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March 2009, VOLUME 123 / ISSUE 3
Does Breastfeeding Reduce the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome?
M.M. Vennemann, T. Bajanowski, B. Brinkmann, G. Jorch, K. Yücesan, C. Sauerland, E.A. Mitchell and the GeSID Study Group
BACKGROUND. In the last 20 years, the prevention campaigns to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome were very successful. In some countries the advice to breastfeed is included in the campaigns' messages, but in other countries it is not.
OBJECTIVE. To examine the association between type of infant feeding and sudden infant death syndrome.
METHODS. The German Study of Sudden Infant Death is a case-control study of 333 infants who died of sudden infant death syndrome and 998 age-matched controls.
RESULTS. A total of 49.6% of cases and 82.9% of controls were breastfed at 2 weeks of age. Exclusive breastfeeding at 1 month of age halved the risk, partial breastfeeding at the age of 1 month also reduced the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, but after adjustment this risk was not significant. Being exclusively breastfed in the last month of life/before the interview reduced the risk, as did being partially breastfed. Breastfeeding survival curves showed that both partial breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding were associated with a reduced risk of sudden infant death syndrome.
CONCLUSIONS. This study shows that breastfeeding reduced the risk of sudden infant death syndrome by ∼50% at all ages throughout infancy. We recommend including the advice to breastfeed through 6 months of age in sudden infant death syndrome risk-reduction messages.
case-control
sudden infant death syndrome
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is still the leading cause of death in the first year of life in the developed world. In Germany in 2006, 298 infants died with that diagnosis (0.44/1000 live births).1 During the last 2 decades, several case-control studies identified modifiable risk factors for SIDS, mainly the prone sleeping position, smoking by the mother in pregnancy, excess clothing and bedding, and infant bed sharing with an adult.2–6 In the subsequent prevention campaigns, parents were advised to put their infants supine for sleeping and avoid smoking in pregnancy and in the presence of the infant. In some countries, but not all, the SIDS prevention campaigns included breastfeeding. These recommendations were mainly based on the findings of studies done in the late 1980s and early 1990s.7–10
The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first 6 months of life. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of hospitalization caused by gastrointestinal and respiratory infections. In a systematic review, van Odijk and colleagues11 concluded that breastfeeding also protects infants from atopic diseases like eczema.
A meta-analysis of 23 studies published up to 1997 examining the relationship between SIDS and breastfeeding found the overall risk of SIDS twice as great for formula-fed infants compared with breastfed infants (crude odds ratio [OR]: 2.1).12 The meta-analysis has been criticized for having poor eligibility criteria and not adjusting for confounders.13 These authors conducted their own meta-analysis using only studies that provided an objective definition of SIDS, clear reporting of breastfeeding data, and outcomes adjusted for important confounders or risk factors. Four of the original 23 studies3,5,10,14 plus 2 studies6,8 published since 1997 met these eligibility criteria. Ever breastfeeding was associated with a reduced risk of SIDS (crude OR: 0.41, adjusted OR [aOR]: 0.64).13 The results are similar to the earlier meta-analysis. Although there is a relationship between breastfeeding and a reduced risk of SIDS, the association may not be causal. A weakness of the earlier studies is that many only compared never breastfed with any breastfeeding.
The aim of the German Study of Sudden Infant Death (GeSID) was to identify risk factors for SIDS in a population where only few infants sleep prone. We have previously reported a reduced risk of SIDS with breastfeeding at 2 weeks of age.6 In this study, we examined the relationship between breastfeeding and SIDS in greater detail.
The GeSID was a population-based, case-control study of 333 infants who died from SIDS and 998 age-matched controls, conducted in ∼50% of Germany between 1998 and 2001. The response rate of the case families was 82.4% and of the controls 58.7%. The controls were recruited from the same vital registration office with which the case was registered. (In Germany every town and county has 1 or several vital registration offices, where every citizen has to be registered). Control infants were born 4 to 6 weeks after the case infant, so that by the time the interviews were done, they had the same age as the index case (±2 weeks). If 1 control family refused to participate, another family was recruited. If more than 3 control families agreed to participate, the 3 controls with the best age match were chosen. Details about the study methods and recruitment were previously described in detail.6,15
All cases were autopsied according to a standardized protocol, a case conference was held for each case with the same group of SIDS experts. The peak age of cases was between 2 and 5 months of age (59%).
A detailed questionnaire was administered to parents by trained interviewers in the infants' homes. Type of feeding was collected retrospectively for each month of life until death (cases) or reference date (controls). For each month it was noted whether the milk the infant was drinking was breast milk only, partly breast milk and partly bottle-fed (milk formula), or bottle-fed (milk formula) only and whether solids were eaten. Exclusive breastfeeding was defined as breast milk only, with no extra bottle of milk formula or solids given at any time of the day. Partial breastfeeding was defined as any bottle feeding (milk formula) or solids given in addition to breast milk. Not breastfed was defined as no breast milk.
All data were entered into a database and analyzed by using SAS 9.01 (SAS Institute, Inc, Cary, NC). Infant feeding was examined at 2 weeks of age, 1 month of age, and in the last month of life or the last month before the interview for control infants. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed by using conditional logistic regression. In the multivariate analysis, we controlled for the following variables: maternal smoking in pregnancy, maternal family status, maternal age at delivery, socioeconomic status of the family (socioeconomic status was calculated using school education, present work position, and income), previous live births, birth weight of the infant, bed sharing in the last night, pillow in the infant's bed, additional heating during the last sleep (a hot water bottle in the infant's bed or the bed in front of a heater), position placed to sleep, and pacifier use during the last sleep.6 As prenatal and postnatal smoking were closely related in our study, we had to exclude 1 variable because of colinearality. We chose to use smoking in pregnancy.
A survival analysis was used to compare SIDS cases with controls, where the length of breastfeeding was taken as the outcome. If infants were breastfeeding in the completed month before their death (or in case of the controls, before the time of death of their matched case), it was assumed breastfeeding had continued to death or reference time, and the data point was censored. The survival analysis used Proc LIFETEST in SAS (Kaplan-Meier). Adjustment for potential confounders was made using Proc PHREG (Cox regression).16
Table 1 shows any breastfeeding at the age of 2 weeks and the risk of SIDS. These results have been reported previously but are repeated here for completeness. Less than 50% of the SIDS cases were breastfed at the age of 2 weeks, and 83% of the controls were breastfed (aOR: 0.43 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.27–0.69]). Less than 40% of the SIDS cases were exclusively breastfed at the age of 1 month compared with 72% of the controls (aOR: 0.48 [95% CI: 0.28–0.82]). In the univariate analysis, partial breastfeeding was associated with a reduced risk of SIDS, but this was not statistically significant after adjustment for potential confounders (aOR: 0.48 [95% CI: 0.21–1.10]).
Infant Feeding at 2 Weeks of Age, 1 Month, and Last Month and the Risk of SIDS
In the month before death or interview only, 10.2% of the cases and >40% of the controls were exclusively breastfed (aOR: 0.27 [95% CI: 0.13–0.56]). Partial breastfeeding was associated with a significantly reduced risk of SIDS (aOR: 0.29 [95% CI: 0.16–0.53]).
Figure 1 shows the proportion of infants who were breastfed (both exclusively and partially breastfed) by month of age for cases and controls (Kaplan-Meier curve, OR: 0.42 [95% CI: 0.36–0.48]). After adjustment of confounders, the protective effect of breastfeeding remained significant (Cox regression, aOR: 0.69 [95% CI: 0.57–0.84]). Figure 2 shows the proportions who were exclusively breastfed for cases and controls (Kaplan-Meier curve, OR: 0.52 [95% CI: 0.46–0.60]; Cox regression, aOR: 0.82 [95% CI: 0.68–0.98]).
Proportion of infants who were breastfed (both exclusively and partially) according to month of age for controls and cases. The vertical lines represent where the data were censored.
Proportion of infants who were exclusively breastfed according to month of age for controls and cases. The vertical lines represent where the data were censored.
There are several strengths of this study, including being large and one of the most recent case-control studies of SIDS. This study provides risk factor data in a population that has decreased its infant prone sleeping rates as a result of education campaigns. Many of the studies published on risk factors for SIDS were published earlier and form the basis on which the American Academy of Pediatrics and other organizations developed guidelines for reducing the risk of SIDS. In addition, standardized protocols were used for autopsy, and a multidisciplinary panel determined the cause of death. In this study we were able to collect data on feeding patterns from a large number of SIDS victims and controls for each month of their lives. For each month it was noted whether the infant was exclusively breastfed, partially breastfed, or was not breastfed. Furthermore, the study was able to control for a large number of potential confounders.
Limitations of the study should be recognized. Although the response rate of the cases was high, the response rate of the controls was not ideal. Participants, in particular controls, were more likely to be socioeconomically advantaged than those who did not participate. Although multivariate analysis adjusted for socioeconomic status, some residual confounding may persist. Also, any study that is based on retrospectively collected data is subject to recall bias. However, Gibbons et al17 reported very good agreement between prospective collected data on infant feeding and retrospective collected data in 2 studies of SIDS in Tasmania. In this study, 82.9% of controls were ever breastfed. This is only slightly higher than 76.7% of all children in the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents, a nationwide survey of over 17000 children between 2003 and 2006.18 In contrast, only 5.8% of controls were exclusively breastfed to 6 months of age compared with 22.4% of infants in the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents, which used a similar definition of exclusive breastfeeding. This suggests the results relating to exclusive breastfeeding in our study might be conservative.
