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Narrated by Adrian Edmondson
A film by Mike Birkhead Associates, for the
1st transmission 9pm, Thursday 10 December 2009,
The French are famed for their flair with l’amour but even French stars like Brigitte Bardot and Muriel Robin are impressed by ‘Chanee’ Brulé. Studies he began in boyhood have made him a world expert at match-making for gibbons – the only apes to mate faithfully for life and which can’t survive in the wild without a partner. Now, at a sanctuary in
THE STORY TOLD IN THE
Gibbons are the songsters of the ape family. Unlike any of their cousins, they take only one mate, remain faithful for life, and serenade their partners daily with complex melodies which reaffirm their bonds.
Now, songs of a different tune are helping to safeguard the ‘singing’ apes of
There, a new radio station is using the breaks between beats by artists like Groove Armada, Kid Loco, Massive Attack, M.I.A and the Thievery Corporation to urge young listeners to support the gibbon rescue and rehabilitation work of its top DJ.
Radio Kalaweit is run by ‘Chanee’ Brulé, a 29-year-old Frenchman who fell in love with gibbons after seeing them in a zoo as a child and then spent so much time studying them that, at aged 15, he wrote such a well-informed guide to their care in captivity that it is still used today.
The book and its publicity won Chanee enough funding to, first, look at gibbons in the wild and then, with donations from film stars Brigitte Bardot and Muriel Robin, and others, create a sanctuary for them in a region of Borneo called
Today, the sanctuary is mostly populated with gibbons (‘kalaweit’ in the local language) rescued after tip-offs to the radio station, which commands big audiences, especially among the under 30s.
Before any of the animals can be returned to the wild, however, each needs to be matched with a mate or it will be attacked, and perhaps killed, by other couples defending their territory. So, the sanctuary doubles as a gibbon dating agency, with Chanee as its world class match-maker.
He says: “It’s not like chicken. You can’t put one male and one female in one cage and for sure it will be a good pair. You need to find the right character, the right gibbon with the right partner. We never know if it will work, but what we can anticipate is who will be the boss in the enclosure. In every pair we have one dominant, sometimes it’s the female, sometimes it’s a male. If both gibbons don’t want to be dominated they will fight until one die.”
The film follows Chanee as he delivers conservation messages via Radio Kalaweit, follows up on leads from listeners, leads his team on gibbon rescue missions, welcomes new arrivals and arranges blind dates for sanctuary residents, Leoni and Bundad and Holly and Habir.
Viewers are also transported to Project Kalaweit’s latest sanctuary - Marak, an idyllic, uninhabited island off the west coast of Sumatra – to witness a sequence never shown on
Radio Gibbon is a Mike Birkhead Associates production for the
- ends -
QUOTES FROM THE
On how he became so involved with gibbons: “It was just interest at the beginning - why they are so different? Why it is so difficult to take care of them? Why do so many of them die in captivity? And with time I start to understand them and that’s when I start to love gibbons and be specialised in gibbon. I like to say I speak gibbon.”
On mixing music and conservation: “People like [Radio] Kalaweit because it’s cool. There’s a lot of modern music; it’s a very modern image, and the young love that. We have to give them what they want, but between every two or three songs we have this short message about conservation. So it’s working very well. I’m very happy. And it’s nice also to save animals with good music.”
On Radio Kalaweit’s impact in the Kalimantan region: “Now after 5 years we don’t have any animal market any more in public places…..just because of the simple fact that if someone try to sell a gibbon in the market…. in the next 30 minutes we will receive a call here telling us of the situation.
Sometimes people just come and give us animals.”
After meeting the owner of a pet gibbon: “He was very surprised when I try to explain to him that a gibbon lives 30 years in the wild, and he was like: ‘Whoa, I was thinking they just live around five or seven years, because I have gibbon before and they always die before seven’.”
On the impact of his work as a DJ, conservationist and gibbon match-maker:
“Kalaweit is too small to pretend we can save the gibbon. Kalaweit can’t save the gibbon. We can save some individual and it’s what we are doing. We have to do it, and I’m happy to do it and I give a second chance for some animal - even for the animal who will never come back into the wild: the 25% gibbon infected by human disease. They have a decent life. They have a gibbon life at least. They are not alone, they have a partner, and it’s what I’m doing, I just try to make the situation better for them.”
Gibbons belong to the family of lesser apes called Hylobatidae which means tree-dwelling. They live in tropical and sub-tropical forest in and around
A major threat to gibbons, and many other species, is habitat loss resulting largely from deforestation and the booming world market for palm oil – an ingredient now found in one in every 10 supermarket products and also a biofuel. To keep up with demand, many countries are clearing peat forests to make way for palm oil plantations. In
LISTEN TO RADIO GIBBON
Radio Kalaweit – music for life – can be heard online at www.kalaweitfm.com | <urn:uuid:1644586b-6080-4041-9c86-b66dec4ca163> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://naturealert.blogspot.com/2009/11/radio-gibbon.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950598 | 1,403 | 1.726563 | 2 |
(WASHINGTON) -- Another potential rift between Washington and Kabul has apparently been avoided as the Pentagon and government of Afghanistan have agreed on a plan to withdraw U.S. Special Operations forces from Wardak province following allegations of human rights abuses.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai had ordered American Special Ops units out of the region based on accusations that the U.S. or Afghan force working alongside them had committed various atrocities, including the murder of a college student and the disappearance of nine civilians.
The Pentagon had denied any involvement in the alleged abuses but now has acquiesced to Karzai's demand that Special Ops soldiers and their Afghan counterparts leave Wardak's Nirkh district where the atrocities reportedly occurred.
They will be replaced by Afghan soldiers and police and eventually, the entire U.S. contingent will transition out of Wardak over time.
While this was the goal of the U.S. anyway, it's happening at a faster pace than the Pentagon or some Afghan officials would like since it would possibly leave Wardak more susceptible to attacks by the Taliban or al Qaeda.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio | <urn:uuid:b5dbafe7-2bd4-48a4-b167-799117bd0e03> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wvnn.com/common/more.php?m=58&ts=1369089615&article=B358BF1F920611E286DEFEFDADE6840A&mode=2 | 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 | 0.972526 | 225 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Pieneman - General Rowland Hill N070457
APSLEY HOUSE, London. General Rowland Hill (1772-1842), sketched by Jan Willem PIENEMAN in 1821 (WM 1479-1948). A Peninsular veteran and accomplished commander in his own right, at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, Hill commanded the II Corps. He led the charge of Sir Frederick Adam's brigade against the Imperial Guard towards the end of the battle. For some time it was thought that he had fallen in the melee but he escaped unwounded. He was made Viscount Hill of Almaraz in 1842.
Purchase PIENEMAN - GENERAL ROWLAND HILL N070457
Photographic Print, Framed Print, Mouse Mat, Photo Mug, Canvas Print from English Heritage. | <urn:uuid:a0f9a78d-bf93-4435-a541-36b2cc39e28a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.englishheritageprints.com/low.php?xp=media&xm=4572007 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933455 | 171 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Though commentators often portray the Democrats and Republicans as mirror images of each other, American politics is not symmetrical. We do not have one party that represents the left in just the way that the other party represents the right. Among congressional Democrats, moderates and conservatives sharply circumscribed what Barack Obama could do on the economy, health care, climate, and other issues even when his party had majorities in both the House and Senate.
An aerial shot of the Fukushima nuclear plants (The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images)
The last few years have brought a great deal of talk about a "nuclear renaissance" and a new bipartisan consensus in favor of building more nuclear power plants. In the hope of striking a grand bargain on climate legislation during the last Congress, many environmentalists were willing to go along with what President Obama and others held up as a sensible compromise: federal subsidies for nuclear power and more leeway for offshore oil drilling in exchange for a carbon cap-and-trade system. But the BP oil spill helped to quash that idea, and the disaster in Japan should bury it. If we are ever going to get global-warming legislation -- and with denialists in control of the House, that's not likely anytime soon -- it will have to be some other way.
