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华严论坛:禅佛教、全球化、与"心伦理"--释常谂
2010年10月01日 11:21:00 点击:0次
釋常諗
近来学界和社会已有越来越多人具这样的共识,全球化下所引起的各种危机,并非只是政治、经济、和社会因素所造成,它同时是一种道德和精神的危机。然而,人类的道德伦理标准,因环境、时代、文化背景不同而不同,全球化下地球村的逐渐形成,适应此新时代的全球伦理也急待形成。
本文以法鼓山提倡的"心伦理"为例,探讨"心伦理"的伦理观特色,不同于以行为规范为思考出发的伦理观,而是以"心"出发的新时代伦理观。"心伦理",以大乘佛教利人便是利己的菩萨道精神,结合佛法与中国禅宗的心法的观念和方法,对人的各种烦恼、痛苦,人与人相处的冲突,解决之道直接从心下手。"心伦理",回到释迦牟尼佛化世的本怀,不是狭隘的宗教信仰,也不是一般以行为为根据的伦理观,而是以佛法的智慧与自己、与他人、与环境互动,禅法在与自己相处、与他人、环境相处的伦理实践。"心伦理",将个人品质的提升修行与人际社会和谐、自然永续经营结合,是一项精神启蒙运动、一项心灵建设的工程,不与任何其他民族文化和宗教相抵触,不仅为伦理学注入新的血液,也为为全球化下新时代的伦理建构,提供一新的典范。
关键字:当代佛教、全球化、禅法、伦理、法鼓山
More and more researchers and social activists have come to the realization that the crises associated with globalization are not only brought about by political, economic, and social issues, but also by the erosion of ethical principles.
On the other hand, human moral and ethical standards are different according to different cultures, generations, and geographical areas and conditioned by time and space. Therefore, a new ethics that adapt to this new era of globalization is urgent to be formed.
Because religion is often the source of human beings' value systems, it has the potential to provide useful solutions. Many religious traditions and their manifold variation in the world, however, are still clinging to pre-modern orthodoxies and dogmas instead of responding constructively to the needs of a globalizing world.
This paper will explore the concept of " The Ethics of the Mind," a movement pioneered by Dharma Drum Mountain, and its potential contributions to Buddhist modernization and the construction of the new ethics in the area of globalization.
2. Dharma Drum Mountain's the " Ethics of The Mind"
In the past 20 years, Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM) has promoted campaigns such as " Protecting the Spiritual Environment," "Four Kinds of Environmentalism", "Fivefold Spiritual Renaissance Campaign ", and " The Six Ethics of the Mind " and created great impact in Taiwan. These campaigns has also influenced internationally and provides a Chan Buddhist perspective on issues such as world peace, economic development, environmental protection, poverty, global ethics, education, women, etc. Each ofthe campaign is named with the word "mind", sin in Chinese. Because in Chan's point of view, in order to resolve human psycho-physical problems and social crisis, the external technical and legal solutions are not enough; It's also urgent to address the original cause of these problems, that is the human mind.
In 2004, the founder of DDM Master Shen Yen presented "Fighting and Preventing Terrorism: Education and Parenting for Peace and Global Ethics"at a global conference in United Nations, New York. Since then, DDM has participated an international project on the construction of global ethics. In 2006, DDM established " Ethics project" in consultation with international scholars, professionals, and leader.s Later in the same year , DDM started to promote " The Six Ethics of the Mind "campaign, which consists of Family Ethics, Living Ethics, School Ethics, Environmental Ethics, Workplace Ethics, and Ethics between Ethnic Groups. This campaign aims to supplement the insufficient Five Ethics of ancient Confucianism and strengthens the interpersonal relationships of modern-day society.[1] In 2007, DDM formally presents the concept of the "Ethics of the Mind" as the core discourse of the "Ethic Project" from Chan Buddhist prospective, with the hope to create a new paradigm of ethics in response to the needs not only in Asia but also in the globe.
In an increasingly chaotic environment of the globalizing world, the awareness of ethical education and concepts becomes even more vital. Compare to ethics in the modern West and the Five Ethics of traditional Confucianism, Chan advocates an ethics of responsiveness rather than one of responsibility. Tom Kasulis(2006) compares Chan with the ethical system in the west. He states that Chan develops mainly with cultural orientation in East Asian that leans towards intimacy, whereas the modern West has developed mainly with orientation towards integrity. [2]An ethics of integrity presumes that different persons have their autonomous identities all equally subject to ethical rules, and foregrounds responsibility to rules of that relationship. It is the relationship to be universalized as a formal moral principle and abstracted from its concrete context. Although not based on the assumption of integrity of the individual, the ethical relationship in the Five Ethics of ancient Confucianism also refer to formal principles between sovereign and subject, father and son, husband and wife, elder and younger, and between friends.
Comparing to the Western integrity model based on a world-view aimed at objective independence, on the other hand, Chan ethics is intimacy model based on a world-view of interdependence.In Early Buddhism, to engage the other morally is also to take care of oneself, which represents one's own progress toward enlightenment. It is also like in Mahayana, including the Chan Buddhism, the Bodhisattva path toward Buddhahood is practicing compassion that benefits others as a way to cultivate oneself. The ethic of intimacy such as Chan Buddhism foregrounds the responsiveness to situations and its internal relation refers to practicing compassion, that is, what the other feel is also part of me.
Along with Kasulis' statements on Chan ethic, the founder Master Shen Yen explains the "Ethics of the Mind":
Ethics represent a form of loving-kindness and the compassion of the bodhisattvas. We must benefit others while seeking our own; only by benefiting others will our own benefit be safeguarded.[3]
Hence, "Ethics of the Mind", different from the Five Ethics of ancient Confucianism and general ethic in the west which emphasizes the formal principles, considers ethics from the perspective of mind. Based on the Mahayana bodhisattva path that benefits others at the same time benefits oneself, " The Ethics of the Mind" is a Chan ethics that emphasizes that the value of ethics lies in serving and giving. While seeking our own benefits we should respect others and care about them. It considers the solution of ethical problems that happened between people and within oneself directly from mind.
3. Chan Buddhism and "The Ethics of the Mind"
Borrowing from contemporary discussions of ethics on the one hand, and the traditional philosophy and meditation practices for mental purification derived from Chan Buddhism on the other, "The Ethics of the Mind" is a new concept and practice that is both relevant and applicable in everyday life.
Many people view the nature of Chan/Zen meditation practice is subjective and has been understood as an anti-social aspect of Chan Buddhism. The relationship between awakening and altruistic action is ambiguous. By examining and comparing teachings of the Korean masters Chinul from the 12th century and Songchol in the 20th century, Jin Park (2006) argues that awareness of one's wisdom does not naturally transfer to the activities of compassion. The interrelationship of wisdom and compassion do not come together naturally. Due to the individualistic nature of realization, Chan/Zen practice is subjective. One has constantly make efforts for altruistic behaviors in order to cultivate compassion.[4] Ruben Habito (1997), on the other hand, states that Zen practitioners will overcome the dichotomy of "inward" and "outward" when they have the experience of enlightenment,, and will naturally deepen the awareness of interconnectedness with all being. Although, on a journey of self-discovery one has taken an "inward turn" that de-emphasizes the engagement with the "outside world", one enlightened by the wisdom will naturally blossom into a life of compassion and has altruistic action in one's daily life.[5]
Michael Tophoff (2007), in contrast, sees awakening and altruistic action as compatible along with each other. The Chan meditation practice, such as sitting or walking meditation, could be extended and be generalized into meditation-in-action, and even to meditation-on-the-marketplace, or meditation in work place. Through practicing mindfulness, one's moment-to-moment awareness will allow the intuitive of the innate knowledge and one's action to be connected. Right action will ensue as Chan practice deepens and a more integral ethical relationship with human and nature will be then established.[6]
The Ethics of the Mind, alongside with Tophoff argument of meditation-in-action, transcends the dichotomy between quiet mediation and action. For it extends the traditional Chan practice of infusing everyday activities with mindfulness to the realm of ethical thinking and behavior, and at the same time advocates the application of Chan in interaction with human society and the natural world. As Master Shen Yen said:
The philosophy of Chan, as well as the practice of Chinese Buddhism, the main point is that in daily life, one can modulate his/her thoughts and emotion when facing all kinds of phenomenon. No matter what happens, one can keep his/her mind and emotion stable and peaceful, not influenced by the situation outside. If we can practice that, we are practicing Chinese Chan Buddhism.[7]
Starting from the philosophy of " Ordinary Mind is the Way" and the Mahayana bodhisattva path that benefits others at the same time benefits oneself, The Ethics of the Mind utilize Chan practice in the realm of ethical thinking and behavior. Therefore, greed and fighting for gain are not in line with ethics. Through The Ethics of the Mind, purification, peace, happiness and health throughout society is possible to be achieved.
4. "The Ethics of the Mind" and Globalization
Following the tide of globalization, today's world has become an integral entity and interconnected between different regions and cultures. While economic development, information explosion and advancement in communications technology have shortened the distance between people and contributed to the advent of the global village, the process of globalization also produces problems such as poverty, conflicts, environmental pollution, corruption, and injustice etc. In order to address these problems, it is important to think critically about the possibility and desirability of formulating a global ethic. In recent years, Master Shen Yen or delegates of the DDM monastic community have attend numerous international conferences, including meetings organized by the World Economic Forum, the World Bank, the World Council for Religious Leadership, the Global Peace Initiative for Women, the Earth Carter, as well as the World Youth Peace Summit.
