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Take a closer look: Lectio Divina
There's more to praying with scripture than the words on the page.
At my 30th class reunion, one of the lectures offered was by a young psychologist doing cognitive research. He showed us a three-minute video, and our task was to watch two basketball teams, one in white uniforms and one in black, and count the number of straight passes and the number of bounce passes made by the team in white.
He advised us to do this in complete silence to help our concentration and not disturb our neighbor. After the video was over, he said the correct answer was 12 straight passes and 2 bounce passes. Then he asked, “Did you see the gorilla?”
There must have been 200 of us in the room who had earned a bachelor’s degree from the same prestigious university, and we did not know what he was talking about. So he showed the video again. This time we clearly saw a student dressed in a gorilla costume walk into the scene, beat its chest in gorilla fashion in the midst of the two basketball teams, and then walk off the court.
His research demonstrated that when we are focused on a task, our brain will ignore and exclude everything else. I took it as a parable about our Christian life: If we really concentrate on Jesus and the kingdom of God, we will not see the many gorillas that clamor for our attention.
When I came home and recounted this experience to my community, one of our novices pointed out that the professor had directed us to watch the video in silence, and this aided us in concentrating. She asked, “Who will do this for us, so that we are reminded to focus on Jesus?”
I answered that our practice of lectio divina (meditative reading) should remind us each day to keep on the path as we journey toward the kingdom. Every page of scripture can speak to us of Jesus and keep us aimed at the goal he preached.
Lectio divina is one of the mainstays of the Benedictine day. As novices we were trained to spend 30 minutes each day on scripture and an additional 30 on another spiritual book. I admit I did not take to it right away, and I still struggle (after 26 years) with the discipline of spending quality time with scripture. With words coming at us from every direction at work, in school, or online, it can be difficult to slow down and read meditatively and feel OK if we do not even finish a passage.
I have on occasion been stunned by a line of scripture—often taken out of context—that has been so appropriate to my situation that it was like an e-mail from God. It can also happen when we read other words with the expectation that God has a message for us and we are open to whatever form that “word” might take.
Once on retreat I was grieving a relationship I didn’t want to end. I was reading a book on the monastic vows. The insight came from an unexpected place—not in the chapter on chastity and friendship but in the chapter on poverty. Our poverty consists simply in our not having what we want, wrote the author.
Suddenly it was obvious, and I saw that I needed to accept that in my poverty I could not have this relationship, that being poor with the poor Christ meant not grasping after even immaterial things but remaining dependent on God. If contact with this person is granted me, it will be as a gift, and I will (I hope) be disinterested and unattached. It was a big turning point for me, and I ended the retreat in peace, confirmed in my vocation.
A friend of mine picks out one word from the gospel at daily Mass and repeats it during her day. I have tried this recently, with surprising results. These were my words-of-the-day during a recent week: quiet, deep, old, rub, touch, stretch, your.
The image of the apostles rubbing ears of grain to get something to eat on the sabbath led to other images of rubbing: If you rub a lamp, you might get a genie. We rub silverware with polish to make it shine. In order to rub something, you hold it in your hand. So I resolved to “hold” each event of the day and “rub” it to see what it might produce: something to nourish me or a mysterious personality or a flash of brilliance to marvel at.
The man who stretched out his withered hand (which took some courage) brought to mind other images of reaching out: Michelangelo’s finger of God touching Adam, St. Thérèse of Lisieux grasping both the red rose of martyrdom and the white rose of purity, St. Thomas the apostle putting his hand into the still-open side wound of the resurrected Christ. Do I have the courage to allow God to stretch my capacity to meet others with an open hand and an open heart?
According to St. Benedict, lectio divina has its place beside prayer and manual work. Separately and together, each is meant to direct our steps on the path of the gospel and bring us closer to God. Even in a busy workday, it is well worth setting aside five to ten minutes a day to send and receive e-mails from God.
Regular lectio is like water dripping on stone: eventually the word will penetrate our inner depths. It is one way to deal with the many gorillas who are ready to distract us from the one thing necessary.
Word by word
The classic ”steps” of lectio divina were described by Guigo the Carthusian in the early 12th century.
Lectio: Read. Select a passage of scripture and read it slowly, savoring each sentence and each word. Read until a word or a phrase speaks to you.
Meditatio: Feed. Stay with that word. Repeat it to yourself as you let it sink into your body. Let it become part of you. Repeat the phrase throughout the day when your mind is free.
Oratio: Plead. Let the meditation enter into your relationship with the God of love and become a prayer. Prayer has many incarnations: pure adoration and wonder, thanksgiving for moments of grace, asking for forgiveness and healing for oneself and others.
Contemplatio: Cede. There can come moments when your prayer leads to an experience of union with God. Give yourself over to them, and when the moment of intense peace and silence is over, it remains as a treasure that can be savored later.
This article appeared in the June 2011 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 76, No. 6, pages 47-48). | <urn:uuid:99b08323-0079-4d1a-9948-2452d2ba1ad2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.uscatholic.org/print/25840 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971382 | 1,407 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Continued Efforts Needed to Fully Implement Statutory Requirements
GAO-03-852T, Jun 24, 2003
Since 1996, GAO has reported that poor information security in the federal government is a widespread problem with potentially devastating consequences. Further, GAO has identified information security as a governmentwide high-risk issue in reports to the Congress since 1997--most recently in January 2003. To strengthen information security practices throughout the federal government, information security legislation has been enacted. This testimony discusses efforts by federal departments and the administration to implement information security requirements mandated by law. In so doing, it examines overall information security weaknesses and challenges that the government faces, and the status of actions to address them, as reported by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). GAO's evaluation of agency efforts to implement federal information security requirements and correct identified weaknesses. New requirements mandated by the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA).
Based on the fiscal year 2002 reports submitted to OMB, the federal government has made limited overall progress in implementing statutory information security requirements, although a number of benefits have resulted. Among these benefits are several actions taken and planned to address governmentwide information security weaknesses and challenges, such as lack of senior management attention. Nevertheless, as indicated by selected quantitative performance measures for the largest federal agencies, progress has been limited. Specifically, excluding data for one agency that were not comparable for fiscal years 2001 and 2002, improvements for 23 agencies ranged from 3 to 10 percentage points for the selected measures. GAO's analyses of agencies' reports and evaluations confirmed that many agencies have not implemented security requirements for most of their systems, such as performing risk assessments and testing controls. Further, the usefulness of agency corrective action plans may be limited when they do not identify all weaknesses or contain realistic completion dates. Agencies also continue to face challenges in effectively implementing and managing their overall information security programs. FISMA provisions establish additional requirements that, among other things, can assist agencies in implementing effective information security programs. However, attaining significant and sustainable results in implementing such requirements will also likely require processes that prioritize and routinely monitor and manage agency efforts, as well as continued congressional and administration oversight. | <urn:uuid:4a6c3ac6-7c0c-4b32-bb15-a7a9750b29cc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gao.gov/products/GAO-03-852T | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948215 | 444 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Teach science in science class.
I'm glad that unlike 40% of people in America you understand that evolution is science and creationism and intelligent design are not.
The Christian sacrament of marriage is what most people really want to, I guess preserve. Beyond that, legal civil unions or similar, that's whoever's involved's business.
The laws on marriage NEVER mention that it's a "christian sacrament" otherwise muslims and jews would not be allowed to get married, so they can't actually preserve that anyway.
They can still stop people getting married in churches, as churches can decide who they want to marry.
The state can marry people and make people a married couple, if gays got married that way it would in no way infringe on your right to have the christian sacrament.
While it would give them the right to call themselves a married couple.
The only reason why people go "civil unions are ok!" is because they don't want gay people to have a word next to their names "married" and it means nothing as marriage has nothing to do with religion.
If it did, I couldn't get married either.
A fetus is an infant and undeveloped human being, it is living, and were there no interference in its growth and developement it would, well, grow and develope. That's why I believe it deserves rights.
Hence why I didn't mention it, because people difer on that and therefore whether there is any infringement on rights.
If we had a set test for humanity and a foetus didn't match up to it, then the rights argument would apply, the same if we could test for humanity and found that it definitely was a human life.
21 seconds, not the exact same time. | <urn:uuid:1c8f5fad-9f71-4fcf-a684-2ee30ff11f6d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thehylia.com/forums/index.php?topic=9566.msg286622 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982622 | 366 | 1.570313 | 2 |
The Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS) is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to build a community where people value animals and treat them with respect and kindness. For more than 128 years, WHS has been saving the lives of animals in need. We offer adoption services that place 9,000 animals in new homes annually, veterinary services that save thousands of lives, educational programs that instill respect for animals, behavior services to assist guardians and a myriad of other initiatives that help end suffering for animals. We depend entirely on private donations to fund our programs and rely on volunteers in nearly every department. If you are interested in adopting, volunteering, enrolling in a class, taking a tour or making a donation, check out our comprehensive web site at wihumane.org. The adoptable animals' web pages are updated every 30 minutes!
Cat Season in Full Swing
The Wisconsin Humane Society reports that it currently has over 300 cats in its care at the Milwaukee and Ozaukee locations, and over 100 kittens and cats are ready to go home today. The shelter has launched a promotion in which the fee for a second kitten adoption is 50% off, and fees for adult cats are entirely waived. The shelter hopes to see all 300 cats go home this month.
Today, we are calling Wisconsin legislators asking them to protect the basic needs of animals. The budget bill, which will be voted on tomorrow, gives researchers exemption from all state animal cruelty laws.
Please, contact your legislators today. The budget bill is slated for an assembly vote tomorrow and senate vote on Thursday.
Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, July 26: Get 2 FREE Summerfest tickets with every adult cat adoption, courtesy of our friends at Briggs and Stratton Corporation. Good until supplies last.
WHS Launches Feline-ality! | <urn:uuid:01d4cf4f-b26d-498b-90f6-a5b22e45a5d8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.brookfieldnow.com/blogs/institutionalblogs/50639577.html?action=blog_archive&startDate=06-01-2011&endDate=06-30-2011&blogID=50639017 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94189 | 367 | 1.523438 | 2 |
One of my networking and professional groups has led me to Linda Topel. She has a great talent for Photoshop. I have seen her work, used her for some special projects and asked if she could share some information about how Photoshop can be used to place a Faux finish in your home with out ever opening a can of paint. Take it away Linda….
Linda : My first memory of the Arts is when I was about 4 years old. I was painting with wet concrete all over my Dad’s car…it seemed like a proper support to me . He wasn’t too happy since he had to stop pouring the new patio and wash the car. Needless to say, I’ve tended to avoid concrete since then! But every other medium has been fair game. I found my way to online art forums after years of practicing alone and I discovered Faux. What a world of beauty it is, too!
While doing that, I found and fell in love with Photo-Shop. After a few years of experience, I look forward to doing what I love for more people: Helping your client see what you see for their home by Photoshopping a picture of your sample board into a picture of their room.
David-How is this done?
Linda-Pictures are e-mailed to me — firstname.lastname@example.org — with your instructions. Hi-res images work best and they can also be sent to me via cellphone e-mail (not as a text). The better the picture, the better the end result. I then provide a quote, time frame and payment instructions. Soon, the artist and/or designer will have images to show their clients!
David-Can you change the color?
Linda- Sometimes my clients love a finish but have a different color scheme going on.
I can change the color! For more accuracy, a swatch or another picture of the color to be used should be sent. I do advise that lighting and different monitors can affect the outcome.
I think it will definitely be very helpful in certain client situations! Even the reason for the decision Please do feel free to ask questions ….. either email or on my Facebook page ….which is open to the public ….Photoshop by Linda
………….I Live Love and Laugh in Art
David-How do you take payments?
Linda- Payments will be done thru Paypal. You simply set up an account with Paypal and send the money to my email address ….its easy and safe ….prices will be around 20.00 per finished photo…. Depending on complexity
below is a link to an example of her work. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgKX6lTr4lI | <urn:uuid:2e0d8215-2ddc-401f-b0b5-edc6695d4840> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dfrancofinishes.com/06/2012/how-we-can-use-use-photoshop-for-decorating-your-home/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951667 | 575 | 1.53125 | 2 |
By LUCAS L. JOHNSON II
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A proposal that would require schools and other organizations with youth athletic programs to adopt concussion policies is headed to the governor for his consideration.
The legislation was overwhelmingly approved 93-3 in the House on Thursday. The companion bill unanimously passed the Senate 30-0 last month.
The legislation is similar to laws passed in 42 other states and the District of Columbia that include provisions requiring students to be removed from an event if they show concussion symptoms like headaches, dilated eyes or vomiting.
The Tennessee proposal in particular would require schools to adopt guidelines to educate coaches, school administrators, athletes and their parents about the symptoms and dangers of concussions.
Under the measure, injured students wouldn't be able to resume the sport until a medical professional clears their return. | <urn:uuid:4ae27f4f-7051-4d18-873b-fb303a20c9d1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wbir.com/rss/article/260879/2/Concussion-policy-bill-headed-to-governor | 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 | 0.966099 | 173 | 1.734375 | 2 |
The speakers will be Susan Haltom and Jane Roy Brown and they will discuss their new book, “One Writer’s Garden: Eudora Welty’s Home Place” ($35, University Press of Mississippi).
Haltom is a garden designer and preservation and maintenance coordinator for the Eudora Welty Garden. Brown is a landscape historian and an award-winning travel and garden writer who focuses on historic gardens and landscapes.
“One time a year, we try to bring in someone interesting to speak to the public,” said Dianne Guyton, publicity chairman for the garden club. “We are fortunate to get these two ladies.”
Near the end of Welty’s life, she still lived in her parents’ house at 1119 Pinehurst St., in the Belhaven area in Jackson. But the garden her mother, Chestina, had lovingly tended, had all but vanished.
A local garden designer started helping to bring it back and by the time Welty died in 2001, a restoration of the lost garden was well under way.
Haltom and Brown write about the restoration of the garden, and photographer Langdon Clay captures the restored garden through the seasons.
The two women will talk about the garden, the history of garden clubs and related topics. Afterward, there will be a book-signing.
Admission is free and light refreshments will be served. | <urn:uuid:a4c95d5c-8de6-481f-9825-e9ec4a2ca1e3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://djournal.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Eudora+Welty%E2%80%99s+garden+topic+of+Tupelo+club%E2%80%99s+open+meeting%20&id=20780607 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945072 | 299 | 1.59375 | 2 |
(Last Updated on : 27/03/2012)
Banda Kanakalingeswara Rao was an actor and director of Telugu theatre
. He was also famous as an educationist. He became interested in theatre as a university student, and eventually founded a college for dramatics at Eluru in 1939. In the early 1930s, this great Telugu theatre personality
started running his professional company, Prabhat Theatres. Under its banner, Banda Kanakalingeswara Rao directed and took the main role in many plays that he commissioned, such as J. Chandrasekhara Rao`s Sri Venkateswam mahatwam or "Sri Venkateswara`s Greatness" in 1932 and U. Satyanarayana Rao`s Chhatrapati Shivaji in 1948.
Banda Kanakalingeswara Rao promoted the Indian classical dance
form - Kuchipudi
, and, in 1957, along with Vedantam Parvateesam
, helped the government of Andhra Pradesh in setting up of Siddhendra Kalakshetra in Kuchipudi village. This institution was later merged with the Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University in 1989. He wrote many articles to take this art form to the public.
Banda Kanakalingeswara Rao joined All India Radio
in 1956 and broadcast many drama and plays. He founded Shiva temple and Vedic School in his native village.
This famous Telugu theatre personality, Banda Kanakalingeswara Rao died in 1968.
Honours Received by Banda Kanakalingeswara Rao
He was member of Kendriya Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1952 and Andhra Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1957. He was recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Filmography by Banda Kanakalingeswara Rao
* Paduka Pattabhishekam (1945) Bharatha
* Bala Nagamma (1942) Kaaryavardhi Raju
* Sarangadhara (1937) Sarangadhara
* Draupadi Manasamrakshanam (1936)
This article is a stub. You can enrich by adding more information to it. Send your Write Up to firstname.lastname@example.org | <urn:uuid:85ce99e5-7251-4720-a6ed-b68e1ffce8e0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.indianetzone.com/33/banda_kanakalingeswara_rao_indian_theatre_personality.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965539 | 496 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Writers know that sometimes there is the writing you are supposed to be doing, and then there’s the writing you want to be doing. Prudence dictates doing the former over the latter. But sometimes, as Alaya Dawn Johnson found in writing The Summer Prince, there might be something to telling prudence to take a hike.
ALAYA DAWN JOHNSON:
I tend to write my novels the way other people quilt, in a somewhat-ordered patchwork of varied materials that have arrested my interest. Which means that whenever I discuss my inspiration for The Summer Prince I end up babbling about matriarchies and fame and what a non-heteronormative society might look like when projected into the future of African diaspora culture in Brazil, plus music and art and human sacrifice (I thought about including reincarnation, but that seemed like overkill).
But since this series is called “The Big Idea” and not “a dozen or so somewhat large ideas,” I’ve had a long, hard think about the one idea that really made this book work.
And I finally realized: it wasn’t any of those good ideas I babble about. The catalyzing ingredient was, in fact, a very bad idea.
Namely, writing it.
What The Summer Prince taught me is that some bad ideas are very, very good. Of course, most are very, very bad and figuring out the distinction is not for those with a surfeit of common sense (luckily I’m a writer). But The Summer Prince turned out to be the best bad idea that I’ve ever had. When I described this novel to friends, they would paper their shock with kindly smiles and tell me that they were sure I’d figure it out. My sister told me to write out the idea, then put it in a drawer and get back to it when I finished that pesky novel I had under contract. You know, the one that would give me money to pay my rent.
Rent? I said. Sure, just as soon as I buy this train ticket to Vancouver and spend three weeks running away from home with nothing but my extensive Brazilian music collection, my computer and some coffee money.
So I traveled and I wrote what sounded like my least commercial novel ever, just because the idea gripped me so ferociously I could not help but put it to paper. This, in hindsight, was actually a great idea. Because it meant that I wrote my science fiction novel about the transformative power of art in a matriarchal society. It meant that I wrote my YA novel with characters whose fluid sexuality is neither belabored nor obfuscated, and with a romance that does not, to put it mildly, end happily ever after.
I let myself go. I freed myself from what I perceived were the expectations of the market and the genre. Heck, I even freed myself from the expectations of my landlady. I wrote that book because there was nothing else for it, and despite some months of teeth-gnashing and self-despairing, writing The Summer Prince was one of the best experiences of my life.
What I didn’t expect was that publishing it would also turn out to be one. This novel got me my current agent, one of the best in the business. It put me on the radar of Arthur A. Levine (a.k.a. the editor of one J.K. Rowling) and the wonderful team at Scholastic. They gave me unicorns and sunshine–well, okay, but they did give me the best cover of my career and the sort of promotion that I had previously thought was a fantasy from a bygone era (like, the eighties).
Putting off the writing of a contracted novel for the deliberately anti-commercial novel of your heart probably isn’t fabulous writing advice. But since no one’s paying me for fabulous writing advice, here’s what I learned:
Write what you love. Whatever that is, even if it seems like an absolutely abysmal career move. Because if it doesn’t work out, at least you wrote something you’ve always wanted. If that carefully positioned market-friendly idea you only sort of like tanks, then you’ve spent years working on something that doesn’t excite you. If something you love tanks, then at least you spent that time creating art that you know, in your heart, is worthwhile.
And it turns out that agents and editors and publicists and readers can tell when your heart is in it. So my big idea was to do myself a favor, and put it there. | <urn:uuid:a82e52fd-2d6a-4726-a87f-836212744d68> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://whatever.scalzi.com/2013/03/01/the-big-idea-alaya-dawn-johnson/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977155 | 977 | 1.5 | 2 |
Vuvuzelas, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/football. To listen to the sound (if you must), try this.
It’s the World Cup, and I’ve been rediscovering silent football. The high decibel sound of the vuvuzelas that the South African crowds blow so enthusiastically and monotonically (B flat, to be precise) make the matches sound as though they are taking place inside a particularly angry wasps’ nest. To keep my sanity I experimented with watching games with the sound turned off and the subtitles on. It’s a curious experience, witnessing sport in silence, without commentary or crowd sounds. The game loses its drive – in fact it ceases to be a game and simply becomes a window on one of those strange ritualistic things that humans do to occupy themselves, a Martian’s view of sport.
All of which idle thoughts are introduction to a post on the time when football films were made silent, and what accompanied them was live music, intertitles, and any comments from the audience in the cinema. So here’s a short-ish history of association football and silent film.
Football game filmed by in London by Alexandre Promio around September 1897. One of the teams may be Woolwich Arsenal. No. 699 in the Lumière catalogue.
Filming football is almost as old as filming itself. So far as is known, the first film to be made of the game was a now lost one-minute production by Robert Paul, taken in Newcastle in October 1896. A contemporary description simply says “A football match at Newcastle-on-Tyne”, and we don’t even know who was playing who. The earliest surviving football film was taken by Lumière camera operator Alexandre Promio in London in late 1897. Simply entitled Football, it shows two teams (one of whom could possibly be Woolwich Arsenal, forerunner of Arsenal) bunched around a goal on a practice pitch. The players may all be crowded around the ball because Promio wanted to get as many people in shot as possible, so one should be wary of the film as depicting genuine action. We do see this in the next surviving film, Arthur Cheetham‘s record of a Blackburn Rovers-West Bromwich Albion game. 50ft (under a minute) of an original 250ft survives, with action from both halves taken from a single camera position behind one of the goals, so one only sees tiny figures engaged in some mysterious far-off struggle.
The earliest football films show us little that we can savour as sporting entertainment. Marginally longer films started to be made from 1899, the year that the F.A. Cup Final was filmed for the first time, by the Warwick Trading Company. The film is now lost, but the catalogue description indicates a move from the emblematic, single-shot efforts of Paul and Lumière to a documentary account presenting highlights from the game, which was played at Crystal Palace:
The Sheffield United and officials entering the field; Mid-field play; Sheffield obtains a corner, showing goal play, scrimmage and goal kick; Derby County’s only goal, showing other goal, enthusiasm of the vast audience, goal keeper busy; Players leaving the field.
This was the archetype for football films for the next decade. It was probably shot by a single pitch-side cameraman, who had four key elements to capture: the teams coming onto the field; scenes of lively action; the enthusiasm of the crowd; and goals. It was well nigh impossible for a single cameraman to achieve the latter (Sheffield won 4-1, so he missed four), not only because he was based at ground level (longer shots from the stands would not have worked owing to the limitations of lenses and filmstock) and because there was only one of him, but because there was a limit to how much film he could hold. Cameras held 75 to 500 feet at this time, and even with changes of reel there was only so much they could shoot because they would be under strict instructions not to waste too much film. When a film was going to be only 100 to 200 feet long on release (the 1899 FA Cup Final film was 350 feet) then shooting thousands of feet of film in a vain attempt to capture everything was a pointless waste of expensive celluloid. Early football films are the way they are because of technical limitations and common-sense economics.
Newcastle United v Liverpool, filmed by Mitchell & Kenyon, 23 November 1901 at St James’ Park, from the BFI YouTube channel
Mitchell & Kenyon
Roughly between 1900-1910 football films were the preserve of specialist operators from the north of England. The major London companies such as Gaumont, Urban and Warwick regularly made films of the cup final, but an extensive business grew up for companies which filmed local games for local consumption. There was Jasper Redfern, based in Yorkshire, who filmed both football matches and cricket games, but the major player by far was Norden Films, best known as Mitchell & Kenyon.
Mitchell & Kenyon films were shown in town halls, music halls and fairground shows. They were often commissioned by touring showmen taking a projector from town to town, who attracted audiences by showing films of local events, including sports. Such a business was very localised, inevitably, but the dedication to football meant that many teams were documented who would never have been covered by London-based film companies. The Mitchell & Kenyon collection at the BFI National Archive includes fifty-five football films made between 1901-1907, including such encounters as Salford v Batley (1901), Sheffield United v Bury (1902), Everton v Liverpool (1902) and Bradford City v Gainsborough Trinity (1903) (all links are to BFI YouTube videos). The films generally last three minutes or so, and feature the teams coming on, crowd shots (it was important to show as many faces as possible so people would come to the film show with the hope of seeing themselves – the films were often shown the same evening) and action mostly filmed from a mid-pitch position by a single cameraman.
Fascinating as these films are from a socio-historical point of view (crowd behaviour, grounds, dress, displays of advertising, male-dominated space etc.) it is very difficult to get a sense of the game. The limitations of the filming, with a paucity of shots giving little sense of continuous action, leaves one peering from the distance of both time and space, finding it hard to judge what is going on. The players have no shirt numbers, and it is difficult to sense the shape of the game. I’ve been reading Jonathan Wilson’s Inverting the Pyramid: A History of Football Tactics, and I had an idea of investigating these films for evidence of team formations, but it can’t be done. At this period the offside law stated that three defenders had to be between the leading attacker and the goal, and all teams more or less played in a 2-3-5 formation – that is, two in defence, and five in attack. Perhaps you can see this in the Mitchell & Kenyon films, but the shots are too few, and the action too indistinct, for anyone to derive any certain evidence. Camera shots from the stands which encompassed the complete action on the pitch would not be attempted until the 1920s. What one can sometimes see is the frantic pace and occasional roughness of play, the appalling state of the pitches, and incidental features which point to the influence of the cameras – notably players coming out onto the pitch single file, so that they could be picked out individually by fans watching the screen. (For more on the M&K football films, see Dave Russell’s essay in Vanessa Toulmin etc, The Lost World of Mitchell & Kenyon)
The newsreel era
The arrival of newsreels, around 1910, changed how football films were made and shown. The shift from peripatetic exhibition in halls and fairgrounds to cinemas led to a regularity of output which led to greater exposure for football films but also to concentration on films likely to attract the largest audiences. So league and minor cup games ceased to be filmed, and what became popular were major matches such as the later rounds of the F.A. Cup, the Cup Final itself, and some internationals. A number of films survive of Cup Finals from 1910-1914 at the BFI National Archive, including these (with links to the BFI catalogue):
1910 [Barnsley v Newcastle]
F.A. Cup Final, 1910 (original match, company not known)
Cup Tie Final 1910 (either original match or replay, company not known)
1911 [Newcastle United v Bradford City]
Cup Final 1911 (Gaumont)
The F.A. Cup Final (Pathé)
The Greatest Football Game of 1911 (company not known)
The Cup Final – The Match Replayed at Manchester (Pathé)
1912 [Barnsley v West Bromwich Albion]
Cup Final 1912 (company not known)
Football Cup Final: Replay at Sheffield (Gaumont)
1913 [Aston Villa v Sunderland]
The Cup Final (Barker)
1914 [Liverpool v Burnley]
Cup Tie Final: Liverpool v Burnley 1914 (Barker)
Newsreels were not restricted to Britain, of course, and as the game increasingly spread around the world, so newsreels started to pick up on games in the various countries where the sport had taken root. Information on these is scarce and scattered, with a handful of surviving examples held in archives around the world.
Unidentified 1927 German championship game, from ITN Source collection
Games between nations were infrequently filmed, presumably for logistical reasons. There were, in any case, few international matches at this time, and most of those were between the British home nations. The earliest such film appears to have been the England v Scotland match of 4 April 1904, filmed in Sheffield by Hepworth and Paul (Scotland won 2-1). The film doesn’t survive, but there are plenty of international games from the 1920s held in the BFI National Archive, British Pathe and ITN Source newsreel collections. Most of these are home internationals, but here are links to a few international games (as it were) which can be viewed online:
Football outside of its borders did not really register with British audiences – certainly as far as the newsreels were concerned. If you wanted to see how the game was advancing internationally, you were better off looking to the Olympic Games.
Before the World Cup was instituted in 1930, the major international football contest was the Olympic Games. Football became a popular feature of Olympic films from 1912 onwards, and some of the surviving Olympic films from the silent period give us some of the best records of football from this period. As described in an earlier post, Pathé’s record of the 1912 Games in Stockholm devotes much attention to football, with Sweden v Holland and the all-conquering Great Britain team beating Denmark 4-2 in the final. In 1924, the Rapid-Film full-length documentary Les Jeux Olympiques Paris 1924 devotes an entire reel to the final between Uruguay and Switzerland, in which the South Americans demonstrate a dazzling level of technical skill readily apparent in the film record, even if the camera postioning limits our understanding of the game (a team of four or five was used, arranged at various points pitchside with just a couple of shots taken from the stands). The documentary film of the 1928 Games in Amsterdam does not include football (at least not in the version available on DVD), but Italian site Archivio Storico (produced by Istitutio Luce) includes severals newsreels from 1928, including Italy v France, Spain v Mexico, Portugal v Jugoslavia, and the Uruguay-Argentina final, won in a replay by Uruguay 2-1 after the first game ended 1-1 (to access these, tick the box marked ‘archivio cinematografico’ and enter the search term ‘calcio’).
Tottenham Hotspur’s Jimmy Dimmock scores the only goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge in the 1921 F.A. Cup Final, filmed by the Topical Budget newsreel as Cup Final 1921 Greatest Event in Football History
Football in the 1920s
In the 1920s changes began to be made to how football was filmed, though the constraints of filmstock remained. Newsreel cameramen worked to tight rules over the amount of film they were allowed to expend on any subject. Generally they worked to a 2:1 ratio i.e. the cost-conscious editor allowed them to shoot say 100 feet in making what what would be released in the newsreel as a 50-foot item. For sports events, with their high degree of unpredictablity, the ratio might rise to 4 or 5:1, but it still meant that the operator had to concentrate on likely areas of activity (particularly the goalmouth), and obtaining film of goals was often a question of luck.
Things improved for the F.A. Cup Final, where the newsreel started to employ large camera teams, and the sharing of the load meant that camera operators could concentrate on the period when the ball was nearest to them. The Topical Budget newsreel employed nine cameramen to film the 1921 final, producing a 500-foot film (approx. six minutes), but more than the number of cameras there was the variety of angle and the understanding that a narrative needed to be created. As well as cameramen being arranged behind each goal and on either side of the pitch, there were cameras in the stands giving overviews – effectively master shots – which when intercut with the closer shots of action gave a far more visually and narratively satisfying account. The Bioscope noted this innovation in its report on Topical’s film of the 1922 final when it commented that the “essential features of the whole match” had been “very cleverly put together to form a continuous ‘story’”.
However, as I point out in my book on Topical Budget, sacrifices were made to achieve narrative. The 1921 final – Tottenham Hotspur beat Wolverhamption Wanderers 1-0 – was characterised by heavy rain in the first half, sunshine in the second. Close analysis of the film reveals that several sequences from the second half have been included in what is ostensbily the first. It is untruthful as far as a documentary record is concerned, but it tells a better story.
Despite the improvements in filming, one still cannot gain much of an idea about the use of tactics. The offside law was changed in 1925 to requiring just two defenders to be between the furthest attacker and the goal, which led to greater freedom for forwards but then a consequent change in formations as centre-halves dropped back into defence, eventually leading to the famous W-M shape introduced by Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman. It may be possible for some sharp-eyed analyst to work their way through the football films contained on the British Pathe site (there are around 250 available) and detect patterns, but to the average eye incoherence reigns. All one can say is that the game looks marginally less violent than it was in the 1900s, that the pitches were still terrible, and that goalmouth scrambles were commonplace.
Cup Finals were hugely important to the newsreels, but they also covered league games and the various rounds of the F.A. Cup, with games from around the country covered in different editions of the same issue according to local following. Such shorts reports were usually taken by a single cameraman, and were therefore necessarily rudimentary in form.
Pathé’s film of the 1922 Cup Final obscured by flags waved by the rights-holders Topical Budget, from www.britishpathe.com.
The rights to film the F.A. Cup final (and other major sporting events) were hotly contested by the newsreels. Topical Budget paid £1,000 for the exclusive rights to film the famous 1923 Cup Final, the first held at Wembley Stadium. However exclusive rights were no guarantee of exclusive coverage, as newsreel rivals sought to snatch illicit footage by smuggling cameras into the ground, such as the mini-sized, clockwork-driven Debrie Sept, which could be hidden in coat pockets. The practice was known as ‘pirating’. Pathé cameraman Jack Cotter famously disguised himself as a West Ham fan to get into the 1923 final, with his camera hidden within a fan’s giant ‘hammer’. The ruse was then gleefully revealed by Pathé in its film of the game, though the aerial shots it took of the stadium were delierately spoiled by Topical which took the trouble to have its name written in large letters across the roof of Wembley Stadium.
News photographer Bernard Grant writes about the knockabout japes of the newsreels at the 1922 Cup Final, held at Stamford Bridge between Huddersfield Town and Preston North End (Huddersfield won 1-0), in his book To the Four Corners (1933):
I saw the battle from the top floor of a high building overlooking the ground, from where I had hoped to obtain some photographs with a long-focus camera, but as I was sharing the position with the well-known film man, Frank Bassill, on this occasion a ‘pirate’ [for Pathé], I was handicapped by the efforts of the defenders [Topical Budget].
They used heliographs to deflect the sun’s rays into our lenses and let up a huge sausage balloon in front of our window, where they did their best to anchor it. This was only partly successful, however, for the clumsy thing swung about in the wind and left us clear at times. Also one of Bassill’s assistants managed to hide behind some chimney pots and work above it.
At the sound of the referee’s whistle starting the match there came a terrific noise of hammering and crashing at a point away to our left, and we saw the corrugated-iron roof of a building alongside the ground fly off in all directions.
A moment later there appeared, rising through the aperture, two heads which I recognised through my glasses as those of Tommy Scales and Leslie Wyand, pioneers in the production of movie news reels.
Steadily they rose higher and higher, turning their handles as they came, as the telescopic tower ladder upon which they stood was wound up by friends in the room below.
This happening brought into action the defenders’ large mobile ‘stand by’ force, members of which, armed with double-poled banners and flags, dashed off to meet the attack…
And so it went on. There was much money at stake, hence the battles. The money wasn’t made by the Final films themselves, which were loss leaders, but by the longer-term bookings that could be gained on the back of them for the newsreel that looked stronger than the competition. Ironically, in view of the battle Grant reports, Topical’s official account of the 1922 Final is a lost film, but Pathé’s pirated film can be viewed at www.britishpathe.com, though the poverty of the footage, with most of the action in long shot or filmed through the heads of the crowd, shows all the disadvantages of having to be the pirates. In 1924 the newsreels acted together for once and protested jointly to the Football Association at the cost of the rights to film the final and submitted a joint bid of £400. It was turned down. Consequently no film exists of the F.A. Cup Final of 1924.
There were a number of fiction films about football in the silent era. A wonderful early effort (650 feet) is the Hepworth Manufacturing Company’s bracing Harry the Footballer (1911), in which our hero (Hay Plumb) is kidnapped just before the big game only to be rescued by his girl-friend (Gladys Sylvani) just in time to score the goal that winds the game. Maurice Elvey’s The Cup Final Mystery (1914), a lost film, had much the same plot, now spread over 2,600 feet. Also lost, and with the same plot, same length, and in the same year is A Footballer’s Honour, made by Lewin Fitzhamon for Britannia Films. There were also several comic films made in France, Italy and Germany in which someone’s obsession with football leads to chaotic results. Pathé’s Football en Famille (1910), in which a family destroys its house through its enthusiasm for the game, is a particularly manic example.
By the 1920s, a handful soccer-themed feature films were made. Britain produced The Winning Goal (1920, now lost) and The Ball of Fortune (1926), the latter starring the legendary Billy Meredith of Manchester City and Wales (a trailer survives); Germany produced Die elf Teufel (The Eleven Devils) (1927) and König der Mittelstürmer (King of the Centre Forwards) (1927), both now available on DVD from Edition Filmmuseum.
Footballers in Training – Newcastle United, undated 1920s film showing Newcastle players in training, available to view at www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=82773.
Other kinds of football films
Not all silent era football films were records of matches. There were training films, promotional films, even silent ‘interview’ films which showed star players relaxing. There was women’s football (very popular in the early 1920s and meriting a separate post one day), street football, public schools’ football, charity football games, and newsreel stories on star players and teams just for their own sake. Silent films didn’t manage the art of filming football too well, but they covered the game extensively because it brought in the crowds. It shows how the cinema was understood as a home for entertainments beyond the stories than the film industries produced. It was the popular theatre.
Footage of the first World Cup, held in Uruguay in 1930, with clips of the stadium, participating teams, and the final which Uruguay won 4-2 against Argentina. The titles are an obvious later addition, as are the unfortunate lapses into colourisation (though this does at least let you identify Uruguay, in the light blue shirts.
The first World Cup was filmed in Uruguay in 1930. Film exists of the tournament, which was shot silent, but my knowledge of Uruguayan film is not what it might be, and besides this post has gone on long enough. You can find the clips on YouTube, or see the short clips on the FIFA site. I’m returning to the World Cup 2010. Having sound does help, as does not knowing how it’s all going to turn out (remember, everyone who saw a film in the cinema already knew the result), and I’m even getting used to the vuvuzelas. Bring on Slovenia… | <urn:uuid:b3afd25a-f414-4ff1-80a2-94627aa66e2c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thebioscope.net/category/latin-american-film/ | 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 | 0.971541 | 4,887 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Workers check a car at Geely Cixi Manufacture Base in Cixi, China. / June photo by EUGENE HOSHIKO/Associated Press
Making cars in China has been used to scare voters and even Chrysler workers in the presidential campaign's waning days, but the reality is Chinese-assembled vehicles will not be exported to the U.S. anytime soon.
It makes no economic sense for major Western carmakers to build there and ship here. China-based automakers have not met the safety and quality standards to compete here yet, say automakers and analysts alike.
In addition, the Chinese economy has slowed; the nation's domestic automakers are in survival mode, struggling to make money at home with no desire to use precious resources to establish dealers to sell in the U.S.
"The general stance is to build where you sell," said Mary Barra, head of global product development for General Motors. "It makes sense from a quality, supply chain and cost perspective."
Revered investor Warren Buffet has lost money on his investment in BYD, a Chinese manufacturer of electric cars.
Then there are the political reasons: China is a hotbed of instability right now as it prepares to undergo leadership change.
"Things on the ground in China are more uncertain today than any time in history," said Michael Dunne, author and president of marketing firm Dunne and Co. in Hong Kong.
These factors put into question the logic of U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney's attempt to link the government rescue of GM and Chrysler to moving American jobs to China.
"Bashing China is an easy card to play," said Andy Serwer, managing editor of Fortune magazine, speaking last week at a global forum on China in Detroit.
There are up to 100 domestic automakers in China, said Dunne.
The author of "American Wheels, Chinese Roads: The Story of General Motors in China" sees only two Chinese companies remotely close to selling their brands in the U.S.: Great Wall and Geely, which has a foothold because of its purchase of Volvo.
Even still, Chinese automakers "are still 5-10 years from selling cars in the U.S.," Dunne said at the Fortune Global Forum. "Quality, safety and emissions levels are not there yet."
Sure, China exports 1 million vehicles a year, but they are sold in other emerging markets with equally low safety standards and technology expectations, Dunne said.
Mainstream Western brands build vehicles in China with Chinese partners, but only for sale to China's emerging middle class, which has created the world's largest auto market.
"People need to remember China is not a manufacturing base. It is a consumer base," said Anderson Chan, a Ford spokesman who grew up in Taiwan.
"Everyone want to be a global brand, but the reality is the low-hanging fruit is in their own market," Chan said. Established brands are profitable now in China and don't need to expand outside the country.
The Chinese are quick learners, but, like Dunne, Chan still sees them as a decade from being U.S.-ready.
"They still have a ways to go on quality, safety and technology to be acceptable for American consumers," Chan said.
Six Chinese automakers have been exhibitors at the Detroit auto show since 2007. There were none last year. For 2013 Ghangzhou will test the waters, said show spokesman Marc Harlow.
China's domestic automaking base is consolidating. Companies are going out of business and dealers are closing, Dunne said.
For the big global players like GM and Volkswagen, however, the forecast is still rosy.
GM's Barra is pleased with how its brands are positioned with two luxury brands to take advantage of growth forecast for the segment that is already 1 million strong.
Luxury cars sell for $60,000-plus and almost all are paid for in cash.
German automakers have dominated the luxury market, but their cars are becoming common.
Affluent Chinese consumers want something different. Cadillac, Infiniti and Lincoln, which debuts in China in 2014, will change the competitive landscape.
But in the near term, China's economic growth is slowing.
Consumers are skittish because of China's political leadership is about to change. The Chinese Community Party Congress begins Thursday. The main objective is to choose successors to President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao.
The congress meets amid growing concern in China about inflation, corruption and more aggressive expressions of public discontent.
"I'm still very bullish on China, but looking for a rocky time in the next 12-18 months," Dunne said.
Contact Alisa Priddle: 313-222-5394 or firstname.lastname@example.org
More Details: Chinese brands at the Detroit auto show
These Chinese brands have displayed vehicles at Cobo Center since 2007.
2008: Changfeng, BYD, Geely, Li Shi Guang Ming
2009: BYD, Brilliance
2010: BYD, Li Shi Guang Ming
2013: Guangzhou (so far) | <urn:uuid:3965cbf0-daaa-4f88-9d80-e20f69007a26> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.freep.com/article/20121105/BUSINESS01/311050117/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955865 | 1,057 | 1.835938 | 2 |
by Mike Masnick
Tue, Aug 14th 2012 8:24pm
by Michael Ho
Tue, Aug 14th 2012 5:00pm
from the urls-we-dig-up dept
- An iPhone app called VizWiz helps blind users by letting them take a picture of something that is confusing -- and then crowdsourcing a helpful description to make things clear. This app uses Amazon's Mechanical Turk service to obtain helpful people, and the average turnaround time for a description is 27 seconds. [url]
- The Poet image description tool is open source software that helps to crowdsource image descriptions for digital books. This tool is aimed at textbook illustrations that aren't too helpful for people who can't see them. [url]
- The Tacit project is developing a hand-held sonar device with haptic feedback -- a technological take on the white cane. It's still just a prototype device, but so far, users seem to be able to use it fairly quickly without much training. [url]
- Haptic shoes could help people navigate by vibrating different parts of the shoe to tell the wearer if there are obstacles ahead. These shoes, like the Tacit project's handheld, are based on open Arduino hardware -- allowing other developers to contribute improvements and build upon existing tools. [url]
by Mike Masnick
Tue, Aug 14th 2012 3:23pm
from the no,-seriously dept
The reason Uber can no longer serve the Boston region: Because they were making use of this crazy newfangled technology called "GPS" to measure the distances that cars traveled for the purpose of billing users.