The Arizona state Capitol, which together with the governor's office was put up for sale last year to plug the state's budget deficit (AP/Matt York)
This year, with unemployment still at recession levels, one state after another will lay off teachers, reduce health care for people on Medicaid, defer maintenance on roads and bridges, and make other assorted cuts to balance their budgets. Even though these policies will hinder economic recovery, venerable observers will say the cutbacks are preferable to higher taxes, and some Republicans will relish the chance to slash programs they never liked in the first place.
Fred Linsenmeyer of Phoenix at a health-care town hall meeting held by Sen. John McCain (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
One reason the electoral map turned red in November was that the electorate turned gray. Older Americans went to the polls in droves to vote Republican, while young people stayed home. And one big question about 2012 is whether the elderly will still vote Republican if the GOP can be forced to spell out the implications of its political agenda for Medicare and Social Security.
President Obama calls on Senate Republicans to stop filibustering campaign-finance legislation, July 2010 (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)
The voters often surprise us, but this fall's midterm election seems nearly certain to have at least one consequence. For the next two years, Congress will be unable to make any significant headway on the great challenges facing our country. The Republicans may win one or both houses, or they may fall a bit short, but their gains will be enough to stymie substantial legislation to deal with climate, immigration, the economy, and long-term fiscal challenges. A majority of the electorate may think those problems need urgent attention, but when the votes are tallied, they will likely add up to paralysis. | <urn:uuid:82d01093-6bf1-4ceb-8a10-113cc257560f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://prospect.org/authors/paul-starr?page=3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958327 | 628 | 1.75 | 2 |
The Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of PEN Canada is seriously concerned for the health of prominent writer, journalist and lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, who is said to be very weak as a result of a hunger strike. Nasrin Sotoudeh is serving a six-year prison sentence for her criticism of the government and defense of human rights. PEN protests her detention, and demands her immediate and unconditional release in accordance with Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a signatory. It further demands that all restrictions against her family are immediately lifted, and her full visitation rights restored as a matter of urgency.
According to PEN’s information, Nasrin Sotoudeh started a hunger strike on October 17, to protest her prison conditions and restrictions placed on her family, in particular a travel-ban placed on her twelve-year-old daughter. Her health is rapidly deteriorating and concerns for her welfare are mounting.
Sotoudeh was arrested on September 4, 2010 and sentenced to 11 years in prison. The sentence for “propaganda against the regime”, “acting against national security” and “violating the Islamic dress code (Hijab) in a filmed speech” was later reduced, to six years in jail and a ban on practising law for ten years. Sotoudeh was charged following critical interviews that she gave to overseas media following the disputed June 2009 presidential election, and for her membership of the Association of Human Rights Defenders.
Sotoudeh, 49, is a mother of two young children aged 6 and 12. She has been held in Tehran’s Evin Prison since her arrest, for much of the time in solitary confinement. In the two years that she has been behind bars she has been granted very limited access to her family, in violation of the Iranian Penal Code, and has staged several hunger strikes to protest her illegal treatment in prison. Her health has been significantly weakened as a result, and her life is now believed to be at risk.
Nasrin Sotoudeh is best known as a human rights lawyer and activist, but has also worked as a journalist for several reformist newspapers including Jame’e. Since qualifying as a lawyer in 2003, she has specialised in women’s and children’s rights, and has continued to write articles on these issues. Many of her articles have been rejected for publication, including a report written for a special issue of Daricheh on women’s rights for the occasion of March 8 (Women’s Day) 2010. Following the launch of the One Million Signatures Campaign for the Repeal of Discriminatory Laws in August 2006 by several leading Iranian women activists, and the widespread growth of the women’s rights movement in Iran, she has represented many women’s rights activists including Parvin Ardalan, a well-known PEN case. She is a close associate of exiled lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi, and has represented many imprisoned Iranian opposition activists arrested in the crackdown that followed the disputed presidential elections of June 12, 2009.
In October 2012, Nasrin Sotoudeh and the Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi were jointly awarded the European Union’s annual Sakharov Prize for dedication to the defence of human rights and freedom of thought.
Please send appeals:
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic
His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei,
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic of Iran.
Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Sadeqh Larijani
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri
Islamic Republic of Iran.
His Excellency Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: Via Foreign Ministry: +98 21 6 674 790
(mark: “Please forward to H.E. President Ahmadinejad“)
Photo credit: Rita Leistner (from PEN Canada’s Day of the Imprisoned Writer action in 2011) | <urn:uuid:f196db51-b3c8-4867-a63e-8f34200768ac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pencanada.ca/campaigns/rapid-action-network-appeal-october-29-2012/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973229 | 888 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Should your potential employer require you to give up your password to Twitter? Facebook? LinkedIn? Will your comments, background information, age, nationality, pictures be used against you?
What if the employer does not use that information, but still has access to it? Would that raise a concern that it was in fact used against a job applicant? Allowing the requirement of social media passwords bring potential liability issues to employers.
Minnesota Lawyer (subscription required) has a very interesting article. The Minnesota proposed bill, introduced by Rep. Mary Franson (R-Alexandria) seeks to ban employers from asking job applicants for their social media passwords as part of the job interview. It is important to note, as stated by the article, that the bill does not discuss already hired employees and the use of employer laptops, computers, smartphones, etc.
The National Conference of State Legislation reports that there are at least 29 states with introduced or pending legislation seeking to ban employers from requiring/asking for these social media passwords. | <urn:uuid:cf394dfb-cbeb-4956-8c2d-df9f05bf6e4c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fr2nc1z.wordpress.com/tag/facebook/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961069 | 206 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Nasal analysis is where a series of measures are taken to help see how a nose compares to an ideal nose. While this may provide both the patient and surgeon with some useful information, it definitely should not be interpreted as cold hard science or facts. These angles are meant merely to serve as a guide. In fact, some of the angles and measures are disputed by surgeons, myself included. It serves a purpose in communication amongst surgeons and patients. A beautiful nose can not be created by formula and needs an artistic vision and collaboration between surgeon and patient. | <urn:uuid:dbf4080d-8b9b-47d9-aa4e-87aac5f2e590> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.shahfacialplastics.com/nasal-analysis.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97412 | 111 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Zurich is the biggest but also the most accessible city in Switzerland and most of it can easily be traversed on foot, making it ideal for walkers.
Visitors to Zurich can wander through the old town, enjoy the many parks and stroll along the quayside by the lake. The shopping streets are particularly pedestrian friendly. Life in Zurich is certainly not low-priced. The streets are dominated by luxury fur, antique businesses and chic chocolatiers.
The large number of banks means that Zurich is best known as the financial centre of Switzerland. Culture lovers will also enjoy Zurich, since the city has over 30 museums and 100 art galleries. The “Kunsthaus”, with works by Rodin, Matisse and Munch, and the Swiss National Museum, with information about the history of Switzerland, are certainly worth a visit. | <urn:uuid:0635f7d9-80ed-4bc3-9bf4-8beea5aac462> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://brusselsairlines.com/en_pl/look-for/destinations/switzerland/zurich.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971919 | 175 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Im starting to look at one of my biggest problems as a possibility for me to grow as a person..If i need to work hard to solve this problem that will mean i have to grow and be stronger..
Hoffy has written 7 entries about this goal
feeling blue a couple of days now because i have been thinking to much about some of my problems in life, and ive been blue about almost everything..And i realized that i need to shift to a more optimistic point of view! I started to look at my problems as a possibility to grow and learn new things..Now i feel much, much better! Thanks me!!:)
need to work harder with this one..
My brain sometimes kicks me back into the habit of thinking about my limitations instead of my oppurtunities..
Its like the Brain has this old way of thinkin as a “highway”, and the thoughts travel fast in this way of thinkin but it takes more effort and time to “rebuild” the Brains synapses in order to think in this new and more positive way! But im working on it and it gets better and better.. Right now im traveling in Brazil with a frend whos always been negative about almost evrything and im doing my best to be the positive one who always talks about the “good stuff”..And im getting better at this:)
I work on this goal everyday now. Whenever i get negative about something or if i start to think that something might be hard or impossible to do i start to think like “but what if its possible? How would it be? And that triggers my mind and motivation even more..
