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Government waives obstacles to border fence
By Randall Mikkelsen
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government waived environmental and other regulations that it said on Tuesday threatened to delay completion of nearly 500 miles of a planned barrier fence along the border with Mexico.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who has chafed at obstacles to the controversial barrier project, issued the waivers for stretches of land in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The fence is intended to deter illegal crossings by immigrants, drug runners and others.
"Criminal activity at the border does not stop for endless debate or protracted litigation," Chertoff said in a statement. "Congress and the American public have been adamant that they want and expect border security. We're serious about delivering it."
Illegal immigration is a major issue in this year's presidential and congressional election campaigns. Opponents of the fence include landowners reluctant to surrender their property and environmentalists concerned the barrier would threaten fragile habitats and rare animal species such as the ocelot.
Chertoff has three times previously issued waivers to bypass environmental restrictions to the fence project, using authority granted by Congress in mandating the fence.
The Homeland Security Department said one of the new waivers applied to various projects across 470 miles in the four states bordering Mexico. It will facilitate construction of fencing, towers, sensors, cameras, detection equipment and roads.
The other waiver applies to a 22-mile levee and border barrier project in Hidalgo County, Texas.
The department said a "substantial portion" of the land covered by the waivers had already undergone environmental reviews and the rest would be reviewed before construction begins. "The department remains deeply committed to environmental responsibly," it said.
Tuesday's waivers do not apply to lawsuits filed by landowners contesting the department's right to survey their property for fence construction, department spokeswoman Laura Keehner said.
A U.S. judge's ruling last month -- that the Homeland Security Department must negotiate with landowners before condemning their property for survey rights -- threatened to delay construction on some portions of the fence.
Keehner said the department remains on track to completing the planned 670 miles of fencing by the end of this year. Some 309 miles of the fence have already been built.
A government report, however, has said the legal disputes could threaten the timeline.
The fence project also has been marred by problems in a 28-mile high-tech "virtual fence" intended as a pilot for technology to be widely used along the border.
(Editing by Mohammad Zargham) | <urn:uuid:69881a66-1a8c-421d-873f-b4cbbe7091e6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/33952 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964094 | 526 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Most Active Stories
Valley Public Radio Staff
Wed October 10, 2012
Jack Welch Says He Was 'Right About That Strange Jobs Report'
Originally published on Wed October 10, 2012 5:52 am
When former General Electric CEO Jack Welch tweeted on Friday that the drop in the unemployment rate last month was "unbelievable" and that President Obama and his campaign aides "will do anything ... can't debate so change numbers," he aligned himself with conspiracy theorists who were asking if some sort of "October surprise" had been pulled.
Labor Secretary Hilda Solis branded such talk "ludicrous." Economists pointed to the Labor Department's elaborate procedures for keeping its work secret as evidence that the numbers are beyond political influence.
Welch, while conceding that "if I could write that tweet again, I would have added a few question marks at the end, as with my earlier tweet, to make it clear I was raising a question," writes in The Wall Street Journal that he still thinks the unemployment report was "downright implausible."
And, he says, the way he's been treated the past few days is akin to how someone who questions authority might be handled in "Soviet Russia [or] ... Communist China."
According to Welch, "mobs of administration sympathizers" have said he should be embarrassed and called him a "fool, or worse."
As for the drop in the jobless rate from 8.3 percent in July to 8.1 percent in August and 7.8 percent in September, Welch says:
"The economy is not in a free-fall. Oil and gas are strong, automotive is doing well and we seem to be seeing the beginning of a housing comeback. But I doubt many of us know any businessperson who believes the economy is growing at breakneck speed, as it would have to be for unemployment to drop to 7.8% from 8.3% over the course of two months."
So what would explain a bad number? Welch points to the possibility of "subjectivity creeping into the process" as information was collected from households about who was and wasn't working in recent months. | <urn:uuid:52d5a951-b9e6-4a44-ab35-c5e8fdaa20f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kvpr.org/post/jack-welch-says-he-was-right-about-strange-jobs-report | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983116 | 441 | 1.617188 | 2 |
News of Riverton, Lander and Fremont County, Wyoming, from the Ranger's award winning journalists.
Tribal waste official blasts county for rejecting trash offer
Jun 14, 2012 - By Martin Reed, Staff Writer
The Fremont County Solid Waste Disposal District board's decision to reject a proposal concerning Wind River Indian Reservation trash management is getting harsh criticism from the tribal representative involved in the talks.
Wind River Environmental Quality Commission solid waste coordinator Ryan Ortiz said the county agency's offer of less money than he proposed for tribal management of four trash transfer stations is destined for failure.
"The proposal in place that I gave them was a give-and-take proposal by both entities, not something ... that's been proven not to work, and they just want to pass the responsibility onto us," Ortiz said.
Ortiz proposed the district would pay roughly $505,000 annually for the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes to take over management and transportation aspects at transfer sites in Ethete, Crowheart, Fort Washakie and on 17 Mile Road.
The tribes would pay the disposal fee of 4 cents a pound at the county facilities, Ortiz said. He estimated that at 6.3 million pounds of trash collected annually at the four reservation sites, the tribes would pay the district $265,000 in tipping fees.
During their meeting Monday, the district board members rejected his offer as too high and decided to propose a payment of $375,000 -- an amount equal to the district's costs for managing the sites.
Ortiz noted the payment to the tribes after giving the tipping fees would amount to $110,000 annually.
"I can do nothing. I can't operate (with $110,000)," Ortiz said. "They cannot be profitable with $375,000, and they don't charge themselves anything when they go across the scales."
Ortiz said the estimated 6.3 million pounds of trash collected at the sites came from figures the solid waste district provided at public hearings in Riverton last year.
During the meeting, Ortiz presented estimated operational costs that include total equipment time at about $114 an hour at 6.75 hours a day.
"There's two factors," Ortiz said later. "There's the operational costs of what it actually costs to operate the facilities, and then there's the per-pound charge. That's what fluctuates on how much intake we have, how much we can divert, how much recycling there is and how prudent we can be with our system."
The fee proposed by the district will not work and the board's action to terminate the contract with the tribes in six months raises further doubt about trash collection on the reservation.
'Expect equal service'
"They voted to terminate the contract, so I guess we're awaiting to get the letter to terminate the contract, and I don't know. I don't know what the next step is now," Ortiz said.
"I do know one thing," he added. "The tribes expect equal service and equal protection, and we'll fight for that."
A $1 million grant received by the tribes for trash collection is also in doubt with the board's actions, Ortiz said at the district's meeting.
"We have been given a bit of a timeline with the $1 million grant," he said. "We may have to back out of this completely if we don't come to an agreement quickly." | <urn:uuid:5cfe6bf9-6557-4286-a322-394101c4f9a6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dailyranger.com/story.php?story_id=2063&headline=Tribal-waste-official-blasts-county-for-rejecting-trash-offer | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974664 | 707 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Fresh figures on the US jobs market come out Friday, with a lot more than usual riding on them: new stimulus from Federal Reserve, and the poll numbers for President Barack Obama as he fights to keep his job.
With the employment situation stagnant this year -- the jobless rate is stuck at a high 8.3 percent -- the new data for August could say a lot about the strength of the economy, as it weathers a global downturn and a domestic stalemate on economic policy.
Chances are, economists say, the numbers will fall in the tepid range of July. The 163,000 net jobs created in July was more than double the average for a dismal April-June, giving some hope for a rebound.
But in fact it was barely above the average of 2011-2012, and far below the 200,000-plus level of December-February, when confidence was running high.
"At this point in the economic cycle, the economy should be generating over 250,000 new jobs each month," pointed out Fred Dickson at DA Davidson & Co.
Analysts are predicting 130,000 new jobs, slightly below average for the year, with the jobless rate hanging at 8.3 percent. That would serve as confirmation that the economy has modest strength, but not enough to have a rapid and lasting impact on overall unemployment.
The numbers come two months before voters go to the polls in a presidential election seen as a referendum on Obama's economic stewardship, especially whether he could have done better pulling the country out of recession.
Republican challenger Mitt Romney argues that the high level of officially unemployed as well as labor force dropouts, more than 19 million Americans combined, is evidence that Obama has failed.
"I don't recall a time when these jobs numbers... were as politically significant as they'll be this Friday," said Robert Reich, US secretary of labor in the 1990s and now a professor at University of California at Berkeley.
"If the trend is good -- if the rate of unemployment drops and the number of payroll jobs is as good if not better than it was in July -- President Obama's claim we're on the right track gains crucial credibility.
"But if these numbers are moving in the wrong direction, Romney's claim the nation needs a new start may appear more credible."
The data will also set the tone for monetary policy, ahead of the September 12-13 meeting of the Federal Reserve's policy board, the Federal Open Market Committee.
Last week Fed chief Ben Bernanke laid out his case for the FOMC to take more action to boost the economy, citing the lack of progress this year on jobs and the rise in long-term joblessness.
"The economic situation is obviously far from satisfactory," he said at the Fed's annual conference of central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
"The stagnation of the labor market in particular is a grave concern not only because of the enormous suffering and waste of human talent it entails, but also because persistently high levels of unemployment will wreak structural damage on our economy that could last for many years," he said.
Bernanke's argument for Fed action hinged on his seeing too little that was positive in the flow of data that make up the pieces of the US economy puzzle.
The recent numbers remain mixed. Auto sales were strong in August, but the manufacturing sector showed a third straight monthly contraction last month, according to the Institute for Supply Management's purchasing managers survey.
But on Thursday the ISM index for the much larger services sector showed a pickup in the pace of growth, and two other indicators -- the weekly new claims for unemployment insurance and a private-sector layoffs measurement -- were also better than expected.
"Based on the tone of the minutes of the last Fed meeting, as well as Chairman Bernanke's Jackson Hole speech, we sense that policymakers are inclined to do something to further ease monetary policy -- but the employment data could influence specifically which measures are adopted," said Joseph LaVorgna of Deutsche Bank.
Middling numbers, around 150,000 new jobs, would likely see the Fed opting to be more aggressive in its verbal signals of keeping its easy money policies in place for the medium term.
"If there is a sharp negative surprise from the employment figures, say payrolls come in below 75,000 and the unemployment rate rises a couple of tenths, then the Fed would undertake QE (quantitative easing) in addition to our expected language changes," LaVorgna said. | <urn:uuid:6342affe-8185-4eaa-ada7-5b6a3e250c94> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sg.news.yahoo.com/fed-stimulus-obamas-fate-riding-jobs-numbers-090337406.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962979 | 918 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Congress last year mandated the Federal Aviation Administration step up oversight of the growing trend by U.S. carriers of outsourcing aircraft maintenance to foreign repair stations.
The 2012 aviation authorization (PL 112-95) requires the FAA to ensure that foreign repair stations are inspected to guarantee standards consistent with U.S. requirements. The law also requires foreign repair stations allowed to conduct FAA-sanctioned maintenance to administer drug and alcohol tests consistent with U.S. requirements. The issue is gaining new attention with the proposed merger of U.S. Airways and American Airlines — one of the last major domestic airlines to conduct most of its maintenance in-house.
Before 2001, most U.S. airlines performed the bulk of their aircraft maintenance themselves. But by 2011, 44 percent of maintenance dollars were spent on outside contractors, according to the Transportation Department. The agency’s inspector general said that 71 percent of the airframe heavy maintenance for nine major U.S. carriers in 2007 was outsourced, with 27 percent of the work going to foreign repair stations, where labor costs are lower.
North America and Europe still hold the biggest share of airline maintenance work, but Chinese government subsidies, along with investments by aircraft manufacturers Boeing Co. and Airbus, have turned China into a major player.
With easy proximity to the U.S., El Salvador — with three FAA-certified repair stations — handles major maintenance work for many American carriers. There has been concern about the quality of work at foreign stations since 1995, when the crash of a DC-9 flown by the defunct ValuJet was blamed on errors by a Turkish maintenance facility. But a Congressional Research Service report in December found little evidence to support a decline in safety in recent years as dependence on outsourcing has grown.
“Although some experts believe that safety is being compromised and the regulation and oversight of foreign repair stations needs to be improved, analyses of recent trends do not provide obvious evidence that maintenance outsourcing has adversely affected airline safety,” the CRS concluded.
Rep. Bill Cassidy has his blood drawn by Alesha Barbour during a free hepatitis screening in the Rayburn House Office Building hosted by the Congressional Viral Hepatitis Caucus to recognize "National Viral Hepatitis Testing Day."
Roll Call has launched a new feature, Hill Navigator, to advise congressional staffers and would-be staffers on how to manage workplace issues on Capitol Hill. Please send us your questions anything from office etiquette, to handling awkward moments, to what happens when the work life gets too personal. Submissions will be treated anonymously. | <urn:uuid:4dc2d572-8b5e-44b4-a6db-58b75d315356> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rollcall.com/news/congress_wary_of_outsourcing_aircraft_maintenance-222830-1.html?pos=adp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956636 | 522 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Nowadays the opening ceremony takes place in the Riksdag building. And the Hall of State is still used for official functions.
Carl Hårleman was the architect in charge of the room´s interior design. Hårleman formed the room closely to plans drawn up by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger.
The room was ready for the Parliamentary Opening of 1755 and was where parliamentary meetings where held under the chairmanship of the King.
The silver throne was a gift to Queen Kristina from Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie for her coronation in 1650. The craftsmanship was done by Abraham Drentwett in Augsburg.
The information above provides the general focus of guided tours at the Hall of State. The more detailed content of the tour depends on the focus of the tour guide on duty.
A guided tour of the Hall of State can be booked as a complement to a guided tour of the Royal Apartments. | <urn:uuid:2805bc4e-db13-4722-902f-42135221c953> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kungahuset.se/royalcourt/royalpalaces/theroyalpalace/thepalace/visitus/groupvisits/tourdescriptions/theroyalapartments/thehallofstate.4.396160511584257f21800012161.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948006 | 198 | 1.726563 | 2 |
How Hamas and Islamic Jihad use 'journalism' as a cover for terrorismjournalists by day and terrorists by night.
Al-Shamalah had no connection to anything media-related. But that isn’t the case for all Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives who try to claim the title of “journalist”. Some of them do, in fact, carry cameras, but they are paid by a terrorist organization, and they are serving the goals of a terrorist organization.
For example, Mahmoud Al-Kumi and Hussam Salama [pictured] were Hamas operatives and cameramen for Hamas’ Al-Aqsa television network, which regularly features programming that encourages and praises attacks on Israeli civilians. The IDF targeted Al-Kumi and Salama on Nov. 20.
Palestinian media reported that the two men were indeed Hamas operatives.
Faced with serious accusations of Al-Aqsa TV’s connections to terrorism, the head of the network, Mohammad Thouraya, denied that Al-Aqsa was the voice of Hamas — a hard fact to deny, since the channel is financed and controlled by Hamas — but he did admit that his employees were “all part of the resistance.”
Being “part of the resistance”, in other words, could mean that those carrying a camera during the day could be carrying rockets at night.
Another example: Mohammed Abu Aisha was an employee of Al-Quds Radio, which some media outlets have labeled an “educational” network. Abu Aisha was also an Islamic Jihad terrorist, and that’s why his car was targeted in an IDF airstrike on Nov. 20. Abu Aisha appears on Islamic Jihad’s official website — in an Islamic Jihad uniform.Read the whole thing.
Yes, of course it violates the Geneva Convention to have terrorists dress up as journalists. | <urn:uuid:18278e40-7558-4c68-be1e-412373c36549> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://israelmatzav.blogspot.com/2012/11/how-hamas-and-islamic-jihad-use.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975211 | 389 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Japanese agencies vulnerable to viruses
A large number of computers at Japanese ministries and police agencies are dangerously vulnerable to cyber attacks and viral infections, a government survey, quoted in an AFP report, said.
The AFP report said the study gave “D” grades to the foreign ministry, National Police Agency and Imperial Household Agency among other major agencies, saying that fewer than 60% of their computers were adequately protected.
At Telecom Asia.
[ Read more ]
By subscribing to our early morning news update, you will receive a daily digest of the latest security news published on Help Net Security.
With over 500 issues so far, reading our newsletter every Monday morning will keep you up-to-date with security risks out there. | <urn:uuid:b29aa414-210e-4e79-8a33-6b1dab7f2f0f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.net-security.org/news.php?id=11855 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946515 | 148 | 1.742188 | 2 |
North Korea fires long-range rocket
JEAN H. LEE
PYONGYANG, North Korea — North Korea fired a long-range rocket early Friday, South Korean and U.S. officials said, defying international warnings against moving forward with a launch widely seen as a provocation.
Space officials had announced they would launch a satellite this week as part of celebrations honoring North Korea founder Kim Il Sung, and liftoff took place at 7:39 a.m. from the west coast launch pad in the hamlet of Tongchang-ri, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul said, citing South Korean and U.S. intelligence.
However, the launch appeared to have failed, with the rocket splintering into pieces moments after takeoff, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said in Seoul.
“We suspect the North Korean missile has fallen as it divided into pieces minutes after liftoff,” Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok told reporters.
In Washington, a U.S. official also said the launch appeared to have failed. The official offered no further details and would not discuss the source of the information.
Tokyo, which was prepared to shoot down any rocket flying over its territory, also confirmed a launch from North Korea.
“We have confirmed that a certain flying object has been launched and fell after flying for just over a minute,” Japan’s Defense Minister Naoki Tanaka said. He said there was no impact on Japanese territory.
“For all their advanced technology, these rockets are fairly fragile things,” said Brian Weeden, a technical adviser at Secure World Foundation who is a former Air Force officer at the U.S. Space Command. “You’re looking at a metal cylinder that has fairly thin walls that contains a lot of high pressure liquid.”
In Pyongyang, there was no word about a launch, and at the time, state television was broadcasting video of popular folk tunes. North Korean officials said they would make an announcement about the launch “soon.”
North Korea had earlier announced it would send a three-stage rocket mounted with a satellite as part of celebrations honoring late President Kim Il Sung, whose 100th birthday is being celebrated Sunday.
A failure would be a huge blow to a nation that has staked its pride on a satellite launch seen as a show of strength amid persistent economic hardship as North Korea’s young new leader, Kim Jong Un, solidifies power following the death of his father, longtime leader Kim Jong Il, four months ago.
North Korean space officials said the Unha-3 rocket is meant to send a satellite into orbit to study crops and weather patterns — its third bid to launch a satellite since 1998. Officials took foreign journalists to the west coast site to see the rocket and the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite Sunday in a bid to show its transparency amid accusations of defiance.
The United States, Britain, Japan and others have called such a launch a violation of U.N. resolutions prohibiting North Korea from nuclear and ballistic missile activity.
Experts say the Unha-3 carrier is the same type of rocket that would be used to launch a long-range missile aimed at the U.S. and other targets. North Korea has tested two atomic devices but is not believed to have mastered the technology needed to mount a nuclear warhead on a long-range missile.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, speaking for the Group of Eight nations after their foreign ministers met in Washington, said Thursday that all the members of the bloc agreed to be prepared to take further action against North Korea in the Security Council if the launch went ahead.
“Pyongyang has a clear choice: It can pursue peace and reap the benefits of closer ties with the international community, including the United States; or it can continue to face pressure and isolation,” Clinton said.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak was convening an emergency security meeting, officials said.
According to projections, the first stage of the rocket was to fall into the ocean off the western coast of South Korea, while a second stage would fall into waters off the eastern coast of the Philippine island of Luzon.
Weeden said the launch appeared to be a failure of both space and missile objectives.
“The earlier it breaks up, the less data you’ve collected, so the less useful that test is likely to be,” he said. “It’s very likely that the U.S. and its allies probably gathered more info about this test than the North Koreans have.”
He said U.S. and other nations had been poised to keep close watch on the launch to gather intelligence about the state of North Korea’s rocket program. | <urn:uuid:963b03c0-1808-4af0-b7f9-e1dec5608ef3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://delgazette.com/2012/04/north-korea-fires-long-range-rocket/?wpmp_switcher=mobile | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968197 | 997 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Ellen Sweeney, RD
Last Modified: June 14, 2002
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts,"
The radiation treatment cured my Nasopharyngeal cancer 18 years ago but I also lost the ability to swallow food. Last March, a peg-24 tube was installed but the tube is worn-out and needs to be replaced now. Doctor told me new tube will have to be inserted from my mouth. I wonder are there other ways to replace the tube? Do you know tube products that will last longer, say 5-10 years?
Ellen Sweeney, RD, Clinical Nutrition Specialist at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania responds:
PEG stomach tubes are initially placed endoscopically (a scope goes down the throat to help guide placement of the tube through the wall of the stomach) It sounds like yours was initially. Typically, when the tubing gets worn it may pull away from the stomach wall and cause leakage near the stomach insertion point. However, if leakage is only occurring at the port site (the end of the tubing where the formula is poured), you may be able to just replace the port/catheter part of the tubing. The office that inserted the tube may be able to replace this part for you.
When a PEG 'wears out', the replacement process usually does not involve another endoscopic procedure. The tubing is usually pulled out through the stomach site and then replaced through the stomach site with a new catheter for feeding. Most institutions use one standard type of tubing so there is not usually more than one tubing to choose from. You may want to talk with the physician or staff who initially put in your PEG to discuss this further. | <urn:uuid:f9b788d6-ffc9-4560-a663-0a15e56686e1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.oncolink.org/experts/article1.cfm?id=1558&c=10 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94934 | 346 | 1.609375 | 2 |
At the heart of our diocese are the People of God. These are the women, men and children who have accepted Jesus' invitation to "live life to the full". They are the disciples charged with the mission of bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to everyone. Jesus offers all people a way to belong, a way to be healed, a life of meaning and a life of service.
We welcome newcomers to "come and see" what our faith community has to offer. Seekers are welcome to explore our connect section or contact us to know more.
The People of God gather together as Church in local areas. To find out more about our parishes, visit our Parish page.
Any group of people requires a leader. The one who cares for the People of God in Wollongong Diocese is Bishop Peter Ingham.
The Bishop calls on priests and deacons to care for such a large number of people. Our parishes are served by our clergy. You will find a full listing of our clergy here.
Within our diocese we recognise that there are people who require special services.
One way we care for special groups of people is by supporting them through a chaplain.
A full list of our chaplaincies can be found here.
There are a number of Catholic primary and secondary schools in our diocese which seek to form our students in the Catholic faith, deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ, and offer excellence in education. For a full listing of our schools visit our Catholic Education Office website. There are also Catholic Schools run by Religious Congregations and Communities; for a listing of all Catholic Schools in our Diocese, visit this section.
Our Bishop, in caring for the People of God, has formed representative bodies of experienced women and men, to advise him on special mission areas. These bodies can be found under "councils" on our services page.
The Bishop has established some key agencies and services to assist him in support of the People of God and their care of the wider community. These services include:
- Catholic Education Office
- CatholicCare (formerly Centacare)
- Catholic Development Fund, Wollongong.
- Tribunal of the Catholic Church
The Bishop's office includes a number of people in specialised roles who support the Bishop in his care of the diocese. They are listed here.
Within our diocese are many communities of people who have committed themselves to serving God and our Church in special ways.
A full listing of these communities can be found here.
Other people in our diocese identify with some of the institutes of consecrated life and seek to adopt their special way of life, or charism. They continue to work in their normal jobs and remain married or single, yet find the fullest expression of their life through a particular order. Information about these orders can be found on our services page.
- Lay Carmelites of the Third Order of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mt Carmel
- Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites
- Josephite Associates
- Secular Franciscan Order
- Good Samaritan Associates
While not specifically established by the Bishop, there are a wide range of vibrant Catholic groups and organisations operating in and around our diocese. For a listing visit our Services page. | <urn:uuid:b880f2ab-070b-42a7-9575-e39f59ba1f46> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dow.org.au/bishop-peter-ingham/category/people | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964863 | 679 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Samsung may be the latest, but it likely won't be the last when it comes to paying royalties to Microsoft. Google's Android operating system may be dominating the smartphone market -- putting it well of Apple's iOS and RIM's Blackberry OS -- but some manufacturers are paying the price via lawsuits and license agreements .
Samsung is already feeling the pinch from Apple with regards to software and hardware design patents, and Microsoft just scored a nice steady stream of cash today from Samsung (estimated to be anywhere from $10 to $13 per Android handset/tablet) thanks to a new licensing agreement.
Now, new statements from Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith suggest that the boys from Redmond are just getting started. “So far we have not seen a single Android device that does not infringe on our patents,” said Smith to Kara Swisher of AllThingsD.
Microsoft has already roped HTC into a licensing agreement (it even signed up Viewsonic and Acer), and bringing Samsung along for the ride covers a huge chunk of the Android devices on the market today.
“I think there is a good chance we will look back at today and say this was the day that we reached a tipping point in the market,” Smith continued.
For its part, a representative from Google blasted the agreement and questioned Microsoft's motives. The company released the following statement to TechCrunch:
This is the same tactic we’ve seen time and again from Microsoft. Failing to succeed in the smartphone market, they are resorting to legal measures to extort profit from others’ achievements and hinder the pace of innovation. We remain focused on building new technology and supporting Android partners.
After that response, Frank Shaw, Microsoft’s Head of Communications, took to Twitter to kick some dirt into Google’s eyes:
Given the statements from Smith and Shaw, it appears that Microsoft is just getting started with Android licensing agreements. Motorola had better watch its back, because the belly of the beast isn't quite full yet.
quote: Microsoft sang a very different tune in 1991. In a memo to his senior executives, Bill Gates wrote, “If people had understood how patents would be granted when most of today’s ideas were invented, and had taken out patents, the industry would be at a complete standstill today.” Mr. Gates worried that “some large company will patent some obvious thing” and use the patent to “take as much of our profits as they want.”Mr. Gates wrote his 1991 memo shortly after the courts began allowing patents on software in the 1980s. At the time Microsoft was a growing company challenging entrenched incumbents like I.B.M. and Novell. It had only eight patents to its name. Recognizing the threat to his company, Mr. Gates initiated an aggressive patenting program. Today Microsoft holds more than 6,000 patents.It’s not surprising that Microsoft — now an entrenched incumbent — has had a change of heart. But Mr. Gates was right in 1991: patents are bad for the software industry. | <urn:uuid:22c189ae-2dba-4794-8aeb-89c0a6699b92> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=22874&commentid=719024&threshhold=1&red=5612 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96587 | 636 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Alcohol-related laws for boat operators should be the same as those for highway vehicle drivers, say Department of Natural Resources law enforcement officials.
“It is inconsistent that we allow open containers in boats, but not in highway vehicles,” said Robert Garrison, chief of the DNR’s Law Enforcement Bureau.
It is also inconsistent that boat operators can legally drink while driving as long as they don’t exceed the 0.08 blood alcohol limit, said Garrison, who served eight years as chief of the Iowa State Patrol before stints with the Department of Corrections and the DNR.
Sobriety afloat will be especially important during the upcoming Memorial Day weekend when many of Iowa’s 229,000 registered boats will take to the water.
Garrison and Jennifer Lancaster, DNR law enforcement supervisor for northeast Iowa, praised the Legislature for reducing the legal blood-alcohol limit for boaters from 0.10 to 0.08 last year, making that threshold consistent with the legal limit for drivers of highway vehicles.
The same justifications for restricting alcohol on the highway would apply to restricting it on the water, Lancaster said.
Garrison and Lancaster said they would support law changes that would further reduce or eliminate remaining inconsistencies.
“Boating and alcohol do not mix. I think it would be great if boaters could not drink at all,” Lancaster said.
Lancaster said the DNR has been encouraging designated boat operators who abstain from alcohol.
The DNR has no immediate plans to ask the Legislature to change boating laws, said spokesman Kevin Baskins. Educational campaigns to encourage Iowans to “leave the alcohol on shore” are in the works, he said.
Susan Stocker, the DNR’s boating law administrator, said she knows of no state that has banned open alcohol containers in boats. A bill to do so was introduced last year in the Nebraska Legislature, but it never made it out of committee, she said.
Wind, wave action, sun and glare can magnify the intoxicating effects of alcohol, she said.
Stocker said 54 boaters were cited last year for boating while intoxicated — a condition that slows reaction time and impairs judgment. The DNR also recorded 38 boating accidents last year, well below the state’s annual average of 54.
This past weekend, four people died when two boats collided at 2 a.m. Saturday on the Mississippi River. Authorities said Monday it was not yet known if alcohol played a role, but Des Moines County Sheriff Mike Johnstone said the boats were shuttling partyers to shore from an island.
Iowa boating fatalities totaled four last year, five in 2010, three in 2009, none in 2008, 10 in 2007 and five in 2006. Of the 23 boating fatalities recorded from 2006 through 2010, 13 (or 56.5 percent) involved alcohol, according to DNR statistics.
Stocker said the Mississippi River, Coralville Lake and lakes within state parks will be among Eastern Iowa’s most popular areas for motor boats on Memorial Day weekend.
That’s why the Army Corps of Engineers will step up patrols this weekend on Coralville Lake.
“Memorial Day weekend is typically the busiest of all the weekends,” said Randy Haas, chief ranger at Coralville Lake. “The DNR will be out with probably a couple of boats. Most likely the Sheriff’s Department will have a deputy or deputies on the boat with the Corps of Engineers ranger.”
The Corps relies on local law officers to assist with patrolling, because they cannot write tickets for state drinking offenses.
The number of boats on Coralville Lake is not limited, so the water can become crowded. Officers said it is difficult to patrol the entire lake because of its multiple boat-launch sites.
“It’s just like I was instructed with guns. Every gun is loaded; that boat is loaded,” said Al Kennedy, a longtime boater who was buying a boat Monday from Coralville Lake Marina. “You can enjoy it and have pleasure, or it can kill.”
Besides limiting alcohol consumption, boaters should wear a properly fitting lifejacket, Stocker said.
State law requires boat operators to carry a properly fitted wearable lifejacket for every person on board. Passengers 12 and younger are required to wear their life jackets whenever the boat is under way.
More than 50 percent of drowning victims were not wearing life jackets, Stocker said.
Staff writer Mark Carlson contributed to this story. | <urn:uuid:a4021a3d-397c-49a1-9684-14a67baa77bb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thegazette.com/2012/05/22/officials-critical-of-inconsistent-alcohol-laws-for-boats-and-motor-vehicles/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959899 | 949 | 1.773438 | 2 |
News you may have missed #565 (United States edition)
August 13, 2011 Leave a comment
►►Secret watch-list proposal causes US privacy groups protests. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is planning to duplicate the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Database to expand an extensive database called Watchlist Service. The proposed database will include names, birthdays, photos and biometrics of targeted individuals. But the DHS has proposed to exempt the database from Privacy Act provisions, which means that a person can never know if they are on it.
►►US blacklists Syrian banks over WMD ties. The Obama administration unveiled punitive measures on Wednesday against two Syrian financial institutions for their alleged ties to nuclear proliferation in Syria and North Korea. The government-run Commercial Bank of Syria and a subsidiary, the Syrian-Lebanese Commercial Bank, are now prohibited from engaging in transactions with US individuals and from accessing any assets under US control. The US Department of the Treasury alleges that the banks have carried out transactions on behalf of the Scientific Studies and Research Center in Syria and the Tanchon Commercial Bank in North Korea, both of which the US blacklisted several years ago for supporting “WMD proliferation activities”.
►►FBI revises surveillance exam after cheating revelations. About a year ago, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed that hundreds of its agents were caught having cheated on an examination about new surveillance guidelines (known as the Domestic Investigations and Operations Guide). At the time, the Bureau said that many of these agents would be disciplined and/or fired. But the Bureau has opted instead to simply allow the agents to retake a modified version of the test. | <urn:uuid:cc8d8937-dfe6-446f-a3b8-3ba84435fcd2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://intelnews.org/2011/08/13/01-788/?shared=email&msg=fail | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939127 | 342 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Neil deGrasse Tyson is a professional astronomer and director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City. He is a former chairman of The Planetary Society and has served on the President's "Moon, Mars and Beyond" commission, where he helped guide NASA's space exploration policy.
Earlier this decade, Tyson inadvertently set off a firestorm of debate when he brought the public's attention to an ongoing reevaluation of the icy outer solar system. He ended up being known in the media as "The Man Who Demoted Pluto". Of course, things aren't exactly that simple and Dr. Tyson has written a book, The Pluto Files, about his experiences with the icy dwarf planet.
In the first part of our interview with Dr. Tyson, he talks about how he got tied up in this controversy, speculates on future space exploration, and makes a startling prediction about discoveries he thinks might be just around the corner.
planets-pluto-tyson.jpg [ 68.52 KiB | Viewed 5744 times ]
Here in part 2 of our interview we get a little more in depth about the controversy over Pluto and it's eventual demotion.
_________________ "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away."
First, may I congratulate you sir on reaching 10,000 posts! How fitting it was used on complimenting me!!
As far as how and why, right place at the right time. I Got lucky he was getting ready to promote his new book. Fun book BTW. I really should get a review of it up. That will be on my short list of things to do.
_________________ "Too Soon from the Cave, Too Far from the Stars"
Neil is an outstanding ambassador from the Science community. His ability to explain and entertain make him a sought-after guest on talk shows and in documentaries. I loved his (humorous) theory of the Wall Street black hole!
Has a link to this been posted on SciFinds.com? I'm not sure how to do it, otherwise, I'd do so myself.
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You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot post attachments in this forum | <urn:uuid:b5977df5-7fe1-464a-987b-4aafbd8b69d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jonja.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=8193 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956023 | 485 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Niche Market | Sewing Machines
Wednesday, May 02, 2012 - 12:00 AM
New York is a city of specialists from foodies to academics, laborers to shopkeepers. Every Wednesday, Niche Market will take a peek inside a different specialty store and showcase the city's purists who have made an art out of selling one commodity. Slideshow below.
223-20 Union Turnpike
Bayside, NY 11364
Carried in hefty travel bags dragging behind them, a group of women wheel their sewing machines into Sew Right and eagerly set up shop. All morning, the whirring sound of their needles piercing fabric flits through the air, interspersed with updates on grandchildren, spouses, color choices and a good deal of self-deprecating laughter. These seamstresses aren't working for hire; the ladies in the "Block of the Month Club" are all about play.
Taking a break from their machinery, the ten retired women in the quilting club, who range from former software engineers to deli counter workers, huddled around a large work table, paying rapt attention to their instructor, Elaine Jansen, who was holding court on how to piece triangles together.
Most of the machines the women rolled in through the door had been rolled out many years ago with a receipt and a handshake from Harvey Federman, owner of this sewing machine shop, which also doubles as a sewing classroom and de facto community center. Federman, who began his career in the business working for the Singer sewing machine company, opened Sew Right Sewing Machines in 1983 in a quiet section of eastern Queens. It’s become a destination for sewing and embroidery enthusiasts looking for high-end machines that range from $140-$10,000.
Marguerite Woods, a member of the quilting club, bought three machines at the shop—a sewing machine with embroidery attachments, a quilting machine and a serger machine for seams. "I have my machines in my basement and almost every morning I go down and sew for at least two hours. I make quilts or I make baby clothes or whatever someone needs," she said. "And they know Aunt Marge made that quilt, so they don't forget me!"
The majority of Sew Right customers sew as a hobby. "It's always nice to create something,” said Connie Acquaotta, of East Meadow. She’s been coming to the shop for machines and classes over 20 years. “I have 10 grandchildren, so I'm trying to make a quilt for each of them, an afghan for each of them and some baby things to put aside for, if and when, I have great-grandchildren," Acquaotta said. "Keeps me out of mischief, keeps the brain flowing."
After the initial purchase of a machine, it’s the classes that bring the customers back. Laurel Quainoo, a retired elementary school teacher, wasn't making her quilt for anyone in particular, she was just doing it for her love of quilting. "I love doing puzzles and my love of puzzles and my love of fabric, putting them both together,” Quainoo, who came from Cambria Heights, explained. “I'm hooked now, I really enjoy it."
Sew Right only sells three brands of machines: Husqvarna Viking, Baby Lock and Bernina. They're a far cry from the old foot pedal machinery. The machines can be complicated, so when a customer makes a purchase, Sew Right provides free lessons on how to use it. The fancier machines are computerized, can lay out fifty different stitches with the push of a button and even be connected to a sketch pad in order to output custom embroidery patterns.
Federman was crystal clear on one point — his shop is specialized in sewing machines, not in sewing. "Hand here is a four letter word. That's how we think of it," he said.
"Everything that you would do by hand, you can do on the machine without worrying about it. It's got templates and discs that you can put in, just punch it in and go about your business," said Margo Dodson, who bought her machine at Sew Right, and recently brought it back for repair.
Federman calls the sewing (machine) classes the “heart and soul” of his business, because they transform the store into a second home for sewers. For the tight-knit group of women in the Block of the Month Club who rolled their machines out of the store together for a group lunch date, it was clear the communal patchwork had come together nicely.
(Photo: Harvey Federman says the new machines are a far cry from the old foot petal machines./Sarah Kate Kramer for WNYC)
Interview with Harvey Federman, owner of Sew Right
Who are your customers?
Our customers range from 10 years old, because we do have sewing classes for kids, but they tend to be a wide range ,starting with some men — some older men who are retired who used to be engineers or that kind of thing and love the quilting and putting blocks together and matching designs up. But our core customer is the sewing enthusiast who is educated, loves the idea of creating things with a machine and with fabric. So they tend to be people who love to sew, first and foremost, and lot of them came to it later in life, could be retired with more time on their hands, but a lot of them have some kind of creative background.