It seems that the Massachusetts Division of Standards, and its laws covering "weights and measures," is so out of date that it has not been updated to recognize GPS as an appropriate "weight and measure" system for distance. As if to prove just how incredibly out of touch these folks are, in the official letter ordering Uber to stop service, they repeatedly refer to the iPhone as an "I phone." They also refer to the Global Positioning System as the Global Positioning Services. These are the people in charge of killing off innovation. Incredible.
Basically, the state had someone sign up for Uber, take a ride in the car as a "sting" (one of the people in the car's job title is -- and I'm not joking -- the "Sealer of Weights & Measures") and then cite the driver after seeing that he (*gasp*!) used a GPS device on his phone to measure the distance traveled. When Uber pointed out that GPS has been around and widely used for decades, the Massachusetts Division of Standards argued that may well be... but since GPS is not for commercial purposes they can't accept it. Seriously.
Global Positioning Services (GPS ) technology is not an issue as it is and has been widely used in non-commercial applications for a number of years. However, GPS has not been used in commercial applications for assessing transportation charges until Uber Technologies, Inc. introduced its use for this purpose. The major problem at this time is the fact that there are no established measurement standards for its current application and use in determining transportation costs similar to that of approved measurement systems for taximeters and odometers. Massachusetts law does not sanction unapproved devices for use in commercial transactions.The idea that GPS isn't used in commercial applications is silly. GPS has been widely used by the military for decades and has been used in commercial applications for quite some time as well. It's beyond silly to think that because some clueless "Sealer of Weights and Measures" is still focused on last century's technology that GPS is not a viable (or even common) technology for this purpose. This seems like a clear case of a totally out of date bureaucracy actively hindering innovation for no reason other than general luddism.
by Tim Cushing
Tue, Aug 14th 2012 2:20pm
hard rock cafe
Hard Rock Cafe Announces Boutique Label: Four Lucky Bands To Receive $25,000 And All The Money They Can Earn
from the philanthropy-and-overpriced-drink-'specials'-FTW dept
Word comes via the Daily Swarm that the Hard Rock brand is now affixing itself to a boutique label. But this is a label without multi-page contracts or onerous royalty demands. Hard Rock Records is set up to lose money from day one, all in the interest of giving bands that catch its ear a leg up.
The brainchild of CMO John Galloway and A&R co-heads Blake Smith and James Buell, Hard Rock Records is only in its first year and thus far has just one act signed to its roster – the Gulfport, Mississippi roots-rock act Rosco Bandana. More interesting than its late entrance into the record label game is that Hard Rock Records is marking itself as an "altruistic" label, or a non-profit, so to speak.This is another example of content as advertising. There's little doubt the Hard Rock logo will be displayed prominently wherever these bands play, but in exchange, they'll get tour support and be able to take advantage of Hard Rock's promotional skills and reach. And since there's no catch, each of the four bands signed will be able to keep all the money they've earned and walk away free and clear after 12 months. Not a bad deal at all.
"We had discussed different variations of a label a few years ago," Buell explains to Rolling Stone. "Everything was netting back to how were we going to make money. After we did our research, it just never seemed like a good idea."
Last year during Lollapalooza, where Chicago's Hard Rock Hotel is the annual ground zero for the fest's biggest after-parties, Galloway approached the two and told them to move forward with the label. "He said, 'No, that's the thing, that's the catch – we're NOT going to make any money," explains Buell.
"It's kind of like music philanthropy," adds Smith. "We want to find bands that need a leg up. We take them for a year, make a record with them, give them video money, give them a van, get a booking agent to help them get on the road, and hopefully find them another label that is going to house and better build them for the long-term. We do all this with them, and they keep every penny of everything and they walk after 12 months."Hard Rock has this built into its advertising budget, which is probably the best P&L line to put it on. A band receiving $25,000 with no strings attached and nothing to recoup is going to find it very hard not to talk up the Hard Rock brand. If nothing else, it will be mentioned every time someone asks the band, well, pretty much anything, really. It might be tough to gauge the ROI from this, but as it's set up now, no one seems to be too concerned. It certainly generates a ton of goodwill for Hard Rock, which usually translates to brand loyalty.
I don't imagine this experiment will find itself leading a bandwagon, though. There aren't many companies willing to invest $100K into something as ethereal as "karma." But it does add another wrinkle to the music business, bringing back the concept of patronage and treating your artistic investment as some sort of loss leader. Hard Rock does have itself set up to take advantage of any additional business this might drum up. Syncing up new bands and a promotional tour will be frictionless with its existing venues and sponsored festivals. The question isn't how much money the band might make, but how much Hard Rock will see added to its bottom line from dipping its toe into the music industry. Setting the expectation at $0 for the trial run is probably wise, as it makes it nearly impossible to undershoot the goal, as it were.
It's not a business plan by any stretch of the imagination and it's certainly not going to bring about a brave new world of artistic patronage, but it's hard to knock a bit of altruism for its own sake (corporate advertising opportunities, notwithstanding). It's also great news for four bands, who'll get a $25K kickstart and year of worry-free money making.
by Tim Cushing
Tue, Aug 14th 2012 1:12pm
from the nothing-is-'infallible' dept
It's an aspect that hackers are well aware of, but is often overlooked in the discussion. Many times, a successful hacking has nothing to do with the weaknesses of this:
and everything to do with the weaknesses of this:
The recent Def Con Hacking Conference delivered a rather chilling reminder of this fact, when contestant Shane MacDougall took home the coveted Black Badge for coaxing 75 pieces of information out of a Wal-Mart store manager in less than 20 minutes.
"Gary Darnell" from Walmart's home office in Bentonville, Ark., called a store in Western Canada. He lamented having to work the weekend.
He explained that NATO was shopping around for a private retailer who could serve as part of its supply chain in the event of a pandemic.
"Or at least that's what they say it's about," Darnell cracked with the store manager. "Who knows, maybe they're practicing for an alien invasion — don't know, don't care — all I know is that the company can make a ton of cash off it."
Darnell told the manager he'd be coming up to Canada to help plan the exercise, which would see NATO types coming in to survey products and later, to buy them in a hurry, as they would in an emergency.
He just needed a little information first.A "little" information included such detailed store security information, the after-hours cleaning service, its garbage disposal contractor, who provides IT support and what computers, operating systems and anti-virus programs were in use.
Rather than put man-hours into attacking systems designed from the ground up to repel hackers, criminals are returning to the old standby: social engineering. Humans remain the weakest link in any security chain, due to an inherent desire to help people solve their problems.
Case in point: last week's uber-destructive hacking of Wired writer Mat Honan's "entire digital life." It wasn't a matter of brute force, dictionary attacks or any other method commonly associated with cracking passwords. It was a phone call.
At 4:33 p.m., according to Apple's tech support records, someone called AppleCare claiming to be me. Apple says the caller reported that he couldn't get into his Me.com e-mail — which, of course was my Me.com e-mail.Despite safeguards being set up to prevent this sort of thing from happening, a hacker was able to bypass most of the hurdles simply by talking to another human being. From that point on, Honan's life went into nightmare mode:
In response, Apple issued a temporary password. It did this despite the caller's inability to answer security questions I had set up. And it did this after the hacker supplied only two pieces of information that anyone with an internet connection and a phone can discover.
At 4:52 p.m., a Gmail password recovery e-mail arrived in my me.com mailbox. Two minutes later, another e-mail arrived notifying me that my Google account password had changed.This desire to be "helpful" can lead to these situations. As in the Def Con experiment, this innate helpfulness is often combined with another human trait: the willingness to obey authority figures, even when doing so means going against your better judgement. MacDougall's impersonation went straight to the top of the ladder: Wal-Mart's home office. The following, very disturbing example, uses another form of authority. Over the course of a decade, a man claiming to be a police officer used a phone and social engineering to do what can only be described as "hacking" actual human beings:
At 5:02 p.m., they reset my Twitter password. At 5:00 they used iCloud's "Find My" tool to remotely wipe my iPhone. At 5:01 they remotely wiped my iPad. At 5:05 they remotely wiped my MacBook. Around this same time, they deleted my Google account. At 5:10, I placed the call to AppleCare. At 5:12 the attackers posted a message to my account on Twitter taking credit for the hack.
By wiping my MacBook and deleting my Google account, they now not only had the ability to control my account, but were able to prevent me from regaining access. And crazily, in ways that I don't and never will understand, those deletions were just collateral damage. My MacBook data — including those irreplaceable pictures of my family, of my child's first year and relatives who have now passed from this life — weren't the target. Nor were the eight years of messages in my Gmail account. The target was always Twitter. My MacBook data was torched simply to prevent me from getting back in.
The McDonald's strip search scam was a series of incidents occurring for roughly a decade before an arrest was made in 2004. These incidents involved a man calling a restaurant or grocery store, claiming to be a police detective, and convincing managers to conduct strip searches of female employees or perform other unusual acts on behalf of the police. The calls were usually placed to fast-food restaurants in small rural towns.The details of one incident are particularly horrifying:
"Officer Scott", and gave a vague description of a slightly-built young white woman with dark hair suspected of theft. Summers believed this described Louise Ogborn, a female employee on duty. After the caller demanded that the employee be searched at the store because no officers were available at the moment to handle such a minor matter, the employee was brought into an office and ordered to remove her clothes, which Summers placed in a plastic bag and took to her car at the caller's instruction. Another assistant manager, Kim Dockery, was present during this time, believing she was there as a witness to the search. After an hour Dockery left and Summers told the caller that she was also required at the counter. The caller then told her to bring in someone she trusted to assist.This involved two people in management positions, who ostensibly should have "known better," but instead displayed irrational, but completely "normal" behavior: a willingness to obey an authority figure, even one that was nothing more than a disembodied voice. Social engineers know this, and nearly every scheme will leverage this human trait to its advantage.
Summers called her fiancé, Walter Nix, who arrived and took over from Summers. Told that a policeman was on the phone, Nix followed the caller's directions for the next two hours. He removed the apron the employee had covered herself with and ordered her to dance and perform jumping jacks. Nix then ordered the employee to insert her fingers into her vagina and expose her genital cavity to him as part of the search. He also ordered her to sit on his lap and kiss him, and when she refused he spanked her until she promised to comply. The caller also spoke to the employee, demanding that she do as she was told or face worse punishment. Recalling this period of time, the employee said that "I was scared for my life".
After the employee had been in the office for two and a half hours, she was ordered to perform oral sex on Nix.
With as much as companies are spending on hardware, software and security experts, you'd think a little more care and attention would go into hiring, selecting and training the people who can render thousands of dollars of computing power completely useless. And it's more than just trying to drill security principles into their heads. Def Con had a few suggestions for businesses to keep them from becoming victims of something akin to MacDougall's thorough "hacking" display.
• Never be afraid to say no. If something feels wrong, something is wrong.
• An IT department should never be calling asking about operating systems, machines, passwords or email systems — they already know. If someone's asking, that should raise flags.
• If it seems suspicious, get a callback number. Hang up and take some time vetting the caller to see if they are who they say they are.
• Set up an internal company security word of the day and don't give any information to anyone who doesn't know it.
• Keep tabs on what's on the web. Companies inadvertently release tons of information online, including through employees' social media sites. "Deep-dive" to see what information is out there.Of all these suggestions, two stand out. First, an internal "security word" would help trim down the number of successful hacks... at least at first. Once someone lets another person slide because they forgot or didn't get the memo or showed up late for work or "just need to get into the system for a second," it's all over. If this situation is not handled swiftly and dramatically, the "exceptions" to the rule will soon become the rule. That's also human nature.
The second one, tracking what's out on the web, is more useful and should help rein in what's available to outside attackers. But if social media sites are included in this sweep, you'll need a ton of paperwork on the HR end to make it fly, usually earning you the resentment of your employees.
Because the weakest link in the security chain will always be human beings, these humans need to be selected and cultivated properly. Not solely "trained." No amount of role play or instructional videos will prepare them for determined social engineers. This won't be because companies fail to recognize the importance of the job they perform, but because these companies will fail to recognize the importance of the individual(s) entrusted with keeping them secure.
Without a doubt, you need the right people for the job. Because the job itself often devolves into little more than keeping logs and handling password/privilege requests, it's often mistaken as being something anyone could do with the proper training. If you're in charge of staffing security, it's not enough to simply trust them. They have to trust you.
It's a two-way street. First and foremost, the security personnel need to know that you can protect them from the eventual fallout that comes as a result of doing their job properly. It's not tough to imagine a situation where a higher-up is in need of a password change but can't meet any of the requirements needed to approve this change. Denying a request to the wrong person (i.e., someone powerful within the company) could put jobs on the line just as quickly as handing out user info to an outside attacker.
As the head of this staff, you need to prevent this fallout from settling on your team. Feeling heat or receiving retribution for doing a job the way it's supposed to be done damages the security of the company, turning well thought-out rules into mere guidelines and worse, turning good employees resentful. If the security staff feels they'll be the scapegoat for common situations like these, it impairs their ability to make solid decisions and opens the door for social engineers to appeal to their basic humanity (dignity, confidence, etc. -- anything that's been damaged by scenarios like this) in order to get the information they want.
Protecting the staff from this sort of retribution shows them that they're covered if things go wrong. This frees them up to make better decisions, rather than tangling them in the minutia of day-to-day compliance. If they know, and have seen it proved, that they're trusted to make the right decisions, rather than micro-managed or forced to run checklists against a policy manual, they'll work with more confidence. More confidence in their own skills and intuition will make them less susceptible to being flattered (by appealing to the power they wield and/or resurrecting their sense of duty for a "higher cause") into allowing access to the system and information they're in place to protect.
TL;DR: The trust an entity has in its security staff is less important than the trust the security staff has in the entity it's protecting. Any policies and protocol put in place are only as good as the people behind them.
by Mike Masnick
Tue, Aug 14th 2012 12:06pm
from the wrong-approach dept
The reason we are fighting the good fight is to stop people from doing bad things and hold them accountable for their actions. Whether you are enforcing trademark rights or car thefts, this has to be done one person at a time. In 2010 a client asked me what we could take away from the offenders to make them stop. My simple answer was “Their freedom.” Entrepreneurs will always find a way to do business. Bad guys need to be put away to reflect on their actions. Nothing else will stop them. When you take away only the tool, you are training the criminal to improve. I am not in the business of training crooks. Are you?This, of course, is a different perspective. Most of us have been concerned about the free speech and collateral damage issues raised by domain seizures. But Holmes is making the argument that, even when we're talking about confirmed criminal activity, domain seizures are counterproductive because they're going after a tool rather than those actually responsible.
by Mike Masnick
Tue, Aug 14th 2012 11:08am
from the free-speech-means-something-different-apparently dept
The link explains the reasoning behind this, but the short summary is that Shelby County (home to Memphis) is trying to push back on a state law. The reasons Shelby is pushing back may be noble (it appears to feel that the reasons for the law itself are based on racism), but even so, that's no excuse for stripping away anonymity on thousands of comments. Levy is helping in trying to block these subpoenas:
The Commercial Appeal, standing on its own First Amendment rights as well as the rights of customers who have registered to post comments on its web site, has served Rule 45 objections to the subpoena. The objections, which I signed along with Lucian Pera, long-time counsel to the Commercial Appeal, argue that this theory – assuming that it is the basis for the subpoena – is not a sufficient reason for depriving members of the public of the First Amendment right to debate the propriety of government policy on an anonymous basis. In addition, we argue that because the subpoenas have been issued by government bodies, they are precluded by federal statutes that limit government access to such information to cases involving a probability of criminal wrongdoing. Indeed, the very same firm that is representing Shelby County was forced to withdraw a subpoena on behalf of the City of Memphis, seeking to identify a blogger who criticized the city's police chief, for the same statutory reasons.Furthermore, he points out that the attempt to reveal such a massive number of commenters, indiscriminately, is somewhat breathtaking. The very scale of the attempt clearly suggests that the goal here has little to do with actually uncovering illegal activities, and is almost entirely about creating a chilling effect on public speech. Even if that speech itself is reprehensible (such as racist commentary), that doesn't mean that we should support such a blanket subpoena wiping way First Amendment rights.
Even apart from the question whether the legal theory behind the subpoena can meet the test of a compelling state interest, needed to overcome the right to speak anonymously, is the sheer indiscriminateness of the subpoena, seeking to identify everybody who spoke about the issue underlying the legislation regardless of whether they favored the consolidation or opposed it, and whether they expressed racist views or not. In past cases involving Doe subpoenas, it has often seemed to me that the plaintiff had the germ of a good case, and perhaps a reason to identify one or two critics, but then obscured the merit of its case by throwing everything but the kitchen sink into the subpoena. Here, the very breadth of the subpoena suggests that County's motive is to chill public discussion of an important policy question, by sending the message that if you speak out, you will be subpoenaed.Hopefully the county pulls back the subpoena.
In the dozen years that I have been litigating cases involving Internet anonymity, I cannot recall any case involving close to so many anonymous speakers. In Pilchesky v. Gatelli, the chair of the Scranton Pennsylvania City Council sought to identify about ninety different Scranton citizens who has posted hurtful comments about her on a community message board established by one of her critics, and in Donato v. Moldow, officials of the Borough of Emerson, New Jersey sought to identify the authors of more than one hundred critical comments. In both of these cases, the trial courts upheld the right to speak anonymously and quashed the subpoenas (with a small number of exceptions in the Pennsylvania case – and those identities were preserved on appeal). A large number of posters were also involved in my first case involving a subpoena to identify anonymous speakers, when Northwest Airlines sought to identify flight attendants who had advocated a "sickout" during collective bargaining negotiations.
Shelby County subpoena outstrips these cases in indiscriminateness by a factor of ten or even a hundred – more than 9300 comments remain on the stories, and the removed comments likely take the number of comments at stake in this case beyond ten thousand. Many of the comments were posted by repeat customers (we can tell because, as on most newspaper web sites, only registered users can post comments), but the estimate so far is that more than 2000 separate people are facing possible denial of the right to speak anonymously. Even most file-sharing cases pale by comparison: the recording or movie companies typically sue and seek to identify only hundreds of anonymous uploaders at a time.
by Leigh Beadon
Tue, Aug 14th 2012 10:01am
from the nods-and-winks dept
In June, we underlined the disturbing UK ruling that found Anton Vickerman guilty of "conspiracy to defraud" for operating SurfTheChannel, a TV link indexing website that hosted no infringing content whatsoever. The case raised huge concerns from the very start, when police invited FACT (a private anti-piracy group) to join the raid on the STC offices—and it culminated in a man facing up to 10 years in jail for building a popular website, despite not actually facing charges of copyright infringement since he did no such thing. The "conspiracy" charge allowed a conviction on the basis of Vickerman maybe-kinda-sorta being adjacent or somehow connected to infringement even though no specific copyright laws were broken.
Now, the sentencing has come down, and Vickerman will be spending four years in prison. Four years of his life... for operating a non-infringing website. All on the basis of a charge that failed against two extremely similar sites. Not only does this seem like an insane punishment, it is going to create a massive chilling effect on innovative online services. Of course, FACT is extremely proud of both these things:
"This case conclusively shows that running a website that deliberately sets out to direct users to illegal copies of films and TV shows will result in a criminal conviction and a long jail sentence," FACT Director General Kieron Sharp says.
"The sentencing indicates the severity of the offenses committed and the sophistication of [Vickerman's] criminal enterprise and should send a very strong message to those running similar sites that they can be found, arrested and end up in prison."
That's quite the picture to paint of STC. In reality, the site did not aim to direct users to illegal copies—merely to help users find film and TV content online. There happens to be a lot of it—including lots of legitimate content from a variety of sources like Hulu and the networks own websites. STC, with its community-driven model where users submit and vote on the quality of links, indexed all those legitimate sources—as well as many infringing links that were also submitted. STC even had commercial partnerships with networks like A&E and the Discovery Channel—and there were suggestions that the MPAA pressured those networks into ending the relationships before the trial, in order to better paint STC as a dedicated piracy service. And there was little or no evidence that Vickerman was involved in uploading or even sourcing the community content, infringing or otherwise, which is why a direct charge of copyright infringement didn't happen. Meanwhile, merely linking is not a crime. So what's left? Just the vague charge of "conspiracy to defraud", which sounds a lot like "felony interference with a business model", or basically "doing something we just don't particularly like." This isn't the first time UK conspiracy laws have been used in highly questionable ways—in fact, it's been a subject of controversy there since the 70s, when a judge infamously stated that a conspiracy charge could be based on as little as "a nod and a wink."
Anton Vickerman is paying the price for doing nothing more than making it easy to find content online. It's not unlike Google being browbeat into filtering results from supposed pirate sites—the entertainment industry doesn't want to compete by offering more legitimate options, and it doesn't want to go after the actual people doing the infringing, so it tries to find ways to put all the pressure on intermediate third parties who aren't directly guilty of anything, just because it's easier and faster. Innovation gets blocked, innovators get put in jail, and the industry doesn't have to lift a single competitive finger. This is an unfortunate outcome that, once again, does absolutely nothing to stop piracy, since eliminating one ultra-popular site like STC only clears the top spot for the hundreds of similar sites that are jockeying for the position. Even if it was effective at scaring all such sites out of the UK, they would only pop up in other countries, or people would just move on to the next easy method of finding what they want. Vickerman's questionable conviction and ridiculous sentence send only one message that has any impact: don't operate user-driven websites in the UK.
by Mike Masnick
Tue, Aug 14th 2012 9:03am
from the shouldn't-this-be-a-copyright-issue? dept
But... this isn't a copyright claim.
And that's where this gets a bit more interesting from the legal perspective. Whoever holds the copyright on the original video may have a very legitimate copyright claim here. But that's not who's suing. It's Katsuni, who is the woman who performs in the video. But she doesn't hold the copyright -- so, instead, she's using a publicity rights claim. We've talked a lot about how popular publicity rights claims have become lately, and the concept is a bit of a mess, in part because it's based on state laws, and they're all different. This one relies on California's publicity rights law, and claims that Bow Wow is using her "likeness and image to promote BOW WOW's career and music."
It's interesting to see how she's basically using publicity rights as a poor man's copyright here (though, perhaps the copyright holder will sue as well). It gives us a hint of what may happen much more frequently thanks to the performer's rights treaty signed in Beijing a few months ago, giving performers like Katsuni extra special copyright-like rights in all of their performances. We haven't changed the law in the US yet to implement that, but in the short term, it looks like publicity rights claims may get the job done.
Either way, once again, we're seeing how a major label -- the same ones screaming about others copying their stuff -- seems to think that different rules apply when they copy the works of someone else. Universal Music is the largest record label on the planet and one of the most aggressive in enforcing its copyrights. But, apparently it has no problem copying someone else's video...
by Mike Masnick
Tue, Aug 14th 2012 7:47am
from the damned-if-you-do... dept
The order said that Airtel misinterpreted the original court order, and couldn't justify its actions by hiding behind it.
“By misinterpreting the Madras High Court order, Airtel blocked entire websites. It is needless to say that the company’s actions amount to deficiency in service as well as unfair trade practice,” said the forum.Of course, the article goes on to note that there has been some confusion over what was originally asked to be blocked. The anti-piracy company, Copyright Labs, who asked for the block order, claimed that it had only asked for specific infringing URLs to be blocked, but a freedom of information request revealed that it had actually asked for blocking of entire websites.
All in all, this highlights some of the many problems that occur when you give copyright holders the power to order outright censorship. It's good to see some push-back. If other customers in India file similar complaints, perhaps ISPs will think twice before engaging in widespread censorship.
by Mike Masnick
Tue, Aug 14th 2012 5:43am
from the intellectual-property-gone-mad dept
Now, much of this is because of completely asinine NCAA rules against selling products that advertise student athletes (even without their knowledge or permission). But, the overall concept seems even more ridiculous when you realize that the whole Honey Badger meme comes from somewhere else entirely. Is it really that wrong that fans of Mathieu want to celebrate a player they like?
by Eric Goldman
Tue, Aug 14th 2012 3:43am
from the an-opinion-is-not-defamation dept
Gizmodo.com published an article, Smoke & Mirrors: The Greatest Scam in Tech, about Redmond's venture, Peep Telephony. In addition to using the word "scam" in the title, the article had lots of denigrating things to say about Peep and about Redmond's prior initiatives. (The opinion lays out the beefs, although some of the hot spots are apparent from a quick review of the initial article). Gizmodo subsequently published Redmond's rebuttals. Later, Redmond apparently decided the rebuttal wasn't enough and asked Gizmodo to remove both articles, which Gizmodo declined to do. Redmond then sued Gizmodo's parent Gawker Media for defamation. The court dismissed the case on anti-SLAPP grounds, and that means Redmond will owe a check to Gawker for his lawsuit.
The court has no problem finding that Peep Telephony's activities were a matter of public interest, as Peep Telephony had received some high-profile coverage from technology reporters before Gizmodo's story, and Redmond apparently had been trying to stir up press coverage in advance of the 2011 CES conference. The court summarizes that the "Gizmodo article was a warning to a segment of the public--consumers and investors in the tech community--that Redmond's claims about his latest technology were not credible."
The court also says that Redmond's beefs relate to statements of opinion, not fact. The court notes that the word "scam" as not a factual assertion (a dicey outcome), the article was written in a "casual" and "sarcastic" first-person style ("the article's general tenor and language would give a reasonable reader the impression the authors were expressing subjective opinions, not reporting facts"), and the article used weasel words, such as "seems," "arguably," "looks like," etc., to qualify key fact-like assertions.
The most interesting part of the opinion is where the court talks about the article's "transparency." The court says (emphasis added):
The sources upon which the authors rely for their conclusions are specified, and the article incorporates active links to many of the original sources--mainly Web sites and promotional material created and maintained by Redmond and his ventures....Having ready access to the same facts as the authors, readers were put in a position to draw their own conclusions about Redmond and his ventures and technologies....Statements are generally considered to be nonactionable opinion when the facts supporting the opinion are disclosed.
This is true, of course, but a point often lost when defamation plaintiffs are breathing fire. A properly-cited article, filled with hyperlinks to original source materials, should be extra-resistant to defamation claims--even if written with typical blogger snark. Readers can easily inspect the source materials themselves and make their own judgments about the article's veracity. Thus, either the citations provide proper factual support for the article's opinion, or the links should eliminate any problems with the author's knowledge (where that matters to the prima facie defamation claim, which would have been the situation here). Either way, the defamation claim should fail, as it did here.
So this decision is a great ruling for bloggers. Unfortunately, it's unpublished (like far too many California appellate court opinions), which limits its precedential effect. To fix this, my RA and I are planning to request that the court publish it. Even if it remains unpublished, perhaps the ultimate takeaway--that defamation claims against well-cited blog posts will be quickly dismissed by anti-SLAPP laws and lead to the plaintiff paying money to the defense--will help dissuade similar lawsuits nonetheless. Especially in a situation like this, where the potential plaintiff already had gotten an on-the-spot rebuttal, suing over a blog post like Gizmodo's rarely makes sense.
Tue, Aug 14th 2012 12:05am
signularity & co
from the to-infinity-and-beyond dept
Via BoingBoing, we learn that this store plans to rescue one out of print sci-fi book each month by seeking out the owner of the copyright and purchasing the rights to publish the ebook.
We love books. A lot. And we love sci-fi books, new and old. But mostly old. And there are a lot of great old sci-fi books out there that are out of print, out of circulation, and, worst of all, not available in any sort of digital format. Given the subject material, that’s just not right. So here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to open a bookshop, both online and in real life, in Brooklyn, NY where we live and work. It doesn’t have to make much money. It doesn’t have to make any money at all, since our day jobs cover our rent.This is certainly a huge undertaking, especially if the community votes to revive a work that has a really tough to find copyright holder. But as they succeed in bringing these books back from obscurity, they will achieve success, not just in this endeavor, but also as a book store. We have mentioned before that if brick and mortar book stores want to compete in the modern age, they have to think outside the box. This particular effort may not succeed (though we hope it will), but these kinds of experiments keep happening, and inevitably will lead to interesting new success stories.
But what it will do is let us choose one great out of print work or classic and/or obscure sci-fi a month, track down the people that hold the copyright (if they are still around), and publish that work online and on all the major digital book platforms for little or no cost. Every month on this website visitors will get to vote on the next great but not so well remembered work we will rescue from the obscurity of the past. | <urn:uuid:f1904e11-09a4-4a11-a012-622c74b0eb6d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.techdirt.com/blog/blog.php/blog.php?d=14&m=8&y=2012 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96904 | 8,239 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Six months on from HMRC, data losses still rising, says ICO
Disappointed by apparent learning failure
Information Commissioner Richard Thomas is again telling UK companies to sort out their data protection systems as the number of reported losses of private information keeps on growing.
Since Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs lost a copy of the entire child benefit database six months ago the regulator has been told about almost 100 data breaches by government organisations and private companies.
Richard Thomas said it was disappointing that HMRC's massive data loss had not had a bigger impact. He said: "The government, banks and other organisations need to regain the public's trust by being far more careful with people's personal information. Once again I urge business and public sector leaders to make data protection a priority in their organisation... the evidence shows that more must be done to eradicate inexcusable security breaches."
Half of the losses from the private sector came from financial services companies. In the public sector one third of data losses came from central government and a fifth from the NHS.
The ICO is still investigating the losses, but in 16 cases has told organisations to change procedures. In three cases the information was recovered. ® | <urn:uuid:8ac5cfba-27f3-4900-9179-7e5edf2e8356> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/22/ico_data_loss_rollcall/print.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966017 | 237 | 1.546875 | 2 |
It’s been three years down in that hole, no instructions over the radio from the army, no survivors coming banging on the thick steel doors of your bunker. It’s probably time to face the world before you starve. Maybe just maybe it’s safe out there. Maybe the apocalypse is over.
Your planning was meticulous. Your neighbors said you were crazy planning for the end of the world, but when it came you smugly waltzed into your survival den. Of course, that smugness eventually turned into a permanent crazy half-smile as you became best friends with a spork that you drew a little face on, and had long conversations with in the half-light of a flickering candle.
Now, deranged and without food, it’s time to pull on your shades and gas mask, open the hatch and see what lies in wait. If you’re lucky, you’ll emerge to find your home looking worse for wear, but the rest of the world will be functioning as it always had. Fooled by a false alarm and everyone forgot about you!
If you’re not lucky, well …
Tips for Surviving the Apocalypse
Life in the bunker may be boring as hell but it isn’t exactly strenuous work. But a post-apocalyptic world is something all-together different. Survival of the fittest will be the rule. Here’s how to prepare:
Know the Terrain
We’re not all like Rambo. We can’t all clamber up into unknown woods and survive a full-on attack from the town police. So you’ll need to comprehensively map and get to know the surrounding area. You’ll also need to know the location of any nearby natural springs, woodlands, streams, lakes and animals, as well as the densest areas of population before the disaster. It’s also worth mapping local farmland.
Watch Your Health
After a long stay in the bunker, you’re going to be deficient in Vitamin D, and if you didn’t keep up your prison-cell style exercises your muscles will be pretty wasted away. A generous supply of various medicines and other supplements, along with a decent small-space workout schedule, will pretty much be the only help you can give yourself.
Mother always used to tell you to eat your greens. It’s important in a post apocalyptic world too. Find some foraging edible plant books and learn them well. Be especially careful with the mushrooms.
Visit the farms on your maps; maybe the crops continued growing wild.
You may be awesome at Big Game Hunter, or whatever it’s called, down the local bar after a couple of cold ones. But the post-apocalypse isn’t made of pixels and a gun isn’t much good without bullets. You’ll want to be hunting the right way from day one.
Learning some bow skills is a good start as is owning a decent crossbow. You’ll also benefit from learning how to actually make a bow in case you get in a pinch! You’ll also need knives for finishing off the job and actually cleaning and cutting the meat too.
Trapping skills will be useful for snaring small birds and animals. Worms and bugs provide quick protein hits when in a bind.
The Biggest Danger: People Like You!
Don’t kid yourself. If you made it through, others did too. There may be quite a few wild-eyed ex-bloggers, auto-workers, bakery assistants, illegal migrant workers, and Fortune 500 executives running around brandishing knives or clubs, hoping for the next meal.
At first you’ll need to try and stay as far away from the others as you can. People turn to extreme measures quite quickly and you won’t know if your local bank manager has developed a taste for meat that hits a little too close to home! Before you even consider talking about the weather over the remains of the garden fence, observe them and see if they are hostile.
Over time you may be able to start interacting, maybe even working and living in close proximity but the issue of trust is one that can’t be forgotten. A hungry man, or woman of course, could cut your throat in the night if they needed.
Man’s Best Friend and Taming Mr. Ed
If any domestic dogs survived then there will be packs of them running around. Assuming you don’t pick them off for dinner, it’s likely they’ll try to follow you around. Befriending a pup isn’t a bad idea and the company of something with lungs will do you good. It may eventually act as a good hunting buddy, so learning some Caesar Milan dog whispering skills could be worth your while!
Horses are doing well in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, so they may do well in other disasters. Pick up some horse-breaking, taming and riding skills and the post-apocalyptic world will become your oyster.
And God Said, “Let There Be Light!”
You’re not God, so you can’t expect to just conjure up a measly fire. Without this skill you’re nothing out there! So you’ll need to learn how to get a flame going by rubbing sticks together, banging together certain kinds of rocks, and even magnifying sunlight through a lens — assuming you want to cook your cockroaches into a delectable meal and heat your “castle.”
Hold up Forest, why have you just wasted my time on all this? 2012. The Mayan calendar. It’s all baloney!
Okay, here comes the part in the article where I have to prove that I didn’t write this just because I wanted to write about the apocalypse. (I avoided writing about zombies, but I didn’t want to!)
And Now … Here’s The Real Reason I Wrote This Article
I don’t think 2012 will be the last year of the world as we know it. I don’t think the Earth will implode, black out, or any of that stuff. I do think we’ll probably make it a little dirtier this year but we’ll be okay.
So why bother theorizing about all this crazy end-of-the-world stuff?
First, it’s fun — nothing wrong with that!
Second, a lot of skills that would be useful in such a scenario could be useful or at least self-reflective and character-building.
At the very least, learning to hunt and cook, grow your own food, and forage from the wild, can be fun hobbies and even life changing events. And having an appreciation of where stuff comes from is important.
Starting a daily bedroom fitness routine, learning about self-healthcare, and doing physical activities like riding horses will do wonders for your general health.
Taking a general survival course and just learning more about being in nature and what you have available in your local area (even in cities) will grow your appreciation of the world around you.
Preparing for an apocalypse that isn’t going to happen could be the most fun you ever had!
Photo Credit: Aaron | <urn:uuid:999878a7-34bf-4850-be4a-c3da28bf09be> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lenpenzo.com/blog/id9092-how-to-survive-after-the-apocalypse.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933303 | 1,534 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Whether Texas schools end up with $4 billion or $10 billion less in state funding by the end of its session, the 82nd Legislature faces historic choices in how it will handle public education in the state. Tribune readers, wondering what was personally at stake for the state’s education policy makers, asked us to check where lawmakers send their children to school. We obliged, and posed that question to all 181 members of the Legislature and 15 members of the State Board of Education. Our results include the responses of the 182 members that participated. "Not applicable" means either that they had no children, or their children were too young to be in school. See related story.
Texas Tribune donors or members may be quoted or mentioned in our stories, or may be the subject of them. For a complete list of contributors, click here. | <urn:uuid:2c8619cd-4335-485d-8b94-f5252f89a0e5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.texastribune.org/library/data/texas-officials-children-education/?Party=Democratic&cbResetParam=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975555 | 169 | 1.640625 | 2 |
List of unnamed Tellarite cruisers.
Sometime prior to the 2150s, future Tellarite ambassador Gral stood on the command deck of a unnamed Tellarite cruiser in Andorian space during a conflict where they were "driving those blue demons back into their territory." (ENT: "Babel One")
In 2154, several unnamed Tellarite cruisers were incorporated into an Andorian-Tellarite-Vulcan fleet which consisted of some 128 ships, formed in response to a Romulan marauder that threatened the entire region. (ENT: "United")
Destroyed rebel cruiserEdit
This ship was engaging the ISS Avenger, when the USS Defiant arrived and started attacking the rebel ships, the Tellarite ship opened fire on the Defiant, failing to cause any damage. The Defiant responded by firing at its reactor, and the cruiser was instantly destroyed. (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II") | <urn:uuid:6d413c9e-7b40-4d16-940b-7c4db36020c7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Unnamed_Tellarite_cruisers | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950524 | 199 | 1.71875 | 2 |
If President Obama loses next Tuesday, we will be tempted to point to two days that did it: Sept. 11, 2012, (riots in Cairo and elsewhere); and Oct. 3, (the first debate). But the real cause may lie in two paths not taken, in which unwise decisions led to bad outcomes.
The first came in January 2010, when Scott Brown, running as the 41st vote to finish Obamacare, won a special election to fill the seat of Ted Kennedy by an unexpected large margin in blue Massachusetts, which had gone overwhelmingly for the Democrats in 2008. This came after the off-year elections in Virginia and in New Jersey. These states, which also had gone for Obama, made large swings to install Republican governors, who campaigned against his ideas. Protests had dogged Democrats at town meetings, polls showed the public despised his proposals, and his approval ratings had fallen dramatically. He had two choices. One was to scale down his health care bill to a few proposals which could have won broad approval, try to win over some centrist Republicans, and have a small but real win he could take to the public. The other, which he chose, was to go big: ram the bill back through the House of Representatives, enrage the people already against him, and add to their number those made as angry by the procedure as others had been by the bill.
Obama went big. He won, but he shredded his party, put a huge head of wind behind his opponents, and now has a bill he can't cite in mixed company. He lost the House, lost independents, and may lose this election. He wanted too badly to be "historic." Sometimes "historic" describes a defeat.
The second path presented itself Sept. 12, the day after the attacks in Egypt and Libya, (two countries in which Obama 'led from behind' to liberate from their oppressors). Embassies were breached, flags burned, Obama himself burned in effigy in numerous places, and four Americans, one an ambassador, killed. After the Bay of Pigs, and the bombing of the Marine barracks in Lebanon, Kennedy and Reagan accepted the blame, apologized to the country, and vowed to do better. Obama might have done well had he suspended campaigning, convened his advisers, and followed the lead of these presidents. Instead, he treated this as diversion from his real job of running for office, made a few remarks, and then hopped on a plane to Las Vegas, where he passed the night laughing it up with assorted celebrities.
Two days later, he met the bodies when they were returned to this country, and took off for more campaign events.
Instead of admitting the attacks had been planned by al Qaeda, (which would have compromised his claim it had died along with bin Laden, but allowed the country to rally around him against its old enemy), Obama floated the claim that the riots erupted in rage against a 12-minute video made in America that very few people had ever seen. This was met with derision, and further tales of chaos concerning behavior before and during the crises eroded his foreign policy cred. An event that might have been made him look taller -- a rally-around-the-flag moment -- is instead becoming a Watergate/Chappaquiddick occasion, replete with cover-ups, cowardice, confusion and a politician in trouble, attempting to save his own skin.
By saving his skin, he's looking to lose it. Had he chosen well, he might now be cruising to victory. He didn't. He's not.
Examiner Columnist Noemie Emery is contributing editor to The Weekly Standard and author of "Great Expectations: The Troubled Lives of Political Families." | <urn:uuid:6fcb2dbc-eac4-4328-9e86-3a55b51dd85b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://washingtonexaminer.com/two-for-the-road/article/2512123 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.990209 | 755 | 1.578125 | 2 |
April 9, 2012
Washington, DC--The National Consumers League is saddened by the passing of a tireless leader in the workers rights movement, Mark Ayers, an AFL-CIO Vice President and President of the Building and Construction Trades Department. We mourn Mr. Ayers’ death as someone committed to bettering the lives of working families across the nation. As a US Navy veteran of the Vietnam War, Mr. Ayers took great pride in chairing the AFL-CIO’s Union Veterans Council, a group devoted to increasing veterans’ access to good jobs and quality health care. Our thoughts are with his family and friends and we honor a life devoted to fighting to restore the American dream to working families.
About the National Consumers League
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America's pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org. | <urn:uuid:9f3b6baf-db49-4684-89a0-752b94aa7cac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.natlconsumersleague.org/newsroom/press-releases/642-ncl-mourns-passing-of-union-leader | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935329 | 207 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Pope Benedict XVI will travel in March to Cuba, where he's expected to endorse the growing dialogue between the church and the state. In this photo on Wednesday, an employee from the Rome's Bio Park Zoo holds a rare Cuban crocodile as he meets the pontiff at the Vatican. The crocodile will be returned to Cuba around the time the pope visits the island.
When Pope Benedict XVI goes to Latin America in March, Mexico is an obvious choice with nearly 100 million Catholics.
But communist-run Cuba is also on his itinerary. The 84-year-old pontiff does not travel often, and this leg of his trip will be a strong show of support for Cuba's church leaders and their growing role in pushing President Raul Castro's government for change.
More than anywhere else in Cuba, the Santa Rita church in Havana's Miramar district is the place where religion and politics intersect.
Tuesday was an exciting night for Mitt Romney in New Hampshire. In mid-Ohio, not so much.
By about 9 a.m. Wednesday, the bankruptcy of a local barbecue restaurant chain was one of several stories ranked higher in the "most popular stories" list on The Columbus Dispatch's website than anything coming out of the GOP primary.
For many people, the election so far just hasn't been that interesting — and it might be even less so if Romney again rakes in the chips in South Carolina next week, adding to the perception that his nomination is virtually a done deal.
A demonstration of Oblong's g‑speak SOE (spatial operating environment), technology that was featured in the film Minority Report.
Credit Ethan Miller / Getty Images
Attendees try a prototype 3M Touch Systems projected capacitive display at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Analysts say the way we interact with computers and other devices will be radically different in a few decades.
Computer chips and technology are invading all sorts of previously dumb devices. Phones are now smart. Cars are becoming connected computers on wheels. Call it the computerization of everything. But how we interact with these machines is bound to evolve.
At this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, touch pads are everywhere — in phones, in tablets and laptop screens. And Brad Feld has had enough.
As we noted earlier, all the candidates today are in South Carolina and it did not take long before the gloves came off and as Ron previewed earlier the hardest punches came in relation to Mitt Romney's business ventures.
We've looked around for what the candidates are saying at their different campaign stops. Here's a round up, which we'll add to as the candidates make more stops: | <urn:uuid:adc1091a-9e4c-40d2-8605-1e85b8d32235> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kazu.org/npr-news?page=4474 | 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 | 0.961888 | 543 | 1.515625 | 2 |
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Governor Mark Dayton said in his State of the State speech that past state income tax cuts are partly to blame for chronic budget problems in Minnesota and that political leaders cannot afford to keep delaying difficult tax and spending decisions.
