge harvest festivals, consisting in ceremonial dances, races, games and other cheerful celebrations of gratefulness hundreds of years before the European peoples arrived. If you are like me, you are surely wondering the kind of meals served at the harvest feast. Historians, as usual, are not one hundred percent sure regarding it; however they are sure that pilgrims weren't eating pumpkin pies nor building castle towers with mashed potatoes. However, it is easy to think that the list of meat available during this period of time should surely include venison as well as several types wild poultry such as duck, goose as well as wild turkey. While there are hundreds of manuscripts describing such feast, the most detailed description of this celebration of late harvest date of 1621 and was written by a man called Edward Winslow. It is from his manuscript called "A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth" that historians have gleaned the greatest part of information about this first Thanksgiving celebration:
  • Although the first Thanksgiving dinners were not concentrated on the turkey; today's usual meal primarily focuses around this animal. During the 17th century, vegetables were not as important as of today, so the meal of this period of time included a lot of different meats. The many types of vegetables we take for granted today were not available to the colonists. Freezing methods did not exist; which means that the vegetable consumption was based on seasonal harvests. Because the colonists and Wampanoag tribe had no refrigeration in the 1600s, they dried a lot of their foods to preserve them. They would dry corn, wild boar hams, fish, venison, and many wild herbs.
Graham Williams

Assignments 15 - JJP Research8 - 0 views

jjpresearch8.wetpaint.com/...Assignments+15

shared by Graham Williams on 08 Dec 08 - Cached
  • Assignments 15 Monday/Tuesday December 8, 2008SMGStart a new Google Docs documentTitle: # Financial Literacy - First Name Last NameToday look up the meaning of compound interest and the rule of 72 as it applies to savings.Write the meanings of those two things in your own words in your document.Be prepared to share what you found and explain it to the class.Personal Learning ProjectSign in to your diigo account.Open your Google Docs document on PLP DataBe prepared to discuss your project with me during the class period.Continue to research until I get to you.
  • Assignments 15 Monday/Tuesday December 8, 2008SMGStart a new Google Docs documentTitle: # Financial Literacy - First Name Last NameToday look up the meaning of compound interest and the rule of 72 as it applies to savings.Write the meanings of those two things in your own words in your document.Be prepared to share what you found and explain it to the class.Personal Learning ProjectSign in to your diigo account.Open your Google Docs document on PLP DataBe prepared to discuss your project with me during the class period.Continue to research until I get to you.
  • Assignments 15 Monday/Tuesday December 8, 2008SMGStart a new Google Docs documentTitle: # Financial Literacy - First Name Last NameToday look up the meaning of compound interest and the rule of 72 as it applies to savings.Write the meanings of those two things in your own words in your document.Be prepared to share what you found and explain it to the class.Personal Learning ProjectSign in to your diigo account.Open your Google Docs document on PLP DataBe prepared to discuss your project with me during the class period.Continue to research until I get to you.
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • Assignments 15 Monday/Tuesday December 8, 2008SMGStart a new Google Docs documentTitle: # Financial Literacy - First Name Last NameToday look up the meaning of compound interest and the rule of 72 as it applies to savings.Write the meanings of those two things in your own words in your document.Be prepared to share what you found and explain it to the class.Personal Learning ProjectSign in to your diigo account.Open your Google Docs document on PLP DataBe prepared to discuss your project with me during the class period.Continue to research until I get to you.
  • Assignments 15 Monday/Tuesday December 8, 2008SMGStart a new Google Docs documentTitle: # Financial Literacy - First Name Last NameToday look up the meaning of compound interest and the rule of 72 as it applies to savings.Write the meanings of those two things in your own words in your document.Be prepared to share what you found and explain it to the class.Personal Learning ProjectSign in to your diigo account.Open your Google Docs document on PLP DataBe prepared to discuss your project with me during the class period.Continue to research until I get to you.
  • Assignments 15 Monday/Tuesday December 8, 2008SMGStart a new Google Docs documentTitle: # Financial Literacy - First Name Last NameToday look up the meaning of compound interest and the rule of 72 as it applies to savings.Write the meanings of those two things in your own words in your document.Be prepared to share what you found and explain it to the class.Personal Learning ProjectSign in to your diigo account.Open your Google Docs document on PLP DataBe prepared to discuss your project with me during the class period.Continue to research until I get to you.
  • Assignments 15 Monday/Tuesday December 8, 2008SMGStart a new Google Docs documentTitle: # Financial Literacy - First Name Last NameToday look up the meaning of compound interest and the rule of 72 as it applies to savings.Write the meanings of those two things in your own words in your document.Be prepared to share what you found and explain it to the class.Personal Learning ProjectSign in to your diigo account.Open your Google Docs document on PLP DataBe prepared to discuss your project with me during the class period.Continue to research until I get to you.
  • Assignments 15 Monday/Tuesday December 8, 2008SMGStart a new Google Docs documentTitle: # Financial Literacy - First Name Last NameToday look up the meaning of compound interest and the rule of 72 as it applies to savings.Write the meanings of those two things in your own words in your document.Be prepared to share what you found and explain it to the class.Personal Learning ProjectSign in to your diigo account.Open your Google Docs document on PLP DataBe prepared to discuss your project with me during the class period.Continue to research until I get to you.
    • Graham Williams
      Graham Williams on 09 Dec 08
       