Sallie King(2009) states that Humanistic Buddhism such as Tzu Chi, Fo Guan Shan and Dharma Drum Mountain in Taiwan are committed to the task of modernizing, reforming and popularizing Buddhism by turning away from other-worldly and supernatural tendencies in Buddhism. Instead, Humanistic Buddhism emphasizes principles in Buddhism such as rationality, morality, self-transformation through practice and the betterment of the world. [8] Within the social ethics in Humanistic Buddhism, Richard Madsen(2007) compares Tzu Chi, Fo Guan Shan and Dharma Drum Mountain and states that Dharma Drum Mountain, because its prime focus is on Chan Practice, has less Confucianism characteristic and pushes beyond its cultural environment. In Chan, one practices selflessness and it pushes the practitioners beyond conscious thought, beyond distinctions between self and other, and practice the egalitarianism. It separates one from traditional attachment to bounded social institutions such as family, ethnic group, or even nation, and reintegrates one self with others on the basis of universalistic principles toward transcendence.[9]
Hence, combined the transformative personal quality, interpersonal social harmony, and naturally sustainable development, " The Ethics of the Mind", is a spiritual enlightenment campaign and not conflicted with other cultures and religions. It emphasizes the humanistic, worldly, and practical sides of Buddhism as a response to the need of modernity and is different from traditional Buddhism with tendencies of other-worldliness, superstition, scholastic buddhadharma. Besides, rather than seeking technical and legal solutions in the external world, the "Ethics of the Mind" seeks solutions from within, starting with raising the quality of individual awareness and moving on to interpersonal relations and sustainable development. "The Ethics of the Mind," although is based on Chinese Chan Buddhism, is not a religious belief, for it is concerned with the pragmatic goal of alleviating the suffering that are common to all sentiment beings . As such it has the potential of transcending religious boundaries and offers a new way of thinking about global ethics. Therefore, Master Shen Yen advocates the ethics in the modern society should be:
Neither the diverse Buddhist traditions, nor fields of scholastic discipline, nor any religion can assert that only its faith or tradition is superior. It is essential that in the process of mutual acceptance and learning, we work toward the vision of ' Building a pure Land on Earth.'[10]
In establishing global ethics, the "Ethics of the Mind" fosters mutual understanding and tolerance, respect the differences between peoples, religions, and cultures, and seeks common ground while preserving individual identities. It is a respect for all lives. It is the recognition that everyone has the right to live, and everyone has the responsibility to love and protect others. Its vision of establishing global ethics is to realize heaven on earth and reform this world into a pure land. In light of the concern that religious issues have always been one of the major causes of international conflict, DDM has proposed the formation of shared global ethics and values through inter-faith dialogues. In the World Economic Forumin 2002, Master Shen Yen proposed that the definition of the "sacred" should vary according to time, place, and individual, and the word " Sacred" should be redefined in pursuing global ethics. He stated:
I believe the highest Truth revered by each religion is necessarily completely perfect and absolutely sacred. However, once human factors come in and interpretations and outside agendas are imposed on this Truth, it becomes subjective and individual differences arise…
We can accept that every wholesome religion has room for continued development and the right to proclaim itself the world's best religion. Likewise, I myself would say that Buddhism is the best religion.. For this reason, to manifest the tolerance expected in a pluralistic society, the definition of the "sacred" must be reinterpreted.[11]
Not only emphasizing the concept of the sacred should be open to changes Master Shen Yen also proposes a concrete agenda to achieve global ethics and world peace. In the keynote speech presented at the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders in 2000 and in 2004 at United Nations, he made a sincere proposal:
If, in the sacred text or ancients teaching of any peoples there are tenets that go against the principle of peaceful coexistence for all humanity, then these texts should be reinterpreted in the light of global ethics. [12]
Besides the definition of the word "Sacred" and its text that might go against peace should be reinterpreted, the methodology of implementing global ethics should be done through educational institutions at different levels such as schools, community education organizations, religious institutions and families. It is through education across the globe and the emphasis that we share this duty, that the establishment of global ethics could be possible.
Returning to the Shakyamuni Buddha's spirit of delivering sentient being, "The Ethics of the Mind" is not a narrow religious belief, nor an ethics judged by norms of behaviors, but rather a wisdom from Buddhadharma and a Chan practice in ethics to interact with oneself, with others, and with natural environment.
Combined the transformative personal quality, interpersonal social harmony, and naturally sustainable development, " The Ethics of the Mind", is not in conflict with other cultures and religions. Rather, it is a spiritual enlightenment campaign and a spiritual building project. It not only provides a new perspective to Buddhism modernity but also offers a new ethical paradigm for the construction of global ethics in the new era of globalization.
1.Tom P. Kasulis, "Zen as a Social Ethics of Responsiveness", Journal of Buddhist Ethics(online), Date of Submission:May 2, 2006.
2. Master Shen Yen, "The Six Ethics of the Mind Campaign." http://www.dharmadrum.org/content/about/about.aspx?sn=113
3.Jin Y. Park, Wisdom, Compassion, and Zen Social Ethics: the Case of Chinul, S?ngch'?l, and Minjung Buddhism in Korea", Journal of Buddhist Ethics, Volume 13, 1-30, 2006.
4.Ruben L. F. Habito, "Mountains and Rivers and the Great Earth: Zen and Ecology" in Mary Evelyn
Tucker and Duncan Ryuken Williams ed., Buddhism and Ecology: The Interconnection of Dharma and Deeds , p. 165-176,Harvard University Press, 1997.
5.Michael M. Tophoff, "The Ethics of Knowledge and Action in Postmodern Organizations", Journal of Buddhist Ethics, Volume 14, 182-200, 2007.
6."How Great of the Dharma Drum", film made by Dharma Drum Mountain Cultural Center.
7.Sallie B. King, "Engaged Buddhism and Humanistic Buddhism: A Comparison of Principles and Practices" in in Renjian Fojiao Ji Canyu Fojiao De Moshi Yu Zhanwan(Humanistic Buddhism and Engaged Buddhism: the Models of Participation and Future Prospect), Foguanshan Foundation, 2009.
8. Richard Madsen, Democracy's Dharma: Religious Renaissance and Political Development in Taiwan. University of California Press, 2007, p.89.
9. Shih, Sheng-Yen, "A Pure Land on Earth" in David W. Chappell ed., Buddhist Peace Work: Creating Cultures of Peace, Wisdom Publications, 1999, p.181.
10. Master Shen Yen, " The 'Sacred' in a Pluralistic World: Seeking Common Ground while Preserving Differences" in Establishing Global Ethics, Dharma Drum Mountain, 2008.
11. Master Shen Yen,, "Fighting and Preventing Terrorism: Education and Parenting for Peace and Global Ethics" in Establishing Global Ethics, Dharma Drum Mountain, 2008.
[1]The Five Ethics of ancient Confucianism refers to the ethical relationships between sovereign and subject, father and son, husband and wife, elder and younger, and between friends.
[2]Tom P. Kasulis, "Zen as a Social Ethics of Responsiveness", Journal of Buddhist Ethics(online), Date of Submission:May 2, 2006.
[3]Master Shen Yen, "The Six Ethics of the Mind." http://www.dharmadrum.org/content/about/about.aspx?sn=113
[4]Jin Y. Park, Wisdom, Compassion, and Zen Social Ethics: the Case of Chinul, S?ngch'?l, and Minjung Buddhism in Korea", Journal of Buddhist Ethics(online), Date of Submission:May 2, 2006.
[5]Ruben L. F. Habito, "Mountains and Rivers and the Great Earth: Zen and Ecology" in Mary Evelyn Tucker and Duncan Ryuken Williams ed., Buddhism and Ecology: The Interconnection of Dharma and Deeds , p. 165-176,Harvard University Press, 1997.
[6]Michael M. Tophoff, "The Ethics of Knowledge and Action in Postmodern Organizations", Journal of Buddhist Ethics, Volume 14, 182-200, 2007.
[7]"How Great of the Dharma Drum", film made by Dharma Drum Mountain Cultural Center.
[8]Sallie B. King, "Engaged Buddhism and Humanistic Buddhism: A Comparison of Principles and Practices" in in Renjian Fojiao Ji Canyu Fojiao De Moshi Yu Zhanwan(Humanistic Buddhism and Engaged Buddhism: the Models of Participation and Future Prospect), Foguanshan Foundation, 2009.
[9]Richard Madsen, Democracy's Dharma: Religious Renaissance and Political Development in Taiwan. University of California Press, 2007, p.89.
[10]Shih, Sheng-Yen, "A Pure Land on Earth" in David W. Chappell ed., Buddhist Peace Work: Creating Cultures of Peace, Wisdom Publications, 1999, p.181.
[11]Master Shen Yen, " The 'Sacred' in a Pluralistic World: Seeking Common Ground while Preserving Differences"( speech presented in World Economic Forum, New York, Feb. 1, 2002), in Establishing Global Ethics, Dharma Drum Mountain, 2008.
[12]Master Shen Yen,, "Fighting and Preventing Terrorism: Education and Parenting for Peace and Global Ethics"Global Conference, (presented on January 28, 2004, United Nations Dag Hammerskjold Library Auditorium, New York).
This proposal also stated as :' If you find that the doctrines of your faith contain something that is intolerant of other groups, or in contradiction with the promotion of world peace, then you should make new interpretations of these relevant doctrines. Why? Because every wholesome religion should get along peacefully with other groups so that it can, step by step, influence humankind on earth to stay far away from the causes of war.'Master Shen Yen, "Eliminating Barriers, Enhancing Mutual Respect and Love"(keynote speech presented on August 29, 2000 at the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders at World Peace Summit, United Nations, New York),in Establishing Global Ethics, Dharma Drum Mountain, 2008.
编辑:子勤
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text:
'''
The purpose of this script is to take a csv file containing protein_binding data and create an h5 with a specified proportion
of examples to hold as a testing set.
by: Derek Jones
'''
import time
import os
import h5py
import pandas as pd
import numpy as np
import argparse
import numpy as np
from tqdm import tqdm
random_state = np.random.RandomState(0)
from sklearn.model_selection import train_test_split

parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
parser.add_argument("-i", type=str, help="path to old csv file")
parser.add_argument("-o", type=str, help="path to new h5 file")
parser.add_argument("-c", type=str, help="prefix for compound lists")
parser.add_argument("--a", type=float, help="ratio of examples to hold out for test set", default=0.2) #create 80/20 split
args = parser.parse_args()

def save_to_hdf5(data_frame, output_name):

    output_file = h5py.File(output_name, "w", libver='latest')
    column_names = list(data_frame.columns.values)
    group_names = list(set(data_frame['receptor']))
    output_file.create_group("train")
    output_file.create_group("test")

    for group_name in tqdm(group_names):
        grp_data = data_frame[data_frame['receptor'] == group_name]
        labels = data_frame[data_frame['receptor'] == group_name]["label"]
        idxs = np.arange(0, len(labels))
        train_idxs, test_idxs = train_test_split(idxs, stratify=labels, test_size=args.a, random_state=random_state)
        data_frame.iloc[train_idxs][["receptor","drugID","label","vina_score"]].to_csv(args.c+"_training_compounds.csv")
        data_frame.iloc[test_idxs][["receptor", "drugID", "label", "vina_score"]].to_csv(args.c + "_testing_compounds.csv")
        output_file['/train'].create_group(group_name)
        output_file['/test'].create_group(group_name)
        for feature in iter(column_names):
            # print(feature)
            if feature == "label":
                output_file['train/'+str(group_name)].require_dataset(str(feature), [grp_data.iloc[train_idxs].shape[0], 1],
                                             data=np.asarray(grp_data.iloc[train_idxs][feature]),
                                                dtype=np.int8)
                output_file['test/'+str(group_name)].require_dataset(str(feature), [grp_data.iloc[test_idxs].shape[0], 1], data=np.asarray(grp_data.iloc[test_idxs][feature]),
                                             dtype=np.int8)
            elif feature in ['receptor','drugID','Filename']:

                output_file['train/'+str(group_name)].require_dataset(str(feature), [grp_data.iloc[train_idxs].shape[0], 1],
                                        data=np.asarray(grp_data.iloc[train_idxs][feature]),
                                        dtype=h5py.special_dtype(vlen=str))
                output_file['test/'+str(group_name)].require_dataset(str(feature), [grp_data.iloc[test_idxs].shape[0], 1],
                                            data=np.asarray(grp_data.iloc[test_idxs][feature]),
                                            dtype=h5py.special_dtype(vlen=str))
            else:
                output_file['train/'+str(group_name)+"/"+str(feature)] = np.asarray(pd.to_numeric(grp_data.iloc[train_idxs][feature]),dtype=np.float16)
                output_file['test/'+str(group_name)+"/"+str(feature)] = np.asarray(pd.to_numeric(grp_data.iloc[test_idxs][feature]),dtype=np.float16)

    output_file.close()

t0 = time.clock()
save_to_hdf5(pd.read_csv(args.i, keep_default_na=False,na_values=[np.nan, 'na']).convert_objects(convert_numeric=True), args.o)
t1 = time.clock()
print(args.i, "converted to .h5 in", (t1-t0), "seconds.")