Dayton delivered the annual speech Wednesday night in the state House chamber. He said in advance excerpts provided by his office that income tax cuts in the late '90s were followed by a decade where Minnesota's economy fared worse than the nation as a whole and most other states.
The speech was largely a pitch for Dayton's proposal to hike income taxes on the wealthy and expand the state sales tax to more purchases. But Dayton also endorses same-sex marriage, an issue lawmakers might tackle later this session.
Republican leaders responded to Dayton's State of the State Wednesday evening with a news release. They said in his speech, Dayton stressed his desire for more taxes on all Minnesota families totaling $3.7 billion. And that he is also requesting that the legislature increase spending by $2.7 billion for a total of $37.9 billion in state spending for the biennium.
"Governor Dayton is asking every Minnesotan to pay more, and they're getting less from his proposed budget," said senate Republican Leader David Hann (R-Eden Prairie). "We should be focused on growing our economy, not our government and we shouldn't be asking taxpayers to pay more."
"Tonight, the Governor laid out his budget proposal that we think will hurt middle class and low income families and hinder job growth. Prior to listening to the Governor, we held a listening session where we heard from job creators from across Minnesota. They confirmed what we believe to be true: the state of the state is improving but it's a fragile recovery," said House Republican Leader Kurt Daudt (R-Crown). "Republicans want to work to steadily continue on that path to prosperity, not change course as the Governor's budget proposal suggests."
Here's the full transcript of Dayton's speech from Wednesday night:
In a State of the State Address, as in life, it's important to assess where we are, remember how we got here, decide where we want to go, and then determine how best to get there.
Comparing the state of our state today with conditions, when I took office two years ago, we have made important progress. We have much more work still ahead of us; however, we are on the way to a better Minnesota.
According to our Department of Employment and Economic Development, there are over 72,000 more jobs available in Minnesota today than when I took office two years ago. Almost 52,000 of those jobs were added in the past year.
Minnesota's job growth in 2012 was the 12th best among all 50 states; and we outperformed three of our four neighbors. Iowa ranked 30th best; South Dakota was 44th.
Wisconsin, which by the way is open for business, helped bring up the rear at 42nd. And, help spread the word across the St. Croix, their unemployment rate last month was 20% higher than ours, while our per capita income was 12% higher than theirs.
Only North Dakota, in the Upper Midwest, topped us in job growth last year, and their percent increase led the nation.
Our exports of agricultural commodities increased by 13 percent in 2012, compared with 2011. Total exports of all Minnesota goods and services have achieved eight straight quarters of record growth.
Our students' educational attainments have improved. Math scores for all tested grades, improved by 5.3 percent from 2011 to 2012, and reading scores improved overall by 1.3 percent.
We have, and continue to, lead the nation in important measures of health, including the lowest heart disease death rate, and the lowest percentage of obese or overweight children. We have the second longest life expectancy for all our citizens, and we're #1 for males.
I'll let Health Commissioner Ehlinger explain that discrepancy, and I expect that Representative Kahn will soon have a bill to correct it.
Last year, we eliminated premiums and expanded health care access for 16,000 more Minnesota children; and we were recognized for providing the Best Long Term Care Services in the nation by the AARP Commonwealth Fund.
No one should be satisfied, or complacent. However, these and many other improvements are encouraging.
We have also made great progress in restoring fiscal responsibility and operational integrity to Minnesota government, which also tells us a lot about what got us to where we are today.
I became Governor after a decade of deficits in both our federal and state governments. They squandered their positions of financial stability amidst consistent economic growth, which they enjoyed at the beginning of the 21st century,
and which were then projected to continue for at least the next decade.
Few politicians can resist the opportunity to cut taxes. President Bush proposed two large tax cuts in 2001 and 2003, which I opposed as a Senator and Congress passed. In Minnesota, Governor Ventura convinced the legislature to reduce income tax rates in both 1999 and 2000. Both leaders assumed that the strong economic growth during the last half of the 1990's would continue. Unfortunately, both were wrong.
Also wrong were the politicians and economists, who promised that cutting taxes would lead to more economic growth, jobs, and revenues. Instead, the two federal tax cuts were soon followed by two recessions, the second the most severe since the Great Depression.
In the decade after Minnesota's income tax reductions, our economy fared worse than the nation and most other states.
And at both the federal and state levels, big tax cuts followed by serious recessions produced large budget deficits, which threaten our current fiscal strength and future economic prosperity.
The solutions to those deficits were very clear. However, they were also very painful; so they were postponed, then postponed again, and again. Unfortunately, avoiding financial problems usually makes them worse. Fixing them then becomes even harder.
Thus, when I became Governor in January 2011, the State Budget Forecast projected a $6 billion deficit for the next two fiscal years. It took six months of difficult negotiations with the Republican-controlled legislature to finally agree upon a balanced budget.
Those decisions were hard for all of us and far more painful for all the Minnesotans denied needed services and assistance. But we had to enact a balanced budget, and we did.
Since then, an improving state economy and savings from health care reforms have boosted our finances by $2.5 billion for this biennium, enabling us to restore our reserves and repay over 60 percent of the previous school shifts.
We have repaired much of the fiscal damage we inherited, but we're not done yet. We face another deficit, projected at $1.1 billion, for the next biennium; and we still owe our schools another $1.1 billion.
My budget for the next biennium would lift us out of this miserable deficit-to-deficit cycle. It would eliminate the $1.1 billion deficit, balance the biennial budget, and begin the following biennium with a projected surplus that would enable us to pay back the remainder of the school shift.
My proposals have already aroused considerable controversy. Such debate is healthy in our democracy.
The genius of our system of governance is that no one gets to have it all her or his way. Starting with the governor.
Some will characterize any legislative changes in my budget as my loss. I don't see it that way, at all. The winners I care about are the people of Minnesota, whose collective best interests I was elected to represent. As were you in the legislature. Whatever outcome does the most to improve the lives of the most Minnesotans, makes winners of us all.
However, before we refocus on that controversy, I think we should look farther ahead. Former Governor Arne Carlson liked to say, "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." I appreciate that wisdom more every year.
Where do we want to go? Where do we want Minnesota to be in a year, in a decade, or more? We will not agree on every aspect.
However, if we can discover our shared goals, perhaps we will find greater accord on how best to achieve them. We can also better assess whether the path we're now on will lead us to them.
This perspective also broadens the time horizon of our decision-making. We must consider not only what is right for Minnesota today, but also what is best for Minnesota in the future.
So, what do I believe offers the best hope for a better future to most Minnesotans? I want Minnesota to provide the best jobs for our citizens, the best lives for their families, and the best environment for our businesses to provide those jobs.
Those who measure "business climate" only by tax rankings will question my strategy, although many surveys rate Minnesota lower in overall taxes than most are led to believe.
We're 15th among the states in taxes, according to the Minnesota Center for Fiscal Excellence. And we rank 11th highest in per capita income.
However, Minnesota has not been considered a "low tax" state during my almost four decades of public service. And the facts show that states offering businesses and their top executives the lowest taxes usually offer the rest of their citizens the lowest incomes, the fewest public services, and the highest crime rates.
Furthermore, their job growth typically lags "high value and high performance" states like Minnesota.
So, yes, I absolutely meant what I said. I want Minnesota to provide the best jobs for our citizens, the best lives for their families, and the best support for our businesses to provide those jobs. I want Minnesota state government to provide the best value for everyone's hard-earned tax dollars and the most efficient, effective services anywhere.
I want Minnesota to offer the world's best educations for ALL of our citizens, children and grandchildren. Educations which begin early in life, and continue throughout life; so that all of us can learn the skills, and relearn the new skills, necessary to succeed in a rapidly changing and ever-more-competitive global economy.
We know that our exceptional citizens, who are more inventive, harder working, and more productive than people anywhere, have been the most important contributors to our state's economic progress and social vitality. Most of us agree that our citizens' superior educations have been crucial to our previous successes.
And many of us agree that providing all Minnesotans with the best, most advanced, and yet affordable educational opportunities will be even more essential to their future success, and thus to ours.
I will return shortly to consider whether we are on a path toward that goal.
I want all of us, and especially Minnesota's future generations, to live in a healthy environment; in safe, inclusive communities; and with the same rights and protections as every other American citizen.
A healthy life starts with, and depends upon, clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, protected natural environments to enjoy, and a secure ecological future. No one can endure the severe droughts or floods of recent years; endure (or, some, enjoy) our milder, snow-scarce winters; lather on sunscreen to walk outdoors without being greatly alarmed.
If you're not, talk with my good friend and world-premier polar explorer, Will Steger, who is here tonight, about the drastic climate changes he has witnessed.
Even more alarming is that our state and our nation are still not doing enough to reverse this path toward global catastrophe, before it is too late.
In Minnesota, we have made real progress in areas like energy conservation, more efficient farming and manufacturing practices, and the development and use of clean, renewable energy, especially wind energy, instead of polluting fossil fuels.
The question is: are we progressing fast enough? Are we doing all we can to utilize other renewables, such as solar, and also to make Minnesota the best place to locate these new industries and their jobs?
Many of you, who served in previous legislatures, deserve great credit for your pioneering work to expand our use of clean energy, including Lieutenant Governor Yvonne Prettner Solon and former Senator Ellen Anderson, who is also here tonight.
I challenge this legislature to work again with our state's visionary clean energy advocates, large energy providers, large energy users, other stakeholders, and my administration
... to use your past achievements as springboards for Minnesota's next big leap toward a sustainable energy future.
Safe, inclusive communities benefit all Minnesotans.
Doing everything possible to stop the terrible acts of violence, which end young lives and victimize innocent people, should be an urgent priority for all of us.
Those strategies deserve and require more time than I have available tonight. Let me focus on one initiative, however, and enlist everyone's support.
Studies show that the highest incidences of juvenile delinquency and teenage pregnancy occur during the weekday hours after school. Years ago, there were more organized, supervised after-school programs for young people. The ones remaining do exceptional work; but there are not enough of them, and they struggle to find the funding to continue.
Two years ago, I challenged businesses to "Adopt a School." Some businesses, to their great credit, were already involved in improving our schools, and others accepted my challenge.
Some, however, especially smaller businesses have told me it was just too big an assignment to adopt an entire school.
So, I invite you to "Adopt an After-School Program." It might involve a financial contribution, the donation of new or used equipment, or your employees as part-time volunteers. There are so many from which to choose, and so many young people who need better options than unoccupied time, streets, and gangs.
In the coming weeks, we will be releasing more information on how you can help. In the meantime, if you need help finding a worthy program, give me a call. I believe most of you have my home phone number by now. If not, it's 651-201-3468.
For the next two weeks, however, I'm taking calls at home only from "Adopt an After-School Program" volunteers. On anything else, please call my office, at 651-201-3499.
Let me mention one other cause, which is controversial, but consistent with my faith and my principles. And, more importantly, consistent with this country's founding principles and its Constitution. I believe that every Minnesotan should have the freedom to marry legally the person she or he loves, whether of the same or other sex.
Last year, Minnesotans began a conversation about why marriage matters, and we found our common belief that it is about love, commitment, and responsibility. I want Minnesota to be a state, which affirms that freedom for one means freedom for everyone, and where no one is told it is illegal to marry the person you love.
I realize now that I could fill the rest of the evening, and most of tomorrow morning, with my goals for "A Better Minnesota." I doubt that anyone wants to sit here for that long, and we're not set up to serve breakfast!
Many of my goals, however, are contained in my budget for the next biennium, along with new and continuing strategies to help us attain them. My budget addresses two over-riding imperatives: First, to erase a $1.1 billion deficit and balance the rest of it, while continuing to improve the efficiency and quality of state services; and Second, to make the investments necessary to move Minnesota ahead.
How does it meet the first requirement? The old-fashioned way: by decreasing spending, enacting cost-saving reforms and raising revenues. My budget is balanced, fair and honest-there are no gimmicks, no games.
I reduce projected state spending, while increasing investments in more jobs and better education. I continue our significant progress in improving the quality and the efficiency of state services.
And I raise revenues responsibly for the first time in many years, while also making our tax structure fairer for hard-working, middle-income Minnesotans.
My budget would reduce overall state spending for the next biennium by $1.8 billion below what was projected, when I took office in 2011. Back then, the State Budget Forecast predicted that laws enacted by the previous governor and legislature would result in expenditures of almost $39.7 billion during Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015. My current budget proposes spending $37.9 billion in that biennium, $1.8 billion less than originally forecasted.
That's worth repeating. My proposed budget for the next biennium would spend $1.8 billion less than was forecasted for those two years, when I took office.
Those who criticize my supposed lack of spending reductions evidently do not understand that many of the $2 billion cuts we made two years ago for the current biennium were permanent; and lowered spending by $2.5 billion in the next biennium, before I made my new proposals.
Take state funding for higher education, for example, which comprises the University of Minnesota, the MnSCU system, and student financial aid. Facing an overall $6 billion deficit,
the 2011 legislature and I had to cut state support for higher education by 12 percent, to 2 billion, 568 million dollars.
Last November's Budget Forecast assumed the next biennium's expenditures for higher education would be the same as in the current biennium. Take a look. There are no spending increases for higher education; so, the previous 12 percent cut would continue into the next one.
However, that significant cut is only the latest reduction in state support for higher education. Last weekend, I searched the Department of Management & Budget's computerized archives, looking for a previous biennium, when the State of Minnesota spent less money, in real dollars, to support higher education.
I couldn't find one in records, which go back to the 1996/1997 biennium. I did learn that in real dollars, our state spends $569 million less on higher education in the current biennium, than we did 16 years ago.
I asked the MMB staff to look back even further, into the paper records. They found that the last time we actually spent less to support higher education, in real dollars, than we are in FY12-13 ... was in FY80-81.
I'll say it again. In every biennium since FY80-81, real state spending for all of postsecondary education has been higher than it is today.
My budget would add $240 million in higher ed. funding for the next biennium. That counts as spending increase, which, technically, it is. However, it falls over $100 million short of restoring the funding cut from FY10/11; and it still leaves state support for higher education hundreds of million dollars below the real levels 20 and even 30 years ago.
No wonder the most recent comparison of the 50 states by their expenditures for higher education per $1000 of personal income ranked Minnesota only 32nd. And no wonder tuitions keep rising, making a Minnesota college education less and less affordable for students and their families.
How much lower will we reduce our spending for postsecondary education, either in real dollars or compared to other states? Experts everywhere say that the quality and affordability of higher education is key to our future economic success. Does anyone believe that continuing to reduce our commitment to higher education is the path to a Better Minnesota?
Analyzing other areas of state government spending yields similar results. During the past decade, our state leaders reduced expenditures for many public services, both in real dollars and in comparison to other states. The latest survey places Minnesota 33rd among the states in total expenditures for K-12 education per $1000 of personal income; 37th for health and hospitals; 19th for police protection; and 48th for fighting fires.
Are we better off today after all those reductions in public services? I say, "No." Trying to cut our way to a Better Minnesota is a failed experiment.
That is why my budget takes a balanced approach. Real spending cuts are partly offset by responsible increases, mostly for better education from early childhood through post-secondary and for job creation incentives. Both are critical to assuring future economic opportunities and enhancing our quality of life.
Overall spending reductions and selective increases are one part of my balanced approach to eliminating the deficit, balancing the budget, and moving Minnesota ahead. Another important strategy is to expand the significant reforms, which my administration has made during its first two years in reducing the costs of services and improving their efficiencies.
We have instituted more reforms and achieved greater progress during our first two years than in all of the previous eight years. I will briefly mention just a few.
Today, Minnesota has retaken its rightful place as a national leader in health care reform. The cost of providing health care for increasing numbers of our citizens has, for years, been the most rapidly growing part of our state budget, as is true for virtually every other state. Curbing those cost increases, while expanding quality and affordable health care to all of our citizens, is crucial.
Our Department of Human Services contracts with managed care providers and insurance companies for most of its health care services. Thus our first target for reform was the way the state had previously contracted for those services; and we have already achieved significant cost savings.
Commissioner Lucinda Jesson's tremendous success in negotiating a 1 percent profit cap on existing contracts and putting the largest new contracts out for competitive bids, have saved state and federal taxpayers over $1 billion.
Our reforms do not stop there. My new budget proposes a comprehensive redesign of the fastest growing part of our HHS budget, our long term care system. By providing more choices to keep seniors and people with disabilities in their homes, with better care, we save $151 million in the short term. More importantly, we will have built a system that is financially sustainable when the age wave descends upon Minnesota starting in 2020.
Last week, we announced yet another reform measure that will change how the state pays for public health insurance, providing better care for 100,000 Minnesotans, and saving taxpayers an estimated $90 million.
Finally, Minnesota is one of the leading states in implementing this country's sweeping and far-reaching reform of providing and paying for health care.
Over the next two years, our public programs will provide health care to an additional 145,000 poor Minnesotans who do not have insurance today. These are people who otherwise access care through costly emergency room visits, harming their health and driving up the price of health care for all of us.
And through the creation of a Minnesota Insurance Exchange, we will enable individuals, families, and businesses to make more informed decisions about good, affordable health care coverage.
In education, we have worked with DFL and Republican legislators, business executives, and other civic leaders to establish state support for early childhood learning programs, a quality rating system, and scholarships for low-income children.
My new budget would expand significantly early learning opportunities for children statewide. My proposal to provide state funds for optional all-day kindergarten would provide a continuum of learning from early childhood into first grade and beyond.
Two years ago, we worked with the legislature to make administrative and legislative reforms that streamlined businesses' permit application processes. We shortened the time taken by the Pollution Control Agency, to review permit applications to a maximum of 150 days, for all but the largest projects. We are now progressing toward the next goal of reducing those timelines to 90 days.
We're not done reforming. In fact, we're just getting started. Back in 1998, when I first ran for Governor, a campaign that most people have forgotten and I would like to, there was a television commercial for the soft-drink Seven-Up. Contrasting itself to Coke and Pepsi, it proudly called itself the "un-cola."
In my campaign, I proposed making an even-year legislative session "The Unsession." Except for responding to a fiscal or other emergency and passing a bonding bill, the session would be devoted to eliminating unnecessary or redundant laws, rules, and regulations; reducing the verbiage in those that remain; shortening the timelines for developing and implementing them; and undoing anything else, which makes government nearly impossible to understand, operate, or support.
I suggest making next year's legislative session the first "Unsession." After this session is concluded ... on time, in May ... I will ask my agency heads and legislative staff to begin making lists, checking them twice, and working with any legislators, other public officials, and citizens, who wish to spearhead these reforms.
The third component of my balanced budget approach raises state revenues, which will be necessary to eliminate the deficit and still prevent further reductions in the services and assistance that many Minnesotans need.
Raising revenues requires asking someone to pay more taxes. Making taxes fairer requires asking more of those citizens and corporations, who now pay less than their proportionate share.
Few people like paying taxes, even when they're fair. No one likes paying more taxes, even when necessary to make them fair.
But when taxes are unfair ... and remain unfair, not only do the people who are forced to pay more, rightfully resent it; but they also lose faith in their elected officials, who won't change it. Today, more and more hard-working, middle-class Minnesotans believe that the state's tax structure is unfair to them.
And they're right. The facts compiled by the nonpartisan staff at the Minnesota Department of Revenue show that the richest Minnesotans pay less of their incomes in state and local taxes than most other Minnesotans. Large multi-national corporations headquartered here admit their effective tax rates are well below the 9.8% paid by many smaller businesses.
Thanks to the excellent work of Minnesota 2020, I recently became aware of a new study,
by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, which confirms the Department of Revenue's analysis. It found that middle-class Minnesotans pay 26 percent more state and local taxes per dollar of income than do the top one percent of our state's income earners.
When people who have the most pay the least, this state and nation are in trouble. When lobbyists protect tax favors for special interests at the cost of everyone else's best interests,
this state and nation are in trouble. My goal is to get us out of trouble.
As I see it, we have three basic budget options.
Plan A is the one I have proposed, or something close to it.
Plan B is to stick with our current tax structure, or something close to it.
Plan C is something better. No one would be happier than me to see a good Plan C. I'm still looking and I'm sure listening. But without one, our choices are between Plans A and B.
Let me briefly address some of my concerns with Plan B, sticking with the status quo. Most of us want stability and certainty in our lives. When confronted with the need for change and its resulting uncertainties, it's human nature to hunker down, hang on, and hope that the established order will return.
Today's reality, however, is that the old order doesn't show any signs coming back. Our state and our nation are engulfed by the new, global economy. We either act now to move ahead, or let ourselves fall behind.
Retaining the current tax structure doesn't even solve our current budget problems; much less advance our state to a better future. It still leaves a $1.1 billion deficit, which I insist must be resolved through honest, responsible measures.
It leaves important services severely cut. And it leaves us unable to make the new investments, especially in jobs, economic growth, and education that I believe are essential to a Better Minnesota.
I have a respectful, but strong, disagreement with some of the other elected officials here tonight, about the value of public investments in, and incentives for, economic growth. My father and uncles taught me the paramount importance of continuous private and public investments in improving the communities in which people work and live. In my job, I apply that principle to the "community" of Minnesota.
For two years, my proposals to make capital investments in the downtowns of major cities, like St. Paul, Duluth, Rochester, Mankato, and St. Cloud, and investments in smaller, but equally essential projects throughout Minnesota were rejected by Republican legislative leaders.
Despite a lagging construction industry and good Minnesotans in the building trades unable to find work, they just said No.
Well, just saying No just won't work ... not in Rochester, where the renowned Mayo Clinic wants us to help them continue to outclass their competitors in other states and other countries ... and to continue doing so from Rochester. I thank Mayo, whose CEO Dr. John Noseworthy is with us tonight as a guest of Speaker Thissen, for giving Minnesota this chance to partner with them and help assure their world medical pre-eminence for decades to come ... in Rochester, Minnesota.
Our vitally important agriculture economy is crucial to our state's future. We cannot afford NOT to keep making new investments to support innovation, new production efficiencies, and even greater prosperity. That is why state funding for the Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation Program must remain a high priority.
I have shared with University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler, who is here this evening, my high priority to return the University's Medical School to the national prominence it has previously achieved; and he has told me that he shares that goal. That turnaround, however, will require public investments.
I have talked with MnSCU Chancellor Rosenstone about the critical importance of his campuses retooling their programs to prepare their students for the jobs of the future. I know that the Chancellor is addressing this imperative. However, revising curricula, modernizing equipment, and upgrading technology all will require public investments.
And I have not even mentioned tonight ... nor does my budget address ... the critical need to invest in improving our highways, roads, and bridges statewide; our public transit systems; our ageing infrastructure; and the list goes on.
We can choose, as others in our positions have before us, to ignore these growing problems, avoid fixing them, and hope they don't crash down upon us, while we're in office.
Or, we can lead. That is what the people of Minnesota elected us to do. That is what they need us to do.
They need us to lead our state forward. Not back to failed ideologies of the past, now masquerading in new jargon. Not remaining locked into what might have worked in the past; but is faltering now, and will likely fail in the future.
It is an awesome responsibility - to know that Minnesota's future will depend, in part, on the choices that we are called upon to make.
Those choices will not be easy; and some of them will not be popular. But it is time to prove that Minnesota's leaders are capable of more than ideological skirmishes and political stalemates, which offend our state's citizens and jeopardize our state's future.
This is our time and our responsibility ... to work together and build a state that works.
So, if you're coming to this State Capitol during the next four months, bring your best ideas and your sincere convictions. Bring your work boots and your hard hats. If you're interested in nothing more than throwing rocks and casting blame, send the rest of us a letter ... or a postcard.
But if you really want to pitch in, all the way in, even sacrifice a little of your self-interest for everyone's better interests ... welcome. We need you. Your state needs you.
And please remember always. You're here to serve the best interests of all the people of Minnesota. Not just your clients. Not just your constituents. Not just the people, who agree with you. Or who agree with me.
You are here. I am here. We are all here ... to serve All of Minnesota. To serve the cause of a Better Minnesota.
So, let us begin.
(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press & KARE. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ) | <urn:uuid:a93d9104-386c-400d-8990-be0532e6c988> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kare11.com/news/article/1009735/222/Dayton-says-tax-cuts-caused-Minn-budget-problems | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965661 | 6,722 | 1.507813 | 2 |
State must apply all it's already learned
The Denver Post has reported that the state is drafting new regulations for medical marijuana growers and retailers, and one of the changes is the deletion of a requirement that all such businesses have video-surveillance systems into which state auditors could tap, via the Internet.
That was an expense for the businesses, but - surprise! - the state surveillance never happened.
What is perhaps not so surprising is that now that recreational marijuana use and possession have been legalized, the market for "medical" marijuana has shrunk dramatically and that industry has shed many of the problems involved with being the only legal way to obtain pot. Cancer and glaucoma patients don't need to be surveilled. The pretense of chronic pain is no longer necessary for marijuana users, although the problem remains severe with other legal medications used recreationally.
Now a task force is working on guidelines for the recreational-marijuana industry. According to the Post, "That task force has divided into five subgroups to discuss issues related to criminal law, social concerns, employment relationships and others. Some of those subgroups have now divided into sub-subgroups to further study the matter."
With its deadline for broad recommendations only a month away, the task force already has urged Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and the state's congressional delegation to work to resolve conflicts that prevent banks from working with marijuana businesses. The proceeds of marijuana sales are no longer money to be laundered but income to be accounted for and taxed.
The much larger issue is that possession, use and cultivation of marijuana are still against federal law. Prosecuting recreational use of marijuana is not a high priority for the Obama administration, which, if it wants to wage a war on drugs, has much larger targets. That policy of not bothering with pot has helped Colorado's medical marijuana industry flourish, but it leaves the state in a quandary when it comes to regulating an industry that remains technically illegal. Neither Colorado nor the administration have any interest in a coffer-draining states-rights court case over this topic, but a line does exist which Colorado would be wise not to cross.
The process of figuring out how to preserve public safety and a broad list of competing rights isn't one that will be completed quickly, but everyone involved - including law enforcement personnel - need to know what's allowed and what's out of bounds. Among other considerations, economic development is at stake. Employers must not be forced to accommodate workers who are recreationally impaired. Laws related to alcohol and prescription drugs can help, in separate ways, but Colorado is out in front on marijuana. Everyone can hope that the regulations will be less cumbersome and more effective than those applied to medical marijuana. They must be clear and easy to understand. They must be effective. Violations must be prosecutable, in a way that avoids harassment while safeguarding public interests.
If Coloradans don't want "the stoner state" to become the state's defining monicker - and they definitely shouldn't, because there's a whole lot more going on here - the state needs to get this right, in a way it didn't with medical marijuana. | <urn:uuid:a4755b33-176c-41a5-a7b5-ed8eda5b2226> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cortezjournal.com/article/20130128/OPINION01/130129843/0/COLUMNISTS16/Marijuana | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965047 | 646 | 1.507813 | 2 |
SleepSafe Drivers, Inc., a provider of sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment programs for truck fleet operations, has announced positive preliminary results from a clinical trial focused on testing and treating truck drivers suffering with sleep apnea. The clinical trial is a collaborative effort between J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., SleepSafe Drivers, Inc., and Fusion Sleep LLC, a provider of clinical sleep medicine services to patients and employers.
According to SleepSafe Drivers, J.B. Hunt is now accelerating the pace of the trial and expects to continue expanding the program over time. The goal of the trial, which is backed by an independent review board, is to improve the health and safety of drivers. The trial results will also document any cost savings from reduced medical expenses and lower accidents as a consequence of the program.
“We are committed to enhancing the safety and health of our drivers, and SleepSafe Drivers is helping us get that done," said Greer Woodruff, sr. vp of corporate safety & security at J.B. Hunt. "One of our Million Mile drivers recently told us that he felt the sleep apnea program had literally saved his life. After starting APAP [Autosetting Positive Airway Pressure] therapy, that driver has lost 115 pounds, knocked out his challenging and chronic daytime fatigue, and was able to begin exercising again for the first time in years. There is absolutely no doubt that he is healthier and safer as a result of the program.”
SleepSafe Drivers president, Dana Voien, told Fleet Owner that he believes the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration and other interested parties want to see independent research and papers prepared on this subject. “We have been doing clinical audits all along the way,” Voien said. “We hope to bring a scientific rigor to this that addresses the facts about sleep apnea and its diagnosis and treatment.”
According to Voien, sleep apnea affects about 6% to 12% of the adult male population, but 28% to 30% of truck drivers, a factor he ties to the unusually high obesity rate among drivers. In addition to being a potential safety risk on the highway, drivers with sleep apnea face a long list of increased health risks, he noted, including hypertension, diabetes, memory loss, chronic fatigue, obesity, and a doubling of the chance of heart attack and stroke.
“You know how you feel when you haven’t been able to sleep well for a night or two,” Voien said. “People with sleep apnea never get a good night’s sleep. They see a significant improvement [in how they feel] after only one or two nights of treatment.”
What sets SleepSafe Drivers apart, according to Voien, is the company’s ability to handle an entire sleep apnea program for a fleet, from screening through compliance monitoring and verification. “We can handle driver screening, mobile testing of high-likelihood drivers for sleep apnea, daily treatment and monitoring, and program compliance verification,” he noted. “We stick with drivers being treated.”
When asked why sleep apnea is only now getting so much attention among truck fleets, Voien pointed to relatively recent improvements in diagnosis and treatment. “Now routine monitoring is really possible,” he said. “That is so important; it changes how treatment can function at the fleet level.
“The equipment has also dramatically improved, making it easier for mobile workers to use,” he continued. “Ten years ago, [treatment] machines were big and loud, now they are about the size of half a loaf of bread and nearly silent. The masks are also much more comfortable to wear at night and most insurance companies will now pay for replacement of masks every six months and the APAP devices every five years.” | <urn:uuid:201be63b-060e-4e1a-ab23-711600e50471> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fleetowner.com/management/news/hunt-sleep-apnea-trial-1125 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963341 | 795 | 1.539063 | 2 |
“You are so motivated to make sure the trip goes smoothly, because you know that the organs of these two kids are now going to save the lives of more than just a handful of other kids.”
Last june, Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal published a tabloid-style exposé of high-ranking executives' personal use of corporate aircraft. Since then, our research into the movements of Murdoch's corporate jets–using the Journal's own "Jet Tracker" online snooping tool–has uncovered what can only be described as a heaping helping of hypocrisy.
In its newspaper exposé and website narratives, the Journal ignored the fleet of News America, a subsidiary of Murdoch's News Corp. Its airplanes include a 1993 Gulfstream GIV, N56L; a 2004 Gulfstream G550 (shown above), N89NC; and a 1999 Boeing BBJ, N889NC. (The BBJ has recently been offered for sale. See Bulletin on page 36) All three aircraft are enrolled in the FAA's Barr program, which is designed to block their movements from public scrutiny.
An examination of the Journal's Jet Tracker database shows that Murdoch and his top News America executives use these aircraft extensively for what appear to be personal purposes. In fact, over the last four years, there have been some months during which this fleet apparently flew more hours for personal reasons than for business ones: chasing the owner's megayacht to exotic ports around the globe or frequently dropping in on his Northern California ranch; flying Murdoch's third wife back to her native China; and ferrying him, other family members and top executives to recreational hot spots such as Martha's Vineyard; Hyannis; Los Cabos; St. Maarten; Nice; Catanzaro (Italy); the Providenciales; Las Vegas; Bozeman (during winter ski season); Sun Valley; West Palm Beach; Miami; Napa; Aspen; Vail; Guayaquil; Punta Delgado; St. Kitts; Marsh Harbor; Baja; Bridgetown; the Grenadines; Tortola; St. Lucia; and Vantaa, Finland.
During December 2010, the last month for which the WSJ Jet Tracker provides data, Murdoch's fleet flew 75.6 hours and it appears that 30.26 of those hours were for what could reasonably be regarded as personal trips. Destinations included Monterey, Calif. (where Murdoch owns a ranch); Miami; St. Maarten; San Juan; West Palm Beach; St. Kitts; and Hailey, Idaho.
However, this log pales in comparison with that for August 2010, when Murdoch's jets flew 64.08 hours, with 47.36 of them for apparently personal travel to the resort port of Catanzaro, Italy; Monterey; a week in Ireland; New Hampshire; and Hyannis.
An examination of the 1,206 flights conducted by Murdoch's jets from 2007 through 2010 shows 69 flights to/from Martha's Vineyard; 72 flights to/from Monterey, Calif.; 51 flights to/from Bozeman, Mont. during the winter ski season; 27 flights to/from St. Maarten; and 12 flights to/from the resort town of Nice, France. Those five destinations alone accounted for 19.15 percent of all fleet flights and it is reasonable to question whether any were purely for business.
Murdoch's $37 billion global media empire does appear to make extensive and legitimate use of its business jet fleet. It frequently flies executives from its New York headquarters to Los Angeles, where the bulk of its movie and television holdings are located.
There is also ample evidence that Murdoch and his executives are adept at combining business and personal travel. Murdoch's business does require constant wooing of advertisers, often with entertainment and travel. Corporate jets are powerful tools for these purposes. In the continuing aftermath of 9/11, there also are legitimate security reasons why high-value executives should fly privately.
That said, the WSJ exposé and its ongoing online assault on business aviation have done incalculable damage to an industry that is already under siege by those who do not understand the value it provides. And it appears that the assault is coming from an organization that is engaged in the very behavior it is criticizing.
This article is adapted from one that first appeared in BJT sisterpublication Aviation International News. For the full report–including a month-by-month record of flights by Murdoch's BBJ and Gulfstream G550–visit www.ainonline.com/Murdoch. | <urn:uuid:fcaa6c50-5be2-4bc6-bc4e-9e14ff547a35> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bjtonline.com/business-jet-news/wheres-rupert?qt-most_popular=0 | 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 | 0.94622 | 942 | 1.585938 | 2 |
The Vedado area of Havana is the most modern of all the quarters. Marked by high rises and a four lane highway, it's not the most picturesque area of Havana. That said, Vedado is the commercial hub of Havana and contains the workings of any major city downtown area such as government offices, hotels, and shops.There are several major attractions in Vedado, the most important being the monument to revolutionary hero José Martí. Also of note is the historical quarter that is marked by beautiful old homes. Getting around is best done by taxi, as distances between sights are too far to walk except for the very committed.
Plaza de la Revolucion (Jose Marti Memorial)
The Plaza de la Revolucion, formerly the Plaza Civica prior to the Revolution, is the sight of many of Havana's major historical events. In 1998, during Pope John Paul II's visit to Cuba, he celebrated mass in the Plaza de la Revolucion. Castro also uses this square, which has seen over a million people crowd in here at times, as a platform for delivering speeches.In the center of the Plaza de la Revolucion is an unmistakable memorial to Jose Marti. A gray tower standing 109m / 358ft dominates the square. At the base is a large statue of Jose Marti in white marble, and below the statue is the entrance to the interior of the Jose Marti Memorial, which contains a museum on Marti. There is also a lift, which visitors can take up the tower for incredible views over the Havana.
National Theatre of Cuba
The Teatro Nacional de Cuba is a less than appealing modern building which contains two separate auditoriums, the Sala Avellaneda and the Sala Covarrubias, with a total seating capacity of approximately 3,300. This venue is used for all types of cultural events including, theatre productions, musical concerts, ballet, lectures, workshops and more. In addition to the auditoriums the Teatro Nacional de Cuba has smaller rooms used primarily for education purposes, as well as an onsite piano lounge and café.Although the building is not that exciting from a visual standpoint, the large number of productions that are held here may be of interest to visitors.
Necropolis Colon (Cementerio Colon)
There are as many graves in the Necropolis Colon as there are people in the city of Havana. This is the second largest cemetery in the world, covering 56 hectares, or more than 135 acres, and containing about 2 million graves. The Necropolis Colon, also called Cementerio Colon, was created in the 1870s and 1880s, and designed by Calixto de Loira.It is worth a visit just to see the carved tombstones, some of which are amazing pieces of art. Some of the attractions within the cemetery are the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias Monument with a grand arch leading into this area that contains the remains of Revolutionary heroes, and the Falla Bonet Pantheon with a statue of Christ by Benlliure. There is also a memorial to the students killed while they were attacking the Palace of Batista's in 1957.
The Malecón (El Malecon) is a must see for every visitor. This wonderful stretch of coastline in Havana is a pleasant place to stroll and people watch. Conceived in 1901 and parts built in 1902 and beyond, the Malecon is a stroll through the history of Havana. This area runs 7km / 4mi from the Habana Vieja quarter to the Vedado and Plaza area.Along the Malecon visitors will find an assortment of well preserved 20th Century buildings that represent a mixture of architectural styles including Art Deco and Neo Moorish. The buildings are a photographer's delight as many have been painted in pastel pinks and yellows and seem to positively glow in the late afternoon sun.The Malecon is also a pleasant way to meet local inhabitants of Havana and for those who enjoy fishing, the area is a noted hotspot.
Museum of Decorative Arts
Havana's Museo De Artes Decorativas has a home befitting its extensive collection of decorative items. The building is the sumptuous former residence of Countess de Revilla de Camargo. Built in 1927, the home is done in the neo-Classical style inside and out.Highlights of the collection include fine cabinet work of 18th Century French and English furniture along with porcelain items from the Far East, including items of Baccarat, Venetian, and Catalonian crystal. A famous rug from 1772 woven by Franchis Carolus is the highlight of the exhibits, as are two paintings from Hubert Robert, The Swing and Waterfall at Tivoli.
Casa de las Americas
For art lovers touring Havana, the Casa de las Americas is a must see attraction. This institution is home to an extensive collection of Latin American paintings and graphic art from the 1960s to present day. The Casa de las Americas is housed in an Art Deco building built shortly after the Cuban Revolution. It was founded by Haydee Santamaria, one of the heroines of the armed struggle.The Casa de las Americas is located just down the way from some of Havana's modern center and some of its tallest buildings.
More Havana Attractions
Popular Destinations Nearby | <urn:uuid:e5697f13-5e17-4a31-ae16-faac3878e1e9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.planetware.com/havana/vedado-cub-cdh-v.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948732 | 1,118 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Ira Glass on Telling Stories
I found this YouTube clip (see below) a while back, but thought about it again recently in relationship to what we do here at Luther. Lecturing, preaching, leading Bible studies, much of this is dependent on telling stories. This clip is of Ira Glass, host of NPR's This American Life, one of the great storytellers of our generation. He's talking here about how to tell a great story. One of my favorite words of wisdom:
...often you have the two parts of this structure, you've got the anecdote and you've got the moment of reflection. And often you'll have an anecdote that just kills, it's just so interesting ... it's so surprising and so many things happen and you meet these great characters, and it means absolutely nothing.
Ah, the problem of beginning preachers ... myself included. | <urn:uuid:07f763ce-bddd-4bc4-8c77-f074a05e22f1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.luthersem.edu/technology/freerangelearning.aspx?m=3725&tag=tips&post=250&utm_source=&utm_medium=redirect&utm_campaign=lsemtiny&lsemtiny=eTKeI | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968151 | 180 | 1.640625 | 2 |
*Open Studio Visiting Creative, Marc Knobloch is the Vice President of Aron Knobloch Inc., a third generation, family owned diamond and diamond jewelry wholesale firm that has been selling diamonds for over sixty years. To read his Bio, click here
Best Diamond for Your Project…
In this, the follow-up article to “Jewelry Artist’s Guide to Diamond Buying (Part One- Beginner)”, I will address the issue of a jewelry project budget and how diamonds fit into it.
In my first article, I mentioned that you, the artist/buyer, are the one who determines your budget and not the diamond seller. Make sure you know that final number when speaking with a diamond merchant and adhere to it. However, there is one minor clarification that needs to be made to that thought.
You DO need to keep in mind that your budget dollars may not match up to what you expect to get in diamond color/clarity. This is where you need to trust your diamond merchant to guide you.
A good diamond merchant will work with you to bring the price of the diamonds up or down to match your budget by adjusting the color and/or clarity. There usually is not enough room to adjust the diamond size because it’s dictated by your design. In addition, small adjustments in size usually do not impact the diamond budget significantly one way or another.
In working with clients, I like to suggest that to stick to their diamond budget, they keep the color level the same but drop the clarity. Another option I like to offer is raising the color significantly and then dropping the clarity in an equally significant fashion. Since diamonds are priced “per carat” and the color/clarity level figures heavily into this price, the adjustments I’m suggesting can make all the difference between having exquisite diamonds in a jewelry piece or adding an “acceptable” diamond to your art.
Adjusting the clarity level is possible because most of the clarity levels are indicative of inclusions (flaws) that are not visible to the naked eye and are only visible with the aid of 10x magnification (usually via a tool known as a “loupe”). While some artists may want a very high clarity, this is usually via a misconception that they need to have a high clarity. Artists should realize and take comfort in the fact that a diamond’s clarity simply can’t be seen with the naked eye (with the exception of clarity levels I1, I2 and I3 which I will discuss in another article), therefore can be less of an issue when purchasing.
The nice thing about dropping the clarity level significantly is that you can keep the color the same or even raise it. Since diamonds rely on visual “naked eye” beauty and color is something that the eye can see without magnification, I suggest you focus your price-per-carat dollars on the diamond’s color as much as possible.
Have you had diamond-buying experiences? Were they good? Are you thinking of purchasing diamonds for your work? Please leave your comments and SHARE this article by clicking the buttons below. Thanks!
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Open Studio ~ Creative Mentoring! | <urn:uuid:b9844ef9-f0de-47a9-aa45-e4c2c9e767a2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://openstudiocoach.com/tag/how-to-use-diamonds-in-art/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951252 | 683 | 1.539063 | 2 |
The area is characterized by an urban typology of periphery of the city center marked by the presence of vast estate of dwellings. The project is a real element of animation and redevelopment within the district.
Creating a shared square nearby the school complex, the multi purpose hall and the gymnasium leads to a transition space between the public road and the buildings, generating a meeting space for parents and residents.
These local facilities give impetus to the development of the district and, therefore, must assert itself as quality contemporary buildings.
The square from the Martin Luther King Avenue is structured to distribute all programs: multipurpose hall, gymnasium, kindergarten, elementary school, recreation center. The hill just extend to encompass the hall.
A planted patio separates the entrances to the two schools and visually connects the square to the slope of the neighboring parcels. It seemed important to maintain transparency to the extensive green space, strong elements of the site.
Each entity has its own clean operation, and is completely independent from the rest with its outdoor spaces and gardens. The varied views and atmospheres we offer for different programs contribute to strengthen the sense of evolution within the same site.
