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Sir Paul McCartney, Penelope Cruz, Robert Redford and direction between the stars, a new safety campaign in the Arctic have retten.Edward Norton, Woody Harrelson, Jewish law, John Hurt, Rita Ora and Thom Yorke and activists Environment joined Greenpeace to protect the uninhabited area around the North Pole to the request for a ban on drilling and unsustainable fishing in Arctic waters. To show their support, the familiar faces have a scroll of the Arctic that will be planted 2.5 miles (4 km) signed under the ice at the North Pole. McCartney said: "The Arctic is one of the most beautiful and unspoiled of the last planet, but now he is in danger. Some countries and companies want to open to oil drilling and industrial fishing in the Arctic and do what they did in the rest of our fragile planet. "It seems crazy that we are ready to go to the ends of the earth to find the last drops of oil, when our best minds tell us that we must get off fossil fuels are the way to our children a future. Finally, in a certain place, we must take a stand. I think the time is now and this place is the Arctic. " | <urn:uuid:70e766d7-5aa0-43c1-84ea-e993750539a6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wemovies.com/stars-join-save-the-arctic-campaign/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955324 | 246 | 1.5625 | 2 |
In the last 20 years, conservative ideas, including the value of all work, which binds us to each other through the strange beauty of commerce and voluntary exchange, have done more to turn around American cities than four decades and hundreds of billions of dollars of welfare entitlements, social programs, and public housing ever did. More than 10,000 minority males are alive in New York City today who would have been dead, had New York’s homicide rate remained at its early 1990s level. A policy triumph doesn’t get any more concrete than that.
Heather McDonald, “Restoring the Social Order,” City
A friend’s daughter sent this link – I’ve always admired City Magazine but been less diligent lately; I appreciate the prod. Commentary, too, has been looking back at Moynihan’s prescience and the drubbing he took.
We brought a politically eclectic group together for New Year’s Eve; one of my husband’s friends explained that he believed keeping the Bush tax cuts was a bad idea because he “cared for the poor,” I coldly observed that he thought he did. He’s retiring in his mid-seventies from a position as distinguished professor in accounting, having long argued for the VAT as well. He acknowledged that part of the charm of a variety of methods of taxation was that intertwined throughout the system they become more difficult to distinguish. His chief answer to social security is raising the age; my extremely conservative friend argued with him that works well for the people there (retiring at various stages in life), but not so well for manual laborers. She has drawn me to see this as a more complicated problem than I’d thought. (Those retiring at 70 and 75 at this gathering were quite healthy and likely to spend more years in retirement than people both she and he knew who did heavier work. I, too, thought raising the age was a good idea – and it is for people like us.) Conservatives are less likely to see such workers as the oppressed “other” but as colleagues & neighbors & employees. This leads to respect for individuals rather than sympathy for classes but it also encourages a better understanding. (As one of the women at church observed, you have to chat and even gossip a little – she seems incapable of critical gossip but is quite aware of others’ physical and spiritual pains – to really know how to help.) It will not surprise that almost everyone there was an academic. While I respect the accountant (he is knowledgeable, gave quite useful counsel when I had my business, and is a good man in many ways), his assurance can drive a listener wild.
I think it is best to grant people their intentions – they want children (not just their own floating in their twenties) but also poor children covered by health insurance, believe widows and orphans are the larger community’s responsibility (a belief that their policies made anachronistic). But such assumptions concede a high ground not truly theirs. I was drawn back to conservative principles in part because I was no longer able to keep cognitive dissonance at bay. Let’s be honest. These policies meant to do good haven’t just accidentally or as a by-product done bad – they arrive from flawed assumptions about society, capitalism, human nature, and of how respect for others is demonstrated. These assumptions assumed a house will stand in a hurricane even without rebar in its walls (or its levees). The rebar is, of course, self-reliance & strong families, transparent government & the rule of law. Rebar is gut-level respect for individual choices – not deciding out of some strange sympathy for the “people” that rebar is not necessary in their houses. The rebar is built of traditional, conventional, conservative, bourgeois values. It is built on the assumption that we are flawed people, likely to take the easy and sometimes the wrong way. But also that we have a warm spark within us that prompts us toward the transcendent, the warm, the loving & the productive. And we are happiest when we can express that spark and unhappiest when we give in to that darkness. A society in which we can accept – generally without thinking about it – the assurance of rebar leaves us free to become better people. If we are uncertain whether the walls will crumble around us, we aren’t protected from the elements within and without. We aren’t free.
Of course, narrow sympathies also forget who kills who, who rapes who, whose childhood is one of abuse when society falls apart. A modicum of sympathy for the victims brings home the power of McDonald’s point to the sympathetic heart as well as the rational head – the heart truly open. | <urn:uuid:2a721344-0312-46c7-b48d-47af993ea6c5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://chicagoboyz.net/archives/18918.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973822 | 986 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Originally Posted by Tyburn
I dont think Worship even has to involve "music" at all. Radical though that might sound...the same is true for "praise" both are configured in our minds to means "music"...but they are not synonomous I dont think.
I agree, worship can inspire music or inspire people to break out into song; but music rarely, if ever, inspires true worship.
I think the mistake a lot of Christians make is they believe that the worship service is for their benefit. This is evident when you hear people talking about what they got out of the worship service. Or complaining because they didn't get anything out of the worship that day.
Well that misses the entire point of worship. The most basic definition of worship is to pay homage to a superior being. So, us giving honor and glory to GOD is the point of worship and is the only form of true worship. It's not for our benefit or entertainment. However, if we are truly worshipping GOD the way He wants to be worshipped, then we will benefit from it; but we should be the last person on our minds when we worship GOD.
But, you're right, it doesn't need to involve music at all. The New Testament gives us plenty of examples of non-musical worship that truly honored GOD, from just sitting quietly and listening to Christ's teachings, to pouring expensive perfume on Jesus' feet.
It's sad that we may have entire churches of Christians in America who have never truly worshipped GOD in their entire life, even though their "praise and worship" band is the highlight of their services. | <urn:uuid:dede8266-0214-49e2-a219-a5aa6ca94dd1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.matt-hughes.com/forums/showpost.php?p=192252&postcount=7 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974899 | 334 | 1.804688 | 2 |
A little card I had reminded me that we are a result of a thought of God and not some meaningless product of evolution; we are each willed, loved and necessary. I have had it for a while because it makes me realize that I can choose to be a purpose- filled, focused, directional, choice and chance-believing human being or not.
A parentís most important vocation, apart from that of being a godly wife or husband, is to bring up children who are armed with confidence to face the world in adulthood. There are no limits to which a child will go if brought up to feel that his existence in this universe is of significance. Human beings are programmed to continuously and consciously search for significance, identification and definition. They seem to attach great importance to anotherís regard and appreciation for them. In a toddler, this is seen in the attention seeking that precedes a naughty act followed by an attempt to toe the line if only to keep the nurturer happy. Kohlbergís psychological theory talks of good girl/ bad girl approach to moral reasoning whereby the childís main concern is reasoning about right and wrong at around age ten.
As the child approaches adolescence, there is a shift towards conceptualizing what he has hitherto learnt. Whereas there was an effort to do right earlier, the teenager struggles to come up with his own values. The earlier innate desire to do well is now replaced with possible rebellion as the duality of nature comes into play. It is at this stage of choice, which is God-given, that is noted to continue haunting development. Recently I asked eleven year old pupils in sixth grade what they thought would happen if they engaged in sex with someone who was infected with the Aids virus; did they think they would be infected or would God consider them too young and protect them from infection? Wide eyed, they agreed that they were as susceptible as the next person to infection. In that moment I realized how I had somehow shattered their innocence but I had also brought to fore the issue of choice for a human being of whatever age.
Over the years, I have learnt that God implants choice in us at creation. A baby is born with the choice to suckle or die and innately chooses the former. As he grows, he learns to make choices that benefit him, crying when he is hungry or needs a nappy change; rewarding his nurturer with a smile, this too being a choice to make another happy as he himself is. In the preschool years, he is at it again, listening carefully to the Sunday school teacher or risk a chiding. Finally as a teenager he makes a choice to either follow in his peers shoes or refer to the wise counsel of his nurturer and go it alone.
Life is measured in time and all our actions from childhood to adulthood finally define who we are, who we will be and where we will be in future. As decisions are made on a day to day basis to study or not, to take advice or not, to purposefully pursue a career or not, or simply to marry or not, the issue of choice takes precedence over everything else taking us to where the Creator saw us going at creation; for he remains the only one who works backwards by weaving our future into our present. In Ephesians 2:10 we are told that we are Godís workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do. What He therefore implanted in us and what we refer to as choice is really a compass to direct our steps so as to reach our so called destiny; this brings up the issue of providence. Are we totally helpless when it comes to our destiny? If, as the inscription on the card intimates, we are here as a result of a thought of God; did He not also see and plan our path? Are we therefore unable to control the choices we make?
These questions went through my mind for a long time before I found the answers I had been searching for in a Spiritual Formation class. I learnt that God cares deeply about us and is willing to be persuaded in prayer to change the outcomes of our lives. 1Corinthians 3:9 we are reminded that we are Godís fellow workers. He has placed a window through which we can co-create and co-labour with Him in determining the outcomes of prayer. In Exodus 32:14 God changes His mind about a disaster He had threatened; this is made possible through the intercession of Moses. In the book of 2Kings 20:1-6 God spares King Hezekiahís life and adds him more time after the latter petitions him.
The universe is not pre-set and unchangeable. Obedience is only to Godís precepts. He can yet hear our cries and save us from the bad choices that we have made in accordance with His unchanging love. The dual nature of the choice shows that God always has a plan B; He created male and female; light and darkness; good and bad and most importantly, He made it possible for us to say yes or no to everything and anything. He continues bringing into being more and more people and in each one implants the intangible aspect of choice.
Purpose is a matter of choice; however, in allowing us the ability to determine the outcomes of our lives, our God introduces another important aspect of chance. Despite the fact that this window exists, many are they that do not know of its existence and are therefore left out of its restoring qualities. This does not augur well with those who look for their purpose in life without taking advantage of existing opportunities which masquerade as the chances they ignore. Recently, I came across an article in one of our local dailies about how paying it is to be a French, Spanish or German translator. For a short stint of three days, one can laugh all the way to the bank yet translators have to be flown in from foreign countries because of the dire shortage of the same in our country. How many people have ever really thought of stepping out of their comfort zones and taking this course on? Our young men and women continue languishing in dreams of getting white collar jobs when they could be masters of their own destinies, globe trotting to do translations all over the world at somebody elseís cost!
The dictionary defines destiny as something determined in advance by fate. I now believe that God only knows about our future and our end because of His deity; it is something that cannot be helped. He is our creator and has to know where we are headed; however, the fact that He implants everything necessary at conception or creation, is a pointer to the fact that He leaves the reigns of determination of who we want to be to us, such that each one of us is exactly where he or she wants to be, whether wallowing in poverty and deprivation or cushioning in wealth. Through hard work and focus, we have seen the dreams of one seven year old boy translated into reality forty years later when he was elected president of the most powerful nation in the world-the USA. Systematic planning, focus and making the right moral choices in life can see us meet with our destiny. Even the very dream to be that great person is an implant of God.
We are created to commune with God if our success is to have any meaning or give us any joy. God rewards hard work in the same way He punishes sin for both believers and non-believers. The advantageous edge the believers have is in their being filled with His wisdom and knowledge to wisely manage the acquisitions. Yes we are willed, yes we are necessary, yes we are loved, but our purpose in life is to use what we finally get at the end of the road of hard work and sacrifice to benefit the rest of humanity. When we only acquire for ourselves, we will forever be enslaved by the monster of craving for more after the cars and the houses. The void on the inside will remain unfilled. God has taken care of that too, that if we fail to seek Him, then we will have to contend with the emptiness that comes with acquisitions. He is the answer to the peace and joy that we crave to possess but which eludes us with more purchases. Christ was the epitome of simplicity and service through living by example; yet we remain seeing but blind, hearing but deaf. We are unable to connect our happiness to that of our neighbors.
Everything is vanity if God is not in it. He has, through Christ given meaning to our lives so that we may live more abundantly. We may have made some bad choices in the past but the good news is that in God all things work for good for those that love him. He remains the greatest designer in the universe because no matter how crooked the design may sometimes look; He works with that too to glorify His name by giving it a worthwhile final touch. Ultimately, all else is vanity.
Read more articles by beatrice ofwona or search for articles on the same topic or others. | <urn:uuid:6e85ed35-a562-4e01-96a2-25fdf90d15d2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=114403 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975381 | 1,842 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Chado does require a lot of joins as shown on our field mapping tables
on the GMOD wiki.
Before I get into specifics of hardware let me give you some background information about FlyBase that influences how we operate and actually use Chado. FlyBase is made up of 3 sites, one at Cambridge University in the UK, another at Harvard University, and lastly one at Indiana University (IU). The first two sites are primarily tasked with curation and data management while IU is primarily responsible for the website and other public services of FlyBase. The data flow starts with curators at Cambridge and Harvard inputing data into the master Chado database at Harvard. Once every ~5 weeks Harvard freezes the database and sends a dump to IU from which we produce each release. Thus, the database servers at Harvard are geared for both reading and writing whereas IU is strictly a read only environment.
Another point I'd like to make is that while Chado is very good at storing and managing genome data one of its weaknesses can be query performance. This is a problem that is a general relational database issue rather than a strictly Chado one. The way we've gotten around this is by creating a denormalized search database and by pregenerating all the HTML reports for the website. This gives us the performance and scalability that our website requires. Thus, our Chado interaction is limited to a one time dump of all the data we need (in ChadoXML
format using XORT
) and then working from our highly optimized sources after that. This type of setup will obviously not work as well if you have a situation where you want live editing to be immediately reflected on the web site and search database.
Having said all that here is what I can tell you about the hardware requirements for Chado at IU.Disk requirements
The current release of FlyBase (FB2008_10) with 12 Drosophila genomes takes up ~40 GB of disk space once it is imported and indexed in PostgreSQL. I also generally figure another 10-20 GB of required disk space for temporary indices during loading and vacuuming. The recommendation here is to get the fastest and largest capacity you can given your budget. If you are looking at a system with 6 or less disks I would opt for a RAID 1+0 or 0+1 setup over RAID 5 for performance reasons.Memory
The more memory you can dedicate to PostgreSQL the better. Our servers typically have 4-6 GB of memory on a machine that does nothing but serve Chado and they only handle one query at a time. In order to use that memory we tweak the work_mem setting so that queries don't result in lots of hits to the disk. Keep in mind that work_mem is a per query parameter so if you want to put drupal on top of Chado you will need to lower that to a level you think is reasonable given your expected query load.CPU
Get as many single or multi core CPUs as you can afford. Most of our servers are older dual CPU systems in the 2.5-3 Ghz range and they can handle our existing load without any issues.
The Harvard group will be posting their hardware setup in a separate post.
Let us know if you have any other questions.
p.s.-I'd highly suggest coming to the Jan 2009 GMOD meeting
if you are just getting started with Chado. I and a few other FlyBase folks will be there. | <urn:uuid:06f86244-4d22-4c4d-ac50-ea5595c4c81c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://flybase.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=235 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934132 | 708 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Jerry worked with his school to create a program that recycles household batteries. In order to prevent toxics from being released into groundwater or the air, it's important to dispose of batteries properly! Jerry worked with his school so that kids could bring in batteries and leave them in a recycling bucket instead of throwing them in the trash. Jerry and his mom Tina recycled the batteries properly at a local center. Last year they collected more than 100 pounds of batteries! Great work, Jerry!
Julian M likes to "Train like a Ranger" so he can play football and stay fit. His mother nominated him because not only does he love to exercise, but he also helps her take care of his little sister - especially important since his father has been deployed overseas more than once serving in the military. Keep up the good work, Julian!
Elizabeth's mom nominated her because she demonstrated caring and teamwork. She helps around the house and she's a great big sister. She's a Girl Scout and she participates in making scouting better in her state. In addition, she is on the Leadership Team at her school - they volunteer to help others in their community, and represent their school at community events. Does your child's school have a leadership team? If not, encourage the school to start a Fitness Leadership Team- your kids can lead the way to a healthier school and a healthier community.
Preston is training to be a leader like Jayden the Red Ranger by exercising and eating only healthy snacks. His mother nominated him because he loves to stay in shape and always shares his toys when playing with his cousins. His favorite toy is his Power Rangers Samurai cellphone, he keeps it close in case there is a Ranger emergency he needs to respond to! Great job Preston on being such an awesome young leader!
Wyatt demonstrates the Power Rangers values of caring and friendship by being a great big brother to Mason, who is just 6 weeks old. His father nominated him because he is always reading Mason stories and playing music for him. Thanks for making the Power Rangers proud by being a great role model for your younger brother. GO GO Wyatt!
Elijah demonstrates every day the Power Ranger values of courage, leadership, and friendship. Elijah has autism and six other conditions, but refuses to give up or give in. His mother nominated him because does all he can to make other kids smile and always helps out with household chores. Elijah and his mother are walking together in the Autism Speaks in Allentown,PA on April 16th. Doing a fundraising walk is a great way to keep active, do something together as a family, and raise money for a good cause. Elijah loves the Power Rangers and wants to be just like Jayden, and we can't wait to see photos from the Autism Speaks walk! Thanks for being such a strong and compassionate young leader, GO GO Elijah!
Gabriel was nominated by his Mom and Dad because he takes Power Rangers values and applies them in daily life whether it is being a young leader at school with friends or at home with his three siblings. He practices his martial arts skills three days a week to stay fit and strong. He Trains like a Ranger! Keep up the great work Gaby, you make all the Power Rangers proud!
James demonstrates the Ranger values of friendship and teamwork. He was nominated by his Mom because he is always looking out for other kids who have no one to play with and initiating play with them so they're not alone. By including others, James is showing how he is an impressive young leader. Way to make the Samurai Rangers proud! GO GO James!
Alex proudly portrays the Power Rangers values of leadership and teamwork. His mother nominated him because he sets a great example for his younger brother and keeps fit by practicing karate. Alex also works hard to clean up trash at the neighborhood playground. Good job Alex on showing what it takes to be a great young Samurai leader! | <urn:uuid:1eac45cd-2617-466e-95ed-d8a4019a9386> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://empower.powerrangers.com/rangers/all/201201 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981598 | 795 | 1.601563 | 2 |
The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) recently released its annual report on violence against gays, bisexuals, and transgender people. The group reports a 4% increase in anti-GLBT incidents, totaling 1,792. A press statement about the report issued by the Michigan-based Triangle Foundation declared that there has been a “toxic climate” against gays in the last year. The report itself addresses the Right’s “open warfare against all that they hold in contempt, including and especially the LGBT community.”
With language like this, it’s easy to believe that queers are in a state of siege, surrounded by hatred, that utterly unquantifiable emotion. But we ought to stop and think carefully about this concept of hate and where it takes us. Reports like this one seem to only detail the facts about incidents of violence. But the truth is that the apparently simple concept of hate violence/crimes (the idea that some crimes are motivated by hatred towards specific groups) in fact leads directly to hate crime legislation which in turn has insidious effects on the justice system.
To designate a crime as one motivated by hate means to implicitly ask that the penalty be substantially higher. Penalty enhancement leads to absurdly greater levels of punishment and even the death penalty. My own report on the Daniel Fetty case shows how even the possibility that a crime was “hateful” can be used to bring the death penalty to the table even when the legislation is not in place. And surely state-sponsored murder is among the most violent acts in society.
Moreover, “hate” is as unstable and illogical a legal concept as it is an emotion. Determining what counts as an act of violence against GLBTQs or a “hate crime” produces results that are often bizarre and at times even laughable.
One example of the former is this “case narrative” from the NCAVP report, which I quote in its entirety: “A 19 year-old man was bludgeoned to death with a pipe while standing on a corner in Queens(New York).” I see the horrific crime, but not why it’s included in a report about anti-gay violence. And there are laws on the books to punish murder. In another instance, a bar owner was found asphyxiated inside his establishment in Binghamton, New York. What are we to note here, besides the possibility that the victim was gay? And why are we not content to find the murderer and simply prosecute him or her for murder?
A Chicago incident from April 2004 sheds a different light on “hate crimes.” Mike Banko and Jeffrey Durbin reported being attacked by a group that included a woman who threatened them with a baseball bat and allegedly screamed that she would “take care of the faggots.” The investigation of the incident as a possible hate crime was dropped when the woman, Myrna Vazquez, turned out to be a lesbian; police then decided that the altercation resulted from “road rage.” The quick shift in this case, from hate to no hate, only shows how ludicrous and unreliable hate can be as a legal concept. Even if we took “hate” seriously: was it determined that a lesbian could simply not hate gay men because of her own identity? What if either man had called Vazquez a dyke? Would that be no less hateful? Would the two men have been punished for “hateful speech,” but only if they had been straight, just as Vazquez was to be punished for calling them faggots? Does threatening someone with a bat not constitute enough of a crime? Are we now to police thought and speech as well?
How do we measure hate? How do we decide what counts as a homophobic crime? And who ever committed a crime of violence out of love? None of these questions are answered by the incessant call on the part of anti-violence groups and “victim advocates” to record and register hate. The resulting rise in hate crimes legislation means a further curtailment of civil liberties. Post 9/11, we are faced with increased surveillance of our actions and speech. Tabulating and recording supposedly homophobic “hate” means that we LGBTQs are actually asking for an increase in the patrolling of thought and speech. Far from providing justice to all, laws based on “hate” confer special status to a few whose suffering is deemed worse than that of others. The concept of hate crimes and hate crime legislation can never be part of a progressive agenda for social justice. We need to get rid of both. | <urn:uuid:0fef8423-70d0-44ac-967d-9bbca145235a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.yasminnair.net/content/who-needs-hate-1-june-2005 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977715 | 968 | 1.65625 | 2 |
There was little surprise at Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, but that's probably the point. Dutifully present were the Queen, the rain, the warm beer and the National Health Service glasses and teeth (I can say this, I’m British) and, surreally, hundreds of photographic Queen masks handed out for free. Parts of the crowd looked like a monarchist V for Vendetta; R for Regina?
There were some other traditions wheeled out for the occasion. The campaign group Republic, with some disdain for the 1.2 million lining the Thames to cheer the Queen (or ‘sausage’, as her husband calls her), had a spirited and—for them—historic turn out of about 1200. There were chants and moderate, reasonable speeches. This precluded any Greenpeace-style stunt: a lost opportunity, some might say, as in a nod to another British tradition, they were undermined by a bored Metropolitan Police force. The Met divided the protest into two, with most protestors corralled some way from the riverside. Those allowed to gather next to City Hall, the seat of London’s Mayor, had no chance of getting near enough to the river bank to be featured in photography of the main event.
So the case against the monarchy was laid out a few yards back from the crowds, with no PA, to huddled protestors. The wealth (nineteen royal ‘residences’, the royal Duchies, the newly-sanctioned share of profits from the Crown Estates, the hundreds of millions in personal wealth, the seven hundred servants for the family), such power as she has, the power wielded in her name (through the ‘royal prerogative’ to declare war without recourse to parliament, for example, as fomer Prime Minister Tony Blair most recently did), the secrecy (a recent amendment to Britain's Freedom of Information Act made the royal family’s correspondence uniquely protected from disclosure) and above all the unprincipled outrage that is, for republicans, the hereditary title, were all roundly declaimed.
1977 was the year of the Queen’s silver jubilee, a far more enthusiastic affair with bunting and union jack posters seemingly ubiquitous on the one hand, and Irish republicans branding her ‘Queen of Death’ on the other. The Sex Pistols' God Save The Queeninfamously reached number 2 in the UK singles chart, largely because of hysterical outrage directed at it. There were no histrionics this time around, though a few demonstrators shouted the Pistols' lyrics at the drunken, lairy, plastic-Union-Jack-hatted mass, which did its best to enjoy a very wet day.
“They made you a moron!”, shouted one protestor. Private security moved in.
“Glad to be a peasant!” one shouted back.
“End the reign! Democracy Now!”, chanted demonstrators. Geddit? It was raining.
“They’re not bad people, they just don’t want a Queen”, another explained carefully to his son. Then the security guard stepped in, to prevent the reconciliatory handshake offered by the protestor to the man he’d called a moron.
‘Votes not boats’, sang the crowd.
One among the throng, who wouldn’t let it lie, tried to explain to the demonstrators that The Great Rock n Roll Swindle“was taking the piss out of you lot as well”. He too was moved back, perhaps for being too esoteric.
More merry royalists sang ‘we love our history’ to the tune of Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ayat the republicans as Peter Tatchell spoke. A radical activist in an appeasing mood, Tatchell offered his own version of a tolerant, Nationally Healthy, multi-cultural, anti-racist, Hitler-vanquishing Britannia—with an elected head of state. Evoking the Nazis, it must be said, is a bizarre strategy, because the Queen and her family are closely associated with victory over them. The Windsors' role—selling an otherwise unpalatable reality in ways politicians couldn’t—came into its own in World War II. And it's not just the proverbial King's Speech. The Queen's mother, stepping in to placate the pulverized East End when Churchill had been met with anger and resentment, cemented a basic reality which is their main pull now: that they are not politicians.
60 years on, current Prime Minister David Cameron confidently proclaims “She hasn’t put a foot wrong.” He wouldn’t make the same claim for his own last 6 months. The Queen is an adaptable monarch, noted for stoicisim and yet willing to be led by public sentiment when it matters (such after the death of Diana, when she unstiffened her British upper lip in favour of the confessional TV broadcast).
She is now led, however, by the requirements of a highly sophisticated PR machine, which is determined to exploit her non-political status in a time when for many, all politics in Britain is tainted with cynicism and empty of content. In misty, myth-making mood, Cameron referred to the Queen as a guiding light “who has never shut the door on the future; instead, she has lead the way through it.”
If only this were so. The celebrity status of the Windsors is what keeps them aloft, apart from their people. There is nothing pageant and ‘tradition’ can do about this, but by the same token, there is nothing an alternative ‘tradition’ can do to shake it.
“What do we want? Democracy!”, chanted the demonstrators.
“When do we want it?”
“You’ve already got it,” shouted one informed member of the rain-soaked crowd.
An argument about representative parliamentary democracy with an unelected but ‘constitutional’ head of state began over the head of a steward. It is still going on.
The Queen, who eats out of Tupperware and has only been seen running once, sailed past. She was majestically oblivious in the drizzling rain, the day’s uncontested excuse for a good piss-up. | <urn:uuid:d2f71a5d-d3c8-4a37-b59b-01f4ba23dbdf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://boingboing.net/2012/06/06/the-luvilee-jubilee-underwhel.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960768 | 1,348 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Senators Reintroduce Legislation to Address Discrimination in Jury Service
January 25, 2013 by Brian Moulton, Legal Director
Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) have reintroduced bipartisan legislation to prohibit discrimination against LGBT people in a fundamental part of American citizenship – serving on juries in federal court.
The bill, the Jury Access for Capable Citizens and Equality in Service Selection (ACCESS) Act, which was first introduced in the 112th Congress, prohibits attorneys from seeking to strike potential federal jurors based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. A story in the American Independent last May detailed how this remains an all-too-real problem – denying LGBT people the opportunity to engage in public service and depriving litigants of the right to be judged by a jury representative of their community. Last week, Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-CA) introduced a similar bill in the House of Representatives, the Juror Non-Discrimination Act.
In introducing the bill, Senator Shaheen noted, “Our country is founded on the principles of inclusion, acceptance, and equality. The jury selection process in federal courts should reflect those principles.”
We thank Senators Shaheen, Collins, and Whitehouse – as well as Congresswoman Davis – for championing this issue and all of their tireless advocacy on behalf of LGBT people.
Issues: Federal Advocacy
May 17, 2013 | <urn:uuid:551a6868-7593-4eed-ae69-d5cbd8009975> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hrc.org/blog/entry/senators-reintroduce-legislation-to-address-discrimination-in-jury-service | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941083 | 305 | 1.65625 | 2 |
When you are considering a career in the UN make sure you bring some patience for the process because applying will take you effort and time. But before we start, let’s clarify, that this post is neither trying to criticize nor defend the UN’s recruitment policies but merely outlining some of the elements of the process. Also, understand that I’m not representing the UN in any way and the information provided below is merely information from my experience running the UN Job List.
To begin with, let’s be clear that there is not just one organization being the UN but rather a family of different organizations forming the UN. Consequently, there is also not only one recruitment experience, so things can vary from organization to organization and even within organizations based on duty station or department.
What are the key factors that influence the time it takes for recruitment for an applicant?
- Advertisement period: To be fair to applicants and to achieve a wide circulation of vacancies most job adverts come with a closing date. This closing date depends on the nature of the recruitment, the different agencies etc. An overview over the differences in advertisement periods can be found on here. Time frame: 2 weeks to many months as announced in the vacancy
- Long listing: A typical next step in the process is to take all applicants and sort out the candidates that are not fulfilling the requirements. This is the step where the formal requirements for a job are checked. This may include the years of experience, the educational requirements, checking for relevant work experience etc. Depending on the post advertised, this can be a very long and tedious job since there are cases with hundreds and even thousands of applicants and some of the checks will take some time. In some instances long listing is done by a panel of staff to ensure fairness. This may add additional time to the process as it takes time to coordinate the panel members’ schedules. Time frame: form a few days to several weeks depending on number of applicants and job requirements
- Short listing: After the long listing the list of applicants is still very long. In the short listing the challenge is to ensure that the most suitable candidates are invited for a written test. This means that the long list is gone through in more detail and applicants are compared against each other in terms of their qualification and experience. In most cases short listing is done by a panel of staff to ensure fairness. This may add additional time to the process as it takes time to coordinate the panel members’ schedules. Time frame: typically anywhere between one week to many weeks
- Written Test: To not rely on interviews only in some cases applicants are required to pass a written test. Designing, administering, correcting and scoring the test can be a task taking several weeks if the job is complex and applicants are scattered around the world. Time frame: a few days to several weeks
- Interview: This point is relatively straight forward in terms of what needs to happen. One key challenge is to get all the right people, i.e. all applicants, all panel members into the same time zone and make sure they are reachable i.e. not traveling, being in a location with connectivity etc. Depending on the complexity of the job, several rounds of interviews can be conducted. Time frame: from a day to several weeks
- Post interview processing:In this period, some UN internal process steps have to be completed. Firstly, a decision for a recommended candidate based on test results and interviews has to be made, secondly the documentation has to be completed, thirdly there is typically in independent review of the application process in the UN to make sure that the process was transparent and fair and lastly the offer has to be produced and signed. Time frame: from one week to several months depending on the post
- Contacting the preferred candidate: What happens next is that the preferred candidate is offered the job. Sometimes by that time the preferred candidate is not available any longer and the second (or even third) in line is contacted if these candidates are found to be fit for the job. It can happen that none of the candidates is fit for the job at which point in time the process starts all over from the beginning. You can identify these cases if you see a vacancy saying “re-advertised”. There is no need to re-apply for re-advertised posts if you already applied for that job in the first round. Time frame: a few hours to several weeks
The above outlines what happens in cases when we are talking about a standard recruitment. The process may be quite different for programmes like the Young Professional Programme (YPP) in the UN or the Junior Professional Programme (JPO) and may be very different for very high level posts. If you want to make sure you understand the process that would apply to your application, check with the organization which advertises your job.
A few considerations to keep in mind during this process:
- Unless you are short listed and invited for an interview you are not likely to hear anything from the UN. I don’t know the details of why this is the case but it is wide-spread practice so it’s best to anticipate not getting a regret letter if you consider applying.
- Even if you had an interview, you may not be hearing anything for quite a while after your interview: The reason is simply that aside from internal process review time and the contract administration time regret letters are only sent when the recommended candidate signed the contract. This is to avoid sending a regret letter to the second candidate and then offering a contract in the case of the first candidate not being available for the job.
- Processes can take a while if things need to be coordinated internationally. Trying to get experts for an interview panel from New York, Geneva and Nairobi to have time to interview an applicant from New Zealand can be quite complicated, especially since most people involved have a regular job and are not dedicated recruiters.
- The above outlines the regular case. If there are any challenges in the process (e.g. a short listed candidate can’t be reached to get the interview date confirmed etc.) additional delays may be incurred.
The bottom line is: If you apply for a job in the UN do some research on the recruitment time of your organization. When applying, be patient it can take a little while. Also, once you are done with your application, keep applying to relevant other vacancies and don’t be discouraged if it does not work out on the first try. Good luck! | <urn:uuid:0452face-f76c-4f30-b29b-7e8051856929> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rottmair.de/2011/08/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957863 | 1,331 | 1.78125 | 2 |
To provide organizations and individuals with the knowledge, skills and inspiration to perform at their best.
Great companies have a strong sense of mission, a compelling vision, and clear values.
Great companies build and sustain prosperity on a foundation of continuous learning.
Great companies have rich cultures. Their people are well trained, highly valued, and consistently encouraged.
Great work results from people who believe that what they do is important. They are passionate, focused, and committed.
Great leaders are those who inspire others to discover their greatness.
Greatness is a possibility for every human being.
"This LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD is being presented to David McNally for his significant contribution to our success.
David, you have helped shape our culture and drive our performance. You have helped us to soar in a changing world.”
Pulte Homes, Inc.
(A Fortune 500 Company)
“Corporations are social organizations, the theater in which men and women realize or fail to realize purposeful and productive lives." | <urn:uuid:253abf84-87a6-4254-90d4-9ad330c6c239> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.davidmcnally.com/mission-and-beliefs.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954882 | 217 | 1.65625 | 2 |
As I have written about in previous posts (here, here, here, and here), the IMA is very fortunate to have photograph conservator Paul Messier on site with us to conduct a conservation condition survey of all of our collection photographs. This initiative was made possible through a generous grant from the Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS) in recognition of IMA’s significant holdings of historic and contemporary photographs. With the information gained from this survey, the IMA hopes to design a program of optimal care that will allow us to responsibly study and exhibit our photographs within the highest standard of preservation.
Paul has recently surveyed our collection of Weegee photographs, which came to the IMA in 2009. Weegee is a pseudonym for Arthur Fellig, who immigrated with his family at the age of 10 to New York from the Ukraine in 1909. He began his work in photography as a darkroom assistant for Acme Newspictures (which became United Press International Photos) before striking out on his own as a freelance photographer, concentrating on crime photography. He would often arrive at crime scenes before the first responders, which led to a joking reputation for prescience. This earned him the nickname of “ouija” (from the future-predicting board game), which was phonetically reinterpreted as “Weegee.” Weegee became well-known as a hard-boiled, scruffy, street-smart individual. He was also a natural self-promoter, who began signing his work “Weegee the Famous.” He is considered one of the first street photographers, as opposed to the traditional studio photographer who worked with staged compositions and tightly controlled content. His approach paved the way for the work of later notable photographers, such as Diane Arbus and Robert Frank. Weegee developed and printed his own photographs, and his work was published in all of the prominent New York City newspapers. He became widely known for his gritty, unvarnished views of crime, but perhaps he is best appreciated today for his capture of NYC life in high and low places—glimpses of ordinary moments frozen into significance as unselfconscious documents of time and place.
Paul called my attention to two particular photographs that struck him as singular, both of which are portraits of Weegee: one is a gelatin-silver print by photographer Larry Block and the other is a color Polaroid self-portrait by Weegee. These images, while very different from each other, are praiseworthy for their success within their respective techniques in conveying a strong sense of personality. They are also beautifully rendered, aptly utilizing the aesthetic parameters of the materials servicing these processes.
The undated portrait of Weegee by Larry Block is a study of the photographer in a pensive moment, fueled by a focused intensity. He is slouched informally, yet commands great presence; the setting is casual but dramatically rendered. This is clearly an individual that deserves our attention even as he ignores the camera, seemingly alone with his thoughts and his trademark cigar.
According to Paul’s survey description “…the image is printed on a double-weight gelatin silver paper, which offers an unusually matte surface that somewhat compresses the tonal range and inhibits a sharp rendering of detail. These characteristics are used to great effect in the broad passage of velvety black in the upper left quadrant. The highlight tone, a moderate reddish/yellow, is an original attribute [of the photographic paper] and was also deliberately chosen by the photographer. The color is applied by the paper manufacturer using pigments and dyes added to the baryta coating. Likewise, the pulp used for the paper base has not been overly whitened.” This type of paper and many other photographic papers with diverse, finely tuned visual characteristics were abundant from the 1920s – 1940s. The Weegee portrait is printed on a paper similar to Geveart Velours paper (produced by the Geveart Company of Antwerp, Belgium, beginning in 1933). This paper was advertised as “the most beautiful paper ever made,” due to a unique surface texture that enabled extraordinarily black shadows “unlike any photographic paper before or since” (P. Messier’s 20th Century Black and White Papers). Such papers were typically used for display and in instances where the expressive intent of the image required a surface evoking other graphic arts media. The 1950s saw a distinct decline in the variety of choices in photographic papers, which worsened considerably in the 1960s. It is common for us now to recognize the look of these early custom surfaces and unique tonalities with a surge of nostalgia and an admiration for how the papers contributed to the emotional interpretation of the images.
It was noticed at the IMA that this portrait of Weegee seems to have a perceptible kinship with a much earlier portrait technology – the intaglio printing technique known as “mezzotint.” This printmaking method first appeared in the 17th c. as an offshoot of the engraving process. Creating a mezzotint entails the use of special gouging tools called “rockers” that impress tiny, ordered pits into the metal plate surface while raising a soft edge of displaced metal around the depressions. This surface captures an extraordinary amount of oil-based printing ink as it is applied across the plate with a rolling brayer. The plate is selectively burnished to minimize the pitted texture to form the lighter areas within the design. When printed, the ink deposited in the rocker pits is offset to the paper and the result for the areas with a high concentration of pits is a deep, atmospheric black that can look like a dense velvet curtain. The mezzotint technique made possible such a range of tonal values that it was used extensively for copying oil paintings into a print idiom, making wide distribution of the image possible. Mezzotint was most often employed to copy portraits, as this intaglio method offered the most latitude for the tonal subtlety needed to render garment fabrics and facial expression.
There is a mezzotint portrait in the IMA collection that fully exploits the capabilities of the technique to produce a print with a broad range of soft tones with subtle transitions, all due to variable densities of ink. The Portrait of John Masefield was brought from storage to compare with the Block photograph of Weegee. Photomicrographs were taken of two similar image passages on the print and the photograph to see if the visual characteristics of the smoky depth achieved by the photograph background and the deepest black of the mezzotint figure’s jacket would prove to be visually similar under high magnification.
Both details show a dense, unmodulated field of deep black that allows the texture of the underlying paper fibers to show through. In the figure details (Weegee’s hair and John Masefield’s hand), transitions from one tone to another are soft and form is rendered insubstantial under high magnification. Considering that these are completely dissimilar art processes, it is interesting to observe that the two images share a kindred atmospheric sensibility that favors artistic tonal interplay over a need for documentary precision and hard-edged clarity.
The second Weegee portrait is was taken by Weegee himself and radiates a side of the photographer that is commonly remembered by his contemporaries: the playful bon vivant, the unabashed voyeur, the individual unafraid of taking the City by the horns and revealing a gleeful undertone to commonplace persons and events parading through his photographs. This small color Polaroid (4 ¼” x 3 ½”) is highly expressive and extroverted, and these qualities are in harmony with the vibrant color pulsing in glossy exuberance from this photographic print. It is mounted on a presentation card provided by Polaroid with a window mat and advertising by Willoughby’s—the photography supply store that provided access to the Polaroid camera that Weegee evidently found irresistible. Willoughby’s is New York City’s oldest camera and photographic supply store, with extant records of founder Charles Willoughby’s business dating back to 1899. The survival of the commercial presentation card cradling the small Polaroid adds to the appeal of this portrait, placing it in a geographical and historical context that offers an additional layer of meaning in regard to the photographic milieu of this time period.
In 1963, American physicist Edwin Herbert Land developed Polacolor technology, which enabled a full color film to be processed in less than a minute. Weegee worked almost exclusively in black and white, and this small, perhaps impulsive self-portrait (1964) is the only Polaroid and also the only color photograph in the IMA’s Weegee holdings. It is in surprisingly excellent condition, showing clear, intense color, even though “dye stability for Polaroid prints is fairly poor in this period” (P. Messier, IMA Photograph Survey). Our portrait has only a slight hint of the yellowing that is a common occurrence in the white highlights of aging color Polaroids, however the surface is admittedly plagued with numerous oily fingerprints, some of which may have been deposited by Weegee himself.
These two portraits amply reward close observation, and the viewer is easily drawn into tangential musings about Weegee, his legacy, his legend, and the world of 20th c. photography. The IMA is committed to bringing our photograph collections forward for display more often in the coming years in the hope that our visitors will be repeatedly inspired to meaningful contemplation of the art of photography. | <urn:uuid:16f8600e-891d-4e66-b272-86bacff8939b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.imamuseum.org/blog/2013/03/08/a-tale-of-two-weegees/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963688 | 1,986 | 1.796875 | 2 |
So here's how we make alcoholic ginger beer on board.
You need a 5 or 6 gallon clean plastic bucket with snap-on lid, a length of clean thin plastic hose, a strainer, and a bit of clean muslin/cotton, and a bit more than 5 gallons worth of empty plastic bottles. We save our soft drink/soda bottles; anything that's previously held fizzy drinks is good. Brown or colored bottles work best. Never use detergent to wash bottles or bucket; bicarb of soda and water is fine.
For a 5 gallon brew you'll need:
1.5 lbs fresh ginger
5 lbs sugar
1 sachet/teaspoon brewers yeast. I used our baking yeast, it worked fine if occasionally unpredictable.
6 lemons/limes/mix of same
Fill brew bucket with good fresh water about ¾ full.
Peel, then cube or grate ginger into a big saucepan, add zest of 2 lemons and juice of six, and some fresh water. Bring to boil and simmer 20/30 minutes. Strain the juice into brew bucket.
Dissolve the 5 lb sugar into couple of quarts of warm fresh water, add to brew bucket. You should have about 5 gallons of kava-colored liquid in your brew bucket by now; if it looks a bit low-tide, top up with fresh water till a few inches off the brim.Add the yeast and stir to dissolve.
Snap the lid on and keep the brew somewhere safe and warm.
I should note here that all our home brew adventures took place in Simi tropical climes where ambient temperature probably rarely dropped much below 68 degrees F. Cold climate home brewers may have to devise strategies to keep their brew warm because you don't want the yeast to die. Your fermentation period may also be longer. FYI: Yeast like 98.7 degrees F (human body temp) to work. About 5 - 6 degrees either way and the yeast die off. These are what make the alcohol. Add a thermometer like for a fish tank. These are an adhesive strip that sticks to the side of the bucket.
I now use one those S bend bubbly fermentation lock things. I started out with just a 5 gallon bucket with a snap lid. I would "burp" the brew once or twice a day. The bucket lid would start to rise so I knew the brew was bubbling and I'd ease the lid slightly, let a whiff of gas out and take an appreciative sniff. After 5-7 days the yeast will have finished off the sugar and bubbling will stop. The lid will no longer be swelling; take it off, look lovingly at your creation and confirm that no more bubbles are rising to the surface. Time to bottle it.
