Little Red Riding Hood and Longinus: The Problems of Morality and “Great” Literature
Usually, literary crticism informs how we read literature. But what happens when we turn the relationship around, and instead ask what we can learn about a work of literary criticism by using literature as a tool? As an interesting example: What can Little Red Riding Hood, a fairy tale, tell us about Longinus’ On Sublimity, one of the oldest documented works of literary criticism?
Longinus, in his treatise On Sublimity (written in either the first or third century AD), begins by defining his target term generally: “Sublimity is a kind eminence or excellence in discourse” (143). This working definition is expanded by sifting through examples of what he deems sublime literature, until it becomes clear that Longinus takes sublimity to be a rare success in arranging rhetoric to produce states of “ecstasy” in readers: namely, wonder, astonishment, and sometimes even terror (149, 143, 151). But he is not done, for he also explains that sublimity cannot come from orators with “low or ignoble thoughts,” and that “lowness of diction also destroys grandeur” (150, 184).
The implication seems to be that, in his system of value and judgment, works of humble style and diction can never be considered “great” literature. However, what would Longinus make of a work that uses humble style and diction but whose orator writes with high and noble (i.e., “great”) thoughts in mind? What can a work that would seem to be excluded from Longinus’ notion of literary excellence, such as Angela Carter’s idiomatically-humble and moralizing Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale (1979, but a translation of Charles Perrault’s 1697 Histoires ou contes du temps passe avec des moralites), teach us about Longinus’ theory of sublimity and its relationship to morality and the written word?
Ultimately, Carter’s fairy tale shows us that the analytical distance that develops when reading a cautionary moral preceded by horrifying fictional events actually ensures that wonder, astonishment, and terror can never occur for the reader. There is no room for morality in Longinus’ theory of sublimity because for a work to focus on as mortal a concern as morality detracts from great literature’s aim; after all, he asserts that “something higher than human is sought in literature” (179).
But before reaching that ultimate conclusion, we should concretely determine why Carter’s fairy tale would seem to be excluded from Longinus’ notion of literary excellence: given its moralistic/didactic nature, Carter’s fable flies in the face of Longinus’ notion of sublimity. Not only does the moral of her fairy tale fail to elicit awe, wonder, or terror, but, in order to teach a lesson, the moral also draws attention to rhetorical tricks deployed in the tale which precedes it.
In Carter’s tale, the wolf tricks the Grandmother and then throws himself “on the good woman” to “gobble her up”; this use of “gobbling up” is rather vague, and is repeated when Little Red Riding Hood is tricked by the wolf, but only after she has “[taken] off her clothes” to lie down in the bed (2-3). Then, in the moral, Carter explains that “there are real wolves, with hairy pelts and enormous teeth; but also wolves who seem perfectly charming, sweet-natured and obliging, who pursue young girls in the street and pay them the most flattering attentions” — that Carter distinguishes between “real wolves” and a different type of wolves, who are found in the “street” and have human-associative characteristics of being “charming” and “flattering,” draws attention to the fact that the author has been using a metaphor throughout the entire fable (3).
We see that the metaphor is weakened in Longinus’ eyes precisely because rhetorical tricks are generally best when they are concealed (164). Whatever brief wonder the reader may have felt after reading an unbelievable line like “The wolf opened the latch and opened the door” morphs into comprehension as soon as he/she reads the moral. What is more, if the story is known to be a fable before even being read, then the brief moment of wonder will likely never occur.
That Carter’s fairy tale uses humble style and diction is apparent from even the briefest of glances (“cake baked on the griddle,” “deep in the heart of the country,” “woodcutters working nearby,” “rat tat tat”); the combination of such “lowness of diction” with what are certainly high and noble thoughts behind the moral (“Children […] ought never to talk to strangers,” for that is a “dangerous” thing to do) sheds light on why Longinus’ theory of sublimity is unwilling to cede that great literature should shape readers’ morality for the better. In essence, Longinus appears to claim that including a moral in a work is a surefire way to prove its user to be human, effectively limiting any chance for the work to attain sublimity (178). Seemingly, the attainment of sublimity requires an escape, and if, as some argue, Carter “sympathizes with many of the persecuted or oppressed protagonists,” that sympathy is too attached to mortal concerns to allow for the release via grandeur (xxiv).
This sheds light on Longinus’ claim that “the poet is accustomed to enter into the greatness of his heroes”; a sublime work bears traces of the author’s elimination of distance between work and self (152). The analytical distance retained through the ever-present sense of moralism in Carter’s fairy tale does not mesh with Longinus’ notion of sublimity: as he explains, “Greatness of mind wanes, fades, and loses its attraction when men spend their admiration on their mortal parts and neglect to develop the immortal” (187).
Whereas Perrault was fond of the “high-flown” rhetoric that Longinus claims raises us to the “spiritual greatness of god,” Carter was more fond of “practical” folk tales (Zipes xix-xx, Longinus 178). Her aim to provide applicable moral distinctions for her readers helps us to understand why Longinus frowns upon language of the everyday: “the useful and necessary are readily available to man, it is the unusual that always excites our wonder” (178). The feeling of ecstasy arising from great literature seems to come from a place beyond familiarity, beyond universal accessibility.
What is quite interesting about Longinus’ treatise is how its desired function as a teaching tool actually creates analytical distance between the excerpts he claims are sublime and his didactic remarks — this is the same analytical distance created between the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale and Carter’s moral. From the outset, Longinus positions his treatise as what we might call a textbook: “Let us then consider whether there is anything in my observations which may be thought useful to public men” (143). In this way he presents his work as something entirely distinct from the literature he deems sublime.
His concern with his contemporaries’ morality in the appendix (“avarice,” “insolence,” “lawlessness,” “idleness”) also attests to a great interest in their worldly, very much not “higher than human,” issues, even if the sentiment arises out of a yearning for them to stop admiring their “moral parts” and begin to “develop the immortal.” While Longinus champions the production of works “worthy of eternity,” he does so by writing a piece of literary analysis that concludes by ruing the vices of humans from a particular historical moment (150). If he hopes to shape his readers’ morality for the better, it would seem to follow that he must disavow his treatise as sublime in and of itself. The question then beckons: by Longinus’ standards, can any literary analysis possibly be sublime? Will analysis forever be considered less than the “great literature” it engages with?
What do you think? Leave a comment.


Growing up in a family with an alcoholic parent is traumatic--some experts say it's just as traumatic as being in military combat. Unfortunately, most children learn to regard whatever conditions they grow up in as "normal," so even as adults they often don't realize they've been traumatized. Yet, because their needs were not met, they are at risk for cognitive and emotional problems as well as addiction to alcohol or drugs.
Children need consistent rules, but life with an alcoholic parent is chaotic and leaves them overwhelmed and confused. What was okay two days ago was not okay yesterday--so how should I behave today? Often they find themselves having to take care of the parent while they themselves are neglected. A parent's anger is frightening to children, and they soon discover that any number of things can trigger that anger, so they learn not to say what they think or feel. And when parents are angry, hurtful words like "stupid," "selfish," or "lazy" are often hurled at them, destroying the child's feelings of self-worth. Shame and embarrassment are constant companions, so the children learn to deny the reality of their lives.
It's harder to make friends. Imagine a child--we'll call him or her Terry--coming home from school, not knowing what to expect. Will Mom be passed out or in a rage, or maybe not even be there? In a healthy home, asking a friend to come over to play is a common way to make friends, but for Terry, it's a risk. And even if that risk is taken, neighborhood parents may be aware of the situation and say "No." Some, in kindness, might invite Terry to come to their house instead, but the message is still clear: "Your home is not a place that you can invite friends to."
Older children may try to avoid having other people witness their parent behaving badly, even if it means missing out on school and neighborhood activities. Some will adopt a passive attitude, hoping to avoid conflict. In the extreme, they can become "people pleasers," thinking that if they keep their parent (or parents) happy, things will get better. Not surprisingly, this often involves the children swallowing their own anger, which can cause further problems.
What happens when these children become adults? It's not unusual for them to be depressed and not realize it because they've buried their feelings for so long. They think life is just crappy because it's always been that way. They may not recognize their own needs because their needs have been unmet all along.
Adult relationships may suffer for several reasons:
Because they've been emotionally rejected by their parent(s), they may fear further abandonment, and fear of
abandonment can poison relationships, either by becoming too possessive or by becoming emotionally distant.
(I'll abandon you before you can abandon me.)
In the same vein, a child who's been unable to trust parents can find it hard to trust a partner, but the lack of
trust makes intimacy difficult, or even drives the partner away.
As a result of having lived with so much chaos, they may try to take control of their lives, but because they've
grown up without reasonable boundaries, they can easily become overcontrolling, which is also destructive to
relationships because it makes the partner feel marginalized. (Everything has to be done your way--you don't
see me as an equal.)
Conversely, some children of alcoholics may only feel comfortable with chaos. After all, that's what they're used
to, and sometimes the devil you know is less frightening than the devil you don't know, and this is why children
of alcoholics sometimes become alcoholics or even marry one.
Because they're unable to recognize their own feelings and express or explain them, their partners may see
them as cold, unfeeling and uncommunicative.
The end result is that children of alcoholics often feel alone, believing that no one really understands them. If any of this is your experience, realize that the effects of your childhood do not have to color the rest of your life.
How do you change things? Therapy, of course, is a simple answer, but if that isn't feasible, Al-Anon is very helpful. It's a mutual support group consisting of others who have been affected by an alcoholic family member. The groups are almost everywhere, and there are no dues or fees to join. Members are asked to donate to meet the local group's expenses, but it isn't obligatory.
Here's a chance to meet others who have experienced what you've gone through--people who'll understand you and show you how to improve your life. You're not alone!
Why not try it? What do you have to lose?
Stephanie Kay Bendel is the author of EXIT THE LABYRINTH: A Memoir of Early Childhood Depression – Its Onset and Aftermath, MAKING CRIME PAY: A Practical Guide to Mystery Writing, and A SCREAM AWAY, a romantic thriller published under the house name, Andrea Harris. She has also written numerous short stories and articles on writing.