It is for us to create a project in harmony with the landscape quality of the site, while affirming the public aim of the building, which also must respond to a trouble‐free operation. | <urn:uuid:da1d7c0a-6008-40ef-87d6-5d6f3797f5a8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.archdaily.com/283998/groupe-scolaire-normandie-niemen-gaetan-le-penhuel-architectes/ | 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 | 0.933788 | 274 | 1.648438 | 2 |
The composer Handel, cruelly caricatured by his soon to be ex-friend Joseph Goupy after a massive eating session. There is now a new theory behind Handel's obesity and gargantuan appetite, he may have suffered from binge-eating disorder. This theory also suggests his ill health and death were caused by lead poisoning due to drinking vast quantities of wine.
Today he would be a suitable target for Channel 4 or even held up as an example of a dangerous threat to the civilised world.
Instead we are left with the music; beauty emanating from the obese. | <urn:uuid:b15a4169-7545-4351-916b-91df54038be5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fatmanonakeyboard.blogspot.com/2009/04/another-fat-man-on-keyboard.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981489 | 120 | 1.554688 | 2 |
A co-worker and myself are having a friendly bike / run contest. What is a good ratio for miles ridden vs. miles run? I know it depends on pace. But I'm curious what a generally accepted range of ratios might be.
If you want to do a competition which gives a (good runner, mediocre cyclist) even chances against a (good cyclist, mediocre runner) then you might use the same ratio as the Ironman triathlon.
It has a 112-mile (180.25 km) bike and a marathon 26.2-mile (42.2 km) run which puts the ratio of distance cycled/distance run at roughly 17/4.
Based on questions in comments, let me clarify.
I think 17/4 is probably well on the low side for a long race. I've done a double metric century with 3km of climbing and ridden the next day. I doubt I could run the day after a marathon on anything but a gentle downhill slope.
For shorter distances though, it seems more reasonable. If I push myself for 10km (6.2 miles), I expect it would take more out of me than if I hammered for 42km (26 miles) miles, but that's because I'm a better cyclist. I think the hammering would take just as much extra out of some runner friends of mine.
Weak cyclists can benefit from drafting a strong cyclist in a way that weak runners can't, but I think I'm strong enough to drop a strong runner/weak cyclist so that isn't a factor. I would definitely try to have the ride first though, because otherwise the run might take enough out of me that I would have more trouble dropping a tail.
|show 3 more comments|
The short answer to your question is "probably between 2.5 and 3.5 miles; the faster the runner the closer to 2.5 while the slower the runner the closer to 3.5." The long answer is quite long.
As you already noted in your question, the full answer depends on pace; but it also depends on the surface being run or ridden on, whether it is up hill, down hill, or flat, whether it is windy or calm, and how "aero" the cyclist is. That said, if we are talking about a road bike on a firm flat surface under calm conditions, it is possible to make some estimates of the “equivalent” distance. The simple answer is given in the chart below, which relates the distance one must cycle in a given amount of time to equal the effort in running a mile at a given pace.
In this chart, the x-axis is the run pace for a mile and the y-axis shows the distance one must cycle in the same amount of time. For example, if you can run a mile in 4 minutes, an equivalent cycling distance if you were riding "in the drops" would be to ride about 2 miles in the same 4 minutes (that is, to average 30 mph). If you ran a mile at a 10 minute/mile pace, it would take you 10 minutes to run a mile and an equivalent cycling distance would be to ride about 3.5 miles in the same 10 minutes (that is, to average about 21 mph).
How was the chart calculated? In running, the power needed to run X meters/second is approximately X watts/kg of body weight (cf. Hall, Figueroa, Fernhall, and Kanaley, 2004 or McArdle, Katch & Katch, 2007), while the power needed to ride at Y meters/second varies with Y^3 (cf. Wilson and Papadopoulos, 2007). Thus, if we know the amount of time it takes to run a mile, the weight of the individual and the bike, and some other simplifying assumptions we can make the conversion. An exact estimate of running power will depend on the individual's gross metabolic efficiency, the runner's energetic economy (that is, how economical in an energy sense is the individual's running style), and the runner's resting metabolic rate, but it is commonly observed that for a normal-sized individual without unusual abilities or disabilities, energy expenditure while running on a firm flat surface will range between about 0.8 to 1.1 kcal/kg/km. Thus, a common rule of thumb is that running requires about 1 kcal/kg/km. There are 4.2 joules per kilocalorie but gross metabolic efficiency usually lies in the range of 19-25%; if we assume a value of 23.8% for GME, we can derive the happy simplification that (running speed in meters per second)*(body weight in kg) is a reasonable estimate of power in watts; or speed in meters/second ~ watts/kg.
For this chart, I first calculated the speed in meters per second for various running paces along the x-axis, from a 4 minute mile (= ~6.7 m/s) to a 10 minute mile (= ~2.7 m/s). By the running rule of thumb, this requires roughly 6.7 watts/kg down to about 2.7 watts/kg. I then presumed “average” values for the coefficient of rolling resistance (Crr) of .005, flat ground, no wind, and a CdA (drag area) of the cyclist of 0.25, 0.33, and 0.42 sq. meters (typical of a road bike rider "on aerobars", "in the drops", and "on the hoods") and calculated the cycling speed for a cyclist able to produce between 6.7 watts/kg and 2.7 watts/kg. The running pace defines a total amount of time needed to run a mile so the question becomes "how far must a cyclist producing this much power ride in the same amount of elapsed time?" Knowing the speed and the elapsed time lets us calculate the distance. That is what is shown on the y-axis. Note that for the fastest runners, the equivalent cycling distance approaches 2 miles while for the slowest runners competing against the most aerodynamic cyclists, the equivalent cycling distance approaches 4 miles. Thus, for a friendly race between you and your co-worker, if neither of you is a world-class athlete, a reasonable range is 2.5x - 3.5x the running distance to handicap a race so that you both finish in approximately the same time.
If the cyclist were a bit more aerodynamic (for example, if the cyclist used aerobar extensions and subsequent CdA was below 0.25 m^2) the curve would move upward and the rider would have to ride farther in the same amount of time (that is, faster) to match the runner's energy expenditure. If the cyclist were a bit less aerodynamic (for example, if the cyclist's position was more upright, or was wearing loose and flappy clothing) the rider would be expending energy at a faster rate so the curve would move down.
A rough validation of this approximation is that, anecdotally, people who both run and cycle say that running 10 km in about 42 minutes is roughly about as hard as riding 40 km in an hour. That's a running pace of about 6:45 per mile, and the chart equates that to cycling about 2.75 miles in 6:45, or about 24.5 mph -- which is 39 km/h. Our rule of thumb for equivalence is "between 2.5 and 3.5 times as far; closer to 2.5 times if the runner is fast and closer to 3.5 for a slower runner." Running a mile at a 6:45 pace is moderately fast, so we would expect the equivalent multiplier for cycling distance to be closer to 2.5 than to 3.5 -- as you can see, the predicted multiplier is 2.75 so the rule of thumb appears to work. Further evidence can be gathered from duathlons or triathlons. Below you can see data from the 2010 Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The Ironman comprises a 2.3-mile ocean swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile marathon. The scatterplot matrix below shows the swim, bike, and run times (in hours) for each of the finishers.
If we ignore the swim leg and concentrate only on the relationship between the run and the bike, we can prorate them to equivalent 10k run times and 40k bike times, as is done here:
What these latter two charts clearly show is that equivalent bike distance will depend heavily on run pace but also on the individual. There is a great deal of "scatter" in the scatterplot, which indicates that while the rule of thumb is reasonable it is not precise.
The problem here is that the effort spent is differently.
A "good" 45 y.o. runner capable of qualifying for Boston Marathon might do a 3:30 marathon (26.2) while a "good" biker on reasonably flat course might cover around 90 miles on a bike in the same time (87.5 miles @ 25 mph). The marathoner would likely be very much done for the day while the biker would likely still have some left in the tank.
Take it to one extreme, run a 100m sprint as hard as you can. Have your buddy do a 400m lap at the velodrome. The biker will recover MUCH faster. At the other extreme (running/biking for 12 hours+) things are even murkier. As HeltonBiker points out, the ration is not linear (I doubt it's even quadratic). There is also a level of fitness at issue here. Because your are, in essence, multiplying effort small differences between levels of fitness will be blown way out of proportion.
For your contest, you could semi-level the playing field and make it about semi-equivalent effort spent. My $0.02 would be to get heart rate monitors (I would even step it up and get GPS devices) that take into account type of activity, heart rate, etc to generate # of calories burned. Person that burns the most over a specified period wins.
If you are looking to do a single race rather than a longer contest, then you should look at average times for equivalent races. The various triathlon distances would be a good start, but I would discount the run times by 5-10% as the runner will not be doing a swim and bike first!
While the idea of comparing the distances of the cycling and running portions of the Ironman triathlon might seem appealing at first, you'll quickly see that the times of those distances don't correlate at all. The cycling portion of the Ironman typically takes participants about twice as long as the running portion, varying somewhat between competitors but always hovering around twice as long for cycling.
It might be better to compare world records set over an equal amount of time. As it happens, there are world records held for the maximum distance covered in an hour for both cycling and running. Currently, the hour record for running is just a smidge over 21 km. The cycling hour record is a little bit trickier due to the fact that it has been set on a number of different types of bicycles, many of which are illegal in competition today. However, the hour record on a standard drop-bar road bike with a steel frame, rounded tubes, and wire spokes (much like the one most of us might ride on the road today) is held by none other than the great Eddy Merckx and is a bit over 49 km. This suggests an approximately 5:2 ratio between cycling and running.
However, when comparing calories burnt over an hour of cycling verses an hour of running, you don't get the same approximate 5:2 ratio. It's a little closer to 2:1. This ratio actually does appear to be nearly linear, at least until you approach professional level speeds where the calorie calculator I was using topped out. NB: I was calculating the calories burnt by a 190 lb man. The values and ratios come out wildly different as body weight approaches the very thin and the very heavy.
So I guess it really depends on the metric you'd like to use for comparison.
I am aged 50+ and cycled about 10,000 km (from a 36 km total daily commute) in the last 15 months.
Only very recently (after all that) have I found that I have enough strength in my legs and 'feet' and heart, to run any continuous distance at all.
So for my body, actual running (on my toes and not my heels) was unquantifiably harder (and required a year of cycling just as training, to get started on running).
You could just try it once to get baseline values. E.g. you both go and do your thing for an hour, then come back with the results. Then you can use that as your ratio.
To prevent one another from gaming the calibration you could keep a running average that you both try to beat.
Of course the bike will always win for the reasons stated above, and because on a bike you can increase efficiency by spending money, whereas a runner cannot.
A more fair contest would be to compete in each others' sports and compare results fairly. E.g. "I beat you by 15% when you biked, and you beat me by 12.3% when I jogged." Or whatever.
In Bulgaria we have an annual 100-km race in Vitosha mountain. Speed walkers/runners set off at midnight, while cyclists start at 6 AM. The terrain asphalt and mountain trails, with slopes up and down. This is considered fair.
I, personally, pity the runners, for reasons mentioned in other answers here - walking 100 miles - heroic torture, cycling 100 miles - pleasure. | <urn:uuid:614c3b1f-4a2b-4080-8b59-de6cc76ee066> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/9764/how-many-miles-of-riding-require-the-same-effort-as-one-mile-of-running/9833 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957102 | 2,874 | 1.8125 | 2 |
1. Contact Details
School Address The Royal School Armagh
Telephone Number: 028 37522807
Head of Department: Mrs Ann Swann
Miss Kirsten Carson
Mrs Lisa Marcus
Senior School Teachers: Miss Heather McCullough (ICT)
Other Staff: Mrs Nadia O’Hare
Please ensure that your child’s name is clearly marked on every item of clothing as it can be upsetting when items are mislaid.
4. Child Protection
A Deputy Head (Mr H Millar) is the Designated Teacher with the responsibility for the referral of instances of Child Abuse. The Headmaster and the Head of the Preparatory Department act also as Deputy Designated Teachers for referral of such issues. All pupils, parents and govenors are made aware of the Child Protection Policy at the school and the method of referral of cases of child abuse.
The school has available a Child Protection Policy with an information booklet in this regard being made available to parents to provide further details.
The Preparatory Department’s approach to discipline is based on encouragement. We have a House System for Primary 3-7. The children earn points for their House by effort in regard to classwork, good manners, good behaviour, and improvement in a particular area.
Enrolment of a pupil at the school implies that any pupil and his/her parents or guardians accept totally the disciplinary requirements outlined in the Code of Discipline/School Regulations.
All children in the Preparatory Department are given homework on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights. The homework is written in the child’s Homework Diary. Parents are asked to check the homework and if there are any difficulties to let the class teacher know.
Nightly Reading and learning words.
English, Maths or Topic worksheets.
English, Maths or Topic worksheets
Weekly Spelling Test
English, Maths or Topic written homework.
Homework is marked regularly and positive, constructive comments are written by the class teacher. Extra help is given if there are difficulties.
7. Educational Visits
Educational visits play an important part in the curriculum of the Preparatory Department. It is important for the children to have experiences outside the school as well as within. Parents are informed in advance of any visit outside the school grounds and written consent is asked for.
In recent years the pupils have visited the following locations.
Ulster History Park , Omagh
Baronscourt Environmental Day
Queens University Armagh for French and ICT
Kilowen Outdoor Pursuits Centre
St. Patrick’s Train
Market Place Theatre
Primary 7 children in the Preparatory Department go on a four-day educational visit to Paris with Saints and ScholarsPrimary School, Armagh. This is organised as part of our Education for Mutual Understanding. We also take part in Orienteering and other joint ventures with Saints and Scholars.
8. Parents and School
For children to grow and achieve in school it is important that parents and teachers work together. In the Preparatory Department there are opportunities during the year for parents to meet with the class teacher and discuss issues concerning their child.
“Meet the Teacher” in September gives parents the opportunity to meet the new class teacher and discuss how well your child has settled.
Baseline Assessments during September and October Primary 1 parents will have two meetings with the class teacher to identify your child’s strengths and needs during their first year at school.
Parent Interview during February parents are invited to attend a meeting with the class teacher to discuss the progress your child has made and in the case of Primary 3-7 to discuss exam results.
During the year parents are encouraged to contact the class teacher or Head of Department if they are concerned about any issue. Small difficulties are much easier to deal with before they grow into bigger problems.
9. Parent Teacher Association
The Preparatory Department have an active PTA. They raise funds for the department and also provide refreshments at our Harvest Festival, Christmas Play and Sports Day.
Some successful events held recently include a Smartie Tube Collection, a sponsored walk around The Mall, a Beetle Drive and Jewellery Stall.
The PTA exists and new members are always welcome!
10. Other Information
The current annual fee for the Preparatory Department is shown separately. Fees are paid in advance at the beginning of each term. There is no reduction for temporary absence.
Notice of leaving
Except in very abnormal circumstances, at least one term’s notice must be given for any pupil who leaves. This notice should be sent to the Headmaster in writing on or before the first day of the term in question. A further term’s fees are payable by those who leave without notice.
Music Tuition Fees
Individual music tuition may be provided on request during the school timetable. A charge may be made and details are available from the Head of the Music Department.
This can be obtained from the school office. Interviews with the Headmaster or his Deputy, the Head of Preparatory or other staff are welcome but should be arranged in advance. | <urn:uuid:eb1b1daa-34c0-4725-adb4-9535f3461a07> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.royalschoolarmagh.co.uk/information-for-parents/4537863594 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951591 | 1,051 | 1.5 | 2 |
[ EDITORIAL ]
Health Exchanges: Governors Out of Excuses
Published: Friday, November 23, 2012 at 12:23 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, November 23, 2012 at 12:23 a.m.
Excerpted from an editorial by Bloomberg News.
Ever since health-care reform was passed in 2010, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Rick Perry of Texas, Scott Walker of Wisconsin and several other prominent Republican governors have vowed not to create the state insurance marketplaces, known as exchanges, the law requires.
Many of them say it's impossible to comply with the law because the Department of Health and Human Services hasn't given them enough information to move forward. Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia, writing on behalf of the Republican Governors Public Policy Committee, has sent President Barack Obama a list of 17 questions asking exactly what the exchanges will look like.
This strikes us as a bit of a smoke screen. In fact, it stretches the bounds of credulity as 17 states and the District of Columbia are working on their online exchanges and six more have pledged to work with HHS to build joint state-federal exchanges.
COMPLETE PLAN NOT NEEDED YET
The exchanges will basically take the form of websites, designed to lead people through the process of selecting an insurance plan, based on price and coverage. In the process, users will be able to determine whether they qualify for subsidies or for Medicaid. ... To design and plan such a website doesn't require knowing, as McDonnell demands, for example, how the federal government will manage pools of high-risk patients.
It's true that HHS delayed until this week issuing guidance on the benefits that insurance plans will be required to provide. It's also true that the department was a little slow to come out with its rules on enrollment periods, rate increases, catastrophic-care plans and the ways in which premiums can vary. It's eminently possible that these delays were attributable to politics (that is, a presidential election). Yet this information has arrived in plenty of time; the fact is that states didn't need it in order to decide whether to go ahead with an exchange.
HHS has been mostly eager to assist states. ... The department has disbursed about $2 billion in grants to help states plan and design their websites. And it postponed by one month last week's deadline for states to declare their intention. ...
DO NOTHING AND CEDE CONTROL
Here's something else that has been lost amid the questions: Any state that opts out of the effort will be stuck with a one-size-fits-all insurance exchange that, paradoxically, will be built by the federal government. In effect, the state will abdicate its traditional authority over health-insurance operations, and will be helpless to tailor its exchange to suit the desires of either local insurers or residents.
Such a state wouldn't save money either, as the federal government is footing the bill for creating exchanges and, under the law, once exchanges are in operation, they are to be self-supporting — through fees paid by insurance companies.
Perhaps prompted by this month's election results, a few encouraging signs of softening have appeared. In Florida, Gov. Rick Scott, who began his political career by opposing the Affordable Care Act, is now saying, "Let's have a conversation" about the law. Presumably, that means he will consider at least partnering with the federal government to create Florida's insurance exchange.
Last week, Gov. Terry Branstad of Iowa reluctantly said his state will work on building its own exchange. And Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, even while reiterating his opposition to the law, signaled that his state will help run its exchange.
Still, 14 governors and one state legislature say they are sticking with their declaration not to play ball. A dozen more states have made no decision.
At this point, a state that has done absolutely nothing to prepare probably has too little time to create its own exchange before the October 2013 deadline. Still, there is time enough to join in partnership with HHS; the deadline for deciding to do that is not until mid-February.
In such partnerships, the federal government could provide the information technology, while the states would work with insurance companies on plans and provide guidance for residents. ...
Governors who care about fiscal responsibility, strong state government and the basic welfare of their residents would do well to get with the program.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged. | <urn:uuid:6004ea91-6425-45bf-bb7c-348824c881fa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theledger.com/article/20121123/EDIT01/121129736/0/wire04 | 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 | 0.972375 | 943 | 1.734375 | 2 |
1. There is no minimum wage for foreign teachers here in Thailand. However, as a Westerner, you will need at least 25,000 per month to cover life's daily essentials, especially if the employer does not offer free accommodation.
There is part-time work and full time work available here ion Thailand. Depending on the quality of the school or high-street or back-alley language institute, remuneration can be anything from 250 baht to 1,000 baht per hour. Full time jobs are generally based on about 22 contact hours per week (actual teaching time), however, most mainstream schools require their teachers to remain on the campus all day Mon - Fri, while part-time work and the work offered by language institutes is concentrated mainly in the evenings and at weekends and you can do what you like between lessons.
2. Some schools in Thailand might deduct the cost of the work permit from your salary. Some schools will deduct the cost of the work permit from your salary and refund it on successful completion of your contract. Many schools offer free accommodation, but again, the quality varies widely and there may occasionally be conditions attached that some Western occupants may find restrictive (such as, for example, no booze, no visitors, regular room inspections, etc.). Some schools (especially universities) may offer a tax-free accommodation allowance. | <urn:uuid:b881d259-21ad-4b47-89bc-68baf3ca930c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tefl.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=3487&p=7999 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955989 | 276 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Who hasn’t logged onto Facebook and pored through an ex’s page, looking at old posts and clicking on the photo of the girl or guy who took their place? If a new study is to be believed, the vast majority of people are guilty of post-breakup cyber-snooping..
According to a Masters thesis written by a student at University of Western Ontario in Canada, as many as 88 per cent of people - nearly nine of ten - check up on their former boyfriends or girlfriends on the popular social media site, the Toronto Star reported.
Jilted lovers signed on to friends’ accounts to spy on the person who dumped them. They deleted photos reminding them of happier times, read long-forgotten wall posts and scrutinizedtheir potential replacement.
‘It’s so interesting right now, so different from before this technology existed. Once you broke up in the past, it was over,’ media studies graduate student Veronika Lukacs, 25, told the Star after successfully defending her thesis titled ‘It’s Complicated: Romantic breakups and their aftermath on Facebook.’
Lukacs said her analysis of Facebook as it relates to breakups has serious social implications. ‘Nearly everyone is participating in these behaviors, it’s very very common,’ she said. The student also found that 48 per cent of people remain Facebook friends with their ex after they break up and 74 per cent had tried to keep tabs on their former partner’s new flame. Of those who were no longer Facebook friends, 70 per cent admitted using a mutualfriend's profile to check on their ex.'At the end of the day, Facebook does present very serious challenges for people getting over a breakup,' Lukacs said. 'It’s a much more serious issue than a lot of people think.'Surveillanceof someone on Facebook, or ‘creeping,’ did not follow the patterns Lukacs had foreshadowed‘I had expected people who were not Facebook friends with their ex-partners would be less distressed.
‘We found the opposite was true. People who had 'unfriended' their partners had higher levels of distress. Based on interviewing people, I’m thinking that people who are the most distressed are the ones who delete their partners,’ she explained.Less surprisingly, the rejected partners who were most upset by the split were also the most avidstalkers.As part of her study, Lukacs surveyed 107 people over age 18 who had their heart broken in the previous 12 months. Three-quarters of them attended University of Western Ontario.‘A lot of people who I had interviewed talked about their surveillance behaviour and how they knew it wasn’t good for them and yet somehow they were doing it anyway,’ she said. ‘Rationalitydidn’t play a role for them.’ One man Lukacs interviewed confessed that he had hacked into his ex-girlfriend’s Facebook account.‘He never thought he was the kind of person who would do that. He was really embarrassed,’ she said, adding that it is a good idea to change the Facebook password after a breakup. While deleting an ex from your friends list may seem like a viable solution to the problem, Lukacs said it is not entirely effective. In addition, it is generally considered rude to ‘unfriend’ someone on Facebook, so many people are hesitant to sever that last tie. | <urn:uuid:cb7889a3-b5fe-42f1-8742-9ddda1273a06> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gzstuff.com/profiles/blogs/do-you-check-up-on-your-former-bf-or-gf-on-the-social-media-site | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983452 | 726 | 1.664063 | 2 |
|« Back to Article|
Supporters, critics face off over Keystone pipeline
By Jennifer A. Dlouhy | October 7, 2011 | Updated: October 7, 2011 11:19pm
WASHINGTON - Hundreds of laborers, environmentalists, oil industry representatives and religious leaders squared off Friday at a final public hearing before the Obama administration's decision on whether to approve a controversial pipeline that would carry oil from Alberta, Canada, to the Gulf Coast.
The rowdy, four-hour meeting and nearby protests illustrated the high stakes facing President Barack Obama as he prepares to decide an issue pitting two of his core constituencies - environmentalists and organized labor - against each other.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to determine by mid-November whether the 1,700-mile Keystone XL pipeline is in the "national interest," paving the way for Obama's final decision on whether to permit the project later this year. Conservationists have cast the choice as the biggest environmental dilemma Obama has faced during three years in the White House.
If approved, Keystone XL would deliver crude harvested from oil sands projects in Alberta to refineries on the Gulf Coast and expand an existing TransCanada Corp. pipeline network that now ends in Cushing, Okla.
The new pipeline would cross through Montana, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma on its way to Texas. The project also would provide a new route for oil extracted from the Bakken shale in Montana to reach refineries in Southeast Texas.
Friday's State Department hearing marked the last chance for the public to try to influence Clinton's national interest determination. Thousands of people showed up at eight earlier meetings in states along the pipeline route last week.
Environmental activists, Native Americans and religious leaders repeatedly told the two State Department officials who presided over Friday's meeting that the 36-inch pipeline would jeopardize drinking water supplies in the nation's heartland and keep the U.S. dependent on a form of bituminous oil that takes more energy to extract than other fossil fuels.
Oil industry representatives insisted that the $7 billion project would bolster America's energy security, allowing the import of more crude from a friendly North American ally instead of the Middle East.
Although many environmentalists oppose the development of oil sands in Canada - where a tar-like substance known as bitumen has historically been harvested through open-pit mining - industry representatives stressed that work will go on even if Keystone XL isn't built.
The hearing room was awash in color, with union members wearing bright orange shirts and pipeline advocates in neon green tops proclaiming "Keystone XL Means Jobs." Pipeline foes wore black armbands and blue shirts emblazoned with "No Tar Sands."
Ultimately, just over 70 people were able to speak, though more than 170 had signed up for the opportunity. The government will continue to take written comments about Keystone XL through Oct. 9.
The raucous hearing at times mirrored the tone of angry, wide-ranging protests just steps outside the forum, with loud jeers and cheers following many speakers. When a pipeline foe with dreadlocks loudly shouted "Kill the pipeline," the speaker he interrupted, labor representative Phillip Stephenson, responded: "Get a haircut."
Administration officials sought to downplay concerns that Clinton's mind is already made up, following the State Department's formal conclusion this summer that there would be "no significant impacts to most resources" along the pipeline's proposed route. | <urn:uuid:cf8133a8-2a0c-44af-aab5-b2a775d8aaff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.chron.com/news/nation-world/article/Friends-foes-of-pipeline-spar-at-hearing-2208408.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957686 | 692 | 1.765625 | 2 |
It’s probably not unusual for junior professors to hear they should devote their time to research rather than waste it on teaching. What may be more uncommon is for one of them to do the opposite.
But that’s precisely what Teresa C. Balser did, and her students aren’t the only ones reaping the benefits. Today she is among four faculty members selected as U.S. Professors of the Year, an annual award handed out by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Balser’s determination illustrates a common theme among the four award-winners: a continual, active effort to learn themselves as they promote student learning.
Teresa C. Balser, Wisconsin-Madison
Teri Balser, an associate professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and professor of the year in the category of doctoral and research universities, used to frequently fly cross-country to participate in leadership training and workshops. Without that experience, she likely wouldn’t have become the teaching-centric professor she is today. “I think people around us probably thought I was nuts,” Balser says, referring to colleagues who (sometimes rather rudely) said she was wasting money and valuable research time. “Thankfully, I enjoyed teaching enough that I ignored that advice.” What she learned on those trips helped her establish the skills to evolve from a teaching scholar to a scholar of teaching – and to help others do the same, if they are willing.
One of the two aspects to Balser’s scholarship of teaching is faculty development, and she’s involved in various efforts to facilitate faculty members’ transition to a more reflective, flexible teaching style. About twice a semester, she hosts interactive brown-bag presentations and workshops on topics such as “activating learning in the classroom.” She also helps lead the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research, an alliance of teachers and researchers seeking to improve biology education through methods such as scientific collaboration, training and faculty development programs. “There’s a huge desire to find a community for scholarship of teaching that’s just not out there for biology right now,” Balser says. “A big part of what we’re trying to do is help people find that community.”
All of these efforts work toward Balser’s ultimate goal of promoting student learning. She takes pride in her flexibility in the classroom. No lesson is ever set in stone; if she finds that students can’t recall what they learned last week, she might spend some time reviewing before moving on. She switches up her lessons from week to week, and assesses students’ body language and participation level to determine how effective she is.
“I consider myself a lifelong learner and believe my effectiveness as a teacher in part stems from my desire to continuously grow and improve in my role,” Balser wrote in her personal statement for the award. “Ultimately, I want to be a model for my students with constant new ideas and the passion for learning that strikes at the heart of what it means to be human.”
Ping-Tung Chang, Matanuska-Susitna
A professor of mathematics at the University of Alaska Anchorage extension campus of Matanuska-Susitna College, Ping-Tung Chang, winner in the community colleges category, strives to establish relationships with his students inside and outside the classroom. He keeps coffee and ramen noodles for his students but also urges them to practice healthy eating habits.
Chang greatly values his students’ personal development, which is why he encourages them to pursue opportunities for community service (he founded the on-campus Lions Club) and extracurricular activities (he is adviser of the college’s math club, which also partakes in charitable activities).
In the classroom, Chang wrote in his personal statement, “my students know that they can leave their stress at the door.” He engages them in discussion, focusing on problem-solving tools and methods, and employing strategies like re-testing to build students’ skills and confidence. “Many students see teachers as these distant authority figures, people that read from a book, do a problem on the board, and are otherwise disengaged from reality,” Chang wrote in an e-mail. “My students know better, because we work together, building trust, caring, and a love of mathematics in each student.”
His students appreciate that concept: they established a scholarship fund in his name, which distributed its first award in spring 2009.
Russell O. Colson, Minnesota State-Moorhead
Russ Colson’s motto is, “My students and I do science together.” He is both a coach and a player.
“A coach encourages, instructs, and pushes to excellence. Like a teacher,” Colson, a professor of anthropology and earth science at Minnesota State University at Moorhead, wrote in his personal statement. “As my teaching matured, I realized that coaching was not enough. In some ways, I had to be that senior player who demonstrates good play and sound technique, guiding my students by example through the reasoning, approaches and puzzle-solving techniques of science.”
Colson, winner in the master’s universities and colleges category, says his students appreciate the extra faculty interaction in the geology program he built at Moorhead. It extends out of the classroom, too; many of his classes include field trips, and he has taken more than 1,400 students to do fieldwork and multiday trips with him. Colson sees more value in students “doing” than in “wanting just information.” While many students appreciate that, others have a more difficult time.
“Sometimes when it’s hard for students, I try to get them to recognize the value of doing something that’s hard,” Colson says. “In general, in our society, people realize that education has to be more than knowing things because you can never know more than the computer.”
Working closely with students allows Colson to forge bonds with them that other professors may not have. To appreciate their teacher, his work and the work they do together, he says, his students have to understand him as “more than a talking head.”
“When you’re teaching more than facts, all learning, at some level, becomes an apprenticeship,” Colson says. “Those components of a relationship, of connecting with people in a way that’s emotional as well as intellectual, is important for both the ongoing spiritual health of the faculty, but also the learning growth of the student.”
John Zubizarreta, Columbia (South Carolina)
Inspired teaching breeds inspired learning – and vice versa, says John Zubizarreta, English professor at Columbia College in South Carolina and winner in the baccalaureate colleges category. That is crucial for transformational learning.
“In the intellectually charged relationship between student and mentor, the professor teaches more than content,” Zubizarreta wrote in his personal statement. “He or she teaches habits of thinking, habits of being. In this process of engaged learning, students discover the rewards of controlled inquiry, the value of reasoned discourse, the delight of intellectual curiosity and an earned respect for the process of questioning knowledge with passion and conviction."
Zubizarreta stresses the importance of working patiently and personally with students. He wants them to focus more on how and why they’ve learned than on content memorization. In periodic “reflective learning moments,” Zubizarreta stops the class to have the group “think about the learning process itself, to theorize about the nature of learning and to examine how such reflection improves their intellectual growth.” The process has built camaraderie between him and his students, who have taken to hiding behind campus trees when they see him, in mock concern that he’ll make them reflect.
Good teaching can transform both the teacher and the learner, Zubizarreta says, but that teaching must be reflective and accountable. Teaching is a process that is continually evolving.
“Am I particularly philosophical? Am I just one of those Hamlet-like brooding English professors?” he wrote in an e-mail. “No. I simply love teaching. And that means I am compelled to reflect and to grow for the sake of my students.” | <urn:uuid:f2f0f71a-c631-44aa-af5b-7aaf043e0efe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/11/18/profs | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969863 | 1,808 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Palace: Prince William, Duchess of Cambridge expecting first baby
Duchess taken to hospital with morning sickness
Last Updated: 171 days ago
Palace officials say Prince William and his wife are expecting their first child.
St. James Palace said Monday that the Duchess of Cambridge has a severe form of morning sickness and is currently in a London hospital.
As the first born to William -- who is second in line to the throne after his father, Prince Charles -- the couple's first child stands an excellent chance of one day becoming monarch.
Whether boy or girl, the child will be behind Prince William in the line of succession to the throne, Cabinet Office officials said.
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:5f018c0c-d27a-48e4-ad53-b382e99b5c66> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theindychannel.com/news/u-s-world/palace-prince-william-duchess-of-cambridge-expecting-first-baby | 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 | 0.934143 | 173 | 1.507813 | 2 |
WEDNESDAY 10 SEPTEMBER 2008
Ten Ways the McCain/Palin GOP Is Now Stealing the Ohio Vote
Tuesday 09 September 2008
by: Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman, The Free Press
The McCain/Palin GOP is already in the process of stealing the Ohio vote, as was done in 2004. Among those at the center of the GOP strategy is Bush Family computer operative Michael Connell, who programmed the key vote counting mechanisms that were used to give George W. Bush his second term.
Except for John Kennedy in 1960, no candidate since 1856 (James Buchanan) has won the White House without carrying the Buckeye State. No Republican has ever done it.
On October 27, 2004, we published "Twelve Ways Bush is Now Stealing the Ohio Vote" at www.FreePress.org. Despite four years of denial by the Democratic Party and the corporate media, all methods mentioned in that article (plus many more) were used in the theft that gave George W. Bush his second term.
Much has now changed in Ohio, including the transition from a Republican governor (Robert Taft) and secretary of state (J. Kenneth Blackwell) to Democrats Ted Strickland and Jennifer Brunner. Brunner has made strong public commitments to conducting a fair registration process, an orderly election and a reliable vote count this fall. She is being pushed by the King-Lincoln-Bronzeville federal civil rights lawsuit, filed originally against Blackwell.
To help guarantee an election that truly reflects the will of the voters, Freepress.org will convene a conference on election protection procedures webcast from Columbus this September 26-28. It will reinforce the positive steps Brunner has taken, and will help train poll workers and judges to safeguard the vote in Ohio and around the nation.
But much of the electoral apparatus remains beyond public control. Serious questions remain about how reliable the final vote count will be, and how much of it the Republican party will cage, confuse and steal in its crusade to put John McCain and Sarah Palin into the White House.
Here are some of the key factors that still endanger the vote in Ohio and around the nation:
1) Illegal Destruction of Evidence Surrounding the Vote Count:
In a federal court decision delivered in August, 2006, Judge Algernon Marbley ruled that all materials related to the 2004 presidential vote in Ohio must be preserved. Standing federal law required that these materials be protected for 22 months dating from November 4, 2004. In response to the King-Lincoln lawsuit, Marbley's decision came in time to make it a federal offense to destroy any poll books, ballots and other records relating to the 2004 election in Ohio at any time.
Around the time of the decision, GOP Secretary of State Blackwell, who also served as Ohio co-chair of the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign, issued ambivalent orders to the state's 88 county Boards of Elections about preserving these materials.
Blackwell subsequently lost his 2006 campaign for governor of Ohio, and was replaced by Brunner as secretary of state. Brunner publicly announced that she would establish a repository in Columbus for all 2004 election materials. In accordance with the King-Lincoln lawsuit, a definitive recount would then establish what actually happened during the Bush re-election.
But in August of 2007, Ohio Attorney-General Mark Dann informed the King-Lincoln attorneys that 56 of the 88 county Boards of Elections had illegally destroyed all or some of their records and ballots from 2004. No repository has been established for what remains, and no definitive recount is now possible.
Ironically, Florida Governor Jeb Bush did preserve materials from the 2000 election there from all but one of the counties in that state. The materials are being held in a repository in Tallahassee. But no such resource - and no definitive recount - will be possible in Ohio.
There have been no state or federal prosecutions for the illegal destruction of these materials. Nor does there seem to be any guarantee similar destruction will not follow the 2008 election.
2) Massive Residual Elimination of Registered Voters:
In the run-up to the 2004 elections, GOP-controlled Boards of Elections in Ohio eliminated some 308,000 registered voters from the rolls used at the polls to determine whether or not citizens are eligible to vote. The purges were conducted in heavily Democratic districts in Cuyahoga (Cleveland), Lucas (Toledo) and Hamilton (Cincinnati) Counties. The numbers of voters eliminated represented more than 5% of the 5.4 million Ohioans who voted in 2004. The GOP also challenged the right of some 35,000 registered voters to cast ballots, based largely on letters the Republicans sent to voters which then came back undelivered, thus allowing them to claim the lack of a valid address. Challenges were also issued to prevent thousands of ex-felons from voting, even though there is no state law disenfranchising them.
Overall, the removals far exceeded Bush's official victory margin of less than 119,000 votes. After the 2004 election, another 170,000 voters were eliminated in Franklin (Columbus) County, also now heavily Democratic.
Despite massive grassroots voter registration drives, those voters have never been restored to the registration lists. None were notified when they were eliminated, and no public accounting has been made of exactly who was disenfranchised. Parallel purges were used in Florida 2000, and throughout the US in 2004. There is every reason to believe the GOP will repeat them in 2008 wherever possible.
3) Renewed Attempts to Eliminate Additional Registered Voters:
Throughout Ohio's 88 counties, GOP-controlled Boards of Elections have continued "caging" registered voters by sending them notices requiring that the post office return those that cannot be delivered. A loophole in Ohio law allows partisan challengers to then demand that the names of those whose forms come back be eliminated from the voter rolls. This practice has been used by the GOP throughout the nation to purge voter rolls in inner city precincts. In many cases those removed are soldiers currently serving in Iraq.
The Advancement Project has notified Brunner that it will challenge any mass purges in Ohio 2008. For her part, Brunner has ruled that returned notices cannot be used as a basis for eliminating voters from the registration rolls. She has further attempted to counter-act the purges by requiring that any registered voter fingered for removal be issued notice and given a pubic hearing by the purging BOE. But the process remains intimidating for prospective voters - especially the heavily-targeted list of those voting for the first time. With sixty days left to election day, the on-going impact remains unclear.
4-5) Resisting Universal Access to Absentee Ballots While Re-Introducing Chaos:
Brunner and voting rights advocates want the Boards of Elections in all 88 Ohio counties to mail absentee ballots to all voters. Previous restrictions on casting such ballots have been lifted. Brunner has strongly supported the practice of making these paper ballots available throughout the state. It would, among other things, help eliminate long lines at the polls, increase access for the infirm and disabled, and circumvent electronic voting machines, which her office has deemed to be easily corruptible. "As we prepare for Election Day," Brunner has said, "we are promoting clear, consistent, statewide standards for absentee voting. Every Ohioan who requests an absentee ballot should have the same rights and responsibilities," no matter what county they might be in.
Ohio's GOP leadership has made a loud public show of supporting this universal access to absentee ballots. But the Republican-controlled legislature pointedly failed to authorize enough money to the Secretary of State's office to pay for the full mailing. In a stunning display of public cynicism, the GOP leadership has since told Brunner, in a non-binding promise, that she should just go ahead and order the local BOE's to do the mailings. The Legislature, they say, will then vote the additional money at some point in the future.
Brunner has refused to do this, pointing out that the potential shortfall would be in the millions, and that such an order - in essence, an unfunded mandate - might be illegal. As a result, using a calculation based on per capita postage rates, she has informed every BOE how much state money they can expect. She is encouraging those that have the additional money in their budgets to do the mailings on their own.
The GOP-sponsored shortfall has thus introduced chaos into what should have been the orderly, manageable process of providing every Ohioan with a paper ballot prior to election day. As it now stands, some counties will be mailing absentee ballots and others will not. The uneven distribution is expected to favor GOP voters in better-funded rural and suburban districts. Should problems arise as a result of this uneven distribution, the GOP will certainly blame Brunner.
6) Resisting Same-Day Registration and Voting:
A loophole in a recently passed Ohio election law allows voters to register to vote and then cast an absentee ballot at the same time by coming in person to their Board of Elections between September 30 and October 6. Ironically, the loophole was accidentally inserted into an otherwise highly repressive bill by Republican State Senator Kevin DeWine, second cousin of the former US Senator Mike DeWine, who lost his seat in 2006. By allowing voters to cast absentee ballots as they register, they can avoid long election-day lines and the perils of electronic voting machines. Furthermore, the only election ID required is the last four digits of the voter's Social Security number.
The Ohio Republican Party has called on Brunner "to revoke a directive to allow residents to register to vote and cast an absentee ballot the same day." The GOP says her directive is illegal. The party is expected to deploy a full attack on this provision that would otherwise allow thousands of Ohioans to participate in the process for the first time with relative ease and security.
7) The Persistent Spread of Electronic Voting Machines:
In addition to mass elimination of Democratic voters, a principle method of stealing the 2004 election in Ohio was through the manipulation of electronic voting machines. Since then, the Ohio-based Diebold Company has admitted that its machines are vulnerable to manipulation and the dropping of significant numbers of votes. Decertification and lawsuits involving Diebold and other electronic machines in California and elsewhere have proliferated. Some 800,000 Ohio ballots - representing about 15% of the state's vote - were cast on Diebold machines in 2004. Additional votes were cast in Ohio and nationwide on machines made by ES&S, Hart Inner-Civic, Triad and others, all of whom have come under serious legal and legislative scrutiny.
Studies by the Brennan Center, Princeton University, the Carter-Baker Commission, the Government Accountability Office, the Conyers Committee and others, have all concluded that results coming from such machines can be easily manipulated, and election outcomes reversed, with just a few keystrokes. A $1.5 million report to Brunner's office concluded that electronic machines could easily have been used to steal the 2004 election in Ohio.
But because of the Help America Vote Act, authored by former Ohio Congressman Bob Ney (just recently released from Federal prison), electronic voting machines will be in far greater use in Ohio and around the nation during the 2008 election than ever before. The reinstatement of electronic voting machines has also been forced into effect in New York and elsewhere despite widespread attempts to require the use of paper ballots. Without a massive influx of absentee ballots, voters in 54 of Ohio's counties are likely to be forced to use touchscreen machines, with parallel increases nationwide. This includes Ohio's largest city, Columbus, and other major urban center such as Dayton, Toledo and Youngstown.
In 2004, the compiled tabulation of Ohio's electronic vote was designed for Secretary of State Blackwell by Michael Connell, a Bush family loyalist who programmed the Bush-Cheney web site in the 2000 election. Connell directed the Ohio vote count to servers in a basement in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which also housed e-mail traffic for the White House. Thousands of emails from Karl Rove and other key Bush Administration operatives have mysteriously disappeared from servers in this basement. Many worked side-by-side with the Connell-designed ones to which Ohio's official election results were outsourced, under supervision by Rove and Blackwell.
