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Synonyms—Black Ash, Elder Leaved Ash, or White Ash.
- Specific fraxinus, ten to sixty drops.
- The Homeopathic mother tincture, same dosage.
Specific Symptomatology—Uterine disease, depending upon sub-involution. Dragging pains in the lower abdomen—great weight; a sensation of hardness extending into the vagina; irregular lochial or menstrual discharge; general plethora; constant headaches, with soreness and pain in the top head.
Accompanying these symptoms there is a sore spot on the top of the head which is hot, and where if continued the hair becomes stiff and brittle.
This is often accompanied with persistent headache difficult to control. The headache is not influenced by eating or sleeping. It resembles an anemic headache as it is more or less constant, unless relieved by the recumbent position or by a position in which the hips are raised and the head lowered.
Therapy—In uterine diseases, where there is no permanent organic change, Dr. Shafer gave this remedy first place. He used it for several years, and his observations should carry weight. It is indicated in uterine tumors, of somewhat speedy growth, and in hypertrophy of the uterus. Where the tumors are of long-standing its influence is less satisfactory. It influences cell proliferation in hypertrophy, assisting in the reduction of size of an enlarged organ and in the restoration of a correct position, normal function and normal size.
One patient had a sensation of much weight in the lower abdomen with a sensation of hardness extending down into the vagina, pressure in the rectum, hard and enlarged cervix, greatly enlarged womb, constant sensations of desire to pass urine with no relief when passed. The organ was reduced to normal size in four months' time, by the persistent use of twenty minim doses of this remedy four times daily. No other agent was used.
Another case of hypertrophy, resulting from a miscarriage, was as satisfactorily cured. Cases of subinvolution, following a poor getting up, after labor, were satisfactorily cured with this remedy alone. The agent must be given immediately following confinement in those cases where convalescence threatens to be protracted.
One young lady, severely injured by falling from a carriage, had severe uterine inflammation, which left chronic enlargement, as its result. She had been told that hysterectomy only would cure. The organ was enlarged to six times its usual size, though she was only eighteen years old. She was completely cured with this remedy alone.
Prior to the use of this remedy, for uterine disorders, it was recommended as one that influences the chylopoietic viscera. In large doses it will induce active purgation. It has found a place in the treatment of diseases of the liver or spleen, in that form known as ague cake, resulting in obesity, dropsical affections and constipation.
The American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy, 1919, was written by Finley Ellingwood, M.D.
It was scanned by Michael Moore for the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine. | <urn:uuid:750b1343-1ef4-4c28-9f0a-781252327bb5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/ellingwood/fraxinus.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964925 | 660 | 1.773438 | 2 |
TOKYO -- JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corp. is considering shutting down oil refinery operations at its Muroran plant in Hokkaido by the end of March 2014, Kyodo news reported Sunday, citing sources close to the matter.
JX Nippon will keep the Muroran refinery as a manufacturing plant for petrochemical products and keep its employees through job displacement, the report cited the sources as saying.
The company has already cut its daily output by 400,000 bbl from 2008 and has now decided to cut output by an additional 200,000 bbl by the end of March 2014.
By shutting down the Muroran plant, the company will cut 13% of its group refinery capacity, which is equivalent to a daily output of 180,000 bbl, the report said.
The government is requiring oil wholesalers scale down refinery capacities by the end of fiscal 2013 amid stagnant domestic demand for gasoline due to the increase in the number of electric cars and fuel efficient vehicles as well as declining automobile sales.
JX Nippon issued a statement Sunday denying it had made a firm decision on the refinery "at this point."
Dow Jones Newswires | <urn:uuid:430e08c9-744a-4d1f-8bd3-eb58b74d1455> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hydrocarbonprocessing.com/Article/3109820/JX-Nippon-mulls-shutting-down-Muroran-refinery.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964093 | 243 | 1.53125 | 2 |
The recent Taylor Bridge Fire in eastern Washington wreaked havoc on many landscape trees, but DNR advises caution in dealing with tree damage.
Take care when removing or pruning trees after a wildfire. Hiring the wrong contractor to do the job might prove expensive in the long run. Arborists will be in great demand for the next several weeks as property owners clean up after this fire.
Tips for finding a tree service
Here are some tips for finding a tree service company to deal with downed or damaged trees from the aftermath of storms:
- Hire a company that is licensed, bonded, insured and employs International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) certified arborists. Although Washington requires tree service companies to register with the state, they are not required to follow proper pruning standards. They don’t even have to demonstrate knowledge of tree pruning to obtain a license.
- Look for an arborist whose name and company are familiar to your community, even if that means waiting longer for service.
- Beware of people who go door-to-door offering to prune trees or remove damage; their low prices could prove costly. Most reputable companies have business cards, truck signs, and even uniforms that represent a professional level of service.
- Ask for references, and take your time to select a reputable company. Avoid hiring anyone who will ‘top’ a tree.
Beware of any contractor who wants to top your trees. Topping – removing large branches and tops of trees – creates future hazards.
Find ISA-certified arborists in your area on the website of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture.
|Follow DNR on:| | <urn:uuid:89114d53-798b-4928-ae79-54bbfd209f6c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://washingtondnr.wordpress.com/2012/08/22/be-careful-with-post-fire-tree-care-and-cleanup-dnr-advises-property-owners/ | 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 | 0.937766 | 349 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Merkel seeks South-East Asia trade pact
- From: AAP
- August 02, 2012
GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel says Europe must step up its efforts to establish a free trade pact with booming South-East Asia.
"I am deeply convinced that Europe has to hurry up in setting up a free trade agreement with this region if it wants to be able to compete," she said during a visit to Jakarta.
As European countries are struggling to climb out of debt, Southeast Asian states are experiencing strong growth.
Indonesia grew 6.5 per cent in 2011 and is forecast to grow at the same pace this year.
On Tuesday, Merkel and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono pledged to boost trade, which now stands at around $US7 billion ($A6.89 billion), and Indonesian officials forecast it to reach $US12 billion by 2014.
The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union in May 2007 agreed to start free trade agreement talks after years of wrangling over human rights abuses in Burma.
The EU has begun negotiating agreements with individual ASEAN states, including Malaysia and Singapore.
Burma in April pushed for an EU-ASEAN agreement, citing major reforms in the country.
ASEAN as a whole represents the EU's third-largest trading partner outside Europe, with more than 206 billion euros ($A249.18 billion) of trade in goods and services in 2011, according to the European Commission.
The EU is ASEAN's second-largest trading partner after China, accounting for around 11 per cent of ASEAN trade.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Merkel, who arrived for her first official visit to South-East Asia's largest economy on Tuesday, was due to depart for Berlin later on Wednesday.
She also visited a tsunami early warning centre in Jakarta, built with help from German experts and 53 million euros of German funding after a tsunami in 2004 killed 170,000 people in Indonesia's Aceh province
The system consists of a network of tidal gauges, buoys and seismic monitors. | <urn:uuid:6d3d5289-a44e-4b0b-8f8a-16a60a2a7246> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/merkel-seeks-south-east-asia-trade-pact/story-e6freoo6-1226423777687?from=public_rss | 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 | 0.944695 | 453 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Moderator: Nicole Marie
Right, the law was changed in 1939, I think.Originally posted by Haggis:
"The 1935 act established SS as a savings program, gov't paid 3% interest and returned it to employees at 65, or to the employees' heirs."
The heirs? really? It's always been my understanding that in few limited exceptions (minors, etc) that when you died SS payments ceased.
Wah! I wants me dollars back! Wah!Originally posted by Haggis:
I've been paying into SSA since 1965. by the currrent rules when I start drawing SS in six years I will depleted my total "contributions" in less than 10 years. Any payments I draw after that will be coming out of a (then) current worker's salary.
So, I think for those who are younger than me, an overhaul is probably due. The system is almost 70 years old, no other government program has existed that long without some adjustments.
You are welcome.Originally posted by analog:
Good article in business week , thanks.
What i wanted to ask - is there a link to that article on the "disorganized in thought" ?
Not original with me. The first time I head it was one of the few times I've listened to Rush Dimbulb's radio show, many, many years ago. It works as a label in so many areas of life where I want to feel superior.Originally posted by piqaboo:
BigJon: "sheeple" - love it.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users | <urn:uuid:59f32eb1-1f5d-49f4-8d38-69f7cc511f55> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.beethoven.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=66584 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970842 | 336 | 1.710938 | 2 |
February 7, 2013 - 2:36pm
BY YASH BHUTADA
The Sept. 11 attacks brought considerable change to the American culture. To some extent, brought us together as a nation. We began to revere our brave police officers and firefighters. We extolled former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani for keeping the city’s residents safe. On that day, we realized that America wasn’t insulated from the rest of the world and that we, like every other nation, were on the brink of disaster.
This glass-shattering realization, however, espoused controversial practices from the U.S. government. Discourse regarding national security appeared at the forefront of every debate and our liberties became threatened. Many of us have come to terms with the additional security checks at the airport and the possibility of wire-tapping. But the majority don’t truly understand the implications of heightened security.
Today, Muslims across the United States continue to be scrutinized by the public. Islamophobia, amplified after the bombing of the Twin Towers, which were linked to extremists who claimed a Muslim identity. This finding resurfaced irrationalities that Islam actually supports violence and terrorism. People foolishly searched for reasons why the terrorists attacked and scapegoated the religion. Many incorrectly interpreted the term “jihad” as violent holy war when in fact it means struggle. In response to the attacks, the government has deliberately profiled those who have Muslim last names or “look” like they practice Islam. These asinine deliberations have warranted the government to exclusively monitor mosques and businesses owned by Muslims across New York.
When the government initiates racist campaigns and instills panic across the country, it further encourages Islamophobic thoughts. It furthers the misconception that it’s okay to racially target populations and flagrantly discriminate against them. People justify their hatred toward Muslims by citing the government’s drive to protect national security.
There have been 16 mass shootings in the United States during 2012 and Muslims have participated in none. But America has decided to dwell on particular groups when considering acts of terror. In the past year, how frequently has race and religion been discussed when the person was white? When Michael Page fatally shot six people at the Sikh Gurdwara in Oak Creek, did anyone decide that being a white male was a threat to our country’s security? When twenty students were shot dead at Sandy Hook Elementary, did anyone talk about Adam Lanza’s identity and religious background?
It’s easy to seek minority groups and blame their identities as reasons for violence. It’s easy to pinpoint a specific reason for why a person acts a particular way because that’s how we come up with solutions and provide the public solace. The fact that the terrorist who bombed the Twin Towers was a Muslim is actually irrelevant to our conversation. Perhaps one day, we’ll realize what it means to be the person under scrutiny, the population under the microscope and the community that’s constantly misrepresented across the globe. Perhaps one day, we’ll realize that socially-ascribed identities don’t define a person’s character.
Yash can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:b3514c77-7c4a-411a-a26c-b5f66175f951> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.michigandaily.com/blog/podium/justice-league-cost-heightened-security | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960231 | 669 | 1.710938 | 2 |
HB 89 (BR 23) - D. Graham
AN ACT relating to school-based decision making and declaring an emergency.
Amend KRS 160.345 to require at least one parent representative of the school council to reside within the boundaries of the local school district; prohibit nontenured teachers from serving on school councils unless no tenured teachers are willing or are available to serve; EMERGENCY.
HB 89 - AMENDMENTS
HFA (1, J. DeCesare) - Increase parent membership on a school-based decision making council from two parent members to three parent members.
(Prefiled by the sponsor(s).)
Jan 3-introduced in House; to Education (H)
Jan 5-posted in committee
Jan 17-reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar
Jan 18-2nd reading, to Rules
Jan 19-posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Friday, Janaury 20, 2012
Jan 24-floor amendment (1) filed ; 3rd reading, passed 62-33
Jan 25-received in Senate
Jan 27-to Education (S) | <urn:uuid:3b63b3f1-6f15-4d25-aed6-31c0cd9cb166> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/12RS/HB89.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933817 | 236 | 1.765625 | 2 |
The once tiny group of opponents of Alamo Beer owner Eugene Simor's plans to build a brewery, tasting room and restaurant alongside the historic Hays Street Bridge have gained some momentum with the addition of the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, a social-justice organization skilled at public protests and political pressure. Esperanza has focused its preservation efforts on the city's West Side culture, where the lack of grand homes, big stone buildings, and Anglo bias doomed many a potential landmark. In the wake of the fight to save the pink building on Guadalupe, Esperanza has worked to build alliances with other historic preservation districts and other preservation advocates through, for instance, the City's efforts to create a historic-district alliance and develop building and design standards for protected neighborhoods.
That explains in part how they ended up testifying at a Planning Commission hearing where one of the rallying cries is that people in favor of the brewery are arrivistes with no moral stake to make decisions for the East Side. Irony aside, it's no coincidence that the anti-brewery movement, which once seemed like a three- or four-person holdout now has a slogan (Public Views, Not Private Views), a Facebook presence, a schedule of events, and many more visible supporters.
The opponents are still likely to fail, however. | <urn:uuid:b89fc630-ad6a-406d-9795-daf7e2e84895> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.plazadearmastx.com/index.php/chisme/121-chisme/2298-ivy-makes-hays | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952503 | 268 | 1.78125 | 2 |
What Happened to Honest Communication?
Carol Morrison | i4cp
July 30, 2010
We need to talk. Can there be any more gut-tightening phrase in our language? Just ask anyone who’s married. Or in any sort of relationship, personal or professional. Any employee summoned to his supervisor’s office with that phrase probably shows up simply because there’s no handy exit between his desk and the manager’s office door. Why do we put off honest communication – at home and at work – until it’s so long overdue that it scares the daylights out of us?
Lots of reasons, probably. Some topics just aren’t pleasant to discuss. Nobody wants to hear that they need to make changes, that they aren’t living up to expectations or that they aren’t likely to have a job if performance doesn’t improve. Even if the news is positive, communication can derail. Maybe we are so immersed in our work that we just assume others know about projects or goals or outcomes. Perhaps we just don’t know how to get ideas across constructively. There are many potential stumbling blocks.
Study after study conducted by i4cp point out the vital role that internal communication plays in achieving better business outcomes. Our High Performance Organizations study, for instance, found leaders’ communication abilities rated much higher (in high-performing companies) than they did in lower-performing firms. When we researched succession planning, participants told us that communication issues were among the top-five challenges plaguing their efforts – significantly more of a problem for lower-performing companies than for their higher-performing counterparts. Our Developing Successful Global Leaders Survey confirmed that effective oral and written communication capabilities are among the competencies organizations focus on developing in up-and-coming global leaders. Those attributes also reflect a high correlation with success in leadership development.
Fact is, you could look at nearly every survey we conduct and find some reference or inference to the role communication plays in high-performance workplaces. What that demonstrates is that communication is a foundation element of successful organizations. There’s a reason i4cp includes internal communication within the leadership domain. Savvy leaders know what a powerful tool good communication can be. These days, businesses need all the power they can muster. So take a look at the effectiveness of your organization’s communication programs. If they aren’t helping you power your company’s success, then we need to talk. | <urn:uuid:e89ea0c9-f0ca-46bd-b2d0-146c5c4d0a2a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hrpeople.monster.com/benefits/articles/3141-what-happened-to-honest-communication | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947451 | 514 | 1.5 | 2 |
Beijing will ban all unlicensed catering outlets and celebrity-starred medical ads by the end of this year, according to the capital's quality and food safety authorities.
The city would focus its quality checkup on ten kinds of products, including food, drugs, home appliances and toys, said the municipal government when kicking off a four-month campaign aimed at improving product quality and food safety on Saturday.
The drive is part of a nationwide campaign to improve food and product safety launched late August, which Chinese Vice Premier WuYi described as a "special battle" to ensure the people's health and interests and maintain a good image of Chinese products.
Vegetables, fruits, meat, edible oil, aquatic products, children's food and health food are the main targets in food checkups, according to a detailed plan for the campaign.
The plan says that by the end of the year the city will close all unlicensed restaurants, all its food producers must be qualified, and no harmful material can be used in food processing.
According to the plan, midsize and small catering outlets, restaurants in countryside tourist spots, and canteens in schools and construction sites will also be given special attention.
Medical advertisements in which public figures or experts testify the alleged effectiveness of products will also be banned.
Beijing, the host city of the 2008 Olympics, also vows to improve its unified food safety tracing platform, which comprises subsystems for fruits and vegetables, animal products, pre-packaged food and other food products for the Games.
"Currently, the main problem in the city's product quality and food safety lies in small food processing factories and workshops and in the urban-rural fringe areas," said Lu Hao, vice mayor of Beijing.
The checkups will be carried out by the city's industry and commerce, quality supervision and health departments.
The Chinese government has been striving to improve product quality after a string of safety scares with China-made products at home and abroad.
The scares included tainted wheat gluten for pet food and children's toys found to contain excessive lead levels.
In the latest move, China's quality watchdog on Friday announced the nation's landmark recall systems for unsafe food products and toys. The two regulations went into effect on the same day.
Beijing Olympic organizers are confident of ensuring food safety of the Games.
"All food entering the Olympic Village and other facilities will be given an Olympic food safety logistics code," said Wang Wei, executive vice president of the Beijing organizing Committee for the Olympic Games.
"High technology arts including IC card, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and GPS (Global Positioning Satellites) system will be used to monitor the whole process from start of production through transportation to the village," Wang said.
The Pinggu District, the biggest fruit producing area of Beijing, has been selected to supply 40 kinds of "green" fruits, including peach, pear, apple and plum, for the Games.
Ten thousand peach farmers of Pinggu made pledges in early August not to use banned pesticides and fertilizers in fruits for the Games. | <urn:uuid:836df857-8ac4-4605-b22b-9cf58e17779a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.idspackaging.com/packaging/us/rfid_technology/2701/pressrelease_content.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949341 | 632 | 1.554688 | 2 |
In this ever controversial and fast paced world it can be difficult to keep focused on what matters to people. Given the work I do it is easy to get caught up in the latest media frenzy around some particular issue. Often these are just a hyped frenzy around some relatively minor situation or issue and you have to ask if they have any relevance to the vast majority of people?
The Leveson Inquiry attracted a huge amount of media coverage but if you ask the average person about it, it is of no consequence to them as they are much more interest in the financial situation and whether they are going to suffer from rising prices. I am not going to comment on the latest police integrity debates that are raging and being discussed extensively within the media. I will leave that to the commentators and reporters.
What mattered to me this week was the feedback I got from people who had been asked in a questionnaire about communication and what mattered to them. It wasn’t a surprise that they want to know what is going on in their communities and they valued being kept up-to-date as quickly as possible. But what did clearly come through was a demand for this interaction to be an honest conversation and for an integrity around the information that is released.
It is an incredibly important point for anyone from a public sector agency that has any responsibility for communicating. Being open and honest in what you say isn’t something that you can do for a day or a couple of days it has to be at the heart of what you do, so that people build up trust in the individual or the organisation they represent.
Central to building this trust has to be the face-to-face interactions that take place every day. It is incredibly important although time consuming but luckily in the modern world can be supplemented by the work that takes place in conversations using social media. It is why front line staff need to be supported to develop their operational use of social media. If they do it as an extension of the face-to-face communication and take an open and honest approach it can become a valuable part of business activity.
In reflecting on a year which for many public bodies has seen them face a challenge to their integrity it is vital to remember the relationships that matter are being developed all the time by front line staff. If they can take an open and honest approach then the benefits can be a groundswell of trust that cannot be taken for granted but can be built upon. As we near the end of the year, the questionnaire results make me feel very positive about what can be achieved in 2013. | <urn:uuid:5f8a84ee-6c60-4594-88d5-e6badb3bf184> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://amandacomms1.wordpress.com/2012/12/22/building-trust-one-day-at-a-time/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=8ac41143de | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975664 | 521 | 1.625 | 2 |
Learn About NEI
There is a saying around here that if you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes and it will change. It's that sort of thing that helps make Michigan, especially Metro Detroit, such as prime spot for the nation's budding alternative energy industry. The weather is dynamic enough to accommodate wind and solar energy. The abundance of water and agriculture make things like hydropower and bio-fuels logical choices. And where better to develop and build the new technologies that will harness these resources than at southeast Michigan's acclaimed research universities and vaunted manufacturing facilities?
Every time an angel investor invests in a start-up, an entrepreneur earns his wings. The region that invented modern day manufacturing is now putting more and more angel investors on the production line, building tomorrow's job-creating start-ups. Thanks to generous new tax incentives for investments and solid educational infrastructure for entrepreneurs, there are plenty of opportunities for the money men (and women) behind the new Henry Fords to reinvent the world.
With age comes wisdom. If that's true then southeast Michigan can teach the world a thing or two about business, innovation and adaptability. Populations in Midwestern states continue to age, and Metro Detroit is no different. That means more Baby Boomers looking to reinvent themselves one last time for one last adventure, adding even more foot soldiers to an army of entrepreneurs creating more opportunities in the Motor City.
People like to call Detroit a blank canvas ripe for the painting. That helps explain why countless numbers of creatively inclined people are leaving their mark here. Artists, musicians and entrepreneurs of all stripes are coming here for the chance to try something new, the freedom to make it happen and the cost-effectiveness to try, try again.
Metro Detroit strives to be a world-class city everyday, and it does it while attracting all kinds of classes, creeds and ethnicities of people from around the world. The Motor City has the largest
in the world outside of the Middle East. We built the world's first Holocaust Museum. The African-American community, one of the largest in the U.S., has produced some of the world's biggest icons over the last century, ranging from
. We might not always get along, but we know how to get the job done.
Think southeast Michigan business don't spend its fair share of time ahead of the curve? You're not concentrating. Remember when the iPhone came out? Ann Arbor- based
adopted the idea of smartphone application creation so early Steve Jobs personally highlighted its
app. Remember when the Internet went mainstream? The guys behind Southfield's
Detroit Trading Company
were one of the first to sell cars online in the mid 1990s. Remember when that guy,
e, went to the University of Michigan... You get the idea.
One thing about Metro Detroiters: When they see a need for something in their city, they are likely to take action to fill the void. From clothing boutiques to acupuncture clinics, from bike shops to restaurants, from dance studios to book stores, locals are thinking small ... in a big way.
Metro Detroit might be a blue collar place, but the region has been turning blue collars white through local higher education for generations. The silver lining to a term like brain drain is that southeast Michigan has some of the nation's best universities showering college graduates everywhere. They come from big-time research universities like the
University of Michigan
Wayne State University
, traditional 4-year colleges and a plethora of community colleges that provide dynamic-yet-affordable higher educational options for just about everyone.
What do higher education, agriculture and Metro Detroit all have in common? Combine those assets in this location and you understand why southeast Michigan is a leader in research, start-ups and innovation in the life sciences sector. Nevermind the region's pioneering in urban farming and abundance of natural resources.
Marketing / Media
Say Detroit and its hard not think about bad press. Today's reality is that the words good press should come to mind. Model D, an innovative online publication focusing on what's next, got its start in Detroit in 2005. Today publications that tell a region's real story, owned by Detroit-based
Issue Media Group
(which also owns this publication), are all over North America helping reinvent the modern day media narrative. Combine that example with the latest smartphone apps from
and groundbreaking musicians like Jack White and it's easy to believe southeast Michigan's hype.
Research / Tech Transfer
Michigan's universities aren't just for research, ivory towers and football games anymore. They have become experts in helping create the cutting-edge companies of tomorrow by helping local businesses and entrepreneurs commercialize the technologies discovered from university research. Mention the word commercialization at the
University of Michigan
Wayne State University
and you'll find yourself heading toward their offices of tech transfer, the
local business accelerator
and even the local boardroom sooner than you think.
Follow the money and you'll find that more and more paths are leading to southeast Michigan. No, it's not
or even Sand Hill Road, but the Motor City is asserting itself as a place for investments and the venture capital firms that make them to pay attention to with its growing pool of start-ups and
to enriching its entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Women have long played key roles on Metro Detroit's stage, ranging from big-time politicians like
(a product of Metro Detroit) to small business owners like
, founder of downtown Detroit-based
Strategic Staffing Solutions
. They don't have Y chromosomes but you don't have to listen for long before you hear one of them roar in southeast Michigan, and know she's the boss.
You pick the topics and we will let you know when it hits the press. | <urn:uuid:a3c6f58b-07e9-4698-b50e-9cd31bd92ead> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.semichiganstartup.com/sectors/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930358 | 1,185 | 1.804688 | 2 |
The dream of the National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park is becoming a reality. Track designs are final, with a groundbreaking set for June 28.
"By next year we expect to have the paddock, autocross, skidpad area finished and ready for use at our 20th anniversary event which is Labor Day 2014," says Motorsports Park Project Manager, Roc Linkov.
The 184 acre, multi-million dollar park will sit across from the museum on the other side of I-65.
On site soil and bedrock samples are currently being collected. Sound engineers are also in the area to ensure a nearby neighborhood isn't disturbed.
"What they will be providing us with is information if sound abatement is needed, how much is needed, do you need 2 feet of burm of dirt?" Do you need an 8 foot burm of dirt?," says Linkov.
Tourism is expected to climb with a finished motorsports park, bringing a new kind of boost to the local economy.
"The motorsports park is a different element of a Corvette. If you don't like the museum aspect of it or if you don't want to watch the assembly line part then you have this new more exciting, adventurous part of it and that's what people are going to be drawn to," says Telia Butler, Public Relations Coordinator for the Bowling Green Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.
"We could offer visitors to the museum a chance to take 3 laps with an instructor around the track at high speed to see what's it's like," says Linkov.
Officials plan to keep the park's use for recreational purposes saying it will be open to much more than just Corvette lovers. | <urn:uuid:9c6686be-4eda-4243-849a-6643a1595b78> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wbko.com/home/headlines/NCM-Motorsports-Park-On-Its-Way-To-Bowling-Green-193314851.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 | 0.956308 | 345 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Last Wednesday morning, I walked over to my computer, as I do each morning . . . to check my e-mails before leaving for work.
The first thing I noticed was the computer had been “reset.”
Yes, the folks at Microsoft reached out (over the Internet) and added some security software protection updates to my computer.
There was a message in the lower right-hand corner of the screen telling me Microsoft had installed a critical Windows XP update and this update required my computer to be reset.
No, Microsoft is not the “Big Brother” George Orwell was talking about in his book . . . at least that is what I say to myself so I can sleep at night.
Yes, I still use the Windows XP operating system that came with my computer. For now, I do not see the immediate need for me to update to the newly-released Vista operating system.
I am, however, working on a future column where I would like to address the pros and cons concerning whether to upgrade to Vista or if it would be smarter to wait until I buy my next computer.
A new computer with the Vista operating system preinstalled means all the software applications and programs on it would already be “Vista compatible.”
Rest assured, your humble columnist will do his homework for this future column.
I would like to mention, while we are on the subject, that my youngest son, Andrew, is using the Vista operating system on his new computer without any problems (that I am aware of). He likes the speech recognition program that comes with Vista, which allows interaction with his computer just by talking to it.
By using voice commands, he is able to dictate documents and e-mails, start and switch between software programs, control the Vista operating system, and even fill out forms on the Internet. He demonstrated this for me and, I must admit, it was amazing.
And now back to this week’s topic.
My home computer Internet connection is “always on” so the Microsoft update program runs automatically. I do not have to worry about remembering to get the updates.
Before I had a dedicated Internet connection, I used a telephone line for my dial-up access to the Internet.
A few years ago, in order for me to get the Microsoft updates downloaded onto my computer, I needed to access and run the Microsoft update program. I normally ran this once a week.
Getting back to this critical security update, I found out that the update removed a dangerous bug in Windows XP.
This security update is also applicable to the Windows Server 2000 operating system, as well.
However, Microsoft said this critical update did not apply to the Windows 2000 or the new Vista operating systems.
Microsoft gave this serious security fix its most urgent “critical” rating.
The update installed was the Microsoft MS07-061 and is, for the most part, “critical” because the fault it repairs has been seen in “Web-based attack code.”
The Microsoft web site described this threat in their Security Bulletin MS07-061 as a “ . . . critical vulnerability in Windows URI [Unique Resource Identifier] handling [which] could allow remote code execution.”
A perceptively high tech computer programmer could use this window of vulnerability to take over a computer that did not have this newly updated protection fix or “patch.”
Some individuals have misunderstood the term computer “hacker.” A computer “hacker” is actually defined as a highly talented computer programmer who seeks to gain unauthorized access to computer systems without malicious intent to change or destroy anything on the computer. It is a challenge. They just want to test their computer programming talents.
The computer “cracker,” on the other hand, will take advantage of this latest security vulnerability using the Windows Internet Explorer 7 web browser and possibly other vulnerable programs.
A computer cracker not only wants to gain illegal access to a computer, but also has malicious intent to cause damage to that computer system as their goal.
A cracker would do this in order for them to do things such as stealing passwords, deleting information, or using the computer they are controlling to send out spam e-mails.
To see if your Windows personal computer has all the current Microsoft updates and fixes, visit http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate.
Windows users can visit this web site to get the latest updates and have them downloaded to their computer.
My computer is set to receive security and critical software updates, or “patches,” automatically. On your computer, go to the settings in the Microsoft Windows Control Panel and turn on the “Automatic Updates.” Now when you are connected to the Internet, Windows will automatically find and install any high-priority software updates for your computer as needed.
For more information on keeping your computer secure, visit http://www.microsoft.com/security and http://www.microsoft.com/malwareremove. | <urn:uuid:eb2e40ae-7916-40c1-ae00-afdbfbec4936> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://herald-journal.com/archives/2007/columns/mo111907.html | 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 | 0.941118 | 1,042 | 1.5625 | 2 |
NATO foreign ministers have approved Turkey's request for Patriot missiles to defend its borders, a statement of "solidarity" with its fellow alliance member.
"Today NATO agreed to augment Turkey's air defense by deploying Patriot missiles to Turkey. Turkey has asked for NATO's support and we stand with Turkey in the spirit of strong solidarity," said NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
"To Turkish people we say, we are determined to defend you and your territory. To anyone who would want to attack Turkey, we say, don't even think about it. "
The move is in response to the spilling over of the Syrian civil war into Turkey, where errant Syrian artillery shells struck the border town of Akcakale and killed five Turkish civilians in October.
Turkey asked NATO to deploy Patriot missiles along its border to bolster its air defenses against Syrian threats.
The United States, Germany and Netherlands, which all have Patriot capabilities, have signaled they would be willing to contribute missiles. Rasmussen believes the "actual deployment will take place within weeks."
"We welcome the intention of Germany, the Netherlands and the United States to provide Patriot missile batteries, subject to their respective national procedures. These systems will be under the operational command of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe. Any deployment will be defensive only. It will in no way support a no-fly zone or any offensive operation," Rasmussen said.
The decision was made as news surfaced about fears of Bashar al-Assad's government using chemical weapons. Rasmussen echoed warnings from U.S. President Barack Obama that the Syrian government may be toying with the idea of using chemical weapons to crush the 21-month rebellion.