Control infants were significantly more often ever breastfed and more likely to be exclusively breastfed than cases at all ages. Exclusive breastfeeding was associated with a slightly greater reduction in SIDS than partial breastfeeding, which itself was associated with reduction in SIDS compared with not breastfed; however, after adjustment for potential confounders, there was no evidence of a dose effect. Breastfeeding reduced the risk of SIDS by ∼50% at all ages.
The age distribution of the SIDS infants was similar to that from an earlier German study.19 Fifty-nine percent of the infants died between 2 and 5 months of age, and 73% died before 6 months of age. The implication of our findings is that these infants would especially benefit from being breastfed at this early age and that breastfeeding should be continued until the infant is 6 months of age and the risk of SIDS is low.
Breastfeeding is recommended by the World Health Organization on other grounds.20 The morbidity and mortality of infants is reduced when they are exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life. Being breastfed also reduces the risk of acute otitis media, atopic eczema, gastrointestinal infections, and lower respiratory infections.
Epidemiologic studies cannot prove causation, but obviously a randomized, controlled trial of breastfeeding could not be done. We would argue that there is a causal relationship between breastfeeding and the reduced risk of SIDS. Breastfeeding fulfills many of the criteria for causation in observational studies.21 Furthermore, there are plausible biological mechanisms by which breastfeeding reduces SIDS. The most likely mechanism is by its immunologic properties. Minor symptoms of infection, especially respiratory tract symptoms, are present in many SIDS cases in the days preceding death, although the illness is not thought to be sufficient to have caused death.22–26 Blackwell and colleagues27,28 postulated that some SIDS deaths are due to uncontrolled inflammatory reaction to infectious agents (especially pyrogenic toxins of Staphylococcus aureus) and possibly cigarette smoke. The proinflammatory cytokines induced by infections can cause respiratory and cardiac dysfunction, pyrexia, shock, hypoglycemia, and arousal defects. The age distribution of SIDS is unique with most deaths occurring at 2 to 4 months of age. At this age, maternal-acquired immunoglobulin G is low as is the infants own production of immunoglobulin G. Human breast milk contains immunoglobulin and cytokines that might help to protect the infant during this vulnerable time.
Infant sleep studies have shown that breastfed infants are more easily aroused than formula-fed infants, which may be an alternative mechanism for the protective effect of breastfeeding against SIDS.7–10,29,30
Given the weight of evidence from recent meta-analyses and a plausible biological mechanism, it seems somewhat surprising that breastfeeding has not been included in the American Academy of Pediatrics and United Kingdom Department of Health SIDS prevention recommendations.
In the United Kingdom, breastfeeding rates are low and strongly associated with socioeconomic status. Although breastfeeding is associated with a reduced risk of SIDS in univariate analysis, in some studies the protective effect is no longer statistically significant after adjustment for potential confounding.3 This has led some authorities, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, to conclude that it is the factors associated with breastfeeding, rather than breastfeeding itself, which are protective.31
This large study conducted after the major reduction in SIDS mortality adds to the body of evidence showing that breastfeeding reduces the risk of SIDS, and that this protection continues as long as the infant is breastfed. In our study, 73% of the infants died before 6 months of age. The implication of our findings is that breastfeeding should be continued until the infant is 6 months of age and the risk of SIDS is low. Because breastfeeding rates are low in the socially deprived sections of our population,18 there should be special programs to encourage mothers of low socioeconomic status to breastfeed their infants not only for the established benefits of breastfeeding for the mother and infant but also to reduce the risk of SIDS in their infants.
The German Federal Ministry for Science and Education supported this study from 1998 to 2003. Professor Mitchell was supported by the Child Health Research Foundation, New Zealand.
The GeSID Study Group included P. Bach, B. Bockholt, M. Bohnert, U. Cremer, U. Deml, A. Freislederer, S. Heide, W. Huckenbeck, K. Jachau, H.-J. Kaatsch, A. Klein, W.J. Kleemann, K.-P. Larsch, A. Fiegut, D. Fischer, W. Leukel, E. Rauch, W. Paulus, R. Penning, F. Rublack, M. Schlaud, B. Schmidt, J. Sperhake, G. Zimmer, and R. Zweihoff.
Accepted November 13, 2008.
Address correspondence to M.M. Vennemann, MD, MPH, PD, University of Münster, Institute of Legal Medicine, Röntgenstrasse 23, D-48149 Münster, Germany. E-mail: mechtild.vennemann{at}ukmuenster.de
The authors have indicated they have no financial relationships relevant to this article to disclose.
What's Known on This Subject
Breastfeeding is beneficial for infants and their mothers. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of gastrointestinal and respiratory infections. In some, but not all, countries SIDS prevention campaigns include breastfeeding.
This study shows that breastfeeding reduced the risk of SIDS by ∼50% at all ages throughout infancy. We recommend including the advice to breastfeed through 6 months of age in SIDS-reduction messages.
SIDS—sudden infant death syndrome • OR—odds ratio • aOR—adjusted odds ratio • GeSID—German Study of Sudden Infant Death • CI—confidence interval
Statistisches Bundesamt. Deaths, cause of death. In [in German] Statistisches Jahrbuch. Wiesbaden, Germany: Federal Republic of Germany; 2006:239
de Jonge GA, Burgmeijer RJ, Engelberts AC, et al. Sleeping position for infants and cot death in the Netherlands, 1985–1991. Arch Dis Child.1993;69 (6):660– 663
Fleming PJ, Blair PS, Bacon C, et al. Environment of infants during sleep and risk of the sudden infant death syndrome: results of 1993–5 case-control study for confidential inquiry into stillbirths and deaths in infancy. Confidential Enquiry into Stillbirths and Deaths Regional Coordinators and Researchers. BMJ.1996;313 (7051):191– 195
Hauck FR, Moore CM, Herman SM, et al. The contribution of prone sleeping position to the racial disparity in sudden infant death syndrome: the Chicago Infant Mortality Study. Pediatrics.2002;110 (4):772– 780
Mitchell EA, Taylor BJ, Ford RP, et al. Four modifiable and other major risk factors for cot death: the New Zealand Study. J Paediatr Child Health.1992;28 (suppl 1):S3– S8
Vennemann MM, Findeisen M, Butterfass-Bahloul T, et al. Modifiable risk factors for SIDS in Germany: results of GeSID. Acta Paediatr.2005;94 (6):655– 660
Kiechl-Kohlendorfer U, Peglow UP, Kiechl S, Oberaigner W, Sperl W. Epidemiology of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in the Tyrol before and after an intervention campaign [in German]. Wien Klin Wochenschr.2001;113 (1–2):27– 32
Mitchell EA, Tuohy PG, Brunt JM, et al. Risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome following the prevention campaign in New Zealand: a prospective study. Pediatrics.1997;100 (5):835– 840
Sawaguchi T, Nishida H, Fukui F, Horiuchi T, Nelson E. Study on social responses (encouraging public awareness) to sudden infant death syndrome: evaluation of SIDS prevention campaigns. Forensic Sci Int.2002;130 (suppl):S78– S80
Wennergren G, Alm B, Oyen N, et al. The decline in the incidence of SIDS in Scandinavia and its relation to risk-intervention campaigns. Nordic Epidemiological SIDS Study. Acta Paediatr.1997;86 (9):963– 968
van Odijk J, Kull I, Borres MP, et al. Breastfeeding and allergic disease: a multidisciplinary review of the literature (1966–2001) on the mode of early feeding in infancy and its impact on later atopic manifestations. Allergy.2003;58 (9):833– 843
McVea KL, Turner PD, Peppler DK. The role of breastfeeding in sudden infant death syndrome. J Hum Lact.2000;16 (1):13– 20
US Department of Health and Human Services. Breastfeeding and Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes in Developed Countries. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; 2007. AHRQ publication No. 07-E007. 93–97
Brooke H, Gibson A, Tappin D, Brown H. Case-control study of sudden infant death syndrome in Scotland, 1992–5. BMJ.1997;314 (7093):1516– 1520
Findeisen M, Vennemann M, Brinkmann B, et al. German study on sudden infant death (GeSID): design, epidemiological and pathological profile. Int J Legal Med.2004;118 (3):163– 169
Schlesselmann JJ. Case-control Studies: Design, Conduct, Analysis. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 1982
Gibbons LE, Ponsonby AL, Dwyer T. A comparison of prospective and retrospective responses on sudden infant death syndrome by case and control mothers. Am J Epidemiol.1993;137 (6):654– 659
Lange C, Schenk L, Bergmann R. Distribution, duration and temporal trend of breastfeeding in Germany. Results of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS). Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz.2007;50 (5–6):624– 633
Jorch G, Schmidt-Troschke SBT, Heinecke A, et al. Epidemiologische Risikofaktoren des Plötzlichen Kindstods. Monatsschr Kindrheilkd.1994;142 (1):137– 147
World Health Organization. Breastfeeding. Available at: www.who.int/topics/breastfeeding/en. Accessed November 1, 2008
Hill AB. The environment and disease: association or causation? Proc R Soc Med.1965;58 :295– 300
Ford RPK, Mitchell EA, Stewart AW, et al. SIDS, illness, and acute medical care. Arch Dis Child.1997;77 (1):54– 55
Gilbert RE, Fleming PJ, Azaz Y, Rudd PT. Signs of illness preceding sudden unexpected death in infants. BMJ.1990;300 (6734):1237– 1239
Helweg-Larsen K, Lundemose JB, Oyen N, et al. Interactions of infectious symptoms and modifiable risk factors in sudden infant death syndrome. The Nordic Epidemiological SIDS study. Acta Paediatr.1999;88 (5):521– 527
Ponsonby AL, Dwyer T, Gibbons LE, Cochrane JA, Wang YG. Factors potentiating the risk of sudden infant death syndrome associated with the prone position. N Engl J Med.1993;329 (6):377– 382
Taylor BJ, Williams SM, Mitchell EA, Ford RP. Symptoms, sweating and reactivity of infants who die of SIDS compared with community controls. New Zealand National Cot Death Study Group. J Paediatr Child Health.1996;32 (4):316– 322
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Blackwell CC, Weir DM, Busuttil A, et al. The role of infectious agents in sudden infant death syndrome. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol.1994;9 (2):91– 100
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Horne RS, Parslow PM, Ferens D, Watts AM, Adamson TM. Comparison of evoked arousability in breast and formula fed infants. Arch Dis Child.2004;89 (1):22– 25
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M.M. Vennemann, T. Bajanowski, B. Brinkmann, G. Jorch, K. Yücesan, C. Sauerland, E.A. Mitchell
Pediatrics Mar 2009, 123 (3) e406-e410; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2008-2145
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Tag: Best Ps4 Rpgs
Guide Best PS4 RPGs
What are the best PS4 RPGs? Well, the PlayStation 4 is home to a vast library role-playing games. From MMOs and open world epics to niche Japanese RPGs (or JRPGs) and traditional adventures stuffed with text, there's something for just about everyone. It's an expansive genre in which East meets West, and we see numerous takes a similar...
Best PS4 RPGs
PS4 Essentials
Guide The Best PS4 RPGs
The PlayStation 4 is home to a vast library role-playing games. From MMOs and open world epics to niche Japanese releases and traditional adventures stuffed with text, there's something for just about everyone. It's an expansive genre in which East meets West, and we see numerous takes a similar formula. As with anything, though, some...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


