Introduction to Biology | Biology | MIT OpenCourseWare

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Course Features Course Highlights

This course features a complete set of video lectures by Professor Eric Lander, Director of the Broad Institute at MIT and a principal leader of the Human Genome Project and Professor Robert A. Weinberg, winner of the 1997 National Medal of Science.

Education development efforts for these introductory biology courses are one of many activities conducted by the HHMI Education Group at MIT. This group focuses on curriculum development work for creating teaching tools in undergraduate biology courses.

The MIT Biology Department core courses, 7.012, 7.013, and 7.014, all cover the same core material, which includes the fundamental principles of biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and cell biology. Biological function at the molecular level is particularly emphasized and covers the structure and regulation of genes, as well as, the structure and synthesis of proteins, how these molecules are integrated into cells, and how these cells are integrated into multicellular systems and organisms. In addition, each version of the subject has its own distinctive material.

7.012 focuses on the exploration of current research in cell biology, immunology, neurobiology, genomics, and molecular medicine.

The study materials, problem sets, and quiz materials used during Fall 2004 for 7.012 include contributions from past instructors, teaching assistants, and other members of the MIT Biology Department affiliated with course #7.012. Since the following works have evolved over a period of many years, no single source can be attributed.

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Introduction to Biology | Biology | MIT OpenCourseWare

UT Southwestern, Dallas, Texas – UTSW Medicine (Patient …

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We Are Magnet

UT Southwestern has achieved Magnet designation, the highest honor bestowed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

We've brought the leading-edge therapies and world-class care of UT Southwestern to Richardson/Plano, Las Colinas, and the Park Cities.

Clinical Center at Las Colinas The Las Colinas Obstetrics/Gynecology Clinic is a full-service practice, treating the full range of obstetric and gynecologic conditions.

Clinical Center at Park Cities The Clinical Center at Park Cities features cardiology, general internal medicine, obstetric/gynecologic, and rheumatology services.

Clinical Center at Richardson/Plano The Clinical Center at Richardson/Plano features behavioral health, cancer, neurology, obstetric/gynecologic, primary care, sports medicine, and urology services.

UT Southwestern Medical Center is honored frequently for the quality of our care and the significance of our discoveries. Some of our recent awards include the Press Ganey Beacon of Excellence Award for patient satisfaction and the National Research Consultants' Five Star National Excellence Award.

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UT Southwestern, Dallas, Texas - UTSW Medicine (Patient ...

DailyMed : Current Medication Information

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DailyMed Announcements

Posted: September 13, 2016

Update: 2016 DailyMed/RxNorm Jamboree Workshop scheduled for September 27

Updated Agenda: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/Jamboree/agenda2016.pdf

Registration is required, and seating is limited. While the proceedings will be webcast and archived, in-person attendance offers greater opportunity to exchange ideas, questions, and insights with your peers. Please find registration and agenda information here: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/Jamboree/2016.html

DailyMed provides trustworthy information about marketed drugs in the United States. DailyMed is the official provider of FDA label information (package inserts). This Web site provides a standard, comprehensive, up-to-date, look-up and download resource of medication content and labeling found in medication package inserts.

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) provides this as a public service and does not accept advertisements. The drug labeling information on this Web site is the most recent submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and currently in use; it may include, for example, strengthened warnings undergoing FDA review or minor editorial changes. These labels have been reformatted to make them easier to read.

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DailyMed : Current Medication Information

Microbial Biology Graduate Program – Rutgers University

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The Microbial Biology Graduate Program at Rutgers University offers a diverse research and educational experience focused on microbial life processes and their applications. You have the opportunity to study the genetic, metabolic, physiologic, and evolutionary diversity of microbes and explore the complex roles that microorganisms play in life on Earth. Rutgers has a rich tradition of microbiology for over a century, starting with research on bovine tuberculosis and soil denitrification in the late 1800s and continuing with the founding of its microbiology department in 1901 and the award of the Nobel Prize to Selman Waksman in 1952. Today the microbiology faculty include 13 members of the prestigious American Academy of Microbiology, 3 members of the National Academy of Science, one past president of the American Society for Microbiology, and the current editor-in-chief of FEMS Microbial Ecology. The Microbial Biology Graduate Program offers the opportunity to work with over 50 professors in 15 different departments representing all facets of microbiology and allowing for a truly interdisciplinary research and educational experience.

The discipline of microbiology has been going through a revolution in the last decade, driven by new ideas and technologies. This development has expanded our understanding of the role of microbial life on Earth not only in sustaining our biosphere but also in influencing our health and well-being. The Rutgers Microbial Biology Graduate Program offers a strong focus in understanding how microbes occupy every possible environmental niche on Earth (including frozen arctic tundra, deep sea hydrothermal vents, hazardous waste sites, and the human body) and how the diversity of microbial activities can be exploited to discover novel bioactive compounds, to characterize metabolic traits for degradation of hazardous chemicals, to develop new biofuel production methods, and to promote human health.

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Microbial Biology Graduate Program - Rutgers University

Journal Behavioral Science & Policy Association

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Welcome to the inaugural issue of Behavioral Science & Policy. We created BSP to help bridge a significant divide. The success of nearly all public and private sector policies hinges on the behavior of individuals, groups, and organizations. Today, such behaviors are better understood than ever thanks to a growing body of practical behavioral science research. However, policymakers often are unaware of behavioral science findings that may help them craft and execute more effective and efficient policies. In response, we want the pages of this journal to be a meeting ground of sorts: a place where scientists and non-scientists can encounter clearly described behavioral research that can be put into action. Mission of BSP

By design, the scope of BSP is quite broad, with topics spanning health care, financial decisionmaking, energy and the environment, education and culture, justice and ethics, and work place practices. We will draw on a broad range of the social sciences, as is evident in this inaugural issue. These pages feature contributions from researchers with expertise in psychology, sociology, law, behavioral economics, organization science, decision science, and marketing. BSP is broad in its coverage because the problems to be addressed are diverse, and solutions can be found in a variety of behavioral disciplines.

This goal requires an approach that is unusual in academic publishing. All BSP articles go through a unique dual review, by disciplinary specialists for scientific rigor and also by policy specialists for practical implementability. In addition, all articles are edited by a team of professional writing editors to ensure that the language is both clear and engaging for non-expert readers. When needed, we post online Supplemental Material for those who wish to dig deeper into more technical aspects of the work. That material is indicated in the journal with a bracketed arrow.

This first issue is representative of our vision for BSP. We are pleased to publish an outstanding set of contributions from leading scholars who have worked hard to make their work accessible to readers outside their fields. A subset of manuscripts is clustered into a Spotlight Topic section that examines a specific theme in some depth, in this case, Challenging Assumptions about Behavioral Policy.