"The Syrian stockpiles of chemical weapons are a matter of great concern," Rasmussen told reporters.
"We know that Syria possesses missiles. We know they have chemical weapons and, of course, they also have to be included in our calculations. And this is also the reason why it is a matter of urgency to ensure effective defense and protection of our ally Turkey," he said. | <urn:uuid:e1c748f6-e621-455f-833d-7dfa752e4fba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wdsu.com/news/national/NATO-We-stand-with-Turkey/-/9853500/17645452/-/item/0/-/wiyd8sz/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964625 | 414 | 1.578125 | 2 |
A couple of weeks ago we got the news that the company my husband works for is cutting pay by twenty percent for all employees, for an indefinite period of time. Once I got past the anger and frustration, I took stock of our situation and worked on damage control. While we do have a large emergency fund, I don’t want to touch it unless we have no other choice. Yes, a pay cut could be construed as an emergency, but I think the problem can be addressed through other means. It’s not like we will have no income coming in; we’ll just have less. I decided that I’d also prefer not to lower our savings rate if I can avoid it. And for sure I don’t want to incur any debt. These goals should be attainable with careful planning and spending. Since we already live below our means, surviving this pay cut with minimal damage should only involve adjusting our spending to compensate for the lower level.
While this pay cut is supposed to be short term, I’m acting as though it will be long term. Why? Because I don’t trust that this company will be able to turn things around in the short term and, even if they can, I don’t trust that they won’t just keep pay at a reduced level to save more money. If I’m wrong that will be great, but if this cut drags on for months or even a year, I’ll be prepared because from day one I acted as though our newly reduced income was permanent. I won’t be caught short because I tried to keep my life going on the higher income. We will be living on the reduced number, not borrowing from savings or credit cards trying to support a more expensive lifestyle.
The first thing I did was to pull up our records in Quicken. This pay cut will bring us back to what we were making about six years ago. That’s a huge ouch, but it was also comforting to look back at 2004′s records and see that we were making it just fine then. We were still debt free and we were even managing to have a little fun at the time. Granted, we weren’t able to save as much or to travel as much as we have been recently, but our life wasn’t terrible, either. I know from looking at my old records that we will survive this. That brought my blood pressure down a good twenty points and allowed me to focus on what needed to be done next.
The next thing I did was to look into the future for big expenses coming up that might leave us short. Fortunately, most of the big stuff has been paid for the year. We did have a vacation planned for next month that I cancelled. We were still within the window to get our deposits back, so that money will come in handy for other things. We could have gone on the trip and taken the money out of savings, but that’s not the responsible way to deal with the current problem. Our destination will still be there when pay returns to normal and we can go then, confident that we won’t need the money for something else.
I also called and shopped our insurance policies and negotiated new deals on some of our other services. This is something I should do regularly, but I had gotten lax and not done it for a couple of years. I was able to slash our insurance by an average of $100 per policy, which will make a big difference over the coming months. I was also able to negotiate a better deal on our phone/Internet bundle that will save us about $30/month. There are now no huge expenses looming on the horizon and those that will come later will be less, so this gives us a chance to adjust to the new income level.
Next I looked at our day to day spending. While we’ve remained relatively frugal we have gotten lazy in some areas. Eating out, entertainment, and other fun expenses have crept up over the years. Most of those expenses can be slashed with little effort. We’ll just be staying home more or looking for more free alternatives. Netflix is now gone, and any magazine subscriptions won’t be renewed until things return to normal. The library can handle my magazine needs for free, and DVD’s can be borrowed, too. I will also be tightening the grocery budget. Over the years we’ve begun buying some more expensive products and brands. I will go back to the cheaper alternatives. I’m also planning to increase the size of my garden this summer to further reduce grocery costs. There is also room to conserve more fuel, electricity, and water in this house. We’ve gotten complacent and comfortable over the years and we’ve relaxed some of our spending. I look at this pay cut as a challenge to get back to some of my more frugal ways. It will probably good for me to get those super frugal muscles back into shape.
Finally I called in all the money I was owed from all sources. I collected from some clients that owed me money and had been dilly-dallying on the payment. I cashed in all of my rewards points and programs. I sent in all the rebates I had lying around. While it’s not enough to completely replace the lost income, it does add a good bit to the household accounts and gives us some extra leeway as we adjust to our reduced income level.
This is one of those times that our simple, debt free lifestyle has proven its worth. I know many other people at this company who are in full-on freak out mode right now. They already live above their means and are saddled with debt. Now that their means are reduced they are in a tailspin of financial trouble. Some just bought new cars or homes that they cannot afford on twenty percent less income. The debt collectors won’t wait for the pay cut to be lifted. If this pay cut drags on for months these people will be severely hurt.
We, on the other hand, will be inconvenienced and angry but our life will go on, just at a reduced level. We survived just fine on this income several years ago. We can do it again. If the pay cut drags on we may have to reduce our savings level and direct more money toward the household accounts, but we can spare it. We can get by without touching our current savings or taking on debt. Not having a huge debt load to service is such a relief at times like this. This is why we work so hard to stay debt free. Because when times like this come, it’s so much more bearable. I won’t be juggling bills and robbing our savings to pay credit card bills or loans. Simply adjusting our expenses and spending will be enough. As annoying as this is, I know it would be far worse with debt. | <urn:uuid:284c6497-bc2d-474c-a336-6d428137f9c1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pfadvice.com/2010/01/26/a-life-without-debt-surviving-the-pay-cut-made-easier/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975965 | 1,438 | 1.507813 | 2 |
2012 Alachua County rainfall exceeds average
Published: Wednesday, December 26, 2012 at 3:58 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, December 26, 2012 at 3:58 p.m.
It has been a roller coaster of a year when it comes to Alachua County rainfall, with the area jumping from drought to summer deluges and back to drought-like conditions again.
In the end, Gainesville received 54.4 inches of rain between Jan. 1 and Dec. 25. The annual average is 46.46 inches.
If it hadn't been for a rainy summer Gainesville would have experienced an epic drought in 2012. As it was, the year started with Orange Lake dropping to one of its lowest levels on record.
Summer rains saved the day, with 35.93 inches — two-thirds of the year's total — falling between May 1 and Aug. 31. In June alone, Gainesville received an all-time record of 16.34 inches.
During the other eight months combined — January through April, and September through most of December — Gainesville received only 18.43 inches, or five inches below normal during those months.
So far in 2012, the Gainsville area has maintained an eight-inch surplus, according to weather statistics.
Pete Wolf, the National Weather Service's chief science officer in Jacksonville, said the fall trend of below-average rainfall should continue into the first part of 2013.
The service's Climate Prediction Center is calling for rainfall to be slightly below normal through March. It is also calling for temperatures to be near normal, or slightly above, for those 90 days. That will be similar to the temperatures area residents experienced in 2012.
So far in 2012, Gainesville has featured an average daily temperature of 70.9 degrees, two degrees warmer than the annual average.
When it comes to fall 2012, which ran from Sept. 22 until Dec. 20, the daily average temperature was 66.6 degrees, or 1.5 degrees above normal. The average high temperature during the span was 78 degrees and the average low was 55.1.
During that same fall period, Gainesville recorded 6.03 inches of rain, which was just shy of the 7.64-inch average for those 90 days.
As the year comes to a close, the National Weather Service is calling for several chilly mornings today and Friday, followed by seasonable temperatures leading into the new year.
Average temperatures for this time of year are 66 degrees for the high and 45 for the low, official records state.
The county's official forecast is issued by the National Weather Service, while the Sun's weather page uses AccuWeather forecasts. Sometimes those predictions differ.
Joe Callahan can be reached at 352-867-4113 or at firstname.lastname@example.org. Follow him Twitter at JoeOcalaNews.
All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged. | <urn:uuid:9c4b7343-835d-4c79-963e-49923270ff24> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gainesville.com/article/20121226/ARTICLES/121229759?Title=2012-Alachua-County-rainfall-exceeds-average | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95512 | 619 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Thousands of REI members give back to local trails throughout the year, but have you ever dreamed of mixing a love for stewardship and travel?
Last year, REI Adventures teamed with Conservation Volunteers International Program to introduce Volunteer Expeditions. These trips provide visitors the unique opportunity to volunteer in some of the world's most iconic destinations, such as Machu Picchu, Peru and Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. Trip participants work to rebuild and restore centuries-old trail systems, while also experiencing the breathtaking views and incredible cultures these destinations offer.
REI Adventures’ Cynthia Dunbar accompanied six guests during our first Volunteer Expedition to Machu Picchu in June. Together the team worked alongside park rangers to restore approximately five kilometers of ancient Peruvian trails, which date back hundreds of years. View the video interview with Cynthia to hear more about Volunteer Expeditions and to see amazing images of her trip to Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu Volunteer Expedition
- April 6 – 15
- August 16 – 25
- November 1 – 10
Torres del Paine Volunteer Expedition
- March 13 – 26
- December 4 – 17 | <urn:uuid:92dfb5cd-2478-4e2f-9626-30233d4075e2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rei.com/share/rei-blog/2010/12/rei_adventures_adds.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931891 | 236 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Denon will commemorate 100 years of audio innovation with its Anniversary Product Collection offerings.
One might wonder what an electronics company built in 1910, but I never really got a definitive answer at the media event held at the D&M Holdings (Denon's parent company) headquarters in Mahwah, N.J., last Thursday. True, there was some mention of the introduction of Japan's first phonograph (turntable) in 1910, but no one gave any specific information. According to Denon, it was honored to produce the very first audio recording of Japan's Emperor Hirohito's voice at the close of World War II in 1945.
Actually, the biggest surprise of the event, at least for me, was learning that Denon was founded by an American entrepreneur Frederick Whitney Horn. With Denon, he started Japan's first audio company; apparently, globalization isn't a new idea.
Denon focused most of its media event on presenting its Anniversary Product Collection's offerings, which include new amplifiers, SACD/CD and Blu-ray players, a direct-drive turntable, phono cartridge, and headphones. All of the products, except the phono cartridge and headphone, share the same $2,499 MSRP; the phono cartridge and headphone are $499 each. The Anniversary Product Collection models are limited editions and will be sold at 40 specially selected dealers in the United States starting in November. They will all be sold with five-year warranties. … Read more | <urn:uuid:787bac13-83d6-4851-8404-55f8b298eee4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.cnet.com/8300-5_3-0.html?keyword=denon+avr-1911+cnet+review | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955135 | 306 | 1.523438 | 2 |
It’s an unseasonably warm and rainy Sunday, and Joel Osteen’s message is to “Be Positive or Be Quiet,” so I am taking Joel’s advice to keep my negative thoughts to myself. These are my notes that I took as I watched and listened to Joel’s broadcast. Please feel free to Click Here for today’s Podcast, to listen to it for yourself.
Joel quoted these verses of Scripture:
This is the information from This Week’s Message page about today’s broadcast titled Be Positive or Be Quiet by Joel Osteen:
Everyone has promises they’re standing on and God-given dreams they’re hoping to fulfill. During uncertainty, it’s very easy to say, “ I can’t do that. I’m too young. I’m too old. I don’t have the connections.”
But in this eye-opening message, Joel reminds us of what God said to the prophet Jeremiah. In Jeremiah 1:7, He said, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’” Why? Because there is incredible power in the words we speak. If we want to walk in victory, we can’t speak defeat. As you learn how to speak words of faith, even in the face of doubts, your words will pave the way for God to move in greater ways in your life!
Speak good words over your life!
Thanks for Listening, | <urn:uuid:bd5a1a34-6b41-45e0-ac1c-bf04f127c712> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://myuniquelifeinwindowslivespace.wordpress.com/2012/12/02/be-positive-or-be-quiet/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933346 | 323 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Increasing Walking to Lose Weight
When walking to lose weight it is well to remember that generally you should walk each day unless you are exhausted from the continued exercise and it affects your abilities during the day. Then you should take up to two days off a week.
If your results go the other way and even with a regular daily walking to lose weight schedule your weight loss has plateaued then you need to shake up your schedule in another way. The energy (calories) used from any particular exercise changes over time as the body’s muscles adapts to the process and economizes on the number of calories burned. Initially this is compensated for by increasing the amount of time and distance of walking. Total calories burned increases.
Eventually, however, you will meet the maximum time commitment you are able to make and at this stage when your walking for weight loss schedule needs intensifying then several options are available to you.
- Increase the intensity of the walking you do by adding hills, steps, weights or intermittent running. Another way to increase the intensity of an hour’s walking to lose weight would be to do a high intensity walking DVD such as those from Leslie Sansone or Kathy Smith’s Power Walk.
- Break up your standard program with exercise groups such as aerobic step classes.
- Use an activity monitor which measures not only steps throughout the day but also the level of exertion during those steps. This enables you to increase the number of movements done at the higher level intensity rather than the lower end of your walking to lose weight.
- Have a ‘bootcamp’ period of one or two weeks when you try different forms of exercise, such as boxing, aerobic dance, etc.
Remember that walking to lose weight on a smooth surface such as a path can allow you to walk at a brisker pace. Walking on natural terrain can increase the calorie burn though if your feet must grip, divert directions, go up and down inclines, change balance etc. Walking on a treadmill does not require the natural push off needed when walking normally. However you can walk faster, increase the incline and run for intervals. | <urn:uuid:29a84d8a-87f9-4e8b-a22c-d20da6d40cb1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.walkingtoloseweight.net/walking-to-lose-weight/increasing-walking-to-lose-weight | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943318 | 436 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Eyewitness news reporter Jennifer Lee tells us how we can still enjoy the traditional dishes without packing the pounds.
"Turkey... I wait all year for turkey," says one Utica resident.
It's that time of year. Familiy and friends gather around the dinner table, indulging in holiday treats.
"The sharing with the family.. The get together with the friends... That's what it's all about," says Robert Brooks.
According to the American Heart Association, people on average gain 7 to 9 pounds this holiday season.
"Especially in this area when its colder and people tend to be inside and less active.. Plus the celebration... Richer foods fattier foods going on," says Dr. Frank Dubeck.
The American Heart Association says people add on the few extra pounds from thanksgiving through New Year's Day.
"There's so much food set out on the table. They will eat a little and take a break and watch a football game and later on go back for desert," says one Rome resident.
Doctor Dubeck, the president of the American Heart Association says gaining those few pounds can lead to health risks.
"Not so much the pounds but the high fat diet and the alcohol may affect your triglycerides and cholesterol, which can increase your risk to heart disease and stroke," says Dr. Dubeck.
Dr. Dubeck says it's all about eating in moderation and staying active through the holiday season.
He says just imagine the size of a deck of cards.
"So when the turkey platter comes don't take three slices of a full breast. Look at it as a deck of cards and say I'm only going to take this much," explains Dr. Dubeck.
Also, you may want skip out on the heavy stuff. If you are drinking hot chocolate or egg nog, substitute the cream with low-fat or skim milk. And skip the whip cream. | <urn:uuid:4c4b9a05-a814-417c-857c-05c134f84981> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cnyhomepage.com/fulltext-news/?nxd_id=57947 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95606 | 399 | 1.835938 | 2 |
China's Communist Party is shuffling its top ranks this week.
The week-long congress will set a new cast for the powerful Politburo Standing Committee -- a small group of officials who will wield tremendous power over China's tightly controlled economy for years to come.
Xi Jinping, a chemical engineer with a prestigious pedigree, is likely to be named as the next party boss and China's president. His coronation will take place late next week as the congress closes, wrapping up a transition of power that happens once in a decade.
But the opening ceremony Thursday was all about continuity. Octogenarian former President Jiang Zemin -- who still wields significant power -- was on hand. As was Xi, who took his place near Hu Jintao, the current president and meeting's keynote speaker.
In a speech to delegates, Hu emphasized the country's continued robust economic expansion, but noted significant problems with corruption, environmental issues and economic imbalances.
"We must be keenly aware that there is still much room for improvement in our work and there are a lot of difficulties and problems on our road ahead," Hu said, citing weakness in the country's capacity for technological innovation, social problem, and a widening gap between rich and poor.
At the heart of these concerns is a set of structural economic problems, which require reforms that the previous leadership -- divided over policy -- was unable to complete.
China's economy is too reliant on investment, a trend that has distorted the country's housing market and placed great emphasis on exports. State-owned enterprises, which dominate entire sectors of China's economy, are often the recipients of favorable loans and treatment from the government.
"Unbalanced, uncoordinated and unsustainable development remains a big problem," Hu said. "The tasks of deepening reform and opening up and changing the growth model remain arduous."
While regulators have pursued some changes, the rules governing the country's equity markets make raising capital difficult for some businesses.
The path forward, most analysts agree, requires China to move toward an economy in which consumption drives growth.
"There are clear signs that China's new leaders, who will take power in early 2013, will make speeding up reform top of their policy agenda in the coming years," economists at HSBC wrote earlier this week. But they cautioned that the experiences of other countries show the road to financial reform "tends to be a bumpy one."
China's reforms could be particularly troublesome. Local party officials have long depended on investment spending to maintain clout -- a pattern reform would undercut. The shift could also undermine the breakneck pace of economic expansion to which China has grown accustomed, at least in the short term.
On Thursday, Hu set forward twin economic goals. The first is a doubling of the country's 2010 GDP by the end of the decade -- a figure roughly in line with previous projections. The second goal -- a doubling of per capita income over the same period -- is more notable. State news agencies said it was the first time China's government had issued a goal for individual income.
Hu also addressed -- although not by name -- the corruption scandals that have wracked the Communist Party this year.
"If we fail to handle this issue well, it could prove fatal to the party, and even cause the collapse of the party and the fall of the state," Hu said, according to state news agency Xinhua.
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|Overnight Avg Rate||Latest||Change||Last Week|
|30 yr fixed||4.05%||4.05%|
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Today's featured rates:
|Latest Report||Next Update|
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|Manufacturing (ISM)||July 1| | <urn:uuid:ad1f2dfe-0ce4-4b6b-a30e-d5167baea2e7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://money.cnn.com/2012/11/08/news/economy/china-party-congress/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95497 | 892 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Interesting. I have been studying especially the tides and directions for the past months as I have become pretty good predicting conditions in a mix of webcams between 2 spots far apart on the island, websites and experience of past swells. But there is one thing thats for sure: If you want to be sure about the conditions you got to drive to the beach and take a look. And sometimes even that can fool you. It's one thing to watch it from the beach and another to step into the water and see the waves from sea level and closer to them. But as Surfline here said before me, I thought it must be common sense that an incoming tide is supposed to generate bigger and better waves since more water get pushed towards the land and when the tide is getting low, obviously the water goes back and the waves should get smaller. But every day and spot is different. | <urn:uuid:61cfd151-149b-4b63-8e2f-9be89463a640> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.swellinfo.com/forum/showthread.php?3550-High-tide-vs-low-tide/page3&p=150192 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977099 | 179 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Consumer interest in American black walnut (juglans nigra) is holding steady as lumber suppliers interviewed by Woodshop News have either experienced an increase in sales during the last year or have seen no change at all. But all tend to agree that the unique growing patterns of the species makes its availability unpredictable and, in turn, make it difficult to gauge just how popular it really is.
Walnut sales are active at Yoder Lumber in Millersburg, Ohio, for instance. Company president Melvin Yoder says this reflects current consumer preferences for darker wood hues and woodworkers’ appreciation of the wood’s working properties.
“It’s a softer wood than oak. It machines really well. A lot of people like it for that. The dark color, once it is finished, has a high-quality look that people want in their homes,” says Yoder.
Availability hasn’t been too much of a problem for him, but he does notice the species is not as readily available as other prominent hardwoods.
“Walnut typically grows in the Eastern Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions of the country. It requires more moisture than other species, so it grows more in the lower-lying areas. A lot of it can be found in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa.”
Peter Sieling, of Garreson Lumber Co. in Bath, N.Y., says walnut sells out shortly after he gets a supply. He believes he would sell more if he could get more.
“Walnut doesn’t grow in big stands, so it’s harder to get large quantities of it. So mills that are dealing with large quantities a lot of times don’t work with walnut other than when it accidentally shows up,” says Sieling.
“But I feel like people are using it more now than they were in the past because it is a pretty wood. It’s just hard to get because it doesn’t grow like a whole forest of maple does. Usually walnut grows in people’s yards or stream beds where there’s real deep soil.”
Chris Calvert, owner of Yukon Lumber Co. in Norfolk, Va., says walnut is being specified more for commercial projects.
“Right now we’re seeing a lot of it used for lots of restaurants. Some wanted rustic walnut so we took the sappy and the knotty out of the uppers. We’ve seen it pick up as an accent piece for countertops and tables and that kind of thing, but as far as flooring goes, not a whole lot. I think the trend goes in spurts. I think the TV media has a lot to do with it when people watch home-and-garden channels.”
This article originally appeared in the November 2012 issue. | <urn:uuid:2420ff5a-dbaa-4b2b-a4d3-3c822c061fb0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.woodshopnews.com/news/wood-markets/502430-black-walnut-sales-are-holding-steady | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961017 | 608 | 1.539063 | 2 |
A nationally-recognized author will visit Grayson County Sunday, Aug. 12, in a fundraising event for the Wounded Warrior Project.
Retired Master Sgt. Gordon Ewell will sign copies of his latest book, “A Lifetime at War,” from noon to 6 p.m. at American Legion Post 81 in Leitchfield. The books will be available at the Legion at a cost of $20, with all proceeds going to the Wounded Warrior Project.
Ewell, a Utah native, joined the Utah National Guard in 1985. A combat engineer, he became an expert in improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, after his deployment to Iraq in December 2005. He became part of the first two-man teams whose mission was to find and destroy IEDs before they could harm American troops, convoys and Iraqi civillians.
He performed 59 of those missions — some with Leitchfield’s Jim Lish — and co-authored a first-of-its-kind Route Clearance manual used to train the IED locating teams.
While his work in Iraq saved countless lives, it permanently changed his. Six different times, vehicles he was in were hit by IEDs. One of the explosions was so powerful it blew Ewell’s impacted wisdom teeth out the side of his jaw. He also sustained broken neck vertebrae, spinal damage, hearing loss, the loss of one eye and damage to the other that left him legally blind, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder and other medical problems.
Ewell returned from Iraq in December 2006, working in the personnel section of a military training facility until his medical retirement in February 2010.
Struggling with his PTSD, Ewell began writing poetry at a cathartic way to address his emotions. He eventually gathered those poems, as well as pieces he’d written before and during his deployment, into the book “Dung in my Foxhole.”
He continues to reach out to help other veterans. In addition to his work with the Wounded Warrior Project, Ewell volunteers at a V.A. hospital in Utah, is a member of the Blue Star Riders, the veterans of Foreign Wars, the Disabled American Veterans and the American Legion.
Founded in 2003, the Wounded Warrior Project began when several veterans and friends, moved by stories of the first wounded service members returning home from Afghanistan and Iraq, took action to help others in need. What started as a program to provide comfort items to wounded service members has grown into a complete rehabilitative effort to assist them as they recover and transition back to civilian life.
Lish said Ewell will use Leitchfield as a temporary base during a roughly week-long tour around Kentucky. In addition to his local appearance, he will be signing books at Fort Knox, Elizabethtown, Fort Campbell, Paducah, Frankfort, Bardstown and St. Mathews.
For more information, call (270) 200-0594 or email email@example.com. | <urn:uuid:dc1e6174-2a92-41db-beb0-b21a1d70580c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gcnewsgazette.com/pages/home/push?per_page=5&class=&rel=&x_page=62 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976043 | 630 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Playing nice with physical security
At a small company, the information security manager is sometimes also responsible for physical security. At very large corporations, the physical security - sometimes called safety and security - is a completely separate department, responsible for hardware such as biometric ID or badge systems, security cameras and the management of guards. Safety and security departments handle investigations of physical breaches, such as theft, and workplace violence.
By Mathias Thurman at Computerworld.
[ 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:d660a425-4cd3-4dc5-a176-371a0c674f8d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.net-security.org/news.php?id=9008 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944243 | 152 | 1.75 | 2 |
Sunday, June 21, is the 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time. The Year of the Priest begins June 19, the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
On June 19’s Sacred Heart feast, Pope Benedict XVI will begin the Year of the Priest with 6 p.m. vespers at St. Peter’s Basilica.
In a happy coincidence, Father’s Day falls on the first Sunday of the Year of the Priest. Why not celebrate the man you actually call “Father”?
We recently found an article April wrote for Faith & Family in the year 2000. Priests she spoke with gave the following advice:
1. Be normal, and do what you normally do. (“No priest wants an awkward, self-conscious evening where he feels like a space alien.”)
2. Respect the priest’s position and duties.
(“Some priests love to have kids climb all over them,” said one priest. “I do, but others don’t.”)
3. Serve light food.
(Priests have many food-related events. A 300-pound priest told April that when he was ordained he was as thin as a rail.)
4. Don’t have an agenda.
(Priests don’t like gripe sessions disguised as dinner invitations.)
Job 38:1, 8-11; Psalm 107:23-26, 28-31; 2 Corinthians 5:14-17; Mark 4:35-41
This Sunday’s readings are all about the grandeur of creation and what it says about the far greater grandeur of God, its Master and Creator.
And the humility of us creatures.
This makes it a good time to remind you to take a hike with your family.
Today’s children can suffer from what has been called “nature deficit disorder.” Out of fear of harm and the prevalence of home entertainment, kids don’t get outside as much as they used to. They watch DVDs, play video games, and otherwise occupy themselves indoors.
Yet, contact with the natural world is vital to a child’s personal development. Yes, too much is made of nature, in a strange, New-Agey way, by some. Today’s readings put nature in its place. But it is nonetheless true that the natural world teaches us about God’s ...
1. power, which reaches from the smallest ant to the storms in today’s readings.
2. order, which keeps all of these intricate parts moving in a coherent whole.
3. beauty, which is the beauty of grace: It incorporates dead branches, decaying leaves and jarring contrasts to transcend the symmetrical beauty we produce.
Why not hike that spot in your area you’re always meaning to get to — and share God’s creation with your children? | <urn:uuid:537519e3-f224-4434-b7ce-ffbb0c1d7c86> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/fathers_day_for_priests/ | 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 | 0.936114 | 617 | 1.757813 | 2 |
'Desperate' need for new deal on flood insurance
Insurance time bomb: more flooding could spell serious trouble for the future of home insurance
Devastating flooding in mid-Wales, parts of Yorkshire and along England's south coast last
week has prompted fresh calls for a better deal on insurance.
property owners around Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, had no insurance having
struggled to find cover. The local council has set up an emergency fund to
Homeowners in other flood risk areas are worried they could be left
without cover next year.
A voluntary promise from insurers to provide at
least some flood cover - albeit often with high premiums and big excesses -
expires in June 2013.
The industry is now bogged down in negotiations with the
Government to agree a replacement deal. Without one, an estimated 200,000 homes
could be left vulnerable.
Paul Cobbing, chief executive of the National
Flood Forum charity, says: 'The latest floods highlight the desperate need for
the Government to make a decision on a sustainable model for insurance.
promised a decision in the spring, but we've heard nothing yet.'
insurance industry has put forward several options, but wants the Government to
bankroll some of the cost.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs, which is in charge of flood policy, says: 'Taxpayers' money is best
spent on long-term solutions that prevent flooding in the first place rather
than on subsidising insurance.' | <urn:uuid:078cb50e-fc78-471b-91a6-1673ed8ff765> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-2160569/Desperate-need-new-deal-flood-insurance.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934276 | 320 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:6–7)
The most outrageous example of materialism in the name of Christianity is, unquestionably, the heretical Word Faith movement, or Health and Wealth Gospel. Its proponents unabashedly proclaim that God’s will is for all believers to be rich. If they claim riches by faith and speak positively of them, that verbal confession itself creates the wealth. Word Faith teachers insist that God is obligated to deliver the goods believers request. They are so bold as to replace the sovereign God of Scripture (cf. Ps. 103:19; 1 Tim. 6:15) with the sovereignty of the believer who wields creative power to make himself healthy and wealthy by his own faith. God becomes a utilitarian genie who grants believers’ every desire.
But believers cannot, in spite of what Word Faith deceivers shamelessly proclaim, create their own reality for their own indulgence. Such a self-centered, prideful desire does not ever characterize genuine believers. It is true that some godly men, such as Job and Abraham, were very wealthy. Yet Paul described himself as “both hungry and thirsty, … poorly clothed, … roughly treated, and … homeless” (1 Cor. 4:11), while Jesus said of Himself, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Luke 9:58). The church has always consisted of both rich (cf. Matt. 27:57; Acts 4:36–37; 8:27; 10:1–2; 16:14–15; 17:4; 1 Tim. 6:17) and poor (cf. Acts 6:1; 1 Cor. 1:26; 2 Cor. 8:2) people, because according to His own sovereign purposes “the Lord makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts” (1 Sam. 2:7).
Rich or poor, however, the Bible warns against “the deceitfulness of riches” (Mark 4:19), and exhorts, “Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, cease from your consideration of it. When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings like an eagle that flies toward the heavens” (Prov. 23:4–5). In Matthew 6:24 Jesus declared, “You cannot serve God and wealth,” while in Luke 12:15 He warned, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed.” Greed characterizes unbelievers (Ps. 10:3; Rom. 1:29; 1 Cor. 6:10; Eph. 5:3), especially false teachers (1 Tim. 6:5; Titus 1:11; 2 Peter 2:1–3, 14–15; Jude 11), and is a form of idolatry (Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5). In sharp contrast to the materialism promoted by prosperity teachers, Jesus commanded, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal” (Matt. 6:19–20).
God has a very different plan for financial soundness than that of worldly or pseudo-Christian materialism. Instead of trying to speak wealth into existence, God’s plan involves hard work, wise investment, and careful saving. But in contrast to man-centered self-indulgence, the means for prosperity is not greedy accumulation—but the opposite, generous giving:
Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all your produce; so your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine. (Prov. 3:9–10)
There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered. (Prov. 11:24–25)
One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed. (Prov. 19:17)
He who gives to the poor will never want. (Prov. 28:27)
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.” (Mal. 3:10)
“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” (Luke 6:38)
The point of those verses is clear: The more one gives, the more God gives back in return.
In this passage Paul expressed that principle using familiar agricultural imagery: Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Every farmer recognizes that the size of the harvest is directly proportionate to the amount of seed sown. The farmer who sows seed sparingly will reap a meager harvest; the one who sows bountifully will … reap a great harvest. In the spiritual realm, the principle is that giving to God results in blessing from God; bountifully translates eulogia, which literally means “blessing.” Generous givers will reap generous blessings from God, while those who hold back selfishly fearing loss will forfeit gain.