I had a nice evening with two friends tonight and we sat and discussed what kind of options and opportunities we have in our lives the coming year.. I think that counts as progress:)
When i was younger, my dad told me this: If there is a will, there is a way! My dad is an inspiration for me when it comes to being positive. He has been successful in many ways and i think that it has a lot to do with his way of thinking. In his mind nothing is impossible. When i was younger i thought this was a rather naive way of thinking and i always qustioned it. But now: I see that if you want something bad enough, then there just might be a way, and even if you dont see it right now, if you keep on moving towards your goal, then you just might get what you want!
Im working on this goal everyday. Im trying to visualize me getting what i want instead of thinking to much about why i dont already have it or thinking about the problems associated with it
Hoffy has gotten 25 cheers on this goal.
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- me cheered this 16 months ago | <urn:uuid:d2964185-a1fd-43f2-b60d-4fb8bebd33be> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.43things.com/people/progress/Hoffy/16230138 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9409 | 788 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Public sector net borrowing down
Public borrowing has fallen to its lowest level since September 2008, new figures show.
Public sector net borrowing excluding bank bailouts fell to £12.8bn in September, compared to £13.5bn in the same month last year.
A Treasury spokesperson said: “Today’s data again shows government borrowing better than markets expected and lower than the same month last year.”
Treasury Secretary, David Gauke cautiously welcomed the figures, "There have been some encouraging economic figures this week. But clearly there is no room for complacency even with these numbers we are still borrowing historically a very large sum of money indeed."
But Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Rachel Reeves insistedthe Government was still way off its borrowing target.
She said: "George Osborne’s borrowing plans are wildly off track. He has already had to revise his borrowing targets up by £150 billion over this parliament. And in the first six months of this year borrowing is over 4 per cent higher than in the same period last year." | <urn:uuid:af3301a1-de7c-4833-801e-f179eda4d6e2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://politicshome.com/uk/story/30197/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959284 | 218 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Issaquah starts countdown to plastic bag ban
February 26, 2013
By Warren Kagarise
The citywide ban on most retail plastic bags starts March 1, and Issaquah leaders are reminding residents and retailers to prepare for the ordinance to go into effect.
The measure also sets a 5-cent fee for most paper carryout bags. Under the ordinance, retailers keep the fee to offset the cost to phase out plastic bags. Shoppers can see the expense itemized on receipts.
Though the ordinance requires most plastic bags to disappear from retailers in March, consumers should not expect to see the bags vanish altogether.
The legislation contains exemptions for plastic bags for bakery items, bulk foods, meat, produce, dry cleaning, newspapers, small hardware items and takeout foods.
Some businesses might also need time to exhaust existing plastic bag supplies. Businesses can also apply for temporary waivers from the plastic bag ban.
“So, one of the things I’m making sure to tell them is, ‘We don’t want you to throw away all your plastic bags that you have left over. You’re allowed to go through any existing stock,’” said Micah Bonkowski, a resource conservation coordinator in the city Office of Sustainability. “That would defeat the purpose, to just throw them all in the garbage.”
The plastic bag ban goes into effect in March for retailers of 7,500 square feet or more. The measure does not go into effect for smaller businesses until March 1, 2014.
The city plans to distribute reusable bags to about 600 low-income households and also to the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank to provide to clients.
The ordinance exempts food banks, state and federal financial assistance program recipients, and services for low-income earners from the 5-cent fee.
The city ordered 4,200 polypropylene bags in lime green, emblazoned with the city logo and the phrase “One less bag” on the side. Residents can pick up a complimentary bag at the CleanScapes store.
What to know
Shoppers can pick up a complimentary reusable bag while supplies last at the CleanScapes store, 317 N.W. Gilman Blvd.
Money for the bags came from $10,000 authorized by City Council members to implement the ordinance.
The penalty for defying the ordinance is a $250 fine, although officials plan to work alongside violators. The city adopted a similar approach in October 2010 as Issaquah banned polystyrene, or Styrofoam, restaurant takeout containers.
“The city’s attitude is similar to the polystyrene ban,” Bonkowski said. “We’re going to try and work with businesses as much as possible at first.”
The preparation effort also includes education and outreach to consumers. The city set up a website to offer more information about the plastic bag ordinance.
In June 2012, Issaquah joined a string of cities along Puget Sound to outlaw plastic bags at local retailers. Concerns about the environment led the council to decide 5-2 to eliminate most retail uses for plastic bags.
The plastic bag ban sponsor, then-Councilman Mark Mullet, presented the legislation as a way to reduce the estimated 10 million plastic bags the city sends to the King County landfill each year. (Mullet is now the state senator representing the 5th Legislative District.)
The plastic bag ban is similar to ordinances in Seattle, Bainbridge Island, Bellingham, Edmonds, Mukilteo and Port Townsend. Issaquah is the only Eastside city — and the only municipality inland from Puget Sound — to enact such legislation.
Bonkowski said residents and retailers heard about the Issaquah ordinance early, perhaps due to other cities implementing similar legislation in recent months.
“This one is following a little closer on the heels of Seattle doing the same thing,” he said. | <urn:uuid:a01dd395-2879-4f7b-9236-c1ecc6aec270> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.issaquahpress.com/2013/02/26/city-starts-countdown-to-plastic-bag-ban/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939763 | 822 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Two of the largest retailers have gone to court to block one of the hottest products of the largest credit card company, Visa U.S.A. Inc.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Limited Inc. filed an antitrust suit against Visa, arguing that they should not be forced to accept Visa Check cards -- debit cards with the Visa logo that withdraw purchases from the cardholders checking account. Visa insists that retailers that accept its credit cards must also accept the check cards.
The suit, filed last Friday in Federal District Court in Brooklyn, contends that the merchants must pay a fee for check card transactions that is almost as high as the fee on credit card transactions -- typically between 1.5 percent and 3 percent of the purchase price.
The two chains contend that the debit cards can be used as if they were credit cards or cash cards of the type used in automated teller machines. But if they are used as cash cards, the fees paid by merchants should be 10 cents a transaction, the suit says.
The only difference, the suit contends, is that if the purchase is handled like an A.T.M. withdrawal in which the customer enters a personal identification number, then the lower fee is charged. If the consumer simply signs a charge slip, the merchant pays the higher credit card fee.
The lawsuit estimates that banks received $250 million in such fees last year.
''The fees charged for Visa Check are exorbitant, fixed and maintained at supra-competitive levels only through the coercive force of the tying arrangement,'' the suit said.
Visa, in a statement, said there was no merit to the case and defended its rule requiring merchants to honor all Visa cards equally.
For an antitrust suit to be successful, the retailers would have to prove that credit cards and debit cards are separate markets and that Visa so dominates the credit card market it can force customers to take debit cards they otherwise do not want to accept.
In the past, Visa has successfully defended other antitrust cases by arguing that credit cards are a small part of the much larger market for payments, which includes cash and checks.
''Wal-Mart and Limited have a plausible argument, but it is really a jump ball case,'' said Donald I. Baker, the former head of the antitrust unit of the Justice Department.
Banks like the debit card product because it reduces their costs of handling paper checks and, more important, they like the fees they receive from merchants.
At the end of June, there were 38 million Visa Check cards in circulation, up 49 percent from a year earlier. There were 495 million transactions on those cards in the first half of the year, up 61 percent from a year ago. Mastercard has 10 million Mastermoney debit cards.
