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908 F. 2d 1024 - Allison v. Department of Transportation
908 F2d 1024 Allison v. Department of Transportation
285 U.S.App.D.C. 265, 20 Envtl. L. Rep. 21,239
John W. ALLISON, Jr., et al., Petitioners,
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, et al., Respondents,
City and County of Denver, Intervenors.
Argued Jan. 29, 1990.
Decided Aug. 3, 1990.
Petition for Review of Orders of the Department of Transportation, FAA.
Joel W. Cantrick, Denver, Colo., for petitioners.
Peter R. Steenland, Jr., Atty., Dept. of Justice, with whom Richard B. Stewart, Asst. Atty. Gen., Robert L. Klarquist, Atty., Dept. of Justice, Washington, D.C., Diane R. Liff, Bethesda, Md., Asst. General Counsel, Dept. of Transp., and Gregory S. Walden and Richard W. Danforth, Attys., F.A.A., Washington, D.C., were on the brief, for respondents.
Michael M. Conway, with whom Michael Schneiderman and Steven A. Levy, Chicago, Ill., were on the brief, for intervenors. John H. Spellman and Robert P. Fletcher, Washington, D.C., also entered appearances for intervenors.
Before MIKVA, BUCKLEY and WILLIAMS, Circuit Judges.
Opinion for the Court filed by Circuit Judge BUCKLEY.
BUCKLEY, Circuit Judge:
This case concerns the Federal Aviation Administration's approval of a major new facility to replace Denver's Stapleton International Airport. Petitioners challenge the FAA's determination that the noise generated by the new airport would not constitute the "use" of a nearby state park and wildlife refuge under section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act, 49 U.S.C. Sec. 303 (1982 & Supp. V 1987). Although we find that the FAA erred by using inappropriate guidelines for measuring the effects of noise, we conclude that its determination that no use will be made of the refuge is nonetheless supported by substantial evidence. We also reject petitioners' various other claims under the National Environmental Policy Act ("NEPA"), 42 U.S.C. Secs. 4321-4347 (1982 & Supp. V 1987), and the Airport and Airway Improvement Act ("AAIA"), 49 U.S.C. App. Secs. 2201-2227 (1982 & Supp. V 1987). We therefore deny the petition for review.
Stapleton International Airport, which is owned and operated by the City and County of Denver, is among the busiest airports in the country. For some time now, Stapleton has served as a hub airport for two major airlines and, more generally, as a major connecting point in the national air transportation system. Stapleton, however, has been considered inadequate in three respects: capacity, delays associated with its runway configuration, and noise resulting from the airport's location in an area surrounded by substantial residential and commercial development. In response to these problems, Denver has proposed the construction of a major new airport approximately thirteen miles northeast of Stapleton, to be followed by the permanent closure of Stapleton. The FAA has approved this proposal, granted Denver $60 million for the project, and agreed to take various other actions to assist the city in completing the airport. A brief history of the proposal and the FAA's approval follows.
In 1978, the Denver Regional Council of Governments undertook a study of potential sites for a new airport. In 1983, the Council recommended that Stapleton be expanded onto the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, a military reservation that adjoins Stapleton to the north. This recommendation encountered strong opposition from the public, particularly the citizens of communities adjacent to Stapleton and in western Adams County. In addition, the presence of hazardous waste contamination at the Arsenal gave rise to serious questions over the feasibility of this option.
Following another study in 1984, Denver identified a preferred site for the new airport in Adams County about thirteen miles northeast of Stapleton. Its findings were confirmed by a third study completed two years later. Denver and Adams County signed an intergovernmental agreement in April 1988 that authorized Denver to annex the land required for the airport. The following month, the citizens of Adams County approved the annexation; and one year later, Denver voters approved the proposed airport by nearly a two-to-one margin.
Meanwhile, in April 1988, Denver circulated a draft environmental assessment for public review. Following a series of public hearings and the consideration of comments, Denver issued a two-volume final environmental assessment in November 1988. See City and County of Denver, New Denver Airport Environmental Assessment (Nov. 1988) ("Denver EA"). The FAA provided Denver with guidance and oversight as to the content and accuracy of the information contained in the draft and final assessments and assured that the study was coordinated with appropriate local, state, and federal agencies.
At the same time, as required by NEPA, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 4332(2)(C), and the AAIA, 49 U.S.C. App. Sec. 2208(b)(5), the FAA began work on its own study. In April 1988, the FAA published a notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement ("EIS"), and in June it held a meeting to receive the views of interested state, local, and federal agencies regarding the subjects and issues to be addressed in the EIS. 53 Fed.Reg. 15,481 (1988).
A draft EIS was released for comment on February 10, 1989. On March 15 the FAA conducted an open public hearing at which approximately forty-five speakers presented comments. Thereafter, the FAA extended the comment period twice and, predictably, received voluminous written comments on the draft EIS. Following various revisions, the FAA issued its Final Environmental Impact Statement ("FEIS") on August 8, 1989, and a notice of its availability was published on August 25. See U.S. Dep't of Transp., Final Environmental Impact Statement, New Denver Airport (Aug.1989); EIS Availability, 54 Fed.Reg. 35,388 (1989). In brief, this document addresses the purposes of and need for a new airport, examines possible alternatives to Denver's proposal, and weighs the environmental consequences of the project. It also responds to the oral and written comments received on the draft EIS.
On September 27, 1989, the Regional Administrator of the FAA's Northwest Mountain Region issued a Record of Decision ("ROD") pursuant to the AAIA, 49 U.S.C. App. Sec. 2208, granting federal approval to the proposed airport and directing that various actions be taken by the FAA, such as the establishment of air traffic control procedures and a grant to Denver to help fund the project. U.S. Dep't of Transp., Record of Decision for the New Denver Airport (Sept.1989). On the same day the ROD was signed, the FAA granted Denver the $60 million.
Petitioners in this case are individuals who live in the community of Van Aire, a "residential airpark" development consisting of houses, aircraft hangars, taxiways, and a runway, located about five miles north of the site selected for the new airport. It appears that Van Aire will be unable to continue to operate as an airpark when the airport is completed. Petitioners now seek review of the FEIS, the ROD, and the grant pursuant to the Federal Aviation Act, 49 U.S.C. App. Sec. 1486(a). They raise various challenges under section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act, NEPA, and the AAIA. In Part II-A we discuss the section 4(f) issue. In Part II-B we briefly address petitioners' remaining claims.
A. Section 4(f)
Section 4(f) declares it to be national policy that "special effort should be made to preserve the natural beauty of the countryside and public park and recreation lands, wildlife and waterfowl refuges, and historic sites." 49 U.S.C. Sec. 303(a). To that end, the section provides as follows:
The Secretary [of Transportation] may approve a transportation program or project ... requiring the use of publicly owned land of a public park, recreation area, or wildlife and waterfowl refuge of national, State, or local significance ... only if--
(1) there is no prudent and feasible alternative to using that land; and
(2) the program or project includes all possible planning to minimize harm to the park, recreation area, wildlife and waterfowl refuge ... resulting from the use.
Id. Sec. 303(c) (emphasis added).
In the FEIS and the ROD, the FAA found that the new airport would "not involve the use of any" lands protected by section 4(f). FEIS at 5.36; ROD at 17-18. The FAA's discussion focused on Barr Lake State Park, a nearby recreational park and wildlife refuge, which the FAA identified as the only major recreational facility near the proposed airport. FEIS at 5.36.
Barr Lake State Park comprises 691 acres of land and a 1,900-acre man-made lake located several miles northeast of the new airport site. At the north end of the lake, sailboats, rowboats, and boats with electric trolling motors are permitted. The southern portion of the park is dedicated to its role as a wildlife refuge that is of particular interest to birders, who make use of its network of trails, boardwalks, viewing platforms, and observation blinds. See J. Perry & J. Perry, The Sierra Club Guide to the Natural Areas of Colorado and Utah 136-37 (1985). The park is a nesting place for at least one pair of bald eagles and is widely known for its waterfowl. Petitioners do not dispute that Barr Lake is the only land to which section 4(f) potentially applies.
In explaining its finding, the FAA stated, first, that "[n]oise impacts at the park from operation of the proposed new airport have been shown to be well below the level of significance according to Federal guidelines," FEIS at 5.36, and second, that the "expected noise levels from the new airport are not significantly different than those experienced from operations at Stapleton." FEIS at 10.153. The FAA concluded that the anticipated noise impacts would not constitute a " 'taking or use of' " Barr Lake State Park and, accordingly, that section 4(f) would not be applicable. FEIS at 5.36. The FAA did not discuss whether impacts of any other kind might "use" the park, although its conclusion was that the airport would make no use of section 4(f) lands.
Petitioners assert that the FAA's analysis was flawed. In particular, they contest the noise guidelines relied on by the FAA as inappropriate for a wildlife refuge. They also submit that the record amply indicates that the new airport will "use" Barr Lake not only in terms of noise, but also in terms of air pollution and various other unspecified impacts resulting from secondary development. As we find nothing in the record to support these latter contentions, we will limit our discussion to the issue of airport-generated noise.
The "use" of parklands within the meaning of section 4(f) includes not only actual, physical takings of such lands but also significant adverse indirect impacts as well:
[A] project which respects a park's territorial integrity may still, by means of noise, air pollution and general unsightliness, dissipate its aesthetic value, crush its wildlife, defoliate its vegetation, and "take" it in every practical sense.
D.C. Fed'n of Civic Ass'ns v. Volpe, 459 F.2d 1231, 1239 (D.C.Cir.), cert. denied, 405 U.S. 1030, 92 S.Ct. 1290, 31 L.Ed.2d 489 (1972); see also Adler v. Lewis, 675 F.2d 1085, 1092 (9th Cir.1982). At the same time, "not ... every change within park boundaries constitutes a use" of section 4(f) lands. Coalition on Sensible Transp., Inc. v. Dole, 826 F.2d 60, 63 (D.C.Cir.1987). No "use" will be deemed to have occurred where an action will have only an insignificant effect on the existing use of protected lands. See Sierra Club v. United States Dep't of Transp., 753 F.2d 120, 130 (D.C.Cir.1985).
In concluding that the noise that would be produced by the new airport would not constitute a "use" of Barr Lake State Park, the FAA explained that the anticipated noise would be "well below the level of significance according to Federal guidelines." FEIS at 5.36. These guidelines are FAA regulations for "Airport Noise Compatibility Planning," which identify certain land uses that are "normally compatible with various levels of exposure to noise by individuals." 14 C.F.R. Sec. 150.1 (1990); see id. Part 150; FEIS at 5.36, 8.1, 10.153. A table appended to the regulations identifies five subcategories within the "Recreational" category of land uses. These include "Nature exhibits and zoos," "Amusements, parks, resorts and camps," and "Golf courses, riding stables and water recreation." 14 C.F.R. Part 150 app. A, Table 1.
The regulations specify the levels of noise that are compatible with each category of use. These are stated in terms of yearly day-night average sound levels measured in decibels, or "Ldn." In referring to the Part 150 guidelines in its section 4(f) analysis, the FAA explained that[r]ecreational uses including nature exhibits, parks and golf courses are identified in this table as compatible up to Ldn levels of 70-well above those levels predicted in the EIS for the Barr Lake area.
FEIS at 10.153. The implicit conclusion, of course, is that because those particular recreational uses are compatible with certain noise levels, the prevalence of any lesser average levels at Barr Lake would not amount to a "use" of the park.
The problem with this analysis is that the effect of noise on the types of land uses specified in the regulations bears little or no relation to the effect of noise on the park's role as a refuge and on those who visit it to study and enjoy its wildlife. Given the avowed policy of section 4(f) to preserve the "natural beauty" of wildlife refuges and other parklands, 49 U.S.C. Sec. 303(a), agencies must consider the effects of an action on the natural attributes of those lands in making its section 4(f) determinations. Yet by focusing, as they explicitly do, on the "reaction of people to noise," see 14 C.F.R. Sec. 150.1 (emphasis added), the regulations relied on by the FAA neglect altogether the effects of noise on wildlife and the natural environment generally. Although the FAA argues in its brief that studies on the reaction of animals to aircraft noise have been inconclusive at best, such reasoning appears nowhere in the agency's section 4(f) findings.
Moreover, because Part 150 does not list wildlife refuges among the land use categories to be protected, it is of little use in addressing the effects of noise on the expectations and purposes of persons who visit Barr Lake to study and enjoy its wildlife. These purposes have little in common with the recreational uses associated with "nature exhibits, parks and golf courses" with which the FAA compared Barr Lake in its FEIS. See FEIS at 10.153. While these subcategories may be appropriate guides to acceptable noise levels over those areas of Barr Lake State Park that are devoted to traditional recreational uses such as boating, they are irrelevant to the park's other role as a refuge.
The incongruity of these comparisons is especially apparent when one looks at the subcategories on which the FAA relies. In these, "nature exhibits" is paired with "zoos," "parks" is sandwiched between "amusements" and "resorts," and "golf courses" is grouped with "water recreation." 14 C.F.R. Part 150 app. A, Table 1. The tolerance of people to noise at zoos, amusement parks, and resorts cannot lead to any meaningful conclusion about the noise levels that are appropriate for a wildlife refuge. In sum, none of these subcategories is relevant to the values typically associated with the use of a wildlife refuge, such as tranquility and the opportunity to observe nature undisturbed by human activity. While it is reasonable for the agency to rely on guidelines in determining whether a "use" of section 4(f) lands has occurred, they must bear some relevance to the value, significance, and enjoyment of the lands at issue.
Nevertheless, the FAA's error in relying on the Part 150 guidelines is not fatal. The Administrative Procedure Act provides that in judicial review of agency action, "due account shall be taken of the rule of prejudicial error." 5 U.S.C. Sec. 706 (1988). We have described the appropriate inquiry as follows:
[W]here a subsidiary finding is unsupported or otherwise erroneous but the court is clear that its presence was not material to the ultimate finding, reversal is inappropriate. The court should affirm if it appears all the important basic findings made by the [agency] are supported by substantial evidence. A court should not upset a decision because of errors that are not material....
Delta Air Lines, Inc. v. CAB, 564 F.2d 592, 598 (D.C.Cir.1977) (citations omitted); see also Road Sprinkler Fitters Local Union No. 669 v. NLRB, 778 F.2d 8, 14 (D.C.Cir.1985).
Under these principles, we conclude that the FAA's use of inappropriate noise guidelines is not prejudicial because there is substantial evidence in the FEIS to support its determination that Barr Lake State Park will not be "used." To explain our conclusion, we refer again to the legal standard for what constitutes a "use." As we explained above, section 4(f) will not be invoked where the activity complained of will have only an insignificant effect on the existing use of the parkland. See Sierra Club, 753 F.2d at 130; cf. Ringsred v. Dole, 828 F.2d 1300, 1303 (8th Cir.1987) (describing "increased noise levels" as a "use" under section 4(f)) (emphasis added).
In Sierra Club we considered whether permitting commercial jets to land at an airport in Grand Teton National Park would constitute a "use" of parklands under section 4(f). The FAA had found that the increase in cumulative noise would not be significant. Observing that the airport had been used for many years by commercial propeller planes and private jets, we concluded that the addition of commercial jets would result in only "relatively minor changes in the operational characteristics of an established transportational facility" and held that such flights would not be a "use" for purposes of section 4(f). Sierra Club, 753 F.2d at 130; see also Coalition on Sensible Transp., Inc., 826 F.2d at 63 (discussing Sierra Club with approval).
Although the case before us, unlike Sierra Club, involves a new airport, the FAA concluded at several points throughout the FEIS that the anticipated impact on Barr Lake of the noise created by the new airport would generally be about equal to, or lower than, that currently produced by the operations at Stapleton. See, e.g., FEIS at 10.67 ("A lower percentage of departures in a northerly direction will generally result in a lower cumulative noise impact upon Barr Lake State Park activities."); see also id. at 6.3 ("The anticipated noise levels [at Barr Lake] are ... below current levels."); id. at 10.153 ("The expected noise levels from the new airport [at Barr Lake] are not significantly different than those experienced from operations at Stapleton.").
This conclusion is supported by the FAA's "noise contour diagrams," which depict lines of equal exposure to noise as measured by Ldn (the average day-night index used to describe cumulative noise impacts). The diagrams comparing the projected noise levels generated by the continued use of Stapleton with those generated by the new airport for the years 1995 (when the first phase of construction would be completed) and 2020 (when the project would be finished) show that under all the scenarios, Barr Lake State Park will remain well outside the Ldn 60 noise contour, which is the minimum level shown on the diagrams. These indicate that at this level, there is no significant difference in the impact on Barr Lake of the noise resulting from operations at the two airports. See FEIS at 5.5, 5.5a, 5.8, 5.11. Petitioners have nowhere suggested that significant differences between noise levels caused by Stapleton and the new airport would arise if lower Ldn contours had been charted.
The FAA's conclusion that the new airport will not involve a section 4(f) use is further supported by data measuring episodic (as opposed to average) noise levels at Barr Lake. In its FEIS, the FAA presents data derived from the Denver EA showing the number of minutes per day during which the noise level at three locations around Barr Lake State Park would exceed 75 dBA (the equivalent of a household vacuum cleaner operating five to six feet away). See FEIS at 5.16-5.17. At two of the locations, the minutes of such noise exposure resulting from the new airport on the completion of its first phase in 1995 are only 0.1 minutes each, well below the 2.5 and 1.6 minutes that would result from continued operations at Stapleton. FEIS at 5.17. At the third location--which is at the easternmost edge of the park--the new airport would generate 4.7 minutes a day of noise in excess of 75 dBA in 1995, as compared to 1.2 minutes a day from Stapleton.
Moreover, our own examination of the underlying data contained in the Denver EA supports the trend illustrated by the FEIS--a general decline in peak noise from the new airport, with but one other exception worth noting. At one location just beyond the park's northeast boundary, the new airport would generate 5.1 minutes a day of noise above 75 dBA in 1995, compared with zero minutes a day from Stapleton. See Denver EA at Appendix A. The question, then, is whether these projected increases of 3.5 and 5.1 minutes a day above the levels expected from Stapleton at two peripheral locations result in a sufficiently substantial adverse impact on Barr Lake to constitute a "use" under section 4(f). On the basis of Sierra Club, and considering the other evidence indicating an overall decrease of noise over Barr Lake when the new airport becomes operational, we find that they do not.
We conclude from the above that in spite of its mistaken reliance on the noise level guidelines contained in its regulations, the FAA has marshaled sufficient evidence to support its conclusion that the operation of the new airport will not result in a significant increase in noise levels at Barr Lake State Park, and therefore it will not give rise to a use of the park under section 4(f).
B. Petitioners' Other Claims
Petitioners contend that the FAA failed adequately to consider a reasonable range of alternatives to the proposed airport, as required by NEPA, Council on Environmental Quality ("CEQ") regulations, and the AAIA. See 42 U.S.C. Sec. 4332(2)(C)(iii), (E) (1982); 40 C.F.R. Sec. 1502.14 (1989); 49 U.S.C. App. Sec. 2208(b)(5) (1982). Petitioners also assert that the FAA failed to analyze the cumulative impact of the proposed airport together with the impacts of other planned but unrelated projects in the area, in violation of applicable CEQ regulations. See 40 C.F.R. Secs. 1508.7, 1508.25 (1989). Lastly, they claim that the interests of the Van Aire community have not received fair consideration, as required by the AAIA. See 49 U.S.C. App. Sec. 2208(b)(4).
We deny review on these claims. First, the FEIS contains abundant evidence that the FAA carefully considered a reasonable range of alternatives. See, e.g., FEIS at 3.1-3.41, 10.51-10.62; see also ROD at 3-7. The FAA need not examine an infinite number of alternatives in infinite detail. See, e.g., NRDC, Inc. v. Hodel, 865 F.2d 288, 294-95 (D.C.Cir.1988) (consideration of alternatives to be guided by "rule of reason" and "bounded by some notion of feasibility"). Second, the FAA gave adequate attention to the effects of such contemplated airport-related projects as the construction of access roads. E.g., FEIS at 5.23-5.29, 10.77-10.88, 10.124-10.126. It is not required by the pertinent CEQ regulations to consider projects that are neither related to nor dependent on the airport. See 40 C.F.R. Sec. 1508.25(a) ("unconnected single actions" need not be considered); Kleppe v. Sierra Club, 427 U.S. 390, 409-12, 96 S.Ct. 2718, 2729-31, 49 L.Ed.2d 576 (1976). Finally, our examination of the FEIS satisfies us that the FAA fairly and adequately considered the interests of the Van Aire community, and petitioners present no evidence to the contrary. See FEIS at 5.20-5.23, 10.57, 10.74-10.75; see also ROD at 8.
In making its section 4(f) determination, the FAA erred to the degree that it relied on guidelines that failed to measure the effects of noise both on the natural environment of Barr Lake State Park and on the expectations of visitors to the refuge. Nonetheless, its conclusion that the new airport will not constitute a "use" of section 4(f) lands is supported by substantial evidence that the noise levels produced by its operations will add only insignificantly, if at all, to those presently experienced over the park. As we find petitioners' remaining claims to be without merit, the petition for review is