But the core customer for any sewing machine store that deals in 'better machines' is usually, statistically, people that are active sewers, tend to be a little bit higher income and a lot of college educated, which is pretty much opposite from what the general public thinks. They tend to think you sew for a need, or you sew for practical purposes, which a lot of people do. But the hobbyist is a totally different person. The hobbyist is the same person who spends money on expensive golf clubs and may not even be able to play golf well, or a big screen TV, or a great sound system. Most of them are not in any type of money making business from this, they spend a lot of time with their hobby and they spend a lot of time with their machine and when you're spending a lot of time with something, it's much more pleasurable using a quality product than something you have to struggle with all the time.
What does a computerized machine do?
A simple, computerized machine is far simpler to operate than a mechanical sewing machine, because everything is automatic. You want to do a stitch you dial to it, and it sets everything and it does it. So usually when people come in and they're scared of a computer — first of all they have to understand it's not a computer, it's computerized, it's not like your Mac or PC at home—the learning curve is very quick. But I usually tell people no matter what computerized machine they buy, in about 10 or 15 minutes we can teach them to use the machine and it will do what the machine they've been using for 30 years has been doing for them. So in 15 minutes they can get started and do what they've always done, and then they can learn the rest. So it's not an overwhelming thing that I have to learn everything to use the machine, because today you turn the machine on, it comes on to a straight stitch and you're ready to go. You want to do a zigzag, you touch it and it does a zigzag. It's not rocket science. It's designed to make things much simpler. | <urn:uuid:dd917a9f-7af7-438c-b505-abe29c2ebda5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/wnyc-news-blog/2012/may/02/niche-market-sewing-machines/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967609 | 1,594 | 1.53125 | 2 |
A sideline from annother post about who´s doing the work.
Many think that they are better humans when they do not use foundations and they use natural combs. Nothing new in that. So they all did 150 years ago. A beekeeper is not at least better human if the bees do his all work.
Lets take a look a the big picture
Who is working for who?
Is the honey bee working for man, or is man kind working for the honey bee?
The bees have been living in the forest for millions of years doing there thing and thriving, and then mankind came along and enslaved them, ,, ,,,, or , , , not?
Who´s doing who a favor, modern man has transported the honey bee all over the world, to the Americas and other places they wouldn't have reached with out the help of mankind .
We study them scientifically and try to understand them give them housing, furniture, food, health care
"even in USA"
Mistakes have been made, but would there expansion bee as big and wide without man ?
Same thing with the potato, roses, tulips, fruit trees , and so on
Who´s doing the work for who? | <urn:uuid:ce659caf-10d1-4bd2-a7ce-4e70d45e45e0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php?topic=39830.0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959217 | 252 | 1.828125 | 2 |
The vast majority of financial ‘experts’ advising the European Commission represent the banks and investors responsible for the global economic crisis, according to a new report published today by the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation (ALTER EU). The Commission must break free from these advisors on financial issues if it is serious about reforming the failed financial system, say the authors.
European Commission urged to break stranglehold of financial sector
The new ALTER-EU report 'A captive Commission - the role of the financial industry in shaping EU regulation' can be found at: http://www.alter-eu.org/en/system/files/publications/CaptiveCommission.pdf Brussels, November 5, 2009 - The vast majority of financial ‘experts’ advising the European Commission represent the banks and investors responsible for the global economic crisis, according to a new report published today by the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation (ALTER EU) . The Commission must break free from these advisors on financial issues if it is serious about reforming the failed financial system, say the authors. A captive Commission - the role of the financial industry in shaping EU regulation examines how before, during and in the wake of the worst financial crisis for a generation, the Commission chose to listen almost exclusively to the finance industry. Expert Groups – bodies set up to advise the Commission – which gave, or still give, advice on financial issues are overwhelmingly dominated by representatives from the financial industry, with scarcely any representatives from academia, consumer groups or unions. Case studies on key issues such as banking regulation, hedge funds, credit rating agencies, accountancy rules and tax havens show how the financial sector has been actively involved in designing the policies which contributed to recent financial instability. The European Union is now consulting the same experts on its plans to tackle the crisis. Paul de Clerck member of ALTER-EU’s steering committee, said: “The Commission only seems to be interested in listening to the advice of the finance industry, rather than acting in the interests of society. Light touch regulation may have made it easier to do business, but it has not protected our savings and our pensions from being gambled away. Now the Commission tells us they are tightening the rules but in reality their proposals still leave many loopholes. If the Commission wants to restore confidence in our financial systems, it must break free of this stranglehold of partial advice.” Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, President of the Party of European Socialists and leading campaigner of the Europeans for Financial Reform coalition, said: "I want a strong, transparent and competitive financial industry. The crisis showed that the financial industry was short-termist, overleveraged and disengaged with the needs of the real economy. "The danger we now have is the financial industry investing massive resources into capturing regulation for its private benefit to the detriment of the end-beneficiaries: the individual citizens and businesses in Europe and across the world who've suffered the consequences of this crisis." Expert Groups dominated by large private banks, insurance giants and a range of financial enterprises wield significant power within the EU legislative process – from the drafting of EU strategies and laws to their implementation. Today, there are19 expert groups advising the Commission on financial issues. Of these 19 groups, seven consist mainly of representatives from member states. Of the remaining twelve groups, eight are dominated by industry, one has equal non-government and industry membership; and three cannot be assessed as their full membership is not disclosed. Within the 19 groups, industry experts outnumber representatives from academia, consumer groups and trade unions by a ratio of four to one . Industry experts even outnumber civil servants responsible for financial policy-making . This imbalance in the membership of Expert Groups is putting the Commission in breach of its own regulations. Commission guidelines on the use of expertise state that a diversity of views must be sought. The European Parliament should not approve the budgets for these Expert Groups as long as they remain so unbalanced. ALTER-EU is calling on the Commission to: Disclose membership (names and organisations) and documents (reports and minutes) of all groups that have been or still are advising the Commission on financial regulation since it set about creating a single market for financial services. Dissolve groups that are controlled by industry interests or take steps to ensure balanced representation. Not set up any new Expert Groups advising on financial issues unless transparent and fair mechanisms that guarantee equitable consultation of all stakeholders are implemented. ALTER-EU also urges the Commission to reform the way in which it gathers expert advice by ensuring a more transparent process and a genuine commitment to seeking a diversity of views. NOTES: A captive Commission - the role of the financial industry in shaping EU regulation can be found here: http://www.alter-eu.org/en/system/files/publications/CaptiveCommission.pdf See full report chapter 3.4 There are 229 industry representatives, compared to 58 representatives from all academia, unions and consumer groups combined. 229 corporate advisors compared to around 150 Commission civil servants charged with policy making in the financial sector. Commission’s guidelines on the use of expert advice, COM (2002) 713 final, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2002/com2002_0713en01.pdf | <urn:uuid:986ea97c-0ad1-4681-b029-9e7f9e5a5e21> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://corporateeurope.org/publications/financial-industry-shapes-eu-regulation | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934252 | 1,093 | 1.671875 | 2 |
It's hard to believe, but Medicare's open enrollment season began recently. And this year, as a result of the federal health reform law, seniors must brace for several changes.
Seniors who rely on privately administered Medicare Advantage plans for their benefits will face the biggest adjustments. That's too bad, as Medicare Advantage has a strong track record of delivering health benefits that meet or even exceed those of conventional Medicare.
Medicare Advantage offers enrollees a different way of receiving their Part A hospital and Part B physician care. Under the program, private insurers offer competing plans, and patients themselves choose which coverage option works best for their particular health and financial needs. MA insurers must provide at least the same benefits as traditional Medicare, but most offer more. The government reimburses insurers at a preset rate per enrollee.
More than 12 million seniors participate in Medicare Advantage, about one-fourth of all those eligible for Medicare. The pool of MA beneficiaries has more than doubled since 2005.
The program has grown popular thanks largely to its competitive structure, which encourages insurers to vie with one another for seniors' health care dollars and thus provides them more choices.
But some policymakers believe the MA program to be wasteful. They say Medicare Advantage costs the government slightly more per enrollee than traditional Medicare and believe seniors would be better served if everyone were enrolled in the traditional Medicare program - not recognizing that the little bit of extra money goes to pay for benefits and services seniors appreciate.
Janet Trautwein, CEO of the National Association of Health Underwriters, can be reached at (703) 276-3835.
This contention also ignores the reality that most people in traditional Medicare buy supplemental coverage if they can afford it. Medicare Advantage provides millions of seniors with extra health plan services at an affordable price - services they would not have access to if their only affordable choice was traditional Medicare.
Unfortunately, the new health reform law includes a provision designed to eliminate choice and push more seniors into traditional Medicare coverage. The new law changes the special Medicare Advantage open enrollment period that occurs each year in January.
Previously, Medicare beneficiaries were allowed to either change from one Medicare Advantage plan to another Medicare Advantage plan or to change from Medicare Advantage to traditional fee-for-service Medicare. Beginning in January 2012, seniors will only be allowed to opt out of the Medicare Advantage plan they chose in 2011 to enroll in traditional fee-for-service Medicare.
That's just part of the pending assault on Medicare Advantage. This year, the health reform law froze Medicare Advantage payment rates to participating insurers at 2010 levels. It didn't allow reimbursements to be adjusted for inflation.
Next year, payments will be cut even further.
Over the next decade, Medicare Advantage funding is set to decline by $132 billion. By 2017, government number-crunchers expect benefits for the average MA enrollee to be slashed by 27 percent, or $3,700.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates these changes will cause some Medicare Advantage plans to exit the program and that as a result, enrollment will drop to 7.4 million by 2017. The Medicare program's own actuaries actually predict an even steeper fall-off of 50 percent.
Some speculate that those who dislike Medicare Advantage want to use these methods to marginalize Medicare Advantage to the point of non-existence. This is exactly what happened to Medicare Plus Choice in the late 1990s, when payments got so low that plans were forced to leave large areas of the country, especially in rural areas.
That's a shame, as Medicare Advantage delivers more benefits and superior outcomes than traditional Medicare. According to the CBO, individual patients enjoy many value-added services that help them maintain their health and well-being, such as lower co-pays, premium rebates and coverage or deep discounts for services like dental work and eyeglasses.
MA beneficiaries are also much healthier than their counterparts in traditional Medicare. A 2004 study found that MA plans achieved better outcomes than traditional Medicare in five of seven core indicators, including breast-cancer screenings, diabetes testing, and treatment after heart attacks.
Advantage enrollees in California, for example, spend 30 percent fewer days in hospitals than those in traditional Medicare. In Nevada, they spend 23 percent fewer days. Less time in the hospital is good news for patients - and federal coffers, too.
Medicare Advantage represents just the kind of innovative health care model that could help drive down long-term health costs and improve health care in this country. Congress should make it easier to opt in, not out. And if seniors want to change plans, they should have a full range of choices available to them. | <urn:uuid:6a0c5774-ed5a-4398-9ccf-7d497c9dc2ba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gasparillagazette.com/page/content.detail/id/516056/Gasparilla-Island-seniors-should-brace-for-Medicare-changes.html?nav=5047 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956226 | 943 | 1.640625 | 2 |
European Union (EU) foreign and security policy chief Javier Solana said on Thursday that he was encouraged by U.S. President Barack Obama's speech in Cairo on relations between the United States and the Muslim world.
"President Obama's speech in Cairo today was a remarkable speech, both in its content and in its form. It was a speech that without any doubt will open a new page in relations with the Arab-Muslim world," said Solana through his office.
He said Obama's speech has created a constructive climate for the Middle East.
Solana said he has received many positive reactions from leaders in the region. "My telephone has not stopped ringing since Mr. Obama finished speaking and the first reactions of prime ministers, ministers and important friends, of everybody to whom I have spoken, were positive."
Solana said it is time to move. "I think that together we -- the EU, the U.S. and the countries in the region -- can begin to solve the many problems that face us in the Middle East."
"Now, what we cannot do is fail. Now we have to really move, together, and try and to do what has to be done. There is no time to lose," he said.
Solana said he will be traveling to the Middle East next week. "I hope that we will have the opportunity to follow up on the many issues that have been mentioned today (by Obama) because it has been our dream for so many years." | <urn:uuid:95720fdd-1909-456a-b61e-3e916cad3c20> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90853/6672271.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.988359 | 303 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Amazon Exclusive Interview with Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, Authors of Beautiful Creatures
What does your writing process look like? Is it tough to write a book together? Did you ever have any knock-down drag-out fights over a plot point or character trait?
Margie: The best way to describe our writing process is like a running stitch. We don't write separate chapters, or characters. We pass the draft back and forth constantly, and we actually write over each other's work, until we get to the point where we truly don't know who has written what.
Kami: By the end of the book, we don't even know. The classic example is when I said, "Marg, I really hate that line. It has to go." And she said, "Cut it. You wrote it."
Margie: I think we were friends for so long before we were writing partners that there was an unusual amount of trust from the start.
Kami: It's about respect. And it helps that we can't remember when who wrote the bad line.
Margie: We save our big fights for the important things, like the lack of ice in my house or how cold our office is. And why none of my YouTube videos are as popular as the one of Kami's three-fingered typing…okay, that one is understandable, given the page count for "Beautiful Creatures."
Kami: What can I say? I was saving the other seven fingers for the sequel.What kinds of books do you like to read?
Kami: I read almost exclusively Young Adult fiction, with some Middle Grade fiction thrown in for good measure. As a Reading Specialist, I work with children and teens in grades K-12, so basically I read what they read.
Margie: When I write it comes from the same place as when I read: wanting to hang out with fictional characters in fictional worlds. I identify more as a reader than a writer; I just have to write it first so I can read it.What books/authors have inspired you?
Kami: "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, "A Good Man is Hard to Find & Other Stories" by Flannery O'Connor, "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury and "The Witching Hour" by Anne Rice. I also love Pablo Neruda.
Margie: I think Harper Lee is the greatest writer alive today. Eudora Welty is my other Southern writer kindred; I was obsessed with her in grad school. Susan Cooper and Diana Wynne Jones made me love fantasy, and my favorite poets are Emily Dickinson (at Amherst College, I even lived on her street) and Stevie Smith.Did you set out to write fiction for young adults? Why?
Kami: We actually wrote "Beautiful Creatures" on a dare from some of the teen readers in our lives.
Margie: Not so much readers as bosses.
Kami: Looking back, we wrote it sort of like the serialized fiction of Charles Dickens, turning in pages to our teen readers every week.
Margie: And by week she means day.
Kami: When we were getting texts in the middle of the night from teens demanding more pages, we knew we had to finish.
Margie: As it says in our acknowledgements, their asking what happened next changed what happened next. Teens are so authentic. That's probably why we love YA. Even when it's fantasy, it's the emotional truth.A lot of us voracious readers like to cast a book after reading it. Did you guys have a shared view of who your characters are? Did each of you take a different character to develop, or did you share every aspect?
Kami: We've never cast our characters, but we definitely know what they look like. Sometimes we see actors in magazines and say, "Lena just wore that!"
Margie: We create all our characters together, but after a point they became as real as any of the other people we know. We forget they're not.
Kami: I never thought of it like that. I guess we do spend all our time talking about imaginary people. Margie: So long as it's not to them…Did you always plan to start the book with Ethan's story? Why?
Kami: We knew before we started that we wanted to write from a boy's point of view. Margie and I both have brothers—-six, between us-—so it wasn't a stretch. It's an interesting experience to fall in love with the guy telling the story rather than the guy the story is about.
Margie: We do kind of love Ethan, so we wanted there to be more to him than just the boy from boy meets girl.
Kami: He's the guy who stands by you at all costs and accepts you for who you are, even if you aren't quite sure who that is.What is on your nightstand now?
Kami: I have a huge stack, but here are ones at the top: "Mama Dip's Kitchen," a cookbook by Mildred Council, "The Demon's Lexicon" by Sarah Rees Brennan, "Shadowed Summer" by Saundra Mitchell, "Rampant" by Diana Peterfreund, and an Advanced Reader Copy of "Sisters Red" by Jackson Pearce.
Margie: I have Robin McKinley's "Beauty," Maggie Stiefvater's "Ballad," Kristen Cashore's "Fire," Libba Bray's "Going Bovine," and "Everything Is Fine" by AnnDee Ellis. And now I'm mad because I know a) Kami stole my "Rampant" and b) didn't tell me she has "Sisters Red"!What is your idea of comfort reading?
Kami: If given the choice, I'll always reach for a paranormal romance or an urban fantasy. I also re-read my favorite books over and over.
Margie: It's all comfort reading to me. I sleep with books in my bed. Like a dog, only without the shedding and the smelling.Have you written the next book already? What's next for Lena and Ethan?
Margie: We are revising the next book now. I don't want to give too much away, but summer in Gatlin isn't always a vacation.
Kami: I would describe book two as intense and emotional. For Ethan and Lena, the stakes are even higher.
Margie: That's true. Book two involves true love, broken hearts, the Seventeenth Moon, and cream-of-grief casseroles…
Kami: Gatlin at it's finest! | <urn:uuid:53ebb553-ce1c-4e6b-8a71-416e301cac7d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.americanpoems.com/store/1052-1000-0141326085-Beautiful_Creatures_by_Kami_Garcia_Margaret_Stohl.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963493 | 1,404 | 1.671875 | 2 |
16 March 2012
Tory ideology seeks to rebuild the foundations for economic crisis.
The Green Party have branded the Coalition's NewBuy scheme as an irresponsible attempt to entrench unaffordable house prices and stoke up household debt.
The government recently announced that the new scheme will provide 95% mortgages for anyone seeking to purchase a newly built home. Under NewBuy, the British tax payer will guarantee 5.5% of the sale price, with the construction firm underwriting a further 3.5% - allowing existing and new-time buyers to take out a 95% mortgage on property with a value up to £500,000.
This scheme will entrench artificially high house prices, encourage British households to take up further unaffordable debt, and sow the seeds for a damaging and artificial house price boom.
Jenny Jones, Green Party London Mayoral candidate, said: "This is a cynical attempt by our Government to offload the cost of deficit reduction onto ordinary people. Instead of stumping up the capital to boost housing construction themselves, the Government is asking British people and families to take out yet more debt in order to pay for new-builds. This will lock in unaffordable house prices that risk another credit crisis.
"A Green alternative would be to stop pumping quantitative easing into banks, and instead invest directly into the real economy. If the Government was serious about reducing unemployment and creating affordable homes, it would finance the construction of new property itself. This would rein in an extortionate housing market, bring down property prices and produce valuable public assets"
Natalie Bennett, Green Party Candidate for the London Assembly, said: "Not only is this scheme deeply unfair, but it is swelling a second housing bubble - like the one that caused the credit crunch. As with the university tuition fees and the NHS, Tory ideology is using the recession as a smokescreen to strip back regulation and unleash market forces. They are rebuilding the very foundation of irresponsible capitalism that widened inequality over the past 30 years which brought about economic crisis in 2008"
The Green Party would also like to see "right to rent" rather than "right to buy" highlighted. | <urn:uuid:db14e982-8ca7-4bc7-a814-c3465196de44> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://greenparty.org.uk/news/green-party-reject-coalition-governments-flawed-newbuy-scheme.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941611 | 436 | 1.75 | 2 |
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger isn't done battling federal judges over plans to relieve California prison overcrowding.
But as Schwarzenegger's last year in office approaches, much of the burden for cutting state inmate numbers will fall to the chief executive who follows him.
Schwarzenegger filed a plan last week to ease overcrowding that falls well short of a demand by a three-judge panel that he reduce the population by 40,000 inmates within two years.
That means the four declared gubernatorial candidates as well as Attorney General Jerry Brown, who is widely expected to run, face questions about how they would act to fix what everyone acknowledges is a broken state corrections system.
In conversations with The Bee, they've laid out two distinct visions:
Two of the Republican candidates, former eBay CEO Meg Whitman and Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, have rejected proposals that would let inmates out early or keep some parole violators out of prison. The two have also called for building more prisons to relieve overcrowding and sending inmates to other states with surplus bed space.
On the other side are Democrat Gavin Newsom, mayor of San Francisco, and Republican Tom Campbell, a former congressman, both of whom support reworking prison and parole guidelines to divert more inmates into parole and keeping some parole violators out of prison.
Brown, in interviews with The Bee, declined to comment on specific reform proposals, saying that as attorney general he has to enforce whatever proposals become law.
But in the past he has been harshly critical of a prison system that he said grew as a result of media-driven fears and profiteering by private corrections companies and prison guards.
Both he and Newsom said that reducing the state's nation-high recidivism rate - estimated at more than 70 percent - would go a long way to easing prison overcrowding.
"We're simply not preparing these prisoners for life outside of the system," Newsom said, "and the issue of re-entry programs becomes critical. Therein lies our big focus, at least mine."
Whitman and Poizner, on the other hand, have tried to out-tough each other, railing against legislation passed last month by the state Senate that would have let some inmates out earlier and appointed a commission to rework state sentencing laws. The ultimate version of the bill passed this month did not include the sentencing commission or a provision to release more than 6,000 inmates to home detention.
"You have to be a really bad person to get into state prison," Poizner said. "So I'm opposed to releasing people who are dangerous, absolutely opposed. That's no way to balance the budget."
Whitman went even further, saying she opposed rewriting any prison and parole guidelines that would shorten prison terms for any inmate.
"The most important role government has is public safety," Whitman said. "It's very important to be consistent."
Campbell, on the other hand, is bucking the prevailing wisdom in his party. He backed both the Senate version and the final bill although both shorten prison terms of some inmates.
"We have an opportunity to direct a more effective prison system," Campbell said. "I'd rather approach this pragmatically, through outsourcing of prisoners, developing a triage of parole violators and focusing on more violent offenders in prisons."
According to John Hipp, an associate professor at the University of California, Irvine, department of criminology, law and society, the reality laid out by research falls somewhere in the middle of the two positions.
Hipp studied parolees and crime rates in Sacramento from 2003 to 2006 and found that reports of aggravated assault, robbery and burglary mostly increased in neighborhoods that received parolees.
But crime rates decreased in parolee-receiving neighborhoods with longtime residents and increased more slowly when nonprofit groups and other supportive services were available to parolees.
"There's not a blanket statement about parolees and prisons," Hipp said. "There's no good way to do it, but by being careful about who you're releasing, you can do it right." | <urn:uuid:abe5d4a6-3f71-4dbe-80a0-6daa24c48df4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://facts1.live.radicaldesigns.org/article.php?id=1297 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968749 | 828 | 1.609375 | 2 |
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His name is Nissim – which means miracles in Hebrew. An apt description of his life.
Chasidic Israeli filmmaker Rama Burshtein’s new film tells the fascinating story of a Chassidic family in Tel Aviv – almost as fascinating as Rama Burshtein’s own story.
Choosing more than one valedictorian distorts the value of equality.
Spending three days with non-religious Israelis, I discovered surprising things about them, and myself.
Monty Hall’s best deal changed his life.
As a child of Holocaust survivor, it's hard for me to imagine that a product of my womb will openly declare his Jewishness to any and all who see him.
Should I let my teenaged son hang out with his friends or should I insist on a plan?
We all want to live in a world where goodness triumphs over evil.
Should you wait for a sleeping patient to wake up?
Am I talking to a wall? And doesn’t God already know what I need?
One day, we're all going on a long journey. We need to take along enough nourishment to last for eternity.
I knew I possessed super powers. I just had to sort through the baggage of a few generations to find them.
Thoughts on lighting the 20th yartzeit candle.
Even though my parents divorced, my father always played a crucial role in my life.
Sometimes our advice is not only wrong, it’s hurtful.
How do I assess when things are stuck, versus moving slowly forward?
For starters: there’s no such thing as bashert.
Three practical steps to help you find your soul mate.
What can happen when we see everything as being fully within our grasp and under our control.
The Bible's major role in the creation of the United States and its democracy.
Seven remarkable milestones that defy historical patterns and fulfill ancient prophecies.
Practical and relevant insights on the weekly parsha.
Advanced-level midrashic and Kabbalistic illuminations on the weekly parsha.
Lessons, stories and discussion questions for parents and kids.
The meaning behind the tears.
The Jewish national period of mourning.
A 22-page thought-provoking compendium of insights and inspiration
to enhance the day.
A fascinating overview capturing the meaning of the holiday.
Has anyone who’s against the NSA’s policy of phone and email tapping come up with a better way to find terrorists?
Is there value in still knowing Yiddish today?
Meet the Mensch of Steel.
A short video for Father's Day.
How to tap into your potential.
A peaceful way to stop Iran.
May 14, 2011
February 17, 2012 9:02 PM
volunteers of the Six Day War 1967
My father has a letter of Appreciation for services rendered during the Six Day War from an agency representative named Mordehai Bar-On ...Head of the YOUTH AND HECHLALUTZ DEPARTMENT of the JEWISH AGENCY.
They sent him tnhis letter with a beautiful certificate representing a TREE was PLANTED in his NAME in the "VOLUNTEER FOREST" IN THE jERUSALEM HILLS. My Father is ill and nhas never spoken of this period of his life . I found the letter and Certificate in an old trunk of his, and I would like to sit with him and discuss this wonderful life he had.
May 23, 2011 9:26 PM
This showed so much that happened when I was young and didn't understand what was happening. This makes me so proud of our noble, courageous people.
May 18, 2011 5:30 AM
The Battle for Eretz Israel is not yet over!
I fear we must do it all again. Next time may we from Ephraim fully support Jahudah, as blood brothers should. See Yeshayahu(Isaiah) chapter 11 verse13.
Am Israel Chai!!!
May 17, 2011 7:41 PM
Heroes and Heroines Everyone of them!
Awesome! We owe so much to these heroes! What a great blessing to be used by Hashem to fulfill His promises made thousands of years ago in the Bible. The magnificent rebirth of Israel!
May 17, 2011 5:08 PM
A Gentile who loves Israel and the Jewish people.
Such a moving video, one that brought tears to my eyes. It is a tribute to and representative of the sacrifices made by so many to accomplish Aliyah and rebuild the magnificant State of Israel. Personally, my passion for Israel has been expressed in a novel, entitled "O Israel."
May the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob continue to bless and keep the land of Israel, promised to the Jews as a title deed by the Lord himself. Her people are returning, and they will remain in the land forever. Shalom to Israel and to the people of the covenant.
May 17, 2011 4:11 PM
Met one of the volunteers
I was honoured last week at the Israeli Embassy celebration of Yom Ha'atzmaut in Pretoria, South Africa to meet one of the volunteers from South Africa who went over in early 1948. What a humbling experience to hear that man speak! What a lesson in selfless, courageous dedication to a cause like no other in modern times.
May 15, 2011 9:49 PM
Incredible stories of Jewish people from other countries coming to help their brothers and sisters, showing they really care and want to help the newly-created Jewish state. Mi KeAmcha Yisrael!
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For 2,000 years Jews have rejected the Christian idea of Jesus as messiah. Why?
The tragic yet inspiring story of the 35 heroes of Gush Etzion.
Eyewitness accounts of the November 1947 UN vote to partition Mandate Palestine into two states.
The remarkable men who blew the shofar at the end of Yom Kippur at the Western Wall before the founding of the State of Israel. | <urn:uuid:1d776da8-b964-4a45-b0cd-13663da2b8b6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aish.com/jw/id/The_Volunteers_Answering_the_Call_of_History.html?s=mbaw | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937251 | 1,324 | 1.601563 | 2 |
FARRELL, Pa. (AP) — A tanker truck loaded with more than 6,000 gallons of hydrogen exploded at a metals processing plant, burning the driver, injuring another worker and threatening an even larger storage tank.
The blast occurred after 6 p.m. Sunday at the Duferco Farrell Corp. plant in Farrell, about 60 miles northwest of Pittsburgh near the Ohio border, said Mike Hrycyk, human resources vice president.
The truck from Air Liquide, a Houston-based company that produces and distributes cryogenic liquids and gases, was at the plant offloading its hydrogen into a storage tank when the explosion occurred, Hrycyk told The Associated Press on Monday. The tanker then burned, endangering a storage tank that contained 12,000 to 14,000 gallons of hydrogen.
Plant workers and fire crews worked overnight to pour water on the storage tank until the tanker fire burned itself out about 7:30 a.m. Monday, Hrycyk said.
Officials could not release the names of the driver, who was taken to a hospital in Akron, Ohio, with first- and second-degree burns, or a second driver who suffered some cuts and was treated at Sharon Hospital and released.
The two drivers were members of a tandem team who had filled their tanker at a depot in St. Mary and had stopped to unload some of the nearly 7,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen at the plant, said Air Liquide spokesman George Smalley. The truck had been scheduled to unload the rest at a later stop, Smalley said.
Officials don't know what caused the explosion.
"We've got people on the scene, they arrived last night, and that's one of their priorities — to see what happened," Smalley said.
The steel-processing company converts the metal to coils and employs about 570 workers.
Plant workers were evacuated without incident and overnight production shifts were canceled, Hrycyk said. The plant reopened and was operating normally Monday morning.
Neighbors told The Herald newspaper of Sharon that the explosion shook their homes.
"It was an eight on the Richter scale," resident Dave Gervais said.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration was investigating, which is routine whenever someone is injured in an industrial accident. | <urn:uuid:9e1204df-7fe8-42bc-8429-1e8e447d8a27> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.impomag.com/news/2011/07/osha-investigating-pa-plant-explosion?qt-digital_editions=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974121 | 477 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
Former Chairman of GE, Jack Welch has referred to the Obama administration's latest jobs report figures as "unbelievable," suggesting they are false.
CHICAGO, IL (Catholic Online) - The figure is key because no president has been reelected with figures over 8 percent. "Can't debate so change numbers," Welch tweeted.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics says in their report that unemployment has dropped to 7.9 percent, which is the lowest it has been since Obama took office in 2008.
Despite the nature of the coincidence and the credibility gap of the Administration, there is no hard evidence as of yet to suggest the numbers are inaccurate.
© 2012, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.
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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance. | <urn:uuid:118823f7-7610-441d-9c0d-7d6cf84686c2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://chicago.catholic.org/newsArticles.php?article=47902 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956084 | 248 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Content marketing, along with social media and SEO, is an incredibly important component of any inbound marketing campaign – efforts designed to bring your target audience to you, instead of you trying to force your brand on them.
You’ve probably heard the phrase “Content is king” before, and that’s because it’s true! The search engines read your webpage content to determine if it matches a search query, your target audience reads content you produce (blogs, articles, whitepapers, etc.) to learn more about your given industry, and producing great content is what earns your company a reputation as a valuable and trusted source of information. In short, a great content marketing campaign can accomplish a lot!
But running a great content marketing campaign is more complicated than churning out a few blog posts a week. Without structure, focus and consistency, a content marketing campaign isn’t going to bring any real value to your brand.
Here are five common mistakes companies make when it comes to content marketing:
Limited fresh content.
Content marketing thrives on content. While that may sound obvious/redundant, how many blogs have you come across where the last post was two weeks old? Stagnant blogs are fairly useless. Since each post can rank individually, each post can (and should) target a different keyword, increasing your online presence.
Sure, the older the content is, the more trust it has with the search engines, but if you’re just writing a blog purely for SEO, you’re doing it for the wrong reasons. Blogs are a great place to interact with your target audience; they are inherently social in nature! Writing a dozen posts and letting them “age” doesn’t encourage your readers to come back. They learn very quickly that there is nothing to be gained from visiting your blog. Plus, the more content you write now, the sooner those posts can build up age and authority.
Targeting the wrong audience.
Marketing 101- understand your audience. Who are you trying to get to read your blog, truly? Do you want it to appeal to other industry professionals or is it meant to educate your target consumer. And who is your target consumer? What kind of online habits do they have? What kind of problems are they looking for answers to?
Let’s say your company sells office supplies. Who are you really trying to connect with through your blog? Does the CEO of a major company really bother to sit down and figure out how many pens they need to order? You want to niche your target audience down a few levels so you can create content that applies directly to them.
Message is too promotional.
Content marketing is not another platform for you to promote your business. You are not there to sell! Content marketing is about helping your customer, not pitching to them. If you think you’ll be able to mask an ad and pass it off as a blog post or article, you’re in for a surprise. People have little patience for being talked at, and even less when they feel like they’ve been tricked. If someone clicks through to a post and expects to learn something or have a question answered, and they find themselves reading a piece of promotional fluff, they are going to walk away with a negative opinion about your brand.
Not promoting content.
Producing great content is only half of the battle. Even exceptional content needs help getting noticed. If you want to get the most out of your content marketing, you have got to engage in content promotion . This means submitting your content to social bookmarking sites, incorporating it into your company newsletter, publishing it on all your social profiles, adding share buttons so your readers can republish it, linking to it from related pages on your site and more. There is a lot of clutter out there that your blog post or article is fighting with to get noticed. If you want to give your content marketing a fighting chance at really helping build your brand, you have got to promote everything!
Not sticking with it.
Content marketing success is not going to happen overnight. It might take a year or two before your blog really hits its stride and attracts a loyal readership. You can’t build your reputation overnight, so don’t expect to be invited to guest write on high-profile industry sites until you’ve paid your dues. As you get more and more involved with your content marketing, you’ll find new ways to interact and engage with your target audience, unique spins for topics and so much more! There are going to be a lot of hurdles to overcome, but if you are willing to put in the time and effort, content marketing can do so much for your brand!
About the Author
Nick Stamoulis is the Founder of Brick Marketing, a full-service SEO and white-hat link-building firm based in Boston, MA. With over 12 years of B2B SEO industry experience, Nick Stamoulis shares his knowledge by posting daily SEO articles to his blog, the Search Engine Optimization Journal . | <urn:uuid:78b2ef8d-7c04-4db7-aa17-f6b21b8840f5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wordstream.com/print/1957 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947069 | 1,053 | 1.554688 | 2 |
On May 3, 1998, the Salt Lake Tribune reported the following interview with Elder Marlin K. Jensen of the First Quorum of the Seventy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Elder Jensen, at the time a member of the Church's Public Affairs Committee, was "designated by church officials to respond to The Salt Lake Tribune's request for an interview on the topic of partisan imbalance in Utah and among LDS members."
The concerns of LDS Church officials, as reported in the article, remain as relevant today:
- Any notion that it is impossible to be a Democrat and a good Mormon is wrongheaded and should be "obliterated."
- The overwhelming Republican bent of LDS members in Utah and the Intermountain West undermines the checks-and-balances principle of democratic government.
- The LDS Church's reputation as a one-party monolith is damaging in the long run because of the seesaw fortunes of the national political parties.
Salt Lake Tribune, May 3, 1998
GOP Dominance Troubles Church
It hurts Utah, says general authority, disavowing any perceived Republican-LDS Link
LDS Official Calls for More Political Diversity
The LDS Church, through a high-ranking leader, is making its strongest public statement to date about the need for political diversity among members, while expressing concerns the Republican Party is becoming the "church party."
"There is sort of a division along Mormon/non-Mormon, Republican/Democratic lines," says Elder Marlin Jensen, a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. "We regret that more than anything -- that there would become a church party and a non-church party. That would be the last thing that we would want to have happen."
Elder Marlin K. Jensen
Jensen said major national political parties may take stands that do not coincide with teachings of the 10 million-member Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but that should not put them out of bounds for members.
A former attorney and lifelong Democrat, Jensen was careful in his comments not to suggest an official LDS preference for any political party but to maintain the church's traditional stand of partisan neutrality.
The First Quorum of the Seventy is the third tier in LDS Church leadership after the Quorum of Twelve Apostles and the governing First Presidency.
Jensen for the past three years has been a member of the church's Public Affairs Committee. He was designated by church officials to respond to The Salt Lake Tribune's request for an interview on the topic of partisan imbalance in Utah and among LDS members.
The Tribune's inquiry came on the heels of two significant developments: Utah Democrats' unprecedented failure to field a candidate in a congressional race and a statement from the LDS First Presidency -- read over pulpits in January -- urging members to seek elective office.
In an hourlong interview at the church's worldwide headquarters in downtown Salt Lake City arranged and overseen by LDS media-relations director Mike Otterson, Jensen discussed leaders' views about the seeming demise of two-party politics among members. Among the concerns he aired:
-- The LDS Church's reputation as a one-party monolith is damaging in the long run because of the seesaw fortunes of the national political parties.
-- The overwhelming Republican bent of LDS members in Utah and the Intermountain West undermines the checks-and-balances principle of democratic government.
-- Any notion that it is impossible to be a Democrat and a good Mormon is wrongheaded and should be "obliterated."
-- Faithful LDS members have a moral obligation to actively participate in politics and civic affairs, a duty many have neglected.
"I am in shock," Utah Democratic Party Chairwoman Meghan Zanolli Holbrook said when told of Jensen's comments. "I have never heard anything like this in the years I've been here."
"That's an earthshaker," said Democrat Ted Wilson, head of the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics and a longtime critic of the close connection between the Mormon Church and Republican Party.
"Mormon Democrats have been praying for this," said Wilson, who is LDS. "This is more than seeking -- we have beseeched the divinity over this."
Utah Republican Chairman Rob Bishop's reaction was less enthusiastic. "Any time a major player in the social fabric of the state, like the church, says something, it will have an impact."
"We obviously will not change," Bishop added. "If Mormons feel comfortable we welcome them. And if non-Mormons feel comfortable, we welcome them, too."
