Ispaenlinea

Archive for the ‘General’ Category

A building with 1,000 square meter roof top can be covered by a green house structure to keep insects and other harmful organism away and assure an even internal temperature regardless of weather. Using tomatoes as an example, a yield of 43 kilos per square meter produces 43,000 kilos per year from a single building. At US$0.40 per kilo of pesticide free produce, this is US$17,200 a year. This is more than what a minimum wage worker earns in a year of US$10,400.

Thus, a farmer can loan US$20,000 for construction of the green house plus hydroponic expenses. With 24% interest rates across a 2 year loan of a payable amount US$24,800 or US$12,400 a year, the farmer stands to earn US$4,800 a year for the first 2 years and the full US$17,200 a year after loan payment. Rent costs of the roof can be US$6,800 a year and can be sustainable leaving US$10,400 a year income, provided the first 2 year’s rent is waived in favor of the loan. Thus, Urban Farming can be a serious source of income.

Proponents of the attitude that animals are “ours to use,” while sometimes acknowledging that animals may experience pain at a physical level, assert that they are not capable of suffering as we know it because their pain has no meaning to them. It is, say these “experts,” just sensation. Accordingly, animals can’t suffer as we can because their sensations of pain have no emotional meaning for them.
I don’t agree. There are many kinds of emotional suffering which we human beings have the ability to experience and all are connected, in one way or another, to our capacity to feel with other beings. And animals have that capacity.
There is a relationship between the capacity of a being to love, and its capacity to suffer, regardless of its species. If a being, of whatever species, has the capacity to give and receive love, then certainly it will suffer if that capacity is thwarted. This is one of the reasons all the wisdom traditions of the world teach us that a sure way to make yourself miserable is not to express your love. We need both to receive and to give love. Love is food for our souls, and without it we suffer greatly, just as we suffer physically if we starve. Have you ever watched an infant carefully, while it is being stroked and petted? We all know babies love and thrive on this kind of attention, but have you ever looked closely at the physiological changes they undergo? There is a distinct and well defined pattern in their young nervous systems. The heart rate slows down, muscles relax, peristaltic waves increase, and digestive juices flow. Among other things, these changes allow for the formation of the crucial mother- child bonding. And so if the little one is not petted and stroked, and thus does not undergo these physiological changes, the bonding will not occur.
One of the results of this is that the little human baby will have a hard time establishing social bonds in its later life. Another result when an infant is deprived of touching is that it literally shrivels. Because its digestive juices are not filly activated, it fails to receive proper nourishment and so its physical growth is retarded. The little one will do the best it can to survive under the circumstances, and this may mean developing what we call neurotic, or in extreme cases, psychotic symptoms, in the attempt somehow to compensate for the missing mother-love. If the deprivation is sufficiently severe, the infant will habitually repeat the gestures of its compensation for the rest of its life.
Now, it may surprise people who think animals are objects, but every single word you have just read about human infants, about their physiological and emotional responses to stroking and petting, and about the consequences if they are deprived of this attention, is true not only for human babies. It is also true, in every detail, for puppies, kittens, baby monkeys, and a large number of other mammals.

Stilt the blindness continues. Those who say that animals can’t suffer in any meaningful way often claim that any pain sensations the animals might feel would have no meaning because they are too stupid to know that they hurt. However, it seems to me remarkably limited for us to assume that because an animal does not display intelligence as we know it, it is therefore stupid.
“It is just like man’s vanity and impertinence to call an animal dumb because it is dumb to his dull perceptions.”
Even among our own species, we often don’t recognize forms of intelligence which are perhaps a little different from the norm. Albert Einstein’s parents were sure he was retarded because he spoke haltingly until the age of nine, and even after that would respond to questions only after a long period of deliberation. He performed so badly in his high school courses, except mathematics, that a teacher told him to drop out, saying, “You will never amount to anything, Einstein.” Charles Darwin did so poorly in school that his father told him, “You will be a disgrace to yourself and all your family.” Thomas Edison was called “dunce” by his father, “addled” by his high school teacher, and was told by his headmaster that he “would never make a success of anything.”9 Henry Ford barely made it through school with the minimum grasp of reading and writing.4° Sir Isaac Newton was so poor in school that he was allowed to continue only because he was a complete flop at running the family farm.’ Pablo Picasso was pulled out of school at the age often because he was doing so badly. His father hired a tutor to prepare him to go back to school, but the tutor gave up on the hopeless pupil •42 Giacomo Puccini, the Italian opera composer, was so poor at everything as a child, including music, that his first music teacher gave up in despair, concluding the boy had no talent.

