The star of the unusual cat sweepstakes, however, was a breed making its debut at this year's cat show–The Long Haired Munchkin. This is a breed that owes its existence in large part to Dr. Solveig Pflueger, a geneticist for "both humans and cats." The Munchkin's major distinction is that it has very short legs. "It's the cat equivalent of a dachshund," Dr. Pflueger said, as she twirled her Cat Teaser above a Munchkin while it vainly tried to leap up after it. Dr. Pflueger suggested that the long haired Munchkin would be ideal for someone who didn't want their cat leaping up on counters and sofas. Joan Rivers has apparently dubbed it, for reasons that are unclear, The Doctor Ruth cat.
Some of the cats fit a more conventional definition of beauty. Victoria Garvin, an administrator in the paintings and sculpture department of the museum of Modern Art, is the owner of Ursa Minor, an Oci whose main distinction, in addition to a lithe sleek body, is a spotted coat of hair that closely resembles that of a leopard. Ms. Garvin, who lives in a house in Northern New jersey with nine cats and a brother, suggested that the "jungle look" was enjoying a bit of a vogue among cats.
The Chartreux is a rare breed of cat in America; they originated in France and only arrived in 1970. Legend has it that the only ones that survived the two wars were those living in monasteries.
The Chartreux is so rare that those wishing to acquire it usually have a six month wait, and kitten can cost up to a thousand dollars. Mr. Andrews now has nine of them, who live with him, uncaged, in a two bedroom apartment. The one male Chartreux gets the other bedroom.


Documentaries to watch during these frosty days.
We hope to inspire you to work on your Sustainable New Years Resolutions! Get cosy with friends and family, stay inside, wrap yourself in a blankie and enjoy a documentary of your choice!
This is a must see. It is quite famous, and probably most people have already seen it. But to those who haven't: definitely check it out. It will open your eyes to the real impact fast fashion has on our world. May this impact regard the people involved in the production, the people purchasing or the environmental degradation. Ever lower costs of fashion items are often enabled by a drastic growth of human and environmental costs.
You can find The True Cost on Netflix.
To get a full understanding of the fashion industry, and not only the glamorous sides of it such as design and trends, this documentary lets us follow along these fashion students which you see on the picture. They are being introduced to the production process of fashion products. The students visit and obtain work experience in a textile factory, in the leather industry and the cotton industry.
This is a documentary series which is currently being streamed on Dutch television on NPO3. You can also watch Genaaid online.
Director Tom Shadyac speaks with intellectual and spiritual leaders about what's wrong with our world and how we can improve it and the way we live in it, while finding many answers show what is actually right with it. With great wit, warmth, curiosity, and masterful storytelling skills, he reveals what science now tells us is one of the principal truths of the universe, a message that is as simple as it is significant: We are all connected — to each other and to everything around us.
You can find InnSaei on Netflix.
Who are we and how did we become who we are today? Have we really defined ourselves individually or are we more of a result from the influences we were born into? The Lottery of Birth shows that from birth onwards we are influenced by different forces: family, education, culture, and professional environment. The outcome of this battle does not only determine who we become, but the society that we create.
The Lottery of Birth is the first in a three-part documentary series entitled 'Creating Freedom' exploring the relationship between freedom, power and control in Western democracies, offering an alternative perspective on today's society and the future we're creating.
This documentary you can find on Amazon Prime.
This landmark series transports nature lovers from the Himalayan Mountains to the depths of the ocean and everywhere in between. Having been in production for five years, while also being entirely filmed in high definition, this is the most expensive nature documentary ever commissioned by the BBC. Seeing the result, the efforts and investments are absolutely worth it.
You can watch Planet Earth on Netflix.
This documentary will take you along on the astonishing journey of emperor to return to their breeding grounds for mating season. This is the story of one year in the life of one couple of penguins in particular. Tracking across the Antarctic on an annual journey that invokes just about every major life experience: from birth to death, from dating to mating, from comedy to tragedy, and from love to fighting for survival.
You can watch the March of the Penguins on Netflix.
Over 65 million people around the world have been forced from their homes to escape famine, climate change and war in the greatest human displacement since World War II. Human Flow, an epic film journey led by the internationally renowned artist Ai Weiwei, gives a powerful visual expression to this massive human migration. The documentary looks at both the staggering scale of the refugee crisis and its profoundly personal human impact.
You can find Human Flow on Amazon Prime.
From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Fisher Stevens and Academy Award-winning actor, environmental activist and U.N. Messenger of Peace Leonardo DiCaprio, Before the Flood presents a riveting account of the dramatic changes now occurring around the world due to climate change, as well as the actions we as individuals and as a society can take to prevent the disruption of life on our planet.
Find this documentary on Netflix.
We all know the images of plastics polluting the most beautiful beaches in our world and floating around in the sea, harming or even killing turtles and other life in the sea.
In the centre of the Pacific Ocean gyre researchers found more plastic than plankton. A Plastic Ocean documents the newest science, proving how plastics, once they enter the oceans, break up into small particulates that enter the food chain where they attract toxins like a magnet. These toxins are stored in seafood's fatty tissues, and eventually consumed by us.
With this documentary the Plastic Ocean Foundation (a global charitable organisation) aims to change the worlds' attitude to plastic in a single generation.
Watch A Plastic Ocean – we need a wave of change on Netflix.
In this documentary filmmaker Kip Andersen uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today – and investigates why the world's leading environmental organisations are too afraid to talk about it.
Cowspiracy is available on Netflix.
This documentary will make you wonder: " Do I really need all the things I have, and all the things I wish to have, to actually be happy? Or would I actually be happier with less?", and will make you better understand what is really important in life to be happy. Here for, the many levels of minimalism by looking inside the lives of minimalists from various walks of life.
Watch this documentary on Netflix.
An entertaining and funny look at well-intentioned environmentalism, and a touching, poignant take on the nature of contemporary marriage and what it means to pursue your dreams, even if means driving those around you a little insane.
You can watch the No Impact Man on Amazon Prime.
In a series of inspiring home makeovers, world-renowned tidying expert Marie Kondo helps clients clear out the clutter -and choose joy. Highly recommended, especially for you hoarders out there!
You can watch this series on Netflix.
Do you know other cool documentaries creating awareness regarding these issues, which we have not listed? Let us know, we'd love to check them out and add them to this list!
Meanwhile, take a cup of hot cocoa or a big cup of coffee and cuddle up in a blankie with your loved ones. We would love to hear which documentary you've decided for. Leave a comment on the Facebook post!


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text:
Dinesh Malhotra takes over as Director I&PR
SHIMLA---Dinesh Malhotra Managing Director Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation today took over as Director Information and Public Relations.
Addressing an informal meeting with the officers of the department, he stressed upon speedy dissemination of news as well as policies and programmes of the State Government to every nook and corner of the State so that people could be made aware of the welfare schemes being implemented.
Underlining the importance of media in disseminating the information, Shri Malhotra urged the officers for maintaining cordial relations with the media persons and added that data bank of department should be updated on regular basis. He directed the officers to strengthen feature service as well as publicity through electronic media. He said that publications of the department were effective medium for reaching out to the public and asked the officers to work upon publishing them more frequently.
He said that efforts would be made to strengthen the department by technical upgradation in order to keep pace with the modern technological advancement in the field of media and publicity. Social media can be of great help to achieve this objective, he added.
Additional Director Shri R S Negi, Joint Directors and other senior officers of the department were present in the meeting.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: OpenCV for OCR: How to compute thresholding levels for gray image OCR I'm trying to prepare images for OCR, and so far here is what I've done using info from Extracting text OpenCV
From the resulting image I use the contours that have been filtered to make a mask as follow:
//this is the mask of all the text
Mat maskF = Mat::zeros(rgb.rows, rgb.cols, CV_8UC1);
// CV_FILLED fills the connected components found - CV_FILLED to fill
drawContours(maskF, letters, -1, Scalar(255), CV_FILLED);
cv::imwrite("noise2-Mask.png", maskF);

the resulting img is promising:
considering this was my original img:
Unfortunately running Tesseract on it yields some issues, I think the levels of gray you see between letters on words confuses tesseract - so, you're thinking yeah, lets do a binary transform, well that just misses the second half of the page, so I tried applying Otsu threshold as well but the text becomes to pixelated and characters lose their shape.
I tried CalcBlockMeanVariance  from OpenCV Adaptive Threshold OCR but could not get it to compile (and I'm not certain I understand it all tbh) compile chokes on
res=1.0-res;
res=Img+res;

Anyhow, if anyone has any suggestions I'll appreciate it! Note that the fractions are rarely recognized by Tesseract but I'm writing a new training set that will hopefully improve the reco rate)