Essex Biodiversity Project
Invasive Species Birds
Ruddy duck - Oxyura jamaicensis
Ruddy ducks are small, stout freshwater diving ducks with broad wings and narrow, stiff tails. The male bird is quite distinctive with a chestnut body, black crown, white cheeks and a sky-blue bill. The female and juveniles are a dull,mottled brown with dusky, off-white cheeks and a grey bill. The female has a diffuse, dark, horizontal stripe across the cheek. Both juvMale ruddy duck Mike Langman - RSPB imageseniles and females have a dark cap. They swim buoyantly often with the tail cocked upright and can gradually submerge without diving. They hardly ever leave the water and more often dive to escape danger rather than taking to flight. (Images: Top Male; Below Female; © RSPB-IMAGES AND ITS IMAGE CONTRIBUTORS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This image is protected by international copyright laws. Images available at www.rspb-images.com)
Ruddy ducks were brought to the UK in the 1930’s from North America, to enhance ornamental wildfowl collections. Subsequent escapes in the 1950’s and establishment in the wild, has resulted in a European conservation problem due to them hybridising with the endangered and naturally occurring white-headed duck populations in southern Spain. Evidence indicates the UK as being the primary source of ruddy ducks in Europe.
The white-headed duck is the only naturally occurring “stiff tail” duck in Europe, whose population has declined from 100,000 to fewer than 10,000 birds, mainly through hunting and habitat loss. In Spain, numbers fell to just 22 birds in 1977 but a recovery program managing and protecting sites and a ban on hunting has seen the population increase to 2,500 birds.
From the first escaped birds in 1952, the UK population was centred in the West Midlands and has dramatically increased in the subsequent 50 years to approximately 900 breeding pairs. They have now spread to almost all parts of England, into Scotland, north Wales and Northern Ireland. They have now spread to at least 21 European and North African countries and were first recorded in Spain in 1983.
In England, wintering birds form flocks on large water –bodies, particularly reservoirs and lakes, often numbering several hundred birds and national totals were thought to have exceeded 6,000 individuals by January 2000.
To protect the white-headed duck in Spain and other parts of Europe, a jointly financed initiative by EU LIFE and Defra resulted in an eradication program formulated in 2003, with birds being controlled by marksmen from the Central Science Laboratory, as from September 2005. Failure to tackle the spread of ruddy ducks in Europe could lead to the extinction of the white-headed duck – possibly the first species of bird to suffer this fate in Europe since the founding of RSPB in 1889.
Actions by the public
Report any sightings of adults, juveniles or broods to the Essex Biodiversity Project.


Born: 28 August 1809; Undine, Italy.
Died: 8 August 1864; Venice, Italy.
(The years given are those of the premieres.)
Following studies at Padua, he settled in Trieste as a poet and playwright. His successful tragedy Parisina, written while he was still a student, brought him the superintendency of the Teatro Communale there. He later practiced law in Venice. There he met Verdi, who entrusted him with the libretto of Il re Lear on Cammarano's death; when this project collapsed, he prepared the melodramma Un Ballo in Maschera instead. Verdi admired his poetic gifts and patriotic sentiments, but found him ignorant of the requirements of musical setting. Somma wrote several plays, but no other libretti, though he is often credited as one of the authors (with Dall'Ongaro and Gazoletti), of the melodrama Un Duello sotto Richelieu (set by Federico Ricci, 1839); the extent of his participation is uncertain.
The libretto of Un Ballo in Maschera was originally published anonymously, Somma refusing to associate himself with the changes in locale and characters imposed by the Roman censors. Somma's authorship of his sole libretto was apparently not revealed until after his death. It is ironic that this playwright, otherwise completely divorced from the opera stage, should be connected with perhaps the most dramatic and frequently cited case of opera by censorship, and with one of the most famous operas never written.
contributed by Stephen L. Parker and Richard S. Bogart