      ¿WHO HIGHLIGHTED ALL THIS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Ann Thomas

Dog and Cat Owners Gain Health Benefits - BestFriendsPetCare.com - 0 views

www.bestfriendspetcare.com/bf_feature_14.cfm

shared by Ann Thomas on 08 Dec 08 - Cached
  • Ann Thomas on 08 Dec 08
     
    Good for body Some of the studies show that owning a pet can have very real physical benefits for their owners. These include: * Pet owners have lower blood pressure. It has long been known that the act of stroking a pet can reduce blood pressure. But a study at the State University of New York at Buffalo found that the beneficial effects continue even when the pet is not present. The study, which looked at a group of stockbrokers with hypertension, concluded that just owning a pet can help lower blood pressure -and keep it lower, even in stressful settings. * Pet owners have lower blood cholesterol levels. A study of more than 5,400 people conducted by Australia's Baker Medical Research Institute found that pet owners had not only lower blood pressure, but also lower levels of blood cholesterol and triglycerides in comparison to the non-pet owners, reducing the risk of heart disease. * Pet owners have a higher survival rate after serious illness. Two studies have found that heart attack patients who owned the pets were significantly more likely to be alive a year after they were discharged from the hospital than those who didn't. What's more, a study conducted at City Hospital in New York found that the presence of a pet affected survival rate even more than having a spouse or friends. Patients in hospitals or nursing homes who have regular visits from their pets have shown to be more receptive to treatment. The need to care for their pet gives them reason to recover and the will to live. * Pet owners have fewer doctors' visits. Studies conducted by Cambridge University in England and at the University of California at Los Angeles have found that pet ownership corresponds to overall improved health and fewer medical care visits. A study of Medicare patients also found that seniors who own dogs go to the doctor less than those who do not. Even the most highly-stressed older dog owners in the study had 21 % fewer physician's visits than non-dog ow
karen ponce

