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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 13, 2012
CONTACT: SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL
PHOTO NEWS RELEASE
Newly Named Panda Xiao Liwu has 13th Exam at San Diego Zoo
“Little Gift” is Getting Bigger, Comfortable with Caretakers
Comfortably curled up in a keeper’s lap, the giant panda cub at the San Diego Zoo received his weekly veterinary exam. Initially placed on the floor, Xiao Liwu kept crawling into the laps of keepers, who were happy to accommodate him. It made it a bit more challenging to take his measurements, but the cub was comfortable, which is the staff’s primary concern.
The cub’s name, Xiao Liwu, which means “little gift,” was announced in a public naming ceremony on Nov. 13, 107 days after he was born. The San Diego Zoo follows the Chinese cultural tradition of waiting to name babies until they are at least 100 days old.
This “little gift” is getting bigger. He weighed 10.3 pounds and measured 25.1 inches long. Vets also noted that he has four teeth that broke through his gums.
The San Diego Zoo’s giant pandas are on a research loan from the People’s Republic of China. As part of this long-term program, the Zoo is also collaborating with the Chinese Academy of Science in studies of behavior, ecology, genetics and conservation of wild pandas living in the Foping Nature Reserve.
Photo taken on Nov. 13, 2012, by Tammy Spratt, San Diego Zoo.
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From Danny Schecter, the News Dissector at MediaChannel.org
Is The Economy Out Of The Woods?
New York, October 8, 2007: On Sunday, October 6, the Public Editor of the New York Times pointed to all the discrepancies and conflicts in the violence figures coming out of Iraq. He called for more nuanced reporting and increased public skepticism. He noted that the perception of progress there has been bolstered by the release of questionable statistics.
What’s true of reporting from Iraq is also true about the job figures that the government releases monthly gauging the health of the U.S. economy. Can they be trusted? And what about the reporting on them? This is an especially timely issue as Fox News gets ready to launch its own heavily-hyped new Business Channel.
For weeks, we have heard all these warnings about the financial crisis sharpening and a possible recession. Reality intruded after a big subprime relief rally sent stocks soaring. Wall Street was quickly back in swamp, and it looked like the Federal Reserve Bank would have to cut interest rates again to further bail out the markets.
But then, on Friday, the Bush Labor Department announced a new jobs report and much of the coverage turned upbeat.
The report offered preliminary data claiming that the economy added 100,000 jobs in September. Suddenly, lower job figures from July and August were also magically revised upwards.
Wall Street went crazy. The S&P went up and the headlines went positive.
Here are two examples of the spin:
The New York Times: “JOB GROWTH LOOKS ROSIER, EASING RECESSION FEARS.”
The Wall Street Journal: “US ECONOMY DOWN, NOT OUT.”
The new numbers accounted for the turn around? Bear in mind, back in the 90s, in the Clinton years, 200,000 new jobs was expected on a monthly basis to assure economic growth. That was the gold standard. Now that number has been cut in half and is suddenly being treated as Great Leap Forward. How did the job numbers turn around? Or have they? | <urn:uuid:4df602ca-5a23-4c08-82ce-6c62d6870404> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://simplyleftbehind.blogspot.com/2007/10/figures-lie-and-liars-figure.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964671 | 437 | 1.796875 | 2 |
As campaign controversies go, it was minor stuff: Ottawa mayor Larry O’Brien accused the government of Ontario of funding a study to examine the feasibility of safe-injection sites in the province — and of keeping the study under wraps until the Oct. 25 municipal elections were over. This was immediately denied. The province hadn’t funded the study. And the study hadn’t been released because it hadn’t been completed.
O’Brien withdrew his accusation and the media mused about the damage this embarrassing performance would do to his campaign. And that was the last we heard of it.
Which is unfortunate. Because this little incident was only trivial in a political sense. Seen from the perspective of how public policy is made, it is devastatingly revealing.
Go back to O’Brien’s original press release. “The fact that this research is even considering drug injection sites for Ottawa,” it said, “should be of concern to every resident.” O’Brien wanted to make an issue of the study because he is adamantly opposed to the creation of an injection site. And he thought he could score votes with his opposition.
It didn’t work out that way, however. Jim Watson, his main opponent, said he is also opposed to the creation of a safe-injection site. For good measure, police chief Vern White called safe-injection sites “absolutely ridiculous” and regretted that O’Brien had even mentioned the study. “I’m a little disappointed that we’re giving this any legs,” White told a reporter.
So the issue was a political dud. But notice that not one of these civic leaders expressed the slightest interest in reading the study. No, their minds were closed. They already knew the truth. No need to examine evidence as it becomes available, and certainly no need to adjust opinions accordingly.
This is indefensible. It is nakedly irrational. Unfortunately, it is also perfectly natural.
Every brain is stuffed with certain understandings of human nature and how the world works. Some are the product of evolutionary hardwiring. Others come from personal experience and culture. Whatever their origins, they shape our subsequent perceptions and thoughts, thanks to the brain’s insistence on maintaining order in its mental universe.
When we encounter new information that fits with our existing beliefs, we have a natural tendency to embrace it uncritically. It’s consonant. It fits. It sits comfortably in our brains and makes us feel good. But information that contradicts existing beliefs is dissonant. It’s jarring, upsetting. And so we struggle mightily to find some excuse to reject it. Or ignore it altogether.
The potency of this “confirmation bias” should not be underestimated. Brain scans actually show consonant and dissonant information is processed in different regions. That’s how deep the bias runs.
In a sense, the whole point of science, or any rational inquiry, is to overcome this crippling tendency to make facts fit beliefs. Don’t cherry-pick evidence. Make an extra effort to find contrary evidence. And most importantly, be prepared to review evidence as it becomes available and change existing beliefs if the evidence suggests they are wrong.
Unfortunately, the formal rules and informal cultural norms that keep science from veering off into confirmation bias are almost completely non-existent in democratic politics.
“When the facts change, I change my mind,” John Maynard Keynes famously said. “What do you do, sir?” For most politicians, the answer is: “I avoid facts that don’t fit what I believe. Problem solved.”
Look at the Conservative government’s mandatory minimum sentences, which the government says will deter crime. That’s not an unreasonable hypothesis. Any evidence?
In a 2006 interview, the justice minister claimed there were lots of studies that said so. So I called his office and asked for them. They gave me five citations. Four were old and used dubious methodologies; three of those four provided only very weak support for the government’s claim, while the fourth actually contradicted the government’s position. The fifth study was the most recent and the best quality. And it concluded mandatory minimums don’t work.
But more importantly, the Conservatives ignored a long list of other studies that contradicted its position. In other words, they cherry-picked. Badly.
Since that time, the government has given up on evidence altogether. It simply makes assertions about the value of mandatory minimums and scoffs whenever criminologists say they’re wrong.
How is that even remotely rational?
In politics, this sort of thing is so common we seldom stop to think how utterly bizarre it is. The recent ruling on the constitutionality of the prostitution laws is a perfect case in point.
The trial judge spent months reading studies and listening to the testimony of both sides’ experts. Much of the 132-page ruling is composed of a painstaking summary and evaluation of the voluminous evidence before the court. It’s an invaluable resource. All the arguments and evidence in one document!
So how many of the politicians who loudly objected to the court’s ruling — including the inimitable Larry O’Brien — read the decision before spouting off? Judging by the many comments which were belied by evidence in the decision, I suspect none did.
Imagine a scientist angrily rejecting the results of another scientist’s study without bothering to even read the study. That would be outrageous, wouldn’t it? Shocking. Irrational. And yet something similar happens all the time in politics.
Of course it’s easy to blame this on the likes of Larry O’Brien. But ultimately, it’s not his fault. The media seldom ask about evidence. And the people don’t insist that they do.
Thus, in our political system, public policy is made by closed-minded politicians who play to the prejudices of an electorate in whom knowledge and certainty are inversely correlated. It’s called “democracy.”
Dan Gardner is a columnist for the Ottawa Citizen
Do you have an opinion to share with other readers? Then send us a letter. | <urn:uuid:33f00076-0c10-432c-b3ac-0128f5ddbf53> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/10/14/dan-gardner-the-political-benefits-of-ignoring-facts/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957742 | 1,315 | 1.554688 | 2 |
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An 'ism', as in "Wayneism," may not be an actual word, such as you might find in the dictionary. However, to me, an ism is a characteristic that sets you apart from other people. This characteristic, or ism, usually is unique, but it can be anything really. For instance, the fact that I like creating different words, many of which probably are not real, would be considered an ism. Furthermore, when you put ism on the end of a word such as a name, that means you have distinguished the characteristics as belonging to you. To illustrate this point, consider the title of this site, that of Wayneisms.
In this site, you will find many of my characteristics and things I like to do, such as reading, watching movies, using my computer, and more. You will also find another category of isms for me, mainly ones that relate to blindness, for I am blind. I am open to any comments you might have on this site or its organization. Refer to the feedback form link at the bottom of each page.
I hope you find what you're looking for on this site. I love keeping up with resources for various things, and if I have missed something, or if you would like to see a category of resources and/or a specific resource added, then do let me know.
This picture was taken in preparation for the upcoming White Cane Day event as a possible design.
Qwitter is a Windows Twitter client for the PC and netbooks. It is very popular among blind people for its easy to learn and intuitive keystrokes. Unlike other applications on the computer, there is no program oriented window with Qwitter. Rather, you use common keystrokes and can post tweets, retweet, and do other Twitter related actions from anywhere on the computer. It may sound weird, but once you get used to it, it's really cool! Qwitter also has some features that you may not find with other Twitter applications, such as being able to post audio recordings, which could be you talking or something completely different. A program like Qwitter has dramatically increased the number of tweets and retweets for me. See if it will do the same for you.
Have you gotten into financial trouble lately, or want to cut back in these economic trying times? I know someone who can help. It's Dave Ramsey and his Total Money Makeover Plan. Dave's plan for financial freedom really works. I've been following it for the past few years and I've been debt free for 2 years, as of this writing. Plus, I've got a constantly growing savings account and have cut down on my credit cards. I consider myself to be responsible financially, but Dave's Total Money Makeover is the one plan that I've come across that actually makes sense, or cents, depending on your perspective. This site contains articles, resources, RSS feeds loaded with helpful information, and lots more to help you in your own total money makeover, including helping to pay off all that debt and start building wealth.
You can visit the White Cane Day official site. This site includes history of the day, media coverage from around the world of the event, and more.
If you live in Austin, TX, and want to know the list of stores and shops at Highland Mall, then check out this directory of stores at Highland Mall. This page contains a table with the store's name, the zone or area its in, the level, and their phone number.
First Evangelical Free is the church that I attend in Austin, TX. Their Online Sermons page has sermons and messages from several of their ministries, including the weekly message. If you consider yourself to be Christian or nondenominational in your beliefs, this is good stuff!
From time to time, a scam circulates around the Net saying that there will be a list of cell phone numbers made available to telemarketers, and that interested persons should put their number on the national Do Not Call Registry. The Federal Trade Commission has put out a notice on The Truth about Cell Phones and the Do Not Call Registry. If you are thinking of putting your number on the registry, have told someone else to do so, or just want to know what's really going on, then I encourage you to read this notice.
The Empowerment Zone has lots of information covering a wide range of topics and issues. You are sure to find something to read about here. They also have a number of computer related downloads and information. Check it out.
Dadnab is a text messaging service that offer transit information at your fingertips. the service is free, with any normal text message cost. At this time, its offered in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Boston, Chicago, New York and other areas in the Northeast, and Seattle. This is a new service that is expanding all the time, so it may be in your area of the U.S. soon. Have you ever found yourself standing at the bus stop and wondering when the next bus will come? Dadnab can help you answer that question. Check out the site for more information.
If you have ever wondered about the history of the Wayneism site, where the concepts came from, why some things are displayed and not others, and so forth, then read the Site History.
If you're looking for a church, then try the Find a Church page from Dallas Theological Seminary. I've found this to be a good resource when looking for churches.
Take your searches to a new level with Soople. This tool is from Google, and allows you to conduct a basic, news, stock, definition, or other kind of search.
Indeed.com allows you to search for jobs from one central location. It searches hundreds of newspapers and job postings. In addition, after searching for a particular kind of job, like computer software technician, you can have it email you job alerts when positions in your area open up for that job. You can also get the RSS feed for that position. Check it out.
Job Spin is an accessible job search site. It also offers information about further educational opportunities, allows you to post a resume or job opening, and more.
In August, 2005, I visited my missionary parents in Guatemala. You can view pictures of my trip on the My Pictures page. Please be patient as the page might take awhile to fully load. It has more than 30 pictures. You can read about my trip on my blog, which you can find on the Blogs to Watch page or by clicking here to read my blog. Look at the entries starting August 26 to the first few days of September.
If you're tired of getting pre-approved credit card offers in the mail, you can opt out of them. Note: this is limited to pre-approved offers, and does not affect mailings from other types of businesses. If you'd like to do this, then you can either call 888-5OptOut ( or 888-567-8688), or click here to go to the Opt Out website, which is run jointly by all the credit card reporting agencies. This will help prevent your identity from being stolen. Note that if you are blind, you will need help with one part of this form, which uses a word/visual verification field to combat spammers. You will need someone to read the letter/number combination to you in order to submit the form. But don't let this keep you from opting out of those card offers.
Have questions about blindness? Then visit the Questions from Kids and Adults About Blindness, or the 10 Courtesy Rules of Blindness pages. If you still have questions or want to know more, then contact me.
The American Foundation for the Blind has put together a video called A Hire Vision which you can stream or watch over a high speed Net connection. This video is meant for employers and provides information on the benefits of hiring blind and low vision people.
If you have any comments on this page, site, errors you've encountered, or any questions, fill out my Feedback Form in the links area at the top of this page.
Domain Names Registration - The authoritative standard for domain names including news, expiring domains, second hand sales, and deals.
My thanks to the Web Authoring class that has taught me these website skills. Also, a big thank you goes out to the Web Monkey website that has been a continuous source of information.
Domain name provided by Go Daddy Software, and web hosting services from UltraHost, who, in my opinion, provides the most for the least amount of money.
You are visitor number 15333 since 3/6/2005.
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By Robert Marin & Samantha Anderson
KWCH 12 Eyewitness News
3:33 PM CST, January 10, 2013
The Salina Regional Health Center is restricting visitors because of the high number of flu cases this year.
"We've seen flu a little bit earlier and it seems to be a little bit worse by the numbers," said emergency medical physican Jeremiah Ostmeyer.
This week the hospital requested that visitors be limited to just close family and clergy.
"Those are the individuals, that is their loved one," said infection preventionist Bethanie McDowell. "They are the ones that need to see that patient. Friends and family, although they are very close to that individual, for the safety of that patient and for them it is best they stay away."
No children under 12 are allowed as visitors because of the number of flu cases in that age group.
"They are exposed to so many germs because they go to day care and they got to school, McDowell said. "Kids don't have the understanding of what good hand hygiene is or what good cough etiquette would be. So by them wiping their nose and going up and giving grandma or grandpa a hug or kiss or coughing right in their face, it can be dangerous to that patient."
Hospital officials say, if you are feeling sick or have any signs or symptoms of flu, do not visit patients. Those symptoms include cough, runny nose, fever, sore throat, muscle aches and fatigue. Any visitor that has those symptoms will be given a mask and asked to leave.
This is the first time since th H1N1 outbreak in 2009 that the hospital has placed special restrictions on guests.
Hospital officials say they will continue to evaluate the situation and life the restrictions when illnesses subside.
Copyright © 2013, KWCH-TV | <urn:uuid:0ce0984e-f371-429c-832d-b90ea164f4e5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kwch.com/news/kwch-news-rdm-flu-leads-to-visitor-restrictions-at-salina-hospital-20130109,0,1565216,print.story | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961645 | 377 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Teaching is one of those professions that most people—unless they have done it—have no clue how hard it is. Teachers are the favorite whipping boys of parents, other professionals, and now politicians. Since politicians seem to be the most vocal about their expectations from overworked, overburdened, and under-appreciated teachers, perhaps they should be held to the same standards they demand for them.
As we observe “religious” politicians, religious fundamentalists blowing themselves up in the “name of “God,’” and self-professed “righteous” individuals proclaim to “speak for ‘God,’” a great argument could be made that religious fundamentalism is a form of mental illness.
As much as some people would like to think that sexually-suggestive dancing is “harmless,” there are just some aspects of our current pop culture that forces us to throw modesty and self-respect to the wind. One of those things is the dance craze called “twerking,” something any self-respecting parents would not want to see their daughters perform (but have no problem watching adult women make a fool out of themselves doing it). And then we wonder why our kids’ sense of self-respect is in the gutter….
The problem with the (revised) DSM is that it pathologizes many aspects of human behavior that are learned rather “acquired” like in the case of a true (i.e., organic) mental disorder. Calling temper tantrums (“Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder”) and childhood defiance (“Oppositional Defiance Disorder”) disorders not only cripples mental health as a bonafide and defensible medical field, but allows kids (and their parents) an “out” in justifying their negative behavior…this absolves both kids and parents of personal responsibility. What do you think?
The United States is the only country in the world where the majority of people believe that healthcare is a marketable commodity, and not a basic human right or humanitarian concern. We pay highest costs for healthcare in the world, have the highest rising costs, the most uninsured people of any industrialized nation, have the highest percentage of healthcare as a part of any nation’s GDP, and STILL we believe that “The American health care system is the best in the world.” What good is having “the best” if you can’t afford it?
See also: ”Is ‘Socialized Medicine’ a Bad Thing?,” “Politics & Health Insurance - Separating BS From Reality!,” and “Affordable Health Care…Not Leftist, Just Right!”
The lesson here is with age comes both experience and wisdom. Quite often, youth is wasted on the young (See: “Bernard Hopkins Win Provides A Lesson In Life ”).
Perhaps the Tea Party and other so-called “patriots” should do a little research before claiming that they represent the Founding Fathers.
According to the upcoming revised edition of the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (5th edition), extreme temper tantrums are now considers a clinical behavioral disorder (now recognized as “Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder-DMDD). Talk about BS…!
Comedians like Chris Rock are excellent observers of the absurd, especially when it comes to politics and social policies. Most of us tend to identify with our sociopolitical beliefs BEFORE when actually weight the merits of an argument. That is, we’ve made up our minds about an issue BEFORE hearing the issue by rejecting an idea because it goes against the ideologies we hold dear. STOP MAKING UP YOUR MINDS BEFORE YOU’VE HEARD BOTH SIDES OF AN ISSUE! | <urn:uuid:9373b876-5583-40eb-a185-02c170f16a20> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://beyond-the-political-spectrum.tumblr.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943649 | 801 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Dec 04, 2009 by Doug Groothuis | 0 Comments
The DVD "Collision" recounts several debates between atheist Christopher Hitchens and Christian pastor Douglas Wilson.
This production suffers from all the worst of the postmodern sensibility and aesthetic. While billed as a "debate," there is no linear presentation of ideas in a classic debate forum. Rather, the video jumps from one setting to another. Now it's a TV exchange; then it's a debate at a seminary; next they are in a bar. I lost track of how many settings there were. It is maddening to anyone trained in linear logical thinking and analysis. All the actual arguments between the two men are clipped and lack sufficient context. Moreover, the camera angles, set conditions, and lighting are deeply annoying. There are strange high-glare closeups, jiggling cameras, as well noisy backgrounds. It is unnerving. Call it videographic ADHD.
Despite all this unnecessary clutter and chaos, a few arguments stand out. For example, Wilson claims that Hitchens has no philosophical grounding for his moral pronouncements, and Hitchens admits as much while denying God as a foundation for morality. Those trained in apologetics, will note that Wilson uses the Van Tillian presuppositional method (with some help from C.S. Lewis on objective moral law). This approach, while helpful for critiquing non-Christian worldviews, has deep limitations in apologetics, since it can marshal no genuine constructive arguments based on natural theology, science, and history. At several points, Wilson seems to concede that he and Hitchens inhabit different thought worlds entirely. If so, how can you build a logical or evidential bridge with the unbeliever? The cumulative case approach--used by William Craig, J.P. Moreland, Douglas Geivett, (if I may) myself, and many others--is the far better method. See Craig's debate with Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, God: A Debate Between a Christian and an Atheist (Oxford, 2003).
Unlike Hitchens, Wilson is not that articulate. However, he is knowledgeable, civil, courageous, and funny at times. He reduces Hitchens worldview to this at the end: "There is no God: s--t happens." We need more Christians, who, like Wilson, are willing to engage in meaningful debates with unbelievers. However, we need less DVDS in which the original debate form is debauched through the insane postmodern insistence on fragmentation and incoherence. | <urn:uuid:461dc9c8-6d42-4702-962c-b6a79bab0286> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.denverseminary.edu/philosophy-at-denver-seminary/collision/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941152 | 519 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Volt Spokesman Says Battery Reports Off The MarkBy Scott Doggett December 10, 2011
Since the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a statement Nov. 25 announcing that it would investigate the risk of fire in crashed Chevy Volts, numerous contradictory reports have appeared in the media relating to the problem and to General Motors' response to it. In an interview with AutoObserver this week, Rob Peterson, the model's top spokesman, went to lengths to set the record straight, beginning with a description regarding what is and what isn't known concerning sparks and/or fire that originated in three Volt batteries following laboratory crash testing.
In the November statement, the NHTSA said that on May 12 of this year it performed a side pole impact test (left), followed by a post-impact rollover test on a Volt. In connection with that testing, the agency identified "the potential for intrusion damage to the battery which may result in a substantial thermal reaction and fire." Twenty-one days after the May 12 test, heating inside the battery caused a fire that consumed the vehicle and three others near it. During the week of Nov. 14, the NHTSA performed three tests simulating the mechanical damage to the battery pack observed from the May incident. In one instance, sparks and smoke resulted. In another, the battery erupted in flames a week after the test.
Agency and GM engineers have been working to understand the precise cause of the sparks and fire and thus far have concluded that a daisy chain of events was responsible, most likely beginning with a rupture of the battery structure that allowed coolant to mingle with individual cells, Peterson said. "You have coolant that's getting into the pack and then resting on certain components and crystalizing. What happens next is what we're trying to determine," he said. He denied media reports that suggested the fires could have resulted from a chemical reaction between coolant and lithium stored within cells.
Frank Borris, the NHTSA's defects investigation chief, on Tuesday sent a memorandum to the agency's vehicle research test center, asking it to inspect the five Volts it possesses and "take photographs of the floorpan/crossmember near the battery tunnel on both the driver and passenger sides of the vehicle." In the memo, he wrote: "The objectives of this test program are to document if any changes in the welding process are visible at the area of intrusion." The NHTSA has no reports of real-world fires. Meanwhile, a House committee intends to a hold a hearing next month on why the agency waited five months before publicizing the initial Volt fire.
Nissan: It's A Volt Thing
Although reluctant to say something similar could never happen to a Leaf battery-electric vehicle, Nissan's U.S. product safety director told AutoObserver in a recent interview that the conditions that appear to have caused the Volt's post-collision problems simply don't exist in the Leaf. Like the Volt's, the Leaf's battery is enclosed in a damage-resistant steel case and surrounded by a crash safety structure that's separate from and located inside the car's overall crash safety protection zone. "It's a three-layer system," said Nissan North America product safety and environmental director Bob Yakushi.
The Leaf has an automated system that senses a high-impact crash and disconnects the high-voltage pack in the event of a crash. That's important because, unlike the Volt, the Leaf battery doesn't use an active thermal control system. Instead, Nissan relies on the Leaf battery's inherent low operating temperature and ambient air that's blown through the pack to regulate pack temperatures. Thus there are no internal cooling lines to break and leak fluid that could short a damaged battery or interact with exposed lithium, and no internal electronics to initiate a spark-causing short.
Peterson said the Volt's on-board electrical energy becomes isolated in the battery (cutting off power to the rest of the car) upon airbag deployment or when the vehicle's sensors sense a significant crash. However, "you cannot discharge a battery upon crash. An electrical load must be used to deplete the energy from the battery," he said. "This goes for all batteries." Presumably the risk of fire would be eliminated or greatly diminished if the battery could somehow be discharged automatically and safely following a serious crash.
Peterson was quick to point out that unlike the Leaf, the Volt is equipped with a communications system that will notify GM of a crash almost immediately after it's occurred. But it's kind of an irrelevant point, given that the sparks and fire in Volt batteries occurred days later. Also, while the subscription-based OnStar communications service is provided free of charge to Volt customers for the first three years of ownership, after that it is discontinued unless the owner opts to pay for it.
No Buy-Back Program
GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson was quoted by The Associated Press earlier this month as saying that the automaker would buy Volts back from any owner who is afraid his or her plug-in hybrid might catch fire. Multiple blogs and other news entities have since reported that GM has initiated a Volt buy-back program. The automaker has done no such thing, Peterson said. "If a customer wants to sell their Volt back to us, we'll consider that on a case-by-case situation. It is not a formal initiative as it was originally reported," he said.
However, GM has initiated a loan program for Volt buyers, and to date about 30 of the more than 6,000 in the United States alone have opted to borrow a GM model, Peterson said. Some of those are Volt owners with legitimate concerns about their cars, he said. "There are also guys that are encouragingly are saying, this is an opportunity for me to test drive a different GM product. And then there's a third group we've heard from that said, hey, I love my Volt, unfortunately I'm a little bit over miles on my lease. I'm going to take advantage of the loaner program and use it to kinda protect myself" (from putting exceeding the mileage limitation of their Volt lease agreement).
"We stand solely behind this car," Peterson said. He said GM is providing Volt owners with good transparency with what's happening from a NHTSA perspective and from a customer-satisfaction perspective. "We're saying if you have any concerns whatsoever, give us a call." As for several media reports that GM is designing a new battery for the Volt, Peterson said, "We're going to do what's right by the customer. If that requires us to redesign the battery pack, we'll redesign the battery pack. If we're asked to, we will. But we're not being asked to."
AutoObserver Senior Editor John O'Dell contributed to this story. | <urn:uuid:6fecb4a4-3f95-4552-84c7-5109d7abd1fe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.edmunds.com/autoobserver-archive/2011/12/volt-spokesman-says-battery-reports-off-the-mark.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966435 | 1,397 | 1.648438 | 2 |
|Oil Painting by Mary Louse Facey Elgie ca 1910|
Apparently Mary Louise was a prolific amateur artist, giving her paintings as gifts for weddings, birthdays and so on. She and William did not have much money and a painting was affordable.
Because her paintings were given to distant relatives and friends, they were spread around the community and surrounding areas in south-western Ontario.
|Mary Louise Facey Elgie 1882-1973|
Several of the rescued paintings were given to hubs' mother and aunt abuot 16 years ago. Then one was recently passed on to hubs' sister.
And now this painting has come to hubs courtesy of his mother who was Florence's niece. Today we're going to decide where this lovely painting will hang. We hung it temporarily in our sunroom while we think about it.
Hubs has a painting done by his grandmother Mary Demeulenaire Massey which has pride of place in our living room so this new painting by Mary Louise Facey Elgie is a welcome addition. | <urn:uuid:5ff499f8-2827-4f2a-b077-f34705b9625f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/12/great-grandmas-painting-comes-home.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987424 | 213 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Learn more about what you can do to minimize environmental impacts from meetings:
Meeting Service Supplier
Meeting service suppliers provide any of the following services related to meetings:
- Convention and Visitors Bureaus,
- Food and Beverage,
- Communications and Marketing,
- Meeting and Event Venues.
As the one ultimately responsible for calling for and/or funding a meeting, you are likely to act as a major decision maker over certain large aspects of the meeting, including whether a meeting is planned with the environment in mind or not. Whether you instruct or coordinate with internal meeting planners or you contract out to external meeting planners, makes a difference in your strategy for proceeding here.
Internal Meeting Planners - Here you may point your meeting planners in the direction of the Oceans Blue Foundation Green Meetings Web Tool and encourage or instruct them to make use of it in the planning process. Depending on your position in your organization, you may have to seek senior management support to go beyond encouraging the consideration of the environment in the planning of the meeting. An internal Meeting Green Policy could be sought to make your organization's commitment to green meetings more official.
External Meeting Planners - Here you are likely to be contracting with an individual or company external to your own through some sort of contract agreement. If work is competed, "green" language can be inserted in the solicitation. Whether it is competed or not, the final contract agreement signed between your organization and that of the meeting planners, can include "green" language requiring or giving preference to any and all attempts to green the meeting. Sample Green Contract Language used very successfully in pilot tests of the concept.
Many people may think or assume that the only ones who can green a meeting are those responsible for a meeting as a meeting host is, or those responsible for planning the meeting or supplying any of its services. Luckily this isn't the case and there are plenty of things someone who attends meetings as a speaker or participant can do to promote and expand the benefits of green meetings.
- If you are attending a green meeting, look for and take advantage
of any opportunity presented to "do the green thing." The
full environmental potential of a meeting depends on cooperative attendees!
- If you are attending a meeting that doesn't appear to be green and
doesn't mention the environment anywhere, approach the meeting hosts
and organizers and politely express your preference to attend green
meetings. Refer them to the following two web sites to get started: Green Meetings and BlueGreen Meetings .
- Each of the services used in conducting a meeting could take the initiative to be green whether a given meeting hosts requested it or not. Seek employees and managers within hotels, rental car companies, airlines, convention and exhibition centers, food and beverage providers, etc. and ask them if they have any policies or practices in place related to the environment. Again, politely express your preference to reward greener businesses with your business. If you want to be more specific with your requests, review the opportunities listed in the green meetings tool at BlueGreen Meetings under both the planners and suppliers buttons.
- Promote the concept of greening meetings within your organization whether a current meeting is being planned or not. Possibly seek establishing an organizational commitment to the concept that will apply to all future meetings. Request that in-planning or future meetings be "greened" and promoted as such.
By keeping the concept and content of green meetings in mind when you plan a meeting, you can help these green practices become standard practices! | <urn:uuid:9a4f3936-92c5-48eb-98f5-9b2b0c131703> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://epa.gov/oppt/greenmeetings/pubs/who.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934812 | 720 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Glancing Backward, 11/16/12
Today is Friday, Nov. 16, the 321st day of 2012. There are 45 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Nov. 16, 1946, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded at the conclusion of a conference in London.
Glancing Backward Locally:
25 years ago - 1987
The American Heart Association sponsored a "Turkeywalk" in Towanda yesterday. Walkers ranged from 6 to 68 years old and were allowed to circle the two-mile course as many times as they wished within a two-hour time limit.
Bishop Matthew Clark of the Rochester Diocese visited the kids at St. James School in Waverly recently for the Sixth Annual Bishop Clark Day.
Four NTL football teams will enter District Four playoff competition this weekend. Towanda, Troy and Athens will challenge for the "AA" championship with Canton representing the Northern Tier in the "A" division.
50 years ago - 1962
Climaxing many weeks of sometimes heated discussion, the Bradford County School Board last night decided by a 3-2 vote to submit a three-unit school reorganization plan for possible state approval.
Raymond Norconk of New Albany was the recipient of a handsome plaque presented to him at the annual Bradford-Sullivan Counties Bankers Banquet recently for conducting outstanding conservation programs on his farm.
Tours of the new wing of the Robert Packer Hospital will be conducted today and tomorrow. Nursing students are scheduled to act as hostesses and guides for this occasion.
75 years ago - 1937
Dr. J.J. Harrigan, who recently opened a dental office in Towanda over the House of Fashion, reports that 10 new magazines were taken from his office recently.
Teachers in the various communities of Bradford County were advised yesterday by County Superintendent J. Andrew Morrow to do all in their power toward helping various unemployed people fill out their unemployment census cards.
A new record, exceeding the average of the Guernsey breed for her age and class, has just been completed by a 3.5-year-old cow, Papoose, of Edgewood Farm of Sylvania, tested and owned by G.H. Munro.
Elsewhere on this date:
In 1776, British troops captured Fort Washington in New York during the American Revolution.
In 1885, Canadian rebel leader Louis Riel was executed for high treason.
In 1907, Oklahoma became the 46th state of the union.
In 1917, Georges Clemenceau again became prime minister of France.
In 1933, the United States and the Soviet Union established diplomatic relations.
In 1959, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "The Sound of Music" opened on Broadway.
In 1960, Academy Award-winning actor Clark Gable died in Los Angeles at age 59.
In 1961, House Speaker Samuel T. Rayburn, 79, died at his home in Bonham, Texas, having served as speaker since 1940 except for two terms as minority leader of the Democrats.
In 1966, Dr. Samuel H. Sheppard was acquitted in his second trial of murdering his pregnant wife, Marilyn, in 1954.
In 1973, Skylab 4, carrying a crew of three astronauts, was launched from Cape Canaveral on an 84-day mission.
In 1982, an agreement was announced in the 57th day of a strike by National Football League players.
In 1997, China's most prominent pro-democracy campaigner, Wei Jingsheng (way jeeng-shuhng), arrived in the United States after being released following nearly 18 years of imprisonment in his country.
Ten years ago: In an open letter to the Iraqi Parliament, President Saddam Hussein said he had no choice but to accept a tough, new U.N. weapons inspection resolution because the United States and Israel had shown their "claws and teeth" and declared unilateral war on the Iraqi people.
Five years ago: Senate Republicans blocked a $50 billion bill by Democrats that would have paid for several months of combat but also would have ordered troop withdrawals from Iraq to begin within 30 days. Marchers surrounded the Justice Department headquarters to demand federal intervention in the Jena Six case in Louisiana and stepped-up enforcement of hate crimes. Poland's new prime minister, Donald Tusk, formally took office along with a team of former anti-communist dissidents.
One year ago: President Barack Obama, visiting Canberra, said he would send military aircraft and up to 2,500 Marines to northern Australia for a training hub to help allies and protect American interests across Asia.
Today's Birthdays: Actor Clu Gulager is 84. Journalist Elizabeth Drew is 77. Blues musician W.C. Clark is 73. Actress Joanna Pettet is 70. Actor Steve Railsback is 67. Actor David Leisure is 62. Actor Miguel Sandoval is 61. Actress Marg Helgenberger is 54. Rock musician Mani is 50. Country singer-musician Keith Burns is 49. Tennis player Zina Garrison is 49. Former MLB All-Star pitcher Dwight Gooden is 48. Jazz singer Diana Krall is 48. Actor Harry Lennix is 48. Rock musician Dave Kushner is 46. Actress Lisa Bonet is 45. Actress Tammy Lauren is 44. Rhythm-and-blues singer Bryan Abrams is 43. Actress Martha Plimpton is 42. Actor Michael Irby is 40. Actress Missi Pyle is 40. Olympic gold medal figure skater Oksana Baiul is 35. Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal is 35. Pop singer Trevor Penick is 33. NBA player Amare Stoudemire is 30. Actress Kimberly J. Brown is 28. Rock singer Siva Kaneswaran is 24. Actor Noah Gray-Cabey is 17.
Thought for Today: "History is a combination of reality and lies. The reality of History becomes a lie. The unreality of the fable becomes the truth." - Jean Cocteau (zhan kawk-toh'), French author, director, poet (1889-1963). | <urn:uuid:53614e6a-fe5c-46fd-96c0-62025009f9d1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thedailyreview.com/news/glancing-backward/glancing-backward-11-16-12-1.1403956 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961297 | 1,267 | 1.789063 | 2 |
By Alberto Sisto
L'AQUILA, Italy (Reuters) - Six scientists and a government official were sentenced to six years in prison for manslaughter by an Italian court on Monday for failing to give adequate warning of an earthquake that killed more than 300 people in L'Aquila in 2009.
The seven, all members of a body called the National Commission for the Forecast and Prevention of Major Risks, were accused of negligence and malpractice in evaluating the danger and keeping the central city informed of the risks.
The case has drawn condemnation from international bodies including the American Geophysical Union, which said the risk of litigation may deter scientists from advising governments or even working in seismology and seismic risk assessments.
"The issue here is about miscommunication of science, and we should not be putting responsible scientists who gave measured, scientifically accurate information in prison," Richard Walters of Oxford University's Department of Earth Sciences said.
"This sets a very dangerous precedent and I fear it will discourage other scientists from offering their advice on natural hazards and trying to help society in this way."
The scientists, Franco Barberi, Enzo Boschi, Giulio Selvaggi, Gian Michele Calvi, Claudio Eva and Mauro Dolce as well as Bernardo De Bernardis - a senior official in the Civil Protection Authority - were convicted of criminal manslaughter and causing criminal injury.
The 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck L'Aquila, in the Abruzzo region, at 3:32 a.m. on April 6, wrecking tens of thousands of buildings, injuring more than 1,000 people and killing 308.
At the heart of the case was the question of whether the government-appointed experts gave an overly reassuring picture of the risk facing the town, which contained many ancient and fragile buildings and which had already been partially destroyed three times by earthquakes over the centuries.
The case focused in particular on a series of low-level tremors that hit the region in the months preceding the earthquake and which prosecutors said should have warned experts not to underestimate the risk of a major shock.
Eva's lawyer Alfredo Biondi said the decision was "wrong in both fact and law" but the verdict, delivered in a tiny improvised court room in an industrial zone outside the still-wrecked city center, was welcomed by relatives of the victims.
"This is not thirst for revenge, it is just that our sister is not coming back," said Claudia Carosi.
More than three years later, much of the once-beautiful medieval city is still in ruins and thousands of people have been unable to return to their homes.
Defense lawyers said earthquakes could not be predicted and even if they could, nothing could be done to prevent them.
"If an event cannot be foreseen and, more to the point, cannot be avoided, it is hard to understand how there can be any suggestion of a failure to predict the risk," defense lawyer Franco Coppi said before the verdict was delivered.
Prosecutors, who had only sought a four-year sentence, said they did not expect scientists to provide a precise forecast.
But they argued the Commission had given "incomplete, imprecise and contradictory" information on the danger after a meeting on March 31, 2009, a few days before the earthquake.
The case is part of a wider controversy over the disaster in L'Aquila, which has been at the center of a series of bitter rows over Italy's disaster preparedness.
Central Italy is continuously shaken by low level tremors, very few of which precede bigger earthquakes and they are generally marked by no more than a brief statement from civil protection authorities.
Key to the dispute is the kind of cautious language, hedged by caveats and reserves which scientists typically use in predicting highly uncertain events, but which can be of limited use as a guideline for the general public.
According to scientific opinion cited by prosecutors, the dozens of lower level tremors seen before the quake were typical of the kind of preliminary seismic activity seen before major earthquakes such as the one that struck on April 6.
Instead of highlighting the danger, they said the experts had made statements playing down the threat of a repeat of the earthquakes which wrecked the town in 1349, 1461 and 1703, saying the smaller shocks were a "normal geological phenomenon".
Italy is among the most earthquake-prone countries in Europe and has been struck repeatedly by lethal shocks, most recently in May 2012, when 16 people were killed and hundreds injured by a 5.8 tremor in the Emilia Romagna region.
(Additional reporting by Cristiano Corvino and Kate Kelland in London, writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Alison Williams) | <urn:uuid:44c651d0-205c-47f5-9cfd-53e6eadf26d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wdez.com/news/articles/2012/oct/22/italian-scientists-convicted-over-earthquake-warning/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971607 | 961 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Ruby off the Rails: Enormo security hole puts 240k sites at risk
Update NOW or give everyone shell access to your app server
Popular programming framework Ruby on Rails has two critical security vulnerabilities - one allowing anyone to execute commands on the servers running affected web apps.
The newly uncovered bugs both involve the parsing and handling of data supplied by visitors to a Rails application. The CVE-2013-0156 hole is the more severe of the two because it allows remote-code execution against any Ruby on Rails application that has the XML parser enabled - a feature switched on by default. According to security tools firm Sourcefire the flaw allows hackers to run system commands on the server with the same level of privileges as the app.
Both vulnerabilities can be resolved by updating to the latest version of the Ruby on Rails platform.
But what makes the holes particularly nasty is that, until the patches are applied, every application running on the insecure open-source framework will be vulnerable - like castles built on sand and the tide is rising: at least 240,000 websites powered by RoR are thought to be at risk.
An update on the Ruby on the Rails developer blog this week highlights the severity of flaw:
I'd like to announce that 3.2.11, 3.1.10, 3.0.19, and 2.3.15 have been released. These releases contain two extremely critical security fixes so please update IMMEDIATELY.
HD Moore, the developer of Metasploit and chief security officer at security biz Rapid7, reiterated the advice to patch sooner rather than later.
"Ruby on Rails remote code execution confirmed: expect a Metasploit module in the next 4 to 12 hours. Patch your Rails apps," Moore said in a Twitter update. The latest security flap is not related to a SQL injection vulnerability, also affecting Ruby on Rails, that emerged last week. ®
Re: More like...
Er, did you not read the article's title. It's the bit in the big font.
I think AC has been the victim of a XAP exploit (aka cross article posting). Clearly the comment was made on a completely different article. I suggest El Reg check their servers for evidence of this dreadful XAP attack. The root cause no doubt is Bill Gates himself if AC is to be believed.
Confused (was: Surprise)
Is this a really bad joke, or are you not aware RoR has nothing to do with MS? | <urn:uuid:91d0c6d1-8bd1-43f0-936e-91dcb3e0fde5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/01/10/ruby_on_rails_security_vuln/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931365 | 509 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Top Regional Community stories … 1. – 9.
Other Regional Community News for Our Local Planet … 11.01 - .19
Blogging about Regional Communities … 12.01 - .14
Announcements and Regional Links … 13.01 - .04
Financial Crisis …14.01 - .02
We’re big on boundaries.
By drawing lines on a map, we seem to think we can separate our problems from their problems, our resources from their resources. And the smaller the governmental entity, the more control we feel we have over what takes place within its borders.
That’s the theory, and in many cases it’s valid. Local control does have benefits.
However, lines and borders can also produce the opposite effect. Sometimes, they reduce our ability to tackle problems and make the most of opportunities. That’s because problems and opportunities sprawl across boundaries, and we often lack tools properly sized size to address them.
That’s certainly part of metro
Outside the Legislature, however, something important may be stirring. The Metropolitan
2. In local-option transportation issues, a pull between region and state - Southern Political Report -
One of the South’s emerging political tension points is the competition between the traditional prerogatives state governments and the growing aspirations of “regions,” which in most cases can be defined as an assortment of local governments, united by a traffic jam.
This tension can be traced in the legislative battles in
For the second year in a row, the Georgia General Assembly failed to agree on a comprehensive plan to fund the state’s growing transportation needs. The traditional rivalry between the House and Senate and the jostling over next year’s governor’s race were the big sticking points, but this was also a state-region problem. The House wanted to have a statewide sales tax to fund a comprehensive statewide roads program, while the Senate wanted to allow counties and cities to join together to put local option sales taxes on the ballot in their jurisdictions.
Over the past three decades, local option taxes for transportation have become common across the
Emerging regions can also be threatening to the cities and counties being swallowed up in them. One criticism of the
This year, the bill has passed …
3. Guest columnist: ‘Reality Check' opened eyes - Anderson Independent Mail -
A joint initiative of Upstate Together and the Urban Land Institute (ULI)
As a member of the Upstate Together steering committee that hosted the event, I had high hopes for a well-attended and engaging event. It far exceeded my expectations.
The representation from the 10-county region was tremendous. Almost every municipality was present, and it opened the door for many of those who in the past were on the sidelines. At each table, leaders from all levels of the political field, people from businesses and private citizens explored hundreds of ideas in handling projected growth over the next 20 years.
The top three guiding principles that the collective group identified at the event were to improve education opportunities and job creation, to improve regional transportation and leverage existing infrastructure and to promote regional linkage. And the priorities moving forward include working to foster effective regionalism and regional leadership and addressing infrastructure funding shortfalls.
The next steps plan will be driven by these results, and it has already begun with the formation of a new regional organization called Ten at the Top. The 40-plus members of our original Upstate Together task force will be expanded to include even more people from throughout the Upstate to form a new Ten at the Top board. In addition, an executive director will be hired to ensure that there is someone dedicated to continuing the efforts of regionalism. ...
Regional Councils -
S.C. Appalachian Council of Government - Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens,
Upper Savannah Council of Government - Abbeville,
Catawba Regional Council of Governments –
4. Editorial: Regional authority needed to operate Bay Area carpool, toll lanes - Inside Bay Area -
THE WORSENING traffic congestion in the Bay Area is having an increasingly negative impact on the quality of life in the region. The millions of people who commute to work daily lose valuable time, waste gasoline and add to air pollution. Businesses suffer and new enterprises are discouraged from locating in the area, harming the Bay Area economy.
Fortunately, there is a plan that promises to ease traffic congestion and raise revenues needed for transportation improvements. It's a regional $3.7 billion proposal for an 800-mile network of carpool and toll lanes.
The emphasis here is "regional." Too often in the past local transportation agencies have been at odds with each other and the regional Metropolitan Transportation Authority over which projects to build, how to pay for them and how to distribute funding.
Finally, there is a truly regional approach to Bay Area transportation needs. It calls for more high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes that would be open for carpools, buses and, in some places, for individual motorists willing to pay tolls.
These High Occupancy Toll, or HOT, lanes would have varying rates depending on the level of congestion. They would be collected using FasTrack transponders like the ones now used to collect bridge tolls.
The problem with much of the HOV lanes in the Bay Area is that they are not continuous. Carpool drivers too often have to merge into regular highly congested lanes in certain areas, particularly intersections of major highways.
Not only do these bottlenecks delay carpool drivers, they are a major hindrance to express buses. If the Bay Area had a continuous network of highways with HOV and HOT lanes, express buses offering monthly passes could operate far more efficiently.
RC: Association of Bay Area Governments – ABAG - http://www.abag.ca.gov
5. Survey: Transportation, education top list of priorities for D.C.-area residents - Washington Business Journal -
Residents view transportation, education and the economy as the top long-term issues facing the region, according to a survey released Friday by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. [http://www.mwcog.org]
But schools, safe streets, good jobs and access to health care are the top agenda items that area residents want their tax dollars to flow into.
“The individual jurisdictions across our region have unique personalities and needs. This survey examines some of those differences,” said Sharon Bulova, Greater Washington 2050 Chairman and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman. “But what sets this effort apart is the identification of ideas that are held in common by citizens all across the region, areas where they are urging greater regional effort to make this a better place to live for years to come.”
Producing high quality schools is the most urgent of the sixteen priorities for the future tested. The second top priority for the long term is locking down safe streets and neighborhoods.
Traffic is the leading long-term issue, but it is not where the public would put the most resources into.
By a large margin, traffic and transportation are listed as the top long-term challenges facing the area, and the worry is particularly acute in parts of
A large number of the region’s residents would like to see more problems addressed regionally across state and county lines, said 43 percent, and that figure goes up among people who want specific …
2050 Report: http://www.greaterwashington2050.org/eupdates.html
6. Property tax forum promotes regionalism and 'smart growth' - Bridgeport News -
Rising property taxes in the suburbs could be what finally convinces suburban public officials that more regionalization efforts make sense, according to state Rep. Brendan Sharkey of
That — and money — could help bring about change, Sharkey told an audience at a forum on property taxes and so-called smart growth at the Burroughs Community Center in Black Rock last week.
“Bribe them with money,” Sharkey joked, referring to a proposal to legally share taxes from certain new development among towns that agree to a regional pact.
Sharkey, a Democrat, heads up a statewide smart growth task force that include state legislators, business leaders and community representatives.
Grogins said having municipalities cooperate on regional issues makes sense. “It’s about cities and towns working together to cut costs,” she said, adding this would allow nearby communities to better strategize on where and how to encourage development.
Something must be done to lower taxes in Bridgeport, Grogins said, which has a limited tax base and has seen much of the commercial development in recent decades take place in surrounding towns.