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Cloudy skies with late-night snow showers. Low near 5F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 40%..
Cloudy skies with late-night snow showers. Low near 5F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 40%.
Updated: January 20, 2021 @ 10:00 pm
Tri-county region logs 29 new COVID cases Tuesday
Nov 24, 2020 Updated Nov 25, 2020
WATERTOWN — The tri-county region logged another 29 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, with Jefferson County logging the most — 13.
Jefferson County added an additional 13 cases of the novel coronavirus to its growing total Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the county to 638.
The county's total number of recoveries from the disease caused by the virus grew by eight and now stands at 465. There are 168 people in mandatory isolation and three people are hospitalized with the disease, a decrease of one from Monday, resulting in 171 known active cases in the county.
According to the county's daily numbers update email, there's a discrepancy between the state Department of Health and Jefferson County Public Health Service numbers of total COVID tests administered in the county. As a result, the total number of people tested and negative test result numbers will be discontinued from the daily release until the issue is resolved.
There are 646 people in precautionary quarantine, 618 of which are domestic travelers and 28 international travelers. A total of 984 people are in mandatory quarantine.
Two people in the county have died from COVID-19.
Lewis County logged nine new cases of COVID on Tuesday, bringing the county's total number of confirmed cases since March to 305.
Seventy-three individuals are currently in isolation, four of which are hospitalized with the disease.
The county's Public Health Department issued an exposure warning for worshippers who attended the Apostolic Christian Church, 9029 Route 812, Croghan, on Sunday, Oct. 11. There are now 112 known cases associated with the cluster.
A total of 228 people have recovered from COVID, resulting in 73 known active cases in the county. There are 512 people in quarantine.
To date, 16,575 tests have been performed since March. A total of 16,261 results have come back negative and nine results are still pending.
St. Lawrence County logged seven new COVID cases Tuesday, which brings the county's total number of confirmed cases to 761. There are currently 124 known active cases in the county.
A total of 628 individuals have recovered from the disease and have been released from isolation. Twelve people are currently hospitalized with the disease and nine deaths have occurred due to the virus.
To date, 112,732 people have been tested for the virus in the county, according to data as of Tuesday from the state Department of Health.
Trump pardons former Carthage developer
Shelter in place order lifted for Carthage, West Carthage residents

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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text:
News Release 10-Sep-2010
Tracking triclosan's field footprint
United States Department of Agriculture - Research, Education and Economics
This release is available in Spanish.
A study by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists and cooperators provides new details about how fertilizing soils with biosolids also introduces triclosan—an antibacterial agent in soaps and other cleaning supplies—into the environment.
Farmers add "Class B" biosolids, also known as treated wastewater solids, to their fields as a fertilizer. These biosolids meet federal regulations for human health and safety, but little information has been obtained about their triclosan levels. Triclosan has not been identified as a human health hazard, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently conducting a scientific and regulatory review of the compound.
For this project, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) chemist Clifford Rice, in the ARS Environmental Management and Byproducts Utilization Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., partnered with University of Maryland engineers Nuria Lozano and Alba Torrents. District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority scientist Mark Ramirez also contributed to the study. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.
The scientists determined that triclosan levels in Class B biosolids from a Mid-Atlantic wastewater treatment plant averaged around 15.5 milligrams per kilogram. They then collected surface soil samples from 26 farms in northern Virginia, mostly from pastures. Some fields had never been amended with biosolids and others had been amended with from one to four applications of biosolids within the previous 9 months to 13 years. Most of the biosolid amendments came from the wastewater treatment plant in the study.
The researchers found farms that had not received biosolid applications had background triclosan levels that peaked at 4.5 nanograms per gram of dried soil. Farms that had received single and multiple biosolid applications also had low triclosan levels, but the concentrations varied from 3.1 to 66.6 nanograms per gram. (One billion nanograms are in one gram.) The results also suggested biological degradation of triclosans in the soils that had been amended with biosolids resulted in the loss of 78 percent of the triclosan after 7 to 9 months, and that up to 96 percent was removed after 16 months.
Results from this study, which were published in Chemosphere in 2010, provide baseline data about triclosan levels in treated biosolids and in agricultural fields that have been amended with biosolids--information that can help support future studies of triclosans in the environment.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).
Ann Perry
Ann.Perry@ars.usda.gov
Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture
/Applied sciences and engineering/Environmental sciences/Soil science/Soils
/Health and medicine/Human health
/Applied sciences and engineering/Environmental sciences/Ecology/Applied ecology/Natural resources management/Water management/Water treatment/Wastewater treatment


Mr Padwick is a senior gynaecologist within the West Hertfordshire NHS Trust, having spent eight years as Divisional Director of Women's Services. He is the gynaecological oncology surgeon for the Trust and is one of three gynaecological cancer surgeons for the Hertfordshire and South Bedfordshire Gynaecological Cancer Centre. He is a specialist in laparoscopic, minimal access surgery, having introduced laparoscopic laser surgery for endometriosis to the West Hertfordshire area. He is a recognised preceptor for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in the fields of both laparoscopy and hysteroscopy, and is an associate professor to St. George's University in Grenada.
He qualified in 1980 from Kings College Medical School. He continued his training, including three years of research, at Kings College before completing his training in the South West of England. He was appointed as a consultant in 1995 at Watford General Hospital.
He is now involved predominantly with radical pelvic surgery, both open and laparoscopic, which includes cancer surgery, surgery for endometriosis and prolapse repair. He trains a specialist registrar on a recognised MAS training programme.
Mr Padwick is a keen sportsman who completes in triathlon and is a Martial Arts black belt.


text:
Q: Reference for triangle groups Can anyone suggest to me some references for studying triangle groups? Especially the existence of finite index subgroups, subgroups isomorphic to fundamental groups of compact surfaces etc.

A: It seems that you are interested in "Fenchel's conjecture" stating that (essentially) all two-orbifolds are finitely (orbifold) covered by surfaces. The case of triangle orbifolds is the hardest, and was solved by Ralph Fox (with, it seems, a few errors). See the 1983 paper by Chau titled A note concerning Fox's paper on Fenchel's conjecture.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The synthetic peptide sequence used to generate the antibody AP8727a was selected from the N-term region of human CYP4F22. A 10 to 100 fold molar excess to antibody is recommended. Precise conditions should be optimized for a particular assay.
CYP4F22 is a member of the cytochrome P450 superfamily of enzymes. The cytochrome P450 proteins are monooxygenases which catalyze many reactions involved in drug metabolism and synthesis of cholesterol, steroids and other lipids.