Our opening essay discusses the importance of behavioral science for enhanced policy design and implementation, and illustrates various approaches to putting this work into practice. The essay also provides a more detailed account of our objectives for Behavioral Science & Policy. In particular, we discuss the importance of using policy challenges as a starting point and then asking what practical insights can be drawn from relevant behavioral science, rather than the more typical path of producing research findings in search of applications.

Our inaugural Spotlight Topic section includes four articles. Wilson and Juarez challenge the assumption that intuitively compelling policy initiatives can be presumed to be effective, and illustrate the importance of evidence-based program evaluation. Cialdini, Martin, and Goldstein challenge the notion that large policy effects require large interventions, and provide evidence that small (even costless) actions grounded in behavioral science research can pay big dividends. Sunstein challenges the point of view that providing individuals with default options is necessarily more paternalistic than requiring them to make an active choice. Instead, Sunstein suggests, people sometimes prefer the option of deferring technical decisions to experts and delegating trivial decisions to others. Thus, forcing individuals to choose may constrain rather than enhance individual free choice. In the final Spotlight paper, Loewenstein, Bryce, Hagmann, and Rajpal challenge the assumption that behavioral nudges, such as strategic use of defaults, are only effective when kept secret. In fact, these authors report a study in which they explicitly inform participants that they have been assigned an arbitrary default (for advance medical directives). Surprisingly, disclosure does not greatly diminish the impact of the nudge.

This issue also includes four regular articles. Goh, Pfeffer, and Zenios provide evidence that corporate executives concerned with their employees health should attend to a number of workplace practicesincluding high job demands, low job control, and a perceived lack of fairnessthat can produce more harm than the well-known threat of exposure to secondhand smoke. Knoll, Appelt, Johnson, and Westfall find that the most obvious approach to getting individuals to delay claiming retirement benefits (present information in a way that highlights benefits of claiming later) does not work. But a process intervention in which individuals are asked to think about the future before considering their current situation better persuades them to delay making retirement claims. Larrick, Soll, and Keeney identify four principles for developing better energy-use metrics to enhance consumer understanding and promote energy conservation. Finally, Manary, Staelin, Boulding, and Glickman provide a new analysis challenging the idea that a hospitals responses to the demographic traits of individual patients, including their race, may explain disparities in quality of health care. Instead, it appears that this observation is driven by differences in insurance coverage among these groups. Hospitals serving larger numbers of patients with no insurance or with government insurance receive less revenue to pay for expenses such as wages, training, and equipment updates. In this case, the potential behavioral explanation does not appear to be correct; it may come down to simple economics.

This publication was created by the Behavioral Science & Policy Association in partnership with the Brookings Institution. The mission of BSPA is to foster dialog between social scientists, policymakers, and other practitioners in order to promote the application of rigorous empirical behavioral science in ways that serve the public interest. BSPA does not advance a particular agenda or political perspective.

We hope that each issue of BSP will provide timely and actionable insights that can enhance both public and private sector policies. We look forward to continuing to receive innovative policy solutions that are derived from cutting-edge behavioral science research. We also look forward to receiving from policy professionals suggestions of new policy challenges that may lend themselves to behavioral solutions. Knowledge in the service of society is an ideal that we believe should not merely be espoused but, also, actively pursued.

Craig R. Fox & Sim B. SitkinFounding Co-Editors

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Journal Behavioral Science & Policy Association

What is Physiology | Human Physiology | Understanding Life …

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Physiology is the science of life. It is a broad science which aims to understand the mechanisms of living, from the molecular basis of cell function to the integrated behaviour of the whole body.

Research in physiology helps us to understand how the body works; it also helps us to realise what goes wrong in disease and to identify new treatments for disease.

Physiology forms an integral part of pre- and post-16 biology education, and can also be studied at university either as a stand-alone discipline or as part of an integrated degree, such as biomedical sciences. For more information about career paths in physiology, please visit the careers section of this website.

Pre-16, the study of physiology focuses primarily on how the body moves, and the structure and function of some of the major organ systems (including the cardiovascular and respiratory systems). Post-16, the study of physiology leans more towards the understanding of physiological processes such as homeostasis and excretion.

A degree in physiology will build on the knowledge and understanding developed at school/college: it will explore selected topics in greater detail and provide a holistic view of how the different cells, tissues, organs and systems of the body are integrated. Physiologists - scientists who have chosen to explore physiology as a career will continue to build on the knowledge they have gained during their degree and advance the science of life within an area of particular interest to them. It is important to highlight, however, that physiologists do not work in isolation: the sharing of information between scientists around the world is essential to continue developing our understanding of how the body works.

Physiology is an experimental science that underpins the biological and clinical sciences; it is key to the detection, prevention and treatment of disease. Without an understanding of basic physiology, progress made in other areas such as the sequencing of the human genome is limited because every biological advance must ultimately be related to the behaviour of the whole organism.

The Physiological Society recognises the importance of using animals in research in order to gain further knowledge of disease mechanisms in both animal and human diseases. We appreciate that this can be a difficult topic to understand and teach and have therefore developed supporting resources designed to address this area specifically.

To hear what physiology means to our members, listen to the podcasts available in our resources section.

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What is Physiology | Human Physiology | Understanding Life ...

Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (KSBSRB) Home

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We are pleased to offer access to our laws, rules, disciplinary actions, roster of licensees, and other useful information for professionals and consumers. We hope you will visit the site often to update and refresh your understanding of the various levels of our licensed professionals and standards of practice.

The Board and staff welcome your input, comments, concerns, and suggestions by letter, telephone, email, or fax. We want to hear from you on all issues of concern to you as a consumer or provider. If you hope to become licensed in Kansas, we welcome you! We hope to facilitate a smooth transition from student to licensed professional.

| Jul 11, 2016

CLICK HERE

| Mar 09, 2016

The Check Application Status link has been fixed and is now working. If you experience any problems please call the office at 785-296-3240. Thank you.

| Sep 17, 2014

Eisenhower State Office Building 700 SW Harrison St, Suite 420 Topeka, KS 66603-3929

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Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (KSBSRB) Home

Biochemistry – Wake Forest School of Medicine

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The Department of Biochemistry

Welcome to the Department of Biochemistry, Wake Forest School of Medicine. The Department has a three-fold mission:

Wake Forest Biotech Place, location of many of the laboratories in the Department of Biochemistry and the Center for Structural Biology

The research interests of the facultyare focused in four inter-related areas:

The training mission of the Department is focused on four types of trainees:

The Hanes and NRC Buildings, location of many of the laboratories in the Department of Biochemistry, the Center for Diabetes Research, and the Center for Human Genomics and Personalized Medicine Research.