Like Rove, Connell now works for the McCain/Palin campaign. An IT associate, Steve Spoonamore, himself a McCain supporter, has stated that Connell's IT apparatus can be used to steal elections. Attempts to force Connell to testify under oath have thus far been successfully resisted by the GOP.
Brunner has ordered a halt to some better-known e-voting abuses, such as "sleep overs" whereby electronic machines have been stored at the homes of poll workers prior to election day. At the behest of attorneys working through the King-Lincoln lawsuit, other potential abuses in the electronic apparatus are being exposed and eliminated by Brunner. She has issued the 2008-74 County Board of Elections Security and Risk Mitigation Plan which requires Boards of Elections to secure the machines and file plans that safeguard the hardware and software as well as establish chain of custody. Her 2008-73 memorandum, concerning "Minimum Security Requirements of Vote Tabulation Servers," mandates that "Each board of elections shall develop and/or maintain a policy for account and password management for granting access to the server and access to related workstations, if any, for its election system." The directive goes on to require that, "Each Board of Elections shall have a policy for maintaining sign-in documentation of server activity and related workstation activity ..."
"We want Ohio's voters and the rest of the nation to see that we have prepared a transparent process of transporting voting equipment, ballots and supplies," Brunner says. "That begins with security practices at boards of elections and polling places, documented chain of custody, and now procedures to make secure voting machine delivery."
But electronic touchscreen voting remains a black hole through which a close election could once again be stolen, in Ohio and throughout the nation.
8) Residual Chaos From Precinct Elimination and Manipulation:
In the lead-up to Ohio 2004, Blackwell eliminated numerous precincts where voters had cast their ballots for decades. Consolidation was uneven. Some 321 precincts have been shifted in Franklin County alone. Blackwell admitted to a Congressional hearing that false, misleading and out-of-date information was posted on the state's official web site, misdirecting thousands of voters to the wrong polling stations. In many cases, they were then denied the right to vote altogether, or forced to cast provisional ballots which were never counted.
The chaos resulting from these precinct eliminations has not been entirely overcome. For financial and other reasons, Brunner has not restored all the precincts to pre-Blackwell levels. It is expected that her website will provide accurate information about precinct status and location. But it's likely some problems will persist.
9) Data Mining:
Early indications are that the Republicans are heavily involved in data mining. Registered voters are already reporting strange letters from undisclosed senders or unidentified nonprofit organizations "welcoming" voters to the system. As in 2004, voters should expect a deluge of phone calls as well, telling them if they vote they'll be arrested if they have outstanding parking and traffic tickets, back child support payments due, or are on parole, probation or reside in a halfway house. None of these are legal grounds for disenfranchisement. But we expect thousands of such calls will be made to keep first-time and uninformed voters away from the polls.
10) Expanded Voter Identification Requirements:
A US Supreme Court decision has upheld an Indiana law, drafted and passed by the GOP, requiring photographic identification for voter registration. Because millions of young, poor, homeless, minority and elderly voters may not have voter ID, various state laws are expected to eliminate large numbers of mostly Democratic voters from casting ballots throughout the country. In key swing states like Ohio, which now require ID other than signature to vote (except by absentee ballot), the outcome of the election could be significantly affected. Attempts by voter registration organizations to help such voters obtain suitable ID are proceeding. But the law may still deprive crucial numbers of citizens their right to vote, and play a decisive role in the November 4 outcome.
Overall, there is no doubt that four years of intense public scrutiny, legal action and grassroots organizing have made the theft of the 2008 election in many ways a more difficult proposition. Widespread training of poll workers, poll judges and independent observers (including video teams) will add to the safeguards available during the registration process, voting and vote count. Should thousands of trained election protection activists committed to the democratic process come to the polls this year, it may prove impossible for the 2008 election to be stolen, as happened in 2000 and 2004.
But the Supreme Court approval of photo identification requirements and the proliferation of electronic voting machines will prove serious challenges to a fair registration, voting and vote count process. Given the number of ploys used by the GOP in Ohio and elsewhere in 2004, it's certain additional methods of election theft will surface this year that no one has seen before.
Unless they are effectively countered, there is little doubt that John McCain and Sarah Palin will follow George W. Bush and Dick Cheney into the White House.
Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman are co-authors of four books on the electoral process, including "As Goes Ohio: Election Theft Since 2004," newly published at www.freepress.org and www.harveywasserman.com. They are attorney and plaintiff in the King-Lincoln-Bronzeville federal lawsuit, and co-convenors of the national election protection conference to be web-cast from Columbus September 26-28 through www.freepress.org. Their other books include "How the GOP Stole America's 2004 Election & Is Rigging 2008" (Freepress.org, and harveywasserman.com) and "What Happened in Ohio," co-authored with Steve Rosenfeld, from The New Press.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Seniors, Wake up!!
This morning's Truthout shows us how the GOP is already stealing the Ohio vote. And just yesterday, an online article named Columbus, Ohio, as one of the top ten places to retire. Does that mean there are a lot of retirees living in Columbus (and possibly, the rest of Ohio) due to what was called the "low cost of living"? Wake up, seniors!! Read what McCain says about Social Security. Had enough of the GOP way of life? | <urn:uuid:e39aa51d-46c7-4540-b112-fd116aae70ad> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://xtremeenglish.blogspot.com/2008/09/seniors-wake-up.html | 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 | 0.960458 | 3,828 | 1.75 | 2 |
Search Tags: sequestration
The White House released a breakdown of how Maryland, Virginia and D.C. would be affected.
President Obama will visit a shipbuilding operation in Newport News on Tuesday, just days before the March 1 deadline for automatic spending cuts to kick in.
While Congress attempts to stave off the devastating across-the-board spending cuts known as "sequestration," Republican Sen. Rand Paul says it wouldn't be such a bad idea if the sequester goes through.
Department of Agriculture inspectors could be furloughed for up to 15 days under sequestration. That would force meatpacking plants to intermittently shut down and would result in less meat in grocery stores. Prices would rise.
Virginia defense and hi-tech industries are sure to take a hit
A top Navy official says without a budget deal by the congressional deadline in March, a famed Navy and Marine Corps flight team could be grounded.
It's not the combat readiness or the courage of the men and women that wear the Marine Corps uniform that keeps the commandant of the Corps up at night. It's apprehension about looming budget cuts.
Many veterans and their families are eyeing the fiscal cliff and the possibility that sequestration may cut into their benefits. | <urn:uuid:4a3cedeb-d61f-48b7-9c58-44b1eb7a7ccf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wtop.com/?nid=1042&tag=sequestration&page=3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952303 | 253 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Finance bosses within hospitality are reluctant to embrace sustainability and invest in corporate social responsibility (CSR), according to a delegate poll at this year's British Association of Hospitality Accountants (BAHA) conference.
A show of hands revealed that two-thirds of those attending the BAHA conference at the Heathrow Terminal 5 Sofitel hotel last week, represented businesses which did not yet believe there is a business case for sustainable working.
David Clarke, chief executive of Best Western Hotels UK, urged hoteliers to rethink their attitude and called on bosses to spearhead a move to greener business.
“Management must buy into it and then the staff will follow," said Clarke.
Paul Brackley, general manager of the Crowne Plaza in London said that by asking suppliers to make simple changes to their working practices – such as taking their pallets away after a delivery - he was already saving money. “Why should I pay to take away their waste?”
The panel recognised that the current downturn is not the only reason that businesses are slow to embrace change. Academic Rebecca Hawkins suggested that the green message is still considered “worthy rather than sexy”.
“There is also continued confusion over accreditation schemes and concern over payback times. Not so long ago it was difficult to see a return on a major piece of capital investment such as induction cooking in less then three years.
“Now the payback times are improving and with the induction example there are additional savings on air conditioning costs and staff will also benefit from an improved working environment,” said Hawkins.
By Elizabeth Mistry
E-mail your comments to Elizabeth Mistry here.
Looking for a new job? Find your next job here with Caterersearch.com jobs | <urn:uuid:9f800353-7065-405d-b323-ace3af8e380c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.catererandhotelkeeper.co.uk/Articles/2008/11/12/324583/finance-bosses-still-dont-see-csr-as-a-priority.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964512 | 364 | 1.5625 | 2 |
This is in response to the gripe of private school parents who say that they are "paying double" by paying school taxes as well as tuition.
The purpose of public school is to educate the next generation of workers and voters. We all pay school taxes before we have children and after they are grown. It is to everyone's benefit to have all children become responsible and productive citizens rather than being supported by us on welfare or in jail.
We all need to support public education in all periods of our lives for our own benefit. | <urn:uuid:f19e5c51-f88d-4abd-b843-32f3732b4d57> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.post-gazette.com/index.php/home/archives/13045-school-taxes | 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 | 0.987896 | 108 | 1.546875 | 2 |
The panel of expert reviewing SERVE, the US Dept. of Defense eVoting system for overseas military members has released their report. The conclusions are not encouraging. (see NY Times article). Some interesting conclusions, but the most telling to me is the following:
Like the proponents of SERVE, we believe that there should be better support for voting for our military overseas. Still, we regret that we are forced to conclude that the best course is not to field the SERVE system at all. Because the danger of successful, large-scale attacks is so great, we reluctantly recommend shutting down the development of SERVE immediately and not attempting anything like it in the future until both the Internet and the world's home computer infrastructure have been fundamentally redesigned, or some other unforeseen security breakthroughs appear. We want to make clear that in recommending that SERVE be shut down, we mean no criticism of the FVAP, or of Accenture, or any of its personnel or subcontractors. They have been completely aware all along of the security problems we describe here, and we have been impressed with the engineering sophistication and skill they have devoted to attempts to ameliorate or eliminate them. We do not believe that a differently constituted project could do any better job than the current team. The real barrier to success is not a lack of vision, skill, resources, or dedication; it is the fact that, given the current Internet and PC security technology, and the goal of a secure, all-electronic remote voting system, the FVAP has taken on an essentially impossible task. There really is no good way to build such a voting system without a radical change in overall architecture of the Internet and the PC, or some unforeseen security breakthrough. The SERVE project is thus too far ahead of its time, and should wait until there is a much improved security infrastructure to build upon.From SERVE Analysis
Referenced Thu Jan 22 2004 17:47:50 GMT-0700
Overseas military members have a tough time voting because they've had to do it absentee with long mail delays. SERVE was supposed to increase military member participation in the voting process, so it is indeed unfortunate that it can't be made to work. Keep in mind that SERVE is radically different in its goals than eVoting systems that are used standard elections. Because the goal was to allow overseas military members to vote, the design uses uncontrolled (sometimes home-based) PCs connected to the Internet, not dedicated machines maintained just for elections.
Update: The New York Times has an Op-Ed piece on SERVE
Four computer scientists brought in by the Pentagon to analyze a plan for Internet voting by the military issued a blistering report this week, concluding that the program should be halted. These four are the only members of a 10-member advisory committee to issue a report on the program. Their findings make it clear that the potential for hackers to steal votes or otherwise subvert elections electronically is too high. Congress should suspend the program. The intentions behind the Pentagon's plan, the Secure Electronic Registration and Voting Experiment, are laudable. Military personnel overseas, and other Americans abroad, face obstacles to registering and voting. The new program would ease the way by allowing them to use any computer hooked up to the Internet. This year, it would be limited to voters abroad who are from one of 50 counties in seven states, but it could eventually be used by all of the estimated six million American voters overseas. But the advantages of the Pentagon's Internet voting system would be far outweighed by the dangers it would pose. The report makes it clear that the possibilities for compromising the secrecy of the ballot, voting multiple times and carrying out vote theft on a large scale would be limited only by the imagination and skill of would-be saboteurs. Viruses could be written that would lodge on voters' computers and change their votes. Internet service providers, or even foreign governments that control network access, could interfere with votes before they reached their destination.From Making Votes Count: The Perils of Online Voting
Referenced Fri Jan 23 2004 09:38:07 GMT-0700 | <urn:uuid:426f726e-d60a-4262-b530-8232d1bcfc34> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.windley.com/archives/2004/01/serve_evoting_s.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959403 | 841 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Reporting Kai Jackson
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ)—A showdown is building in Annapolis over same-sex marriage. On Monday night hundreds rallied against legislation to allow same-sex couples to marry.
Kai Jackson explains both sides are pulling out all the stops ahead of Tuesday’s hearings.
The same-sex marriage debate is front and center in Annapolis, and people on both sides of the issue are taking a stand.
It’s a rally for rights in Annapolis on Monday. In this instance, the crowd argued about the right definition of marriage. They oppose same-sex marriage and want the state to define it as a union between a man and a woman.
“Marriage is what’s gonna hold our, it holds the families together. Without marriage you have no families, you have no society and it’ll just crumble,” said Beth Alster, of Hampstead.
Same-sex couples want the right to get married in Maryland. Currently they don’t have it.
“Good for us to be here today because it shows that we’re same-sex African-American males supporting the bill,” said Darryl Fields.
Last week, Governor Martin O’Malley held a news conference to show his support for same-sex marriage. He supports a bill to make it legal.
Yet the governor acknowledged the divisiveness of the issue.
“Sometimes in our empathy that we feel that those who are treated unfairly, we respond to the sort of hurt of injustice, the inequality of our laws with words of hurt rather words of healing,” he said.
Yet opponents aren’t backing down. It’s a point made clear at the rally.
“Marriage is between one man and one woman. This is something that comes from on high,” said Deacon Al Turner, Archdiocese of Washington.
“We’re here to represent what marriage is. Yep, the definition of marriage: one man, one woman,” said David and Lauren Arconti, new parents.
A recent Washington Post poll shows that most Marylanders support same-sex marriage. But that margin is small: 50 to 44 percent.
Monday’s rally was held by the Maryland Marriage Alliance. | <urn:uuid:688059fc-c7a0-4f85-9284-20898e1d90ab> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2012/01/30/opponents-of-gay-marriage-to-rally-in-annapolis/ | 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 | 0.948432 | 488 | 1.664063 | 2 |
3.1 General Principles:
- Instructionally-based programs in both writing and speaking housed in academic departments will replace the current competency-based Writing Requirement housed in the central administration. The major defect of the current requirement is that, like the swim test, it only asks students to demonstrate minimum competency and gives departments few, if any, incentives to integrate writing into their undergraduate programs. In contrast, the focus of the new Communication Requirement will be to provide students with frequent opportunities for instruction and practice in writing and speaking within the context of existing General Institute Requirements and subjects in their major through designated Communication-intensive (CI) subjects.
- Communication-intensive subjects will usually include practice in both writing and speaking. Speaking opportunities in CI subjects will range from informal class discussions to formal presentations in a variety of media. Departments and schools will have considerable discretion in defining the specific forms of written and oral communication appropriate to their subjects and curriculum, and the appropriate methods of instruction. However, beginning with the Class of 2007, at least one CI subject in each major program must provide substantial instruction and practice in oral presentation.
- The Communication Requirement should not add additional subjects into an already overly burdened undergraduate curriculum. Consequently, most Communication-intensive subjects will be developed from existing subjects in major programs and within the HASS Curriculum. A department may develop one or more new required CI subjects as part of its undergraduate major only within the general guidelines governing departmental degree requirements.
- Students will normally take one Communication-intensive subject in each of their undergraduate years. Students will be required to complete at least one CI subject by the end of their first year, two CI subjects by the end of their second year, three CI subjects by the end of their third year, and four CI subjects before they receive the SB degree.
- All entering students will be required to demonstrate competency in expository writing upon entrance through the Online Freshman Essay Evaluation or an equivalent test. Students who fail to show competency will be required to take an expository writing class as their first CI subject.
- The Institute will provide additional resources to support the new requirement. The current Writing Requirement has been limited by being an unfunded mandate from the Institute to academic units. It is important that the new Communication Requirement not significantly increase the load of an already overworked faculty. Additional Institute support will therefore be necessary for its successful implementation. In particular, the Institute must 1) fund supplementary instruction in writing and speaking in all parts of the undergraduate program; 2) maintain the momentum of the initiative by providing a permanent source of funding dedicated to faculty development of new Communication-intensive subjects; and 3) ensure the quality of instruction in writing and speaking by developing effective programs to train and supervise graduate Teaching Assistants and other ancillary teaching staff involved in CI subjects.
3.2 Report Of The School Of Humanities And Social Science And the HASS Overview Committee On The Design Of The HASS Component Of The Communication Requirement.
The Subcommittee requested that the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and the HASS Overview Committee (HOC) develop a Communication-intensive curriculum in HASS that would provide students with instruction and practice in general expository writing skills. In December 1999, the Subcommittee received the following report and has incorporated it into its overall design of the new requirement:
Introduction. As part of the new Communication Requirement at MIT, the School of Humanities and Social Science and the School of Architecture and Planning, which together offer the undergraduate HASS curriculum, are proposing to offer a series of Communication-intensive (CI) subjects. Students will take these subjects to fulfill the first half of the four-year CI requirement, as designed by a subcommittee of the CUP. Although many HASS CI subjects will also be HASS-D subjects, many will be drawn from HASS undergraduate electives. Undergraduates will usually be required to take a minimum of two such CI subjects in their freshman and sophomore years. The new communication requirement, which will be based on sustained opportunities for repeated practice and improvement in writing and speaking, will replace the existing writing requirement, which is based on student demonstration of competency.
The proposed communication requirement will reinforce undergraduate student writing at MIT in thefollowing new ways: (1) All students who do not perform satisfactorily on the Freshman Essay Evaluation will be required to take in their first year an expository writing subject with heavy emphasis on the fundamentals of writing; (2) In each of their first two years, MIT students will be required to take a HASS subject that has serious writing, revising and speaking components; (3) In meeting the CI subject guidelines, many HASS faculty will revise existing subjects in HASS to strengthen their writing, revising and speaking components; (4) HASS faculty will receive additional financial resources from the Institute to support their teaching of CI subjects; and (5) A HASS-wide committee will monitor the teaching of communication in CI subjects and support various efforts to improve the effectiveness of the Communication Requirement.
Criteria for HASS CI Subjects. Communication intensive subjects in the humanities, arts, and social sciences should require at least 20 pages of writing divided among 3-5 assignments. Of these 3-5 assignments, at least one should be revised and resubmitted. HASS CI subjects should further offer students substantial opportunity for oral expression, through presentations, student-led discussion, or class participation. In order to guarantee sufficient attention to student writing and substantial opportunity for oral expression, the maximum number of students per section in a HASS CI subject is 18, except in the case of a subject taught without sections (where the faculty member in charge is the only instructor). In that case, enrollments can rise to 25, if a writing fellow is attached to the subject.
Such writing fellows should be funded by resources provided by the central administration, which should also subsidize additional sections in subjects where the cap of 18 students per section will produce a reduction in available places.
These requirements represent an attempt to balance respect for faculty autonomy in designing their classes with recognition that any requirement--especially one of this kind--that is not enforced will not end up contributing much more than another layer of bureaucracy for faculty and students to complain about. Therefore it is extremely important that the body charged with overseeing this requirement approach their responsibilities with seriousness and vigor.
Overview. A committee composed of 4 or 5 members from the HASS faculty who have demonstrated a commitment to improving undergraduate writing will enforce CI guidelines. In the period during which HOC continues with the tasks it presently has, one faculty member will serve on both HOC and CI committees. One member should be the head of Writing and Humanistic Studies or a designated alternative.
The CI committee will review proposals for new CI subjects and periodically review already existing CI subjects in a manner similar to HOC's current procedures for HASS-Ds (see appendix). For subjects with sections taught by TA's, the inquiry will include:
- Review of web-based student evaluations of TA's with respect to those parts of the questionnaire having to do with writing.
- Review of the quality of TA's written comments on an entire set of papers.
- Review of the evaluations of TA's performance by faculty in the TA's department.
If the findings of this review indicate, the CI committee will be authorized to revoke the CI status of a multi-section CI subject, even though its syllabus complies with CI guidelines.
3.3 Description Of The New Requirement
The basic structure of the new curriculum is displayed in Figure 1.
Figure 1. General Outline of Student Progress through the Communication Requirement. Some students, however, may take two CI subjects in their second year and then have the option of skipping one year. Moreover, students in some majors will have the option of substituting a CI subject in HASS or another department for a CI subject in their major.
3.3.1 Freshman year
Approximately 20% of each entering class will be required to take an expository writing subject, and an estimated additional 10 to 15% of entering students will voluntarily choose to take one of them. Of the 15% to 20% of the entering class participating in Special Freshman Programs, some may take a HASS CI subject associated with the program. The remaining students will take a CI subject as part of their HASS requirement.
3.3.2 Sophomore year
Students will take one additional HASS CI subject. In some undergraduate programs, students may also take an additional CI subject in their sophomore year as part of their major.
3.3.3 Junior and Senior years
Students will normally take one CI subject in their major during their junior year and one CI major subject in their senior year. However, students who take both a HASS CI subject and a CI subject in their major during their sophomore year may be required to take only one additional CI subject during their junior and senior years. Students in five-year programs must complete their third CI subject by the end of their third year, but will have the option, if they elect to receive the SB and M. Eng. degrees simultaneously, of completing the fourth CI subject in their fifth year.
Departments will design their undergraduate programs so that students will be required to take at least two CI subjects within their major program. Students may, however, with departmental approval, substitute a third CI subject in another department for one of the two CI departmental subjects.
3.4 Phase-in of Requirement
3.5 Administrative and Instructional Support
Departments are encouraged to develop their own resources and staff for instruction in writing and speaking. However, substantial Institute resources will be provided primarily through a new interdepartmental Communication Resource Center, housed in and administered by the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies. The Subcommittee on the Communication Requirement and the Office of Academic Services will jointly develop procedures for tracking student progress through the Requirement.
The Subcommittee on the Communication Requirement, a stan= ding Subcommittee of the Committee on the Undergraduate Program, will oversee and establish policy for the Communication Requirement and, in collaboration with the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies, set policy for the Interdepartmental Communication Resource Center. The Subcommittee on the Communication Requirement shall consist of five Faculty members, representat= ive of all Schools of the Institute, two undergraduate student members, and the following ex officiis, voting members: the Dean of Students and Undergraduate Education or a designated representative, the Head of the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies or a designated representative, and the Coordinator of the ESL (English as a Second Language) Program. The Chair of the Subcommittee and its members shall be appointed by the Chair of the CUP in consultation with the Dean of Students and Undergraduate Education.
The Subcommittee shall act with power in
a) setting general guidelines for department CI classes and designating specific subjects in each undergraduate major program as communication intensive;
b) collaborating with the HASS Overview Committee in establishing guidelines for HASS CI subjects;
c) overseeing the evaluation of the writing ability of entering undergraduates and exempting those students who display competency in expository writing from being required to enroll in designated writing subjects during their first year at the Institute;
d) defining priorities for instructional support of CI subjects throughout the Institute and collaborating with the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies to set policy for the Communication Resource Center;
e) performing all of the functions of the Committee on the Writing Requirement in overseeing the administration of the Writing Requirement for students entering the Institute prior to the summer of 2001;
f) administering and managing the transition from the Writing Requirement to the Communication Requirement;
g) periodically reviewing and evaluating the effectiveness of specific CI subjects as well the overall efficacy of the Communication Requirement.
The Subcommittee shall report to the CUP and shall report to the Faculty on the progress of the new curriculum in Spring 2001, Spring 2003, and Spring 2005.
In implementing the Communication Requirement, the Subcommittee of the Communication Requirement shall, in consultation with the CUP, the HASS Overview Committee, and departments, develop specific policies to address the following issues:
3.7.1 Minimum Grade for Completion of CI Subject
Should a minimum grade in a CI subject be required to count for completion of part of the Communication Requirement? If so, what should that minimum grade be? Additionally, should the minimum grade be uniform for all parts of the new Requirement?
3.7.2 Maintaining Flexibility within the HASS Curriculum.
How can the HASS component of the Communication Requirement be structured to minimize any reduction of student choice and to ensure that students in the first two years will still have access to programs in HASS such as Music and Foreign Languages?
A student's failure to complete the required number of CI subjects
end of each academic year shall be considered lack of normal progress toward
the SB degree.
Previous | Table of Contents | Next | <urn:uuid:e4a42ceb-bebd-4515-a9db-b1bd9a1df88b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://web.mit.edu/faculty/reports/communication/new_com.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941504 | 2,670 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Laser attacks on planes reach 'epidemic level'
Number of incidents projected to reach 3,700 by end of year
An increase in the number of brazen laser attacks on planes in the United States has reached an "epidemic level."
According to an FBI blog post, the number of incidents is projected to reach 3,700 by the end of the year, compared to just 283 in 2005, a rise of more than 1,100%. Last year, there were 3,592 reported laser incidents, the FAA said.
The FBI cited the Internet as a source for cheap, easy to purchase hand-held gadgets about the size of fountain pens which have become more powerful in recent years. Lasers costing as little as a dollar can have ranges of 2 miles, the FBI said.
The number of attacks is reaching an "epidemic level," said George Johnson, a supervisory federal air marshal who is a liaison officer with the FBI.
Lasers directed at aircraft can cause temporary blindness to pilots for a few seconds, posing risks during takeoffs and landings.
"Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft is dangerous and reckless. Just don't do it," Johnson said.
Those who intentionally aim a laser at an aircraft can be prosecuted under two federal statutes, including a law put into effect this year that makes it punishable by up to five years in prison and $11,000 per violation without the benefit of a warning notice or counseling. An existing law allows punishment up to 20 years in prison and fines of $250,000.
Michael Huerta, acting FAA administrator, is on record as saying his department will "aggressively" prosecute violators.
Laser incident reports have increased steadily since the FAA created a formal reporting system in 2005 to collect information from pilots.
In 2011, the FBI said those responsible for "lasering" aircraft fall into two general profiles, either minors with no criminal history or older men with criminal records. Human traffickers or drug runners have also sought "to thwart airborne surveillance," according to the FBI.
Copyright 2012 by CNN NewSource. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:278b864f-a66e-4bbf-a67e-44b56a23ffed> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wmur.com/news/money/travel/Laser-attacks-on-planes-reach-epidemic-level/-/9857590/16884910/-/view/print/-/ldcxgk/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96531 | 448 | 1.75 | 2 |
By Michael Souza
PBN Staff Writer
NORTH KINGSTOWN - Electric Boat expects to add several hundred manufacturing jobs over the next two years and anticipates a solid work projection until 2020. The announcement was made Jan. 10 by company President John P. Casey at a ceremony opening the company’s new 146,000-square-foot production facility located in the Quonset Business Park.
Called “Bay 4”, the new building will enable Electric Boat to fabricate modules for Virginia class submarines under one roof, simplifying the process and increasing efficiency.
The jobs increase is in response to the new facility. “We’ll be seeking a variety of workers, from welders, pipe fitters and machinists to engineers,” Casey said. “The company plans to hire 250 more workers by the end of 2012 and another 250 by 2014.”
The current U.S. Department of Defense budget calls for construction of two submarines each year for 2012 and 2013. The Virginia-class submarine is an advanced stealth, multi-mission, nuclear-powered submarine for both deep ocean anti-submarine warfare and shallow water operations, tailored to today’s needs, according to the U.S. Navy. The Electric Boat division of General Dynamics is the lead design authority for the Virginia class. | <urn:uuid:3370593c-3f74-43f7-a2ba-abf6bda43dd0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pbn.com/EB-expects-to-add-500-jobs-by-14,64412?category_id=63&list_type=most_commented&sub_type=stories,packages | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936289 | 276 | 1.523438 | 2 |
‘All of Us See Through the Glass Darkly’
Bill Clinton explores politics & religious values in a sermon at Riverside Church before the start of the Republican convention
BY: Bill Clinton
Religious values can include commitment to the common good, concern for the poor and vulnerable, the middle class families, the preservation of our God-given environment, unity over division, and for truth in campaign advertising.
We have a curious situation in American where the religious right has tried to turn all who disagree with them into two-dimensional cartoons. I read a very moving article in one of our newspapers a few days ago in which someone in the president’s hometown said all the Democrats cared about was abortion, gay marriage, and being weak on defense.
I have never met anybody that was pro abortion. That is not what pro-choice means. It just means we don’t want to criminalize the choice. I’m not ashamed to believe that gay people shouldn’t be discriminated against and I don’t believe Jesus ever had much to say about that. When Charlie Rangel fought in Korea and John Kerry fought in Vietnam they did not ask what their political party was before they let them put a uniform on.
I was raised a Southern Baptist. I used to wonder why the Republicans hated me so much. I’m kind of nice and accommodating. I even go duck hunting once a year. I think it’s because I’m supposed to be some sort of apostate – a white, southern, protestant. Why am I not a Republican, especially now that they’ve given me all those tax cuts?
The other party’s about to convene here, putting on its once-every-four-years compassionate face. They have claimed the exclusive allegiance of America’s “real Christians.”
- An Election That Actually Could Be Historic: (brothersjuddblog.com)
- The George W. Bush presidency, through a glass darkly (thehill.com)
- Bill Clinton interviewed (kottke.org)
- Newt Gingrich: I’m Not Like Bill Clinton (lesliebrodie.wordpress.com)
- Quote for the Day: President Bill Clinton (Being Judgemental) (konkerer.com)
- Think GOP Infighting Is Ugly? Check Out The Democrats…Of 2008 (mediaite.com) | <urn:uuid:2fc3c1f5-d487-4722-9e1b-95e9e9f73e33> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://goodolewoody.me/2012/02/05/bill-clinton-a-sermon-on-politics-all-of-us-see-through-the-glass-darkly/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936399 | 506 | 1.8125 | 2 |
(WICHITA, Kan.) — If you've driven by 21st and Maize Road this week, you've probably seen the new yellow barriers jutting out of the roadway along Maize Road.
They're there to prevent left turns that have been stopping up traffic in that area.
The city says those barriers will be in place for at least 30 days.
“The simulated median will help the City test the impact of traffic changes being considered for construction next year,” says Paul Gunzelman, Traffic Engineer for the City of Wichita in a press release.
After the 30 days, the markers may be removed or left in place depending on the results. The city says access to Dillons and Walgreens will still be available from either direction along 21st Street and for right turns off of Maize.
"I was kind of happy they did it, it made me feel a little safer. I usually take the back way in through the Walmart parking lot because I always thought it was a little dangerous over there (Maize)." said Jennifer Lehr. | <urn:uuid:ab7509fa-f5cc-4b94-8d5a-4c3176c25cdd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.kwch.com/2011-10-28/maize-road_30334821 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958144 | 222 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Mitt Romney on Unions
Governor Romney strongly opposes the Employee Free Choice Act known as Card Check. In 2006, he wrote an op-ed about the legislation, which he vetoed while Governor of Massachusetts. The law was passed by the subsequent Governor, resulting in the unionization of a charter school and Governor Romey's article tells a "cautionary tale" of what can happen when card check is in place. Governor Romney states that the legislation tilts the playing field in favor of unions, robs workers of a secret ballot, and deprives management of the right to express its point of view.
In August of 2011, Governor Romney participated in the "Palmetto Forum." During this discussion, he stated that he supported a national right to work law. He was also critical of government unions and the practice of unions collecting dues which it then uses to support political allies or causes. In the economic section of his 2012 campaign website, Governor Romney states that one item he will seek to do is eliminate he corrosive effects of union bosses on productive companies.
2012 Economic Plan
Governor Romney made labor policy a central facet of economic plan for the 2012 presidency. In that plan, Governor Romney lists criticisms of President Obama's actions relating to labor. First, Governor Romney notes that President Obama has been pushing for the Card Check legislation which he says is an effort to repay labor forces for the 2008 election by providing a mechanism to garner more members.
As further prrof of paybacks, Governor Romney notes that President Obama intervined in the GM bankruptcy to provide special favoritism to UAW beyond the law. The plan is also critical of President Obama's executive order after taking office that encouranging Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) in government contracting.
Finally, Governor Romney opposes the actions of the NLRB in bringing a lawsuit against Boeing for moving a plant to South Carolina and its efforts to implement "snap elections" in which employers have as little as ten days in which to organize a counter-campaign after union organizers formally filed a petition to vote.
In presenting his platform on labor, Governor Romney pledges to appoint members to the National Labor Relations Board that will not exceed their authority, such as in the Boeing case. He also pledges to oppose the Employee Free Choice Act.
Finally, Governor Romney states that he will send a bill to Congress that prohibits the use of mandatory union dues for political purposes. He asserts that practice is fundamentally inconsistent with democratic principles and that there is no legitimate reason for employees to face automatic paycheck deductions for political expenditures that they may not support.
Cautionary Tale of Card Check
On March 25, 2009 Governor Romney wrote an article for the Washington Times titled "Cautionary tale of card check ." In that article, he expresses his viewpoints on the Employee Free Choice Act.
Believe in America Plan
On September 6, 2011 Governor Romney proposed the Believe in America Plan as part of his 2012 Presidential campaign. Labor policy is prominently featured in that plan.
Palmetto Freedom Forum
In August of 2011, Governor Romney participated in the Palmetto Freedom Forum. He was asked about unions and stated that he would support a national right to work law.
TEA Party Debate
In September of 2011, Governor Romney participated in the TEA party Presidential debate. He speaks briefly about his support for right-to-work laws and his opposition to the NLRB actions related to Boeing.
2012 Campaign Website Statements
Make America the most attractive place in the world to do business Today, more than ever, new businesses can choose where to form and existing ones can choose where to invest and hire. America has long been the most dynamic economy in the world, and we must not let our government change that. As President, Mitt Romney will:
- Lower taxes on businesses to keep America competitive in the global economy
- Slash bureaucratic red tape and place a hard cap on the impact that federal regulations can have on the economy
- Limit the corrosive influence of union bosses on productive businesses | <urn:uuid:a9c186a1-1668-440d-bb68-d4f81f4f8693> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thepoliticalguide.com/Profiles/Governor/Massachusetts/Mitt_Romney/Views/Unions/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96518 | 816 | 1.726563 | 2 |
I wish I knew more about the Hoot Hoot I Scream Ice Cream stand. What little I have managed to uncover is this Los Angeles frozen dessert shack was likely built in the 1920′s and was still standing in 1940. I’m not sure when it was torn down, or better yet, why it was torn down.
My question is this; what kind of monster removes a building that is shaped like a giant ice cream dispensing owl? Not only did this edifice resemble an enormous nocturnal predator, but the “head” also spun around a complete 360 degrees and its “eyes” glowed in the dark.
Well ok, maybe a gigantic winged marauder with night-piercing vision, and an unsettling ability to twist its head like Linda Blair on a three day devil-bender is a strange choice of imagery to lure in little children if your plan is to serve them delicious chilly treats and not coax them in a giant oven for purposes of devouring them – but then again a crazy-eyed, red-headed, burger-hawking clown hasn’t slowed down a certain modern fast food chain. | <urn:uuid:6022ea20-e560-4d23-90a3-3e0cba50fb6d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://joeartistwriter.wordpress.com/2010/12/07/hoot-hoot-i-scream-ice-cream/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955693 | 237 | 1.625 | 2 |
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In case over Amazon cleanup, Chevron releases videotapes it says implicate the judge in a bribery scheme.
BOGOTA, Colombia — With talk of million-dollar payoffs and clandestine videos made with James Bond-style mini-cameras, the legal battle pitting Chevron Corp against Ecuadorian activists over environmental damage in the Amazon jungle is getting stranger by the day.
In the latest twist in the 15-year-old legal case, Chevron has released videotapes that, according to the company, implicate the presiding judge and an official from the country’s ruling political party in a $3 million bribery scheme.
In one of the videos, Judge Juan Nunez also appears to acknowledge that he will soon rule against Chevron.
“These videos raise serious questions about corruption, executive branch interference and prejudgment of the case,” said Chevron Executive Vice President Charles James in a statement.
But Steven Donziger, a New York-based attorney representing the plaintiffs, charged Chevron with carrying out a “Richard Nixon-style dirty-tricks campaign” to smear Ecuador’s legal system and delay a final ruling. If Chevron loses, the San Ramon, Calif.,-based firm could be ordered to pay up to $27 billion in reparations — potentially the largest civil damages award ever imposed. Chevron, meanwhile, has lobbied the U.S. government to impose trade sanctions on Ecuador as punishment for the way the case has been handled.
The plaintiffs in the suit, who include thousands of residents living in the Amazon region in northeastern Ecuador, claim that oil production by Texaco — which operated in Ecuador from 1964 to 1990 and was acquired by Chevron in 2001 — poisoned their lands, rivers and ground water with toxic chemicals.
Chevron, which has no operations in Ecuador, argues that Texaco carried out a successful clean-up of 160 waste pits and that the company was released from any future liability for environmental damages by the Ecuadorian government.
Although Chevron has at times praised the Ecuadorian courts, the company portrays itself as the victim of a corrupt legal system, and Ecuador’s left-wing president, Rafael Correa, who has publicly sided with the plaintiffs. The videotapes now stand as Exhibit A for the company’s argument.
Chevron said the recordings were made by Diego Borja, a former Chevron contractor, and an American businessman identified as Wayne Hansen who apparently was seeking contracts to clean up oil production sites once Judge Nunez handed down his verdict. | <urn:uuid:e6fce0bc-7070-4482-914a-a20a8fa1a273> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/colombia/090902/chevron-ecuador-bribery-accusations?quicktabs_gp5_homepage_timeline=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953128 | 522 | 1.5625 | 2 |
To celebrate this august holiday, the American Humanist Association has awarded Judge John E. Jones III the Religious Liberty Award. For those of you who are not familiar with Jones's name, you may be surprised to find a secular organization lavishing praises on a man of faith who is a Republican judge appointed by George W. Bush. It all becomes clear when you learn that he presided over the trial of Dover v. Kitzmiller, which became a huge impediment for the Intelligent Design movement. It becomes clearer still when you read the brilliant decision he wrote after wading through copious evidence and weeks of testimony. Near the end, the decision reads:
Those who disagree with our holding will likely mark it as the product of an activist judge. If so, they will have erred as this is manifestly not an activist Court. Rather, this case came to us as the result of the activism of an ill-informed faction on a school board, aided by a national public interest law firm eager to find a constitutional test case on ID, who in combination drove the Board to adopt an imprudent and ultimately unconstitutional policy. The breathtaking inanity of the Board’s decision is evident when considered against the factual backdrop which has now been fully revealed through this trial. The students, parents, and teachers of the Dover Area School District deserved better than to be dragged into this legal maelstrom, with its resulting utter waste of monetary and personal resources. [emphasis mine]If you want to learn more about the Dover trial and the people and issues involved, I heartily recommend the book Monkey Girl by Pulitzer Prize-winner Edward Humes. It is a book we read in the monthly book club at CFI Los Angeles. He frames the entire situation with a recap of the long-lived debate between science and the readers of Genesis, describes the school board meetings that led to the curriculum change, and sets the stage by introducing all the people we saw in the news coverage as well as the individuals and organizations who worked behind the scenes. It is a fascinating story, especially when you learn how abysmally little the school board members knew about the science of Evolution, or even the Intelligent Design they were so eager to replace it with! Again, from Jones's decision:
The citizens of the Dover area were poorly served by the members of the Board who voted for the ID Policy. It is ironic that several of these individuals, who so staunchly and proudly touted their religious convictions in public, would time and again lie to cover their tracks and disguise the real purpose behind the ID Policy.The funniest anecdote comes from the last day of the trial (quoted from pg. 327 the hardback edition):
Pat Gillen, soon to return to Ann Arbor and the offices of Thomas More [the firm representing the school board], had one more question to ask: "By my reckoning, this is the fortieth day since the trial began, and tonight will be the fortieth night, and I would like to know if you did that on purpose?"What a brilliant response! That really sums it all up, and I join the AHA in saluting Judge Jones for his work in the service of religious liberty. (Thanks to Greg for the link that led me to the AHA news.)
"Mr. Gillen," Judge Jones responded with a smile, as the courtroom erupted with laughter and applause, "that is an interesting coincidence, but it was not by design." | <urn:uuid:765e4def-7b97-4545-8a2c-1a5cf61a4630> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://skepticreview.blogspot.com/2008/02/judge-jones-wins-religious-liberty.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973766 | 705 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Graffiti: is it art or vandalism?
Toronto sets up official panel and the wrangling starts over what to preserve
By Larry Humber. Web only
Published online: 07 November 2012
Toronto is taking a hard look at street art, going so far as to create an official five-member Graffiti Panel, made up of city staffers with backgrounds in “the arts, urban design, architecture and other relevant disciplines”, which met for the first time on 2 November. The first session was contentious but civil, with panel members facing off against property owners who were appealing notices of violation for “markings” on their buildings. “Even if it’s Picasso, you’re not allowed to paint on other people’s walls,” says Elyse Parker, a city official who is leading Toronto’s crackdown on graffiti.
At the same time, the city has begun to open its eyes to street art, realising that there is something of merit in the best of it. Toronto’s council has already given its blessing to what is known as Graffiti Alley, a series of colourful backstreets only a few blocks from City Hall. David Liss, the director of Toronto’s Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, who also has some background in street art, applauds the move. “Certainly the Queen West Alley has some great work, so I’m in favour of preservation,” he says. “Maybe they could start marketing it as a tourist attraction.”
The Graffiti Panel considered nine controversial sites at its first meeting. It was careful to avoid the word “art”, almost as if were an obscenity. “Questioning what is art is what we wanted to get away from,” says Parker.
However, the term would regularly creep into the discussions. At one point, the head of the panel Glen Sharp referred to a work under scrutiny as “art”, then corrected himself, saying, “Excuse me, I mean graffiti.” He also made reference to “the artist” more than once. A panel member subsequently referred to “the art pieces”.
Reaching a consensus will be difficult. One building owner appeared with his lawyer to defend his graffiti covered walls, more than happy to let them stay. The panel wasn’t so sure, first opting to defer judgement, then reopening the matter before deferring it yet again. The owner was asked to reappear at the next session on 30 November. “You can’t win,” he said.
The panel had only photographs of the works to look at, and judging the subject matter could be difficult. “I’m concerned about what the character is holding in his hand,” said one member about a lion figure waving an unidentifiable object. Additional photographs were requested for the next session, to be provided 18 days before the panel sits again. But who is to say graffiti artists won’t revisit the site in the intervening time?
“If anyone thinks that an official programme will reduce graffiti, they’re sadly mistaken,” says Liss. “Many graffiti artists will intentionally not participate and continue working unsanctioned. There is a strain of thought among certain graffiti artists and taggers to ‘destroy’ and vandalise, while others see their markings as a way to claim space from ever-increasing corporate control.”