Last year, Reebok generated huge buzz in the sneaker community by teaming with rapper, DJ and record producer Swizz Beatz to produce a line of street-inspired basketball sneakers. Swizz's first offering as creative director for Reebok Classics sold out in 10 minutes.
Over the past several months, Swizz Beatz has revitalized the Kamikaze brand by infusing it with Hexalite sole technology for light comfort and street-smart colorways. Kamikazes are designed to attract attention both on the court and in the streets.
So what's the latest news on one of the hottest shoes in the business?
In a great example of smart marketing and hot design, Swizz recently teamed with Miami's Mr. R Sports to create the Reebok CL Kamikaze III R23, which features a mid top design for strong ankle support and a retro Florida Marlins-inspired black/teal/red colorway. The R23 has elicited rave reviews from critics, but don't expect to get your hands on a pair unless you live in Miami. The shoe is sold exclusively at Mr. R. Sports in Miami Beach.
If you want to get into a Kamikaze III without taking your talents to South Beach, check out the two new colorways announced for December. Starting Dec. 1, shoe retailers around the country will receive the Reebok Kamikaze III Mid in gray/black/white and navy/blue/red/white colorways. Like previous releases, the shoe will incorporate Hexalite technology and an upper made up of synthetic leather, patent leather, nylon mesh and durabuck.
If you like what you see, don't wait to snag a pair. Odds are, they won't be around for long.


text:
św. Marceli z Tangeru (zm. 298) – męczennik
 św. Marceli I (zm. 309) – papież
 św. Marceli (ok. 396-ok. 436) – biskup Paryża

Zobacz też:
 Błogosławiony Marceli
 Święty Marcelin

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Bay Preps Traditionally
Trainers have all sorts of ways of prepping their horses for the Grand National. Some like their horses tobe very fresh and don't run them for months beforehand. Others like to shake the cobwebs off and run them frequently. Some trainers opt to create home made Aintree style fences to give their horses some practise and others think that that's all a load of nonsense!
[Racecard Calgary Bay]
Trainer Henrietta Knight, who hopes to saddle Calgary Bay on April 14th has stuck to tried and tested measures when it comes to getting Calgary bay ready for the big day. She feels it is unnecessary to give National hopefuls a pop over the home-made fences as part of their training for the big race.
Her husband, Terry Biddlecombe, rode for Fred Rimell, who saddled four winners of the great race, while three-time victor Tim Forster was a neighbour of hers and both stuck to conventional training methods for their horses.
"Calgary Bay is in great shape and definitely going for the National," said Knight to The Herald. "I don't believe in that, in putting them over home-made National-style fences.
"Tim Forster was my neighbour. He trained three Grand National winners and never had any of his horses jump one of those in his life. And Terry said Fred Rimell was the same. If they jump them, they jump them. He jumped them all right last year until he jumped too well and landed on his nose."
She said: "He loves good ground. I know it's dry and some people are worried about it but it will suit him.
"I don't think they are going to get much rain at Aintree, but he'll love it."
April 5, 2012 /by Simone Wright
Tags: 2012 Grand National, Calgary Bay, Henrietta Knight, Runners
http://www.grand-national.me.uk/wp-content/uploads/CalgaryBay3.jpg 424 640 Simone Wright http://www.grand-national.me.uk/wp-content/uploads/gn-logo2016green.png Simone Wright2012-04-05 09:29:152018-05-03 13:47:06Bay Preps Traditionally
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Free bets & promotional offers are only available to new customers, unless otherwise stated. Wagering requirements and other terms & conditions apply.
Information appearing on Grand-National.me.uk does not constitute professional advice or recommendation.
Please gamble responsibly.
Need help? contact GambleAware
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Roi Du Mee Tops Irish National Weights National Fairytale For Pete


text:
Q: In my program i want to detect Activities (walking,running) or location of user When Application is closed(not in Background).is it possible in ios? In my program i want to detect Activities (walking,running) or location  of user When Application is closed.is it possible ?
Description:-
i am using SOMOtionDetector Class for detecting users activity.When my app is closed(not in background) is there any way to calling those functions??
thanks in advance.

A: This can help you LINK to background supported services

A: Since you mentioned getting location of User, I guess you may want to study usage of CLLocationManager and geofence,which will wake up your application (even not in background) when user location changes.


text:
<?php
/* vim: set expandtab tabstop=4 shiftwidth=4: */
// +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
// |                            Artisan Smarty                            |
// +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
// | PHP Version 4                                                        |
// +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
// | Copyright 2004-2005 ARTISAN PROJECT All rights reserved.             |
// +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
// | Authors: Akito<akito-artisan@five-foxes.com>                         |
// +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
//

/**
 * ArtisanSmarty plugin
 * @package ArtisanSmarty
 * @subpackage plugins
 */

/**
 * assemble filepath of requested plugin
 *
 * @param string $type
 * @param string $name
 * @return string|false
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function smarty_core_assemble_plugin_filepath($params, &$smarty)
{
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    $_plugin_filename = $params['type'] . '.' . $params['name'] . '.php';
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        $_plugin_filepath = $_plugin_dir . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . $_plugin_filename;

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            $_relative_paths[] = $_plugin_dir;
            // relative path, see if it is in the SMARTY_DIR
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HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Federal prosecutors say helicopter maker Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. has agreed to pay $3.5 million to resolve allegations it inflated the cost of spare parts.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) � Federal prosecutors say helicopter maker Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. has agreed to pay $3.5 million to resolve allegations it inflated the cost of spare parts.
Connecticut U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly said Monday that Sikorsky failed from 2008 to 2011 to disclose accurate, complete and current cost and pricing data to the Army purchasing unit that buys spare parts for the manufacturer's Black Hawk helicopter.
Stratford, Conn.-based Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. It says in a statement that it's pleased to have resolved the matter.
Daly says Sikorsky's actions created an uneven playing field in negotiations that "tilted unfairly" in its favor.
Military contractors are required by law to disclose accurate, complete and current cost and pricing data to the government during negotiations.


The plan of the new owners for the Minor Theater is great news for film lovers ("Return of the Minor," Feb. 18). However, I have two reservations. Serving food and beverages during the movie might be profitable and might attract patrons, but how can this be anything other than distracting and interruptive?
Also, I'm not sure about children attending movies not intended for kids. I stopped going to the movies after a miserable experience trying to watch a three-and-a-half-hour long Kurosawa epic with unsupervised children disturbing viewers. So while I'm thrilled by the prospect of wonderful programming, I'm curious to see how the actual movie-watching experience goes under these conditions.