A: *

*Enhancing dynamic range and normalizing illumination
The point is to normalize background to seamless color first. There are many methods to do this. Here is what I have tried for your image:
create paper/ink cell table for the image (in the same manner as in the linked answer). So you select grid cell size big enough to distinct character features from background. For your image I choose 8x8 pixels. So divide the image into squares and compute the avg color and abs difference of color for each of them. Then mark saturated ones (small abs difference) and set them as paper or ink cells according to avg color in comparison to whole image avg color.
Now just process all lines of image and for each pixel just obtain the left and right paper cells. and linearly interpolate between those values. That should lead you to actual background color of that pixel so just substract it from image.
My C++ implementation for this looks like this:
color picture::normalize(int sz,bool _recolor,bool _sbstract)
    {
    struct _cell { color col; int a[4],da,_paper; _cell(){}; _cell(_cell& x){ *this=x; }; ~_cell(){}; _cell* operator = (const _cell *x) { *this=*x; return this; }; /*_cell* operator = (const _cell &x) { ...copy... return this; };*/ };
    int i,x,y,tx,ty,txs,tys,a0[4],a1[4],n,dmax;
    int x0,x1,y0,y1,q[4][4][2],qx[4],qy[4];
    color c;
    _cell **tab;
    // allocate grid table
    txs=xs/sz; tys=ys/sz; n=sz*sz; c.dd=0;
    if ((txs<2)||(tys<2)) return c;
    tab=new _cell*[tys]; for (ty=0;ty<tys;ty++) tab[ty]=new _cell[txs];
    // compute grid table
    for (y0=0,y1=sz,ty=0;ty<tys;ty++,y0=y1,y1+=sz)
     for (x0=0,x1=sz,tx=0;tx<txs;tx++,x0=x1,x1+=sz)
        {
        for (i=0;i<4;i++) a0[i]=0;
        for (y=y0;y<y1;y++)
         for (x=x0;x<x1;x++)
            {
            dec_color(a1,p[y][x],pf);
            for (i=0;i<4;i++) a0[i]+=a1[i];
            }
        for (i=0;i<4;i++) tab[ty][tx].a[i]=a0[i]/n;
        enc_color(tab[ty][tx].a,tab[ty][tx].col,pf);

        tab[ty][tx].da=0;
        for (i=0;i<4;i++) a0[i]=tab[ty][tx].a[i];
        for (y=y0;y<y1;y++)
         for (x=x0;x<x1;x++)
            {
            dec_color(a1,p[y][x],pf);
            for (i=0;i<4;i++) tab[ty][tx].da+=abs(a1[i]-a0[i]);
            }
        tab[ty][tx].da/=n;
        }
    // compute max safe delta dmax = avg(delta)
    for (dmax=0,ty=0;ty<tys;ty++)
     for (tx=0;tx<txs;tx++)
      dmax+=tab[ty][tx].da;
       dmax/=(txs*tys);

    // select paper cells and compute avg paper color
    for (i=0;i<4;i++) a0[i]=0; x0=0;
    for (ty=0;ty<tys;ty++)
     for (tx=0;tx<txs;tx++)
      if (tab[ty][tx].da<=dmax)
        {
        tab[ty][tx]._paper=1;
        for (i=0;i<4;i++) a0[i]+=tab[ty][tx].a[i]; x0++;
        }
      else tab[ty][tx]._paper=0;
    if (x0) for (i=0;i<4;i++) a0[i]/=x0;
    enc_color(a0,c,pf);
    // remove saturated ink cells from paper (small .da but wrong .a[])
    for (ty=1;ty<tys-1;ty++)
     for (tx=1;tx<txs-1;tx++)
      if (tab[ty][tx]._paper==1)
       if ((tab[ty][tx-1]._paper==0)
         ||(tab[ty][tx+1]._paper==0)
         ||(tab[ty-1][tx]._paper==0)
         ||(tab[ty+1][tx]._paper==0))
        {
        x=0; for (i=0;i<4;i++) x+=abs(tab[ty][tx].a[i]-a0[i]);
        if (x>dmax) tab[ty][tx]._paper=2;
        }
    for (ty=0;ty<tys;ty++)
     for (tx=0;tx<txs;tx++)
      if (tab[ty][tx]._paper==2)
       tab[ty][tx]._paper=0;

    // piecewise linear interpolation H-lines
    int ty0,ty1,tx0,tx1,d;
    if (_sbstract) for (i=0;i<4;i++) a0[i]=0;
    for (y=0;y<ys;y++)
        {
        ty=y/sz; if (ty>=tys) ty=tys-1;
        // first paper cell
        for (tx=0;(tx<txs)&&(!tab[ty][tx]._paper);tx++); tx1=tx;
        if (tx>=txs) continue; // no paper cell found
        for (;tx<txs;)
            {
            // fnext paper cell
            for (tx++;(tx<txs)&&(!tab[ty][tx]._paper);tx++);
            if (tx<txs)
                {
                tx0=tx1; x0=tx0*sz;
                tx1=tx;  x1=tx1*sz;
                d=x1-x0;
                }
            else x1=xs;

            // interpolate
            for (x=x0;x<x1;x++)
                {
                dec_color(a1,p[y][x],pf);
                for (i=0;i<4;i++) a1[i]-=tab[ty][tx0].a[i]+(((tab[ty][tx1].a[i]-tab[ty][tx0].a[i])*(x-x0))/d)-a0[i];
                if (pf==_pf_s   ) for (i=0;i<1;i++) clamp_s32(a1[i]);
                if (pf==_pf_u   ) for (i=0;i<1;i++) clamp_u32(a1[i]);
                if (pf==_pf_ss  ) for (i=0;i<2;i++) clamp_s16(a1[i]);
                if (pf==_pf_uu  ) for (i=0;i<2;i++) clamp_u16(a1[i]);
                if (pf==_pf_rgba) for (i=0;i<4;i++) clamp_u8 (a1[i]);
                enc_color(a1,p[y][x],pf);
                }
            }
        }

    // recolor paper cells with avg color (remove noise)
    if (_recolor)
     for (y0=0,y1=sz,ty=0;ty<tys;ty++,y0=y1,y1+=sz)
      for (x0=0,x1=sz,tx=0;tx<txs;tx++,x0=x1,x1+=sz)
       if (tab[ty][tx]._paper)
        for (y=y0;y<y1;y++)
         for (x=x0;x<x1;x++)
          p[y][x]=c;

    // free grid table
    for (ty=0;ty<tys;ty++) delete[] tab[ty]; delete[] tab;
    return c;
    }

See the linked answer for more details. Here result for your input image after switching to gray-scale <0,765> and using pic1.normalize(8,false,true);

*Binarize
I tried naive simple range tresholding first so if all color channel values (R,G,B) are in range <min,max> it is recolored to c1 else to c0:
void picture::treshold_AND(int min,int max,int c0,int c1) // all channels tresholding: c1 <min,max>, c0 (-inf,min)+(max,+inf)
    {
    int x,y,i,a[4],e;
    for (y=0;y<ys;y++)
     for (x=0;x<xs;x++)
        {
        dec_color(a,p[y][x],pf);
        for (e=1,i=0;i<3;i++) if ((a[i]<min)||(a[i]>max)){ e=0; break; }
        if (e) for (i=0;i<4;i++) a[i]=c1;
         else  for (i=0;i<4;i++) a[i]=c0;
        enc_color(a,p[y][x],pf);
        }
    }

after applying pic1.treshold_AND(0,127,765,0); and converting back to RGBA I got this result:

The gray noise is due to JPEG compression (PNG would be too big). As you can see the result is more or less acceptable.
In case this is not enough you can divide your image into segments. Compute histogram for each segment (it should be bimodal) then find the color between the 2 maximums which is your treshold value. The problem is that the background covers much more area so the ink peak is relatively small and sometimes hard to spot in linear scales see full image histogram:

When you do this for each segment it will be much better (as there will be much less background/text color bleedings around the tresholds) so the gap will be more visible. Also do not forget to ignore the small gaps (missing vertical lines in the histogram) as they are just related to quantization/encoding/rounding (not all gray shades are present in the image) so you should filter out gaps smaller then few intensities replacing them with avg of last and next valid histogram entry.

A: You could try to erase all the text with an erosion and then subtract the result from the grayscale image or use a tophat transform instead to uniform your background for global thresholding! Here you can find an example code! And why not use the existing adaptiveThreshold function ?