The Departments principal interdisciplinary collaborations are promoted through participation in the following Centers:

The Department has a well-developed system of shared facilities to promote research. The research space occupied by members of the Department is located in the Hanes-Nutrition Research Center (NRC) complex on the Medical Center campus and in the recently developed Wake Forest Biotech Place in the Wake Forest Innovation Quarter in downtown Winston-Salem. Travel between the Medical Center, Wake Forest Innovation Quarter, and the Wake Forest University Reynolda campus is facilitated by Medical Center van service.

Contact Information

Douglas S. Lyles, Ph.D. Professor and Chair dlyles@wakehealth.edu(336) 716-4237 (Medical Center) (336) 713-1280 (Biotech Place)

April Campbell Business Administrator apcampbe@wakehealth.edu(336) 716-4381 (Biotech Place)

Misty Allen mkallen@wakehealth.edu(336) 716-6775 (Biotech Place)

Connie McArthur mcarthur@wakehealth.edu(336) 716-4689 (Medical Center)

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Biochemistry - Wake Forest School of Medicine

What is Genetic Engineering? – An elementary introduction …

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New section started specially for students (Sep 2007) All useful study materials will be found there

As we have learnt that many students are using our website, we are just starting a students section. There you will find this and other documents of special value for writing your reports and theses.

What is Genetic Engineering?A simple introduction

This text is written so that even you who have forgotten much of what you may have learned about genetics will understand it. Therefore, the description is as simple as possible (some details of minor importance have been omitted or simplified).

If you want a very brief overview, go to "A first introduction to genetic engineering".

If you only want to rapidly get an idea of the great difference between mating and genetic engineering, see the "at a glance" illustration (elementary level)

Contents

1. The hereditary substance

The hereditary substance, DNA is what is manipulated by Genetic Engineering, below called GE.

DNA contains a complete set of information determining the structure and function of a living organism, be it a bacterium, a plant or a human being. DNA constitutes the genes, which in turn are found in the chromosomes in the cell nucleus.

For schematic picture of the spiral-formed DNA-moleculse click here: DNA

DNA is a very long string of "code words", arranged in an orderly sequence. It contains the instructions for creating all the proteins in the body.

Proteins are truly remarkable molecules. They can have many different properties. All the various tissues in the body are mainly made of proteins. Likewise all kinds of regulatory substances like enzymes, hormones and signal substances. There are many other proteins like for example different substances protecting from infection like antibodies.

The properties of a protein are entirely decided by its form, which is decided by the sequence of its building blocks, the amino acids. The set of code words required to describe one protein is called a "gene"

The DNA-protein system is an ingeniously simple and extremely powerful solution for creating all kinds of biological properties and structures. Just by varying the sequence of code words in the DNA, innumerable variations of proteins with very disparate properties can be obtained, sufficient to generate the enormous variety of biological life. For more about it, see "The cell - a miracle of cooperation"[EL]

If you want to know more about DNA, you could look up:

2. Mating - natural recombination of hereditary information

Through mating, the DNA of two parents is combined.

This can be described in a simplified way like this:

In plants and animals, the DNA is not just one long string of "codewords". It is divided into a set of strings called chromosomes. Commonly, each cell has a double set of chromosomes, one from the mother and one from the father.

In the germinal cells (the cells involved in mating), however, there is just one set. In mating, the set of the mother and father join together to create an embryonic cell with a double set of chromosomes. This embryonic cell divides into two identical copies. These divide in turn. In this way the whole organism will come to contain identical sets of chromosomes (the reason that the tissues have different properties in different parts of the grown up body is that different genes are active in them).

Mating summarized in a simple illustration

(The DNA of plants and animals contains hundreds of millions of "code syllables". To represent the complete set of information, each circle below would correspond to about 30 million code syllables. In the illustration below, each circle represents 300 code syllables. One code word, corresponding to one amino acid, contains three code syllables. One gene contains at an average about 1000 code words. The genes are about 3% of all DNA)

(The names of the colors have been written to simplify for those with color blindness)

A DNA string (part of a chromosome) in the germ cell of the mother (green):

The corresponding DNA string in the germ cell of the father (blue) :

(The syllables A and Z are just symbolical to mark the beginning and end of the two corresponding DNA strings).

Through mating, the strings are combined to create the DNA of the body cells:

The combined DNA in the offspring (one green and one blue string):

So in mating, there occurs no manipulation of the natural and orderly sequence of code words and sets of code words, the genes.

3. Genetic engineering, an artificial manipulation of genes

In genetic engineering, one gene or most commonly, a set of a few genes is taken out of the DNA of one organism and inserted into the DNA of another organism. This we call the "insertion package" illustrated in red:

Insertion package (red):

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

This insertion package is inserted into the DNA of the recipient organism.

DNA of the recipient before insertion:

There is no way to make a gene insert in a predetermined location. So the insertion is completely haphazard. Below the insertion package (red) has happened to become inserted in the chromosome string stemming from the mother (green):

DNA of the recipient after insertion:

This means that the sequential order of the genetic code of the mother string has been disrupted by a sequence of codes that are completely out of place. This may have several serious consequences as you find more about in "Is Genetic Engineering a variety of breeding?"[ML].

4. The difference between mating and genetic engineering at a glance

In mating a chromosome from the mother, o-o-o-o (green ) is combined with a chromosome of the father, o-o-o-o (blue). The sequence of DNA "code words" in each chromosome remains unchanged. And the chromosomes remain stable. The mating mechanism has been developed over billions of years and yields stable and reliable results.

Mating:

Genetic engineering:

In genetic engineering, a set of foreign genes, o-o-o-o (red) is inserted haphazardly in the midst of the sequence of DNA "code words" (in this case in the DNA inherited from the mother [green])). The insertion disrupts the ordinary command code sequence in the DNA. This disruption may disturb the functioning of the cell in unpredictable and potentially hazardous ways. The insertion may make the chromosome unstable in an unpredictable way.

A second fundamental difference is that, in genetic engineering, special constructs of genetic material derived from viruses and bacteria are added to the "desired gene". These constructs don't exist in natural food. They are needed for three major purposes:

These constructs may cause trouble of various kinds. See e.g.:

For more about how these constructs work, see: "How are genes engineered" [ML] Explains the technique of Genetic Engineering.

The key assumption of genetic engineering is that you can "tailor" organisms by adding genes with desirable properties. But science has found that genes don't work as isolated carriers of properties. Instead the effects of every gene is the outcome of interaction with its environment. The situation is succinctly summarized by Dr Craig Venter:

"In everyday language the talk is about a gene for this and a gene for that. We are now finding that that is rarely so. The number of genes that work in that way can almost be counted on your fingers, because we are just not hard-wired in that way."

"You cannot define the function of genes without defining the influence of the environment. The notion that one gene equals one disease, or that one gene produces one key protein, is flying out of the window."