As the 2013 science fair season gets underway, get inspired by what's possible for student science—and science at home—with a recap of last year's posts about science projects, science news, and family science.
We are also excited about all of the students who shared their science success stories with the Science Buddies community in 2012. You can reach their stories (and many more) in our Science Buddies in Action area. Are you doing a science project this year and want to share your experience? If so, email Science Buddies at blog@sciencebuddies.org.
Images: Dwarf galaxy (R. Jay GaBany (Blackbird Observatory)), bubble (Bigstock), bioluminescence (August Bach), rice (Wikipedia), eggs (Emily Weaver Brown), licorice (Wikipedia), Brittany Wenger (Andrew Federman).


Specialty chemicals company LANXESS, which is headquartered in Cologne, Germany, combined all its additive-related business segments in the new Rhein Chemie Additives business unit (ADD) in early 2015, and the move is bearing fruit, the company says. One synergistic effect is the more efficient utilisation of phosphorus plants operated by the company at various sites worldwide. Following a comprehensive efficiency analysis, the phosphoric acid partial ester Additin RC 3760, previously shipped only from Mannheim, Germany, will now also be produced at the LANXESS site in Epierre, France, effectively doubling manufacturing capacity for this product.
Additin RC 3760 is an anticorrosion and antiwear additive with a long history of success in metalworking fluids, hydraulic and industrial oils.
Säwe says the benefit to the customer is two fold: the added production site significantly increases supply security and delivery times can now be considerably shorter.
The expanded capacities give LANXESS new opportunities: the company can utilise its phosphorus chemistry plants at both sites more efficiently, and adapt Additin RC 3760 for use in even more additive packages.
By combining all these activities in ADD, the company's existing know-how in phosphorus chemistry can be exploited much more efficiently, he adds.
The LANXESS phosphoric acid esters that are used, for instance, as flame retardants and phthalate-free plasticizers in polyurethanes and PVCs, are similar to those marketed to the lubricants industry. In some cases, they are even comprised of the same molecules.
"The obvious next step was to combine our plants and our expertise," says Job.