The banks justify the fees for the Visa Check and Mastermoney cards because the transactions can take several days before the money is deducted from the customer's account, exposing the bank to the risk that there will not be sufficient funds to cover the purchase. Unlike a bounced check, it is the bank, rather than the retailer, that has to collect the money. | <urn:uuid:2a098f11-7480-4ed3-9253-299559bf511c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/01/business/2-big-retailers-sue-visa-hoping-to-avoid-accepting-a-debit-card.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962606 | 630 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Boundary Spanning Leadership, a book by Chris Ernst and Donna Chrobot-Mason from the Center for Creative Leadership was released last week has been an immediate success. It is in fact, a good example of its own philosophies in that it draws on a wide range of ideas from many contexts to support the research on which it is based. It also leverages the impressive networks into which the CCL authors have within their circles of influence to promote the ideas it contains. They cleverly contrast the common perception of boundaries as barriers to progress with the less commonly applied definition as frontiers. This highlights an important aspect of our role as leaders is to challenge boundaries to forge new territories on the path a discovery pathway that drives innovation and performance. Although these principles may not seem new at first glance to some, what is unique about the book is the simple way in which these complex issues are simplified with a well structured pathway that clarifies how you can transform the concept of creative innovation into a reality. They provide interactive ways to engage people to participate, that is taking good theory and weaving a pragmatic process in place to deliver results.
I was attracted to this book because I often referred to myself as a “boundary rider”, explaining that my role has often been to solicit new options by drawing from a wide range of disciplines to stimulate conversations at the edge of people’s experiences and knowledge. I, as I am sure others like CCL and similar innovation consultants, have used such approaches for many years to make a difference for the people we interact with. The challenge we often have is when people ask what we do. It can be hard to define and mundane job titles do not do our work justice. This is what Chris and Donna have captured so well. They clarify some of the more creative elements and processes we deploy through a sharper focus and demonstrate why this creates value.
When being introduced to new people (even by some of my former bosses, clients and family members!), rather than tell them what I do my introducer often says, “He can explain what he does as I am not sure”. My replies vary depending on who it is and the context, but some of my favourites have been “I bend people’s minds” or “I am a boundary rider across multiple knowledge disciplines”. These statements are not meant to be arrogant or create a sense of superiority- they are meant to stimulate a creative conversation by offering something a little mysterious and intriguing. These responses invariably trigger another question and the exchange of good questions is always a more creative and fun two-way interaction to share knowledge than simply telling them answers (which like names are bit mundane and quickly forgotten).
Like my friend the Yak illustrated above, boundary riders are highly enthusiastic in what they do and if given a little freedom around emergent interactions and permission for the group to experience some small “mistakes” in a safe fail environment – the groups can create a lot of innovative outcomes whilst having a lot of fun along the way. | <urn:uuid:ccfcd03b-4539-4e6c-b291-ed751b14e93d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://organizationalzoo.com/blog/?p=63 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968649 | 617 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Bill Clinton's Global Reach Would Have Pluses and Minuses for a Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Monday, November 17, 2008
If Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is named the next secretary of state, she and her husband could be positioned to lead a public-private partnership on the global stage unlike any before it, one that experts say would bring with it a host of potential benefits and pitfalls for the new president.
Since leaving the White House, Bill Clinton has used his connections with world leaders to position himself as something akin to the world's philanthropist in chief -- and become rich in the process by collecting huge sums from foreign companies eager to hear him speak.
That arrangement could be complicated, though, by his wife joining the Obama administration, with the prospect of questions about any conflict of interest or attempts to curry influence.
For the past four years, Bill Clinton has convened the annual Clinton Global Initiative, a glamorous philanthropic conference that brings together hundreds of corporate chiefs, heads of state, humanitarians and celebrities. The William J. Clinton Foundation has ballooned into a global nongovernmental organization with a staff of more than 800, addressing chronic problems such as climate change, hunger, AIDS and malaria.
If President-elect Barack Obama selects Hillary Clinton as his secretary of state, she will oversee many of the U.S. government's foreign aid programs, potentially turning the couple into an overwhelming force in global aid, say some leaders in the philanthropic community.
"It boosts her stature, it boosts the work of the Clinton Global Initiative, it boosts the whole concept of American partnerships making a real difference on the global level," said Steve Gunderson, president of the Council on Foundations and a former Republican congressman.
"She will be able to say in many of her meetings, 'We're in a situation where I can't commit congressional foreign assistance, but let me work with the philanthropic community back in the United States to see if there are ways that they can be helpful,' " Gunderson said.
The choice of Clinton would present other potential problems for Obama. He would be investing his fortunes not only with his former rival for the presidency but also in an outsize figure on the global scene who has been conducting a kind of privately financed foreign policy all his own since leaving office. Obama and the former president have also continued to share a somewhat strained relationship since the end of the Democratic nominating contest.
Bill Clinton's web of personal financial ties and public policy pronouncements about the world's challenges would instantly become a source of possible discord with a new Obama administration as his wife travels the same world circuit as America's official emissary.
"He's a former president of the United States. He's been traveling around the world, and he's got his foundation and a lot of foreign policy efforts going on," said Leon Panetta, Clinton's former chief of staff and now a professor of public policy. "What they will have to obviously be careful of are the potential conflicts that might appear."
Supporters of the former first lady reject the idea that her selection as secretary of state would be viewed through a prism of either the benefits or the baggage provided by her husband.
"She was one of the most successful primary candidates," said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.). "I really think that it's unfair to suggest that there's any type of a package that comes with her appointment." | <urn:uuid:ed60542a-66fb-476e-8be2-4015da5f4511> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/16/AR2008111602039.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979588 | 694 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Mushikiwabo to German parliament: UN evidence was “flawed and flimsy evidence”
Rwanda’s Foreign Affairs Minister Louise Mushikiwabo today addressed German Parliament’s Committees of Economic Cooperation and Development, Committee on Foreign Affairs and Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid. Bellow is the full statement, which addressed DRC crisis and aid cuts.
Chairpersons and members of the Committees on Economic Cooperation and Development, Foreign Affairs and Human Rights & Humanitarian Aid:
Please accept my thanks for the opportunity to address not one, but three, esteemed committees of the Bundestag today.
First and foremost, this offers a unique forum from which to convey to a broad cross-section of Germany’s political leadership the warm appreciation of the government and people of Rwanda for the support and generosity your country has shown ours over many years.
A spirit of constructive engagement and cooperation has been, and continues to be, the hallmark of Germany-Rwanda relations. It is my sincere hope, and that of my government, that this spirit lives on — up until, as well as beyond, the point at which Rwanda has reached our desired goal of self-sufficiency and independence from aid.
Beyond donor and recipient, Rwanda looks forward to an enduring partnership with Germany built around trade, education and cultural exchanges, as well as collaboration on the international stage where our interests coincide, whether on climate change, the rights of women and minorities, or the promotion of peace and security wherever and whenever its absence threatens vulnerable populations.
Let me directly address the question that has complicated relations between our countries since last year, namely the ongoing strife in the eastern DRC. In June last year, the Group of Experts on the DRC included an addendum to their regular report to the UNSC Sanctions Committee that contained a series of claims of Rwandan support for a mutiny by the so-called M23 group.
On July 28th 2012, on the same day my government issued its rebuttal to these serious, but seriously flawed, allegations, the government of Germany announced its intention to suspend aid to Rwanda. In so doing, Germany joined a number of countries and multilateral agencies whose understandable concern about the grave situation in the DRC expressed itself by suspending or delaying the disbursement of development assistance to Rwanda.
While the Government of Rwanda is disappointed that some development partners took such courses of action, especially bases on such flawed and flimsy evidence, we also fully respect their right to do so. Rwanda is a grateful recipient of donor support, as evidenced by our judicious and transparent use of such funds, but we do not take it for granted. Indeed, events of last year were a stark and timely reminder that, in order to build a sustainable and prosperous future, Rwanda must first secure self-sufficiency. This is not to deny or dismiss the critical role development partners, none more than Germany, have played in Rwanda’s journey post-1994; it is simply to recognise that true independence will remain beyond our reach until we have built a society and an economy capable of sustaining itself.
With regard to the specific allegations made against Rwanda by the Group of Experts, I am more than happy to field as many questions as you have.
The bottom line for Rwanda is this: our national interest is not served by conflict or instability at our borders; indeed, the opposite is true.
