Library Lunchers Eco group!
Library Lunchers raised money again this year to foster a new orphaned, baby elephants from The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya: Enkesha. As part of our Celebrating Africa week we had a cake bake and guessed the birthday of a Steiff elephant. We also took part in a Great Elephant Walk around the shcool field, wearing African garments. We raised enough to foster Enkesha for 2 years! Awesome!
Pupils also were made aware of the plight of elephants due to poaching for their ivory. Enkesha got her trunk caught in a snare, and nearly lost the use fo her trunk. Her mother was butchered for her tusks.Sheldricks Wildlife Trust in Kenya, where Enkesha lives.
S4PWRB club is our S4 club for 2018-19! Tuesday lunchtimes, fortnightly
Experiencing many different genres! Last year they read The Color Purple by Alice Walker, The Hound of The Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle, The Chrysalids by John Wyndham and Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody. They have just finished Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, and will start The Arrival, by Shaun Tan before trying The Clan of the Cave Bear, by Jean Auel.
S2-3 BookWorms. Wednesday Lunchtimes, fortnightly.
They are currently reading The Ferryman, by Clare McFall.
Jane Austen Book club Thursday lunchtimes, monthly.
We are reading Sense and Sensibility this term, and hope to finish it before the end of the school year. Tea and cake feature as we discuss the novels of Ms Austen! We also look at the rights of women at the time of Jane Austen, and th erights of girls and Women now via the Malala Fund.
Chess club, and Wari/Bao club
Every Thursday in the library at lunchtime come to play this popular game from the African continent! It has many names in many of the different countries in Africa: it is Wari in Ghana, and Bao in Kenya. Mancala is another name! Mrs Coles Reichman runs this club. Mr J. Davies organises the chess club every two weeks at lunchtime in the library. We have already had one chess tournament!
There will be a Wari/Bao touranament during our annual Celebrating Africa week , week beginning June 11th!
Wari/ Bao in the library
Wari has many names across the continent of Africa: Bao and Mancala being two other names!
Wari and Bao boards
This games can also be played by making holes in the ground instead of a board, and using stones instead of marbles/seeds.


A cautionary tale of poison, betrayal and greed,
Weidenfeld & Nicolson
The Inheritor's Powder uses a real-life murder mystery to look at criminal arsenic poisoning in the 19th century and the race to find a definitive test that would trap murderers and send them to the gallows.
The element called arsenic will pass perfectly safely through the human body, provided it remains in that elemental state. The compound arsenic trioxide, or white arsenic as it used to be known, is a totally different proposition, however, and it is this that most people mean when they refer simply to arsenic.
White arsenic is a harmless-looking, tasteless powder that resembles flour or sugar at a quick glance. Easily dispersed in hot food and drink, it is also fatal in tiny doses. And in Britain in the 1800s, it was also cheap and ridiculously easy to get hold of. This made it the near-perfect murder weapon and arsenic's use in disposing of inconvenient relatives led to it becoming known as The Inheritor's Powder.
This book tells the story of an infamous murder that took place in Plumstead, then a little village to the south east of London. A local chemist called James Marsh was called in to analyse the victim's coffee pot and stomach contents for the presence of arsenic. He found the tests so unscientific and unreliable that he then spent the next three years perfecting a new test which was in use right up until the 1970s.
The Marsh test was hailed at the time as marking the end of arsenic's career as a killer. But this turned out to be far from the truth. In the 1840s and '50s a series of shocking errors by forensic toxicologists led the British public to fear that innocent men and women were being wrong sent to the scaffold while at the same time a rise in the number of criminal poisonings being detected led people to imagine poisoners lurking everywhere.
And alongside this story of the beginnings of modern forensic science, runs the extraordinary tale of a father who appears to be doing his best to have his son hanged, a doctor who turned detective long before the role existed and a drunken policeman who lost half of the evidence in a pub.
For more details and to see what other readers think, go to: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0297867423


This is part four of my reflections on the International Reading Association’s Institute called, “Revisiting Silent Reading: New Directions for Teachers and Researchers” that was held in Chicago on April 25, 2010. You can find part one here. In that part, I discussed the presentations from P. David Pearson and Susie Goodin; D. Ray Reutzel; and Kathleen Wilson. You can find part two here. In that part, I discussed the presentation from S. Jay Samuels titled, “Movements and Reading: Without them you cannot read.” You can find part three here. In that part, I discussed Devon Brenner’s presentation, “Increasing eyes on text in high-impact schools.”
After Brenner’s presentation, Richard Allington and Anne McGill-Franzen presented, “Why so much oral reading in reading lessons & elsewhere?” If you have ever heard Allington speak, you know he talks very fast and normally does not give a handout. My notes from this presentation are messy and may have some inaccuracies. Here are some interesting points (many of which I have heard/read before):
- We need to get rid of round robin reading practices. They are still prevalent.
- In 1910, only 10% of the population graduated from high school. Fewer than 50% completed 8th grade.
- Silent reading was seen as anti-social.
- In 1917, Gray wrote a piece stating that silent reading should become the primary reading method.
- Thorndike knew that lots of kids could bark at print, but they could not comprehend.
- The non-oral reading method (which I talked about in part 1) was around in the 1930s–students and teachers never read aloud.
- Why is there so much oral reading–especially for struggling students all the way to high school? Doing seatwork and workbook pages is not the same as silent reading.
- Oral reading seems to dominate instruction for students with learning disabilities and in Title I classrooms.
- DIBELS has been adopted by 39 states without any independent evidence of its efficacy. The test doesn’t test anything that is worth knowing. The focus on rate and accuracy focused teachers on getting kids to “bark at print fast.” (Allington credits Samuels with this phrase)
- Students cannot cross-check when they attempt to read nonsense words.
- Teachers interrupt struggling readers to correct them more often than they interrupt good readers. Struggling readers are interrupted on 4 out of 5 words while good readers are only interrupted on 1 out of 5 words. Struggling readers are often interrupted before they even get to the second letter. This fosters word-by-word reading, not fluent reading. The more students are interrupted, the more their error rate increases dramatically. Readers should be given time to reflect and revise.
- It is impossible to read decodable texts with fluency and they make very little sense.
- Corrective Reading was designed in the 1960s so that readers were unable to use context or pictures to help read unfamiliar words. It is now owned by McGraw Hill, so it is “scientific.”
Note: I often quoted the title of one of Thorndike’s papers without having read it because I was unable to access it. Actually, I quoted it as, “Reading is Thinking.” Well, by researching, “Thorndike” on the Internet today, I found that paper and read it. It is great read. By clicking on the following link, you can access it yourself in many different forms (see the top left hand side of the web page), “Reading as Reasoning: A Study of Mistakes in Paragraph Reading.” (Thorndike, 1917) What a great find!!!! (I added it to the sidebars.)
The last page of “Reading as Reasoning,” talks about how Thorndike thought silent reading should replace oral reading. After reading this, I looked back at my notes and realized that either my notes were wrong, or both Gray & Thorndike wrote a paper in 1917 advocating silent reading. Being the TWRCr that I am, I could not resist doing a little research to find out. Sure enough, I ran across a paper that says Gray advocated silent reading in 1917, too. This paper comes from an International Reading Association Special Interest Group called, “History of Reading.” The paper is very long, but very interesting, too. If you are interested, you can read all about, “A Short History of United States’ Reading Research and Instruction: 1900 to 2006″ here.
Thinking about Allington & McGill Franzen’s presentation title, “Why so much oral reading in reading lessons & elsewhere” along with everything else I heard throughout the institute, I think there is currently more oral reading (especially for struggling students) because it is easier to assess and because the National Reading Panel includes fluency as one of the five pillars of reading instruction. Furthermore, the NRP’s definition of fluency includes the word “expression” which cannot be assessed when a student reads silently. I think with researchers beginning to focus on assessing silent reading more, the times will change. However, considering the fact that researchers have been advocating for more silent reading in the classrooms since the early 1900s, this change seems extremely slow. I find it so hard to believe that Round Robin reading is still prevalent! One teacher even mentioned to Allington that, “I know the research says Round Robin reading isn’t good, but it’s effective for me. It lets me monitor progress.” His thoughts were that, “Yeah, it’s effective. Effective at keeping the teacher in charge.”
I admit that I include oral reading (yes, maybe even too much) when I work with struggling readers. Once I finish writing up my thoughts and notes from the convention, I plan to write more about my work with struggling readers. I am confident in much of what I do, but I often question my use of time because Allington’s voice is always in my head saying, “Struggling readers do not actually read enough in remedial reading classes.” On the other hand, I have read so much research about the many areas in reading where readers struggle and when I work with struggling readers, I find that it is true. I guess this is part of why I love to teach reading and why it can be frustrating all at the same time–there is just so much to think about and consider. I also plan to write about teachers interrupting students while they try to decode. I hope you will share your thoughts–then or now. I would also love to know if you know someone who is still using round robin (or popcorn) reading in the classroom and why.
I didn’t really expect that writing about the convention would take me so long, but it does seem to be going slowly. I am not complaining because I am learning more as I write it up, but I worry that my readers will think that all I will write about is the research. I really want this blog to be helpful to parents, teachers, students, and reading researchers. If you have any questions you would like me to talk about, please let me know on the “Ask Julie” tab. If I don’t hear from you, I will continue on as I have been. Thank you for joining me on my journey.
**Updated 8/19/2010: Click here to find all presentation handouts from this institute at http://www.textproject.org.**
Note: I love comments and feedback. If you do not have time to comment, could you at least take a second to click on the stars below to rate this post on a scale of 1 to 10? Thanks a bunch! In addition, if you take the time to read the comments, I encourage you to click on the “Like” button located next to comments you like, so that the “Sort by” drop-down menu will be useful. Thanks again and happy TWRCing!


