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Geologist Colin Summerhayes shares a laugh with a guest on our first morning in the Drake Passage.
Ornithologist Patricia Silva explains the finer points of sea birds as a guest attempts to capture with her camera!
Passengers check out their digital photos in the stylish lobby of the Le Boreal as others head out on deck.
Guests enjoy a mid afternoon snack in the main lounge for Tea Time.
Captain Jean Phillippe Lemaire greets guests as they arrive at the Welcome Cocktail party.
Captain Lemaire introduces his officers to the passengers.
At Sea, En Route to Antarctica
We awoke to a new world, one defined by an ocean view in all directions, with the South American continent now far out of sight behind us. During the night, Le Boreal left the shelter of the Beagle Channel and by the time we got out of bed this morning, the ship's motion was quite evident. We put on our sea legs and carefully made our way upstairs for a hearty breakfast.
With a hot cup of coffee in hand, we bundled up and went out on deck to watch the entourage of petrels and albatrosses escorting us south. Chocolate-colored southern giant-petrels swirled around behind the ship, their substantial pale beaks glowing in the intermittent morning sunshine. We also saw our first albatrosses of the trip, including the wandering albatross, with its spectacular 11-foot wingspan!
We then had the opportunity to exchange our parkas for better-fitting ones before joining Ornithologist Patricia Silva for her lecture "Seabirds of the Southern Ocean". Patricia highlighted some of the species we would see out in the open ocean and told stories of their amazing long distance travel abilities, including the fact that some species regularly circumnavigate the entire globe between nesting seasons! Patricia presented beautiful photos that made us all want to spend every waking moment out on deck, in the hope of catching a glimpse of some of these striking birds.
After a break for a cup of bouillon, Historian Bob Burton gathered everyone back in The Theater for an entertaining lecture entitled "My favorite heroes of Antarctic exploration", during which he told some amazing stories from the Heroic Age of Exploration in Antarctica. From Apsley Cherry-Garrard's quote of thinking of "death as a friend" to the unthinkable dinner ration of 1.5 mugs of penguin and seal hooch, a biscuit and thin cocoa, Bob provided us with some insight into the mindset of the men who went out into some of the harshest physical conditions on the planet with the goal of discovery.
Following lunch, Photo Enrichment Coach Richard Harker gathered beginner and professional photographers alike into The Theater for his talk: "Photography in Antarctica – What to expect and how to prepare". He covered everything from protecting our camera equipment from unpredictable weather, to understanding how to best deal with the challenging lighting situations that are the norm in Antarctica. We left feeling both empowered and excited to go out and capture that perfect shot.
We had the opportunity to practice our photography out on deck, where the Expedition Staff were gathered to point out the seabirds following the ship. We then headed in for the final enrichment lecture of the day, "The ecological impacts of climate change on the Antarctic Peninsula", presented by Marine Biologist Jim McClintock. This part of the world has experienced one of the greatest shifts in climate on the planet, and the effects of this include a 40% reduction in the extent of winter sea ice around the continent over the past 25 years, the arrival of large crabs from the sub-Antarctic waters to the north of Antarctica, and the weakening of the shells of Antarctic mollusks due to ocean acidification.
We then all donned our Sunday best and met Captain Jean-Phillipe Lemaire and many other members of the ship's staff in The Theater for the Welcome Aboard Cocktail Party, carefully swaying back and forth with the ship as we mingled over champagne. The Captain explained the Iceberg Spotting Competition to us, and then introduced several core members of his staff. It became clear that, just like those of us traveling as passengers, the crew has quite the international flare. We all had a very enjoyable evening that was rounded off by a superb gala dinner. | <urn:uuid:c490941c-4bee-4b61-a54a-8045fbf85620> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.abercrombiekent.com/travel_logs/antarctica/classic-antarctica/12-7-2010/Day2.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951276 | 890 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Just like the humans breaking world records on the track at Olympic Stadium, on the courts of Wimbledon, and on the pitch at Wembley, the horses who competed in the Olympic equestrian events at London's Greenwich Park are finely tuned athletes who have trained rigorously for their big day in the arena. Historically, the mounts of choice for most riders at the Olympic level have been warmbloods, a group encompassing a number of breeds and types originally bred for farm work, cavalry, and pulling carriages but, in modern times, tuned for sports like jumping, dressage, and eventing. However, at this year's Olympic games, competitors also sat astride Andalusians, Hungarian chargers, and horses registered with Studbook Zangersheide. Get a glimpse of the alphabetic assortment when you check out our slideshow!
Aug 10 2012 - 4:00am | <urn:uuid:13158756-780f-4399-a641-2725f660e435> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.petsugar.com/Horse-Breeds-Types-Olympic-Equestrian-Sports-24324198?fullsite=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931681 | 182 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Still from Art21 Telethon, May 2012
There's performance: immediate, rehearsed and present; then there's television: distant, canned, and broadcast. One offspring of their coupling is the telethon. 'Telethon' became a recognized portmanteau of 'television' and 'marathon' with Jerry Lewis' aid in the 1950s. His telethons for the Muscular Dystrophy Association ran and ran: there'd be a song, a celebrity, a mail carrier, a joke, banter and filler. The marathon viewing sessions kept attention on the cause at hand by providing various entertainment in service of one goal: to raise awareness and funds for the organization. The camera was always on: in order to look away, the viewer had to hit the clicker to change the view (or turn off the box). Inside, the telethon continued.
Recently, Art21 held their own artist-led telethon. Hosted by Ronnie Bass, who had explored the format in 2007 in order to raise funds for his Performa TV piece, the event came to be after the NEA cut funding to the PBS art documentary program. Artists replaced entertainers to create some nine hours of durational broadcast performance streaming from Algus Greenspon Gallery to the Art21 site. It was telethon to its core, making up what it lacked in big-production finesse with performative sincerity, intimacy, and palpable camaraderie.
The telethon as a fundraiser makes less viable sense today: crowd-funding options are less time-consuming and presentation-intensive. What remains is its value as a style: the telethon as an experience that fills time with performance, and an endurance event in service of an objective. | <urn:uuid:2ea92a00-5e2c-4307-8b2d-c9ea7370ee0f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rhizome.org/editorial/tags/telethon/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948142 | 363 | 1.515625 | 2 |
A survey from a pool of Columbia Business Schoolalumni entrepreneurs was recently conducted to understand the overall pattern of our graduates' entrepreneurial experiences and what factors predict success. One of the questions posed was: Why did you start a business?
The results showed the various reasons people first became entrepreneurs and how these motivations are linked to success. Interestingly, one of the least cited reasons is the only one that is linked to success.
Great business idea
Frustration with corporate opportunities
Potential for greater financial success
Desire to build
*Based on 1,497 Columbia Business School alumni
Some of our survey highlights from this question revealed: | <urn:uuid:96f2ebc1-0bb1-4d90-ad8a-894cbf2a740b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nacce.com/news/45579/Why-Do-People-Start-a-Business.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940268 | 128 | 1.578125 | 2 |
An electrical fire one year ago destroyed Hauser’s Chef in the Forest Restaurant. It’s taken nearly 12 months to put the pieces back together.
Owners Debbie Mustered and her mother, Jo Davis, say their intimate and rustic-feeling dining location will reopen soon, depending on when they get an occupancy permit.
“We’re hoping by Dec. 22,” said Mustered.
Fans of the restaurant will see the same building, friendly service and menu. “The big changes are inside,” said Mustered. The rearrangement of walls and the bathroom opens the seating area and provides more natural light. Plus the restaurant has added a gas fireplace to cheer the place up. Photo above is by staff photographer Kathy Plonka.
“We’ve used lighter wood, and with the windows, the whole place feels brighter,” she added.
Mustered and Davis are the fourth set of Chef owners. The restaurant, at 12008 North Woodland Beach Dr., opened in 1977. For more, read the rest of the post below:
Total restoration cost came to $350,000, with insurance covering all of that.
Before, the restaurant served diners on two floors; the remodel consolidated all 18 tables on the main floor. “Our servers are really happy we did that,” Mustered said.
The interior of roughly 2,200 square feet will also feel a little more organized, she said, as the contractors have squared up the exterior walls to remove the slight irregularities the building had.
Chef in the Forest will serve dinners Wednesday and Thursday, 5:30 p.m. to close; and Friday through Sunday, 5 p.m. to close. To find out when it opens, call (208) 773-3654. | <urn:uuid:4b2aa8f7-c502-4dec-b4e2-8648145210a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/officehours/2010/dec/09/hausers-chef-forest-within-two-weeks-or-reopening-after-fire/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933809 | 381 | 1.554688 | 2 |
App making is competitive as ever and it’s only going to get more so. Apps are an awesome opportunity for entrepreneurs to turn an idea into a profitable product with little monetary investment. The problem is, everyone knows this and is trying to get their piece of the pie.
With that in mind, The Mobile App Design Starter Kit is exactly what any independent app creator needs to get ahead of the game.
There are a lot of great ideas hidden behind terribly designed apps. We all know the typical reasons for poor design – pricey professional designer prices, lack of themes, or mobile app design just being difficult in general – but what this Cult of Mac deal offers is a comprehensive kit that includes everything you need to give your app a snazzy design that will make it stick out among the competition for only $57.
Here’s what’s included:
- Editable Design Files With How-To Videos: There are a lot of quality resources included in this kit. Don’t feel overwhelmed, highly informative how-to videos are included so you know exactly what each aspect of the kit does and how to use it effectively.
- How-To eBook: Ever wonder what is the entire process of getting an app made? Whether you’re a designer, developer or idea person, this book will help you get a handle on the process and best practices of making apps!
- Customizable App Icons: 8 unique and completely customizable designs are meticulously designed and organized. Each icon is retina screen ready and measures 114 × 114 pixels. Best of all, they are built using vector shape layers so you can blow it up without compromising quality.
- Badges, Icons and Arrows: Don’t settle for standard badges, icons and arrows! It’s super easy to have custom designs for these fun little elements. All of these are sized for the optimal “tap-able” size for both 3.0 and retina screen resolutions.
- Buttons & Controls:A huge assortment so you can find the perfect fit for your app. Custom designed buttons and segmented controls are a great way to develop a theme that helps your app stand out.
- Background Textures: Subtle and classy. Getting the proper contrast between background images and on-screen elements can be tricky. These backgrounds are designed and tested for both form and function!
- Pixel-Perfect App Icons: With this Kit you get the largest collection of mobile-centric icons out there. All icons are sized for both 3.0 and retina displays and built using vector shape layers. This means you don’t lose any image quality when sizing up or down!
- Sound Effects: Enhance your app design with the added dimension of sound. Sounds include: “Complete!” “Message Sent” “Color Paper” “Pop/Click” “Shake Up” “Shake Down” “Slide” “SMS Incoming” “SMS Outgoing”.
- Custom Menus: Custom menus are a key aspect of any app and part of the design that will really make your app pop. The kit includes several varieties that can easily be altered for unlimited styles.
Mobile application designers are extremely high in demand. Not only is this Cult of Mac Deals offer great for styling up your own apps, but learning mobile design is a lucrative skill since there isn’t much traditional education for it.
You don’t need to create your own app to be a part of this booming market. There are plenty of fantastic apps that just need a simple facelift. And this is the perfect kit to help you get your foot in the door.
But this deal is almost done. So head over to the Cult of Mac Deals page and pick up The Mobile App Design Starter Kit for just $57 today! | <urn:uuid:cd2bc6d1-1495-4318-a625-ef30d1ac09cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cultofmac.com/205903/ending-soon-the-mobile-app-design-starter-kit-deals/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932304 | 801 | 1.515625 | 2 |
The Liberal party is in uncharted waters. What’s not clear is if their ship is sinking or whether a salvage operation is even desirable. To help assess their survival prospects, Liberals should consider the six key factors that I believe kept the PC party alive after it was torpedoed in 1993.
- The Thin Blue Line: Peter MacKay describes it this way; “There were people, who simply would not let the PC party die. They held the fort while the party was under siege. Call it a ‘goal line stand’ or the ‘last sentinels,’ but they were committed to the history and traditions of the party.” What MacKay describes are the thousands of supporters from across the country who attended yearly conventions and kept local riding associations alive. Nowhere was the Thin Blue Line more evident than in Atlantic Canada, where politics is handed down from one generation to the next. It is no accident that the remnants of Liberal strength today are from Atlantic Canada where a Liberal resurgence may find its foundation.
- Money: Although the PC Party came out of the 1993 election deep in debt, their donor base kept giving. While party treasurer Jim Prentice secured ongoing financial support from Canada’s largest corporations, the Liberals face a more difficult task today because the rules only allow individual donations. Of course, corporate donations were replaced with a per vote subsidy, which is now on the Harper chopping block.
- Survival Instincts: The PC Party knew they were on life support and put everything they had into a survival plan. This included Tory senators pooling their office budgets in a single fund that was under the sole discretion of the party leader to support the rebuilding effort. Would Liberal MP’s and Senators do the same for their party?
- Leadership: Jean Charest was ordained as interim leader in December of 1993 and confirmed by party members in April 1995. He was the franchise and the last great hope. By travelling incessantly to rally depleted and demoralized troops he took the party from 2 to 20 seats. While many Liberals are talking about not choosing a leader for a year or two, there is no precedent to suggest this will work. Liberals need someone who can steer the ship.
- Ideological Space: In his book about the Reform party, Tom Flanagan critiques Preston Manning’s vision for a dynamic populist movement that recruited centrist or even leftist members. “Eventually, he wants Reform to embrace thewhole ideological spectrum, just as he wants to become a demographic microcosm of the whole Canadian society.” Because western-based populism had a social conservative fervor that left room for Jean Charest to appeal to Red Tories and other moderates who did not feel comfortable with the Reform crowd. Even Stephen Harper abandoned Reform in 1997 because Manning was committed to building apopulist, rather than a conservative, movement. But what ideology does the Liberal Party hold today? With Harper and Layton moving to the centre there is little room left for Liberals. A party strictly of the centre looks more a political strategy to gain power than a vision to inspire followers. Liberals cannot survive in an ideological no-mans land.
- Under attack: In his memoirs, Jean Chretien gave some latent advice to Preston Manning: “I would have moved heaven and earth to take over the Progressive Conservative party as quickly as possible. The Tories were down and out, with virtually nothing left but their history.” But far from building bridges, Preston Manning denigrated the PC Party and ridiculed its accomplishments, which made them mad enough to keep fighting. But if Layton and Harper show respect for the Liberal legacy they diminish their motivation for a rebirth. For example, Layton could amend the NDP constitution to enshrine liberal principles, and even change the Party’s name to Democratic-Liberal. Harper could welcome right-leaning Liberals by paying tribute to Chrétien-Martin accomplishments in financial management.
Of course the Liberal Party of today and the PC Party of 1993 are different. The 1993 Tories were reduced to two seats after holding two majority governments; while the Liberal caucus is 34 members, weak and their popular vote has declined in each of the last three elections. But what the Liberal and PC parties have in common are roots that pre-date Confederation. And they are the only parties to have held government.
While some might say that the PC Party eventually died because they were taken over by the Canadian Alliance in 2003, remember these three facts: the PC Party remained a national political party over 3 elections after the 1993 debacle; in the merger the PC party kept their name (most of it anyways) while its constitution was accepted by Stephen Harper right down to the commas and periods; and, the PCs retained the principle that every riding had an equal say in important decisions, including leadership selection.
Liberal should take note of the warning that Stephen Harper issued to PC Party members in 2002 when he was leading the Canadian Alliance: “No matter how old and distinguished, a legacy cannot assure its own survival. Proof of this can be seen in Quebec, British Columbia and Saskatchewan, where the historic PC Party has all but vanished.”
As Liberals ponder their future they can heed this caution, as well as learn about how the PC party kept itself alive while its obituaries were being written in 1993.
Bob Plamondon is the author of Full Circle: Death and Resurrection in Canadian Conservative Politics and Blue Thunder: The Truth about Conservatives from Macdonald to Harper. | <urn:uuid:6b093947-8cdd-43ca-bb83-bbb4b19ac8e8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ipolitics.ca/2011/05/10/bob-plamondon-six-factors-that-could-keep-the-grits-alive/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972637 | 1,121 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Who was he?
The last person who moved here to provide the population numbers a big box operation like Wal-Mart considers adequate for construction and operation of a store?
After all, if so many of us are going to play the blame game when it comes to the possibility a big box might set up shop here, we need to look at the root causes, don’t we?
Population comes first.
Wal-Mart is not thinking about a store in South Fork or Creede. The company sees a viable market here, and that means customer numbers. Those numbers include everyone who has moved here in the last half century. The changes in Pagosa Country during that time mirror those in much of Colorado and the West. People moved here because of the natural beauty, because of the lifestyle; in doing so, they changed the place.
Like it or not, every person who relocates here alters the place, and not always for the better. We see that quite clearly as we deal with the big box predicament. To avoid this, to not consider it before we deal with other factors, is a mistake. The same situation will drive other, perhaps equally controversial changes in the future.
Today’s market numbers can be traced in large part to changes on the scene some 40 years ago — in particular, the development of large subdivisions to the west of town by Navajo Trail, Eaton International and Fairfield. With lots numbering in the thousands, the die was cast. Those developments were approved by the county, not the town.
The shift of the population and commercial center of the community was assured with approval of those developments and the trend has continued since. It is a trend that would have continued if property owners to the west had not petitioned the town for annexations, if a proposed incorporated municipality in the Pagosa Lakes area had succeeded, or if the area had remained part of unincorporated Archuleta County. Population demanded it.
One major commercial shift involved development on U.S. 160 near Piedra Road and on North Pagosa Boulevard. Another occurred when Tom Grant and company developed the Pagosa Country Center complex. Its creation provided for increased erosion of the downtown small business community and that pressure has continued to this day (witness the abandonment of the downtown City Market and Pagosa Plaza). Aspen Village was developed and has slowly included a number of business enterprises.
The failure of David Brown’s plans for downtown development and the fact nothing filled the vacuum left by that failure, further cemented the inevitability of the shift west and an expanding commercial zone there.
Want to assign blame? Focus first on population growth, then on democracy.
Design regulations were in place that could have prevented a big box from moving to town, or that would have slowed and controlled the move.
Residents in Pagosa Springs voted them out. There was nothing secret about it, nothing concealed.
True, it is not the democracy many want, but it is the democracy that statute allows. It is the democracy that exists in every county in Colorado, save those that meld county and municipality. It is the democracy that would have existed in an incorporated municipality in the Pagosa Lakes area were it dealing with the situation now — one that would deny voters in town and unincorporated county a vote on municipal matters.
The stage was set long ago. It should come as no surprise a big player is eager to take to it. The question is how to deal with what comes, since the stage is likely to grow larger. | <urn:uuid:ad616db7-8200-41c7-ae32-b376ea1b5599> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pagosasun.com/archives/2012/01January/012612/editorial.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 | 0.973762 | 723 | 1.75 | 2 |
Posts Tagged ‘Barack Obama’
The CUPE 3903 strike has been reminiscent of an element of our society that is highlighted by capitalism. We are never grateful, let alone satisfied with what we have. We do not take responsibility for our circumstances, blaming them on others. With CUPE3903′s demands, this became very obvious in their case. Two things I would like to highlight here:
1. Freedom of speech should not become a license (as remarked by His Highness the Prince Karim Aga Khan).
2. This is demonstrated in the current scenario we find ourselves in and highlights the onset of a failing democratic method.
I would like to share with you a few words regarding this from my memoir and would like to see if you can relate.
“Perhaps the most important thing in my life that has shifted energies from negativity to positivity has been gratitude. I have been through a phase where I have been extremely insecure, believing that I was not good enough for anyone or anything. I would externalize my problems, blaming circumstances for them. Little did I realize at that point that this discontentment came not from outside, but from within. The principal factor in my dissatisfaction with life had been my ungratefulness. It had become a rote routine to be thankful. To say it, to repeat it without meaning it. To friends, to strangers, to God. When I realized the power of gratitude, my perception of life changed. My vantage point had shifted. From externalizing my problems, to internalizing my satisfaction, I was grateful. A major transformation in literally minutes, sustained over long periods. For this reason, I call this gratitude, ‘Goditude.’ “
I cannot emphasize how detrimental the affects of this strike have been. Yet, I can proudly say that it has given me time and the opportunity to grow and develop. It has brought about significant change in my life. I think that this was a necessary event in my life. Perhaps, an intervention of sorts by God. No education could have given me the strength and understanding that I have now had it not been the strike.
I believe it is time to take a hard look at the situation, as students, as the contract faculty, and as the administration at York University. This time, however, let us look at ourselves. As members of an institution, of a democratic union. As individual members of society. Let us take a look at history to see how we have failed the democratic process. Let us be thankful for what we have, and shift our energies to the positive aspects of our life.
Enter Cliche: Obama talks about hope and change. Lets talk about hope and change. Within ourselves, for ourselves. Let us trust ourselves, perhaps. As theRock Obama said,
“know your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy“
Let us build a capable, competent society, a strong democracy, uniting bridges. | <urn:uuid:577b031f-4944-430c-ad6d-a46543a37007> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://destogate.wordpress.com/tag/barack-obama/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972892 | 618 | 1.6875 | 2 |
A recent article in the Salt Lake Tribune highlighted the fact that the Church’s Presiding Bishop, H. David Burton, attended the signing of a comprehensive set of immigration reform bills passed by the Utah legislature. The article said: “One thing is clear: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has abandoned its claims to neutrality on these bills.”
This needs a clarification.
While the Church does not endorse or oppose specific political parties, candidates or platforms, it has always reserved the right to address, in a nonpartisan way, issues that have significant community or moral consequences. Immigration is such an issue.
Before the 2011 Utah legislative session began, the Church announced its support for the Utah Compact . Our hope was that lawmakers would find solutions that encompassed principles important to Mormons and other people of goodwill:
- We follow Jesus Christ by loving our neighbors. The Savior taught that the meaning of “neighbor” includes all of God’s children, in all places, at all times.
- We recognize an ever-present need to strengthen families. Families are meant to be together. Forced separation of working parents from their children weakens families and damages society.
- We acknowledge that every nation has the right to enforce its laws and secure its borders. All persons subject to a nation’s laws are accountable for their acts in relation to them.
Our focus during the legislative session was to encourage laws that incorporated these principles. The Church did not dictate what kinds of bills should be proposed. Like many others on Capitol Hill, Church officials voiced their views and trusted the state’s elected officials to do their job. We consider the comprehensive package passed by lawmakers to be a responsible approach to a very complicated issue. Bishop Burton was invited, along with other community leaders, to witness the signing of a series of immigration bills by Utah Governor Gary Herbert and to show support for the diligent efforts of lawmakers in this area.
We expect that our country will continue to struggle with this complicated issue, which the federal government will have to address. Our hope is that good people everywhere will strive for principle-based solutions that balance the rule of law with the need for compassion.
*The Church issued its most recent statement on immigration on June 10, 2011. | <urn:uuid:9ed95e74-f45b-4007-ab69-2088987ad96b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/a-principle-based-approach-to-immigration | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969632 | 465 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Fabulous Fred wrote:bluecon wrote:Fabulous Fred wrote:I am of the opinion that even a Polar Bear has a right to live on this planet. Killing for food or protection is a separate issue. This is killing for "sport", and even that is not eliminated, just scaled back a bit. Not that expect they will honor the quotas anyway, they ARE above the law and they know it.They still eat the bears they just make 25k while doing it.
nonsense, ... not the 25k part, the eating part. Perhaps a few steaks if the trophy hunter doesn't mind, perhaps not. They no longer live off of the land, have you heard?What gives you the right to impose your beliefs on the Inuit?
Are they "special"? or can they hunt an animal to extinction because of their "traditions"? Narwahl come to mind???
Polar Bears have a tough enough life without having to watch for a-holes in helicopters with a 50 cal. on a tripod. That is a human activity!:lol:Maybe the Inuit don't like you raising cows and then killing them for food.
Are cows wild animals or are they domestic? Get back me after you look that up.Do they have the right to impose a vegetarian lifestyle on you?
No, and I am not imposing it on them either.
As somebody recently returned from another stint in the Arctic I can respond to this.
The apparent helicopter hunting with a 50 caliber gun is simply BS.
The Inuit, Dene, Inuvialuit eat as much locally harvested game as they possibly can. It is a preference in taste up that way.
With polar bears, the guided hunter will keep the pelt and the locals will gladly eat every ounce of the meat (aside from the liver).
There are few industries up there and there are polar bears to spare.
There is nothing wrong with letting guides make some income and get some meat out of this.
The method of hunting involves snowmobiles and high power rifles (not 50 caliber). On the open ice, it is not exactly the most sporting method but as somebody who has been on a snowmobile on the Beaufort only a few months ago, I can assure you that it is not comfortable or easy by any means.
This all comes down to the critters just being too cute and fuzzy for some to imagine being killed despite the benefit to a very limitted local economy. | <urn:uuid:1205c115-093c-4aef-9347-4b2f55e25604> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.freedominion.com.pa/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=78821&start=30 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966683 | 510 | 1.53125 | 2 |
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC)- It's been around since the 17th century, so why is it that so many of us are still lost when it comes to tipping? Who gets one, when and how much?
"People that tip really well, that's one thing people should know, it changes that waiters day," waiter Stuart Bond said.
But just because tips make people in the service industry feel good and for some are what they depend on does not mean they will always see one.
"I look at tipping as you're in Vegas rolling dice. It's a crap shoot. I've had some tips when it's just 0," waiter Tony Taylor said.
In today's fast-paced world where there are more and more services offered at our fingertips, knowing when, who and how much to tip can be daunting. | <urn:uuid:5ce8766f-21d9-42ce-923b-0ed9ffc571ae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://talladegacounty.myfoxal.com/news/business | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984405 | 174 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Counties in Georgia, Montana, Nebraska, and Texas.
(APA-79: displacement 6,800 (full load); length 426'; beam 58'; draft 15'6"; speed 18 knots (maximum), 13.5 knots (economical); complement 377; armament 1 5", 8 40 millimeter, 10 20 millimeter; class Gilliam, Type: S4-SE2-BD1)
Dawson (APA-79) was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MC Hull 1872) on 29 August 1944 at Wilmington, California, by the Consolidated Steel Corporation; launched on 27 November 1944; and sponsored by Mrs. Preston Hotchkis. Sea trials on 27 January 1945 having revealed excessive vibration in Dawsons forward main propulsion unit, however, the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations directed that the ship not be accepted until the builder had corrected the defects. Upon successful completion of her sea trials on 2 February 1945, the Navy accepted the ship the following day, and she was commissioned at San Pedro, California, on 4 February 1945, Lieutenant Commander Richard S. Cass, DE-V(G) USNR, in command.
After fitting out, Dawson reported for her shakedown on 15 February 1945. Upon completion of that training, on 26 March 1945, Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet (ComInCh) directed that Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet (CinCPac), make the ship available for one lift from the rear areas to the forward areas of the Southwest Pacific theater. Dawson sailed from San Francisco, California, on 3 April 1945 for the New Hebrides, and arrived at Espiritu Santo on 18 April to discharge passengers and cargo. She sailed for the Solomons on 21 April, and reached Tulagi the following day. She moved thence to Noumea, New Caledonia (29 April-3 May); while she was there, CinCPac made the ship available to Commander, 7th Fleet, until 30 June, who believed she could be most usefully employed in that theater. Consequently, Dawson called at Brisbane, Australia (6-14 May) and Humboldt Bay, New Guinea (20-21 May). Proceeding thence to the Philippines, the attack transport touched at San Pedro Bay, Leyte (25-28 May) and Subic Bay (30 May-9 June) (during which time, on 7 June, Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas, made her available to Com7thFlt until 30 July) before proceeding to Manus, in the Admiralties, where she embarked the men and equipment of the 21st Construction Battalion (Special) (15-18 June). Dawson returned to Subic Bay in convoy HM-6(T) on 29 June, and remained there until 9 July, at which point she took departure for New Guinea. Pausing at Humboldt Bay (14-19 July), the ship returned to the Philippines on 26 July, making Manila Bay on that date in convoy HM-14(T). On 31 July, she sailed for the Marshalls, making Eniwetok on 10 August. Departing the following day, she was en route to the Hawaiian Islands when Japan accepted the provisions of the Potsdam Declaration.
Dawson arrived at Pearl Harbor on 18 August 1945, four days after V-J Day, and sailed for Saipan with the 98th Construction Battalion embarked, on 1 September. Pausing in the Marianas only briefly (13-16 September), the attack transport continued on for Japan, reaching Sasebo on 22 September to begin a four-day stay. Returning to Manila on 1 October, she remained there for eight days, after which she sailed for Sasebo in a convoy of other APAs, making arrival on 14 October. Dawson departed Sasebo for the Marianas on 22 October 1945; on that day, Commander, Transport Squadron 22, to which unit the ship was assigned, estimated that Dawson would be ready for Magic Carpet duty the following day, but suggested the need for a 21-day availability. Assigned to Task Group (TG) 16.12, on 22 October, earmarked to transport returning Army personnel between the Marianas and Los Angeles, she embarked Army Air Force troops at Saipan following her arrival on 27 October, and sailed for the west coast of the United States on 1 November. Debarking her passengers at San Francisco on 14 November and embarking replacement naval personnel for transportation to Guam, Dawson sailed to return to the Marianas on 30 November, arriving at Guam four days before Christmas of 1945. While en route, on 9 December 1945, CNO directed that Dawson report to Commandant, 14th Naval District (Com14), for special tests.
Sailing for San Francisco on New Years Day 1946, Dawson reached the west coast on 17 January and debarked her navy passengers. While she was en route, her ultimate fate was decided, when Commander, Western Sea Frontier (CWSF), indicated on 3 January 1946 that she was to be used as a target. Detached from TG 16.12 on 23 January 1946 and released for post-war disposition, Dawson was released from Magic Carpet on 25 January 1946 and directed to report to CWSF for stripping, upon completion of which she was to report to Com14 for berthing and transfer to Joint Task Force [JTF] 1 as directed by CinCPac. Accordingly, Dawson reported to CWSF on 26 January. Proceeding from San Francisco to Pearl Harbor, she ultimately reached Bikini Atoll on 31 May 1946 to participate in Operation Crossroads.
Designated as a target vessel, assigned to Transportation Division 92 of Task Unit (TU) 1.2.6 (merchant-type unit) Dawson lay moored in berth 158, 853 yards northwest of ground zero. Her crew was evacuated to the attack transport Henrico (APA-45) during the forenoon watch on 30 June 1946. Shot Able, at 0900 on 1 July 1946, apparently caused fires on board the ship, which were reported by the salvage vessel Clamp (ARS-33) the next morning. The rescue tug ATR-87 extinguished the fires, and by later in the day (2 July), Dawsons commanding officer and two inspection teams, and a radiological monitor from the hospital ship Haven (AH-12) boarded the ship 15 minutes into the first dog watch. Opened and declared radiologically safe, Dawson was boarded by the remainder of her crew the following morning, and she shifted to berth 159 on 7 July. Her crew carried out routine duties until the morning of 24 July, when all but a small securing team transferred once more to Henrico. During the mid watch on 25 July, the day of Shot Baker, that party transferred to the attack transport George Clymer (APA-27). Dawson sustained superficial physical damage as the result of the atomic blast that occurred at 0835 on 25 July 1946, but heavy radiological contamination from the shallow underwater detonation 1,225 yards away compelled her crew to remain in Henrico. They were transferred to the attack transport Rockbridge (APA-228) on 13 August.
Recommended to be towed to Kwajalein for use in [a] long term radiological research program, Dawson was taken in tow by tug Achomawi (ATF-148) on 19 August 1946, and reached Kwajalein on 24 August. Decommissioned on 28 August 1946, the ship remained at Kwajalein, retained there for radiological study, into the spring of 1948. Ultimately, heavy cruiser Helena (CA-75) sank Dawson in gunnery exercises off Kwajalein on 18 April 1948 at 08º47'N, 167º20'E, and the attack transport was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 30 April 1948.
21 October 2005 | <urn:uuid:34ea1cfd-426f-4b5e-9ce6-82c1f22a649a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/d2/dawson.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965549 | 1,629 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Purple Cake Day Announces Aid for Kenya in 2013
7 February 2012
Purple Cake Day Announces Aid for Kenya in 2013
The fast-growing international charity Purple Cake Day aims to raise NZD$100,000 this year, which will enable them to extend their support to a new education project helping children in Kenya to change their lives through education.
Purple Cake Day, which was founded in Nelson, New Zealand and has gone international in just three years, is raising funds through a host of activities including the Global Day of Action, Purple Cake Day 8 March 2013. This will enable the charity to sustain support for education projects in Haiti and Nepal, and extend this to Kenya through a new partnership with the Hilde Back Education Fund (HBEF).
Founder Emily Sanson-Rejouis, who began Purple Cake Day after losing her husband and two daughters in the tragic Haiti earthquake in 2010, hopes to see more than 500 schools around New Zealand and internationally participate in the Purple Cake Day Global Day of Action.
“Purple Cake Day activities encourage our kids to learn about children in hardship in other countries, and take action to help them,” says Emily. “Purple Cake Day is about celebrating, and having fun, as well as developing compassion, respect, and leadership. We hope kids will learn, early on, that what they do really can make a difference.
“The first year we held Purple Cake Day, we raised $30,000. Last year we aimed to double that and hit $80,000, which was just fantastic. This year we’re aiming even higher!”
The newest recipient of Purple Cake Day support, the Hilde Back Education Fund, helps talented kids from poor families in Kenya get access to education. HBEF founded by United Nations Human Rights Specialist Chris Mburu, who, through the small act of an anonymous donation, got the education that now enables him to help others.
“We are thrilled to have this partnership with Purple Cake Day,” says Chris. “This will enable hundreds of desperately needy children in Kenya to access an education that will help them secure a bright future.”
Fergus Broman, Chairman of the Children of Haiti Project (COHP) Board, and CEO of The International Educator, says COHP is also very grateful to continue to partner with Purple Cake Day this year.
“Since sustainability is one of our key challenges, an organization like Purple Cake Day can really make a difference because they don’t focus on one-time donations, they set fundraising goals for their partner charities, forming a more lasting partnership than a typical fundraiser.”
Dame Suzie Moncreiff, Patron of Purple Cake Day, says that the charity is doing something very significant by raising awareness, both locally and internationally, of the hardship children face around the world.
“Many children must fight just to get what we consider basic rights here in New Zealand,” she says. “I’m proud to support Purple Cake Day in its endeavours to make a difference through education.”
Purple Cake Day Schools Coordinator Hannah Cameron says the best way to get involved is to download the free Resource Kit from the Purple Cake Day website.
“The Resource Kit is a multi-level curriculum resource, designed mainly for teachers and students, but it can be used by anyone,” says Hannah. “It’s contains lots of ideas for learning and fundraising activities, information about the education projects we support, including the new project the Hilde Back Education Fund, and our 2013 Country in Focus, Kenya.”
Parents, teachers, schools, and students can also get a free fundraising page through the Purple Cake Day website, which will allow them to share their Purple Cake Day activities with friends and family.
About Purple Cake Day
Purple Cake Day is a charity that supports children to get the education they need to break the poverty cycle and create a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities. The Purple Cake Day Global Day of Action is 8 March 2013.
Purple Cake Day is about kids helping kids. It celebrates and connects children all over the world, and helps them learn about their role in the global community. It aims to grow our children’s spirit of compassion, respect, and leadership.
Education is the single most important factor in reducing poverty – but currently accounts for only 2% of humanitarian aid. Purple Cake Day partners with established projects in developing countries to ensure that we provide direct and effective benefit to children in need.
Purple Cake Day 2013 aims to raise NZD$100,000 to sustain current education support for children in Haiti and Nepal, and extend this support to children in Kenya.
Purple Cake Day is an initiative of the Kenbe La Foundation Charitable Trust, a New Zealand Registered Trust. (no CC44756).
The Kenbe La Foundation Charitable Trust and Purple Cake Day were founded by humanitarian Emily Sanson-Rejouis following the loss of her husband Emmanuel (39) and daughters, Kofie-Jade (5) and Zenzie (3), in the Haiti Earthquake in January 2010.
For more information visit www.purplecakeday.org | <urn:uuid:b2432d97-ef13-40f3-ae97-add63eb48f7d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1302/S00195/purple-cake-day-announces-aid-for-kenya-in-2013.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943804 | 1,088 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Dell has taken its first major step into the open source world beyond the good ol' US of A. The PC assembler is to begin shipping the Ubuntu 7.04 Linux operating system on two of its Inspiron brand PCs. The company said that because there are no software licence costs associated with Ubuntu, it is able to offer the Inspiron …
... and about time too.
But didn't they pilot a scheme some while ago with dead rat?
I know the boat has probably passed on discussing this - but given Dells are typically bought by relatively novice users - are they going to need better customer support to deal with all the Ubuntu inquires? Given the price of these desktops, it seems as if they are even more likely to be bought by novices.
Or will it be sold in such a way to offer Windows as default and only offer Ubuntu to people who want it?
Novices are the target market. Novices and users comfortable with any linux distro. I'd say my parents could be described as the former and myself as the latter and all of us use Ubuntu comfortably*. It's the computer users with the little knowledge of Windows that are going to be experiencing problems. People who want to continue gaming without knowing about wine or those who want to use their vb scripts.
Anyhow, it's a good way to use your existing Windows cd and not bother buying another xp license or (horror) a Vista license.
*I have now switched four machines to Ubuntu
Thing is, novice users will not know about some of the complexities of Windows either, installing drivers and new hardware will be beyond them.
So long as the pre-installed OS works and detects their net and printer they will be happy.
Of course a novice wouldn't get Linux anyway.
I think you're quite right, Dell is the typical choice (that I've seen) of the novice user and this might cause problems with inexperienced users coming across Ubuntu for the first time, despite how much friendlier it is than other Linux OS's.
I would be interested to see though how it might alter the college/university scene. Students - and I've been one - live on a budget and buy a budget PC (Dell), if they need one. Would we start seeing an increasing trend of Linux/Windows aware graduates, and how would this knowledge transform the business workplace of the future?
Introducing Linux to the mass consumer market isn't a bad thing, it offers genuine choice, but that choice still needs to be reinforced with a bit of what is to be expected from either Windows or Ubuntu/Red Hat/Suse. A little education can go a long way and I hope Dell do the right thing and not steer customers towards what is most profitable rather than what is most suitable. Don't forget Dell (if you ever read this), customers prefer good support and giving them what works best for them never hurt the company image. Give them the OS that suits them best and they'll keep coming back for more.
Yes, they did try to offer Linux, sort of...
...but I understand Microsoft did their old "you are the OEM, we are the daddy, and you will do as we bid" trick to put a stop to such radical ideas as offering other operating systems preloaded.
They don't necessarily need *better* customer support (well, OK, perhaps they do, but that's not Linux-specific)
They really just need to make sure the helldesk has some sort of clue about the product, even if that just amounts to updated scripts for them to read from.
OK, anyone want to post up a link?
I don't know about you, but I've no idea where these well-hidden Linux desktops/laptops are on the Dell UK site. If you go to the normal home laptop/desktop sections, it's plugging Windows and not a sign of Linux. Anyone want to post up a direct link to where these Linux machines are on the Dell UK site?
BTW, the fact I can't find a link easily speaks volumes - it's very pathetic that Dell in both the UK and US "hide" the Linux pre-installs well away (even ridiculously giving the machine a different model number from its Windows equivalent).
How to order
Just had a look at the base laptop model (Inspiron 6400). The equivalent Ubuntu Linux v the equivalent Windows Vista with MS Works loaded. Saving - 30GBP.
And if you follow that link what is the first thing you see?
"Not sure Open Source is for You?
The main thing to note is that when you choose open source you don’t get a Windows® operating system. If you are here by mistake and you are looking for a Dell PC with Windows®, please use the following link."
Gotta love their commitment!
Linux support is an optional extra:
No Ubuntu Support [Included in Price]
30 Days Ubuntu Starter Support [add £39.99]
1 Year Basic Ubuntu Support [add £80.00]
1 Year Standard Ubuntu Support [add £169.99]
People forget the organisations...
Good to see.
Dell's a popular one with companies and organisations which just want a cheap, cheerful wordprocessor. This is just perfect for them.
Okay, *nix has faults, but it isn't beaten on networking as far as I'm concerned. And 'office' productivity is pretty darned good.
That said, I've tried Ubuntu, wonderfully easy to install. But I found support and getting stuff working for Deb is actually more simple. Face it, Ubuntu is Deb so both can ultimtly look the same. Interesting choices made by these companies. Wonder if it's down to the sudo (XP style) setup in U.
Dell offer paid for support with their Ubuntu machines, which I think is supplied by Canonical, starting from £39.99 for 30 days.
Plus you've got the Dell/Ubuntu fora which will help the cheapskates:
BTW in order to find them via browsing you need to select say the Notebooks for Home option on the Home page and then on the left there's an 'Open Source PCs' link.
I think that's one criticism of Dell's ubuntu machines is that you need to know they're there before you can find them. That's hardly pushing them to the mass market, is it?
Dell UK's Ubuntu page ...
i notice the page has a link for "Unsure about open source, click here to shop for PCs with Windows", but the Windows PC pages do not seem to have "Unsure about spyware, viruses, etc? click to shop for Ubuntu". While clearly the 99.whatever% of malware that currently targets windows will grow with the *nix market (which hopefully will grow because of this), its not exactly balanced and even-handed behaviour.
With regard to the previous comments about mroe support needed for Ubuntu users than Windows users, i disagree. Last month I spent two days rebuilding my 70-yr old dad's PC following a massive spyware invasion; Dell's customer support (yes, he bought Dell cos of an ad in the Sunday Times and they seemed cheap and helpful) were excellent and there is absolutely no doubt that their hardware support team are very good, but why did I have to call dell at all when all i wanted to do was reinstall XP Home? Cos they didnt ship ANY recovery disks or OS installation disks with the PC. Obviously that cuts costs - but not when they then need to send out ten CDs on next day delivery (OS plus drivers plus preinstalled apps), which couldve been shipped with the PC for an extra 10p or whatever.
As an experiment on the "more support will be needed" front I might put the xubuntu livecd in his machine and see how he copes with it :-)
What would be a really smart move is to preinstall the Ubuntu /Debian netinst onto a recover partition on the PC. PC goes wrong? Reboot into Recovery, hook up your broadband link and reinstall the OS. No customer support needed, and if it gets messy, at least you should be able to get online and let remote support people look at machine.
Yeah, you can find it - If you are LOOKING for Ubuntu. If you follow the normal path of selecting your PC type, then the 530 model you don't get a choice - you just get Vista.
Pay more for Linux?
Curiously, if you spec up the Ubuntu equipped Inspiron 6400 to the same spec as that offered for XP or Vista, the price for the Ubuntu laptop is higher (405.37 vs 398.99).
The basic spec Ubuntu laptop is cheaper (at 329), but adding a comparable processor (dual core), memory (from 512 to 1024), and optical drive (DVD/CDRW to DVD+/-RW) makes the Linux lappy more expensive.