Jensen, who was called as a general authority in 1989, said high church officials lament the near-extinction of the Democratic Party in Utah and the perception -- incorrect though it is -- that the GOP enjoys official sanction of the church.
All five Congress members from Utah are Mormon and Republican, four of the five statewide offices are held by GOP officials and two-thirds of the state Legislature is Republican. Nearly 90 percent of state lawmakers are LDS. Democrats last held a majority in the state House in 1975, and in the Senate in 1977.
President Clinton finished third in balloting in Utah in 1992, the only state in which the Democrat finished behind Republican George Bush and independent Ross Perot. Utahns last voted for a Democrat for president in 1964, when they supported Lyndon B. Johnson.
Public-opinion polls show voters identifying themselves as Republican outnumber Democrats by a ratio of about 2-1.
However, a statewide survey taken in April by Valley Research, The Tribune's independent pollster, found the state equally divided when asked if the question if Republicans had too much power. Forty-six percent of the 502 respondents answered yes, 45 percent did not believe the GOP held too much sway and nine percent were unsure.
"One of the things that prompted this discussion in the first place was the regret that's felt about the decline of the Democratic Party [in Utah] and the notion that may prevail in some areas that you can't be a good Mormon and a good Democrat at the same time," Jensen said.
"There have been some awfully good men and women who have been both and are both today. So I think it would be a very healthy thing for the church -- particularly the Utah church -- if that notion could be obliterated."
The idea that Mormonism and Democratic Party affiliation are incompatible traces back to the early 1970s, when LDS general authority Ezra Taft Benson, who later became church president, was quoted in an Associated Press interview as saying it would be difficult for a faithful member to be a liberal Democrat.
Church officials later claimed the comment was taken out of context, although the AP stood by its account.
Jensen said concerns exist on two levels about the unofficial linkage of the Republican Party and Mormon Church.
One is the fear that by being closely identified with one political party, the church's national reputation and influence is subject to the roller-coaster turns and dips of that partisan organization. Also bothersome is that the uncontested dominance of the Republican Party in Utah deprives residents of the debate and competition of ideas that underlie good government.
"There is a feeling that even nationally as a church, it's not in our best interest to be known as a one-party church," Jensen said. "The national fortunes of the parties ebb and flow. Whereas the Republicans may clearly have the upper hand today, in another 10 years they may not."
Closer to home, he pointed to the Democrats' precarious toehold in Utah -- a circumstance highlighted by the dearth of minority-party officeholders and the current one-sided election in the 3rd Congressional District.
Republican Rep. Chris Cannon in 1996 defeated Bill Orton, a conservative Democrat and Mormon who had been the lone member of the minority party in Utah's delegation. This year, Cannon is seeking a second term without any challenge from a Democrat -- a first in Utah history.
(In 1982, Democrat Henry Huish missed the filing deadline and had to run as an independent. Still, he had the backing of the Democratic Party.)
"The Democratic Party has in the last 20 years waned to the point where it really is almost not a factor in our political life," Jensen said. "There is a feeling that that is not healthy at all -- that as a state we suffer in different ways. But certainly any time you don't have the dialogue and the give-and-take that the democratic process provides, you're going to be poorer for it in the long run."
There also are more immediate, tangible costs, he said.
Jensen blamed the Republican monopoly for contributing to Utah political leaders' inability or unwillingness to grapple with long-range planning issues. He pointed to the lack of state leadership on issues of open-space preservation and land-use planning.
He also pointed to the massive, catch-up highway-building binge that has disrupted Salt Lake County commuters and businesses. "One might say that the transportation crisis that we're in might have been averted had there been better balance in the parties and something was thrashed out 10 years ago, perhaps during Gov. Bangerter's time, rather than being allowed to wait until we reached a crisis situation.
"There are probably issues like that environmentally, educationally that we'd really benefit from if there were a more robust dialogue going on. But we've lacked that and I think we've suffered somewhat because of it."
Jensen's comments are bound to cause ripples among the 70 percent of Utahns who are counted as members of the LDS Church, as well as millions of faithful throughout the country, say political observers.
"This is the second dramatic time in the history of the state when forceful signals have been flashed from church headquarters calling on Mormons to choose up political sides more evenly," said J.D. Williams, retired University of Utah political scientist.
Williams compared Jensen's public pronouncements to the church's attempts in the 1890s to divide congregations up evenly among the two major political parties.
"Thus, wonder of wonders, theocracy was the mother of democracy in the territory of Utah," Williams said. "We achieved statehood five years later."
Jensen also referred to the 19th-century splitting of congregations along partisan lines, when the territorial People's and Liberal parties were abandoned in favor of national party affiliations.
He repeated an anecdote told by prominent LDS Democrat Oscar McConkie about his father's recollections of a church leader telling a congregation during a Sunday morning meeting to "sign up to be Republicans."
At that time, Mormons favored the Democratic Party because it was less stridently anti-polygamy than were Republicans.
When members of the flock returned for an afternoon session, the Republican sign-up sheet remained blank, Jensen said. "Brothers and sisters, you have misunderstood," said the church leader. "God needs Republicans."
"And Oscar said his father would wink and say, `And you know, Oscar, those damned Republicans think they've had God on their side ever since,' " Jensen said.
"I don't know if you can make any use of that but it's a great story. And there's a little of that embedded in our culture, unfortunately," he said.
Elbert Peck, editor of Sunstone magazine, said it is noteworthy that it is not LDS President Gordon B. Hinckley or one of his counselors breaking the church's silence on political imbalance.
"It is not as official as if it was an apostle or a member of the First Presidency saying it," Peck said. "Still, the quotes are out there and people will use them. You can bet they'll be remembered and taken as a sign."
Peck, whose Salt Lake City-based independent journal publishes articles on historical and contemporary Mormonism, predicts similar comments will be made in other settings -- church firesides and the like, because messages sent by LDS general authorities are repeated.
"Privately, I've heard reports of these opinions, but not publicly," Peck said. "The church leaders have been careful about saying anything publicly."
The tremendous growth of the Mormon Church worldwide has forced attention to its image as a good, trustworthy neighbor in the communities, states and countries where it is taking root, he said.
"We need to develop a tolerance -- so we don't demonize people that we have a disagreement with," Peck said. "It really was the church leaders' position on abortion and the Equal Rights Amendment [in the 1970s] that was the death of the Utah Democratic Party, because it became a litmus test," he said.
Pro-choice and, more recently, gay-rights stands of the national Democratic Party have helped Republicans paint the donkey-symbol party as taboo.
Jensen said it is time for LDS members to take a broader view of political affiliation.
"We would probably hope that they wouldn't abandon a party necessarily because it has a philosophy or two that may not square with Mormonism. Because, as I say, [parties] in their philosophies ebb and flow," Jensen said.
"You know, the Republicans came very close last time to bringing a pro-abortion plank into their platform. That was maybe the biggest battle of their [1996 national] convention," he said. "Which shows that if you're a pure ideologue, eventually you're going to have trouble in either party."
"Everyone who is a good Latter-day Saint is going to have to pick and choose a little bit regardless of the party that they're in and that may be required a lot more in the future than it has been in the past. But I think there's room for that and the gospel leaves us lots of latitude."
* * * | <urn:uuid:d40e34eb-dea3-46ff-8b37-1b0e53dcb86d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.utahcountydems.com/content/view/178 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975796 | 2,829 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Excerpt from Mark Schloneger on CNN.com:
Our fears, our hopes, our worries and our struggles are the currency that buys our votes. And how do politicians and their supporters acquire this precious currency? They invest billions of dollars to foment fear, inspire hope, create worry and exploit our struggles.
It’s a power play. Some of us are pawns, and some of us are participants. But some of us are choosing a different part.
I initiated the Election Day Communion Campaign out of a concern that Christians in the United States are being shaped more by the tactics and ideologies of political parties than by our identity and unity in Christ. Out of this concern, a simple vision sparked the imaginations of congregations nationwide: the church being the church on Election Day, gathering at the Lord’s Table to remember, to give thanks for, and to proclaim its loyalty to Jesus.
Gathering for Communion on Election Day seems fitting, for the practice of Communion is an inherently political act. It is both a pledge of allegiance to Jesus and a declaration of independence from all other powers making claims on our bodies, minds and souls.
Far too often, the church has abandoned its first love for the siren song of political parties promising protection, prosperity and peace. Far too many times, the church has ceded the practice of its faith to the spiritual and the private while leaving others to address matters of justice. And far too frequently, the church has attempted to speak truth to power while seeking and relying on that same power for protection.
The bread and the cup are God’s antidotes to our fickle memories. As we eat and drink together, we remember that all things fall under the lordship of Christ. We remember our sin and need to repent. READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE
Here’s my endorsement of “Election Day Communion” from the website:
For the past few years I’ve become increasingly aware of how American politics shape the identity of many people who claim to be part of an alternative polis – the Kingdom of God. The more I reflect on this, the more I have to confront the ways in which I still put my hope in particular policies and politicians, whether explicitly or implicitly. The reality is that Jesus is the only president (King) worth voting for, not just in a ballot box, but in every moment of every day. This doesn’t mean voting is wrong, unless of course it becomes a primary source of hope. May Christ be our only hope!
With that in mind, I wholeheartedly endorse Election Day Communion. The holy eucharist is a dynamic sign to the kingdoms of the world (and to ourselves!) that our hope is in a political rebel, killed by the government of his day. God raised Messiah Jesus from the dead, showing the powers (both visible and invisible) that our true hope is in “thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth…” | <urn:uuid:81c2fc84-fbe8-42ba-90f5-ddf0ae07cc32> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.patheos.com/blogs/thepangeablog/2012/11/04/how-to-pledge-allegiance-to-jesus-on-election-day/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953424 | 618 | 1.632813 | 2 |
It's official: Google announced its new Google Drive service Tuesday—just one day after I wrote about how the Mountain View tech giant was moving into a territory wholly dominated by Box and Dropbox.
This is not good news for online storage vendors.
What's so unique about Google Drive? First off, the service is more than just a place to put your files. Users will be able to sync their documents, photos, videos, music, and any other files online. Those who have permission can then collaborate on those files by editing them and leaving comments.
Revision history will work automatically. Say you add a note to a document or edit a photo. You can revert back to an earlier version from up to 30 days ago without even enabling revisions—Google Drive keeps track of changes. But you can also flag any file to maintain a revision history indefinitely.
Google has not announced the exact number of partnerships, but the service will be added to websites and mobile apps for easy sharing—you can just select "send to Google Drive" from the app. The service will work with native file formats like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator so you can open them in a browser.
Another unique feature: Google Drive will use image recognition technology. So, when you search for "mountain" the service will detect images and search through docs that are related to that term. Drive also integrates with Gmail (you can send a link to Google Drive instead of sending an attachment).
Reading through this list of features, the founders of Box and Dropbox might be ready to find a rock and crawl under it. The main problem is not even that Google Drive sounds compelling; it's that the service already has a major advantage, and it is not even available yet. (To get an account, visit the site and click the notification button.)
Just look at Google+ as an example. When I used it again just today, Google+ knew which users I was communicating with the most and suggested adding a few of them to my Circles. In other words, Google has been reading my email. Google Drive will fit right into my daily routine. And, by the way: It will fit right into the daily routine of tens of millions of other users.
There is a silver lining, though. One of the great things about starting a successful start-up like Box or Dropbox is that you can often build up a loyal fanbase. Google Drive might be a better option out of the gate, but many users have already filled up their storage allotment with hundreds of music files, every Excel spreadsheet they've ever created, and their entire image library. The words "loyal" and "lazy" often go hand in hand. If it takes effort to port files over, some might take a pass. (Unfortunately, it might be as simple as doing a "select all" on your local Box or Dropbox folder and pasting into a different Google Drive folder. Sometimes, easy file syncing has a downside.)
And then there's this. Gizmodo reports that the free account for Google Drive will come with 5GB of storage. Dropbox only offers 2GB, and while Box offers 5GB, no individual file can be over 1GB on the free account, which rules out just about every HD video file. Doom, meet gloom.
So what can you learn about this recipe for disaster? As I mentioned with Box, they already have a leg up. That service includes an admin console for managing users in the Business version. The Enterprise service includes high-end features like Salesforce integration, single sign-on (access is granted to Box along with a number of other services through one login), and MS Active Directory support.
Meanwhile, Dropbox just released its new Teams version, which costs $795 per year for five users. That version has an admin console and team management features which appear to be lacking in Google Drive.
In fact, one irony of entrepreneurship is this: One way to fend off the wolves is to feed them. Both Dropbox and Box seem to be gearing up for enterprise adoption. Like Apple, Google has thrived by targeting mass consumers, not necessarily larger companies. The hope is that these smaller online storage vendors will survive by innovating more and appealing to larger companies. Or maybe Google Drive will just suck. | <urn:uuid:088466eb-737f-481c-8287-7ae1263589df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.inc.com/john-brandon/google-drive-a-box-and-dropbox-killer_Printer_Friendly.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948328 | 873 | 1.585938 | 2 |
A fire of unknown cause is burning near the historic Scotty's Castle in Death Valley National Park, and part of the park near the castle has been closed to visitors while crews try to get the fire under control, hopefully by the end of the week.
The fire, which was sparked around 4:00 P.M. Tuesday, is burning in an area of heavy brush in a canyon north of the Castle in the Grapevine Mountains.
With the 24,000-acre Springs Fire fully controlled, officials in the Santa Monica Mountains are beginning restoration, making sure habitat and recreational opportunities get back to normal. On Friday, volunteers will take to Rancho Sierra Vista, removing tracks made by fire trucks so hikers don't mistake them for official trails and trample on sensitive soils and habitat. Then on Saturday, they will remove jointed goatgrass, a highly invasive weed abut the burn area that could now easily take hold in the burn area.
Miles of pathways throughout the Santa Monica Mountains will reopen after full control of a wildfire that ripped through 24,000 acres earlier this month. The National Park Service said Circle X Ranch and parts of Rancho Sierra Vista will be open to hiking beginning Tuesday morning.
Trails west of Yerba Buena Road like Mishe Mokwa to the top of Sandstone Peak in Circle X were not touched by the Springs Fire, but were closed as a precaution shortly after it ignited May 2. They, including the Backbone Trail to the Point Mugu State Park boundary, will reopen without restrictions.
But that's not the case for all of them.
A mountain lion was killed by state officials last night after it attacked an off-duty ranger in Redwood National and State Parks. The ranger, accompanied by his dog, was fishing around sunset at Crescent Beach. At some point, he noticed the canine being chased by a mountain lion. It then began to approach.
This year's early and intense fire season made an unfortunate visit to the Santa Monica Mountains last week, charring 24,000 acres, mostly in parks. Although the Springs Fire is nearly contained, it will be longer until open spaces and trails begin to open.
Much of the public outreach to the National Park Service and California State Parks has been to ask how they can help the 14,000 acres of burned parkland. To that, the two agencies this week announced a list of "three things you can do to help nature recover."
No big announcement was made, but the paved road in the White Mountains to Schulman Grove, along with the unpaved section leading beyond to the turnoff for Patriarch Grove is now open. Those are the two main groves for taking in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, home to some of the most gnarled and photogenic trees you may ever see. If that's not impressive enough, it's also where the oldest known tree in the world can be found, along with many of its elderly brethren.
White Mountain Road closes seasonally for winter, but as the story has been throughout this spring, California mountain arteries that traditionally see a May or June opening had their gates unlocked early. John Louth, who manages the 29,000-acre pine forest calls it an "exceptionally early" opening.
With the two groves accessible and the visitor center at Schulman Grove opening May 18, here's what you need to know:
San Bernardino County public health officials want to talk to a man who had a bat land on his neck at the Kelso Depot visitor center in the Mojave Preserve on April 30. The bat has since tested positive for rabies, and health officials are trying to locate the man to make sure he gets appropriate medical attention.
This is urban hiking at its best: two days, 35 miles, 15 Los Angeles neighborhoods, some 80 public staircases, more than two dozen parks, and -- most importantly -- making new connections and friends. Yes, it's that time of the year to carve our some weekend time for The Big Parade.
Now in its fifth year, the event that has helped popularize L.A.'s network of public staircases leftover from an era when streetcars outnumbered plain ol' cars comes back for two days on May 18 and 19.
[Update, 8:25 p.m., May 4: Trails east of Yerba Buena Road, including the Grotto Trail at Circle X, will reopen Sunday morning. Areas west, such as the Mishe Mowka to Sandstone Peak will stay closed. The fire's size remains at 28,000 acres, but containment has increased to 56 percent.]
[Update, 12:15 p.m., May 4: As of this morning, the fire remained at 28,000 acres, but containment increased to 30 percent. Full containment is expected on Monday.]
A wildfire that has quickly spread within the western Santa Monica Mountains forced the closure of trails and park areas today. The Springs Fire, named after its starting point off the 101 Freeway at Camarillo Springs Road, had charred 28,000 acres in less than 48 hours, as of 10 p.m. Friday. Crews set containment at 20 percent.
Driving along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, you might think there are only a handful of beaches to choose from. That's an easy conclusion to arrive at, considering all the pricey real estate lining the coast, sometimes accompanied with official looking signs "prohibiting" beach access. But don't let all of that fool you. California's coast is public, and Malibu is no exception.
Take the Malibu coast as a whole and you've got about 27 miles. Seven are easily accessed via the traditional beaches flocked to by the summertime crowds: Leo Carillo, Zuma, Surfrider, and so on. The remaining 20 are all lined by private development, making access no easy feat. But all of that is going to change. | <urn:uuid:cf0ce112-4b73-4f35-9e5a-353a7c417ee5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kcet.org/living/travel/socal_wanderer/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967984 | 1,217 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Deregulation Of Electricity Is Easy And Straightforward.
Deregulation is federally mandated, and it allows you to have a choice of your energy provider. Your local utility will still continue to deliver the energy to you, only now you will save money.
Your utility does not want to be a provider of energy, they only want to deliver the energy. By switching, you are actually helping them out because Continue reading »
Energy deregulation provides an opportunity for all of us to save money… and why not? I’ve created this blog as a sounding board and a resource of information for all things related to energy deregulation. This is a commerical blog, meaning that there is a business purpose to it. You can come here to learn about erergy deregulation, you can sign up to save money, or you can even sign up to make money by helping others sign up to save money. Energy deregulation is similar to the deregulation of the phone company back in 1984. Everyone wins!
Stick around… learn… save money!
Warren Buffet stated that the largest tranfer of wealth in history is coming and will be due to the deregulation of energy! I’m excited. I don’t know about you, but when Warren Buffet speaks, I listen. Want to save money now due to energy deregulation? Click here to switch suppliers. Want to make money now? Click here to become an Associate. | <urn:uuid:2adac076-75ff-4c72-b074-4b056fc93c12> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://getderegulated.com/2010/04 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932079 | 294 | 1.796875 | 2 |
"We want to make the office of Congress to be much more proactive than what it has been," said Artur Davis, elected in November to represent the 7th Congressional district of Alabama.
"Proactive" is how Congressman-elect Davis describes his strategy. Elected Nov. 5, Davis said when Congress convenes in 2003, economic development and equal funding for schools will top his agenda.
"We can't talk about local control of these schools without empowering the schools," Davis said. "We're going to be supporting and introducing legislation early in the next term that will provide incentives for the state to equalize their funding structures for between rich and poor school districts."
With the employment rate in west Alabama almost double the state and national average of just over five percent, Davis said he also hopes to develop plans to attract more automobile parts suppliers to the region.
"Going to work for an automobile plant means a different thing in 2002 than it meant in 1972. We have to get the workforce ready to do 21st century work," Davis said. "We need job training programs and we need to put vocational education back into our schools. We need it adequately funded and we need to make it a priority."
In the near future, Davis said he would open three offices within the Black Belt region: Sumter County, Tuscaloosa, and Selma.
As for political leaders in the area, they say they're optimistic about Davis' plans.
"I feel that he is a committed person and I feel that he will do everything in his power to bring about economic prosperity for this community," says Eutaw Mayor Raymond Steele.
"Problems won't get solved overnight but what people want is to see a congressman that is working for progress and that's what I will do," Davis said. | <urn:uuid:d793fc03-7309-4628-ae47-1576dc10068a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wtok.com/home/headlines/164607.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98072 | 368 | 1.507813 | 2 |
quantum computing and why the internet will soon suck
ladies and gentlemen, if i may, i would like to introduce you to the whodi peter shor:
i know what you’re thinking – he looks EXACTLY like nerd life’s answer to the question “what is nerd life for $2000, alex?” you’re right.
peter is a boss in the quantum computing field. he is known for his candy-painted low riders on swangas, his comprehensive 8-track collection, and shor’s algorithm, which essentially brings integer factorization and computation of discrete logarithms well within the reach of mortal lifetimes.
a couple of somethings ago, i tweeted a link about rsa’s securid getting ravaged and i compared it to the magic device hidden in the answering machine that could decrypt EVERYTHING AWESOME in the 1992 movie sneakers. i was taking a bit of creative license there, and i meant to correct myself with a more thorough post later. well, now is later, so yeah.
before i go any further, i want to point out that the same writers who wrote wargames also wrote sneakers. i actually own both dvds. they did not write the movie hackers (i wrote that movie).
the internet and technology grows really fast. as anyone who spams on multiple c-classes knows, we are currently seeing usable IPv4 space dwindle away. IPv4 was invented during internet v0.7, and it has taken us this long to pull our heads out of our asses and start playing with IPv6 like real gentlemen. for those of you old enough to remember the Y2K bug, this was also a limitation in old hardware and software programs that made centenarians zero years old. it was like being born on a leap year or something.
radical quantum computing is most likely already in the capable hands of the NSA. those alphabet soup guys in and around the eastern seaboard are probably already mining the shit out of bitcoins with their quantum rigs, buying up all of the LSD on the lol deep web and feeding it to their engineers, but that should be the least of your worries.
solving the science of effective integer factorization renders a lot of the encryption standards virtually useless. simply put, SSL (the technology all of your non-techie friends rave about on facebook, making their facebook accounts “unhackable” via https) is based off of the RSA algorithm. banks use it, amazon uses it, your p. nis uses it, the internet uses it. in simple terms, it works as follows:
Generate two large prime numbers, p and q
Let n = pq
Let m = (p-1)(q-1)
Choose a small number e, coprime to m
Find d, such that de % m = 1
Publish e and n as the public key.
Keep d and n as the secret key.
checking the primality of a few big ass numbers is easy in polynomial time. doing math is easy in polynomial time. downloading porn is easy in polynomial time. conventional computing makes backing those initial values out via factorization from nothing but a key very difficult. however, properly harnessed quantum computing makes that process easy, like those other things i just typed up there.
post-quantum cryptography is a current field of research, but who knows how quickly internet standards will catch up, because humans are fucking dumb. this is why i don’t bother to encrypt anything. my password is sex. | <urn:uuid:93dad9b0-08ab-4ad0-ad55-b58cd8b172d8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ytcracker.com/v2013/2011/06/16/quantum-computing-and-why-the-internet-will-soon-suck/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958767 | 755 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Friday, May 25, 2012 - 8:50am
Fire at Wilmington Friends ruled arson
Updated Friday, May 25, 2012 - 8:57am
Video player now loading; please wait...
|Firefighters battle the April 17th fire at Wilmington Friends (WDEL Archive)|
State Fire Marshal's investigators say last month's fire at Wilmington Friends School was intentionally set.
The fire started around 12:30 on the afternoon of April 17th in the auditorium of the facility in Alapocas.
The Talleyville Fire Company was the first on the scene, and Dave Carpenter told WDEL's Amy Cherry what firefighters found.
Click here to listen
"Upon arrival when the fire advanced into the second story of the auditorium, then the firefighters realized the roof was collapsing. They evacuated out of the structure, the incident went to three alarms, the incident commander called for a three alarm fire which is about 25 pieces of equipment and 100 firefighters on scene."
No students received injuries, but two firefighters were hurt battling the blaze and were taken to the hospital in stable condition.
Investigators are now looking for a suspect, or suspects, and ask anyone with information to call the Fire Marshal's Office's New Castle division at 323-5375.
Copyright © Jun 19, 2013, WDEL/Delmarva Broadcasting Company. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:6a004722-fa80-49f4-8ff2-e2a5c5c02665> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wdel.com/story.php?id=43093 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957359 | 293 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Things that you should know when buying a Car
Do you think you could beat a professional rugby player at his own game?
For most of us, the answer is no.
Think about that the next time you go to a car dealership... where you are dealing with a professional seller.
From the moment you step out on the lot you are behind in experience... behind in industry knowledge... behind in salesmanship... to whom else but someone who sells for a living?
The professional athlete of his field. The salesman. The person who makes his living by commission - and therefore tries to squeeze every dollar possible out of his victims.
But now you can be prepared. Don't fall for his traps.
Don't fall for his schemes. Make sure you spend the least money possible when purchasing your car. And do it with confidence.
The first thing you need to realize when going to a dealership to buy a car is this. The salesman's agenda is to make the best commission possible. Your agenda is to get the best deal possible. You must understand this mindset.
Most people are too naive to realize what is happening when they are being sold a car. They are not thinking like the salesman, who has been there every single day for the last umpteen years dealing with customers just like them.
...here is just SOME of the information you will find inside:
Understand that both you and the dealer are looking to get the better deal.
Why you should run if they ask you to resign your loan papers.
Find out the difference between the dealer's price and the factory price - so that you know how much to offer.
Find out when salesmen are desperate to sell cars and are much more willing to lower their prices to close the deal.
Recognize numerous other scams such as the "Factory Holdback Scam," "Insurance Scam," "Turnover Scam," and more. Get prepared before you get taken for thousands.
Items to bring with you when purchasing a car if you want to make sure you get the best deal possible.
Recognize who is really on the phone if someone calls in to compete with your offer.
Why you should never wait until the last minute to buy a car...never!
Find out why you should never offer any money for a car unless you already know the dealer cost.
Learn when to use the words "only if you put it in writing" to save yourself from scams forced on you by pushy salesmen.
Make sure the date that the salesman writes on your contract is correct before signing.
How to protect yourself from late payments when trading in car that still has money due.
So You Wanna Buy A Car
What You Should Never Do
Common Phrases and Word Games
Top 10 Dealership Scams How to Avoid
Car Refinance Scams
The Buyer's Folder
How Much Money Should I Offer the Dealer?
What Kind of Buyer Am I?
Some Sales Scams
Closing Without Extra Costs
Common Extras at Closing
The CD will show the Ebook Graphic on the Label if You choose this Option
Tananka - The best variety of Ebooks on Bidorbuy for your Apple Ipad, Kindle, Samsung Galaxy Tab, PC and other E-Readers | <urn:uuid:4ac7d660-14e3-43b6-9ac7-662bf302f0d8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/64762649/Avoid_Car_Scams_FREE_DOWNLOAD_1000_FREE_on_CD_Home_Finance.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954263 | 678 | 1.703125 | 2 |
All About UsAllAboutCareers is a social careers information website for everyone who wants to find out more about graduate schemes, apprenticeships, internships and other job-related shenanigans.
Cover letters: The Sales Pitch
When employers read your cover letter they need to be certain that your skills and experiences are relevant to your future career.
To convince recruiters that you are right for a role, follow these top tips for writing your cover letter:
Match yourself to the company’s requirements…
Identify the competencies they are seeking and think about how you match those. You can do this by reading the literature on their website. Think about the tasks and activities you could be involved in on a daily basis in the role and the skills they require. Also consider your colleagues, the range of clients and other organisations you could be working with.
If the job description has an extensive list of essential skills, try not to refer to each and every single one. This will make your cover letter overly long. Instead, focus on a few of the required skills which demonstrate your major strengths. Furthermore, try to anticipate which skills are the most important to the job and make sure you address these concisely, but with sufficient detail.
No one is going to do this for you. It’s a good idea to draw on a range of recent experiences and activities that demonstrate you have got the competencies the company is looking for. Think about the different areas of your life, such as your studies, your work experience, your leisure interests and the voluntary activities that you’ve done. Consider the tasks and activities that you have been involved in, especially if they are linked to the industry. How did you contribute? What was the end result? What did you learn? This will provide you with a ‘skills bank’ of examples which you can use.
Promote your interpersonal skills…
Most companies place a huge emphasis upon working in teams, developing relationships and collaborating with colleagues. Your statement needs to reflect your excellent interpersonal skills. Relevant experiences to highlight are: involvement with clubs, societies and sporting activities at university and part-time jobs, internships or placements; especially if they have been in the relevant industry sector.
Even working in groups for projects whilst at university or college are relevant. These activities will highlight to a recruiter that you are a team player and will enable you to demonstrate that you have developed valuable skills such as leadership, teamwork, negotiation, communication and persuasion.
Demonstrate your industry awareness…
You need to make it clear to a recruiter that you have a genuine interest in the area of work you are applying for and that you understand how the particular company and industry sector operates as a whole. One way that you can develop this knowledge and begin to demonstrate this in your cover letter is to keep up-to-date by reading relevant industry websites, journals, publications and newspapers.
Create the right impression…
Make a positive impact by keeping your writing concise and to the point. Check for spelling and grammar errors. This will show that you have effective written communication skills, an eye-for-detail and accuracy. These are all key skills in most career paths.
Don’t cut & paste…
When you are actively seeking a new role, it is all too easy to cut, copy and paste sentences and paragraphs from previous cover letters into others. After all, nobody wants to put the wrong company’s name on their cover letter! It might well end up in the bin pretty quickly.
It is important that each cover letter is specifically targeted at the individual company. This will instantly make your writing more genuine, honest and interesting for the recruiter. Furthermore, as the roles and competencies sought vary for each job, it is basically impossible to make your cover letter completely relevant to the individual job if you are copying and pasting big chunks of text.
Written by Jane Howie
Coventry University Careers Service | <urn:uuid:f960f8d6-7340-46fe-9721-a209ef527176> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.allaboutcareers.com/articles/post/charity-not-for-profit-ngo/cover-letters-the-sales-pitch.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960425 | 812 | 1.6875 | 2 |
You’ve heard the old adage; “don’t assume, it makes an ass out of “u” and me”, but unfortunately, it’s all too easy for B2B marketers to forget.
Mediative’s The Buyersphere Project outlines what B2B marketers wrongly assume about organisational decision-making and the risk mechanisms which can be used to remedy the situation.
Assumption 1. There’s Only One Critical Decision-Maker
Unlike the more straightforward world of B2C, there’s rarely only one person you need to influence. Yes, even in small businesses. Although someone has the final say, other people are asked for input – on and off the record.
This is why the buying cycle for B2B is often long. Getting a lot of people to agree on any one thing is not quick and easy. In fact it complicates the buying process significantly. Plus those decision makers, even if they are unified by a common problem, often have different perspectives or windows on that core problem and marketers must take the trouble to understand those unique perspectives. Think how a CFO vs Head of Division might have different perspectives on a common problem.
Whereas a personal purchase decision is dictated by a balance between the emotions of desire and risk, when we buy something for a company the personal reward is not as important, as there are fewer personal benefits for decision makers. Risk management has a greater degree of importance and influence in the decision.
Why it’s dangerous: If you design your campaigns and content around one buyer persona, you risk rejection for failing to respond to objections from other personas who are key influencers (if not decision-makers themselves) in the purchase.
How to fix it: Audit your current content for gaps. Ask yourself what question each persona would have at each step of their buying journey. Make sure you have easily accessible content to answer that question.
Assumption 2. Decision-Makers Follow A Linear Buying Journey
Another common pitfall is the assumption that all of these buyers follow a linear path to making their decision, from unqualified, to lead, to prospect to customer. Many B2B marketers design their campaigns to move their buyers down that funnel in the same chronological fashion.
The problem is, humans just aren’t wired that way. Although there are formal processes in place to give the appearance of process, there’s an element of random-ness completely hidden to marketers that can drastically alter their funnel positioning. Budgets get cut mid-year, people get laid off, companies reorganise and decision makers now report to a new boss, decision makers leave, priorities shift.
Why it’s dangerous: If you wire your campaigns to only work for buyers who follow a linear process you fail to cater for buyers who move back and forth between stages and leak from your funnel. You run the risk of losing them forever.
How to fix it: Allow for some wriggle room. Have recycling campaigns that continuously offer opportunities for buyers to re-enter the lower stages of your funnel when they’re ready. Plan your content to work over the typical lifecycle of a lead (at least). Design specific conversion “gates” in your content marketing plan, so that you can identify when a lead has downloaded a lower funnel offer (for example). Lead scoring can be used effectively to alert you to leads that are “on the move” and in active decision mode.
Assumption 3. Buying Decisions Are Based Purely on Logic
Which brings us to the final assumption – that B2B purchasing is rational. Marketers think that when their buyers are narrowing down their options, each fact is considered and every option is weighed.
However, humans use shortcuts to rational decision-making (like their own personal feelings, emotions, beliefs, instincts, and habits). Salespeople never forget this because they deal with it every day. But all too often, it’s the marketers who attempt to impose rationality on a largely irrational process.
And when you have many irrational decision-makers on your hands, all trying to use formalised processes to reach one decision, it’s nearly impossible to predict the outcome.
Why it’s dangerous: You forget the human component that goes into it. So instead of talking about your buyer’s pain points, you keep talking about how great you are – features, functions, and benefits. Snore!
How to fix it: Show them that you know what it’s like to walk a mile in their shoes. Help them solve the problems they have and stop talking about yourself. Remember that B2B decision-making is often driven by a fear, or managing the risk of decision making, so do all you can to mitigate that risk. Word of mouth and recommendation plays an important role in mitigating risk. Social media (especially in trusted networks such as LinkedIn groups) works as digital word of mouth. Ensure you use social media channels to increase visibility for your content and share success stories, case studies and testimonials from happy customers.
Become the Risk-Averse Option
The bottom line is that B2B buying is all about minimising fear by eliminating risk. Mediative identified the following ways B2B decision-makers mitigate risk in an organisational buy:
1. Personal experience or an approved vendor list.
People want to deal with who they know, or a vendor who’s been given a seal of approval. An approved vendor stamp avoids exposure to risk, so it’s the single most important risk control mechanism.
2. Word of mouth.
…of co-workers and peers. It’s common to seek the opinions of those close to you early in the buying process.
…of existing vendors. Sales representatives that have built trust with customers are often one of the first places prospects turn to when thinking about an upcoming purchase, even if the vendor doesn’t sell it.
3. Credibility and position of vendors.
If you want to buy something but have no personal experience with the vendor (or know anyone who does), you lean on the wisdom of the crowds. Why? Because even if it goes badly, you can say you weren’t alone.
4. Online research.
The web empowers buyers by giving them access to plenty of information previously unavailable. Prospects can easily browse product information, past user experience, impressions of the vendor, comparisons and reviews.
This is where you should be spending most of your time, because it was rated as the second most important element in decision-making, topped only by vendor word of mouth.
Aim to get them while they’re conducting online research. Not only is it more influential than all the rest, it’s the only one you have almost total control over!
For more information about getting found by your buyers online, please download our free eBook:
Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
Can you think of any other dangerous assumptions B2B marketers make about their prospects? Share them with us in the comments section below. | <urn:uuid:c12b244c-51a4-487e-85c7-45b97f8dafd7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.business2community.com/b2b-marketing/3-dangerous-assumptions-b2b-marketers-make-about-decision-makers-0401204 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946811 | 1,479 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Two major Catholic institutions filed lawsuits on Monday challenging the Obama administration's mandate that religiously affiliated employers offer health insurance for their workers that includes coverage for contraception.
Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images
The University of Notre Dame filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging a Health and Human Services rule on contraceptives.
The Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., and the University of Notre Dame separately filed lawsuits in federal court challenging a Health and Human Services rule that would require them to offer coverage for contraception, the use of which runs contrary to Catholic teaching.
"For the first time in this country’s history, the government’s new definition of religious institutions suggests that some of the very institutions that put our faith into practice — schools, hospitals and social service organizations — are not ‘religious enough,'" said Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the archbishop of Washington, in a statement.
Father John Jenkins, the president of Notre Dame, said: "This filing is about the freedom of a religious organization to live its mission, and its significance goes well beyond any debate about contraceptives."
(Jenkins emphasized that the university's suit was not intended to prevent access to contraception or to prevent the government from providing services.)
The University of Notre Dame is fighting the Obama administration's requirement for most employers to cover contraception – saying the decision violates religious freedoms. NBC's Pete Williams reports.
The contraceptive regulation erupted into a political firestorm in February, when Republicans seized on the proposed regulation as an example of a government "assault" on religious liberty.
In the face of public pressure, President Barack Obama announced a compromise in which employers could opt against including coverage for contraception, but insurers would be required to provide the option of coverage of those services to employees who wanted it.
The proposal became a hot-button political issue in much of February, especially as Republicans in Congress and on the campaign trail sought to strengthen exemptions for religiously affiliated employers from regulations that conflict with their faith's official teaching. | <urn:uuid:958c9e9f-5723-4e0b-85c6-edd27870da74> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/05/21/11794013-catholic-heavyweights-challenge-obama-rule-on-contraception?lite | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961437 | 401 | 1.617188 | 2 |
June 28--The U.S. Supreme Court's decision Thursday to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a victory for those who believe in fairness in a health-care system that has too many flaws. The law will help provide coverage for the 50 million uninsured Americans, and stop insurance companies from limiting coverage to those with "pre-existing conditions."