A: I've tried to maximize the distance between the minimum and the maximum color of one channel and then inverted the colors. (See Code)
img1 = cv2.imread('img.png')
img_reverted = img1.copy()

for i in range(3):
  tmp = (img1[:, :, i] - img1[:, :, i].min()) / img1[:, :, i].max()
  tmp = tmp * 255
  tmp = -1 * tmp + 255
  img_reverted[:, :, i] = tmp.astype('uint8');

The results are quite good. (See images)
Original image:

Reverted image:

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Helloo! Today I wanted to share with you all what I packed in my travel makeup bag for our recent trip to London. In the past when I have been packing for a UK based trip I have tended to just chuck the whole bottle of Shampoo / Shower Gel into my suitcase but this… Continue reading Whats In My Travel Makeup Bag?
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text:
John Gibson Lockhart
James Grant Wilson, in Poetry of Scotland (1876) 2:141-43.
John Gibson Lockhart:
1854: Harriet Martineau
1855: Charles Rogers
1876: James Grant Wilson
1897: Frederic Boase
James Grant Wilson:
1876: Alexander Balfour
1876: Andrew Erskine
1876: John Finlay
1876: Rev. Alexander Geddes
1876: William Glen
1876: James Hogg
1876: James Hyslop
1876: William Knox
1876: Hector Macneill
1876: Dugald Moore
1876: William Motherwell
1876: Rev. John Ogilvie
1876: Alexander Ross
1876: John Struthers
1876: John Tait
1876: John Wilson
1877: Thomas Atkinson of Glasgow
1877: William Kennedy
1877: Thomas Pringle
1877: William Tennant
1877: David Vedder
JOHN GIBSON LOCKHART, a poet of fine genius and a distinguished miscellaneous writer, was born in the manse of Cambusnethan, near Glasgow, June 12, 1794. From both his parents he inherited an honourable descent. His father, the Rev. Dr. John Lockhart, who for nearly fifty years was minister of Blackfriar's Church, Glasgow, was well known for his remarkable wit and extreme absence of mind — two qualities which are seldom found united in the same character. Of this pious and amiable divine John Gibson Lockhart was the second son, and the eldest by a second marriage, his mother having been a daughter of the Rev. Dr. Gibson, one of the ministers of Edinburgh. At an early age he prosecuted his studies at the University of Glasgow, and with such success that he received one of the richest tokens of approval in a Snell exhibition to Baliol College, Oxford. Here he could prosecute with increased facilities those classical studies to which he was most addicted. At his graduation, in his eighteenth year, he was numbered in the first class — an honour rarely attained by the most accomplished Oxonians.
His studies at Baliol, which were directed to the law, were followed by a continental tour, and on his return to Scotland he was called to the bar in 1816. It was, however, soon evident that Lockhart was not likely to win fame or fortune by the profession of an advocate — he could not make a speech. Had his success depended upon writing, or on pictorial pleading, he would have been the most persuasive of silent orators, for during the trial of a cause his pen was occupied, not in taking notes, but in sketching caricatures of the proceedings, the drollery of which would have overcome both judge and jury. As it was he proved a briefless barrister, and decided to abandon law for literature. He made a happy allusion to this strange professional infirmity at a dinner which was given by his friends in Edinburgh on his departure to assume the charge of the Quarterly Review. He attempted to address them, and broke down as usual, but covered his retreat with, "Gentlemen, you know that if I could speak we would not have been here."
In 1817 Blackwood's Magazine was established, and Lockhart became, with John Wilson, the principal contributor. It was now that the whole torrent of thought, which the bar may have kept in check, burst forth in full profusion. Eloquence, and wit, and learning distinguished his articles, and imparted a character to the work which it long after retained; but unfortunately with these attractive qualities there was often mingled a causticality of satire and fierceness of censure that engendered much bad feeling and hatred. In 1819 Lockhart's first separate publication appeared, entitled Peter's Letters to his Kinsfolk — a work in which an imaginary Dr. Morris gives a series of eloquent, vigorous, and truthful sketches of the more distinguished literary Scotchmen of the period. Of this volume Sir Walter Scott thus wrote to its author: "What an acquisition it would have been to our general information to have had such a work written, I do not say fifty, but even five-and-twenty years ago; and how much of grave and gay might then have been preserved, as it were, in amber which have now mouldered away! When I think that, at an age not much younger than yours, I knew Black, Fergusson, Robertson, Erskine, Adam Smith, John Home, etc., and at least saw Burns, I can appreciate better than any one the value of a work which, like this, would have handed them down to posterity in their living colours."
In 1820 Lockhart married Sophia, Sir Walter Scott's eldest daughter. The marriage took place at Edinburgh, and the "Great Unknown," who was the worshipper as well as recorder of good old Scottish fashions, caused the wedding to be held in the evening, and "gave a jolly supper afterwards to all the friends and connections of the young couple." Lockhart and his wife took up their abode at the little cottage of Chiefswood, about two miles from Abbotsford, which became their usual summer residence; and thither Sir Walter, when inundated by sight-seers and hero-worshipers, was occasionally glad to escape, that he might breathe in a tranquil atmosphere, and write a chapter of the novel that was in hand, to despatch to the Edinburgh publisher.
Continuing to furnish varied and sparkling contributions to Blackwood, Lockhart now began to exhibit powers of prolific authorship. In the course of a few years he produced Valerius, one of the most classical tales descriptive of Rome and the manners of its people which the English language has as yet embodied. After this came Adam Blair, a tale which, in spite of its impossible termination, so opposed to all Scottish canon law, abounds with the deepest feeling as well as descriptive power. The next was Reginald Dalton, a three-volume novel, in which he largely brought forward his reminiscences of student life at Oxford, and the town-and-gown affrays with which it was enlivened. The last of this series of novels was Matthew Wald, which fully sustained the high character of its predecessors. In 1823 he came forth in a new character by his translations from the Spanish ballads; and such was the classical taste, melody of versification, and rich command of language which these translations evinced. that the regret was general that he had not been more exclusively a poet, instead of a prose writer. Tickner, in his History of Spanish Literature, characterizes the collection as "the admirably spirited translations of Mr. Lockhart.... A work of genius beyond any of the sort known to me in any language;" and the historian Prescott alludes to the poems as "Mr. Lockhart's picturesque version of the Moorish ballads."
Lockhart's next publications were in the department of biography, in which he gave an earnest of his fitness to be the literary executor and biographer of his illustrious father-in-law; these were the Life of Robert Burns and the Life of Napoleon Bonaparte. At this period he resided in Edinburgh, spending some of the summer months at the cottage of Chiefswood. The varied attainments of Lockhart, and the distinction he had won in so many departments of authorship, obtained for him at the close of 1825 the editorship of the Quarterly Review, the great champion of Toryism, a position for which he was admirably fitted, and which he held for more than a quarter of a century. On the death of Sir Walter in 1832 he became his literary executor, and in 1838 published the memoirs of his father-in-law, which is one of the most interesting biographies in the language, and will probably remain the best-known and most enduring of Lockhart's productions. During the latter years of his life his health was greatly impaired; but for this his intellectual exertions, as well as family calamities and bereavements, will sufficiently account. In the last volume of Scott's memoirs Lockhart thus mournfully writes: — "Death has laid a heavy hand upon that circle — as happy a circle, I believe, as ever met. Bright eyes now closed in dust, gay voices for ever silenced seem to haunt me as I write.... She whom I may now sadly record as, next to Sir Walter himself, the chief ornament and delight at all those simple meetings — she to whose love I owed my place in them — Scott's eldest daughter, the one of all his children who in countenance, mind, and manners most resembled himself, and who indeed was as like in all things as a gentle, innocent woman can ever be to a great man, deeply tried and skilled in the struggles and perplexities of active life — she too is no more."
In the summer of 1853 Lockhart resigned his editorship, and spent the following winter in Italy; but the maladies under which he laboured, like Scott's, although assuaged for a time, came back with renewed violence on his return home. Arranging his affairs in London he left it never to return, and went to reside with his elder brother, Mr. Lockhart, M.P., at Milton of Lockhart, near Lanark. Here his strength rapidly failed, and he was removed to Abbotsford, that his dying pillow might be smoothed by his only surviving child, Mr. Hope Scott. Here he breathed his last November 25, 1854, in his sixty-first year. His remains were interred in Dryborough Abbey, near those of his illustrious father-in-law.


t*rexes and tiaras: Friday Favourites 255..
Oh, I thought I was pretty much all organised this week and then, suddenly, I've ended up at Friday again with far too much to do.
This week's wishlist came about when I realised that I quite fancy adding this little madam to my very small collection of Funko Pops (currently I own Iron Man and Tinkerbell). Audrey Horne is definitely one of my favourite characters and from there I kind of fell into a bit of a monchromey, Twin-Peaksy theme..
001: Can you believe this Joanie skirt is down to just £7.50 in their summer sale?!
002: Oh, Audrey. She's so sassy.
003: This pin is just awesome - I'd like it to make all of my decisions for me, please.
004: These Lola Ramona saddle shoes are just the kind of thing Ms Horne would wear - I love them and they'd be super practical, I think.
What are you lusting after this week..?


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Property Location When you stay at Sallés Hotel Ciutat del Prat in El Prat de Llobregat, you'll be close to Fira Barcelona. This 4-star hotel is within the vicinity of Barcelona Museum of Funeral Carriages and Church of Colonia Guell.Rooms Make yourself at home in one of the 147 air-conditioned rooms featuring minibars (stocked with some free items) and plasma televisions. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and satellite programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with bathtubs feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include safes and desks, and housekeeping is provided daily.Rec, Spa, Premium Amenities Don't miss out on the many recreational opportunities, including a health club, an indoor pool, and a sauna. Additional amenities include complimentary wireless Internet access and wedding services.Dining Enjoy a meal at a restaurant or in a coffee shop/café. Or stay in and take advantage of the hotel's room service (during limited hours). Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at a bar/lounge.Business, Other Amenities Featured amenities include complimentary high-speed (wired) Internet access, complimentary newspapers in the lobby, and dry cleaning/laundry services. Planning an event in El Prat de Llobregat? This hotel has 1615 square feet (150 square meters) of space consisting of conference space and meeting rooms. For a surcharge, guests may use a roundtrip airport shuttle at scheduled times and a ferry terminal shuttle.