The bottles should be clean. To a 20 oz bottle add half a teaspoon sugar, to a quart or liter bottle add a teaspoon, before filling. This sugar promotes secondary fermentation which gives fizz and increases alcohol content. Resist the temptation to add too much sugar for greater alcohol content; your bottles will start exploding.
After adding sugar to bottles the next step is filtering. I found that it works best to strain off all the big stuff first. Then line the strainer with muslin or coffee filters and strain the brew through. You may have to do this a few times. The cleaner it is now the better the finished product is. FYI: 5 US gallons = 32 20oz soda bottles.
To fill the bottles you can siphon it from the bucket with the plastic hose, or use the fill tap if you have a brewing bucket. Leave an inch or so air gap in the bottles; don't fill them to the top. Cap tightly and shake to dissolve the sugar.
Be careful not to disturb any sediment left in the bucket during this process and don't dip the siphon hose too deep. If you have to move the bucket before bottling, leave it a while for sediment to settle again.
Lovingly stow your bottled brew somewhere out of the sun and try to be patient. Think about what happens if a bottle explodes and stow accordingly. We only ever lost a couple and this was my fault for adding too much sugar when bottling.
Try and wait at least ten days before cracking one. Serve chilled. The longer you wait the better it tastes, as more sugar gets eaten and the yeast dies. If you do drink it green, I suggest you try and get the first bottle down quick and get a glow on, as this makes the next one taste much better.
Basically any fruit can be used to make alcohol. You can take this recipe and adjust it according to what's available. You need to consider how sweet the fruit you're using is and adjust the added sugar. Some friends used this recipe but substituted pineapples and didn't reduce the sugar; it blew the lid right off their brew bucket as the yeast went totally berserk with a sugar overdose.Enjoy
PS: You can buy cheap home brewing kits thru Coopers http://www.coopers.com.au/the-brewers-g ... s/diy-beer
or more cheaply off ebay. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Deluxe-Brewers- ... 2323c15a7a
(this one is just a sample) | <urn:uuid:fc0483f0-7fdd-495f-b0b2-94e35bd4b51a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forum.cruisingoutpost.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11&view=previous | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931093 | 1,109 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Beers/Skanska Construction and The South Florida Water Management District has awarded The Water Management Group, Inc. (WMG), a contract to provide water treatment systems and services for two new stormwater pump stations to be located in the Florida Everglades. These pump stations are an important part of The Everglades Restoration Project.
The contract, worth approximately $400,000, includes the supply of filters, softeners, strainers, reverse osmosis systems, storage tanks, pumps and other related equipment.
"We are very proud to be chosen as the vendor of choice for the water treatment phase of this important and enormous project," said Jeff Dunn, Vice President of WMG. "Organics laden canal water will be treated by the integrated systems and used for cooling and lubrication of the pumps that are capable of pumping 4000 cfs of water and approximately 2 billion gallons per day. A small percentage of the treated water will be used for potable purposes by plant personnel."
The Water Management Group, Inc. (WMG) provides a wide range of outsourced technical services and equipment for OEMs, engineers, industrial, commercial and municipal clients. Staffed with service technicians, applications and membrane process design professionals, WMG has the capability to handle all of the technical challenges that membrane process systems may present. WMG is a "hands on" company servicing municipal water treatment plants, pharmaceutical and electronics high purity water systems, bottled water systems, boiler treatment systems, industrial wastewater pretreatment plants, managing new installations, installing and commissioning sea water desalination plants, golf course irrigation systems, operating, testing, sampling for pilot plant studies and much more. | <urn:uuid:b879c7ea-ad7d-4147-803c-3cbe28049a48> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wwdmag.com/print/6393 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942828 | 340 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Our goal is to create a beloved community and
this will require a qualitative change in our souls
as well as a quantitative change in our lives.
Rooted in love, The Coalition for the Beloved Community is a countywide movement to build a culture of peace, grounded in dignity and fed by hope. We are dedicated to personal and community transformation based on community standards borne out of the testimony of the people and out of our love for our community.
The Rochester New York region is known for a spirit of generosity. Embracing shared vision and shared sacrifice, we commit our collective labor, creativity, passion and wealth to our beloved community.
We envision a community at peace, neighborhoods safe for walking, porches filled with conversation, emerging friendships that transcend race, class, religious, cultural, and geographic boundaries. We see children nurtured from before birth. Our families are cherished, supported and empowered. We are people who insist on respectful language. Police and citizens work in close cooperation. We embrace all who have been wounded by violence. Our community is a model of shared power and transparent public decision-making. We are engaged and informed citizens. Our schools are safe and vibrant environments where everyone learns and everyone teaches. We see doors to fruitful work opening and the end to poverty. The roots of violence are withering and being replaced with the roots of peace.
Register online, or by phone at 254-2570. | <urn:uuid:3f2dbda9-77bd-4e6c-8e60-99b34f2615a0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.belovedcommunityrochester.org/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949515 | 289 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Senator George J. Mitchell
George J. Mitchell served as US Special Envoy for Middle East Peace from January 2009 to May 2011.
Prior to that he had a distinguished career in public service. He was appointed to the United States Senate in 1980 to complete the unexpired term of Senator Edmund S. Muskie, who resigned to become Secretary of State. He was elected to a full term in the Senate in 1982 in a stunning come-from-behind victory. After trailing in public opinion polls by 36 points, Senator Mitchell rallied to win the election, receiving 61 percent of the votes cast. Senator Mitchell went on to an illustrious career in the Senate spanning 15 years.
In 1988, he was reelected with 81 percent of the vote, the largest margin in Maine history. He left the Senate in 1995 as the Senate majority leader, a position he had held since January 1989.
Senator Mitchell enjoyed bipartisan respect during his tenure. It has been said "there is not a man, woman or child in the Capitol who does not trust George Mitchell." For six consecutive years he was voted "the most respected member" of the Senate by a bipartisan group of senior congressional aides.
While in the Senate, Senator Mitchell served on the Finance, Veterans Affairs, and Environment and Public Works Committees. He led the successful 1990 reauthorization of the Clean Air Act, including new controls on acid rain toxins. He was the author of the first national oil spill prevention and cleanup law. Senator Mitchell led the Senate to passage of the nation's first child care bill and was principal author of the low-income housing tax credit program. He was instrumental in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, landmark legislation extending civil rights protections to the disabled. Senator Mitchell's efforts led to the passage of a higher education bill that expanded opportunities for millions of Americans. He was a leader in opening markets to trade and led the Senate to ratification of the North American Free Trade Agreement and creation of the World Trade Organization.
Senator Mitchell received an undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College and a law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. He served in Berlin, Germany, as an officer in the US Army Counter-Intelligence Corps from 1954 to 1956. From 1960 to 1962 he was a trial lawyer in the Justice Department in Washington, DC. From 1962 to 1965 he served as executive assistant to Senator Edmund S. Muskie. In 1965 he returned to Maine where he engaged in the private practice of law in Portland until 1977. He was then appointed US attorney for Maine, a position he held until 1979, when he was appointed US District Judge for Maine. He resigned that position in 1980 to accept appointment to the US Senate.
In 1995, he served as a Special Advisor to President William J. Clinton on Ireland, and from 1996 to 2000 he served as the Independent Chairman of the Northern Ireland Peace Talks. Under his leadership, the Good Friday Agreement, an historic accord ending decades of conflict, was agreed to by the governments of Ireland and the United Kingdom and the political parties of Northern Ireland. For his service in Northern Ireland Senator Mitchell received numerous awards and honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor given by the US government; the Philadelphia Liberty Medal; the Truman Institute Peace Prize; and the United Nations (UNESCO) Peace Prize.
In 2000 and 2001, at the request of President Clinton, Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and Chairman Yasser Arafat, Senator Mitchell served as Chairman of an International Fact-Finding Committee on violence in the Middle East. The Committee's recommendation, widely known as The Mitchell Report, was endorsed by the Bush Administration, the European Union and by many other governments.
In 2006 and 2007 he led the investigation into the use of performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball. He also served as Chairman of the Special Commission Investigating Allegations of Impropriety in the Bidding Process for the Olympic Games and was the Independent Overseer of the American Red Cross Liberty Fund, which provided relief for September 11 attack victims and their families.
Senator Mitchell served as Chairman of the global board of the law firm DLA Piper; Chairman of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company; a member of the board of the Boston Red Sox; and a director of several companies, including Federal Express, Xerox, Staples, Unilever and Starwood Hotels and Resorts. He also served for ten years as the Chancellor of Queen’s University of Northern Ireland; as President of the Economic Club of Washington; and as Chairman of the International Crisis Group.
In 2008, TIME magazine named Senator Mitchell one of the 100 most influential persons in the world.
Senator Mitchell is the author of four books. With his colleague, Senator William S. Cohen of Maine, he wrote Men of Zeal, describing the Iran-Contra investigation. In 1990, Senator Mitchell wrote World on Fire, describing the threat of the greenhouse effect and recommending steps to curb it. His next book, published in 1997, was Not For America Alone: The Triumph of Democracy and The Fall of Communism. In 1999, Senator Mitchell wrote Making Peace, an account of his experience in Northern Ireland. | <urn:uuid:418e3c14-d70d-403d-a8f0-b815b87d6349> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dlapipertechleaderssummit.com/speakers/profiles/george-mitchell.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973183 | 1,047 | 1.664063 | 2 |
This just in, Random House will publish “THE BRIDGE: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama” on April 6 by New Yorker editor David Remnick, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his book Lenin’s Tomb.
Expectations are running high when a talented journalist with such a storied career — with the Washington Post as a sports writer and as the Moscow bureau chief (remember when newspapers had bureaus all over the world?) before revitalizing the New Yorker in the wake of Tina Brown’s tenure — tackles one of the most interesting figures in the world today.
“Obama’s election as President was based less on policy prescriptions than on a sense of his character and biography,” said Sonny Mehta, Chairman of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, in a written statement. “THE BRIDGE reveals not only his character, but also his trials, motivations, and perspectives in a way that a memoir, even a remarkable one, cannot.”
The question is what new insights will Remnick provide? | <urn:uuid:5e118954-22f4-4a6b-a6e0-fb9a75fcb6c9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.timesunion.com/localarts/category/new-books/page/3/ | 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 | 0.972442 | 223 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Prepared by: Gayle Doll is director of Kansas State University's Center on Aging and can be contacted at 785-532-5945 or email@example.com.
Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009
OPINION: GOVERNMENT'S FIVE-STAR RATING SYSTEM DOESN'T TELL THE WHOLE STORY ABOUT NURSING HOME QUALITY
MANHATTAN -- Experts at the Kansas State University Center on Aging have been studying exemplary nursing homes in Kansas for more than seven years. We are disappointed with the new government five-star rating system for nursing homes because we think it leaves out an important element: do residents like living there?
The new system is heavily weighted toward nursing home performances on state inspections and quality measures. Many homes have learned that it is possible to do well on these assessments by keeping residents "safe." But all too frequently this safety comes by stripping residents of their autonomy and independence.
The homes in Kansas that we would want to live in are the innovative places that continue to strive to create environments that retain homelike qualities. Of course these innovative homes keep safety at the forefront. But they may sometimes get survey deficiencies as the regulatory community adjusts to their new ideas.
Consumers could use a number of resources for choosing long-term care. This includes the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Web site, http://www.cms.hhs.gov
Consumers should also use other Internet resources and their local Area Agency on Aging.
We think a better way to evaluate nursing homes might be to visit a nursing home before breakfast. If it is 8 a.m. and some residents are still sleeping, that's a good sign. It means that the nurses and the dietary department don't demand that everyone be dressed and ready to eat at the same time. You've found a home that puts residents first.
That's a place where we would want to live. | <urn:uuid:93fd4cca-06a9-41b8-b429-c8d574584064> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.k-state.edu/media/newsreleases/jan09/dolloped12209.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950244 | 400 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Read the full story here.
Tarek Fawzy / AP
An Egyptian Christian grieves outside the Coptic Christian Saints Church in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, Egypt, Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011. A car exploded in front of the church early Saturday as worshippers emerged from a New Year's Mass, killing at least 21 people according to officials, and sparking clashes between Christians and Muslims, a sign of the sectarian anger that has been arising with greater frequency in Egypt.
Ahmed Youssef / EPA
Egyptian firemen try to put out a vehicle fire following a car bomb blast outside a church in the north Egyptian city of Alexandria, Egypt, Jan. 1, 2011, killing at least 21 people and injuring 43. Witnesses said that a car that was parked outside the church exploded around 20 minutes after midnight, targeting Coptic Christians who were attending the New Year‘s Eve mass. Christians account for roughly 10 per cent of Egypt's population, according to official figures.
Egyptian riot police clash with Christians in front of the Coptic Orthodox church in Alexandria, 230 km (140 miles) north of Cairo, Jan. 1, 2011. A car bombing outside the church killed 21 people as worshippers gathered to mark the New Year, security and medical sources said on Saturday.
Amr Abdallah Dalsh / Reuters
Egyptian Christians shout as the bodies of several victims of a car bomb attack are carried into ambulances in front of the the Coptic Orthodox church in Alexandria, Egypt, Jan. 1, 2011. The car bombing outside the church killed 21 people as worshippers gathered to mark the New Year, security and medical sources said on Saturday. | <urn:uuid:3efe41a4-d05f-41a0-a87f-be34a83eb2c6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://photoblog.nbcnews.com/_news/2011/01/01/5747863-blast-at-coptic-church-in-egypt-kills-21-sparks-clashes-between-christians-muslims-after-new-years-mass?lite | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948487 | 343 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Mitt Romney says he will balance the budget in 8 years without raising taxes or cutting defense spending.
So what would it take? In short, a lot.
Unless the economy grows much faster than the Congressional Budget Office projects, Romney would likely need to cut funding nearly in half across many areas of government by 2020.
The Republican nominee's balanced budget promise trumps what even staunch independent fiscal hawks are calling for. Their first aim is to "stabilize the debt" -- meaning to stop deficits from growing faster than the economy.
To do so, they would cut deficits by at least $4 trillion over 10 years. And because doing so will be painful, they recommend distributing the burden through a combination of spending cuts and tax increases.
Romney, however, has ruled out raising taxes to help balance the budget. He does expect that his proposals would spur the economy, thereby generating extra revenue. But just how much more isn't clear.
He's also ruled out cutting defense spending -- indeed, his proposals may well increase it.
Medicare and Social Security spending, meanwhile, are not likely to be reduced during his time in office, since he has promised that his reforms to the programs would not affect those in or near retirement.
So where would he cut?
Recently, Romney said that on his first day in office he would cut non-security discretionary spending by 5%. Doing so he estimates would reduce spending by $500 billion a year by the end of his first term.
Specifically, Romney said he would:
--eliminate "programs that are not absolutely essential";
--cut subsidies for Amtrak, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Legal Services Corporation and the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities;
--limit funding growth for federal programs like Medicaid administered by states;
--cut federal employment by 10% through attrition and align pay with the private sector;
--combine agencies and departments;
--and reduce improper payments.
Rudolph Penner, a former director of the CBO, helped CNNMoney figure out what it would take for Romney to balance the budget by 2020.
The Romney campaign says his policies would generate 3% to 3.5% of inflation-adjusted annual growth between 2013 and 2022, which is above CBO's 2.2% projected average.
But since the campaign doesn't offer a year-by-year breakdown, and since growth is not guaranteed, Penner used CBO estimates as a baseline case.
The CBO forecasts that the federal government will take in $4.2 trillion in revenue in 2020. That assumes current policies like the Bush-era tax rates remain in place -- something Romney favors. (Indeed, he wants to lower the rates further.)
Penner then estimates that spending on Social Security, Medicare, defense and interest on the debt would total $3.3 trillion that year. That leaves $900 billion of revenue left over to pay for everything else that the government funds.
Problem is, "everything else" in 2020 comes to $1.7 trillion.
So Romney would need to cut spending on most of the things government does by $800 billion, or 47%, that year. He's already promised to cut $500 billion, so he would need to cut another $300 billion on top of that.
Penner notes that such stark spending cuts might not be needed if the economy does better than the CBO forecasts, thereby generating more than $4.2 trillion in revenue.
Indeed, it's not unreasonable to assume the economy would grow somewhat faster if Romney lowers deficits and reforms the tax code, Penner noted. And "if the economy suddenly starts to recover faster for reasons that have nothing to do with his public policies, his numbers could work out."
But those are big "ifs." As is the likelihood that Romney will be able to garner enough support for his initial tough spending cuts.
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|Overnight Avg Rate||Latest||Change||Last Week|
|30 yr fixed||3.65%||3.65%|
|15 yr fixed||2.80%||2.78%|
|30 yr refi||3.64%||3.63%|
|15 yr refi||2.79%||2.78%|
Today's featured rates:
|Latest Report||Next Update|
|Home prices||May 28|
|Consumer confidence||May 28|
|Manufacturing (ISM)||June 3|
|Inflation (CPI)||June 18| | <urn:uuid:18890ab3-a5a1-4a5f-9568-73c60193238d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://money.cnn.com/2012/09/24/news/economy/romney-balanced-budget/index.html?section=money_news_international | 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 | 0.962846 | 990 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Riverside Theatre Works School of Performing Arts offers exciting programs in all areas of the performing arts (music, dance, and theater) through private lessons and classroom instruction. Programs are designed for all levels of ability and interest. The dedicated staff is made up of professional artists, performers, and teachers. All classes concentrate on the development of technique, creativity, and artistic expression. The goal of the school is to meet the individual needs of each student. During the summer, kids can attend creative drama and Broadway musical camps. | <urn:uuid:462e8e8a-0910-4f35-b8b4-66fbb7402ef0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/attraction/riverside-theatre-works-45-fairmount-avenue-hyde-park-ma-02136-us | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963118 | 105 | 1.523438 | 2 |
DAVAO CITY(MindaNews/ 2 December) — The City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC) was placed on high alert Sunday to closely monitor typhoon “Pablo,” which was expected to hit northeastern Mindanao Sunday night or early Monday.
Emmanuel Jaldon, CDRRMC officer-in-charge and chief of Central 911, said the council has disseminated information on automatic response system down to the barangay level, even as the city, located in southern Mindanao, is not directly on the path of the storm.
Also informed were private volunteer groups and government agencies involved in disaster quick response.
Jaldon said barangay leaders and volunteers have been given drills and know what to do in times of disaster, particularly in moving residents away from danger zones.
Evacuation centers have been identified such as gyms that are situated on higher grounds and far from the possible impact of the typhoon.
Communication systems have been arranged and some barangays have acquired sirens, while others have improvised alarm systems like bells made of cut-out cylinders, Jaldon said.
Communication equipment like mobile phones and radio have also been prepared in case communication lines would shut down.
Two dump trucks were on standby at the compound of the Public Safety and Security Command center in case there is a need to evacuate residents and that additional vehicles will be provided if the need arises, Jaldon said.
In a text message, Mayor Sara Duterte said the City Social Services and Development Office has been ordered to stand by and is getting periodic updates from the CDRRMC.
The City Information Office announced that typhoon advisories can be monitored through the city’s website portal and official Facebook account.
Jaldon said the city is on “blue” alert as officials closely monitor typhoon Pablo.
Under tight watch is the water level of the Davao River, with Jaldon saying they will raise the alert if the situation warrants.
All barangays have been instructed to monitor their areas, especially those that are highly vulnerable to flashfloods and landslides.
Jaldon identified the high-risk areas as Maa, Bucana, MatinaPangi, Matina Crossing, and Bangkal because they are near riverbanks.
Areas that had been affected by previous flashfloods will possibly be vulnerable to the impact of Pablo, he added.
“Stay alert. Keep monitoring the radio and television. And keep in touch with barangay leaders,” said Jaldon. (Lorie Ann Cascaro/MindaNews) | <urn:uuid:9d3217a9-e82d-4ba5-ab77-78167210eb20> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2012/12/03/davao-city-on-high-alert-for-typhoon-pablo/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961537 | 549 | 1.679688 | 2 |
The beginnings of affordable health care are starting to take shape.
But many are not sure if the health care plan they now have through the Church Health Center will continue to work for them after the Affordable Health Care Act is fully implemented.
They are not alone. Many Americans have no real understanding what Obamacare is all about.
"A lot of the people I talk to think they are going to get it but they don't think they are going to be paying for it," said Pat Carter, Olympic Employment Service. "They think someone else is going to pay or they are just going to get it. But they are going to pay one way or another. Some one is going to pay. It's not free."
So how does this affect a small business like Patrick's Restaurant in East Memphis? Well, they have fewer than 50 employees on staff so they don't have to provide health care insurance for their staff. But does that mean the staff does not have to provide health insurance for themselves?
As it stands now, they are covered by the Memphis Plan offered by the Church Health Center.
"If the employer wants to enroll their employees in the Memphis Plan, it is $50 for each employee and $25 for each dependent with a family cap of $125," said Jennie Robbins, Memphis Plan Director for Church Health Center. "The employer must pay at least $10 through the employees program and the employees and employer will work out the difference through payroll deductions."
The question is will these employees be allowed to continue to be covered by the Memphis Plan once affordable health care is fully implemented? Or will they face a fine this particular plan does not meet federal guidelines?
"I know as far as my business we are less than 50 employees so its direct impact on me as an employer is not significant," Mike Miller, restaurant owner. "This is really going to effect all of my employees cause they are going to be forced. I can't afford to pay health care for my 40-45 employees so they are going to be forced to go out and either buy insurance or pay the fine."
Because the Church Health Center also provides dental insurance and the Affordable Health Care Act does not, it could turn out that the Memphis Plan could stand in place of a federal plan.
Whatever happens the good news is the Church Health Center plans on being around to take care of the people who need help with health care.
"We're not sure what is going to happen with the reform laws once the landscape comes out," Robbins said. "It's ever changing and once you get a card that says here's your exchange. We're not sure what doctors are going to take the exchange, so were just going to fill the gap and that's what the Church Health Center will continue to do." | <urn:uuid:eb82f4e7-84c1-4cb0-9d95-c0fbba1f78d3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.q1075.com/index.php/news/myfox13-local-news/16618-how-will-national-health-care-plan-work | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986174 | 565 | 1.695313 | 2 |
How health benefits will change in the near future
Aug. 3, 2010
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requires that several benefit changes be made starting with plan years that begin Sept. 23, 2010, and after, including the provision to extend dependent coverage up to age 26.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network will implement near-term benefit changes required under PPACA for most groups and individuals on Jan. 1, 2011, with a few exceptions.
This first round of benefit changes required by PPACA will impact all employers who offer health care coverage, their employees, and those who purchase insurance in the individual market.
Since PPACA became law on March 23, 2010, the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released interim regulations for various provisions.
BCBSM and BCN will implement the following near-term benefit changes required by PPACA for most groups and individuals on Jan. 1, 2011:
- Extending dependent coverage up to age 26
- Removal of lifetime dollar limits
- Removal of pre-existing condition exclusions for children up to age 19
- Prohibiting rescissions with limited exceptions
- Clarifying emergency services
Many of these patient protection provisions are consistent with longstanding business practices and values of the Michigan Blues, and will cause little disruption to our groups and members. In fact, BCBSM and BCN were already substantially compliant with the following near-term requirements prior to the passage of PPACA:
Extending dependent coverage up to age 26
Of all of the near-term reforms, there has been the most interest, from customers and individual members, regarding how and when they can enroll or re-enroll dependents up to age 26.
The Blues define child dependents as those related to the employee by birth, marriage, legal adoption or legal guardianship. Dependent eligibility will no longer be limited by financial dependency, marital status or enrollment in school. Also, rates charged for dependents can no longer vary by age.
BCBSM and BCN will adjust their policies to allow coverage of dependents through the end of the calendar year of their 26th birthday.
We will begin allowing the addition of dependents between the age of 19 and 26 during a special open enrollment period from Nov. 1, 2010, through Nov. 30, 2010. Some groups may accomplish this with their regular fourth-quarter open enrollment periods. In most cases, coverage will be effective for added dependents on Jan. 1, 2011.
Some near-term implementation strategies to be determined
HHS recently released interim regulations for immunization and preventive coverage with no cost-sharing. BCBSM and BCN are analyzing the impacts of these regulations, and will provide implementation details once we’ve thoroughly reviewed the regulations.
HHS has yet to issue clarifying regulations for “essential benefits” related to annual dollar limits. When these regulations become available, BCBSM and BCN will move forward with benefit changes related to those provisions.
The information on this website is based on BCBSM's review of the national health care reform legislation and is not intended to impart legal advice. Interpretations of the reform legislation vary, and efforts will be made to present and update accurate information. This overview is intended as an educational tool only and does not replace a more rigorous review of the law's applicability to individual circumstances and attendant legal counsel and should not be relied upon as legal or compliance advice. Analysis is ongoing and additional guidance is also anticipated from the Department of Health and Human Services. Additionally, some reform regulations may differ for particular members enrolled in certain programs such as the Federal Employee Program, and those members are encouraged to consult with their benefit administrators for specific details. | <urn:uuid:25163f5e-34f0-4e04-b8ec-51b5a2f28c6c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bcbsm.com/content/microsites/health-care-reform/en/reform-alerts/how-health-benefits-will-change-in-the-near-future.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 | 0.947679 | 766 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Is paying rent to the landlord “dead money”? Bruce Morris gets out his calculator and crystal ball to come up with some answers.
Interesting to see on the Herald's website last month the number of hits for a story featuring an economist who was pointing out it's cheaper to rent than to buy. It was the best-read item of the day (and one of the biggest of the week), almost as if readers thought it was ground-breaking stuff.
The reality is that over the years it's usually been cheaper to rent in Auckland, though the uncertainty of interest rates and capital gain can have the economic argument lurching about. Then there's the matter of luck with timing: buying at the bottom and selling at the top after a surge will always find the buyer ahead of the renter.
Looking at the equation from a purely numbers point of view ignores compelling arguments of emotion and security.
There are good landlords and ordinary ones and getting that leaking tap fixed or permission to paint the bedroom can be a mission. It can also be uncomfortable being at the whim of a landlord with the power to give as little as six weeks notice to tidy up, get out and find a new place.
While being at the whim of a bank can also have pressures, home ownership brings security and the pleasure of doing what you like to your property.
Most of us want a refuge where we can close the gate at night and forget about the office and the world, chipping away at the mortgage and watching the trees grow.
At the back of our minds, our homes are probably also part of a grand plan to better ourselves - to get to retirement in one piece, enjoy our twilight years without great worry and, hopefully, leave a bit behind for the kids.
So it's great to aim at buying a home to live in, but don't think that renting is "dead money". That's a curiously New Zealand perception. The savvy would see it as no more dead money than the interest paid on mortgages. Instead of handing money to a landlord, it's boosting bank balance sheets and giving depositors a return on their funds.
A casual look at property values and rent in Auckland today shows that the economic argument in favour of renting is sound.
Let's take two identical houses sitting side-by-side in Mt Roskill. The average house in the suburb is now worth nearly $530,000, according to QV, and the average rent there for a three-bedroom home is up towards $430, reports Crockers.
In our study, one of the houses is bought by Mr and Ms X for $530,000 on a deposit of $60,000 and they obtain a $470,000 table mortgage on a 20-year term with a current floating rate of 5.7%. That would make their fortnightly payments $1516 ($758 per week) and over the period of the loan interest payments would total $318,320 ($306 per week).
All that assumes interest rates will stay at their record lows - and they won't, of course.
Floating rates went as high as 20.5 per cent in 1987 and have been consistently above 7 per cent most years since. An average rate of 7.2 per cent through the 20-year term would seem realistic and that would push repayments to $1707 a fortnight ($850.50 a week) on the property. The interest bill would reach $417,640 over the 20 years.
Mr and Ms Y, meanwhile, would initially be paying $430 a week ($22,360 a year), though annual rises of 4 per cent will push their average weekly rent across the 20 years to $671 - giving a "saving" over the 7.2 per cent mortgage (principal and interest) of $179.50 a week.
Rates (now $2000 a year, but $2780 when averaged out across the 20 years, assuming a modest yearly rise of 3 per cent), insurance ($600 a year now, and an average of $715 a year given a 3 per cent-a-year increase over the two decades) and an average maintenance/do-up bill of $3000 a year are all extra costs for Mr and Ms X. When they are added, the difference grows to $304.40 a week in favour of the renters.
If Mr and Ms Y could save that sum each week, they would end the first year with a bank term deposit of $15,828. Over the 20 years (contributing the same $429.25 a week), fuelled by simple compounding interest of 5.25 per cent a year, the grand total would hit $605,650. Take away tax and there might be a net $500,000 to enjoy - and the results would be much stronger if the renters increased the risk a little to quality corporate bonds. Add in the $60,000 they did not have to spend on a deposit and instead invested in a 5.25 per cent term deposit, and Mr and Ms Y will have $150,000 (after tax) to add to the kitty. That brings them to net savings of $650,000 in 2032.
Mr and Ms X, meanwhile, end up in 2032 paying a total of $887,640 ($417,640 of it in interest). On top of the mortgage costs, rates ($55,600), insurance ($13,420), maintenance ($60,000) and selling fees ($50,000) will push total outgoings to $1,066,660.
But, of course, they have a house to show for it. So what is the house worth?
Who knows what is going to happen in the next 20 years. New Zealand house prices have shown a steady upwards track over the decades, though there have been plenty of dips and flat periods around the spurts. In 2032, we could be at the very peak of the latest spurt or at the end of a three or four-year plateau, and the result would vary accordingly.
Capital gain may not be expected to match the 20 years from 1992 in Auckland where prices increased 3.6-fold after riding the 2002-2007 boom. But if it does the property would sell for around $1.9m, reflecting an annual rise in house values of 6.5 per cent - leaving the renters behind by around $180,000.
If the two-decade rise in value was almost as impressive at 6 per cent a year, Mr and Ms X would still be ahead of the renters - but by just $38,000 in 2032 dollars.
Anything below that would leave Mr and Ms Y in front. A lift of 5 per cent a year, boosting the selling price from $530,000 to $1.437m over the two decades, would have the renters ahead by $280,000.
The figures here are based on the entirely unlikely proposition that someone could rent the same property for 20 years, and the mathematical bombardment is enough to make any eyes glaze over. But the numbers do help to illustrate the case for renting.
As we all know, though, it isn't all about dollars and cents. Home ownership forces us into a sort of de facto savings scheme, where every dollar off the mortgage contributes to our personal wealth and we put our faith in history to trust that capital gain at least stays up with inflation over the long haul.
But if we're renting, how many of us have the discipline and the will to bank the gap? It takes some sacrifice to buy a home - certainly that first home - and the same pressures often aren't there for renters.
Unless renters have unusual restraint, the flat whites, restaurants and trips away will gobble up much of the difference. They may enjoy the moment but careful home-owners will have their day.
In our fictional case, would Mr and Ms Y really have been happy all those years putting up with a cracked driveway, ugly colours on the bathroom walls and a landlord who took forever to fix the cracked toilet bowl?
Surely not, but as the rest of us ignore the economists and put our own value on making a home we can call our own, no one should be telling renters they're paying out dead money.By Bruce Morris | <urn:uuid:730d95f8-96f0-4ed1-98e3-1005d9c5c927> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10851574 | 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 | 0.964523 | 1,705 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
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Monday, January 30, 2012
Colon Cancer Spreading
by Lim Wey Wen
27 Januari 2012
KUALA LUMPUR: Cancer of the colon and rectum (colorectal cancer) has overtaken cervical cancer as the second most common cancer among Malaysian women.
UKM Medical Centre (UKMMC) oncology department head, Assoc Prof Datuk Dr Fuad Ismail said the cancer, which is the most common type among Malaysian men, had intensified with the women in the past few years.
"In 2003, the most common cancer in women was breast cancer, followed by cervical cancer and colorectal cancer," said Dr Fuad after the launch of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Asia CME Partner Centre Colorectal Cancer Programme at UKMMC yesterday.
Colorectal Cancer The Second
The pattern changed in 2007, when colorectal cancer was recorded as the second most common cancer among women.
"This may be due to the increase of the number of women diagnosed with colon cancer and the decrease of cervical cancer incidence among women," said Dr Fuad, adding that more women were now educated on cervical cancer prevention and its screening methods.
He noted that of the estimated 40,000 cancer cases diagnosed every year, about 4,000 of them were colorectal cancer.
"Men and women are just as likely to get it," said Dr Fuad, who also agreed that colorectal cancer used to be thought of being 'a men's disease'.
Dr Luqman Mazlan, a surgeon at the UKMMC, who was also present at the event, said surgeons at the medical centre operated on 3 to 4 colorectal cancer patients a week.
Check for Cancer
"We don't routinely screen the general population for colorectal cancer unless a person has a very strong family history of it," said Dr Luqman.
However, he said those who experienced changes in their bowel habits, unexplained weight loss and find blood in their faeces should check for the cancer.
It is not yet clear what causes colorectal cancer but medical website Mayoclinic.com offers the following advice to reduce the risk of developing the disease:
"Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, drink alcohol in moderation, stop smoking, exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight".
Source : TheStar | <urn:uuid:9b2234ca-3ef6-45fd-8d1b-68ca86847fe1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.miezayu.blogspot.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965151 | 601 | 1.710938 | 2 |
I always use the phrase less than perfect in a sarcastic way, meaning that something is not good at all. For example:
My date was obviously less than perfect. She was late and in a hurry, and she kept talking about her ex-boyfriend.
But I start to wonder if this phrase can be used in a non-sarcastic way, as a parallel to almost perfect. As an example, could it be used in this context?
Enjoy your day to its fullest. If anybody in the office makes your day less than perfect, go and talk to them. | <urn:uuid:869e38ef-97a9-4f8e-9fa3-ca117f2f39c9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/77613/is-less-than-perfect-always-used-in-a-sarcastic-and-negative-way/77631 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985183 | 120 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Eben Moglen is one of the principle lawyers behind the GPL. He's also a tireless free software advocate, and significantly more photogenic and diplomatic than Richard Stallman.
He recently gave this interesting tech talk at Google about the perception of Google by entities outside it. It was really well done, and struck a strong chord with me.
I've noticed that people frequently are incapable of believing that some things Google does are for the reasons Google says they're doing them. For example (and I don't really have the time to find references just now) many people seem to think that Google Doodles, those fun, timely modifications to their main search page, are a marketing tool, when in fact they are largely done purely out of whimsy.
I suppose, in one sense there is marketing purpose. Google is projecting their image of themselves out into the world. It's brand building. But, on the other hand, there isn't. I doubt that Google Doodles started as an idea for brand building in some marketing department. I'm betting some random small group of people decided one day that it would be fun to do, and the idea sort of caught on and now it's a tradition.
But people seem to want to analyze doodles for the marketing message they contain, despite the fact there generally isn't one. The more enigmatic the doodle is, the more determined people seem to be to find the marketing message in it.
This means there is a disparity in perception between people outside Google and people inside Google. One that might serve Google very poorly in the future. It's very important that Google understand this and respond appropriately. Perception is reality and people and organizations live up to expectations. Google risks becoming what people perceive them to be unless they act to correct that perception.
Google also frequently doesn't realize how the fact that they are so large and powerful affects people's perceptions of them. Witness the brouhaha over Buzz. Google did do some somewhat wrongheaded things in introducing it, but Buzz was not anywhere near the privacy destroying aggregator that people thought it was. And the fact that people perceived Buzz in this way seemed to mystify people inside Google, even though it was predictable given Google's size and people's perceptions.
Again, this points to a need by Google to better manage people's perceptions of them, and to manage their product releases better in terms of how people perceive them.
Eben Moglen suggests, quite wisely, that one thing Google could do is to change their policy on contributing internal changes back to Open Source projects. I think this is a good idea, but I doubt it will really be enough.
I am a little worried that if Google takes this advice to heart that they will grow a PR arm that does what every other PR arm in the world does, which is to try to make sure that perception stays far more positive than reality instead of simply trying to make perception match reality. But Google should do something, since I think people think far more ill of them than they generally deserve.
Google is, in fact, the only company I know of that has a revenue stream greater than 1 billion dollars a year that I actually have a positive opinion of. | <urn:uuid:10ce3bb7-f022-4fc0-932c-26d9e93a7c22> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://omnifarious.dreamwidth.org/1810.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978155 | 657 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Shocker: English education triggers suicides, murders, says Mumbai top cop Satyapal Singh
- Spot-fixing: Petition in SC seeks stay on IPL matches, seeks SIT probe
- India, China call for end to incursion issue, sign 8 deals to boost ties
- Sanjay Dutt spends restless nights as officials yet to decide on his jail
- Aarushi murder case: Rajesh Talwar claims he was asleep when killings took place
- Railgate: BJP protests against CBI DIG for shielding Pawan Bansal
Mumbai Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh says there is a direct link between school and college education and murders and suicides, and students who study in English-medium institutions are especially vulnerable.
"In Mumbai, if there are 150 murders, there are eight times (more) suicides. All of the perpetrators are educated people. I have never seen an uneducated person committing suicide. I have researched this even while I was police commissioner in Pune. There were engineers and IT professionals committing suicide," Singh is reported to have said at the 54th Foundation Day ceremony at the Bharat Merchants' Chamber in Kalbadevi on Tuesday.
"Most suicides," Singh reportedly said, "are committed by those who have studied in the English medium. I have never heard of or seen a Sanskrit-medium educated person committing suicide. And it is a known fact that more and more people are today sending their children to English-medium schools".
Singh blamed crime in cities like Mumbai and Delhi on flaws in the education system.
"Jo Delhi ka case hua ya phir Mumbai ke andar jo case hote hain, uske peechhe bhi jo... isko main sanskriti nahin kehta, usko main asanskriti bolta hoon... woh asanskriti ka parinaam hai... Hamare schools aur college ke andar jo shiksha di jaati hai... sanskaarheen shiksha di jaati hai. Jeevangun koi sikhaata nahin hai. (What has happened in Delhi or what happens in Mumbai, it is the consequence of the absence of culture. The education that is imparted in our schools and colleges is devoid of cultural content. Life values are not taught.)"
Rajiv Singhal, trustee of the Bharat Merchants' Chamber, confirmed the police commissioner's statements.
"Mr Singh said in his speech that most suicides and crimes were committed by the educated section of society. He also said that there needs to be a study of the educational system, where a closer look needs to be taken at the education that is being imparted to students," Singhal said.
- Former Ranji player among 3 more held
- Rajasthan Royals to file FIR against tainted trio
- If found guilty, BCCI to ask ICC to erase Sreesanth records
- Top cops among 42 named in death of blast accused
- Manmohan-Li talks: PM takes tough line on incursion issue
- Security forces blame Maoists, villagers say CoBRA man was killed in 'friendly fire' | <urn:uuid:ae6fbfe7-3cad-41e4-b5e2-53b8a511800f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.indianexpress.com/news/english-education-triggers-suicides-says-top-cop/1053749 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956748 | 659 | 1.78125 | 2 |
As a sequel to that I note the following: The theorem is not in EITHER Goldreich's Complexity book or Arora-Barak's Complexity book. One of the following is true:
- Gasarch is right and Goldreich and Arora-Barak are wrong. It should have been in their books.
- Gasarch is wrong and Goldreich and Arora-Barak are right. Its okay that its not in their books.
- It is in the book but Gasarch couldn't find it.
When I taught Graduate Algorithms (I really did!) I taught Yao's MST algorithm that ran in time O(|E|log log |V|). The students asked me WHY this was important (there were better algorithms available). Then I realized that I taught it only because Samir Khuller taught it when he taught the class, so I asked him why it was important. He said it very much impressed him when he was a graduate student.
The contents of the Goldreich book and Arora-Barak book are influenced by a deep understanding of the field, and not by things that impressed them in their youth.
Is Mahaney's theorem important? The real question might be compared to what?. As the number of things that you absolutely have to have in a course grows, at some point, something has to be tossed out. | <urn:uuid:f47f6761-b836-4426-80dc-151ce0f1f941> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.computationalcomplexity.org/2009/10/two-recent-complexity-books-omit_05.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98745 | 290 | 1.710938 | 2 |
As legislators come to grips with tax reform, budget deficits and Obamacare, retirement security also is coming under scrutiny.
In a recent U.S. Senate committee hearing on retirement security, Sen. Tom Harkin, chairman of the Senate pensions and education committee, mentioned that people are not saving enough for retirement.
“I have said this before, but the retirement income deficit—meaning the difference between what people have saved for retirement and what they should have saved—is estimated to be as high as $6.6 trillion. Half of Americans have less than $10,000 in savings.”
He added that, “these numbers are disturbing—and frightening. People who run out of money when they get old see their living standard decline, and they lean more and more on the social safety net, squeezing governments at all levels.”
In the past, people could rely on personal savings, an employer-sponsored pension plan and Social Security, but pensions are going away and Social Security is in trouble.
“Stagnant wages and rising costs are making it tougher and tougher for people to save,” Harkin said.
Although many companies have stepped up to offer 401(k) and other defined contribution retirement plans, those rely too much on a populace that doesn’t know much about investing.
The committee invited companies like TIAA-CREF and Fidelity to talk about how they are helping employees cope with these challenges.
“I am a true believer that we need to restore the three-legged stool, and that starts with rebuilding the pension system,” he said.
Harkin added that the government needs to do something to give middle class families the opportunity to earn a pension while making those plans more attractive to employers.
Edward Moslander, senior managing director, institutional relationship management for TIAA-CREF, who spoke to the committee on Jan. 31, said he also is worried about the three-legged stool of retirement becoming unsteady.
He pointed out that only 14% of Americans are very confident they will have enough money to retire comfortably, and 60% of workers say they have less than $25,000 in retirement savings.
In research conducted among its own clients, TIAA-CREF found that 75% of people with higher levels of education are either very confident or somewhat confident they will be able to retire comfortably, compared to 49% of the general populace. It also found that 88 percent of those with a higher education currently are saving for retirement and 60% have tried to determine how much they need to save by the time they retire.
Financial literacy is a problem across the country, so “we believe it is important to offer client tools that can assist them with making these decisions,” Moslander said. These tools include online programs, access to financial advisors, either in person or over the phone, and comprehensive objective third-party advice programs.
Lifetime income products also should play a role in retirement security, he added.
“Due to our increasing lifespans, as well as the aforementioned concerns surrounding Social Security and the movement away from traditional pension plans, the draw-down phase will and should become a greater focus of the retirement security discussion,” Moslander said.
The committee asked what percentage of Baby Boomers and Generation X are likely to run short of money in retirement, based on the current system/assumptions.
According to Employee Benefit Research Institute research, about 44% of Baby Boomers and Generation X households are expected to not have enough money in retirement, if they retire at age 65.
Retirement income adequacy is defined as having enough financial resources to cover basic expenses plus uninsured medical costs in retirement, according to Jack VanDerhei, research director for EBRI.