“In Black Rock and Brooklawn, we pay the highest property taxes in the city and the state, and some of the highest in the nation,” she said.
“We develop big houses on big lots, often with no sidewalks,” said Green, noting the amount of land covered by structures and asphalt is increasing seven times faster than the population in
Begin with small steps
The legislators said regional cooperation could begin with less controversial actions such as buying items in bulk to get economies of scale; purchasing employee health-care coverage together; and sharing certain equipment, legal services and payroll software services.
Regional Planning Organizations (RPOs): http://www.ct.gov/opm/cwp/view.asp?a=2986&q=383046
7. A merger or a hostile takeover? - The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com -
A merger or a hostile takeover? I've been kicking that around ever since Cleveland Heights City Councilman Mark Tumeo fired the shot heard 'round the Heights March 24.
Tumeo stood up at a meeting of the University Heights Charter Review Commission and said the two cities should "start a dialogue" about merging. (Heights people never "talk." They "dialogue.")
How curious, I thought.
UH Mayor Beryl Rothschild was downright suspicious. She didn't even get a courtesy call from Tumeo before he opened his mouth, and she thinks he's sniffing for a bail-out. Her city has money in the bank, while
Some alliances do merit a bit of "dialogue," like consortiums for purchasing salt and health insurance, and Cleveland Heights Mayor Ed Kelley's call for a single regional fire department. But if you think bigger is better, then move to
At a recent dinner, I was seated with a couple who moved here from
"You have community here because each suburb has an identity," they said. "People love and embrace their own communities."
It's not like that in
Collaboration? Absolutely. Merger? No.
Councilman Kevin Patrick Murphy believes suburbs interested in collaboration need to start with small steps.
To discuss a merger of cities or a regional fire district -- two recent ideas -- is premature, he said.
"For years, we've heard a lot of talk about regionalism, but nothing really ever happens," Murphy said.
"We're just not capable of undertaking a broad regional effort until we start working together, on a micro level, by taking these small steps that lay the groundwork."
Murphy has organized a meeting at 7 p.m. tonight at
Murphy's goal is to apply for a share of grant money being offered by the Fund for Our Economic Future's EfficientGovNow program. [ http://www.futurefundneo.org/ ]
The program will offer as much as $300,000 to fund up to three projects that promote collaboration and efficiency among northeast
"This is a great starting point," Murphy said. "We can all agree there are little things we can do together, with an eye toward saving larger dollars in the future." Apples to apples'
Murphy believes the cities should pursue shared methods of accounting, a unified system of monitoring contracts with unions, suppliers and service providers; and a policy to manage the cities' collective capital expenditures.
Those three topics will be the focus of tonight's meeting.
"Given the budget constraints most inner-ring suburbs are facing, we will, in the very near term, need to change the way our cities operate," he said.
"Right now, some cities collaborate on group purchasing programs and joint dispatch programs, but it's simply not enough."
With a shared accounting methodology, cities will be comparing "apples to apples," Murphy said.
9. SLU's RegionWise Joins Forces with Two Local Universities to Create New Research Opportunities -
The Applied Research Collaborative will serve as a regional data and public policy clearinghouse.
The Applied Research Collaborative (ARC), joins SLU's RegionWise group, the Institute for Urban Development at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and the Public Policy Research Center at the University of Missouri-St. Louis to serve as a data clearinghouse, provide regional indicators and perform commissioned research projects, including trend analysis reports.
The program is being undertaken by the universities as a way to provide support for community improvement through greater collaboration and more active engagement in key issues facing the
Robert Mai, Ed.D., director of RegionWise, said the collaboration will provide new avenues of research for leaders seeking to respond to the needs of the metro
"What community leaders from across the region have told us is that there's a great need to help organizations -- public, private and nonprofit -- not just acquire access to data, but to think with data." Mai said. "Thinking with data is what ARC aims to do, and to help planners and decision makers in our region as well."
Bold font words are Google search terms. Bold italic words considered worth noting. In this and section 11, links to websites of organizations are added to the news excerpt when this is the first time an organization has been found. A goal of this newsletter is to find every regional council in the U.S. in a news story as well as recognizing other regional organizations. In most cases, where a full name is present, a Google search will quickly get one to that organization. News reports do not always get the organization name correct. Contents
.01 Slay continues call for regional cooperation in State of the City
St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay used his State of the City address Friday to repeat his call for stronger regional cooperation. "Until we start speaking in unison,
.02 Groups urge regional approach for planning growth, sharing tax revenue
The Star Beacon -
... the need for collaboration among northeast
.03 Getting Communities to Collaborate is a Challenging Task – [audio 4 min.]
90.3 WCPN ideastream® -
An update now on a story we brought you several months back. The Fund For Our Economic Future put out a challenge to northeast
.04 EDITORIAL: Regionalism takes step back
... We know it’s politically unpopular to come to the financial rescue of Lucas Oil Stadium, Conseco Fieldhouse, Victory Field and the
.05 User fee hikes urged to aid towns and cities
The communities would get to keep most of the money, although about $15 million would be placed into an account used to promote regionalization. "We're trying to encourage regionalization of municipal services, everything from public safety to public health, from education to libraries and road maintenance," said Senator Stanley Rosenberg, a Northampton Democrat and cochairman of the Special Commission on Municipal Relief. "We have 351 cities and towns, and most of them are well under 30,000 people."...
.06 Closer Look at Sharing Town Services
New York Times -
Mark Muro, a fellow and policy director at the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution in Washington, said that Westchester towns would benefit most from collaborating on a county or regional level. “More and more of the challenges that communities face are on a regional scale,” Mr. Muro said. “Local municipalities are simply too small to provide responses to the kind of issues that are bedeviling communities. Your village cannot shape traffic patterns.” ...
.07 DC now the hub of a region awash in ... happiness?
Happy days are here again, according to a new study by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, commonly known as COG. Really? Swine flu is bearing down on our
.08 Better Pandemic Planning
.09 Pleasant Prairie balks at planning document
The Village Board will consider approving a planning document Monday, even though local officials have called it “lame” and “a train wreck.” Specifically, the board will consider the “Intergovernmental Cooperation Element” of the Multi-Jurisdictional Comprehensive Plan for
In spite of their misgivings about consolidation, the suburban mayors suggest there are opportunities to expand cooperation between local governments on a smaller scale, such as a joint commission that could alleviate the need for businesses to work with separate governments when they are considering locating in
.11 In Hard Times,
The Wall Street Journal -
A bright orange P decorates the business card of Mayor David Cicilline. He is the man who decided that
.12 Piedmont Triad Partnership To Lead Regional Aerotropolis Initiative
dBusinessNews Triad - NC,
The Piedmont Triad Partnership (PTP) has announced that it will lead a new regional initiative to position the Piedmont Triad as the global logistics center of the United States East Coast. This new initiative will combine two existing initiatives—the Global Logistics Task Force of the Piedmont Triad Leadership Group and the Logistics and Distribution Roundtable of the Piedmont Triad Partnership. ... David Congdon, President and CEO of Old Dominion Freight Line, will chair a new Aerotropolis Leadership Board of approximately twenty-five Piedmont Triad leaders, ...
.13 New Study Shows Airport's Impact
The study's findings bolster business and civic leaders' concept of
.14 Local suburbs and
News Sun - Cleveland.com OH,
Cleveland Hopkins' neighboring communities are hoping to use the airport to land lucrative developments. Much like a metropolis and its surrounding suburbs, an aerotropolis features a core airport with outlying aviation-linked businesses.
.15 Anti-poverty ‘road map' unveiled
... Rather than laying out a policy agenda, the 77-page plan largely focuses on expanding or improving many of the 129 programs the city runs to help low-income residents, with “collaboration” and “partnerships” the buzzwords to improve coordination between groups. Henry Louis Taylor Jr. of the University at Buffalo's urban and regional planning department, who was introduced as the coordinator of the new task force, said models of collaboration would be a significant step forward if accomplished. “What’s radical is getting people to work together — to come out of their silos and form real collaborations,” ...
.16 Agenda '09: Area cooperation, development key
Convincing Hamilton County's water utility districts to agree to consolidation will prove difficult for ... Mr. Littlefield set the goal of creating a regional water and sewer authority that would eliminate “unnecessary complexity and sometimes confusion about who provides service.” ...
.18 MSBA official: Now is the time to regionalize
The MSBA approved beginning negotiations for a
.19 Town selectmen resist regional dispatch center
By Mike Stucka DANVERS — Selectmen argued for three hours last night against joining a regional 911 dispatch center planned for Middleton. ... "We do support something. Just at this time, this project, we can't support," Selectman Dan Bennett said. Distrust was also evident, as selectmen criticized the selection of Sheriff Frank Cousins as the administrative overseer of the dispatch center. Selectman William Clark Jr. described Cousins as a "massive ego" building a "mini-empire," a theme echoed by others. ...
.20 State officials get earful from locals in
.21 CAFA draws the line between millage and regional fire service
Dexter Leader -
Participants in the CAP/DART meeting from eight western Washtenaw municipalities discussed the topic of regional fire service feasibility. During that discussion, consultant Dave Boerger, of Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, presented the first steps in combining the Chelsea Area Fire Authority, Dexter Area Fire Authority and the Scio Township Fire Department. Boerger concluded that the project was "complex" and was asked to measure the savings of a regional fire department. ...
Twenty members will combine to form the Southern Maine Regional SWAT Team, which will consist of 10 members from
.23 Economic leaders work on working together more
Regionalism, a fancy word for working with your neighbors, will be the buzzword today as state and regional economic developers descend on
.24 Workforce Development Key For Calhoun
Moon and John Baas, director of governmental affairs for the Mississippi Manufacturers Association, were featured speakers at the CEDA meeting last week at the courthouse in Pittsboro. The Calhoun County Republican Party provided refreshments. Moon said “regionalism” is the second key to achieving success. “You can't make it on your own,” Moon said. “You have to reach out and form a multi-county area.” Moon said
.25 Grocery plays up regional products
Besides dairy products, Hannaford will feature other local and regional foods in the "Close to Home" event. ... Some dairy representatives and producers of the products will attend to give out samples and answer questions. Throughout the store, regional products are highlighted by Close to Home signs.
.26 Tri-state area leaders brainstorm how to revive economy
The key to reviving the
.27 Editorial: A call to regionalism
Central Penn Business Journal -
Five bridges span the Susquehanna River from
.28 Pinched cities of
TwinCities.com - MN,
Armed with statistics from a just-completed study, a coalition of governments from three of the state's biggest cities is pushing "the revenue side of the equation" as the key tool to fix a cascade of budget crunches from the state level down to local libraries. ... The coalition —
.29 Fire districts join forces to save
Seven years after approving a merger of the Grand Mound and
More than 300,000
.31 Regional ambulance idea gains traction with decision by
Barre Montpelier Times Argus -
Acute interest in participating in a regional discussion of public safety services with all three of the communities vying for
.32 My View: Regional dispatch is regionalization done wrong
The biggest problem with this plan is that it does not represent regionalization. It's no different than a city or town hiring a subcontractor who, in this case, will be state employees managed by the sheriff, to perform a job with which this agency has no experience. This current proposal results in a single dispatch center, with no plan for redundancy. …
.33 LEED V3 Adds New Grading Scale, Regional Certification
Environmental Leader -
A new component of the ratings system includes LEED 2009 credits for regional environmental priorities. “Because environmental priorities differ among various regions of the country-the challenges in the Southeast differ from those in the Northwest, for example-regionally specific credits give LEED a way to directly respond to diverse, regionally grounded issues,” said Brendan Owens, Vice President of Technical Development, USGBC ...
.34 Editorial: A region on the fast track
Even though President Obama said it wasn't pie-in-the-sky stuff, most regions around the nation can only dream of a future in which high-speed rail plays a significant role. But then there's lucky
.35 Our View:
The Obama administration has committed to spend $13 billion over the next five years jump-starting high-speed rail projects. But it’s an opportunity that
.36 Equal Time: Transportation hype inflates facts and figures
The prospect of a time-saving bullet train between
.37 Gorge Local Currency Cooperative (GLCC) River HOURS
American Chronicle -
River Hours is a vibrant community currency for the Columbia River Gorge area. Patterned after Ithaca Hours, member of this community feel their currency project has had a great deal of success in the years it has been in operation. ... Your mission statement from the bylaws reads: The Gorge Local Currency Cooperative (GLCC) seeks to create and sustain a local currency system in order to build community, promote regional economic independence, support local business and trade, encourage entrepreneurship, honor diversity, and enhance the local minimum wage in the Mid-Columbia region. ...
When stacked up against similar regions throughout the country,
.39 Road-use Fees Could Solve Our Transit Woes
... solution that would address both the congestion and financing problem would be road-use pricing that varies with congestion. Drivers would directly pay for the costs they impose on others. These charges would vary with VMT, the level of congestion, and the type of vehicle. ... The federal government should test a road-use pricing program in a major metropolitan area before introducing it nationally — and the
.40 Identity Crisis? City-County Boundaries Confuse SCV Residents
Mike Murphy, the city’s intergovernmental relations officer, explains the boundaries for the City of
11. Other Regional Community News for Our Local Planet Contents
.01 The Revenge of Geography
... , to embrace geography is not to accept it as an implacable force against which humankind is powerless. Rather, it serves to qualify human freedom and choice with a modest acceptance of fate. This is all the more important today, because rather than eliminating the relevance of geography, globalization is reinforcing it. Mass communications and economic integration are weakening many states, exposing a Hobbesian world of small, fractious regions. Within them, local, ethnic, and religious sources of identity are reasserting themselves, and because they are anchored to specific terrains, they are best explained by reference to geography. Like the faults that determine earthquakes, the political future will be defined by conflict and instability with a similar geographic logic. The upheaval spawned by the ongoing economic crisis is increasing the relevance of geography even further, by weakening social orders and other creations of humankind, leaving the natural frontiers of the globe as the only restraint. ...
.02 Like it or not, regionalization is coming - Court
In five years,
.03 Communities in Upper East asked to develop database on “Sources of Conflict"
The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Wayongo on Tuesday asked communities in the region to discuss and identify the potential sources of conflict to help them develop a database on it. He stated this during a two day workshop on the theme; “Sustainable Peace for Sustainable Development,” organised by the Tamale Ecclesiastical Provincial Pastoral Conference of the Catholic Church and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, a German Political Organization working to promote political development and good governance. ...
.04 The road headache in Mahalapye East
Mmegi Online -
Once upon a time, there was so much fascination with socialism, capitalism and even internationalism. But with the Cold War era gone, many believe that the ashes from the smouldering fire have now gone cold. Nobody cares about isms anymore! In Mahalapye East, if all isms are dead, regionalism is the one oddity. Regionalism is alive. English writer John Priestly must have had Mahalapye East in mind when he observed that the real flowers belong to regionalism. "The mass of people everywhere may never have used the term. They are probably regionalists without knowing it. ...
.05 Going glocal
The verdict is in before the verdict is in: before the five-phase polling process is over, most political commentators have predicted — surprise, surprise — a fractured mandate yet again. ...
The villain of the piece is generally acknowledged to be regionalism. ... The growth of regional parties or legional parties, as their number seems to be legion has been a process parallel to that of the formation of new, smaller states. Smaller states were largely welcomed as they would lead to a devolution of centralised power and provide for more responsive local governance, which is the aim of genuine federalism. ...
.06 'Intellectuals should play active role in poll campaign'
... N L Tiberewal, former Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court ... At an interactive session with a group of intellectuals, Tiberewal said the country was passing through critical situation due to terrorism, regionalism, communalism, poverty and economic meltdown and in such crisis the need of stable government was a must. Tiberewal said forty to sixty per cent of intellectuals even do not cast their votes which was most unfortunate. ...
.07 New train design agreed - let the building begin!
.08 Back to nature
"In 1983, the United Nations stated that within each bioregion, a minimum of 12 per cent of the landscape must be kept in its natural state," says Phil Darrell-Smith, acting coordinator of communications and event organizer at ERCA. Presently, in
.10 An Era of Unprecedented
UN Chronicle -
... The oil price shock also affected agricultural markets via the transportation sector. Average freight rates doubled within a one-year period beginning February 2006. Ocean freight rates for grains from the
.11 ADB to set up 3 bln dlr fiscal spending fund
The Asian Development Bank said Saturday it will establish a three-billion-dollar fund to boost developing member countries' fiscal spending capacity amid the global economic crisis. ... "A number of governments in the region have boosted spending to spur domestic consumption to counter falling offshore demand, but not all governments are able to do so," it said. "Moreover, with the global downturn likely to be deeper and longer than previously expected, economies in the region are likely to come under increased pressure." ...
.12 [Editorial] By-elections Show
The Dong-A Ilbo -
The by-elections also showed that
.13 Audit Office asked to investigate council
Business Day - Stuff.co.nz
The battle between Northland Regional Council (NRC) and Mike Daniel, the former chairman of Northport, took a new twist this week with Daniel asking the Auditor-General to investigate the council's investment policy, including its majority stake in publicly listed Northland Port Corporation. ... NRC holds a 52 per cent stake in the port company. Daniel, as chairman, had long urged the council to sell this shareholding, arguing it was the safest strategy for ratepayers. ...
.14 Controversial sewage plant part of Region's wish list for stimulus funding
The Standard -
... back to the same old megaphone diplomacy, threatening
.16 Asian regionalism: How does it compare to
... history shows that major steps to enhance regionalism are usually taken as a reaction to shocks—while the Second World War prompted the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951, the ASEAN +3 Finance Ministers Meeting was established in response to the crisis of 1997/98. And while a global crisis requires a global response, closer regional cooperation can be useful to enhance the effectiveness of global action. ...
.17 Despite Setback, Asean Has Important Role
YaleGlobal Online - CT,
Asean should not pretend to drive the region ahead regardless of these obstacles. It can, and has, instead to manage the difficulties and differences, and move ahead as and when politics permits. Socializing the states to a greater sense of regionalism is a long haul and a difficult undertaking; one that Asean takes seriously. Those who recommend abandoning Asean must bear the burden of showing that there is a ready alternative. They risk pulling apart a truly indigenous effort at regionalism and pushing Asean closer to those, like China, which has said it will still support Asean. ...
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is funding a two-year program called Supporting Regional Governance (SuRG) to strengthen local governance in conflict-affected areas of the East. Participating local authorities from the
.19 The Regional Response to Disasters
Platinum News Online - Virgin
... The regional body that supports Caribbean States in disaster management is the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA). The agency’s main function is to make an immediate and coordinated response to any disastrous event affecting any
12. Blogging about Regional Communities Contents
.01 Regional Failure by Local Design
By Bruce Fisher
... Town of
.02 Ed Morrison · BFD Learning Moment:
Brewed Fresh Daily
We’ve been using Strategic Doing with a number of different initiatives in
A delegation of 100-plus Atlantans just landed today in Minneapolis-St. Paul for the annual LINK where local leaders will explore how other cities address a variety issues facing the region. ... The Atlanta Regional Commission, which organizes the trip, puts the flight out for bid; ...
Imagine a state with exceptionally high taxes and almost no economic development strategy — that’s
.05 Maybe regional government isn't the Answer.
One of our favorite blogs Antiplanner.com is often referenced here on Tucson Choices. The author brings forth great arguments and ideas. He tackled regional government a while back and I thought it would be worth posting it. I’m not sure if regional government is the answer here in
Glaeser Stumbles on Regional Governments ...
.06 Capital Region Board: Growing Forward
I wondered why more people are not discussing the Capital Region Board. Seems like this board is making great strides in the last 6 months, but the news is rarely talked about. I consider the development of this board a huge cornerstone for
.07 When is Destination Branding Really Destination Blanding?
... Turning your location into a brand isn’t simply a marketing effort. It’s the product of deep soul-searching, consensus-building, defining what your community really is all about, and aligning what you really are with what visitors really want. You may not figure it out overnight, and you may not end up with a clever slogan. But take your time, do it right, and you just might get a brand.
.08 High-Speed Rail: Richard Florida Weighs In
In the main, the proposed high-speed rail routes map pretty well to
.09 Comment: Should Gordon Brown Hold a Referendum on the
... This doesn't excuse the democratic deficit and public relations failures of the EU, but I genuinely think it's time for academics and politicians to start talking honestly about the chronic and arrogant lack of engagement on the part of much of civil society. ...
.10 Rob Thomas: Taking the Local out of Local Government
.11 That could save something in the region of…
The Local Government Officer
... My general view is that at the moment the “regions” (RDAs, GORs, SHAs, and assorted other smaller regionalised Quangos) generally do the job they’re given adequately, but there’s no particular logic to them. Certainly there’s no reason it couldn’t mostly be accomplished either at a county level without spending any extra money (and sometimes by spending less) or centrally, since the limited devolution that the regions represent often doesn’t add anything in terms of real accountability. ...
A few month's back, the Ontario Ministry of Tourism unveiled the blueprint to revitalize
I encourage industry representatives to submit their input … To help you craft your submission, follow the following questions that have been posed at the various input sessions.
Determining criteria for regional boundaries resulting in successful regional tourism management.
Think about: A region being destinations that work together.
Question 1: What criteria should be used to determine regional boundaries?
Think about: Iconic attractions within an area, A well established brand, Tourism travel patterns, Minimum level of tourism activity, The potential for travel packaging ...
.13 What is in a name?
Originally the area which we now call the McLaren Vale Wine Region had many different names, one for each of the hamlets or groupings of farms that were settled in the 1800 and 1900’s. Overtime these names have been swallowed up into the towns we now call McLaren Vale, McLaren Flat and Willunga, but for those with a sense of history they live on if you look closely. ... What is in a name? A lot of the history of this region.
.14 The Importance of Network Time Synchronization
Insurance & Technology
Computer clocks are notorious for drifting. They are typically based on inexpensive oscillator circuits or battery backed quartz crystals and can easily drift seconds per day, accumulating significant errors over time. With increasing distributed computing and our interdependence on network infrastructures, having many clocks continuously drift apart puts the networ infrastructure and the applications that run on it at risk. In particular, network operations and application related activities are most susceptible to problems related to the lack of time synchronization. ...
13. Announcements and Regional Links. Contents
Call for Papers now available online at:
Deadline for abstracts is Tuesday 30th June 2009
Regional Studies Association: http://www.regional-studies-assoc.ac.uk
.02 Postgraduate Programmes In Local And Regional Development -
Local and regional development is undergoing a period of unprecedented change. New debates about the 'knowledge economy' and 'learning regions', 'globalisation', 'competitiveness', 'inclusion', 'sustainability' and 'wellbeing' are profoundly changing the nature of local and regional development processes, institutions and policies. International trends towards devolution, 'regionalisation' and city-regionalism are changing administrative and governance structures at the national, regional, sub-regional and local levels.
The current recession has focused the minds of local and regional policy-makers in shaping their responses and building the resilience of local and regional economies. Together, these inter-related developments are generating new challenges and a demand to build capacity for analysis, strategy and policy-making for local and regional development amongst individuals and institutions in the public, private and voluntary and community sectors.
Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies (CURDS): http://www.ncl.ac.uk/curds/
The Ohio Commission on Local Government Reform and Collaboration shall develop recommendations on ways to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of local government operations, to achieve cost savings for taxpayers, and to facilitate economic development in this state. In developing the recommendations, the commission shall consider, but is not limited to, the following:
(1) Restructuring and streamlining local government offices to achieve efficiencies and cost savings for taxpayers and to facilitate local economic development;
14. Financial Crisis. Contents
.01 Summary Version - Global Financial Stability Report: Responding to the Financial Crisis and Measuring Systemic Risks - April 2009 - International Monetary Fund -
The Global Financial Stability Report (GFSR) assesses key risks facing the global financial system with a view to identifying those that represent systemic vulnerabilities. In normal times, the report seeks to play a role in preventing crises by highlighting policies that may mitigate systemic risks, thereby contributing to global financial stability and the sustained economic growth of the IMF’s member countries. In the current crisis, the report traces the sources and channels of financial distress, and provides policy advice on mitigating its effects on economic activity, stemming contagion, and mending the global financial system. …
.02 CSPAN Q&A with Janet Tavakoli - Author of "Dear Mr. Buffett: What an Investor Learns 1,269 Miles from Wall Street" explains derivatives - Video
Janet Tavakoli is founder and president of Tavakoli Structured Finance, a Chicago-based firm that provides consulting to financial institutions and institutional investors. Her book is the story of her meetings with Warren Buffet prior to the economic downturn and how that impacted the way she views investing. She is a former adjunct professor of derivatives at the
's Graduate School of Business. She has also worked for Westdeutsche Landesbank in University of Chicago , Bank One in Chicago, Merrill Lynch, PaineWebber, and Bear Stearns. London
Link to video:
CSPAN Podcast site: http://www.c-span.org/Podcasts.aspx
15. Custom search: region, regions, regional communities. Contents
To search on topics like those in Regional Community Development News use this custom search engine which utilizes 2,090 regional related sites as of May 13, 2009. Entering the term emergency preparedness returned 425 items; emergency response returned 553 items.
Search engine link: http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=000551187207053117963:m1gvkhigkeo&hl=en
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To join Regional Community Networkers and get a free subscription use this email link – no additional information required: firstname.lastname@example.org
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Questions, comments or items to feature in Regional Community Development News?
Please email the editor: Tom.Christoffel@gmail.com
Thomas J. (Tom) Christoffel, AICP - http://regional-communities.com/ | <urn:uuid:5a6e059d-ed02-4941-baae-c608db179536> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://regional-communities.blogspot.jp/2009_05_14_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932193 | 8,676 | 1.796875 | 2 |
"It's Far From Over" in Both Presidential Races, Observes Prof. Ken Bode
January 11, 2008
January 11, 2008, Greencastle, Ind. - "New Hampshire's results reminded us that the job of the first two states is not to pick the president, just to kick off the process," writes Ken Bode in today's Indianapolis Star. "As they usually do, Iowa and New Hampshire put some things into focus and left many others blurred." Bode, a former political correspondent for NBC and CNN, is the Eugene S. Pulliam Distinguished Visiting Professor of Journalism at DePauw University.
"The biggest losers on Tuesday were the pollsters who confidently predicted an Obama victory by anywhere from five to 13 points," declares Bode. "Hillary's firewall state produced the result she needed, and it was clear that women, who swelled Obama's victory margin in Iowa, were not ready to give up on the possibility that this might be their year to win the White House. Those who see gender as even more restricting than race made their point in New Hampshire. Women were the base of Hillary's win."
The professor continues, "It also was clear that Bill Clinton is not the asset that many assumed. In an angry, red-faced rant on Election Day, he called the Obama phenomenon 'the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen' and caustically blamed the media for giving the first-term senator a free ride. A few days earlier, Mr. Clinton told a Hillary rally that if you don't have the proper experience, a major crisis can come up, '. . . and just swallow your presidency.' An unfortunate choice of words, at best, and a reminder of the burdens of having Bill around again."
Republican Mitt Romney also set off the veteran journalist's gaffe detector. Bode writes that the former Massachusetts governor "seemed rattled and less confident in New Hampshire. He asked one crowd, 'Do you want the folks who ran Katrina to manage your health care?' Romney seemingly forgot who managed Katrina."
Bode notes that "a resurrected John McCain will now go to Michigan, Romney's firewall state, where his father was a popular governor. There it will be mano a mano, with (Mike) Huckabee and Rudy Giuliani mostly on the sidelines. Then it's on to South Carolina, John Edwards' home state, where he won the primary in 2004. If he does so again, it will truly scramble the Democratic field. Roughly half of the Democratic voters in South Carolina are African-Americans, but it's a closed primary, so Obama cannot rely on independents. And South Carolina may put Huckabee back in business with its strong evangelical Christian base in the Republican primary."
With two differents sets of winners in the first pair of presidential contests, Bode concludes, "Twenty-five states vote in the next five weeks. It's far from over."
Access the complete essay at College News.org.
Source: Indianapolis StarBack | <urn:uuid:18420f16-4459-46b2-83b4-20e79e8a708c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.depauw.edu/news-media/latest-news/details/20714/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968029 | 611 | 1.523438 | 2 |
need help on directions
I'm knitting a Louisa Harding cardigan. I don't understand the directions for shaping the shoulders and back neck.
"BO 6 sts, work in patt until there are 8 sts on RH needle and turn[/i] (this much I understand).
Place remaining stitches on holder (is it the 8 sts that go on the holder or the other part that was worked in patt?)
Then you work both sides of neck separately. (I don't get it... ) Bind off 3 sts, purl to end (is this part of the 8 sts that were on the RH needle?)
BO rem 5 sts. (the other part of the 8 sts on the RH needle?)
With RS facing, rejoin yarn to sts from holder and BO center 27 sts, work in patt to end.
Complete to match first side, reversing shaping and working an extra row before start of shoulder shaping. | <urn:uuid:0f38559c-eaac-4a24-8a24-b26c6b632f4d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.knittinghelp.com/forum/showthread.php?t=96109 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954514 | 192 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Your facial bone structure is an essential part of having a balanced face. Having a weak chin can make a normal nose appear larger. A chin implant can help balance your facial structures and give you a more attractive profile.
How the procedure is done
In a minor chin augmentation, an implant is placed under the skin to strengthen the appearance of the chin from the profile view. During the procedure, the surgeon selects the proper size and shape implant to enhance your appearance. Once the implant is chosen, the implant is inserted into a pocket over the front of the jawbone. A small incision is made inside the mouth, along the lower lip, to create the pocket where the implant is placed.
A major chin augmentation may require bone surgery called an osteotomy. In this case, the chin bone is cut and moved forward to its new position.
A less common procedure is a chin reduction. Similarly, an incision is made behind the lower lip and the chin bone is cut or ground down to its new, smaller shape.
After the surgery there may be some elastic tape placed on the face to help hold the implants in place while they heal. It is helpful to use cold compresses for the few days immediately after the surgery to reduce the swelling. During this time, there may be some discomfort which usually responds quite quickly to pain medication.
Who is a good candidate
The best candidates for chin augmentation are patients with weak or receding chins, but with a normal dental bite.
There is some discomfort and soreness, which is easily controlled by medication. A liquid diet may be advised for the first two days. Light activity can resume the same day as surgery.
Exciting new developments in chin augmentation include new implant shapes and textured surfaces, more and biocompatible implants. The face is now divided into zones and custom implants are prepared for the patient. This further introduces aesthetic enhancement into facial implant surgery over the conventional 4-sizes-fits-all philosophy of implant placement.
The implants are usually made of dimethalpolysiloxane which is a silicone compound. Occasionally other materials may be used. Prior to the surgery, the type, size, and method of placement of the implants will be discussed carefully with you.
Post Operative Activity
It is expected that you will remain somewhat quiet and sedentary for the week post-operatively. This is to reduce the swelling and reduce the chances of bleeding in the area around the implant. After the first week, in the absence of other procedures that require a longer convalescence, normal activity may be resumed although it would be wise to avoid sports or exercise for up to three weeks after the surgery.
Procedure Cost: $1,800.00 | <urn:uuid:d3036093-1199-4a03-9311-2432acf49bb3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.successfullyslimmer.com/Chin_Augmentation.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938446 | 560 | 1.765625 | 2 |
For the past 20 years, corporations have been receiving huge tax breaks and subsidies in the name of "jobs, jobs, jobs." But, as Greg LeRoy demonstrates in this important new book, it's become a costly scam.
Playing states and communities off against each other in a bidding war for jobs, corporations reduce their taxes to next-to-nothing and win subsidy packages that routinely exceed $100,000 per job. But the subsidies come with few strings attached. So companies feel free to provide fewer jobs, or none at all, or even outsource and lay people off. They are also free to pay poverty wages without health care or other benefits.
All too often, communities lose twice. They lose jobs--or gain jobs so low-paying they do nothing to help the community--and lose revenue due to the huge corporate tax breaks. That means fewer resources for maintaining schools, public services, and infrastructure. In the end, the local governments that were hoping for economic revitalization are actually worse off. They're forced to raise taxes on struggling small businesses and working families, or reduce services, or both.
Greg LeRoy uses up-to-the-minute examples, naming names--including Wal-Mart, Raytheon, Fidelity, Bank of America, Dell, and Boeing--to reveal how the process works. He shows how carefully corporations orchestrate the bidding wars between states and communities. He exposes shadowy "site location consultants" who play both sides against the middle, and he dissects government and corporate mumbo-jumbo with plain talk. The book concludes by offering common-sense reforms that will give taxpayers powerful new tools to deter future abuses and redirect taxpayer investments in ways that will really pay off. | <urn:uuid:6a470ef8-2008-4e8a-a6e9-a7318381d023> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bkconnection.com/BC/ProdDetails.asp?ID=1576753158&PG=1&Type=BL&PCS=BKP | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958224 | 350 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Part of the fun of being a designer is introducing a client to a new plant that surprises them and excites them in a way that helps them forget the pain-in-the-butt fiddly plant that they think they want to grow (just because their mom did). My friend Andrew has recently written a whole book about this very subject. It's called Why Grow That When You Can Grow This?: 255 Extraordinary Alternatives to Everyday Problem Plants, and in it he proposes lots of ideas for better alternatives to the standard selection. He is one of my go to guys for plant questions and is one of the most knowledge plant people I know, so I thought I would share with you a recent conversation between the two of us — cause you can always learn something when you eavesdrop on a couple of gardeners.
Rochelle Greayer: Here are my 3 most annoyingly over used plants...what would you tell people to replace them with? Rhododenrons, Arborvitae, Japanese maples.
Andrew Keys: Rhododendrons: if you can grow 'em, you can probably grow mountain laurel, and it's forever one of those underused gems in the landscape. I'd love to see it planted more.
RG: Oh - I always get seduced by the images of Mountain Laurels but then find them to not be as exciting in real life as I expect - (that happens so often!) - I think it's because the flowers are often tucked so deep into the foliage. Any that you can recommend that have the showy factor that I sometimes crave?
AK: I think mountain laurel is definitely a plant that comes into its own after it's planted! My go-to for mountain laurel what's what is Broken Arrow Nursery (pretty local to us in New England, in Connecticut, but also mail-order). Dick Jaynes, its founder, is THE expert on this plant in the U.S. They have a new introduction on their site now called 'Firecracker' that looks like it lives up to its name.
For arborvitae, there's a great tall, narrow cultivar of eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) called 'Taylor' I'm a little obsessed with now. Deer tend to look at arborvitae as the best buffet ever, and only go for cedar as an absolute last resort. If all your neighbors are planting arborvitae and you plant 'Taylor', you're probably in the clear. It's better for hot, dry sites too.
RG: I like the look of that one -- adding it to my spring plant buying list!
AK: So Japanese maples: I swing back and forth, but they look so distinct that I find it hard to plant one without having "a Japanese maple garden." Paperbark maple (Acer griseum) is really interesting and underused.
RG: Until you said that I don't think I fully understood my contempt for the Japanese maple. The reality is that I enjoy my own Japanese maple very much and can totally understand why everyone loves them -- but it is one of those plants that really needs to paid special attention to. You can't just slap one in a border and not expect it be the star that it is....and that is where I start to find it annoying. It is so often placed in a way that undermines its quality and specialness. It's one of those plants that just can't help but be a scene stealer, and sometimes scene stealers (who aren't properly managed) can be really annoying.
AK: Yes! That's it exactly. Japanese maples seem to blend so well at first glance, but then I realize I'm finding it hard to pay attention to anything else in the tableau. My top three annoying plants: first is burning bush (Euonymus alatus). People in Massachusetts BEMOAN the fact that it's a banned invasive species now. Plant some blueberries, folks! Or 'Henry's Garnet' itea! They're great too, they'll play much nicer with your other plants, and they don't want to take over the world.
RG: Ha! Burning Bush IS the Twinkie of the garden world -- in that we all knew it wasn't that great from the beginning - in fact they kinda sucked - but now that we can't get it, it's all anyone wants.
AK: Yes! And they seem so benign, until you try to plant something under them, or realize there's an army growing in the woods out back. Second on my list is mophead hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla). Yeah, I said it — just call me Madonna. I loathe hydrangeas, but only the plain ol' mopheaded kind, especially when there are so many tougher, more interesting hydrangeas to be had: mountain hydrangeas like 'Bluebird; smooth hydrangea cultivars like Invincibelle® Spirit; peegees like Little Lime™ and oakleaf hydrangeas like 'Little Honey'. They all give you that hydrangea fix.
RG: Wait - Madonna doesn't like Hydrangeas? Says who?
AK: Says Madonna! Remember in 2011 when a mic she didn't know was on caught her dissing hydrangeas at the Venice Film Festival? And then she taunted hydrangea fans further with a faux apology? Solidarity, Madge. I'm so over mopheads. Third for me would be hybrid tea roses. I mean, duh. Especially when there are so many great disease-resistant roses to be had these days.
RG: Wow - how did I miss that Madonna hydrangea thing??? But really, do you actually know anyone planting hybrid tea roses these days?
AK: It's shocking, isn't it? But it's true.
RG: I'm sick of a few other things, like Lime Green Potato Vine in Containers — even though I love chartreuse. What would you do instead?
AK: Why not try 'Tiger Eyes' sumac instead? It's a great container plant.
RG: Love that! Would I have to move it out of the container later - won't it get big?
AK: Keep it on the dry side and in part shade (it'll be more chartreuse in shade too), in a large container, and it'll be a long time before you do. And even then, you could divide off a bit to reboot your container.
RG: Are you a grass guy or do you think there are better options than a lawn?
AK: I'm not not a grass guy, but is there anything more high-maintenance? I hate mowing the lawn. There are so many better options out there now. The only reason I haven't replaced my whole lawn is that removing it is no picnic either, and other yard tasks have had to take priority.
RG: I have to admit -- I get weird satisfaction out of making perfect patterns with the mower. Am I the only one who takes great joy in this? I just wish those lines weren't so ephemeral. But I feel lucky that I live in a place where my lawn requires nothing other than the mowing — no watering, and I don't treat it with anything and it is as fine as I like it (which isn't exactly bowling lawn perfection). Mowing I can handle (I really do find it meditative)… its the other stuff I loathe. If I lived somewhere that required all this, I'd have to give it up.
AK: I think a lot of people enjoy mowing, and that's a good thing, as long as their lawn isn't environmentally detrimental, like you said. The chores that come with gardening should be able to be fun somehow. If you find they never are, I'm all for looking at ways to nix them altogether.
RG: And what is your favorite plant-y thing right now?
AK: My favorite plant-y thing right now, since it's winter, is plotting and planning for the year ahead. What new stuff will I plant? How should I rearrange things? My garden may always be a living canvas that's never finished, but I like it that way.
RG: Yeah, me too.
(Images: Andrew Keys) | <urn:uuid:f20a09e3-fec3-4a9e-b8c6-7514333fbe79> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/why-grow-that-when-you-can-grow-this-185797?img_idx=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964695 | 1,746 | 1.578125 | 2 |
It's too long to repost, and too interconnected to do justice to with an excerpt, but here's a tease:
In the European labor markets, mobility is almost impossible. The union system is built to protect current high-skilled workers from competition from new workers, whether in the same country of from abroad. Large corporations that form part of the cozy governance of the country are protected from new competition, and are bailed out by the government when they hit the rocks.
As a result, unemployment is structurally high in countries like France and Germany, hovering for decades between 8 and 12% -- levels we would freak out at here. Young and/or unskilled workers have a nearly impossible time breaking into the labor market, with entry to better jobs gated through apprenticeships and certifications that are kept intentionally scarce. Joe the plumber is an impossibility in Europe. Some Americans seem to secretly love the prospect of not easily being fired from their job, but they always ignore the flip side -- it is equally hard to ever be promoted, because that incompetent guy above you can't be fired either.
Entrepreneurship in Europe is almost impossible -- the barriers just to organizing your own corporation legally are enormous. And, once organized, you will quickly find that you need a myriad of certifications and permissions to operate in your chosen field -- permissions like as not that are gated and controlled by the very people you wish to compete with. The entire political economy is arrayed in a patronage system to protect current businesses with their current workers.
Go; read; bookmark his blog. | <urn:uuid:6a3a6a0d-16ba-4b4e-b64b-5fbc7a5b040e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://delawarelibertarian.blogspot.com/2008/10/lets-be-like-europe-coyote-blog-dis.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969703 | 320 | 1.703125 | 2 |
"did our homework" "for the time being" "reverence in the eyes of the peasants".....
After a few days of this hardship, I moved to the Forest Monastery, Chiang Khong, where I was to be officially ordained. Joy's brother Jate, a young man of 36 years, decided at the last moment that he would ordain with me. The second monastery, which was under the guidance of the Venerable Abbott Arjarn Ekachai, was more comfortable then the previous one in that we had running water.
The ordainment ceremony required us to memorize some of the teachings of Buddha and chant them in Pali. Pali is a Sanskrit derivative language and was indeed the language spoken at the time of the Buddha. Surprisingly, I did not find it difficult to memorize the verses that I was asked to recite for the ordainment. The ordainment ceremony began at 6:00 AM in the morning at the Forest Monastery, Chiang Kong. About 1,000 villagers from 13 neighboring villages showed up to witness it.
After a lot of chanting and instructions by Venerable Arjarn Ekachai and another senior monk on the responsibilities of an ordained monk, including following the five precepts, understanding the Four Noble Truths, and the Eight-fold Path to Enlightenment, we also had to undergo a head shaving ceremony. I did not realize that the shaving would include my eyebrows. But by this time, I had let go of all attachments for the time being and decided to surrender to the whole process. My son Gotham was there to witness and film the ceremony as I and Jate went through the process.
After the head shaving ceremony, the villagers lined up one by one to tie threads around our wrists. This was symbolic and meant that the villagers and monks had embraced us as their family. This part of the ceremony took two hours, and Jate and I sat cross-legged on the floor for it.
After the "thread ceremony," all the villagers were fed food that had been cooked by volunteers. All this took us to about noon, after which Jate and I mounted two elephants as part of a parade to the Buddhist Temple, where the ordainment and wearing of the monks robes was to take place. The parade was very festive, with drumming and chanting, and the villagers were all dressed in colorful celebratory outfits.
We dismounted our elephants upon reaching the temple where the actual ordainment ceremony began. This lasted five hours with me and Jate reciting our Buddhist chants to prove that we had done our "homework."
Finally, we were asked to give up our clothes and exchange them for the monk's robes. As Jate and I walked out of the temple at about 5:30 PM in the evening with our begging bowls and in monk robes, all of the villagers prostrated themselves at our feet with reverence, made offerings, and filled up our begging bowls. We were now ordained.
Back in the monastery the Venerable Arjarn Ekachai instructed us on our routine, which was to be similar to the one at the previous monastery. Over the next week, we maintained silence and kept the routine as instructed.
My only challenge was walking barefoot through the villages. The country paths were at times rocky and at times full of bristles and thorns, but we marched through it despite the pain. The Venerable Arjarn Ekachai would meet with us in the afternoon and late evening where he would go over our practice of mindfulness.
Because there were no mirrors, we did not know what we looked like to ourselves. The others treated us with great respect and reverence and the villagers were very generous in the giving of alms, which mostly included rice, vegetables, fruit, boiled eggs, and sometimes even a bar of chocolate.
It was amazing to see to see the generosity and love and the reverence in the eyes of the peasants as they offered food to us. We ate once a day as in the previous monastery.
By and by, I started to feel that I was losing my sense of my previous identity. Physically, I was without hair on my scalp or my eyebrows. I walked barefoot. I wore the robe of monks. I practiced mindful awareness day and night, in addition to meditating on impermanence and on my own physical death. The Venerable Arjarn Ekachai explained that being in this mindful state and shedding our previous identity allowed divine qualities to emerge -- lovingkindness, compassion to all beings, happiness at the happiness of others, and equanimity. Indeed I felt the truth of all this in my experience. I realized that holding on to anything is really like holding on to your breath. You begin to feel suffocation. It was freeing to let go.
Before we went to the closing ceremony, we took our hair and packed it in palm leaves and went to the Mekong River, which runs between Thailand and Laos. We boarded a boat and went toward a shrine along the river banks, where we offered our hair to the river and it floated away. This was symbolic of letting go of our habitual certainties and attachments and creating the space for new and better and more spiritual things in our lives. The hair, which is part of our body and came from the elements, was returned to the elements.
After a full week, Jate and I returned to Bangkok once again wearing our regular clothes. But, when I looked into the mirror, I could not recognize myself and burst out laughing.
Does sound a bit spooky if you re-read carefully. Chopra didn't just do a 2 week vipassana retreat, he ordained as a monk in a deeply meaningful public ceremony, with about a thousand witnesses. I can appreciate how bhante appicchato and others (who take ordination very very seriously) might feel a bit sick or queasy... | <urn:uuid:a5f8dbf8-7727-4025-a59a-7841d0e3a0fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?p=78015 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982948 | 1,214 | 1.570313 | 2 |
**Posted by Phineas
One of your embassies is under attack, your ambassador and other Americans are in grave danger, and forces you’ve sent to their aid are held up at the local airport in a turf dispute. So, what do you do? Do you pick up the phone and call the leader of the host country and ask him to expedite things so your soldiers can go save American lives? Do you remind him of the aid we rendered to his people in throwing off the late dictator, without which they likely would have lost? And, if he demurs, do you remind him of your predecessor’s famous words, “If you’re not with us, you’re against us?”
Oh, hell no:
President Obama didn’t make any phone calls the night of the Sept. 11 attacks on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, the White House said in a letter to Congress released Thursday.
“During the entire attack, the president of the United States never picked up the phone to put the weight of his office in the mix,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, who had held up Mr. Obama’s defense secretary nominee to force the information to be released.
Mr. Graham said that if Mr. Obama had picked up the phone, at least two of the Americans killed in the attacks on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi might still be alive because he might have been able to push U.S. aid to get to the scene faster.
The White House has said Mr. Obama was kept up to date on the attack by his staff, though after being alerted to the attack in a pre-scheduled afternoon meeting he never spoke again with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin E. Dempsey or then-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Mr. Panetta told Congress last week that he knew immediately the attacks were a terrorist assault, though the White House downplayed that notion in the first five days after the attack.
Emphasis added. Let’s make this clear: Obama knew early enough that he could have made a phone call to Tripoli. (Somehow, I think Libyan President El-Megrahi would have picked up the line.) We had a rapid reaction squad at the Benghazi airport, where it was delayed due to an argument between rival forces. Had Obama put the weight of his office behind a personal demand that those men be allowed to continue their mission, at least the people at the CIA annex, including the two SEALs who died defending it, might have been rescued. But evidently, no one in this chowderheaded national security team thought to suggest it to Obama, nor did the Commander in Chief think of it himself. Or he did, but didn’t think it was such a big deal.
Well, it was a big deal to the Americans whose blood stained the walls of our consulate:
To say I’m disgusted would be an understatement. “Contempt” is the nicest way I can express my opinion for the man occupying the Oval Office.
Meanwhile, take a look again at the last quoted sentence. Panetta knew immediately it was a terrorist attack. That means Hillary Clinton knew. That means Susan Rice, our UN Ambassador knew. And that means Obama himself knew. And yet for days and weeks after the attack they continued to blame the maker of an obscure YouTube video hardly anyone had seen. Rice went on five Sunday talk shows to push that point. Clinton promised the father of the murdered Ambassador Stevens that they would get the maker of the video. And Obama himself repeatedly denounced the video in his address to the UN General Assembly.
And now –after the election– Panetta admits they knew the truth all along.