Karate Dottie is a determined and fierce little girl who dreams of growing up to be a samurai warrior much to the dismay of her parents and the amusement of her classmates. Her best friend is the portly big hearted Gordo who always gets in trouble because of Dottie’s wild and outlandish schemes.
In her first adventure, one of Dottie’s classmates suffers the loss of a beloved pet in a tragic accident. While attending the funeral, Dottie comes up with a misguided plan for her and Gordo to reunite them. Things do not go exactly as planned and the unintended consequences are chilling.
Karate Dottie and the Treacherous Treehouse is available from Amazon or your favorite bookstore in ebook and paperback. Karate Dottie and the Alien Menace will be available soon.
Click the cover below to read for free
Copyright 2019 SF Varney


October 10, 2007
Defending Legitimate Epidemiologic Research: Combating Lysenko Pseudoscience
James E. Enstrom, Ph.D., M.P.H.
The Research Defense of the May 17, 2003 British Medical Journal paper by Dr. Geoffrey C. Kabat and me, "Environmental tobacco smoke and tobacco related mortality in a prospective study of Californians, 1960-98" (http://bmj.com/cgi/reprint/326/7398/1057.pdf) is now divided into two parts.
The first part of the Research Defense is my October 10, 2007 paper, "Defending legitimate epidemiologic research: combating Lysenko pseudoscience" in Epidemiologic Perspectives & Innovations 2007, 4:11 (http://www.epi-perspectives.com/content/4/1/11). This 14,000 word peer-reviewed paper can be viewed and/or downloaded as a PDF file. The Abstract of this paper states “This analysis presents a detailed defense of my epidemiologic research in the May 17, 2003 British Medical Journal that found no significant relationship between environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and tobacco-related mortality. In order to defend the honesty and scientific integrity of my research, I have identified and addressed in a detailed manner several unethical and erroneous attacks on this research. Specifically, I have demonstrated that this research is not "fatally flawed," that I have not made "inappropriate use" of the underlying database, and that my findings agree with other United States results on this relationship. My research suggests, contrary to popular claims, that there is not a causal relationship between ETS and mortality in the U.S. responsible for 50,000 excess annual deaths, but rather there is a weak and inconsistent relationship. The popular claims tend to damage the credibility of epidemiology. In addition, I address the omission of my research from the 2006 Surgeon General's Report on Involuntary Smoking and the inclusion of it in a massive U.S. Department of Justice racketeering lawsuit. I refute erroneous statements made by powerful U.S. epidemiologists and activists about me and my research and I defend the funding used to conduct this research. Finally, I compare many aspects of ETS epidemiology in the U.S. with pseudoscience in the Soviet Union during the period of Trofim Devisovich Lysenko. Overall, this paper is intended to defend legitimate research against illegitimate criticism by those who have attempted to suppress and discredit it because it does not support their ideological and political agendas. Hopefully, this defense will help other scientists defend their legitimate research and combat Lysenko pseudoscience.
The second part is the original September 20, 2006 Research Defense, which is now a separate PDF file on my Scientific Integrity Institute website (http://www.scientificintegrityinstitute.org/Defense092006.pdf). This easily downloadable document provides more details on the early issues related to the British Medical Journal paper than are contained in the new Epidemiologic Perspectives & Innovations paper.
In addition to these two parts, several other sections of Scientific Integrity Institute website contain valuable information supporting the Research Defense. The Documents section (http://www.scientificintegrityinstitute.org/documents.html) contains relevant material from the American Cancer Society, the University of California, magazines, and newspapers. The Publications section (http://www.scientificintegrityinstitute.org/publications.html) contains many relevant epidemiologic publications from me, the American Cancer Society, and others. The Symposium section (http://www.scientificintegrityinstitute.org/symposium.html) contains the Abstracts, PowerPoint slides, and audio lecture files for my June 24, 2006 North American Congress of Epidemiology Symposium “Reassessment of the Long-term Mortality Risks of Active and Passive Smoking.” The Audio/Visual section (http://www.scientificintegrityinstitute.org/audio.html) contains several audio files related to the UC Regents deliberations regarding tobacco industry funding at UC, as well as audio and video files on ETS. The Satire section (http://www.scientificintegrityinstitute.org/satire.html) provides an important satirical perspective on how certain individuals are abusing the scientific method and “Turning Epidemiology into Lysenko Pseudoscience.” All of these sections are important for anyone interested in fully understanding the validity and significance of the May 17, 2003 BMJ paper.


Annotated Co-workers' Letter - Explanatory Notes
This document is an annotated version of the co-workers' "Letter of Fellowship and Warning" dated April 4, 2009. It provides supporting documentation which demonstrates the veracity of the statements in that letter. As you review its contents, please note the following:
- Note numbers have been inserted into the co-workers' letter to link the reader to supporting
documentation. Clicking on a note reference will pop up a separate window that contains documentation of the statement
preceding it. The notes have been grouped by subject into Web pages. Only those notes with hyperlinks are active.
- The pages include links to the original sources provided as audio files
, .mp4 format videos
, and documents
- The transcripts of Brother Dong's speaking are based on his words in Chinese and not those of
his translators. For that reason, the text on the Web page may not match what a person listening in a language other than
Chinese hears on the audio translation.
- In some cases, an audio excerpt may be longer than what is quoted in the text of the Web page. This
provides the listener with additional context of the portion quoted.
- The documentation presented includes e-mail correspondence among Brother Dong's co-workers.
These e-mails were not solicited or obtained by any electronic subterfuge but were forwarded by third parties concerned
about the direction of Brother Dong's work.
- Audio clips from a fellowship among Brother Dong and his co-workers on October 28, 2007, are
included on these pages. These audio excerpts are from a file that was initially posted on a public Web site promoting
Brother Dong's work and was downloaded from that location. Ezra Ma subsequently accused a brother of obtaining it
through improper means, but that accusation is false.
- The documentation provided here emphasizes what was spoken or written prior to the issuing of the co-workers' letter of warning. There have been many later developments which reinforce the need for the co-workers' warning concerning the ministry and work of Brother Dong and his co-workers. These will be addressed separately as time and resources permit.


The Courage Way: Leading and Living with Integrity by The Center for Courage & Renewal, Shelly L. Francis, Parker J. Palmer
The Courage Way: Leading and Living with Integrity The Center for Courage & Renewal, Shelly L. Francis, Parker J. Palmer ebook
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Have the courage to be your own person and find that your first scary step is already behind you. Havecourage to be the author, editor and illustrator for your own epic life. Francis, 9781626567757, available at Book Depository with free delivery worldwide. Book #50 of 182, 304 pages, finished 4/14/2017. The Courage Way : Leading andLiving with Integrity. Find product information, ratings and reviews for Courage Way : Leading andLiving With Integrity (Hardcover) (Shelly L. Leading our lives with integrity means that we are living to our fullest potential and are able to create and manifest our destinies. "Character - the ability to meet the demands of reality." I read Integrity: TheCourage to Meet the Demands of Reality by Henry Cloud. Francis has been bringing to light best-kept secrets, while bringing people together to facilitate positive impact. The common thread throughout the career of Shelly L. Hardback Shelly Francis identifies key ingredients needed to cultivate courage, the most fundamental being trust--in ourselves and in each other.


|Founded||June 20, 2012|
Founded on Today
Our latest project 'Emily's Corner' aims to create a section in the children's area of every library in New Zealand. Inspired by Katherine Thomas's stillborn daughter, Emily Sienna Yearbury, this project will be an ongoing fundraiser which will publicly acknowledge our babies throughout New Zealand. Every library who choose to participate in this project will have an Emily's Corner within their children's section which will be filled with books belonging to Emily and dedicated to all babies who have wings. Wooden cube seating with a painted 'E' will give the children a place to sit while they read and a plaque will outline the reason behind each Emily's Corner. A dedication list will be framed (which can be added to) for any parent visiting the library who has a baby with wings. This way, all families have the opportunity to publicly acknowledge their own baby's name and date. Every year, new books will be added to the collections with age appropriate titles.