I’m sorry to say that the point of view that animals are only machines, and thus incapable of suffering, is still very much with us today. It is part of our cultural heritage, and I am still frequently amazed as I discover how conditioned I am by it. In the culture-at-large, it is so taken for granted that it is rarely questioned.
I don’t know if the gentlemen of Kewaskum, Wisconsin are still enjoying their annual Kiwanis turkey shoots. Bui I know that as of 1971 they had not felt any compunction about their annual “fin and games.” What, you may wonder, could be amiss in the “sport” from which the Kiwanis Club members derived so much amusement? Well, turkeys, those great birds who so astounded the Pilgrims when they first arrived in this land, may not be the smartest of God’s creatures, but with a dignity all their own they have long been a symbol of the New World for many Europeans seeking freedom. Dignity notwithstanding, at the annual Kiwanis festival they were tied into stalls by the legs in such a way that their heads were exposed as a target for the participants in the “gala” event. The birds couldn’t do anything to free themselves and they were shot at again and again by the drunken celebrants. In fact, they were tied in such a way as to guarantee that if they broke their wings or legs in their struggle to save their lives, as they often did, their heads would nevertheless be kept jiggling and exposed to the aim and merriment of the “brave” hunters.31
Champions of the idea that other animals don’t feel pain as we do say that animals operate entirely from instinct. Thus the Kiwanis marksmen felt no more pangs of conscience than they would if the turkeys whose heads they gaily shot off were made of cardboard. They probably honestly believed turkeys don’t suffer.
But a reliance on instincts is very different from a lack of ability to feel pain. The capacity to feel pain has an obvious survival value to any species, enabling it to avoid sources of injury. It is with our senses and nervous systems that we feel pain, not with our capacity for abstract thought. The nervous systems of non-human animals are finely tuned to their environments. Their senses, in many cases, are vastly more sensitive and refined than our own. Physiologically, there is no basis at all for saying that animals don’t feel pain. In fact, in The Spectrum of Pain, Richard Serjeant writes: “Every particle of factual evidence supports the contention that the higher mammalian vertebrates experience pain sensations at least as acute as our own. Apart from the complexity of the cerebral cortex (which does not directly feel pain) their nervous systems are almost identical to ours and their reactions to pain remarkably
similar.
The senses of animals often make ours look pathetic in comparison. For example, the cells essential for smelling are ethmoidal cells. We have about 5 million of these in our noses. A German shepherd, by way of contrast, has about 200 million. And when it comes to hearing, once again we pale in comparison. The German shepherd can hear sounds clearly at 200 yards which we cannot detect at a mere 20. Even the much maligned shark has enormously sensitive hearing. An Australian named Theo Brown has taken advantage of this fact to develop a musical shark repellent. He conceived the idea when he discovered that if he played fox trots or waltzes the sharks were attracted from great distances, but if he played rock music they left at once.’3

You’ll also want to make sure that your money decisions for your children or grandchildren dovetai] with your values and personal philosophy about money. My parents, for example, have always felt that their kids should have initiative, so they’ve never simply funneled money to my siblings or me- They believe that giving an endless stream of money would teach us nothing but dependence. Like them, I don’t want to hand my children a life. I want them to go out and make their own independent lives.
That means making sure they have the chance to deal with money on their own from a very young age. Telling your children what to do with that money defeats the purpose. Only by making their own decisions—and even their own mistakes—can they develop the money confidence and skills they’ll need later on. As a parent or any other concerned or involved adult, your job is to guide them in that process.
An essential part of that guidance entai]s passing down your values and attitudes about money in a way they can hear and in a way that effectively challenges the powerful influence of both peer pressure and consumerism. In that vein, this book will introduce you to all the money concepts, strategies, and terminology you’ll need to raise money-savvy kids, teens, and young adults, as well as gender- based stereotypes to avoid. Of course, you’ll also want to make sure that you’ve adequately planned for your children’s future. We’ll also give you plenty of advice about that.

No matter how far you’re trying to stray from your old patterns or your parents’ ways of handling things, most people find that they still want to talk to their parents about money. This may feel uncomfortable at first, especially since you may experience a bit of role reversal, where you feel more like the parent than the child. Still, this is really the only way to know how your parents are faring. Surprisingly, parents and children think very differently about the need that elderly parents will have for financial assistance. A 1997 study by Elderplan, a Brooklyn-based agency of the Metropolitan Jewish Health System, found that while 31% of the five hundred adult children they surveyed assumed they would eventually provide their parents with significant financial support, only 18% of their parents felt they’d need that support. Similarly, while 53% of those adult children figured that their parents would eventually move in with them, only 22% of the parents assumed the same. Although we don’t have the data to settle this difference of opinion, another study conducted in Albany, New York, indicates that not only is help between generations generally reciprocal but in fact more financial and other help is generally given to the child, rather than vice versa, until the parent reaches about seventy-five years of age.
Of course, statistics aside, you’ll want to make sure that your parents have enough to live on. You may have to consider how you and your parents will deal with your helping them should that become necessary. You’ll also want to see that they’ve invested wisely, that they’re set up for retirement, that they’re properly insured, and that their estate is in ordeL
Even tougher is finding out whether your parents have considered the potential impact of health issues as they age. Although 67% of seniors haven’t talked to their children about this, 95% of people polled do want to stipulate the type of life-sustaining care they receive, according to an AARP survey conducted in 2001. The problem? No one brings the subject up.
But that was then, and this book is now. We’re going to help you
talk to your parents about all of that.
Whether you handle this one-on-one or during a family meeting, you’ll want to act in concert with your siblings and their spouses and any other close adult family members. Devising a plan of action together can not only help prevent hard feelings later on, it can potentially broaden your parents’ physical, emotional, and financial base of support.