You may reproduce this Grace to You content for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Grace to You's Copyright Policy (http://www.gty.org/connect/copyright). | <urn:uuid:066fb684-3fd6-4c76-9f6b-1e120ea09590> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gty.org/resources/print/bible-qna/BQ010713 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942196 | 1,332 | 1.6875 | 2 |
The wide, fertile Fraser
Valley is spread between the Coast and Cascade Mountains, parallel to the US-Canada
border. The valley runs for more than a hundred miles inland from the Pacific
Ocean to the small town of Hope at its eastern end. You can drive from one end
of the Fraser Valley to the other in about two hours, but you can just as easily
spend a lifetime exploring the 150 kilometres (93 miles) between Vancouver and
Hope. Almost all of the fertile land is rural and supports a blend of farming,
forestry, and outdoor recreation.
Hell's Gate Airtram
The Fraser River flows down the middle
of the Fraser Valley and by the very nature of its broad, deep, muddy girth, forces
road travellers to choose between its north or south side. Two major highways
cut east-west routes through the Fraser Valley, and link Vancouver with
Hope. Highway 7 (the Lougheed Highway, or Broadway, in Vancouver) traverses the
North Fraser Valley parallel with the Fraser River. As Highway 1 (the Trans-Canada
Highway) heads east of Vancouver, it crosses the Fraser River on the Port Mann
Bridge and leads through the South Fraser Valley. Whereas Highway 1 is a divided
freeway designed to deliver travellers to their destination as quickly as possible,
in most places Highway 7 is a conventional roadway and doubles as the main street
for the towns through which it passes.
this scenic journey of the Fraser Valley by following Highway 7 along the north
bank of the historic Fraser River. Visit Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge,
and enjoy the mild climate while teeing off on championship 18-hole golf courses
amid rolling tranquil countryside, with views of mountain peaks and winding rivers.
Golden Ears Provincial Park in Maple Ridge
is a destination with many possibilities, and is a popular camping venue. Once
there, you can fan out through the park to explore on foot, by boat, by bike,
or on horseback. Keep your camera handy! Pitt Lake, a superb location for paddlers
searching for freshwater adventure, serves as the gateway to several wilderness
areas. The Pitt-Wildlife Management Area is home to trumpeter swans, rare sandhill
cranes, hawks, eagles, herons, ospreys, and other wildlife.
winds along to Mission, which is tied historically to the Cariboo gold
rush of the 1850s. There is still a strong Native presence in the region, and
each year in July, the Mission Powwow draws drummers, singers, dancers, and spectators
to a three-day festival. The Xa:ytem Longhouse Interpretive
Centre bills itself as the oldest dwelling site in the province. The Sto:lo
Nation has erected a longhouse at the site where, between June to September, visitors
can learn more about traditional First Nations' culture and history.
Westminster Abbey, home to a Benedictine monastery, crows the skyline and occupies
a ridge overlooking the Fraser River Valley. Kilby
Historic Store is adjacent to Kilby Provincial Park
- it's well worth visiting. Look through the restored boarding house, post office,
and general store to get a feel for life on the Fraser River at the turn of the
century, when sternwheelers linked small towns like Harrison Mills with the docks
downstream at Mission and New Westminster.
After a hectic day
of sightseeing, visit Harrison Hot Springs. Called
the "Spa of Canada," Harrison Hot Springs is a resort town with recreation and
health at the forefront. Take the airtram for breathtaking views of the Fraser
River as it roars through this famous gorge. Continue along Hwy 1 to Hope,
a pretty little town with great appeal for outdoor adventurers - Kawkawa
Lake Park is nearby, as is Coquihalla Canyon Provincial
Park. Not far away is Manning Provincial Park
with more lakes and hiking trails. The local joke here is that no matter which
way you are going, the rest of B.C. is "beyond Hope".
Interesting spots for visitors
to check out along the way include Minster Gardens, which feature 11 themed
gardens, designed to dazzle the senses with fragrance and colour. Nestled at the
base of Mount Cheam, Bridal Falls offers panoramic views of the Fraser
Valley. The warm waters of Cultus Lake have attracted visitors to frolic and splash
on its beaches for decades. The water is so clear, that at midday, the gold sand
on the bottom on the lake perfectly complements the colour of the summer sun.
All the amenities of beach life are found here: barbeques, a picnic gazebo, tennis
courts, washroom facilities and even a boat rental are close at hand.
West along Highway 1 through the lush Fraser Valley to Abbotsford, Langley,
Fort Langley, and Surrey. Each town has its distinctive charm, history,
colour characters to meet and things to do. The annual Abbotsford International
Airshow, held in August, features aerial acrobatic teams, vintage aircraft and
stunt flyers. Attracting 300,000 spectators, this is North America's largest aerial
extravaganza. Throughout British Columbia, several historic 19th-century forts
have been preserved as reminders of how the west was originally settled by Europeans.
Langley National Historic Site, a Hudson's Bay Company post that has been
preserved and restored, is open year-round. It, too, is a delightful reminder
of yesteryear. Nearby is the Fort Langley Railway Museum, with a restored station
from the 1920s era, a Canadian National Railway caboose, and an operating model
railway. It's well worth a visit as you explore the town in the vicinity of the
Complete this scenic circle tour with a stop in Vancouver.
To list even a portion of Vancouver's attractions is impossible to do here. Suffice
it to say, the real charm and advantage of Vancouver is the range of entertaining
options open to visitors. Urbanites can eat at world-class restaurants, attend
the symphony, shop at exclusive boutiques along Robonstrasse and never cast so
much as a glance at the surrounding sea and skyscape. Those with an appreciation
of the outdoors can windsurf in the morning, golf at lunch, ski at noon, and take
in the city lights at night from atop a North Shore mountain. The city itself
is clean, colourful and friendly, with a cosmopolitan vibrancy that Pacific West
Coast cities are known for.
Towns on or near this Route - Click
on a town name to learn more about that town. | <urn:uuid:c6f0e2d0-695f-43d0-9dde-0b4639fbd59b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.quadraisland.com/attractions/?id=53 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937248 | 1,417 | 1.773438 | 2 |
I confess that when the producers of Ben Stein's new documentary “Expelled” called, offering me a private screening, I was less than excited.
It is a reality of PC liberalism: There is only one credible side to an issue, and any dissent is not only rejected, it is scorned. Global warming. Gay “rights.” Abortion “rights.” On these and so many other issues there is enlightenment, and then there is the Idiotic Other Side. PC liberalism's power centers are the news media, the entertainment industry and academia and all are in the clutches of an unmistakable hypocrisy: Theirs is an ideology that preaches the freedom of thought and expression at every opportunity, yet practices absolute intolerance toward dissent.
Evolution is another one of those one-sided debates. We know the concept of Intelligent Design is stifled in academic circles. An entire documentary to state the obvious? You can see my reluctance to view it.
I went into the screening bored. I came out of it stunned.
Ben Stein's extraordinary presentation documents how the worlds of science and academia not only crush debate on the origins of life, but also crush the careers of professors who dare to question the Darwinian hypothesis of evolution and natural selection.
Stein asks a simple question: What if the universe began with an intelligent designer, a designer named God? Stein assembles a stable of academics – experts all – who dared to question Darwinist assumptions and found themselves “expelled” from intellectual discourse as a result. They include evolutionary biologist
That's disturbing enough, but what Stein does next is truly shocking. He allows the principal advocates of Darwinism to speak their minds. These are experts with national reputations, regular welcomed guests on network television and the like. But the public knows them only by their careful seven-second soundbites. Stein engages them in conversation. They speak their minds. They become sputtering ranters, openly championing their sheer hatred of religion.
PC liberalism has showered accolades on atheist author Richard Dawkins' best-selling book “The God Delusion.” But when Stein suggests to Dawkins that he's been critical of the Old Testament God, Dawkins protests – not that Stein is wrong, but that he's being too mild. He then reads from this jaw-dropping paragraph of his book:
“The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, blood-thirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”
Dawkins has a Web site. Its slogan is “A clear-thinking oasis.”
It's understood that God had nothing to do with the origins of life on Earth. What, then, is the alternate explanation? Stein asks these experts, and their very serious answers are priceless. One theorizes that life began somehow on the backs of crystals. Another states electric sparks from a lightning storm created organic matter (out of nothing). Another declares that life was brought to Earth by aliens. Anything but God.
The most controversial part of the film follows Stein to the
Now that the film is complete, the evolutionist prophets featured in the film are on the warpath inveighing against it, and the alleged idiots who would lower themselves to watching it.
Everyone should take the opportunity to see Expelled – if nothing else, as a bracing antidote to the atheism-friendly culture of PC liberalism. But it's far more than that. It's a spotlight on the arrogance of this movement and its leaders, a spotlight on the choking intolerance of academia, and a spotlight on the ignorance of so many who say so much, yet know so very little.
L. Brent Bozell III is President of the | <urn:uuid:27455196-a912-4a2a-9447-eba188285f4e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mrc.org/print/articles/ben-stein-vs-sputtering-atheists | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953863 | 828 | 1.695313 | 2 |
This Animal Kingdom ride is located in Africa. Towards the back between the Tusker House and the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. This is a safari ride through the fictional Harambe Wildlife Animal Preserve, East Africa. It operates until sundown and is a very popular ride in the park. On the safari you will be treated to a variety of animals including ostrich, lions, rhinos, giraffes, hippos, zebras, crocodiles, and many other wild African beasts!
- This ride is appropriate for all ages, although keep your small children on the inside.
- The ride is wheelchair accessible, however expectant mothers and those with certain health problems should not ride.
- FASTPASS is available for this ride. When you arrive at the park, immediately get a FASTPASS, as this ride is extremely popular. The queue for this attraction gets very hot, as well.
- While waiting for your FASTPASS time, explore the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail.
The animals are not on “display” and roam as they please. Therefore every tour is different! Have your camera at the ready, because any vehicle stops are brief and the animals quick. The giraffe and ostrich will come especially close to the vehicle. Perhaps the favorite part of the tour is the elephants, where there is almost always a baby in tow. If you have the time, multiple rides on the Kilimanjaro Safari are a must!
Quick Tip: Photograph on the Kilimanjaro Safari can be a challenge. Try to take as many photos as possible when your vehicle is stopped. Or, be “one step ahead” in your viewing and try to catch the animals from a distance.
Overall this ride is an “A+”. | <urn:uuid:9f0595f8-1cc9-4745-82c0-91798ef0211b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.chipandco.com/planning/guide-to-disney-world/rides-attractions/animal-kingdom/kilimanjaro-safari/ | 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 | 0.941302 | 373 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Learn the good, the bad and the ugly about psychotropic drug use in the horse industry.
Some horses are bred to run long distances fast; some bloodlines are famous for the inherent burst of quick speed they pass on. Some horses are bred for their ability to bury their haunches in the ground and turn. Some are bred for their fluid movements. In an industry that has grown more specialized than ever before, one thing remains true of all horses — performance horses included, and that is all members of the equine species are in some way shape or form are born to run.
A dirty little secret in today’s performance horse industry, both Western and English, is the uncontrolled use of behavior-altering drugs that allow competitors to hold their horses at the edge without sending them over.
Ancient survival instinct drives them to move faster in response to fear and anxiety, and even activities that they enjoy can trigger the instinctive flight response.
The task of horsemen and women is to take these specially bred horses and train them to perform at their utmost abilities without pushing them beyond their mental and physical limits. Perhaps the late, great horseman and reined cowhorse legend Greg Ward summed up training great horses the best when he said, “You know how they say, ‘Genius borders on insanity?’ Well, that’s kind of where I put them, right there on the edge.”
To the edge
A dirty little secret in today’s performance horse industry, both Western and English, is the uncontrolled use of psychotropic drugs—sedatives and tranquilizers—that allow competitors to hold their horses at the edge without sending them over.
Most of the behavior-altering drugs used today in the horse industry came from human medicine. Acepromazine, chlorpromazine, fluphenazine and reserpine are antipsychotic drugs used to treat mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Guanabenz is an antihypertensive used to control blood pressure.
In the barrel racing industry, these “calming agents” are generally used to take the edge off excitable and overly anxious horses to improve their focus and manageability, thus their performance. While some barrel racers use psychotropic drugs temporarily to help horses through stressful situations — like experiencing fireworks and Ferris wheels at rodeos to rehabilitating the minds of “blown-up” performers. Then, there are horses that never compete without some sort of chemical assistance.
While considered unethical by some, no rules to prevent their use currently exist in the barrel racing industry. The fractured nature of the governance of the industry has left it without a clear-cut leader or financial backing to research, establish and administer such policies.
Here, with a little help from world-renowned veterinary pharmacologist and toxicologist Dr. Thomas Tobin of the Gluck Equine Research Center at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, we take a look at the most commonly used behavior-modifying drugs. Tobin, author of the definitive work Drugs and the Performance Horse, is responsible for the development of many of the drug tests used today by the Thoroughbred racing industry.
The phenothiazines tranquilizers
Acepromazine (“Ace”), chlorpromazine and fluphenazine are known as phenothiazine-type tranquilizers. Although they don’t contain phenothiazine, these drugs are classified as such because of their related molecular structure.
Acepromazine is the most commonly used phenothiazine tranquilizer in the horse industry.
Actual Phenothiazine is an insecticide introduced to the United States in 1935 by DuPont In the 1940s, it was used as one of the first deworming drenches for sheep.
Phenothiazine tranquilizers act as potent adrenergic blocking agents, meaning they block the action of adrenaline, the so-called “flight or fight” hormone.
Ace is the most commonly used phenothiazine tranquilizer used in the horse industry. It’s been used to produce short-acting sedation for more than 40 years. Because it lowers a horse’s blood pressure, ace has also been used as a vasodilator in the treatment of laminitis and, reportedly, in some cases as a preventative treatment against Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH or “bleeding”). Its sedative properties that facilitate muscle relaxation have led to it being used to treat exertional rhabdomyolysis, or “tying up,” as well as some episodes of colic.
An FDA-approved drug, Ace is not without its problems. It’s known to cause the penile retractor muscle to relax thus causing penile prolapse. While handy for sheath cleaning, in rare cases, speculated to be less than 1 in 10,000 cases, geldings and stallions develop paraphimosis, the inability to retract their penis into the sheath. Veterinarians have also speculated that the presence of circulating testosterone at the time of ace administration may increase the risk of paraphimosis for breeding stallions. In severe cases, penile paralysis may necessitate the amputation of the organ.
At the 2009 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, Ann Wagner, DVM, MS, Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologist and American College of Veterinary Practitioners, made the case against the use of Ace in colts and stallions after observing three cases of paraphimosis, or persistent penile prolapsed. Two of cases resulted in amputation of the penis, despite the fact that low doses of the drug were administered.
Given the devastating consequences for breeding stallions, Wagner recommended using alternative sedatives and tranquilizers that use some other mechanism of action rather than an adrenergic-blocking phenothiazine tranquilizer.
Longer acting than Ace, chlorpromazine is another phenothiazine tranquilizer that has also been used as a calming agent in performance horses. But it too has the same potential side effect when administered at large doses. Unfortunately, what exactly constitutes a large dose is highly variable and often horse and use dependent.
First used in 1950, chlorpromazine was the prototype for the phenothiazine class of drugs. Developed in France as a surgical pre-anesthetic, doctors discovered patients administered chlorpromazine reported feeling calm and relaxed while they were coming out of anesthesia. This development changed human psychiatric therapy. Known as the “chemical lobotomy,” chlorpromazine is considered one of the greatest advancements in human psychiatric care.
Chlorpromazine’s veterinary use is largely limited to small animal medicine. It’s commonly used to control vomiting in cats and dogs and is sometimes used as a sedative in cattle, swine, sheep and goats.
“Chlorpromazine is not FDA approved for use in the horse and there are no FDA approved veterinary formulations,” says Tobin. In Drugs and the Performance Horse, Tobin notes a study conducted by N.N. Booth, entitled “Psychotrophic drugs in veterinary medicine,” that detailed the undesirable side effects of chlorpromazine use in horses.
“According to Booth,” Tobin states, “after a few minutes of initial sedation following administration of the drug, the animal may become unsteady, sink backward on its hocks, and lunge forward in an uncoordinated manner. The horse may stumble and fall but then will stand up with continued lunging and rearing. This violent reaction reportedly alternates with periods of sedation.”
Anecdotal evidence suggests that horse owners who have used low doses of chlorpromazine to take the edge of nervous horses have also experienced such extremes.
Both Ace and chlorpromazine are relatively short acting with their pharmacological effect after a therapeutic dose ending within a number of hours.
“The advantage with a short-acting medication is that if you don’t like the response, you just wait,” says Tobin. “You either try a different dose next time, or you don’t.”
That isn’t the case with fluphenazine. A chemical cousin to ace and chlorpromazine, fluphenazine has some particularly nefarious side effects. A much more potent drug, approximately 50 to 70 times more potent than chlorpromazine, fluphenazine is available as a long-acting preparation that can be effective for several weeks, and if a horse is overly sensitive to it or is inappropriately dosed, it can be problematic.
A pharmacological cousin to acepromazine and chlorpromazine, fluphenazine is used in human medicine to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. The long-acting form of the drug can be used to “take the edge off” a horse for several weeks, but the side effects can be particularly nasty.
In humans, fluphenazine is used to treat schizophrenia and acute bipolar disorders. In veterinary medicine, it’s used for horses stall-bound due to injury and to take the edge off nervous horses. In some instances, it’s recommended for extremely excitable horses with chronic tying-up disorders.
The biggest drawbacks to fluphenazine are the extra-pyramidal effects, which refers to the parts of the brain that are affected by the drug. Extra-pyramidal effects leave the horse in a manic, excitatory state, where they are essentially uncontrollable. Horses suffering from fluphenazine toxicity also exhibit Parkinsonism — involuntary muscle moments, tremors, restlessness and agitation.
While these adverse side effects are typically reported in horses that have received an overdose of fluphenazine, either at initial administration or following repeated dosing intervals, they can occur in horses that were given the same dose safely in the past. It’s highly dose, and horse, dependent.
Reserpine is one of the world’s oldest tranquilizers. Made from the climbing vine Rauwolfia serpentina native to India, it was known in ancient Hindu writings as the “insanity herb” and was used to treat high blood pressure, insomnia, and of course, insanity. Its ability to lower blood pressure made it valuable as a treatment for snakebites, and a particularly handy drug in a land populated by some of the world’s most deadly vipers. Mahatma Gandhi was said to have used reserpine as a tranquilizer, and ancient texts have Alexander the Great using it to treat his general Ptolemy, who had fallen in battle to a poison arrow.
The “Indian Snakeroot” made its way into modern medicine prior to World War II, when two Indian doctors first reported of its antipsychotic properties in a Western medical journal.
“Reserpine and acepromazine were introduced into Western medicine at about the same time,” notes Tobin, who did his PhD in pharmacology under the direction of Amar Sen, whose father was one of the introductory Indian doctors. “Reserpine was so long-lasting that they were overdosing patients. Its effects are relatively quite long lasting; the effect of a single dose can last up to maybe 30 days, but they would dose the drug daily. Psychiatrists then found that their patients were getting depressed and committing suicide, and they concluded that reserpine was unmasking latent suicidal tendencies, which was somewhat unlikely; much more likely was that it was simply an overdose situation.”
Today it’s rarely used as a human antipsychotic, but is still used to manage high blood pressure when other medicines have failed.
Although not FDA approved for use in horses, reserpine was once considered a possible treatment for fescue toxicity that causes gestational problems and abortion in mares, but its principal use in equine medicine today is to take the edge off excitable or difficult to manage horses.
“It’s a very subtle, long-acting tranquilizer,” says Tobin. “It’s a relatively potent drug. It’s also very difficult to detect. When we started this business [of drug detection] 30 years ago, we couldn’t detect a couple of milligrams of a substance like reserpine. On the other hand, one needs to keep in mind that testing is now about 1 million times more sensitive than when I started in this business 35 years ago, and nowadays virtually all drugs and medications are readily detectable, and some for quite long periods post-administration.”
Although highly detectable by today’s drug tests, a positive result can be complicated by the presence of trace amounts of similar substances from native plants, like periwinkles, that are found in some areas of the United States, particularly in the Southeast.
Today’s drug tests are very sensitive and can detect very trace amounts of forbidden substances. For instance, a common plant, like periwinkles, can cause a horse to test positive for reserpine.
Like other tranquilizers, reserpine is highly dose dependent.
“You can take the edge off a horse for up to two weeks with small doses of reserpine, if you’ve got the right horse and the right dose,” says Tobin. “The first day the horse may be a little depressed, have a little diarrhea or flatulence, but after two days or so, he’s normal to visual inspection, but if you know the behavior of the horse well, and especially if you know him to be excitable and difficult to manage, you will know he’s tranquilized.”
The use of reserpine in this manner is largely unstudied, but anecdotal evidence suggests that the drug may, in very rare instances, cause penile prolapse in male horses, thus making penile paralysis a possible side effect. Other possible side effects include violent colic, diarrhea and sweating over the back and hindquarters.
The reactions to reserpine can be variable among horses. Warns Tobin, “You need to know how to use it and it also helps to know your horse.”
Guanabenz found its way into the horse industry over the past decade. It’s an anti-hypertensive drug used to treat high blood pressure in humans by decreasing heart rate and relaxing vessels for ease of blood flow.
Its ability to regulate blood pressure drew the interest of racetrack veterinarians who were looking for alternatives to the diuretic furosemide (Lasix®) to manage EIPH. Although its use in the management of EIPH has yet to be clinically proven, veterinarians noticed guanabenz was an effective calming agent.
Tobin was charged with the task of developing a post-race test to detect guanabenz.
“I was bringing up a test for it, and as we were dosing horses with various amounts, I noticed some very interesting pharmacology,” says Tobin. “It’s just like detomidine [Domosedan], except it’s longer-acting and has better analgesic responses, so I filed for a patent on its use in the horse.”
Detomidine, a widely used chemical restraint in the same family as xylazine (Rompun), is much stronger than the phenothazine tranqulizers. It’s known to cause hypertension shortly after administration followed by a period of bradycardia, a slowing of the heartbeat. Other side effects include muscle tremors, excess sweating and partial penile prolapse. Horses are extremely lethargic and often stand with their heads lowered between their legs.
Compared to detomidine, guanabenz is a long-acting and rapidly reversible sedative. While detomidine may last less than an hour, the effects of guanabenz at sedative levels can last for several hours.
Just how affective guanabenz is as a calming agent in performance horses was studied by researchers at the University of Florida. In their paper “The effect of adrenergic suppression induced by guanabenz administration on exercising Thoroughbred horses,” published in the August 2006 Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement, researchers concluded guanabenz did induce signs of adrenergic suppression.
During exercise, the treated horses had lower heart rates, lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and adrenaline in their bloodstreams when compared to the untreated horses. The results suggested that guanabenz administration “may enhance endurance” but further research was needed.
The use of antipsychotic and antihypertensive drugs to calm horses is largely anecdotal. Veterinarians aren’t taught how to use them in vet school. While studies exist on their use as calmatives, even fewer exist on their performance enhancing effects.
Speaking off the record, trainers and competitors said they favored the drugs over “wet saddle blankets” and “loping down” because it saved their horses legs from exhaustion-related injuries. It was also cheap insurance on “a $100,000 investment.”
Barrel horse trainers were less concerned about the psychotropic drugs because of the fine line between taking the edge off and taking away the run needed to win. They were more concerned with the “hops,” the stimulant drugs used to make a horse run through pain and beyond their physical endurance. Sadly, in the barrel racing industry psychotropic drugs have been used to make horses under the influence of stimulant drugs and anabolic steroids more manageable.
What remains unknown is the long-term effects on a horse’s physical and mental wellbeing afterwards, and just how much of a competitive edge they provide.
While the use of drugs like acepromazine to the take the edge off has become a common practice, no studies of the long-term effects of its use in this manner have been studied.
Some veterinarians and horseman have hypothesized that the use of tranquilizers and sedatives, such as Ace that facilitates muscle relaxation, may make horses more prone to soft tissues injures. The theory being that ligaments take up some of the weight-bearing duties for overly relaxed muscles, making them more susceptible to injury. Others wonder if the overuse of psychotropic drugs is responsible for the large number of horses that are expressing neurological disorders such as Equine Protozoal Myleoencphelitis.
For all the theories of what these drugs may and may not do, their use in this manner has yet to be studied.
Taking a stand
When it comes to any type of illegal medical enhancement of performance and racehorses, the United States leads the way. In Europe, equestrian sports like three-day eventing, jumping, dressage and endurance racing, as well as the Western sports that have become popular there like reining and barrel racing, must comply with the Olympic-level standards of the FEI.
In the 1970s when veterinary pharmacologists such as Tobin developed tests to detect subtle levels of the earlier tranquilizers and sedatives, they were banned from FEI-sanctioned events. Subsequently, their banning trickled down to FEI affiliates and other horse sporting organizations that look to the FEI as the supreme governing body of all things equestrian.
Tobin’s understanding is that their use as shortcuts in the training process prompted the bans.
“They were reportedly being used as shortcuts to getting a desired effect that a skilled horseman may have to take a long time and a lot of effort to get,” he says. “You could potentially produce similar effects with the use of a tranquilizer within a relatively short period, so they were seen as an unfair and inappropriate advantage.”
Currently, all the drugs previously mentioned in this article are banned drugs, meaning they cannot be found in any level in a horse’s system, under FEI rules. Ace is the only exception. FEI lists it as a control substance, meaning it must be used under certain guidelines.
The AQHA and United States Equestrian Federation, which governs mostly English horse sports, both have judicious-use guidelines. For instance, the AQHA has guidelines for the use of “therapeutic medications” such as phenylbutazone (“bute”), diclofenac (Surpass®), flunixin (“banamine”), ketoprofin, Furosemide (Lasix®), Isoxsuprine and Dexamethasone, etc. However, in regards to other drugs, like tranquilizers, sedatives and performance enhancers, they are strictly forbidden as they “depress the cardiovascular, respiratory or central nervous system.”
The National Reined Cowhorse Association, National Reining Horse Association and National Cutting Horse Association all have similar policies in place.
Jerry Black, DVM, a breeder and owner of cutting horses who now serves as the Director of Equine Science Undergraduate Programs at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, was part of the NCHA committee that put forth the association’s drug testing initiative.
“The AAEP, American Horse Council, the USEF and AQHA have taken the stance that there is no place for psychotropic drugs, sedatives or tranquilizers in the performance industry,” said Black, who was one of the founders of Pioneer Equine Hospital in Oakdale, Calif. “I think when it gets right down to it, given the opportunity there will always be those looking for a competitive edge of some kind or to alter the way they need to train a horse. The sad thing is we’re so far into (the use of behavioral modifying drugs) that we’re crowning multiple champions that do not perform well without these types of drugs, and consequently, we’re breeding a horse that’s become dependent on them to show. There comes a point when we have to say the welfare of the horse is a priority.
“The worst thing is that we’ve allowed this to get completely out of hand. There are young trainers and some older trainers that don’t think they can compete without these medications. It’s become the new industry standard.”
With public outcry after the horrific breakdown of the gallant mare Eight Bells at the end of the 2008 Kentucky Derby and the tragic death of 21 polo ponies due to the administration of a performance-enhancing vitamin cocktail in 2009, the time for drawing a line the sand is now, said Black.
“Society won’t accept it now,” he said. “They won’t accept it in human athletes and they certainly won’t accept it in the performance horse world, nor should they really. This is a public issue, particularly after there was a Congressional hearing conducted after the Eight Belles incident, it’s obvious if we don’t take care of this ourselves, within the industry, it will be legislated.”
Changing the Tide
Changes of this nature are never easy, but they can be done.
“Changes comes along gradually,” says Jim Heird, PhD, executive professor and coordinator of the Equine Initiative at Texas A&M University in College Station. “We are making progress.”
Heird points to the drastic improvements in the Walking Horse industry. The fallout from the practice of “soring,” where caustic materials and devices are used to produced the “Big Lick” gaited steps, left the industry without a championship show because competitors feared federal (yes federal) inspectors from the United States Department of Agriculture.
Black says the use of psychotropic drugs often becomes a mindset—trainers think they have to use them to win.
“You always want to have a level playing field and the welfare of the horse in mind,” says Black. “Those are paramount for any horse event. We have to remember the horse is what got us here, and it’s our obligation to take care of them.
“It’s going to be difficult for some people to adjust, but what choice do we have?”
What will be difficult to overcome in the barrel racing industry is the lack of a unifying governing body.
“If you don’t have an association that governs what you’re doing, change is going to be difficult,” Heird says. “You have to have leadership and membership that wants to make a change. The membership has got to want to do and you have to have leadership with courage. If you don’t have enough people calling for change, the industry isn’t ready for it.”
When an industry can’t or won’t police itself, outsiders often step in, like the federal government did with the Walking horse industry. The important thing to realize is that what’s become acceptable to the industry, isn’t necessary acceptable to the general public.
Heird urges trainers and competitors to look at what they’re doing from an outsider’s perspective.
“I always ask people, ‘Could you defend this on 60 Minutes? If you can’t, you need to stop doing it.”
Dr. Thomas Tobin’s book Drugs and the Performance Horse is still available on Amazon.com. Also particularly interesting his website thomastobin.com. His site contains several presentations related to regulating of drug use in performance and racehorses.
Another thought provoking read is Dr. Jim Heird’s article, which appeared in the February 2010 issue of the Quarter Horse Journal. It can be found online at http://www.pphc.net/articles/DoRightbytheHorse.pdf.
Perhaps the most important article to read was published online by The Horse magazine and can be found at http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=7989. Entitled “Government tells Tennessee Walking Horse industry to stop abuse,” the article illustrates just what happens when a horse industry fails to police its own. | <urn:uuid:2d0a76e1-b94c-4e94-af7d-d413198a6535> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.barrelhorsenews.com/articles/horse-health/3795-altered-states | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948426 | 5,484 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Marcelo Cruz is one lucky guy. Cruz, a wheelchair user, was going across the Minneapolis bridge that collapsed on Wednesday. He was on his way to a wheelchair racing class when he felt the bridge buckle. "The bridge started shaking like an earthquake. I saw the bridge going up and down a little bit," he told reporters. Then he saw people hanging on the side of the bridge, and then he realized the bridge’s incline was now so steep he couldn’t brake his van. So he drove his van into a concrete barrier and finally, it came to a stop. Because of the steep incline of the bridge, Cruz couldn’t get out of the van by himself, but was able to get help from two other men, and then made it to safety.
Lucky, lucky guy.
I’m drawn to stories like Cruz’ for a few reasons. First, of course, what happened in Minneapolis is horrific, so much like 9/11, and can happen anywhere. True, Hurricane Katrina was more of a disaster, but I live in Pennsylvania. Hurricanes happen elsewhere. But we have a lot of bridges here. And now, like many others, I’m going to speed up when I’m crossing one. Second, I’m drawn to Cruz’ story because it’s such a typical human story. We like to identify with survivors -- they're “every man.” The stories of those who die are heart-breaking and compelling and make us cry, but the stories of those who live … they’re about all of us because everyone alive is a survivor of something. And third, hey, Cruz is a guy with a disability, a wheelchair-user with an SCI.
