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Beware These Pitfalls When Investing in Thematic Funds
By Bernice Napach | January 08, 2021 at 02:03 PM
Morningstar analyst Daniel Sotiroff explains why so many have short lives and how best to use them in portfolios.
(Image: Shutterstock)
Thematic funds have been growing in popularity for several years, but they don't make great investments, according to Daniel Sotiroff, a manager research analyst for Morningstar.
They tend to be highlight concentrated — the top 10 holdings account for about half of the assets of the average fund; they're not cheap — 60 basis points for the typical fund; and most important, they tend to be launched late in bull markets when asset prices and investor speculation are often running high, leaving less room for price gains.
"Launching thematic funds in the final years of a bull market sets them up for poor performance," writes Sotiroff. Their "sky-high prices" can translate into "low expected returns."
The average thematic fund launched between January 1996 and July 2018 underperformed the MSCI ACWI Investable Market Index, a global index of large-, mid- and small-cap representation across 23 developed markets and 26 emerging markets, by 3.3 percentage points per year over the first two years of life.
In addition, many of the themes they focus on are trendy and lose their popularity over time, which can contribute to not only lower earnings over time but also the funds' demise.
"Themes come and go, along with the funds that attempt to profit from them," writes Sotiroff.
Roughly 94% of thematic funds survived their first year but less than 15% endured for 15 years or longer, according to Morningstar. Given their relatively short lives, thematic funds are "poor strategies for compounding wealth over the long run," writes Sotiroff.
One way to help gauge whether a thematic fund will survive over time is to check its assets under management. A low AUM suggests a fund's fee-based revenue may not be sufficient to offset portfolio management costs. The reverse is true over the medium term for higher AUM funds, with at least $50 million in assets, according to Morningstar.
The average AUM of thematic funds that liquidated or merged over the past 25 years was $25 million one year before the fund was shut down. Excluding a few large portfolios in the Morningstar sample, the median AUM for liquidated or merged funds was just $5 million.
As of June 30, 64 of 141 thematic funds included across all U.S. Morningstar categories, or 45%, had more than $50 million in assets.
"Given their concentrated portfolios, high fees and low survivorship rates, thematic funds should be used as satellite holdings, concludes Sotiroff. He recommends that investors choose thematic funds with at least $50 million in assets, recognizing that their odds of surviving long term and outperforming are small.
Among one of the largest thematic funds in the market currently is the Goldman Sachs Innovate Equity ETF (GINN), which was launched in early November from the merger of five separate ETFs and now has $348 million in assets and a net expense ratio of 0.50%.
— Related on ThinkAdvisor:
4 ETF Predictions for 2021
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Fidelity Launches Thematic Funds With Time-Based Fee Discounts
Investing Theory & Strategy
Alternative assets, including real estate and Bitcoin, will also benefit from this shift, she says.


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Rewilding Borikén (3/5)
A Tea with a Revelation
The third workshop of the Rewilding Borikén series, "Fotorevelado con anamú", examines the art of making film developers with local plants and deepens our knowledge of silver's role in analogue photography.
By Karla Claudio-Betancourt
American psychologist James Hillman dedicates a chapter of his book Alchemical Psychology to the relationship between the material properties of silver and the mind. He reflects on silver's symbolic role throughout the steps of alchemy and proposes to use alchemical language in psychotherapy-rather than its consideration as metaphor- as a means to unlock our potential to transform trauma. In his chapter called "Silver and the White Earth," he writes, "philosophical silver neither adheres to its reflections, nor is it passively moved by its images. The psyche of silver is 'hard and dry'; brilliant." He explains that silver is associated with albedo, the "whitening" stage of metals in alchemy, which "refers to the emergence of psychological consciousness, the ability to hear psychologically, and to perceive fantasy creating reality."
Hillman's writings echoed in my mind while I was reading about the presence of silver in photographic film and the use of herbal film developers in analogue photography. It made sense that silver would have this role in the first forms of photographic images, given its reflective nature and how it can blur the line between fantasy and truth.
I was introduced to herbal film developing by friend and fellow artist Sofía Gallisá Muriente, who recommended that I take a class on processing film using anamú, a local plant species that grows wild in the city. Anamú is high in phenols which act as chemical aids in the process of developing film, and it happens to grow in the back of the San Mateo Community Urban Garden underneath the avocado and tulipán africano trees. I often see it growing in shady, overgrown lots and home gardens while traversing the city. The leaves and roots have a strong garlic-like aroma, a more pungent version of onion's tear-inducing aerosol. In fact, the effect is so offensive that Boricua (Puerto Rican) elders call it "la mata que el chivo no masca," the plant goats never eat. Despite the unsettling fragrance, the plant is held with deep reverence for its strong anticancer, analgesic, abortive, and anti-rheumatic properties, making it a staple plant species in Boricua folk medicine.
Participants create herbal film developer with anamú decoction.
I contemplate its dark home beneath the banana leaves before I harvest it for our Rewilding Borikén workshop Fotorevelado con Anamú. I smile thinking how this dark cave seems to hint at anamú's potential use in film developing, which also requires darkness.
The third workshop in the Rewilding Borikén series was facilitated by local filmmaker Beatriz Santiago Muñoz, one of the few people on the archipelago who experiments with these techniques, who guided participants through basic herbal recipes for developing film. During the workshop, she taught the class to make decoctions with freshly picked anamú from the community garden and other plants like úcar (Bucida buceras), a tree commonly planted for urban landscaping, that grow in the San Mateo neighborhood.
Beatriz began the workshop by inviting participants to take pictures with her analog camera using 120mm black and white film. The unexposed film was then placed inside a plastic cylinder tube called a Paterson tank and put in a changing bag. Next, herbal film developer solution was poured into Paterson the tank to allow the phenols to transform the exposed silver salts embedded in the gelatin of the film into silver metal. (Developers convert the latent image on the film's thin layer of silver into a visible image, as if transforming the esoteric/mystical into the tangible/corporeal.)
Beatriz checks on developed film.
After a few minutes, participants poured out the developer solution and added water to cease the development process and prevent the picture from becoming overexposed. The next stage required pouring a "fixer" into the tank to remove the silver salts that had not been exposed to light to leave behind the silver metal that forms the image. Beatriz then showed the class how to safely dispose of the fixer and the silver particles in the sewer, before rinsing the film with a few rounds of water. Finally, the film was ready to be removed from the Paterson tank and hung out to dry. Throughout the process of experimentation, participants were quite literally "looking for answers in the dark."
The class photographed gandules, yucca, broccoli and other plants, but the anamú eerily permeated the entire process from serving as our photographic subject to providing phenols and sulphur compounds for film development. Sulphur's physical characteristics are warm and sticky, and its chemical constitution tarnishes silver. Place an egg yolk on a silver spoon and watch the surface blacken. Hillman equates sulphur with desire and silver with our capability of self-reflection. Silver has the ability to help us see a reflection of our psyche without reacting to it and allowing us to study the passing images of our own state of mind. But sulphur tarnishes silver as desire tarnishes our self-reflection. The polishing is where we get the insight.