The Pilgrims-Overview - 0 views

www.mayflowerfamilies.com/...pilgrims.htm

shared by karen ponce on 05 Dec 08 - Cached
  • The Pilgrims were English Separatists. In the first years of the 17th century, small numbers of English Puritans broke away from the Church of England because they felt that it had not completed the work of the Reformation. They committed themselves to a life based on the Bible. Most of these Separatists were farmers, poorly educated and without social or political standing. One of the Separatist congregations was led by William Brewster and the Rev. Richard Clifton in the village of Scrooby in Nottinghamshire. The Scrooby group emigrated to Amsterdam in 1608 to escape harassment and religious persecution. The next year they moved to Leiden, in Holland where, enjoying full religious freedom, they remained for almost 12 years. In 1617, discouraged by economic difficulties, the pervasive Dutch influence on their children, and their inability to secure civil autonomy, the congregation voted to emigrate to America. Through the Brewster family's friendship with Sir Edwin Sandys, treasurer of the London Company, the congregation secured two patents authorizing them to settle in the northern part of the company's jurisdiction. Unable to finance the costs of the emigration with their own meager resources, they negotiated a financial agreement with Thomas Weston, a prominent London iron merchant. Fewer than half of the group's members elected to leave Leiden. A small ship, the Speedwell, carried them to Southampton, England, where they were to join another group of Separatists and pick up a second ship. After some delays and disputes, the voyagers regrouped at Plymouth aboard the 180-ton Mayflower. It began its historic voyage on Sept. 16, 1620, with about 102 passengers--fewer than half of them from Leiden.
  • Founding of New England, The by Adams, J. T., (1921; repr. 1963) Bradford, William, Of Plymouth Plantation: 1620-1647, ed. by Samuel E. Morison (1952) Mayflower, The (1974) by Caffrey, Kate Mayflower Pilgrims, The by Colloms, Brenda (1977) Land Ho!--1620 by Nickerson, W. S. (1931). A Little Commonwealth: Family Life in Plymouth Colony by Demos, John (1988) Pilgrims, The by Dillon, Francis (1975) Mayflower Remembered: A History of the Plymouth Pilgrims by Gill, Crispin (1970) Saga of the Pilgrims by Harris, J.(1990) Pilgrim's Own Story, The by Notson, A.W., and R.C., eds., Stepping Stones: (1987) Pilgrim Fathers from a Dutch Point of View by Plooij, D.(1932; repr. 1970) Bradford of Plymouth by Smith, Bradford (1951) Pilgrims and Their History by Usher, R. G. (1918) Pilgrim Reader (1953) and Saints and Strangers: Pilgrim Fathers, The by Willison, G. F. rev. ed. (1965). Pilgrim Colony: A History of New Plymouth, 1620-1691 by Langdon, G. D., Jr. (1966) Story of the Old Colony of New Plymouth, The by Morison, S. E. (1956); Plymouth Colony: Its History and People by Stratton, E.A. (1987)
Katie M

Global Warming Effects, Global Warming Causes, Causes of Global Warming, Effects of Glo... - 0 views

globalwarming-awareness2007-arshad.com

shared by Katie M on 08 Dec 08 - Cached
  • Many scientists have specified various reasons for global warming effects on the environment and for human life. It is not easy to point one reason for global warming effects, but recently you might have saw many change in global climate. Global warming effects have various consequences such as glacier volume decreasing, rise in sea levels, shrinkage of Arctic and altered fashion of doing agriculture have been named as direct effects on global warming. Secondary global warming effects are extreme weather events, increase in tropical diseases, changes in the timing of seasonal patterns in ecosystems, and drastic economic impact.
  • Before many times back, many scientist and researchers were hopping that a positive effect of global warming would be increased agricultural yields(outputs), because of the role of carbon dioxide in photosynthesis which might behave in positive manner, but now it resulting in destructions of several crops. In the area of Iceland, due the rising temperatures which have made possible the widespread sowing of barley easily in an effective manner, which was not possible twenty years from now. The net result is expected to be that 33% less maize—the country's staple crop—will be grown. The reduction in rainfall has turned millions of land into deserts.
  • Insurance industry has been affected very badly with the risk of insurance; the number of major natural disasters has been increased to 300% since 1960s, and insured losses increased fifteenfold in real terms. According to Choi and Fisher (2003) each 1% increase in annual precipitation could enlarge catastrophe loss by as much as 2.8%.
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  • All major Transportation sources such as Roads, airport runways, railway lines and pipelines, always require time to time maintenance and renewal as they become subject to greater temperature variation. Regions already adversely affected include areas of permafrost, which are subject to high levels of subsidence, resulting in buckling roads, sunken foundations, severely cracked runways and many other related problems.
  • Most of the low-lying countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Netherlands and many other small islands have been affected by sea level rise, in terms of floods or the cost of preventing them. In most of the poorest low-plain countries, land is the only available space, or fertile agricultural land which is livelihood for them. But due to flood they are finding problem now to perform their activities.
  • Katie M on 08 Dec 08
     