File Structure Overview
Breakout release file overview
This section provides and overview of the Breakout file structure. If you downloaded the Breakout release from this website, then you should have the following file structure:
The following sections describe the directory contents:
A log of the changes in each release.
This folder contains a few examples that demonstrate how to use Breakout without StandardFirmata. See Using Breakout Without StandardFirmata for details. The schematics.pdf file contains wiring diagrams for the examples. Any libraries required to run the example files are included in the libs subdirectory.
The dist directory contains the minified Breakout files. You will need to include one of these files in your applications. There are 3 versions described below:
This minified file contains everything in Breakout/src/ except the files in Breakout/io/. Use this version if you are not using any of the IO objects (from Breakout/io/) or would only like to include the IO objects you are using in your application. In the later case, you must include the IO objects individually after including the Breakout-base.js file. Also, if an IO object has a corresponding Event object, the Event object must be included before the IO object. For example if the only IO object you are using is an analog accelerometer, you could include the following rather than the full Breakout.js file which would include all IO objects:
This file contains only the minimal objects required to communicate with the I/O board. The only use for this version is in creating applications that don’t rely on StandardFirmata. See the Breakout/custom_examples/rfid_example2.html. Currently this file contains more than you need for custom applications. A lighter file will be created in the future for this type of application.
The firmware folder contains the AdvancedFirmata arduino sketch. You must upload AdvancedFirmata to your board before using Breakout. Open the AdvancedFirmata.ino file in the Arudino IDE (version 1.0 or higher), select your board from Tools -> Board, compile and upload.
This file contains the text of the MIT license that applies to Breakout.
A node.js-based version of Breakout Server used to be included with Breakout. However not it resides in its own github repository. See the instructions in the README file to get started if you want to use this server. Note however that it is more difficult to use than the simple GUI version of Breakout Server.
This file provides an overview of the Breakout project. It is also what you see when you view the Breakout project on github.
If you downloaded the Breakout beta release package, the contents of the server directory should be as follows:
If you see more files than above such as a build and lib folder etc, then you downloaded (or cloned) the full Breakout repository rather than the distribution release. That’s okay, just refer the server section of Breakout Repository file structure overview below.
The release version of the server directory contains a compressed version of each server. You will need to expand the Server for your platform (see the Installation section of the Using Breakout Server guide for details). You can also delete the files for the other platforms. In order to simplify the downloadable Breakout distribution, the download does not include the server source code. You must clone the Breakout source code on Github to get the Breakout Server source.
The core files are the base of the Breakout framework.
The custom directory contains files for objects that do not use StandardFirmata, but are useful enough to be included in the distribution source code. The files in the custom directory are not included in the minified Breakout.js file. See Breakout/custom_exemples/ for examples of use.
This directory contains a number of objects that are used to filter analog input. See the examples in Breakout/examples/filters/ and the Using Filters guide for details.
This directory contains an oscillator object that can generate signals on an output pin. For example it can be used to blink or fade an LED. See the examples in Breakout/examples/generators/ and the Using Generators guide for details.
The files/objects in the io directory are hardware abstractions of physical components. These objects greatly simplify the ability to interface with various input (sensors) and output (actuators). Expect additional io objects to be added in the future. See the examples in Breakout/examples/actuators/ and Breakout/examples/sensors/. Also see the examples in Breakout/examples/processing_js/ and Breakout/examples/three_js/ for applications of using sensors with WebGL graphics.
Breakout repository file structure overview
If you cloned the repository from github then you’ll have some additional folders and files:
The biggest difference between the repository and the release build is the structure of the Breakout/server/ directory. By cloning the repository you have access to the Breakout Server source code. In the repositoy the server directory contains the following files:
- The first 4 items are versions of the server for Mac, Win and Linux.
- The build subdirectory contains the Jar file. You can run Breakout Server from this jar file or if you’re using Mac OS X or Windows you can use the more convenient executables found in the respective platform folders above.
- An eclipse_archive is included as a convenience for any eclipse users who would like to modify the source code.
- The lib subdirectory contains the jar files required to build the server.
- README.md explains how to build Breakout Server. The build step is only required if you modify Breakout Server. Pre-built versions are already included for Mac, Win, and Linux.
- The release subdirectory contains graphics and other files used to build the executables.
- src contains the java source files and the manifest file.
The repository also includes the following files and folders that are not present in the release distribution:


Activating Your Loveseed
Be one of the first to read…
Activating Your Loveseed:
Revealing the Blueprint for a Better World
Activating Your Loveseed: Revealing the Blueprint for a Better World, is a guidebook through an inner journey in which the author—a psychotherapist—is both companion and guide.
Combining dramatic real life experiences with compelling mythic tales and a profound exploration of the need for greater depth, this book both inspires and instructs us to awaken to our own multidimensional nature, and to take on the task of personal transformation as a way to contribute to the greater good.
Storytelling, science and spirituality combine to weave the threads of ancient wisdom with the emergent intelligence of our times, and the synthesis helps readers integrate and expand their awareness beyond the subconscious limitations of a culture gone astray. We are shown how to remain awake at every stage of the journey, so that we can do what we came to earth to do: to dream big dreams and learn the lessons that show us how to make them come true.
You can use this book:
- To move out of the “trance” where you are identified with your pain.
- To clear away the deadwood of old habits and reactive responses that no longer serve you, and create healthy and energizing practices that allow your light to shine.
- To surrender the effects of the past for good and move into the life you were meant to live.
- To connect with and embody your own compassionate loving essence.
- To reset your inner compass toward your highest purpose, and remind you of the vastness of your mission.
- To learn the process of becoming a co-creator with the Divine so that you manifest from essence into form.
You will receive the inspiration to once again take the necessary risks you have been avoiding, as you tap into the higher intelligence of your Soul. You will find a new code for your life—a blueprint or mandala with a center that is synchronized with the evolutionary impulse our planet needs at this time.
This book offers essential wisdom for parents and teachers, counselors, healers, and mentors who want to encourage and support those they serve.
The energetic transmission of this book will help you resonate with the vibration of love in your deep heart. You will find yourself having greater courage and compassion, joy and gratitude, and this will begin to change the world you live in.
This book will soon be released on Amazon, so sign up here to be one of the first to receive notice, and to have access to the upcoming webinar: “Why It Requires Big Courage To Walk the Spiritual Path, And How You Can Tap Into It.” (time to be announced—you will be sent access!).
More than ever, now, we need to commit to the personal responsibility and leadership that is required to make this world a better place. This book will show you how!
The Earth Wisdom School Newsletter:


The Search for Stability (2006) by Ian Macfarlane is a book based on the 2006 Boyer lecture given by Macfarlane. Macfarlane was governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and is very well placed to provide an overview of macroeconomics and in particular the macroeconomics of Australia.
The book looks at the Golden Age of economic growth in the West from the end of WWII to the early 1970s. Macfarlane then looks at the failure of Keynsianism in the 1970s as Keynsian stimulus and the Bretton Woods system failed. The Phillips curve then broke. Macfarlane then looks at the changes of the 1970s and beyond in response to this failure. Reform and deregulation in Australia and the recession of 1990 are discussed in detail. The long expansion, which we are still in at the time of this review is then looked at. Unfortunately the failure of Monetarism in the US of the late 2000s is not in the scope of the book.
Macfarlane does mention the difficulty in dealing with asset price bubbles that reserve banks have to confront. He makes the point that a bubble is only clearly revealed to be a bubble when it bursts. It’s well worth reading the book to get a view of what a top practical economist thinks of the way the Australian economy works.
Macfarlane is a very smart guy and was also involved in the decisions that led to the independence of the RBA. His views on Australia’s economic changes are well worth reading for any Australian. The book is also pleasantly short.