Dr. J. Craig Venter, Time's Scientist of the year (2000). President of the Celera Corporation. Dr. Venter is recognized as one of the two most important scientists in the worldwide effort to map the human genome.

Source: Times, Monday February 12, 2001 "Why you can't judge a man by his genes" http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-82213,00.html

This is further explained in "The new understanding of genes" [ML].

Conclusion

So technically, genetic engineering is an unnatural insertion of a foreign sequence of genetic codes in the midst of the orderly sequence of genetic codes of the recipient, developed through millions of years. In addition, powerful artificial genetic constructs are added with potentially problematic effects. This is a profound intervention with unpredictable consequences:

"Up to now, living organisms have evolved very slowly, and new forms have had plenty of time to settle in. Now whole proteins will be transposed overnight into wholly new associations, with consequences no one can foretell, either for the host organism, or their neighbors.... going ahead in this direction may be not only unwise, but dangerous. Potentially, it could breed new animal and plant diseases, new sources of cancer, novel epidemics."

Dr. George Wald. Nobel Laureate in Medicine 1967. Higgins Professor of Biology, Harvard University. (From: 'The Case against Genetic Engineering' by George Wald, in The Recombinant DNA Debate, Jackson and Stich, Eds. P. 127-128. ; Reprinted from The Sciences, Sept./Oct. 1976 issue)

To Students Section

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What is Genetic Engineering? - An elementary introduction ...

Second Amendment Sisters – Self-Defense is a Basic Human Right

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by Leyla Myers SAS Life Member

This past Mother's Day, I wasalone most of the weekend with my two boys,2 months old and almost 3 years old.Oh, what a funweekend that was! If you have kids, you knowthere is a bit of sarcasm inmy saying this. But I love them dearly, and every time I look at them, I thinkof two mothers.One is my mother, and the other is an unknown person that I saw years ago at a random Northern Virginia restaurant. These are two opposite images of two mothers - one helpless in the face of imminent danger; another confident in her ability to protect the child at any time, in any place. I want to be the image of that second mother - to be thefirst person to defend myself and my children. That is something my mother would never be able to do.

You see, I was born and raised in the greatest Soviet Union. When it's reignwas over, my family remained living in what is now an independent Azerbaijan Republic. Most aspects of our lives continued to be the same - shortage of food, grey life style, and a trust that the government knows best what is best for us and one more - that the government and the police will always protect us. My parents were average people, and never owned a gun. They did not have a good cause to own one. Thus,gun ownership as a right or an aspect of daily life did not exist in my mind, my life, my vocabulary. Not ever. No one I knew personally owed a gun. No one I knew ever mentioned a desire to have a gun. Yet I can think of at least three specific moments in my life back home when my safety and even my life was in imminent danger, and all of them happened near or within the walls of my home. Neither of my parents would have been able to defend me nor would I have been able to defend myself. I once asked a police officer if I should carry a folded knife to protect myself from a possibleassault and he told me not to even consider that because even if someone attacked me, if I used the knife I would be prosecuted, andthere would be no excuse for self-defense.

With the collapse of USSR came civil unrest and ethnic wars. My family was in the midst of one such war. One night, when Iwas 13, there were men walking from door to door looking for people like my father who had the misfortune to be born with the 'wrong ethnicity'.Now I know that this is called ethnic cleansing. By luck, my father had left the country a week before. If he was home that night, there would have been no chance of our survival. Since he was gone, my mother and grandmother stood at the door, and used their bodies as a shield between the men and my brother and I. They plead withthe men to spare our lives. The only thing my mother could use was her words and her body to protect us.The men had the weapons, the power and the right to decide what to do. We were lucky thatnight.Many other families were not so lucky.

I came to U.S. in2001 as an adult, alone. I had to learn basic things about life in America - how to buy groceries, choose an apartment, and decide where to go for shoppingandeating. I did not ask my friends or acquaintances, "Do you have agun?" or, "what is your view ongun ownership?"Then, two years after coming to U.S. and living in Virginia, I met myhusband, the gun owner. But even aftermonths of talking to him and others, I was not sureif gun ownership, or even more doubtful, that guncarrying is for me. I kept finding excuses of why I should not carry. I would tell myself and others that Idon't knowwhy I shouldtrouble myself with this liability. My husband is American-born and raised, so he gets to enjoy this right, not me. That was my thought and my excuse.I was not a mother then, not even thinking about starting a family. Then, one evening in Northern Virginia I saw the mother with a child in her hands and a gun in a holster enjoying a meal with friends at a restaurant.It waslike pieces of a puzzle finally falling in all the right places.Suddenly all the pro-carry arguments made sense and there was no turning back. No propaganda genius would ever change my mind, my thoughts on gun ownership. I still don't know who that woman was, but it is every woman who carries a firearm in Virginia whomI am thankful to.

So, today I am proud to be a U.S. citizen, a woman, a wife, a mother, and a gun owner who is ready to defend the lives of my dearest sons.With all due respect to my mother, I am not my mother's defenseless image.

Excerpt from:

A Woman's Self-Defense Guide to Concealed Defense

Conscious Evolution Defined – Foundation for Conscious …

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Conscious evolution is the evolution of evolution, from unconscious to conscious choice. While consciousness has been evolving for billions of years, conscious evolution is new. It is part of the trajectory of human evolution, the canvas of choice before us now as we recognize that we have come to possess the powers that we used to attribute to the gods.

We are poised in this critical moment, facing decisions that must be made consciously if we are to avoid destroying the world as we know it, if we are instead to cocreate a future of immeasurable possibilities. Our conscious evolution is an invitation to ourselves, to open to that positive future, to see ourselves as one planet, and to learn to use our powers wisely and ethically for the enhancement of all life on Earth.

Conscious evolution can also be seen as an awakening of a memory that resides in the synthesis of human knowing, from spiritual to social to scientific. Indeed, all of our efforts to discover the inherent design of life itself can be seen as the process of one intelligence, striving to know itself through our many eyes, and to set the stage for a future of immense cocreativity.

This awakening has gained momentum as 3 new understandings (the 3 Cs) have arisen: Cosmogenesis: This is the recent discovery that the universe has been and is now evolving. As Brian Swimme puts it, time is experienced as an evolutionary sequence of irreversible transformations, rather than as ever-renewing cycles.

Our New Crises: We are faced with a complex set of crises, most especially environmental. We are participating in a global system that is far from equilibrium, conditions that are known to favor a macroshift. This kind of dramatic repatterning can be a sudden shift toward devolution and chaos, or it can be an evolution toward a higher more complex order. At this moment in evolution the outcome depends on our choices, and time is running out. We must change, or suffer dire consequences. Our crises are acting as evolutionary drivers pressuring us to innovate and transform.