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Is the Very Trendy Keto Diet Actually Safe For You? We Investigate
Is the Keto Diet Safe?
April 5, 2018 by Jen Glantz
Name a diet, any diet, and there's a good chance I've tried it, twice. I'm a sucker for new ways of changing up my eating habits, not for weight loss but for health reasons. I tend to eat way too much pizza, and when I'm not eating pizza, I'm eating pasta. Diets, whether it's a juice cleanse or going Paleo for a month, are attractive to me.
When I heard about the keto diet, a low-carb and high-fat diet, I wondered if it was something I too should try out, especially because my boyfriend was giving it a try. Within a week, he became ill with what is known as the keto flu, which is when your body has a natural reaction when it switches from burning sugar to burning fat instead. The symptoms of dizziness, brain fog, and stomach pains are compared to being similar to what your body goes through when it withdraws from an addictive substance. Watching my boyfriend engage with the keto flu for a few days made me question whether or not this diet was safe.
Elyse Ate "Wings and Chipotle" but Lost Over 50 Pounds in 6 Months, Thanks to the Keto Diet
Here are what doctors and health experts have to say about the keto diet.
Stacy Tucker, a trauma RN and holistic healthcare professional, says that the keto diet is mostly safe.
"Keto diet focuses on consuming extremely low amounts (almost negligible) of carbs and forces the body into a state of ketosis (where the body starts breaking down fat to consume for energy instead of glucose)," Tucker says.
She does advise to watch out for two main things that can happen when you give the keto diet a chance.
Knock Out These 20 Meal-Prep Ideas and Have Happy Keto Lunches All Week
"First, low-carbohydrate intake can cause glucose levels to drop, and people may experience symptoms like dizziness and in worse cases faint and injure themselves," Tucker says. "The other significant complication is ketoacidosis, which occurs when there is high concentrations of ketones in the blood formed by the breakdown of fatty acids and the deamination of amino acids. This can have deadly consequences for people in high-risk categories, namely Type 1 Diabetics."
Laurie Endicott Thomas, an MA, ELS, says that no population has ever lived on a ketogenic diet, not even the Inuit (Eskimos) who were eating their traditional diet and did not go into ketosis unless they were fasting.
"The populations that have the longest and healthiest lives eat a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet based on plant foods, with a heavy emphasis on starchy staples such as grains (wheat, rice, corn, etc.) or starchy vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.)," Endicott Thomas says.
The Pros and Cons of Going Keto
If you are looking to get on the ketogenic diet to lose weight, manage diabetes, or prevent chronic disease, Dr. Jamie M. Koonce, a L.Ac., DACM, says it's not right for you.
"First of all, we must consider that the keto diet must be very carefully constructed in order for ketosis to be achieved and maintained, and the restriction of healthy carbohydrate containing foods (fruits, starchy vegetables, grains, legumes) can lead to nutritional deficiencies and overall poor health from a lack of antioxidants, polyphenols, fiber, and other phytonutrients found in these foods," Koonce says.
Experts Say the Keto Diet May Have an Unexpected Emotional Benefit
If you do want to give the keto diet a shot, Koonce recommends you plan your meals out so they incorporate important nutritional items.
"A 'properly constructed' ketogenic diet would need to consist of healthy foods like leafy greens, avocados, cruciferous vegetables, nuts, and seeds (not bacon, sausage, cheese, and buttered coffee) in addition to various supplements to prevent nutrient deficiencies and to deal with common side effects like brain fog, poor sleep, and electrolyte imbalances, and it would require careful monitoring of serum ketones and blood glucose using a meter that would require pricking the finger several times a day like a diabetic."
Image Source: Unsplash / Eduardo Roda Lopes
Weight LossDiet TipsKeto DietDiets