As we disposed of the cast silver inside a bottle toward the end of the class, I couldn't help but think about silver's dark history of colonial desire. I was reminded of Eduardo Galeano's critique of colonialism in his book Open Veins of Latin America and the maniacal, centuries-long campaign to extract precious metals in the Americas. Silver has a heavy story. So it's rather bittersweet that the silver in our images (extracted from who knows where) is being used to document a community garden that has become a symbol of the struggle to reclaim the sovereignty that colonialism wrested away.
90mm photographic film successfully developed and hung to dry.
Questions abound regarding the future of this art form. What noble, responsible ways might we work with silver? How can it be processed and disposed of without damaging the environment? We can start by making film developers using local plant species and extracting silver from our spent fixers to reduce harm. Hillman suggests that we can begin by recalibrating our way of seeing minerals as living seeds rather than merely inert, dead rocks:
By considering metals as seeds, alchemy kept less to the distinction between vegetable and mineral (organic and inorganic) kingdoms. Seeds are living forces; a metal such as silver is a vis naturalis (natural power) with encoded intentionality, a capacity to move, form bodies, enter into combinations, take on a history, branch into ramifications; but through all such activities and transmutations it remains true to its own "blood". These ore-bodies are not dead matter to be pushed around but vital seeds, embodiments of soul, not objective facts but subjective factors. The alchemical view incorporated into its theoretical premises what modern natural science is now stating as new: the observer and the observed are not independent from each other.
I hope that as you study the visual guide for this workshop you recognize the elemental magic, contradictions, and questions embedded in the tools and materials used in analog photography. May it truly connect us to our craft, just like the alchemists did.
Filed Under: Articles & Essays
Karla Claudio-Betancourt is a visual artist living in Santurce, Puerto Rico working primarily with illustration, natural paints, text and video. Her creative practice is guided by ethnobotanical investigation, oral history and regenerative practices connected to land and food sovereignty.
Santurce, Puerto Rico
The Forest Inside Your Gut
On Text, Weaving, and Healing
Text and Images by Karla Claudio-Betancourt
9 min Read Now
Afectos Cromáticos: Chromatic Affects

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Order a martini and settle into Denver's best jazz bar, where top-notch musicians like Denver icon Bob Montgomery have belted out tunes and played to packed crowds of locals since 1998. The food can be hit or miss, but the straightforward, well-executed cocktails—like the rye whiskey-based Vieux Carre—and the lounge's intimate, blue-hued atmosphere keep diehards coming back for more. The venue's acoustics are also a draw; the walls are treated to ensure there's not a bad seat in the house and the overall sound quality is fantastic. Shows sell out so buy tickets early.


The 69th Festival de Cannes will be presided by the Australian director, screenwriter and producer, George Miller.
Cannes has always sought to adopt a universal and international approach, and in tune with this tradition, George Miller will be surrounded by eight luminaries of world cinema, from Iran, Denmark, United States, Italia, France, Canada and Hungary. The Jury will therefore include four women and four men around George Miller. Their task will be to decide between the 21 films in Competition in order to select the winners – to be announced on stage at the Closing Ceremony on Sunday 22nd May. The film awarded by the Palme d'or will be screened this same evening, in the presence of the Jury and the entire team of the winning film.


There is something so attractive about the color red. Red, succulent strawberries. A racy red sports car. Red stained lips on a starlet.
Red is provocative. It makes a statement.
Once you start moving from red to pink, the statement changes from daring to demure. Some think because our blood is red it attracts the human eye the most - red can signal danger. In design though, touches of red signals a touch of drama.
We've been thinking about pop art lately - I came across the image above and it made me pause. If the lip impression had been a blushing pink, would it convey the same message? Nope. Red says a lot, even when there is nothing being said at all.


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Businesses Call for Removing DG Cap, An Update on Building Energy Codes and More
Welcome to the weekly newsletter of the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council (Michigan EIBC), the business voice for advanced energy in Michigan. Here's what's new this week:
Coalition of Businesses Calls for Vote on Distributed Generation Cap Legislation
This week 21 businesses and organizations signed a letter sent to Rep. House Energy Chair Representative Joseph Bellino that urges him to hold a vote on HB 4236, which lifts the cap on rooftop solar.
"There are no engineering, regulatory, or safety reasons to limit the booming solar industry in Michigan," the letter states. The cap only serves to stifle and harm businesses who want to be able to create jobs and spur economic activity in our state."
Also this week, Michigan EIBC publicly refuted claims DTE and Consumers Energy made to the media that HB 4236 shifts costs onto non-DG customers—even though the Michigan Public Service Commission's (MPSC) has found that cost-shifting is not occurring.
"Unfortunately, DTE and Consumers Energy have fought solar energy advancement for years and continue to block this new industry from making Michigan a solar leader," Michigan EIBC President Laura Sherman said in a press release in response. "Make no mistake, DTE and Consumers Energy are asking the legislature to do their bidding after regulators under both the current and the previous administration have denied their attempts to place unwarranted and unfair fees on solar customers. Michigan EIBC will be holding the utility companies accountable and working to ensure any policies encourage, and do not hinder, the solar industry."
Signatories to the letter were: Association for Businesses Advocating Tariff Equity, Coalition fo
Community Solar Access, D2 Solar, ecojiva, Elevate Energy, Four Elements Energy, GEM Energy,
Homeland Solar, Inman Solar, Inovateus, Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council, Michigan Energy Options, Michigan Solar Solutions, Newman Consulting Group, Oak Electric, Peninsula Solar, Pivot Energy, Solar Energy Industries Association, Sunrun, The Green Panel, and Vote Solar Action Fund. HB4236 is currently pending before the House Energy Committee.
Michigan Faces A Key Choice on Building Energy Codes
This year is a particularly important one for energy efficiency and electric vehicle (EV) and distributed generation readiness in Michigan's building stock. Michigan will adopt a new model building code for the first time in six years. Michigan EIBC and our members will be participating in the building code revision process to ensure that efficiency, electrification and EV/distributed generation readiness remain at the forefront. A webinar held by the Michigan Environmental Council last week laid out the next steps in this process and why the decision of which code to adopt matters so much for MIchigan's overall progress toward cleaner energy.
The director of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) will adopt either the 2018 or 2021 model of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). "We should prioritize pushing for the adoption of the 2021 IECC, which is estimated to be about 10% more efficient than the 2018 IECC," Diana Burk, project manager at New Buildings Institute and one of the speakers at the webinar, said. The 2021 version's improvements over the 2018 version include a provision that allows jurisdictions to adopt a model for zero energy home designation.
NBI has created a Building Decarbonization Code that they are proposing as an overlay to the 2021 IECC that makes it go even further toward increasing efficiency and cutting emissions from buildings. For example, it prioritizes electric equipment so that it is easier for new buildings to move toward all-electric systems (read our piece in Greentech Media from last year about the exciting opportunities around building electrification). NBI's overlay also "incorporates code solutions to the inclusion of key electrification technologies including solar, electric vehicles, battery storage, and demand response and is designed to enhance building-grid integration," according to the organization.
