text stringlengths 211 577k | id stringlengths 47 47 | dump stringclasses 1 value | url stringlengths 14 371 | file_path stringclasses 644 values | language stringclasses 1 value | language_score float64 0.93 1 | token_count int64 54 121k | score float64 1.5 1.84 | int_score int64 2 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ISLAMABAD — Police in Pakistan say an apparent suicide bomb blast has killed at least 65 people and wounded nearly 200 in the southwestern city Quetta. Most of the victims are minority Shi'ite Muslims.
The bomb exploded Saturday evening in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province. Doctors say some of the wounded are in critical condition.
The city police chief, Mir Zubair Mehmood, tells VOA the powerful bomb ripped through a crowded vegetable and fruit market in a part of Quetta dominated by Shi'ite Muslims, locally known as the Hazara community.
“It was a water bowser [mobile water tank], which was towed behind a tractor, and that water bowser was loaded with the explosive material," Mehmood explained. "We estimate around 800 kilograms of explosive material was loaded in there. We can’t say definitely, but it appears it was a suicide attack and at that point in time there were a lot of people shopping.”
The police chief says the explosion caused the collapse of a two-story commercial building in the market, leaving many victims buried under the rubble.
A banned Sunni militant organization, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, has claimed responsibility for Saturday’s bombing.
A leader of the ethnic Hazara community, Abdul Khaliq Hazara, tells VOA repeated attacks are meant to drag them into a sectarian conflict in Quetta and force them to leave the city.
“They provoke us to be involved in a civil war. We are very peace-loving people," Hazara insisted. "We never want to be involved in terrorist activities. We are education-oriented people. We are peaceful people. We want progress in the city.”
The Shi'ite leader reiterated a demand for the Pakistani military to take control of the city, alleging the police and paramilitary forces have failed to provide them security.
The Dari-speaking Hazars migrated to Pakistan from neighboring Afghanistan more than a century ago and have mostly settled in Quetta.
Saturday’s incident is the second deadliest attack on the Shi'ite community in the city this year. A double bombing January 10 killed 92 people. Relatives as well as leaders of the Shi'ite community were so angry that they refused to bury their dead for days.
The protest ended after Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf dismissed the provincial government and imposed direct federal rule in Baluchistan.
The provincial governor says Sunday will be a day of mourning across the province, while parties representing the Shi'ite community have called a strike in Quetta to protest the latest attack.
Human rights groups say sectarian attacks have increased recently in predominantly Sunni Pakistan, where last year more than 400 Shi'ite Muslims were killed. Sunni extremists view the Shi'ites as heretics and non-Muslims. | <urn:uuid:97eb97c2-8a47-4fcb-9d85-c326cf562e49> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.voanews.com/content/twenty-five-killed-in-bombing-in-pakistan/1604999.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972298 | 585 | 1.53125 | 2 |
How to Apply to a Fine Arts School
Updated on Friday 1 March 2013
So, you have decided to pursue a Fine Arts degree and you have selected the schools you wish to attend. What next?
Applying to a Fine Arts program is really no different than applying to any other program—it just requires a
few extra steps. The following article will tell you exactly what you need to do and what you will need when
applying to a Fine Arts college in the U.S. After all is said and done, you will realize with a little preparation
the process should require no stress on your part.
If you are a junior or even a sophomore in high school who is interested in the fine arts, you may be beginning to
wonder how to apply to a fine art school. Typically, you want to begin the application process as early as 1–1½
years before the proposed entrance date of your freshman semester. Fine arts schools usually require more
applications and deadlines than other entering programs.
Typically you must fill out a regular application for admittance into the college of your choice. This application
includes your personal information, test scores, GPA, personal statement, fee, transcripts, and the program you are
interested in. In addition to this application, you must fill out a fine arts application for that particular
department. What is needed in the application depends on the fine arts program you wish to pursue. Typically a fine
arts department is divided into three separate programs, each with their own application:
- Art Program
Art programs may begin by asking you to develop a cover letter. Usually in this letter they are looking for your
reasons as to why you wish to enroll in the art program, what you are looking for in an education, and what your
financial needs are. Sometimes your cover letter will help strengthen your chance of obtaining financial aid, so
international students may find it beneficial to mention their academic integrity and leadership potential.
Next, is the list of accomplishments. This is your chance to talk about any awards you have won, exhibitions you
have been in, or art competitions you entered. If you aren't limited to a word count, you will want to go into
as much detail as possible.
The most important aspect of the art program application is the portfolio. This is where you will be able to
display a variety of media and techniques you use in your art. Typically you will want to put your strongest
work at the beginning of the portfolio. It is important to label each image with your full name, the title of
the work, the media used, and the size. It is also helpful if you place an arrow on the piece indicating the
proper viewing position. Make sure to follow directions exactly for the portfolio, or else you may not even be
considered. Do not send more pieces than required (typically 12–20 pieces) and do not send your actual
work as there is no guarantee the school will return it.
When submitting your portfolio, be sure to check what the program's preferred method is. Digital image upload is
the most popular. With this method you want to make sure your images aren't pixelated and they are in the right
format (JPG, PDF, etc.). Other submission methods include plastic slide holders, a CD or DVD, or photographs.
The last section of the application process will usually allow you to create a list describing each piece in
your own words. Recommendation letters may or may not be required.
- Music Program
Fine arts schools usually have a very specific application process for their music program. This is because they
are looking for the right students to be mentored by faculty with specific skills. It is important to note that
the following application materials must be received by the school you are applying to usually four weeks prior
to the requested audition date. If the materials don't arrive on time, you can't audition. First, you must
provide a repertoire list. This is where you discuss the music you have studied and the roles you have performed
(if you are a voice applicant). Most programs require 2+ letters of recommendation sent in with your application
or sent directly from the recommender. Music composition students must additionally submit a portfolio
containing 2–3 scores of their original work with the title and their name on a CD.
The second part of the application process is the interview and audition. International students will be
interviewed by the faculty who are interested in what you wish to study, your knowledge of music, and whether or
not you will be a good fit for the program. The audition usually takes place on the same day. In the audition
you may be tested and your performance is evaluated based on technical and musical proficiency. Each instrument
has different procedures for the audition process. Typically you perform 2–3 memorized works of your
choosing that meet certain specifications (time period, style, etc.). You may also be asked to sight read.
- Theatre Program
Theatre programs typically have similar application processes to music programs. In fact students who wish to
major in theatre and music may be required by fine arts schools to fill out applications and attend auditions
for each department. Typically you audition in person, but in special cases you may send in a DVD or YouTube®
video. Auditions usually include one classical and one contemporary monologue. If you sing, you should prepare a
short song to show off your vocal range. Letters of recommendation are encouraged and a resume with theatre
experience and a professional photo are required.
- In addition to all of these application requirements, international students are required to submit TOEFL or
IELTS exam scores if English is not their native language. Students should also keep in mind that these are just
the basic requirements and steps on how to apply to a fine art school. Some programs may require more or less
information, while others may not even be open to international applicants. The most important thing to consider
when applying to any program is deadlines. If you don't submit all your information by a given date, you are not
guaranteed admittance to any university in the U.S. | <urn:uuid:9986f755-4c2c-4127-9f3e-8a39ab9f25ba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.internationalstudent.com/study-fine-arts/how-to-apply-to-fine-arts-school/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947235 | 1,277 | 1.625 | 2 |
Motorists on the 15 Freeway should keep their eyes peeled just past Victoria Gardens for two new signs alerting them to the historic highway.
City workers this week put up the signs on the northbound and southbound sides of the 15 at Foothill Boulevard.
"It's my intent to again let the people know that this is part of Route 66," said Edward Dietl, vice president of the California Historic Route 66 Association
Dietl worked with city officials to install the brown signs that read "Historic Route 66, Foothill Boulevard Next Exit."
"People come down from the 15 (Freeway) from Las Vegas and bypass Foothill Boulevard because they don't know it's Route 66 and go to Santa Monica instead," he said.
"What I'm intending to do is bring the traffic tourism to come down the 15 and see the sign and get off onto Foothill Boulevard. That would bring in a lot of tourism tax dollars to the businesses and follow Route 66 through its termination and get us some local taxes."
Route 66 was once the preeminent highway of the western United States bringing travellers and migrants to California. The highway originally ran from Illinois to Los Angeles.
Dietl said he started trying to have the signs installed about two years ago. Caltrans informed him that he would need help from the city as well as its approval.
Rancho Cucamonga officials have been working for
"I think it's going to be a great addition to the city, especially for Foothill Boulevard," Spagnolo said.
"It was probably 10 years ago that we were able to get the state to relinquish control of the Foothill Boulevard to us so we could have control. Prior to that, it was a state highway, and the state did little to promote Foothill Boulevard and the city of Rancho Cucamonga."
City improvements have been made to widen Foothill in the western end of the city. Also, work was recently completed on a recreational pedestrian bridge over the highway for the Pacific Electric Trail.
"Going east in San Bernardino County, all the cities are trying to gain control of Foothill Boulevard," Spagnolo said.
"They've seen what we've done and want to do the same ... You never go wrong when you have local control." | <urn:uuid:50ff5223-924e-409a-b5a4-28c76e2791a7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_21158745/freeway-signs-placed-indicate-route-66 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977968 | 482 | 1.648438 | 2 |
In one of my common Walks, along the Edgeware Road, there are fine Meadows, or Squares of grass Land belonging to a noted Cow keeper. These Plotts are plentifully manured. There are on the Side of the Way, several heaps of Manure, an hundred Loads perhaps in each heap. I have carefully examined them and find them composed of Straw, and dung from the Stables and Streets of London, mud, Clay, or Marl, dug out of the Ditch, along the Hedge, and Turf, Sward cutt up, with Spades, hoes, and shovels in the Road. This is laid in vast heaps to mix. With narrow hoes they cutt it down at each End, and
with shovels throw it into a new heap, in order to divide it and mix it more effectually. I have attended to the Operation, as I walked, for some time. This may be good manure, but is not equal to mine, which I composed in similar heaps upon my own Farm, of Horse Dung from Bracketts stable in Boston, Marsh Mud from the sea shore and Street Dust, from the Plain at the Foot of Pens hill, in which is a Mixture of Marl. | <urn:uuid:ffab5aba-7583-4072-9bbd-7baccf06a210> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.masshist.org/publications/apde/portia.php?id=DJA03d176 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976734 | 263 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Passivity not an option as far right rises again
One of the seminal slogans of the 20th century was the historic refrain “Never again!” This cry that rose from the ashes of the Holocaust was meant to ensure that there would be no repeat of the greatest tragedy in modern European history.
The refrain remains hollow if it remains theoretical verbiage utilized during speeches and ceremonies but lacks any real intent and action.
In recent years, a seemingly long-dormant ideology returned to a semblance of power for the first time since the unconditional surrender of German forces on May 8, 1945. For the first time in well over six decades, political parties that require members to be of “Aryan origin,” have full-armed and open-fisted salutes, have logos distinctly resembling the swastika and call for a census of Jews are back in Europe.
These elements are no longer consigned to the beer halls, isolated farm retreats or the margins of European political discourse. They are moving closer and closer to the mainstream.
In fact, this newfound political confidence is reflected in the street, where more and more Jews are being physically and verbally attacked in the open.
The Golden Dawn party in Greece, Jobbik in Hungary and Svoboda in Ukraine are just three examples of European political parties that have moved well beyond the historic far right and still unacceptable discourse of those like Le Pen’s National Front in France and the Freedom Party in Austria.
We appear to be entering a new phase in European political history that has extremely worrying parallels with the past. Of course, many will argue that none of these parties currently have great power.
But at what point will their power be too much? It’s a question that all decision-makers, opinion-shapers and law enforcement agencies in Europe must ask. Not in a theoretical sense, but in a very real practical sense.
The Jewish people and other minorities who are in the direct line of fire from this maleficent hate have no doubts that this threshold already has passed, and it is having a very real practical effect on the streets. A recent survey found that 63 percent of Hungarians are willing to affirm their antisemitism with no shame.
On Jan. 27, the international community observed International Holocaust Remembrance Day to remember the victims of the Holocaust and learn its lessons. A few days prior, I visited the seat of European governance, the European Parliament, which was the joint recipient of the recent Nobel Prize for Peace, along with other European Union institutions. Along with many others, I lauded the Nobel for the European Union’s commitment to peace and its success at unifying a continent that has known so much bloodshed.
However, as Europeans, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels and claim that a lack of war or conflict means that the European Union has succeeded in creating a harmonious and peaceful continent that can prevent future catastrophes.
As the number of Holocaust survivors begins to dwindle, many are witnessing something that would have been unbelievable to them only a few short years ago: the new groups, rapidly increasing in popularity, are emulating and co-opting the policies and ideology of those who murdered their families and brought to them untold suffering.
There are too many Europeans, especially those among its leadership, who remember the death and destruction that follows the Nazi ideology, and we, as Europeans, should do everything we can to rid ourselves of this force that again tries to lay a dark shadow on our continent.
We call on all public figures in Europe – media, cultural or academic – to use their platforms to assist the ridding of this disease. European politicians as a moral mass must adopt stricter legislation proscribing groups that promote hate, discrimination and racism from European political institutions. There must also be a demand for tougher enforcement and punishment, and the strengthening of education toward tolerance.
Some eight decades ago, the National Socialist movement caught many by surprise, and most did not fully comprehend or believe that it would be willing or able to fulfil its genocidal and destructive platform. Living with this dark history in our relatively recent lifetime, we have no similar excuses. We know what this ideology seeks, we know what this racist movement aspires to, and we cannot let it get a foothold again on our continent.
Just as eight decades ago, the Nazi ideology was able to take advantage of a financial recession, we also face similar economic challenges. This is when we must be at our most vigilant. We must beat back the advances of this ideology – not for the victims of the past, but for the possible victims in the future. If we do not, then “Never again!” will remain a hollow term utilized during speeches and ceremonies.
As the prominent Holocaust historian Yehuda Bauer said, “Thou shalt not be a victim, thou shalt not be a perpetrator, but, above all, thou shalt not be a bystander.”
Moshe Kantor is president of the European Jewish Congress and co-chairman of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation. | <urn:uuid:c333babc-e6be-417e-970d-2c20efb313a3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cjnews.com/node/96876?q=node/101737 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95161 | 1,044 | 1.65625 | 2 |
CeBIT Open Source Project Lounge - BIND 10
BIND 10 -- the Internet's Domain Name ServerBy
BIND10 is among the 15 projects that will present their work at CeBIT, the internet's DNS server.
In a nutshell: How would you describe your project in one or two sentences?
BIND 9 has been the Internet's DNS server for the last 10 years. BIND 10 is the Internet's DNS server for the next 10 years.
When did the project begin?
Real work started 2009-04-01 (really!), although the project has been envisioned for at least 3 years now. BIND 10 is part of the overall BIND DNS Server project, which traces back to mid 1980ies.
How many active members does the project have?
There are 7 software developers, plus someone acting as release engineer and technical writer, plus a project manager who also writes code when he needs to do real work. ;)
There are also over 80 people subscribed to the developer mailing list, although most are lurkers.
How did the project come into being?
A few years ago, Paul Vixie realized that BIND 9 was "losing mindshare". The world had changed, but BIND 9 had not kept up - other DNS products
were starting to fill niches left by the old, 20th-century DNS software.
BIND 10 is intended to not only fix the known problems with BIND 9, but also to provide a framework where people can test and implement
solutions to their DNS problems. Hackers of all kind should be able to... hack. :)
Why should a CeBIT visitor come to your booth?
One of our main goals is to meet with different types of computer users. We have good access to DNS administrators - but only in big DNS setups.
Anyone who administers DNS in any environment - big ISP, enterprise, home office, whatever - should come by and talk about how they use DNS.
We can make sure we meet their needs in our software, and also give them an idea of what to expect in the future.
Also note that we are going to be supporting DHCP and IPv6/IPv4 transition software eventually be in BIND 10, so if you love DHCP and
not DNS, we want to talk to you too!
Who do you make your software for?
DNS is for everyone using the Internet, and the Internet is for everyone.
Our first releases will be targeted at big ISP and DNS operators. We are also targeting people who make DNS software, by providing high-quality,
well-documented, easy-to-use libraries. Later (in a couple of years) we will release a version that in a "drop-in" replacement for BIND 9. We are also going to be working with operating system vendors to insure that we meet their needs, and make a package that they can include and support.
As a long term goal we also plan on making our libraries and server software available in low memory versions, to allow these to be used in
embedded environments. A lot of embedded software runs low-quality DNS these days, and this is affecting everyone - especially as small
devices become more powerful.
Where do you see your biggest current challenge?
Right now - making our first year objective of delivering an authoritative-only DNS server! This is complicated because our developers are spread across 5 time zones, all around the world, so a lot of co-ordination has to be done via e-mail rather than chat or phone calls.
If you could hire a full-time project developer now, what problem should he or she be ready to solve?
Right now we need money to fund DHCP work.
Under which license is the software currently offered?
Internet adress: https://bind10.isc.org/
Vendor D-Wave scores big with a sale to NASA's Quantum Intelligence Lab.
Many package updates and Steam integration highlight the latest from the Mandriva-based community Linux.
Richard Stallman calls for the W3C to remain independent of vendor interests.
The new release supports nine architectures, 73 human languages, and zero non-Free components.
Fedora developers release the first alpha version of Fedora 19, known as Schrödinger’s Cat, for general testing. The final release is expected in July 2013.
ack is a grep-like, command-line tool that has been optimized for programmers to search large trees of source code.
New features in SUSE Studio 1.3 include enhanced cloud integration, VM platform support, and lifecycle management.
The Linux Foundation recently announced that the Xen Project is becoming a Linux Foundation Collaborative Project.
Open source version of LiveCode is now available for developing apps, games, and utilities for all major platforms.
OpenDaylight is an open source software-defined networking project committed to furthering adoption of SDN and accelerating innovation in a vendor-neutral and open environment. | <urn:uuid:765c6913-065d-4934-bd21-7faa4c4bd901> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.linuxpromagazine.com/Events/Open-Source-Project-Lounge-2010/CeBIT-Open-Source-Project-Lounge-BIND-10?category=13419 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946869 | 1,028 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Lew-Port faculty member returns from Chinaby jmaloni
by Janet Schultz
At Tuesday's Lewiston-Porter Board of Education session Lew-Port music instructor Kevin Duncan presented the board with an overview of his 10-week teaching exchange to China.
Duncan taught music and some English at Lewiston-Porter's sister school, Tianjin No. 2. He explained that this particular school is highly competitive, as are most schools in China.
A typical school day in China is longer than those in the U.S. Classes are 45 minutes long with eight class periods. Once those periods are over, there are study periods the students participate in. They get an hour and half for lunch and there are about 15 minute breaks between classes.
"Most students are in school until 11 or 12 at night," said Duncan. "It's more lengthy than we are used to."
Each classroom has 45 to 60 students and classes are taught lecture style. The students take notes, memorize the material and then regurgitate it back. Another difference between U.S. schools and Chinese is that the students stay in one room and the teachers change.
They have no sports, music or clubs, so their socialization is found mainly in the classroom.
Going to school is an obligation and privilege that is taken very seriously by the students, Duncan explained.
"Chinese youth are expected to take care of their parents in retirement, and in order to do so they must do well in school," he continued. "This is a pressure that is put on them."
Students are told that if they don't do well, there are hundreds of others who will.
Duncan taught American folk music to seventh, eighth and 10th grade students. He also found his Chinese students were very tuned in to American popular music. However, they didn't understand the songs or what they meant or how they were produced, but that they "knew that song," he observed.
Duncan's experience living in China came as no surprise. He had visited the country last year and was aware of where he would be living, what his day would be like and what the food was. He was surprised at the number of Westerners living and teaching in China.
He also had the opportunity to travel and visited several cities, including Xian and Beijing. He saw the Terracotta Soldiers, Hall of the People, Tiananmen Square and the Fragrant Hills, where the Chinese go to see the leaves in the fall.
"I felt very safe just jumping on a train and traveling," said Duncan. "I had my translation book with me and headed head first into it."
Duncan explained that the experience was both life- and career-changing as it put the educational system in both countries into perspective for him.
It has also given him the opportunity to have open discussions with his Lew-Port students on China.
Later this semester, a group of students from China will visit Lew-Port for a week. Host families are needed for this exchange, said Lew-Port High School Principal Paul Casseri. Anyone interested should contact Casseri at the high school at 286-7263 or 286-7264. | <urn:uuid:c98fa80f-326b-4bee-9457-6815a9c68ed1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wnypapers.com/news/article/current/2011/01/22/101497/lew-port-faculty-member-returns-from-china | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987724 | 655 | 1.734375 | 2 |
On May 13th, the Zoological Wildlife Foundation brought Curly the 5 year old dromedary camel for Zoo Club at the Miami Country Day School. The kids went nuts! Every one absolutely loved Curly, and learned many things. Keep checking back to see what surprise will be waiting for the kids next!
Archive for the ‘Owls’ Category
Dozer the American Black Bear was welcomed with open arms at the Zoological Wildlife Foundation. What a handful he is! He roams around the foundation getting his much needed exercise and playtime with the workers, volunteers, and even some of the other animals! If you would like to see Dozer now before he gets too big and strong to be played with, then come to the Zoological Wildlife Foundation for a private tour.
The Zoological Wildlife Foundation welcomes our newest member, PUMBAA the African Warthog! Pumbaa is doing just great. He loves wagging is little skinny tail and following all of us around. Come by the Zoological Wildlife Foundation to visit Pumbaa, and all of our other animal friends! We do private tours and it’s a wonderful hands on experience you will never forget.
This past Saturday on April 24th, The Zoological Wildlife Foundation was part of an Earth Day Festival at the Pinecrest Gardens. ZWF did a presentation with the animals every hour on the hour, and it was a great success! We had nothing but positive feedback about our presentation. The bleachers filled almost every time and we put a smile on many peoples faces while we walked around with our animals and let everyone touch almost all of the animals we had for the presentation. Overall, it was a wonderful event that had a great turn out! ZWF would like to thank Pinecrest Gardens for letting us be part of such a wonderful event.
Join us at Miami Subs Grill yet again, for a great time with our wildlife! We will have a petting zoo for small children, t-shirts and other items for sale, and many of our animals will be attending this special event! If you’ve been to our passed Miami Subs events, then you know this will be another great one as well! Don’t miss this! Check the flyer for additional details.
The Zoological Wildlife Foundation will be involved in an Earth Day Festival on Sunday, April 25, 2010 at Pinecrest Gardens from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ZWF will be having an hourly presentation with many of our animals! We will also be doing photo sessions with our animals as well. You definitely don’t want to miss this, so come by the festival and celebrate Earth Day!
The Zoological Wildlife Foundation recently had another event with Miami Subs Grill to raise money for a new Tiger Habitat. This event went extremely well and we managed to raise a lot of money to go towards the construction of a new tiger habitat. We sold ZWF T-Shirts, had photo sessions with a variety of different animals, and accepted contributions, all for the cause. If you missed out on this event, don’t worry! ZWF and Miami Subs Grill will be having another event soon, so come check back regularly to see when we post up our next event! If you would like to check out some of our photos from this event, click to see our gallery here.
Cacatua is a recent addition to our family here at ZWF. He is a lesser sulfur crested cockatoo, and he really loves to speak his mind! Right now he says some words in Spanish and English, but we are working with him to learn more new words and sounds. Everyone already adores Cacatua at the foundation. If you would like to see Cacatua up close then come by for a tour at our facility! It’s an experience you won’t forget. Check out Cacatua the Lesser Sulfur Crested Cockatoo and his buddy “Citrus” the Citron Cockatoo‘s gallery.
If you guessed the Lesser Anteater or Tamandua then you are correct!
Tamanduas are found in Mexico, Central America, and South America. They make their homes in tropical rain forests and savannas. If the tamandua is threatened, it will release a foul odor from a gland at the base of its tail similar to a skunks. These guys eat about 9,000 ants in just one day! Mom and baby Tamandua are doing just great here, they truly are beautiful creatures! To see more photos of the Tamanduas, click here to visit our gallery, or if you would like to learn more information about Tamanduas click here for our info page. | <urn:uuid:942159c7-89bc-4ba7-8faa-ee46563a6917> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://zoologicalwildlifefoundation.com/blog/category/owls/page/2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948811 | 999 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Originally Posted by jsgarlock
I know this is probably a really basic question, but I need some serious help! I am trying to cover two small adjoining 30 sf walls with stone veneer and I cannot get the mortar mix right. I am using Type S Quikrete (80 lb bags). Can anyone recommend a mixing technique? How do I know when the conistency is correct?
Looks like that is not premixed with sand so you would have to add your own sand. Ok so maybe you know that.
I always think of the consistancy like mashed potatoes. Fluffy, will stand up in a pile on it's own. For rock work like stiff mashed potatoes. I always add a shovel or two of straight portland to make it a little stickier. If your going do do any grout bag work on the joints then loose mashed potatoes. Some portland helps with the groutbag or you can mix it a little rich. Its best to measure every thing for a beginner to keep the color consistant. | <urn:uuid:f463ecc0-0085-44f7-b0b4-b9813bf39fc2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.houserepairtalk.com/f17/mortar-mixing-help-1648/ | 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 | 0.954476 | 214 | 1.664063 | 2 |
My house was built in 1999, I have noticed very little water damage in the master bathroom. I am pretty sure it came from years of water being splashed out around the edges. I have already pulled the sheetrock around the tub surround and pulled it out a little bit to see if there was any damage underneath it but didnt see any and cant see any from the crawl space. The size of the damage is about 6"x8" and is in the corner of the tub and nearby wall and about a 2" hole that I pushed through to see how strong it was.
I was wondering if I could just repair it from the crawl space underneath the house. I can get to the area easily. I was thinking about taking a small sheet of 3/4" plywood and place it between the joist and nail some supports between the joist to sandwich the plywood under the old subfloor and the
2x4's or 2x6's.
Would be this be a acceptable repair or do I need to pull the tub/shower surround all the way out and repair it from the top. I am planning on tiling so it would be stronger after the backerboard and tile.
Red Blazer X:
The biggest problem that I'm having here is that all the tub surrounds I've ever seen stop at the top of the tub and don't extend below the top of the tub to cover the drywall beside the tub. That is, they look like this:
So, when you say you've got a hole in the floor, but you've pulled the tub surround away to check the drywall, then I'm thinking you're checking the drywall above the tub to see if it's wet.
If this is what you did, then doing that wouldn't really tell you anything. You see, a bathtub has a lip (about 1 inch high) that runs along the top of the front, side and back of the tub. You can see that lip in the following picture:
The tub is pressed snug with the wall studs so that tub lip will (hopefully) be flat against the wall studs. When they install drywall or tile backer board or anything around the bathtub, they won't drop the drywall down in front of that lip, or at least they shouldn't. They will hang the drywall so that it extends down to a point about 1/8 to 1/4 inch ABOVE that lip like this:
Notice that the bottom edge of the cement board is a short distance ABOVE the lip of the bathtub. The ceramic tiling in the drawing (or in your case, the tub surround) drops down in front of the tub lip and silicon caulk seals the bottom edge of the tiling (or tub surround).
(Also notice that the drawing is wrong in that it says the tiling should drop down to 1/8 to 1/4 inch above the top of the tub. That's way too much. It's the drywall, greenboard, cement board or whatever that is fastened to the studs that should drop down to 1/8 to 1/4 inch above the tub LIP. The tiling should drop down to about 1/16 of an inch (or so) above the tub top. Having a 1/4 inch gap between the tile and the tub would mean you'd have to use an awful lot of silicone caulk to seal that joint, and that would detract from the appearance of the tiling.
If it's an insulated exterior wall, the polyethylene vapour barrier behind the drywall will be stuck to the tub lip with accoustical sealant to form a moisture barrier around the tub. Even if it isn't an exterior wall, it's a good idea to have polyethylene behind the drywall or cement board just to act as a moisture barrier. They make waterproofing membranes (like Mapei's Kerdi) especially for this purpose, but it goes over the drywall or cement board.
If there is any water penetration through the wall, (such as at penetrations for the faucet handles or tub spout) that water will dribble down the back side of the tub surround (or the back side of the drywall) and drip into the gulley formed by the tub lip, the top surface of the tub and the back side of the tub surround.
Since that gully extends all around the tub, any water penetrating through the tub surround will flow around the tub in that gulley and come out where the lip ends at the front and/or back of the tub. The result is normally that the wall below the top of the tub at the front and/or back of the bathtub is water damaged, as well as the underlayment and/or subfloor in those areas.
Since the water flows in the bottom portion of that gulley, well below the bottom of the drywall, you won't see any water damaged drywall unless it happens to be leaking in right where you pried the tub surround away from the drywall. If the leakage past the tub surround occurs somewhere else, the drywall where the tub surround has been pried away will be perfectly dry since the bottom edge of that drywall is about an inch or more above the water in the gulley.
If the wall is damaged right under where that gulley ends at the front and back of the tub, and you haven't seen too much water splashing on that wall from the tub, that's a pretty good indication that the wall is getting wet from behind because of water running along the tub gulley. That means there's water penetrating through the tub surround, probably around the faucet holes, or the silicone caulk at the base of the tub surround is leaking.
If the 6X8 inch area and hole are in the floor, then most likely it's only in the underlayment, but it's possible that the subfloor has started to rot, too.
Here's how they built my building (but there are probably other ways of building a floor):
IN THE BEGINNING were the floor joists
Over they floor joists is the subfloor, which is typically either 3/4 inch tongue and groove plywood or 3/4 inch thick pine 1X6 boards.
Over the subfloor they build the walls typically out of 2X4's.
Within each room, they install thin (1/4, 5/16 or 3/8 inch) plywood or particle board "underlayment" over the subfloor. (except in the bathroom. in the bathroom the tub goes in first and sits on the subfloor. the underlayment is cut to fit up to the tub.)
Then they do everything else, including install the drywall and paint...
Then they install the flooring over top of the underlayment in each room.
It's been my experience in my building, that it's typically only the underlayment that rots when there's water leakage at the front or back of the tub, but I have seen the 1X6 fir boards of the subfloor start to rot.
Removing the underlayment will give you a good idea what condition the subfloor is in in those areas. If it's rotted, I'd give it some time to dry, scratch away any rotted wood, and if the remaining wood is still fairly thick, repair it with epoxy.
The above kit is sold at Lee Valley, and most of what you get in it you don't need. However, they also sell the liquid epoxy and hardener separately as well as the paste epoxy and hardener separately. But, I think the whole kit costs a bit less than all 4 purchased separately.
If the subfloor is rotted, I'd scrape away all the rotted wood you can find with a sharp paint scraper. Then, allow plenty of time for what's left to dry completely. Now, mix equal quantities of liquid epoxy and liquid hardener, and paint that mixture onto the wood you want the paste to stick well to. (That liquid will penetrate into the deteriorated wood and make it harder and stronger as it cures.)
Before the liquid epoxy you painted on cures (in a few hours), mix up some paste epoxy and paste hardener, and apply that to replace the wood that has rotted away. Since the liquid epoxy hasn't completely cured, you should get cross linking between the liquid which has penetrated into the deteriorated wood and the paste epoxy, ensuring very good adhesion of the paste to the wood. The paste will dry to the strength and hardness of good wood, and you can sand/scrape it down so that it's flush with the surrounding subfloor (especially when it's still relatively soft before it fully cures). Apply several coats of the paste to get it flush with the surrounding subfloor. (Even if it's not perfectly flush, when you install the underlayment on top, then any good sheet vinyl will still install reasonably well over that area of the floor.)
Then screw or nail your piece of underlayment down and install new linoleum (which is relatively easy).
If it's not a traffic area, you could also get under your floor and drywall screw a piece of plywood to the underside of your subfloor where the damaged area is. Always remember that plywood is strongest in the direction of the grain of the OUTSIDE plies, so the grain of the outside plys should probably be parallel to the floor joists and just run the plywood out far enough on each side to screw into healthy wood.
Swinging a hammer between floor joists can be difficut, especially when you're laying on your back. You could instead use an X-tra long 7/64 inch drill bit to predrill holes (and counter sink them with a countersink bit) using an angle drill to screw fir 2X2 cleats to the sides of the floor joists with 3 inch long drywall screws to support your piece of plywood.
Not sure if this helps.
If your tub surround extends down over the wall beside the tub, then removing that plastic won't allow you to repair a hole in the floor either.
This is where a picture is worth a thousand words.
The hole I have is at the bottom of the #3 in your second pic. My tub/shower is a one piece unit.
That is typical of where the water would leak out (and the wood would rot) if water were getting into the gulley behind a ceramic tiled tub/shower.
I really don't know where the water would go if water were leaking through your one piece unit at the holes for the faucet knobs or tub spout, but those are the potential leakage sites that I would check first. Take your handles and escutcheons off, and see if water can penetrate through the one piece unit through the faucet handle holes. Ditto for the tub spout.
My understanding is that there are no seams in your one piece unit through which water could leak.
To fix that, you'd normally plan on replacing your bathroom flooring, and replace any damaged subfloor and underlayment while the old flooring is out.
|All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:33 PM.| | <urn:uuid:ab6a14c9-d365-4fbc-8351-614ef0f5c130> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.houserepairtalk.com/f13/subfloor-question-8659-print/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955669 | 2,356 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Diversity in our Engineering Talent Pipeline
On October 14, 2011, we officially launched the IDEA Student Center at the Jacobs School of Engineering. The IDEA Student Center promotes Inclusion, Diversity, Excellence and Advancement among students, faculty and staff across the Jacobs School; and my hope is that the center will transform the culture and climate of the school.
Based on the most recent numbers available, only 57 percent of the students who begin their undergraduate studies at the Jacobs School earn a degree here. We are not unique, retention in engineering is a problem across the country. Part of the new center's mission is to foster the development of diverse, innovative technology leaders. This involves reaching out to students from traditionally underrepresented groups in engineering - a population that includes first-generation college students, underrepresented minority students and women. The IDEA Student Center works to attract a diverse pool of students to the Jacobs School and then, crucially, strives to improve retention rates. Currently, students from traditionally underrepresented groups in engineering have significantly lower retention rates than other students at the Jacobs School.
Why do these students leave engineering majors in disproportionate numbers? Research shows that insufficient academic preparation, poor performance in introductory classes, feelings of isolation, and lack of mentoring lead to attrition. The IDEA Student Center is responding with programs that offer academic preparation, mentoring, peer support and opportunities for community building. Our efforts invariably seek to get students fully involved in their engineering education. The most important retention tool that we have is student engagement. Through the IDEA Student Center, we encourage students, from day one, to participate in student organizations here at the Jacobs School. The IDEA Student Center team also guides our students toward opportunities to work in multidisciplinary teams that produce deliverables for companies and nonprofits; to work in the research labs alongside our faculty and graduate students; to take our leadership courses, workshops and forums; and to practice entrepreneurship skills.
In this issue of Pulse, we introduce our IDEA Student Center and highlight some of the complementary programs that challenge and enrich the students in our engineering talent pipeline. I invite you, our alumni and friends, to engage with the IDEA Student Center - perhaps as a mentor or advisor to individual students or to a student organization. More information on connecting with Jacobs School students through the IDEA Student Center is on page 6 of this issue. | <urn:uuid:882f74e1-9f37-4ce4-a18d-d4228616a91f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/pulse/fall2011/dean.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947441 | 478 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Posted by Lapofthegoddess on March 01, 2004
In Reply to: Re: Thanks Bob posted by Miri Barak on March 01, 2004
: : : : : : I hope this is my last one for this series:
: : : : : : Watering holes - refers to Pubs or Bars or both
: : : : : : and thanks of course.
: : : : : The police cars are standing near the pub and "waving the flag".
: : : : : Does it refer to the red light that's working, or is it methphorical and they mean:
: : : : : to make their presence felt, or so.
: : : : : And my thanks.
: : : : In nature, I would say that a water hole contains water. At a watering hole, wild animals can find water to drink. Similarly, people can get a drink at a watering hole - a bar, a hotel or in England, a pub or public house.
: : : : I assume the police are looking for "drunken drivers", drivers who have drunk too much alcochol. Many countries set a maximum level of alcohol in the bloodstream for drivers. I don't know which country you refer to, or how the police would stop an approaching car. I think that it probably means making their presence known. Good luck!
: : : By the way:
: : : The police cars are standing near the pub just to keep things in order and it is in winnipeg Canada. I wondered if "waving the flag" means - with their lights on, or just - being present.
: : : Thank you
: : Waving the flag (often "showing the flag") means making your presence felt by being visible. It's a bit like "gunboat diplomacy" where the prsence of the fleet is the message.
: Thank you - that's how I put it finally. (In Hebrew of course).
Your countries must be more conscientious about preventing accidents, or just more decent, cos here (in Aus), they tend to wait around the corner or hide behind a bush to pick you up once you've driven out of the pub. They don't tend to 'wave the flag' in advance.
Although, that's partly because of our constitution. They can't book you til you've actually committed the crime. Although it would be nice if they used the above suggested preventative measure instead of waiting til you've done it. Revenue collection is the common outcry.
A similar thing I think is a situation I face. As a retailer/restaurateur, if my staff spot someone dropping shelf items into their bag, my staff can NOT approach them about it until they've walked out the door. ie. It is not legally theft until it has actually left my premises. By which time another privacy rule cuts in that also pretty much prevents us from doing anything once they've left my premises.
Derr, I love these laws that protect us from the wrongdoers - err - except it seems to be the other way around. | <urn:uuid:7c325daf-515c-43e9-8084-b417f8b14203> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/28/messages/1095.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952939 | 648 | 1.640625 | 2 |
I see that my colleague Sallie James has already blogged on the inherent protectionism in the Senate’s long-awaited cap-and-tax bill. A summary was leaked last night by The Hill.
Well, we now have the real “discussion draft” of “The American Power Act” [APA], sponsored by John Kerry (D-NH) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT). Lindsay Graham (R-SC) used to be on the earlier drafts, but excused himself to have a temper tantrum.
So, while Sallie talked about the trade aspects of the bill, I’d like to blather about the mechanics, costs, and climate effects. If you don’t want to read the excruciating details, stop here and note that it mandates the impossible, will not produce any meaningful reduction of planetary warming, and it will subsidize just about every form of power that is too inefficient to compete today.
APA reduces emissions to the same levels that were in the Waxman-Markey bill passed by the House last June 26. Remember that one – snuck through on a Friday evening, just so no one would notice? Well, people did, and it, not health care, started the angry townhall meetings last summer. No accident, either, that Obama’s approval ratings immediately tanked.
Just like Waxman-Markey, APA will allow the average American the carbon dioxide emissions of the average citizen back in 1867, a mere 39 years from today. Just like Waxman-Markey, the sponsors have absolutely no idea how to accomplish this. Instead they wave magic wands for noncompetitive technologies like “Carbon Capture and Sequestration” (“CCS”, aka “clean coal”), solar energy and windmills, and ethanol (“renewable energy”), among many others.
Just like Waxman-Markey, no one knows the (enormous) cost. How do you put a price on something that doesn’t exist? We simply don’t know how to reduce emissions by 83%. Consequently, APA is yet another scheme to make carbon-based energy so expensive that you won’t use it.
This will be popular! At $4.00 a gallon, Americans reduced their consumption of gasoline by a whopping 4%. Go figure out how high it has to get to drop by 83%.
Oh, I know. Plug-in hybrid cars will replace gasoline powered ones. Did I mention that the government-produced Chevrolet Volt is, at first, only going to be sold to governments and where it is warm because even the Obama Administration fears that the car will not be very popular where most of us live. Did I mention that the electric power that charges the battery most likely comes from the combustion of a carbon-based fuel? Getting to that 83% requires getting rid of carbon emissions from power production. Period. In 39 years. Got a replacement handy?
Don’t trot out natural gas. It burns to carbon dioxide and water, just like coal. True, it’s about 55% of the carbon dioxide that comes from coal per unit energy, but we’ll also use a lot more more electricity over the next forty years. In other words, switching to natural gas will keep adding emissions to the atmosphere.
Anyway, just for fun, I plugged the APA emissions reduction schedule into the Model for the Assessment of Greenhouse-gas Induced Climate Change (MAGICC – I am not making this up), which is what the United Nations uses to estimate the climatic effects of various greenhouse-gas scenarios.
I’ve included two charts with three scenarios. One is for 2050 and the other for 2100. They assume that the “sensitivity” of temperature to a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide is 2.5°C, a number that many scientists think is too high, given the pokey greenhouse-effect warming of the planet that has occurred as we have effectively gone half way to a doubling already. The charts show prospective warming given by MAGICC.
The first scenario is “business-as-usual”, the perhaps too-optimistic way of saying a nation without APA. The second assumes that only the US does APA, and the third assumes that each and every nation that has “obligations” under the UN’s Kyoto Protocol on global warming does the same.