In May 2012, EBRI projected that the retirement shortfall for early Baby Boomers, those born between 1948 and 1954, vary from about $70,000 per individual for married households to $95,000 for single males and $105,000 for single females.
“The aggregate retirement income deficit number, taking into account current Social Security retirement benefits and the assumption that net housing equity is utilized ‘as needed,’ as well as uninsured health care costs, is currently estimated to be $4.3 trillion for all Baby Boomers and Gen Xers,” VanDerhei said in his response to committee questions.
Women face an even greater challenge. Recent EBRI data found that the retirement savings shortfall for single Generation X females was $133,000. That amount is the average additional amount of savings needed at age 65 for at-risk single females in that age cohort not to run short of money in retirement. Thirteen percent of these single women could have shortfalls in excess of $200,000.
The biggest deficits are for women who work for companies that don’t offer a 401(k) plan.
Retirement adequacy can be improved with the presence of defined benefit plans, having future eligibility for a defined contribution plan and increasing default deferral rates to 6%, VanDerhei said.
This article was originally posted at BenefitsPro.com, a sister site of Credit Union Times. | <urn:uuid:764be965-8283-4e6b-92dc-99dff5573f9e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cutimes.com/2013/02/21/senate-explores-ways-to-improve-retirement-securit?t=credit-union-management | 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 | 0.967948 | 1,071 | 1.734375 | 2 |
The year is not over yet, but they and several smaller competitors have now released their lists of the top searches of the year, and they reflect the times. People looked up dead celebrities, comfort food, and -- more than ever -- each other.
Here's Google's list of "fastest-rising" searches globally:
Sanalika (a Turkish social-networking site)
"New Moon" (the movie exploded onto the scene in November)
Lady Gaga -- people searched as much for pictures and videos of the singer as they did for facts or song lyrics
Dantri.com.vn (a Vietnamese portal).
Torpedo Gratis (a Brazilian text-messaging site).
Google puts out this list (and several variations) annually -- partly, it admits, in a spirit of self-promotion, but also to offer us an interesting picture of what was on our collective minds.
"It gives us a really good sense of what is the world thinking about because what they're thinking about is what they search for," said Marissa Mayer, Google's vice president of search products.
Yahoo's list, described as "overall searches" rather than newcomers, was similar... but different. Yahoo said it reflected "America's need to escape and to cope" in tough times.
"Twilight" (the broader name for the saga that includes "New Moon").
WWE (as in World Wrestling Entertainment)
Megan Fox, the actress of "Transformers" fame
Britney Spears -- bumped from No. 1 after four straight years, according to Yahoo
"American Idol" (Search engine executives said individual contestants and winners often rank highly.)
What's missing from these lists? For starters, Sarah Palin, who led Google's list in 2008. John McCain went back to being a senator. And "Obama," said Google, was widely searched, but the president created such a wave of curiosity in 2008 that this year he ranked high on the list of "fastest falling" searches.
Google said it teased out other trends from its data -- for instance, what people eat when they're watching their wallets as much as their waistlines.
"Every year we see a big spike for recipes around Thanksgiving and Christmas," said Mayer, but this year the searches were for comfort foods -- chili, meatloaf, pancakes, banana bread."
And there is one last point to be made: While the search engines report the most common searches, they are really a very small part of a very wide range of what people seek on the Web. Google said that every day more than a quarter of the searches people make are entirely new to them -- things that people have never looked up before. | <urn:uuid:7aedbfe3-dbec-4ee8-8b0f-cfe7d4518d7f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/AheadoftheCurve/top-google-yahoo-searches-2009/story?id=9216094 | 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 | 0.970111 | 559 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Italian beach operators are dissatisfied with new EU rules that aim to liberalize their licenses. Critics claim that private beaches are way too expensive.
According to Liverpool Wired, Italian beach businesses are already suffering due to the economic recession, but things are getting tougher.
Beach umbrellas have been shut, along large areas of Italian beaches in protest against new EU competition laws. The protest was largely symbolic in nature, but reflected the anger beach operators felt towards the EU competition rules.
Umbrellas were firmly closed, due to the hostile feeling, beach operators felt towards the EU and Italian government. The protest lasted for many hours on Friday. Holiday makers who wanted to hire an umbrella for their day at the beach, were unable to do so.
Changes have been made under the EU services directive, that aim to liberalize their license. Beach operators are infuriated that these changes are being implemented. The EU claim that the changes have been made to reflect safety and keeping criminals out. By making the licence auctions transparent, it is hoped that there will be less criminal activity. However, beach operators fear that the new rules, that are backed by the Italian government, are a threat to employment of nearly 600,000 resort workers.
The EU rules are expected to be implemented into the law by 2016 and will affect around 30,000 private beaches, that cover around a quarter of the Italian coastline. Supporters in the protest, claim that private beaches provide a clean, safe and efficient service to members of the public. However, critics are complaining that private beaches charge way too much for entry, according to BBC News.
The strike was arranged by the beach workers' union to protest against the right to operate patches of seafront that will be organised by auction in effect from 2016. Beaches across Italy are largely state property, but they are managed by beach clubs. Beach clubs provide umbrellas, sun loungers and charge people to use them for the day. Entry to beaches is a hot political debate in Italy. Traditionally hot cities would be abandoned and the coast would be the popular spot for an August holiday season.
Holiday makers would rather use a sun lounger, than to lounge directly on the beach. However, beach goers could not opt for a sun lounger, or an umbrella as 30,000 beach clubs refused to open their doors on Friday. Environmentalist societies have long debated that the beach clubs' grip on local beaches, removes the chance to use the beach for free. However, the beach workers' union is claiming that the government will choose multinational businesses over smaller, local business, according to RTE News. | <urn:uuid:dc3dd659-c313-441e-acd3-45054264426f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/330204 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978437 | 535 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Last Updated: Wednesday - 01/05/2011
October 29, 2001
Women examine their struggles
College chaplain encounters misunderstanding
WESTERN CATHOLIC REPORTER
EDMONTON — Nicole Brown, 24, grew up in a large parish in Calgary. As a young girl her mother was into making her do things at the church.
She would go and do whatever there was for her to participate in. Altar serving was potentially a service Brown could have done. But in the late 1980s, girls were not yet allowed to be altar servers.
"Oh it's too bad you're not a boy," Brown was told.
"Thank you God for making me a girl," she said because she really did not want to be an altar server.
Brown, however, has never ceased serving the Church and is now one of the archdiocesan youth ministers.
Brown was one of the three guest speakers invited by a group of women to speak about the struggles and dreams concerning women's role in the Church, Oct. 20 at the Grey Nuns Regional Centre. More than 150 people attended.
"I believe mothers have a very significant role in raising up their children to our faith," said Brown.
She gives credit to her mother and godmother as two significant people who nurtured her faith.
Brown told the audience of her experience of meeting the pope when she represented Alberta to receive the World Youth Day cross for its Canadian tour. She noted how the pope loves the young people.
"I saw in (the pope's) eyes that he was happy to receive me, not only because I was young, but because I was a young female," Brown said.
Brown believes that "the heart of each parish is always a group of women."
Without (women), different parishes wouldn't be the same welcoming and nurturing community, she said.
"Women are the ones who contribute greatly in youth ministry," she said.
From Sheree Drummond's point of view, that is the case because women are allowed to serve as youth ministers.
But her experience as a college chaplain reveals different realities.
Drummond, director of campus ministry and student services at St. Joseph's College, has to explain her role often to people whose understanding of the word "chaplain" is equivalent to priest.
Students would come to her office and look for a priest, while her door has a sign that says chaplain.
Drummond, who grew up in an ecumenical household, holds a master's degree in political science and a master of divinity from Newman College.
Exposure to feminist theologians was crucial for Drummond. Through them she was able to enflesh her position as a female Catholic minister.
Drummond would want to pursue further studies in theology.
"But I think along this line is another example of difficulty for women in the Church," Drummond told the WCR.
"If I happened to be male, I probably would have been encouraged to pursue a degree, likely would have been within the Church structure," she said.
But for her to do a doctorate that would have to come out of her own time and money. "It is too significant a sacrifice for a very unsettled world not knowing where you can find employment with that and how people are going to respond to it," Drummond said.
"I believe that women and men share in the mission of Christ equally," she emphasized. "But I believe that it is critical that (lay ministers) are well trained."
St. Joseph's College professor Rose Marie Hague, who coordinated the event with 14 other women, told the WCR that "women's gifts must not be cut out because of their (gender)."
"My inspiration in coordinating this event is not only on the past, honouring our foremothers, but also for the future," Hague said.
"We need to ask what the future looks like for women in the Church," she added.
Margaret McCabe, a rehabilitation counsellor at Canadian Paraplegic Association, was the third guest speaker.
When asked what she would like to see change in the Church, she pinpointed "more love and tolerance."
"I still have to experience feeling welcomed because I am different," she added.
While Brown hopes to see inter-generational understanding in the Church, Drummond emphasized the people's role being based on their gifts and not on their gender.
"I am putting my neck here on the line but I also want to see the Church talk about Eucharistic hospitality and actually mean it," Drummond said.
The one-day conference was divided into two parts. The first part was a look in the past where prominent women in the history were portrayed in a drama. The second part was the talks given by three young women as a look in the future
Stories of women in the Bible to the modern day women like Dorothy Day, were creatively retold by Patricia Casey, who directed the drama.
The story revolved around a young woman questioning what the Church has for her. "I think many young women do (have this question)," Casey said.
Of all the characters portrayed, Dorothy Day stole the day.
"So many of her approaches helped shape the way that social justice activism has developed through the century," Casey said.
Dr. Kay Feehan said these women are extremely powerful images.
"I think the (drama) opened up to people who these women were, for those who didn't know about them," Feehan told the WCR.
"Our history in the Church is written mostly by males and they have sometimes neglected the strong contributions that these women made," she said.
"Catherine of Siena was really the one responsible for getting the pope back to Rome," cited Feehan. "She is just one example."
Rene‚ Chalifoux, 21, an education student at U of A, was thankful she attended the workshop. She spoke highly of the message in the drama that was presented.
"What really hit me was the realization that the journey began in the very early Church with women who were just like us," she told the WCR.
"We can look up to them and consider them our companions in the journey together with our mothers and grandmothers," Chalifoux said.
Ann Marie Heino, 21, majoring in arts and women studies at U of A, was inspired by the event.
"It gives me encouragement and hope that women would rise up," she said.
Social activist and Newman College professor Bob McKeon, one of the few men present, felt privileged having participated in the conference.
"It was great being here today with a group of women, who have done years and years of service to the community in so many different ways," McKeon said.
Aside from the drama presentation and the talks, participants met in different groups between sessions and shared their thoughts and experiences.
A mini-concert by Edmonton-based Chanteuse was also presented which rendered inspirational songs and some cuts from the movie musical Sister Act.
The conference ended with a liturgy highlighting the dreams of women regarding their role in the Church.
Copyright © 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 -- Western Catholic Reporter
Our mission: To serve our readers by bringing the Gospel to bear on current issues in the Church and in secular culture through accurate news coverage and reflective commentary. | <urn:uuid:ddcf618d-8d7d-4bff-88bf-317d14770151> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wcr.ab.ca/old-site/news/2001/1029/womenchurch102901.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987442 | 1,552 | 1.570313 | 2 |
President Obama keeps a close eye on Marco Rubio. Not an obsessively close one, mind you, but the White House’s political GPS definitely tracks his movements.
The first-term Republican senator from Florida didn’t inspire the White House’s recent immigration shift, but his efforts undoubtedly accelerated it. Obama gave immigration officials wide discretion to, on a case-by-case basis, grant students in the crosshairs of deportation the right to obtain temporary work permits or attend college. Hill Democrats and Republicans alike believe that Obama outfoxed and outmaneuvered Rubio, who for three months advertised his intention to draft a GOP version of the Dream Act (which Obama’s executive-policy gambit has now temporarily addressed).
Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney had been waiting expectantly for the never-to-emerge Rubio bill. Now both are left stranded—much to the White House’s delight—on the sidelines of immigration and Latino politics, while the president soaks up attention. And Obama’s campaign has wasted no time deploying the policy as a fundraising weapon and to fuel a new round of Latino-centered registration drives.
“We were not thinking about Senator Rubio,” Cecilia Muñoz, head of the White House Domestic Policy Council, told National Journal. “A lot of things were responsible.” Still, Muñoz noted that some congressional Republicans “have focused on this issue in a different way”—none more visibly than Rubio, whom top White House advisers and Obama loyalists frequently cite as the most-Obama-like figure on the GOP’s bench.
The immigration rollout wasn’t the administration’s first opportunity to neutralize the young Republican. The White House tracked closely and coyly fed stories about Rubio’s travails concerning the now-reconfirmed U.S. ambassador to El Salvador, Maria Carmen Aponte. It wasn’t much of a story stateside, but Aponte, the first Puerto Rican to serve as a U.S. ambassador, faced a wall of GOP opposition (led by Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C.). Obama recess-appointed Aponte in August 2010.
When her term expired last year, Rubio, seeking leverage on the administration’s dealings in Cuba and Nicaragua, voted against Aponte. That decision incurred the wrath of some 400,000 Puerto Rican voters in Florida and drew heavy, skeptical coverage in Spanish-language newspapers and news broadcasts. Rubio voted for Aponte’s renomination last week and has tried to downplay the fracas.
“I have no idea,” Rubio said when asked by NJ if he felt the White House was tracking him. “They should buy my book. I was going to send them a copy, but now they should buy it. I can’t pay attention to all this crowd noise.”
It has been a helluva seven days for Rubio. And that’s not counting the 100 scheduled media appearances this week and next to promote his biography, An American Son. Yes, he still is trying to stick to the Hillary Rodham Clinton model by tending more to Senate business than his own profile. (He shelved an appearance on Jon Stewart’s Daily Show to vote on farm-bill amendments; when a senator chooses sorghum over Stewart, you know he’s sowing his political oats.) But that strategy is growing more difficult. Rubio starts an eight-day bus tour on June 30 in Miami to hawk his book. He’ll spend four days in Florida, then embark on a winding ride through Georgia and the Carolinas before finishing in the cradle of Beltway buzz and syrupy conventional wisdom, Northern Virginia. It’s a book tour, or rolling advertisement for a Romney veep pick, or a narrative-feeding precursor to a 2016 presidential campaign. Your choice.
Rubio denies he has been iced on immigration, but he acknowledges that Obama’s maneuver has blunted all possible GOP movement on dealing with “dreamers”—those children brought to the United States illegally but raised here and hopeful of remaining to work or pursue a college education. “My colleagues tell me now there’s no urgency and that this can wait, and I don’t have a rebuttal for that,” he said. “But the president hasn’t solved this. He’s just turned it into a political ping-pong ball.”
Yet Rubio won’t say he flatly opposes Obama’s approach or whether he would encourage lawsuits to block its implementation. Like his Senate leader, Mitch McConnell,R-Ky., and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, Rubio defers to Romney to articulate the party’s position on a potential Dream Act-lite. He is ticked, however, that his legislative efforts have been thwarted.
“A year ago, the president said he couldn’t do this, and now, suddenly, it’s the greatest idea in the history of the world,” Rubio said. “The president’s taken unilateral action. There was no effort at a legislative solution. Why? Because it was driven entirely by political calculations.”
Rubio also defends his fruitless three-month search for a bill that could unify Senate Republicans and, possibly, attract a stray Democrat or two. “I know the difference between a messaging point and a mature piece of legislation,” he said. “That takes time. A permanent solution that can attract the votes necessary to pass is not something you can fast-track.”
Top White House officials said that Rubio’s grumpiness is a reflection of his own inexperience. His advocacy, they say, gave Latino activists even more impetus to pressure the White House to move. And Rubio’s plodding approach also gave the administration—building on discretionary applications of deportation practices refined in 2010 and 2011 by John Morton, the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement—an opening to score political points with Latinos and, at least on immigration, shove Rubio off center stage.
To highly attuned White House ears, the carping as he goes is a sweet noise indeed.
Want to stay ahead of the curve? Sign up for National Journal’s AM & PM Must Reads. News and analysis to ensure you don’t miss a thing. | <urn:uuid:d408bee9-5bcc-4414-9cd5-961cda1414d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nationaljournal.com/thenextamerica/politics/analysis-rubio-restrained-20120622 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956699 | 1,347 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Defendant Berman Swarttz Productions, Inc., (hereinafter called Swarttz) entered into separate contracts, under date of June 30, 1953, with plaintiffs and various other persons interested in the Broadway musical revue "New Faces of 1952", in order to produce a motion picture version of the stage production. Plaintiffs' contracts may be summarized as follows:
Swarttz agreed to pay each plaintiff a certain percentage of the net profits of the picture. In exchange, The Intimate Revue Company (hereinafter called Revue), in the basic agreement, granted Swarttz the exclusive right to use the physical properties of the show; New Faces, Inc., (hereinafter called New Faces) granted Swarttz the exclusive right to use its trade names; Julian K. Sprague (and others) invested moneys in the picture by way of interest-bearing loans; and Leonard Sillman agreed to act as the associate producer.
In addition, in the Revue and Sprague contracts, Swarttz agreed to give the distributor of the picture a "Notice of Irrevocable Authority" directing it to pay directly to Revue and Sprague their share of the profits. Similarly, in the New Faces and Sillman contracts, Swarttz agreed to deliver a "Notice of Irrevocable Assignment and Authority" directing the distributor to pay directly to New Faces and Sillman their share of the profits and also agreed that their share would be so paid. All of the contracts permitted assignment.
It was originally contemplated that the picture was to be distributed by the United Artists Corporation in third dimension and color. Shortly thereafter, however, so as to obtain the [*399] benefits of the CinemaScope process, it was decided to distribute the picture through defendant Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (hereinafter called Twentieth Century).
In order to effect these new arrangements, Swarttz, on September 8, 1953, entered into a contract with defendant National Pictures Corporation (hereinafter called National), which had a CinemaScope license and a distribution agreement with Twentieth Century. Under this contract, Swarttz assigned to National all of Swarttz's rights under the various agreements with persons, including plaintiffs, having an interest in the production. In consideration, National agreed to pay Swarttz a certain percentage of the net profits of the picture less the percentages to be paid to the persons, firms and corporations, including plaintiffs, entitled thereto. National accepted such assignments and expressly assumed all of Swarttz's obligations thereunder. National also agreed to give Twentieth Century a "Notice of Irrevocable Authority" directing the latter to pay to Chemical Bank and Trust Company for the accounts of Swarttz and of plaintiffs their percentages of the profits and that the bank was to pay these sums directly to Swarttz and plaintiffs.
National's distribution agreement with Twentieth Century had been entered into on April 16, 1951, or more than two years prior to the making of any of the aforesaid agreements. Twentieth Century alleges that plaintiffs knew of this contract before Swarttz's contract with National, but plaintiffs deny that they had any knowledge of the contract until November, 1953. Under its terms, National is to furnish Twentieth Century with 7 to 10 pictures during the ensuing 7 years, each picture to cost a minimum of $400,000 and to be free from all incumbrances and from the claims of owners of any material used in the pictures.
At least 10 days prior to the delivery of each picture, National is to deliver to Twentieth Century: "Photostat copies of all contracts for the acquisition of literary or other material used in the Picture and with producers, directors, musicians, actors, actresses and any other persons who render services for or in connection with the production of the Picture." Twentieth Century is given the right (but not the obligation) to examine such contracts and if, in the opinion of Twentieth Century's attorneys, they are not sufficient to permit full exercise of Twentieth Century's rights or the picture fails to conform to [*400] the agreement, National shall, upon written notice within 60 days of receipt of the contracts, be deemed in default. Twentieth Century may terminate the contract upon any default of National. Acceptance of the picture by Twentieth Century shall not be construed to release or relieve National of any of its representations, warranties, indemnities or covenants in the agreement, one of which was to "discharge (1) all claims".
After deduction of a distribution fee and expenses, the receipts of the picture are "payable to or for the account of" National (emphasis supplied). Except for assignments by National to two named corporations, or for the purpose of securing loans by a prescribed procedure, article Twenty-Fourth of the agreement provides, among other things: "(a) * * * neither party hereto shall assign this agreement, in whole or in part, or any rights or monies payable hereunder, without the prior written consent of the other party, nor shall any right hereunder or any property or contract covered hereby devolve by operation of law or otherwise upon any receiver trustee, liquidator, successor or other person through or as representative of either party." It was further provided that Twentieth Century shall not be required to pay any sum payable to National to anyone except National or one designee only; that Twentieth Century shall not be required to recognize any assignments; and that if Twentieth Century shall receive notice of the existence of any assignment, it shall have the right to withhold payments until the assignment is cancelled or withdrawn.
Under the provisions of this agreement, plaintiffs' contracts with Swarttz and Swarttz's contract with National were submitted for inspection to Twentieth Century, which evinced no objection to any part of these contracts. The picture, although costing only $220,000 instead of the required $400,000, was delivered to and accepted and distributed by Twentieth Century under this agreement. Shortly after the first release of the picture, plaintiffs' attorney gave notice to Twentieth Century's attorney of the direct payment provisions in plaintiffs' contracts and was assured by him that Twentieth Century could and would "hold up distribution of moneys to National" under its contract.
Chemical Bank and Trust Company has refused to accept such funds as a distribution agent, and this contributed to the present [*401] controversy. Twentieth Century now holds a portion of the receipts deposited with defendant "Chase National Bank" and threatens to distribute such receipts in disregard of plaintiffs' claims. Both National and Swarttz have refused to execute notices of irrevocable authority as required by their contracts.
In this action, plaintiffs seek a declaration of their rights, the impression of a lien upon the receipts of the picture, a direction to pay to each of them a stated percentage of such receipts, an injunction prohibiting Twentieth Century from otherwise distributing them, an accounting and a money judgment for such sums as they claim are now due them. In addition, specific performance is sought of the agreements of National and Swarttz to execute and deliver the irrevocable notices. At Special Term, Twentieth Century's motion for summary judgment, or, in the alternative, for joinder of indispensable parties, was denied. The Appellate Division reversed on the law, and granted summary judgment without passing on the motion for joinder.
Both National and Swarttz are California corporations doing no business and having no assets in New York. They were served only in California and neither has appeared in this action, although the corporate defendant Swarttz has executed stipulations by Swarttz as president for extensions of time to answer. Other persons, whose contracts with Swarttz in regard to this picture entitle them to similar percentage payments as plaintiffs, have brought suit in California where their claims in some respects are said to conflict with those of plaintiffs.
In our opinion, Special Term was correct in denying defendants' alternative prayer for relief, viz., that assignees other than plaintiffs be brought into this action as indispensable parties. They are not such parties. Each of the plaintiffs in the case relies on a separate and distinct agreement. Even if we deemed them and other assignees as united in interest and conditionally necessary parties, they are all without the jurisdiction of this State, and therefore are not required to be brought into this action, for it can effectively be disposed of without them (Civ. Prac. Act, § 194; Keene v. Chambers, 271 N. Y. 326; Howard v. Arthur Murray, Inc., 281 App. Div. 806; Silberfeld v. Swiss Bank Corp., 266 App. Div. 756; see China Sugar Refining Co. v. Anderson, Meyer & Co., 6 Misc 2d 184.). And so with the defendants, National and Swarttz, plaintiffs' [*402] assignors (Bergman v. Liverpool & London & Globe Ins. Co., 269 App. Div. 103). Though also outside the jurisdiction of this State, they have nevertheless been named as parties defendant in this action, have been served outside the State under the provisions of sections 232-235 of the Civil Practice Act, and are subject to an in rem judgment.
Since plaintiffs have no direct contractual relationship with Twentieth Century, they can prevail in their claim for direct payments only on the theory of an assumption of such an obligation by Twentieth Century or on the theory of an assignment from Swarttz and National. We see no merit whatever as to the first theory, for, whatever the law may be elsewhere (see Restatement, Contracts, § 164), it is well settled in this State that the assignee of rights under a bilateral contract does not become bound to perform the duties under that contract unless he expressly assumes to do so (Langel v. Betz, 250 N. Y. 159, 164; Matter of Kaufman [Iselin & Co.], 272 App. Div. 578, 581; Smith v. Morin Bros., 233 App. Div. 562, 564; Anderson v. New York & H. R. R. Co., 132 App. Div. 183, 187, 188; New York Phonograph Co. v. Davega, 127 App. Div. 222, 234; 2 Williston on Contracts, § 418A), which is not this case.
As to the second ground pressed on us by plaintiffs, we conclude that Swarttz and National intended a present assignment to plaintiffs of a portion of the funds to become due to the former from Twentieth Century, and that such funds would ordinarily be assignable. (Matter of Gruner, 295 N. Y. 510, 517, 518.) All that was left for the future was the formality of a "Notice" to Twentieth Century of the assignment. Such notice to the obligor is not required for an effective assignment, except to defeat a subsequent bona fide payment by the obligor (Williams v. Ingersoll, 89 N. Y. 508, 522; State Factors Corp. v. Sales Factors Corp., 257 App. Div. 101, 103).
The funds accruing to National under its contract with Twentieth Century, however, may be made nonassignable if that agreement in appropriate language so provides. We all agree with the Appellate Division that said contract does so provide and that Allhusen v. Caristo Constr. Corp. (303 N. Y. 446) is controlling here.
A prohibition against assignment, however, may be waived (Devlin v. Mayor of City of N. Y., 63 N. Y. 8, 14; Brewster v. City of Hornellsville, 35 App. Div. 161, 166; Hackett v. [*403] Campbell, 10 App. Div. 523, 526, affd. 159 N. Y. 537; see, also, Woollard v. Schaffer Stores Co., 272 N. Y. 304; Gillette Bros. v. Aristocrat Restaurant, 239 N. Y. 87, 89, 90; Murray v. Harway, 56 N. Y. 337, 342, 343; Ireland v. Nichols, 46 N. Y. 413, 416). The very wording of the clause that Twentieth Century "shall not be required to" recognize assignments made without consent and "shall have the right to withhold" payments indicates that the parties contemplated that Twentieth Century might recognize such assignments and thereby waive the anti-assignment clause. Waiver is "the intentional relinquishment of a known right" (Werking v. Amity Estates, 2 N Y 2d 43, 52). As we stated in Alsens Amer. Portland Cement Works v. Degnon Contr. Co. (222 N. Y. 34, 37): "It is essentially a matter of intention. * * * Commonly, it is sought to be proved by various species of proofs and evidence, by declarations, by acts and by non-feasance, permitting differing inferences and which do not directly, unmistakably or unequivocally establish it. Then it is for the jury to determine from the facts as proved or found by them whether or not the intention existed." (See Devlin v. Mayor of City of N. Y. supra.; Brewster v. City of Hornellsville, supra.)
As to this issue of waiver, it appears from the papers that National's contract with Twentieth Century forbidding assignments was made in 1951, more than two years prior to the assignments in question; that Twentieth Century examined all the contracts here involved prior to accepting the picture from National in 1953, and consequently knew of the assignments to plaintiffs which it now alleges are a breach of its agreement with National; that, having examined these contracts, Twentieth Century was required by its agreement with National to notify National within 60 days if they were to be treated as a breach of the agreement; that Twentieth Century failed to so notify National; that Twentieth Century accepted the picture and exercised the rights created by the very contract which made the assignments to plaintiffs without notifying either plaintiffs or National of any intention to consider them void; that shortly after the picture was released, and after Chemical Bank refused to act as distributing agent, plaintiffs' attorney spoke about the assignments to Twentieth Century's attorney, who not only evinced no objection at the time, but stated that Twentieth Century would withhold distribution of moneys to National. [*404] While of course not decisive, these facts have an important bearing on the issue of waiver.
Rule 113 of the Rules of Civil Practice provides that when an answer is served with a defense, sufficient as a matter of law, founded upon facts established prima facie by documentary evidence, "the complaint may be dismissed on motion unless the plaintiff * * * shall show such facts as may be deemed by the judge hearing the motion, sufficient to raise an issue with respect to the verity and conclusiveness of such documentary evidence". The Judge who heard this motion at Special Term concluded that the question of waiver raised a triable issue; so did two Justices of the Appellate Division; and so do we. To hold that there is a triable issue as to waiver does not, as our dissenting brethren claim, frustrate the plain purpose of the anti- assignment clause, except as the waiver of any contractual provision, clearly recognized by law, frustrates such provision; indeed, to hold as a matter of law that there was no waiver here would sharply depart from our established summary judgment procedure.
To grant summary judgment it must clearly appear that no material and triable issue of fact is presented (Di Menna & Sons v. City of New York, 301 N. Y. 118). This drastic remedy should not be granted where there is any doubt as to the existence of such issues (Braun v. Carey, 280 App. Div. 1019), or where the issue is "arguable" (Barrett v. Jacobs, 255 N. Y. 520, 522); "issue-finding, rather than issue- determination, is the key to the procedure" (Esteve v. Abad, 271 App. Div. 725, 727). In Gravenhorst v. Zimmerman (236 N. Y. 22, 38-39) Chief Judge Hiscock, writing for this court, observed that one person may argue that as matter of law the assignor abandoned and lost the benefit of his rescission, whereas another might think that was a question of fact, and concluded: "It never could have been, or in justice ought to have been, the intention of those who framed our Practice Act and rules thereunder that the decision of such a serious question as this should be flung off on a motion for summary judgment. Whatever the final judgment may be the defendants were entitled to have the issue deliberately tried and their right to be heard in the usual manner of a trial protected."
Inasmuch as it is our opinion, upon this record, that a triable issue is presented as to the alleged waiver of the anti-assignment [*405] clause, the judgment appealed from should be reversed and the order of Special Term reinstated, with costs.
Save for the issue of waiver, we are all agreed that defendant Twentieth Century-Fox would be entitled to summary judgment dismissing the complaint. On that question, too, I am persuaded, as was the Appellate Division, that no triable issue of fact is presented.
Plaintiffs are a few of a large number of artists and investors embroiled in a controversy with National Pictures Corporation and Berman Swarttz Productions over the distribution of profits from a motion picture released in 1954 and still being exhibited. The controversy is extensive and the disputants numerous. Some 17 other claimants, not parties to this action, have instituted suit in California and, according to the averment of the complaint in that California action, have assigned to the present plaintiffs different percentile shares of the profits than the latter now claim in the complaint before us. At any rate, in view of the inability of the parties to agree on their respective shares and in view of the consequent difficulty of distributing the profits as they are accumulated, at least one bank, the Chemical Bank and Trust Company, has refused to act as distributing agent. Plaintiffs now seek to foist this burden on Twentieth Century-Fox, the firm which distributed the film pursuant to a contract with National, on the theory that National assigned to the plaintiffs part of the payments due to it, in the proportions they claim.
I have no doubt, and, indeed, no one disputes, that it was to prevent entanglement in this very sort of controversy that Twentieth Century-Fox insisted, and explicitly provided in its contract with National, that it would not be "required to recognize or accept any assignments"; that payments would be made only to National and to "no other person"; that no right under the contract would "devolve * * * upon any * * * other person through or as representative of either party"; and that "neither party" would assign the agreement or any part of it "or any rights or monies payable" under it "without the prior written consent of the other". Nevertheless, despite the admitted absence of such consent though the plaintiffs had ample opportunity to obtain it and, despite the fact that the plain and only purpose of the anti-assignment provisions would thereby be completely frustrated, plaintiffs urge [*406] that Twentieth Century-Fox must submit to the inconvenience, the expense and the uncertainty of a trial solely because it made no protest when it examined the contracts between plaintiffs and National or when it was told by plaintiffs' attorney of the assignments.
Allegations such as these, and they are the only ones made by plaintiffs, do not support the conclusion that a triable issue of fact is presented. That there was no "protest" from the attorneys for Twentieth Century-Fox means nothing. Inquiry, to be meaningful, must go deeper: did that failure reasonably reflect an "intentional relinquishment of a known right"? If it did not, then, there is no basis for either inference or finding of waiver. (Werking v. Amity Estates, 2 N Y 2d 43, 52; Alsens Amer. Portland Cement Works v. Degnon Contr. Co., 222 N. Y. 34, 37.)
Courts are properly hesitant about frustrating contract provisions which prohibit assignment and, accordingly, the rule is settled that "an estoppel or waiver must be established by the person claiming it by a preponderance of evidence, and neither an estoppel nor a waiver * * * can be inferred from mere silence or inaction." (Gibson Elec. Co. v. Liverpool & London & Globe Ins. Co., 159 N. Y. 418, 426-427; see, also, Truglio v. Zurich Gen. Acc. & Liability Ins. Co., 247 N. Y. 423, 427.) And, more to the point, the affirmative acts required to defeat a nonassignment clause by a finding of waiver have invariably been such as are unquestionably inconsistent with anything but recognition of the assignment - - as, for instance, making payment to the assignee (see Hackett v. Campbell, 159 N. Y. 537, affg. 10 App. Div. 523, 526; Devlin v. Mayor of City of N. Y., 63 N. Y. 8, 14) allowing the assignee to complete the job (see Brewster v. City of Hornellsville, 35 App. Div. 161, 166) or, in the case of a lease, receiving rents knowing that the assignee is in possession. (See Woollard v. Schaffer Stores Co., 272 N. Y. 304, 312- 313; Gillette Bros. v. Aristocrat Restaurant, 239 N. Y. 87, 89- 90.)
Indeed, on facts far stronger than those asserted by plaintiffs, the courts have held, as a matter of law, that there was no waiver of the anti-assignment clause. (See, e.g., Allhusen v. Caristo Constr. Corp., 5 Misc 2d 749-750 [per Botein, J.], affd. 278 App. Div. 817, affd. 303 N. Y. 446; Concrete Form Co. v. Grange Constr. Co., 320 Pa. 205; Joint School [*407] Dist. v. Marathon County Bank, 187 Wis. 416.) In the Allhusen case (supra, 303 N. Y. 446), for instance, a contractor, the defendant, hired a subcontractor to do some painting work, their contract providing that there was to be no assignment without the contractor's written consent. The subcontractor, nevertheless, made an assignment of amounts due to it as security for a loan, the assignee, a bank, being unaware of the provision against assignment. When the subcontractor later sought to secure a further loan, the bank discussed the assignment with the contractor's general manager. No protest was voiced and no word uttered about the invalidity of an assignment, and, on the strength of that conversation, the bank declared, it made additional loans secured by further assignments. The subcontractor thereafter became insolvent and the contractor, relying on the anti-assignment clause, refused to honor the assignments made to the bank. In the suit thereafter brought by the bank's successor, Special Term granted the contractor's motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint. The court stressed the fact that there had been no written consent to the assignment and ruled, as a matter of law, that no waiver could be inferred from the circumstance that the contractor had failed to object to the assignment when he had been advised of it. The Appellate Division affirmed (278 App. Div. 817) and so did we (303 N. Y. 446), although by the time the appeal reached us, the plaintiff, recognizing its weakness, had abandoned the argument of waiver.
The rightness of that result is reinforced and confirmed by cases decided in other jurisdictions. On facts even stronger than those in the Allhusen case, the highest courts of both Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have unanimously held, as a matter of law, that there was no waiver. (See Concrete Form Co. v. Grange Constr. Co., supra, 320 Pa. 205; Joint School Dist. v. Marathon County Bank, supra, 187 Wis. 416.) In the Pennsylvania case, which is particularly illuminating, an agreement between a contractor and a subcontractor provided that the latter would not "assign any payments thereunder except by and in accordance with the consent of [the] contractor." Without obtaining the requisite consent, the subcontractor executed an assignment of some of the moneys due it to a bank and the latter immediately notified the contractor by letter of the assignment, requesting an "acknowledgment". The contractor, [*408] acknowledging receipt of the letter "concerning an assignment" confirmed the existence of the account, but said nothing about the anti-assignment clause. In reversing the trial court, which had held that the contractor's acknowledgment of the assignment constituted a waiver of the nonassignment provision, the Supreme Court decided that "as a matter of law", there was no waiver (320 Pa. 208-209): "This letter [acknowledging the assignment] did not constitute an unequivocal assent to the assignment. * * * There was no express consent; nor is there sufficient warrant for any implication of the necessary assent. The original contract expressly forbade assignment. By that provision defendant undoubtedly sought to provide against the introduction of one or more third parties * * *. Defendant wished to deal with its subcontractor and with it alone. Any waiver of that provision or consent to its violation would have to be clear, distinct and unequivocal. Such is not the present case. The court below should have ruled as a matter of law that defendant did not consent to the assignment and could not, therefore, be held liable." (Emphasis supplied.)
Turning to the case before us, it is readily apparent that Twentieth Century-Fox also sought "to provide against the introduction of * * * third parties," that it wished, as it stated, to deal with National, and National alone, and that there is no "clear, distinct and unequivocal" evidence of waiver. The Appellate Division was, therefore, eminently correct in holding that there was no basis for any claim of waiver. Let us dwell for a moment on the facts relied upon to spell out waiver. The papers which Twentieth Century-Fox examined, far from making any reference to assignment, actually directed attention to the very agreement between National and Twentieth Century-Fox which, in explicit terms, prohibited assignments. Moreover, that agreement, with all of its anti-assignment provisions, was actually attached to the contract with Berman Swarttz negotiated with National upon plaintiffs' instructions. And, in addition to that, the Swarttz-National agreement itself provided that it should not be construed as giving any right, legal or equitable, to third persons. In short, therefore, the papers examined, instead of informing Twentieth Century-Fox, as plaintiffs allege, that unless it protested it would be relin- [*409] quishing the anti- ssignment provisions, really reaffirmed the vitality of those provisions. Surely, then, Twentieth Century-Fox's "failure to protest" may not be regarded as evidence of an intention to waive. As earlier indicated, such an intent may only be predicated on action taken on the strength of known facts, and acts, to justify an inference of waiver, must be of an affirmative character, not mere silence or inaction. (See, e.g., Gibson Elec. Co. v. Liverpool & London & Globe Ins. Co., supra, 159 N. Y. 418, 427; Allhusen v. Caristo Constr. Corp., supra, 5 Misc 2d 749, affd. 278 App. Div. 817, affd. 303 N. Y. 446; Emerson Radio & Phonograph Corp. v. Standard Appliances, 201 Misc. 821, 827.)
Nor may any inference of waiver be said to flow from the fact that no objection was raised when, some time later, plaintiffs' attorney, in a conversation with counsel for Twentieth Century-Fox, advised him of the assignments. This is the same sort of inaction that has been held insufficient to establish waiver in precisely this type of case. (See Allhusen v. Caristo Constr. Co., supra, 5 Misc 2d 749, affd. 278 App. Div. 817, affd. 303 N. Y. 446; Concrete Form Co. v. Grange Constr. Co., supra, 320 Pa. 205; Joint School Dist. v. Marathon County Bank, supra, 187 Wis. 416.) It is nowhere alleged that Twentieth Century-Fox or anyone on its behalf expressly waived the non-assignment provisions and, if plaintiffs wanted them waived, their attorney should have requested the requisite consent in writing. Having failed to obtain such consent, plaintiffs should not be permitted to involve Twentieth Century-Fox in a troublesome and expensive trial by simply alleging a waiver, without support (as I have demonstrated) of any fact sufficient in law to substantiate the allegation. To hold otherwise not only frustrates the plain purpose of the anti-assignment provisions but amounts to a decided departure from our wise and established summary judgment procedure.
I would affirm the Appellate Division determination granting summary judgment.
Conway, Ch. J., Van Voorhis and Burke, JJ., concur with Froessel, J.; Fuld, J., dissents in an opinion in which Desmond and Dye, JJ., concur.
Judgment of the Appellate Division reversed and the order of Special Term reinstated, with costs in this court and in the Appellate Division. [*410]
Footnote 1: Thus, plaintiffs had expressly authorized Berman Swarttz to arrange for the production of the film "pursuant to" and "under" the contract containing the nonassignment clauses. | <urn:uuid:cab867a3-a23f-4aca-81b4-ade86466bda8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.courts.state.ny.us/reporter/archives/sillman_twentieth_century.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946852 | 6,292 | 1.6875 | 2 |
The above article is a PR address from the Association of American Publishers regarding the infringement lawsuit brought up on Georgia State University by Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press and SAGE Publications. The document gives the reasons why these three publishers felt it necessary to bring up charges against GSU and why it is important that the copyright they hold over their published works is important (mainly because of the significant funds they spend publishing their works).
The above link directs you to the legal complaint in its original form. Using the above legal cliam and the press release to help decipher and guide me through this legal document will help me to better understand why the publishers feel they have been wronged by Georgia State University. The infringements listed by Georgia State University have most assuredly been facilitated by the library/libraries of GSU or at least exacerbated by the library/libraries.
I will use the above article as a way of understanding what was it exactly that publishers feel are significant reasons to bring up suit against an entity. By examining the stated reasons for the lawsuit, I could further research as to what could be done to eliminate the possibility of being sued for supplying copyrighted works to students, faculty, and staff by the university library. The above articles will help me to define in my essay what is sufficient cause for a publisher to take up suit against a university / library.
tagged classroom_use copyright copyright_clearance copyright_law copyright_legal_aspects fair_use law librarian librarians libraries library library_issues scholarly_communication scholarly_publishing teaching u.s._law university_library by aulisio ...on 23-JUL-09
Note: Lexis Nexis doesn't give persistent links (or else I am unable to find where they do) in order to retrieve this article simply search for "a lay perspective on the copyright wars" with only the legal box checkmarked and it will be the first result.
In this Lecture, Columbia University's University Librarian, James G. Neal, addresses the current environment of libraries in regards to copyright and open access. Neal's lecture mostly addresses the findings of the 108 Study Group which was formed to research copyright. Neal explains the current state of copyright, the findings of the 108 Study Group, and the framework necessary in order to facilitate a more open environment for publications and libraries. Neal's lecture defines the library as an all encompassing entity which disseminates information, a center for research, a publisher in its own right. Because of the library's role as a center for just about everything scholarly, the library has a vision of embracing legacy as well as current trends. The library is an information repository and a portal to information. Serving so many roles simultaneously makes the library at the forefront of the copyright war.
In my essay it will be important to state why it is the duty of the librarian to rebel against copyright in order to push for more open access. Neal helps define the library as the center of the copyright war, the very front of the action. By citing Neal and his 108 Study Group's findings, I will be able to convey the importance of the librarian to stand up against copyright in order to defend the very embodiment and idea of the library itself. Neal's article also gives information on the opninion of librarians and library organizations on the issue of copyright and open access. Using some of this information will help me to define how to faciliate a better enviornment for the sharing of intellectual materials.
tagged classroom_use copyright copyright_clearance copyright_law copyright_legal_aspects fair_use law librarians library library_issues open_access scholarly_communication scholarly_publishing teaching u.s._law university_library by aulisio ...on 23-JUL-09 | <urn:uuid:45521086-6f46-4a4f-939f-d73602fb7304> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tags.library.upenn.edu/tag/scholarly_publishing+copyright_legal_aspects+teaching+scholarly_communication | 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 | 0.931958 | 775 | 1.828125 | 2 |
I know, coming from someone who regularly writes a blog — a social media staple — that comment sounds ludicrous. But I’m talking more about things like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, IM and Skype. For the longest time I considered them all to be just more ways for the younger generation (slackers that they are) to avoid talking to real people (like their parents) and becoming contributing members of their communities (like taking out the garbage). My practical side saw no inherent benefits otherwise.