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Annual Meeting of the Congregation was held last Sunday, January 27th. Ruth DiLorenzo was elected as Presiding Officer, with David Bartholomew as Clerk of the Congregation. Reports were presented from the Pastor, the Board of Deacons, Christian Education, Benevolence, Board of Trustees, Endowment, Music, Dinner Club and Scholarship Fund. A budget of $313,000 for 2019 was presented and adopted. The following were elected as officers: Board of Trustees, Class of 2022 – Jim Harrison, Nancy Schellhas and Carter Dorzbacher; Board of Deacons, Class of 2020 – Bob Sweeney; Class of 2022 – Joan Coffman, Susie Michele and Catherine Pollock; Clerk of the Congregation – David Bartholomew; Chairperson of Nominations – John Garibaldi. May your prayers attend these persons and all others accepting positions of responsibility for the well-being of Union Church. Perhaps you would like a copy of the Annual Reports. The booklet will be available in the Parish Hall or from the Church Office.
Looking ahead – an Ash Wednesday Service will be held March 6th at 8 p.m. The Paul Jacobs Organ Recital is April 7th at 3 pm; tickets are now available.
Members were added to our congregation January 27th. They are: Pamela Whittemore and Louis Calogridis, of Weston, CN, Mary and Herb Knapp of Mt. Vernon, NY – we welcome them and extend to them the right hand of Christian fellowship.
Each time members are received we who have been and now are members renew our vows of faithfulness.
Please consider hosting a future Fellowship Hour. Currently the last three weeks of February are open. If you have any questions, please ask any Deacon. Thank you!!
We were delighted to receive four new members on Sunday, the 27th at the 11:00 a.m. Worship Service. Welcome Herb and Mary Knapp of Mt. Vernon and Pam Whittemore and Lou Calogridis of Weston, CT to Union Church!
The Officers/Staff Planning Session will be held on Saturday, February 2, at the church beginning at 9:00 a.m.
If you did not receive a copy of the 2018 Annual Report, copies are available in the Parish Hall.
It is not too late to submit a pledge card. We are asking that you prayerfully consider what you are able to contribute during the coming year to help support the mission of Union Church. If you have not received a pledge card or would like another one, please contact Beth Coffman (beth.ucph@optimum.net/ 914-631-2069). Thank you.
Paul Jacobs, the Organ Chair at Julliard since 2004, will give a recital at Union Church as part of the Fine Arts Program on Sunday, April 7, at 3:00 pm. He is the only organist ever to have won a Grammy Award (in 2011 for Messiaen's "Livre du Saint-Sacrement). Tickets are available in the church office for $15.00 each.


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Zottegem (tot 1949 Sottegem) is een gemeente en stad in de Belgische provincie Oost-Vlaanderen.

Het ligt in de Vlaamse Ardennen, ten zuidoosten van Gent. Zottegem telt ruim 26.000 inwoners, die Zottegemnaars of Zottegemmenaars worden genoemd.

Geschiedenis

In de gemeente (Velzeke, Spelaan Leeuwergem) werden Romeinse en Gallo-Romeinse vondsten gedaan. De vicus Velzeke lag aan de heirbaan Boulogne-Asse-Tongeren en de heirbaan tussen Bavay en het noorden (Romeinse weg Bavay-Velzeke). Zottegem ontstond later als een kleine Germaanse nederzetting op de linkeroever van de Bettelhovebeek (Germaanse stamhoofdnaam Sotto (de zoete) + ingahaim (plaats van de lieden van)). De oudste teruggevonden vermelding van de plaats Sotengem dateert uit 1083; in latere bronnen werd de plek onder andere ook Sothengem, Sottingem, Sottengem, Zotteghem, Sotengien, Sottheghem, Sottenghien, Sottegem genoemd. Het was een kleine nederzetting ('Ten Dorpe') vlak bij de versterking van Rothardus (het huidige Egmontkasteel), die evolueerde van een versterkt mottekasteel tot een stenen burcht. In de dertiende eeuw stimuleerden de Zottegemse kasteelheren het ontstaan van een nieuwe kleinstedelijke woonkern met bijbehorende parochiekerk (iets meer naar het zuiden, rond de huidige Markt en Heldenlaan). Het kleine centrum kwam vanaf de veertiende eeuw tot bloei en kreeg als 'vryheydt' bepaalde fiscale, sociale en economische rechten (lakenhuis, eigen bestuur, rechtspraak en vanaf 1524 marktrecht (wekelijkse markt en twee jaarmarkten)). De baronie van Zottegem behoorde tot het Land van Aalst, kasselrij van het graafschap Vlaanderen. Het Egmontkasteel van de heren van Zottegem werd achtereenvolgens het bezit van de adellijke geslachten Edingen (dertiende eeuw), en in de Bourgondische Nederlanden van het geslacht Melun (veertiende eeuw) en het huis Luxemburg-Fiennes (vijftiende eeuw). In de zestiende eeuw kwamen de heerlijkheid Zottegem en het Egmontkasteel in handen van het huis Egmont en Lamoraal van Egmont.

De woelige tweede helft van de zestiende eeuw werd gekenmerkt door het opkomende protestantisme en (na de Beeldenstorm) de opstand tegen de Spanjaarden tijdens de Tachtigjarige Oorlog in de Spaanse Nederlanden. Na zijn onthoofding op bevel van Alva op 5 juni 1568 werd Lamoraal van Egmont begraven in de Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Hemelvaartkerk. Tussen 1579 en 1581 kreeg Zottegem te maken met krijgsgeweld, zowel van protestantse geuzen als van katholieke malcontenten. Zottegem had in de daaropvolgende eeuwen regelmatig af te rekenen met krijgsgeweld van vooral Franse troepen (1645, 1658, 1671, 1690-1701, 1742-1748). Vanaf 1707 (de Oostenrijkse Nederlanden tot de Franse Tijd in België) kwam het Egmontkasteel in handen van de adellijke familie Pignatelli.

Zottegem had zich ondertussen ontwikkeld tot een klein handels- en ambachtscentrum van regionaal belang. In 1867 werd de spoorlijn tussen Gent en 's-Gravenbrakel aangelegd (naar het Waalse steenkoolbekken) en werd het station Zottegem in gebruik genomen, in 1870 volgde de lijn Brussel-Kortrijk en in 1875 de lijn Aalst-Ronse. De stadskern werd uitgebreid richting station en de bevolking nam daardoor snel toe. Zottegem werd een handels- en nijverheidscentrum met scholen (Gesticht Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Deinsbeke), een tiental brouwerijen (Brouwerij De Klok, Brouwerij Crombé, Brouwerij De Meyer, Brouwerij Barbry, Brouwerij Het Lam, Brouwerij Droesbeque, De Toekomst, Brouwerij De Cock), kachelmakerijen, schoenen-, breigoed- en textielfabrieken (Sanitary, Cantaert, Schockaert-Smeets, Cousy,.<ref>[https://www.nuus.be/2021/01/22/van-onder-het-stof-700-textielnijverheid-in-zottegem-laatste-deel-een-blijver-in-de-21st/ 700 jaar textielnijverheid in Zottegem. Nuus]</ref>) Verschillende industriëlen en rijke burgers lieten statige woningen optrekken in art-decostijl, eclectische stijl of cottagestijl in en rond het centrum.

Vanaf de jaren 50 breidde de stad gestaag verder uit met nieuwe woonwijken. De fusiegemeente Zottegem, die ontstond na fusies in 1971 en 1977, draagt sinds 1985 de titel 'stad'. Tegenwoordig is Zottegem vooral een regionaal handels- en dienstencentrum (met winkels, ziekenhuis AZ Sint-Elisabeth Zottegem en scholen (Koninklijk Atheneum Zottegem, Richtpunt Campus Zottegem, Onze-Lieve-Vrouwcollege)) met een relatief groot aantal pendelaars.