As you can plainly see, APA does nothing, even if all the Kyoto-signatories meet its impossible mandates. The amount of warming “saved” by 2100 is 7% of the total for Business-as-Usual, or two-tenths of a degree Celsius. That amount will be barely detectable above the year-to-year normal fluctuations. Put another way, if we believe in MAGICC, APA – if adopted by us, Europe, Canada, and the rest of the Kyotos – will reduce the prospective temperature in 2100 to what it would be in 2093.
That’s a big if. Of course, we could go it alone. In that case, the temperature reduction would in fact be too small to measure reliably.
I’m hoping these numbers surface in the “debate” over APA.
So there you have it, the new American Power Act, a bill that doesn’t know how to achieve its mandates, has a completely unknown but astronomical cost, and doesn’t do a darned thing about global warming. Such a deal! | <urn:uuid:d24669d4-fae7-475a-8ba7-b3b2ec4d05c1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cato.org/blog/kerry-lieberman-unveil-their-climate-bill-such-deal | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940243 | 1,171 | 1.59375 | 2 |
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The National Rifle Association on Sunday forcefully stuck to its call for placing armed police officers and security guards in every school as the best way to avoid shootings such as the recent massacre at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn.
Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the largest gun rights lobbying organization, said the NRA would push Congress to pay for more school security guards and would coordinate a national effort to put former military and police offers in schools as volunteer guards.
"If it's crazy to call for putting police and armed security in our schools to protect our children, then call me crazy," LaPierre said in a broadcast interview. "I think the American people think it's crazy not to do it. It's the one thing that would keep people safe."
LaPierre also contended that any new efforts by Congress to regulate guns or ammunition would not prevent mass shootings.
His comments on NBC's "Meet the Press" reinforced the position that the NRA took on Friday when it broke its weeklong silence on the shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
That stand has described by some lawmakers as tone-deaf.
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., says LaPierre blames everything but guns for a series of mass shootings in recent years.
"Trying to prevent shootings in schools without talking about guns is like trying to prevent lung cancer without talking about cigarettes," Schumer said.
The NRA plans to develop an emergency response program that would include volunteers from the group's 4.3 million members to help guard children, and has named former Rep. Asa Hutchinson, R-Ark., as national director of the school program.
Hutchinson said local districts should make decisions about armed guards in schools.
"I've made it clear that it should not be a mandatory law, that every school has this. There should be local choice, but absolutely, I believe that protecting our children with an armed guard who is trained is an important part of the equation," he told ABC's "This Week."
LaPierre cited Israel as a model for the type of school security system the NRA envisions.
""Israel had a whole lot of school shootings until they did one thing: They said 'we're going to stop it,' and they put armed security in every school and they have not had a problem since then," he said.
Democratic lawmakers in Congress have become more adamant about the need for stricter gun laws since the shooting. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California is promising to push for a renewal of legislation that banned certain weapons and limited the number of bullets a gun magazine could hold to 10. NRA officials made clear the legislation is a non-starter for them.
"It hasn't worked," LaPierre said. "Dianne Feinstein had her ban and Columbine occurred."
There also has been little indication from Republican leaders that they'll go along with any efforts to curb what kind of guns can be purchased or how much ammunition gun magazines can hold. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., noted that he had an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle in his home. He said America would not be made safer by preventing him from buying another one. As to gun magazine limits, he said he can quickly reload by putting in a new magazine.
"The best way to interrupt a shooter is to keep them out of the school and if they get into the school have somebody who can interrupt them through armed force," Graham said.
Schumer said that he believes gun owners have even been taken aback by LaPierre's refusal to include additional gun regulation as part of an overall response to the Newtown massacre.
"He's turning people off. That's not where America is at and he's actually helping us," Schumer said on NBC, where he appeared with Graham.
Associated Press writer Adam Goldman contributed to this report. | <urn:uuid:92a9433b-47db-4d7e-93ed-8d7482cedfdc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.the-review.com/ap%20washington/2012/12/23/nra-public-wants-armed-guards-in-every-school | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986006 | 784 | 1.679688 | 2 |
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell by 27,000 last week.
The Labor Department says weekly applications dropped to a seasonally adjusted 341,000, lowest in three weeks. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, rose to 352,500, after reaching a five-year low two weeks ago.
The huge snowstorm that hit the Northeast this weekend seems to have had little impact on the data. The report covers the week ended Feb. 9, before the storm.
A department spokesman said Connecticut was unable to report data to the federal government because state offices were closed after the storm. Illinois also didn't provide data, so both states' figures were estimated by the Labor Department.
The broader trend has been favorable. The four-week average has fallen nearly 5% the past three months. Applications are a proxy for layoffs. As they fall, net hiring typically rises.
Job gains have picked up the past three months. Employers added an average of 200,000 jobs a month November through January.
The economy added 157,000 jobs in January, the government said earlier this month. And revisions showed employers added 181,000 jobs per month last year, up from an earlier estimate of 153,000.
Still, unemployment remains high. The unemployment rate ticked up to 7.9% in January from 7.8% in December. Economists expect the rate will decline if hiring continues at last year's monthly pace of 180,000. The rate fell 0.7 percentage points in 2012.
The economy, measured by gross domestic product, contracted at an annual rate of 0.1% in the October-December quarter, hurt by a sharp cut in defense spending, fewer exports and sluggish growth in company stockpiles. That's much slower than the 3.1%GDP growth recorded in the July-September period.
Still, economists expect that figure will be revised in coming months to show a small increase, after more data about last quarter has been reported. Economists at Barclays Capital estimate the economy expanded 0.5% in the fourth quarter.
Growth will likely pick up a bit in the January-March quarter to an annual rate of 1.5%, analysts forecast. That's better than the fourth quarter but below last year's expansion of 2.2%.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:3f91a024-f6fc-4487-9d00-af78d54ef851> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/02/14/unemployment-applications/1918203/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963343 | 499 | 1.53125 | 2 |
I went to a workshop in natural dyes today. We dyed stuff--in my case, 3 skeins of yarn, 1 batch of roving, and cut up samples of cotton leaf fabric--in brazilwood (light red), pokeberry (dark red), pomegranate skins (oddly enough, yellow) and black walnuts (brown).
We also did some ah, impromptu sorta-dyeing by plucking roses, spraying a T-shirt with soda ash or water, then sandwiching some petals in between the fabric and...well, hitting them with a hammer. It came out with odd results.
Yeah, I don't get why red roses + water = red and hot pink, pale pink/orange + soda ash= light green grass color, red roses + soda ash = dark green/blue....Very strange. I felt sorry for everyone on the first floor having to hear us hammering.
Here's how the yarn came out.
Yeah, some of that came out paler than I'd like. We're going to do more techniques and creative stuff involving different sorts and levels of dyeing next week, so I may redo them.
But as for the leaf fabric...wow, check how those went. | <urn:uuid:d7cb6eb8-76b5-4cbd-a085-e7b567a048eb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fullmoon.typepad.com/crafts/textile_art/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935857 | 259 | 1.609375 | 2 |
- Supports the nervous system.
- Soothes frayed nerves.
- Aids in relaxation and encourages restful sleep.
- Boosts the immune system.
- Is a source of antioxidants (vitamin C and lemon bioflavonoids).
- Provides 100% or more of the daily value of nine important nutrients.
How It Works:
During times of stress, the body rapidly loses B vitamins. B-complex vitamins support the nervous system and replenish needed nutrients.
Provides 100–4,000% of the Daily Value of vitamin C, thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin, B6, folic acid, B12, biotin and pantothenic acid, plus schizandra fruit, choline, inositol, bee pollen, PABA, lemon bioflavonoids, valerian root extract, passionflower flowers extract and hops flowers extract.
Take 1 tablet with a meal three times daily.
This item is on special!
Go to the
page to order.
Place your mouse cursor over the image to zoom in to read the label.
Please note: Many of our product labels will be changing between now and June 2012. This label may not look like the label you receive in your product order. However, the ingredients remain the same.
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recommended I take Nutri-Calm, and within less than a month, I noticed an
incredible difference! It helped calm me down so I don'’ shake anymore, and I
feel better too! I’m 20 years old and I’m attending college. I still take Nutri-Calm
and I have never had those nervous problems again. I praise God for that friend
and for Nature’s Sunshine!”--Linda
“I love Nutri-Calm! I used to have real bad panic attacks. Then a certified
naturalist got me to try Nutri-Calm and I felt so much better! It didn't make me
feel groggy or drugged up, it just gave me a sense of calm. I have also been
healthier. Thank you so much for this product—it has changed my life!”--Kim
“I am a wife, a Registered Nurse, and a mother of two boys who I home school.
We have had some major illnesses and losses in our lives, and the stress and
anxiety have been building up to the point where I thought I was losing my mind.
“I did a lifestyle analysis on NSP’s website, and I found that Nutri-Calm
was a product recommended for me. I have been taking it for two weeks now and I
feel so much calmer. My husband has even noticed it. He said, ‘Honey, I don't
know what you are taking that is making you feel better, but don't stop taking
it.’ My relationship with my 5 year-old son is even improving. We always seem to
butt heads about lots of things. But I have NOT been so STRESSED that I can deal
with his 5 year-old ways now.“THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR NUTRI-CALM. God bless | <urn:uuid:512404ae-b116-4f02-87ac-b754ec4bf9bc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.naturessunshine.com/us/product/nutri-calm-100-tabs/sku-1617.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935277 | 757 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Erika Christensen, NIDA and In the Mix expose the dark side of ecstasy in a new PBS special
E C S T A S Y
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (New York, NY)
No longer confined to clubs, ecstasy and other drugs like K, acid, and GHB have found their way into schools and homes, and are used by growing numbers of young teens across the U.S. According to the 2000 Monitoring the Future Survey, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1.3 million of the nation's students in grades 8 through 12 have tried ecstasy at least once, and 450,000 are currently using it. The just released Office of National Drug Control Policy biannual report reveals that availability of ecstasy has increased dramatically, sold at high schools, on the street and in malls. The teens who speak out frankly in the new In the Mix special support the findings. James, age 18, "They're still at clubs, but they're just everywhere else, at school, at your house." Ashley, age 16, adds "I did E for the first time when I was twelve because my friend's older brother was doing it, and I wanted to be cool and fit in."
E C S T A S Y, hosted by 18 year-old Erika Christensen who plays the teen addict in Traffic, takes a hard look at the realities of what many teens think is just "harmless fun." This new In the Mix special shows the short and long term effects of ecstasy, ketamine and GHB; explores the devastating personal and social impact experienced by teens now in rehab; and defines the legal penalties for possessing even small amounts of these drugs which are in the same class as heroin and cocaine. The special will air the week of April 14th on PBS stations nationwide. (Check local listings or http://www.inthemix.org)
The word among teens today is that club drugs are not "real " drugs, that they are non-addictive and that using them can't get you into trouble. But according to Dr. Alan Leshner, Director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse, "We do know that an increasing number of people are coming into treatment centers saying, 'I can't get control over my E use,' Now, clinically, that's the definition of addiction." Megan, age 17, admits "I just thought I was going to try it...see what everyone's raving about. And, I fell in love with it."
Dr. Leshner goes on to clearly describe how even moderate use lowers serotonin levels in the brain, which leads to depression. Michelle, 16, describes "I'd get depressed and I'd get high to cover that up, and it was just like a vicious cycle." He also shows how other physical effects can result in seizures and stroke. We then ride along in an ambulance with trained teen EMTs from Post 53 in Connecticut who alert teens why they must call 911 when a friend is having a serious reaction and what to do while they are waiting.
We also ride along with an undercover cop in Miami who has witnessed an increasing number of overdoses and points out that "The manufacturers are going to great lengths to make tablets with logos that appeal to the American youth...and it's effective." The teens agree that it's like any advertising "If someone showed me a bunch of pills...I would take the one that everyone talks about the most."
Viewers see an actual bust of an ecstasy dealer as Westchester D.A. Jeanine Pirro explains what happens after a teen is arrested and the legal penalties for drug possession. Teens describe their experiences in prison and rehab, plus how they are getting their lives back on track and their hopes for the future.
According to Sue Castle, Executive Producer, "In developing the program, we talked with a diversity of teens who stated that ecstasy use is not only widespread, but that it has become the gateway drug to acid, speed and even heroin. They just aren't aware of the potential dangers, and it's so important to get the word out." Justin, age 18, agrees "You never hear (about ecstasy), they don't campaign against ecstasy like they do about crack, heroine, coke, marijuana."
E C S T A S Y was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). In addition to NIDA's http://www.clubdrugs.gov/ website, the special will have a companion website on http://www.inthemix.org/ with video clips, full interviews, resources, viewer experiences and more.
In the Mix is the award-winning weekly PBS series for teens that addresses critical issues and provides useful information in a cutting edge format. The series is a production of Castle Works, Inc. and was created by WNYC Radio.
For more information about this special, contact David Beilinson or Sue Castle at In the Mix.
Phone: (212) 684-3940 Email: firstname.lastname@example.org; email@example.com
E C S T A S Y
Hosted by Erika Christensen, the teen addict in the movie Traffic, this special raises awareness about club drugs by showing their dangers, defining the penalties and exposing misconceptions about them.
No longer just used in clubs, ecstasy and other drugs like ketamine, LSD, GHB and crystal meth have found their way into schools and homes as their use grows among young teenagers who view them as "harmless fun." In this special, teens in rehab talk candidly about their common experiences with ecstasy, alone and as a gateway to other drugs, their addiction and the devastating effects on their lives.
We also ride along with an undercover cop on the streets of Miami and see a young ecstasy dealer get busted. Westchester D.A. Jeanine Pirro explains what happens when a teen is arrested and the penalties for drug possession, as teens graphically describe their experiences in prison. Plus we interview Dr. Alan Leshner, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse about the latest research on the short and long terms effects of ecstasy. We ride along in an ambulance with trained teen EMTs who warn about the need to call 911 when a friend has overdosed.
Ralph - 17 : Through ecstasy I messed up, messed up on a lot of stuff. YK, I used to be on a high school football team, I stopped going to practice. "You're addicted to the feeling, you want to get that mental level, so you keep doing more and more."
John - 15 : The way you think on ecstasy is that you're safe from anything. Nothing's going to happen to me, even if I have sex with this person, and you're not going to be cautious at all.
Michelle - 16 : I know people right now, only sixteen years old, and they shake from it...they don't stop shaking.
Justin - 18 : Some people will buy the pure MDMA, the pure ecstasy, and they'll cut it up, and they'll get a pill press, and they'll mix up what they want to mix up, with like speed, anything...then to catch attention, people will put little stamps on it.
Among 8th graders, use of Ecstasy increased to 3.1% in 2000 from 1.7% in 1999. Among 10th graders, use rose to 5.4% from4.4%. And among 12th graders use rose to 8.2% from 5.6%*
* (Source: 2000 Monitoring the Future Survey, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse)
U.S. Customs seized 9.3 million tabs of ecstasy in 2000 up from 3.5 million in 1999 and 750,000 in 1998 *(Source: U.S. Customs Service)
[News Release Index] | <urn:uuid:f0b0c9d4-aed5-4974-b46e-1f6a5c5ac94e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://archives.drugabuse.gov/newsroom/01/NR4-5.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962309 | 1,620 | 1.75 | 2 |
The Global Enterprise Experience is an international business competition that develops skills in managing across cultures, time zones, world views and levels of wealth and poverty. It builds a mindset for creating successful business ventures that tackle social and environmental issues.
The 2013 contest will run from May 1 to May 22 and the prize giving will be held in June 2013
Enrolment is now open until April 18, it is free, and there are no restrictions on who may enrol. Participants usually enrol as pairs, although single enrolments are also accepted. On May 1 enrollees receive an email introducing them to their team of eight members. All teams will have members from countries that are rich and poor, big and small, with diverse world views and time zones. Multinational teams compete, not countries.
Participants are generally students, graduate or undergraduate, who are studying international business, international relations, development, peace studies, management, business communications, information systems or marketing. Participants have also included entrepreneurs and citizens seeking to foster their skills in working in global teams. To date 4,400 students from 180 universities in 68 countries have participated.
In 2013, participants will be set the task:
In addition, each participant is required to submit a one-page journal that outlines their experience and insights. Only those who have submitted a journal are eligible to win any of the prizes.
Participants communicate using interactive technology on the web. Easy access to computer resources and broadband helps but many participants have won using internet cafes, dial up services, and meagre access to computers.
Under "Archives" are examples of past reports and journals as well as heart warming stories of extraordinary commitment. Please click here for an A4 poster to promote this contest in your university or organisation.
Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand's capital city is the home of the contest. This is the tenth contest.
We are distressed that Aziz-u-llah Samandari, an award winner from this contest, was imprisoned in Iran for five years for doing what we are celebrating every other student in this contest for doing - getting an education and participating as a great team member with colleagues around the world. He has been charged with being a student of the Baha'i Institute of Higher Education (BIHE) and communicating with foreigners. BIHE is a university set up in kitchens and living rooms across Iran to educate members of the Baha'i Faith in response to the Iranian Government ban on Baha'is studying in university. Their vice chancellor has been imprisoned for 20 years and five BIHE professors have been imprisoned for between four and five years charged with educating Baha'i youth in diverse subjects like accounting, science and information technology. We fear for their safety. The Baha'i Faith is a peaceful religion that accepts the unity of all religions and eschews all political action. The organisers of the Global Enterprise Experience urge the Iranian Government to release Aziz-u-llah Samandari. | <urn:uuid:7d3ca925-5a8c-448d-92ba-bdf582ac082f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.geebiz.org/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953816 | 600 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Jewish defense organizations long -- and proudly -- have upheld a delicate principle in defending the First Amendment: Hate the speech, defend the speaker.
With hot-button domestic issues not expected to play a major role in the new U.S. Supreme Court session, Jewish groups are entering the fray over the right of judicial review for foreign detainees.
Letters to the Editor
The Santa Monica Landmarks Commission, in opposition to an unambiguous recommendation by the city's Planning Division to deny landmark status to the contested Teriton apartment building at 130-142 San Vicente Blvd., voted unanimously in favor of designating the building a landmark.The 7-0 vote at the commission's regularly scheduled Nov. 13 meeting at Santa Monica City Hall marked a victory for tenants of the 28-unit, three-story garden apartment in their very public battle with a nonprofit religious organization, Or Khaim Hashalom, which purchased the building in April.
"But is it good for the Jews?" That was the question many of our grandparents voiced when they perused the morning papers -- a question we may have dismissed, even with affection, as a narrow or parochial expression.
The dust-up over Jesus Day is turning into a firestorm. Thanks to the Internet, Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush cannot shake continuing criticism for the role that his religious faith might play in his presidency. | <urn:uuid:85c3fe32-8424-4e46-99fc-38a9f3098b16> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jewishjournal.com/tag/first%20amendment | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934756 | 279 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Although many have insinuated that the 12-step method is the only route to gain recovery from drug addiction, this is simply not the case. The 12-steps
have shown to be very effective in helping many addicts gain long-term sobriety, however, this strategy does not have a monopoly on addiction treatment
. The leading recovery
support group excluding the 12-step approach is SMART Recovery which stands for Self-Management and Recovery Training. SMART Recovery is similar to the 12 steps in that it is a non-profit and differs in that SMART Recovery is entirely secular and science based.
The other differences between the 12-steps and SMART are lengthy and dramatic. SMART Recovery works towards self-empowerment when it comes to decision making, as oppose to the powerlessness of the first step of AA. SMART Recovery meetings encourage cross-talk, it is more similar to group therapy
in this respect. Attendance is encouraged for an extended period of time, but never a lifetime. Sponsorship does not take place at SMART meetings and labels such as "addict" are not regularly applied to its attendees.
SMART Recovery used to be one in the same with Rational Recovery or RR, another sober support group. In August of 1994, following a dispute over the direction of RR, SMART Recovery sectioned off as a separate group. RR became a for-profit venture and SMART Recovery remains entirely free.
SMART Recovery employs scientifically proven methods of change such as Motivational Enhancement Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. These therapeutic strategies emphasize the four major points of SMART: Building Motivation, Coping with Urges, Problem Solving, and Lifestyle Balance. Although SMART is traditionally thought of as an alternative to the 12 steps, SMART declares it can also be implemented as a supplemental program for those already finding benefit in the 12-steps. SMART Recovery also provides the websites of various other recovery programs and asserts that sobriety is an individual conquest. In other words, what works for one person might not work for another and everyone finds their own path to recovery, which may or may not involve SMART Recovery.
SMART meetings are informational and supportive, providing numerous strategies for transformation. There are roughly 600 meetings worldwide, about one or two a day online and various self-help guides are provided on the official website "smartrecovery.org
". SMART Recovery states it is not important whether or not addiction is viewed as a disease and it can be treated successfully either way. SMART believes a spiritual program is not necessary to recovery and the power of change resides inside each individual, it just needs to be harnessed. SMART infers that having self-control over addiction producing actions is not a personality trait or a gift that some have and others do not. SMART emphasizes this is a skill that is developed through continuous practice.
There is a counterpart of SMART Recovery for the family and friends of those with substance abuse issues. Concerned Significant Others or CSO is an online support group that started in September 2010. This program addresses the obstacles that are faced when close friends or family attempt to help a loved one with a substance abuse issue. CSO differs from Alanon in that CSO promotes the idea that loved ones can have a positive influence on an addict's life whereasAlanon stresses that one ispowerless over his or her loved one's addiction. CSO incorporates Robert Meyers' Community Reinforcement and Family Training or CRAFT in its approach for interacting with addicted loved ones.
SMART Recovery uses a plethora of approaches to assess one's mind concerning addictive behaviors. These include Unconditional Self-Acceptance, Unconditional Other Acceptance, Cost/Benefit Analysis, Disputing Irrational Beliefs and deviating from absolute thoughts such as all or never. These are just a few of the instruments provided by SMART Recovery and as research develops, so does SMART Recovery. These approaches are described in detail on worksheets displayed on the www.smartrecovery
As SMART Recovery infers, there is not one all superior method to maintaining sobriety. Those in recovery have each found what works for them; not a single one-size-fits-all solution. A person believing they have "the answer" and that this is the answer for everyone is actually an arrogant sentiment to convey. It is illogical to jump to the conclusion that what works for you must work for all other addicts. Fortunately, we live in a world that provides various options for a life changing experience, whether it be SMART Recovery or AA, my only hope is that each addict eventually finds serenity one way or another. | <urn:uuid:abe1c9cb-0074-417b-92a9-8070cf3a01d2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.treatment4addiction.com/recovery/other/smart-recovery/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951153 | 965 | 1.742188 | 2 |
One tour- two palaces and one castle of Zemgale region tour in Latvia. You will see most outstanding Baroque and Rococo architecture of Latvia in Rundale palace, one of the brightest examples of classicism architecture of Latvia in Mezotne palace and medieval castle of Livonian's order, the residence of the Dukes of Courland in Bauska castle.
Pokaini forest is a mysterious part of the Zemgale woods. Strange stone piles are all over the forest, there is a theory that tells this is an ancient holy site. Strange things are hapening here, Pokaini is a site of powerful concentration of energy. Many people have felt like charging them selfes with energy here, specially by touching some of the stones. Maybe You can find a rock that "talks" to You?
The Tērvete Nature Park is an excellent place for families with children or foe friends to spend their leisure together. The Tērvete Nature Park has been selected as an EDEN (European Destination of Excellence) destination for 2009. Spend day in the fresh air in ecologically clean environment. | <urn:uuid:738edbcd-e6fd-4900-8990-d964772d8416> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.discover-latvia.lv/travel-zemgale.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930383 | 238 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Since the smoking ban came into effect, it is common to see people smoking outside pubs, restaurants and workplaces. The Government is due to review the law in July, but what will it mean for your business? Legal expert James Hall explains.
Since the introduction of the smoking ban on 1 July 2007, it has become common to see smokers standing outside pubs, restaurants and workplaces. Unable to smoke anywhere that is enclosed and with many premises unable to provide a suitable outdoor area, many smokers have little choice other than to huddle together in groups around doorways.
Consequently, critics have said that the current ban does not go far enough. They claim that people now have to walk through a fug of second-hand smoke to enter buildings, not to mention the fact that efforts by organisations to create smart entrances can be marred by crowds of smokers and discarded cigarette butts on the pavement outside.
In response to such criticisms, health minister Andy Burnham recently announced plans to extend the current ban to include busy open air areas, such as doorways to public buildings, bus shelters and pub gardens.
It is a criminal offence to smoke in an enclosed or substantially enclosed public area, with a few minor exceptions - for example, smoking rooms in hotels and guesthouses. The legislation carries fines for smoking or failing to prevent smoking in such places and for failures to display the requisite no smoking signs.
The Government claims that there continues to be strong support for the ban and that within months of the ban coming into force, 98% of premises were compliant. Interestingly, a large number of employers have banned smoking completely from their premises, including outdoor areas.
However, under current law, organisations have no direct powers to prevent people from smoking on the pavement outside their premises. Employers can introduce contractual disciplinary sanctions for their employees to encourage them to move further away, but there is little that can be done by businesses such as hotels, restaurants and bars that are used predominantly by the general public.
The Government review is set to begin in July this year, the third anniversary of the ban. It is unclear when any such new measures may be implemented and exactly what areas they will apply to. What is certain is that the behaviour of smokers has changed considerably since the ban was introduced in 2007 and the Government will be approaching its research with a very different set of facts.
Inevitably, there will be a backlash and there has already been criticism about how to define "near a doorway". On many streets, there is little distance between doorways and this could result in smokers having to walk some distance from their office or the bar they are drinking in to find an appropriate place.
Further, many pubs and restaurants in urban areas are landlocked, with no outside space other than the pavement; an extension to the ban could cause major difficulties for these businesses already struggling in the current economic climate.
Concern has been expressed about the ability of businesses within the hospitality sector to survive if the ban is extended, particularly when considered in tandem with the Government's other plans to control binge drinking.
Whatever the outcome of the Government's research, current indications hint strongly at the ban being at least partially extended as part of Burnham's strategy to cut the number of smokers by 50% in the next 10 years. Even the most vehement pro-smoking lobbyists concede that once the initial ban came into force, it was only a matter of time before the measures would be extended.
If your organisation fails to prevent smoking in enclosed spaces under its control (including company vehicles), the penalties are harsh. Currently, the potential penalty is up to £2,500. Failure to display the required no smoking signs could result in a penalty of up to £200 or a fine in a Magistrates Court of up to £1,000.
James Hall is a trainee solicitor at Charles Russell LLP | <urn:uuid:b8565318-0d14-4d7f-913c-1f97090650d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.catererandhotelkeeper.co.uk/Articles/2010/03/23/332696/preparing-for-new-smoking-laws.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970853 | 780 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Award-winning online learning developer Wowzers announced the launch of its newly designed and updated Web site, featuring a more intutitive design and dynamic new features, including a tailored user interface, richer, individualized content and a live web demo.
Designed to support schools and school districts as they adopt personalized and blended learning environments, Wowzers offers a complete solution for delivering engaging, game-based math content to students, while allowing teachers to provide more individualized attention based on each student's needs.
The new Wowzers site includes:
· A cleaner, easier to use interface that is tailored to the needs of the sites' primary visitors: teachers, administrators, curriculum coordinators, technology coordinators, students and
· Richer, more detailed content including product uses, research and resources.
· A new "press" page and other information about the company
· Integrated company blog, which features guest posts from industry experts, connects educators, students and administrators and provides insider insight and new perspectives.
· A live web demo that gives a quick overview of the functionality of the program, as well as an ability to sign up for a free, full-featured trial.
"Our mission has always been to make learning fun and engaging, and our new site design conveys that in a stronger way," said Wowzers president Andrew Howard. "As we look toward the future, we're looking to build a virtual community of teachers and learners. With guest blog posts and two-way communication, our new Web site is an important step in that direction."About Wowzers®
Based in Chicago, Ill., Wowzers is a game-based, adaptive online learning program where story-driven games and activities replace assessments, manipulatives and textbooks. The Wowzers program, which includes math Common Core curriculum for 3rd-5th grade and supplemental curriculum for 6th-8th grade, is built on a powerful, cloud-based platform that adapts to the learning style of each student for a truly personalized and effective learning experience anywhere there is an internet-connected device. Wowzers has been recognized with the CODiE Award for Best K-12 Solution and Best Classroom Management System from the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), the principal trade association for the software and digital content industries. For more information on Wowzers, visit www.wowzers.com
, find us on Facebook or reach out via Twitter at @Wowzers. | <urn:uuid:78a98693-c39b-4fc9-8811-82e2fac8e2a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.districtadministration.com/news/digital-learning-solution-wowzers%C2%AE-launches-new-website | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935513 | 499 | 1.695313 | 2 |
US 4819659 A
Disclosed is a blood withdrawing device including an elongated needle to which is bonded during molding a unitary polymeric structure. This unitary structure has a tube holding section and a locking section for locking a guard member in a permanently forward position which covers the tip of the needle. The guard member is mounted concentrically to the locking member and movable axially along the needl's shaft from a retracted position where the top of the needle is exposed and a forward position where the tip is covered. The locking member includes an elongated stem which is formed during the molding process. A second tip of the needle extends into the tube holding means and is displaced inwardly from an open mouth in the tube holding means which allows a vacuum tube to be inserted into the open mouth.
1. A medical device of the type used to withdraw blood or other fluids from a patient into a vacuum tube having a seal in an open end, said seal being adapted to be penetrated by a needle, including
an elongated needle having a hollow shaft terminating at a first end and a first open tip adapted to penetrate the body of a patient and a second end opposite said first end and terminating in a second open tip adapted to penetrate the seal of said tube,
a unitary structure including
(a) tube holding means having an open end into to which the tube is inserted during use and a cavity which receives the sealed end of the tube, said second end of the needle extending into the cavity but displaced inwardly from said open end in the tube holding means, and said first end of the needle extending outwardly from the tube holding means,
(b) locking means bonded to the portion of the shaft of needle extending outwardly from the tube holding means, and including an elongated stem member made of a polymeric material through which a substantial portion of said shaft extends, said stem being bonded to the shaft during molding, with the stem being formed about the needle shaft by application of pressure to the molten polymeric material which, upon cooling, shrinks and bonds to the surface of said shaft; and
a guard member carried on the portion of the shaft extending outwardly from the tube holding means and movable axially along said shaft between a first position where the guard member is inwardly from said first tip to enable said first tip to penetrate the body of a patient and a second position where the guard member covers said tip to prevent accidental needle sticks, said locking member permanently locking the guard member into position upon movement of said guard member from said first position to said second position.
2. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the locking means includes a groove and the guard member includes collar means which locks into said groove.
3. The medical device of claim 2 wherein the second open tip of the needle is covered with a self-sealing cap
4. The medical device of claim 1 including mounting means at the junction where the tube holding means and locking means meet and sheath means removably attached at said junction.
5. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the tube holding means is sonically welded to the locking means to form the unitary structure.
As best illustrated in FIG. 1, the blood withdrawal device 10 of this invention includes (a) a needle 12 (b) a unitary structure 14 including a tube holder section 16, (c) a guard locking section 18, (d) a needle guard 20, and (e) a sheath 22 for covering the needle.
FIG. 2 shows the device 10 with the sheath 22 removably connected to the tube holder section 16 and the needle guard 20 in a retracted position. Removal of the sheath 22 allows the needle 12 to be inserted into the body of the patient. With the needle 12 in the body of the patient, a vacuum collection tube 24 is inserted into the tube holder section 16 and moved inwardly to initiate the withdrawal of blood upon the rubber seal 26 of the tube being punctured by the needle.
The needle 12 is an elongated tubular member made of stainless steel. Typically the overall length of the needle will be from about 3.25 to about 4.5 inches with the opposed ends 12a and 12b of the shaft of the needle being truncated so that both ends of the needles will be sharp and adapted to pierce an object. The exposed length of the needle, i.e., from 12c to 12b is about 1 to about 1.5 inches. The one end 12b of the needle 12 is adapted to be inserted into the body of the patient. The other end 12a of the needle 12 is covered by a self sealing rubber cap 28 that acts as a valve. The cap 28 has an open end 28a and a closed end 28b. The cap 28 is compressed as the tube 24 moves into the tube holder section 16, with the end 12a of the needle piercing the end 28b. As illustrated in FIG. 2, as the vacuum collection tube 24 is inserted into the tube holder section 16 and moved inwardly towards the tip 12a of the needle 12, this tip 12a will penetrate the seal 26 of the vacuum tube, whereupon blood will flow from the patient through the hollow shaft of the needle into the collection tube.
In accordance with this invention, the tube holder section 16 and the guard locking section 18 are integral and made of a polymeric material, forming the unitary structure 14. This unitary structure 14 is made by sonically welding the tube holder section 16 to the guard locking section 18. The guard locking section 18 has the needle 12 firmly bonded in position. This is achieved during the molding process where the needle is inserted into the cavity of a mold, gripped, and held in position so it will not bow or move as molten polymeric material is injected in the cavity of the mold to form the unitary structure. Upon cooling, the molten material shrinks so that the guard locking section 18 is bonded firmly to the surface of the needle.
The tube holding section 16 includes a generally hollow cylindrical side wall 29 having an open end 30 adapted to receive the collection tube 24 and a base 32 opposite the open end. Opposite this open end 30 is an orifice 29 in the base 32 through which the guard locking section 18 passes. The cylindrical sidewall 29 and base 32 of tube holding section 16 provide a tube holding compartment 31 into which the tube 24 fits snugly but may slide in or out. Surrounding the open end 30 are a pair of outwardly extending flanges 36 that allow the user to grip the tube holder section 16 between the index finger and middle finger so that the user, by applying pressure to the end of the collection tube 24 with his or her thumb, can force the tube inwardly towards the tip 12a of the needle 12.
The locking section 18 has a disk-like mounting section 34 that rests on the base 32. In the manufacture of the device 10, the locking section 18 is placed in the position shown in FIG. 2 and then welded in place using ultrasonic sound waves to bond section 34 to the base 32. An outwardly extending cap holder member 42 having a cylindrical configuration and an inwardly tapered end 42a holds the cap 28. This end 42a is inserted into the open end 28a of the cap 28 and has a diameter slightly larger than the open end of the cap so that this end 28a expands outwardly and then firmly grips the cap holder 42.
Integral with the mounting section 34 is a plug 33 which fits into the orifice 29. The bottom of the plug 33 has an outwardly tapered bottom wall 44. A junction piece 46 extends outwardly from this bottom wall 44, and the bottom wall is offset slightly from the base by an outwardly tapered side wall 48. This outwardly tapered side wall 48 has a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the open mouth 22a of the sheath 22, enabling the sheath to be force fitted onto the mounting section 34 to cover the end 12b of the needle 12 prior to use.
The guard locking section 18 includes an elongated stem 48 having a locking member 50 at one end and a guard mounting section 52 at the other end. The guard mounting section 52 includes an annular platform 54 which is integral with the junction piece 46. Extending outwardly at right angles to this annular platform 54 is a planar member 56 having two opposed flat surfaces 56a and 56b. This planar member 56 is inserted into opposed slits 58 and 60 in one end of the guard 20. Adjacent the platform is an annular rib 62 which runs about the circumference of the stem. This rib is used to hold the guard 20 in the retracted position prior to moving it forward to cover the tip 12b of the needle 12.
The locking member 50 includes two spaced apart shoulder elements 64 and 66 which have between them a recess in the form of an annular groove 68. This groove 68 coacts with a pair of collar members 70 and 72 at the one end of the guard. One shoulder 64 has a ramp section 74 which permits the collars members 70 and 72 to slide up the ramp, expand outwardly, and then snap into a locked position in the groove 68.
The guard 20 is a cylindrical member having at one end the collar members 70 and 72 formed by the two opposed teardrop slits 58 and 60. Each collar member has a finger element 70a and 70b, respectively, which is received in the groove 68 when the guard 20 is moved to the forward position. The exterior of the guard 20 has a series of raised ring elements 76 which facilitate gripping the guard.
The sheath 22 is designed to fit over the assembly of guard 20 and guard locking section 18 and abut the base 32 of the tube holder section 16. This sheath 22 has an open end 22a and a closed end 22b with the open end 22a being formed by outwardly tapering cylindrical wall 80 which slides over the annular platform 54 and the bottom wall 44 of the tube holder section 18. The annular platform 54 is displaced inwardly slightly relative to the bottom wall 44 to accommodate the taper of the open mouth 22a of the sheath 22. External splines 82 on the surface of the sheath 22 assist in gripping the sheath when it is to be removed. Internal splines 84 on the inside surface of the wall 82 may be present, but are optional.
Substantial cost savings are provided by employing the unitary structure 14. This structure 14 has the needle 12 firmly embedded in it so that the needle will not slip or move relative to the unitary structure 14. To form the guard locking section 18 about the shaft of the needle 12, the needle is placed in the cavity of the mold (not shown) and molten polymeric material is forced under pressure into the mold cavity while the needle is gripped by pins (not shown). Conventional insert molding techniques may be used and any polymeric material suitable for use with devices of this type may be employed. On cooling the molten plastic shrinks, so that the stem 48 firmly grips the shaft of the needle 12.
The blood withdrawal device 10 of this invention is simple to use, and provides the safety feature of guarding against accidental needle sticks. The sheath 22 is first removed and the one end 12b of the needle 12 is inserted into the body of the patient. Next the user inserts the vacuum collection tube 24 into the open end 30 of the tube holder section 16 moving it inwardly. As the tube 24 advances, the other end 12a of the needle 12 penetrates the seal 26 of the tube 24, with the tube depressing the cap 28 as it moves towards the mounting section 34. The inward movement of the tube 24 is stopped upon the seal 26 engaging the end of the cylindrical wall 38. As the end 12a of the needle 12 penetrates the seal 26, blood is sucked through the hollow shaft of the needle 12 into the tube 24. The cap 28 is depressed, but springs back to the position shown in FIG. 2 when the tube 24 is withdrawn. Upon the tube 24 being filled, the user grasps the guard 20 with one hand and pulls the device 10 outwardly away from the body of the patient. This moves the guard 20 forward so that the fingers 70a and 72a of the collar element are moved opposite the groove 68 and snap into position in the groove to lock the guard permanently in position. The sheath 22 may be replaced and the entire assembly discarded, or the sheath may not be replaced, since the guard 20 is in position protecting the end 12b of the needle.
The above description presents the best mode contemplated of carrying out the present invention. This invention, however, is susceptible to modifications and alternate constructions from the embodiment shown in the drawing and described above. Consequently, it is not the intention to limit this invention to the particular embodiment disclosed. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications and alternate constructions coming within the spirit and scope of the invention as generally expressed by the claims.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to blood withdrawal devices of the type which employ a sealed vacuum tube, and particularly, a device of this type equipped with a guard member that protects against accidental needle sticks.
2. Background Discussion
In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/035,434, entitled, "Medical Device", filed Ap. 7, 1987, assigned to the same assignee of this application, there is disclosed a blood withdrawal device equipped with a needle guard. This device is used with a sealed vacuum tube that is inserted in a tube holding section having a needle recessed within this section. Upon insertion of the sealed end of the tube into the tube holding section, the needle tip punctures the seal and allows blood to flow through the needle into the tube. The other end of the needle has already been inserted into the body of the patient and the vacuum in the tube sucks the blood from the patient so that the blood flows through the hollow shaft of the needle into the tube.
The portion of the needle extending outwardly from the tube holder section is equipped with a guard. The needle has a locking element attached to the needle shaft extending from the tube holding section and the guard is mounted on the shaft. The guard is movable axially between a retracted position where the tip of the needle is exposed so that it may be inserted into the body of the patient and a forward position where the guard covers the tip of the needle. Upon withdrawing the needle from the body of the patient, the guard is moved forward to cover the tip and prevent accidental needle sticks. The locking element along the needle shaft permanently locks the guard in the forward position.
In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/037,325, entitled,"Medical Device", filed Apr. 13, 1987, and assigned to the same assignee as this patent application, there is disclosed an improvement in the locking element. There is a problem in mounting the locking element to the shaft of the needle and the Medical Device disclosed in the '325 patent application overcomes this problem. The solution provided is to employ a locking member that has an elongated stem made of a polymeric material and this stem is bonded to the needle shaft during molding. As the stem is being formed about the needle shaft, pressure is applied to the molten plastic material which, upon cooling, shrinks and bonds the surface of the shaft of the needle to the stem.
The present invention is a combination of the advantageous features of the medical devices disclosed in the above-identified, prior filed, patent applications. (Both of these prior filed patent applications are incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this patent application.) The present invention provides a blood withdrawal device having a locking member bonded to the needle shaft with the tube holder and the locking member being a unitary structure.
There are several features of this invention, no single one of which is solely responsible for its desirable attributes. These features are disclosed in the following section of this patent application entitled "DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT". dr
The blood withdrawal device of this invention is illustrated in the drawing, with like numerals indicating like parts, and in which:
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the blood withdrawal device of this invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the blood withdrawal device of this invention.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 2. | <urn:uuid:e4845859-467d-4b75-8c24-6c0026b5d1ac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.google.de/patents/US4819659 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943518 | 3,429 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Acne Scar Treatment
Even after you’re clear of acne, you may still have to deal with the scars and marks left behind all the acne you once had. For many, acne scar removal is the biggest issue they face, but luckily, there are viable solutions out there. In general, the acne skin condition affects over eighty percent of teens and five percent of adults. Teens are stuck with a tough few years in dealing with acne and it can significantly affect their lifestyle. For acne, there are topical creams and oral medications that you can use. However, for acne scars, it can really be a tough getting them to disappear.