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Want to write a longer comment to this article? Email firstname.lastname@example.org | <urn:uuid:035f8aab-dc1b-44c5-85c7-f319e85e4528> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://theartnewspaper.com/articles/Graffiti-is-it-art-or-vandalism/28040 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969971 | 811 | 1.820313 | 2 |
- eel + skin (Wiktionary)
“His sockless feet were in old base-ball shoes of "eelskin," which were of the exact color of his coat, a dull green, like moldy, dried peas.”
“A small New England town makes a good lens through which to view American history and its codependent relationship with nature: First, the eels feed the citizens, and then they become material for industry in the form of eelskin boots, only to be replaced later by leather.”
“Edit if I am not mistaken when you buy fine leather goods made of “eelskin” it is actually hagfish that this comes from.”
““I don™t think so,” he said, and stepped on the phone with his eelskin cowboy boot, cracking it into a hundred jagged pieces.”
“Beneath the shawl, her dresses were built, year in, year out, on the same plan: cut in one piece, buttoning right down the front, they fitted her like an eelskin, rigidly outlining her majestic proportions, and always short enough to show a pair of surprisingly small, well-shod feet.”
“French popped the polished brass clasp on an elegant eelskin briefcase and removed a thick sheaf of papers.”
“But India rubber was too thick and became sticky when warm, lambskin and eelskin little better than bare hands, for they required seams and, once used, could not be used again.”
“As the Highmurf had promised, there on the third shelf was a fat tome bound in deep blue eelskin, the gold-leaf words on its spine long since worn to flecks.”
“The doctor had put on a small riding wig with an eelskin cue, and was getting into his greatcoat.”
“Tough rags, or leather thongs fastened to a handle about a foot in length, will make an effective lash, but the best whips are made from pliant leather thongs, or still better, from a dried eelskin.”
These user-created lists contain the word ‘eelskin’.
Words and phrases about eels.
I'm especially fond of ones written by Charles Sanders Peirce.
Looking for tweets for eelskin. | <urn:uuid:a8e41fba-0118-40aa-9252-7bfb3ad9f920> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wordnik.com/words/eelskin | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959586 | 520 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Synopsis of Toy
“KISS – That’s their name,
KISS – They might be insane,
KISS – If rock’s your game,
Plenty of dolls based on rock stars have been made over the years, but perhaps none of them have ever been quite as cool as the dolls inspired by KISS. These heavy-metal legends were destined to inspire cool toys: after all, they wore superhero style outfits and makeup at all times. Their stage show was also heavy on superhero-style antics: Gene Simmons flew over the audience on wires, and Ace Frehley had a guitar that could fire rockets. It was inevitable that such larger-than-life musicians would inspire their own dolls. When they did, the result was some of the most popular and collectible toys of their time.
The KISS dolls were first released in 1977. The toy line consisted of four dolls, one for each member of the group: Ace Frehley, Peter Criss, Gene Simmons, and Paul Stanley. They were made of plastic, stood 12 inches high, and had lengthy rooted hair instead of the molded-plastic kind. Each doll also boasted a unique silver-and-black costume that was an accurate small-scale replica of the outfit each group member wore on tour between 1977 and 1979, complete with the crowning touch: a very 1970’s pair of platform boots. The dolls lacked any accessories like instruments or microphones, but to make up for this, Mego included cut-out instruments on the back side of the dolls’ boxes.
The most important element of the KISS dolls was the design of their heads. Mego initially wanted to use the same head for each doll (with different makeup for each member) but the band rejected this idea. Since they had likeness approval, Mego had to design a separate head for each doll with person-specific features and makeup. The Gene doll’s head stood out from the rest because it had an open mouth featuring his visual trademark, a long and extended tongue. However, the heads for the Paul dolls were actually repainted heads that were originally used for the Captain dolls in Mego’s short-lived Captain and Teneille doll series.
The KISS dolls were an instant hit with both KISS fanatics and toy lovers who appreciated the cool design of the dolls. Despite their success, these dolls were not produced in massive quantities. Because of this, the KISS dolls have become a ‘holy grail’ of sorts among toy collectors. In fact, a single boxed KISS doll in good condition can easily command hundreds of dollars on the collector’s market. The rarest of the four original KISS dolls is the Peter Criss doll. This is due to the fact that Mego produced less of these dolls due to a rumor around the time of production that Criss was leaving the group (this didn’t actually happen until 1980).
Today, the original Mego KISS dolls remain as popular as ever with toy collectors and KISS fans. Their continued popularity led to a new line of KISS dolls in 1997 when the original members of KISS reformed for a reunion tour. McFarlane Toys produced these new toys, which featured elaborate designs that included plenty of accessories for each member. For instance, each figure had realistically detailed musical instruments that often doubled as weapons (both Paul and Peter’s instruments shot missiles). Like their Mego predecessors, these toys were smash hits and proved that the superhero status of KISS continues to be as strong in the toy world as it is in the rock and roll world.
Release History of Toy1977 - KISS figures (Mego)
1997 - KISS figures (McFarlane)
Sub Categories of Toysaction figures | <urn:uuid:655bf8fd-0194-416d-a26a-4cafc5d39147> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.skooldays.com/categories/toys/ty1095.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974409 | 777 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Helbio S.A. in Patras, Greece, has received an order from a major Greek telecommunications company for a 5 kWe Fuel Cell Power System operating on commercial propane. The system will be equipped with a High Temperature PEM fuel cell and will be designed for unattended and in remote locations operation, without the need for external power input.
The APU system, ordered is the sixth propane powered fuel cell of this kind sold by Helbio.
The system delivers 5 kW electrical energy, using commercial propane or LPG as the energy source. It consists of a fuel processor which converts the fuel and water into a hydrogen rich stream, suitable to be fed into a HT PEM fuel cell. Reformation of propane is carried out in the steam-reforming mode within specially designed reactor/catalyst system. Elimination of CO is achieved by a single stage water gas shift reactor. The effluent contains less than 1.5 vol. % CO. The fuel cell used in this system is manufactured by a US company. The fuel processor and the fuel cell are highly integrated and controlled via a common scheme, thus operating in a very efficient manner. | <urn:uuid:6b7837f3-7a90-4a29-aa7c-e7878fc80024> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.helbio.com/helbio-receives-order-for-high-temperature-fuel-cell-power-system-operating-on-propane/ | 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 | 0.937713 | 239 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Crime Magazine is about true crime: organized crime, celebrity crime, serial killers, corruption, sex crimes, capital punishment, prisons, assassinations, justice issues, crime books, crime films and crime studies.
Sept. 27, 2011
Ian Brady and Myra Hindley
Myra Hindley was, for the British public, evil personified, and was the most hated woman in Britain from the time of her arrest in 1965 until the day she died in 2002 for murdering children with her boyfriend and burying them on the Moors.
by Mark Pulham
At around 8:40 on the morning of Thursday, October 7, 1965, Bob Talbot knocked on the back door of 16 Wardle Brook Avenue. He wore a long white coat and carried a basket of bread under his arm. A woman opened the door and looked at him. He wasn’t the usual bread delivery man, and she told him he’d got the wrong house. The woman was tall and square-jawed, with honey-platinum hair and thick black eyebrows. Talbot would have put her age as around 35-years-old, but he would have been wrong, she had only turned 23 a few months before.
Talbot dropped the pretence. “I’m a police officer.” he said, as he stepped through the door, “Is the man of the house in?” The newly promoted Superintendent Bob Talbot followed the woman through the kitchen and into the living room, as behind him, his Detective Sergeant Jock Carr slipped into the kitchen through the back door.
In the living room was a bed, and a man was lying on it, writing a letter. He looked up as they entered. It was a neat and tidy room, with a couple of dogs and a budgie. It was not the superintendent’s idea of what a crime scene looked like. He looked at the man and said that he believed that a murder had been committed there.
It had started less than three hours before, when a frantic call had come into Hyde Police Station. It was just after 6 a.m. when the young police constable picked up the telephone and heard the called say, “Is this Hyde Police Station?” The caller was stammering with nervousness, but told the constable his name was David Smith. He said he was speaking from Hattersley, his broad Manchester accent causing him to drop the ‘H’. There’s been a murder, Smith told him, and that he was phoning from the call box on Hattersley Road West. | <urn:uuid:bbbccd92-c9d0-459c-82bd-807c1f5670e5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.crimemagazine.com/murders-moors?page=22 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986635 | 541 | 1.539063 | 2 |
People at the top (however you define that) are more in need of support, coaching, or even just “an ear” than most, and yet they are the least likely to get it. High achievers are afraid to show any limitations. Asking for help – whatever that form takes – is to admit weakness, and our culture does not take kindly to ‘weak leaders’ who need help.
So, how do we want our leaders to be? What is our model of the perfect leader?
If we don’t expect them to need help, then I fear we are expecting too much of them, and, at the same time, we are creating a ‘vicious cycle’ from which we won’t escape.
The norms and mores of our society have created unrealistic expectations, and as a result we see smart, ambitious people who are less productive and satisfied than they should or could be. Anxiety about performance compromises progress, resulting in lower levels of risk-taking and plateauing careers.
Too many people in positions of authority operate from a position of fear. Fear of not knowing, fear of being found out, fear of looking incompetent, fear of losing what has taken them years to attain. This is true in companies, public service and politics. People who are in these positions are rarely stupid. Being smart is usually a big factor in them getting to where they are. But, once they are there, something seems to kick in which is profoundly ‘anti-learning’. To paraphrase the great Chris Argyris, “Smart People find it tough to Learn”.
Today’s story in The Nation of Hamza Kashgari, a 23-year-old journalist, who faces potential death for daring to question, shines a powerful spotlight on the fear with which ‘leaders’ operate. As a species we progress by learning. We are problem solvers, we are cognitive thinkers, we naturally question, challenge and inquire. It is by doing so that we have overcome the multitude of obstacles that have stood in the way of our evolution over millenia. But, we do not and cannot stand still. To do so would consign the human race to extinction, probably through self-destruction. More than ever before, we require Continue reading →
This is International Coaching Week 2012! And to mark it, I am offering a limited number of free coaching sessions to the first people who respond through this website. All you need to do is submit your contact details through the Contact Us page of this website together with a brief summary of what you’d like to get out of your free coaching session. | <urn:uuid:7dc95633-4402-41f0-9487-80c2b4263875> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gyroconsulting.com/2012/02/ | 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 | 0.96483 | 552 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Boost your energy, lose weight, and rejuvenate your heart with a proven cholesterol-fighting exercise program. Unlike fad diets that cut weight at any cost, Action Plan for High Cholesterol contains proven programs to bring your cholesterol levels under control as quickly and effectively as possible.
Learn what type of exercise is best and how frequent and intense your workouts should be. Find out which cholesterol medicine might be better for you or how you may be able to change your lifestyle to reduce or even eliminate medications completely.
Developed in conjunction with the American College of Sports Medicine, Action Plan for High Cholesterol presents the latest research on exercise, diet, medication, and complementary and alternative methods for your body. Take control of your heart health, and feel better than you ever thought possible!
Chapter 1. Understanding Blood Cholesterol
Chapter 2. Linking Cholesterol and Heart Disease
Chapter 3. Exercising to Affect Cholesterol Levels
Chapter 4. Finding an Exercise Balance
Chapter 5. Modifying Cholesterol
Chapter 6. Building an Exercise Program
Chapter 7. Choosing a Healthy Diet
Chapter 8. Deciding on Medications
Chapter 9. Investigating Complementary and Alternative Therapies
J. Larry Durstine, PhD, FACSM, is director of clinical exercise programs and a professor in the department of exercise science at the University of South Carolina. Since 1976 he has been involved in research focusing on the evaluation of exercise testing and training programs in both healthy people and those with chronic diseases and disabilities. Durstine has written more than 30 scientific publications regarding the impact of regular exercise on blood cholesterol. He also has written extensively on the subject of exercise testing and prescription and has served as editor for several American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) books. Additionally, he is a fellow of the ACSM and the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR). Durstine was elected president of the ACSM for the 2005-06 term.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is more than the world's leader in the scientific and medical aspects of sports and exercise; it is an association of people and professions exploring the use of medicine and exercise to make life healthier for all people.
Since 1954, ACSM has been committed to the promotion of physical activity and the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of sport-related injuries. With more than 20,000 international, national, and regional chapter members in 80 countries, ACSM is internationally known as the leading source of state-of-the-art research and information on sports medicine and exercise science. Through ACSM, health and fitness professionals representing a variety of disciplines work to improve the quality of life for people around the world through health and fitness research, education, and advocacy.
A large part of ACSM's mission is devoted to public awareness and education about the positive aspects of physical activity for people of all ages from all walks of life. ACSM's physicians, researchers, and educators have created tools for the public, ranging in scope from starting an exercise program to avoiding or treating sport injuries.
ACSM's National Center is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, widely recognized as the amateur sports capitol of the nation. To learn more about ACSM, visit www.acsm.org. | <urn:uuid:54858876-1f3e-4cc8-99cf-bc95b22d1bac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.humankinetics.com/products/all-products/action-plan-for-high-cholesterol?ActionType=2_SetCurrency&CurrencyCode=6 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939216 | 671 | 1.820313 | 2 |
President Barack Obama was in Colorado on Tuesday to speak at the University of Colorado. His comments were geared to garner support from college students as he discussed how he wants to keep student loan interest rates from doubling later this year.
If garnering the votes of students only came down to the stance taken on student loan rates, President Obama would not have a clear advantage over Mitt Romney. The presumptive GOP candidate agrees that student loan rates should not double, as they are scheduled to later this year.
Because of the similar stances on the issue, it may seem that when it comes to student loan rates and the Presidential race that the odds are even.
However, the Republican House might end up tilting the scales for Obama by making the overall Republican opinion on the issue to allow the rates to double, despite Romney being against it.
One of the handicaps that Mitt Romney suffers from since he has not been able to unify the Republican Party is that his fellow party members in Congress have no problem asserting their dominance over him. While they would love to see President Obama defeated, House Republicans are not about to allow Romney to establish the agenda for the party in order to do so.
That becomes a problem on issues like student loan rates because while Obama and Romney agree, the Obama campaign may be able to show voters that GOP as a whole doesn’t care about the doubling of the rate, and Mitt Romney’s opinion becomes irrelevant.
That’s a lose-lose scenario for Romney. On one hand, if there are any voters that would be swayed by this single issue, he loses them despite of his stance, because of his GOP colleagues.
On the other hand, with House Republicans setting the agenda on the issue, it shows what little influence he has on the situation, and might give a sign that he wouldn’t be able to effectively corral his own party if he was President.
If the general approval rating of Congress continues to trend in the low teens, the Obama campaign can make an effective point by saying under a Romney presidency, the unpopular Congress would really be the one in charge.
I certainly do not want to make too much out of one issue. Despite being important, there really cannot be that many voters that will determine their vote on this one issue. If Mitt Romney loses the election, it won’t be simply because of student loan rates doubling. Nor would Congress signing off on keeping the rate the same, ensure a victory for Romney.
But the larger point is that this one minor campaign issue elaborates a bigger problem for Romney. Even though he may take stances that are popular with voters, especially centrist voters, Obama may be able to use the stance Congress takes on the issue as a blunt instrument against Romney.
The unfortunate part for Romney is that the Democratic Senate is a far less attractive weapon to use against Obama. First, while not in absolute agreement with the President, the Democratic Senate has not been able to publicly assert its authority as much as the Republican House. Secondly, President Obama has unified enough of his party to keep any internal threats to his agenda at bay.
Student loan rates are important to college graduates and some can argue that doubling them would be a serious blow to a portion of the population just entering the job market. But more importantly, the student loan rate conversation may end up being an example of how much of the next part of the Presidential campaign may go for Mitt Romney, whether he likes it or not.
About The Blogger
- Dominic Dezzutti, producer of the Colorado Decides debate series, a co-production of CBS4 and Colorado Public Television, looks at the local and national political scene in his CBSDenver.com blog. Read new entries here every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Dezzutti writes about federal, state and local matters and how our elected leaders are handling the issues important to Colorado. Dezzutti also produces the Emmy winning Colorado Inside Out, hosted by Raj Chohan, on Colorado Public Television. | <urn:uuid:604ffd87-57b0-4a6a-a6fd-7a4a2dc88fcd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://denver.cbslocal.com/2012/04/24/congress-may-play-romneys-hand-on-student-loans/ | 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 | 0.978202 | 817 | 1.546875 | 2 |
It did not come to that, but the rally of Muslim Brotherhood supporters was more than a show of support for Morsi and the controversial Islamist-backed draft constitution that Egyptians are to vote on Saturday amid legal chaos. It was also a show of force, a gathering of men and women who said that “the people” — by which they meant themselves — “and the police are one hand.”
In recent days, opposition protesters have described having their wrists bound, being brutally beaten and interrogated by Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood supporters during 15 hours of violent street clashes outside the presidential palace last week, during which both sides hurled rocks and wielded clubs. Protesters said their Islamist captors called them “infidels” and forced them to “confess” to being paid to stoke violence, an interpretation of events that a spokesman for the Brotherhood’s political party denied.
“The group and the party don’t use violence and have no inclination to the use of violence,” Mourad Aly, a spokesman for the party, told the Associated Press.
But as they rallied to chants of “the Koran is our constitution!” Tuesday night, many Islamists spoke openly about what they considered to be their rightful role in protecting the palace. In a larger sense, they spoke of protecting what they consider to be the legitimate outcome of the revolution that ousted strongman Hosni Mubarak nearly two years ago: a democratically elected, Islamist president and the referendum on a constitution drafted by a democratically elected, Islamist-dominated assembly.
“We caught over 300 people, definitely,” said Samir Hassan, 40, an Arabic teacher in a leather jacket and wire rim glasses, referring to protesters whom he and his colleagues captured, men he described matter-of-factly as “thugs.” “The opposition has said they want to cancel the referendum. But the people will protect the legitimacy,” he said.
Hassan described a system that was supposed to be at work last Wednesday, when the two sides faced off in the streets in front of the palace separated by a line of police officers who did little to keep them apart. He said that after he and his colleagues caught any protesters trying to throw rocks or shooting a pellet gun, they would haul them into their crowd, careful to encircle them to “protect them from anyone attacking.”
“The injuries they sustained were because of their resistance and their attempts to flee,” Hassan said. “We were cautious. All were handed over to the police in good shape so that they could confess. They were handed over to police and our role ended.”
A man standing beside Hassan, who did not want to give his name, clarified their role.
“The Muslim Brotherhood does not replace the state’s responsibility for protecting the palace,” he said. “Our role was only to help police as much as possible.”
The benign account differs from the ones that protesters have given to human rights activists. But it speaks to how Hassan and other political Islamists regard themselves as a peaceful, honorable, God-fearing line of defense. They insist that they are forced into violence only by anti-Morsi demonstrators, people they often cast as dirty and crass and bent on destruction.
“Those people just want chaos,” said Abdelsalam, who works in the Finance Ministry, referring to the opposition forces. “Here we have no thugs, no destruction, no molotovs. We are not trying to break things down,’’ he said, gesturing to where vendors were roasting corn and people were chanting “pray, pray for the prophet.”
In support of their position, he and others note that most of those killed last Wednesday were from their own ranks and that the opposition now includes figures from the old Mubarak regime, which outlawed the Brotherhood and forced the group underground for decades, a fate the Brotherhood is determined to avoid in the future.
“Here are the true Egyptian people — not at the palace,” Abdelsalam said. “We are not leaving. Here we are the true Egyptians.”
Abigail Hauslohner, Ingy Hassieb and Sharaf al-Hourani contributed to this report. | <urn:uuid:44d4a589-364d-4213-bd68-97c535718308> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/anti-morsi-protesters-challenge-barriers-around-presidential-palace/2012/12/11/9efb66bc-439d-11e2-8e70-e1993528222d_story.html?wprss=rss_middle-east | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980806 | 901 | 1.53125 | 2 |
TheGift73 writes in with news about an over-the-counter HIV test getting the backing of a panel of FDA experts. "American consumers may soon be able to test themselves for the virus that causes AIDS in the privacy of their own homes, after a panel of experts on Tuesday recommended approval of the first rapid, over-the-counter HIV test. The 17 members of the Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted unanimously that the benefits of the OraQuick HIV test outweigh its potential risks for consumers. While the test, which uses a mouth swab to return a result in 20 minutes, does not appear to be as accurate as professionally-administered diagnostics, panelists said it could provide an important way to expand HIV testing. The FDA will make its final decision on whether to approve the product later this year, weighing the opinion of the panel." | <urn:uuid:893c1c9e-350f-45cf-b025-d405e63ad14a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/05/16/2015219/fda-panel-backs-first-rapid-take-home-hiv-test?sbsrc=science | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960903 | 174 | 1.523438 | 2 |
ASAT Board Member/Parent Kathy Mannion Testified Before National Committee on Behalf of Children
- Kathy Mannion
The National Bioethics Advisory Committee (NBAC) has drafted human research guidelines that may impact autism research, and consequently, autism treatment. The guidelines call for changes to current federal regulations, as well as the creation of a new standing national oversight panel. Drafted over the course of more than a year, the guidelines seek to protect people who cannot consent to treatment from the effects of certain high-risk studies that do not offer potential direct benefit to the subject. But that laudable goal may have unintended consequences. Researchers, parents and the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH’s) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) have expressed concern that the recommendations may impede important research on mental disorders. NBAC Chairman Harold Shapiro disagrees, contending that “appropriate ethical constraints ” will result in more public support of research.
ASAT board member Kathy Mannion is among those who testified before the NBAC about how the proposed guidelines may negatively impact research on children with autism. Following are her remarks:
“Good morning. My name is Kathy Mannion, and I represent two of my children who are incapable of representing themselves. My sons Brian, age 9 and Daniel, age 8, have autism.
Living with autism is typically a lifelong struggle for both the child and the family. Children are unable to communicate or understand language. They are unable to learn even the simplest things on their own. They engage in ritualistic, often bizarre, sometimes violent, and even self-injurious behavior, and they require constant supervision and teaching. For families like mine, life is often something to survive rather than something to enjoy. Autism is not episodic; there are no periods of normalcy; it is, indeed, a constant.
My purpose today is to convey to you the tremendous need for ongoing and scientifically sound research in the field of autism. Although the vast majority of persons with autism would be considered incapable of understanding or providing informed consent, good, ethical, humane scientific research has yielded promising advances in the treatment of childhood autism. But this is only because parents and guardians have been free to allow their children to participate in such research.
I learned many years ago while working at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center that whenever there exists a condition with no known physiological cause or cure, desperation and vulnerability pave the way and create a haven for Pseudoscience. This is in fact true of autism. It is a field that is littered, and more accurately dominated, by pseudoscience. The presence of ongoing and scientifically sound investigation is sorely lacking and the absence of the dissemination of accurate, scientifically validated information has not only allowed Pseudoscience to flourish, but to prevail. This results in precious time lost and resources wasted.
When we first entered the world of autism, my husband and I were not at all prepared for the complex maze that we would have to navigate in order to get an accurate diagnosis and timely, effective intervention for Brian and later Daniel. They were evaluated by a vast array of professionals and were labeled speech impaired and language delayed. The unanimous recommendation was for both of them to be placed in a generic early intervention program. Although they began intervention at less than two years of age they made little, if any, progress in the first three years of remediation. During this time my questions were governed by judgment honed in medical science from my tenure at Memorial Sloan-Kettering.
Yet when I asked about a definitive diagnosis, we were told one could not be made. When I asked that the research indicated on types of interventions and their effectiveness, we were told that no research was available. The more I pushed for answers and information, the more frequently I was referred to various support groups. It was clear to me that in the field of mental health, the focus was more on helping parents to cope rather than providing them with the information they need to make informed decisions about the best possible care and intervention for their children.
It took us over three years to finally access what scientific investigation had already proven to be the most effective intervention for children with autism. Once Brian and Daniel began to receive effective intervention, they not only began to learn but they began to thrive. Had it not been for science, I don’t know where they would be today. Because of pseudoscience, I will never know where they could have been today. Brian and Daniel and countless other people with autism did not have the cognitive ability to provide informed consent to any type of scientific investigation. If parents and legal guardians do not have the right to provide consent for them, people with autism will be almost categorically deprived of the benefits that scientific investigation provides.
However, scientific investigation is the only hope that people with autism have. As a parent, I applaud the efforts of this committee in trying to protect the rights of those who are not capable of protecting themselves. I would respectfully ask, however, that the committee give careful consideration to autism and developmental disabilities where, before treatment, there are no episodes of normalcy and informed consent cannot be granted, unless by a parent or guardian. Without this proviso, scientific study in this field would be virtually eliminated. I ask that in your efforts to protect our children, you do not unintentionally deprive them of the one and only hope that they and their families have for a better life and a brighter future.”
This article originally appeared in an issue of “Science in Autism Treatment”, the newsletter of the Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT). It may not be republished or reprinted without advance permission from ASAT. For reprint permission please contact email@example.com | <urn:uuid:8d226ac8-e8dc-4b0b-b0d9-27e2ea40c3ea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://asatonline.org/forum/archives/nbac_testimony | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967493 | 1,173 | 1.84375 | 2 |
|10/05/2000: Commission Asks Pres. Clinton to Raise Religious-Freedom Issues During Trip to Vietnam|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom wrote to President Clinton October 4 urging that he raise with the government of Vietnam "the need to protect rather than infringe upon religious freedom and the security of religious believers there." President Clinton will travel to Vietnam in November. The Commission is concerned that the government of Vietnam prohibits religious activity by those not affiliated with one of the six officially recognized religious organizations. In addition, the United States has been engaged in a process of normalizing trade relations with Vietnam. While the Commission has not yet taken a position on this issue, "the Commission respectfully recommends that you impress upon Prime Minister Phan Van Kai that the promotion of religious freedom is indispensable to the continuation of healthy and increasingly close relations between Vietnam and the United States." The text of the letter follows:
October 4, 2000
Dear Mr. President:
On behalf of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, I am writing to urge that during your upcoming trip to Vietnam you impress upon that government the need to protect rather than infringe upon religious freedom and the security of religious believers there.
In the last year, the Vietnamese government has continued its deliberate assault on the religious freedom of its own people.
The government prohibits religious activity by those not affiliated with one of the six officially recognized religious organizations. In addition, the government uses the recognition process to monitor and interfere with the religious activities of official religious groups: restricting the procurement and distribution of religious literature, religious training, and ordination, and trying to influence the selection of religious leaders.
The Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) continues to be banned by the state. Its Supreme Patriarch, Thich Huyen Quang, has been in detention since the early 1980's, and its second ranking dignitary -- released from prison in 1998 -- is reported to have been detained, harassed and threatened by police on several occasions in 1999-2000.
According to the State Department, as of June 30, 2000, there were at least 16 religious prisoners in Vietnam, and possibly more, and numerous other persons had been harassed and detained on account of their faith over the previous year, including UBCV Buddhist monks, Catholic priests, Protestant house church leaders and members, Hoa Hao lay persons and Cao Daists. Five members of the Hoa Hao Buddhist sect, who have been imprisoned since March 28, 2000, were reportedly tried on September 26 on allegations of "defaming the government" and "abusing democracy," which resulted in the sentencing of the defendants to prison terms of one to three years. There are reports that local government officials in the northern part of Vietnam have forced Protestant Christians of the Hmong ethnic group to recant their faith. Reports also indicate that on July 1, 2000, officials of Ho Chi Minh City demolished a church structure on the site where the local Christians were promised permission to build a chapel.
In spite of these documented abuses of religious freedom, when high-ranking officials of Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs met with me and with Commission Executive Director Steven McFarland in Washington on June 9, 2000, they asserted that there was complete protection of religious freedom in Vietnam.
Although the Vietnamese government appears to have taken some positive steps with respect to some religious groups over the past 18 months, it is important to recognize that these steps do not represent substantial or long-term progress toward eliminating religious persecution. The apparatus of state repression and control is still firmly in place and is actively used. The Commission and its staff have met and communicated with representatives of a number of religious communities in Vietnam, and many have implored us not to be misled by the government's recent efforts to appear more tolerant of religious activity. These representatives of victim groups reported that the government's efforts to suppress independent religious activity have actually intensified, although in some cases more subtle and less public means have been used.
The United States has been engaged in a process of normalizing diplomatic relations with Vietnam, and has initiated steps toward the normalization of trade relations as well. While the Commission has not yet taken a position on these issues, we stress that the Vietnamese government continues to engage in grave violations of religious freedom. Given the significance of your upcoming visit, the first by a U.S. president in over 30 years, the Commission respectfully recommends that you impress upon Prime Minister Phan Van Kai that the promotion of religious freedom is indispensable to the continuation of healthy and increasingly close relations between Vietnam and the United States.
We hope that you use this opportunity to engage the Vietnamese government in serious discussions of religious freedom in Vietnam. | <urn:uuid:c6b3e07d-9a7d-43ca-a72c-68a7e49b903d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://uscirf.gov/government-relations/government-correspondence/743.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 | 0.965811 | 958 | 1.679688 | 2 |
The Family & Friends CPR program teaches how to perform CPR in infants, and how to help an infant who is choking. An infant is defined as a child 1 year of age and under. This course is designed for family members, friends and members of the general community who want to learn CPR but do not need a course completion card.
Cash and check payments must be made in person. Payments can be made Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., at:
Community Education & Outreach at Alexander Road
731 Alexander Road, Suite 103
We recommend that you call 1.888.897.8979 to make arrangements ahead of time in order to minimize wait time.
Participants who are more than 15 minutes late will need to reschedule for another CPR course held by PHCS..
The American Heart Association strongly promotes knowledge and proficiency in BLS, ACLS and PALS and has developed instructional materials for this purpose. Use of these materials in an educational course does not represent course sponsorship by the American Heart Association. Any fees charged for such a course, except for a portion of fees needed for AHA course material, do not represent income to the Association.
Please provide the names of all attendees. | <urn:uuid:3b1d8c16-5d6a-4ec2-955a-7450f74db5ff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.princetonhcs.org/phcs-home/who-we-serve/community/community-education-amp-outreach/whats-happening.aspx?d=27012&title=family--friends-cpr---infant---731 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946365 | 254 | 1.507813 | 2 |
By Jason Ferruggia of MuscleGainingSecrets.com
There are usually four to five reasons why someone would become a vegetarian and they are:
- The negative effect on the environment and the contribution to global warming.
- The contribution to world hunger.
- The cruelty to animals issue.
- The fact that the thought of eating animal carcasses grosses them out.
- Health reasons.
The question that plaques many of us, however is, “how to build muscle on a vegetarian diet?” People often wonder if it can be done but I am here to tell you that it absolutely can.
So, how does being a vegetarian affect your ability to build muscle?
Probably a lot less than you would think or have been led to believe.
First of all, man was probably actually intended to be an herbivore and not a carnivore. Physiologically speaking, man has all the characteristics of an herbivore and none of the characteristics of a carnivore. We have the teeth, jaws, digestive enzymes, stomach acidity, and small intestine length of herbivores. Probably the most disturbing and nauseating of those is the small intestine length. Carnivores have a small intestine that is 3-6 times body length. This is because meat rots very quickly and needs to pass through the body very rapidly. Unfortunately, humans have a small intestine length of 10-11 times body length. What this means is that long after the meat has gone rotten, it’s still in your body decaying and contributing to untold number of diseases.
When you add in all the chemicals and other unhealthy substances that our meat contains these days you can see that eating meat might actually not be the best option for those interested in remaining healthy long into the future.
With that out of the way let’s get to the question of how to build muscle on a vegetarian diet. As I have mentioned plenty of times in the past, high protein diets are a scam. You don’t need all that much protein to build muscle. Although many people thought he was insane, Mike Mentzer first told me that during a phone conversation back in the mid 90’s. I asked him his thoughts on protein intake and he screamed at me “That’s the biggest scam under the sun! Nobody needs that much protein. Muscles are 70% water. The only reason you read about the benefits of high protein area because that’s what everybody sells! It’s all a lie, Jason!”
Say what you will about Mike Mentzer, but I think he was ahead of his time on that one and you have to respect his rebelliousness.
In all honesty, being a vegetarian will not affect your strength gains AT ALL. In fact it shouldn’t really affect your size gains that much either. As you know, you need a caloric surplus to build muscle. To do this as a vegetarian, you need to focus on good fats like nuts, oils and avocadoes, starchy carbs like oatmeal, sweet potatoes, pasta and brown rice and for protein sources you will be limited to dairy and fish (if you eat those things) or if you are a true vegan- beans, legumes, quinoa, soy, hemp protein, nuts, etc. Even though your protein will be lower than that of most meat eaters you can still build plenty of muscle.
Look at guys in prison. Walk into any state pen and take a look at the weight pit. You will see some of the biggest, most jacked guys you have ever seen. How many grams of high quality ion exchange protein do you think they eat per day? Very, very little, I can assure you that. Someone I know used to be a prison guard and told me of how big and strong the guys were. “How are they getting so big with no protein” I asked (this was back in the days when I was still brainwashed). He told me that he had no idea because all they had to eat was grits, fake potatoes, rice and a small serving or two a day of very low quality meat or a meat substitute. So maybe they were getting 90 grams of protein per day. Yet they were huge.
You simply do not need high protein diets to build muscle.
When it comes to adding muscle while maintaining bodyfat, this is the only place you may have difficulty. Because it will be impossible to get all the calories you need from veggies and fruits you are going to really need to pile down the starchy carbs like rice and bread. If you are lean, this shouldn’t be a problem. But since your insulin sensitivity is lower when you are fatter, you may have trouble staying lean by eating all those starchy carbs. This may slow down your size gains because you may end up looking like a fat slob in no time.
To combat this problem, I would recommend carb cycling the way a normal meat eater would do it. Have super high carbs on training days and limit your starchy carbs on non training days. Maybe one day per week, only have vegetables as your carbs and eat nuts, and beans and fish and eggs that day.
Building a great physique as a vegetarian is definitely possible. Bill Pearl and Clarence Bass were vegetarians and a couple other legendary bodybuilders were as well. My friend and colleague, Robert Dos Remedios, is vegetarian and is a lean 240 pounds and in incredible shape. Jon Hinds is a vegan, in his mid 40’s and is jacked and strong as could be. The greatest tight end in NFL history, Tony Gonzalez is also a vegetarian and obviously it hasn’t hurt him in the least.
Like the great Chuck D once said, don’t believe the hype. You don’t need 400 grams of protein per day to grow. You will progress just fine as a vegetarian. Good luck and train hard.
For more information on how to build muscle visit MuscleGainingSecrets.com
Jason Ferruggia is a world famous fitness expert who is renowned for his ability to help people build muscle as fast as humanly possible. He has trained thousands of clients during his 14 years as a professional fitness coach, including more than 500 athletes from over 20 different sports. Jason has written hundreds of articles for numerous top rated training magazines and websites and has authored four fitness books. He is also the head training adviser for Men’s Fitness Magazine where he also has his own monthly column dedicated to muscle building. For more great muscle building information, please visit http://www.musclegainingsecrets.com | <urn:uuid:ac9ed96d-60c2-4000-abea-eb87a471884d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.muscle-gain-tips.com/jason-ferruggia/how-to-build-muscle-on-a-vegetarian-diet | 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 | 0.974185 | 1,371 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Have you seen the People’s Budget discussed in the media? Nope. Have you heard that we need to be more “business friendly” by cutting taxes on the rich and cut the things We, the People do for each other? Yep. Did you know that polls show the public overwhelmingly wants taxes on the rich and government spending on jobs? Nope. Why is that?
We’re getting more and more bad economic news. Obviously the economy suffers from lack of demand. Businesses don’t have enough people walking in the door or placing orders to hire more workers. But Republicans insist that we need “austerity,” which means giving even more money to the rich and cutting the things We, the People (government) do for each other and for our economy. The public is solidly against the austerity idea and wants spending on each other and the economy. But the media is only granting access to people who want to make the austerity argument.
And never mind ever, ever, ever, ever seeing a voice of organized labor explain to working people the benefits of being in a union. Ever.
As the stimulus runs out all of the signs point to a slowing of the economy. Job growth has stalled. Housing is dropping again. Etc. Etc. Etc.
The economy suffers from lack of demand. The National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) says “weak sales” (i.e. lack of demand) is their number 1 business problem and that this lack of demand is why they are not hiring.
Just ten years ago we had budget surpluses that were so large that it was projected the entire federal debt would be paid off by now. We had a strong economy with more jobs than we could handle. Then the Bush tax cuts created huge deficits and drove up debt. Now the very people behind those tax cuts and deficits are demanding budget cuts to fix the problem.
The Proposals On The Table
There are two areas of proposals on the table: austerity (tax cuts for the rich with budget cuts for the rest of us) vs the People’s Budget (investment in infrastructure to create jobs and grow the economy paid for by tax increases on the rich.)
The austerity argument says that we need to make the country more “business friendly” by cutting taxes on the rich and big companies, then cutting spending on education, environment, health care, alternative energy, unemployment, food and other assistance for the poor, even infrastructure. And in a direct blow to democracy they say that cutting “entitlements” – the things we are entitled to just for being American citizens – is a key to fixing our economy. This at a time when the country is actually richer than ever, but so much is going to a few at the top.
The People’s Budget is explained below.
The public gets it. Polls show the public wants Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security left alone, wants tax increases on the rich, wants more spending on infrastructure and education. The public rejects the austerity approach.
People understand that investing in infrastructure and education creates jobs now while paying for itself by growing the economy later. People understand that handing rich people even more money doesn’t create jobs, people walking in the door or placing orders is what creates jobs.
The media discussion of economic policy seems entirely framed from a one-sided perspective – focusing on the bizarre claim that cutting government spending and taxes will lead to more jobs and economic growth. Again and again the media features “experts” who begin with an assumption that federal deficits are the most important problem facing America. But opponents of these ideas, offering the ideas that history shows to have worked — the very ideas the public favors — are not able to reach the public to explain their plans. Elitist pundits always claim that “everyone knows” that the long-term deficit problem is “entitlements” even when we all know that tax cuts and military spending caused the deficits.
Seriously, how often do you see or hear or read someone claiming to be a Tea Party representative talking about how we need tax cuts for the rich and big corporations? Every day. But when have you seen, read or heard a representative of organized labor on TV or radio or in your local newspaper, explaining the benefits of joining a union? Seriously.
Contact your local newspapers, radio stations and TV stations and demand that they cover the views of the American Majority!
10 years of Bush tax cuts is enough! Click here to demand your representative supports the Fairness in Taxation Act so the rich contribute their fair share.
The People’s Budget
The Progressive Caucus — a group of progressives in the Congress — have put together a budget that fixes the deficit and grows the economy, providing jobs. It is called The PEOPLE’S Budget Plan.
Read the plan at: Congressional Progressive Caucus : FY2012 Progressive Budget,
The CPC proposal:
• Eliminates the deficits and creates a surplus by 2021
• Puts America back to work with a “Make it in America” jobs program
• Protects the social safety net
• Ends the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
• Is FAIR (Fixing America’s Inequality Responsibly)
What the proposal accomplishes:
• Primary budget balance by 2014.
• Budget surplus by 2021.
• Reduces public debt as a share of GDP to 64.1% by 2021, down 16.5 percentage points from a baseline fully adjusted for both the doc fix and the AMT patch.
• Reduces deficits by $5.6 trillion over 2012-21, relative to this adjusted baseline.
• Outlays equal to 22.2% of GDP and revenue equal 22.3% of GDP by 2021. | <urn:uuid:0781efa9-4887-4d55-9447-c6958c34895d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.ourfuture.org/20110607/The_Publics_Wishes_On_Economy_Are_Kept_Out_Of_Media?q=blog-entry/2011062307/publics-wishes-economy-are-kept-out-media | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948525 | 1,197 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Helen Gurley Brown, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan and author, died August 13 at 90. She wrote her first bestseller, Sex and the Single Girl, in 1962, and then worked at Cosmopolitan for more than 30 years.
“Helen Gurley Brown was an icon. Her formula for honest and straightforward advice about relationships, career and beauty revolutionized the magazine industry,” said Frank A. Bennack, Jr., CEO of Hearst Corporation. “She lived every day of her life to the fullest and will always be remembered as the quintessential ‘Cosmo girl.’ She will be greatly missed.”
Brown was the author of, among others, The Late Show:A Semiwild But Practical Survival Plan for Women Over 50, Dear Pussycat:Mash Notes and Missives from teh Desk of Cosmopolitan's Legendary Editor, The Writer's Rules:The Power of Positive Prose--How to Create It and Get It Published, and I'm Wild Again: Snippets from My Life and a Few Brazen Thoughts. Most recently, PW interviewed Brown in 2004. | <urn:uuid:1ecae499-f93f-42eb-b82d-553b3bc821a4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://reg.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/people/article/53545-obituary-helen-gurley-brown.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946546 | 235 | 1.789063 | 2 |
History: Counter-curse for Petrification Edit History Back to page | View logs for this page Browse history From year (and earlier): From month (and earlier): all January February March April May June July August September October November December Deleted only For any version listed below, click on its date to view it. For more help, see Help:Page history. (cur) = difference from current version, (prev) = difference from preceding version, m = minor edit, → = section edit, ← = automatic edit summary (cur | prev) 00:01, August 6, 2011 Green Zubat (Talk | contribs) m . . (549 bytes) (0) . . (undo) (cur | prev) 21:05, July 12, 2011 Starstuff (Talk | contribs) . . (549 bytes) (+28) . . (Adding categories) (undo) (cur | prev) 14:47, June 29, 2011 Danniesen (Talk | contribs) . . (521 bytes) (+521) . . (Created page with "This '''counter-curse''' was used to prevent Petrification by a Basilisk. In 1992–1993 school year when Mrs. Norris was Petrified by Salazar Slytherin's [[...") Retrieved from "http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Counter-curse_for_Petrification" | <urn:uuid:3975ac80-d49a-4317-825a-659841d1ce44> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Counter-curse_for_Petrification?action=history | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970528 | 299 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Bible: Is. 6:8-13
‘Listen continually, but don’t understand!
Look continually, but don’t perceive!’
6:10 Make the hearts of these people calloused;
make their ears deaf and their eyes blind!
Otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
their hearts might understand and they might repent and be healed.” 2
6:11 I replied, “How long, sovereign master?” He said,
“Until cities are in ruins and unpopulated,
and houses are uninhabited,
and the land is ruined and devastated,
6:12 and the
and the very heart of the land is completely abandoned. 3
6:13 Even if only a tenth of the people remain in the land, it will again be destroyed, 4 like one of the large sacred trees 5 or an Asherah pole, when a sacred pillar on a high place is thrown down. 6 That sacred pillar symbolizes the special chosen family.” 7 | <urn:uuid:7f6e99ce-1dfe-41d3-a141-d8b780a491a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://net.bible.org/?_escaped_fragment_=bible/Is.%25206:8-13 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940409 | 222 | 1.546875 | 2 |
First Edition - Hard cover
This book is a collective effort on the part of many of the NASA flight controllers who “manned” the front row of consoles in Mission Control during the preeminent days of America’s Manned Spaceflight Program.