Senator Lindsey Graham has often frustrated me, but on Benghazi he’s been a bulldog. He has warned he will put a hold on the nominations of Senator Hagel for Defense Secretary and John Brennan for CIA Director until the administration answers the many questions left over from the Benghazi massacre, including who decided to alter the CIA talking points on the incident to make it look like a spontaneous demonstration over a video. Good, and I hope he can sustain it. The administration thinks they’ve skated on this, and the only way the truth will ever come out is to hold up major appointments.
As I’ve said before, the only people who did not know what really happened on September 11th, 2012, in Benghazi were the American people. Our government knew. The jihadis knew. The Libyan government knew. Everybody knew except us, because someone made the decision to hide it from us.
And if you recall that September comes before November, you’ll know the likely reason why this colossal screw up was covered up.
via Hot Air
(Crossposted at Public Secrets) | <urn:uuid:fb6f3f50-889a-4dfc-9e82-1e13b7176510> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sistertoldjah.com/archives/2013/02/16/benghazi-the-president-couldnt-be-bothered-to-pick-up-the-phone/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977803 | 1,011 | 1.757813 | 2 |
WASHINGTON (CNN) - President Bush reflected on his own struggle with alcohol in a White House meeting today to tout gains in the war on drug abuse.
CNN was the only media outlet invited to attend the entire meeting, which other reporters joined in the final minutes for remarks from the president.
Several in the room, including Don Coyhis of Colorado Springs, Colorado who runs a program targeting Native Americans battling substance abuse, were recovered addicts or alcoholics.
Bush, who quit drinking at the age of 40, was impressed.
"Congratulations on thirty years of sobriety," the president told Coyhis. "I'm eight years behind you."
The president told the group of fourteen, all leaders in drug prevention, treatment and interdiction programs around the country, that a new study shows teen drug abuse has dropped 25 percent since he took office in 2001.
"No question there's still work to do in America, but we are making progress," said Mr. Bush.
But the study by the University of Michigan cautioned that progress could be threatened by a drop in the percentage of young people who think marijuana is harmful. And it found a high percentage of teens are abusing prescription drugs – with nearly 10 percent of seniors reporting using Vicodin over the last year, nearly 5 percent abusing Oxycontin.
Bush listened to participants' stories and shared some candid moments.
Professional baseball player Josh Hamilton, who once suffered from a debilitating drug addiction, talked about seeking help from eight different treatment centers. "They didn't work for me," he said.
It wasn't until his grandmother confronted him while he was high on drugs that something clicked.
"That moment cleared my mind, opened my heart, and that following night I committed my life to Christ," said Hamilton.
President Bush praised the effectiveness of the programs represented, most private and faith-based.
"I'm a faith-based guy," explained Mr. Bush. "Sometimes to help change a person's behavior, you have to change their heart. Government's not really good at that."
Former New Orleans District Attorney Harry Connick Sr. talked about why he was motivated to launch a student drug testing program that has now spread to 20 city high schools.
Over his nearly 30-year-career, Connick said, "I sent a lot of people to the penitentiary. But at one point I thought, this is not enough."
The father of singer Harry Connick Jr. maintained the best way to reduce demand for drugs is to test high school students.
Dr. Katie McQueen advocated more careful screening of patients for substance abuse by hospitals and doctors.
"Of the millions of people who need help, most don't get it because they don't think they need it.," explained McQueen.
When McQueen announced her Houston program was based in "the great state of Texas," President Bush interrupted with a broad smile, "I'll be home in about – but who's counting – 39 days."
Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, discussed research that shows that 50 percent of a person's vulnerability to drug addiction is genetic.
President Bush asked whether the same was true of alcohol abuse.
"There's clearly a genetic component," responded Volkow. "That's why prevention is so important."
Lt. Mike Boudreaux of the Tulare County Sheriff's Department described his battle to eradicate marijuana fields on California public lands.
"It's a daunting task," said Boudreaux of their efforts that often involve confronting dangerous Mexican drug dealers intent on protecting their hidden fields.
Boudreaux added that his mother said to tell President Bush she prays for him.
"One of the most striking aspects of being president is the power of prayer in my life. I feel it," said Mr. Bush. "Some days are happy. Some days are not so happy. But every day is joyous." | <urn:uuid:31e60b42-fb82-4f6e-a38c-070dd3f8195e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/12/11/32435/comment-page-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977511 | 809 | 1.695313 | 2 |
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Phoenix, U.S.A. – Everything big starts out small. Thousands of people in Haiti without access to clean drinking water will understand that in a tangible way very soon. Recently, Ethan Wolfe, a 6 year-old Phoenix boy heard that people in Haiti had to drink “dirty water” every day and asked his family what they could do about it.
And in the span of about one month, more than 4,600 people filled emptied water bottles with dollar bills and change as part of the Dirty Water campaign at Palmcroft Baptist Church. The “Dirty Water fasting” campaign asked people to drink nothing but water for a month and donate the money they would have paid during that time for coffee, soda, juices and other drinks. The most recent count puts the “dirty water” collection at over $105,000.
The original campaign goal was to raise $25,000, but the response from the Phoenix community has been overwhelming. “The efforts to bring clean water can be appreciated by everyone across our entire community regardless of generation, gender or grade,” said Jeff Wolfe, pastor at Palmcroft Baptist Church and father of the kindergartener who inspired the challenge to make a difference.
100% of funds raised will go toward clean water projects for the poorest of the poor through Palmcroft’s partner, LiquidWater.com. To date, Liquid Water has brought over 45 communities sustainable clean water solutions in countries such as Haiti, Ethiopia and El Salvador.
On average, $5,000 builds a well for a community of 400 that will bring clean safe drinking water for 20 years. The campaign funds will be used to establish over a dozen new wells and accompanying clean water projects in the Haiti region in 2012 and 2013.
Since the start of the Dirty Water campaign on April 5, several community organizations have indicated interest in self-organizing into a coalition of support for even more projects in the immediate future. “The best part of what we have been able to do with the Palmcroft community is that it has become more than just basic fundraising. We’re excited to see a movement organizing in Phoenix to potentially produce 12-months of support for water projects around the world,” said Rich Birch, vice-president of LiquidWater.com
The World Health Organization reports that about 760 million people do not have a choice but to use unsafe water with poor sanitation, which kills more people than all forms of violence, including war.
“On our own, we would have been able to raise $20,000-$25,000 for the cause. But partnering with Liquid Water to empower the greater Phoenix area has allowed us to raise in excess of $100,000 to date. It is exciting to know the impact our community will have for thousands of people in Haiti for years to come,” said Wolfe.
And in the end, Ethan, the kindergartener who started it all was not pivotal for his inspiration only. His own personal fundraising campaign results? Over $5,700 – enough for an entire water well. Everything big does start small indeed. | <urn:uuid:9411ac12-d6ce-4b20-90be-5010246d3f41> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.toonaripost.com/2012/05/world-news/6-year-old-inspire-campaign-for-clean-drinking-water-to-haiti/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967108 | 650 | 1.820313 | 2 |
The headquarters of Pakistan's powerful Inter-Services Intelligence directorate is a black-ribbed stucco building in the Aabpara neighborhood of the capital. Its operatives, described by wary Pakistanis as "the boys from Aabpara," play a powerful and mysterious role in the life of the country. Their "tentacles," as one ISI officer terms the agency's spy networks, stretch deep into neighboring Afghanistan.
The ISI agreed to open its protective curtain slightly for me last week. This unusual outreach included a long and animated conversation with Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha, the agency's director general, as well as a detailed briefing from its counterterrorism experts. Under the ground rules, I cannot quote Pasha directly, but I can offer a sense of how his agency looks at key issues -- including the Afghanistan war and the ISI's sometimes prickly relationship with America.
At an operational level, the ISI is a close partner of the CIA. Officers of the two services work together nearly every night on joint operations against al-Qaeda in Pakistan's tribal areas, perhaps the most dangerous region in the world. Information from the ISI has helped the CIA plan its Predator drone attacks, which have killed 14 of the top 20 targets over the past several years.
But on the political level, there is mistrust on both sides. The United States worries that the ISI isn't sharing all it knows about Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. The Pakistanis, meanwhile, view the United States as an unreliable ally that starts fights it doesn't know how to finish.
A test of this fragile partnership is the debate over the new Afghanistan strategy proposed by Gen. Stanley McChrystal. The ISI leadership thinks the United States can't afford to lose in Afghanistan, and it worries about a security vacuum there that would endanger Pakistan. But at the same time, the ISI fears that a big military surge, like the up to 40,000 additional troops McChrystal wants, could be counterproductive.
ISI officials believe Washington should be realistic about its war objectives. If victory is defined as obliteration of the Taliban, the United States will never win. But the United States can achieve the more limited aim of rough political stability, if it is patient.
In the ISI's view, America makes a mistake in thinking it must solve every problem on its own. In Afghanistan, it should work with President Hamid Karzai, who, for all his imperfections, has one essential quality that American strategists lack -- he's an Afghan. ISI officials suggest that Karzai should capitalize on the post-election ferment by calling for a cease-fire so that he can form a broadly based government that includes some Taliban representatives.
ISI officials say they want to help America with political reconciliation in Afghanistan. But they argue that to achieve this goal, the U.S. must change its posture -- moving from "ruler mode" to "support mode" -- so that Afghan voices can be heard.
The American suspicion that the ISI is withholding information about the Taliban, or is otherwise "hedging its bets," makes ISI leaders visibly angry. Pakistanis have the most to lose from a Taliban victory in Kabul, they argue, because it would inevitably strengthen the Taliban in Pakistan, too. A Pakistani version of Mohammad Omar is anathema to them, the ISI leaders say.
As for American allegations that the ISI maintains direct links with Siraj Haqqani, a key ally of the Taliban, the ISI officials insist it isn't so. They do have a network of agents within the insurgent groups and tribes, but that's part of a spy agency's job. America's suspicion that Pakistan secretly pulls the Taliban's strings is many years out of date, they contend.
One ISI analyst loudly calls my name at the end of a briefing and then recites a summary of Pakistani casualties since Sept. 11, 2001, from terrorism. The list totals 5,362 dead and 10,483 wounded. "Trust us," says another ISI official, referring to this casualty toll. "Do not interfere in a way that infringes on our sovereignty and makes us look bad in the eyes of the public."
Talking with ISI leaders, I am reminded of something you see around the world these days. People want to help America more than we sometimes think. But they want to be treated with respect -- as full partners, not as useful CIA assets.
Trust is always a conditional word when you are talking about intelligence activities, which are built around deception. But in this case, where America and Pakistan share common interests, the opportunities are real. | <urn:uuid:ea68149f-2b3c-40a3-b7ea-01bbce6cd458> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2009/09/29/the_view_from_pakistans_spies_97216.html | 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 | 0.960475 | 935 | 1.585938 | 2 |
One of our charity partners, Oxfam, has launched its first ever national emergency appeal for stock donations following the biggest loss of donations in its 69-year history in a fire at its recycling facility. The charity faces a stock crisis after a fire destroyed Wastesaver, its unique sorting and recycling facility in Huddersfield. Wastesaver has been a crucial part of the charity’s shop network since 1967.
As a result, Oxfam is calling on the British public to help it overcome the unprecedented loss by donating any unwanted clothing and accessories to their local Oxfam shop or donation bank across the UK. The fire wiped out the clothing stock held for Oxfam’s popular festivals shop, which last year raised £250,000 and is scheduled to be at seven of this year’s biggest festivals, including Glastonbury, Leeds and Bestival.
Said Emily Eavis: “Oxfam shops are such a big part of life not just on the high street but at Glastonbury too. It was so sad to hear about the damage this fire caused. I’m going to be digging through my wardrobe to see what I can donate to help – if everyone donates their unwanted things to Oxfam it will make a huge difference - and we’ll still have a shop at Glastonbury.”
Oxfam works in more than 70 countries worldwide, delivering lifesaving and life-changing work in everything from humanitarian emergencies to long-term work battling the effects of climate change. Oxfam’s shop network is a vital part of this, generating around £23 million profit every year to fight poverty. | <urn:uuid:2df52cce-8911-426a-a080-7ffe91aa7d0a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/News/oxfam-launches-emergency-stock-appeal | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947035 | 338 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Shots - Health News
Fri January 25, 2013
To Fight Addiction, FDA Advisers Endorse Limits On Vicodin And Similar Painkillers
Originally published on Wed January 30, 2013 2:38 pm
A key federal panel Friday recommended placing new restrictions on Vicodin and similar prescription painkillers.
At the conclusion of an emotional two-day hearing, the Food and Drug Administration advisory committee voted 19-10 to recommend the agency change how drugs that contain the opioid hydrocodone are classified as controlled substances.
The change would impose a variety of new restrictions on the drugs. For example, doctors could only write prescriptions for 30-day supplies and could no longer call in new prescriptions without patients coming back to the office. In addition, nurse practitioners and physician assistants in some states would no longer be able to prescribe them.
The vote was praised by those seeking new restrictions. "I believe that this change will mark a turning point in the epidemic," said Dr. Andrew Kolodny of the Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. "It will lead to less people becoming addicted, which is the most important thing that needs to happen to bring this crisis under control."
But pain specialists expressed concern about the effect of new restrictions on patients struggling with debilitating pain. "If the FDA agrees with the advisory committee, the decision will have far-reaching impact on access and cost to pain care," said Dr. Lynn Webster, president-elect of the American Academy of Pain Medicine. "I hope people in pain won't suffer as a result."
Top officials at the FDA will now consider the vote in making a recommendation to the Department of Health and Human Services, and the agency isn't saying when that might happen. In 2008, the FDA rejected a similar request.
"We will pay close attention to everything we've heard as we proceed," the FDA's Douglas Throckmorton told the panel at the conclusion of the hearing.
Drugs containing hydrocodone are at the center of an emotional debate that pits the needs of pain patients against efforts to fight widespread abuse of these and other opioid painkillers.
More than 136 million prescriptions for these products are dispensed every year, making them the most widely used prescription drugs. Vicodin is probably the best-known hydrocodone medicine, but there are many others, sold under brand names such as Lortab and Norco.
The request for the change came from the Drug Enforcement Agency, which, along with others, argues these drugs are just as addicting and abused as frequently as other powerful opioids such as Oxycontin and Percocet, which are Schedule II drugs.
While powerful painkillers, opioids are highly addictive and are abused by millions. The number of Americans overdosing from these drugs has been increasing rapidly in recent years, and more than 15,000 now die every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But about 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, and many of them and their doctors fear the change would make it difficult, if not impossible, for these patients to get drugs they need.
The concern is that many people, such as the elderly and those living in rural areas, won't be able to make the extra trips to the doctor to get new prescriptions, or afford additional visits. Doctors worried about getting into trouble with the DEA may also stop prescribing the drugs, and insurance companies may stop paying for them.
In addition to testimony from DEA and FDA officials and from pain and addiction specialists, the committee heard from several parents whose children died from overdoses after becoming addicted to hydrocodone products. Many of them broke down in tears or expressed anger at the widespread availability of the drugs.
"They are highly addicting. My son is proof," said Cheryl Placek of Niagra Falls, N.Y., who sobbed as she described how her 28-year-old son Daniel committed suicide after becoming addicted to hydrocodone he received for back pain.
"All he did is follow his doctor's instructions," she said. "In the end, the drug took his life. We look for medicine to get us better, not kill. The addiction to hydrocodone stole my son's life and destroyed his family."
The committee also heard from several patients suffering from chronic, debilitating pain. They pleaded with the committee not to impose new restrictions.
Shani Weber of Mount Airy, Md., said she depends on the drugs for managing pain from
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which among other things causes her joints to suddenly dislocate, triggering intense pain. She described one incident that occurred last week.
"I awoke with a pain level so high I was struggling to breathe," Weber said. It was all I could do to not fall into a fetal position screaming.... I was extremely thankful for access to hydrocodone."
In addition to the DEA request, some doctors and addiction specialists want the FDA to change the labels on all opioids, including drugs such as Oxycontin and Percocet. They want the labels to say they should only be prescribed for severe pain, at much lower doses and for no more than 90 days.
The goal is to get drug companies to stop marketing these drugs as aggressively and get doctors to be much more cautious about prescribing them. The FDA's has scheduled another hearing on that request next month.
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.
MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:
And I'm Melissa Block. A Food and Drug Administration panel has endorsed new restrictions on Vicodin and similar prescription painkillers. This is a recommendation, not yet policy. Supporters say the new restrictions are needed to fight rising abuse of these drugs. Addiction to painkillers is widespread, and there are thousands of overdose deaths every year.
But there are those who oppose limiting access to these drugs; among them, some doctors and their patients who suffer from debilitating pain. NPR's Rob Stein joins us now to explain the debate and today's vote. And Rob, the DEA and others call prescription painkiller abuse an epidemic in this country. How big a problem is it and who, exactly, is abusing these drugs?
ROB STEIN, BYLINE: It's really two different kinds of patients. One of them are patients who get prescribed these drugs for legitimate medical reasons. They have an operation, or they have back pain, and they end up getting addicted; these drugs can be highly addictive. And the second group are people who are just kind of looking to get high - you know, teenagers who are rummaging through their parents' medicine cabinets - and they start taking these drugs, and they get addicted.
And everybody agrees that it's a really big problem that's getting a lot worse. There are millions of people who are estimated to abuse these drugs, and millions who are addicted. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there are at least 15,000 deaths from overdoses occurring every year, and that's more than cocaine and heroin combined.
BLOCK: Now, we mentioned Vicodin as one of these drugs, but that's not the only drug that they're talking about here, right?
STEIN: Right. They're talking about any drug that includes hydrocodone - that's an opioid, with another product that - they're called combination hydrocodone products. And there are lots of products like this that - on the market. They have names like Lortab. And their - estimate is that there are about 136 million prescriptions written for these every year, and that's the most widely prescribed prescription drug of any kind.
BLOCK: Now, what does the Drug Enforcement Agency want to happen with these drugs?
STEIN: Right. What they want to happen is, they want these drugs put in the same legal category as other prescription painkillers, like Oxycontin and Percocet. And that would have fairly wide-scale implications. It would have all sorts of new restrictions; including, for example, doctors would be limited in how much of the pills they could prescribe at any one prescription. And certain medical professionals, like physician assistants and nurse practitioners, would no longer be able to prescribe these drugs.
BLOCK: We mentioned, Rob, that some doctors and their patients are quite concerned about this. What is their concern, exactly?
STEIN: The concern is that there are an estimated 100 million Americans out there who suffer from chronic pain. And this can be quite debilitating. These are people who have terrible pain all day long - never goes away - and they are really dependent on these drugs to exist, to function on a daily basis. And they're worried that these restrictions really could make it difficult - if not impossible - for them to get drugs they need. It could mean that they could not afford the extra visits to the doctor that they would need; that some doctors may just stop prescribing them because they're afraid of getting into trouble with the DEA; or insurance companies might stop paying for them.
BLOCK: And what do the people who are pushing for the restrictions say to that?
STEIN: What they say is that, you know, if a doctor has a patient who really needs these drugs, they still could get them the drugs. They'd still be able to prescribe them. They could do things like give them several prescriptions at one time, that are dated in the future. So they couldn't fill it all at once, but they could - when they run out, they could fill the next one and then the next one.
BLOCK: OK. Well, the FDA was hearing this today. What happened at that hearing?
STEIN: You know, I've covered a lot of these hearings; and this was one of the most intense, one of the most emotional hearings that I've actually encountered. You know, there were the usual experts - the pain specialists, the addiction specialists, the government officials. But then there were - lots of testimony from individual patients; you know, parents who lost their children through overdoses and, you know, recounted the stories, and they were crying, and very angry and upset; and also, lots of pain patients who were describing what it's like to live with this terrible pain, and the fears that they had, that what they would do if they just couldn't get the drugs they needed?
But in the end, the committee voted fairly lopsided - 19 to 10 - to endorse the new restrictions; and they decided that the benefits of that would outweigh the risks.
BLOCK: OK. NPR's Rob Stein. Rob, thanks so much.
STEIN: Oh, sure. Thanks for having me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | <urn:uuid:8477616c-a710-4d69-9481-22c1c7a07612> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wfae.org/post/fight-addiction-fda-advisers-endorse-limits-vicodin-and-similar-painkillers | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972582 | 2,221 | 1.765625 | 2 |
"Having world-class infrastructure is a key focus for any world-class city," said Mayor Emanuel. "These targeted and strategic investments in our infrastructure will allow Chicagoans and visitors to get around the city more easily, to jobs, businesses and neighborhoods."
The investments in these stations amount to one of the largest in the history of the CTA. These four projects project to create nearly 4,000 jobs, directly and indirectly, according to industry estimates. During the 2012 budget process, Mayor Emanuel focused on infrastructure repair, particularly the rehabilitation of the CTA, as an essential focus of this administration.
"I am very pleased to work with Mayor Emanuel and President Claypool to secure federal funds that have made the upgrade of L stops in Chicago possible," said U.S. Congressman Danny Davis (D-IL). "During this time of an economic recovery, Chicago is poised to add nearly 4,000 construction jobs. I am excited about this funding and will continue working with the mayor to ensure Chicago has the best public transit system in the country."
In addition to the Grand Avenue rehabilitation, the city will create a new Green Line station at Cermak, to serve McCormick Place and the near South Side. The City will also rehabilitate the Clark/Division Red Line Station and will combine two stations to create a Wabash/Washington station on the Brown/Pink/Green/Orange lines.
The specific projects are:
The $73.6 million rehabilitation of the CTA's Grand Avenue Red Line stop was recently completed after three years of construction. The station was built in the early 1940s and has never been renovated.
The renovation project included:
• Expansion of the public area of the mezzanine and fare array by 2,100 square feet, which improves circulation for entering/exiting capacity (from eight to 12 turnstiles). Two additional temporary fare machines can be added during special events to further increase entrance capacity.
• Replacement of the 1940's escalators and truss. Installation of modern, faster and more reliable escalators. Two new escalators from platform to mezzanine and one new escalator from mezzanine to street level.
• New elevators making this station ADA accessible.
• Additional stairs from mezzanine to platform level to increase circulation.
• New security and monitoring system.
• New electronic signage that can deliver up to the minute information to riders.
• New electrical and communications systems, including installation of an electrical backup system for evacuation.
• Higher lighting levels at mezzanine and platform for security.
• New acoustical panels to reduce station noise.
This $86.6 million subway renovation project includes the construction of a brand new 6,300 square-foot mezzanine for the Clark/Division Red Line subway station. It will be the first new mezzanine to be constructed since the Red Line subway was originally built in the 1940s. In addition to the new mezzanine at LaSalle, the original Clark mezzanine and platform will also be completely renovated and brought up to current CTA standards.
The project highlights include: energy efficient lighting; new fare collection equipment; granite floors; state-of-the-art communication and security equipment; new signage; new enclosed stairs and escalators; and new wall and ceiling architectural finishes. The renovation of this station will upgrade the deteriorated an out-of-date facility and enhance the station's appearance and operation.
Construction of the new mezzanine and platform at LaSalle Street will begin in March and will be completed in 24 months. Then the 12-month renovation of the existing platform and mezzanine at Clark Street will begin, with the entire project completed by March 2015.
Cermak Green Line Station
This $50 million TIF-supported project consists of the design and construction of a new, elevated CTA station at Cermak on the Green Line. The station, located in the two mile-stretch between the existing Roosevelt and 35th/Bronzeville stations will provide much needed access to rapid transit for neighborhood residents and businesses. The new station will be ADA-accessible and have station house facilities located at grade level. The platform will be a center-island configuration for an eight-car train with canopy coverage for six cars. The station will also include an auxiliary exit to the north side of 23rd Street.
The design work will begin in March with construction set to begin by February 2013. The 18-month construction project is expected to be complete by July 2014.
Washington/Wabash Loop Elevated Station
The planned $75 million Washington/Wabash elevated station will replace two separate century-old stations on Wabash at Randolph and Madison. The new station will be located along Wabash Avenue south of Washington Street.
The fare controls, stairs, escalators, elevators, electrical, security and communications rooms will be on the mezzanine level. The station will be entirely new and will meet ADA standards with new elevators from the street to mezzanine and platform levels. The platform capacity will be enlarged from the existing seven-foot, six-inch width to 10-foot and 13-foot widths.
Final design work will begin in May, with construction scheduled to begin in April 2013. The project is expected to be complete by September 2014. | <urn:uuid:e01b68ae-1844-48cf-9655-855bb9ae209f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rtands.com/index.php/passenger/rapid-transit-light-rail/cta-reopens-grand-station-more-to-undergo-renovations.html?channel= | 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 | 0.943399 | 1,111 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Technology On The Horizon: Apps are now major features in cars
In the third part of a five-part series at top innovations from this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, Technology reporter Adam Balkin shows us cars are trying harder than ever to become more like cellphones.
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LAS VEGAS — Car dashboards are more and more resembling smart phone screens. The big difference is that cars that offer apps typically have just a dozen or so to choose from, whereas phones have access to hundreds of thousands of apps.
The two big U.S. auto companies are trying to close that gap a bit, as Ford has announced at the Consumer Electronics Show a program to bring in more third-party or outside apps.
"It allows developers access to the Ford Sync program and develop applications customers can use with their smartphones inside Ford vehicles," says Hau Thai-Tang of Ford.
General Motors is working on an almost identical plan. It even brought 450 developers to Las Vegas for a giant "hackathon," a 36-hour event trying to come up with the next great in-car app.
"Really fresh ideas coming from these developers about how to really personalize and really make the vehicle your own, so that’s what we're really excited about. You know, we're General Motors and we're thinking about the car, they're thinking about the car in a different way," says Steve Schwinke of General Motors.
Those with app envy thinking of all the apps in their friends' cars can turn to a company called Livio. It is trying to change not only the number of apps for cars, but is trying to make them available for any car that is app-enabled.
The Livio app is one app that can live on any car head unit. Right now, just Chevy is onboard with its Spark. Through that Livio app, one can access dozens, even hundreds of car-friendly apps sent to that screen from the phone.
"What we're doing is saying you have 14 apps on your phone and you want to use them in your car. All you have to do is sync your phone through USB, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth and suddenly you have access to your phone through your stereo," says Nicole Yelland of Livio.
Livio, Chevy and Ford all insist though while they are looking for more apps they will only support those that allow the driver to safely perform their main task while in the car — driving. | <urn:uuid:9c12f2a1-155d-4839-bbc8-272edc4a781b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rochester.ynn.com/content/other_features/637121/technology-on-the-horizon--apps-are-now-major-features-in-cars/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962901 | 535 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Defense Info Agency Supports Korean Exercise
American Forces Press Service
ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 17, 1997 Troops training in 1997's Exercise Ulchi Focus Lens in Korea had access to a new tool that improved their warfighting abilities.
The Global Command and Control System Common Operational Picture debuted as the primary situational awareness tool for a major exercise in Korea. Thirty-five Defense Information Systems Agency personnel fielded system applications and hardware, according to U.S. Forces Korea and Combined Forces Command officials.
Agency personnel also fixed infrastructure problems, as the commands were to adopt the tool for real-world operations after the exercise. The U.S. Forces Korea Global Command and Control System architecture proved flexible enough to support both this exercise and real world operations.
Ulchi Focus Lens, a biennial exercise, exercises and validates procedures used to execute command and control and integration of U.S. and allied forces throughout Korea. It also tests and evaluates command, control and communications system capabilities and data communications. Ulchi Focus Lens is one of several DoD training exercises conducted to sharpen and build teamwork and joint war fighting skills. Information technology and the joint warfighting team's ability to share a common operational picture are integral elements of these exercises.
(From a Defense Information System Agency news release.) | <urn:uuid:c892f079-1eb8-4fae-8858-b1278e618136> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.defense.gov/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=41120 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939297 | 264 | 1.828125 | 2 |
I was wondering if there was a way once could check if a page was opened in a new tab, by right-clicking and clicking the "Open in New Tab" option in most browsers, or if a page was opened in a new window, by right clicking on the link and pressing the "Open in New Window" in a browser?
Is there a way one could do this in js? or, and i know this is not the forum to ask, but if possible in html or php?
I am asking here because js seems like it would be the most-capable of doing this. Also if it could be done in jQuery, that would be convenient for me
Finally, the reason why I want to do this is to detect if a link from / in my site was opened in a way besides the default action i put in the html <a> tag's target attribute.
Thank you for you help and please post any Questions, Comments, Concerns, or Solutions. | <urn:uuid:c9029a71-c16a-402f-9163-0e02b374ca8e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?814705-find-out-when-page-is-opened-in-new-window-or-new-tab&mode=hybrid | 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 | 0.961508 | 203 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Father’s Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June but it is also celebrated widely on other days. In the United States, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June. So, Father’s Day is on Sunday, June 17, 2012. Here are somes cool pics related to fathers day. | <urn:uuid:cd291d02-6752-4910-935d-37c966a7702e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://techjost.com/2012/06/02/fathers-day-2012/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971043 | 92 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Five frustrating, enlightening, and ultimately rewarding months teaching at a Guatemalan orphanage filled my life last year. Once back home in the United States, I couldn't stop thinking about the children in Casa Guatemala. I clicked constantly through digital photographs from the orphanage and lingered over the farewell cards the kids had made for me. Then, 13 months after I’d left, I found a way to return to Guatemala—via Scranton, Pennsylvania, and three of my former charges.
Higinio, Juan, and Luís—brothers ages 7, 9, and 11, respectively—were the three boys I’d grown closest to at the orphanage. In the fall of 2003, the National Police found them alone and scavenging in the Guatemala City dump, where they had been abandoned. Higinio, the youngest, was only two and half. As with all the kids, I’d battled with them when they misbehaved, but we four shared an especially close bond. Higinio would call me to talk before he went to sleep. Juanito crawled into my bed if he had a stomachache.
And Luís always left me deeply humbled when he’d share a rare treat he’d somehow secreted away. When I departed from the orphanage, it was with the hope of seeing them again soon—this time in the United States, where they were being adopted.
In January, the boys joined their new family in Scranton. I’d met their father, Gregg Loboda, a 43-year-old vice president for systems at Prudential Financial, when he visited the orphanage during my stay. We’d kept in touch as he and his wife, Mary Jo, toiled through Guatemala’s adoption system. Now, Higinio, Juan, and Luís are part of an American home, but one that is anything but ordinary. The family already has eight other children, ages 14 to 24, including seven who are adopted from Russia.
“Hola, Aaron Bombon!” That hello—using my orphanage nickname—greeted me the first time I called the boys. “How’s your family?” I ask. “How’s school?”
“Bien,” each responds enthusiastically, passing the phone on to the next brother. They sound relaxed and happy, though still new to talking on the phone. And from the sounds of a videogame in the background, it is clear they are already hooked. Before I say goodbye, Higinio gets on the phone and, in heavily accented English, asks, “Hello, how are you?”
As Gregg and I plan my visit, he tells me about the boys. “We’re all still getting used to each other,” he says. “They’re not used to the hustle and bustle of the U.S.” But they are eating well and they love the snow, he adds.
Rather than putting all their resources toward raising a conventional nuclear family, the Lobodas have dedicated themselves to a wider idea of family.
“Any little bit we can do is more than they’ll have [otherwise],” says Gregg. And the process of meeting each child and getting to know them is very special, he adds. “You just know. It’s very similar to falling in love.”
By the time my June visit arrives, life in the nine-bedroom, eight-bathroom farmhouse where the family lives outside Scranton has settled down. “I’m surprised by how quickly they’ve assimilated,” Mary Jo, a former editor who at 43 is now a full-time homemaker, tells me before the boys show up. “It’s a testament to who they are. I think because they adjusted so quickly, it made our adjustment easier.”
Higinio, Juan, and Luís saunter in a few minutes later—they had to clean their room first. Luís, then Juan, give me smiley hugs. Higinio follows shyly, not quite sure how to act.
Before the visit, I had worried that the time we’d spent together had been more real for me than it was for them, but as soon as we were outside playing it was as though no time at all had passed. “You don’t know how to play soccer, vos,” Luís, the tough-guy and oldest brother teases. “I’m the best,” Juan shouts back, kicking the ball past me while Higinio, the youngest, calls out, “Aaron Bombon, watch me kick the ball!” | <urn:uuid:c9c25a47-72d7-4fb5-9449-c9bbce6e7322> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aarp.org/relationships/family/info-09-2008/treasures_found.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976158 | 1,016 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- The brazen shooting of a defiant teen blogger has stirred the conscience of Pakistan, a nation plagued for decades by violent extremism.
An angry chorus of voices in social media, on the street, in newspapers and over the airwaves has decried the attack against 14-year-old Malala Yousufzai as cowardly and an example of a government unable to cope with militants.
"I blame the Taliban, first and foremost," columnist Sami Shah wrote in The Express Tribune, a local English daily. "I blame the government. All of it."
Malala was slowly recuperating Wednesday after surgeons worked for three hours to remove a bullet lodged in her neck.
On Tuesday, Taliban militants stopped a van carrying three girls, including Malala, on their way home from school in northwestern Pakistan's conservative Swat Valley.
One of the gunmen asked which one was Malala Yousufzai. When the girls pointed her out, the men opened fire. The bullets struck all three girls.
For two of them, the injuries were not life-threatening. For Malala, it was touch-and-go for a while.
"We are happy that she survived, but are worried too about her health condition," said her uncle, Faiz Muhammad, who is with her at a military hospital in Peshawar.
On Wednesday, police took the van driver and the school guard into custody for questioning. They also said they'd identified the culprits.
Meanwhile, the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and issued an ominous threat.
"If she survives this time, she won't next time," a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban said. "We will certainly kill her."
"I have the right of education," Malala said in a 2011 interview with CNN. "I have the right to play. I have the right to sing. I have the right to talk. I have the right to go to market. I have the right to speak up."
In fact, many of Malala's courageous words during that interview take on an even more defiant context.
"When your people need you, you should come up," she told CNN's Reza Sayah. "You should come and stand up for their rights."
Malala also encouraged other young people to take a stand against the Taliban -- and to not hide in their bedrooms. "God will ask you on the day of judgment where were you when your people were asking you, when your school fellows were asking you, and when your school was asking you that I am being blown up?"
Mian Iftikhar Hussein, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa information minister, said he was declaring a bounty of $100,000 for the capture of the culprits in the attempt on Malala's life.
Pakistani Army Chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani visited Malala in the hospital and delivered a simple message: "We refuse to bow before terror." He also noted that the Taliban lack respect for the "golden words" of the Prophet Mohammed -- "that the one who is not kind to children is not amongst us."
"In attacking Malala, the terrorists have failed to grasp that she is not only an individual, but an icon of courage and hope," the general said.
The chief minister of Punjab said he would bear the cost of Malala's treatment, calling her "the daughter of Pakistan."
The head of PIA, the national airline, said he was putting a plane on standby to take the teenager "anywhere in the world if needed" for treatment. Two neurosurgeons, one in the United States and one in the United Kingdom, have also offered to fly to Pakistan if needed, the interior minister said.
Throughout the country and around the world, Pakistanis, hurt and angry, prayed.
"Malala is what Taliban will never be," said Murtaza Haider, the associate dean of research and graduate programs at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto's Ryerson University, in an opinion piece in the Dawn newspaper.
"She is fearless, enlightened, articulate, and a young Muslim woman who is the face of Pakistan and the hope for a faltering nation that can no longer protect its daughters."
"If the Taliban wants to fight, then they should pick on someone their own size," a girl said on a local news channel.
Shamila Chaudhary, a former U.S. National Security Council director for Afghanistan and Pakistan, told CNN the incident reverberates among women and girls and even conservative Muslims.
"The Pakistani Taliban don't have a lot of support in the Pakistani society," she said. "They don't offer social services and justice, they don't offer any alternative to weak government."
This latest incident "makes them more unpopular" among masses of people who view the aspirations of Malala and the Taliban's resistance to them as a "fight between good and evil," said Chaudhary, a senior South Asia fellow at the New America Foundation.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the act "heinous and cowardly" on Wednesday and said the attackers must be brought to justice.
"The secretary-general, like many around the world, has been deeply moved by Malala Yousufzai's courageous efforts to promote the fundamental right to education -- enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," a representative for Ban said.
Twitter, the closest thing to a barometer of public opinion, likewise lit up.
"Wasn't the brute who put a gun to Malala's little head born to a woman?" wrote Kamran Shafi. "Did he have sisters, aunts, a wife or four? Bloody filthy terrorist!"
Pakistan's picturesque Swat Valley was once one of Pakistan's biggest tourist destinations.
The valley, near the Afghanistan border and about 186 miles (300 kilometers) from the capital city of Islamabad, boasted the country's only ski resort. It was a draw for trout-fishing enthusiasts and visitors to the ancient Buddhist ruins in the area. But that was before militants -- their faces covered with dark turbans -- unleashed a wave of violence.
They demanded veils for women, beards for men and a ban on music and television. They allowed boys' schools to operate but closed those for girls.
It was in this climate that Malala reached out to the outside world through her blog posts.
She took a stand by writing about her daily battle with extremist militants who used fear and intimidation to force girls to stay at home.
Malala's online writing led to her being awarded Pakistan's first National Peace Prize in November.
"I was scared of being beheaded by the Taliban because of my passion for education," she told CNN at the time. "During their rule, the Taliban used to march into our houses to check whether we were studying or watching television."
She said that she wanted to be a political leader, that her country "needs honest and true leaders."
The Taliban controlled Malala's valley for years until 2009, when the military cleared it in an operation that also evacuated thousands of families.
But pockets remain, and violence is never far behind.
For Pakistani public officials, Chaudhary said, the incident is a reminder of the Taliban's ends -- keeping girls from going to school and imposing hard-line religious and cultural values.
Many are in denial and haven't accepted "the extent the Taliban will go to impose their cultural values."
There have been other examples of violence against women, Chaudhary said, including the Taliban flogging of a woman caught on video a few years ago.
That was "a trigger event -- it pulled a lot of the political elite out of their denial," she said. "I see this instance as something similar."
Chaudhary said there's a misconception across the world that the political elite sympathize with the Taliban.
That's untrue, she said. They are afraid of them and the possibility of violent retribution against officials and government installations. If the government doesn't talk about this latest issue and have justice served, it will be a "step back," she said.
Sami Shah, the columnist, said the ruling Pakistan People's Party shares blame.
"There can be a million excuses why the Taliban can still operate with impunity in Pakistan, a lot of them legitimate. But if you are the ruling party, then you must accept responsibility for your failures. And the PPP has resoundingly failed."
CNN's Nasir Habib and Shaan Khan reported from Islamabad, and Joe Sterling from Atlanta. CNN's Noreen Shams and Saeed Ahmed also contributed to this report. | <urn:uuid:8554fd90-c7a2-4226-82bc-5d7a1e75374a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/10/world/asia/pakistan-teen-activist-attack/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_world+%28RSS%3A+World%29 | 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 | 0.973828 | 1,796 | 1.625 | 2 |
Exciting advances in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) occurred in 2010 and continues as the MS pipeline remains robust.
There were many key developments in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2010. These exciting advances are expected to continue as the MS pipeline remains robust, with additional MS approvals anticipated in the coming year.
2010 in Review
Ampyra (dalfampridine) was approved on January 22, 2010, as the first therapy specifically to treat a symptom of MS. It is a potassium channel blocker indicated to improve walking in patients with MS as demonstrated by an increase in walking speed. Dalfampridine is an oral medication dosed at 10 mg twice daily. The primary measure of efficacy in the pivotal trials was walking speed (in ft per sec) as measured by the Timed 25-foot Walk, using a responder analysis.
In 1 of the pivotal trials, 35% of patients were determined to be responders to dalfampridine. Walking speed change from baseline was 0.51 ft/sec in the dalfampridine-treated responders, 0.16 ft/sec in the dalfampridine-treated nonresponders, and 0.1 ft/sec in the placebo group. Dalfampridine is contraindicated in patients with moderate or severe renal impairment and in those patients who have had a history of seizures. The most common adverse events were urinary tract infections, insomnia, dizziness, headache, and nausea.
Gilenya (fingolimod), the first oral disease modifying therapy for MS, was approved by the FDA on September 21, 2010. Fingolimod is the first approved drug to act as a sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulator. Fingolimod is dosed as 0.5 mg by mouth once daily. The primary end point in the FREEDOMS pivotal placebo controlled trial involving 1272 patients with relapsing-remitting MS was reduction in relapse rates. Relapse rates were reduced in this study from an annualized rate of 0.40 for those receiving placebo to 0.18 for those taking fingolimod 0.5 mg daily (a comparative reduction of 54%).
In the TRANSFORMS trial, fingolimod safety and efficacy was evaluated versus interferon beta-1a intramuscular (Avonex). The annualized relapse rate in those taking fingolimod was 0.16, compared with 0.33 in those taking Avonex (a comparative reduction of 52%). The most common adverse events associated with fingolimod include headache, influenza, diarrhea, back pain, increases in liver function tests, and cough.
Nuedexta (dextromethorphan and quinidine) is a dual-action glutamate inhibitor and was approved on October 29, 2010. It is indicated for the treatment of pseudobulbar affect, which impacts approximately 10% of the MS population and is characterized by sudden, inappropriate, and unpredictable outbursts of crying, laughing, or anger and irritability. It is a neurological disorder secondary to a variety of neurologic conditions, including traumatic brain injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and several types of dementias, in addition to MS. The dextromethorphan/quinidine combination is dosed at one 20-mg/10-mg capsule given orally once daily for 7 days and then a maintenance dose of one 20-mg/10-mg capsule given every 12 hours.
The primary efficacy outcome in the STAR pivotal trial was changes in crying or laughing episode rates as recorded in patient diaries. On day 15 of the trial, patients in the dextromethorphan/quinidine 20-mg/10-mg group reported a mean decrease in laughing or crying episodes of between 4 and 5 fewer episodes per day as compared with those receiving placebo, who reported a mean decrease of approximately 2 fewer episodes per day. The most common adverse events associated with dextromethorphan/quinidine were diarrhea, dizziness, cough, vomiting, asthenia, peripheral edema, and urinary tract infection.
Looking to 2011 and Beyond
Cladribine is an oral agent currently under review for approval by the FDA. The FDA granted Priority Review status for cladribine tablets in July 2010, which was set to end on November 28, 2010. However, Merck recently announced the FDA has extended its review period by 3 months to February 28, 2011. It is anticipated that cladribine will compete with fingolimod and the other disease modifying MS agents as a first-line therapy for relapsing forms of MS.
In the CLARITY pivotal trial, patients were assigned to receive placebo or 1 of 2 cumulative doses of cladribine over 96 weeks, either 3.5 or 5.25 mg per kg of body weight. Depending on the cumulative dosing group and body weight, patients took either 1 or 2 cladribine 10-mg tablets in 2 or 4 short courses (4 to 5 days) for the first 48 weeks, then in 2 short courses starting at week 48 and week 52, for a total of between 8 and 20 days of treatment per year. The primary end point in the CLARITY trial was relapse rate at 96 weeks. The 3.5 mg/ kg cladribine group had an annualized relapse rate of 0.14, and the 5.25 mg/ kg cladribine group had an annualized relapse rate of 0.15 compared with an annualized relapse rate for the placebo group of 0.33 (a relative reduction of 57.6% and 54.5% respectively vs placebo). Adverse events included headache, lymphocytopenia, nasopharyngitis, upper respiratory tract infection, nausea, and reactivation of herpes zoster. Cladribine given intravenously (IV) is currently approved in the United States as an agent for hairy cell leukemia.
Dimethyl fumarate is currently wrapping up phase III trials for relapsing remitting MS. Biogen Idec expects results from the phase III trials DEFINE and CONFIRM to be available in the first half of 2011. DEFINE is determining if dimethyl fumarate (study drug name BG00012) can decrease the number of MS relapses, decrease the number of brain lesions, and slow disease progression. DEFINE is evaluating dimethyl fumarate given orally at a dose of two 120-mg capsules twice daily, dimethyl fumarate given orally at a dose of two 120-mg capsules 3 times daily, or placebo. CONFIRM is looking at similar primary end points, but will be comparing the 2 dosing regimens of dimethyl fumarate against glatiramer acetate (Copaxone) 20 mg given subcutaneously once daily. The drug, if approved, is slated to be marketed under the name Panaclar. There are also phase II studies currently ongoing looking at dimethyl fumarate as add-on treatment in conjunction with glatiramer acetate or an interferon.
Alemtuzumab is a monoclonal antibody currently approved as Campath in the United States for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Genzyme is conducting 2 phase III trials for its use in relapsing forms of MS and results are expected mid-2011. Genzyme expects to file for FDA approval in 2012. Doses of alemtuzumab being studied are 12 or 24 mg per day given IV once daily for 5 consecutive days at the start of therapy and then 1 year later, 12 or 24 mg given once per day for 3 consecutive days. The CARE-MS I trial is looking at patients who have not been previously treated for MS and contains the 12 mg alemtuzumab protocol vs interferon beta 1-a (Rebif).
The CARE-MS II trial is looking at patients who have received an adequate trial of disease-modifying therapy but continued to relapse while being treated and will be looking at the 2 dosing regimens of alemtuzumab vs interferon beta-1a (Rebif). Alemtuzumab is expected to be marketed as Lemtrada if it gains approval for MS and is anticipated to be viewed as a second-line agent depending upon the outcome of CARE-MS I and II.
Laquinimod is an oral agent currently in phase III development by Teva Pharmaceuticals. Laquinimod is given as 0.6 mg capsule once daily. Results from a phase III trial of the drug called ALLEGRO are expected to be released in April 2011 at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting. Teva has stated that the drug did meet its primary end point in ALLEGRO of decreasing relapse rate versus placebo and did not show alarming safety signals. Results from a second phase III trial named BRAVO are expected in third quarter 2011, after which time Teva is expected to file for FDA approval. BRAVO will study oral laquinomod 0.6 mg once daily against placebo and interferon beta 1-a (Avonex).
Teriflunomide is an oral agent currently in phase III development by sanofi-aventis. Results from a phase III trial of the drug called TEMSO showed that patients who were given a 7- or 14- mg tablet of teriflunomide orally once daily showed a reduction in relapse rates as compared with placebo. Annualized relapse rates were 0.370 in the teriflunomide 7 mg group, 0.369 in the teriflunomide 14 mg group, and 0.539 in the placebo group (corresponding to a relative risk reduction of 31.2% and 31.5% vs placebo). Side effects that were more common in the treatment groups were diarrhea, nausea, alanine aminotransferase increases, and mild hair thinning. TOWER is an additional phase III trial and results are expected in 2012, after which sanofi-aventis is expected to file a New Drug Application with the FDA. TENERE is a phase III trial looking at teriflunomide in a head-to-head comparison with interferon beta-1a (Rebif). TERACLES is a newly initiated phase III trial that will set out to show whether or not the addition of 7 or 14 mg of teriflunomide will reduce relapses in patients who are also being treated with interferon beta.
Daclizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody indicated in the United States for prophylaxis of acute organ rejection in patients receiving renal transplants. It was marketed as Zenepax, but discontinued by Roche in 2009 due to diminishing market demand for that indication. Biogen Idec is currently conducting phase III trials for daclizumab in MS. A phase III trial started in March 2010 is being conducted to determine efficacy of preventing MS relapse. Study dosing of daclizumab is 150 mg subcutaneously once every 4 weeks versus interferon beta-1a (Avonex) 30 mg intramuscularly given once weekly for 96 to 144 weeks. The study is aiming for enrollment of 1500 patients and is expected to be complete in January 2014.
In addition to the above-mentioned drugs in development, there are many other advances ongoing in MS. Merck/EMD Serono has a new formulation of Rebif currently under review at the FDA, designed to reduce injection site reactions and antibody formation. Biogen is in Phase III testing with a pegylated version of Avonex. The pegylated Avonex study is assessing 125 mcg subcutaneously every 2 weeks or every 4 weeks with 1-year results expected mid-2011.