 Geografie
Zottegem ligt in het vrij heuvelachtige Vlaamse Ardennen-landschap dat varieert van 20 meter tot 102 meter hoogte met hellingen als De Vlamme, Langendries, Grotenberge, Slijpstraat-Kortendries, Wolvenhoek, Klemhoutstraat, Kloosterbosstraat en Elverenberg-Vossenhol. De glooiende noordelijke helft van het grondgebied is iets vlakker dan het sterker heuvelende zuidelijke deel met Erwetegem, Sint-Goriks-Oudenhove, Sint-Maria-Oudenhove.

Door Zottegem stromen verscheidene waterlopen waaronder de Bettelhovebeek (Deinsbeek),  de Molenbeek (monding in de Zwalm), de Traveinsbeek (monding in de Zwalm), de Molenbeek-Ter Erpenbeek, de Molenbeek (monding nabij Wichelen) en de Munkbosbeek (Stampkotbeek). In het westen wordt Zottegem begrensd door de Zwalm in de Zwalmvallei. Zottegem grenst aan de gemeentes Gavere, Oosterzele, Sint-Lievens-Houtem, Herzele, Lierde, Brakel en Zwalm.

 Kernen
Naast Zottegem zelf bestaat de fusiegemeente uit de onderstaande deelgemeenten.

In 1971 fuseerde Zottegem met de toenmalige gemeenten Velzeke-Ruddershove, Elene, Strijpen, Erwetegem, Grotenberge, Leeuwergem, Godveerdegem en Sint-Goriks-Oudenhove. In 1977 vervoegden ook delen van Oombergen en delen van Sint-Maria-Oudenhove de fusiegemeente 'Zottegem' (andere delen van Oombergen werden bij Sint-Lievens-Houtem gevoegd; andere delen van Sint-Maria-Oudenhove bij Brakel).

Velzeke-Ruddershove bestaat uit Velzeke en Ruddershove, die tot 1825 zelfstandige gemeenten waren. De wijk Bijloke ligt op de grens van Grotenberge, Leeuwergem en Strijpen, en sluit aan op de stadskern van Zottegem, net als de wijk Bevegem.

Demografie

Demografische evolutie voor de fusie

Bron:NIS - Opm:1831 t/m 1961=volkstellingen op 31 december

Demografische ontwikkeling van de fusiegemeente

Alle historische gegevens hebben betrekking op de huidige gemeente, inclusief deelgemeenten, zoals ontstaan na de fusie van 1 januari 1977.

Bronnen:NIS, Opm:1831 tot en met 1981=volkstellingen; 1990 en later= inwonertal op 1 januari

 Bezienswaardigheden

 Egmontstad
De stad was de thuisbasis van Lamoraal van Egmont en staat daardoor bekend als Egmontstad. Verschillende monumenten herinneren aan de zestiende-eeuwse graaf:
 Egmontkasteel in het Egmontpark
 Egmontcrypte in de Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Hemelvaartkerk
 Standbeeld van Lamoraal van Egmont
 Een schrijn met Egmonts gekliefde halswervel en twee schilderijen (Laatste eerbewijzen aan Egmont en Horne, Het kasteel Egmond aan den Hoef'') in het stadhuis, waar ook een 'Egmontkamer' is ingericht.

Andere bezienswaardigheden
 Stadhuis (met Marktleeuw) en Huis De Katholieke Kring op de Markt
 Domein Breivelde
 Kasteel van Leeuwergem
 Provinciaal Archeocentrum Velzeke (AVE) aan de Paddestraat

Politiek

Structuur
De stad Zottegem ligt in het kieskanton Zottegem in het provinciedistrict Geraardsbergen, het kiesarrondissement Aalst-Oudenaarde en de kieskring Oost-Vlaanderen.

Geschiedenis

2019-2024
Na de gemeenteraadsverkiezingen van 2018 werd de N-VA de grootste partij, waarop een coalitie werd gevormd tussen N-VA en CD&V. Vanaf 2019 tot 2024 is er een coalitie van N-VA en CD&V met een meerderheid van 15 op 29 zetels. Het burgemeesterschap wordt verdeeld tussen CD&V'er Jenne De Potter (2019-2021) en N-VA'er Matthias Diependaele (titelvoerend burgemeester in de periode 2022-2024 met als waarnemend burgemeester Evelien De Both).

Resultaten gemeenteraadsverkiezingen sinds 1976

De rode cijfers naast de gegevens duiden aan onder welke naam de partijen bij elke verkiezing opkwamen.
De zetels van de gevormde coalitie staan vetjes afgedrukt. De grootste partij is in kleur.
(*) 1988: VERZET / 2012: LEEF! (1,71%), LDD Plus (1,71%) /  2018: De vrije mening

Verkeer en vervoer
Nabij het stadscentrum bevindt zich het station van Zottegem, op de kruising van spoorlijn 89 en 122. Langs spoorlijn 122 wordt Fietssnelweg F417 aangelegd tussen Zottegem en Gent.

Van noord naar zuid loopt door de gemeente de N42, de gewestweg Wetteren-Geraardsbergen-Lessen. In oost-westrichting loopt de N46, de gewestweg Aalst-Oudenaarde. Verder lopen ook de N454 (Ronse-Zottegem) en de N462 (Wetteren-Brakel) door Zottegem.

Sport

Voetbalclub KSV Sottegem speelde in zijn bestaan verscheidene seizoenen in de nationale reeksen. In de deelgemeenten zijn nog andere clubs aangesloten bij de Belgische Voetbalbond en actief in de provinciale reeksen, namelijk Eendracht Elene-Grotenberge, WK Sint-Goriks, EC Oudenhove, Racing Strijpen, FC Velzeke en RR Breivelde-Zottegem.

In de stad zijn ook nog andere sportclubs actief, waaronder basketbalclub BBC Helios Zottegem, tennisclub Tennis & Padel TC Zottegem, Zwemclub Labio-FIRST, volleybalclub MEZO, turnclub EWB, Hockeyclub Arcus Zottegem, Badmintonclub Zottegem, Judoschool Zottegem, Shotokan Karateclub Zottegem, tafeltennisclub TTC Egmont, Rugby Club Zottegem, honkbal- en softbalclub Zottegem Bebops, triatlonclub 3ZotTeam, Schaakclub Caballos, squashclub Future Sports en atletiekvereniging Zottegem Atletiek. Het stedelijk sportcentrum de 'Bevegemse Vijvers' met zwembad en sportzalen bevindt zich in de wijk Bevegem. Met financiële steun van de provincie Oost-Vlaanderen werd er in 2006 een nieuw complex gebouwd met sportzalen, een feestzaal en een fuifzaal. Het zwembad werd gerenoveerd in 2009 en 2010. Er liggen ook nog enkele voetbalterreinen, een Finse piste, een honkbalterrein en een fit-o-meter. Vlakbij ligt het stedelijk sportstadion Jules Matthijs met sportcomplex.

De plaats wordt aangedaan door verschillende wielerwedstrijden waaronder de Driedaagse van De Panne, E3 Harelbeke, de Ronde van België en de Ronde van Vlaanderen. Jaarlijks wordt ook de Egmont Cycling Race (vroegere Dokter Tistaertprijs/Grote Prijs Stad Zottegem) er georganiseerd.

Recreatie
Door de gemeente Zottegem lopen onder meer de fietsroutes 'Egmontroute' en 'Ronde van Vlaanderenroute' (rode en gele lus), mountainbikeroutes, looproutes door Domein Breivelde en de autoroutes 'Vlaamse Ardennenroute' en 'Romeinse weg Velzeke-Bavay Viae Romanae'. Het fietsroutenetwerk 'Vlaamse Ardennen', de Streek-GR Vlaamse Ardennen en de wandelroutenetwerken 'Vlaamse Ardennen - Zwalmvallei' en 'Vlaamse Ardennen - Bronbossen' lopen deels door Zottegem. Andere wandelpaden zijn het Mijnwerkerspad en het Jan de Lichtepad.

Natuurgebieden
In Zottegem liggen verschillende natuurgebieden; de meeste daarvan zijn Europees beschermd als Natura 2000-habitatrichtlijngebied (Bossen van de Vlaamse Ardennen en andere Zuid-Vlaamse bossen) en worden beheerd door de stad Zottegem, Natuurpunt of het Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos. Het gaat om Wachtspaarbekken Bettelhovebeek, Middenloop Zwalm, Kloosterbos, Vijfstratenbos, Steenbergse bossen, Parkbos-Uilenbroek, Oombergse bossen en Cotthembos, Bertelbos, Munkbosbeekvallei, Vogelzangbos.

Cultuur

Zottegem heeft enkele stadsreuzen (Cambrinus, Cambrina, Sotto, Johanna, Leo en Trees), die samen met de acht 'wippelpaardjes' een optocht vormen op de kermis rond Pinksteren. Sinds 10 maart 2018 is volkszanger Emiel 'Miele' De Meyer ook vereeuwigd als reus.

In Zottegem wordt als streektaal Zottegems gesproken, een variant van het Oost-Vlaamse dialect van het Nederlands.

Tussen Sinterklaas en Driekoningen wordt bij lokale bakkers de 'koekelaring' gemaakt, een rechthoekig kruimig broodje met kaneel.

Festivals en feesten
Jaarlijks wordt bij de Bevegemse Vijvers het muziekfestival Rock Zottegem georganiseerd. Daarnaast zijn er verspreid over het jaar nog een aantal muziekfestivals, waaronder More Blues, Bombelbas, Dance D-Vision, Dunk! Festival (tot 2021) en Jazz Zottegem en de Parkconcerten in het Egmontpark.

Sinds 1956 is er elk jaar op de eerste zaterdag van januari een carnavalsoptocht (in Zottegem zelf en op een andere datum ook in  Sint-Goriks-Oudenhove, Sint-Maria-Oudenhove en Erwetegem) . Deze stoet kwam voort uit de 'Winterfeesten' en was oorspronkelijk bedoeld om het driekoningenzingen te stimuleren ('Driekoningencarnaval'). Zottegem is, samen met het naburige Ronse, de enige plaats in België waar carnaval gevierd wordt begin januari. Er wordt elk jaar rond Pinksteren en rond Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Hemelvaart ook een kermis gehouden. In verschillende deelgemeentes (Leeuwergem, Sint-Goriks-Oudenhove, Sint-Maria-Oudenhove en Erwetegem) wordt een jaarlijkse ruiterommegang (paardenprocessie) gehouden.