A Fort Wayne man was ordered Friday to spend 85 years in prison for the murder of De'andre Voss in late 2017.
Bryan L. Flowers, 35, shot Voss, 32, in the face as he stood outside an apartment complex on the city's southeast side. They had just left a party at the Villages of Hanna, and the Dec. 23, 2017, slaying was captured on surveillance video.
A witness testified at trial last month that Flowers was the shooter, and investigators said DNA from a cigarette left at the scene also tied him to the crime.
In court Friday, Flowers said he was "falsely accused and wrongfully convicted." He criticized prosecutors and questioned the clarity of the surveillance video and evidence presented by a forensic pathologist who testified that the shot that killed Voss likely came from close range.
Flowers read from a rambling statement that suggested another man – the witness who blamed Flowers for the killing – shot Voss.
Allen Superior Court Judge Fran Gull was unconvinced and sentenced him to 65 years behind bars for murder. She added 20 years because a gun was used to commit the crime.
Flowers said he will appeal.
"The defendant is in denial that it was him," former Allen County Deputy Prosecutor Adam Mildred said.
Mildred handled the case against Flowers and since has been named chief deputy prosecutor in Noble County. He handled the sentencing hearing Friday in Allen Superior Court.
A motive for the killing was never established, though prosecutors said at trial Flowers and Voss argued around 4 a.m. Video shows the two men standing next to each other, and Flowers has his hand raised toward Voss.
That evidence proved contentious at trial, as defense attorney Stanley Campbell said the video was not continuous and included gaps of about 1.8 seconds between frames. Campbell also questioned the credibility of the witness who said Flowers had a gun – a 9 mm Glock pistol, the model a firearms expert testified could have fired the fatal shot.
A bullet traveled downward, severing Voss' spinal cord, Dr. Scott Wagner said.
A sentencing memorandum filed Friday details Flowers' criminal history: convictions for armed robbery, battery to a police officer, reckless driving, resisting police and receiving, possession or selling a stolen vehicle. He had also been charged as a juvenile with burglary and drug-related offenses.


Affects millions of travellers worldwide.
Rapid change in time zone produces a constellation of symptoms called jet lag disorder.
Symptoms include difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep, reduced daytime alertness, general malaise, and gastrointestinal symptoms.
Severity of symptoms depends on the number of time zones crossed, times of travel, quality of sleep in flight, circadian time cues at the place of travel, individual propensity, and direction of travel.
A temporary condition; symptoms are self-limited. Treatments include melatonin and alteration of light exposure.
This topic focuses on jet lag. Jet lag disorder is a temporary desynchronisation between endogenous body rhythms and exogenous environmental rhythms, caused by rapid transmeridian travel across different time zones, leading to sleep disturbance, reduced alertness, general malaise, and gastrointestinal symptoms.  American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The International Classification of Sleep Disorders: Diagnostic and Coding Manual (ICSD-2). 2nd ed. Westchester, IL: American Academy of Sleep Medicine; 2005.
Dr Ashish Adlakha would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Sudhansu Chokroverty, a previous contributor to this topic.
DNN has received consulting fees and honoraria for speaking programs from Sanofi-Aventis and Takeda Pharmaceuticals. These companies manufacture medications mentioned in this topic.
AH is an author of a number of references cited in this topic.


A scammer took over my computer. Do I have a virus now?
If you allowed a scammer to take over your computer, it is very unlikely that he or she put a virus on your computer. It is also unlikely that he or she gathered any personal or financial information.
You were trying to do the right thing and be a good steward of your technology, but your spidey sense was tingling as soon as you began speaking with the scammer.
Please try to minimize your feelings of fear and shame. It happens to the best of us.
These Indian scammers are insidious, but most of them are not skilled hackers. If you let someone from India take over your computer, a malware scan is in order, but odds are that you do not have a new virus. There are exceptions, one of the most common being that the scammer got frustrated with your reluctance to give him or her a credit card or bank routing number and went ahead and deleted some of your personal files as an act of vandalism. Less likely (because it requires skill) would be to run some malware on your computer. The latter scenario is possible but not probable.
The primary goal of Indian scammers is to impress you with their ability to take over your computer and move the mouse around, showing you what are completely normal activities and logs (e.g., MSCONFIG, Event Viewer, CMD-TREE) and to falsely characterize them as indicating that your computer is infected or otherwise malfunctioning. It is like the scams that used to happen at oil change places, where they show naive car owners a very dirty air filter, making a case that the car owner's air filter needs replacement.
You know the saying "fool me once, shame on me...", well forget that, no shame on you. And don't let others shame you for allowing yourself to fall victim to this. Sadly, the world we live in includes this kind of victimization.
So, some analogs: Hackers are like ghosts, in that they can gain access without permission. Phone scammers are like vampires, in that they have to get your permission to enter.
What can you do now? Do a thorough malware scan of your computer and warn others of this scam. Call a friend and see if they have also been victimized by a phone scam. You might be surprised.


Strange Adventures On Other Worlds ANC Planet Stories July 25c Bryce had climbed far from Thieves ..
ANC Startling Stories Mar. 25c A Thrilling Publication Featuring The Lady is a Witch An Astonishi..
Exciting Adventures In Science Fantastic Adventures December 25c A Sensational New Interplanetary ..
Strange Adventures On Other Worlds Planet Stories ANC May 25c War Maid Of Mars A Novel Of Revolt ..
A.N.C. Startling Stories July 25c Robot Nemesis A Hall Of Fame Classic By Dr. Edward E. Smith ..
Startling Stories Mar. 25c Featuring The Starmen Of Llyrdis a novel of galactic adventure by Leigh..
Thrilling Wonder Stories June 25c Sunday is 3,000 Years Away A Novelet of the future by Ramond F. ..


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apt-get purge puppet -y
rm /etc/puppet -rf
apt-get autoremove -y

apt-get install wget
wget https://apt.puppetlabs.com/puppetlabs-release-pc1-wheezy.deb
dpkg -i puppetlabs-release-pc1-wheezy.deb
apt-get update

# install new puppet agent now...
apt-get install puppet-agent -y

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Arkady & Boris Strug
Inhabited Island
When Maxim Kammerer, a young space explorer from twenty-second-century Earth, crash-lands on an uncharted world, he thinks of himself as a latter-day Robinson Crusoe. Eager to establish first contact with the planet`s humanlike inhabitants, he finds himself increasingly entangled in their primitive way of life. After his experiences in their nightmarish military, criminal justice, and mental health systems, Maxim begins to realize that his sojourn on this radioactive and war-scarred world will not be a walk in the park. The Inhabited Island is one of the Strugatsky brothers` most popular and acclaimed novels, yet the only previous English-language edition (Prisoners of Power) was based on a version heavily censored by Soviet authorities. Now, in a sparkling new edition by award-winning translator Andrew Bromfield, this landmark novel can be newly appreciated by both longtime Strugatsky fans and new explorers of the Russian science fiction masters` astonishingly rich body of work.
S.F. Masterworks
Hachette UK
Strane knjige, Književnost, Fantasy, SF i Horror


Here's what could possibly be next for the reigning Miss Universe.
(SPOT.ph) In just a handful of weeks, Pia Wurtzbach will be passing on her Miss Universe crown to a new queen. Still, it looks as though she will continue to promote the Philippines with her reported new gig: tourism ambassador.
As for the next Miss Universe, she will be crowned on January 30 at the Mall of Asia Arena. Tickets, priced from P2,000 to P50,000, are now on sale via SM Tickets.


महाराष्ट्र 'कृषी सेवक' भरती | Krushi Sevak Bharti 2019 | Majhi Naukri - Duration: 119 seconds.
IB Recruitment 2018 | Intelligence Bureau Recruitment 2018 - Duration: 2 minutes, 29 seconds.
IBPS Clerk Recruitment 2018 | IBPS Clerk Bharti 2018 | IBPS Clerk 7275 Vacancies ! - Duration: 2 minutes, 19 seconds.
IBPS PO Recruitment 2018 | IBPS PO Bharti 2018 | IBPS PO 4252 Vacancies ! - Duration: 2 minutes, 49 seconds.
SSC GD Recruitment 2018 !! 54953 Posts For 10th !! SSC SSC GD Constable Bharti 2018 - Duration: 112 seconds.
IBPS Recruitment 2018 | IBPS Bharti 2018 - Duration: 114 seconds.
RPF Recruitment 2018 | RPF Bharti 2018 | Railway Protection Force Recruitment - Duration: 2 minutes, 44 seconds.
(SBI) भारतीय स्टेट बँकेत 2000 जागांसाठी मेगा भरती | SBI Bharti 2018 - Duration: 77 seconds.
नगरपरिषद प्रशासन संचालनालय भरती 2018 | Maha DMA Recruitment 2018 | Majhi Naukri - Duration: 74 seconds.
जिल्हा न्यायालयात 8921 जागांसाठी मेगा भरती | District Court Bharti 2018 - Duration: 74 seconds.
#मुदतवाढ: भारतीय रेल्वेत 62907 जागांसाठी महाभरती | Railway Bharti 2018 | Majhi Naukri - Duration: 75 seconds.
#मुदतवाढ: भारतीय रेल्वेत 26502 जागांसाठी महाभरती | Railway Bharti 2018 | Majhi Naukri - Duration: 75 seconds.