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GE6351 Environmental Science and Engineering (EVS) Syllabus
UNIT I ENVIRONMENT, ECOSYSTEMS AND BIODIVERSITY
Definition, scope and importance of Risk and hazards; Chemical hazards, Physical hazards, Biological hazards in the environment – concept of an ecosystem – structure and function of an ecosystem – producers, consumers and decomposers-Oxygen cycle and Nitrogen cycle – energy flow in the ecosystem – ecological succession processes – Introduction, types, characteristic features, structure and function of the (a) forest ecosystem (b) grassland ecosystem (c) desert ecosystem (d) aquatic ecosystems (ponds, streams, lakes, rivers, oceans, estuaries) – Introduction to biodiversity definition: genetic, species and ecosystem diversity – biogeographical classification of India – value of biodiversity: consumptive use, productive use, social, ethical, aesthetic and option values – Biodiversity at global, national and local levels – India as a mega-diversity nation – hot-spots of biodiversity – threats to biodiversity: habitat loss, poaching of wildlife, man-wildlife conflicts – endangered and endemic species of India – conservation of biodiversity: In-situ and ex-situ conservation of biodiversity. Field study of common plants, insects, birds Field study of simple ecosystems – pond, river, hill slopes, etc.
UNIT II ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
Definition – causes, effects and control measures of: (a) Air pollution (Atmospheric chemistry- Chemical composition of the atmosphere; Chemical and photochemical reactions in the atmosphere – formation of smog, PAN, acid rain, oxygen and ozone chemistry;- Mitigation procedures- Control of particulate and gaseous emission, Control of SO2, NOX, CO and HC) (b) Water pollution : Physical and chemical properties of terrestrial and marine water and their environmental significance; Water quality parameters – physical, chemical and biological; absorption of heavy metals – Water treatment processes. (c) Soil pollution – soil waste management: causes, effects and control measures of municipal solid wastes – (d) Marine pollution (e) Noise pollution (f) Thermal pollution (g) Nuclear hazards–role of an individual in prevention of pollution – pollution case studies – Field study of local polluted site – Urban / Rural / Industrial / Agricultural.
UNIT III NATURAL RESOURCES
Forest resources: Use and over-exploitation, deforestation, case studies- timber extraction, mining, dams and their effects on forests and tribal people – Water resources: Use and overutilization of surface and ground water, dams-benefits and problems – Mineral resources: Use and exploitation, environmental effects of extracting and using mineral resources, case studies – Food resources: World food problems, changes caused by agriculture and overgrazing, effects of modern agriculture, fertilizer-pesticide problems, water logging, salinity, case studies – Energy resources: Growing energy needs, renewable and non renewable energy sources, use of alternate energy sources. Energy Conversion processes – Biogas – production and uses, anaerobic digestion; case studies – Land resources: Land as a resource, land degradation, man induced landslides, soil erosion and desertification – role of an individual in conservation of natural resources – Equitable use of resources for sustainable lifestyles. Introduction to Environmental Biochemistry: Proteins –Biochemical degradation of pollutants, Bioconversion of pollutants. Field study of local area to document environmental assets – river / forest / grassland / hill / mountain.
UNIT IV SOCIAL ISSUES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
From unsustainable to sustainable development – urban problems related to energy – water conservation, rain water harvesting, watershed management – resettlement and rehabilitation of people; its problems and concerns, case studies – role of non-governmental organization- environmental ethics: Issues and possible solutions – 12 Principles of green chemistry- nuclear accidents and holocaust, case studies. – wasteland reclamation – consumerism and waste products – environment production act – Air act – Water act – Wildlife protection act – Forest conservation act – The Biomedical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules; 1998 and amendments- scheme of labeling of environmentally friendly products (Ecomark). enforcement machinery involved in environmental legislation- central and state pollution control boards- disaster management: floods, earthquake, cyclone and landslides. Public awareness.
UNIT V HUMAN POPULATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Population growth, variation among nations – population explosion – family welfare programme – environment and human health – human rights – value education – HIV / AIDS – women and child welfare –Environmental impact analysis (EIA)- -GIS-remote sensing-role of information technology in environment and human health – Case studies.
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The world’s history is composed of many tragic or sometimes breakthrough events that have created positive or negative impact to humanity. It is an important topic that it is required on study in class. The record of different of notable personalities in the past and there current contribution at the present that needs to be familiarized by present generation is imprinted in the books of history.
The world history timeline was started to be documented by a German scholar named Karl Ploetz who published his book Auszuq aus der alten, mittleren, neuren und neusten Geschicte or popularized in English as An Epitome of Ancient, Medieval and Modern History. The book was mainly about timelines in the history of humanity that subjects to politics, religion, literature, science, technology, etc. The bases for this synchronized timeline are manuscripts, books, maps, photographs and other primary source of document.
According to the world digital library the first notable event in the history is the Rock art painting in Africa. Most of the early events in the history are about initial establishment of civilization like the creation of the first date on the Maya Calendar and foundation of the capital of Egypt which is the city of Memphis by King Menes. The succeeding happenings in the history of humankind is the start of religion like the Ten Commandments by Moses given to the Jewish people, birth of Daoism by Lao-tzu, Buddhism founded by Siddharta Gautama and Caste system in India and other principles introduced.
The next chapters of history are more about conquest and wars. It all started with invasion of Alexander the Great from Greece to western India. Despite the war, the spread of religion is inevitable as it was brought and introduced to different parts of the world. Other notable structure was also recorded in the history timeline like the The Coliseum and China’s Grand Canal. The conquest was never stopped as different Dynasty emerged in China and empires all over the world were established. Seven Years War also commenced, French Revolution, American independence and civil war, Franco-Prussian War, Anglo Afghan War, Russo-Japanese war and of course the most tragic yet mark the end of all the – The World War II. It is the most famous war as it is always featured theme in different movies in the present. Lots of casualties and collateral damage of this war will be remembered forever.
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Radon is an odorless, tasteless gas that has been found in 40 percent of the homes in Idaho that have been tested. It’s the leading cause of lung cancer for nonsmokers, and the only way to know it’s in your home is to test for it. The dangerous gas causes more than 21,000 deaths a year in the United States, and it’s a very serious health issue in Idaho
How does radon get into homes?
Radon is a naturally occurring gas that comes from the breakdown of uranium. It seeps from soil into homes and buildings through crawl spaces, and cracks and openings in foundations. It tends to build up the most in winter, when people have their homes closed up tight against the cold. That’s why now it’s a good time to test for it in the lowest level of your home where you spend time.
Why should we care about this in Idaho?
High levels of radon have been found in every county in the state, and, as mentioned already, 40 percent of the homes tested for radon in Idaho have tested high. Since radon is found throughout Idaho, it’s important to have your home tested so you can get it out of your house.
Any specific areas of the state we should know about?
We have results from all over the state, and in addition to northern and eastern Idaho, we have seen very high levels in Elmore, Blaine, and Custer County. We have also seen very high test results in certain areas of Ada and Canyon counties. It’s difficult to speak for some areas because of the lack of test results, but every home in Idaho should really be tested.
How does radon cause lung cancer?
When radon gas decays, it breaks down into radioactive particles that can get trapped in your lungs when you breathe. As the particles continue to decay, they release small bursts of energy that can damage lung tissue and may lead to lung cancer in some people after long-term exposure. The risk of developing lung cancer depends on several variables, including how long you’ve been exposed and how high the levels of radon are. Smoking in addition to radon exposure increases your risk even more.
How can you tell if your home has radon in it?
The only way to know for sure is to test for it. We already know the dangerous gas is present in all areas of the state. The good news is that every home with high levels of radon can be fixed. The testing itself is simple and inexpensive. Test kits cost $9.95, and you can order them at www.radonidaho.org. The cost includes the test, shipping costs, and lab analysis.
How would someone know what to do after they receive their results?
The Environmental Protection Agency recommends that you take action to reduce radon in your home by mitigation if you have levels at or above 4.0 picocuries per liter of air. Radon mitigation can be done by homeowners or hired professionals. If you have questions about your results or what you should do next, you can call the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s Indoor Environment Program at 1-800-445-8647 or visit www.radonidaho.org.
(Note: A Closer Look At Your Health airs at 6:50 a.m. most Tuesdays on KBOI News Radio 670. This is a slightly edited transcript of the segment from Jan. 10.)


The College will build a cogeneration plant that will dramatically reduce the College’s carbon footprint, ease demand on current aging systems and result in significant energy saving costs.
The combined heat and power plant will allow for the simultaneous production of electricity to power most of Union’s 130-acre campus. The plant will also recycle waste heat to produce heat and chilled water that can be used to provide dehumidification year-round, a critical need in buildings like Schaffer Library and laboratories with sensitive equipment.
Union currently obtains its electricity from National Grid. The cogeneration plant would produce approximately 1.8 megawatts of electricity, and provide 82 percent of the College’s power needs in winter and 74 percent in summer. The remaining power would continue to be purchased through National Grid.
Fueled by natural gas, the plant will consist of a turbine, a heat recovery steam generator, a gas compressor, an electrical fuel distribution system and an absorption chiller. It would increase the College’s heating and power efficiency needs from 58 percent to as much as 80 percent.
The use of a natural gas- powered cogeneration plant would reduce Union’s carbon footprint by as much 42 percent and move the College closer to its goal of carbon neutrality. Cogeneration reduces the carbon footprint by utilizing waste heat for both heating and cooling, but also by creating power and heat locally more efficiently than a traditional utility provider and boiler.
The plant will be built on the east side of the existing boiler plant near Facilities. The project needs the approval of the City of Schenectady; construction is scheduled to begin in the spring and be completed in 2016.
“This project is critical for the College and emphasizes our commitment toward achieving carbon neutrality,” said Marc Donovan, assistant director of Facilities. “It will give us the flexibility to provide simultaneous heating and cooling, while resulting in significant utility savings.”
The $12 million plant is supported by a grant of up to $2.4 million from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The remaining funds will come from a $40 million bond project the College undertook for campus improvements.
The money would be repaid through the $450,000 in annual energy-related savings the new plant is expected to generate.
The need for a cogeneration plant comes as the College’s electrical demands have increased dramatically in recent years with the addition of such new buildings as the Peter Irving Wold Center, the Wicker Wellness Center and the Henle Dance Studio, as well as the continuing need for dehumidification throughout campus.
Extensive renovations of older structures such as Lippman Hall and Karp Hall have also heightened the College’s electrical needs.
Future building projects would also create energy challenges.
In addition, a cogeneration plant would greatly enhance the College’s ability to deal with a campus emergency where power, heating and cooling supply might be compromised.
Sustainability is one of the key priorities of the College’s Strategic Plan.
In 2007, President Stephen Ainlay was among the first to sign the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), pledging to formally work on reducing, and eventually eliminating, campus greenhouse gas emissions.