Our New Capacities: The advent of radical evolutionary technologies such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, quantum computing, space exploration, etc., offer us the possibility of profound change in the physical world. At the same time that we are facing the possible destruction of our life support systems, we can also see that the tools are there to transform ourselves, our bodies and our world. We can and are actually moving beyond the creature human condition toward a new species, a universal humanity, capable of coevolving with nature.

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Conscious Evolution Defined - Foundation for Conscious ...

Back to the Future: LCWR nuns and Conscious Evolution …

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Card. Mller, when addressing the LCWR nuns, spoke about problems with their Faith. He was not being political. He was not picking on them as women.

Card.Mller was effectively asking them: Do you want to be Catholic?

What the nuns are into is, basically, warmed-up gnosticism. Because we really want to be living in the 2nd century rather than the 21st. We need a new Irenaeus!

Card. Mller spoke to them about how they have gotten into conscious evolution. Lets call it CE. This is pure crap, of course, and spiritually dangerous and some of these nuns are in it up to their necks.

Do you want to do a little reading around the issue?

HERE

An evolutionary spirituality is emerging, experienced as the impulse of evolution, the process of creation, the implicate order, a patterning process coming through our own hearts. It is felt as the sacred core of the evolutionary spiral, the evolving godhead arising, or even incarnating within each of us as our own impulse to co-create. It is the creator-within expressing itself uniquely through each person as a new form of social cosmogenesis. The generating power of universal evolution is guiding us toward a more synergistic, cooperative democracy.

HERE Wow..

At the heart of Gnostic Christianity, as taught in the Sophian Tradition, is the view of Yeshua (Aramaic for Jesus) as a human being who embarked upon a spiritual or mystical journey and became Self-realized or Enlightened; hence attained Supernal or Messianic Consciousness. According to the Sophian Gospel he was not born Christ, but became Christed by the reception of teachings and initiations from his Spiritual Teachers and engaging in spiritual practice and spiritual living. It is said that Yeshua was, indeed, the incarnation of a Great Soul and that he had accomplished the divine labor of Self-realization or Enlightenment in previous lives. Nevertheless, incarnate in the world as a Light-bearer, he had to sojourn the Path to Enlightenment as any other human being. In so doing he became a living example of the Path to Self-realization or Enlightenment and was empowered to teach others how to attain Supernal or Messianic Consciousness.

HERE

This emerging human has been called by many names. Teilhard de Chardin called it the Ultra Human, orHomo progressivus, in whom the flame of expectation burns, attracted toward the future as an organism progressing toward the unknown. Sri Aurobindo, the great Indian evolutionary sage, called this the Gnostic Human, the individual in whom the Consciousness Force itself, the supramental power of universal creativity, incarnates and begins to transform the body/mind into the very cells that evolve beyond the human phase.

Others have called thisHomo noeticus, a being of gnosis or deep knowing of the Field out of which we are co-arising. OrHomo divina, as Sister Judy Cauley puts it. Or the universal human, connected through the heart to the whole of life, awakening from within by the core of the spiral of evolution. The implicate order is becoming explicate in us, turning into the essential self, animated by a passionate life-purpose to express our creativity.

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Back to the Future: LCWR nuns and Conscious Evolution ...

Hillary Clinton wavers on Second Amendment right to bear arms …

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Hillary Clinton declined to say Sunday whether she believes in a constitutional right to bear arms, possibly opening the door to a fresh round of attacks from Donald Trump, who has already accused the likely Democratic presidential nominee of wanting to "abolish" the Second Amendment.

In an interview on ABC's "This Week," Clinton deflected twice when she was asked whether she agrees with the Supreme Court's interpretation of the Second Amendment. The court ruled in 2008 that the Constitution affords private citizens the right to keep firearms in their homes and that such possession need not be connected to military service.

The wording of the Second Amendment has long made the extent of gun-ownership rights a point of contention.

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

Questioned by George Stephanopoulos about her view of the amendment, Clinton talked about a "nuanced reading" and emphasized her belief in the rights of local, state and federal governments to regulate gun ownership. Stephanopoulos, formerly a top aide to President Bill Clinton, wasn't satisfied by the response.

"That's not what I asked," he replied.

Clinton then discussed the right to own a gun as a hypothetical. "If it is a constitutional right," she began her next answer, "then it like every other constitutional right is subject to reasonable regulations."

Here's the full exchange:

STEPHANOPOULOS: Let's talk about the Second Amendment. As you know, Donald Trump has also been out on the stump talking about the Second Amendment and saying you want to abolish the Second Amendment. I know you reject that. But I want to ask you a specific question: Do you believe that an individual's right to bear arms is a constitutional right that it's not linked to service in a militia?

CLINTON: I think that for most of our history there was a nuanced reading of the Second Amendment until the decision by the late Justice [Antonin] Scalia. And there was no argument until then that localities and states and the federal government had a right as we do with every amendment to impose reasonable regulations. So I believe we can have common-sense gun-safety measures consistent with the Second Amendment. And, in fact, what I have proposed is supported by 90 percent of the American people and more than 75 percent of responsible gun owners. So that is exactly what I think is constitutionally permissible and, once again, you have Donald Trump just making outright fabrications, accusing me of something that is absolutely untrue. But I'm going to continue to speak out for comprehensive background checks; closing the gun-show loophole; closing the online loophole; closing the so-called Charleston loophole;reversing the bill that Senator[Bernie] Sanders voted for and I voted against, giving immunity from liability to gun makers and sellers. I think all of that can and should be done, and it is, in my view, consistent with the Constitution.

STEPHANOPOULOS: And, and the Heller decision also says there can be some restrictions. But that's not what I asked. I said, "Do you believe their conclusion that the right to bear arms is a constitutional right?"

CLINTON: If it is a constitutional right, then it like every other constitutional right is subject to reasonable regulations. And what people have done with that decision is to take it as far as they possibly can and reject what has been our history from the very beginning of the republic, where some of the earliest laws that were passed were about firearms. So I think it's important to recognize that reasonable people can say, as I do, responsible gun owners have a right. I have no objection to that. But the rest of the American public has a right to require certain kinds of regulatory, responsible actions to protect everyone else.