The bolder elements of the 2021 IECC has led to backlash from home builders and other groups that generally want laxer codes. Typically when more efficient codes are put forth, builders say they are unrealistically expensive, explained Isaac Elnecave, policy specialist at Passive House Institute U.S, explained during the webinar. But those claims have proven to be exaggerated again and again, he said. "Once code is in place, actual costs are lower than predicted costs because practitioners look for least-cost methods to comply," Elnecave said.
The gains from progressively more efficient codes have been substantial, demonstrating why it is important to adopt the 2021 IECC. Energy code progress from 2009 to 2018 saved Michigan $308 million and the greater Midwest $2.5 billion, according to a Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance study cited by Burk.
The next steps before LARA makes its decision are to hold more meetings with the Michigan Construction Code Commission and the Bureau of Construction Codes. Michigan EIBC's new Director of Research and Policy Grace Michienzi is excited to participate in this process along with Michigan EIBC members to help make new buildings ready for the advanced energy transition.
Michigan EIBC Explained in New Video
With help from our intern, Lesley Ortega, we've created a video describing Michigan EIBC that is now posted on our website and on YouTube. The video provides a great overview of what Michigan EIBC is all about, as well as testimonials from representatives of member companies Ranger Power and PACE Loan Group, and an appearance from Gov. Whitmer.
Energy Development Partners
Energy Development Partners (EDP) , based in Rhode Island with offices in Germany, the Dominican Republic and Mexico have developed over 482 MW's of solar projects. USA clients include Brown University, The University of Rhode Island, regional utilities, municipalities and state agencies. EDP's financing partners are well established energy infrastructure groups including AES, Goldman Sachs, Constellation New Energy and others.
Renewing Members
ChargePoint is the largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network, with a growing global presence across North America, Europe, and beyond. The company offers a diverse portfolio of charging solutions for fleets and in every category EV drivers charge, at home, work, around town and on the road along with a suite of software and cloud services designed to optimize the user experience and make driving electric more seamless than ever. With more than 108,000 places to charge on its network and the mobile app (available on iOS and Android) that enables drivers to easily find available charging stations, start a charging session, receive status updates regarding their charging sessions, and more; ChargePoint is effectively serving the rapidly growing EV driver community.The software also provides analytics, pricing, and energy management along with many other services. ChargePoint drivers have avoided more than 89 million gallons of gas, which translates to over 298 million kgs of greenhouse gas emissions. Independent owners and operators of ChargePoint stations in Michigan have deployed over 1,500 charging spots from Monroe to Marquette.
ESA Solar Energy
As a company, esaSolar is dedicated to changing the future of energy by providing simplified solar energy solutions. With over 15 years of experience, we specialize in a range of project development services for utility scale solar energy applications.ESA is an industry leading solar developer which has developed, engineered, constructed, and operated more than 100 utility solar farms across the U.S. and Europe. With over 1 GW of projects between development, construction and operating assets, ESA has managed virtually every aspect of a solar project from start to finish.
Key Capture Energy
Key Capture Energy identifies, develops, constructs and operates energy storage solutions to foster greater deployment of renewable energy, create a more stable electric grid, and provide value to all ratepayers.
Peninsula Solar
Established in 2011, Peninsula Solar is pioneering the installation of state of the art energy products. Thorough understanding of the trade combined with a dedication to best installation practices has driven the company's advancement into the forefront of a regional solar and energy storage revolution.
Uplight is the leading provider of end-to-end customer-centric technology solutions dedicated solely to serving the energy ecosystem. More than 80 utilities around the globe use Uplight solutions to power their customer energy experience. Uplight was established in 2019 by combining the acquisitions of EEme, EnergySavvy, FirstFuel, and Ecotagious with Tendril's data analytics platform and Simple Energy's consumer engagement marketplace. Uplight creates a more sustainable future by empowering customers in a way that the sum is greater than the parts—bringing together all of the pieces of customer energy action management, residential and commercial.
The debate over the possible closure of the Line 5 pipeline is being framed as a debate over how quickly the state and country should transition away from fossil fuels.
A federal plan to improve transmission line infrastructure can help prevent renewable energy projects from being canceled in Michigan due to inadequate grid capacity, writes state Sen. Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids).
"The fastest and surest progress we can make toward reducing Michigan's greenhouse gas footprint is to make the most of energy efficiency and demand response opportunities throughout the state," says Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy Director Liesl Eichler Clark.
The utilities' announcement that they want to raise the solar cap is a "smokescreen" covering up their opposition to rooftop , Michigan Environmental Council Director of Legislative Affairs Charlotte Jameson said.
The University of Michigan Office of Sustainability says it will soon buy about half of its purchased energy from renewable sources.
Community choice aggregation is moving from a strategy for localities to reduce their energy bills to a route for communities that want to move more aggressively towards carbon emissions reductions.
The Biden administration faces a tough balancing act with its goals on land preservation on one hand and expansions of wind and solar power on the other.
Some experts say the administration needs to put a bigger emphasis on climate adaptation.
Hydrostor is working on 1,000 MW of long-duration, compressed air energy storage in California.
Arizona regulators reject a proposal to require 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050.
Southern California Gas has partnered with a startup in hopes of finding cheaper ways of producing "green hydrogen."
Michigan and National Energy Events
The 25th Michigan Energy Providers Conference 2021 at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island from July 29-30 will provide a unique perspective of the future of energy and related policy needs in Michigan, and offer an opportunity to build relationships with others in the industry. CDC guidelines will be followed and all proper protocols will be taken to ensure a safe event. Conference registration will open soon.
The PlugVolt Battery Seminar 2021 in Plymouth, Mich., has been postponed from July to the new dates of Oct. 5-7. The conference will feature "technical tutorials on fundamental materials' challenges for electrochemical energy storage, opportunities and challenges with solid-state batteries, best design practices for cell engineering, battery modeling and health monitoring, second life design considerations for energy storage, etc.," as well as a tour of A123 Systems in Novi. Registration is open here. The U.S. Energy Storage Association Annual Conference & Expo (#ESACon21) will convene December 1-3 in Phoenix to bring together buyers, sellers, investors, and leaders in the energy storage industry for an event focused on driving deals and business in the energy storage industry. The #ESACon21 is a must attend for anyone looking to expand their business, invest in, or develop partnerships in the energy storage industry. Learn more here. Gov. Whitmer created the Council on Climate Solutions as an advisory body to help formulate and implement the MI Healthy Climate Plan. The council is holding a series of meetings throughout the year on various topics related to cutting Michigan's CO2 emissions and recommending solutions for communities disproportionately affected by climate change. Go to the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy Office of Climate and Energy website to learn how to join these meetings.
The National Regulatory Research Institute has a three-part webinar series on "The Impact of COVID-19 on Utility Rate Making."