Books by Sarah Lewis
New: Positive Psychology And Change
How leadership, collaboration and appreciative inquiry create transformational results
Published April 2016
Positive Psychology and Change explores how areas of positive psychology such as strengths, flow, and psychological capital can be applied to the everyday challenges of leading a dynamic and adaptive work community, and how collaborative group approaches to transformational change can be combined with a positive mindset to maintain optimism and motivation in an unpredictable working environment. It articulates a unique vision for organizational leadership in the 21st century that combines positive psychology, Appreciative Inquiry (AI), and collaborative group technologies. By focusing on four specific co-creative approaches (Appreciative Inquiry, Open Space, World Cafe and SimuReal) and the ways in which they surpass traditional methods for organizational change this book explains the latest theory, research, and practice, and translates it into concrete, actionable ideas for meeting the day-to-day challenges of effective and adaptive leadership and management. Includes learning features such as boxed text, short case studies, stories, and cartoons
praise for positive psychology and change
This book is a doorway into generative, strengths-inspired and solutions-focused change. It gives leaders the gift of new eyes and teaches how humility might just be a leader s greatest strength. It brings the joy of high quality connections back into the field of organization development. And it reminds us that we can create conditions - the evidence base is there - to confirm our deepest conviction: that human beings are good. Read this wonderful book carefully. — David Cooperrider, Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University
We need to develop work organizations in which people thrive and find positive meaning in life rather than being impoverished and exhausted by organizational change. This book offers a profoundly important guide to how we can create such organizations, providing the theoretical rationale, evidence and practical steps necessary to achieve transformational change. Every manager and leader of every organization should not only read it but immediately put it into practice. — Michael West, Lancaster University Management School
Sarah Lewis is one of those rare management writers able to combine academic research with practical relevance. In Positive Psychology and Change she offers a fresh, evidence-based rethinking of how large group organizational change methods work and many practical suggestions for how to use them successfully. — Gervase R. Bushe, Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University
Positive Psychology At Work
HOW POSITIVE LEADERSHIP AND APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY CREATE INSPIRING ORGANISATIONS
Currently being used at Westminster Business School
Positive Psychology At Work brings the fields of positive psychology and Appreciative Inquiry together for the first time to provide leaders and change agents with a powerful new approach to achieving organizational excellence. It draws together positive psychology and appreciative inquiry in the context of leadership organizational challenges for the first time. It presents academically rigorous and referenced material in a jargon–free, accessible manner and is arranged with chapters focused on specific organizational challenges to allow readers to quickly find ideas relevant to their unique situation. It features short contributions from experienced practitioners of positive psychology and Appreciative Inquiry, and includes case studies from the UK, Europe, Australia and the USA.
Amazon Reviews of Positive Psychology At Work
This book offers an inspiring and exciting way forward for work organizations. It shows how we can enhance organizational effectiveness through promoting the well–being and efficacy of the people who make up business organizations: the staff. Grounded in psychology and management research, the book offers leaders, practitioners and employees a clear agenda for creating positive and appreciative cultures that promote performance. — Mike West, Executive Dean and Professor of Psychology, Aston University, UK.
Positive Psychology at Work is a much needed book that lifts the lid on how a more appreciative, strengths–focused approach can transform organisations for the better. When organisations and their leaders focus on enhancing the best of what their people have to offer, they enable them to achieve the goals for which they strive, at the same time building the resilience they will need to cope with the changes and challenges of the modern world. I strongly recommend this book for organisational leaders and those who strive to support them. — Alex Linley, Founding Director, Capp, UK.
I should start by saying I don’t know Sarah Lewis...so you’ll know my glowing review is not tainted by association. This book really isn’t about Appreciative Inquiry...Instead, this book is a treasure trove of research and models on the practice of good management... This book is a serious review of useful research on positive organization behavior in the past ten years. Because it’s written by a consultant, it looks at it from a very practical perspective and it’s written in an engaging, easy to follow manner that connects the dots in a way you seldom see. I can’t think of another book I’ve read in the past decade that does such a good job of integrating a scholar’s concern for research grounded explanations with a consultant’s concern for ideas with leverage...
She describes the research on “positive workplaces” and follows the evidence to explain why they result in higher productivity and financial returns. She reviews how “engagement” actually influences organizational outcomes and what the research shows managers can actually do to influence that.... In her most innovative chapter she brings a variety of models together to look at how mangers can influence “positive sustainable growth”.
You are going to be happy you picked up and read this book...I intend to use it. — Dr. Gervase R. Bushe, Professor of Leadership and Organisational Development, Beedie School of Business, Simon Frasier University, 2012.
Praise for Positive Psychology At Work
Overall, I would recommend this book to postgraduate researchers, consultants and senior managers who are serious about wanting to invest the time to learn more about the use of positive psychology and appreciate inquiry to improve organisations. - The Psychologist, 1 October 2011.
I believe this book will quickly become a classic reference text. In just over 200 pages Lewis has produced a content rich, accessible work that readers will want to revisit regularly. And I’ve no doubt they will be pleasantly surprised at how much fresh information they glean each time they do. - People Management, April 2011.
For these reasons, Lewis’s timely and accessible book will be useful to business leaders and introductory audiences interested less in the science behind positive psychology and appreciative inquiry than in its ready application to the organizational setting. - PsycCRITIQUES , 11 July 2012.
Appreciative Inquiry For Change Management
With Jonathon Passmore and Stefan Cantore
Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is one of the most exciting and increasingly recognised concepts in facilitating organizational change. This book studies AI in depth, illustrating the method of asking particular questions and envisioning the future, encouraging staff to consider both the positive and negative systems in place and to recognise the need to implement change. It demonstrates how AI can be practically applied through positive psychology, understanding various perspectives and trialling tested approaches to create change through conversation. Case studies from organizations that have already integrated conversational methods into their change management practice show the value and effectiveness of the processes and how to promote, create and generate such conversations yourself. Written in jargon-free language, this is an excellent resource for you to discover the benefits that conversational techniques can bring to your organization and its performance. Appreciative Inquiry for Change Management explains the theory and practice of AI, World Cafe, Open Space and other conversational approaches for facilitating organizational development (OD).
Praise For Appreciative Inquiry For Change Management
I unequivocally recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn new ways of authentically engaging with others in business... be prepared to be challenged on fundamental assumptions that you may have about the nature of organizations, the problem-solving mindset, conversations and change itself. - Sherwood Fleming, Sherwood Fleming's Intercultural Communication Insights.
Amazon review for Appreciative Inquiry for change management
This book will change the way we talk, relate and think about change. The authors unpack the meaning and significance of Appreciative Inquiry and the positive revolution in 'conversation-based change', with powerful stories and brilliantly clear writing. It is a remarkable how-to book that perfectly blends theory, practice and life-empowering perspectives. A must read for anyone interested in leading with hope and optimism, and creating the future through the collaborative engagement of our highest human strengths. - David Cooperrider, PhD, Case Western Reserve University
This is a great book from which I've taken nuggets that will inform both my coaching and facilitation, and will be a great resource for those seeking to enable change in a positive way - Ian Pettigrew for HR Director
This is a great read for the novice AI practitioner as well as anyone interested in the power of positive change. It's more than a book on AI. It provides us with methods that are wholly relevant to today's multi-generational, inclusive and emergent world of work. - Iain Harrison, People Advisory Services, EY
Books by Appreciating Change Associates
Strength-Based Lean Six Sigma
Building Positive and Engaging Business Improvement
By David Shaked (Appreciating Change Associate Consultant)
Strength-based Lean Six Sigma combines the leading approaches to business improvement with those of organisational change. The book provides fresh ideas and tools to ensure that short-term achievements in process improvement become long-term benefits. Building on the energy and motivation released through a strength-based approach and the focus on excellence that Lean Six Sigma brings, the book builds up a knowledge and understanding of this unique approach which is an evolution of well-known business improvement approaches.
The book shows how to blend the principles and processes of Appreciative Inquiry with the rigour of Lean Six Sigma to influence innovation and sustainable results in organisations.
Why i recommend david's book...
In this innovative book David has taken two approaches to organisational change, Six Sigma and Appreciative Inquiry, that at first sight appear fundamentally opposed, and has shown how they can be brought together to create an approach to organisational improvement that has the strengths of both.
Clearly written, this book provides examples of strengths based LEAN Six Sigma at work, giving great insight into what happens when you bring both these approaches into the room together.
Highly recommended for adherents of either discipline who want to extend their practice.
Praise for strengths-based lean six sigma
This book is the first on integrating Lean Six Sigma and Appreciative Inquiry. David does a masterful job blending the principles and processes of Appreciative Inquiry with the rigor of Lean Six Sigma to influence innovation and sustainable results in organizations! The book represents a insightful contribution to both disciplines -Jacqueline M. Stavros, Author, 'The Thin Book of SOAR: Building Strengths-based Strategy', Professor and Director of DBA Program, Lawrence Technological University.
David Shaked’s book is a great starter manual for anybody wishing to merge lean process improvement techniques with positive organizational development methods. I believe both of these communities of practice have a lot to learn from each other, but merging the two has been impeded by the many possible “positive” approaches. David’s book focuses on the positive approach known as “Appreciative Inquiry” which is more systematic than many alternatives, and this focus greatly helps the merger. I would recommend this book to anybody in either lean practice or organizational development. In addition to learning concrete steps you can take with companies, you will also find yourself brainstorming in an open-minded fashion about the true nature of lean and positive, and how they co-mingle in organizations. - Bill Lovejoy, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Amazon.com.
David Shaked provides an abundance of valuable information, insights, and counsel that will help almost anyone build positive and engaging business improvement...I commend David Shaked for providing just about all the information, insights, and counsel almost anyone needs to build positive and engaging business improvement. - Robert Morris, top 500 reviewer, Amazon.co.uk.