But like rising flood waters slowly encroaching an isolated island, the sheer fact that pretty much everyone else in my family and social circles was IM-ing or Tweeting or Facebooking eventually started softening my resistance. And once I began to lower my defenses, I realized that some of these applications could actually be useful.
Like when my daughter spent a semester in Spain, we were able to keep in touch through Instant Messenger; I’ve used YouTube to post videos to my blog; when my in-laws gathered Easter Day for dinner, Skype allowed my brother and sister-in-law in Houston to join us; I use Twitter to tell people about what’s happening in Webster, including updates on my latest blogs.
And Facebook has probably been the most useful. It’s allowed me to stay connected with my kids in college (whether they like it or not), and reconnect with the kids I graduated with. It’s also recently become an invaluable meeting place for my karate family as we organize support for one of our young students who’s been diagnosed with cancer.
So basically, I’ve joined the Dark Side; I’ve come to realize that these social networking tools do have some value.
Which brings me to the original observation that sparked this blog: Penfield is taking much better advantage of these tools than Webster is. Take Twitter for example. The Town of Penfield has three separate Twitter feeds, from Penfield Community TV, the Penfield Rec Center and the Town of Penfield itself, each of which has hundreds of followers. Granted, it’s entirely likely that one person is responsible for all three feeds, and the feeds tend to be repetitive if you subscribe to all of them, but they do occasionally provide some useful information. For example, did you know that Penfield recently christened its Community Victory Garden?
The Town of Penfield also has a Facebook page. Once again, the postings there are pretty much the same as the Twitter feeds. But if you’re not on Twitter and are on Facebook, it’s a great way to stay updated on your town’s special events.
So kudos to Penfield for taking the lead on the information highway. I challenge Webster’s town and village administrators to do the same. Supervisor Nesbitt and Mayor Elder have both demonstrated that they’re committed to an “open government.” Even in the last few months both have taken steps to improve information access. And there’s been talk about updating the Town’s Website, a step which I believe is long overdue.
But let’s not stop there. More and more people every day are looking to the Internet for news and information. The farther we lag behind in giving them what they want, the harder it will be for us to catch up. | <urn:uuid:fd8cc304-b2cc-49fd-a1ef-9b8e92b874f4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.democratandchronicle.com/webster/?p=3853 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955072 | 691 | 1.585938 | 2 |
The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing and Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly is a roadmap to navigating the world of online marketing. Author David Meerman Scott provides tips and techniques on how to market your product, your idea, or your services using the power of social media, blogs, news releases, online video, and viral marketing to reach your target market directly. And reading this book could help you outline an online marketing campaign for your business. Perhaps, you are doing quite well at creating compelling content for your website, but could learn from the section on using press releases to get your business found.
Unless you are a well rounded online marketer you’ll quite likely learn some important tips from this book. However, if you are looking for step-by-step detail on how to use video to market your business online than this is not the book for you as it doesn’t go into great detail about how to implement each phase of that campaign. It does however, help new marketers understand basic tools such as RSS feeds and YouTube videos.
It starts out coming “How to Web Has Change the Rules of Marketing and PR.” That section provides valuable insight for those who do not fully understand how marketing online differs from offline marketing, and how trying to use the old marketing methods can really hurt your business online.
The next section talks about how to use “Web-Based Communications to Reach Buyers Directly.” It covers using social media to reach your target audience, the benefit of blogs, the benefits of using audio and video to drive action, how to use press releases, the importance of creating a content-rich web site, and how some marketing campaigns spread throughout the interent.
Section three is designed to help you develop an action plan. It covers:
- Building your marketing and PR plan.
- Using thought leadership to develop your organization into a trusted Resource.
- How to write for your specific audience.
- How internet content influences the buying process and how to help that process along.
- The importance of using social networking sites as part of your overall marketing campaign.
- How to reach your buyers through blogging.
- How to use video and podcasting as part of your overall marketing campaign.
- How to use news releases. The benefits of having an online media room and best practices in creating one.
- How reaching the media has changed. Use that information to create a new media relations plan.
- Search engine marketing and why it is important.
- And tips on how to make it all happen.
Each of the topics above are covered in one chapter. But let’s face it, entire books have been written about each one of those topics. So this isn’t a step-by-step how to guide, but it is a good overview of how to make it all work for you and your business.
I have been marketing online for years, and I learned some new tips that I will use to market online. I give this book a four star rating and overall recommend this book to anyone who needs to develop an online marketing campaign for their their services, their products, or their ideas.
The New Rules of Marketing and PR is available at Amazon.
- Genre: Marketing
- Hardcover: 304 pages
- Publisher: Wiley (June 4, 2007)
- ISBN-10: 0470113456
- ISBN-13: 978-047011345
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Posted on Posted on January 10, 2011 under the following category: Book Reviews
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Don't have a website? That's okay. The website field is optional. You may leave it blank or use your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or any other social network URL for your website link. | <urn:uuid:6e11744d-9592-4a81-9fe1-b3fe7c2f1363> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wealthwisdomandsuccess.com/success-books/the-new-rules-of-marketing-pr-by-david-meerman-scott-book-review/2011 | 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 | 0.930184 | 847 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Julie Gutman: As we celebrate liberty and democracy on July 4, let us ask what our founding fathers would have to say about the current torture debate.
If you’re concerned about the growing governmental scrutiny of our private lives and communications in the name of the vaunted “War on Terror,” please participate in the discussion “From McCarthyism to the Patriot Act to Islamophobia,” on Tuesday, September 13, 7 p.m. at Neighborhood Church in Pasadena.
Dick Price: Amir Bar-Lev’s powerful documentary, “The Tillman Story,” fleshes out the tragic arc of Pat Tillman’s life in what becomes less an anti-war movie and more the story of one indomitable family’s struggle for truth and justice in the face of arrogant indifference by our nation’s top military and civilian leaders, abetted by a cheerleading press.
Ivan Eland: The American media, and to a lesser extent the world media, focus on symbolism at the expense of underlying reality. And sometimes they can’t even make sense of the symbolism. The artificially generated controversy over a proposed mosque within about two blocks of the site of the 9/11 attacks is illustrative of this ignorance.
Michael Sigman: Isn’t it precisely the job of political, financial and religious leaders to imagine disasters and then prepare for them? (Plausible ones, that is, as opposed to, say, anti-asteroid Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher’s crusade for funds to combat “objects coming from space that could cause colossal loss of lives on our planet.”) And if their imaginations fail them, and us, shouldn’t they be held accountable — morally and, when appropriate, criminally?
Fearing a new, more formidable opponent than the often buffoonish and macho cowboy George W. Bush, the two leaders of al Qaeda have tag teamed Barack Obama with twin audiotapes condemning him. Unlike Bush—who made little effort to understand the Islamic world and whom al Qaeda could easily bait into reckless acts that raised its [...]
by Charley James – According to both the 9/11 Commission report and Richard Clarke’s book, Against All Enemies, in the summer of 2001 former CIA director George Tenet raced around Washington clanging “alarm bells” to anyone who would listen about a possible al Qaeda attack on the United States. The CIA and the National Security [...]
General David Petraeus, the former military commander of U.S. forces in Iraq and author of the military’s most recent counterinsurgency manual, learned the lessons of the successful British counterinsurgency experience in Malaya in the 1950s. He was able to reduce the violence in Iraq by instituting a policy of U.S. military restraint in that country.
In the twilight of his eight-year term, George W. Bush is the loneliest guy in town these days. Remember him? With the economy in the tank, the Iraq War dragging on with casualties at 2004 levels (which we were all horrified about back then), Bush’s popularity is in the cellar and holding. Republican presidential candidate [...] | <urn:uuid:1cb0af2c-a1d1-46c2-957f-a92e4dec5893> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.laprogressive.com/tag/9-11-attacks/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945908 | 666 | 1.5625 | 2 |
German bank closing the accounts of the Belarusian Trustbank?
13:20, — Politics
The banking conglomerate Commerzbank stops cooperating with the Belarusian bank.
The infobank.by reports about that referring to reliable sources.
The accounts of the Trustbank will be closed starting from 1 February 2013. The Belarusian bank was notified about that on 20 December via the SWIFT system.
The reasons of the decision are so far unknown.
They do not comment on the situation in the Trustbank. The representative office of the Commerzbank in Minsk has also abstained from comments.
We would remind that earlier the Trustbank repeatedly got into scandals connected with laundering of money.
In 2004 the Finance Ministry of the USA introduced sanctions against Infobank, which was accused by the USA of laundering of Saddam Hussein’s money.
Because of that Infobank had to change the name for Trustbank since it suffered from significant image losses. In 2011 a criminal case was started against the chairman of the board of the Belzarubezhstroi company, the head of the supervisory board of the Trustbank Viktar Shautsou, who was suspected of a large scale embezzlement. In May 2012 Trustbank and Kredexbank were introduced in the section 311 of the USA Patriotic act as institutions, causing “top-priority concerns about money laundering”.
Introduction in that list allows the USA finance minister to demand the White House to introduce sanctions against these institutions.
Commerzbank is a German banking conglomerate. It was founded on 26 February 1870. The headquarters are in Frankfurt-on-Maine. The assets account for around 600 billion euro. 36 000 are serving for around 8 million clients in more than 40 countries around the world. Commerzbank is the second largest in Germany in terms of the assets. | <urn:uuid:4dad5760-f778-404c-bf95-ab1e3d422bf3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.charter97.org/en/news/2012/12/21/63113/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954903 | 385 | 1.546875 | 2 |
What is tech but yesterday's dreams realized?
From touchscreen tablets to virtual reality, it all has to start in somebody's mind before it ends up on the shelves of a store (or, let's be honest, in an Amazon warehouse somewhere in the middle of nowhere).
No, we here at CNN Tech haven't dreamed up any technological breakthroughs that will change the world. At least none that we're willing to discuss publicly.
But we do think about tech stuff a lot and ponder how to make it better. So as this new year dawns, we came up with these five wishes for the tech world in 2013.
Are they all likely to come true? Almost certainly not. But some might, and the others may be useful as conversation starters if nothing else.
The Wozniak Initiative
You don't have to be an Apple fanatic to love The Woz.
Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple who is known more as a gadget geek than a ruthless businessman, showed where his heart is when asked about the constant barrage of lawsuits flying back and forth between tech companies these days.
Apple sued Samsung. Samsung sued Apple. Apple sued Google. Google sued Apple. And so on. And so on.
Wozniak, who has dropped out of the business end of things at Apple, had a solution. | <urn:uuid:0cf79266-254a-408b-be17-98d7828eff6f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wcvb.com/news/money/technology/Our-top-tech-wishes-for-2013/-/9848656/17982310/-/ysvk3b/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955068 | 278 | 1.710938 | 2 |
A collection of news and information related to Tooth Decay published by this site and its partners.
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Portland is the largest city in the country that doesn’t have fluoridated water, and voters have resoundingly decided it’s going to remain that way. A proposal to add the cavity-fighting mineral to tap water was defeated Tuesday, with more...
PORTLAND, Ore. — Proponents of fluoridating Portland's water supply had no trouble getting the local Urban League on board. Here in the biggest city in the country that still doesn't treat its water to prevent tooth decay, studies show that low-...
addCustomPlayer('1j59v4a9evljr1d1b5hvawowo7', '', '', 600, 418, 'perf1j59v4a9evljr1d1b5hvawowo7', 'eplayer15'); Josh Hamilton said he was assured by doctors this week that the allergies that lead to occasional sinus and throat discomfort and dizziness...
Servings: 10 to 12 Basic Bread Stuffing Servings: Enough to stuff a 12- to 14-pound turkey, about 10 to 12. 1/2 cup butter 1 large onion, diced 1 to 2 cups diced celery with leaves 12 cups toasted 1/2-inch bread cubes 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/4...
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Pop star Beyonce Knowles-Carter should make her $50-million endorsement deal with soda maker PepsiCo the best thing she never had, according to a health advocacy group. The Center for Science in the Public Interest is ringing the alarm on the diva&...
Thirteen-year-old Stephanie Cota pulled up her sleeve and glanced at the needle. "Is it gonna hurt?" she asked. "You'll feel it, but you look like a strong girl," said Yadira Guerra, a licensed vocational nurse. "Just turn the other way." When Cota...
Varsity Times InsiderThe varsity football team at Studio City Harvard-Westlake is spending a week sleeping in the old campus gym that has no air conditioning. That's about the only complaint the players should have. They're getting catered meals three times a day.......
David Hill has a 12-year-old daughter and sons who are 10 and 7. He's also a pediatrician in Wilmington, N.C., and has written "Dad to Dad: Parenting Like a Pro," published this month by the American Academy of Pediatrics. We thought we'd get some of...
L.A. NOWMore than a thousand people on Thursday took advantage of a massive free clinic that opened at the L.A. Sports Arena....
The holidays burst upon us every year with a veneer of joyousness, yet that bubbling of good cheer masks a series of rather dire seasonal warnings: Don't eat too many rich, fatty foods; don't drink to excess; don't forsake your exercise routine; and,...
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Nov 22, 2009 |Story| Los Angeles Times | <urn:uuid:e3bde38e-1efd-49ce-9a81-c1e55c19bc2a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.latimes.com/topic/health/dentistry-dental-health/tooth-decay-HEDNT00008.topic | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939113 | 848 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Ethiopia: Violence Erupts In Gambella
Attacks on the Saudi-owned rice plantation in southwestern Ethiopia left five people dead on April 28, 2012, including one Pakistani worker and four Ethiopians, with at least another eight people injured.
The attack took place about three miles from the headquarters of Saudi Star, an agriculture company owned by Ethiopian-born Saudi billionaire Mohammed Al-Amoudi.
The government has stated that "anti-peace" elements were responsible for...
For the rest of the article, as well as maps, images, related items, and videos, please visit Indigenous Peoples Issues & Resources. | <urn:uuid:3654d61c-f69d-480f-9d34-e81b5dcaa41f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.isuma.tv/lo/es/indigenous-peoples-issues-and-resources/ethiopia-violence-erupts-in-gambella | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968794 | 128 | 1.5625 | 2 |
A little over a year ago, I found myself channeling Chaucer, embarking on my own pilgrimage while studying abroad in York, UK. Instead of Canterbury, however, my destination was Oxford. And instead of St. Thomas a Beckett, I sought the sites of another divine: Clive Staples Lewis.
I was never much into "The Chronicles of Narnia," but when I read Lewis' "Mere Christianity" at the age of 16, it completely changed the way I thought of my faith. Lewis has provided answers to millions since his death in 1963, speaking to an age that views traditional expressions of faith -- and even faith itself -- with skepticism. And as I boarded the train from York to London in desperate need of answers to my own questions, I hoped Lewis could help me.
I was at a pivotal point in my own faith journey. In the throes of discerning a call to ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church, I had just come out of a complete upheaval of my previous religious identity as a Southern Baptist.
After disembarking the train at the Oxford train station and checking into my B&B, I headed up to Headington just North of Oxford to pay a visit to Lewis's grave and to make an appointment to tour Lewis's nearby home, The Kilns.
The tiny church where Lewis lies buried is idyllic. It sits in the cleft of a gentle valley, at the end of a narrow, winding road lined with pretty houses. The area around the church itself is surprisingly wooded, and so serene. I heeded the signs on the parish gate and found the Lewis' marker -- a large marble slab -- situated beneath an ancient tree. Bright flower buds carpeted the grass leading up to the grave as if to point pilgrims like myself in the right direction.
In his book "The Great Divorce," Lewis posited heaven as a celestial country more real than our own, where the grass pierces the feet of those unfit to stand upon it. Something about the sight of the flowers made me think he had made it there. I paid my solemn respects and, after a few moments of silence, turned to leave.
Though The Kilns has a new life as a living space for scholars and students doing research at the university, it still bares the marks of the man who had once called this place home. I felt transported into Lewis's life as I stepped through the front door, and was nearly moved to tears when, at the end of my tour, my guide took me into a downstairs bedroom where Lewis died.
"He had collapsed onto the floor," my guide told me, her voice trembling slightly. "Warnie (Lewis's brother) found him lying there, and he died shortly thereafter."
The marble grave marker flashed through my head, and the epitaph inscribed upon it: Men must endure their going hence.
On day two, I toured the colleges. For dinner I stopped for a meal at the Eagle and Child -- the pub where Lewis, Tolkien, and the others who called themselves "the Inklings" met to read their work to one another. I tried to imagine what it would have been like in their day, drinks at their elbows, pipe smoke swirling toward the ceiling, a small fire crackling in the fireplace. I tried to listen to their conversation. I hoped I'd hear a piece of sage advice that would help me articulate where my fear came from, that would help me articulate my vocation.
The next day, after lunch at Magdalen College (where Lewis taught), I was shown the way to Addison's Walk by a man I had met at my table. Named after the 18th century writer Joseph Addison, this wooded, creek-side path bore particular significance for my pilgrimage. Lewis frequently walked this path with his friends JRR Tolkien and Hugo Dyson, and while on one of these walks Lewis became convinced of the veracity of his Christian faith. In a very real way, that one walk down this dirt path altered Christianity in the 20th century and literally changed the world.
To be fair, I didn't expect anything of that magnitude to happen as I walked down Addison's Walk, but I was hoping that a little of that energy still hung in the air somewhere for me to absorb.
For him, it was all about myth, and how myth became fact in the life of Jesus Christ. In many modern stories of Lewis, I think evangelicals try to spin this moment on Addison's walk as a conversion experience, but I believe Lewis himself remarked that he felt he never had one. Instead, Lewis' decision to accept his Christian faith came almost imperceptibly.
As I would discover later, my acceptance of my vocation as a priest in the Episcopal Church would occur in a similar way -- subtly, quietly, in the way that scripture describes God speaking in a "still, small voice."
Looking back, that trip to Oxford was a defining moment in my discernment. It showed me what questions to ask, pointing me down the path that eventually led to some semblance of clarity. I found myself thinking of Chaucer's pilgrims, and dwelling on the fact that they never reached their destination; Chaucer never finished "The Canterbury Tales." Yet, as I learned, a pilgrimage is not necessarily about completeness. It's about questions. And it was Lewis who taught me how to ask them.
Click through to see photos from my pilgrimage:
Photos by Cameron Nations
Photo by Cameron Nations
Photo by Cameron Nations
Photo by Cameron Nations | <urn:uuid:73d01e81-1c78-4000-89d5-9d691785e153> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cameron-nations/cs-lewis-pilgrimage_b_1540068.html?ref=religion | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978181 | 1,137 | 1.554688 | 2 |
New York (NY) - While Google continues to give somewhat fuzzy timelines about when it will rollout video piracy prevention mechanisms for YouTube, News Corp’s Myspace today announced that it is going to make available to content owners a tool that would help the social networking site automatically weed out videos that have been posted without the media company’s consent.
Myspace has teamed up with audio tech specialist Audible Magic to implement a video screening process that can identify if a submitted file has a specific "audio fingerprint" that copyright owners can embed into their videos, reports the Associated Press.
A recent piracy sting was initiated last week by Viacom, which ordered YouTube to pull over 100,000 videos that infringed on its copyrights. Myspace has not been under as much fire as YouTube, meaning today’s move is likely more of a preemptive measure.
YouTube was supposed to implement a strong anti-piracy system by the end of 2006, but it failed to do so. Google says it is still working on getting the technology put together, leaving some content owners disgruntled with the video sharing platform.
"YouTube needs to prove that it will implement its filtering technology across its online platform. It’s proven it can do it when it wants to. The question is whether they have the will," NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker was quoted as saying, even after the company came to an agreement with the site to stream videos it submits to YouTube directly. | <urn:uuid:b501772e-9e57-48eb-be1b-d1f144ba097a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/myspace-anti-piracy,news-23915.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969596 | 301 | 1.671875 | 2 |
The sister of prominent Iranian journalist and rights activist Reza Hoda Saber has confirmed her jailed brother's death following a 10-day hunger strike, according to RFE/RL's Radio Farda. Saber had been transferred to a hospital from Tehran's Evin prison, where he had been held since being imprisoned along with hundreds of other activists and intellectuals in the wake of Iran's disputed June 2009 election.
Iranian political activist and journalist Reza Hoda Saber
His sister, Firouzeh Saber, told Radio Farda that the family believes authorities waited several hours after Saber complained of chest pains to hospitalize him.
From jail, Saber had launched his hunger strike on June 2 to protest the treatment of another jailed rights advocate, Haleh Sahabi, who died after what eyewitnesses described as a scuffle at the June 1 funeral of her father, himself a regime opponent who had served time in Iranian jails.
"There are three issues here," Firouzeh Saber told Radio Farda hours after his death. "First of all, why was he in prison? He had been in prison without having been sentenced. Second, why did a tragedy such as [Sahabi's] death happen, leading [Saber] to go on hunger strike? And third, why were [authorities] so careless that it took them several hours to take him to the hospital [after he complained of chest pains]."
This photo posted by the "Kaleme" opposition website suggested that relatives of Reza Hoda Saber gathered in front of Tehran's Modarres hospital after news of his death emerged on June 12.
The opposition "Kaleme" website was among the sources of the original report. The ISNA news agency said Saber's sister had identified his body.
Saber had previously been jailed on several occasions since 2000.
Copyright (c) 2011 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
... Payvand News - 06/12/11 ... -- | <urn:uuid:c993ead9-e82c-4251-811a-b6e5935b8014> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.payvand.com/news/11/jun/1109.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986298 | 437 | 1.53125 | 2 |
[I]n general, the actual victims of America’s military aggression are typically non-existent in the country’s media discussions (last week, I flagged [http://goo.gl/hbdvf] a CNN article [http://goo.gl/ee0JP] describing one such child-victim precisely because it was so rare to see, though that article has now been substantially re-written (without any explanation) to conform to U.S. Government denials of drone strikes in that part of Pakistan). [http://goo.gl/WWKT0] [emphasis mine]
There are at least three different versions of the same CNN article regarding the Pakistani girls injured/killed by the U.S. drone strike in Swat. Interestingly, each version of the CNN article progressively distances the alleged drone strike from the girls that were injured/killed.
“All anyone could say is that there had been a U.S. drone attack. The girls were likely hurt in the strike.”
“All anyone could say is that there had been a U.S. drone attack, though it’s not known how the three girls were injured.”
“All anyone could say is that there had been a U.S. drone attack, though U.S. officials say that drones have never struck targets in Swat.”
At the very least, these revisions seem to indicate illegitimate distortion of the historical record (i.e., historical revisionism). Why are the revisions to the article not explained if they are just? Also, consider why anonymous “U.S. officials” are used. Authority without accountability?
These revisions also indicate some level of cooperation between “U.S. officials” and CNN (extendable to other media outlets?), and that CNN is complicit in revising the historical record.
Sadly, these revisions also indicate the nonperson status the girls injured/killed in Pakistan have with CNN and the State.
With respect to the revised CNN articles, here are the detailed changes:
Strikethrough is used to designate deletions from earlier versions of the article, and underline is used to designate added matter.
Original article (Dec 21, 2011):
Texas doctors to operate on girl burned in U.S. drone strike [http://goo.gl/BbXKo]
First revision (Dec 22, 2011 at 10:53 PM [EST?]):
Texas doctor to operate on injured girl [http://goo.gl/C3JMD]
Notice the title change in the first revision.
Texas doctor to operate on injured girl
burned in U.S. drone strike
In addition, the following changes were made:
believed burned in a U.S. drone strike discovered with severe burns in Pakistan, will undergo reconstructive surgery in January.
All anyone could say is that there had been a U.S. drone attack
. The girls were likely hurt in the strike, though it’s not known how the three girls were injured.
The doctor, who was traveling with House of Charity, took them back
with him to a clinic. They were in grave condition. Two of the girls died, but the littlest one had a chance of making it if she were treated right away.
Shakira put her hands together and clapped…But she knows she was able to give Shakira new life — and a name that could not have been more fitting.
Second revision (Dec 23, 2011 at 2245 GMT [0645 HKT]): Texas doctor to operate on injured girl [http://goo.gl/K493V]
One of the doctors found three little girls left in a trash bin.
They’d suffered horrific injuries.
All anyone could say is that there had been a U.S. drone attack, though
it’s not known how the three girls were injured U.S. officials say that drones have never struck targets in Swat.
It was not known how the girls came to be where they were but one thing was clear: they’d suffered horrific injuries. | <urn:uuid:dc13153a-7841-43de-b1ce-7f827b6e6f7d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://my.firedoglake.com/etisdale/2012/01/01/cnn-and-u-s-denials-of-drone-strikes-in-pakistan/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974592 | 864 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Connecticut state politicians and members of the community gather for Connecticut's Bipartisan Task Force on Gun Violence Prevention and Children's Safety, on January 30, 2013 in Newtown, Connecticut. The taskforce heard testimony from local officials, first responders and families of the Sandy Hook Elementary system. (Photo by Christopher Capozziello/Getty Images)
By Gary Stoller, USA TODAY
NEWTOWN, Conn. - The parents of youngsters killed in last month's
shootings at the Sandy Hook Elementary School said during a state
hearing here Wednesday night that society must learn from the Dec. 14
massacre in which more than 20 people, mostly children, died.
David Wheeler said his son, Ben, was lost "to an unstable, suicidal
individual who had access to a weapon that has no place in a home."
was referring to gunman Adam Lanza, who took his own life after the
massacre. Wheeler told the members of the Connecticut Legislature
presiding over the packed hearing at Newtown High School that access to
weapons is where they must focus their efforts.
"Military-style assault weapons belong in an armory under lock and key, not in a weapons safe at home," Wheeler said.
He also pressed for a better way to identify people in mental distress "that leaves their dignity and self-respect intact."
Nicole Hockley said she will remember forever the wailing of her son,
Jake, when he was told that his brother, Dylan, had died. Hockley said a
gun like the one used in the shootings might be safe with an expert,
but, "in the hands of someone with a mental imbalance, it's a death
Parent Scarlet Lewis, whose 6-year-old son Jesse was
killed in the massacre, told the hearing that she thinks about "kissing
Jesse's sleeping cheek all the time."
She said the world must
learn from the way it united over the tragedy. "We need to hold onto
that feeling of oneness," she said. "Let's turn this tragedy into the
event that turned the tide."
The hearing is the final one of the
Connecticut legislature's task force on gun violence prevention and
children's safety. It is the first one one in Newtown - a community
still reeling as it tries to recover from the events of Dec. 14, when
Lanza killed his mother, Nancy Lanza, in their Newtown home and 26
children and adults at the elementary school.
It also comes as Congress, prodded by the tragedy, debates gun-control measures.
hearing stood in contrast to Monday's hearing in Hartford, during which
numerous gun owners told Connecticut lawmakers that no new gun-control
measures should be enacted. Nearly all the Newtown residents who spoke
Wednesday called for tougher gun-control laws.
Mary Ann Jacob, who
was working in the school library when the Sandy Hook attack took
place, said she heard hundreds of shots "that seemed to last forever."
Of Lanza, she said, "No one needs a gun that can shoot hundreds of
rounds of ammunition in three minutes."
Douglas Fuchs, a Newtown
resident who is police chief in neighboring Redding, Conn., called for a
ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazine clips. "No one has
ever made a cogent argument" as to why public citizens should have
access to assault weapons, he said.
Earlier in the night, Newtown
First Selectman Pat Llodra called for similar bans, prompting a standing
ovation from the audience.
Llodra, a Republican who is the town's
chief executive, said weapons like the Bushmaster rifle used by Lanza
in the fatal shootings at the Sandy Hook Elementary School should not be
in the hands of public citizens.
Llodra said she wonders "how we
as a society have become so desensitized to violence," and called for
improved access to good mental health care and safer schools.
attendee, however, did defend the right to bear arms. Newtown resident
Michael Early, a hunter and military veteran, said the "common
denominator" in these mass shootings is mental health. "It's a shame
that I have to be here tonight to defend the Second Amendment," Early
The full Connecticut Legislature is attending this hearing,
unlike three previous hearings over which smaller legislative groups
The tragedy led to the creation of the state
legislature's task force, which held three previous hearings in
Hartford. The first hearing on Jan. 25 focused on school safety, the
second hearing on Monday was about guns and yesterday's hearing was on
Wednesday's hearing started shortly after 6 p.m.
ET and was scheduled to end at midnight. The first five hours of the
hearing were reserved for testimony from local officials, first
responders and families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School system,
according to the task force.
Contributing: Melanie Eversley | <urn:uuid:aa03722e-f3bb-4d8a-bb23-cb6398342212> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wbir.com/rss/article/251914/16/Hundreds-attend-Newtown-gun-safety-hearing | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964723 | 1,042 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Ray Mabus was sworn in yesterday as Secretary of the Navy. This fulfills a prediction I documented last year over a month before the national presidential elections in my digital book, see Antichrist.
There is a whole section about him in the chapter about Barack Obama called “Obama the Mabus.” I stated that Obama would pick Mabus as a member of his cabinet and that it would start doomsday tongues to wag about the return to the Middle East of the man who was Obama’s special advisor to Arab (Islamic) Middle Eastern affairs throughout his presidential campaign.
No one can deny that this former US Naval Officer, Governor of Mississippi and former US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia under President Clinton has the executive experience to be Secretary of the Navy and the hands-on diplomatic skill sets as the highest civilian official steering the US Navy in its chief arena of operations in the years to come. A majority of US Naval assets are patrolling the waters around the Arabian Peninsula either in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, fighting Somali pirates in the Gulf of Oman. There are also warships constantly stationed in waters directly familiar to Mabus during his short naval career in the early 1970s: the Eastern Mediterranean off the coast of Israel, Syria and Lebanon.
If there is a war between Israel and its Arab neighbors, if there is an air strike by Israel to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, if Pakistan collapses, Ray Mabus will have undeniable prophetic significance as the only candidate in my 25 years of search through Nostradamus’ clues for the man who would be Mabus. Indeed, he IS “Mabus” by birth name; however, I still do not believe the obvious is what Nostradamus meant. The name Mabus is a code name.
Whoever Mabus is, his death triggers the events listed in one of Nostradamus’ most apocalyptic prophecies. Ray Mabus just happens to be mentioned outright, either as a cruel coincidence or by the 16th-century seer’s prescient intent.
Century 2 Quatrain 62:
Mabus puis tost alors mourra, viendra,
De gens & bestes vne horrible defaite:
Puis tout  coup la vengeance on verra,
Cent, main, soif, faim, quand courra la comete.
Mabus very soon then will die, [then] will come,
A horrible undoing of people and animals,
At once one will see vengeance,
One hundred powers, thirst, famine, when the comet will pass.
Here again is a brief overview about Nostradamus’ three antichrist and a breakdown of this prophecy I wrote back on 1 April in my blog entry entiled “Ray Mabus Upped the Antichrist?”
The person Nostradamus code named “Mabus” is believed to be the third and final man in an evil trinity. The first, code named “PAUNAYLORON.” The second, code named “Hister.” The third is code named “Mabus.”
Antichrist One is “Napoleon King” (PAUNAYLORON = NAPAULON ROY, old French for “Roi” — King).
Antichrist Two is “Hister” (Adolf “Hitler”).
To be beast-bitingly blunt, the above prophecy foretells the death of this “Mabus” triggering the unraveling (defaite) and undoing of humans and animals. That sounds both ecologically and apocalyptically lurid. Not only war but also climate change is inferred. A hundred nations go to war, because main in Old French is a heraldic allusion to the mail fisted right “hand” of state. We are therefore talking about 100 nations in a war of vengeance at once swift and devastating. It could undo the world.
The prophecy ends with the usual apocalyptic sequence Nostradamus used to convey dire times in the early 21st century: fresh water shortages from today’s super-droughts across Australia, the American South and Mediterranean, central Asia and Africa. Food production may not be sustained. Global famine lurks “when the comet will pass” or “run.”
A “comet” plays two roles in Nostradamus: either a falling missile or a portentous comet appearing in the sky in times of the final Antichrist.
[Not only Ray Mabus but his boss, President Obama] is one of four top candidates for Mabus. Mabus working for Obama might be just the kind of double entendre Nostradamus often utilized.
You see, not only does Barack “Obama” translate into “Mabus”:
Obama (phonetically pronounced “ouBama”) = Ubama = maabu = Mabu, etc. Add then the one missing letter by replacing the redundant “a” and you get Mabu(s).
Meet Ray Mabus, your pick for the next Secretary of the Navy.
Other candidates are out there, far more deserving the label “antichrist” than Obama or Ray.
Although there have been some interesting matches for Mabus that in the end did not stand the test of objective events, the coming of Ray Mabus into Obama’s cabinet is at least linguistically interesting. A perfect match, so it would seem.
I personally lean towards Saddam Hussein being Nostradamus’ best candidate for Mabus. I have not come to this conclusion lightly but have produced a digital book on the matter after 21 years on the trail of the Third Antichrist. You can see an overview about the book here: Mabus Obama.
Ray Mabus is not the first man to look like a perfect fit for Nostradamus’ Antichrist. Good leaders as well as evil leaders can also decode the name, such as Obama.
Who is Mabus?
This is the most topical of Nostradamian subjects. It is the prophetic mystery to solve of a detective story where soothsaying becomes “sleuth-saying” taking you through a fascinating labyrinth of possibilities, some of which are coming true in our times.
(20 May 2009) | <urn:uuid:e34b4c4c-d192-4d2a-a68a-eb476354031e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hogueprophecy.com/2009/05/is-ray-mabus-nostradamus-mabus/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932337 | 1,348 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Slim Pickings on the Tube
Slim Pickings on the Tube
by L. Brent Bozell III
February 25, 1998
Sad but true: Television's "family hour" at 8 p.m., largely taken for granted until the early 1990s, is becoming a dim memory. For several years now, the broadcast networks - ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, UPN, and WB - in their feverish pursuit of the 18-to-49-year-old demographic have generally refused to dedicate programming during this hour to that which parents and children could watch together. It's a bad situation that's getting worse. Watched the hyperlibidinous "Spin City" (ABC, 8 p.m. Wednesdays) lately?
But what about after the so-called family hour? Let's face it, children don't separate from the TV set at 8:59 (and certainly not at 7:59 in the Central and Mountain time zones). Nor is it always necessary for them to do so. One of this decade's most wholesome (and popular) series, ABC's "Home Improvement," has aired at 9 o'clock for almost all of its seven-year run. Other programs with a large following among the young - "Diff'rent Strokes," say - have aired at 9, as have shows with storylines meant for older viewers but which, nonetheless, have seldom been inappropriate for children - "M*A*S*H," for example.
So what does the post-family hour landscape look like now? I'm thinking about this after seeing a rough copy of the Parents Television Council's "Family Guide to Prime Time Television." The guide reviews virtually all prime time, broadcast-network entertainment series and assesses them using a traffic-light system. Green denotes a show clearly acceptable for family viewing; yellow gives the show a strong cautionary note; red means that it is clearly inappropriate for youngsters. The guide also assigns each show a rating for its sexual content, another for vulgar language, and a third for violence.
The results are dreadful, to be blunt. Yes, there still is some positive, safe, highly recommended programming out there. But by and large, consider your television set to be radioactive if there are children at home. It really is that bad. Consider first the 10 p.m. hour. Millions of children are watching TV during this time, and yet how much of it is appropriate for youngsters? On broadcast television there are 11 different series during this hour every week. Some ("Law & Order"; "NYPD Blue") are highly acclaimed. But how many are appropriate for youngsters, too? Ready?
Not one. Not one single show on network TV during the 10 o'clock hour is safe for children to watch.
How about the 9-10 p.m. hour? The options for young viewers increase - but not by much. Here there are 25 shows (the number increases because of numerous half-hour sitcoms) and yet only five were green-lighted. That's 20 percent - the rest are either problematic or purely offensive for this audience. Moreover, two of the five green-light series, ABC's "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" and CBS's "Family Matters," until recently competed at 9 o'clock Fridays. The others are ABC's "Teen Angel"; "HomeImprovement"; and CBS's "Early Edition," normally on Saturdays at 9 but currently removed in favor of the violent Western "The Magnificent Seven."
Meanwhile, there's plenty of racy, adult-oriented fare to pollute youngsters' minds. Most of the red-light entries, like "Seinfeld" and "Veronica's Closet" (NBC), "Ally McBeal" (Fox), and "The Drew Carey Show" (ABC), are sexually obsessed. For good measure, there's "Ellen" (ABC), which is homosexually obsessed.
So at 10 p.m. there's nothing, at 9 p.m. next to nothing. What about the 8 p.m. hour? By no means is this a complete wasteland for the family audience. On weekends, CBS shines with "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" and "Touched By an Angel." ABC boasts "Soul Man" and "Boy Meets World." And the part-time networks provide more than their share, with UPN's "Moesha" and "Clueless" and WB's "7th Heaven," "The Smart Guy," and "The Parent 'Hood."
But for every plus there's at least one minus: Fox's steamy "Melrose Place" and "Beverly Hills, 90210"; NBC's "Mad About You" and "NewsRadio"; ABC's "Spin City" and "Dharma and Greg." A new content analysis of family-hour programming indicates that on average between 8 and 9, there's almost one curse word per hour, and more than two sexual references. Again:This is in the former "family hour" alone, not throughout prime time - although those family-hour numbers would have been unthinkable even for 10 o'clock series just a few years ago.
During the so-called family hour, there are 37 shows every week on the networks. Fourteen were rated green, 7 yellow, 16 red. In other words, tuning in at random at 8 p.m., a child has a greater chance of encountering raunch than wholesomeness. And on the whole, out of a total of 74 shows, each network provides about two family series per week. That's it.
The war for positive prime time programming may not be lost, but the pro-family forces are most definitely in retreat.!-> | <urn:uuid:5eaf96c4-c8b7-45dd-bef6-143b28381e4d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mrc.org/bozells-column/slim-pickings-tube | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970055 | 1,188 | 1.65625 | 2 |
In this, part one of a two-part report, we uncover some major advances in ski tech as we gear up to hit the slopes.
JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — I am the average American skier. I ski a handful of times each year. I am time-crunched and budget-conscious. When I bought my own equipment, 15-years ago, I expected it to last forever. So when I headed to the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming in mid-February to get caught up on the latest ski and snow tech, it was not as a powder-hound, but rather as a member of the mainstream masses. I had no idea just how far technology has come in making skiing more accessible, more comfortable, and even more affordable for average folks like me.
Jackson Hole is known around the world as a "skiers" ski hill. With a 4,139-foot vertical drop, and more than 2500-acres of in-bound runs, (50% expert, 40% intermediate and 10% beginner), it's a place where people come from all over the world to test their skills on a truly legendary mix of terrain. It's also a great place to test new ski technology, since on any given day there's a vast range of conditions from deep and steep to packed groomers.
The last time I set boots on a ski hill of this caliber, (around the mid-90s) skinny skis were all the rage. It was just a given that ski boots hurt, leaving you with blisters, bruised shins, and sore feet. Only the hot-dog racers and pint-sized-kids (curses, those five-year olds, who blow by, no poles, leaving me in their snowy dust) wore helmets.
Wow, what a difference the last 10-15 years have made.
Walking to the ski rental shop, a few things stick out (and up) right away. Just about everyone is wearing a helmet. Many of the helmets have an action camera mounted on top. Walking along the row of people lined up to take the Aerial Tram, all the little GoPros remind me of submarine periscopes; up the skiers go to the top of the hill, on the cameras go to catch every schuss, whoosh and wipe-out along the way.
Hybrid, All-Terrain Skis
The big story in ski technology this year is all-terrain skis. They are made to ski well in the hard pack, flex through the bumps, push through the powder, and maintain control on the steep. They are the ATV's of downhill skiing.
This latest technology mixes rocker tips with traditional camber – for more flexibility underfoot – and more control through the turns, which means less chance of catching an edge. The idea of one-ski-for-all-conditions is a real sweet spot for manufacturers, who are trying to market to us, the average American skier, who can't (and doesn't want to) own more than one set of skis.
Boots That Fit Like A Glove
One of the biggest tech advances of all is in the boots. I've never met a ski boot that I liked. They've always been their own special brand of torture, an exercise in how much pain I could endure over a day's time. Normally, my shins are screaming by the second run, my toes are freezing, while my calves are covered in hot-spots. Walking in them was an America's Funniest Home Video waiting to happen.
Now, you can actually get ski boots custom fitted to your feet in about 20 minutes. I tried the Fischer SOMA RC 150 boots. Vacuum technology allows the entire boot to mold to the specific anatomy of your foot, by way of a specialized air compressor that fits over the boot shells themselves. The new boots have a walk mode. You just flip a little switch on the back of the ankle area and they basically go from being a ski boot to something you can actually walk in. They also have Vibram soles (of "barefoot" running shoe fame).
But Will Any of it Make a Difference?
With fancy new hybrid skis and custom-cooked boots in hand, we head to the top of the mountain, where more new ski and snow tech awaits, as does a blizzard and white-out conditions. So the big question now, will all the latest ski technology actually help us get down the mountain in a storm? Will any of it actually make me a better (dare I say, "above average,") skier? | <urn:uuid:8ae6a877-5fe7-4c46-86fc-32062c2cbe7c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/personal/2013/03/02/tech-now-ski-tech-advances/1955035/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957969 | 960 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Ronald McDonald House Charities and RecycleFirst Announce Partnership
For Immediate Release
Atlanta, GA (1/17/05) – Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities and RecycleFirst, LLC ,Dover NH, have partnered to implement a recycling based fundraising program to benefit families and children in need. The program was officially launched in Atlanta on November 19, 2004. Customized collection displays were shipped to over 300 participating McDonald’s restaurants and corporate partners such as Fox 5 Atlanta, The Martin-Brower Company and Moroch & Associates, Inc.
Printer cartridge and cell phone recycling centers can now be found in most Atlanta area McDonald’s restaurants. The prepaid mailers enable individuals to send in their phones and cartridges at no cost to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Atlanta or the donor. This program is made possible through the cooperation of McDonald’s Corporation, Atlanta area McDonald’s restaurant owners, and sponsoring Corporations.
The purpose of the program is to allow individuals to help support Ronald McDonald House Charities, which has devoted over 30 years to caring for families and children in need, and to give those who frequent McDonald’s a chance to do their part in protecting our environment from hazardous waste.
Mike Greco, Managing Partner of RecycleFirst, knows first-hand how critical it is to support this particular charity. “Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities is the most progressive and forward thinking organization that we have ever dealt with. Its willingness to promote the environmental aspects of this program demonstrates an understanding of the long term benefits to the community and further reinforces a long term commitment to the children and families that so dearly need their help.”