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Embracing Spirituality | For the elevation of mankind

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Yesterday a peeper sent me this from the Jamaican star. I know I have written more than once on this topic, which is real, but the Pastors reply had me rolling, lol. Jamaicans say licky licky never fail, and craven choke puppy. Men,do not be too quick to eat from women and women do not be so quick to eat from men, although there are many ways to hang a dog without putting a rope around his neck. Nevertheless, these things are common among all the races, and bad people are all about. If you are ever tempted to do this, please do not. It alters destiny, not only the person you are doing this evil to, but to you also. Remember life is a journey, and people pass through your lives, to teach you something or to open you up to your true potential, and then you both have to move on. If the lesson is harsh, then this is how you chose to receive it. You may have had to experience it many times during your many incarnations here. Also do not forget that you may, in your desperation, bind/tie on (crosses) someone who will cause you your own demise. Try out good ways, and low de people dem pickney, ole Devil oonuh! (Not oonuh mi bloggers, but oonuh just de same, pick de sense outta de nonsense) More

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Embracing Spirituality | For the elevation of mankind

Download Tor Browser for Windows 6.0 – FileHippo.com

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Tor Browser for Windows has been designed to help you preserve your privacy online. Tor Browser is a tool set that can help you anonymize web browsing and publishing, instant messaging, and other applications that use the TCP protocol. This can be helpful for private use and business use.It means that confidential information can be kept from prying eyes. ISPs, key loggers and other types of malware are not able to track your activities easily.

Tor Browser for Windows works by bouncing traffic around a distributed network of servers which it calls "onion routers". The interface allows you to toggle it on and off based upon when you need anonymity online. Tor Browser for Windows also lets you choose from various proxy tunnels based on a world map that displays exactly where each one is located.

Overall, Tor Browser for Windows is a simple, well organized and effective tool for users who are concerned about security or invasions of privacy whilst they are online. The browser interface is a standard, user friendly affair and the application is relatively lightweight.

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Download Tor Browser for Windows 6.0 - FileHippo.com

BTC-E | Bitcoin Exchange, Namecoin Exchange, Litecoin …

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PAPA_JUNIOR: Thanks anyway.

dermaink: transisto prob did it

xXSqUaLLXx: PAPA_JUNIOR, If the btc were withdraw, then he should have received an email for confirmation of withdraw also.

xXSqUaLLXx: On his email. I guess. Which then should have also been confirmed from there. So the mail should have issue I think.

PAPA_JUNIOR: xXSqUaLLXx, never email. only in the transaction history

xXSqUaLLXx: The mail used for btc-e

xXSqUaLLXx: Unless you can move btc without needing confirmation also.

xXSqUaLLXx: PAPA_JUNIOR, So what does he see in the transaction history then.

GoMaDD: aserapig, i know what a ip whitelist is. but where can i set it for btc-e?

PAPA_JUNIOR: at 21:01 withdrawl all of BTC

dermaink: i set one last year when they tryed to get into my account

xXSqUaLLXx: He MUST have received an email on the btc-e mail... Doesn't he ?

StonesP: giving up on crypto

PAPA_JUNIOR: No

COUNTERint: Predatory

dermaink: they got into his email also then

PAPA_JUNIOR: thats weird

GoMaDD: .ok never mind found it. thanks!

xXSqUaLLXx: That's what I say PAPA again. If you make a withdraw , I don't think you can move btc without clicking the email received by btc-e for the withdraw.

gailloski: PAPA_JUNIOR scammer apart, ltc moon guys

xXSqUaLLXx: So that mean : Email must be compromised. And if he has access to it, he should change password asap also.

COUNTERint: Inside

PAPA_JUNIOR: I see

dermaink: thanks for all the chickun will have a lot more when gdax goes chickun lol

xXSqUaLLXx: Ltc is dead, sorry but no.

StonesP: btc why

xXSqUaLLXx: Gdax chikun what a joke.

StonesP: xadg

xXSqUaLLXx: Coblee is all in in eth. since he dumped all his ltc in 2015 totally legit.

PAPA_JUNIOR: gailloski, hope this never happens to you or anyone else.

dermaink: they tried to do it to me last year

malatenango: arizzzeee chickun

PAPA_JUNIOR: Thanks anyway guys

xXSqUaLLXx: PAPA_JUNIOR, Use this rule for you and people you know. Always set 2FA (google authenticator) on anything. Mail / exchanges especially. It add great layers of security.

xXSqUaLLXx: PAPA_JUNIOR, And then you can strenghten securities with other things.

dermaink: ip lock best choice

xXSqUaLLXx: PAPA_JUNIOR, Better safe than sorry. Password is NOT enough.

GoMaDD: lol 2fa != google auth. it's just one way

COUNTERint: Job.

aserapig: white list can be set under profile and security section, there is a choicetop middle for whitelist

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Famous Cartoon Redheads | ReelRundown

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After I finally got around to posting my "Famous Redheads Throughout History" article, I got to thinking. I knew that there was something missing. But what was it? I wasn't sure at the time.

Several people made suggestions, and left great comments, concerning people who had been left out, but still, it felt like something still needed to be done. I was at a loss. You ever get that feeling? You are getting ready to do something, and you know that you forgot something. You leave the house with a feeling like you forgot about something important. The feeling is a little like that. I really hate that feeling, and it will nag at me until I have figured it out.

Then, last night, as I watched hour after hour of Family Guy, it hit me! Cartoons!! Cartoon redheads!! I was leaving out a very important group of redheads that have been a part of my life since childhood! So, naturally, that leads me here. The many ginger-ific cartoon characters and a couple of fictional non-cartoons. You will see what I mean.

*After originally publishing this article, I have received numerous comments. Most of them suggesting additions. It seems as if I have forgotten so many characters. I am sorry for that. They are being added, and an additional article is in the works to cover the overwhelming number of responses I have received.

We all remember those classic cartoons. The ones like The Flintstones and The Jetsons, that have been around forever. I admit, I watched a lot of classic cartoons when I was a kid. I sometimes still do. I don't see anything wrong with that. I have even managed to share some of them with my own daughters.

Having said that, let's take a look at some of them.

The Flintstones gave us not one, but two, beautiful, cartoon redheads. The smart and patient, Wilma Flintstone, who often had her hands full with her bumbling, not-so-bright husband, Fred. She also had Pebbles, another redhead, to tend to. Pebbles was an adorable, bubbly little girl, who already had Bam-Bam fawning over her.

The Jetsons gave us Jane Jetson, futuristic and classy. She too, had a lot to deal with. A fumbling husband who often got himself into trouble, a teenage daughter and a very bright son. Not to mention Astro, the family's beloved dog. At least Jane had the good luck to have a robot maid to help her out. I'm still waiting on my robot maid. I thought they would have had those by now. Unfortunately, all we have are weird, little robot vacuums.

Let's not forget a classic comic strip of iconic status. I am talking about The Peanuts cartoon here. Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the gang. I can't count the number of times I have watched all the Charlie Brown holiday specials. The Christmas one is my favorite. But, do you remember the girl Charlie pined over year after year? She didn't even have a name, and she was rarely seen. "The little red haired girl"; that's all she was ever called, if memory serves me. Such mystery.

As far as classics go, this is a popular favorite even today. Besides a variety of television shows and animated movies, there have also been two live action movies involving this character. Who am I talking about? Daphne Blake from Scooby-Doo, of course! Daphne, and the rest of the Scooby Gang, have been solving mysteries and chasing ghosts for many, many years. She has held up surprisingly well.