The reform also will help contain health-care costs, which have spiraled out of control.
The legal case against the reform law was mostly about the "individual mandate" that required Americans to buy health insurance or pay a penalty. Many thought the law would be rejected by the court under the Commerce Clause. But the court's majority went in another legal direction, calling the penalty for those without insurance a tax. Congress has the ability to tax, making the mandate legal under that interpretation.
The 5-4 decision, with Chief Justice John Roberts as the swing vote, reveals that the high court is as divided as the American people on the boundaries of powers between the federal government and the states -- and the role of the court itself in policing those boundaries. That conversation clearly will continue as we move toward the November presidential election.
Roberts, a conservative, sided with the court's liberal bloc to let the law stand. In upholding the law passed by Congress and signed by the president in March 2010, Chief Justice Roberts wrote an elegant opinion on judicial restraint, properly understood.
Roberts made it clear that the court should allow the people of the United States through their elected branches to make decisions: "Members of this Court are vested with the authority to interpret the law; we possess neither the expertise nor the prerogative to make policy judgments. Those decisions are entrusted to our Nation's elected leaders, who can be thrown out of office if the people disagree with them."
Roberts concluded: "It is not our job to protect the people from the consequences of their political choices."
That is our system. People who don't like the Affordable Care Act can go to the polls in November and elect representatives and a president who promise to change it. Supporters of the law can vote for those who will back it.
We believe the law is a huge improvement on the status quo, although it certainly is not perfect. Critics want to continue a health-care system that's costly, unfair and unworkable for a large segment of Americans.
But because the reform law is so sweeping, there are bound to be unintended consequences that must be remedied in the legislative process. There also are many aspects of the law that are not fully understood, and we need to know how they will impact individuals, businesses and health-care providers. Health-care reform is a work in progress, and Congress and the president should not hesitate in making any needed fixes.
But today, the Supreme Court has upheld a landmark law, and that is a good thing for the nation, and for California, the largest health-care market in the nation.
(c)2012 The Fresno Bee (Fresno, Calif.)
Visit The Fresno Bee (Fresno, Calif.) at www.fresnobee.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services | <urn:uuid:a13b2220-c32e-4a69-9246-a3cb51efbd56> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://insurancenewsnet.com/article.aspx?id=348365&type=lifehealth | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967279 | 646 | 1.75 | 2 |
March 5, 2013 at 3:57 PM ET
Riding a wave of optimism, the Dow Jones industrial average closed Tuesday above levels not seen since before the financial crisis and before the Great Recession.
It was a journey more than five years in the making, as investors slowly and then with greater urgency over that time, plowed money into stocks, mainly because there were few other places in the economy in which to make more money.
The blue-chip index, the best known and most widely followed measure of stock prices, rose 125.95 points, or 0.89 percent, to end at 14,253.77, led by Boeing and United Technologies. The Dow Jones Transportation Average also touched a record high.
More than 100 companies ranging from retailers to Internet giants, food makers and industrial companies rose to annual, multiyear or all-time highs. Since the Dow's last all-time high in 2007, Home Depot and IBM have been the biggest gainers, while Alcoa and Bank of America have been the worst performers.
So far, the Dow is up nearly 9 percent in 2013, surpassing the 7.3 percent gain for all of 2012.
The broader S&P 500 index closed up 14.59 points, or .96 percent, to 1,539.79. The tech-laden Nasdaq jumped 42.10 points, or 1.32 percent, to 3,224.13.
Stocks got a big boost Tuesday from upbeat economic data from Europe. China helped too, pledging to meet its growth targets.
But the main fuel for the record-setting climb has been near-zero interest rates from the Federal Reserve, which have spurred the housing market, but also made it difficult to make money buying bonds or holding money in savings accounts.
But what does the new high mean for the economy?
"It's meaningful in the sense it obviously has a lot of media potential - it's likely to move stories about the stock market to the front page from the financial section," said investor Hugh Johnson. "From that point of view it is good news in that it tends to lift spirits or raise confidence. There is the wealth effect of the fact that when you start to lift confidence it leads to stronger consumer spending. From that point of view it will have positive feedback on the economy," he added.
In Johnson's view, the gridlock in the nation's capital is unlikely to bring the market down.
"The question it is going to raise - which this market has raised continuously - is how is it this market is doing so well in the face of meaningful spending cuts coming out of Washington with the sequester? The message of the markets is although the sequester is likely to impact gross domestic product, it is not likely to end the current stock market business cycle, or the bull market expansion. It is not likely to interrupt the current cycle."
(Read More: Cramer: Near All-Time Highs, Should You Buy?)
On the economic front, the Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) non-manufacturing index, which tracks monthly changes in the services sector, said the pace of growth in the vast U.S. services sector accelerated to its fastest pace in a year in February, helped by a rise in new orders and demand for exports.
ISM said its services index rose to 56 from 55.2 in January, exceeding economists' forecasts for 55. It was the highest level since February 2012. A reading above 50 indicates expansion in the sector.
The new orders index jumped to 58.2 from 54.4, while orders for exports rose to their highest level since May 2007 with that gauge at 60.5, up from January's 55.5.
"This was no question a positive number," said Michael Woolfolk, senior currency strategist at BNY Mellon. "It reflects improvement in reinforces the view that the economy continues to improve and should contribute to gains that have driven the stock market to a new record."
European shares were boosted by the news that euro zone finance ministers have struck an agreement to bail out Cyprus by the end of March, although they have yet to work out the details of the 17 billion euro ($22.1 billion) financial aid package.
Shares in mainland China recovered 2 percent after hitting a six-week closing low in the previous session, as outgoing Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao set out a reform plan at the National People's Congress in order to achieve a 2013 growth target of 7.5 percent.
(Read More: Why China's Property Market Is Getting Scary)
The Senate Budget Committee is meeting to discuss reducing the fiscal deficit by eliminating wasteful spending in the tax code.
"We are seeing money going into the asset class," said Shawn Matthews, CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, but at some time investors can expect a "pause," he added.
House Speaker John Boehner said President Barack Obama and he had made no headway on a deal to avoid sequestration over the weekend. Meanwhile, House Republicans are expected to introduce a bill to extend government funding through September, to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month.
While stocks so far have largely ignored sequester concerns, analysts say signs the cuts are beginning to impact the economy could eventually move markets.
On Monday afternoon, Stephen King, chief global economist at HSBC, said that the U.S. was living in "a fantasy world" over the impact sequestration would have on growth.
"If you look at the projections from the Congressional Budget Office, they assume that growth goes back to between four to five percent in real terms between 2014 and 2018. Their numbers suggest that the U.S. will post the fastest rate of productivity growth of any decade in the last 50 or 60 years," King told CNBC Europe. "Even allowing for the fact that there's some debt reduction, coming through sequestration, there's still a degree of wishful thinking with regard to the economy which probably isn't going to come true."
Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.
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I expect the Steve Jobs theme will be most widely-discussed Larry Page analogy, and that there will be future business best-sellers on leadership by autocratic technocrats (bonus points if they’re also company founders)
But several of Mr. Page's former colleagues describe him as having similarities to Apple CEO Steve Jobs, whom Mr. Page has said he admired. Both men are strong willed, sometimes impolite and push engineers hard to execute their ambitious projects.
Some former colleagues said Mr. Page is likely to try to pierce through the sometimes "paralyzing" bureaucracy that product managers and engineers have faced when trying to launch some Google products in recent years.
Another excerpt from the NYT source in the previous post:
Google employees said they hoped Mr. Page’s biggest impact would be in providing a jolt of inspiration. He gave a glimpse of that, along with a rare public display of emotion, in a commencement speech at the University of Michigan, his alma mater, last year.
“I think it is often easier to make progress on mega-ambitious dreams,” he said. “I know that sounds completely nuts. But, since no one else is crazy enough to do it, you have little competition.” | <urn:uuid:0e31688a-b133-4e0a-96d9-cc1640704d52> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pbokelly.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-ceo-larry-page-seeks-more-agile.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971702 | 264 | 1.507813 | 2 |
It’s been a year and a couple of months since we first started ArchDaily.
With the one mission of “broadcasting architecture worldwide” we have already published 1,200 architecture related posts and our readers have engaged with more than 12,000 comments in architecture related discussions.
Architecture is the most frequent word we use. We are architects and we love architecture. With this in mind, we have again decided to search and rank the best sites devoted to architecture only. This is not an easy job and of course it can be considered a subjective topic (as it is with every ranking). In order to reduce subjective observations, this year we have decided to consider only a recognized third party ranking system: alexa.com.
Based in our extensive architecture and Internet experience complemented with previous feedback from our readers, we came out with a list of 20 English written sites devoted to architecture only and ranked them according to alexa.com. Alexa ranks with a number 1 the most popular website in the world, which is now google.com.
We are architects, and during the last few years we have been reading and commenting on several architectural websites. As many of you do, we love to watch, learn and discuss about architecture online, with people from around the world. One day we decided to put all these sites together to get the whole picture on architectural sites, and then order them according to our likings. But in the meanwhile, we noticed it wasn’t that easy, because each one of us had different interests and approaches. In our listings, several sites were repeated, but in different places.
So, we decided to find a way to make a standardized procedure to rank and order these sites. Then we noticed Michiel van Raaij at Eikonographia repeated the ranking he started in 2007, the MoPo (Most Popular Architectural Blogs). Although Michiel did a very accurate job, he restricted it to English blogs from individual authors, leaving out several of our favorite blogs from either foreign languages or multiple authors, and some other sitess that mix architecture with other related subjects (design, sustainability, trends, etc).
To expand this rank, we decided to put together some common criteria. The most logical criteria should be the amount of visitors, but this is almost impossible since most sites don’t publish these stats. But there are some other factors you can use to measure the relevance of a website: (a) Rank of websites based on an estimate of their traffic, by Alexa, (b) Google Page Rank and (c) and the frequency of the updates, an average of the entries published in the last 2 months (done by us). That´s how we came up with YAMoPo (Yet Another MoPo). | <urn:uuid:a6070532-9102-4a13-98db-505d35d67968> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.archdaily.com/tag/yamopo/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95872 | 571 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Egypt’s newly elected president, Mohammed Morsi, says he will be a “leader for all Egyptians.” That sounds a lot like the sorts of lies his fellow Muslim Brothers have been telling for months, only to renege on them when they can. We ignore the true character and ambitions of the Muslim Brotherhood - in Egypt, elsewhere in the Mideast, in the wider world and here - at our extreme peril.
In fact, the Brothers’ bait-and-switch gambits are standard operating procedure for their secretive organization. After all, from the Brotherhood’s inception in Egypt in 1928, it has been a revolutionary organization committed to the imposition worldwide of a totalitarian, supremacist Islamic doctrine they call Shariah.
The unattractiveness of that brutally repressive agenda to non-Muslims, and even many Muslims, has forced the group to operate largely in the shadows. It wages a stealthy, pre-violent “civilization jihad” to advance its goals until circumstances are ripe for conquest via violent jihad.
In the hope of attenuating the military’s opposition to the Muslim Brotherhood’s rise, the latter has utilized myriad subterfuges. In previous rounds of elections, the Brotherhood promised that it would not seek a parliamentary majority. Then, it did. It promised not to run a candidate for president. Then, it actually ran two of them.
As its power grew, the Brotherhood cynically abandoned others in the opposition in the hope of cutting deals with the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), the junta that ruled Egypt following the overthrow of longtime U.S. ally Hosni Mubarak. When the SCAF cracked down on the eve of the second round of the presidential election, however, the Brothers were back in Tahrir Square making nice with those unlikely to fare well under Shariah - Christians, secular liberals and women to whom Mr. Morsi’s soothing words are obviously intended to appeal.
Another Brotherhood bait-and-switch was laid bare in a Wall Street Journal interview with the Brotherhood’s formidable deputy supreme guide, Khairat Al Shater. As writer Matthew Kaminski put it, “If the Muslim Brotherhood came to power, Mr. Al Shater would be in charge.” In other words, Mr. Morsi is a puppet for the leader of an outfit described by Mr. Kaminski as “a closed, rigidly hierarchical and disciplined quasi-Trotskyite organization.”
Khairat Al Shater revealed one more gambit in his interview with the Journal. Mr. Kaminski quoted him as saying, “the priority is ‘a close partnership’ with the U.S. which the [Brotherhood] expects to help it unlock credit markets and gain international legitimacy.”
On the occasion of Mr. Obama’s first “outreach to the Muslim world” speech at Cairo’s al-Azhar University in June 2009, he insisted that Brotherhood operatives be in the audience. He threw Mr. Mubarak under the bus within a few days of demonstrations erupting in Tahrir Square and elsewhere in Egypt (in stark contrast to his indifference to far larger and longer-running ones in Iran).
What is more, since the first “Arab Spring” uprisings in February 2011, Team Obama has engaged with the Brotherhood extensively - both here and in the region - and signaled its willingness to do so in government. Notably, in April, after the Brotherhood dominated parliamentary elections, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton ordered the transfer of $1.5 billion in a lump-sum, no-strings-attached grant to Egypt.
The best hope for those who legitimately fear the Muslim Brotherhood and its unwavering - if only intermittently acknowledged - determination to impose Shariah in Egypt may be for the military there to continue to resist pressure to yield power to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Unfortunately, that pressure will be immense. It will emanate from, among others, the Obama administration. Team Obama’s support for the Brotherhood has become more and more aggressive and reckless. In the process, it is empowering not only the most serious enemy of any hope for freedom in the Middle East, but avowed enemies of this country, as well.
The next shoe to drop in that regard may be a decision by President Obama to agree to a demand from Egyptian Islamists to free one of their most dangerous leaders, Omar Abdul Rahman, the notorious “Blind Sheik” who ordered the first attack on the World Trade Center in 1993. That unrepentant terrorist subsequently tried to use his attorney, Lynne Stewart, to communicate from federal prison an order to his followers to conduct still more murderous jihadist acts.
Rahman’s return to Cairo - a jihadist triumph that would likely make the Islamists’ rapture at the return of Ayatollah Khomeini to Iran in 1979 pale by comparison - has been urged most recently during high-level meetings in Washington by Hani Nour Eldin. Mr. Eldin is a member of the Blind Sheik’s designated terrorist organization, Gama’a al-Islamiyya. An incredulous House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter T. King, New York Republican, has written to Homeland Security Secretary Janet A. Napolitano asking why such a dangerous individual was granted a visa by the Obama administration and for her position on the release of Rahman.
Subterfuge, subversion and sedition in the name of Shariah are the tradecraft of the Muslim Brotherhood. Team Obama’s enabling of the Brothers’ ascendancy in Egypt and its embrace of their operatives and those of other Islamist organizations in this country (see MuslimBrotherhoodinAmerica.com) is, if not actually illegal, certainly dangerous in the extreme.
Frank J. Gaffney Jr. is president of the Center for Security Policy (www.SecureFreedom.org), a columnist for The Washington Times and host of the nationally syndicated program “Secure Freedom Radio,” heard in Washington weeknights at 9 on WRC 1260 a.m.
© Copyright 2013 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.
Frank J. Gaffney Jr. is president of the Center for Security Policy (SecureFreedom.org), a columnist for The Washington Times and host of Secure Freedom Radio, heard in Washington weeknights at 9 p.m. on 1260 AM.
'Your papers, please' must never be heard in America
By Susan Crabtree - The Washington Times
President Obama forgot to return the salute of a U.S. Marine while boarding Marine One Friday morning, then came back out to shake the Marine’s hand, according to a tweet by CBS News’ Mark Knoller. | <urn:uuid:3452cff6-c48e-4447-858c-2ba2887b9071> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jun/25/muslim-brotherhoods-bait-and-switch/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934814 | 1,398 | 1.601563 | 2 |
In the new HBO show Girls the friendships portrayed on screen are the star of the show. Yet, seven years down the line - what are the odds these women will all still be pals? Past research from Utrecht University indicates that women cycle through half of their friends every seven years! And that's kind of an alarming, especially if you can't imagine yourself ever separating from your current crew.
So what happens, exactly? Often it seems that we drift apart -- and there's usually a good reason for that. Our personalities evolve, we develop different interests, people move across the country and a whole slew of other life events pull us apart and shift our priorities. And while it's easy to feel guilty when you and an old pal start to go separate ways, it's important not to beat yourself up! There simply aren't enough hours in the day to stay close to everyone you've befriended over the years. You'll stay close with those you truly care about, but other friends will come and go throughout life.
And remember: there's no right answer to how many friends you should have, how long you should stay in touch with them or how often you should hang out. It's much more a measure of what feels right to you. Ask yourself: Do I feel satisfied with my friendships? Do I look forward to hanging out with them (whether you have 2 friends or 25)? If you feel uncertain, look into joining a new sports team, signing up for an art class or simply ringing up an old pal you've let drift away. If the answer is yes - great! Cherish those friendships and try to spend quality time with them whenever you can.More from SELF:
12 Booze-Free Ways to Bond With Your Girlfriends
Join SELF's Drop 10 Together Facebook App!
Get SELF on your iPad and Kindle Fire! | <urn:uuid:f6cded21-6761-402b-9dab-3b56005e7cb5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.self.com/blogs/flash/2012/05/friendship-advice.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952531 | 380 | 1.773438 | 2 |
SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's exports to the United States were boosted by the bilateral free trade deal, also known as the KORUS FTA, for six months since such deal came into force in March 15, customs office data showed Sunday.
According to the Korea Customs Service, South Korean exports to the U.S. reached 29.1 billion U.S. dollars during the period of between March 15 and Sept. 7, up 3.7 percent from the same period of last year.
Imports from the U.S. contracted 7 percent to 21.2 billion dollars over the cited period, sending the trade surplus with the U.S. to 7.9 billion dollars during the six-month period after the KORUS FTA implementation.
The positive figure came as external conditions worsened amid the protracted European fiscal crisis and the global economic slowdown. The country's overall exports declined 4.3 percent over the cited period, while the trade surplus amounted to 16.8 billion dollars, among which around half came from the surplus with the U. S.
Export items, which benefited from tariff cuts or elimination, saw a surge in shipments to the U.S. Auto parts exports jumped 19 percent for the cited six-month period, with shipments of rubber goods expanding 15 percent. Exports in the textile, chemical and machinery sectors soared 22 percent over the same period. | <urn:uuid:f3ddc033-7fcc-4a10-b2bc-3554c3263149> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-09/16/c_131853427.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958762 | 289 | 1.8125 | 2 |
After submitting a memorandum to Governor Jagannath Pahadia over recent cases of rape in Haryana, Chautala slammed the Congress government in the state for the "worsening" law and order situation.
"Four cases of rape were reported on the very day Congress president Sonia Gandhi came to meet a rape victim in Jind district," the INLD leader claimed.
When asked to respond to Khap panchayats' controversial suggestion, Chautala gave his support, saying it will help curbing such crimes against women.
Following a rise in cases of rape in Haryana, Khap panchayats had suggested doing away with the marriageable age limit, claiming it will check such crimes.
"Boys and girls should be married by the time they turn 16, so that they do not stray... this will decrease the incidents of rape," Sube Singh, a Khap representative had said.
A Dalit girl was allegedly abducted and raped by two youths in Kasba Kalyat area of Kaithal district in the 15th incident of sexual assault on women within a month in Haryana.
The victims included teenaged girls.
Kaithal SP, Kuldeep Singh Yadav said police have registered a case against two youths Rakesh and Pawan under Section 376 (rape) of IPC on the basis of the statement made by the victim after the incident yesterday.
She was also medically examined, he said.
He said the matter was still under investigation and both the accused have been arrested.
The victim made the statement before the magistrate and levelled charges of rape against those arrested.
"Look back at the past, the Mughal sultanate in this country used to misbehave with women and used to kidnap them.
In order to prevent that people started getting their young girls married early so that no one does anything wrong to them.
"....I have seen girls getting married at tender age, the same situation is back again," Chautala said.
Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury said Haryana government cannot be blamed for the rise in rape incidents and called for a collective battle against this problem.
The Congress is confident that Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda will be able to deal with the situation and no advice needed be given to him, Renuka told reporters in Delhi.
Congress tries to defend Bhupinder Singh Hooda
Congress was today trying hard to defend Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda who is in the line of fire over rape incidents in his state, saying he is "not sitting with hands tied" and argued that crimes against women were happening everywhere.
Party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary said the issue should not be sensationalised by the media even as the state witnessed another rape--the 15th in a month.
Asked as to why the Haryana administration was unable to check the rising incidents of rape, Chowdhury told reporters, "I am not talking about 'A' government....There is an issue in society. All over the world, crime is rising.... It is a challenge.
"The Chief Minister is not sitting with his hands tied. It is an unfair accusation. He is seized of it and he will deal with the matter."
She said that the media "should not be sensationalising" when reporting such incidnets. "Sensitivity should be there when you report these matters."
Chowdhary said that "it is not true that no action is being taken against the culprits in these matters."
She called for a collective battle against this problem.
The Congress spokesperson's defence of Haryana government over the rape controversy came a day after party President Sonia Gandhi visited Jind district and met the family of a Dalit teenaged girl, who immolated herself after being allegedly gang-raped.
Gandhi had said that perpetrators of such "barbaric" crimes must be severely punished.
The Congress spokesperson was also critical of INLD chief Om Prakash Singh Chautala's statement backing the idea of Khap panchayats to reduce the marriageable age of boys and girls to 16 years to curb incidents of sexual assault.
The spokesperson said it was "unfortunate" and that there is a need to bring about a "change in the mindset".
A Dalit girl was allegedly abducted and raped by two youths in Kasba Kalyat area of Kaithal district in the 15th incident of sexual assault on women within a month in Haryana. The victims included teenaged girls.
Chowdhary, who faced a volley of questions on the issue, also dismissed as "nonsense" certain objectionable remarks by Ramdev, suggesting that he should have a broad outlook on the fairer sex.
the c.m. of haryana has staked the welfare of the state and put his favorite people in coveted positions acclaimed for practising casteist politics as the m.l.a of rohtak district.the reality of the c.m of haryana should be nationally made aware to the people .whatever the good work is done by the government ,it is overshadowed by this extreme favouring politics most prevalent inthe state of haryana.the c.m of haryana most blinded by this friendship is jeopardising the welfare of the people and should be disqualified as the head of the state.for a leader of the calibre of the c.m. of haryana , the motto should be duty over self and not the other way. such people have no right to be at the commanding head of a democracy. jaihind.
Just stone these disrespectful beasts to death. I firmly believe that there has to be a vigilante roaming the streets at night to strike terror in the minds of these criminals. Make these criminals feel the terror they think is their prerogative. Do not blame it on the police alone - these are violent criminals and if need be get violent with them. Do not forget - 'defending the fairer sex's rights is part of respecting them'. Stand up - you so called men and next time you see anything untoward - do not be afraid to get bruised - you may actually end up saving a lady's life. Its time that you finally did something to deserve the manhood you think is your birthright. God is great! Stand up to these criminals and you must!
Reducing the marriageable age may not serve the purpose, it will not only increase the population of our country but also endanger life of female, the need is social awareness, control films and electronic media, strictly censure the films T.V rely avoid expressive and violent sex scenes. However still if government feels reducing the marriageable will eliminate or reduce sex crimes it should be with limitation for number of children per couple.
Khap-panchayts of Haryana have got a sort of political vote-bank numbers,and that could be one reason for some of that State's Netas to toe their unique agenda of lowering the age of girls for marriage.Rapist or its gang don't look for age of the victim being raped! We have got rather shocking reports of rapes being committed of women in higher age groups whilst some of them were married too! Khaps/Haryana Netas,are twisting the matter to wriggle out of the criminal acts which are being repeatedly committed in that State,which also shows police could be inefficient,lethargic or could be favouring certain individuals who could be having connections with the Big-s hots there.Laws do exist to deal with rapists,only Police has to become extremely active and implement those laws,irrespective of one's status/caste/religion.Some of the cases being reported also belong to Girls from Dalits.Chautala's remedy or agenda of their Khaps won't help eradicate vice of rapes.
The Coward and shameful Act of menace of Rape incidents be deplored as these incidents are of National Shame . The declining ratio of Females to Males is not responsible for the Rape cases it is our Character that is responsible and our Social Evils . The Government should take strict action against those indulged in shameful Act .
Looks like we have too many fundamentalist in the country rather than progressive people out to develop the country. What a shame, just to deal with a problem we trying to prostitute small girls in the name of Child marriage. All women organizations should raise in one voice, take their slippers and beat this goons. What is needed is string judicial reforms , police reforms, support systems in each city to deal with rapists, would be rapists, molesters etc. But unfortunately BJP has stalled the parliament. It can atleast take up this bill to save girls and women from anti-social elements. What we do not want is a anti-social society to be built in the name of child marraige.
A girl is raped and these insensitive and obnoxious men talk of children not "straying"! There is something very wrong with a society where thugs become politicians, where rapists roam free and victims are punished. When Chautala and men like him become politicians and khaps are seen as guardians of morality, we are in very big trouble. These people are inhuman and chauvinistic. It sickens me to even think that they are the ones who have power. Marital rape is never rape for them. Women are degraded. A country that disrespects its women will never progress. Men like these have to be condemned.
Such a sick nature of people of Haryana.. First of all those who so such things (rape, molest,etc) should be punished severely.. | <urn:uuid:24f9f678-b2a6-4095-85da-1c5226d80d10> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://expressindia.indianexpress.com/latest-news/15rapesin1mthinHaryanamakesOmPrakashChautalaprescribechildmarriagetocurbsexcrimesbyyouths/1014821/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969966 | 1,994 | 1.570313 | 2 |
I have heard to help lose weight one should do a colon cleanse to get rid of toxins. I just want to know what I can do with out spending lots of money.
I love questions like this. There are hundreds of books out there that say something like “death begins in the colon” and “cleanse the toxins” and other rubbish.
While there is truth to poor diets causing ill health (Americans eat a lot of fat and have a very high incidence of colon cancer), there’s a lot of myths too.
Fiber is the key. Instead of looking for miracle cures, adapt a healthy lifestyle. Eat whole-fiber, low fat foods and read labels. (While you’re at it, cut down on the salt too). Just reaching the FDA’s recommended allowance of fiber daily can be a challenge. (No more fast food!) Also, drink plenty of water. You can’t flush out the bad if it’s stuck like a rock inside of you. (Constipation hurts). Finally, exercise. Along with all the other health benefits (and burning calories, duh) regular exercise will promote peristalsis (the regular movement of stuff through your insides).
Seriously though, it takes some work to keep yourself healthy. Keep at it. And please stay away from people who are going to shove stuff where it doesn’t belong and “flush you out”. That’s really not good for you. Also, stay away from laxatives unless your doctor suggests it. They can have very bad side effects.
Just eat right and exercise.
Footnote: Enemas and Go-Lytly are not good! You can severely imbalance your sodium and postassium levels! (read: heart failure) Don’t stick things up there unless a doctor (a real doctor) tells you to! | <urn:uuid:c564ccb9-1a8d-49b7-86f7-287ec65bcb41> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newcolonsweep.com/blog/tag/sodium/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936156 | 393 | 1.75 | 2 |
Growing up in an athletic family in Arizona, Haley Scott began swimming at a young age. Her tall frame and competitive nature made her powerful in the water, and afforded her the opportunity to swim at the collegiate level. When she began deciding among programs, she had specific criteria.
“My parents wanted me to choose a school from which I would be proud to graduate if I wasn’t a swimmer,” Scott said. “And I wanted to swim for a coach whom I really respected.”
These terms landed Scott at the University of Notre Dame, swimming for coach Tim Welsh. She was confident in her decision when she joined the Irish in the autumn of 1991, but she would not realize until later how right her choice had been.
Shortly after midnight on Jan. 24, 1992, Haley Scott’s life changed forever.
That night the Irish swim team was traveling back from a meet at Northwestern. The roads had iced over as a snowstorm blew through northern Indiana. The driver hit the brakes, invoking panic and terror as the bus slid off of the road and overturned just two miles from home.
Scott woke up to find that her life would never be the same. She was told that two of her teammates, fellow freshmen Meghan Beeler and Colleen Hipp, were killed in the accident. While Scott had survived, she had suffered a broken back and was now paralyzed.
Haley Scott was paralyzed in an accident that also killed two of her teammates when the bus they were riding home from a meet slid off an icy road two miles from the Notre Dame campus.
“My first memories were of trying to process it all,” she said. “The loss of my teammates was one of my first experiences with death, so it was very hard to make sense of it in addition to dealing with the injuries that I was now living with.”
As Scott’s parents were told about her options for living in a wheelchair, they determined that she would receive better care at a rehabilitation center in Colorado, but Scott refused to go.
“It was very important for me to stay in South Bend for my rehabilitation even though it wasn’t my parents’ first choice,” Scott said. “I had to be close to my teammates, and I had to be close to Notre Dame.”
The doctors told Scott that she would be in the hospital for at least a year; even then she might not walk, and she certainly would not be able to swim the way she once could. However, that wasn’t an acceptable solution for Scott. Not only was she going to walk, but she was going to swim again. While her dreams might have seemed impossible, Scott knew that she would overcome. She had two sources of motivation: Their names were Meghan and Colleen.
“Initially my thoughts were that I was going to walk and that I was going to swim; I was going to do it for my two teammates that had passed away, and I was going to do whatever it would take to reach my goals,” she said.
The recovery process was long and hard, but Scott relied on her experience as a swimmer to help her through the physical aspects of her rehabilitation, which she completed in two months, shattering the doctors’ prediction of one year.
“So much of what I learned as a student-athlete was exactly what I needed in those two months that I spent in the hospital. All of those skills – goal setting, hard work, persistence and listening to your body – we have to learn what you can push through and when you need to let your body rest. It was a huge benefit for me. It was a lot of hard work, but as athletes, we’re used to hard work.”
Those two months were full of grueling days of physical therapy that helped to mend Scott’s body, but even as she could see herself moving forward, her emotional recuperation was much harder to gauge.
“The physical challenges were tough,” she said. “But they weren’t as tough as the emotional ones. It’s hard to recognize the emotional challenges and it’s hard to see yourself improving.”
As Scott regained movement and mobility, she was still struggling with the difficulty of losing her teammates as well as her own independence. She had transformed overnight from an autonomous 18-year-old woman to someone who had to rely on her parents and her doctors for her every need. Even as Scott was able to leave the hospital and return to campus, she was not able to walk freely, and instead wore a full-body brace and used a golf cart to get from one class to the next.
It was in these emotional challenges where the university and the swim team were able to step in to help.
“I feel so lucky that we were at a place like Notre Dame when this happened, because Notre Dame took care of us in ways that were so essential to how we got through this,” Scott said. “Being student-athletes at Notre Dame, we were students first. It did not matter if we ever went back to the pool again; our needs in terms of healing were far more important than what we could do as athletes for the university.”
But Scott and her teammates did go back to the pool. In January 1993, after she was told she would never again compete in the sport that she loved, Scott was able to swim again.
“When I was actually able to get back into the water and swim, the best thing was being with my teammates and that smell of chlorine. I don’t know if it was the actual smell or what the smell represented: being back in the water and being with my teammates,” Scott said. “My teammates had gone through what I had gone through, and they could understand in a way that other people couldn’t.”
Once she was back in the pool, Scott was able to lean on her teammates and continue to progress both physically and emotionally. With the help of those who understood her trials, she was slowly taking back her independence.
On Oct. 29, 1993, 21 months after the accident that changed her life, Scott fulfilled her promise to swim again for Notre Dame. In her very first race back, she won her 50-meter heat. Even though she could not swim as fast as she once could, that did not matter. She had defied the odds.
Scott continued to swim for Notre Dame and was finally able to return to class full time. She graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in history in 1995, and then went back to Arizona, where she taught and coached at the high school she had attended, Xavier College Prep.
While she had left South Bend, the weight of what she had gone through during her college years was still heavy on her shoulders. Though they may not have realized it, the people close to her treated her differently. Scott jokes that her dad still would not allow her to carry her own suitcase.
Haley Scott wrote a book about her emotional journey from being paralyzed in the bus accident to her triumphant return to the pool, and she continues to use her story to inspire people through speaking engagements.
A new sense of healing came when Scott married Jamie DeMaria, a fellow Notre Dame graduate, and the couple moved to the East Coast to start a family. Scott had a new name and a new place, where no one knew her story. She no longer had to talk about the accident; she was moving forward.
Scott had been approached twice to write a book, once while still a student at Notre Dame and again shortly after graduation. While she briefly entertained the idea, she could not bring herself to go through with the project. She was still in the process of healing.
After living on the East Coast for a few years without telling her story to anyone, Scott felt called to share her experience with a neighbor, a 38-year-old woman with four young children who was dying of breast cancer. Haley wrote down the story of her accident and recovery, and gave it to her neighbor to read.
“There are some images that you will never forget,” said Scott. “And I will never forget the image of seeing her walk to my house – she could barely walk at the time – and when she gave me this huge hug and wouldn’t let go, she said ‘You understand.’ She was so emotional about finding someone who understood what it was like to go through a traumatic experience.”
That moment led Scott to realize that she could help people with her story. She had gone through something horrible, and she was blessed to come through it, while many others would not be as lucky. If she could have an impact on the lives of others, she wanted to be that change. She finally found the strength to sit down and write her story, which was published as the book, What Though the Odds: Haley Scott’s Journey of Faith and Triumph.
“The words ‘I understand’ are very powerful – that’s what really did it,” Scott said. “It took me a long time because I needed to be in a happy and healthy place in my life to be able to go back and look objectively at a very unhappy and unhealthy place.
“For me to share my story, and had it been easy for me, that doesn’t help anyone. But to be able to read the story and know that it’s really tough – the emotions are tough, not just the physical stuff – that’s where I have appreciated to opportunity to be able to reach people.”
Today, Scott continues to reach people not only through her book but also through speaking engagements and a movie that is in the works. She has spoken with student-athletes, coaches, college graduates and others to inspire them to move forward despite the challenges they will face.
“I love speaking with athletes because athletics can be tough,” said Scott. “There’s a level of perspective that is tough to have when faced with injury. I also love speaking to coaches, because I learned so much from my coach about what it means to be a strong person and how to live with what has happened to me.
“I had so many people care for me and help me when I went through this, and you can’t thank everyone, but you can be that goodness for someone else because it makes a huge difference in someone’s life when they are struggling. Life is tough, and we will all go through tough times. If I can help to navigate someone through that, I want to take the opportunity.”
• Spirit of Notre Dame
• Honda Award for Inspiration
• Woman of Courage (Xavier College Prep School)
• Gene Autry Courage in Sport Award
• 1994 Woman of the Year, as presented by the National Women’s Leadership Conference
• Fellow of the Institute for International Sport
• Honorary Degree from the University of Notre Dame (2012 Commencement Speaker)
• President of the University of Notre Dame Monogram Club (2013-15) | <urn:uuid:0427ca8e-bab3-4b3b-8905-40aca14b144f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/champion+features/turning+tragedy+to+triumph | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.991811 | 2,336 | 1.5 | 2 |
Two Mississippi State University row crop researchers recently received recognition at a national conference.
MSU weed scientist Jason Bond was named the 2013 Rice Researcher of the Year at the 2013 Conservation Tillage Systems Cotton and Rice Conference in Baton Rouge, held Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. Bond has conducted research with an emphasis on rice, corn and cotton at MSU’s Delta Research and Extension Centerin Stoneville for six years.
MSU Extension Service cotton specialist Darrin Dodds was named the 2013 Cotton Researcher of the Year. Dodds, who has worked at MSU for six years, studies cotton variety performance and management, fertility, plant growth regulator use, irrigation management and weed control.
“We are fortunate to have outstanding researchers such as Dr. Bond and Dr. Dodds at Mississippi State,” said Joe Street, MSU Extension Service associate director. “Their work helps keep Mississippi a leader in agricultural production.”
Seven mid-South universities and several corporations sponsor the annual conference. | <urn:uuid:7feff8f0-4fb9-428c-99b9-e39da1743980> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://deltafarmpress.com/print/management/msu-researchers-receive-agriculture-awards | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946356 | 209 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Presenting a new original story, “Uncle Flower’s Homecoming Waltz,“ by author Marissa K. Lingen, a tale in which children and adults must be taught how to daydream properly; a respite against the never-ending war that rages around them.
This story was acquired and edited for Tor.com by Tor Books editor Patrick Nielsen Hayden.
My grandmother says all stories begin with a death. My grandfather says with a birth. And Aunt Albert says they’re both wrong, and stories begin with someone not getting what they want.
But no one was born, and no one died, and I got what I wanted, and that is where this story begins.
What I wanted most was for Uncle Flower to come home. He had been away fighting for four years, which was a third of my life, nearly half of what I could remember. When Uncle Flower left, I had no breasts and could not read from the Book of the Old Santhreu and still dreamed like a child. I was sure Uncle Flower would be surprised to see how much I had grown up when he returned. I couldn’t wait to talk to him again, to show him how much I had learned and tell him all the interesting things I’d wondered but had not wanted to put in a letter for Grandmother’s eyes—or the army censor’s.
After they got the notice from the Family that Uncle Flower was returning, Aunt Albert brought me up practically first thing. “We’ll need to get Zal a new dress for Flower’s homecoming.”
Grandmother frowned. “You can make do with your double solstice dress, can’t you, Zal dear?”