In the late 1840s, an English archaeologist Austin Henry Layard was searching the Nineva, the capital of the ancient Assyrian Empire. He found it in the present-day Mosul, Iraq. There he excavated a palace and found a library buried under it. The library was built by King Ashurbanipal, who ruled this region around 669–631 BC.
It had more than 30000 clay tablets. Sir Layard left Iraq, but his Iraqi assistant Horuzd Rassam kept searching the site. There he found another palace and second library filled with clay tablets.
Many people don’t write much, or they do when they have to. I was one of them. Being a reader, I, many times, wanted to share what I feel. But I never took a step to start writing. Because no sooner I would start writing, I would want to run away. Now it’s a different case. A year ago, I started writing daily. When I reflect on that time and compare it with now, I found that many things have changed since then. I no longer feel pressurized by holding a pen or typing through the keyboard. My writing, though…
I have read many fictional books- from the most famous to those not many might have aware of them. The things that remained with me was not a story but its characters. There are a few characters I could not get over even after reading many years ago. I always mesmerize that how a writer can create such an extraordinary character by his/her imagination? And make them immortal in every sense that they could even motivate and impact the reader more.
Everyone character has a few flaws for sure, but it is more important how they overcome them. They not…
This was the book I wanted to read for a long time but kept it aside because of its page count, which was more than 1000. Then, at the beginning of the year 2021, I decided to take this up.
As soon as I began to understand the world of the story ‘War and Peace’, I was amazed. It turned out to be one of the finest fictions I have read.
It is a historical novel that spanned around many years and two French-Russian wars: Battle of Austerlitz, where French forces, led by Napoleon, defeated the combined forces of…
How did writing system evolve?
The writing was started either in a single unknown place or it started in many places independently as the excavations in Mesopotamia (the land between Euphrates and Tigris), China and Mesoamerica shows.
Early writing found in these places is unique to places they were found so it might be true that writing developed independently.
Writing also appeared in Indus Valley Civilization but it is yet to be deciphered.
Writing in the Mesopotamia is the only that can be traced back to its earliest form ie token system.
Writing developed in stages-
Tokens System: Around 7500…
Ever wondered how we can write everything we want to communicate? There are many scripts across the world by which we could express ourselves through writing. But how all those scripts originated? What was the first script ever developed in the human societies?
Writing is a representation of language on to some medium such as stone, clay, paper etc.
An ancient human out of necessities had always been trying to find a way to communicate better. …
Lord of the rings book series is very dear to me not only because it has the most beautiful and thrilling storyline. Certainly not only because of its amazing world that author JRR Tolkien created. It was because one of its character, Frodo.
Every character had a role to perform, from Gandalf who planned everything like a coach, to the lord of Rivendell who made all of them realized that the ring must be destroyed. From Merry, Strider, Pippin to Gollum and the soldiers who were important and helped Frodo to destroy the ring. …
A few years ago when I started reading books I could not concentrate for more than a few minutes. Yet I did not stop reading. Instead of turning off the books, I looked towards the easy read so that I did not feel lost. And soon I found that I was made for books. The only thing that I needed to find was the right books.
So, here I am posting the list of my five easy-read books which I read as a new reader.
1.The secret garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
It was a story of a 10-year-old girl…
‘Reich’ is a German word which means ‘Empire’ and the third Reich was the name given to the Nazi regime by its leaders.
They did so because they considered their regime as the successor of the first and the Second Reich.
This book is about the rise and fall of Hitler and his party, Nazi. It covers Hitler’s ascension to the power and his twelve-year long reign that led the world as well as Germany to the most horrific war of the modern world, World War II and its fall.
Statistics suggest that the Nazi regime is accounted for 10–11…
This period is the most powerful and well recorded period of ancient Egypt and includes the 18th, 19th and the 20th dynasties. Now, In this period Egypt was going to be from a kingdom to an international power whose influence would reach beyond the Euphrates river, now in Iraq.
18th Dynasty: 18th dynasty and New kingdom started with the reunification of Egypt under the Ahmose I who defeated Hyksos, foreign rulers, so thoroughly from the Egyptian land and send them back to Syria and Palestine.
He then retook the Nubian territory from the Kush rulers in the south and completed…


American Arbitration Association – Headquartered in New York City, The American Arbitration Association is a private entity involved in the business of arbitration and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. The American Arbitration Association does not settle disputes itself, but rather provides administrative support.
Supreme Court – Operated by the United States Federal Government, this website provides readers with an understanding of the United States Supreme Court and the Federal Court System as a whole. In addition, the website contains links to news, educational resources, court records, forms, and other potentially useful information.
Massachusetts Courts System – The Massachusetts Court System website provides useful information relating to the Massachusetts Judicial Branch and includes the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the Massachusetts courts. In addition, the website contains press releases and recent opinions of the Massachusetts Courts.
Justia – Justia.com provides visitors with an array of legal information and relevant legal resources. According to the company’s website, Justia’s mission is to “advance the availability of legal resources for the benefit of society.”
Legal Information Institute – The Legal Information Institute is a non-profit research, engineering, and editorial group located at Cornell Law School in Ithaca, New York. Legal Information Institute publishes the law online free of charge to its readers.
Oyez – The Oyez Project is a multimedia archive dedicated to the United States Supreme Court. The Oyez project contains all of the recorded audio of the U.S. Supreme Court since the installation of the recording system in 1955.
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court – The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Website contains a plethora of useful legal information relating to the Massachusetts court system. The website also contains the court calendar, a docket search feature, educational resources, and other useful information.
United States District Court, District of Massachusetts – The website of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts contains a vast amount of information about the court. The website includes resources and information for citizens, attorneys, and jurors.
Massachusetts Attorney General – The Massachusetts Attorney General’s website offers extensive information about the Massachusetts AG’s office. In addition, the website also contains links to numerous state resources including press releases.
Massachusetts Personal Injury Statute of Limitations – Available online, the Massachusetts General Laws set out the applicable statute of limitations to personal injury lawsuits. A statute of limitations sets the maximum amount of time after an injury that legal proceedings may be commenced.
Massachusetts Trial Court Library – This source provides a great deal of information relating to the Massachusetts Trial Court System. The site contains both a section of Laws by Subject and a section of Massachusetts cases. In addition, the Massachusetts Trial Court Library site provides visitors with numerous links to legal news and other state information.Personal Injury
Massachusetts Rules of road
Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles – Located on the official website of The Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the Registry of Motor Vehicles page contains numerous features relating the vehicles in Massachusetts. The site is home to the “Online Branch” of the Massachusetts RMV, which allows visitors to handle issues concerning Driver’s Licenses, Registration/Titles, and other tasks.
Directory of Online Police Departments – The Directory of Online Police Departments contains links to Police Department websites across Massachusetts. The site also contains a search option that allows users to search the directory for specific departments.
Massachusetts Department of Corrections – The Massachusetts Department of Correction’s website contains a great deal of resources pertaining to the Commonwealth’s correctional facilities. The site also includes links to current Community and Offender Programs.
Massachusetts State Home Page – Located on the Official Website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts State Home Page contains links to numerous state resources. In addition, the website offers visitors information relating to state job openings, foreclosure proceedings, child support, unemployment, and other state related resources.
Massachusetts Department of Revenue – As the Official Website of the Department of Revenue (DOR), the DOR’s website offers online services to visitors. The online services include an option to WebFile your return, check your refund status, and account services.
Massachusetts Workers Compensation Board
Massachusetts Highway Association – The website of the Massachusetts Highway Association contains downloadable forms, educational resources, and other helpful links.Business and Finance
Better Business Bureau – The Website of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) gathers information about national and local businesses and informs the public of business practices. The website contains a BBB Directory and a search option.
NASDAQ – The NASDAQ, an American stock exchange, is the largest electronic screen-based equity securities trading market in the United States. The NASDAQ website provides visitors with quotes, research, information on market activity, investing insights, and other news and commentary relating to the market.
US Chamber of Commerce– The website of the United States Chamber of Commerce provides an array of links relating to American businesses and trade associations.
CNBC – CNBC’s website provides visitors with live coverage of the financial market and business headlines. The site also offers sections that report on markets, earnings, and investing.Government
Library of Congress – The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress. While the physical collection is housed in three buildings in Washington, D.C., the Library of Congress’ website contains web links to collection highlights, digital collections, and library catalogs.
U.S. House of Representatives – The website of the United States House of Representatives contains a plethora of Federal Legislative links. Specifically, the U.S. House of Representatives website provides visitors with a list of Representatives and information pertaining to committees.
U.S. Senate – The United States Senate’s webpage contains information regarding U.S. Senators, Senate Committees, Legislation & Records, Art & History, and other relevant material.
White House – The Website of the White House provides users with a plethora of information pertaining to the Executive Branch of the United States Government. The site includes a blog, photos/video, and articles dealing with current issues.Medical
EPA – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an agency of the United States Federal Government. The goal of the EPA is to protect human health and the environment. The EPA’s website provides information on current environmental issues, laws and regulations, and other environmental topics.
EPA - Identifying Lead Hazards in Your Home – The Environmental Protection Agency provides this webpage to inform visitors of the dangers of lead and to provide information regarding checking one’s family and home for lead. In addition to this information, the webpage contains links to other EPA pamphlets on lead.
FDA – The website of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides an array of links to various forms of health related information. Specifically, the FDA website contains information on food, drugs, medical devises, vaccinations, cosmetics, and animal/veterinary issues.
FDA Press Releases & Fact Sheets
National Spinal Cord Injury Association – The National Spinal Cord Injury Association is an organization dedicated to improving the lives of those who have sustained spinal cord injuries. The Association’s website contains a great deal of spinal cord injury information - including studies, legal services, and employment opportunities
U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services – The United States Department of Health & Human Services is a Cabinet department of the U.S. Government with the goal of protecting the health of Americans. The Department’s website contains a number of health related resources such as a “Quick Guide to Healthy Living” and “Personal Health Tools.”
National Cancer Institute – The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is one of the eleven agencies that make up the Department of Health and Human Services. The Institute is the United States Federal Government’s principal agency for cancer research. The NCI’s website contains an enormous amount of information relating to cancer topics such as clinical trials, research, funding, and news.
National Library of Medicine – Physically located in Maryland, the National Library of Medicine also has a website that provides visitors with medical literature and information on biomedicine/health care.
Center for Disease Control & Prevention – The Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) is a component of the Department of Health and Human Services. The CDC’s website contains a great deal of information on health and safety topics.
General medicine and medical dictionary – Operated by WebMD, this source provides visitors access to a dictionary of general medicine and a medical dictionary.
American Cancer Society – The American Cancer Society aims to diminish suffering and eliminate cancer as a major health problem via research, education, advocacy and service. The American Cancer Society’s website offers an array of information relating to cancer - including research articles and treatment resources.
Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) - The website of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) provides information on the safety and health concerns of American workplaces. Specifically, the site contains links to OSHA regulations, data, statistics, training and other workplace related matters.
Guide to lab tests – This online Guide to Lab Tests informs visitors of the nuances of lab testing. The guide also provides information intended to assist people in understanding their lab tests.
PubMed – Available online, PubMed offers users millions of citations of biomedical literature from MEDLINE. The website also contains citations from life science journals and online books.News
The Boston Globe – Winner of twenty one Pulitzer Prizes, The Boston Globe is a daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe also releases a daily online edition of the newspaper on Boston.com.
The Boston Herald – The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves the City of Boston and its surrounding towns and cities. The Boston Herald is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the country and been awarded eight Pulitzer prizes.
The Patriot Ledger – Published in Quincy, Massachusetts, The Patriot Ledger covers the 26 communities located south of Boston. The Patriot Ledger was founded in 1837 and currently publishes both a Weekday and Weekend Edition.
Cambridge Chronicle - Founded in 1846, The Cambridge Chronicle is the oldest weekly newspaper operating in the United States. The Cambridge Chronicle serves the community of Cambridge and is currently printed in Framingham, Massachusetts.
The Eagle Tribune – Covering Merrimack Valley, Essex County, MA, and southern New Hampshire, The Eagle Tribune has been awarded two Pulitzer Prizes. The Eagle Tribune is published daily and is currently based in North Andover, Massachusetts.
Worcester Telegram & Gazette - Published daily, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette covers Worcester County, the western suburbs of Boston, and several towns in northeast Connecticut.
Google News – Offered by Google, Inc., Google News is an automated news aggregator that covers news articles that have appeared within the last 30 days on news websites around the internet.
USA Today – Distributed in all 50 states, USA Today is the widest circulated print newspaper in the United States. USA Today also offers an online edition of the newspaper at USAToday.com.General
YellowPages.com – The YellowPages website enables visitors to search for the phone numbers and addresses of both individuals and businesses.
MapQuest – Mapquest is an online web mapping service offered by America Online Free of Charge.
National Weather Service – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service provides the online community with live weather reports and forecasts. The website also contains information on water and air quality.Search Engines
Yahoo! – In addition to operating the Yahoo! Search engine, the company offers additional services, including Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Maps, and Yahoo! Finance.
Google – Google Search, owned by Google, Inc., is the most used search engine on the internet.
Bing – Unveiled in 2009, Bing is a search engine offered by Microsoft.