Say you’re building a house. Maybe it’s your dream house, the home you’ve been thinking about for years. Because it’s so important to you, you’re involved in every stage of building You meet with the architect and then the builder You oversee everything that goes on, from the foundation and framing to the carpet and tile.You’re there, from start to finish.
The same should go for investing. Think of your financial life as a house. It is, in a way because you’re relying on it to provide shelter in the future. By building your house, you’re working toward that wonderful state called financial independence. Does it not make sense, then, to pay attention to it? You wouldn’t take a hands-off approach if you were building a house—so why do it here? Simply put in my view it is essential for every modern man and woman to take responsibility for—and to be in control of—his or her financial life, Its just common sense to me, part of being independent individuals who can take care of themselves, It’s my belief that financial independence should be a goal for everyone.
There are two parts to taking financial responsibility. First, there’s learning about investing and taking the necessary steps to become o sawy investor If you’re reading this book chances are you’re already doing that and my hat is off to you. But if your attention to financial details has lagged, there’s still time. Get involved today; just do something to take the first step.Think of that dream house again:
you don’t have to be the plumber and the electrician and the landscaper. You just have to know what you want to end up with and to then manage the building of that house.
The second part of taking responsibility is talking about the financial part of your life with your family It doesn’t have to be done all at once, and it doesn’t have to be a major ordeal. But it does have to be done. Good communication about your financial situation with your spouse is one of the keys to a solid partnership. And teaching your kids about the value of money is as important as teaching them any other value, like integrity, honesty, and respect And the point of taking responsibility for your financial life? That wonderful thing we call financial independence, which simply means having enough to live on when you?e no longer receiving a salary lts all about choice, finally; it’s about your future. And that to me, is a great incentive: Paying attention today can lead to the future you choose—not the one that chooses you.

According to its charter, the Council for Museum Anthropology is “an all-volunteer membership organization that serves anthropologists and museum professionals dealing with anthropological collections and issues through the journal Museum Anthropology, a regular Column in The Anthropology Newsletter, and occasional meetings, seminars, and special publications. Its mission is to foster the development of Anthropology in the context of museums and related institutions.” This information-rich web site includes an in-depth index to the contents of the Council for Museum Anthropology’s journal, Museum Anthropology. It also delivers regular reprints of the monthly column from The Anthropology Newsletter, listings of CMA’s officers (complete with contact information), and the full text of the bylaws for the CMA. Here you will also find a highly useful collection of links to anthropology museums on the web (among them the Field Museum, the Arizona State Museum, the Peabody Essex Museum and Wake Forest University’s Museum of Anthropology), along with links of interest to museum professionals of all stripes and classes (including the American Association of Museums and the Internation Council of Museums). Perhaps most importantly, the UMA also provides an extensive index of links to university departments around the globe offering specific museum training for anthropology students, these including the anthro departments at Brown, Harvard, Penn State, Seton Hall and Tufts.

This quarterly publication has been the main journal of international anthropological and archaeological debate and reporting for 74 years. Papers range in time focus from Palaeolithic to present and include reporting from all parts of the world on new methods and technologies, heritage issues and museums, theory and ethics, and management and landscapes. Recent articles published online as well as in the paper edition address such topics as the use of henbane (Hyoscyamus niger L.) as a hallucinogen at Neolithic ‘ritual’ sites… Cosmology, calendars and society in Neolithic Orkney. .. and the development of the International Ancient Egyptian Mummy Tissue Bank at the Manchester Museum. Other recent pieces address the introduction of the lapidary engraving wheel in Mesopotamia, the radicarbon evidence regarding the neolithization of Siberia and the Russian Far East, and the palaeoethnobotany of the Indus Civilization. Here you also have interesting investigations of the “oldest ever” brush hut plant remains from Ohalo II in the Jordan Valley, and cimex lectularius L., the common bed bug from Pharaonic Egypt. The website includes an archive of the contents from recent back issues, a full index to the complete 74 years of the magazine’s publication, and notes for would-be contributors along with editorial contact information and details on contributing editors. (By the way, the journal is edited by Caroline Malone assisted by Simon Stoddart, both of the University of Cambridge.)