Once an acne region has cleared up, it would leave a mark on your skin. In some cases, this isn’t necessarily a scar, but an inflammatory area. The restructuring process for your skin will take anywhere from a few months to one year. As you can see, it really takes a long time for acne marks to go away, even with the use of medications and topical acne creams. You might have heard doctors say that if you have any scars after one year, they may be permanent. This is no longer always true, as there are physical acne scar treatments available, which work towards removing those skin marks.
Dermatologists have also recommended acne diets for people with mild acne conditions. These conditions are just starting up, so they are easily treatable with the use of creams and tablets. Hormonal activity plays a role in your acne scar treatment as well. If you are pregnant, acne scars will take an even longer time to heal, as your hormones are constantly fluctuating. If you have noticed that you are developing acne marks on your skin, you should take some initiative in curing it on your own. So, how do you treat early acne scars?
Believe it or not, but the sun actually does affect your acne lesions on your skin. The direct sunray will cause more damage to your skin and it will surely delay the curing time. So, when you are going outside of the home, make sure to wear a hat and possible some sunscreen. You can purchase sunscreen at a local pharmacy, and they usually come with their overall strength marked on the cover.
Tretinoin will be helpful in increasing the healing time, as well as building up your skin cells. Like we mentioned before, it can take your skin at least a year to completely rebuild to its original state, so tretinoin could surely help you out. This is something you can purchase over the counter without any prescription from a doctor. The types of food you eat will also affect the overall treatment process. Acne scar treatment works best if you can eat food products with high amounts of Vitamin A, such as carrots. If you have second thoughts about what you should and shouldn’t eat, then consult your dermatologist about an acne diet.
Before your acne scar can be treated with a procedural method, we need to first know the type of acne scar you have. There are three general types of acne scars and each one has a specific type of treatment for it.
Ice Pick Scars: Imagine you were to pick yourself with an ice pick and then examine that area from the side. Can you imagine what you would see? It would be a long narrow hole in your skin, which runs fairly deep. That is exactly what this type of acne scar would look like. On the outer skin region, you will simply see holes on the skin.
Rolling Scars: These types of scars don’t go far deep, but they are flattened out at the bottom, they are wide, but not as deep as their width. The tissue region at the bottom of the skin plays a role in the formation of these rolling scars. Treatment for acne scars like this are quite complex and could take some time. Laser acne scar treatment will not work with rolling scars, as there is nothing to resurface.
Boxcar Scars: This type of scar can be treated with the use of laser treatment, as it’s rounded at the bottom and the top is still quite vertical. These scars are about one tenth of a millimetre in depth, so skin resurfacing will not be a problem. However, if the boxcar scar is over half a millimetre in depth, it may need some extra treatment.
Several good acne scar treatments exist in helping patients with the removal of acne marks, but they all come with their own benefits and risks. A few of the treatments used are painful at times, but the least painful one is the laser treatment. With phototherapy, you will experience absolutely no pain as everything is done through a blue light that causes no feeling. Laser acne scar treatment works well with all sorts of acne conditions, while still being able to remove the scars completely.
Dermal fillers are used by dermatologists in order to fill acne scars, to give the skin a richer and smooth look. Injections are usually made of collagen and micro derivates. These solutions don’t harm your skin cells, and they work in a neutral fashion. Other types of acne scar treatments include punch excision, punch elevation and dermabrasion. With punch excision, your skin will be cured from ice pick scars and boxcar scars. When the procedure is being done, you will be kept under a local anaesthesia.
Lastly, let’s consider subcutaneous incision, which works best for rolling scars. Rolling scars cannot be treated with laser resurfacing, so this is the only viable method. Much like punch excision, this is also done under a local anaesthesia. Specialty tools are used to pick the skin and break the fibrous bands in the skin. These bands are what forms the rolling scars, so by removing them, your skin would be back to normal again. As you can see, the type of acne scar treatment you would require is highly dependent on the type of scar you have. | <urn:uuid:fb0f9aa5-5525-4ff9-9aff-e5c4ecbcc862> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://acnetreatmentpages.com/acne-scar-treatment/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962591 | 1,223 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Livonia Dollars for Scholars Chapter
Dedicated community members have been talking about how to provide educational opportunities beyond the typical high school program and how to provide more opportunities for Livonia students to attend postsecondary education schooling.
From these conversations, Livonia has established a Livonia Dollars for Scholars Program. Believing that every student desiring a postsecondary education deserves the means to achieve it, dedicated community members, business owners, Board of Education members, parents and Livonia faculty and staff have formed a Dollars for Scholars chapter with the help of a $1000 start-up grant from the AXA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of AXA Financial.
The vision of the group is as follows:
We on the Livonia Dollars for Scholars aspire to be recognized by all stakeholders in our school community as a valued, professional resource for promoting all types of postsecondary education attendance at our students' school of choice and to provide opportunity for local philanthropy to benefit local student scholarships and educational opportunities beyond the typical high school program.
As part of the vision of providing educational opportunities beyond the typical high school program and under the umbrella of Dollars for Scholars, is LEEP (Livonia Exceptional Education Program). This past year, LEEP worked to arrange for an educational trip to El Yungue National Forest to study the rain forest. In March of 2007, the trip came to fruition when twelve students and three teachers traveled to Puerto Rico. All expenses were paid through the generous donations made to LEEP by community members.
The second part of our vision is to provide fiscal support for postsecondary education to students of Livonia School District. In June 2007, we were able to award over $3000 in additional scholarships. One of the most exciting assets of this program is that many colleges will match Dollars for Scholars Scholarships. This means that for a student who is awarded a $500 scholarship and attends a school which matches Dollars for Scholars Scholarship, the student will essentially receive a $1000 scholarship.
As we begin to build Livonia Dollars for Scholars, we will be sharing more information through the FOCUS and this web site. | <urn:uuid:6754280b-9c35-45f1-b854-e5a25a14e132> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.livoniacsd.org/Parents/SrHighSchool/dollarsforscholars/ | 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 | 0.951532 | 430 | 1.523438 | 2 |
This morning I saw a sign that said "Don't park in drive."
It was telling people not to park in the driveway in front of a building on campus, but I laughed to myself about a different way of interpreting the message, i.e. "Don't park while your car is in drive," as if you would tell someone: "Don't swim on land." Duh.
The sign also reminded me of a poem my dad once wrote for me.
I share a driver's license anniversary (meaning, the day I got my first driver's license) with my friend Kristen. We went through driver's ed together and went to the DMV together, with her mom and my dad, to redeem our laminated prizes. We got them on Lucille Ball's birthday, which is appropriate because we both love her. When we're in the same town on our anniversary, we go out and do something fun.
Go ahead and say it--we're precious.
On the day we got our licenses, to celebrate we went out for ice cream with our parents afterward.
As I took action to get out of the car--either tried to take the key out of the ignition, or took my foot off the brake, or something--I realized I had missed a step. The car was still in drive.
My dad gave me a look, and I laughed.
Later that night my family presented me with a bouquet of flowers, and they had signed a card. I still have it somewhere. Dad's note was reminiscent of "Roses are red, violets are blue..." and read something along the lines of:
"P" is for Park.
"D" is for Drive.
Try not to mix them up.
So I guess some of us, on certain occasions, need a sign with a more blunt reminder. Luckily for me, Dad told me the secrets of driving back in 2002. | <urn:uuid:46d1cbd0-820f-4114-a726-584dd5451dc7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thedaileebailey.blogspot.com/2012/04/daily-bailey-licensed-driver.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983044 | 396 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Japanese Whalers are Crooks? Who would have thought?
Commentary by Captain Paul Watson
Founder and President of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
The Greenpeace Foundation held a media conference in Japan today to expose the fact that workers on the Japanese factory ship Nisshin Maru were smuggling whale meat home and selling it on the side.
The headline was: Harpooned: Greenpeace exposes scandal at heart of whaling
Greenpeace intercepted a box of whale meat weighing 23.5 kilos that was labeled as containing cardboard and said that more than a ton of the best cuts of whale meat had been stolen by workers on the ship right under the noses of the whaling company.
Not that it really matters. We don't consider it a scandal because some whalers are making money on the side. The whales are dead, killed illegally and that is the real scandal. Where the money goes, into the hands of the company or into the pockets of the killers is irrelevant.
But why would Greenpeace be so surprised. The Japanese whaling industry has been controlled by the Yakusa (The Japanese mafia) for years. The union that supplies the crew is a Yakusa Union. Now what kind of tattooed self-respecting gangsters would they be if they were not pilfering from the company and ripping off the government?
Greenpeace was asking how could this theft take place without anyone noticing? Of course they noticed, but obviously the Japanese Yakusa made the company an offer they could not refuse, like the Japanese equivalent of "forget about it."
Greenpeace describes this as a "major conspiracy of corruption at the heart of Japan's government-backed, sham scientific whaling operation."
I guess we can add it to the long list of major conspiracies at the heart of Japan's government like the rape of Nanking that apparently did not happen and "dolphins, what dolphins are being killed in Taiji?"
I think it's a major conspiracy in the heart of Greenpeace Japan that they ignore the slaughter of 22,000 dolphins every year on Japanese beaches.
According to Greenpeace they have exposed widespread embezzlement of whale meat and it has been occurring for decades under the noses of public officials. Duh, you think?
Of course it has. The Japanese whaling industry is, and always has been a criminal operation run by criminals in a country where politicians are routinely bought. The Japanese Diet is a Parliament of whore and that should not surprise anyone.
Not that they are any different than the Canadian or Norwegian Parliaments where whalers and sealers call the shots like elected officials.
Greenpeace has called for the government of Japan to withdraw the license of Kyodo Senpaku to kill whales. We won't be holding our breath on that one.
Greenpeace also exposed the following scandals at their media conference;
- Throwing tonnes of whale meat overboard daily because they did not have processing capacity for the increased quotas
- Cancerous tumours being found and cut out of whales and the remaining meat processed for public sale
- Targeted hunts to ensure maximum catch, not random "sampling" as required by the research permits
- Harsh working conditions because of the increased workload from the increased quotas
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society could not care less about the harsh working conditions of the Japanese whalers. The harsher the better, as far as we are concerned. Any person who makes a living from the criminal slaughter of whales is undeserving of sympathy. They choose to work in those conditions.
The other charges were already known so nothing new here.
However it is a good thing that Greenpeace held this media conference. Anything that keeps the issue alive in the Japanese and world media is okay by us.
But we should not be so naïve as to be shocked by charges of criminality by the whalers. We know they are criminals and they are doing what criminals do.
The real crime is that they are targeting endangered and protected whales in an international whale sanctuary in violation of a global moratorium on whaling. Everything else is minor in comparison.Sidenotes: Earlier this year, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported that the whalers were struggling to pay back $1 billion Yen in borrowed public funds. With a massive 4,000 tonne stockpile of unconsumed whalemeat and Asahi Shimbun reports of consumer disinterest in "bloody drippings", the whalers seem to be onto a sure loser. To make matters worse, the annual increase in targeted Southern Ocean whales means that supply is already outstripping demand, a situation "unthinkable for an ordinary business entity" according to the accountant of a major audit corporation quoted by the Asahi Shimbun.
Consignment sheet detailing, in Japanese, the contents of a crewmembers' personal box
offloaded from the whaling factory ship Nisshin Maru, containing 23.5 kilograms of stolen whale meat.
The sheet lists the contents of the box as "cardboard." Photo: Greenpeace
Greenpeace Japan whale campaign coordinator Junichi Sato weighs 23.5 kilograms of
whale meat stolen by crewmembers of the Nisshin Maru whaling ship.
The contents of the box were listed as "cardboard." Photo: Greenpeace | <urn:uuid:abd696a2-89e4-41c7-b543-f651c3e8126c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.seashepherd.org/commentary-and-editorials/2008/10/25/japanese-whalers-are-crooks-who-would-have-thought-235 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96321 | 1,080 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Gal Luft of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security testified before Congress yesterday. Here's part of what he had to say:
Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, ten years ago, Osama bin Laden set a target
price for oil at $144 a barrel. At the time, crude oil prices stood at $12 a barrel and his
figure, aimed to compensate the Muslims for what he called “the biggest theft in the history
of the world,” sounded delusional.
Four years ago, just prior to the U.S. elections, when oil prices stood at $38, bin Laden explained his economic warfare strategy: “We bled Russia for ten years until it went bankrupt and forced to withdraw in defeat. We are continuing the same policy to make America bleed profusely to the point of bankruptcy.”
Reputable energy analysis outfits held a completely opposite view on the future of oil. A
2005 report by Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA) held that by 2010 global
oil supply would rise by as much as 16 million barrels per day (mbd). “We expect supply to
outstrip demand growth in the next few years, which would take the pressure off prices
around 2007-2008,” wrote the report’s authors. As we know, this never happened. World
oil production has been flat since 2005 and $144 might soon become a fond memory.
Today, with oil prices above bin Laden’s stated goal, his economic warfare strategy seems
like a resounding success. | <urn:uuid:f033fb5f-8cfb-45d3-b155-383cb347c2e0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.businessinsider.com/2008/7/bin-laden-winning-the-war-he-wanted-to-fight-oil-prices | 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 | 0.970214 | 321 | 1.8125 | 2 |
PMK founder leader S. Ramadoss on Sudnay said people of the state should stand united in its inter-state river water disputes, especially the Mullaperiar dam row with Kerala.
Stating that the Congress was eyeing power in Kerala in the next Assembly elections, he said there was no room to believe that the party would come to Tamil Nadu’s rescue on the issue.
“For long, lack of unity in the state has been the undoing when it comes to water disputes with other states. If this continues, the results could be disastrous for Tamil Nadu. Therefore people should join hands and come forward to organise joint protests,” he said in a statement here.
Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had on Saturday sought the intervention of the Centre to solve the interstate water disputes, including the Mullaperiyar dam row. | <urn:uuid:2dc5612e-d54d-4aa1-af3a-6ded4ba0eb05> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/mullaperiyar-pmk-for-united-protests/article110902.ece | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971374 | 178 | 1.585938 | 2 |
The Middle East – Let’s cut to the chase so that a broader understanding is possible.
Look at a map of the Middle East:
The first understanding is to know the “Modern West” was accepting of mass migration from N-Africa through Tunisia and Libya into Cyprus, Italy and on to Europe for decades. This migration was/is the beginning of their substantive multi-cultural issues they are now facing socially and economically.
Long story short…. Eventually Europe wanted the spigot turned off because the “undesirables” were not assimilating correctly and they could not afford the resulting problems. The ruling fascists in Libya (Gaddafi) and Tunisia (Zine El Abidine Ben Ali) now held “leverage” over Europe. Quackdaffy and Ben Ali became the gatekeepers.
They, Ben Ali and Daffy, also blackmailed Europe into paying them to keep the gates closed and stop the immigration. Both men were paid handsomely with Euros, and Trade agreements. So they took the money and closed the gates.
The “Problem” arose because the migration ‘to them’ did not stop; they just bottlenecked it in their own countries and then had to strong-arm the undesirables to keep control. Where did the very first country to explode in the Arab Spring happen?
Tunisia. Ta’ Da! After around two decades of bottlenecked migration, the country was filled with anger. Anger from the nationalists who wanted their country back, and anger from the new tenants who wanted their “culture” to have greater social and political power. A multi-cultural powder keg. It exploded, literally in flames as an old guy, Tunisian national named Mohamad Bouazizi, who ran a grocery market, couldn’t take it any more and set himself on fire in protest. His flame lit the fuse.
Now look at the map again.
If the Western entrance gates to Europe are blocked by NATO, and strong immigration restrictions are put back in place,….. where does the crowd go? The path of least resistance. It flows to the Eastern gates.
Sure some of them settle in surrounding geography, but the push heads toward where? Yep, Turkey. Ta’ Da ! Through Syria into Turkey. What countries are currently in the headlines? Yep, Turkey and Syria. They are about to go to war. Disconnected? Not a chance.
Turkish Prime Minister – Erdogan, now has the power of the gate key.
The pinky raised pontificating Euro-wienies don’t want them pesky undesirables back on the march so Erdogan can demand just about anything.
The difference between Erdogan and Gaddaffi/Ali is he’s an Islamist just like the new Muslim Brotherhood Egyptian Prez Mohamed Morsi.
Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the “figurehead guy” who led the nonsense (“rebels”) in Libya handed the reins to Mohammed Magarief, and quickly ducked for cover because the severe Islamists are now in control of the militia (aka law enforcement).
Gaddafi and former Egyptian Prez Mubarak, took the payola and kept the Islamist elements in check – and in jail. The new crew(s) open the jails and let them out, and yet will still demand the payola. (Not Funny that)
In Syria the President, Bashar Hafez al-Assad, is kinda thought about by our guys like Gaddafi circa 1980′s, before Daffy recognized the easier choice was to “work with us”. Now the Islamists (Salafists, al-Qaeda, Muslim Brotherhood et al) are gonna chop off his private parts too. And the neighbor Erdogan is going to give them the knife to do it.
And as described “Erdogan holds the Western Wild cards”…. so it’s only a matter of time before Assad is dispatched too. But he saw the literal stick up the butt of Gaddafi, and he doesn’t much like the thought of that idea, plus he has all those weapons from Saddam Hussein and the Ruskies.
The Ruskies are cool with giving him more bullets and stuff to keep going, because they are repaid by Immanutjob’s oil and natural resources in trade. Coincidently circumventing the Iran “embargo” which is more like a non-embargo/embargo.
Meanwhile from Egypt, Mohammed al-Zawahiri, now out of prison, keeps the US embassies busy in Libya and Egypt, while his brother Ayman al-Zawahiri wears the big Turban (al-Qaeda/Taliban Boss) and keeps the US tied down, and waits us out -TO GET OUT- in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
We created al-Qaeda under their former name “Mujahideen” back when the Ruskies were trying their hand in the land of Poppy. We funded the Mujahideen (aka Osama Bin Laden) to fight the Ruskies, while we were funding Sadam Hussein (Iraq) to fight Iran.
Once Iran and Iraq quit fighting each other Hussein looked South. When he decided to pick on Kuwait, he became our enemy. When the House of Saud asked us to protect Saudi Arabia, and we got skittish about the oil worry, Bin Laden got PO’d that “his people” would invite the “infidels” into the land of Mecca instead of asking him for help. Huge Religious ego issue.
Simultaneously, the Ruskies quit trying to make the big rocks into little rocks, and so now Bin Laden had the time to make us his enemy.
All of these peeps: Muslim Brotherhood, Salafists, al-Qaeda, Taliban, Mullahs, and to a lesser extent the Saudi’s have one thing in common.
They despise the Dollar being the global currency. This is the commonality they all share, because they view our ability to print money ad infinitum as us being greedy bastards.
While their people struggle making rocks into wheat (because they live in sand dirt) they see our government able to print money all day/night, and create social welfare programs -for Americans only- that not only keep us fat, but also provide cell phones and internet service. They hate that, and, in actuality, if you look at it from their perspective, they kinda have a point.
After all, we bitch about “currency manipulation” by the Chinese, on the same day that Bernake is firing up QE2. Duh. Same/Same.
So the Bin Laden-minded critters (all named above) blame, and label, the printing press excess of the U.S. as global greed. Hence, when they dispatched their targets for the “Terror Planes” on 9/11 they picked the “World Trade Center”. Not accidental. They despise the global currency being dollars.
Well, perhaps that was useful, if not at least it can start a conversation. I hear Mitt Romney has a bit to say in these regards coming up today…… | <urn:uuid:1a4465b8-53b5-434c-bcf7-642a187dc9a0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2012/10/08/whats-going-on-over-there/ | 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 | 0.959191 | 1,496 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Romney Appears to Refine Position on Pre-existing Conditions
(WASHINGTON) -- Mitt Romney appears to have altered his position on the Obamacare ban on denying insurance to people with pre-existing conditions in an interview with the Columbus Dispatch editorial board.
“You have to deal with those people who are currently uninsured, and help them have the opportunity to have insurance,” said Romney, according to the paper.
“But then once people have all had that opportunity to become insured, if someone chooses not to become insured, and waits for 10 or 20 years and then gets ill and then says, ‘Now I want insurance,’ you could hardly say to an insurance company, ‘Oh, you must take this person now that they’re sick,’ or there’d literally be no reason to have insurance.”
In the same interview with the Dispatch, he also argued that not having insurance does not in itself lead to deaths.
“We don’t have a setting across this country where if you don’t have insurance, we just say to you, ‘Tough luck, you’re going to die when you have your heart attack,’” Romney said. “Instead you go to the hospital, you get treated, you get care, and it’s paid for, either by charity, the government or by the hospital. We don’t have people that become ill, who die in their apartment because they don’t have insurance.”
Romney’s reference to a “choice” with regard to pre-existing conditions and his inclusion of giving opportunity to people “who are currently uninsured” would seem to contradict earlier statements from Romney and his own website, which suggest no ban on pre-existing conditions should be extended for people who don’t currently have insurance. A full transcript of the interview has not yet been posted by the Dispatch. The Romney campaign has not responded to a request for comment.
There were approximately 49 million non-elderly uninsured Americans in 2010, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation report that utilized U.S. Census data. More than 70 percent of those have gone without insurance for a year or more, according to the report.
Here’s what it says on Mitt Romney’s website about pre-existing conditions: “Prevent discrimination against individuals with pre-existing conditions who maintain continuous coverage.”
That has been taken to suggest that he favors a ban on insurance companies discriminating on the basis of pre-existing conditions, but not for people who are currently uninsured. “Continuous coverage” generally means three months, so presumably a three-month gap is allowed.
Romney has backed this assessment up, most notably in an interview during the GOP primary this spring with Jay Leno, when Romney was careful to stipulate that someone would need to have had insurance. “People who have done their best to be insured are going to be covered,” said Romney.
“If they are 45 years old, and they show up and say, ‘I want insurance because I have heart disease,’ it’s like, ‘Hey, guys. We can’t play the game like that,’” Romney told Jay Leno during a March appearance on the Tonight Show. "You’ve got to get insurance when you are well, and then if you get ill, you are going to be covered."
“People who have been continuously insured, let’s say someone’s had a job for a while and been insured, then they get real sick and they happen to lose a job, or change jobs, they find, ‘Gosh, I got a pre-existing condition. I can’t get insured,’ I’d say no, no, no. People with pre-existing conditions, as long as they have been insured before, they are going to be able to continue to have insurance,” he said.
In the presidential debate last week, Romney said, “I do have a plan that deals with people with pre-existing conditions,” but he did not elaborate.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio | <urn:uuid:ee53f32e-5109-495b-bdd1-db24708a7b12> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.eastidahonews.com/2012/10/romney-appears-to-refine-position-on-pre-existing-conditions/ | 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 | 0.979342 | 885 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Pranab Mukherjee will be in Bangladesh from March 3 to 5 on his first visit abroad after assuming office as President.
The state visit coincides with a 48-hour national hartal called by the Jamaat-e-Islami. The Jamaat has been agitating against the war crimes trials, supported by the Sheikh Hasina government, in which some of its top leaders have been sentenced to death. At least 44 people have been killed in the last two days in clashes between police and party cadre.
Mr. Mukherjee will call on Bangladesh President Md. Zillur Rahman and receive the Bangladesh Liberation War Honour Award for his contribution to country’s liberation war. Mr. Mukherjee will also meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, leader of the Opposition and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, and the Foreign and Finance Ministers.
Mr. Mukherjee is to receive an Honorary Doctorate of Law from the University of Dhaka. Visits to Bhadrabila in Narail district, Rabindranath Tagore’s house in Shilaidaha in Kushtia district and Mirzapur have been planned. He will also attend a reception for members of the Indian community. Indian diplomatic sources here said that as New Delhi attached the highest importance to its relations with Dhaka, Mr. Mukherjee’s visit would provide an opportunity to take bilateral relations to new heights. | <urn:uuid:1e66297e-70e7-445e-bd89-8358f306be9a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/presidents-bangladesh-trip-coincides-with-hartal/article4467822.ece | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973238 | 296 | 1.5 | 2 |
Aaron Gouveia has worked as the Content Manager of Salary.com since 2011. Prior to that, he was an award-winning journalist at several prominent New England newspapers. Read more...
"What are your plans after you graduate from high school?"
For most recent graduates over the last few decades, the answer has been automatic and unequivocal -- college. With more and more jobs making a bachelor's degree a minimum requirement, there has never been a greater emphasis on higher education. And for the most part that's a good thing as more education is almost always better than less.
But times are changing.
First of all, the sheer increase in cost just to attend college has been steadily climbing year over year. College Board's survey of college pricing found a "moderate" cost to attend an in-state public college is $22,261 per year, while it'll cost $43,289 per year to attend a private institute of higher learning. Assuming you're like most Americans and can't foot that kind of a bill out of pocket, you'll have to take out student loans. Which means depending on what you choose to study and eventually make a career out of, your return on investment might not be worth the high cost of college. | <urn:uuid:4581a7b4-d8b6-477b-bf36-0f5f9513d021> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.salary.com/high%2Dgrowth%2Djobs%2Dno%2Ddegree/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979279 | 253 | 1.8125 | 2 |
The International Foodservice Sustainability Symposium (IFSS) was established in 2011, with the support by its founding sponsors, National Restaurant Association Conserve Initiative (Washington, DC), Kendall College (Chicago), and Food Service Technology (San Ramon, CA). While no date has been set for the next symposium, the concept is alive and growing.
The sustainability mission continues to gain ground and becomes more mainstream each year. While some contend that “this too shall pass,” it could be true in only one sense – by the end of this decade there may be much less buzz around the term, “sustainability,” not because it will be less important, but rather because it will ingrained in of standard operational practices. Here are a few pertinent facts to support the business case that is the true driver of sustainability in the foodservice industry:
· Foodservice uses 5x more energy than any other commercial business.
· Foodservice contributes half of all food waste directed to landfills.
· The average restaurant uses approximately 5,800 gallons of water each day and according to USA Today, Atlanta, San Francisco and Wilmington, Del. have seen water costs triple over the last 12 years.
The most impressive business case of all? Every energy, water, sewage and sanitation dollar saved drops straight to the bottom line as pure profit. A business operating on an eight percent profit margin, must increase sales by $12.50 to add just one dollar in profits. To keep that in perspective, a modest $500 monthly saving translates to a profit increase of $6,000.
Please feel free to explore the site as there are many resources included and more will be posted in the coming weeks and months.
Dawn Sweeney | President & CEO National Restaurant Association
Christopher Koetke | CEC, CCE Dean, Kendall College School of Culinary Arts
Dickie Brennan | Managing Partner, Dickie Brennan & Company | <urn:uuid:20e526d1-bd7e-43eb-a43c-2097921ddbec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ifssymposium.org/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932259 | 397 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Editor's note: Jeffrey Toobin is a senior legal analyst for CNN and a staff writer at The New Yorker magazine, where he covers legal affairs.
(CNN) -- The Supreme Court ruled that a Kansas church whose members travel the country to protest at military funerals, holding signs that say "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "God blew up the troops," has a right to continue such demonstrations.
The case was brought by Albert Snyder, whose 20-year-old son, Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, was killed in Iraq in 2006. The family-dominated Westboro Baptist Church, run by Fred Phelps, protested at Matthew Snyder's funeral to spread their opinion that American deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq are God's punishment for U.S. immorality and tolerance of homosexuality and abortion.
CNN.com talked to CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin about Snyder v. Phelps, which pitted the right of families to grieve in privacy against the First Amendment right to free expression.
CNN.com: What do you make of the Supreme Court ruling?
Jeffrey Toobin: This is a very painful, difficult legal case, but the fact that it's an 8-to-1 Supreme Court ruling illustrates that the result was not particularly controversial, when you consider the protest did not disrupt the funeral at all.
That the protests couldn't be heard or seen from the funeral was important -- the First Amendment allows what's known as "time, place and manner." You can't exercise your First Amendment right by using a bullhorn in a residential neighborhood at 3 in the morning, but free expression has to be allowed in public spaces with impunity if it does not disrupt the community.
CNN: Is it a consideration that the protests harassed the mourners or disrupted the funeral?
Toobin: That's not what happened here. This was a considerable distance away.
What's interesting is only the press coverage hurt people. According to the testimony of the family, they saw the protest as they were driving by. Only after they saw the press coverage did they realize how ugly the protests were.
Unfortunately, this is one of the issues we've struggled with at CNN, how to cover these stories. We are in the news business, for better or for worse, we are human beings who don't want to compound the suffering of other people. But we have the obligation to cover the news.
CNN.com: We often hear of hate groups that get First Amendment protection.
Toobin: Yes, it's painful and your heart goes out to the family -- but the First Amendment is often called freedom for the thought that we hate.
This is similar to protection of Nazi groups. If you look at the history of the First Amendment, the cases that test the limits of freedom of speech almost always involve unpopular political groups, or those outside mainstream expression. Democrats and Republicans don't really need the First Amendment.
I think that this is the only decision the court could have made.
CNN.com: Is there anywhere else this can go? Can states challenge this?
Toobin: No, this is the end of it. By the way, to call this group a church is really an insult to religions everywhere. It's the Phelps family. To their credit, a member of the Phelps family, [Fred's daughter Margie Phelps], was the lawyer who argued the case for them to demonstrate. And you know, she did a very good job. | <urn:uuid:a22e2b49-cca3-4862-a5d5-29b80ff5ba22> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/03/02/toobin.westboro.funerals.court/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977046 | 706 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Her lot in this her adopted country was marked by a very grim tragedy, for she had the extremely shocking experiences of a young mother cruelly murdered by the blacks. This tragedy occurred in the Aberfoyle district. Mrs Ryan was then only 12 years old, being the second eldest in a family of four sons and three daughters, the youngest a baby in arms.
For several years before the advent of Trove I had searched for documented evidence of the murder of Ellen Sullivan. She died before 1856 so I had difficulty deciding which Ellen Sullivan she was and without a specific year it was too overwhelming to search several years of The Armidale Express. However, once I knew about Trove this search was one of the first I performed. Although The Armidale Express is not on Trove (can't wait for this one) I knew the news would have been published further afield.
The news can be found in The Morton Bay Courier, The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser, The Sydney Morning Herald.
|The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser, 25 August, 1852|
Unfortunately Ellen's death was not the only one at that time. The 2nd October edition of The Morton Bay Courier mentions 4 other murders in the New England - those of a Mr Meldrum and Mary Ann Mason (who was pregnant) and her 2 children.
Next Trove Tuesday - another murder in the family! | <urn:uuid:d9c8c275-fd0c-4f98-8aad-d46a4db9cd83> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://genealogymatters2me.blogspot.com/2012/10/trove-tuesday-murder-of-ellen-sullivan.html?showComment=1349285307441 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981334 | 298 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Judging The Health Care Law
Fri June 29, 2012
Doctors Applaud Ruling But Keep Champagne On Ice
For people in the medical and insurance fields, the Supreme Court's health care ruling cleared up a lot of uncertainty. But by no means all of it.
By upholding the bulk of the federal law passed in 2010, the court allowed the status quo to remain more or less in place.
Hospital administrators and insurance underwriters aren't facing a fresh tangle of new regulatory possibilities, which would have happened if the court had struck down much or all of the law. But more than two years after its enactment, the law itself still leaves people professionally affected asking plenty of questions.
"The whole climate that the Affordable Care Act has created in our industry is a great deal of uncertainty," says John Gaglione, an insurance agent in Aurora, Ill. "And uncertainty is the enemy of business."
Still Waiting And Seeing
Many employers who might be drawn to the new policies are taking a wait-and-see attitude, Gaglione says, until they know what the insurance landscape looks like after the law is fully implemented in 2014.
And aside from the structure of coverage and remaining questions about what role states will play in implementing Medicaid expansion and other parts of the federal law, the Supreme Court ruling did little to clear up one of the biggest questions in the health care arena.
"It's a great idea, health care for everyone, but who pays for it?" asks Gary Small, director of the geriatric psychiatry division at UCLA's Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital.
The feds will pay a hefty share, but it won't cover everything. Hospitals, doctors and insurers — not to mention employers and individuals — are still concerned that their costs could rise in unpredictable ways.
"We want to help everyone get proper health care," Small says. "On the other hand, we don't want institutions to go out of business."
Enough Docs To Go Around?
Small warns that his specialty already doesn't have enough manpower to deal with the needs of current patients, let alone caseloads that will increase thanks to the law's expansion of coverage and the aging of baby boomers.
Geriatric psychiatric care may not be a field that all Americans are worried about. But Edward Howell, vice president and CEO of the University of Virginia Medical Center, warns that the shortage of medical personnel will be much broader.
"We seem to have completely lost any recognition of the fact that we have a projected shortage of over 100,000 physicians within the next decade," Howell says. "Any kind of restructuring can't ignore the fact that we have a major shortage of people."
Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, Howell's hospital has received a $2.6 million grant to improve cancer care. He's also been active in helping his state set up a health insurance exchange, or marketplace, as required by the federal law.
Still, he worries that not enough is being done to boost medical infrastructure or train more health professionals. After Massachusetts passed its health-insurance-expansion law in 2006, waiting rooms in many physicians' offices quickly grew a lot more crowded.
"Nothing is being done or seriously considered about [adding] physicians," Howell says. "A person who enters medical school this fall and becomes a neurosurgeon won't become a surgeon until 2023."
'Routine And Regular Care'
Many people in the medical field sound relieved that the law survived legal challenge. Doctors and hospital administrators may worry about how they're going to handle the load, but they want to see more people receiving care.
"The ability of an insurer to make profits by cherry-picking people eventually is eliminated under this law," says Matthew Stein, an oncologist in Lawrence, Kan.
Many hospital systems had put in place a number of changes in response to the law already, and some administrators say those changes would have remained on track even if the Supreme Court had struck down the Affordable Care Act.
James May, president and CEO of Mercy Health, a Cincinnati-based group of hospitals and care centers, says the law will provide his system with new tools for managing and integrating patient care, moving toward a continuum of care and gradually away from the fee-for-service model of waiting to treat specific symptoms of sick patients.
"We're delighted that we continue a path to bring to people what I call routine and regular care, and that's at the core of this law," May says.
A Mixed Picture
The law contains both good news and bad news for hospitals, says Mel Snow, CEO of Murray County Medical Center in Slayton, Minn.
"We see some provisions where we're going to lose money," he says. "But our feeling is that the poor really needed to be taken in."
Snow describes himself as a Republican but says the Supreme Court's decision was an overall plus, since many people had already signed up for health insurance thanks to the law and would have lost coverage had it been found unconstitutional.
He's not worried about bearing the extra costs that come from providing more people with care. But not everyone can shrug off a concern that's so central to their business.
Hospital stocks have performed well since the decision was announced, but many administrators are still nervous about its effects on their bottom lines over the long haul. And insurance companies, which many people believe will see more business thanks to the law, also find reasons to stay wary.
"There's still so much uncertainty about the financing of health care," says Gaglione, the insurance agent in Aurora. "How it will affect health care rates and what doctors are going to be able to charge, we don't know."
Padmananda Rama contributed to this report. | <urn:uuid:fe4b18fa-d9f3-4f54-8ece-90897bcdd210> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kmuw.org/post/doctors-applaud-ruling-keep-champagne-ice | 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 | 0.975188 | 1,186 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Mobile apps may violate Fair Credit Reporting Act
On February 6, 2012, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued warning letters to the marketers of six mobile applications that provide background screening apps that they may be violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA.) The FTC said that if the background reports are being used for employment or other FCRA purposes, then the marketers and their clients must comply with the FCRA.
According to the warning letters, the FTC has not made a determination whether the companies indeed are violating the FCRA, but encourages them to review their apps, and their related policies and procedures. The FCRA is designed to protect the privacy of consumer report information and ensure that the information provided by consumer reporting agencies is accurate. Consumer reports are communications that include information about an individual’s character, reputation, or personal characteristics, and are used or expected to be used for purposes such as employment, housing or credit.
Under the FCRA, entities/operations that assemble or evaluate information to provide to third parties qualify as consumer reporting agencies (CRAs.) Mobile apps that supply such information also may qualify as CRAs under the Act. CRAs must take reasonable measures to ensure the user of each report has a ‘permissible purpose’ to use the report, take reasonable steps to ensure the maximum possible accuracy of the information conveyed in the report, and provide users of its reports with information about their obligations under the FCRA. In employment-purpose consumer reports, for example, CRAs must provide employers with information regarding their obligation to give notice to employees and applicants of any adverse action taken on the basis of a consumer report. | <urn:uuid:405b5ecf-c482-4a05-8f02-93722e738205> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://scherzerblog.com/2012/02/07/mobile-apps-may-violate-fair-credit-reporting-act/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951549 | 333 | 1.8125 | 2 |
While chatting with a neighbor this week, I learned she was planning to move to the 2200 block of Guilford Ave. She earned my respect for her decision to move to one of the newly renovated North Calvert Green homes, the sales name for fine 1890s rowhouses that have been made energy-efficient and renovated to the standard of the city's Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation.
I have long thought that the most effective way to save a neighborhood is to settle there and make a difference. Baltimore's developing neighborhoods need new residents. They also need the full focus and attention of City Hall to protect the investments now being made. This is a convenient, promising neighborhood with strong ties to the city's history.
For decades I have been watching the Barclay and Old Goucher neighborhoods. As a child, I observed the white flight that happened to what we thought of as St. Ann's Parish, the Roman Catholic church whose bell tower has a ship's anchor, the Christian symbol of hope. (The anchor belonged to a Baltimore sea captain who survived a Gulf of Mexico storm and promised to build a church if he survived.)
When the archdiocese discussed closing the church, its congregation fought back. St. Ann's remained open, then donors and others took another bold step. Benefactors, including Ravens owner Steve Biscotti, gave the funds to renovate the long-closed parochial school and open it as the Mother Seton Academy. Talk about confidence-building. What is better than the sight of dozens of uniformed students arriving and departing each school day?
Over the past few weeks, earth-moving equipment has arrived at Greenmount Avenue and 21st Street to begin the start of another bold venture for Barclay: the construction of a section of rental homes. Keep your eye open for much more construction and rehabilitation in Barclay.
Now for the depressing news. Greenmount Avenue and Barclay Street still see a disproportionate amount of violent crime. A 2007 Baltimore Sun article was headlined, "Turnaround elusive for gritty Greenmount." Earlier this month, a Sun article observed that the "increase in homicides in Baltimore last year came largely in the Eastern and Northwestern police districts, where there had been notable decreases in 2011, as well as from an uptick in the Northern District. Ten people were killed in the Harwood-Better Waverly-Barclay area alone, between the Northern and Eastern districts near Greenmount Avenue."
I am not minimizing this. A few months ago, I spent a Saturday evening with friends at a 21st Street home. When we were leaving to go home, a friend opened the front door and heard a bullet go by. The next day's paper contained an account of a shooting at the filling station at Charles and 21st streets.
For years I have met with Michael Mazepink of the People's Homesteading Group. He has worked in Barclay for years, rebuilding this neighborhood house by house. He led me through a house on East 22nd Street. His restoration was so excellent, I asked naively just how much of the house needed repair.
I was not prepared for his answer. Only the front wall remained from the original structure. His reconstruction was so exacting I had thought this was just a well-preserved 1890s house.
He, too, will not give up and is now working to keep jobs in the neighborhood by having East Baltimore residents do demolition work for parts of this spring's initiative in Barclay. He's talking to architectural restorers to replace gingerbread-style balconies on other 22nd Street homes.
I am also encouraged by people such as Grace Willis, who keeps a beautiful home and garden at Barclay and 22nd. There are many others like her who want to build a strong neighborhood.
For years, the chances of a Barclay comeback seemed bleak. Many parties are now taking a stand here: concerned residents, developers, the city's housing department and others, including home buyers who want to live in an old Baltimore neighborhood. You have to start somewhere to turn a neighborhood around, and this winter, that place might just well be Greenmount and 21st. | <urn:uuid:18aedec1-e093-4fc1-abe6-46e7bee81d45> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-kelly-column-barclay-20130118,0,7052368.column | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975846 | 852 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Painting & Decorating
Exterior Paint Preparation - not as tough as it looks
Exterior painted surfaces eventually break down by gradual erosion over several years, leaving a weathered or powdery surface that can be repainted after a quick wash down. Unfortunately, and for a number of reasons, this is not always the case. Is the s
Roller Painting story from Resene
Rollers are the ideal way to paint a large area quickly and get a professional result. Painting with a roller is fast and easy if you let the roller fabric do the work. The fabric pile on the roller will control the paint application, so all you need to d
Keep your cool... with Resene Cool Colours
Keep homes and buildings cooler in summer with Cool Colour technology.