With pricing like this, smart Linux users will buy the Windows lappy, and install Linux themselves, whilst Dell will drop the Linux option due to lack of demand...
Wow! They really hammer you on the upgrade prices!
They want £141 quid extra for a 2Gb options (something that costs about £65 to buy independently) and they want £100 quid more for a 100Gb HD when you can buy a 160Gb 7200 disk for about £85....
And you'd still have the original stuff too! Nuts.
The Dell Vista version is cheaper
Been on the Dell web site and I just did a basic spec Inspiron 530 (DC1.6Ghz, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD) and it came to £322.61 with Ubuntu; the same Vista Basic Home spec (with a free 250GB HDD upgrade) came to £300.24. Both prices included VAT & Shipping. I therefore fail to see the advantage of taking the Ubuntu option, as the whole idea of having a free OS is that the system price is cheaper... clearly not the case if Dell & MS are price supporting the Vista system. I use both Vista (Business Premium) and Ubuntu (7.04) and prefer Vista (with or without Aero), so personally a no-brainer.
only for novices? HUMBUG!
I put Ubuntu on my mum and dad's PC because I was tired of cleaning off viruses.
they seem able to use it for what they want,
solitaire games, email, web,
and they haven't a clue on windows or linux.
I also spec'd up similar windows and linux verisons - same cpu, same ram, same optical drive, year's support on both - and they were within 2 quid of each other.
What is more, a higher spec laptop in the USA was about 30% cheaper until they dropped the 6400 altogether.
- Product Round-up Smartwatch face off: Pebble, MetaWatch and new hi-tech timepieces
- US boffin builds 32-way Raspberry Pi cluster
- Vid Massive EXPLOSION visible to naked eye SEEN ON MOON
- Geek's Guide to Britain INSIDE GCHQ: Welcome to Cheltenham's cottage industry
- Geek's Guide to Britain The bunker at the end of the world - in Essex | <urn:uuid:44ee04bc-6cfa-4dcc-b47f-e8dafab9365b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forums.theregister.co.uk/forum/1/2007/08/08/dell_ubuntu/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94521 | 2,345 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Sabah Rahman & Amy Saunders
In a world that chronically suffers from historical amnesia and short attention spans, KONY2012 is no doubt a very effective method of consciousness raising. But as soon as the campaign went viral on the internet (over 50 million views in just its second day), some crucial criticisms about the campaign began to emerge.
The campaign KONY2012, led by Invisible Children, goes something like this. Use the internet to make Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), both rightly accused of war crimes in Uganda and recently other countries such as Eastern Africa, famous! The hope is to connect a broader global audience to the “invisibility” of both Joseph Kony and the LRA in the abducting and recruiting of child soldiers in Central Africa.
In many ways, this campaign reflects Western sentiments of the War on Terror. It speaks the language we are all too familiar with: the permeation of transnational terrorism onto seemingly borderless terrains coupled with an increased importance of surveillance and capture; the policing of national borders; and identifying terrorists who defy physical and immaterial guard posts. All of these have a crucial purpose within questions of broader existence and maintenance of US hegemony.
The Bush administration declared Uganda an ally in the War on Terror in 2003 and announced an accompanying $100 million USD “aid package” for Uganda including selected East African countries to heighten efforts in tracking insurgents. As a result, President Yoweri Museveni, (who has maintained his presidency in Uganda since 1986 and has been accused of massive corruption and human rights violations within his country) took his military offensive against the LRA to Southern Sudan in Operation Iron Fist in Mar. 2002. The offensive was considered a failure, but since then the international community has increasingly linked development aid to Uganda with Museveni’s personal political agenda in Northern Uganda and the militarization of the national army. The political and military conflicts in Uganda are historically drawn and incredibly complex, and the US is intricately linked to the Museveni government based on its own political and military interests in the region.
While the US relies on Uganda for a great deal of its arms trade in Northern Africa, and there have been recent discoveries of rich oil and mineral reserves on the outskirts of the country of Uganda, Joseph Kony and the LRA have moved on to neighbouring countries, causing continued destruction in their wake. You will not find any of this information in the newly famed KONY2012 campaign that has recently gone viral.
Throughout the two-decade conflict within Uganda, Ugandan parliament has worked tirelessly to find Kony, end his wave of destruction, and pick up the pieces left in his trails. But you will not find this in the hashtag KONY2012 campaign. Instead, you will find an old rhetoric, knee-deep in racial epithets, in which one white man, cheered on by his blonde-haired, blue-eyed son of the suburbs, promises to put an end to Kony and his army – if he doesn’t have the power do it, who does?
Utilizing simplistic message campaigns and the wonderful world of social media, Invisible Children, the NGO that has started the KONY2012 campaign, has overly simplified years of conflict in Northern Africa. What has resulted has been mass-appeal to what I would call “Facebook activism.” One click and lives have been saved; one post and suffering children are joyful; one tweet and a warlord’s army is dismantled.
Lauren Berlant, queer theorist and author of The Queen of America Goes to Washington, would prescribe these attitudes as dead citizenship: the idea that through consumption and exchange of capital, we are contributing to the betterment of the life of our nation, nationhood, and others. No need to question or be critical; through the buying of a KONY2012 bracelet, you are saving African children – you are a hero. This campaign also follows rhetoric of the West as advanced, free, and most of all the exceptional humanitarians the world needs.
The campaign valorizes the 21st century obsession of the gaze, and builds on a culture of celebrityhood that sensationalizes atrocity in similar ways that terrorism have captured the limelight. The UK-based newspaper the Guardian launched the Guantanamo Prison files in 2011 to showcase the 779 detainees currently imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay. The website heading reads as follows: “Documents leaked to the Guardian give details of the capture and transfer to Guantánamo of 779 people, some of them 9/11 masterminds, many of them Afghan farmers. Find out who’s who, how they were captured, and why, according to the files, they ended up in Cuba.” It is hard to conceive of the usefulness of some of the information that is provided on the inmates unless here too is another attempt to profile graphically the invisibility of terrorism and those who commit terrorist acts.
While it is undoubtedly an atrocity what Joseph Kony and his army, and many like them have done, it is imperative that we critically investigate how we are implicated in these types of situations. How we are implicated in not only their existence, but their prolonged proliferation and, as such, begin to think of new ways to organize and mobilize solidarity, across-borders, and cross-culturally around such an important issues, and many others like it.
During one favourable online conversation vis-a-vis #kony2012, a good friend suggested: “why not stop this kind of violence at its roots: let’s forgive debts owed to Western countries by African governments; balance trade agreements to be a little more fair; and compensate for all that murder, slavery, colonialism, and resource theft.” What many new Facebook activists, and youth of the West (whom the campaign seems to target) have forgotten is the context of the conflict in Uganda and the history of the country in question. Speaking upon acts of solidarity, Chandra Mohanty, author of Feminism Without Borders, would simply say: history and context matter. | <urn:uuid:8c08f8f0-ab22-4078-9614-c79030e243e1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.yufreepress.org/science-comments/hashtag-activism-the-kony2012-phenomenon/ | 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 | 0.962824 | 1,250 | 1.710938 | 2 |
a monthly round-up of the world's best interiors and design stories
Friday 10 Aug 2012
BASF's corporate office project consists of the ground floor and 6 levels, the second floor will be for leasing and the first floor will be developed in the future.
The design program for the other floors includes spaces such as a lobby, open and private offices, meeting rooms, a dining room, rooms for informal or casual meetings, an auditorium, support areas and sites. A requirement of the client was to achieve LEED certification, so the design had to incorporate maximum parameters of energy efficiency and sustainability.
An energy analysis was carried out for the main facade, which is hard hit by solar radiation, before the specific plate glass characteristics were chosen (Solarban 70 glass). On this facade the sheets of glass are suspended in aluminium frames which in turn are attached to each slab, creating a horizontal line in each mezzanine, to which a sunshade was fastened, helping to decrease solar radiation. The buildings exterior finish is concrete with a particular type of concrete plaster to give a newly built appearance. | <urn:uuid:4d43206c-e683-4500-a6b9-370d119fd8cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/interiors/index.php?fuseaction=project.projectview&prid=20399 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953178 | 226 | 1.507813 | 2 |
by Global Justice Ecology Project
BURLINGTON, Vt. July 30, 2012—Members of the Innu First Nation from Quebec and the Nulhegan Abenaki of Vermont were denied access to the 36th Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers this morning.
Around 9:30 am, while governors and premiers were discussing access to renewable energy, Charles Megeso of the Nulhegan Abenaki and Elyse Vollant, from the Innu community of Uashat-Maniutenam entered the Hilton Hotel and asked to speak with governors and have a seat at the table, according to Megeso.
According to Megeso, they were told by conference director John Shea, “we just don’t have enough room for you here. There’s not enough breakfast.”
“I told them, ‘you’re being very kind’,” Megeso said, “the Quebec government was just saying no. They weren’t comfortable with us being here.”
Vollant, who traveled 12 hours from northern Quebec with three of her children and one other family member, is opposed to Hydro-Quebec development on the La Romaine River and the Plan Nord. The delegation sees themselves as stakeholders in these projects who have not been consulted, and are representative of many other Innu families. Both projects threaten their traditional lands and cultures, which have been under attack from the Quebec government for the past century.
Vollant was arrested in March 2012 during a blockade near her community along Highway 138. The blockade was in opposition to Plan Nord, an $80 billion dollar industrial development project on indigenous land north of the 49thparallel in Quebec.
According to Megeso, “The Chinese have invested a lot of capital into a lot of these places…the dam on the Yangtze River was built by engineers from Hydro-Quebec.”
After being denied access to the conference, Vollant and Megeso, supported by members of Red Clover Climate Justice Collective, held a press conference on the lawn in front of the Hilton.
Megeso told reporters, “[the conference] is a power brokerage. This conference is a formality. The agreements have already been made. This is just a party for the leaders to get together to pat each other on the back.”
Megeso was present to provide solidarity to the Innu, and to help them tell their story to the governors, premiers, the press and residents of various New England states who were represented during Sunday’s massive demonstration. He told reporters, “Every country in the world has indigenous people and they are treated the same way. It’s how this is done.” | <urn:uuid:a489a31b-b146-430e-b865-340ac5f621ad> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://earthfirstnews.wordpress.com/2012/07/30/first-nations-delegation-denied-access-to-new-england-governors-conference/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978123 | 582 | 1.65625 | 2 |
The News outlets featured a story today about that Jesus may have had a wife. There is nothing to support that claim, the text is only partial and the sentence that starts with “Jesus said, “my wife…” ends there. This ancient text is probably part of the gnostic writings and thus irrelevant.
But, to my point, I don’t see Catholics or Christians protesting in the streets, rioting and killing people, burning the American Flag and storming the University which examined the text and came out with the statement. What a starch contrast to the as Hillary Clinton put it the other day, “great religion” of Islam. Great Religion? One stupid YT video can bring forth death, hate and destruction to a whole region. One little remark about Muhammad or a cartoon of him leads to suicide bombers, and the killings innocent people.
One remark leads to hate, the killing of four Americans and the threat of the radicals to kill more Americans. That is anything but a peaceful religion. Where are those who normally come out and speak out against Christianity, the Hollywood elite and Atheist like Bill Maher?
What if we as followers of Jesus Christ, would go out into the streets killing and rioting every-time someone says anything against Jesus, Who is used a swear word everyday, Who gets spit on by liberals and Atheist everyday? How come that Christians don’t react like radical Muslims to a depiction of Jesus in the series of South Park? Or what about the paintings about Jesus? One that was very offensive, named “Piss Jesus” was displayed in an art gallery in the 90′s. Yet there was no retaliation towards the artist. I could list many more offensive remarks and insults that are made against Jesus and Christians everyday, but I think you know them already.
Christians are not called to hate and kill people who may offend them. Jesus and His teachings, Who in my opinion is the total opposite to Muhammad and the teachings of the Koran, told us to love your neighbor as yourself. We are to love, even those who hate us or offend us. That is what makes Christianity different from Islam. We do not by force convert people or kill them if they do not want to follow Jesus as Lord and Savior. We turn the other cheek.
We do not repay evil with evil. Love will always triumph over evil. It was Jesus, who Muslims regard as a prophet (obviously not heeding any of His teachings) that taught us:
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, “that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:44, 45.
As Christians we do not follow a doctrine of Jihad or Sharia law, we follow Christ and His teachings of love and forgiveness. As we see these unrest in Africa, the Middle East and beyond, let us as followers of Jesus not turn to hate. Let us pray for the Muslim world and for the radicals that one day the would have their eyes opened and that they will see that Jesus is the Messiah.
“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians chapter 13.
That is what Jesus and His Apostles taught past generations and us today, love your enemy and do not hate. Be wise, but not foolish. Do not seek revenge. Vengeance is mine says the LORD, I will repay.
I’m sure that many of the radical Islamist have never even read the Koran. Many have not even seen that dumb YT movie, yet they go out and riot. They listen to radical clerics and Imams that use the Koran and Muhammad to further their agenda and ideologies. They are blinded by this religion of antichrist. Let us pray that they will see the light one day. God is doing a mighty work in the Middle East and surrounding areas. We may not understand everything, but His purpose will be fulfilled. God loves the Muslim world and He wants them to return to Him. the true and living God.
And in closing, just for those who teach that the God of the OT is different from the God of the NT, here is what Jesus was quoting: “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: “I am the LORD.” Leviticus 19:18. | <urn:uuid:f283eeb2-950e-423a-bb03-a6a3f61959bd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://media4lifeministries.com/2012/09/19/love-your-enemies/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969515 | 1,179 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Hi, kids. Before I get into this week’s topic, I just want to express my sympathy for all the victims of the earthquake in Haiti, and for all those here and around the world who lost loved ones. In thinking about what to write about this week, I remembered how lucky I am right now that I have the luxury of talking about food and that I don’t have to scrounge around a devastated countryside looking for food and water. When I’m feeling sorry for myself, I try to remind myself of these things. If you’d like to help with the relief effort in Haiti, visit the Red Cross.
Okay, let’s get into it.
Recently, I had a friend visit me from out of town. She wanted to visit the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side. That area of Manhattan is steeped in immigrant history and the Tenement Museum on Orchard Street brings visitors back to a time of really brutal living, before housing laws and the provision by landlords of basic human needs. They offer several different tours in actual tenement apartments. Poking around the restored turn-of-the-20th-century apartments, with its tiny, airless, windowless, dark rooms, makes you appreciate modern living conditions (assuming you’re lucky enough to have a place with several decent-sized rooms, light, heat, and indoor plumbing).
Anyway, as long as we were in that area of town, I decided to plan a day around it. We visited Babycakes, a bakery that specializes in organic, natural baked goodies that are gluten-free and vegan, and often soy-free. (See the Babycakes page under “Foodie Places to Check Out” on the right.) (By the way, the founder of Babycakes made a book trailer for a cookbook by the same name. It’s pretty cute and worth taking a look HERE.)
We also picked up several knishes at Yonah Schimmel’s Knish Bakery on East Houston Street, which has been there since 1910 (more on that in a future post). We browsed the shelves of Bluestockings, a radical bookstore and activist center on Allen Street. We ended our day with a pizza dinner at Lombardi’s on Spring Street. Why is that so special? Because Lombardi’s is credited as being the very first pizzaria, not only in New York but in the U.S.
Established in 1905 by Gennaro Lombardi, an Italian immigrant, Lombardi’s is a sit-down pizzaria—in other words, unlike most pizzarias, there are restaurant-style tables, and it’s so popular with tourists and natives alike that you have to check in with the maitre d’ at the front, and it’s quite possible that you’ll need to wait a bit for a table. The menu is quite basic. They offer a small and large pizza (no individual slices) of either their “Original” pizza (marinara sauce and fresh mozzarella), or a “White” pizza (mozzarella, ricotta, romano cheese, no sauce), and optional toppings. You can also order a calzone or one of four appetizers and salads: house salad, Caesar salad, tomato and mozzarella plate, or bread sticks and sauce. And that’s it. But that’s all they need to sell, because they do a brisk business. It’s good to be a legend. (For more on Lombardi’s history, click HERE.)
Their prices are what you’d might expect from a place that caters to tourists. As of this writing, a large (18-inch) original pizza, which yields 8 slices, is $19.50; a small (14-inch) pizza, yielding 6 slices, is $15.50. A large white pizza is $21.50; a small is $17.50. The toppings are a little painful, at $3.00 for one and up to $8.00 for 5. Probably the most excrutiating price on the menu is the tomato and mozzarella plate, which comes in at $10.95. It’s a bit on the pricey side, but not exhorbitant and perfectly acceptable for an occasional visit with out-of-town guests, a special occasion, or just for the fun of it.
Is it all worth it? Well, the day my friend and I went in, I found the sauce in need of a little salt, but it might be absolutely perfect on other days. I liked the fact that they used fresh mozzarella instead of the packaged supermarket stuff. Really, the best thing about Lombardi’s pizza is the crust. The pizza is baked in a brick oven, giving the crust a smoky flavor, a crisp crunch, and beautiful charred appearance. If you’re ever in New York, it’s really worth a stop in for lunch or dinner. And it’s just paces away from the history-rich Little Italy, Chinatown, and Lower East Side.
They’re open 7 days a week, with reservations available Monday through Thursday. Be aware if you do go, however, that they accept cash only.
And to indulge in your love of pizza even further, you can go on a pizza tour. Yes, a pizza tour. Scott’s Pizza Tours will take you on either a bus or walking tour of some of the most legendary pizzarias in New York, starting from Little Italy and going into Greenwich Village on the walking tour, and Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx on the bus tour. They can be reached at 212-209-3370 or 1-800-979-3370.
According to the title of this blog post, I promised you some pizza history, so here’s an excerpt from the introduction to the pizza section of my book, What, No Meat? Traditional Italian Cooking the Vegetarian Way, which I’m hoping will be reissued shortly. It’s late. Way late.
Virtually every culture in the world has one form of pizza or another. In the last couple of decades it has even found its way to the most culturally isolated countries. You probably knew that pizza is an Italian creation, but did you know that it goes back to the ancient Romans? The Romans made what they called moretum, a plain baked piece of dough that they ate with onions. Near the beginning of the 2nd second century A.D., the word picea entered the language to describe a piece of round dough dressed with various toppings, perhaps influenced by the Greek word pièzo, “to flatten.” It finally became pizza soon after. (Sauce didn’t enter the picture until the 18th century.)
The pizza that we know today was created in Naples in 1535 in honor of the marriage of Bona Sforza to Sizismondo I, King of Poland. Despite its grand origin, it became a food for common folk. Pizzerias started out as little holes-in-the-wall, selling pizza to the local peasants. As pizza’s popularity grew, pizzaiuoli (pizza-makers) began adding tables and chairs to entice people to enter. Little by little, they began to decorate and beautify their establishments by putting in colorful tiles or fancy brickwork.
Gennaro Lombardi opened the first pizzeria in the U.S. in New York in 1905. Over time, it became very popular and more pizzerias opened all across the country, becoming a favorite gathering place for people of all classes. Today, pizza is just as American as it is Italian. According to one urban legend, U.S. pizza is so popular that in the 1980s, college students in England ordered pizza to be shipped overseas. Papa John’s pizzeria filled the largest pizza order in history by delivering 13,500 pizzas in June of 2006. This surpasses the Guinness World Records champion, Little Caesar’s, who delivered 13,386 pizzas on August 19, 1998 to employees of the VF Corp. of Greensboro, N.C. at 180 locations in the U.S.
Americans have turned pizza making into an art form, reinventing it over and over, and have honored it by dubbing the second week of January National Pizza Week and September National Pizza Festival Month. And, reflective of people’s strong feelings about anchovies, November 12 is National Pizza With the Works Except Anchovies Day. But pizza is a worldwide commodity. In fact, the largest pizza ever made—122 feet, 8 inches in diameter—was in Norwood, South Africa in 1990.
Neapolitans are very protective of their creation, so much so that there is an organization called Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletano (Association of True Neapolitan Pizza). This group, as you may have guessed, determines what is and what isn’t authentic Neapolitan pizza by defining the proper ingredients, the proper way of making the dough, and the proper cooking methods. Truth is, you can make pizza any way you wish. Follow your whim, put any toppings you feel like putting—just don’t let the Associazione catch you.
Hope you enjoyed that little romp through culinary history and that it deepened your appreciation of pizza—if that’s at all possible. Have a great week, all. | <urn:uuid:d5feee0f-ef33-49a4-92b7-4e8edda7e11b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mizchef.com/2010/01/world-of-pizza/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951026 | 2,013 | 1.789063 | 2 |
The story of the year in metro Atlanta almost certainly was voters’ rejection of the $7.2 billion transportation sales tax. That’s true not only because the result was so lopsided in a region famous for its traffic congestion and desperate for relief, but because the clear message was that voters torched the T-SPLOST due to a lack of trust in government.
But what does “lack of trust” mean in practice?
Happily, an opinion poll commissioned for, and reported last Sunday by, the AJC translated the public’s lack of trust into numbers. It suggests ethics reform is key if the Legislature is to shore up the trust deficit.
Sixty percent of those polled last month, in the same 10 metro Atlanta counties that voted down the T-SPLOST in July, said they believe “people in the government waste a lot of money we pay in taxes.” The same percentage said “not many” or “hardly any” of the folks in government are honest.
That’s 60 percent who think government wastes money and 60 percent who think people in government tend not to be honest. The “no” vote in the T-SPLOST vote was a remarkably similar 63 percent.
That said, wastefulness and honesty are not equally problematic in the public’s mind.
When asked what would restore their trust in government, about a quarter of poll respondents suggested something along the lines of using existing funds more efficiently or making real progress toward solving transportation problems.
But almost twice as many – 49 percent of those polled — said “restore honesty,” “more accountability,” “more transparency,” or “less spending on special interests/connected people.”
Spending more on transportation isn’t going to be an option anytime soon: Gov. Nathan Deal last week warned legislators there will be precious little money in this year’s budget for new initiatives.
More abundant in 2013 will be ethics legislation.
On Wednesday evening, Sens. Josh McKoon, R-Columbus, and Steve Henson, D-Tucker, briefed supporters of the Georgia Alliance for Ethics Reform about some possible bills in next year’s legislative session. They include, yes, the $100 limit on lobbyists’ gifts to legislators that I and many others have promoted for some time. But others may be even more important.
McKoon has already prefiled two constitutional amendments. One dedicates a set percentage of the general budget to the state ethics commission, so that investigated lawmakers can’t retaliate by cutting the agency’s funding. The other creates such new tools for rooting out corruption as a statewide grand jury, an idea that’s also been kicked around for a few years.
Other bills may address such issues as the “revolving door” through which some state workers pass on their way to working for the companies they used to regulate; the lack of personal financial disclosures for some members of state boards and commissions whose conflicts of interest currently aren’t aired publicly; the lack of a sunshine law for legislative records; and various problems with the filing system for disclosures already required by law.
These reforms might not have obvious ties to transportation policy. Public sentiment is quite clear, though, that a general perception of impropriety among public officials is crimping our government’s ability to perform such basic functions as improving transportation infrastructure.
That’s one more reason ethics reformers need to get a move on.
– By Kyle Wingfield | <urn:uuid:7c3d7059-ba49-4cd4-abcf-fba9b4357173> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.ajc.com/kyle-wingfield/2012/12/17/for-legislature-all-roads-lead-to-ethics-reform-and-vice-versa/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950842 | 748 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Grants a sign of confidence in our future
Published: Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 9:02 p.m.
The Golden LEAF Foundation’s grant of almost a half-million dollars to Blue Ridge Community College for advanced manufacturing training bodes well for the future of high-tech industry in the Blue Ridge area.
It wasn’t too long ago that manufacturing was on the decline nationally and in Henderson and Transylvania counties. With the closing of major industrial employers such as the former DuPont film plant and Ecusta paper mill, it looked like industrial jobs in our area were going the way of the dinosaurs, destined to be replaced with lower-paying service jobs.
True, we won’t see huge factories producing X-ray film and paper for cigarettes and Bibles again. The good news is that new and existing high-tech industries consider our area a prime location for expansion, in the same way that craft breweries have been flocking to Western North Carolina.
BRCC plans to use the $485,000 Mid Skills Golden LEAF grant toward its ongoing upgrade of advanced manufacturing training in Henderson and Transylvania counties. The college created its new Mechatronics Engineering Technology program in response to local manufacturers who told BRCC officials they needed more workers trained in mechatronics and advanced manufacturing to meet the needs of a more technologically sophisticated workplace, President Molly Parkhill says.
“Advanced manufacturing workers need to be versed in a wide range of technical fields including engineering, automation, machining, welding, as well as the interpersonal skills required for success in today’s fast-paced, team-oriented work environments,” she said. “Employers in Henderson and Transylvania counties are hiring and estimate they will need more than 1,000 skilled workers in the next five years.”
Mechatronics combines various engineering disciplines including mechanical, electronic, computer, software and system design for applications such as computer-integrated machining. In launching the Mechatronics Engineering Technology associate degree program, BRCC negotiated partnerships with four-year colleges to allow students to continue their engineering training at the bachelor’s degree level.
BRCC is also using funds from a Golden LEAF grant to start mechatronics courses in the fall for high school juniors and seniors at Brevard High School and Balfour Education Center. The college is upgrading its high school labs with enhanced computer integrated machining equipment. That will help students get an early leg up in advanced manufacturing skills.
The two grants to BRCC in such a short period show that state officials recognize that the college has solid plans under way for its advanced manufacturing program, says Julie Thompson, the college’s vice president of economic and workforce development. “The Golden LEAF officials had the confidence that this (money) will be used to meet the needs of our local employers,” she said.
BRCC officials should be applauded for their ongoing work to keep our workforce up to date to serve the needs of existing and prospective high-tech manufacturers. The community has a brighter future thanks to their efforts.
All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged. | <urn:uuid:b1678a51-7858-4475-85ef-3a89a803cd67> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20130117/ARTICLES/301171000/1043/section/rentals | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958968 | 681 | 1.835938 | 2 |
The image map (below) showing the State of New Hampshire includes a grid marked off in 15 minute increments. Each rectangle points to a web page that lists the available images for this quadrangle. For any particular date, there will most often be four images because the maps were scanned as four sections. Each image is typically 2 megabytes, so download times are likely to be slow. The size was chosen to maintain an acceptable level of detail. Grey blocks indicate areas where no map is available. | <urn:uuid:6a0f2bc3-eaa2-49b5-a6cd-1bcb29a69136> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://docs.unh.edu/nhtopos/NewHampshire.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933921 | 100 | 1.570313 | 2 |
The first film, Who Killed the Electric Car?, seemed to place blame squarely on the shoulders of GM for rounding up and crushing its first electric production car, the EV1. But then, almost a decade later, things started to change. General Motors promised an extended-range hybrid with all-electric capabilities called the Volt. Nissan was hard at work behind the scenes creating a hybrid killer, and Tesla boasted it could beat the entire auto industry at its own game, creating a 100-mile-range electric sports car with incredible performance and looks. Chris Paine followed these developments toward the new dawn of the electric car, and also documented the grass roots efforts of shops that were building a new market for custom retrofitted electric cars.
Inhabitat: Chris, thank you for taking the time to speak with us. You’re best known for your movies Who Killed the Electric Car, and now Revenge of the Electric Car. Can you tell us how you decided to pursue these subjects?
Chris Paine: I went on a test drive of a modern electric car in 1996 and it blew my mind. It was wicked fast, sounded like a something from the 21st century, and handled like a dream. Turns out it was from the 21st century because about 5,000 of them were all rounded up and destroyed because no one was interested. Turns out that wasn’t quite the story. My first film made a murder mystery out of what happened–and how governments fail to beat back powerful corporate vested interests, regulate effectively, and give in to monopolies. Our characters rose up from outside the system and tried to deduce what happened. My second film is about revolution from within the system and led by very different kinds of leaders. What they share is a willingness to take huge risks, reinvent their industries to revitalize this country and use innovation and capital markets to create jobs and products that will help free us from foreign controlled fossil fuels, instead of simply gaming the system for private wealth.
Inhabitat: Automakers are incredibly protective of their secrets and new products in development. Did you run into any challenges trying to go behind the scenes to film Revenge of the Electric Car?
Chris Paine: Yes, we made a deal not to release any footage from the film until 2011 when car companies had first forecast that the cars would actually arrive to market. We had savaged the car industry in the first film, but we did it accurately and I think gained respect. We did not get access to all the car companies: many turned us down, but the four we got were really indicative of different parts of the car industry and some of its top leadership. We also worked very carefully to separate our story from PR or spin. | <urn:uuid:e0270f68-8652-4263-a3b7-b2a92a69730f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://inhabitat.com/interview-inhabitat-speaks-with-revenge-of-the-electric-cars-director-chris-paine/rsz-revengeoftheelectriccar_westmidwestproductions_6/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97557 | 555 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Same-sex couples wed under new Maine law
PORTLAND, Maine — Arriving in a limo, Donna Galluzzo and Lisa Gorney had all the trappings of a traditional wedding: Rings, flowers, wedding vows, an entourage and a friend to officiate.
With tears in their eyes, they were among the first gay couples to exchange wedding vows early Saturday after Maine’s same-sex marriage law went into effect at midnight.
“We’re paving the way for people to go after us. I think it’s just amazing. It’s freeing. It’s what’s right,” an emotionally drained Gorney said after their ceremony in front of City Hall.
After waiting years and seeing marriage rights nearly awarded and then retracted, gay couples in Maine’s largest city didn’t have to wait a moment longer than necessary to wed, with licenses issued at the stroke of midnight as the law went into effect.
Fourteen couples received marriage licenses, and five of them married on the spot, a city spokeswoman said. Many who received their marriage license were middle-aged, and some said they never envisioned a day when gay couples could wed just like straight couples.
“I came out years ago and the only thing we wanted was to not get beaten up,” said Steven Jones, 50, who married Jamous Lizotte on his 35th birthday. | <urn:uuid:df710039-939c-4b34-9fb9-cf58cdb25fe7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20121230/PC1601/121239956/1177/same-sex-couples-wed-under-new-maine-law | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976441 | 297 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Here is one of my all time favorite artists; her images are colorful and masterful. Her name is Rana Rochat, and she is represented by the Fay Gold Gallery in Atlanta. When I first saw her work at a show at Fay Gold, I was mesmerized. I am saving my pennies so I can purchase one of her large pieces!
Rana Rochat paints with encaustics, which are experiencing an explosion in popularity (although it is a very difficult medium to master). Encaustic art is created with a mix of oil pigment and hot liquid wax. The wax is applied to a firm surface then reheated by a heat gun or blow torch to fuse the paint and wax together. It is an ancient art technique; 3000 year old examples of encaustic art exist, in original Egyptian wax portraits.
The results of painting with wax are beautiful....encaustic pieces attain a layered, transparent look that is like no other art medium. They are quite durable; people often worry that encaustic pieces will melt, but they are stable until a temperature of 140 degrees. If your house is 140 degrees, you have other problems to worry about! It is best not to put an encaustics piece in direct sunlight, but this is true of all paintings.
These pictures do not begin to do Rana's work justice, as part of the beauty is in the smooth surface of the wax, the layering of the painting, and the jewel-like tones that are attained from using wax and oil paint together. If you are ever in Atlanta, I highly recommend a visit to Fay Gold Gallery to see Rana's work in person! | <urn:uuid:2346ffb8-4342-48f6-8221-48a8254dc057> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2007/07/encaustics-rana-rochat.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960456 | 346 | 1.648438 | 2 |
More Literature and Film from James Pepper Rare Books
The latest from James Pepper Rare Books.
James Pepper Rare Books has printed their Catalogue 198. It offers 153 items in the fields for which they are known - literature, film and theater related material, and detective and mystery books. There are always a few surprises thrown in, such as Richard Nixon's high school yearbook, but most items fit one of these three categories. Here are a few from this time around.
Item 12 offers two of the greatest titles in literature. It doesn't offer the books, just the titles. It is a first edition of Robert Benchley's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea or David Copperfield. My guess is that Benchley was humorously pretending to use a couple of famous titles to sell his book of essays that had previously appeared in various magazines, though I found one claim that he was testing out someone's assertion that you can't copyright titles. This copy comes with a typical Benchley inscription, this one to Sam Marx, head of screenwriting at the time (1934) at MGM Studios. MGM was in the process of putting out a film version of David Copperfield, and Benchley plaintively asks, "don't I get anything out of the picture you are making using the sub-title to this book? Yours for justice, Robert Benchley." The book was published in 1928. Priced at $1,500.
Pepper offers several books that will appeal greatly to collectors of novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald. Item 44 is a first edition (September 1920 printing) of his first novel, This Side of Paradise. The story of self-centered youth at Princeton in the post World War I era was an immediate success, and turned Fitzgerald from an unknown young man to a famous and popular writer almost overnight. Priced at $1,850. That same year, Fitzgerald also published his first collection of short stories, Flappers and Philosophers. Item 43 is a first edition, first printing of this work. $2,250.
Now for one more Fitzgerald book, and this is a one of a kind. Item 45 is a first edition, second issue (1925) of his greatest novel, The Great Gatsby. While any first of Gatsby is certainly very collectible, this is the copy that belonged to actor Warner Baxter. Baxter was the actor who first portrayed Jay Gatsby on film, a silent version released in 1926. This copy was presented to Baxter by the director and cast of the film. Baxter would go on to make the transition to "talkies" quite successfully, winning an Academy Award for best actor in 1929's In Old Arizona. The actors and actresses signing the book were Lois Wilson, William Powell, Neil Hamilton, George Nash, Hale Hamilton, and Carmelita Geraghty. Perhaps the one of these best known today is Powell, who later starred as The Thin Man in several films. Neil Hamilton stuck around long enough to play the commissioner in the 1960s Batman television series. Sadly, all copies of the silent film of Gatsby have been lost. Priced at $55,000.
What do Tennessee Williams and Geraldo Rivera have in common? Stumped? How about if we add Marlon Brando to the mix; does that make it easier to figure? Item 147 is a photograph from 1975 of Williams and Rivera together. It was taken while Rivera was interviewing Williams for an ABC TV special on Marlon Brando. Evidently, Brando had the good sense to stay away. Williams and Brando are gone now, but Geraldo lives on. $125.
Item 103 is that Nixon yearbook, the 1930 edition of the Whittier (California) Union High School Cardinal and White. The future President appears in several places, including an essay he has written entitled American Progress - Its Dependence Upon the Constitution. If only Nixon had showed a little more deference to the Constitution himself 42 years later he might not have concluded his career with such a maligned reputation. $850.
James Pepper Rare Books may be reached at 805-963-1025 or email@example.com. Their website is www.jamespepperbooks.com. | <urn:uuid:963fdcaf-6680-47c4-accd-126e5248eb57> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.americanaexchange.com/AE/AEMonthly/AEMonthlyArticleDetail.aspx?ReviewID=1123&Type=Reviews&Month=2&Year=2011 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973152 | 867 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Rafa: The Hidden Dimensions. From Anand 101. Thanks.
Posted by tennisplanet on June 9, 2008
Rafa: The Hidden Dimensions
Fed once called Rafa one-dimensional. He alluded to the way Rafa single-mindedly hits his topspin forehand (not to mention the serve) into Fed’s one-handed backhand.
In a way this is basically repetition of a single angle, something that would (and does) bore the skulls out of viewers and probably opponents.
However, watching the final left me realizing that it was Fed and all the others who are missing a dimension — the vertical. Rafa has the unique ability to toss those forehands high up into the air and bring it back down inside right at the edge of the court, with a lot of topspin.
If you looked at Fed and Djoker’s game for example, it is very flat in comparison. All their angles are in two dimensions. Rafa’s is in three dimensions.
Of course that one angle still doesn’t make for great viewing but Rafa has always had spectacular on-the-run gets and how now added other explosive strokes on his backhand side to take our breath away.
Back to you Fed and Djoker. What can *you* do better next year? | <urn:uuid:f2ea043d-8ade-49e3-8c4c-c9adef4cd859> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tennisplanet.wordpress.com/2008/06/09/rafa-the-hidden-dimensions-from-anand-101-thanks/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961264 | 275 | 1.648438 | 2 |
A new anti-burglary strategy which attempts to get into the minds of thieves to predict streets and times where they will strike next is being tested in Leeds.
Success has been reported in Headingley area where in five weeks, 20 fewer break-ins – a fall of 65 per cent – were recorded.
It is hoped “Project Optimal” will help “pinpoint specific areas at greatest risk of burglary in the very near future”. This should enable extra police patrols to be deployed at the appropriate times to catch raiders “in the act” or deter them and to target homes at those locations with “crime prevention cocooning” measures..
The system has shades of the Tom Cruise sci-fi blockbuster Minority Report where detectives catch crooks before they commit offences.
The method piloted by North West Leeds Police, has helped Greater Manchester Police cut burglaries by 27 per cent in Trafford.
The predictive policing scheme is a sophisticated development of Crime Pattern Analysis established by Lancashire criminoligists in the 1980s where the phenomena of repeat burglary victimisation and “hot spot” areas were identified.
“Optimal” hinges on the principle that homes recently burgled and nearby properties have an increased chance of being broken into.
In North West Leeds a team of “intelligence analysts” is using hi-tech computer-based approaches to review data to identify the roads where burglars are likely to hit, the times of the day or night they will strike and methods they may use to gain entry.
After an immediate post burglary attendance by police, the “cocooning” system means victims are visited again within 24 hours to upgrade their security. Officers visit neighbours within a set radius to alert them to nearby break-ins and offer crime prevention advice. Residents are urged to report suspicious activity.
Chief Supt Dave Oldroyd, North West Leeds Divisional Commander, said: “This is an exciting new approach to tackling burglary which allows us to put officers in the right place at the right time to protect homes deemed most at risk.”
“For some years now we have looked at where burglaries occur to identify hotspots, but this project allows us to more reliably pinpoint specific areas and times where the risk is greatest so we can target resources more effectively.”
Predictive policing tactics elsewhere had achieved positive results and he hoped would do so in North West Leeds.
Project Optimal is backed by Safer Leeds and complements existing crime fighting strategies including targeting offenders and the stolen goods trade. Burglaries in Leeds have fallen by 1,207 to 7,662 over the last year – the lowest since 2005/06. | <urn:uuid:df20033d-c9bc-4c86-81da-d07908842b9d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/cops-smart-maps-that-help-cut-burglaries-1-4459560 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941634 | 562 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Daily Herald, George LeClaire) MANDATORY CREDIT, MAGS OUT, TV OUT, AP photo
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. — With competition so fierce, becoming a standout on Twitter, Facebook and other social media is a challenge for anyone.
Imagine achieving it while homeless.
For AnnMarie Walsh, attaining social media celebrity from the streets and shelters of the Northwest suburbs meant using the Internet at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library or searching for places to charge a hand-me-down phone that demanded cash for minutes.
Walsh's savvy landed her a spot in a documentary called "Twittamentary" and a trip across the country to speak at a glitzy Los Angeles theater for the "140 Characters Conference."
But perhaps the 41-year-old's biggest coup was finding a place to live after more than five years of homelessness, thanks to a social worker who connected with her through Twitter.
One of Walsh's motives for tweeting and posting on social media sites was to help others understand people who are homeless.
"They need to sit down and talk to someone who is homeless once in a while and find out more of the story," she said. "Most of them think that homeless people are all criminals, on drugs, alcoholics. They think we don't try to get out of homelessness and that we aren't successful at anything. Some (homeless people) have college degrees and because of the economy got laid off."
Walsh's 4,079 Twitter followers (she's (at)padschicago, though she has no affiliation with Public Action to Deliver Shelter) put her way behind the millions seeking news from Lady Gaga or President Barack Obama. But her tweeting and other social media activity have earned her a 50 rating on Klout.com, respected in the world of social media for its ability to gauge influence. The average Klout ranking is about 20, the site said.
Besides telling her followers about homelessness, Walsh tries to help homeless people who ask for advice — such as where to find a shelter in Wisconsin or who might be offering a job for someone with their particular skills. She also accepts gifts and donations through her sites.
One of her boosters is Audrey Thomas, executive director of Deborah's Place, a Chicago organization where Walsh has had a room since April in a North Side building that offers housing for homeless women with disabilities.
A little over a year ago Walsh found transitional housing with the help of a hospital social worker who met her at a gathering for Twitter users, then sent her a message through the site.
Thomas said Walsh uses social media wisely to seek resources and build a community of support.
"And she talks about the issue of homelessness. People can understand it's not a character trait, not a personality type. It's an experience," Thomas said. "Anyone of us could have a series of unfortunate events. And they can recover, move on."
Thomas said social media is empowering, allowing homeless people to help each other, rather than be at the mercy of an organization or agency.
"The experience of homelessness is disempowering and disenfranchising. You go into the system and have to rely on people for bathrooms, showers, clothes, anything that you need," she said. "You need their help for basic human needs, let alone assistance at really getting back on your feet. This lets you take back some of your own power. Access to the Internet lets you look up and find resources in a community yourself."
Walsh's messages can be about any number of things: homelessness or trying to reduce some of its stigma; her personal issues; the menu at a soup kitchen; something that upset her; even being scared while sleeping in an alley.
- Washington Post writer: Mitt Romney lost...
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- Pew study: News media inserted bias... 52
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- Parents rally after Canadian elementary... 23
- New York English teacher assigns... 18
- Officials: NSA programs broke terrorist... 16
- IRS official: Washington scrutinized... 15
- NSA director says surveillance programs... 15 | <urn:uuid:b068c0c9-09bc-411b-8750-f1d419e4983c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700214367/SPOTLIGHT-Homeless-woman-finds-voice-on-Twitter.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951114 | 936 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Two additional people sickened by bird flu in China have died, bringing the total number of people killed by the disease on the mainland to five, the World Health Organisation said on Wednesday.
The announcement came as China's Agriculture Ministry reported that 16,000 quails had died in an outbreak in the southwestern province of Guizhou - the country's 28th reported outbreak of bird flu in birds since October 19.
In the human cases, Chinese authorities said a 10-year-old girl from Guangxi province in the south and a 35-year-old man from Jiangxi province in the east died last month from complications from the disease, said Roy Wadia, a spokesman for the WHO in Beijing. "We've seen that happening in other cases as well, so it's not surprising," Mr Wadia said.
The girl, a student surnamed Tang, had been sick with a fever and pneumonia since November 23 and underwent emergency treatment, state media has reported. The man, a self-employed vendor, developed the same symptoms on December 4, state media said. Identified only by his surname, Guo, he had been recovering in the hospital.
On Tuesday, China reported that a six-year-old boy in the central province of Hunan - the country's eighth human case - had contracted bird flu late last month and was in critical condition. The boy, surnamed Ouyang, had contracted the H5N1 virus and began showing symptoms on December 24.
Bird flu has swept vast parts of Asia, decimating poultry populations and killing at least 74 people in the region since 2003. The virus has also spread into parts of Europe, with Turkey reporting at least 15 confirmed human cases, according to health ministry officials.