4. A total of 382 pieces.
5. It needs to use a 3.7V 400MAH battery (included when shipping) to drive, remote control needs 2 sections 1.5V AAA battery(not included when shipping).
Charger time: battery full time takes about 120mins, full The power is continuously used for about 40mins..


Historically, there are certain home remodeling projects that pay a higher dividend when it's time to sell your home, and it's a good idea to keep an eye on how the improvements you make to your home can affect its future value.
In the 2016 Cost Vs. Value Report, different remodeling projects were ranked based on their potential job cost and cost recouped to the home for resale. Here are their findings, ranked on the popularity of the remodeling projects and showing the average ROI for each project.
There is another kind of return on investment that is difficult—if not impossible—to measure in terms of dollars and cents. This kind has more to do with enhancing a home's comfort, security and convenience, as well as an owner's enjoyment in the home.
NARI (The National Association of the Remodeling Industry) calculated a "Joy Score" for each project, based on the happiness homeowners reported with their renovations. What's interesting (and we think significant) to note is that some remodeling projects that didn't "pay off" quite as well financially actually brought homeowners more joy!
That's the big "X" factor in home remodeling. Your home is more than an investment. It's the place you live and build memories and enjoy being—whether it's for your own personal comfort or while entertaining others. So, while it's a good idea to keep your eye on the bottom line, it's also important to look beyond the bottom line to determine the real return on your investment.


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Illumibowl Net Worth: Journey of This from Bottom to Top!
What Do Matt Alexander and Michael Kannely Do for A Live Show?
Why Did the Pitch End the Way It Did?
The Financial Risk.
Recap of The Illumi Bowl Shark Tank
On the Shark Tank, Illumi Bowl
While on Shark Tank, the founders of this company marketed their product under the slogan "Pee Responsibly," and since then, they've amassed an astonishing estimated net worth of over $1.4 million, thanks to the show's airing and the attention it provided.
IllumiBowl has a variety of light colors and styles to help you find your way around the bathroom when you're drowsy. The inventors came up with this idea after noticing that it was difficult to pee in the dark and that turning on the bathroom light would only wake you up.
Facts and Stats About the Illumibowl.
In order to eliminate the need for this, he devised a way to illuminate the toilet bowl.
When Matt brought up the idea with his brother-in-law, the two found there was nothing like it on the market. It was because of this that they used Kickstarter to crowd-fund the first prototype.
Read More: Just the Cheese Net Worth 2022: The Real Flex of Her Income!
Robert clarified that there was a product called a night light that could be used for this purpose. The couple promised Kevin that no one would be zapped while sitting on the toilet at night if they utilized this device.
Robert inquired about their marketing strategy, to which Matt and Michael said that they hoped to sell their product in brick-and-mortar retailers.
Daymond and Lori were interested, but Kevin O'Leary prevailed. She had the Squatty Potty and didn't need this additional thing, he said.
Robert claimed he couldn't better on this offer, and Lori confessed that she couldn't either. Kevin was victorious, as Matt and Michael agreed to his proposal.
Read More: Rita Moreno Net Worth 2022: How Rich Is This Person in 2022!
A 15% stake in Matt and Michael's company is valued at $100,000. There are risks to "doing it alone in the dark," as they say. Sharks seem amused by their "primary priority are number one and two" declarations as they demonstrate the system in action.
After handing out samples, Daymond inquires if the light remains on throughout the restroom visit, and they explain motion activation. It's explained to Robert that having a goal gives people motivation to utilize a nightlight. It only costs $3.98 to package and assembles each of the 100K units that have been sold on Kickstarter for $19.99. The Sharks are big fans of the profit margins!
They explain that they're approaching stores, but they'd like the money to launch an internet shop. They're also working on a technology that allows them to project images into the toilet bowl, and they demonstrate it by showing the other four sharks a photo of Kevin.
Daymond says they need money for inventory, but if they take "affordable next steps," they don't need the Sharks to help. He is no longer in the game. Kevin likes it because it's "a little insane," as he put it. For $100,000, he'll take a 25 percent cut. For Mark, it's just a one-of-a-kind object. If you ask him, it's clear that this is a product rather than an organization. He's been expelled. Robert isn't willing to go above and beyond what Kevin is offering because he believes they can acquire their own goods. He is no longer in the game.
Read More: Jim Carrey Net Worth 2022: How Wealthy Is This Celebrity? Luxury Lifestyle!
Updates and follow-ups regarding Shark Tank alums can be found often at TheSharkTankBlog.com.
Matt and Michael have stuck to their guns after landing a Shark Deal with Kevin O'Leary. Smaller local stores and independent franchises like True Value were their first stops, but now they're focusing on securing space in larger chains.
In addition to working as a liaison between the company and shops, Kevin O'Leary has used his relationships to help grow the product's market. Since Shark Tank, the price has dropped as well. There's a $5 price drop on the IllumiBowl on Amazon from its initial $19.99 price tag.
As a result of IllumiBowl's success, the Sharks have flushed with a sense of accomplishment Episode 802 of season 8 features an update on Illumibowl. Then, we'll find out what they're doing
Over one million devices have been sold, and the company is still going strong in 2021, according to the latest data.
After the program aired, they sold hundreds of thousands of their goods and are currently working on new products that they are keeping under wraps for the time being.
They've revealed that they're developing a light switch that reacts to movement.
Marcie Hobbs Net Worth: A Real Time Update on Richer Life!
The Princess and the Frog Ride at Disney The Bayou Adventures of Tiana


SHANGHAI – Buick today announced that the all-new Encore small SUV and Encore GX compact SUV will make their global debut at Buick Brand Night on April 15 in Shanghai. They will also be on display to the public at this month's Auto Shanghai 2019.
The Encore, Buick's first SUV built in China, originally went on sale in the domestic market in October 2012. The Encore GX is a new addition to the Encore series in China.
The all-new Encore and Encore GX leverage GM's global resources, with a new nine-speed Hydra-Matic transmission and new continuously variable transmission (CVT), an updated design and enhanced connectivity. They will offer customers outstanding styling, optimized interior packaging, improved efficiency and new technologies.
The all-new Encore and Encore GX will join the Envision and Enclave to upgrade Buick's SUV lineup – which covers small, compact, midsize and large SUVs – and strengthen the brand's competitiveness in the SUV segment in China.
Not sure which is which, but the more expensive one should be the one we get in the US.
I'll be in Shanghai for the auto show so I'll get to check these out along with the new Trailblazer and Tracker.
CVT? must mean that there's going to be a hybrid variant.
The Encore Gx is slightly larger, built on the VSS-F platform and will be the one sold in the US, although it may be called just Encore rather than Encore Gx.
I'm just glad that it'll finally have a proper CUV profile.
Its hard to believe that these 2 share almost the same exact dimensions.
I wonder if this means the Envision will also have two versions?
Could the GX moniker be used to denote something sportier?
Isn't the encore one of those cuvs that is so small that people who buy them unload them pretty quickly.? Is the new one going to be roomier?
The "other" site already posted uncovered photos of the Encore and Encore GX a couple weeks ago.
They're two totally different models but the same size. The Encore is on GM's global FWD platform and the Encore GX is on VSS-F.
From what's been told and seen here the Encore is one of Buick's best selling products so I don't see that they're being unloaded quickly to be the case.
I drive a CVT and let me tell you, it is the most boring, horrendous, life sucking thing I have ever had in a car. Never again !!!!!
It takes all the fun away in a painful way. Boring cant even begin to describe it.
Dump Korea. Build it in Lordstown.
For Sale: 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue GX-Excellent Condition! NEW PRICE!
GMC Files Granite Trademark. Again.


Music-engrossed geese adorn the front of this beautiful Gliding Geese Mug from Sara Miller London, one crowned, the other sporting a bow tie and top hat, each looking distinguished and creating a delightfully quirky display. Golden foliage and music notes add detail, while a gold rim finishes this fine china piece perfectly.
Fine china mug, geese motif, gold rim, foliage detail.
Composition and Care: Fine china. Hand wash only.