The possibility that stem cells could repair the human brain has neuro-scientist Bronwen Connor excited to go to work each day.
The associate professor of pharmacology at Auckland University became fascinated with the brain during a first year general psychology paper.
"I've been really hooked on the brain since I started uni," Dr Connor says.
In the 10 years she's been working at the university her main focus has been on researching adult stem cells in the brain.
"I'm a neuro-scientist more than a pharmacologist," she says.
Research on adult stem cells is still fairly new. It was only in 1998 that international scientists discovered adult brains continue to produce stem cells.
"Stem cells live in the cavity of the brain," Dr Connor says.
"The exciting thing about stem cells is the idea that we could repair our brains."
A stem cell is an uncommitted or unspecialised cell that doesn't know what type of cell it's going to become – it could become one of three different types of brain cells.
The cells multiply by division to replace dying cells in the brain.
Dr Connor says when there is a brain injury or disease the cells respond by going to the affected area "but not at a level which could cause full recovery and repair".
Adult stem cell research is looking positive for future treatment of neurological disorders like huntington's disease and parkinson's disease, as well as mental health disorders like depression. But at the moment research groups like Dr Connor's team of five graduate students and four staff need to keep delving into how they work and what could go wrong.
Dr Connor receives funding from the Neurological Foundation.
"The foundation has really supported me over the last 10 years," she says.
The researchers need to determine exactly how the cells work and what signals they receive.
"We know a lot, but still don't know enough," Dr Connor says.
The team is able to grow adult stem cells in sterilised units called cell culture hoods. They have experimented with what can influence the cells. One major discovery they've made is that lithium chloride, which is in anti-depressant medications like Prozac, can influence the cells and make them want to become neurons.
Dr Connor says being able to influence the stem cells to become a neuron is exciting for her team.
She says people with chronic depression appear to create fewer brain cells, meaning they can't process emotions as well.
"Prozac is very good at directing stem cells."
Prozac also increases stem cells' ability to divide – which means anti-depressants may be increasing stem cells during the first few weeks of taking them. This may be why it takes four to six weeks for anti-depressants to start working.
Dr Connor says her graduate students are passionate about science. "There is a chance their research is going to be helping people.
"Scientists get criticised for dragging their feet. We have responsibilities to make safe and effective treatment."
She says scientists need to be absolutely certain about the safety and effectiveness of stem cell therapy before they can treat humans with it.
Unlike aspirin, which you can discontinue if you have a reaction, regenerative therapy and transplantation is permanent.
- East And Bays Courier
Are our classrooms becoming overcrowded?


…study confirms biodiversity hotspotIn September 2013, the Research Unit of the European Commission funded “Across the River – a Transboundary Peace Park for Sierra Leone and Liberia” project released its final report on the research conducted from January 2010 to March 2013 in the Gola forest.
This transboundary forest area of approximately 2,000 km² lies within the Upper Guinea Forest Eco-region, the largest remaining tropical rainforest in West Africa and considered to be among the 25 most biodiversity rich hotspots in the world.
While one focus of the research activities was on mapping, biodiversity and threat assessments, another major focus was on capacity building of local staff and partners from both countries, as well as on establishing links and cultivating collaboration between local and international partners and universities.
Several standardised research designs were developed and implemented in the Gola Rainforest National Park in Sierra Leone and the proposed Gola Forest National Park in Liberia, as well as in the corridor areas connecting the two.
The activities comprised, among others, rapid assessments of birds, small mammals and bats, dragon- and damselflies, butterflies, amphibians and reptiles, as well as longer term studies performed over more than one year such as habitat mapping, camera trapping, transect surveys and the collection of threat data (e.g. hunting, artisanal mining and logging).
Besides acquiring important information on the distribution of key landscape species (e.g. chimpanzees, pygmy hippos, forest elephants, different duiker species, white-necked rockfowl, white-breasted guineafowl), their habitat requirements and threats, the research activities revealed the presence of an astonishing 206 bird species, 109 mammal species, including 11 primates, 31 bats, 31 rodents and shrews, and 17 large mammals such as antelopes, leopards and hogs, 451 butterfly species, 145 species of damsel- and dragonflies, 19 reptile, and 35 amphibian species in the studied area. These figures are exclusive those additional species recorded during other and previous surveys and thus the species richness of the Gola forest area is even higher.
Among the recorded species during the Across the River Project research, at least 42 species were first country records for Sierra Leone, while 19 species were recorded in Liberia for the first time. Twelve, possibly 13 species, i.e. three butterflies, eight dragonflies or damselflies, one frog and possibly one shrew, are new to science in the sense that they have not formally named and described yet.
Out of the recorded species, 22 mammals, 14 birds, six dragonflies and damselflies, 13 amphibians, and four reptiles are of ‘global conservation concern’, which is defined as being categorised by IUCN on their Red List as Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered orData Deficient, or are protected under the law by CITES.
The Across the River Biodiversity Report rightfully concludes that the “Overall results from all different surveys show the outstanding biodiversity of the Across the River project area in all studied areas”. In addition to providing an overview of all the data collected during the three years of research, the report also presents a set of valuable recommendations on selection of key corridor areas, strategic management measures and current and future research and monitoring.
Although the Across the River Project has formally ended in September 2013, the project partners have expressed their commitment to continue their cooperation and collaboration in conserving the Gola forest and its rich biodiversity, as initiated under the project.
4th July 2014


The Science Behind the Play
The two women in The How and the Why are described as brilliant evolutionary biologists. While the characters Sarah Treem created are fictional, the theories they present are real. Controversial in their respective fields, the Grandmother Hypothesis and the Menstruation as a Defense theory are revolutionary and complicated and have affected how the scientific community perceives women and their bodies.
Please note: these theories are revealed over the course of The How and the Why so you may want to wait until after the production to read more about these radical ideas!
The Grandmother Hypothesis explains why a woman’s reproductive capabilities end considerably before her natural life. Building on ideas first proposed by George C. Williams in 1957 and subsequently expanded and refined by other researchers, prominently recently by Kristen Hawkes, it suggests an evolutionary benefit in menopause for women, who can then focus all of their energy and resources on the survival of their existing children and grandchildren. This hypothesis has enormous implications on how humans developed apart from other primates. With older women assuming caretaking roles, offspring could stay weaker and more dependent for a longer period of time allowing their brains to develop.
Paradigm shifts are the stuff of scientific revolutions. They change how we view the world, the sorts of questions that scientists consider worth asking, and even how we do science. The discovery of DNA marked one such shift, the theory of plate tectonics another.
“An end to a woman’s reproductive years allows her to channel her energy and resources into caring for her children and grandchildren, thereby providing her descendants with a survival advantage.”
”A [post-menopausal] grandmother has a decidedly beneficial effect on the reproductive success of her children and the survival of her grandchildren … Women whose fertility is ending [have] an opportunity to influence the reproductive success of their daughters and survival of their grandchildren through assistance in food provisioning. In an ancestral population that was shifting from chimpanzee-like feeding to hard-to-handle foods, the more vigorous elder females could help more, thereby increasing the representation of their vigor in descendant generations, shifting rates of ageing, and lengthening average adult lifespans.”
“Long post-menopausal lifespans distinguish humans from all other primates. This pattern may have evolved with mother-child food sharing, a practice that allowed aging females to enhance their daughters’ fertility, thereby increasing selection against senescence. … this hypothesis also accounts for our late maturity, small size at weaning, and high fertility. It has implications for past human habitat choice and social organization and for ideas about the importance of extended learning and paternal provisioning in human evolution.”
Menstruation as Defense
In her 1993 article, “Menstruation as a Defense Against Pathogens Transported by Sperm,” Margie Profet introduced the scientific community to a controversial new theory about the function of menstruation. According to Profet, women shed their uterine lining as a way to protect themselves from possible infection caused by pathogens introduced to the uterus by sperm. The body attacks this foreign matter in two ways: by shedding the lining of the uterus and washing it clean with blood rich with immune cells. This hypothesis was a radical shift in how menstruation is often perceived (many cultures consider it dirty and women on their periods are thought to be bad luck).
“Margie Profet of the University of California at Berkeley suggests that menstruation evolved as a mechanism for protecting a female’s uterus and Fallopian tubes against harmful microbes delivered by incoming sperm … The uterus is extremely vulnerable to bacteria and viruses that may be hitching a ride on the sperm, and menstruation is an aggressive means of preventing infections that could lead to infertility, illness and even death. In menstruation … the body takes a two-pronged attack against potential interlopers: it sloughs off the outer lining of the uterus, where pathogens are likely to be lingering, and it bathes the area in blood, which carries immune cells to destroy the microbes.”
“A new interpretation of menstruation sees it not as a passive loss of unused uterine lining but as an aggressive way to prevent infection by viruses and bacteria carried into the reproductive tract along with sperm. Menstruation sloughs off the potentially infected lining and bathes the area in blood carrying immune cells. The lining of the uterus is served by special spiral-shaped arteries that first constrict under hormonal stimulation, killing cells of the lining, and then dilate, creating a blood flow that washes the cells away. The protective theory is supported by the fact that there is a high concentration of disease-fighting macrophages in menstrual blood, which also lacks clotting factors, helping maintain the cleanup flow.”
“Radical New View of Role of Menstruation” The New York Times, Natalie Angier (September 1993)
“Sperm are vectors of disease. During mammalian insemination bacteria from the male and female genitalia regularly cling to sperm tails and are transported to the uterus … Menstruation functions to protect the uterus and oviducts from colonization by pathogens. Menstrual blood exerts mechanical pressure on uterine tissue, forcing it to shed, and delivers large numbers of immune cells throughout the uterine cavity, directly combating pathogens.”
“Menstruation as a Defense Against Pathogens Transported by Sperm” The Quarterly Review of Biology, Margie Profet (September 1993)