A secure and stable DRC is vital for Rwanda’s own economic prospects. If we can play a role in helping build a lasting peace in the eastern DRC, Rwanda will do so. As clear evidence of this, Rwanda stood ready just a matter of days ago to add its signature to the UN framework sponsored by the Secretary-General during the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa. Due to reservations on the part of other member-states, the fate of the proposed framework remains somewhat unclear; what is crystal clear, however, is Rwanda’s willingness to take part in a constructive solution. At the same time, we continue to urge our friends and allies to look beyond sporadic flare-ups and quick fixes, and instead examine the underlying causes of conflict and resentment among the disparate populations of that long-troubled region.
Notwithstanding the DRC crisis and the impact of aid decisions on our national budget, I can report that Rwandans are realistic about the challenges that lie ahead for our country, as well as unwavering in our determination to meet them. Resilience, resourcefulness and optimism: these strains of our national character have sustained and nourished us in the eighteen years since tragedy brought Rwanda to its knees.
Last year, Rwanda was able to report on progress of our national strategy for economic development and poverty reduction, known as EDPRS. Apart from the widely reported fact that one million Rwandans have been able to lift themselves from poverty since 2005, the results of the EDPRS point to progress across a broad range of indicators. As such, we see no reason to deviate from our stated goal of achieving middle income nation status by 2020, and no reason to doubt we will achieve it. However, there remain areas of concern to the government, including: an inadequate supply of energy; insufficient private sector investment, and stubbornly high incidence of malnutrition among Rwandan children.
With the targeted contributions of GIZ via sector budget support and pooled funds, Rwanda can point to significant gains in the areas of HIV-AIDS treatment, family planning, and the national health insurance scheme which now covers 91 percent of the population. Indeed, health outcomes in Rwanda continue to improve rapidly across the board:
- From 2005 to 2011, deaths from malaria dropped by 87.3%.
- Between 2000 and 2010 the country’s maternal mortality ratio fell by 59.5%.
- The probability that a child dies by the age of 5 years decreased by 70.4% between 2000 and 2011—falling below half of the regional average and approaching the global mean.
As reported earlier this month by the journal of the British Medical Association, if such progress continues, “Rwanda will be the only country in the region on track to meet each of the health related millennium development goals by 2015″.
Given the emphasis of successive German governments, over many decades, on health policy and service delivery in Rwanda, each one of you — and the parties you represent — can rightly feel you have played a part in enabling the dramatic improvement in the health status of the Rwandan people.
Beyond healthcare, we were pleased that GIZ in 2011, after consultations, identified private sector development and vocational training, along with decentralisation, as key focus areas for assistance. Our efforts to further reduce poverty and expand opportunity face derailment if we return to sluggish rates of GDP growth. And maintaining current momentum demands we continue public sector reforms while at the same time expanding and diversifying the role of the private sector. A further benefit of decentralisation is that it enhances the ability of Rwandan citizens to take part in the economic and political decisions that affect their lives, thereby helping expand the political space.
Another key priority for Rwanda post-genocide has been to harness the power of women to lead the nation through a critical period of reconciliation and rejuvenation. It is often cited that Rwanda, at 56 percent, has the highest proportion of women in any national parliament — but that is merely the tip of the iceberg. Seven of the country’s 14 Supreme Court justices are women. Across the public sector, we have easily exceeded the constitutional benchmark of 30 percent participation of women in leadership positions. Decentralisation policies have also greatly empowered women at the district, sector and village level. Increasingly, also, women are embracing the opportunities offered by a growing economy — notably, more than 30 percent of cooperatives are operated by women, and the government is actively promoting female entrepreneurship through low-cost loans. Most importantly, the prospects for Rwanda’s girls looks even brighter — we have already reached the MDG target for 90 percent enrolment in primary school among girls, and the participation of females at every level of education is increasing.
Finally, let me touch on Rwanda’s recent election to the UN Security Council for the 2013-14 term. Rwanda faced a choice in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide, during which the international community — mostly notably the United Nations – failed to act. Will rage at this historic transgression turn us into an insular and embittered nation — or can we transcend anger and instead seek more and better engagement with the world? We chose the latter, opting for a path of reconciliation both inside and outside our borders. Since then, we have become the biggest single African contributor to UN peacekeeping and policing efforts, from Darfur to Haiti. Drawing on our painful experience, we have led the debate on Responsibility to Protect as well as post-conflict peace building. Rwanda co-chairs the UN Secretary-General’s MDGs Advisory Group, as well as the Broadband Commission which aims to bridge the digital divide in poorer countries.
As we work with fellow members to advance the cause of peace at the Security Council, we unapologetically offer the perspective of a resurgent continent. For the first time in modern history, hope trumps heartache in today’s Africa. With this newfound optimism comes confidence that we are ready to face not only our own challenges, but our fair share of the world’s, too. We are ready to play our part. | <urn:uuid:e4d82ed4-57b9-4ce7-9aab-d7648ac4ec51> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.newsofrwanda.com/english/16927/rwanda-mushikiwabo-to-german-parliament-un-evidence-was-flawed-and-flimsy-evidence/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951838 | 1,943 | 1.5 | 2 |
AnimeMusicVideos.org > Guide Index
TMPGEnc MPEG1 encoding guide
Nowadays TMPGEnc's internal filters and functions have basically been completely superseded by those in AVISynth, therefore this guide has been totally rewritten. Now encoding in TMPGEnc is very simple - just load our specified profile after loading your AVS file into TMPGEnc.
First off, you'll need to download TMPGEnc from their homepage. The folks there got
mad at Doom9 for posting the install files, so we didn't include them
in our install pack because we don't want them yelling at us.
Open up TMPGenc and close the wizard.
Your AVISynth file should already be resized to your desired
resolution so just drag it into the main TMPGEnc window. Then, hit
"Load" button in the bottom corner and select one of the two profiles we've provided for you.
If your AMV has been Inverse Telecined somewhere along the way (either
before or after editing), select the AMV24fps.mcf profile. If you
didn't do IVTC but instead chose to deinterlace at the end, select the
AMV30fps.mcf profile. These two profiles are only for NTSC video, so if you have PAL you'll have to figure out how to set up the framerates and stuff on your own. After you load the profile, have a quick browse
of the settings and see if they look correct to you - the frame size,
fps and pixel aspect ratio are the key things to double check.
We've left all the options unlocked for you if you feel like playing around with them, but we recommend you leave the settings alone, although you may feel like tweaking the bitrate settings to suit your desired filesize.
The type of bitrate decision we've selected is Constant Quality at 80% with a 3MBit/sec ceiling. This means that TMPGEnc, as it's encoding the video, will vary the bitrate based upon how much the current scene needs it. If the scene is low motion, has very little noise, and other things which make it highly compressible, then TMPGEnc will most likely allocate a small number of bits to the scene. If the scene is very high motion and needs a lot of bits to compress, then it will allocate more bits.
This means that with the same settings, two video of the same length might wind up being different sizes because one video had more high-motion scenes than the other. We think this is a better idea because obviously not all videos need an average of 2MBit/sec.
This is different than the 2-pass VBR method recommended
before. What 2-pass VBR does is it gives you a definite filesize. If
you want a 40MB file, use the following math:
Take 40 and multiply by 8192 (which would give you the
number 327680)... this is the number of kilobits that a 40 megabyte
Now divide this number by the number of seconds in your video. This will give you the overall bitrate in kilobits per second. If your video was 4 minutes long it would be 327680 divided by 240 = 1365 kbps. Of course, some of this bitrate has to be used by the audio, 224 kpbs in fact, so subtract 224 from your bitrate and you will have the bitrate for your video stream which in this case is 1141 kbps. This is the number you should put in the average bitrate box. Unfortunately, TMPG's bitrate curve calculations aren't actually as accurate as they seem and it can give you totally the wrong final size, so be careful if you do use 2-pass to watch out for any strangeness.
Note that 2-pass encoding can take approximately twice as long as a Constant Quality encode because, as the name implies, you are making two encoding passes across the entire video.