Paintbrushes story from Resene
It takes time to become good, accurate and fast with a paintbrush. Have patience with yourself if you're just starting out. Work on your quality first, then on speed. This way you will speed up your quality work rather than start and speed up sloppy work.
Lead-based paint - Story from Resene
Until 1965, many paints on the New Zealand market had high lead levels. This was particularly true of pre-1945 paints. Even if a building has been recently painted, it may have been painted with lead based paints or have layers of old paint covered by mod
Wet wise - painting bathrooms
Inhibit mould and bacteria growth in bathrooms, laundries and other wet areas with Resene SpaceCote Kitchen & Bathroom.
Discourage the appearance of fly spots with Resene Fly Deterrent. Extensive testing by an accredited laboratory has shown significant reductions in fly spots compared to standard paint systems.
Preparing for a Good Paint Finish
Rather than spending a lot of time and energy stripping back dated wallpaper and preparing the surface for a new coat of paint, consider completely removing those old wall linings and replacing them with new GIB® Plasterboard. | <urn:uuid:c08e224b-8ade-4c5e-b2f4-28b6a290597e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.buildyourdream.co.nz/painting_decorating | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950851 | 408 | 1.601563 | 2 |
If you like local food and wine, and the idea of watching an entire pig morph from carcass into dinner doesn’t scare you, then you could do worse than a Sunday afternoon spent eating and drinking alongside 5 local winemakers, 5 local chefs, and their 5 porcine victims – all from heritage bloodlines, all sustainably raised by local farmers – at COCHON555.
The main event will surely be the rainbow of piggy plates offered up by some of Wine Country’s most talented cooks, including Sonoma County locals John Stewart and Duskie Estes of Zazu Restaurant, together with wine pairings from exciting, artisanal winemakers; the truly dedicated will also have a chance to eat a whole-roasted heirloom pig, sample some swine-inspired sweets (!), and then digest over a competitive display of high-speed butchery, a sort of urban dance-off with meat cleavers. Then, after enjoying the porky fruits of all this friendly but serious competition, 20 local food professionals and we, the people, will cast votes for our local High Priest or Priestess of Pork, and send them on to the 2011 national competition.
But for all the Herculean feats of butchery, the snout-to-tail gluttony, the participants’ livers pickled in wine, it’s the pigs that will be the celebrated, if unwitting, stars, because the whole event has been conceived by founder Brady Lowe as a means of supporting the sustainable farming of heritage-breed pigs. Says Lowe,
“One event cannot change the entire food production system (not yet, anyway), but we can celebrate people who are favorably tilting the scales back towards local producers.”
And how cool is that?Find more restaurants tagged: Cochon 555 | pork | Sustainability | wine | <urn:uuid:5eec28c7-0555-415f-af8e-41364a0ba780> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.biteclubeats.com/for-the-love-of-pig/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934905 | 386 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Here's the peace march that took place today at about 1 p.m. on State Street in Madison, Wisconsin. This clip shows the whole length of the parade. Note the man at the front, just behind the banners, who is holding a sign that says "Vive Saddam." (It's the third sign from the right.) The entire clip -- which I shot while walking in the opposite direction -- is about 3 minutes long. It includes a large dove puppet and a large papier maché skull.
ADDED: The march reminds James Wigderson of "the sham gunfights I saw in Tombstone, Arizona, to show off for the tourists." Oh, I don't know. If they were just acting the part, they'd have had it together for the chant a little more. The people at the front are all "Bring them home. Now." The middle is just "Peace. Now." mixed with "No more war." Behind them is the original chant, shortened to "Bring them home." And did you notice the guy who's marching while talking on his cell phone?
Anyway, let's critique the "Bring them home" chant. It's a chant that made sense for Vietnam, a war for which men were drafted. I very much understand the resistance and shock and desperation that was felt for the young men who were forced to go to Vietnam, feelings that would make many people say, quite simply, "Bring them home." But for Iraq, everyone has volunteered. Everyone who's there made a profound decision to do something. The chant "Bring them home," in that context, seems to be shouting disrespectfully in their face that they made a blunder. There are people who chose to do something and are working very hard to accomplish it. While it is true that our leaders owe them the right decisions about how to win the war, the individuals who volunteered deserve respect for the choices that they made. The chant omits the honoring of that choice. | <urn:uuid:11852fda-33f4-498d-9403-94ac6c935b1d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://althouse.blogspot.com/2007/01/peace-march.html?showComment=1169951160000 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981188 | 403 | 1.6875 | 2 |
The Long Beach YWCA, which runs the only shelter in the city for battered women, is struggling to survive after a decision by United Way to cut off $220,000 in annual funding.
United Way officials said their action stemmed from the YWCA's inability to account for its spending.
"It was very painful," said Diane S. Tasaka, United Way's director of planning and agency relations, "but they couldn't tell us how they were using the money. The bottom line is that we have a responsibility to our donors."
Local YWCA officials said United Way has been the organization's major source of funding, and that they plan to appeal the decision by June 15.
"I'm not saying it's the end," said Minnie Douglas, president of the Young Women's Christian Assn.'s Board of Directors, "(but) we're having difficulty maintaining the YWCA. . . ." The Long Beach chapter was first established in 1905.
The Women Shelter, the only program currently operated by the YWCA, receives more than half of its funding from United Way, said Marie Webb, the shelter's director. She described the loss of United Way funding as "a serious blow. We're trying hard to keep things going."
Affiliated with the YWCA since 1980, the shelter provides short-term housing for about 25 abused women and children.
United Way officials have been concerned about the YWCA's finances for at least a year, and cut the organization's monthly allocation in half last November because YWCA officials failed to account for the organization's expenditures, Tasaka said.
The move resulted in a number of cost-cutting measures. The YWCA's executive director, Paula Wood, was laid off and has not been replaced. Wood could not be reached for comment.
But United Way directors voted unanimously last month to cut off funds entirely, and detailed their concerns in a six-page memo. While there is no evidence of any wrongdoing, they said, there were a number of concerns in addition to the lack of financial information. Among those mentioned in the memo:
* The YWCA has been unable to sustain any programs other than the battered women's shelter. The organization closed a day-care center, for example, in December, 1989.
* The organization was facing a projected operating deficit of more than $87,000 in the current fiscal year, despite full United Way funding.
* The YWCA had no board president for three months earlier this year, and for most of the last two years there was no finance committee, treasurer or community advisory board.
Douglas, who volunteered to become president of the YWCA's Board of Directors after the United Way made its decision, said she could not provide detailed information on how the United Way money was spent. Of the $220,000 provided annually by United Way until last November, Douglas said, slightly more than $100,000 went directly to Women Shelter. The rest, she said, helped pay for staff salaries and the now-defunct child care center.
She said YWCA directors recently arranged for a volunteer accountant to examine the organization's records to provide a more detailed accounting. The six-member board is also planning letter-writing and fund-raising campaigns.
"The board members are hard-working and meeting their obligations," Douglas said. "Our main goal now is to save the women's shelter."
Webb, the shelter's director, said some staff members already have been let go or have been working reduced hours. "We're working very lean," she said. The shelter also receives money from the city, county and private contributors, but the United Way funding accounted for more than half of its $200,000 annual budget, Webb said.
Located in a plain-looking Long Beach apartment with seven bedrooms, the shelter offers residents room and board, counseling, child care and housing referrals.
During a gathering of residents in the shelter's kitchen, some expressed concerns about the facility's future.
"It's tragic," one 23-year-old said about the cuts. She said she had been at the shelter for two weeks, after leaving a husband who had repeatedly beaten her. "There's a big need for a shelter like this," she said.
Sitting nearby was a 26-year-old who had recently left home after her husband physically and sexually abused her 3-year-old daughter. "This shelter saved my life," the young woman said. "Without a place like this, I'd have ended up on the streets."
United Way and YWCA officials say they are discussing the possibility of turning management of the shelter over to Harbor YWCA in San Pedro, which is also funded by United Way.
During most of its existence in Long Beach, the YWCA occupied a five-story brick building on Pacific Avenue that included a swimming pool, cafeteria, beauty shop, hotel rooms and rooftop tennis court.
The organization abandoned the building in 1976 after a ceiling collapsed into the swimming pool, killing one swimmer and injuring five others. | <urn:uuid:953f0a65-0702-4fb3-9105-30ef192bfffa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.latimes.com/1991-05-30/news/hl-3813_1_ywca-membership | 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 | 0.982771 | 1,047 | 1.765625 | 2 |
The 10-time Emmy award-nominated Antiques Roadshow is PBS’ top-rated prime time series and will be filming for its 17th season this summer. Its 2012 six-city tour takes the cast from Boston, Mass., to Seattle, Wash.
Kevin Mackey, a Three Rivers resident and avid history buff, will attend the event and take some of his treasures to get some expert knowledge on the items and, of course, see how much they are worth.
One of the pieces he’s taking over is a huge portrait of the famed Civil War general, Robert E. Lee.
He acquired the painting through an auction while a college campus was doing some upgrades and updating its attractions.
“I didn’t know if the picture came from a museum or an estate or if it came by someone else’s donation.
“The day before the auction I went in and looked at the picture and immediately knew who it was.
“I went home planning the next day to bid and I figured I’d bid up to $125, that’s about all I could afford. And I knew I wouldn’t get it for that.
“The next day I come back and the auctioneer holds it up. He said, ‘I have a picture of some general, I think it’s Grant’.”
Of course, Gen. Lee commanded the Confederate army, just as Grant was commanding general for the Union.
“I ended up winning the bid for $25.”
Little is known about the artist and how old the actual painting is, though it’s likely that the painting was based on famed Civil War photographer Mathew Brady’s portrait of Lee.
Mackey said, “There were a lot of people that had great scorn for him, so there would have been no reason for anyone to paint a picture of him for at least some time. That dates the picture to at least some time between 1860 and 1864.”
With so little known about the portrait, even less is known about the worth of the item.
“I have no idea. That’s why I’m taking it to the Roadshow,” he said.
Another item he’s taking is a smaller, more rare item. And though it may just seem like any other old photo, it’s different in many unique ways.
It’s a picture of an Indian scalping a white man, which was taboo back in the day and adds to its rarity.
“It’s possible it was someone that died and they went in and used the body for the photograph,” Mackey explained.
“It was just one of the photographs that was incredibly politically incorrect so they’re just not out there.”
And he also has some photos of a very famous president in his collection.
“I have two pictures of Abraham Lincoln by Mathew Brady. I have the original photographs from him.”
So with Mackey taking these items, plus a few more, he’ll hopefully find out the long lingering answers to some interesting questions he’s had about the pieces.
And maybe he can find out he’s hauling around a few extra bucks. | <urn:uuid:99d113da-a895-4535-ad85-5d4768416c40> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mysoutex.com/pages/full_story/push?article-History+buff+heading+to+Antiques+Roadshow%20&id=19677840 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978096 | 698 | 1.523438 | 2 |
2010 Pulitzer Prize awarded for national reporting on driver distraction
Mr. Richtel's reporting represents, in my opinion, investigative journalism in its highest form. I was privileged to watch Matt work on the series of articles that resulted in this award. His reporting brought the epidemic of distracted driving into the national consciousness and was a trigger for the National Distracted Driving Summit held in Washington D.C. last Fall. Subsequent efforts by the Oprah Winfrey Show to highlight the dangers of distracted driving have helped to keep the issue on the front burner.
The New York Times covered the issue of driver distraction from science and technology, to public policy, to government cover-ups, and highlighted the human toll associated with driver distraction. The story of cell phones and driver distraction is multi-layered and the New York Times series devoted many front-page stories on the issue.
Efforts by Mr. Richtel and members of the New York Times should help to create an awareness of the hazards associated with distracted driving that is comparable to the risks of driving while intoxicated. It took decades to make drunk driving socially unacceptable. Let's hope that it takes less time to take a responsible approach to distracted driving.
You can see some of Mr. Richtel's video reporting on my lab web page (www.psych.utah.edu/lab/appliedcognition). | <urn:uuid:e0251359-a2b7-4f29-9703-cfcd319ddcc1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cartalk.com/content/2010-pulitzer-prize-awarded-national-reporting-driver-distraction | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965426 | 276 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Lyme - Two recently dedicated forest preserves have added 128 acres of open space here for wildlife habitats and new trails, according to land conservationists.
The Walbridge Woodlands Preserve, bordered by Gungy Road to the west and the Nehantic State Forest to the east, stretches south of the town-owned Hartman Park. The Philip E. Young Memorial Preserve extends below the Woodlands.
Newly marked walking trails run south from Hartman Park through the preserves, which were acquired this year and dedicated at a public ceremony on Nov. 18.
The Lyme Land Conservation Trust acquired the 46-acre Woodlands Preserve with a monetary donation from the Sargent family while the Young family donated the 82-acre Young Preserve to the town, explained Humphrey Tyler of the Lyme Land Conservation Trust.
The Sargent family made the donation and set up a fund for the preserve's maintenance in honor of the late David Sargent, a conservationist, said John Pritchard, the president of the Lyme Land Conservation Trust. The Young family donated the land for the preserve in honor of the late Philip E. Young.
"These two gifts represent acts of extraordinary generosity by the Sargent family and Ruth Young and her family," said Pritchard, adding that such contributions help preserve the town's "largely rural and scenic character."
Some of the lands north of Lyme's Hartman Park across Route 82 into Salem are also protected areas, said Lyme Land Conservation Trust Executive Director George Moore.
"It's an enormous greenbelt from north to south, east to west," he said.
About 9,000 acres of Lyme - approximately 40 percent of the town - can be considered open space, according to Anthony Irving, chairman of the Eightmile River Wild & Scenic Study Committee. By neighboring other natural areas, the new preserves increase the amount of diverse and protected open spaces for wildlife species to thrive, he said.
Ruth Young and her family had wanted the land her father purchased to remain undeveloped. After her son Philip passed away, Ruth and his children, Cathleen and Patrick, wanted to give the land to the town in his memory as a preserve for open, recreational use.
"We're very pleased that this is the way it is going to be used," said Ruth. The family has allotted an additional parcel of land on which the town can build an affordable house, when needed, she said.
Cathleen Young said her late father, Philip, a computer technician for the Lyme-Old Lyme schools, had a giving spirit and enjoyed the outdoors.
"The more time he could spend outside, the happier he was," she said. | <urn:uuid:b95decbd-0c7e-4f37-97e0-b1d9e8abc744> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.shorepublishing.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121126/NWS01/311269975/1070/BIZ02 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958489 | 549 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Cyprus may seem too small for markets to care. But UBS has warned that the Mediterranean island is big enough to cause trouble in the euro zone after seeking a bailout from the troika, made up of the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission and the European Central Bank.
After all, this is not the first time a relatively small economy has threatened to trigger a pan-European domino effect ranging from Ireland, to Greece and Portugal.
"The Cypriot case has all the ingredients to raise questions about the consistency of the euro project again, comparable to -albeit possibly less dangerous than - the Grexit hysteria less than a year ago," said economist Martin Lueck from UBS.
The country desperately needs 17.5 billion euros in bailout funding to recapitalize its troubled banks and pay its bills on time after taking a hit from its large exposure to the Greek economy. In the meantime, Cyprus became overly dependent on Russian money after asking for a 2.5 billion euro loan granted by the Russian government at an interest rate of 4.5 percent in December 2011, sparking allegations of money laundering by oil oligarchs in Cypriot banks.
So far, it seems that the Troika bailout won't come easily as European authorities have already voiced their concerns over money laundering and tax evasion in the island. European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn told the Cypriot authorities that it must take a strong stance against money laundering if it wants aid. Cyprus has denied the allegations and seems reluctant to accept the conditionality attached to the bailout package. The Euro group is set to meet on Jan. 21 but a solution to the Cypriot dilemma is only likely to come after the country's presidential elections on Feb. 17.
"Being too harsh on Cyprus in terms of conditionality would increase the risk of even more Russian influence," said Lueck. "But, being too soft could risk allegations of sacrificing core EU taxpayers' money to bail out deposits of Russian oligarchs."
And so it seems that Europe is once again stuck in a nerve-racking exercise of political brinkmanship that could end the euphoria over the Draghi plan that has seen Spanish 10-year bond yields fall below 5 percent.
"If this proves correct, it would likely mean that peripheral spreads would widen and risk assets could turn more volatile, especially in view of Italy's election and Spain's funding needs,"added Lueck from UBS.
Cyprus lost access to market funding in April 2011. It is rated are CCC by S&P, B3 by Moody's and BB- by Fitch.
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Cayman Islands to Open Up to Scrutiny | <urn:uuid:077ba51b-4e87-4017-8887-bbdecf578892> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/small-cyprus-may-trigger-big-115015238.html | 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 | 0.95901 | 578 | 1.835938 | 2 |
By Ernie Suggs
Morris Brown College’s decade-long financial and academic struggle has largely been a solitary fight, with little impact on the city’s other historically black colleges. But now, the neighboring Interdenominational Theological Center is feeling burned after an attempt to help the struggling school.
ITC, as it is called, recently spent $400,000 improving Morris Brown’s student center, planning to move classes there while the religious school underwent major renovations.
ITC officials were blindsided by the news that creditors holding $13 million in bonds secured by Morris Brown were set to foreclose on the college today — two days before ITC’s fall term begins. They expressed their chagrin in a letter to the campus community obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“The move has been placed on hold until we can find out what the situation is on Morris Brown’s campus,” ITC President Ronald Peters told the AJC Friday.
“I have not had an opportunity to talk to [Morris Brown] President] Stanley Pritchett or [Board Chairman Bishop] Preston Williams. Our lawyers have reached out to their lawyers. We would prefer to have the agreement, which we sought and established in good faith, honored.”
Friday, Pritchett cancelled a scheduled meeting with the AJC on Morris Brown’s campus. College officials said Morris Brown will no longer make statements or answer questions from the media.
Peters said nearly 6,000-square-feet of Morris Brown’s Hickman Center would have been used for classroom and office space. But with Morris Brown’s recent bankruptcy filing and the threat of foreclosure, ITC finds itself in limbo.
“That was quite an investment for us, but we can’t move forward until we have something in writing,” Peters said. “We delayed the opening of our school for this. We amended our schedule and we are still not able to get into the building. But we remain hopeful that we will be able to bring this to a successful conclusion.”
After several weeks of mounting problems for Morris Brown, today could have been the worst. Parts of the school — the only college in Georgia founded by freed slaves — were headed to the auction block, to be parceled out on the steps of the Fulton County Courthouse.
Then on Aug. 25, college officials filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which delays the foreclosure for at least 120 days while the school regroups. During that time Morris Brown officials hope to find a steady flow of income with which to begin repaying bond holders and others to whom it owes money, including several faculty and staff members.
Last week, in an appearance on the Rob Redding Show, Pritchett said donors have recently shown interest in investing in the school. He said it will take at least $100,000 a month to keep Morris Brown, which is unaccredited and is down to 50 students, operating.
Pritchett also revealed that he has not been paid by the school in three years and is owed $275,000.
Gregory Worthy, an attorney whose firm represents the investors seeking the $13 million settlement, said he was not surprised the school filed for bankruptcy.
“It is not uncommon for debtors to file bankruptcy to the extent that they are trying to develop a restructuring plan,” Worthy said. “That is the purpose of it, for those who have the resources and the ability to do it. Obviously, the question now is whether the college has the ability to reorganize.”
While Morris Brown searches for money, ITC is left scrambling.
Peters said the original plan was to move key operations to Morris Brown while ITC’s administration building, classroom building and chapel were closed for repairs, including cleaning out asbestos and installing new infrastructure.
“We were planning substantial renovations to our own facilities,” Peters said. “So we had to move and we were anxious to take advantage of the close proximity to Morris Brown.”
Since ITC was chartered in 1958, it has always had a close relationship with Morris Brown. ITC is a consortium of six theological seminaries, including Turner Theological Seminary, which was founded as a department of Morris Brown in 1894 to train those entering the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
“Although Morris Brown has had its problems, we have always recognized the historical connection with the AME Church,” Peters said. “We were helping a sister school out.”
In the meantime, classes are set to start at ITC this week. The much-needed repairs are on hold, but Peters is hopeful that Morris Brown will come through with a solution that will eventually allow the move to happen as planned. | <urn:uuid:b3f21564-ad22-40e0-8307-74be0185b76c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://itceducation.wordpress.com/ | 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 | 0.978701 | 1,009 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Jody Westby, Contributor
I write about cybersecurity, cybercrime & cyberconflict.
Stop what you are doing. Businesses must pick up their phones now and call Congress to stop cyber legislation that is poised to saddle them with intrusive government-mandated risk assessments, costly security requirements, and required disclosures regarding security incidents. Most businesses are complacent about cybersecurity legislation because so many bills have floated around for so many years that everyone is yawning. Stop Yawning. As Ann Landers used to say, “Wake up and smell the coffee.”
In a rush to show that Congress can do something…anything, the Senate is poised to vote as early as today to enact legislation (S. 3414) that would have a greater financial and operational impact on businesses than Sarbanes-Oxley because it would apply to 18 industry sectors (nearly everyone), regardless of whether they are a public company or not. The irony is that the legislation is based on fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) versus facts, and it will do little to solve the security problems facing computer systems. In fact, this legislation may well make the U.S. less secure.
The Administration, in its usual posture of believing that the government must solve every problem through regulation and oversight, is firmly behind this legislation. Last week, President Obama boldly argued in an editorial piece in The Wall Street Journal that, “The American people deserve to know that companies running our critical infrastructure meet basic commonsense cybersecurity standards, just as they already meet other security requirements,” such as those for nuclear power plants, water treatment plants, and airplane cockpits. He also noted how “Cybersecurity standards would be developed in partnership between government and industry.” The FUD began when he stated, “It doesn’t take much to imagine the consequences of a successful cyber attack,” and went on to mention imaginary attacks on financial systems, water treatment facilities, and disabled hospitals.
Never mind that much earlier in his piece — before he started his slippery slope toward regulation — he admitted that, “So far, no one has managed to seriously damage or disrupt our critical infrastructure networks.” Precisely. That is because private sector companies actually try very hard to have good security programs. It is because they have effectively stopped attacks and responded to them. It is because they have a responsibility to investors and shareholders to protect their digital assets. to manage risks, and limit liabilities. It is not because of dumb luck in the absence of government regulation.
The fact of the matter is that neither the U.S. Government nor Congress really knows the security posture of most U.S. companies. Researchers, federal law enforcement agencies, and NSA have access to some communications traffic data that may reveal whether botnets have infiltrated a company’s network or whether the network unknowingly may have been involved in some sort of cybercriminal activity. This information, however, does not reveal much about the state of an organization’s enterprise security program. It certainly does not provide a factual foundation for federal legislation, such as that proposed in the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 ( S. 3414), which would:
The voluntary “practices” part is the camel’s nose under the tent. The Senate summary notes that: “The bill creates no new regulators, and provides no new authority for an agency to establish standards that are not otherwise authorized by law.” (emphasis added) This bill, combined with existing authorities, likely would provide enough authorization to turn these voluntary practices into standards. Even the White House’s new cybersecurity coordinator admitted to the Washington Post’s Ellen Nakashima that mandatory standards were “legislatively almost impossible,” but “that’s the ultimate goal.”
The bill’s sponsors and supporters also point to provisions that would improve information sharing and authorize the government to provide security clearances to companies that have a need to receive classified information to protect their networks. This is fuzzy “feel good” language that is not rooted in need. There is no law or regulation in force today that stops a company from sharing cyber incident information with the government or with other companies. In fact, the Department of Homeland Security has promulgated regulations pursuant to the Homeland Security Act of 2002 that protect cyber incident information shared with the government. Legal issues that were identified over a decade ago as possible barriers to information sharing between companies, such as antitrust laws, also have been examined and addressed. Additionally, the government already has the ability to provide clearances to companies that need them to protect their networks. It has done so throughout the operation of the National Coordinating Center, a public-private operation between the U.S. Government and communications companies that operates to ensure national security and emergency preparedness during times of national disaster and armed conflict.
In a recent letter to Congress, former military and intelligence officials called for the passage of legislation that required critical infrastructure companies “to meet appropriate cyber security standards.” They also urged Congress to allow the public and private sectors to “harness the capabilities of NSA to protect our critical infrastructure from malicious actors.” They are right about enabling NSA to assist the private sector, but they are wrong about the standards. They apparently have forgotten that there are internationally-accepted best practices and standards for cybersecurity that are widely adopted around the world. The U.S. should be playing a more active role in these standards-setting activities instead of passing legislation that would spend taxpayer money developing cybersecurity practices unique to the U.S. Reality: with over 250 countries and territories connected to the Internet, the U.S. now comprises less than 12% of the online population. We only invented the Internet; our “practices” must fit in with those of the other 88% of Internet users, lest we have the most vulnerable systems.
Some of the most fatal flaws in the pending cybersecurity legislation are the provisions that entice companies to join the “voluntary program” by affording them:
First of all, this is legislative blackmail. Responsible governments provide expedited clearances and priority assistance based on need rather than participation in a government program, and relevant real-time threat information should be available to all companies. Second, liability protections actually will make U.S. systems less secure because companies only must adhere to the minimum security “practices” to receive legal protections, thereby eliminating their incentive to improve their security posture to counter the newest threat.
So….what should Congress do? It should begin focusing on measures that actually will help solve the problem. Cybersecurity is a problem because cybercrime is so rampant. Cybercrime is so rampant because it is almost impossible to catch the criminal. Thus, there is no deterrence. Cybercrime has become the perfect crime. We must be able to track and trace cybercriminal activity, locate and arrest these bad actors, and prosecute them if we ever hope to improve cybersecurity. This requires a proactive, global approach instead of domestic mandates on business.
If Congress wants to protect U.S. national and economic security it should:
In addition, Congress should (1) offer a tax credit to U.S. companies that invest in their cybersecurity programs, and (2) require public companies to indicate in their SEC filings whether they have undertaken the key activities of an enterprise security program (not what specific actions they have taken). These Congressional actions would incentivize companies and launch a national culture of cybersecurity that would be emulated by non-publicly traded companies and smaller businesses.
The implementation of these suggested Congressional mandates also would revive U.S. leadership in cybersecurity on the global stage and help counter the cybercriminals. In addition, they would create a much more secure and competitive business environment for U.S. companies, avoid costly compliance burdens, and advance cybersecurity. In all, this would be a much better outcome than requiring businesses to spend money that they need for jobs and economic growth on fabricated cybersecurity requirements that will not stop the cybercriminal. | <urn:uuid:ffbaf4f5-c25a-43d7-8a5b-4652711119ca> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.forbes.com/sites/jodywestby/2012/07/27/urgent-businesess-must-act-to-stop-congress-on-cyber-legislation/?ss=strategies-solutions | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963771 | 1,657 | 1.757813 | 2 |
I got the chips from AMS and soldered one onto an adaptor board that I got from China (complete with header pins
) I then soldered all the components as per the diagram in my upload straight onto the adaptor board. This gave me a little plug-in unit that works as a module.
At present, this is plugged into a very old RS breadboard and driven by a R2 Uno.
This is my first time programming the Atmega chips but I've been programming PICs and micros for a long time.
I'll get some pics together but meanwhile
will give you an idea of the stripboard matrix and the sketch uploaded in this thread.
I have just made a Christmas tree (pretty crappy graphics) that demonstrate using 2 frames as pictures and 2 PWM sets to flash the lights.
I'll upload that soon for your perusal and I hope use.
I think I've got this chip pretty well sussed out now and am just working on a simple spreadsheet to produce the graphics frames as binary data.
Have fun mate and success with your free samples.
ps I've just been shipped another 3.........what a cheek eh? | <urn:uuid:8ce604cc-ee20-4354-9702-98a2cfa2bc49> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=122138.msg920729 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956986 | 244 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Posted on Thursday, January 27, 2011
POLITICS - PRESIDENT OBAMA entered office promising to be a different kind of politician - one who would speak honestly with the American people about the hard choices they face and who would help make those hard calls. Tuesday night's State of the Union Address would have been the moment to make good on that promise. He disappointed.
It's not that everything he said in the speech was wrong; on the contrary, we agree with much of it. To remain competitive in the world, and to reverse the trend of rising inequality at home, the government will have to invest, as Mr. Obama proposed, in scientific research, education and infrastructure. To stay safe abroad, the country can't stint on national defense or foreign aid. Republican visions of dramatically smaller government are unrealistic and potentially dangerous.
But where will the money come from? "We will make sure this is fully paid for," Mr. Obama said as he grandly pledged to "redouble" road and bridge repair. With higher gasoline taxes? Traditionally, that has been the way. Mr. Obama didn't elaborate.
The president promised to freeze discretionary spending - exempting, that is, defense, veterans affairs, homeland security, Medicare and Social Security - for five years. Given that he'd already promised a three-year freeze, this was more incremental than earthshaking and, as he acknowledged, in any case affects only 12 percent of the federal budget.
The reality, as Mr. Obama understands, is that the country is headed for fiscal catastrophe unless it does some politically unpopular things: unwind the Bush tax cuts, including for the middle class; reduce projected Social Security benefits for future retirees, exempting the poor and disabled; rein in the cost of health care; limit popular income tax deductions. Mr. Obama knows this, but last night he did little to prepare Americans for any of it. The best you could say is that he left the door open to work with Congress on these issues.
In his first year in office, Mr. Obama said he couldn't confront the nation's long-term fiscal peril because of imminent financial collapse. In his second year, he said he needed health-care reform first, to "bend the curve" of rising health-care costs. He called for a bipartisan commission to study the debt and promised to pivot in his third year to fiscal reform.
Now that bipartisan commission has reported, but Mr. Obama didn't fully endorse any of its recommendations. To the contrary, he promised more jobs for teachers and construction workers. He warned against "slashing" Social Security benefits. Corporate tax reform is fine, but if it's revenue-neutral, it only postpones - and makes more politically difficult - the task of narrowing the nation's deficit.
So what happens now? Maybe some members of Congress will display the courage the president has lacked. Maybe Mr. Obama, in the budget he proposes next month, will grapple more realistically with the hard choices than he did Tuesday night. But even if he does, how can he expect public support if he hasn't made the case for austerity? From the man who promised to change Washington, it seemed all too drearily familiar.
THE WASHINGTON POST | <urn:uuid:d5a9f204-11c2-4f03-9845-d5556fc7ea66> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.foreclosurenationthebook.com/blog.aspx?id=1902 | 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 | 0.973395 | 660 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Everyone knows that they should be looking after themselves and keeping in reasonable shape, but often it’s hard to find the time to commit to a new fitness regime at the gym. It’s often a lot easier to workout at home, as any exercise routine can be fitted in as and when you have time.
The home fitness market has developed into a multi-million dollar industry, and it’s not hard to see why – there’s a huge variety of different machines and contraptions that all promise to whip you into shape in no time at all. If you are just starting out, though, it’s probably best to focus on improving your overall fitness first of all before buying a specialist machine that will concentrate on a specific muscle group.
Most fitness stores will have a good range of treadmills and crosstrainers for sale, and it’s these that you should be looking at for your first purchase. They will both give a fantastic all-over workout and will exercise a huge variety of muscle groups. They will also give an aerobic workout, which is when you raise your heart rate and oxygen intake for a sustained period – by doing this for twenty to thirty minutes, three times a week, your body will start to burn calories and you should begin to lose weight.
These machines can be a little on the large side, and it’s often best to have a space dedicated to them. If you have a spare room, that’s ideal – if you can leave the machine set up and ready to go, you can jump on and do some exercise whenever the mood takes. If you haven’t got enough space to spare, then you should check out the space-saver versions of these machines and most stores will have easy-to-store crosstrainers and folding treadmills for sale alongside the regular machines.
By concentrating your first couple of months on either of these machines you should make a good improvement in your general health – once you have a good base to work from, you can then start to look at other machines or weights to target specific muscles that you want to build. It’s important, though, not to run before you can walk – it’ll be easier and more enjoyable to improve your physique once you’re fit enough to sustain a reasonable level of intensity workout. | <urn:uuid:8855ce88-5a30-47cf-8855-a291e90f8de2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://marjanlovsin.com/articles/power-yourself-into-shape-with-a-home-fitness-machine | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95386 | 486 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Date: January 19 2013
TWO people have died and a woman has miscarried after a listeria outbreak linked to soft cheeses produced in Victoria.
A recall has been widened of soft cheese manufactured by the Jindi Cheese company after 18 cases of listeria infection were linked to the products. Seven new cases of listeriosis were discovered this week, prompting Health Department officials to visit the Jindivick factory in West Gippsland on Wednesday.
Acting chief health officer Dr Michael Ackland said he was satisfied the appropriate food processing, hygiene and monitoring practices were being followed.
The company voluntarily introduced stricter product testing and quality-control measures at the factory from January 7, but is voluntarily recalling all batches of cheese manufactured up to and including January 6.
It follows a recall of brie and camembert cheeses on December 19 after the first cases were identified.
An 84-year-old Victorian man and a 44-year-old Tasmanian man have died of listeria infection and a woman from New South Wales miscarried.
Of the 18 listeriosis cases, eight were from Victoria, six from NSW, two from Queensland and one each from Tasmania and Western Australia.
Dr Ackland said it was not surprising the new cases emerged this week because listeriosis had a 70-day incubation period. He said it was possible more cases could be identified.
The factory was closed from December 19 to 30 and any new risk from production until January 6 was considered minimal.
Dr Ackland said the processes followed by the factory until January 6 were adequate.
''I am satisfied … there is no further risk to the public,'' he said.
For a list of recalled products, phone Jindi on 1800 680 175. AAP
This material is subject to copyright and any unauthorised use, copying or mirroring is prohibited.
[ The Age | Text-only index] | <urn:uuid:96da7a76-6287-495e-9e7d-95ee8fe7ee7e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theage.com.au/national/health/soft-cheese-recalls-widen-after-two-deaths-linked-to-listeria-20130118-2czc8.html?skin=text-only | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983605 | 395 | 1.578125 | 2 |
A tough-to-watch, controversy-stirring videotaped event by Lush Cosmetics in the U.K. involved a performance artist undergoing animal laboratory tests in the window of Lush Regent Street London in April to raise awareness of their fight against animal testing in cosmetics.
Jacqueline Traides, 24, spent ten hours in the store window and was subjected to force-feeding, injections, hair shaving and other extreme discomfort while restrained. She later blogged, "It was somewhere after the fourth hour of this live act that I found my self asking the question ‘why exactly am i here?’. I realised then that it was not to Lush, nor to the onlookers but to the beings, animals and humans alike, that endure such suffering without choice."
Intended to shock, thousands of passerby signed the brand's petition on the spot, while the performance was also streamed live on a website where viewers could sign. "I hope it will plant the seed of a new awareness in people to really start thinking about what they go out and buy and what goes into producing it," said Traides.
As a brand whose products are 100% vegetarian, 81% vegan, and 70% preservative-free, its campaign was spurred by this call to action: “When we are forced to recognise that this aspirational industry depends upon the needless suffering and death of millions of innocent animals – animals that could have been our dog, our children’s guinea pigs, our neighbours’ rabbits – animals that we humanely love – we are shocked and we recoil.”
As is human nature, “the stunt has polarized audiences, with some hailing it for finally telling the truth about animal testing, while others have decried it for portraying a victim being brutally assaulted.”
Still others criticized it for being titillating and for brutalizing women, to which Lush responded, “The bodysuit was not attractive (regardless of how the mainstream media may have presented or written about it). The costume made her an anonymous test subject and stripped her of the accoutrements of sexuality or eroticism. We are sorry if this has hurt women who have suffered sexual violence or assault.
A Guardian writer commented, “knowing the careful thought Lush and the performance artists gave to every moment of this, I will ferociously argue for its intended goal: to challenge public apathy, which always encourages powerful forces to oppress the less powerful, regardless of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, or species.”
Lush's campaign is part of a larger global outcry against animal testing by cosmetics brands, including activists such as the International Humane Society and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in the U.S. Back in February, Avon, Estee Lauder and Mary Kay were criticized for complying with a Chinese government requirement to test on animals in order to distribute their products.
Lush is also making headlines for a recent ad claiming that reptile trading was driving the species to extinction, a claim that was ruled against by Britain's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) as false advertising.
One complaint against the ad from a reptile store employee, according to Brand Republic: "Most wild-caught reptiles die within their first year of captivity" and that the ad was misleading and could not be substantiated.
Another challenged the veracity of the ad’s text: "six millions reptiles were imported into the EU last year and almost 200,000 reptiles arrived in Britain from countries outside of the EU. These figures only show recorded trade. The true scale is actually much larger and is driving many species towards extinction."
Lush and the Animal Protection Agency (APA) defended their sales promotion as part of a larger campaign about animal rights and welfare, thus not within ASA’s jurisdiction and the ruling was an infringement on free speech. But the ASA prevailed and ruled the ad could not be run again.
Thoughts on Lush's stance and actions around animal testing and cruelty free products? Share your thoughts in the comments below. | <urn:uuid:4910d0c4-e3b7-40ad-8bbd-bebef2178afb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://brandchannel.com/home/post/2012/05/11/Lush-UK-Cruelty-Free-Campaign-051112.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968423 | 838 | 1.671875 | 2 |
On a recent Tuesday morning I’m sitting on the sidewalk on the east side of Hampshire Street, my back against an apartment complex, looking directly across the street at a blank brown wall. Two pigeons hobble in syncopated circles beyond my sprawled feet, picking at things that aren’t food.
A parks department truck pulls into a metered parking spot in front of the wall and idles. The driver spreads a New York Times newspaper over the steering wheel. A man in a cowboy hat drops his laundry off at Zheng’s Cleaners, just left of the wall.
The truck pulls out. The man leaves. No one looks at it, this wall. It’s brown — mundane and quotidian, blending seamlessly into the cityscape.
But in an hour, cohorts of the internationally acclaimed street artist known as Swoon will arrive. They will install a nearly 10-by-12-foot wheatpaste, a colorful rendition of the Greek goddess Thalassa that is, as my colleague reported, Swoon’s meditation on the oil disaster off the coast of New Orleans.
By 1:30 p.m., a gorgeous wheatpaste adorns the once-blank wall. And by 2:30 p.m., the crew and spectators have cleared out, and all that’s left is the wheatpaste and a wet puddle of sludgy solution on the cement below.
I’m curious how the piece will transform the space, whether this work of art will proffer new interest and relevance to the people who pass it. Whether idling drivers will look, or locals will stop. Does art make a difference to the people who stroll by here every day?
On Sunday morning I return and reclaim my patch of cement across from the mural. I sit, and watch.
But for three hours, it’s again just the pigeons and me. Almost no one stops to consider the woman on the wall.
I watch people approaching the piece from 24th Street and those coming up Hampshire Street. I look hard at the very corners of their eyes, to see if the figure or the color attract them for even a moment.
Some eyes glimpse the piece, but for fractions of seconds, at eye level, not bothering to take it as a whole. They certainly don’t digest it as a work of art, or contemplate it.
I’m reminded of a barrage of Facebook posts about Joshua Bell, the world-famous violinist, who played anonymously in a Washington D.C. metro stop. No one really stopped to look, to listen, to recognize art that the music critics consider sublime.
The sun is setting. And finally, Catherine Lee, a Mission resident of 20 years, stops in front of the piece.
“There are some people who have never seen this wall,” she says, “and it’s so beautiful.”
I ask her why, and she says that she’s a firm believer that the community must communicate through posters and wall art. Back in the ’70s, she says, the community didn’t have access to the press, and this is a cultural means of communication that’s still important.
The sun has set. It’s too dark for the piece to communicate now.
I return on Monday. Much like Sunday, there’s little fanfare, though a few stop.
“I’ve been to Mexico, and read about the murals in the SF guide,” says a woman visiting from Florida. And this particular piece, I ask, what drew you here? The owner of Precita Eyes told her not to miss it.
Thirty minutes later another duo stop, this time travelers from Europe. They like it; they also use the word beautiful, and say “it’s the tradition of the area.” Again, they heard about it from the owner of Precita Eyes.
I’m a bit perplexed. Locals aren’t stopping. Two young men who have passed the piece multiple times over the course of my stake-out come by again. I stop them and ask them what they think.
“Yeah, I’ve seen it. Why is it even here?” says one. “It’s not even a real painting.”
The other says it’s scary, not like the other pieces in the Mission.
Can an artwork’s impact be measured or understood?
In his Washington Post article on Joshua Bell, Gene Weingarten argues that because no one stops to appreciate art doesn’t mean everyone’s a philistine. A commuter late for work, or ill, for example, is not encountering the mural in its optimal viewing condition. Weingarten invokes Kant to assert that whatever the work, it’s a combination of the art itself, the observer’s state of mind and his or her aesthetics that’s important.
That context matters.
I stop another man. “Yeah, it’s awesome. Are you the artist?”
No, I say. I’m just trying to figure out if this piece has an effect on people.