Due to COVID-19, PlugVolt is offering complimentary access to a webinar series that provides a guide to how to select primary and secondary cells for battery products.
Norton Rose Fulbright regularly organizes webinars featuring experts and executives of major companies, such as this one on the challenges that COVID-19 and low commodity prices pose to the energy industry.
The Clean Energy Group has a huge archive of webinars and presentations related to net metering, energy efficiency, EVs, energy storage and much more.
The Energy Storage Association has a number of upcoming and recorded webinars covering many different facets of energy storage.
Groundwork Center is seeking a Clean Energy Program Specialist to support Groundwork's Clean Energy Program in northern Michigan. The application is due May 10. Read more about the position and how to apply here.
Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) is seeking applicants for the 1 Hotels Fellowship, due by May 15. E2 says: "the 1 Hotels Fellowship at E2 is designed to support early to mid-career businesspeople who seek to tackle pressing environmental issues through projects that are good for the economy and good for the environment. Six selected fellows will receive $20,000 each and work with E2 staff to implement their projects for the 2021-2022 program cycle." Learn more here.
Centrepolis is launching its new C3 Accelerator, funded in part by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, New Economy Initiative and the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator. The accelerator will offer a total pool of $275,000 in funding including grants, equity-free interest-free investments, and services to support product development and scaling of cleantech, climatech, and circular economy technologies. A portion of these investments will be dedicated to support ventures led by women, people of color, veterans and other underrepresented entrepreneurs. Applications are due May 31, and can be submitted through this link. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation's PlanetM Testing Grant gives mobility companies the opportunity to access testing facilities around the state, including Mcity at the University of Michigan. Apply here.
The Detroit 2030 District is a free program that challenges Detroit building owners and managers to reduce wasted energy. Those that achieve the greatest reductions from the prior-year baseline will be recognized at the first annual Detroit Energy Challenge Award Ceremony in 2021. Visit 2030districts.org/Detroit to find out more information including how a building can apply.


As the number of dogs who have lost their lives due to the deadly disease, Alabama Rot, continues to rise dog owners are being told to wash their dogs after walks if walking in muddy or woodland areas.
The disease, which has taken the lives of almost 80 dogs in the last four years is no longer contained in Southern England but has been identified in the Midlands, Lancashire, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
Symptoms of the dogs affected by the disease has risen since 2012 across the UK with outbreaks concentrated predominantly in countryside/woodland areas, but was first identified in the US in the 1980s.
Although thought to be environmentally based with dangers heightened in woodlands, the cause of this disease is still unknown, and only one in three dogs are likely to survive, even if they receive rapid treatment.
Owners are asked to remain vigilant for sores and lesions as well as signs which may point to kidney failure, including vomiting, reduced appetite and tiredness, but if you suspect your dog might have been affected then you should contact your vet immediately.
Find out more about What Alabama Rot Is on K9Magazine.com.


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By Dr. Joy Kubarek
Using Social Science Research for Conservation
Zoos and aquariums share a common goal: for people and wildlife to thrive together. Understanding how to accomplish this is at the heart of social science research.
Social science research asks the who, what, why, and how questions of zoo and aquarium conservation missions. However, as the age old saying goes, research, like anything else, cannot exist in a vacuum. The entire zoo and aquarium community, regardless of role, can both benefit from and contribute to social science research that supports their missions. In spring 2020, a group of zoo and aquarium practitioners, researchers, and academics gathered to help shape a new research agenda to guide these efforts for years to come.
It is important to recognize the trajectory of social science research in zoos and aquariums through the years and how the community got to this point.
Photo Credit: © Chicago Zoological Society
In the early 2000s, people began asking questions about the role of zoos and aquariums in society and what people gained from an experience with them. This spurred one of the first multi-institutional research studies (Why Zoos and Aquariums Matter) to identify why visitors come to zoos and aquariums, what they do during a visit, how seeing wildlife influences their thinking about conservation, what visitors know about conservation concepts already, and what motivates people to engage in conservation activities.
This work answered some questions, but, like any good research, it also raised many more. To that end, in 2010, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Conservation Education Committee facilitated a process to develop the AZA Framework for Social Science Research. This framework was intended to provide direction for what to study through social science research in the years that followed. Since the establishment of that framework, there have been two more waves of Why Zoos and Aquariums studies, the Conservation Education Committee created a research and evaluation initiative, and more zoos and aquariums have allocated resources towards social science research and evaluation activities.
Perhaps one of the most exciting milestones on this trajectory was the establishment of the Social Science Research and Evaluation Scientific Advisory Group (SSRE SAG) in 2019, which is overseen by the Research and Technology Committee. Its formation is a step toward widespread understanding that social science research is a "must have" component underpinning work, and not just a "nice to have" within the zoo and aquarium community. The SAG will be a champion for the new agenda, advocating for this work and ensuring social science research informs broader conversations about how zoos and aquariums can be most impactful.
The momentum for doing and drawing on social science research in zoos and aquariums has been on the rise. This momentum is further fueled by pressing social issues prompting zoos and aquariums to reflect on their role in their communities.
Michelle Mileham, director of education at Tracy Aviary in Salt Lake City, Utah, has engaged with the Why Zoos and Aquariums Matter study and actively uses social science research findings to inform practices at the Aviary.
"My hope for the future is that we all reflect and think critically about the role we play—not only in conservation, but in dismantling white privilege, recognizing and empowering Black voices in conservation, and truly serving our whole community," said Mileham. "We need to measure our successes and identify gaps in order to make much needed changes. And that's the role of social science research."
Her sentiments resonate with many in the zoo and aquarium community who have recognized the need to rethink how they collaborate with communities.
A New Agenda
Fast forward to spring 2020 and the convening of zoo and aquarium stakeholders to help shape a new agenda to guide the next decade of social science research. The new social science research agenda was developed through an iterative process spanning a number of months and engaging a wide range of zoo and aquarium stakeholders, including representatives from a range of committees, practitioners, and professionals in related fields. The key research questions of the agenda represent pressing issues and priorities for the zoo and aquarium community to address through research over the next ten years. This is not intended to exclude other efforts, but rather bring more focus and guidance to the areas seen as mission critical in the current social climate.
The agenda consists of five key research questions as follows:
How can zoos and aquarium help build a more equitable society through reflection on their internal operations, culture, and communications? How can zoo and aquarium diversity, equity, access, and inclusion support this?
What is the role of zoos and aquariums in communities, including in the context of striving for environmental and social justice?
What is the role of zoos and aquariums in contributing to social change towards conservation?
What is the role of zoos and aquariums in contributing to the development of a person's intellectual, social-emotional, and physical well-being?
How can zoos/aquariums maximize their systemic impact on conservation?
The full agenda also includes sub-questions to provide more context and focus to the key research questions as well as an action plan to detail audiences and strategies to implement this work. From internal operations to working alongside communities, the questions cover the gamut of the what and the how zoos and aquariums do their work.