Linda Morris, Executive Director, Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities, states “We are very pleased to be working with RecycleFirst and Atlanta area McDonald's restaurants to benefit the two Atlanta Ronald McDonald Houses which, combined, serve over 1,000 families of critically ill and injured children each year. The funds raised from this recycling effort will help us continue providing these unique homes to families who need them during a very difficult and stressful time in their lives and will also help us as we plan to serve even more families in the future.”
Over 86% of all inkjet cartridges sold in this country are thrown away according to industry statistics. Laser cartridge recycling is a very large industry and yet over 50% of the cartridges are still deposited in landfills every year. This translates to 350 million cartridges that end up in landfills or approximately 875 million pounds of environmental waste. Cell phones are also a growing environmental problem affecting water and air quality.
There are two Ronald McDonald Houses in Atlanta owned and operated by Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities, Inc. --a non-profit 501(c)(3) which creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children. Currently, 238 Ronald McDonald Houses in 25 countries provide temporary housing to over 6,000 families of critically-ill children each night.
For more information, please visit www.armh.com/recyclefirst or to find out how you can participate in this program, contact Lisa Brazis, National Accounts Coordinator, (770) 517-6011 or email firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:c3324083-8bec-45ea-8eef-d5f31507ff1f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://recyclefirst.com/article.asp?ID=26 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93557 | 674 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Bank of New York Mellon Corp. said on Wednesday it will cut about 1,500 jobs, or about 3 percent of its global work force, starting this fall to reduce rising operating costs,But its Pittsburgh operations might be spared the knife, said bank analyst Gerard Cassidy, at RBC Capital Markets, Portland, Maine."What Pittsburgh has going for it is the lower cost of doing business, which could spare jobs there," said the analyst. "There's also a possibility they might even relocate people there simply because it is a cost-effective place to do business."
Lost in the polemics are trends of improvement. As usual, Chris Briem (Null Space) serves up useful analysis of the latest good numbers for Pittsburgh. You spend too much time dwelling on what is wrong, you'll miss what could address those issues. I see things quite differently from Angie and Tim Logan (St. Louis Post-Dispatch). The negativity is crowding out what is working.
Legacy costs cut both ways. Educate your children too well and they will all leave. Rust Belt cities are victims of their own success. Thus, I take what most people see as liabilities and frame them as assets. Brownfields are the new greenfields. Don't dismiss that as glass half full thinking. Pay attention to what BNY Mellon is saying:
Spokesman Ron Gruendl said it was too soon to say where the job cuts would be made, but added that BNY Mellon "remains fully committed" to its overall strategy of moving jobs to its low-cost global growth centers, which include Pittsburgh, Manchester, England, and India.
Pittsburgh is a growth center, globalization on the cheap. Highlighting the corporate strategy isn't boosterism, despite ignoring crime and public pensions. Pittsburgh is doing something right and I can hear the critics in my head, "But the region is shrinking."
Yes, the population is declining. The City's debt is so big and bad, no one will talk about it. Urban blight is rampant. The powers that be are too parochial. Steeler fans are annoying. I get it.
I also see a city with tremendous urban job density and a physical geography that lends itself to innovation. Pittsburgh is beautiful and inspiring. The parochialism doesn't seem to apply to me. At times, I feel as if I've been handed the keys to place. I chose Pittsburgh. I wasn't born there.
The numbers add up, not only in Pittsburgh. I like what is going on in Youngstown. Cleveland is an embarrassment of riches. I would bet that St. Louis has more than just green shoots. I write that with full confidence that no one will forget the mountain in front of us that we still must climb. | <urn:uuid:ace4c9ac-3411-43d2-a5d1-3c2160663339> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://burghdiaspora.blogspot.com/2011/08/rust-belt-competitive-advantage.html?showComment=1313081433757 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973588 | 565 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Three years before writing Future Shock in 1970, futurist Alvin Toffler first wrote The Art of Measuring the Arts, and noted, “A cultural data system is needed to provide information for rational policy-making in the cultural field and to assist those outside the field in understanding their impact on it.”
This week, Americans for the Arts released the 2012 National Arts Index report, which delivers a 2010 score of the health and vitality of the arts in the U.S.
From its low point in 2009, the Index rose slightly from 96.3 to 96.7 in 2010.
This year’s report bears witness to how the arts sector fared during the Great Recession—and the losses were swift and measurable.
In 2010, half of the 83 indicators measured increased, which is equivalent to pre-recession, 2007 levels. In comparison, only one-third of the indicators were up in 2008 and in 2009, just one-quarter increased.
Here are just a few top-level findings from the 2012 National Arts Index:
1. There has been significant growth in the number of nonprofit arts organizations: In the past decade, the number of nonprofit arts organizations grew 49 percent (76,000 to 113,000), a greater rate than all nonprofit organizations (32 percent). Or to look at it another way, from 2003-2010, a new nonprofit arts organization was created every three hours in the U.S.
2. Arts nonprofits show improvement, but continue to be challenged financially: The percentage of nonprofit arts organizations with an operating deficit (requiring them to amass debt or dip into cash reserves) declined for the first time since 2007. In 2010, 43 percent of nonprofit arts organizations had an operating deficit, down after steady increases during the Great Recession—36 percent in 2007, 41 percent in 2008, and 45 percent in 2009. While a troubling finding, this is about the same share as nonprofits in other areas besides the arts. Larger-budget organizations were more likely to run a deficit, and there was no predictable pattern based on specific arts discipline.
3. Arts attendance begins to rebound: In 2010, 32 percent of the adult population attended a performing arts event (up from 28 percent in 2009). Thirteen percent visited an art museum (up from 12 percent). These are the first increases since 2003.
The Local Arts Index . . . Because “Your Mileage May Vary”
Inspired by the release of the first National Arts Index in 2010, the natural question was, “Are these trends happening where I live?”
To answer this question, we set sail with 100 local arts agency partners to discover the Local Arts Index (LAI). It took time and bumpy seas to find it, but what emerged is a set of measures that help us understand the breadth and character of the cultural life of a community as well as ways to connect the arts to articulated community priorities such as health, education, or economic issues.
Today, we start by releasing three of the 50 indicators involved in the calculation of the Local Arts Index—look for new ones every week here on ARTSblog:
Indicator #1 Population share visiting art museums. This indicator is the share of your county’s adult population that attends museums. Worth noting is that one person may go to a museum multiple times, so the share of the population may seem lower than the turnstile numbers reported by the museum. The typical county has about 14.5 percent of its population visiting an art museum at least once in the previous year. (Data from Scarborough Research)
Indicator #2 “Creative Industries” share of all businesses. This indicator is the percentage businesses in your county that are arts businesses—nonprofit and for-profit businesses involved in the creation or distribution of the arts. In the typical county, 2.5 percent of the businesses are arts businesses. (Data from Dun & Bradstreet)
Indicator #3 Expenditure on musical instruments per capita. It’s hard to get a county measure of how many people play music, but measuring consumer expenditures on purchase, rental, and repair of musical instruments is a good proxy. The average county expenditure per person is $9.62. (Data from Nielsen Claritas).
A New Home on the Web
New this year, we created an online portal for the both the Local Arts Index and the National Arts Index: ArtsIndexUSA.org.
Want to do something cool?
Click on the Local Arts Index tab at the top of the page and a map of the U.S. will come up. Select your state and then county and you will see your values for the three indicators being released (Not every county in the U.S. has data for every indicator, but some indicators have data for all 3,143 counties). You can do direct county-to-county comparisons online and will soon be able to download a county-specific report.
Take a minute to visit the FAQ page as well to learn more about the methodology as well as our fabbo 100 local partners who pioneered the way for the rest of us.
This is a new website on the front of a high-octane online database. We would love to hear from you with your thoughts, questions, and when something didn’t work right for you.
Lastly, BIG thanks to The Kresge Foundation for major funding on this one as well as support from The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, The Rhode Island Foundation, and The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation.
Remember, without the data, you’re just another person with an opinion… | <urn:uuid:2bd5e8c9-d487-4efd-a992-9b3d58381d46> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.artsusa.org/2012/04/11/without-the-data-youre-just-another-person-with-an-opinion/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948647 | 1,160 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Documentary traces 'ritual' of Japan election campaign
Kazuhiro Soda's documentary traces Kazuhiko Yamauchi's campaign for a seat in the Kawasaki Municipal Assembly
The Japan Times
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
By Hiroko Nakata
In Japan, candidates who run for office generally don't rise naturally from the grass roots. Many are molded into politicians by extremely organized election campaigns.
This process is on display in a documentary by 36-year-old film director Kazuhiro Soda. "Campaign" tracks the run of a candidate for a municipal assembly election.
The film, which will be released June 9 in 17 cities in Japan, captivated audiences at the Berlin International Film Festival in February and later in many other countries.
Political campaigns in Japan usually follow a predictable pattern. Candidates and their supporters stand in a line outside railway stations, bowing deeply to commuters. A sweet-voiced young woman repeatedly intones the candidate's name, with little mention of what the hopeful public servant stands for.
To the director, who has lived in New York for 14 years, the typical campaign has the appearance of an absurd and hilarious ritual.
"When I decided to shoot the film, this idea struck me -- observing an election campaign by the LDP, the most successful political party in the history of Japanese democracy, would almost mean observing the nature of democracy in Japan," Soda said in a recent interview.
Using his own money, the director shot the documentary during a two-week stay in Japan.
Soda followed around his old University of Tokyo classmate, 40-year-old Kazuhiko Yamauchi, who was running in a by-election for a Kawasaki Municipal Assembly seat in October 2005 on the ruling LDP ticket.
Without narrative, music, sound effects or interviews, the 120-minute documentary shows the transformation of Yamauchi, the owner of a coin and stamp shop, into a politician.
Yamauchi's first lesson delivered by his LDP mentors is the golden rule of campaigning: Shout your name every three seconds so that every passerby hears it clearly; look directly into voters' eyes when you shake their hands, and never talk about policies -- even if you have them -- because no one is listening anyway.
Clutching a bullhorn and standing by a flag emblazoned with his name, Yamauchi bows deeply and shouts the magic word "reform" over and over again. The by-election in Kawasaki took place soon after then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi won a landslide victory in the Lower House election in September 2005 with the slogan "Don't stop reform!"
Yamauchi pays close attention as his LDP handlers direct his campaign. He says nothing when it is suggested that his wife, Sayuri, quit her job to support her husband. At this, Sayuri angrily screams, "Where are my human rights?"
In the end, Yamauchi wins the election.
Soda said in the interview that the documentary does not reveal his own opinion of the way the campaign was conducted.
"This film is meant to raise questions from the audience. I want people to think about elections, the Public Offices Election Laws, or democracy by seeing the movie."
Since moving to New York in 1993 at age 22, Soda has directed a number of TV documentaries and short fiction movies. One of his films, "A Flower and a Woman," won a Special Commendation at the Canadian Annual International Film Festival in 1995.
His other shorts, 1997's "The Flicker" and "Freezing Sunlight" in 1996, were nominated for a Silver Lion Award at the Venice International Film Festival in Italy and a New Film Maker's Award at the Sao Paulo International Film Festival in Brazil. One of his TV documentaries, "Landscape Without Mother," aired on NHK, winning a Telly Award in 2001.
"Campaign" is his first feature documentary.
Soda traces his interest in elections to the 2000 U.S. presidential race, when George W. Bush beat out Al Gore following a muddled vote count in Florida.
Soda said Yamauchi's decision to run for the Kawasaki election drove him into action.
"I was interested in the news of 'Yama-san,' who is the opposite of the image of the LDP -- a very Japanese organization based on a strict seniority system," Soda said. Yamauchi -- an easygoing man who does not care about hierarchical relations -- and the LDP appeared to Soda to be "a big mismatch."
Soda decided he could take a fresh look at Japanese society.
"Since I have lived outside Japan for long time, everything looks fresh and interesting to me -- the way Japanese people bow, the trains packed with people, and all the people texting on cell phones."
Through Yamauchi's campaign, Soda also examined Japanese culture and behavior. Campaigns follow a clear-cut script and look like rituals. For example, Soda notes that winning candidates invariably shout "Banzai" three times to express their joy.
But the traditional campaign tactics that Yamauchi documented may be passing away as more candidates start to write specific and detailed policy pledges, called "manifestos," which include numerical targets that can be referred to later.
Soda thinks the trend is natural. "It is rather strange that Japan had not introduced manifestos until recently," he said.
Date Posted: 5/16/2007 | <urn:uuid:a50aab1f-0631-4bdb-b271-934fbfd37f33> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=70016 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970152 | 1,129 | 1.640625 | 2 |
In today's New York Times...
To the Editor:
Last September, President Bush announced a last-ditch plan
to pacify Baghdad: build trenches around the city.
"They're building a berm around the city to make it harder
for people to come in with explosive devices," he said.
But this insane plan to encircle a metropolis of five
million people with a medieval moat was rejected by the
The most recent plan to engineer the city into submission
was to build a wall separating Sunnis from Shiites. But
the Iraqis don't want to live with apartheid-like
divisions, and that plan has just been scrapped ("Iraqi
Premier Orders Work Stopped on Wall," news article, April
Rather than invent another civil engineering fantasy, it's
time for real solutions to the violence in Iraq: the
American troops must withdraw, and Iraqis, with the help
of the international community, must begin a process of
San Francisco, April 23, 2007
The writer is a co-founder of Global Exchange and CODEPINK | <urn:uuid:3412ea01-7ff7-4c89-b777-cf4e70d08dbb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://codepink4peace.org/article.php?id=3002 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946289 | 226 | 1.554688 | 2 |
If you love flowers and gardens, flower pressing makes the most perfect hobby.
It’s both stimulating and therapeutic and it will give you all the scope you’ll ever need to express your creativity.
And you’ll be using the loveliest materials that nature has to offer.
Pressed flowers can easily be sourced from your own garden.
And you don’t need to plant anything special either.
Your garden will provide you with all the material you need.
You can learn how to press flowers quickly. And once you know how, there’s no end to the variety of ways in which you can use your pressed flowers.
Artistic collages of pressed flowers and greenery make the loveliest greeting cards and wedding invitations. Read the rest of this entry »
I found this great chart about the best apples to use for cooking and baking. It’s a very helpful guide because it’s so easy to get unstuck when you use the wrong variety.
For example, when making an apple sauce, if you use the the type of apple that doesn’t break up, you end up with a lumpy sauce.
And speaking of sauces I find that the best apple to use is Granny Smith because it makes a fine, smooth sauce with a sharp tang.
I also use Granny Smith apples for baking. No need to add sugar either. Just take out the core and replace it with a few seedless raisins.
Works every time! Read the rest of this entry »
The irises are the bearded hybrid variety and they don’t stop blooming. The colour combination is particularly striking too.
If you click the picture you will be able to see a bigger photo which will give you a much better idea of the impact of the contrasting colours.
I wrote in a post some time ago that my irises were being decapitated by birds. And that has continued for a few years in succession.
Fortunately, this year there seems to have been no such massacre of my flowers. Read the rest of this entry »
I had heard that rose hips are very rich in Vitamin C so I checked and lo and behold there are a number of rose hip syrup recipes that are used and made by those in the know.
How to use Rose Hip Syrup
The syrup can be diluted with water to make a refreshing cold drink. You can also pour the syrup neat onto your breakfast pancakes or waffles for a delicious and health-giving treat.
Some of the rose hip syrup recipes that I’ve seen are rather lengthy and they put me off because I like quick and easy solutions.
So here is a simplified version:
Rose Hip Syrup Recipe
- Wash and trim about a kilo of rosehips. Pop them into a blender and process till they are a coarse mush. I would process half at a time so as not to overload your blender.
- Put the rosehip pulp into a covered pot and boil for about 20 minutes. Remove from stove and strain the liquid through a clean muslin cloth.
- Add sugar and boil for another 5 minutes. Cool and bottle. Keep in the refrigerator and use as desired.
Some recipes suggest boiling the discarded pulp a second time and repeating the process. But I would think that the best flavour and goodness would come from the first load.
Let me know how you like it!
You may remember that last winter I told you about my rose pruning effort and how I had engaged a professional rose pruner to help me.
The thought of pruning all my roses was a little intimidating at the time – but if truth be told I suspect that I was simply too lazy.
Well, pruning day arrived and the professional pruner brought some tools and some loppers and proceeded to lop off my roses in a most frightening manner.
All I could do was to stand by and watch helplessly – and hope that he knew more about pruning than I did.
I was wrong. I know now that I knew better. Much better. Read the rest of this entry »
The top five roses in my garden include 3 hybrid teas and two floribundas.
I’m sorry that this article is limited to only 5 roses but you have to stop somewhere and the list could go on and on.
If you asked me to choose another 5 favourite roses I could do so with ease.
But let’s take a look at my top five roses for today only – because tomorrow I could change my mind as there are so many to choose from.
So here they are: Read the rest of this entry » | <urn:uuid:b584fafa-cbce-43dd-b785-c24df41d4505> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rosesandgardens.com/gardening/ | 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 | 0.955343 | 965 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Ethiopia, a major recipient of Western aid, has said it is fighting separatist rebel movements and armed groups backed by its arch-foe Eritrea.
But rights groups say the Horn of Africa country, sandwiched between volatile Somalia and Sudan, is using broad anti-terrorism legislation to crack down on dissent and media freedoms. Addis Ababa denies the charge.
Blogger and journalist Eskinder Nega, who was arrested last year and accused of trying to incite violence with a series of online articles, was jailed for 18 years.
Five other exiled journalists and a blogger were sentenced in absentia to between 15 years to life.
Opposition official Andualem Arage was jailed for life. Two other prominent opposition figures Berhanu Nega and Andargachew Tsige, who are out of the country, also received life sentences.
"The court has given due considerations to the charges and the sentences are appropriate," Judge Endeshaw Adane said during the proceedings in Addis Ababa.
The 20 were charged last year, most of them in absentia, with six counts including conspiracy to dismantle the constitutional order, recruitment and training for terror acts and aiding Eritrea and a rebel group to disrupt security.
They were also accused of belonging to Ginbot 7, a group branded a "terrorist" organisation by the Ethiopian government.
Another four people charged alongside them were not sentenced on Friday and were being treated as a separate case, said court officials.
Exiled opposition leader Berhanu Nega, was also jailed for life on charges of treason in the aftermath of 2005's disputed parliamentary election, but was later pardoned. | <urn:uuid:f02f1586-cb7c-4cdf-b377-2b7c4213ab39> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/ethiopia/9398379/Ethiopian-bloggers-jailed-for-trying-to-topple-the-government.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982796 | 337 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
I won't review the review, I'll just point you to it: Psychiatry: The Science of Lies By Thomas Szasz.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
A very practical way I have found is given in the Way To Happiness by L. Ron Hubbard:
A nice example of someone following this tenet (I have no idea if he has actually read it or if he is just a nice guy with a natural empathy for his fellow man or maybe both) is given here:
One paycheck away from humanity.
I applied this myself recently. I was in the parking lot of my local supermarket, just about to get back into my car after shopping, when an older man came over and asked if he could get a lift to a pharmacy that was a couple miles down the road. His usual pharmacy was next to my supermarket, but his prescription had been phoned to the wrong place. He looked rough, his clothes were old and worn, and he smelled a little. He wore shorts and his legs had scabs on them.
My initial impulse was to say no, but I decided to put myself in his place. At worst he was lying to get a free ride and at best he was what he said he was. So what did I have to lose? I said, "Sure," and opened the door for him.
In the couple of minutes it took to drive to the pharmacy we had a nice chat and when we arrived he was extremely appreciative. I drove off having made a new friend and with a warm feeling inside.
So next time someone on the street asks for help, try putting yourself in there shoes. Remember the old saying "There but for the grace of God go I."
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Here is the complete article: Study admits that drugs may have long-term risk.
Monday, April 06, 2009
A problem consists
of two or more purposes opposed.
It does not matter what problem
you face or have faced,
the basic anatomy of that problem
L. Ron Hubbard from
Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought
The word "purpose" means "the goal or intended outcome of something" and "the desire or the resolve necessary to accomplish a goal."
A simple example of a problem is that you want to watch "Dollhouse" and your spouse wants to watch "Supernanny". There are two opposed purposes.
Sometimes you have to dig to see the purposes but they are always there. At first the Titanic sinking may not seem to have two opposed purposes, but lets dig a bit. The Titanic wanted to cross a particular patch of ocean but there was an iceberg in the way. You could say the iceberg had the "purpose" to be solid and the Titanic had the purpose to sail through it. There was the problem.
So, go ahead and pick out some problem you have in your life and figure out the opposing purposes. There will be two or more. See if this understanding of what a problem is helps you to solve it.
Tell me what you find.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
First of all, Grahame, nice work on the site. There is a lot of useful information here. (Also, I read your profile, and we have similar interests in music. I only recently discovered Symphony X!)
I am not a Scientologist, and can't actually see myself ever becoming one, but I have been researching it lately, just to try to get an idea what it's all about.
Here's my question for you: what is your opinion on Hubbard's book, Scientology: A History of Man? Frankly, it seems (to the non-Scientologist, at least) a little farfetched, e.g. Piltdown Man, clams, etc. I only recently acquired a copy myself, and have only glossed through it so far.
I would just be interested in whatever light you can shed on this interesting book would be appreciated.
I'm glad you like the site. Thanks for your question. I'm always ready to answer questions from a fellow music lover :)
First let me say that if you want to get an idea of what Scientology is all about then the Scientology Handbook site is a good place to start. It contains down-to-earth, practical applications of Scientology to everyday life. I'd suggest that as a starting point and then, if you are still interested, go for the Dianetics and Scientology Basic Books.
A History of Man is not going to tell you what Scientology is because that was not its purpose when it was written.
Here is what I know of the book "A History of Man": In the late 1940's Ron Hubbard developed methods to help people remember. He used these methods to alleviate problems caused by past traumas (birth, operations, injuries, etc.). He published the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health so he could share his discoveries with others.
As more and more people received Dianetics counseling some began to recall things that had not occurred in their current life. At first these were called "imaginary incidents" and were thought to be false memories caused by the traumas, but it was found that if these incidents were addressed as if they were real and the trauma removed from them, the person got better. When they were treated as imagination and ignored, the person did not get better. So Ron decided to treat them as real and researched further to find out what was really going on.
After a great deal of research with a large number of people Ron found that many people recalled the same or very similar things. The people recalling these same or similar incidents had never met and had never heard of these things before, yet they recalled them from their own viewpoint.
Ron's eventual conclusion was that these were incidents that people were recalling from past-lives. He published his initial findings in the book "History of Man".
The book was meant for experienced Dianetics and Scientology practitioners who had encountered past-lives while counseling others. It was aimed at helping them understand what they were encountering and at helping them help others. It is not a beginning or introductory book.
The couple of things you mention from the book in your question are actually very unimportant and got put in merely so practitioners would know what they were encountering if they came across them. They get a very brief mention in the book and were not deeply researched.
For someone who has never encountered past-lives, the book might appear pretty wild in places, but if you have experience with past-lives, either with your own or with those of people you have counseled, then it doesn't seem that wild at all.
I hope that answers your question. Feel free to ask any more that you may have.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
It's impossible to reduce an ability.
About the only thing you can do is reduce its exercise
or the willingness to exercise it.
-L. Ron Hubbard from the lecture "Control"
An obvious example is an athlete who gets injured. He still has the ability but he can no longer exercise it.
Next is reduction of the willingness to exercise the ability. Let's look at an actor like Silvester Stallone. Nominated for two Oscars and a WGA award in 1977 and a BAFTA award in 1978. Clearly the guy has the ability. Then he picked some not-so-good movies to appear in and then the press and the creeps at the "Razzie" awards started to target him and next thing you know he is a "star" because of his past record and not because of his current films. Recently, probably because he was out of the spotlight, the attacks decreased and he made a bit of a comeback, gaining some critical acknowledgment for the movie "Rocky Balboa", which he wrote, directed and starred in.
So, how can you apply this to your life? Where are you not exercising an ability as much as you should? Is it caused by an unwillingness to exercise the ability? Is it caused by something else? Injury, illness, drug abuse? Narrow it down by examining the ability and what may be stopping you from exercising it. Once you've figured it out then you can figure out possible solutions that will help you to exercise it more.
Tell me how it goes. | <urn:uuid:f286e4ac-aa1f-4da9-99d4-24c2ef26b1fe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://myscientology.blogspot.com/2009_04_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985835 | 1,752 | 1.664063 | 2 |
BANGOR, Maine — Maine’s congressional delegation and the spokeswoman for the governor criticized the U.S. Department of Labor’s recent decision to freeze enrollment at all 125 Job Corps centers across the country, including two in Maine.
Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King joined Reps. Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree in drafting a letter to the U.S. Department of Labor’s acting secretary, Seth Harris, expressing “deep concerns” that the move might cripple the program in the long term.
The Department of Labor officially announced the enrollment shutdown on Jan. 28. The freeze is expected to last until at least June 30.
“The department’s decision to suspend all new student enrollments to Job Corps centers will leave thousands of youth without access to the largest residential youth education and training program for disadvantaged youth age 16 to 24,” the letter states.
Department of Labor spokesman Edmund Fitzgerald said Jan. 30 that the Job Corps, which is looking at a $1.5 billion budget for 2013, would face a $61.5 million shortfall if it didn’t halt enrollment.
Job Corps provides free job training in manufacturing, construction and other career paths. Training can take from eight months to two years, according the the Job Corps website.
In the letter, the delegation stated that it was “troubled” to learn of a $39 million shortfall in program year 2011. That shortfall was addressed through “difficult cost-saving measures,” as well as the transfer of funds from other Job Corps discretionary accounts. The politicians said they were “disturbed” to learn that the problem has persisted and grown since 2011.
“It is disconcerting the department has failed to identify the specific causes of the budget shortfall, has yet to provide a detailed justification to Congress of the need to suspend enrollment, and has not taken action to permanently stabilize the financial condition of the program,” the politicians wrote. “All other cost-saving measures ought to be exhausted before implementing measures adversely affecting Job Corps students or youth seeking enrollment in the program.”
The letter asks Harris to provide an analysis of the causes of the 2011 shortfall and the changes implemented because of it, as well as the same information for program year 2012; a “full justification” of the need to suspend enrollments; and a full description of every other cost-savings alternative considered by the department.
Maine Gov. Paul LePage has taken an interest in the Job Corps in the past, visiting Penobscot Job Corps on several occasions and trumpeting the importance of education and job training. The governor’s spokeswoman, Adrienne Bennett, said Friday that the news was troubling and also criticized the fact that the Department of Labor “failed to take action to permanently stabilize the financial condition of the program when the financial problems first started.”
“The governor is encouraged by the students that have utilized the education they receive at Job Corps to make a better future, so it’s unfortunate that the program may be negatively affected by mismanagement from the federal government,” Bennett said.
Representatives of the Penobscot and Loring Job Corps centers, located in Bangor and Limestone, respectively, have declined to comment, referring all questions to the U.S. Department of Labor.
“This decision was not made lightly, and comes after considering and implementing alternatives to reduce program costs and stay within the budget for this important program,” Fitzgerald said. “We are not abandoning Job Corps centers.”
Collins’ spokesman Kevin Kelley said he doesn’t expect a response to the letter until late in the week of Feb. 4, at the earliest.
Meanwhile, students who were hoping to get into the program in January will have to wait for at least five months for their chance to join.
Rebecca Gray of Southwest Harbor said Friday that her 21-year-old son, Glen, was one of those Job Corps hopefuls. He had been through the admissions process and was poised to start at Penobscot Job Corps in late January or early February, but when Rebecca Gray called the admissions counselor on Jan. 25, she was told they wouldn’t be admitting anyone, Gray said.
Gray’s son had planned to study culinary arts, facilities management, and welding at the Job Corps before deciding which career path to choose, she said.
Instead, Gray said her son remains unemployed and is looking for a place to stay while he waits for another opportunity to join Job Corps if and when the enrollment freeze is lifted.
Gray, who works in social services, said “I know kids who have gone there and it’s made a tremendous difference in their lives.”
She said she wants that for her son.
“The rug was pulled out from under him and leaves him betwixt and between,” Gray said. | <urn:uuid:be0f518f-0738-4a44-872c-50242362b57e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bangordailynews.com/2013/02/02/politics/maine-delegates-governors-office-question-job-corps-enrollment-shutdown/print/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970913 | 1,033 | 1.632813 | 2 |
CAMP ARIFJAN, KUWAIT — The bombing death of a 19-year-old soldier is a sobering reminder of the dangers faced in Iraq.
All 1st Lt. Josh Hartwick remembers seeing was a quick flash of light.
Hartwick, a member of the Fort Eustis-based 6th Transportation Battalion, was on temporary assignment to the Texas National Guard's 1836th Transportation Company. He was a platoon leader, and on Sept. 6 he was in charge of a convoy carrying equipment and supplies from a port in Kuwait to the 2nd Infantry Division in Iraq.
On Sept. 6, his convoy was just outside of Baghdad. Hartwick never heard an explosion, but he knew from the flash that some kind of roadside bomb had gone off.
"We've been hit before with IEDs," Hartwick said, using the military shorthand for an improvised explosive device. He said he couldn't count how many times he'd made the trip to Baghdad from Camp Arifjan, where his unit is living. "Anything can happen when one of those goes off, but in the times before we didn't have any fatalities."
Hartwick was in a gun truck, protecting the rear of the convoy. He didn't know, when the bomb exploded, whether anyone had been hurt.
By the end of the day, back in the Arlington section of Arifjan, an American flag was lowered to half-staff, and word began to spread.
Spc. Tomas Garces, a 19-year-old who joined the Army two years ago to send money back to his family in Texas, had died in the blast. He was manning the .50-caliber machine gun on the top of one of the lead gun trucks protecting the front of the convoy.
All week, the citizen soldiers who worked with Garces ate together quietly in the dining facility.
Each day, trucks returning from trips across the border arrived, ready to be reloaded.
The mourning soldiers, still in disbelief that they had lost their first comrade, prepared to head out on the road that they now knew firsthand was deadly.
On Sunday, hundreds of soldiers paid their respects at a memorial ceremony in the camp's standing-room-only theater.
Even Eustis soldiers who arrived in Kuwait the day Garces was killed attended. "Even though he's not in our unit," Lt. Col. Jennifer Campbell said, "he's a soldier."
Hundreds of the Eustis group's truck drivers arrived earlier this summer and are already driving Iraq's treacherous roads.
"If we don't swallow reality now," said Capt. Robert Degraffenreid, "we won't be able to do it later."
A handful of the recently arrived troops expect to be joining convoys pushing north from Arifjan, the staging area for most of the supplies shipped up.
Others, liaison officers, are heading out soon for various camps throughout Iraq to welcome those convoys in and to help them unload.
A third group, mainly the key commanders, their drivers, gunners, medics and support personnel, will drive up and down to check on supply points and soldiers stationed farther north.
"We do not always understand the way things happen," said 1st Lt. Mark Lacey, a chaplain at Arifjan. "Garces described himself as a kid who was raised on the streets. He was a soldier who never forgot to tell other soldiers to be ready for what the enemy had in store."
After a photo tribute, a 21-gun salute, the final roll call and taps, nearly every soldier walked up to Garces' monument -- an M-16, draped with his dog tags, propped up in his freshly cleaned desert boots and Kevlar helmet -- to give him a final salute.
Some walked tall to the weapon, stood at attention in front of boots Garces had worn on countless trips "into bad guy land" and fired off a crisp salute.
Others forced themselves forward, their eyes red from crying, only to drop to their knees and sob openly on the boots.
Hartwick remained in his seat. "I couldn't," he said later. "I already said goodbye to his body at the Baghdad International Airport."
In one breath, Hartwick, 27, says he's doing all right. In another he says he just wants to be done with it, to get everything out of his mind.
He's having a hard time doing that.
After Hartwick saw the flash at the side of the road, a soldier's voice came over the radio, asking for cover.
"We drove up to the blast site and started helping where we could," Hartwick said.
The passenger in Garces' Humvee was injured and evacuated away. The driver made it out OK.
"Those Humvees had the up-armoring kit on them and without it, all three of those men would have died," Hartwick said.
From there, on mostly anything concerning Garces, Hartwick isn't ready to talk. "I'd just rather not get into it," he said Sunday. "I just can't."
What he could say was how real war is. "I learned one thing Monday," Hartwick said. "Hollywood cleans everything up. Injuries are clean scrapes and perfect bullet holes in the movies. But war is messy. War rips you open."
"We've been here seven months," Hartwick said, afraid he'd already said too much, "and we just didn't expect it to happen to us." * | <urn:uuid:e62e89db-8685-48bb-a93c-5900a5e7f7f1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.dailypress.com/2004-09-13/news/0409130097_1_convoy-camp-arifjan-6th-transportation-battalion | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985743 | 1,156 | 1.65625 | 2 |
STRATFOR—a group I hadn’t heard of before—provides, in their words, “geopolitical intelligence - independent, non-ideological and non-partisan analysis and perspective that is unavailable anywhere else in the world.” They also say they provide the “intelligence behind the headlines.”
Well, I was struck—delighted, really—to see them outright contradict the headlines in a report of theirs that mercilessly skewers H1N1 (swine) flu fears:
It has been five months since the A(H1N1) influenza virus — aka the swine flu — climbed to the top of the global media heap, and with the start of the Northern Hemisphere’s annual flu season just around the corner, the topic is worth revisiting.
If you take only one fact away from this analysis, take this: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believes that hospitalization rates and mortality rates for A(H1N1) are similar to or lower than they are for more traditional influenza strains. And if you take two facts away, consider this as well: Influenza data are incomplete at best and rarely cross-comparable, so any assertions of the likelihood of mass deaths are little more than scaremongering bereft of any real analysis or, more important, any actual evidence.
One would expect “intelligence” reporting firms to have the same incentives as politicians and other media: drum up fear to drum up business. But there is value in providing actual facts and sound strategies for responding to world events. As a non-expert, I’m not able to evaluate the substance of the STRATFOR report or its conclusions, but I give it credibility as a statement against interest.
After the early ineptitude shown by the Obama Administration, I was beginning to think that the steady drumbeat of news about preparation for flu season was appropriate societal girding for what could be a notable disease outbreak. I am more inclined now to believe that we are flushing more money down the drain because of fears the administration generated. | <urn:uuid:2ae07dcf-3c24-461d-94fa-4da589ffd011> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cato.org/blog/tags/swine-flu | 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 | 0.936344 | 439 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Padre Parents in Partnership
In a time when schedules are full and work demands are increasing like never before, a sense of community is needed now more than ever.
The faculty, staff and administration at Serra High School are here to partner with parents as their sons grows into men of faith, wisdom, service, leadership and community. One of the ways in which parents can help foster a sense of community is by volunteering. We have so many exciting ways for parents to share their talents and become a vital member of our school community.
We invite parents to become active participants in their son’s school life. Parent involvement will not only enrich their son’s experience at Serra, but will also create opportunities for parents to meet and form lasting friendships with other parents. Parent participation is vital to the life of Serra High School.
Please click here to complete the Padre Parents in Partnership Volunteer Form | <urn:uuid:41f4d311-2363-4bf8-aa92-518ba4a3da8c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.serrahs.com/page.cfm?p=3391 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970525 | 185 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Beware of Bots Bearing Messages
If you get an instant message from someone with an unfamiliar screen name in the near future, you might want to think twice before getting emotionally invested in the conversation.
That's because you may be talking with Chatting AIM Bot, a free service that lets anyone play a devious practical joke on a friend, in which an artificially intelligent AOL instant message, or AIM, bot carries on an innocuous, 10-minute conversation before finally lowering the boom and informing the unwitting human at the other end they've been had.
"People fall for it all the time," said Greg Paradee, a Chatting AIM Bot, or CAB, fan. "It acts so much like a real human, sometimes it's hard not to fall for it. The bot ... keeps conversation going with normal, everyday questions, so people answer those thinking it's a real person."
CAB is the latest in a long line of bots that use AIM, the most popular instant-message client, as a springboard for various third-party applications. They include
The service allows anyone to fool friends, family or co-workers by entering the victim's AIM screen name on the CAB site. The bot automatically contacts that person and relies on its artificial "brain," a PERL script that incorporates thousands of lines of code covering countless mundane conversation topics, all of which respond to keywords typed by the victim, said Steve Darval, the brain's head developer.
"The bot accesses the brain for a reply after every statement said by the other person," Darval said. "How complicated the conversation can get depends entirely on the brain, how much information is entered and how well it is designed.... You would be surprised at how many people will talk with the bot for 10 minutes without an ounce of doubt that it is a real person."
After 10 minutes of slightly off-kilter conversation rife with IM abbreviations like "I'm pretty sure we have talked b4" and "omg ross i love u sooo much u r sooo hot will u go out with me," the bot finishes up with, "You have been talking to a computer! One of your friends is now reading the whole conversation and laughing it up!"
To users like Joe Tyson, CEO of an Ohio marketing and consulting business, CAB provides a little comic relief in the middle of his employees' sometimes stressful days.
"It's a great service. It's always funny to send one to the co-workers when they're having a bad day," Tyson said. "It always flusters them some, then it brings them up with a good laugh when they realize how much of an idiot they are."
Even Tyson, who knows all about CAB, admits he has sometimes fallen for the bot-initiated discussions.
He said that happens particularly because CAB users can select a topic for the bot to discuss. For example, Tyson said, he will sometimes fire the bot off, pretending to be a new employee.
The bot sends a message like: "'Hey this is Bobby, i'm a new employee. How are you."
"They will spend five to 10 minutes getting ticked off at this new employee until they realize at the end they were just fooled by the boss," Tyson said.
At the end of the conversation, the bot will forward the entire text to the initiator of the prank, allowing them to get a laugh out of their victim's gullibility.
To Darval, it's those transcripts that provide the frosting on the CAB cake.
"When I read a particularly great conversation," he said, "I love the feeling of knowing that I helped create something that people are so easily fooled by." | <urn:uuid:ba609ec0-bd04-4d21-8c9d-a1bced3b2f69> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2004/09/64888 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954179 | 769 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Any Genealogists Here?
One of my ancestors was Oliver Brown who served in the Revolutionary War and moved his family here to Concord, Ohio in the early 1800's. Many of his family and descendents were among a group of pioneer families that settled in NE Ohio and started some of the earliest communities in the area. I stumbled upon a line of his that took me back to John Brown I who was born in 1312 in Stamford England.
Most of my ancestors were from Germany and they immigrated to the US in the early 1800's. I don't speak or read German so I have not been able to do further research in archived German records. I welcome any suggestions.
Wondering if there are any other genealogy buffs out there. Any interesting lineages you've discovered in your family?
To everything there is a season.... | <urn:uuid:25fc9a04-c611-4e0a-a119-14e612439b92> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?263371-Any-Genealogists-Here&p=744658&mode=threaded | 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 | 0.992391 | 172 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Look on the desk of any game developer’s principal writer and you’ll see a copy of Joseph Campbell’s The Hero With A Thousand Faces. By extension, look under the bonnet of any fantasy videogame with just a shred of plot and you’ll find Campbell’s myth cycle blueprint humming away.
Briefly, Campbell’s cycle starts like this: a person of mundane origins happens upon a blunder or circumstance and meets a mysterious figure. This figure is the bearer of destiny calling our would-be hero away from their sheltered origin to adventure in zones unknown. Soon, this protective character (often an outcast or misunderstood old man) will provide them with the tools and powers they need to begin their quest before being killed or departing. Now our woe-begotten hero must try to make their own way.
Written in 1949, Campbell’s seminal book has influenced almost every mythical production ever since. So it has been with Star Wars (Lucas called the book “a revelation”) and The Matrix, and so it is with BioWare’s Dragon Age: Origins. It’s all right there in the title. The art to the cycle is in telling it well and BioWare have proven once again that they’re gifted practitioners.
The developer pays special attention to this myth introduction in Dragon Age by offering players six unique backgrounds to choose from. Each origin is an encapsulated experience offering hours of gameplay and dramatically shaping how players experience the game – whether they be a branded dwarf from the slums of Orzimmar or a sheltered mage under the watchful eye of the Templars. But all of them have one thing in common: They culminate in your hero crossing paths with Duncan of the Grey Wardens.
The Grey Wardens are an ancient order charged with protecting Ferelden from the darkspawn, but it’s been 400 years since the last blight and in the interceding centuries the people have forgotten the debt they owe - some now even regard them suspiciously. However, with rumours of an archdemon-led blight to the south, the Grey Wardens are gathering once again to meet a threat that darkens Ferelden’s horizon.
Shortly after induction into the Grey Wardens, Duncan is lost and your hero must set out to meet its destiny. Thus is the stage set for a tale that will send players to every corner of Ferelden’s beautifully crafted setting.
There’s no predefined narrative path in Dragon Age. All of the world’s regions are immediately available for exploration and all of them have problems for your hero to attend to. This egg-shaped plot means that BioWare have included persistent scaling. Almost every zone (save the last “chapter”) is scaled to your hero’s level. On the whole, persistent scaling has been well-balanced, but you’ll occasionally run into an encounter that will stretch or exceed the limits of your abilities. Party-selection can prove pivotal to succeeding in some scenarios.
On party members, you’re sure to determine a default group composition and the good news is that members not selected for a particular quest will level up while sitting on the sidelines. Nonetheless, pay attention to their gear requirements: You’ll need to sub them in more than once. And besides, each party member has a fully-realised personality – fellow Warden and sidekick Alastair is a particularly well-crafted character – variety is the spice of life, after all. Moreover, party members introduce valuable optional quests.
BioWare have made no effort to disguise the fact they consider Dragon Age: Origins to be the spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate, but the game also owes much to sister title Knights of the Old Republic. This heritage is most apparent when combat commences. Spells, skills and consumables are hot-keyed to numbers 0-9. Using a turn-based combat system, Dragon Age allows players to pause and cue actions for each member of their four-character party before unpausing to see them carried out.
The game also features both over-arching and detailed scripts (you choose) that will determine how party members respond to combat situations. The script system has also been tied to unlockable talent points. The more points invested in tactics, the more scripting options become available. It’s a nice touch that adds a sense of party development. Heed these talent points: As you advance through the game, monster AI improves and tactically handicapped parties will suffer.
The turn-based pause system allows for tactical depth and the considered use of combinations. While many titles have “spells and attacks that work well in combination”, BioWare have paid especial attention to coding combination attacks. Create a slick under the feet of a pack of foes – slowing their movement causing them to slip – and then ignite the flammable grease with a knock-down fireball. But be sure to have a sword-and-board jockey on hand to draw away the inflated aggression. Applied well, party tactics will harmoniously result in a satisfying bloodshed.
It’s what accounts for the frequently blood spattered characters seen in so many screenshots. Dragon Age doesn’t raise the bar graphically. The PC offers two viewpoints: Top down and over the shoulder, or (to really hammer a point home) Baldur’s Gate perspective and Knights of the Old Republic perspective. As you might expect, over the shoulder is a more visually spectacular angle in which you can breathe in the game’s scale, but some spell animations don’t stand up to close scrutiny. The top down perspective is much easier to manage and tactically superior. Negotiating depth for spell targeting at the OTS’ low camera angle can be a challenge – especially as spells with a radius effect can be centred on mobs, and those at the front tend to obscure line of sight. Switching between the two is the best option.