Most of the human infections have been linked to direct contact with sick poultry. But experts have warned that the virus could mutate into a form that would be easily transmitted between people, sparking a global flu pandemic that could kill millions. | <urn:uuid:751ec235-0780-40f8-87b4-f40f9b35e3e4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=5085 | 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 | 0.984557 | 412 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Before you even leave, make sure you check insurance coverage with your carrier and, particularly, whether or not you are covered while traveling abroad. Also, keep in mind that some insurance plans do not cover you if you’re more than 100 miles from home. If your coverage does not apply to where you might be traveling, it's probably a good idea to buy travel insurance that includes medical benefits. Know the protocol to use the benefits in advance.
http://www.InsureMyTrip.com, is an example of a website that allows consumers to compare travel-insurance rates. Travel insurance costs will vary by age, coverage limit, length and price of your trip.
So now you’re aware of your coverage and it’s time to get ready. First and most importantly, make sure you have all your insurance documents and information with you, including your prescription drug card. Complete the information page on the inside of your passport in case of emergency or if you aren’t travel abroad or don‘t have a passport, write out your information and emergency contacts and keep it with your documentation along with a concise list of your medications . Remember, those of you who take medications should pack enough to last the entire trip and then extra in case of travel delays.
For those that have a pre-existing medical condition, carry a letter from your primary care physician describing the condition and any prescription medications you are currently taking, including generic names for these drugs. Be sure to leave any medications you are taking with you outside of the United States in their original containers, clearly labeled. Some medications are considered to be illegal narcotics in foreign countries. You may want to check with the foreign embassy of the country you are visiting to be sure.
For more information and in severe cases, contact the nearest US embassy or consulate for a list of local physicians and medical facilities. If your illness is serious, consular officers can help you find medical assistance, and, if you desire, inform your family and/or friends. They can also assist in the transfer of funds from family or friends in the United States. Payment of hospital and other medical bills are the travelers' responsibility.
To be prepared for those minor incidents, bring the basics when you pack. I always bring a supply of medicine with me for headaches, coughs, colds, stomach disorders, along with band-aids, ointments and other first aid needs.
Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean you can’t take a day to relax and hopefully heal. Missing one day may be a lot better than missing out on your whole vacation. If you’re still not feeling well, there are several options for you to help aid in your recovery.
Your hotel front desk or concierge can help you in seeking a doctor or pharmacy nearby and possibly help you in transportation. Sometimes, if you're not sick enough to need a doctor, a pharmacist can suggest over-the-count medicines that can be helpful.
You may be able to find Mobile Physicians who actually visit you at your location. Just note that you may have to pay upfront for many of these “in-home” services and your insurance company may not reimburse you for all the expenses. However, if you have travel insurance, some of these expenses may be covered. A trip to an urgent care center or even an emergency room are also options.
Be sure to keep all the paperwork you receive so you are able to submit itemized bills for reimbursement to your health insurance provider.
Hopefully you will never need to use this information and your travels are safe and healthy, but at least you are prepared and have your resources ready! | <urn:uuid:e5a09f76-396d-4c7e-a239-dbeec6476e7a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.twigtravel.com/1/category/health/1.html | 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 | 0.952083 | 759 | 1.6875 | 2 |
People of Northwest Public Radio
Fri October 5, 2012
Candidates Tout Different Routes To 'Energy Security'
Originally published on Fri October 5, 2012 8:07 pm
The pressing energy issue in the 2008 presidential campaign was how to reduce carbon emissions and limit global warming. Four years later, the drive for "green energy" has been replaced by a new imperative: the need to end U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
"I will set a national goal of North American energy independence by 2020," Mitt Romney declared during a campaign speech in August. "That means we produce all the energy we use in North America."
He reiterated that goal in the opening minutes of the presidential candidates' debate in Denver this week.
President Obama is not far behind, though his interest in "energy security" is somewhat muted by concerns over the environmental impact of fossil fuel production. The Obama plan would cut oil imports in half by 2020.
The rationale is obvious. With a secure energy supply of its own, the United States would be less affected by instability in the Middle East and elsewhere. Indeed, every president since Richard Nixon has touted a plan for energy independence.
Dependence On Foreign Oil Declining
The revived emphasis on this goal in the current campaign reflects a sense that U.S. self-sufficiency in energy has become a more realistic goal today than at any point in decades, due to a domestic energy boom.
The heightened tumult in Iran, Iraq, Libya and other countries, meanwhile, has underscored the danger of depending on Middle Eastern oil suppliers.
Romney and Obama, however, have starkly different approaches to the problem of achieving energy self-sufficiency.
Romney would boost production by extending a helping hand to energy companies, promising a relaxation of environmental restrictions on exploration and production, a green light on infrastructure projects such as the Keystone pipeline, and more permits to drill for oil and gas on federal lands.
For energy advice, Romney turns to oil executives like Harold Hamm, chairman of Continental Resources.
In testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee last month, Hamm said oil companies are facing an "onslaught" of new environmental regulations that raise production costs without producing "a commensurate level of environmental benefit."
He noted that his own company tries "as much as possible to avoid [drilling on] federal land," concentrating on private property instead. He cited the Obama administration's "policies and restrictions," saying Continental had waited as long as "two to three years" to get permission to drill on federal land, whether onshore or offshore.
Domestic Production Rising
In fact, petroleum production in the United States during President Obama's first three years in office jumped by 24 percent, while oil imports declined by a similar amount.
In the first eight months of 2012, imports accounted for just 42 percent of the total oil consumed in the United States, the lowest figure in more than 20 years.
The Romney team, however, says the jump in U.S. energy production occurred almost entirely on private land and had little or nothing to do with the Obama administration's energy policies.
Independent analysts generally agree, saying the energy bonanza has largely been due to new technology and techniques like hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, with high oil prices providing a further incentive to expand production.
On the other hand, Romney argues, new federal policies could spur even more oil production, on private as well as government land, because energy companies are more likely to invest in new U.S. ventures when they see a U.S. president signaling he will accommodate energy production.
That view makes sense, says Daniel Ahn, chief commodities economist at Citigroup.
"I would posit that if whoever is in the White House next year leans toward a more supply-friendly scenario," says Ahn, "there will be great [investor] interest, and likely the markets will respond."
For his part, Obama has welcomed the new domestic energy production and promises to support it during a second term.
"I want us to control our own energy destiny," he declared during a speech last March in Cushing, Okla. "So, yes, we're going to keep on drilling. Yes, we're going to keep on emphasizing production."
A Different Emphasis
The Obama plan, however, focuses relatively less on increasing the supply of domestic oil and more on reducing domestic demand. In that Oklahoma speech, the president argued that more drilling alone would not necessarily make the United States more energy secure.
"Even if we drilled every little bit of this great country of ours," he said, "we'd still have to buy the rest of our needs from someplace else if we keep on using the same amount of energy, the same amount of oil."
Energy analysts like Ahn says Obama makes a good argument. The progress in moving toward energy self-sufficiency, Ahn points out, has not come just from the boost in oil production.
"A less heralded but potentially even more important factor has been [a] decline in U.S. oil consumption," Ahn says. "That's also helping achieve, quote-unquote, energy independence."
One factor explaining this decline in oil consumption is that our cars are now more fuel efficient — thanks in large part to fuel efficiency standards backed by the Obama administration.
Romney wants to relax those standards. The Obama plan would also reduce the demand for oil by boosting energy alternatives like wind, solar and natural gas.
Behind the differences of emphasis in their energy plans lie other noteworthy policy differences. Romney would eliminate tax credits and other subsidies for the wind and solar industries. Obama would continue them.
The Obama plan, on the other hand, calls for eliminating tax breaks for the oil industry. The Romney plan would keep those.
Greater energy security is the goal in both the Obama and Romney plans, though by different routes, at different speeds, and with different collateral consequences.
MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:
Every president since Richard Nixon has had a plan to end the country's dependence on foreign oil. With a secure energy supply of its own, the U.S. would be less affected by instability in the Middle East and elsewhere. It's an issue again in this year's campaign. In the series we call Solve This, we're looking at some of the challenges facing the nation, problems the next president will have to confront. NPR's Tom Gjelten reports on the Obama and Romney plans to boost America's energy security.
TOM GJELTEN, BYLINE: The problem here is not in dispute. The United States depends too much on other countries for its energy supply. The new buzz word? Energy independence. Here's Mitt Romney.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED AUDIO)
GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY: I will set a national goal of America and North America - North American energy independence by 2020. North American energy independence by 2020. That means we produce all the energy we use in North America.
GJELTEN: That from a speech in August. At the debate this week, achieving energy independence was number one on Governor Romney's to-do list. Actually this is now a realistic goal thanks to a recent jump in oil and gas production in the United States. President Obama says he, too, will push to further America's energy security, though without abandoning other goals like protecting the environment. But first, the Romney plan. He'd boost energy production even more, mainly by giving a hand to energy companies. Fewer environmental restrictions. A green light on pipeline projects, like Keystone, coming down from Canada. Plus more permits to drill for oil or gas on federal land. Romney's top energy advisor is oil executive Harold Hamm. At a house hearing last month, Hamm said his company, Continental, looks for oil these days mainly on private property, not federal.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED AUDIO)
HAROLD HAMM: Well, actually, it's been Continental's policy as much as possible to avoid federal land. You know, we're a growth company and we...
REPRESENTATIVE STEVE SCALISE: Due to the policies of the administration?
HAMM: Due to the policies and restrictions on federal lands. I mean we've seen permits take as much as two to three years.
GJELTEN: Hamm was prompted there was Louisiana Republican, Steve Scalise. The Romney team says the jump in U.S. energy production under President Obama has come almost entirely on private land, and has nothing to do with the administration's policies. Independent analysts say that is largely true. It's new technology and techniques, like hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, that have made the energy bonanza possible. That doesn't mean government policy is irrelevant. Daniel Ahn of CitiGroup says that when a president signals that he'll accommodate more energy production, companies are more likely to invest in new ventures.
DANIEL AHN: I would posit that if, whoever is in the White House next year, leans toward a more supply friendly scenario, there'll be, of course, great interest and likely the markets will respond.
GJELTEN: The Obama administration welcomes all the new production, but its energy security plan takes another approach. Rather than focus entirely on producing more oil to meet the demand, President Obama would also reduce the demand to meet available supply. At a speech last March in Oklahoma, the president said more drilling alone won't make the U.S. energy secure.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED AUDIO)
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Even if we drilled every little bit of this great country of ours, we'd still have to buy the rest of our needs from someplace else if we keep on using the same amount of energy. The same amount of oil.
GJELTEN: In fact, we're using less. And here energy analysts like Daniel Ahn of CitiGroup say Mr. Obama has a point. The progress in moving to energy self-sufficiency, Ahn says, has not come just from the boost in oil production.
AHN: A less heralded, but potentially even more important factor has been this decline in oil consumption in the U.S. That's also helping achieve quote "energy independence."
GJELTEN: One factor explaining this decline in oil consumption, is that our cars are now more fuel efficient. Thanks in part to fuel efficiency standards backed by the Obama administration. Governor Romney wants to relax those standards. The Obama plan would also reduce the demand for oil by boosting energy alternatives, like wind and solar. Some stark differences of emphasis, and behind those differences lay others, different tax and spending ideas, for example. Governor Romney would eliminate credits and other subsidies for the wind and solar industries. President Obama would continue them. The Obama plan, on the other hand, calls for eliminating tax breaks for the oil industry. Those the Romney would keep. So solving the problem of our dependence on foreign oil, but by very different routes. Tom Gjelten, NPR News, Washington.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
BLOCK: This is NPR. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio. | <urn:uuid:2b0fabdb-90d5-409e-9486-2a42a8dd983d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nwpr.org/post/candidates-tout-different-routes-energy-security | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958419 | 2,328 | 1.796875 | 2 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Joint Panel Holds Two Days of Hearings on Flood Mitigation and Stormwater Management
Senate Environmental Resources and Energy, Majority Policy committees hear from engineers, local, state and federal officials.
Harrisburg - The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, chaired by Sen. Mary Jo White (R-21), and the Senate Majority Policy Committee, chaired by Sen. Ted Erickson (R-26), held joint public hearings Tuesday and Wednesday on flood mitigation and stormwater management.
Many Pennsylvania communities face ongoing flooding issues, with several hit especially hard by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. The joint panel heard from engineers and infrastructure experts, along with local, state and federal officials.
"What we're trying to do is identify the causes of flooding across our commonwealth – and the causes are different in different areas – and then look at possible solutions, such as the use of environmental engineering design concepts to manage stormwater and regional cooperation to address runoff issues," said Erickson. "Ultimately, preventing flooding by channeling and reducing runoff where possible will cost less than flood recovery."
"In the wake of the recent flooding across Pennsylvania, we heard from a number of communities that were devastated," said White. "While the impacts differed in size, and in the effects on towns, personal lives and the economy, these hearings will allow us to gather information on what federal, state and local agencies are currently doing and what we could do better as we move forward. What can we do to mitigate damages and to limit the burdens on the residents of Pennsylvania?"
On Tuesday, the committees heard from academics, environmental engineers, and other water resources experts who discussed engineering solutions to stormwater runoff, such as the use of green infrastructure design and ongoing maintenance of stormwater systems. Rain gardens, porous asphalt, and restoring eroded floodplains were cited as examples of successful stormwater management techniques. Also discussed were regional approaches to watershed management, financial incentives to encourage green infrastructure, and the regulatory hurdles faced by communities to manage stormwater.
On Wednesday, the panel took testimony from representatives of the state Department of Environmental Protection, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. DEP's Deputy Secretary for Water Management Kelly Heffner told committee members that communities can obtain emergency permits to clear streams of debris during and after weather events, a fact of which many communities may not be aware.
Also testifying were officials from Wyoming and Lycoming counties, which experienced severe flood damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. The local officials discussed steps state agencies could take to aid flood mitigation, such as revising Act 167 regulating stormwater planning.
In addition to exploring ways to improve flood prevention and mitigation, the Senate was poised Wednesday to approve a comprehensive, bipartisan legislative package aimed at bringing relief to those affected by September's hurricane-related flooding.
Adam Pankake 717-787-9684 (Sen. White)
Michele Hansarick 717-787-1350 (Sen. Erickson)
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Senate of Pennsylvania | <urn:uuid:a6727aee-637d-401e-b5cd-82ca6238cb75> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://senatorerickson.com/press/2011/1111/111611.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944125 | 677 | 1.648438 | 2 |
If we've learned anything over the resignation of retired Gen. David Petraeus as the head of the CIA over an admitted affair, it's that high-ranking men and women continue to break the rules. Affairs will always make the headlines. So why is it that these powerful leaders continue to put their careers and reputations at risk by having inappropriate relationships?
"Affairs have nothing to do with intelligence," said Robert Weiss, director of Intimacy and Sexual Disorders Programs for Elements Behavioral Health in Long Beach, Calif. "If you think about an affair in terms of the emotional needs that it meets, the person feels special, they feel important, they feel desired, they feel needed. Just because you're intellectually bright, engaged and focused, doesn't necessarily mean that emotionally you're able to cope at the same level."
Weiss, who is also a licensed clinical social worker specializing in sex addiction, said men in particular — especially those in the military — are not encouraged to discuss or process their emotions, which makes them more susceptible to having an affair.
"The way I think of it is like being hungry," Weiss said. "You can be hungry for a few hours and have a conversation, but at a certain point, I'm going to be so hungry that I won't be able to think about what I'm going to do, I am just going to find some food. So in a similar way if you're not feeding yourself or nurturing yourself emotionally, even if you're a very strong, very committed, very intellectually bright person, you will end up being led around the nose by your emotions. You can only deprive yourself emotionally for so long before you're going to act out in one way or another."
But is it really our business to know what two consenting adults do in their spare time? David Gebler, a business ethicist and author of the book "The 3 Power Values: How Commitment, Integrity, and Transparency Clear the Roadblocks to Performance," said when leaders put their personal interests above the organization's, it should not be kept a secret.
"Most organizations have a code of conduct which demands leaders act with a certain level of integrity and not put the reputation of the organization at risk," Gebler said. "In the case of Petraeus, the military code prohibits adulterous relationships. We're paying leaders whether by rank or by salary, to operate at a level and adhere to a high standard. It's not expected of us in the trenches, but it's expected of them."
Feeling you're "above the law" also comes into play with leaders who have affairs, Gebler said.
He cited two different types of corruption that can come out of that feeling:
"There are people who are just true narcissists and they just do not believe that the rules apply to them, and this is the cynical corruption. You see this with celebrities and with star athletes or rock-star business leaders — where they have been treated with kid gloves all their lives and they think they can do no wrong.
"The other is an innocent corruption, where someone who is more humble ... really (sees) themselves as a regular guy, but they get so caught up they begin to act irrationally, which I think is what happened with Petraeus."
So when the flaws of a public figure's personal life are brought to light, can trust be rebuilt? Gebler said it can be done if the offender is open and transparent about their indiscretions.
"We have to acknowledge that we are human and that this is human nature," Gebler said. "We are amazingly forgiving as a society and as people. The faster the person who is at the heart of a scandal comes out, makes a statement and addresses the issues, the faster you can make a decision if this is permanent damage." | <urn:uuid:8af08595-d9a5-45cb-b8c2-0967bc335430> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.b1029.com/b1029/lifestyle/parenting/ct-tribu-weigel-affair-20121120,0,4434592.column | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976116 | 784 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Breast cancer survivor mum Rowina Dewan backs new campaign
A MUM who survived a rare form of breast cancer is backing a new campaign to speed up the search for a cure.
Rowina Dewan, of Ruddington, was diagnosed with "triple negative" breast cancer on her 35th birthday.
She said: "All sorts of things go through your head. They told me it was aggressive, they told me I'd need an operation.
"It was certainly the worst birthday present you could imagine."
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Triple negative breast cancer is when doctors find a tumour which lacks the three main receptors normally found in breast cancers – oestrogen, progesterone and the human epidermal growth factor (HER2).
Most breast cancers are successfully treated with therapy which specifically targets these three elements.
Triple negative sufferers are given general chemotherapy.
Around 15 out of every 100 breast cancers are triple negative. Rowina, who has a 12-year-old son called Ryan Savage, was diagnosed in May last year and has since had a tumour removed and reconstructive surgery.
Cancer Research UK is supporting a clinical trial for women with triple negative breast cancer that has spread or has come back after treatment.
The trial is finding out whether a drug called carboplatin can slow the growth of triple negative cancer better than current treatments.
Consultant business manager Rowina, 35, did not have the drug but wants people to donate money so further research can be done. She said: "I want to do everything I can to urge people to fight back against this devastating disease. After three cycles of chemotherapy, I'm now cancer free and want to help other women in similar situations."
Every hour, around three people in the East Midlands are diagnosed with cancer. And with the number of sufferers set to rise steeply by 2030, Cancer Research UK has launched a new advertising campaign, which aims to raise money to accelerate its research, with TV, radio and print ads, and billboards, with the slogan: "One day we will beat cancer. Help us make it sooner."
Paul Wadsworth, Cancer Research UK East Midlands spokesman, said: "Our campaign aims to show that research is cancer's enemy. The more research we can do, the sooner we can beat the disease."
For more details, visit www.cruk.org. | <urn:uuid:3e148e12-b380-4a3d-a7c5-9708cfb2c6df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Breast-cancer-survivor-mum-Rowina-backs-new/story-18030823-detail/story.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957898 | 577 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Positive ProvidenceWhen considering the definition of negative providence, we used Ed Wynn’s comic parody of the poet. Now, considering positive providence, we consider the poet himself: There is a destiny which shapes our ends, Rough hew them though …Read More
Probably Romans 8:16 is the greatest assurance text in the entire Bible. It is appealed to by Reformed and Arminian evangelicals alike, though they have conflicting ideas of assurance.
Romans 8:16 reads, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our …Read More
John H. Gerstner (1914-1996) was a Professor of Church History at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and Knox Theological Seminary and an authority on the life and theology of Jonathan Edwards. Gerstner counted among his students R.C. Sproul and wrote several books, including Primitive Theology. | <urn:uuid:3533b492-af03-471b-b006-66a47619d786> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ligonier.org/learn/teachers/john-gerstner/?type=Article&sort= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944467 | 182 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Monday, January 7, 2013
In this week's safety column, find out what to do if you're running out of gas with no gas station in sight.
The Scenario It’s late at night and you’re on the last leg of your trip. The gas gauge shows that you have between 1/8 and ¼ of a tank left. No problem—there are plenty of gas stations up ahead, so you continue driving, figuring that you’ll fill up at the exit or two. The Personal Safety Tactic Wondering what a vehicle’s gas level has to do with personal safety? Not a thing, until you run out, or pull off and find that the gas stations are closed. Running out of gas is the worst scenario because you’re stuck alone at the side of the road. You could use your cell phone to call the police, but the possibility also exists that someone could roll up behind you in a decidedly non-police car; a stranded motorist, especially a woman alone at …
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
The council agrees that something must be done as soon as possible.
In a Dec. 10 work session, city manager Butch Sanders proposed three options concerning the broken pipe in the dam over Johnson Lake, in the Summit Chase subdivision. Residents of the neighborhood, along with concerned Snellville citizens, spoke up at a town hall meeting on Nov. 8. Some expressed the desire for the city to handle the problem, while others balked at the thought of taxpayer money going toward private property. The problem is fairly straightforward -- the internal mechanism is shot, according to city manager Butch Sanders. The matter of who will pay for the repairs is more complicated. In December of 2011, the lake was drained by order of the Summit Chase homeowners association, according to Summit Chase resident Lorry …
Monday, December 10, 2012
After a rash of thefts in Snellville, this column explores personal safety tactics that could keep you and your family from becoming the next victim.
The Scenario Your doorbell rings, and when you go to the door, you see a (pick one): There’s certainly nothing inherently wrong with any of the above, but when an unexpected visitor shows up, it’s always advisable to be cautious. A few months ago, some strange-, and not-so-strange-looking people showed up in a variety of locations around Snellville and Gwinnett County and pulled off a rash of thefts. In these cases, the thefts began with a knock on the door and a seemingly innocent request for the homeowner to come outside and look over, or discuss a landscaping or utility problem. While the homeowner was outside with the visitor, an accomplice or two would enter the house and help themselves to whatever they liked. The Personal Safety …
Monday, December 3, 2012
Snellville Police offer tips on staying safe during the holidays.
The Scenario You’re shopping for that special present that’s going to make this a very memorable Christmas. It’s too big to carry around while you shop for other gifts, so you take it to the car and put it in the trunk, where it will be out of sight and secure. After you finish shopping, you return to your car with a few more gifts—only to find that the trunk has been forced open and the special present is gone. The Personal Safety Tactic According to Sergeant Charles Coates of the Snellville Police Department, “Thieves routinely hang around shopping malls and specialty stores looking for opportunities, and the Christmas shopping season is a prime time for them. Whether you’re visiting different stores in the same mall, or driving from one…
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Dave Emanuel talks about his public service ambitions, Snellville's future and how government should be run.
Fast Facts Name: Dave Emanuel, City Council candidate, Post 1 Age: 65 Years in Snellville: 28 years Education: Rutgers Prepatory School Career: Vice President, Random Technology Elected Office: n/a
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Where were you on September 11, 2001, and what are your thoughts on the tragedy ten years later?
Certain things remain etched in our memories forever – where we were when Martin Luther King, Jr., was shot, what we were doing when John F. Kennedy was killed, and more, recently, what we felt when the Twin Towers were attacked and ultimately leveled. As we approach the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001, we give Patch readers the opportunity to share their stories of where they were on that day. We caught up with Dave Emanuel, a city council contender, to share his thoughts on the tragic events, which killed nearly 3,000 people. “I was at work when we heard a radio announcement that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center. I thought that it must have been a small private plane, and never dreamed that the towers themselves … | <urn:uuid:005b7644-d02a-4c8e-b7d8-802ba57f47fd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://snellville.patch.com/topics/Dave+Emanuel | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967788 | 1,026 | 1.71875 | 2 |
While other children were busy dreaming of faraway lands and mystical adventures, Zac Gorman was making his dreams a reality.
During childhood sleepovers, he jammed Mario Paint into the Super Nintendo, grabbed the faded gray mouse and spent hours creating animations while his friends slept.
“There was something magical about creating art on a screen that just clicked with me,” said Gorman in an exclusive interview with the Daily Dot.
Now decades later, Gorman is still using his mouse to create animated pieces of art, though they’re now inspired by a lifetime of video-game play.
One of Gorman’s most popular pieces is “Everything Was Perfect,” inspired by the legendary SNES game EarthBound. The artwork features Ness, the game’s main character, and his merry crew running through the streets at night without a care in the world.
“With a comic like that, it's really about just finding that sensation that you felt when you played that game for the first time and just holding onto it for long enough to draw the comic,” Gorman said. “These feelings are there for everybody who loves these games, it's why we love them.”
This love was certainly felt by hundreds of redditors who helped shoot the image to the top of the social news site’s front page about a month ago.
“I love this comic and yet for some reason it made me really sad,” wrote SirCrow42. “I think it's because I'm never going to be that young again (but I resolve to always be that childish (sometimes).”
“I've never been so emotionally attached to a video game such as Earthbound—this comic reminds me of that,” wrote lifeinaraindrop.
Gorman was first exposed video games when he was a child growing up in Dearborn, Mich., in the 1980s.
“I always loved games of all kinds, not just video games, but when we got the NES though, that's when my life changed forever,” Gorman said. “It was actually a gift for my older brother, although I was the one who ended up falling in love with it.”
One video-game character that Gorman really related with, and who has influenced pieces like “The Glass Half Full,” was Link from the Legend of Zelda series.
“I'd always want to be Link (with an occasional Mega Man thrown in),” Gorman said. “Maybe it was because the earlier versions of Link depicted him as a little kid. At that point in my life, I was just a little kid faced with this big, impossible world and I think there was a connection there.”
Gorman attended Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, where he honed his artistic talent and bumped elbows with other artists. There, he said, he learned the importance of getting your work up on the Web even if it means not getting credit for it.
“You'd be amazed at how much better your ‘luck’ is when you go out of your way to be a decent, cool, honest person to everybody you meet either online or face to face,” Gorman said. “The truth is that getting credit for your work isn't always as important as it might seem; the people who want to find you, will find you, and the people who just want to look at it, enjoy it for a second or two and then move on with their lives.”
For now, Gorman is content with making animated pieces for his army of fans on Magical Game Time, his personal website.
“For me, it's always been about just making good comics. Whether they're about video games or not, I just plan on making comics for as long as I can,” Gorman said. “If I had my way, the rest of my life would be spent splitting time between drawing comics and playing video games, with occasional Mountain Dew breaks.” | <urn:uuid:3dcd501d-df43-4b2c-b1a5-f3bd80471420> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailydot.com/culture/zac-gorman-video-game-art/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985057 | 850 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Have you ever watched a campaign ad and wondered how much of it is true, or who funded it? As it turns out, there are apps for that.
With the click of a button, voters can find the big political quotes of the day, see how the statements rank in the Truth-o-Meter and read the research behind the rating. More apps are expected to come out in the next couple of weeks too, and that means voters will have a lot of information at their fingertips.
As the election nears, new campaign ads seem to come out each and every day. As campaigns compete for voters, the onslaught of ads can start to sound like static -- but the noise is only going to get louder until November passes; however, some new tools are making it easer to tease out the truth from the television.
PolitiFact has a mobile Truth-o-Meter to fact check politicians and pundits alike, and the hot campaign app also reviews political ads. Researchers with the Tampa Bay Times are behind that app, which costs $1.99.
The super PAC app should be a cool tool once it is released. Students at MIT are designing the free app, which should be available by the end of the month and works when users put their phones up to the television to identify an ad and get the information about who is behind it.
Though the tech-savvy may try out the apps, political experts estimate that it could take awhile before apps carry much weight in an election. Still, voters who spoke with FOX 9 News say any app that helps sort through the static is worth a shot.
"If there's an app out there that gets people to do some more research into the claims that are being made, that's for the best," said Jace Crowe. | <urn:uuid:d2dbf9cd-21bd-49fb-af27-3385504a2205> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/19257418/apps-relay-facts-funding-of-campaign-ads | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975894 | 366 | 1.71875 | 2 |
(AP) U.S. wholesalers boosted their stockpiles in November and their sales rose at the fastest pace since the spring of 2011, encouraging signs for the economy.
Wholesale business stockpiles grew 0.6 percent in November compared with October, the Commerce Department said Thursday. That's twice October's increase of 0.3 percent, which was revised lower.
Sales in November surged 2.3 percent, rebounding from a 0.9 percent decline in October. It was the biggest one-month sales gain since March 2011.
With the November increase, wholesale inventories grew to $498.9 billion. That's 29.6 percent above the post-recession low hit in September 2009.
More restocking leads to more factory production, which boosts economic growth. Faster restocking helped the economy grow at a 3.1 percent annual rate from July through September.
Even with the gain in November, some economists are sticking with their predictions for slower economic growth in the October-December quarter.
Peter Newland, an economist at Barclays, noted that the November increase in restocking was offset by slower gains in October than initially estimated. Newland said that should still keep economic growth weak. He kept his estimate for growth at a 2 percent annual rate.
Still, economists had worried businesses would slash their inventories at the end of the year, in part because of uncertainty in Washington to avoid the fiscal cliff. The growth in wholesale stockpiles and sales is among a number of signs that companies and consumers shrugged off those tense negotiations.
The economy added 155,000 jobs in December, in line with average job growth for all of 2012. The once-depressed housing market is rebounding. A gauge of U.S. service firms' business activity expanded in December by the most in nearly a year. Auto sales for 2012 were the best in five years. And Americans spent more at the end of the crucial holiday shopping season.
Congress and the White House finally reached an agreement on Jan. 1 hours past the deadline to avert sharp tax increases from hitting most Americans. But they delayed more difficult decisions on spending for another two months. | <urn:uuid:b2993d99-d7ad-48a5-b7fc-bf847df75611> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://timesleader.com/stories/US-wholesale-stockpiles-up-06-percent-in-November,250020 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976829 | 439 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Hi, Beth. Thanks again for all the great ideas. Typing camp has become a staple in our classroom for the past three years as has movie making. For Back to School Night my kids are holding a Press Conference to ask and answer questions so I don't have to do most of the talking that night.
As for the tiles, if you don't have a magnetic wall, my suggestion (and what I do) is just use a piece of white paper and hang them on the wall. It forms a kind of quilt, which looks great for Back to School. Thanks again.
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See a sample > | <urn:uuid:650ce191-39aa-49a4-972e-675718ecbd73> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/comment/reply/216940/11268 | 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 | 0.962364 | 155 | 1.5 | 2 |
When Senior Dogs Develop Bad Habits- Provided by VetStreet.com
Q. I have a Cockapoo who will be 12 years old in the fall, and as he's gotten older, he seems to be forgetting house rules. He's starting to beg at the kitchen table again, and he's trash can treasure hunting, which he hasn't done in years. Is it common for old dogs to develop new bad habits, and is there anything I should do to break those habits?
A. Medical issues and training issues often go hand in hand, and this is frequently true for recently developed or regressed behaviors in senior dogs. Getting your dog a medical evaluation is the first step to take. In my own experience, these behavior changes in senior pets are often closely related to medical issues. When a client brings a senior dog to me because he is soiling the house despite having been potty-trained, I ask the client to take the dog to his veterinarian for a medical workup before we begin the training. More often than not, there turns out to be a medical reason why the dog doesn't have control over his bathroom habits. I will continue with the training only after the dog's veterinarian has given me the green light.
Possible Medical Reasons
Your veterinarian will be able to perform a complete checkup on your pet to clear him of any medical issue that could contribute to his recently developed behavior. One area to discuss with your veterinarian is the possibility of your dog experiencing cognitive dysfunction, or dementia, which has been linked to changes in behavior, including increased anxiety, decreased interaction with the family, disorientation and loss of house training.
Senior behavior changes could develop as a reaction to a change or combination of changes in the household. Examples include the passing of a family member, changes in family members' schedules and time spent with the pet, moving, new human or pet additions to the family, or a gradual reduction in the exercise and training regimen.
Another reason for your dog's renewed begging and trash can-raiding behaviors could simply be that he's had recent success with them, reinforced by the reward of tasty morsels off the dinner table or discarded food from the trash. Even though these behaviors were previously trained away, if your pet had a couple of recent successes, it’s very likely he will persistently attempt these behaviors again until he’s been retaught that the behaviors are useless and do not pay off. Unfortunately, not only are these behaviors annoying, but they can be life threatening for canines. Pancreatitis, accidental poisoning and choking hazards are a few of the risks involved with these behaviors.
The sooner you can schedule a checkup with your veterinarian and proceed with the proper training if needed, the faster your four-legged family member can get back to his normal behavior that fits within your household rules. | <urn:uuid:9a824df7-f9c4-4443-9fa1-f0952707c4a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.vcahospitals.com/southgate/dog-care/article/when-senior-dogs-develop-bad-habits | 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 | 0.973596 | 580 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Chinese Silver Tea Set
Collecting silver is a passionate dedication for many, and with sets like this rare Chinese export service, it is easy to see why. Chinese silver is considered a “hidden treasure” among silver collectors – more difficult to find and with one-of-a-kind patterns made bespoke for original owners. Our three-piece Chinese tea set features an exceptional flora motif, with stylized bamboo handles and gilt interior on the creamer and sugar vessels. A set like this would have been an exotic acquisition to the 19th century collector, possessing all the desired qualities a European tourist would have preferred.
Chinese silver production has a fascinating history, born out of the boon of wealthy visitors to China starting in the 18th century. Rather than emulate the staid designs of European silver houses, Chinese silver makers relied on the popularity of exoticized patterns that captured only certain elements of the Chinese aesthetic. Designs with dragons, flowers and birds appealed to Western tastes and the resulting pieces were hand crafted by highly skilled artisans.
Later, in the 20th century, silver makers in China began to mass produce their pieces. The aesthetic preferred by the Western tourists had long been established, so the demand for hand crafted, specialized pieces was lost. Our set was created in the 19th century, making the chrysanthemums, irises, plums, and unmistakable Chinese shape particularly special.
Beautiful, ornate, and exceptional, this Chinese silver tea set will be treasured for many generations to come. Click here to visit our website and to view more of our spectacular silver collection.
February 11th, 2013 | posted by Bill Rau
This amazing 8.03 Golconda Diamond is Internally Flawless and cut in a luxurious marquise shape
There once was a time when India was the only place in the world where diamonds could be found. Beginning more than 2,000 years ago, in the current state of Hyderabad, diamonds were first excavated in the heavily fortified kingdom of Golconda. It is from these mines that the most famous diamonds, including the Hope and Koh-I-Noor, originated. Today, the exceptionally rare handful of jewels determined to be Golcondas are the most coveted diamonds in the world.
But why? What makes Golconda diamonds so special that they command a premium of 50% or more than that of a D-color diamond from any other locale? It all has to do with color. More accurately, their value lies in their amazing lack of color.
Golconda diamonds are graded as Type IIa, which means that the stone is totally void of nitrogen. Nitrogen is the element that gives diamonds a yellowish tinge. Without it, the stone is able to transmit UV and visible light that other diamonds block, making Golcondas so incredibly pure and transparent that they actually appear to be two to three shades whiter than any other D-color diamonds.
This Internally Flawless, pear-shaped Golconda Diamond weighs 3.02 carats.
Today, it is estimated that fewer than 2% of all the diamonds mined throughout the world can be graded as Golcondas. They are so rare, in fact, that most jewelers and gemologists can go their entire careers without even seeing one in person.
In India, Golconda diamonds were enveloped in magic and mysticism. The gems were believed to embody the powers of the gods, granting the owner limitless wealth, prosperity and power, so much so that only kings and high priests were allowed to possess them. Though we know that a Golconda diamond won’t grant your every desire, there is no denying their breathtaking beauty. Elusive, exotic and captivating in every way, there’s no question why Golcondas are accurately referred to as the ultimate diamond.
Visit our online gallery to view our selection of Goldonda Diamonds and other diamond rarities, including incredible Colored Diamonds. | <urn:uuid:edf87689-49d3-4d59-925e-535341dd21a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rauantiques.com/blog/2013/02/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961789 | 818 | 1.820313 | 2 |
We strongly believe that pediatric surgical patients and their families benefit greatly by a family-centered and "kid-friendly" surgical experience. Along with our colleagues in
An essential part of the preparation for surgery is a "pre-care" visit with the anesthesiologists and the pre-op team. This visit can often be done on the same day you meet the surgeon or it can be scheduled for your convenience. Although, blood tests are very rarely needed before most pediatric surgeries, they can be done at the pre-care visit if necessary.
Many surgeries on children, such as hernias, lump and cyst removals, undescended testes, etc. can be safely done as "same-day" ("ambulatory" or "outpatient") operations. The pre-care and post-operative protocols have been streamlined to make the visit, surgery and hospital stay as brief and as atraumatic as possible. Throughout this process, the safety of the child remains our first priority.
The values to which the Carolina Center for Special Surgery for Children subscribes is listed in our mission statement. The specific features we wish to emphasize include:
- A team of surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses and other health professionals specifically trained in and dedicated to the surgical care of children.
- A multi-disciplinary team of health professionals committed to the comprehensive care of children.
- The in Chapel Hill and pediatric-specific facilities at WakeMed and Rex Hospital for the exclusive care of pediatric surgical patients, including pre-op areas, operating rooms, recovery areas and surgical wards.
- 24 hour parent visiting and rooming-in. In-hospital schools, play areas and recreational therapy.
- Nearby Ronald McDonald House facilities.
- Support groups and pastoral care for parents, siblings and classmates.
- Dedicated nurse clinicians who are skilled at patient advocacy and can guide families through both simple and complex surgical experiences.
Our teams are available at all times to answer questions or concerns either by phone or in-person. Pre-operative visits to familiarize families with the surgical areas, the intensive care units and the staff can be arranged.
Same-day, ambulatory surgery is offered to appropriate patients with minor surgical conditions such as hernias, undescended testes, etc. In collaboration with our colleagues in , an atraumatic, “kid-friendly” experience is promoted at both UNC and at WakeMed and Rex Hospital. | <urn:uuid:aa4d032b-3c7c-4074-b621-7ae7e00f6c27> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.med.unc.edu/surgery/pedssurgery/patientinfo/family | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948009 | 502 | 1.75 | 2 |
April 18, 2005
John Ahern (Vassar College): "Red Dress, White Dress: Emily Dickinson Reads Dante"
Emily Dickinson's reading of Dante's Vita Nuova has escaped the attention of many scholars and readers. This tantalizing book told her all her "dreams were true." But did the famously reclusive, imaginative Dickinson identify with Beatrice in her gown or Dante the writer?
John Ahern has held the Dante Antolini Chair of Italian Letters at Vassar College since 1982. His research centers on the production and reception of Italian literature in the fourteenth century. He has published widely on Dante in scholarly journals such as Publications of the Modern Language Association, Romanic Review, Letture Classensi, and Dante Studies. His reviews have appeared in the New Republic, American Poetry Review, the New York Times Book Review, and Parnassus. He has served as Vice President of the Dante Society of America. At present his research focuses on the Familiares of Petrarch and his relation to the legal scholar, Giovanni d'Andrea. | <urn:uuid:e434e42e-f151-47a3-af0f-2a04e827558d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newpaltz.edu/italianstudies/lectureseries_041805.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964953 | 222 | 1.726563 | 2 |
IESE Professor Researches Credit Agency Diligence < Back
IESE Prof. Gaizka Ormazabal has participated in a newly-released study on credit agency diligence, published this month in The Accounting Review of the American Accounting Association.
The study examines evaluations of the credit-worthiness of large bank holding companies and identifies how risk was assessed in significantly different ways by the bond market and the major credit-rating agency, Standard & Poor's.
The study was carried out by Mary E. Barth of Stanford University, along with Prof. Ormazabal and Daniel J. Taylor of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
"It's not surprising that we encountered two markedly different ways of assessing risk given the continuing disagreement among accountants as to whether asset securitizations most fundamentally are sales or collateralized borrowings," says Barth in an interview with Accountingtoday.com, which has highlighted the study.
In the study, the authors found that "the securitizing firm's credit risk is positively related to the firm's retained interest in the securitized assets and unrelated to the portion of the securitized assets not retained by the firm." | <urn:uuid:968e73c8-5ccd-4026-a6f2-48fa32ad84ee> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.iese.edu/Aplicaciones/News/view.asp?id=3451&k=iese_professor_researches_credit_agency_diligence | 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 | 0.956228 | 241 | 1.523438 | 2 |
By Meredith Farkas | November 29, 2004
I’m probably grossly oversimplifying this, but I think there are two types of librarians: those who embrace technology and those who are antagonistic towards it or ignore it. I have seen this in my work at a public library and, surprisingly to me, at library school. I have been amazed that many people in my classes don’t know much of anything about technology. They don’t understand how search engines work, they don’t know how to code in HTML or how to use WYSIWYG editors like Dreamweaver, and they don’t have a clue about what blogs, wikis, RSS, or RFIDs. These people are traditionalists. They only want to learn the skills that have been taught to librarians for decades, and don’t want to take classes on things they don’t think they’ll need to know as reference or catalog or youth librarians. For that attitude to be coming from new librarians, is what I find frightening. Catalogers are going to increasingly need to be familiar with markup languages, particularly those based on XML like EAD and RDF. Youth librarians are going to be asked tech related questions by an increasingly tech-savvy youth generation, and it will be difficult to engage these young people if you don’t speak their language. Reference work is going to be done more and more online as electronic collections grow and virtual reference becomes more common. It is telling that a class I’ve taken this semester, Theory of Information Retrieval, which had a cap of 30 students, has about 8 students in it. Yes, the material was difficult and I had to learn some Java, but I feel like I have a much better understanding about how IR systems work, which is amazingly valuable to a person who will be conducting dozens of searches daily. I don’t think every librarian needs to be an expert techie (I’m certainly not), but it will be more and more important to be conversant in the latest technology as the roles of librarians change in the digital age.
The library I worked in last year, as much as I loved it, was very “old school.” Most of the people who worked there were over 50 and were far from tech-savvy. The library’s website was a disorganized mess, which required users to go through three screens just to get to their antiquated catalog search engine which required left-anchored boolean searching (without articles of course). Not only did they not have wifi, but they didn’t allow non-patrons to use the “public access terminals” for Internet access. There was one “systems librarian” there, who wasn’t a librarian at all, and only was there to fix printers and computers when patrons or staff were having problems. And she wasn’t full-time, so people often had to put “out of order” signs on printers and computers because no one else could fix them. Many of the older staff (outside of Reference) did not know how to do web searches and were not familiar with how to use the electronic databases the library owned. When I asked my supervisor if I could put web shortcuts on the desktop to the other local libraries so that we could check their holdings if we didn’t have a book (for people who needed the book RIGHT NOW), and show my colleagues how to use it, I was shot down. She said it would be too time-consuming. There were no training courses for the paraprofessionals or librarians on web searching, or using the Internet, or new technologies, and many of them were genuinely interested in learning. But without that knowledge, if a patron had a computer problem, they would usually look for a young staff member to help. This is the sort of library that is going to be pushed into the 21st century by patron demand, but it is not going to go willingly. This library had one of the best collections I’d ever seen in a small public library, but it was so out of touch with the rest of the world in terms of technology. I hope the library administrators eventually realize the importance of having a tech-savvy staff, and at least invest in training them to answer basic questions and fix basic hardware and software problems.