March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and it’s a good time to figure out when you should be screened. Getting screened for colorectal cancer is something Idahoans age 50 and older should consider because it is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths among adults in Idaho. In fact, 3 in 60 Idaho adults will develop colon cancer and, sadly, one of those three people will die.
Who should be screened?
It is recommended that everyone should get screened starting at age 50. If you have a family history of colorectal cancer, you should talk to your medical provider about getting screened earlier. All Idaho adults should get into the habit of regular screenings.
Why is screening so important?
As with all cancers, the key is early detection — your chances of beating the disease and surviving are better if it is found early. You don’t have to have a family history of colon cancer to be at risk. Colorectal cancer can begin anywhere in the large intestine as pre-cancerous polyps, with no symptoms.
Is a colonoscopy the only reliable test you can do?
Several different kinds of tests are available, including those that can be done annually from the comfort of your home. There are advantages and disadvantages for each one, so you should talk to your doctor about which is right for you. It’s also important to know that preventing colon cancer or finding it early doesn’t have to be expensive. Simple, affordable tests are available, and most health insurance plans cover the life-saving, preventative tests. Continue reading


Weight reduction is just one of the best subjects ever before. Everybody seems to be trying to reduce weight nowadays. Most diet plan programs have to do with fat burning as well as body weight is frequently utilized as an indicator of fitness progression. But, this is an inaccurate strategy.
Your ultimate goal needs to constantly be to lose fat as well as decreasing excess body fat is what you need to be worried concerning. Weight reduction and also Fat loss is NOT the same point! Lots of people puzzle the two terms, often believing that they suggest the same, when as a matter of fact weight reduction as well as fat loss are extremely different from each other. This article will certainly help you recognize how weight reduction is various than weight loss as well as how weight loss is far above weight-loss in nearly all methods.
What Is Weight reduction?
( Weight Reduction = Muscle Loss + Fat Loss + Water Loss).
Weight management is attempting to lower your total body weight. It simply refers to a lower number on a range.
Your body weight is made up of all the parts of your body such as muscles, fat, bones, water, body organs, tissues, blood, water and so on. When you reduce weight, you shed a little bit of … fat, muscle as well as water.
You lose fat yet very little and also in addition to the fat you lose muscle mass and some quantity of water. The higher you lower your calorie consumption, the faster you drop weight and also the even more muscle mass you lose.
Do know your muscle mass issues? Loss of muscle mass impacts your wellness and also your overall appearance.
When you reduce weight too swiftly, your body can not maintain its muscular tissue. Due to the fact that muscle mass calls for extra calories to maintain itself, your body starts to metabolize it so that it can schedule the incoming calories for its survival. It secures it fat stores as a defense mechanism to ensure your survival in case of future famine and rather make use of lean tissue or muscle mass to offer it with calories it requires to keep its vital body organs such as your brain, heart, kidneys and liver functioning. If you reach a factor where you have really little fat or muscular tissue, your body will metabolize your body organs to keep your mind functioning causing cardiovascular disease, stroke and liver and kidney failure.
As the body loses even more muscle mass, the body’s general metabolic rate decreases. The metabolic price is the rate at which the body burns calories as well as is partially established by the quantity of muscle mass you have.
So the more muscular tissue you have, the higher your metabolic rate; the less muscular tissue you have, the lower your metabolic price and also fewer calories you melt. This discusses why it is essential to safeguard your metabolic price and not have muscular tissue loss.
Loss of muscle also causes loss of tone below the skin leaving you soft as well as unshapely without form or shape. If you reduce weight also rapidly, your skin will not have time to change either. Additionally muscle mass is what offers you stamina as well as loss of it means a weak body.
With weight-loss you reduce in size and come to be a smaller variation of yourself with a vulnerable framework with saggy skin.
Fat burning operates in the brief go to make you smaller but is short-term, almost every person rebounds as well as reclaims the weight. This forces you to locate another diet regimen. And afterwards an additional one, as well as one more one – since at some point they’ll all fail.
What Is Weight loss?
( Weight Loss = Loss Of Stored Body Fat).
Weight loss is attempting to reduce your complete body fat – i.e. the percentage of your complete body weight that is composed of fat.
The best method for fat loss is to exercise wisely as well as consume wisely in a manner that keeps muscle mass and also concentrates on fat loss exclusively.
The muscular tissue you have is not there forever. If you do not feed it and do not utilize it – you lose it. A correct plan with appropriate mix of resistance and cardio training with adequate development and a best nutrition strategy to sustain it can aid you achieve this. Workout just improves the burning procedure however doesn’t simply melt the fat away on its own – if you do not develop a deficit as well as feed the body excessive – it won’t touch the kept gas gets. On the hand if you drastically reduce your calories and also do not feed your muscle correctly or don’t work out and utilize your muscle mass, you will certainly lose it. Weight loss is about discovering that best balance.
With weight loss you preserve the muscle mass as well as keep the metabolic price running high. You also develop more powerful connective tissue, tighter skin and more powerful bones as well as joints. With fat loss you change your body.
Fat loss is a way of life strategy where you provide your body what it needs without depriving as well as surprising it with hazard of malnourishment. You reach see slow-moving but long-term stable development.
It might seem weird, yet it’s possible to obtain thinner without really seeing a change in your weight. This happens when you lose body fat while obtaining muscular tissue. Your weight remains the very same, even as you shed inches.
Lets see just how this happens.
Fat tissue is extremely loose as well as not dense. It inhabits a great deal of room in your body. Whereas muscular tissue is much more thick as well as uses up less area. When you lose fat, this room is released and you can discover inch loss. If you are complying with a regular stamina training program after that gain in lean muscle mass tissue will certainly cancel this loss of fat and weight stays the very same. Since muscular tissue takes less area than fat, you shed inches as well as start to look even more toned, lean and also shapely.
constant stamina training program after that obtain in lean muscle mass cells will certainly cancel this loss of fat and also weight remains the very same. Because muscle mass takes much less space than fat, you shed inches and start to look more toned, lean as well as shapely.
Misconception: ” Obtaining fit” suggests “Losing weight.”.
Fact: Getting fit ways decreasing your body fat percentage!
know more about Weight Loss here.