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The Division of Foot & Ankle is currently led by Mark Easley, MD; Selene Parekh, MD, MBA; and Samuel B. Adams Jr., MD (pictured left). As one of the country's top ranked orthopaedic centers, Duke specialists in Raleigh and Durham provide advanced treatment options for every source of foot or ankle pain and injury, and test promising emerging foot therapies and implants to get you back to your active life. We also pioneered ankle replacement surgery, as well as other novel techniques to repair cartilage, tendons and fractures in the ankle bone and ankle joint.
Research being done by the division includes slowing the progression and treating the pain of ankle arthritis, using natural compounds such as curcumin (yellow curry) and resveratrol (grape leaves) to prevent arthritis progression, attempting to find a chemical link between osteoarthritis and depression, using a patient's own stem cells in the form of bone marrow aspirate to treat soft-tissue and bone problems, using 3D printing to make custom titanium scaffolds to fill bone voids from trauma and other diseases, ankle replacement, and flatfoot reconstruction. Duke Orthopedics is fortunate to have resources available to tackle many challenging questions in the field - ultimately to improve the outcomes and the experiences of our patients.
Ankle Replacement Surgery: Duke's ankle surgeons are among the world's most experienced. We perform more ankle replacement surgeries than anywhere else in the country, and our doctors are part of an orthopaedic program that is consistently ranked among the nation's best.
As a national pioneer in ankle replacement procedures, Duke has been involved in the testing and evaluation of all four ankle prostheses currently approved for use in the U.S. Our goal is to advance ankle replacement from an experimental technique to a viable option for severe ankle arthritis.
About 95 percent of our patients enjoy lasting relief from pain, as well as better mobility, which is why we attract patients from all over the country. Even if you have had ankle fusion to eliminate your ankle pain, you may be a candidate for ankle replacement surgery, which restores some of your normal movement and function.
We are constantly working to develop new artificial ankle joints. Our extensive patient database allows us to assess the performance of replacement joints over time. As a result, you will only get a device or undergo a surgical technique that has a solid record of success.
Foot Pain & Foot Injury: An active life requires feet that work well and are free of pain. Our team of foot specialists provide treatment options for a full roster of foot-related pain and foot injuries that can side-line you from your favorite activity. The common conditions we treat include: bunions, claw toes, diabetic foot, foot fractures, foot arthritis, hammer toe, heel pain, heel spurs, ligament and tendon injury, plantar fasciitis, rheumatoid foot disorders, and sports-related foot injuries.
Ankle Pain & Ankle Injury: Whether you are sidelined with an ankle injury or the discomfort of arthritis, you're in good hands at Duke. Our ankle experts offer advanced care for all conditions that affect the ankle including ankle arthritis, ankle fractures, ligament and tendon injuries including tendonitis, Achilles tendon rupture, Achilles tendinopathy, sports injuries and defects in the ankle bone. Our doctors evaluate your individual needs and offer personalized treatment programs designed to get you back on your feet as soon as possible.
When you come to us for treatment of your foot & ankle pain, you receive care from nationally recognized medical professionals who are committed to your complete recovery. Duke is consistently ranked as one of the top orthopaedic programs in the country by U.S. News & World Report.


Two new, probably exotic, species of aphidiid parasites of aphids are described from Australia. Aphidius pelargonii sp.n. parasitises Acyrthosiphon malvae (Mosley) on Pelargonium spp. in New South Wales, Tasmania and South Australia; and Aphidius similis sp.n. parasitises Rhopalosiphum padi (L.), R. nymphaeae (L.), Sitobion miscanthi (Tak.) and Myzus periscae (Sulz.) and is known from all the mainland states of Australia.