My library school (or School of Information as it is actually called) offers library classes and tech classes, and the line between them is very clearly drawn. In spite of the fact that not everyone wants to work in a library, all of the core required classes are library-related and none of them really enhance computer-related competencies. A student can go through our school having taken no technology-related classes. My concentration is in knowledge management (librarianship), but I made a concerted effort to take as many information technology and info architecture courses as I could. I didn’t come into the program with a lot of tech knowledge, so I wanted to learn about databases, web design, network administration, and info architecture. What I found though, is that the tech classes were not geared towards being practical for librarians. I thought we’d learn about technology applications in libraries, but the classes could just as well have been taught by a different department for all I heard about libraries in those classes. One of my profs told us point blank that he really didn’t know much about libraries. WHAT?!?!? In their effort to be all things to all people, I think my school has created a program that doesn’t really prepare people for the real world of librarianship. They are churning out people who have no tech-savvy whatsoever but are great in traditional library work, or people who are great with technology but don’t have enough of a grounding in traditional librarianship. And then there are the generalists like me, who tried to learn all they could about everything in the limited time available. I feel like I know a little bit about a lot of things, but I’m a jack of all trades and master of none. I don’t know if that’s good or bad in the job market, where people seem to want librarians who are very good at specific things. I see job ads for people who are experienced and know a lot about reference sources, or cataloging standards, or web design and network admin. Is anyone looking for a generalist who is flexible and interested in learning about all aspects of information provision? I hope so, because a lot of them will be coming out of library schools in the future.
The nature of librarianship is changing. Before the Internet and Google, people would have to rely on reference librarians to answer most of their questions. Now, if you are wondering who sang Tangerine or how many home runs Barry Bonds hit in 1999, that information is is at everyone’s fingertips. Libraries still have the better content, but they are going to have to incorporate the ease of use one finds with a Google or a Yahoo in order to make searching at the library more seamless. Making access more seamless for users (with remote access to databases, federated searching, wifi, etc.) makes for more work behind the scenes for librarians, meaning that librarians will have to learn a whole new set of skills in order to remain relevant to their patrons. If libraries can’t keep up with what their patrons want, they will become irrelevant to a large part of the population who will miss out on what the library has to offer because it’s so much easier to just search Google at home. | <urn:uuid:4d78e6f7-3ad1-4a1f-b0cb-29c0fa9ceefc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2004/11/29/tech-vs-traditional-in-library-school-and-libraries/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97832 | 1,610 | 1.65625 | 2 |
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In her speech to a Tea Party gathering in Indianola, Iowa on Saturday, Sarah Palin criticized what she called "crony capitalism:"
Yeah, the permanent political class – they’re doing just fine. Ever notice how so many of them arrive in Washington, D.C. of modest means and then miraculously throughout the years they end up becoming very, very wealthy? Well, it’s because they derive power and their wealth from their access to our money – to taxpayer dollars. They use it to bail out their friends on Wall Street and their corporate cronies, and to reward campaign contributors, and to buy votes via earmarks. There is so much waste. And there is a name for this: It’s called corporate crony capitalism. This is not the capitalism of free men and free markets, of innovation and hard work and ethics, of sacrifice and of risk. No, this is the capitalism of connections and government bailouts and handouts, of waste and influence peddling and corporate welfare. This is the crony capitalism that destroyed Europe’s economies. It’s the collusion of big government and big business and big finance to the detriment of all the rest – to the little guys. It’s a slap in the face to our small business owners – the true entrepreneurs, the job creators accounting for 70% of the jobs in America, it’s you who own these small businesses, you’re the economic engine, but you don’t grease the wheels of government power.
So, do you want to know why the permanent political class doesn’t really want to cut any spending? Do you want to know why nothing ever really gets done? It’s because there’s nothing in it for them. They’ve got a lot of mouths to feed – a lot of corporate lobbyists and a lot of special interests that are counting on them to keep the good times and the money rolling along. | <urn:uuid:380ed8a3-02b8-4df1-bb05-2738357c9219> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/palin-assails-crony-capitalism_592709.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952436 | 419 | 1.539063 | 2 |
As the discourse about Israel on university campuses continues to degenerate, there is growing concern that some of Israel’s most vocal detractors are crossing a red line between acceptable criticism of Israel and legitimizing anti-Semitism. The recent endorsements by several internationally prominent academics—including John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago and Richard Falk of Princeton—of an overtly anti-Semitic book written by a notorious Jew-hater illustrate this dangerous trend.
The book in question is entitled The Wandering Who? and was written by Gilad Atzmon, a British jazz musician. Lest there be any doubt about Atzmon’s anti-Semitic credentials, listen to his self-description in the book itself. He boasts about “drawing many of my insights from a man who … was an anti-Semite as well as a radical misogynist” and a hater of “almost everything that fails to be Aryan masculinity” (89-90). He declares himself a “proud, self-hating Jew” (54), writes with “contempt” of “the Jew in me” (94), and describes himself as “a strong opponent of … Jewish-ness” (186). His writings, both online and in his new book, brim with classic anti-Semitic motifs that are borrowed from Nazi publications:
Throughout his writings, Atzmon argues that Jews seek to control the world:
- “[W]e must begin to take the accusation that the Jewish people are trying to control the world very seriously.”
- “American Jewry makes any debate on whether the ‘Protocols of the elder of Zion’ [sic] are an authentic document or rather a forgery irrelevant. American Jews do try to control the world, by proxy.”
Atzmon expands on this theme in The Wandering Who?, repeatedly conflating “the Jews” and “the Zionist”:
- He calls the recent credit crunch “the Zio-punch” (22) and says it was not “a Jewish conspiracy” because “it was all in the open” (30).
- Paul Wolfowitz, Rahm Emmanuel, and other members of “the Jewish elite” remain abroad instead of moving to “Zion” because they “have proved far more effective for the Zionist cause by staying where they are” (19).
- The American media “failed to warn the American people of the enemy within” because of money (27).
Atzmon has written that Jews are evil and a menace to humanity:
- “With Fagin and Shylock in mind Israeli barbarism and organ trafficking seem to be just other events in an endless hellish continuum.”
- “The Homo Zionicus quickly became a mass murderer, detached from any recognised form of ethical thinking and engaged in a colossal crime against humanity.”
Atzmon rehearses many of these ideas in The Wandering Who?:
- “[T]o be a Jew is a deep commitment that goes far beyond any legal or moral order” (20) and this commitment “pulls more and more Jews into an obscure, dangerous and unethical fellowship” (21).
- If Iran and Israel fight a nuclear war that kills tens of millions of people, “some may be bold enough to argue that ‘Hitler might have been right after all’” (179).
Atzmon regularly urges his readers to doubt the Holocaust and to reject Jewish history:
- “It took me years to accept that the Holocaust narrative, in its current form, doesn’t make any historical sense. … If, for instance, the Nazis wanted the Jews out of their Reich (Judenrein—free of Jews), or even dead, as the Zionist narrative insists, how come they marched hundreds of thousands of them back into the Reich at the end of the war?”
- “[E]ven if we accept the Holocaust as the new Anglo-American liberal-democratic religion, we must allow people to be atheists.”
Atzmon reprises some of this language in The Wandering Who?:
- Children should be allowed to question, as he did, “how the teacher could know that these accusations of Jews making Matza out of young Goyim’s blood were indeed empty or groundless” (185).
- “The Holocaust religion is probably as old as the Jews themselves” (153).
- The history of Jewish persecution is a myth, and if there was any persecution the Jews brought it on themselves (175, 182).
Atzmon argues that Jews are corrupt and responsible for “why” they are “hated”:
- “[I]n order to promote Zionist interests, Israel must generate significant anti-Jewish sentiment. Cruelty against Palestinian civilians is a favourite Israeli means of achieving this aim.”
- “Jews may have managed to drop their God, but they have maintained goy-hating and racist ideologies at the heart of their newly emerging secular political identity. This explains why some Talmudic goy-hating elements have been transformed within the Zionist discourse into genocidal practices.”
Atzmon returns to this theme repeatedly in The Wandering Who?:
- The “Judaic God” described in Deuteronomy 6:10-12 “is an evil deity, who leads his people to plunder, robbery and theft” (120). Atzmon explains that “Israel and Zionism … have instituted the plunder promised by the Hebrew God in the Judaic holy scriptures” (121).
- The moral of the Book of Esther is that Jews “had better infiltrate the corridors of power” if they wish to survive (158).
Finally, Atzmon repeatedly declares that Israel is worse than the Nazis and has actually “apologized” to the Nazis for having earlier compared them to Israel:
- “Many of us including me tend to equate Israel to Nazi Germany. Rather often I myself join others and argue that Israelis are the Nazis of our time. I want to take this opportunity to amend my statement. Israelis are not the Nazis of our time and the Nazis were not the Israelis of their time. Israel, is in fact far worse than Nazi Germany and the above equation is simply meaningless and misleading.”
In light of this Der Stürmer-like bigotry against Jews, it should come as no surprise that even some of the most hard-core anti-Israel activists have shunned Atzmon out of fear that his anti-Semitism will discredit their cause. Tony Greenstein, a self-styled “anti-Zionist” who recently participated in the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s unprecedented disruption of an Israel Philharmonic Orchestra concert in London (which Greenstein compared to protesting the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in the 1930s), denounced The Wandering Who? as “a poisonous anti-Semitic tome.” Sue Blackwell, who co-wrote the Association of University Teachers’ motion to boycott Israeli universities in 2005, removed all links to Atzmon from her website and placed Atzmon on her list of “nasties” along with David Irving and Israel Shamir. Socialist Worker, a website that frequently refers to Israeli “apartheid” and publishes articles with titles such as “Israel’s murderous violence,” removed an interview with Atzmon and called the evidence of Atzmon’s anti-Semitism “damning.” At least ten authors associated with the Leftist publisher that published The Wandering Who? have called on the publisher to distance itself from Atzmon’s views, explaining that the “thrust of Atzmon’s work is to normalise and legitimise anti-Semitism.”
Pages: 1 2 | <urn:uuid:af7b3913-5047-4191-bbc0-16ed7572583b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://frontpagemag.com/2011/alan-m-dershowitz/why-are-john-mearsheimer-and-richard-falk-endorsing-a-blatantly-anti-semitic-book/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95035 | 1,680 | 1.648438 | 2 |
This year’s election has proven to be one for the record books. Between problems with the economy, issues of race, questions of age, and nasty personal attacks, the candidates and their running mates seem to have discussed any and almost all issues. Last night marked the 2nd of the 3 presidential debates (On Hulu.com, you can view the Presidential Debates in full). Why is this particular debate important to us? Because the issue of student loans. Student loans fund and fuel the education in the US. From undergrads to graduate students, to even those who have graduated from higher education years ago, they play a big part in people’s lives. Many people though, are not aware that the private student loan industry crashed months ago.
For those who watched the post-debate recap on ABC, it featured Charles Gibson speaking to a focus group of students about their opinions. The group featured an even number of Obama and McCain supporters and also a number of students who were still on the line. A major issue that was addressed was education and student loans, and while a large majority gave Obama more credit to discussing this topic than McCain, in all seriousness it wasn’t discussed enough.
We really hope the issue of student loans comes to light and receives more coverage in the main stream media. The issue of people defaulting on student loans, the decline in available federal student aid, and the rising costs of tuition really need more light before our education system meets a crisis as well. There have been many instances where students have been unable to graduate from college because of financial hardships and if the candidates are turning a blind eye to this issue, they’re essentially turning a blind eye to education.
Photo Credit: BBC. | <urn:uuid:6980b2d4-2371-4bc5-b7b4-cbfb43404cae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.yoursash.com/blog/tag/charles-gibson/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976436 | 355 | 1.789063 | 2 |
From City & State First Read's daybook:
11 a.m. – Mayor Michael Bloomberg announces a plan to fill 2,000 jobs at the Barclays Center, 620 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn.Is that 2,000 positions or 2,000 full-time jobs? In 2005, they were proposing 400 jobs. The state's Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) estimated 1,120 full-time equivalent positions.
Presumably many of the jobs are low-skilled part-time jobs, with relatively low wages and benefits that differ significantly those accompanying full-time jobs.
From the FEIS:
Arena employment is based on employment data provided by FCRC in March 2006. According to FCRC, there would be 230 full-time and 1,510 part-time workers at the arena. Full- and part-time jobs were converted to FTEs using data from the Wachovia Complex in Philadelphia, which is similar to the proposed arena. Based on the number of events scheduled for the complex in 2005, and general assumptions about the duration of the events, FTE employment would be approximately 1,120.
How many hours per week?
If there are 1,120 FTE arena jobs, subtract the 230 full-time jobs first, which leaves 890 FTE jobs for the 1,510 part-time workers to fill.
Then multiply 890 x 40 hours per week, and divide by 1,510. That means the part-time workers would average 23.6 hours per week. | <urn:uuid:34bc2a78-0154-479d-8abe-d827b0f27aa0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://atlanticyardsreport.blogspot.com/2012/04/bloomberg-set-to-announce-plan-to-fill.html?pfstyle=wp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953642 | 311 | 1.625 | 2 |
By Richard Leong
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Americans' outlook on the economy and their finances took a turn for the worse in early December, likely due to anxiety about the potential for higher taxes resulting from contentious discussions in Washington over fiscal issues, a survey released on Friday showed.
The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's preliminary reading of its index of consumer sentiment plunged to 74.5 in early December, the lowest level since August.
It was far below November's figure of 82.7 and the median forecast of 82.4 among economists polled by Reuters.
"Confidence plunged in early December as consumers confronted the rising likelihood that political gridlock would push the country over the fiscal cliff," survey director Richard Curtin said in a statement. He was referring to concerns of an economic contraction next year if the White House and Congress fail to reach a budget pact by year-end.
The "fiscal cliff" is a series of federal spending cuts and tax hikes worth $600 billion that would phase in next year if Washington does not take action to change the situation. Economists say the "fiscal cliff" could cause a U.S. recession.
One in four consumers mentioned hearing about prospects for higher taxes when asked to identify what economic news they had heard, the latest survey data showed.
Consumers' mood is seen as a predictor of their spending, which accounts for two-thirds of the U.S. economy. The steep drop in confidence at this time bodes poorly for retailers who count on year-end holiday shopping to boost their bottom line.
The survey's barometer of current economic conditions edged down to 89.9 in early December from a November final reading of 90.7. Economists had forecast a stronger reading of 91.0.
The survey's gauge of consumer expectations tumbled to 64.6, also its lowest level in four months. It was far weaker than the 77.6 at the end of November and an expected figure of 78.0.
The measure of consumers' 12-month outlook also fell hard in early December. It dropped 22 points from late November to 75, the lowest level since August.
The survey's one-year inflation expectations rose to 3.3 percent from 3.1 percent, while the survey's five-to-10-year inflation outlook inched up to 2.9 percent from 2.8 percent.
A bright spot in the glum report was that one in four home-owners reported rising home values, the highest proportion since January 2008 and further evidence of an improving real estate market.
YEAR-END TAX, JOB ANXIETY
Breaking down the survey households by income, the drop in confidence was most pronounced among the top third and bottom third, while the middle-income ones showed a small decline.
While much of the attention on the tax fight in Washington has been on the wealthiest Americans, the payroll tax holiday is also a part of the talks and affects far more workers.
"While a spending reduction from tax hikes on top income households can be anticipated, it will not influence confidence or spending as much as the end of the payroll tax holiday," Curtin said.
Confidence among middle-income families fell 3.9 points in early December from late November. Confidence among low-income households and top-income ones fell 9.0 points and 12 points.
Increased worries about the labor market also undermined confidence in the economy despite evidence to moderate hiring.
The survey suggested job worries intensified to their highest level in a year as Americans reckoned companies might either hold back on hiring or fire workers in response to the possibility of higher income taxes and costs related to the federal Affordable Healthcare Act, dubbed Obamacare.
"This prompted consumers to significantly lower the pace of economic growth they anticipated and resulted in the majority of consumers to expect bad times financially in the year ahead as well as economic relapses over the next five years," Curtin said.
Earlier on Friday, the Labor Department said the U.S. jobless rate fell to 7.7 percent in November, the lowest in nearly four years, although the decline stemmed from more Americans giving up on looking for work in tough job climate.
(Reporting by Richard Leong; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) | <urn:uuid:908efffc-888d-478f-83a7-59d59bc82db4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://whbl.com/news/articles/2012/dec/07/us-consumer-confidence-plunges-in-early-december/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965967 | 874 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Helen Yglesias was the author of five published novels, the first written when she was a 54-year-old mother of three. Self-educated beyond high school, this daughter of Yiddish-speaking immigrants had jobs selling underwear, stuffing envelopes, teaching ballroom dancing, typing manuscripts, writing book reviews, and, eventually, editing. She did a stint as literary editor of The Nation before turning to fiction writing full time in 1972. As her daughter Tamar Cole told the New York Times at her death in March 2008, "she managed to maintain a family and a career. She was an original feminist, before the road was paved."
Read Lewis Fried's full article on Helen Yglesias in Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia. | <urn:uuid:c2b65cfc-670f-40f3-bf30-07c238047daa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jwa.org/weremember/yglesias-helen | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981155 | 156 | 1.5625 | 2 |
While far from being the most ambitious and successful poem in The Whitsun Weddings, “Broadcast” seems to me in many ways among the most essentially Larkinesque of Philip Larkin’s poems, and at the same time the most uncharacteristically romantic. As vividly and as fully of any of his poems, it demonstrates some of the ways in which Larkin characteristically holds experience, and emotion, at arm’s length, presenting himself as a distant but not quite entirely detached observer, emotionally invested while professing his disinterest.
Indeed, Larkin’s poems, individually and in total, chronicle a lifetime of not belonging and of not knowing how to belong, an attitude that is at once skeptical and grudgingly admiring, if not envious, of those who can or do belong. For Larkin, there is always an “elsewhere”—a place where Larkin is not and cannot be present, emotionally as well as physically, but a place of which, nonetheless, he is always highly conscious, and which in a vitally crucial way grounds him, stirs his creative imagination and, to steal a phrase from “The Importance of Elsewhere,” underwrites his existence. The poet’s keen awareness and acknowledgement of an “elsewhere” intensifies his loneliness and longing, gives added texture to his isolation. No less than the poem that bears that title, “Broadcast” gives voice to Larkin’s insistence on the importance of elsewhere.
Of course this theme—or should I say obsession?—is limited to neither “Broadcast” nor “The Importance of Elsewhere.” It permeates “Church Going”; is evident throughout “I Remember, I Remember,” with its evocation of the town “where my childhood was unspent”; and most gloriously weaves through the fabric of “The Whitsun Weddings,” with its poignant glimpses of strangers’ lives seen from the confined and confining space of a compartment of a passing train. (To which one might add the obvious—that the train itself is on its way to an “elsewhere,” a London that, in Larkin’s imagination if not in fact, is connected to Hull only by a thin ribbon of rail.)
The theme also surfaces in, or lies just beneath the surface of, such apparently minor poems as “Success Story” (“To be ambitious is to fall in love / With a particular life you haven’t got”) and “Livings II” (“Radio rubs its legs, / Telling me of elsewhere”). When Larkin declares, in “I Remember, I Remember,” that “Nothing, like something, happens anywhere,” one almost feels that he has stumbled onto another way of saying “Everything happens elsewhere.” And in the poem “Here,” whose title so obviously is the exact opposite of “elsewhere,” Larkin’s ultimate destination is a place where he can only see “unfenced existence: / Facing the sun, untalkative, out of reach.”
One of the felicities of “Broadcast,” at least for me, is that it lends itself both to close textual (the old New Critical) and to biographically informed readings. Indeed, the two approaches dovetail nicely; they’re not mutually exclusive, but can even be simultaneous. Larkin provides no overt “notes” to the poem, no specific identifications of persons and places—there are no proper nouns except for “ ‘The Queen’ “—and certainly no confessional crie de coeur of the sort in which many of his American contemporaries indulged. The “you” is both exact (a biographical reading identifies the woman as Maeve Brennan) and yet generalized (it could be any “you” loved by any poet). Yet the poem seems intensely personal and intimate, animated by passionate emotions barely held in check. To what extent the “I” of the poem stands for Larkin the man himself and to what extent it represents an invented persona is a question we needn’t seek to answer definitively: either and both are equally valid; the poem works, regardless of how much or how little the reader knows about its author.
“Broadcast” finds Larkin (or shall we identify the “speaker” as a Larkinesque persona?) at home alone “attending” a concert at a distance, not seeing but visualizing the scene, the radio an imperfect instrument for connecting him to an unnamed woman over the distance that separates them, leaving him, ultimately, “desperate to pick out” from the applause her tiny ungloved hands in the “vast . . . spaces” of the concert hall. And it’s not a stretch of the imagination—but then again, maybe it is a stretch of the imagination, and that is exactly what Larkin wishes it to be—that the “air” of “tiny in all that air” refers not only to the aforementioned “vast . . . spaces” of the concert hall, in which the beloved one can scarcely be “picked out,” but indeed, to the geographic space that separates the radio listener in his compact room from the larger expanses of the concert hall itself—all the air that lies between Hull and London (if we may assume those to be the two geographic locations in the poem), and the very airwaves over which the concert is broadcast.
Here, in no particular order of importance, are some observations about the particulars of the poem. Donald Davie, in an essay (“Larkin’s Politics, and Tomlinson’s”) in Under Briggflatts, identifies the occasion of the poem as “perhaps a Remembrance Day ceremony in Westminster Abbey or St. Paul’s.” But Davie, uncharacteristically, seems misled by “Vast Sunday-full and organ-frowned-on spaces” and “‘The Queen’.” The reader needn’t draw on biographical knowledge (about which more in a moment) to realize that the space itself is “vast”—the Royal Albert Hall immediately comes to my mind—and that the marvelous coined double adjective, “Sunday-full and organ-frowned-on” is a metaphor. Larkin’s concert hall resembles a full church (though this metaphor would have been rather more appropriate to the England of Larkin’s time rather than to ours). It’s clear to me that the “sudden scuttle on the drum” is the drum roll that launches the British national anthem, “God Save the Queen,” played at the beginning of concerts and other public events (even in the cinema) during Larkin’s time; “ ‘The Queen’” is an abbreviated form (the trope of metonymy?) for “God Save the Queen” (itself a metonymy for the music itself) rather than an announcement that the Queen is entering the hall or church. The “huge resettling” is the audience in the mass act of sitting down after having stood for the anthem.
Suffice to say that another of the many pleasures of this poem is the mastery with which Larkin uses linguistic abbreviations to indicate larger actions. At eighteen lines, the poem is remarkably compact, and yet its reach stretches out from what the reader may imagine as the confines of a small and dimly lit room in a bachelor’s flat in Hull in the north of England, where the listener sits near the radio, across the “glowering wavebands” and “rabid storms of chording” to the distant concert hall itself. And one can read in the poem an awareness of all the distances and elsewheres in between.
The word “devout” in the first line of the second stanza continues the metaphor of the concert hall as church, and the concert itself—and by extension, the act of listening to the broadcast itself—as an act of devotion. The reference to the woman’s gloves makes us think of hands, and from there it is not too far a stretch to imagine her hands as folded together in an attitude that resembles that of prayer, or at least some act of devotion. (Am I being too fanciful in thinking of the separated couple in this poem as a vertical counterpart to the stone-carved, horizontal conjoined couple in “An Arundel Tomb”?) Larkin’s agnosticism might have precluded professions of faith, but it does not prevent him from employing the imagery of devotion. The poem’s almost reverential tone is such that one can believe that Larkin almost wants to hear the concert as a secular alternate for a religious ceremony—though ultimately the focus of this devotion isn’t the music, but rather the image of the loved one whose reality he so desperately strives to conjure.
One might also draw attention to the paradox that although the poem’s ostensible subject is the radio broadcast of a concert, the music of that concert (apart from the national anthem and the applause at the concert’s end) is curiously neglected—the reader is left to determine for himself what particular symphonic work might be characterized by “rabid storms of chording”—and the language and imagery of the poem itself is highly visual, and visually particular. Unable to see the concert, let alone be personally present at it, the poet imagines specific details that he has “picked out.” Dwelling at a distance and unable to see what is happening, he turns an imaginary spotlight onto the scene. But no sooner has the poem’s “I” zoomed in, as it were, on “your face among all those faces” than this vision “goes quickly dark” and he is left with only “the outline of the still and withering / Leaves on half-emptied trees”; presumably the trees are those outside his window, in the dusk on an autumn evening.
Reading the poem aloud, one hears the predominance of S and L sounds in concert, as it were: “Scuttle,” “resettling,” “slithering,” and “shamelessly.” And note the negative connotations, or at least the negative possibilities, of at least three of those four words—and maybe even of “resettling.” Then too there are the connotations of loss in “withering,” “half-emptied” and “dark.”
What else in the poem should attract our special notice? Many details. But ultimately I keep returning to those “gloves unnoticed on the floor,” which seems to me to lie at the heart of the poem’s power and meaning. A small matter, perhaps; but one should remember, as Larkin does (if only unconsciously), that gloves traditionally were emblems of a pledge of love and fidelity. All the more telling, then, that the gloves, the most easily mislaid, forgotten, and losable of all our clothing, should lie “unnoticed on the floor.” (Ah, but that “unnoticed” is Larkin’s way of letting us know that he notices!) Larkin tells us almost nothing about the woman or her appearance; details of eyes, hair, breasts, skin, are all left to our imagination. When he writes of “your face among all those faces, / Beautiful and devout,” Larkin doubtless has a specific face in mind (that of Maeve Brennan, if we are reading the poem biographically), but in effect he gives the reader a blank slate; the face is like that of a stylized saintly face on an Orthodox icon, personifying the traits of beauty and devotion (or devoutness) as we imagine them to be. No: the actual details that matter, as far as the poem is concerned, are found in the woman’s gloves and those curiously “new, slightly-outmoded shoes.”
In effect the poem is about the import of noticing and not noticing, of faithfulness and faithlessness, of possession and loss. Indeed, “Broadcast” is not wholly a love poem, nor entirely a broadcast of love, but also a statement of recognition and acknowledgement that, at a distance, love grows tenuous, our hold on the beloved fragile and fraught with uncertainty. The woman he addresses so longingly, who is elsewhere, not with him, may love Larkin; but it’s as if Larkin can’t believe his own good fortune, or can’t bring himself to believe it, or doesn’t want to believe it. Yes, he’s in love; but is it all more than a mirage, a chimera that might vanish into thin air, into silence, when the distant orchestra falls silent when the concert and the broadcast end? Might not Larkin, or the Larkinesque character who listens to the broadcast, fear that it is he who somehow, carelessly dropped from memory or affection, is the counterpart of that “glove unnoticed on the floor,” and that he will remain unnoticed and left behind as the beloved leaves the hall? He is “desperate” indeed—desperate to see her face among that crowd, desperate to grasp, if only through his creative imagination, her tiny hands. As Yeats reminded us, and as Larkin well knew, “man is in love and loves what vanishes.” | <urn:uuid:e426e07c-a90a-4e44-944c-f2ad9ecf031f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cprw.com/philip-larkin-broadcast | 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 | 0.958999 | 2,961 | 1.664063 | 2 |
detail from "Pocketful of Posies"
When we first started talking about the front cover for Pocketful of Posies, the editors and I didn’t yet have a title. We were a few years into the project when one of the members of the production team suggested that I incorporate the title and byline into my artwork, thereby stitching the letters instead of dropping in the usual type set words. After going back and forth with title ideas for several months, someone from Houghton Mifflin came up with a name we all liked, Pocketful of Posies. We added the subtitle A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes to emphasize that this was a collection of rhymes, rather than a story book.
My first drawing for the cover had a circling group of characters from the book, echoing the ring around the rosies theme. I presented it to the powers that be and it and was asked to try again. No problem, I needed try something different. The design was too balanced and straight forward and, well, too boring and static for a cover, which should be dynamic. When it comes to sales, books are judged by their cover, especially picture books. People should feel the compulsion to open the book and look inside!
I decided to keep some of the characters, but had them doing different actions in a natural environment. I played around with angles and curves, adding large leaves to separate the sub-title and by line. I decided to enclose the action with a border and bendy, circular vines, which move your eye around inside the picture.
Some of the characters were removed in the process of translating this final sketch into the finished sewn illustration. I never know how things are going to turn out until I start cutting out shapes and constructing dolls. I made sure that both boys and girls were represented, as I didn’t want my sewn artwork to come across as too girly centric.
I wasn’t sure how I was going to make the letters, but I wanted to try something that had depth, so that the title would pop out. I figured that if it didn’t work, the graphic designers could always type set the words. I found some titles done in a nice flowing script in a book my mother had as a child, Chimney Corner Stories, by Lois Lenski. I liked the way the P looked, which featured prominently in my title, so I used this lettering as a guide.
from "Chimney Corner Stories" 1925
Using green cloth-wrapped florist wire, I wrote out the words by bending the wire to form the connecting letters. I then wrapped the wire by hand with 2 ply variegated embroidery floss. I don’t really remember how I finished off the ends, but probably made knots at the back (no glue). The picture below shows my first attempts at bending and wrapping. I had to try different ways of compressing the U and Y, so that the words could all fit on the leaves. I also changed the floss color to something lighter, so there would be more contrast with the green leaf background.
Besides the title, the cover illustration has a lot of other thread wrapped wire. The stems, vines and every leaf are edged with wire, making it possible to bend and shape the parts, tweaking until the last-minute, when the photograph is taken. See other posts with wire lettering here and here. I used red felt for the background, so that the green leaves and vines would stand out. Also, many of my recent books have had blue covers and I wanted something different.
detail of "Pocketful of Posies" front cover
See this original illustration and 45 others in the Pocketful of Posies Traveling Exhibit , which will be on display in the children’s gallery at the Danforth Museum in Framingham, Mass. from Nov. 13th to Jan. 23rd. I’ll be there for the opening reception on Sat., Nov. 13th from 6:00-8:00 and will return on Dec. 6th, to sign books from 1:30-3:00pm. | <urn:uuid:4e493413-a449-4965-a403-165f124513bc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://weefolkstudio.com/category/pocketful-of-borders/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97261 | 858 | 1.53125 | 2 |
The passing of Davy Jones today has us fondly remembering The Monkees. Not because of the show but because of the Monkeemobile.
SLIDESHOW: Davy Jones, the Monkees and the Monkeemobile
California car customizer George Barris was on a roll back in the 60s. He's most famous for the Batmobile but the Monkeemobile that he and Dean Jeffries worked on was pure genius. It was based on a 1966 Pontiac GTO.
It perfectly blended American muscle with the outrageous campiness of the TV show and threw in a little bit of California-beach buggy attitude for good measure.
USA Today got a hold of Barris who told reporter Chris Woodyard that he was able to buy back one of the Monkeemobiles from the studio after the show was finished. He later sold it to a Michigan collector.
Barris told USA Today, ""I had to whack the top off, modify the front end and give it more a "V" look." It had to have "a hot looking engine," which pops out of the hood."
For car nuts, there were several differences between the two Monkeemobiles made for the show. The door logos were different and there were variations in the sizes and the styling of the fan belt cover and blower, according to Wikipedia.
A third Monkeemobile - known as the Dick Dean Replica - was built from a 1966 LeMans instead of the GTO, according to Monkeemobile Garage. The Web page has an excellent photo spread of all three cars.
For those of us old enough to remember; it was about the muscle, the music and a wonderful interpretation of "The Goat*."
*The GTO became known in the youth market as "The Goat" but the nickname was never used in any advertising, according to Wikipedia.
First Coast News | <urn:uuid:0d631fc6-035c-410e-90e7-ebf38ce72308> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.firstcoastnews.com/cars/article/244392/535/First-Coast-Gears-Celebrating-the-Monkeemobile | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982101 | 392 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Education at Adams Street
Rabbi Weinberg gives a class on mitzvot (Jewish laws) or on Parasha HaShavuah (the weekly Torah portion) on Wednesday evenings, in his home near the Shul.
In addition, we are blessed with several congregants who are also terrific teachers:
Rabbi Shlomo Yaffe teaches a gemara class at the Shul on Sunday mornings, and gives a shiur on classical texts on Thursday evenings around the corner from the Shul at Yury's Piano Shop.
During part of the year, Rabbi Avinoam Durani gives a weekly Hebrew class at the Shul; and part of the year Rabbi Durani teaches about the weekly portion on Saturday afternoons in our Horim v'Yeladim program.
We also have preparatory, holiday-related educational events, and occasional programs by visiting scholars. See our calendar for a list of everything that's going on, or contact David Sloane, Chairman of our Education Committee.
Many of our classes are recorded. If you can't be here in person, enjoy our online audio recordings and our small but growing collection of videos. We also have a page of links to shiurim on this week's portion, updated daily from all over the Internet. | <urn:uuid:881e365e-8dd9-4969-8cfa-f19ca174a2dc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.adamsstreet.info/education/educational-events.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951495 | 270 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Lumiere is two distinct voices cut from the same geographic cloth.
One is Éilís Kennedy, whose sound has ready access to the soul without need for scaffolding or spotlights. For over a decade, hers has been one of the most underrated voices in Irish music. Her natural and genuine interpretations of songs, both old and new, sung in her native Gaelic and in English, were previously heard in her multiple collaborations and solo offerings as a recording artist.
The other half of the musical whole is Pauline Scanlon, an award-winning singer from the same Kerry town of Dingle. She is part of a tradition of Irish female voices from Sinead O’Connor to Enya, all personal interpreters of their physical and spiritual landscape. Scanlon has two critically received albums to her credit as well as extensive touring experience all over the globe.
Together, they offer a distinctly feminine sound and feel, where voice is the primary instrument and Ireland as motherland is re-imagined. With Lumiere, the song and its delivery are the primary focus, technical concerns gives way to feeling as song and singer effortlessly merge. | <urn:uuid:089a7225-3746-4e9c-9670-3c7acc68930e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://irishchristmasinamerica.com/about/lumiere/ | 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 | 0.978767 | 233 | 1.5 | 2 |
Rise in land values that have only land myth but there is time, and anticipate a large tax effect in the construction of a residential building and residential real estate, building land in the urban area more The city planning tax will be taxable. City planning tax relief to property owners each year with a January 1 date property tax will be taxable. One is taxed every year, property taxes are now a thing of the past. It is time to raise the revenue necessary to devise different. Tax saving effect by effective utilization of land is divided into two types. | <urn:uuid:6ef4e140-78a7-4f2d-b6bb-f29021b91686> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.worldbankunveiled.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955748 | 110 | 1.648438 | 2 |
People of Northwest Public Radio
Fri January 6, 2012
Rights Group Says Prominent Activist Beaten By Govt. Forces In Bahrain
The struggle between government forces and protesters continues in the Gulf nation of Bahrain. Today, it came back into focus when Nabeel Rajab, a prominent human rights activist, was detained and beaten by government security forces.
The Bahrain Centre for Human Rights said Rajab was beaten "for participating in a peaceful protest" in the capital city of Manama, today. In a press release, the organization reports:
"He has told his lawyer on a phone call following the attack that the policemen gathered around him suddenly and started to beat him. He informed the lawyer that while lying on the ground he was beaten all over his body and specially on his back and face and that his face injuries are serious."
Rajab was released and shortly after he tweeted, "It was minimum cost for freedom and justice." NPR's Andy Carvin, who's been tracking the Arab Spring on Twitter, reported that Rajab was also defiant.
"Next week you're invited to march - same time, same place," he said. "Assembly is not a grant, but a right that can't be waived."
Reuters reports that Bahraini officials said they had nothing to do with the beating:
"Bahrain's Interior Ministry immediately denied those accounts, saying on its Twitter feed that police found Rajab, head of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, "lying on the ground" and took him to hospital for treatment.
"It earlier warned the protest march, organised by the Sunni-led kingdom's largest opposition grouping, was illegal and said 'legal procedures will be taken against violators'."
In November, the country released a report commissioned by the monarchy that found government forces had used torture to deal with protesters. In a televised speech, King Hamad Al Khalifa said those who committed abuses would be held accountable.
But the crackdown on protesters has since continued. | <urn:uuid:3e2daaa5-e985-44a2-bbc3-511d77fde795> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nwpr.org/post/rights-group-says-prominent-activist-beaten-govt-forces-bahrain | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984075 | 407 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Purim is a holiday celebration like no other
Google Translate is a free application for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch with a very practical purpose: it translates text and speech into foreign languages.
The road test: We spoke some common (and a few obscure) travel phrases into our iPad to see how well the app would translate our words into Spanish, French, German, Chinese and Arabic. Then, we fooled around with the playback feature to assess the sound quality and functionality of the app.
The highlights: The app seems to work well, but when speaking, peripheral noise needs to be minimal. If a user speaks slowly, Google Translate is generally accurate in logging what is said. Translations are comprehensive and provided in two formats: text and auditory playback. The app offers text translations in an impressive 50+ languages and spoken translations in a considerable 25 languages. Finally -- and we guess this is a good thing, although it loses some entertainment value - the voiceovers are relatively normal sounding. No dramatic interpretations. No Darth Vadar, Kermit the Frog or Fonzie. Think flight attendants: slow and precise.
The speedbumps: In a few instances, the device timed out or took an extended amount of time to complete our translations. So again, we’ll stress the importance of limited background sound (which may or may not be feasible given your circumstances of use). Also, if you don’t know the language, it can be hard to verify the accuracy of translation. We independently confirmed that the French and Spanish translations were correct.
The bottom line: If the conditions are right, this is an absolutely usable app. It will even help you master a few phrases prior to your travels, which is always a great idea. | <urn:uuid:0adddff0-4c94-45f0-8926-e2c28b60839e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bbc.com/travel/blog/20110726-tech-test-drive-google-translate-app | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930661 | 358 | 1.78125 | 2 |
(ARA) - Women (and men) wanting to look younger and healthier have so many choices today for cosmetic medical procedures. But the ever-increasing treatment options - combined with varying costs and widespread availability - may leave some consumers overwhelmed, says Dr. Susan Weinkle, president of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS).
That's not surprising when today's options include laser treatments, high-tech light devices, chemical peels, dermabrasion, liposuction, lifts, vein treatments, soft-tissue fillers, neuromodulators (Botox) and hair restoration among others.
The first thing to remember is that cosmetic procedures are still medical procedures, Weinkle says, adding that it's a popular misconception that certain procedures are easy to perform and risk-free. Serious side effects - such as burns, infections, scars and pigmentation disorders - can occur when consumers visit untrained, unqualified practitioners.
Of course, it makes sense to choose an experienced and qualified physician to perform a cosmetic medical procedure. Not only are ASDS doctors board-certified in dermatology, they have the training and experience to determine the best treatment for each patient's unique needs. ASDS doctors have pioneered many of the procedures being performed and perfected today.
However, it's still important for consumers to do a little homework, such as checking a doctor's credentials and making sure the doctor is on site.
It's also vital to ask a doctor the right questions before undergoing a cosmetic procedure. Think of it as an interview. To help, the following questions can act as a guide (but feel free to ask any other questions - no matter how minor they may seem):
* What treatment is right for me? In other words, don't ask the doctor for a specific procedure. Instead, explain the issues that need to be addressed and let the doctor offer the solution. ASDS doctors have extensive experience doing a variety of aesthetic treatments.
* Is the specific laser, device or technique appropriate for my skin type? ASDS doctors know that cosmetic procedures and treatments are not one-size-fits-all. Each patient is evaluated for skin type as part of the initial evaluation.
* How much does it cost? As a rule, almost all cosmetic surgery is considered "elective" and is not typically covered by insurance plans. Although some spas, salons and walk-in clinics offer cosmetic medical procedures at lower prices, Weinkle says consumers should be aware that "these discounted prices could put your health at risk as a result of the provider's inadequate training and lack of expertise."
* What should I do to prepare for the treatment? Carefully following the physician's guidelines before the procedure can greatly impact the final results.
* Have you reviewed my medical history? Information that a patient may think is unrelated to their treatment may in fact play a key role in recovery or the length of a procedure, says Weinkle. Patients should be sure to disclose their specific surgery history, any allergies and any pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter drugs or herbal supplements that they are taking at the time of their procedure.
* What are my pain management and anesthesia options? To help avoid the risks associated with general anesthesia, ask the physician about alternative pain management options. Many techniques that are performed in a physician's office can be done under local anesthesia, eliminating some side effects such as nausea and headaches that often accompany general anesthesia. Using a short-term local anesthesia may also eliminate complications that are sometimes related to general anesthesia, including allergies and heart problems.
* What are the risks? Discuss the potential side effects of the proposed treatment, how often they occur and how they will be handled if they do occur.
* What should I expect after the procedure is performed? Besides a discussion about the short-term and long-term effects, activity restrictions and the expected recovery period, doctors should share before-and-after photos of previous patients and discuss realistic expectations.
To download a pre-cosmetic surgery interview questionnaire or for more information on cosmetic skin procedures and a referral to ASDS doctors, visit www.asds.net. | <urn:uuid:fad269f7-e3a3-455a-88f9-9be2a116639d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailysparkstribune.com/view/full_story/19281778/article-Want-to-look-younger--Start-by-asking-the-right-questions?instance=all_articles | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947396 | 844 | 1.570313 | 2 |
For the first full year since 2001, personal computer sales are projected to decline in 2012. IHS iSuppli shared its data on Wednesday, saying the PC market will see 1.2 percent fewer sales this year as compared to 2011. That means the total number of PC sales will fall from 352.8 million last year to 348.7 million by year end. This shouldn’t be a surprise: the perfect storm of connectivity, hardware advances in mobile devices and more capable mobile apps are attacking PC sales on all fronts.
Emil Protalinksi at The Next Web wonders if Windows 8 can provide a bounce to this market, and market researcher IDC was also cautiously optimistic about tepid growth in announcing Thursday poor third-quarter PC shipment results across the board.
But if there is one at all, I don’t think it will be big, nor long lasting. For better or for worse, we’re coming to — or in some cases have passed — the tipping point for mobile vs. desktop. As of late 2010, smartphone sales started surpassing those of traditional computers. And IHS iSuppli’s own forecast for tablet sales this year, which really didn’t exist in meaningful numbers until 2010, says they’ll jump 90 percent to 124 million sales, or just over 35 percent of total PC sales this year.