These controllers were the singular group in Mission Control Houston that was formed to work as a team. They were known as The TRENCH.
In that same team spirit, this book about them and by them has been a collective endeavor. They have contributed their own mini autobiographies of life events that shaped their character and their roles and contributions that carried Man to the moon. | <urn:uuid:f17d697d-f8c4-403c-adee-ea78a055c951> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.blurb.com/b/2142516-from-the-trench-of-mission-control-to-the-craters | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984586 | 130 | 1.71875 | 2 |
The Village Services are a series of seasonal acts of Worship which can be conducted without clergy leadership, and are designed not to use musical instruments; congregations can use them in under-resourced places with no sense of compromise, or in other contexts for a refreshing change. Recordings of the simple melodies used are available for you to download alongside the printed orders, and there will be no charge for any of this as it is a gift to the wider church from the Diocese of Lincoln, which has sponsored the compilation and copyright costs. One hymn in Harvest, and one in Holy Week require you to check your own copyright status and seek permission if need be - all clearly marked.
The work was undertaken by the Music Development department to serve our own rural churches.
The worship is designed to give a peaceful mood, and to remind the worshipper of Salvation history in the readings and prayers together with some material gleaned from the great liturgies of Holy Week and other times of the year. The use of movement within the building is critical to creating the right moods and people do gain a sense of progression from the ordinary to the sacred and back "out into the world to serve" from the shape of the worship.
The materials can be downloaded from here: http://www.singouthosanna.org/content/village-services
Any questions, errors spotted or problems encountered should be pointed out to email@example.com in the first place, please | <urn:uuid:9e251211-c7fa-4b77-bdf9-71a9cbdc121b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lincoln.anglican.org/page.php?n_@AEG_537 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943987 | 307 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Grooming 101: Medium/Long hair care
Pet parents who have dogs with medium to long hair often have a harder time with grooming in-between professional visits. Unlike short haired dogs, dogs with longer hair often need weekly to daily brushing to ensure any tangles or knots don’t turn into mats. Also many dogs that are kept in their breed trims, will need daily brushing to ensure the long parts of their coat do not get matted.
With grooming long haired dogs at home, the hair cutting/use of any clippers or scissors is best left to the professionals who are trained to use these tools correctly and have the proper means of holding and restraining your dog while on the grooming table. Using grooming tools improperly can cause harm or injury to your dog, therefore these at home tips are not substitute for professional grooming visits.
Again, like bathing and caring for a short haired dog be sure your dog can fit in your bathtub, with enough room to rince them off. When buying a shampoo and conditioner depending on your dog’s needs depends on what shampoo you’ll want to use. However, it is strongly recommended you get a conditioner when bathing your longer haired dog at home. The use of conditioner will not only help your pets skin, but it ill also help with detangling/after bath brushing. If your dog has skin allergies or sensitivities, you will probably need to take a visit to your veterinarian and get a specialty shampoo and conditioner. If your dog does not have these issues, and you are just looking to get them clean and smelling good: read product reviews, ask your groomer and other pet parents what they like and what works well for them. I have always liked the Pet Head brand of shampoos and conditioners for my dogs. They clean and moisturize, rinse out completely and don’t leave residue, and they smell great even after the bath.
Brushes: For longer haired dogs you’ll need a couple of different brushes and combs to ensure your dog is completely detangled and brushed out before and after the bath.
- a soft slicker brush for general brushing out of the coat, and it will also help loosen up and get rid of shedding hair.
- a greyhound style comb for any small tangles/sensitive areas where a brush will not work or cause skin irritation. Note: Only use the comb for very small tangles that are not tight to the skin. In many cases if you try to comb out a tight mat that is close to the skin, you run the risk of pulling to card and causing skin irritation or tearing.
- a FURminator brush is a great tool for double coated shedding dogs. Removing as much undercoat as possible before the bath will make washing and drying take less time and will make it easier for both you and your dog. Note: The use of a FURminator brush is meant to help loosen undercoat for double coated dogs, so it is not appropriate for every dog.
If you have a question about what kind of brush to use, ask your groomer or your veterinarian.
Detangle Spray: Great for after bath brushing, and many come with great scents like Pet Head Fur Ball detangle spray.
Eye Wash: Even the most careful of pet bathers needs to have this on hand, even if you are using tearless shampoo. Be sure to keep this within arms reach during the bath just in case your dog gets soap in it’s eyes. This will also help rinse out any hair that gets into the eyes during the bath as well.
Bath Mat: This is optional, if you have one around the house or already in the bathtub you are planning to use it can help your dog keep their footing. If not, your dog may slip around a little but it’s not essential.
Towels: You’ll want at least two bath towels to dry your dog with , and possibly more to cover your floor with for after the bath. The only thing I have learned the bigger the towel, the better.
Before you get your dog in your tub or sink, it is important that they are brushed and free of tangles. Any tangles or mats that are left in your dogs coat when they get wet will become bigger, more tangled and much harder to get out of your dogs coat. While brushing your dog if you come across any matting or tangles you can’t get out, call your groomer. Most groomers will offer mat removal or brushing services for a very small fee.
The Bath: Your dog will more than likely not want to be in the tub. If you have a larger dog, you will probably need a second set of hands to help you get the dog in and out of the tub, and to keep them in the tub during the bath. Be sure you and (if needed) your help are wearing clothes you don’t mind getting wet, dirty and furry. Be sure your water is lukewarm, not too hot or too cold: dog skin is different from ours and hot water can burn dogs more easily and dogs don’t enjoy being cold as much as we do, avoid using cold water or outdoor hose water. Bath water should never be hotter than what you’d run for a human baby. Keep it a little cooler for large-breed dogs, who can easily overheat.
Be gentle around the face and any sensitive areas and remember if you do get any soap or debris in the eyes to use your eye wash. Once your dog has been bathed and rinsed, it’s time to dry. Towel dry your dog as much as possible and begin to brush them out with your soft slicker brush, lightly spray with your detangle spray to help with any small tangles you encounter. If your dog does not mind loud noises dry them on the cool or lowest heat setting with a hair dryer. The more dry your dog, the less ‘wet dog smell’ later.
Also, your dog will more than likely run around the house after the bath. So after the bath and they are as dry as you can get them.. be prepared.
Photo Courtesy: Ryan R. Hughes
Read more posts like this one...
- Grooming 101: Short hair care | <urn:uuid:03c86bd6-98c2-4f8b-8bef-b9c14c41a0af> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogfourpaws.com/2012/grooming-101-mediumlong-hair-care/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954876 | 1,314 | 1.6875 | 2 |
China’s Jasmine Crackdown and the Legal System
In East Asia Forum, law professor Donald Clarke explains that to understand the current crackdown on expression and activism in China, one must understand that, “there was never any genuine governmental commitment to the rule of law”:
Since late February, there has been a wave of detentions and disappearances of lawyers, activists and others in China. Especially alarming to many is the government’s apparent disdain for even the modest requirements of its own laws. While some have been detained or arrested in accordance with procedures required under Chinese law, others have simply been picked up by security officials and disappeared. These detentions reflect a deep truth about the system that observers are often tempted to overlook: that China’s legal system has never been about the rule of law. It has been and remains about making government function more effectively.
Other views are of course possible. The ‘Disappointed Optimist,’ for example, sees China, despite repeated setbacks — the Cultural Revolution, the June 4th 1989 Massacre — as on a long-term track toward a recognisable form of rule of law. But In this view, the current crackdown means that China has reneged on its commitment to the rule of law and is moving backwards.
Then there is the ‘Realist Separationist.’ He holds that the system can be divided into two parts: the politically sensitive sphere, where restraints on government are admittedly gauzy at best, and a second sphere of non-sensitive areas such as commercial law, where the legal system has been advancing in great strides.
And then there is the ‘I-Told-You-So Cynic’, for whom any talk about the rule of law has always been a sham.
While different, all of these viewpoints have one thing in common: they start from a rule-of-law perspective. But the current crackdown is better understood by jettisoning that concept entirely. Let us stop asking whether and how far China is travelling along the road to the rule of law, understood here to mean a system of meaningful legal restraints on the powers of government. The reality is that this has never been the ambition of the current Chinese legal system. | <urn:uuid:937efbb1-4cd9-4bd6-90e9-4c8552520a6c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://chinadigitaltimes.net/2011/05/china%E2%80%99s-jasmine-crackdown-and-the-legal-system/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967656 | 463 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Reviewed by Josiah M. (age 10)
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment illustration will appear here.
The group sets off to free her but leaves two of the less capable members behind. What they didn't count on was erasers being all over the mountain looking for the kids. The two kids left on the mountain get in some trouble with the erasers, first by overturning and crashing one of their humvees, and then by setting off a bomb that kills two erasers.
The rescue group gets split up, meanwhile, and finally regroups after a full day of separation (there also joined by the kids left on the mountain, who had to evacuate.).Meanwhile Angel is given several "tests" (A.K.A torture sessions involving nasty stuff like mazes with hot coals in the floor.) by the evil scientists. When the group tries to break her out, they get captured. However they get freed by an army of hawks led by two of the kids.
When Angel discovers that files on them are being stored in New York the group, naturally, heads to New York On the way there Max discovers that she has a voice in her head (a common form of insanity).When they finally get to New York they manage to get in trouble with erasers and NYPD. With the help of Max's voice-in-her-head (which seems to be coming from a microchip of some sort) find the location of the files, and several mutants. They free the mutants and steal the files. The files point to Washington D.C. and the kids begin their journey. The big idea in this story? The human mind is much crueler then we think.
This book is awesome!!!!!!!!! There is a diverse mix of feelings here, a bit of humor, lots of action, and a fair amount of mystery. This book makes me want to strangle those scientists (I mean the ones in the book.). But it also gets me thinking about biochemistry. I liked a lot of the characters and noticed that one, Max, changes a bit (emphasis on the "a bit" part.). She gets a voice in her head; it's a change albeit a small one. I can't say this reminds me of my life at all though.
I would highly recommend this book for older readers. It has a bit of graphic violence and language though. Besides that, everything is awesome, especially the plot. In short, this book is awesome. | <urn:uuid:2ce9d778-d4fa-49b4-b649-73ebb5a9a072> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.spaghettibookclub.org/review.php?review_id=9525 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96964 | 507 | 1.5 | 2 |
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MIDDLETOWN (AP) — Gasoline rationing imposed in New Jersey after Superstorm Sandy has ended.
The odd-even rationing began Nov. 3 because some gas stations couldn’t get fuel while others didn’t have electricity to pump it.
Gov. Chris Christie says gas supplies are plentiful and there are no more lines of motorists waiting for fuel.
Rationing was put in effect in 12 counties in central and northern New Jersey. It ended at 6 a.m. Tuesday.
Rationing continues in New York City and on Long Island. | <urn:uuid:032ca570-0972-4309-98b5-257bbf0171ca> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.trentonian.com/article/20121113/NEWS03/121119870 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93032 | 129 | 1.53125 | 2 |
It’s very clear now that, on the Mac, Apple is departing from the traditional way of interacting with a UNIX OS with a beautiful, elegant but traditional GUI. The introduction of sandboxing, the blending of the UI experience with that of iOS, coined, “iOS-ification,” and the deletion of much of the UNIX related marketing material at apple.com means that aggressive, technical users will have to search for smart ways to use OS X that meets their needs. Here are six suggestions.
1. Stay with Snow Leopard. Snow Leopard was the apogee of the UNIX (BSD) OS for the technical user with the world’s best UI and modern supporting technologies under the hood. At the launch of Lion, Apple began to depart from the personal, technical OS and began to cast its lot with touchscreen, multi-touch, iOS and a more general consumerization of OS X.
The path here is to identify what apps and OS resources are critical, then “rev-lock” yourself into Snow Leopard, OS X 10.6.8. In time, that strategy will start to fail. Apple will stop issuing security updates, but this decision will buy you time until the community figures out better solutions.
Image Credit: Apple
2. Use Virtualization. Once you identify critical apps and work flows, you may well be ale to accomplish critical UNIX related, scientific, technical, research related work by letting Mountain Lion (OS X 10.8) be your very secure host on a very elegant Mac, but run your preferred distribution of Linux in virtualization in, say, Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion.
There are ways to share files across the two OSes. It’s a bit of a pain, but what happens is that once you start exploring that avenue, practice makes perfect, and operational details that start off as a nuisance get ironed out or automated.
The blending and exploitation of two powerful OSes, side-by-side, is a long-standing tool used by scientists, researchers and even developers. That solution will remain so long as Apple continues to use CPUs in the Mac that support virtualization.
3. Become a UNIX Power User. Apple giveth and Apple taketh away. If we expect Apple to always give individual users with special tastes what they need, they’ll be perpetually whining. Apple is all about making money nowadays, and the money isn’t in supporting off the beaten path endeavors. The Big Money is in the consumer world.
By becoming a UNIX power user, it’s more likely that one can dig in under the hood, use existing but hidden technologies, and have one’s way with the OS. It requires some study, but it’s the most fun you can have without marital aids.
For example, yesterday we learned that Mountain Lion will (re)introduce “Save As,” but as an expert-level, secret incantation of keystrokes for the legacy user. In any sufficiently complex OS, there are always gimmicks one can invoke to bypass limitations that are the default for the masses. And Apple may give us more hidden crumbs along the way.
Image Credit: Apple
4. Support Your Local Sheriff (and Developer). There is a strong community of developers for OS X. Most of them know their customers very well. While some developers, for financial reasons, will jump into the Mac Apple Store with gusto, others will elect to also (or as an alternative) cater to their customer base. That means they’ll preserve certain ways of doing things so long as the necessary APIs remain available.
One example is BBEdit by Bare Bones Software. There is a Save As… function in BBEdit version 10, and there may always be (we hope) so long as the OS supports the functionality. Bare Bones knows what its customers want, and very often special apps are used by a community of users whose interests are orthogonal to those of Apple. It has always been so and will remain so.
5. Create a Community. When problems like this arise, customers rally with and around each other. Websites, mailing lists and perhaps a few sympathetic developers develop a community, much like the Open Source community, and help each other with solutions.
I suspect that as time goes on, this community will become stronger and more cohesive just as Apple, in parallel, travels along its own path with iOS-ification. Again, so long as the APIs we need don’t disappear, customization and special needs facilities will always be there for the technically creative.
6. Create Your Own Apps. This is an offshoot of #3 above. One doesn’t need to necessarily become a full-blown OS X developer and write Cocoa apps with Xcode. There are facilities within the OS X framework to, for example, convert scripts to double-clickable apps that may have the facility that one needs. There is a wealth of resources in this arena, too abundant to go into here. But it’s a subject to explore in the future.
Recognition is Half the Solution
We can recognize, technically, where Apple is going with OS X and iOS-ification. It’s in the company’s interest to make OS X more fun, more touchable, more secure and less geeky.
For those who grow up with Mountain Lion and its successors, they may never need anything different. However, in the meantime, there are still many Macintosh customers who need and want to do things in ways that are convenient and productive. These six ideas are a start at developing a way out. There may well be more I haven’t thought of. As an added bonus, they all keep us from whining too much and let us get back to work. | <urn:uuid:14f20970-0c35-452e-bca1-94d6cea808bb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/6_ways_to_outsmart_apples_iosification | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941741 | 1,209 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Dmitri Alperovitch is co-founder and CTO of security start-up CrowdStrike / CrowdStrike
In August 2011 at the Black Hat cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas to be precise.
That's when Dmitri Alperovitch, then a research vice president at McAfee went public with details of the machinations of a hacking group then referred to as Shady RAT, a reference to "remote access tool," a technique the gang used to pilfer data from 70 organizations globally, including the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee.
Alperovitch is now co-founder and chief technology officer at CrowdStrike, a security start-up that's about to unveil its new "active defense" systems, designed to make it much more expensive for intruders to access corporate networks, in conjunction with the big RSA cybersecurity conference in San Francisco next week.
"It's exactly the same group," Alperovitch tells USA TODAY. "The group is still active. They did not shut down after our report, and I don't think they'll shut down after this report either."
The disclosure Monday from forensics firm Mandiant dubbed the group APT1, a reference to "advanced persistent threats," a set of tactics data thieves and cyberspies use to penetrate deep into corporate networks and stay hidden as long as possible.
Mandiant's report provides intricate details of daily activities of the ring, and ties its key operatives to China's People's Liberation Army. The disclosure includes a video of the criminals at work; Mandiant officials say they are bracing for reprisals from China.
"The connection to the PLA was new," says Alperovitch. "They did a good job of identifying that."
Copyright 2013 USATODAY.com
Read the original story: Chinese hackers first exposed in 2011 | <urn:uuid:87949f7f-09ea-4562-a238-8370522306eb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tallahassee.com/usatoday/article/1932549?odyssey=mod_sectionstories | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948479 | 378 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Weaving is one of my favorite crafts because it’s meditative and challenging, practical and artistic. It combines plain-woven cloth’s simple elegance with the astounding complexity of a kilim split-stitch tapestry.
I love the way woven straps look, but the idea of warping my floor loom just to make something as narrow as a strap for my bike messenger bag seemed like overkill. Then I came across a wonderful and traditional solution – the inkle loom! This loom is relatively easy to build, costs under $30 to purchase all of the supplies (even less if you have the right screws around), and takes only an hour to warp and start weaving.
The slot-and-peg tensioning rod allows you to move the continuous warp through the loom and weave the entire length. That’s eight feet of warp that you can weave all in one go without stopping. You can make it a simple plain weave or tapestry style.
A powered rotary hand saw, table saw, or miter saw would be ideal for making quick work of cutting your hardwood. It can be done with the hand saw, but because we are using hardwood, it will take persistence and patience. Just don’t feel like you have to buy a new saw to build your inkle loom.
Project originally posted on CRAFT. | <urn:uuid:86c83f9a-6d3d-42bc-86b6-c7f7bbae6bbe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.makezine.com/projects/inkle-loom/?parent=Woodworking | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933433 | 287 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Master of Arts in Economic and Social Development of Regions
About the Program
The Master of Arts in Economic and Social Development of Regions is designed to serve students from a variety of backgrounds. It attracts recent under-graduates from liberal arts fields such as social sciences (economics, sociology, psychology, political science) and history, and also from practice-oriented fields such as management, education and engineering. For those already working in public or private sector fields related to economic and social development, it can enhance skills and provide opportunities for career advancement. It is specifically designed to speak to the interests of international students as well as domestic ones.
Graduates of the program will be prepared to assume professional roles in local, state, and national government agencies (in the United States and abroad); in research, consulting, and planning aspects of business; and in non-profit organizations working on economic or social development. Students who choose to do so will also be prepared to go on to doctoral programs in social sciences, history, public policy, planning and management.
For program requirements and course descriptions, go to the graduate catalog.
For the complete list of current course offerings, go to the Registrar's website or view them in our Spring 2012 flyer (pdf).
The Master of Arts in Economic and Social Development of Regions allows students to focus their elective courses in a particular topic or policy area of personal or professional interest. Students are not obligated to follow any of these focus areas but may take any elective courses he or she prefers and build their own curriculum. Concentrating on a specific focus area however may better suit the student’s interests or better further their career or educational goals.
There are the six focus areas in which students may direct their studies.
- Policy at the National, State, and Local Level
- Global Development and International Policy
- Community Development, Social Policy, and Non-Profit Management
- Innovation, Technology, and Policy
- Environment and Sustainability
- Research Methods
Please see the Graduate Course Catalog for more information about each Focus Area, latest course information, and suggested courses. | <urn:uuid:6d2b626c-e226-4ce6-aae0-8addfcb4c77f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.uml.edu/FAHSS/Economic-Social-Development/Masters-Program.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942445 | 428 | 1.507813 | 2 |
By EMILY ESFAHANI SMITH — In the Wall Street Journal, April 4, 2013. There, the article is titled FIND A MAN TODAY, GRADUATE TOMORROW.
In 2008, when I was a college junior, I went home to New Jersey one weekend to visit my family—and almost immediately regretted it. My mother seemed more interested in my romantic life than my academic life: “Have you found a boyfriend yet?”
I rolled my eyes and said no. With a healthy dose of young-adult arrogance, I explained that I was too busy studying, working on the college review, and helping out at my sorority. No time for men. My mother nodded, acknowledging that there was a lot going on.
Then she said calmly but forcefully: “You’re in college. You’re at Dartmouth. There will never be a better time to meet someone. I’m sure there are many interesting boys around. If you don’t find one before you graduate, you might not find one at all—so start looking.”
Best of the Web Today columnist James Taranto on why Princeton alumna Susan Patton was right to suggest that smart women should try to seek out husbands in college.
Fast forward to today. A woman named Susan Patton is being pilloried online and elsewhere for giving young women the same advice that my mother gave to me. Late last week, she wrote a letter to the Daily Princetonian newspaper advising the school’s female students: “You will never again have this concentration of men who are worthy of you. . . . Find a husband on campus before you graduate.”
Feminist attacks on Ms. Patton began immediately—the paper’s website was swamped with complaints, the Twitter crowd was livid, and writers lit into her at Slate, New York magazine and beyond.
To call Ms. Patton anti-feminist is misguided at best. She was the first woman in her family to attend college. In fact, she was in one of the first classes of women to graduate from Princeton after the school went coed in 1969, and she had to fight her parents to go. Her parents, who were Holocaust survivors, thought a woman’s place was in the home. Ms. Patton has spent the years since her 1977 graduation carving out a successful career in corporate America.
My mother, too, has blazed her own trails as a woman. Born in Iran to a middle-class family, she worked so hard in high school that she was one of only a handful of women admitted to the country’s most prestigious engineering university. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which drastically changed Iranian life, especially for women, she packed her bags and headed west—first to the United States, then to Canada, where one of her early jobs was flipping burgers.
She eventually started working as a chemical engineer and has, like Ms. Patton, enjoyed a successful career. My mom benefited enormously from the freedom and opportunities that feminism gave her—opportunities she would have been denied in Iran.
So have I. For my entire life, my parents have pushed me to work hard and be independent, to be capable of supporting myself emotionally and financially.
That is precisely why my mother’s advice five years ago stopped me in my tracks. If she, a strong, career-oriented feminist—who, with my dad, sacrificed a great deal for me to go to college—was telling me to pay more attention to my romantic life, then what did she know that I didn’t?
A lot. She knew what few, if any, feminists would tell young women today: There is far more to happiness than career success.
Before Susan Patton wrote the letter that went viral, she had attended a Princeton conference about women and leadership. In one of the conference sessions, Ms. Patton and her best friend since freshman year of college met with undergraduate women ostensibly to talk about their careers. As she explained in the letter, though, the undergrads were less interested in discussing jobs than relationships and other personal matters.
Ms. Patton wrote that one of the young women asked how she and her friend had sustained a friendship for 40 years: “You asked if we were ever jealous of each other. You asked about the value of our friendship, about our husbands and children. Clearly, you don’t want any more career advice. . . . You know that there are other things that you need that nobody is addressing. A lifelong friend is one of them. Finding the right man to marry is another.”
In a boardroom somewhere, Sheryl “Lean In” Sandberg’s heart is sinking.
Career success and relationships are both undoubtedly important to women’s happiness, but many young and ambitious women value their personal lives more than their career aspirations. And that feeling intensifies over time.
In a 2009 study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, David Lubinski and his team at Vanderbilt found that in a sample of academically gifted young adults, women became less career-oriented than men over time. As they approached middle age, women also placed more value than men on spending time with family, community and friends. These differences became more pronounced with parenthood.
My mother’s advice—Susan Patton’s advice—may not be right for every woman, but it was right for me. In the fall of my senior year, I started dating a brilliant man and we’re still together. If I were unattached today, I’m not sure what I would do. The post-college dating scene can be rough: Getting to know someone often means shouting across a noisy bar or scrolling through Internet dating profiles. Finding a partner in college is easier.
Mom was right.
Ms. Smith is an associate editor of The New Criterion and editor of the blog Acculturated. | <urn:uuid:e60dfcb0-8af6-4e39-a568-b31d74b578ef> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gendinsjournal.com/?cat=291 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980419 | 1,232 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Philanthropy beat: Hiking in Gambia to halt 'book famine'
- Article by: Jean Hopfensperger
- Star Tribune
- February 20, 2012 - 7:39 PM
Tom Warth has been drumming up support for his Books for Africa nonprofit for 20 years. Today, he's slated to embark on one of his more creative fundraising endeavors: He's walking across Gambia.
Lest this appear to be a super-human feat, 'tis not the case. The length of Gambia, on the north-south road he will travel, is about 30 miles. But if all goes as planned, it will be a memorable journey.
Warth, interviewed by phone from Gambia, said he expects to be joined by medical volunteers from the Gambian nonprofit Hand in Health, students, international diplomats and other supporters along the way.
A tractor carrying thousands of books will follow behind the group, distributing them to the schools and schoolchildren.
"We're all very excited,'' said Warth, a spry 76-year-old from Stillwater. "We're going to deliver books as we walk. The children will come out. There will be bands.''
The goal is to raise funds to ship 1 million books to Gambia, a tiny country where books can be a luxury at home and at school. With a national literacy rate of 45 percent, the books could have a huge effect, especially for women and children, he said.
"There are 750,000 children in Gambia -- the smallest country in Africa -- out of a population of 1.5 million,'' Warth said. "If we can bring them books and highlight their need for books, we will begin to solve the book famine.''
Warth, who founded Books for Africa after closing his Stillwater bookstore in 1988, said he chose to walk across Gambia because of its manageable size and because his nonprofit had partners there.
That includes some Minnesota connections, such as a board member of Hands in Health and several volunteer medical workers who will join him on the walk.
Books for Africa already has a commitment of 200,000 books, including legal books from Thomson Reuters. "But we need more help,'' said Warth.
Go to www.booksfor africa. org.
Jean Hopfensperger • 612-673-4511
© 2013 Star Tribune | <urn:uuid:61519ecc-e007-49da-8879-baf6bed4f11d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.startribune.com/printarticle/?id=139768913 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965799 | 491 | 1.5 | 2 |
The football season is over now, and while that makes my husband very sad, it actually makes me pretty happy since I don’t particularly enjoy football. While I can’t get too interested in watching the game itself, I know there are some things to learn from the game. For instance, it’s better to be on offense and trying to score a touchdown than being on the defense and only trying to keep the other team from scoring a touchdown. For the most part, a team is at a better advantage when they are on offense since they are actually (hopefully) executing plays that will bring them closer to the end zone. They are more likely to score a touchdown when on offense than we they are on defense.
The same goes for our finances. When we are on offense, we are in essence executing decisions that will bring us closer to financial success in life. When we are on defense, we are simply trying to stay ahead and not let things fall behind. By taking control of your finances and doing things that will bring you closer to financial success, you are not having to react to circumstances and take drastic measures to keep you out of the red. Here are some ways you can be on offense instead of defense in your finances. It may seem like you’re only gaining 1 or 2 yards per play, but eventually you’ll get to the end zone and make a touchdown.
Offense: Cutting back on spending in some areas so you can stock your emergency savings
Defense: Cutting back on spending in all areas so you can pay all your bills and minimum payments
If you take the lead on cutting certain expenses in order to stock your savings, you’ll be more equipped to handle unexpected expenses that come up and you won’t be forced to eat Top Ramen and abstain from all extra spending (or worse, end up in credit card debt)
Offense: Funding your retirement plan and saving for the future when you are young
Defense: Having to continue working at age 75 to be able to pay all your bills
You will end up paying for your later years at one time or another — either when you’re young or when you’re old. It’s best to stock up for it now so that you can relax and enjoy life in your old age and not have to worry about working full time.
Offense: Setting up automatic payments on your bills
Defense: Trying to scrounge up money to pay for late fees
A few simple moves to set up automatic payments for your bills will keep you from unnecessary late fees that can incur if you forget to make a payment on time. This can also help your credit score.
Offense: Waiting to make a purchase until the item goes on sale
Defense: Regretting that you bought an item a few weeks ago that now costs considerably less
Pretty much all things go on sale at one time or another. You can either buy it the second you want it and pay a lot more, or you can be patient and wait until it goes on sale. That way you are paying a lot less for the same exact item.
Offense:: Buying an older used car until you can afford to buy a new (or newer) one
Defense: Having to buy an older used car and having to sell you new car because you can’t afford the payments
I personally like to move up and not down. It’s nicer to start with an older car and move up to nicer cars knowing that you will be able to keep them. It’s not as bad going without the extra features when you’ve never had them before, but it’s not fun getting used to having them and then having to downsize.
Offense: Buying a smaller house and fixing it up in order to sell it for a profit to put that money towards a bigger house later
Defense: Having to move into an apartment or move in with family members because you bought too expensive of a house and can no longer afford it
Same with the car one above — you don’t know what you’re missing if you start without it and only upgrade when you can truly afford to do so.
Offense: Going on a vacation and being able to relax knowing that it has already been paid for by money you’ve been saving up
Defense: Going on a vacation and stressing the whole time about the fact that you still have to pay for it once you get home
How relaxing can a vacation be if you know you’ll still be paying for it in a year — or worse, that you don’t know how you’ll be paying for. Peace of mind is just as important on a vacation as where you go.
Offense: Working through college and taking classes as you can afford to pay for them so you can actually keep the money you make in that career field
Defense: Taking out student loans and spending the majority of your career paying back those loans with a large portion of your salary
If you take on a large amount of debt to get a degree, what difference does a bigger salary make if you’re putting most of that money towards paying off your huge student loan debt?
If you choose to take proactive steps in your finances, you can keep yourself from a lot of trouble spots in life. You choose whether you take the steps toward your financial success or if you simply try to fight off things as they come to you. Choose the offensive and head down the field towards your financial end zone.
Image courtesy of jmtimages | <urn:uuid:60213f98-4fb2-4b02-9663-44728b9056c8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pfadvice.com/2008/03/05/what-football-can-teach-us-about-finances/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965251 | 1,155 | 1.789063 | 2 |
The symptoms associated with skin aging can be minimized significantly by wearing regular sun protection, but even when your skin is already damaged, there are treatments that can give it a more youthful appearance. As skin ages, it loses its firmness and elasticity, leading to wrinkles and lines as well as skin laxity. More mature skin has less luster and brightness as skin cell turnover slows down and dead skin cells build up. Fortunately, there are treatments you can use at home to visibly improve the appearance of more mature skin.
Skin care products that contain Retinol or Alpha Hydroxy Acid increase skin cell turnover so that dead skin cells are shed more rapidly. This brightens skin and lightens areas of pigmentation due to sun exposure over time. Plus, these ingredients boost the synthesis of collagen and elastin that lie deep in the dermis of the skin. These proteins are essential for giving skin firmness and the ability to "bounce back" that makes it look youthful. Topical Vitamin C also helps to promote collagen synthesis and brighten skin. Natural botanicals like Green Tea Extract, Caffeine, Chamomile, Soy and Coffeeberry, among others, have anti-aging benefits that protect skin against oxidative damage that comes from exposure to the environment. Of course, sun protection is also a must.
Anti-Aging Treatments Products
Additional Anti-Aging Treatments Information
Also available in some skin care products are protein fragments called peptides that have a number of anti-aging benefits. Some peptides boost collagen production or have properties similar to Botox while others have other skin rejuvenating benefits. A number of skin care products available without prescription are formulated with one or more peptides to repair skin and give it a more youthful appearance.
Red light phototherapy penetrates beneath the surface of the skin to stimulate collagen production and improve skin's firmness and resistance to wrinkling. This can be performed at home as an alternative to more expensive laser treatments that require recovery time. In addition, exfoliating facial scrubs and peels remove dead skin cells that block healthier skin cells and instantly give skin a brighter, more youthful look. | <urn:uuid:1c684060-3a89-4d8d-b7d2-e98a7610045b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.skinstore.com/skin-care-face-anti-aging-treatments-products.aspx?avs=Product+Type%7CGel&avnr=Price%7C80%7C799.99%7C%3C%3D++%3C%3D&avn=category%7Ccat_14%7C198%7CAnti-Aging+Treatments&app=24 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94624 | 438 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Friday, 13 April 2012
By Nic Don at Theopolitical
In commenting on Jesus’s statement that many are called but few are chosen, Calvin distinguishes between the general call that God issues to all people, and the special call which cannot be resisted, which is issued only to the elect. Because this special call cannot be resisted, if it were issued to all then all would be saved. This shows that the Calvinist understanding of salvation and the gospel allows – in theory – for universal salvation. However, God does not entirely will all to be saved, and so the special, irresistible call is only issued to some.
In Institutes 3.24.8 Calvin states:
[T]here is an universal call, by which God, through the external preaching of the word, invites all men alike, even those for whom he designs the call to be a savor of death, and the ground of a severer condemnation. Besides this there is a special call which, for the most part, God bestows on believers only, when by the internal illumination of the Spirit he causes the word preached to take deep root in their hearts. Sometimes, however, he communicates it also to those whom he enlightens only for a time, and whom afterwards, in just punishment for their ingratitude, he abandons and smites with greater blindness.
This is a remarkable passage for a couple of reasons. The first thing that jumps out is the statement that the general invitation to salvation is held out to some specifically to be a “savor of death, and the ground of severer condemnation.” Indeed, it seems the non-elect would be better off if they received no invitation to the gospel than they are after receiving this general invitation; before they were as guilty of sin as anyone, while now they’re also guilty of rejecting this invitation, despite that this invitation was offered without the possibility of their accepting.
But the second thing that jumps out is even more remarkable. For the special call is not exclusively given to the elect. ”For the most part,” Calvin writes, it is only for believers. But “sometimes” God enlightens individuals but does not “cause the preached work to take deep root in their heart.” And then, because of their ingratitude (which they could not have, since God did not cause the word to take deep root), God abandons them and blinds them even further than they were originally!
Note that Calvin is not saying that these people merely seemed to be enlightened or accepted by God. They are genuinely enlightened, as much so as any believer. God does not only seem to abandon them; he held them up for a time, yet did not enable them to express gratitude, and for that reason abandons them. Any Christian could be in this position today.
To me, this is one of the most challenging passages in Calvin. I think a moderate Reformed perspective would do well to abandon Calvin at this point, even while holding to the general sentiments of the Westminster Catechism. Perhaps Calvin oversteps himself here; Calvin is being hypercalvinist. The alternative, I’m afraid, derails pastoral counseling, and forces the reformed advocate to be either deceptive or to tell parishioners that God may not love you with the kind of love necessary to enable and encourage your spiritual well-being.
What do you think? Is there a better option for Reformed pastoral counseling? Can Calvinism be detached from this passage, or is it a necessary corollary to Calvin’s other doctrines? Does it stand in contradiction to the doctrine of perseverance of the saints? | <urn:uuid:f893b563-fdb6-4371-bc40-615bef39258d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.revelife.com/761434588/john-calvin-on-the-call-to-salvation/?page=1&jump=1525238469 | 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 | 0.96792 | 754 | 1.820313 | 2 |
A wealth of data from UCAR is available on the Internet--if you know where to find it. Traditionally, NCAR divisions and UCAR programs have made data available in an independent fashion, each using its own archive and distribution systems. A new UCAR project funded by NSF promises to preserve that tradition of independence while providing researchers at UCAR and elsewhere with a more coherent view of data and data-related services--facilitating, for example, the locating, access, and use of data sets.
The three-year effort began late last year with support from NSF's initiative for Information Infrastructure Technology Applications (IITA). Coprincipal investigators are Unidata director David Fulker and two NCAR division directors, Bill Buzbee (Scientific Computing Division, or SCD) and David Carlson (Atmospheric Technology Division, or ATD). A team of five staff has been shifted half- or full-time from other UCAR projects to work on the IITA. Managing the effort is Richard Chinman, who recently completed four years as data services manager and director of the TOGA COARE (Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment) International Project Office.
Chinman's success at coordinating the processing, archiving, and distribution of large volumes of COARE data at dozens of sites worldwide made him a natural to manage the UCAR IITA. "Cliff Jacobs [of NSF] has, for a long time, had something like this in mind to help us systematically enhance the wide array of data and information services provided by virtually every division and program within UCAR," says Chinman. He notes that pulling together access to disparate data services is a very common concern in the research community and that UCAR IITA efforts will build on the progress already being made in this arena by, for example, SCD and UOP's Office of Field Project Support.
The data services provided by UCAR span a wide variety of activities: real- and post-time data acquisition, broadcast, archiving, documentation, and distribution. In addition, many groups provide software for data access, manipulation, translation to common formats, display, and analysis. Data, software, and information activities within the UCAR family are attuned to serving the needs of specific divisions or programs. However, in the increasingly cross-disciplinary world of research, scientists from beyond the usual constituents of a division or program often enter our information systems. These users stand to benefit from a coherent view of the entry points into archives, the relevance and location of individual datasets, and the nature of associated services and software capabilities.
The IITA effort has identified four elements useful in constructing a more coherent view of data, software, and information systems at UCAR:
Those who participated in the meetings concluded that, by addressing its own data-service issues, UCAR could serve as a model for other institutions. As stated in the IITA proposal, "The issues to be faced in the UCAR organizational framework represent a microcosm of the larger world of scientific data management, in which numerous unresolved issues surround the tension that exists between having distributed data holdings and data services while offering users the means to find and use and integrate the data needed for specific studies." Fulker notes that the emphasis in IITA will be on cooperation rather than mandates or standards. "There's no intent to change the way people acquire data from any of the present UCAR services unless it makes sense to do so. We will not replace systems; rather, we will try to increase coherence among these systems while maintaining high levels of autonomy. There is a strong emphasis on decentralized responsibility. It's one of the most important aspects of the way that researchers and others expect to provide and gather data, as exemplified by the popularity of the Web."
Workshops to gather input from the UCAR community and to consider potential methodologies will take place in Boulder about every four months, beginning shortly. Though aimed largely at UCAR staff, they will be open to others, with a particular effort to involve the university community. IITA information is evolving on the Web and available at http://www.coare.ucar.edu/iita. For more information, contact Chinman (303-497-8696 or firstname.lastname@example.org). | <urn:uuid:c4504a14-f3df-485b-8f02-1529dcc6921c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ucar.edu/communications/quarterly/winter95/IITA.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936461 | 892 | 1.8125 | 2 |
MILLERSVILLE, Pennsylvania (CNN) – Hillary Clinton has scheduled a last-minute campaign stop in Detroit for Wednesday morning, a move the campaign says will spotlight Michigan's efforts at a primary re-vote and keep the pressure on Barack Obama to consent to another election in the state.
The Wednesday morning event is billed as a routine "Solutions for America" campaign rally, but Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee said the trip is intended to put the focus squarely on Obama, who has resisted agreeing to re-votes in Florida and Michigan.
"The ball is in Obama's court," Elleithee said. "Senator Obama is in the way, so she's going to go to Michigan to press the case personally." In a conference call held earlier in the day, Clinton aide Phil Singer also said the ball was in Obama's court.
"Why doesn't he go ahead and say, 'Let's do this'?" said Singer.
A draft proposal currently under consideration in Michigan calls for a new Democratic primary to be held on June 3, to be paid for with private money. That plan would have to be approved by the state legislature. The state Senate Majority Leader, a Republican, has said he will not give his support to any plan that does not have the consent of all the parties involved, including both presidential campaigns.
The Obama campaign on Tuesday again accused the Clinton campaign of attempting to change the rules late in the electoral game to garner delegates, saying it continued to harbor "valid concerns about the proposal" to hold another primary in June.
"We have raised these concerns, as legislators in Michigan did today, and we're waiting to see if these issues can be resolved by the legislature," Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor said in a statement.
– CNN Political Producer Peter Hamby | <urn:uuid:0fa602b7-0bf1-4753-80f7-1108bd95a05b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/03/18/clinton-will-visit-michigan-to-press-for-re-vote/comment-page-4/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975256 | 367 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Tax cuts? Nice, but how would Mitch McConnell pay for them?
Tax cuts: The GOP's McConnell wants to extend the Bush-era tax cuts, but he might have to shut down half the federal government to pay for them.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) wants to permanently extend all of the Bush-era tax cuts. He’s also rejected even modest efforts by President Obama to restrain the growth of Medicare. He is opposed to efforts by Defense Secretary Robert Gates to control future Pentagon spending. And he favors a constitutional amendment that would require a balanced budget. It all got me wondering: What would such a McConnell government look like?Skip to next paragraph
Howard Gleckman is a resident fellow at The Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, the author of Caring for Our Parents, and former senior correspondent in the Washington bureau of Business Week. (http://taxvox.taxpolicycenter.org)
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Let’s give his constitutional amendment time to become law and use 2020 as a target year. The Congressional Budget Office projects a current law deficit of $685 billion in that year. Extending all of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts would add another $500 billion, so let’s round to a 2020 deficit of $1.2 trillion.
CBO figures Pentagon spending in 2020 will be about $900 billion. Medicare will spend another $900 billion. Since I don’t imagine the senator would let the nation default on its debt, there goes another $900 billion or so (CBO figures current law interest payments of about $775 billion, plus another $100 billion on the debt run up by those ongoing tax cuts). Finally, the senator hasn’t said, but I’m assuming he'd protect programs such as military retirement and veterans benefits—that’s another $150 billion off the table. Thus, of total projected outlays of $5.5 trillion in 2020, McConnell would leave roughly $3 trillion unscathed.
Thus, to balance the budget McConnell would have to slash the rest of the federal government in half. If you are tea partier, that probably sounds pretty good. But let’s look at what that would mean.
The biggest remaining program is, of course, Social Security. It happens that projected Social Security spending in 2020 is almost exactly equal to the $1.2 trillion McConnell would need to balance his budget. But the vast bulk of that money would go to those who are already 60 or older and there are no serious proposals to make substantial reductions in benefits for those retired or close to it. The one change that might—slowing annual cost of living benefit increases —would reduce total payments by only about 4 percent by 2040. So there isn’t going to be much dough there, especially as soon as 2020.
What’s left? Well, McConnell would have to abolish all the rest of government to get to balance by 2020. Everything. No more national parks, no more Small Business Administration loans, no more export subsidies, no more NIH. No more Medicaid (one-third of its budget pays for long-term care for our parents and others with disabilities). No more child health or child nutrition programs. No more highway construction. No more homeland security. Oh, and no more Congress. No more nothin’.