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Wisdom Ways
My WisdomWays
Dialogue for a Change
Opening Space to
Lead Change for Our World
Join a Dialogue
Lead Change
for our World
Dialogue is critical to our times
Humanity is at a dangerous precipice. We have individually and collectively traveled into such extremes in our experience of separation, that we are deeply threatening our quality of life, if not our very survival. The destructive symptoms and behaviors that we are experiencing have their roots in personal and collective beliefs, emotions, stories and world-views that limit and divide us. These symptoms and behaviors include:
Increasing conflict and polarization within our society (rich-poor, left-right, vaccinated-unvaccinated, black-white, etc), representing a separation from our common humanity.
The climate crisis and mass extinction of species, representing our separation from nature
The increase of the surveillance state, representing our separation from trust and each other
An increase of guilt, blaming and shaming, representing a separation from responsibility
A decrease in physical health, representing a separation from our body and emotions
An increase of fear, anxiety, and depression, representing a separation from Self & Life
A decrease in our sense of hope, meaning and purpose, representing separation from Source
And, the list goes endlessly on...
With dialogue, we can begin to bridge the divide, reconnect and thrive
What change
see in our world?
BECOME THE CHANGE in Dialogue
Dialogue will enrich you personally in extraordinary ways. You will:
Get clarity and understanding about what could change your world
Learn and practice ways of communicating that will improve your relationships
Discover your authentic voice and have it heard, respected and appreciated
Open up your heart and mind to other perspectives and ideas.
Make new friends and be part of an enriched, supportive community
Get to know yourself better and expand your opportunities to grow and evolve
Notice yourself letting go of limiting assumptions and stories that hold you back
Expand your capacity for compassion, empathy, and acceptance of others
Shift and collapse the divisions within yourself; finding more inner peace
Get to contribute to the growth of others through your presence
Learn to trust that life is working for you, not against you — if you let it!
Develop your skills and capacity to host your own extraordinary dialogues for change
Catch a Conversation for Change
You are invited to register below and participate in open dialogue to experience genuine connection, learning and change.
These dialogues are focused on active participation by attendees and will NOT be recorded.
The sessions are free for anyone to attend, but you are encouraged to make a donation to keep the dialogues going.
You may attend as often as you like, but space is limited to keep the dialogues small and intimate.
If you register and cannot attend, please let us know in advance so that others can come in your place.
The dialogues are hosted using the Bohmian Dialogue method and participants will be asked to agree to these dialogue practices.
The dialogues often have a focusing theme, but otherwise, the dialogue is emergent, in-the-moment and free flowing
Bohm Dialogue Event Calendar
* Times listed in North American - Eastern & 90 minutes in duration
Title/Theme Date
Time* More Info
The State of Fear
Jan 12 10:30am EST Register
**Open Emergent Dialogue
Jan 25 8pm EST Register
Unpacking the Pandemic
Feb 9 10:30am EST Register
For the Good of All
Feb 22 8pm EST Register
Dialogue on Climate Change
Mar 9 10:30am EST Register
Betrayal - Forgiveness - Trust
Mar 22 8:00pm EST Coming Soon
** Topic(s) to emerge from the check-in process
Conversations often divide us
Not all conversations are the same. Typical conversations tend to be rooted in what separates us, rather than what unites us. We discuss, deliberate and debate. We have been conditioned to preach, teach, convince, gossip, win-them-over, negotiate, argue, coerce and manipulate others into seeing the world as we do. We express opinions and judgments without examining our underlying assumptions, beliefs and shadow projections.
Outcome-focused, domination-based conversations start with a premise that 'the others need to change' which results in more separation and nothing changes. We often miss the 'whole' picture.
Dialogue is different
Open dialogue reconnects people; bridging what divides us. It is rooted in curiosity.
If there is an agenda to dialogue, it is genuine connection, learning and understanding. It is about the practice of deeply listening, respecting and suspending our own opinions and judgments in order to clearly see and hear the person(s) before us, including ourselves. In genuine contact, listening and understanding, magic happens! Dialogue bridges the divide with mutual respect, compassion, empathy and understanding. By elevating the quality of our relationships, new insights, opportunities and solutions can naturally emerge which are more sustainable and whole.
Bohm Dialogue
While we may use different methods to create open, connected, respectful and effective dialogue, our preferred method is Bohm Dialogue, named after the famous physicist, David Bohm. Experience it for yourself in one of our public dialogues!
What is Bohm Dialogue?
Over a span of 25 years, David Bohm spent a considerable amount of time in conversation with the famous philosopher and teacher, Jiddu Krisnamurti. From Bohm's experience of these conversations, David Bohm proposed a powerful, free flowing way of dialoguing where people practice experiencing everyone's point of view fully, equally and non-judgmentally in order to reach common understanding.
Bohm felt that open dialogue could help us solve the many crises that face society and expand human consciousness. Indeed, in a world where polarized, fear and domination-based communication is the norm, Bohm dialogue gives us a simple structure to elevate the way we relate to ourselves, each other and the world, preparing the ground for deeper learning, connection and collaboration.
What happens in Bohm Dialogue?
In Bohm Dialogue, there is often no set agenda or focused subject to talk about. Instead, the topic(s) or themes emerge out of the active listening and contributions of the participants present. There is no facilitator making anything happen, but rather a 'Host' that also participates, notices when the conversation slips out of dialogue, and invites people back into the practice. The group, through their contributions of suspending, respecting, voicing and listening, notice as themes, insights, learning and wisdom naturally emerge over the course of the conversation.
A Bohm Dialogue agenda tends to be very simple:
1. Welcome: The host welcomes participants, explains the practices of dialogue and invites participants into agreement. If there is a subject or theme for the dialogue, this is clarified.
2. Check-in: Each participant does a brief 'check-in,' introducing themselves and 'what is moving within them' at the moment.
3. Flow: An open dialogue continues, taking its lead from what emerged in the check-in, following the flow of what participants notice as they speak, listen, think and feel together.
4. Closing: A final round or 'check-out' is conducted where everyone gets an opportunity to briefly share their experience and what they are taking away from the experience.
The Bohm Dialogue Practices
Participants are invited to agree to 'practices' for the dialogue. It is a 'practice', because most of us are not skilled in dialogue and fall into old polarizing habits. Together, we will develop our capacity for open dialogue but at times we will get off track, notice this, and come back into the practice. For example, consider the practice of meditation, where your mind may spin off into thinking until you notice this and pull yourself back into watching your breath. Our four Bohm Dialogue practices are:
1. SUSPENDING: Letting go of assumptions, beliefs or certainty about things and opening up to other possibilities, viewpoints, experiences or ideas. This is not about convincing others of your views, but with curiosity, attempting to connect and understand them, and in the process, knowing yourself too.
2. RESPECTING: Seeing and respecting the humanity in others and relating with empathy and compassion to their life journey. By seeing them, you may see yourself more clearly too.
3. VOICING: Discovering your authentic voice and trusting it. This is not about saying something clever or wise. It is about noticing the call within you to speak, or to just respectfully listen and notice that others might be saying exactly what you wanted to say. Speak about only one important idea at a time, rather than talking about all the run-on thoughts arising in you. Less is more. If you or someone is dominating the conversation, notice this and find a way to come back into balanced dialogue.
4. LISTENING: Listen with all your senses and intuition, to the whole person behind the words. You will be listening far more than speaking. With curiosity, hear the tone, cadence, pitch, pauses, movements, meaning, energy, emotions, values and intentions of the speakers. Be present to the beauty and richness of the silent moments too.
About your Dialogue Host
Richard is all about 'being the change' that we want to see in the world - both inner and outer. For the last 20+ years, he has studied, taught and developed ways to create change from the inside - out. These inner change technologies include how to quickly change limiting subconscious beliefs and for even more powerful inner shifts, how to integrate our 'shadows' to become 'whole 'again. Richard's shadow integration technology is actually done through a powerful inner dialogue process that heals past inner wounds and traumas through forgiveness.
Richard has also studied and worked with organizations and communities around change for over 20 years. This work includes teaching and facilitating using whole-person meeting technologies such as Open Space Technology and Genuine Contact™ as well as working with purpose and values alignment.
Richard has a passion for peace. He has helped hundreds of individuals overcome challenges to find more inner peace and has facilitated many groups such as Rotarians to organize themselves to create more peace in the world. In 2020, he co-created and facilitated a Peace Leaders group in Moncton, Canada to reach the goal of becoming an International City of Peace. He also co-created and facilitated Peace Cafés in the Moncton area and online. Essentially, these Bohm Dialogues are the next step in the evolution of the Peace Cafés!
Click here to learn more about Richard and his work.
Contact Richard
Richard Schultz assists leaders in unlocking their true potential, authentic power and inner wisdom to create extraordinary, high impact lives. Courses, life mentoring and dialogue with Richard can help you live your legacy and build capacity to thrive with change!
Engage with Richard
Copyright © 2021 J. Richard Schultz All Rights Reserved


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Cyclist to mark 25th year of riding in Majorca by fundraising for GNAAS
A keen cyclist will mark his 25th year of cycling in Majorca by fundraising for the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS), before celebrating at the Air Angel's charity ball. Shaun Carr has cycled in Majorca every year since 1993 with a group of friends from North East England and Tenby in West Wales. To make his 25th 'silver anniversary' trip even more special, Mr Carr has chosen to fundraise for the Great North Air Ambulance Service. "I am very conscious, being a cyclist, that you can find yourself off the beaten track and sometimes miles away from the nearest town or village on these early Sunday morning rides in the North East," he said.
A keen cyclist will mark his 25th year of cycling in Majorca by fundraising for the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS), before celebrating at the Air Angel's charity ball.
Shaun Carr has cycled in Majorca every year since 1993 with a group of friends from North East England and Tenby in West Wales.
To make his 25th 'silver anniversary' trip even more special, Mr Carr has chosen to fundraise for the Great North Air Ambulance Service.
"I am very conscious, being a cyclist, that you can find yourself off the beaten track and sometimes miles away from the nearest town or village on these early Sunday morning rides in the North East," he said. "With that in mind I thought that, in an effort to raise funds towards the Great North Air Ambulance, I would ride this 25th year in Majorca in support of GNAAS."
Majorca is renowned as a cycling destination thanks to its warm climate, varied terrain and smooth roads. Professional teams and amateurs alike flock to challenge themselves on the infamous inclines and coastlines.
Shaun will be cycling for six out of the seven days he is spending abroad, aiming to cover between 50 and 80 miles every day.
He said: "24 years ago, some cycling friends asked me if I would like to go to Majorca and ride a racing bike for a week to discover the island.
"25 years later, I continue to enjoy the experience of cycling the island alongside visiting some picturesque villages and sampling the Majorcan cuisine."
A long-time supporter of the charity, Shaun returns home from his excursion just hours before the annual Air Angels charity ball, where he is a regular guest.
"I will finish off my trip by flying into Newcastle Airport at 1:30pm on Saturday, whereupon I will make my way to the Hilton to get ready for the Air Angels ball.
"There will be ten of us all together on a table. I enjoy knowing that it is for a really good charity, the hotel is always great and it's a fantastic social event."
To find out more about Shaun Carr's fundraising and follow his training, visit his JustGiving page.
The Air Angel's charity ball takes place on the 16th June 2018 at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead. Tickets cost £60 and can be bought individually or as a table of 10-12 guests. Buy tickets here.
Last year GNAAS responded to over 900 call-outs and needed to raise £5.1m. To find out how you can help, please visit www.gnaas.com or call 01325-487263.
March the 16th, 2018