Some in the PC market have ignored this shift; that’s why I called the top computer companies five biggest losers in January last year. They’ve watched their sales figures erode as two things have happened: Apple has continued to buck the trend by generating Mac sales growth and computing activities are migrating away from traditional computers.
Ridiculous or reality?
Right about now, I suspect many readers are thinking, “Ludicrous! We still need PCs at work and to get specific tasks done that no smartphone or tablet can do. To say the PC is dead is simply ridiculous.” To that, I say, yes… and no. I’m not suggesting the PC is dead. I am suggesting, however, that the PC is dying and the numbers have shown all the warning signs of it getting replaced for the past few years.
More importantly, those readers still shaking my head over this thought are likely long-time PC users. There’s a whole new generation of the world’s population growing up now that uses a tablet or smartphone as their primary computing device. Don’t believe me? The numbers don’t lie: A recent survey of 7,700 teens shows that 40 percent of them have a tablet and 43 percent have an iPhone. Surely, some have PCs too, but are they primary computing devices?
I can’t extrapolate much from my own kids but it’s telling to me that they only turn to PCs in rare instances these days: To play online Flash games and occasionally for multiuser video chat. Outside of that, it’s all iPad, iPod or Android phone for games, email, and even schoolwork. I don’t think their usage patterns are outside of the norm for their generation, but again, I won’t read too much into their activities.
But that brings me back to Windows 8 and the overall PC market. Windows 8 is expected this month. Now is the time when people should be talking about it as Microsoft builds buzz. But try an experiment to see if that buzz is where it should be.
Which is owning the conversation: PCs or mobile devices?
In your circle of friends, family, co-workers and the like, tune in to their tech talk. See if they’re more excited about the possibility of an iPad mini, the latest Android phone, an Ultrabook, or a new Windows 8 device, for example. Sure, you’ll find some talking about the latter two, but I don’t think you’ll find the majority of the conversation revolving around PCs. The new mobile world order is about smartphones and tablets, not the legacy activities that require us to be attached to a laptop or desktop computer.
One could argue that the poor economic climate is hurting higher priced PCs as consumers and businesses choose to buy less expensive mobile devices. That’s a fair point. As the global economy heals, however, I don’t expect PC sales to rise with it. Our mobile devices are more capable than ever before and becoming more capable every day. Thank the maturity of apps, faster mobile broadband networks, use of the cloud and improved mobile chips for these and future advances.
Schools, enterprises, and consumers alike are moving on to the always-connected, do-anything-anywhere experience that smartphones and tablets provide. And as more do so, the stodgy old PC as we’ve known it for 25 or more years is getting left behind. | <urn:uuid:2bbc3843-7aaf-4eed-be67-052e246e328a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gigaom.com/2012/10/10/of-course-pc-sales-are-in-decline-mobile-is-where-its-at/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951648 | 1,010 | 1.578125 | 2 |
roman wrote:The disc has to go around the tree. Doesn't matter if it forks up top, a tree is a tree, and you have to go around it and not through it.
What is considered "the tree"? My home course has a hole in particular that has a huge full grown Oak tree, that you must go to the left of. Most shots go around it, however there are a few that hit that grey area. So what about these circumstances?
Roller: Rolling the disc on the ground around the base of the tree, staying to the left, but under the branches.
Airshot: Shanking a shot and it goes through the branches of the tree but still goes to the left of the trunk.
Plinko Effect: What if you hit the tree dead on, but it ricochets off a branch and goes around to the left of the tree?
I guess the main question is what is considered a tree, is it just the trunk or is it from the trunk to the farthest branch? | <urn:uuid:19f7d55e-bce0-4708-84f0-03a8fe39b0fb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.discgolfreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=8200&p=121259 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972874 | 213 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Slaughter, who represents western New York and is the chairwoman of the House Rules Committee, has been a critic of the Senate bill from the left, arguing that it subsidized the private insurance market, and pushing for the public option. She got attention yesterday for talking about a constituent of hers who was forced to wear her dead sister's dentures because she couldn't afford her own, but the rest of her remarks are also worth attention, including these:
I believe that all Americans should be treated the same. Let me give you a little history on that. Eight states have declared that domestic violence is a pre-existing condition on the grounds, I assume, that if you're unlucky enough to get yourself beat up once, you might go around and do it again. 48% is the higher cost for women who, in many cases, have to go buy their own insurance. Believe you me, that is really discriminatory. In 1991, women were not included in any of the trials at the NIH because we had hormones. It wasn't until we had a critical mass of women here [Congress] that we said, "This will not do for more than half the population of the United States who pay taxes." That we made certain that diseases like osteoporosis, mainly a women's disease, cervical cancer, only a women's disease, uterine cancer and others were really looked at. Up to that point, 1991, all research at the Institutes of Health were done on white males. Now think about that for a minute if you will. We couldn't do that because we just said, "Now, kindly stop doing that." It took legislation.
Of course, one Rush Limbaugh had nothing but gracious things to say about Slaughter's harrowing example of the constituent in her dead sister's dentures.
You know I'm getting so many people, this Louise Slaughter comment on the dentures? I'm getting so many people, this is big, I mean, that gets a one-time mention for a laugh, but there are people out there that think this is huge because it's so stupid. I mean for example, well what's wrong with using a dead person's teeth? Aren't the Democrats big into recycling? Save the planet? And so what? So if you don't have any teeth, so what? What's applesauce for? Isn't that why they make applesauce? [Big sigh]
That's it! Let them eat applesauce. Problem solved. | <urn:uuid:4dda276c-deba-4b13-abe0-d77021cd88ac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jezebel.com/5481095/louise-slaughter-new-favorite-congresswoman?tag=louise-slaughter | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98507 | 506 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Front Page Titles (by Subject) MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1787. - The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787, vol. 2
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1787. - Max Farrand, The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787, vol. 2
The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787, ed. Max Farrand (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1911). Vol. 2.
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1787.
The engrossed Constitution being read,
Docr. Franklin rose with a speech in his hand, which he had reduced to writing for his own conveniency, and which Mr. Wilson read in the words following.1
I confess that there are several parts of this constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them: For having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged by better information or fuller consideration, to change opinions even on important subjects, which I once thought right, but found to be otherwise. It is therefore that the older I grow, the more apt I am to doubt my own judgment, and to pay more respect to the judgment of others. Most men indeed as well as most sects in Religion, think themselves in possession of all truth, and that whereever others differ from them it is so far error. Steele, a Protestant in a Dedication tells the Pope, that the only difference between our Churches in their opinions of the certainty of their doctrines is, the Church of Rome is infallible and the Church of England is never in the wrong. But though many private persons think almost as highly of their own infallibility as of that of their sect, few express it so naturally as a certain french lady, who in a dispute with her sister, said “I don’t know how it happens, Sister but I meet with no body but myself, that’s always in the right” — Il n’y a que moi qui a toujours raison.”
In these sentiments, Sir, I agree to this Constitution with all its faults, if they are such; because I think a general Government necessary for us, and there is no form of Government but what may be a blessing to the people if well administered, and believe farther that this is likely to be well administered for a course of years, and can only end in Despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic Government, being incapable of any other. I doubt too whether any other Convention we can obtain may be able to make a better Constitution. For when you assemble a number of men to have the advantage of their joint wisdom, you inevitably assemble with those men, all their prejudices, their passions, their errors of opinion, their local interests, and their selfish views. From such an Assembly can a perfect production be expected? It therefore astonishes me, Sir, to find this system approaching so near to perfection as it does; and I think it will astonish our enemies, who are waiting with confidence to hear that our councils are confounded like those of the Builders of Babel; and that our States are on the point of separation, only to meet hereafter for the purpose of cutting one another’s throats. Thus I consent, Sir, to this Constitution because I expect no better, and because I am not sure, that it is not the best. The opinions I have had of its errors, I sacrifice to the public good — I have never whispered a syllable of them abroad — Within these walls they were born, and here they shall die — If every one of us in returning to our Constituents were to report the objections he has had to it, and endeavor to gain partizans in support of them, we might prevent its being generally received, and thereby lose all the salutary effects & great advantages resulting naturally in our favor among foreign Nations as well as among ourselves, from our real or apparent unanimity. Much of the strength & efficiency of any Government in procuring and securing happiness to the people, depends. on opinion, on the general opinion of the goodness of the Government, as well as well as of the wisdom and integrity of its Governors. I hope therefore that for our own sakes as a part of the people, and for the sake of posterity, we shall act heartily and unanimously in recommending this Constitution (if approved by Congress & confirmed by the Conventions) wherever our influence may extend, and turn our future thoughts & endeavors to the means of having it well administered.
On the whole, Sir, I cannot help expressing a wish that every member of the Convention who may still have objections to it, would with me, on this occasion doubt a little of his own infallibility— and to make manifest our unanimity, put his name to this instrument.” — He then moved that the Constitution be signed by the members and offered the following as a convenient form viz. “Done in Convention, by the unanimous consent of the States present the 17th. of Sepr. &c — In Witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names.”
This ambiguous form had been drawn up by Mr. G. M. in order to gain the dissenting members, and put into the hands of Docr. Franklin that it might have the better chance of success.
Mr. Gorham said if it was not too late he could wish, for the purpose of lessening objections to the Constitution, that the clause declaring “the number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every forty thousand —” which had produced so much discussion, might be yet reconsidered, in order to strike out 40,000 & insert “thirty thousand” This would not he remarked establish that as an absolute rule, but only give Congress a greater latitude which could not be thought unreasonable.2
Mr. King & Mr Carrol seconded & supported the ideas of Mr Gorham.
When the President rose, for the purpose of putting the question,3 he said that although his situation had hitherto restrained him from offering his sentiments on questions depending in the House, and it might be thought, ought now to impose silence on him, yet he could not forbear expressing his wish that the alteration proposed might take place. It was much to be desired that the objections to the plan recommended might be made as few as possible — The smallness of the proportion of Representatives had been considered by many members of the Convention, an insufficient security for the rights & interests of the people. He acknowledged that it had always appeared to himself among the exceptionable parts of the plan;4 and late as the present moment was for admitting amendments, he thought this of so much consequence that it would give much satisfaction to see it adopted.*
No opposition was made to the proposition of Mr. Gorham and it was agreed to unanimously
On the question to agree to the Constitution enrolled in order to be signed. It was agreed to all the States answering ay.
Mr Randolph then rose and with an allusion to the observations of Docr Franklin, apologized for5 his refusing to sign the Constitution, notwithstanding the vast majority & venerable names that would give sanction to its wisdom and its worth.6 He said however that he did not mean by this refusal to decide that he should oppose the Constitution without doors. He meant only to keep himself free to be governed by his duty as it should be prescribed by his future judgment — He refused to sign, because he thought the object of the convention would be frustrated by the alternative which it presented to the people. Nine States will fail to ratify the plan and confusion must ensue. With such a view of the subject he ought not, he could not, by pledging himself to support the plan, restrain himself from taking such steps as might appear to him most consistent with the public good.
Mr. Govr. Morris said that he too had objections, but considering the present plan7 as the best that was to be attained, he should take it with all its faults. The majority had determined in its favor and by that determination he should abide. The moment this plan goes forth all other considerations will be laid aside— and the great question will be, shall there be a national Government or not? and this must take place or a general anarchy will be the alternative — He remarked that the signing in the form proposed related only to the fact that the States present were unanimous.
Mr. Williamson suggested that the signing should be confined to the letter accompanying the Constitution to Congress. which might perhaps do nearly as well, and would be found be satisfactory to some members* who disliked the Constitution. For himself he did not think a better plan was to be expected and had no scruples against putting his name to it.
Mr Hamilton expressed his anxiety that every member should sign. A few characters of consequence, by opposing or even refusing to sign the Constitution, might do infinite mischief by kindling the latent sparks which lurk under an enthusiasm in favor of the Convention which may soon subside. No man’s ideas were more remote from the plan than his own were known to be; but is it possible to deliberate between anarchy and Convulsion on one side, and the chance of good to be expected from the plan on the other.
Mr Blount said he had declared that he would not sign, so as to pledge himself in support of the plan, but he was relieved by the form proposed and would without committing himself attest the fact that the plan was the unanimous act of the States in Convention.
Docr. Franklin expressed his fears from what Mr Randolph had said, that he thought himself alluded to in the remarks offered this morning to the House. He declared that when drawing up that paper he did not know that any particular member would refuse to sign his name to the instrument, and hoped to be so understood. He professed a high sense of obligation to Mr. Randolph for having brought forward the plan in the first instance, and for the assistance he had given in its progress, and hoped that he would yet lay aside his objections, and, by concurring with his brethren, prevent the great mischief which the refusal of his name might produce
Mr. Randolph could not but regard the signing in the proposed form, as the same with signing the Constitution. The change of form therefore could make no difference with him. He repeated that in refusing to sign the Constitution, he took a step which might be the most awful of his life, but it was dictated by his conscience, and it was not possible for him to hesitate, much less, to change. He repeated also his persuasion, that the holding out this plan with a final alternative to the people, of accepting or rejecting it in toto, would really produce the anarchy & civil convulsions which were apprehended from the refusal of individuals to sign it.
Mr Gerry described the painful feelings of his situation, and the embarrassment under which he rose to offer any further observations on the subject wch. had been finally decided. Whilst the plan was depending, he had treated it with all the freedom he thought it deserved— He now felt himself bound as he was disposed to treat it with the respect due to the Act of the Convention— He hoped he should not violate that respect in declaring on this occasion his fears that a Civil war may result from the present crisis of the U. S— In Massachusetts, particularly he saw the danger of this calamitous event— In that State there are two parties, one devoted to Democracy, the worst he thought of all political evils, the other as violent in the opposite extreme. From the collision of these in opposing and resisting the Constitution, confusion was greatly to be feared. He had thought it necessary for this & other reasons that the plan should have been proposed in a more mediating shape, in order to abate the heat and opposition of parties— As it had been passed by the Convention, he was persuaded it would have a contrary effect— He could not therefore by signing the Constitution pledge himself to abide by it at all events. The proposed form made no difference with him. But if it were not otherwise apparent, the refusals to sign should never be known from him. Alluding to the remarks of Docr. Franklin, he could not he said but view them as levelled at himself and the other gentlemen who meant not to sign;
Genl Pinkney— We are not likely to gain many converts by the ambiguity of the proposed form of signing. He thought it best to be candid and let the form speak the substance— If the meaning of the signers be left in doubt, his purpose would not be answered— He should sign the Constitution with a view to support it with all his influence, and wished to pledge himself accordingly—
Docr. Franklin. It is too soon to pledge ourselves before Congress and our Constituents shall have approved the plan.
Mr Ingersol did not consider the signing, either as a mere attestation of the fact, or as pledging the signers to support the Constitution at all events; but as a recommendation, of what, all things considered, was the most eligible.
On the motion of Docr. Franklin
Mr. King suggested that the Journals of the Convention should be either destroyed, or deposited in the custody of the President. He thought if suffered to be made public, a bad use would be made of them by those who would wish to prevent the adoption of the Constitution—10
Mr Wilson prefered the second expedient. he had at one time liked the first best; but as false suggestions may be propagated it should not be made impossible to contradict them—
A question was then put on depositing the Journals and other papers of the Convention in the hands of the President, On which,
N— H— ay. Mtts ay. Ct. ay— N. J. ay. Pena. ay. Del. ay. Md.* no. Va. ay. N. C. ay— S. C. ay. Geo. ay. [Ayes 10; noes — 1.]
The President having asked what the Convention meant should be done with the Journals &c, whether copies were to be allowed to the members if applied for. It was Resolved nem: con: “that he retain the Journal and other papers, subject to the order of Congress, if ever formed under the Constitution.11
The members then proceeded to sign the instrument.
Whilst the last members were signing it Doctr. Franklin looking towards the Presidents Chair, at the back of which a rising sun happened to be painted, observed to a few members near him, that Painters had found it difficult to distinguish in their art a rising from a setting sun. I have, said he, often and often in the course of the Session, and the vicissitudes of my hopes and fears as to its issue, looked at that behind the President without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting: But now at length I have the happiness to know that it is a rising and not a setting Sun.
The Constitution being signed by all the Members except Mr Randolph, Mr Mason, and Mr. Gerry who declined giving it the sanction of their names,12 the Convention dissolved itself by an Adjournment sine die —
〈Ⅾ The few alterations and corrections made in these debates which are not in my hand writing, were dictated by me and made in my presence by John C. Payne.
Read the engrossed constitution. Altered the representation in the house of representatives from 40 to thirty thousand.
Dr. Franklin put a paper into Mr Willsons hand to read containing his reasons for assenting to the constitution. It was plain, insinuating persuasive — and in any event of the system guarded the Doctor’s fame.
Mr Randolp Mr Mason and Mr Gerry declined signing— The other members signed—
Being opposed to many parts of the system I make a remark why I signed it and mean to support it.
1sly I distrust my own judgement, especially as it is opposite to the opinion of a majority of gentlemen whose abilities and patriotism are of the first cast; and as I have had already frequent occasions to be convinced that I have not always judged right.
2dly Alterations may be obtained, it being provided that the concurrence of ⅔ of the Congress may at any time introduce them.
3dly Comparing the inconveniences and the evils which we labor under and may experience from the present confederation, and the little good we can expect from it — with the possible evils and probable benefits and advantages promised us by the new system, I am clear that I ought to give it all the support in my power.
Philada. 17 Sepr. 1787 James McHenry.
Major Jackson Secry. to carry it to Congress — Injunction of secrecy taken off. Members to be provided with printed copies — adjourned sine die — Gentn. of Con. dined together at the City Tavern.14
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES1
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Section. 1. All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.
Section. 2. The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have 〈the〉 Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.
No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.
Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty2 Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three.
When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.
The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.
Section. 3. The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.
Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second Year, of the second Class at the Expiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at the Expiration of the sixth Year, so that one third may be chosen every second Year; and if Vacancies happen by Resignation, or otherwise, during the Recess of the Legislature of any State, the Executive thereof may make temporary Appointments until the next Meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill such Vacancies.
No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.
The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.
The Senate shall chuse their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of the United States.
The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States 〈is tried,〉 the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.
Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.
Section. 4. The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators.
The Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year, and such Meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall by Law appoint a different Day.
Section. 5. Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members, and a Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business; but a smaller Number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the Attendance of absent Members, in such Manner, and under such Penalties as each House may provide.
Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.
Each House shall keep a Journal of its Proceedings, and from time to time publish the same, excepting such Parts as may in their Judgment require Secrecy; and the Yeas and Nays of the Members of either House on any question shall, at the Desire of one fifth of those Present, be entered on the Journal.
Neither House, during the Session of Congress, shall, without the Consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other Place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.
Section. 6. The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States. They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.
No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been encreased during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office.
Section. 7. All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.
Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively. If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law.
Every Order, Resolution, or Vote to which the Concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives may be necessary (except on a question of Adjournment) shall be presented to the President of the United States; and before the Same shall take Effect, shall be approved by him, or being disapproved by him, shall be repassed by two thirds of the Senate and House of Representatives, according to the Rules and Limitations prescribed in the Case of a Bill.
Section. 8. The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and Provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;
To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;
To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;
To establish Post Offices and post Roads;
To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Time to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;
To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;
To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
To provide and maintain a Navy;
To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of Particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings; — And
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.
Section. 9. The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.
The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.
No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.
No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or Enumeration herein before directed to be taken.
No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.
No Preference shall be given by any Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over those of another: nor shall Vessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay Duties in another.
No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.
No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.
Section. 10. No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.
No State shall, without the Consent of 〈the〉 Congress, lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing it’s inspection Laws: and the net Produce of all Duties and Imposts, laid by any State on Imports or Exports, shall be for the Use of the Treasury of the United States; and all such Laws shall be subject to the Revision and Controul of 〈the〉 Congress.
No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.
Section. 1. The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows
Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.
The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves. And they shall make a List of all the Persons voted for, and of the Number of Votes for each; which List they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the Seat of the Government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and the Votes shall then be counted. The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President, if such Number be a Majority of the whole Number of Electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such Majority, and have an equal Number of Votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately chuse by Ballot one of them for President; and if no Person have a Majority, then from the five highest on the List the said House shall in like Manner chuse the President. But in chusing the President, the Votes shall be taken by States, the Representation from each State having one Vote; A quorum for this Purpose shall consist of a Member or Members from two thirds of the States, and a Majority of all the States shall be necessary to a Choice. In every Case, after the Choice of the President, the Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the Electors shall be the Vice President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal Votes, the Senate shall chuse from them by Ballot the Vice President.
The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States.
No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.
In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the Same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected.
The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which shall neither be encreased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them.
Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation: — “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Section. 2. The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.
He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.
The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.
Section. 3. He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.
Section. 4. The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.
Section. 1. The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services, a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.
Section. 2. The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority; — to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls; — to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction; — to Controversies to which the United States shall be a Party; — to Controversies between two or more States; — between a State and Citizens of another State; — between Citizens of different States, — between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.
In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make.
The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Congress may by Law have directed.
Section. 3. Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.
The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.
Section. 1. Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.
Section. 2. The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.
A Person charged in any State with Treason, Felony, or other Crime, who shall flee from Justice, and be found in another State, shall on Demand of the executive Authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the State having Jurisdiction of the Crime.
No Person held to Service or Labour in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labour, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labour may be due.
Section. 3. New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.
The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State.
Section. 4. The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.
The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of it’s equal Suffrage in the Senate.
All Debts contracted and Engagements entered into, before the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation.
This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.
The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.
The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.
〈The Word, “the”, being interlined between the seventh and eighth Lines of the first Page, the Word “Thirty” being partly written on an Erazure in the fifteenth Line of the first Page. The Words “is tried” being interlined between the thirty second and thirty third Lines of the first Page and the Word “the” being interlined between the forty third and forty fourth Lines of the second Page.〉
Done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven and of the Independence of the United States of America the Twelfth In witness whereof We have hereunto subscribed our Names,
Attest William Jackson Secretary
Go. Washington — Presidt.
and deputy from Virginia.
In Convention Monday September 17th. 1787
The States of
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Mr. Hamilton from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
That the preceding Constitution be laid before the United States in Congress assembled, and that it is the Opinion of this Convention, that it should afterwards be submitted to a Convention of Delegates, chosen in each State by the People thereof, under the Recommendation of its Legislature, for their Assent and Ratification; and that each Convention assenting to, and ratifying the Same, should give Notice thereof to the United States in Congress assembled.
Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Convention, that as soon as the Conventions of nine States shall have ratified this Constitution, the United States in Congress assembled should fix a Day on which Electors should be appointed by the States which shall have ratified the same, and a Day on which the Electors should assemble to vote for the President, and the Time and place for commencing Proceedings under this Constitution. That after such Publication the Electors should be appointed, and the Senators and Representatives elected: That the Electors should meet on the Day fixed for the Election of the President, and should transmit their votes certified signed, sealed and directed, as the Constitution requires, to the Secretary of the United States in Congress assembled, that the Senators and Representatives should convene at the Time and Place asigned; that the Senators should appoint a President of the Senate, for the sole Purpose of receiving, opening and counting the Votes for President; and, that after he shall be chosen, the Congress, together with the President, should, without Delay, proceed to execute this Constitution.
By the Unanimous Order of the Convention
Go: Washington Presidt.
W. Jackson Secretary
[Letter to Congress]
In Convention, September 17, 1787.
WE have now the honor to submit to the consideration of the United States in Congress assembled, that Constitution which has appeared to us the most adviseable.
The friends of our country have long seen and desired, that the power of making war, peace and treaties, that of levying money and regulating commerce, and the correspondent executive and judicial authorities should be fully and effectually vested in the general government of the Union: but the impropriety of delegating such extensive trust to one body of men is evident — Hence results the necessity of a different organization.
It is obviously impracticable in the fœderal government of these States, to secure all rights of independent sovereignty to each, and yet provide for the interest and safety of all — Individuals entering into society, must give up a share of liberty to preserve the rest. The magnitude of the sacrifice must depend as well on situation and circumstance, as on the object to be obtained. It is at all times difficult to draw with precision the line between those rights which must be surrendered, and those which may be reserved; and on the present occasion this difficulty was encreased by a difference among the several States as to their situation, extent, habits, and particular interests.
In all our deliberations on this subject we kept steadily in our view, that which appears to us the greatest interest of every true American, the consolidation of our Union, in which is involved our prosperity, felicity, safety, perhaps our national existence. This important consideration, seriously and deeply impressed on our minds, led each State in the Convention to be less rigid on points of inferior magnitude, than might have been otherwise expected; and thus the Constitution, which we now present, is the result of a spirit of amity, and of that mutual deference and concession which the peculiarity of our political situation rendered indispensable.
That it will meet the full and entire approbation of every State is not perhaps to be expected; but each will doubtless consider, that had her interest alone been consulted, the consequences might have been particularly disagreeable or injurious to others; that it is liable to as few exceptions as could reasonably have been expected, we hope and believe; that it may promote the lasting welfare of that country so dear to us all, and secure her freedom and happiness, is our most ardent wish.
With great respect, We have the honor to be. SIR, Your Excellency’s most Obedient and humble Servants,
GEORGE WASHINGTON, PRESIDENT.
[1 ]Franklin seems to have sent copies of this speech in his own handwriting to several of his friends, and one of these soon found its way into print (see Carey’s American Museum, II, pp. 558-559). After examining several of these copies, it seems probable that Madison’s copy represents the speech as it was read. The others all embody subsequent modifications. See further Appendix A, CXXVIII, CLXXXVII, CC.
[2 ]Upon this change to 30,000 see Appendix A, CXLVII, CLVIII (39), CCXVIII, CCXLVI.
[3 ]Crossed out “he made a few observations”.
[4 ]Crossed out “of such peculiar importance was its amendments, he could not therefore suppress his approbation of the mo”.
[* ]This was the only occasion on which the President entered at all into the discussions of the Convention.
[5 ]Crossed out: “yielding to his own judgment against so”.
[6 ]Upon Randolph’s refusal to sign, see above September 15, and Appendix A, CXIV, CXXXI, CXXXVII, CCV.
[7 ]Crossed out “results of all deliberations”.
[9 ]Taken from Journal.
[* ]Genl Pinkney & Mr. Butler disliked the equivocal form of the signing, and on that account voted in the negative
[10 ]See further appendix A, CX, CXI, CCCXX.
[* ]This negative of Maryland was occasioned by the language of the instructions to the Deputies of that State, which required them to report to the State, the proceedings of the Convention.
[11 ]For the subsequent history of these papers, see Introduction.
[12 ]See above note 6, and Appendix A, CVIII, CX, CXXIV, CXXXVII, CLVI, CLXXXIX, CCXLII, CCXLIV, CCCLIX, CCCLXII.
[14 ]See Appendix A, CX.
[1 ]The Constitution is engrossed on four sheets of parchment (13½″ × 15½″). The present copy attempts to reprint the original exactly, except that interlineations are indicated by enclosing them in angle brackets 〈 〉. The indented note at the end is in the original.
[2 ]An erasure in the manuscript.
Crossed out “probably”. | <urn:uuid:5412313f-e5a7-4600-a170-8338b0870b21> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://oll.libertyfund.org/?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=1786&chapter=96200&layout=html&Itemid=27 | 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 | 0.963316 | 10,712 | 1.625 | 2 |
Robert Frank. Elevator - Miami Beach, 1955.
Before Robert Frank's “The Americans” show opens at the Met on September 22nd and Frank fever hits New York, this uncredited story from NPR’s website (which I've taken the liberty of editing) shines some fresh light on one of Frank’s lesser known images from the series:
One of photographer Robert Frank's most famous images aroused a particular interest from his friend, beat writer Jack Kerouac. In his introduction to Frank's book of photos The Americans, Kerouac writes, "That little ole lonely elevator girl looking up sighing in an elevator full of blurred demons, what's her name & address?"
Now we know.
Today, Sharon Collins lives in San Francisco. About 10 years ago she visited the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and found herself drawn to a particular photo — the same photo Jack Kerouac wrote about.
"I stood in front of this particular photograph for probably a full five minutes," she says. "And then it dawned on me that the girl in the picture was me."
The iconic shot shows a young girl, pressing an elevator button, looking up with an enigmatic expression. At the time, her name was Sharon Goldstein, and she lived in Miami Beach. At fifteen, she got a summer job as an elevator girl at the Sherry Frontenac Hotel. She says the hotel was always full of tourists, and many of them had cameras. Although she wishes she remembers this particular tourist, she doesn't. But she pieced together what happened by looking at Frank's contact sheet.
"Robert Frank took about four photos of me without a flash in the elevator. I didn't know he was taking them. And then when the elevator emptied he asked me to turn around and smile at the camera. So I flashed a smile, put my hands on my hips, and hammed it up for about eight or ten frames."
From the single image that was chosen for The Americans, Kerouac guessed she was lonely. But Collins thinks otherwise.
"It's not necessarily loneliness, it's ... dreaminess." | <urn:uuid:a3e092b3-b423-4fbd-b885-a46c1b2b0e06> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pictureyear.blogspot.com/2009/09/american-tale.html?showComment=1253557766704 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964887 | 441 | 1.742188 | 2 |
School Days: Tips, Tricks and Strategies
Start Your School Morning Right
That first school morning of the year can be tough. But if you don't get an efficient school morning routine in place as you go back to school, it may not get better later in the school year. These tips will help you streamline your school morning routine, and get everyone back to school with less stress.
How to Handle School Fundraisers
Many kid-oriented organizations--schools, dance studios, scout troops, sports teams, etc.--ask parents to sell products as fundraisers. Few parents are thrilled about kids' fundraisers, but work-at-home parents have an even harder time. Without a network of office mates that so many parents sell to (and buy from), work-at-home moms have fewer...
Packing Kids' Lunches
Sure moms put love into their kids' lunches, but what else does it take to make sure kids' lunch that mom packs don't come back returned to sender?
Do You Need After-School Care?
When back-to-school time rolls around so too does deciding whether you need after-school care. Here are 6 reason to enroll your children in after-school care.
Working Parents Should Make a Snow Day Child Care Plan
Though snow days are often the source of fond childhood memories for kids, for parents they are a lot of extra work. When school is cancelled, parents who work from home or in an office, must make quick, alternate child care plans.
Parents struggling to pack school lunches kids will eat find that when they...
Parents struggling to pack school lunches kids will eat find that when they have a say about what goes into school lunches, kids are more likely to eat them--rather than trading or, worse, throwing them away. And when kids can become proficient at packing their own lunch, this is one less job for mom and dad.
Tired of kids' school lunches coming home uneaten. Learn what not to pack for...
No parents wants to see their kids' school lunches come home uneaten, right? So, learn what NOT to pack for lunch and your kids will be happy.
Taming the Family Schedule
Learn how to keep your family's schedule from becoming unmanageable.
Attending Daytime School Events
All parents -- work-at-home or not -- are invited to daytime school events like field trips and class parties throughout the year, and deciding when to attend and when to decline can be tough.
Being a Class Parent at School
Do you have the time and energy to be a class parent (in the old days, called room mother) at your child’s school? Find out what it takes before you say yes.
What Does a Room Parent Do?
Find out what a class parent does befor you agree to be one . These days being a room parent means more than just class parties and field trips.
Choosing Activities for Your Kids Schedule
Figure out which activities are right for your kids and which really don't add to much value to kids' busy schedules.
How to Help Kids With Homework
How much homework help is appropriate for kids? And how much time should parents spend helping? See theses guidelines for when to help kids with homework.
School Fundraisers - Worst School Fundraisers
School fundraisers (and those for other kids' activities) can overwhelm parents. If your kids go to different schools or are in many activities, you may be hawking a variety of products and attending many events. | <urn:uuid:3044f9d7-ee2f-479e-8e0a-14ca9ff3d679> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://workathomemoms.about.com/od/School-Days-Tips-Tricks/School-Days-Tips-Tricks-And-Strategies.htm | 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 | 0.958958 | 739 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Return to Transcripts main page
ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT
Interview with Former President Bill Clinton; Rwanda's Growing Economy
Aired July 19, 2012 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ERIN BURNETT, HOST: OUTFRONT next I'm live in Rwanda with an exclusive conversation with former President Bill Clinton. We talk Mitt, Barack, Chelsea, Hillary, al Qaeda's newest threat and the president's passion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My belief is that you got to prove this stuff is good economics. You got to change the economic model so -- and you got to keep score.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Plus baby gorillas facing extinction and an Olympic hero whose six brothers were slaughtered in the Rwandan genocide. President Bill Clinton OUTFRONT, let's go.
Good evening, everyone. I'm Erin Burnett live tonight from Kigali, Rwanda where I spent the day with former President Bill Clinton. We talked about a lot of things. He spent some time visiting some projects with the Clinton Global Initiative, some farms and some factories where he had spent a lot of time over the past few years, spending time with the likes, in fact, of NASCAR famous driver Jeff Gordon. Also I saw the president at a soy factory that he's building in the countryside near Kigali. He arrived with his daughter Chelsea. He was himself, not just politely, listening to farmers, but shaking everybody's hand and taking pictures with everybody who asked. And he asked a lot of questions himself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
B. CLINTON: Whenever I hear somebody say oh, these small farmers, they're just inherently inefficient, they can't generate income, I just decided to see if that was not necessarily true. And so we get them cheaper and better seed and fertilizer, get their crops to market so they don't lose half their income taking it to market.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: The president told me that he blew it here. Nearly one million people died in a horrific genocide in just three months while Bill Clinton was president of the United States. The blame still haunts him and so he comes back again and again and again. Tonight, you're going to hear him talk about Mitt Romney, Barack Obama and the women in his life. But we begin with the threat of al Qaeda right now and the reason that the president loves Africa so much.
B. CLINTON: First of all, I like it here. And I think it's important that the rest of the world know, especially America that it's a continent, not a country. And that with all the troubles in various African countries, six of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world in the last decade were here. The Africa Growth and Opportunity Act which I believe is about to be extended by Congress, which we adopted created 300,000 jobs here.
BURNETT: I think a lot of people you know they still have this image of Africa -- horrible images of a child with a distended belly or a child with -- children with flies in their eyes. You know the horrible pictures that people are still used to seeing. The last thing that Americans expect to hear is that Africa is sort of the farm fertility capital of the planet --
BURNETT: -- which it's become, right --
B. CLINTON: Yes and if you look at -- if you look at Rwanda, first time I came here, four years after the genocide, the per capita income was less than a dollar a day. Today, it's five times what it was. In 12 years they increased their income five fold. They've averaged eight percent growth. And they have good roads. They have good farms.
BURNETT: President Kagame has created a lot of growth. The statistics that you've talked about, he wins though with 95 percent of the vote, supposedly this will be his last term. Do you think that this country will be weaker without a leader like he is, even if he is more authoritarian leader?
B. CLINTON: Depends on who succeeds him and it depends on whether they forgot what brought them this far. You know there are countries with incomes 10, 20 times Rwanda's, where the streets aren't as clean and --
BURNETT: Yes, the streets are incredibly clean here.
B. CLINTON: Roads aren't as good and where they're just so focused on future, so focused on developing the skills and abilities of both women and men. This is the first country in the world to have the majority of its parliament female. When I came here, first on my -- doing my AIDS work in 2002, already half the governors in Rwanda were women. And they had villages where they'd give you land if you agreed to live next door to someone of the other ethnic group. I saw two women holding hands. One of them had lost her husband and a brother. The other one had a husband in prison awaiting war crimes indictment, which means he was a major orderer of killing in the genocide, and they were holding hands, they were neighbors.
BURNETT: You've obviously referred to what happened here while you were president when nearly a million people were slaughtered in that few months time period as a personal failure of yours. Do you think with all the contributions that you've made things like this plant that you have on some level sort of cleansed yourself --
B. CLINTON: I don't know, but I remember the first time I came here and we and -- to start the AIDS project, a reporter was riding in a cab in Kigali and he asked this cab driver if he didn't resent my being here because the U.S. didn't come into the area until after the killing had been stopped to take care of the refugees and he said no, I don't. Because he didn't make us kill each other, it's that whole thing that Kagame said, take responsibility.
And he said he's the only one whoever said he was sorry. Nobody else has apologized to us. At the time, we were worried about getting into Bosnia. We had the reaction from Blackhawk down in Somalia. And it was over in 90 days. We just blew it. And I think had we sent 10,000 troops here and gotten a few more people to come, we might have been able to save a third of the people who died. You can see what a rural country it is.
B. CLINTON: And most of the people who died were killed with machetes, so I don't think we could have ended the violence. But I think we could have cut it down and I regret it. And all I can do is try to help them come back. But it's very interesting. The Rwandans aren't interested one way or the other about whether I'm atoning. They just want to know where we're going tomorrow, what are we going to do now.
B. CLINTON: And they have this future focus that we need in America. And we need everywhere. I mean, they have young girls -- their vaccination rate against cervical cancer, against the HPV virus, is 93 percent.
BURNETT: (INAUDIBLE) it's not that high in the United States.
B. CLINTON: It's 26 percent.
B. CLINTON: I mean, they just get the show on the road. That's what they're interested in and it's quite stunning.
BURNETT: You talk about the tough decision you regret on intervention and you know you look around Africa right now. You see what's happening up in Mali. Al Qaeda is rising in part because of the instability in Libya and U.S. involvement in Libya that allowed some of the weapons to come over the border and some people are saying it could be the next Afghanistan.
B. CLINTON: Could be. I hope not.
(CROSSTALK) B. CLINTON: I mean, you know, Mali has quite a hold on the imagination of people who understand Africa. And when I saw that destruction, religious political violence in Timbuktu, it was very sad to me. But there are always unintended consequences to events that upset the established order. And what happened in Libya I think will probably work out to be positive for the Libyans. And eventually in all probability, Mali is not a big enough base for permanent destruction. But a lot of people could get hurt in the meanwhile. And we just have to try to help the Africans to resolve this as quickly as possible.
BURNETT: I mean there's been reports of Afghan fighters, Pakistani camps and obviously it's very difficult to tell exactly what's happening in Mali, but you know some have said you know it could become (INAUDIBLE) or could be something that threatens the U.S. --
B. CLINTON: You have this whole group of people now associated roughly with al Qaeda who have never made a living any other way. So they -- they're basically itinerant fighters and they go where they can make a living and fight and pretend it's some sort of religious struggle, which it isn't. And so I think you know it's the level of instability. We have to be prepared for it. But it's almost like herding cats, you know, because it's such a decentralized operation.
BURNETT: A sales tip for Barack Obama from President Bill Clinton that coming up next. Plus, these baby gorillas. They love having fun. They're insanely amazing to watch. But their lives are in danger tonight. That's OUTFRONT.
BURNETT: Our second story OUTFRONT, I asked former President Bill Clinton about the election and yes, we talked a whole lot about Mitt Romney. That's coming up, but he got a little bit, well, you'll listen, it sounds a little bit like he's on the campaign trail himself here.
B. CLINTON: I think there's an enormous case for President Obama. I mean for example, this economic crisis which he inherited didn't bottom out until the middle of 2009. Then they passed the bills and they didn't take full effect until 2010. In 2010, '11 through the first six months of 2012, 30 months, we had 4.5 million jobs that averages about 150,000 a month.
Is that enough for a full recovery? No, but Governor Romney recommends that we go back to the Bush economic policies, more tax cuts for upper income people and less regulation, which is what got us in trouble in the first place. Now, in the seven years and eight months before the financial crash, under the previous administration, we had 2.6 million private sector jobs. So Obama's last 2.5 years have produced 40 percent more jobs than the seven years and eight months of the previous administration before the meltdown.
BURNETT: It's interesting though when you talk about it like this. And you give that example of how many jobs President Obama's created compared to President Bush. He doesn't talk about it like that. It's not nearly that clear. A lot of what he talks about is more about fairness and it has created the perception among some voters and independent voters that there's a class warfare sort of agenda. What could he do to shift it so that that's not what people hear coming out of his mouth?
B. CLINTON: Well first of all, I don't think -- when he talks about fairness, he means that there -- if we have prosperity it ought to be broadly shared. That is -- but he hasn't done anything to hurt upper income people. So I don't buy the class warfare thing. Of course --
BURNETT: So you're saying it's rhetoric?
BURNETT: It's rhetoric, not reality --
B. CLINTON: (INAUDIBLE) it's more perception than reality. Warren Buffett once said we had a class warfare and my class won. Americans don't resent success. We're a society about aspiration and reward for work. We don't care how many millionaires and billionaires there are. As long as the middle class person can support his or her family and believe that they'll be rewarded for work and as long as poor people who work have a chance to become middle class people.
BURNETT: Michael Waldman was a speechwriter for the former president, joins me tonight, along with John Avlon from "The Daily Beast" and Reihan Salam, columnist for "The Daily", great to have all of you as always. John Avlon, why is it that we haven't heard the current president of the United States come out with such clarity and precision in laying out the difference between himself and his competitor?
JOHN AVLON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well look, I think in many respects, Bill Clinton is the great communicator especially on the Democratic side of the aisle. He's got this ability to make an economic argument that really resonates with Main Street middle class voters. And that's something that President Obama has struggled with, really distilling economic ideas in a way that resonates beyond the Democratic base to the key constituencies, middle class voters and swing voters, and that's what Bill Clinton is the master of. Even off the cuff he can do it better than most folks scripted.
BURNETT: I mean it was really amazing and Michael Waldman, then when he went on to say, look, what I want is more prosperity, distributed more fairly, so we hear that from President Barack Obama a lot. But then President Bill Clinton says but Americans like millionaires and they like billionaires and they don't have any problem with them. They just want to be able to become them. How come we don't hear that sort of rhetoric from Barack Obama?
MICHAEL WALDMAN, FORMER SPEECHWRITER DIRECTOR FOR BILL CLINTON: Well, this is geographic proof that it's not because he has speechwriters. President Clinton is very distinct in being able to make arguments about policy in values terms. And when he talks about economics, yes, he uses the statistics and he uses the facts, but he roots it in a kind of a core sense of opportunity for all and responsibility from all, as he said when he ran for president. And President Obama has been brilliant as a communicator in many ways about larger American themes, about the country's history, about his own history, but has often fallen flat when he comes to these policy things. So, you know, we all can learn from Bill Clinton on that.
BURNETT: Reihan, I'm just curious, because it's interesting, you know we're going to hear Bill Clinton later on in the hour talk about Mitt Romney. And there's some really good in there and there's also some really bad for Mitt Romney. But what can -- how effective is Bill Clinton now, campaigning for President Barack Obama? He says he's in his camp, but then he says good things about Mitt Romney. How effective is he?
REIHAN SALAM, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well you know he's his own man and I think that that can be a liability for the president. But you know for example, I just want to reinforce you know Michael's point. He's his own man so you know he gave the story about how Obama created more jobs than Bush, but here's the thing. Obama was dealing with a much bigger jobs hole than Bush was, so when you look at, for example, Reagan and the Reagan recovery after that massive recession the job growth was much, much faster.