As you explore Ferelden you’ll collect items and experience. There are three character archetypes, rogue, warrior and mage. Each of these archetypes has talent subsets. A warrior, for example, can specialise in two-handed weapons, weapon and shield, and so on. You’ll need to determine which subset you want to explore early on and invest up the tree accordingly. There’s little room for broadly diversifying your skills. Additionally, there are specialisations - unlockable combat styles that provide benefits to specific talent trees. While these unlock at particular levels, you’ll need to find out where you can learn each.
As you’d expect, the game has a vast array of items, some powerful, some vendor fodder. Dragon Age uses a rune upgrade system, not dissimilar to the Old Republic’s power crystals. Approach an enchanter who’ll insert them into weapons with sockets for bonuses that include the possibility to stun and additional elemental damage.
Dragon Age’s expansive narrative is told through its interactive dialogue. All important communication is carried out in elaborate cut-scenes. As the game’s cast argue, debate and speculate, the camera cuts and pans, tilts, zooms and focuses. All characters are admirably voice-acted, except for your own – who will only audibly communicate during actual gameplay with passing comments on the action. In dialogue however, you’re given multiple options to choose from in response to any verbal situation and your selections here will dramatically change the game’s course.
Your party members will throw their ten cents in on particularly crucial decisions and as you’d suppose, offer advice aligned with their personality. That being said, BioWare have done away with character alignments as they stood in Baldur’s Gate. Instead, party members operate on an approval system. The more party members approve of your actions, the better they fight. Go about your business in a fashion they disagree with and their waning respect for you will impact on how they perform. Win back their loyalty by distracting them with shiny trinkets and booze – gifts – that can be found or purchased. The gifting system is thin. It creates a sense of emotional vapidity in the game’s characters that is out of sync with their strong personalities.
That aside, what BioWare have achieved here is triumphal. Dragon Age is a highly engaging experience that is sure to gain classic status with many.
Stay tuned for our Origins console review shortly. | <urn:uuid:eac28707-0f5b-4340-9867-60ac0b57be41> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gameplanet.co.nz/pc/games/156961.Dragon-Age-Origins/reviews/134090.Dragon-Age-Origins/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938169 | 1,777 | 1.625 | 2 |
How many times have you heard the phrase, “You are too nice for your own good”?
Well, if you are nice, probably more often than you care to acknowledge or admit, and find that when this comment is made to you, you get a bit defensive and want to point out all the ways in which, you are in fact, not nice at all.
It can be particularly difficult to balance the “nice” part of our nature with what our culture endorses as an effective and efficient leader, especially in business. For example, in all my years as a volunteer leader, I was encouraged to be nice, considerate, compassionate, and caring. I was often celebrated for being just that with Thank You cards, phone messages, awards, and yes, even the occasional hug. When it comes to asking others to contribute their time, talent, energy, and effort as a volunteer, we expect our leaders who are doing the requesting to be nice.
But for my friends, and most notably my women friends, who find themselves in positions of leadership in business, “nice” is often seen as a weakness, and compassion, a sign of incompetency. Because… “nice guys finish last.”
So I was recently asked, “can you be ‘nice’ and be an effective, or even exemplary boss?”
I believe you can be. And here’s why:
Work is about the relationships you have with the people you work with, not just the job you are assigned to do. Work takes up a specific amount of our time, and in order to be productive during that time, we should find that the time is well spent…with the people we have built relationships with.
The Human Resource department at your place of employment can give you a test to help you (and your boss) understand your “work personality.” Are you a gold? A “high I”? Do you best work alone, or in groups? And all of that helps create a healthy work flow or synergy so that the individual employee can interact with their colleagues and be productive.
But overwhelmingly when I speak to my friends about their jobs, while they do mention the work they do, more often than not, they talk in length about the relationships they have with their co-workers. And most importantly, their boss. Many friends insist that when their boss is negative, pushy, insincere, or insensitive, it makes it exceedingly difficult to get the work done. They feel under-appreciated or attacked and it creates an adversarial relationship, which in turn creates a toxic work environment
In a culture that continually emphasizes being respectful, kind, courteous, and giving, especially when it comes to one’s fellow man, when a boss exhibits those traits they are seen by others in the business as weak. Yet I’m sure that if we looked statistically at who the most productive employees are, you would find that they are the ones who believe that they have the nicest boss. A boss who understands the nuances of life and is accommodating and supportive. A person who is willing to listen but holds them accountable for their actions. A boss who is constructive in their criticism because they genuinely want their employees to succeed and work together to create a culture of community and inclusion.
Being nice doesn’t mean you don’t expect your employees to do high quality work, honor their commitments, or manage their time effectively. Being nice means you are considerate enough towards those with whom you have built substantial relationships so that they can do all those things in a healthy and respectful way.
Being nice doesn’t mean being a doormat – being nice means opening the door and inviting someone in. Whether in the workplace or in the world, being nice means treating others how you would like to be treated. And if there isn’t a place for that in your workplace, I suggest finding another place to work.
What are your thoughts? Do you think you can be “nice” and still be an effective leader? We’d love to hear from you! | <urn:uuid:1077712f-67a4-4fad-9b91-2b68d7ad5007> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.momentumnation.com/can-you-be-nice-and-be-an-effective-leader/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978111 | 858 | 1.507813 | 2 |
One day after the Movie Theater Massacre in Aurora, Colorado, police in Anaheim, California shot a fleeing man in the head, allowed him to die while shooing away eyewitnesses — and then compounded the atrocity by calling in a riot squad that assaulted neighborhood protesters with rubber bullets, pepper rounds, and an attack dog.
Manuel “Stomper” Diaz was one of three young men who fled when approached by officers the afternoon of July 21. Although he was unarmed, Diaz was shot in the head. Private video of the aftermath of the shooting shows officers ignoring the mortally wounded Diaz — who, as one frantic witness shouted, was still alive — while they push back eyewitness and string up crime-scene tape. None of the officers rendered medical aid, and no effort was made to contact paramedics.
Diaz was the seventh resident of the neighborhood to be killed by police this year. That fact, coupled with the aggressive indifference displayed by the police, inspired a small spontaneous protest — which, in turn, prompted the predictable over-reaction by the police department.
Cell phone video of the police assault shows a wall of officers in riot gear directing “non-lethal” fire at a group of unarmed and terrified civilians — including several small children, who were shielded by a man who appeared to be their father. Another officer unleashed a police dog, which immediately attacked a stroller containing an infant. A bystander who interposed himself — and was mauled by the dog for doing so — probably saved the child’s life.
Those acts, in which private citizens protected the innocent from criminal violence at the hands of the State’s armed servants, were just as heroic as those of the three men in Aurora who died protecting their girlfriends during the shooting rampage.
Local news accounts, which retailed the department’s version of events, described the crowd as “unruly” and the protest as a “near-riot” in which angry citizens “encircled” the officers and “began throwing things, including bottles and possibly rocks, at them,” in the words of a Los Angeles Times report.The police also claimed that “several fires” had been started in trashcans. None of those claims have been been corroborated by video evidence or eyewitnesses. Nor have the police explained why the police approached Diaz and the other two young men, or why the unarmed Diaz was shot in the head.
Although they were studiously unconcerned for the live of Diaz, the police were very concerned about information management: Their initial reaction to the shooting was to push back potential witnesses — especially those carrying cell phones and other cameras — away from the victim. Following the assault on the protesters, the police offered to buy videos taken by witnesses. To their considerable credit, neighborhood residents did what they could to document the incident, and resisted police efforts to bribe and intimidate them.
In the wake of the Aurora massacre, the public has been encouraged to believe that because of private gun ownership, every public gathering place can be transformed into the scene of a massacre. The Anaheim police rampage illustrates how quickly the State’s armed enforcement caste — which, according to “gun control” activists, should have a monopoly on firearms — can turn any neighborhood into an urban war zone.
See the video here. | <urn:uuid:67974006-9380-4bb4-a869-944a346d2414> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.republicmagazine.com/news/atrocity-in-anaheim-police-shoot-unarmed-man-let-him-bleed-to-death-then-attack-protesters.html | 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 | 0.977764 | 691 | 1.640625 | 2 |
California Masonic Foundation Scholarship
Some of the scholarships require affiliation with the Masons and other do not. There are scholarships for students pursuing two-year and four-year degrees in the areas of music, medicine, engineering, dentistry, forestry, public administration, speech pathology, and theology. While most scholarships are open to both male and female students, some are specifically for male or female.
In addition, a few scholarships are for students residing in specific areas. For example, the Bakersfield Scottish Rite Bodies Scholarship Award is for students residing in the Bakersfield Scottish Rite Valley. Some scholarships are for specific schools such as UCLA. Most of the scholarships are renewable, although some are not.
Students applying must have a grade point average of 3.0, plan to attend college on a full-time basis, and must be able to demonstrate financial need.
The deadline for this scholarship VARIES, and the award amount is usually $6,000 - $40,000.
For more details, visit www.freemason.org/scholarships/index.htm | <urn:uuid:ab8b279a-b657-4d5f-8f6e-e079f23caeff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/10/california-masonic-foundation.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950354 | 222 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Out-of-State Tuition Waiver Bill May Benefit Mississippi HBCUs
[mpoverlay]Mississippi legislators last month passed a bill allowing state schools to waive out-of-state student tuition, clearing the way for Mississippi HBCUs to strengthen recruitment efforts in nearby states like Alabama and Louisiana.
Targeting native Mississippians and military veterans, legislators hope that some of the nation’s most affordable in-state costs for higher education will lead to higher enrollment.
The total average tuition for a non-resident student at Mississippi’s universities is $13,637 this school year. In-state students pay an average of $5,419.
That’s a difference of $8,218 per year.
Although Mississippi’s tuition costs are significantly lower than national averages, officials argue the additional cost is enough to persuade a prospective student to choose a university in his or her home state rather than attend one across state borders. (Jackson Clarion-Ledger)
The bill goes into effect July 1. Schools seeking to relax tuition through this plan will be required to submit a plan to the state College Board next month.
Read HB 1095[/mpoverlay] | <urn:uuid:dc74f25c-ba3e-4487-a1c8-71446df21ef6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hbcudigest.com/out-of-state-tuition-waiver-bill-may-benefit-mississippi-hbcus/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933797 | 250 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Knowing Your Place as a Paralegal
You’re not a lawyer, but you do a lot of the same things. You’re not a judge, but you know exactly how to communicate with one. And you’re not the court clerk, but you understand the system like one. You’re a paralegal, who earns between $36,000 and $59,000, depending on where you work, and has the responsibility of helping attorneys with their case preparation or performing certain legal tasks for clients at a lower cost.
The duties of the paralegal, also known as a legal assistant, vary based on the type of organization in which they are employed:
- Corporate paralegals assist with the preparation of contracts, shareholder agreements, stock-option plans, and employee benefit plans.
- Litigation paralegals analyze legal documents, maintain reference files, conduct research, and analyze evidence for hearings.
- Employees of community legal-service projects provide legal assistance to the elderly, poor, and others in need of low- or no-cost help.
Despite the extensiveness of the paralegal training programs that are available, legal assistants are not to consider themselves lawyers. As such, there are specific areas in which they are explicitly prohibited from providing help and “practicing.” These include:
- Setting legal fees
- Giving legal advice
- Presenting cases in court
Find out more about what online learning is all about by contacting one of our admissions experts! | <urn:uuid:2548ed3c-12dd-4260-b1d9-42f7c96c33e0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.onlineschoolstoday.com/online/knowing-your-place-as-a-paralegal.aspx?art=23722&cat=23416 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953127 | 315 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Wed February 27, 2013
Iran Nuclear Talks Set Stage For Future Bargaining
Originally published on Wed February 27, 2013 4:57 pm
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
Today, in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Iran and six world powers including the U.S. wrapped up two days of talks. No breakthroughs, but Iran is considering a proposal that would impose new restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for the easing of some economic sanctions. The two sides will return to Kazakhstan for another meeting in early April. NPR's Peter Kenyon has this report from the scene of the negotiations.
PETER KENYON, BYLINE: The Almaty talks were not expected to resolve the issues at the heart of this nuclear controversy but to try to set the stage for serious bargaining to come. Lead international negotiator Catherine Ashton refused to discuss the latest offer, saying Iran needs time to study it and prepare a response.
CATHERINE ASHTON: We'll have to see what happens next, but we approach this with absolutely united view that we need to see the progress that's necessary. And I hope that when we meet again, we will have seen that Iran has picked up these proposals and is pushing to make that progress with us.
KENYON: For his part, Iranian negotiator Saeed Jalili called the talks positive, saying perhaps the international side realizes that the continuing pressure and sanctions since the last round of talks in Moscow had proved fruitless.
SAEED JALILI: (Foreign language spoken)
KENYON: Now, after eight months, they're coming closer to our position. This, we see as positive, said Jalili, adding, if this is a change in strategy, then we believe this may be a turning point. The hard bargaining, however, is yet to come. A senior U.S. official says one thing is clear: While this proposal does offer some relief from economic sanctions, it does not touch the most punishing restrictions, the ones on the oil and gas and financial sectors. The official adds that what is being asked in return from Iran is substantial, including a demand to significantly restrict its stockpile of 20 percent enriched uranium.
That's the West's most immediate concern because it can be enhanced to weapons grade with relative ease. The official says Iran would be allowed to produce enough 20 percent enforced uranium for a research reactor in Tehran, whether that draws a positive response from Tehran remains to be seen. Jalili insisted on Iran's nuclear rights, but he appeared to leave the door open to compromise on the 20 percent issue.
JALILI: (Foreign language spoken)
KENYON: Enrichment is our right, whether to 20 percent or 5 percent, he said, but on this issue, we could have some cooperation in order to build confidence. The proposal also calls on Iran to suspend enrichment of uranium at its underground facility at Fordow, and the U.S. official said there would be constraints on Iran's ability to restart enforcement there. Iran's Saeed Jalili avoided the issue, saying only that Fordow is a legal site known to U.N. inspectors, and the other side hadn't asked to close it.
Secretary of State John Kerry says the Almaty talks could be useful if Iran engages seriously. Longtime followers of these talks find that phrase all too familiar. Iran expert Shahram Chubin with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace says it's quite possible that much of Iran's tough talk is meant for domestic consumption, especially with a presidential election coming up in June. But speaking by phone from Geneva, Chubin says he's concerned that Tehran is misjudging the seriousness of its position.
SHAHRAM CHUBIN: That's where I'm really worried because I don't think the Iranians believe the military option. I think that the more you make threats and don't execute them, which has been happening over the last decade, the more you encourage the hard-liners to tough it out. They don't believe in the military pressure.
KENYON: The bottom line with Iran, though, in Chubin's view is that everything is a negotiation, and the real measure of how these Almaty talks went will come in April when Iran gives its response. Peter Kenyon, NPR News, Almaty, Kazakhstan. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR. | <urn:uuid:31cc5d44-d176-4c1f-a8de-c61daee5d9ae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kios.org/post/iran-nuclear-talks-set-stage-future-bargaining | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965354 | 900 | 1.75 | 2 |
European court backs man in CIA rendition
By The Associated Press
Published: Thursday, December 13, 2012, 8:36 p.m.
Updated: Thursday, December 13, 2012
A European court issued a landmark ruling on Thursday that condemned the CIA's extraordinary rendition programs and bolstered those who have claimed they were illegally kidnapped and tortured as part of an overzealous war on terrorism.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled that a German car salesman was a victim of torture and abuse — in a long-awaited victory for a man who had failed for years to get courts in the United States and Europe to recognize him as a victim.
Khaled El-Masri said he was kidnapped from Macedonia in 2003, mistaken for a terrorism suspect, then held for four months and brutally interrogated in an Afghan prison run by the Central Intelligence Agency. He said that once authorities realized he was not a threat, they illegally sent him to Albania and left him on a mountainside.
The European court, based in Strasbourg, France, ruled that El-Masri's account was “established beyond reasonable doubt” and that Macedonia “had been responsible for his torture and ill-treatment both in the country itself and after his transfer to the U.S. authorities in the context of an extra-judicial rendition.”
It said the government of Macedonia violated El-Masri's rights repeatedly and ordered it to pay $78,500 in damages. Macedonia's Justice Ministry said it would enforce the court ruling and pay El-Masri.
Several legal cases are pending from Britain to Hong Kong involving people who said they were illegally detained in the CIA program. Its critics hope that Thursday's ruling will lead to court victories for other rendition victims.
The case focused on Macedonia's role in a single instance of wrongful capture. But it drew broader attention because of how sensitive the CIA extraordinary renditions were for Europe, at a time when the continent was in fear of terrorist attacks but divided over the George W. Bush administration's methods of rooting out terrorism.
Those methods allegedly involved abducting and interrogating terrorist suspects — without court sanction — in the years after 9/11. A 2007 Council of Europe probe accused 14 European governments of permitting the CIA to run detention centers or carry out rendition flights between 2002 and 2005.
The CIA declined to comment on the ruling.
Jim Goldston of the Open Society Institute said that even if the ruling has no effect in the United States, courts in other countries are likely to take it into account.
- Unchecked looting guts Egypt’s heritage, with one ancient site ‘70 percent gone’
- Bomber targets mourners at Pakistan funeral; 29 dead
- Dozens die in blast at Iraqi mosque
- New president shifts Iran’s tack, hews to nuclear goals
- U.S., Taliban to formally talk peace
- Isolated Putin won’t budge on Syria
- Protesters keep up pressure in Brazil
- Egyptologist risks life, career to expose looting
- Regime steps up offensive near air base, elsewhere
- Interim Montreal mayor quits after fraud arrest
- We only sell real thing, Egyptian grave-robbing family boasts
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Subscribe today! Click here for our subscription offers. | <urn:uuid:675c0c52-cebd-4b72-8151-16f8b0cf949f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://triblive.com/usworld/world/3132962-74/cia-court-masri | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961439 | 695 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Ya know, our money system works kind of like four guys in a room that want to play cards, except that they have no cards of their own so they borrow the cards from a card shark. Now the card shark wants the four card players beholden to him, so he charges interest. How does that work? The players print more cards or one of them goes bankrupt. The card shark is made up of the Federal Reserve, the Treasury Dept., and Congress.
As the Austrian School of Economics sees it, in 2006 we had three times as much money in circulation as we did in 1991. In 2007 we had two or three times as much money in circulation as we did in 2000 or 2001. Now, once we lend into circulation all that money that the Fed has placed there we will have we will have three times as much money in circulation as we had in 2008. That is the biggest reason that the value of the dollar has lost forty percent of its value, against gold and other currencies, over the last ten years.
Generally when a nation reaches our age and economic condition it does default on its loans either outright or through the printing press and the form of Government changes. Our own nation is headed down that trail. As a nations currency goes, so goes the nation.
Ron Paul’s notion of the Federal Bank (Federal Reserve) forgiving the Treasury Dept. of its debt is not all that far off base if we read the minutes of the last meeting. In order to find any such thing of that magnitude in history we need to go back to the God fearing nation of Israel where they were mandated to forgive debt and return land back to its original land owner during the Fifty Year Jubilee. We don’t need land transfers but we do need to do something about the debt crises. Israel was a strong nation for a vary, vary, vary long time when they did that.
Ron Paul’s Campaign to restore America and deal with the debt in a meaningful way is a first step to restore fiscal sanity and then we need to reform our economy to a system based on land and labor, the genuine units of production. | <urn:uuid:f1217bd0-ca75-4374-89e0-9d7709ba671b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tamatoledonews.com/page/content.detail/id/506038/Says-Ron-Paul-s-campaign-to-restore-America-is-on-track.html?nav=5003 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972659 | 436 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Part of the "Wonderland Series," this is Lewis Carroll's "Through The Looking Glass" - rewritten for children (abridged and edited a bit). This has the Tenniel illustrations in black and white, as well as six color plates. It was published by The Hayes Lithographing Co. of Buffalo, NY somewhere around 1910. It's a a bit worn, but the pages inside are in good shape, even if the binding isn't.
Giveaway has ended.
-Click to enlarge photos- | <urn:uuid:063c0857-e12a-44a5-9d57-9e4dfab5fd8e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.forgottenbookmarks.com/2011/07/through-looking-glass.html?showComment=1311967381587 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974738 | 105 | 1.601563 | 2 |
@Bluefront: I hadn't seen that project of yours yet, but thank you for showing it here.
You know, it's not easy to keep track of your many projects.
This very design is in part inspired by your projects, so keep up the good work!
About the positive pressure issue: I doubt this kind of design would be able to cool PSU, HDDs, GPU and CPU with a single fan with positive pressure.
And putting the fan(s) on the bottom would have further increased the height of the design, which is already 5 cm taller than the NSK3480.
@DG: this setup should be able to cool a 8800GT with AC S1, but you are right that the CPU (passively cooled) would get toasty.
For a system with E8400 & 8800GT, at stock clocks, the maximum power would be around 160W, which would result in 25W of heat from an 85% efficient PSU.
But since the airflow would be directed straight towards the S1, better than in a P150 for example, it should cool it adequately.
For a HTPC using a BE2400 on the new 780 (integrated graphics) based uATX mobo, this design should work not just 'ok', but great.
You'd only need to duct the Ninja (or HR-01) to the fan, because Skt AM2 CPU positions are further away from the fan than Skt 775.
@Shaman: of course a front sliding filter can be well built, but who can guarantee that whoever would manufacture this concept will do it right?
Remember the issues with the P180 door?
Hinting at Antec as a possible manufacturer of this design. | <urn:uuid:4955123f-0ae9-42f8-86e4-d657b802e294> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.silentpcreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=46400&highlight=uatx+case+concept | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966005 | 365 | 1.632813 | 2 |
A firefighter calendar calls to mind 12 pages of handsome men in uniform. However, for the department in Dawson Creek, looks have nothing to do with it.
The calendar will highlight three historical fires that have taken place in Dawson Creek in recent years: the Wildcat Video fire, Alaska Hotel fire and the Brass Scissors fire.
“The idea behind the calendar came from a lot of the big fires we had in the past couple of years,” said Captain Dennis Kesterke of the Dawson Creek Fire Department.
“The idea was to give back to our community and just show everybody what downtown had gone through.”
This is the first year that the fire department has organized a calendar. All of the funds raised will go to the Burn Fund.
“If you’re burned anywhere in the province at any age, you can go to the burn unit and a lot of it is funded by the B.C. Professional Firefighters,” said Kesterke. It’s a cause that he says is near and dear to the hearts of many firefighters.
Currently there is construction on a new burn ward trauma unit in Vancouver, which will also aid research to help burn victims, according to local Burn Fund representative Rhett Peterson.
“We’re just trying to do our part to pitch in and help out.”
The goal the firefighters is to sell 1,000 calendars.
“I think it’s a great cause, of course, because my husband is a firefighter,” said Tryna Gower, a local photographer, who took the photos for the calendar.
“I know what they go through, I know that the Burn Fund is a big deal. You never know when you’re going to need it… I’m just here to support what they are doing,” said Gower.
The antique fire truck on the front cover was used locally in the 1980s.
“The fire guys and myself bought it from them and I rebuilt it,” said John Wright. The truck now resides at the Pioneer Village and is an excellent example of Dawson Creek History.
“It’s an excellent cause and my son is a firefighter so I have a little bit of a tender heart for that,” said Heather Weaver.
“This one is a lot more classy and as a mom – it speaks to a much broader gaze, it’s not all just with pin-up guys.” | <urn:uuid:64b8cbfb-9d17-49a4-b031-e443e6a3981b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dawsoncreekdailynews.ca/article/20121114/DAWSONCREEK0101/311149990/-1/dawsoncreek/fundraising-on-fire | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964133 | 522 | 1.601563 | 2 |
You know you are getting a good cardio workout when your heart rate is up by at least 60 percent of its maximum for 30 minutes or more. A good cardio workout three times per week or more is ideal for weight management, weight loss, endurance and stress. Getting into the cardio zone is an essential part of your exercise program. Since cardio workouts are different for women and men, the focus will be on effective workouts for women.
Cardio Workout Using Aerobics
Aerobics is an excellent cardio workout, which increases heart rate by up to 85 percent of maximum and insures that your routine is effective. This improves heart and lung function, burns calories and helps lose weight. Done either at home or at the gym, aerobics also builds muscle mass and combats depression. It is easy to tell if aerobics is working for you by the way your clothes fit, the way you feel and the numbers on the scale.
Cardio Workout By Power Walking, Jogging, or Running
Power walking, jogging or running will all give you a great cardio workout by getting the heart rate up to 75 percent of its maximum; while improving heart and lung function, they will also burn calories and help you lose weight. All of these cardio workouts are easy to do at the park, gym or at home by running or jogging in place (or power walking around the yard). The best way to tell if these workouts are benefiting you are by the way you feel, and your ability to go further and workout longer.
Cardio Workouts Using a Treadmill
Treadmills are an excellent way to get a great cardio workout; use one either at the gym or at home for convenience. Treadmills are versatile when used to do walking or running. Treadmills are one of the best ways to burn fat and lose weight by setting them at a certain speed, or incline, or have a preset program for a warm-up walk, and then a cool down walk once the cardio is finished. The best benefit to the treadmill is that you can workout year round in any kind of weather; by making sure to keep your heart rate up to at least 60 percent of maximum, you will ensure your workout is effective.
Cardio Workout Plans
Before beginning any cardio workout or exercise program, see your health care provider to make sure you are healthy enough to begin, then set your goals and stay motivated. Some of the best motivators are hearing your family and friends comment about changes in your appearance (and mood), watching the numbers on the scale drop and having to buy more clothes.
So you will not get bored with the same workout, vary your exercises to include different routines for different days. Each workout should begin with a warm up and end with a cool down period. Vary the intensity of each exercise by working hard and fast for one or two minutes, then slow down for a minute until you build up more stamina and energy. You will begin to see results the first week and with patience’s and persistence, the result will be a much healthier and happier you. | <urn:uuid:ddade763-6d40-41d1-941a-b24f2ea3f4ae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/cardio/how-to-tell-if-your-cardio-workout-is-effective.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945474 | 637 | 1.773438 | 2 |
ISRAELI MAP SAYS WEST BANK POSTS SIT ON ARAB LAND
By STEVEN ERLANGER
Published: November 21, 2006
An Israeli advocacy group, using maps and figures leaked from inside the government, says that 39 percent of the land held by Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank is privately owned by Palestinians.
Israel has long asserted that it fully respects Palestinian private property in the West Bank and only takes land there legally or, for security reasons, temporarily.
If big sections of those settlements are indeed privately held Palestinian land, that is bound to create embarrassment for Israel and further complicate the already distant prospect of a negotiated peace. The data indicate that 40 percent of the land that Israel plans to keep in any future deal with the Palestinians is private.
The new claims regarding Palestinian property are said to come from the 2004 database of the Civil Administration, which controls the civilian aspects of Israel's presence in the West Bank. Peace Now, an Israeli group that advocates Palestinian self-determination in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, plans to publish the information on Tuesday. An advance copy was made available to The New York Times.
The data -- maps that show the government's registry of the land by category -- was given to Peace Now by someone who obtained it from an official inside the Civil Administration. The Times spoke to the person who received it from the Civil Administration official and agreed not to identify him because of the delicate nature of the material.
That person, who has frequent contact with the Civil Administration, said he and the official wanted to expose what they consider to be wide-scale violations of private Palestinian property rights by the government and settlers. The government has refused to give the material directly to Peace Now, which requested it under Israel's freedom of information law.
Shlomo Dror, a spokesman for the Civil Administration, said he could not comment on the data without studying it.
He said there was a committee, called the blue line committee, that had been investigating these issues of land ownership for three years. ''We haven't finished checking everything,'' he said.
Mr. Dror also said that sometimes Palestinians would sell land to Israelis but be unwilling to admit to the sale publicly because they feared retribution as collaborators.
Within prominent settlements that Israel has said it plans to keep in any final border agreement, the data show, for example, that some 86.4 percent of Maale Adumim, a large Jerusalem suburb, is private; and 35.1 percent of Ariel is.
The maps indicate that beyond the private land, 5.8 percent is so-called survey land, meaning of unclear ownership, and 1.3 percent private Jewish land. The rest, about 54 percent, is considered ''state land'' or has no designation, though Palestinians say that at least some of it represents agricultural land expropriated by the state.
The figures, together with detailed maps of the land distribution in every Israeli settlement in the West Bank, were put together by the Settlement Watch Project of Peace Now, led by Dror Etkes and Hagit Ofran, and has a record of careful and accurate reporting on settlement growth.
The report does not include Jerusalem, which Israel has annexed and does not consider part of the West Bank, although much of the world regards East Jerusalem as occupied. Much of the world also considers Israeli settlements on occupied land to be illegal under international law. International law requires an occupying power to protect private property, and Israel has always asserted that it does not take land without legal justification.
One case in a settlement Israel intends to keep is in Givat Zeev, barely five miles north of Jerusalem. At the southern edge is the Ayelet Hashachar synagogue. Rabah Abdellatif, a Palestinian who lives in the nearby village of Al Jib, says the land belongs to him.
Papers he has filed with the Israeli military court, which runs the West Bank, seem to favor Mr. Abdellatif. In 1999, Israeli officials confirmed, he was even granted a judgment ordering the demolition of the synagogue because it had been built without permits. But for the last seven years, the Israeli system has done little to enforce its legal judgments. The synagogue stands, and Mr. Abdellatif has no access to his land.
Ram Kovarsky, the town council secretary, said the synagogue was outside the boundaries of Givat Zeev, although there is no obvious separation. Israeli officials confirm that the land is privately owned, though they refuse to say by whom.
Mr. Abdellatif, 65, said: ''I feel stuck, angry. Why would they do that? I don't know who to go to anymore.''
He pointed to his corduroy trousers and said, in the English he learned in Paterson, N.J., where his son is a police detective: ''These are my pants. And those are your pants. And you should not take my pants. This is mine, and that is yours! I never took anyone's land.''
According to the Peace Now figures, 44.3 percent of Givat Zeev is on private Palestinian land.
Miri Eisin, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, said that Israeli officials would have to see the data and the maps and added that ownership is complicated and delicate. Baruch Spiegel, a reserve general who just left the Ministry of Defense and dealt with the separation barrier being built near the boundary with the West Bank, also said he would have to see the data in detail in order to judge it. | <urn:uuid:e1ed7468-3049-4f71-bfe2-d903eb352291> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0912FF395A0C728EDDA80994DE404482 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969227 | 1,148 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Today wasn’t the best day for an investment bank to seek coverage of a big corporate social responsibility initiative. But Lehman’s collapse didn’t stop Goldman Sachs from going ahead with the long-planned announcement of new partners for its “10,000 Women” scheme, which aims to give business and management training to women in less-developed countries.
The public demand for stories about the caring, sharing side of investment bankers is unlikely to be huge right now. But bankers aren’t necessarily the only turn-off in “caring capitalism” ventures these days. I’ve been wondering for a while whether tougher economic conditions will lead to a broader backlash against the CSR industry on the grounds of cost.
What started me thinking about this was a column in the FT a few weeks ago by Howard Davies, the director of the London School of Economics and a former boss of the CBI employers’ body. It was about how politicians needed to be reminded of some recessionary truths.
He suggested that government action to promote equality in the workplace would be difficult to sustain because of economic weakness:
Desirable initiatives to promote diversity and extend working lives, which have been easy to promote when the labour market was tight, will be a much tougher proposition from now on. There is a business case for diversity, the government tells us. That may well be true in the longer run, but the costs tend to come first.
I suspect there are lots of Milton Friedman-reading managers in the private sector who grumblingly tolerated CSR programmes during the boom and would now love to get rid of them on similar cost grounds.
Instead of throwing the money changers out of the temple, it would be a case of throwing the CSR priests out of the marketplace. But that would be a pretty dumb move at a time when the public mood is for more accountability and regulation, not less. | <urn:uuid:dc0bd1d3-0948-4610-a667-7cf6ef8abc3f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.ft.com/management/2008/09/15/will-corporate-social-responsibility-survive-the-bust/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963331 | 393 | 1.8125 | 2 |
• Local operatives of the ruling PDP assault journalists with impunity.
• Editor slain at his home outside Lagos. Wife pledges to continue his work.
21: National dailies, a number reflecting Nigeria’s robust media climate.
With 21 national dailies, 12 television stations, and several emerging online news sources, Nigeria continued to boast one of the most vibrant news media cultures on the continent. But a series of attacks fanned fears in the press corps and prompted self-censorship.
THE PRESS: 2009
• Main Index
• In African hot spots,
journalists forced into exile
• Other developments
An editor who covered sensitive political news was murdered at his home outside Lagos, while local operatives with the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) assaulted journalists with impunity in a series of episodes, some of which occurred in government buildings. The attacks had Nigerian journalists talking already about the potential pressures they could face in the 2011 presidential and parliamentary elections. The PDP has held power with little difficulty since the country returned to civilian rule in 1999, but opposition parties have talked about uniting in 2011, a step that would make the contests more competitive—and more challenging to cover.
Nigeria has been relatively free of deadly violence against the press during this decade, but journalists were startled by a killing on a Sunday morning in September. Six assailants arrived at the doorstep of Bayo Ohu, an assistant editor and political reporter for the private daily The Guardian, and shot him several times, according to news reports and relatives. The attackers took his cell phone and one of his two laptops. The Nigerian Union of Journalists said it believed Ohu had been slain for his reporting. He had recently examined allegations of fraud in the Customs Department and had covered a contentious gubernatorial election in southwest Ekiti state. His widow, Blessing, told CPJ that she would carry on Ohu’s work. “This is my reason to go into journalism—to find out why he was killed and to continue reporting those things that his killers did not want reported,” she said. Two suspects were detained in late October, but no motive was immediately disclosed.
Spring elections in Ekiti were marked by several reports of violence and obstruction. In April, PDP operatives roughed up three photographers and damaged their equipment at a police roadblock near the home of Sen. Ayo Arise in Oyo-Ekiti, said one of the journalists, Segun Bakare of The Punch. The same month, Nigeria’s broadcast regulator, the National Broadcasting Commission, fined the private radio Adaba FM 500,000 naira (US$3,350) for transmitting content that it said incited public violence.
The most egregious attack occurred in the Government House in the state capital, Ado-Ekiti, where supporters of PDP Gov. Segun Oni assaulted three reporters who arrived to interview a campaign manager. One of the reporters, Ozim Gospel of the National Guide, said the April attack occurred after the journalists had come upon Oni supporters filling out what seemed to be fraudulent ballots. The reporters, who filed a complaint with authorities, required hospital treatment for their injuries, and much of their equipment was destroyed. A witness recorded the attack and posted it on YouTube. Oni won re-election in the Ekiti balloting. No arrests had been made in the Government House attack by late year.
A similar assault was reported at the Government House in southeast Imo state in September. A security agent used his shoe to beat Radio Nigeria correspondent Wale Olukun in the presence of the state government’s press secretary, according to news reports and local journalists. Three other agents joined in the assault, Olukun told CPJ. The journalist said he had recently aired a report about a visually impaired youth who protested perceived shortcomings in public services.
Reporting in the volatile, oil-rich Niger Delta was exceptionally difficult in the first half of 2009 amid fighting between government forces and militants demanding a greater local share in oil revenue, the editor of the private weekly National Point, Ibiba Don Pedro, told CPJ. Sowore Omoyele, publisher of the news Web site Sahara Reporters, said few reporters risked firsthand coverage during that period. “The government told the local press they could not guarantee their protection amid the violence, so most kept away and relied on press statements issued by the warring parties,” Omoyele said.
Conditions in the Niger Delta improved slightly in June after the government granted amnesty to some of the local militants, allowing more firsthand coverage, several journalists told CPJ. But security forces continued to harass and intimidate reporters perceived as being critical, leading to ongoing self-censorship, they said. In November, security forces detained three journalists for two days on charges of “false publication” in their coverage of a conflict between Port Harcourt residents and soldiers, local journalists told CPJ. Developments in the region have vast local repercussions because of environmental and health degradation caused by oil production. The region also has significant international impact given the extent of the reserves there. Nigeria is Africa’s leading oil producer.
Internet penetration was estimated at just 7 percent in 2009, according to Internet World Statistics, a market research company, but online publications started to break stories that influenced traditional media. Shu’aibu Usman, national secretary of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, told CPJ that newspapers were now republishing or following up on stories that first appeared online. Some print editors faced government scrutiny about those stories. Police in the northern Kano state questioned Tukur Mamu, editor of the private weekly Desert Herald, in July after he reprinted a story from the online Sahara Reporters about an unsolved murder, the journalist told CPJ. Mamu was released the next day. He was detained again in October after the paper published its own article claiming the president’s wife had assumed oversight of some government construction contracts, he said. On both occasions, Mamu noted, agents interrogated him about his relationship with the online Sahara Reporters.
Some journalists blamed media owners for allowing political pressure to unduly influence content. Usman, the journalist union secretary, said ownership is largely in the hands of “politicians or businessmen who allow their personal concerns to dominate their publications.” In October, President Umaru Yar’Adua threatened to revoke the license of Africa Independent Television, citing “threats to national security” that apparently stemmed from the station’s political talk show, “Focus Nigeria,” according to local news reports. The station soon replaced the show’s popular moderator, Gbenga Arulegba, who was known for his provocative style. AIT Chairman Raymond Dokpesi said government pressure had nothing to do with the move.
But one newspaper dealt Yar’Adua a setback in court. In June, the Court of Appeal ruled the president could not pursue a defamation complaint against the private daily Leadership until he left office, according to news reports. The complaint stemmed from a November 2008 report in Leadership saying that the president had been ill, Leadership Executive Director Aniebo Nwamu said. | <urn:uuid:0a69b6f1-4c33-4e31-824e-817e1daa6902> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cpj.org/2010/02/attacks-on-the-press-2009-nigeria.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972564 | 1,485 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Improve the collective whole
To the Editor:
On Tuesday morning, Feb. 12, I wrote in my journal that, “Civil rights should include economic rights for people like me! The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) should be expanded to include affordable access to quality food, reliable personal transportation, quality education, quality health care, and a wide variety of recreation, etc.”
I was concerned about Americans with disabilities like myself. By that I meant Americans who became disabled at a young age, who are not from wealthy families, who have to depend on meager benefits from SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance), and who are effectively denied access to the American dream.
While re-reading and reflecting upon my journal entry later that same day, I distinctly sensed the presence of Robert Kennedy on the other side. He approved of what I had written and expressed to me that he wanted me to be president. “You’d be a good one,” he said, “you have my vote.” I was grateful.
“Good luck, Gandhi,” RFK then said to me (he believes I was Gandhi in my past life). “Thank you, Robert Kennedy,” I replied. “I appreciate your support and belief in me, and I appreciate your vote. It means a lot to me,” I said. “Well, you’re welcome. You deserve it,” RFK said in reply.
“If you don’t fight for what you want, you deserve what you get,” Van Jones once said. Van Jones didn’t say that to me, personally, but I agree with his quote. Being grateful, I have come to realize, doesn’t mean that you have to settle for less. It means just the opposite: we must strive to improve not only our individual lives but the collective whole. The whole of humanity depends on it.
Alex J. Boros
Don’t vote for me for school board:
To the Editor:
When I threw my name into the hat for Milton School Board, there were two slots open and only one other candidate. I did not want the school board to have a vacant slot, so I threw my name in.
Since then, Ann Walsh, Larry Brown and Reggie Crone have added their names as candidates. All three of the persons are people I have worked with professionally and personally and I can honestly say, no matter whom Milton chooses, you will have outstanding service.
Therefore, I do not wish to compete with these three people that I respect so much and so am withdrawing my name from the candidacy for Milton school board. Please do not vote for me for this position, even though my name is on the ballot.
I would however willingly accept Library Trustee, or any other position where I might be needed and be of service.
To the Editor:
After listening to Wayne LaPierre I wondered what life would be like if his ideas were the norm.
Picture “Wayne’s World” where everyone was protected by his own personal firearm — presumably available at all times.
When I greeted you on the street we might discuss politics, religion or your spouse’s infidelity — or even mine! Perhaps we might even meet in a bar — or in the State House. I do not particularly like your attitude and you are getting angry — we often argue — but now — with our new state laws I have the means to end our problems — Bang! It’s over, but alas, you were a faster draw than I was.
Maybe we should have just resolved our arguments with a divorce, law suit, or change of behavior or some other civilized process. No! This is the Live Free Or Die State! We believe in the law of the jungle.!
I remember when New Hampshire was the “Scenic” New Hampshire State.
Where are our original inhabitants?
The polls are correct
To the Editor:
The other day a friend who insists that he’s at the other end of the political spectrum from me, but admires my perseverance in political matters, said he wanted to talk about guns. I have to admit I cringed, but agreed to listen. And then he unloaded on me.
He told me that he was pro-gun, he owned a good number of guns, and he enjoyed using them. Then he told me that when he was younger and lived in another state, he had to pass a long, multiple choice test before he could carry a gun. He told me he was just fine with that and thought the current to-do about guns for everyone, everywhere, was quite insane. He said that there were people who shouldn’t have guns, and that it was fine with him to limit who could have guns, and that there was no need for everyone to have a gun.
And I breathed again.
My takeaway from the conversation? Those recent polls are correct, and the folks who insist on walking around with their assault rifles in ready position, just because they can, are in the minority. The folks who insist that banning guns from the NH House Chamber and Gallery is an attack on people like them running for office (are you listening, Rep. Tasker?) are in a minority. People who think schools and churches and courts (for goodness sake, courts?!) are fine places to carry weapons? They’re really in the minority. Whew!
Time is running out
To the Editor:
In regards to Pope Benny XVI’s literally “out of the blue” recent resignation…
First of all, allow me to say that it’s not without precedent: In 1294, Pope Celestine V resigned after only five months in office… He’d been a saintly, noble man who didn’t consider himself worthy of the office and was quickly persuaded by a priest named Benedetto that by becoming Pope he ran the risk of becoming “the grain of wheat overwhelmed by the thorns” (Luke 8:7). Unfortunately Benedetto’d been acting, not for Celestine’s benefit, but his own, and promptly assumed the mantle as Boniface VIII, who proved one of the worst popes in history, although it should be said in passing that he wasn’t quite deserving of the fate that overtook him at the hands of Philip the Fair of France in 1303.
That aside, I’m afraid that I’m going to be the bearer of bad news…
First of all, to those “liberal and progressive” (read: “disobedient and rebellious”) Catholics “out there” who might be happily saying “maybe now we’ll get someone who’ll ‘modernize’ the Church and bring it into the XXI century”… allow me to repeat what I said way back then when Benny XVI took over: It doesn’t matter who’s at the helm of “Peter’s barque”… the church will not change any of her doctrines or teachings. She cannot: They are not hers to change (Mt. 28:20 and John 14:24). She will not.