Teva is working on a lower volume injection for Copaxone (0.5 ml vs the 1 ml currently available), but was handed a setback as the FDA issued a complete response letter to Teva in December 2010. It stated that they will not approve the application as-is because the FDA feels that even a formulation change could impact clinical outcomes because the mechanism of action of glatiramer acetate is not fully understood. This statement may also impact the multiple manufacturers who are awaiting FDA decision on a generic version of glatiramer acetate. Teva is also evaluating Copaxone 40 mg subcutaneously 3 times per week dosing.
Gilenya (fingolimod), already approved for relapsing remitting MS, is in phase III for treatment of primary progressive MS. Rituximab is now being evaluated on whether or not it has effect on secondary progressive MS. Cyclophosphamide is in phase III to evaluate its use in secondary progressive MS. Studies in earlier phases of development are ongoing as well. Estriol 8 mg orally once daily is being studied in phase II combination with glatiramer acetate 20 mg subcutaneously once daily. Roche is preparing to start a phase III trial of ocrelizumab 400 or 600 mg IV every 24 weeks versus Rebif 44 mcg subcutaneously 3 times weekly.
In addition to the disease-modifying treatment pipeline, significant work is being done to help alleviate symptoms of MS through pharmacotherapy and rehabilitation. The National MS Society, the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers, The MS Foundation, and other important organizations are working to serve patients and to add to the understanding of factors that influence whether or not a person develops MS, which will bring about a better understanding of the ultimate goal—how to prevent MS from occurring. SPT
The above information is a selective summary of publicly available information. Please consult the sources, available at www.SpecialtyPharmacyTimes.com, for complete information.
Stacey Ness, PharmD, has worked in both national specialty pharmacy and payer organizations and has experience in clinical management, adherence and persistency programs, and chronic disease cost optimization strategies. Dr. Ness is active in the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers, Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, National Home Infusion Association, Hematology and Oncology Pharmacy Association and has served on the Minnesota Medicaid Drug Formulary Committee since 2008. Dr. Ness is currently the Associate Director of Specialty Services at Managed Health Care Associates, Inc, a health care services organization based in Florham Park, New Jersey. The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not of Managed Health Care Associates, Inc. Significant work is also being done to help alleviate symptoms of MS through pharmacotherapy and rehabilitation.
Dr. Ness is Associate Director of Specialty Services at Managed Health Care Associates Inc in Florham Park, New Jersey. | <urn:uuid:e765d6b9-5297-48e0-811f-ca0d43de6e65> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pharmacytimes.com/publications/specialty-pt/2011/February-2011/SPT-NPP-0211 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94865 | 3,040 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Our School History
Elm Grove School Centenary 1893-1993
Elm Grove Infants School first opened its doors in June 1893, when over 30 children were transferred from the old infant school in Bentham Road. By the end of the summer of 1893 there were 438 on the Infants roll, almost 800 children, Boys, Girls and Infants, were registered at the new institution. "I have never seen a school better adapted for its purpose than this," stated Hove resident George Kekewich, the eminent National Secretary to the Education Department, in his address at the opening ceremony. "The new schools constitute, indeed, a handsome and highly finished block. Situated healthily on the north side of the grove with main front overlooking the barracks and with opportunities for extensive bird’s eye views of the town from the upper windows, this three storey modern building is fitted with all the latest appliances." The opening ceremony took place in the central hall, a splendidly lofty and well ventilated apartment, which is to be used for special teaching occasions, evening meetings and musical entertainments etc.
Before 1870, Brighton children, except for the very rich, attended charity or church schools, such as the Union charity schools in Middle Street or the church schools in Russell Place. So many private schools for the wealthy were set up in Brighton that it was sometimes nicknamed School Town. But all this changed in 1870, with William Forster's Famous Education Act. Those who turned up to the opening of Elm Grove in 1893 were told that Mr Forster was responsible for having introduced into this country a complete supply of schools in the poorest as well as in the richest parts of our cities. The Act set up local school boards elected by ratepayers to run cheap education for children between 5 and 10 years old. By 1881 this education was made compulsory, and in 1891 it was provided free of charge to everyone. The Brighton School Board took over control of many charity schools and then started a rapid building programme, especially in the areas where population was increasing, such as Hanover Terrace, Finsbury Road and Circus Street and on Ditchling Road(Downs School) and Stanford Road. The School Board was abolished in 1902 and control handed over to the Borough Council. East Sussex became the education authority following reorganisation in 1974.
One interesting remark from George Kekewich at the opening was his hope that the usefulness of Elm Grove School would not be limited to being an admirable day school but that it would equally teem with scholars at night in connection with the Evening Continuation School movement, which practically amounted to Secondary Schools for the masses of the people. They had an enormous choice of subjects; they were not tied down to any particular curriculum. Looking all around he thought he might say the future of education seemed full of hope. He saw no diminution in the educational zeal of the people. Brighton Gazette & Sussex Telegraph, 6 July 1893.
The South elevation of Elm Grove School based on an 1892 drawing by the eminent schools architects Thomas and John Simpson
Elm Grove Junior Mixed Department-1906 Onwards
The school opened on the Monday 1st October 1906 in Wellington Street. There were 281 children on the books. They were taken from the Girls' Department, the Boys' Department and the Infants Departments, and 44 children were admitted from other schools. The Headteacher was Lillian Carver, and there was seating for only 128 children. By the end of the month all the furnishings were in place and the children were tested for the 'three RRR's'. Reading was generally good, but writing and arithmetic percentages were rather low. A visitor found “the school to have a bright and happy tone throughout. There is a large difference in the forwardness of the upper and lower halves of both standards." The work of the school carried on in an uneventful way. The clerk of the Education Committee visited the school and said in 1907, "This department has opened in October in premises which are well planned, bright and convenient. It has filled rapidly. The work done so far gives every promise of future success."
1906 Audrey Cowel's mother sitting in room 2
In 1908 an inspector wrote that, "This school, which has been opened for 16 months, has filled rapidly and is in good working order. The lowest class, consisting of children whose early education has from one cause or another been neglected, has been patiently and effectively taught, and the children have passed through it as rapidly as possible. In other classes the aims of the instruction are right, the methods are generally sound, and progress creditable, but something more might be done in the way of training the children to speak audibly and articulately; the map should be more in evidence in geography lessons and the stories in history should be less disconnected. An ample supply of reading matter should be provided, so that it should not be necessary to read over and over again books which have served their purpose, and books should not be retained in use when they are dirty, dilapidated and incomplete." Children were sometimes admitted to the school prior to and throughout the First World War, who could be as old as nine years old and who had never had the chance to go to school before.
Before and during the First World War there was a great deal of sickness. There were measles, diphtheria, scarlet fever, mumps, ringworm, whooping cough and chicken pox. Children were often said to be verminous and sent home. Several children died. The inspector's report of 1913 remarks that, "The girls should have manual work as well as the boys. Nevertheless there is too much telling, too little appeal to the natural powers of the children, and too little perception of what they can do for themselves. This appears very clearly in the character of their reading, recitation and story telling, and in their speech. Their arithmetic would be satisfactory if they were disposed to guess instead of thinking. Some of the hard work, but not all, is educationally managed, and drawing is good. A room recognised for 60 is habitually occupied by two classes numbering together 83 children on the roll. The corridor is used practically all day long for classes: although warmed by a fire, it is often cold and draughty and unprovided with seats. This is not the purpose for which the corridor is intended and for which it is well suited."
The First World War 1914-1918
The war does not seem to have impinged on the school in the same way as the Second World War did. Student teachers seem to have been used a great deal. There was a great deal of sickness. In 1915 twenty children were supplied with boots from the New Year Boot Fund, a charity which had supplied boots to needy Brighton children since the late 19th century. 14th July 1915 was French Flag Day and a holiday was declared. Hop picking was very important, both during and after the war. Many children were away in September when whole families went to pick hops. In 1915 the hours of the afternoon session were changed from 2:00-4:30pm to 1:30-4:00pm on account of the Lighting orders (a form of daylight saving?).
In 1916 the school worked double sessions with St. Luke’s Terrace School, which had been taken over as a military hospital. Elm Grove School worked mornings from 8:30-12:30 for a month and then switched to afternoons for a month. There was an absence from school by children when their fathers came home on leave from the Front. Teachers also were away quite frequently, either from sickness or because of news of the death of loved ones at the Front. On 28th June 1918 the school was closed to celebrate its 25th birthday. Towards the end of 1918 there was an influenza epidemic and the school closed for four weeks. Several children died. There was no mention of the armistice on 11th November 1918 but on 17th July 1919 the school was closed for a peace holiday.
In 1921 the Inspector visiting the school said that because of the shortened day because of sharing premises with St. Luke's School, all pupils had been retarded. He asked that children should be moved up a class as soon as possible. Some needed special classes in order to catch up on work. In general, he commented that arithmetic was weak. In July, 1922 a small class of girls went to Queen's Park in order to study an island. The boys went up the Race Hill for geography. In December of 1922 there was an open day for mothers to attend and more than 100 mothers attended.
The Inspector's report of 1924 shows a great deal of improvement in standards. "The term tests were thoroughly carried out and each subject marked. The danger of assigning too much importance to the examination results, in the case of these young children, will doubtless be overlooked, the primary aim of these lessons being to add to the children's ideas and interests and practise them in ready continuous speech. It should be said that the children appear to take a genuine interest in these lessons and to talk readily about them."
Edna Morton says they wore their Sunday best for this photograph taken in 1930, the same year that Amy Johnson visited the school, after her record solo flight to Australia.
In 1927 the Inspector's report was not so flattering. He blames the fall in standards on the ill health of the Headmistress.
In 1928 the school was recognised and the Infants moved into the Wellington Street building. The bottom two floors of the large building became the Junior Mixed School for children aged 7-11 years with a new headmaster. There were now nine classes with 432 children on the roll. Work seemed to have continued smoothly during the following years. Race meetings were very important to the life of the school. The impression is given of thousands of people trooping up Elm Grove and the school having to close early to get the children home before the last race.
From the end of 1930 for fourteen months the school had to share premises with Lewes Road Juniors whilst their school was being rebuilt. The Inspector seemed pleased with school at the end of this period, although he refers to shortages.
Second World War
Before the start of the war on 3rd September there had been gas mask drills and discussions on evacuation plans with other head teachers in case of war. Term did not start until 18th September 1939 but attendance was normal and the staff complete. Finsbury Road Junior Mixed School and Hanover Terrace Junior Mixed School shared the Elm Grove building at the start of the war and Elm Grove was taught from 8.30am to 11.30am only. Trenches were dug in the boys' playground and a large number of evacuees applied for admissions but were sent on to St. Luke's School. No out of school activities were possible because of the upheavals. On 21st September there was respirator drill and A.R.P. wardens came to the school to test all the children’s' gas masks. There were 324 Elm Grove children at the school and attendance was 93.2%. The new timetable was intended to "keep junior children in touch with the 3Rs, with a mixture of a little singing and drill and handiwork exercises". Sessions were soon extended from 9 to 12 noon. On 5th October 1939 School closed for a week whilst teachers carried out a survey of billet accommodation for evacuees. On the 16th October the school started working afternoons only. When the Junior mixed school went to the air raid shelters the senior girls were there and there was not enough accommodation for all the school in the trenches. Weekly services resumed at St. Wilfred's Church after half term for the school. In spite of the difficulties, on 30th November 65 children and three teachers went to the ice ballet at the Stadium. Gradually, before the end of 1939, out sessions were organised away from the school in halls such as the Bentham Road Mission Hall.
1940 began with very bad weather and attendances at school were very low. The school was closed on 25th and 26th January because the outside lavatories were frozen. On 23rd February Finsbury Road School moved out of the Elm Grove premises which eased accommodation problems. On 6th March there was a better rehearsal of all air raid precautions. Sometimes there was no hall available for the out sessions and the children had to be sent home. The trenches remained crowded and the small children were confused as to what to do in case of an air raid but they were learning. On 6th May swimming instruction started as usual. There was a snap air raid practice as children were assembling. The Headmistress said "We learned much from the simple mistakes of the children". On 3rd June four steel helmets were issued to the trenches at Elm Grove (I wonder who used them!) Filters were fitted to the children's gas masks and children registered for possible evacuation "to Canada and the Empire". Aluminium saucepans were collected for war purposes. Summer holidays were from 26th July to 12th August in 1940 and it was then that air raids began in earnest. The staff and children pasted paper and net on many of the windows to give fuller protection against glass splinters. At the start of the school year there were 341 children on the roll. On the 20th September at noon "there was a sharp succession of exploding bombs in the neighbourhood. "Children's behaviour exemplary". On 9th November School worked on a Saturday Morning for the first time ever. Teachers were called up for service and replaced by supply teachers. As a treat on the 20th December arrangements were made for 50 children and two teachers to go to see the film Tom Sawyer.
Various schools and periods of sharing seem to have taken place but on 27th January the school managed to work for two full mornings and afternoon sessions and children were inoculated against diphtheria. Fire watching began at the school in the evenings and at weekends. It seems to have been done by teachers and some of the local people. A great deal of difficulty was caused when the school milk was delivered in quart bottles and had to be shared out. On 14th March School was closed until further notice. 83 children and three teachers were evacuated to Yorkshire because of the frequency of air raids in Brighton. However, school re-opened on 24th March with 270 children on the roll. The staff was: the head teacher, three permanent staff members and three supply teachers in six classes. There was a display from the Ministry of Information in the hall. On 7th July Miss Gill, the headmistress of the Infants School died and the school was closed. Fire watching still took place during the summer holidays with help local street watching fire groups. Mr Councillor Ingham and two other gentlemen addressed the school on "salvage". During the school holidays milk for the children was still available and savings were collected. The new school year from September to December seems to have seen some improvements in organisation. There were now seven classes.
At the start of the year the weather was bad and "the whole of the sanitation system and washing arrangements have broken down so the school had to be closed". There was a drive on the collection of salvage at the end of January. Above 9cwt of paper and cardboard has been collected. On 24th March there were discussions about what to do in case of invasion. During the Easter holidays the school was used as a Government Registration Centre for mothers and children to be evacuated if invasion threatened. A rota of teachers to carry out this work was arranged. On 19th May, there was what was termed "a minor blitz" and billeting was done from the school. Before the summer break classes 1 and 2 performed a play called "In Praise of Britain and her Empire". Although school was officially closed, on 4th August 26 children and four teachers voluntarily attended school. When the school reassembled for the new school year, all gas masks were overhauled in October and orders for replacements given to the children. On 12th October there was a bombing raid in a neighbouring part of the town but attendance seems to have been little affected. Before Christmas, on 17th December, a professional ventriloquist entertained the children.
The routine of monthly gas mask inspection and air raid drill continued. The school could be in the trenches in two minutes. On 29th March there was a special "Wings for Victory" savings drive which raised 49 pounds and 17 shillings and 6 pence. During the morning there was an "enemy attack" c there was lose to the school but no children were injured and discipline sound throughout. On 25th May there was an air raid on Brighton during dinner and attendance was low in the afternoon. At the end of the summer term the children performed a play called "Wings for Victory". On 22nd October the school windows were blasted by an air raid during the night and the school was closed for two weeks.
Life continued at the school with the children attending various parts of the day and the staff often absent through illness. Staff were still involved in billeting families who were, presumably, bombed out of their homes. School savings drives continued. On 21st September fire watching finished at the school. It had been going on since 17th February 1941. The amount paid out in fire watching subsistence during that period was 1080 pounds. The school still worked either mornings or afternoons. On 15th November normal morning and afternoon sessions were started. There was a Punch and Judy show before Christmas.
Bad weather at the start of the year. Gas masks were still inspected. 78 children attended the Mayor's party for Service Men's children. On 10th April the school assembled after Easter as a primary school under the new Education Act. On 8th and 9th May, the school was closed in celebration of Victory in Europe.
From the 1950s onwards
A typical class from 1950
One of the key developments for the two schools occurred in 1974, when the Infants School in Wellington Street became a First School for children from 4+ to 8+ and a great deal of building work was done to accommodate the extra year group. It was around this time that the hall and some extra classrooms were built. At the same time the Junior School became a Middle School for children of 8+ to 12+ and facilities were introduced into the main Elm Grove building for the teaching of science, craft and home economics.
An example of a typical end of term report from 1952
The school had newsletters to parents from 1979 onwards. The first dates from 7th September. In that first newsletter mention was made of saving ring cans and stamps. This recycling has continued ever since. The school shop was opened with a bumper sale of Christmas goods to raise funds for the school. Ten pence per term was also raised from each pupil. Since then there have been many ways mentioned of raising money for the school. There was a school fair in 1981.
1981 saw falling rolls at the school which left the school vulnerable to closure and the Head Teacher sent notes to parents denying rumours of this. In 1982 the campaign was effectively waged not to sell part of the building to the Church of England for an infants and junior school. On 24th September 1982 there was a momentous meeting with Joan Mont, of the Education Committee, to decide on the future of the two schools. Parents and teachers had campaigned well, because of strong opinions it was decided that an amalgamated school should be housed in the Middle School Building. In 1985 when the new Primary School opened there were only 185 children on the roll, which dropped to 175 in September 1987. After review of the school in 1987 the Primary Adviser wrote: "Considerable progress has been made in the last two years by welding the former schools into a cohesive whole. This is in no small measure due to the leadership given by the Head and the commitment of staff, both teaching and non-teaching." The latest event in the long history of the use of the building was in 1991 when the school regained possession of the old domestic science building. In 1992 Pepperpot playgroup opened after the building had been completely refurbished.
When the Kemptown Railway closed in 1971, this left the area behind the school available, adjoining what is now William Clarke Park, named after a much-loved Labour Councillor and former Mayor of Brighton, and in 1983 the school was able to hold its school sports day on this land. In 1988 the Woodland Walk project began with steps and paths being made. Under Operation Eyesore in 1989 the open space was cleaned up to improve the walk. The new gate was opened, and in 1990 a pond was installed. It is certainly a great asset for what is essentially a town centre school. Work was also started on improving the playground in 1991 with new brick flower beds, adventure equipment and a rubber crumb safety surface. All these events were recorded in the Evening Argus.
In 1990 the teaching of French in the school hit the headlines when The Independent published and article on the excellent teaching which was picked up by Radio Sussex, BBC South Today and even the Readers Digest. This teaching had been started in 1986.
Pond building day, 1990
Also in 1986 East Sussex County Council started a new experimental scheme for the local management of schools. Under the scheme the school received, in addition to the old capitation allowance for books and stationery, a generous budget for gas, electricity and oil. The surplus from this allowance could be spent on more books and equipment for the children. In 1990, with only 185 pupils on roll, Elm Grove was the smallest of eight Brighton primary schools chosen to pilot the national LMS scheme in East Sussex and run its own delegated budget. This gave the school the flexibility to manage a larger part of its funds and, through prudent spending, to equip all its classrooms and maintain the building and grounds to a high standard and develop the Woodland Walk, the infant adventure playground and refurbish the old domestic science building for use as a playgroup.
In 1983 the school held their first sports day in William Clarke Park on the old railway line, a unique setting for such sporting events.
In 1989 the national curriculum was introduced into the school with English, maths and science. Technology followed in 1990, history and geography in 1991 and music, art and PE in 1992. The first testing of six seven year olds took place in 1991 giving the class teacher an immense amount of complicated work.
In February 1993 the General Primary Adviser wrote, after his inspection, "The school is continuing to develop well and the head teacher and staff are to be congratulated on the progress made to date in the quest for high levels of achievement across the curriculum." On a lighter note the school supported Red Nose Day in 1993. The school continued to grow in size in the late 90’s and by 2000 was 3 form entry in Key Stage 1, with --- children on role.
The 21st Century
In January 2001 a new extension was opened comprising a restaurant, a new classroom and an ICT suite. In the same year the school’s toilets were completely refurbished and a programme of re-decoration was used to brighten up a number of areas in the school. Over the next few years further work to the building and grounds saw the development of quiet areas in both playgrounds, a sports activity area in the bottom playground and an amphitheatre in a section previously used as a woodland walk.
The school’s intake was officially reduced to 60 Reception children in 2004 and with 2 classes in every year group was able to create Reception Activity Room and an Art Room in spare classrooms.
Elm Grove has developed into an extended school, serving its community with a Breakfast and Out of School Club and providing services, support and activities for parents, families and children. In recent years we have achieved the Healthy Schools Award and the Sports Active Mark. In 2009 we received the Arts Mark. | <urn:uuid:75690ecc-b933-413c-8384-66e6aca92b80> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.school-portal.co.uk/GroupHomepage.asp?GroupID=508282 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.988131 | 4,902 | 1.75 | 2 |
In May of 2009 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave voice to rumors that had been circulating in Washington DC for months. She discussed some ‘very troubling’ developments in Managua: “The Iranians are building a huge embassy in Managua, and you can only imagine what that’s for.” Imagine indeed! From the Washington Post:
It is not clear where the report of the embassy in Managua began. But in the past two years, it has made its way into congressional testimony, think tank reports, press accounts, and diplomatic events in the United States and elsewhere.
“Iran recently established a huge embassy in Managua,” Nancy Menges of the Center for Security Policy told a House committee last year. “Iran’s embassy in Managua is now the largest diplomatic mission in the city,” wrote Michael Rubin of the American Enterprise Institute.
Clinton and other prominent figures in town started talking about the mega embassy as a ‘beachhead’ for Iranian influence in the Americas, and comparisons were drawn between Iran and Nicaragua on one hand, and the Soviet Union and Cuba on the other. Here’s the thing: there was no mega-embassy in Managua. No construction site, no land set aside, nothing.
Flash forward to March 9, 2012: The House Committee on Foreign Affairs endorsed HR 3783: “To provide for a comprehensive strategy to counter Iran’s growing presence and hostile activity in the Western Hemisphere, and for other purposes.” In the bill, Iran’s diplomatic relations with ALBA countries are classified as ‘hostile activities’; Hezbollah and Iran are viewed as the same entity; and the language used is reminiscent of Cold War applications of the Monroe Doctrine.
It seems that Congressional assessments of Iran’s relationships with Latin American governments are based on a report from the American Enterprise Institute (see the quote above for a sample of their work) titled ‘The Mounting Hezbollah Threat in Latin America.’ This report, in turn, was based primarily on a 2002 report on organized criminal activity in the Tri-Border Area of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. The AEI report dangerously overstates both the connection between Hezbollah and Iran and the sphere of influence Hezbollah has achieved in the Americas. The author also fails to mention that much of the data used is nearly twenty years old. These are dangerous errors given the war fever that has gripped Washington DC in recent months.
Recent analysis confirms that while Hezbollah is indeed active in the Americas, the threat to the United States is minimal compared to other criminal groups operating in this hemisphere. If HR 3783 is passed, it could give members of Congress the opportunity to examine more recent data, but there is also the risk that the State Department will return a highly politicized and inaccurate report in order to appease the audience that requested it. If that happens, the United States could be facing a very costly search for more State Department phantoms in the South. | <urn:uuid:3df57bd9-9059-4f2a-b75e-6a94a375efcd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://quixote.org/hr-3783-and-the-mega-embassy-that-never-was | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955125 | 622 | 1.742188 | 2 |
A little intro first… It goes without saying that as we grow older, we tend to reflect back on those things in our lives that influenced and shaped us in our childhood and adolescence – movies, music, television, advertisements, books, games and toys, and of course our family, friends, school and the people around us. Over the years most of us were exposed to a sensory overload of images – a lot of which kept us entertained , especially when we were bored, for hours on end. Case in point here are those childhood memories of those cartoons we watched on Saturday mornings and after-school – and it’s kind of amazing how many of these stuck in our sub-conscience minds over long periods of time.
So with that being said… The focus on this particular post is on our beloved, faithful canine companions and friends that we welcomed into our homes each week. There should be quite a few familiar faces here that all generations can relate to, at least to American TV audiences, from the 1940′s through the present. I’m sure there are some of these that you may still enjoy from time to time as you catch them in reruns, syndication or special programs that feature “a look back into pop culture”. I’m sure you’ll recognize some favorites here. The following gallery captures the majority of those that really stood out over the years. Many of these can be traced back to the early days of television (1940′s), (a few are even currently on the air). Some evolved from movies, others from the comic strips and funny pages (with many of these dating back to the 1920′s-1930′s). Many classic Disney, Hanna-Barbera, Warner Brothers, MGM, Terrytunes, Nicktoons, Looney Tunes, etc.
More often than not, when a cartoon character is in it’s concept and design stages, there usually is a sidekick, many of which are the ever loving and faithful canine companion. Many of these concepts are inspired by “reality” and past real-life experiences. Few adventures in the animation industry are ever complete without these fictional dogs, who have been around for nearly a century. Several of these famous cartoon dogs are legends because they personify the most important characteristics of a loyal, trustworthy and affectionate friend, which is what most dogs tend to be. Some of them are actually heroes themselves and battle evil elements to save the world or at least their unsuspecting master. Quite a few of these famous canine cartoon critters simply make us laugh with their irreverent, unique styles, which we never seem to tire of as the years go by. Hopefully, this will be a ‘refresher course’ of many of your (sometimes forgotten) favorites over the years. I’m quite sure you have your own favorites throughout the years.
See how many of these bring back fond childhood memories…..
How many of these do you remember?
Which ones are your favorites?
Who did I miss that you remember?
Let me know at the bottom of this post!
* This post is still being updated as time permits…
Lots of new pics added 2/26/10
Even more new pics added 1/12/12
Gallery of Famous Cartoon Dogs
…And here they are in no particular order other than alphabetically to make it easier for reference.
Filed under: childhood memories, Pampered Pets & Furry Friends, pop culture, TV Tagged: | animated dogs, cartoon dogs, celebrity dogs, famous cartoon dogs, famous dogs, favorite cartoon canines, fictional dogs, gallery of dogs, hero dogs, movie dogs, TV dogs | <urn:uuid:9ebdf8ed-268a-4c01-a8cc-16164c3c3ffb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://coolrain44.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/gallery-of-famous-cartoon-dogs-over-the-years/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95342 | 762 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Book of the Month:
Palestinian Walks: Forays into a Vanishing Landscape, by Raja Shehadeh
What comes to mind when you hear the word "Ramallah"? Probably not gazelles, white asphodel, and a dinosaur footprint—but those are among the attributes we first meet in this illuminating new book.
Palestinian Walks presents six sarhat—aimless wanderings designed to nourish the soul and rejuvenate the self—taken in the hills around Ramallah and the nearby wadis of the Jerusalem wilderness and the ravines by the Dead Sea from 1978 to 2006. Author and human-rights lawyer Raja Shehadeh has lived in Ramallah his entire life, and his account is imbued with a quiet passion to preserve—in memory if not in fact —this wild landscape that has been increasingly demarcated and developed before his eyes.
The book begins with a transporting walk to his family's palatial countryqasr (stone structure). The scenery in the surrounding hills is wild, unkempt, free. In subsequent chapter-walks, as the years go by, the hills become increasingly hemmed in by Jewish settlements. Where old roads amble along the contours of the land, new highways are blasted straight through; once wide open spaces are covered with concrete buildings. Still, Shehadeh continues to pursue pilgrimages of solace and serenity in the wild hills.
As the natural landscape changes, the contours of Israel–Palestine relations changes as well, and Shehadeh records this evolution too. Initially an idealistic lawyer battling to save what he feels are legitimate Palestinian claims to land, he becomes embittered as case after case is decided against his clients. Honest people disagree profoundly over the history, legitimacies, and injustices in this region. What I love about this book is that it reveals a side of the region that we never hear about; it builds natural and human connections to Ramallah that will forever change what I imagine when I hear the word on TV or read about it in the news.
The other gift of this book is how it illuminates the way landscapes become part of people and help define them. I grew up taking my own New England sarhat in the woods behind my Connecticut home, and now I feel like the rocks, bare fall branches, and green spring buds are a part of me wherever I am.
The sense of love and loss that permeates this poignant book transcends the brambly politics of the region, and Shehadeh's deeply felt accounts become lessons for us all on the fundamental value of unbridled nature in the landscape of our lives.
Short List: New & Noteworthy
That Summer in Sicily—Marlena de Blasi's enchanting account of the Cinderella-like life story of an aristocratic villa owner she and her husband meet while traveling through the interior mountain regions of Sicily.
The Other— David Guterson's latest, about two childhood friends: one living a conventional life as a Seattle school teacher, the other ditching modern life entirely to live off the grid in the Olympic mountain wilderness.
The Eaves of Heaven: A Life in Three Wars— Andrew X. Pham's moving memoir of his father's experience of turmoil and change in Vietnam.
New Book Roundups
CSI: Travel Edition
Vineyard Chill is the final installment in the late Philip R. Craig's 19-novel mystery series set in Martha's Vineyard. In this finale, it's January and the year-rounders have the island to themselves—until ex-cop J. W. Jackson gets a call from an old friend from Boston who shows up needing help, and who may have people following him. In Finding Nouf, by Zoë Ferraris, the body of 16-year-old Nouf is found in the desert outside Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Palestinian desert guide Nayir al-Sharqi helps investigate the murder. But his devout adherence to Muslim strictures presents challenges when he has to join forces with Katya Hijazi, a female medical examiner at the coroner's office.
In France the equivalent of window-shopping is window-licking (faire du lèche-vitrine). Two handsome shopping guides make it possible to window-lick without even leaving your armchair. In Chic Shopping Paris, Rebecca Perry Magniant reveals a well-edited selection of Paris boutiques, accompanied with insider text and charming photos. Made in France, by National Geographic Travelercontributing editor Laura Morelli, focuses on artisanal French goods from Limoges porcelain to perfume, with tips on how to spot quality craftsmanship and where to get them throughout the country.
Eyes on Beijing
In the run-up to the Beijing Olympics in August, a pack of China books vie for literary attention. China's Great Train: Beijing's Drive West and the Campaign to Remake Tibet, by Abrahm Lustgarten, vividly tells the behind-the-scenes story of the challenges and human costs of building the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, which opened in 2006. The Last Days of Old Beijing, Michael Meyer's memoir of living two years in a Beijing hutong in the city's oldest neighborhood, evokes an area and a way of life threatened by modernization. Ma Jian's massive and compelling new novel Beijing Coma moves between the past and present life of a student who has been in a ten-year coma after being shot in the head during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protest.
Reading Matchmaker: If You Liked...
...Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm, check out Mark Kurlansky's The Last Fish Tale. In Junger's true-life thriller, the fishing boat Andrea Gail sets out from Gloucester, Massachusetts, and never returns—ambushed by the "perfect storm" of October 1991 off the Atlantic coast. If the salty setting of Gloucester in the Junger book sparked your interest (as it has that of many travelers, especially since the release of the film version), Kurlansky's account will fill you in on, as the subtitle indicates, "The Fate of the Atlantic and Survival in Gloucester, America's Oldest Fishing Port and Most Original Town." The book is packed with colorful details about the town's history, fishing vessels, quirky traditions, and even local recipes (Kurlansky is the James Beard award-winning author of culinary reads Cod, Salt,and The Big Oyster). Ultimately, the tome tolls a warning bell about a threatened way of life:
"It took four hundred years to build this culture, and it could all be lost in a few decades. Fishing and the culture of fishing, an ancient trade and a way of life that has defined coastal towns throughout history, are vanishing from the Atlantic. Today in Gloucester an old proverb has a new twist. They now say, 'If you give a man a fish, you feed him. If you teach a man to fish, he will starve.'"
One Last Thing: An Intrepid Grandmother's Russian Adventures
Feisty and indefatigable, Dervla Murphy is a treasure. From her first audacious journey—traveling alone from Ireland to India by bicycle—Murphy has made a 50-year career of adventuring solo around the globe and writing off-the-beaten-track accounts full of wisdom and humor. In Silverland, her latest odyssey, the 77-year-old embarked on a trip from Moscow to the furthest corners of the Russian Far East, in winter. This time she opted to travel by train, but otherwise her account is quintessential Murphy: bursting with unexpected encounters, from roadside robbers to shamans; graced with lyrical descriptions of remote villages and landscapes; and pulsing with impassioned observations about Communism, pollution, and the World Bank.
Don George has won numerous awards for his work as a travel writer and editor. He is the author of Travel Writing and the editor of eight literary travel anthologies, including Lights, Camera…Travel!, A Moveable Feast, and The Kindness of Strangers. E-mail Don at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Shop National Geographic | <urn:uuid:1cc3e623-6d85-4e0a-bfac-b55e8e3e4f5b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/traveler-magazine/trip-lit/palestinian-walks-forays-into-a-vanishing-landscape/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934481 | 1,711 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
The AppRadio screen is 6.1 inches in size. There are a couple of screen protectors I found on eBay for the AppRadio but are a little pricey at around $15. Getting an iPad screen protector (9.7 inch screen) would be a lot cheaper. It can then be cut to size. But this can be tricky. Cutting a screen protector has to be precise.
So, I am currently in the process of getting an iPad screen protector (matte/non-glossy) for my AppRadio. I will write an updated post regarding my experience once I have it installed. More soon.
By AppRadioWorld at 7:58 AM
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
|A cell phone ban could change how the AppRadio functions|
Recently the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended a nationwide ban on cell phone use while driving. There are many reasons to believe that using your cell phone while driving can be a distraction. Many states already impose a ban on talking, texting or even handling a cell phone while behind the wheel. The violation comes with fines amounting up to a few hundred dollars.
As we know, the AppRadio sometimes requires access to the connected iPhone/iPod Touch. Most often this is to launch an app. So if the NTSB recommended ban goes in place (it could be a while before this happens), I think Pioneer Electronics will have to change the way the AppRadio functions. I always felt that once the iDevice is connected to the AppRadio it should be put away making all necessary functions accessible from the AppRadio itself. The touch screen of the AppRadio functions very well and the screen is crisp and big. There should be no reason to even look at your phone while driving.
One more thing that would be great and useful would be being able to launch Siri from the AppRadio. Long pressing the home button on the AppRadio would do it (using the stereo's bluetooth connectivity, car's speakers and mic) and you would simply speak the necessary command. This would truly make the whole experience handsfree. Siri will hopefully be able to launch apps in the near future. Wouldn't that be awesome? It can already read back your text messages or play specific songs or playlists from the iPod.
Whether a national ban on cell phone use while driving happens or not I hope the AppRadio functionality changes for the better very soon. I don't want to break any laws while driving. Either way, remember to keep your hands on the wheel at all times while behind it (I hope Pioneer is listening).
By AppRadioWorld at 6:46 PM
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
|My AppRadio app icon layout|
So if you want your more frequently used apps on this first page which will save you the trouble of swiping through to find them, this is what you should do. Rearrange the apps and it is easy. With your iDevice disconnected from the AppRadio launch the AppRadio app in the iDevice and click on "Settings". Then click on the "Layout" tab followed by "Edit" which can be found in the upper right corner of the screen. This will make all the icons wobble. Then just like you would with the iOS icons on your iDevice just rearrange the apps as you please.
The next time you connect your iDevice to the AppRadio and launch the AppRadio app you will see your favorite apps right away. In the picture above is my first app page layout. As you can see I love MIXTRAX!
By AppRadioWorld at 4:14 PM
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Considering it's been around for 6 months now it is quite astonishing to see prices lowered by 35% since the day it was launched. Back in the summer the AppRadio was introduced at $399. I picked mine up from Amazon, that way I got it overnight for $3.99 using Amazon Prime, and saved by not having to pay sales tax. So if you're looking for the lowest prices on the AppRadio check out Amazon or eBay. Make sure to find a brand new piece because buying a used one maybe cheaper but not always the best bet.
Go ahead and treat yourself to a Pioneer AppRadio this holiday season.
By AppRadioWorld at 4:11 AM
Friday, December 9, 2011
|Update your INRIX Traffic app today with 3.5.1|
The update was pushed today so I haven't tested battery usage with this new feature. I use INRIX Traffic regularly with my AppRadio so I will have more to report in the coming days. I have used this update today and haven't had any issues so far. It's hard to see how battery-usage won't be affected much with this but we'll see. However, with the AppRadio, the iPhone receives power all the time so battery issues won't be noticeable. I can use twice the coverage though. You can get the update by clicking here. Happy updating!
By AppRadioWorld at 4:51 PM
Thursday, December 8, 2011
|MIXTRAX is the latest AppRadio compatible app|
This is great. Slowly but surely a number of apps have started rolling out in the iOS app store that are compatible with Pioneer Electronics' AppRadio. The latest one comes from Pioneer Corporation themselves and it's called MIXTRAX.
(More pictures after the page break...)
By AppRadioWorld at 4:00 PM
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
|AUPEO! Personal Radio gets an update v2.41|
For those of you not familiar with AUPEO! Personal Radio it is an internet radio for iOS that is compatible with Pioneer's AppRadio. You basically choose a genre and it plays music... it's that simple. But there are moods that you can set which will fine tune the music that's played. A lot more and a really nice looking AppRadio interface.
The app just got an update from it's developers in the iOS App Store. The update adds support for Spanish, Italian and French. It also adds 30 new stations to the catalog. So if you haven't already go get it in the app store. Happy updating!
By AppRadioWorld at 12:34 PM
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Hello,Obviously DashCommand needs more testing on the iPhone 4S. For AppRadio owners this is the only device that matters really. The fact that it works on Android doesn't really help. Hopefully a fix will come soon because the $50 investment in the app is quite a large one.
We have logged a several hour trip before, but we haven't tested on the
iPhone 4S with a really large file like that. We'll start testing this and
make sure it can save large logs.
I know that we have saved a 3-4 hour log on Android before without any trouble.
More updates soon.
By AppRadioWorld at 5:20 PM
Sunday, December 4, 2011
|DashCommand's data logging feature needs a fix.|
On my way back home I started logging data again.
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The planet Haven appeared like a sparkling, green emerald jewel, incandescent against the backdrop of space; new hope for those who had travelled so far. Its beauty though was deceptive. The world existed as one great living forest, whose plant and animal life had formed an uneasy accord. The coming of the pioneers had negated this delicate balance and the realisation was evident, that the danger was as great as the beauty. Over the next ten generations, the population numbers declined. Through deadly attrition by the flora and fauna and more importantly by a disease that appeared to be endemic to the female population; three quarters of the settlers died, before immunity to the virus became perceptible. What originally had started as an evenly balanced community, had now swung to the men outnumbering the women, one hundred to one. This led to the genesis of a matriarchal based society where women evolved to become the leaders and planners, whilst men took up the position of defenders and builders. This proved to be an equitable way for the colony to survive.
One hundred generations later:
Every ten years, all males between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one, of the 360 Sector Towns were recalled to Hub City, to participate in “The Summoning". The competition involved many facets; intelligence, creativity, strength, endurance and mastery of weapons. It had been originally initiated to select the best one hundred of the male population to strengthen the gene pool of Haven. The winners would impregnate as many of the ruling class of women who were judged to be fertile at that time. They would then become part of the Elite Guard; the security force of the city. All female children who were born from this union would remain within the city. All male children would be sent out to the sector towns on attaining the age of five, to be taught the use of weapons and how to survive against the many dangers associated with this world.
It had been a long month for Jonas Hart. He had passed all the intelligence tests, chess and other tactical games, art and creativity challenges, weightlifting, archery and finally the previous day, the marathon race around the city walls. Jonas struggled to prise his eyes open and to get his weary body moving and obedient to his wishes.
‘This is the final day’, he thought to himself. He had proved his right to be there and only the one contest remained. Rising from his bed, he caught his reflection in the mirror. Tall for his age, at just over two meters, his muscles played smoothly beneath his pale skin. Tying his long dark hair into a ponytail, two piercing green eyes looked back at him over a crooked, beaked nose and wry smile. Completing his ablutions, he donned loose-fitting pantaloons, a reinforced metal fibre jacket with a number 75 on its right sleeve and knee length, soft leather boots and proceeded to breakfast. Each of the ten dining halls were capable of holding five hundred men. Jonas was the last person remaining in his. Although not hungry, he forced down some fruit. The sound of a gong reverberated through the large empty room. His mouth instantly felt dry. It was the final “Summoning”.
Moving through the dimly lit tunnel, he was joined by others materialising from the gloom from various passages. They continued until a force of two hundred individuals marched with almost military precision towards the entrance of the arena. Emerging into the welcoming light of day, the smells and sounds of the assembled populace lent a carnival like atmosphere; which contrasted with the seriousness which emanated from the men around him. The temperature could be felt rising from the hard packed, dirt surface. Craning his head from side to side, he hoped to catch a glimpse of his opponent. There! At the far end of the row of men off to his left, he spied a giant of a man standing apart from the others and also wearing the number 75. Seemingly indifferent to those around him; he stared straight ahead. Weathered dark skin, muscles which were large and well defined; a mop of thick dark hair streaked with grey perched like a living animal upon his head. As if sensing his scrutiny, the big man swung his head and looked at Jonas with pale blue eyes, devoid of expression.
He has been told by the other males from Sector Town 23;‘To be brave and courageous, one must first feel fear’.
Jonas felt very afraid. His sweaty palms and the cold chills running through his body were testament to that.
The two hundred were now matched with their opponents and then sorted into four groups. They were then sent to the tunnels to await their turn. Jonas breathed a sigh of relief. He would not be the first to compete, but more importantly he wouldn’t be the last.
All men were expected to have mastery over a variety of weapons; the previous “Summoning”, sabres had been used. Whispers, followed by groans, went through the men assembled around him. Quarter staffs! A two point four metre long piece of iron wood, four centimetres thick; shod at each end with a metal cap. It was a flexible weapon, capable of both defence and attack; a weapon where broken bones were common and death a possibility. Jonas though, allowed himself a small grin. This was one weapon that he was proficient in. His opponents face still remained blank, showing little concern.
Jonas tried to centre himself; to concentrate and prepare for his match. This was not to be. All he could hear were the ear splitting roars of the crowd or the cries of pain, as warriors were helped or carried from the arena, past those who waited. He felt sickened by the parade of deformed limbs, concussions and broken skulls. There had also been three warriors stretchered off, faces shrouded. It was unknown if they were alive or dead. Finally, his number was announced. Tightly grasping the quarter staff which had been supplied, he moved towards the light.
The heat of the day had risen as had the sound and smell of the humanity surrounding the arena. Looking up, he spied the frenzied faces of the thousands of women as they screamed and cheered for the next event. They had not yet been satiated of their blood lust. He and his opponent moved to the centre and faced each other. Jonas stuck out his hand and said his name. The other looked down surprised and nodded. He did not take up the offer, but did say in a low, soft voice; ’Kai’.
Both moved back and took an ‘on guard’ stance.
Setting feet apart, Jonas held the staff with his left hand near the end and his right, quarter of the way up.
Kai did not hesitate. Surprising Jonas with his speed, he moved forward with a powerful downward strike, hoping to catch him off balance and end the match quickly. Moving swiftly, Jonas repositioned his hands equidistant from the ends and managed to catch the blow above his head. It almost ended there. The raw power of the stroke drove him to his knees. Kai followed up with two more hammer like strikes which he only just managed to contain. Moving his hands down and grasping the end, Jonas swung the staff like a cudgel at the knees of the other who leaped high and managed to avoid it. Changing tactics, Kai moved backwards and returned to the ready position. Jonas rolled to his feet and copied the stance. Now he had a better understanding of what he faced.
Kai moved forward once more, duplicating his previous attack and once more relying upon his speed and strength. Jonas did not try to catch it this time, but rather turned his body aside and deflected the blow downward. Keeping up the momentum of his turn, he brought the staff spinning round and connected with Kai's back, forcing him to stumble forward. Recovering quickly, Kai advanced once more and swung mightily at Jonas’ legs. Jonas placed the staff end firmly on the ground and jarringly halted his opponents’ forward momentum. Swinging his own staff upward along with Kai's own, he stepped forward and swung the reverse end into his stomach. The effect it had on Kai was similar to hitting a block of stone. Quickly he stepped back from him. Though they had only a small number of exchanges, both were breathing heavily, as the adrenalin surged through their bodies.Over the next ten minutes, many blows were traded. A series of thrusts, sweeps and blocks to the areas of the body which would bring an end to the bout; knees, eyes, hands, feet, groin and throat. Both of them had sustained some damage; even Kai, but both were tiring.
Jonas knew that he had to bring this to an end and quickly. He had very little in the way of reserves with which to continue. The only way to end it was to risk all and do the unexpected. Clasping the staff at its centre, he began to rotate the staff in a vertical plane in a figure of eight; pushing ever more energy and ever more speed into the rotations. Kai paused, he had never seen this style of fighting. Jonas pushed his staff until it was a blur and the air vibrated with a sound like a buzz saw. Kai approached and tried to thrust through the whirling defence that had been erected; each time being knocked aside. Finally Jonas changed the angular momentum of his staff and chose his moment to bring it sharply down upon the other with an unstoppable force. The vibration between the two hard wood weapons forced Kai's staff aside leaving him open to attack. Jonas took advantage of this and used the rebound to strike upward into the temple of his opponent. Both stood frozen. Jonas planted his staff and clung to it like a lifeline as he struggled to maintain up right. Kai stood motionless like a statue. His staff fell by his feet. Eyes glazed and with a look of total disbelief upon his face, he fell like a tall tree which had been cut down and stretched himself full length along the ground.
The fevered screams of the crowd echoed around Jonas. The painted faces and mouths of those watching were drawn into grotesque caricatures due to the excitement and the many libations they had indulged in. Members of the Elite Guard moved forward to clear the arena for the next bout. One grabbed Jonas's arm and supported him, as he shuffled forward towards the exit. Four other guards carefully rolled Kai on to a stretcher. With an effort, they raised him and also moved into the tunnel. A new pair emerged; ready to do battle for the amusement and honour of those present.
Jonas sat with his head buried in his hands; exhausted beyond belief. Beside him lay Kai, who was just starting to stir. Jonas had achieved what he had set out to do. He was now a member of the Elite Guard who served the ruling classes. This position was the highest aspiration of all men on the planet.
He now realised, that he did not want it. | <urn:uuid:3cbca905-c503-497d-b00a-87b476833d6d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1870757-Arena | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.989458 | 2,289 | 1.585938 | 2 |
In his book Our Sussex Parish, Thomas Geering has a story entitled “The Old Druggist: Her Shop And Her Lodger”. In the story he describes Mrs Gearing (who was the druggist) and Captain Barclay (who was the lodger).
I had never heard of Captain Barclay before, but I have since discovered (through the story and online research) that he was a celebrated pedestrian, who carried out various walking feats, mostly it seems for money, such as walking a 1000 miles in a 1000 hours for a wager of 1000 guineas.
Of course the real interest for me is whether Mrs Gearing the druggist, is my 6x great-grandmother. My gut instinct is that she is, but there is just not enough evidence yet for me to be 100% certain.
My own research has taken my GEERING ancestors back to Hailsham, Sussex. My 4x great-grandfather Richard GEERING was born in Hailsham in 1805 and appears to be the son of James and Ann GEERING. This is really as far back as I can confidently go so far.
I haven’t found a marriage for James and Ann, but it looks like James was the son of Richard and Mary GEERING, baptised in Hailsham on the 26th December 1776. Richard GEERING and Mary JARVIS were married in Hailsham on the 29th August 1776.
The 1841 census shows a household in Hailsham, which appears to relate to my ancestors, but the relationship is a bit confusing, because they are not included in the 1841 census. The first person in the household is Ann GEERING (aged 55), then we have John GEERING (aged 60) and Jane GEERING (aged 35).