But the thing is that Bill Clinton is such an artful communicator that he's able to take an idea that's frankly pretty silly when you take it outside of that real context of how big was that initial jobs hole and make it sound very clever and sensible. And I think another thing we need to remember is that in 2008 when Barack Obama was running against Hillary Clinton, he was very pointed in saying that, hey, Ronald Reagan was a very consequential president, whereas Bill Clinton was more small bore. That was the clear implication he was trying to separate and distance himself from Clinton Democrats. And that's a wedge that I think Republicans are trying to use and they're not always successfully in using it. But it's certainly something they're trying to use and they should try to use because there's a difference between Obama Democrats and Clinton Democrats.
BURNETT: Right. No, there sure is and I think you keep hearing it in this rhetoric. A final question to you, Michael, one thing the president said today, I never heard him say before, was that he thought that with a mere 10,000 American troops he could have saved 300,000 lives in this country where literally people were massacred and hacked to death with machetes. It was a horrific genocide. How much does that haunt him? You know him personally.
WALDMAN: You know I think that he thinks about it a lot. I think it is one of the things he's written about, about his own presidency and certainly in his post-presidency. He's focused so much effort on places like Africa, on bringing them forward in terms of economic development. But I think it's also the case that if you look at the evolution and the maturation of his military and foreign policy in his second term, something like Kosovo, where the United States intervened to stop a genocide before it happened, to stop ethnic cleansing, was the kind of thing that he became quite skilled at and it's something that America -- that our country has had an important role to play in doing throughout the years.
BURNETT: All right. Well, thanks very much to Michael, John and Reihan, always appreciate your taking the time.
And the real hotel Rwanda was once a besieged safe haven for Rwandans who were fleeing the genocide in this country by machete. Plus, why Bill Clinton likes the Mormon Church.
BURNETT (voice-over): This is Rwanda's Genocide Memorial Center in Kigali and these are some of the mass graves for the million people who were slaughtered here in 1994. As of this June, there have been two million genocide cases tried in court with 37,000 convictions. We stayed last night at the hotel (INAUDIBLE) known to America as the real hotel Rwanda. In the movie depiction, the hotel manager, played by Don Cheadle, tried to save Tootsies who sought refuge from Hutu slaughter. They drank from this pool as things got desperate, a pool that's now serene and peaceful.
The hotel, which was looted, just finished a major renovation. And, frankly, the whole country feels clean and new. There are no plastic bags allowed. There's no trash in the villages and on the last Saturday of every month every citizen is required to clean up, a sort of national adopt a highway program. The country feels industrious --
(on camera): which brings me to tonight's number, 26 percent. That's how many businesses in Rwanda are run by women like Cecile who sells potatoes. Her hard work is one of the reasons why Rwanda is one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
(voice-over): Another reason is the regime of President Paul Kagame, but there have been costs to his leadership and he'll be my guest tomorrow on OUTFRONT.
BURNETT: Baby gorillas are a lot more human than you can even imagine but they are at risk tonight because of a war in the neighboring democratic Republic of the Congo. A special report and President Clinton on Mitt's taxes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
B. CLINTON: Whatever it is it couldn't be as bad as not doing it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Welcome back to the second half of OUTFRONT. I'm live tonight in Kigali, Rwanda where I spent the day with former President Bill Clinton. He has been in Africa over the past few days visiting some key projects with his Clinton Foundation and Clinton Global Initiative. He spent a lot of time today with farmers talking about some soybean projects. You can see behind me tonight the lights of Kigali. Rwanda is a relatively small country in Africa, about 12 million people live here. It does give you some perspective. Only 20 years ago nearly a million people were slaughtered in genocide in this country while President Clinton was president of the United States. You can see just the incredible impact that that had on this country.
But as you can see the lights behind, sort of African lights. You don't have lots of skyscrapers or anything like that here. It was incredibly clean. Noticeably so. Lots of times when you drive around Africa, you'll see a lot of blue bags or plastic on the side of the road. You don't see any of that here.
And, in fact, by national edict by the ruler of the country, Paul Kagame, on the fourth Saturday of every month, everybody has to go out and pick up trash and you could see people picking things up and sweeping. It was a pretty incredible thing -- obviously, a positive side of an administration that has deeply criticized for being undemocratic.
We're going to be talking to the president of Rwanda tomorrow night. But, tonight, let's have more of our interview with President Bill Clinton. We talked a lot about what's going on here in Rwanda, his project about al Qaeda and Mali.
And up ahead, you're going to hear him talk about the women in his life. His number one vice right now, interesting for me to hear, and also all about Mitt Romney and his taxes.
But, first, let's send it back to John Avlon to get some other headlines that we're watching tonight.
JOHN AVLON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Hey. Thanks, Erin.
Syrian rebel forces have taken some control of some Iraqi border closings. A senior Iraqi army official tells CNN Syrian rebels have control of Albo Kamal and Al-Waleed, the two main border posts, along with seven other smaller security points.
Iraqi security forces have increased their military presence due to the instability in Syria along the border. According to the local coordination committees in Syria, an opposition group, 217 people were killed in Syrian violence today.
And we're learning new details about Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer's pay. We're reviewed the regulatory filings.
Her salary? A million dollars this year. That amounts to $83,333.33 a month, with a potential $2 million a year in bonuses. She also gets $14 million to compensate her for what she gave up when she left Google, plus $12 million in stocks and options. And then there's a retention reward, $30 million in stocks and options that will vest over five years.
It gives her a total five year pay package of $71 million, and could potentially be worth more than $100 million if she hits performance goals and stock targets.
The search continues for two missing Iowa girls. Cousins Lyric Cook and Elizabeth Collins were last seen Friday. Their bikes found by a nearby lake.
An FBI spokesperson tells CNN a dive team with the agency is headed to Evansdale, Iowa, today to search the lake local authorities have been slowly draining. The team will be using a side scanning and 360 degrees sonar to inspect what's left of the water.
The Bulgarian bus bombing that killed five Israeli tourists was likely carried out by a suicide attacker according to Bulgaria's interior minister. The minister also said the suspect had a fake Michigan's drive driver's license.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile blamed the attack on Iran and Hezbollah. Iran denies the allegations.
Bulgarian authorities believe the suspect carried the bomb in a backpack and he might have placed it in a luggage compartment beneath the carriage of the bus.
It's been 350 days since the U.S. lost its top credit rating. What are we doing to get I back? Jobless claims by 34,000 last week to 386,000. Economists tell us they expect these numbers to be volatile over the next few weeks.
Now, let's send it back to Erin with more of her exclusive interview with former President Bill Clinton.
BURNETT: All right. Well, of course, as John knows and you all know, there are many Democrats and Republicans who say Mitt Romney release your taxes. Well, here's what President Clinton had to say about the whole fiasco.
BURNETT: Why do you think Mitt Romney won't release his tax returns?
BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I have no idea. But whatever it is, it couldn't be as bad as not doing it. I mean, you know, in his first tax return, the one year he did release, all of his income was taxed at 15 percent capital gain. But he can honestly say he didn't draw a salary, he was running for president. BURNETT: Yes.
CLINTON: So, all of his income was investment income. That was the law. Whether people like it or not, it was the law. He fully complied with the law.
He also gave away 16 percent of his income. And presumably most of it to the Mormon Church. But it didn't hurt -- I mean, I think, you know, with everyone else being so much more forthcoming, it raises the question of whether he thinks it should be a different set of rules for him than everybody else and that's a problem for him.
But I don't know -- I don't know enough about it. He's obviously concluded that the damage he's taking from not doing it is greater than the damage he'd take it from doing it. And it's hard to imagine that that's true.
BURNETT: There's something that bad in there.
BURNETT: I mean, because giving money to the Mormon Church, I mean, it was about 51 percent. And then for the estimated numbers, 2011, about 80 percent for the Mormon Church. So, presumably, people already know that and are all right with that. I mean, if there was some sort of, I don't know, prestige issue, P.R. with Mormonism.
CLINTON: I think that's commendable. They do -- they do a lot of good work around the world. You know, Hawaii, for example, is the only state in America that has totally equal public school funding. But they only have about two-thirds to 70 percent of their kids in public schools. Because before Hawaii was a state, the Mormons and others, but primarily Mormons came there and set up these schools.
So, I remember when I was president, I helped secure the release of some Mormon missionaries who were in Peru and had been apprehended and imprisoned by a radical group (INAUDIBLE) before it was illuminated.
So I just can't figure out why he doesn't do it. I think it's a mistake. I think he ought to do it. He ought to release a decade's worth of tax returns.
BURNETT: Just deluge the press with all 50,000 pages or whatever it might be.
CLINTON: Yes, that's what I think.
BURNETT: Should anything be off the table when you run for president? I guess that's the question. He seems that's what is issue, that he said, well, this is -- I'm going to draw the privacy line here. I mean, do you think there's anything to that? Or in this day and age, everything, your personal life, your tax, whatever it might be, that you just have to accept that and put it in the public eye? CLINTON: Well, I do -- I think that the press now, much more than in the '80s and '90s, is somewhat more sensitive to the purely personal aspects of a person's life. But things that relate to your business activities or your public activities, in Governor Romney's case, his governorship of Massachusetts, the Olympics and Bain Capital and the taxes that are heavily related to all that, I don't think you could say you think they should be off the table. If the law doesn't require you to disclose something, you can gut it out.
I mean, he's defended the work that he's done it he' done. He's talked a lot about his pride in the Olympics. He's had to explain why he's now against the law that he signed, as the solution for the country.
It's hard to -- again, may change a little bit from election to election. When it's things that are right at the core of what your public philosophy is, think that's always going to be relevant.
BURNETT: When you look at him running, I mean, I know you talked about him being qualified. And certainly he is when you look at his background. Obviously, you're not going to vote for him obviously, right?
CLINTON: No, I'm not going to vote for him.
BURNETT: OK, just making sure. I mean --
CLINTON: I think --
BURNETT: Some people had indicated he might think that way at certain moments so it was important to ask.
OUTFRONT next, the woman who was with Bill Clinton today, and she asked just as many questions as he did.
Plus, teenage silverback gorillas. They're playful. Hey, they're teenagers. But they are on the verge of extinction and now they are fighting an even bigger battle. They're in the middle of a civil war.
BURNETT: Just a few hours away from where I'm standing tonight in Rwanda, on the border, there is a fierce battle going on tonight -- a battle for the future of gorillas.
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Getting a very special greeting from 5-year-old (INAUDIBLE). Her cousin wants to be part of the action. The orphaned gorillas escort us into their sanctuary, with the chief warden Emmanuel de Merode and the rangers have raised them by hand. EMMANUEL DE MERODE, CHIEF WARDEN, VIRUNGA NATIONAL PARK: They had a very difficult start to life. They were recovered from poachers. From the bodies their mothers after their families had been attacked.
MCKENZIE: Illegal loggers brutally killed (INAUDIBLE) families. They were found when they were just 2 months old.
The poachers snare severed (INAUDIBLE) right hand. And a ranger rescued (INAUDIBLE) from traffickers.
De Merode says they need constant care to make it.
DE MERODE: Well, it is pretty miraculous. Baby gorillas at that age very rarely survive.
MCKENZIE: There are fewer than 800 gorillas left in the wild. Many killed by poachers or victims of Congo's vicious war.
DE MERODE: There are a number of main threats. Obviously, now we're very worried about the state of war that we're living through. The gorillas could end up in the crossfire. It's happened before. It could happen again.
MCKENZIE: Eastern Congo is trapped in almost perpetual conflict. Now, the orphanage and park headquarters are surrounded by a rebel group, cutting the park in two.
(on camera): So, we're getting in this plane because we're heading from one part of the park to another section. And you can't drive through right now because there's a build-up of tension and there's a front line between the rebel group and the Congolese armed forces.
(voice-over): In this chaotic country, rangers are often the only ones enforcing the law. More than 100 have been killed in the line of duty in the last two decades.
DE MERODE: It's absolutely exceptional if we lose this park and we've lost something that can never be recovered, and so that does require a huge commitment and a huge sacrifice to protect it.
MCKENZIE: But De Merode the rangers say the gorillas are worth fighting for.
DE MERODE: They're absolutely wonderful animals. I mean, they have all the qualities of us as humans. But very few of the -- very few of our failings.
BURNETT: Our David McKenzie went cross the border to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to file that report on these endangered species. And, David, thanks for taking the time to be with us. It really looks like those rangers are willing to put their own lives on the line for those gorillas. MCKENZIE: They're almost like a band of brothers, Erin. There's some 250 of them scattered across a huge area of this park which is really just split in two between the government forces and rebels. In fact, the park headquarters is right in the rebel stronghold. So they have to negotiate access outside to protect these animals.
BURNETT: David, when you look at 2 million people have been displaced because of the ongoing and horrific fighting along the border between Rwanda and the DRC, are people paying enough attention to the gorillas? I know it's an awkward question because people's lives are at stake too.
MCKENZIE: I think the two things can be put in one basket as it were. De Merode, the chief warden, has been working for some 20 years protecting these gorillas. He says if you protect the gorillas, you protect the people. There's many people living on the outskirts of the park. And the rangers are helping those people to secure their livelihood.
BURNETT: And, David, what was it like -- some of those pictures, it's unbelievable. It's like you're watching children. Certainly they seem to have some sort of soul. What was it like spending time with them?
MCKENZIE: It's a great way to put it. They definitely have some kind of soul. In fact, they have a very deep soul.
Our cameraman was spending time with one of the older ones at the end. He said, look how deep its eyes are. How the connection is so real. Mountain gorillas share more than 98 pr percent of our DNA.
And going into that enclosure, the orphans coming up to us and clamoring all over us. It was really a unique experience. These gorillas are just really special. I think you should take an extra day in Rwanda and go see them in the west of the country.
BURNETT: I would love to do that and I can't wait to see them. Thanks so much to David McKenzie.
Our fifth story OUTFRONT: Bill Clinton talks about his vices. Yes, he still has some. His next act, his wife and his daughter, Chelsea, who was actually with him today.
BURNETT: Everyone else asks you about your health and your regiment. I know it's rather draconian.
CLINTON: Not to bad.
BURNETT: I mean, no Big Macs.
CLINTON: No Big Macs.
BURNETT: I'd say it's a good thing.
But so what are the vices that you have left? I mean, you're a guy, let's be honest, people loved you because of your vices. Do you fear your vices? But then you love you because of your vices.
CLINTON: Well, once in a while, I break my diet and eat French fries. That's about it.
BURNETT: French fries?
CLINTON: I'm trying to live to be a grandfather. That's my goal. And I've already lived longer than all the men in my family on both sides, until you get to my maternal great grandfather. He lived to be 76. He never got out of overalls. He lived in an old wooden house up -- he basically built up off the ground with a storm cellar that was a hole in the ground to guard against the tornadoes.
So I just decided that I would be healthier doing this.
BURNETT: You allowed to have a glass of wine?
CLINTON: Yes, I do. That's -- once in a while, I have a glass of wine, but only one, especially on these trips where I'll keel over just to fall asleep.
BURNETT: You know, it's funny, you talk about your age. My dad's 12 years older than you. And -- well, you know how it is when you get older. Mother's not doing as well but my father, he is going strong. And so you could have so much longer.
CLINTON: I hope I do.
BURNETT: You've already had this entire life after being a president. You're doing all these things.
Is there -- you know, you look at President Taft, right? Then he became a Supreme Court justice. Or is there a whole another stage to your life or your ambition that you think sometimes, oh, maybe I'll do this?
CLINTON: Maybe, but I like what I'm doing now. Because I can drill down in a way I couldn't when I was president. You know, by figuring out, you got all these small farmers all over the world. And right now they're not producing enough food or enough income to take them or us where we want to go. So I decided I'd come to Africa and figure out whether we can raise farm income enough or farm production enough to prove they can make it.
BURNETT: After talking with the former president about what's next for him, I also asked him about the two women in his life.
BURNETT: You're here with Chelsea. I don't know she's going to be here. It's so nice when you get out of the car together. Obviously, she was asking for questions than you were asking.
CLINTON: Yes, she loves this stuff. She's on -- Chelsea's on my board. She's on the foundation board, on the CGI board for the global initiative, and on my health care board. She teaches in public health at Columbia.
CLINTON: So, she's interested in all this stuff.
BURNETT: So, it's like amazing father/daughter time? A lot of people look at this and they're jealous. Not everybody gets to travel the world with your daughter when she's --
CLINTON: I can't tell you how much fun it is. She knows a lot more about some of this stuff than I do. So I'm always learning from her. I'm getting back the investment in her education. She's just filling my brain with things.
BURNETT: And one final question, your wife is -- well, she's gone all the time, you're gone all the time. Soon she's going to be home a lot. You're both going to be home a lot. That's a big transition in any marriage. But let me ask you this question.
CLINTON: Yes, she'll be bored -- she'll be bored with me.
BURNETT: You have a big vacation or surprise planned for her when she's done this fall?
CLINTON: Well, actually, I haven't made it a surprise. We do get -- we're taking two weeks in August and our family's going out to Long Island and we're going to bring our relatives in, our friends, and just vege out.
When she gets out, I want her to go climb Mount Kilimanjaro with me. I'm working on that.
BURNETT: And, John, you know, John Avlon's with me. John, he had a whole list of places. I actually -- it sort of made laugh because I'm thinking to myself, OK, you want to take Hillary Clinton here, here and here and she probably just wants to sit on a beach after traveling to 100 countries over the past few years.
But of all the things we talked about tonight, I really wanted to get you to weigh in on what he said about Mitt Romney and his taxes, that he thinks he should release a dozen years.
AVLON: Yes, you know --
BURNETT: What do you think?
AVLON: Well, first of all, it's the way he talks about Mitt Romney and his taxes, right? When Bill Clinton talks about policy, he always roots it in values. He does it in a very commonsense, almost offhand way, saying, you know, I can't imagine whatever's in there could be worse than the heat he's taking for not releasing it. Then saying, it's almost like he thinks there should be one rule for himself and one rule for everyone else.
Those are value statements, and that release resonates. It's not intellectual. It's not, you know, analytical. It's just about fairness without using the word "fairness."
And all throughout this interview, you see the touches he has. The interview's been fascinating to watch, Erin -- to see just the intellectual curiosity of a former president, his knowledge about agriculture and Africa, sincere humanitarian streak. And the way when he does talk about domestic politics, he's always careful to make a rationale point but not take it too far to polarize.
You know, going out of his way to make the point about the great work of the Mormon Church in Hawaii. Those gestures really make it easy to take a partisan point when he kind of slips it in there.
BURNETT: Yes, I thought that was a very interesting point. He did go out of his way to give several examples as we were talking about how he liked the Mormon Church.
Last but not least, interesting, what he said, so different than Barack Obama. And I mentioned this before but I wanted to bring it up to you again. That he says Americans don't resent millionaires and billionaires. They just want to be able to become them.
Why is it Barack Obama doesn't feel comfortable speaking in those direct terms?
AVLON: You know, it's funny because Barack Obama does say occasionally, he says, look, I went to a country where everyone can do well. But when Bill Clinton articulates the same point, he does it in this sort of folksy way that is able to make a point. And, look, we celebrate the most successful among us. And he makes a point for President Obama, the point that President Obama is making is we want to make sure it's broad. We want to make sure the focus is mobility and opportunity.
And it goes back to that initial sort of compact he made when he ran for president in 1992, about an opportunity and responsibility society, about both sides. That has a way of really resonating. So, it's not about fairness. It's about responsibility and opportunity. And that goes down particularly well I think.
BURNETT: Certainly does. Especially with that 40 percent of the electorate who are independents that John talks so much about. Thanks to John Avlon.
And next, a boy whose six brothers were slaughtered in the Rwandan genocide. Eighteen years later, that boy is going for gold at the London Olympics. His story is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BURNETT: Today, we heard a lot about Rwanda's Olympic dreams. There are four Rwandans who are going to be competing for Olympic medals in London, which is pretty exciting for this country of 12 million.
And let's show you a picture of one of them. His name is Adrien Niyonshuti. And what I'm told it means is, his last name means "my friend." He's 25 years old.
And he's competing in cross country mountain biking. Now, stereotypically you might say, oh, Rwandan, well, they're going to be great runners. Sure, there are great runners here.
But we went to Adrien's home village and saw bike taxis. This was pretty cool. My take about this is if you can do a bike taxi and get through the hills which are everywhere in this country and the potholes which frankly are deep enough to eat a car on some of these roads and you do that on a bike, you should be Olympic bound.
I mean, these guys were amazing. They have a little pad on the back of the bike, you jump on.
Adrien's story though is very hard to hear and his family still lives in this house. We drove out to see the house. Many people should be alive in that house today who are not alive. Adrien was 7 years old during the Rwandan genocide and he remembers it. He had six brothers who were massacred. All 60 members of his extended family lost their lives.
And now Adrien's entire village is rooting for him. We were out sort of in the front of the village where the roads were all paved and asked people. Everybody knew him or knew of him. Izibyose Abdul Kareem, his big smile said it all.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IZIBYOSE ABDUL KAREEM (through translator): I am proud. When he wins, it makes me proud to be Rwandan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Now, Adrien only got his first bike when he was 16 so that was only nine years ago and he's going to the Olympics which is a pretty incredible statistic. We're rooting for him. I mean, who can't root for that incredible story? His victory will be even more incredible because he's a devout Muslim. It's Ramadan right now. And from what I understand, he is going to be observing it, which means fasting during the day, not even drinking water, which is incredible feat for someone competing in the Olympics.
You know, today, we went though to see something in Rwanda, to try to understand the horror of the genocide. We went to the Genocide Memorial Center here in Kigali. And in Adrien's home, you know, you see people walking down the dirt streets. The town was called Rambiana (ph) and you can't even imagine what it was like, people running with machetes and killing people. It is impossible to comprehend.
And at the Genocide Center in those mass graves we saw, there were 250,000 people who were buried right there. It really is something that was very difficult to -- it is impossible to understand but truly touching to have been there.
Tomorrow, we're going to bring you an interview with Rwanda's president, the man who got Rwanda back on top. He has been credited with the great economic success here. He has been also, though, been criticized for something we saw evidence of. His picture up, sort of like a Middle Eastern leader, not a democratically elected one, would be in the front lobby of hotels.
He's going to be our guest tomorrow to talk about his rule of the country, where it's going, and, of course, the border -- the border wars so many are talking about with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Our next stop in Africa is a place where al Qaeda is rising, a place that's being called one of the worst human rights crises in 50 years. We're also going to be heading to Mali.
We'll see you shortly. Have a great night.
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Hacker Dojo is an open-to-the-public warehouse in Mountain View, Calif. where any computer-savvy individual or startup can come and use the space on a daily basis. Pinterest used the Dojo as its primary workspace in 2009 and also hired its first two engineers out of the Dojo’s membership. Recently, the city of Mountain View has mandated strict and costly upgrade requirements to the space, putting the Dojo in danger of being shut down (members are already prohibited from entering two of its three buildings).
GamesBeat sat down with Katy Levinson, director of development, to discuss the Dojo’s current woes, what they’re doing about it, and why this place is worth saving. It’s a lengthy interview with tons of interesting insight so let’s just get straight to it!
GamesBeat: Let’s start from the beginning. What is Hacker Dojo, and how did it come about?
Katy Levinson: If you imagine 300 hackers sharing a warehouse for communal use, you would probably think it was a Neal Stephenson novel. But this is how we are. We’re a community of more than 330 members, more than 550 alumni, and over 12,000 engaged guests. We operate a warehouse space of 8,000 square feet in Mountain View for communal usage. The three primary uses are…. Startups use us as coworking space. Events use us as a venue. And the community uses us kind of in the same way that you would gather around the quad in your college and chuck a frisbee around: a lot of light intramural activities, like a juggling club, or on Saturday morning there’s 20 or 30 people who meet to do yoga. In a lot of ways it feels like a college for people who don’t happen to necessarily be between the ages of 18 and 22.
GamesBeat: What does it take to become a member?
Levinson: If you’re financially able, we ask that you contribute $100 a month. That money goes strictly to light, heat, and rent; it does not go anywhere else. We do have three paid employees, but I assure you, we’re paid shit, and we’re mostly paid out of corporate donations. People donate because they want us to be staffed and available. The three people who are not volunteers are…. We have an office manager who handles paying the bills, just keeping the doors open, and answering the phone. We have a guy whose job it is to make sure the city keeps us open. And then my job is to make sure we have enough money that the city doesn’t shut us down, so we’re both temporary, kind of…just [here] to deal with this emergency we’re having. So it’s $100 dollars a month if you’re financially able. If you’re not financially able, we have alternatives. We do reduced rates for hardship. Being in a startup does not count as a hardship. This would be, like, some unfortunate circumstance that you’ve fallen upon. We also do work trade for electricians and architects — people who have resources that the Dojo needs to operate.
GamesBeat: Like a barter system.
Levinson: Yeah. We have a lot of bugs in our open source Python, a Google app engine code that runs the whole Dojo. If you want to schedule an event, then you put it in the event app. You want to book a room for a certain purpose…. You can imagine that distributing keys to 330 members and making sure that when they quit, those keys are reclaimed…. We had to build an RFID system. That’s open-source, too. You can check out all of our code at github.com/hackerdojo: anything that has a schematic involved. The only thing with that is the mag lock. I built the schematic for that. Basically, we have a breadboard in a box with a relay and a couple of diodes that trigger the magnetic lock on the door. You can find documentation for how to make all these things — totally open-source, totally knock yourself dead.
GamesBeat: What’s the background of yourself and the other staffers?
Levinson: I am a roboticist. I’m an automation engineer, basically. I started at NASA when I was 20 as an intern, and I worked my way up. By the time I left, I was 22. I was running the software on a lunar rover team — a lunar prototype team called Project Constellation, a return to the moon. It got shut down. So I went to Google for two years, and I hated it.
Update: Katy has clarified her previous statement in a comment on this article: “At NASA I worked on a team called LMR which was part of Project Constellation. I was in no way the head of software for the whole of Project Constellation.”
GamesBeat: What was wrong with Google? Why’d you hate it?
Levinson: It’s more important to remember why you do things as a culture than what you do. The “what” will change as the company scales because some things aren’t practical at scale. You need to change the “what” to be consistent with the “why”: why you do things. I felt like the focus was too much on the “what” and not the “why.” Also, my boss was a dick. I think that’s one of the things we really focus on here. We’ve had to change a lot as we scaled up. We started as a community of 60 people, and we’re 330 now. We had to look very often at…. It used to be that you didn’t get a key until you came in and somebody vouched for you. We said, “That doesn’t scale.” The “why” is to make us feel like a community. The “what” is making sure you come in and know someone.
So we got rid of the “what.” In order to promote the “why,” we started having a member dinner every month. The Dojo serves dinner. Sometimes we cook; sometimes we get it catered. Everybody comes and we sit down and have a big meal together as a family. That’s a much better implementation of the “why” at scale. I worked at a small VC-ish firm. It makes investments in companies and lends them engineers. So you get this much money and you can borrow Katy for three months to help you get your product off the ground. I wasn’t passionate about it. And then Hacker Dojo got really screwed over. I’m an engineer. I’m not marketing; I’m not sales. I’m not any of that, but…. A good engineer figures out the “how.” Whether it’s code or not code, you figure out how to make the system work. So now I do marketing, fundraising, and press. [Laughs]
I’m pretty much slated to do this until the Dojo gets out of the giant hole that we’re in. The Dojo plans to build long-term sponsorship programs. I really enjoy this, actually. I really enjoy the liberal intellectual property for my engineering side project. It’s something I’ve never enjoyed as a software engineer for any firm, ever. So I really enjoy this. It’s a neat experience.
GamesBeat: How long have you been here?
Levinson: Since January. The other two guys…. Brian is a director of engineering. That’s the guy who’s in charge of not spending money. So he’s also an engineer. And then Marie is kind of this strange jack-of-all-trades who came to us while she was finishing her undergrad. I’m not sure what in. But she’s done everything. She’s done a ton of events planning. She worked as a caterer for a while. She’s just an eclectic soul.
GamesBeat: Can you talk about the trouble? Like, how Hacker Dojo kind of got into a hole and what you guys are doing about it now?
Levinson: Basically, what happened was that when the Hacker Dojo moved in…. That was in August of 2009. We wanted to hold classes, and we wanted to hold a lot of them for free to the public. That’s been a very core part of us. But unfortunately, if you want to have strangers together in a building for learning or whatever else, you need to get a building that’s zoned for assembly usage. And that’s basically a school or a church. You look on Craigslist, and you can’t find any of those to rent. So we moved into a light industrial warehouse. Our use of that warehouse is…. I’m not a lawyer. I’m not in a position to say if it is or it isn’t light industrial. But there’s no assembly involved.
We’d been talking with the city, and they wanted us to make a couple of upgrades just because we were moving it more toward offices than light industrial. But when they realized the scope of the classes and conferences we were holding…. We’ve held BayThreat twice. We’ve held Random Hacks of Kindness twice. We’ve held FreeBSD National. We’ve held DC650. We hold some pretty big events. We’ve held job fairs with more than 300 people here. We operate at scale, and that really freaked the city out. In the beginning, they were going to have us pull new water mains — the whole area of town. They wanted us to commission a traffic study, a parking study, and a noise study. There was a lot of distress. Brian’s been working with them for the last nine months now to scale that down. But what they did do is they capped all our events at 49 attendees, which is really hard.
We really want…. By the way, BayThreat needs a new venue. We love them. They’re great guys, they run great events, and they need a new venue. Wonderful event. They clean up after themselves. We have three employees, but if you think three employees can manage 330 people, I’d like to meet those three people. This is a community-run thing. When a conference comes in, we tell them to go to Costco and buy toilet paper to replace all the toilet paper they’re going to use up. If you look in the kitchen, there are lots of corporate cafeterias that donate every day. After they’ve served the food to their employees, they box up the rest of it and ship it over here. So you’ll see lunch showing up around two here…
GamesBeat: What are are some of the companies?
Levinson: IMVU has been a big buddy to us on that. They’ve been good guys. Pretty much the only time we have a person hired is when they have to interface with the outside world. That’s because the outside world expects a single point of contact that they can call at any hour and demand…. They don’t want to write to a mailing list that will have a debate. They want to build a rapport with someone. They get angry, you know, when they’re always talking to somebody different. Even if all those people are saying the same thing, they find it alienating and bizarre.
You’ll notice: All three of us, our positions are to interface with the public. Internally, we’re kind of a big happy thing that I didn’t really think would work out in reality. I think the fundamental difference between the Dojo government and another government…. Because they say communism doesn’t work. Yes, it doesn’t. But I think the fundamental thing that makes the Dojo work even though we’re always one happy hippie whatever, is that every day, every person has to feel like they get more out of it than they put in. If we fail to maintain that threshold, they’ll leave. And they have the option to leave. I think that keeps us very honest as a community: making sure that we treat everyone well and that we provide value to everyone.
GamesBeat: Speaking of that, I was looking on Yelp, and I noticed there’s a lot of good reviews. And then there’s a few people who felt alienated. One in particular was just saying some basic sentiments, like, “The group…the community is not really friendly to newcomers,” and also there were some notes of concern about security. Because you’ve got hackers all in the same place, and everyone’s using the same Internet and stuff like that…
Levinson: The alienation from the community…. The very glib answer to that is some people confuse someone not liking their idea with not liking them. And not everyone can get their way. We’re not going to make everyone happy all the time. I don’t know quite how to answer this and give the unhappy minority their fair whatever. I’ve been really impressed with the low number of fights we’ve had on the mailing list. I think most things are resolved amicably or at least civilly. I don’t think we had…. The only real major thing we ever had was actually when I was still a member. I was a newcomer, and someone said they wanted to hold a women-only event to discuss sexual harassment. I said that was sexist because it’s excluding people based on their sex. Thus, sexism. That was a significant debate that went on.
But we do work really hard to make more things available to newcomers. It’s a little intimidating to come into this whole very organic system. A system like this has very much evolved, and evolution is very conscious of its history. Even our bodies have bits in them that…we don’t know why they’re there anymore. They only made sense for our ancestors. An evolved community like this — and by evolved, I mean we all sat down, we didn’t know what we were doing, and we saw what worked and what didn’t — it has these vestigial things. We work really hard to routinely evaluate everything and eliminate vestigial things, and we’re also working really hard to have our community…. The “why” of introducing new people to the community: we’re working to scale that and make it welcoming to newcomers. That’s part of what member dinners are about. We hold new member orientation. We try to hold it every other week on Friday.
In the last two years, I’ve had less than 10 Fridays off, and I think that’s being liberal — including Christmas and stuff like that. Other than that, I am here; we’re having a beer. Brian, one of the other guys, and I work every Friday night, welcoming everybody. We all sit around and have beers. So it’s not the worst job on the planet: greeting people and having beers. You do have to make a very conscious effort to be accessible. I think the other thing is that once people get used to the idea…. If you want to change something, then get on the mailing list associated with that and say it. Once they get used to that, it’s a very accessible community. But training people into that behavior and training them to check their Dojo email address, login, and all of that momentum…that’s something we struggle with and will continue to struggle with.
GamesBeat: What about the security concerns?
Levinson: That’s really exciting. I feel good about it. I think that’s the best statement I can make. I feel good about it. I do online shopping in the evenings after work. If I have to order something, I feel comfortable ordering from Amazon or wherever else. We did have a brief incident when the Firesheep tool was released. There’s an issue where 13-year-old jackwads will think they’re “l33t” hackers and then go try to hassle other hackers. You know what I mean? The solution to that was to just put on a default. Like, skript kiddies can’t even compile their own Firesheep.
Firesheep was meant as a kind of artistic, tongue-in-cheek thing, which just took all the data that was being sent over HTTP, as opposed to HTTPS, and dumped it out: Amazon passwords, Twitter passwords, Facebook passwords, and all that. The default compilation of Firesheep couldn’t handle encrypted Wi-Fi. So we just put in an SSID and password. The password is “hackerdojo;” everybody knows it. But even something as simple as that keeps the skript kiddies out because the tools are made for unsecured Wi-Fi. As far as more sophisticated folks, there’s a lot of monitoring — not what you’re going to and what you’re doing, but like…. Are computers in the Hacker Dojo talking to other computers in Hacker Dojo for long periods of time, or a lot of them? Is that weird? Stuff like that will show you bad things.
We’ve had adventures with physical security. We get crazies. We attract crazies. There are always people who want to take more than they give, whether coming in to wreck the place, stealing, or anything else. We have had one theft incident, where we nabbed him. We used all the systems that run the Dojo to catch him and put him in jail. He plead guilty to seven counts of burglary or something, and that was the end of that. The doors lock at 10 p.m; that helps a lot. We’ve had three or four crazy homeless people come in and try to set up shop. We throw them out. We have a rule that says you can’t sleep at the Dojo or in the parking lot more than two nights in a row or use it as a residence.
GamesBeat: Were any of those people any good with a computer? (Laughs)
Levinson: We actually do have a strong nomadic community in here. A nomad is someone who’s homeless by choice. A homeless person is someone who’s homeless because of challenges in interfacing with reality. We have trouble making rules that welcome nomads but isolate homeless people or people abusing the community. So there’s a nomadic community, and the Dojo community welcomes them in places that are not at Hacker Dojo. But we can’t really make nomad-only rules for Hacker Dojo and still keep it comfortable for everybody. We work with the nomad community on an individual basis. And there are a lot of resources for nomads, I would say. I think the communities are supportive of nomads, but we can’t do it in the physical Dojo or through the Dojo’s official anything.
GamesBeat: Back to the trouble that you guys are in. You stated during our tour that you were renting out two other buildings, but you can’t use them?
Levinson: More than half of our space we’re not allowed in right now. We’re not allowed to use it for Dojo purposes.
GamesBeat: How does that work?
Levinson: The city of Mountain View shows up and says that this is a zoning violation for you to go in these buildings. We use them for storage right now. But it’s really sad. Almost half of our square footage is shut down. We got that space because we were bursting at the seams, and our growth has remained strong, but we’re crowded. This is a need. We have the money to operate more space, and we have the staff, the infrastructure, and the community that wants to be in more space. The city just won’t let us in. They’re pretty much holding that as the carrot to us getting upgraded. And then if we don’t upgrade by the end of this calendar year, the stick will be to shut the whole thing down.
GamesBeat: What are the exact upgrades that they’re looking for?
Levinson: [Heavy sigh] They want $100,000 dollars, approximately, in Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades. They want fire sprinklers. They already were like, “You’re installing a fire alert system, or you’ll be shut down in February.” We did that. We raised the $25,000 dollars to keep the doors open in February and install the fire notification system, fire sprinkler system, and ADA bathrooms. And there are some things that we really wanted to do that we just can’t do anymore until we raise a lot more money. For example, we wanted to have a kitchen that was not going to be used to serve food to the public, but one that members could use so we could hold cooking classes and stuff. We thought that would be really cool. But we can’t legally do that because it’s not a kitchen in a residential home; therefore it is not a residential kitchen, and therefore it is a commercial kitchen, and therefore we have to hold it to the standards of a restaurant. That’s sad.
We really wanted to have a communal kitchen — even just so members could make a meal in the evening. We have a member who just lives off of cheese quesadillas that he heats in the microwave because he’s always here. We’d love to have a stove for him. We wanted to have a big machine shop. We wanted to have a lot of things. But right now, the focus is to be allowed to exist and to be allowed in all the buildings we pay rent on. The good news is the Dojo is profitable, and so if we can just…. I wanted to buy a building. That’s what I really wanted to do. I wanted to buy a building and start a campus — a real campus. But if we can just live through this, the Dojo makes enough money that, over time, we’ll still make all of those dreams come true. We just have to get through this one big lump in the road when the city demanded more money in upgrades to be done in six months than our entire annual income for last year. They asked for a lot of money.
GamesBeat: And so you’ve launched a Kickstarter?
Levinson: We have. We’ve also been doing some corporate sponsorships. We have Andreessen Horowitz, AT&T, Palantir, Microsoft, Google, Guidewire, GoDaddy, SmugMug, and Safari Books. They’ve been our sponsors. We also did events. We ran a mile in our underwear…. That was a sight. A surprising number of girls. It’s a male-heavy industry that most of our things are in, but we actually have…. I believe we have a percentage of women as members that’s three times the national average graduating in computer science, which floors me. Our t-shirt sales are an even higher percentage for women. That totally blew me away. I don’t know why there are so many girls here, despite the statistics about women in engineering. But yeah, we ran a mile in our underwear.
[We've launched] a charity auction where we’re auctioning everything from consulting to speaking gigs to borrowing a programmer for so many hours, who’ll fix your whatever. We hope it’ll be popular, like Y Combinator’s on Hacker News or something. People’s significant others are offering to cook a meal or volunteer to help you move by driving around their pickup truck. It’s been really amazing how much the community…. There’s $130,000 in there, and then we’ve done almost $15,000 on the Kickstarter. That’s just from expended community love. We’ve been touched. Times like these, you find out how many friends you have, and that’s a really wonderful experience. We’ve had people throw fundraisers to benefit us in their homes. I had someone call me and say, “Are you going to the Hacker Dojo benefit dinner?” I’m like, “Whoa, what?” I’m the director of development, and I don’t know anything about this. I get a call a couple of days later, and they say, “Yeah, we’d like to invite you to be our guest of honor at this event. We’re going to throw a dinner to benefit Hacker Dojo.” And this has actually happened five times. So thank you, guys. This is really touching.
We’ve had people make things. We’ve had authors offer to donate books for our Kickstarter. There’s like 100-plus books just being donated as prizes. Mitch Altman, the leader of the hackerspace movement, has donated a bunch of soldering kits that teach kids how to solder. The guy who invented Pong is gonna sign a Super Pong machine that we restored here at the Dojo. Volunteers restored a Pong machine, and now we’re selling that. A very talented artist has offered to give us a mural. People have been donating t-shirt designs to print out. You’ll see that there’s a shirt where in the first frame, everyone’s talking in a meeting, and in the next frame they’re building something that looks like a robot, and then in the next frame the robot is breathing fire and killing them all. That was a donated design. This morning I had seven more shirt design donations. This artist was like, “Hey, I had this concept for a shirt. Here’s seven iterations of it.” So that’s probably going to be a Kickstarter shirt.
If any artists want to donate a t-shirt design, I’d be more than pleased to link them to our logo and branding rules and give them a free shirt when we print them. It’s been really humbling to see. Hackers and Founders has been incredibly supportive. A lot of companies are looking to recruit. They’re putting their recruiting budget here because they know that “We support the Hacker Dojo” means that when the people here meet someone who says they need a job, they’ll say, “Hey, go to this guy.” Andreessen Horowitz just wrote us a check, and they didn’t even care. They didn’t know they’d be recognized as a sponsor. They just heard us on NPR and they said, “This is so important, so here you go.”
GamesBeat: What was the check for?
Levinson: $20,000 dollars. We’ve been really blown away.
GamesBeat: So you’re on track, then, to be able to do what you need to do by the end of the year?
Levinson: The hard thing is that the city doesn’t want us to have the money raised. The city wants the changes to be made. I really need the Kickstarter to be successful. I really need it. That will put us at $60,000, and then after that I’m going to have to raise another $100,000 or so through corporate sponsors. We’re hoping that the press will bring us people who are interested in getting the attention of some of the finest engineers in the Valley. Pinterest made their first two hires out of the Dojo crew — engineer hires. We’re really hoping that people understand that this is a great way…. Maybe it’s not like, “I would like to order an iPhone developer.” Maybe not in the next week. But over the long term, to make an investment in their recruiting…. We’re really hoping that gets out there. We need to do more work on promoting the startups that come out of here. When Andreessen Horowitz gave us the money, they were an investor in Pinterest, and they didn’t even know Pinterest came from here. I think we need to explain how good the startups that come out of here are. I don’t think people understand that. Pinterest was huge. Word Lens is huge.
It’s the iPhone app that you hold up and it sees text in one language and then outputs it on the screen in another language. It works without data plans, and it has a dictionary with really amazing software. The new Hasbro iPhone integrated laser tag system was made here. Pebble Watches was briefly here before they launched their Kickstarter. Open Photo is here. That’s an open-source project, but that just shows the variety.
We’ve got a bunch of really hardcore Haskell guys. Tons of our guys go on to found their own startups. Last year, everyone was excited about Your Mechanic. They’re here. There are good guys here, and there are good guys who come here every day after work to be challenged and to take classes. Most of the classes are free and open to the community. But to take classes that really challenge them…those are the kind of engineers that you want. The guys who say, “I want to go home and learn some new shit.” I think we hadn’t done a good enough job of explaining the value that we provide. I would really love it if our 501(c)3 status comes through. That would make donations to the Hacker Dojo tax deductible. We’re too young of an organization. The IRS is like, “How are you so successful?” We did not get fast-tracked for approval. [Laughs] It’s the greatest problem to have, ever. Most 3-year-old nonprofits don’t operate 13,000 square feet. Well, we only operate 8,000 because of the city. But we’ve been extremely fast-growing. We’ve been in the black, and that’s only been through dues. We count sponsorships as gravy. Except for right now. Sponsorships only go to building improvements, like when we put the air-conditioning system in. That’s what we use sponsorships for.