Bowser The Hound in "Farmer Brown's Boy Drops A Pan Of Corn"
Farmer Brown's Boy
Drops A Pan Of Corn
Who when surprised keeps calm and cool
Is one most difficult to fool.
In his lifetime Reddy Fox has spent many anxious moments, but none more anxious than those in which he waited for Farmer Brown's boy to open the henhouse and feed the biddies on this particular morning.
From the moment when the big rooster on the topmost perch stretched forth his neck, flapped his wings, and crowed as only he can crow, Reddy was on pins and needles, as the saying is. Hiding behind a box in the darkest corner of the henhouse, he hardly dared to breathe. You see, he didn't want those hens to discover him. He knew that if they did they would make such a racket that they would bring Farmer Brown's boy hurrying out to find out what the trouble was.
Reddy had had experience with hens before. He knew that if Farmer Brown's boy heard them making a great racket, he would know that something was wrong, and he would come all prepared. This was the one thing that Reddy did not want. His one chance to escape would be to take Farmer Brown's boy entirely by surprise.
Never had time dragged more slowly. The hens were awake, and several of them flew down to the floor of the henhouse. They passed so close to where Reddy was hiding that merely by reaching out a black paw he could have touched them. Because he took particular pains not to move, not even to twitch a black ear, they did not see him. Anyway, if they did see him, they took no notice of him.
How the moments did drag! All the time he lay there listening, wishing that Farmer Brown's boy would come, yet dreading to have him come. It seemed ages before he heard sounds which told him that people were awake in Farmer Brown's house.
Finally he heard a distant door slam. Then he heard a whistle, a merry whistle. It drew nearer and nearer; Farmer Brown's boy was coming to feed the hens. Reddy tried to hold his breath. He heard the click of the henyard gate as Farmer Brown's boy opened it, then he heard the crunch, crunch, crunch of Farmer Brown's boy's feet on the snow.
Suddenly the henhouse door was thrown open and Farmer Brown's boy stepped inside. In his hand he held a pan filled with the breakfast he had brought for the hens. Suddenly a box in the darkest corner of the henhouse moved. Farmer Brown's boy turned to look, and as he did so a slim form dashed fairly between his legs.
It startled him so that he dropped the pan and spilled the corn all over the henhouse floor. "Great Scott!" he exclaimed. "What under the sun was that?" and rushed to the door to see. He was just in time to get a glimpse of a red coat and a bushy tail disappearing around a corner of the barn.