Second, the time, which I’ve been warning for some time now had been short, has just grown a lot shorter… According to St. Malachi, XIII century Irish mystic, we’re going to have a strictly limited number of popes and whoever comes in now will be the next to last. He who follows after him will be the last… And he’s slated to die in exile as a martyr.
As to our fundamentalist brethren, who are rejoicing over this and saying “Praise be, that we’re privileged to be in at the end”… yeah. Well, it’s like being tarred, feathered and ridden out of town on a rail: a privilege, yeah, but if I could have my “druthers,” I’d “druther” not be… Remember Peter was not exactly overjoyed when he was led off to execution (John 21:18)… Or for that matter, Jesus (Mt. 26:38-44)!
And the bad news I have for you is this: If you’re counting on the rapture to get you out of the line of fire before it happens, don’t! There isn’t going to be one. The whole concept and doctrine is less than 200 years old, concocted out of whole cloth by the Reverend John Nelson Darby in 1830, based on his own personal interpretation of 1 Thess. 4:16-17, taken in isolation and out of context. The church will leave the world in the same way as she entered: under persecution. And the price we will all have to pay for salvation will be our blood (Rv. 6:9-11).
And for the rest of you who are currently “doing your own thing,” “chasing off after strange gods,” and delaying things because “there’s always tomorrow,” be warned: time is fast running out (John 12:35). Do it now, for tomorrow will literally be too late. The Lord is patient (2 Peter 3:9), but at one point in time the door to mercy will be shut and the door to judgement will be opened (Rv. 22:44). And woe to those who think to try and squeak through the mesh by playing both sides at the same time (Rv. 3:15-16)!
The choice is yours. Choose wisely (Dt. 30:19).
Feel free to disagree with me all you want. All I ask is that you ask — seriously ask! — yourself this one question: “If, in the wildly unlikely event that he’s right, where will that leave me?”
I am for the child
To the Editor:
Become a CASA volunteer and make a life-long difference
I am for the child who has attended eight schools in four years, because he is in foster care. Because his birth mother, debilitated by mental illness, neglected him. I am for him. The child who almost died. Who now sits, surrounded by strangers, in the back of yet another class, failing, because he is without glasses and nearly blind. I am for that child. So I am there for that child. To listen to him. To stand up in court for him. To speak for him. To champion without compromise for what’s in his best interest. Because if I am there for him, I know he will be half as likely to languish in foster care, and that much more likely to find a safe, permanent home. That is the child I am for. I am a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer.
Being a CASA is a life-changing experience. CASA volunteers work with families, social workers, attorneys and judges to ensure safe, permanent homes for these children. They commit to a particular case and visit monthly with the child or children involved. They also attend all court hearings on the case and monitor its progress. They spend an average of 8-12 flexible hours a month per case and work with the courts closest to where they live. Training in Dover, Plymouth/Laconia and Keene coming up. CASA of NH invites all interested individuals to learn more about the program, download the application, or view the statewide training calendar at their website, www.casanh.org, or to call 800-626-0622 for more information.
Training & Recruitment Coordinator
CASA of NH | <urn:uuid:69e75dbf-589f-4354-8299-0d64e2392564> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130221/GJOPINION04/130229951/-1/Roctimes01&CSProduct=fosters | 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 | 0.969736 | 2,470 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Dance Floor INSTALLATION:
If your vinyl surface floor has been stored in cold conditions or is shipped during winter months, store it at room temperature (72°) for twenty-four hours prior to unrolling it.
When installing or laying your floor, sweep and vacuum your existing floor before putting down the vinyl surface floor (often referred to as a marley floor) so that debris is not trapped beneath your floor. Remember the smallest particles of sand can cause lumps underneath your floor.
You have three choices of installation for most dance surface floors. They are:
Touring fashion: Surface tape (either vinyl floor tape or gaffer's tape) is used to tape the panels of vinyl together. The panel seams are typically left an 1/16 of an inch apart. Most people can install a floor by touring fashion on their own. (Tape has to be replaced every 3 to 6 months)
Semi-permanent: Double stick tape is used to secure the panels of surface vinyl, with the panel seams being put together as tight as possible. This is a harder installation than touring fashion, but can be accomplished by most adept “handy-men”.
Permanent: The vinyl surface floors are glued down and the seams are hot welded by a professional floor installer, who is practiced at the art of heat welding.
When cutting your vinyl floor use the EFS Seam Cutter or a carpet knife with a new blade, and use a straight edge when making the cut. Remember to measure twice to avoid mistakes.
When surface taping a vinyl floor down, it is always a good idea to leave a 1/16 of an inch (the width of the edge of a US quarter) between the panels of floor. | <urn:uuid:db56b4c1-0b6c-4e39-80c0-37e9802cf848> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.flooradvice.com/tips.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944109 | 359 | 1.585938 | 2 |
In the News
Monday, July 21
Saturday, July 19
Monday, July 14
- Thanks to
Cartoon from the Tours de Jours comic strip that formerly appeared in
The Catalina Islander provided by Thelma Nowlin
Tuesday, July 08
- Thanks to
"Tim Berg of
Soldotna, Alaska, poses in Seward, Alaska,
with the 319.6-pound halibut he caught in
the Gulf of Alaska on Tuesday, June 24,
2008, during the Seward Halibut Tournament.
Less than a week before the Seward Halibut
Tournament's final day, Soldotna angler Tim
Berg wrestled a herculean halibut from the
Gulf of Alaska on Tuesday morning that could
be worth $10,000."
Seafood, Blaine Bachman)
Monday, July 07
Saturday, July 05
GSEAS Dean Reflects on School's Development
An underwater robot pod, part of the Adaptive Sampling and Prediction
network, is launched off the deck of a research vessel into Monterey Bay.
This cold-water upwelling, oceanographic research was developed with the
help of NPS’ Graduate School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and headed
by a team of multidisciplinary investigators. The departing dean of GSEAS,
Dr. James Kays, understood the importance of each department’s role in the
development of the nation’s defense and established interdisciplinary focus
areas to help articulate its strengths to the Navy.
Wednesday, July 02
Tuesday, July 01
Thursday, June 26
Squid Found Floating Off California Coast
- If you eat
sushi, you may want to be involved with the following:
Seeking sushi sources
Help us with the details for our upcoming Seafood Watch sushi guide!
This fall Seafood Watch will launch our first-ever sushi pocket guide in
collaboration with the Blue Ocean Institute and we could use your help. Have
you wondered how our Seafood Watch research staff decide which fish to
include and what common names to use on our pocket guides and website? You
can help us with this very important step so our recommendations are
relevant and useful.
1. Let us know what your favorite sushi restaurants are serving. It's a way
to start a conversation and get chefs thinking about what types of fish they
use, where it comes from and how it's caught.
2. After selecting your favorite sushi restaurant, review their menu and ask
your server or sushi chef
these questions. If they ask, "Why you are you so curious?", tell them
you're helping the Seafood Watch program with some of its market research.
3. To help you remember what questions to ask, we recommend you click
the link to the survey, print it out and bring it with you to the
restaurant. Fill out as many questions as you can, but don't worry about
answering every question; anything you can do is helpful. When you get back
to your computer click the survey link again and enter your results!
4. Everyone who submits a survey will be entered to
win a cookbook from one of our Cooking for Solutions celebrity chefs or a
Seafood Watch reusable canvas tote bag. You must submit your results by July
14th to be entered into the drawing.
Wednesday, June 25
Monday, June 23
Friday, June 20, 2008
Wednesday , June
Tuesday , June
Thursday , June
Long-Lost Rubber Duckies Head for British Beaches
Monday , July 02, 2007
By Simon de Bruxelles
A flotilla of rubber
duckies, washed overboard from a container ship in the North Pacific in
1992, is about to invade Britain, according to an American oceanographer.
For the past 15 years
Curtis Ebbesmeyer has been tracking nearly 30,000 Chinese-made
plastic bath toys — yellow ducks, green frogs, blue turtles and red beavers —
that were released into the Pacific Ocean when a container was washed off a
cargo ship during a storm.
Some of the bath toys, marketed in the U.S. as "Friendly
Floatees," are expected to reach Britain after a journey of nearly
17,000 miles, having crossed the Arctic Ocean frozen into pack ice, bobbed the
length of Greenland and been carried down the eastern seaboard of the United
Click here to visit FOXNews.com's Natural Science Center.
Ebbesmeyer, who is based in Seattle, said yesterday that those that had not
been trapped in circulating currents in the North Pacific, crushed by icebergs
or blown ashore in Japan were bobbing across the Atlantic on the Gulf Stream.
Any beachcomber who finds one of the ducks or their kin will be able to claim
a $100 reward from the toys' American distributor, The First Years Inc.
The ducks began life in a Chinese factory and were being shipped to the U.S.
from Hong Kong when three 40-foot containers fell into the Pacific during a
storm on Jan. 29, 1992.
Two-thirds of them floated south through the tropics, landing months later on
the shores of Indonesia, Australia and South America.
But 10,000 headed north and by the end of the year were off Alaska and
heading back westwards.
It took three years for the Friendly Floatees to circle counterclockwise east
to Japan, past the original drop site and then back to Alaska on a current known
as the North Pacific Gyre before continuing north towards the Arctic.
Many were stranded as the currents took them through the Bering Strait, which
divides Alaska from Russia.
Ebbesmeyer predicted that they would spend years trapped in the Arctic ice,
moving at the rate of one mile a day towards the Atlantic.
In 2000, eight years after their journey began, the ducks were reported in
the North Atlantic. In 2003, when they were expected to wash up on the American
eastern seaboard, The First Years announced the reward offer.
By that point the Floatees had been bleached white by the sun and sea water.
Sightings in the past two years have been scant, but oceanographers believe
that their next port of call is southwestern England, southern Ireland and
Simon Boxall, of the
Oceanography Centre in Southampton, England, said that the ducks offered
a great opportunity for climate-change research.
"They are a nice tracer for what the currents are doing as they travel around
the world, and currents are what determines our climate, and cycles of carbon,"
he said. "I would ask [vacationers] to keep an eye out, as they might be very
few and far between by now. It's a real adventure story and the plastic should
last 100 years, so we hope it will continue."
The landfalls have all been logged on a computer model called the
Surface Currents Simulation, which is used to help fisheries and find
people lost at sea.
Two children's books have been written about the saga and the ducks have
become collector's items, some changing hands for $1,000.
Organism ID'd That May Be Killing
Monday, July 02, 2007
By KEITH RIDLER, Associated Press Writer
BOISE, Idaho —
An organism that may have played a part in killing thousands of
bighorn sheep in the West over
the last five decades and in thwarting repopulation efforts has been isolated in
a lab and found in struggling bighorn herds in the wild, biologists say.
Research done at Washington State University on tissue taken from dying lambs
captured in Hells Canyon _ a chasm that borders Idaho, Oregon and Washington _
isolated a type of bacteria called mycoplasma ovipneumoniae.
Biologists say that could be the initial organism that attacks the sheep and
works by inhibiting the ability of hairlike structures in airways to eliminate
bacteria that lead to deadly pneumonia.
Biologists have known that pneumonia often proves fatal to the wild sheep,
but have been stumped for years as why so many bighorns are susceptible.
"This is the first problem I've worked on where there is quite a bit of
evidence piling up where the agent is a mycoplasma," said Tom Besser, a
professor in WSU's department of veterinary microbiology and pathology. He works
at the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory on the school's Pullman,
In herds known to be infected with mycoplasma, anywhere from half to all the
lambs die each year from pneumonia. The lambs are most susceptible mainly
because their immune systems are not fully developed, said Frances Cassirer, a
wildlife research biologist with Idaho Fish and Game.
Among adult bighorns that hadn't previously been exposed to mycoplasma, 25
percent to 75 percent die, she said, noting the variation could be due to how
many were initially exposed or to how virulent a strain of the disease is at
She said pneumonia is the leading killer of bighorn herds infected with
mycoplasma. In herds not infected, the leading cause of death is predators,
mainly cougars, she said.
After WSU researchers identified the mycoplasma, biologists in Idaho,
Washington, Oregon, California and the Canadian province of Alberta sent the
researchers blood samples previously collected from 18 herds.
Researchers found antibodies to the mycoplasma in herds that saw deaths due
to pneumonia, but not in herds that were not experiencing large losses due to
"We found some really promising patterns and things seemed to fit together
really well," Cassirer said.
More tests are being done to confirm whether mycoplasma is leaving bighorns
open to pneumonia. One test involves infecting captive bighorn lambs at
Washington State University to see how they react.
Biologists say about 2 million bighorns once inhabited the West, but they
disappeared over most of their range in the 1800s and early 1900s due to
unregulated hunting and disease believed to have been carried by domestic
Repopulating projects and added protection in the last 50 years have now
boosted bighorn numbers to about 50,000, Cassirer said.
But sweeping epidemics of a mystery illness have wiped out thousands of Rocky
Mountain bighorns, California bighorns, Sierra Nevada bighorns, and desert
bighorns since reintroductions began. Cassirer said precise numbers of deaths
are not known.
Vic Coggins, a biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife,
said pneumonia likely was the main reason, even more than unregulated hunting,
for the bighorns' decline from 2 million. He said habitat loss also factored in,
but there is enough habitat available now across the West to support far more
than the current population.
"Easily," he said. "We estimate that in Hells Canyon we could have over
Currently, the area has a population of about 900, he said.
Cassirer said biologists aren't finding that infected herds can build up a
resistance with successive generations.
"If it's happening, it's not obvious to us," she said. "That's why we're
looking for another solution because the sheep might not be able to deal with it
on their own."
She said she didn't know how bighorn herds already infected with mycoplasma _
if that's a crucial factor in what's killing them _ could be helped.
She said attempts to find mycoplasma vaccines for domestic sheep have failed,
and even if one existed it would be difficult to administer to bighorns in the
Besser said mycoplasma is found in domestic sheep, but they typically
survive. He said he didn't know if domestic sheep were transmitting the bacteria
to wild sheep.
But Greg Dyson, executive director of the Hells Canyon Preservation Council,
is convinced domestic sheep are making bighorns sick.
"All indications are that the domestics are passing diseases and killing off
the bighorns," said Dyson. "And the bighorns just can't get a foothold to become
re-established. There have been entire herds that have died off."
In May the U.S. Forest Service, facing a lawsuit from Dyson's group and two
other environmental groups that share his concerns, announced that it was
restricting domestic sheep grazing in some areas of the Payette National Forest
this summer. The forest borders Hells Canyon.
In a federal court lawsuit filed in late June against the U.S. Department of
Agriculture over sheep grazing on land near Yellowstone National Park, the
Western Watersheds Project and the Center for Biological Diversity claim that
allowing domestic sheep to graze in the greater Yellowstone region of Idaho and
Montana puts wild bighorn sheep herds at risk of catching diseases from the
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material
may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Undersea Robots to Probe Mid-Arctic Ridge
Monday , June 25, 2007
The Gakkel Ridge,
encased under the frozen
Arctic Ocean, is steep and rocky, and scientists suspect its remote
location hosts an array of undiscovered life.
Researchers hope newly developed robots will give them their first look at
the mysterious ridge located between Greenland and Siberia.
Scientists from the
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on
Cape Cod plan to begin a
40-day expedition of the ridge on July 1. They plan to use the robots to
navigate and map its terrain and sample any life found near a series of
underwater hot springs.
Click here to visit FOXNews.com's Natural Science Center.
Tim Shank, lead biologist on the international expedition, said researchers
have no idea what new life at the ridge might be like.
"I almost think it's like going to Australia for the first time, knowing it's
there, but not knowing what lives there," he said.
The Gakkel Ridge marks a 1,100-mile stretch from north of
Siberia, where the North
American and Eurasian tectonic plates continuously move away from each other.
Scientists believe new life could be discovered there because of hot springs
that are created at such tectonic boundaries when ocean water comes into contact
with hot magma rising from the earth's mantle.
The organisms known to exist in the Arctic basin, where the Gakkel is
located, may have evolved in a unique fashion because they were mostly isolated
from the life in the deep waters of other oceans for all but the last 25 million
years, said Robert
Reves-Sohn, the expedition's lead scientist.
The job of reaching any new organisms at the ridge falls to scientists
operating three new robotic vehicles, two of which are designed to navigate
untethered under the ice.
The two robots, named Puma
and Jaguar, cost about
$450,000 each and received significant funding from
NASA because their mission
is similar to what scientists hope to do in a future exploration under the ice
of one of Jupiter's moons, Europa.
The robots are built to descend to about 5,000 meters and work 5 to 6 meters
off the bottom, photographing and removing samples, said Hanumant Singh, the
project's chief engineer.
The advances are no guarantee of success, however.
The hot springs are difficult to find in far less challenging conditions and
the margin for error is thin, since the robots cannot surface through the ice
and be retrieved if there are problems.
Singh said the excitement of finding new organisms and understanding the
geology in the Arctic outweighs any risks to the robots.
"Even though we know there's a strong probability, or there's a reasonable
probability of losing a vehicle, it's still worth it," he said.
Troubled Times for Endangered Sea Otters
Sunday, June 10, 2007
By LISA LEFF, Associated Press Writer
MONTEREY, Calif. —
Training her binoculars on a dark patch of floating seaweed, Gena Bentall
gasped. After searching for sea otters all day, the research biologist had
spotted one: a mother with a pup on her belly, but the otter's face was mauled
and dripping blood and a male was hot on her tail.
Female sea otters often bear scars on their noses, the price of breeding with
clumsy, sharp-toothed partners. But vicious injuries like this are showing up
with unusual frequency, one of several signs leading marine scientists to
suspect something is amiss for the threatened species.
"This is one of the things that makes us think the sex ratio is skewed in an
unhealthy way," said Tim Tinker, another otter expert who joined Bentall in
watching the injured mother try to outswim her menacing attacker in a rocky cove
near Monterey's famed Cannery Row.
The biologists have seen female otters _ many nursing babies, which makes
them incapable of getting pregnant _ with their muzzles ripped off. Even young
males have become targets of aggressive mating. The culprits are thought to be
itinerant, adolescent otters invading the territories of males who typically
guard their harems jealously.
Every spring and fall for the last quarter-century, teams of scientists have
fanned out along 375 miles of California coastline to count southern sea otters,
a species that was hunted to near-extinction a century ago. The census is used
to gauge whether the population is rebounding or declining, with at least three
years of similar results required to demonstrate a trend.
Tinker, a research biologist based at the University of California, Santa
Cruz, and Bentall, who works for the Monterey Bay Aquarium, were assigned to an
area that has one of the state's highest concentrations of sea otters.
Armed with binoculars and portable telescopes, they scanned the nearshore
water for three days, counting otters and noting their activities. The task is
tricky since sea otter heads can look an awful lot like floating kelp from a
distance. And observers can miss otters hidden by rocks or scared off by scuba
divers and kayakers.
Overall, the May survey brought welcome news following two years of declines
_ a solid 12 percent, or 334-otter increase that brought the number of adults
and pups combined above 3,000 for the first time. For the California sea otter
to be removed from the threatened species list, the count would have to average
3,090 or more over three years.
Scientists greeted the figures with measured optimism, noting that unusually
balmy, clear weather in early May provided good conditions for the census.
More significantly, they note, the average population over the last three
years is 2,818, still far below the delisting criteria but a 2.4 percent
improvement over the previous three-year benchmark. Combined with similarly
sluggish growth rates since the mid 1990s, the data suggest the species is
hanging on, but not bouncing back.
"The fact is the population is not recovering, and we really don't have a
good explanation for why," said Jim Estes, a veteran sea otter expert with the
U.S. Geological Survey.
Scientists are pretty sure elevated mortality rates among adult and young
adult otters are responsible for the disappointing comeback, as opposed to low
birth rates. Of particular concern is that survival rates for female otters have
gone down since the 1980s while increasing for the more mobile males, Tinker
No one knows for sure why the otters are failing to thrive, although there
are plenty of theories.
Tests on the carcasses of dead otters that wash ashore suggest they are
succumbing to diseases that may be linked to water pollution damaging their
immune systems. But scientists cannot know the cause of death for otters who
never end up on land, so they can't say whether disease or something else is the
"Here we have this otter population that seems to be on the cusp," Estes
said. "With a ratcheting down of the quality of the environment, it doesn't bode
very well in my mind for the future, which is just on the balance right now."
The first spring census, in 1982, found 1,856 otters. The population expanded
steadily _ by an average of 6 percent _ throughout the 1980s.
Based on previous growth rates of 13 to 15 percent seen in Alaska's northern
sea otters, experts thought it reasonable to expect the California population
would climb to about 16,000, the number estimated to have occupied the region
between Oregon and Baja Mexico in the 19th Century, before the otters were
nearly killed off by hunters seeking their thick, luxurious fur.
"But the population stopped growing," Tinker said.
In the case of the mother otter with the bloody face, Tinker said her
marauding suitor may have been trying to get her to wean or abandon her pup,
which would make her available for mating.
"When you just describe them as being cute, furry animals, you do them a
disservice," Bentall said. "They are incredible survivors."
On the Net:
Sea Otter Alliance:
November 30, 2006
Something to Read:
Thursday, 2 November 2006, 19:01 GMT
"Only 50 years left' for sea fish"
|By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News website
There will be virtually nothing left to fish from the seas by the middle of
the century if current trends continue, according to a major scientific study.
Stocks have collapsed in nearly one-third of sea fisheries, and the rate of
decline is accelerating.
Writing in the journal Science, the international team of researchers says
fishery decline is closely tied to a broader loss of marine biodiversity.
But a greater use of protected areas could safeguard existing stocks.
"The way we use the oceans is that we hope and assume there will always be
another species to exploit after we've completely gone through the last
one," said research leader Boris Worm, from Dalhousie University in Canada.
||This century is the last century of
"What we're highlighting is there is a finite number of stocks; we have gone
through one-third, and we are going to get through the rest," he told the
BBC News website.
Steve Palumbi, from Stanford University in California, one of the other
scientists on the project, added: "Unless we fundamentally change the way we
manage all the ocean species together, as working ecosystems, then this
century is the last century of wild seafood."
Spanning the seas
This is a vast piece of research, incorporating scientists from many
institutions in Europe and the Americas, and drawing on four distinctly
different kinds of data.
Catch records from the open sea give a picture of declining fish stocks.
In 2003, 29% of open sea fisheries were in a state of collapse, defined
as a decline to less than 10% of their original yield.
Bigger vessels, better nets, and new technology for spotting fish are not
bringing the world's fleets bigger returns - in fact, the global catch fell
by 13% between 1994 and 2003.
Historical records from coastal zones in North America, Europe and
Australia also show declining yields, in step with declining species
diversity; these are yields not just of fish, but of other kinds of seafood
Zones of biodiversity loss also tended to see more beach closures, more
blooms of potentially harmful algae, and more coastal flooding.
||We should protect biodiversity, and
it does pay off through fisheries yield
Carl Gustaf Lundin
Experiments performed in small, relatively contained ecosystems show that
reductions in diversity tend to bring reductions in the size and robustness
of local fish stocks. This implies that loss of biodiversity is driving the
declines in fish stocks seen in the large-scale studies.
The final part of the jigsaw is data from areas where fishing has been
banned or heavily restricted.
These show that protection brings back biodiversity within the zone, and
restores populations of fish just outside.
"The image I use to explain why biodiversity is so important is that marine
life is a bit like a house of cards," said Dr Worm.
"All parts of it are integral to the structure; if you remove parts,
particularly at the bottom, it's detrimental to everything on top and
threatens the whole structure.
"And we're learning that in the oceans, species are very strongly linked
to each other - probably more so than on land."
What the study does not do is attribute damage to individual activities
such as over-fishing, pollution or habitat loss; instead it paints a picture
of the cumulative harm done across the board.
Even so, a key implication of the research is that more of the oceans
should be protected.
But the extent of protection is not the only issue, according to Carl Gustaf
Lundin, head of the global marine programme at IUCN, the World Conservation
"The benefits of marine-protected areas are quite clear in a few cases;
there's no doubt that protecting areas leads to a lot more fish and larger
fish, and less vulnerability," he said.
"But you also have to have good management of marine parks and good
management of fisheries. Clearly, fishing should not wreck the ecosystem,
bottom trawling being a good example of something which does wreck the
But, he said, the concept of protecting fish stocks by protecting
biodiversity does make sense.
"This is a good compelling case; we should protect biodiversity, and it
does pay off even in simple monetary terms through fisheries yield."
Protecting stocks demands the political will to act on scientific advice
- something which Boris Worm finds lacking in Europe, where politicians have
ignored recommendations to halt the iconic North Sea cod fishery year after
Without a ban, scientists fear the North Sea stocks could follow the
Grand Banks cod of eastern Canada into apparently terminal decline.
"I'm just amazed, it's very irrational," he said.
"You have scientific consensus and nothing moves. It's a sad example; and
what happened in Canada should be such a warning, because now it's collapsed
it's not coming back."
1. Experiments show that reducing the diversity of an ecosystem
lowers the abundance of fish
2. Historical records show extensive loss of biodiversity along
coasts since 1800, with the collapse of about 40% of species.
About one-third of once viable coastal fisheries are now useless
3. Catch records from the open ocean show widespread decline of
fisheries since 1950 with the rate of decline increasing. In
2003, 29% of fisheries were collapsed. Biodiverse regions'
stocks fare better
4. Marine reserves and no-catch zones bring an average 23%
improvement in biodiversity and an increase in fish stocks
around the protected area
Civil Defense Message -
County of Hawaii
Read of today's [10-15-06] 6.3 magnitude earthquake, by
Dozens of fish, shrimp and coral
species, including two new types of a shark
that walks on its fins, have been discovered
in waters off New Guinea in the South
Pacific, conservationists announced Monday.
The researchers described the area as
“Earth's richest seascape” and “the most
biodiverse marine area on the planet.” But
they also warned that it faces threats such
as fishing with dynamite and cyanide,
commercial fishing and degraded water
quality from mining and logging in Papua
province, a section of New Guinea governed
“These Papuan reefs are literally
‘species factories’ that require special
attention to protect them from unsustainable
fisheries and other threats so they can
continue to benefit their local owners and
the global community,” expedition leader
Mark Erdmann, a researcher with Conservation
International, said in a
“Six of our survey sites, which are
areas the size of two football fields, had
over 250 species of reef-building coral each
— that’s more than four times the number of
coral species of the entire Caribbean Sea,”
The entire area covers 45 million
acres off a peninsula in northwest New
Guinea. Researchers have counted 1,200
species of fish there and 600 species of
reef-building coral — the latter equal to 75
percent of the world’s known total.
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef,
covering an area 10 times bigger, has more
types of fish — 1,464 species — but just 405
species of coral. And the bigger Caribbean
Sea has fewer than 1,000 species of fish and
just 58 types of coral.
During two surveys earlier this year,
Conservation International and Indonesian
experts found at least 36 new species of
fish, coral and mantis shrimp in the waters,
which are peppered with 2,500 islands and
submerged reefs. The area also includes the
largest Pacific leatherback turtle nesting
area in the world, and is visited by whales,
orcas and several dolphin species.
Two of the new species are members of
the epaulette shark family, which
distinguishes itself by sometimes using its
fins to scamper away. Their name comes from
the fact that they have two large round
spots near their heads that look like
epaulettes, the shoulder ornaments on
Dynamite, cyanide threats
The researchers, who plan
additional surveys next year, said it's
already clear that Indonesia should extend
protections around the region, only
one-tenth of which now has national park
MSNBC.com that as resource-rich as the
region is, it faces immediate threats such
as the use of dynamite and cyanide by locals
to stun and then capture live fish for
"At two sites we heard ear-shattering
fish bombing blasts in the near vicinity,"
he said, "and our socio-economic team from
the State University of Papua documented a
number of villages where cyanide fishers
were actively targeting grouper for capture
with cyanide before exporting to China live.
"We also saw past
evidence of illegal logging, though I'm
happy to say that the Indonesian
government's crackdown on illegal logging
over the past five years seems to have
greatly reduced this activity in Papua and
we did not see any active logging. We are,
of course, concerned about stated plans for
both mining and logging in steep coastal
areas that would be done legally.”
Commercial fishing in area
Erdmann said a potentially greater problem
could be the introduction of commercial
fishing in the area as Indonesia transfers
fishing pressure from its overfished western
seas eastwards towards Papua.
survey our socio-economic team did interview
one Chinese-owned fish processing plant that
is set up in the southeast of the Kaimana
coastline," he said. "They are currently
fishing just offshore for shrimp using
trawls, but confided they had plans to bring
approximately 100 additional vessels on line
over the next two years targeting fish
stocks just offshore. Needless to say, this
is only one company, and this level of
investment would clearly be unsustainable
and likely collapse the fishery within three
to five years at most."
Conservation International — which has been
working with Indonesia as well as The Nature
Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund —
said it was optimistic that Indonesia would
see the value of protecting the region.
"We've been very
pleased with the positive response of the
Indonesian government to our survey results,
and with indications ... of their interest
in expanding a network of marine protected
areas to both protect the unparalleled
marine biodiversity and also ensure
sustainable management of fisheries in order
that local communities maintain their food
biodiversity was brought to the public's
attention last February, when Conservation
International reported that
an expedition to the Foja Mountains,
some 200 miles inland, had revealed a "lost
world" of wildlife.
© 2006 MSNBC Interactive
Indonesia Tsunami Survivors Sought as
Death Toll Climbs
Tuesday , July 18, 2006
PANGANDARAN, Indonesia — Corpses were recovered Tuesday from
beaches, homes and hotels ravaged by
's second tsunami
in as many years, pushing the death toll to at least 341. Nearly 230
people were missing.
The government, under fire for failing to pass on warnings about
the impending disaster, vowed to quickly build an alert system
across the country that straddles one of the world's most violent
Bodies covered in white sheets piled up at makeshift morgues,
while others lay beneath the blazing sun in the tourist resort of
a 6-month-old baby among them.
The search for survivors continued Tuesday, with parents among
the last to give up.
"The water was too strong," said Irah as she dug through a pile
of rubble with her bare hands, close to the spot where she last saw
her 6-year-old son. "Oh God. Eki, where are you?"
The magnitude 7.7 undersea quake on Monday
triggered walls of water more than six feet high that crashed into a
110-mile stretch of beach on
an area spared by the devastating 2004 Asian tsunami.
The waves destroyed houses, restaurants and hotels
and tossed boats, cars and motorbikes far inland.
The death toll rose Tuesday to at least 341,
according to Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Aburizal
Bakrie, and, with 229 more missing, the number was expected to
"We are still finding many bodies. Many are stuck
in the ruins of the houses," said police chief Syamsuddin Janieb.
Almost all the victims were Indonesians, but a
Pakistani, a Swede and a Dutch citizen were among those killed,
At least 42,000 people fled their homes, either
because they were destroyed or in fear of another tsunami, adding to
the difficulty of counting casualties.
At the area's main hospital, in the town of Banjar,
medics scrambled to treat a steady stream of patients, most from the
Pangandaran coast. Some slept on dirty mattresses on the floor,
while others were treated in the admissions hall.
Among the handful of foreign patients was Hamed
Abukhamiss, a 40-year-old Saudi who was eating french fries with his
family at a beach-side cafe when the tsunami came into view on the
His 12-year-old son, Yousif, saw the wave
approaching through binoculars, but no one believed him when he
Less than a minute later the family was swept away
in the torrent of water, and Abukhamiss' wife and 4-year-old son
"I'll bury them here, but I will never come back,"
he said, crying in his hospital bed. "How am I going to tell my
daughter her mother is dead?"
Monday's quake struck at 3:24 p.m. about 150 miles
beneath the ocean floor, causing tall buildings to sway hundreds of
miles away in the capital, Jakarta.
After the quake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning
Center and Japan's Meteorological Agency issued warnings of a
possible tsunami. It struck Java about an hour later.
Science and Technology Minister
Kusmayanto Kadiman said Indonesia received the bulletins 45 minutes
before the tsunami hit but did not announce them because they did
not want to cause unnecessary alarm.
"If it (the tsunami) did not occur, what would
have happened?" he told reporters in Jakarta, noting that there was
no effective way to spread a warning without a system of sirens or
alarms in place.
He said Indonesia now planned to speed up plans
for a nationwide warning system.
Indonesia was hardest hit by a 2004 tsunami that
killed at least 216,000 people in a dozen Indian Ocean nations —
with more than half the deaths occurring in Sumatra island's Aceh
Though the country started to install a warning
system after that disaster, it is still in the early stages. The
government had been planning to extend the alert system to Java —
which was hit by a quake in May that killed more than 5,800 people —
Answering reporters' questions as to why no
warning was issued on Monday, Vice President Jusuf Kalla claimed
there was no need because most people had fled inland after the
earthquake, fearing a tsunami.
"After the quake occurred, people ran to the hills
... so in actual fact there was a kind of natural early warning
system," he said. However, of dozens of people interviewed by The
Associated Press in Pangandaran on Tuesday, only one person said he
felt a slight tremor. None said there was a mass movement of people
to higher ground before the tsunami, though some residents
recognized the danger when they saw the wall of water approaching.
Indonesia is on the so-called Pacific "Ring of
Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific
Imported Canned Tuna High in
Mercury, Enviro Group Warns
Tuesday , July 11, 2006
WASHINGTON — Many imports of
levels higher than the federal limit, according to analysis
by an environmental group.
Defenders of Wildlife found the highest levels of mercury in
tuna from Ecuador and Mexico — countries known for setting nets
where they see dolphins to catch large tuna swimming below.
"They tend to catch larger, more mature fish, which tend to have
higher levels, being at the top of the food chain," said Bob Irvin,
the group's senior vice president for conservation.
The group is a longtime advocate of dolphin-safe tuna.
The group had a laboratory test 164 cans of tuna labeled as being
from Ecuador, Mexico, Costa Rica, Thailand, Malaysia, the
Philippines and the United States. Tests were done by New
Age/Landmark laboratory, a Benton Harbor, Mich., company that has
been used by the federal government.
Analysis of the samples found:
--Average mercury content of U.S. tuna was generally lower than
--Tuna from Asia had the lowest average levels of mercury.
--Tuna from Latin America had the highest mercury levels, with
some exceeding the government limit of 1.0 parts per million.
The lab found higher levels of mercury even in light tuna, which
the Food and Drug Administration considers to be low in mercury.
FDA says it's safe to eat two meals a week of fish and shellfish
that are lower in mercury, such as canned light tuna, shrimp,
salmon, pollock and catfish.
But the agency says to limit
"white," tuna to one meal per week because it contains higher levels
Defenders of Wildlife said people should limit light tuna to one
meal each week, instead of two, and avoid canned tuna that says it
is imported on the label.
"The occasional tuna sandwich is not going to cause any problems,
but we are saying the government needs to do a better job of looking
at mercury content in light canned tuna, which up to now has been
touted as a low-mercury source of protein," Irvin said.
The federal government advises pregnant women, nursing mothers
and young children to avoid fish with high levels of mercury —
shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish. Elevated mercury levels
have been linked to learning disabilities and developmental delays
in children and to heart, nervous system and kidney damage in
Traces of mercury are found in nearly all fish and shellfish.
Released through industrial pollution, mercury falls and accumulates
in streams and oceans as
Methylmercury builds up in fish and shellfish as they feed, in some
types more than others.
However, eating fish also has widely acknowledged health
benefits. The American Heart Association advises people to eat fish
at least twice a week.
Coral Polyps Can Adjust Skeletons to Water
Friday , July 07, 2006
By Sara Goudarzi
Corals can alter their skeletons to match
the changing chemistry of seawater, making
them the only known animals to achieve such
a feat, according to a new study.
These animals are the building blocks of
reefs, large coral skeletons which host a
variety of other animals, plants, algae and
bacteria, and protect shores from erosion by
absorbing wave energy.
Coral reefs are made from
calcium carbonate secreted by
coral polyps over millions of years.
Corals generally use aragonite, a
carbonate material, to make the calcium
But the new study, detailed in the July
issue of the journal
Geology, shows that when there is a
decrease in the ratio of magnesium to
calcium in the seawater, corals can switch
to calcite for producing calcium carbonate.
"This is intriguing because, until now,
it was generally believed that the skeletal
composition of corals was fixed," said
co-author Justin Ries, a postdoctoral fellow
Johns Hopkins University.
Ries formulated six different
magnesium-to-calcium ratios that existed
throughout the 480-million-year history of
corals and then, in his lab, added three
species of Caribbean reef-building corals.
Two months later, he examined the mineral
composition of the coral skeletons and found
that each kind of coral had produced its
skeleton based on the kind of water it was
"This is particularly significant given
recently observed and predicted future
changes in the temperature and acidity of
our oceans via global warming and rising
atmospheric [carbon dioxide], respectively,"
Ries said. "That will presumably have a
significant impact on corals' ability to
build their skeletons and construct their
Revelers Trash Beaches
SAN DIEGO - Well over half a
million people celebrated the Fourth of July on San
Diego County beaches Tuesday.
Evidence of the party was everywhere Wednesday morning.
Thousands of pounds of garbage carpeted Mission and
Pacific beaches. The leavings included plastic bottles,
leftover food, coolers, tents, umbrellas and beach
Volunteers picked up more than 4,000 pounds of litter
from county beaches after last year's July Fourth
celebration, according to the San Diego County Surfrider
Association. The tonnage is likely to be comparable this
association is asking volunteers to help clean up
Wednesday from 9 a.m. to noon. Those willing to lend a
hand should gather at:
- the Ocean Beach Pier
- Belmont Park
- La Jolla Shores
- 15th Street in Del Mar
- South Carlsbad State Beach
- Oceanside South Jetty
Volunteers under 18 need a signed note from a parent or
guardian to participate.
the course of the four-day holiday weekend, an estimated
1.5 million people hit the beaches. Lifeguards made
about 1,500 rescues between Saturday and Tuesday,
including more than 500 on July Fourth, they said.
Have a Fun Summer!
Beach Safety 101: Tips for Staying Healthy Seaside
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
By Denise Mann
From death-defying rip currents and red-hot sun to
jellyfish stings and shark attacks, the beach can be a
pretty scary place. But it doesn’t have to be.
Experts tell WebMD that a day at the beach can be … well
… a day at the beach -- when you know what to look out for.
“Swimming and water activities are very healthy so long
as you use appropriate caution for yourself and your family
when you visit the beach,” says B. Chris Brewster, president
of the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA), a
national organization based in Huntington Beach, Calif. The
first step is knowing where danger lurks and how to avoid
Conquering Rip Currents
Rip currents, often misnamed rip tides or undertows,
occur when surf pushes water up the slope of the beach and
then gravity pulls it back. This creates concentrated rivers
of water moving offshore. They tend to form as waves
disperse along the beach, causing water to become trapped
between the beach and a sandbar or another underwater
feature. The water converges into a narrow, river-like
channel moving away from the shore at high speed.
They are anything but benign. In fact, about 80 percent
of lifeguard rescues at ocean beaches are due to rip
currents and 80 percent of drowning deaths are also due to
rip currents, Brewster says. “Rip currents can occur at any
surf beach and they tend to be more intense as surf size
increases,” Brewster says.
The best way to protect yourself from rip currents is to
avoid them. ”Select a beach where lifeguards are present
because the chances of drowning are 1 in 18 million if a
lifeguard is present,” he says.
Sounds simple enough, but there are many beaches around
the U.S. where no lifeguards are provided by the local
community, he says.
“Make sure beaches are staffed at the time you are
swimming,” he adds. “At some beaches, lifeguards are only
staffed until 6 p.m., for example, so the mere fact that you
go to a beach where a lifeguard is present doesn’t mean a
lifeguard will be present when you are swimming,” he says.
Brewster advises checking with the lifeguards and asking
them to point out the safest places to swim. “It is their
role to help you find the safest place [and] if there are no
lifeguards present, you may find a kiosk or signs at beach
access points listing such information.”
If you do happen to get caught in a rip current, Brewster
advises swimming to the side one way or the other until you
no longer have difficulties or feel yourself being pulled.
Whatever you do, don't fight the current.
"These currents can move up to 8 knots, which is faster
than an Olympic swimmer can swim,” he says. “In many cases,
you will be simply unable to outpower the rip current, so
you’ll want to outsmart it,” he says.
Another option is to tread water until someone can assist
you, Brewster suggests.
“Learn to swim in the environment where you are going to
be swimming,” Brewster says. “You may be a confident pool
swimmer, but that doesn’t prepare you for conditions on the
North shore of Oahu in Hawaii,” he says.
“Always swim near a lifeguard and never swim alone,” he
says. “Even a very confident swimmer can experience
difficulties and if there is an emergency and you are alone,
you may not be noticed.”
Alcohol and Swimming Don't Mix
“You should avoid alcohol while swimming,” Brewster says.
According to the USLA, alcohol can reduce your body
temperature and impair your swimming ability as well as
impair judgment, causing you to take unnecessary risks.
Float Where You Can Swim
“If you have a raft, don't take it any further from shore
than you have the capability to swim,” Brewster says. “If
you are using a floating device such as a body board or
raft, use a leash so that if you fall off, you don’t lose
the device,” he recommends.
Steer Clear of Sharks
Each summer, we tend to hear about at least one horrific
shark attack. In fact, in mid-June, a surfer died after a
shark bit him in the left thigh in waters off northeastern
Brazil that are known for large concentrations of sharks,
according to media reports.
But shark attacks are actually rather rare. In fact,
worldwide there is an average of 50 to 70 shark attacks
every year, according to statistics compiled by the
International Shark Attack File.
“You are far more likely to be injured in a car accident
driving to the beach than to ever even see a shark,” says
Brewster. To avoid becoming a statistic, “don’t wear shiny
jewelry or swim at dusk,” Brewster suggests. “Shark bites
are believed to be a result of prey identification mistakes
where the shark thinks you are a fish or a seal.”
Jumping Over Jelly Fish
“Generally you want to avoid any and all jelly fish,”
Brewster says. “If they are in the water, you may want to
avoid the water or check with a lifeguard to determine what
level of problems they are experiencing,” he says. Still,
“jelly fish stings tend to be annoyances rather than
Mind the Water Quality
Most communities test beach waters and are required to do
so under federal legislation,” Brewster says.
“It’s a good idea to find out what the water quality is
before you go in because the results of poor water quality
are gastrointestinal distress, ear infection, and
occasionally more serious problems,” he says.
Some beaches will post updates on water quality but,
explained Brewster, this information is not always reliable
because most testing is random and occurs on an infrequent
“By the time the signs are up, the water quality may have
already been poor for over a day,” he says. A good call is
to avoid the ocean right after a rain fall. “If you have
recently had heavy rainfall, there is a high likelihood that
water quality may have degraded to at least some degree.”
Slather on Sunscreen
Nothing can ruin a day at the beach like sunburn.
Research has shown that sun exposure prior to the age of 18
significantly increases the risk of developing skin cancer
later in life, including the potentially fatal melanoma. New
research has shown that sunburns after the age of 20 also
increase the risk of developing melanoma.
“You can substantially reduce your risk of getting burnt
and developing skin cancer by taking certain precautions,”
says Bruce Katz, MD, the director of the JUVA Skin and Laser
Center in New York City.