Normally if John and Ann were married I would expect John to be listed first, so these are probably not husband and wife (maybe brother and sister). Both Ann and John GEERING have given their occupation as druggist.
John died before the 1851 census, but Ann and Jane are still living together in Hailsham. Ann (aged 67) is shown as unmarried, with the occupation of chemist and druggist. Jane (aged 53) has no occupation and her relationship to Ann is given as niece. My guess is that Jane was the daughter of James, and James was the brother of Ann.
Pigot’s Directory of Sussex for both 1832-4 and 1839 list a Mary GEERING as a “chymist and druggist” in Hailsham. This information may be out of date because I suspect that Mary actually died in 1825.
My hypothesis is that both Ann and James were the children of Richard and Mary GEERING, my 6x great-grandparents, and that the druggist business passed down from Richard and Mary, to just Mary, then to Ann and James, and then just Ann (probably assisted by Jane).
My problem is going to be finding the evidence to support this. The only child that I can find for Richard and Mary GEERING is James, no sign of Ann. I have found three children for James and Ann GEERING, but no sign of Jane.
As you will see in my next post, Thomas Geering’s story about the old druggist does provide a few clues which may fill in some details on the family. | <urn:uuid:7bc755d3-5192-4213-a620-6a36925c83c9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wanderinggenealogist.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/is-the-old-druggist-my-6x-great-grandmother-part-1-what-i-know-about-the-old-druggist/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=193d2e3278 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985043 | 724 | 1.734375 | 2 |
A concordat has been agreed by universities, medical research charities, pharmaceutical companies and the government to create greater transparency in animal research. This is a step toward safe-guarding the high quality and economically important scientific work which goes on in the UK and could not come at a more important time. A recent IpsosMORI poll shows a slight dip in public support for animal research. The public represent, to different degrees, scientists, customers and bosses. This reduced support will only embolden anti-vivisection groups who have recently lobbied and intimidated various airlines and ferry companies into ceasing transport of live animals for legitimate medical research. I have launched a petition to demand that the government provide these hauliers the protection and support they require to resume the transport of animals. Please sign it here.
Actions like this will show the government that the scientific community and the general public view the lobbying of anti-vivisectionists as undemocratic. In the spirit of greater openness,the scientific community must take on the arguments of anti-vivisectionist groups whilst doing far more to inform the public. Greater public understanding will bring this debate into the light, where these campaigns of innuendo can no longer persuade. No scientist can legally be pro-animal research in the way that anti-vivisectionist groups claim. By law we must exhaust all other avenues before using animals and legally we must work towards the “3R’s” of reduction, refinement and replacement. The UK is considered the best in the world for safeguarding the welfare of animals in research facilities. We must also become world-leaders at informing and being transparent. This will ultimately safeguard our industry, the economy, animals and the public’s health.
IMAGE: Understanding Animal Research/Wellcome Images | <urn:uuid:c780e9b7-e3b5-4de0-809f-876a5389b33a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.isciencemag.co.uk/features/news/action-to-protect-uk-animal-research/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931574 | 371 | 1.835938 | 2 |
I have a confession. Even if I can read some of the prayers on Rosh Hashanah, I still don't understand what I'm saying. To tell you the truth I'd rather take a quiet, reflective walk in the park this year on Rosh Hashanah than spend all those hours in synagogue saying a bunch of words that don't mean a whole lot to me anyway. (I'm not even a member anywhere). Do you have any suggestions?
I'm quite confident that your words echo the sentiments of many. The prayers are meant to be a powerful, relevant and meaningful experience. Sadly, our distance from the original Hebrew, coupled with a lengthy synagogue service, can be intimidating to say the least, and often a tremendous letdown for individuals seeking a spiritual experience. As a matter of fact, the majority of Jews don't even enter a synagogue over the course of the High Holidays!
I will offer a few words of advice that can perhaps alleviate your challenge and help get more from the service and the High Holidays.
- Firstly, five minutes of prayer said with understanding, feeling and emotion means far more than hours of lip-service. Don't look at the prayer book as an all-or-nothing proposition. Try looking at each page or each prayer as a self-contained opportunity for reflection and inspiration. If a particular prayer doesn't speak to you, move on to the next one. Don't expect to be moved by each and every prayer.
- Read the prayers at your own pace, thinking about what you are saying, without being so concerned where the congregation is reading. You don't need to always be "on the same page" with everyone else. If a particular sentence or paragraph touches you, linger there for a while, chew if over and digest it well, allowing the words to caress you and enter your soul. Apply that prayer to your own life and situation and use it as a connection to God. If you're really brave, close your eyes for a few minutes and meditate over those words for a while.
- Don't let your lack of proficiency in Hebrew get you down. God understands English. Like a loving parent, He can discern what is in your heart in the language you express yourself.
- Bring along some reading material. If you find yourself needing a break from the prayers, have something interesting on hand to read. (No, not the latest issue of Sports Illustrated. Print out some article from the web; Aish.com’s High Holiday Reader PDF is a good place to start.
- Do some prep-work. Rosh Hashanah is all about making a plan for your life (or at least the coming year). Spend some time answering life’s most important (and often most difficult) question. There is an excellent list of "20 Questions for the New Year," which helps prompt effective ways for moving your life forward. Go through this list the few days leading up to the holiday, and then bring your “conclusions” to the synagogue. You’ll have a good tool to help you focus on what exactly you want to be praying for!
- Finally, come to synagogue well-rested. You might think that by sitting (and standing, and sitting and standing…) there is not much effort involved. But this is about making an emotional investment, which requires concentration and energy.
By sitting in the synagogue (as opposed to the park), you join millions of Jews in synagogues around the world. By joining hands with fellow Jews you are making a powerful statement about your commitment to Judaism and your place in the Jewish people. The Midrash teaches that "there is no King without a Nation"; only when we join together, as a congregation of Jews to coronate the King on Rosh Hashanah, only then do we build a kingdom of Heaven on Earth.
If you're not a member of a synagogue and are looking for a comfortable place to pray which doesn't require much background, please visit NoMembershipRequired.com. Around the country there are "High Holiday Learner's Services." These interactive, explanatory services, held mostly in English, utilize a fresh, new approach – combining ongoing explanation, discussion and camaraderie with other bright, interested Jews who are seeking to add meaning and understanding to their High Holiday experience.
With best wishes for a healthy, meaningful and joyous Rosh Hashanah to you, with peace in Israel, and for all the Jewish people and the world. | <urn:uuid:3483194d-c585-4fa0-a603-17e247d0c414> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aish.com/h/hh/rh/guide/Maximizing_the_High_Holiday_Services.html?s=mbaw | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956277 | 927 | 1.75 | 2 |
Jeph Jacques on listening to music casually versus concertedly:
Music affects us on three levels- conscious, subconscious, and emotional. You don’t necessarily have to be consciously concentrating on a song to appreciate it or learn from it or have it affect you. […] A good song should appeal no matter HOW casually you’re listening to it- the details are the icing on the cake, the stuff that separates a GOOD song from a GREAT one. And those details frequently take time to tease out. Even music that on the surface seems to require close scrutiny to appreciate should appeal on a base level.
Click the link at the top of the post to read the whole essay. | <urn:uuid:4f670988-172d-4017-8ee0-8f022e35c7db> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://zedequalszee.tumblr.com/tagged/listening | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933418 | 139 | 1.539063 | 2 |
This is part of a series of year-end posts on Asia Blog written by Asia Society experts and Associate Fellows looking back on noteworthy events in 2011. You can read the entire series here.
In a year when news like the killing of Osama Bin Laden and the perpetually fraying state of U.S.-Pakistani relations dominated headlines, the following are five cultural programs from Pakistan that you might not have heard of in 2011.
After the overwhelming success of Khuda Ke Liye in 2007, filmmaker Shoaib Mansoor presented audiences with Bol, a gripping drama that deals with the domestic lives of a conservative patriarchal family of 10 based in Lahore. Touching on a variety of social issues such as gender inequality, human rights and religious intolerance, Bol provided social commentary through storytelling. Coupled with a robust soundtrack and striking cinematography, Bol reflects a recent revival of art cinema in Pakistan, and is a promising sign of good things to come. The film broke all previously held box office records to become the highest-earning film in Pakistan of all time.
Watch a trailer for Bol (1 min., 28 sec.):
Having completed its fourth season, Coke Studio is a television show that touches on Pakistan’s rich and diverse cultural heritage. Produced by musical genius Rohail Hyatt, Coke Studio rests on a simple concept: musical innovation. Over the past season, audiences were treated to performances from up and coming singers like Bilal Khan and Zoe Viccaji in addition to such music industry veterans as Ataullah Khan Esakhelvi and Sajjad Ali. Coming together to inject new soul into classic numbers or performing entirely new compositions, these singers collaborated with a world-class band who are masters in mixing genres and making music that is fresh, catchy and often times incredibly heart-rending.
Video: Coke Studio highlights (8 min., 43 sec.)
Karachi: The Musical (Haar na Mano)
Over the past five years, Nida Butt, a lawyer by profession, has single-handedly worked to revive the Karachi theater community, and her previous local adaptations of Chicago and Mamma Mia were hailed as overwhelming successes. This year, Nida brought us Karachi: The Musical, Pakistan's first musical with an original soundtrack, screenplay and choreography, complete with a live orchestra and onstage singing. Set in Lyari, a part of Karachi known primarily for sectarian violence, Karachi: The Musical is the story of a young man's dream of boxing stardom. A strong narrative laced with just the right amount of satire, Karachi: The Musical took audiences by storm, and enjoyed a three-week run at the box office.
Watch a trailer for Karachi: The Musical (2 min., 32 sec.)
"Sangeet Akath" Concert and Poetry Recital
Folk singers and poets gathered in the historic gardens of old Lahore to pay tribute to Waris Shah's classic 1766 love story Heer Ranjha. The event featured a popular folk singer from Cholistan, Krishan Lal Bheel, who sang in a variety of regional languages and entertained the audience with his colorful clothes and speeches about the mystic qualities of Sufi music. A 25-man Punjabi dhol ensemble accompanied the folk singers on stage, and audiences ranged from local residents to Sufi music enthusiasts from all over Lahore who had gathered to celebrate the continuing relevance of Sufi thought and music in contemporary culture.
Karachi Literature Festival
The second annual Karachi Literature Festival brought together over 90 authors, literary critics and analysts in a two-day event. Attended by close to 10,000 people, the festival also featured international artists from the United Kingdom, United States, India, Germany and France. Events included panel discussions, book launches, dance performances and creative writing workshops geared towards the youth. The festival ended with a tribute to poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz in celebration of his 100th birthday that featured firsthand accounts of time spent with the renowned artist, recitals of his poems and a lively discussion of his work.
Video: Karachi Literature Festival highlights (4 min. 9 sec.) | <urn:uuid:544ae78a-77e0-4ded-a95c-dc074b6bb461> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://asiasociety.org/blog/asia/2011-five-pakistani-cultural-events-you-might-have-missed | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947891 | 839 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Today sees the start of White Party Week, a gay and lesbian event to raise money for South Florida’s oldest and largest HIV/AIDS charity, Care Resource.
Founded in 1983 as the Health Crisis Network, the group staffed by volunteers focused on providing a response to the epidemic with crisis intervention, social support and educational programmes.
Care Resource provides extensive services including medical, dental, preventative testing, case management, clinical research and meal deliveries to over 7,000 men, women and children affected by the HIV/AIDS.
This year’s theme is ‘The Gods & Goddesses of Mount Olympus’ and has a predicted turnout of 25,000 people.
The event runs from 26th November until 1st December.
Enjoyed this article? Add Pink News to your Facebook news feed | <urn:uuid:2d071992-c4d2-45ef-9c6f-643eaea1dcb8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2008/11/26/25000-expected-at-massive-hiv-fundraiser-in-florida/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940506 | 166 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Balconies are the vital additions to your homes, and those how have one perhaps know the importance of having a balcony in their home. But you have often observed that many people owning a house with having a terrace or balcony don't pay much attention to it. For them balcony is nothing more than a limited space area with no usage. In fact they are unaware of the importance of this short space, which can bring life into the atmosphere of their homes with little effort and planning.
Although, balconies are limited in space and have very less space to think about adding some features to it, still there are number of ways through which you can make your balcony ideal for balcony garden with certain features like lighting, planting, hot tubs or spas and of course water features. Along with all other arrangements, an addition of water feature in your balcony will give it a life and sparkling theme. What is required on your behalf is to take its limitations into consideration carefully and adapt your conception accordingly.
Considering the Weight
The only major problem you come across while supplementing a water feature into your balcony garden is weight. The estimated weight of water excluding container is about 4.5 kg (10 lb) for every 4.5 liters (1 gallon). Remember this is the weight of water only and if we add the weight of container it will increase further, which can be dangerous. However, a small water feature can be helpful in this regard with a head sprouting water into a small bowl fixed to the back wall of the balcony. You can also incorporate a plastic liner faced, small raised pool in the middle of your built in features, usually matching like brick, timber or tiles. | <urn:uuid:21392197-3750-4eb8-8a79-598905346de9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://water.ezinemark.com/supplementing-water-features-in-balcony-garden-1689b40879d.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969256 | 341 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Charlotte, N.C. resident Ron Martin heard he could save some money by having his home retrofitted, making small — but important — changes to increase energy efficiency. The ideal was intriguing.
Martin called local retrofitter Energy Tight in May to come perform an energy audit on his home. The company performed a blower door test and checked his duct work, attic and crawlspace for areas where energy might be leaking out.
“They used an infrared camera to show me places in the walls where there was no insulation or it had settled,” Martin says. “Then, they showed me the recessed lighting, and it was amazing how much cooling I was losing there.”
Four-year ROI on energy retrofits
Energy Tight came back a few days later with an extensive report on Martin’s home, detailing what his options were for upgrades, complete with cost estimates. Additionally, he’ll receive a 30-percent credit on the 2010 tax year on all certified materials used.
“I sat down and did the math, and I determined that for the cost of retrofitting my house, the changes would pay for themselves in about four years,” Martin says. “I figured that was a pretty good investment.”
Martin decided to act, having his home insulated and sealed up better than ever before. Original estimates were that he would save about 20 percent on his energy bills, but for his first bill since his home had programmable thermostats and other improvements installed by Energy Tight, he saw an 18 percent savings — that bill only included about three weeks with the retrofits in place, so Martin could potentially save even more on his next bill.
“I was very pleased to see that I saved that much,” he says. “I thought I would save some money, but I never expected it to be this good.”
Martin says he primarily went through the retrofit process because of the substantial cost savings, but that he also likes to do the right thing when it comes to saving energy.
“I want to do what I can to be green and reduce my footprint,” he says. “My home also stays cooler longer, and the air conditioning has to run less often because I’m not losing energy like I once was — I immediately noticed an increase in my comfort level.”
Energy Tight owner Matt Coapman says that while it takes a bit of getting dirty to make his customers’ homes energy-efficient, having an experience with customers where he “can give them a combination of comfort and value in their homes” makes it all worthwhile. | <urn:uuid:b33a8ddb-4360-45bc-86fe-eeb98bc93a50> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://energy.gov/articles/charlotte-green-supply-chain-residential-retrofitting | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.988122 | 551 | 1.820313 | 2 |
LAKEVILLE — Lakeville Library's "Hooks and Needles" is a group which began in the Fall of 2005 as a way to build community through knitting. A meeting once a month with four women quickly grew to 40 women who meet weekly today.
Visit the Great Ponds Gallery inside the Lakeville Public Library at 4 Precinct St. in Lakeville during December to view the different items these ladies create with their knitting skills.
To give back to their community, the group knits all year for charity and donates what they knit in the fall to the Knitting Connection. Throughout this year, 165 items were donated by the group.
There will be a special collection added to this exhibit in the form of crocheted afghans. The afghan squares were made by Adella "Dutie" Coe and have been pieced together by Olivia Melo in a variety of colors and themes. These unique blankets will be available for sale to benefit the Lakeville Arts Gallery.
The group, of all knitting skill levels, is always looking for new members. Join them some month to see what they do.
For more details about the exhibit, the group and when they meet, or the times that the library is open, contact the library at 508-947-9028 or LakevilleLibrary.org. | <urn:uuid:43a5571e-19a1-411a-a3a3-93344e4a8af5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121213/PUB04/212130343/-1/rss34 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962936 | 274 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Doomsday Redux: Prophet Says World Will End Friday
Mark your calendars: The world is ending on Oct. 21.
This announcement comes from Harold Camping, the doomsday prophet who said Judgment Day would come on May 21, 2011. On that day, a rolling earthquake was supposed to devastate the world. True believers would join Jesus in heaven. Unbelievers would be tormented for the next five months.
So, when May 21 came and nothing happened, Camping had some explaining to do. Two days later, Camping, the head of Family Radio Network, announced he had been right about the date of God's wrath — just not the method.
"It was not a Judgment Day that was visible, and it's a spiritual Judgment Day," he told his Family Radio audience and a throng of reporters in May. "But it is Judgment Day."
And Camping insisted that we are right on track for total earthly destruction on Oct. 21.
For some of Camping's followers, that was small comfort. Many had quit their jobs and joined caravans to spread the message. Others had given their life savings to Family Radio. When a reporter asked Camping if he would return the money, he was unrepentant.
"I don't have any responsibility," he said. "I can't be responsibility [sic] for anybody's life. I'm only teaching the Bible."
Camping had a stroke 18 days later. By September, he had recuperated enough to go on Family Radio with a modified prediction.
"Probably," he said, "there will be no pain suffered by anyone because of their rebellion against God." Unbelievers might just fall asleep and never wake up.
As for a violent upheaval?
"The end is going to come very quietly, probably within the next month," Camping said.
You'll note the word "probably." Catherine Wessinger did. She's an expert on doomsday groups at Loyola University in New Orleans and editor of The Oxford Handbook of Millennialism. She says she's seen this before.
When prophecy fails, she says, "the person making the prediction can give themselves a way out, sort of a backdoor way of getting out of the prediction. Or on the other hand, when nothing happens, the event can be spiritualized."
In the days before Oct. 21, Camping's followers seem to be in a state of nervous anticipation.
"Nobody has admitted defeat," says Brandon Tauszik, a documentarian who has been following the movement. He visited Camping's church in California on Sunday, and it was full.
"The congregation was still very much excited about the approaching date," he says, "and the sermon was entirely about Oct. 21, which really surprised me."
Now mind you, the church only holds about 100 people, Tauszik says. And it's clear that the ranks of Camping's true believers have thinned. One source says Family Radio is trying to sell off stations to avert bankruptcy.
"The reputation of Family Radio is marred, and the money is not coming in," says David Liquori, who traveled the country last spring in a caravan, spreading the word about May 21. Still, Liquori believes the end is coming Oct. 21. He's just not sure what, exactly, it will look like.
"Now I don't know if God is going to destroy the world, burn the world with fire, but I know the Bible uses that kind of language."
Liquori won't say what he will do if he wakes up on Oct. 22. Nor will Camping, though he does say he's officially retired.
Wessinger at Loyola says if past is prologue, a couple of things could happen. One is that the group could dissipate. Or they could take a page from the Millerites. That group predicted that Jesus would appear in the 1840s. When he didn't — an event called the Great Disappointment — they reorganized and became the Seventh-day Adventists.
No matter what, Wessinger says doomsday movements will always be with us because they play into a primal fear.
"We don't want to suffer and we don't want to die," Wessinger says.
And these movement give an escape.
Next up, says Wessinger: Dec. 21, 2012 — when the Maya calendar seems to indicate the world will end. | <urn:uuid:bd80930f-aab9-45a6-bfae-973a6d1e19f0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wrvo.org/post/doomsday-redux-prophet-says-world-will-end-friday | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977423 | 922 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Last year, we wrote about the US solar industry surpassing 100,000 jobs. With the industry expected to grow many times over in the coming years, especially with strong policy support, that number could grow substantially.
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Eight months after he touted the job-generating power of renewable energy, Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar returned to Nevada's newest solar power plant with a different message.
The William S. Hart Union High School District in Santa Clarita Valley, CA is building a photovoltaic (PV) solar system designed to produce between $18 and $20 million in energy savings over 20 years.
BMW has taken another step in what is shaping up to be a multifaceted electric vehicle initiative that focuses on spurring infrastructure and lifestyle changes among consumers, as much as touting the vehicles themselves.
The federal government has given generously to the clean energy industry over the last few years, funneling billions of dollars in grants, loans and tax breaks to renewable power sources like wind and solar, biofuels and electric vehicles. "Clean tech" has been good in return.
Planet Orange is now a power house. Phoenix and Arizona Public Service officials, NBA Phoenix Suns executives and point guard Steve Nash on Monday switched on 966 solar panels on the roof of US Airways Center parking garage. They've named it the APS Suns Powered Solar Structure.
The Army is preparing to collect proposals for a contract vehicle worth up to $7 billion over as many as 30 years meant to help it manage energy resources at Army bases around the country.
Investors looking to get fabulously rich may want to place a few bets on solar cell and rechargeable battery technology.
Warren Buffett's MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co. is planning a second round of bonds to finance its $2.4 billion Topaz Solar Farm in California after investors sought more of the debt than was offered in the first public issuance for a U.S. photovoltaic power project.
A team led by the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA) has launched the Solar Friendly Communities initiative, which is designed to help streamline permitting for solar energy installations. | <urn:uuid:1dab4d44-0799-48e9-a9ea-57adfa974fe7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.seia.org/news?page=101&pressrelease_id=1754 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941371 | 562 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Access Remote PC 5.2
Access Remote PC is fast, compact software for accessing and controlling any computer from any computer on the Internet or on local area networks (LAN).
You can view the remote PC's screen and control its keyboard and mouse just as if you were sitting in front of it. The program includes full-featured file transfer. Strong 160-bit encryption ensures that no one else can view the information transmitted over the network. The software transparently works through firewalls and routers, and has support for dynamic IP addresses. Using this software, you can access email, files, programs and network resources at office from home or the road. You can help your friends or family solve problems on their computers remotely without leaving your home. System administrators can remotely access and manage multiple PCs from anywhere. Your sales force can access applications and documents and continue to work while on the road.
To connect to your PC from your Android phone you can use LogMeIn Ignition! view it
Here's how to search for more torrents to download! view it
It can be really handy to access other computers using GoToMyPC view it
Adium gives you plenty of ways to customize the way it looks and acts view it
In this final segment we'll look at the terms used in the world of torrents! view it
If you're looking for an easy way to share your screen think Yuuguu view it
Adium includes an easy way to send and receive files from your IM contacts view it | <urn:uuid:8397b9a9-ebf1-4fc8-ac64-5f794579a9b6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tucows.com/preview/325665/Access-Remote-PC | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936991 | 309 | 1.585938 | 2 |
I do not know. Mine are Uni-Solar panels that are much larger than the average panel, size wise. If there is power available the best bet is a grid tied system (read, no batteries, no rewiring to 12 volt). Costs for panels are hovering around about $1.00 per watt.
My experiment got interrupted but the results were clear.
Cool down time defined as fridge starts to cycle.
14 hours cool down time without external fans (4.2 kwh)
8 hours cool down time with external fans (2.4 kwh)
5 hours cool down time with external fans and "blue ice" bricks in the freezer. (1.5 kwh)
While I have not ran test on ours but I run propane and I usaly use Ice cubes in both freezer (1 gallon zip lock bag) and fridge (1 gallon zip lock bag 1/2 full) plus item we put in it, so using it as an ice chest at first more or less.. I usaly have about 2 hr pull down time to about 42 degrees. Also the Ice cubes in the freezer are used as ice cubes as they do not melt.. Most times however we start it in the morning when we come up with some reason to go and depart with in an hour of starting it..
We spent most of our money traveling... Just wasted the rest.. | <urn:uuid:7aa2aa85-465c-4084-aefb-c8318307a551> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/20466623/page/261.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941329 | 283 | 1.648438 | 2 |
ARM and Cadence jointly presented a paper at today’s ARM Technology Conference discussing the steps needed to get the new ARM Cortex-A15 multi-processor core ready to run at or above 2.5GHz in a 32/28nm G/HP process technology and at or above 1.5GHz in a 32/28nm LP process technology. The two companies have been working on this project since March of this year. Obviously, the ARM Cortex-A15 is designed to be fast out of the gate. The core’s multiple-processor-core configurability suits it to a wide variety of mobile and tethered applications and end products with a wide range of performance needs. Getting high clock speed and good power performance at the same time is a good trick and Andrew Lambert from ARM and Rob Lipsey and Gopi Kudva from Cadence provided a significant number of details with respect to the tool flow that gets you multi-GHz speed with low power.
First, Lambert gave a few of the ARM Cortex-A15 architectural details—without revealing too much about the processor internals. The ARM Cortex-A15 is ARM’s first processor to employ the AMBA 4 system coherency bus—necessary because the ARM Cortex-A15 can be configured with as many as four processor cores. The ARM Cortex-A15 is also the first ARM processor core with a 1Tbyte address space. For reduced power consumption, the ARM Cortex-A15’s L2 cache is divided four ways and each of the four quadrants can be powered independently. The processor pipeline has a fine-grained, power-shutdown feature to reduce dynamic power consumption and the processor’s register-save and –restore abilities are accelerated to reduce the amount of time and the amount of power needed to transition from sleep to full operation and back again. The design supports the Common Power Format (CPF) to permit the design intent for power consumption to permeate the tool chain.
ARM and Cadence assembled an implementation team in March. The target implementation had two processor cores each with 32Kbyte L1 caches, a 1Mbyte L2 cache, ECC and parity protection on both the L1 and L2 caches, and the power domains that permit multiple operating/power modes. The design also included the ARM NEON SIMD vector coprocessor and the FPU. In an interesting twist, the ARM Cortex-A15 processor consists of two blocks: a processor block (for ease of replication, two were used in this design) and a non-processor block (used for providing an external interface and other support circuits such as an interrupt controller to the processor blocks).
Both block types were developed flat, from the bottom up. The targeted process for this exercise was a 32LP process with six base metal layers and two additional power-distribution layers (x8 metal width).
The goal of this exercise was to develop a script that will allow anyone using the ARM Cortex-A15 processor core to easily insert it into an SoC design. The result was an optimized synthesis script for the Cadence Encounter RTL Compiler and associated tools. “Use it with the prescribed methodology and you’re done,” quipped Kudva.
The implementation team used a nearly standard synthesis flow to develop the ARM Cortex-A15 design, paying attention to early timing results and signal flow to guide the floorplan, critical node routing after floorplanning, and clock-tree synthesis—among other factors. “The clock-tree structure is critical to getting performance,” said Lipsey. The approach used here was to bring the clock to the center of the core and then branch out from there, using no more than three branching levels. The target for the clock tree was less than 1.2nsec of latency and 50psec of global skew.
Finally, it’s worth noting the number of switching transistors required to build in the functional power gating. The CPU block required approximately 9000 power-switching transistors and the L1 memories required an additional 12,000 power-switching transistors. The non-CPU block employs about 2000 power-switching transistors for the logic and another 5000 power-switching transistors for the associated memories. In all, the power-switching transistors added only 2% to the area. | <urn:uuid:e5f1258d-416a-4c4d-abd4-005b92982770> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://eda360insider.wordpress.com/2010/11/09/realizing-the-arm-cortex-a15-what-does-the-road-to-2-5ghz-look-like/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930074 | 902 | 1.820313 | 2 |
A Russian Air Force Sukhoi Su-27UB fighter jet crashed in the Petrozavodsk district of Russia's northeast Karelia Republic on Thursday morning, although the pilots ejected safely according to Russia's Defense Ministry.
"The plane went down in the region of the village of Besovets," a local law enforcement source said.
There were no other injuries or damage on the ground, according to initial reports. The pilots were rescued and given medical checks, and are in a good condition, the air force said later.
The crash may have been caused by a bird being ingested into one of the aircraft’s two AL-31 turbofan engines, a spokesman for the Western Military District told RIA Novosti.
“Also, it is possible one of the flight control systems failed,” the source said.
The air force has suspended all Su-27 flights pending an investigation into the crash, the force said on Thursday. The Russian Air Force routinely grounds fleets of aircraft after accidents until the cause of a crash is found.
More precise preliminary information as to the cause of the incident is likely to be received in the next two days after an investigation, the source said.
The aircraft, which was on a routine weather check and training flight, was unarmed when it crashed, Defense Ministry Spokesman Colonel Igor Konashenkov said.
The Su27 is the mainstay of Russia's fighter force along with the smaller MiG-29.
The Su-27UB is a two-seat conversion trainer variant of the Su-27 single-seat fighter aircraft. | <urn:uuid:84f33fdd-16d0-4b87-9f1c-aefa1332f6e2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailyairforce.com/1127/su27-fighter-jet-crashes-in-karelia.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961912 | 329 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Well, you can't win 'em all.
In 2012, we saw big tech advances. Smartphones got bigger. Tablets got smaller. Social media played a role in everything from a presidential election to disaster relief.
But with advances come clunkers.
When you're in a field that demands near-constant innovation and unprecedented levels of creativity, sometimes even the most successful players are going to shoot and miss.
So, at the risk of playing Scrooge in this season of good will, here we come to wallow in it. Because, let's face it: The Internet loves a good fail.
Behold the top 10 tech "fails" of 2012, with wishes for happier days ahead to all involved.
Apple's unofficial slogan, "It Just Works," took a beating on this one.
Along with the rollout of the much anticipated iPhone 5 in September, Apple overhauled iOS, the operating system that runs the phone, its iPad and other mobile devices. A much-hyped feature of the change was Apple's first effort at its own mapping app -- after dumping rival Google's map software.
The result was so bad that a few days later Apple's CEO was essentially telling customers to use Google Maps. | <urn:uuid:137743d7-5394-4445-a3c5-da79e09e5394> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.koco.com/news/money/technology/Top-10-tech-fails-of-2012/-/9843786/17936252/-/svemejz/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966473 | 255 | 1.515625 | 2 |
UK internet service providers (ISPs) must now block access to popular Swedish BitTorrent file-sharing website The Pirate Bay, following a ruling by High Court judge Mr Justice Arnold.
British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the music industry trade association, asked a group of UK ISPs including Sky, O2, Virgin Media, Everything Everywhere and TalkTalk to voluntarily block access to The Pirate Bay in November 2011, at that time the ISPs said they would not comply unless a court order was issued.
The Pirate Bay is one of the largest searchable databases in the world for pirated free music, films, games and software, with links to more than four million trackers. ComScore estimates that there are 3.7 million Pirate Bay users in the UK.
“The High Court has confirmed that The Pirate Bay infringes copyright on a massive scale,” said British Phonographic Industry (BPI) chief executive Geoff Taylor.
“Its operators line their pockets by commercially exploiting music and other creative works without paying a penny to the people who created them. This is wrong - musicians, sound engineers and video editors deserve to be paid for their work just like everyone else."
The entertainment industry has been trying to bring down The Pirate Bay for almost a decade, without success. Despite convicting and imprisoning the four founders, the website has continued to flourish, skipping from Dutch to Norwegian servers each time pressure was put on the governments of these countries to take the website down. Recently the file-sharing site switched to using magnet links, instead of torrents, and switched domains from .com to .se.
BT, which was ordered to block access to Newzbin 2 in July 2011 following legal action by the Motion Picture Association (MPA), has requested for more time to deal with the original complaint made by BPI.
Mr Justice Arnold previously ruled in February this year that both the users and operators of The Pirate Bay were infringing the copyrights of music companies, after the case was brought to the High Court by a group of major record labels including EMI, Sony and Virgin Records.
BPI chief Taylor added: “Sites like The Pirate Bay destroy jobs in the UK and undermine investment in new British artists. We urge anyone using The Pirate Bay to explore the many digital music services operating ethically and legally in the UK - especially those carrying the Music Matters trustmark.” | <urn:uuid:6448b405-96fe-4860-a9b6-244bc95c3b0f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.macworld.co.uk/digitallifestyle/news/?newsid=3354830&pagtype=samechandate | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964801 | 491 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Originally Posted by Mariana Trench
As someone who's seriously considered becoming a subsistence farmer who lives off the grid, here's my answer: because it won't do any good. Isolating yourself from the world so that you, personally, don't contribute to certain injustices on a systematic scale is completely disempowering. One will do much more good by actually fighting for those injustices to stop--which involves being in society, and yes, relying on society to keep you alive, even if that means you're part of it. Being in the world and of it, as a transformative force, actually gives one a chance of accomplishing things that will actually make a difference, actually contribute to a greater good, instead of simply warding off that dang karma.
+1, tried to rep you but couldn't.
I also went through this whole thought process. For me there is a limit to what you can do by minimalising harm. It's maximising GOOD which has no limit. It's even worth not going all the way in minimising harm if that saved effort will help you go further in maximising good. Actually, nowadays when I think of processes I can go through to minimise harm (I'm thinking of being more green nowadays for instance), I think of it in terms of, "how can I minimise harm so I can inspire others through my example and communicate a sense of love and caring to others?" | <urn:uuid:0d6cfdef-0070-4219-b052-969a073c916a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stevepavlina.com/forums/1006975-post30.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965437 | 295 | 1.734375 | 2 |
An anonymous reader writes "CNN tells us that today's young adults are no longer excited at the possibility of space exploration: 'The 2004 and 2006 surveys by Dittmar Associates Inc. revealed high levels of indifference among 18- to 25-year-olds toward manned trips to the moon and Mars. The space shuttle program is slated to end in 2010 after construction of the international space station is completed with 13 more shuttle flights. The recent 13-day mission by Discovery's seven astronauts was part of that long-running construction job.' As a result, NASA's budget will include a greater amount of public relations spending. We'll have to wait for Netcraft to confirm that NASA is dying." | <urn:uuid:164204c4-9227-4f6f-a19c-f1ab570f12ce> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://science.slashdot.org/story/06/12/29/1555237/ipod-generation-indifferent-to-space-exploration | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958876 | 138 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Global environmental challenges
By now, almost everybody — with the possible exception of Republican Senate candidate Carly Fiorina — realizes there’s a difference between climate and weather. Fiorina, running in the California primary and ultimately aiming to unseat Democrat Barbara Boxer, paid for and appeared in a campaign ad slamming the sitting senator for being “worried about the weather” when there are serious concerns like terrorism to deal with.
Take a look here:
A few problems with this ad earned it the not-so-coveted beyond-false “Pants on Fire” rating from Politifact, a Pulitzer-prize winning journalism website that checks on the truthfulness of political advertising. First off, Boxer didn’t say she was worried about the weather. She said that climate change was “one of the very important national security issues” — a position in line with the Pentagon and the CIA. The site also found that it’s not an either/or thing, that focusing on climate change doesn’t necessarily mean neglecting national security. They took a look at Boxer’s record and found she has supported at least six bills against terrorism.
“Fiorina casts climate change as something you need to pack an umbrella for, or that prompts you to curse at the TV weatherman — which strikes us as not only a trivialization of climate change but also a failure to distinguish between two well-established scientific specialties,” Politifact said. “She also ignores Boxer’s lengthy record supporting bills against terrorism. So we have to light up the meter (the site’s Truth-o-Meter): Pants on Fire!”
Not surprisingly, Boxer’s campaign fired back in a press release, saying that, “during Fiorina’s tenure at HP, the company sold millions of dollars worth of high tech gear to intermediary shell companies selling to Iran, despite trade sanctions against Iran, a country that the U.S. State Department has named as a State Sponsor of Terror.”
Admit it: we all wondered just what Sarah Palin would turn her time and talents to after she announced her resignation from the Alaska governor’s job, and now she’s given what looks like an answer. In an op-ed column in The Washington Post, Palin took a swipe at Washington insiders and the mainstream media for ignoring the economy, and then tipped her hand.
“Unfortunately, many in the national media would rather focus on the personality-driven political gossip of the day than on the gravity of these challenges,” she wrote. “So, at risk of disappointing the chattering class, let me make clear what is foremost on my mind and where my focus will be: I am deeply concerned about President Obama’s cap-and-trade energy plan, and I believe it is an enormous threat to our economy. It would undermine our recovery over the short term and would inflict permanent damage.” | <urn:uuid:bd5efd3d-205a-47d7-98ce-00b3c676fa28> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.reuters.com/environment/tag/barbara-boxer/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96323 | 622 | 1.570313 | 2 |
oh im sorry honey but i dont really know how to answer this. i will try my best though.
how to deal with guilt: what guilt? do you feel guilty about lying?
dont focus on the guilt honey, if you’re not ready to come out then theres nothing you can do.
how to deal with fear: you know the answer to this. you just can’t accept it yet. to overcome fear you need to face it. for you, that means coming out. until then you will have to live with the fear. sadly, i dont think there is any other cure.
im sorry im not much help, i give advice based on personal experiences and i’ve never been in this sort of position so yeah i dont know what to say. but i do know; honey you have to try and be happy. focus on the good things in life and try not to dwell on the bad. the easiest way to be happy is to be yourself; so coming out would allow you to do that. i know its scary and hard. and maybe when you first come out things might go down hill, but it’ll get better. you’ll find your true friends and you will be able to live without that fear and guilt. you’ll be able to truly be yourself. things might not be amazing straight away but i promise as time passes it will get better.
good luck <3 | <urn:uuid:6d6af820-1e3b-461c-9a41-6b1909ed49c1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thedesiresofyourheart.tumblr.com/post/25288645364/im-a-closet-lesbian-and-its-really-scary-everyone | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955746 | 298 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Merkel Says Greece Will Always Be EU Member, Better Off in Euro
Greece will “always” stay a member of the European Union and would be better off remaining in the euro, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said.
“I believe it’s better for the Greeks to stay in the euro area, but that also requires that we set out a path on which Greece gets back on its feet step by step,” Merkel said during a panel discussion with high-school students in Berlin today. “Of course Greece can make it.”
Greece “will always be a member of the European Union, that’s not the issue at all,” Merkel said. “Rather, the solidarity for the euro will end only if Greece just says, ‘We’re not keeping to the agreement.’ But I don’t expect that to happen. I do think they are making an effort. There are many, many people in Greece who actually want it.”
Stocks and European government bonds fell and the euro weakened to a three-month low today on concern that Greece will exit the 17-nation currency union as the political impasse in Athens following inconclusive elections entered a second week.
Schaeuble said the advantages of Greece staying in the euro outweighed any perceived gain from exiting the single currency. “But it will be strenuous,” he said. “The price if they decide to leave the euro is very high” and “would cause a huge amount of turbulence for all of us.”
‘Not at Fault’
Merkel said that she was “of course” concerned about the situation in Greece. “Because I believe that people who are absolutely not at fault now have to pay for the mistakes of the past,” she said. “That’s the sad thing.”
Merkel rejected the notion that her push for austerity has spurred a political backlash in Europe that has benefited parties such as France’s National Front. Still, policy makers must find answers to “this feeling of injustice” among citizens in countries such as Greece, she said.
The situation in Greece “won’t lead to civil war,” the chancellor said in response to a question from a student who said she was concerned about Greece deteriorating into conflict.
Greece has no alternative to pursuing budget savings whoever is in power, Merkel said.
“What’s completely normal to you -- that you can’t permanently spend more than you take in -- that applies to states as well,” she said. “You can vote for whomever you like, but at the end there’s no way around it.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Tony Czuczka in Berlin at email@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Hertling at firstname.lastname@example.org | <urn:uuid:a79250ad-1a9e-42e7-98c1-bd99377cb3aa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-14/merkel-says-greece-will-always-be-eu-member-better-off-in-euro.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970855 | 635 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Tastemakers from Louis XV to Karl Springer have long fallen for shagreen, the pebbly hide of a stingray or dogfish. First used by the Turks to cover sword handles, the exotic material reached its pinnacle in the hands of French Art Deco cabinetmakers, whose veneered desks, armchairs, and even a grand piano proved that beauty was, marvelously, skin deep.
For designer Trip Haenisch, Jean-Michel Frank was the master of shagreen. He recognized it as a sophisticated material that could be used simply, Haenisch says. Its natural rhythm dazzles when veneered in different patterns, from rectangles to starbursts, but the effect is subtle. Its delicate texture demands a closer look, he adds. As you approach, it reveals itself.
However understated shagreen may be, it conjures total luxury for decorator Georgia Tapert Howe, who often includes a piece in her projects. Given the skins high cost, she uses faux versions, too, though top-quality imitations can be expensive as well. Mastering faux shagreen is an art, she explains. | <urn:uuid:55ffd89d-8216-435b-b4b4-65bd672bc84b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.elledecor.com/shopping/furniture/the-top-10-shagreen-pieces-a-70996 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934831 | 238 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Yitzhak Shamir died at the age of 96 on Saturday after a long illness.
JERUSALEM -- Yitzhak Shamir, the hawkish Israeli leader who balked at the idea of trading occupied land for peace with the Palestinians, died on Saturday after a long illness. He was 96.
He was twice prime minister in the 1980s and early 1990s. Rather than seek accommodation with the Palestinians, Shamir championed new Jewish settlements.
Israeli media said Shamir, who had Alzheimer's disease, died at a nursing home in Herzliya Saturday..
Shamir served as prime minister for seven years, from 1983-84 and 1986-92, leading his party to election victories twice, despite lacking much of the outward charm and charisma that characterizes many modern politicians.
"Yitzhak Shamir was a brave warrior for Israel, before and after its inception. He was a great patriot and his enormous contribution will be forever etched in our chronicles," President Shimon Peres said in a statement obtained by YNet news of Israel.
"Yitzhak Shamir belongs to a generation of giants, who founded the State of Israel and fought for the freedom of the Jewish people in its land," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. "He led Israel with deep loyalty to both the people and the land."
Gilada Diamant, Shamir's daughter, said that her father "belonged to a different generation of leaders, people with values and beliefs. I hope that we have more people like him in the future. His political doing has undoubtedly left its mark on the State of Israel.
"Dad was an amazing man, a family man in the fullest sense of the word, a man who dedicated himself to the State of Israel but never forgot his family, not even for a moment. He was a special man," she added.
Barely over 5 feet tall and built like a block of granite, Shamir projected an image of uncompromising solidity at a time when Palestinians rose up in the West Bank and Gaza, demanding an end to Israeli occupation.
AFP - Getty Images
An April 15, 1992, photo shows Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir attending a street-naming ceremony commemorating deceased members of the "Lehi," the underground that fought the British in Petah Tikva.
Defeated in the 1992 election, he stepped down as head of the Likud party and watched from the sidelines as his successor, Yitzhak Rabin, negotiated interim land-for-peace agreements with the Palestinians.
The agreements, including Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's recognition of Israel, did nothing to ease his suspicion. In a 1997 interview with the New York-based Jewish Post, he declared: "The Arabs will always dream to destroy us. I do not believe that they will recognize us as part of this region."
He embraced the ideology of the Revisionists -- that Israel is the sole owner of all of the biblical Holy Land, made up of Israel, the West Bank and Jordan.
The Labor movement, in power for Israel's first three decades, agreed to a 1947 U.N.-proposed partition plan to allow the creation of the Jewish state alongside a Palestinian entity. To Shamir and other Revisionists, that was tantamount to treason.
In later years, asked his view of territorial compromise for peace, Shamir said often that Israel had already given up 80 percent of the Land of Israel — a reference to Jordan.
Born Yitzhak Jazernicki in Poland in 1915, he moved to pre-state Palestine in 1935. He joined Lehi, the most hardline of three Jewish movements resisting British mandatory authorities, taking over the Lehi leadership after the British killed its founder.
Captured twice, he escaped from two British detention camps and returned to resistance action. The second camp was in Djibouti, in Africa.
After Israel was founded in 1948, Shamir was in business for a few years before entering a career in Israel's Mossad spy agency.
In the mid-1960s he emerged to join the right-wing Herut party, which evolved into the present-day Likud.
Shamir succeeded Menahem Begin as prime minister in 1983 in the aftermath of Israel's disastrous 1982 invasion of Lebanon.
His term was marked by the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation, and the 1991 Gulf war, when Iraq fired 39 Scud missiles at Israel.
Arguing with the US
During the Gulf war, Shamir went along with American demands not to retaliate for the Iraqi missile strikes. After the war, the United States stepped up pressure to start a Middle East process that could lead in only one direction — compromise with the Arabs.
Exasperated by Shamir's stubborn refusal to go along with their plans for a regional settlement, then-U.S. Secretary of State James Baker once went on television, recited the switchboard number of the White House and told Shamir to call when he got serious about peace.
In the end, American pressure bent even Shamir. Despite his deep mistrust of Arab intentions, he agreed to attend the 1991 Middle East peace conference in Madrid, sponsored by the United States and Russia.
Shamir hotly rejected the deals his successors made with the Palestinians, in which Israel turned over control of some West Bank land to the Palestinians.
Following a long and distinguished career in politics, former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir passed away after a long illness.
His pleasure at the 1996 election victory of Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu soured when Netanyahu continued to negotiate with the Palestinians and carry out land-for-security deals.
Before the 1999 election, Shamir resigned from the Likud and joined a new right-wing block called National Union, headed by Begin's son, Ze'ev Binyamin.
The party, which rejected any turnover of land to the Palestinians, won only four seats in parliament, though it had seven members of the outgoing legislature on its list.
In 2001, Shamir was given his nation's highest civilian honor, the Israel Prize awarded annually to outstanding citizens in several fields.
Shamir will receive a state funeral, which has been set for Monday, YNet reported. He will be laid to rest in the Nation's Great cemetery on Mount Hertz.
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- Family moves from the Bronx to Jerusalem, but US remains land of 'liberty and freedom'
- Palestinian: US supports 'an apartheid system that is suffocating us' | <urn:uuid:65b7bb09-25e8-4e6a-8451-88a092937e27> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/06/30/12499389-former-israeli-prime-minister-yitzhak-shamir-dies?lite | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970066 | 1,421 | 1.726563 | 2 |
November 3, 2008
-- Opinion --
U.S. election will be felt as far away as South Africa
By Mariechen Puchert
Junior Reporter, Youth Journalism International
East London, Eastern Cape, SOUTH AFRICA – You would think that with our own presidential elections looming, South Africans would be to busy to occupy themselves with the goings-on of the American presidential elections. It turns out you would be wrong.
At present, the South African government holds rallies encouraging youth to register as voters, President Thabo Mbeki has been ousted and became ex-President Mbeki, Mbeki-supporters in the African National Congress rush to form a breakaway party and the media is riddled with stories of corruption and violence preceding our elections.
South African citizens have decided that coverage of presidential debates and polls – thousands of kilometers across the ocean – make for a more relaxing read.
The overriding thought among South Africans is that U.S. Senator Barack Obama is the only way to go. Even at my girls’ only school, the girls were rooting for Obama when he was up against U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton.
Coming to that conclusion is not difficult, but analyzing the reasoning is more complicated.
I should clear up at this point that I would vote for Obama by a process of elimination. That is, I do not approve of the other candidate’s policies nor those of his party, and Obama remains as the lesser evil, albeit a charismatic, laid-back one.
A common phrase going around regarding Obama is that he will “bring change.” Although nobody claiming this could define to me exactly which change or how this would be brought about, we live with the knowledge that despite the changes regarding the global economy, “When America sneezes, the whole world catches cold.”
Whether it be right or wrong, the majority of African nations see the U.S. as a kind of savior.
The disturbances in the Middle East, the dollar’s strength, the price of petrol or gas, the Kyoto protocol and pharmaceutical patents of Antiretroviral medication … America has done great things for the international community, but these are issues which matter to the developing world.
And the developing world seems to believe that Obama is the leader who can tackle them head-on.