If you find that your final encode has a lot of MPEG1 artifacting, you can try increasing the maximum bitrate (if you left it on Constant Quality) or raising both the ceiling and average bitrate if you went with 2-pass.
The audio is set up for 224kbit, which should be alright. It's mp2 audio, which isn't as efficient as mp3, so we need a slightly high bitrate in order for it to sound good. Just press the big "Start" button on the main screen now to encode your video. | <urn:uuid:59fe7fa0-4154-4041-84e6-454cd0fa972b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.animemusicvideos.org/guides/avtech3/mpeg1.html | 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 | 0.94963 | 946 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Nightly News | August 24, 2011
>>> at a time of so much economic uncertainty, the pressure to perform at work is growing for millions of americans which can be extra hard on working mothers. 66% of women with children under 18 are in the workforce and a new study shows that while overall working women have better mental health , there's a catch. the study also contends that women need to let go of the idea of a supermom. here's nbc's kate snow .
>> reporter: elise bohannon scott is working more hours than ever at the epilepsy foundation of america after four years at home with her children.
>> when i'm at home, i'm thinking what did i not do at work. and then when i'm at work, obviously i'm here with can children.
>> reporter: a new study says --
>> women tend to experience more guilt.
>> researcher katrina lube actually crites all the supermoms we saw in the '70s and '80, the study looked at 1,200 working women, all of them working moms, and found those who expected to be able to do it all with ease, suffered the increased risk of depression.
>> you're more likely to feel a sense of failure or frustration with yourself.
>> oh, sure, honey, you go hoed.
>> reporter: on the other hand if you're not expecting ward cleaver to help out around the kitchen maybe you won't be so disappointed when you're the one baking the birthday cake.
>> reporter: for more working moms -- she wrote a book called "forget perfect" a decade ago.
>> you might want to set a really what are bar for your career and a high bar for your time with your kids, but a low bar for matching hand towels.
>> all of this is fuel for the daily mom conversation online. this mother of a newborn is planning to be back at work full-time in october. on her blog she says she tucks her supermom cape under her work jacket.
>> i don't have high expectations, i have realistic expectations.
>> she said we can still -- kate snow , nbc news, new york. | <urn:uuid:5fa938b7-7d78-4c63-b57d-14a708ee91bb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/44264535 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966244 | 462 | 1.820313 | 2 |
New bid to reform global tax rules
Chancellor George Osborne has renewed his call for international action to tackle so-called "profit shifting" by multinational companies as he unveils the next steps in his fight to reform global tax rules this weekend.
Calls for an overhaul of tax laws, including the controversial transfer pricing rules that were written almost 100 years ago, will be highlighted to finance ministers at the G20 in Moscow by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which will present its report published this week.
The work by the OECD comes as international companies such as Google, Facebook, Amazon and Starbucks have sparked controversy after it emerged that they all pay minimal tax on large UK revenues.
The Chancellor will announce that Britain will chair a new transfer pricing group which will look at how to reform the system which allows profits to be diverted to parent companies or to lower tax jurisdictions, via royalty and service payments.
It is one of three groups set up by the OECD to look at the tax issues which will help the group prepare a "plan of action" to be put forward to the G20 in July. Germany and the United States/France lead the other two groups which will look at how to determine tax jurisdiction, particularly in the context of e-trading.
Mr Osborne said: "Britain has cut its corporation tax rate by more than any other country in the G20 over the past two years, a message to the world that we are open for business that has seen companies return to Britain, and helping to create and secure thousands of jobs and millions in investment.
"But our commitment to the most competitive corporate tax system goes hand in hand with our call for strong international standards to make sure that global companies, like anyone else, pay the taxes they owe.
"That's why Britain, with Germany and France, asked the OECD to scrutinise the international rules, and we will together welcome their report to the G20 this weekend. The report shows this is an international issue that requires international action.
"It shows the global economy has changed massively over the last decade, but global tax rules have stood still for almost a century, and Britain will lead the international effort to bring them into the twenty first century."
Mr Osborne wants to use Britain's presidency of the G8 in 2013 to push international progress on the reform of international tax rules, which were first developed by the League of Nations in the mid-1920s and remain essentially unchanged. | <urn:uuid:c23142e4-3567-4c58-9b05-3eaef9b5377d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.leek-news.co.uk/Home/New-bid-to-reform-global-tax-rules-0-4939250.xnf | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96911 | 502 | 1.59375 | 2 |
President Barack Obama's former mentor at Harvard University, Charles Ogletree, took the time to explain how Obama works with Rev. Al Sharpton, who has been instrumental in connecting the Obama agenda to the African American community. According to Ogletree, Sharpton is a "lightning rod" for President Obama in the inner city, helping him to take important issues from the White House to the streets of America.
During the black leadership summit held by Sharpton this weekend, called "Measuring the Movement," the preacher and civil rights leader explained that Obama "has to work both for us and for others" and that if Obama had an agenda that linked directly to race "that would only organize the right against him."
Ogletree went further to describe the relationship between Sharpton and Obama:
"Al Sharpton has become the lightning rod in moving Obama's agenda forward," Ogletree told the Associated Press. "And he has access to both the streets and the suites to make sure that the people who are voiceless, faceless and powerless finally have some say."
During the convention, Ogletree acknowledged some of the disappointment felt within the African American community that the president has not done more for them. Sharpton is dealing with his share of critics as well. The cover of the Washington Post featured a picture of Sharpton with the title: "Activist Al Sharpton Takes on New Role as Administration Ally."
Rev. Sharpton doesn't seem to agree with this assessment:
"I've been as much in this White House as I was in George [W.] Bush's -- it's only when Bush invited me to the White House, it was him reaching out; when Obama invites me, all of a sudden, we're allies," said Sharpton.
I spoke with Ogletree briefly during the Black Leadership Forum held by Sharpton this weekend. I've always respected the outstanding work of Ogletree and consider him to be every bit as impactful as the late Johnny Cochran when it comes to representing the black legal community. When speaking with Melinda Hightower, president of the National Black Law Students Association, I was told just how instrumental Ogletree has been in the development of the organization. Given that there are fewer black students admitted to law school, Ogletree's work becomes that much more important.
Ogletree's assessment of Sharpton as a point of connection between the White House and the streets of black America appears to be accurate. While I don't consider Al Sharpton to be a direct ally of President Obama, the truth is that he has shown himself to be more likely to work with the president than against him. Any president, whether it is Obama or someone else, needs an individual like Sharpton to serve as a conductor of ideas to the black community.
Sharpton is also correct that any black agenda pursued directly by President Obama would create a long list of right-wing enemies who would undermine his time in the White House. Fortunately, the goal is to simply get results and the passing of important legislation, not to have the president ballyhoo the racial dimensions of his work in our government. While screaming about a black agenda from the roof of the White House might appease those who'd rather have Hillary Clinton or John McCain as president, the truth is that it is best for Obama to be a bit more pragmatic. We must also remember that challenging him, criticizing him and putting pressure on him is something that he WANTS us to do. Ogletree made a similar point during the panel discussion in which we were both participating this weekend.
The great expectation of Sharpton, or anyone else in his position, is that this power and access to the White House be used in an honest and forthright way, with the agenda of the community being forced to the top of the president's list of priorities. As I am sure Rev. Sharpton understands, there's a difference between working with someone and allowing someone to use you. From all indicators I've seen thus far, Sharpton's access to the president will have a net benefit for the African American community, and Sharpton has not presented himself as a flunky to President Obama. The larger questions, however, will be answered by the end of 2010, when we are able to see the final results on black unemployment, as well as other indicators of our quality of life. At some point, everyone involved in the process is going to be held fully accountable.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the author of the new book, 'Black American Money.' To have Dr. Boyce's commentary delivered to your e-mail, please click here. | <urn:uuid:b1799971-2a0f-4263-9d7c-2151b3aec0c6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bvblackspin.com/2010/04/19/harvards-charles-ogletree-describes-sharptons-link-to-obama/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984057 | 960 | 1.734375 | 2 |
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About the AuthorPeter Fitzsimons has published 27 articles
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Oxford University Press to reprint controversial essay
Oxford University Press has decided to “immediately” reprint a controversial essay, after pressure from scholars and members of Oxford University.