    effects of global warming
Janina Jose

Kids Search - powered by EBSCOhost: France and It's Celebrations - 0 views

web.ebscohost.com/...detail

shared by Janina Jose on 05 Dec 08 - Cached
  • Section: Festival The start of the New Year has been celebrated in China for more than 3,000 years. New Year was a time when the farmers gave thanks for the harvest and prayed to the gods for a good harvest in the coming year. This was the one period in the busy farming year when there was time to have a celebration and when the family could get together, relax, and be merry. Chinese New Year begins with a New Moon. The Lunar Year is calculated from the time it takes for the Moon to travel around the Earth, while the Western (Gregorian) calendar is based on the time it takes for the Earth to circle the Sun. The orbits of the Moon bear no relation to the time it takes for the Earth to go around the Sun, which is why the Chinese Lunar New Year is celebrated on a different date each year. In China the New Year was renamed the Spring Festival, in 1911, when the Western calendar was officially accepted in China. However, it is still commonly known around the world as the Chinese New Year. Chinese years are named after one of twelve animals. These have been used in the same order to name the years since the sixth century A.D. Each animal is said to have its own personality and emotions, which are present in people born within its year. ~~~~~~~~By Sarah Moyse This article is copyrighted. All rights reserved.Source: Chinese New Year (0-7613-0374-X)
  • Holidays are very important to the French. The French begin the year with a celebration of the Jour de l'An, which is New Year's Day. They greet each other by saying "Bonne Annee!" (Happy New Year). On January 6th there is la Fete des Rois (the Festival of the Three Kings), where people have a King's Cake. Whoever finds the special toy that has been baked into the cake gets to be king or queen for the day. In February, the French celebrate la Saint-Valentin or Valentine's Day by giving, valentines and chocolates. Also the French mark the start of Lent (a religious time when people fast) with Mardi Gras celebrations. On the 1st of April people play tricks on each other and say "Poisson d'avril!" which means "April fish!" People have little paper fishes that they cut out and try to stick on the backs of their friends that day. Easter is an important holiday in France. On the morning of Easter Sunday, most French people go to church. Afterwards, they carry home candles that have been blessed by priests. For Easter, which is called Le Pacques, omelettes, (an egg dish) are usually eaten for breakfast. People also give each other chocolate eggs and chocolate bunnies.
  • Holidays are very important to the French. The French begin the year with a celebration of the Jour de l'An, which is New Year's Day. They greet each other by saying "Bonne Annee!" (Happy New Year). On January 6th there is la Fete des Rois (the Festival of the Three Kings), where people have a King's Cake. Whoever finds the special toy that has been baked into the cake gets to be king or queen for the day. In February, the French celebrate la Saint-Valentin or Valentine's Day by giving, valentines and chocolates. Also the French mark the start of Lent (a religious time when people fast) with Mardi Gras celebrations. On the 1st of April people play tricks on each other and say "Poisson d'avril!" which means "April fish!" People have little paper fishes that they cut out and try to stick on the backs of their friends that day.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Easter is an important holiday in France. On the morning of Easter Sunday, most French people go to church. Afterwards, they carry home candles that have been blessed by priests. For Easter, which is called Le Pacques, omelettes, (an egg dish) are usually eaten for breakfast. People also give each other chocolate eggs and chocolate bunnies. May 1st is May Day and French people wear corsages made of flowers like the lily-of-valley, which they also give to friends for good luck. During the summer months, there is the Tour de France, which is a bicycle race. The 14th of July is France's Independence Day, called Bastille Day. There are parades and fireworks, and people decorate their houses and celebrate all day. Christmas is a favorite holiday in France for the young and old. On Christmas Eve, families often attend midnight mass. After church, they return home for a big dinner called le reveillon. Dinner often consists of such foods like soup, turkey, goose, and oysters. A popular dessert at Christmas time is buche de Noel, a cake filled with chocolate and rolled into the shape of a log. The cake represents the Yule log that burns in the fireplaces of the French people during Christmas.
Christina T