A more superficial, yet probable explanation for South Africa’s support of Obama is his race. It is to be remembered that the South African population is more than 90 percent non-white and that the legacy of Apartheid is riddled with leaders who were old, gray, conservative and unmistakably white.
It may be a policy based on unfair racial stereotypes, but colonialism and Apartheid have left the majority of Africans with a deep-rooted fear of white elected leaders.
McCain may have the experience and wisdom of years on his side, but Obama has the younger generations who are tired of being governed by old men who seem out of touch with what ‘the people’ need.
Only time will tell whether this belief is misconstrued, but it is indubitable that the results of these elections will resound even to this very southern point of Africa. And then, alack, we will have to return our attention to our own candidates.
Help The Tattoo thrive! Your donation can help us continue to provide the world's premier teen journalism. | <urn:uuid:ff19ac93-c0ad-4078-866e-58aeda72611c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://home.comcast.net/~majerus-collins/election2008-puchert-20081103tgad8098423042343222.htm | 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 | 0.95938 | 702 | 1.757813 | 2 |
In the south quadrant of the city, there are tall towers springing up from the squarish one to three story buildings normally found in the city. These "towers of poles" are a good fifty or sixty feet tall above the roof line below. They are made of wood or bamboo poles spliced together, sticking up from the buildings below. On these tall towers of wood live the BirdFolk and other flying peoples.
These towers are tall, light, and topped with small roofs. Some towers have some lateral supports made of the same light wood/ bamboo. The towers of poles are light and designed to sway in the winds, but if they do break they are so light that there will be little damage below.
Strung between the towers of poles are tents of sorts that act as rooms and apartments. These "tents" are usually inside the tower, but some are strung between towers. Off the towers the various folks hang colorful streamers and flags. In addition to general decoration, the flags are used to mark "addresses", neighborhoods, and "pathways".
The "people" live in "tents" of sorts strung between the rails and struts of the towers. Since all the various skyfolks have little in the way of personal possessions, there is little weight in these towers. The only heavy rooms are the few skyfolk temples there. They are not much more than larger and heavier canvas tents with a few built in alters and braziers.
There is a tower standing tall from the south district gate. That tower has only one thing, a large hoop. This hoop marks the gate to and from this quarter. It is manned at most times. There is a token drop there, so comings and goings can be measured and a district ledger kept. All the skyfolks are supposed to fly through the gate when they leave their quarter, so they can be in compliance with city law.
The skyfolks descend to the ground for the various other services they need. | <urn:uuid:17dace99-c595-49fa-867f-a7b92673f7d9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://strolen.com/viewing/1822 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970289 | 414 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Was it a reality check or an ingenious tactic borrowed from China’s ancient book of strategy The Art of War? After topping the gold-medal count on the home turf of Beijing four years ago, China is loudly lowering expectations of another triumphant performance in London. China won 51 gold medals in 2008, outperforming the U.S., which captured 36. But at a press conference in London, a Chinese official noted that former host nations historically have won nearly a third fewer medals in the Olympics following their home-turf performance. “Without home advantage, we face huge difficulties in meeting our gold-medal performance in Beijing,” said Chinese Olympic delegation deputy Xiao Tian.
China has dispatched a downsized team of 396 athletes to London, compared with 639 athletes four years ago. (The Americans have sent 530 athletes this time around.) Still, there are 39 Chinese gold medalists among the London delegation, and China is competing in every sport except for handball, soccer and the equestrian events.
(MORE: China’s Gold Standard)
Scaling back expectations isn’t a new Chinese ploy. Four years ago, as Beijing residents were confidently predicting that China would upset the U.S. at the top of the gold-medal charts, the country’s vice sports minister opined that it would be “impossible” for China to surpass America. The result, of course, was China winning by 15 gold medals.
Relying on a Soviet-style system that funnels kids into government-run athletic academies whether they have an innate interest in sports or not, China has achieved near domination in several disciplines. The diving team, for instance, will likely claim every one of the eight gold medals on offer. The table-tennis squad is looking for similar supremacy. Commanding performances are also expected in shooting, women’s weight lifting and badminton.
But there are surprising weaknesses in the Chinese armor. Their men’s gymnastics squad, once invincible, could be eclipsed in the team event by the Japanese and Americans, especially with news that pommel-horse specialist Teng Haibin has pulled out of the Games because of a muscle tear in his arm suffered during pre-Olympic training. The women’s squad, meanwhile, displayed its frailty last year, placing third in the world championships, behind the U.S. and Russia.
In Beijing, 38 of China’s 51 gold medals came from just a handful of sports: diving, gymnastics, shooting, table tennis, weight lifting and badminton. All these sports offer multiple medals, making them ideal picks for Chinese sports officials trying to maximize their gold harvest. In addition, Chinese bureaucrats have poured money into women’s sports because they are relatively underfunded in other countries. In London, the Chinese delegation has 225 women and 171 men.
Not content to rest on its laurels, China has developed top-class athletes in other sports that enjoy little popularity back home. In London, Chinese athletes could reap gold in disciplines ranging from cycling, boxing and judo to trampoline, fencing and rowing. Most of the Chinese athletes competing in these events had never heard of their respective sports until state coaches came calling when they were kids.
The one area in which China still has a hard time gaining ground is in what Chinese sports officials like to call “big ball” sports, like soccer and basketball. (Women’s volleyball, however, is a point of strength for the Chinese.) In London, Xiao lamented the perennial underperformance of the Chinese men’s basketball team. But that didn’t stop the delegation from picking as the country’s flag bearer Yi Jianlian, who had a relatively undistinguished career in the NBA before returning home last year. “The flag bearer should represent the image of China well,” said Xiao. “He or she needs to have an impressive record in sports, be tall, handsome and influential.”
Height is an obsession of the Chinese state. Since 1984, every single opening-ceremony Chinese flag bearer has been a male basketball player, as if the country needs a physical reminder that it stands tall in the world. Stature consciousness isn’t just in sports. The premier school for training Chinese diplomats has a height requirement for incoming students. When foreign VIPs visit Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, the entrance is invariably flanked by men and women a good foot taller than the average Chinese.
Some Chinese women have grumbled that since their gender delivers more gold medals to China, it is unfair that men are charged with bearing the flag. But men’s sports are another fixation of Chinese sports czars, who are desperate for victories in the Olympics’ highest-profile sports: swimming and athletics. Hopes are riding on two pairs of shoulders in London: those of Sun Yang, the world-record holder in the 1,500-m freestyle, and Liu Xiang, the world-record-tying 110-m hurdler whose failure to race in Beijing four years ago broke Chinese hearts after his golden performance in Athens. If either Sun or Liu wins, he will score his homeland’s first gold medal for men in these two popular sports at these games. Some triumphs, it turns out, mean more than others, even in a country that relies on a largely anonymous army of shooters, weight lifters and table-tennis paddlers to send it to the top of the gold-medal charts. | <urn:uuid:b668344a-9ca5-4f19-8cd0-74075f6e1af8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://olympics.time.com/2012/07/27/reality-or-strategy-china-plays-down-hopes-of-beating-the-u-s-in-gold-medal-count/?xid=rss-topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+time/topstories+(TIME:+Top+Stories)&utm_content=Google+Reader | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95462 | 1,149 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Updated 04/03/2012 07:41 PM
NC organization that helps children with hearing loss wins prestigious award
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RALEIGH -- A North Carolina organization that helps families with children who are hard of hearing has received a very prestigious award. BEGINNINGS of North Carolina has been named the 2012 recipient of the Volta Award by the Alexander Graham Bell Association.
Neel Kamo loves playing the violin. At just 10 years old, his talents have made him stand out beyond the classroom. It's an accomplishment that comes after years of challenges. As an infant he was told he was hard of hearing.
“It does not stand in my way of being a great violin player,” added Neel.
Neel says learning to adapt to life with hearing implants was his biggest obstacle. His parents, unfamiliar with what hearing loss entails, knew communication would be difficult.
“We were automatically thinking sign language,” said Garima Kamo.
However, with the help of BEGINNINGS those concerns were met with clarity.
“We could see that living a typical life with spoken language was a real option for us,” added Garima.
“The most important thing is that human to human, parent to professional contact. That is what is unique about what we do. There's someone who comes to the home and spends as much time with parents as the parents need,” said Joni Alberg, Executive Director of BEGINNINGS.
With new born screening for hearing loss, doctors can make a diagnosis within days after a baby is born.
“It can happen as young as nine days. Hearing aids can be put on a 9-day-old baby,” added Alberg.
It's early intervention paired with emotional and education support for families that leads some kids to a traditional classroom setting.
“He mainstreamed and now he goes to a public school. These are the actual goals of early intervention,” said Ramnik Kamo.
As for those kids facing similar challenges, Neel encourages them to stay optimistic.
“It's been fine. Just keep pushing. You'll come out on top,” Neel said.
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More than half of students would not have gone to university if they had been forced to pay £9,000 a year for their degrees, research has suggested.
A third (33%) say they would have been turned off by fees of £6,000, according to the survey by High Fliers Research.
The poll questioned 12,658 final year UK students at 24 English universities, each of which are expected to charge the maximum £9,000 for courses from 2012.
The findings reveal the extent to which the Government's plans to triple fees from around £3,000 to a maximum of £9,000 next year could affect students.
Students at Loughborough, Sheffield, Lancaster, Liverpool and Reading were the most concerned, with more than three fifths at each saying they would not have started their degree if they had to pay the maximum fee. But students attending Oxford and Cambridge were the least concerned by the fee hike, with 25% and 27% saying they would be put off by fees of £9,000.
The survey also reveals that female undergraduates are more likely to have been turned off university by maximum fees than their male peers. And £9,000 fees were also more likely to put off students who scored three B grades or less at A-level, as well as those studying languages, arts or humanities subjects.
State school pupils were also more likely to say they would not have gone into higher education if they had to pay £9,000. Some 59% of those that attended comprehensive school along with 51% that attended grammar school said they would have been put off, compared to 39% of those that were educated privately.
Managing director of High Fliers Research, Martin Birchall said: "Our research with the 'Class of 2011' shows very clearly that many of the top university undergraduates, particularly those originally from state schools or colleges, would have been put off doing a degree if their tuition fees had been £9,000 a year - the level that most leading institutions are expecting to charge in future."
Aaron Porter, president of the National Union of Students, said: "This is yet further proof, if any were needed, that trebling tuition fees will put a great many ambitious talented young people off going to university.
"What is particularly worrying is those that are most likely to be affected are from groups that are already under-represented in our universities or are studying in subject areas already under threat due to the targeting of Government funding cuts." | <urn:uuid:0739af0a-a566-4668-a502-84d6468bcf47> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/uk/fees-would-have-deterred-students-28611374.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.992015 | 509 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Government criticised for keeping Iraq war talks secret
The decision to keep Iraq war cabinet minutes secret is "disappointing", the UK information commissioner has said.
Attorney General Dominic Grieve has upheld Labour's 2009 ruling to exempt the minutes from the FOI laws.
Mr Grieve said it was an "exceptional case" with benefits of releasing the information outweighed by the need to promote "effective cabinet government".
Information Commissioner Christopher Graham said there was "significant public interest" in the matter.
The attorney general has used the power of ministerial veto in order to withhold the minutes of two cabinet meetings held immediately prior to the start of military action in Iraq in 2003.'Protection'
It is the third time the coalition government has used such a veto to block Freedom of Information laws, Mr Graham pointed out.
In May, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley barred the release of a "risk register" which outlined civil servants' assessment of potential problems with the government's major NHS reforms.
In February, the government retained another veto made by Labour's former home secretary Jack Straw, who decided in 2009 that cabinet discussions on devolution should not be made public.
Cabinet talks are not usually released for 30 years, and Mr Grieve said respecting this convention would "protect the conditions necessary for high-quality decision-making at the highest level in government".
Mr Grieve added that the lead-up to the Iraq war had already received intense scrutiny through public inquiries, parliamentary committee investigations and the publication of the legal advice given to ministers. | <urn:uuid:e91d6ca8-7728-40b3-b52b-a21545ca5067> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19075914 | 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 | 0.956021 | 314 | 1.804688 | 2 |
At the bottom of the Garden
Beautiful Pergola at the bottom of the Garden at Hill Place, Swanmore.
The grandparents of the current custodians are buried under the Pagoda as they wanted to be together in their favourite place.
Hill Place is a grade II listed[ Georgian country villa located near the village of Swanmore in Hampshire, England.
Richard Goodlad built Hill Place in about 1790. It is thought that Sir John Soane was the architect
In 2011, Hill Place was the subject of a Channel 4 television documentary presented by hotelier Ruth Watson as part of her Country House Rescue series.
Focal Length: 21 mm
ISO Speed: 200
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Experts say cannabis could eventually be decriminalised
According to a fresh “Drugs in Finland 2020” study, experts on substance abuse expect the use of illegal drugs to increase, and the drug trade to become increasingly intertwined with organised crime in the coming years. At the same time, the prosecution of individual users of cannabis might end, although the use of cannabis would remain technically illegal.
The forecast study by the Police College of Finland examined the views of a number of experts in the field on how the drug situation in Finland might develop by 2020. This is the first such study to have been conducted in Finland.
“Such studies are also rare around the world”, says Tomi Lintonen, head of research at the Finnish Foundation for Alcohol Studies, one of the researchers behind the study.
Two out of three experts giving answers to the study say that it is likely that the use of designer drugs will increase considerably in Finland.
They say that the growth is largely the result of the ease with which new synthetic drugs are manufactured, and the difficulty in interfering with the trade. The experts do not believe that the recent designer drug law would reduce their availability on the illicit market.
Most of the experts also expect home-growing of cannabis to increase. The use of cocaine is also expected to grow, as well as that of pharmaceutical drugs for recreational purposes.
A clear majority of the experts believe that the use and possession of drugs that are now illegal will continue to be illegal in the coming years, but users of cannabis might be left unpunished in the future.
More than half of the respondents expect that there will be no prosecution for use or possession of cannabis in 2020.
A third of the respondents felt that such development would be desirable, because punishing cannabis users has not been seen to reduce the use of cannabis, but it has been found to promote the marginalisation of those affected.
A few of the respondents felt that in a Western country under the rule of law, people should not be punished for harming themselves.
Another third of respondents would like to keep the use of cannabis as a punishable offence. One rationale for this is that a low threshold of reacting to cannabis use would help maintain consciousness of the illegality of the activity.
Most of the experts predict that those convicted of a drug crime or another crime, such as theft, in which drug use was a factor, would be offered the option of treatment instead of a jail sentence.
This would be an option especially in cases in which the person in question has not been significantly involved in selling drugs or organised crime.
A majority also expect that coercive treatment will be an option for underage drug users.
In the study, a number of questions were submitted to the approximately 40 members of a the cooperative network on monitoring drugs and drug use. The experts represent a number of bodies, including the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), various government ministries, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), customs authorities, and the A Clinic Foundation.
The questions were put to the experts on three different occasions, from 2009 to 2011. The first time yielded 19 responses, the second brought 18 responses, and in the third there were nine responses.
Use of cannabis increases among young Finns (25.8.2010)
Appeals court confirms acquittal of grow-shop owners charged with promoting drug use (30.3.2012)
Several designer drugs to be classified as illegal (15.2.2012)
Changes in classification of designer drugs to be delayed (16.6.2011) | <urn:uuid:4e29baec-2ac5-4cf7-8b9f-744d0e273a1d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Experts+say+cannabis+could+eventually+be+decriminalised+/1329104030726 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963644 | 727 | 1.703125 | 2 |
On February 16, I posted an article, “Perkasa – A misguided rights group” that was formed supposedly to defend the waning rights of the Malays, stemming from the fear (as some is reportedly to have said) that the Chinese would soon rule the country. How can they concoct such an idea baffled me. As I have said in my article, Perkasa is all about wanting to bolster the image of its founder, Datuk Ibrahim Ali i.e. a failed and disgruntled former UMNO politician who is sure to be ousted in the next general election.
“Preserving and upholding the Malay rights”, so says Ibrahim Ali. Is it his personal rights, or the rights of the Malays in general, or some privileged Malays? I have spoken to a number of my Malay friends, and generally they all have a similar opinion as mine regarding Perkasa. Recent statements by some pro Perkasa Malays echo a similar sentiment as Ibrahim Ali, which I find it to be highly racist and in contradiction with Najib’s ‘One Malaysia’ slogan. Certainly, I believe that the One Malaysia slogan has some sense in uniting the Malaysian multi-racial society, but the Perkasa slogan (is there any?) is the contrary. What Ibrahim Ali has done is nothing more that to instill fear and the hatred of the non-Malays against its Malay brethren, and he seems to get away with impunity.
Now we hear of another NGO or group, referring themselve as the organization of former UMNO elected representatives to champion the interest of Malays headed by one Tan Sri Adam Kadir (whoever he is). When this group is comprised of former UMNO elected representatives, one would conjure images of a well placed individuals sporting expensive cars and living lavishly in some posh areas. I maybe wrong in this respect, but just look around us today and do we see anyone of them living in poverty?
They being in UMNO don’t they know what the party stood for? Or were they too busy enriching themselves and had totally forgotten that they should be looking at the interest of the Malays? For them to say that they are to champion the interest of their race now is a blatant lie. It is 50 years too late, and they must learn to accept the blame for their failure to look after their own race.
I have this to say to my Prime Minister (if he is willing to listen), that these Malay rights group are merely insinuating that you and UMNO have failed in looking after the interest of the Malays. They fear losing the personal ‘comforts’ and by their action, they have divided the Malays more, weakened them, rather than to unite the Malay race. With their actions too, BN has lost numerable votes from the non Malays and this will court disaster for the BN in the next general elections.
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The Grand Old Dame of Rangoon
Longyi are the traditional dress of Burma and worn by both males and females; although women and girls wear their longyi much like a sarong, the male version is a tubular affair about two metres wide. To tie it, one must grab the material at each side and quickly lash the two ends together in a twisted knot at the stomach, leaving a perfect inverted V down the front of the legs. Tying a longyi was a skill that comes with a little more practice than I had experienced.
After the impromptu lesson in longyi tying, the butler stepped back and observed with a critical eye. "That's better," he announced with a tone of relief in his voice. "Now there will be no accidents," he assured with a grin.
It is doubtful that this was the first time in the hotel's 108-year history that there has been a lesson in longyi tying. Service in this grande dame of old Rangoon has been well honed since the hotel's belle époque days.
* * *
Since "La Belle Époque" is a name applied in retrospect, it evokes a nostalgic melancholy for a bygone era that is lost and irretrievable. Undoubtedly, it was a label bestowed by an aging member of the European upper class recalling sadly the good old days now long past.
Literally "the beautiful era," this period between the last decades of the nineteenth century and the onset of the World War I was the golden age of travel and saw frequent luxury steamships passing through the newly opened Suez Canal to bring the privileged class to the exotic destinations of Southeast Asia.
The arrival of these affluent travellers triggered the construction of a handful of opulent Southeast Asian hotels, each it seems in a competition to be the most outstanding, the most lavish establishment east of the Suez. Those legendary grande dames of Southeast Asia-The Oriental in Bangkok (1876), The Continental in Saigon (1880), The Eastern and Oriental in Penang (1889), Raffles in Singapore (1887), The Metropole in Hanoi (1901) and The Strand in Rangoon (1901) catered to the pampered lifestyle to which the prominent and affluent were accustomed. All seemed to use some variation of "Patronized by Royalty, Nobility, and Distinguished Personages" in their advertising.
They all had their period of grandeur when they were visited frequented by the wealthy and the famous, by writers and royalty. Each eventually fell onto hard times, and each has been renovated and reborn in an attempt to recapture a bygone time.
* * *
Entering through the door of Room 207 of The Strand was tantamount to crossing a portal into a long-gone era. The teak floors creaked as we walked and we wondered if this was a planned feature of the last renovation or simply shoddy workmanship. We opted for the former, agreeing that the floors of historic hotels should creak under foot. Although the suite had all modern conveniences, they were in a setting out of colonial times. Ceilings were four metres high. Period-style lamps and sofas as well as a mahogany coffee table and dresser were arranged in the suite area of the room; the bathroom featured a deep tub with antique-looking fixtures. In addition to air conditioning, there was the requisite ceiling fan. The double bed was a two-poster with a large mahogany headboard. We learned that the suite area was originally the verandah that ran all around the hotel. Through the window, the Yangon River, which played a major role in the hotel's history, could be barely discerned through a jungle of palm trees. Through the west-facing window the only view was of a water stained, dingy, dilapidated building that may or may not have been deserted.
* * *
A name inextricably woven into half of these renowned grand old ladies is Sarkies-Martin, Arshak, Aviet, and Tigran. The hospitality empire of these four Armenian brothers has become legendary. The Sarkies Brothers, as they called their hotel enterprise, became synonymous with luxurious accommodations during that golden age of travel to Southeast Asia.
Their first hotel venture was in Penang, and began in 1884 when they purchased and revamped the Eastern Hotel. Because of the popularity of the Eastern, the Sarkies acquired a second nearby hotel. After renovation, it was opened as The Oriental Hotel. In 1889, they gave up the first hotel, but amalgamated the established cachet of its name into the second one which became The Eastern and Oriental Hotel. Without doubt the most luxurious hotel in Penang, The E. & O. gained a reputation among the privileged.
Following their success in Penang, the Sarkies Brothers established a second hotel in Singapore. In 1887, they purchased what was then a ten-room boarding house, refurbished it, and opened Raffles. It too attracted much attention among the traveling elite.
Looking to expand their growing hotel empire holdings (which now included The Kartika Wijaya Hotel, in Batu, Java), Aviet and Tigran Sarkies arrived in Burma in 1892 and purchased the British Burma Hotel located on Merchant Street a block north of Strand Road in Rangoon. They renamed it Sarkies Hotel, the only time the family name was used for one of their establishments. Four years later, however, they sold the hotel, and searched for a new location.
In 1899, the two brothers formed a partnership with British entrepreneur John Darwood, who owned a twelve-room hostelry on Strand Road next to the Rangoon River. It was agreed that Darwood would design a new three-story hotel and the Sarkies Brothers would build and manage it. The Strand opened in 1901. The sixty-room extravagant hotel had electricity five years before the rest of Rangoon. Like their other lavish hotels, this one also attracted the famous and the affluent, who disembarked from their long sea journey at the jetty in front of the hotel.
These were the times of grandeur for The Strand, and indeed all La Belle Époque's Asian grande dames. Demand was so great that in 1913 the brothers constructed an annex across from The Strand on Lewis Street. (This building is now the Australian Embassy.) The Sarkies' hotel empire also expanded to India where construction began on The Majestic in Calcutta.
* * *
On our way to dinner at the hotel's signature restaurant, we recalled a statement made by Paul Theroux in Ghost Train to the Eastern Star-an entrée here costs more than what a teacher in Burma earns in a month.
The Strand Grill was a formal room with ten well-spaced tables as well as an elevated platform with one long table that would seat perhaps a dozen. The room featured four columns, elaborate crystal chandeliers were suspended from the six-meter-high ceiling, subdued lighting was enhanced with candlelight, and a classical guitarist played intently. It was an elegant, romantic room, and throughout the evening, we were the only ones there.
Since its early days, the restaurant at The Strand has been famous for one dish-lobster thermidor. For decades, this was the entrée; the lobster thermidor at The Strand was as famed as the hotel itself.
It was not on the menu. When I explained how I had been anticipating this aspect of our stay at the hotel, the waitress' disappointment was unmistakable. At The Strand, service is a matter of pride and a guest showing even a slight sense of disappointment is not satisfactory. I tried to explain that I would find something else on the menu and that everything was fine, but from her demeanour, I regretted having mentioned the lobster. "We have not had lobster on the menu for over three months," she explained. "The chef insists on only fresh lobster and it has not been available." Again, I tried to appease her, explaining that I understood and that I had found a substitute-grilled sea scallops. Her smile faded once again and there was a new round of apologies. "I'm very sorry sir, but the scallops are not available tonight."
She excused herself, saying she wanted to talk to the chef, leaving us feeling uneasy. The guitarist finished one song and started another, smiling in our direction. A minute later, the waitress returned with a suggestion. "The chef will make you prawn thermidor. Will that be acceptable?" Her relieved smile beamed.
The prawn thermidor was succulent and made a perfect substitute. Everything else during our dinner went smoothly. Service was efficient and pleasant; the food was superb, from starters to dessert. Our glasses of wine were attended to with vigilance. We were asked several times if everything was satisfactory. Our bill inclusive of taxes, a bottle of Australian cabernet sauvignon, sparkling water, and espressos, came to $160 US, the monthly salary for six of the country's teachers. Also available in tribute to the original owners was The Sarkies Set Menu, offering four courses-soup, salad, a choice from two entrées, and dessert for $50 per person.
We left with a feeling of regret. There is a sense of sadness at being the only guests at a fine restaurant and this sentiment seemed to extend to the wait staff, each of whom seemed apologetic for the emptiness of the room. Even the guitar player, Mr. Soe Hnin Aung, seemed affected. When we told him we had enjoyed his music and wished him a good evening, his parting smile and bow communicated a trace of melancholy. We wondered if he would continue playing to the empty room.
(We learned after we left Burma that almost all of the country's lobsters were exported under the label "product of Thailand" to circumvent the boycott imposed by the West.)
* * *
When World War I erupted in 1914, the romantic golden days of travel abruptly ended as did the era that would soon be called La Belle Époque. Asia's finest hotels were deserted. The Sarkies Brothers halted construction on The Majestic and abandoned their plans for India forever.
Although the end of the war brought renewed travel to Southeast Asia and The Strand was again busy, a rift grew within the Sarkies family. In 1925, the hotel was sold to Peter Bugalar Aratoon and Ae Amovsie, also Armenians. A major renovation, which included a swimming pool, commenced with the change of ownership, and the hotel flourished. Its popularity necessitated yet another renovation in 1937 which saw an addition to the back of the building, the closing of the short-lived pool, and an increase in the number of rooms to one hundred.
But good times do not last forever. World War II was the beginning of a long decline for the grand old lady on Strand Road. Japan invaded the country and Burma became one of the fiercest theatres of the war. The four-year Japanese occupation of the country included The Strand, which was renamed the Yamato Hotel.
When Japan was defeated and back under British control, The Strand was in need of extensive repairs. But in spite of the effect of two wars, The Strand rebounded. Burma won its independence from Britain in 1948 and the future looked bright for both the country and the hotel. Air travel replaced long steamship journeys and by 1955, Rangoon had a brand new airport and was on a regular flight route. The Strand was the only luxury hotel in the country.
* * *
One evening we visited the bar which was empty when we arrived, and remained so while we were there. Like all Burmese we met, the bartender was amiable and talkative. He told us that when the Japanese occupied the hotel, they converted the bar into stables for their horses. He was inquisitive about our country and asked several questions about Canadian life; he seemed especially interested in snow, and was surprised to learn that we did not have year-round winter. He was also astounded to learn that only a small portion of the country is French speaking. At our explanation, he did not seem at all convinced. "Are you sure?" he queried. When we asked him if the bar was always empty, he nodded. "The occupancy of the hotel is normally only 10 percent," he explained. We realized that we had not seen any other guests since our arrival. "We have many tour groups who visit and have tea, but they do not stay," he lamented. We wondered if the published rates for the various types of suites might be a factor. (There are thirty-two suites at The Strand: Superior Suites go for $550 US a night, Deluxe Suites are $630 US a night, and the hotel's one special suite, The Strand Suite, costs $1100 US per night. Prices are also subject to a 10 percent service charge and another 10 percent government charge. Still, it seems that some people are willing to pay handsomely for the opportunity to rub shoulders with the ghosts of Maugham and Kipling. But in a country where the average yearly income is $300 US, somehow the price of staying at The Strand seems obscene.)
* * *
Burma's internal struggles proved to be a much greater obstacle for the hotel than two world wars. Both the hotel and the country began a long decline under the military regime that seized power in 1962. The Strand was nationalized and renamed The People's Hotel. It quickly deteriorated and by the 70s, a run-down room cost less than a martini does in today's hotel. The once-grand building continued to languish for almost three decades.
Not until 1990 did the regime show some interest in the historic old lady; a joint enterprise between the government and foreign investors closed the hotel for an extensive renovation. After three years, the hotel was reopened and it was time for its attempted renaissance. It is now operated by General Hotel Management which manages high end properties in Asia, the United States, Mexico, and the Middle East.
* * *
Time will determine whether the grande dame of old Rangoon becomes an anachronism in new Yangon. While the country has much to offer visitors, as long as it remains under the rule the paranoid junta it will not draw tourists. All news coming out of the country is negative. It is a country where freedom of speech is brutally suppressed, with protestors either shot or imprisoned. It is a country where basic human rights are constantly violated, where extrajudicial arrests, imprisonment, and torture are routine, and where forced labour is commonplace. These factors are hardly conducive to tourism.
Looking good for an old dame-well made up and still classy-she sits on Strand Road, with a wistful tinge of sadness, a pining for a period that has long gone. She waits, sustained by memories of her belle époque, smiling often at fond reminiscences and shedding a nostalgic tear from time to time at the realization that the golden era is gone forever.
* * *
Bangkok Airways has Bangkok to Yangon and Yangon to Bangkok flights on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Flight time: 1hour and fifteen minutes. (In most airports, but not that of Yangon, Bangkok Air's courtesy lounges provide free internet service as well as complimentary coffee, snacks, and juice.)
A Note Regarding Credit Cards. The Strand accepts MasterCard and Visa, but the transaction requires a foreign third party handler. Each transaction involves two exchange transactions-for example, US dollars are converted to another currency and then back to US dollars. An administration fee of 5 percent is added at The Strand in order to recover part of the transaction cost. The Strand is one of the few hotels accepting credit cards, and others charge up to 10 percent extra to do the transaction. Burma is a cash country and the preferred cash is American dollars. Other currencies may not be accepted.
* * * * *
Published on 12/24/09 | <urn:uuid:49845f75-1882-468e-bca3-16da2964b1db> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thingsasian.com/stories-photos/39709/54810967/2/dhm0_art | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974218 | 3,374 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Making an impressionPublished 10:34am Friday, October 21, 2011
PROCTORVILLE — When Barbara Delligatti picks up a brush, her first concern is to let herself be guided by the light.
Delligatti is the latest artist to exhibit at Ohio University Southern-Proctorville Center.
“I try to first decide where my light sources are coming from,” Delligatti said. “That determines where the darks and lights land on the paper. Lights and darks oppose each other. If you don’t have that, the painting looks flat.”
Those are the nuances of technique that Delligatti has studied since she first was drawn to expressing herself through a visual medium.
“I never have been trained professionally,” she said. “I learned by myself through workshops, also videos and studying on my own.”
Her current show is a mixture of watercolor, oils and acrylics.
“It is a cornucopia of expression, different types of my style,” Delligatti said. “I wanted to have an array of different media so people can see the different things that I do. Technique is not all true realism. I like to have a lot of impressionistic pictures. Realism is beautiful but if you have something more impressionistic, people can view it their way. If you do all realism, it is like taking a photograph. There is nothing wrong with that style, but it is not always my choice in painting.”
Delligatti has been working on the show off and on since summer, shifting from her studio to the classroom as her schedule allows.
Right now she teaches watercolor classes where she details how to master the techniques that have given her work its success.
“You can get an idea from watching a video or reading books,” she said. “But if you work with an instructor, you really are getting hands on. When the students understand why a certain technique works, it is wonderful to see their eyes light up. That kind of excitement makes me feel I have done my job.”
Delligatti’s show will be at Proctorville through Nov. 22. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday; and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. There is no admission to the show. | <urn:uuid:53c25554-13ce-4720-b6f7-189f6a0ce151> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.irontontribune.com/2011/10/21/making-an-impression/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968103 | 516 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Sea Shepherd captain arrested in Germany
Paul Watson, the founder of the anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd, has been arrested in Germany and will be extradited to Costa Rica.
"I am currently being held in Frankfurt on charges from Costa Rica," Watson has tweeted.
"Court appearance in the morning."
Sea Shepherd has labelled the arrest as "nonsense" and called for the charges against the Canadian-born Watson to be dropped.
The activist group says Watson, who is the captain of the Steve Irwin ship, has been arrested on a Costa Rican warrant over an incident which occurred in 2002.
"The specific 'violation of ships traffic' incident took place on the high seas in Guatemalan waters, when Sea Shepherd encountered an illegal shark finning operation, run by a Costa Rican ship called the Varadero," the group said in a statement.
"On order of the Guatemalan authorities, Sea Shepherd instructed the crew of the Varadero to cease their illegal shark finning activities and head back to port to be prosecuted."
Sea Shepherd claims that while it was taking the Varadero back to port, the tables were turned.
"A Guatemalan gunboat was dispatched to intercept the Sea Shepherd crew," the group said.
"The crew of the Varadero accused Sea Shepherd of trying to kill them, while the video evidence proves this to be a fallacy.
"To avoid the Guatemalan gunboat, Sea Shepherd then set sail for Costa Rica, where they uncovered even more illegal shark finning activities in the form of dried shark fins by the thousands on the roofs of industrial buildings."
Sea Shepherd says Watson is being assisted while in prison by members of the European Parliament Daniel Cohn-Bendit and Jose Bove.
"Our hope is that these two honourable gentlemen can set Captain Watson free before this nonsense goes any further," the group said. | <urn:uuid:75af29e1-77d2-44c0-8df5-390270cf002f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-14/sea-shepherd-captain-arrested-in-germany/4008864?section=wa | 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 | 0.961015 | 385 | 1.507813 | 2 |
The son of a Derry hunger striker has voiced concerns over claims that the republican leadership could have allowed his father to die for political gain.
Michael Devine, whose father Mickey was the last of the 10 men to die in the 1981 protest, was speaking after publication of Blanketmen: An Untold Story of the H-block Hunger Strike.
The book's author, Richard O'Rawe, was a public relations officer for the hunger strikers in the Maze. Along with IRA prisoners' 'OC' Brendan Bik McFarlane, he was closely in-volved in the day-to-day events of the hunger strike.
Mr O'Rawe has claimed that the British government offered to meet four of the prisoners' five demands after the death of the fourth hunger striker, Derry man Patsy O'Hara.
But in a startling allegation denied by other republicans yesterday he said that while he and Mr McFarlane wanted to accept the deal, it was rejected by the IRA's army council.
Mr O'Rawe suggests one interpretation is that the six men who went on to die were sacrificed for political gain, to ensure Owen Carron's election to the Westminster seat left vacant by the death of Bobby Sands.
He writes: "If that were so, Joe [McDonnell] and the five other hunger strikers who died after him [Sands] were used as cannon fodder."
Mr Carron was elected to the Fermanagh/South Tyrone seat in August 1981.
Now a teacher in Co Leitrim, he refused to comment on Mr O'Rawe's book, as did Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams.
Michael Devine (31) last night said that if Mr O'Rawe's allegations were true, it could mean his father need not have died.
Stressing that he wished to find out more about the claims, he said: "My thoughts are that it may have been a PR exercise to gain support."
However, Mr McFarlane was among a number of republicans who denied the book's claims.
"It did not happen. No deal was offered to the hunger strikers whereby they could say it was acceptable," he said. | <urn:uuid:10d63873-493e-4ce5-95a9-e4754aeda650> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nuzhound.com/articles/irish_news/arts2005/mar1_was_fathers_death_PR_exercise.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986021 | 452 | 1.5625 | 2 |
|Return to Issue #32 of Laurie's News & Views|
|More Readers Rif on Political Correctness|
Karen Williams (KarenOxley@prodigy.com):
I am not exactly sure where I stand on this issue. I do know that I am in no way in favor of rape in any arena. Real or Fiction. I do however see the difference between that and forced seduction. There is a point where the emotions change and desire takes hold - when one's emotions are in turmoil it isn't always clear what they want (I speak in respect to fiction). As a writer I have toyed with the idea of an unwilling participant realizing a hidden desire. I have not yet found a way to write it effectively. Rape is a total act of violence. Forced seduction is a transformation of emotional turmoil into desire. That is only my own definition and I am certain many will disagree.
I am truly sorry that political correctness has taken such a firm hold of the romance industry. We write for the pleasure of it and it is inteneded to entertain. Why is that so many aspects of our genre have to be put under a microscope and dissected until the pleasure is erased. Why can't we all accept fiction for what it is? Not Real!! Read what you enjoy and leave what you don't alone.
Covers, rape, and so many more things have become the focus of romance novels. Shouldn't we try and put the focus back on romance?
What is romance? Well, according to Merriam Webster's Tenth edition it is many things. My favorite of the many definitions was" "a prose narrative treating imaginary characters involved in events remote in time or place and usu. heroic, adventurous, or mysterious. A love story". Has everyone in the world forgotten that romance novels are fiction? It is a creation of our imaginations that in some way is pulled from a part of us that is based on the emotions of love we feel in our own "real" lives. I write from my heart. Many of my scenes may even be a taste of my own personal fantasies. But in no way is the material that I write fact.
We have become obssessed with the idea of not offending anyone with religion, politics, current issues, or any other "controversial" topics that we have lost sight of what we are doing. We are writing to entertain. We/I want to take a reader to a place they could probably not reach on their own. I cannot believe that so many people are offended because a caucasion malehas been cast on a cover as Native American (savage). I was recently making this point and someone told me I obviously didn't understand becasue I am not of NA descent. Hooey!!! I am half Blackfoot Indian with traces of Chipewa, Potawatmi, and a splash of Cherokee thrown in for flavor. I have not studied my heritage, but know that it is there. I also know that Steve Sandalis looks more NA than I do. So how do we judge. And what the hell does it matter. It is one page of a 300-500 page book. Isn't the content of the story more important? Isn't it the characters on the pages in between that should matter to the reader. It is the readers who are "embarrassed" by the clinch covers who don't understand the concept of fiction. Why don't we spend more time educating people on the true defintion of fiction? I spend a lot of time explaining why I read and write romance, not because I have to, but because I choose to. I want people to understand how much I love what I read and write and how important it is to me. Isn't that what is important? Just my thoughts.
Ann Klein (firstname.lastname@example.org):
. . . As far as being politically correct in books vs. writing about unsettling topics - Patricia Gaffney and Judy Cuevas are absolutely right. If it's done well, any story should be told. If you find it offensive, don't read it, but don't try to censor what other adults might enjoy. I get so tired of people trying to force their beliefs down other people's throats. I may not like what someone else does, but who am I to say that they're "wrong".
I've always had something of a problem with stories where a heroine desires the hero "against her will". IMHO, this perpetuates the stereotype that women must be forced or coerced into expressing their sensuality. Or that "good girls" don't feel desire until Mr. Right comes along. . . .
But even so, if an author can write it well and make me believe that this is truly what the heroine is experiencing - that's amazing, and she/he must have done a great job. And in the end, that's all that matters.
LaNita Cornwall (email@example.com):
I've never understood why authors should be chained to rigid formulas by publishers. I read How Write A Romance Novel several years ago, and I remember how surprised I was that there were guidelines. And how rigid those guidelines were. And apparently still are.
And all the hue and cry when an author leaves condoms out of love scenes. Please. Getting that little piece of latex on has ruined more love scenes than I can count. And then there's the famous magic disappearing condom. It gets put on but never gets taken off. And then we go for round two (either that night or later in the book) and there's no condom at all. There's realism, and then there's realism. No one ever finds it necessary to mention the wet spot. The cold, wet spot. Maybe we could add a disclaimer to all romance novels, something like the one on cigarette packages. Warning: Unprotected sex can be dangerous to your health and make babies. Then authors could go back to writing love scenes.
I wonder what would happen if publishers allowed authors to write the books? Without trying to force them into whatever mold they think will sell this week. Wouldn't it be great to find out?
Some of the best books I've read have broken the "rules." Wish there were more. I really admire my favorite authors who manage to write great books, inspite of publishers.
Katarina Wikholm (firstname.lastname@example.org):
I think that first of all any writer must write a story about characters who are true in her eyes, and to themselves. That is a given. Maybe she's a rabid clan member, or blows up gynecological clinics, and writes from these perspectives? But if the writer don't believe in her own story, in the reality of the h/h's choices, no one else will believe it, either.
But then it is up to two other sceenings; the publishers and the readers. (Fancy, me defending the publishers!) If it's too far off line, off the currently (held standards for) reasonably political correctness, it won't be published. And of the books that are published some of the readers will not like them.
Fair enough? I can imagine a lot of things that would ring true for my h/hs, but who would send some readers running. On the other hand, I wall-bang at the sight of heroine brainlessness, and no common sense. Possibly the writer found their heroines quite believable.
Conclusion(?): What is published will stretch the boundaries of what is currently the main stream because the forbidden thrills. Some readers are on either shore of the main stream and don't want it widened the other way.
Liz Zink (email@example.com):
I just read the comments from Gaffney and Cuevas and I say "Brava", too! If an author chooses to write about something not politically correct, "great"! I'm all for it, if I can't handle it, then I'll feel bad that I didn't get the point and maybe keep on trying to get it. But it must be done well! Not only will the author get slammed for writing something "not politically correct" but she'll be branded as a bad writer. . . I beg for authors to go out on limbs, if they have something to say, more power to them. I can't write it, so I'm happy they can. Because for everyone who doesn't like what they've written, there is a person that does like it. And maybe the discussion that comes from the differences will enable people to see things they might not have seen before!
Teresa Eckford (YDZX40B@prodigy.com):
I can't remember having read a book that was so politically incorrect that it bothered me. I happen to agree that in fiction, and definitely in historicals, some people expect authors to apply today's standards to events in the past. As far as I'm concerned authors must learn to walk that thin line between portraying the mores and attitudes of the time correctly and just writing politically incorrect scenes just because setting a book in the past allows them to. Does that make sense? I think the rape issue is a perfect example. Let's face it, even in the Middle Ages, though men did rape their wives, it wasn't an everyday occurence within each marriage. However, it did happen with alarming frequency to young women from the lower echelons of society.
It's similar, I guess, to the question of banning musicals like Showboat - the creator (from what I understand) was not saying he agreed with racism, he just portrayed society the way it was at that time. We can learn more from this, by allowing our children to see that such injustices (I'm talking in general now, not about the show) did take place in the past so they can not repeat them in the future. If we shelter ourselves from what happened in the past by pretending it didn't and only portraying an idealized world we won't ever learn what went wrong and how to avoid it in years to come.
I believe Huck Finn has been banned in the States, just as it has up here in Canada (in certain schools, not overall), and, as far as I'm concerned, that's wrong. I'm not saying just let kids read it and draw their own conclusions, - I'm saying, let them read it and have a frank discussion about what they think and explain to them how we have come to disregard those ideas, trace the history of the Civil Rights Movement.
This is only one example, but I believe it touches on the issue here in your column. People who read historicals may not be interested in the nitty-gritty details of everyday life, but they are interested in history in general (otherwise, I assume, they'd stick to contemps) If they read an idealized version of the past where no man ever raped a women, the aristocrats never mistreat the help or insult the lower classes and women and minorities were treated as equals, how will they ever know where we came from, and how our society developed? I'm not saying that authors should focus on every single bad thing and emphasize, using the historical setting as an excuse (as in the example given), but a realistic view is certainly welcome, and something I aim to achieve in my own work.
Randa Simpson (firstname.lastname@example.org):
I have always felt that the phrase "political correctness" is a contradiction in terms. Politics is rarely correct!! But that is another letter and topic. Popularity in romantic fiction has changed since I read my first romance novel, either a Kathleen Woodiwiss or Rosemary Rogers, and this is good. If all romance were the same it would become stagnant and we would would have no new emerging talented authors. It is of great concern to me when others tell me what is appropriate to read. I do not handle being told what to think in a very adult manner. My first inclination is to go out and read all that is politically "incorrect". I have never been ashamed to admit that I read romance.
I am a teacher of senior high students in an alternative setting. I have real life slap me in the face several times a day. I do not want a political statement when I read or to learn anything. I read to be entertained!!!!!!!! No one has the right or ability to tell me what is politically correct in my reading selection.
Rifs on Forced Seduction:
Linda Alder (email@example.com):
I've been reading your article on the views of rape or "forced sex". It's embarassing to admit but two of my all time favorite romances, Whitney, My Love and The Flame & the Flower dealt with this very issue and I still ended up loving the hero. However this does not mean I always agree with the writers choice. Rape is violent not sexy and my personal preference would be to have it left out.
Linda Alder (firstname.lastname@example.org):
LaNita Cornwall (again):
Have you ever read Nancy Friday's My Secret Garden? It was the first book written about women's sexual fantasies. There is a whole section of rape fantasies in the book. But these fantasies aren't about violence. They are about being forced to accept pleasure. And that's a totally different thing. Women are taught to be caretakers. And we all know how hard it is for some of us to take care of ourselves. This can spill over into our sexual relationships, too. We worry about our partner's pleasure and have trouble accepting our right to our own. So the fantasy of a strong lover forcing us to be pleasured in spite of ourselves is an appealing one. We don't have to feel guilty for needing more than a man does to be satisfied. We are forced to lie there and take it until we can't take it anymore. Tie me up and kill me with pleasure. There's nothing I can do about it. I think this 'forced seduction' scene fits into A Well Pleasured Lady. She really wanted him, but she couldn't admit it to him. She needed him to do what he did.
Sue Tatham (email@example.com):
Regarding the subject of forced seduction, I would like to point out that according to my Oxford Pocket Dictionary that seduce means "Lead astray, induce to commit sin or folly or crime, induce (woman) to surrender her chastity to one". Although this dictionary may be old, I think that forced seduction is probably a very grey area, as many seductions could be considered forced just by their very nature!! Not having read Dodd's book I can't comment on that, but I must agree with you on Lindsey's book. I too enjoyed Prisoner of my Desire.
Beverly Latham (firstname.lastname@example.org):
I've been following the ongoing discussion about political correctness in romances with great interest and when I read Ms. Eagle's comments about Fiction versus Real Life, I just had to jump in. Partly because I did read A Well Pleasured Lady by Christina Dodd [interestingly enough after I read your review but not just because of it; I like Dodd's writings and was going to get it anyway] and partly because I've been thinking along the same 'fiction vs. real life' lines already and her comments jarred me into responding when I'd been putting it off.
First regarding the book, I loved it. . . Curiously enough, it was only after I read your follow-up article about people crying 'rape' in response to that one scene that I remembered the warning comment in your review and reacted something along the lines of "What?!? Wait a minute! What scene? Did I miss it?"
Which sort of blew my mind, because I have noticed as I get older and wiser, I hope, I generally react very strongly to any sort of abuse in stories. Particularly romances. I simply don't enjoy reading it, will usually not tolerate it at all and the books hit the trade-in bag, if not the wall or the trash can, especially if the actions in question are between the hero and heroine. Depending on how strongly negative my reaction is, I may or may not buy that author again. Abuse in any form is just not what I call romance, historically or societally correct or not. This particular scene did not strike me as being abusive, physical or otherwise. Strong and intense, yes, abusive, no. No more than a wedding night scene with a reluctant bride and a determined bridegroom, which is a curious comparison now that I think about it. Apparently, I was so totally wrapped up in the characters that it made sense for them at that point in their relationship.
However, having said all that, I feel the need to clarify exactly what I mean by abuse. I suppose when I get right down to it, I'm not talking actions here, but attitudes, specifically respect, pure and simple. Or more precisely, behavior based solely on lack of respect for another individual, male or female. It's also about control but maybe that is simply setting the boundaries of respect. Repecting the individual by not trying to control their actions or thoughts. In the scene under discussion, the question might be whether the fantasy of forced seduction is an attempt at control or an attempt to make someone lose control rather than a question of physical force and where we draw the line personally. With this particular scene, I think my reaction was similar to what you described as yours. The scene felt right in context for this hero and heroine and I agree that this may be a case where Dodd's particular trade-mark brand of reserved, tightly-controlled heroine makes all the difference in motivation both ways. . . Would what works in fiction work in real life? Probably not, but this is fiction and one person's fantasy is another's nightmare. Maybe I identify with her heroines so much because I freely admit I'm probably just as uptight in many ways and realize what the poor guy was up against emotionally, and that's a key word here.