I had had another century dream the previous night and was still in the shock of the metal and the heat and the attention from all the grown-ups when I woke. I was in no mood to fuss and argue for new clothing. But I didn’t have to open my mouth; Aunt Albert, as usual, was on it.
“She cannot either. Look at her, another two inches taller since the double solstice. Her elbows will be out the wrists, to say nothing of anything else we shouldn’t say anything of.”
Grandmother and I blinked at Aunt Albert for a moment, trying to parse what on earth she was talking about. Then Grandmother looked at me again, and her face softened. “All right, Zal,” she said. “A new dress for you. You can’t greet your uncle with your shirttails trailing.”
I wanted to say something about how I could, Uncle Flower wouldn’t mind, he loved me whatever I wore and whatever I did, but when I opened my mouth, what came out was, “The scientist called Murphy didn’t come back because she couldn’t find her dog.”
I was not yet used to the century dreams.
My grandmother, on the other hand, had shepherded half a dozen children through their transition to their adult dreams. She knew what she was about. “We will write that down, Zal, and we will tell the scholars in Pollack. We will get you a dream book while we are out getting your dress.”
And that was that—the dress and the book all in one trip. When we bought the book, Grandmother went into the inner sanctum to discuss my dreams with Madame Lumiere, and I tiptoed over to listen at the crack.
“When she is used to the book, we will start the rest of her training,” said Madame Lumiere. “First here, and then in the capital where they can guide her closer to what we need to know.”
“If the capital still stands then,” said Grandmother. Grandmother was a year dreamer, and it had helped to secure the family’s position for her entire life. “Zally, get away from the door.”
I sighed. Grandmother did not have the intimate, timely knowledge most people, day dreamers, did to guide her hand, but she managed with a keen eye for human behavior. I sat picking at my cuticles while Grandmother talked to Madame Lumiere just out of my hearing, and then I went and recited, carefully, for the scholars, who made notes and frowned and looked at each other and never at me.
My new dress came home with us, wrapped in tissue for the ball we would have to celebrate Uncle Flower’s return. He was to come in an army conveyance. It glided and swayed along the driveway, and it seemed to take ages to arrive as I watched from the top step, Aunt Albert’s restraining hand on my shoulder.
Uncle Flower was not quite how I’d remembered him, before he went off to war. He was just as tall, just as strong, but his long brown hair was edged with grey, and he’d grown a grey-tinged beard. He had braided tokens of his campaigns into his hair and beard, slim flashes of copper and strands of blue wool. He was not wearing his uniform. He looked tired.
We waited for one breath, two. Then I couldn’t bear it anymore; I flung myself down the steps shrieking his name like a baby of three. I would have been embarrassed if I’d stopped to think of it, but Uncle Flower grinned, all the weariness vanishing from his face, and swept me up in a hug.
“You’re nearly as tall as Albert,” he said, holding me at arm’s length, and then hugging me tight again, “taller than your mother ever was. Oh, Zally, how did you ever get so big?”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I said, “I missed you, Uncle Flower.”
“I missed you, too, kid.”
All the things I had meant to tell him while he was gone flew from my head. The reality of his scrubbed and worn self was overwhelming, making me shy for a moment. But by then the others had come down the steps in a more dignified fashion, and they collected embraces from him at a more measured pace. He kept ruffling my hair and grinning at me behind their backs, and I decided I didn’t mind looking like a silly kid; my uncle was home.
Grandmother encouraged Uncle Flower to put his uniform back on for the evening’s entertainment, to be welcomed home by his friends and neighbors. Uncle Flower did not seem pleased, but neither did he seem surprised; he put on the blue and copper thing, and it made the campaign tokens show up better in his beard somehow. He was distinguished. I was so proud. The neighbors my own age did not have new golden dresses that shone like sunlight, and they did not have brave veteran uncles returned home.
After Grandfather had made a little speech and Uncle Flower had led Grandmother and then Aunt Albert out in their dances, I knew it would be my turn. But the adults in my family seemed to have forgotten, clustering in the corner talking in undertones. I crept up on them.
“...don’t know enough about it,” Grandfather was saying.
“I think we already know too much,” said Aunt Albert. “The other countries will never let us have such a thing. We will be crushed. Mother has seen—”
“I have seen problems for the capital,” said Grandmother archly. “That may not mean anything for the country.”
“We aren’t the only ones to flirt with atrocities,” said Uncle Flower. “The things those bastards did to their own troops—some of our prisoners were normal enough, but the twisted ones—”
He broke off, seeing me standing there. “Zally, shouldn’t you be—um—”
“I wanted to dance with you,” I said. “What’s going on? What were the twisted ones like?”
“You forget you know anything about that,” said Uncle Flower. “I wish I could.”
“I’m not a little kid anymore, Uncle Flower,” I said. “I don’t dream like one.”
He raised an eyebrow at Grandmother, who nodded. “It’s true. Zally has been having century dreams. You should be proud of your niece, Flower. She’s done well to adjust this far, and it will only get easier with time. I should know.”
Uncle Flower didn’t smile at me the way he was supposed to. Instead he frowned at Grandmother and me both. “We had a decade dreamer in my unit. He was always set apart. I don’t want that for Zally.”
“Century dreamers are different,” said my grandmother nervously. “Not so close. Not poking into things.”
“They can’t help but poke,” said Uncle Flower. “Look here, Zally: Is this something you want? This dreaming?”
I swallowed hard. This was not how I saw things going at all. Uncle Flower was supposed to see how grown-up I was. He was supposed to be impressed with my dreams. “Don’t call me Zally anymore,” I blurted.
Uncle Flower gave my grandmother a raised eyebrow.
“It’s Zal now, dear,” she told him gently.
He shook his head like a mutt coming out of the lake. “Zal, then. You don’t have to have these dreams if you don’t want ’em.”
“Don’t tell her that,” said Grandfather, speaking for the first time.
“Why not? It’s true.”
“You can’t just—we need her,” said Grandfather.
“Father, she’s twelve. Look at her.”
I smiled tentatively.
“She wants nothing more than to please you!” said Uncle Flower.
“The person she wants to please is you,” said Grandfather. “Dance with your niece, Flower. See how happy you can make her by treating her like the young lady she has become.”
“That,” said Uncle Flower, “is the last thing you want. All right, Father. Come, Zal.”
The band had selected a waltz, which was good; I could do a real waltz, not like a hamerade or a jill-step. Uncle Flower was not a fancy dancer, but I didn’t mind. I was happy whirling around with him, just like when I was little and he would dance me around the room on his feet. But it was not just like it, and before too many measures I couldn’t keep my mouth shut any longer.
“Uncle Flower, what did you mean about not having to have my dreams?”
He sighed, his whole strong body dropping a notch as we waltzed. “The dreams aren’t something we have naturally, Zal. They’re because of something we did to ourselves, we humans. So we can interfere with them if we want to. There are powders you could take, made into pills or tea, that would make you dream like a child again.”
“What would they do?”
Uncle Flower sighed, pausing on the dance floor. “We don’t know. That part is lost. We can’t create the dreams with any kind of certainty—I don’t know if we ever could. But we can disrupt them. In the army they give the powder to—”
He stopped speaking, dancing as though nothing was going on. I twisted to see if someone was behind us, close enough to hear, but the nearest dancers were several feet away, and Uncle Flower’s voice was low. “To who?”
“It’s ’to whom,’ Zally,” he said absently. “There are people whose dreams are not displaced in time. They’re—spatial dreamers. We use some of them for spies. But if we can’t trust them, or if we can’t get them into locations where they’d be spying on the enemy, we give them a powder to suppress the dreams. It’s as though they’re children again.”
“But ordinary people can’t do that. Only the weird ones with the army.”
“Zally, no century dreamer is ordinary.” The music ended, and Uncle Flower quite properly escorted me off the dance floor. He was chewing on his mustache, looking down at me, and Grandmother glared at him. He hastily smoothed it with his fingers when he saw her look.
I wanted to put my hands on my hips, but my ball gown was too fine for that posture. “What else does the powder do?”
“Um,” he said.
He sighed. “You look just like your mother when you’re suspicious like that.”
“And what would my mother have said next?”
“She would have demanded to know what I was keeping from her. Zally,” said Uncle Flower, “really it’s your choice. It is. And if you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to. But I thought you should know there was a choice, and Mother would never have told you.”
“They sleep most of their days,” he said in a rush, “and they seem to be in a sort of childlike state when they are awake. It goes away when they stop taking the drug, eventually. It has to work its way out of their system.”
“You want me to sleepwalk through my life?”
“Not your life,” he said. “Just for a few years, just until you’re old enough for these dreams. Zally, I’ve seen what they’re doing now—I can’t imagine what they’ll be doing a hundred years in the future.”
“Maybe nothing bad,” I said, but I’d had too many century dreams to really think so.
I had another that night, with cooking in it I thought: it smelled like someone had burned saffron rice, and everyone kept talking about the melting point, but then they were eating something completely different, fried bread and a spicy sauce wafting through the air to follow the burnt saffron. And there was a little boy who got given colored pencils and paper, so I liked that part all right.
I wrote it down like I was supposed to, and Grandmother was a good deal more excited about the pencils than about the melting point. I was shaken and confused. Without my uncle, and without the familiar porridge with berries for breakfast, I would have had trouble keeping track of when I was supposed to be.
Uncle Flower watched us talk it over at breakfast with a sad, guarded look. I grabbed his sleeve when he got up to follow Grandmother and Aunt Albert out.
“There’s nothing I can do that will be the grown-up thing now,” I said. “Is there? If I go for training and stay a century dreamer, then you will be sure that I’m just doing it because of Grandmother and Grandfather. But if I get treated for it and have child-dreams again, they’ll be sure it was just to please you. You’ve set it up so that someone is shaking their head and saying poor little Zally no matter what.”
“I didn’t mean to, Zal,” he said quietly. “I just wanted you to have all the information.”
“Nobody ever has all the information, Uncle Flower. If we did, we could all dream like children and rest easy every night.”
He stared at his hands, looking glum, and I saw that they were stained a darker brown in the palms, but I didn’t know why. Something he’d used in the war, and I probably would never know what. “You’re going to do this, aren’t you, Zal?” he said.
I didn’t answer.
“I saw you this morning. You were scared out of your wits.”
“Weren’t you ever scared in the war?”
“Twelve years old,” he muttered. “I was scared in the war, but I wasn’t twelve years old.”
“I won’t be twelve forever. When I’m older, maybe I won’t be needed, but I am now.”
“They will use you,” he said, grabbing my shoulders. “They used me, and they will use you. They will train you to send your dreams where they want them, to get the information they want about what to support, what our future problems will be, and our future triumphs. Zal, I told you I couldn’t imagine what would be around a hundred years from now. But we have inklings already. If you go to study with them—” He fidgeted with the campaign tokens in his beard. “Zally, please. Please don’t.”
“If I spend another year as a child,” I said. “A sleepwalking child. If I spend two, three. How will I learn then, not to be used? How will it ever get better?”
Uncle Flower reached out and stroked my head. “Oh, Zally. I don’t know if it will.”
“I can do this. I need to do this.” He didn’t say anything. “Uncle Flower, do you really want me like the boys you saw?”
He couldn’t say no, but he couldn’t say yes, either.
I stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “It’ll be all right, Uncle Flower. I promise.”
“You can’t know that.”
“I can. I dream in centuries, and there’ll be more centuries. So it’ll be all right.”
Uncle Flower stayed home to write his letters and make his speeches, but when I left for the capital, he gave me a little silver token to braid into my hair, a line and two circles for the century.
“Uncle Flower’s Homecoming Waltz” copyright © 2011 Marissa K. Lingen
Art copyright © 2011 Julie Dillon | <urn:uuid:24962947-dddd-4dfd-a6fc-d9ea6fe145c2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tor.com/stories/2012/02/uncle-flowers-homecoming-waltz | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983038 | 4,186 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Iran optimistic on future nuclear talks
- From: AAP
- February 05, 2013
IRANIAN Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi says he sees positive signs the United States is rethinking its approach to Tehran in the protracted dispute over the Islamic republic's nuclear drive.
"As I have said yesterday, I am optimistic," he told a foreign policy think tank in Berlin on Monday.
"I feel this new (US) administration is really this time seeking to at least divert from its previous and traditional approach vis-a-vis my country."
Salehi had told a security conference in the southern German city of Munich on Sunday that Iran was open to a US offer for two-way discussions if Washington's intentions were "authentic".
He said Iran welcomed comments by US officials, including Vice-President Joe Biden, who said at the Munich conference that Washington was ready to hold talks with Tehran on its nuclear program.
And Salehi said Iran was prepared to resume talks over its disputed nuclear work with the United States and five other world powers in Kazakhstan on February 25 after an eight-month break.
"The recent approach by the US, we look at it positively," he said.
"We hope that this time they are really meaning what they say and that they really want to see how they can resolve this issue bilaterally. We express our readiness to resolve the issue bilaterally."
French President Francois Hollande said at a news conference with Biden meanwhile that Paris and Washington would be increasing the pressure on Iran in the upcoming talks.
In broadly conciliatory remarks, Salehi added that Tehran would continue talks with the Syrian opposition following a preliminary meeting at the weekend.
"We had 45 (minutes) to an hour discussion which was very fruitful ... and we committed ourselves to continue this discussion," Salehi said after meeting Syrian opposition leader Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib in Munich.
The talks were the first with Khatib, who became Syrian National Coalition leader late last year.
Salehi's speech in Berlin was briefly interrupted by a protester and a few dozen demonstrators braved a cold, driving rain to stage a rally against Iran's human rights record.
After the speech, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle urged a quick resumption of the nuclear talks, calling 2013 "a decisive year" to ease tensions.
"In the nuclear dispute with Iran, a window of opportunity has opened that should be met with a real will for dialogue," he said in a statement.
HOMEOWNERS will be the winners after BankSA ignited a discount war on fixed rate mortgages, which are already at all time low levels.
SPRING Gully Foods will hire more people and move to a two-shift operation for the first time to meet increased public demand for its products.
SA WATER executives spent more than $365,000 in 12 months on credit card expenses.
AN exhibition of works by one of Britain's greatest artists has broken the Art Gallery of South Australia's attendance record for paid exhibitions staged in the past 25 years. | <urn:uuid:4c3b1a53-1730-4443-ab2a-bd5b4adc4941> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/breaking-news/iran-optimistic-on-future-nuclear-talks/story-e6frea7u-1226570433668 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97689 | 626 | 1.539063 | 2 |
President Nicolae Timofti hopes Moldova will necessarily sign an Association Agreement with the European Union one day.
In his interview with Euronews, the Moldovan president said, “I hope it will happen soon, but because I am realistic I know it will not happen next year or in the next years to come. I hope it will be within a reasonable time.”
Speaking to the president during his first trip abroad, Euronews asked Nicolae Timofti why he had chosen to only come to Brussels. Timofti said, “I advanced the concept that we, all the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, should gather round an idea. This should be European integration.”
Asked what Europe means for his country, the president answered that first of all Europe means respect for human rights, restarting an economy based on competition, “and it means respect for property law.”
Euronews asked if he thinks there is a contradiction between the fact that the Republic of Moldova is still a member of the Community of Independent States and on the other hand it is taking big steps towards Europe.
Nicolae Timofti replied, “I wouldn’t say that there is a contradiction, I would rather talk about a clear purpose of the present government and of our nation. It is not a coincidence that hundreds of thousand Moldovans are working in European countries. I also would like to say that I feel sorry about the fact that many of them are getting there illegally. We are aware of it, the countries in which our citizens are working are aware too. We would like to change the terms so that they don’t need to hide themselves and don’t try other ways than legal ones.”
Concerning negotiations on an Association Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union, Timofti said that Moldova is taking concrete action and moving forward quickly, carrying out all its duties to ensure its integration. | <urn:uuid:8fa0bf08-9c7c-412e-9e17-252c868438d6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.allmoldova.com/en/moldova-news/1249053289.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972187 | 409 | 1.507813 | 2 |
When Kenneth Purcell emerged from his New Orleans home after Hurricane Isaac churned through the city in August, he couldn't believe what he saw. Nearly all of his neighbors had poured out into the streets to help each other clean up.
It was a completely different environment than the one he'd seen seven years ago, after Katrina struck.
"People started cleaning up their yards and helping neighbors that had gone away," Purcell said. "It was this silent but perfectly coordinated and synchronized effort."
This is what made him and his wife, who was expecting their second child, to cancel a trip they booked to Florida in order to escape the stress of the Isaac aftermath.
Purcell says it's the same sentiment that has brought people from all over the county to New Orleans in the years following Katrina and has helped spur the city's entrepreneurial movement.
He moved his company, iSeatz, a travel-and-entertainment booking engine, back to New Orleans in January 2008 after relocating to New York post-Katrina. The move back to New Orleans caused him to lose almost all of his employees in New York and forced him to establish a new staff.
Perhaps surprisingly, it would also prove to be a good business decision.
"The new people that I hired were here because they wanted to be," Purcell said. "They wanted not just the company to be successful, but they wanted the company to help the city be successful."
An influx of entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship has spiked in New Orleans, a city that suffered a population exodus and struggled to get back on its feet after Katrina's destruction. The Greater New Orleans Community Data Center says that 427 of every 100,000 adults in the city started a business between 2008 and 2010 -- the most recent period for which data is available -- compared to a national rate of 333 of every 100,000 during that time. | <urn:uuid:3031f4ea-0cc4-496c-9b32-0e4111c8d908> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.koat.com/news/project-economy/technology/New-Orleans-tech-startups-take-flight/-/9153518/17664570/-/683637/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986962 | 386 | 1.835938 | 2 |
by Joe in Indiana
I was enrolled in a Ph.D. Program of finance at the University of Rochester when I picked up the book, Moby Dick. I thought the book would be interesting to read while I waited for classes to start in the fall of 1986. When I began reading Moby Dick, I was mentally healthy as far as myself and all of my friends could tell. But two months later, once I finished reading Moby Dick, I was quite psychotic. I had autonomous voices talking to me inside my head much of my waking hours. As a psychotic, I felt some pressure to obey my voices. It is not as though I would obey every comment I heard in my head, but ideas that my voices spoke to me about that appeared relatively low risk ideas to follow, were commonly obeyed by me.
I quit school once I became psychotic and voluntarily resigned my full scholarship. Shortly afterward, I began to live in my car and travel aimlessly over much of North America. I had a gas credit card and used it as my only means of getting gas. I did not carry money on me when I traveled. To eat, I would beg for food. But in the early stages of my travels, my voices told me to stop eating. Consequently, I did not eat very much. My body weight slowly began to decrease and eventually went from 170 pounds to approximately 120 pounds. I also stopped keeping up my hygiene. I grew a long beard and bathed only twice a week in gas station bathrooms. I would wash my clothes in laundry mats.
Even though I noticeably declined in functioning ability in nearly every way, my social skills held up surprisingly well. I could socialize reasonably well with practically any stranger I encountered on my travels. One idea that occurred to me early in my travels was the idea that I needed to pick up hitchhikers. By doing so, I felt I could effectively combat all feelings of loneliness.
The first hitchhiker friend I picked up was a guy in his early 20's. I picked him up in upstate New York and drove him to nearby Washington, D.C. Once we began to talk to one another, I found him to be a very interesting guy. The first thing he told me was that his parents had kicked him out of their house, permanently. He said the reason they did so was because he had put a live snake in his mother's bed while she was sleeping there. He said his parents did not ever want to see him again. He then told me that he was going to Florida Once I let him out of my car outside Washington, D.C., my voices made it clear to me that I should pick up every single hitchhiker I saw from then on.
I would never pass up a hitchhiker on my travels as a psychotic. I traveled for several months and picked up maybe a total of 75 hitchhikers, but they were all friends. The reason I regarded all of them as being a friend of mine had to do with the fact that not a single one of them ever caused me significant harm. The closest call I had to being harmed as far as I could tell, involved a hitchhiker in a slum outside Miami, Florida. He was dressed as a woman and had a blond wig. Shortly after picking him up around 2:00 in the morning, he pulled a knife on me and told me to pull my car over to the curb. I did as he wanted, with the exception that I parked directly under a street light. Once I parked the car, I jumped out and he began scooping up money laying by my gear shift knob. While he was scooping up money, I very gently reached over and grabbed his knife from him. When I did he became very angry and yelled at me to give him back his knife! I threw the knife as though it were a baseball and we parted company without anybody getting hurt. I can remember nearly every single hitchhiker I picked up. They all made an impression on me. Also, nearly all of them would end up listening to me tell them about the book, "Moby Dick". I talked, "Moby", with nearly everybody I met.
The reason I stopped traveling had to do with a dog I met in Canada. I was driving up to Alaska when I saw a dog in the road. I stopped the car and asked the dog if it wanted to go to Alaska. The dog replied by jumping in my car. Once I had a dog, I began to have some ideas about going back to the United States. Living in my car was a more reasonable proposition as far as I was concerned, when I was totally alone. But with a dog, I wanted to have a place to live.
Because of my newly found dog, I turned around in Canada, and went back to my home state of Indiana. There, I approached my uncle and arranged a deal to rent a small trailer on his farm. My dog and I lived there for approximately one year. In time, my parents moved to get me attention from the mental health system. Once I began receiving medication, I began to recover steadily for years to come. I really do not know what happened to my dog. She disappeared one day from the farm I lived on. But it was because of her, that my parents gained the opportunity to get me care from the mental health system. It was also because of her that I permanently retired from traveling. | <urn:uuid:af170f38-0074-4c54-b834-df212f81c7a9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reallives/index.cfm/2009/9/4/Mans-best-friend-helps-Hoosier-to-find-his-way-back-home-again | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.994619 | 1,114 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Based on the children’s book, “The True Meaning of Smekday,” written by Adam Rex, director Tim Johnson brings us, “Happy Smekday!”
The book’s plot is described by DreamWorks Animation as:
In “Happy Smekday!” a friendly alien race invades Earth and uses it as a hideout from their mortal enemy. When one lowly alien accidentally notifies the enemies of his whereabouts, he is forced to go on the run with a teenage girl. The two become unlikely buddies and embark on a comical globetrotting adventure to right his wrongs, in which our alien hero learns what it really means to be human.
Rihanna and Jim Parsons of “The Big Bang Theory” have signed on to be the voice of the young girl and the alien.
Chris Jenkins and Suzanne Buirgy are producers for the project. The film was adapted from the children’s book by Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember. “Happy Smekday!” will be distributed by 20th Century Fox.
“Happy Smekday!” will be in theaters on Wednesday, November 26, 2014. | <urn:uuid:f04c4f3d-6a60-4e40-a89b-1df525371f15> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.examiner.com/article/happy-smekday-coming-to-theaters-2014?cid=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949427 | 254 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Here's some feedback
1. I found the green arrows with the amount of time required to be confusing. Where are they pointing? I'm not sure why they're on arrows.
2. You might want to use color more selectively. Make the red mean something, and the blue mean something.
3. Try to take out as much from the design as you can (as Tufte recommends). Make the boxes a light gray color, and as thin a line length as possible. If possible, make them have rounded corners so they're not quite as harsh. Take out labels that aren't necessary. Task: for example. Maybe you can even do a grid for the dates
earliest start here latest start here
earlier finish here latest finish here
Make the position mean something, and then provide a key? Just an idea.
4. I found the timeline to be a little confusing. You have them surrounded by month? It took a while to figure out...
5. When a task is completed, how is it shown? It would be helpful if the completed tasks and not-completed tasks were clearly marked, so that you could quickly scan what needs to be done, and who needs to do it. | <urn:uuid:0b47bd0f-825b-4f18-b8db-7da141149699> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.openacs.org/forums/message-view?message_id=207471 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973738 | 251 | 1.703125 | 2 |
The former staunch royalist turned staunch republican leader, Chairman Pashupati Shumser Rana of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) has said that since the time remaining to draft the constitution was not sufficient, the leaders of major political parties should mull over the available alternative of drafting the constitution in instalments.
Half baked idea.
He stressed that under no circumstance could the parties be able to complete the constitution drafting task in the remaining time period.
He was addressing a program organized jointly by RPP and Rastriya Janshakti Party (RJP) in Bhaktapur, March 29, 2012.
Addressing the same program, India’s most trusted and tested ally, Chairman Surya Bahadur Thapa of the one-man RJP claimed the present political deadlock is threatening the very existence of the country.
He claimed that democratic forces should unite to save the country and to safeguard Nepali nationalism.
Notably, Thapa’s “nationalism” allowed the Indian Ambassadors to roam and loiter around the interior parts of Nepal without informing the Nepali foreign ministry in advance. The Indian envoys prefer to visit the Northern bordering areas for obvious reasons which Thapa understands. Eyeing on Tibet-the autonomous region of China?
Thapa is sometime taken as more subservient to the Indian establishment than declared pro-Indian leader Late Girija Prasad Koirala.
Thapa also suggested that the parties should focus on drafting constitution in instalments.
Both speaking His Masters Voice in “instalment” perhaps. | <urn:uuid:00f13975-4395-4fe1-a382-b3b5c079428b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.telegraphnepal.com/headline/2012-03-30/nepal-former-panchas-wish-constitution-in-parts:-media | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943599 | 339 | 1.578125 | 2 |
A very good sailor once told this to me as we sailed past two yacht, one French and one Dutch, on his yacht,
The Dutch were better sailors than the French, or at least their flag designers were.
How is that I asked.
Well if you look at both flags and think of both of them after they have aged quite a bit, the ends will become damaged due to flogging in the breeze. Despite this even if a third or more of the flag is gone you will still be able to recognise the Dutch flag, unlike the French one, because with a third or gone it will be a Blue and White one or just a blue one. .
Results 1 to 10 of 50
09-09-11, 03:03 #1
Difference between the French and the Dutch flagsRELAX, Rum is the answer. Now what is your Question?
09-09-11, 07:48 #2
Fascinated by the reversal of P & Q in your pretty picture!JimB
http://jimbsail.info helps Skippers plan Europe Cruises
09-09-11, 08:28 #3
I dont understand the flags above, why are they different, am I missing something strikingly obvious?
09-09-11, 08:35 #4
that is a pic of historical Code Flags. I think he has not linked to the pic he intended.I think, therefore I am. I am, therefore I sail.
09-09-11, 08:39 #5
The way I tell the difference between the French and Dutch flags is that the Dutch are more laid back, thus so is their flag!
09-09-11, 08:53 #6
09-09-11, 08:55 #7
09-09-11, 09:04 #8
09-09-11, 09:10 #9
#4 (sigh)I think, therefore I am. I am, therefore I sail.
09-09-11, 09:28 #10Registered User
- Join Date
- Apr 2009
The Dutch do it lying down, the French standing up.
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wrote in this column about the problems and pitfalls of for-profit colleges -including how their business plans took advantage of students and reaped billions of dollars in federal student loans, only to leave many students with heavy debt and often unusable degrees. In 2010, the Obama administration set out to get control of this industry, but found that some of their closest Democratic associates were hired to stop or at least water down some of the hard-hitting reforms. Other close colleagues actually had monetary investments in this industry and the administration was deluged with calls and meetings to curb the reforms. We will look at these political allies of President Obama this week. Next week, we will discuss the efforts by the Republican Party that make sure the for-profits colleges' profits stayed high and deeply connected to the federally sponsored student loan program.Last week, Charles Smith
A December 2010 article in The New York Times laid out concerns that the Obama administration had with some of the practices of for-profit colleges and what rules they wanted to adopt to curb predatory practices:
The administration has already adopted several new rules that will give the Department of Education more authority over for-profit universities. But the most crucial rule, the "gainful employment" provision, is still awaiting approval and the industry is pushing back hard.
Under the provision, the education department would examine for-profit colleges and nonprofit trade programs to see how much debt their students accumulated in paying for schooling and whether the jobs they secured after graduation allowed them to repay their loans. Programs that had particularly high debt ratios combined with very low repayment rates could become ineligible for student aid.
The department calculated earlier in 2010 that about 5 percent of the programs covered under the proposed rule would be forced to shut down ...
But high dropout rates at some of these colleges, difficulty in transferring credits, higher tuition bills than at public colleges and skepticism from some employers about the value of the degrees are all creating unease among some in Congress.
The industry fought back with many familiar Democrats who had gone to work as lobbyists or had investments in the for-profit college industry. Two of them, Anita Dunn and Jamie Rubin, have close ties to the industry. Dunn began to work for President Obama very early in his campaign and eventually became the White House communications director. Her husband, Robert Bauer, is not only the White House counsel, but is also the personal counsel to President Obama. Dunn left the White House to join a communications firm called SKDKnickerbocker and was representing the Kaplan company, owned by The Washington Post - the Post is heavily invested in the for-profit college industry with their troubled Kaplan University. Kaplan, which is mostly an online college, is being investigated for student recruitment abuses and especially for making misstatements to prospective students.
Jamie Rubin, the son of President Clinton's former Secretary of the Treasury Robert Rubin, is a major fundraiser for the current Obama campaign, mainly through bundling many campaign contributions. He is also a senior partner in a private equity firm called BC Partners. One of the companies that BC Partners has investing in is ATI, a for-profit trade school college, which has been investigated by the State of Texas for abuse. He has also been meeting with administration officials to soften the new rules for for-profit colleges.
So, how did these well placed Democrats and others connected to the administration do in softening reforms on this very troubled industry?
On May 27, 2012, President Obama issued Executive Order 13607, entitled "Establishing Principles of Excellence for Educational Institutions Serving Service Members, Veterans, Spouses and Other Family Members.".The order directs the Veterans Administration (VA) and the Department of Defense to develop standards for the education of veterans receiving government support. While this is a step forward, it is not a large step. A key part of the order directs compliance with the regulations issued by the Department of Education (34 C.F.R. 668.71-668.75, 668.14 and 600.9). A review of these integrity rules which the administration negotiated with an array of educational institutions, including for-profit colleges and their lobbyists, contain many loopholes which apply to all for-profit college activities, not just those recruiting veterans. Some are:
- Institutions must meet the "legally authorized" standard by July 1, 2011. The institution may request a one year extension and if necessary, a second one-year extension.
- States must have a process for evaluating complaints, accreditation issues etc, for a school to be authorized to receive Title IV funds. According to a study of the Rules by Florida State College, at Jacksonville "few institutions in eleven states will need to apply. The state has few if any regulations regarding distance education. The state may specifically exempt some types of public or private institutions."
- Regulations define credit hour as an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than either; "one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks or one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over and different amount of time"; or "an equivalent amount of work, established by the institution for other academic activities including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours." Note the institution is in control of defining credit hours. It appears they only have to be consistent.
- While the new regulations prohibit a larger set of misrepresentations, a "misleading statement" is given a looser definition. A misleading statement is defined as including any statement that has the likelihood or tendency to deceive or confuse. A statement is any communication made in writing, visually, orally, or through other means. Statements by students through social media outlets or statements made by some entities with agreements for services. This appears to be another broad loophole.
- Gainful Employment rules were watered down to apply only to Non-credit Postsecondary Adult Vocational (PSAV) certificate programs of less than one year in length, Advanced Technical Diplomas (ATD) college credit programs of less than 30 credit hours in length, Advanced Technical Certificate (ATC) credit programs of less than 30 credit hours in length and College Credit Certificate (CCC) programs of less than 30 credit hours in length. The rules themselves seem more concerned with reporting requirements than actual results. Some parts of the rules will not have an impact until 2015. The department dropped a proposed rule that would have required schools seeking to start new programs to obtain prior approval in order to be eligible for federal aid; instead, schools will be required to notify the department, which can then seek more information if it has concerns. This was a major victory for the for-profits.
These 968 pages of regulations fall short of the expressed goals of the Obama administration of reining in the abuses found in the for-profit college sector. How did this result come to pass? Besides using the power connections of Dunn and Rubin, the for-profit institutions activated a large lobbying effort aimed at the administration. Former Democratic members of Congress, such as Dick Gephardt, former House majority leader, and John Breaux, the former Louisiana senator, contributed to the lobbying effort. Connected lobbyists such as Tony Podesta, whose brother, John, ran Mr. Obama's transition team, also participated in the effort. Finally, prominent Democratic fundraisers such as Donald E. Graham, chief executive of The Washington Post Company, which owns Kaplan and John Sperling, founder of the University of Phoenix and a longtime friend of the House minority leader, Nancy Pelosi, worked their friends on the Hill. (The New York Times presented an excellent summary of these activities in a December 2011 article.)
Inside Higher Education reported in October 2010, when this lobbying blitzkrieg was reaching maximum intensity, how the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (APSCU), the main lobbying organization for for-profit institutions, used the Podesta Group to get their point home to Democrats:
For the third quarter, APSCU paid $100,000 for federal lobbying to the Podesta Group, the same firm that played a key role in persuading several minority groups to speak out in opposition to the gainful employment regulations. By contrast, during the first quarter, APSCU spent $50,000 with Podesta. As the year has progressed, the association has spent more each quarter - from $160,000 during the first three months of the year to $450,000 in July, August and September....
Other for-profit lobbying showed:
- Career Education Corp., which runs American InterContinental University, Colorado Technical University and Sanford-Brown, spent $170,000 on federal lobbying services from Podesta Group.
- Corinthian Colleges has kept its lobbying spending pretty constant so far this year, with the company itself and firms Akerman Senterfitt and Gephardt Group Government Affairs together reporting $300,000 during the first and third quarters, and $310,000 during the second.
- Education Management Corporation - parent of Argosy University and the Art Institutes discussed in our first article - invested heavily in lobbying against the regulations. Five firms reported a total of $220,000 in third-quarter lobbying income from the company. Education Management is also one of a handful of publicly traded companies, along with ITT Educational Services, that have joined the Coalition for Educational Success, an advocacy group that emerged during the third quarter and counts as its spokesman Lanny J. Davis, who served as White House counsel to Bill Clinton. Four lobbying firms - including Davis' - reported earning a total of $120,000 for federal lobbying during the third quarter.
Lanny Davis wrote a piece in The Huffington Post in October of 2010, which rather succinctly stated the position of the for-profits which had hired him:
As I wrote on September 23 in this space, here, the Department of Education's (DOE) attempt to put more stringent regulations on for-profit colleges is an example of good intentions gone awry. Rather than expanding college opportunities and fighting fraud, the proposed new "gainful employment" ("GE") rules would instead limit college access especially for minority students, raise taxpayer costs and create new obstacles for employers eager to hire qualified workers.
Playing the help-minority-students card, Davis wants to talk about "facts" in challenging any regulations that would limit his clients. Yet, the DOE study, examined in detail in our first article, showed that the facts about for-profits demonstrate a dismal record of educational success by their students and especially minority students left with massive debt and often no degree or certificate that can get them a job.
Democratic politicians are not always just responding to the lobbying of their former colleagues. Some have developed relationships with specific for-profit companies operating in their states and districts. For example, Alcee Hastings (D-Florida) has been a strong supporter of for-profit colleges, especially FastTrain College in Florida. On May 16, 2012, the FBI raided the college, reportedly based upon allegations of deceptive and otherwise questionable sales and marketing practices. This is similar to the practices we can observe in much of the for-profit college industry.
David Halperin has done excellent reporting on this issue at the Republic Report. He reported:
FastTrain CEO Amor has donated $5,000 to Hastings' campaign in this election cycle. Hastings has received this cycle at least $35,000 in donations from for-profit college companies and officials, including Apollo (owner of University of Phoenix), DeVry, Keiser, Bridgepoint, Education Management Corp., Full Sail University, Corinthian and the trade association APSCU. (FastTrain is an APSCU member.)
Hastings was the commencement speaker at the first FastTrain graduation and the school gives a leadership award in his name.
The trade association, Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (APSCU), also relies on political connections to perform its services to the for-profit college industry. Virginia Democratic Party Chairman Brian Moran - brother of Rep. Jim Moran (D-Virginia) - is the executive vice president for government relations and general counsel of the APSCU. APSCU was successful in convincing the DOE and Congress to water down proposed regulations in the 90/10 rule and the Gainful Employment (GE) rule (discussed last week.) This is obviously an intra party issue when the chairman of a state Democratic Party lobbies to stop Obama administration initiatives.
One would usually suspect that the Republican Party with its fervor for all for-profit industries and is loathing for any government regulation would be front and center in softening any reforms attempted by the Obama administration. And, as we will discuss in next week's column, they have lived up to their reputation and heavily lobbied and engaged in influence peddling to thwart any meaningful reforms. However, the Democrats, some who were intimately close to the Obama administration and the president himself, also participated in this Republican type of rejection of rules that were designed to prevent this lucrative industry from defrauding and misleading desperate students and veterans who were trying to enhance their ability to find jobs in this poor economy as well as to protect the federal student loan program from abuse. This type of lobbying by the Democrats will continue until they are exposed and shamed for influence peddling and making money on what is usually a Republican philosophy of no reforms or regulations. | <urn:uuid:d5988fb6-6cfa-406b-af5f-a057e47ce229> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.truth-out.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=9633&Itemid=228 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970344 | 2,748 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am delighted to be here with you today, and I would like to thank you, Mr. Chairman for your kind invitation to brief this distinguished Committee.
10 years ago, about forty blocks from here, almost 3,000 people from over 90 countries died in the horrendous attacks on “9/11”.
“9/11” did more than remind us all of our own vulnerability. Above all, these attacks challenged traditional notions of security. A small group of terrorists had managed to launch a strategic strike against the world’s strongest military power. They achieved this by using only civilian means, and yet the effect was almost as devastating as if they had used a small nuclear device.