Japan: History, Geography, Government, & Culture - Infoplease.com - 0 views

www.infoplease.com/...A0107666.html

japan

shared by Christina T on 09 Dec 08 - Cached
  • The Ryukyu chain to the southwest was U.S.-occupied from 1945 to 1972, when it reverted to Japanese control, and the Kurils to the northeast are Russian-occupied.
  • Constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government.
  • Through the 700s Japan was much influenced by China, and the Yamato clan set up an imperial court similar to that of China.
  • ...19 more annotations...
  • For the following 700 years, shoguns from a succession of clans ruled in Japan, while the imperial court existed in relative obscurity.
  • Suspicious of Christianity and of Portuguese support of a local Japanese revolt, the shoguns of the Tokugawa period (1603–1867) prohibited all trade with foreign countries; only a Dutch trading post at Nagasaki was permitted.
  • The Japanese began to take steps to extend their empire.
  • In World War I, Japan seized Germany's Pacific islands and leased areas in China.
  • At the Washington Conference of 1921–1922, Japan agreed to respect Chinese national integrity, but, in 1931, it invaded Manchuria.
  • The dropping of atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 by the United States finally brought the government to admit defeat. Japan surrendered formally on Sept. 2, 1945, aboard the battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
  • The U.S. and Japan signed a security treaty in 1951, allowing for U.S. troops to be stationed in Japan. In 1952, Japan regained full sovereignty, and, in 1972, the U.S. returned to Japan the Ryuku Islands, including Okinawa.
  • A shrewd trade policy gave Japan larger shares in many Western markets, an imbalance that caused some tensions with the U.S.
  • During the 1990s, Japan suffered an economic downturn prompted by scandals involving government officials, bankers, and leaders of industry. Japan succumbed to the Asian economic crisis in 1998, experiencing its worst recession since World War II.
  • The embattled Mori resigned in April 2001 and was replaced by Liberal Democrat Junichiro Koizumi—the country's 11th prime minister in 13 years.
  • Koizumi was overwhelmingly reelected in Sept. 2003 and promised to push ahead with tough economic reforms.
  • In April 2005, China protested the publication of Japanese textbooks that whitewashed the atrocities committed by Japan during World War II.
  • Princesss Kiko gave birth to a boy in September.
  • The child's birth spares Japan a controversial debate over whether women should be allowed to ascend to the throne.
  • He suffered a stunning blow in July 2007 parliamentary elections, however, when his Liberal Democratic Party lost control of the upper house to the opposition Democratic Party.
  • A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck in northwest Japan in July 2007, killing 10 people and injuring more than 900. The tremor caused skyscrapers in Tokyo to sway for almost a minute, buckled roads and bridges, and damaged a nuclear power plant. About 315 gallons of radioactive water leaked into the Sea of Japan.
  • he move followed a string of scandals and the stunning defeat of his Liberal Democratic Party in July's parliamentary elections
  • In June 2008, the upper house of Parliament, which is controlled by the opposition, censured Fukuda, citing his management of domestic issues.
  • The opposition Democratic Party of Japan, which won control of the upper house of Parliament in 2007, poses a viable threat to the Liberal Democrats who have been in control for more than 50 years.
Ann Thomas

Cats and humans share similiar X and Y chromosomes - 0 views

www.genomenewsnetwork.org/...cat_humans.shtml

shared by Ann Thomas on 03 Dec 08 - Cached
  • The order of these genes on the sex chromosomes of cats more closely resembles that of humans than of any other mammal studied so far, the team reports in a recent issue of Genome Research. Genes on X chromosomes of cats and people are lined up in the same way.
  • Ann Thomas on 03 Dec 08
     