A few classic cartoon redheads I seem to have forgotten are Raggedy Ann and Andy. That adorable little rag doll brother and sister team. They are so cute!! I don't know how I forgot about them. I'm pretty sure I had a Raggedy Ann doll when I was little.

Also left off the original list is Josie, from Josie and The Pussycats. Kind of a take off Scooby-Doo, with a trio of girl rockers getting into all sorts of interesting situations. It was another fun cartoon that was also made into a live-action movie several years ago. Warner Brothers also brought us the untamed excitement of one Yosemite Sam. He always made me laugh as a small child.

I do admit. I watch a lot of kids' shows. I have a young daughter, and another not-so-young daughter, and they both love cartoons. I get to see a wide range of children's television thanks to them. Some of it by choice, most of it... not so much. One of them is just breaking into the pre-school aged shows, and the other has moved onto other things.

She used to be a huge fan of Playhouse Disney, on the Disney Channel. She was always asking me if she could watch one show or another. She is a big fan of Winnie the Pooh, and there was a new incarnation of that show on The Disney Channel when my oldest was little. With the help of a little girl named, Darby, Pooh and Tigger solve mysteries. Darby is a cute little cartoon redhead, and the show was decent. I just miss the classic Winnie the Pooh that I remember.

Same thing goes for Strawberry Shortcake. She has completely changed from when I was a kid. Her hair isn't even red anymore. For some reason, it's now pink. She wears pink, not red, and she looks nothing like the Strawberry Shortcake from my childhood. It makes me sad in a way, but I guess in time, all things change. LOL!

Rugrats is another show that has been around for a while. My sister used to watch Rugrats when she was younger, and it's still on today, in re-runs, though the kids have grown up some. Chuckie is the scared best friend of Tommy on the show. With his glasses and spiky red hair, he fits the classic mold of redheaded children as goofy, nerdy or strange. Still, he is likeable and sweet.

As my daughter has gotten older, she has moved on to other cartoon shows, aimed at a slightly older audience. Like the crime fighting, Kim Possible, who saves the world, and goes to cheer-leading practice all in the same day. I actually liked Kim Possible; it was kind of cute and funny, and it sends a positive message to kids.

Other shows I have come across, thanks to her, are Dexter's Laboratory, with little, redheaded genius, Dexter, who is constantly at odds with his sister, Dee-Dee, hiding in his lab, creating various strange inventions.

Or The Powerpuff Girls, with spunky Blossom, leading the group of super-powered little girls, in an effort to stop the plots of villains of many different sorts.

It seems that I have forgotten more in this category than in any other. Where to start? I could double the size of this section alone!

Let's start with Phineas and Ferb. My daughter loves this show, and I just became aware of it a couple years ago, when she asked to watch it. She now has a Candace doll, and we watch the show together. Not only is Phineas a redhead, so are his sister, Candace, and their mother. The show is sweet and funny, and really sparks the imagination. Even my husband will watch it with me.

Another imaginative show with a redheaded character is Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. The character, Frankie helps out at the home, taking care of all sorts of strange and wonderful imaginary friends that have been abandoned or left behind by their children. Sadly, this show is a lot harder to find than it used to be. The few seasons that they made of the show can be found on Netflix, though.

Movies...I love movies. I will watch just about anything. I have seen terrible movies, incredible movies, and some of the silliest movies ever made. Not too often have there been movies involving cartoon redheads. Yes, there have been live action movies that were based on cartoons, that had redheaded characters. That's not what I mean.

There are a couple of exceptions. One is the sexy, Jessica Rabbit from Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Long, flowing red hair, curves everywhere, and a sexy, smokey voice; she had more than just Roger's cartoon heart thumping in that movie. Even flesh and blood characters were not immune to her...charms.

Another notable example is the sassy and tough Princess Fiona, from the Shrek movies. Whether she is a human princess or a big, green ogre, she comes across as strong and confident; not the normal damsel in distress that is characteristic of most fairy tales.

Of course, my favorite is the adorable, Ariel from The Little Mermaid. I still wish I could be her. I loved that movie growing up, and I often watch the cartoon show on the Disney Channel with my daughter. She loves Ariel, as well, and has several dolls and various toys to prove it. She will always be my favorite cartoon redhead.

Another beloved redhead character from the movies was Anastasia. I loved this movie! Even though I was a bit older when it came out, my mom still bought me an Anastasia doll. It was partly as a joke, because my name is short for Anastasia. I recently introduced my daughter to the movie, and she loves it as much as I do.

I don't read comic books, and I honestly know very little about them, so this took some work. I apologize if I leave any comic book redheads out of my list. Please feel free to make suggestions as to redheads I can add to this section or others.

Let's start with Batman. No, Batman is not a redhead. I know that. I am talking about the sexy villain, Poison Ivy, with her wild, flaming red hair and a great affinity for plant life. She manages to seduce every warm-blooded man she can in an attempt to get what she wants.

Now, let's make the leap from Batman to Spiderman. Peter Parker, better known as Spiderman, was in love with a redhead. Of course he was! With red hair, and the name Mary Jane, Spiderman was helpless to resist. Mary Jane shows the sweeter, more innocent side of comic book redheads.

Not so sweet and innocent, but still on the side of good, is Jean Grey, from the X-Men. With her amazing mutant powers, she fights evil, and defends other mutants like herself. She is a strong, independent character, fully capable of taking care of herself.

There have also been male comic characters with red hair. The most notable example is Archie from the Archie comics. Endlessly torn between the adorable and sweet, blonde, Betty and the difficult, but alluring, brunette, Veronica, Archie was engaged in an ongoing struggle that plagues most men.

The only non-comic book addition to this section is the one, the only, Alfred E. Newman. That name may sound familiar to some of you, but where he comes from, should sound familiar to most of you. He was the goofy looking, gap-toothed, cover boy of Mad Magazine.

Added due to suggestions are Brenda Starr, from the comic strip, and Little Orphan Annie.

I was not aware of Brenda Starr, but I knew of Little Orphan Annie, but not that there was a comic strip. I was only aware of the movie musical, and broadway play. Sorry about those. They have been faithfully added now.

While most cartoons are seen as kid's stuff, cartoons are quickly becoming socially acceptable forms of entertainment for the adults of the world. From baby boomers to Gen X-er's, cartoons remind us of our youth, but these cartoons are nothing like the Saturday morning cartoons we faithfully watched every day. These tackle more adult topics, full of adult language, violence and sexuality.

Despite what the opening song says, Family Guy is full of violence and sexual jokes. That doesn't mean it isn't a great show. And where would Family Guy be without the sexy and smart mom, Lois Griffin??