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HomeJIPAArticle Display
Ontological Power: Narrative in a New Era of Competition
By Maj Brittany L. Morreale, USAF
Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs --
With the dawning of great-power competition and the rebalancing of geopolitical power to the Indo-Pacific region, three Asian powers—China, Japan, and India—have forged new mechanisms to engage with and shape the international order via development cooperation. This article introduces ontological power, the creation of a narrative to communicate a specific world order, value system, and collective identity. While many are familiar with material power (economic and military) and soft power (culture and ideas), the effective use of ontological power to shape development, geopolitics, and international institutions represents the newest phase of twenty-first century competition and conflict. As the world reemerges from the COVID-19 pandemic and grapples with the horrors of a conflict in Ukraine, it is evident that control of information and, more importantly, control of the narrative is a critical twenty-first century center of gravity.
This article begins by defining ontological power, arguing that ontological power is a critical domain in a highly networked and interconnected world. Next, a case study of Japan, China, and India's development engagement in Africa illuminates the synthesis of ontological, material, and soft power in action. Through engagement with Africa's 54 diverse nations, regional blocs, and the African Union, these three Asian donor powers participate in defining the international order in their own terms. The case study allows a close look at the strategic narratives of each Asian power. China's brand of South-South cooperation defines a paradigm of development cooperation steeped in Chinese histories, values, and perceived destiny. India's brand of South-South partnership and its commitment to strategic autonomy offers partners increased agency and self-determination, and an alternative to extraregional influence in their development pathways. Japan's innovative forum diplomacy and visionary role as a bridge between Asia and Africa positions Tokyo at the nexus between great powers and emerging powers. As a paragon of triangular development cooperation, Tokyo is redefining twenty-first century development cooperation frameworks, norms, and values. Asian donors' ontological development narratives are disrupting established aid constructs and reshaping the international order. In this context, this article offers four tenets of ontological power and recommendations on how to command this newest domain of power in the era of great-power competition.
What Is Ontological Power?
In international relations theory, the concepts of soft power, smart power, and sharp power have come into vogue recently. Joseph Nye (2009) defined soft power as the use of culture, political values, and foreign policy to co-opt rather than coerce. Smart power leverages tools across the spectrum of statecraft (e.g., DIME),1 advocating a combination of hard and soft-power tools in crafting effective foreign policy.2 Sharp power, on the other hand, is a criticism of the exploitation of soft power by authoritarian regimes—notably China and Russia—to influence, manipulate, and censor.3 While these concepts are valuable, they overlook a domain of power that has emerged in a globalized and interconnected world—the role of a strategic narrative in shaping perceptions, inspiring alignment, and building legitimacy.
Ontological power is defined as the ability to influence the behaviors of others to align with or reinforce a nation's desired worldview. It centers on the creation of a "brand" that communicates an existential world order, value system, and collective identity to partners. Priya Chacko's work on "ontological security" highlights biographical narratives and core values as the drivers for foreign policy discourses and interstate relations in the globalized world. She argues that identity and narratives of civilizational exceptionalism reinforce perceptions of security as established hierarchies of power and established relationships are revised and challenged.4 Analysts such as Andréa Worden have highlighted examples of ontological power such as the war of discourse in UN bodies and the efforts of Asian powers (especially China) to validate strategic narratives.5 This and other formulations of ontological power will be explored in this article. Whereas victory in war established global power status in the twentieth century, the emerging powers in Asia harness strategic ontologies to win the war without fighting.
Tools of ontological power shape the norms, values, and national identity to conform to a nation's strategic development narratives. These tools include forum diplomacy, key-leader engagements, transfer of narratives, and institutional alignment. Asian powers employ shared historical memory (i.e., the Silk Road, anticolonial struggles, civilizational links), cultural values (i.e., peaceful development, noninterference, democracy), and societal identity (i.e., Southern hemisphere and non-Western identity) to establish strategic relationships with the developing world, especially in Southeast Asia and Africa. In Asia-Africa forums, Chinese, Japanese, and Indian leaders increasingly tout the use of ontological power, in concert with material and soft power. President Xi Jinping declared the "rise in China's international influence, ability to inspire, and power to shape" on the basis of China's national, cultural, and historical strength.6 At the same time, Japan and India proposed an Asia-Africa development vision based on "deep civilizational links," "common heritage," and "commitment to democracy, openness, and the rule of law as key values to achieve peaceful co-existence."7
Ultimately, this article presents ontological power as a defining characteristic of Indo-Pacific powers. The following case study shows how established and emerging Asian donors' twenty-first century development engagement presents a pathway to geopolitical power. The synthesis of ontological, material, and soft power sparks a new understanding of Asia and Africa's role in the global order as geopolitical gravity shifts toward the Indo-Pacific region.
Case Study: Asia-Africa Engagement
Africa is considered the "final frontier" for global development with diverse and vast untapped domestic growth engines. Speculation about Africa's potential as the "next emerging market" is often couched in the context of growing Asian investment and increased South-South cooperation.8 Impressive annual GDP growth trends have given momentum to the "Africa Rising" narrative. Rising stars such as Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Kenya have achieved annual GDP growth averages of 10 percent, 7 percent, and 6 percent over the ten years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.9 Africa's potential to contribute to the global economic value chain has led many scholars to speculate that Asian investment may make Africa the world's next manufacturing and services powerhouse.10 Furthermore, the 55 African Union members represent the largest voting bloc in the governing bodies of the UN system, accounting for more than a quarter of all votes. For its part, Japan, a top global donor, uses official development assistance (ODA) as its chief foreign policy tool to demonstrate an alternative brand of Japanese leadership both within and outside the established international institutions. For China and India, African development cooperation represents a strategy to define themselves as new types of global powers.
Figure 1. UNPKO Troop (2021) and Funding Contributions (2020–2021).
During the first two decades of the twenty-first century, Japanese, Chinese, and Indian development investment in African states grew rapidly along with their respective narratives. From 2011–2021, Japan committed to invest over $90 billion (USD), China $140B, and India $16B in African development projects ranging from large-scale infrastructure, to digital networks and telecommunication, to medical and green technology. While the flavor of these investments varies widely from grants and development assistance (Japan) to loans and lines of credit (China and India), the impact on the African continent is undeniable.11 Beyond economic investment, India remains a top contributor to African peacekeeping12 with over 80 percent of its peacekeeping troops deployed to the continent and the largest contributor among Asian donor nations, with 5,579 troops deployed in 2021 in comparison to Beijing's 2,235 (see fig. 1). China is the second largest global contributor of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO) funding (over $15B), followed by Japan as the third largest contributor ($8.5B).13 The Asian powers are also heavily invested in human development. Through extensive scholarship programs, institutional exchanges, and training centers Japan, China, and India have trained hundreds of thousands of African citizens (fig. 2). Many of these training programs bring African youth, academics, politicians, and industry leaders to Beijing, Tokyo, and New Delhi, developing de facto ambassadors with a deep understanding of the core interests, history, and values of the respective Asian power. As the United States and other long-established donors withdraw from infrastructure and human capacity building in Africa, Asian states are leaning in. Japan, China, and India have chosen to cultivate a new quiver of geopolitical tools on the African continent. This strategy is underlined by the belief that, beyond spurring economic growth, development engagement in Africa advances national interests through the proliferation of worldviews and ontological values in the building of interstate relationships.
New viable development pathways are emerging. Japan's Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI),14 and India's Security and Growth for All in the Region offer grand regional architectures steeped in rich cultural symbolism. Japan, China, and India have each established their own Asia-African forums. The Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), and the India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS), have become the primary mechanisms for Asian donors to achieve strategic alignment with African partners. Africa, the final development frontier, has become the stage upon which to demonstrate a new leadership paradigm to the world.
Figure 2. Training commitments made at Asia-Africa forums from 2016 to 2021.
The roots of ontological power reside in a well-told story—a compelling narrative that provides structure and coherence to the material and soft-power investment. Now we take a close look at the deployment of ontological power by China, Japan, and India in turn.
The People's Republic of China's (PRC) relationship with African states is not new,15 but its transition from primarily trade relations to a development-centered relationship has accelerated in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Since 2000, the China-Africa forum has steered China's innovation of development cooperation principles. Extensive bilateral and multilateral engagement through FOCAC has allowed Beijing to clearly define the rules of engagement for cooperation with a burgeoning Chinese power. While Beijing preaches noninterference and win-win cooperation, China's core interests—the "One China" principle, respect for sovereignty, and solidarity in international affairs—remain non-negotiable for partner nations seeking investment. Beijing's international brand centered on the Belt and Road and China Dream has evolved through experimentation on the African continent.
The "China Dream," popularized by Xi Jinping in 2012, promises "national rejuvenation, improvement of people's livelihoods, prosperity, construction of a better society, and military strengthening."16 In contrast to the individual pursuit of prosperity, the China Dream is fundamentally centered on national rejuvenation and the restoration of China's pride and prominence. Xi draws on the glories of Chinese heritage and history to envision a future of power and prosperity that celebrates the characteristics and values of Chinese society.
The fulfillment of the China dream has been marketed in the developing world. The China Dream appeals to African states by highlighting China's unique role as a development partner and developing country, and by drawing parallels with an "African renaissance" to advance "common development." The African renaissance, popularized by former South African President Thabo Mbeki, calls for Africa to "rise from the ashes" and seek glory.17 This dream has been incorporated into the bloodstream of the African Union, becoming a prominent facet of Agenda 2063.18 In multiple forums, Xi Jinping stressed the parallel nature of the China Dream and the African renaissance, creating "one community connected by a common fate"19 and urging nations to draw on uniquely African culture, heritage, and identity to propel the continent to renewal and international prominence. The PRC's growth trajectory and ambitions to achieve prosperity and modernity with Chinese characteristics offers a compelling paradigm for African nations. As Xi boldly stated, Beijing's narrative is "blazing a new trail for other developing countries to achieve modernization," reflecting Beijing's newfound confidence as an ontological influencer on the global stage.20
The BRI is Beijing's mechanism to operationalize the China Dream. Built upon the legacy of the historic Euro-Asian trade route, the "New Silk Road" is a multitrillion dollar whole-of-government strategy that envisions overland and maritime links connecting Asia, Africa, Europe, and beyond (see fig. 3).21 China's investment in the Suez Canal redevelopment, East African port infrastructure, and pan-African rail links show the extent to which the BRI narrative and ontological power are shaping the brick and mortar realities in African states.22