    Researchers, acting as "genetic paleontologists," recently discovered that the X and Y chromosomes of cats and humans are remarkably alike The order of these genes on the sex chromosomes of cats more closely resembles that of humans than of any other mammal studied so far, the team reports in a recent issue of Genome Research. Genes on X chromosomes of cats and people are lined up in the same way.
Janina Jose

Kids Search - powered by EBSCOhost:New years Eve and New years Day - 0 views

web.ebscohost.com/...detail

shared by Janina Jose on 09 Dec 08 - Cached
  • ORIGIN OF THE CELEBRATION Section: Festival The start of the New Year has been celebrated in China for more than 3,000 years. New Year was a time when the farmers gave thanks for the harvest and prayed to the gods for a good harvest in the coming year. This was the one period in the busy farming year when there was time to have a celebration and when the family could get together, relax, and be merry. Chinese New Year begins with a New Moon. The Lunar Year is calculated from the time it takes for the Moon to travel around the Earth, while the Western (Gregorian) calendar is based on the time it takes for the Earth to circle the Sun. The orbits of the Moon bear no relation to the time it takes for the Earth to go around the Sun, which is why the Chinese Lunar New Year is celebrated on a different date each year. In China the New Year was renamed the Spring Festival, in 1911, when the Western calendar was officially accepted in China. However, it is still commonly known around the world as the Chinese New Year. Chinese years are named after one of twelve animals. These have been used in the same order to name the years since the sixth century A.D. Each animal is said to have its own personality and emotions, which are present in people born within its year. ~~~~~~~~By Sarah Moyse This article is copyrighted. All rights reserved.Source: Chinese New Year (0-7613-0374-X)
  • RELIGIONS AND RITUALS Section: Festival Although the New Year celebration is not mainly a religious one, many Chinese will visit a temple at this time of the year to make an offering to the Buddha or to the gods in the hope of making the New Year a good one. Ancestors and gods are honored with ceremonies in the home around a family altar decorated with flowers. Incense and candles are burned at the altar. At important family banquets the ancestors may be recognized as "spiritual guests" and first offered food that is afterward eaten with the meal. The Chinese have three main systems of ideas that are important to them: Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. Although these systems are very different, many Chinese follow some or all of the rituals associated with them just to be safe. Confucius lived in the fifth century B.C. and spoke about the value of good behavior in private life and in government. He said that politeness, honesty, courage, and loyalty were what made good people. He believed in self-development through education and thought that people gain in wisdom as they grow older. It is part of the Confucian tradition to honor parents and ancestors.
  • Daoism comes from the teachings of Laozi, who lived at the same time as Confucius. His book, the Dao De Jing (The Way and Its Power), describes the way (dao means "way") to live at peace with nature so as not to upset natural balances. The Way involves balance between opposite forces. They are called yin and yang. While yin is dark and female, yang is the opposite, being light and male. When yin and yang are balanced, there is perfect harmony with nature. Unlike Confucianism and Daoism, which started in China, Buddhism came from India and is based on the teachings of the Buddha -- a holy man. Buddha taught that people need to let go of earthly desires and become fully aware of what they are doing in the present. Buddhists believe that after death each soul moves on to another body, which may be animal or human. What one is chosen for in the next life depends on how good or bad the person has been in this life. The Chinese also pray to other gods, holding the view that the more gods who can look after them the better. The important ones are the Kitchen God, who watches the family in the home, the Jade Emperor, who is the most important god in heaven, the God of Wealth, who determines how wealthy people are, and the Door Gods. ~~~~~~~~By Sarah Moyse This article is copyrighted. All rights reserved.Source: Chinese New Year (0-7613-0374-X)
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  • HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS On New Year's Eve, Chinese families have a special feast of seafood and dumplings. Dessert is always Nian Gao- a special New Year's Cake. Everyone stays up late to watch the midnight fireworks. On New Year's Day families go door to door to visit. They exchange gifts with their relatives and neighbors. It is thought to be bad luck to fight or argue at the start of a New Year. Everyone is warm and friendly toward each other. Fireworks light the night sky during a New Year celebration in Hong Kong. ~~~~~~~~By Kieran Walsh Kieran Walsh is a winter of children's nonfiction books, primarily on historical and social studies topics. A graduate of Manhattan College, in Riverdale, NY, his degree is in Communications. Walsh has been involved in the children's book filed as editor, proofreader, and illustrator as well as author. This article is copyrighted. All rights reserved.Source: Chinese New Year
Diana Davis