Bekende personen

Geboren in Zottegem
 Jan de Lichte (1723-1748), bendeleider en historisch-literaire figuur
 Jan Lodewijk van Aelbroeck (1755-1846), landbouwkundige
 August De Rouck (1805-1881), industrieel
 Hector Lebon (1863-1935), burgemeester van Antwerpen
 Valère Edmond Buysse (1870-1943), burgemeester
 Gustaaf Verstraeten (1872-1947), kunstschilder
 Laurent Merchiers (1904-1986), politicus
 Adriaan Magerman (1922-2000), dichter
 Etienne Stautemas, (1927-1998), tuin- en bloementapijtontwerper
 Emiel 'Miele' De Meyer (1931-2018), volkszanger
 Urbain Braems (1933-2021), voetbaltrainer
 Paul Van Cauwenberge (1949), rector Universiteit Gent
 Jean Blaute (1952), muzikant
 Werner Mory (1954), atleet
 Magali Uytterhaegen (1954), actrice
 Raymond Van Paemel (1956), atleet
 Rudy Van Snick (1956), bergbeklimmer
 Patricia De Martelaere (1957-2009), filosofe, schrijfster
 Eddy François (1961-2014), architect
 Peter Goossens (1964), chef-kok
 Jeroen Van Herzeele (1965), jazzsaxofonist
 Hein Diependaele (1965-2005), advocaat
 Els Keytsman (1972), directeur en politicus
 Sebastiaan Van Steenberge (1974), dirigent, organist en componist
 Jessy De Smet (1976), zangeres
 Tim Goditiabois (1978), cabaretier
 Lieven Buysse (1979), hoogleraar Engelse taalkunde
 Line Van Wambeke (1979), actrice
 Koen Barbé (1981), wielrenner
 Hein Blondeel (1983), zanger en acteur
 Maarten Larmuseau (1983), geneticus
 Wouter Moreels (1985), voetballer
 Bart De Clercq (1986), wielrenner
 Klaas Van der Linden (1986), kunstenaar
 Sofie De Vuyst (1987), wielrenster
 Nicky Evrard (1995), voetbalster
  Matthias Michiels (Kymo One) (1995), kunstenaar
 Ewoud Pletinckx (2000), voetballer

Woonachtig te Zottegem
 Chris Janssens, voetballer en voetbaltrainer
 Hein Blondeel, zanger en acteur
 Tim Matthys, voetballer
 Matthias Diependaele, Vlaams minister van Begroting, Financiën en Wonen
 Mark Van Crombrugge, kunstenaar
 Jenne De Potter (1979), politicus, voormalig burgemeester

Externe link
 Officiële website

Plaats in Oost-Vlaanderen

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Home/World News/Middle East/Palestine/'Israel's' advanced atomic military program poses serious threat to global security, NPT: Iran
PalestineIranMiddle East
'Israel's' advanced atomic military program poses serious threat to global security, NPT: Iran
Iran says the Israeli regime's advanced atomic military program poses a serious threat to international security and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), urging the UN nuclear agency to fulfill its responsibility in this regard.
"The advanced atomic military program of the apartheid Israeli regime and the regime's continued objection to placing its nuclear facilities under the Safeguards Agreements [of the International Atomic Energy] Agency and not joining the Non-Proliferation Treaty are serious threats to international security and the non-proliferation regime," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kana'ani said in a series of tweets on Friday.
The IAEA is expected to fulfill its responsibility in this regard in accordance with its statute, he added.
"According to the agency's statute, it is expected that promoting the peaceful use and non-deviation of the peaceful goals of nuclear energy will be the concern of the agency and its director general with no discrimination," Kana'ani said.
In another tweet, the Iranian spokesman wished success for Mohsen Naziri Asl, Iran's new ambassador and permanent representative to the UN office in Vienna and the Islamic Republic's representative to the IAEA and said the diplomat was appointed on July 29, the day the UN nuclear watchdog was officially launched in 1957.
Israel, which pursues a policy of deliberate ambiguity about its nuclear weapons, is estimated to have 200 to 400 nuclear warheads in its arsenal, making it the sole possessor of the non-conventional arms in West Asia. The occupying entity has, however, refused to either allow inspections of its military nuclear facilities or sign the NPT.
Over the years, the regime has assassinated at least seven Iranian nuclear scientists and conducted several sabotage operations against the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities.
Ustad Hizbullah Hakverdi: WHILE CELEBRATING THE ESTABLISHMENT ANNIVERSARY OF ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN…
Photos- Imam Khomeini (RA) historical speech in Tehran cemetery (1979)


DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkish police fired water canons and detained some members of a group of about 100 that attempted on Monday to visit the grave of a member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) who died in prison, a Reuters witness said.
The PKK member, Zulkuf Gezen, had been sentenced in 2010 to life in jail for links to a bombing in 2007 that killed one and injured six, according to media reports. He was jailed in the northwestern province of Tekirdag where initial findings showed he committed suicide, the local prosecutor's office said.
The group of people heading to visit Gezen's grave in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir were blocked by police who fired a water canon on them, according to Reuters footage from the scene. The crowd chanted, "We will win by resisting," before some were detained by police and taken away.
Police said the group included Sezai Temelli, co-leader of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), and other lawmakers from his party. The lawmakers were allowed entrance to the cemetery but not the whole group, police said.
Ten people were detained after security forces called for the group to disperse and some responded by throwing rocks, police added.
The HDP has said hundreds of prisoners in Turkish jails have been on hunger strike to protest the prison isolation of Abdullah Ocalan, the head of the PKK. Gezen was also on hunger strike and committed suicide to protest the isolation, the party said.
"We invite those in power to act responsibly and realize the request to lift the isolation and the public to be sensitive before a similar pain is experienced," the HDP said on Twitter.
The PKK, considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, has waged an insurgency in Turkey since the 1980s. Some 40,000 have been killed in the conflict.
Ankara accuses the HDP of ties to the PKK. The HDP denies direct links.
HDP lawmaker Leyla Guven was the first to go on hunger strike. She was released from prison in January after spending a year in custody on charges of terrorism leadership and propaganda for her opposition to Turkey's incursion into northwest Syria's Afrin region. She still faces trial and up to 31 years in jail.


Is injesting marijuana during idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis safe?
Question: Is it okay to injest marijuana via a vaporizer if you have idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis?
Yes, its relatively safer to take Marijuana via vaporizer than smoking the weed.
Well it can not be stated that its completely safe as it could have indirect effects via respiratory centre in the brain , cardiac effects and vascular effects.
The danger is more with the smoke which do contain harmful carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke.Also can aggravate the condition you have by causing frequent irritation , direct chemical injury and infection in the lung tissue.
Hope I have answered your query. If you have any follow up queries I will be available to answer them.
From your response, the vaporizer would be preferable to smoking. However, could you elucidate a bit more on the "respiratory center in the brain," vascular and cardiac effects? Also, have you read anything that would indicate using marijuana via the vaporizer has any beneficial effects re idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis? Thank you.
The Marijuana(Tetrahydrocannabinol THC) has inhibitory effects on some parts of the brain .There is a centre which maintains and supervises the rate and depth of respiration any effect on that centre by THC will have undesired effects on respiration and the IPF (Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis) you have, can aggravate the malfunctioning.
Due to the effects of THC on the heart and the blood vessels the commonest consequence expected is Hypo-tension ( low BP) and altered heart rate.Since the heart is closely connected to the heart ( impure/de-oxygenated blood is received from heart oxygenated and sent back to the heart ) during this process the pressure and the rate of the heart will surely affect the perfusion( entry of blood into lung tissue) and thus oxygenation of blood in lungs resulting in malfunctioning the same aggravated by IPF.
No , I have not gone through any literature which mentions about the beneficial effects in IPF.
Is it dangerous to use marijuana and thc pills to manage pain after surgery?
My friend broke his arm and had surgery a week ago..he says the pain doesn t go away with the pills prescribed to him and he s thinking about smoking medical marijuana or taking THC pills or drops for the pain.Is any if these ideas harmful to him and his arm?
Is sore mouth caused by using cannabis?
I have been using cannabis to control my pain for about a mont now. I use a arizer that heats the cannabis and release3s the THC, thus reducing the harsh effects of the direct smoke. I am developing a very sore mouth. Why and what can I do about it?
Can Marinol give a false positive for THC in a urine drug test?
As a nurse, if im giving patients Marinol BID and not wearing gloves, could i fail a UDS for THC?
Is usage of cannabis oil recommended for a 67 year old?


Who would've thought that the weather would be this crazy? Not too long ago we were complaining about the Indian Summer weather, and now it's raining. If you're anything like me, rainy days are my favorite lazy days. So, I decided to honor the sunny summer days by going to CVS and buying chocolate ice cream bars for only $5.89.
This entry was posted in Frozen Desserts on October 11, 2012 by azicooper.