Still abuse is abuse and the older I get, the less I can tolerate the concept that there can even be love when, say, the hero does not respect the heroine, or women in general for that matter. And the reverse, naturally, of course. Maybe I look at my seventeen year old daughter and eleven year old son and think about what I would want them to have to deal with. Or not deal with. I honestly don't know why it's become so distasteful to read about abusive behavior in any form, but I do know that if I could put a label on the one element which would currently characterize my taste in the romances and the authors I consistently buy [or avoid, conversely], it would be exactly that - heroes who respect women. Period. They can be dark and dangerous, they can even be arrogant and aggressive, but they'd better respect the woman, or women, in their lives and mean it. It can be grudging respect, it can even be chauvanistic to a point, my acceptance of that depends on the time-frame and the setting, but respect has to be there or gained at some point or the story loses me. Completely.
I recently had someone -- a romance writer of all things -- challenge me on why I dared to like, and even mention, a particular romance that apparently did not meet certain expectations as being what she considered as good, or of merit. Or both. . . The simple truth of the matter is that it is now one of my personal romance favorites. In the end, my answer was simply "I enjoyed it!"
No more and no less. No apologies for whether it was good writing or not. No apologies for the merit of the content and subject. Did it make me cry or make me laugh? Lightly or heavily? Does it matter? It did touch my emotions in the most important way possible -- I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It is that simple and that complicated, isn't it? Ms. Eagle wrote in her comments about storyline and characters having to ring true for the individual reader. Exactly. In the end, it doesn't matter whether I personally agree with the correctness, or not, of what happens in each and every scene of a story, what matters is whether the author makes me become involved in what is happening as I am reading it. If she can pull me into the characters heads and hearts, I'll believe it's right for them -- at least for that one story.
Pam Tullos (email@example.com):
Speaking for myself, I am not fond of rape scenes or forced seductions. . . It turns me off to read a scene where the heroine is being raped or involved in a forced seduction. . . The heroine really has to accept what the hero is offering though or to me it is disgusting.
All in all I prefer my love scenes to be handled in a consensual manner. The two characters are there because they want to be and because their relationship has grown to the next level.
Linda Buschmann (firstname.lastname@example.org):
I have read A Well Pleasured Lady. Although I respect the author's underlying attempt to develop character, intensify the plot, and heighten the conflict and sexuakl tension, that scene made me uncomfortable.
I do think that the scene probably was essentially a historically accurate representation of the period. Many young women were forced into marriages because of "ruin" through rape, forced seduction, even guilt by association with a the wrong person at the wrong place and time.
Rape and sexual assault are about one individual's use of power to obilterate or contol another person's identity, mind, or soul. The one crime that exceeds this abuse of power and need to control is the destruction of a person's entire being, that is, murder.
A woman can have orgasm during a rape/sexual/assualt/abuse. That the presence of orgasm negates the fact of a rape is a terrible myth.
Psychological coercion is as effective as physical coercion/assault. There may be no physical abuse, no black eyes, no cuts, bruises,or torn clothes in sexual assault. In fact, some rapists take "pride" in coercing the victim and finishing have asked "wasn't it good for you?' "want to do it again sometime?" The myth of the only rape being the brutalized victim of the sadistic rapist is just that, a myth.
And yes, there ought to be a suspension of disbelief when one reads any fiction. The responsible reader must recognize that what is right for a novel does not always reflect what is right in the real world. Regardless of the happy ending, scenes like those of Sebastian and Mary in her room are about about power and the exercise of that power by a man. Not all readers, and perhaps even less likely those people who do not read the romance genre, are responsible. Unfortunately, such scenes can be interpreted as relecting that women really do want a forceful man to take over the power and to do what he knows is right for the woman because in the end the woman will know that it was for the best.
Did the scene work? Yes, after continuing the book and re-reading it several times and I decided that it did work-because the characters fit within the historical period. Would it work in a modern piece? No.
However, regardless of the historical period and related accuracy of the period, I believe that modern women authors have responsibility to set scenes that do not reinforce already prevalent myths. If they wish to include scenes such as the one between Sebastian and Mary authors should write the scene within a stronger and more immediate-to-the scene historical context.
Teri Silvey (email@example.com):
I was one of those who thoroughly enjoyed A Well Pleasured Lady, and I have enjoyed other books featuring forced or possibly a better word is, forcible seduction. For me, the first consideration is that our genre is fantasy!!! Adult fairy tales, if you will. In this day and age, women contribute to the household income, we open our own doors, we compete directly with men in every field, and proudly are independent and assertive in every way, including sexually. We take the initiative in sex, and are considered "responsible" for our own arousal and satisfaction. . . .
The fantasy of being able to give up the control and responsibilities that we have is a very compelling one. What woman wouldn't dream just a little of a sexual scenario in which she does not have to do any of the "work," just submit to and enjoy the desire she has aroused in a John D'Salvo lookalike? (VBG)
IMHO, some of the other books I've read that feature very arousing seduction scenes are To Have & to Hold by Patricia Gaffney, and Awaken My Love by Robin Schone. Especially in the case of Gaffney's book,, the forced seduction is similar in theme to AWPL in that the heroine is so emotionally closed off that she literally cannot experience her own sexuality.
The above politically incorrect statements having been made, I do have a few "rules" about this type of scene:
Again, my view is that by choice I read fantasies!! I think that some of the critics of certain books should lighten up a little and just enjoy the ride.
Your theory of "forced seduction" vs. rape sounds like playing with semantics to avoid dealing with the idea of a hero who is a rapist. Quite frankly, I prefer a medieval brute who rapes (no seduction involved) and repents than a smooth ladykiller who has the woman swooning minutes after she firmly tells him "no". Even if you believe he knew she really wanted him despite her "no", what gives him the right to make her decisions for her? I suppose it is a matter of dishonesty vs. honesty. The "I forced you for your own good" type scene makes me ill.
Interesting discussion though. And I can read about people I wouldn't want to deal with in real life. I read about assassins in fantasy novels and torturers in sf, and somehow they can be "sympathetic" characters. I can read romances with a rape in them, but I want there to be some consequence. Not it was OK because she really wanted it. If he uses physical force, it's rape.
Lori Ousley (firstname.lastname@example.org):
I do have an opinion on forced seduction in romance! I have read books in which there were scenes that I felt to be rape scenes that really turned me off the book entirely (namely several books by Catherine Coulter). These were instances where the hero, or some other male character in the book took a woman, be it the heroine or some other woman, by force and there was zero intimacy (for lack of a better word) and there was no orgasm or pleasure for the woman, even at the end. These scenes were pure violence and the woman never submitted to the man; she fought him constantly as if in fear for her life or well-being. However, I have read books (Brenda Joyce is the author that comes immediately to mind) in which there were scenes in which the sexual act began with force but also with passion, such as in the midst of a fight between the hero and heroine, but as you said, the woman eventually became a willing participant and it became a consensual act, either before or after penetration and I wasn't turned off at all by the scenes and rather enjoyed the books. There is definitely a gray area regarding this issue, but I think there is a big difference between rape and forced seduction. The word rape immediately evokes a negative connotation bringing to mind fear and violence. Forced seduction, or maybe I should call it sexual coercion, causes me to think "Rough Sex"! I know that in some people's minds it is all one in the same, but to me there is a difference.
The way I feel is that a man, in a book and in real life, can not truly respect a woman if he forces her to do anything, and if he seduces her by force, he obviously does not respect her as an equal, and therefore is contemptible. He no longer remains a respectable character in my eyes. I do not remember ever reading a forced eduction scene that I enjoyed.
Laura Tracy-Kinsey (email@example.com):
I have been thinking about the issue of forced seduction versus rape. I work as an individual and family therapist. The use of power to obtain sex regardless of force is considered sexual assault. The victim, due to the lack of power is helpless. A helpless participant is not a partner and no intimacy is achieved. Instead the victim is left feeling dirty and helpless. I can't see an man who wants to overpower a woman magically becoming a good husband.
Regarding Christina Dodd's book, the scene could have been done with a touch more finesse. Although the scene worked, I think she walked a fine line between humiliating the heroine and creating intimacy. If I were the heroine I can tell you the hero would have had to work hard to regain my trust.
I think the bottom line in these relationships is the building of intimacy and trust. That is what will sustain the couple so they can live happily ever after. Unlike many books that walk the line when they include "forced seduction," I can see this couple working well together in the future. Both seemed to develope the insight necessary to build a lasting relationship. I have never been able to see Johanna Lindsey's characters making it past the honeymoon without continual conflict that would eventually destroy the relationship. I also have trouble seeing Catherine Coulter's characters surviving together. Neither author is able to convince me the heroes are willing to share and cooperate.
I'm sorry. I know I bring too much reality to this issue. Fiction is just that. Unfortunately, the fiction we grow up reading will help us formulate our expectations in relationships. Women who grow up reading about "forced seduction" and rape will accept that as part of the "romantic" image. They won't see this behavior as warning signs of danger to come. Men who begin relationships with force and control only get worse over time, not better.
Political correctness should not be permitted to censor sexual fantasy.
Despite Johnson & Johnson and other studies of human sexuality, I believe that we have very little understanding of female sexuality. Rather than attacking the sexual fantasy of forcible seduction, perhaps we should try to understand it. Clearly, it is a popular sexual fantasy for woman. I believe that it is distinct from the sexual fantasy of rape. Both sexual fantasies appear in romance fiction.
The distinction between rape and the forcible seduction seems clear to me. Rape makes a woman feel degraded. In forcible seduction, the woman is not degraded. She desires the man.
Personally, I enjoy the forcible seduction. I loved Shades of Twilight by Linda Howard. I also enjoyed A Well Pleasured Lady and Prisoner of My Desire. In these books, the heroine isn't merely overwhelmed by the hero, she is overwhelmed by desire. Don't we all want to overwhelmed by desire?
Lastly, I must agree with every word written by Leslie Dunlap. When I read a historical novel, I want to hear, smell and feel the period.
I find the concept of forced seduction odd - seduction to me has nothing to do with force whereas rape has everything to do with force. However the world hasn't always been such a neat and tidy place; modern sensibilities and ideas are usually out of place in a work of fiction with a historical setting. I do find it hard if not impossible to read books with rape or forced seduction scenes but if it flows from the characters, plot and circumstances then I can usually put my modern squeamishness aside if not then I stop reading! Dearly Beloved by Mary Jo Putney (one of my favourite authors) was a very difficult book for me to read because of its rape scene. But I kept reading and enjoyed the book, although it is not one of my favourites of hers. I am keeping an open mind about A Well Pleasured Lady until I have read it.
Barbara Hancock (firstname.lastname@example.org):
While I do not think forced seduction equals rape I do find it distasteful. I read romance for many reasons, but one of them is not a desire to read about a woman's sickening psychological problems. If I wanted to read about sadomasochism I would read another form of fiction.
I want escapism from romance not darkness and pitifully messed up protagonists. Sure, they need to have problems or the book would be dull, but I would rather the problem not require years of counciling or drugs to 'fix'. I'm sorry, but I don't care how wonderful a guy is or how great sex is with him it's not gonna 'cure' deep seated emotional problems. If a heroine is so closed off that her only way to relate to man is through forced sex. . . well, that qualifies as a problem that's gonna take more than a man to work through.
I read many forms of fiction from Anne Rice to Dean R. Koontz, from bestsellers to obscure science fiction. By far my favorite form of fiction is romance, perhaps because of my own childhood (alcoholic father etc.). I need romance to be a lighter escape. A world where gentleness exsists and love cures all ills. In order for this to be the case, the ills have to be on the level of what love might cure or I'm left feeling miserable knowing that what I've read was a lie. Sex cannot cure emotional problems. . . many women spend years finding this out. I'd hate to think my favorite genre would ever begin to promote this idea again as it seemed to do years ago with those bodice rippers.
The whole sex and violence discussion has shown up in your column a few times now, and for the most part I've kept out of it. It's something I feel very strongly about, and I didn't want to ruffle anyone's feathers by wading into the debate. After this latest column I decided to send you my thoughts.
And then I saw the letters from Judy Cuevas/ Judith Ivory and Pat Gaffney, and decided they had put everything far more eloquently than I ever could!! I guess that's why they're writers.
I think there are a few things that should continue to be banned, but they are generally things where people are hurt in production (eg child pornography). For just about everything else, my attitude is that material should be able to be accessed by adults, and that as adults we can then make up our own minds about whether we want to continue to read this book/ watch this film/ view this website.
By all means allow material to carry advisory labels (eg this film contains explicit sexual scenes), but for heaven's sake don't cut those scenes if they are integral to the work. I remain firmly convinced that there are an awful lot of people out there who like to be offended - otherwise why on earth do they keep reading or watching to the bitter end, just so they can then complain about the final sex scene?!
To me, this is a part of what has been described as the "Nanny State". People can't be trusted to decide what's suitable to watch anymore, the argument goes, and can't be relied upon to monitor their children's access to explicit films and websites, so we'll ask the Government to put regulations in place to control this for us. Then we don't have to worry about it anymore, just like we had Nanny in the nursery to worry about things for us.
Are we to see the same thing in books too, with writers self-censoring, and editors cutting out the few random nasties that do creep in? Will there even be legislation introduced, when the people who complain about violent or sexually explicit films suddenly realize how explicit some romance novels are?
Romance is a genre that is not regarded seriously enough to be censored by anyone external to the genre, so now we're going to see censorship imposed from within? God preserve us from do-gooders.
Frankly, I agree with Pat Gaffney's inflammatory comment about catering for the lowest common denominator. Let's not see books being written solely to cater to the prejudices of people who might know better if they read a bit more widely, thought about things a bit more, and occasionally talked to people who didn't share their opinions. Talked, notice, not shouted at.
For what it's worth, I'm afraid I'm heartily fed up with people saying the romance genre has a responsibility to do nice consensual sex, and there can never be rough, nasty sex, or the genre risks perpetuating the `No' means `Yes' myth.
The only responsibility the genre has is to deliver books that entertain readers. There are a range of readers out there, with a range of tastes, and what offends one is going to delight another.
I agree with many of the readers in your latest column - the bottom line is that this is fiction. Things that wouldn't be acceptable in real life are fine between the pages of a book. For heaven's sake don't let us being reduced to books that preach at us!!
|More Readers Rif on Political Correctness|
|Issue #32 of Laurie's News & Views|
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Winner: Siemens Foundation/Discovery Education - Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge
Now in its third year, the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge partnership encourages students to become agents of change by giving them the tools to develop solutions to environment problems in their schools and communities. Partners the Siemens Foundation and Discovery Education, along with the National Science Teachers Association, initially designed a program that leveraged dynamic, high-quality online digital content to engage students in sustainability issues.
For the second year of the Challenge, three grade bands (K-2, 3-5 and 6-8) were offered a wide range of virtual labs, e-books, lesson plans, videos and quizzes. Participants were asked to choose and research a particular environmental issue and create a replicable green solution using Discovery Education’s Web-based curriculum tools. A panel of environmental experts and science educators selected the top projects, which were announced via national press release and customized announcements for local markets.
Leading up to the announcement of the winning projects, national and local press releases for all Challenge milestones, along with outreach to environmental and scientific media outlets and bloggers, helped boost teacher and student participation by 14%. More than 13,000 competed in the 2009-2010 Challenge across elementary and middle school levels. The third Challenge running through 2011 has been expanded to include high school students. —Steve Goldstein
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company - Prince William Sound Traveling Health and Safety Fair: Last year marked the tenth anniversary of Alyeska’s Traveling Health and Safety Fair, in which the company and 12 healthcare providers visit five isolated communities in Prince William Sound off the coast of Alaska. Many of the villages have no vision or dental care available; some of them also lack access to modern-day health screening equipment such as mammogram machines. Bringing such services year in and year out has helped Alyeska forge good relations in this region, which is populated by a large percentage of Alaska Native people.
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Oracle Corporation - Oracle Education Initiatives: In fiscal year 2010, Oracle’s Education Initiatives supported more than 1.5 million people in 95 countries with in-kind grants valued at more than $2.3 billion, representing a 24% boost over the previous year. More than 500,000 students participated in the Oracle Education Foundation’s ThinkQuest free online learning platform, and 1 million students completed the Oracle Academy’s software curriculum.
Turkish Catastrophe Insurance Pool - Trailing Earthquake Faults for Public Awareness: In Turkey, 98% of the population lives in active earthquake zones. The Turkish Catastrophe Insurance Pool sought to raise public awareness of earthquake preparedness by giving seminars in cities and towns on the North and West Anatolian Faultlines. TCIP took this on as a social responsibility project after a survey a revealed a lack of knowledge about both the dangers of earthquakes in the region and the country’s compulsory earthquake insurance system.
Back to CSR/Legal PR Awards | <urn:uuid:f51fa5b1-39c3-4bf1-89a0-457e408ff1cf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.prnewsonline.com/topics/corporate-responsibility/2011/03/08/2011-csrawards-community-affairs/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933045 | 801 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Gordon Belt recently directed my attention an online petition directed against Spike TV’s upcoming reality series about artifact hunting. You can read it (and sign it, if you so desire) by clicking here. There’s also a petition in support of the show, hoping that the program will “correct the false impression that relic hunting is unethical.”
Coincidentally, the president of the Society for American Archaeology is protesting a similar show which is about to premiere on the National Geographic Channel, and has written a letter of complaint to the National Geographic Society’s CEO. Critics of this show have an online petition, too.
Personally, I’m not opposed to relic hunting on principle, at least within reasonable limits. If somebody wants to take a metal detector and look for Minié balls or buttons on private land, that’s fine with me, as long as they have the landowner’s permission and the site isn’t particularly significant.
When it comes to historically sensitive ground, that’s another matter. Battlefields, the sites of prison camps and hospitals, burial sites, and things of that sort are best left to the pros, even if the land in question belongs to private parties who don’t object to relic hunting. In archaeology, context is everything. Indeed, the information about an artifact’s context is as valuable as the artifact itself.
Since the shows haven’t aired, I don’t know what sort of digging we’re dealing with. If we’re talking about sites and finds that merit a systematic approach, I’d rather see them left alone than get picked over by relic hunters, even if a full-scale excavation in the near future is unlikely.
If this sounds snotty, let me point out that when it comes to archaeology, I’m not a professional, either. History and archaeology are two completely disciplines, with their own separate methodologies, programs of study, professional associations, publications, and so on. Historians and archaeologists draw frequently on one another’s expertise, of course, but even a terminal degree in history won’t prepare you to run a large-scale excavation.
A few years ago, I got the chance to work with a professional team of archaeologists for a few days, when they came to campus to do some shovel tests for a survey of the area. It was fun and interesting, and I learned quite a bit, but by no means am I under the impression that I’m competent to interpret a site just because they showed me how to classify soil samples and screen for artifacts.
If it turns out these shows are promoting irresponsible behavior, then I’ll add my voice to the chorus of protest. Until then, I’m going to wait and see what they’re digging up and where they’re doing it. | <urn:uuid:cba1a61b-4359-41e3-a1af-ff242b14e00c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pastinthepresent.wordpress.com/2012/02/28/dirt-flying/?like=1&_wpnonce=9501e873bf | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943324 | 603 | 1.5 | 2 |
Beginners Guide to Posting in the Forum
Once you have registered with the forum, you can make posts and access restricted area's and additional functions.
This website is a way for those with spinal cord injuries to share experiences and advice. Any medical matters, treatments or alternative therapies discussed on this website should be thoroughly reviewed by a medical professional or therapist before being acted upon. Under no circumstances should you alter prescribed medication or a medical care plan without consulting your doctor or care plan supervisor first.
If you are posting to request help on a problem, you can help those who might take their time to help you by making sure to include the following in your request:
1 - A clear description of the problem.
2 - Include your spinal cord injury level, gender and geographical location in your profile Here. This will help members give a more accurate answer to your posts.
3 - Post writing tips - Try to split your post into paragraphs, with line breaks between them, as it is easier to read than one continuous block of text.
4 - Try not to write lengthy posts and replies, rambling on, and going into a separate subject, readers will get bored and skip your topic, leaving it unanswered. It also makes it difficult to extract the information from the post which the topic was originally about.
5 - When posting a topic, find the forum most relevant to your problem, and press the "Start New Topic" button. Make sure you add a "Topic Title" which best describes your topic. Then write your post in the large text box. When you're happy with your post, press the "Post New Topic" button. If you make a mistake in your post, you will have 3 hours in which to correct it, after which time, the post will be set.
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As you use the forum, you will find other features, but hopefully the above guide will help you get that initial post out on the internet, and allow others to respond with helpful advice.
Chat Room Usage
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Announcement: Read This First - Beginners Guide to Using this Forum
Posted by Apparelyzed
Beginners Guide to Posting in the Forum | <urn:uuid:ba44962a-b461-420f-b1b6-e9030a209e16> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.apparelyzed.com/forums/forum-16/announcement-9-read-this-first-beginners-guide-to-using-this-forum/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930273 | 952 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Once scrawny and scared, the animals seized from a farm in East Bethel are ready for new homes.
Malnourished and plagued with parasites, the brown and white pinto was so skittish that she refused to lift her legs when veterinarians tried to treat her overgrown, cracked hooves.
But recent months have offered a new start for Special Effects, one of 17 horses seized by authorities from an East Bethel ranch last year. Since April, the mare has roamed spacious Game Farm Stables, a facility in Minnetrista with a near-spotless heated barn, plentiful meals and water, and classical music wafting from the barn's sound system.
And on Saturday, Special Effects, the centerpiece of one legal battle and among the alleged victims in 35 counts of animal cruelty against horse boarder Lowell Friday, may finally find a permanent home.
A trainer's challenge will be held at the University of Minnesota's Equine Center in St. Paul, featuring five of the horses seized by Anoka County sheriff's deputies and the Animal Humane Society last August and November. A silent auction will follow, allowing horses that were nursed to health by University of Minnesota veterinarians and nonprofit animal rescue groups to be placed with new owners.
"The trainers are competing for $9,000 in prize money, but the real winners will be the horses," said Drew Fitzpatrick, who runs the Minnesota Hooved Animal Rescue Foundation in Zimmerman and is more than just an interested observer.
The 500 prequalified bidders have been carefully screened. All submitted photos of their properties and facilities and have supplied information on how they will care for the horses. Fitzpatrick, who found homes (including her own ranch) for several of Friday's horses, has been given legal authority to check periodically on the horses and reclaim them if she isn't satisfied with their treatment.
In January, an Anoka County judge denied Friday's lawsuit against the Humane Society and his effort to reclaim Special Effects, whose condition he said had been grossly exaggerated by university veterinarians.
More recently, Friday's attorney, Robert Richman, has asked that 35 misdemeanor counts be dismissed because, in part, the condition of the horses had changed between the time they were seized and when the charges were filed. Some of the horses gained as much as 200 pounds under authorities' care.
Brandon Pribula, who has trained Special Effects the past four months, isn't sure how much weight the horse has gained since being seized in November. At the time, her ribs, spine, shoulders and pelvic bones protruded under her skin, according to court documents. On a scale of 1 to 9 -- 1 being grossly emaciated and 9 obese -- Special Effects was rated a 2. Eleven other of Friday's horses were rated 1 or 1.5. Friday maintained in court that Special Effects had been rated a 5 by another veterinarian just months before authorities seized her.
Pribula said Special Effects now has a 5 rating.
"When I got her, she was in good health, but scared," Pribula said. "When they first treated her hooves, they had to drug her and hold her down. She was that nervous.
"At first, she didn't want to come out of her stall. She would neigh and whinny to the other horses. But now she's comfortable."
'His ears are up'
Less than 3 miles down the road, Dr. Colleen Carter, a veterinarian, has been caring for King of Spots, a paint stallion found in emaciated condition. He was rated a 1.5. He, too, will be auctioned Saturday.
"His ears are up, his coat is shiny, he's not hiding like he was when I first got him," Carter said.
"He still has some stubborn streaks, but there's no meanness about him. He fits right in with the other boys."
The future for Special Effects, King of Spots and the other horses up for auction -- E-Z Dancer, Black Magic and Pia -- is as uncertain as the outcome of Friday's legal case, which attorneys acknowledge could result in a lengthy trial that is not likely to begin before next spring. Friday, 73, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for a 2007 offense, but vows to fight the most recent charges.
Rarely do horse mistreatment cases draw attention or occur in large metropolitan areas. But this one is an exception. Friday's case is even news in New York state, said the executive director of a horse-rescue group in Saratoga, N.Y. He has been vilified by animal rights groups, which have circulated an Internet petition against him and have driven from western Wisconsin to Anoka County to rally against him at hearings.
Some of his horses already have found homes. Crystal, a 2-year-old filly that was so weak from malnutrition that she collapsed last November when authorities attempted to load her into a trailer, was adopted months ago by a family in St. Francis.
Two of Friday's horses have been euthanized, although one's death, experts seem to agree, had nothing to do with Friday's care.
As Special Effects circled casually around a training ring this week, she seemed far removed from Friday's facility, in which authorities found accumulated manure, antiquated fencing, sharp objects and other potential health hazards, according to court documents.
Special Effects has been befriended by four other mares at Game Farm Stables, a facility owned and run by Brian Johnson the past 15 years, Pribula said. She's docile enough that Pribula has allowed his 6-year-old nephew to ride her.
"I trust her," Pribula said. "It's great that she's made it this far."
Paul Levy • 612-673-4419 | <urn:uuid:3dd9106c-72e3-46af-bb4f-b327d0c77780> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.startribune.com/local/north/167394235.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978872 | 1,204 | 1.523438 | 2 |
|Pakistanis celebrate an announcement that all detained judges, including Iftikhar Chaudhry, the former chief justice, will be released [GALLO/GETTY] |
A recent cartoon in a leading Pakistani newspaper depicted Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, coalition government rulers, attempting to climb Mount Everest in hopes of finding a way to re-instate judges deposed by Pervez Musharraf, the president.
In November, Musharraf fired the judges fearing they would nullify his re-election bid.
Zardari's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) had previously agreed to restore the judges within 30 days of forming a coalition government, but delays quickly arose over how to re-instate them.
The PML-N want it done through a simple parliamentary resolution but the PPP favour a constitutional amendment passed with a package of reforms.
Now, less than two months after the bitter past rivals formed the coalition — the first in the country's 61-year history — the climb to Everest appears to be a tall order.
Signs of trouble
A political divide also surfaced amid reports of the PPP's plan to retain the current set of judges, who were appointed under Musharraf's tutelage.
The judges, who took oath under Musharraf's extra-judicial Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO), are publicly scorned in Pakistan for having usurped the right of the sacked judges.
Zardari is also wary of Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, the deposed chief justice who is known to be fiercely independent.
The PPP head perhaps fears that Chaudhry could investigate Musharraf's National Reconciliation Order (NRO), which facilitated the withdrawal of decade-old cases of corruption against him and his wife, Benazir Bhutto, the slain former prime minister.
Shortly thereafter, the PPP acquiesced to Musharraf's election in a quid pro quo.
Problems in Punjab
Tensions were further exacerbated when the PPP swiftly moved to install a sworn Sharif opponent as the governor of Punjab, where the PML-N currently heads a coalition with the PPP.
|The PPP is trying to gain the upper hand in |
Salman Taseer's shock appointment provoked the ire of the PML-N in no uncertain terms.
Taseer has been scathing of the PML-N leader over the years and in one recent TV programme said that "Sharif had no brains".
And in a further jab at the PML-N, Taseer said at his swearing-in ceremony last week that he would turn Punjab into a PPP stronghold and even have Bilawal, Zardari's 19-year-old son, elected from the province.
Nisar Ali Khan, a top Sharif aide, complained that his party had not been consulted and blamed Musharraf for the move.
"Musharraf is conspiring against the public mandate. Taseer's past is very controversial. He is not a suitable person for the office," he said.
To make sense of what the future holds, it is imperative to look at the interests of the key players in the unfolding drama — namely, Musharraf, Zardari, Sharif, the Pakistani Army.
|The people of Pakistan voted for change. What they are getting is more of the same"|
The bone of contention in all of this is the deposed judiciary, which will make or break power equations, but US interests also play a critical role.
Conventional wisdom in Pakistan holds that the US would rather Chaudhry not be re-instated because he could re-open cases of missing persons, dozens of whom were handed over to the Americans on mere suspicion of links with Taliban.
The divisive issue of the judiciary is also leading to the creation of new political alignments.
Zardari and Musharraf are working to fill the breach left by the PML-N, which has also vocally opposed the manner in which the US has pursued the war on terror.
Musharraf, whose own future remains clouded, is working hard to isolate Sharif, who has been calling for the ex-general's head.
Musharraf deposed and exiled Sharif in a military coup in 1999 before Saudi Arabia intervened to facilitate his return last year.
Of all the stakeholders, the army's inclination is not yet known even though General Ashfaq Kayani, who succeeded Musharraf as its chief, has pledged to remain apolitical.
With a showdown between the Zardari-Musharraf combine and one uniting Sharif and the lawyers imminent, Pakistanis are hoping that the army will know where to draw the line.
Ayaz Amir, a prominent newspaper columnist, says Pakistanis are beginning to feel betrayed by their politicians.
"Somehow happiness does not last very long in our climate. The euphoria sparked by the February 18 election has already evaporated. The people of Pakistan voted for change. What they are getting is more of the same," he said.
The writer is News Editor at Dawn News, an independent Pakistani TV channel.
The views expressed by the author are not necessarily those of Al Jazeera. | <urn:uuid:0028ae7c-a2d0-4510-ae94-320568fa2dcf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2008/05/200861517335745885.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973012 | 1,105 | 1.6875 | 2 |
A press release from State Rep. Barbara Wheeler:
Wheeler Appointed to Education Committee Will serve on eight committees in 98th GA
Springfield, IL…Drawing on her experience in primary education as a middle school teacher, State Rep. Barbara Wheeler (R-Crystal Lake) has been seated on the House Elementary & Secondary Education Committee.
Rep. Wheeler taught middle school at Wauconda Middle School and holds a Master’s Degree in Education, Language, and Literacy from National Louis University.
“Education and the development of our young minds has always been a passion of mine,” said Wheeler. “Illinois is home to some of the finest institutions in the nation. I want us to build off our strengths while addressing our educational weaknesses as we prepare our children for their future.”
Wheeler says her priorities on Elementary & Secondary Education Committee include enhancing college preparedness and attacking Illinois’ high truancy rate.
Wheeler notes that while Illinois has a high college attendance rate, our preparedness rate is surprisingly low.
Just 19.3% of high school juniors met readiness scores in all four subjects tested on the ACT in 2010.
This issue is being further exasperated by a growing truancy rate.
Of the 30,000 students enrolled in Chicago Public Schools, 7.4% were labeled “chronically truant” in 2011; nearly double the rate from the previous year.
“While there are many fine aspects our education system in Illinois offers, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done in order for us to serve the best interests of our students,” said Wheeler.
“Truancy is an ever growing problem in Illinois and the trend needs to be reversed. We need to ensure that our children are growing and learning in a safe environment that will give them all the tools available for a bright future.”
Overall, Wheeler will be serving on eight committees in the 98th General Assembly.
In addition to the Elementary & Secondary Education Committee, Wheeler will be serving on the
- House International Trade & Commerce
- Appropriations-Human Services
- Mass Transit
- Museums, Arts & Cultural Enhancement
- Adoption Reform
- State Government Administration
- Transportation: Regulation, Roads & Bridges Committees
“Serving on eight committees should prove to be quite an undertaking, but I am excited to be given such a responsibility as a freshman representative,” said Wheeler.
“These committees have much to offer the people of the 64th District and I am hoping to maximize the benefits for the people I represent.”
= = = = =
I believe it is a deliberate strategy of House Speaker Mike Madigan to keep members busy running around from committee meeting to committee meeting to limit the ability of members to think and confer with colleagues.
And, of course, that’s only an ancillary benefit to being able to pay most of his members extra money for being committee chairmen.
Committee Spokesmen also get extra pay. | <urn:uuid:76231a07-7840-4100-b11a-5b5e5306b632> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://mchenrycountyblog.com/category/committee/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956765 | 630 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Family travel: Helping kids pack for a trip abroad
The glamorous side of travel is exciting, but veteran jetsetters know that there's some preparation involved, too. One of the perennial travel hassles is packing - it's filled with uncertainties, questions and a decent amount of physical labor - particularly if you over-pack.
Families traveling together are well-versed in having to deal with many bags for many people. That might not be as much of an issue for a weekend trip to Grandma's house or a road trip in a roomy SUV. Families going abroad on a European tour
for the first time will have some new considerations to make before jetting off for their adventure.
Keep these packing tips in mind as your family prepares for take-off:
* Start early. Late night packing the day before your flight is a common pitfall that often ends in some cranky attitudes and forgotten items. Once you've booked your Europe tour
, mark a calendar with your departure date and a date to start packing. Make it at least a week ahead of your flight, and encourage kids to add things bit by bit - and even take things out as needed. Younger kids will naturally need more monitoring.
* Check the weather. If your family is headed to Amsterdam, Paris and Rome, you'll be sure to run into a variety of weather systems. A tool like Weather Underground
's weather history reports can provide you with many years' worth of past weather data that might make it easier to predict what you need to pack.
* Plan for fun. If you choose a tour operator that is family friendly, they'll have built activities into the agenda to keep kids interested and having fun. However, you'll probably need something to occupy kids' attention during down time, such as at the airport or when traveling by road. Books or e-readers and mp3 players are good options, but you might also consider a travel game or a sketch pad and colored pencils. Just remember to keep it small and portable.
* Be health conscious. Getting sick on vacation is no fun for anyone - so do everything you can to prevent it. It's a good idea to pack a day pack with disinfectant wipes or gel for those times when a sink just isn't accessible. In addition, a first aid kit
and stash of medicines to settle stomachs and dispel aches and pains is a good idea. | <urn:uuid:191cd1d0-f615-415a-9ff4-35771ab11480> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.carmitimes.com/section/?template=araArchiveDetails&CategoryID=367&article=8064290207&archive=true | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961767 | 496 | 1.625 | 2 |
Just curious-and not being snarky, I promise-but it seems to me that Christmas is a Christian celebration of the birth of Christ, yet atheists and people of non-Christian faiths choose to celebrate it as a "secular" holiday, which it isn't. Yet you never hear of atheists choosing to celebrate Chanukah or Ramadan or other non-Christian celebrations in a secular way. It just strikes me as odd and sort of a double standard.
Pretty much every culture in existence has come up with a way to have a nice celebration of food, light and good cheer somewhere around the winter solstice where the days are short and everybody could do with a bit of a boost.
Early Christians took elements of older pagan and Roman festivals and beliefs and incorporated them into Christmas to make the transition easier. You'll notice that there are no mentions of Christmas trees, turkey dinners, yule logs etc. in the bible, and no indication that Jesus was actually born on the 25th December.
For lots of non religious people in western countries, Christmas is celebrated as a mid winter cheer up festival, a chance to enjoy good food and drink with good friends and family, a time to have a day off work and do a little celebrating when its otherwise cold, dark and generally depressing. It makes sense to do this at Christmas rather than Eid, Diwali or Chanukah as its a national holiday, the logistics are easier and Christmas is part of their culture even if its not part of their religion.
Neither way of viewing Christmas is more right than the other.
(I do actually celebrate Diwali in a non religious way by attending the awesome fireworks display in my city.) | <urn:uuid:766550ad-4560-43bc-8450-05e7eabe3e01> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.etiquettehell.com/smf/index.php?topic=111556.msg2603092 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959343 | 344 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Politicians, murderers and feminists all have something to offer
Artists should always keep their ears open for advice from unlikely sources, lest their development becomes dependent on the same cotillion of friends, colleagues and kindly aunts. I’d suggest giving the critics the benefit of the doubt, but for most artists admitting that a critic might be right is a lot like someone on Fox News admitting the folks occupying wall street might have a point: it seems to go against something in the blood.
“If someone gets attacked by an elk, you’ll lose the audience.”
So where’s an artist to go for some good, objective advice? The first stop is other artists, which is why you should always read my column. Or you could talk to playwright Hannah Moscovitch, for instance, who recently told the Globe and Mail a secret to good drama: “If someone gets attacked by an elk,” she said, “you’ll lose the audience.” This is more then an offhand remark: in my mind, it’s right up there with the rule about never putting puppies or young children on stage. Over in Bossypants, a memoir by comedienne Tina Fey, several secrets about the entertainment world are revealed, all of which go into the list of things that artists should be told but usually aren’t. As a writer, producer and actress, Tina Fey has been on both sides of the camera and she isn’t shy about warning women what it’s like. In one typically blunt remark, she reports: "Network executives really do say things like 'I just don't want to fuck anybody on this show'". It’s a wry remark that can serve as either a warning or reasons for a battle cry for all the women who want to enter the world of entertainment.
But the best advice I’ve ever found has almost always come from non-theatrical sources. My favourite acting advice, for instance, comes from a 19th century politician. Roscoe Conkling was once the most powerful Senator in New York State and was a monumental force in the Republican Party for several years. These were the years before microphones and it was not uncommon for a politician’s speech to go unheard by most of the men in a convention hall. During the Republican Nominating Convention of 1880, however, Conkling gave an oratory that was so thunderous it was heard even by people in the back of the hall. When a reporter asked how he had done it, Conkling said: “By speaking very deliberately and carefully pronouncing the vowels.” Good advice for politicians; far better advice for actors.
Here we see the Bard as we rarely see him, not over-analyzed by the literary / theatrical elite...
In 2002, This American Life reported on a program which occurred at the Missouri Eastern Correctional Facility, where inmates worked with director Agnes Wilcox to stage a production of Hamlet. This episode (#218) should be required listening for anyone who cares about Shakespeare, and not just because it’s a literal rendering of Hamlet’s remark about Denmark being a prison. Here we see the Bard as we rarely see him, not over-analyzed by the literary / theatrical elite, but boiled down to his barest essentials by a group of convicts, some of whom are guilty of the same violent crimes Hamlet himself is contemplating.
Take this examination on Horatio, played by Derek “Big Hutch” Hutchinson:
“I think he’s a chump, for real….I mean he’s supposed to be cool
with Hamlet, they’re best friends but I think Horatio’s just a
sounding board for Hamlet. I mean the majority of his lines are
‘Aye, my lord’, ‘Yes my lord.’ I mean, if you’re friends, you’re
going to communicate better than that….you’re going to tell
me your deepest secrets. I mean, I want to know what you
and Ophelia did last night.”
“Big Hutch” also has problems with the usual vision of Hamlet as someone who isn’t sure whether or not his uncle really did kill his father. “If I’m strong enough to believe in ghosts,” says Big Hutch, “then I’m strong enough to believe what this ghost tells me.” To Big Hutch, Hamlet’s dilemma is that he has many reasons not to kill Claudius – for instance, if Claudius is dead, Hamlet himself may be crowned King, which means he’d have to sacrifice his freedom for the trappings of a political life. His debate is not a moral one, but rather one of honour versus personal desires.
The latest news cycle has thrown Gloria Steinem once more into the narrative, provoked by a new HBO documentary about her life. Steinem may be a proponent of feminine rights, but much of what she says can be applied to all artists regardless of their gender. In a recent interview with Jian Ghomeshi, she said, “The hardest thing is not being criticized for what you do wrong, but being criticized for what you did right.” Here we find a statement that all artists should hold tight to their hearts. Our reaction to criticism may be vitriolic, but we should always try to identify those critiques that are attacking us for doing precisely what we set out to do – in which case our work, whether reviled or not, should be marked as a resounding success. | <urn:uuid:c49d74f6-f9b2-48a4-a32b-1d8d10af0306> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.charpo-canada.com/2011/10/theatre-for-thought-october-15-2011.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971519 | 1,187 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Balaji Ravichandran considers what it means to be gay and in love in a world that has been fundamentally changed by the arrival of online dating and smartphone apps like Grindr.
Cinema, that mirror of human life, has been somewhat hopeless when it comes to portraying love between members of the same sex. Our Eric Rohmer is yet to be visible. Worse still, most films, the predominant theme of which be, faute de mieux, gay love, easily fall into one of the following four categories: (a) coming out amidst great adversity and dying, (b) coming out amidst great adversity and surviving, (c) the ‘bi now, gay later,’ straight-to-gay wish-fulfilment fantasies, and (d) the AIDS film, which seldom deals with the subject in the sensitive manner it deserves.
The first two categories were surely worthwhile once, but further additions, especially when blatantly platitudinous, are merely boring. As for the third, I’m sure its appeal won’t diminish, since it’s apparently every gay man’s fantasy.
It seems to me that in recent years a transatlantic divide has emerged when it comes to what, for the sake of convenience, I’ll call ‘the gay cinema.’ The US & Canada have produced some great films of this kind: notably Philadelphia, Boys Don’t Cry, and Les Amours Imaginaires. And before somebody points out the omission of that famed gay shepherd film, I’m sorry, but it is, in my opinion, one of the most over-rated flicks I’ve ever seen.
Europe, though equally capable of producing irritating films, has been more adept at producing artful and thoughtful films. It was Britain, after all, which brought us Beautiful Thing, My Beautiful Launderette and Brideshead Revisited. But, in recent years, while America is prone to horrendous gay indies, with unbearable dialogue, appalling acting and sinful plots, European Cinema is showing signs that it has begun to move beyond kitsch and cliché. Weekend, an independent British film, was both a critical and commercial success. Tomboy, a French film, and Romeos, a German one, both looked – without resorting to sensationalism or violence – at life with gender misalignment. Le Temps Qui Reste is a modern, understated and highly emotional look at being gay and facing mortality (not HIV/AIDS). In the amazing Io Sono L’Amore, both the coming out, and the question of familiar acceptance, was addressed with such delicacy and grace that you wonder if it’s films like these, rather than melodramatic ones with tears and screams, that will subtly influence LGBT rights for years to come.
The most beautiful film on what it means to love someone of your own gender, released earlier this year in the UK at the BFI London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, must be Noordzee, Texas (North Sea, Texas). In one of the very first scenes, a young boy, of about five, goes up to his room, dons a tiara, wears a pearl necklace, and adores himself naked in the mirror. His mum walks in, but neither screams nor cries. “Don’t worry, Pim, mum’s not angry” she says.
As he grows into a beautiful teenager, Pim falls in love with a neighbour. Although the love is mutual, Pim’s lover, Gino, is sexually confused. But no words like ‘gay’ or ‘straight,’ no vacuous truisms about society and family deafen our ears. There is a tacit understanding on the part of Gino’s lugubrious mother, but as in life, much is left unsaid. Indeed, Pim barely speaks 500 words through the film. Pim, who patiently collects memorabilia from every important love in his life, from the tiara to a bit of shaving foam on a piece of paper, represents perhaps the tenderest and purest expression of adolescent love in gay cinema.
It may be, of course, due to the fact that the film is Belgian, and they tend to be more relaxed about these things than many other countries. The cynical side of me also wondered, were not the two men in question so beautiful, would the film would be as effective. But that is beside the point. What the film evokes, in the days of Grindr and Gaydar, online dating and an oft-celebrated divorce between sex and emotions is the issue at the heart of all endeavours associated with gay rights: the innate need, the natural desire, the human right – to fall in love.
I came to Britain, roughly six years ago, seeking a new life. In India, from where I had moved, sexual acts between two men or two women were still illegal and could carry a sentence of life imprisonment. Much as I moved here for intellectual and artistic reasons, I also moved here, I’m not ashamed to admit, to burn, with a gem-like flame, in love. If youth be not the age for love, what is? (A disclaimer at this point: this article is written from the perspective of a gay man, for gay and bisexual men. Not to discriminate against people of other sexualities. But, when it comes to writing about something so personal as love, I cannot generalise beyond what I myself know and feel.)
The passionate love I have instinctively sought has yet to materialise. There are several personal reasons, such as studying at a demanding university and maintaining a career in addition. But these are facile orthodoxies. Upon reflection, and this is what Noordzee forced me to confront anew, thereby compelling me to pen this piece: I realised that the nature of love itself, especially perhaps for gay men, is radically transforming, which I’m not sure is at all for the better.
Until, say, eight or nine years ago, the traditional way for gay men to meet each other was in dedicated bars and clubs. Of course, cruising for sex was always widespread among gay men, and I have nothing to say on that matter, nor judge it. But, people fell in love, which was one of the motivations in the fight for equality. After all, gay men and women weren’t fighting just for the right to have sex – they could just as easily already do that in the privacy of their bedrooms.
Then online dating came in and at first, it seemed like a boon. Gay people, especially in the more oppressive societies, could communicate with ease and without fear of being pilloried for it. But, as acceptance improved in Western countries, this purpose seemed to wither, and people used it more and more to find fleeting sexual partners. The surest example of this is (or was) the extremely popular website Gaydar, or in America, Craigslist. Open these websites today, and flip through the odd profile, and one is immediately disabused of any illusions as to their proclaimed innocuousness.
Now, with the arrival of Grindr, which pinpoints through your smartphone where the nearest gay man is, Gaydar and its cousins, including Facebook, seem tame as a lamb. At least on Gaydar, your subjective self had a few thousand words, categorised and stereotyped as they are, to express your essence. In Grindr, you at most have twenty words. The rest are categories, check-lists: age, height, weight, sexual status, and most importantly, ethnicity. In my experience – and this has been confirmed by many others - almost all online dating platforms are routinely full of racists, and, ironically, blatant homophobes, with little moderation input from the developers. The most common sentences on the profiles are: “No Asians”; “Not into Indians, Blacks, Asians, or Africans”; “No camps, femmes, trannies”; and “No-one under 30.” The profile pictures commonly show torsos only (seldom authentic) and the first picture that comes one’s way is a picture of the user’s private parts. The number of men in their late forties and fifties, attempting to take advantage of a teenager, is seriously disturbing.
In the space of online and app-based dating, the space for love has been correspondingly hard to find. Even in bars and clubs, ever frequented by straight women for “fun” men’s faces are increasingly preoccupied with the screens in their hands, their faces yellow with the glow of Grindr. People don’t look into each other’s eyes, hoping, yearning for that spark of contact, that longing for communication and for the intimacy of touch. There are, as Rohmer would bemoan, no surprises, no mysteries – the essential ingredients for affection to blossom.
More worryingly, for the young men and women coming out today and exploring their sexuality, a world of hypersexuality filled with predatory individuals is surely not the best way to help them see sexual partnerships as a means to connect with other individuals? Besides, how prepared are we to suggest – or admit – that the only means to proceed with one’s sexuality is to divorce it from feelings altogether?
Lest I be misconstrued as an old fogey or a Luddite, I can, I admit, see the positive and networking aspects of these technologies, especially in the less tolerant places. It does provide an opportunity for us to reach out. Equally, I recognise the problem gay men and women face today. When we wish to begin talking to someone who, for various reasons, we find attractive, the possibility that they are straight could lead, at best, to a simple rejection and at worst, to physical assault. Also, far be it from me to draw moral contours around human sexuality. The less we moralise around it and leave consensual adults to their own healthy devices, the better.