This History of Ireland jewelry collection features 12 Irish symbols that depict important milestones in Irish history. Below is the meaning of each of the History of Ireland symbols that you'll find in this superb collection.
|Circle Of Life|
|The Celtic swirl or the Circle of Life is a symbol without beginning or end. It was carved on various structures that dot the Irish countryside by some of our earliest ancestors, such as the stones at Newgrange. Signifying the cycle of death and rebirth, it represents the pathway that we all take during this life.
Our traditions, beliefs, and heritage have been passed down to the next generation for millennia. Our culture is rich and strong, providing us all a sense of life, faith and hope against obstacles, wherever they may arise.
|Ireland's patron saint, Saint Patrick was not actually Irish by birth. He is most likely from Wales, and was captured by Irish raiders when 16 years of age. The raiders then sold him as a slave to a man named Milchu in Dalriada (what we would call Co. Antrim today).
Patrick worked as a shepherd and herdsman for Milchu. After 6 years of enslavement, he managed to escape and return home. He then entered into the priesthood, as was the tradition in his family. He eventually became a bishop and decided to return to Ireland to spread the word of Christianity and replace the Druidism that he had experienced. During his six years in Ireland, he had learned the Celtic tongue, and became very familiar with the Druid religion.
Whilst in Ireland, Patrick authored two important texts that would change the nation from one of ignorance and illiteracy into one renowned for learning, culture, and Christianity. Patrick died on March 17th, 461. Today, this date is celebrated the world over as Saint Patrick's Day, and is a testament to the influence this great man had on Ireland.
|Monasteries and churches began to dot the Irish landscape from the 6th century onwards. Either as a place of refuge for people and supplies, or as bell towers, these imposing round towers began to appear in the 9th century, and were constructed as late as the 12th century. There has never been agreement as to their actual purpose. More recent studies have favored their use as a bell tower due to problems associated with their use as a defensive hideout.
The door to each tower was always built so that it faced the western door to the church. This fact has enabled archeologists to find destroyed churches when the tower still exists. It is believed that there were approximately 120 of the round towers in existence. Today, only about 20 remain in excellent condition. Due to their colocation with churches and monasteries, they remain an enduring symbol of Christianity in Ireland today.
|Towards the end of the 8th century, the Vikings began to make small raids on Ireland, pillaging the valuables in the monasteries, as well as the towns around them. This continued for the next two centuries, and the raiding parties grew both in numbers and in violence. Eventually, the Vikings founded permanent settlements in Ireland, using those to venture further and further inland in search of new treasure and supplies.
In the 11th century, an attempt to take control of the entire country was thwarted by the armies of Brian Boru at the Battle of Clontarf. However, the Vikings did not leave Ireland, and retained possession of their permanent settlements. We know those settlements today as Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Wexford, and Limerick. Artifacts from these early settlements are still being unearthed today. The influence of the Vikings on Ireland was profound, and Irish society was forever changed.
|The Norman invasion began under an exiled Irish king, Dermot MacMurrough. Seeking to regain his throne in Ireland, MacMurrough requested assistance from King Henry II in England. MacMurrough's forces were quickly victorious, and his throne was taken back. He then named his son as heir to the throne, further cementing his position of power.
Fearing that this new Norman state may prove a threat to his own, King Henry II led an invasion force to Ireland two years later. In 1171, he became the first English king to step foot on Irish soil. His armies forced the Irish Kings to submit to English authority. Henry's youngest son, John, was given the title Lord of Ireland and awarded this new Irish territory in 1185. Ireland then became possessions of the English crown when John eventually succeeded to the English throne in 1199.
|Battle of the Boyne|
|In 1690, the Battle of the Boyne was fought between two English Kings. At stake were the Throne of England, French domination of Europe, and control of Ireland.
King James II was Catholic, while King William was Protestant. The English Parliament had invited William, of the Dutch House of Orange, to displace King James on the English Throne. Their armies met at the Boyne river in Ireland. William had an army of approximately 36,000 soldiers, vastly outnumbering the army of James, who only had 25,000. William accorded James surrender terms, but they were punitive that battle was chosen instead. According to legend, James provided his troops with alcohol the night before the battle to boost their morale. This resulted in his soldiers going to battle hungover and also with inferior weaponry.
James had to return to Dublin, eventually making his way to France, and never stepping foot again on Irish or English soil. Even so, the battle was militarily indecisive, and the war continued. This battle is viewed as a cornerstone in the difficult relations that have existed since between the Catholic and Protestant populace of Ireland, the effects of which are still felt today.
|The United Irishmen was founded in 1791 with the aim of removing religion from politics, by way of supporting the Catholic people. At the time, divisions in the two religions were being used as a tool to defeat both sides in Ireland. These ideas found support on both sides.
In 1797, and with membership of approximately 100,000 people, the leader of the United Irishmen (Theobald Wolfe Tone) tried to land in Ireland with a fleet of French vessels. The landing was unsuccessful due to weather and some poor leadership decisions. Forced to act, the United Irishmen began a revolution in 1798 without the French support. What followed was three months of bloody violence, and the rising eventually failed. In 1803, the United Irishmen was no longer in existence.
|The green, white, and gold of Ireland's tricolor flag includes all her people, regardless of belief. The green represents Ireland's Gaelic traditions, and catholic community, while the orange represents Protestant supporters and their beliefs. The hope of lasting peace between the two groups is signified by the white band that separates the two colors.
While the flag became the national flag only in 1937, its history goes back to 1848. Thomas Meager, the leader of Young Ireland, was the first to publicly display the flag. It was flown above the GPO during the Easter Rising in 1916, and was the "unofficial" Irish flag until 1937.
|Often viewed as a turning point, the famine resulted from repeated failure of the Irish potato crop. At the time, over one third of the country was dependent upon the potato for food and their very survival. When the crops failed due to blight between 1845 and 1852, the effects were devastating.
The British government failed to properly address the crisis, and it is estimated that over one million people perished from starvation and disease, with a further one million emigrating - mainly to America.
|Prior to the famine, most Irish people tended to remain in Ireland, despite the relatively poor conditions experienced by many. However, with little food to eat, mass emigration became not only desirable, but for many a necessity. The emigration continued for decades after the famine, with America and Canada being the two most popular destinations.
The famine ships were notoriously over-crowded and ill-provisioned, some barely had provisions at all. This subjected the immigrants to appalling conditions at sea, and led to the deaths of led to the deaths of countless numbers. Mortality rates of 30% were not uncommon. The 1847 typhus epidemic in Canadian quarantine stations was a direct result of the terrible conditions that many were subjected to onboard these vessels.
|The GPO (General Post Office) is located in the heart of Dublin. During the Easter Rising of 1916 (April 24th) , this building acted as the military headquarters for the Irish Republican Brotherhood - the leaders of the Rising. Before the battle commenced, the Proclamation of the Republic of Ireland was first declared at the GPO. Given the relative might of the British army, the Rising turned out to be a military failure. The building was heavily shelled with artillery for days, including naval artillery from the TSS Helga II. Eventually the GPO caught fire and was completely gutted except for the facade.
After the Rising was quashed, the leaders of the rebellion were executed. The notable exception was Éamon de Valera, who was spared the executioner in part due to his American birth. The harsh treatment of the leadership managed to sway many Irish opinions towards the republican side and independence from England. Bullet holes can still be seen in the facade of the GPO today, and it is the most recognizable symbol of the Easter Rising.
|The Declaration of Independence in 1919 ratified the earlier 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic. However it also caused the War of Independence as rival republican factions sought control. This war ended with the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921the War of Independence which formed the initial Irish Free State. Northern Ireland had the option to opt-out of the Free State, and due to its large Protestant population loyal to the crown, it chose to do just that in 1922.
This had the effect of partitioning those six counties into Northern Ireland, operated as a province of the UK. The remaining 26 counties became the Irish Free State, and later in 1948, the Republic of Ireland. The split between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland continues to this day, however "the troubles" have since given way to peace.
Now that you know the meanings of all of the History of Ireland symbols, be sure to see our complete selection of this fantastic jewelry collection! Each piece makes a perfect Irish gift!


The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes: 37 Short Stories Plus a Complete Novel Comprising the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, the Memoirs of Sherlock (Hardcover)
Here are the original Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle as they first appeared in the famed British magazine "The Strand." This periodical was the literary sensation of its time, especially with the publication of the novel "The Hound of the Baskervilles" (which appears in its entirety in this volume), when eager readers lined up outside the magazine's London offices, waiting for each installment as it came off press.This edition contains 37 short stories, reproduced in complete facsimile (published in individual volumes as "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes," and "The Return of Sherlock Holmes"), plus the complete novel The Hound of the Baskervilles. Today, the collection of the original issues of "The Strand "containing the Holmes stories is a rare collector's piece. It is brought to you now, complete and unabridged, comprising a total of well over 600 pages, providing the undying excitement and fascination of each and every Sherlock Holmes Adventure. The drawings of Sidney Paget illustrate the stories--illustrations as immortal as the stories themselves. Paget produced more than 350 Sherlock Holmes illustrations, and it was his depictions which gave Holmes visual reality for everyone, which projected him throughout the world, and which today still provide the mold of the original hero in production on stage, screen and television.
About the Author
Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh in 1859. After a rigorous Jesuit education he trained to become a doctor at Edinburgh University. Eventually he set up in medical practice in Southsea, and during the quiet spells between patients he turned his hand to writing. Although Sherlock Holmes was Doyle's greatest creation, he was more proud of his historical novels such as Micah Clarke and Sir Nigel. Towards the end of his life he devoted much of his time to his belief in spiritualism, using his writings as a means of providing funds to enable him to carry out activities in this field. He died in 1930.


The THEN Section
The history and work of the Pictorialists
In this Section I outline what the Pictorialists did, why and how they managed to do it. There are fourwebpages in this section, please explore them all:
An Infographic of the Pictorialists - a diagrammatic representation of the history of photographic process and important Pictorialist photographers
Individual Pictorialists - a blog outlining the important Pictorialist photographers
Pictorialist Organisations - a blog outlining the important organisations that helped further the Pictorialists’ aims
History of important photographic processes used by the Pictorialists - a blog outlining the history of the photographic processes and how they influenced the Pictorialists
I am always adding to my blogs. If you believe that I have not covered an Pictorialist photographer or one of their organisations or a process that they used don’t worry it is likely to appear soon.
If there is anything that you think I have missed out or you beleive to be factually incorrect, please contact me.


Article processing charges (APCs)
Polarforschung is committed to the open-access model of publishing. This ensures free web access to the results of research and maximum visibility for published papers.
Publication of all kinds of contributions in Polarforschung is free of charge for authors. The costs (article processing charges) of the review process, typesetting, web publication, and long-term archiving are covered by the German Society for Polar Research (DGP) and the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI).
What is included in the article processing charges?
- all online tools for authors, editors, and reviewers;
- professional processing of figures;
- typesetting, editing, and formatting in PDFLaTeX;
- English language copy-editing;
- immediate open-access publication of each article;
- article alert service;
- indexing in international scientific databases and reference services;
- long-term archiving via Portico and CLOCKSS, as well as a number of national libraries.