We’re not talking about a temporary 1995-like government shut-down here. We are talking about a government that exists only to fund national defense, provide benefits to the already- or soon-to-be retired, and pay interest to the Chinese and our other lenders.
Of course, I've presented a simplifed story. If McConnell really tried to do something like he has described, his cuts probably would take place over several years, thus the one-year shock would be softened and 10-year interest costs would be somewhat lower. And, I'm sure anyone could quibble over a few tens of billions here and there. Still, the end-game would be roughly the same.
As my Tax Policy Center colleagues Rosanne Altshuler, Katie Lim, and Bob Williams have written, balancing the budget by raising taxes on high-income people alone is unrealistic. But as my little exercise shows, it is equally absurd to try to do it by only cutting spending, especially when you try to work within McConnell’s self-imposed constraints.
McConnell himself won’t say how he’d pay for these ongoing tax cuts. He does back a freeze in domestic discretionary spending—an idea that would leave him about 93 percent short of his balanced budget goal. As to the rest, he says he’ll await Obama’s deficit reduction commission that will report, conveniently enough, after the election.
I understand that with the tea partiers breathing down his neck, the Senate GOP leader thinks he can say nothing less than tax cuts uber alles. But I fear the rest of us will be saddled with the consequences of McConnell’s irresponsible pandering.
The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best economy-related bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here. | <urn:uuid:8f9a1eb5-c60b-4cca-8415-77d808ec36f0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Tax-VOX/2010/0918/Tax-cuts-Nice-but-how-would-Mitch-McConnell-pay-for-them | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962345 | 1,103 | 1.640625 | 2 |
The Pastoral Epistles present difficult questions for the modern interpreter, including such matters as their authorship, literary characteristics, and social orientations. Raymond Collins carefully leads the reader through the texts of these three documents, attending to the flow of the Pastor's thought and locating it within the Jewish and Hellenistic culture of his day.
The New Testament Library offers authoritative commentary on every book and major aspect of the New Testament, as well as classic volumes of scholarship. The commentaries in this series provide fresh translations based on the best available ancient manuscripts, offer critical portrayals of the historical world in which the books were created, pay careful attention to their literary design, and present a theologically perceptive exposition of the text.
Customer Reviews for 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: The New Testament Library [NTL]
This product has not yet been reviewed. Click here to continue to the product details page. | <urn:uuid:475e0fa4-8ef6-42b1-9e16-e10bd40493a7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://reviews.christianbook.com/2016/2471X/westminster-john-knox-press-1-2-timothy-and-titus-the-new-testament-library-ntl-reviews/reviews.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959133 | 185 | 1.789063 | 2 |
English lottery winner Charmaine Watson has invested £20,000 of her winnings into an anti-bullying musical which has opened in London.
A victim of sustained bullying during her school days, 31-year-old Watson decided to fight back by using the large chunk of her winnings to finance a rock musical with an anti-bullying message.
“The songs in this show make you feel you can achieve anything you want to,” she said. “I have always been one to go to every show I can and I’m really hoping that this will change some of the lives in the audience. If one child watches it and feels able to tell their parents or teachers about bullying, this will be the best lottery money I could ever have spent.”
The musical, Stand Tall, started out as a show for schools, based on the David and Goliath story.
“We are living the dream now because of all the interest,” said the show’s publicist, Michael Dove.
“I approached Charmaine to see if she was interested in investing, partly because she was local to us in Oxfordshire. She really bought into the show when she heard the music and that’s why we made her associate producer.”
Watson said her decision to invest £20,000 in Stand Tall was motivated by the bullying she endured at secondary school, an experience that caused her to suffer a complete loss of self-confidence.
“I was just the wrong face in the crowd. I was shy and they made fun of me for living in a council house, for my weight, my height, my hair colour – everything. They picked on me every day for five years and I hated going to school so much that I would make myself physically sick. One day I just ran home crying into my mother’s arms and she contacted the school. It took years for me to recover,” she said.
Watson won a £2.3 million lottery jackpot six years ago when she was struggling to raise her first child, Ryan, on her own.
“My grandad started buying me a lottery ticket every Wednesday after my 16th birthday, but that week he checked the wrong numbers,” she said. “On Friday, my phone was ringing from about five in the morning because my grandmother had checked them again. I went round to their house with my son and they held up the numbers to show me.”
Watson is still amazed by her win. “Even now it hasn’t sunk in. I am overwhelmed that I can give my children things I never had. I bought a home for my son and me, and I bought my mother her home too,” she said.
And even despite the financial risks in doing so, the opportunity to support a cause close to her heart far outweighed those risks for Watson.
“I spoke to my bank manager about investing in Stand Tall and he explained the risks, but I decided to take it into my own hands,” she said.View Comments | <urn:uuid:b8a2f8f9-d6ce-4843-aa49-ee2e10bd3d7d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.letitflow.com/lottery-winner-hits-back-at-bullies-by-investing-winnings-in-anti-bullying-musical/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985465 | 644 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Legendary designer Philippe Starck — with no pretty slides behind him — spends 17 minutes reaching for the very roots of the question “Why design?” Along the way he drops brilliant insights into the human condition; listen carefully for one perfectly crystallized motto for all of us, genius or not. Yet all this deep thought, he cheerfully admits, is to aid in the design of a better toothbrush. (Recorded March 2007 in Monterey, California. Duration: 17:07.)
Watch Philippe Starck’s talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances.
Read more about Philippe Starck on TED.com.
Transcript: Philippe Starck, TED2007
Philippe Starck: Why design?
To watch this TEDTalk, download it or comment on it, and to view many more TEDTalks, visit http://www.ted.com
You will understand nothing with my type of English. Is good for you because you can have a break, after all these fantastic people. I must tell you I am like that [shakes hands], not very comfortable, because usually, in life, I think my job is absolutely useless. I mean, I feel useless. Now, after Carolyn [Porco], and all the other guys, I feel like shit. And definitively, I don’t know why I am here, but — you know the nightmare, like you are an impostor, you arrive at the opera, and they push you, “You must sing!” [gasp!] I don’t know.
So! So! Because I have nothing to show, nothing to say, we shall try to speak about something else.
We can start, if you want, by understanding (it’s just to start, it’s not interesting) how I work. When somebody comes to me and ask for what I am known, I mean, yes, lemon squeezer, toilet brush, toothpick, beautiful toilet seats, and why not, a toothbrush. I don’t try to design the toothbrush. I don’t try to say, oh, that will be a beautiful object or something like that. That doesn’t interest me.
Because there is different types of design. The one, we can call it the cynical design, that means the design invented by Raymond Loewy in the ’50s, who said, what is ugly is a bad sale, La Laideur se vend mal, which is terrible. It means the design must be just a weapon for marketing, for producer to make product more sexy, like that, they sell more, it’s shit, it’s obsolete, it’s ridiculous. I call that the cynical design.
After, there is the narcissistic design; it’s a fantastic designer who designs only for other fantastic designers. [laughs]
After there is people like me, who try to deserve to exist, and who are ashamed to make this useless job, who try to do it in another way, and they try, I try, to not make the object for the object but for the result, for the profit for the human being, the person who will use it. If we take the toothbrush — I don’t think about the toothbrush. I think, “What will be [finger in mouth] the effect of the brush in the mouth?” And to understand what will be the effect of the toothbrush in the mouth, I must imagine: Who owns this mouth? What is the life of the owner of this mouth? In what society this guy live? What civilization creates this society? What animal species creates this civilization? When I arrive — and I take one minute, I am not so intelligent — when I arrive at the level of animal species, that becomes real interesting.
Me, I have no power to change anything. But when I come back, I can understand why I shall not do it, because today, it’s more positive than “do it,” or how I shall do it. But to come back, where I am at the animal species, there is things to see. There is things to see, there is the big challenge. The big challenge in front of us.
Because there is not a human production that exists outside of what I call the “big image.” The big image is our story, our poetry, our romanticism. Our poetry is our mutation, our life. We must remember, and we can see that in any book of my son of 10 years old, that life appears 4 billion years ago, around — 4 billion point 2? [voice off] Yes, point 5, OK, OK! I’m a designer, that’s all, of Christmas gifts.
And before, there was this soup, called soupe primordiale, this first soup [bloop bloop bloop!], sort of dirty mud, no life, nothing. So then [pshoo-shoo] lightning [pshoo] arrive [pshoo-shoo], makes life [bloop bloop], and that dies. Some million years after, [pshoo-shoo!] [bloop-bloop] wake up! At the end, finally, that succeeds, and life appears. We was so, so stupid. The most stupid bacteria. Even, I think, we copy our way to reproduce, you know what I mean, and something of — oh no, forget it.
After, we become a fish; after, we become a frog; after, we become a monkey; after, we become what we are today, a supermonkey, and the fin is, the supermonkey we are today, is at alph of the story. Can you imagine? From that stupid bacteria to us, with a microphone, with a computer, with an iPod, 4 billion years. And we know, and especially Carolyn knows, that when the sun will implode, the earth will burn, explode, I don’t know what, and this is scheduled for 4, 4 billion years? [looks offstage] Yes, she said “something like that.” OK, that means we are at alph of the story. Fantastic! It’s a beauty! Can you imagine? It’s very symbolic. Because the bacteria we was had no idea of what we are today. And today, we have no idea of what we shall be in 4 billion years. And this territory is fantastic.
That is our poetry. That is our beautiful story. It’s our romanticism: Mutation. We are mutants. And if we don’t deeply understand, if we don’t integrate that we are mutants, we completely miss the story.
Because every generation thinks we are the final one. We have a way to look at Earth like that, you know [raises hand over head] “I am the man. The final man. You know, we mutate during 4 billion years before, but now, because it’s me, we stop. Fin For the end, for the eternity, with a red jacket …” I am not sure of that. Because that is our intelligence of mutation and things like that. There is so many things to do, it’s so fresh.
And here is something: Nobody is obliged to be a genius, but everybody is obliged to participate. And to participate, for a mutant, there is a minimum of exercise, a minimum of sport … The first, if you want, there is so many, but one which is very easy to do, is the duty of vision. I can explain you. I shall try.
If you walk like that [looking straight down, small steps], it’s OK, it’s OK, you can walk, but perhaps, if you walk with the eyes like that, you will not see, oh!, there is a hole. And you will fall, and you will die. Dangerous.
That’s why, perhaps, you will try to have this angle of vision [looking forward 45 degrees] OK, I can see, if I found something [whistle, steps around imaginary obstacle], and they continue, up up up. I raise the angle of vision, but it’s still very selfish (selfish? egoiste? yes, selfish). You, you survive. It’s OK.
If you raise the level of our eyes a little more [looking straight ahead] you go, “I see you, oh my god you are here, how are you, I can help you, I can design for you a new toothbrush, new toilet brush, something like that, I live in society, in community.” It’s OK. You start to be in the territory of intelligence, we can say. From this level, the more you can raise this angle of view, the more you will be important to society. The more you will rise, the more you will be important for the civilization. The more you will rise, to see far and high, like that, the more you will be important for the story of our mutation. That means intelligent people are in this angle [75-105 degrees off the ground] That is intelligence. From this [105 degrees] to here [180 degrees], that, it’s genius. Ptolemy, Eratosthenes, Einstein, things like that. Nobody’s obliged to be a genius. It’s better, but nobody.
Take care, in this training, to be a good mutant. There is some danger, there is some trap. One trap: the vertical. Because at the vertical of us, if you look like that, “Ah! my god, there is God. Ah! God!” God is a trap. God is the answer when we don’t know the answer. That means, when your brain is not enough big, when you don’t understand, you go, “Ah, it’s God, it’s God.” That’s ridiculous. That’s why — jump, like that? No, don’t jump. Come back. Because, after, there is another trap. If you look like that [205 degrees], you look to the past, or you look inside if you are very flexible, inside yourself. It’s called schizophrenia, and you are dead.
That’s why every morning, now, because you are a good mutant, you will raise your angle of view. Out, more of the horizontal. You are an intelligence. Never forget: like that, like that. It’s very, very, very important.
What, what else we can say about that. Why do that? It’s because we — if we look from f
ar, we see our line of evolution. This line of evolution is clearly positive. From far, this line looks very smooth, like that. But if you take a lens, like that, this line is ack-ack-ack [makes jagged motion]. It’s made of light and shadow. We can say light is civilization, shadow is barbaria. And it’s very important to know where we are. Because some cycle, there is a spot in the cycle, and you have not the same duty in the different parts of the cycle.
That means, we can imagine, I don’t say it was fantastic, but in the ’80s, there was not too much war, like that [a little], it was … we can imagine that the civilization can become civilized. In this case, people like me are acceptable. We can say it’s luxus time. We have time to think, we have time to I-don’t-know-what, speak about art and things like that. It’s OK. We are in the light. But sometimes, like today [dives down] we fall, we fall [diving sounds] so fast, so fast to shadow, we fall so fast to barbaria. With many, many many face of barbaria. Because it’s not, the barbaria we have today, it’s perhaps not the barbaria we think. There is different type of barbaria. That’s why we must adapt. That means, when barbaria is back, forget the beautiful chairs, forget the beautiful hotel, forget design, even, I’m sorry to say, forget art. Forget all that. There is priority, there is urgence. You must go back to politics, you must go back to radicalization, I’m sorry if that’s not very English, you must go back to fight, to battle.
That’s why today I’m so ashamed to make this job. That’s why I am here, to try to do it the best possible. But I know that even [if] I do it the best possible (that’s why I’m the best!), it’s nothing. Because it’s not the right time.
That’s why I say that, I say that nothing exist if it’s not in the good reason, the reason of our beautiful dream, of this civilization. And because we must all work to finish this story. Because the scenario of this civilization, about love, progress, and things like that, it’s OK, but there is so many other different, other scenarios of other civilizations. This scenario, of this civilization, was about becoming powerful, intelligent, like this idea we have invented, this concept of God. We are God now. We are. It’s almost done. We have just to finish the story. That is very, very important. And when you don’t understand really what’s happened, you cannot go and fight and work and things like that. You go to the future back, back, back, back, like that. And you can fall, and it’s very dangerous. No, you must really understand that.
Because we have almost finished, I’ll repeat this story. And the beauty of this: in perhaps fifty years, sixty years, we can finish completely this civilization, and offer to our children the possibility to invent a new story, a new poetry, a new romanticism. With billions of people who have been born, worked, lived, and died before us, these people who have worked so much, we have now bring beautiful things, beautiful gifts, we know so many things. We can say to our children, OK, done, that was our story. That passed. Now you have a duty. Invent a new story. Invent a new poetry. The only rule is, we have not to have any idea about the next story. We give you white pages. Invent. We give you the best tools, the best tools, and now, do it. That’s why I continue to work, even if it’s for toilet brush. | <urn:uuid:04e1a9a6-c8ae-469f-b993-6349c256a761> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.ted.com/2007/12/04/starck/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94961 | 3,189 | 1.695313 | 2 |
m0rl0ck wrote:In my view the point needs to be addressed in this thread that to practice buddhism you need not believe in a judgmental god whose main historical use seems to have been dehumanizing enemies so that they could be killed and their land and property taken.
Its no accident that the followers of the patriarchal warrior god are so numerous, the ones who sat around saying "all religions are the same, they are good people too", likely got dehumanized by the priests of the warrior god cult the next valley over and killed for their arable land.
All religions are not the same and bad ideas kill people. Whenever religious groups attain political power, slaughter usually follows. Look at the world today, representatives of two of the worlds major religions (the US is arguably a christian power) both believers in apocalypse and the patriarchal warrior god and his "final judgement" are involved in conflict that could very likely take the rest of the planet down with them.
If you seriously believe that all religions are equal and that religions cant kill en masse, you need to take a look at your attitudes, education and especially at history.
I know its not pc to say so, but some ideas are contagious and deadly mental disorders. Theism is one of those ideas.
EDIT: Just for clarity sake, when i say theism above, what i meant was patriarchal monotheism. Matriarchal theism seems to have gotten the short end of the stick from the patriarchal variety historically. Seems to be making a comeback tho, which looks like a positive development to me.
I expect this post will likely be deleted as was my last in this thread, but at least i tried
1: Christians do not believe in a "patriarchal warrior god." For one, God has no gender. Secondly, Jesus has been known to say that a person with a sword will die by the sword. While it is possible to twist any religion and anyone's words to suit one's views, most Christians are not violent, they do not like war. You'll find some who do, but, as I just said, words can be twisted and the Buddha is no exception.
2: With about a fifth not identifying themselves with any religion and the constitution separating state and religion it is indeed very arguable that USA is a Christian power.
3: "I know its not pc to say so, but some ideas are contagious and deadly mental disorders. Theism is one of those ideas."
No, it is more than that: it is rude, offensive and incorrect. While it is not enough, in my opinion, to be removed as you predict, I am not sure Buddha would be on your side here (or anyone, really)
4:Why are you using the word matriarchal as a positive? How is gender relevant? | <urn:uuid:17cc33e4-d0f2-4652-99ab-b8384ec5d568> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?p=230004 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97271 | 582 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Orthodox Talks – No. 34
Orthodox Talks in English - No. 34 - What Do We Need to Know to Understand the Deceptions of Our Times?
Christ left us a most fearful warning: False Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. We see this happening in our own times. Today, even pious Orthodox Christians become confused and deceived by various phenomena which appear to be Orthodox. Prophesies, clairvoyance, visions, healings, signs and miracles, exorcisms, dreams, and mysterious fragrances are just some of the phenomena which the pious must test, to see whether they are from God. But sadly, many are even confused about entirely un-Orthodox phenomena: psychics, mediums, UFOs, charismatics, speaking in tongues, apparitions, ghosts, visions, astrology, reincarnation, hypnosis, levitation, etc.
In this talk, Father Kosmas explains that without true Orthodox teaching and spirituality it is impossible to detect and avoid these deceptions, many of which are extremely subtle, and all of which separate us from God.
The following questions are also discussed: how can we not be proud of being in the true faith? Why is a lukewarm Orthodox Christian worse than an unbeliever? What was the tragic end of two laymen who gave Orthodox talks? How does one go from monastic novice to drug dealer? What are the two main types of fuel for deception? Are there monastics who are mediums? What are the signs of a deceived person? What is the difference between self-deception and diabolical deception?
Other topics covered in this talk include: religions that were established as a result of visions; apparitions of "Mary" to children in Roman Catholicism; Francis of Assisi - his visions and stigmata; a deceived young man's preparations for the coming of the antichrist; a young woman's experience with a deceived abbess; the relationship between spiritual deception and mental and physical illness; a "clairvoyant" octopus; and an Anglican "exorcist".
Talk Duration: 205 minutes
Chanting Duration: 30 minutes
With the blessing of His Eminence Hilarion
Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York
First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia
The content of this talk does not necessarily
reflect the official position of ROCOR. | <urn:uuid:765ae6eb-db3b-4bbc-bdee-e4290b6a61cd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stspress.com/products-page/talks-by-fr-kosmas/orthodox-talks-no-34/ | 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 | 0.941481 | 508 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Some people’s lives change forever in a single moment, and for Carol, it happened 22 years ago. Before she tells her story, she prints a “do not disturb” sign and tapes it to her office door. Her past life still isn’t one she likes many people to know about.
At age 26, Carol was dying. Years of booze and drugs had turned her skin gray. Her bones stuck out from her thin frame. Friend after friend died around her.
And then it happened: She got arrested. A cop pulled her over and found cocaine and a gun in her car. Carol spent the next 30 days in a county jail, sick with drug withdrawal.
“I really believe those people saved my life,” says Carol, now 48. “They really nursed me back to health.”
She ended up in court-ordered rehab in Spokane, and there she began putting her life back together. She wanted to be a better mother. She wanted to go to school. Start a career. Maybe even start her own business.
She studied to be an insurance agent. But when it came time to be certified, Carol’s old arrest popped up.
“I went and took the test and passed it with flying colors. I had a job with an insurance company,” she says. “But after my test results came back, the insurance commission said, ‘We’re not going to give you your license.’”
So Carol decided to go into nursing, and before she started, she told Spokane Community College that she had a criminal record.
“They said it wouldn’t be a problem,” Carol says. “I spent a year and half doing the prerequisites for the program.”
Then she found out that — again — she wouldn’t be able to get a license. A felon can’t be a nurse.
“This is already after I put a year and a half of money into it,” she says. “I started this big circle of chasing my tail.”
Carol may have left her past behind, but it kept coming back to haunt her. It was as if she had been marked with a scarlet letter. Like society had decided that she could not be anything but a felon.
“You keep getting told what you are,” she says. “And what happens is you have this identity of being a felon.”
Her story is hardly unique. From 1970 to 2000, the United States’ rate of incarceration jumped by more than 500 percent. Today 2.3 million people live behind bars, and an estimated 13 million Americans have felony convictions on their records.
While half are violent offenders, half are like Carol — people with drug offenses or property crimes. And long after their sentences are served, debts paid, rehabilitation completed and lessons learned, they’re still branded as felons.
Felons are, perhaps, the last group that can be legally discriminated against: A felony can automatically disqualify someone from a job, from getting a safe place to live, from being eligible to vote. Many felons end up living in poor neighborhoods and raising children in crime-riddled areas — where their children get caught up in the same traps.
Elliott Bronstein, who works with the City of Seattle Office for Civil Rights, says reformed felons like Carol who regret their crimes and want to change can’t. And that’s something everyone should care about, if for no other reason than money: Housing a person in prison for a year costs more than $25,000.
“If we set up a system so that when somebody gets out of jail, it is practically impossible for them to find a place to live or find a job,” Bronstein says, “then that doesn’t just impact them — it impacts me. Because if you can’t find a job and you can’t find a place to live, there’s a chance you’re going to be driven to other measures.”
Todd Clear, one of the nation’s most prominent scholars of criminology, says it is impossible for someone like Carol to get a fresh start. The system is not only set up to make felons fail, but to keep them coming back to prison.
“We want to make it really hard for them to live normal lives,” says Clear, dean of the School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University. “It’s a completely counterproductive argument.”
But some people, like Carol, never go back to jail. That month behind bars was enough for her.
Yet more than 20 years later, she still lives with the shame of her crime. She feels like a lesser citizen: someone who broke the law. Even today — employed, a homeowner, a grandmother, a college graduate with her criminal record expunged — she worries that her felony will yank the bottom out from under her. For that reason, she asked The Inlander to not publish her last name. She fears she could lose her job.
“How long does a person get to pay for their sin?” she says. “I have paid a desperate price for my sins, and so have my children.
“I am a dirty felon.”
Lock 'Em Up
Since the early 1970s, the number of people behind bars in the United States has exploded. In 2008, one in every 134 Americans went to prison or jail — a rate higher than any other country in the world. Aside from the millions incarcerated, another 5 million people are on probation or parole.
Minorities — particularly African Americans — are even more likely to see the inside of a cell in their lives. Nationally, for every one white person in prison, there are 5.6 blacks. And Washington state’s ratio is even higher: 6.4 blacks for every white person.
The inflated prison population is a direct result of tough-on-crime laws, mandatory sentencing and the War on Drugs. Especially since the 1980s, we have shuttled more and more people into the system.
“What’s happened in the last few decades are two overlapping trends that have made these issues much more significant: tremendous expansion of the prison system and the number of people with felony convictions,” says Marc Mauer, executive director of the Sentencing Project, a D.C.-based nonprofit that advocates for criminal justice reform.
The belief that throwing more people in jail will reduce crime is false, Mauer says. In fact, between 1991 and 1998, the states that put fewer people in jail than the national average experienced a greater decline in crime rates than other states.
“Prison is clearly not the remedy for failure. But we keep using it,” Rutgers’ Todd Clear says. “This religious belief in the value of the taste of prison is not confirmed by evidence.”
The employment restrictions facing felons upon release are complicated and vary from state to state. In Washington state, anyone with a felony drug conviction must wait five years before working with children or with anyone who has a developmental disability. Theft crimes will prevent someone from working with anyone vulnerable, such as people in a nursing home.
Felons cannot work in insurance, hold a position in a labor union, provide health care services for anyone receiving Medicare or work as a pharmacist. In some states, a felony might even prevent someone from becoming a licensed barber. And a drug conviction automatically disqualifies someone from getting government student loans. In Idaho, a woman convicted of a drug offense may be denied welfare benefits for life.
Clear says the multitude of rules and regulations that ex-felons must comply with are also a major reason that American prisons are so overcrowded. It’s not because there’s a glut of offenders — it’s because penalties are harsher and sentences are longer.
Indeed, Clear’s studies show that it isn’t new crimes that usually land someone back in jail — it’s a parole or probation violation. And felons living in poverty — ones without a support system or the cash for a good lawyer — are hit the hardest.
“Most of the people who go back to prison go back for violating rules,” he says. “The size of the prison population is a matter of penal policy. And over the last 36 years, the U.S. has built a policy designed to grow prisons.”
For years, Carol strung together enough money from odd jobs to support her four children. She bagged groceries at Safeway. When that wasn’t enough, she took a second job as a cook at Dolly’s Cafe (a restaurant she would later own).
After her husband died in 1995, she raised her children alone. She feared that they would make the same mistakes that she did.
And in 2001, her fears came true when her youngest daughter, Carrie Collette, robbed a hotel of $200 with a toy gun. She was 14. (She has a different last name than Carol.)
The cycle that Carol’s family was caught in — of crime and poverty — is one that has been studied at length. Clear has written several books about the cyclical nature of crime and poverty, including Imprisoning Communities, which examines the relationship between incarceration and the deterioration of communities and family life.
“By making it such a lifelong debilitating experience, we have sentenced all the children, too,” Clear says. “You produce this cycle of disadvantage. And right in the center of it is imprisonment.
“People who say, ‘Don’t do the crime if you don’t want to do the time … are also saying, ‘Don’t be a child born to [a felon],’” he says.
Carrie Collette is now 23 and wonders constantly if her family’s history will be passed onto her son and infant daughter. Because, today, Collette says, she’s staring down all the same guns that her mother once did. She can’t find a safe place to live. She can’t get a job. No matter how much she tells employers and landlords about her past — about the crime she committed at 14 and the sentence she served — she can’t seem to get a break.
“Simple things everybody should have, you don’t get to have,” she says. “Everyone should have enough bras and underwear and socks to wear a clean pair everyday, but you don’t so your children can have some.”
Collette felt neglected as child when her own mom was struggling to get by. At 14, she was involved with a bad crowd. She craved attention. She tried Ecstasy. And she robbed a hotel.
“My friend said something about ‘I used to work at this hotel and it’d be really easy to go take the money,’” she says. “One thing led to another, and the next thing you know I’m trying to prove myself. I showed them the little handle of my plastic gun and said to give me the money.
“We got like $200 and we spent it on bullshit.”
When she was caught, Collette was sent to Spokane Juvenile Detention Center for several months and later to a group home in Benton County. Because it was her first offense, Collette took a deal to get out early, agreeing to have her felony on her record until she was 28.
“When they offered me that deal — felony on my record forever — I didn’t even think twice about that. That didn’t mean shit to me,” she says. “I’m not even thinking about the consequences of what this title means. I was like, ‘I’m going to come out and rock ass and people are going to love me and I’ll be this great person because this is who I am. It won’t matter.’”
She soon learned otherwise. Collette is studying to become a nurse (just as her mother once did). She knows she can’t get a nursing license as a felon, so she’s hoping to stretch her time in school out past her 28th birthday, when she hopes to expunge her record.
But school is the least of her worries today. She’s more concerned about where she will live in less than a year. Her house — which is owned by her mother — will be bulldozed next summer to make way for the North-South Freeway. And already the burden of finding a safe place to live is weighing on her.
“I’m still going to have to move into a place that’s dangerous for my children,” Collette says. “I should be able to run a home that’s safe for my children. My children now have to grow up around the same things that influenced me to become a felon.
“No matter how hard we tried to reverse the process, we were born into it,” she says. “When [my mom] finally got to a place to better herself and to better her family, she couldn’t save us. And how am I going to find somewhere safe for us?” | <urn:uuid:76c1d62e-08ba-499f-9adf-163f6d2e425c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.inlander.com/spokane/article-15768-unforgiven.html?current_page=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973459 | 2,836 | 1.671875 | 2 |
In: Religion Topics
Spiritual GiftsKendall Lucy
THEO 201 – D17
Short Essay 3
Logging in to facebook yesterday, I noticed that I had a message from an old friend that I had
not seen since high school. She wanted to know if I would talk to her about spiritual gifts and
answer some questions that were being debated in her church. She wanted answers to questions
about spiritual gifts, the Fruit of the Spirit, speaking in tongues, and baptism in the Holy Spirit. I
told her that I would share the biblical view of spiritual gifts. I sent her an email with the answers
to her questions. Here is a part of the email that I sent to her.
In 1 Corinthians 12, we learn that spiritual gifts are given to God’s people by the Holy Spirit
for “the common good.” Verse 11 says the gifts are given according to God’s sovereign will.
Ephesians 4:12 tells us these gifts are given to prepare God’s people for service and for building
up the body of Christ. While there are different kinds of gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4), spiritual gifts
are God-given graces meant for works of service.
There are two major evidences of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The outward evidence is
speaking with tongues. Further evidence of the Spirit’s abiding presence in our lives is the Fruit
of the Spirit, which Paul mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23. A spiritual gift is an ability to be used
in service, whereas spiritual fruit relates to a Christian’s character.
Many people inaccurately define speaking in tongues as “speaking gibberish” or “talking
nonsense.” The truth is that speaking in tongues is the most intelligent and perfect language in
the universe. It is a heavenly language. It is God’s language. Since it is God’s language, then it
must be the most intelligent and perfect.
The Holy Spirit baptism is a gift from God to the new believer. It is the promise that the
disciples waited earnestly for until it was outpoured on... | <urn:uuid:e807d04c-e265-4f69-81f4-8c860afa0c92> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.termpaperwarehouse.com/essay-on/Spiritual-Gifts/49990 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943936 | 456 | 1.804688 | 2 |
My Father watches Fox News, so I’m pretty clear on the miserable slant to their reporting. I have to say, however, that I was a bit surprised to find that despite his hours in front of the Republican Propaganda channel, he had never heard anything about Hugo Chavez offering to donate oil to America’s poor in Boston and New York. I guess that just goes to show how Rupert Murdoch’s politics corrupt the reporting on this “news” channel.
My father didn’t even believe me when I mentioned it to him. Well, here is a section from an interview with Chavez where he speaks about his offer to the US. Is it just me, or is it a little strange that the richest, most powerful country in the world is somehow unable to help its own people pay for heat, but the leader of a small nation like Venezuela can? Apparently New York is happily accepting the offer.
JUAN GONZALEZ: Mr. President, welcome. Bien venido a los Estados Unidos. Your democratic revolution has a different aspect to it, in that your rich in oil, and the world badly needs oil. What do you do in Latin America to use oil as a weapon to assist the poor. Can you tell us a little more about what you are offering to the communities of the United States who are also suffering from high oil prices.
PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ: This is the result of our awareness, that only through integration we can advance and we can progress among Latin American countries, breaking the paradigm of capitalism, of free trade, and neo-liberalism. In the year 2000, we started a cooperation program especially with the Caribbean and Central American countries, and some of the South American countries, with the Caracas Energy Accord, and there for the first time in history we included Cuba, because Cuba is considered like a country that is not part the Americas, and we think it is part of the Americas; Jamaica, nicaragua, grenada, many countries.
This mechanism includes the sale of oil and oil by-products with a discount of up to 25 percent. This discount becomes in the end a donation we give these countries, however, when the price of oil, starts increases, in the year 2000 we signed the Caracas Accord and the price at that time was 20, 25 dollars a barrel. When we realized that the prices started to increase and it goes beyond 40 and beyond 50, and I doubt very much the price is going to drop any time soon because this is part of the structural crisis, the world has to face it, it is a reality. There is a drop in the oil reserves, there is an increase in consumption and demand. The refining capacity is low.
The consumerism of the world is unbearable. The world of the U.S. people must come to understand, how this country with 5 percent of the world population only, consumes 25 percent of the oil and the energy of the world. I mean that type of consumption is totally unbearable and this planet cannot stand it any more. When we realized that the price of oil went up beyond 50 dollars, we initiated another cooperation scheme. We have created, therefore, Petrocaribe and we are going to start with small Caribbean and Caricom countries, and the larger Antillas such as Cuba, Jamaica, and Dominican Republic.
So we’re now providing, first we’re ensuring the supply of oil, direct supply of oil from state to state, in order to avoid the speculation of multinationals and traders. They buy gasoline in Venezuela and then they go to a Caribbean country, and they charge double so we are selling the products to the states directly. We are not charging for freight, we assume the cost of freight. But apart from that, this discount is not of 25 percent it goes to 40 percent of the total, and this money will be paid back in 25 years time, with 2 years of grace and 1 percent interest rates. So if you make all of the mathematical calculations, the donation percentage is almost 70 percent because it’s a long term adjusted 1 percent. So what Venezuela’s doing is supplying 200,000 barrels of oil to the Caribbean and other Central American and South American countries such as Paraguay, Uruguay and smaller nations in South America. 200, 000 millions of barrels, if you apply calculations, mathematical calculations by 1.5 percent of our GDP, 1.5 percent of the GDP is devoted to this cooperation. It means we are financing these sister nations that next year will reach 1.7 billion dollars a year, in 10 years is 17 billion dollars. It’s a way for us to share, to share our resources with these countries.
And what about the us population? Well after many meetings with the U.S. citizens, we decided to propose a scheme for poor populations and low-income populations in the us. We’ve seen that poverty in the us is growing everywhere. It’s close to 11 percent poverty according to some estimates and instead of the figures you have to go deeper into it because if you see Katrina, and you saw what’s happened, 100,000 people were abandoned and they are abandoned, and they’re just surviving.
So here we have CITGO, this oil company. We have the CITGO company here in the United States. This is a Venezuelan company, so let’s have a look at the U.S. map the distribution area of CITGO in the U.S. We are present in 14,000 gas stations in the U.S., and here we have a different refineries, asphalt refineries, eight refineries that we have in the U.S., the plants for filling units, the third, refineries, terminals, and so on.
We want to use these infrastructures to help the poor populations. We have made some progress. We have given instructions to the president of CITGO, Felix Rodriguez. We want that up to 10 percent we refine here. We supply every day to the us 1.5 million barrels of oil, crude and product and we refine, here, close to 800,000 barrels a day refined here in the us. So we would like to take 10 percent of what we refine those products and to offer these products in several modalities to the poor populations. And the pilot project will be starting in Chicago we are already operating in Chicago. Well let’s hope that there’s not going to be any obstacle by the government opposed to this project being implemented, but we will be working in those poor populations. We have some allies, local partners and we have a number of communities, and we are going to donate some heating oil, because the winter is close, and for the school transportation to school, for the Mexican neighborhood which is the largest in Chicago, La Villita, is the name of this neighborhood with close to 900,000 inhabitants, and so there are other neighborhoods with Hispanics and Latinos. October, the 14th we’re going to start with these pilot projects with small communities and schools, but there are other pilot projects that will start in November in Boston, and here in New York.
So different modalities, with local authorities, mayors, organized communities, religious groups. So we are very pleased to announce this. And to help just with a drop, and a grain of contribution to help these low-income populations, Blacks or Hispanics or also White population so we’re just starting with this project. | <urn:uuid:4f63f3c9-c1ea-442d-b3a6-b864ebc10520> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://spiralbound.net/blog/2005/12/28/chavez-donates-oil-to-americas-poor/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960666 | 1,572 | 1.703125 | 2 |
‘Loophole’ prevents campus cops from enforcing law
Originally published February 28, 2013 at 2:38 a.m., updated February 28, 2013 at 6:27 a.m.
A “loophole” in current state law keeps some Missouri college and university police officers from enforcing state laws on campus streets, state Sen. Brad Lager said Wednesday.
He wants the Legislature to change that this year, as it did for the University of Missouri police several years ago.
“What is starting to happen is,” Lager, R-Savannah, told the Senate’s Transportation Committee, “they’ve had cases where university officers do a traffic stop, they encounter an individual who is intoxicated, they make the arrest on DUI and go through the process, only for the case to be thrown out later in court — because there’s this loophole that doesn’t clearly state that a (certified) university police officer has the ability to enforce state laws.”
Lager emphasized the law would cover only campus police who have completed their POST training, which is a certification program required of most Missouri law officers.
The committee took no action on the bill Wednesday.
Correction: The original version of Sen. Lager's quotation characterizing the loophole contradicted itself because of a reporter's transcription error. The wording has since been corrected. | <urn:uuid:183ca480-91e9-4f2a-8dce-4b9dd9506832> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newstribune.com/news/2013/feb/28/loophole-prevents-campus-cops-enforcing-law/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959808 | 288 | 1.609375 | 2 |
A story, a story!
(Let it go. Let it come.)
I was stamped out like a Plymouth fender
into this world.
First came the crib
with its glacial bars.
and the devotion to their plactic mouths.
Then there was school,
the little straight rows of chairs,
blotting my name over and over,
but undersea all the time,
a stranger whose elbows wouldn't work.
Then there was life
with its cruel houses
and people who seldom touched-
though touch is all-
but I grew,
like a pig in a trenchcoat I grew,
and then there were many strange apparitions,
the nagging rain, the sun turning into poison
and all of that, saws working through my heart,
but I grew, I grew,
and God was there like an island I had not rowed to,
still ignorant of Him, my arms, and my legs worked,
and I grew, I grew,
I wore rubies and bought tomatoes
and now, in my middle age,
about nineteen in the head I'd say,
I am rowing, I am rowing
though the oarlocks stick and are rusty
and the sea blinks and rolls
like a worried eyebal,
but I am rowing, I am rowing,
though the wind pushes me back
and I know that that island will not be perfect,
it will have the flaws of life,
the absurdities of the dinner table,
but there will be a door
and I will open it
and I will get rid of the rat insdie me,
the gnawing pestilential rat.
God will take it with his two hands
and embrace it.
As the African says:
This is my tale which I have told,
if it be sweet, if it be not sweet,
take somewhere else and let some return to me.
This story ends with me still rowing. | <urn:uuid:e826363d-73af-4f43-95b7-6643a4678fc5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.poetrysoup.com/famous/poem/7207/Rowing | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954698 | 422 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Looking for clever and affordable gift ideas for kids? Then, skip the store, and try one of these homemade gift ideas:
Have a bunch of crayon stubs that are too small for your kids to hold onto? Don't throw them out! Instead, recycle them into big, chunky crayons that are just the right size for little hands. Pair them with a coloring book, and you've got a complete gift for $1.
Treat your favorite shortie to a fresh batch of playdough in your choice of color and scent.
Fill a bucket with chunky sticks of homemade sidewalk chalk the more colors the better.
The back pockets are often the prettiest part of a pair of jeans, sporting intricate embroidery and sometimes even delicate sequins and beads. Use them to create a denim pocket purse for a lucky little girl.
5. Felt Board
Felt boards sell for big bucks, but they don't cost much at all to make. Round up a bit of felt and cardboard, and create a homemade felt board in thirty minutes or less. You can even create a felt person that resembles the recipient too fun!
Surprises are big fun when you're little. Hide a small trinket inside a bar of homemade treasure soap, and you've got a cheap and memorable gift that'll be fun to the last wash.
Popsicle-shaped soap is kid-cool and cheap too. Pick up a pound of glycerin soap, and melt your way to the perfect gift.
Introduce a new generation to the wonder that is soap on a rope. It couldn't be easier to make.
It's one part soap; it's one part scrubbie; and it's 100% fun. Stock up on dollar store scrubbies and make a soap scrubbie for every kid that you know. | <urn:uuid:1582faca-ed01-44b6-95ce-45f50e6c5858> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://frugalliving.about.com/od/christmas/tp/Homemade_Gifts_for_Kids.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946245 | 380 | 1.75 | 2 |
Emory University's mission is to create, preserve, teach, and apply knowledge in the service of humanity.
To fulfill this mission, the University supports the full range of scholarship, from undergraduate to advanced graduate and professional instruction, and from basic research to its application in public service. While being a comprehensive research university, Emory limits its academic scope to those fields in which, by virtue of its history and location, it can excel. Hence its academic programs focus on the arts and sciences, business, law, theology, and the health professions. These disciplines are unified by their devotion to liberal learning; by cooperative interdisciplinary programs; and by the common pursuit of intellectual distinction.
The Emory community is open to all who meet its high standards of intelligence, competence, and integrity. It welcomes a diversity of ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic, religious, national, and international backgrounds, believing that the intellectual and social energy that results from such diversity is a primary asset of the University.
In keeping with the demand that teaching, learning, research, and service be measured by high standards of integrity and excellence, and believing that each person and every level of scholarly activity should be valued on its own merits, the University aims to imbue scholarship at Emory with
The University, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church, cherishes its historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. While Emory's programs are today entirely nonsectarian (except for those at the Candler School of Theology), the University has derived from this heritage the conviction that education can be a strong moral force in both society and the lives of its individual members. | <urn:uuid:e4ea63d1-3f93-40b5-99ed-4f3ef4f9db05> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.emory.edu/president/governance/mission_statement.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963041 | 326 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Daily Dad News
California Music Instructor Models Teaching Style After His Father
February 29, 2012
Image courtesy of Lezlie Sterling
College professor and trumpet instructor Joe Mazzaferro caught the teaching bug from a very familiar source. His father, Jim, is a high school music teacher and the pair has established a bond rooted in a love for music all while passing on their knowledge to willing students. Hailing from a musical family, the younger Mazzaferro has admittedly taken on some of his father’s teaching mannerisms.
“I catch myself doing and saying a lot of things that come from him, " said Joe to the Sacramento Bee. Joe is currently an adjunct professor of jazz studies at Sacramento State and the University of the Pacific. He also manages to teach trumpet at Delta College. Joe gets his penchant for multiple jobs honestly, as his father works for Sheldon High in Sacramento and also teaches part time at Cosumnes River College.
The Mazzaferros work together every few weeks as Joe joins his father in classroom instruction at Sheldon. Apparently, Joe’s style is so similar to Jim’s that even the students have taken quick notice. “The first time I worked with the kids, they couldn't stop laughing," Joe said. "They said, 'You sound just like your father.' "
The elder Mazzaferro said named his son as his favorite student but has taught other students who have gone on to good careers in music. “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" trombonist Garrett Smith was a former student of his. Matthew Muckey, a trumpeter with the New York Philharmonic, was also in his classroom as well.
Return To Daily Dad News >> | <urn:uuid:099dd3a4-24f5-43bd-ac43-1733030603b1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fatherhood.org/dad-news/articles/father-son-music-teachers | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984367 | 357 | 1.679688 | 2 |
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