“Well I like it,” he says, “Good luck.” | <urn:uuid:f926b306-df95-4972-aaf8-235554b82c44> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://missionlocal.org/2012/03/will-pedestrians-swoon-over-art-on-a-wall/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938145 | 1,122 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Small changes can make a big difference, especially in your conveyor carwash tunnel. What may seem like minor tweaks and adjustments of your carwash equipment can actually add up to huge savings when chemicals, water and energy are concerned.
So it is important to also monitor every detail of your full-serve, flex-serve or express eterior carwash in order to make sure money isn’t being poured down the drain. In other words, do not “set it and forget it.” Or, as Anthony Analetto, president of the carwash equipment division at SONNY’S The Car Wash Factory explained, when it comes to managing a carwash, “the devil is in the details.”
Adjust your tunnel, adjust your chemicals
One of the biggest mistakes an operator can make is not realizing that one change can affect other elements. That is why it’s important to reanalyze all systems after a change is made or occurs inadvertently.
For instance, adjusting the carwash’s nozzles can have a ripple effect on other equipment component. “A clogged nozzle or weak spray pattern will not provide full coverage and can immediately affect the cleaning ability of the wash,” according to literature from CarWash College, a carwash training and educational service for the industry.
The same goes for worn out pumps and various chemical distribution systems. “Improper controller timing, worn nozzles and small leaks are the usual culprits,” when it comes to excessive detergent consumption, said Analetto, who also warned to evaluate the estimated utility consumption on older compressors and pumps.
“The data is available,” he said. “And, fortunately, computers are allowing you to review those details with ease.”
Be mindful of the domino effect
Ron Holub has been in the carwash industry for over 30 years and is now a national sales manager for Transchem, a private label carwash chemical company. He said that making adjustments in a congruent manner is the best way to operate. For example, Holub said if any changes are made to a nozzle or if water pressure is reduced, be sure to check and see if chemicals need to be reduced as well.
“Check your nozzles for wear and the volume they are putting out and be sure to check your chemical usage to make sure you’re not wasting anything,” he explained. If you make any changes in chain speed, you also need to make an adjustment on the amount of chemicals being applied. If you speed it up, you may not be using enough to clean properly. If you slow it down, you may be using too much chemical.
According to Analetto, the air pump and hydrominder proportioning systems have proven to be popular at carwashes nowadays, but due to city water pressure changes throughout the day, dilution ratios can vary. The fluctuations are negligible, he said, but when a system adds in more detergent to recompense the fluctuations, it can add up.
“I think it will be increasingly common to add individual pressure regulators to each hydrominder,” Analette stated. “Even at locations with comparatively steady water pressure.”
Maintain. Check. Save.
Every carwash should have a preventative maintenance schedule in place. And employees should have a list of jobs to complete when things are slow. Checking the nozzles should be a part of the preventative maintenance schedule. Train employees on how to check them for wear and tear and throughput capabilities and be sure to replace them when necessary.
According to Tom Frietsche, carwash tunnel product manager for Mark VII Equipment, Inc., cleaning out and checking the nozzles should be on an operator’s list of the top five preventative maintenance schedule tasks. Also, the Equipment Maintenance Certification Program at CarWash College advises all students to check nozzle spray pattern on a daily basis.
Need to save water?
Carwashes that are under drought conditions should also look at the tunnel’s nozzles to make sure water is not being wasted. The Water Management Policy at Autobell Car Wash Inc., the third largest conveyor carwash chain in the nation with 61 locations and an eco-friendly branding program, states that “all fresh water spray nozzles are replaced annually to assure maximum efficiency of water use.”
Autobell locations are in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and many of the washes are in areas commonly afflicted by drought or low water level conditions, forcing either mandated water restrictions or volunteer-based water-saving initiatives. And, when mandatory restrictions are enforced, their policy states that the carwashes, “Reduce fresh water use by adjusting nozzle sizes on final rinses.”
As Frietschealso added, carwash water conservation is possible through employing efficient nozzles. “The days of dumping huge amounts of water through holes in a pipe are ending,” he explained. “Additionally, regulatory requirements will accelerate these conservation efforts.” | <urn:uuid:3deac6b0-c991-4d19-b02d-294297a45db5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.carwash.com/articles/print/tweak-and-save-2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933546 | 1,068 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Time Warner may or may not have the right to ban ads of any type shown over their cable network. But they seem to be picking on one industry unfairly. In 2012 there were 11,493 people killed by guns in the US and Time Warner has elected to stop showing gun ads. However, in 2010 (the latest year statistics are available for) there were 10,228 people killed by drunk drivers, and 32,885 people killed in motor vehicle accidents. We need to ask why hasn't Time Warner decided to stop showing motor vehicle and alcohol ads. Or is Time Warner planning to not show the Budweiser ads during their broadcast of the Super Bowl? That is not likely to happen. Look at the whole picture not just a small piece of it. Additionally, the news media needs to start reporting fairly. We don't hear much about a family of four killed by a drunk driver, but have that family of four killed by a gun and the news media sensationalize it.
More information about formatting options | <urn:uuid:ec68ebff-afd4-4e55-bf67-73852eb5442b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wwaytv3.com/comment/reply/43681/198690 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986238 | 203 | 1.539063 | 2 |
January 25, 2008|
Gathering Our Straying Thoughts
When our thoughts are scattered in several directions at once and we are no longer conscious of what we are doing or why, it is time to center ourselves. When we center ourselves, we begin by acknowledging that we have become spread too thin and we are no longer unified inside. Our thoughts might be out of sync with our feelings, and our actions may be out of sync with both. The main signs that we need to center ourselves are scattered thoughts and a feeling of disconnection or numbness, as if we are no longer able to take anything in. In addition, we may feel unfocused and not present in our bodies. Centering ourselves is a way of coming to terms with all the different energies within us and drawing them back into ourselves.
Centering yourself means that you are working from or being aware of the core of your being in the solar plexus area of your body. At first it may not make sense, but as you progress you will understand what this feels like. We naturally know how to center ourselves when we take a deep breath, for example, before making a big announcement or doing something big. Another way to center ourselves is to sit down and engage in breath meditation. We can start by simply getting into a comfortable upright position and noticing as our breath enters and leaves our bodies. Our breath flows into our center and out from our center, and this process can serve as a template for all of our interactions in the world. In conversations, we can take what our friends are saying into the center of our beings and respond from the center. Our whole lives mirror this ebb and flow of energy that begins and ends at the center of ourselves. If we follow this ebb and flow, we are in harmony with the universe, and when we find we are out of harmony, we can always come back into balance by sitting down and observing our breath.
When we sit down to center ourselves we can imagine that we are gathering our straying thoughts and energies back into ourselves, the way a mother duck gathers her babies around her. We can also visualize ourselves casting a net and pulling all the disparate parts of ourselves back to the center of our being, creating a sense of fluid integration. From this place of centeredness, we can begin again, directing ourselves outward in a more intentional way.
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From the Library:
by Robert Moss
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Join the Community | <urn:uuid:8ae1cb67-e96b-43c9-a1b2-1775e18c0b0c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailyom.com/articles/2008/12079.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944207 | 563 | 1.507813 | 2 |
There’s a fierce clatter of valve gear, as two large volumes of air and fuel get compressed and then ignited barely a foot away from my ear. As John wrings the throttle, the barrage of explosions increases and my heartbeat rises rapidly. The loud blat of the dual chromed silencers ricochets off the passing stone walls and resonates within my skull. I have gone through this moment a trillion times over in my head – I later realise that we had done in excess of 100 kph. This is not quite how I expected a 75-year old machine would be ridden!
Brough Superiors, however, were built to be ridden that way – hard, fast and like every day was the last day of their lives – even hours after they rolled off the production line. Every SS100 would be flogged up to 160 kph (or 100 mph) before being sold to the lucky few who could afford the hefty price tag. If the bikes couldn’t make the mark, they went back into the factory and started over from scratch. And the man behind the marque, George Brough, would certify every single one that made it through their test of fire. Yes, this was performance guaranteed; there was no place for second best in this Nottingham factory.
George Brough was a remarkable man, who had a sense of theatre with everything he did. For example, his dad manufactured motorcycles, apart from other things, but George wanted his machine to be better than anything else around. As with many good ideas, young George got a good one in a pub – one night out with the boys, someone suggested to him that he ought to call his motorcycle the Brough Superior. George loved it. On hearing the name his son had chosen for his motorcycles, the old man reportedly remarked, ‘I suppose that makes mine the Brough Inferior’. One can only imagine what it must have been like around the dinner table that night!
MORE ON PAGE 2>> | <urn:uuid:49bc3bb8-3f33-46ac-834f-cb39b489474f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bsmotoring.com/news/1936-brough-superior-ss100-diamond-inbrough/4626/1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97981 | 408 | 1.554688 | 2 |
NEW DELHI – Women marched, danced and sang in rallies in several Indian cities Thursday as part of the One Billion Rising campaign to break the cycle of violence in the country, with many saying they could not shake off the memory of the gruesome gang rape of a young New Delhi woman two months ago.
“Something changed forever with the December incident. Women here are no longer using the language of protecting themselves. Today women are saying, ‘What is the society doing to ensure our safety?’ ” said Ranjana Kumari, director of the Center for Social Research, a women’s advocacy group, as she distributed pink bandannas with One Billion Rising written on it. “We are here for One Billion Rising, but we are also here to celebrate that shift among Indian women.”
Throughout the day, groups of young women and men organized flash mobs across the capital — in shopping malls under giant red Valentine’s Day hearts, in crowded byways of slums and outside movie halls — featuring a two-minute dance to a Hindi song titled “Delhi Jaago,” or “Rise Delhi.”
“So many onlookers came up and asked us if we are dancing for the gang-rape victim,” said Sakshi Bhalla, 25, who choreographed the dance.
In the evening, in the heart of New Delhi, women chanted slogans such as “Break the bangles” and “Freedom to dance madly” and whistled into the microphones.
Across the street, dozens of demonstrators continued their unbroken protest against the December rape, giving fiery speeches.
Urmi Duggal, an 18-year old political science undergraduate, compared the two protest movements.
“The protest against the gang rape was very angry. It was about changing laws, hanging the rapists and even castrating them,” Duggal said, a white flag saying “Enough” in Hindi sticking out of her bag. “Today’s One Billion Rising is about gaining the self-confidence to say that I am worth fighting for.”
Ironically, Indians got another rude reminder this week about the propensity of the nation’s politicians to make insensitive comments about and toward women. When a female journalist asked government minister Vayalar Ravi on Monday about charges of rape against a colleague, Ravi leaned forward and asked her, “Did he do something to you?” Other political officials around him laughed.
Ravi’s remarks triggered online fury, and the minister later apologized, saying he was only joking. Many said that his remark may not have sparked the same kind of uproar before the December rape incident.
“The movement in India is very clearly marked now as pre-December gang rape and post-December gang rape,” said Kavita Krishnan, a feminist activist. “One Billion Rising in India gets its energy and special edge from the events of the past two months here.” | <urn:uuid:615a2140-d336-4757-8841-ec5d089e3dc0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/02/14/a-day-of-protests-and-flash-mobs-for-indias-movement-to-halt-violence-against-women/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963308 | 627 | 1.835938 | 2 |
For so Eärwen named her queen, at least in her own mind. Oh, she knew Míriel had an Adûnaic name, as did Eärwen herself, for use in the markets or where the King's Men might hear, but in her mind at least she would not give in to fear of those brutes. Her mother had taught her that: to dream whatever dreams she could, so long as when she woke, she remembered that Pharazôn and not Míriel ruled Númenor.
She stood up from the stool where she waited on her queen and idly walked out to the balcony. Pulling herself to the balls of her feet, Eärwen looked out the high window to the courtyard below. The night was cloudy, and the moon afforded her little light, but the palace guards who always kept watch over the Tree carried lamps, so Eärwen could see well enough.
Taking in the rest of the courtyard, Eärwen caught sight of a man crouched in the shadows of the opposite wall. She could make out little about him, for he gathered the hood of his cloak close around his face, but when he looked up at the balconies lining the second floor, the light from the guards' lamp caught a silver star he wore on his brow.
The man turned away quickly, and the guards seemed not to notice, but the sight was enough for Eärwen. 'Twas the Elendilmir! She knew, all the folk of Andúnië knew that that star marked the lord Elendil's line.
Eärwen ran from the balcony into the queen's chambers. "Mila—" she began to call out, but checked herself. Inzilbêth lay sleeping in the servants' alcove, and who knew her loyalties? Eärwen hurried toward the bed and laid a hand on Míriel's shoulder. "Milady," she whispered, "come quick, for you must see..."
Míriel's eyes darted open, as if from a nightmare, and for a moment Eärwen thought she might cry out. Míriel looked around the room frantically and (so Eärwen thought, for she too had been pulled out of dark dreams in those dark days) saw that there were no guards in the door, no threat to be defended against, for the moment at least. Eärwen went to the clothespress for the queen's dressing-robe and quickly helped her into it, and the two went back to the balcony.
Soon after Eärwen pointed out the man to Míriel, he dashed out of the shadow's safety toward the tree in the center of the courtyard. Eärwen opened her lips to gasp, but Míriel's fingers clawing at her shoulder reminded her to be silent, so she closed her mouth again. Her breath caught in her throat as the man reached up toward the lowest branch; he still crouched close to the ground, but his arm could be clearly seen in the lamplight. He would be caught, Eärwen was sure of it!
Eärwen heard a soft snap from the courtyard, and the man's arm dropped to his side; she guessed he'd taken a flower, or perhaps a fruit. Suddenly a quick movement caught Eärwen's eye, and her head snapped to the side. Something sailed through the air, followed by a plunk on the roof across the courtyard. One of the guards ran off with the lamp to investigate. As for the man by the tree, he ran swiftly but silently back toward the far wall, and the next time Eärwen looked for him, he was gone.
But for the moment Eärwen's eyes were elsewhere. She looked over at Míriel, who was rearranging the polished stones in the decorative bowl on the banister. Eärwen noticed that the brown speckled one was missing. Had the queen thrown that? Míriel nodded silently toward the door, and Eärwen understood: 'twas better not to be seen, when the guard returned, for he would find no one on the roof and would wonder why he'd been driven out of the courtyard.
Back inside, Eärwen took the queen's robe and slippers without a word. She had questions, more than she could remember having since she'd taken up service with the queen, but was unsure how to voice them. She walked over to the clothespress and re-hung the robe on its hook, and when she turned again to face the queen she was surprised to see Míriel propped up on her pillows, as if waiting for her to break the quiet.
Eärwen latched the clothespress and walked toward her stool, resigning herself to saying nothing. Just then, Inzilbêth's gentle snore drifted out from the servant's alcove, and Eärwen changed her mind. For Inzilbêth slept soundly, and the guards did not seem keen to break down the door tonight. She'd risk a question.
"Milady," Eärwen said in almost a whisper, "if it is not too bold, did you know the man? Is that why you saved him?"
Míriel smiled down at her, a little sleepily. "It is forward, yes, but the days demand boldness. He is my cousin. Isildur Elendilion."
A gasp escaped Míriel at that name. Isildur! She'd heard stories of him ever since she'd come to Armenelos. Isildur the Brave, who harried the king's men with rains of arrows, who seemed to be everywhere but could be found nowhere. The very same who was rumored to be loved by the queen, and not just as kin; for rumor had it that they had planned to marry, before Pharazôn supplanted him.
Míriel looked at Eärwen disapprovingly. "My cousin must have cloth between his ears. Pharazôn set a high price on his head, which Isildur well knows. If he is found in Armenelos, Morgoth will drink his blood ere nightfall tomorrow, I promise you."
"But he is swift?" Eärwen found herself asking.
"Aye, and there are some folk still faithful to the old ways, even here in Armenelos," Míriel answered. "They will see him safely on the road." Her eyes twinkled mischievously.
Eärwen nodded pensively to herself. "I have heard tell... I know my father would not have offered me to your service, were you not to be trusted." Míriel gave the smallest nod, encouraging Eärwen to go on. "So you must be one of them," Eärwen said. She remembered of a sudden her brother teaching her to face the West at sunset, to say the ancient words if it was safe to do so, and Eärwen found she could easily see Míriel doing that. "One of us," Eärwen corrected herself. "But if that be true, milady, what keeps you in Armenelos? Surely you could beg need to see your kinsfolk, an elderly aunt with poor health, perhaps. Would even the king dare keep you from such duty?"
Míriel looked out a window, not down into the courtyard but to the sky above. Eärwen fancied she was staring up at the stars, as the girl often did; wishing, perhaps, for the elven-folk, who were rumored to love those stars so much. At last Míriel shook her head. "No, he would not. But 'tis better to know an Orc and confound his purposes, than to leave him to his own devices." She reached over and chucked Eärwen under the chin playfully. "And what would Isildur have done, had I fled to Andúnië?"
Eärwen had no answer, so she sat silent for a moment. At last she leaned closer. "I do not like your lord the king," she said in a whisper so soft she wondered that the queen could hear it. "Nor his adviser, come to that. And those who stand too close to the flame may yet be burned. I fear for you, milady."
Míriel nodded softly. "I know, child, but keep up your hope. Ar-Pharazôn may be strong, and his vicar perilous, but they will not yet strike down the daughter of Tar-Palantír. When that day comes, I doubt even Andúnië could be a haven for me."
Eärwen opened her mouth, but again words failed her. Finally she said, "Well, they'll not strike tonight. Rest you well, milady, for your keen wit shelters us both. I'd not have it blunted from little sleep."
This is a work of fan fiction, written because the author has an abiding love for the works of J R R Tolkien. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and possibly New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to the author of the said work. The author will not receive any money or other remuneration for presenting the work on this archive site. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the enjoyment of Henneth Annûn Story Archive readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the explicit written consent of the author. | <urn:uuid:f8634333-041a-44f4-aecd-c1de22b60af8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://henneth-annun.net/stories/chapter_view.cfm?stid=7577&spordinal=1 | 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 | 0.982521 | 2,039 | 1.632813 | 2 |
The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance (AALTCI) says about 75% of the new long term care insurance (LTCI) policies sold last year were purchased by individuals ages of 45 to 64.
About 56% of new buyers of individual LTCI policies were ages 55 to 64, and 22% were ages 45 to 54.
Jesse Slome, executive director of AALTCI, Westlake Village, Calif., says he believes the prime years for consumers buys LTCI coverage are from 52 to 64.
"That is the age when costs are more affordable and the individual is still more likely to health qualify for insurance protection,” Slome says.
Ten years ago, the average LTCI buyer was 66 or 67, and fewer than 5% were younger than 45, Slome says.
Individuals who buy LTCI through the worksite continue to be younger than other LTCI buyers, "but the age gap is narrowing," Slome says.
AALTCI is preparing to publish LTCI figures in its upcoming 2012-2013 Long Term Care Insurance Sourcebook. | <urn:uuid:0ddb2dbc-0cd4-4358-9441-be37f0fb754c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lifehealthpro.com/2012/06/25/aaltci-ltci-buyers-continue-to-get-younger?ref=hp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978534 | 234 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Real food ... in your freezer [Infographic]
Some of America’s favorite, most versatile foods can be found in the frozen food aisle, including options for every lifestyle and every food occasion. But did you know that frozen foods start out the same as their fresh counterparts, coming from the earth and sea, and make their way to your kitchen table.
The National Frozen and Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) is encouraging everyone to think about the freezer aisle in a fresh way. From healthy produce and perfectly-portioned meals, to a variety of ethnic cuisines and restaurant-quality dishes, frozen foods offer great value and delicious variety. | <urn:uuid:88452f52-5b6b-4508-8f79-c1a426719e98> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jeffersonpost.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Real+food+-+in+your+freezer+-Infographic-%20&id=21928568&instance=all | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943562 | 134 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Although it covers 70 percent of the earth's surface, there is a very real possibility that in the near future, there won't be enough water to sustain life on the planet. This documentary illuminates the vital role water plays in our lives, exposes the defects in the current system and shows communities already struggling with its ill-effects and individuals championing revolutionary solutions. Firmly establishing the urgency of the global water crisis as the central issue facing our world this century, the film posits that we can manage this problem if we are willing to act now.
Erin Brockovich, Peter Gleick, Jay Famiglietti
Rating: PG-13 (for some disturbing content and brief strong language) | <urn:uuid:745a6373-66fb-4a84-afda-e0a836d6fec6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.movin1077.com/movies/data/movie/120015.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938593 | 143 | 1.71875 | 2 |
leaves a vacuum in the east
Tamilselvan paying his last respects to the slain Kausalyan
Amantha Perera and Easwaran Rutnam
September 7, slain LTTE Political Head of Amaparai and
Batticaloa Districts, Eliathamby Lingaraja alias Kausalyan
walked into a meeting with the Head, Sri Lanka Monitoring
Mission (SLMM) Trond Furhovde with a smile.
have someone you want to meet," he said, and in walked
Ramnan, the LTTE intelligence head for the east. The peace
monitors had been trying desperately to meet with the elusive
Ramnan, who they knew was spearheading Tiger efforts to
consolidate the east as well as replenish cadre levels. SLMM
monitors had once driven up to the 49 Base near Vakarai to
meet with Ramnan, but were turned back.
Ramnan did not take part in the meeting or participate in any
future meetings the then 32 year old Kausalyan had once again
lived up to his word. In the face of mounting criticism by the
monitors as well as other organisations like UNICEF that the
Tigers were recruiting children, the onus fell on Kausalyan to
take some sort of assertive action. The bringing together of
Ramnan and the SLMM officials was Kausalyan's way of
signalling to the monitors that he had brought them face to
face with the military commanders.
who was brutally slain last week at Namalgama near Welikanda
on the A-11 highway linking Habarana and Valachchenai had the
knack of winning hearts. Small made and effusive, he came
across as the man who would listen and be patient. From the
army to the SLMM to visiting journalists, everyone was eager
to meet Kausalyan in the east. "Kausalyan was a decent
and soft spoken man who was tired of war and longed for a life
with prosperity and peace," said a source within a
multinational agency based in Batticaloa who interacted
closely with him.
after his elevation as LTTE Political Commissar of the east,
Kausalyan got the opportunity to travel abroad. He once
returned from a study trip to Scandinavia on the federal
system curious as a child. "He had a real genuine
curiosity about life and governments in other countries and
always asked me many questions about how minorities in other
countries had fought for their rights and won either
independence or autonomy," the same source said adding
that Kausalyan kept on peppering questions about federalism
and power sharing.
was no secret within the LTTE that Kausalyan was a rising
star. "He is a very high ranking member," former
Eastern Military Head, Ramesh remarked to SLMM monitors just
before he was recalled to the Wanni and replaced by Bhanu.
Kausalyan was the point man for the LTTE in the east. He in
fact took part in the latest round of talks Norwegian
Ambassador Hans Brattskar had with Political Head S. P.
Tamilselvan in Kilinochchi. And his death leaves a vacuum that
would be very difficult to fill.
is no ordinary man, he commanded the respect of others,"
TNA MP M. K. Elaventhan who had recently helped in the tsunami
relief efforts in the east said.
was a good decision maker and he was patient," echoed
Marshall, a middle level LTTE member from Vakarai.
funeral itself stood testament to his standing within the
organisation. The body was paraded in all the major towns from
Batticaloa to Kalmunai, irrespective whether they were in
government held areas or otherwise. Top Tiger leadersflew in
for the funeral.Never has there been a similar funeral for a
slain LTTEer. He was laid to rest at the Thandiyandi Heroes
Cemetery near Karadiyanaru. A crowd of more than 15,000
attended the funeral.
members of the army agreed that Kausalyan's loss would be felt
greatly. He was in fact credited with holding back extreme
elements within the eastern command from launching all out and
while the new military leaders like Bhanu, Prabha, Ram and
Ramnan kept their distance while dealing with the security
forces or the SLMM, Kausalyan played Tamilselvan of the east
for the LTTE.
his history within the LTTE including military service and
stints in the finance division and judicial section, Kausalyan
was respected by the military wing members as well. His word
carried a lot of weight in the east, especially after the
Karuna defection. Last August, The Sunday Leader was stranded
in Kokkadicholai within Tiger areas-all top ranking leaders
were deep in the interior held back in discussions and if not
for a nominal meeting with the man, movement was severely
restricted. Kausalyan conveyed a message through his secretary
cum translator S. Manoj. "Go where ever you want to, do
what you want, if anyone asks questions, tell them Kausalyan
has okayed this," was the message and all restrictions
were lifted. There wasn't even the usual LTTE political wing
more than such power it was the public face that was of more
value to the Tigers. "He represented a brighter future
for the LTTE and the Tamil people because he was so eager to
learn and to adapt," sources from an international
organisation working in Batticaloa said. Even on very small
matters, Kausalyan intervened.
army officers complained to him about some Muslims being
prevented from going to their fields in LTTE-held areas.
"The next day he sent a message and all was ok,"
security forces sources in the east told The Sunday Leader.
With such action he was at least able to rebuild some of the
burnt fences with the eastern Muslims.
was not that he wasn't a tough bargainer. Recently he walked
out of a relief related meeting when the JVP walked in and
kept on insisting that the rapprochement efforts between the
government and the Tigers in the east would not be fulfilled
just as long as Karuna and his loyalists continued with
violence. He also deftly answered issues raised by the armed
forces side on violence allegedly perpetrated by the LTTE.
the split, Karuna supporters have been taking out the public
faces of the Tigers in the east, namely political wing
first big hit came two months after Karuna defected to
government areas when the Wanni faction launched a ruthless
attack during Easter weekend last April. On July 5, the LTTE's
Heroes Day, Ramalingam Padamaseelan alias Lt. Col. Senathiraja,
who headed the political office in Batticaloa was shot in
Batticaloa town. He died eight days later.
over a month later, on August 20, Vasu Bawa, the former
political head for Amaparai and Yoga another political wing
cadre were killed in an ambush near Kajuwatte, on the
Batticaloa-Trincomalee highway. They had just entered
government controlled areas when they fell victim to a
claymore-mine blast and subsequent shooting.
Senathi and Bawa maintained very good relationships with the
SLMM and security forces. When Senathi's body was being
ferried from LTTE controlled areas to government controlled
areas at the Mammunai crossing, Bawa pointed at the casket and
a senior army officer standing near the ferry dock and said
"they were very close."
that Kausalyan too has joined the list of victims of
internecine violence within the LTTE, the political wing in
the volatile east has been left weakened. His replacement Daya
Mohan still has to prove his mettle. Mohan was handling LTTE
administrative affairs in the east and functioned as
Kausalyan's deputy in the tsunami relief effort. The relief
effort is also very likely to be disrupted.
retaliation from the Tigers will be worse than what followed
the Senathi and Bawa murders.
lining up the roads when the casket moved through Batticaloa
and Amparai, were livid
and calling for all
retaliation. Once again the only thing holding back an
immediate attack was the hierarchically dictatorial regime of
the Tigers. If the orders were to break out and launch, the
eastern brigades of the Tigers were ever willing to do that
last week. However, the leadership indicated that it was being
patient. "Fighting is not the way towards peace talks. We
will continue with the peace talks," an English statement
read at the Devanayagam Hall in Batticaloa town on Thursday
morning when the bodies of Kausalyan, former MP Chandranehru
Arianayagam and three other LTTE cadres were displayed.
LTTE in Kilinochchi said that evidence from the cadre who
survived the shooting would prove that the army was involved
in the incident.
Media Coordinator, Daya Master told The Sunday Leader the
cadre identified as Vinodan who is currently receiving
treatment at the Colombo National Hospital had mentioned that
the assassins were in military fatigues.
Political Wing of the LTTE in a press release issued on
Tuesday also noted that the assassins were in military
fatigues, but failed to point fingers at the army directly
although Karuna's name was also not mentioned on the release.
queried as to why Karuna's name was not mentioned on the
official press release and if the LTTE was trying to say that
the army was "directly" involved in the shooting
incident, Daya Master simply said "it's up to you to
the statement made in Batticaloa was more direct, "this
terrible act is supported by the military side," it read.
reports emanated from the army and the LTTE almost immediately
after the shooting. The army said that soldiers at camps near
Namalgama had heard the gunfire and rushed to the location.
The LTTE first said they had received an urgent call from one
of the survivors after the attack, most likely Vinodan.
army first maintained that the van was followed by another
vehicle and then fired. Thereafter the assailants walked up to
the van and fired at point blank range. The LTTE said the
attackers had waylaid the van and ambushed it. Then walked up
and shot. The second description looks the most plausible
given the state of the van that was sprayed with bullets.
is no denying that Kausalyan was the target, the attackers had
walked up and aimed at his head and fired an automatic T56 at
him killing him on the spot.
Namalgama area has always been suspected to be a hive of
activity ofKaruna supporters and the LTTE has repeatedly
notified the SLMM about their fear.
(close to Namalgama) is full of Karuna people and the LTTE has
for a long time alleged they are enjoying a safe haven there.
In the evening, the army is not active in that area and it is
possible the gunmen could have been there unseen, but there
are too many stories about Karuna people hanging out in the
area for it not to be true," said sources with access to
both the LTTE and the army.
weeks back when The Sunday Leader travelled on the same
stretch around 8 p.m. in the night, several armyfoot patrols
were on the road.
Tigers have maintained that Karuna supporters are active on a
ring that stretches from Aralaganwila south of the A-11
highway all the way up to Omadiyamadu close to the Trincomalee
border in the north. The Tigers say that Karuna supporters
lurk on the Batticaloa - Polonnaruwa border and infiltrate
when the time is opportune.
location of several attacks targeting LTTE cadres including
Bawa and Yoga and installations like the attack on the
Periyapillumalai LTTE guard post on the border with Maha Oya
on September 7 indicate the possible infiltration from within
the ring. An LTTE infiltrator also carried out a major attack
on Karuna supporters at Nagasthenne in Welikanda on October
slaying of Bawa and Yoga, and of Senathi, it's clear that
Karunapeople are involved and it is at least a possibility
that they had the confidence to do that partly because they
know their enemy very well, and partly because they were not
obstructed in any way," the same source said.
day after the attack, two army informants (names withheld)
said they were in the area when the attack took place and were
able to clearly indicate where Kausalyan had been seated,
right behind the driver.
the same day, a report appeared in a relatively unknown pro-Karuna
website Athurady that quoted a Karuna supporter by the name of
Barathi alleging that Thaiyaseelan, a former LTTEer now with
Karuna had carried out the attack. It said that a former
security guard of the slain MP had given the tip off when
Kausalyan switched from the double cab into the van in
Polonnaruwa and that the attackers had been informed of the
switch by way of a SMS.
sources confirmed they are aware of Thaiyaseelan, but added
that his name had not
been linked to Karuna since the defection.
Thursday night a statement was issued by a group calling
themselves the Tamil National Force (TNF) taking
responsibility for the attack. The statement issued under the
name of Cheran said that the TNF was under the command of
TamilEela Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) - Karuna's
political party and the Eelam National Democratic Liberation
statement said the assassin operated alone adding, "if it
was done by the Sri Lankan Army, why should the army wait to
kill one by one in face-to-face encounters? They could easily
get rid of Balasingham, Tamilselvan, Karikalan, Kausalyan,
Thamilenthi and others, when they use to air-dash in the Sri
Lanka government's helicopters by targeting it with a Sam 7
and kill all, lock, stock and barrel?"
sources confirmed the presence of a cadre by the name Cheran
when Karuna held sway in the east.
Rajarathnam, the only official to appear in public on behalf
of the TMVP and ENDLF since the split told The Sunday Leader
last year that TMVP members were active in Batticaloa but were
looking after their own security. He disappeared soon
afterwards and is believed to have been abducted by the
October the LTTE released a wanted list of sorts identifying
former cadres now working for Karuna. The leaflet named
Iniyaparathi, Mangalan, Markan, Ruthira, Sinnathambi, and
Pillaiyan with pictures as the top Karuna lieutenants active
in Batticaloa. Markan is known to be the group that is known
as 'the Markan group.'
photos of six men the LTTE posted as wanted, they are
apparently responsible (for the Bawa and Senathi murders)
according to LTTE intelligence," sources from the east
said. They revealed that the six were reported to be active in
the area of the Kausalyan assassination. In fact Markan
survived the Nagastenne attack.
Kausalyan joined the LTTE in 1989 when he witnessed an attack
by troops based at a camp near Punnani.
LTTE leadership held several rounds of discussions on Tuesday
on their next move with regard to the peace process and aid
distribution following the assassination of Kausalyan who was
posthumously given the rank of Lt. Colonel.
LTTE political division officer, who wished to remain
anonymous, said that Kausalyan's death is a major blow to the
organisation as he was a good leader and an asset to the LTTE.
noted that the LTTE had decided not to use force against the
army under any circumstances after the tsunami but that stand
have been a number of instances where the LTTE was the target
of Karuna's supporters operating under the assistance of the
army. The LTTE held back on those occasions. Now I believe the
line has been crossed," he said.
was in Kilinochchi the day prior to his assassination to meet
Tamilselvan to discuss tsunami relief activities related to
cancelled a planned meetinghe was to have with the World Bank
and Asian Development Bank officials in Kilinochchi on
Tuesday. The Tiger flag was flown at half mast at all LTTE
institutions and buildings in Kilinochchi.
Tamils in Kilinochchi were shocked at the news of Kausalyan's
death saying he was a much respected man who worked hard for
the sake of peace in the country.
ready for war
was no way the incident could have taken place without the
support of the army because it was in a military controlled
area. This is an attempt to instigate violence between the
army and the LTTE. I believe this will impact the future of
the peace process," says S. Sabesan, a textile store
owner in Kilinochchi.
noted that the LTTE could have easily restarted the war if it
wanted to but was patient with the interest of the Tamil
people of the north and east in mind.
19 year old LTTE cadre identified as Senthamil said that it
was obvious the army had a hand in the killing.
cannot just enter army territory and assassinate someone
without their help. Once the cadre who is in hospital gives
concrete evidence I'm sure it will prove the army was directly
involved," he said.
the indication at the funeral was that the Tigers had decided
not to take extreme measures. Yes they kept blaming the
security forces for allowing the murder, the underlying
message was that the Tigers were not quite ready for war as
married only recently, leaves his wife four months pregnant.
in govt. reconstruction estimates?
Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema
to two months after the tsunami, the country is faced with a
new set of challenges - rebuilding the country and the
aid pledged and debt moratoriums have so far contained the
economy from hitting rock bottom due to the disaster - at
least for the time being.
implications of debt moratoriums on the country's economic
future have largely been overlooked due to the state coffers
filling up rapidly. (See box)
leading donor agencies - World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB)
and the Japan Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC) - the
joint preliminary damage and needs assessment report estimates
direct losses from the tsunami of December 26, at US$ 1
billion. Reconstruction costs are pegged at around US$ 1.5
billion. According to the World Bank, that is seven per cent
of the country's annual domestic economic output (GDP).
human terms, the devastation is widespread, and the needs are
great. The coastal areas hit by the tsunami are among the
poorest parts of Sri Lanka. Nearly 100,000 homes have been
destroyed, and some 443,000 people remain displaced.
the preliminary needs assessment has summed up US$ 1.5 billion
as the total amount of funds needed for reconstruction, it is
interesting to note that almost half the reconstruction needs
are being met by various private sector donors as well as NGOs
example, the damage overview and recovery needs in the housing
sector have been estimated between US$ 437 million and US$ 487
million. This amount is expected to cover the rebuilding costs
of the 99,480 completely destroyed and the 44,290 partially
destroyed houses in the tsunami ravaged districts.
to the donors, the state would need up to US$ 487 million to
rebuild houses. However, it is interesting to note that
private donors and NGOs have come forward to rebuild the
houses in most of the districts.
housing needs in the Hambantota District have been completely
taken care of by the private sector. (See box)
same applies to the education, health and water and sanitation
private sector organisations, NGOs, INGOs and even foreign
volunteers have come forward with relief aid.
outpouring of humanitarian aid and assistance for various
affected sectors in the aftermath of the tsunami means a
considerable reduction in the estimated cost of
could also mean a decline in the country's borrowing needs as
country has so far received much of the funds from donor
agencies in the form of grants and soft loans. Assistance in
the form of soft loans will further add to the country's
already burgeoning debt bill.
has so far provided the country US$ 80 million to address
urgent reconstruction needs.
JBIC Representative, Shinya Ejima, the bank acting on behalf
of the Japanese government has already made available the
money pledged and is being utilised through the line
Ejima did not know the amount that has already been spent from
the funds made available by the Japanese agency.
Country Head, Alessandro Pio said that the bank's assistance
has been on three steps.
first step of addressing the immediate relief measures
according to Pio cannot be quantified. The second was to
re-allocate funds from already existing programmes. So far,
the bank has re-allocated between US$ 30 to 35 million from
existing fund allocations.
Bank Country Head, Peter Harrold observed that the bank is in
the process of calculating the amount spent so far under
emergency relief measures.
World Bank on Friday made available US$ 75 million for the Sri
Lankan government to use for rebuilding purposes.
noted that by end February, a new fund of US$ 75 million -
part grant and part soft loan - would also be made available.
to Harrold, US$ 1.5 billion is expected to be mobilised
between 2006 and 2007.
the active role played by the private sectors and NGOs in the
rebuilding process is expected to reduce the initial damage
and needs assessment considerably, according to Pio, the
preliminary damage estimates would remain the same as it is a
calculation of the total amount needed to rebuild the nation.
also observed that the role played by the private sector and
NGOs would reduce the need for excessive borrowing.
ADB, Pio said would contribute to the end of overall
also pointed out that the country would need funds at hand as
the money declared has to still come in.
a historical perspective it is evident that most often donor
aid pledged does not materialise in full.
is yet to receive even a fraction of the donor aid pledged to
rebuild Bam after an earthquake left the city devastated
taking thousands of lives. Central American cities which were
pledged money for rebuilding have so far reported to have
received only one third of the money pledged.
difference in monetary aid pledged and received would be felt
by the country as the rebuilding process progresses.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) meanwhile has reported that
while the Sri Lankan authorities' initial estimates have put
the physical damage at US$ 1.3 to US$ 1.5bn, the implications
for the economy were much wider than this.
broader macroeconomic impact will clearly be substantial but
the details are difficult to assess at this early stage,"
the IMF said. Growth, inflation, the balance of payments and
foreign exchange reserves are all expected to show the effects
of lost businesses and reconstruction costs.
to the IMF, earnings from tourism this year are expected to be
15% lower than last year.
growth this year is expected to be 4%, which is about 1% less
than previously forecast. Inflation could climb to 14%
compared to a previous estimate of 12%.
major exports have not suffered, the IMF has pointed out that
the reconstruction effort will require higher imports which
could damage the balance of payments.
IMF has approved Sri Lanka's request for a freeze on loan
moratoriums and future economic implications
relief might bring in the cash in the short term but can
make it more difficult for countries to borrow money in
the longer term.
tsunami debt relief is expected to be confined to
official government debt, a move which should protect
Indonesia from the possibility of a credit rating
Sri Lanka's position is yet to be seen.
increase in a country's debt would downgrade the
country's position in the credit list thereby being
categorised as a "high risk" player. In such
an event, donors would think twice before allocating
funds to countries deemed bad pay masters.
about corruption, questionable political intent,
economic sovereignty and the dangers of encouraging
reckless spending surround the debate on debt relief.
with the best of intentions, it can be difficult to
absorb the cash and turn it into real improvements on
organisations and developing country governments have
always found it hard to turn the streams of aid into the
kind of growth that cuts poverty.
Paris Club of creditor nations offered an unconditional
freeze on debt repayments for Indonesia, Sri Lanka and
the Seychelles to help recover from last month's
catastrophic tidal waves.
payments owed this year amount to US$ 3 billion for
Indonesia, US$ 328 million for Sri Lanka and US$ 5
million for the Seychelles, though some of those sums
may be owed to private creditors.
decision is an exceptional measure. It is justified by
the scale of the catastrophe. In this exceptional
situation, creditors wished that the suspension not be
submitted to any conditions, neither an accord with the
IMF, nor to comparable treatment by private
creditors," Club president Jean-Pierre Joyuet
stressed at a press conference.
conditions typically accompany aid by the 19-member
Paris Club, an informal cluster of some of the world's
richest creditor nations.
measure takes effect immediately. It will allow
countries affected to use all available resources for
humanitarian needs and reconstruction," Jouyet
evaluations of needs by the IMF and the World Bank would
allow the Paris Club to fine-tune its offer, in
particular regarding how long it would remain in effect,
the club said.
need for supplementary measures would also be
determined, with some political leaders and
non-governmental organisations calling for debt
restructuring or outright cancellation.
countries affected such as India, Malaysia and Thailand
have not asked that their debt payments be frozen, and
official aid announced at UN-sponsored meetings in
Jakarta and Geneva was independent of the Paris Club
principle of a debt repayment freeze was agreed upon by
the Group of Seven industrialised nations and by several
members of the Paris Club.
transferred by President's office
to the CNO, there was a surge of donations from
well-wishers from here and overseas to the President's
Fund in the immediate aftermath of the December 26
disaster. The President's Office then set up a separate
Fund for Disaster Relief at the People's Bank to receive
these donations, states a Presidential Secretariat press
funds accrued as at January 17, to these two accounts
have now been remitted to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
total funds thus transferred from the President's Office
are as follows:
Disaster Relief Fund A/c. Rs. 162,791,538.72
funds have now been credited to the 'National Fund for
Disaster Relief' opened at the Central Bank of Sri
Lanka. All monies in this account are expected to be
utilised to fund the proposed rehabilitation and
heads rebuilding of Hambantota
work in the worst affected southern district, Hambantota,
has begun under the guidance of Premier Mahinda
and resettling of displaced persons is never an easy
task considering the fact that life for them would never
return to normal. Frustrated and traumatised, these
people are only too keen to sleep under a solid roof in
a house they could call their own.