Yet, as someone who, with no interest in Grindr or DismayDar, whose idea of music is more of Scriabin than of Lady Gaga, as someone who is interested more in love than sex for its own sake, the lack of platforms to meet and find other gay friends, and hopefully, a boyfriend, is a cause for melancholy. I fear that love, such as one finds in Nordzee, can no longer establish itself, for it has no space to breathe and be nurtured. Which is why I cannot help but ask – even plead – if love be the ultimate reason we fight for gay rights, that we may burn, slowly, fully, and with sweet labour, in its pure flame, then, as a community, and as a society, that we find a way (if possible), to give human relationships their due sense of space and time.
Balaji Ravichandran is a writer, and a student at Oxford. He blogs regularly at Huffington Post. | <urn:uuid:8c35dcb2-8fc8-4bd8-84ee-cca891334c3f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/08/10/comment-to-be-gay-and-in-love/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Pinknews+%28Pink+News%29 | 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 | 0.9625 | 2,302 | 1.507813 | 2 |
When is Trick or Treat this year?
Sandusky's city-wide Trick or Treat will be from 5 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 31. Each year, the city announces official Trick or Treating hours, and it gives tips to help keep families safe. Children (under the age of 14) should be accompanied by an adult. Children should stay in their own neighborhoods and only go to houses that have their porch lights on. They should also have their candy checked by an adult before they eat anything. Motorists are encouraged to drive with extra caution during Trick or Treating hours. | <urn:uuid:f5ef875e-2f21-488a-acb8-a646c2e4b298> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sanduskyregister.com/mailbag/2559911 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979416 | 122 | 1.710938 | 2 |
ISS managers working to realign busy launch manifest following ongoing delays
International Space Station (ISS) Program managers at space agencies around the world are currently in the process of ironing out an extremely complex and busy integrated schedule of comings and goings at the station, in light of recent delays to Soyuz launches and the inaugural station visit by SpaceX’s Dragon capsule.
Ongoing Russian Soyuz problems and delays:
Following what was an extremely challenging 2011 due to numerous hardware failures – including the Progress M-12M and Fobos-Grunt spacecrafts – the Russian space agency Roscosmos continues to have bad luck in its quest to get its programs back on track.
Last week, reports emerged in the Russian media that the Soyuz TMA-04M/30S spacecraft, set to launch the next trio of Russian and American crewmembers to the ISS, had suffered a failure during routine testing.
It is understood at this time that the Descent Module (SA) of Soyuz TMA-04M was over-pressurised during leak checking, which, coupled with poor quality materials, caused welds to break in the hydrogen peroxide thruster propellant system. Specific causes of the over-pressurisation are unknown at this time, and a Russian commission is currently investigating the matter.
Due to the nature of the failure, pressure integrity of the Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft is believed to have been compromised beyond repair, which means that the SA is question can no longer be used and must be scrapped.
Roscosmos have decided not to swap out the damaged SA with the SA intended for Soyuz TMA-05M/31S, as has been done in the past, and have instead opted to replace the entire Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft – including SA, Orbital Module (BO), and Instrumentation and Propulsion Module (PAO) – with the Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft, as swapping the entire spacecraft is quicker than de-integrating and re-integrating the SA from one Soyuz to the other.
Due to this swap-out of vehicles, the Soyuz TMA-04M launch must now be pushed back, since there is insufficient time to ready hardware originally intended for Soyuz TMA-05M for launch on Soyuz TMA-04M’s date. Also, since the Soyuz spacecraft originally intended for the Soyuz TMA-05M mission will now be used for Soyuz TMA-04M, the spacecraft for Soyuz TMA-05M must come from Soyuz TMA-06M, thus creating ripple-like delays for future Soyuz flights.
As detailed by NASA’s ISS Program Manager Mike “Suff” Suffredini at an ISS status press briefing late last week, following consultations between all the ISS international partners, it has been decided to push the Soyuz TMA-04M launch back from 30th March to 15th May, a delay of around 45 days for Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka & Sergey Revin, and NASA astronaut Joe Acaba.
In order to avoid a large gap of three-crew station operations between the return of the Soyuz TMA-22/28S spacecraft and the launch of Soyuz TMA-04M, the Soyuz TMA-22 return will also be delayed by around 45 days, from 16th March to 30th April.
The 45 day mission extension is not an issue however, since Soyuz TMA-22 arrived at the ISS back in mid-November 2011 around 45 days later than originally planned, due to the launch failure of the Progress M-12M/44P spacecraft in August. Thus, the delay in the Soyuz TMA-22 return only restores the mission to a normal duration, and thus doesn’t present any issues with leaving the Soyuz on-orbit past its 200 day orbital lifetime.
As for other Russian launches affected by the “ripple” of delays, The Soyuz TMA-05M/31S spacecraft will be delayed for 45 days, from 30th May to 15th July. Soyuz TMA-06M/32S will slip by roughly 20 days, from 26th September to 15th October, with Soyuz TMA-07M/33S slipping by roughly 10 days, from 26th November to 5th December.
As one Soyuz must depart the station before another can launch, the undocking and landing of Soyuz spacecraft prior to the launches noted above will slip by a similar amount to the delay of the launch in question, in order to preserve the preferred two-week gap of three-crew station operations between Soyuz landings and launches.
This means a roughly 45 day slip for the Soyuz TMA-03M landing, from 16th May to 1st July, a roughly 5 day slip for the Soyuz TMA-04M landing, from 12th to 17th September, and no slip for the Soyuz TMA-05M landing, which will still occur as originally planned on 12th November.
Click here for ISS Articles: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/iss/
Other flight activities for early 2012:
With the first crew rotation of 2012 now via the Soyuz TMA-22 undocking and landing on 30th April and the Soyuz TMA-04M launch on 15th May, the next three months on station will be devoted to a spacewalk, and visits from Russian, European, and commercial cargo ships, all of which must be co-ordinated with each other to ensure no conflicts in the complex schedule.
The first item on the order of ISS flight events for the next few months is Russian Extra Vehicular Activity-30 (EVA-30) on 16th February.
During this spacewalk, the first of 2012, Russian cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Anatoly Shkaplerov will spend roughly six hours outside the Russian Segment (RS) of the ISS, preparing for the arrival of the Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) “Nauka” in 2013.
The MLM will dock to the Service Module (SM) “Zvezda” Nadir docking port, where Docking Compartment-1 (DC-1) “Pirs” currently resides.
Due to this, DC-1 will need to be undocked and disposed of prior to MLM’s arrival, and so the two manually-operated Strela cranes currently attached to DC-1 must be relocated to elsewhere on the station in order to preserve them for future use.
Thus, during EVA-30, the Strela-1 crane will be relocated to the Mini Research Module-2 (MRM-2) “Poisk”, a task originally planned for last August’s Russian EVA-29.
Strela-2 will move to the Functional Cargo Block (FGB) “Zarya” during a later EVA. Other tasks for EVA-30 including installing debris shields on the SM, setting up external experiments, and, as a get ahead, transferring an EVA ladder from DC-1 to MRM-2.
Following EVA-30, the next big task for the ISS will be to receive the European Automated Transfer Vehicle-3 (ATV-3) cargo carrier.
Currently planned for launch atop an Ariane V from Kourou Space Center in French Guiana on 9th March, ATV-3 will dock to the ISS following a 10 day free flight, on 19th March.
ATV-3 is somewhat controlling the debut launch of the new European Vega rocket, currently planned for 13th February, by limiting the number of days that the Vega launch can scrub before it must be stood down until after ATV-3, due to the need to have enough time to reconfigure Kourou launch site assets to support the ATV-3 launch. ATV-3 cannot move to make way for Vega, as that would cause problems for the already jam-packed and highly complex ISS flight manifest.
ATV-3, which has been upgraded to carry more internal cargo than pervious ATVs, will be the first vehicle to dock at the SM Aft port since the Progress M-11M/43P spacecraft prior to STS-135 last June, since the failed Progress M-12M/44P was supposed to dock there following Progress M-11M’s departure in August. ATV-3 will remain at the ISS through to August 2012, during which time it will provide propulsive support for ISS attitude control, reboosts, and Debris Avoidance Maneuvers (DAMs).
Following the ATV-3 docking, and with the Progress M-15M/47P launch now accelerated from 25th April to 20th April, a full month of time will be free in the ISS schedule for what will likely be the most watched mission of the year – the inaugural visit of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule to the station.
SpaceX ongoing delays and potential launch date:
SpaceX’s Dragon capsule had at the start of the year been planned for launch on 7th February, on the now approved combined COTS-2/COTS-3 (C2/C3) demo mission.
However, ongoing delays, related mainly to software testing, integrated simulations, refinement of flight procedures, and closeout of various “open items” on the spacecraft and launch vehicle, have pushed the launch to the right.
The ISS is now fully ready to support Dragon, however, with the Enhanced Processor & Integrated Communications (EPIC) card installations and both the X2_R10 and X2_R11 software transitions now completed, the latter of which includes Mobile Servicing System (MSS) 7.1 software, which updates the MSS, of which the SSRMS is a part, to support Dragon robotics activities.
Officially, the target launch date for Dragon at this time is 20th March – the day after the planned ATV-3 docking, so as to avoid any conflicts with that vehicle.
However, this date is merely a placeholder with the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) Eastern Range, and at last week’s ISS status press briefing, NASA ISS Program Manager Mike Suffredini said that due to the volume of work still to be completed, an April launch date is more likely for SpaceX.
SpaceX has until late April to play with, since the Progress M-15M launch and docking is planned for 20th and 22nd April, respectively, and after that, the Soyuz TMA-22 undocking and landing on 30th April.
Following the TMA-22 undocking, ISS will be at three crew operations, which may preclude the Dragon berthing at the ISS due to the need to have two trained crewmembers aboard the station to perform the Dragon capture with the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS).
It is not understood at this point whether ESA astronaut André Kuipers would be able to fulfil the role of a trained crewmember, along with NASA astronaut Don Pettit, but if not, the next time two trained US crewmembers would be aboard the station is 17th May, following the 15th May launch of Soyuz TMA-04M, carrying NASA astronaut Joe Acaba.
Following arrival of Soyuz TMA-04M, the ISS schedule is free through the rest of May and all of June, whereupon another Soyuz rotation will occur in early through mid-July, followed by Russian and Japanese resupply flights.
Flight activities for later in 2012:
Another vehicle to feel the fallout of the recent Soyuz problems is Japan’s H-II Transfer Vehicle-3 (HTV-3), which was previously scheduled to launch on 26th June, for a rendezvous with and berthing to the ISS on 1st July.
Since the Soyuz reshuffle placed the HTV-3 rendezvous and berthing on the same date as the Soyuz TMA-03M undocking, following which ISS will be at three-crew operations, that meant HTV-3′s arrival would cause conflict issues, and violate the flight rule to have two fully trained US crewmembers available to support capture operations, since only one US astronaut would be aboard the ISS following the Soyuz TMA-03M undocking (Joe Acaba).
Thus, HTV-3 now has to wait for Soyuz TMA-05M, carrying NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, to dock with the ISS on 17th July, prior to launching on what is now scheduled to be a late July or early August date.
The months of August and September will then be a very busy time on ISS, with the scheduled undocking of ATV-3 on 27th August, and the unberthing of HTV sometime in late August or early September.
During this time, Orbital’s Cygnus vehicle could also visit the ISS on its maiden flight, as much as ongong delays with launch site readiness mean that no firm date is set for that flight at this time.
Also during August, Russian EVA-31 will be performed, along with the recently added US EVA-18. This EVA had been scheduled for summer 2012 before, but was pushed back to 2013. However, a recent external hardware failure, namely the Main Bus Switching Unit-1 (MBSU-1) located on the S0 Truss, caused NASA managers to reconsider.
MBSU-1, which along with three other MBSUs distributes power around the station’s electrical system, started displaying erratic behaviour late last year, such as resets and loss of communication. MBSU-1 has now completely lost communications with the ISS, although it is still functioning and distributing power correctly.
It is clear, however, that MBSU-1 is slowly degrading, and could be on the verge of total failure. While source information shows that the ISS could tolerate a complete MBSU-1 failure via the crew installing internal jumpers to re-distribute power around the station, this would leave the ISS in what is a single fault tolerate situation, as a failure of another MBSU would require an emergency EVA to Remove & Replace (R&R) the failed MBSU.
Source information shows that MBSU-2 has previously displayed errors similar to those seen on MBSU-1, such as bit errors, and thus MBSU-2 is vulnerable to the same type of failure as MBSU-1, which would not be recoverable via jumper installation.
Due to this fact, NASA managers have decided to go ahead and R&R MBSU-1 this year, in order to reduce the risk of a complete failure leaving the ISS MBSUs single fault tolerant.
This means that, although EVA-18 will include an R&R of failed hardware, it is classed as a planned EVA, not an unplanned EVA – the best example of which is August 2010′s three epic EVAs to R&R the failed Loop B Pump Module (PM). Procedures for a contingency EVA do already exist however, should MBSU-1 fail prior to its scheduled R&R and thus require an immediate R&R.
EVA-18 will be significant since it will be the first US ISS spacewalk in the post-Shuttle era, an era which will see the ISS crew have to halt their research activities in order to deal with outside problems themselves, instead of leaving it to a visiting Shuttle crew as was done in the past.
Thus, NASA’s strategy of pre-positioning ample spare Orbital Replacement Units (ORUs) outside the ISS prior to the Shuttle’s retirement is already proving to be a good strategy, as source information shows that two spare MBSUs are currently available outside the ISS – both stored on External Stowage Platform-2 (ESP-2), with one having flown to the ISS on STS-116 in December 2006, and the other on STS-120 in October/November 2007.
Two spare MBSUs are also available on the ground, one of which is planned for launch on HTV-4 in July 2013, and the other planned for launch in 2017. Both of these MBSUs are not susceptible to the bit errors noticed on MBSUs 1 and 2.
NASA is currently in the process of reviewing specific EVA timelines, and source information shows that two main paths are being considered – one involving the R&R of MBSU-1 using just the two spacewalkers, and the other involving the Special Purpose Dextrous Manipulator (SPDM) “Dextre” doing some of the preparation tasks prior to the EVA, including retrieving the space MBSU from ESP-2 and positioning it near the EVA worksite, to be installed by the EVA crew (it is not possible for the SPDM to perform the entire R&R).
Without the use of the SPDM, a standard EVA timeline could accomplish the MBSU-1 R&R in 6 hours 30 minutes, around the standard time for an EVA. However, a streamlined timeline could accomplish the MBSU-1 R&R in only 4 hours 30 minutes, leaving around an additional 2 hours for some extra tasks outside the station. With prior assistance from the SPDM however, an additional 3 hours 30 minutes would be available for additional tasks.
Source information shows that the additional tasks that could be performed include those deferred from the single STS-135 EVA in July 2011, such as the FGB Power & Date Grapple Fixture (PDGF) 1553 cable install, FGB PDGF grounding wire inspections, and SSRMS Camera Light Pan/tilt Assembly (CLPA) R&R. Some of these tasks could also be conducted during US EVAs 19 and 20 however, which have now been brought forward to February 2013, for reasons unknown at this time.
Following US EVA-18, the remainder of 2012 will then see the usual traffic of Soyuz and Progress flights, along with possibly the first operational resupply flights of the Dragon and Cygnus vehicles under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) Program.
Overall, despite claims that the ISS was going to be slowing down in the post-Shuttle era, the station is in fact as busy as ever, playing host to a wide array of international and commercial Visiting Vehicles (VVs), as well as the usual heavy schedule of maintenance and research activities.
While delays in Russian and commercial vehicles continue to have an impact on the ISS, it is vital that both these systems demonstrate reliability this year, since both are now being heavily relied on to provide vital crew and cargo transportation to the ISS in the wake of the Shuttle’s retirement.
(Images: L2 Content, NASA, Roscosmos and Orbital)
(NSF and L2 are providing full transition level coverage, available no where else on the internet, from Orion and SLS to ISS and COTS/CRS/CCDEV, to European and Russian vehicles).
(Click here: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/l2/ - to view how you can access the best space flight content on the entire internet) | <urn:uuid:4001bbeb-7582-4907-a0cc-8fa6491a0d7f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2012/02/iss-managers-realign-busy-launch-manifest-ongoing-delays/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951485 | 4,059 | 1.515625 | 2 |
The spring is going to be filled with drama and music at Tusculum College.
Stage productions “The Midnight Mind of Edgar Allan Poe” and “Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper” will performed in the coming weeks and the Pioneer band program and Tusculum College Community Chorus will be performing in April and May.
“The Midnight Mind of Edgar Allan Poe”
“The Midnight Mind of Edgar Allan Poe” will bring some of the classics and lesser known works by the American literary giant to the stage in the Behan Arena Theatre in the lower level of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building (side entrance). Performances will be at 7 p.m. on March 30, March 31 and April 1.
The program will feature dramatic readings of Poe’s works enhanced by music, movement and innovative theatrical techniques. A historical narrative will provide interesting details of Poe’s life and times.
Poe’s works have been in print since 1827, and the versatile writer’s output includes short stories, poetry, a novel, a textbook, a book of scientific theory and hundreds of essays and book reviews. He is widely acknowledged as the inventor of the modern detective story and as an innovator in the science fiction genre. While his reputation today is based primarily on tales of terror and his haunting lyric poetry found in such classics as “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Raven” and “The Fall of the House of Usher,” Poe made his living as a literary critic and theoretician.
The public’s imagination has also been captivated by the character of Poe himself. The legend of Poe, created primarily as a result of a biography written by one of his enemies to defame the author’s name, characterizes the writer as a morbid, mysterious figure lurking in the shadows. The true Poe was a complex man who endured many tragedies in his life while seeking success in the literary world and left one of his biggest mysteries in the nature of his death, which has prompted a score of theories over the years.
The Museums of Tusculum program to explore the works and life of one of America’s greatest writers has been funded through a grant from the Arts Builds Communities fund of the Tennessee Arts Commission administered through the Johnson City Area Arts Council.
Admission is $5 for the general public and $4 for senior citizens. Tickets will be sold at the door only. Area middle and high school students will be admitted free of charge as will Tusculum College students, faculty and staff.
For more information about the program, please call 423-636-8554 or e-mail email@example.com. To learn more about the Museums of Tusculum College, follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
“Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper”
A mystery with a twist, “Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper,” will be coming to the stage April 14-17 at Tusculum College.
Revelry Repertory Theatre will premier the original mystery with performances at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 14-Saturday, April 16 and a 2 p.m. matinee, Sunday, April 17. All performances will be in the auditorium of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building on the Tusculum College campus. The play is part of Tusculum College Arts Outreach’s 2010-11 performance and lecture series.
“Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper,” written and directed by respected local actor Doug Presley, explores the notorious, unsolved 19th century serial murders of prostitutes in the White Chapel section of London.
However, audiences should not expect a definite answer to the mystery of the identity of Jack the Ripper as each performance will have a different ending presenting one of four separate possible suspects as the murderer. Presley describes two of the suspects as probable candidates as the murderer and the other two as interesting suspects. Each performance’s ending will be a surprise to all but the stage manager, crew and the actor playing the Jack the Ripper suspect for that evening.
Presley first began to research Jack the Ripper as he was searching for a topic on which to base a scary play to be staged at Halloween. But, the deeper he researched about the murders, Presley said he realized he needed to tell the story of the victims of the crimes and their struggles to survive in the poorest section of London, which was the most prosperous city in the world at the time.
One of the victims was a widow, whose husband had died two years prior to her murder on Christmas Day, and with the low wages in jobs for women, had to resort to prostitution to provide for her family, Presley noted.
Another of the victims, Mary Kelly, was a woman of higher means than the other victims, an artist who was part of a brothel in the prosperous West End of London, Presley said, which prompts the question of what she was doing in White Chapel. An answer to that question is proposed in one of the endings.
In telling the stories of the victims, the play does not lose the edginess and scariness in depicting the vicious murders and the desperation and destitution of life in White Chapel. The play’s characters, some colorful and others unsavory, are expertly brought to life by a talented cast of actors, who include some local favorites including Wess duBrisk, Chris Greene, Seth Holt, Sandy Nienaber, Robbie Poteete, Brian Ricker ’10 and Tom Sizemore. The cast also includes a number of Tusculum College students such as Valerie Harrell, Allison Harris, Andrew Herzig, Josh Hixon, Billie Jennings, Kayla Jones and Jeffrey Peck.
Accentuating the poverty of White Chapel and the gruesome crime scenes are the sets, expertly designed for the play by Frank Mengel, technical director and stage manager of Tusculum College Arts Outreach. The revolving sets also include the insides of the homes of the suspects, providing more clues into the mindset of those who may have been Jack the Ripper.
Period attire for the actors is being provided by Barbara Holt, costume director for Arts Outreach.
The playwright and director also received assistance in keeping the dialogue period-appropriate from one of the cast, Wess duBrisk and his wife, Marilyn, who is artist-in-resident at Tusculum College and director of its Arts Outreach program.
Presley is a veteran of many of the Arts Outreach theatrical programs under duBrisk’s direction and first appeared on stage at age nine in the Annie Hogan Byrd auditorium. “I never dreamed that a play I wrote and directed would be performed on the same stage where I started,” he said.
Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for seniors (60 years of age and older). With the nature of the story, the violent murder of prostitutes, no children’s tickets will be sold. To reserve tickets, please call 423.798.1620 or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.org.
Pioneer Band Program Performances
The Pioneer Jazz Band will perform publicly for the first on Thursday, April 28, at a Swing Dance Fundraiser that will also feature special guest, vocalist Russ Crum.
Proceeds from the fundraiser will be used to purchase a new sound system for the music program.
The fundraiser will begin at 6 p.m. at the General Morgan Inn with a reception and hors d’oeuvres and a surf and turf dinner following at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $75 for individuals and $140 for couples.
The ticket price includes a Swing and Latin dance lesson taught by Wess and Marilyn duBrisk at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, April 21, in the Behan Arena Theatre on the Tusculum College campus (lower level of Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building).
RSVP by April 22 by calling 423.636.7303 or e-mailing email@example.com.
On May 1, a concert will begin by the music program, featuring performances by the Pioneer Jazz Band and the Pioneer Handbell Choir. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 1:30 p.m.
Tusculum College Community Chorus
The Tusculum College Community Chorus will present its spring concert on Monday, May 2. The performance will be at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building.
The first half of the program will feature works utilizing the organ and showcasing Winfree, who is adjunct professor of music at Tusculum and holds the CAGO degree from the American Guild of Organists. Composers to be featured include Mendelssohn, Brahms, Benjamin Britten, Martin Shaw, and Kenneth Jennings. The program’s second half is secular music ranging from madrigals to show tunes, to folk songs and patriotic music.
Founded in 1996 as a way to involve singers from throughout the community in a broad range of sacred and secular repertoire, the Tusculum College Community Chorus has grown to over 55 singers. | <urn:uuid:f76f26c1-d82c-4039-b663-4a9efccf8c07> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www3.tusculum.edu/for/2011/03/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953874 | 1,948 | 1.664063 | 2 |
The Gay Warrior tops the “Reggae” and “Out and Proud” charts at CD Baby as Nhojj continues to break barriers and deliver music with a message of Love.
Guyanese chart topper Nhojj climbs to the top again with his latest single, Gay Warrior Song. Simultaneously #1 on both CDBaby’s “Reggae” and “Out and Proud” charts, he continues to establish himself as a fearless artist whose appeal extends to listeners across the musical spectrum.
A gay anthem grabbing the #1 spot on both charts is an unlikely phenomenon—Reggae music has unleashed much homophobia, while Out and Proud music celebrates the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) community. But it is not the first time for Nhojj. His gay music video “Love” hit the #1 spot on the mainstream MTV Music Top 100 chart earlier this year. And last year BET/Centric congratulated him on being a “a gay history first!”
Nhojj first caught the attention of Reggae enthusiasts in 2003 with the release of his sophomore “Someday Peace Love & Freedom.” It addressed social ills. Many of the songs infused reggae beats. In 2005 he again embraced his Caribbean roots on his Inspirational album John Martinborough Coming home, recording a reggae version of the religious hymn “His Eyes are on the Sparrow.”
This time around Nhojj uses his voice to target homophobia, and donates proceeds to the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) an LGBT Rights organization in Guyana . He invokes scripture in the name “Jah” (a term for God, widely used in reggae music) as his higher authority. His lyrics offer affirmation:
Open your hearts and let Love march in
Courage will free the minds of many today
Knowing the Truth of how God made you
Just embrace your true soul
Jah said to Love one another
Even as I do Love you
Jah said Love one another
Because in Love you find the Truth
Love is the Truth
The Gay Warrior Song is mastered by Robert Honablue, whose gold and platinum credits include Bob Marley, Santana, Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, and Janis Joplin. It is based on an earlier song “Fighting for Love” that appears on Someday Peace Love & Freedom. Nhojj recalls, “I started writing this song 7 years ago and couldn’t complete it… but I knew I would finish it though… one day I knew I would be strong enough to record and release this song.” Both songs are available on CDBaby, the oldest and largest distributor of independent music in the world.
Nhojj grew up in Guyana, and went to high school in Trinidad prior to coming to the United States to attend college. Before he could read or write he sang at his father’s church, and eventually on radio and television shows. Twice he sang in national stadiums – once for the President of Guyana, and once for the President of Trinidad. After graduating with honors from New York University with a Bachelors Degree in Economics, he returned to his passion—singing—and began recording. To date Nhojj has released 6 album releases, and a DVD directed by Emmy nominated Bill Cote. He is the first black male to win an OUTMusic Award.
“We are all warriors,” Nhojj explains. ”Regardless of our race, religion, nationality, sex, or sexuality, we’re all fighting to be who we are, who we’re meant to be. That’s what this song is really about – the courage to embrace ourselves and love each other for who we are, despite the pressures the world places on us. | <urn:uuid:abb06335-f6fd-463b-bb8e-059233162454> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nhojj.com/tag/cdbaby/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945361 | 815 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand along with Congresswoman Kathy Hochul urged the Department of Defense to closely examine the importance of the National Guard 107th Airlift wing, based at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, to Western New York, the state, and the entire Northeast. They emphasized in their letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta that the 107th Airlift Wing, which has served as a proven resource in the Western New York region, also serves as a unit of Northeast regional and national importance given their response to Tropical Storms Irene and Lee last year, and their recent service during Hurricane Sandy. They also urged Panetta to keep this in mind when making restructuring decisions in the future.
“I want to commend the 107th Airlift Wing for their heroic response after Hurricane Sandy cost downstate New York untold destruction, and I urge the Department of Defense to recognize the statewide and regional importance of our troops who serve at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station during future force restructuring,” said Schumer. “When disaster strikes we cannot afford to miss a beat, and the 107th immediately sprang into action and traveled across the state to save lives and expedite the recovery process in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. This is the third time in 14 months that troops from the Niagara Falls base have been a vital component of the rebuilding process after a natural disaster, and it is their ability to respond to situations like this that makes it so important to keep these troops in Western New York. The 107th has once again demonstrated that they are critical to keeping people safe throughout the state.”
“Western New York stood fully prepared for the worst of Hurricane Sandy because of the 107th Airlift Wing, who are today answering the call to fellow New Yorkers in the Hudson Valley, New York City and Long Island in their hour of need,” said Senator Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “From the back-to-back storms of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee just one year ago, to Hurricane Sandy today, and every mission in between both here and abroad, the 107th is always ready to protect New Yorkers and come to our rescue, and we couldn’t weather these storms or rebuild without them.”
“The quick response of the 107th Air National Guard to the needs of New Yorkers devastated by Hurricane Sandy is a clear reminder of the important role the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station plays in the safety and security of New York state,” said Rep. Hochul. “Just as the men and women of the Air Wing responded to Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee, and the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010, the 107th has yet again answered the call by providing critical relief in Manhattan. As we begin to rebuild, the support provided by NFARS will go a long way toward advancing our recovery. This is another prime example of why the Air National Guard must remain in full force at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station.”
Here is a copy of their letter:
Dear Secretary Panetta:
We write to you today to highlight the invaluable service of the National Guard 107th Airlift Wing and the honorable work they have done the past several days providing relief to the residents of New York City and Long Island. Once again, just like in the response to Hurricanes Irene and Lee, the 107th has demonstrated their importance to the National Guard’s ability to respond during emergencies. As New York continues to work through the most devastating storm our region has ever seen, we urge the Department of Defense to look closely at the important service of these units during this and other disasters as final decisions are made on force restructuring.
As the storm approached New York, the 107th was on standby in Niagara Falls and was prepared to respond should Western New York have been hit by the storm. The Wing continues to maintain several of its C-130s on stand-by ready to support the state emergency response needs and in support of the National Guard Bureau missions. Additionally, in order to protect costly equipment such as C-130s and HH Rescue Helicopters from the storm, they were moved up to Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station and out of the direct path of the hurricane. Once the storm had passed, 75 men and women from the 107th immediately deployed to the New York City area and began assisting in the rescue and clean-up efforts. Perhaps most notably, the men and women of the 107th assisted in the evacuation efforts of Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan.
As the 107th continues relief work in the Downstate area by providing badly-needed support to police and first responders, we feel compelled to inform you that we are immensely proud of the work that is being done. It is times like these that we see our whole state come together to help those in need, and we are heartened that we have once again been able to call upon the 107th to step up to the challenge when they were needed most. We know this is the same spirit you saw in them when you visited Niagara Falls just this past August. As you continue to evaluate new missions, and long term force restructuring, we believe the 107th’s ability to respond to hurricane Sandy only further demonstrates their importance to New York State and the entire region. We are thankful for your continuing support of the 107th Airlift wing and urge you to keep situations like this in mind as you make future force structuring decisions. | <urn:uuid:63664191-1eab-46ca-80c9-4dfaa3eb4ddc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wben.com/pages/14678739.php?contentType=4 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963736 | 1,114 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Chim, Chimney, Chim Chimney H1N2 has been turning up in rural areas across the country. The virus is created while making smores in cozy cabins and simultaneously watching Mary Poppins.
"The graham crackers, chocolate and vision of a flying nanny all blend to confuse cells to the point of virulent Hell" said Chimney Sweep and Immunologist Johnny Vasclowitz.
He went on to add "A transfusion of creasote with a I.V marshmellow drip
seems to be the only cure."
Scientists are hard at work to find a vaccine to fight the strain.
"We are getting some early good results with soot DNA. Also we are synthesizing the essence of weenies on sticks and getting some encouraging results." We just hope it doesnt mutate into something we can't get our arms around"
People infected often find themselves vomiting and singing at the same time and experience the need to buy several umbrellas.
This new strain of flu is not to be confused with the R2D2 Star Wars strain of flu reported to be planted by Lucas Studios. | <urn:uuid:0c08aa44-1f69-4e52-b111-b9afec307526> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://voiceofthepeephole.blogspot.com/2009/09/new-strain-of-chim-chimney-h1n2-chimney.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95134 | 236 | 1.835938 | 2 |
O. J. Simpson (Orenthal James Simpson) (July 9, 1947 - ) was an American Football player of San Francisco, California. Among his many awards, he most notably is a Heisman Trophy winner, an NFL Player of the Year and a Hall of Famer. In 1973, he also became the first running back to rush for over 2,000 yards.
In 1994 Simpson was notoriously tried for the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman. Represented by Johnnie Cochran Jr., and a team of other attorneys, including Robert Shapiro, it was often referred to as the "Trial of the Century", Simpson was acquitted. Three years later he was found liable in a Civil Court, where he was ordered to pay a combined judgement of $33.5 million to the Goldman family and to the estate of Nicole Brown Simpson, the beneficiaries of which are her children with Simpson, Sydney and Justin.
In 2006 Simpson with Pablo Fenjves wrote "If I Did It" - which detailed how he would have killed his wife and Goldman, had he done it. Public outcry - headed by Fred Goldman (Ron Goldman's father) - lead to the cancellation of the publishing. However, later, the Goldmans were awarded the rights to the book to help satisfy the unpaid $33.5 million wrongful death judgment against Simpson. The Goldmans retitled the book "If I Did It: Confessions of a Killer", and published it in September of 2007. This has also raised opposition, including from Nicole Simpson's sister, Denise Brown, who argue that the book's contents are too vile to be published.
Simpson, in a 2007 interview, revealed that he is supporting Senator Hillary Clinton for president in 2008. He also revealed during the interview that he is a personal friend of Bill Clinton and has had many social interactions with him, including playing golf and as a drinking buddy.
In 2008, Simpson was convicted of multiple felonies and faces up to life in jail. Simpson's lawyer, Yale Galanter, cited the all-white jury as a factor in the conviction. During jury-screening, almost half of the jurors admitted that they believed Simpson had committed the 1994 murders, while the remaining jurors claimed they 'didn't know' or refused to answer the question, leading Galanter to suggest that the conviction was 'payback' for being unable to convict Simpson in 1994.
On Friday, Dec 5, 2008 O.J. Simpson was sentenced to prison for his part in an armed robbery in a Las Vegas hotel in September of 2007. He was sentenced to "at least 15 years" which means he could be eligible for parole after nine years, or serve as many as 33 years.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 O.J. SIMPSON (English) (HTML). Official Site of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2007-09-16.
- ↑ "'Not guilty'" (HTML), CNN, 1995-10-03. Retrieved on 2007-09-16. (English)
- ↑ http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_10634610
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Goldmans say they're punishing O.J. with book (English) (HTML). MSNBC. Retrieved on 2007-09-16.
- ↑ http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2008/02/20/2008-02-20_court_upholds_renewal_of_335m_civil_judg-1.html
- ↑ http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,212338,00.html
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoU2wyKfI5c
- ↑ http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081205/ap_en_ot/oj_simpson
- ↑ http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/oj_simpson
- ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/06/us/06simpson.html | <urn:uuid:95360f22-e29d-4dde-96ed-5efa58a69fb1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://conservapedia.com/OJ_Simpson | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973579 | 869 | 1.609375 | 2 |
The Bank of England has upgraded its economic growth forecast and said that inflation should fall faster than had previously been predicted.
In his last inflation report as the Bank’s governor, Sir Mervyn King said inflation should drop to its target of 2% within two years.
In February, the Bank forecast that inflation would only fall to 2.3% in the same period.
Inflation has been above the 2% target since December 2009.
“Today’s projections are for growth to be a little stronger and inflation a little weaker than we expected three months ago, ” Sir Mervyn said. >> Read More
Today we get some excellent, high-quality economic data that will give us a nice look at the state of the US economy.
• At 8:30 AM, the NY Fed Empire Manufacturing Survey for May will be released. The consensus is for a reading of 3.75, up from 3.05 in April (above zero is expansion).
• At 9:15 AM, The Fed will release Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization for April. The consensus is for a 0.2% decrease in Industrial Production in March, and for Capacity Utilization to decrease to 78.3%.
• At 10:00 AM, The May NAHB homebuilder survey. The consensus is for a reading of 43, up from 42 in April. This index has decreased recently with some builders complaining about higher costs nd lack of buildable land. Any number below 50 still indicates that more builders view sales conditions as poor than good.
The homebuilder survey at 10:00 AM will be particularly interesting. It’s a good gauge of the housing market (which is generally seen as being in a nice upswing lately), and yet this number has been stalling out lately.
The US told Japan it would be watching for any sign of currency manipulation.
- Said Japan had “growth issues”
- And attempts to stimulate its economy needed to stay within the bounds of agreement to avoid competitive devaluations
“I’m just going to refer back to the ground rules and the fact that we’ve made clear that we’ll keep an eye on that,” Lew told the CNBC business news channel.
Doesn’t seem to be of much of significance. Sounds to me like Lew was commenting for the benefit of his domestic audience. Japan is well aware of the scrutiny it is under. U.S. sends Japan currency warning as G7 meets
Interestingly, though, Lew did seem to specify which eye he would be using
The Cabinet Office released corrections Tuesday for nominal gross domestic product and other figures for the three months to December due to miscalculations of nominal trade data.
The office said the economy in nominal terms, prior to adjustment for inflation, contracted 0.1 percent in the final quarter of 2012 compared with the July-September period, correcting the previously announced figure of a 0.3 percent contraction.
The annualized contraction of GDP, the total value of goods and services produced domestically, was also corrected from a nominal 1.3 percent to 0.5 percent, the office said.
The office started checking the data after being informed by an economist of the possibility of a mistake.
Exports, first announced as having declined 0.3 percent from the previous quarter, were actually down 1.7 percent, while imports were up 0.5 percent rather than 3.0 percent.
The GDP deflator, a wider gauge of inflation than the consumer price index, was also found to have fallen 0.2 percent, not 0.4 percent, the office said.
And there it is folks. The age of austerity is over.
In an interview given on Sunday, French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said: “Austerity is over, but we remain serious,” according to Reuters.
The “we remain serious” part seems to refer to the country’s dedication to hit deficit targets. But those targets have been loosened, Moscovici obviously believes that Europe has reached an end of budget cutting for the sake of budget cutting.
There’s been an incredible collapse in the last month of the pro-austerity movement.
The UK has been rebuked by IMF officials. Reinhart and Rogoff have imploded publicly. Niall Ferguson stuck his foot in his mouth equating Keynes’s economic philosophy with his sexual orientation. Bill Gross has blasted the UK. The new Italian Prime Minister has said austerity is over.
The whole facade of trying to stimulate the economy (or even reduce debts) by cutting spending is collapsing.
There is no reason to consider issuing a sovereign bond in global markets to fund India’s bulging current account deficit (CAD), Chief Economic Advisor Raghuram Rajan said today.”Certainly not foreign exchange denominated bond but even
a rupee bond. Given that our focus is on easing access to Indian sovereign rupee markets and increasing liquidity here and raising depth here, it seems that’s the safer way to finance than to go outside and issue a bond,” he said speaking at a seminar at the annual meeting of ADB here.
“I am not saying these things will never change…at this point, there is no reason to look at it (sovereign bond issue),” Rajan said. CAD represents the difference between inflows and outflows of foreign currency. CAD had touched a record high of 6.7 per cent in the December quarter of last fiscal year. The CAD in 2012-13fiscal is likely to be around 5 per cent of the GDP. >> Read More
While the ECB’s refinancing rate cut of 25 bps was very much expected, and just took place pushing the main refi rate to a record low 0.50% (because more liquidity is just what Europe’s collapsing economy needs), what was unanticipated was that the Marginal Lending Facility (which last time we checked was used by pretty much nobody) was also cut, from 1.5% to 1.0%. The deposit rate, at 0.00%, was obviously left unchanged.
From the ECB:
At today’s meeting, which was held in Bratislava, the Governing Council of the ECB took the following monetary policy decisions:
- The interest rate on the main refinancing operations of the Eurosystem will be decreased by 25 basis points to 0.50%, starting from the operation to be settled on 8 May 2013.
- The interest rate on the marginal lending facility will be decreased by 50 basis points to 1.00%, with effect from 8 May 2013.
- The interest rate on the deposit facility will remain unchanged at 0.00%.
The President of the ECB will comment on the considerations underlying these decisions at a press conference starting at 2.30 p.m. CET today.
Now the question is whether Draghi will engage in non-standard measures to facilitate lending for SMEs. For this, tune in to the press conference in 45 minutes.
Goldman Sachs saw no major surprises in the May FOMC statement, which, as we noted in the redline, was very little changed from the March statement. The most notable change, however, introduced additional flexibility around purchases, noting that “the Committee is prepared to increase or reduce the pace of its purchases to maintain appropriate policy accommodation as the outlook for the labor market or inflation changes.” The slightly more aggressive nod towards fiscal policy “restraining” growth as opposed to “becoming restrictive” is perhaps yet another plea for some help from Washington – for, “the ability of a central bank, exclusively, without the rest of Washington doing any bit of the task, to turn an economy from a modest recovery to a robust one is an experiment that is untested – and will not prove to be successful.”
Via Goldman Sachs,
1. The May FOMC statement was very little changed from the March statement. Most notably, the statement included one wholly new sentence: “The Committee is prepared to increase or reduce the pace of its purchases to maintain appropriate policy accommodation as the outlook for the labor market or inflation changes.” We see this as introducing flexibility for the Committee, consistent with past statements from the Chairman and other Fed officials, rather than necessarily suggesting a near-term policy bias in one direction or the other. However, it may be notable that this sentence specifically refers to the pace of purchases, rather than the expected period of time over which purchases will continue, or the expected holding period of purchases.
2. There were also modest changes to the economic summary paragraph. According to the May statement, labor market conditions have shown signs of improvement only “on balance,” probably a reference to the weaker March payrolls report since the last meeting. Fiscal policy “is restraining growth” rather than “has become somewhat more restrictive,” a more direct characterization of the drag. There was no change to the inflation language, despite inflation readings softening over the intermeeting period. However, the new sentence about varying the pace of purchases implicitly recognizes the risk of inflation falling too low, raising the possibility that purchases could be increased if the current trend continues.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a normal monsoon for 2013 which if materializes will mean that country will not have a widespread drought for the third consecutive year. The four-month southwest monsoon season that starts from June provide almost 70-90% of the total precipitation that India receives in a year. IMD Director General, L S Rathore tells Sanjeeb Mukherjee that all indications available so far suggest that rains in 2013 would be much better than rains in 2012. Edited Excerpts
Overall, how to judge this year’s monsoon, though you have said these are early forecasts?
I feel that overall rains in 2013 would be better than 2012. In 2012 we had predicted rains to be around 96% of LPA, while the actual showers were around 93% of LPA. But, this year we have predicted that quantitatively rains are expected to be around 98% of LPA, but with much higher confidence both in quantitative and probabilistic terms. Definitely rains in 2013 would be better than 2012. Moreover, convergence of large number of models indicates a normal monsoon this year, both national and international.
There has been some talk that rains in southern most part of the country will be not so good this year. Does your prediction say something like this?
No, as far I’m concerned there is no cause of worry for entire peninsular India and as of now the indications are that rains would be normal in southern parts as well. >> Read More
With their economy appearing to slow dramatically, if the PMI and Ifo data is anything to go by, and a nation increasingly disavowed with the European project, it seems the ‘people’ are not amused. As MNI reports, a poll by Forchungsgruppe shows Merkel’s CDU/CSU support fading. Critically, with only 40% backing Merkel, and the ‘Merkel bloc’ down to only 44%, the opposition and more anti-Europe SPD party gained a point and shifted their ‘bloc’ vote to 48%. Given that the mainstream parties have excluded a coalition with the Left party, such results would allow only coalitions of Merkel’s CDU/CSU with the SPD or the Greens. This raises the question of whether Merkel becomes more hard-nosed in her treatment of European bailouts, cow-towing to her populist needs (especially as Euro membership remains the most popular ‘concern’ for Germans); or eases the pressure in the hope of a short-term juice of markets believing in joint-debt dreams into the election. We suspect the former, especially given the clear signals from the people as the ‘Alternative for Germany’ party gathers more headlines - if not representative votes.
and Euro membership remains the most pressing concern for Germans >> Read More | <urn:uuid:7857ae3d-5dcc-49eb-abda-8c639c46a672> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.anirudhsethireport.com/tag/economy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968442 | 2,513 | 1.625 | 2 |
Small Business Tips Blog
When the economy is back in the black, the job pool that consistently deepens before any other is in the trades and skilled labour market. The scramble for employers and contractors to fill positions is akin to the race to make an offer on a house when the buyers’ market is about to lean in the sellers’ favour.
Applicants for skilled labour and trades work often have resumes indicating they have the skill, education, and experience to fulfill the job, and, via references, you learn more about the applicant’s qualifications and character; however, employers know nothing about previous and current injuries that may turn out to be a detriment to their safety and others they work with.
In a Fit-for-Duty test, applicants are physically assessed based on a PDA, or Physical Demands Analysis. A PDA takes into account all the essential and non-essential tasks of a job, and the environment in which that job is completed. Knowing the physical capabilities and limitations of your applicants before you hire them can reduce the number of safety incidents and WCB lost-time claims on work sites in a multitude of industries, including construction and oil field. For example, if an electrician needs to be capable of heavy lifting for cable pull, Fit-for-Duty testing ensures the applicant can lift the necessary weight before they are hired, and does not have any previous injuries that will lead to further injury, or a safety hazard.
Fit for Duty also enables an employer to place an applicant in a job where they can succeed. If employers are aware of an applicant’s physical capabilities and limitations, they can accommodate the applicant once they are on site. For example, if they have a previous knee injury, climbing scaffolding may not be the best fit for that employee.
Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Act states, both employers and employees have obligations to keep a worksite clear of hazards. In particular, an employer’s responsibilities are to ensure that workers at a worksite are aware of their responsibilities and to have a strategy in place that controls and eliminates hazards regularly.
In reducing safety incidents and WCB lost-time claims, employers keep productivity and team morale high, as well as help bottom line. It is expensive to find and train new hires.
In a physically demanding environment, where poor job performance can lead to safety incidents and injury, and sometimes death, a Fit-for-Duty test is as valuable as checking a candidate’s references and field experience. With a Fit-for-Duty test, employers maximize their knowledge about an applicant before they hire.
Next week: what to look for when you are shopping for a Fit-for-Duty occupational testing provider. | <urn:uuid:0f630627-4008-48ab-8667-1be3ea2b368a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.chamberplan.ca/business-tips/176-fit-for-duty-part-i-what-is-it-and-how-can-it-benefit-you-and-your-company | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954077 | 562 | 1.804688 | 2 |
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Startup costs related to Ohio's upcoming regulations for exotic animals are among new spending items in a wide-ranging midterm budget bill headed Wednesday to Gov. John Kasich for his expected signature.
The bill was a rare reopening of Ohio's multi-billion dollar budget in during the normal two-year budget cycle, an initiative pushed by Kasich in his second year as governor.
The House and Senate approved final versions of the bill that was slowed in its final days by attempts to insert contentious language requiring welfare recipients to undergo drug testing. Republicans removed that mandate and said it would be pursued in separate legislation.
The bill, which trims overall state spending by $13.5 million, changes state law to allow local governments to share certain services and includes altered or eliminated roles for various government boards and commissions.
Kasich said in a statement he's reviewing the bill but in general was pleased with the result. He could use the governor's line-item veto because the bill spends state funds.
"It's been hard work and addressed a wide array of detailed and complex issues, but the end result is increased efficiency and increased common sense," Kasich said.
The bill includes $42 million for the Clean Ohio fund that preserves farmland and green spaces and another $3 million for a Lake Erie protection program.
The measure also includes $15 million for cleaning up abandoned factory sites and $13 million to fund Kasich's initiative that aims to ensure that all third-graders can read before moving on to the fourth grade.
The $500,000 for exotic animal regulation and registration follows passage of a historic crackdown on ownership of such animals in Ohio that was spurred by a suicidal owner's release of dozens of wild creatures last year.
Kasich has expressed support for a pilot program tying welfare benefits to clean drug tests. Democrats criticized the idea as ineffective and unfairly targeting the poor.
"We should not waste money on a biased program that has already been found to be unconstitutional and a poor investment in other states," state Sen. Shirley Smith, a Cleveland Democrat, said Tuesday. | <urn:uuid:521c820a-0511-414c-8f6a-4a46d40b9e4b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.times-gazette.com/ap%20state/2012/05/23/midterm-ohio-budget-heads-to-governor-s-desk | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969709 | 428 | 1.601563 | 2 |
- chen xin
- Hai Kou
why money money money ?money !why ?do we really need money ?
how many people are burdened of money . without money can't we live a life full of happiness you know money is not a natural thing ,
i find out that money is one of the most popular words that used on ted..compared to money .i am more about to talk about the nature or enery | <urn:uuid:586f9e0d-8a16-45ba-925c-de3b1b93b489> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ted.com/conversations/14148/why_money_money_money_money.html?c=543960 | 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 | 0.938265 | 90 | 1.609375 | 2 |
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