Today, ten years later – despite our resolve, despite an unprecedented level of international cooperation, and despite the death of Osama Bin Laden - terrorism is still very real and continues to pose a threat to our citizens, international peace and security.
Nigeria recently suffered a devastating terrorist attack on the Abuja UN offices; Norway has just experienced its biggest national tragedy since World War II through a lone wolf attack, not to mention the terrorist incidents in Mumbai, Moscow or, most recently, in New Delhi. In short, our societies continue to suffer from terrorism, and many lives have been lost.
What does this mean for us? To my mind, it means two things:
First, terrorist attacks will continue to happen. Traditional notions of deterrence and defence provide no guaranteed protection. Our focus should consequently lie first and foremost on preventing terrorist attacks and on enhancing the resilience of our societies and critical infrastructure.
Second, if we want to protect ourselves against this threat effectively, we have to deepen international cooperation in order to fight terrorism together.
Allow me to say a few words on each of these two aspects.
With regard to the first point, enhancing prevention and resilience, we have to clearly understand that terrorist attacks cannot be deterred by the threat of military retaliation, nor will large-scale military operations be the most appropriate response in most cases.
In contrast, we have seen that a large number of terrorist plots can be thwarted by international cooperation. In the context of preventing attacks, sharing of information is of fundamental importance and NATO has over 60 years of experience in this area. We have recently established a joint civil-military Intelligence Unit to capitalise on this experience. Another tool at our disposal is the NATO Intelligence Liaison Unit, which promotes information sharing between NATO members and their partner countries. Through this cooperation we can improve our situational awareness and can come to a better understanding of the nature of the terrorist threat. Prevention, of course, is more than information sharing. It also includes, amongst other measures, investing in new technologies and scientific solutions, such as sensors to detect suicide bombers in public places. STANDEX, a scientific project for the development of Stand-Off Detection of Explosives, does exactly that and is a flagship project of the expanding NATO-Russia counter-terrorism cooperation. Similarly, we conduct capacity-building initiatives, such as training and technical assistance, in regions where terrorists operate, recruit or hide. Such programmes contribute in a major way to our shared goal of preventing terrorism.
As for resilience, here I mean enhancing our capacities to withstand terrorist attacks. This ensures that the damage caused remains at a tolerable level and recovery is faster. Investing in the protection of critical infrastructure and of other vulnerable targets, including high-visibility events is essential. Through its Civil Emergency Action Plan, NATO supports national authorities of Allied and partner nations. The Alliance provides advice on how best to organise the protection of critical infrastructure and manage the consequences of terrorist attacks more effectively. NATO can also provide help through its civil emergency planning capabilities. Our “Rapid Reaction Teams” and “Advisory Support Teams” can assist countries that have come under terrorist attacks, including attacks with CBRN weapons.
The fight against terrorism requires broad international cooperation. NATO’s new Strategic Concept adopted last November and NATO’s new partnership policy launched earlier this year, place terrorism and other emerging security challenges at the centre of the Alliance’s attention. Broad and enhanced partnership to combat terrorism is sought with an increasing number of countries and with other international organisations. First and foremost, the United Nations. All of us, whether at national or Alliance level, look to the United Nations for leadership and for a framework for collective action. In the fight against terrorism, the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions such as UNSCR 1373 constitute the framework.
In addition to the important partnership with the UN, NATO has increased its contacts with other international, regional and sub-regional organisations in the fight against terrorism, such as the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the International Civil Aviation Organization. For the international community to be effective, cohesion, coordination and unity of purpose are of utmost importance.
NATO is mainly known for its unique military capabilities and large scale crisis management operations. But NATO is a lot more than that.
NATO is a political-military organisation. In addition to being a powerful political platform, it has developed a range of tools and mechanisms that can effectively complement, reinforce and actively support the UN’s work in addressing a variety of challenges, including terrorism in a holistic way.
NATO provides a forum for transatlantic political dialogue and consultations on counter-terrorism for its 28 Allies and increasingly for its partner nations. Today, the Alliance has more than 50 partner nations from around the world. With our partners, we consult and share information, assist with capacity building and joint capability development in areas such as counter-IED or harbour protection. All in all, NATO offers more than 1,600 activites under its partnership programmes, including training courses, exercises and seminars in the fight against terrorism.
Another example of practical cooperation with a large variety of partners is a NATO table top exercise on the “Protection of Critical Energy Infrastructure against Terrorist Threats” this coming November. This event focuses on the comprehensive exchange of information on procedures and best practices. In addition to Allies and partner nations, a number of relevant international organizations, including the United Nations Secretariat, have also been invited to participate.
A particularly important partner for NATO is Russia. Within the framework of the NATO-Russia Council, NATO and Russia are working closely together in countering terrorism. Last April, our Foreign Ministers adopted an updated NRC Action Plan on Terrorism outlining practical cooperation activities to enhance our ability to prevent, fight and manage the consequences of terrorism. The Action Plan complements efforts underway in the United Nations .
NATO’s operational strengths in the field of counter-terrorism also need to be mentioned in this forum.
In Afghanistan, 28 NATO nations, and currently 21 partner nations make up the United Nations mandated International Security Assistance Force. This more than 130,000 strong force is working closely with UNAMA and the Government of Afghanistan to help build a stable, secure and democratic state. I should specify that ISAF is not a counter-terrorism operation. However ISAF’s contribution to building an Afghanistan that will cease to be a safe haven for terrorists is undeniable. In Iraq, the NATO Training Mission contributes to strengthening the capacity of the Iraqi national forces to deal with threats to their country’s security, including from terrorism. In the Mediterranean, Operation Active Endeavour helps deter, defend, disrupt and protect against terrorism through a combination of maritime patrolling and escorting, as well as compliant boarding.
NATO has also frequently provided its AWACS to support Allied countries when hosting high visibility events which could potentially be targeted by terrorists. Examples of events that have been supported are the Athens Olympic Games, the 2006 FIFA World Cup and meetings of Heads of State and Government.
NATO’s political efforts and crisis management operations are underpinned by a constant drive to improve our own abilities. NATO’s Defence Against Terrorism Programme of Work focuses on the development of advanced technologies to support counter-terrorism efforts. It covers areas, such as enhancing capabilities to detect and protect against CBRN agents and weapons; and developing non-lethal technologies that minimise the risk of collateral damage.
To reflect the high importance that the Alliance attaches to emerging security challenges, in August 2010, a new division was created in NATO’s International Staff. This coordinates NATO’s approach to terrorism and supports Allies in their efforts to develop coherent policies to respond to this and other cross-cutting threats, such as cyber attacks, energy threats and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
The Emerging Security Challenges Division stands ready to enhance its cooperation with the UN Counter-Terrorism-Committee. The aim of my visit today is to hear your views on this and further explore possibilities for concrete, practical cooperation measures. Let me highlight three potential areas.
First, reciprocal briefings and cross-participation in each others’ events, for instance the UN CTC Special Meetings or NATO’s exercises, such as the November table-top exercise I mentioned earlier. Let me take this opportunity to reiterate our invitation to the Chairman of the Counter-Terrorism Committee to NATO to continue this important dialogue.
Second, in the areas of capacity-building, training and education and technical assistance we should identify possible synergies.
And third, as NATO’s approach to terrorism evolves, we would welcome your ideas as we shape our policy. Your visit Mr Chairman would certainly contribute to this.
Ten years ago, when the World Trade Centre collapsed, Henry Kissinger succinctly stated the task that lay ahead: we had to turn tragedy into opportunity. We cannot bring back those who perished on that fateful September morning. But we can and should learn the lessons of “9/11”, and translate them into a new cooperative approach to security. We need to create synergies and share ideas so that we can at least say that we have taken to heart Kissinger’s advice: We have turned tragedy into opportunity. And we have done it together. | <urn:uuid:13fe7626-59e4-4429-820f-beaf13484830> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-1ED66FB4-F3F6461D/natolive/opinions_78088.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943869 | 2,067 | 1.773438 | 2 |
16:1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
16:2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
16:3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
16:4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
16:5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
16:6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
16:7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.
16:8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.
16:9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
16:10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
16:11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
16:12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
16:13 And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.
16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
16:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. | <urn:uuid:e4a63758-070a-43d8-813a-ad8874dac223> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.christianityoasis.com/bible/BIBLE/mark_16.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987728 | 639 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Latest Stories In: Food
Fate of Essex Street Market Discussed at CB3 Meeting
With the SPURA development process kicking into high gear, CB3 held a meeting last night at the University Settlement Community Center on Allen Street to discuss what has been a hot topic of debate – the fate of the historic Essex Street Market. Officials from the NYC Economic Development Corporation and Assemblyman Sheldon Silver’s office were all present.
Built in 1940, the Essex Street Market is an iconic and thriving market that occupies 15,000 square feet, and nurtures 22 local vendors. It is one of four surviving public markets built during the Depression as part of Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia’s initiative to create public markets for pushcart vendors, and to this day remains a lifeblood for the community.
During the meeting merchants made emotional appeals to CB3 and the NYC Economic Development Corp. explaining the importance and history of the Essex Street Market. Local activist and staunch supporter Cynthia Lamb has already collected nearly 2,000 signatures for a petition she created four months ago. She is simultaneously urging the Landmarks Preservation Commission to consider granting landmark status, which would effectively prevent its demolition and preserve its antique charm. “I love that the market stalls look as old as New York,” said Ms. Lamb.
The NYCEDC maintains that if the Essex Street Market is relocated, it would continue to operate until the new space habitable. Current vendors would get first priority. Two other options discussed were temporary relocation of merchants or vertical additions to the current one-story structure; the latter project would be quite costly and conducted in phases. Finally, it was conveyed that if the market stays at the current location, the SPURA redevelopment plan would probably lose 80-100 new apartments.
What we wanna know is what this new Essex Street Market would be called if moved off its namesake street?
-Written by Andrew Cohen | <urn:uuid:d96c6487-ebc2-4eb5-8f7b-9b12b7f056c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.boweryboogie.com/2011/05/fate-of-essex-street-market-discussed-at-cb3-meeting/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95339 | 389 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Manchester State Park
Follow Beach Drive from Port Orchard for a scenic approach to Manchester State Park (360/871-4065 or 888/226-7688, www.parks.wa.gov), six miles away at the entrance to Sinclair Inlet. The park’s 111 acres include campsites ($17 tent, $24 RV hookups, $7 extra reservation fee), hiking and interpretive trails, plus swimming, fishing, and scuba diving in Rich Passage.
The main attractions here are various century-old military structures, built to protect the Bremerton Naval Shipyard from attack. These include a brick warehouse once used to store underwater mines (now it’s an oversized picnic shelter) and a control center where the mines could be set off remotely if enemy warships intruded.
Fortunately, the mines were never deployed, and the fort was abandoned and turned into a state park. The park is open from late April to early September.
© Ericka Chickowski from Moon Washington, 8th edition | <urn:uuid:badeeea9-88cf-49fa-9e4e-e04ced6533df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://moon.com/destinations/washington/south-puget-sound/kitsap-peninsula/port-orchard/sights/manchester-state-park | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930518 | 212 | 1.523438 | 2 |
A recent American Institute of Architects Home Design Trends Survey showed that homeowners are rethinking how they use the square footage they have. They are converting previously unused areas, such as basements and attics, and incorporating outdoor areas into their design plans in an effort to boost their home’s livability and value. Some are also using additions to create better flow between existing rooms and make living areas more practical.
“It’s all about maximizing space and making a home feel larger,” said Sonny Nazemian, president and CEO of Michael Nash Custom Kitchens & Homes, Inc. in Fairfax, Va. He and his design team recently won a 2009 CotY Award for a two-story, 1,250-square-foot addition they built on a 2,300-square foot house. The remodeler helped the homeowners reconfigure their existing spaces to optimize traffic flow, create new living areas and improve storage.
“Before the project, the house felt extremely small,” Nazemian said. “The first floor was cramped and they had a small dining room and narrow family room. By adding 12 feet on the back of the house, the living spaces became much larger.”
The remodeled home now boasts a gourmet kitchen with a bigger and brighter breakfast area. The small dining room became a laundry room, and Nazemian made space for a new dining room. Upstairs, hallways and a bedroom were expanded, and a bathroom was added.
Reworking the home’s footprint also created a spot for a “man cave,” or lounging area for the husband. Outfitted with a couple of lounge chairs, a television, custom shelving and sound system, the man of the house now uses the 10 x 20-foot bonus room to watch games with family and friends.
“When you add 10 or 12 feet to a home, it can change the entire configuration,” Nazemian said. “In just three to four months, we really transformed and opened up this space.”
About NARI: The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) is the only trade association dedicated solely to the remodeling industry. With more than 7,700 member companies nationwide, the Association -- based in Des Plaines, Illinois — is “The Voice of the Remodeling Industry. For tips on remodeling using green techniques and materials, visit NARI’s green Web site, www.greenremodeling.org. | <urn:uuid:ae676a0d-4413-48ab-a6e9-516c234c59dc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.insightnews.com/lifestyle/4186-from-man-caves-to-mudrooms-making-every-square-foot-count | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955208 | 522 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Students present state with 9/11 plaque
September 12, 2004
CHEYENNE, Wyo. - A bronze plaque containing a section of a support beam pulled from the rubble of the World Trade Center was unveiled Saturday on the steps of the State Capitol to mark the third anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
High school students from around the state raised $2,400 to pay for cutting the section, casting the World Trade Center Steel Memorial and shipping it to Wyoming to commemorate more than 3,000 Americans killed in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., during the 2001 assault.
"It changed our world. It changed our lives," Isaiah Spigner of Cheyenne, president of the Wyoming Association of Student Councils, told about 200 people gathered in front of the Capitol on a brilliantly sunny morning.
"We know now that our country is vulnerable to terrorists," he said. "We are proud to be Americans and will support and defend our country against these groups. Today we present to the state of Wyoming a plaque commemorating the sacrifices made by Americans on that historic day."
The crowd joined in the Pledge of Allegiance, and the Cheyenne East High band played "The Star-Spangled Banner." Sarah Pheasant of Kaycee High School and Lili Sccantling of Buffalo High School played taps.
The square section of steel came from the 65th floor of one of the towers. It sits on the left side of the 3-foot-by-4-foot memorial, with a bronze depiction of the twin towers on the right and an inscription in the center detailing events of the attacks.
After the plaque was unveiled, the crowd climbed the steps to take a closer look.
"One of the things that struck me was at the end of the ceremony, the way people reverently went up and touched a portion of the beam," Gov. Dave Freudenthal said. "It was entirely unexpected and very moving to watch."
He also marveled at the poise and organizing efforts of the student leaders.
"The event is particularly moving because it is one that is put together by the generation that will most have to deal with the consequences of 9/11, and I'm incredibly impressed by the young people of Wyoming who put this together on their own initiative," Freudenthal said.
The plaque will be placed in the Capitol rotunda but will also travel the state from time to time.
Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., commended the students for becoming the first group to collect enough donations to present a 9/11 steel memorial to their state.
"We are a state of firsts, and this will be another nice one to add to the list," he said.
Enzi said Sept. 11 is "a day of remembrance and a day of tragedy for the United States, and a day when American patriotism and faith rose up out of the ashes of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, the field in Pennsylvania."
Lt. Scott Morson, a member of the Cheyenne Fire and Rescue Department, watched the ceremony with several colleagues.
"We'd just like to thank everybody for showing up, for caring and most important for everybody remembering," he said.
Brynn Elliott of Newcastle, former secretary of the student group, said in June 2003, Wyoming students attending a national conference in New York learned of efforts to place plaques in each of the 50 capitols. The idea came from students in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
Freudenthal and the other state elected officials encouraged the association to pursue the project, and fund-raising took place from January to June of this year.
Twenty-one high schools took part: Evanston, Ten Sleep, Rock Springs, Kaycee, Cheyenne East, Star Valley, Lovell, Lyman, Kemmerer, Riverside, Rocky Mountain, Big Horn, Buffalo, Newcastle, Douglas, Glenrock, Worland, Rawlins, Natrona County, Kelly Walsh and Lingle-Fort Laramie. | <urn:uuid:f75d7919-71e3-42ec-a193-e76eed4c01f5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.voicesofseptember11.org/dev/content.php?idtocitems=wyomingwtcsteel | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9657 | 833 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Holder: Miranda may need changes for terrorists
Holder: Miranda may need changes for terrorists
By STEVEN R. HURST (AP) – 8 hours ago
WASHINGTON — In the wake of the Times Square bombing plot, the Obama administration said on Sunday it wants to work with Congress on possible limitations of the constitutional rights afforded terrorism suspects — even for American citizens.
Attorney General Eric Holder said changes may be needed to allow law enforcement more time to question suspected terrorists before they are told about their Miranda rights to a lawyer and to remain silent under interrogation.
As the nation debates how to proceed against terrorist attacks, particularly as they have become the work of individuals who are difficult to detect in advance, the administration has been heavily criticized for reading Miranda rights to suspects in the Christmas Day attempt to blow up a plane heading for Detroit and the May 1 Times Square plot.
Terrorism has presented all sides in the debate with a delicate balancing act, protecting the rights of the individuals accused of terrorism while also attending to public safety.
Holder said the White House wanted to work with Congress to examine the 1966 Supreme Court Miranda ruling to ensure that law enforcement agents have "necessary flexibility" to gather information from suspects in terror cases.
The Miranda warning — a bedrock guarantee of a suspect's constitutional rights — has come under more intense study because accused Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad is a U.S. citizen of Pakistani origin. The administration declared on Sunday that he was working under the direction of the Pakistani Taliban.
There also was a foreign link in the case with Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, who is accused in the shooting deaths of 13 people last year at Fort Hood, Texas. Authorities claim he has ties to radical Muslim cleric Anwar Al-Awlaki, a U.S. citizen born in New Mexico to Yemeni parents.
Al-Awlaki, who lives in Yemen, also has been alleged to have ties to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian charged with trying to explode a bomb concealed in his underwear as his plane approached Detroit.
While asking for an examination of Miranda rights in terrorism cases, the administration contends that Abdulmutallab and Shahzad continued talking to investigators and providing evidence after the Miranda admonition.
At issue specifically is a 1984 modification to the law under which police were given leeway for more extensive pre-Miranda questioning under the "public safety exemption." But it remains unclear if evidence gathered from terrorism suspects under that exemption and before Miranda rights are outlined to the suspect can be used in court.
"And that's one of the things that I think we're going to be reaching out to Congress to do," Holder said, "to come up with a proposal that is both constitutional, but that is also relevant to our time and the threat that we now face."
John Brennan, President Barack Obama's top counterterrorism adviser, said that Shahzad was questioned for about four hours before he was read his rights. Shahzad waived his right to having a lawyer present in subsequent interrogation.
Even while suggesting the possible need to limit the rights of terrorism suspects, Holder raised questions about bipartisan legislation introduced in both houses of Congress last week that would strip terrorism suspects of U.S. citizenship.
"There are potential constitutional issues with it," Holder said, acknowledging he had not reviewed "it in any great detail."
He added, however, "I think what people have to understand is that the system we presently have in place takes terrorists and can put them in jail for extended periods of time."
Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., defended the citizenship legislation, saying terrorist organizations were showing a pattern of using American citizens.
"Al-Qaida and the other terrorist groups are changing their mode of operating," Lieberman said. "And increasingly, they're looking for American citizens to carry out these plots, and one of the reasons is the passport that lets them — like Shahzad — come in and out of the country."
In appearances on ABC's "This Week" and NBC's "Meet the Press," Holder also said the Obama White House remained determined to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba while it struggled to decide how and where to try Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the planner of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.
The administration originally vowed to close the prison by the end of last year.
Holder said the White House had asked Congress for funding in the next fiscal year to transfer the Guantanamo terrorism prisoners to a little used federal lockup in Illinois.
As to Mohammed, Holder said the administration had not settled on a place for the trial after New York City officials rejected holding it there. He also said it remained possible that Mohammed would be tried before a military tribunal. Holder had wanted a civilian trial in federal court.
Brennan appeared on CNN's "State of the Union," CBS's "Face the Nation" and "Fox News Sunday." Lieberman also spoke on Fox.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:357d6540-fdff-4c60-a574-ac7870aa3a81> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://911blogger.com/news/2010-05-10/holder-miranda-may-need-changes-terrorists | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968657 | 1,031 | 1.5 | 2 |
Adopting a Dog: Surviving the First 24 Hours- Provided by VetStreet.com
The drive home was a blur. I'd just adopted a two-time shelter reject named BJ from a Siberian Husky rescue group.
Now, the 2-year-old, just-spayed Husky-Golden Retriever mix I was about to rename Chipper sat motionless in the back seat, looking at me with weary eyes. I'd quickly ushered her into the car during a rainstorm and I remember how much this dog’s matted coat stunk — and how helpless I felt because I couldn’t open the windows for ventilation.
Am I crazy? Is this the right dog for me at this time in my life? What is this dog going to do when we get home? Is she going to pee on my rug? Will she listen? What have I done?
Do these questions sound familiar? People speak of buyer’s remorse when they make a major financial investment, like purchasing a new car or a home. But one of the biggest emotional investments you will ever make is adopting a dog.
The clock starts ticking on the longest day of your life the second you sign the adoption papers. For the next 24 hours, you'll experience a crazy blend of euphoria and doubt. You may have trouble eating and concentrating. Your heart may race. Don’t worry — these are all normal occurrences.
To set you — and your new dog — up for success and a lifetime of happiness, here are some pointers for the first 24 hours.
- Dog-proof your home before dashing out the door. Shut bedroom and bathroom doors, install doggie gates, put away electrical cords, potentially toxic plants and small objects that may be accidentally swallowed, and introduce your dog to limited parts of your home.
- Take the day off from work. And don’t schedule any other activity, such as catching a movie with a friend. For those first 24 hours, it's important that you're there for your dog as he adjusts to a strange, new environment filled with novel sounds, sights and smells.
- Buy just the basics. Skip the Fido fashion outfits and pick up a buckle collar or harness, a 6-foot leash and stainless steel food and water bowls.
- Stick with his current chow. Feed him the same food he has eaten at the shelter or rescue home, and work with your veterinarian to gradually transition him to a diet that's best for his age, breed, health condition and activity level.
- Don’t go overboard with treats and happy talk. Speak in a calm, confident tone to ease his possible feelings of anxiety, and avoid upsetting his stomach with too many food rewards.
- Run a bath. Be patient and calm as you bathe your new dog to get rid of any shelter smells. He'll feel much better — and smell better, too. If that's too stressful for the first day, the bath can wait a day or two.
- Be selective when introducing friends. Pick one or two dog-savvy friends to meet him on the first day, and limit additional distractions. Wait to host a big welcome party until a few weeks have passed.
- Don’t expect a full night’s sleep. As your new dog snoozes in a crate or on your bed, your racing mind will record every breath he takes — and every move he makes.
- Remember that the only constant in life is change. It’s natural for newly adopted dogs to take a few weeks, even months, to feel comfortable and secure enough to show you their true personalities. It took Chipper a couple of weeks to sport her now trademark open-mouth grin and full-body wiggle. But it was worth the wait.
Speaking of Chipper, let’s fast-forward seven years. She surfs, joins me in a people-dog workout class, and serves as my demo dog for the pet first-aid classes I teach. Sure, the first 24 hours with her turned me into an emotional wreck, but it was worth every second for the life that we now share.
We hope you enjoyed our contribution to Petside.com's Pet 'Net 2011 Adoption Event. Be sure to check out all the amazing submissions at the Pet 'Net hub!
This year, Pet 'Net is bringing something new to the table — a partnership with Iams and a social media donation campaign! Calls to action on Twitter will yield food donations as part of Iams Home 4 the Holidays' Bags 4 Bowls initiative — and we've got all the details.
By taking any of the simple steps below on November 16, 2011, Iams Home 4 The Holidays and their Bags 4 Bowls initiative will donate bowls of food to local shelters!
- Tweet @Iams with the Pet ‘Net hashtag #IHeartShelterPets and Iams Home 4 The Holidays and their Bags 4 Bowls initiative will donate 25 bowls of food to local shelters.
- Share your adoption story on Petside’s Facebook Wall for a chance to be featured on Petfinder.com as a Happy Tail story!
- Like and comment on any adoption story or Pet ‘Net-related post on Petside’s Facebook Wall and earn one additional bowl per action.
At the end of the day, we’ll tally how many bowls of food were earned. Get sharing! | <urn:uuid:d543e3bd-8fad-4f82-b3a1-282ecf61940b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.vcahospitals.com/yucca-valley/dog-care/article/adopting-a-dog-surviving-the-first-24-hours | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948856 | 1,134 | 1.507813 | 2 |
In seeking financial backers for her Ouya game console, Julie Uhrman was looking for about $1 million. The business received far more than that amount.
Crowd funding began as a way to support the arts on the Internet. Artists could go online to pitch a new album, for example, in the hope that thousands would give small amounts. But now it's expanded to entrepreneurs, and the rules aren't quite as clear.
On Kickstarter, the largest crowd-funding site, a handful of entrepreneurs have raised millions of dollars more than they'd expected, by selling the concept of products they have yet to make. But financial backers have no clear way of getting a refund if the young businesses fail to deliver.
Making A Successful Pitch On Kickstarter
Julie Uhrman loves playing video games the old-fashioned way — in front of the TV. While sales of consoles like the Nintendo Wii are down, Uhrman believes TV games are not some retro thing of the past. She cites her 4-year-old as proof. One day a controller was lying on the table, she says.
"And then to see my daughter pick up the controller and say, 'Show me how to do this,' " she says, "it just meant that this is something that's going to be around for a really long time."
Uhrman admits that she got a little excited when she saw that her daughter was glued to the TV screen — although, she adds, "I'm sure my daughter's preschool won't like that."
Kickstarter liked it, a lot.
In July, Uhrman released her online video promo for a game console she calls Ouya. The first letter stands for open source. Unlike the Nintendo Wii, it's open for developers in the Android operating system to make games.
"It's open for hackers that want to tweak the box and make it their own," Uhrman says in Ouya's Kickstarter video.
Uhrman raises an eyebrow and flashes a mischievous smile about this big undertaking.
"Effectively, we're trying to disrupt an established industry," she says in the video. "It takes a lot of guts and courage. If I wasn't a female, I'd say, 'big balls.' "
Uhrman asked for $950,000 — much more than the average project. A month later, her Kickstarter campaign closed with pledges worth $8.6 million. About 57,000 backers expect an Ouya console by next March.
The 'Doing-The-Right-Thing' Perspective
I visit Uhrman in San Francisco, where she's meeting with a dozen designers to hash out Ouya's boomerang-shaped controller.
During a break from the meetings, I ask her, "Would you have to give money back to your backers if you weren't able to deliver?"
She takes a deep breath and pauses before answering.
"Technically, from the Kickstarter perspective, I actually don't know the answer to that," she says. "But from a doing-the-right-thing perspective, we will treat our backers the best possible way."
Ouya public relations agent Tiffany Spencer adds, "That's a Kickstarter policy question."
So I call Kickstarter co-founder Yancey Strickler, and ask: What if Uhrman isn't able to deliver the consoles? Would Kickstarter get involved?
"You know, that would be new ground," he says. "I don't know. I mean, no, I don't think that we would. But certainly, the kind of thing you're talking about is not a bridge that has been crossed yet. Someday it will. And you know, I think if something did go awry, it would be — it wouldn't be my favorite day."
When Kickstarter launched three years back, it was primarily fans giving money to little-known artists. Today, the most lucrative projects are goods that customers pre-order from would-be merchants.
Comments on Kickstarter campaign pages indicate that backers expect product delays.
"By creating a system where it's just a series of open and direct exchanges between people with ideas and projects, and people interested in supporting them," Strickler says, "you have everyone on the same page, and everyone understanding what's going on."
Almost everyone, that is.
The Question Of Refunds
One entrepreneur who raised $10 million to build a "smartwatch" that streams email and text messages just missed his first delivery deadline. One of his backers demanded a refund, to no avail.
Another entrepreneur, David Barnett, released a Kickstarter campaign video where he bounces and steps to raise money for PopSockets, a snazzy iPhone case with a headphone cord wrap.
"Did you see that?" he asks in the video. "My cord didn't even get tangled. And with all that dancing."
But a year later, there are still no PopSockets. And the money has reportedly gone in fees to prospective manufacturers and lawyers.
Barnett — whose day job is being a philosophy professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder — decided to pay back 40 of his 500 backers.
"I think it sets a bad precedent," he says. "Once I did that, I could tell that it started creating the impression in some of my backers that they had purchased an item. And I think as Kickstarter grows, there's more and more of an impression that it's just a big store for people to go get deals."
That's the conflict at the heart of Kickstarter: While the company's policy says creators have to give refunds on failed projects, the website doesn't have a mechanism to do it. Barnett used PayPal.com to process $1,300 in refunds.
Ethan Mollick, a professor at the Wharton School of Business, says that while crowdfunding is a more democratic way to raise money than going to elite venture capitalists, it's also a brave new world.
"Enthusiasm is ahead of [the] tools," he says. "So, Kickstarter is a very minimal system in some ways. It's not really built to police itself."
As entrepreneurs come online, Kickstarter and hundreds of similar platforms will have to sort out if each transaction is a donation or a purchase.
Update Sept. 5. Kickstarter Clarifies Its Policies:
In response to this story, Kickstarter published a blog post clarifying its position on accountability, refunds and guarantees. | <urn:uuid:f82eb4c1-618e-40cc-a97c-8c104e6cd441> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2012/09/03/160505449/when-a-kickstarter-campaign-fails-does-anyone-get-their-money-back?ft=1&f=1001 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970259 | 1,333 | 1.59375 | 2 |
SAN FRANCISCO -- The first Project Glass products -- Google's network-enabled, computerized glasses -- are set to ship to a select group of enthusiasts early next year, co-founder Sergey Brin said today.
"This is not a consumer device," Brin told thousands in an enthusiastically cheering audience at the company's Google I/O show today here. "You have to want to be on the bleeding edge. That's what this is designed for."
The glasses will be available only to Google I/O attendees who are in the United States. The geographic restriction is for regulatory reasons, Brin said. (Different countries have different requirements for radio-frequency emissions.)
Live skydiving with Google's glasses
Google demonstrated the glasses with a dramatic live Google+ hangout involving four parachutists who jumped out of a blimp above San Francisco and landed on the roof of San Francisco's Moscone Center, where Google I/O was taking place. Each wore Project Glass glasses that broadcast what they saw. So did stunt bicyclists and climbers who rappelled down the side of the building. All joined a relieved Brin on stage to a standing, applauding crowd that clearly liked the show.
"You've seen demos that were slick and robust. This will be nothing like that," Brin said as he introduced the publicity stunt. "This could go wrong in about 500 different ways."
Setting up the stunt was tricky. The glasses have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built in, and Google also tried mobile data networks, Brin said in an interview. But ordinary technology doesn't work well when people are dropping at 120 miles per hour.
"3G doesn't work. It cuts out over 1,000 feet," Brin said.
Therefore Google tried four different approaches. It hacked together its own "home-brewed" transmission technology and used some expensive military options, Brin said, and it turned out that all four worked during the demo.
The glasses, now as light as regular sunglasses, come with a touch panel on the side, a button on top to take photos and videos, and a transparent screen to show information. They perch just above a person's regular vision so they don't interfere with ordinary eye contact. Google believes they're better for capturing a first-person view of the world, such as spontaneous photographs people would miss if they had to take time to dig out a camera.
The ambition is much bolder, though: in effect, an augmented brain.
"Someday we would like to make this so fast that you don't feel like, if you have a question, you have to go seek the [answer]. We'd like it to be so fast that you just know it. We'd like to be able to empower people to know information very, very quickly," one of the project engineers said.
Google showed off with a video and photos what it considers an ideal use for Project Glass: baby pictures. Babies will look at faces, so it's a more natural interaction and makes it less difficult to catch that elusive early smile.
"The baby looks into the mom's eyes, they connect. While doing that, she can capture this moment without any distractions," said Isabelle Olsson, the Project Glass lead designer. | <urn:uuid:36879ca7-2163-4b6f-9647-e3c91316dfef> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57462058-93/google-glass-$1500-for-developers-shipping-next-year/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96619 | 673 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Research Before Donating
If you want to donate to a charitable organization, regardless of whether it is a monetary donation or some type of vehicle donation, you need to consider the organization that receives the charitable gift very carefully (Source: Vehicle Donation by Angel for Hope). One of the reasons why that is the case is because some of those organizations are going on a very small amount of money toward the charity and the rest is going to go for a variety of other items, all of which are covered under administrative fees. This is going to require some research on your part, but it can let you know that the lion’s share of what you give to charity is going to actually benefit those who have a need.
This is especially the case if you are going to give a larger donation to the charity. Regardless of whether it is a yacht donation or if you are going to give a large, monetary donation, you would want most of it to benefit those that have a need. That is why you may want to consider going to an organization where you can give the item directly, allowing them to sell it and then to put the money directly toward the charity of your choice. So when you donate boat parts or the entire boat, you know that the money from the sale of those items is going to go where you wanted to go. You can then look into the possibility of how you can benefit from giving those items to charity in the form of a tax break. | <urn:uuid:433144dd-47d0-41b8-af78-d95e3cba59fb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://westbound415.com/2012/06/research-donating/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973577 | 295 | 1.726563 | 2 |
In the kind of legal hair-splitting that makes saner heads explode, Occupy DC inhabitants are suing the U.S. Interior Department over the definition of the term “camping” under a federal rule banning it in Washington, DC parks.
The rule defines “camping” as the erection of “temporary structures” in DC parks used for:
living accommodation activities such as sleeping, or making preparations to sleep (including the laying down of bedding for the purpose of sleeping), or storing personal belongings, or making any fire, or doing any digging or earth breaking or carrying on cooking activities.
In general, the rule continues:
The above-listed activities constitute camping when it reasonably appears, in light of all the circumstances, that the participants, in conducting these activities, are in fact using the area as a living accommodation regardless of the intent of the participants or the nature of any other activities in which they may also be engaging.
However, the rule permits the erection of “temporary structures … for the purpose of symbolizing a message.”
The U.S. Supreme Court previously held tents can be symbolic free speech, but upheld the tent ban as a reasonable and content-neutral regulation on the time, place, and manner of it. To get around that ruling, the Occupy DC protesters are saying their erection of tents is a “vigil” not amounting to camping under the definition.
They also are asking for certification of the case as a class action.
Source: “Occupy D.C. Moves to Certify Class in Lawsuit Over Tents," the blog of legal times; Code of Federal Regulations Section 7.96; Supreme Court ruling, January 18, 2012 | <urn:uuid:3541a2fa-dc40-4003-8b1d-f77bbd42b19a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.heartland.org/newspaper-article/2012/01/24/tents-situation?quicktabs_4=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941233 | 359 | 1.671875 | 2 |
If you're thinking of trying out the basil remedy for cramps then you ought to consider growing your own basil plants. Much of the fresh basil found in grocery stores is a different variety, normally called sweet basil. Holy basil is native to Asia and is the familiar flavor found in Thai dishes. The name holy basil comes from the sacred status of the herb in Ayurvedic traditions; many researchers claim that holy basil has higher concentrations of the active ingredients. Look in the herb section at the nursery and examine the plant tags carefully, looking for the word holy or the Latin name, ocimum sanctum. Holy basil is available with red or green leaves that have jagged edges; other varieties have smooth-edged leaves. This stuff has a much more pungent aroma and flavor but there's no reason you can't use it in recipes that call for the regular kind. Try filling a big pot with a combination of red and green plants. Pinch off the flowers when they come up and you'll have leaves at least until the winter.
All the News That's Fit to Eat
Looking for a quiet place to sit and have a cup of tea? Hadley's Tea opened about a month ago at 7600 Jefferson NE, Suite 9 (near Café Voilà and Hello Deli!). Owner Linda Butler serves both hot and iced teas, and a dozen or so pastries from Le Chantilly. Butler's stock includes over 100 types of teas and though they're all for sale, she rotates a smaller selection through the tea menu so customers choose from a list of around 20 teas on any given day. Hadley's also serves chai from Anapurna chai house and one daily coffee selection. Butler used to own Linda's Antiques and Sweets, a small shop on "antique row" in Nob Hill. At Hadley's, she sells all sorts of tea accessories but not antiques. Stop by and check it out or call 821-4832 to inquire about the tea menu.
Know Your Ingredients
The Edible Landscape
Garlic flowers, known as scapes, spice up summer
The technical name for this beautiful and delectable apparatus is "scape." Such a harsh name—sounds more like an injury, or a disease, or misplaced blame—is a cruel injustice to the world of pleasure the name represents. That's why I refer to them as flowers, despite the fact that botanists advise otherwise. At least I'm not alone.
Good and Good For You
Fresh Basil as a Remedy for Menstrual Cramps
A chefs' trick with science behind it
Why does eating a handful of fresh basil seem to relieve menstrual cramps? Sounds crazy, yes, but it's true and (who knew?) there are actually several good scientific reasons why. Years ago, the sous chef of the hotel I cooked at turned me on to this basil thing. I had terrible cramps at work and he told me to roll up 10 or 12 leaves of fresh basil and chew them. By the time I had picked the last green bit from between my incisors, the cramps had abated. | <urn:uuid:65eed1ac-b310-4e13-ac0f-3040f0016d5a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://alibi.com/?scn=food&di=2004-06-24 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948921 | 651 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Like many small investors, Rodney Punt was wary of the stock market for much of the last two years. But the 64-year-old Santa Monica resident recently decided to shift more of his nest egg into equities while reducing what he held in bonds. "The U.S. is coming out of panic mode," he said. "We have an economy that is beginning to pick up."