Capturing the spirit of the Silk Road, BRI uses historic memory to endow Beijing's brand as one rooted in ancient glory and international cooperation.23 Importantly, this narrative invokes a pre-Western period, where, according to the PRC, Chinese wisdom and philosophy contributed to constructive and mutually beneficial engagement with foreign states. As Xi elaborated, the narrative draws "wisdom and strength from the ancient Silk Road, which features the spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit."24 The value of Chinese wisdom as a positive contributor to human heritage resonates in the narrative, offering an alternative to "Westernization."
Figure 3. Map of Silk and Road Initiative released by China's Xinhua News Agency in 2014. Published map as reproduced in English by The China Africa Project (Eric Olander, Cobus van Staden, and Matt Ferchen, "China's Ambitious New 'Silk Road' Trade Route Takes Shape in Africa," China in Africa [podcast], 16 June 2016, https://www.chinafile.com/.)
President Xi has taken deliberate steps to legitimize his vision. The publication of the Belt and Road action plan and establishment of the Belt and Road Forum were fashioned to advance the legitimacy of the BRI model and strengthen development policy synergy both within and outside established global governance structures.25 Beijing has invested extensively in training African political elites, academics, scholars, and policymakers. The deployment of Confucius Institutes across the African continent, development of African states' digital and telecommunications infrastructure, and institutional entrenchment have resulted in the proliferation of Chinese language, culture, history, and values. China launched a CCTV26 HQ in Nairobi in 2012 and now broadcasts in dozens of African languages, providing first-time service to many rural communities. Extensive media engagement has resulted in the training of African media professionals in China and the signing of at least 12 cooperative agreements linking Chinese and African media institutions. Deepening high-level engagement is a persistent objective of the FOCAC forum, resulting in the launch of the China-Africa State Governance Forum and the China-Africa Think Tank Forum in 2018 to promote Beijing's "diplomacy with Chinese characteristics" and outline core values and policies of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In 2018, the CCP Party Conference attracted 40 political party representatives from 36 African countries. According to press releases, the CCP training content includes coaching on "Xi Jinping Thought" and elaboration of China's core interests (One China Policy, Reunification with Taiwan, Party control of Hong Kong, bilateral resolution of disputes in the South China Sea, among others) to foster African government policy alignment with Beijing.27 While often overshadowed by Beijing's multibillion-dollar railroad or energy investments in Africa, the increasing resonance of African narratives, social identity, and institutions with the BRI and the China Dream must not be overlooked. Drawing the China Dream and African renaissance into alignment has built legitimacy for Beijing's narratives beyond the African continent.
Established in 1993, TICAD was the first Asian-African summit of its kind, allowing Japan to convey its national identity and development philosophy directly to development partners in Africa. Emerging powers, China and India followed Japan's lead and established FOCAC and IAFS in 2000 and 2008. As an established donor and OECD-DAC member, Japan achieved the status of a major development power through investment in TICAD initiatives. Japan distinguished its bold development paradigm and elevated a non-Western development philosophy through its leadership in African development issues via TICAD.
At TICAD VI in 2016, Prime Minister Abe announced Japan's Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision. Rooted in Abe's desire for the confluence of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, FOIP embodies the strategic and effective use of development cooperation to advance Japan's position as a global influencer (see fig. 4). Africa offers an unharnessed growth opportunity and serves as the testing ground for Japan's proactive development engagement. Under the FOIP strategy, Tokyo plans to a) establish and promote fundamental principles of development engagement, b) promote quality infrastructure development, and c) ensure peace and stability.28 The US government's official embrace of the FOIP strategy in political discourse and reorganization of command structures in 2018 further legitimized Japan's disruptive development narrative.29 However, Japan differs from the United States in its approach by including Africa and the Western Indian Ocean in its Indo-Pacific construct, branding FOIP as a development pathway, and emphasizing triangular cooperation and soft-power engagement. These efforts align with Tokyo's promotion of a disruptive brand centered on the cultivation of ontological influence. Tokyo uses TICAD to tie FOIP initiatives with African and Indian Ocean agendas, to make the connection from "Asia to Africa a main artery for growth and prosperity."30
Figure 4. Tokyo's framework for the realization of the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy" as illustrated in the 2018 Diplomatic Bluebook (MOFA 2018: 21)
The distinctive features of Japan's ODA philosophy in Africa, centered on ownership, partnership, and human security, have proven to be influential in shaping emerging development principles. Most notably, after their debut in TICAD, Japan's development principles have been mainstreamed in global governance frameworks, such as the G20, UN SDGs, and AU Agenda 2063. Tokyo's extension of the FOIP vision to include African partnerships places Japan at the forefront of shaping twenty-first century African narratives in alignment with prevailing OECD-DAC values. Japan uniquely offers African nations a triangular partnership that links priority initiatives in Asia, Africa, and the UN. Japan's new Japan International Cooperation Agency, the world's largest bilateral aid institution,31 exemplifies a mature and effective development institution and is central in brokering Asia-Africa cooperation in coordination with Tokyo's strategic national interests.
In contrast to Beijing, Tokyo completely avoids efforts to influence African media or journalism institutions. Rather than entrenching Japan's institutions in African states, TICAD is used to advance Japan's prominence in multilateral organizations, such as the UN, G20, and global financing institutions. During Japan's presidency of the G20 in 2019, Tokyo prioritized TICAD initiatives for quality infrastructure and health, demonstrating Japan's role as a global development leader. TICAD promotes the empowerment of African regional institutions such as the AU/NEPAD and Regional Economic Communities, to advance intra-Africa and Asia-Africa cooperation. Japan's approach distinguishes its core values and identity as a high-quality, principled development power. Japan's deployment of ontological power contrasts sharply with Chinese and Indian efforts. As an established donor, Tokyo deepened cooperation in international governance institutions and leveraged the TICAD brand of high-quality technical excellence and sustainable human-focused development to elevate Japan's strategic narratives on the global stage.
Although India is overshadowed in terms of the scale of financial investment, New Delhi's strategic regional approach and focus on niche high-end sectors offers African nations a viable partnership alternative. India's core interests of strategic autonomy, regional multilateralism, and international system reform speak to the pursuit of self-determination by African states in a postcolonial, post-apartheid world. Since 2008, India has reoriented its near neighborhood strategy to include African nations as a top foreign policy priority.32 As such, African cooperation has spread from commonwealth states to a pan-African engagement approach. New Delhi's brand of South-South partnership, founded on the principle of human resource development, distinguishes India as a soft-power and ontological stronghold in the Indian Ocean and African region. New Delhi's strategy of providing high-tech solutions to address common development challenges and realize the aspirations of Africa's massive youth populations has allowed India to punch above its weight in Africa and on the international stage. From 2008 to 2019 IAFS has advanced a network and technology backbone that aligns Indian and African domestic development initiatives in sustainable energy solutions, solar power generation, pharmaceuticals, and digitization. Decades of investment in the Pan Africa e-Network, a massive information and communications technology satellite and fiber-optical network, has resulted in close cooperation between Indian and African institutions. With an additional $15B investment in 2015, India's modernized e-network increases direct touchpoints with African stakeholders in academia, governance, medicine, and industry to consolidate Southern solidarity. Additionally, a half-century of Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation scholarships has resulted in generations of influential African leaders cultivated on Indian soil. New Delhi is becoming a heavyweight in attracting like-minded partners and friends on the African continent, evidenced by the alignment of India and African states in the UN voting records and policy alignment.
The twenty-first century creation of the Indo-Pacific regional order has positioned India as a counterweight to a swiftly expanding China. The growing material, ontological, and soft-power influence of China in Africa and the Indian Ocean sent shock waves through a zone of historical Indian influence. Former Prime Minister Singh's gentle approach of seeking common ground with a rising China has given way to Modi's more explicit and assertive foreign relations tactic. This new posture is reflected in India's active disruption of Beijing's influence through the advancement of its alternative South-South development narrative. New Delhi progressively leverages ontological and soft-power strongholds in the Indian Ocean and African region to create a framework for regional multilateralism in domains of security, technology development, and governance. Both domestically and internationally, expectations of its emerging renaissance prod India toward self-realization as a global power.
Modi has proposed two major fronts to propel India into its new role of power within the Indo-Pacific regional order, aligning domestic and foreign policy agendas. The first aims to mobilize a massive youth population and deliver on the promise of opportunity for India and Africa's aspiring middle class. The second, Project Mausam, laid the strategic foundations for Modi's Security and Growth Across the Region vision. India's development narrative leverages historic anchors in Africa to cement an ontological alignment. These anchors include: 1) a shared geography making India the "insider" donor, 2) mutual historical heroes and martyrs that form the basis of shared emancipation legends, and 3) similar development states and conditions. These commonalities are vital in creating an aligned value system, regional interdependency between African states and India, and unity of effort toward international reform. They form the basis of New Delhi's formidable ontological power and ability to impart strategic disruption. Through multilateral economic, cultural, and security integration, India has compensated for its limited resources and enhanced its geopolitical weight in the international arena. Ultimately, both initiatives reveal the growing importance of the Africa-India strategic partnership as a pillar of Indian-led regional multilateralism.
Under the leadership of Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, and India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, a "Special Strategic and Global Partnership" between Japan and India was confirmed in 2015. With the landmark partnership, India's Project Mausam and Japan's "Arc of Freedom and Prosperity" evolved into the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC), a grand strategic vision that aligns with both nations' interests as a subset of Japan's FOIP vision. Like Beijing's Belt and Road, the AAGC emphasizes the alignment of development strategies against the backdrop of infrastructure and institutional connectivity. The AAGC reflects the growing synergy between Japan's TICAD narratives and India's IAFS narrative.
Ontological Power in the New Era of Competition
The use of ontological power has great bearing on modern geopolitics and is shaping future engagement strategies. In a reflection on the tenets of ontological power, four key recommendations—control the narrative, build alignment, market the brand, and invest in development—are proposed for consideration by policymakers and leaders in the military, business, and development sectors.
Control the Narrative. It has never been more evident that we live in a contested information environment.33 The ability to project and maintain a narrative is essential to national legitimacy and provides a political mandate. Reflecting on the current conflict in Ukraine, it is clear that the Putin administration has lost both the information war and the ontological war with severe impacts on national reputation and regime legitimacy. Although the battle continues to wage, the war has been lost and the damage to the Russian state (both material and reputational) is irreversible under the current system. On the other hand, China is much more sophisticated in its ability to control the narrative. Under the guise of the Belt and Road and regional security, Beijing has successfully established numerous military outposts in the South China Sea and secured access to dual commercial-military use ports in strategic locations in the Indo-Pacific (including Africa).34 Despite being ruled illegal, Beijing has extracted support from development partners, including numerous African states, undermining the legitimacy of the 2016 International Court of Arbitration ruling.35 Veiled in the narrative of security, stability, and prosperity, China's suppression of freedoms in Hong Kong and increasing aggression toward Taiwan have so far thwarted opponents. Beijing's skillful control of the narrative in a long war of attrition has proven a challenging problem for Western powers to overcome. The United States and its allies and partners must provide an alternative to challenge the hegemony of Beijing's development narrative. The Western world and key partners, such as Japan and India, have the essential ingredients of ontological power but have failed to effectively operationalize the narrative, build alignment, market the brand, and invest in development.