"We are setting ourselves up for implementation that has the integrity required for research findings to catalyze effective conservation action across a diverse spectrum of AZA member institutions," said Dr. Kayla Cranston, director of conservation psychology strategy and innovation at Antioch University. Cranston and other academics who support social science research in zoos and aquariums recognize the importance of bridging what we know about human behavior with conservation efforts.
Focusing on biological and environmental metrics alone is not enough to succeed. It is critical for zoos and aquariums to acknowledge the human dimension of conservation, as well. This includes understanding how people can engage in conservation action as well as understanding and taking into consideration how people and communities may be impacted by conservation efforts.
It is a delicate balance to recognize how social science research can equip zoos and aquariums to better understand this balance and effectively work towards their missions.
"We are more ready than ever to use the power of science as a tool to make this world a better place," said Dr. Ricardo Stanoss, program director for conservation capacity at the Smithsonian Conservation Institute.
Now is the time for zoos and aquariums to use social science research to help realize their missions and make the world a better place where people and animals thrive together. The 2020 agenda can help guide that scientific research; the time has come for all zoos and aquariums to be a part of making it happen.
Dr. Joy Kubarek is co-founder and partner of Inform Evaluation & Research.


Good news! You can now post landscape and vertical photos and videos on Instagram.
The restriction has been removed, thanks to an app update released on Thursday.
This means you don't have to crop out part of the image every time you want to post one.
Christine Choi, a product designer for Instagram explained that some of the best and most immersive video out there is landscape, and before this it didn't really feel like there was a home on Instagram for that.
She added that, Instagram is often lauded for its simplicity, and this update makes the app even simpler.
If you're looking for a business angle here, the new dimension options will also be available to advertisers, said Ashley Yuki, a product manager for Instagram.
This also gives marketers more freedom to create their ad material.


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March 5, 2020 January 13, 2020 John Buol
Rogers & Spencer Revolver
Working on the Rogers & Spencer .44 revolver converted to centerfire from percussion caps and blackpowder.
by Mark R. Hollensen
I've had a few of these Civil War era revolvers come into the shop lately, with this one being complete (no missing parts) and it functioned properly. The others were missing the mainspring and other screws and internal parts, and as you well know, parts for these old revolvers are pretty much extinct. The owner of this revolver brought it to me to remove a cleaning patch that had become lodged in the cylinder and barrel, and he asked that it be completely disassembled for a deep cleaning and to determine if it was an all-numbers matching revolver. I say revolver, because often black powder guns are often referred to as "pistols" and I found this terminology used when doing research on this particular "modified" gun.
Going back to the beginning, it was around 1837 when Amos Rogers and Julius Spencer began making farm machinery as their business, reportedly making guns as a sideline. Based on C.S. Pettengill's patent of 1856, the two began making .31 and .34 caliber revolvers. Later, the two took over the Pettengill patent and formed their own business named the Rogers, Spencer & Company. The early Pettengill revolver was simply a self-cocking revolver with an enclosed hammer. Rogers & Spencer made reportedly 5,000 of these revolvers but they were deemed to be unsuitable for use by the military and the contract was purportedly canceled.
In 1864, Rogers & Spencer began making revolvers to compete against Remington and Colt, making black powder revolvers. A total of 5,000 of their black powder revolvers were produced and sent to Ordnance on September 26, 1865. However, there are no records indicating that these revolvers were ever issued to the troops as the Civil War ended. The guns were reportedly placed into storage and later sold to a merchant named Francis Bannerman. Each percussion gun had 7.5" octagon barrels, held six shots, and offered in .44 caliber (blackpowder). Bannerman reportedly sold them at low prices until all were distributed. There are reports that many of these guns are in pristine condition, however, I have not seen one (in person) as of yet.
Continuing my research on these Civil War era revolvers, I found that many had later been…
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As Thanksgiving 2009 is upon us, I want to give thanks for all of my faithful readers and those who have graciously offered their talents, wisdom, and advice to help this site keep growing and gaining traction in the industry. But most of all I am thankful for my family, and the love and support they have given over what has been a rough 2009.
For those of you looking to watch some football with your turkey today, or just want to watch what some have called turkeys of games, here is today's schedule.
And as you watch these games, also give thanks to the many men and women away from their families working to bring you these games.


That includes seven deaths in May alone, nearly double the typical number of heatstroke deaths during the month involving kids forgotten or neglected in vehicles, according to the advocacy group KidsAndCars.org. It provides a devastating reminder of the consequences of distraction and stress.
"It has everything to do with our brains letting us down at the worst possible moment," said Janette Fennell, president and founder of the group that works to raise awareness about the dangers of hot cars.
One child has died so far in June, a 2-year-old Escambia, Fla. boy, Hezekiah Brooks, who went missing Sunday on a 92-degree day and was found four hours later on the floorboards of his grandfather's car with the windows rolled up, police said.
Most deaths occurred when otherwise well-meaning parents or caregivers failed to notice that kids were still in the cars.
The May deaths occurred in four states over about two weeks, starting with the May 10 accident involving a 5-month-old girl who was left in a car at Riverside High School in El Paso, Texas. Her mother, Wakesha Ives, 37, is a teacher at the school, according to news reports. El Paso law enforcement officials told NBC News they're still investigating the case.
To date, 567 children have died after being left in cars in the U.S. since 1998, according to figures from the Department of Geosciences at San Francisco State University, which tracks reports.
Nissan now has a rear door alert system to remind you upon arrival if you placed an item, or a child, in the back seat before driving.


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The Falling Away!
Hippolytus On Christ and Antichrist
Is there salvation after death?
Biblical Marriage
Mother of God!
We honor men more than God?
What is the Cross?
things which are Caesar's
On the Lapsed
Is committing suicide a sin?
Christian or Roman?
Love your enemy!?
The Worship of Demons
Holy Door
Constantius the precursor of Antichrist
My Guest Book
History of the Arians, Part VIII (Athanasius)
Terrible indeed, and worse than terrible are such proceedings; yet conduct suitable to him who assumes the character of Antichrist. Who that beheld him taking the lead of his pretended Bishops, and presiding in Ecclesiastical causes, would not justly exclaim that this was 'the abomination of desolation Daniel 9:27 ' spoken of by Daniel? For having put on the profession of Christianity, and entering into the holy places, and standing therein, he lays waste the Churches, transgressing their Canons, and enforcing the observance of his own decrees. Will any one now venture to say that this is a peaceful time with Christians, and not a time of persecution? A persecution indeed, such as never arose before, and such as no one perhaps will again stir up, except 'the son of lawlessness 2 Thessalonians 2:8,' do these enemies of Christ exhibit, who already present a picture of him in their own persons. Wherefore it especially behooves us to be sober, lest this heresy which has reached such a height of impudence, and has diffused itself abroad like the 'poison of an adder Proverbs 23:32,' as it is written in the Proverbs, and which teaches doctrines contrary to the Saviour; lest, I say, this be that 'falling away 2 Thessalonians 2:3,' after which He shall be revealed, of whom Constantius is surely the forerunner. Else why is he so mad against the godly? Why does he contend for it as his own heresy, and call every one his enemy who will not comply with the madness of Arius, and admit gladly the allegations of the enemies of Christ, and dishonour so many venerable Councils? Why did he command that the Churches should be given up to the Arians? Was it not that, when that other comes, he may thus find a way to enter into them, and may take to himself him who has prepared those places for him? For the ancient Bishops who were ordained by Alexander, and by his predecessor Achillas, and by Peter before him, have been cast out; and those introduced whom the companions of soldiers nominated; and they nominated only such as promised to adopt their doctrines.