Apple fellow Alan Kay once said that technology is “technology” only for people who are born before it was invented. Twelve-year-old Niki Tapscott would agree. When asked if she would participate in a “consumer of the future” panel at a technology conference, she lectured her father: “Okay, Dad, I’ll do it if you want me to. But I don’t understand why you adults make such a big deal about technology. Kids just use computers to do stuff. We don’t think of them as technology. Like a fridge does stuff. It’s not technology. When I go to the fridge, I want food that is cold. I don’t think about the technology that makes food cold.”
Ironically, the Internet was created not by social visionaries but by cold warriors at the Department of Defense. The Internet was launched as a packet-switching system in 1969 for the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), part of the Department of Defense, so that ARPA research sites could share information and give access to computers elsewhere. The model of the network was highly distributed rather than the current vogue—hierarchical—to enable easy re-routing of communications in the case of an attack. Electronic mail (e-mail) was a kind of add-on feature that allowed researchers to send messages to one another, and it quickly became among the most popular aspects of the system. Other outgrowths included electronic conferences and bulletin boards where messages, questions, comments, and other types of information are posted for anyone to read arid react to what’s going on in what has become known as cyberspace.
What ARPA was hying to do was connect users without wonying about how many networks were involved or how the connections were made. It has become a network of networks that allows global access to computers and databases as diverse as the Library of Congress all the way to little- known publishers. Because the Internet consists of local telephone systems, all of them interconnecting, it’s particularly helpful when long distance lines are out. In the hours following the January 1994 earthquake in Los Angeles, the Internet and other on-line systems all reported high usage because they were working when other connections weren’t. Prodigy (a joint venture between IBM and Sears Roebuck and Co.) had its second busiest day when users, hungry for up-to-date information, plugged in and worried relatives posted notes on electronic bulletin boards looking for loved ones. There were 813,000 log-ons compared with 890,000 on Bill Clinton’s election day, about one third more than a typical day. Another service, GEnie, saw use double in the twenty-four hours following the first shocks. During the early days of the coup attempt against Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991, the Internet offered the only accurate information.
An offshoot are “freenets,” another way of thinking globally, acting locally. In their simplest form, freenets are just electronic bulletin boards, usually organized to serve one city or small region, that let individuals send electronic mail to one another without going, in the jargon of the users, F2F (face-to-face). E-mail is already doing for the modem world what the British Post Office did in the eighteenth century when the rates were made standard. Could there be a modem parallel to the strength of industrial Britain as a result of regularizing the cost of communicating the written word?
Originally, the most popular use for the Net was e-mail and what might be called “chat,” that is, practical pursuits. Corporate e-mail systems are now changing the way that many companies communicate and work. Scott McNealy, CEO of Sun Microsystems, says that Sun’s 13,000 employees send or receive, on average, about 1.8 million electronic mail messages per day. That’s an average of over 135 per person per day. People wasting time, you say? Well, somehow working this way works. Pound per pound, Sun is one of the most profitable companies on Earth. Now e-mail systems are being hooked up to the Internet, expanding the addressable population from a company’s employees to the tens of millions of Net users. These days, a business card without a Net address is seen as a sign that you’re some kind of Jurassic manager.
Beyond e-mail, a new world of applications is opening up. If a city agency has decided to put a contract out for tender, the specifications can be posted on the Net. That means a contractor doesn’t need to dispatch an employee to pick up a thick document from city hail. The contractor can simply call up the contract, capture it in the company’s own system, and read it whenever the need strikes. When the time comes for the contractor to put in a bid, the return trip is just as easy. Author Stephen King marketed a short stoiy, Utney’s Last Case, by putting it on the Internet, thus giving electronic nomads a free read. For the rest of the stories in the collection, Nightmares and Dreainscapes, the nomads phoned or sent a fax (with credit card number) to a designated bookstore.
Before the Gulf War, linguist George Lakoff placed some interesting new analogies on the Internet for discussion. He was concerned about the analogies being drawn between Saddam Hussein and Hitler, so he asked a series of questions about the Hussein-as-Hitler metaphoL His thinking quickly spread and became part of the fabric of the discussion, a way of elevating the tone of the debate and placing modem times in a lustoric context. Yet, there is another point here—access to the thinking was widespread. Lakoff’s thesis wasn’t published in some learned magazine with small circulation or delivered at a think-tank gathering of like-minded souls. The Internet set the tone for the debate.