text:
Stream It Or Skip It
Stream It Or Skip It: 'Break It All: The History Of Rock In Latin America' on Netflix, A Rollicking Look At The Global Reach Of A Generational Sound
By Johnny Loftus Twitter @glennganges Dec 16, 2020 at 7:30pm	 114 Shares
BREAK IT ALL: The History Of Rock In Latin America
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With its first episode, Break It All: The History of Rock in Latin America (Netflix) exposes the influential bedrock of the genre in the region, and traces its evolution through Beatlemania to the protest-powered progressive sounds of the late 1960s.
BREAK IT ALL: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
Opening Shot: A toggle switch turns on an amplifier, and El Tri founder Alex Lora appears, tuning his guitar in a sequined leather jacket. "Rock and roll is a means of communication, and it would be illogical, since there are millions of people who speak the language of Cervantes, if we didn't have our own rock and roll."
The Gist: Paced over six episodes averaging about an hour each, Break It All: The History of Rock in Latin America contends to tell exactly that. Lively interviews with scene veterans from Mexico (Tijuana, Mexico City), Argentina (Buenos Aires), Uruguay (Montevideo), and Peru (Lima) formulate the narrative voice of the series, while music luminaries such as David Byrne and Juana Molina provide perspective and vintage footage fills out the visuals. In episode one, entitled "The Rebellion," we travel back to 1957, when Ritchie Valens and "La Bamba" gave a rockified voice to Spanish-speaking kids throughout Latin America. Valens was from the San Fernando Valley. But his parents were Mexican, and that was good enough for them to claim him as their own. Dances catering to young people began to spring up throughout the region, and young musicians were inspired by a guy with a guitar and a hit song on the radio who sang in their language. As the founders of early Mexican rock bands like Los Teen Tops and Los Locos Del Ritmo tell it, playing covers of hits from the US and Great Britain was exciting enough. But when they converted the lyrics into Mexican slang, it birthed a style all their own.
By the 1960s and Beatlemania, there was a true sense throughout Latin America of teenagers having a voice of their own. And it wasn't lost on bands like Uruguay's Los Shakers that the Fab Four and, later, The Rolling Stones, performed material that they wrote themselves. The same cycles of pop mania and performative inspiration that sent rock and pop music in Western Europe, The UK, and the US on a new creative tangent struck the Latin American musicians, too, and bands began performing on local television variety shows to all kinds of fanfare. Some bands, like Lima's Los Saicos, went so far with their original material as to conjure the first glimmers of a proto-punk sound.
Break It All moves quickly through two generations of rock music as it spread from Mexico all the way down to Argentina, and it can be a little disorienting to fit together who is who out of its wide sampling of graying rockers. But the contours of the late 1960s social justice movements manifested in Latin America as they did in so many places throughout the world, and as "The Rebellion" closes, its tenor changes from the thrill of early rock 'n' roll — the joys of dancing and flirting — to chronicling the rise of progressive, protest-minded music that challenged the dictatorial status quo in countries like Mexico and Argentina.
Photo: Carlos Giustino/Aspix
What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Netflix also features the great documentary Camaron: The Film, about the Spanish singer who mainstreamed Flamenco in his short, fiery career. The powerful 2013 documentary Narco Cultura (streaming on Vudu) offers a contemporary view of the confluence of fame, power, violence, drug money and pop music in Mexico. And the 2015 HBO documentary The Latin Explosion: A New America celebrates Latin music pioneers and their legacy in the US.
Our Take: A montage of testimonials from a litany of rockers and other musicians is featured early on in Break It All: The History of Rock in Latin America, and of course many of them celebrate the form's most timeless ingredients. Sex and drugs! Girls! Dancing! But also rebellion (simply put by one interviewee, "Fuck You!"), and the cross-cultural countenance of rock's ability to assemble the million influences churning through a huge urban area into the genius of three chords and the truth. Most all of those interviewed utter a version of the same thing: rock 'n' roll gave kids in Latin America purpose and identity, but kids in Latin America gave rock 'n' roll new, region-specific DNA.
As Break It All unfolds, there's a wealth of knowledge revealed about how rock music spun out from youth into new forms of protest. (And a deep well of incredible vintage footage.) But there is a revealing emphasis on how stylistic twists enlivened old aesthetic forms and local flavors, and allowed its youthful purveyors to feel pride in their newfound creative verve as much as they always had a certain pride of place. These individuals will always be rockers. But they're proud products of Latin American culture, too.
Sex and Skin: None.
Parting Shot: The first episode of Break It All ends rather abruptly, but with a ray of hope. As the student movements of the late 1960s were being summarily crushed by government troops, in Argentina a new generation of psychedelic and progressive rock bands had begun exploring even more progressive sounds. This evolution was led by the guitarist and songwriter Luis Almendra Spinetta, who grafted rock's formative elements onto Argentina's long standing traditions of tango and lyric poetry.
Sleeper Star: As the 1950s spill into the 60s, images begin to appear in Break It All that, free of context, one might assume were of any era of amplified music since. Long hair, lived-in leather jackets, aviator sunglasses, and Fender equipment are just some of elements that inform the lingua franca of rock 'n' roll.
Most Pilot-y Line: "It inspired a lot of kids to try it." It's a simple line from Los Shakers member Hugo Fattoruso, about the earth-shattering knowledge that the Beatles were writing and playing their own songs. But it speaks to the impetus for so many thousands of rock bands all over the earth, all of whom had to start with getting some people together in a room who play instruments and have a few chords roughed out on a cocktail napkin.
Our Call: STREAM IT. Break It All will be an education for many viewers, but beyond that it's a riot of inspired sounds, proud players, and incredible era-specific footage that sheds new light on a well-traveled musical era.
Should you stream or skip #BreakItAll: The History of Rock in Latin America on @netflix? #SIOSI
— Decider (@decider) December 17, 2020
Johnny Loftus is an independent writer and editor living at large in Chicagoland. His work has appeared in The Village Voice, All Music Guide, Pitchfork Media, and Nicki Swift. Follow him on Twitter: @glennganges
Watch Break It All on Netflix


text:
The spiritual revolution and suicidal ideation: an empirical enquiry among 13- to 15-year-old adolescents in England and Wales
Robbins, Mandy and Francis, Leslie J. (2009) The spiritual revolution and suicidal ideation: an empirical enquiry among 13- to 15-year-old adolescents in England and Wales. International Journal of Children's Spirituality, Vol.14 (No.3). pp. 261-272. doi:10.1080/13644360903086539
WRAP_Robbins_spiritual_revolution.pdf - Draft Version - Requires a PDF viewer.
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13644360903086539
The association between conventional religiosity and suicide inhibition has been well explored and documented since the pioneering work of Durkheim. Commentators like Heelas and Woodhead point to ways in which conventional religiosity is giving way in England and Wales to a range of alternative spiritualities, including renewed interest in paranormal phenomena. Taking a sample of 3095 13- to 15-year-old adolescents, the present study examines the association between suicidal ideation and both conventional religiosity and paranormal beliefs, after controlling for individual differences in sex, age and personality (extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism). The data demonstrate that, while conventional religiosity is slightly associated with lower levels of suicidal ideation, paranormal beliefs are strongly associated with higher levels of suicidal ideation.
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BR Christianity
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Faculty of Social Sciences > Institute of Education ( -2013)
Adolescent psychology -- Great Britain, Personality in adolescence -- Great Britain, Suicidal behavior -- Great Britain, Parapsychology -- Religious aspects -- Christianity, Teenagers -- Religious life -- Great Britain
International Journal of Children's Spirituality
August 2009 Published
Data sourced from Thomson Reuters' Web of Knowledge


text:
#ifndef CDSLIB_DETAILS_ALLOCATOR_H
#define CDSLIB_DETAILS_ALLOCATOR_H

#include <type_traits>
#include <memory>
#include <cds/details/defs.h>
#include <cds/user_setup/allocator.h>

namespace cds {
    namespace details {

        /// Extends \p std::allocator interface to provide semantics like operator \p new and \p delete
        /**
            The class is the wrapper around underlying \p Alloc class.
            \p Alloc provides the \p std::allocator interface.
        */
        template <typename T, class Alloc = CDS_DEFAULT_ALLOCATOR >
        class Allocator
            : public std::conditional<
                        std::is_same< T, typename Alloc::value_type>::value
                        , Alloc
                        , typename Alloc::template rebind<T>::other
                     >::type
        {
        public:
            /// Underlying allocator type
            typedef typename std::conditional<
                std::is_same< T, typename Alloc::value_type>::value
                , Alloc
                , typename Alloc::template rebind<T>::other
            >::type allocator_type;

            /// \p true if underlined allocator is \p std::allocator, \p false otherwise
            static CDS_CONSTEXPR bool const c_bStdAllocator = std::is_same< allocator_type, std::allocator<T>>::value;

            /// Element type
            typedef T   value_type;

            /// Analogue of operator new T(\p src... )
            template <typename... S>
            value_type *  New( S const&... src )
            {
                return Construct( allocator_type::allocate(1), src... );
            }

            /// Analogue of <tt>operator new T( std::forward<Args>(args)... )</tt> (move semantics)
            template <typename... Args>
            value_type * MoveNew( Args&&... args )
            {
                return MoveConstruct( allocator_type::allocate(1), std::forward<Args>(args)... );
            }

            /// Analogue of operator new T[\p nCount ]
            value_type * NewArray( size_t nCount )
            {
                value_type * p = allocator_type::allocate( nCount );
                for ( size_t i = 0; i < nCount; ++i )
                    Construct( p + i );
                return p;
            }

            /// Analogue of operator new T[\p nCount ].
            /**
                Each item of array of type T is initialized by parameter \p src: T( src )
            */
            template <typename S>
            value_type * NewArray( size_t nCount, S const& src )
            {
                value_type * p = allocator_type::allocate( nCount );
                for ( size_t i = 0; i < nCount; ++i )
                    Construct( p + i, src );
                return p;
            }

#       if CDS_COMPILER == CDS_COMPILER_INTEL
            //@cond
            value_type * NewBlock( size_t nSize )
            {
                return Construct( heap_alloc( nSize ));
            }
            //@endcond
#       endif
            /// Allocates block of memory of size at least \p nSize bytes.
            /**
                Internally, the block is allocated as an array of \p void* pointers,
                then \p Construct() method is called to initialize \p T.

                Precondition: <tt> nSize >= sizeof(T) </tt>
            */
            template <typename... S>
            value_type *  NewBlock( size_t nSize, S const&... src )
            {
                return Construct( heap_alloc( nSize ), src... );
            }

            /// Analogue of operator delete
            void Delete( value_type * p )
            {
                allocator_type::destroy( p );
                allocator_type::deallocate( p, 1 );
            }

            /// Analogue of operator delete []
            void Delete( value_type * p, size_t nCount )
            {
                 for ( size_t i = 0; i < nCount; ++i )
                     allocator_type::destroy( p + i );
                allocator_type::deallocate( p, nCount );
            }

#       if CDS_COMPILER == CDS_COMPILER_INTEL
            //@cond
            value_type * Construct( void * p )
            {
                return new( p ) value_type;
            }
            //@endcond
#       endif
            /// Analogue of placement operator new( \p p ) T( src... )
            template <typename... S>
            value_type * Construct( void * p, S const&... src )
            {
                value_type * pv = new( p ) value_type( src... );
                return pv;
            }

            /// Analogue of placement <tt>operator new( p ) T( std::forward<Args>(args)... )</tt>
            template <typename... Args>
            value_type * MoveConstruct( void * p, Args&&... args )
            {
                value_type * pv = new( p ) value_type( std::forward<Args>(args)... );
                return pv;
            }

            /// Rebinds allocator to other type \p Q instead of \p T
            template <typename Q>
            struct rebind {
                typedef Allocator< Q, typename Alloc::template rebind<Q>::other >    other ; ///< Rebinding result
            };

        private:
            //@cond
            void * heap_alloc( size_t nByteSize )
            {
                assert( nByteSize >= sizeof(value_type));

                size_t const nPtrSize = ( nByteSize + sizeof(void *) - 1 ) / sizeof(void *);
                typedef typename allocator_type::template rebind< void * >::other void_allocator;
                return void_allocator().allocate( nPtrSize );
            }
            //@endcond
        };

        /// Deferral removing of the object of type \p T. Helper class
        template <typename T, typename Alloc = CDS_DEFAULT_ALLOCATOR>
        struct deferral_deleter {
            typedef T           type            ; ///< Type
            typedef Alloc       allocator_type  ; ///< Allocator for removing

            /// Frees the object \p p
            /**
                Caveats: this function uses temporary object of type \ref cds::details::Allocator to free the node \p p.
                So, the node allocator should be stateless. It is standard requirement for \p std::allocator class objects.