Epistles of St. Gregory the Great (Book V)
Consider, I pray you, that in this rash presumption the peace of the whole Church is disturbed, and that it is in contradiction to the grace that is poured out on all in common; in which grace doubtless you yourself wilt have power to grow so far as you determine with yourself to do so. And you will become by so much the greater as you restrain yourself from the usurpation of a proud and foolish title: and you will make advance in proportion as you are not bent on arrogation by derogation of your brethren. Wherefore, dearest brother, with all your heart love humility, through which the concord of all the brethren and the unity of the holy universal Church may be preserved. Certainly the apostle Paul, when he heard some say, I am of Paul, I of Apollos, but I of Christ 1 Corinthians 1:13, regarded with the utmost horror such dilaceration of the Lord's body, whereby they were joining themselves, as it were, to other heads, and exclaimed, saying, Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul (ib.)? If then he shunned the subjecting of the members of Christ partially to certain heads, as if beside Christ, though this were to the apostles themselves, what will you say to Christ, who is the Head of the universal Church, in the scrutiny of the last judgment, having attempted to put all his members under yourself by the appellation of Universal? Who, I ask, is proposed for imitation in this wrongful title but he who, despising the legions of angels constituted socially with himself, attempted to start up to an eminence of singularity, that he might seem to be under none and to be alone above all? Who even said, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of heaven: I will sit upon the mount of the testament, in the sides of the North: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High Isaiah 14:13.
For what are all your brethren, the bishops of the universal Church, but stars of heaven, whose life and discourse shine together amid the sins and errors of men, as if amid the shades of night? And when you desire to put yourself above them by this proud title, and to tread down their name in comparison with yours, what else do you say but I will ascend into heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of heaven? Are not all the bishops together clouds, who both rain in the words of preaching, and glitter in the light of good works? And when your Fraternity despises them, and you would fain press them down under yourself, what else say you but what is said by the ancient foe, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds? All these things when I behold with tears, and tremble at the hidden judgments of God, my fears are increased, and my heart cannot contain its groans, for that this most holy man the lord John, of so great abstinence and humility, has, through the seduction of familiar tongues, broken out into such a pitch of pride as to attempt, in his coveting of that wrongful name, to be like him who, while proudly wishing to be like God, lost even the grace of the likeness granted him, and because he sought false glory, thereby forfeited true blessedness. Certainly Peter, the first of the apostles, himself a member of the holy and universal Church, Paul, Andrew, John,— what were they but heads of particular communities? And yet all were members under one Head. And (to bind all together in a short girth of speech) the saints before the law, the saints under the law, the saints under grace, all these making up the Lord's Body, were constituted as members of the Church, and not one of them has wished himself to be called universal. Now let your Holiness acknowledge to what extent you swell within yourself in desiring to be called by that name by which no one presumed to be called who was truly holy.Of a truth it was proclaimed of old through the Apostle John, Little children, it is the last hour 1 John 2:18, according as the Truth foretold. And now pestilence and sword rage through the world, nations rise against nations, the globe of the earth is shaken, the gaping earth with its inhabitants is dissolved. For all that was foretold has come to pass. The king of pride is near, and (awful to be said!) there is an army of priests in course of preparation for him, inasmuch as they who had been appointed to be leaders in humility enlist themselves under the neck of pride. But in this matter, even though our tongue protested not at all, the power of Him who in His own person peculiarly opposes the vice of pride is lifted up for vengeance against elation. For hence it is written, God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble James 4:6. Hence, again, it is said, Whoso exalts his heart is unclean before God Proverbs 16:5. Hence, against the man that is proud it is written, Why is earth and ashes proud Sirach 10:9? Hence the Truth in person says, Whosoever exalts himself shall be abased Luke 14:11. And, that he might bring us back to the way of life through humility, He deigned to exhibit in Himself what He teaches us, saying, Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart Matthew 11:29. For to this end the only begotten Son of God took upon Himself the form of our weakness; to this end the Invisible appeared not only as visible but even as despised; to this end He endured the mocks of contumely, the reproaches of derision, the torments of suffering; that God in His humility might teach man not to be proud. How great, then, is the virtue of humility for the sake of teaching which alone He who is great beyond compare became little even unto the suffering of death! For, since the pride of the devil was the origin of our perdition, the humility of God has been found the means of our redemption. That is to say, our enemy, having been created among all things, desired to appear exalted above all things; but our Redeemer remaining great above all things, deigned to become little among all things.
What, then, can we bishops say for ourselves, who have received a place of honour from the humility of our Redeemer, and yet imitate the pride of the enemy himself? Lo, we know our Creator to have descended from the summit of His loftiness that He might give glory to the human race, and we, created of the lowest, glory in the lessening of our brethren. God humbled Himself even to our dust; and human dust sets his face as high as heaven, and with his tongue passes above the earth, and blushes not, neither is afraid to be lifted up: even man who is rottenness, and the son of man that is a worm. Let us recall to mind, most dear brother, this which is said by the most wise Solomon. Before thunder shall go lightning, and before ruin shall the heart be exalted Sirach 32:10; where, on the other hand it is subjoined, Before glory it shall be humbled. Let us then be humbled in mind, if we are striving to attain to real loftiness. By no means let the eyes of our heart be darkened by the smoke of elation, which the more it rises the more rapidly vanishes away. Let us consider how we are admonished by the precepts of our Redeemer, who says, Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Matthew 5:3. Hence, also, he says by the prophet, On whom shall my Spirit rest, but on him that is humble, and quiet, and that trembles at my words Isaiah 66:2? Of a truth, when the Lord would bring back the hearts of His disciples, still beset with infirmity, to the way of humility, He said, Whosoever will be chief among you shall be least of all Matthew 20:27. Whereby it is plainly seen how he is truly exalted on high who in his thoughts is humbled. Let us, therefore, fear to be numbered among those who seek the first seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the market, and to be called of men Rabbi. For, contrariwise, the Lord says to His disciples, But be not called Rabbi: for one is your master; and all you are brethren. And call no man your Father upon the earth, for one is your Father Matthew 23:7-8.