Laos has 15 public holidays and many more local festivals or events throughout the year that celebrate religious observations, rainmaking ceremonies, and harvest festivities. This is a great time to experience the Laos holidays with a change to join in with the festive fun and entertainment.
The Magha Puja is held in February and is a festival that marks the first teachings of Lord Buddha that were received by a 1000 plus disciples who sat and listened to him speak. This celebration is acknowledged by large parades of locals bearing candles and circling the local temple. Other activities include chanting, religious music and merit-making.
This is one of the most sacred days for followers of the religion and is also celebrated in neighbouring countries like Thailand and Cambodia.
The Boun Pi Mai (or Lao New Year) is a major occasion in the country that lasts several days in April and combines meditation and merriment. This is a great time to host a celebration that reflects on the upcoming years, as well as reinforcing family bonds and rejoicing Lao identity. There are a variety of activities to see during this time of the years for the travellers on the Laos tour packages, such as visiting temples to give offerings, taking part in colourful parades, watching singing and dancing, and enjoying the throwing water festivals.
The most religious aspect of this festival is witnessed in Luang Prabang where water pouring ceremonies are carried out with the Buddha images. Also, the local temples are outfitted with decorations with fine sand Stupas that are intended to promote good health and fortune.
The Boun Khoun Khao (also referred to as the Rice Festival) is held in January/February/March and one of the agricultural festivals that is celebrated at local temples. It is dedicated to celebrating the new harvest and one of the more important local festivals. A major event is held in Vientiane. Any tourists that are in the local area on the Laos tours will get to witness the customs and traditions of the small villages. In addition to the ceremonies and rituals, there are other activities to entertain, such as singing and dancing to traditional music.
The Visakha Puja festival is held in May with the intention of celebrating the life of Lord Buddha, including his birth, enlightenment and death. This temple festival is celebrated with candle lit processions, religious instruction and chanting. Visakha Puja lasts for a single day and is celebrated in local temples throughout the country. This is a great time for the tourists on the Laos customized tour to watch sermonizing and chanting at night.
The Khao Phansa festival is held to mark the start of the 3 month Buddhist Lent, which begins with the full moon in July and runs until October's full moon. This is a time when the local Lao men may look to enter monkhood and celebrated with a variety of ordination ceremonies. Also, for the duration of the Buddhist Lent period the monks will remain in their temple to meditate and study Buddha's teachings. Travel for the monks is prohibited and they cannot revert to a lay person during this time. On conclusion of the ceremony, the monks are presented with gifts.
The Boun Nam festival (also called the water festival) is a very popular event in the riverside towns such as Savannakhet, Luang Prabang and Vientiane. This festival usually takes place in October and includes the Boun Nam boat race with the highly competitive helmsman.
Similar events like these with the boat races are held in the smaller communities, but not taking place until later in the year, such as 2nd December for National Day.
The Boun That Luang is a well-established festival in Vientiane with the stupa playing a major part as the local monks congregate to accept alms and gifts from townsfolk and worshipers. For the duration of this festival, which usually lasts an entire week, the temple is alive with music, fireworks, contests, fairs, and ended with a procession with locals holding candles while walking around the large Buddhist stupa, That Luang.
This is a great moment to visit the country on the Laos family tour because this time is also used to promote an international trade fair to help encourage tourism in the Mekong River region. This festival takes place in October or November.
The Haw Khao Padap Din festival is intended to pay respect to the dead. This event is marked by the local Lao people exhuming their dead, cleaning the remains, and then to have the bodies cremated. This cremation takes place on the night of the full moon. While the ceremonies are taking place, the attending monks will chant and pray for the people who have passed away. Also, the relatives of the deceased will offer a variety of gifts to the monks, while other devotees will present gifts at their local temple. Other activities on the day of a lighter nature include a trade fair in Luang Prabang and a boat race on the Nam Khan River which also flows through this town.
The Chinese New Year and Vietnamese Tet are both celebrated in Laos with the major events held in Savannakhet, Pakse and Vientiane which by far have the greatest Chinese and Vietnamese communities. These events can last for several days and during this time there are plenty of businesses that will stay closed for the duration. The activities are varied and include the religious aspects like visiting the local temples and taking part in merit-making, while there are also the lively parties that include plenty of firecrackers.