As a starting point, the United States can look at the successes of Japan in the broad deployment of the FOIP vision that extends far beyond a security strategy. In coordination with partners, the United States must tell the story of its core values, beliefs, and identity as the foundation for a compelling vision of the world order. An America first narrative or a narrative based on countering China or maintenance of the status quo will not be effective. The United States can reference historical development feats, such as the Marshall Plan, and learn from Japan and India in crafting a visionary development narrative aligned with the strategic interests of our nation.
Build Alignment. An effective ontological narrative must realize alignment across the whole of government and among allies and partners. Beijing's BRI and China Dream provide the developing world a blueprint for a community of common destiny. China's increasing policy synchronization with partner states means that Beijing is buffered from international isolation by a growing network of development partners. At the same time, as liberal institutions such as the UN, OECD, EU, and even NATO grapple to define their mandate in the twenty-first century, the United States recognizes the critical role of a robust system of allies and partners to deter and win future wars. The existential threat that built cohesion in the post–WWII and Cold War era has atrophied. A US-led ontological narrative must be developed in concert with strategic partners to achieve alignment and bolster critical international institutions and alliances. Furthermore, the United States must deliberately invest in the maintenance of alliances and partnerships and the development of new partnerships. This requires the United States to demonstrate commitment, be present at the table to shape the narratives in international organizations and institutions, and prioritize key-leader engagements. Alignment with nonprofit organizations and even the private sector can be a force multiplier for US ontological power.
Market the Brand. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has demonstrated extreme prowess in marketing Ukraine's narrative and harnessing ontological power. Despite an obvious mismatch in military power, Zelenskyy has made impassioned appeals to global audiences with each message meticulously aligned to the core values and existential security of his audience. Zelenskyy echoed the words of Winston Churchill in the darkest hour in his speech to the British parliament, he invoked Pearl Harbor and 9/11 to energize a US audience, he reflected on the aftermath of the nuclear crisis and pacifist ideals while compelling the Japanese parliament to build its mantel of leadership in the Pacific, and the list goes on.36 The American brand still holds great appeal around the world; however, soft power is not a substitute for the deliberate promotion of the United States' ontological narrative. Beijing's compelling growth story and development model is capturing increasing market share outside of the Western world. The United States' brand must be paired with a concrete pathway for current allies and aspiring nations. As a starting point, the Quad (comprised of Japan, India, Australia, and the United States) should be the heart of an Indo-Pacific region development vision, rather than just a security-focused dialogue.
Invest in Development. The United States' post–WWII military campaigns and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been tactical and operational successes but strategic failures. One of the core failures was a lack of understanding of the limit of military operations to achieve political and social outcomes.37 Recent military interventions have highlighted the risks of Department of Defense–led operations without a clear military objective and robust whole-of-government strategy. Instead, we can learn from partners and allies in the Indo-Pacific about the power of a development vision. Japan's post–WWII constitution limits its maintenance or projection of a military force; however, its extensive ODA budgets and decades of development experience posture Japan as a global development power. Tokyo's model of proactive engagement is tackling social, environmental, and security challenges in some of the most challenging development contexts. It is evident that a strategic investment in development could headline US ontological power and increase security and stability. This strategy requires a compelling narrative to rally domestic and international support, significant long-term investment in development through USAID and the Department of State, and the rebalance of the Department of Defense within the whole-of-government apparatus.
The United States should not go head-to-head with China in an aid arms race, but rather, use ontological power in concert with our partners to offer viable alternatives and increased ownership in development. Rather than a zero-sum game (United States versus China), more development options and investment will increase growth potential and improve security while forcing Beijing's adherence to international environmental, social, and transparency standards. To secure US interests at home and abroad, we must tell the story of American core values, identity, and vision for a free and democratic world. Along with allies and partners—Japan, India, the EU, and beyond—the United States can ensure that it maintains a constructive great-power competition and deters a devastating conflict in the Indo-Pacific.
Maj Brittany L. Morreale, USAF
Major Morreale is a 2010 graduate of the US Air Force Academy, where she majored in physics and minored in Japanese. As a Rhodes Scholar, she completed a master's degree at Oxford University. Brittany served as a physicist at AFRL and in South Australia as part of the Engineer and Scientist Exchange Program. In 2017, she was selected as an Indo-Pacific Foreign Area Officer, with a focus on Japan, subsequently serving at the Fifth Air Force until 2021. Major Morreale earned a PhD in Asian Studies from the University of Adelaide, Australia, and currently serves at NATO SHAPE. She enjoys trail running, traveling with family and friends, and writing.
1 DIME—diplomatic, information, military, and economic instruments of power.
2 Joseph Nye, Soft Power: The Means To Success In World Politics (New York: Public Affairs, 2009); and Suzanne Nossel, "Smart Power," Foreign Affairs, March/April 2004, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/.
3 Christopher Walker, "What Is 'Sharp Power'?," Journal of Democracy 29, no. 3 (July 2018): 9–23, doi: 10.1353/jod.2018.0041.
4 Priya Chacko, "A New 'Special Relationship'?: Power Transitions, Ontological Security, and India–US Relations," International Studies Perspectives 15, no. 3 (2014): 329–46. doi: 10.1111/insp.12029.
5 Andréa Worden, "The Human Rights Council Advisory Committee: A new tool in China's anti-human rights strategy," Sinopsis, 6 August 2019, https://sinopsis.cz/.
6 Xi Jinping, "Live: Opening session of CPC National Congress 中国共产党第十九次全国代表大会开幕会" (speech, 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Beijing, 18 October 2017).
7 Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abe, "India-Japan Joint Statement during the visit of Prime Minister to Japan," edited by MEA-India (press release, MEA-India Bilateral/Multilateral Documents, 11 November 2016), https://mea.gov.in/.
8 Brahima S. Coulibaly, ed., Foresight Africa: Top Priorities for the Continent in 2019 (Washington, DC: Brookings Institute, Africa Growth Initiative, 2019), https://www.brookings.edu/; and Richard Downie, ed., Africa in the wider world (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2014).
9 "World Development Indicators: 2018," The World Bank, https://datatopics.worldbank.org/.
10 Irene Yuan Sun, The Next Factory of the World: How Chinese Investment Is Reshaping Africa (Boston: Harvard Business Review Press, 2017); Rajiv Memani and Ajen Sita, eds., EY's attractiveness survey Africa 2015 (London: Ernst & Young Global Limited, 2015), https://assets.ey.com/; and Charles Roxburgh, et al., Lions on the Move: The progress and potential of African economies (London: McKinsey & Company, 2010), https://www.mckinsey.com/.
11 Brittany Morreale and Purnendra Jain, "Foreign Aid and Asian Donors," in The SAGE Handbook of Asian Foreign Policy, ed. Takashi Inoguchi, 500–20 (Tokyo: SAGE. 2019).
12 In 2021 more than 80 percent of India's UNPKO contributions were in support of African missions. India ranked as the number three contributor to African UNPKO missions, behind Bangladesh and Nepal (UNPKO 2021).
13 Funding values reflect contributions to UN Peacekeeping Operations for 2020-2021. Reference: A/73/350/Add.1
14 The original English name, "One Belt One Road," was rebranded to the Belt and Road Initiative in 2015.
15 Outside of a few exceptional examples, such as China's TANZAN railway in the 1960s, China and India's role as donors in African states was minor until the late twentieth century.
16 James, ed., "China to work towards achieving national rejuvenation," CCTV, 3 April 2014, https://web.archive.org/.
17 Thabo Mbeki, "The African Renaissance Statement of Deputy President" (speech, Gallagher Estate, 13 August 1998), http://www.dirco.gov.za/.
18 African Union Commission, Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want (Addis Ababa: African Union, 2015), https://au.int/.
19 Xi Jinping, "President Xi Jinping Extends Congratulation Message on the Opening of Special AU Summit Celebrating 50th Anniversary of the Founding of OAU" (speech, Embassy of the PRC to Rwanda, 26 May 2013), https://www.mfa.gov.cn/.
20 Xi, "Live: Opening session of CPC National Congress"; and Zhang Jian, "China's new foreign policy under Xi Jinping: towards 'Peaceful Rise 2.0'?," Global Change, Peace & Security 27, no. 1 (2015): 5–19. doi: 10.1080/14781158.2015.993958.
21 Early maps and Belt and Road documents sought to bridge Asia, Africa, and Europe. However, in 2017 official geographical depictions of the Belt and Road were banned and the scope of the "vision" was expanded to include South America, Western Africa, and the Arctic regions.
22 Cobus van Staden, "Can China Realize Africa's Dream of an East-West Transport Link?," China Brief 18, no. 6 (2018): 9–12, https://jamestown.org/.
23 Information Office of the State Council, People's Republic of China, "China's Peaceful Development" (white paper, September 2011), http://english.www.gov.cn/.
24 Xi Jinping, "President Xi's speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum" (speech, Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, Beijing, 14 May 2017), https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/.
25 "Joint Communique of the Leaders' Roundtable of the 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation" (press release, Beijing, China, 27 April 2019), https://www.business-humanrights.org/.
26 Now rebranded as CGTN.
27 Central Committee of Chinese Communist Party International Department, "China and Congo's ruling party hold a cadre network seminar (中国同刚果执政党举办干部网络研修班)," 2020.
28 Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Diplomatic Bluebook (Tokyo: Government of Japan, 2018).
29 National Defense Strategy of the United States (Washington, DC: Department of Defense, 2018), https://dod.defense.gov/.
30 Shinzo Abe, "Opening Speech by H.E. Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, at the Special Conference on Peace and Stability in the Horn of Africa and the Neighboring Region" (speech, Yokohama, Japan, 29 August 2019), https://www.mofa.go.jp/.
31 Purnendra Jain, "Japan's Foreign Aid: Institutional Change and Shifting Policy Directions," in Japan's Development Assistance, ed. Hiroshi Kato, John Page, and Yasutami Shimomura (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016), 59–60.
32 Narendra Modi, "Prime Minister's address at Parliament of Uganda during his State Visit to Uganda" (speech, Kampala, Uganda, 25 July 2018), https://mea.gov.in/.
33 Michael J. Mazarr, et al., The Emerging Risk of Virtual Societal Warfare: Social Manipulation in a Changing Information Environment (Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2019), https://www.rand.org/.
34 "MERICS BRI Tracker: Database," Mercator Institute for China Studies, 2019, https://merics.org/.
35 Wen Wang and Chen Xiaochen, "Who Supports China in the South China Sea and Why," The Diplomat, 27 July 2016, https://thediplomat.com/.
36 Transcripts of official speeches can be found on the website of the President of Ukraine: https://www.president.gov.ua/.
37 Anthony H. Cordesman, "The Reasons for the Collapse of Afghan Forces" (working paper, CSIS Working Draft, 17 August 2021), https://www.csis.org/; and Todd Greentree, "Strategic failure in Afghanistan," Journal of Strategic Studies 44, no. 1 (2021): 117–40. doi: 10.1080/01402390.2019.1684232.
AUDIO | 37:27 | Ontological Power: Narrative in a New Era of Competition
ontological power ontology great-power competition narrative China Russia Japan India strategic autonomy Africa aid Belt and Road Initiative Asia-Africa Growth Corridor Indo-Pacific Free and Open Indo-Pacific FOIP BRI alignment
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Аскадег () — село в Ірані, у дегестані Лякан, у Центральному бахші, шагрестані Решт остану Ґілян. За даними перепису 2006 року, його населення становило 90 осіб, що проживали у складі 21 сім'ї.