The cartoon MILF, as she is often referred to, not only gets Peter's blood pumping. She is also on the receiving end of unrequited love from the talking family dog, Brian, and the stalker-like behavior of everyone's favorite pervert, Quagmire. She definitely deserves the attention!

One of my favorite shows, now quite absent from the television programing, only to return again, and is now leaving again, is Futurama. It's from the same people who created The Simpsons, but never took off the same way. It does have a faithful, cult following, though. T

he show centers around a man by the name of Fry, who after a pizza delivery gone wrong, ended up in the future. Fry is what you expect from a male redheaded character. He's not too bright, he is socially awkward, and like most of the youth of my time, spends a lot of time watching TV and playing video games. Yet, somehow, he is still endearing.

Of course, I seem to have forgotten one of my favorite redheads! Partly to blame is the fact that more often than not, he is wearing his trademark hat. Of course I am talking about Kyle from South Park.

I love South Park. They make fun of everything that people take so seriously. While it may be disturbing and vulgar at times, ok, most of the time, it is a good reminder to not take life so seriously, and we should all be able to laugh at ourselves sometimes.

The last redhead in this category comes from a lesser known show that used to be on Comedy Central. That show is Drawn Together, and the character is Princess Clara. Draw Together is an animated parody of reality shows like Survivor and Big Brother.

Princess Clara closely resembles a princess out of a Walt Disney movie, and sounds that way, as well. With her super conservative views, and various other interesting characteristics, she often butts heads with the other characters.

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Famous Cartoon Redheads | ReelRundown

26 NYC islands you might not even know existed – Thrillist …

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26 NYC islands you might not even know existed Flickr/ Brian Clift

Whether you still get turned around in the West Village or are one of those people who "doesn't do Brooklyn", there are a lot of places in NYC you still haven't had a chance to check out. Chief among them: the roughly two-dozen other islands that populate the five boroughs, including one you can kayak to, and another that's about to be home to "Hammock Grove", a 10-acre section of 1500 trees strewn with hammocks. Because we were super bored beating Battletoads for the 1000th time, we put together a guide to every single one worth knowing about.

1. The Blauzes Their name means 'Little Blue Ones' in Belgian-French, which is apparently a language, and they're part of a reef, which is apparently a thing New York has.

2. Chimney Sweeps Islands There used to be a bar on the island that served local chimney sweeps? boaters, until the government bought the island, closed the bar, ruined everything, and turned it into part of Pelham Bay Park.

3. City Island This is actually as close as you'll probably get to a seaside getaway in the city. It's the only inhabited island in the borough, and is home to a ton of fun seafood places. We like Sammy's Shrimp Box, Lobster Box, and Crab Shanty in particular.

4. Hart Island Sadly not named after Bret "The Hitman", there is some controversy as to whether it was named for its shape, or the English word for Stag -- it's variously been home to POW camps, a reformatory, a missile base, and a burial field for the Department of Corrections. Fun times!

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5. High Island It was once much, much more-terrifyingly named Shark Island.

6. Rat Island Covered in rocks, mussel shells, and bird sh*t, this adorably named land mass is actually private property owned by a dude who snatched it up and is now hosting BBQs all over it.

7. Twin Island Don't be fooled: this isn't even actually an island anymore (nice try Twin!), thanks to the landfill connecting it to Orchard Beach and Rodman's Neck.

8. North Brother Island This is the island where they kept typhoid fever Patient Zero, Typhoid Mary. Maybe don't go here.

9. South Brother Island Jacob Ruppert -- the former Yankees owner who bought Babe Ruth and was the President of the United States Brewer's Association -- had a summer home here for a while, making it pretty much the boss-est island of the early 20th century.

10. Rikers Island It was settled by Abraham Rycker, used as a training field for Union soldiers, and you probably never want to go here.

11. Canarsie Pol or Small Marshland Island It's an uninhabited island that you can kayak to (other boats probably work too, but you can definitely launch kayaks from nearby Canarsie Pier). It used to be smaller, but when they dredged to make way for ships, they dropped the dirt here.

12. Ruffle Bar They have a bunch of fixin's laid out, so you can top them with queso, ranch ohhhhh, wait, you meant Ruffle Bar ISLAND. Yeah, this used to be a booming area for the clam and ester industries before it became too polluted.

13. Mau Mau Island In 2011, an art collective (Flux Factory) organized a DIY boat party, complete with a pop-up bar and "boat jousting", and called it the Battle for Mau Mau Island. See all the cool s**t you're missing by not being into art!?

14 & 15. Ellis Island and Liberty Island They're kind of actually in New Jersey.

16. Governors Island You know it's home to concerts, parties, and rehabilitated castles, but did you also know that it's the future home of "Hammock Grove", a 10-acre section of 1500 trees strewn with hammocks?

17. Mill Rock This was part of the formation that made up Hell Gate, until the US Army Corps of Engineers blew up the the adjoining Flood Rock with what was said to be the largest planned-explosion in the US before testing started on the Atomic Bomb.

18. Randalls/ Wards Islands Randalls and Wards are connected by landfill, and loaded with activities from concerts like Governors Ball and Electric Zoo, to an urban farm, to a golf center with batting cages & a beer garden. There's also a rich history involving the Revolutionary War that we've chosen not to explain because, beer garden.

19. Roosevelt Island Once called Hog Island, Blackwell Island, and Welfare Island, Roosevelt Island is MAX 800ft-wide, and you 1) probably looked at an apartment here once, and 2) didn't get the apartment but still really want to take the tram someday. Also: Grandpa from The Munsters used to live here.

20. U Thant or Belmont Island This is the smallest island in Manhattan -- it was created by the construction of tunnels beneath it that now operate the 7 train, and its only inhabitants are a colony of Double-crested Cormorants and the "Oneness Arch", which holds personal items of the namesake former United Nations Secretary-General.

21. Broad Channel It's actually called Rules Bar Hassock, which is a lot less catchy than Broad Channel. It's the only populated island in Jamaica Bay and if you're wondering why, it's probably because of their bagel place The Bay Gull Store, which does "famous cheese bagels" with cheese melted into the top half.

22 & 23. Hoffman Island and Swinburne Island These guys were once used to anchor anti-submarine nets during WWII, so now you know anti-submarine nets are a thing.

24 & 25. Isle of Meadows and Prall's Island Sadly, you can't go to either of these unless you live in the nesting habitats/are a bird.

26. Shooters Island The boundary between NJ and NY runs through this island, which is under the sole purview of Shooter McGavin was where one of the first news movies of all-time was shot in 1902, under the direction of Thomas Edison (it featured the launching of a yacht for Wilhelm II). It's also now another bird sanctuary.

View NYC islands you might not even know existed in a larger map

Published on 11/14/2013

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26 NYC islands you might not even know existed - Thrillist ...