Let’s look at that last point a bit more.
There’s a core of folks in our community, and I’m one of them, who think deeply about how the general public’s attitudes toward disability is reflected by the media. We work with media outlets to get them to see our lives the way we do – which, yes, varies from person to person … which, actually, is kinda the point. Yesterday saw a flurry of e-mails among media activists examining how Cruz’ story has been handled by the press. Yes, some reporters said he’s confined, some said he’s bound. Some said he’s a quad, some said he’s a para, some just said he’s paralyzed. Let’s put all that language stuff to the side for a minute and look at some other stuff they said.
Newspapers around the nation reported that a guy, just a guy, who happens to use a wheelchair, through quick thinking and decisive action survived a horrific disaster that is reminiscent of 9/11. No one’s surprised he had his own van, no one questioned whether he should have been driving by himself. And his story is portrayed as one of many beautiful survival stories, like the ones about the young woman who helped save school children, and so on and so forth.
Here’s the bigger story Cruz is part of: People, just people, were put under enormous pressure to survive. And people, as people tend to do, rose to the challenge. At least one of those people, and this is no surprise, was a guy with a disability who happens to use a wheelchair.
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JAMAICA'S HIGHLY lucrative funeral industry will soon be forced to operate under stricter government guidelines.
The Ministry of Health is moving to bridge gaps in service, environmental and public-health standards that have widened while the funeral industry has operated freely, with little regulation.
Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson made the commitment to create a regulatory framework for the industry during his tenure, while addressing some of the island's funeral directors at the Meadowrest Memorial Gardens annual appreciation function on Tuesday.
"It is not enough for you to just register as a business," the health minister said.
"There's going to be need for public-health certification as well. Our own standards and regulation division, environmental health unit and pesticide control authority, will ensure there is a greater level of scrutiny and improved compliance in order to safeguard public health and the environment."
Dr Ferguson said regulation would make the funeral industry a more sophisticated player in the business community and a legitimate contributor to the economy, enjoying greater public confidence and a higher level of business activity.
Many unregulated players
He noted that there are too many unregulated operators in the industry, adding that the Government has an obligation to ensure that those who operate in the industry are observing proper public-health standards in respect of the different aspects of the business.
"While the Government has an indispensable role to safeguard public health, the players in this industry must be vigilant to ensure that the operators are observing good public-health practices and that their workers are properly protected on a daily basis. Proper attention must be given in the storage, use and disposal of protective gears and chemicals that are essential to your operation."
The health minister's announcement has already received much support from key players in the funeral business, with many saying the move towards tighter regulation has been a long time coming.
"We all concur with the minister that whatever regulation comes will offer well for the industry," said Joseph Cornwall, director of House of Tranquility Funeral Home which operates in Kingston and Portmore.
"It's not a matter of hope; we have to, because the bereaved families are the ones who suffer. If you have more trained people in the industry it uplifts the standards, because there are more people that know what they're doing. You are dealing with chemicals, their usage and proper storage and you cannot entrust this to a layman. It has to be somebody who is so trained to handle hazardous chemicals"
Cornwall also pointed to the absence of a training facility in Jamaica, where morticians can be certified, as the cause of many of the industry's problems.
Calvin Lyn of Lyn's Funeral Home in Manchester said the Government's commitment is a decade late. | <urn:uuid:71f7ad5b-1e07-41f4-bd1e-8efbd1c1dd15> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120330/news/news8.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964744 | 551 | 1.726563 | 2 |
BREWER, Maine (NEWS CENTER)-- President Obama unveiled new policies today aimed at reducing gun violence. It is the most sweeping set of gun-control proposals in two decades. Since the president has taken aim on tighter gun control laws, gun store owners in Eastern Maine said guns and ammo are flying off the shelves.
Vice President Ryan Nyer with Maine Military Supply said this is not the first shortage for ammunition they have seen. The popular rifle ammunition 223 are scarce on the shelves.
Nyer said, "The 223 has had a shortage in this country for the last four years. The worst was last year, we were virtually unable to get anything. We would get a little here and there."
Rick Lozier with Van Raymond Outfitter's in Brewer said, "The demand is probably up 1000% than what it normally is. People that would typically buy one or two boxes would grab a whole case which would be 50 boxes typically."
National manufacturers are feeling the punch too. Many are experiencing back orders for both firearms and ammunition.
This shortage is nothing new. Many gun suppliers say they saw a shortage four years ago when President Obama first took office and some worried there would be stricter gun control laws.
The most popular 22 ammunition can not stay on the shelf long enough and retailers struggle to fulfill the demand.
Nyer said, "People want to buy 22 because that's one of the most common rounds in America to target shoot with is 22. And people use a lot of it. It's very inexpensive, very common, and so people come in and buy 500 rounds and shoot it all off in a weekend without thinking about it. So many people are buying 500 rounds and then buying thousands of rounds and hoarding it. The supply dwindles pretty quick and they are not producing enough to fill the demand."
Some big manufacturers are experiencing an 18-week back order or stopped taking orders until they can catch up.
The increase in sales can have something to do with the increase in gun owners. Gun store owners say there's been a spike in people coming in looking to buy their own gun.
"Particularly in the female line. We have a ton of new females, not looking so much for rifles and shotguns, but handguns for self defense, concealed carry weapons things of that nature and an increase in that probably in the last year and a half two years we have seen an increase in that," said Nyer.
According to Maine State Police, there has been a steady increase in concealed weapons permit applications over the past four years. In 2012, Maine State Police issued more than 7,500 concealed weapons permits. This number is up by 2,000 from the previous year. The high demand caused a backlog of 2,000 applications.
Leuitenant Scott Ireland with Maine State Police said they sometimes receive nearly 150 new applications a day. The spike has extended the wait period of up to 90 days, an increase from the usual 30 to 60 day wait period. | <urn:uuid:5f97c431-4c61-4e02-9567-0d64816cfeb1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wlbz2.com/news/article/227930/2/Proposed-gun-laws-cause-dash-for-ammo-in-Eastern-Maine | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975736 | 609 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Planning ahead to Inauguration Day 2013
But let's think ahead to Inauguration Day 2013. Though the 20th Amendment states that a president's term ends at "noon on the 20th day of January," Jan. 20, 2013 is a Sunday.
And what happens when a holiday happens on a Sunday? The government moves it to Monday.
So whoever is inaugurated in 2013 is likely to do it twice -- once privately and once again with all the ruffles and flourishes.
If Obama is a two-termer, he's likely to follow precedent set by Ronald Reagan and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Reagan took the oath of office for the second time privately on Sunday Jan. 20, 1985 and during a public (indoor) ceremony the next day. Eisenhower took the oath again during a private White House ceremony on Sunday Jan. 20, 1957 and repeated it publicly on the East portico of the White House on Monday Jan. 21.
(Of course, Obama did the reverse: He took the oath publicly, but, after Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts flubbed it, he did it again privately the next day "out of an abundance of caution.")
Back when Inauguration Day was on March 4th, James Monroe, Zachary Taylor and Woodrow Wilson also took the oath privately on a Sunday and publicly on a Monday.
And plan ahead: Inauguration Day falls on a Sunday once every 28 years, so it will happen again in 2041, 2069, and 2097.
Leave your thoughts in the comments section below
• But Hu's counting?: After last week's launch of a secret Chinese military jet, the U.S. is prepared to offer President Hu a little fireworks of its own.
• Army sees suicide decline overall, increase among Guard and Reserve soldiers: The new figures show how difficult it has been for officials to drive down the number of suicides in a force that remains under serious strain.
• Military study finds benefits in mental health screening: Soldiers who were screened for mental health problems before deploying to Iraq were less likely to report suicidal thoughts.
• Lasers an increasing hazard for pilots: The number of reported incidents where lasers have been pointed at airplanes almost doubled from 2009 to 2010, according to a statement Wednesday from the Federal Aviation Administration.
• Labor-management councils putting pieces in place: The National Council on Federal Labor Relations is providing agencies with guidance to improve dialogue with labor organizations.
• Pandas to remain in D.C. 5 more years: The National Zoo has reached an agreement with China to extend for five years the stay of Washington's beloved black and white bears at a dramatically reduced cost.
| January 20, 2011; 6:00 AM ET
Categories: Eye Opener
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ADL Urges Greek Orthodox Church to Condemn Bishop's Blatant Anti-Semitism
New York, NY, December 22, 2010 …The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today urged the Greek Orthodox Church to publicly denounce blatantly anti-Semitic comments made by one of its bishops.
During an interview with a popular television show in Greece, Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus blamed Jews for orchestrating the Holocaust and accused "world Zionism" of a conspiracy to enslave Greece and the Orthodox Church. The bishop also charged Jewish bankers with controlling international finance.
"Metropolitan Seraphim's blatantly anti-Semitic comments are shocking and deeply disturbing, and we urge the Greek Orthodox Church to unequivocally condemn his words," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "It is especially troubling to hear such words from a religious leader. The Orthodox Church must make clear that anti-Semitism in all its forms is unacceptable."
The League expressed its concern in letters to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and to Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Hieronymos II.
In an interview with Greece's Mega TV, Metropolitan Seraphim reportedly said, "Adolf Hitler was an instrument of world Zionism and was financed from the renowned Rothschild family with the sole purpose of convincing the Jews to leave the shores of Europe and go to Israel to establish the new Empire."
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The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry. | <urn:uuid:af3f0613-8d94-45d3-aa8d-7af86092eab2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://archive.adl.org/PresRele/ASInt_13/5947_13.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950461 | 336 | 1.507813 | 2 |
In 1953, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, thriving in the midst of their success with the I Love Lucy radio and television shows, decided to make a movie called, “The Long, Long Trailer.” Essentially, they reincarnated their popular characters into the movie, with slightly altered names – Tracy and Nicky. The movie was directed by Vincente Minelli.
They played a newly-married couple who decide to buy a trailer instead of house. Nicky wants to do the prudent thing and save their money to buy house. The addle-headed, live-for-the-moment Tracy wants to buy a house trailer and tour the country on their honeymoon. The result is a very funny movie about their adventures in the movie.
Tracy is a rock-hound. She collects rocks from every place they visit, so that when they settle down someplace, she can create a stone path out of her souvenir rocks. Nicky tells her to get rid of them. They’re about to cross the Continental Divide and their car, big as it is, can’t pull a trailer full of rocks over the high pass.
However, she can’t bear to part with any of her precious stones. She unloads whatever other items she can and hides the rocks within the trailer where Nicky can’t find them. As the car continues upward – like our debt – all they see past the hood of the car is sky. Meanwhile, the car is obviously struggling.
Finally, they get caught on a switchback turn. After burning a lot of rubber to get the car going, Nicky grows suspicious. He opens the trailer and an avalanche of rocks comes tumbling out. Furious, he tosses the rocks over the cliff edge. They continue on their way, not speaking to one another.
If Nicky thought the uphill ride was a dilly, the downhill ride would have been a disaster. His brakes would soon have given out and they’d have gone careening down the other side of the mountain, out of control. Just like our economy.
That is essentially the state of our national economy at the moment. At the end of the movie, Tracy demands a divorce because of Nicky’s “insensitivity”. Speaking to the buyer of the trailer, he asks the older man if he and his wife have ever had an argument. The man replies, “Nope.” To which Nicky says, [paraphrase] “Don’t worry; you will now.”
Arguments like these have ended more marriages than anyone can count. Writ large, it’s about to end our country as we know it. The Liberal Democrats are the hare-brained housewife, with no clue about how to economize. Imbued with the nesting instinct, they only know how to spend. The Conservative Republicans (and there are precious few of them) are the more sensible husband, not wanting divorce, but not wanting bankruptcy, either.
In our feminist culture, with a sympathetic, feminist court, the woman always wins. After all, it’s another way of “redistributing the wealth.” The Liberals are casting aside the more necessary items and loading up our trailer with rocks. They think it’s getting us up the mountain, but it’s breaking our economic engine – capitalism – and eventually when we go down the other side – and we will – our brakes will fail. We’ve already been warned about our national credit rating.
Most people think that Obama is just some sort of funky Lucy Ricardo, dim-witted and clueless. However, he and his Progressive Proselytes know exactly what they’re doing. They know how the Capitalist engine works and they know what kind of stress it takes to burn out the engine and the brakes. They know they’ve overloaded our economy with unsustainable entitlement programs and have borrowed recklessly. They’re like teenagers on a rollercoaster ride, knowing that they’re approaching the peak and the car will soon be racing down the other side, out of control.
We need to elect a responsible Congress and President who’ll toss these useless rocks out of the car before we descend down the other side. This is not a movie where the Progressives and the Conservatives can kiss and make up. If you believe in fairy tales, you can think that the two sides will come to some sort of consensus.
If you believe in reality, you know the people behind the wheel right now have rocks in their heads and we need to toss them over the side. | <urn:uuid:f843c3dd-2fe1-4236-a45f-7b240dcedf24> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://belleofliberty.wordpress.com/2011/07/18/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961421 | 968 | 1.507813 | 2 |
With summertime in full swing, kids getting out of school and warmer weather becoming the norm, Southern Californian residents know it’s that time of year again for the annual San Diego County Fair! For nearly a month in June and early July, over one million visitors converge on the Del Mar Fairgrounds for a full range of fun and exciting activities such as contests, exhibits, games, rides, concerts, livestock and consuming more fried foods than you could ever imagine! Fried frog legs or fried bacon doughnuts anyone? Each year the fair has a different theme and for 2012, “Out of This World” was chosen to pay homage to mankind’s fascination with the wonders of outer space, as well as the fun world of science fiction fantasy. What a fitting theme this year for the fifth largest fair in America.
Oceanside Photo and Telescope’s Website Manager, Penny Distasio, invited Celestron to team up and for a block of three days, exhibit telescopes inside the fair’s Theme Exhibit Building – filled with space related displays including a gigantic, colorful UFO. How could we turn that down? We joined OPT (who is working the duration of the event) and set up our telescopes on a raised stage on one end of the building to observe “planetary” objects hanging from wires on the opposite end. I was told the OPT gals spent a few Wednesday evenings creating a realistic Solar System display just for the exhibit. Well done ladies!
Once the building opened, fairgoers quickly spotted our telescopes and a line formed as staff members permitted guests to walk up on stage two to five at a time for viewing. A Celestron NexStar 6SE and AstroMaster 70AZ were the telescope workhorses and aimed at different planetary objects, while a CPC 1100 and a PlaneWave 17” CDK optical tube assembly stood on static display behind the stage. Guests were quite amazed at the magnification prowess of each telescope considering how far away the targets were placed. A considerable amount of planetary details were faithfully replicated, including "Saturn's" Cassini Division and "Neptune's" raging storm. Quite a number of children, some as young as four years of age, were able to name all the Terrestrial and Jovian planets and in order! Many guests welcomed their first opportunity to peek through telescopes, even if the targets were just models. It just goes to show how much work is still needed to get the word out on how fun, exciting and educational telescope observing really is.
The San Diego County Fair comes to a close on July 4th, but until then, there is still plenty of astronomy outreach that will be taking place at the OPT stage. Each day will continue to bring in hundreds and hundreds of new visitors who will also have the opportunity to view through the telescopes. How many people will become inspired with the wonders of astronomy and related sciences? Judging by all the happy smiles we encountered thus far, I would say “more than you can imagine.” Stop by the fair and say hello to OPT staff members who will continue to provide telescope viewing until the fair comes to a close with a bang, and I do mean that literally. Thank you Penny and OPT for inviting Celestron to participate at such a worthwhile public outreach event. We will see you all again in a few weeks at SCAE on July 14th! | <urn:uuid:4f76370f-c04f-42f2-bf4e-d83b3b305626> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.celestron.com/science_education/articles/cat/news/post/out-of-this-world/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967663 | 687 | 1.625 | 2 |
A former Gizmodo employee had his Twitter account breached, and the hackers then used it to crack the gadget site's Twitter account and send out racist tweets yesterday. Talk about a bad day. Emil Protalinski at CNET sister site ZDNet has the story.
Every year at Defcon there are rumors of some network being hacked. It would be unusual if such tales didn't crop up at the world's largest hacker conference. But this year there were reports from a number of credible sources of strange behavior on phones -- reports that had people more paranoid than normal.
Here's what people said they were seeing last weekend, along with some possible explanations for the scenarios:
Voice mail messages that led to unknown numbers instead of to the standard phone number that points to the user's automated voice message recovery system.… Read more
The 19th century military theorist Carl von Clausewitz famously asserted that war was an expression of politics by other means. A 21st century postscript: add cyber hacking to the list of means.
With Syria in the midst of a raging civil war, somebody hacked the Reuters.com Web site on Friday with a phony post purporting to carry an interview with Free Syrian Army head Riad al-Asaad.
"Our blogging platform was compromised and fabricated blog posts were falsely attributed to several Reuters journalists," the company said in a statement and later tweeted. "We are working to address … Read more
When a few hundred Dropbox users began receiving spam emails about online casinos and gambling sites two weeks ago, it seemed like something was up. And indeed there was.
The online file storage service confirmed today that hackers accessed usernames and passwords from third party sites and then used them to get into Dropbox users' accounts.
"Our investigation found that usernames and passwords recently stolen from other websites were used to sign in to a small number of Dropbox accounts. We've contacted these users and have helped them protect their accounts," the company wrote in a blog … Read more
LAS VEGAS -- A young hacker here at Defcon 20 has pulled back the dense curtain of text and ambiguity surrounding warranties to show consumers how they can hack the warranty system -- and to tell companies how to improve their warranty management.
"Darkred," as he prefers to be called, explained to a standing-room only session that it's the way manufacturers manage serial numbers and warranties that allows the system to be hacked.
"The serial number makes you the owner of a product," said the 17-year-old, a high school senior from Texas. Darkred declined to … Read more
LAS VEGAS -- While Apple was making its decidedly lackluster Black Hat debut just one floor up, security researcher Jonathan Zdziarski was explaining the dark art of iOS app hacking to a smaller but still crowded room.A senior forensics scientist at viaForensics, he clearly didn't have much faith in the security of apps running on iOS. "iOS can be infected through a new zero-day, or you can take a phone and run real fast. Apparently, bars are a great way to pick up iPhones," he said as the audience chuckled, clearly remembering the two separate lost iPhone prototype incidents. … Read more
Facebook is to widen its "bug bounty" program to reward researchers who spot holes in its corporate network.
Facebook already pays a bug bounty to outside hackers who report weaknesses in its products, but the move extends the program to its own infrastructure, too.
Rewarding "white hat" companies and individuals who unearth vulnerabilities in Web services and report them, rather than exploit them, is "not a new concept. The reasoning is thus: entice individuals with cash … Read more
LAS VEGAS -- There's much more to hacking than just the Hollywood portrayal of a speed typing contest, say the computer security professionals who've developed a new hacking-themed card game called Control-Alt-Hack.
Control-Alt-Hack is based on Steve Jackson Games' Ninja Burger, but from the characters to the mission cards to the entropy cards, the demystification of white hat computer security is the name of this game. Game co-designer, security researcher, and University of Washington Computer Security and Privacy Research Lab honorary member Adam Shostack said at the Black Hat 2012 confab here that when it comes to teaching … Read more
LAS VEGAS -- Researchers have uncovered a huge amount of malware and registered domains being used by criminals linked to China who are conducting cyber-espionage on a wide range of government, industry, and human rights activists.
The growing menace from these "Advanced Persistent Threats" is detailed in a report unveiled today called "Chasing APT." In an interview at the Black Hat security conference here, Joe Stewart, director of malware research at Dell Secureworks Counter Threat Unit, said that over the last 18 months he's been monitoring attacks designed to steal data from organizations around the … Read more
You may not be as safe in your locked hotel room as you think.
Keycard door locks from Onity -- used in more than 4 million hotel rooms around the world -- are susceptible to vulnerabilities that could lead to a security bypass, according to Cody Brocious, a 24-year-old Mozilla developer and security researcher. Brocious, who is expected to present his findings at the Black Hat security conference tomorrow, showed Forbes how he is able to open hotel doors with a gadget he built with materials costing less than $50.
Brocious' device spoofs a portable programming device used to control … Read more | <urn:uuid:d4de2324-13f5-4101-aed4-333bf36d9d84> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cnet.com/8300-5_1-0-11.html?keyword=hacked | 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 | 0.955872 | 1,139 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Q: What is the proper code for a gallbladder that was submitted with a lymph node? Both specimens were benign. Because we have always considered the lymph node to be incidental to the gallbladder, we only use CPT code 88304. Should we code this specimen as 88304 and 88305? The gallbladder was removed for lithiasis (stones) and the lymph node was incidental.
A. A gallbladder with a lymph node submitted as a single specimen is reported using CPT code 88304. The lymph node is considered incidental to the gallbladder.
Q: A patient had a positive test for
the tumor-suppressor gene BRCA2, and we received two specimens. The first
specimen was the right tube and ovary, and the diagnosis for each was
benign. The second specimen was the left tube and ovary, and it was also
benign. Because of the possibility of cancer, an extra section of each
specimen was taken. Should each specimen be coded as 88305 or as 88307?
A. The correct CPT code for each specimen is 88305, Ovary with or without tube, non-neoplastic, because no disease was detected. It would be incorrect to use code 88307, Ovary with or without tube, neoplastic.
Frequently asked questions about CPT are published bimonthly in “Capitol
Scan.” This section of CAP TODAY is a product of the CAP Economic
The codes and descriptions listed here are from Current Procedural
Terminology, 4th ed., CPT 2006. CPT 2006 is copyrighted by the American
Medical Association. To purchase CPT books, call the AMA at 800-621-8335.
For more information about CPT coding, visit the CPT
Coding Resource Center on the CAP Web site. | <urn:uuid:3eac4db0-4460-42af-9041-16e992ff94f7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cap.org/apps/cap.portal?_nfpb=true&cntvwrPtlt_actionOverride=%2Fportlets%2FcontentViewer%2Fshow&_windowLabel=cntvwrPtlt&cntvwrPtlt%7BactionForm.contentReference%7D=cap_today%2Ffeature_stories%2F0906CPTqa.html&_state=maximized&_pageLabel=cntvwr | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955059 | 389 | 1.820313 | 2 |
By Fareed Zakaria
The American political system is simply not working. The parties have become too polarized; institutions and traditions of governance, like the filibuster, have been abused to create permanent gridlock. It's tempting to pretend that this has always been a part of the country's raucous democracy and that both parties are to blame. But that's just not true. Consider these facts. Over the past five years, Republicans in the Senate have threatened or used a filibuster 385 times. That's almost double the rate of the preceding five years and much more than the historic average.
Would Obama or Romney be better at breaking this deadlock? Each side makes its arguments. Obama has recently said that his re-election would "break the fever" and force Republicans to the table. Romney partisans quietly admit that the Republican Party will have to accept higher taxes, but they claim only one of its own can take them there.
Watch the video for the full take. | <urn:uuid:94ff76be-1f8c-4e04-917c-f2b20cbb5735> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/04/u-s-risks-crashing-off-the-cliff/?hpt=hp_t2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97036 | 196 | 1.796875 | 2 |
We made some gorgeous beaded bubble wands yesterday! As a DIY project, this didn't take much in the way of materials—simply pipecleaners, beads, and wooden dowels (although popsicle sticks or natural sticks from the backyard would work, too).
We had the pipecleaners and dowels on hand already and the beads were on sale at A.C. Moore for about $1.50 a bag of assorted shapes and colors which I thought was a great score. I may have to go back and get more...
I don't usually do this, but I tested a few variations of the beaded bubble wands first before introducing the activity to the kids. The wand on the left, with the beaded handle, is what I had planned for us to do. I found the idea via Pinterest, of course. I was inspired by both a blog post by Kleas and by a Flickr photo by ladylucente.
Unfortunately the wire I bought was too thick or the beads I chose had holes that were too small to fit easily over a doubled up strand of my wire (I managed to force them on for this wand but it wasn't easy and I didn't think the kids would be able to manage it with a smile on their faces). So... I quickly came up with a plan B (beaded wire for the circle of the wand) and a plan C (pipecleaner for the circle of the wand).
I tested each with some bubble solution to see which head made the best bubbles. The best was the simple pipecleaner head! Followed closely by the beaded head. The plain wire strand was a rather distant third place. Good to know.
We ended up stringing beads along pipecleaners to make the bubble wand heads. I was too attached to the idea of beautiful beaded bubble wands to settle for the plain jane pipecleaners.
This was a wonderful fine motor control activity for Daphne, by the way!
The finished wands are lovely. The pipecleaners are twisted around the dowel ends, but I added a bit of hot glue from the glue gun to make sure they stayed in place.
We took the wands out to the garden with a bowl of bubble solution.
And blew bubbles! (Daphne insisted on using the one wire wand and managed to get a few bubbles out of it.)
Here you can see the gussied up pipecleaner wand (we added beads to the top of the handle with hot glue) make lots of great bubbles.
And one of the many extra big bubbles made with one of the beaded wands.
Ah... What would summer be without bubbles?
If you enjoyed this post, please share your thoughts in the comments, share the post with your friends, or subscribe to receive blog updates through e-mail or your reader. Thank you! | <urn:uuid:3b7ffb39-bc43-488f-ab2d-ff22173b8694> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.artfulparent.com/2012/05/diy-beaded-bubble-wands.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978126 | 595 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Making US Aviation More Competitive
- A New Approach to Taxes and Regulatory Policy
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged US policy makers to improve aviation competitiveness by easing the tax and regulatory burdens on the airline industry.
“Aviation generates up to $1.3 trillion in annual US economic activity and 10.5 million jobs and accounts for up to 5.2% of GDP, according to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) study. The US has one of the most mobile populations on the planet thanks to commercial aviation. Each and every flight creates jobs, enables commerce and drives connectivity. Policy makers at the state and local level recognize these facts and they work hard to ensure connectivity by attracting air services. But while aviation gets a lot of attention in Washington, it is not always focused on the priority of using aviation as a catalyst for economic activity,” said IATA’s Director General and CEO Tony Tyler in his remarks to the 37th FAA Aviation Forecast Conference.
“If creating jobs and encouraging economic growth is a national policy priority, then the lack of a coordinated national policy on aviation is shocking. A national policy is needed and it must be aligned with the economic needs of communities, states and regions—with the goal of improving the competitiveness of the US aviation industry,” said Tyler.
US airlines have gone through a decade of dramatic restructuring during which the industry has lost more the $62.5 billion, laid off 25% of the workforce and cut domestic departures by 21%. Many local economies have seen the impact of the reduced connectivity and are working hard to provide the conditions to maintain services. But there is a policy disconnect between what is happening locally and the national focus.
“If you want to discourage something, wrap it in a web of restrictive regulations and taxes. Taxes and fees now represent 20% of a US ticket. The Administration’s 2013 budget proposal heaps even more taxes on aviation, with much of the receipts used to balance the budget or reduce the deficit. When Washington does look beyond taxes, the agenda often bogs down on complex problems that defy easy regulatory solutions or commercial matters that should be left to the workings of the free market,” said Tyler.
“Adam Smith’s Invisible Hand is a more reliable guide in commercial areas than the hand of regulators. Unfortunately, we are seeing the US retreat from the free market principles for which it is so well known. This desire to regulate market behavior flies in the face of the US deregulation experience, the undeniable conclusion of which has got to be that the market is ruthless with airlines that fail to meet customer expectations,” said Tyler. This point is illustrated with three recent policy initiatives which seek to micromanage how airlines compete:
- Requiring airlines to hold all reservations for 24 hours, which ties-up valuable inventory and is being applied extra-territorially to non-US airlines.
- Requiring airlines to include all fees and taxes in the price of the ticket being advertised, when the same is not required of other travel products such as hotel rooms and cruises. Is the policy imperative to hide the heavy tax burden?
- Considering forcing airlines to sell all of their products through global distribution systems (GDSs), although with a few keystrokes any consumer has access to every airline’s available fares and attributes in every market.
Addressing the US tarmac delay rule, Tyler said “Nobody wants a delay. For passengers they are a great inconvenience. For airlines, they are a threat to their business. Costs increase when crew and aircraft are out of position. No airline wants to risk disappointing customers who have plenty of airline options. Fines won’t stop bad weather, which is usually the instigating factor in most extended delays. Infrastructure investments, on the other hand, could boost system capacity and efficiency. But policy-makers let the FAA re-authorization process, which included critical funding for the NextGen air traffic management system, run on for four years.”
If regulators really want to reduce delays, Tyler offered two suggestions:
Global Commercial Aviation Aircraft Cabin Lighting Market (2012 - 2017)
- Ensure that every dollar paid by airline passengers for customs and immigration services is invested to provide officers and airport facilities commensurate with the rising levels of international travelers visiting the US. This will avoid aircraft sitting fully loaded at the gate for hours for lack of room in the immigration hall to unload passengers.
- Ensure that revenue that is generated from airport fees and charges is used to improve airport facilities.
“Since no airline wants to risk a heavy fine for violating the tarmac rule, carriers are pre-emptively cancelling flights that face a risk of an extended delay. The Government Accountability Office has estimated that the number of flight cancellations increased by more than 5,000 since the rule took effect. Extended delays may have gone away but at a price to the economy,” said Tyler.
Aviation’s economic benefits permeate the economy. Travel and tourism are natural and well-known beneficiaries. Global connectivity provided by aviation impacts almost every business—not just travel and tourism, but health care, automotive and fashion among others. Tyler urged the formation of a broad coalition of the aviation supply chain and all businesses dependent on aviation’s connectivity to deliver a strong message for a policy on aviation that includes reasonable taxation and competitiveness-enabling regulation. “Everybody wins with that…including the national economy,” said Tyler.
Source : IATA | <urn:uuid:ef4e4f8e-f793-4cc6-b376-c1220cfbdee5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.asdnews.com/news-41432/Making_US_Aviation_More_Competitive.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947752 | 1,131 | 1.601563 | 2 |
The Big Three
Brian 'Griff' Griffiths guitar
Johnny'Gus' Gustavson bass guitar
Johnny'Hutch' Hutchinson drums
'I don't think we'll be the last Liverpool names to get into the charts. The Big Three and Billy J. Kramer are people you'll be hearing about soon. See if I'm not wrong.'
So said Gerry Marsden in April 1963, and he wasn't entirely wrong: within a few weeks Kramer was at No. 1, and two months later the Big Three entered the Top Thirty. But only just: their second single and only hit, 'By the way' (by Mitch Murray, who had written Gerry's first hits) rose no higher than No. 22. Yet the Big Three, originally called Cass and the Casanovas, were possibly the most highly respected group of all among Liverpool musicians, and were in fact an early example of the phenomenon that came to be known as 'the group's group': their musicianship and their attack were legendary, and they had considerable influence on other groups, but on record - their only means of reaching a wide public - they tended to sound ordinary.