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Kol Nidrei, Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, and the power of vulnerability
Kol Nidre 5779 2018
Rabbi Philip Weintraub
Congregation B'nai Israel
(Beautiful note: During my delivery, the entire congregation joined me in an unplanned sing-a-long. It added such incredible beauty and power to the sermon.)
Music transforms us. A few bars of a melody and we are transported in time and space to the place we first heard it. A lullaby turns us into children. The Shema wakes us up and puts us to sleep. Kol Nidrei means it is Yom Kippur. A simple, rabbinically reviled legal formulation has come to be the centerpiece of this evening. Some come to hear the melody and then sneak out. Even those who would not regularly come to shul feel drawn to the power of the melody. It resonates in our soul and is a "Mi-Sinai" tune, meaning it has no known modern composer. From cello to flute to a capella or choral arrangements, from Neil Diamond to Yitzhak Pearlman, it strikes the heart, and cries out that the time of repentance is here. While I wasn't yet here for it, I heard that Joan Epstein has taught on the majesty of this melody.
As Rabbi Jonathan Sacks says, "the words are prosaic, the music sublime." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW-cSrxQ1IU
Why has such a text come to represent the holiday? To answer that question, I want to sing an entirely different melody.
I did my best; it wasn't much. I couldn't feel, so I learned to touch. I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you. And even though it all went wrong, I'll stand before the Lord of Song with nothing on my lips but Hallelujah! (Hallelujah, Hallelujah…) Words and music by Leonard Cohen, taken from: Light, Alan. The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and the Unlikely Ascent of "Hallelujah" . Atria Books. Kindle Edition. (Introduction)
This less popular verse of Leonard Cohen's incomparable Hallelujah speaks so clearly of the Aseret Yamei Tshuvah, the Ten Days of Repentance. We celebrated Rosh Hashanah. We celebrated the New Year, yet we know that we are still imperfect. We have so much work to do. Over the next twenty-four hours we come before God. We strip away our bodily needs and focus on our souls. We beat our chests, confessing to sins as individuals and as a community. Ashamnu, Bagadnu, Gazalnu. We share with God our frailty, our pain, our challenges. We acknowledge our mistakes. We beg for forgiveness. Let us have the time to make things right. Let us see the errors of our ways. So how do we get there?
How do we accomplish our goals? Do we wake up one morning and waltz off into the beautiful St. Pete sunset or do we slowly and meticulously work our way? Is it a meteoric rise or two steps forward and one step back? Driving from Chapel Hill Memorial Park recently, I was listening to the Revisionist History podcast by Malcolm Gladwell. It has been an interesting ride, getting to know the area, visiting the places that are important to our community and our people--and it was an interesting podcast-looking back at key events from different perspectives.
In this particular podcast, Malcolm spoke about genius and creativity:
There's a theory about creativity that I've always loved. It's an idea that an economist named David Galenson came up with. Galenson is an art lover and it strikes him, when looking at modern art, that there are two very different trajectories that great artists seem to take. On the one hand, there are those who do their best work very early in their life. They tend to work quickly, they have very specific ideas that they want to communicate and they can articulate those ideas clearly. They plan precisely and meticulously then they execute, boom. Galenson calls them conceptual innovators; Picasso is a great example. He bursts on the scene in his early 20s and electrifies the art world at the turn of the last century. I think that someone like Picasso is who we have in mind when we think of that word "genius."
But Galenson says, "Wait a minute, there's another kind of creativity." He calls it "Experimental Innovation." Experimental innovators are people who never have a clear, easily articulated idea, they don't work quickly. When they start off, they don't really know where they're going, they work by trial and error, they do endless drafts, they're perpetually unsatisfied. It can take them a lifetime to figure out what they want to say. Who's a good example? Cezanne. Every bit as famous and important a painter as Picasso, maybe the greatest of the impressionist, who reinvent modern art in Paris in the late 1800s, but Cezanne's genius and Picasso's genius, they could not be more different.
http://revisionisthistory.com/episodes/07-hallelujah
Gladwell went on to compare Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. Quoting extensively from Alan Light's: The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and the Unlikely Ascent of "Hallelujah" I learned about the long journey of that moving song.
A story is told that in Paris, Dylan asked Cohen how long it took to write Hallelujah, he lied and said two years (even though it took five to get a produced version and he continued to change the lyrics for decades). Cohen asked Dylan how long it took to write I and I, to which Dylan said 15 minutes. Hallelujah took twenty years to gain popularity. Not twenty minutes, twenty years. Then comes Shrek in 2001 with Rufus Wainwright's version and it has only grown from there. It is now a classic. It is a standard. It's a song that everyone knows and yet no one REALLY knows. It's everywhere and nowhere simultaneously. There are hundreds of millions of views on youtube of thousands of different covers. Cohen himself has sung dozens of different versions. It is iconic. For the cartoon lovers out there:
Shrek: Ogres are like onions.
Donkey: They stink?
Shrek: Yes. No.
Donkey: Oh, they make you cry.
Shrek: No.
Donkey: Oh, you leave em out in the sun, they get all brown, start sproutin' little white hairs.
Shrek: No. Layers. Onions have layers. Ogres have layers. Onions have layers. You get it? We both have layers. (Shrek, Dreamworks, 2001)
It is a story of faith. And doubt. Of hope. And loss. It is an essentially Jewish song. Cohen has confessed to writing as many as seventy verses, although there are a dozen that are most commonly used and only four of five of those make it into the covers. Why did he spent so much time on it? Why do we still listen to it? What resonates about it?
The answer is Kol Nidre. This song, like Kol Nidre, expresses our vulnerability. Ultimately, in order to do anything well, we must be vulnerable. We cannot love without the possibility of pain. We cannot grow without injury. We cannot do everything right. We must learn from our mistakes. We cannot gain forgiveness without offering our apologies to the one we harmed.
In every version of Leonard Cohen's song, the vulnerability is ever present. It is the core. Every verse opens up the heart of the author, the singer, the poet and leaves us "tied to the kitchen chair." "From my lips you drew a hallelujah."
The same is true with Kol Nidre. Yes, it is a dry, legal formula, but its essence is the acknowledgement of wrongdoing or the potential for wrongdoing.
From our machzor:
(Machzor Lev Shalem, Rabbinical Assembly, 2010, p.205)
For generations, rabbis tried to remove Kol Nidre from the liturgy. How does the language of vows improve our capacity to change? How can we set up a court on the bimah and nullify vows?
The section of Talmud speaking about vows says:
Nedarim 60b:3 (Sefaria.org)
For it was taught in a Baraita: R. Nathan said: Whoever vows is as though he built a false altar, and who fulfils it, is as though he burnt incense upon it...
A vow is a spoken contract. Our legal-loving faith reminds us that we should not sign contracts we cannot keep!
Rabbis DO NOT LIKE VOWS. The origin of Kol Nidre may come from the Talmudic tractate which speaks so carefully about vows.
Nedarim 23b:1-5
And he who desires that none of his vows made during the year shall be valid, let him stand at the beginning of the year and declare, 'Every vow which I may make in the future shall be null.
תוספות מסכת נדרים דף כג עמוד ב
Rabeinu Tam erased the text of Kol Nidre written in the Machzor that annul the vows from last Yom Kippur to this Yom Kippur. He changes it to cover vows taken from this Yom Kippur until next Yom Kippur.
He raises 4 objections to the original text because it lacks the following critical components for Hatarat Nedarim(annulling vows):
1) There is no Beit Din
2)There is no regret
3)The particular vow needs to be specified
4)You can't annul your own vows and the chazan is annulling his own vows
With all the rabbinic opposition, how did it survive? Vulnerability. Generations of Jews have lived with oppression, forced conversion from Muslims, Christians and others. The choice to convert or die was very real for many of our brothers and sisters. Kol Nidre was a time to return to the faith, it was an apology. It was saying, I did what I had to do, but I stand here, renewed, hopeful. I pray we should NEVER have to do this again!
Ultimately, whether we play the long game or the short, we have to be open to what comes next. We must admit we cannot control every outcome. We cannot control every person's reaction. We can only choose to respond in the most positive and generous way. Whether our genius comes naturally and suddenly or whether we must work each step along the way, we CAN make a difference.
Hallelujah and Kol Nidrei. Two songs united by the power of their words, by the strength of their music and most of all, by their deep vulnerability.
I conclude this evening with a tribute to Leonard Cohen from Hazzan Ari Schwartz of Park Avenue Synagogue in New York. He sang the 150th Psalm to Hallelujah. (Congregation also sang along here!)
Hallelu El b'kodsho,
Halleluhu birkia uzo.
Halleluhu vig'vurotav,
Halleluhu k'rov gudlo.
Halleluhu b'teika shofar,
Halleluhu b'nevel v'khinor. (Hallelujah)
Halleluhu b'tof u-mahol,
Halleluhu b'minim v'ugav.
Halleluhu b'tziltz'lei shama, (2x)
Halleluhu b'tziltz'lei tru'ah.
Kol ha-n'shamah t'hallel Yah – Halleluyah!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iInuc_P4GhM
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/9443-kol-nidre
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/16672.?lang=bi
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/16698.12?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en
Bob Dylan hope kol nidrei Leonard Cohen loss malcolm gladwell music opposition power Rabbi Jonathan Sacks reaction Shrek vulnerability


The European Commission submitted for approval on Wednesday a free trade agreement with Vietnam, its first comprehensive open markets deals with a developing Asian country.
'We are talking openly about this with our Vietnamese counterparts and the trade agreement will not make Vietnam a fully fledged democracy overnight. It is one tool in the toolbox that we have in relations with Vietnam and other countries,' she told a news conference.
The trade deal would eliminate 99 per cent of all tariffs, although some staged over a time period and some, notably agricultural products, limited by quotas.
Vietnam, for example, would cut its duty on EU car imports from 78 per cent to zero over 10 years and for wines and spirits, from around 50 per cent, over seven years. EU companies would also be able to bid for Vietnamese public contracts.
The agreement includes a chapter on sustainable development, such as implementing international standards on labour rights and the Paris climate accord.


text:
Scientists just figured out how long humans were apex predators
Published Apr 6th, 2021 12:30AM EDT
Image: SciePro/Adobe
You probably don't feel like it when you dribble some raspberry filling from your jelly donut onto your shirt on a Monday morning, but you could be an apex predator. Well, maybe not you specifically, but humans have dominated the food chain for some time. We didn't get here because we're bigger or stronger than every other animal on the planet — in fact, there are a lot of animals that could dispatch us without a second thought if they really wanted to — but because we're smarter. The question that scientists want to answer is when did we achieve top predator status, and how did that happen.
A new research paper by scientists at Tel Aviv University attempts to answer that burning question, looking back over the history of humanity and painting a picture of humanity's rise to the top. They were able to do this by crunching a massive amount of data gathered over decades of research and roughly 400 different scientific papers, eventually reaching a conclusion that humans were apex predators for approximately 2 million years.
It's important to note here that humans aren't considered apex predators right now. We're farmers, and our diets are packed with lots of things other than meat. Are we capable of being apex predators? Absolutely, but because of how we live right now, we don't fit the definition all that well.
However, up until between 40,000 and 90,000 years ago, humans were indeed apex predators. Our ancestors hunted a lot and they were very good at it, reliably downing game animals and feasting on them, allowing untold generations of ancient humans to prosper. Exactly when that started is the subject of this latest round of research published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, and it's quite interesting.
The scientists used a LOT of data to come to their conclusions, but one of the best sources of information came in the form of genetic changes. The researchers were able to track the changes in our genes over hundreds of thousands of years and, paired with archaeological evidence, like types of tools that were being used by humans during different time periods. This led them to conclude that humans were pushed toward a more varied diet within the last 100,00 years in Africa and within the last 50,000 years in Europe and Asia. Before that, they would have eaten mostly meat that was hunted.
Looking back even further in history, evidence of human hunting activities stretches to roughly 2 million years. For up to a half-million years before that, humans were hunting and gathering but not nearly as good at either as they would eventually become. Of course, once humans hunted large game species for two million years, they started to run out, and farming was the only logical next step.