We’re very passionate about the fact that we never put ourselves in a position where we…. The city has put us in a bad position. But the Dojo’s operating principle during good times is that we never put ourselves in a position financially where we have to take a sponsorship. I think that gives us a certain amount of legitimacy. We don’t need the sponsorships when we’re not in a situation like this. If we hadn’t gotten sponsorships for the HVAC, we would have just saved our money and paid for the HVAC ourselves. It’s nice because there’s a lot of conferences, especially security conferences. Nobody wants to be a sponsor on a security conference. Or if they do then everyone’s like, “Now can we talk about exploits at the sponsor’s company?” There’s no proper third-party venue that’s just about the ideas. I think this is one of the best gifts we can give to the community. It’s the fact that when we finish the events space, we have a policy. We never charge for use of the events space. All you have to do is be a member in good standing and explain that you will make sure the police don’t get called and that you will clean up after yourself. That’s all it takes. You can hold a giant conference, and we love it. This is what a university was supposed to be, right? Before universities got bought out. Before pharmaceutical companies started paying for the drug trials. This is how science and technology were meant to be developed, discussed, and polished. I really want to preserve that.
From a financial perspective, it’s ridiculous that people go to college for four years and pay $40,000 or $50,000 dollars — maybe $20,000 if you’re lucky, and you go to public schools. And they come out with no skills and no income. They graduate, and they get a salary that should pay for that, and then we stop selling it to them. It’s ridiculous. Good makers…. We consider a maker to be anyone who creates something. You could even say that being a reporter is being a maker because you make stories. Writers are makers, and sewing is making. These people want to make things. They want to always be making things and always learn to make better things. To just cut it off and say, “Either you have to dedicate yourself to this fully and be a grad student” — which means there’s no opportunity for breadth, only depth, and there’s a lot of downsides that come with that — “or you just stop….” That’s not right. I think the economic incentives agree with that. All ideas that change the world need to be fiscally solvent, or they stop running. This is, part of a really powerful vision that I think really could change the world. I do want to change the world. I want to run a university with a giant campus and have dormitories that people can stay in. And they won’t be shit dorms like they have in college. I want to have an apartment building that you apply to get in, and you live there in a community full of challenging people, and you walk down the hall and you’re like, “Hey, dude, what are you working on? Oh my God, look what I got this chip to do! This is amazing!” We’ll have classes and conferences, and it will just be amazing. We’re on such a trajectory to do it. We’ve just got to get past this. It’s all lining up. We’re learning really expensive lessons. Just being profitable is not enough. You have to be really profitable so you can afford to make all these local governments happy. But we’re profitable enough that we can do that, too. We’ve just got to get past this.
GamesBeat: So it sounds like a lot of people — not just the members, but also other sponsors and other companies, and even big mainstream companies all supported the idea of the Hacker Dojo. So why do you think the city of Mountain View is putting up such resistance?
Levinson: Because people don’t understand that…. Everybody wants innovation. Innovation’s great! We wanna be innovative! But the thing about it is that innovation and risk go hand in hand. People want the innovation, but they don’t want the risk. If you’re going to try something new, different, and maybe even sexy, you’re going to fail sometimes. Thank God that hasn’t happened to us yet. I’m sure we’ll have many failures along the way. Consider this to be a mini-failure, with the city. But a lot of governments want all the innovation, and they don’t want the risk. It’s just so hard to explain that. Yes, we don’t look like a school. We don’t look like a church. We started from something that was not designed to be…. This was a rented building, right? It’s not like we built a building and cut the corners. We started up in a rented building. This is not our building; we’re upgrading it as fast as we can because we want our members to be safe. Safety is important. But the pace that they demand is high. We’ve actually put a lot of…. There’s a lot of little safety things in here that weren’t mandated by the city, but we did them because we thought that was the right thing to do. The city just wants to eliminate risk immediately, and they want to keep the innovation. We had a former mayor — a now-former mayor, but mayor at the time — attend one of our job fairs. He was thrilled. They love us, and they love what we stand for and what we do. But they just can’t understand that there’s two sides to a coin. That’s a hard thing for governments, and it’s a hard thing for bureaucracies because when something goes wrong, someone gets held responsible, and that’s hard. My heart goes out to people…. If a fire burns down a building in San Francisco, some building manager gets in trouble for not making sure that building was up to code. I feel really bad for those people. I wish the system didn’t work like that. I feel their pain. I understand why they’re scared. I just wish that they had a different method of dealing with that fear.
GamesBeat: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Levinson: Anybody who wants to help, email firstname.lastname@example.org. That is our volunteer inbound mailing list. We will direct you to either SWAT…. The SWAT team is a deal where you show up at this time in your painting clothes, ready for manual labor. Someone will instruct you on how to do what needs doing. That’s how we do all the renovations that don’t legally require a contractor. So we’ll put you on SWAT, or we’ll put you on internal dev, which fixes the bugs in our software. If you want to donate something that we can use as a sponsorship prize of some variety, email email@example.com. If your company wants to be a sponsor, email firstname.lastname@example.org. Our awesome volunteer teams will get back to you as soon as humanly possible, but they are staffed with volunteers. We try to deal with sponsorships very promptly. But give them 48 hours on iwanttohelp because that’s a bunch of people who are just passionate about the Dojo routing people around. We love mural donations. If you want to be auctioned off to support the Hacker Dojo in the charity auction, we will be continuing to take volunteers for auctioning after the launch. Please help. We need help. It’d mean a lot. | <urn:uuid:98e69999-1a06-481c-bfb1-7555a34bc8bb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://venturebeat.com/2012/08/10/hacker-dojo-interview/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970563 | 8,249 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Frederick CHOPIN (1810-1849)
Complete Music for Piano and Orchestra Vol.1
Fantasy on Polish Airs Op.13 [16:00]
Rondo à la Krakowiak Op.14 [15:12]
Piano Concerto in E minor Op.11 [42:46]
Tatiana Shebanova (piano)
Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra/Tadeusz Wojciechowski
rec. Witold Lutoslawski Concert Studio No.2 of the Polish Radio, Warsaw, 1-4 December 2009. stereo DDD
DUX 0741 [74:02]
Tatiana Shebanova's recording of Chopin's complete music for solo piano was one of the more significant contributions to the composer's discography in his bicentennial year. That was partly because of the inspired decision to present the works in opus number order, but also because Shebanova clearly has something original to say with the music. In contrast to the bombast of many of her (usually male) colleagues, Shebanova takes a measured, precise approach to Chopin. 'Refined' is a word that could apply to almost every phrase.
In the concertante works, this refinement runs the risk of sounding dispassionate. Even in these early works on volume 1, the pianist needs to inject some emotional turmoil, but that is not really the way Shebanova does things. The two shorter works on the disc, the Fantasy on Polish Airs and the Rondo à la Krakowiak, seem on first appearances to be jumping the queue, appearing as they do before rather than after the concerto. I suspect they have been placed at the start because they best suit Shebanova's approach and are the most successful readings. Even here, the pianist's sophistication risks obliterating the fragile folk character of the Polish sources. She is at her best when playing those delicate mid to high register filigree phrases. The recorded sound of the piano isn't particularly transparent or luminous, but the register around the top of the treble clef comes across better than the rest of the range, creating brief and tantalising moments of transcendental pianism recorded with utmost clarity.
Whatever my reservations about Shebanova's approach, she deserves a better orchestra. The Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra, as the name suggests, is made up of young players. It's not a youth orchestra; they are all conservatoire graduates in their twenties. Technically, the group is serviceable enough, but very little about their playing seems truly inspired. In the First Concerto, this workaday approach combines with the soloist's reserve to create a very dispassionate interpretation indeed. Technically, there are a few problems in the orchestra; the string ensemble has some shaky moments in the first movement and the brass struggle throughout to play as a section. But it is the lack of passion that really deflates the performance, both from the piano and the woodwind soloists.
The sound, too, is serviceable rather than exceptional. The balance between piano and orchestra is always rigorously maintained, but there is little depth to the sound of either. As I mentioned, that mid to upper register of the piano is where the sound works best, but further down the keyboard there is a distinct lack of presence or clarity. Having heard Shebanova's solo Chopin recordings, I'm not inclined to blame her for this. In fact, I'd love the chance to hear her left hand passage work with greater clarity.
Tatiana Shebanova provides an important insight into Chopin's music through her unfashionable modesty at the keyboard. Her playing serves the music, unlike that of most of her colleagues, for whom ego often comes first. But there is a danger of her taking it too far. This is revisionist Chopin, and is for those who find the bravado of the top name pianists too much to stomach.
For those who find the bravado of the top name pianists too much to stomach | <urn:uuid:348e1c56-7e9f-4805-832c-a038d07e6d85> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2010/Aug10/ChopiShebanova_DUX0741p.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949628 | 848 | 1.507813 | 2 |
To the Editor:
While communities are trying to resolve human-deer conflicts, the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife is manipulating habitat to increase deer populations.
In New Jersey, habitat development and maintenance to benefit deer are conducted on 117 state-owned Fish and Wildlife management areas totaling over 295,000 acres, in every county. Habitat management is also encouraged on other public and private lands. Limited burning, wood harvest, and planting of various agricultural crops favored by deer increases the deer carrying capacity by increasing the quality and quantity of available food. Additionally, the Division encourages hunters to put out an estimated 2 million pounds of food (bait) annually to lure deer to their deaths.
Of the total acres, the vast majority (185,900) were bought by Green Acres Bonds between 1961 and 2004. Fish and Wildlife acquired 99,150 acres.
Organizations such as New Jersey Conservation Foundation, Natural Resources Council, and the Nature Conservancy partner with Fish and Wildlife in acquiring these lands.
Yes, every time we voted for open space, little did we realize that the money could be used to provide more land for growing more deer, and for hunting. In the Open Space Public Question, the use of the land is disguised with the word "active" recreation.
This came to my attention because now the hunters want the lands opened for Sunday hunting.
To the Editor:
The efforts to improve the public Guyot Stream Walkway between Moore Street, Harris Road, Jefferson Road, Carnahan Place, and Witherspoon Street continued for the ninth year during 2004.
The Township has promised significant enhancements to the walkway in the spring of 2005. These improvements will include new trees and plantings, plus resurfacing of the walkway and enhanced drainage to the area and stream bed. Although the Township Engineering Department has promised to avoid destruction of the plantings resulting from our community effort, no new planting was scheduled in 2004-05 until the area work is completed. Thus, the numerous shrubs and plants, regularly donated to the project by the Obal Garden Center on Alexander Road and the Belle Meade Coop on Township Line Road, were not accepted this past year.
Despite these planned upgrades to the area, the following Princeton residents have provided time, plants, or money in 2004 to make the area more enjoyable for all the community to use: Janet Arrington, Danuta Buzdygan, the Denards, the Kagays, the Lynches, the Moodys, Ted Nessas, P.M. Prendergast, the Weinsteins, an anonymous donor on Jefferson Road, Miki Mendelsohn of Hickory Court, the Gibneys, Jennifer Guy, the Rovira-Rodrigueses of Moore Street, Dennis, Madeline and Nick Stark of Henry Avenue, Robert Burns, Rosalie Green, Peter Lindenfeld, Umberto Perna of Harris Road, Jimmy Mack and Diana Perna of Carnahan Place, Sally Bond of Snowden Lane, Michael Bilginer of Chambers Street, and the Crumillers of Library Place.
We wish to publicly recognize these community members and the Township Engineering Department for their continued help. The community and neighbors will continue to enjoy the area after the promised Township renovations are completed this spring, and as nearly $750 worth of new shrubbery and ground cover to supplement their efforts are planted by the community volunteers.
To the Editor:
I had a dream about Jefferson Road.
In my dream the Borough residents of Jefferson Road enveloped our houses, Christo-style, in beautiful billowing fabrics. Gentle pastels, bright pinks, blues and aquamarines. When our installation was complete, people came from all over to drive up and down the street, admiring the sight. And they were furious.
"Your street is in dreadful condition," they said. "How can you stand it?"
"We're used to it," we replied. "Jefferson Road has been a mess for most of 40 years. The thin repaving in 1980 was seriously damaged eight months later when the cable company laid its cables, and the following winter frosts returned it to a dreadful state."
"You said your installation was free to the public," they cried, "but it's not free. Now we have to buy shock absorbers and pay our chiropractors to fix our backs. It'll cost us. We're going to sue!"
In my dream, we're waiting to hear from their lawyers.
In my waking hours, I dream about the good repaving that the Borough's engineers have dangled before our eyes, these three years. When? When?
TOBIAS D. ROBISON
To the Editor:
Let's see if we get the connection: Mr. Martindell's letter (Town Topics, February 23) says the University must pony up to the Borough before it may even show up with its zoning change request. Sounds like good ol' "pay for play!"
He's got the two parts right:
1. Princeton University, like any other applicant, is entitled to a proper hearing and determination on its requested change, based on its compatibility with the zoning plan in relation to the neighboring community.
2. The University has a fair obligation to compensate its host municipalities (Borough and Township) for their costs of services rendered to the institution, whether by voluntary contribution or negotiated settlement.
But these twain are unrelated, and should not meet.
To the Editor:
We would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank William F. King III for his leadership of the Princeton Family YMCA. At last week's annual meeting, the Board of Directors accepted Bill's resignation as chairman, a post he has held for the past eight years.
During this time, Mr. King has devoted countless hours inspiring and guiding the organization as it developed a strategic plan; established the South Brunswick Family YMCA; transitioned to a new CEO; quadrupled the funds raised to provide financial aid; worked through the crisis of the loss of United Way funding; enhanced board and staff diversity; strengthened relationships with the YWCA; and established community events such as Healthy Kids Day, Halloween at the YMCA, Swim with Santa, and SPLASH week.
His tenure as board chair has been a time of dedication to the ideal that the YMCA should be a place of peace, understanding, and gathering for our community.
Bill thank you for making it so.
JOHN M. STAHL
For information on how to submit Letters to the Editor, click here. | <urn:uuid:c8b425c1-aa9d-4fc6-9a43-a60dc6475136> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.towntopics.com/mar0205/mailbox.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956458 | 1,350 | 1.710938 | 2 |
FrackNation is a feature documentary that will tell the truth about fracking for natural gas in US and globally.
$150,000 is the absolute minimum we need to finish FrackNation - the more we get - the better the film will be. Also it is important to know if we don't reach the full amount of $150,000 within the 60 days, Kickstarter will return all pledged money to the backers and NOTHING will go to FrackNation. So please send what you can, help us reach the $150,000 target within the 60 days and become an Executive Producer of FrackNation the documentary.
If you need any assistance or have any problems with placing the donation, please call us at 310 591 8663 between 8 am and 4 pm Pacific Time.
There are two sides of every story and then there is the truth.
FrackNation is the film that will tell the truth about fracking.
People across the US told us that everything we had heard about fracking was wrong. They say that anti-fracking campaigns, one-sided media coverage and moratoriums and bans have damaged the lives of thousands of people who are now desperate to have their voices heard.
FrackNation is their movie and here are some of their stories...
"The gas has bailed us out. The gas has saved us. That's all there is to it." - Tyler (18). His father Ron leased a small part of his farm for gas production. Thanks to the royalties, Ron says he will be able to keep the farm intact and pass it onto his son.
"The people in Dimock had enough of the misinformation about the water in this area. There is no environmental wasteland. The water is fine." - Martha (78). She has lived in Dimock PA all her life and is a co-founder of the grassroots group "Enough Already". The group has fought claims that Dimock's water was polluted by drilling. Martha says methane has always naturally occurred in their water in the area. - "The truth is that the methane has always been in the water."
"If the gas industry is not allowed in, I will have to divide my land and sell it for development. My son wants to farm, but he had to get a job in the city. I won't be able to keep it for him." - Bill, a dairy farmer in Calicoon, NY, has been campaigning to lift the New York state ban on fracking. His land is across the road from a property belonging to the Hollywood celebrity and anti-fracking activist Mark Ruffalo. - "Mark Ruffalo says he is my neighbor, but he never asked me for my opinion on fracking."
"For those anti-fracking activists to say that I don't care about my land... If I didn't care about it, why would I struggle keeping it up so many years?" - Carl, a dairy farmer in the Delaware River Basin and co-founder of a landowner's alliance that negotiated a state-of-the-art lease with a gas company. Then a moratorium halted fracking. - "We, the farmers, keep this land as an open space. We are the original stewards of this land."
"I have a pension of 200 USD. The gas and electricity bill takes most of it. If we had our own gas, it would be much cheaper, much easier." - Sabina, a pensioner in Warsaw, Poland, uses gas to cook and electricity to heat her flat during severe Polish winters. Poland buys most of its gas from Gazprom, a Russian state run company, that during a political dispute in 2009 turned off the supply to parts of Western Europe.
We hope you see why it is important these people and many more get a chance to have their voices heard. Remember, we have 60 days to raise $150,000 or we will lose everything. Please help us to make this happen and become an Executive Producer of FrackNation the documentary.
Phelim, Ann, Magda
A: Sorry, no. Any support via Kickstarter must go through Amazon's payment platform. If you have an Amazon account, supporting us is very quick. And if you dont have an Amazon account, setting one up is easy, too. We would like to offer PayPal, as many of you have requested, but it is out of our control.
A: No. We are not accepting any money from any companies or from any senior executive of an oil and gas company. FrackNation is an independent film and we want to remain independent of the Gas industry and be funded by ordinary people.
A: Yes. We are open to receive and read your ideas, but please note that FrackNation is an independent film of Ann and Phelim Media LLC. It is independent from any donor, supporter or third party and the Directors and Producers, Ann McElhinney, Phelim McAleer and Magda Segieda, retain all editorial control. Therefore, your idea(s) might be incorporated, but may be not.
A: To leave a "comment", which is seen by anyone who comes on to the project page, yes, you do have to be a supporter of the project. If you have not supported our film project but want to communicate with us, you can send us a message via Kickstarter system. We support freedom of ideas, but please keep language clean... that we do not tolerate.
A: Yes. Once you donate to our campaign, you may want to change your incentive reward to a different one, or increase your pledge amount. To do so, go to Kickstarter and sign in. If you go toour campaign page, the green “Back This Project” button has been replaced with a blue “Manage Your Donation” button. Click it and you can enter a new amount, or choose a new incentive.
A: Yes, you can. You just need to have (or set up) an Amazon account. And, of course, we will ship your reward(s) (e.g. DVDs, posters, etc.) internationally.
pledged of $150,000 goal
seconds to go
Feb 6, 2012 - Apr 6, 2012 (60 days)
Pledge $1 or more
You will become an Executive Producer of the film and will be listed in the credits (unless you don't want to).Estimated delivery: Jun 2012
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The above, and a DVD of the film will be sent to you so you can play it as many times as you want at home.Estimated delivery: Jun 2012
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All of the above, and you will receive a photograph of the making of the film signed by the Directors.Estimated delivery: Jun 2012
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All of the above, and we will send you a poster of the film to help remind you of your generosity every time you look at it.Estimated delivery: Jun 2012
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All of the above, and you will receive a poster signed by the Directors.Estimated delivery: Jun 2012
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All of the above, and we will send you 1 DVD of each of the Directors' previous films: 1 copy of Not Evil Just Wrong and 1 copy of Mine Your Own Business.Estimated delivery: Jun 2012
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All of the above, and you will receive an additional 3 DVDs of the film to give out as gifts to friends.Estimated delivery: Jun 2012
Pledge $1,000 or more
All of the above, and your 2012 Christmas shopping will be completed because you will be sent 10 DVDs (in addition to the other ones above). You will also have the satisfaction that you are a big supporter of our film.Estimated delivery: Jun 2012
Pledge $2,000 or more
All of the above, and a personalized thank you letter from the Directors.Estimated delivery: Jun 2012
Pledge $5,000 or more
All of the above, and a special thank you phone call from the Directors where you will be thanked for your generous support of our film and talk about whatever you want during the call.Estimated delivery: Jun 2012 | <urn:uuid:9780eb79-6643-48b5-90d1-ed42f11866b1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1009530098/fracknation?ref=category | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957462 | 1,747 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Do you ever worry about someone who isn't able to fix themselves a nutritous hot meal every day? Now, during the holiday season would be a great time to refer them to Meals on Wheels.
The Meals On Wheels Association of America is the oldest and largest national organization composed of local, community-based Senior Nutrition Programs in all 50 U.S. states. These programs provide well over one million meals to seniors who need them each day.
Did you know that hunger is a serious threat facing millions of seniors in the United States? Nearly six million seniors faced the threat of hunger in 2007. Over 11% of all seniors experienced some form of food insecurity that year.
At Vermont Woods Studios Furniture we take turns volunteering for Meals on Wheels in our own town of Vernon, VT. It's not just a great way to serve your community, it's also a lot of fun. It only takes about an hour/week per volunteer if each volunteer signs up for a different day. Why not sign up to deliver Meals on Wheels in your community? | <urn:uuid:5d8f866c-5321-44c7-9c7d-9bad80c4c2d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://vermontwoodsstudios.com/blog/meals-on-wheels-2/ | 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 | 0.968048 | 217 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Israel “today draws more venture capital than anywhere in the world,” 30 times more than Europe and more than twice as much as the U.S, said Dan Senor, author of Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle and a speaker at the Israel Conference at Harvard University from April 19-20.
The Israel Conference came just over a month after another group of Harvard students held a conference to discuss a “one-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, featuring Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) advocates and others seeking to delegitimize the Jewish state.
Dr. Alan Garber, Harvard University Provost, said during his opening remarks on Thursday that Israel doesn’t have much oil, “but it has innovation and a little bit chutzpah.” Outside of Israel, all people hear about the country tends to be the conflict with the Palestinians, so this conference was the “greatest opportunity to introduce Israel as we know it,” Sharon Stovezky, one of the organizers, told JointMedia News Service.
Senor made the argument that Israel is a nation of immigrants, who “are the ultimate entrepreneurs” since “their whole lives are start-ups.” Additionally, men and women who have learned to lead in the Israeli army go on to front start-ups and lead major international companies in the country. The first night of the conference also attracted Niall Ferguson, a Harvard professor and world-renowned historian, and Stanley Fischer, Governor of the Bank of Israel.
“Israel is among the most advanced economies in the world,” Fischer said. Ferguson emphasized that Israel is a “citadel of Western civilization in an extraordinary hostile environment.” Between 1980 and 2000, Israel had about 7,000 patents, while all the Arab countries in the region had only about 300 combined.
Stovezky said she doesn’t think politics “is a very productive way to show Israel.”
“We want people to think out of the box,” she said. | <urn:uuid:d06862ce-02ee-4010-8676-7428b9f286c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/04/23/harvard-israel-conference-focuses-on-israeli-innovation-not-war/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954139 | 444 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Just got a mass email from Apple to iPhone developers, which states:
In App Purchase is being rapidly adopted by developers in their
paid apps. Now you can use In App Purchase in your free apps to
sell content, subscriptions, and digital services.
You can also simplify your development by creating a single
version of your app that uses In App Purchase to unlock additional
functionality, eliminating the need to create Lite versions of
your app. Using In App Purchase in your app can also help combat
some of the problems of software piracy by allowing you to verify
In App Purchases.
This is a major policy change. Prior to today, free apps were not allowed to use in-app purchasing. As of 10 minutes ago, developers can now make “lite” apps that are free which let you pay to upgrade to a full version from within the app itself.
The App Store has been hard to predict so far, but I’ll go out on a limb and say that this is going to be a very big deal. I think soon, many (most?) apps will be free in “lite” form, with an in-app upgrade option to a full version.
★ Thursday, 15 October 2009 | <urn:uuid:a9d5ea84-50cd-467b-9c44-a71781f343d2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://daringfireball.net/linked/2009/10/15/in-app-purchasing-for-demo-apps | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958724 | 255 | 1.53125 | 2 |
The recent campaign which prompted the government u-turn on the charity tax was a great example of the sector displaying solidarity. The campaign was led by NCVO and CAF, and supported by charities of all sizes. It showed what could be done when we work together.
There is another campaign to make sure government does not take money away from charities and those they serve. This campaign has been launched by the Directory of Social Change (DSC). 'Where's our Big Lottery refund' aims to ensure government returns the £425m it took from the Big Lottery Fund to pay for the Olympics as soon as possible; John Penrose, the minister for tourism and heritage, has said that problems selling the Olympic facilities means this money may not be returned until the mid 2020's.
The campaign took on a new significance this week, when Hugh Robertson, the minister for sport and the Olympics, said on Radio 4: "all being well we should be able to hand half a billion pounds back to the Treasury". Fortuitously, this is a very similar amount to that taken from the lottery that the government says it may take 15 years to find.
NAVCA is backing the campaign. We all want the London Olympics to be a great success. Many people understand, even if they disagreed at the time, why money from the lottery was given to the Games. But the then government promised that after the Games, money would be restored to good causes. That promise now seems to be subject to delay.
Cuts mean many charities are struggling and, more importantly, the communities they support need their help more than ever. Charity work in the most deprived communities has been hardest hit. The lottery fund money could help these communities and boost local economies. The money smaller charities generate tends to stay in the locality. Paying back the money now would be a great legacy of the Games.
Unfortunately, support for this campaign has not been as overwhelming as it should be. Could this be because this campaign will largely benefit small charities?
We know that the vast majority of charities (85%) have income under £10,000. The Big Lottery Fund, the biggest grant funder in the country, provides vital resources for many of these organisations, which do not get adequate media coverage.
Anyone who supports charities should support this campaign. I urge everyone who backed the Give it back George charity tax campaign to support this campaign. You can sign up on the website, get others to sign up and write to your MP. It can make a difference to local charities and those they exist to help.
Together we can get the £425m back.
Joe Irvin is the chief executive of NAVCA | <urn:uuid:71cee715-07be-49a0-bee3-77044af5d06d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.guardian.co.uk/voluntary-sector-network/2012/jun/18/big-lottery-refund-campaign-charities | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972355 | 546 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Find the limit as x tends to infinity
I'm not sure how to go about it. I'm thinking that I need to get rid of that square root, or at least, get it in a form which will make it easy to read off the limit.
I've tried the following:
I'm not sure how to factor out x in the denominator, I'm guessing that'd simplify it.
If anyone could help, or offer a different method of solving this, I'd really appreciate it. | <urn:uuid:8228352e-c9fa-48e4-9451-b1ef2fe049ed> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mathhelpforum.com/calculus/152001-finding-limit-x-tends-infinity.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98036 | 104 | 1.523438 | 2 |
This is a cautionary tale.
Demography and the Imperial Public Sphere utilises newspaper and magazine material from a variety of different sources. At the beginning of the project, nearly all of my material was derived from manual transcriptions from either photocopies, microfilm print outs, or originals consulted at local and national libraries. As time progressed, and my search parameters widened, I came to rely upon digital images of newspaper pages, such as those provided by the British Library's 19th Century Newspapers or the National Library of Australia's Trove Database. When using the latter, a part-OCR, part-manual transcription of the image can be easily obtained via a panel on the left hand side of the screen.
Although using this transcribing requires the manual deletion of line breaks (which are irrelevant to my study) and the correction of common OCR errors, processing these images is significantly faster than taking full, manual transcriptions from the British Library's images. Although the latter have also undergone OCR analysis, in order to create searchable text, this information is not readily accessible to end users; I must instead transcribe the digital images in the same way I would photocopies or originals. The same is true of Readex's Archive of Americana, which features US newspapers.
I had accepted this.
Last month, I began the long and arduous process of packing the deceptively large number of books I had somehow managed to accumulate during my teaching fellowship. As I lifted up my copy of the Chicago Manual of Style, a CD fell from the pages, having evidently been used as a make-shift bookmark. It was one of the numerous software-bundle CDs that I had inherited along with my desk. About to toss it back into the drawer from whence it had come, I noticed that one of programmes listed was ABBYY Finereader. Wait a moment, I thought, wasn't that OCR software?
Momentarily, dispensing with my packing, I popped the disc into my laptop. After a moment of delightful whirring, the programme was installed. I opened one of my many yet-to-be transcribed images and copied it into ABBYY. Another moment of delightful whirring and I had before me a surprisingly accurate transcription of the piece.
There were, of course, several mistakes, but considering the rather poor quality of this scanned microfilm printout, I was duly impressed. For an inexpensive version of ABBYY (currently retailing for £5 on Amazon and free with many scanner software-bundles) it has already saved me a considerable amount of time.
Why had I not turned to OCR software sooner? A variety of reasons. First, I had believed that reliable OCR software would be prohibitively expensive to a scholar without allocated research funding. Second, I had serious doubts about the time saving potential of any OCR process, considering my average typing speed and the unavoidable necessity of carefully checking each transcription in order to determine dissemination pathways. What I have found, however, is that correcting the OCR transcriptions is almost always quicker than undertaking the transcription manually, even with relatively poor images. More importantly, the time originally spent transcribing is now spent verifying its accuracy, making my final data far more accurate without lengthening the data collection process. The moral of the story? Well, it is not to run out and buy ABBYY Finereader, though the above link will earn me an impressive 5p in commission. Instead, it is to occasionally remind yourself that not all digital tools are prohibitively expensive--they might even be free, hiding away in your mystery CD drawer--and that even imperfect tools can improve your overall efficiency (and help stave off carpal tunnel syndrome).
*Image Courtesy of lyzadanger | <urn:uuid:561cfd19-65c7-487a-a453-1ecb798991d3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://melodeebeals.co.uk/with-apologies-to-toni-basil-or-hey-abbyy-youre-so-fine/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955469 | 779 | 1.695313 | 2 |
asked the Secretary for Mines whether he can explain why certain welfare schemes under the auspices of the Miners' Central Welfare Committee are held up; and why so many collieries are being laid idle at the present time?209W
§ Captain Crookshank
If the hon. Member will say to which welfare schemes he refers, I will make inquiries. As to the second part of the question, normal seasonal variation in trade, together with some falling off in demand during the last three months, have caused some temporary closing down of pits. | <urn:uuid:36d24eb4-8211-40c2-8212-7221e3fc0440> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1938/jul/05/miners-welfare-schemes | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954016 | 112 | 1.585938 | 2 |
A survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) says that an average UK employee takes 6.4 days off through sickness. Although there is room for improvement, this absence rate is the lowest since the survey began in 1987.
Westfield Health recognises the importance of minimising absenteeism in the workplace and its range of corporate-paid health cash plans are designed to help employers tackle key issues including sickness absence. Many plans cover the costs of healthcare, up to set limits, for treatments such as physiotherapy, acupuncture, chiropractic and homeopathy as well as everyday healthcare bills such as dental check-ups, eye tests and glasses.
Some plans also offer access to a GP telephone consultation line, enabling employees to speak to a fully qualified GP at any time, day or night, and from anywhere in the world. A 24-hour counselling and advice line is also available on many of the plans. This allows people to speak with a counsellor, lawyer or medical adviser at any time, in complete confidence.
Health cash plans: News update: 29 June 2010 | <urn:uuid:28825611-2cf3-4671-acd3-cd588fea51b0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.privatehealth.co.uk/news/june-2010/westfield-cash-plan-32531/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967353 | 219 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Why You Should Get Your GED Online
If you’ve been looking for a job recently then you already know that having a high school diploma or a GED is not only encouraged but in some cases, mandatory. It’s possible that in the past you weren’t able to obtain your diploma or GED or you’re afraid that, due to varying circumstances, you might not be able to finish the program that you are in now. If so, then you can still earn your GED online.
Earning the GED online has become increasingly popular over the past few years as students are learning the importance of having it, either for employment opportunities or higher educational aspirations. Not everyone has the time to attend classes in person or commit to a traditional schedule and therefore, earning the GED online has become a popular alternative.
When you go through an online GED program you can look forward to obtaining your GED in a timeframe that works for you. As a busy adult, you might have family or work obligations that prevent you from completing assignments or taking classes at the times that they are offered. In an online program, however, you can work at your own speed.
Getting your GED online can also offer valuable tools that can be helpful when it comes to taking the practice tests, studying, and getting organized for the actual test. All of these things are important in order for you to pass the official GED test and a good program will have your best interests in mind.
What Can You Do with Your GED?
In the past, it was okay if you didn’t have your high school diploma or GED. You could still find good jobs and advancement opportunities in your current position without either. In fact, those who didn’t intend on getting a higher education and were unable to finish or graduate from high school still had many options available to them. That has changed.
Now, it is more important than ever to have your high school diploma or GED. So what can you do with your GED? Your GED will allow you to find entry-level positions, especially in companies that provide on-the-job training. Some companies will only hire candidates that have a GED or diploma so this will also set you apart from those that do not have one or the other.
Your GED will also allow you to apply for most colleges, universities, and vocational schools. Although you might still have to take a standardized test such as the ACT or SAT and meet additional criteria, nearly all higher education institutions require that you at least have your GED before even applying.
In short, having your GED will open up opportunities for you that simply don’t exist for those without one. While it might have been a choice in the past, it’s increasingly becoming a requirement. Even if you don’t intent on enrolling in college at present time, once you have your GED it can at least be an option for you later on down the line. | <urn:uuid:5b0a0ee6-9fd3-40ac-8168-8c46527886a2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.onlinehighschooldiploma.net/get-your-ged-online.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969368 | 621 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Welcome to the Teacher Resources section of Windows to the Universe, where we try to collect resources of our own, as well as of partner organizations that we think you will be interested in. We regularly update this section with information about our web seminars, workshops and new classroom activities. We also provide links, below to several of our key resources, including motivational quotes, Earth science literacy frameworks, materials from our professional development workshops, our Teacher Opportunities calendar (Members Only), and a link to our free monthly Earth and Space Science Educator Newsletter. Windows to the Universe and its educational resources have been reviewed by NASA's Office of Space Sciences and Earth Science Enterprise, receiving exemplary status.
Teachers - Become an Educator Member of Windows to the Universe for special benefits and opportunities, including information about valuable special offers for classroom grants, professional development with travel and/or stipends, research grants, and more!
Windows to the Universe is now offering on-site professional development workshops for teachers. Find out more about this opportunity here. Information about our upcoming workshops and events at the NSTA conference in Indianapolis is available under 2012 on our Teacher Resources/Workshops page. | <urn:uuid:542cc919-9ec6-452e-a1ed-31065189e066> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.windows2universe.org/teacher_resources/main/teacher_resources.html&edu=elem&dev=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931067 | 234 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Do the Gators have a drug problem? UF leaders say no
Published: Saturday, April 30, 2011 at 6:12 p.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, April 30, 2011 at 6:12 p.m.
At the conclusion of the Jan. 1 Outback Bowl in Tampa, Urban Meyer passed the Florida football program to Will Muschamp, who spent a significant portion of his childhood in Gainesville, grew up a Gator and knew exactly what he was inheriting.
Facts about the University of Florida's drug testing policy
- Over the last three years, the University Athletic Association has given nearly 4,200 drug tests to student-athletes, nearly 1,200 of those in the football program. Of those nearly 4,200 tests, 34 athletes tested positive.
- As soon as student-athletes step onto campus, they are drug-tested as part of their physical exam before they are permitted to participate and are introduced to the school's substance abuse education program during orientation.
- All scholarship freshmen student-athletes are required to take a two-credit Life Skills class and a unit that deals specifically with alcohol and substance abuse.
- All UF students are required to take an online Alcohol Educational Tutorial in their first year. The SEC has adopted the Branded a Leader program (which football, men's and women's basketball, baseball and men's track and field are required to take during the course of the academic year) and substance and alcohol abuse are discussed.
- Each UF student-athlete is tested a minimum of three times per year and is provided a clearly outlined set of consequences. Coaches can also impose additional penalties in their respective sports.
Muschamp was handed one of college football's elite programs, and a team with some impressive young talent that had questions at quarterback, depth issues in some critical areas and a kick-butt SEC schedule looming in 2011.
But did he also inherit something more ominous that he didn't know about?
Do the Gators have a drug problem? To be more specific, a marijuana problem?
It may, or may not, be a fair question, depending on your perspective. But it is being asked around the country in light of some recent events involving a handful of current and former players.
On Tuesday, Muschamp dismissed All-SEC cornerback Janoris Jenkins from the team following his second arrest in three months for possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana.
On the same day, Pro Football Weekly reported that former UF offensive lineman Maurice Hurt was the second Gator in three years to test positive for marijuana at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
All-America wide receiver Percy Harvin tested positive in 2009. Also, a third former UF player, star tight end Aaron Hernandez, revealed at last year's Combine that he'd failed a drug test during his Gator career.
Also earlier in the week, news came out that two other current Florida players — redshirt freshman linebacker Chris Martin and sophomore defensive end Kedric Johnson — had been arrested in January for possession of marijuana in separate incidents. Both received deferred prosecution in February and remain members of the team.
Does it add up to a drug problem?
No, says Muschamp — and the school's administration agrees with him.
Speaking to reporters before a Gator Gathering in South Florida earlier this week, Muschamp called the recent arrests "isolated situations." He said the Gators are making positive strides to eliminate those problems in the future.
"I told those guys that there is no option," he said. "If you want to be here and be part of what we're trying to do on our football team, fine. If you don't, there's the door.
"I do think things get blown out of proportion a little bit. I don't think things are nearly as bad as they seem to be from a perception standpoint. That's just my personal opinion."
Muschamp has implemented something he calls "The Florida Way." It is a code of conduct the players must abide by that is designed to make them stronger in the classroom and more accountable in the community.
He implemented the "Florida Way" when he booted Jenkins from the team Tuesday.
"Our guys need to act a certain way," Muschamp said. "That's what we expect. It's not a right to play at Florida, it's a privilege."
Florida Athletic Director Jeremy Foley and school President Bernie Machen expressed faith in UF's comprehensive substance abuse program when asked, via email, if they were concerned that there could be a drug problem on the football team.
"Certainly we're disappointed when young people make bad decisions," Foley responded via email. "We work extremely hard to educate all of our student-athletes on this issue and others and provide resources to assist them in any way we can.
"Drug testing is something we take extremely seriously, and we're committed to being as thorough as we possibly can in this area. … We have a strong program in place and continue to review our polices every single year."
Machen echoed Foley.
"UF and the Athletic Association are vigilant in our effort to educate students on the dangers of drugs and alcohol and provide them with the necessary resources to fight substance abuse," Machen said via email. "It's an ongoing effort and an important part of our role helping them grow into productive and mature adults."
UF's drug policy is overseen by a committee appointed by Machen and comprised of faculty members and includes education, counseling, extensive testing and sanctions for failed tests.
Because the results of testing are confidential, there is no way to gauge how many football players have tested positive for marijuana.
But failed drug tests do result in suspensions.
A second-time offender loses 10 percent (or one game) of his season. A third positive test results in a 20 percent loss of games and a fourth 50 percent (six games). A fifth strike, and the player is dismissed.
At the start of every season (and sometimes during the season) the Gators have had players suspended from games for "violating unspecified team rules." But the suspensions have usually been for only one game or two games and involved only a few players each season.
UF's drug policy is viewed as being a little more tolerant than most other schools in the SEC.
Drug policies vary at each conference institution. Among the 12 schools, UF's is the only policy that allows an athlete to remain on the team with four strikes.
Five schools — Auburn, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee — dismiss athletes after a third positive test. Three schools — Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi State — dismiss after a fourth.
Meyer said earlier this week that marijuana use on the team was an issue when he became the head coach in 2005, although it is not necessarily reflected in the Gators' arrest record during Meyer's six-year tenure. Of the 30 arrests on Meyer's watch, only four were for possession of marijuana.
"It was a problem when we got here," Meyer said. "I thought we put a little bit of a dent in it. But it's still a problem.
"It's an issue at a lot of places. I've talked to a lot of other coaches who told me they were dealing with it as well. But at Gainesville, it's a national story.
"We sought counselors. We did a lot of things. There comes a point when you have to separate the player from the university, and I did that several times."
Meyer said he would not allow his players to go beyond a third strike.
If a player tested positive for a third time, he would cut him loose, he said. He did that with star defensive tackle Marcus Thomas during the 2006 championship season.
Educating the players is part of Muschamp's "Florida Way." Part of that process involves State Attorney Bill Cervone, who regularly speaks to football players on laws and what they can expect if they break them. Cervone said he's been invited to speak to the team under every coach from Steve Spurrier to Muschamp.
"There are a series of different messages," Cervone said. "I guess the common thread from year to year is that I am not going to give them any special consideration because they are athletes, nor am I going to have them taken advantage of because they are athletes.
"I tell them they would kick my butt on the football field, but they don't want to push their luck in my courtroom."
Drug laws are among the things Cervone covers and stresses.
Cervone said the rate of UF football players who get caught with marijuana is probably no greater than the general population within that age group. However, he added it is probably greater than the rate of UF students caught with pot.
"It's a pretty well-educated, affluent, not altogether typical group if you just look at the student body at UF," Cervone said. "I am 100 percent convinced that a lot of student-athletes are ill-equipped to deal with the social environment they are coming into through absolutely no fault of their own.
"Some of it is the socio-economic background from which they come. Some of it is a little more insidious in the constant stroking that ‘you're the best thing ever' that they have gotten since a young age."
Gainesville Police Officer Billy Long has worked as an undercover drug cop and is now on the weekend downtown beat.
He said police typically make at least one arrest for marijuana possession over the weekend, but that a lot more smoking is going on, judging from the often overpowering smell of it in the clubs.
He said the arrests usually come when officers spot users in their cars or in the bathroom at nightclubs — the way Jenkins, Martin and Johnson were all busted.
"Most of the football players we've dealt with, the last thing they want you to do is recognize who they are," Long said. "They think that will make it even worse. I guess in their mind maybe the coach or school won't find out."
Muschamp has found out each time it's happened on his watch. For those counting, that's four arrests for marijuana possession in four months.
Contact Robbie Andreu at 374-5022 or email@example.com. Also check out Andreu's blog at Gatorsports.com.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged. | <urn:uuid:13291bc2-aed5-4a6f-a4a8-4ce8bd105187> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110430/ARTICLES/110439974 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979101 | 2,191 | 1.5 | 2 |
A bill allowing inspirational messages in public schools appeared to be on the cusp of becoming law Wednesday, as the last House committee to give it consideration approved the measure.
The House Judiciary Committee's move sends Senate Bill 98 to the House floor; if it passes there without being amended, the measure would head to Gov. Rick Scott for his signature.
Supporters of the measure say it simply restores the constitutional rights of students by allowing them to decide — without input from school officials — whether an inspirational message should be delivered at school events. Local school boards could decide whether to enact rules allowing the inspirational messages.
"The bill is sorely needed to protect students from the war against religious liberty and free speech," said John Stemberger, president of the Florida Family Policy Council, which had voiced concerns about an earlier version of the measure. "The Florida ACLU, the Anti-Defamation League and other left leaning groups opposition to this bill even after amended is intellectually dishonest, inconsistent with classical liberalism and really exposes their hostility toward religion as expressed by private citizens in the public square."
But opponents say the measure is little more than a stalking horse for religious messages.