As 2011 begins, millions of individual investors may be facing the same basic question about their portfolios: Is it time to change the mix?
The market crash of 2008 cast a long shadow, encouraging many Americans to play it very conservative with their money in 2009 and 2010. That meant favoring bonds or cash accounts as ways to preserve capital. Yet that strategy may not work so well in 2011 if the economy accelerates — or even if growth stays slow but inflation rises.
In the fourth quarter, stocks rallied sharply amid growing optimism about the economic recovery, lifting the average U.S. equity mutual fund 10.2% and boosting the return for the year to 16.2%. But that same optimism about growth fueled a rebound in longer-term interest rates that eroded the value of outstanding fixed-rate bonds.
The result: Many bond mutual funds were in the red for the three months ended Dec. 31 as their share prices declined, more than offsetting interest earned in the period — though for some of the most popular and well-diversified funds the net losses came to less than 2%.
For all of 2010, bond and stock funds alike generated positive returns for a second straight year as financial markets continued to bounce back from the devastation of the 2008 crash.
The issue facing markets now is whether the U.S. economy can reach so-called escape velocity, meaning a level of growth that can sustain itself while allowing the federal government and the Federal Reserve to pull back on the trillions of dollars in aid they've provided since 2008.
By some measures the economy is showing impressive momentum. In December, U.S. manufacturing activity expanded at the fastest pace since May, and the service sector grew at the fastest rate in more than four years.
Consumer spending during the holidays finished weaker than it began, but retailers overall still rang up their best season since 2006.
Yet the missing link remains decent job growth. The government on Friday said the economy created a net 103,000 new nonfarm jobs in December, well below the 150,000 that Wall Street had been hoping for.
That raises the risk that the recovery could fade again soon, as it did last spring and summer. The U.S. needs a significant acceleration in hiring to offset other drags on growth: Millions of families remain burdened by debt, the finances of many state and local governments are a shambles, and home prices have begun to decline again in recent months.
Still, some financial advisors say investors should at least consider whether their portfolios are adequately positioned if 2011 looks a lot like the fourth quarter of 2010: an expanding economy that keeps corporate earnings rising but also keeps upward pressure on longer-term interest rates.
"My fear for quite a while has been that people would suffer from being overweight in bonds," said Dan Wiener, chief executive of Adviser Investments of Newton, Mass., which manages $1.3 billion for clients. "You have to adapt to a new reality."
Nobody would advise conservative investors to suddenly abandon bonds in favor of stocks. Bonds obviously are a crucial element of any diversified portfolio for the income they provide and for their relatively low volatility compared with the swings that can bedevil stocks.
The issue now is simply about the mix: Investors who have tilted their portfolios heavily toward bonds in the last two years, and away from stocks, should consider whether their asset mix will provide enough growth if the economic backdrop favors equities over bonds in 2011.
In 2010 the stock market's gains were broad-based, as they were in 2009:
• Mutual funds that focus on large-capitalization, blue-chip stocks were up between 13.5% and 15.5% last year on average, according to Morningstar Inc.
•Small- and mid-size-company shares again outperformed bigger stocks. Typically, strength in smaller stocks is a sign of investors' belief that the domestic economy will continue to expand, because those firms often don't have the global reach of bigger companies.
Small-cap growth funds, which own stocks of companies whose earnings are expected to grow faster than average, rose 26.8% last year.
• Foreign stock funds rose 14.1% for the year, on average, lagging behind U.S. gains. Europe's government debt crisis weighed on stock returns there, as did the euro's slide against the dollar.
But strong growth in emerging-market economies propelled shares in many of those markets. Emerging-market stock funds rallied 19.0% for the year. | <urn:uuid:0af66a54-25be-4636-8a20-de0ef5865da1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jan/09/business/la-fi-cover-20110109 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965718 | 1,001 | 1.671875 | 2 |
The Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania
Last Modified: May 8, 2013
I am a thirty-year-old woman who has smoked on and off for 10 years, with a 3-year break in between. I am a full-time student and worker, and I am currently a light smoker, but I realize I am relying on smoking for stress reduction (I also exercise at a high level most days). I am very interested in QUITTING smoking forever. I have noticed a slight tightness in my chest, swollen glands, etc. The hypochondriac in me is convinced that I have already done permanent damage. Otherwise, I am very healthy and energetic besides this one, horribly addictive issue. Do you have any suggestions for quitting, scare tactics, or words about healing that you could share? I want to live to be an old lady.
Barbara Campling, MD, Medical Oncologist, responds:
You are a young woman who is physically fit, and it sounds like you are highly motivated to quit smoking. You are worried that you may have already done some permanent damage after 10 years of smoking off and on. In fact, your chance of getting lung cancer will always be higher than that of someone who has never smoked. It is likely that you have already sustained some permanent genetic damage to your lungs. However, if you quit now, the chances of this progressing to cancer are greatly reduced, and it will be unlikely that you will ever develop lung cancer.
There are thousands of reasons why you should stop smoking right now, and no valid reasons to continue. Here are some statistics that will scare you. Smoking is by far the most significant cause of premature preventable death in North America. It is estimated that half of regular smokers will die as a result of their addiction. Smoking is a major cause of cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, and a variety of cancers. Lung cancer alone accounts for nearly 30% of cancer deaths in this country, and the vast majority of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking. Here's another scary statistic. It appears that women are more prone to develop lung cancer than men for comparable levels of tobacco exposure. While most cases of lung cancer occur in older people, we are now seeing some cases in women in their 30's. I'm not sure what to make of your symptoms of chest tightness and swollen lymph glands. You should see your physician about this. And while you are there, you should discuss your intention to quit smoking. Most smokers want to quit but are unable to do so. Cigarette smoking is a powerful addiction. Quitting cigarettes can be as difficult as quitting heroin. But it can be done. There are some medications that can make it easier. Nicotine replacement therapy (e.g. the "patch") can help to reduce the cravings for nicotine. There are also medications that can reduce relapses after smoking cessation. You should talk to your doctor about this. You will also likely need some moral support. You might start by contacting the Lung Association. They can give you information about smoking cessation resources in your community, and they also offer on-line smoking cessation programs. All these measures will help, but quitting still will not be easy. It sounds like you are very health conscious and you exercise daily. Do not let smoking undo all the positive effects of the exercise that you are doing. I hope that you will live to a ripe old age, and your chances of this are very much higher if you quit smoking right now. Good luck. You sound very motivated to quit, and you should be able to do it. But it won't be easy. Get all the help that you can. OncoLink has an article about getting started. | <urn:uuid:d350371a-c0dc-43b7-9388-aa2cb221e7aa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.oncolink.org/experts/article.cfm?id=1856&ss=49 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970966 | 756 | 1.648438 | 2 |
PSFK reached out to Megan Paska of Hayseeds Big City Farm Supply, a pop-up shop for urban farming and beekeeping located in Brooklyn, New York. Through curated supplies, workshops, and reaffirming a do-it-yourself approach, the store bridges independent urban gardeners with the know-how they need to be successful in tending to their urban gardens. We caught up with Megan about how amongst other things, Hayseed’s hopes to take pressure off of an already strained food system.
Tell us a little about Hayseeds. Can you share some of the back story behind Hayseeds and also what prompted a pop-up store?
My partners over at Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm and I had been ordering pallets of organic chicken feed and distributing it from their loading dock to other chicken owners to save money. We started thinking about how in other aspects of our urban farming projects we had a hard time getting a fair price on goods and tools unless we ordered larger quantities…people in the community were interested in pitching in and chipping away at mountains of potting mix so we figured now was the time to start doing this sort of thing in an actual storefront. We met Trish and Maureen from Domestic Construction this fall and fell in love with their energy and style and just a few months later, here we are.
Do you see this store as contributing to larger DIY/Urban Farming movement? What do you think is driving its resurgence?
I’d like to think so. I think what our store is offering people is an accessible place to come and ask the questions they need to answers to, before they feel confident enough to get started. The bulk of our customers so far are fairly new to growing food so having a real live person with experience there to walk them through the process is a big deal. In that regard, I think we are helping to create a larger number of independent urban gardeners that might actually be successful. They may get to enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor often.
Can you describe its intended appeal? How will your store cater to those both familiar and unfamiliar with urban farming and beekeeping? Is there an educational component to your store?
Our goal was to not only appeal to beginners but also provide fairly priced tools, soil amendments and seed to more experienced gardeners that normally have to pay exorbitant shipping fees to get them, oftentimes ending up with 40lbs more of one thing than they need. We wanted to be the place where a someone can go when they are about to run out of chicken feed or need some neem oil for a cucumber beetle infestation in a pinch.
We also teach Sunday classes on topics like growing mushrooms, raising chickens, composting, gardening, growing flowers and making sub-irrigated planters for rooftop gardening.
How important is your curation of products and events to the success of this pop-up? What will the workshops add to the experience?
We’ve made a real attempt to create a place that gets people inspired to get involved in the production of their own food. We think that everyone can grow something to eat in some capacity and that any little bit can help to take pressure off of an already strained food system. Growing lettuces and radishes for salads in window boxes or small buckets of oyster mushrooms in a closet is a small way to exert some food independence. More importantly, I feel that it enlightens people to the real work that farmers go through to produce these large quantities of food, giving their products more value in the eyes of those who consume them.
Beyond any political or social aspects, I just think gardening or working with animals helps people relax and even out after a crazy day of commuting around NYC.
Do you see your store as fostering a like-minded community? If yes, how so?
I hope so! Our customers are pretty diverse but the one thing they have in common is an inherent love or fascination with nature and our ongoing relationship with it. We’re just trying to spread the word that just because you live in a city, it doesn’t mean that you’ve forsaken the natural world. It’s here blooming up through the cracks of the pavement.
Photos by Trish Andersen | <urn:uuid:d3d4b747-a465-4a62-9058-8dd04e0cadd6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.psfk.com/2012/05/pop-up-urban-gardening-shop.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96405 | 882 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Most single-reed woodwind instrument models rely on a quasistationary approximation to describe the relationship between the volume flow and the pressure difference across the reed channel. Semiempirical models based on the quasistationary approximation are very useful in explaining the fundamental characteristics of this family of instruments such as self-sustained oscillations and threshold of blowing pressure. However, they fail at explaining more complex phenomena associated with the fluid-structure interaction during dynamic flow regimes, such as the transient and steady-state behavior of the system as a function of the mouthpiece geometry. Previous studies have discussed the accuracy of the quasistationary approximation but the amount of literature on the subject is sparse, mainly due to the difficulties involved in the measurement of dynamic flows in channels with an oscillating reed. In this paper, a numerical technique based on the lattice Boltzmann method and a finite difference scheme is proposed in order to investigate the characteristics of fully coupled fluid-structure interaction in single-reed mouthpieces with different channel configurations. Results obtained for a stationary simulation with a static reed agree very well with those predicted by the literature based on the quasistationary approximation. However, simulations carried out for a dynamic regime with an oscillating reed show that the phenomenon associated with flow detachment and reattachment diverges considerably from the theoretical assumptions. Furthermore, in the case of long reed channels, the results obtained for the vena contracta factor are in significant disagreement with those predicted by theory. For short channels, the assumption of constant vena contracta was found to be valid for only 40% of the duty cycle. | <urn:uuid:6911abb8-3d34-47ad-9aa5-332c47f0730e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://asadl.org/jasa/resource/1/jasman/v122/i3?section=music-and-musical-instruments-75&page=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952565 | 336 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Thursday, September 01, 2011
Jaipur: Doubts about Anna Hazare's 12-day fast are baseless, feel experts and religious followers even as Anna Hazare has explained to the likes of Lalu Yadav that it is the power of "brahmcharya" [follower of the Absolute] that helps him keep fast for longer durations.
While breaking his fast at the Ramlila ground on Sunday, Anna had said a few politicians who doubt his fast should understand the power of "brahmcharya" that helps him stay without food for several days. Besides, Anna is certainly not to first to observe a long fast. Under various customs and traditions, people are known to observe fast for over a month.
Both the sects of Jain community--Shwetambar and Digambar observe eight-day fast during Paryushan Parva. "During these days, people only take water and that too, in a controlled manner," says Rajendra Bhandari, a follower of the Shwetambar sect, and secretary of Rajasthan Khadi Federation. Throughout the day, the community members perfom bhajan kirtan, and it is only after sunset that they drink water. Bhandari says his sister Chandrakanta, also a Jaipur resident, had once fasted for 30 days.
Followers of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, 12th century sufi saint, are known to fast for 40 days, and survive on just water. The custom is known as chilla kashi. Hazrat Nizamuddin, the famous 14th century sufi saint, used to observe chilla kashi. The chilla, or retreat of Baba Farid is a revered place among Chishti followers at the Ajmer dargah.
"Chilla kashi is observed under the supervision of a peer at a designated place and the followers are given either water or tea depending on the body requirement," says sufi scholar Syed Jazmul Hasan, who has worked extensively on Chishti philosophy.
It's not just religion, but science too backs Anna's fast. Gastroenterologist at SMS Medical College, Dr Subhash Nepalia, says that keeping a long fast by a healthy person is quite possible. "The feedback mechanism in human brain keeps feeding your appetite centres, but once you stop taking meals the mechanism doesn't work, so one can stay without meals. The duration depends on the support system of one's body," he explains.
Nutritionist, Asha Khumgar says that with an Army background, Anna Hazare can easily manage to remain without food for more than 15 days. "Anna Hazare comes from an Army background where men are trained to live without food in war times. Moreover, he is a brahmchari that also helps in revitalizing his body." Besides, it is his immense will power that has helped him stay without food for such a long time, adds Khumgar.
[Picture: Anna Hazare. Photo: Wiki.] | <urn:uuid:56522a38-4978-400e-bbee-35d077604c83> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sufinews.blogspot.com/2011/09/chilla-kashi.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972876 | 636 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Change the radio station, shave, apply makeup, find a cassette tape, read the newspaper, talk on the phone, text, smoke, eat, discipline the kids, argue with spouse, give finger to other drivers, look for street signs, look for friends, dial the phone, cut coupons, search for dropped cigarette, scratch, takeoff coat, change shoes, read mail, read e-mail, look for map, search for gloves in glove compartment, program GPS, floss teeth, look for song on iPod, search for CD, pet dog, roll down rear window, roll up rear window, roll down the front window, drink, eat, think about beer, throw empties in backseat, . . .
As you can see there are many things that people do while driving. Unfortunately, paying attention and being responsible to the other people on the road is often not among the list of things people will do while driving. When I heard the statistics of how many cars have been prevented from crossing the median because of the cable barrier, I was quite surprised that number was so high. Driving a car has more responsibility than people often realize. Too many people view it as wasted time and then go on to accomplish many of the items in the above list and actual driving comes secondary. Cell phones topped the list as main distractors of people driving. This causes traffic jams, slowdowns, and of course accidents. This leads to high repair costs and higher insurance costs. If everyone would just hang up and drive, or pay attention while driving, we all would benefit. So please pass this on to those who are not regular readers of Logos of the Bogus. We all need to get to our destinations safely.
We are about one week into 2008. This is also about one week into the primary season. This of course means that we are halfway to finding out who are nominees for the next president of the United States will be. So far we have the results from one State: Iowa. Going into New Hampshire, and subsequently super Tuesday, the media in America seems to be in love with the two top getters from the Iowa caucus. Even know a couple of the lesser-known candidates have dropped out of the race already, some still think that the race is wide open, especially on the Republican side. Let's hope so.
Candidates love momentum and America loves a winner. I hope that we just don't rubber stamp what has already been done and keep piling on, without stopping to think about the future of this country and how this election is going to affect us. I hope Americans understand the gravity of the situation. One of the candidate's on this stage of the debates is going to be handed the presidency of the United States. Along with it, all the glory and all the responsibility. They are going to be handed over the White House and the codes to the nuclear weapons. Tough times calls for great leaders. If we look at going on on the world, and what's going on in the economy, we are reaching a pivotal moment.
As we become bombarded with sound-bites, we become aware of how important it is to listen to what is being said. But the right questions have to be asked and they sadly are not. There are no questions being post about the economy. I guess it's assumed that taxes are going to be increased. New programs are being proposed. Deficit spending is the bad guy. Yet we're being distracted by issues of immigration which while are important are being made more confusing by candidates tendency to tailor their message to what they believe America wants to hear.
I do not know what it is that smokers did to Governor Jim Doyle. But apparently they must've done something pretty bad. It seems like the governor has had it out for smokers for some time.
I will begin with the obligatory I am not a smoker, but what I see the government doing to smokers is laughable. It's unfortunate that smokers do not form a social subculture to unite and fight back for whatever rights they may have left. Smokers have become an easy target to push unfavorable regulation upon them and they just accept it. One day they will rise up and march to Madison, but until then they will sit down and wheeze.
It is the start of the legislative session and already the Democrats are bringing up the issue of raising the minimum wage. It seems like every year, or at least every other year, there is talk of raising the minimum wage to make it a living wage again. You know the kind of wage that you can raise a family on. It is going to be raised to over seven dollars per hour. And in one of the presidential debates, one of the candidates thought that that was not high enough. They stated it should be raised to $9.50 per hour. To a guy who started working in the minimum wage was less than three dollars per hour, this seems like a lot of money.
As a couple of things being lost here. First, the minimum wage is just that-the minimum. It is not designed to raise a family on. You cannot buy a house or send your kids to college if all you do is earn minimum wage. If you are earning minimum wage, and raising a family, you should've done a little more in terms of life planning. Earning minimum wage is not meant to be shameful, we've all done it, however, once you start learning the job, and getting better at it, learning new skills, building a reputation, everything that goes into the working world, you should be earning a raise and not have to worry about the bare minimum. Remember, if you're selling your soul to the company store. It's up to you to raise your price. If individuals took responsibility for honing their own skills, they would not have to rely on the legislature raising the minimum wage in order for them to get a raise every couple of years. Too often, low-wage workers have not learned the three key principles in what is used to determine their rate of pay: first, is the work itself. A lot of this is determined by the free market. Second, is how well will you do your job. And third is the difficulty in replacing you. Yet today, too many people settle for mediocrity. We don't going to work with the intention of doing just average-yet too often, that is the result.
As the weather gets colder, we must remind ourselves that there is still global warming. Or so we are told. But not by science. Or at least scientists who have done objective, extensive research. Al Gore, liberals, et al. This includes at least a couple of presidential candidates. Of those that are left.
What to do? What to do? Is it too late? Is the problem real or propagandized? Is there something we can do today? Is there something I can do today?
May God bless John Wiley. I really don't know that much about him. I did manage to pick up a few facts about him. As a boy he liked to blow things up. He was interested in explosives. He did manage to stay enough out of trouble to finish high school. Not real sure exactly what happened soon after that, but his story picks up when he becomes a graduate student in physics.
He may be Madison's last chancellor. In a recent article, it was brought out on how little money a chancellor will make in Madison. And the paltry sum is going to be paid to the next chancellor made drastically decrease the number of candidates and pauperize the poor soul who would accept the challenge of leading the flagship of the university system in this state. As reported, the total compensation is $341,495.
This was supposed to be the most interesting the presidential election in over a generation. The wide open for both parties, we were supposed to get the best candidates. Of the best candidates, we are supposed to nominate the best people to become the next president. Of the two nominees, we will elect a president that we all can be proud of. What is going on?
Listening to the rhetoric of the campaign, we are supposed to get experienced change. We are supposed to get something new yet familiar. We are supposed to be coming into a new era of politics, with some old favorites. However, the more things change, the more they stay the same. It's back to the old spiel. The candidates and the media are trying to distract us. By focusing on a bunch of issues that really don't matter to voters. That of course would be anything except the economy. Once again we're trying to get a referendum on the war in Iraq. Were trying to get a consensus on global warming. We are trying to find out which religion can best interpret our American values. By becoming distracted by these topics, the candidates are polarizing the electorate. Even in orations which emphasize the coming together of different and diverse groups, the opposite is being accomplished. | <urn:uuid:9d06f1f3-42a3-4f98-b864-8f281e901759> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.glendalenow.com/blogs/communityblogs/167776815.html?action=blog_archive&startDate=01-01-2008&endDate=01-31-2008&blogID=43776347 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978856 | 1,835 | 1.546875 | 2 |
It can be challenging to bring a pet along for a long RV trip, but many travelers are left with no option when they don't have anyone who can care for it. Dogs enjoy the great outdoors, which naturally means that taking them on a camping vacation should be an automatic decision. However, it can be difficult to care for an animal on the road in comparison to at home.
Travelers who want to make sure that they know everything there is to caring for dogs on the road might want to read Woodall's Camping and RVing with Dogs
guidebook. This product is designed to educate campers and pet owners on how to take care of their dogs while relishing in all that Mother Nature has to offer.
"Woodall's Camping and RVing with Dogs (3rd Edition) is a very handy reference guide full of tips and information to help you have a safe and pleasant experience RVing with your pets," wrote one Camping World customer. "I am so glad that I purchased this book before heading out in our RV with our pets."
Woodall's Camping and RVing with Dogs guidebook includes eight steps to making sure that your dog doesn't get lost on your trip, along with information on finding dog-friendly RV parks. | <urn:uuid:0a8a0cfb-3984-4b77-8f54-890710e364ef> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.campingworld.com/rvexpertcenter/article.cfm?articleID=1711 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976081 | 258 | 1.773438 | 2 |
My Little GirlTue, Dec 28th 2010
My daughter is 11 yrs old. She started puberty about 6 months ago. Shortly after, she started having problems in school. She has a 97% testing score but a 30-40% homework score. She has begun compulsively lying, forging her dad's signature and acting out. Recently, we caught her carrying on conversations when no one else is around. She goes outside when walking the dog at night when we thought she was sleeping.
We had her do an online assessment and she scored fine in every area but one. It came back on a scale from 1-100 with 1 being no symptoms and 100 being severe symptoms for Schizophrenia. Her score for Schizophrenia was a 67.
My biggest reason for being concerned is my father has schizophrenia. After her dad and I spoke he talked to her and she told him she hears and sees a male that has told her to do violent things.
What do you think we should do?
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- Dr. Schwartz responds to questions about psychotherapy and mental health problems, from the perspective of his training in clinical psychology.
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- Always consult with your psychotherapist, physician, or psychiatrist first before changing any aspect of your treatment regimen. Do not stop your medication or change the dose of your medication without first consulting with your physician. | <urn:uuid:069445c0-08b9-45fb-a82f-13583687b6bc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jamhi.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=advice&id=11844&at=7&cn=7 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949271 | 489 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Sushi - Sushi Ingredients
(Condiments) - Asatsuki
has a more strong armoa close to
garlic. The green part of the plant is used by chopping them thinly. They
used on stronger flavored fishes such as bonito. Unlike the green
does not have a leafy aroma, and does not interfere with the ingredient.
was used to promote appetite in
patients that were sick. It also aids in digestion. | <urn:uuid:e233828d-132f-4a17-9bf6-1cc8f042f688> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sushiencyclopedia.com/sushi_condiments/asatsuki.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934736 | 92 | 1.695313 | 2 |
norman wrote:For me right now 'to be' means to be detected by my senses - here and now, and with some confidence that comes from the memory of repetition and 'triangulation' (more than one sense, corroboration by other people, part of a cause-and-effect sequence etc). In that sense this 'self' that is me is - right here, right now: it can suffer and feel joy etc. Much further than this I would rather not speculate as it would just build a mountain of words. It (the self, 'me') seems just like the rest of nature - it comes to be, lasts a while / changes, disappears. I don't really want to 'feel' less - to sort of duck out of the range of experiences being alive offers, or to manipulate those feelings. To be able to see them appear and disappear does seem to of itself produce a sort of calm and happiness that is not dependant on external things - and to take away some of the fear which comes from having to defend that little 'self', and perhaps reduces the need to exploit others in that defense.
Congratulations, Norman. You are tremendously ahead of the game if, by the insight you express here, you are able to live according to those parameters. If so, you have penetrated the essence of the Dhamma.
norman wrote:I like the sutta mentioned above as it suggests a method of development which (in my view) is designed to increase awareness without using rational argument to 'win' a point and persuade.
If you enjoyed that sutta (the Satipatthana Sutta
), I have another for you that will definitely test the insight you have gained. It is called the Bahiya Sutta
in the volume called the Udana
from the Khuddaka Nikaya, which contains (depending on whose definition you adhere to for the volumes contained in this Pitaka) 15 or 18 shorter volumes of discourses. I won't spoil it for you. Read through it and see if you don't understand it instantly.
It is unfortunate that this online version doesn't contain a very helpful footnote that can be found in the physical published version (which book I happen to have) by John Ireland to the following passage:
"When, Bahiya, for you in the seen is merely what is seen... in the cognized is merely what is cognized, then, Bahiya, you will not be 'with that.' When, Bahiya, you are not 'with that,' then, Bahiya, you will not be 'in that.' When, Bahiya, you are not 'in that,' then, Bahiya, you will be neither here nor beyond nor in between the two. Just this is the end of suffering." *
The footnote follows: *
This is a difficult passage. An explanation of it derived from the Comy. would be something like this: "In the seen is merely what is seen" without adding one's own views, opinions, concepts, personal likes and dislikes, etc.: that is, just seeing what is there as it actually is. "You will not be with what," bound by that view, by attraction or repulsion, etc. "You will not be in that" situation of being deluded and led astray by views and emotions. "You will be neither here nor beyond nor in between the two": neither in this world nor another world. This means the experience of Nibbana or enlightenment, which is a stepping out of the mundane world.
"The gift of truth exceeds all other gifts" — Dhammapada, v. 354 Craving XXIV | <urn:uuid:ddb6e101-1d31-49b4-8a07-559982cd5c69> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=16260&p=234592 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971259 | 754 | 1.75 | 2 |
You may have seen the Virtual Cinematography project that overlaid Kinect depth-sensing maps with HD video from a digital LSR. It was an incredible feat for quick-made 3D models that only a crack team of professional videographers and programmers could pull off.
Now, the same team has posted just how they did it with their RGBD Toolkit, so you can make your own HD Kinect videos in your studio too.
The RGBD Toolkit website has information on how to calibrate your DLSR to work with the Kinect. You can also download the video stitching program to fuse the footage together.
The video quality is still pretty rough, with raged edges and lots of depth noise, but it’s a start. It also looks really badass in terms of space-hologram-looking virtual 3D-video. | <urn:uuid:530dd4b1-3f91-49c5-9fc8-8f16daec1240> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.macvideo.tv/camera-technology/news/?newsid=3356357&olo=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955557 | 173 | 1.804688 | 2 |
AURORA, Colo. - In the interest of saving energy, reducing greenhouse gases, and having a positive environmental impact, the Anschutz Medical Campus is planning to reduce energy use during the holiday season by lowering the temperatures to the weekend mode in various non-research buildings or portions of buildings. The exact days are limited and will correspond to the days when the University is considered closed to all non-essential services. “Wet” Research Labs, AOW, & designated Clinical areas will remain in a normal operating mode.
These dates are:
--Monday, Dec. 26
--Tuesday, Dec. 27
--Monday, Jan. 2
--Monday, Jan. 16 (Martin Luther King Holiday)
More details on which buildings or portions of buildings will be directly involved in these energy conservation efforts available at: http://www.ucdenver.edu/about/departments/FacilitiesManagement/Documents/AMCBldgsClosedDuringHolidays2011-12.pdf
Please note: The conditions in those areas that are included in this program may be cooler or warmer than normal. If you plan to come in, please expect temperatures similar to weekend set-back temperatures. Please bring or wear extra layers of clothing to make sure you are comfortable. If you are not planning on being in during these times we would appreciate your effort turning off computers, printers, and copiers.
During the Holidays last year the Anschutz Medical Campus was able to save 142,000 kWh of energy for a saving of $23,000 and 108 Metric tons of carbon dioxide greenhouse gases. This was accomplished with virtually zero impact to building occupants.
If you are aware of any formal meetings, events or necessary occupancy that may require normal heating, please contact David Thorson at 303-724-2612.
If you have any issues or concerns during these dates, contact the Facilities Management Customer Service Center at 303-724-1777. | <urn:uuid:bcc7a2ba-ae9d-4a64-a10a-2759aff0f1f6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ucdenver.edu/about/newsroom/newsreleases/Pages/Holiday-energy-conservation-at-AMC.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931605 | 404 | 1.671875 | 2 |
LEXINGTON, Va. -- Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney slammed his rival's international strategy as weak Monday in a speech at Virginia Military Institute.
But many of the remarks in his critique didn't pass the truth test, and despite his tough tone, the foreign-policy positions he outlined hewed close to those already held by President Barack Obama.
"I believe that if America does not lead, others will -- others who do not share our interests and our values -- and the world will grow darker, for our friends and for us," Romney said. "America's security and the cause of freedom cannot afford four more years like the last four years."
The speech lambasted Obama's response to the Arab Spring, specifically his administration's handling of the violent attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11, which killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.
"I want to be very clear: The blame for the murder of our people in Libya, and the attacks on our embassies in so many other countries, lies solely with those who carried them out -- no one else," Romney said. "But it is our responsibility and the responsibility of our president to use America's great power to shape history -- not to lead from behind, leaving our destiny at the mercy of events. Unfortunately, that is exactly where we find ourselves in the Middle East under President Obama."
In the address before more than 500 Virginia
"I know the president hopes for a safer, freer and a more prosperous Middle East allied with the United States. I share this hope," Romney said. "But hope is not a strategy. We cannot support our friends and defeat our enemies in the Middle East when our words are not backed up by deeds, when our defense spending is being arbitrarily and deeply cut, when we have no trade agenda to speak of and the perception of our strategy is not one of partnership, but of passivity."
Romney said Obama "missed an historic opportunity" to provide leadership during his term, a time of great upheaval in the Middle East.
As president, Romney said, he would work with U.S. partners to arm rebels in Syria, make aid to Egypt conditional on the development of democratic institutions -- as well as peace with Israel -- and advocate an independent Palestinian state coexisting with Israel.
Coming off a strong performance last week in a debate with Obama that centered on domestic policy, Romney is looking to boost his reputation in international relations, the topic of a debate coming Oct. 22. Although voters often don't base decisions on foreign policy, Romney's line of attack Monday dovetailed with his campaign's overarching narrative that Obama is a weak leader.
Romney's most serious charge in the speech was that the president's national-security strategy is "not one of partnership but of passivity," said Karl Inderfurth, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a public-policy research institution.
In reading a copy of the speech, Inderfurth said, he was reminded of the old political catchphrase "Where's the beef?"
"I think it's fair to ask Gov. Romney: What's his beef?" said Inderfurth, who was an assistant secretary of state under President Bill Clinton. "He basically endorses President Obama's approach on Iran, Libya, Syria, Afghanistan and creating a Palestinian state, all the hot-button issues. His rhetoric is critical, but his actual policy prescriptions are quite in line with Obama."
Qataris and Saudis already are arming the Syrian rebels, for example, and the CIA has people in Turkey trying to determine which groups will receive the weapons. Egyptian aid always has been tied to its peace treaty with Israel, and a two-state Israel-Palestinian solution aligns with long-standing U.S. policy. | <urn:uuid:17fb59bf-b76b-485f-befe-651a4b23952f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mercurynews.com/presidentelect/ci_21728689/romney-foreign-policy-speech-takes-tough-tone-but | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970132 | 782 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Spring vs. Java EE and Why I Don't Care
Disclaimer: I work for VMware / SpringSource. That means I might be biased - but then again we did not just create Spring. We are also a member of the Java EE 6 Expert Group. The views are my personal view of course.
Spring has established itself as a very popular solution for Enterprise Java applications. In particular the advantages of Spring as compared EJB 1.x / 2.x were very obvious and were a major reason for Spring's success.
The Current State
Due to Spring’s early success and adoption, Java EE 5 and Java EE 6 were pushed to greatly simplify the Java EE programming model, increase developer productivity and become much simpler to use than previous versions. The current Java EE 6 solutions are thus just now achieving the ability to compete against Spring's programming model. Developers now are ready to ask the question "Why you would prefer Spring?" Here is my take:
- Many key elements of Java EE 6 such as JSR-330 (@Inject), Common Annotations (@Resource, @RolesAllowed etc) and even some EJB annotations (@TransactionAttribute, @Asynchronous etc) are supported by Spring. So you can choose a programming model that is very similar to the Java EE programming model.
- There are differences, among others: Spring typically uses Singleton beans, EJB typically used pooled beans - and of course the annotations for them are different. But do you really think this will impact productivity or even the success of a project?
- However, Spring is much more flexible. Instead of the annotations mentioned above you can choose XML or Java based configurations. You can create custom extension using AOP. You can use the JMS and JDBC abstractions - all of that is not included in Java EE. So the programming model Spring can almost be considered a superset of Java EE. Usually more power and flexibility to choose different options is considered a superior solution.
- There is a difference in platforms that you can deploy on: Typically you will need to use Java EE application server for Java EE solutions while Spring is perfectly happy to run on Tomcat or other simple servers. Tomcat is the predominant server in the marketplace so this is actually an important difference. (Let me add that you might use OpenEJB on Tomcat i.e. you can support more of the Java EE APIs on Tomcat if you really want to.) Also there are problems: If you want to run Java EE 6 you are limited to the very small set of certified servers. If you have a strategic commitment to an application server vendor who doesn't support Java EE 6 you can still use Spring. If operations won't install the latest release of your application server, you can still use Spring. Spring happily runs in these environments.
- Of course Java EE also has an advantage: the fact that Java EE is baked into the server. Therefore you don't need to deploy it with the application which can make some things easier. It might be easier to set up your infrastructure. It might be easier to package and share your application. But I personally would prefer to be flexible in deployment over these advantages.
Before we start a flame war and get lost in technical details let me reiterate: Java EE and Spring can have a similar programming model. Spring is more flexible and I would prefer it. But: I don't think your project will fail because of the decision you made concerning this. And: I think a Java EE vs. Spring shoot out will be boring. If you do a side by side comparison you will end up with minor differences such as @Component instead of @Stateless or whether you will need to deploy some additional JARs. While that might be impressive in a demo I don't believe this will convince anyone to use one platform or the other. Certain features of Spring (e.g. the flexibility to use XML or Java based configuration) will probably not be shown as they just cannot be done using Java EE.
Why I don't care
- Groovy / Grails: it combines a dynamic language with a powerful framework and a code generator - like Ruby on Rails. The only difference is that the solution is more adapted to the JVM and has better integration with Java, the most important platform in the Enterprise space.
- Spring Roo: it combines Java/AsepctJ with a powerful framework (Spring) and a code generator - like Ruby on Rails. This is easier to learn for Spring developers than Groovy / Grails and has therefore appeals to a different audience.
So if you look at productivity the comparision should not be "Java EE vs. Spring" but rather "Groovy / Grails vs. Spring Roo vs. Ruby on Rails". Better productivity is not gained on the level of the framework or the programming model any more.
Asking the Wrong Question
The other reason why I think "Spring vs. Java EE" is the wrong question is: Both models on their own do not solve the challenges I typically see in projects. Let me give you some examples:
- Integration: Today almost any project will need to integrate with other technologies through file transfer, Web Services, messaging etc. There are well known patterns for this - the Enterprise Integration Patterns by Gregor Hohpe. Neither Java EE nor the core Spring Framework help here - you will need to use a framework like Spring Integration, Apache Camel or its competitors.
- Batches: A lot of project use batches. They might import data - or to run complex business logic. In the latter case, chances are that the batches are actually mission critical. Neither Java EE nor the core Spring Framework help here - you will need to use a framework like Spring Batch. (I believe there are no real competitors but I might be wrong).
- Caching: Like many of our competitors we at SpringSource believe that caching is a very important part for a performant enterprise solution - you can tell by the product strategy in the Java EE space. Again this is something that Java EE does not cover. However, for Spring a cache abstraction is planned in Spring 3.1. A standard in Java EE - if there is ever to be one - won't be there until the next Java EE release.
- Again looking at my Ruby on Rails office mates: They deploy a lot of projects into the cloud. Offerings like Heroku make that extremly simple. Of course you could run Spring or Java EE on an IaaS like Amazon EC2 or VMware vCloud Director cloud. But it might be easier to use a PaaS that will deal with scaling, fault tolerance etc automatically and it usually offers some interesting additional services. Google App Engine as the predominant public PaaS as well as VMforce have strategic commitments to Spring. The Cloud has clear economic benefits so this technology will become more and more important. The Java platform has to have a solution here - otherwise it will eventually become irrelevant.
- More and more data is stored in non relational databases (NoSQL). Actually that is the only way we will be able to cope with the exponentially growing amount of data and the structures like graphs in social networks or unstructured user content. Again it this quite common in the Ruby on Rails camp - while for Java there is currently a lack of APIs. Java EE has no support - and it won't for a while. There are so many non relational stores a standard will be hard to define in a standards body.
- Also integration in social networks like Twitter, Facebook and other common internet services will be more and more important. Again this is common in the Ruby on Rails community. And at least one of my customers with a very large web site mentioned this as "a feature marketing will love" - remember Facebook is almost as important a source for internet traffic as Google nowadays. We need solutions for this in the Java space.