Hambantota District Tsunami Relief and Development
Programme - Helping Hambantota - is all geared to meet
the challenges of rebuilding housing facilities for the
displaced in the district.
of houses would be done under two categories - build on
own land and building on new land (relocation).
to Spokesman, Helping Hambantota, Willy Gamage, the
district's need to rebuild 12,000 houses has been
completely taken care of by private sector donors and
work on the houses, built on a land plot of 20 perches
each has already begun and the first phase of the
settlements is to be completed before the Sinhala New
housing schemes are expected to be completed by then.
fishermen in Hambantota who expressed displeasure in
being relocated out of the town will be relocated to a
land owned by the State Timber Corporation in the town
itself. This land is expected to house more than 432
observed that although fisherfolk do not wish to be
relocated to areas inland, the availability of land for
construction has posed a problem.
from the housing sector, fisheries and tourism sectors
took a heavy beating in Hambantota.
observed that the fisheries sector has been badly
affected by the tsunami.
of 195 multiday boats in the country, 83 were from
Hambantota and the tsunami destroyed all of them. Each
multiday boat is valued at Rs. 5.5 million.
boat was purchased by the fishermen by utilising the
initial Rs. 10 lakhs down payment made by the
government. The rest of the amount was being met by
from that, more than 1,000 other boats have been either
partially or completely destroyed.
from them many others, even those in the interiors have
lost their livelihoods due to the tsunami.
herculean task ahead for Helping Hambantota is to
address all these issues and bring some normalcy to
those traumatised by the devastation. | <urn:uuid:2928eff8-04f7-47d2-9335-0802770869bc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thesundayleader.lk/archive/20050220/politics-1.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959977 | 6,583 | 1.671875 | 2 |
When i was asked to speak with Mitt Romney it seemed like a very important thing to me, and I wanted to put a lot of careful thought into what I would say. So, I went to the round table discussion very optimistic and interested in hearing what he had to say.
When he sat down, one of the first questions he asked was, he said “I understand there is a teacher here today, which one of you is a teacher?”
So, I raised my hand, thinking that’s a good thing, he’s interested in education, but it wasn’t a good thing. I felt like his view was a little old-fashioned and I was surprised by it. He went on to kind of lecture me about schools and how bad they are. He talked bad about the teacher’s union. He was talking about the importance of private schools and voucher systems.
At one point, I said to him, “I have an answer for that.” And he said, “I didn’t ask you a question.” | <urn:uuid:a676aaa1-fba1-474b-b5be-eb3a3d4792b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://apsies.tumblr.com/post/32127287387/when-i-was-asked-to-speak-with-mitt-romney-it | 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 | 0.995155 | 226 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Peoria Public Radio Staff
Tue February 26, 2013
House Republicans want to reduce cost of starting business
Illinois House Republicans want to cut the corporate income tax and reduce the cost to start a business. It’s 750-dollars now to become a limited liability corporation, or LLC, in Illinois.
Republicans say in bordering states Missouri, Indiana, and Iowa, the fee is less than 100-dollars.Representative Dwight Kay, a Republican from Glen Carbon, also proposes lowering the state corporate tax rate to its 20-11 level, before an increase went into effect. “We all understand that businesses need to pay taxes. But they don’t need to pay some of the highest tax rates in the nation and hope to survive." Kay says the tax cut would allow businesses to add more jobs. He says that would make up for the estimated half-a-billion dollars Illinois would lose in tax revenue. | <urn:uuid:952127b5-ee39-47fc-b1f5-3e31eb73991d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://peoriapublicradio.org/node/1556/view/thursday | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963954 | 192 | 1.75 | 2 |
Welch Wants EPA To Suspend Mandate For Ethanol In Fuel
08/24/12 5:50PM By Bob Kinzel Download MP3
Congressman Peter Welch has joined a bipartisan group of House members to ask the Obama administration to temporarily suspend the mandate that ethanol be included in fuel.
Welch says the ethanol program is driving up feed prices for farmers at a time that a major drought in the Midwest is slashing the nation's supply of corn.
Currently under the national ethanol mandate, 10 percent of all transportation fuels in this country must come from corn based ethanol and it's estimated that it takes 40 percent of the country's corn crop to meet this mandate.This year, a major drought has hit many parts of the Midwest and the drought has caused corn supplies to be cut in half.
Welch has joined a bipartisan coalition of 156 House members, 30 Democrats and 126 Republicans, who are urging the Obama Administration to suspend the ethanol mandate because the demand for corn is driving feed prices through the roof.
"Feed prices are up 40 percent," Welch said. "That affects our Vermont farmers. It's also affecting food prices. So this is a unique, once-in-50-years drought situation that is having a significant impact on the price of corn. And whatever your position on ethanol is for the long term, you've got to respond to this short term crisis."
Welch would like to see the ethanol mandate permanently ended, but for now, his goal is to get EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to issue a temporary suspension:
"So there's a lot of us who think that we ought to get rid of the mandate altogether," he said. "But in the practical situation we're in, where we have this fierce drought that is having an impact all over the country and on Vermont farmers, let's use the discretion that we've given the administrator to suspend this mandate while we continue to have the argument and debate about the future of ethanol."
EPA Administrator Jackson is in Vermont this week looking at a number of energy projects. She says her Agency is in the process of gathering information about the proposal.
"When we get a formal request, we have to take public comment," she said. "We're going to open public comment as soon as it gets published in the Federal Register. We take 30 days of comment and obviously we're going to get in a lot of information and by law consider it and make a decision."
Welch says he supports efforts to reduce this country's dependence on foreign oil, but he argues that this is a case where reducing feed prices should be the top priority. | <urn:uuid:95025930-a132-489e-bdeb-3ea5045f5199> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/95672/welch-wants-epa-to-suspend-mandate-for-ethanol-in/ | 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 | 0.959883 | 540 | 1.625 | 2 |
Geena Davis is an Academy Award-winning actor, probably best known for her roles in movies such as "Thelma and Louise," "A League of Their Own" and "The Accidental Tourist."
But in more recent years, she has become an advocate for gender equality in children's entertainment. As founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, she aims to work with content creators to increase the number of girls and women in films and television shows aimed at kids.
She sat down with The Wall Street Journal's Rebecca Blumenstein to discuss her career, the role that changed her life and the problem with the way women are portrayed in G-rated movies. Here are edited excerpts of their conversation.
Rebecca Blumenstein: You became known for picking your roles very carefully. Why did you feel so strongly about that at an early point?
Geena Davis: It was really for purely selfish reasons, because as an actor I wanted to feel challenged and, you know, play baseball rather than be the girlfriend of the person who plays baseball.
RB: The film "Thelma and Louise" has such a strong feminist message. Did you realize that signing up for it?
GD: I don't think any of us involved in the movie had any idea the reaction that it was going to get. It was very unusual because it had two excellent female parts, and I desperately wanted to be in it.
But what happened was when that movie came out, the difference between if somebody recognized me at the cleaners or something before that movie and that weekend that it came out -- it was just night and day.
Afterward, I had women holding me by the lapels, so I could hear their story. And that experience really brought home to me how few opportunities we give women to feel like that about a movie. To feel passionately identified with it and feel empowered and thrilled. It's just incredibly rare. And I think everything in my life has been colored since then by that experience.
RB: You moved on, became a mom and suddenly as an actor you began to develop some different beliefs about the role of media.
GD: Being in the business and having the experiences I had where some movies I did resonated with women or girls -- like "A League of Their Own" -- I had a heightened sense about women's roles in the media. Then when my daughter -- she's 8 now -- when she was about 2, I started watching G-rated videos and preschool programs with her.
And I was absolutely floored to see the same kind of gender bias and gender gap in what we're showing little kids. She'd be on my lap and I'd be counting the characters on my fingers and thinking, "This is just not right."
I didn't intend to turn it into a whole institute or a whole new life for myself. But I started mentioning it around Hollywood. If I had a meeting with a studio executive or a producer, I'd say, "Hey, have you ever noticed how few female characters there seem to be in G-rated movies and things for kids?" And they pretty much across the board would say, "No. No, that's not true anymore. That's been fixed."
So that's what made me decide that I would need the facts and not just my impression. We raised some money, and we ended up doing the largest research study ever done on G-rated movies and television shows made for kids 11 and under. And the results were stunning.
What we found was that in G-rated movies, for every one female character, there were three male characters. If it was a group scene, it would change to five to one, male to female.
Of the female characters that existed, the majority are highly stereotyped and/or hypersexualized. To me, the most disturbing thing was that the female characters in G-rated movies wear the same amount of sexually revealing clothing as the female characters in R-rated movies.
And then we looked at aspirations and occupations and things like that. Pretty much the only aspiration for female characters was finding romance, whereas there are practically no male characters whose ultimate goal is finding romance. The No. 1 occupation was royalty. Nice gig, if you can get it. And we found that the majority of female characters in animated movies have a body type that can't exist in real life. So, the question you can think of from all this is: What message are we sending to kids?
RB: Have you done any work on what the impact is?
GD: The whole idea for me was I wanted to take the facts and go back to the people who are creating the media. We go straight to the studios and the producers, the Writers Guild, the Animators Guild, the Casting Directors Guild, and present our research.
The fascinating thing that we found from the beginning was that they were absolutely shocked.
The fact that, in general, all of their movies are so lacking in a female presence is stunning to them. That makes it, obviously, not a conspiracy, not a conscious choice, and leaves them very open to rethinking it and saying, "Now that we know, we're going to make some changes."
And we feel certain that when we update [our research] in 2015 that we will have seen the needle move.
RB: What does a parent do? Is there evidence that the more TV and movies that kids watch -- does it have an impact on them?
GD: Definitely. They found that the more hours of television a girl watches, the fewer options she believes she has in life. And the more hours a boy watches, the more sexist his views become.
What we recommend, and what I do with my kids, is watch with them.
They're only allowed to watch TV if I'm there. And I make a running commentary the whole time to take away the negative impact, asking things such as: "Couldn't a girl have played that part?" And there's reason to believe that this is actually very effective.
RB: You did "Commander in Chief" recently. Do you believe playing the female commander in chief has an impact on society?
GD: Negative images can powerfully affect boys and girls, but positive images have the same kind of impact. We know that if girls can see characters doing unstereotyped kinds of occupations and activities, they're much more likely as an adult to pursue unusual and outside-the-box occupations. I really believe that if you can see it, you can be it.
This article originally appeared on WSJ.com. | <urn:uuid:29da62f9-f7c6-437e-93dd-928e9cba4ff2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sales-jobs.fins.com/Articles/SB130255054645003771/Geena-Davis-on-Hollywood-s-Portrayal-of-Women | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985955 | 1,362 | 1.710938 | 2 |
NPR’s “Morning Edition” Reporter Steve Inskeep to Speak about Diversity in Pakistan
April 26, 2012
Event: The South Asia Institute's "Color, Caste, or Creed — Embracing Diversity in Pakistan” a talk by Steve Inskeep, host of NPR Morning Edition, the most widely heard radio news program in the United States.
When: Friday, April 27, 5-8 p.m.
Background: Inskeep has traveled across the nation and around the world for “Morning Edition” and “NPR News.” From the Persian Gulf to the wreckage of New Orleans, he has interviewed presidents, warlords, authors and musicians, as well as those who aren't in the headlines — from a steelworker in Ohio to a woman living in poverty in Tehran.
After the Sept. 11 attacks, Inskeep covered the war in Afghanistan, the hunt for al-Qaida suspects in Pakistan, and the war in Iraq. In 2003, he received a National Headliner Award for investigating a military raid that went wrong in Afghanistan.
His first book, “Instant City: Life and Death in Karachi,” documents his reporting experiences in Karachi, Pakistan. His regular dispatches from visits to Pakistan have included an acclaimed radio series, “Along the Grand Trunk Road,” reported with his NPR colleagues.
The South Asia Institute was established as part of a university initiative to promote South Asian programs, especially those pertaining to contemporary issues, across the entire university and in the larger community. With more than 50 faculty members in a dozen schools and departments, The University of Texas at Austin has one of the most distinguished South Asia programs in the country. | <urn:uuid:28d27d29-5791-4087-b11e-335af4dee7a9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.utexas.edu/news/2012/04/26/npr_inskeep_pakistan/ | 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 | 0.964535 | 348 | 1.5 | 2 |
Originally published on Tue November 20, 2012 9:38 am
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
NPR's business news begins with credit card debt rising.
Americans are running up more debt on their credit cards, and that could be a good sign. The average American had almost $5,000 of credit card debt in the third quarter of 2012, up almost 5 percent over the previous quarter. Industry analysts say the increase is partly seasonal, as people are spending more ahead of the holidays. But they also say it could reflect growing consumer confidence, which has been on the rise since July as job numbers have gradually improved nationwide. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio. | <urn:uuid:7e2780dd-470c-4d8f-9b94-c7eaaaede46c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kacu.org/post/business-news-121 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978189 | 140 | 1.625 | 2 |
Egypt has approved a new, pro-Islamist constitution, and Christians and other minorities foresee bleak and repressive days ahead, Patheos.com reports. Voter turnout in the two-stage nationwide referendum was reportedly limited, and Christians were particularly underrepresented -- as low as 7 percent in some areas. Intimidation from Islamists kept many away from the polls, and in one instance, an estimated 50,000 pro-constitution Egyptians marched through Christian areas of the city of Assiut before the election. Men on horseback with swords led the way -- evoking the seventh-century Muslim conquest -- as marchers chanted that Egypt would be "Islamic, Islamic, despite the Christians." Under the new charter, the rights of Christians and other religious minorities are "undermined beyond salvage," says Hudson Institute scholar Samuel Tadros. According to Arizona congressman Trent Franks, who co-chairs the bipartisan International Religious Freedom Caucus, "The first few constitutional articles -- the foundation of Egypt's new legal framework -- are especially frightening once the implications are assessed and the articles are viewed in context o one another." | <urn:uuid:c77d126a-6445-478f-8c29-47390d792ea5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.religiontoday.com/blog/islamist-constitution-spells-trouble-egypt-christians.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946652 | 220 | 1.804688 | 2 |
A Birthday Margarita
The life of a PK (preacher’s kid) is one comprised of nothing if not compromise and sacrifice. We are always on stage, held to a higher standard than most children, and criticized more than our peers. Unlike celebrities, however, who often complain about the same frustration and scrutiny, this is something we did not volunteer for, and for which the compensation is significantly less....
"Poisson d'avril" ("April fish")
Sometime during the 16th century, Pope Gregory XIII, head of the Western Christian Church (now referred to as the Roman Catholic Church), instituted a new calendar, called the Gregorian Calendar, which is followed today. The Eastern Orthodox world continued to follow the calendar of Julius Caesar, the Julian Calendar. To this day, a select few Orthodox groups, including Serbs, continue to... | <urn:uuid:f77a182a-6f76-43e2-80bc-8784eb01a459> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://babastable.tumblr.com/archive/2012/4 | 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 | 0.947671 | 177 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Everything WaterSense shares is good stuff, but rarely do people understand the magnitude of a leak(even a small one).
This is one of the best illustrations on what an even tiny leak can add up to!
Take a few minutes to look over the WaterSense website. Turn the television off and walk around your place, listening for any leaks. Check faucets, tub/shower, toilets and the often forgotten outside spigots. If the repair is outside your repairing ability, call a professional. 3000(or more) wasted gallons over the course of a year can't be good for your water bill and certainly isn't good for the environment! | <urn:uuid:606109ae-0f8d-443f-8123-415077c3c5f1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cupboardsonline.com/2012/03/its-fix-leak-week.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941808 | 134 | 1.5625 | 2 |
§ Mr. Chidgey
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measure her Department is taking to reduce the number of non-urgent 999 telephone calls.
§ Mr. Sackville
The new patients charter, launched on 18 January, advises the public on how they can help the national health service by remembering that the emergency ambulance service is there for people in the most urgent need of hospital treatment. Improvements in primary care should reduce the incidence of non-urgent calls. Further action is best taken by local initiatives. | <urn:uuid:7e4a3a19-91e9-40d4-ba54-472c78a07304> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1995/feb/17/999-telephone-calls | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943659 | 107 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Michigan Gov Snyder's application to US Government for presidential permit for NITC bridge suggests need for legislative cooperation
2012-07-12: The US Department of State has posted Michigan Governor Rick Snyder's application for a presidential permit for the New International Trade Crossing (NITC) bridge, and it reveals new details as to the arrangements envisaged for the controversial project. Some could pose obstacles, notably a commitment that the NITC "connection to the interstate system" approach roads and the interchange with I-75 "will be maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation." The NITC bridge site is nearly 2 miles, 3km downstream of the Ambassador Bridge on the Detroit River.
State law presently prohibits the spending of any state funds on the new bridge project and Governor Snyder has said the project won't cost the state taxpayers a dollar, because the Canadians are carrying all the costs.
Not mentioned in the agreement document, the permit application contains this: "The proposed governance structure includes the creation of (a) separate International Authority by the State of Michigan, the Michigan Strategic Fund, and the Michigan Department of Transportation on the Michigan side, Canada and the Crossing Authority on the Canadian side."
It seems unlikely that Governor Snyder can participate in the NITC International Authority and appoint members by executive order only. He is likely to require some state legislation, you'd think.
Isn't the "State of Michigan" more than the Governor? Time will tell.
The duties of the International Authority, the permit application says, include several sensitive issues like:
- "Set(ting) parameters for the recoupment by Canada of the funds it has advanced for the NITC."
- "Limit the liability of the parties."
- "Establish the framework for the equitable distribution of excess toll revenue following
recoupment by Canada of the funds it has advanced."
The "Financial Structure" as outlined in the permit application shows one of the responsibilities of the Canadian government's Crossing Authority as being "Acquisition of Michigan Lands and Construction of Interchange (with I-75.)"
A Canadian government entity in Michigan acquiring land and building a major interchange seems to need some state enabling legislation.
The financial structure also says the Canadian Crossing Authority is to "reimburse (the) Canadian Government from toll revenues for (the) land acquisition and Michigan interchange costs, availability payments and imputed cost of funds."
The Canadian Crossing Authority will almost certainly build the US Federal Inspection Station (FIS.) US authorities would prefer to build and fund their own but budgetary prospects rule this out. They will negotiate a lease.
The document envisages the availability payments P3 to operate the NITC bridge proper to be "40-50 years."
Truck traffic growth of 128% by 2035
Also of interest on traffic it says: "Total traffic volumes crossing the Detroit River in 2010 were 10,844,048 vehicles. This is down from the peak year of 1999 when 22,048,681 vehicles crossed the Detroit River using the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. Forecasts for the Detroit River crossings, by the NITC study team, call for future annual traffic volumes to reach 26,800,000 by 2035, which will exceed the capacity of the existing crossings. Because the existing crossings are currently operating below their maximum capacity, the proposed NITC bridge, if constructed, is not expected to 'induce' new traffic merely by its presence. Such a phenomenon is frequently observed in congested areas when new roads are constructed (or additional lanes are added to existing roads) and the additional demand that was being suppressed by the former congestion manifests itself." (p23)
The projection is for a 2.7% annual average increase in truck traffic 2004-2035 from 3.53m trucks to 8.06m truck, is a rise of 128%. These numbers exclude the Blue Water Bridge 60 miles to the north of Detroit and competitive with the Detroit River crossings for longer distance traffic. Car traffic on the other hand is forecast to rise quite slowly. Oddly they don't give the numbers, but we guess you could get them by subtraction.
Strong growth of truck traffic is justified in part on an argument that ten year periods of no-growth such as 2000 to 2010 have occurred twice previously and don't reflect a longterm trend.
No threat to financial viability of existing crossings claimed
The application says contrary to the belief of the Ambassador Bridge company that the financial viability of none of the existing crossings is threatened by the new bridge: "Based on Table 2 below, Michigan does not believe that the financial viability of any of the existing crossings is threatened by a NITC bridge." p31
They assume the NITC will charge "comparable tolls" to those in effect at the Ambassador Bridge and Detroit Windsor Tunnel.
Large variation in forecasts single vs nested logit
They show very different results for single logit modeling and nested logit, the former based on greater sensitivity to time saving than the latter. (see nearby)
The permit application lays out a seven year schedule for opening the bridge of which some of the Year 1 work could be accomplished still this year (2012.) That would make 2020 the opening year.
Under 'Financing' they say engineering consultants retained by Michigan DOT and Transport Canada developed preliminary cost estimates of $2.15 billion in 2009, of which $1.3 billion was work on the US side and $0.85 billion on the Canadian side.
A P3 Concession Agreement is envisaged by the Canadian Crossing Authority under the oversight of the International Authority) with the Concessionaire being responsible for arranging the financing for the bridge, but paid annually set fees, the Government of Canada taking the traffic and revenue risk.
The Canadian government has committed to an upfront additional investment of up to $550 million to cover costs of the US portion of the project - including the US interchange and the US Plaza (other than the inspections facilities.)
Canada to build, bear losses
"Canada has also pledged to fund annual Availability Payments to the Concessionaire which will be used to operate and maintain the bridge and to repay the Concessionaire’s financing costs and provide a return on its investment. Both Canada’s additional equity investment and its Availability Payments will be recouped by future toll revenue," it says (p39.)
On the Canadian side of the border, the new 12km, 7.5 mile 2x3 lane expressway-standard access road named Windsor Essex Parkway will run between the bridge plaza and Highway 401 - a $1.4b shadow-toll P3 project between Ontario and a concessionaire, the project jointly funded by Canada and the Province.
The application says Michigan DOT "has already placed the NITC project into the SEMCOG (Southeast Michigan Council of Governments) Long-Range Plan, as required by FHWA regulations."
Michigan is said in a diagram (Figure 14, p40) to have zero capital costs for the project.
The project got a US record of decision - finalizing environmental and planning permits - January 15 2012.
see list of documents with Michigan application:
see copy of Michigan application:
Crossing Agreement signed June 15 2012: | <urn:uuid:5e70a0ce-a252-4274-917a-f7fec169cbb1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/6051 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949855 | 1,487 | 1.726563 | 2 |
The Story of the 1987 Giro d’Italia
The first accounts I ever read of Stephen Roche’s win at the ’87 Giro d’Italia painted him as a champion unjustly marginalized by his team, a stallion who triumphed despite an effort to cage him. Bill McGann’s account of the ’87 Giro, I think, corrects what has been a misperception regarding the first win by an English-speaking rider at Italy’s national tour. The quote, “History is written by the victors”, often credited to Winston Churchill, seems to resonate with Roche’s victory. It seems a noble quote until you understand that Macchiavelli wrote it nearly 500 years before Churchill came to power. Here is the tale of Roche’s mutiny, properly told.—Padraig
Before the 1987 Giro started it was thought that this edition was going to be a battle between Roberto Visentini and Giambattista Baronchelli. This Giro was in fact contested by Visentini, the 1986 Giro champion, and Stephen Roche, both members of Boifava’s Carrera team. It is strange that such a vicious intra-team rivalry was allowed to occur just after the 1985–1986 La Vie Claire bloodletting between Greg LeMond and Bernard Hinault that made those Tours de France such soap operas.
Roche had suffered his ups and downs. In 1981, not long after winning Paris–Nice, a blood disorder stalled his career. As he was starting to hit his stride, he crashed in the 1985 Paris Six-Day, badly injuring his knee. His 1986 was forgettable (probably not to the people paying his salary), prompting him to have knee surgery. The repaired Stephen Roche was a new man. In early 1987 he showed good form with firsts in the Tours of Valencia and Romandie and seconds in Liège–Bastogne–Liège and the Critérium International.
Visentini was the returning Giro champion but had attained no notable successes that spring. Writer Beppe Conti observed that the two riders were much alike, terrific in time trials and on the climbs and both difficult to manage. Roche in particular didn’t get along with his directors and he didn’t get along with Visentini. Visentini reciprocated the Irishman’s dislike.
The official line from the team was that Carrera had two leaders and that team support would go to the rider most worthy of help. As far as Visentini was concerned, the team had only one leader and that was Roberto. Roche was resentful of what he saw as a loaded deck of cards. He was supposed to be available to support Visentini, but during that spring, Visentini had never turned a pedal to help Roche. Roche felt this arrangement was unfair because he was riding wonderfully well, bringing in high-value wins and placings for Carrera while Visentini so far had nothing to show for the season.
Visentini argued that Roche was focusing on the Tour and that he would be happy to help Roche win in France in July. But…Visentini had already booked a July vacation and Roche knew it. Roche had no plans to sacrifice his own chances to help a man who refused to reciprocate. Furthermore, Visentini hated riding the Tour.
The air was poisonous even before the race began. Visentini let it be known that if necessary to win the Giro, he would attack Roche. Now let’s be fair. Visentini was the reigning Giro champion returning to defend his title and fully expected to have a unified team help him. He certainly had every right to that expectation. The failing was Carrera’s in creating this dilemma.
Roche was almost completely isolated on the team, having his dedicated Belgian friend and gregario Eddy Schepers and mechanic Patrick Valcke as his only trustworthy support.
Visentini drew the first blood by winning the 4-kilometer prologue in San Remo. The next day Erik Breukink won the 31-kilometer half-stage, a ride from San Remo up to San Romolo, beating the pack by 19 seconds. Breukink was now in pink. That afternoon Roche won the 8-kilometer downhill San Remo time trial, beating Breukink by 6 seconds and Visentini by 7. Breukink remained the leader with a 14-second lead over Roche.
The Giro headed south via the Ligurian coast. At Lido di Camaiore, the Carrera team showed that they had the most horsepower when they won the 43-kilometer team time trial, beating second-place Del Tongo by 54 seconds. Baronchelli crashed near the end of the event, finishing well after his team, putting him out of contention.
After stage three the General Classification stood thus:
1. Stephen Roche
2. Roberto Visentini @ 15 seconds
3. Davide Cassani @ 52 seconds
4. Erik Breukink @ 53 seconds
The race continued its southward march with Roche in the lead. According to Roche, rather than acting as a loyal teammate, Visentini just rode on Roche’s wheel, highlighting the adversarial relationship. In the rush to Montalcino in Tuscany, the Irishman was able to pad his lead a little, to 32 seconds.
By stage nine, the race had reached its southernmost point, Bari, and still it was Roche in the lead with Visentini at 32 seconds. Scottish climbing ace Robert Millar, riding for Panasonic, with Breukink and Phil Anderson for teammates, had been first over the majority of the rated climbs, earning him the green climber’s jersey.
In three leaps the race made it to Rimini on the Adriatic coast for the first big event in the drama, an individual time trial up Monte Titano to San Marino. Visentini won the 46-kilometer event and took the lead. Roche’s ride was dreadful. Blaming race jitters and a crash three days before, he came in twelfth, losing 2 minutes 47 seconds.
The new General Classification:
1. Roberto Visentini
2. Stephen Roche @ 2 minutes 42 seconds
3. Tony Rominger @ 3 minutes 12 seconds
4. Erik Breukink @ 3 minutes 30 seconds
5. Robert Millar @ 4 minutes 55 seconds
At this point everyone except Roche and Eddy Schepers thought the Carrera family fight, if not the Giro itself, was over. Visentini again announced that he would work for Roche in the Tour de France.
Roche, an intensely driven man, was burning with indignation and ambition and with Schepers he planned his revolt. They picked stage fifteen to put their plan into action, the first mountain stage with its three major ascents: Monte Rest, Sella Valcalda and a finish at the top of the Cima Sappada.
The story of the Sappada stage is one of the most famous in the modern history of the Giro. An aggressive descent of Monte Rest allowed Roche to separate himself from the pack, taking along Ennio Salvador and Jean-Claude Bagot (whose loyalty had been purchased earlier when Schepers helped him win a stage). Boifava knew immediately what Roche was up to and was having none of it. He drove alongside the fleeing Irishman and told him to stop the attack. Roche refused, telling Boifava that if the other teams didn’t mount a chase, he would win the stage by ten minutes and Carrera would win the Giro. Boifava was unmoved and ordered the Carrera team to bridge up to Roche. The Carrera squad buried itself working to close the gap and Visentini, a high-strung rider, seemed to be having an off-day and suffered badly during the pursuit.
The team chased like fiends, and finally, exhausted, they dropped out of the chase while Roche kept his escape going, leaving Visentini alone to try to salvage his jersey. Eventually a small group caught Roche, but Visentini was not among them. Phil Anderson and Jean-François Bernard were among those who did make the connection, then unsuccessfully tried to get away.
Johan Van der Velde won the stage with Roche in the second chase group, 46 seconds behind. A broken Visentini came in 58th, 6 minutes 50 seconds after Van der Velde. Roche now had a slender 5-second lead over neo-pro Tony Rominger while Visentini was sitting in seventh place, 3 minutes 12 seconds down.
All Italy erupted with fury. The Italian papers blared what they believed was Roche’s betrayal of a teammate who was in pink and who had deserved the unstinting support of all members of the Carrera team. Moreover, Roche had been insubordinate. He had been given a direct order by his director to stop the break and Roche had refused. Carrera management was furious and threatened to keep Roche out of the Tour if he insisted upon winning the Giro. That evening team director Boifava, beside himself with anger over Roche’s buccaneering, reminded Roche that before the stage, Carrera had a five-minute lead on Rominger, now they had only five seconds (thanks in no small part to Boifava’s chasing the Roche break).
Visentini told the papers that someone (meaning Roche) was going home that evening and Boifava ordered Roche not to speak to the press. Roche ignored the command, feeling that if he didn’t speak, no one else would present his case.
Roche’s taking the Pink Jersey so enraged the tifosi that Roche was given police protection. He even went on television to plead for sanity. He later wrote that he was frightened as the fans spit on him and even hit him. Because of the inflamed passions, that day after the Sappada stage is called the “Marmolada Massacre”. It had five big climbs, the final one being the Marmolada, also called the Passo Fedaia. Visentini tried to get away, but Roche marked his every move. While Roche was obviously protecting his lead, another day of what appeared to the Italians of riding against his teammate cost Roche dearly in the eyes of the Italian fans. Second place Rominger lost time that day, but there was no other serious change to the standings.
On the big climbs that followed the Sappada stage, Millar stayed with Roche, riding at his side to protect him from assault while Eddy Schepers did the same. Visentini tried to make Schepers crash, even boasting about his attempted mayhem. The feelings on both sides were raw.
Stage seventeen was the last day in the Dolomites and again, the situation was unchanged. Heading to the Alps and the final time trial, the General Classification stood thus:
1. Stephen Roche
2. Erik Breukink @ 33 seconds
3. Robert Millar @ 2 minutes 8 seconds
4. Flavio Giupponi @ 2 minutes 45 seconds
5. Marco Giovannetti @ 3 minutes 8 seconds
6. Marino Lejarreta @ 3 minutes 12 seconds
7. Roberto Visentini @ 3 minutes 24 seconds
During this Carrera family fight, Torriani and the Giro management were reasonably impartial. Roche said the Giro boss whispered encouragement to him when they would meet. In any case, the incredible drama was selling papers and riveting everyone’s attention to his race. Torriani probably couldn’t believe his good fortune.
The equilibrium remained over the Alpine climbs of stage nineteen and Roche’s slim lead held. It was the twenty-first stage to Pila that Roche showed he was deserving of the maglia rosa when he, Robert Millar and Marino Lejarreta broke clear and arrived in Pila over two minutes ahead of the first group of chasers. This moved Millar into second place. Visentini, suffering a terrible loss of morale, lost another six minutes.
The 1987 Giro ended with a 32-kilometer time trial. Visentini didn’t start, having broken his wrist in a fall in the penultimate stage. Roche won it, cementing his ownership of the lead. While his Carrera team had been deeply divided, especially after Roche’s attack on the Sappada stage, the squad slowly came around to the fact that he would probably win the Giro and therefore yield a good payday for all of them. Roche says that in the final stages he had plenty of support from the team.
But he didn’t get it from the tifosi. To this day the Italians speak bitterly of Roche’s betrayal of Visentini.
Final 1987 Giro d’Italia General Classification:
1. Stephen Roche (Carrera) 105 hours 39 minutes 40 seconds
2. Robert Millar (Panasonic) @ 3 minutes 40 seconds
3. Erik Breukink (Panasonic) @ 4 minutes 17 seconds
4. Marino Lejarreta (Orbea-Caja Rural) @ 5 minutes 11 seconds
5. Flavio Giupponi (Del Tongo-Colnago) @ 7 minutes 42 seconds
1. Robert Millar: (Panasonic) 97 points
2. Jean-Claude Bagot (Fagor): 53
3. Johan Van der Velde (Gis Gelati): 32
1. Johan Van der Velde (Gis Gelati): 175 points
2. Paolo Rosola (Gewiss-Bianchi): 171
3. Stephen Roche (Carrera): 153
Visentini began his racing career by going from one triumph to another, including being Amateur Italian Road Champion and Amateur World Time Trial Champion, his promise being fulfilled with his 1986 Giro win. After the Sappada stage he never again won an important race. He retired to run the family funeral home in 1990 and has had little contact with the cycling world ever since.
Roche, on the other hand, had a brilliant 1987. For all of his trouble with Carrera, Roche, with grudging and equivocal support from his team, was the leader of their Tour de France contingent and raced to a brilliant win. He capped the Giro/Tour double with victory at the World Championships. He joined Merckx as the second rider in cycling history to win the Giro, Tour and World Championship in the same year.
Early the next year he re-injured his knee and from that point he was never a contender for overall victory in Grand Tours. He won several important shorter stage races before retiring in 1993.
Image: Fotoreporter Sirotti | <urn:uuid:7b0e1b15-42af-4af4-b235-ecca86e2689c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://redkiteprayer.com/2012/06/the-story-of-the-1987-giro-ditalia/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974865 | 3,112 | 1.84375 | 2 |
12/15/07 7:04 AM
5th Circuit: Remedial Bargaining Order Imposed for Unfair Labor Practices
By Donald J. Cairns
When an employer engages in such serious unfair labor practices that holding a fair union election would be unlikely, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) may issue a “
Gissel bargaining order,” the
5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appealsdecided.
If an employer or a union fails to bargain in good faith, the board may issue a “bargaining order” designed to restore good faith bargaining between the parties.
Gissel bargaining orders—named for the U.S. Supreme Court case of
NLRB v. Gissel Packing Co. (395 U.S. 575 (1969))—are a special class of “remedial bargaining orders” that direct an employer to bargain with a union as the exclusive representative of employees, even though the employees have not actually selected the union through a board election.
Gissel orders are designed to remedy serious unfair labor practices that either make the holding of a fair election unlikely or in fact undermine a union’s majority status.
California Gas Transport (CGT) was headquartered in El Paso, Texas. Its drivers transported propane from various points in the southwestern United States to distribution sites in Mexico. CGT employed drivers in El Paso; Nogales, Ariz.; and San Diego.
For several years, drivers based in El Paso and Nogales had complained about wages and working conditions. At various times, drivers from both locations discussed their common complaints as well as ways to address them. The drivers also met with CGT officials in Mexico and the United States to discuss their concerns.
Unhappy with CGT’s response, the Nogales drivers began a concerted effort to force CGT to address their concerns.
After learning that the El Paso drivers might engage in a work stoppage, the Nogales drivers met with Teamsters union organizers for assistance in the event CGT asked the Nogales drivers to take over the El Paso drivers’ routes during the strike.
El Paso drivers also took concerted action, presenting CGT with a written petition outlining their requests for improved wages and working conditions. When CGT failed to address their concerns, nine of the 15 drivers engaged in a work stoppage.
A CGT official met with the El Paso drivers and rejected many of their demands, added that some were being considered and informed the drivers that the company could not lose another day of transporting gas due to their work stoppage. The drivers also were threatened with termination and other unspecified reprisals if they continued to complain about wages and working conditions.
The striking drivers offered to return to work, informing CGT too that they planned to contact a union.
CGT then handed out “voluntary resignation” letters written in English, which, once translated into Spanish, the drivers refused to sign. The same drivers were told the next day by a CGT manager that they had been fired.
The union never sought to establish bargaining rights covering the El Paso drivers. It did so for the Nogales drivers, filing a petition seeking a board election covering drivers at the Nogales facility. However, prior to the election, CGT:
• Terminated two drivers who openly displayed and distributed union paraphernalia.
• Provided a negative employment reference for one of the fired drivers.
• Implied that Nogales drivers might be terminated if they refused to take over the striking El Paso drivers' routes.
The election was held, and the union lost. It filed unfair labor practice charges with the board, which found that violations of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) at U.S. and Mexican facilities warranted a
Gissel bargaining order covering the Nogales drivers.
On appeal to the 5th Circuit, CGT asked that the
Gissel bargaining order be set aside, claiming that it was improper for the board to consider violations at El Paso and Juarez, Mexico, to justify the bargaining order related to Nogales employees. In addition, it argued that the NLRA does not apply to Mexican-based facilities.
The appellate court did not reach the issues of whether the violations in El Paso and Mexico could be considered by the board. Instead the 5th Circuit sustained the board's order on the basis that the unfair labor practices in CGT’s Nogales facility, standing alone, justified the imposition of a
Gissel bargaining order in Nogales.
California Gas Transport Inc., v. NLRB
, 5th Cir., No. 06-60871 (Nov. 7, 2007).
Professional Pointer: While the appellate court found it unnecessary to address CGT's unlawful conduct at the El Paso and Juarez facilities, the board’s underlying decision and its arguments before the court demonstrate the board’s view that the law applies to conduct occurring outside U.S. borders when, as in this case, it affects “domestic conditions” within its boundaries, the laws of Mexico are not implicated and there is no interference with international law. Equally important, the board's decision and legal arguments reinforce its earlier rulings that unlawful conduct occurring elsewhere and involving employees at distant locations may be considered when such conduct has a “chilling effect” on the exercise of rights by employees seeking union representation.
Donald J. Cairns is a senior member with the firm of Lindner & Marsack S.C., a
Worklaw® Networkfirm in Milwaukee.
NLRB Not Required To Justify Standard Remedy
, Court Report, April 27, 2007
Workplace Law Focus Area
Editor’s Note: This article should not be construed as legal advice. | <urn:uuid:1dd9965c-3d0a-48ba-9e09-b0651f1e4683> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.shrm.org/LegalIssues/FederalResources/federalcourtreport/Pages/CMS_023957.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957706 | 1,208 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Biden recalled his own father's anguish when he was turned down for a loan to pay for the young Joe Biden's college education. Biden did earn a bachelor's degree from the University of Delaware and a law degree from Syracuse University.
Tallahassee, Florida - Vice President Joe Biden traveled to Florida Monday to make the case for a new proposal aiming to make a college education more affordable. He outlined the proposal to students and faculty at Florida State University.
The vice president said tuition at public universities nationwide has increased nearly 300 percent over the past 20 years and student debt has soared at the same time.
The average college student in Florida graduates with $20,000 in debt. That's actually less than the national average of $25,000.
Biden says the Obama administration wants to reward universities that keep tuition affordable. The proposal would shift billions of dollars in federal cash to schools that rein in tuition hikes.
He responded to critics who say the government cannot afford the proposal.
"The question is not whether or not we can afford these initiatives. The question is how could we do anything other than push these initiatives. Ladies and gentlemen, there's nothing more important to our national interest than for us to have the single best educated population in the world."
Biden said a generation ago the United States had a higher percentage of the population graduating from college than any nation in the world. He said the U.S. ranks 16th today.
"The single most significant thing we can do is have the best educated population in the world. It literally is the thing, the key that leads to everything else form our economic security to our physical security."
Biden said the inability to afford college also has an impact on parents who struggle to find a way to pay for it. The vice president recalled his own father's anguish when he went to the bank to get a loan for young Joe Biden's college education and was turned down.
"And I said, 'Dad, what happened?' He said, 'Honey, I went to the Farmer's Bank today,' that was the state bank, and he said, 'I asked if I could borrow some money to get you to college. And they turned me down.' He said, 'I don't know what I'm going to do.' He said, 'I'm so ashamed. I'm so ashamed.'"
Biden did go on to earn a bachelor's degree from the University of Delaware and a law degree from Syracuse University.
He disputes the notion that the administration wants to scale back college aid, such as Pell grants, for students who attend schools that hike tuition.
"We're not going to go out there and go after the aid we give you. We're not going to say unless a university keeps tuition from escalating well beyond inflation that you can't use your college aid to go to that school."