text:
The Retired You
Planning for a life you will love in retirement!
Dr. Sue
Fact-YOU-als
Let's Talk Retirement
Planning for Leisure When Life Gets in the Way
My earlier research focused on how leisure can be a resource for coping with health problems and I'm interested in how this relates to planning for life in retirement. How do people plan to get the most out of life despite changes in health or relationships (e.g., death of a spouse)? I again draw on research by colleagues Drs. Doug Kleiber and Galit Nimrod (see reference below), to see what strategies other retirees have used to overcome or adapt to constraints to participating in valued life activities, including leisure.
'Constraints' to Participation
Kleiber and Nimrod interviewed 20 people who were part of a 'learning in retirement' group. Despite being a relatively healthy group, most reported facing 3-4 constraints including: physical limitations (e.g., due to injury or surgery); caregiving responsibilities (e.g., for spouses, grandchildren); financial; personal (e.g., indecision, anxiety); moving; and interpersonal factors (e.g., lack of companions, spouse's preferences).
Emotional Responses to Constraints
In addition to reporting feelings of frustration some reported feeling acceptance and gratitude in the face of their constraints. While not ignoring the losses, with acceptance came 'not dwelling' on problems. Gratitude was for what remains of life and even recognizing the 'positives' in the situation. Reflecting on her new world view after recovering from cancer, one study participant shared: "I became more conscious of the fact, 'gee, I'm alive … I can enjoy a beautiful day sitting out here. I can enjoy, you know, whatever I want to do'…"
Strategies to Overcome Constraints
Study participants reported different ways they dealt with constraints:
Reducing and eliminating ('Can't do all that I was doing'): Eliminating some activities and pairing down others (especially those that were less satisfying, or more difficult to do) left more time for what was really important.
Persisting ('Unless you are sick, nothing should stop you'): For some participants, constraints appeared to deepen their commitment to activities that were especially important. For example, one participant's own hearing impairment led him to become an advocate for services to other people with hearing loss, including creating a local support group.
Substituting ('Not the same but pretty close'): While goals may stay the same, substituting one activity for another can be a common strategy to respond to constraints. For example, taking up chair yoga when health constraints prevent other more strenuous forms of yoga.
Exploring and self-discovery ('Try something else'): Some participants viewed constraints as an 'opportunity' to experiment with new possibilities for their lives. For example, it was because of his own anxiety about his future that one fellow got involved in the 'learning in retirement' group: "The reason for becoming involved …was to sort out options, options about what I want to do. If you try one (you can try it for a few months) and if it doesn't work out, 'try something else'". Another woman described how a change in her marital situation (e.g., husband now retired and always home) led her to develop a host of possibilities outside the house, including volunteering, yoga and the 'learning in retirement' group.
Thinking about your own retirement lifestyle planning:
What's stopping you now from taking action on your goals and priorities? Are these constraints real or perceived? For example is it that you physically can't do an activity or that procrastination is getting in the way?
How do you feel about these constraints? Are there ways to reframe how you look at your situation to either accept it or look for the good in it?
Tips: Some ways to adapt activities can include: going at a different pace, shifting to a less strenuous form of activity (e.g., walking instead of jogging), using mobility or adaptive aids (like walking sticks or card holders). Going virtual (e.g., from workouts on the television to 'zoom' language group meetings) can help you stay connected if you have restricted mobility or access to transportation.
If you want to think more deeply about what stops you and possible strategies, I encourage you to complete the Barriers to Action self-assessment planning tool available on The Retired You website.
Kleiber, D. A. & Nimrod, G. (2009). ''I can't be very sad': Constraint and adaptation in the leisure of a 'learning in retirement' group'. Leisure Studies, 28(1), 67-83.
© 2020 by Susan Hutchinson
Susan.Hutchinson@Dal.ca


Free Kindle Books for today 12/19/14- Make sure you check the price before you buy, Amazon prices can change frequently. If you don't have a Kindle you can download your favorite Kindle Book on any tablet or smartphone with a free Kindle Reading App.
Amazon's Deal of the day 12/19/14 up to 60% select Sony Headphones from $7.99 - $16.99!
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text:
Brescia Antica è un quartiere della parte est del centro storico di Brescia.

Geografia fisica
Il quartiere occupa la parte orientale del centro storico di Brescia e le case moderne che si sono sviluppate su via Armando Diaz e via XXV Aprile. L'area è delimitata a nord da via Pusterla; a ovest dal pendio del Castello, via X Giornate, corso Zanardelli, via san Martino della Battaglia; a sud da via Lattanzio Gambara e dalla ferrovia Milano-Venezia; a est da via Luigi Cadorna, via Fratelli Lechi e da via Filippo Turati.

Il territorio è dominato a settentrione dal colle Cidneo, mentre la parte meridionale è pianeggiante. I corsi d'acqua che lo percorrono sono perlopiù tombinati nell'area del centro storico. Il torrente Garza percorre l'alveo attorno alle antiche mura all'altezza di via XXV aprile fino al piazzale di Canton Mombello.

Origine del nome
Il toponimo riprende l'antichità della zona residenziale al cui interno si trovano i resti storici della Brixia romana e della città medioevale (Castello di Brescia, Monastero di Santa Giulia, cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta e il Duomo vecchio).

Storia
Dal 1859 al 1923, parte dell'area oggi occupata dal quartiere di Brescia Antica apparteneva in buona parte al I Mandamento di Brescia con annessa Pretura. Tra le differenze: la parrocchia di San Lorenzo è oggi esclusa, mentre il borghetto residenziale fuori Porta Cremona, a nord della ferrovia Milano-Venezia, faceva parte del comune di Sant'Alessandro e, dopo l'annessione di quest'ultimo alla città, rimase nel III mandamento.

Il quartiere di Brescia Antica fu istituito con delibera del consiglio comunale nel 1972, ma solo il 23 giugno 1974 si tennero le prime elezioni del consiglio di quartiere.

Tra il 1977 e il 2007, il quartiere fu assegnano alla Nona circoscrizione e dal 2007 al 2013 a quella del Centro.

Dopo l'abolizione delle circoscrizioni, nel 2014 il consiglio comunale, su impulso della giunta Del Bono, votò per la riattivazione del consiglio di quartiere come organo di decentramento amministrativo. Le prime elezioni del nuovo consiglio si tennero il 14 ottobre del medesimo anno.

Infrastrutture e trasporti
Data la sua posizione centrale, il quartiere di Brescia Antica è servita da numerose linee della rete di trasporti urbani della città.

L'asse della galleria Tito Speri e di via Mazzini è servita dalle seguenti linee:
 6 Largo Zanardelli - San Gottardo, con capolinea Monte Maddalena nella stagione estiva
 7 Caino - Roncadelle
 10 Concesio - Poncarale
 11 Botticino - Collebeato
 17 Costalunga - Castel Mella
 18 piazzale Beccaria - via Bornata

Lungo gli assi di via XXV aprile e di via Diaz transitano le seguenti linee:
 3 Mandolossa - Rezzato
 9 Villaggio Violino - Buffalora
 12 Fiumicello - San Polo metropolitana
 14 Volta - Borgosatollo, per le corse che proseguono dalla stazione metropolitana di Volta alla stazione ferroviaria

La linea 18 utilizza autobus da 8 m in grado di transitare per le vie strette del centro storico.