Canadians go the distance for remembrance in the land where the liberation of Europe began. An emotional 20-day pilgrimage along the route of the Canadian Army in Sicily in WW2.
“Bond of Strangers – The Operation Husky Story” is a 54-minute documentary film that follows ten intrepid trekkers on their 20-day act of extreme remembrance, discovering the special bonds that form among them and with the local people who remember the liberation of 1943.
“Bond of Strangers – The OpHusky Digital Experience” is this interactive website that extends the TV experience to a day-by-day journey through Sicily, from 1943 and 2013. Scroll through history and find a rich experience at every one of the 62 stops: text, photos, videos, maps and extended interviews offer a deeper understanding of OpHusky.
Max Fraser is an independent filmmaker based in Whitehorse, Yukon. He has visited many of the Canadian battlefields and cemeteries of Europe.
The son of a WW2 veteran who landed on “the first D-Day” – in Sicily, 10 July 1943, Max wanted to help reclaim lost history by making a documentary about this crucial campaign of the Canadian Armed Forces that so many seem to know so little about. Operation Husky 2013 became the occasion to make that film.
For more about Max, visit:
Award-winning Canadian author Mark Zuehlke helped write Bond of Strangers – The OpHusky Digital Experience.
Mark wrote Operation Husky – The Canadian Invasion of Sicily, July 10-August 7, 1943 in 2008, one of the early volumes in his Canadian Battle Series, a crucial resource in planning the 2013 events. Mark subsequently wrote “Through Blood and Sweat – A Remembrance Trek Across Sicily’s World War II Battlegrounds.”
For more about Mark and his books, visit:
Max Fraser, Producer
Remembrance Films Ltd.
21 Harbottle Road
Whitehorse Yukon Canada Y1A 5T2


So, I’ve kinda been on a John Green/Nerdfighteria kick lately. (possibly caused by rereading TFIOS and also presenting my final speech for my Public Speaking class on Nerdfighteria) But anyway, this quote from John is just great.
“There is no ‘Them’, there are only facets of ‘Us’.”
The following quote comes to us today in the form of a poster. The words are from John Green’s youtube video, Harry Potter Nerds Win at Life, the picture was found on Tumblr, and the poster is available at DFTBA.com.
Yesterday I reread The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green, in one sitting. If you have read it, you know how I feel right now. If you haven’t, well, I will leave you with two quotes from the book to give you an idea. (But you should totally read the book, just saying.)
“Sometimes you read a book that fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.”
“That’s the thing about pain. It demands to be felt.”
John Green is my all time favorite author, and if you haven’t read any of his work, you should stop what you are doing right now and drive to your nearest library or bookstore, get his books and start reading immediately. (Unless it’s snowing, like it is here, in which case just go on Amazon instead.)


The “Liangzhu Ancient City Site” was selected as a World Heritage Site. On July 7, Shi Liangying, the first founder of Liangzhu Culture, was interviewed by Shi Yanying, deputy director of the Liangzhu Site Management Office, and told a story about his grandfather and Wenzhou Rui'an.
Liangzhu Archaeological Site Park
The earliest archaeological report of Liangzhu was completed in Ruian
Shi Shiying said that his grandfather wrote a pen in March 1938 and came to Ryan to serve as the secretary of the Rui'an County Anti-Japanese Self-Defense Association at that time, and devoted himself to anti-Japanese propaganda. In May 1939, he was overworked, infected with scarlet fever, died of illness and died in Ruian Hospital, and was buried in Xi'an, Rui'an.
"In the year of Ryan, it was a very meaningful time for my grandfather." Shi Shiying said that during his time in Ryan, his grandfather had gone through all the hardships and finally got the earliest archaeological report on Liangzhu culture.《良渚杭县第二区黑陶文化遗址初步报告》A book printed and published.
In 1936, Shi Wei, an assistant director of the Geology and Minerals Group of the Science Department of the West Lake Museum, discovered several black and polished pottery pieces at the bottom of the cognac pool near Liangzhu Town. He consulted a large amount of information and realized its importance. Later, with the support of the West Lake Museum, he began to carry out field archaeological excavations for the Liangzhu site. From December 1936 to March 1937, Shi Lang made a total of three excavations in Liangzhu, and obtained a large number of physical materials such as stoneware and pottery, confirming the existence of ancient culture in Liangzhu. Subsequently, he wrote the more than 60,000 words《良渚杭县第二区黑陶文化遗址初步报告》, detailing the passage and harvest of the archaeological excavations at that time. When he was preparing to print the report in Hangzhou, the Lugouqiao Incident broke out on July 7, 1937, and the printing work had to be suspended. On December 24 of the same year, in Hangzhou, Shi Yuqing carried the manuscript of the report and moved to the south of Zhejiang with the West Lake Museum.
Shi Weigen (data picture)xx
Shi Shiying said: "I have a report that was re-published all the year round in my drawer, but I dare not open it now. I am responsible for the daily work of the cultural insurance, but I think that my work is not compared to my grandfather. The value is mentioned."
"At the beginning we didn't understand Grandpa's departure. I saw his first volume, I understand. In that era, he could only give up his small family, defend everyone, and protect the inherent culture of our country." Shi Shiying said, Grandpa's home The national sentiment is admirable and moving.
Later, after the archaeological circles continued to explore and study, the stoneware culture first discovered by Shi Yi and others was named " Liangzhu Culture" by Wenzhou, one of the founders of modern archaeology in China at the end of 1959.
Sun Yat-sen's grandson: My ideal is to guard the Liangzhu site
"In the 1990s, I went to Ryan to find my grandfather's tomb many times, but I haven't found it yet." Shi Shiying said that the biggest wish for their family is to find Grandpa's tomb and move him back to Liangzhu.
Chen Qinyi, curator of the Shui On Museum, said that the relevant departments of Shui On have been looking for Shi’s tomb since 1983. "In the 1970s and 1980s, the construction of houses in the Xishan area of Rui'an was frequent, and some graves were destroyed. This may be one of the reasons." Shi Shiying said.
Shi Wei has three sons, named Yiliang, Jianliang, Jian'an, and the representative recalls Liangzhu, builds Liangzhu, and builds Anxi (the hometown of Yue parents). Now 88-year-old Shi Yiliang is still alive, that is, Shi Shiying’s father. "I want to find an opportunity to take my father to Ryan to see and fulfill his wish." Shi Shiying said.
Shi Shiying said that his ideal is to continue to follow the family's footprints and guard the Liangzhu site. The grandparents and grandchildren have been separated for 80 years. One is the discoverer and the other is the protector. Because of the Liangzhu, they are in the same line.
(Original title《“良渚古城遗址”入选世界遗产名录，最早发掘报告竟是在温州诞生》, original author Ye Feng. Editor Zhang Yiying)xx


Welcome to the Data Science blended learning portal for Humanities and Social Sciences students. This portal provides teachers and students with a collection of freely available educational material to set up or expand their introductory data science course or MOOC. The material is targeted at non-technical students. Students acquire their data science skills by means of (elementary) Python scripts, through a visual interactive interface for data mining called Orange, or by means of WEKA. The portal contains the following components.
- Six video lectures introducing data science (about 1 hour each)
- Video testimonials of data scientists working in various domains
- Video tutorials for Orange
- Video tutorials for WEKA
- Lecture slides for a gentle introduction to data science based on Orange or WEKA
- Hands-on exercises for practising data-science skills in Orange or WEKA
- Study material for acquiring basic Python skills
- Datasets commonly used in introductory data science courses
All our material can be freely used under the Creative Commons licence CC BY-SA, except for external material to which this portal provides links.
The development of this portal was made possible by SURF.


Literature, APM Trilogy Basic
DescriptionThe purpose of this course is to read and discuss the Alice, Peter, and Mole Trilogy: the three language-illustrated novels Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and The Wind in the Willows. Along the way, we will do lots of writing because that is how we will conduct our discussions—through email. We will talk about the characters, the ideas, and the language in each book.
Our course will be conducted via email. Each week—usually on the weekend—I will send you an email containing questions you can discuss, as well as additional surprises of photographs and a recording in which I read a passage from the week’s reading assignment. You will have the week to do the reading, to choose the questions you like best, and to write your responses. I hope that you enjoy the recordings.
InstructorMichael Clay Thompson
Live Class: Yes (day and time TBA)
Assignments: Weekly assignments
Duration: 15 weeks
You will have the week to do the reading, to choose the questions you like best, and to write your responses. I would like to receive your responses during the week, before the next week’s assignments begin.
Teacher is available via email.
If you can send me your work by Thursday or earlier, that will give me time to respond to what you have written and to answer any questions you ask.
The APM Trilogy: Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and The Wind in the Willows. Resource page. Students should have their own email account.
Students should be comfortable with email and using a keyboard for assignments.
Week 1: Alice in Wonderland Chapters 1-4
Week 2: Alice in Wonderland Chapters 5-8
Week 3: Alice in Wonderland Chapters 9-12
Week 4: Peter Pan Chapters 1-3
Week 5: Peter Pan Chapters 4-6
Week 6: Peter Pan Chapters 7-9
Week 7: Peter Pan Chapters 10-12
Week 8: Peter Pan Chapters 13-15
Week 9: Peter Pan Chapters 16-17
Week 10: The Wind in the Willows Chapters 1-3
Week 11: The Wind in the Willows Chapters 4-5
Week 12: The Wind in the Willows Chapters 6-7
Week 13: The Wind in the Willows Chapters 8-10
Week 14: The Wind in the Willows Chapters 11-12
Week 15: Final Discussions