Biden said anyone who thinks a college education is not worth the cost anymore should consider this: 62 percent of all jobs created in the next decade will require a degree beyond high school.
Plus, he said, someone with a bachelor's degree can expect to make $20,000 more a year than a person with a high school degree. The college grad also has half the chance of ending up on unemployment.
The Florida Legislature is moving to raise tuition eight percent next year at state universities. They would have the option to seek tuition increases of up to 15 percent.
Republicans dismiss the administration's tuition proposal, saying President Obama has failed to make college more affordable for Florida's students over the past three years and college costs are at all-time high. | <urn:uuid:66c79bc3-21ae-4bbe-b815-96ac0eda054e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=240141 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973699 | 740 | 1.5 | 2 |
Validation Through Rejection
I’d rather use a service that has a strong, single-minded vision, even if some of the decisions aren’t exactly how I’d want them, than a washed-out, milquetoast service created by committee, designed to meet market demand, that tries to make everybody happy.
Another way to put it: if someone out there doesn’t hate your product, it’s probably not worth using.
As always, there is an element of truth here. Trying to please everyone by adding features indiscriminately can result in a product that does nothing well. It is essentially a matter of logistics. You generally do not have the resources (time, money, capable staff) to address every requirement properly (when there are too many of them) and ensure that they integrate well with other features in your product. This is especially true when you are a startup. You have to choose your battles wisely.
- Having a strong, single-minded vision may make for a very useful
product, but is not necessarily a predictor of market success. For
example, the Flip Video camera was a splendid piece of equipment that
did one job exceedingly well: recording high-resolution videos. Yet, it
did not fulfill enough expectations for Cisco to keep it alive after its
expensive acquisition. In contrast, we have smart “phones” that not
only allow you to make calls, but do a million other functions, but
people cannot stop buying them.
- When you have a specialized product at the lower end of the price
scale, your more expensive competitor can eat into your business by
providing a similar offering with the security of a bigger brand. Small
companies sometimes have the good luck (or foresight) to fly below the
radar of their bigger competitors, who are sometimes full of hubris that
they dismiss new threats instead of going directly after them. A
ruthless larger company can be very difficult to fight off, because they
can use pricing or partnership strategies or even employ lawyers to go
after you on IP rights violations.
- When you are at the high end, the competition (in technology) can
make inroads with cost-conscious customers who are more interested in
saving some money instead of having the best. What remains is a
decreasing pool of the professional users who demand high quality and
the status-conscious buyers. You may be able to survive if prices in
your product sector drop (this is true of the electronics market), but
that may also mean lower margins.
Every product should continue to expand vertically and horizontally. Vertically in the sense that core functions, wherever possible, must be improved. For example, a new model of a car should try to provide greater fuel efficiency, more power and more comfort. But there should be horizontal expansion too to stave off competition from substitute goods. Sometimes you get a new product, such as the crossover SUV, because of the added features. The extent of how much vertical and horizontal changes you should make is dependent on the market situation.
There is a fundamental logical error in saying that if someone doesn’t like something, it is worth having. In the example, the author himself (Andy Baio) hates “washed-out services created by committee”, but even though there is at least one hater, he doesn’t think they are worth using. Weird logic. Also, if everyone hates your product, is it really worth having? This kind of argument is very similar to the defense employed by politicians in scandal distress: “They are attacking me because they know I am right.”
Unfortunately, the logical way to phrase this is not very exciting because you cannot just explain that in one sentence. If someone out here doesn’t hate your product, maybe your product is really that good. Or maybe they don’t know about your product or even know about it — you need to do more marketing. If someone out here does hate your product, make sure to find someone who does not. If you cannot, come back and try to satisfy the person who hated your product enough to tell you. And so on.
(Note: Opinions expressed in this article and its replies are the opinions of their respective authors and not those of DZone, Inc.) | <urn:uuid:e20cc031-f66f-4f6a-820f-2aa5c8c2b9e4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://agile.dzone.com/articles/validation-through-rejection | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961821 | 900 | 1.554688 | 2 |
The kids vitamins made by NBTY, NatureSmart and Rexall Sundown misrepresented their products by saying they promoted healthy brain and eye development in children despite no substantial proof to back up the claims, the Federal Trade Commission announced.
The kids vitamins were sold at CVS, Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, Kroger, Kmart, Meijer and Rite Aid and featured Disney princesses, Winnie the Pooh, Finding Nemo and Spider-Man on the packaging.
The companies claimed their kids vitamins contained enough DHA - an Omega-3 fatty acid - to aid children with healthy brain and eye development.
"Product packaging and print ads promoting the vitamins had bold graphics highlighting that the products contained DHA, but in reality, the products allegedly had only a trace amount of DHA," the FTC said in a statement. "While the vitamins' packaging touted the purported health benefits of 100 milligrams of DHA, a daily serving of the Disney and Marvel multivitamins for children ages four years and older contained only one thousandth of that amount (0.1 mg or 100 mcg), according to the FTC's complaint."
If you bought the kids vitamins, you can apply for your refund here.
NBTY, NatureSmart and Rexall Sundown agreed to a $2.1 million settlement to refund buyers of their products since the claims were unsubstantiated.
As part of the settlement, the companies can no longer misrepresent the amount of any ingredient contained in their products. It also prevents them from misrepresenting any ingredient, including DHA, as promoting brain or eye health the claims are "true and backed by competent and reliable scientific evidence."
The FTC said it would reach out to affected consumers "in the coming months." The agency voted 5-0 to approve the complaint against the kids vitamins. | <urn:uuid:6daca3f5-2b79-4674-98fd-a69914148649> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ibtimes.com/kids-vitamins-get-your-refund-here-after-21-million-settlement-false-eye-brain-health-claims-748390 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954296 | 377 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Cement & Concrete Manufacturing
Reliability program decreases costs at cement and concrete plants
The cement and concrete industry has some of toughest operating conditions in the industrial marketplace, including heavy loads, shock loads, temperature extremes, exposure to the elements and the constant presence of contaminants such as cement dust. To run their operations, they use a wide range of equipment, including ball mills, kilns, crushers, vertical mills, bucket elevators, conveyor systems and mobile plants. LE understands the important role lubricants play in cement and concrete operations. We have a wide range of high-performance greases and oils that will protect your equipment. However, LE doesn't just sell enhanced lubricants; we sell lubricant reliability.
LE's comprehensive lubrication reliability program can have an immediate impact by increasing machine life and decreasing maintenance costs. It focuses on the use of correct lubricants as well as the proper care of these lubricants, which means ensuring that they are kept contaminant-free to extend the life of the lubricants as well as the expensive equipment they protect.
Extreme conditions require high-performance lubricants
Lubricants are not all made the same. In the high-impact, heavily contaminated applications such as those found in cement and concrete plants, a high-performance lubricant can have a significant impact on reducing operating and maintenance costs. The critical equipment in these plants generally has to work 365 days a year, and every hour of downtime is expensive for the company. Lost production is very difficult to replace.
Following are some of the common lubricant suffering points for cement and concrete operations, along with LE solutions.
Greases that do not seal effectively will allow contaminants to enter. LE has a greases that are extremely tacky and nearly impervious to water washout, and can easily handle heavy shock loads. LE also offers automatic lubrication systems for making sure grease is applied in the right place, at the right time, in the right quantity.
Cement plant gearboxes tend to be overloaded and consequently they often overheat, resulting in expensive premature wear and failure of the gears. Other common mechanical issues include emulsification of the gear oil due to water contamination and extreme foaming. LE's range of Duolec® EP gear oils provide impressive protection against shock loading, a powerful anti-foaming package and outstanding water separation the latter allowing any water contamination to be periodically drained off. This simple solution prevents rust and corrosion in the gearbox, and dramatically extends the life of the gear oil as well as the gearbox.
Worn open gears on kilns and ball mills
Kilns and ball mills are two of the most critical pieces of equipment for cement plants; downtime is not an option for these applications. However, their open gears regularly suffer from pitting and other wear due to insufficient lubrication and shock loading. The use of asphaltic-based lubricants often means that this wear cannot be seen by maintenance personnel. Instead, elevated temperatures and vibrations are the indicators that there are problems. LE's Pyroshield® Syn Hvy and XHvy open gear lubricants were designed specifically to provide outstanding protection for high-load, heavy-shock applications, such as these large shrouded open gears used in the cement and concrete industry. Pyroshield Syn open gear lubricants are non-asphaltic and environmentally friendly, containing no heavy metals. They are translucent in use, meaning that cement plant maintenance teams can inspect their open gears on a daily basis with the use of a strobe light. In addition, LE's unique conversion process for Pyroshield allows kilns and ball mills to be converted without having to stop production.
LE offers full-service, qualified support for cement and concrete plants
In addition to onsite equipment assessment, consultation and service, LE provides the following customization and value-added options:
- Program design, implementation and support
- Oil analysis program featuring expert interpretation
- Lubrication education and training
LE is happy to offer lubricant and reliability recommendations for a variety of cement and concrete applications, and to provide product-specific data on all of our products to help you make the right decision. To learn more about our greases, gear oils, open gear lubricants, compressor oils, hydraulic oils, engine oils, wire rope lubricants and other enhanced lubricants and reliability solutions, please contact LE today. | <urn:uuid:56fe9d72-f61d-4671-84d8-08d565f7f202> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lelubricants.com/cement-concrete.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948909 | 884 | 1.695313 | 2 |
© 2006 Pandora’s Aquarium
All rights reserved, except that permission is hereby granted to freely reproduce and distribute this document, provided that it is reproduced unaltered in its entirety and contains this copyright information: © 2006 Pandora's Aquarium, http://www.pandys.org.
Get to a safe place.
The first and most important thing for you to do is to get away from the perpetrator and to a safe place. Whether this is to your home, a friend's home, a police station or a hospital, make sure you are not in any danger anymore. This can be very difficult if you are living with your perpetrator, such as a spouse or a relative (in which case, you might want to tell someone you trust and develop a safety plan before you leave the situation).
Call 911, your local rape crisis center or RAINN (1-800-656-HOPE). It is also a good idea to call a friend, relative, significant other, or resident advisor and ask them to accompany you to the hospital or police station, or to call the police, hospital or crisis center for you. Some communities have victim advocates who will accompany you to the hospital and assist you with the process. Calling 1-800-656-HOPE or your local crisis line may help you find one of these advocates. You may also want to bring a second set of clothes for you at the hospital, as the police may want to keep yours. If you have clothing evidence at home, such as clothing left by the perpetrator, you, or a friend, should place each item in a separate paper bag and have the police collect it later.
Take the Necessary Steps
Do not shower, wash your hands, change your clothes, brush your teeth, drink anything, douche, urinate, etc. All of these things will destroy evidence (things that your attacker may have left behind, such as fibers, hairs, saliva or semen). I know that it is hard... the first thing many survivors want to do is take a shower and be "clean" again, but it is necessary.
Go to the hospital to have injuries treated, and have a rape kit done (minors in the US do not need parental permission to obtain a rape exam, in case you are worried about telling your parents right away). If you make a report to the police of the incident, most states will pay for the evidence collection (The Attorney General's Rape Victims Assistance Program will pay for evidence gathering at the hospital, including Emergency Room registration fee, doctor's fee, and two lab tests). This involves, in most cases, photographs, mouth, anal and vaginal swabs, hair combing and/or pulling (the nurse will let you pull hairs out yourself if you ask), collection
of clothes and underwear, fingernail scrapings and/or clippings, drawing blood and a pelvic exam (if female). They will also check and treat you for injuries, STDs and pregnancy (if female). They will, with your permission, administer the morning after pill to prevent pregnancy. Make sure to tell the doctor if you believe you have been drugged.
At hospitals, rape victims have priority after life-threatening cases. If you have been waiting for a long time, ask, or have your friend ask to be seen more quickly. You may also ask, or have a friend ask, for a private area to wait, instead of the waiting room. You may request a doctor of the same sex as yourself if it will make you feel more comfortable (depending on the hour, this may make your wait time longer). You can have your friend stay with you during the exam. You should expect to be at the hospital between 2 and 5 hours. The exam usually takes about an hour and 1/2.
If you can, make notes, mental or written, about your perpetrator's appearance, the location and events of the assault, etc. This will help you if you decide to talk to the police.
If you can, talk to the police
Getting treatment at the hospital does not mean that you are required to talk to the police. However, if you can talk to the police, and if you do decide to press charges, it is a good idea to talk to them right away when events are fresh in your mind.
In most states, but depending on where you live it could be different, a sexual assault survivor has three options when filing a police report: a report can be filed with the intent of prosecuting the offender, a report can be filed but without the intent of prosecuting, or a third party report can be filed where the survivor
remains anonymous (the survivor's name is withheld from the report) and no prosecution takes place. It is the survivor's right to change their mind at any time during the judicial process. This means: just because you file a report, does not mean you are required to prosecute. Before relying on advice found online or from friends, you should consider contacting an attorney.
Look into the Victims Compensation Fund
This is something to do once you are safe, have been treated at the hospital and have decided the legal route you are going to take. This fund assists victims with things like lost wages, medical bills and counseling. Generally, the crime must have been reported to the police and the claim must be filed within 5 years. You can get more information about this by visiting this website: http://www.nacvcb.org/index.html.
Counseling is Vital
It is important to have a support network to help you get through this difficult time. RAINN (1-800-656-HOPE) will connect you to a crisis center that will probably be able to recommend a good therapist. You can also look up therapists in your local yellow pages and call around, asking for recommendations for someone who specializes in rape survivors.
Important Things to Remember
It was not your fault
Many survivors feel guilty because they made the choice to "not die" or to not be injured. For example, the rapist may have said "Scream and I'll kill you," so the survivor didn't scream and were therefore, in their mind, an accomplice in their own rape. The fewer physical injuries a survivor suffers during the rape, the more likely it is that this "consent to live" problem will plague her after the rape. This is also true of survivors who are forced to actively "participate" in the commission of the rape. A rapist will often force his victim to act like she is enjoying the rape, to moan or move to help stimulate him. A rapist who cannot complete the act is more likely to seriously injure or kill his victim. If the survivor is forced to "help," her "choice" to do so will haunt her. Nancy Venable Raine was forced by her rapist to pretend to enjoy what he was doing to her. Her "choice" to comply, and avoid death, tormented her.
It was not your fault. You are not responsible for the actions of others and it is not your fault that someone decided to hurt you. Whatever choices you made were the right ones, because you are alive.
You can get through this
Healing is extremely difficult, but you can do it. Things will get better. It may take a long time, and sometimes it may feel like you're getting nowhere, or you're getting worse, but if you keep trying, you can get through it.
Help is Available
There are people who will help you. Call RAINN (1-800-656-HOPE) or your local crisis center. Tell a friend, a relative or a significant other. It is important to take an active role in your healing. Talking about your assault to supportive people will make you feel better and less alone.
Suggestions from RAINN
US and International Hotlines
**** This is not to be construed as legal advice, but practical advice from other survivors on how to keep yourself safe and work with police to preserve evidence if you plan to press charges. **** | <urn:uuid:a23036e7-a474-4e65-916a-f41899c45342> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pandys.org/forums/index.php?s=5973299d894069376ae4444ca989f33b&showtopic=49457&st=0&p=384748&forceDownload=1&_k=880ea6a14ea49e853634fbdc5015a024 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965927 | 1,657 | 1.664063 | 2 |
The media watchdog Reporters without Borders has responded skeptically to Turkmenistan's first media law
ever, enacted on 4 January.
"In principle, it proclaims freedom of expression and bans censorship but it has so far done nothing to narrow the gulf between the official discourse and the reality of one of the world’s most closed and repressive countries," a statement
issued today reads.
“For the time being, some of its provisions, although very satisfactory on paper, border on the ridiculous when confronted with the reality of journalist practices. The state is supposed to ‘guarantee media pluralism and independence’ but in practice the media are monolithic and controlled by the state and independent journalism is unthinkable. We strongly urge the authorities to bring practice into line with their own legislation," said RWB secretary-general Christophe Deloire.
RFE/RL Turkmen correspondent Dovletmyrad Yazkuliyev
was granted a 2012 Hellman/Hammett award
by Human Rights Watch in recognition of his courage and contribution to free expression in the face of persecution.
Yazkuliyev was threatened by security officials and subesequently jailed on spurious charges
in 2011 for reporting on an explosion in the city of Abadan
in defiance of a government ban.
Turkmenistan has the second-worst ranking
in Freedom House’s 2012 Freedom of the Press
report and has numbered among the "Worst of the Worst
" countries for freedom overall in the monitoring group's surveys of the last several years. | <urn:uuid:6b37fdd9-f98e-4538-8fe6-c435e5f85b41> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rferl.org/content/journalists-in-trouble-turkmen-law-a-fiction/24819428.html | 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 | 0.948237 | 322 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Return to Transcripts main page
S&P Downgrades U.S. Credit Rating: What's Happening Right Now With Your Money
Aired August 6, 2011 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ALI VELSHI, HOST: S&P has downgraded America's AAA credit rating. No matter where you turn in this economy - your job, your savings - only one thing seems to be clear - America is facing an uncertain economic future.
Welcome to a special live edition of YOUR MONEY. I'm Ali Velshi.
This next hour is dedicated to setting aside the panic and giving you a straightforward look at what is happening right now with your money.
Let's start with Ken Rogoff. He's a former chief economist for the International Monetary Fund. He's a professor at Harvard University. Christine Romans is the host of "YOUR BOTTOM LINE." And Chrystia Freeland, joining us momentarily, is an editor at Thomson Reuters Digital.
Ken (INAUDIBLE) Ken, let's start with you. Tell us what this means. S&P said it may downgrade the United States, and it did it. It took us from AAA to AA-plus. What does that mean?
KEN ROGOFF, FMR. CHIEF ECONOMIST, IMF: Well, it's a huge thing. This hasn't happened in the history of the United States. We've defaulted maybe in 1933, but you know, since they started having the rating agencies, this hasn't happened. And it's pretty shocking.
So my concern is not so much the professional investors, but what about the man on the street? Are they going to panic about this? Is there going to be some broader effect that we don't expect?
VELSHI: And what do you think about that? What do you think? Because it's hard to make that connection. It's hard to tell people who are watching us right now that your credit card rates are definitely going up or your mortgage rates are definitely going up. We're not entirely certain what's going to happen, are we.
ROGOFF: No. No, no. Absolutely not. Right now, with what's happening with the stock market, AA-plus looks pretty good. I mean, people still want to be in Treasuries. I don't think they're going to necessarily be rushing into the stock market and out of Treasuries because of this. But it definitely -- as (ph) this thing plays out, the U.S. government has been the line in the sand. They've been the one who put their foot down and say, We're going to back the banks, you can be sure of your bank account, you can be sure of our credit.
And look, this isn't the end of the world. It's AA-plus. That's still a really high grade. But it's disconcerting in the middle of the crisis as it's deepening.
VELSHI: The full faith and credit, Christine, of the U.S. government -- it's an expression that's been used forever. It's not that this was entirely unexpected. I almost think what was unexpected was the reaction out of Washington from all sides last night. Everybody was looking for someone to blame. And no one looked inward and said, What do we do to fix this to get back on top.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, HOST, CNN'S "YOUR BOTTOM LINE": You know, I think you could have had a big rally in the stock market on Monday if you had had the president and you had leaders of both parties in Congress and all of the presidential candidates from the GOP all come out and say, We hear you. We're going to get our problems under control. We have now -- we are now looking beyond politics and our individual ideologies and we're going to get this fixed. We're going to cut more in a very strategic and thoughtful way. America is still the economic superpower. We're going to act like it.
Now, that's obviously pretty Pollyanna, right, of me to think that. But I'm telling you that they all reverted back to what S&P was complaining about in the first place, acrimony that leads global investors and people like S&P to think the U.S. doesn't have its act together enough politically to be able to deserve a AA and to be able to get some pretty significant fiscal problems in order.
So you have really, I think, Ali, an extension of the behavior that got us here. It's continuing right now. I'm worried about treacherous markets and politics until December 23rd, when that super- committee has to agree on another $1.5 trillion in cuts, Ali.
VELSHI: Chrystia, let's talk about this for a second. We really have two things that could have gotten us here. One is real budgetary problems, which we've got in the United States, and frankly, we've got in much of the developing (SIC) world. And then we've got this concern that S&P outlined, and that is that a AAA-rated country, the best-rated countries in the world should be separating their budget process, which is very important, from their debt authorization process, the actual discussion about paying their bills.
And S&P seemed concerned with that very behavior that Christine is talking about.
CHRYSTIA FREELAND, EDITOR, THOMSON REUTERS DIGITAL: Yes. You're absolutely right, Ali. I mean, S&P pointed to two things. One of them was this really unusual structural element of how the U.S. works -- I think that Denmark is the only other Western industrialized country that works this way -- where the people who -- the process whereby you decide your budget, how much you're going to spend, and therefore how much you're going to tax and how much you will borrow, is separate from the process where you authorize how much the country is allowed to borrow.
And that's why we had these debt ceiling antics over the summer, which were really actually structurally institutionally separate from the actual decisions about the budget. I think the S&P quite rightly said, You know, this is no way to run a country. And this means that the United States is set up for repetitions of the battle that we just had, which was really -- you know, it was a political "own goal."
We didn't have a situation in the United States, which countries often face when they're running into fiscal problems, that it's the market saying, Come on, guys, get your act together, otherwise you're in trouble. The problems of this summer were a political own goal. They were structurally created. And that's something, Ali, that I think the S&P pointed to as saying, you know, this is a weakness going forward.
VELSHI: I want to ask you, Ken -- we're going to speak to Mohamed El- Erian of PIMCO a little later on in the show. One of the issues here is that there are other AAA-rated countries in the world. There are countries where you can get more money -- more higher interest for lending that country money than you can the United States. But frankly, they don't have enough debt lying around there to really replace the United States as this safe bet.
Do you think the United States today is a riskier bet than it was yesterday? And by the way, that's that list of countries that are rated AAA by Moody's and S&P. You can see the United States no longer on that list. What do you think, Ken?
ROGOFF: Well, I think what happened over the summer was pretty frightening. And our Constitution -- we look like the Italian parliament. I mean, that's how countries get into trouble because they can't govern themselves properly. So we look riskier from that.
But also, Ali, the data's gotten worse. We're slipping back into slower growth. People were counting on fast growth to just sort of get our way out of this. And then, well, your political system doesn't work perfectly, it doesn't matter.
So it is riskier because difficult decisions need to be made. We are not going to get out of this quickly. The stock market's fallen dramatically. The economy's slowed. There are some tough decisions, and it could affect inflation, for example, which is something S&P takes into account. If there's going to be high inflation that makes your bonds worth less, that counts, too. So it does feel riskier. There's no doubt about that.
VELSHI: All right, we have two very specific issues that we have to deal with, growth in this country, getting it back on track, and getting this AAA rating back. How are we going to do that? How do we get growth in this country? We've got some solutions.
I want to take a quick break. We're going to come back with this fantastic panel and we're going to discuss how we actually get solutions, how we get back on track economically and how we get our AAA rating back.
You're watching a special live edition of YOUR MONEY right here on CNN.
VELSHI: OK, late yesterday, we had a downgrade by the S&P of the U.S. credit rating, the sovereign debt of the United States, which has been AAA since 1917, since it was first rated by Moody's. Now, Moody's and Fitch, the other two big rating agencies, are keeping the U.S. at its AAA rating. S&P has downgraded it.
Now, here's something to consider. There are four companies in the United States that have a AAA rating. Those four companies are -- where are they? -- ADP -- Automated Data Processing -- Johnson & Johnson, ExxonMobil and Microsoft. And some have wondered what happens to those companies. Can a company have a higher credit rating than the country in which it exists?
I asked S&P's John Branch (SIC) -- he's the head of sovereign debt rating for S&P -- about how this affects those companies and your mutual funds or your pension funds, if they invest in those companies. Here's what he told me.
JOHN CHAMBERS, STANDARD & POOR'S MANAGING DIRECTOR: The U.S. corporations, I think there are four of them --
CHAMBERS: -- they are not affected by this directly. In terms of other people who might be -- have portfolios that have AAA restrictions, and the U.S. being downgraded, will that have an impact on them -- we've spoken to a number of investors about that. They think that the impact will be pretty minimal. They don't think that there'll be massive forced selling because of this.
VELSHI: Christine Romans joins me now.
Christine, markets will open again, Asian markets will open 8:00 PM Eastern time on Sunday night, and we'll have our markets on Monday. What a week we've had. A lot of people, a lot of our viewers out there would like to know what this means for investors when markets open on Sunday night and Monday. What do you think?
ROMANS: It's absolutely impossible to know, to be really honest with you, because you might ironically have huge safe haven buying into the Treasury market, pushing yields even lower. So you're hearing a lot of people talk about how higher interest rates are coming, it is inevitable. That could be a long time off if, indeed, you still have the U.S., the biggest, most liquid debt market in the world -- that's where everybody wants to go.
You know, I've learned a long time ago, Ali, 15 years of covering crises, that you do not predict how the stock market's going to react. Remember, the stock market is half the size of the bond market. Currency markets are huge, as well. We'll be looking for all -- commodities markets -- all of these interact. And we won't know until Sunday night.
Now, one thing I can tell you is that our biggest investor is out there scorning and chastising us, our biggest foreign investor, I should say, China, a commentary on Xinhua -- it's a news agency -- saying that the United States -- scorning it for its debt addiction, for short-sighted political wrangling and warning us that the good old days of borrowing in America are over, using it as a new reason to call for a global reserve currency that is not the U.S. dollar, Ali.
So a little bit of political tension there, not necessarily that surprising. But remember, China is the biggest foreign investor of U.S. Treasuries, Ali.
VELSHI: You know, Ken, Christine makes a very interesting point here, and that is the U.S. Treasuries continue to be a safe haven. In other words, for all the turmoil that's going on out there and for all the risky markets in the world, whether you want to buy their bonds or stocks, U.S. Treasuries, even downgraded, might still be a better bet, and you might actually see yields or interest rates going down, as opposed to up. Do you think that's possible?
ROGOFF: That's absolutely possible, Ali. I mean, where are you going to go? It's not easy to know right now where to put your money. The stock market is very volatile. Are you going to go to Europe with your money? That's very volatile. There's only so much gold, and that's very -- has lots of its own risk. You certainly -- the Chinese going to put their money in China all of a sudden, instead of the United States?
I don't think there'll be a dramatic effect. But this is a very fragile moment. There's a lot of emotion. There's a lot of tension. And the biggest crisis right now, the biggest crisis is in the leadership in Europe, in the United States, and the public is losing confidence. This underscores it. And that's going to make it harder to do the right things and to contain the problems, which we're going to have one way or the other.
VELSHI: Chrystia, Christine had said earlier, you know, the only way you might get rally, a really clear rally on Monday, is if everybody involved in the political bickering were to come together and say, Wow, this is serious, this is a real message, let's get it together and let's figure out how we get our AAA credit rating back. And she's actually getting a lot of tweets. Christine is getting tweets.
Chrystia, I want to ask you, what do you think about that? I think Christine and Ken are both agreeing leadership is as much of a problem here as budget deficits are.
FREELAND: I think that's absolutely right. And what was really interesting about the S&P rationale is, actually, they pointed much more to political issues, really, than underlying economic ones. I think at heart, this decision by them was really a political -- a verdict on dysfunctional politics as much as it was on a fiscal situation which needs to be resolved.
What I think, though, is worrying and the reason why the scenario that Christine painted very eloquently, alas, I think is highly unlikely, is that we are already seeing in the reaction this morning and on Friday night that the really big ideological divide remains. So you've had Democrats pointing very strongly to S&P's point about revenue and the S&P saying, You know what? If you'd just let those Bush tax cuts lapse, that would be a very big step towards a solution.
Meanwhile, you've had the Republicans pointing to the idea that, Look, the S&P is saying that the budget deficit is the core problem. That's what we've been saying. We've been right. All those Democrats who are talking about job creation, maybe more stimulus, focusing on growth, they're wrong.
So it seems to me that the ideological divide -- and I think this is really about ideology, it's not just about rhetoric -- remains, and it's a very deep one in America today.
VELSHI: All right, Ken, stick around. We're going to be listening to Mohamed El-Erian from PIMCO a little later on. They're very involved in bonds. We'll come back to Ken Rogoff. Chrystia, thanks so much for that great analysis. Christine, I think you should start a campaign for people to get their elected officials to come together on this one and try and fix it up.
One of the biggest concerns out there is jobs. There are actually sectors that are hiring. We're going to tell you which employers are looking to hire next on YOUR MONEY.
VELSHI: The U.S. economy added a better-than-expected 117,000 jobs in July. We're going to give you some sectors that are hiring and tell you where those jobs are. Ted Gilliam is the CEO of Adecco. If anybody knows what jobs are in demand, it is this man. He heads the world's biggest temporary placement firm and -- and recruiting firm. Tig (ph), who is hiring right now?
TED GILLIAM, CEO ADECCO: We got hiring in manufacturing, in retail. The retail one, frankly, is a bit of a surprise, given the level of consumer confidence. So I think that's a very good sign. And then, of course, in health care. Health care has carried us through the recession, and we saw another month of strong job growth in health care.
VELSHI: This is an industry, health care, we've seen an average of 24,000 jobs a month created in this. Do you -- do you work in that part of the business, your company place people in health care? Where are you seeing the jobs?
GILLIAM: We absolutely do. Our Soliance (ph) business places doctors, nurses and bilingual speech therapists --
GILLIAM: -- pharmacists, all kinds of skills categories in the health care sector. It's been a very turbulent sector, but it's been a growing sector over the course of this recession.
VELSHI: Help me out understanding the role of temporary job hiring in a recovery. Typically, in past recessions, we used to see the recession end and you'd see temporary job hiring until companies decided what to do and what kind of staffing levels they want, and then they would translate into permanent jobs. Is that still the case?
GILLIAM: Well, there is this normal recessionary and recovery process that occurs in temp, where employers come back in the marketplace, they need resources, but they want flexibility. And they do that by employing temp and contract workers first.
I think that's part of the recovery. But also, we're seeing more of a fundamental change. This recession was so tough, companies are very much more focused on flexibility going forward. And I think they're going to look increasingly for flexible working environments in the economy as we get this recovery going.
VELSHI: Tig, you get paid by companies that want you to find workers for them. So you talk to the CEOs of companies that are hiring or potentially hiring. We keep discussing endlessly what companies need to hear or see or experience from the government in order to hire. What is it?
GILLIAM: Well, first and foremost, companies that are hiring are those that see good prospects for their business in the near term and have already reached the level of capacity that they have with their current workforce. The best place to be from a skill set perspective is in IT, engineering and finance. Those are by far the strongest skill sets, and it's the area where the labor supply is the thinnest.
GILLIAM: So we're really looking at more like a 4 percent unemployment rate in those skill sets, as opposed to the 9.1 average.
VELSHI: Let's talk about the skills that workers come in with, the workers that you place in these jobs. What do you see -- if somebody's watching this saying, I'm ready to make a switch into something, what would you tell them they should do?
GILLIAM: Well, I'd go back to those professional skill categories as the best sectors to focus on if you're looking at building your education. In terms of the job search, most of the permanent jobs that are being added today are coming from temporary and contract assignments. So what I'd say is, in your search process, don't be afraid to step out and engage on a temporary contract basis. Use that as an opportunity to prove your skills and prove the value you can bring to the organization. And that can very well be the best path to a new permanent job.
VELSHI: Explain that to me a little bit more. If I'm coming to CNN and there's a staff job there, or maybe there isn't, and I'm applying for it, they maybe are not sure they want to hire me or the work's not fully there. How do I then become a contract worker?
GILLIAM: Well, in many cases, you can just make the offer. A candidate is say, Look, I know you're looking for a permanent position, and that's great. If there's a permanent position, I'd like that. However, if you're uncertain about making that decision today, I'm happy to work with you on a contract basis for the next six months, and we'll get to know each other and get a chance to work together. And we're finding that's a good strategy to use.
And in fact, we have many of our clients coming to us and say, Look, I need some resources, but I don't want to go the permanent route yet. Can you get me someone that can work with me for the next six months, and let's see how it goes? And that's a great avenue to pursue.
VELSHI: Let's talk a little bit about the difference between the behavior of large companies and small businesses in the U.S. with respect to hiring right now.
GILLIAM: This is a great point, Ali. What happens in the U.S., we have about 2 percent of the companies that are large companies that hire half the workforce. Ninety-eight percent of the companies in the U.S. have less than 1,000 employees, and they hire the other half of the U.S. workforce. The job growth we've seen so far in this recovery has been with the large companies. And this is where I think we come back to public policy and some incentives to really help those small and mid-sized companies get back in hiring mode and to hire here locally in the U.S.
VELSHI: Tig, all we hear about and read about is people saying what we have to do about the jobs and where the jobs are. You actually know it. Such a pleasure to get all this granular information from you. Tig Gilliam is the CEO of Adecco.
All right, we've got a debt ceiling deal, now we can deal with our real economic problems. Can Congress and the president still be part of the solution?
VELSHI: The future of our economic recovery is clearly uncertain. One day we see the Dow down more than 500 points. The next day, we get a better-than-expected jobs report. What does this all mean?
Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman wrote in an op-ed in "The New York Times," quote, "Those plunging interest rates and stock prices say that the markets aren't worried about either U.S. solvency or inflation, they're worried about U.S. lack of growth."
When Krugman refers to a lack of growth, let me show you what he is talking about. GDP growth -- that's how we measure. It's the biggest measure of the economy. Well, we found out just over a week ago that GDP growth -- look over on the side of your screen, on the right side -- for this quarter -- for the second quarter of the year was 1.3 percent. That's lower than we expected. Look at the first quarter, 0.4 percent. Those bar graphs should be getting bigger every quarter, not getting smaller and not dodging around. That's the problem.
Diane Swonk is the chief economist at Mesirow Financial. Diane, let's talk about what has to happen to spur meaningful economic growth in the United States. Can you create economic growth with policies, for instance?
DIANE SWONK, CHIEF ECONOMIST, MESIROW FINANCIAL: Well, we've certainly seen if there was any silver bullet to shoot on that front, it would have been shot already. And so there is no silver bullet. In the wake of the financial crisis, we shot a lot of bullets, and we've stemmed the hemorrhaging that the economy went through during the recession, but we've been unable to really get momentum going. That's very characteristic of a post-crisis kind of recovery, and that's what we're in. It's one thing to know that that's coming, it's another thing to live it because living it has been absolutely miserable.
VELSHI: No kidding. And then this last week, Diane, we started to feel things that we had felt three years ago, and I don't think any of us needed to relive that. We don't need these -- these big shocks.
Stephen Moore is the editorial writer for "The Wall Street Journal." Stephen, we saw the Bush tax cuts extended in December of 2010. Generally speaking, taxes remain low. But this recovery is not taking hold. Why do some argue that lowering taxes, thereby reducing government revenue, would actually boost the economy?
STEPHEN MOORE, EDITORIAL WRITER, "WALL STREET JOURNAL": Well, first of all, Ali, the reason that tax revenues are so low right now -- and you're right, you know, we are only getting about 15 percent of GDP in taxes and we're spending 24 percent of GDP. So that's the big deficit gap.
The main reason that we're seeing that drought in revenues is because the economy is not growing. And it's strange, Ali, because I find myself in some agreement with Paul Krugman. The problem right now is growth. The economy isn't growing. We're not generating jobs. And Ali, if people aren't working, they don't pay taxes, right? And so we do need to get to a growth program. It's just that Paul Krugman and I probably couldn't disagree more about what to do about it.
VELSHI: About how you get there.
MOORE: Let me just say one last thing.
MOORE: If you read my column in Friday's "Wall Street Journal," what I talk about is, you know, the time might be right for a grand deal to do a tax reform that lowers tax rates, broadens the base, gets rid of all the pollution in the tax system. I think that's something that could generate --
VELSHI: I'll tell you, I did read it. I read it very early on Friday morning. And I thought to myself, I'm not really going to bring up the topic of Congress getting a grand deal on tax reform on this show, because my viewer will click the remote. And say, that knucklehead is a knucklehead. Do you think it's possible?
MOORE: I really do. You know, what because if you read the column you'll see, in 1986, everybody said it couldn't be done. You can't take on the special interest groups. One of the points I make, Ali, that you'll like is this is the way for Barack Obama to save his presidency.
VELSHI: It's possible.
MOORE: I really believe so.
VELSHI: I think the left and the right both agree on the fact that -- I don't know what reform we all want, but that reform in taxes is necessary. The debt ceiling deal meant that a potential crisis was averted. But there was optimism that it could mean a lot more than that. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The sooner we get this done, the sooner that the markets know that the debt limit ceiling will have been raised and that we have a serious plan to deal with our debt and deficit, the sooner that we give our businesses the certainty they will need in order to make additional investments to grow and to hire.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: Interesting. So the president back on July 8th, by the way, a month ago, was arguing that closing this deal will give more certainty to businesses and allow them to start hiring.
Norm Ornstein is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.
Norm, the celebration over the debt ceiling was remarkably short- lived, at least as far as markets were concerned. What policy tools do Congress and the president have left to spur this economy notwithstanding what Peter suggested, a grand deal on tax reform. What else do they have?
NORM ORNSTEIN, RESIDENT SCHOLAR, AEI: It was more like a wake. I'm afraid one part of the disappointment in the deal was that some of the tools that were there, pitifully weak ones. But, for example extending the payroll tax cuts, or maybe including an infrastructure bank, that could be funded without necessarily using many federal dollars, simply weren't a part of this deal. I continue to be worried that even though the spending cuts are going to be relatively limited in this next year, this is just not a time to be doing that. So you hope that when we get beyond this phase in August and Congress comes back, they'll start to focus more on some of the limited things that government can do. And that does include moving towards, in this super committee, possibly a grand bargain that includes tax reform. But you'd have to be a super optimist to believe that we'll move rapidly in that direction.
VELSHI: Let's ask Diane. You started by saying if there were a silver bullet, it would have been shot at this point. There are two things that come up constantly. Norm just mentioned-well, it is three. Let's take tax cuts. Norm just mentioned payroll tax cut. And the third one is this QE2 that sometimes gets talked about, the idea of more quantitative easing. The Federal Reserve putting lots and lots of money into the economy to stimulate it. Give me your evaluation as an economist.
DIANE SWONK, CHIEF ECONOMIST, MESIROW FINANCIAL: Well, all those issues that we've just talked about are valid issues. I do think we probably will get an extension in the payroll tax cut in 2012. It's just a very bad time not to do that.
But that's on the margin, as Norm mentioned. I mean, these are all marginal tools. I do agree with Steve that tax reform, fundamental tax reform, in the longer haul could get us to a better, more competitive plain in terms of dealing with both our deficit and our competiveness globally. That said, I am not the super optimist. I listen to Norm a lot. And I believe him and think highly of him. And I'm disappointed, more than disappointed, with our ability to come up with these.
I do also think it is really important to think about-you know, in terms of the Federal Reserve, this is putting a lot of weight on the shoulders of central banks around the world.
SWONK: The European Central Bank, disappointed this week by buying-
VELSHI: And look what happened.
SWONK: Italian bonds. And look what happened, exactly. That helped to trigger the major losses we saw in the market this week. And the reality is that we're running out of tool kits. I think the Fed can do more. And I think they're going to be considering it. Certainly the employment report we saw on Friday helps take some of the burden off the Fed for doing something immediately and a too knee-jerk reaction. But any way you cut it, the Fed, if the European Central Bank, the Fed will likely be pulled into the picture in one way or the other, maybe not QE3. But they will be pulled into the picture because what happens in Europe matters to us in the U.S. And they have to also keep those swap lines open and all these different things we used during the crisis. The weight is still on the shoulders of the central bank to carry this economy. And it's a heavy burden to carry.
MOORE: You know what, I'll say this, Diane, if we have a QE3-and I think now there's a real chance of that, given the possibility --
SWONK: There is a chance, yes.
MOORE: --how they doubled debt.
Ali, this is a money show. I'm buying gold if that's going to happen because, look, you don't create prosperity by printing money.
MOORE: We've seen the gold price go from $900 an ounce in January of 2009 to what is it, $1,650 or so, today? We could easily see a $2,000 gold price because people around the world are losing confidence in paper currency, whether it's the euro or the dollar. These politicians thinking they can create growth by printing money.
VELSHI: You saw it at the end of the week, gold had even lost a bit of ground.
VELSHI: Diane hold that thought for a second. We need to pay our bills here at CNN. We'll take a quick break. We'll be right back.
VELSHI: We're covering live here on YOUR MONEY the downgrade by S&P of the U.S. sovereign debt. I'm joined now by David Beers. He is the global head of sovereign ratings with S&P. Christine Romans is with me as well.
David, good to see you. Thank you for joining us.
Tell us, please, for our audience, with a little bit of time between when this happened and now, why Standard & Poor's made the decision to downgrade the United States from its AAA credit rating?