OUP’s decision in 2008 to stop printing two books containing A.J. Ramanujan’s essay ‘300 Ramayanas’ coincided with certain groups in India looking into legal proceedings based on the claim that the essay was offensive to Hindu sentiments, with OUP India as one of the potential respondents.
Members of the academic community in Oxford and abroad criticised OUP’s decision, with many claiming that it was detrimental to OUP’s reputation, and to Oxford University’s by extension.
This had been reported on by Cherwell this term.
OUP claimed that its choice to stop printing the books was solely down to commercial factors, but this week changed their publishing decision, reprinting both books and a further book called Questioning Ramayanas, also on the topic. A spokesperson stated, “OUP has an important role to play in ensuring that the best scholarship is disseminated freely, and we hope the reprinting of these three important works will demonstrate our commitment in this regard.” The books will now be available in India and beyond.
Campaigners at Oxford University said they were “extremely glad that OUP recognised the importance of reprinting these books''. The three organisers of an international petition to reprint the books issued a joint statement, stating “We whole-heartedly support this affirmation of OUP’s longstanding commitment to excellence in scholarship, to the broadest possible dissemination of knowledge, and to the right of scholars, writers, and artists to freedom of thought and expression everywhere.”
OUP also rejected allegations that they had “apologized” for publishing the essay and had not stood by their publishing decision. A letter sent in 2008 from OUP to the potential litigants apologized for offending the sentiments of Hindus, adding that OUP was not selling the book nor were there any plans to reissue it. OUP claims they have been “misinterpreted” and wish “to restate the fact that OUP does not and never has apologised for publishing any work by Ramanujan.”
The essay in question looks at different versions of the ‘Ramayana,’ a Sanskrit epic poem which is also a sacred Hindu text. One issue for the potential litigants in India was that one published version has the protagonists Rama and Sita as siblings, whereas they are husband and wife in Hindu tradition. The narrative is celebrated in the Hindu festival Diwali, and is part of Buddhist tradition.
The author of two of the books, A.J. Ramanujan was a distinguished historian who spent most of his career at the University of Chicago studying Indian culture and literature. He died in 1993. | <urn:uuid:88fd6d2c-b516-4fb3-9b6a-3e58a4557557> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cherwell.org/news/world/2011/12/13/oxford-university-press-to-reprint-controversial-essay | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971387 | 619 | 1.640625 | 2 |
I found the article linked on the front page to be very superficial: http://themeliorist.ca/2012/11/height-in-sports/
"Height is not everything in sports; it’s the only thing."
Can a more dubious statement about athleticism be found ?
Where to begin: Does the fact that the last 10 Deca champs being over 5'11" tell us anything at all. It may tell some that if your son is 5'5" better to not pour all your resources into being a track champ, but it does not tell you that being 6'6" is better than being 5'11".
Suggesting that the author is not a deep thinker, would be an understatement.
The data cited; The three recent decathletes: Can we learn anything about the advantage of height in the decathlon from three guys whose average height is under 6'1". Heck I think, Matthias was 6'3" , has the ideal height for the deca gone down in the last 50 years? Of course not but this is the kind of thinking that runs through the article.
Im amazed at the incredible success of short (under 5'9") players in the NFL. Athleticism comes in all shapes and sizes. | <urn:uuid:2a2d2798-cd39-417e-a7bc-3badd1f9f932> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/discussion/viewtopic.php?p=803804 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952727 | 262 | 1.679688 | 2 |
VISALIA, Calif. — Economic support from Washington, D.C., will continue to help the California citrus industry in its battle against a deadly disease, but the state’s fiscal health remains on shaky ground, attendees at the 35th annual meeting of California Citrus Mutual were told Nov. 1.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has committed another $13.5 million to keep Asian citrus psyllids and huanglongbing, the disease the pest can carry, from reaching California’s commercial citrus groves, Joel Nelsen, president of Citrus Mutual told the 370 industry representatives at the Visalia Convention Center.
Nelsen quoted written remarks forwarded by Rebecca Bech, deputy administrator of plant protection and quarantine for the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Bech was scheduled to be the dinner’s keynote speaker, but Hurricane Sandy prevented her making the trip to California.
In her remarks, Bech applauded the state’s growers for their initiative.
“The citrus industry in California stands out from other industry partners because you do not wait for the government to fix your problems,” she said. “You work to fix it yourselves.”
Bech referred to the industry’s self-imposed $15 million increased annual assessments that are spearheading the effort to combat the psyllids and the disease, also known as HLB.
Replacing Bech at the dinner was a panel of three California Republican lawmakers who offered a bleak forecast of the state’s fiscal future.
Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown is prevented by organized labor from taking the steps necessary to right the state’s economic ship, said Bakersfield Sen. Jean Fuller.
“I truly believe he wants to fix California, but it’s his own backers who pull him back,” she said. “He has not in his two years yet delivered on his promise to fix or reform California government.”
Just as frustrating to lawmakers who represent districts in the agriculture rich San Joaquin Valley, Fuller said, is the abundance in Sacramento of legislators from urban areas.
“They have a very different understanding of rural needs,” she said.
The general public must share some of the blame for the state’s maladies, said David Valadao, a Hanford-based member of the Assembly and a candidate for Congress,
“The average person doesn’t follow enough what’s going on in Sacramento,” he said. “They (voters) don’t get the full picture from glancing at the headlines.”
Visalia Assemblywoman Connie Conway put part of the blame for the stalemate in Sacramento on the opposing goals of the two major political parties.
“Democrats want the people who are already paying to pay more,” Conway said. “Republicans want to create more taxpayers.”
Democrats hold commanding majorities in both houses of the state Legislature.
“There is no balance. it’s so punitive,” said Conway, who chairs the Assembly Republican Caucus.
If efforts by Democrats fail to increase temporarily the sales tax and income taxes, the state will still survive, she said.
“It will not be Armageddon,” Conway said. | <urn:uuid:38ab31b0-ed92-4dcf-a27a-89e2e60d6c72> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thepacker.com/commodity-fruits/oranges/Uncertainty-facing-California-citrus-growers-shippers-177276421.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950658 | 689 | 1.632813 | 2 |
From the Star Wars trilogy to the Grateful Dead, Joseph Campbell has had a profound impact on our culture, our beliefs, and the way we view ourselves and the world. Provocative and exhilarating, the approx. 90 titles that will ultimately comprise The Collected Lectures of Joseph Campbell offer a glimpse into one of the great minds of our time, drawing together his most wide-ranging and insightful talks.
Always at his best as an impromptu speaker, Campbell shines in these recordings, both as a scholar and as a master storyteller. These lectures are from early in his career, including recordings of his famous lectures at the Cooper Union. | <urn:uuid:738b08f1-814c-46d7-a221-0cc4efce62f2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.jcf.org/new/contribute/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=77_86_78&sort=3a&page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980225 | 130 | 1.703125 | 2 |
I have a 9 wk old puppy. She only has her first set of shots. I took her to the dog park/lake twice already. Now I'm
afraid she might have gotten parvo after reading an article online ! For how many days should I watch out for symptoms? Diarrhea and vomiting right? I'm freaking out !! I am never taking her back there again until her third set of shots !!
on Apr 30th 2011
- Cast your vote for which answer you think is best!
She may be okay still because she should have developed good immunity after 2 shots.... but how long ago was her second shot? It takes a few days for immunity to build up. Getting a shot does not instantly make you immune. It takes a few days to build up an immunity.
Most of the time, Pets are over-vaccinated. Vaccines are a huge chunk of income for vets and although science has shown that over-vaccinating is not good and dangerous, vets are slow to adopt the new thinking. There is an awesome Vet who has spent a lot, and I mean a lot, of her time researching, doing studies, and holding educational seminars for vets and pet owners. Here is a great page on what vaccine protocol is necessary, and it leaves out un-necessary vaccines. Here is the site:
A dog or puppy should not go to a dog park until 2-4 weeks after she/he has been fully vaccinated. If the area is frequented by unvaccinated animals you may have reason to watch her, but socializing with healthy, vaccinated dogs is okay.