The first step is wearing sunscreen. "It’s not just about
sun protection factor (SPF), it’s also about the other
ingredients,” Katz says. Choose sunscreens with titanium
dioxide or zinc oxide.
“These ingredients block both ultraviolet-B (UVB) and
ultraviolet-A (UVA), while other ingredients block only UVB,”
he says. Choose an SPF of 15 or higher.
Remember that no sunscreens are sweat-proof or rub-proof,
so they will have to be reapplied every two hours,
particularly if you are sweating or swimming. It’s also
important to wear hats with broad rims and sunglasses with
protection built into the lenses.
“The sunlight is most intense from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.,” he
says. “Be careful and stand under an umbrella, and remember
that the sun is a lot stronger than it was 10 or 20 years
ago because ozone has thinned out.”
By Denise Mann, reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
SOURCES: Chris Brewster, president, United States
Lifesaving Association. Bruce Katz, MD, director, JUVA Skin
and Laser Center, New York City.
Birth Rate on Upswing
Thursday , June 29, 2006
SAN FRANCISCO — The number of baby
born along the Pacific Coast has rebounded from record low levels,
suggesting that pregnant females are thriving despite a warming
Arctic feeding environment, biologists said.
The number of calves that passed Point Piedras Blancas near San
Luis Obispo jumped from 945 last year to 1,018 calves in 2006,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Fewer than 300 of the 3-month-olds were spotted in 2000 and 2001.
The whales have traditionally migrated to summer feeding grounds
in the northern Bering Sea, but have been forced farther north in
recent years because warming air and water has reduced the
population of its favored prey, the
In 1999, about 270 whales washed up dead or dying on the Pacific
Coast, some severely malnourished, according to NOAA.
But the whales appear to have taken advantage of melted polar sea
ice, discovering new routes to food farther north near Barrow,
Alaska, and finding enough crustaceans in the mud to nourish
pregnant females, scientists said.
"It's a reasonable level of reproduction, and the overall trend
over the past five years is positive," said Wayne Perryman, a NOAA
fisheries biologist in La Jolla. | <urn:uuid:d5c61089-868a-4aff-938b-7b54af41f767> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cuyamaca.net/bbatterson/in_the_news.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945491 | 11,493 | 1.5625 | 2 |
That’s right! PHS and the Phillies are working together to plant trees as part of Plant One Million!
First off: Phillies fans can sign up for a complimentary tree! If you are among the first 250 respondents, a PHS arborist will be in touch to help you pick out the right tree species for your site.
Tree distribution will take place on Sunday, April 22 from 1 – 3 pm at Citizens Bank Park. You must be registered in advance in order to receive a free tree.
A second way to get in on the Phillies fun is to enter the Plant One Million Spring Sweepstakes. Individuals who plant a tree and submit a photo and caption on PlantOneMillion.org could win a Phillies Prize Pak. Click here for details.
The ultimate goal of all this tree talk is to encourage people to plant trees this spring. Collectively we can increase the tree canopy cover—the area of land shaded by trees—in the tri-state area to 30%, the greatest coverage in more than a century. | <urn:uuid:0d1b20d4-5d9f-437c-b073-01769b1f2d34> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://philadelphiagreen.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/phs-teams-with-the-phillies-for-plant-one-million/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941765 | 213 | 1.5625 | 2 |
- Posted July 15, 2012 by
Team iReport featured this story
This iReport is part of an assignment:
Living in small spaces
Living Well Off the Beaten Path
- stein0726, CNN iReport producer
For nine months of the year, we live in a small village 200 miles above the Arctic Circle in Alaska. But during the summer, we come to Seward, where we live aboard our 35-foot Island Packet sailboat. In the not-too-distant future, we hope to make this sailboat our full-time home. Its two small staterooms (bedrooms) and comfortable salon (living room) are cozy and comfortable in the best possible way. We even have a small fireplace - a fuel-sipping Dickinson Newport diesel heater providing a cheery flame as well as warmth. The galley's two-burner stove is enough to allow us to turn out gourmet meals - many of which feature the "catch of the day" from our home waters on Resurrection Bay.
With a boat powered by wind and with relatively small living quarters to heat, light and clean, we consume very little energy. Because space is limited, we find that we are prompted to carefully evaluate each new item we bring into our lives - whether the item is new cookware, equipment for the boat, or a piece of art. Our days are filled with acquiring new sailing skills, photography, fishing, breathtaking scenery, and watching all kinds of wildlife from sea birds to sea otters to whales. Our neighbors up and down the dock are wonderful.
Eventually, we hope our home will take us all over the world - powered by the wind and solar panels, harvesting many of our meals from the sea, and free from the expectation that we fill a large home with things we neither need nor want. Read more about our life onboard Bandon (as well as our life in the Arctic village of Point Hope) at donachyblog.wordpress.com. | <urn:uuid:1f6a2aa4-026d-4d31-bf5f-214eb6e9dab1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-815651 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935457 | 406 | 1.78125 | 2 |
SALT LAKE CITY (RNS) After years of tension between Mormons and gay rights activists — with political action and theological pronouncements on one side, protests and pain on the other — the gulf between the two groups has begun to narrow.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has acknowledged that homosexuality is neither a choice nor a sin. It has supported anti-discrimination ordinances in Utah communities, stayed away from the 2012 battles against same-sex marriage in four states, and launched a website to soften the rhetoric about homosexuality and allow gay Mormons to tell their stories.
Mormons Building Bridges group leads the annual Gay Pride Parade through downtown Salt Lake City, Sunday, June 3, 2012. RNS photo by Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune.
In the midst of that warming trend came more than 300 straight Mormons in their Sunday best, marching in Utah’s 2012 Gay Pride Parade, right behind “Milk” screenwriter Dustin Lance Black and before the drag queens.
They called themselves Mormons Building Bridges. They were not out to debate politics or doctrine, organizers said, but to promote love and listening.
Still, their simple yet potent gesture echoed around the globe, setting an example for fellow believers who then took up the style, if not the name, in 15 other gay pride parades.
“It feels like something clicked in June 2012,” says John Gustav-Wrathall, an excommunicated gay Mormon in a long-term same-sex relationship who nonetheless regularly attends weekly LDS services in Minneapolis. “This was a galvanizing moment. It fired everyone up.”
Mormons typically view gay pride parades “with loathing and disdain,” says Gustav-Wrathall, who became involved early on with Bridges. “It was electrifying that there would be a large contingent marching in Salt Lake City. And I figured if they can do that there, we can do it anywhere.”
Attending church feels different now, he said. “The mood has shifted, a new tone has been struck. It is now safe for Mormons to talk openly about homosexuality, and Mormons Building Bridges played a key role in that.”
Erika Munson, a straight, married Mormon mom who moved to Utah from Connecticut in 2009 and came up with the Bridges’ idea, is a reluctant revolutionary.
Like other Mormons, Munson was troubled by her church’s highly publicized push for California’s Proposition 8 in 2008, defining marriage as exclusively between a husband and a wife. She watched helplessly as gays left the faith, resigned to the fear that there seemed to be no place for them in the pews.
And she saw her children struggle with the dissonance between the church’s teachings about love and what they saw as its rejection of LGBT fellow believers.
In January, Munson decided she needed to do something, anything, so when she learned that the pride parade was the second largest in the state, she impulsively reserved a space.
As the date drew nearer, Munson enlisted award-winning Mormon filmmaker Kendall Wilcox and his co-producer Bianca Morrison Dillard to help with strategy and organizing.
Wilcox, a well-respected gay Mormon who last year began filming interviews with LGBT members, sensed Bridges’ potential. He helped Munson clarify the group’s mission and became an invaluable liaison with the LGBT community.
“There is an exponentially growing number of Mormon hearts that are turning toward compassion,” he says. “We turned that into action.”
Dillard, a straight, active, married Mormon in Provo, also signed on enthusiastically, bringing grass-roots organizing skills to the movement.
During the Prop 8 campaign, Dillard “didn’t know what to make of all the gay Mormon stuff, so I ducked and covered. I kept my distance,” she says. “But it didn’t sit well.”
Organizers knew there might be push-back against Bridges from the gay community — for years, the LDS church considered homosexuality itself a sin, encouraged young gay men to marry women and supported efforts such as “reparative therapy” as a way of changing same-sex orientation.
Wilcox, who worked at church-owned Brigham Young University for years, had a well of empathy, but knew that, without gay participation, Bridges would have been a bridge to nowhere.
“Mormons are coming in peace,” he told them. “We don’t have all the answers.”
Dillard also worried about the gay response.
For some pride participants, Mormons showing up at their parade and not advocating for marriage equality “is not enough,” she said, “and I get that.”
The LDS church’s new website — mormonsandgays.org — reaffirms that “same-sex attraction is not a sin … acting on it is,” and Mormon leaders still insist that sex should be only between a husband and a wife.
Well aware of the gay community’s concerns, Munson attended a planning meeting about a week before the parade. She listened politely and finally raised her hand and said: “A bunch of Mormons are planning to march in our Sunday dress. Is that OK? Will we be intruding?”
Troy Williams, radio host, writer and Salt Lake City gay rights proponent, likewise was worried about Bridges’ participation.
“I went to that fear place immediately,” he says, warning Munson, “You’ll be booed and harassed.”
Even so, Williams backed the idea at the Utah Pride Center and with grand marshal Black, who embraced it and insisted on putting Bridges at the front of the parade.
In the end, the positive response proved overwhelming. Up and down the parade route, the crowd cheered, clapped and, yes, cried.
“It was,” Williams said, “one of the most beautiful moments of my life.”
(Peggy Fletcher Stack writes for The Salt Lake Tribune.) | <urn:uuid:b67e757a-3242-4d36-ac82-d702816be5d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://toledofavs.com/culture/gender-and-sexuality/years-of-tension-yield-to-thaw-between-gays-mormons | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963925 | 1,289 | 1.820313 | 2 |
As with adults, the first step after a period of inquiry or pre-catechumenate is the Rite of Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens.
260. It is important that this rite be celebrated with an actively participating but small congregation, since the presence of a large group might make the children uncomfortable (see RCIA 257). When possible, the children’s parents or guardians should be present. If they cannot come, they should indicate that they have given consent to their children and their place should be taken by “sponsors” (see RCIA 10), that is, suitable members of the Church who act on this occasion for the parents and present the children. The presiding celebrant is a priest or deacon.
261. The celebration takes place in the church or in a place that, according to the age and understanding of the children, can help them to experience a warm welcome. As circumstances suggest, the first part of the rite, “Receiving the Children,” is carried out at the entrance of the place chosen for the celebration, and the second part of the rite, “Liturgy of the Word,“ takes place inside.
The celebration is not normally combined with celebration of the eucharist.
These two paragraphs supplement what has already been written in RCIA 41-47. Initiating children doesn’t involve starting from scratch. Even a volunteer or certainly a minister who worked with initiating children must be familiar with the whole of the RCIA.
A helpful concession for nervous children in #260. While this wouldn’t hold true for every child, a good number of young people are uncomfortable in large groups.
Note that a deacon may preside at this rite, as he may with the adult rite of acceptance–assuming the Eucharist is not part of the celebration.
RCIA 261 gives a useful checklist: the rite of acceptance should communicate welcome, a warm one. The community celebrates the rite in two places: the church entrance for the first part, and inside for the second.
In tomorrow’s post, we’ll look at the rituals of the Rite of Acceptance, but mainly where the rubrics or texts differ from those used for adults. As such, we’ll probably take the rites in bigger gulps for the next week or two and cover a lot more ground. I’ll reference the parallel texts from the adult rites. If you are new to this series, all you’ll need to do is type “RCIA 48″ or whatever number in our search box on the right there. I plan to link to previous posts when I can do so. | <urn:uuid:5639d933-493e-4739-8253-c43f7413c695> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://catholicsensibility.wordpress.com/2010/01/05/rcia-260-261-kids-first-step/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=019c5482d9 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946874 | 555 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Photo by Casey Serin
Owning a home, rather than renting housing, is an investment in the community that benefits the entire area. Has homebuying seemed an impossible dream? Think again.
Mary McMath and Sherry Draine of the Saginaw County Community Action Committee want to help turn dreams into reality. They will offer another round of Homeownership Counseling Sessions beginning in January, 2011.
New Homebuyer Education sessions will cover: Is homeownership for
everyone? What are mortgage programs and processes? Counseling services include understanding the mortgage loan, the loan closing process, budgeting, saving as a homeowner,
recapture tax, basic home maintenance, avoiding predatory lending and preventing foreclosure.
Learn about MSHDA below-market, fixed rate loans with 30-year terms. Find out about FHA, VA and
Rural Development Loans. Borrowers must attend a homebuyer education class to be eligible for MSHDA 97 percent loan-to-value conventional loans.
CAC counseling services are provided free of charge to eligible applicants. Classes will be held on Thursdays from 5pm – 7pm at Saginaw County Community Action Committee, Inc. (CAC), 2824 Perkins Street, Saginaw, MI 48601. Call 989-753-7741 for reservations.
January 6, 13, 20, 27, 2011
March 10, 17, 24, 31, 2011
May 5, 12, 19, 26, 2011
July 7, 14, 21, 28, 2011
September 8, 15, 22, 29, 2011
November 3, 10, 17, 24, 2011 | <urn:uuid:382bb255-9e74-444f-835a-48fe326ad3d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://360mainstreet.com/article/766/is-owning-a-home-in-your-future | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93589 | 341 | 1.570313 | 2 |
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama used his first State of the Union address as a second-term president Tuesday to focus on an economy that continues to struggle toward recovery and to lobby for better gun laws to stem the tide of violence that claimed two more student lives in Maryland.
“A growing economy that creates good, middle-class jobs -- that must be the North Star that guides our efforts. Every day, we should ask ourselves three questions as a nation: How do we attract more jobs to our shores? How do we equip our people with the skills needed to do those jobs? And how do we make sure that hard work leads to a decent living?”
His administration released a package of job training, business incentives and education reforms designed to produce jobs, provide cleaner energy and improve the nation's rusting infrastructure.
The wealthiest 10 percent of Americans now hold nearly 75 percent of the country’s net worth, according to a July 2012 report from the Congressional Research Service, while the rest of the country’s wealth share has declined. Meanwhile the national unemployment rate stubbornly hovers around 8 percent, down from its high of 10 percent in 2009.
Maryland’s unemployment rate stands at 6.6 percent, below the national average and down from a recent high of 8 percent in October 2009.
Obama called the sequester -- a series of automatic federal spending cuts -- a "really bad idea" that both parties need to work together to resolve.
Obama called reducing the deficit a priority of his next term, but added that "deficit reduction alone is not an economic plan." He stressed that all the proposals he is putting forward will not increase the deficit.
Maryland's Democrat-dominated congressional delegation supported Obama's economic plans.
Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Towson, called the speech, “terrific, very strong in its tone and its substance," and said that the president called for "bread and butter investments.”
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Mechanicsville, called the speech "comprehensive," and said it clearly laid out his agenda.
In a statement, Sen. Ben Cardin said he agreed with the president and added, "Congress cannot fail the American people by making them victims of reckless inaction. Sequestration will have a devastating impact on our economy and we cannot let it happen."
A statement from Gov. Martin O'Malley praised Obama's "balanced approach" to taking on the nation's economic problems, "where eliminating government waste and cutting spending responsibly are paired with investments in core priorities like promoting innovation, improving our schools, and rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure.”
The state's lone Republican congressman, however, did not see the speech the same way. Rep. Andy Harris, R-Cockeysville said the president failed to present specifics.
"He spent a lot of time talking about climate change and gun control and gave precious little details on how to solve our nation’s economic problems," Harris said. "I thought that the president was going to actually respond to what America wants to hear now, which is how are we going to get out of the recession, how are we going to solve our economic problems, how are we going to delay the sequester...”
Obama ended his address with a reiteration of his call for gun control, specifically calling for bans on "weapons of war" and "massive ammunition magazines" like the ones used in the December 2012 shooting in Newtown, Conn., that left 28 dead, including 20 schoolchildren.
These measures deserve a vote, Obama said, "because in the two months since Newtown, more than a thousand birthdays, graduations and anniversaries have been stolen from our lives by a bullet from a gun."
The discussion is a timely one for Maryland, which saw two students killed in a neighborhood near the University of Maryland, College Park early Tuesday in what police are calling a murder-suicide. A semi-automatic Uzi was found at the scene, along with rounds of ammunition.
"Our actions will not prevent every senseless act of violence in this country. Indeed, no laws, no initiatives, no administrative acts will perfectly solve all the challenges I've outlined tonight," Obama said. "But we were never sent here to be perfect. We were sent here to make what difference we can..."
Obama announced in January 23 executive actions he plans to take to stem the tide of gun violence, including an allocation of federal research funds to study its causes.
Rep. John Delaney, D-Potomac, said, "Obviously what he did on gun safety is necessary and important. And I thought his timing on bringing that at the end of the speech was the right approach.”
Several Maryland lawmakers at the federal level have been actively working for gun control. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Baltimore, is a chief co-sponsor of a bipartisan federal gun trafficking bill and Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Kensington, just spoke at the March on Washington For Gun Control.
Van Hollen Tuesday was joined at the president's speech by Carole Price, whose 13 year-old-son was accidentally shot and killed by a young neighbor in 1998. Since then, Price has been a gun safety advocate in Maryland, lobbying successfully for “child-proof gun legislation” in 2002.
Maryland had another tie to Obama's State of the Union speech. High school student Jack Andraka, of Crownsville was one of 23 invited guests in First Lady Michelle Obama’s private box. Andraka won the 2012 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for creating a dip-stick sensor for cancer, and was recognized by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley in his State of the State address last month.
Capital News Service reporters Allison Goldstein, Angela Harvey, Nicole Macon and Yagana Shah contributed to this report. | <urn:uuid:1117fb7d-b65e-4d49-80eb-af42a3952824> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://afro.com/sections/news/national/story.htm?storyid=77465 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969333 | 1,220 | 1.523438 | 2 |
A view from Belle Isle, where approximately half of Detroit's parks and recreation budget is dedicated. / KIMBERLY P. MITCHELL/DETROIT FREE PRESS
Belle Isle is "a beast."
That's not my conclusion. It's what Brad Dick, Detroit's general services and recreation director, said about the 1,000-acre island park, which devours half the city's emaciated parks and rec budget.
Yes, half. Which means all the other parks, more than 200 over about 4,000 acres in neighborhoods throughout Detroit, have to share what's left.
"We do more out on the island, because it's such a center of activity and it needs a lot of attention," Dick said. "But people use the other parks, too, and if I didn't have to worry about Belle Isle, we could do more in neighborhood parks all over the city."
Would that mean serving more Detroiters better?
"Yes," he said.
So when I hear all the knee-jerk opposition to state management of Belle Isle based on what Detroit would lose -- control, power, and to "outsiders" -- I wonder why nobody is considering what the city would gain: improved services at all the other parks.
Trash pickup at Patton Park in southwest Detroit, where thousands of people play soccer or have cookouts every weekend, could be more frequent than every 12 days, which is the best the city can do right now. The grass could be cut much more often at parks such as Farwell Field in northwest Detroit, where there's a lot of programming for kids.
And in the many parks where the city has decided it can only do minimal upkeep, the mowers might be able to show up more often than once every three weeks.
That's not to mention what might happen to Belle Isle itself, which is not in great shape even with its $2-million annual allocation of city funds. The grass gets mowed. The trash gets emptied.
But programming is minimal, and it's difficult for the city to even keep restrooms open and functioning. Belle Isle is also home to a pretty complex canal system, and it sinks naturally into the Detroit River. There's a lot of abatement and maintenance that needs to be done to take care of the island, and for the most part, it's not being done.
Go out there someday after a big rain, and watch the Canadian geese swimming through the spontaneous lakes that crop up in the middle of the roads. That wouldn't go on if the city could properly fund the island's upkeep.
As part of the state park system, the island would have access to a far more stable stream of funds (many other big cities pay for parks with user fees or dedicated millage) and money for capital improvements.
Take a look at how the state has managed Milliken Park, along Detroit's riverfront; it's the cleanest and most pristinely tended public space in the city.
Dick said the city's parks budget has declined by 70% over the past six years, from around $13 million to just $4 million. The city used to have 50 full-time parks employees and another 150 seasonal workers. Now it has just 34 full-timers, and 41 seasonals.
Dick staffs Belle Isle with 36 of those people. The rest get spread out among the other parks.
"The people who work for us work really hard, and they really care," Dick said. "But really, there's only so much you can do. We just don't have the resources anymore. We feel so strained, but we're doing the best we can."
Dick also said all of the city's floral and garden displays are on Belle Isle. There's no money or staff to do it out in the neighborhood parks.
"We should be doing that all over," he said.
Yes, they should. And the debate over Belle Isle's future should reflect more of what the island and the city's other parks actually mean to Detroiters, rather than to public officials.
It's embarrassing that the city has been able to do so little to keep up the parks, but not surprising. Look at the population decline. Look at the collapse of the tax base. The cuts to parks and recreation only mirror what has happened all over the city.
State management? If it means not only a better Belle Isle but also better parks citywide, Detroiters won't be "losing" anything.
Stephen Henderson is editorial page editor for the Free Press. Contact him at email@example.com , or at 313-222-6659. | <urn:uuid:6fbdbd74-5050-452c-9dc1-ed7b769b7764> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.freep.com/article/20120816/COL33/308160126 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973412 | 962 | 1.695313 | 2 |
The Essential Hyperion 2
HYP20 2CDs Super-budget price sampler — 2CDs Deleted
Movement 1: Andantino con moto allegro
Movement 2: Scherzo – Intermezzo: Moderato con allegro
Movement 3: Andante espressivo
Movement 4: Finale: Appassionato
But despite this setback, Debussy’s piano teacher, Antoine Marmontel, took note of his first prize in score-reading in 1880 (the only first prize Debussy was ever to win at the establishment until his Prix de Rome in 1884) to recommend him to Tchaikovsky’s patroness, Nadejda von Meck, who was looking for a pianist to accompany her and her children on their travels. He joined her at Interlaken on 20 July and two days later she wrote to Tchaikovsky telling him of the arrival of ‘a young pianist who has just won first prize in Marmontel’s Conservatoire class’—which was untrue—and that ‘although he only looks sixteen, he says he’s twenty’—also untrue: he was rising eighteen. If we are charitable, we may prefer to link Debussy’s loose handling of facts to the report accompanying his triumph in the score-reading exam, which spoke of him as being ‘un peu fantaisiste’ but as having ‘beaucoup d’initiative et de verve’.
Mme von Meck’s requirements at Interlaken, and again at Arcachon where the family moved in early August, were quite specific. He was to give piano lessons to her children, accompany her twenty-seven-year-old daughter Julia, who was a singer, and play piano duets with herself. On 18 August, a duet rendition of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony left her in a state of nervous collapse (pre-echoes of Proust’s Mme Verdurin), but she had only praise for Debussy’s sight-reading abilities. At the same time he ‘ne le joua pas bien’ which must mean that, for all his digital accuracy, she recognised in him an instinctive lack of empathy with Tchaikovsky’s hysterical temperament. One thinks of Debussy’s later characterisation of the ideal French music as generating ‘emotion without epilepsy’.
From Arcachon, the party moved on through Paris, Nice, Genoa and Naples to Florence, where they arrived on 19 September. It was from here that Mme von Meck sent Tchaikovsky a Danse bohémienne her young pianist had written some time during the summer and which the master judged to be ‘a nice piece, but too short, with themes that never get anywhere and a defective form that lacks unity’. This criticism is certainly just, even if the complaint that Debussy’s music ‘never gets anywhere’ was to persist over far greater works than this one.
At the Villa Oppenheim in Florence, the family was joined by the cellist Danilchenko, who had just finished studying at the Moscow Conservatory, and the violinist Pachulsky, who also took on some secretarial duties. A well-known photograph shows the three looking suitably serious and dutiful: Debussy sent a copy home to his parents, inscribed ‘I send this young man to bring you my kisses and all my love’.
It seems the trio was required to perform every evening. We don’t know what their repertoire was, but it can be assumed that Beethoven and Schubert formed some part of it, together with Russian music. If they played Tchaikovsky, it can only have been in arrangements because he did not write his only piano trio until two years later, and then at Mme von Meck’s insistence. ‘I will not conceal from you,’ he wrote from Rome in 1881, once the beginning was written, ‘that I have had to do some violence to my feelings before I could bring myself to express my musical ideas in a new and unaccustomed form.’ In the meantime though, the young Debussy had stolen a march on him and, during September and October, had written his own Trio in G major—possibly prompting Mme von Meck’s desire to have something similar from her protégé?
She mentions in her correspondence Debussy’s criticism of German music as being ‘too heavy and unclear’ and his Trio bears out this preference for lightness and clarity. Perhaps he was determined that here, at least, he and his colleagues should have some fun. Certainly all three players have their opportunities for tunes and for a certain amount of display. To modern ears it sounds nothing like the mature Debussy; more, at times, like Delibes, whose music was a mainstay of the Conservatoire score-reading class and was, moreover, highly approved by Tchaikovsky. The second movement, in particular, conjures up visions of footlights and tutus, its pizzicatos serving as a kind of mid-point between Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony and Debussy’s String Quartet.
The work cannot be said to be anything more than salon music, written to give immediate pleasure, and as such does not merit deep analysis. Enough to note the features which, while here appearing sometimes as weaknesses, Debussy was later to transform into strengths: his penchant for four-bar phrases that sit down at the end of the last bar and wait for someone to do something, which in his mature work were to be crucial in engendering a contemplative passivity; his reliance on pedal notes, throwing decorative elements into relief; and a tendency towards modal melodic patterns, here too often unintegrated with the surrounding material and with a slightly forced, fake black-and-white aroma, but which, handled with mastery over a decade later, would help lend Pelléas et Mélisande its distinctive atmosphere of far away and long ago. And through it all, enough ‘fantaisie’ to keep everyone happy.
from notes by Roger Nichols © 1999 | <urn:uuid:458bbe59-7203-4b4e-838c-fa4467f22aa4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/tw.asp?w=W8159&t=GBAJY9911406&al=SACDA67114 | 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 | 0.976497 | 1,334 | 1.789063 | 2 |
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency have called upon industry to develop a low-cost and secure communications, network management and situational awareness system for the U.S. military, public safety agencies and commercial clients. The solution must enable remote and secure mission-based communications with or without cloud connectivity. The goal is to design a technology with both military and security applications that offers real-time information regardless of the infrastructure and equipment first responders or military members use. Under a two-year agreement, SRI International and Covia Labs will develop the enhanced capabilities for communications devices such as smartphones. In the long term, the companies plan to design a low-cost solution that features the seamless formation of secure teams across different military and public safety agencies. | <urn:uuid:cf46123c-d029-4500-96fe-f444056ffd13> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.afcea.org/content/?q=2011/12/22/15013 | 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 | 0.936553 | 157 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Facebook held a press conference today focusing on its mobile platform. At the event, Mashable editor Ben Parr took the opportunity to ask whether Facebook is developing an iPad-specific application. All of today’s official announcements were around Facebook’s features on Google’s Android operating system and Apple’s iPhone (and I’ll have posts up soon describing the news), but the iPad is a mobile device too, Parr argued.
“The iPad’s not mobile,” Zuckerberg responded. “It’s not mobile, it’s a computer.”
That prompted laughter from the audience, so Zuckerberg added that he isn’t trying to be “rude” to Apple. He just that wanted to focus on truly mobile products today, and the iPad “is not a mobile platform in the same way that a phone is.”
Maybe this is just a minor definitional dispute, but it’s still interesting to see Zuckerberg pushing back against a common practice in the tech industry to talk about the iPad and other tablets as mobile devices. One of the reporters at the conference noted that Apple would probably dispute Zuckerberg’s characterization of the iPad (especially since the iPad runs the iPhone operating system and iPhone apps).
Devindra Hardawar, VentureBeat’s lead mobile writer, sounded pleased when I told him about by Zuckerberg’s comments. (His response over instant message was, “VALIDATION.”) We keep sending him iPad and other tablet announcements because we see it as mobile news, and he keeps complaining that the iPad isn’t really a mobile device. Now he knows at least one person agrees with him.
[image via Facebook for Business] | <urn:uuid:9769715d-9374-4fe1-aa74-3e6354f7acd3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://venturebeat.com/2010/11/03/mark-zuckerberg-ipad-not-mobile/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942578 | 366 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Draft drought mitigation plan presented to the Firestone trustees
Steve Nguyen, president of Clear Water Solutions, which prepared the plan, said, “I commend the Town of Firestone for being proactive and completing a drought plan prior to the next drought.” He further added that Firestone will be the first to complete a state-approved plan.
Nguyen highlighted key aspects of the plan, while also clarifying that drought plans focus on short-term mitigation actions, and water conservation plans focus on long-term demands. As part of the planning process, Town staff developed a list of water-use priorities, which guided the development of the plan. Nguyen also touched upon the drought stages, which are defined by the demand levels. For instance, in the case of 110 percent water supply, the Town suggestion voluntary watering restrictions between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily. When water levels would dip below 100 and 90 percent, restrictions would deepen further.
Town Manager Wesley LaVanchy said, “It’s a very proactive plan. It can certainly provide a lot of guidance, should we need to down this route in an actual drought.”
Public comment on the plan begins May 16, 2012, the day of the public notice, for the next 60 days. After that time, suggestions will be reviewed and the plan adjusted before the Board of Trustees formally adopts the plan. The plan will then make its way to the Colorado Water Conservation Board for review.
The Town of Firestone received a Colorado Water Conservation Board grant to develop a drought mitigation and response plan. Drought planning is an important objective for the Town to ensure critical water supply needs are met when supplies are diminished. The CWCB grant covered all but $2,000 of the cost of preparing the plan, which the Town contributed.
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Berthoud, Colo. – Colorado WaterJet Company (CWJ), the leader in abrasive waterjet shape cutting in Colorado, announces the addition of new, MORE | <urn:uuid:7f2b8ab1-2d8f-4f03-9f14-0eb477ee979f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ncbr.com/article/20120514/FROMONLINE/120519957/0/y | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931635 | 449 | 1.625 | 2 |
My thoughts on Free Will by Sam Harris, cross-posted from Goodreads.
I had already enjoyed the 2012 talk and was a bit worried that a “book” this short couldn’t add much to it. It doesn’t, in fact, add much, but it was still worth my while to revisit the argument in a different medium.
The first of Harris’ arguments concerns experiments where the test subjects are asked to make a decision and record the time of the decision. Apparently, the decision can be predicted by brain activity before the test subject is aware of having made it, which Harris argues shows that our decisions are made for us by deeper processes. I know nothing about psychology or neurology, so I don’t know if the conclusion is sound, but I wish that Harris had spent a little more time exploring this. It makes no evolutionary sense for our consciousness to only act as a narrator for decisions already made, because it would be superfluous. What kinds of choices need to involve our consciousness? When the decision is made elsewhere, why does our consciousness pretends as if it were in charge? Is it possible, with self-control, to force certain decisions out of the dark, into the light of our conscious thought?
Second is the problem of regress. To quote:
My choices matter—and there are paths towards making wiser ones—but I cannot choose what I choose. And if it ever appears that I do—for instance, after going back between two options—I do not choose to choose what I choose. There is a regress here that always ends in darkness.
Or more succinctly:
We are not self-caused little gods.
I think this is compelling, but it is a little bit like the children’s game of “why why why.” Colloquially, we can account for why it snows without asking “why” all the way back to the origin of the universe. Perhaps a similar line can be drawn for inquiries into volition, that ends somewhere inside our heads?
Third, Harris says that self-introspection will reveal that the source of our thoughts and decisions are mysterious even to ourselves. Ever since I saw his talk I have tried to think about this, but cannot say I find it as obviously true as Harris does. I don’t know where my ideas and impulses come from, but if pressed I think I could attribute many of them to known external and internal sources, which are obviously not of my choosing, but still not mysterious. Some preferences, like tea or coffee, are mysterious, but it’s not mysterious why I prefer an ice tea over hot chocolate on a warm summer day.
Finally, Harris untangles free will from determinism. We don’t yet know for certain which kind of universe we inhabit, but there’s nothing about an indeterminate universe that would grant us free will. Conversely, compatibilism is the view that we can have free will even in a deterministic universe, even if Harris is rather dismissive of this. I should probably read Elbow Room: The Varieties of Free Will Worth Wanting to get a fair treatment of the subject.
In the end, the notion of free will is rather like the notion of god—ill-defined and with no supporting evidence. For now, I have no choice but to withhold belief. | <urn:uuid:5c1c3bc5-374c-4d43-be00-6ed34d86151a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.foolip.org/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970511 | 701 | 1.609375 | 2 |
MILO, Maine — Anyone concerned that the Maine Department of Transportation won’t be repairing a badly potholed section of West Main and Main streets next year has nothing to worry about, state officials said Tuesday.
Transportation department engineers visited the site Monday and have added about $325,000 worth of work to the job, which now carries a price tag of about $1.14 million, counting preliminary and actual engineering costs, said Engineer Shawn Davis, a DOT project manager overseeing the project.
“It is considered to be a rehabilitation. It is what the road needs. It certainly needs more than a resurfacing, just placing pavement on top of it,” Davis said Tuesday.
Thirty-nine people noted the road’s poor condition on the “See It. Fix It” feature available on bangordailynews.com. Another 40 wanted Route 16 in Milo fixed for the same reason.
Routes 6, 11 and 16, the main road network through Milo, all converge at Main and West Main or run along them. Those designations make them state roads, whose maintenance town leaders aren’t and have no wish to be responsible for.
The DOT will rework the 1.19-mile section of the road from the bridge that spans a river flowing between Sebec and Boyd lakes west on Main Street, as the road is known locally, to West Main Street, said Ted Talbot, spokesman for Maine Department of Transportation.
The work is set to begin in June and will be extensive. Private contractors who win bids to do the work will rip up and pulverize the road until it achieves a gravel-like consistency, mix in Portland cement and pulverize it again before regrading the road to improve water and traffic flow. Then the road will be compressed and topped with hot-mix asphalt, Davis said.
“We really would like to get out there. We would like to get out there and be finished before school begins in the fall,” Davis said.
The road’s shoulders and a nearby intersection will be improved under different projects due to be done simultaneously. The three efforts will run concurrently to minimize traffic stoppage, Davis said.
The goal, Davis said, is to leave Milo with a section of road that will be in good shape for about 12 years, depending on how heavy the road’s traffic is or gets.
That section of road presently handles about 6,300 vehicles a day — a typical amount for a rural community like Milo’s, Davis said.
Much more unusual is its truck traffic, which is heavy now and by 2024 is expected to grow to 7,000 vehicles a day, with 17 percent of the total volume, about 1,190 vehicles, expected to be trucks. That’s a high number of trucks for a rural town, Davis said.
Most of the trucks go to the Pleasant River lumber mill, downtown merchants and to wood suppliers who work in the area, town and transportation officials said.
The high cost of asphalt, which is petroleum-based, is the single largest expense associated with road repair work such as this, Davis said.
The job will require slightly more than 6,000 tons. Asphalt prices fluctuate wildly with the cost of the oil, and rural areas generally have higher costs than urban areas due to the cost of diesel fuel most commonly used when the asphalt is trucked. Bangor pays about $70 to $80 a ton while Milo pays closer to $90 for hot-mix asphalt, Davis said.
“I have seen hot mix for over $100 a ton in northern Maine,” Davis said. “There are a lot of contributing factors to it.” | <urn:uuid:b969203b-ffc3-40e4-a3b9-f8d40fd14886> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://bangordailynews.com/2011/12/20/news/piscataquis/1-14m-milo-road-repair-set-to-start-in-june/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95946 | 771 | 1.601563 | 2 |
I learned over the weekend of the passing of a couple of loyal Baylor Bears: economist, educator and civil servant Dr. Richard Benjamin Goode and philanthropist and champion of education Mildred Cornelius Carlile.
Goode, BA ’37, earned his bachelor’s in economics from Baylor and spent the majority of his career in Washington, D.C., with the U.S. Bureau of Budget, U.S. Treasury Department, International Monetary Fund and the Fiscal Affairs Department. Recognized as an expert in his field, he also served as a consultant to the U.S. Treasury and the United Nations and taught classes at the University of Chicago and Johns Hopkins University. He passed July 18 at age 93.
“[Dr. Goode] once shared with me that his life would’ve looked completely different if he had not had the opportunity to attend Baylor through scholarship support,” said Bill Dube, director of Baylor’s Endowed Scholarship Program. Goode paid that forward in 1999 when he and his wife established the Richard and Liesel Goode Endowed Academic Scholarship Fund at Baylor.
Carlile joined the Baylor family through marriage (her late husband, Quinton, was a 1947 graduate), but she poured her heart into BU and was eventually honored as an Alumna Honoris Causa — the highest distinction awarded by Baylor to individuals who did not graduate from the university. Like the Goodes, she and her husband also established an endowed scholarship fund, the Quinton B. and Mildred C. Carlile Endowed Scholarship Fund, from which Baylor students are already benefitting. She passed Aug. 4 at age 86.
The Carliles’ love of Baylor lives on through their three sons and their wives: Ken (BA ’69, DDS ’73, PhD ’96) and Celia Carlile, Steve (BBA ’73, JD ’75) and Penny (BA ’73) Carlile, and David (BBA ’72, JD ’74) and Susan Carlile. Mildred and Quinton’s desire to share their good fortune was passed on, as well; inspired by their parents’ philanthropy, the three boys were instrumental in the creation of the Quinton and Mildred Carlile Geology Research Center (now the Carlile Geology Building).
Sic ’em, Goode and Carlile families, for your lives of service and your legacy of Baylor pride! | <urn:uuid:25b08a73-f697-4c58-92d4-e396256567c9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www2.baylor.edu/baylorproud/2010/08/pair-of-bears-leave-legacy-of-loyalty-and-service-to-baylor-after-passing/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969868 | 513 | 1.5 | 2 |
JAKARTA--When Indonesia was in the iron grip of President Suharto, more than 100 movies were produced annually, many as propaganda tools.
Today, unshackled, people in their 30s who were involved in a student movement to protest Suharto's regime in 1998 in its last days are now creating films to shed light on the nation’s turbulent past and the violence that has persisted.
The filmmakers, part of a band known as “generation 98,” are tackling the sensitive subjects because they believe unraveling and revealing the murky past is essential for the nation to move forward.
One such filmmaker is screenwriter Salman Aristo, 36.
Aristo said that Suharto’s 32-year rule shaped the mind-sets of many Indonesians. His legacy, and the fear that he instilled, remains, even 14 years after the strongman’s departure.
“Even today, fear of learning the truth among the public overpowers their desire to get to the truth,” he said. “So, people pretend that they have not seen what they saw.”
Aristo penned the script for “The Dancer,” a film that portrays a farming village in the 1960s set against the backdrop of the raging crackdown and purge of Indonesian Communist Party members.
The 111-minute movie, which has won several awards in Indonesia, was screened from last autumn to early this year.
Aristo was a college student in Bandung in the state of West Java when his country started a new chapter as a fledgling democracy. He participated in demonstrations and discussed the future of Indonesia with his friends in a hut situated in the middle of a rice field.
Aristo said there is something from Indonesia's past that needs to be overcome for the country to grow into a true democracy.
“We need to come to terms with the nation’s dark past and what really happened behind the incident that gave rise to Suharto as a dictator,” Aristo said. “But we had earlier turned away from that.”
The dark past refers to “the 1965 incident,” in which a band of young military officers attempted a coup on Sept. 30, 1965, while President Sukarno was in power. The ensuing upheaval was quelled by General Suharto, enabling him to take over after Sukarno.
But it left a deep scar on the country’s history, many say.
The Indonesian Communist Party was accused of being responsible for the coup attempt and became the subject of a fierce purge.
More than 500,000 people, most of them party members, were murdered, according to one estimate.
Ifa Isfansyah, who directed “The Dancer,” portrays the incident as a military conspiracy.
Isfansyah, 32, emphasized that his movie is a "love story," but added that it would have been banned at the stage of writing the screenplay if it had been attempted in the Suharto era.
“We have to restore the credibility of movies after they had been used so long for political purposes,” he said.
Gotot Prakosa, dean of the film and television faculty at the Jakarta Institute of the Arts, said members of generation 98 are eager to look squarely at Indonesia’s violent past.
“They are familiar with movies made in Western nations through Hollywood movies and the Internet,” Prakosa said. “They are exploring what themes Indonesian films should take up after looking back on their country’s history.”
Another member of generation 98 is Daniel Rudi Haryanto, a director. He is casting light on the terrorist attack in the resort island of Bali in 2002 in his documentary, “Prison and Paradise.” The attack killed 202 people, including a Japanese couple.
The 93-minute film won Haryanto, 33, the Directors Guild of Japan Award at the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival in Yamagata Prefecture in 2011.
Haryanto is determined to reveal the events that have been kept out of the public eye. It took him seven years to shoot the documentary.
“I want to know what really happened in that terrorist attack 10 years ago and the clampdown on the Communist Party 47 years ago,” he told members of an audience at a gathering after a recent screening of the film in Jakarta.
Several members of Jemaah Islamiyah, a radical Islamic group based in Southeast Asia, and others were arrested in connection with the terrorist attack. Three men were executed for their roles in the bombings. Haryanto interviewed the convicts in prison to document what they had to say.
In the film, one inmate proudly said that he did the right thing, while another expressed remorse.
The documentary also captures their family members struggling to cope with the snubs of people around them.
Originally from the central region on Java Island, Haryanto moved to Jakarta to join an anti-government riot in July 1996, when Suharto’s long reign was nearing its end.
He decided to learn how to create a documentary at the Jakarta Institute of the Arts.
“I wanted to convey to the public what really happened by seeing things with my own eyes,” he said.
Indonesia’s shift to democracy has opened the opportunity for filmmakers to shoot movies at their own discretion.
But it is another thing to get them on theater screens.
For example, “Prison and Paradise” was banned by Indonesia’s Film Censorship Board.
Mukhlis Paeni, chairman of the board, said the decision was due to opposition from the state government of Bali.
But Haryanto gave a different version.
“I was told that my film was rejected because it will adversely affect Muslim youngsters,” he said.
Censorship is not the sole problem in their struggle to get their movies screen time in Indonesian theaters.
Members of generation 98 complain about the monopoly of movie theaters by Group 21, which operates 141 of Indonesia’s 147 theaters as of late last year and is believed to have close ties to the Suharto family.
Haryanto gave up screening "Prison and Paradise" at large theaters and, instead, travels to many parts of the country to show it in small gatherings.
Indonesia’s first movie was produced in the 1920s when the country was under the colonial rule of the Netherlands. After Indonesia became independent, founding father Sukarno banned screenings of foreign films to nurture patriotism.
After Indonesia shifted to democracy, only seven films were shot in 1999. But the number jumped to 80 in 2011, and some movies attracted more than 1 million theatergoers, each.
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