Some thoughts on task-setting and assessment in English, especially at Key Stage 3
In a well-planned Key Stage 3 course on Of Mice and Men, pupils will be gripped by and immersed in Steinbeck’s novel, will enter imaginatively into the world of the story, will explore its context and significance, will investigate ways in which Steinbeck uses language, and will discuss characters and get to grips with themes. They will watch one or more film versions and might think hard about how the novel has been adapted. As well as acquiring a wealth of knowledge, pupils will practise a range of types of talk and writing – some imaginative, some analytical and some discursive – and maybe some drama.
Such a scheme will usually end with an ‘assessment’. In many schools, this is increasingly likely to consist of a timed, test-conditions ‘answer’ to a GCSE-style ‘question’, such as ‘In this extract, how does Steinbeck create a sense of place?’ or ‘Write about the role of dreams in the novel’, or ‘”The novel is about loneliness.” Do you agree?’ There is nothing wrong with these ‘questions’, but I sometimes wonder if a one or two lesson ‘test’ is the right culmination for such a rich scheme of work. And more importantly, what does it really allow pupils to do and show? Might it be rather closed-down? Where is the scope for the developing and refining of ideas, or for individual extension?
A contrasting approach would be to set a more open task in which time is allowed for sustained writing, worked on over time – drafted, edited and redrafted, incorporating ongoing feedback, allowing for further research and extension reading and leading to a piece of ‘real’ writing of which pupils can be proud. (When I taught the novel to Year 8, I sometimes ended with a piece of extended writing-in-role, following a mocked up inquest into the deaths; sometimes, students chose from a menu of more traditional ‘essay’ titles. Both approaches challenged pupils at all levels of attainment to develop their thinking and their writing in powerful ways.)
When I ask teachers about this, their usual response is that yes, they would like to set something more extended and more open as an ‘assessment’ but that it’s not really feasible, for three closely-related reasons.
One is a lack of time for such sustained tasks in a dense, knowledge-oriented curriculum. The rejoinder to this would be that time spent on extended writing should itself be rich with learning. It is about practising and refining expression; it is about revisiting and securing knowledge but it is also about assimilating new ideas and information; and it is about developing intellectual stamina and depth.
The second is the requirement to ‘practise’ for what pupils will have to do at GCSE: because they will be assessed in a particular way in Year 11, they must practise for it from the outset. But there will be plenty of time later to practise writing under the artificial conditions of a timed exam; and the forms and habits of excellent writing required to do this well won’t just happen – they need to be nurtured through the modelling, re-working and feedback loops made possible by extended tasks.
The third is the requirement to measure and track progress in very specific ways. Post-levels, schools have often allowed the framings and language of GCSE to soak down into Key Stage 3 and if you are assessing progress in Year 7 against GCSE ‘AO’s, then it is tempting to set up mini-GCSE ‘tests’ to do it. This has, of course, been encouraged by exam boards producing junior versions of GCSE papers. But there is no necessity always to assess these objectives through GCSE-style questions, let alone within closed, timed tasks. (Also, English teams should really be resisting a narrowing of the subject to only that which is sampled at GCSE.)
When thinking about task-setting, I often use the visual metaphor of a dancer placed in a box.
To me, this is what a lot of assessment tasks at Key Stage 3 can look like: artificially constricted and unnecessarily limiting of what pupils can show or practise. Dancing in a box might be impressive, but it will always be about the box.
In contrast, more open and extended writing can be like giving a dancer space and freedom to show what they can really do with what they’ve learned.
The metaphor doesn’t just apply to assessment tasks at Key Stage 3. In English, pupils of all ages need opportunities for extended thinking and writing, through open rather than closed tasks, if they are really to fly. It helps Year 10 and 11 pupils to develop sophistication in their thinking and to refine their academic expression. Longer essays are still the stuff of A-Level literature teaching. Moderating Key Stage 2 writing recently, it has been very clear that where Year 5 and 6 pupils have been allowed to write at length, seeing pieces as real products to be crafted, rather than just as exercises or assessments, they have made by far the strongest progress.
Of course, all of this does depend upon extended writing being well taught and well managed. A lesson in which pupils are writing independently needs careful planning. The teacher’s ongoing explanations, modelling, questioning and feedback have to be strong if, by the end, pupils are to have developed as writers and to have thought deeply while doing so. Editing and redrafting, in particular, need to be well-modelled and supported. In my experience, this is most successful when there is a classroom culture of collective endeavour, of open critique and of a drive to improve.
For what it’s worth, this is a diagram of my generic approach to planning a scheme of learning at Key Stage 3, planning backwards from such an extended assignment:
Interestingly, I have often made the ‘early assessment’ a test-conditions piece, cranking up the stakes at the beginning of the unit but all the time promising a chance later on for pupils to write in an extended way – to show what they have really learned and to produce something worth claiming as theirs.
There are some assertions here to which I would welcome challenges, and I would, of course, be interested to hear how teachers are using exam-style assessments at Key Stage 3 in ways which are working well.


Foundations of Christian Thought and Practice
July 22, 2012
The word Christian or Christianity can have many different meanings. Each denomination of Christianity may explain their religion a little different.
Depending on your denomination, there could be more or less emphasis put on the different aspects of being a Christian. There are many different claimed denominations, but the three major ones are Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant. Despite their differences they all have one commonality; their belief in God, and the Bible. Most people did not have the option of selecting their own denomination. They were either raised in a church by their parents or it was pre- determined by the region they grew up in. Either way, most people by this time have their own view of what it means to be a Christian. This idea or belief would represent that persons Christian Worldview. Three major themes relating to a Christian World view are Faith, Hope, and Love. The first theme Faith can be defined as loyalty, or the complete trust in
God. Faith is mentioned throughout the bible and is summarized best in Jesus’s words “ I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, Go, throw yourself into the sea, and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer”(Matthew 21:21). These words are powerful and are misinterpreted often. Many people want to believe that God will grant their wishes as long as they believe. But God is not Santa Clause, and can’t be expected to grant our every wish. The theme here is that the stronger we believe, the more likely our request and prayer’s will be in line with God’s will, and they will be reasonable granted. This scripture should be persuasion to believe and have faith in God. God also says in Mark 11:22, “ Have faith in God, I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea, and does not doubt it in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins”. This means that through faith God will answer your prayers if you first have faith in him, hold no grudges, do not pray with selfish motives, and your request must be for the good of God’s kingdom.
These words make it obvious for God to answer our prayers, we must first start with Faith. The second theme is Hope. The word hope in the Bible means to desire something with confident expectation of it fulfillment. Hope is the firm assurance regarding things that are unclear or unknown. Hope is a huge part of being a
“righteous “ person. Hoping for eternal life, and living in joy and peace while believing. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4). This is saying that the more we learn about God, and what he has done in the past, the more we should have hope and trust in him for the future. This also means that the more you learn through reading scripture the more hope you will have. This hope of eternal life is what gives peace and joy to the daily lives of Christians. The bible also says that the people that put their hope in god will be helped. One of the most known passages in the bible gives us hope without saying the actual word. “ For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). The scripture is saying that as long as you put