The group's comparative lack of national success may also have had something to do with the changes in personnel that they made at a time when audiences needed to identify clearly with the members of a group before giving their full approval. Johnny Gustavson and Brian Griffiths left in November 1963 to form the Seniors, Gustavson joining the Merseybeats soon afterwards, and they were replaced by two musicians from Faron's Flamingos: Faron himself (Bill Russley) on bass, and Paddy Chambers on lead. Iri May 1964 Faron left and Paul Pilnik (now with Stealers Wheel) became the bass player. Johnny Hutchinson was therefore the only member of the group who remained from their triumphant Liverpool days, and Decca, whose publicity was never the most efficient among record companies, could not establish a strong image for the group.
Is it possible, too, that their then revolutionary line-up, dispensing with the almost obligatory rhythm guitar, led people to believe there was something missing from their music? Whatever the reasons, the Merseybeat boom came to an end without the Big Three taking the country by storm as so many people had predicted they would.
Their E.P. 'Live at the Cavern' is probably their best memorial - it conveys something of the excitement they created in the Liverpool clubs during their heyday.
March 1963: Some Other Guy/ Let true love_begin
June 1963: By the Way/ Cavern Stomp 22
Oct 1963: I'm With You/ Peanut Butter
June 1964: If you ever change your mind/ You've gotta keep her under your hand
July 1964 Big Three Live at the Cavern
What'd I say?/ Don't start running away/ Zip a dee doo dah/Reelin'-& Rockin'/
info borrowed from this link....http://www.leirvag.no/merseybeat/the_big_three.htm
his home site has more mersey band info also..http://www.leirvag.no/merseybeat/index.htm
good interveiw here to...http://www.tropeamagazine.it/thebeatles/mersey/griff/index.html | <urn:uuid:d254b92a-f6e6-4c4e-95c6-ef8fe203d49c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/index.php?topic=8743.msg217679 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971459 | 696 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Michael Jordan turns 50.
Time remains undefeated. A generation feels its age.
This milestone birthday has prompted much reflection on the greatest basketball player in history, and the greatest player that will ever be. I know. I was there. From the ground floor, I saw him take over Chicago, the NBA, Madison Avenue and then the world.
“Watching Michael Jordan play changed everything,” Spurs star Tony Parker said.
Jordan was the first superstar athlete to dominate the advertising arena. He lifted the NBA to unparalleled heights, sparking a global phenomenon.
In France, Parker was so inspired by Jordan that he quit playing soccer and turned to basketball. In Germany, Dirk Nowitzki set his alarm for 3 a.m. to watch the Bulls on television. In Italy, a young boy named Kobe began imitating every move.
Jordan transcended the game. Opponents were intimidated and starstruck. His corporate image was so impermeable and polished that Bulls teammates practically begged a local writer to expose the hidden truth.
When “The Jordan Rules” was published, basketball fans were shocked to discover a ruthless competitor who punched teammates in practice and took away their food on the team plane.
Remember Will Perdue? Jordan called him Will Vanderbilt because he didn’t think the Bulls’ center was good enough to represent Purdue, a Big Ten university.
Remember Jerry Krause, former general manager of the Bulls who was frequently ridiculed by Jordan? When Krause was booed at an official ceremony, his tearful wife confronted Jordan, blaming the player for her husband’s poor standing in the community.
Jordan laughed about that. And then he called out Krause one more time, during his Hall of Fame induction speech.
Krause is now a Diamondbacks scout and did not want to be interviewed.
Yet, time erodes everything, even the greatness of Jordan. Even now, you can almost feel LeBron James entering his stratosphere. Ten years from now, a generation that never saw Jordan might anoint James as the greatest player ever.
If that happens, Jordan can blame the strangest, bravest thing he ever did in his professional career.
After beating the Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals, Jordan retired from the NBA. He put on a baseball uniform that looked awkward from the very start, one that seemed to marginalize his athletic prowess.
His midlife crisis once again intersected with my professional duty, and I covered every swing. From behind the batting cage, I noted how he would grunt like a warthog when he neared exhaustion, his hands worn to a nub.
I witnessed his addiction to crossword puzzles, which he attributed to his late father. But that wasn’t exactly true. It was more reflection of Jordan’s need to perpetually compete at everything. There were no dull moments with Jordan, and not a quiet moment between those ears.
During his first season in the Grapefruit League, a member of his inner circle noted how Jordan would get up in the middle of the night and take off in his car to parts unknown.
“That’s crazy,” I said.
“What do you think makes him great?” said the friend.
James and others have been more physically gifted, but no athlete has ever burned hotter than Jordan or been more driven to succeed. His determination was breathtaking, even frightening. There were times when his father would sit in the basement of the old Chicago Stadium and wonder how he could’ve sired such an indomitable force of nature.
Eventually, Jordan believed his unrivaled will would conquer all, which is why he kept flailing away at curveballs with a long, loopy swing ill-suited for his new endeavor.
Jordan was very good for baseball. His failure proved that the game humbles everyone, a game difficult far beyond appearances. But baseball wasn’t necessarily good for Jordan, who lost precious time in his prime.
Had he retired only once, Jordan would’ve likely won eight consecutive NBA championships. He might’ve put the Greatest Player Ever debate out of reach for eternity.
Instead, he left a crack in the door for someone like James.
After a half-century, there are many lessons to be gleaned from Jordan. He proved that the athlete you see on TV isn’t necessarily the guy behind the curtain. He proved that even the greatest players need to rely on their teammates to win championships. He proved that the greatest achievers in any profession are often wired much differently than the rest of the population.
Yet in the end, he is like everyone else on the planet, and no match for Father Time.
Reach Bickley at firstname.lastname@example.org or 602-444-8253. Follow him at twitter.com/danbickley. Listen to “Bickley and MJ” weekdays at 2-6 p.m. on XTRA Sports 910. | <urn:uuid:3e83069b-58bf-4321-9572-18603a0630d2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.azcentral.com/insiders/danbickley/2013/02/18/michael-jordan-even-the-greatest-are-no-match-for-father-time/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978552 | 1,077 | 1.53125 | 2 |
A year after the beginning of Occupy London Stock Exchange, Symon Hill gives a personal reflection on the response from St Paul's Cathedral. Symon was dragged from the cathedral steps as he prayed during the eviction of the camp. He marked the anniversary by joining an act of witness and protest at St Paul's by Christianity Uncut.
As we approach the first anniversary of the St Paul's protests it saddens Giles Fraser, former canon there, that the Church of England's reaction to Occupy was so reminiscent of its reaction to Chartism. In both cases, popular protest was dismissed as incoherent and unsuccessful, as the Archbishop of canterbury recently suggested about Occupy.
There's more than three months to go until the Greenbelt Festival gets underway, but a pre-Greenbelt event will take place this Sunday in London. I'm really pleased to be one of ten speakers who will talk for 8-10 minutes each on an aspect of the theme of Greenbelt 2012, ?Paradise: Lost & Found.
I was dragged by police from the steps of St Paul's Cathedral as I knelt in prayer during the eviction of Occupy London Stock Exchange. The occupiers had arrived on the cathedral's doorstep after they were prevented from protesting closer to the Stock Exchange. The Occupy movement attracted a surprising degree of public sympathy and Christians, like others, were challenged to choose sides.
Tammy Semede, part of the Occupy movement, who met regularly with representatives from St Paul's prior to the recent eviction in London, reflects on the way the cathedral behaved and illustrates the disillusionment that this has caused among a good number of people who had hoped for properly Christian behaviour from a Christian institution. | <urn:uuid:157e0a7a-a1d0-4b7c-b75f-f9f9ec3e3439> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/taxonomy/term/8850 | 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 | 0.973733 | 342 | 1.578125 | 2 |
POST PUBLISHED INApril, 2012
April 12th, 201210:19 AM ETBy Kae AmAt a Rhode Island high school, 17-year-old Liz Bierendy created a mural that showed the progression of a man from boyhood to adulthood, which ended with the man marrying a woman and having a child. The mural depicting a traditional marriage between husband and wife has been labeled controversial and offensive. The source of controversy&n...
April 06th, 201209:43 AM ETBy Kae AmTortilla of Life Peter waited in the library for a guide. Typically, he did not need to wait for a guide very long, but when one of the angels in Raziel's employment did not appear for several moments, Peter began to wonder about the staff. On the opposite end of the room, Jesus conducted children's lessons and then led the children through anothe... | <urn:uuid:fce20f85-d11a-48ce-82a1-5b47be9a25a9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.christianpost.com/disciple/2012/04/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957913 | 185 | 1.804688 | 2 |
|Top > What's up around the Prime Minister > April, 2006|
Japan-Botswana Summit Meeting
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi held a meeting with H.E. Mr. Festus Gontebanye Mogae, the President of the Republic of Botswana, at the Prime Minister's Official Residence.
At the meeting, President Mogae explained that as this year marks the 40th anniversary of the independence of Botswana and the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Botswana he was visiting Japan to achieve closer bilateral exchanges between the two countries, and thereby, further the Japanese people's knowledge about Botswana such as through diamonds (Botswana has the largest output in the world) and tourism. President Mogae also requested Japan's continued support for the resolution of AIDS and poverty issues. In addition, President Mogae discussed that the activities of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) are very instrumental, contributing to the development of technology as well as promoting people-to-people exchanges.
In response, Prime Minister Koizumi announced that Japan will continue its cooperation. He also said that Japan will continue to promote the exchange of goods and people and that it intends to further consider assistance to Africa.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Koizumi shared an episode relating to the concept of the Hideyo Noguchi Award that he announced during his recent visit to Africa, to which President Mogae expressed his support. | <urn:uuid:7b1d4bd1-23bc-4835-ab93-4d2b71e6ddf8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/koizumiphoto/2006/06/08botswana_e.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970308 | 295 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Big demand, costly cotton lift textile exports to $8bn
18 March, 2011
KARACHI: Rising demand and record cotton prices pushed Pakistanís textile exports higher by 21 percent to around eight billion dollars during July-February period of current fiscal year, the central bank data showed on Thursday.
KARACHI: Rising demand and record cotton prices pushed Pakistan’s textile exports higher by 21 percent to around eight billion dollars during July-February period of current fiscal year, the central bank data showed on Thursday.
Analysts said many textile producing countries failed to meet the global demand due to inclement weather hitting their crops on a massive scale, allowing Pakistan to fill the supply gap.
“Poor cotton crop in most parts of the world hit the global textile industry and buyers turned to Pakistan to keep their supplies intact,” said Dr Ayub Mehar, a former chief economist at the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI). But, Mehar was quick to warn that the benefit can be temporary if manufacturers fail to keep their new buyers satisfied.
The other factor that pumped the growth in textile exports was the phenomenal increase in the global price of cotton, which helped the exporters fetch better return on their produce.
“The cotton prices hit a record level in world markets this year,” an analyst at JS Research said.
Pakistan’s textile sector is bogged down with problems like energy shortage, high interest rates and lingering economic and political issues. Experts say the issues must be addressed on priority for a sustainable growth in exports.
The central bank provisional data showed that the growth in exports was mainly in finished items and raw materials. In terms of value, the main contributor in textile exports was knitwear, which rose to $1.73 billion during July-February 2010/11.
Export of cotton cloth grew to $1.473 billion, besides healthy rise in exports of bedwear, cotton yarn and readymade garments.
Analysts said that the European Union member countries bought Pakistani products despite regulatory issues as other exporting countries failed to supply goods. The products shipped to the EU include bedwear, readymade garments and knitwear. | <urn:uuid:1b3517c6-eaf3-4b84-bc56-b5884c42cc22> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://paktribune.com/business/news/Big-demand-costly-cotton-lift-textile-exports-to-8bn-8537.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95293 | 447 | 1.609375 | 2 |
i use Wireshark since some years to help me to troubleshoot performance issue.
As Wireshark can see the between packets, it should provide the total time spend (by processing). I never find in Wireshark where i can have this kind of information.
I can't imagine Wireshark doesn't provide this information.
Could you help me?
asked 28 Mar '12, 08:13
Wireshark is for analyzing network communications, not server performance. Yes, Wireshark sees the time between packets, but Wireshark doesn't know how much of that time was because the server was processing a request, and how much was because it simply didn't have anything to send. Note also that some of the time between packets will be network latency; how much depends partly on where you are doing your capturing.
However, if you know enough about the communication, you may be able to get an idea of the processing time involved in a particular transaction.
See this link for a Sharkfest presentation in which Laura Chappell shows how to determine the various types of latency involved in a web server communication. Page 9 shows how to determine how much time the server spent processing a GET request before returning data.
answered 28 Mar '12, 12:32
i think i find a solution. In wireshark i can display a new column with Dealta-time (which is the time between last packet).
From a capture done on the server - i filter only packet sent by server - i export to CSV file - I open this CSV in Excel an calculate easily the sum of the column "Delta Time".
If i'm not wrong, this represent the total processing time of the server.
answered 29 Mar '12, 00:24 | <urn:uuid:81a1d20e-a561-490d-8d21-c8241ea7538e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ask.wireshark.org/questions/9821/calculate-client-server-processing-time?sort=oldest | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954009 | 371 | 1.5 | 2 |
Pierce, Franklin J.
The following data is extracted from Merrimack and Sullivan Counties, New Hampshire Biographies.
Franklin J. Pierce, a successful business man of Claremont in the eighties, was born in Chester, Vt., August 5, 1848, the seventh child of Joseph G. and Hannah (Hemenway) Pierce. At the age of eighteen Mr. Pierce entered business life in Windsor, Vt., in the capacity of clerk in one of the stores. Afterward, in Claremont, he followed in turn the business of clothier and that of shoe dealer. Later for a short time, he was a druggist in Lawrence, Mass. Ill beyond recovery, he was obliged to return home from Lawrence; and he died February 13, 1886. The maiden name of his wife was Martha E. Wheeler. She was a daughter of Sylvester and Persis E. (King) Wheeler, of Claremont. Of his five children four died in infancy. The survivor is George R. W. Pierce, who was born November 28, 1878.
The first Wheeler of the Claremont family was Deacon Moses, who came from New Ipswich, N.H. He was for some years the owner of a foundry. He also had land and houses, and at one time he was the butcher of Claremont. He first married Lydia Parker, of Lempster, N.H., and afterward one of the Dexters of Dexter Hill. The two children of his second marriage died in infancy. Those of his first wife were: Philena and Lucinda, who never married; Martha, who died young; Maria, who married Caleb B. Ellis; and Sylvester, who married the daughter of Adolphus King, of Newport, N.H. Sylvester Whecler, who is said to have been a typical Yankee, began trading at an early age. He kept a livery stable at the lower village for many years, and was engaged in buying and selling throughout the greater part of his life. He died in 1890, at the age of seventy-nine. His wife survived him until June 21, 1893. They had three children, namely: Orange S., who died in 1879, at the age of twenty-nine; M. Nellie, who, born in 1860, died in 1867; and Martha E., born May 30, 1854, who was educated in Claremont and attended the Stevens High School. Mr. Pierce is survived by his widow and their son, George In life he was much attached to the Congregational church, of which he was an esteemed member. He was a charitable man and of sound principles.
Source: Merrimack and Sullivan Counties, New Hampshire Biographies | <urn:uuid:2b3bfc1c-5b0b-4885-a24b-6870a33af5e3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.accessgenealogy.com/scripts/data/database.cgi?file=Data&report=SingleArticle&ArticleID=0023924 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.991464 | 571 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Senator Conway has recently released an explanatory letter indicating that the Federal Government is determined to introduce legislation requiring all Australian ISPs to filter out restricted content (RC).
The release indicates that research including that conducted by Telstra, confirms that filtering is 100% effective on restricted URLs and that the impact on Internet speed is negligible even though some industry sources have said otherwise.
Contrary to some press reports Senator Conway points out that in a number of European countries including United Kingdom as well as Canada a number of ISPs have voluntarily introduced ISP filtering for RC material. Germany has passed legislation for its introduction.
He does concede that technical users may be able to usurp the restrictions.
Is this the thin edge of the censorship wedge? | <urn:uuid:f2bb7a46-a37c-4791-97b5-3b57ed40cfbb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.revium.com.au/articles/blog/federal-government-to-introduce-compulsory-isp-filtering/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949141 | 144 | 1.5625 | 2 |
In our new column, Investigations, we invite writers to delve into topics that intrigue them. The first Investigation comes from Andrew David Stapleton, who earlier this year decided to study philosophy.
During my honours year, a research methods class was offered in the first semester. In part, the class was held to attend to the problem of research for creative arts students. How does a short story, a collection of poems, a dance, a piece of theatre or a painting constitute research?
By and large, the answer referred to the discursive nature of knowledge – that it is generated rather than discovered – and there was often talk of other cultures whose storehouse of knowledge was transmitted through oral storytelling or dance or painting. There was, of course, an appreciation of different categories of knowledge – no one thought a novel, say, produced the same type of understanding as an advance in pure mathematics, but, it was stressed, this difference needn’t necessarily imply a hierarchy. Even the idea that the sine qua non of research was that it be of immediate and practical value was rejected.
Art, it seemed, within the ARC-sanctified creative arts departments of the modern university, was epistemologically sound. There was, however, a catch.
Each piece, no matter the discipline, would become host to a terrible parasite: an exegetical essay engaging with some already constituted field of research relevant to your practice or output. Exeunt Art and enter Theory.
And so, in class, as our lecturer – an ashen-haired, black-clad, rimless-spectacled Joyce scholar – enthused about some thinkers who might prove intellectually significant for our burgeoning theoretical mindgrapes, a student soon interrupted her.
“So, like, does that mean we have to read Foocolt?”
(Of course, ‘Foocolt’ here was just a placeholder for any obtuse, presumably French, sophist.)
At the time, I found this resistance confounding. Attempting to understand something from a theoretical standpoint seemed not only beneficial to my writing, but apposite when doing that writing within a university.
One of my supervisors rightly pointed out, though, that it wasn’t theory I was engaging with, it was philosophy. Whereas for some, to study creative arts in an institution meant becoming, at the very least, capable of reading and regurgitating that nebulous discourse sometimes pejoratively referred to as ‘Theory’, for me, doing philosophy alongside writing fiction not only proved helpful with that writing, but also for engaging with other disciplines and, however minimally, also affected the way I lived. Simply: philosophy could do, albeit in a very different way, some of the things I valued in fiction, and vice versa.
And so when earlier this year I took my first classes with the Melbourne School of Continental Philosophy (MSCP) I had some questions for my teachers that touched upon these tensions – the relationship between art and philosophy, and the role of this discipline, as well as the university, in cultural life more broadly. Jon Roffe and Bryan Cooke of the School sent me their answers via email. These are (an edited version of) two of them:
From reading Cameron Shingleton’s account of the MSCP’s inception, the School seems to have begun in frustration. What do you see as the MSCP’s role in mitigating these frustrations, and why aren’t the universities fulfilling this role?
BC: While I was not present at the founding, I think that that frustration (mainly at the state of the modern university and the poverty of its philosophy programs) has played a role not only in the formation of the school, but in its continuing existence and even its success. I think our work has – as a result – always spoken to the increasingly large number of students who find themselves shocked and depressed by the cynical emptiness of undergraduate (and post-graduate) life in our increasingly profit-driven, bureaucratically governed, ‘quantification’-obsessed degree factories.
At the same time, I think that it’s important not to exaggerate the role of the MSCP’s critical or negative self-positioning: if the MSCP was, indeed, born in frustration, it also emerged out of, and is sustained by the joy that each of us takes in the subjects, thinkers, problems, and approaches to thought, that we think of as neglected, excluded or simply disdained by the universities and their degree structures. For many of us, what the MSCP stands for is not so much a ‘rogue’ or ‘eccentric’ area of philosophy, but rather everything about life, thought, art, history, politics and cultural memory, that is abandoned by or even invisible to the university in its present state.
JR: Looking back now, I would say that frustration was certainly a central concern: frustration with the lousy state of education, with the poor grasp of the philosophers we cared about, frustration that we felt, from the point of view of the education sector in Australia, more or less invisible.
Coupled with this motivation, though, there was a very real sense that, simply put, we could do something good, that the material we were going to discuss was philosophically significant, exciting and pertinent to the contemporary situation. What is still called, in a somewhat derogatory fashion, ‘continental philosophy’ had and has its share of charlatans and prostitutes who are more interested in the dizzying parade of proper names and the contact high of what passes in the academy for celebrity, to the very great detriment of the genuine philosophical concerns championed by the thinkers that have been the core of our curriculum since we began (Lacan, Kant, Deleuze, Lyotard, Hegel, Derrida, Žižek, Heidegger, etc.).
In sum, the MSCP began because this frustration found a group of talented philosophers in whom it fomented the desire to do something positive. The directedness of the School, the passion the lecturers have for their material, and the forward momentum that still seems to derive from enthusiasm about philosophy itself, all of this retains a brute charm that, to me at least, signals at least the possibility of genuine thinking.
As for why the spirit of genuine thought has departed the university, I don’t know if there’s any easy answer. The sociological responses come easily to mind, and they seem convincing: the difficult economic context for educational institutions (if this is really what they still are), the backwards social context here in Australia and no doubt elsewhere in the West. It is true that we are in mourning for the university; we imagine ourselves to have lost an invaluable public sphere in which the genuine pursuit of knowledge could take place untormented by the vicissitudes of everyday life, but this increasingly looks to me to be a fantasy.
This is not to say that I think we should all lie back and think about a Certificate IV in Business – to the contrary. The desire for real education will never find a natural satisfaction, but must be the object of a creative effort. And certainly this is what the MSCP has as its goal.
David Foster Wallace once described the function of fiction as being to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comforted. Philosophy too seems to be characterised by this dual function – the lofty, edifying humanist project of cultural betterment or emancipation, and a more anti-humanist or shocking, and perhaps even violent, eruption of the new or monstrous. As philosophers, how do each of you negotiate these poles, or perhaps you think the very opposition between them is bunk?
BC: I like David Foster Wallace very much, and I think that his remark is entirely applicable to philosophy, about which he, of course, knew much.
At the heart of his comment is I think a simple truth: that philosophy exists neither to give comfort to nor to simply shock the bourgeoisie.
This is because on the one hand, there are few things more pathetic than the self-avowedly ‘radical’, which is too often a tedious posture of the most slavish and timid conformity. At the same time, I don’t think philosophy can be comfortably assimilated to humanist ideals if for no other reason than philosophers will always reserve the right to question what is being defended or venerated under the name of ‘humanism’. For example, why wouldn’t a given philosopher, mock, as for instance Nietzsche did, the humanist veneration of ‘culture’, as a symptom of precisely the absence of the ‘culture’ to which humanists were apparently so devoted?
Another thing in favour of anti-humanism: I like the fact that philosophers do things that make educated, cultivated, urbane people splutter, even as they exert a strange fascination for this same class: think of Socrates. At the root of this is the fact that there is something necessarily monstrous about philosophy: even and especially because philosophers inevitably turn to questions of politics. Philosophy has always been about taking thought to its limits, into regions where sensible people fear to tread, thereby risking not only mystifying abstraction, but stupefaction, melancholia, ‘utopianism’ and even insanity. To think otherwise is, as Deleuze points out, to mistake thought for recognition.
And who would want this? We live in a world in which there are forces (tectonic, intergalactic, financial, political, military, technological) whose power and influence precisely suggest the limits of the humanist model for understanding the world. If ‘humanist’ means ‘minimally concerned with human beings and their lives’, then, yes, philosophy is humanist. The problem, however, is that people too often imply that concern with human beings and their lives demands a devotion to that which the present moment or society already counts as interesting or important. And I think philosophy perpetually refuses, even exists to refuse, this blackmail: it is eminently concerned with practice, but never pragmatic in the sense that makes bureaucrats and business managers happy.
JR: I think that Foster Wallace is half right, and in turn so is your analogy between philosophy and literature. In fact, I think the word ‘function’ here could use some disambiguation. What is commonly called literature does indeed both trouble and comfort, as does what we tend to call philosophy. It seems to me, though, that art, like philosophy, should only strive to trouble us. Philosophy and art both are, or ought to be, as relentless as they are fugitive, brooking no resistance in their drive to tear the skin off of the normal, to shine darkness into daylight.
Why, or rather how, do literature and philosophy comfort, if they are nothing but the tip of the spear or the sharp edge? I think the answer lies at the level of sympathy: it is when we find ourselves in the company of the equally unclothed, ill-prepared, dispossessed and reduced, that is to say in the company of the great artistic figures, or at the edge of thinking, bereft of certainty, in the company of great thought, that our own precarious situation is rendered capable of being thought and felt.
The deep feelings evoked by Beckett, for example, arise on this basis. The visage of a head in a jar, a couple confined to trash cans, or the lost ones whose minimal forms of movement constitute their lives inside of a world constituted by a giant rubber cylinder, these resonate with us not because we want to destroy what is human in us, but because this is what we are – a few words, a few small stones, a couple of decisive gestures, or one or two still lives and a bowl of fruit (Cézanne).
This sympathy is, I think, a contingent secondary effect of some art and some philosophy, and the fact that it is not and ought not be the goal of either to produce this effect does not render the help it provides us with void. In fact, the more that art tries to offer succour to the suffering, the less it is capable of doing so, just as the more philosophy strives to comfort our mute but terrified sense of our place in the world, or hold up the bourgeois life as the pinnacle of human history, the more inhuman, cruel, disgusting and finally illegible to human beings it becomes. There is nothing less comforting than the intellectual commodification of comfort, and there is far more unthinking cruelty, in a certain respect, in the writings of Alain de Botton than there are in those of Friedrich Nietzsche or Georges Bataille.
For many years, I held to the kind of humanism that you’re invoking here, but to demand of art and philosophy that they provide us with comfort – even and above all at those moments when we need it the most – is to excuse ourselves from having to do philosophy and create art, and to denature philosophy and art themselves. I have always felt Adorno’s claim – that ‘Art remains loyal to humankind uniquely through its inhumanity in regard to it’ – to be deeply true.
Enrollments for the MSCP’s semester two classes are still open; they’re offering courses on Deleuze, Kant and Derrida. And if you want to get a sense of some locally published, but by no means parochial, contemporary philosophy, you can check out Parrhesia or some of re.press’s titles.
Andrew David Stapleton is a writer and philosophy student working in Melbourne.
The standard but nonetheless sincere caveat that any mistakes here are mine and all insights those of the interviewees. | <urn:uuid:e894066d-5bf6-4160-b2c8-cab7f4a18d55> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.killyourdarlingsjournal.com/2011/08/does-that-mean-we-have-to-read-foocolt/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964859 | 2,870 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Back in April, a group of Charlotte boys’ and girls’ high school basketball players traveled to Limoges, France, to play in a tournament of teams from Limoges’ sister cities. The Charlotte teams did us and James Naismith proud – affirming our basketball heritage by soundly beating each opponent on the way to both tournament titles.
The group also spent time touring Limoges, a city in west-central France with rich architecture that includes centuries-old chapels and ruins from the first century, when Limoges was a Roman settlement. This past week, we did our part in this cultural exchange, hosting a team of high school boys who spent seven days playing basketball and touring the area.
We know what some of you are thinking.
A week in France. A week in Charlotte.
Someone is clearly getting a better exchange rate here.
Alina MacNichol hears that sort of thing all the time. She’s executive director of Charlotte International Cabinet, a non-profit that promotes Charlotte as an international city. Her responsibilities include overseeing the visits of groups from sister cities, including Limoges.
Do people here sometimes smirk at her task of showing international visitors our culture? “Yes,” she said, before the question is finished.
So what does a professional try to show others about us?
That depends. If it’s a business group, they get a thorough walk around Uuptown and a drive to the University City area to the innovative Ben Craig Center for entrepreneurs. If it’s a cultural group, they head to the Charlotte Museum of History Charlotte History Museum and the Levine Museum of the New South.
As for teenage basketball players, well, that’s easy. Charlotte is helped by its abundant shopping and sports offerings, as well as the fact that teenagers universally think any place on Earth is more exciting than the place they live.
So instead of the Mint and Bechtler, it was Concord Mills and Carolina Place for the young men from Limoges. The group also got some history from the Levine Museum and civics from the Government Center. And yes, there was a spin around Charlotte Motor Speedway, as well as a visit to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Limoges may have ruins, but we have wrecks.
The team was most excited, however, at getting to see a Charlotte Bobcats practice, where Michael Jordan was in attendance, watching from a balcony. The young men also got to shoot around before Saturday’s game at Time Warner Cable Arena Arena, thanks to Charlotte International Cabinet official Jerry Helms, who happened to be roommates 50 years ago at UNC Chapel Hill with Bobcats coach Larry Brown.
On Friday, before a day at Rocky River High School in Mint Hill, team members spoke about their week, about the glory of cheeseburgers, and cheerleaders, and about how Charlotte was not what they expected. “Everything is bigger,” said Enzo Chaume.
MacNichol hears a lot of that, too. Business groups, she says, are surprised at Charlotte’s diversified economy and hundreds of foreign-owned firms. Others marvel at the city’s liveability and how friendly the people are here.
“They’re surprised at the fact that we have so much that’s at a high level,” she said.
So maybe you think that’s exactly what MacNichol is supposed to say. But it’s what a lot of us heard and said about Charlotte, until the economy took the shine off the Uuptown towers. Now we have a high jobless rate, and we’re fighting over our schools, and the usual escape from all that, our NFL team, is delivering a new dose of grim each week.
But spend some time with a group of French teenage basketball players, and maybe you get a new look at the bigness they see – the buildings and opportunities, the distinct culture of wanting to be better. Despite all the things we aren’t, this is still a place that celebrates that culture, a place that for decades has been – and likely will be – capable of not only surprising others, but ourselves. | <urn:uuid:4bc124c9-6c57-4ceb-8a72-83510b850124> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://obsprimary.blogspot.com/2010/11/through-french-eyes-different-view-of.html?showComment=1290313962192 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963294 | 880 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Last week we looked at how some adult trade houses view the potential market for apps, finding that most publishers are cautiously moving into this area. While adult and children’s divisions face many of the same questions about apps—costs, sales potential, and whether they should drive profits or market books—children’s content is generally more suited to this space. Still, like their adult counterparts, children’s publishers are developing apps slowly. PW contacted a number of children’s divisions and houses and found that many publishers are experimenting with different formats—some are creating heavily educational material (which occasionally doesn’t even link to a specific title), others are investing in games, and still others are looking for more direct ways of adapting existing fiction into an app.