"The reality is it's nothing more than a euphemism for prayer," said Rep. Richard Steinberg, D-Miami Beach. "It's because we can't say 'prayer' in a bill, because we know that the courts will strike it immediately."
And that, they say, will land the state in court to defend the measure even as revenues for defending such challenges dwindles.
"Religious issues and government generate lots of litigation," said Pamela Burch Fort with the ACLU of Florida. "And if this measure is enacted, it will invite litigation."
David Barkey, religious freedom counsel for the Anti-Defamation League, labeled the measure "un-American" in a statement issued after the vote.
"Our public schools are about uniting children as Americans and not dividing along religious lines," Barkley said.
Supporters pushed back on those notions. Rep. Charles Van Zant, the Keystone Heights Republican who's handling the measure in the House, emphasized that nothing in the bill requires prayer.
"This bill doesn't mention it -- and I didn't, either," Van Zant said.
And KrisAnne Hall, a former prosecutor fired for speaking at tea-party gatherings two years ago, blasted the reasoning that the state should reject the measure to avoid litigation.
"Do not shy away from standing for constitutional rights simply because there may be a threat of challenge," Hall told the committee. | <urn:uuid:0d501774-edc1-46c4-bd60-d8dda4455663> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2012/feb/22/bill-to-allow-inspirational-messages-in-school/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959921 | 523 | 1.59375 | 2 |
News and Online Community for Culver City - The New Scene
[photo by Chris Grossman]
Every other Friday, I post a picture of something in Culver City that is 'hiding in plain sight.' Two weeks ago I asked: Do you know where in Culver City this sign is?
Culver City Times member Evlynne Braithwaite Householder was the first to correctly identify it as "the post office on Culver Blvd." Culver CIty Times member Chris Grossman was also kind enough to post another of his beautiful pictures (see above).
According to the cornerstone of the building, it was erected in 1940 by the architect Louis Simon (who was actually renowned for designing post office buildings throughout the country). It also identifies the nation's Postmaster General at the time as James A. Farley (the namesake of the main post office building in New York City, the James Farley Post Office). | <urn:uuid:093c3170-87f0-4e37-a73c-0db4636ecc61> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://culvercitytimes.com/profiles/blogs/where-am-i-in-culver-city-39-solution-the-culver-city-post-office | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970763 | 191 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Baylor Nursing School Honors Its NamesakeSept. 28, 2007
Louise Herrington Ornelas, for whom Baylor University's Louise Herrington School of Nursing in Dallas is named, was recently honored by the Baylor family for her endless contributions to Baylor and the nursing profession in general.
"The Louise Herrington School of Nursing is a symbol of her determination and desire to take care of the needs of others," said Dr. Judy Wright Lott, dean of Baylor's Louise Herrington School of Nursing. "Her generous gifts to the LHSON have made it possible for many students to study to become nurses. Having the opportunity to recognize and honor her was one of the highlights of my life."
More than 300 people, including Baylor President John M. Lilley and Dean Lott, honored Ornelas at a dinner at the Willow Brook Country Club in Tyler. The dinner was in recognition for her support of nursing and educational programs, and her continued work to promote improvements in children's welfare and human rights. Following the dinner, Lott "pinned" Ornelas with the Louise Herrington School of Nursing pin that all nursing graduates receive upon graduation.
Co-founder of TCA Cable Inc., of Tyler and a 1992 Baylor University Alumna Honoris Causa, Ornelas was named Volunteer of the Year in Tyler in 1989 and was recognized for her altruism when she received Baylor's Herbert H. Reynolds Exemplary Service Award in 1996. She is a recipient of the Horatio Alger Award, given by the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, a 2005 recipient of the Heart of a Champion Award and was given the 2001 People of Vision award by the East Texas Regional Branch of Prevent Blindness Texas.
In 1999, Baylor's nursing school was renamed Louise Herrington School of Nursing, after the Tyler philanthropist made a $13 million endowment gift to the nursing school. It marked one of the largest financial gifts in Baylor's history.
The Baylor School of Nursing was established in 1909 as a diploma program within Baylor Hospital in Dallas, which is now Baylor University Medical Center, and in 1950 became one of the six degree-granting schools of Baylor University. The first bachelor of science in nursing degrees were awarded in 1954, establishing the school as one of the oldest baccalaureate nursing programs in the United States. | <urn:uuid:66fb7736-d9f9-4385-a6fd-f2ad85db2c8c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.baylor.edu/mediacommunications/news.php?action=story&story=47188 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973713 | 479 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Lately, I have received numerous enquiries regarding which private post-secondary institutions are eligible to have their students receive Post-Graduate Work Permits (“PGWP“) in British Columbia. Coincidentally, on June 5, 2012, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (“CIC“), issued Operational Bulletin 262 (“OB 262“), which addresses the issue.
First, it is important to note the distinction between students enrolled in a degree program at a private post-secondary institution, and students enrolled in a diploma or certificate program. All students in Canadian private institutions which are authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees are eligible to participate in the general PGWP.
As well, there is a Pilot Project in British Columbia which provides that diploma and certificate students at certain British Columbia private post-secondary institutions are eligible to receive Post-Graduate Work Permits. The Pilot Project expires on January 31, 2013, and international students accepted into programs of study at participating institutions after August 31, 2012 are not eligible to participate in the pilot.
Students who have completed a program of study that is at least eight months or more and received a diploma or certificate in a career training program from the following institutions are eligible to apply under the Pilot Project:
- Sprott-Shaw Degree College
- Arbutus College of Communication Arts;
- Business and Technology
- Ashton College
- Canadian Tourism College
- Centre for Arts and Technology
- Eton College
- Greystone College
- John Casablancas Institute of Applied Arts
- MTI Community College
- Omni College
- Pacific Audio Visual Institute
- Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts
- Pacific Rim Early Childhood Institute
- Sprott-Shaw Community College
- Stenberg College
- Universal Learning Institute
- Vancouver Central College
- Vancouver Film School
- Vancouver Institute of Media Arts
Additional requirements, and discussions of specific scenarios (such as transfer students), can be found here. | <urn:uuid:7579edc8-fb25-4f4c-9765-45de5499d9a9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stevenmeurrens.com/2012/06/post-graduate-work-permits-in-british-columbia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936907 | 408 | 1.515625 | 2 |
When London landmark store Selfridges unveiled ‘The World’s Largest Men’s Shoe Department’, last November, there was only one shoe style that warranted its own special room. ‘The Driving Room’, as it was coined, houses the humble driving shoe: a simple slip-on moccasin with a rubberised sole that continues up the back of the heel.
From its beginnings 50 years ago as a practical solution to driving in comfort without ruining your shoes, it has become the best-performing category in men’s footwear with a 90 percent increase in styles sold and year-on-year sales tripling in Selfridges.
“Men buy into the idea of driving shoes for two very different reasons. First, for the comfort factor, offering the formality of a loafer but with the lightweight and practical construction usually only found with a sneaker,” says stylist Adrian Clark. “Second, for status, nothing says ‘I own a sports car’ better than wearing a pair of Tod’s. It's certainly a more subtle hint than leaving your Ferrari parked outside the front door. Let’s face it, only a dedicated motorist would impart £500 for a pair of shoes specifically crafted to hit the accelerator.”
Best-selling brands such as Car Shoe (which pioneered the style) and Tod’s (which globalised it) have grown into billion-dollar companies on the back of those small rubber pebbles. And while both brands can rightfully lay claim to being originators of the true driving style, this shape has cemented itself as a permanent addition to men’s wardrobes, regardless of changes in fashion.
“As most trends over recent years have been towards a more casual lifestyle, the driver style captures this perfectly during the summer and early autumn,” says Justin Burzynski, men’s product director for The Dune Group, one of the biggest shoe groups in Europe. “People have travelled more over the last 25 years, which again has encouraged people to want a shoe that packs easily and is indestructible. They have also spent more time in countries where the driver is a way of life — Italy, in other words.”
Car Shoe was established in 1963 — not coincidentally, around the same time Italy’s newly built highways were fostering enthusiastic motoring among the populace, and marques such as Ferrari and Alfa-Romeo were producing their most iconic models — when the Italian Ministry of Industry and Trade awarded Gianni Mostile the patent for an innovative model of shoe; a moccasin with uppers perforated with rubber studs. The rubber mix, identical to that used in tyre manufacture, is used for the ball sole and 4.85m of English-produced pitch-treated cord for the base. President John F Kennedy and Fiat supremo Gianni Agnelli were both patrons.
The Tod’s moccasin, better known as the Gommino, was created in the late 1970s with the intention of combining classic Italian style with the comfort of a shoe that can be worn on every occasion. Inspired by Tod’s chieftain Diego Della Valle’s travels to the US — where he saw, as he once put it, affluent East Coast Americans pioneering “a new mode of dressing elegantly, but informally… a very new idea about luxury” — it took equal parts inspiration from the preppy penny loafer of the 1950s and the native American moccasin. Made fatto a mano utilising craftsmanship traditions passed down from Della Valle’s shoemaker father Dorino, its trademark is a sole covered with 133 rubber pebbles in the same colour as the leather used for the shoe. There are more than 100 steps in the creation of a Tod’s shoe, from the hand-cutting of the pieces that form the basic structure, to sewing together all of the individual parts. Depending on the design of the shoe, there can be up to 35 different pieces of leather used.
That can make for an expensive item, relative to hardy, heavy, bench-made shoes. Tod’s Ferrari Shearling Driving Moccasins, for example, are £340. Yet sales of the driving shoe show no signs of slowing, especially as more styles are introduced. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, it would be interesting to know how many of these shoes actually feel the sweet caress of a car accelerator pedal. | <urn:uuid:784362aa-f939-4a79-942e-96e72b18c986> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.billionaire.com/articles/276/driving-shoes-pedal-plusher | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957813 | 955 | 1.679688 | 2 |
In his Saudi Gazette column, Khaled Batarfi writes about the willingness of some Saudis to inject themselves into the affairs of others. They take themselves as the standards of righteousness, propriety, probity, all things good, and set anyone who disagrees among the weeds of ignorance, if not out-and-out evil. The only basis they have for this is that they see themselves as beyond criticism.
There’s a great deal of mansplaining going on, when men presume to know what women think, need, or want. Because the man cannot see the need or want, it must not be real. At most, it’s just hormonal or something. We know that not to be true because when Saudi women express their thoughts, they’re coherent and reasoned… and often better informed than the men doing the opining.
Batarfi continues and points out that people behave like herd animals in many situations. That which disrupts the herd is automatically seen as bad; it is feared. But shepherds have it tough these days. The sheep have sources of information outside that which the shepherd might allow. Bad news for the shepherd… he’s losing control of the herd or flock. Good news for the sheep… they find they don’t actually need a shepherd to manage their every movement.
Social intruders: Mind your own business!
Dr. Khaled M. Batarfi
THE man interviewed on Arabic TV Channel, MBC1, was explaining why women don’t need to drive. “Look around you; I have three cars in my garage: One for me, the other for my son, and a third for the family with a driver,” he was boasting.
Good for you, I thought, but you are answering the wrong question. It wasn’t whether “your” women need to drive, but why women, in general, need to. Again, the question is raised and answered the same way about women’s need to work. Those who are well off decide for the rest of us.
Their argument is that men should take care of their families, but what about those who don’t have men to take care of them? Some women are actually taking care of their families – parents and children, and even unemployed husbands. Besides, why should work be associated with financial need? What about work for work, work for experience, work for social service? What is the use of female education if it ends up with a certificate hanging on the wall of a kitchen?
The same logic goes with any and everything. The idea is that “your business is my business, but mine is not yours.” Why? Because, I am more religious, conservative and patriotic than you are. I know what is going on, even in your head and heart. I am aware of the conspiracy of local and global liberals to destroy this society. Since I am the self-appointed guard of virtue, it is my holy duty to fight you and your fellow conspirators with all means, even if not holy. | <urn:uuid:a2dcfcfe-27b4-41fc-9855-38a1d7299725> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://xrdarabia.org/2013/02/12/fear-of-change/comment-page-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967744 | 638 | 1.570313 | 2 |
A rapid build of Windows 7 is the first service pack is released, leading to thousands of downloads on a number of different torrent sites.
As with any Windows operating system (OS) output, bug fixes and improvements often come in the form of a service pack, and last month, the Windows team discussed the upcoming Windows 7 SP1 on a blog. The team detailed the first service pack is a series of minor updates to the popular operating system function. It should be noted, however, that the Windows team is not a final release date of the final Service Pack.
This leak beta, which was completed March 27 and is identified as build number "6.1.7601.16537.amd64fre.win7.100327-0053," gives an indication of incomplete progress on the next service pack, and how it does should not be considered a complete product.
Early reports from those who went ahead and installed the beta have already emerged. Downloaders say that installing Windows 7 much faster than the installation of Service Pack family if you are using Windows Vista.
Microsoft has officially announced when the final package, the first service is available. If you tried the unofficial beta”be you let us know in the comments.
Partner: Windows Password Recovery Tool | <urn:uuid:f266ebe7-5145-43b8-bcf9-dfed4e784e23> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.windows7password.net/windows-7-service-pack-1-beta-leaked-screenshots-review/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933968 | 257 | 1.515625 | 2 |
US 5051565 A
A system and method for matching all loaded baggage with passengers during aircraft boarding provides each passenger with a boarding pass and baggage tags, each having the same unique machine readable code imprinted thereon. A scanner and memory device at the boarding point scans and reads a passenger's pass and stores the code. A portable scanner and memory at the baggage loading point scans and reads each luggage tag and stores each code. The stored codes are delivered to the passenger loading gate prior to departure of the aircraft. A computer compares stored passenger codes with stored baggage codes. Lack of a stored loading pass code with a matching stored code of loaded baggage is indicated to permit inspection of such baggage prior to aircraft departure.
1. A system for matching the identity of a passenger boarding a public transport with check-in luggage comprising:
a transport boarding pass;
at least one luggage tag for attachment to luggage to be checked;
at least two labels, each having the same unique machine readable code imprinted thereon, one of said labels attached to said boarding pass, and the other one attached to said luggage tag;
first scanning and storing means at a transport loading point for scanning the machine readable code of said boarding pass as the passenger boards, and storing said pass code;
second scanning and storing means at a transport baggage loading point for scanning the machine readable code of said luggage tag, and storing said tag code;
means for comparing and attempting to match the stored boarding pass code with the stored luggage tag code;
means for indicating presence of a lack of a stored boarding pass code with the same code as a stored luggage tag code; and
a video photograph identification system for producing a paper photographic print of a passenger for attachment to said boarding pass.
2. The system as defined in claim 1 in which said identification system includes:
a video camera;
a video frame proocessor and storage;
a video image printer, and
adhesive-backed labels for printing of said photographic print.
3. The system as defined in claim 2 which further includes a video recorder.
Referring to FIG. 1, an overall view of the system and method of the invention for detecting the failure of a passenger checking luggage to enplane is shown. At the airline check-in position 11, a passenger reportswith luggage and purchases a flight ticket, or presents a previously purchased ticket. The ticket agent produces an adhesive-backed paper photograph of the passenger by means of photo identification system 10. The agent prepares a boarding pass 14 and attaches the photograph thereto.The boarding pass has a seat assignment printed thereon by printer 12 alongwith a machine readable code representative of the seat assignment.
A pair of adhesive labels is supplied by dispenser 16 wherein each of the pair of labels has the same unique machine readable code. One label is attached to boarding pass 14, thus being representative of the individual passenger, and the other label is attached to the luggage tag for attachment to one piece of that passenger's luggage. If the passenger has more than one piece of luggage, additional pairs of labels are dispensed and attached to the pass 14 and the additional luggage tags. The tagged luggage is then sent to the cargo hold 28.
The passenger carries the boarding pass 14 to the passenger loading gate 18when has a stand-alone computer 22 and scanning system 20. The gate agent checks pass 14 by scanning and storing the machine readable code in the memory of computer 22. The agent also visually compares the photograph of pass 14 with the passenger. If a question as to the passenger's identity is found, airport security may be called.
A portable luggage scanner/computer system 30 is provided at the cargo hold28. Ground personnel scan each luggage label to store each machine readablecode in a memory of scanning system 30. After all luggage is scanned and loaded, a ground worker hand carries the portable system to the loading gate 18. The agent connects the scanning system 30 to computer 22 and transfers the recorded and stored luggage codes thereto. A program in computer 22 compares the luggage codes to the boarding pass codes to attempt to match all luggage with a boarded passenger. If any discrepancy is found, computer 22 produces an alarm or report.
Turning now to FIG. 2, details of the system of the invention located at check-in counter 11 are shown. A boarding pass 19 is issued to the passenger at check-in counter 11. During the check-in procedure, the agentdispenses an adhesive-backed label 19 from dispenser 17, which can be pre-printed or printed by a label printer portion of dispenser 17. In one embodiment of the invention, pre-printed labels 19 are stored in dispenser17 in pairs as described above, in which case a pair is dispensed for each piece of luggage being checked. When dispenser 17 includes a label printer, the same code may be imprinted on a plurality of labels such thateach piece of luggage will have the same ID code.
In the first case, all labels 19 placed on luggage tags 13 have the duplicate placed on the boarding pass 14A. After the airline computer is accessed to assign a seat to the passenger, the selected seat number 21 isprinted on pass 14A by seat assignment printer 12 along with a machine readable code representative of the seat number. Alternatively, pre-printed seat assignment number and code labels may be used which are manually applied to pass 14A.
During the passenger check-in procedure, an optional passenger identification procedure may be utilized. A video camera 32 is used to record a full-face view of the passenger by recorder 34. Video frame processor 35 includes a frame grabber which stores a representative frame,as seen on video monitor 36, in frame storage 37. A supply of paper, adhesive-backed lables 42 is provided to permit a photo of the passenger to be made by video image printer 40. The passenger agent attaches finished photo 41 to boarding pass 14B, which now includes passenger ID label 19 and seat number label 21.
At this point, the passenger proceeds to the passenger loading gate 18. Thegate agent takes boarding pass 14B from the passenger. If a photo 41 is provided on pass 14B, the agent may verify that the person checking in is at the gate. Using a handheld scanner 20 connected to CPU 50, the gate agent scans label 19, and seat assignment 21 if present. Software 51 in with CPU 50 stores the passenger code or codes, and the seat assignment inthe CPU memory. Where the seat assignment system is used, the software 51 verifies that no other passenger is aboard having that assignment. Any problem will be displayed on monitor 52. Thus, a running head count and seat availability of discrepancy 60 is available to the agent.
In the meantime, each passenger's checked luggage is transported to cargo bay 28. In cases in which luggage is containerized, it is to be understoodthat the same procedure to be described will be followed. The ground workerutilizes handheld, battery-operated, computer and scanner 30A to scan each label 19 on luggage tag 13 as its luggage is loaded into cargo bay 28. Thecode read from each tag is stored in a temporary memory of computer-scanner30A. As will be understood, when loading of all luggage is complete, computer/scanner 30A will have a stored ID code for each piece of stored luggage. Computer/scanner 30 may also include a keyboard to permit the ground worker to enter a code for the location of the stowed luggage, suchas cargo hold section or container ID.
After closing of baggage loading, the worker carries computer-scanner 30A up the bridge ladder to loading gate 18, turning it over the the gate agent. Now designated 30B in FIG. 3, the unit is temporarily connected to CPU 50, and the stored ID codes transferred thereto. Software 51 controls CPU 50 to pair up each ID code with a stored passenger code. If a match isfound for each and every code, then it has been verified that all passengers checking luggage have boarded the aircraft. If any luggage codeis not matched, a discrepancy report 60 is displayed on monitor 52. The loaded baggage can be removed for inspection with minimum delay. If explosive devices, or other illegal material, the identity of the passenger checking the baggage may be determined from the cross checking the seat number with the airline computer 15 (FIG. 1). The name used, as well as the stored photograph may be of assistance to law enforcement authorities.
The system and method of the invention has been disclosed as applied to passengers and baggage of airlines. However, the invention is equally applicable to other transport systems, such as bus lines, railroads, and ship lines. Similarly, the hardware disclosed has been for exemplary purposes only, and many variations therein will occur to those of skill inthe art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
FIG. 1 is a flow chart representation of the method and system of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a more detailed block diagram of the check-in counter of the system of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is a more detailed block diagram of the loading gate and cargo bay portion of the system of FIG. 1.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to transportation systems in which passengers have separately handled baggage, and more particularly to a system for assuring that a passenger who checks luggage boards the transport.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recent Federal Aviation Commission rules require that baggage not be transported on an airline flight unless the passenger who checked the baggage is enplaned on the same aircraft. The purpose of such regulation is to discourage terrorist attacks in which a person checks luggage having explosive materials, but does not board the aircraft. To require matching of luggage with passengers at the loading gate before loading of the luggage into the aircraft would result in extensive departure delays, and additional expense. Thus, there is a need for a fast, essentially foolproof method of matching passengers with stowed luggage which will assure that the passengers have boarded the aircraft without disturbing existing check-in and boarding procedures.
One approach to this problem is provided by Greenberg, U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,994 which utilizes the airplane ticket and luggage tag to provider matching. All tickets are preprinted with a machine readable unique number printed thereon. All baggage tags have a different unique number printed thereon. The tags and tickets are scanned at check in, and linked together by a computer. All passengers are boarded and the tickets surrendered. The ticket code for each passenger is then matched with the checked luggage of each passenger. Next, the baggage of all properly matched codes is then loaded in the cargo bay of the aircraft. This approach delays the aircraft departure after loading of passengers until the luggage has been loaded.
The present invention is a system and method for: matching all loaded luggage with passengers during boarding; immediately identifying luggage checked by persons who have not boarded; confirming that persons checking in for a flight actually have boarded the aircraft; providing a running check to airline personnel of seat selection and head count; and errors or duplication of seat assignment.
A passenger, who may be pre-ticketed or purchasing a ticket, arrives at a check-in position. The agent issues a boarding pass which is inserted into a printer which codes the ticket with typed seat number and a machine coded representation of the seat number, received from the airline computer. A video camera system records a video frame of the passenger's face and prints out an instant photograph of the frame on an adhesive label. The agent attaches the photograph to the boarding pass.
Baggage tags are prepared for all checked luggage. Adhesive labels which may be preprinted or produced by a local printer, have a machine readable code thereon unique to the passenger, and are attached to the boarding pass and to each baggage tag. When preprinted labels are used, dual rolls having duplicated codes may be used, with one placed on the boarding pass and one on a luggage tag. Thus, a boarding pass may have more than one uniquely coded labels attached thereto. Any type of machine readable code may be used; for example, standard bar codes.
The passenger proceeds to the passenger loading gate, presenting his boarding pass to the agent. A computer, separate from the airline reservation competer, has a handheld scanner used to scan a coded lable on the boarding pass which stores that identification in its memory. The agent also visually checks the boarding pass photograph to verify that the correct passenger is boarding. The boarding computer includes a keyboard, monitor and printer.
The luggage from check-in is delivered to the cargo bay (or to a container loading station) where baggage personnel scan each luggage tag with a handheld computer and scanner. Thus, each piece of luggage has its code stored in the handheld computer memory. The handheld computer may include a keyboard for entering the cargo hold or container identification for each piece of luggage to permit rapid access if it becomes necessary to inspect a suspected piece.
After baggage loading is completed, the ground worker carries the handheld computer to the gate agent who plugs it into the boarding computer. The codes from the loaded luggage is read into the computer memory which is programmed to compare the codes with the boarded passenger codes. If all luggage is matched with a passenger, the aircraft is ready for departure. If luggage is identified for which the corresponding passenger code is not found, departure is held up and such baggage is located and removed for inspection.
The results of passenger loading is continuously displayed on the computer monitor to permit detection of any assignment errors, open seats, and head count. The passenger list can be printed out after loading is complete. If there are any discrepancies in passenger or baggage records, a report is displayed and printed out.
It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a method and system to ensure that all passengers checking luggage are on the aircraft before departure.
It is another object of the invention to provide a system for coding passenger boarding passes and corresponding baggage tags to permit matching of loaded luggage with loaded passengers.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a system for attaching a machine readable coded label to a boarding pass and a correspondingly coded label to checked luggage.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a computerized system for comparing boarding pass coded labels with luggage coded labels to produce detection of loaded luggage in which the passenger check such luggage has not boarded the aircraft.
It is another object of the invention to provide a computer at an aircraft loading gate for displaying loaded passengers and corresponding seat assignments.
These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the drawings. | <urn:uuid:33e1dc82-a26f-4f95-a595-a3a7aef28768> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.google.de/patents/US5051565 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931655 | 2,980 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Goa government has started sending undercover officials to get visual proof of the construction activity undertaken by Karnataka on the Kalsa-banduri dam on Mhadei river.
Karnataka government is constructing a dam on Kalsa-Bandura tributary of Mhadei river, which has been strongly objected by the Goa government and a dispute on the issue is pending before a tribunal.
State water resources minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues said that state government officials are being sent to the dam site to get pictures of the construction activity for a proper documentation.
Mhadei river is considered a lifeline of Goa and environmentalists in the state feel that diversion of water would spell doom on the ecology downstream.
Rodrigues said that the documentation of the construction work would be used against Karnataka to fight a case before Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal.
The recently-formed tribunal is yet to start the hearing of the dispute between both the states over the matter.
Rodrigues said that Karnataka should not go ahead with the construction work as the dispute is pending with the
The Mhadei river originates in Karnataka and meets the Arabian sea at Panaji. While the river travels 28.8 kms in
Karnataka, it traverses 81.2 kms in length in Goa. | <urn:uuid:94b24124-bbcd-464b-91e1-48a2c74d851d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Goa/Goa-collecting-visual-proof-of-construction-on-Mhadei-river/Article1-730803.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93449 | 278 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Last Modified: August 30, 2008
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts,"
I am seriously considering Proton Therapy for my recently diagnosed Prostate cancer. I am 55 years old, my Gleason Score is 6 (3+3), and my PSA is 4.5. The information I have been reading everywhere is very vague regarding side effects. Terms like "minimal" side effects or "largely spares surrounding healthy tissue from potentially damaging effects" do not help! What about the numbers? What's the percent of patients who have changes in potency?
James M. Metz, MD, Editor-in-Chief of OncoLink and Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, responds:
You are having a problem finding these numbers because they really do not exist yet. To date, there are no prospective randomized trials comparing proton therapy for prostate cancer to other treatments such as radical prostatectomy, IMRT, and standard 3D conformal radiation to understand the actual rates of tumor control and toxicity. Much of the discussion regarding reduced toxicity comes from the better dose distributions that protons can achieve compared to conventional radiation therapy. These dose distributions represent how well dose conforms to the target and how well it stays off of the normal organs, and are reflected in the radiation treatment plan. Because the dose is distributed more to the target and less to normal surrounding tissues, the natural expectation is that there will be less toxicity because less normal tissue is exposed to radiation. Most reports to date on proton therapy have been single institution retrospective studies. It is the sense from these institutions that there is an improvement in toxicity, but without randomized trials, it is difficult to say there is definitive proof. As proton therapy expands, there are more opportunities for these types of studies to be completed. In fact, as we move forward with our proton therapy center at the University of Pennsylvania which is currently under construction, we are committed to treating patients on clinical trials so that these important questions are answered. | <urn:uuid:2195fea7-c2ba-4ce0-9c49-a33be65e4053> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://oncolink.org/experts/article.cfm?id=2548&ss=117 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94623 | 413 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Android apps to run on Apple Macs via Bluestacks program
Owners of Android smartphones now have a way to run their favourite apps on an Apple Mac computer.
Start-up Bluestacks has produced a software wrapper that lets the phone apps run on a desktop Apple machine.
The release follows an earlier software tool that helped Android apps make the jump from a phone to a Windows PC.
Bluestacks said the software was for people that wanted a consistent experience with their favourite apps, no matter where they used them.Playing games
So far, only 17 Android developers, including Handy Games, Creative Mobile and Pulse, have signed up to make their apps available to run on a Mac.
Bluestacks said more developers were signing up to get their apps working with the company's software.
The latest estimates suggest there are about 400,000 Android apps available.
In a statement, Bluestacks head Rosen Sharma said its software was helping to "break open" the closed ecosystem surrounding Apple's computers.
Making apps that looked good on desktops could also help developers produce programs that worked well on tablets, he said.
Stuart Miles, founder and head of technology news website Pocket-lint, said the Bluestacks software would likely prove popular with keen users of Android apps.
"The appeal is likely to be more for gamers," he said. "So your favourite Android game, you could have that on your desktop at work."
It might fill another gap, he said, because there was currently no easy way to run apps for the iPhone on a Mac desktop computer.
In addition, it might also mean that people can get hold of free versions of iOS apps by going to an Android site, downloading it and running it on a Mac. If more developers sign up it could mean they can get popular programs, such as Angry Birds, for free instead of buying them from Apple's Mac store.
A test, or alpha, version of the Bluestacks Mac software is now available for download on the company's website. | <urn:uuid:ad7bc25f-acf3-4eae-8205-82b46e0d33b5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18624531 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959357 | 419 | 1.59375 | 2 |
'Linspiration' hits the Richmond school grounds 0
Gary Ye, 17, is one of many Richmond students inspired by New York Knick's Asian-American basketball super star Jeremy Lin and his overnight success story. (CARMINE MARINELLI, 24 HOURS)
Call it Linspiration.
The overnight success of basketball star Jeremy Lin has captured the attention of everyone from Time Magazine - the Chinese-American will appear on the magazine's Asia edition cover - to celebrities, and local Asian-Canadian teens with big hoop dreams.
"I couldn't believe that someone like him could be a star because he started off unpopular," said Richmond high school student and basketball player Gary Ye of the first time he heard of Lin. "But now he's stepped up.
"He motivates me to work even harder."
Lin, a point guard for the New York Knicks, shocked the world recently when he kick started a red-hot winning streak for the NBA team that now sits at seven games. It left many wondering how the 6-foot-3 Harvard graduate hadn't received a college sports scholarship and had gone, until recently, unnoticed.
Ye, 17, was born in Hong Kong and moved to Canada at age five. He is one of many young basketball players amazed by Lin's story of determination and perseverance - especially in the face of racial stereotypes.
About 60% of Richmond residents are visible minorities, but with the explosion of 'Linsanity,' even more Asian customers have headed down to local sports stores to seek out Lin jerseys. However, licensing for his jersey has yet to be cleared in Canada, meaning Lin merchandise is still far and few in between.
As Ye prepared Thursday to head into a district-wide basketball tournament that evening with Palmer Secondary's senior boys squad, he said Lin's story has certainly helped conquer stereotypes about cultural performance in professional sports.
"It shows everyone can do anything," he said, adding Lin's story is inspirational for everybody, not just the Asian community.
Basketball coach Ryan Strachan echoed Ye's comments, noting the 'Linsanity' has been buzzing at the high school.
"It shows that hard work, dedication and sticking to your goals can make anything possible," he said. "If you look at other ethnic groups that don't traditionally fare as well in certain sports, you'll see the same thing holds true." | <urn:uuid:0710aa6f-af16-4b03-8e79-c6e935832759> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/News/local/2012/02/16/19391031.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975157 | 489 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Fast Food Nation
Eric Schlosser's non-fiction 2001 book Fast Food Nation served as a rallying point for those concerned about the prevalent role that fast food restaurants have come to play in the workings of Western economics and culture. Written with wit and charm, Schlosser's findings were disheartening an overlarge portion of America's economy has come to rely on the mass production and consumption of junk food, and that food's not only a danger to the health of those who eat too much of it, but to those who work in the processing plants, toil at the minimum-wage jobs that the industry relies upon, and to the world's air, water, and soil. It was a fascinating read, and a disturbing one but how could it possibly be made into a feature film in any manner other than a documentary? Director Richard Linklater chose to work with Schlosser on a fictional story that would look at a number of people whose lives and livelihoods are part of the fast food machine. While it's not always successful, it's an interesting examination of the unpalatable origins of our Whoppers and Big Macs.
Linklater's Fast Food movie covers all of Schlosser's bases, but is surprisingly anemic in its execution. We follow an executive for the fictional Mickey's fast-food company, Don Anderson (Greg Kinnear), as he investigates claims of E. coli in the patties coming from a Colorado meat-packing plant, his visit converging with a group of illegal Mexican immigrants working at the plant and a teenager who works at Mickey's until she becomes involved with college activists. It's a well-meaning film, but one gets the sense that Linklater was so concerned with turning off his audience to his message that he soft-pedals everything, even though this is a story ripe for scathing satire. The plot involving the immigrants is the most interesting from a storytelling standpoint, showing the payoff to the coyotes who bring them across the border and then pack them like cattle into small hotel rooms before dropping them off at jobs at motels, meatpacking plants, and Wal-Marts. But much of the movie is devoted to getting the facts of fast food's corrupt business practices and dangerous policies across through lengthy lectures given by secondary characters, and it gets a little dreary. Linklater, director of Before Sunrise and Waking Life, adores the art of the monologue, but even Bruce Willis in a cameo doesn't distract from the fact that Schlosser and Linklater are lecturing us with facts and figures. While much is made of the horrors of the meat plant's killing floors, by the time we actually see them for ourselves (and the inevitable death-by-grinder scene) they're presented with such nonchalance that they have little impact. Overall, Fast Food Nation just doesn't quite work by attempting to make this important information palatable to the masses, Linklater and Schlosser defanged their message to the point that it has minimal impact. Those interested in the topic are better off reading Scholsser's book instead.
Fox's DVD release of Fast Food Nation offers a solid anamorphic transfer (1.85:1), which does a fine job with Linklater's deliberately grainy, often washed-out color palette. The DD 5.1 audio (English, with English, French or Spanish subtitles) is very good. Extras include a commentary track by Linklater and Schlosser, which ranges from technical notes on the filming and the acting to discussions on the film's issues. "Manufacturing Fast Food Nation" is a very nice behind-the-scenes featurette (55 min.), while other extras include three Flash cartoons that originally appeared in the Internet titled "The Meatrix" (in which a cow named Moo-pheus takes a pig on a trip through the manufacturing process) and another animated short called "The Backwards Hamburger (3 min.), plus a stills gallery. Keep-case. | <urn:uuid:6ed0a976-02ac-4a21-8892-56ef934bde97> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dvdjournal.com/quickreviews/f/fastfoodnation.q.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962967 | 815 | 1.765625 | 2 |
France to buy Israeli-made drones, 42 years after it banned weapons sales to Israel
Israel's Aerospace Industry will sell France its largest and most sophisticated drone, the Eitan, four decades after President Charles de Gaulle placed a weapons embargo on Israel.
The French Defense Ministry decided last week to purchase unmanned aerial vehicles from Israel, 42 years after French President Charles de Gaulle placed an embargo on weapons sales to Israel.The approved sale of Heron TP, or Eitan, will be the first time the drone is sold to a foreign country.
The Eitan is the largest and most sophisticated drone made in Israel. It is assembled by Israel Aerospace Industries, and went into operational service in the Israeli Air Force a year and a half ago. The Eitan has a wingspan of 26 meters – similar to that of a Boeing 737. It is capable of carrying out reconnaissance and intelligence missions in an altitude of up to 40,000 feet, and can remain airborne 36 hours. Eitan's large size allows it to carry a variety of equipment such as radars, sensors and camera, and, theoretically, missiles. This is potentially the largest sale of Israeli military hardware to France, coming after a sale of smaller IAI Heron drones to France ten years earlier.
The French embargo had two immediate results: the first being that Israel began purchasing American fighter jets, first the Skyhawk, then the F-15 and F-16 and now the F-35, billed as the Israeli Air Forces next fighter aircraft. The second result was the acceleration of the domestic fighter jet industry.
The first plane assembled in Israel was the Eagle, in effect an Israeli-made French Mirage, using plans and sketches smuggled out of France. The Kfir fighter was later assembled, followed by the Lavi program, which was canceled after two prototypes were built.
The grounding of the Lavi caused the Israel Aerospace Industry and other companies such as Elbit to shift their focus to unmanned drones. Today, Israel is considered a leading player in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles.
Israel Aerospace Industries refused to comment on the deal, but a senior security industry official said on the weekend that "this is a truly and historically coming full circle. The French embargo and de Gaulle's refusal to provide us with a French jet that was developed with Israeli expertise gave the Israeli industry a push, and now it the one providing France with an Israeli plane." | <urn:uuid:9b8c0bac-ec68-4d43-a7f5-15abaf2d394a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/france-to-buy-israeli-made-drones-42-years-after-it-banned-weapons-sales-to-israel-1.374991 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956728 | 491 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Members across UK Celebrate Diamond Jubilee with Service Days
By Heather Whittle Wrigley, Church News and Events
Throughout the United Kingdom in late May and early June 2012, in conjunction with Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond jubilee, members in Helping Hands vests gathered to express their appreciation for and serve their communities.
An April 9 letter from the First Presidency congratulated the queen on her 60 years of service to her country. “We rejoice with Her Majesty’s people throughout the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth on the occasion of this historic celebration and commend her for her love of God, her acts of charity, and her sublime example of service and duty,” it read.
Individual stakes and other Church units organized service projects according to their members’ capabilities and schedules, yielding thousands of hours of service by hundreds of individuals over a period of several weeks.
In Cardiff nearly 50 members volunteered their time on the national day of service by participating in an invasive weed removal project and a Salvation Army donation project.
Armed with spades and other garden tools, members of the Runcorn Ward of the Chester England Stake, gathered at Pewithall Primary School, where they transformed a large wooded area attached to the school into a nature reserve for students, complete with bordered paths, observation areas, and an open-air classroom area.
The school’s headmaster expressed his surprise at the amount of work that was accomplished in such a short time and invited the members to help with future projects.
Meanwhile, some members of the Porthmadog Branch met near Beddgelert to spend several hours scraping and scurbbing the peeling paint of the village hall, which is used for community activities. Other members gathered at Mary's Lake to support a cancer fundraiser, a charity walk with Race for Life.
Elsewhere, members of the Moreton Ward joined with a local congregation of another faith to hold a Jubilee family community activity and picnic. And in Rhyl, Wales, the Rhyl Ward and Colwyn Branch gathered to provide shelter and seating for the elderly at a Queen's Jubilee celebration.
Members of Chester Stake's Gaerwen Ward, from Anglesey, North Wales, helped remove an invasive species from a local marsh and bird reserve just a mile from the chapel. In Wrexham, 36 members gave 115 hours of service as they worked hard to repaint a children's nursery, which is run by a charity and trains those with limited means.
“We think Helping Hands days are wonderful,” Irene Ireland, who is a member of the Chester Stake, wrote in an e-mail. “Apart from giving valuable service in our local communities, they afford unique opportunities for bridging the age gap [our working party comprised septuagenarians and Primary-aged children, with all ages in between] to achieve worthwhile aims and, at the same time, to have fun together.”
Susan Bleach of Coventry, England, reported on her stake’s day of service, which was titled “Spring Clean for the Queen.”
“Members of the stake turned out in force to support the project, and we had an excellent result,” she said.
On the Saturday of the project, more than 150 members turned out—in the rain—to clean up the town of Warwick. The Warwick District Council provided the equipment.
Mike Kinson, chair of the Warwick District Council, attended and gave a short speech at the outset thanking members for their participation. Councilor Linda Bromley worked alongside the volunteers.
Members of the Dundee Scotland Stake completed their service project at Kingspark School for children with special needs prior to the national day of service. The project was a continuation of work volunteers completed in April. This phase consisted of approximately 25 members removing stones from a large section of ground, planting grass seed, and making devices to scare away birds. The area will eventually become a large grass field for school activities such as sports.
David J. Forsyth, president of the Glasgow Scotland Stake, worked alongside 34 members of the stake wearing Helping Hands vests. They donated dozens of hours of service to their community.
In Leeds, England, members of the Leeds Third Ward provided service at the Lawnswod Cemetery.
Meanwhile, members of several other stake units are gearing up for their service project on Saturday, June 16—helping to raise funds for St. Gemma’s Hospice, where a number of stake members are currently receiving care.
St. Gemma’s provides specialist medical and nursing care for people with life-threatening illnesses, predominantly cancer, along with support for their families. Stake leaders plan for 60 to 70 members to participate.
On June 2, 2012, in celebration of the National Day of Jubilee Service, approximately 65 sisters of the Northampton England Stake, ages 18 to 85, provided service in three different projects.
One project involved singing to residents at a local care center, while another project involved providing cushions for a women’s refuge facility in Bletchley, Milton Keynes.
Another group of sisters made quilts for Project Linus, a UK charity that seeks “to provide a sense of security and comfort to sick, distressed, and traumatized babies, children, and teenagers through the provision of new homemade patchwork quilts . . . [and] to give an opportunity for needlewomen across the UK to contribute to their local community.”
Volunteers completed 12 quilts and 30 cushions, and sisters of the Duston Ward will continue the quilt project in the future.
Members of the Norwich England stake completed diamond jubilee Helping Hands projects in four locations over two weeks in May and June, totaling nearly 750 hours of voluntary service.
“The most important thing is the wonderful impression left in the minds and hearts of the communities and groups blessed by this service,” said stake president Lawrence Vingoe.
Approximately 30 members and friends from the Lowestoft and Gorleston congregations cleared trash near an industrial park in Gorleston, impacting the cleanliness of the whole area.
In Norwich, 20 adult members and 7 children spent more than four hours cutting grass, weeding, and trimming hedges at a local primary school garden that had become neglected after the gardener was injured.
Mildenhall and Thetford members supported a project to clean and refurbish a large staircase at a public building owned by the Breckland District Council.
More than 80 members of the Norwich England Stake helped revamp Smithdon High School in Hunstanton.
From 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., groups of Latter-day Saints sprang into action to clear litter from the gardens and playing fields. They also painted newly built tables, seats, and fences; cleaned windows; and moved stacks of paper to the printing room.
In the early afternoon the school headteacher, J. Goodchild, inspected the work done and expressed his praise and appreciation to all those who participated in the service project. Staff members at the school were very surprised and pleased by the volume of work completed.
Members of the Sheffield England Stake are planning multiple service projects in the upcoming weeks. On July 7, for instance, the Sheffield Second Ward will hold painting, maintenance, and cleanup projects in Oughtibridge, Grenoside, and Stocksbridge.
In York, England, members organized several service projects, including a free celebratory fair, a landscaping project, and a cemetery cleanup project.
Local member Duncan Maclean reported that many elderly individuals and underprivileged families—both members and nonmembers—attended the fair, which nearly 90 members participated in by organizing, preparing, running, and cleaning up.
Near Whitby, some 70 members worked alongside local residents to dig out, wheelbarrow, and lay a cinder path so hikers, walkers, and schoolchildren could enjoy an ancient path that monks once followed to worship at a nearby abbey. | <urn:uuid:40efbad1-66f7-4c5b-a2c3-d3202684b677> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lds.org/church/news/print/members-across-uk-celebrate-diamond-jubilee-with-service-days?lang=eng | 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 | 0.961253 | 1,672 | 1.609375 | 2 |
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