Von Trapp Follow-Along: Maria makes no mention of this event.
St. Joseph’s Day is a feast day that commemorates the husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus. It is far more recent in origin than most major saints’ days, and gained popularity among Italian/Sicilian and Polish immigrants to the U.S., holding the same importance to them that St. Patrick’s Day does to the Irish.
Red. In Italian/Sicilian and Polish communities within the U.S., the wearing of red is as traditional on this day as is the wearing of green on St. Patrick’s Day. (See Footnote 1.)
Fava Bean. In the Middle Ages, legend holds that there was a severe drought in Sicily and that the people prayed that Joseph would send them rain, promising that in return, they would prepare a large feast to honor him. The rain came, and the Sicilians prepared a feast in his honor and made him their patron saint. The crop which saved the population from starvation was the fava bean, and so the fava bean is now traditionally added to the St. Joseph’s Day meal.
Hollyhock. St. Joseph is also associated with the hollyhock, a flower from China which was introduced to the Holy Land by travelers on the Silk Road.
Carpentry Tools and Saw Dust. For obvious reasons.
St. Joseph’s Day is held 19 March every year; this year, that’s Thursday. If it falls on a Sunday other than Palm Sunday, it’s observed the next available day (usually Monday 20 March) unless another feast falls on that day. In 2006, an additional rule was added (and has been observed since 2008) that if St. Joseph’s Day falls within Holy Week (the week prior to Easter Sunday), it is moved to the closest possible day before 19 March, which is usually the Saturday before Holy Week. In Italy and Spain, 19 March is also Father’s Day.
This event commemorates Joseph, the husband of Mary and, by extension, stepfather and foster father of Jesus. Because Joseph was given the responsibility to protect and care for Jesus (and Mary), he is considered the patron and protector of the entire Church. His day has been celebrated in the Western church since at least the 900s AD and was established in Rome by 1479 AD. Today, St. Joseph’s Day is a feast day. However, it was a solemnity until 1955 (see Footnote 2).
As we know from Scripture, Joseph was a carpenter (Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3) who descended from Bethlehem. As told in Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2, Joseph was betrothed to Mary, and upon finding out she was pregnant, he decided to quietly divorce her so as not to make a spectacle of her or put her at risk of death as a punishment for adultery. However, an angel told Joseph that Mary was pregnant by the power of the Holy Ghost and that she carried the Messiah. Joseph then married her but did not sleep with her until after she had given birth to Jesus (Matthew 1:24-25). Because he was descended from Bethlehem, he had to take a very pregnant Mary with him to Bethlehem to be registered for taxes, wherein Jesus was born. Joseph also took Jesus and Mary to the Temple in Jerusalem for their ritual presentation and purification, respectively (see my post about Candlemas for more information). When King Herod sought to kill Jesus, Joseph took his family to Egypt under the command of an angel to wait until it was safe to return. After Herod died, Joseph again moved his family under the command of an angel, this time back to Israel. However, upon their arrival, he learned that Herod’s son, who was just as evil as Herod, now reigned in Israel, so—again, upon the instruction of God—he moved to Galilee and settled in a city called Nazareth. Joseph took his family to Jerusalem every year at the Passover and, the year Jesus was 12 years old, he and Mary discovered on their way back that they had accidentally left Him in Jerusalem. Although Joseph’s words to Jesus upon finding Him are not recorded (only Mary’s are), he was apparently just as worried as was Mary, according to her words, “…Son, why have you dealt with us this way? Your father and I sought you anxiously.” (Luke 2:48) If we are to take Mary’s words literally, it seems that Joseph considered himself as much Jesus’ father as Mary was His mother, and loved Him as his own child. Joseph and Mary had at least six other children after Jesus (see Footnote 3), but Joseph is not otherwise mentioned except as the father of Jesus (e.g., Matthew 13:55). The Scripture implies that Mary was a widow at the time of Jesus’ death (John 19:26-27), but the exact time of Joseph’s death is not mentioned. Although Scripture references to Joseph are few, we see a picture of him as a very merciful, understanding, and loving man; a man who put God first; a protector; and a good father and husband.
Because St. Joseph’s Day falls within Lent, the meals on this day are traditionally meatless. A food traditionally added to St. Joseph’s Day meals in Italy and Sicily or Italian and Sicilian communities is the fava bean, as discussed above regarding the legend of famine and salvation from starvation by fava bean. Because of this legend, it is also traditional to give food to the needy on this day. Foods are also traditionally served containing bread crumbs to represent saw dust since Joseph was a carpenter. Other foods traditionally eaten on this day include a Neapolitan pastry called zeppola/zeppole, Maccu di San Giuseppe (which is primarily maccu, a soup dating back to ancient times wherein fava beans are the primary ingredient), and Sfinge di San Giuseppe (St. Joseph’s Cream Puffs).
Because New Orleans, Louisiana (USA) was a major port city for Sicilian immigrants in the late 1800s, St. Joseph’s Day is an important event in the city. As in other countries, an altar is often prepared in honor of the saint, where the people of the church contribute food items like a potluck. However, the food from the altars in New Orleans is generally given to charity after the altar is dismantled—that is, the churchgoers don’t eat it—in contrast to most other locales, where the churchgoers eat the meal together. The altar or table is decorated with many symbolic items, such as carpentry tools. After the eating is done, the altar is smashed and three children dressed as the Holy Family (Joseph, Mary, and Jesus) perform a re-enactment called “Tupa, Tupa” (“Knock, Knock”). In this re-enactment, the three children go knocking on three doors asking for shelter. They are refused at the first two and welcomed at the third. This re-enactment is held in commemoration of the Holy Family’s seeking hospitality in Bethlehem before Jesus’ birth. At the end of the day, participants take home a bag filled with various gifts (bread, fruit, pastries, cookies, a blessed fava bean, a medal of St. Joseph, etc.).
Another tradition is for children to give gifts to their fathers on this day.
Another event commemorating Joseph, Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker, occurs on 1 May. It is discussed in Footnote 1. Because it is such a minor observance, I don’t think there will be a blog post on it.
Most of the traditional activities involve food.
- Readings. Read the story of Joseph in Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2.
- Fashion (Recent Traditional). Wear red.
- Food (Traditional). Several traditional recipes can be found at Fish Eaters. In general, any Italian/Sicilian food and some Polish foods are traditional for St. Joseph’s Day.
- Joseph’s Table (Traditional). As discussed above, both churches and private homes would set up a table with various traditional foods and have a feast. In some churches, the food would be donated to charity, though most churches ate the food as a potluck. Traditional décor for the table included symbols associated with Joseph (such as carpentry tools and a statue of Joseph). You may do this at home or host a potluck in your church. The following prayer said over St. Joseph’s Table is traditional. It’s a little Catholic (it refers to a saint praying for us, which is not supported by Scripture), but you may adapt it if you are Evangelical.
- “All-provident God, the good things that grace this table remind us of Your many good gifts. Bless this food, and may the prayers of St. Joseph who provided bread for Your Son and good for the poor sustain us and all our brothers and sisters on our journey toward Your heavenly kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
- Skit (Traditional). The “Tupa, Tupa” skit, described above, is traditionally performed in church by three children dressed as Joseph, Mary, and Jesus on this day. If you have children in your family, small group, or church, consider re-enacting this skit.
- Charity (Traditional). As discussed above, it is traditional on this day to donate food to charity. You may consider donated canned goods to the local charitable food pantry or even hosting a dinner for the homeless at your church.
- Goody Bag (Recent Traditional). As discussed above, when the church celebrates St. Joseph’s Day with a potluck dinner, after the event, participants take home a bag filled with various gifts (bread, fruit, pastries, cookies, a blessed fava bean, a medal of St. Joseph, etc.). If you are celebrating in a family with children or in a small group or church setting, consider creating goody bags.
KNIT AND CROCHET ACTIVITIES
You may create any of the items traditionally associated with Joseph. As discussed above, these include the fava bean (which looks like a string bean in the pod or just a plain green-colored bean out of the pod), the hollyhock flower, or carpentry tools. Most of these patterns will have to be significantly adjusted for size.
- Knitting Patterns.
- Crochet Patterns.
- “Green Bean Amigurumi” by Jessica Evans (here) (note: although this is technically a green bean, it has the same appearance of a fava bean in the pod)
- “Glam up Your Hexipuff – Hollyhock” by minja (here) (note: this pattern will have to be significantly altered for size if you do only the flower)
- “Hammer” by Myshelle Cole (here)
Footnote 1: Red as the Color of St. Joseph’s Day. In my research on this topic, I mostly found people asking the same question—“why do Italians [or Polish] wear red on St. Joseph’s Day?”—and others trying to answer but not fully answering the question.
One explanation seemed to be a slight confusion of the Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker with St. Joseph’s Day. The best I could piece together was that 1 May was the national holiday of the Communist Party in Italy, called “May Day” or “Festa Del Lavoro” (basically, “Labor Day”). On this day, some people wore red for communism. However, Pope Pius XII added a celebration of “San Giuseppe Lavoratore” (“St. Joseph the Worker”) on the same day in 1955. His stated reason for doing so was to accentuate the dignity of labor and to bring a spiritual dimension to labor unions, which is completely contrary to others’ claims that he created the observance to contrast communism. In fact, previous popes (most notably Pope Leo XIII in 1891 and Pope Pius XI in 1931) specifically decried harsh conditions in the industrial workplace and exploitation of workers. I could not find information on how red came to be associated with the 19 March commemoration of St. Joseph’s Day in accordance with this explanation—in fact, when giving this explanation, the authors usually falsely claim that Italians and Polish do not wear red on St. Joseph’s Day at all—so I think it may not be the true reason for the association of red with St. Joseph’s Day (19 March), though it offers a good explanation for the association of red with the Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker (1 May).
Another explanation for the association of red with St. Joseph’s Day (19 March) that makes more sense to me involves the interplay of Italian and Polish immigrants to America with the more established Irish Catholic immigrants in the 1890s-1930s. The Italian and Polish immigrants found themselves in a new land where Catholic dioceses were mostly run by Irish immigrants and people of Irish descent, who looked down on Southern and Eastern European Catholics. The Italians and Polish felt unwelcome and judged, and mostly ended up creating their own culturally-specific parishes and religious societies. In Chicago, the two groups expressed their disagreement most vividly. In this city, St. Patrick’s Day (17 March) was very visibly celebrated with such demonstrations as a massive parade and turning the Chicago River green. In multi-ethnic Catholic schools, kids of Irish heritage demonstrated their Irish pride with “the wearing of the green” on this day. Therefore, probably mostly if not entirely in reaction to St. Patrick’s Day, St. Joseph’s Day (19 March, just two days after St. Patrick’s Day) became more important to the Polish and Italian communities. Both national flags of Poland and Italy have red, which contrasts very sharply to the Irish green, and so Polish and Italian Americans took this day to celebrate their patron saint and their cultural heritages with “the wearing of the red,” especially among kids in Catholic schools. Simultaneously, many Polish traditions were adopted by the Italians, and many Sicilian and Italian traditions were adopted by the Polish. Eventually, many of these Italian/Sicilian and Polish traditions were adopted by the Catholic Church of Chicago as a whole. You can read the historical account plus some traditional activities for this day here.
Footnote 2: St. Joseph’s Day as a Solemnity. This day was once considered a solemnity, which is the highest ranking level of liturgical commemoration and commemorates an event in the life of Jesus or Mary or celebrates a saint who is important to all Christianity or to a local community. (That is, a celebration of a particular saint may be a memorial or a feast in the world in general but a solemnity in the area for which that saint was especially important, such as Saint Patrick’s Day, which is a feast day around the world but a solemnity in Ireland.) For examples Evangelicals would understand, other solemnities include Christmas and Easter. When a solemnity falls on a Sunday (except in Advent, Lent, or Eastertide), it supersedes the Sunday itself—that is, it is celebrated in place of the Sunday. However, because St. Joseph’s Day falls within Lent, if it fell on a Sunday, it would be moved to another day.
Footnote 3: Joseph and Mary’s Other Children. In other places in Scripture, we find that Jesus had siblings, presumably younger siblings (since older siblings are not mentioned in the accounts of His birth) who were therefore the children of Joseph and Mary. For example, in Mark 6:3 (and also Matthew 13:55-56), the people in the synagogue who heard Him preaching questioned, “Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joseph, and of Jude, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?…” (In Matthew 13:55, He is referred to as “the son of the carpenter.”) This demonstrates that Joseph and Mary had at least six children after Jesus, the four sons named in this verse plus at least two sisters. Other passages also refer in passing to His siblings, only once more by name (see Mark 3:31-35, John 7:3-10, Acts 1:14, and Galatians 1:19). Further evidence in support of this idea is that the oldest son is given the father’s name where later sons may get the grandfather’s name; however, the oldest of Jesus’ four brothers is named James, after his grandfather (Joseph’s father), rather than being named after his father (Joseph), as was typical for firstborn sons.
The word used to describe Jesus’ siblings is adelphos, which originally comes from a-delphys (“of the same womb”) but came to mean people born to the same parents, extended family, and brethren in the wider sense of a community. Nevertheless, the earliest scholars (and many modern scholars as well) agreed that the most natural inference is that they were the children of Mary and Joseph born after Jesus, and this view was accepted by Christian writers from as early as the first and second centuries. In fact, the Greek word adelphos (“brother,” as described above) is distinct from the Greek word for “cousin” (anepsios), and both were used carefully by a second-century Christian writer named Hegesippus to distinguish between Jesus’ cousins and His brothers.
However, beginning in the 3rd century, a new doctrine arose suggesting that Mary was always a virgin (contrary to Matthew 1:24-25, which says Joseph didn’t have sex with her until after Jesus was born—in other words, pretty plainly stating that they started having sex after Jesus’ birth), and if true, that would make it impossible for Mary to have had other children. Therefore, certain groups (primarily the Catholic Church and a few Protestant churches) which hold to the theological construct of Sacred Tradition (see my earlier post on that topic) reject the possibility that these children were Joseph and Mary’s natural children and engage in all sorts of mental gymnastics to explain where they came from, most often insisting that they were His cousins (a view, as described above, that was very specifically rejected by the earliest Christian scholars) or that they were Joseph’s children from a previous marriage (which, as stated above, does not explain why this rather large family of six children was not mentioned at all in the records of the events surrounding Jesus’ conception and birth).