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Bloomsbury is creating its first app this season, based on Carrie Jones’s YA paranormal romance series Need. A spokesperson for the house said the planned release date for the app is December, to coincide with the publication of the third book in the series, Entice. The app, which will be free, will allow kids to send a “kiss” to their friends that could be from one of the three central characters—Zara, Nick, or Astley. (The novels, which feature pixies, focus on a love triangle among the three characters, and a pixie kiss can be either a good thing or a bad thing.) The app will also bring users deeper into the world of the books, with links to a Web page featuring each character and a route to Bloomsbury’s Needpixies Facebook fan page.
Disney Publishing Worldwide
Disney has a significant commitment to monetizing some of its big brands with apps. The publisher’s first app, which is free, is based on Toy Story and is what it calls a “premium storybook.” Apps based on installments two and three in the Toy Story saga are also available, priced at $3.99 and $8.99 respectively. The publisher has also created iPhone/iPod Touch apps called Mickey’s Spooky Night and Winnie the Pooh: What’s a Bear to Do?, each of which is 99 cents. Just launched is Disney Epic Digicomics, the first story is free, with five additional tales that can be purchased together for $2.99. Later this month, the house is also launching Disney Epic Mickey, set to coincide with the release of the video game of the same name.
HarperCollins Children’s Books
The children’s division of HarperCollins releases all of its apps through its e-imprint, Curious Puppy. The house currently has two apps on the market, ABC Song and 123 Ants Go Marching. Both apps have a heavy educational emphasis and neither is directly tied to a book. Each app costs 99 cents and is available for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Curious Puppy is also about to launch a third app, which HC estimates should be on the market in a few weeks, called Freight Train, based on Donald Crews’s picture book of the same name.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group
HMH developed a number of apps with ScrollMotion based on Curious George titles. The majority of them, said senior v-p of digital strategies, Cheryl Cramer-Toto, mimic the experience of the book itself. The one exception is the Curious George dictionary app which, although it does relate to a title of the same name, offers a number of interactive features. Among other things, kids can tap an object to hear what it is. Cramer-Toto said that the children’s division has six apps in development now—they’re based on book characters—that are scheduled to release in early December.
Penguin Young Readers Group
PYRG is set to release its second app (after doing a Mad Libs app earlier this year) in a few weeks—an interactive version of the children’s classic The Little Engine That Could (which is published by the house’s Grosset & Dunlap imprint). The app, which is not priced yet, will be available on both the iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch. Don Weisberg, president of the group, said the publisher is also working on “select marketing and game apps, based on upcoming picture books and novels.” | <urn:uuid:36a2d93f-e167-402f-8e45-59730ab7cc44> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/45263-what-children-s-publishers-are-doing-in-the-apps-space.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959172 | 928 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Hot laptops are nothing new, of course, but generally speaking the seat of the fire risk is often to be found in the battery compartment. Not so with the Acer Aspire recall. Instead, according to the recall notice the "microphone cable may overheat when extreme pressure is applied repeatedly to the left palm rest" which can lead to the case becoming "deformed and the system may malfunction". In other words the microphone wire can short circuit and overheat.
Acer has apparently learned of three incidents of short circuiting which has resulted in the melting of the external notebook casings, none of which happened within the US and none of which caused injury. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is advising consumers that they should stop using these notebooks immediately unless otherwise instructed.
The affected units are Acer Aspire models AS3410, AS3810T, AS3810TG, AS3810TZ and AS3810TZG manufactured prior to September 15, 2009 and you can check to determine if yours needs to get sent back for repair/replacement by entering your unit details here. | <urn:uuid:9879d7dc-fa6e-4145-a8e7-95dab28455fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.daniweb.com/hardware-and-software/pc-hardware/cases-fans-and-power-supplies/news/251897/acer-issues-melting-laptop-recall | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945521 | 225 | 1.757813 | 2 |
National Public School, Rajajinagar
Multi-hues, gaiety and pure joy marked the kindergarten sports day held at National Public School, Rajajinagar recently. The event gave a platform to the tiny tots of the school to put their best foot forward as every event spelt excitement. The theme of the sports day was “Tales from Panchatantra” where animals from all over the world visited the playfield of the school. All races incorporated novelty and co-ordination. With a delightful demonstration of team-work, the day began with the display by the tiny tots of KG I swinging their pompoms to the beat of some rocking music. Finally, the various class races began, with each race having a unique theme, ranging from belling the cat to the dancing crows. The races concluded with the children flexing their muscles to the tunes of the Album “Venga Boys”.
Send this article to Friends by | <urn:uuid:2062e7ed-4dbb-420b-936d-2778a55f0d4f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hindu.com/yw/2011/04/05/stories/2011040550270400.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945499 | 202 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Update: It’s in the new $399 iPad 2 as well! More info after the break.
Chipworks today published their teardown of the 1080p Apple TV’s A5 chip and they have found that it’s been shrunk in size from 45 nm to just 32 nm. This is actually the same exact chip that’s in Apple’s iPhone 4S from last October, though its much smaller. It doesn’t make much sense for Apple to have such a small chip within their most inexpensive product though — even the new iPad’s A5X chip is 45 nm, so it’s unclear why they’d spend extra effort to make it smaller. It’s also important to note that this is the first iOS device Apple has used a 32 nm chip in.
The strangest thing that Chipworks found in their teardown was that the A5 chip is actually dual-core, even though Apple labeled it as single-core on the device’s technical specifications page. Sadly, the second core is disabled, meaning that there’s no way to get that extra power. Chipworks says that the reason for it being disabled could “Either Apple is only utilizing one core or they are binning parts.”
The new A5 processor die is not a single core processor, but contains a dual core processor. Either Apple is only utilizing one core or they are binning parts. Parts binning is a common process in semiconductors where devices are segregated (binned) based on meeting a subset of the overall requirements, in this case they could disable the “bad” core, this increases the usable die per wafer, lowering the cost.
Chipworks has updated their post now saying that they’ve opened up a $399 iPad 2 to find the same 32 nm processor inside. This could mean better battery life for the device, which is definitely something that’s nice to hear if you’re looking for a cheaper solution to the Retina iPad. The display isn’t as beautiful, but it sure does come in at a better price. | <urn:uuid:444b8e27-259e-4013-b682-61838405c096> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ifans.com/blog/45368/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957206 | 447 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Copy & paste this link to your blog or website to reference this page
Quotation by Oscar Wilde
Who is that man over there? I don't know him. What is he doing? Is he a conspirator? Have you searched him? Give him till tomorrow to confess, then hang him!—hang him!
Oscar Wilde (1854–1900), Anglo-Irish playwright, author. The Czar, in Vera, or the Nihilists, act 2.
Prince Paul replies, "Sire, you are anticipating history. This is Count Petouchof, your new Ambassador to Berlin."
Surprise me with a
The Columbia World of Quotations © 1996, Columbia University Press.
Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. Except as otherwise permitted by written agreement, the following are prohibited: copying substantial portions or the entirety of the work in machine readable form, making multiple printouts thereof, and other uses of the work inconsistent with U.S. and applicable foreign copyright and related laws.
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:5b7644a8-70bc-40cb-9ca9-7d9a5dedaaaf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://quotes.dictionary.com/Who_is_that_man_over_there_I_dont | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935654 | 226 | 1.609375 | 2 |
I have been treating back pain successfully for 7 years. My first clients came to me because of back pain. Over the years, I have found that the overall outcome of massage therapy treatments for back pain has as much to do with the client as it does the massage therapist. The more a client is willing to do on their own, the better their recovery will be. If a client is willing to do the stretches, exercises, and other home care recommended by their massage therapist, they get better sooner.
I often recommend stretching and strengthening exercises to enhance my massage therapy treatments. I also recommend hot and/or cold applications a lot, depending on the injury.
One thing I don’t talk much about in my clinic is how to massage at home. I assume that a client will come into see me as often as necessary until they have recovered, so it isn’t beneficial to take the time to teach them how to massage at home. However, sometimes a client can’t see me as often as they would like. Under these situations, it can be very helpful to learn the basics of how to massage yourself, or someone else, at home. You can apply this information to any part of the body. Today, I’m going to focus on back pain.
The trick to a successful massage consists of 3 basic principles:
1) general – specific – general
2) superficial – deep – superficial
3) slowly warm and soften the tissue you want to work on.
Always follow these 3 principles when doing massage on yourself or anyone else.
When massaging, never dive right in and start treating the injured tissue directly right away. It’s important to always start broadly (general) and lightly (superficial). Gently work the muscles and tissues around the injury first. Once the general area is starting to soften and warm up, you can SLOWLY work your way in towards the muscles you are trying to affect. Once you are working directly on an injured muscle, it’s important that you use slow, firm pressure along the length of the muscle. After about 2 minutes of direct work, or until you feel the muscle start to soften, it’s time to slowly start working your way back out to the superficial and general areas around the injury.
Always start and end a massage treatment with gentle pressure. Never try to achieve the same pressure that a trained massage therapist uses, you are likely to hurt the person you are working on as well as yourself. It takes a lot of time to develop the strength and control to do deep tissue therapy.
It can be helpful to talk to your massage therapist about the injury you want to treat at home. Often the pain is coming from a different part of the body than you might think, and having a professional massage therapist help you locate the right area to work on can be helpful. He/she can also guide you with technique, anatomy, and help you confirm that there aren’t any contraindications for the style of massage you want to do.
When working on yourself, it can be hard to reach your back. Start with a hot pack to soften and relax the muscles. Then, there are a number of ways to reach those sore and hard-to-reach areas:
- lean into the corner of a wall using the edge on the muscle on either side of the spine
- lie on a rolled towel and move around until you reach the right area
- lie on a tennis ball on the floor to massage your own back
Massaging yourself, a friend, or a loved one can be a great way to help relieve back pain. Always make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and if you’re not sure, consult with a professional.
By Jeremy Bissonnette
Link to me on Google+ at +Kitchener Massage Therapy | <urn:uuid:128f4e83-988c-4353-89d8-93657281823d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kwmassage.com/generalmassagetherapy/back-pain-and-how-to-massage-at-home | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958519 | 796 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Prior to 1999, the books belonging to Pasco County Genealogical Society were housed in members' homes and not easily accessed. In 1999, Society president, Virginia Britten, approached the Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS Church) regarding a meeting place for our society and a place to put our books so that members could access them more easily.
The LDS Church was amenable to the request, and our cooperative effort was launched. The church supplied computers and other equipment, so that visitors could access CDs containing the Ancestral Files and the International Genealogical Index. Society members indexed and shelved the books along with those donated by church members, and our library was born. As usage of the library increased, it was officially designated in 2002 the Dade City Family History Center by the LDS Church.
However, in 2011, the Church needed space for their growing nursery wing, and PCGS had to move our book collection back to a PCGS memberís home once again. We currently have over 1200 books and CDs for patrons to do research. We have a large collection of reference books, family histories and some material from almost every state. These books will now be available to view if prior request is made to Library Director Brenda Riley to allow for the books to be brought to the library for viewing. Patrons can also rent films and fiche from the LDS church in Salt Lake City for personal use on our readers. The Dade City Family History Center has a digital imaging computer that will copy images from film onto paper, floppy disc or CD. High speed internet access to Ancestry.com and other genealogy research websites is also available.
PCGS member volunteers need to visit the member volunteer calendar page to sign up, or check times that you have volunteered for service.
If you have a concern with scheduling please contact Brenda Riley. If you have a question about how to use the calendar, please contact Kelly Jewett. You can find the email address for Brenda and Kelly in the Society Membership Directory, published and distributed each March. Or you may use the Contact us link below. It will take us longer to get back to you if you use that link, instead of our e-mail addresses listed in the directory. | <urn:uuid:01e22d19-a778-4f0d-9bff-3d3f3066c5b6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~flpcgs/pcgslibrary.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957984 | 458 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Photo by Curt Yeomans
Clayton County Finance Director Angela Jackson talks to county Budget Manager Dennis Johnson following a presentation of the county's proposed fiscal year 2013 budget. Jackson announced property taxes could decrease by as much as 0.895 mills under the new budget.
Clayton County residents who watched their property tax rate increase by approximately 34 percent last year could see a slight decrease in their property taxes later this year, county finance officials announced Tuesday night.
Property owners are expected to see the county millage, or property tax, rate decrease by 0.895 mills this fall — if commissioners approve the county’s proposed $170.8 million fiscal year 2013 budget later this month. That stands in stark contrast to last year, when commissioners took the controversial step to approve a 5-mill increase in the millage rate.
County Finance Director Angela Jackson told commissioners and county residents that while the local property tax digest decreased during the last year, the county is also looking at a projected increase in Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) rebate revenues. The rebate revenues are projected to hit $36.15 million in the next fiscal year, which is up from $33.92 million for the current fiscal year, according to Jackson.
As a result, the county gets a millage credit that allows leaders to cut the property tax rate.
“When you have a lower digest and an increased LOST, the net mill rate decreases,” Jackson said. “So, with the LOST increase, you will experience a net mill rate decrease of 0.895 mills.”
The county’s net millage rate is expected to be 14.918 mills (not including a 6.035-mill credit) in fiscal year 2013 because of the expected rate decrease. The county’s Fire Fund millage rate is expected to stay at 4.4 mills, however.
The finance director explained the county has also been able to balance its fiscal year 2013 budget without implementing service cuts or employee layoffs through a mixture of reduced spending and unexpected increases in revenues. She added that while expenditures are expected to total $170.8 million, the projected revenues coming into the county’s coffers are expected to total $173.9 million.
Jackson said the county reduced its energy costs by reducing utility usage, and also cut legal and personnel expenses. At the same time, she said, the county saw an increase in Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) revenues, and gathered additional unplanned for funds from a school resource officer agreement with Clayton County Schools, jail inmate housing, telephone costs in the jail and emergency medical services fees.
“Expenses were kept down to a minimum, to make sure we didn’t have a service cut, but at the same time to represent the revenues that we’re anticipating,” the finance director said.
Still, the finance director warned commissioners that there is still an approximately $5 million funding shortfall in the Fire Fund, which pays for the county’s fire and emergency services department.
Jackson said rolling brownouts at fire stations, and employee layoffs were considered to make up for the shortfall, which was caused by the lower tax digest. She explained the county opted instead to cut the fire department’s expenses by $1 million, reduce the Fire Fund balance by $1.5 million, and move an additional $2.5 million from the county’s general fund, to the Fire Fund.
The commission is expected to vote on approving the budget on June 12. The millage rate will be voted on in July. | <urn:uuid:147be574-5a9d-4acc-bcae-ede96f13ee4e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.news-daily.com/news/2012/jun/05/clayton-millage-rate-may-drop-fy-2013/ | 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 | 0.959093 | 742 | 1.539063 | 2 |
To start with you have the Musee des Plans Reliefs, which is dedicated to the three dimensional scale models produced by the military depicting fortifications and the surroundings in different towns and regions in France.
There are now only around 100 of these unique models called plans reliefs still in existence and some of these are held at the Beau-Arts Museum in Lille in the Nord Pas de Calais region, but the majority of the plans reliefs are still held at Les Invalides, which is where they have been since the late 1700s after being removed from The Louvre museum.
And today there are approximately 28 large scale models on display at the Musee des Plans Reliefs, along with the history and construction of these incredible plans dating back to 1668, and these have also become a major source for architectural history, to what the places were like and how they have changed over the years.
Here at the Musee de l'Ordre de la Liberation located at the Hotel National des Invalides you can see many different artifacts, souvenirs, documents, postcards and other items like uniforms and even personal letters that are broken down into three separate sections. The first being the Free France gallery, the second for the Resistance and the third called the Hall of Honour dedicated to general de Gaulle, this is yet another French museum with unique exhibits that give you a greater feel for how things were and some of these depict tragic or moving events.
The third museum that is located in the fantastic setting of the Les Invalides is the Musee de l'Armee, which is one of the most impressive military history museums in the world and has exhibits dating from the Middle Ages.
And today Musee de l’Armee has one of the finest collections of arms, armour and uniforms, and for anyone that likes history, this is one place that should be high on your list of tourist attractions to visit, when you are on holiday in Paris.
In fact, this museum in Paris houses the third largest collection of antique armour and arms in the world with an exceptional range of cannons from the French artillery located in the Cour d’Honneur part of the Hotel Les Invalides along with hunting weapons, knives and firearms, complete armour and much, much more.
But museums do not necessarily have to be like going back in time and at the Musee de l’Armee you will discover a whole section with interactive touch screens and commentaries that relate to Charles de Gaulle.
Plus there is a round theatre that projects a century from the Edwardian period right through to the pop years, which includes famous people along the way like Charlie Chaplin. And you will be pleased to know that there are audio guides available in eight different languages.
Visiting The Hotel National des Invalides in Paris
The Hotel National des Invalides is open virtually every day of the year except for National French holidays like 1st January, 14th July and 1st November, etc.
In addition to these days, Les Invalides is also closed on the first Monday of every month and the interactive area with the Charles de Gaulle section is also closed every single Monday.
However, bar these particular days, this monument in Paris along with its French museums is open from 10am to 5pm from the start of October through to the end of March and then it opens from 10am to 6pm from the start of April through to the end of September.
Although we would like to point out that the ticket offices do close approximately 45 minutes before the whole building closes, and these are located at the south entrance close to the Eglise du Dome and the Tomb of Napoleon and the north entrance by the Cour d’Honneur with the cannons.
The cost for a ticket as of 2012 is €9, although it is free for those under the age of 18, if an adult accompanies them.
However, the good news is that the cost does include entry to The Tomb of Napoleon and the Eglise du Dome, the Musee de l’Armee, the Musee de l’Ordre de la Liberation and the Musee des Plans Reliefs.
Plus there is a gift shop, a book shop with so many different titles to choose from for those that want to learn more, along with a cafeteria and the audio guide that is provided free of charge for the interactive section of this historical monument and museum in Paris.
The Hotel National des Invalides is often known as just Les Invalides and is one of the great landmarks in Paris that was initially thought of by King Louis XIV back in 1670 as a place to house wounded soldiers and war veterans that were no longer able to fight for France.
If you enjoy history and especially military history, then you cannot miss out on a visit to this fabulous tourist attraction in Paris, as there is such a rich history of Les Invalides, but it is also well known for having the Tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte I.
Napoleon Bonaparte is often incorporated in school studies and he was a major influence of French military history, so eventually, some twenty plus years after his death, his remains were brought back to Paris up the River Seine.
After Napoleons remains arrive back in the capital his state funeral went through Paris stopping briefly at the Arc de Triomphe, which he had originally instructed to be built, then the procession travelled down the Champs Elysees and on towards the Hotel des Invalides, which would eventually be his final resting place. And what better place for a military general and emperor to be buried, than in the Eglise du Dome church of a very impressive military building.
So when you are on your holiday in France and thinking of visiting the capital city Paris, you can experience this and many other monuments in Paris, however there is far more to the Hotel National des Invalides than just the architecture, churches and the Tomb of Napoleon.
And in fact, Les Invalides comprises the largest single collection and complex compared to any other monuments in Paris and is world renowned for its military exhibits, plus not one but three museums you can visit, along with an impressive, unique collection that are all housed at the Hotel National des Invalides. | <urn:uuid:ef3b6ae9-05ea-4d59-9787-f1aa5176d85d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eutouring.com/hotel_national_des_invalides.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966737 | 1,292 | 1.734375 | 2 |
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has announced the voluntary recall of around 3,300 Feels Real Baby Dolls.
The fingers and toes on the dolls, sold through Lakeshore Learning Material catalogs and online, can detach and become a choking hazard.
They were sold online at www.lakeshorelearning.com and through mail-order catalogs between May 2011 through January 2012 at around $20. The dolls are wearing a diaper with colored hearts, stars and swirl print. On the inside of back of the diaper are 2 labels that say “Lakeshore” and “550200.”
Consumers who have the recalled baby dolls are asked to immediately take the toy away from children and contact Lakeshore Learning Material toll free at (800) 428-4414 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday or online at their website www.lakeshorelearning.com to get information on how to get a free replacement doll. The company will also be contacting their customers directly to announce the product recall. | <urn:uuid:f8f9b2d5-a233-47b5-a931-fa4360b8f44d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.al.com/live/2012/03/feels_real_baby_dolls_recalled.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957146 | 227 | 1.507813 | 2 |
The Water Resources Planning Act, referred to in subsec. (a), is Pub. L. 89–80
, July 22, 1965, 79 Stat. 244
, as amended, which is classified generally to chapter 19B (§ 1962 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section
1976—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 94–486
struck out provision which directed that no river be added to the national wild and scenic river system after October 2, 1968, until the close of the next full session of the State legislature or legislatures, if more than one State was involved, which began following submission of the proposed addition to the President.
1975—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 93–621
, in first paragraph, designated provision relating to the developments, which, if undertaken, would render the rivers unsuitable for inclusion in the system as cl. (i), and added cl. (ii).
1974—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 93–279
, in first paragraph, substituted provisions requiring submission of reports to the President on the suitability or nonsuitability for addition to the national wild and scenic river system of rivers designated by Congress as potential additions to such system, and submission by President of recommendations and proposals to the Congress, for provisions for submission of proposals to the President and the Congress, struck out reference to section
of this title and administration by an agency of the United States, inserted provisions that the studies relating to rivers named in section
of this title be completed by Oct. 2, 1978, and that the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture give priority to rivers which may be unsuitable for inclusion in the national wild and scenic river system if developments were undertaken, and in second paragraph, substantially incorporated the existing provisions with minor changes.
“Secretary of Energy” substituted for “Chairman of the Federal Power Commission” in subsecs. (b) and (c) pursuant to Pub. L. 95–91
, § 301(b), which is classified to section
, The Public Health and Welfare.
Federal Power Commission terminated and its functions, personnel, property, funds, etc., transferred to Secretary of Energy (except for certain functions transferred to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) by sections | <urn:uuid:e1ccf2a3-8e96-4bed-986a-1358542b3d61> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/16/1275?quicktabs_8=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941861 | 494 | 1.585938 | 2 |
As the Mayan kingdom faces its decline, the rulers insist the key to prosperity is to build more temples and offer human sacrifices. Jaguar Paw, a young man captured for sacrifice, flees to avoid his fate.
Famed archaeologist/adventurer Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones is called back into action when he becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls.
1000 AD, for years, One Eye, a mute warrior of supernatural strength, has been held prisoner by the Norse chieftain Barde. Aided by Are, a boy slave, One Eye slays his captor and together ... See full summary »
Nicolas Winding Refn
Besouro is less Oung Bak and more Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon in its approach to action and story.
Let's make no mistake here; this is not a Capoeira film. It's more of a film about people that do Capoeira. The story of Besouro is one of responsibility, pendants, spiritualism, rebellion, and the understanding that ideals don't die they live on in the minds of others who take them to heart. The Film Besouro follows the main character Besouro Mangangá a legendary capoeirista from Santo Amaro, Bahia Brazil. The film is set in the jungles of Bahia in the 1920s; the story is firmly grounded in its historical time and place, when rich white landowners oppressed black workers like slaves, even after the abolishment of slavery in Brazil. The story begins when Master Alipio, who has taught the art of Capoeira to Besouro, Dinora and Quero-Quero since they were children, is brutally murdered under Besouro's watch. Besouro's guilt over how his negligence led to his Master's death sends him deep into the jungles of Bahia where Master Alipio tells his young student from beyond the grave to fight for his people. Besouro is not alone on his mission however; he is aided by the Orisha, Deity like spirits, notably Eshu (a trickster God). They give him magical powers that make his body virtually impenetrable. The story is engaging and it has a social point to make, all of it brought together with a martial arts nougat center. The action is nice, not only do you see Capoeira as it's seen normally on the street (which to the uninitiated is cool enough) but you also see it in its combative form. But sadly to some, wire fighting is sprinkled throughout the action scenes, thankfully their appearance are few and far between.
For all that the film tries to do sadly it feels a bit empty in the end. For a movie that has action, drama, mysticism, revenge, and romance it seemingly forgot to pick up character development from Soccer practice. Characters move from one emotional plot point to another with little explanation of the reasoning behind the character change. With that being said, Besouro is still an entertaining and interesting film. For those who are looking for a nonstop balls to the wall Capoeira action film I'm afraid the search will have to continue. But for those looking for a intriguing film which features an equally unique fighting style or if you simply like the style of Capoeira and wish to see a film where it's shown positively, then I feel Besouro is worth a viewing. So on a scale of "Lord of the Rings" to "Twilight" this film gets a Watchmen.
5 stars, Lord of the Rings. 4 stars, the fifth element. 3 stars, Watchmen. 2 stars, The Company of Wolves. 1 star, Twilight.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you? | <urn:uuid:1773e652-4a8e-42bc-9191-2b58d361762c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1322277/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959057 | 790 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Fact: 70-75% of how you experience flavor is due to your sense of smell.
Anecdote: A friend told me about a friend (isn’t this how all good anecdotes start?) who had lost his sense of smell in an accident and consequently lost 20 pounds easy-peasey because, in my friend’s words, “Everything pretty much tasted the same. Brownies tasted like whole wheat bread so why not just eat the bread then?”
At the time my eating disorder – one of several, is there such a thing as multiple personality disorder for EDs? – was in full swing and I fantasized about losing my sense of smell. Wouldn’t that be awesome?! I’d never have to struggle with my weight again! Of course I’d never be able to luxuriate in the smell of my baby’s hair fresh out of a bath or inhale a lilac so hard the petals shoot up my nose. And what’s Christmas without my homemade orange-cinnamon potpourri? Then I realized that while I really wouldn’t miss brownies much – they’re just kind of meh for me – I’d definitely miss being able to appreciate a fragrant curry or an almond sugar cookie.
As anyone who has ever had a really wicked head cold knows, your nose is integral to both the function and pleasure of eating. And understanding how taste and smell interact can help you use them to your advantage says several new research studies. Two main opposing theories have emerged.
Calories Without Flavor
I was first intrigued by this idea when I came across The Shangri-La Diet: The No Hunger Eat Anything Weight-Loss Plan (aff) by Seth Roberts. While I’m not looking to diet or lose weight right now (I promise! No worries!), I am fascinated by the principle behind it, mostly because it is exactly the opposite of everything diet gurus normally advise. And if I learned anything from being an angsty goth teen it’s that I really love it when people buck conventional wisdom. You know, like how I was totally into The Cure and Depeche Mode because I really, like, got them you know, and not, like, all those poseurs who went to The Cure concert and could only sing along to “Friday I’m in Love.” Sure we all bought our mass-merch t-shirts at the same stands in the same huge arena but at least I made sure to buy the one that the least people got. Losers.
Where was I? Yes, it all goes back to smell. Not only is smell a huge part of taste but apparently it’s also “the most powerful of all the five senses” (although how they measure that I’m not sure and also, there are way more than five senses). Roberts contends through a theory of evolutionary biology that I won’t totally go into here that one way our bodies recognize a time of consistent access to food is by taking in a certain amount of flavorless calories. Research has long shown us that people who yo-yo diet tend to end up weighing more than people who don’t diet at all and it’s supposed that this is because the body experiences the diets as famines and therefore feels compelled to inhale everything in sight when not dieting to prepare for the next famine.
And yet to lose weight, one must reduce their caloric intake without triggering these eat-or-die hormonal landmines. Roberts’ solution to this dilemma is to ingest a certain number of calories – twice your body weight – in flavorless calories per day. The flavorless calories are supposed to emulate the diet that people would eat in a time of neither feast nor famine, just plain-jane eating. Which sounds oddly cannibalistic now that I type that out. Anyhow, the body lowers its internal set point for body weight when it realizes it has plenty of calories and doesn’t need to store a great excess. To achieve this he recommends using extra light (not extra virgin) olive oil and taking it in the middle of a “flavor-free” two-hour window. Although he says you can use any oil as long as you can’t smell it. A lot of Shangri-La dieters practice “nose clipping” which is simply eating a certain amount of your daily calories with your nose clipped shut so that you can’t smell them and therefore your body essentially experiences them as flavorless.
In a world where every diet recommends eating as few calories with as much taste as possible – the whole idea behind artificial sweeteners, yes? – this is a completely novel approach. And based on the few blog reports I’ve read and people on his message boards it works very well for quite a lot of people. As much as I love me some anecdotal evidence, I’d have to see some actual research to back up Roberts’ theory to be sold on this idea.
Flavor Without Calories
On the other hand, we have the more traditional approach of trying to get the most flavor for your caloric buck. When Vaportrim e-mailed me about trying their flavor sticks – scent-filled plastic sticks that look like cigarettes as imagined by Zebra gum – I’ll admit I agreed to try them mostly for the entertainment factor. How hilarious would it be, I thought, to “smoke” my cravings for sweets away? Unfortunately the smoking aspect got unfunny really fast when I watched my kids sucking on my sample sticks and practicing blowing smoke rings (you exhale water vapor that looks like smoke) at each other. I ripped them out of their tiny hands and took up puffing them while hiding out on my back deck, reminding me uncomfortably of my grandmother in her two-pack days. (Not to be confused with Nana’s Tupac days because those were sheer awesome.)
Still, the idea of sniffing a scent to trick your brain into feeling sated intrigued me. There is a lot of research showing that people who smell certain scents feel a lessening of cravings and therefore lose weight. One study even showed that people who lose their sense of smell generally gain weight from eating too much in an effort to find the satiety they experienced when they could smell (which I suppose blows my friend-of-a-friend anecdote to pieces).
I tried out the peppermint and pina colada “flavors”. I can’t say they did much for me. I think the first problem was that they didn’t smell how I expected them to smell. Specifically, the pina colada one smelled like a Strawberry Shortcake doll I had growing up and therefore reminded me of chewing on plastic hair and picking my nose instead of a delicious dessert. Although we’ve already established that I’m probably hypersensitive to smell compared to other people. Second, I couldn’t get past the whole smoking feel of it. The models on the site even hold the sticks like one would normally hold a cigarette (albeit someone in the Lollipop Guild). Third, the reviews on the site are… suspect, at best. As far as I could tell they didn’t reduce my cravings at all although perhaps since I’m not trying to lose weight, I was a bad test subject? Or perhaps this particular method just doesn’t work for my body – I tried Sensa, a product based on similar principles, twice (years ago) and it never worked for me either.
Which Way Works?
Does smell make you crave more food or does it make you feel full? Does the type of smell matter? Does the type of food being eaten matter? Do you eat less when you have a head cold because you can’t smell your food or because you feel sick? Does puffing on a Vaportrim stick help some people lose weight because of the scent or because it distracts them from their craving? Does Schrodinger’s cat nose-clip?? I have no idea. So many questions left but I find the research and theories behind each way very interesting and they both make sense in their own way.
What have you noticed about your sense of smell as related to your taste? Any of you have experience with either of these theories and/or products? Anyone else super sensitive to smells? I worked at Bath & Body Works for a while in college and would get so overwhelmed by all the heavy scents that I’d have breathe into my sleeve to get a break. | <urn:uuid:e710850d-b17f-4282-9318-050e455e837b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thegreatfitnessexperiment.com/2012/01/how-smell-influences-taste-and-how-to-use-that-to-your-advantage.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968294 | 1,801 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Eduardo Garcia Barrios, general and artistic director of the Orquesta de Baja California, believes in miracles. At least he believes in El Sistema, the music education program also known as the “Venezuelan miracle.”