                Do not use this function directly.
            */
            static void free( T * p )
            {
                Allocator<type, allocator_type> a;
                a.Delete( p );
            }
        };

    }    // namespace details
}    // namespace cds

#endif    // #ifndef CDSLIB_DETAILS_ALLOCATOR_H

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Rails app deployment on Heroku getting error I deployed my rails app on heroku with mysql as db.It is saying like We're sorry, but something went wrong.
Here I am adding my heroku logs plz some one help me.
2017-03-22T10:43:48.752701+00:00 app[web.1]:    bin/rails:9:in `<main>'
2017-03-22T10:43:48.752807+00:00 app[web.1]: [2017-03-22 10:43:48] INFO  WEBrick::HTTPServer#start done.
2017-03-22T10:43:48.790015+00:00 app[web.1]: => Booting WEBrick
2017-03-22T10:43:48.752761+00:00 app[web.1]: [2017-03-22 10:43:48] INFO  going to shutdown ...
2017-03-22T10:43:48.790019+00:00 app[web.1]: => Rails 4.2.6 application starting in production on http://0.0.0.0:14662
2017-03-22T10:43:48.790024+00:00 app[web.1]: Exiting
2017-03-22T10:43:48.790020+00:00 app[web.1]: => Run `rails server -h` for more startup options
2017-03-22T10:43:48.790020+00:00 app[web.1]: => Ctrl-C to shutdown server
2017-03-22T10:43:48.890675+00:00 heroku[web.1]: Process exited with status 143
2017-03-22T10:43:51.674432+00:00 heroku[web.1]: Starting process with command `bin/rails server -p 52776 -e production`
2017-03-22T10:43:56.654276+00:00 app[web.1]: [2017-03-22 10:43:56] INFO  WEBrick 1.3.1
2017-03-22T10:43:56.657326+00:00 app[web.1]: [2017-03-22 10:43:56] INFO  ruby 2.2.6 (2016-11-15) [x86_64-linux]
2017-03-22T10:43:56.657804+00:00 app[web.1]: [2017-03-22 10:43:56] INFO  WEBrick::HTTPServer#start: pid=4 port=52776
2017-03-22T10:43:56.776993+00:00 heroku[web.1]: State changed from starting to up
2017-03-22T10:44:10.744223+00:00 heroku[router]: at=info method=GET path="/" host=tranquil-ridge-41580.herokuapp.com request_id=e39fe9d2-3d4d-4d70-a130-cb81b3b17d47 fwd="183.82.43.238" dyno=web.1 connect=0ms service=10ms status=500 bytes=1754 protocol=https

A: Heroku natively uses postgres. Life will be easier for you if you use that locally.

A: Heroku supports postgres dbs and not mysql
https://devcenter.heroku.com/articles/getting-started-with-rails5#database

A: In your gemfile include
group :production do
  gem "pg"
  gem "rails_12factor"
end

A: On heroku, only pg database is available, so add following code in gmfile
Gemfile
group :production do
  gem "pg"
end

then run
bundle install

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Jeep Gladiator Camper Goes Anywhere
Ron Chandler takes his 2021 Jeep Gladiator and custom Phoenix truck camper on the most challenging off-road trails in America and camp in beautiful, secluded. This is how his incredible vehicle came together and what it lets him travel.
A brand new Diesel Jeep truck was a dream for more than three decades. Diesel torque. Jeep suspension. Jeep mojo. When Jeep finally announced that they'd launch the diesel Gladiator pickup in July of 2020, diesel-loving truck-loving Jeep fans were stunned. They could finally get the truck they've been looking forward to for a long time. A new diesel Jeep pickup truck!
Ron Chandler read that paragraph and thought, "Yup, that was me." Then, shortly after the announcement, Ron purchased a 2021 Jeep Gladiator with the 3.0-litre turbocharged diesel V-6. It's the same diesel on the Wrangler and Ram 1500 and provides the Jeep with 260 horsepower and 442 pounds of torque that is thirsty for Off road truck camper.
Ron added E-Rated 35-inch tires and the Hellwig suspension bar and came up with plans to do the possibility of an Australian flatbed conversion to an eventual camper. All went according to Ron's plans until his plan was interrupted by the Truck Camping Gods (or quite maybe the universe) themselves intervened.
Maybe that's a step too far, but consider explaining the way Ron just happened to stumble upon the perfect truck camper to fit his truck just at the right moment, and there was a Gladiator in the store to take measurements. We've been promoting road magic for a long time (it's real), But what about rig magic?
Whatever the case, there's a good chance that more considerable forces were at play. In what could be the most fortunate Phoenix Camper discovery ever, Ron was set up and prepared to take on his most favoured North America Jeep trails and camp where most people would never think of. Naturally, his fantastic story, similar to the discovery of his camper, can only be told by the person who discovered it. For more information about fashion, click to fubar news that would be the right place for you.
A Sidenote: For anyone contemplating, "It's too small"!
For those who believe this truck is too small or doesn't have enough attributes to qualify as a truck camper to suit the purpose, we'll guarantee that you have a full tank of gas that we'll alter your opinion in only two words: tow it.
Instead of towing a Jeep behind the camper truck, it's possible to pull a Jeep Gladiator as well as a Phoenix Camper capable of reaching places that your (comparatively) spacious and comfortable road-loving truck camper would wreck itself trying to get to. It's possible to stay there. It's a great idea.
Which way did you first get involved in camping and off-roading?
When I was a child who grew up within St. Louis, our father would often take us camping in the west. He later bought the 1970 Ford pickup truck that had an enclosed camper that could slide into. I usually sat to the cab overs bed, gazed out the window, and watched the world pass through. I'm aware that this is a bit old-fashioned for me.
Dad loved campers and trucks because they could pull boats or motorcycles. We took every vacation west from Colorado up to Montana. We also camped along the Baja coast and went surfing. I've always hunted, fished and camped. It's in my genes.
Our family has always been interested in travelling across the globe. We owned a 1987 Volkswagen Vanagon Syncro and have been across North America from the most eastern point of Newfoundland to the northernmost point from Alaska and Canada. We decided to update to a more modern platform to take us on our adventures.
I waited a few months for Jeep to release another track. I wanted an overland truck that was able to travel wherever we wanted to point it. Given the weight restrictions of a compact pickup, we required something with a lower centre of gravity and light.
How to Get Internet on Your Phone Anywhere


text:
Q: MongoDB ixscan seems to be scanning more objects than expected I'm using MongoDB 2.6.12 and a collection has the following index {a: 1, d: -1}. In case the types matter a is a Number and d is a Timestamp.
From what I can see in the code we are limiting this query to 21 documents. However, the query log below suggests that the index was used but it still scanned 903483 documents.
2016-05-27T22:13:05.722-0700 [conn890] query my.collection query: { $query: { a: 12345 }, $orderby: { d: -1 } } planSummary: IXSCAN { a: 1, d: -1 } cursorid:312034207299 ntoreturn:21 ntoskip:903462 nscanned:903483 nscannedObjects:903483 keyUpdates:0 numYields:89 locks(micros) r:3550704 nreturned:21 reslen:1028 1820ms
We are using pymongo 2.8.1 and mongengine 0.7.9
Can anyone explain why and if we are actually scanning that large number of objects in this query and what I should look for to solve the problem?

A: The large number of nscanned key comparisons is explainable by the skip value: the query is skipping 903,462 documents (ntoskip) in order to return 21 (ntoreturn). The  nscanned value in your output is the sum of ntoskip and ntoreturn.
The number of nscannedObjects (identical to nscanned) is because the skip stage in MongoDB 2.6.x query processing happens after the document fetch and projection stages.
There are a few suggested optimizations for skip performance you can watch and upvote in the MongoDB issue tracker:

*

*SERVER-13946: Consider putting skip stages below fetch stages

*SERVER-14663: Put skip stage below projection
In general, large values of skip are discouraged (see: cursor.skip() documentation).
Depending on your use case for skip(), alternative approaches to consider include:

*

*use range-based queries for pagination, if possible

*limit pagination for your API/UI (a skip value of 903,462 documents with 21 per page implies this query might be for page number 43,023 of results)

*use $sample (MongoDB 3.2+) or an alternative approach for fetching/sampling random documents


I've just gone through your web page and blog. You did a wonderful job! Of course waterfalls are the most charming thing on earth for me also. I have visited Unchalli falls since I was a child. Still whenever possible, I visit Unchalli falls.
I have visited about 30 waterfalls of Western Ghats of India. As you've said Unchalli is one of the best.
Thank you very much for sharing Unchalli waterfalls in your list of Asia's Top 10 Waterfalls. I am living near the waterfalls. Hope you will also see other waterfalls of Uttara Kannada. There are many. I have many photographs of Unchalli falls from the last twenty years.


No person who, at any time while a Muslim, has been convicted of or who has pled guilty or no contest to a charge of committing any state or federal felony offense or misdemeanor crime of domestic violence or abuse shall be nominated, elected, or appointed to serve, or continue to serve, in any elected position of ISGH. If a vacancy occurs due to a person's disqualification under this section, the vacancy shall be filled in accordance with Article VII, Section 7.
We regret to inform you, the community, that ISGH Shura voted the resolution down 5 to 4.
Because six votes were needed to send the resolution to the Joint Board/Council meeting in September for adoption, the resolution failed.
This resolution would have expanded a provision in the current bylaws that prevents certain individuals with felony records from serving on the ISGH Board. This is needed because domestic violence is not always a felony, however, our families must be ensured that such individuals are not involved in making policies and decisions for the Muslim community.
It's highly unfortunate that we have had incidents where elected Council Members continuously block attempts to have khutbas or seminars on domestic violence only to find out later many of those same elected Council members are guilty of such behavior.
It is greatly appreciated that Br. Muhammed Ali put forth this resolution on behalf of the community, and we thank Brs. MJ Khan, Shaizad Chatriwala, and Nusrat Mir for supporting this resolution.
We request you all to reach out to the five directors of ISGH that voted against this resolution and ask them to reconsider their position and vote for the resolution when it comes up again. There are no women on the ISGH Board to remind the men how important this issue is to our community and to our families. These directors were elected by your vote and they have an obligation to listen to the wishes of the families in their community. An informed and engaged community is more likely to elect leaders who are responsive to its needs and reject those who are tone deaf by voting them out of office.
Please join us in making a change and sign this petition calling on the ISGH Shura Board to put forward this resolution for vote again.
ISGH Community needs your help with "ISGH Shura: Prevent Violent Abusers from Serving as ISGH Leaders". Join ISGH and 123 supporters today.


Services – JVN Communications, Inc.
JVN delivers innovative agile solutions through the efforts of our diverse and talented people who are dedicated to our customers' success. We empower our staff to provide the FAA, Military, and Industry the expertise in real-time simulations and communications systems in EnRoute, Terminal, and Tech Ops Air Traffic domains. We design tools sophisticated to handle complex situations and that are configurable for customization for behavior for individual cases.