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For 2,000 years, since the time of Greek geographer Claudius Ptolemy, we have defined our position on Earth by two numbers. Latitude tells you how far you are from the equator, measured in degrees, 0 to 90, north and south. Longitude is your angular distance from an imaginary "meridian" line drawn from pole to pole, running through the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, outside London, England. It's also measured in degrees: 180 degrees west of Greenwich and 180 east for the full 360 degrees. (Why 360? Blame the Babylonians.)
It's comparatively easy to reckon one's latitude. Earth's axis points to two imaginary "celestial poles" in the sky. North of the equator, the north celestial pole is close to the North Star. Measure the angle from your horizon to that virtual point in the sky and you've got your latitude. (It's zero at the equator, where the north celestial pole is on the horizon and 90 degrees at the north pole, where it's directly overhead.)
Longitude is a much trickier proposition. Consider a point on Earth where local noon (the sun at zenith) is exactly eight hours later than at Greenwich — Lake Tahoe fits the bill. Eight hours is one third of a full day, which converts to one third of the full 360 degrees, that is, Lake Tahoe is at longitude 120 degrees west. So if you know the time difference between your local noon and local noon at Greenwich, you've got your longitude. The challenge navigators have wrestled with for centuries can be simply stated: What time is it in Greenwich? Nowadays, GPS gives anyone with a receiver — or smartphone — that information. Formerly, radio signals, chronometers and the stars were used. I'll be focusing on the last one.
Radio. The U.S. Navy began broadcasting "Greenwich time" signals in 1905 and the rest of the world quickly followed. Earlier — 1872 — surveyor John Wesley Powell had used a telegraph line to confirm his longitude near the Grand Canyon using time signals received nearly instantly from Salt Lake City where Greenwich time was tracked.
Chronometers. Before radio, navigators would carry an accurate timekeeping device set to Greenwich time. John Harrison's 1759 marine chronometer, dubbed "H4," solved the wickedly difficult problem of keeping accurate time on a rolling ship at sea. As anyone who drives a car or uses a washing machine knows, mechanical devices can fail, hence the navigators' adage, "Never go to sea with two chronometers, take one or three." If you have three and one shows a different time from the other two, ignore it; if you have two and they show different times, which one do you trust? Marine chronometers — HMS Beagle carried 22 — were hugely expensive, and impractical for land explorers such as Lewis and Clark. (Lewis had obtained an English chronometer in Philadelphia but it wasn't reliable when traveling over land for long periods, and he just used it as a watch to connect the time periods between astronomical sightings taken over a few days.)
Celestial navigation. As long ago as 150 B.C., Hipparchus of Nicea wrote that lunar eclipses (which happen at roughly the same time for all Earth-bound observers) could be used to establish longitude. Of the many "clocks" in the night sky, some of the most accurate are eclipses of Jupiter's four bright moons. Galileo, who discovered these moons in 1610, realized that an eclipse of one of them, say, Io, could be clocked simultaneously by observers at two places on Earth, thus giving their relative longitude. In 1668, Italian astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini printed the first tables of Galilean eclipses and, later, working in the Paris Observatory, he published the Connaisance de Temps, an almanac (strictly, an emphemeris) predicting the exact times of the every-other-day eclipses of Io as viewed from a meridian running through Paris. Carrying such an almanac in your pocket was like being in instant communication with a home-base observer.
Next time, we'll look at how early non-Native North American explorers used almanacs to determine their longitude.
Barry Evans (email@example.com) encourages visitors to London to check out the Royal Observatory, Greenwich.


At the time of the flood, why was Noah’s family preserved? Is there any evidence that they were righteous?
We are not told that any were righteous except Noah himself. “Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God””(Gen. 6:9 also Gen. 7:1). It appears that all others of the time were exceedingly wicked. “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5, 12).
Why then, might Noah’s sons, wife and sons’ wives been preserved? Perhaps some of them were righteous, we are not told. But there are other reasons why God might have seen fit to preserve them.
- God knew they would be the progenitors of people who would seek and serve Him. Looking into the future God could see people He wanted: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Elijah, Jeremiah, and many more. All these were descendents of Shem, Noah’s son. In fact, the entire Israelite people came through that line and among them were many faithful servants of God. Had Noah’s sons died in the flood, this race would not have been.
- Even though Noah’s family may not have been righteous, they were willing to go into the ark. This showed a measure of faith—more than could be said of the thousands who heard the message of father Noah, yet refused to believe.
- The Bible tells us that Noah built an ark “for the saving of his household” (Heb. 11:7, RSV)—this is said as a tribute to Noah’s faith and obedience. Perhaps it was because God saw that Noah needed companionship, and they were the ones chosen.
- There are other instances in the Bible that reflect God is willing to tolerate wicked men and women for the preservation of only a few righteous ones. Although they couldn’t be found, He would have spared Sodom and Gomorrah if but ten righteous lived there. This very day God is tolerating the wicked for the sake of the righteous. Just as He waited in the time of Noah “while the ark was being prepared,” God is withholding judgment so all who would serve Him are given adequate time and opportunity. (1 Pet. 3:20). God’s mercy is truly great!
Whatever the reason, we can trust God knows what He is doing. What looks incomprehensible to us is within close range for the Almighty to whom “a thousand years are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night” (Ps. 90:4).