The Russian-trained conductor saw the program’s transformative potential when an 18-year-old student was inspired by an El Sistema-based workshop to find a new purpose in life and enlisted Garcia Barrios’ support.
“He said, ‘Maestro Garcia, I want to make a deal with you, a gentlemen’s deal, a pacto de caballeros,’ ” recalled Garcia Barrios. “‘I’m going to be a great musician. I want to promise you that. I want you to be with me, because this has changed my life. My destiny was to be a drug dealer and now I know I can be a musician; I can be a human being.’”
With its ensemble focus, emphasis on student ownership (the students teach each other), and mission to extend the musical experience into the family and the broader community, El Sistema has demonstrated a potential to not only foster skilled musicians, but to strengthen communities, enhance academic achievement and ease social challenges.
The appointment of El Sistema’s most famous graduate, Gustavo Dudamel, to the podium of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2007 at the age of 26 gave the Venezuelan program international attention. And since then, musicians and educators have been intent on duplicating its success.
“I thought it had to be hype,” said Eric Booth, an author and consultant who has developed arts and education programs for institutions that include Lincoln Center and the Juilliard School of Music. He decided to see for himself and visited Venezuela, where the state-funded program serves 250,000 children and supports more than 200 youth orchestras.
“I’ve come back with the zealotry of a new believer,” said Booth, now a senior adviser to El Sistema, U.S.A. “It is the single most extraordinary thing I’ve ever encountered in my career.”
There’s no need to go to Venezuela, or even Tijuana, to witness El Sistema.
On a recent afternoon at Lauderbach Elementary School in Chula Vista, students involved in the San Diego Youth Symphony’s El Sistema-based Opus program were rehearsing “Pictures at an Exhibition.”
“Most of these kids, you would never see them even talk to each other in school — now they are together all the time,” said Mack Zepeda, whose daughter, Vanessa, plays double bass in one of the Opus-sponsored string ensembles. “They sit together, they share lunch together. And us as parents, we’re getting together for barbecues, outings, birthdays.
“This program is really changing our lives.”
The El Sistema concept — which has been embraced by dozens of orchestras and educational institutions from Los Angeles to Boston — is based on a relatively simple proposition: creating music is a metaphor for creating community, a community that extends far beyond the ensemble.
“If a healthy community can be represented in the making of music, then the gathering of community to support that making of music becomes as fundamental to the music as the music itself,” said Dalouge Smith, president and CEO of the San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory. | <urn:uuid:b6dff2a9-3360-4d63-acac-9366e384c76c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2011/sep/29/San-Diego-Youth-Symphony-El-Sistema/?page=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953208 | 755 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Generally speaking, if we accept that racism is merely the attribution of race as the determinative factor in describing "human traits and capacities," then I think it's reasonable to think that people can be racist even towards a race to which they belong. But, to be clear, I didn't mean to infer that McWhorter is racist.
I meant only to raise my belief that people sometimes make racist statements that get a pass because those people belong to the race to which the comments are directed. In the case of McWhorter, and let me caution again, I haven't even seen his book, so this is certainly not meant to be conclusive. What made me suspect McWhorter was the brief mention I saw of his discussion on education, and the idea that black people embrace anti-intellectualism. And then I saw a chapter in the table of contents entitled "The Cult of Anti-intellectualism."
So, going back to the above definition of racism, this is an argument where McWhorter might be saying that anti-intellectualism is attributable to race. Again, this is just a guess at what McWhorter's discussion might be. But, if he attributes this "cult of anti-intellectualism" primarily to race, then that's a racist statement, whether or not he is a member of the race to which that statement is directed. As I said, I haven't even seen it yet; but, at first glance, McWhorter's book appears to be the sort of which I am wary. | <urn:uuid:baddf74a-8fb4-4beb-b86c-1dc1856dbf0e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.booktalk.org/post28425.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979293 | 314 | 1.625 | 2 |
Date of Original Version
Abstract or Table of Contents
Abstract: "We have recently introduced a method of variation of boundaries for the solution of diffraction problems. This method, which is based on a theorem of analyticity of the electromagnetic field with respect to variations of the interfaces, has been successfully applied in problems of diffraction of light by perfectly conducting gratings. In this paper we continue our investigation of diffraction problems. Using our previous results on analytic dependence with respect to the grating groove-depth, we present a new numerical algorithm which applies to dielectric gratings. We also incorporate Padé approximation in our numerics. This addition enlarges the domain of applicability of our methods, and it results in computer codes which can predict more accurately the response of diffraction gratings in the resonance region. In many cases, results are obtained which are several orders of magnitude more accurate than those given by other methods available at present, such as the integral or differential formalisms. We present a variety of numerical applications, including examples for several types of grating profiles and for wavelengths of light ranging from microwaves to ultraviolet, and we compare our results with experimental data. We also use Padé approximants to gain insight on the analytic structure and the spectrum of singularities of the fields as functions of the groove-depth. Finally, we discuss some connections between Padé approximation and another summation mechanism, enhanced convergence, which we introduced earlier. It is argued that, provided certain numerical difficulties can be overcome, the performance of our algorithms could be further improved by a combination of these summation methods." | <urn:uuid:7f3d2f6b-2848-426f-88ee-47a195d355cd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://repository.cmu.edu/math/412/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951257 | 333 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Our fabulous First Lady is on the cover of this month’s G.l.a.m.our Magazine. In the article, she is quoted by saying :
In answer to a reader question about how she keeps her sanity, the First Lady told Katie, “I have always tried to put my kids first, and then…put myself a really close second, as opposed to fifth or seventh. One thing that I’ve learned from male role models is that they don’t hesitate to invest in themselves.”
When I read the quote from Mrs. O, I had to laugh because she rephrased something I say all the time. A man will not hesitate to do for themselves when they need something. Why is it so hard for a woman to do the same?
Do you feel guilty if you decide to splurge on some item or take some time for yourself? I know that there has been many a time that I will put off something I want or need to do because someone else in my home or family has a more pressing need.
As I get older, I have learned that taking care of myself is just as important as being a good wife, mother, friend and co-worker. It’s okay to let everyone know that I need some time for me.
Men always seem to do for themselves. They want something? They get it. They want to go somewhere? They go. Not to mention they will look at you like this when you complain about not having time to do something you need to do.
Whenever I start telling Mr. 1969 “How come you always find the time to do X, Y and Z while I am here doing all of this?”
He responds with “What’s stopping you? Did you ask me to help you? Did you tell me you wanted to go somewhere else? Why didn’t you just do it?”
I am usually the main person holding me back.
Are you always complaining about doing too much? Maybe you need to make a schedule and carve out time for yourself? Are you angry at your partner for always getting to do what he wants? Well, what’s stopping you from doing some things that you want to do? Stop blaming your situation and start making time for yourself.
Take a tip from the First Lady and learn to live…..you’ll be much happier in the long run and so will everyone else around you. | <urn:uuid:73842c46-4dc6-40ec-89ff-136063a41b06> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nineteen69.wordpress.com/2009/10/29/if-mama-aint-happy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978952 | 513 | 1.523438 | 2 |
created 11 months ago | Tagged:
The One-77 Cycle will electronically detail 100 performance measures, and will be hand-built and customized to fit every owner’s specifications.
The Aston Martin One-77 is one of the world’s most expensive, advanced, and exclusive cars–only 77 were made, and each was priced at $2 million dollars. Car-enthusiasts who weren’t able to get their hands on a One-77 before they sold out can now line up to buy the 2-wheeled version, the One-77 Cycle.
The One-77 Cycle is a collaboration between Aston Martin and Factor Bikes, a company known for their high-end road-racing bikes. The resulting partnership is being billed as the ‘world’s most technologically advanced bicycle’:
A fitting partner for the Aston Martin One-77, the most elegant, sophisticated and powerful road car the company has ever built. Both machines have much in common; a clean sheet design, developed from the ground up to showcase the most extraordinary potential of modern design, craft and engineering.
Like the Aston Martin One-77, the One-77 Cycle is made of only 77 pieces, and the bike seat and handlebars feature the same leather and custom-stitching that is used in the auto version. Other components of the bike also draw inspiration from its auto namesake- the main frame and wheels are made from carbon, making it lightweight and ready to race, made even easier by its Japanese-made 21-speed Shimano Dura-Ace gears. The bike also built-in front and rear lights via a built-in an integrated lighting system with high-powered LED lights.
But the most advanced feature of the One-77 Cycle is the built-in touchscreen computer system that rests between the handlebars of the bike like a dashboard to a car. The computer lets cyclists see 100 performance measures- speed, altitude, rate of ascent, leg power, and acceleration are among the advanced stats available.
The One-77 Cycle borrows one final aspect from the Aston Martin One-77: only 77 bikes will be made. Orders will start being taken in July 2012, and the bikes will retail for around $40,000. | <urn:uuid:e02f72ef-2541-4e2c-a80e-d6e17736f294> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://culturewav.es/public_thought/129307 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958617 | 465 | 1.835938 | 2 |
The Hobbit curse has struck again, with J R R Tolkien's estate suing the film's producers to the tune of $98 million for overstepping rights for Lord of the Rings merchandising and property.
Hollywood Reporter, which has obtained a copy of the lawsuit filed in a United States district court in Los Angeles this week, reports that the Tolkien family and publisher HarperCollins allege Warner Bros, New Line, and Saul Zaentz Co - which holds the film rights to all Tolkien's works - have infringed copyright and breached a contract.
The lawsuit, filed just over a week out from The Hobbit premiere in Wellington on Wednesday, alleges the studios have done "irreparable harm" to the author's legacy by authorising inappropriate merchandise, including Lord of the Rings-themed online gambling games.
The suit is for US$80m, or NZ$98m, in damages plus an injunction on games and other products that allegedly breach the agreement.
The estate is arguing that the agreement allows the studio to create only "tangible" merchandise. "The original contracting parties thus contemplated a limited grant of the right to sell consumer products of the type regularly merchandised at the time, such as figurines, tableware, stationery items, clothing and the like," the lawsuit says.
"They did not include any grant of exploitations such as electronic or digital rights, rights in media yet to be devised or other intangibles such as rights in services."
The estate said it learned of the existence of the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: online slot game via a spam email in 2010.
That caused it to investigate and discover Warner was planning real-world slot machines with Rings characters.
It was also planning other products that fell outside the original agreement, the estate claims. Warners would not comment yesterday.
The term "Hobbit curse" was coined for the production by lead actor Martin Freeman after the departure of original director Guillermo del Toro, a delay in filming after replacement director Sir Peter Jackson required surgery for a perforated stomach ulcer, and a high profile industrial dispute threatening the films.
- © Fairfax NZ News | <urn:uuid:0d1a4f9b-1503-42b8-9c3a-93a9ecb4da16> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/7981594/Tolkien-estate-sues-over-Rings-merchandising | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950003 | 445 | 1.570313 | 2 |
The RIAA is in round two of there lawsuits against music downloaders in an attempt to stop music sharing on the net. Once again proving that they would rather hinder growth and advancement than to promote it. Here is what I mean…
As you all know by now, Benzino (who is NOT a co-founder of the Source, as is often reported) has released tapes of a much younger Eminem using the N word and bad-mouthing Black women in a rambling, amateurish freestyle.
This has more to do with life in general than it does with hip hop music or hip hop culture specifically. There are a lot of things going on in the world today that could affect the way our world is tomorrow. I was listening to someone speak recently about some world issues and he made an interesting comment that got me thinking. It is a phrase I have heard used before but like many other things, had been buried under a pile of other stuff inside my head.
A CEO of a major urban record label was speaking out in regards to Eminem’s controversial lyrics and was quoted as saying, “We are the defenders of African American Women.” I read this and had to ask myself, “When did this happen? Am I missing something?” I mean other than a few rap and hip hop songs that speak well of women, most do not, and let’s face it negativity sells. The name of the game is record sales
Hip Hop has been around for quite a while now. In the beginning it was compared to music fads such as Disco, but Hip Hop has long surpassed these other types of music in popularity and staying power. From the start Hip Hop has had an uphill battle. Coming from the streets of New York and other urban areas of the country, artists had to work hard to get air time and respect from mainstream media. Even a lot of black owned venues did not welcome this new form of music | <urn:uuid:1c08cb11-9769-492d-b94a-061323ba1a71> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.slicksno.com/thalookout | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987743 | 402 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Profile of a troubled economyOctober 15, 2010: 3:00 AM ET
The numbers below explain why the economy is going to be under the weather for quite a while. 1 Homeowners have less equity and borrowing power. 2 Shareholders have smaller retirement accounts and less confidence. 3 There are fewer jobs. 4 Meanwhile, although industrial companies' cash holdings are at record levels, they're not rushing out to add U.S. workers. | <urn:uuid:0a109c90-3c5a-4555-93d7-7811578f0a35> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2010/10/15/profile-of-a-troubled-economy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952439 | 89 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Five ways to help kids boost their brain power
Everyone is born with about 100 billion brain cells. We form new connections between these cells throughout life, but the rate is particularly high when we're young. Since those connections facilitate thinking and learning, parents who want to help give their children an intellectual edge should consider the brain-health...
Restaurants team up to offer kids more healthy dining options
Summer has officially arrived, and with it, the busiest restaurant season of the year. Families will use the soaring temperatures as an excuse to get out of the kitchen and opt instead to dine out, savoring a taste of summer before the season ends. Regardless of the season, healthful menu options are a growing trend.
How to cross your dream adventure off life's to-do list
Run a marathon. Visit the rainforest. Backpack through Europe. You might have a to-do list for chores around the house, work tasks or errands, and while those are all intended to keep you on track for the more mundane, but necessary, tasks in life, have you thought about compiling a more exciting kind of to-do list - fil...
How to create the perfect kids room
Nurseries and playrooms on television and in magazines might have you thinking your child could use a more playful environment. Some of the more elaborate designs undoubtedly cost more time and money than you may want to spend, but don't let that discourage you. Creating a space your kids can call their own doesn't need ...
Six tips for boosting back-to-school success
Excitement, anticipation, anxiety - back-to-school time is filled with many emotions for both kids and parents. By planning ahead, parents can make gearing up for the start of the school year a fun experience that eases the transition while boosting enthusiasm.
How teens can make a difference and do something good this summer
If you're a parent, it's smart to encourage your teen to get involved in the community. It makes you both feel good and can be a wonderful learning opportunity. The first step is to find an idea that inspires you both and can make the most of teen's downtime during the summer. Here is what you both need to know.
The marriage merge: practical tips for combining your lives
Your wedding is sure to be the happiest day of your life, but marriage stretches well beyond those 24 hours. Merging your lives as husband and wife starts even before you say your "I do's" and will require some effort and patience - which will be good practice for your future life together.
Creating super summer snacks with grapes is a breeze
Early summer marks the beginning of the California grape season. These bite-size treats are the perfect snack - crisp, sweet and only 90 calories per 3/4 cup serving. Grapes are also very juicy, making them a welcome source of hydration as outdoor activities and temperatures increase. | <urn:uuid:18f64966-aec9-4703-a283-150320ec2074> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cedartownstd.com/pages/ara/push?class=&rel=&per_page=12&x_page=24&instance=Family | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95251 | 595 | 1.507813 | 2 |
The increasingly common refrain that "I'm spiritual, but not religious," represents some of the most retrogressive aspects of contemporary society. The spiritual but not religious "movement" - an inappropriate term as that would suggest some collective, organizational aspect - highlights the implosion of belief that has struck at the heart of Western society.
Spiritual but not religious people are especially prevalent in the younger population in the United States, although a recent study has argued that it is not so much that people have stopped believing in God, but rather have drifted from formal institutions.
It seems that just being a part of a religious institution is nowadays associated negatively, with everything from the Religious Right to child abuse, back to the Crusades and of course with terrorism today.
Those in the spiritual-but-not-religious camp are peddling the notion that by being independent - by choosing an "individual relationship" to some concept of "higher power", energy, oneness or something-or-other - they are in a deeper, more profound relationship than one that is coerced via a large institution like a church.
That attitude fits with the message we are receiving more and more that "feeling" something somehow is more pure and perhaps, more "true” than having to fit in with the doctrine, practices, rules and observations of a formal institution that are handed down to us.
The trouble is that “spiritual but not religious” offers no positive exposition or understanding or explanation of a body of belief or set of principles of any kind.
What is it, this "spiritual" identity as such? What is practiced? What is believed? | <urn:uuid:212c2712-c654-4713-8203-f842fb84bff6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.richarddawkins.net/news_articles/2012/10/1/my-take-i-m-spiritual-but-not-religious-is-a-cop-out?category=Religion | 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 | 0.968866 | 335 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Give you another example. Sometime during my life toilet paper became bathroom tissue. I wasn’t notified of this. No one asked me if I agreed with it. It just happened. Toilet paper became bathroom tissue. Sneakers became running shoes. False teeth became dental appliances. Medicine became medication. Information became directory assistance. The dump became the land fill. Car crashes became automobile accidents. Partly cloudy became partly sunny. Motels became motor lodges. House trailers became mobile homes. Used cars became previously owned transportation. Room service became guest room dining. Constipation became occasional irregularity.
When I was a little kid if I got sick they wanted me to go to a hospital and see the doctor. Now they want me to go to a health maintenance organization. Or a wellness center to consult a health care delivery professional. Poor people used to live in slums. Now the economically disadvantaged occupy sub-standard housing in the inner cities. And they’re broke! They’re broke. They don’t have a negative cash flow position. They’re fuckin’ broke! Because a lot of them were fired. You know, fired. Management wanted to curtail redundancies in the human resources area. So many people are no longer viable members of the work force.
Smug, greedy well-fed white people have invented a language to conceal their sins. It’s as simple as that. The CIA doesn’t kill people anymore, they neutralize people, or they depopulate the area. The government doesn’t lie, it engages in disinformation. The pentagon actually measures radiation in something they call sunshine units. Israeli murderers are called commandos. Arab commandos are called terrorists. Contra killers are called freedom fighters. Well if crime fighters fight crime and fire fighters fight fire what do freedom fighters fight? They never mention that part of it to us, do they?
And some of this stuff is just silly. We know that. Like when the airlines tell us to pre-board. What the hell is pre-board? What does that mean? To get on before you get on?
They say they’re going to pre-board those passengers in need of special assistance …cripples! Simple honest direct language. There’s no shame attached to the word cripple I can find in any dictionary. In fact it’s a word used in Bible translations. “Jesus healed the cripples.” Doesn’t take seven words to describe that condition. But we don’t have cripples in this country anymore. We have the physically challenged. Is that a grotesque enough evasion for you? How about differently-abled? I’ve heard them called that. Differently-abled! You can’t even call these people handicapped anymore. They say: “We’re not handicapped, we’re handy capable!” These poor people have been bullshitted by the system into believing that if you change the name of the condition somehow you’ll change the condition. Well, hey cousin … doesn’t happen!
We have no more deaf people in this country. Hearing impaired. No more blind people. Partially sighted or visually impaired. No more stupid people, everyone has a learning disorder. Or he’s minimally exceptional. How would you like to told that about your child? ‘He’s minimally exceptional.’ Psychologists have actually started calling ugly people those with severe appearance deficits. It’s getting so bad that any day now I expect to hear a rape victim referred to as an unwilling sperm recipient!
And we have no more old people in this country. No more old people. We shipped them all away and we brought in these senior citizens. Isn’t that a typically American twentieth century phrase? Bloodless. Lifeless. No pulse in one of them. A senior citizen. But I’ve accepted that one. I’ve come to terms with it. I know it’s here to stay. We’ll never get rid of it. But the one I do resist, the one I keep resisting, is when they look at an old guy and say, “Look at him Dan, he’s ninety years young.” Imagine the fear of aging that reveals. To not even be able to use the word old to describe someone. To have to use an antonym.
And fear of aging is natural. It’s universal, isn’t it? We all have that. No one wants to get old. No one wants to die. But we do. So we con ourselves. I started conning myself when I got in my forties. I’d look in the mirror and say, “Well…I guess I’m getting …older.” Older sounds a little better than old, doesn’t it? Sounds like it might even last a little longer. I’m getting old. And it’s okay. Because thanks to our fear of death in this country I won’t have to die. I’ll pass away. Or I’ll expire, like a magazine subscription. If it happens in the hospital they’ll call it a terminal episode. The insurance company will refer to it as negative patient care outcome. And if it’s the result of malpractice they’ll say it was a therapeutic misadventure.
I’m telling ya, some of this language makes me want to vomit. Well, maybe not vomit …makes me want to engage in an involuntary personal protein spill.” | <urn:uuid:f0bdfeef-4ef6-40c7-8f6f-d97221a06681> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://aspoonfulofsuga.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/george-carlin-soft-language/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959095 | 1,181 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Oh how I love the summer! I especially love the 4th of July! It’s that special holiday that we all get out our American flags, fire up the grill, watch fireworks and most importantly spend time with family. You know I always write about spending time with family, but we have to take advantage of moments like these because we can never go back. So why not enjoy, have fun and get creative!
I put together a list of great activities that you can do with your family this holiday. Enjoy!
1. Plan a picnic – July 4th is the perfect time to plan a picnic. Find a great blanket, pack some food and drinks and plan to lay out, eat, laugh and watch some great fireworks.
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2. Learn the history – You will be surprised how many kids and even adults don’t know why we celebrate the 4th of July. Take this time brush up on some history and teach your children at the same time. Here is a great link to get you started, History.com.
3. Make American Flags – This might be an activity you would think would be mostly for younger children but I think you will be surprised as I think kids of all ages will enjoy it. Also, while doing this activity you can talk about the history of the American Flag. Here is a great craft site for making American flags, The Craft Classroom.
More On July 4th Below:
Listen To This 4th-Inspired Playlist!
Check Out This Gallery For Must-Have July 4th Items! | <urn:uuid:0098b970-bd95-4a0e-afdd-9a1dafa4f4f6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hellobeautiful.com/2526807/july-4th-family-fun-activities/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962769 | 335 | 1.6875 | 2 |
The safety of our students, faculty, and staff is a top priority at Ball State University. To that end, we take emergency preparedness seriously, proactively planning for a variety of contingencies and monitoring situations that could impact student health or safety.
The crisis management team, which is made up of staff members from departments across campus, meets regularly to prepare, plan, and develop best practices for handling emergency situations on campus. The team is led by chair Alan Hargrave, associate vice president for student affairs and director of housing and residence life, who is the coordinator for on-campus audiences.
Recognizing that effective communication is vital in crisis situations, Ball State regularly tests our crisis protocols and emergency notification system. In addition, the crisis management team and university senior staff take part in training and tabletop exercises one to two times each year to test and enhance our established procedures.
The Ball State Department of Public Safety, recognized by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement (CALEA) as Indiana’s first internationally accredited campus law enforcement agency, takes part in active shooter and other specialized training annually to ensure it is prepared to respond effectively to a variety of emergency situations.
University Police works closely with appropriate local, state, and federal agencies, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, to remain aware of alerts and threats to the nation, region, and Muncie area. To promote campus safety, the department details Campus Crime Statistics, maintains a list of individuals who have received trespass notices, and has resources about a variety of public safety issues. | <urn:uuid:e39c21bb-b5e9-49e2-a4e7-e6a2922ee65b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cms.bsu.edu/about/administrativeoffices/police/~/link.aspx?_id=413C1540448C4950B82AB4246626AC4E&_z=z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952689 | 318 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Frustrated by difficulties in achieving adequate stability with my coaxial and quad flyers, and inspired by the efforts of Chris and Jordi with their BlimpBot project, I commenced yet another attempt to defeat gravity with a robotic entity.
This new project employs a relatively inexpensive 66-inch helium blimp from RC Guys, modified for direct motor control using the H-bridge built into the radio board portion of the SRV-1 Blackfin board set. The build was pretty simple - the only real challenge was in mounting the vectoring servo in the gondola. I would guess that I have spent 2-3 hours total on the build.
I haven't yet mounted my other sensors, but wlll be adding two Maxbotics EZ0 ultrasonic ranging modules (forward and down views) and an HMC6352 compass. First, I need to work out flight controls and invert the video feed, so all testing thus far has been with the blimp tethered.
Here's the first captured (inverted) video from the tethered blimp - it's not very exciting to watch, but I am using the motors to rotate the blimp. Untethered flight should follow in the next 1-2 days. | <urn:uuid:ed9bd116-c1ba-4176-8ed7-44d58e0277eb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/705844:BlogPost:28439?xg_source=activity | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95723 | 255 | 1.8125 | 2 |
While he lost South Carolina by more than 200,000 votes in Tuesday’s election, there was some good news for President Barack Obama: The incumbent Democratic president took 21 of South Carolina’s 46 counties, up from 20 counties four years ago.
And Obama ran neck and neck with GOP nominee Mitt Romney in three Midlands counties.
According to unofficial returns, Romney took 1,055,580 S.C. votes to win the state’s nine electoral votes. That was about 20,000 more votes than GOP nominee John McCain won in 2008.
Obama took 848,325 S.C. votes, about 14,000 fewer than he won four years ago, according to the state Election Commission.
In the Midlands, Obama won Richland County by a 47,625-vote margin – 94,350 to 46,725. Obama’s winning margin in Richland was down 90 votes from 2008. However, both Obama and Romney received about 10,000 fewer votes each than Obama and McCain tallied in Richland in 2008.
Romney carried Lexington County by a 42,385-vote margin – 76,392 to 34,007. That was up about 700 votes from McCain’s winning margin in 2008.
Romney also won Kershaw County by about 5,000 votes – 15,846 to 10,821. However, his margin of victory was down by about 200 votes from McCain’s 2008 win.
Obama took the three Midlands counties combined by about 200 votes.
Statewide, Obama won Darlington County this time around, adding it to the 20 S.C. counties that he took in 2008. | <urn:uuid:1f661bd5-842c-4305-b9a3-7ea32013eddb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thestate.com/2012/11/10/2513365/obama-ran-neck-and-neck-with-romney.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978971 | 339 | 1.648438 | 2 |
"From four Directions"
[Dianne Aid, Third Order, Society of St. Francis; St. Matthew / San Mateo, Auburn, Washington: June 20, 2010]
Part of our liturgical traditions at St. Matthew / San Mateo, Auburn include participating in First Nations four directions prayers. Part of this ceremony is praying for the groups of people that live to the North, the South, the East and the West. St. Matthew / San Mateo includes in its membership people that truly come from the four directions and whose relatives still live in all parts of the globe. We are the most diverse congregation in the Diocese of Olympia. We are inter-cultural, meaning that we are more than separate cultural groups sharing the same space – we are truly one. Our vestry of nine includes four immigrants (three from Mexico and one from the Fiji Islands), First Nations people and people of European ancestry.
Sunday is the entry point for our ministry which incorporates the following week of activities in our parish hall building and Jubilee Center. The 9:00 am service is simple, traditional and in English. Our principal Sunday service is at 11:00 am on Sunday and is many hued (as is the 9:00 am service).
Beginning at 11:00 am, the Liturgy of the Word takes place in the parish hall building in four different rooms – adult English speakers, adult Spanish speakers, youth, and children. After the Creed, all four groups proceed across the walk way to the sanctuary building where the Liturgy of the Table commences as a bilingual service. Two choirs alternate (English and Spanish). The congregation of about 80 is 50% Spanish Speakers and 50% English speakers. English speakers include South Pacific Islanders, First Nations peoples, and peoples of Asian, African and European ancestry. Among the Spanish speakers are First Nations peoples as well.
Throughout the year different traditions are expressed liturgically. Beginning in late October, an altar for Day of the Dead is constructed, changing into an altar for Our Lady of Guadalupe, and than the most eclectic Christmas altar one would ever witness. It remains through the Feast of the Presentation, very important in many Mexican indigenous communities. We are proud hosts of the Celebration of Enmegahbowh and David Pendleton Okerhater as well as hosting an annual Pow Wow Etiquette workshop before attending a local Pow Wow. Our Fiji Islander crowd throws some wonderful meals and parties, and young people speaking in English, Spanish and Hindi dance all kinds of dances in cowboy hats and South Pacific attire.
This same crowd moves into the Monday-Friday work of the Jubilee Center which includes legal services for immigrants such as developing a micro business; "The Jubilee Kitchen and Market Place"; Zumba classes; traditional Mexican folk dancing classes; youth and children's music lessons; and a computer café. Other parishioners are heavily involved in Kairos prison ministry, quilting, and a variety of other works of service and compassion.
This new model of Sunday Ministry which has led to a very engaged Monday-Friday congregation began two years ago. It was an experiment. It seems to be working. We are a vital growing congregation!
St. Matthew/San Mateo has been engaged in Latino ministry for ten years. Starting separately, we have moved from isolation to coming together. We celebrate together and we share in the particular struggles facing immigrant members in the current pressures on immigrant communities. Three years ago we declared ourselves a Sanctuary Congregation. When asked why be a Sanctuary Congregation by a reporter, one of our members answered, "It is safe here." | <urn:uuid:f0c095cb-7979-498b-82cf-c40c7ed177c7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.membermission.org/New-Website-Files/from-four-directions-sermon.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958348 | 740 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Library Wish List
Adult Collection Children's Collection Other Items
Buy an Item for the Library's Collection
staff is asked for a list of items that the Library
would like to have as a part of its collections. A WISH
LIST has been created in an effort to let the public
be aware of titles the staff feels would enhance the
collections, but, because of cost or budget constraints,
the items have not been purchased.
Simply decide which item from the WISH LIST you or your organization or group desires to donate. Next, either purchase the item yourself and bring it to the Library, or make a tax deductible monetary contribution to the Library for the cost of the item and request that a particular title or item be purchased with that contribution. Your tax deductible gift makes the item available to all customers of the Library and greatly enhances the service that the public receives. A great big "THANK YOU" is extended to all who choose to better their community in this special way.
Any New York Times Best Sellers for the current year.
~Duplo and Lego blocks; all shapes and sizes for future children's programs.
~Animorphs the series of juvenile fiction by K.A. Applegate.
Check back soon for items in this section. | <urn:uuid:07da19e6-9da2-441e-ab1a-0478e9ab3a95> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ajpl.org/library/wishlist.htm | 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 | 0.932887 | 262 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Tomorrow, the American Legislative Exchange Council–known as ALEC–will host their 2012 Spring Task Force summit in Charlotte, NC. At tomorrow’s meeting, the corporate front group will round up its various committees and prepare to peddle new state-level legislation to attack clean energy laws, protect polluting industries, privatize education, and suppress voters, among other big business schemes.