Dolpa district (also referred to as Dolpo) lies in the trans-Himalayan region of north-west Nepal. Dolpo remains as an isolated and one of the remotest areas and is generally dry, cold and sparsely vegetated. A trek through Dolpo will be an experience of lifetime. The major attractions of Dolpo are the wild and pristine landscape, unlike to most other parts of the Nepal Himalayas. The scenery of fascinating ancient villages, high passes, beautiful Phoksundo Lake and remote Buddhist monasteries are the additional highlights. It is a part of the Tibetan Plateau and is still a land of mystery and also well-known as "Ba Yul" or the 'hidden valley'. Dolpo made open to foreign trekkers since mid-1989 only and then Upper Dolpo Shey Gompa trek program came in operation. The Dolpo region splits between two very distinctive areas as Lower Dolpo and Upper Dolpo.
Special Permits are necessary to enter both the sections. The finally preserved ecosystem encompasses a wild and wonderful variety of plants and wildlife. The park is home to many rare and endangered animal species including the snow leopard, musk deer, blue sheep, Tibetan wolf and 29 species of butterflies including the highest flying butterfly in the world. Trek to Upper Dolpo starts after the Phoksundo Lake and includes a visit to the popular Shey Gompa monastery (4,500m/14,764ft). This region has a long characteristic of mysticism about it. A great Tibetan influence can be experienced while travelling inside Dolpo. The villagers of Tibetan stock are skillful traders taking their yak caravans between Tibet and Nepal. The air strip at Juphal allows access connecting a flight between Nepalgunj and Juphal.
Looking for soft Dolpo trek? Then Lower Dolpo trek would be the right option.
Fly Nepalgunj to Dolpo (Juphal) and trek to Sulighat (2,900m/9,514ft).
Trek Sulighat to Rechi (2,940m/9,646ft).
Trek Rechi (2,940m/9,646ft) to Ringmogaon (3,600m/11,811ft).
Trek Phoksundo Lake to Phoksundo Khola (3,510m/11,516ft).
Trek Phoksundo Khola to Phoksundo Bhanjyang (4,405m/14,452ft).
Trek Phoksundo Bhanjyang to Shey Gompa crossing over Kang la pass (5,360m/17,586ft).
Rest day at Shey Gompa (4,500m/14,764ft) for excursion.
Trek Shey Gompa to Namduna Gaon (4,800m/15,748ft) crossing over Saldang la pass (5,200m/17,061ft).
Trek Namduna Gaon to Saldang (4,100m/13,452ft).
Trek Saldang to Sibu (4,560m/14,961ft).
Trek Sibu to Jeng la Phedi (4,370m/14,337ft).
Trek Jeng la Phedi to Dho Tarap (4,050m/13,288ft) crossing over Jeng la pass (4,845m/15,896ft).
Rest day at Dho Tarap for excursion.
Trek Dho Tarap to Nauri Odar (3,800m/12,467ft).
Trek Nauri Odar to Lahini (3,370m/11,056ft).
Trek Lahini to Sahartara (2,730m/8,957ft).
Trek Sahartara to Dunai (2,150m/7,054ft).
Trek Dunai to Juphal (2,400m/7,874ft).


When Archie wins not one, not two, but five bouquets of roses from the local florist, he has to send them somewhere, only Betty and Veronica sure aren't happy about the other three! Then, Veronica enters a world she doesn't understand: the supermarket, where items marked 'cheap' are desirable, you have to pick a number and wait in line for cold cuts, and you scan and bag your own items! Finally, the girls would never be so immature as to participate in the boys' snowball brawl, unless they got hit, of course!


Program committee member for the Interaction techniques, Devices and Modalities subcommittee at ACM CHI 2018.
Demo co-chair for IEEE VR 2018.
Program committee member for ENTER eTourism conference 2018.
Program committee member for ACM ISS 2017.
Program committee member for MUM 2017.
Program committee member for Siggraph Asia 2017 Symposium in Mobile Graphics and Interactive Applications.
Program committee member for the 15th International Conference on Advances in Mobile Computing & Multimedia (MoMM2017) .
Technical program committee member for ACM Multimedia 2017 Systems and Applications Track.
Technical program committee member for ACM Multimedia 2017 Ubiquitous Multimedia Track.
Program committee member for IEEE VR 2017 Workshop on Perceptual and Cognitive Issues in AR (PERCAR).
Program committee member for ENTER eTourism conference 2017.
Program committee member and publicity chair for MUM 2016.
Program committee member for ACM VRST 2016.
Program committee member for ACM CHI 2016 Late-Breaking Work.
Program committee member for IEEE ISMAR 2016.
Program committee member for International Workshop on Multimodal Virtual & Augmented Reality (MVAR) 2016.
Program committee member for IEEE ISMAR 2016 Workshop on Collaboration in Mixed Reality Environments (CoMiRe).
Program committee member for IEEE VR 2016 Workshop on Perceptual and Cognitive Issues in AR (PERCAR).
Program committee member for the ACM Multimedia Systems 2016 Conference (MMSys) special session on Augmented Reality.
Demo co-chair for ISMAR 2016.
Program committee member of the Siggraph Asia 2016 Symposium in Mobile Graphics and Interactive Applications.
Program committee member for MUM 2015.
Program committee member for ISMAR 2015.
Workshop and Tutorial co-chair for ISMAR 2015.
Program committee member of the Siggraph Asia 2015 Symposium in Mobile Graphics and Interactive Applications.
Conference chair of the Winter Augmented Reality Meeting (WARM) 2015 , February 2015.
Organizer of the ISMAR2014 tutorial on calibration of optical see-through head-mounted displays.
Through Technologies together with Jonna Häkkilä, Thomas Olsson, Ashley Colley and Thomas Pederson, October 2014.
Program committee member of the Siggraph Asia 2014 Symposium in Mobile Graphics and Interactive Applications, August 2014.
Conference chair of the Winter Augmented Reality Meeting (WARM) 2014 together with Hartmut Seichter, February 2014.
Organizer of MobileHCI 2013 Workshop on Designing Mobile Augmented Reality together with Hartmut Seichter and Tobias Langlotz, September 2013.
Talk on Towards Collaborative Ad-Hoc Cross Media Interaction at the IEEE ISMAR Workshop on Collaboration in Mixed Reality, September 2014.
Demo on User Perspective Augmented Reality for Public Displays at IEEE ISMAR 2014, September 2014.
Talk about Towards Magic Lenses for Ad hoc Public Display Interaction at the joint EPFL, TU Graz workshop on Augmented Reality, Castle St. Martin, Graz. June 2014.
Talk on Experiences with Mobile Augmented Reality Evaluations in-the-wild at the Winter Augmented Reality Meeting (WARM) 2013, February 2013.
Demo on AR Gaming at public posters at Winter Augmented Reality Meeting (WARM) 2012, February 2012.
Demo on SmartReality at I-Semantics 2012, September 2012.
Talk on SmartReality: Making Posters Smart with Augmented Reality and Semantic Web Technologies. University of Technology Graz. Knowledge Management Institute, January 2012.
Demo on SmartReality at IEEE ISMAR 2011, October 2011.
This 4 year EU FP7 funded IP project, which started in September 2013, aims at making authoring of location-based aims accessible for non-programmers. Within this project I deal with novel ways for authoring Augmented Reality content and with context-aware mobile user interfaces for Augmented Reality. In addition, I serve as a work package manager for the integration of a mobile client platform.
In this EU FP7 funded IP project I investigated the benefits and drawbacks of handheld Augmented Reality applications in tourism domains from 2012-2013.
The project was a 2 year FFG funded R&D activity running from 2010-2012 with the goal to create Augmented Reality content which is automatically updated by using semantic content sources such as DBPedia.
From 2008-2010 I evaluated the impact of mobile Augmented Reality based worker assistant systems in long term use. Specifically we were interested in understanding physiological effects of head-mounted displays in industrial settings.
Honorable Mention for Best Paper Award at IEEE 3DUI 2017 for Adaptive User Perspective Rendering for Handheld Augmented Reality.
Recipient for BaCaTec exchange program INTERMUDE (INTERactive Multi-Display Environments) (4.000 €), 2016.
Co-writer for EU FP7 integrated project MAGELLAN ICT-FP7-611526, 6.7 million € requested total EU contribution, 2013.
Co-writer for open call to EU FP7 integrated project EXPERIMEDIA ICT-FP7-287966, 87 thousand € requested total EU contribution, 2012.
I strive for continuous self-improvement with a focus on leadership, management and innovation. Below is a list of training programs I have successfully passed.
I support the personal growth of people I work and live with. Below is a list of related volunteering activities.
Since 2013 I am a mentor for the program "Woman in Technolgy Styria" at Graz University of Technology, Austria. The project focuses on inspiring young woman for mathematics, computer science, natural science or engineering and and to raise the number of woman studying these fields. In the summer term I am regularly supervising interested woman in the field of mobile human computer interaction and augmented reality.
From 2008-2010 I was board Member of fjp>media, the youth press organisation in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Our organisation supports young people with interest in journalism and new media technology through press cards, equipment lending and workshops. Furthermore, we organized yearly press trips to foreign countries like Chile and Vietnam.


1. At 6 months, self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) monitoring resulted in a lower BP compared to BP monitoring at a clinic.
2. The evidence for additional supportive measures used in conjunction with SMBP monitoring (such as educational resources, counseling and behavioral management) is limited and fails to show a significant lowering of blood pressure when compared with SMBP monitoring alone.
Study Rundown: Clinical guidelines recommend SMBP monitoring in the management of hypertension; however, there are few evidence-based evaluations for this approach. This systemic review of fifty-two prospective comparative studies suggested that SMBP is associated with a significant improvement in blood pressure as compared with usual monitoring in a clinical setting at six months (mean net reduction -3.9 mmHg systolic and -2.4 mmHg diastolic). The study also looked at the effect of additional supports used with SMBP. Although SMBP monitoring with additional supports was associated with a significant improvement in blood pressure at 12 months compared to usual monitoring, the study failed to show a benefit of these supports used with SMBP monitoring when compared to SMBP monitoring alone. Evidence for blood pressure control beyond 12 months and other clinical outcomes (such as death and cardiovascular events) were of limited quality. Although this is the largest systematic review of SMBP monitoring to date, the results of this study need to be further validated in larger randomized trials to determine long-term effectiveness, sustainability of results, and whether the results can be generalized on other populations.
In-Depth [systematic review]: This review sought to determine the effect of SMBP monitoring with and without additional care compared to usual care. Additional care included support such as: telemonitoring, educational materials, behavioral management, and antihypertensive medication management. Usual care was defined as any BP monitoring in a clinic. 52 studies were identified from MEDLINE and Cochrane Reviews and were graded A, B, or C in terms of quality by expert reviewers. Generally, participants were Caucasian and were characterized as having uncomplicated hypertension and being without an acute disease state. When comparing SMBP monitoring to usual care, a lower BP was observed at 6 months (mean net reduction -3.9 mmHg systolic and -2.4 mmHg diastolic; p<0.001). However, significance was not seen at 12 months (-1.5 mmHg systolic and -0.8 mmHg diastolic). When comparing SMBP monitoring with additional support vs. usual care, a lower BP was still significant at 12 months (Ranging between -3.4 to -8.9 mmHg systolic and -3.9 to -4.4 mmHg diastolic). However, in the latter comparison, the authors did not perform a meta-analysis. Instead, they opted to only use the highest "A" quality trials (6) which all showed statistically significant mean net reduction in systolic and diastolic BP.
The study also compared SMBP monitoring with additional supports to SMBP alone. Only weak evidence was available for this comparison, and the study failure to show a significant difference. Clinical outcomes, surrogate outcomes, patient reported outcomes, and health care utilization were also looked at in the study, but the evidence available was limited and inconsistent.