Note

Bibliografia

Altri progetti

Quartieri di Brescia
Brescia Antica


text:
hide You are viewing an archived web page collected at the request of University of Alberta using Archive-It. This page was captured on 16:28:39 Dec 08, 2010, and is part of the HCF Alberta Online Encyclopedia collection. The information on this web page may be out of date. See All versions of this archived page. Loading media information Enable QA View Missing URLs
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Home > Innovation and New Technology > Resource Protection > Forestry > Forest Inventories
Forest Inventories
Proper forest management practices can only be implemented if land managers have accurate information on the location, extent and condition of the forest resources and the ability to analyze those datum to determine the potential effects of different activities. Forest inventories give us important information to help calculate the Annual Allowable Cut. Inventories provide data on tree age, tree height, what plant species are present, and how much a forest will grow and how fast.
Alberta's Phase 3 Inventory has been one of the most widely used inventories by the provincial forest industry. Its main focus is timber production. It has been kept up-to-date to include forest impacts, such as burned areas, timber harvesting, and land clearings (well sites, pipeline rights of way, agricultural expansion).
In the near future, a new inventory—the Alberta Vegetation Inventory (AVI)—will be completed and will replace Phase 3. This new inventory is designed to provide information on other forest resources besides the trees to facilitate integrated, ecologically-based resource management. Initiated in the mid-1980s, the AVI has some of the same features as Phase 3, but in more detail. It provides better information on artificial features (roads, pipelines, wellsites, etc.), vegetation height, species, crown closure, age and productivity. In keeping with the new direction of forest management, AVI also includes information that was not used in past inventories. Some examples of this are soil moisture, waterbodies (streams, rivers, lakes, etc.), and land elevation. This information is turned into digital computer data and stored in a database to help manage forests. These data can be used in a geographical information system (GIS) to enable more sophisticated resource analysis and to produce maps for many different themes.
The Alberta Vegetation Inventory is being completed by both government and the forest industry. This methodology was formally adopted by the Alberta government and FMA holders in 1991 as the provincial minimum standard for forest inventories. AVI will be the basis for new forest management plans that address both timber and non-timber values, and provide for sustainable development of our forest resources. At the end of 1996, 164,188 square kilometres of forest had been inventoried using this system.
Department of the Environment. State of the Environment Report, Terrestrial Ecosystems. Edmonton: n.p., 2001. With permission from Alberta Environment.
Ecological Management
Forest Fire Protection
© copyright Heritage Community Foundation 2002. All Rights Reserved.
Alberta Research Council—Resource Protection—Technology and Protection—Issues
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For more on natural resources in Alberta, visit Peel's Prairie Provinces.
Copyright © Heritage Community Foundation All Rights Reserved


Wednesday's matchup with Bentley University has been postponed.
EASTON, Mass. (March 19, 2013) – Wednesday afternoon's non-conference game between the Stonehill College softball team and Bentley University has been postponed due to weather conditions.
The makeup date for this game has yet to be determined. Stay tuned to www.stonehillskyhawks.com for the latest on the schedule change.
Stonehill (12-6, 0-0 NE-10) returns to action Saturday afternoon with a double-header against Southern Connecticut State University. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 pm, with game two to follow at 3:00 pm.


Occasionally I see these huge beetles flying around the garden, with a loud buzz to match. They do command attention.
The ones I get close to though are already stopped, such as the one pictured – I call them Leopard Beetles, for the markings – frolicking in the flowers.
It was climbing around one of the straw flowers, munching away on the pollen, so I took the opportunity for a few shots.
Others I have seen in the flowers of the garden have ended up as food for the Kookaburra or the Pied Magpie. Two who keep a close eye out for a morsel.
There seems to be enough to go around, for now.
This looks like an attractive morsel for a hungry kookaburra or magpie, though very crunchy and a real mouthful, and likely not fun to swallow. The leopard markings are spectacular.
It has proved to be, having seen them swoop and run with their tasty prize.
amazing shots of the beauty of this beetle.
I like how hairy its underside is. The hairs must trap pollen snacks.
What beautiful markings. There are some truly stunning beetles in the world.
These are some really fantastic photos. Well done.
Thanks David. It was a lucky find, up on the flower like that and not on the ground where I would usually see them – just before the Kookaburra strikes.
For a while now, early summer in sub tropics. There are a number of similar big beetles about the garden.


"How to Enroll Your Child"
Welcome to Le Fevre Community Children's Centre.
Le Fevre Community Children's Centre was established as a Community Child Care Centre in 1973. More than 40 years the centre has provided quality child care to the Le Fevre Peninsula and surrounding suburbs.
The center is a small Home-like environment, where friendly, dedicated and caring staff work with families to ensure the best outcomes for children and their families.
The Center is one of the few Child Care Centers in South Australia that is owned and operated by the community in which it serves and therefore offers parents unique opportunities to contribute to the management and development of the center.
Le Fevre Community Children's Centre has also a history of strong community involvement, including walking children to and from Pre-school at Our Lady of the Visitation school and supporting young people within the community through offering Traineeships.
Le Fevre Community Children's Centre is a 54 place, community based, not for profit Child Care Centre. We Offer care for Children from 6 weeks of age.
Mel and Delaney work full time in this room and have both worked at the centre for 6 years. In our room we aim to deliver a relaxed, homely environment that is individualized and responsive. We work hard to ensure that parents feel connected and included in their child's daily life. We have strong communication systems to help support this.
Our programs are child focused and lead, with a strong emphasis on building relationships between children, staff and families.
Our Toddler room has 12-14 children in it is run by Jo and Hayley. Jo has been with us for 5 years and Hayley has been with us for 4 years. As children begin to become confident in their walking and more active in their play they move up to our toddler room. A strong focus of this room is building children's early social skills. Our programs are embedded with a strong language focus and building self-help skills and independence, through a play based curriculum.
The Pre-Kindy room has up to 20 children. The room leaders are Tamara (who has been with us for 10 years) and Felicia (who has been with us for 6 years). Skye also works in this room and has been with us for 10 years.
The Pre-Kindy program focuses on supporting children's attempts to "do it themselves". This includes supporting children to toilet, manage their personal hygiene and other important life skills.
Children's emerging social skills are supported through their play and staff create a language rich environment.
Our Kindy room has about 20 children in it. The room is run by our Teacher Tom (who has been with us for 6 years) and Amy who has been with us for 8 years. During Term times children who enroll in Our Lady of the Visitation Preschool, are walked to and from Preschool by centre staff.
has a strong focus on literacy and numeracy using Jolly Phonics and other tools to embed early skills.
Offering a range of session types including full days and morning and afternoon sessions. We also offer casual or occasional bookings where space permits.
We have been educating children for over 40 years.