Need a refresher on ALEC? It’s the group that brings state legislators to the table with representatives from major corporations in the sectors of energy, healthcare, tobacco, private prisons, and other groups to manipulate state politics to maximize their profits and limit their liabilities. These companies help craft template bills for state legislators to bring home and introduce in their respective statehouses.
Documents obtained and published by Common Cause now give us a roster of specific attendees at ALEC’s environmental meetings, a consortium of state legislators and a who’s who of the most offensive polluting political heavyweights including: Koch Industries, ExxonMobil, Duke Energy and Peabody. Participating legislators know well they’re walking into a dirty party, sometimes using state taxpayer money to foot the bill.
The corporations that fund ALEC are well known for their political spending on both sides of the aisle. ALEC funders include Koch Industries, known for its coordinated political spending against President Obama, and Duke Energy, which is laying down a ten million dollar line of credit to host the Democratic National Convention in their hometown of Charlotte, NC. But these polluting companies are co-conspirators under the banner of ALEC, where partisan politics are set aside to focus on the mission of destroying environmental protections, clean energy competition and liability for crimes against both people and the ecosystems sustaining us.
So what exactly are ALEC and these oil, coal, chemical and public relations companies focusing on tomorrow? Continue reading | <urn:uuid:cc8e2d1d-2bc5-408c-8bac-8813df6aa484> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://greenpeaceblogs.org/tag/legislators/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939005 | 375 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Okay you want to know how I know this, right?
Well, Better Gwinnett has been fortunate to have the support of a very intelligent, real live rocket scientist. In his current position, he is exposed to FAA and aircraft data on a daily basis and knows how to obtain and analyze independent data available from the FAA.
If you look at the two linked charts you will see that the Cessna 172 and Cirrus SR 22 single engine prop aircraft, a Beech Baron 58 twin-engine prop, and a Beech Jet are 4 commonly used aircraft operating at Briscoe.
Notice that the Cessna 172 and Cirrus SR22 aircraft are about 15 - 20 decibels quieter than the Beech Baron 58 and Beech Jet. Propeller aircraft using LZU are anywhere from mid-50s decibels on approach to the upper 70s decibels range. You will also see that the Beech Jet produces approximately the same noise volume as the passenger jets projected to operate at Briscoe, and that the loudest jet, a 737-700, is 25 decibels louder than a Cessna 172.
You will also see that the noise “footprint” for a 737-700 is 16-miles long and almost one-mile wide, while the “footprint” for the Beech Baron 58 prop aircraft, is only 8-miles long and approximately one-half mile wide.
Well if you live in the fantasy world in which Brett Smith (Propeller Investments), Mike Royal and Paula Hastings (both Fly Gwinnett Forward) live, that would be correct. Of course, if you live in the real world like most people in Gwinnett County then you won’t be surprised to find out large jets are louder than the prop aircraft which currently use Briscoe. | <urn:uuid:e4c3e053-84c8-42f6-a52d-ad9fdc64d6c6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dacula.patch.com/blog_posts/really-large-jets-are-quieter-than-prop-planes | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940942 | 384 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Ella S. Child was born in Juniata, KS, on Sept. 7, 1856. Her father was a strong minded individual and insisted on allowing the women in his family to vote, in defiance of the law, in 1870. The Alpha Beta Literary Society first admitted women to its group in 1874, one of the first being Ella Child. In 1876, she was elected Vice President of the Alpha Beta society. She was the only woman in a class of nine when she graduated from Kansas State Agricultural College in 1877. Child worked as a teacher in Manhattan, KS, 1878-1893, before marrying John Carroll on March 19, 1907. Correll received a card from President Dwight D. Eisenhower in honor of her 100th birthday in 1956 and received an ebony cane as KSU's "Earliest Living Graduate" in 1959.
Sources of information:
History Index. Carroll, Ella Child
Vertical File. Alumni Profiles
College Symposium, 1891
Alumni Record, 1914 | <urn:uuid:6a65f674-6ff9-44cd-90ac-f4881d9b97b2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lib.k-state.edu/depts/spec/women/carroll-ella.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974209 | 212 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Eat Drink Man Woman. What a wonderful movie! This Taiwanese movie is about a father who tries to show his love for his family through the food he takes the time to select and prepare for them. He is a poor oral communicator in the traditional sense, he struggles to show feelings and emotion, so he tries make up for this trait by showing love for his family through food. Yet, initially his children are too self absorbed to notice his love for them in this regard; but in time they come around and unite as a family. And, of course, they eat some amazing food along the way.
The opening scene from this movie is the father preparing a meal (click HERE to watch the clip). This opening scene is also a metaphor for part of the business world in China.
How, you say? Notice how many different things and tasks he takes on to prepare the meal. Also notice that during much of the scene he uses the same, big knife, to do the chopping, basic cutting, then the fine cutting and mincing, etc.
When we visit China you may see that many (not all, to be sure) Chinese business people tend to be more generalists and a “jack of all trades” than their counterparts in western firms. In the West, we tend to focus on what we specialize in (e.g., “Go talk to marketing, I only handle finance”, or “Look, I just do _____[fill in the blank], you tech guys needs to fix the problem with the product” or “That’s not my area, I deal with the SEO stuff”).
Your thoughts and experiences on this issue? The same? Different? What have you seen and experienced out there? | <urn:uuid:f7c3dbc4-44da-4e19-b27b-165a70854620> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://calpolymbatrip.com/2011/uncategorized/eat-drink-man-woman/ | 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 | 0.976752 | 362 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Well, my last blog post ‘Why Newt Gingrich is wrong about Palestinian identity‘ appears to have placed me as one swimming against the tide or rather, outside the shoal.
Notice I said he was wrong about Palestinian identity and not the fact of the invention of a Palestinian people.
These two things, identity and peoplehood are subtly different. But one does lead to the other.
Most of what I wrote is echoed by many commentators:
The most important point is that the Palestinians created an identity in order to destroy another – Jewish peoplehood.
We all agree on that.
We also agree that this identity is being used in a continuing war of delegitimisation of the Jewish people’s connection to Israel.
I stated, however, that any people who consider themselves a nation has a right to be considered as such. Clearly, not in the Passport to Pimlico sense. Let’s leave aside the absurdities that my statement above could be used to imply.
There is a Palestinian identity- however that identity came about. And that identity is tied to a scrap of land in the Middle East.
It is pointless and irrelevant to deny this, however cynical we are about the origins of that identity.
Let me put it another way. If that identity is denied simply because of the way it is used as a weapon to be wielded against Jewish identity, where does it leave several million people who cannot and would not be Israelis, cannot and would not be Jordanians?
My point was that Gingrich does not move us nearer peace by stating the historical truth. He, and all of us, should recognise the current reality.
Palestinian identity and peoplehood has emerged out of their own perverse insistence on destroying another nation and out of their inexhaustible stamina in the pursuit of prolonged victimhood and grievance.
But it is, nevertheless, an identity and, like it or not, that identity will lead to peoplehood and nationality at some stage in the future. The confirmation of that identity can only be achieved if they recognise the Jewish identity of Israel. This is why UNESCO’s recognition of a Palestinian state is wrong and is a regressive and hostile act against Israel. This is why there is no peace.
If Mahmoud Abbas and the Arab league declared tomorrow that they recognise Israel’s right to exist based on the 1967 lines with land-swaps, Israel would be the first country to recognise Palestine and, by implication, a Palestinian identity and peoplehood. Prime Minister Netanyahu stated this clearly at the UN a few weeks ago. And this would be exactly the scenario envisaged in the UN Partition Plan of 1947 , albeit with rather different borders.
So how does using the term ‘invented’ help us move toward that goal?
Recognition of Palestinian peoplehood is almost universal. Israel and its supporters will have to live with it. It may be a ruse invented as a weapon of mass destruction, but the Palestinians have, if you will, turned themselves into a people despite themselves.
Let’s assume Gingrich becomes President or Vice President and has to have some role in advancing peace in the Middle East. How is bringing up the ‘invention’ of a Palestinian identity going to help?
The two-state solution is the only game in town. two states for two peoples. Isn’t this what all of the commentators above support, even grudgingly. So what it is it about ‘two peoples’ that we are not supposed to understand?
Is it the Jews and and a assorted bunch of Arab and Bedouin tribes or is it Israel and Palestine. And if Palestine, why not the Palestinians.
It is quite legitimate to point out how Palestinian nationality is being used against Israel and to oppose its use to further illegitimate recognition. But I stand by what I wrote. Gingrich’s statement is irrelevant. It does not matter that he is historically correct because it’s the history of the last 60 years that will matter and the history of the next hundred years, not the status quo ante. | <urn:uuid:bb6bd879-4563-4b75-99e9-87f86703018b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.raymondcook.net/blog/index.php/2011/12/14/gingrich-and-palestinian-identity-2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961539 | 841 | 1.703125 | 2 |
More new fires reported 0
Red Lake District Fire Number 39, started on the afternoon of July 12. Resources on the fire include heavy equipment, two FireRanger crews and air attack. - MNR
High temperatures and thunder storm activity continues to boost the fire count across the region.
There were 16 new forest fires confirmed in the Northwest Region by the evening of July 13, reported the MNR with more reports in. This is in addition to more than 29 new fires reported the day before.
Rain in the forecast is expected to bring some relief as it eases the forest fire hazard to low and moderate, at least through the central portions of the region. However, there are still some high hazard areas and more fires are predicted for July 14.
By the afternoon of July 13 the active fire count was 37 including two in the Dryden District, seven in the Nipigon District, one in the Kenora District, eight in the Red Lake District, 12 in the Sioux Lookout District and seven in the Thunder Bay District.
The total number of fires to date in 2012 for the Northwest Region is now 302 with an area burned of 3,039.7 hectares.
- MNR News Release | <urn:uuid:69f26395-36da-4ea8-9815-0e8abf6a5df1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kenoradailyminerandnews.com/2012/07/14/more-new-fires-reported | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966663 | 247 | 1.835938 | 2 |
After one of my colleagues posted a comment on my article, I posted back and the debate eventually devolved into the title: “How Much Do Football Stats Matter?” I said they mattered and, along with scouting, should be used in determining the worth of a player. My colleague disagreed, arguing that scouting was the only way a player could be judged. After some thought, my position has switched closer to the latter argument, but honestly, I don’t know. Here is my attempt to answer the question. This won’t be limited to one paper. Those of you interested in the other point of view, look for my paper next week.
Most of the reason for the change of my
position is the lack of usable stats at all. Unlike baseball, few stats exist in football, and what stats do exist almost entirely deal with factors that only other players can control. Completion percentage depends on the receiver catching the football and the offensive line protecting. At least seven players contribute to any completed pass. The unfairness of the statistic is that only one player-the quarterback- is actually damaged by a player failing. (Granted, a receiver could get credited with a drop, but 1.) no one thinks about drops (they rarely are the chief factor in a game), and 2.) whether or not an incompleted pass is counted as a drop or not is completely subjective. The league leader in drops had 13. How many were difficult catches that went through his hands is likely much higher.)
That raises an important question-how do you single out the quarterback? For that matter, how do you single out any position on the field? Baseball has FIP for pitchers, and a number of tools for hitters (to my knowledge there is not one single stat. WAR comes close, but also includes defense. In my mind, I use a mixture of BABIP and OPS. Both have their flaws, but BABIP helps show “luck” and contact ability while OPS takes into account plate discipline, pure power and contact ability as well. Not surprisingly, the best hitters like Miguel Cabrera do quite well. Mariners teammates Brendan Ryan and Justin Smoak not so much. For a look at all factors in a players’ game, WAR does a good job.)
To my knowledge, there is no such stat for football. Football Outsiders attempts to, but they can only compare versus the average. They do not control for the ten other players on the field. Expecting Demarco Murray to do an average job with the current Cowboys offensive line is ridiculous. The four players not named Tyron Smith in front of him simply block poorly. (Honestly, I didn’t watch another team all of last year where a first and goal at the one didn’t feel like a certain touchdown. I actually crossed my fingers in such scenarios for the Cowboys.) Tony Romo threw 19 interceptions last year, but how many were because of his horrific offensive line? The fact that he is above average despite his horrific offensive line shows that he’s good, but how much better than an average quarterback with the same offensive line? No statistic answers that question. That is because stats compare with the average player on a hypothetical team . The stats don’t take other players on real teams into account. An average player with a poor offensive gets you Felix Jones (at least I would consider him average.)
Football Outsider actually admits this point blank. They hold no punches about this fact and admit there is no way to control for the other 10 players.
Defensive stats have other problems that don’t fit neatly in this point or the next. If a cornerback makes very few tackles, is that good or bad? Is it good that he shows toughness against the ball carrier or bad that he allowed them to make the catch in the first place? Who is to say? This is touched on next, but inherent flaws in defensive stats mean that the answer is completely subjective.
Offensive football statistics tend to have another main issue- they are usage based. I call this the Larry Johnson effect. In 2006, Larry Johnson made the All-Pro team and was second the league in yards. He only accomplished those feats because he ran 416 times. LaDainian Tomlinson, the league leader in rushing and also a fellow All-Pro, came in second with 348 rushes. While Tomlinson placed fourth in yards per rush (in other words, he was efficient with his rushes), Johnson placed 15th. In that regard, Johnson was the worst All-Pro and Pro Bowler.
That raises the question: why did he get All-Pro when Maurice Jones-Drew lead all running backs in the category and didn’t get Pro-anything? The reason is that the “sexy” offensive stats are almost entirely usage based. Passing Yards, Completions, , Rushing Yards and are almost entirely based on attempts.
Matt Stafford almost threw for 5000 yards. So did Tony Romo. Normally, you and I think of 5000 yard passers as unbelievable passing phenoms like Dan Marino. Both of them are very good quarterbacks in their own right, but neither touches Dan Marino or Drew Brees. However, one place where they do touch Marino and Brees is in total attempts. Stafford, despite his 59.8% completion percentage, led the league in attempts. In fact, he broke the record. Romo placed third.
The phenomenon of yards-attempts correlation isn’t always true (Tom Brady is extremely good in this regard) but it usually is. That makes sense. Even if I am a terrible quarterback, if I throw 1000 times a season, a few of them have to be completed, right?
As discussed with Larry Johnson, the same problem presents itself in running statistics. Since 2002, only running back has lead the league in yards without placing in the top three in total attempts- Clinton Portis, in 2007. Most of the running backs are good in their own right, but never would have sniffed the top if not for touching the rock again and again and again.
Defense has its own set of problems. Defensive stats are almost entirely based on what the other team, and some statistics don’t reflect defensive realities. I think a list would organize the problems with mainstream defensive stats best.
Tackles: While also based on instincts, tackles remain a right-time-right-place proposition. Safeties can’t make tackles if they play “centerfield” against a running based team. Linebackers can’t make tackles on out routes. Defensive lineman can’t make tackles on passing plays of more than 5 yards in the air. Certain types of plays simply negate the possibility of a certain player getting a tackle, no matter the skill or instincts of said player.
Interceptions: The defensive back has to be targeted. In his prime with the Raiders, Nnamdi Asomugha only recorded more than on interception once. He has only accomplished the feat twice in his ten year career, despite consistently earning recognition as one of the leagues best shut down cornerbacks. If the receiver isn’t open, he will not be targeted. If he is not targeted, the cornerback can’t get the interception.
Forced Fumbles: While dependent on the ball carrier, there isn’t much inherently wrong with the statistic, other than the fact that there are so few forced fumbles that it the sheer quantity doesn’t always equal how hard the defensive player hits. This isn’t entirely fair, but it makes my point: Asante Samuel, probably the worst tackler in the league, had more forced fumbles in 2004 than Sean Lee has in his entire career. Again, small sample size and everything, but it does show how random the stat can be.
Fumble Recoveries: Entirely right-time-right-place. This should never be used in evaluating players. Ever. Luckily, to my knowledge, it isn’t.
Sacks: Not much wrong with this either. The best pass rushers usually get the most sacks. More pressure equals more sacks. Honestly, this seems to me to be the most fair of any of the major defensive statistics.
The numerous problems with mainstream stats show why they can never be trusted. The inherent flaws in more sabermetrically-inclined ones do too. If the sabermetrics can’t fairly discern who is actually the best and who is not, than it appears no statistic can.
The next part of this series which says that football stats can and should be used appears next weeks. I will not have a cumulative essay. You can make the decision yourself. | <urn:uuid:a3108886-8551-4ed6-86b0-96c047b4b659> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sportdfw.com/2013/03/20/how-much-do-football-stats-matter-part-1-no/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965671 | 1,796 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Hack Possible on Flawed VLC Media Player
TorrentFreak, a torrent-watching Website, has reported a serious flaw in the well-known media player, VideoLan, also called the VCL Player for Mac and Windows, as reported by Download on March 18, 2008.
According to TorrentFreak, the security hole can be exploited to execute arbitrary code by potentially controlling the host system from a distance.
However, it is not known if the bug influences the player's portable version or if an announcement has been made regarding a patch or an upgrade for the product.
The problem appears when any subtitle file is loaded that leads to a stack buffer overflow capable of being exploited. At the time of handling subtitles, exploitation of boundary faults in the 'ParseVplayer ()', 'ParseMicroDvd ()' and 'ParseSSA ()' can cause buffer overflows of stack-based type. The reported flaw is independent of the platform used indicating it can affect users of Mac, Linux and Windows.
When video files project a link pointing to a different subtitle file that VLC loads by default at the time of running the video, a malicious user could exploit the stack buffer overflow error in that VLC. He could then run malicious software present in the subtitle file thus enabling him to fiddle with the vulnerable computer. The flaw influence VLC players being run on Mac, Windows, BSD and probably other Operating systems.
At first, it was thought that the vulnerabilities in version 0.8.6d were corrected via the latest upgrade but later it turned out to be untrue. Security Advisor, Luigi Auriemma at TorrentFreak, said that the VLC-handled buffer overflow has not been completely patched in the newer version 0.8.6e, as reported by TorrentFreak on March 18, 2008.
Auriemma added that surprisingly his old proof-of-concept developed only to test the particular buffer overflow in fact worked perfectly on the latest VLC version as well without requiring any modifications.
For now, it is safe not to run a subtitle file. The drawback, however, is that the solution might not work out as properly as the normal releases. Security researchers have thus suggested workers on the Internet to upgrade their software for security at timely intervals.
Related article: Hack.Huigezi Virus Attacks China PCs Rapidly
» SPAMfighter News - 26-03-2008 | <urn:uuid:7340583d-1cf8-4f05-9885-ae55c9fbf19a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.spamfighter.com/News-10058-Hack-Possible-on-Flawed-VLC-Media-Player.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949568 | 497 | 1.796875 | 2 |
This resource is provided by one of our library partners.
Best friends NEED to be together. Don't they? Poor Megan! Not alone is she stuck with totally uncool parents, and a little sister who is too cute for words, but now her very best friend, Alice, has moved away. Now Megan has to go to school and face the dreaded Melissa all on her own. The two friends hatch a risky plot to get back together. But can their secret plan work?
What is the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer?
The Tomatometer measures the percentage of Approved Tomatometer Critics who recommend a certain movie --
or the number of good reviews divided by the total number of reviews.
A good review is denoted by a FRESH tomato.
A bad review is denoted by a ROTTEN tomato.
In order for a movie to receive an overall rating of FRESH on Rotten Tomatoes, the reading on the Tomatometer for that movie must be at
least 60%. Otherwise, it is ROTTEN. The ratings and reviews are licensed by the Phoenix Public Library from Rotten Tomatoes. For more information,
please visit the Rotten Tomatoes website at www.rottentomatoes.com | <urn:uuid:28cf4ea6-af3d-44e7-ba7c-7da567f1bb0c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/controller.jsp?R=1643174 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943623 | 258 | 1.796875 | 2 |
The CarbonFree® Business Partnership program is intended to provide a simple, affordable way for businesses of any size to evaluate the carbon emissions associated with their annual operations, take steps to reduce these emissions, and neutralize the remaining emissions by supporting clean air and carbon reduction projects around the world. The program is also structured so that it compliments broader sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility programs, and helps to promote awareness and recognition for these efforts.
A great example of expanding environmental commitment beyond carbon emissions neutralization is CarbonFree® Partner K.L. Security Enterprises’ annual tree-planting projects through their Safe Environments Initiative. When not out planting trees, the K.L. Security team helps customers store critical business and personal electronic data, documents, vital records and collections with their custom safes, vaults, fireproof file cabinets and ioSafe rugged hard drives. For residential customers, services may also include preservation and protection of family photo albums, heirlooms and other keepsakes.
“For the last 5 years, I’ve been a steward of a diverse ecosystem in Indiana - 48 acres of native forest and prairie that deserves to be protected,” explains Johnny Klemme, CEO of K.L. Security Enterprises. “With the help of friends and family, we’re teaching others about the importance and power of our local environment, and even more importantly, that you can’t sit back and wait for other people to take initiative; you have to make that conscious decision today to make a difference.”
Check out this video to see Johnny and the K.L. Security team in action.
In the last two years alone, K.L. Security has offset 93 metric tonnes of CO2 through the CarbonFree® Business Partnership, the equivalent of carbon emissions from almost 10,500 gallons of gasoline. In 2013, K.L. Security plans to complete two additional environmental improvement projects with several other local businesses in their community.
"Our commitment to the environment runs deep, and partnering with Carbonfund.org ensures that every bit of our operational CO2 emissions is accounted for,” confirms Johnny. “Each and every one of our customers across the United States can take comfort that the carbon emissions from every safe and vault that we ship to them are offset through our support of Carbonfund.org’s reforestation, renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. We’re doing our part to affect positive change in the world in which we live, work and play and hope our customers value this commitment as much as we do." | <urn:uuid:592d1cef-706e-445b-875f-49ea4b3baa8e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.carbonfund.org/blog/itemlist/tag/Safe%20Environments | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935436 | 527 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Recently, Assistant Curator of Photographs Jamie M. Allen and I (Archivist, Joe R. Struble) transported a large oil painting (roughly 4-feet by 3-feet) by the Florentine artist Giacomo Martinetti to the Art Conservation Department at Buffalo State University. The fragile piece had been expertly packaged by Eastman House’s Exhibitions Preparator Nick Marshall.
The painting of three girls is of significant interest and was signed by the artist and dated 1877. Its provenance is unknown, just one of the many mysteries about it.
Its relevance to our collection of photographs rests in the painted renderings of two framed Cabinet Card photographs on the table next to the sisters (if they are sisters) and has led to speculation that these girls are orphans and the painting a sort of memento-mori. (The jury – made up of Photo Collection staff – is definitely out on that, however).
During a visit to Eastman House, students from Buffalo State were taken by the condition of the damaged painting and its needs for treatment (as we had rather hoped).
We were fortunate in getting this object evaluated for treatment by the Art Conservation Department, which will then assign the work to a student, Megan Salazar-Walsh in the Graduate program at Buffalo State.
But the question remains, who are these girls – and who are the man and woman in the Cabinet Card?
Founded in 1970, Buffalo State’s Art Conservation Department is one of the leading programs of its kind in North America. Accepting only 10 students a year, the competitive three-year graduate program trains conservators of fine- art and material-cultural heritage. The program’s director and associate professor is Patrick C. Ravines, well-known to Jamie and Joe and others at Eastman House since he was one of the students in our museum’s Advanced Residency Program in Photographic Conservation. He took us on a spellbinding tour of the facility, including the “under construction” third floor, scheduled to open this August. This addition will double the space of the current facility, housed in the building that was previously occupied by Burchfield Penney Art Center. As we went from room to room in the current treatment labs, we were enlightened as to the program’s mission and scope.
A large painting lay carefully supported face down on a table while part of its elaborately carved and gilded wooded frame was being repaired. In another room, a section of a stained glass window, a portrait of a young and unknown (to us) bishop-saint from one of Buffalo’s many glorious, but now unused, Catholic churches was in a state of repair. Evidently, a museum of religious art is in the works for Buffalo, which will preserve and display these treasures.
We were not prepared, however, for the specimen in the next room — a taxidermied juvenile female orangutan, standing and staring glassy-eyed as we entered. She had once been a living resident of the famous Buffalo Zoo, and then stuffed and mounted at the Buffalo Museum of Science. Moth-eaten and coming apart at the seams, she had been rescued by one of the Buffalo conservation students and returned to her red-furred glory, ready to be admired again.
All-in-all, our experience in Buffalo was a wonderful “snapshot” of the varieties of material objects that relate to the field of conservation and an opportunity to make a connection with colleagues in a related endeavor, all on a lovely summer day. | <urn:uuid:7a9dc74d-cf9a-45da-a5a1-5ec5ab5a90fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.eastmanhouse.org/tag/giacomo-martinetti/ | 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 | 0.974497 | 741 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Stephen Harper is bringing Canada into ambitious new Pacific free-trade talks, fulfilling a key pledge to reduce reliance on the United States but increasing pressure on protected industries to accept more foreign competition.
While the Prime Minister insisted nothing has been sacrificed to join the group, it’s clear that the controversial issue of supply management – Canada’s protection of its dairy, poultry and egg industries from foreign competition – is on the table.
“It’s going to be a real test of the appetite of Canada for trade liberalization,” said Andrew Cooper of the Centre for International Governance Innovation, who is observing the Los Cabos summit. “Of course, we’re going to have the problems of marketing boards and Canadian responses to the pressure that’s going to come. If it doesn’t come from Australia, it’s certainly going to come from New Zealand.”
Tuesday’s invitation to join the talks known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership came at the conclusion of G20 meetings in Los Cabos, Mexico, in which European leaders announced they are considering a makeover of their banking sector to prevent struggling financial institutions from causing more problems for their debt-burdened governments.
Canada campaigned behind the scenes for months to get an invitation to the trade talks. All nine member countries of the TPP talks must accept Canada’s admission, and while most already have, U.S. approval is the key.
All sectors of the Canadian economy will be under scrutiny for signs of protectionism. Canada has also agreed to live by any deals that have already been reached, although Mr. Harper said the talks seem to be at an early stage.
“Canada has not agreed to any specific measures in terms of an eventual Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement,” Mr. Harper said. “As in any negotiation, nothing is agreed to until everything is agreed to by all parties. … We’re obviously not going to try to undo what’s been done, but these negotiations in our judgment are at fairly preliminary phases right now.”
When asked about supply management, Mr. Harper said his government has a strong record of defending those sectors in trade talks.
Questions remain about whether Canada will be a full member of the negotiations. Reports from Washington suggested that TPP countries were reluctant to give new members full veto rights over chapters in the agreement, a condition Canada initially rejected.
Mr. Harper has said joining the TPP is a key element of his government’s push to expand trade with fast-growing Asia, but has faced difficulty persuading the Americans that Canada is a major defender of digital intellectual property such as movies, TV shows and music.
Mr. Harper met on Tuesday with U.S. President Barrack Obama as the announcement of the invitation emerged. A day earlier, Mexico was invited to join.
The U.S.-led talks appear likely to eclipse the North American free-trade agreement in importance.
The two invitations must have domestic approval from each of the nine current TPP states – the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Chile, Peru, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei. Canada expects approval in the fall.
The current TPP countries represent 510 million people and a gross domestic product of $17.6-trillion. With the inclusion of Mexico and Canada, the free-trade zone could reach 658 million people and $20.5-trillion in GDP.
The Dairy Farmers of Canada said they expect Canada can have both free trade and supply management.
“The position of the Canadian government is that it will defend supply management, and we expect them to do just that,” said Therese Beaulieu, spokeswoman for the Dairy Farmers of Canada, a national lobby and promotional group for Canada’s 12,965 dairy farms. “Canada has been able to conclude a number of trade agreements before, and we’ve kept supply management. We have confidence that they can do it again.”
Others aren’t so sure.
Thomas Donohue, president and chief executive of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, noted that Canada moved to “prove its readiness to join the high-standard TPP agreement” by approving new copyright legislation this week. He added, however, that “issues still remain regarding Canadian policies on intellectual property and supply management.” | <urn:uuid:38b7db7d-09ec-4545-93f5-422032ea67a9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/harper-hails-canadas-invitation-to-join-pacific-trade-talks/article4347053/?service=mobile | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961365 | 908 | 1.703125 | 2 |
- (Photo: Reuters/Jason Reed)
Wisconsin, considered a centerpiece of any of the multiple paths to re-election for President Obama, is now up for grabs.
By all political standards, the upper Midwestern state that President Obama won by 14 percentage points in 2008 was considered a "blue," or Democrat-leaning, state in part due to the state's strong union presence. But that is quickly changing.
The issue that has brought Wisconsin to the political epicenter of national politics is the recall election of Republican Gov. Scott Walker, which is a result of his willingness to challenge the state's public-sector unions by letting cities and school districts decide on whether to engage in wage negotiations, also known as collective bargaining. Walker was also successful in his efforts to get union employees to pay for a portion of their insurance – much like most private sector employees do.
But unions gathered enough signatures to force a recall election for Walker and six state senators whose races were voted on in August of 2011. Democrats won two of the six races but needed three to reclaim a majority in the state senate.
Yet the Walker recall vote is no longer simply an internal disagreement over union issues as it is a warm-up race that would predict how voters will respond to President Obama in November.
Ed Rendell, who previously served as Pennsylvania governor and is the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, feels the Wisconsin recall vote was not a good idea.
"Don't get an election that's divisive, that may have an influence on the presidential election," he told MSNBC last week. "We made a mistake doing that."
In the past few weeks, millions of dollars from individuals and groups nationwide have found their way into the state in hopes of giving one party the edge going into the dog-days to summer campaigning. One watchdog group estimates that over $60 million has been spent so far by outside groups or the candidates themselves.
But what is most interesting is that President Obama, who was in Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois last week, avoided crossing the state line to help Walker's Democrat opponent, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. Even progressive columnist Noah Rothman suggested that if the recall election fails, the blame could be placed squarely on the shoulders of Obama.
"President Obama has abandoned that fight, noting correctly that it is not likely to be won," Rothman wrote. "But progressive pundits . . . are right – this is not just another election. . . . It is a fight with broad implications that President Obama has abandoned. The question now becomes, can they [progressives] forgive this betrayal ahead of a tough election in the fall?"
The question remains is what happens to President Obama if Walker wins?
Wisconsin has not voted for a Republican since Ronald Reagan in 1984 and Obama's large margin of victory in 2008 made it a Democratic stronghold. But a GOP victory would have as much of a psychological impact by possibly reducing voter turnout while leaving GOP nominee Mitt Romney with an intact network of volunteers eager to mobilize voters in November.
More importantly, it would demonstrate that unions – specifically public unions – may not be able to deliver the amount of votes Obama needs to win some key battleground states such as Ohio, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Although some polls show the election as a toss-up, most political pundits are predicting that Walker will win by a five to seven point margin. | <urn:uuid:be34d5d7-a05b-4624-ad8f-e0609da39546> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.christianpost.com/news/wisconsin-once-safe-for-obama-now-up-for-grabs-76027/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978133 | 683 | 1.734375 | 2 |
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