- Messaging: In the Java EE community the JMS standard has been very stable for 10+ years. Outside the Java community there was actually innovation. Therefore a lot of the office mates use RabbitMQ - and that is also the predominant messaging solution on the EC2 cloud. It is standardized on the protocol level (AMQP) and it is much more flexible (not just topics and queues). That is why SpringSource bought Rabbit Technologies and why we are investing considerable resources in the Spring-AMQP project.
So there are a lot of challenges Java EE just has no solution for. A side by side comparison of Spring and Java EE might lure you to believe that JSF + Spring / Java EE + database is all you will ever need. Look at your projects and decide for yourself if that is true. It certainly contradicts my experience.
To cut a long story short:
- You won't see a lot of change in your productivity if you use Spring or the newest Java EE releases. The next level of productivity is not about these programming models but about Groovy / Grails or Spring Roo.
- Spring and Java EE will only be a part of your technology stack. You will need to look at solutions for a lot of issues outside these. That is why SpringSource and others are currently investing heavily in creating such solutions for the Java crowd. And a lot of these solutions are well integrated with Spring.
...and a last thing
So you have read this blog post to the end. That is great - thanks a lot! Please don't start a religious battle now. Instead code something or do something fun. Enjoy!
Labels: I don't care, Java EE, Spring | <urn:uuid:f017026b-b2a4-42fb-a951-488002388ae8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jandiandme.blogspot.com/2010/10/spring-vs-java-ee-and-why-i-dont-care.html?showComment=1286968161835 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941872 | 1,959 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Thanks for tuning in for this Months GeekSpeak. Let’s dive in to LinkedIn. Maybe you’ve receive an eMail from a contact that says “Join my network on Linked In”.
Let’s start with the basics.
What is LinkedIn?
LinkedIn claims to be the the world’s largest professional network. They have over 65 million users. Not as large as Facebook’s 400 million, but 65 million members is very impressive. We are barely into the article and we are already talking about Facebook!
I thought this article was on LinkedIn…
Facebook has done a tremendous job to humanize technology. They have welcomed millions of people that wouldn’t consider themselves computer people or geeks to connect with others through their site. This is has transformed the way people look at their computers. ~:-)
Both FB and LI are social networking sites. The main difference is the intended audience where FB is aiming to be everything for everyone, LI’s focus is on business professionals. LinkedIn says it, “connects you to your trusted contacts and helps you exchange knowledge, ideas, and opportunities with a broader network of professionals.” It is all networking without the anxiety of social networking.
Joining LinkedIn is easy but making it work for you requires some work and savvy. Here are 4 steps to success that I’ve got for you.
1) Establish your Profile
Take control of your online identity. LinkedIn’s profile is a glorified and modern resume, that includes a summary, specialties, experience and links to blogs and groups. The profile is public to the work and it invites people to add you to their network. Note: since this profile is public the major search engines with allow show this profile on the first page of results when people search for you.
2) Build and Maintain your Network.
As you keep your Profile updated, and people in your network do too, they claim your address book will never be out of date. This is a great tool to keep you current with their latest jobs, projects and contact info.
Build core network with people you know and trust. Note: I have had a number of my connections that I didn’t really know, send me spam. I had to disconnect with them to quit receiving the excessive advertisements. That being said, you can click on Add Connections to start sending out invitations your contacts.
3) Find Experts and Share Knowledge.
LinkedIn has a question and answer section similar to answers at yahoo.com. People post questions, people answer and you can determine who the expert is. This is an interesting place to learn and to share the knowledge that you have with the community. To paraphrase Ivan Misner, founder of Business Network International, ”Gives Gain, if you truly help others you to will reap the benefits.”
4) Recommend Others.
A powerful part of Linked In is the Recommendations. Seek out professionals that are worthy of your praises and write a thoughtful recommendation. Encourage others to do the same for you. Testimonials are invaluable.
How much does it cost? The basic account is free. They have paid upgrades that can allow you to send messages directly to people you don’t yet know, expanded searches & notes. Sound interesting?!
Check out my Profile:
www.linkedin.com/in/oscarmyre4 and get connected!!
~ Oscar & his hot wife Michelle are the Owners of omOriginals Marketing, located in Longview WA! On May 11th they are presenting a workshop teaching about Online Marketing. Don’t miss it. Learn more @ omOriginals.com or call (360)575-9839 | <urn:uuid:c93bbc3e-15e5-487a-a43f-e1f4de39ee3d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://omoriginals.com/2010/05/figuring-out-%E2%80%98linkedin%E2%80%99/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957118 | 775 | 1.804688 | 2 |
“We encourage the U.S. business community”, said Prince Bandar, “to take advantage of the presence of leading Saudi experts in the United States to learn more about export market potential and business opportunities in the Kingdom."
Khaled Al-Seif, chairman of the Committee for the Development of International Trade at the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CSCCI) and head of the delegation, commented on the warm welcome received by the mission from American officials and businessmen. About 150 American companies participated in the reception in Houston, Texas. Among the speakers at the Houston event was Princess Lolowa Al-Faisal of Riyadh’s Effat College, who outlined the growing investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia and spoke of the increasing role of women in business.
[Full text of Princess Lolowa’s speech]
During his recent visit to the States, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz invited American businessmen to invest in Saudi Arabia, especially in its gas and mining sectors, telling a reception in his honor by the U.S.-Saudi Business Council: "Economic reforms in the Kingdom have created a new investment-friendly environment that welcomes investors.”
The Saudi government plans to privatize state-run corporations and institutions within the next ten years, a total value of SR3 trillion [$800 billion]. The United States is the Kingdom's largest trading partner. Bilateral trade rose from $160 million in 1970 to $26 billion in 2004. There are at present 360 joint projects worth more than $20 billion. Infrastructure projects offer the largest investment opportunity, with projects worth $140 billion; followed by petrochemicals ($92 billion), electricity and water ($88.9 billion), telecommunications ($60 billion), tourism ($53.3 billion), natural gas ($50 billion), agriculture ($28.3 billion) and information technology ($10.7 billion). | <urn:uuid:6dca27ed-1f15-4417-b6ee-c4c6256fd8e1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.saudiembassy.net/archive/2005/news/page530.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934583 | 394 | 1.546875 | 2 |
When you are considering to buy a new alarm that is both reliable and accurate there are a wide range to choose from but one of the most popular is an LCD Alarm Clock. They offer extremely accurate timing due to their electronic mechanism and they also offer an easy to read format which is both clear and bold.
The main feature of LCD alarms is it’s liquid crystal display, which is a digital readout that is controlled by applying power to the display screen. LCDs are more energy efficient and offer safer disposal than LED and CRTs. Its low electrical power consumption enables it to be used in battery-powered electronic equipment. It is an electronically modulated optical device made up of any number of segments filled with liquid crystals and arrayed in front of a light source (backlight) or reflector to produce images in colour or monochrome.
The range of LCD alarms has increased ever since they first came onto the market in the 1980’s and some of the most popular styles includes travel LCD alarms, digital LCD clocks and large LCD alarms. They are manufactured by many of the UK’s clock makers and because they run off batteries they can be made very small and become very portable that why they make ideal travel alarms. To learn more about radio controlled lcd alarms.
One of the best features on these alarms is the liquid display crystal can be designed to show more than just the time, in many models it shows day, date, alarm status and it also shows if the snooze feature is on. A popular lcd alarm is this model from London Clock, its radio Controlled alarm clocks and 10cm high.
This modern sleek looking black alarm clock has loads of features including being radio controlled so it sets its own time by itself to the UK’s national time signal. The alarm clock sits firmly on your bedside table, and even some users have it as their office clock. Its 10cm high so it’s compact and fits neatly where you want it. The alarm clock has a digital display which shows date, time, calendar, indoor temperature, alarm time and also snooze function, you can read the time at night as it has a handy to reach backlight which turns off after viewing.
Next - LCD Alarm Clocks | <urn:uuid:7adfdbaf-b211-41a8-ac27-92abf3ed8321> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.idealalarmclocks.co.uk/lcd-alarm/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966341 | 464 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Today, Mayor Michael Bloomberg reinforced his reputation as a transportation reformer, and reaffirmed the worst fears of his bike-skeptic critics, by proclaiming cyclists more important than drivers.
Transportation commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan is a "radical," said Bill de Blasio, the Working-Families Party-affiliated public advocate who has been making every effort in recent weeks to cast himself as the centrist, small-business-friendly, outer-borough candidate for mayor in 2013.(3)
"2011 was the best year for traffic safety in New York City in more than a hundred years," said the mayor, standing on a sun-baked traffic Island in Corona, Queens this afternoon, with transportation commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan by his side. "In fact the 243 traffic fatalities our city endured last year was the lowest number since records started being kept in 1910. And in 1910, most people went by horse-drawn carriages."(1)
Since the premature demise of would-be 2013 mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner, who famously told Mayor Michael Bloomberg that upon becoming mayor he would “have a bunch of ribbon-cuttings tearing out your fucking bike lanes,” transportation advocates have been able to breathe a measured sigh of relief.(1) | <urn:uuid:962019a7-bcb3-4421-81ae-5365d52183dc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.capitalnewyork.com/tags/pedestrian-plazas | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966783 | 260 | 1.570313 | 2 |
In October of 2005, then CTO of Microsoft Ray Ozzie issued a seven thousand word memo to his direct reports entitled “The Internet Services Disruption.” Addressing the dynamic landscape around internet based services impacting traditionally distributed software, it spoke of both opportunity and threat for Microsoft. “As much as ever, it’s clear that if we fail to [respond to the challenge], our business as we know it is at risk,” Ozzie cautioned.
Seven years later, perceptions of the role of software as a revenue engine are largely unchanged. While delivery models for software have shifted, incorporating new mechanisms such as open source and SaaS, the business models behind them have evolved little. Most software revenue is still derived from a combination of license, support and maintenance fees, as opposed to, for example, application generated data and analytics. At Microsoft, for example, approximately 83% of the revenue is derived from the business units principally (if not exclusively) associated with software: Windows & Windows Live (Windows), Server and Tools (Windows Server, SQL Server, etc) and Microsoft Business (Office). While each of those business units incorporates non-traditional software components – e.g. Azure or Windows Live – the primary revenue engines remain Office and Windows.
Nor is Microsoft alone in its reliance on software models; the majority of large software suppliers (e.g. Oracle) remain primarily oriented around software revenue streams, and have demonstrated minimal interest in diversifying their businesses to hedge against potential challenges to software margins: Exadata is an exception rather than the rule.
What’s unclear is whether the commonly perceived viability of software revenue models is correct, or Ozzie is. Having spent time over the past several years working with software firms and examining the fundamentals of the revenue model, the causes for concern to me are obvious. But what does Microsoft’s actual performance suggest to us?
Microsoft’s revenue figures suggest that they remain able to grow their revenue, if not as quickly as in years past. Revenue growth from 2010 to 2011 was 11%, and from 2011 to 2012 the figure was 5%. Microsoft’s revenue model may be impacted by disruptive services on an ongoing basis, but it has not been crippled as a result.
How reliant is Microsoft on software as a revenue engine, however? What impact can be seen on Microsoft’s revenue picture from Ozzie’s efforts to steer Microsoft towards the leveraging of services as a source of revenue alongside software?
While Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices and Online Services divisions are able to generate revenue, as demonstrated above (12.4B collectively in 2012), they are thus far unable to impact Microsoft’s bottom line in a positive manner. Over the last three years, Entertainment has been responsible for around 2.4% of Microsoft’s operating income. Online services, meanwhile, has been an anchor, financially speaking: the operating income for the division over the last three years beginning in 2010 was (2.4B), (2.7), (8.1). In 2011, it cost Microsoft 9% more than it did in 2010, and in 2012 Online Services cost Microsoft 67% more than the year prior.
In short, while Microsoft has grown its services business and generated real revenue from them, it has not been able to do so profitably. To date the company’s core software businesses have been able to subsidize this growth without a material negative impact to the company’s share price, though they might be contributing to the stagnancy there, but the financial trendlines are obviously not sustainable over a longer term.
These losses have convinced some investors that Microsoft should decommit from the businesses behind them, by sale or otherwise. This is a reasonable contention if you believe that the margins extractable from software will remain substantial indefinitely. Ozzie was clearly concerned about this prospect moving forward, and I have argued that the realizable margins from software are, in fact, in decline.
Peaking just prior to the year 2000, Microsoft’s margins have been in steady decline since. It’s possible, of course, that this is merely execution on Microsoft’s part as opposed to a broader industry trend. IBM’s consistent ability to grow profit in its software division is one contradictory datapoint. But considering the wider industry trends, from open source to cloud to SaaS to bring your own device, it’s not clear that Microsoft could or should consider a return to a purely software based revenue model.
Its losses otherwise notwithstanding, Microsoft is probably best served identifying the specific failures of its non-core software businesses rather than jettisoning the models entirely. If our assertions about the longer term direction of software licensing are correct, in fact, they may have no other choice.
For the foreseeable future, it will remain possible to monetize, at a healthy margin, software. But it is getting more difficult to do this every year, as the competitive threats multiply from unanticipated directions. While software is critically important to Microsoft, then, the company’s future could depend on it becoming less so. | <urn:uuid:ffb9e3da-5083-4136-a798-29d1b672720c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://redmonk.com/sogrady/2012/12/06/software-to-microsoft/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951105 | 1,057 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Saab has been awarded a multi-year contract for the next generation of laser-based training systems for U.S. Army’s armored combat vehicles. The order value is $ 17.2 million.
The indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract consists of this order and options that can be exercised over a time period of five years with a potential value of $ 90 million.
Saab’s commercial off the shelf training system was selected after an extensive week long field evaluation at the Arizona Yuma Proving Grounds desert test site. The Combat Vehicle Tactical Engagement Simulation System (CVTESS) is a soldier-friendly wireless training device that is easily installed and maintained. CVTESS will provide a highly accurate laser based replication of the combat vehicles’ weapons which will be used initially on all variants of the M-1 Abram’s Tank and M-2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles.
The first Saab laser based simulators for the Abram tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles (BFV) were provided in 1988 for vehicle test bed testing as the armored vehicle were introduced. Saab fielded and continue to support the precision gunnery simulators for these vehicles with over 3,000 systems fielded since 1995. The new Combat Vehicle Tactical Engagement Simulator System (CVTESS) will replace most of these simulators still being used after fifteen years.
Saab Training USA, based in Orlando, FL, has supported the U.S. Armed Forces and Homeland Defense with range systems and military training products for more than thirty years. Lars Borgwing, President of Saab Training USA, said this new generation of simulators are designed to connect seamlessly with the modern instrumented training sites.
“We are currently fielding instrumentation systems at the Army homestations,” Lars Borgwing said. “This system will enhance the training realism for the mounted soldiers immediately as the Army makes the shift into Unified Land Operations while supporting the Army Force Generation Model (ARFORGEN) as troops return from current combat operations.”Saab North America provides a broad range of products, services and solutions ranging from military defence to homeland security to customers in the U.S. and Canada. | <urn:uuid:d1db578e-85ef-46ce-8f5c-f5d08d395919> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.army-guide.com/eng/article/article_2379.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938292 | 450 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Academic Program Overview
The Comparative Media Studies graduate program currently admits approximately 10 students per year, forming a cohort of 20 students working towards a Master of Science degree. The undergraduate program is MIT's largest major in the humanities, with many minors and concentrators as well.
MIT has played a central role in the development and analysis of new media technologies, including radar, communications technologies, documentary film, media ownership, the "manufacture of consent," and our personal and public relations with technology. The Comparative Media Studies Program builds on that tradition of leadership to focus historical and theoretical attention on the world's changing media environment. Studying media at MIT allows students to observe first-hand the experimentation and research leading to the next wave of media breakthroughs. We provide a bridge between the technological and humanistic sides of the Institute, by examining the social and cultural impact of the changing media landscape.
A Comparative Nature
The academic structure of the Comparative Media Studies program can be largely broken down into six key comparative areas. The following are each described in more detail in our About CMS section.
The undergraduate program in CMS also incorporates courses in what is traditionally known as Film Studies and Mass Media Studies.
A Wide-Ranging Faculty
Faculty drawn from the following participating departments regularly teach subjects in the core CMS curriculum:
A New Research Agenda
Comparative media studies is not the study of interactive technologies. It focuses on social and cultural interactions with technology. As media become increasingly integrated into all aspects of modern experience, it is impossible to fully understand our central institutions and practices without understanding media. The most urgent questions confronting us are social and cultural, not purely technological.
A Common Vocabulary
For industry, government, journalism, and the academy to work together to help society adjust to media transition and transformation, there must be a common vocabulary for discussing the challenges of an evolving media environment. This need for this shared understanding argues for new styles of media studies where future leaders in academia, creative industries, public intellectuals, and media companies study side-by-side.
The Need for New Expertise
Media designers, consultants and business leaders need the tools to think critically about media and their potential for circulating information and dispersing intellectual capital. Government leaders must be able to make meaningful decisions about policy and regulation. Our courses are designed to teach students to make and reflect upon media and in the process, to acquire important skills in team work, leadership, problem solving, collaboration, brainstorming, communications, and project completion, which will prepare them for a wide range of academic and professional careers. | <urn:uuid:895ad553-4b50-4645-ad6a-fdfecfbc6e43> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cms.mit.edu/academics/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932621 | 523 | 1.75 | 2 |
Deadline Extended: Membership Discount for Current AAHE Members
Any AAHE member that joins SOPHE through July 1, 2013 will enjoy a special membership price of $90, that's 45% off regular membership. Join SOPHE today, this offer ends July 1st. For more information, click here.
For School Health resources, view SOPHE's new Youth & School Health Web site. This new site is dedicated to supporting health and education professionals by providing contemporary resources and information on youth and school health.
Reach for the Stars: Donate to the 21st Century Scholarship Fund
Since 2002, SOPHE’s Campaign has enabled more than 85 health promotion students to attend SOPHE Conferences as well as the Annual Health Education Advocacy Summit. Your tax-deductible gift will be acknowledged with a shining star on SOPHE's Wall of Fame on our website. Help us reach our spring fund-raising goal of $15,000! Read testimonials from recent scholarship recipients and donate today!
June is Men's Health Month
The purpose of Men's Health Month is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. SOPHE is proud to increase awareness of Men's Health during the month of June. Click here to enjoy the Men's Health related resources and recent peer-reviewed articles from Health Promotion Practice and Health Education & Behavior.
SOPHE Applauds Introduction of PHYSICAL Act in the House
The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) applauds Congresswoman Marcia Fudge (OH-11) for introducing "The Promoting Health as Youth Skills in Classroom and Life (PHYSICAL) Act" on May 23, 2013. The Act, co-sponsored by Reps. John Lewis (D-GA) and Jared Polis (D-CO), would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (No Child Left Behind) to elevate physical education and health education as "core subjects" under federal law. Read the full Press Release Here. | <urn:uuid:d736d7a5-23ef-4a3b-bdda-96faaa8c1950> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sophe.org/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950437 | 426 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Some companies still saying "Help Wanted"by Brandt Williams, Minnesota Public Radio
It seems like each day, there are headlines about mass layoffs and job cuts. But if you look carefully, you can still find companies that are hiring. State officials say there are thousands of jobs available throughout Minnesota. The trick is knowing how and where to find them.
Minneapolis, Minn. — The experts say they know there are jobs available, they're just not sure exactly how many.
That's because the state Department of Employment and Economic Development has an estimate that's six months old. So, as of last summer, there were about 50,000 open positions created in Minnesota each month.
State officials say the job cuts of the past few months mean we're now losing more jobs than we're creating.
But people are still out there looking.
Earlier this week, about 250 job seekers showed up for a free job search clinic held at the Carlson office towers in Minnetonka.
The three-hour seminar included workshops on using the internet for networking and for finding jobs.
An executive search firm, McKinley Group, sponsored the clinic. As Tony Sorenson, the company's co-owner, introduced one of the speakers, he affirmed something the attentive job seekers knew already.
"Things are tough out there. It is difficult to find work," Sorenson said. "But there are companies hiring. Our goal today, and the theme is helping Minnesota get back to work."
Like so many Minnesota companies, the McKinley Group has recently undergone a round of layoffs.
Sorenson says due to a decrease in demand for the services McKinley provides, he's had to let five of his 50 employees go.
But Sorenson says some industries are doing better in this climate, like medical device makers as well health care service providers.
Food manufacturer General Mills has more than 20 open positions and Sorenson says some private educational and vocational schools are seeing an increase in business.
"Right now with so many people unemployed, they're asking themself, 'What can I do to differentiate myself with the person sitting next to me that's also looking for a job?'" Sorenson said. "Places like Capella; places like Rasmussen; places like Brown. If you don't have your degree, now is the time that people are looking to get that degree."
Over at Capella Education Company, Human Resources Vice President Sally Chial says they are enrolling more students and hiring faculty as a result.
Capella is a virtual university. Students complete their course work online.
Chial says that's one of the reasons Capella is growing during the recession. She says Capella's courses are convenient for people looking to acquire skills to make themselves more appealing to current or future employers.
Right now, Capella employs about 1,200 people in Minneapolis and another 1,100 around the country and the world. They're looking to hire about 50 more.
Chial says in some cases they are receiving up as many as 200 applications for one faculty position.
"So we are in one of those nice spots where we can really hire some of the best," she said. "And we're in a situation where we're seeing more over-qualified applicants for certain roles than we've have probably seen ever before."
There are more Capellas out there.
However they may be harder to find in the coming months.
Steve Hine of the state's Department of Employment and Economic Development says he doesn't know for sure just yet, but he predicts the number of job vacancies is going down.
Hine says there are two reasons for this. The first reason is that, obviously, with fewer companies hiring, there will be fewer open jobs.
"Another contributing factor to the possible decrease in the number of vacancies is that it may take less time for employers to fill vacancies that are open," Hine added.
According to Hine, there will be more details when the results of the latest statewide job vacancy survey are released next week.
In the meantime there's additional evidence to show the demand for jobs is outpacing the supply.
The Conference Board, the group which keeps track of a host of economic indicators, announced recently that the number of online help wanted ads dipped 10 percent between in the past two months.
- All Things Considered, 02/19/2009, 5:19 p.m. | <urn:uuid:9b0e233a-ccce-476c-b9cd-5b1bfcbf6038> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/02/17/whoshiring | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972946 | 913 | 1.578125 | 2 |
NASCAR has revealed the technical changes that it hopes will eliminate the tandem drafting that dominated restrictor plate races in 2011.
The trend for cars to hook up in pairs started in the non-championship races ahead of the Daytona 500 in February, as advances in engine cooling meant that drivers could run close together without overheating their engines.
NASCAR carried out several tests at Daytona and Talladega in October and November, and it has mandated much smaller radiators and a change in the position of the air intake on the front of the car to reduce the effectiveness of tandem drafting.
Radiator sizes will be reduced significantly from five gallons to two, and the air intakes will be moved up into the bumper fascia area, so that drivers cannot get cool air into their engines while tucked up behind another car.
The restrictor plates used on the engines will be increased by 1/64 of an inch compared to 2011, and cars will have to run softer springs and a smaller rear spoiler to make them more challenging to drive in the corners.
"We had some productive tests at Talladega and Daytona in October and November and this rules package is a result of the information we were able to gather from those tests," said Sprint Cup Series director John Darby. "Our goal was to put together a good, solid baseline aerodynamic package for the Preseason Thunder test at Daytona and we believe we've made a lot of progress in doing that.
"We want to be able to give the teams more options when it comes to drafting and we want to be able to reduce the difference in the speeds between the tandem style of racing and more of the pack style of racing that the fans are accustomed to seeing. We believe we're headed in the right direction with that." | <urn:uuid:9003370e-9d21-49c1-a8d7-23c7ba0b2608> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.racer.com/nascar-acts-on-tandem-drafting/article/219686/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971529 | 359 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Updated 20 May, 2013, 8:22 pm IST
When a privately owned rocket blasts off for a trial run to the International Space Station on Tuesday, it will be carrying more than food and supplies for the crew. Tucked into the rocket's second stage are cremated remains of more than 300 hard core space fans finally making it into the final frontier.
Space Exploration Technologies' Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 3:44 a.m. EDT (0744 GMT) on Tuesday. The company, also known as SpaceX, replaced a faulty engine valve that triggered a last-second halt to its initial launch attempt on Saturday.
The rocket's prime cargo is a 14.5-foot-tall (4.4-meter-tall) capsule called Dragon that is filled with food, clothes and supplies for the six astronauts and cosmonauts living aboard the space station, a $100 billion project of 15 countries that flies about 240 miles (390 km) above Earth.
Falcon 9 carries a secondary payload as well - a container holding lipstick-tube-sized canisters filled with cremated remains. The deceased include Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper, who died in 2004, and actor James Doohan, who portrayed chief engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott on the original Star Trek television series. Doohan died in 2005.
If all goes as planned, nine minutes and 49 seconds after liftoff, Dragon's second stage will separate. It should spend the next year or so circling Earth as an orbital space memorial before it is pulled back into the atmosphere and incinerated.
You lived long and prospered... Now to your final frontier you travel
Houston-based Celestis Inc has arranged for cremated remains to be flown in space 10 times previously, though not all the launches have been successful.
The Earth-orbiting space memorials cost about $3,000. Celestis also arranges for suborbital flights and launches to the moon. Relatives are invited to attend the launch and then participate in a group memorial service.
The upcoming Falcon 9 flight is the firm's biggest yet, Charles Chafer, chief executive officer of parent company Space Services, wrote on his Facebook page. Ashes from 308 people are aboard, though most are reflights from a failed 2008 launch.
"With my Celestis team," Chafer posted on his Facebook page Saturday, as the group gathered to watch the launch attempt. "Ignition, no liftoff ... wow that was close. Try again Tuesday."
Chafer declined an interview request. "We made a commitment not to comment publicly until after the mission," he wrote in an email to Reuters.
"Everyone at Celestis wishes Godspeed to SpaceX," he added.
NASA, which is sponsoring SpaceX's test run to the space station, likewise declined to comment.
"We are aware of the Celestis payload, but we're not commenting on it. It's not our payload," said NASA spokesman Josh Byerly.
SpaceX did not respond to interview requests.
Tags: International Space Station , Space Exploration Technologies , Falcon 9 rocket , Cape Canaveral Air Force Station , Space Exploration , Space Missions , Star Trek's Scotty , Actor James Doohan , Montgomery
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Mon May 20, 23:57:58
Mon May 20, 23:54:33 | <urn:uuid:2a7c565b-b1ce-4c87-a760-04efd67a6064> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tech2.in.com/news/science-and-technology/scotty-to-make-trip-to-final-frontier-on-spacex-rocket/308832 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942353 | 786 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Myth and Mystery in Cumbria : Lake District Cottages
The Lake District is a county which heaves with fantastic folklore populated by forest-dwelling outlaws, legendary kings, noble knights, giants, monsters and wizards. It seems our Cumbrian ancestors had a lot on their hands! Find out more below and come and explore for yourself from one of out self catering Lake District cottages.
The release of the new blockbuster film Robin Hood, starring Russell Crowe, appropriates the legend of Cumbrian outlaw Adam Bell, renaming him Robin Hood from the Midlands. As it says in the poem, Adam Bell, written in 1557,
Mery it was in the grene forest
Among the leves grene
Where that man walke both east and west
Wyth bowes and arrowes kene
Adam Bell had two Merrie Men, William of Cloudsley and Clym the Clough, who were outlawed to the Forest of Inglewood, north of Penrith, for stealing game. After an audacious adventure at Carlisle, the outlaws were captured. The King agreed to pardon Adam and the Merrie Men if Adam could shoot an apple on his young son's head at a distance of 120 paces. Adam, a master longbow man, did just this and earned his pardon.
Other parts of Britain have also chosen to place Merlin, the eponymous hero of the popular BBC TV series, anywhere else in the country but here. Myrddin, to give him his proper appellation, was a Gaelic-speaking Celt of a type found just as commonly right here in Cumbria as in Wales. Myrddin, it seems, was present at the battle of Camlann – which historians think may be in Northern Cumbria - in 573, when a certain sixth century warrior was killed. Myrddin was driven mad by the bloodshed and fled into the Borders.
Merlin the TV series has a lot to say about Prince Arthur, as did the Clive Owen/Keira Knightley film, King Arthur. As it turns out Arthur was, as I am sure you are now beginning to suspect, a major player in Cumbrian history. Perhaps we can discount King Arthur's Table at Eamont Bridge as a genuine Arthurian site – it predates him by thousands of years – but there is documentary evidence placing him in Cumbria in the 11th century, long before some Glastonbury monks claimed Arthur for Somerset in 1196.
Arthur and Guinevere, according to medieval documents, were regulars at Carlisle Castle and it was here that Sir Lancelot rescued Guinevere from death at the stake after she had confessed to adultery. Lancelot was, as I'm sure you have guessed, a local lad, who lived at Castle Hewin by the now-drained Tarn Wadling at High Hesket.
Lancelot wasn't lonely up here without Guin, as his fellow knight Sir Gawain was another Cumbrian. He lived at Hutton-in-the-Forest (at a castle earlier than the current one), and it was here that he met the awesome Green Knight, who was not, as far as we know, Cumbrian.
Arthur's father Uther – played by Anthony Head in Merlin – lived at Pendragon Castle, near Kirkby Stephen. Local legend has it that Uther met his end when besieging Saxons poisoned the castle well.
The Lake District also has its very own Loch Ness Monster, or as it should be known, the Bassenthwaite Eachy. This 13ft, slimy, amphibious creature is a lot less pleasant than the gentle, humped beast of The Water Horse or Loch Ness films, but that just goes to show that Hollywood sweetens the truth.
The film industry also got it a bit wrong with the basilisk in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The basilisk, or cockatrice as it was more commonly known in folklore, was not hiding under Hogwarts but buried under the floor of All Saints' Church in Renwick, to the east of the county. In 1733, some workmen renovating the church accidentally released this fearsome beast. A quick-thinking local killed it, not with the sword of Gryffindor but with a rowan branch, as was traditional.
The Lake District also knows all about Padfoot, Sirius' alter ego in Harry Potter. Our own black dog, known as the Capelwaite, was a friendly creature given to helping out local farmers. Unfortunately, a local parson took against the supernatural beast and exorcised him out of existence.
We hope you will not be too frightened to hear that Cumbria is one of the few places in Britain with a recorded sighting of a vampire. You may think that they are all in Whitby, Forks, or Volterra, but a Twilight style drama happened right here in Croglin in 1875-6. A young lady tenant of Croglin Low Hall woke one night to see two points of light and hear ominous scratching at her bedroom window. As reported by the writer, Captain Fisher, 'the creature came in and twisted its long bony fingers into her hair, dragged her head over the side of the bed and bit her violently in the throat'.
After a long holiday to recover, the young lady returned to Croglin only to encounter the vampire again. Her brothers chased the vampire, a 'tall spindly fellow in a curious cloak', into nearby Croglin churchyard, where the unconscious creature was found half under a tombstone. The locals built a bonfire, and burnt the vampire on it. It would seem that the Cumbrian vampire was more James than Edward.
Cumbria was popular with wizards throughout the centuries, and whilst Merlin is the most famous, Michael Scot is the most illustrious. Scot is a name little-known in modern Britain, but he out-gandalfed Gandalf from Lord of the Rings and could show Harry Potter's Dumbledore a thing or two. Scot was certainly a historical figure, who lived from about 1175 to 1232 and was buried at Holme Cultram Abbey in Abbeytown.
Scot was an alchemist, like Nicholas Flamel in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, but also an astrologer, astronomer, mathematician and translator. He cured the Holy Roman Emperor of his illnesses, measured the distance to heaven, transformed copper into silver and brought down the towers of the King of France's palace with a strike of his staff. He divined the future by casting stones into a box of sand, and wrote the ultimate spell book, Compendium Magia Innaturalis Nigrae. Leaving the arcane behind, there is no doubt that it was Scot who translated the Arabic versions of Aristotle's works into Latin, introducing the Greek philosopher to western Europe for the first time. He was probably the greatest scholar of his age.
So, as you can see, Cumbria is the home of most of Britain's favourite characters from myth and magic. Hollywood? What do they know?!
Spread the word.
All of the above is true according to one or more sources! Try the following for further reading:-
Folklore, Myths & Customs of Britain by Marc Alexander 2002
Arthur and the Lost Kingdoms by Alistair Moffat, 1999
The Folklore of the Lake District by Marjorie Rowling, 1976
The Guide to the Mysterious Lake District by Geoff Holder, 2009
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Brando had left to film Mutiny On The Bounty and in the sultry South Pacific had fallen in love with co-star Tarita Teriipia, whom he would later marry. “This wasn’t a revenge suicide but a consolation, an escape-from-pain death,” confesses Moreno. She would have died had Brando’s assistant not arrived to check on her. Moreno was rushed to hospital and her stomach pumped.
The voluptuous Puerto Rican beauty lived to become the legendary star of West Side Story and the first Latina to win an Oscar, Grammy, Tony and Emmy award but her turbulent eight-year affair with acting great Brando, continuing through his first two marriages, took a devastating toll.
Now aged 81 Moreno finally reveals the passion and heartbreak of loving the equally volatile Brando in her new memoir Rita Moreno, published next week in the US. She devotes a third of the book to the romance that “almost proved fatal”, recalling Brando’s repeated infidelity, the abortion he forced on her and how he drove her to the brink of insanity.
“We were locked in the ultimate folie a deux, a crazy love that lasted for years until one day I quite literally was forced out of a coma and had to choose life over him,” she writes.
The Latina bombshell was a rising movie star when cast with Brando in 1954 drama Desirée in which he played Napoleon. “Just meeting him that first day sent my body temperature skyrocketing as though I had been dropped into a very hot bath. I went into a full-body blush,” she recalls. “It was the sort of rush that inspires poetry and songs.”
The sex was life-changing. “To say that he was a great lover – sensual, generous, delightfully inventive – would be gravely understating what he did not only to my body but for my soul. Every aspect of being with Marlon was thrilling .”
I went to bed to die
But Brando was a troubled sou l and fed his insecurities with “insatiable sexual needs”, constantly pursuing other women. “He broke my heart and came close to crushing my very spirit with his physical infidelities and his emotional betrayals,” she says.
However despite Brando marrying twice and fathering several children during their affair Moreno was hooked. “I couldn’t stay away. In fact I was becoming addicted to the challenge of winning him over again and again.”
Moreno took other lovers in a bid to make Brando jealous including actor Dennis Hopper and rock legend Elvis Presley, who proved disappointing. She recalls their fully clothed encounters in her house. “My dates… nearly always concluded in a tender tussle on my living-room floor, with Elvis’ pelvis in that famous gyration,” she writes. “I would be expecting the next move… but it never came.” She dumped Elvis but soon found herself pregnant with Brando’s child. “To my shock and horror Marlon immediately arranged for an abortion,” she says.
Refusing to pick her up after the illegal procedure Brando coldly sent a friend. But her nightmare was not over as the abortion had been botched and the dead foetus was still inside her. Bleeding profusely Moreno was rushed to hospital for life-saving surgery. Shockingly Brando was most angry that he had been “taken” by the abortionist and “wanted his money back”.
Brando’s 1961 romance with his Bounty co-star Teriipia prompted Moreno’s suicide attempt shortly after filming concluded on West Side Story, yet two more acts of self-destruction ensued in the following months.
Driving with Brando in the Hollywood Hills the couple had a blazing row and Moreno lost control of the car, plunging into a ravine. She was taken to hospital bloody and screaming. Eight days later, after another argument, she allegedly tried to slash her wrists according to author Darwin Porter’s memoir Brando Unzipped. Moreno finally ended their affair but her tumultuous romance with Brando cast a shadow over an extraordinary career.
Moreno was born Ruby Dolores Alverio and was five when her mother brought her to the US from Puerto Rico. At 13 she was dancing on Broadway and at 16 MGM producer Louis B Mayer signed her at first sight and changed her name. The self-styled Latin Inferno quickly became a film star and sex siren.
After splitting with Brando she credits six years of psychoanalysis, returning to the New York stage and her 1965 marriage to cardiologist Leonard Gordon for salvaging her sanity. She and Gordon had a daughter Nandy and amazingly Brando remained a close friend.
But in 1968 Brando cast her as his lover in The Night Of The Following Day, filming in France, and tried to rekindle their flame. After a boozy reunion dinner Moreno fell asleep and awoke to find Brando lying beside her. “Marlon, we can’t do this,” she begged. “You know we can’t.”
“Just let me sleep with you,” he pleaded. But she refused.
Looking back on her suicide attempt Moreno says: “The thought that I may never have lived to see that beautiful creature Nandy just tears at me sometimes. But not for long. I can’t dwell on past mistakes.”
When Brando died in 2004, aged 80, among the prized possessions at his home was one solitary piece of Hollywood memorabilia: a picture of him locked in a passionate kiss with Rita Moreno that had hung in his study. After all those years he had never let her go. | <urn:uuid:8f8fd6a6-bb62-489e-b352-69694453a675> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.express.co.uk/news/showbiz/380950/Rita-Moreno-I-flirted-with-Elvis-to-make-Marlon-Brando-jealous | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983671 | 1,230 | 1.554688 | 2 |
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