What then, dearest brother, will you say in that terrible scrutiny of the coming judgment, if you covet to be called in the world not only father, but even general father? Let, then, the bad suggestion of evil men be guarded against; let all instigation to offense be fled from. It must needs be (indeed) that offenses come; nevertheless, woe to that man by whom the offense comes Matthew 18:7. Lo, by reason of this execrable title of pride the Church is rent asunder, the hearts of all the brethren are provoked to offense. What! Has it escaped your memory how the Truth says, Whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a mill stone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea (Ib. 5:6)? But it is written, Charity seeks not her own 1 Corinthians 13:4. Lo, your Fraternity arrogates to itself even what is not its own. Again it is written, In honour preferring one another Romans 12:10. And you attempt to take the honour away from all which you desire unlawfully to usurp to yourself singularly. Where, dearest brother, is that which is written, Have peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord Hebrews 12:14? Where is that which is written, Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God Matthew 5:9?
For to assent to that atrocious title is nothing else than to lose the faith.
For to all who know the Gospel it is apparent that by the Lord's voice the care of the whole Church was committed to the holy Apostle and Prince of all the Apostles, Peter. For to him it is said, Peter, do you love Me? Feed My sheep John 21:17. To him it is said, Behold Satan has desired to sift you as wheat; and I have prayed for you, Peter, that your faith fail not. And thou, when you are converted, strengthen your brethren Luke 22:31. To him it is said, You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatsoever you shall bind an earth shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed also in heaven Matthew 16:18. Lo, he received the keys of the heavenly kingdom, and power to bind and loose is given him, the care and principality of the whole Church is committed to him, and yet he is not called the universal apostle; while the most holy man, my fellow priest John, attempts to be called universal bishop. I am compelled to cry out and say, O tempora, O mores!
Still it is very distressing, and hard to be borne with patience, that my aforesaid brother and fellow bishop, despising all others, should attempt to be called sole bishop. But in this pride of his what else is denoted than that the times of Antichrist are already near at hand? For in truth he is imitating him who, scorning social joy with the legions of angels, attempted to start up to a summit of singular eminence, saying, I will exalt my throne above the stars of heaven, I will sit upon the mount of the testament, in the sides of the North, and will ascend above the heights of the clouds, and I will be like the most High Isaiah 14:13.
Registrum Epistolarum (Gregory the Great, Book VII)
And indeed on the receipt of the synodical epistle of our brother and fellow bishop Cyriacus it was not worth my while to make a difficulty on account of the profane title at the risk of disturbing the unity of holy Church: but nevertheless I took care to admonish him with respect to this same superstitious and proud title, saying that he could not have peace with us unless he corrected the elation of the aforesaid expression, which the first apostate invented. You, however, ought not to say that this is a matter of no consequence, since, if we bear it with equanimity, we are corrupting the faith of the Universal Church; for you know how many not only heretics but heresiarchs have issued from the Constantinopolitan Church. And, not to speak of the injury done to your dignity, if one bishop is called Universal, the Universal Church comes to ruin, if the one who is universal falls. But far, far be this levity from my ears. Yet I trust in Almighty God that what He has promised He will soon fulfil; Whosoever exalts himself shall be humbled Luke 14:11.
And because Antichrist, the enemy of God, is near at hand, I studiously desire the he may not find anything belonging to himself, not only in the manners, but even in the titles of priests.
I have however taken care to admonish earnestly the same my brother and fellow bishop that, if he desires to have peace and concord with all, he must refrain from the appellation of a foolish title. As to this, the piety of my lords has charged me in their orders, saying that offense ought not to be engendered among us for the appellation of a frivolous name. But I beseech your imperial Piety to consider that some frivolous things are very harmless, and others exceedingly harmful. Is it not the case that, when Antichrist comes and calls himself God, it will be very frivolous, and yet exceedingly pernicious? If we regard the quantity of the language used, there are but a few syllables; but if the weight of the wrong, there is universal disaster. Now I confidently say that whosoever calls himself, or desires to be called, Universal Priest, is in his elation the precursor of Antichrist, because he proudly puts himself above all others. Nor is it by dissimilar pride that he is led into error; for, as that perverse one wishes to appear as above all men, so whosoever this one is who covets being called sole priest, he extols himself above all other priests. But, since the Truth says, Every one that exalts himself shall be humbled Luke 14:11; 18:14, I know that every kind of elation is the sooner burst as it is the more inflated. Let then your Piety charge those who have fallen into an example of pride not to generate any offense by the appellation of a frivolous name. For I, a sinner, who by the help of God retain humility, need not to be admonished to humility. Now may Almighty God long guard the life of our most serene Lord for the peace of holy Church and the advantage of the Roman republic. For we are sure, that if you live who fear the Lord of heaven, you will allow no proud doings to prevail against the truth.
Registrum Epistolarum (Gregory the Great, Book VIII)
Your Blessedness has also been careful to declare that you do not now make use of proud titles, which have sprung from a root of vanity, in writing to certain persons, and you address me saying, As you have commanded. This word, command, I beg you to remove from my hearing, since I know who I am, and who you are. For in position you are my brethren, in character my fathers. I did not, then, command, but was desirous of indicating what seemed to be profitable. Yet I do not find that your Blessedness has been willing to remember perfectly this very thing that I brought to your recollection. For I said that neither to me nor to any one else ought you to write anything of the kind; and lo, in the preface of the epistle which you have addressed to myself who forbade it, you have thought fit to make use of a proud appellation, calling me Universal Pope. But I beg your most sweet Holiness to do this no more, since what is given to another beyond what reason demands is subtracted from yourself. For as for me, I do not seek to be prospered by words but by my conduct. Nor do I regard that as an honour whereby I know that my brethren lose their honour. For my honour is the honour of the universal Church: my honour is the solid vigour of my brethren. Then am I truly honoured when the honour due to all and each is not denied them. For if your Holiness calls me Universal Pope, you deny that you are yourself what you call me universally. But far be this from us. Away with words that inflate vanity and wound charity.
Since in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some indeed to honour but some to dishonour 2 Timothy 2:20, who can be ignorant that in the bosom of the Universal Church some as vessels of dishonour are deputed to the lowest uses, but others, as vessels of honour, are fitted for clean uses. And yet it commonly comes to pass that the citizens of Babylon serve in task-work for Jerusalem, while the citizens of Jerusalem, that is of the heavenly country, are deputed to the task-work of Babylon. For when the elect of God, endowed with moral excellence, distinguished for moderation, seeking not their own gain, are deputed to earthly business, what else is it but that the citizens of holy Jerusalem serve in the work of Babylon? And when some, unbridled in immorality, hold places of holy dignity, and in the very things which they seem to do well seek praise to themselves, what else is it but that the citizens of Babylon execute the task-work of the heavenly Jerusalem? For so Judas, mixed with the apostles, long preached the Redeemer of the human race, and did signs with the rest; but, because he had been a citizen of Babylon, he executed his work as task-work for the heavenly Jerusalem. But on the other hand Joseph, being carried into Egypt, served an earthly court, bore the charge of administration in temporal things, exhibited whatever was justly due to a transitory kingdom; but, because he was still a citizen of holy Jerusalem, he administered the service of Babylon, as has been seen above, in the way of task-work only. A follower of him, good man, I believe you to be, knowing you, though involved in earthly action, to act with a gentle spirit, to keep in all respects the citadel of humility, and to give to every one what is just. For such good things are reported by many of your Glory that I would fain not hear of such things, but see them: yet still I am fed by the good renown of him whom I am not allowed to see. But the woman who poured from the alabaster box, exhibiting a type of the Holy Church, that is of all the elect, filled the house with the ointment Luke 7. And we, as often as we hear anything of good people, draw in as it were through our nostrils a breath of sweetness. And when Paul the Apostle said, We are a good odour of Christ unto God 2 Corinthians 2:15, it is plainly given to be understood that he exhibited himself as a savour indeed to the present, but as an odour to the absent. We therefore, while we cannot be nourished by the savour of your presence, are so by the odour of your absence.