Клімат
Середня річна температура становить 14,26 °C, середня максимальна – 27,91 °C, а середня мінімальна – -0,72 °C. Середня річна кількість опадів – 1052 мм.

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Населені пункти шагрестану Решт

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Australian Open 2006 – pierwszy w sezonie wielkoszlemowy turniej tenisowym, który rozegrano w dniach 16–29 stycznia na twardych kortach Melbourne Park. Była to 94 edycja rozgrywek.

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Turnieje seniorskie

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Every fall, the Department of Education hosts a big high school fair at Brooklyn Technical High School. It's as busy as Trader Joe's before a hurricane, with lines of people snaking around the block to get in. Most schools will have a table staffed by students, staff and sometimes the principal. The nine sought-after specialized high schools are set up in the first floor gymnasium, and it's always jam-packed.
Read our school reviews and check out our videos. Make a list of "must see" schools and go to those tables first. Our "School Stats" will give you a sense of a school's safety and vibe, how well it prepares kids for college, and the graduation rate.
Take along a notebook, pen, snack and water. Tear out pages from the high school directory of schools that interest you if you want to travel light. Wear sneakers or comfortable shoes.
Ask about homework, your chances of getting in, and if they have Advanced Placement and honors classes. Ask about sports, uniforms, lockers, and whether or not you can go out for lunch. Do they offer four years of math and science? Where have graduates gone to college? How many staff members help students with college applications?
Register (neatly!) on school sign-in sheets to show your interest in "limited unscreened" schools. Add your student ID number to make doubly sure your name is clear.
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This book is the second of three volumes designed to provide a general history of the modern Hawaiian Kingdom. The first volume was published some years ago under the title, The Hawaiian Kingdom, 1778-1854: Foundation and Transformation. The third volume, which explores the years 1874-1893, deals with the reigns of Kalakaua and Liliuokalani, the expansive reciprocity era and the downfall of the monarchy. The present volume covers the middle period of the kingdom's history, between the close of the reign of Kamehameha III and the accession of Kalakaua. It was an important period with distinct and well-marked characteristics. The ideas of the kings and many of the influences at work differed significantly from those of the preceding and following reigns. But it has been comparatively neglected by students of Hawaiian history; relatively little has been written about it; and the noteworthy changes and advances which occurred during these years have received less attention than they deserve. In the present volume, an attempt has been made to get a truer perspective and to give a more adequate account of the developments of the period. The book is based mainly upon manuscript sources and contemporary newspapers, the character and extent of which are indicated in the notes.
The first attempts to establish steam navigation among the Hawaiian islands were made by men engaged in similar enterprises in California; they were part of a much larger movement. The expansion of the United States to the Pacific coast, the extraordinarily rapid settlement of California after the discovery of gold in that region, and the quick rise of San Francisco to a position of importance in the commercial and maritime world deepened American interest in the Pacific region and in the trade of eastern Asia. This led naturally to discussion of the subject of steam navigation in the Pacific. Steamships were soon placed in operation along the American coast, and tentative plans were made for steamship lines to cross the great ocean to Hawaii, to the Orient, and to the British colonies in Australia and New Zealand. Projects for the annexation of Hawaii to the United States were another result of the same expansion movement, and there appears to have been a relationship between the idea of annexation and at least one of the schemes for putting steamships into the interisland service. Immediately after the beginning of the gold rush to California and before its full effect on Hawaii could be very clearly foreseen, the editor of the Honolulu Polynesian remarked on November 11, 1848, "We believe the time has arrived when a steamer to ply between the islands would pay."* During the next three years, several parties showed a definite interest in this subject,13and one of them took preliminary steps toward the establishment of steam navigation among the islands. In the summer of 1851, Captain William A. Howard of San Francisco visited Honolulu and on behalf of himself and associates applied to the government for the exclusive right to maintain steamer service between the islands for a period of seven years, with certain privileges to promote the success of the enterprise.14 The application was favorably considered, and on July 25, 1851, the king signed an ordinance granting to Howard for a term of five years the exclusive right sought by him, together with various special privileges.


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mathematical development to guide their mathematics instruction.
have significant impacts on treatment teachers' mathematics instruction.
to evaluate these materials on the basis of knowledge gained at the workshop.
videotapes of children solving problems, and interviewing children.
important to them and to plan for future instruction.
Educational Research Journal, 26(4), 499-531.
to either the treatment group or the control group.
discuss questions that developed over the course of the school year.
deal with how children think when they solve problems.
series of measures at these timepoints.
strategies than did control teachers.
problem-solving strategies when given word problems in interviews.
students in reports of how often they paid attention during math class.
Program information last updated on 11/15/07.