DAVID BEERS, GLOBAL HEAD OF SOVEREIGN RATINGS, STANDARD & POOR'S: Sure. Two key reasons, the first is around the uncertainty that we think the political process, as it's playing out, on fiscal policy is creating in the U.S., and the uncertainties about the future direction of fiscal policy. And that's about the difficulty of creating a consensus across the political spectrum about making fiscal policy choices.
And the second factor, of course, relates to the agreement that Congress and the administration signed into law earlier this week. We think that the-uh, that package which will either be between $2.1 trillion and $2.4 trillion, on its own, will not do enough to stabilize the rising debt burden of the U.S. government.
VELSHI: David, tell me about this discussion that's been going on where the administration says that it pointed out what it calls an error to Standard & Poor's in some calculations. And that S&P said it would go back and look at it and ultimately still made the decision to downgrade the United States. Can you give us some context around that?
BEERS: Sure. This is about technical assumptions that the CBO, the Congressional Budget Office, uses in looking at, in its own nonpartisan way, medium-term and long-term fiscal trends in the United States. And they have two sort of baseline sets of assumptions. We were looking at one set of assumptions. We talked to Treasury. And agreed with Treasury that another technical approach of looking at it made sense and we adjusted our projections on that basis, ran it by our rating committee, and concluded that the rating should be cut on the basis of those revised assumptions.
VELSHI: So you take issue with the fact that it's an error?
BEERS: Well, these are assumptions, these are projections going long into the future. And there are different ways that reasonable people can look at them. And so this was a set of technical issues. It's not a question of who's right or wrong here.
VELSHI: All right. My colleague, Christine Romans, I know, wants to ask you something.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR, YOUR BOTTOM LINE: The issue here -- and thanks for joining us this afternoon-the issue here really for you, then, is that even though in the United States we see this big, huge debt ceiling deal, and many people feel like, OK, now finally they've put this behind us. It is not behind us. The national debt continues to grow. Deficits are too big, too big as a size of the American economy, and with the slow growth that we're seeing taken together, that makes the U.S. a slightly riskier investment than it was six months ago. Is that a correct assumption?
BEERS: Yes. And I just want to highlight again the fact that by our lights, the political process, as it comes to grips with the fiscal policy issues, we think in and of itself creates a bit of -- a lot of uncertainty, which we think itself is an issue in terms of the rating of the U.S. government.
VELSHI: David, I want to ask you this one last thing. When do you think-or what would the U.S. have to do to regain its AAA credit rating? Do you have any guidance on that?
BEERS: Well, remember where we are right now. We've lowered the rating one notch to AA-plus. Still a quite high rating, of course, but we have a negative outlook on that rating, which means that in our opinion, the rating could fall again at some time over the next two years depending upon whether there are additional fiscal measures, and how actually the package agreed to this week actually plays out. So at the moment, we uh, our best case scenario doesn't foresee over the next couple of years the U.S. getting back to AAA. But we suppose that if it did --
ROMANS: Do we need
ROMANS: Do we need see-
BEERS: Can I just finish?
ROMANS: -tax increases or taxes on the table -- Sure, sure, go ahead.
BEERS: Can I respond to you question. We think there are two issues here. One is bridging the political divide, whether it's -- and whatever that looks like in terms of the mix of revenues and expenditures, that's where Congress and the administration need to decide. But if we thought, it we had more confidence than we have now that there was going to be a durable political consensus about the choices around fiscal policy, that would give us more confidence about the ability of the government to stabilize the debt burden over the medium term. If those two things happen, yeah, there's a chance sometime in the future the U.S. can go back to AAA.
VELSHI: David, thanks for joining me. Appreciate it. We'll continue to follow this story. David Beers is the global head of sovereign ratings for Standard & Poor's. And my colleague Christine Romans.
When we come back, we're going to talk to Ken Rogoff, former head of the International Monetary Fund-former chief economist for the International Monetary fund, and Mohamed El-Erian, probably one of the most important bond men in the world. You are watching a special live edition of YOUR MONEY.
VELSHI: Back with a special live edition of YOUR MONEY, covering the S&P downgrade of U.S. sovereign debt.
Ken Rogoff is back with me again. He's a professor at Harvard University and former chief economist for the International Monetary Fund. On the phone is Mohamed El-Erian, he is the CEO of PIMCO, one of the biggest bond dealers in the entire world. They run the biggest bond fund in the entire world.
Mohamed, thanks for being with us. I just spoke to David Beers of S&P. I want to get a sense from you, because it is a question a lot of our viewers who may not be involved in the world of bonds and bond ratings, ask me, after what happened in the financial crisis in 2008 and the errors that the major bond rating agencies made, do serious bond buyers and sellers and traders listen to what S&P says? Does this matter?
MOHAMED EL-ERIAN, CEO, PIMCO: It does matter, Ali, but not because we invest on the basis of what the rating agencies say. Here at PIMCO, we have our own sovereign credit assessment. We have our own internal ratings. And we make investment decisions based on our own work.
However, the rating agencies, who are a record ratings monopoly, are wired into the system. And they are wired into such a way as it gives them enormous influence. So they are reflected in investment guidelines. They are reflected in the way certain people think about risk. And, therefore, we have to pay attention to what other people are going to do based on this downgrade.
So strictly speaking, it will not impact how we invest our money, but it does impact how the system responds.
VELSHI: It may impact how other people invest. And that will be important to you.
Let's take a look. I want to put up a list on our screen of the 15 countries -- used to be 16 by the way, until yesterday -- the 15 countries that enjoy a AAA credit rating from both Moody's and S&P. The United States is no longer on that list. But Australia is, Canada is.
Mohamed, these countries pay better yields. Is there some reason why they wouldn't benefit dramatically from this downgrade in U.S. bonds?
EL-ERIAN: They will benefit. But it's not going to be dramatic. The U.S. had two thing going for it in addition to being the AAA. It is the reserve currency, so other countries use the dollar. And secondly, it has the deepest and most liquid financial markets, which means other countries outsource their hard-earned savings to be intermediated through the U.S. system.
Now none of these other countries on your list is either able or willing to step in for the U.S. They can do something at the margin, but they cannot replace the U.S. That's both the good news and the bad news. It is the good news which means the system will not change radically overnight. Because you cannot replace something with nothing. But it is also bad news because there is an uncertain element to how a global system operates with the AA as a score.
VELSHI: So given how plugged in you are to the system, and I just want to remind our viewers who may not be familiar with this, but the international bond market is substantially bigger than the capitalization of the value of the international stock markets. After being whip-sawed this week, Mohamed, many of our viewers were wondering, oh, my god, what happens next week? In the broadest economic sense-I know you are not a stock market prognosticator-but in the broader economic sense, will we wake up Monday with some massive response and reaction to what S&P did on Friday? Or was this, in some quarters, expected enough that the response will be muted?
EL-ERIAN: It was expected in some quarters, but it will also come as a shock in others. We're looking at an uncertain and volatile outlook. Certain things I think we know. We know that this is bad news for the U.S. economy. It is a further headwind to growth and job creation. We know that this is going to accelerate lots of questions about the rating agencies themselves. You'll hear the question, who rates the rating agencies? We know that it will put a question mark on other AAA countries, which means there will be concern about Europe. So which ever way you look it a, the risk premium in the market is going to go up. And this was unthinkable, Ali, not so long ago.
VELSHI: David Beers said it could take-if everything is done the right way and in fact if these budget discussions get a little more aggressive about either raising revenue, raising taxes or cutting spending, the U.S. could regain its AAA credit rating in about two years.
You know, the credit rating is not the same as lowering or raising interest rates themselves, Mohamed. And what we saw is that U.S. bonds got more expensive and their yields got lower. Their return got lower. That's counter intuitive to some people. You could expect that this kind of thing would cause U.S. bonds to-would cause the U.S. to have to pay more interest to borrow money. Why is that not happening?
EL-ERIAN: Two issues: First on the S&P, they added insult to injury because they didn't just downgrade the U.S. from AAA to AA plus. They put the new rating on negative outlook, which means they're still worried about the possibility, not the probability, but the possibility of a further downgrade.
In terms of the impact on U.S. Treasuries, remember U.S. Treasuries reflect a whole host of factors. What has dominated in recent times are two things. First, a recognition that the U.S. and the global economy are slowing down significantly. And that tends to push bond prices up, yields down. And second, we've had a fight to quality out of Europe because of the crisis there. And out of the stock market because of nine sharp days of decline. So the bond market is trying to reflect so many moving pieces. And net-net these two that I've just cited have dominated over the credit risk which was associated with the AAA downgrade.
VELSHI: And Mohamed, finally, I want to ask you, do you think there is going to be, maybe not on Monday, maybe not in the short term, but what's the overall effect, both psychologically and financially on the delicate economy here in the U.S. of not only this, which happened on Friday, but of the things we've seen unfold over the course of the last nine days. The debt deal, the new numbers on GDP which shows our growth is slower than expected, that manufacturing is slowing a little bit. That demand, the consumer demand had slowed a little bit and our job growth is actually a little better than we expected. When you put all of this into a bowl, what kind of bake do you bake out this?
EL-ERIAN: Let me tell you my expectation and then my hope. My expectation is when you put thought in a bowl, the analysts will be revising down again the growth estimates for the U.S. and for the rest of the world. And that is not good news for a country that already has an unemployment crisis, and has a housing market that is not functioning properly. This is bad news for Americans, because it means lower growth and fewer jobs.
My hope, Ali, and it is a hope, is that this will be a wake-up call for the politicians and the policy makers. This could be our Sputnik moment. The moment in which our psyche, as a country, is shaken so much, that we recognize collectively the need for common vision and common purpose to put this country back on the road to faster growth and more jobs.
VELSHI: Mohamed El-Erian, very clear, I appreciate you coming here and making some sense for us. Mohamed El-Erian is the CEO and co- chief investment officer at PIMCO.
I'm standing by with Ken Rogoff, he is the former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund. He is a Harvard professor and one of the smartest guys I know. He will help make sense of this, right after our commercial break. You're watching a live special edition of YOUR MONEY. Stay with us.
VELSHI: You're watching a special five edition of YOUR MONEY where we're digging into why Standard & Poors downgraded the United States.
I'm joined again by Ken Rogoff, he is a Harvard economist and professor, and he is the former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund.
Even my head is spinning after this last week, Ken. A week ago we were talking about this debt deal. We were talking about GDP numbers and a manufacturing numbers and consumer demand, a market that dropped several percent and jobless numbers and now this downgrade. About eight months worth of news in one week.
Tell me what my viewers are supposed to think about thing that has happened, culminating in this down grade.
KEN ROGOFF, FMR. CHIEF ECONOMIST, IMF: The downgrade is certainly a kick in the seat of the pants for the United States. We're out there trying to market $15 trillion in debt and somebody says, well, it's good, but it's not great. It's not helpful.
Certainly the U.S. economy has been slowing. Europe is in trouble. And I just, I'm afraid there is no other way to put it, this is certainly a little bit of a scary moment. And we need leadership. We need our policy makers to come forward. Our monetary policy, especially, and do something. The market, the investors are looking for some leadership that has been absent. We saw the debate in Washington. That wasn't very encouraging. The Europeans don't seem to know what they're doing. They really have to pull it together. It is a critical moment. It is not a cheery message, but I'm afraid that's where we are.
VELSHI: That's the message. It is time for leadership. Ken Rogoff, thanks for helping make that clear for us. Ken Rogoff is a professor at Harvard University. You are watching a special live edition of YOUR MONEY. Thanks for joining us. | <urn:uuid:91c2833f-8924-4701-bfa2-947069f40c8e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1108/06/cnnitm.01.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975943 | 10,591 | 1.65625 | 2 |
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The concept behind Tasty Planet, a new causal game from Dingo Games, will be immediately familiar to fans of Namco's PlayStation 2 hit, Katamari Damacy or PopCap's popular Feeding Frenzy games: you must grow bigger and bigger by absorbing objects smaller than you, until you reach a predetermined size.
But despite the lack of originality and a few other annoying niggles, Tasty Planet is quirky, fun and strangely addictive.
In this Windows or Mac game, a scientist sets out to invent a new kind of bathroom cleaner when he inadvertently creates microscopic "grey goo" with an insatiable appetite. It enters the body of the scientist's faithful assistant, and here you must control the goo's actions as he gobbles up small things like red blood cells. If the goo grows enough before the timer runs out, the story continues -- as told via comic strips -- and the goo then makes its way to the Great Outdoors and begins eating bigger items such as dirt, aphids and ladybugs, and then bigger items, such as pets, trees and cars. Eventually, it grows so big it leaves earth to eat its way through the galaxy. Now this is one hungry dude.
The gamer moves the goo around by simply pushing the mouse in a given direction; the target size is listed in the top left-hand corner. If the goo touches something too big for its size, he won't be able to eat it or it may also cause it to explode and you'll need to start the level all over again (therefore you need to avoid these obstacles).
Unlike the Katamari games, Tasty Planet has somewhat crude 2-D graphics as the action is seen from a top-down perspective. One graphical glitch was also noticed on one of the two PCs used to test the game: a black square surrounded the goo throughout the entire game.
Another issue lies in the music, as some of these songs have been in other casual games, such as one quirky tune heard in Toy Box Games' Teddy Factory.
Even with these shortcomings, however, Tasty Planet can be quite addictive as you race against the clock to eat and grow until the level is complete; the game features 60 unique levels and three different game modes (normal, time attack and endurance).
While Tasty Planet isn't a unique idea, Dingo Games' arcade puzzler is fun, fast and hard to stop - though more bug-testing, better graphics and a different soundtrack would bump up our score significantly.
- Fun, frantic and addictive game-play; many levels and multiple game modes; for Macs and Windows PCs
- Nearly identical concept to hit console game, Katamari Damacy; some graphical bugs and so-so visuals; music can be heard in other games | <urn:uuid:b6f0579f-8e1c-4097-ba24-511bf59fd6f2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gamezebo.com/games/tasty-planet/review | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951132 | 576 | 1.726563 | 2 |
POSTED: 04:28 a.m. HST, Jan 31, 2011
LAST UPDATED: 04:53 a.m. HST, Jan 31, 2011
CAIRO — Soldiers detained about 50 men trying to break into the Egyptian National Museum in a fresh attempt to loot some of the country's archaeological treasures, the military said Monday.
Snipers were stationed on the roof of the building, and dozens of troops patrolled the grounds of the famed antiquities museum amid fears that the chaos sweeping Cairo could engulf the nation's heritage. Some of the most intense anti-government protests in the past week happened near the museum.
On Monday, half a dozen suspected thieves lay in a group on the floor of the entrance, their faces covered by a blanket. Guards said they were caught trying to enter.
A military general at the museum said soldiers arrested about 35 men trying to break into the building on Sunday, and another 15 on Monday. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Troops said they were given orders not to shoot, but to protect the building and its contents.
The majority of the museum was intact, but there were signs of an earlier break-in.
On the second floor, one case containing a gold trinket, two small rods and other small artifacts was broken, and another case was smashed on the first floor. The cases were next to the gated room containing the gold funerary mask of King Tutankhamun that draws millions of tourists a year.
At the museum's gift shop, broken glass, souvenirs and postcards littered the ground.
Zahi Hawass, Egypt's antiquities chief, walked through the darkened museum with a military guard and said the museum was heavily protected by the Egyptian military. Later Monday, he was appointed Minister of State Antiquities in the new government named by President Hosni Mubarak, who faces calls from protesters for his ouster.
"If the museum is safe, Egypt is safe," Hawass said.
A museum administrator found the head of a small clay statue on the stairs.
Looters had broken into the museum on Friday, ripping the heads off two mummies and damaging about 75 small artifacts before soldiers caught them. Hawass said the broken artifacts could be restored.
Museum Director Tarek El Awady said the thieves appeared to be looking for gold, and didn't understand the value of other artifacts.
The museum houses thousands of artifacts spanning the full sweep of Egypt's rich pharaonic history.
Before the army arrived early Saturday morning, young Egyptians, some armed with truncheons grabbed from police, created a human chain at the museum's front gate to ward off looters.
Six boxes of small antiquities were looted from a storage facility in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, but there were no break-ins at the other 24 antiquities museums across Egypt, according to Hawass. | <urn:uuid:45d372fd-4d97-47ff-aae6-3d4df21fc3be> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/114928524.html | 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 | 0.973012 | 603 | 1.5 | 2 |
Welcome back, happy Monday! We asked Jamie Cripps to do her magic with an end-of-year school project. She came up with a fun and useful classroom calendar using school and calandar stickers;
Jamie says, "I have wheels on the back that hold the numbers and months. For the first window (top left) I have 0-3, the second window I have 0-9, and then the bottom right window I have the months. To change the dates or months, you just spin the wheels which are held by brads (under the patterned paper)."
SUPPLIES: Stickers: Say It With Stickers #40035 Kindergarten, We've Got Your Numbers #48094 Large, Sticker Months Small #48089 Sleek. | <urn:uuid:08c1b428-504f-4ad2-984f-810a86ad89b5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://srm-stickers.blogspot.com/2012_04_01_archive.html | 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 | 0.932061 | 161 | 1.65625 | 2 |
MF Global's dive shows few changes on Wall Street
WASHINGTON (AP) — After countless new rules designed to make Wall Street safer, it's come to this: Another securities firm has collapsed from risky, poorly disclosed bets.
Not enough, in other words, has changed since the U.S. financial system nearly toppled three years ago.
The bankruptcy filing last week by MF Global Holdings Ltd. didn't freeze lending and panic investors around the world, as Lehman Brothers' did in 2008. But the rapid fall of the firm run by former New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine shows risky behavior persists, despite a vast regulatory overhaul.
As lenders abandon Italy this week and stocks plummet on fear that defaults in Europe are all but inevitable, those new rules are about to be put to the test. One question no one can answer: Is the financial system, with its expanding web of connections that even experts can't trace, any safer?
"People are making the same dumb bets," says investor Michael Lewitt of Harch Capital, who calls Washington's new rules inadequate.
MF Global's collapse suggests that:
— Financial companies are making risky bets with borrowed money and hiding them off their balance sheets. In MF Global's case, scant disclosure made it harder for people to see the danger until it was too late.
— Those bets are being made with their own money, but threatening customers and trading partners. Dodd-Frank, the Wall Street overhaul passed last year, focused on big, complex financial companies whose failure could topple other firms. The law bans these "systemically important" companies from making such bets with their own money, called proprietary trading. But it does little about smaller financial firms like MF Global.
— Many financial companies operate without coordinated oversight by regulators. MF Global was watched over by several regulators. But no one was in charge of coordinating them. Financial companies, aside from the biggest, face the same patchwork oversight that failed to stop risky bets before the financial crisis.
The bust of MF Global itself is not an indictment of the new rules. Dodd-Frank wasn't designed to prevent all financial failures. In fact, some failures can be healthy if they discourage investors from taking on excessive risk.
But MF Global's collapse brought heavy costs. It caused millions in losses for investors. It threw commodity markets into disarray. And it left customers confused and angry because $593 million of their money is missing.
"The question for regulators is, 'How did this happen?'" says David Kotok, a money manager at Cumberland Advisors. "Could we have seen it coming?"
The answer: Yes — but you had to look hard.
MF Global failed after buying billions of European government bonds on a hunch they were less risky than many investors assumed. The trouble wasn't so much the bet itself. It was how the firm disclosed it and financed it.
MF Global didn't recognize those bonds on its balance sheet for all to see. Instead, they were shunted "off-balance sheet," their presence noted deep in its financial statements. Some separate filings with regulators excluded them entirely.
This sleight-of-hand was possible thanks to an accounting maneuver used by Lehman to hide its debt before it failed: Instead of holding onto the bonds it had just bought, MF Global "sold" them to other companies in exchange for cash — with the promise to buy them back later.
In effect, it was borrowing the cash but not calling it that since technically it came from a "sale." And because the bonds were off its books, MF Global didn't have to acknowledge the risk they posed.
Other firms have struck similar off-balance-sheet deals, but poor disclosure makes them difficult to track.
The lack of detail about financial companies' holdings can lead to panic selling. Fearing another MF Global, investors started dumping shares of broker Jefferies Group Inc. last month. The stock recovered after the company released details showing its bets were smaller and not funded by the same off-balance-sheet deals.
Janet Tavakoli, president of Tavakoli Structured Finance in Chicago, says the hidden debt at MF Global makes her wonder if regulators have learned anything from the financial crisis. She notes that American International Group Inc. used off-balance-sheet "swaps" to bet that U.S. homeowners would pay back their mortgages — that is, until it collapsed and had to be bailed out by taxpayers.
"We've seen this movie before," says Tavakoli.
Under Dodd-Frank, large financial companies that played a big role in the financial crisis are subjected to new, stricter oversight. But that's not the case with smaller firms.
Christopher Whalen, managing director at Institutional Risk Analytics, notes that banks must file quarterly "call reports" listing a wide range of details about their risks — but no such disclosure is required of smaller financial firms like MF Global.
"The problem is, they are still very opaque," Whalen says.
In the case of MF Global, it not only made "proprietary" bets banned at larger firms, it did so with gobs of borrowed money. One measure of that, its so-called leverage ratio, hit 31-to-1 in September, similar to Lehman's before it failed. Most big banks are closer to 10-to-1 now.
Of course, the risks taken by MF Global may prove more an exception than a rule. But Louise Purtle, an analyst at research firm CreditSights, is worried. She wrote in a report last week that, as regulators crack down on the largest financial companies, risk could be building in the "shadow banking system" — the thousands of hedge funds, small brokers, money managers and other non-bank financial firms out of the spotlight.
A recent Federal Reserve report estimated the assets of the "shadow banking system" at $16 trillion last year, up from $5 trillion or so in 1995.
The failure of MF Global highlights another problem: The more regulators watching over a company, the less likely it will be watched closely.
The Securities and Exchange Commission oversaw the firm's stock and bond trading but left day-to-day monitoring to a private group, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Bets on the future prices of oil and other commodities, called futures, were watched over by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). But that regulator also deferred to private organizations such as CME Group Inc., which operates exchanges where futures trade. The Federal Reserve allowed MF Global to join an elite group of "primary dealers" helping Washington sell new U.S. Treasury bonds. But instead of checking for itself if the company was taking undue risks, the central bank relied on the SEC and the CFTC.
"Who was in charge?" says Michael Robinson, a former spokesman at the SEC, now at public relations firm Levick Strategic Communications. "Everyone says, 'I thought it was the other guy.'"
One of the private groups, FINRA, recognized problems at MF Global this summer and forced it to hold more capital against its European bets. It also alerted other regulators to the risk.
But the others do not appear to have responded until later when the company was sliding toward bankruptcy and its cash was drying up. If regulators had acted sooner, many believe, they could have safeguarded customer funds and prevented the money from disappearing.
Wagner reported from Washington. | <urn:uuid:e4d952f3-5985-4e8d-a4e9-85a70055439a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cnsnews.com/news/article/mf-globals-dive-shows-few-changes-wall-street | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971885 | 1,528 | 1.539063 | 2 |
About 17 years ago, I went to see a chiropractor who came highly recommended to help alleviate back pain I’d been experiencing. I was surprised when the chiropractor chose to use “applied kinesiology” with me rather than traditional spinal manipulation. I had never heard of applied kinesiology and was open to anything that might help me, but when this chiropractor had me raise my arm and resist the pressure he applied to it to “test” various things, and then told me what foods I should and shouldn’t eat and what people I should and shouldn’t avoid based on whether my arm went down or stayed rigid upon his application of pressure, I was stunned that he was serious. I never went back to this chiropractor and marveled that someone had really charged me $80 to do something so ridiculous.
About ten years passed and suddenly this “applied kinesiology” was everywhere and friends of mine swore by it. I’ve learned not to be surprised by such things any more. We people believe all sorts of unsubstantiated things, constantly suspending our critical thinking. Much of the time there is no real harm done, and because our minds and bodies are so intertwined, believing that a practitioner will help us increases the likelihood that we’ll be helped measurably. But I worry about a populace that so readily believes nonsense and passes it off as fact, and I feel strongly that educators must be among the best critical thinkers because, more than anyone, teachers shape the future.
There is a desperate need for good critical thinking among the generation poised to solve – or not solve – the complex challenges before us. So this is my plea to teachers: teach your students to be critical and creative thinkers above all else, and refuse to let yourself be duped. Model the critical thinking your students need to possess themselves.
(For those who want to see a demonstration that debunks applied kinesiology, take a look at this YouTube video.)
For a thinking populace,
Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education
Author of The Power and Promise of Humane Education and Most Good, Least Harm | <urn:uuid:8423ed93-a2be-414b-be00-ca750eb036b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://coopcatalyst.wordpress.com/2010/12/27/to-all-people-but-especially-educators-please-think-critically/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=b19f116cf4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969656 | 447 | 1.835938 | 2 |
It seems that USA Track and Field wasn’t prepared for the result of the women’s 100-meter dash on Saturday. Because it was the Olympic Trials, the top three finishers would earn a spot on the Olympic team — the only problem was there were four. Allyson Felix and Jeneba tied for third, registering times of 11.068 seconds. The potential tie-breaker could play out as a runoff or a coin toss if the sprinters choose not to compete in another race. The Chicago Tribune has more on this unprecedented situation:
Even if the situation involving two athletes whom Kersee coaches is apparently unprecedented, the fact that officials never foresaw it, quickly botched it and dithered over resolving it seemed once again to underline the sad truth that the only amateurs left in Olympic sports are those who run them.
The delays left the sport open to suggestions there was an effort to ensure a resolution would favor one of U.S. track’s stars, Allyson Felix, even if evidence shows that officials merely mishandled the matter.
The best way to decide whether Felix or Jeneba Tarmoh gets the final U.S. spot in the 100-meter field at the London Olympics is a runoff race. And that seems the likeliest outcome in a seat-of-the-pants scenario USA Track & Field announced Sunday evening.
Click here to read the rest of this story. | <urn:uuid:102545d4-cbb4-4dd5-ab7e-995a1f428a46> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thegrio.com/2012/06/25/womens-100m-ends-in-tie-allyson-felix-and-jeneba-tarmoh-may-race-again/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953694 | 294 | 1.5 | 2 |
Japan is the unique land of peace and harmony. If you are fascinated by this country and its traditions, you’ll love the new dining room furniture collection by Hara Design. It’s not a secret that the Japanese have their meal on the floor and these low items will help you do the same with comfort. Furniture is made of dark brown, black lacquered or light wood in simple, but elegant style. Sets are available in different configurations with or without cushions and textile. If you want to get more information and decorate your dining room in minimalist style, visit the site.
This a bit unusual building is located on the Norwegian island Rennesoy. It was done by projects of architect Tommie Wilhelmsen and named Delen Cabin. Its contemporary private house used for family recreation close to nature. The architecture of the building is original and even a little unexpected, offering as sharp angles and smooth curves. Unusual visual effect is created through the combination of dark and light wood, as well as the presence of panoramic windows, and all this is combined with natural stone, which serves as the foundation for the house and an open area next to it. The interior design has made in minimalistic style that even more emphasizes the beauty of surrounding nature.
This unusual and somewhat strange house was built by the Japanese architect Tomoaki Uno. The building is almost entirely made of concrete and looks rather unwelcoming and cold. The house is situated on a sloping site and the entrance is at the level of the third floor. So the construction, safely sheltered from curious eyes, provides privacy. The house has few windows, so its interior is not too bright because of the use of concrete and reminds a dungeon. But the construction really impresses with its tremendous size, clean modern lines and minimalist as in the exterior and in interior design.
City life is becoming tenser because of the large number of people and the continuous deterioration of ecological environment. That is why more and more people are trying to build a house as far away from civilization as possible. Today we review one more unusual house, which was created by specialists of Japanese studio Studio Curiosity and built almost in the forest. The house, named C2 Yamanashi, has a clear and a little abstract volume, which follows the slope of the plot. One of the walls of the house is almost entirely glazed and offers a complete overview of the forest, while the others are almost completely blank. The interiors are not too large, but seem more spacious due to the fact that designers used so popular in the Japan minimalistic style.
By its shape this house reminds of the previously reviewed Crossbox House, but it has a completely different concept, moreover it’s more like a luxury house and it’s 344 sq. meters big. The client’s wish was to have a contemporary holiday house to escape from the city noise. He arranged a competition between three Portuguese design studios to get the selection of house plans. Pedro Reis won the competition with his project of bi-volumetric house.
Have you ever dreamed of having an apartment with more facilities? Here are a Swedish style apartment interior design ideas, by Kanzoi architects. Among the appeals of this apartment are elegant and stylish kitchen, a spacious terrace, a large bedroom, an open fireplace in the living room, built-in closets and many others. The main peculiar of this luxury apartment is a terrace with beautiful scenery along with lots of appliances provided by the famous furniture trends. White colour is dominant in this minimalist interior. It looks very stylish and cool. The furniture composition gives the impression of the luxury. The floor is made of wood. And the ceiling of 3.9 meters gives a light, airy feeling. Interior decorating has an important role in addition to the facilities offered. Take a look. | <urn:uuid:df63f2b0-61f4-48ca-a0bc-6c7c023e4748> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.home-reviews.com/category/decorating/minimalist-interiors/page/6 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96859 | 791 | 1.617188 | 2 |
RONALD DWORKIN: LEGAL MORALIST
Ronald Dworkin, who has died aged 81, was one of the world's foremost legal philosophers, and a forceful advocate for using morality to interpret issues of constitutional law. He was a leading scholar of constitutional law as a professor in both Britain and the United States, but he exerted equal influence in the wider world with his commentary on political issues and philosophy, most notably in the pages of the New York Review of Books, where his essays flowed like lectures, taking his audience along for an illuminating ride.
His legal philosophy was challenged most heavily from the political right, and he became a particular target when he opposed President Ronald Reagan's appointment to the Supreme Court of his former Yale colleague Robert Bork, with whom he had taught jointly a course in constitutional law. He based his opposition on Bork's strict constructionist approach, which he called a refusal to 'test interpretation of the Constitiution against the principles latent in (the Supreme Court)'s own past decisions.' Believing the framers of the Constitution had imbued it with room for moral interpretation, Dworkin often found such strict interpretations hypocritical, or in the case of the Supreme Court's 2000 decision to 'acclaim' George W Bush president, an exercise in 'professional self interest'. He wrote 'the fiat of the five conservative justices...stopped the deomocratic process in its tracks.'
Dworkin's work for the New York Review stretched from a trenchant analysis of affirmative action through the 2000 election and to the current Roberts court, which he described as a 'right-wing phalanx...guided by no judicial or political principle at all, but only by partisan, cultural, or perhaps religious allegiance'. In the New York Review he published a memorable destruction of the 2010 Citizens United decision, which applied the concept of freedom of speech to allow corporations unlimited spending on political campaign advertising, and a convincing argument in favour of 'Obamacare' and its requirement that people have health insurance. He was attacked, often derided, from the right. Bork called him a 'liberal moral relativist', and the New York Review would often run long criticisms of his articles by Harvard professor Gerald Fried, which Dworkin would then dissect in rebuttal. But Dworkin's principled stances earned the respect, if not agreement, of many on the right. Walter Olson, of the Cato Institute, wrote 'over decades of intra-left legal debate, he took the better side—arguing for the importance of individual rights, free speech, and the integrity of law as a discipline in itself'.
Ronald Myles Dworkin was born in Providence, Rhode Island 11 December 1931. His parents divorced when he was a baby, and his mother raised three children by teaching piano. He won a scholarship to Harvard, and after graduating went to Magdalen College, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. His final examination paper was largely critical of the theory of legal positivism, as propagated by H.L.A. Hart, Oxford's Chair of Jurisprudence. Hart saw justice embodied in adherence to the law's system of rules, not requiring the perspective of morality. As it happened, Hart was called in to be one of the reader's of Dworkin's exam, which he passed with highest marks. In 1969, when Hart retired, he nominated Dworkin as his successor to the Chair, and cited passages from that exam in his welcoming speech. They also provided the basis of his collection, Taking Rights Seriously (1977), in which he took apart not only Hart's Concepts Of Law but John Rawls' A Theory Of Justice. Dworkin argued that the law needed to be interpreted to provide justice, rather than relying on a black and white answer, because, strictly speaking, both parties in a dispute might well be 'right' to a greater or lesser degree.
After taking his Oxford exams, Dworkin returned to Harvard to complete another law degree, and then clerked for Judge Learned Hand, of the US Court of Appeals, one of America's greatest jurists. In a move he came to regret, he then turned down an offer to clerk for the Supreme Court justice Felix Frankfurter, instead joining the prestigious New York firm of Sulolivan and Cromwell. He had married Betsy Ross, whom he met while clerking for Hand, with whom they spent one of their first dates, and with the arrival of twins he found the travel demands of the job too pressing, and in 1962 took a professorship at Yale. He added the Oxford post, but in 1975 turned down Harvard and joined the faculty at New York University, helping to build its law school into one of the nation's best. Eventually, he moved to University College, London, and split time between London, where he kept a flat in Belgravia, and New York, with a colonial news house just off Washington Square. His summers were spent on Martha's Vineyard.
Dworkin's most influential book was Law's Empire (1986), which expounded his own theory of law, while in Sovereign Virture he offered a notion of society's parallel needs to allow people freedom to succeed while cushioning them against failure; that although all people were equal under the law, the law needed to realise that all people were not equal (2000). His books, like his essays, moved between the abstract principles of law, and analyses of contemporary legal issues. In Life's Dominion (1993) he examined legal arguments about both abortion and euthanasia, and A Badly Flawed Election (2002) took apart the Supreme Court's Bush v Gore decision. Justice For Hedgehogs (2011), with its title recalling Isiah Berlin, was his attempt to mix all his philosophy into one field theory, and a 16th book, Religion Without God is forthcoming.
Betsy died in 2000, and Dworkin married Irene Brendel, the ex-wife of his friend, the pianist Alfred. He died of cancer, and is survived by his second wife, and his son and daughter from his first marriage. | <urn:uuid:4c5fd091-4088-4003-81b4-838483faec87> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://irresistibletargets.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/rnald-dworkin-lost-independent-obituary.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982082 | 1,243 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Baldwin High School earns state recognition for character education
TOPEKA—Kansas schools and school districts were honored Thursday for their support of character education as part of the Kansas Schools of Character Recognition Program. The schools are recognized through a variety of programs sponsored by the Character Education Partnership, a national organization promoting character education programs in schools.
Schools and districts achieved recognition through the program by demonstrating various principles of character and through the successful implementation of effective programs in schools.
Among those recognized Thursday was the Hesston School District, USD 460, as the 2012 Kansas District of Character. Iola High School, USD 257, was recognized as the State School of Character, and Anthony Elementary School, USD 453, Leavenworth, earned the Emerging School of Character recognition.
Ten Kansas schools and one Kansas school district were presented Promising Practice in Character Education Awards. They are:
Baldwin High School, Baldwin City, USD 348
Buhler High School, Buhler, USD 313
Centre School District, Lost Springs, USD 397
Circle High School, Towanda, USD 375
Clifton-Clyde High School, Clyde, USD 224
Hoisington High School, Hoisington, USD 431
Iola High School, Iola, USD 257
Kiowa County Junior High School, Greensburg, USD 422
Marysville Junior/Senior High School, Marysville, USD 364
Morgan Elementary School, Hutchinson, USD 308
Pittsburg High School, Pittsburg, USD 250.
Eighteen additional schools were recognized with an Evidence-Based Practice Award for their implementation of Steps to Respect by the Committee for Children. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Bureau of Health Promotion was also recognized for supporting the Steps to Respect program in a number of Kansas schools. Schools receiving the Evidence-Based Practice Award that are supported by the Department of Health and Environment are:
Kingman Elementary School, Kingman, USD 331
St. Mark's School, Colwich, USD 267
Country View Elementary, Winfield, USD 465
Most Pure Heart of Mary School, Topeka
Hoxie Community Schools, Hoxie, USD 412
Holy Spirit Catholic School, Goddard
West Indianola Elementary School, Topeka, USD 345
Rochester Elementary School, Topeka, USD 345
Riverton Elementary School, Riverton, USD 404
Stafford Elementary/Middle School, Stafford, USD 349
Roosevelt Elementary School, McPherson, USD 418
Lakeside Elementary and Middle School, Cawker City, USD 272
Trego Grade School, Wakeeney, USD 208
Haven School District, Haven, USD 312
Logan Elementary School, Topeka, USD 345
Elmont Elementary School, Topeka, USD 345
In the two other schools receiving the award, the Steps to Respect program is supported by the school district. Those schools are:
North Fairview Elementary School, Topeka, USD 345
Pleasant Hill Elementary School, Topeka, USD 345.
During the awards ceremony, Dr. Tom Foster, Director of Career, Standards and Assessment Services at the Kansas State Department of Education, praised the schools being honored and congratulated them for recognizing the need for character development in our schools. In addition, Alex Muff, a junior middle blocker on the Kansas State University Volleyball Team and an Academic Big 12 honoree, shared the importance a reliance on core principles had played in her life.
For more information regarding the Kansas Schools of Character Recognition Program, contact Kent Reed, KSDE project director for character education, at 785-296-8109 firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:632ca33f-5020-4915-a07c-c590240ce1b5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://signal.baldwincity.com/news/2012/may/04/baldwin-high-school-earns-state-recognition-charac/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95711 | 763 | 1.765625 | 2 |
More than any other modern nation, the United States was engineered by its legendary network of railroads. Find out how the West was won! (Hint—it had more to do with the “Iron Horse” than the cowboy!) Learn about the epic role played by trains on both sides of the Civil War! Get set for a first-class journey through time and space, with a panoramic view of every hill and dale (not to mention some of the most impressive mountains in the world), aboard these powerful pacemakers of the heartland! Total run time 7 hrs and 10 mins. | <urn:uuid:4704cb98-f627-437a-8b77-6ef4ab9b06aa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.borail.org/product/364.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977814 | 124 | 1.789063 | 2 |
video on the web
Once you've finished editing your video (or audio), you'll need to greatly reduce its filesize so that it can be transferred over the Web effectively. Compressing audio and video can be as much an art as a science, but we've attempted to simplify the process here. You'll need to make some choices about what dimensions you need your video to be to work with your page design, as well as how much to compress it to retain maximum quality while addressing the bandwidth needs of your users.
Filed under: Video | <urn:uuid:00ac94a5-2764-4afc-8c1e-31f4a2dae74f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/tutorials/webvideo/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976427 | 111 | 1.804688 | 2 |
March 17, 2007
The Trials of Saint Bernadette
Tonight at Top Hat Tattoo I am getting adorned with the image on this postcard that I've been carrying around since 2002. I received it from my dearest sister-friend along with my birthday gift that year and I was instantly captivated by the image. The classic early 60's style made it seem kitschy, and the obvious religious theme conjured images of the always suffering saints in my copy of Fifteen Saints for Girls. On the flipside of the postcard, the only identifier was a title that said "The Trials of Saint Bernadetté."
So, up on the wall it went. Until last year when I went to a DIY craft fair and ran into the image all over the place. None of the artists had too much information as to the origin of the image, save for the title "Anima Sola." And so she is, the Anima Sola, the Lonely Soul. For me, this image conjures thoughts on the religious persecution of women as the "arbiters of sin" due to their sexual nature. It is said that the Anima Sola traded eternal salvation for temporal love -- and thus burns in the purgatorial flames. Yet she is not consumed. She gazes heavenward, chains broken. She is at last free.
So what does St. Bernadetté have to do with this? Well, it seems that Leonard Cohen penned Song to Bernadette for Jennifer Warnes Famous Blue Raincoat album (1986), and I've been told by friends that the Anima Sola image adorned an early Cohen album cover, though the only reference I could find was on Tower of Song, a Cohen tribute album. But clearly St. Bernadetté suffered greatly in her lifetime, and I think the image references her suffering and constant physical pain.
So, when I walked into Top Hat Tattoo for my consultation yesterday and laid down my image, the store owner, Priscilla, remarked, "Whoa. You want this tomorrow? Andrew (the tattoo artist), do you know what tomorrow is?" She then laid down the EXACT SAME IMAGE claiming that his other appointment for the day was an older mexican man who wanted the Anima Sola tattoo from elbow to shoulder -- a seven hour masterpiece. Neither the artist or the owner of the shop had ever seen the image before, let alone been requested to duplicate it twice in one day. Very odd. So, of course, I took it as a sign that it was meant to be. Now, I am hoping I can get a couple of friends to join me there, because I am really nervous. This will be, by far, the largest and most visible tattoo that I have, and it will take about three hours to complete. I plan on getting it on my upper right arm, and it will be about seven inches long. I barely slept last night, worrying about my decission. Just what kind of woman gets an obsure holy card tattoo on her arm anyway? What, if anything, does this say about my character?
All questions that will soon be answered, somtime after 7:30 p.m. tongight. | <urn:uuid:733783fe-c26c-40e2-ade8-1eaf554a610b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://animasolagirl.blogspot.com/2007/03/trials-of-saint-bernadette.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967188 | 662 | 1.5625 | 2 |
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