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(2) However, the imperial successors of Constantine soon began to see in themselves Divinely appointed "bishops of the exterior", i.e. masters of the temporal and material conditions of the Church. At the same time they retained the traditional authority of "Pontifex Maximus", and in this way the civil authority inclined, frequently in league with prelates of Arian tendencies, to persecute the orthodox bishops by imprisonment and exile. But the latter, particularly St. Hilary of Poitiers (Liber contra Auxentium, c. iv), protested vigorously against any use of force in the province of religion, whether for the spread of Christianity or for preservation of the Faith. They repeatedly urged that in this respect the severe decrees of the Old Testament were abrogated by the mild and gentle laws of Christ. However, the successors of Constantine were ever persuaded that the first concern of imperial authority (Theodosius II, "Novellae", tit. III, A.D. 438) was the protection of religion and so, with terrible regularity, issued many penal edicts against heretics. In the space of fifty seven years sixty-eight enactments were thus promulgated. All manner of heretics were affected by this legislation, and in various ways, by exile, confiscation of property, or death. A law of 407, aimed at the traitorous Donatists, asserts for the first time that these heretics ought to be put on the same plane as transgressors against the sacred majesty of the emperor, a concept to which was reserved in later times a very momentous role. The death penalty however, was only imposed for certain kinds of heresy; in their persecution of heretics the Christian emperors fell far short of the severity of Diocletian, who in 287 sentenced to the stake the leaders of the Manichæans, and inflicted on their followers partly the death penalty by beheading, and partly forced labor in the government mines.


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Exploring patients' views toward giving web-based feedback and ratings to general practitioners in England : a qualitative descriptive study
Patel, S ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6058-8382, Cain, R, Neailey, K and Hooberman, L 2016, 'Exploring patients' views toward giving web-based feedback and ratings to general practitioners in England : a qualitative descriptive study' , Journal of Medical Internet Research, 18 (8) , e217.
Official URL: https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.5865
Background: Patient feedback websites or doctor rating websites are increasingly being used by patients to give feedback about their health care experiences. There is little known about why patients in England may give Web-based feedback and what may motivate or dissuade them from giving Web-based feedback.
Objective: The aim of this study was to explore patients' views toward giving Web-based feedback and ratings to general practitioners (GPs), within the context of other feedback methods available in primary care in England, and in particular, paper-based feedback cards.
Methods: A descriptive exploratory qualitative approach using face-to-face semistructured interviews was used in this study. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 18 participants from different age groups in London and Coventry. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using applied thematic analysis.
Results: Half of the participants in this study were not aware of the opportunity to leave feedback for GPs, and there was limited awareness about the methods available to leave feedback for a GP. The majority of participants were not convinced that formal patient feedback was needed by GPs or would be used by GPs for improvement, regardless of whether they gave it via a website or on paper. Some participants said or suggested that they may leave feedback on a website rather than on a paper-based feedback card for several reasons: because of the ability and ease of giving it remotely; because it would be shared with the public; and because it would be taken more seriously by GPs. Others, however, suggested that they would not use a website to leave feedback for the opposite reasons: because of accessibility issues; privacy and security concerns; and because they felt feedback left on a website may be ignored.
Conclusions: Patient feedback and rating websites as they currently are will not replace other mechanisms for patients in England to leave feedback for a GP. Rather, they may motivate a small number of patients who have more altruistic motives or wish to place collective pressure on a GP to give Web-based feedback. If the National Health Service or GP practices want more patients to leave Web-based feedback, we suggest they first make patients aware that they can leave anonymous feedback securely on a website for a GP. They can then convince them that their feedback is needed and wanted by GPs for improvement, and that the reviews they leave on the website will be of benefit to other patients to decide which GP to see or which GP practice to join.
Schools > School of Health and Society
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
S Patel


YeonWoo House Hanokstay is simple yet warm and cozy for all our guests. This house has all the amenities that guests want. This house has been in the host's family for several generations. The host's grandmother used to plant vegetables here for a very long time. This house is very well known among bloggers. You can come here to learn calligraphy and make memories to treasure forever. And also you can have a Korean style breakfast for free.
As an authorized agency of Google Business View, kozaza features selected properties including Hanok, Korean traditional house, and guest houses. Here are several Hanoks featured. You can take look inside of them on the web. However, you can navigate their inside views using Google Map App on your smart phone. Enjoy and book them at http://kozaza.com.
Experiencing the elegance of Korean culture!
Rakkojae is a very famous Korean traditional culture space with a history of 130 years. Rakkojae was renovated by Human National Treasure – Master Carpenter CHUNG Young-Jin. The harmony of hanok traditional tiles, fence, pavilion, chimney, soy jar stands, pine trees, and blue sky, make the true beauty of hanok shine. As a place to enjoy the true elegance of Korean traditional culture, one can participate in various activities to truly experience the traditional beauty of Korea.
Situated in the historic Bukchon neighborhood in Seoul, Korea, Manaedang takes its name after the respected Buddhist monk, writer and Korean independence movement activist Manae Han Yongwoon, who occupied this house during the Japanese colonial period. Here, Manae founded the Buddhist magazine, "Yusim." In recognition of this historic fact, the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea registered this place as a Modern Cultural Heritage Site in 2003. Now, this historic house opens its doors to guests who wish to experience Korean traditional life. In this adorable tiled-roof house and quaint neighborhood lined with traditional Korean houses (Hanok), glimpse the old Korea of the bygone era.
Gaonjae is located in the center of Bukchon, the meaning of the name is actually 'a house located in the center'. 10 min walk from gate no. 2 of Anguk station, Gaonjae is also easy to access. Enjoy the harmonic life with nature in a quiet and spacious garden in Gaonjae.
Hueahn Guesthouse is one of the famous korean traditional houses in Bukchon, Seoul. You can feel beauty of Korean culture in a central pillar made of old wood from Mt. Baekdu, doors decorated with mother-of–pearl, and various lacquer decors. While your stay, we provide you with a special opportunity to experience Korean Urushi(vanishing with traditional lacquer )and hand craft with mother-of-pearl. We also provide comfort bedding made of natural material.