Grolier Online - 0 views

go.grolier.com

shared by Diana Davis on 01 Dec 08 - Cached
  • only living member of the family Phascolarctidae, in the order Diprodontia, class Mammalia.
  • eastern Australia
  • skull is flattened on the sides
  • ...16 more annotations...
  • one offspring
  • live more than 10 years in the wild
  • slow moving and defenseless
  • Of the 350 species of eucalyptus, moreover, koalas will eat the leaves of only 20 and prefer those of just 5 species.
    • lora ardoin
      lora ardoin on 04 Dec 08
       
      hihi
  • its headquarters is in New York City.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have been the NHL's most successful team, winning the Stanley Cup 22 times through 2004.
  • the Edmonton Oilers, New England Whalers (now the Carolina Hurricanes), Quebec Nordiques (now the Colorado Avalanche), and Winnipeg Jets (now the Phoenix Coyotes). The NHL now has 30 teams.
  • The NHL was founded in 1917.
  • The most common type of ovarian cancer is epithelial, accounting for approximately 90% of all ovarian cancers. Epithelial ovarian cancers appear to arise from the surface of the ovary and spread by shedding cancer cells, which are then implanted throughout the lower abdomen. The disease usually spreads without notable symptoms, accounting for the fact that over 70% of epithelial ovarian cancers are diagnosed after the tumor has already spread beyond the ovaries. The other types of ovarian cancer are germ cell and sex cord–stromal tumors.
  • Epidemiologic studies have shown that risk factors for developing this cancer include increased age, never giving birth, infertility, a history of breast cancer or endometrial cancer, and a family history of ovarian cancer.
    • Kristine Abiera
      Kristine Abiera on 05 Dec 08
       
      ppl decorate with evergreen trees, mistle toe
    • Kristine Abiera
      Kristine Abiera on 05 Dec 08
       
      Western church-December 25 Eastern church-January 6 celebrated in a twelve-day festival
    • Kristine Abiera
      Kristine Abiera on 05 Dec 08
       
      Old English Christes Maesse history of christmas
  • Rap music is a combination of rhymed lyrics spoken over rhythm tracks and pieces of recorded music and sounds called samples, taken from older records.
    • Ariel Bonnee'
      Ariel Bonnee' on 09 Dec 08
       
      rap is rhymed lyrics spoken over rhythm tracks mixed together
  • Rap music is a combination of rhymed lyrics spoken over rhythm tracks and pieces of recorded music and sounds called samples, taken from older records.
  • Sara Espinosa on 03 Dec 08
     
    grolier
  • Beau Wells on 03 Dec 08
     
    the NFL's first superbowl winner
  • Diana Davis on 04 Dec 08
     
    telling about the most common ovarian cancerand how you might have a chance of getting it
Stephania D

Water Pollution - 0 views

www.umich.edu/...waterpollution.htm

Water Pollution info.