It was back in December when I sat up in bed in the middle of one wet, dark and cold night, shook Lukas awake and said "I know what we can do!" I think it was precisely because I jolted him awake that my husband, groggy and mumbling, agreed to start selling cloth diapers. The element of surprise cannot be overrated.
The idea of the side gig was born out of necessity. Both writers, we had spent several years trying to weather out the precursor to the perfect storm that eventually brewed for our family – a suffering media industry, a mortgage crisis for which we nearly became poster children and the cost of bringing two precious babies into the world. Instead of eating beans every night and renting out a room to a stoned college border, I thought throwing together a little home diaper business could close the financial gap and make life a bit more comfortable. I envisioned myself hosting little gatherings once or twice a month on the weekends where I would show off fabulous cloth diapers, and moms emailing out of the blue to order stashes of 36 diapers at $700 a pop.
Little did I realize how much time, effort, frustration and emotional turmoil can be involved in "throwing" such a venture together. But the reality soon began to emerge. I wanted a little online store that was different than what was out there already – a site that was edgy and cool and easy to navigate. And of course I, with no HTML or e-commerce skills, wanted it built for $500. I started out wanting to sell just Fuzzi Bunz, the diapers we first started using on Punkernoodle One and fell in love with. I quickly got diaper lust and had to have all the other great stuff out there, too. So I spread my allegiance around, which was good because I had lots of other diaper brands to comfort me when my beloved Fuzzis informed me they were not accepting new retailers – one of dozens of tiny heartbreaks.
As winter melted into spring, boxes of diapers filled what was once our dining room and the design of our Website inched forward. Our usual bedtime moved from 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., and my dreams were filled with hot-pink polyester and organic hemp confections. Challenges abounded, from a trademark dilemma with our name to the ever-growing need for MORE TIME.
While we waited for our national online presence to make itself known, we started making real sales to wonderful local mamas and papas, who were beyond thrilled to have a place in Seattle where they could touch and learn about cloth diapers. And something else happened: As the realistic pace of starting a home business set in, Lukas jumped ship to a new job that brought in more money and turned the diaper shop from a financial lifeline to a slightly more fun experiment, a step on the path to a potentially different lifestyle down the road.
So it's been 8 months. We have a temporary Website that directs local folks to our home showroom, where on evenings and weekends we've sold cloth diapers to a quite few babies, some who've rolled around on our floor squealing and some who waited quietly in utero. We have a determined and dedicated store designer with her own small-business dreams who may, just maybe, get our shop open in a few weeks. We have a deeper appreciation for family businesses of all size and shape, but especially for those run by parents trying to create something good, and perhaps a little indescribable, for their children. Oh, and we're finally carrying Fuzzi Bunz, which now sit stacked by the dozens in our dining room – I mean diaper shop – in all their fuzzi glory. Hopefully someone, somewhere, will buy them.
Our little Punkernoodles are growing up fast.
Punkernoodle 2 is running wild. She has this strut she does, sort of a waddle-like trot that kicks in when she's feeling like showing a little attitude. Like when she doesn't want to give up her toothbrush to put it away, or she has a piece of chalk that she's been sucking on and knows that I'm going to take it away, or when she's trying to run ahead of me (Why do little kids always want to cut in front of you? I'm always tripping on them!) She's learning new words every day. You just point at something and tell her the word a couple of times and she repeats it back to you. Her language skills are exploding. I love it. Her mind is so powerful at this age. The learning that they do is so far off the charts. I just try to imagine what it would be like to take it all in and learn everything at once as an adult. Impossible!
Punkernoodle 1 is at a different place. It was amazing to see her break out of her shy mold the other night when we had a neighborhood block party for National Night Out. A couple of neighbor girls who are 7 and 6 decided they wanted to play with her and take her under their wings. It was the first time she got to play with big girls. She ate it up.
They all went on their bikes to the next street over (I went along too) where the folks over there had rented an inflatable obstacle course. At almost 3, Punkernoodle1 was by far the smallest kid bouncing through. She couldn't have done it without her new friends helping her along. They encouraged her, they shouted her name, they told the flying-missile boys who were shooting all over the place to watch out for her. They pushed her up over a climbing wall, they dragged her under a tunnel and, most importantly, they talked her through it. She loved it. It was such a neat experience to watch her figure out what to say. It was obvious she was "trying to be cool." At one point later, when they came over to see the playhouse I had mostly built (that's another story), Punkernoodle 1, trying to talk big, asked the girls "do you want some food?" One of the girls said "No! We just ate" in that big-girl don't-be-silly way. (We had all just eaten as part of the block party). Trying to be fast on her feet, Punkernoodle 1 said, "No, not you, Ginger (our dog)." I loved that she tried to play it cool like that.
The kids are having a blast in the (finally) heat of summer. They've been to the best toddler summer spot in Seattle – the Greenlake wading pool – a few times, most recently with an inflatable taxi we bought despite our better judgment and the knowledge that it was made in China and probably covered with toxic chemicals. It's hard to say no when all the other kids are floating on giant dolphins, boats and turtles. Punkernoodle 2 spends most of her at-home time in just her diaper, waddling around in a cute new hot-pink Fuzzi Bunz with that sweet little strut. She'd rather be naked by a longshot. Like I said – smart girl.
I can't really blame him. The lingo is complex. It's vast. I think they're developing a specialty in this at Yale's language department. And of course everything is abbreviated, so diaper-savvy moms can talk faster about more diapers in chat rooms and at busy play dates. OS, AIO, organic cotton velour prefolds, AI2, pocket hybrid, SWW froggy pond….
I do have to say that Lukas bought into the cloth-diaper idea right away, when I was preggers with Punkernoodle #1. He grew up with Hippie parents. But it was I who delved into the world of cloth, figuring out the difference between fitteds and contours, checking size ranges, crunching numbers and reading up on the dozens of companies putting out good dipes. Lukas mastered the diapering itself, while not necessarily knowing the name or details of the items he was covering the babies' bums with.
Until I came up with the crazy idea to sell them. Which leads us to the breakthrough tonight, when Lukas read a receipt that said HH OS red. "Happy Heinys One-Size?" he said casually, typing quickly.
Is the surge of pride I felt a little weird? Maybe. It's not like this makes him a cloth diaper genius. But I do feel like, compared to most other dads out there, my girls' papa is a diaper savant of sorts. He thinks cloth diapering is cool, and rightly so. He cares that we make a good choice for our kids and their planet every day. He can say "Mums Bums" without blushing. He coined Punkernoodle Baby, so he can tell other parents that it's not a scary, freaky choice.
After this, he's going to the Diaper Olympics. And I'm dressing him in a pink medium GAD with a KN loopy and a side of testosterone.
It's true. There is a cloth diaper that has sold for almost $300. And no, it is not made of gold. Or crack. It's a hot topic in the cloth diapering world right now. Said diaper shall remain unamed, but anyone who's been using cloth diapers for a little while and also uses the Internet will know to which mama-owned company I'm referring.
The madness has been building for months, until it recently reached a crescendo when, during an online auction, a hand-tye-dyed bamboo fitted diaper sold for $296 plus shipping. It was a bit of an anomaly – the diapers from this company usually go for a much more reasonable $100. Each. But auctions of the cloth confections create what could be construed as mass hysteria when, prior to the almost-secret relase of a miniscule new batch of dipes, stalker mommies wait by their computers to pounce. These auctions have been known to crash the HyenaCart server, where the wearable art is sold.
Cult following? Duh. Warranted? I'm not sure. But my curiosity has grown larger than my reason, so I caved last week and bought one of these fitted-organic-bamboo-velour diapers from a mom on www.diaperswappers.comwho had probably hunted it in a fit of cloth-diapering competitiveness and then had second thoughts when hubby asked where the grocery money went. I DID NOT spend $300, or even close. I couldn't even dream of scoring a print – the real status symbol among green-minded, big-spender mamas. So I settled for a $40 natural with colored outer stitching and coordinating snaps. A couple of days ago the puffy bundle arrived, soft as a newborn lamb, its shiny new pumkin-colored snaps calling to me.
……So? You ask. Was it half it's cracked up to be? Can the baby wear it for 79 hours straight and not feel wet? Does it change itself, and cook breakfast and do the laundry while it's at it? The answer is …. I don't know. That's right – $40, months of hype, and we haven't tried it yet. My excuse is I have to wash it first and I haven't gotten around to the laundry yet. The truth is it might just be too pretty.


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