shared by Stephania D on 03 Dec 08 - Cached
  • According to the American College Dictionary, pollution is defined as:  �to make foul or unclean; dirty.
  • When it is unfit for its intended use, water is considered polluted.
  • Point sources of pollution occur when harmful substances are emitted directly into a body of water.
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  • A nonpoint source delivers pollutants indirectly through environmental changes.
  • Nonpoint sources are much more difficult to control.
  • Pollution arising from nonpoint sources accounts for a majority of the contaminants in streams and lakes.  
  • Many causes of pollution including sewage and fertilizers contain nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates.  In excess levels, nutrients over stimulate the growth of aquatic plants and algae.  Excessive growth of these types of organisms consequently clogs our waterways, use up dissolved oxygen as they decompose, and block light to deeper waters.
  • Pollution in the form of organic material enters waterways in many different forms as sewage, as leaves and grass clippings, or as runoff from livestock feedlots and pastures.
  •     Pathogens are another type of pollution that prove very harmful.
  • Three last forms of water pollution exist in the forms of petroleum, radioactive substances, and heat.
  •      Ninety-five percent of all fresh water on earth is ground water
  • Ground water is found in natural rock formations.
  • These formations, called aquifers, are a vital natural resource with many uses.  Nationally, 53% of the population relies on ground water as a source of drinking water.  In rural areas this figure is even higher.  Eighty one percent of community water is dependent on ground water.  Although the 1992 Section 305(b) State Water Quality Reports indicate that, overall, the Nation�s ground water quality is good to excellent, many local areas have experienced significant ground water contamination. Some examples are leaking underground storage tanks and municipal landfills.
  • Stephania D on 03 Dec 08
     
    Full description of water pollution, etc.
Christina T

Japan - THE ARTS - 0 views

countrystudies.us/81.htm

japanese art

shared by Christina T on 09 Dec 08 - Cached
  • The introduction of Western cultural values, which had flooded Japan by the late nineteenth century, led to a dichotomy between traditional values and attempts to duplicate and assimilate a variety of clashing new ideas
  • Japanese aesthetics provide a key to understanding artistic works perceivably different from those coming from Western traditions.
  • Within the East Asian artistic tradition, China has been the acknowledged teacher and Japan the devoted student.
  • ...17 more annotations...
  • Japanese painters used the devices of the cutoff, close-up, and fade-out by the twelfth century in yamato-e, or Japanese-style, scroll painting, perhaps one reason why modern filmmaking has been such a natural and successful art form in Japan.
  • The calligrapher--a member of the Confucian literati class, or samurai--had a higher status, while artists of great genius were often recognized in the medieval period by receiving a name from a feudal lord and thus rising socially.
  • Artists divided into two main camps, those continuing in traditional Japanese style and those who wholeheartedly studied the new Western culture.
  • After World War II, many artists began working in art forms derivied from the international scene, moving away from local artistic developments into the mainstream of world art.
  • Two terms originating from Zen Buddhist meditative practices describe degrees of tranquillity: one, the repose found in humble melancholy (wabi), the other, the serenity accompanying the enjoyment of subdued beauty (sabi).
  • The Cultural Affairs Division is concerned with such areas as art and culture promotion, arts copyrights, and improvements in the national language.
  • A new generation of the avant-garde has broken with this tradition, often receiving its training in the West. In the traditional arts, however, the master-pupil system preserves the secrets and skills of the past.
  • Another seminal center is Tama Arts University in Tokyo, which produced many of Japan's late twentieth- century innovative young artists
  • In 1989 the fifth woman ever to be so distinguished was cited for Japanese-style painting, while for the first time two women--a writer and a costume designer--were nominated for the Order of Cultural Merit, another official honor carrying the same stipend.
  • The Cultural Properties Protection Division originally was established to oversee restorations after World War II.
  • During the 1980s, many important prehistoric and historic sites were investigated by the archaeological institutes that the agency funded, resulting in about 2,000 excavations in 1989.
  • A 1975 amendment to the Cultural Properties Protection Act of 1897 enabled the Agency for Cultural Affairs to designate traditional areas and buildings in urban centers for preservation.
  • Individual artists and groups, such as a dance troupe or a pottery village, are designated as mukei bunkazai (intangible cultural assets) in recognition of their skill.
  • A growing number of large corporations join major newspapers in sponsoring exhibitions and performances and in giving yearly prizes.
  • A number of foundations promoting the arts arose in the 1980s, including the Cultural Properties Foundation set up to preserve historic sites overseas, especially along the Silk Route in Inner Asia and at Dunhuang in China.
  • After World War II, artists typically gathered in arts associations, some of which were long-established professional societies while others reflected the latest arts movement.
  • By the 1980s, however, avant-garde painters and sculptors had eschewed all groups and were "unattached" artists.
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