Puppies can get sick for many reasons, not all are caused by Parvo. Eating too much can also cause diarrhea.
Be alert for the next 2 weeks, but don't worry yourself to death. A well cared for puppy still has a good chance of fighting off disease that might sicken a stray.
Pepper answered on 5/1/11. Helpful? / 0
I volunteer at an animal shelter and have been around puppies with parvo.. their dierah has a very distint smell its almost as if it burns your eyes.. I don't know how else to explain it. Also your puppy may still have its mothers defence which means your puppy can not get parvo.. the defence usually wears off around 14 weeks.. so your puppy might be okay. If you get to worried I'd take the puppy to the vet.. you can never be to careful!
Tucker answered on 5/19/11. Helpful? / 0 | <urn:uuid:aff1d5a6-c034-41f3-a6ec-dbb26994e79d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dogster.com/answers/question/i_have_a_9_wk_old_puppy_she_only_has_her_first_set_of_shots_i_took_her_to_the_dog_parklake_twice_alr-48346 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977768 | 524 | 1.5 | 2 |
The Department of Studio Arts boasts an array of some of the finest facilities and galleries available. In keeping with the discipline specific approach of the program, this can mean leading edge technology as well as ancient and proven.
Learn more about program-specific facilities.
Most facilities are specific to your chosen arena of expertise but there are several which serve faculty wide. Over 4000 students, faculty, and staff have access to:
The Core Technical Centre facilities include metal shops, wood shops, the maquette shop and the Rapid Prototyping lab.
The Centre for Digital Arts
Students with a valid CDA user account have access to the media labs, smart rooms, video and sound facilities, audio visual depot, and printers.
The knowledgeable CDA staff provide an important back bone to the Faculty as shifting technology continues to integrate into fine art practices.
This resource holds a remarkable 300,000 slides and offers access to many of them through a searchable online database. The complete collection can be viewed in person on the 3rd floor of the EV building, and borrowed for use in classroom presentations and lectures.
In addition to the media holdings of the R. Howard Webster Library, the MIRC has a media library available for research and in class use as well as viewing rooms, learning labs, and individual workstations
Located on the main floor of the VA building, The art supply store provides all of the required materials and supplies for your studio classes and more. The store is small but works directly with Studio staff to ensure its holdings are what you need.
The Hexagram Centre for Research/Creation in Media Arts and Technologies is a leading centre for new media research. While its facilities and resources are accessible to faculty and graduate students, its effects are felt throughout the school as it is the site of the collaborative and cross disciplinary practices that drive many of our faculty. | <urn:uuid:7f58446f-07a2-4f30-b938-36507cca80fc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://studio-arts.concordia.ca/facilities/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953277 | 378 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Today truly is a wondrous day to be a small-minded bigot in the Evergreen State.
Up until now, it had always been taken for granted that gay people are sub-citizens, unworthy of benefiting from the same legal protections as their straight friends and family. But, now — for the first time in their state's storied 123 year history — Washington's vibrant community of hate-filled xenophobes will actually get to take an active roll in oppressing an already-oppressed minority and strip gay people of their government-provided rights…
In a crowded reception room surrounded by applauding gay couples and lawmakers, and with media from around the country looking on, Gov. Chris Gregoire on Monday signed landmark legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in Washington state…
Opponents of same-sex marriage intended to quickly file a referendum aimed at repealing the law, and if they are able to collect enough valid signatures — 120,577 — between now and June 6, the law will be put on hold until the November election.
All it takes is a simple flourish of your pen, and you can destroy a family's life. What an amazing opportunity.
Tags: Chris Gregoire, Homophobia, LGBT, Marriage Equality, Washington | <urn:uuid:528c4db5-6768-480a-9338-45f2fd19f49e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.indecisionforever.com/blog/2008/06/09/w | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953879 | 253 | 1.695313 | 2 |
ATLANTA -- The Georgia Senate has passed legislation that would make some types of mass picketing illegal.
The bill passed Wednesday night by a vote of 34-18 over opposition from Democrats and labor groups. Sen. Don Balfour, the bill's sponsor, says the legislation does not affect free speech rights, but most who spoke against the bill during the hearing disagreed. Teachers and police officers would be exempt.
Senate Bill 469 bans mass picketing at private residences or at the site of labor disputes when such protests are blocking or threatening business entrances or certain public areas. People found guilty could be subject to a fine of $1,000 per day of the violation. Any union or organization assisting such efforts could be subject to a fine of $10,000 per day. | <urn:uuid:987532ad-f703-4e5f-a049-c6575a3f3ceb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.11alive.com/news/article/231848/3/DOWNTOWN--Ga-Senate-OKs-bill-banning-some-mass-picketing | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956259 | 158 | 1.570313 | 2 |
A Lightweight Payment Scheme for Real-Time Services Based on SIP
Source: Springer Science+Business Media
In the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), payments have been proposed as a way for vendors to obtain profit from the services they provide. Payments in SIP have also been proposed for microbilling and even as a solution to SPAM in VoIP systems. Although, several proposals exist for making payments in SIP, they present some limitations when the authors want to pay for access to real-time services: either they are not suitable for micropayments or they do not consider security in the payment information exchanged. As a response to these limitations, they propose a new SIP payment protocol, LP-SIP, that supports the payment according to different models like pay-per-time, session-based, etc. | <urn:uuid:0c86efd7-b7cd-4492-bb32-a59e74f38317> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.techrepublic.com/whitepapers/a-lightweight-payment-scheme-for-real-time-services-based-on-sip/4312153 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959036 | 170 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Mencap have sportingly teamed up with Disability4Sport to kick into touch fun-filled opportunities for adults with disabilities to engage in
To date, users of mental health services have not been able to choose how and where they receive treatment, unlike users of general NHS services
Mental decline speeds up in people aged over 50 who have high blood pressure and who smoke, a study suggests.
Tests were carried out on
The Wellcome Trust and Medical Research Council have announced a £12.75 million initiative to create a catalogue of high-quality adult stem cells
Dame Helen Mirren is using her renowned talents to help Age UK prevent the "shocking" and "needless" deaths of elderly people during the winter.
The government has recently undertaken Britain’s biggest ever project to tackle the issue of dementia. "Challenge on Dementia" is a series
Government Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt has announced that up to £50 million is to be allocated for the care of those diagnosed with dementia, in
It makes good political sense to make mental health care more efficient and effective. Particularly as the cost to the economy is an estimated £
Stress-induced formalisation of abnormalities in brain structure, which results in antisocial and aggressive behaviour, is diagnosed as conduct
Recent research into the impact that early childhood adversity has on brain development and consequential functioning has pressing relevance for | <urn:uuid:e839c3e7-6887-4fcb-97bb-4d37b5114d12> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dancinggiraffe.com/category/health | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960691 | 282 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Did you know that nearly 70% of all crowdfunding campaigns that are launched don’t actually reach their minimum funding goals? Typically, if you only reach a portion of your desired pledge amount all donated funds are then returned to investors once your campaign end date arrives. In other words, in most cases it’s all or nothing so it’s in your best interest to really do your homework and make your fundraising campaign count.
Of course there are many different ways that people try to raise money and a lot of the so called “old-fashioned” techniques still work. Before launching a campaign there’s really no way to predict the outcome but there are ways to help ensure better odds. The following is a list of 10 helpful tips to avoid failure and achieve success.
Tip #01: Plan Your Campaign Far in Advance
Like the age old saying you need to plan your work and work your plan and crowdfunding campaigns are no exception to this rule. Look at it this way, you’re attempting to convince total strangers to invest in your idea. Some of the people who fund your project may very well be friends or family members but a large portion of pledges will come from investors you’ve never met before. This is one of the many reasons why you really need to prepare your campaign long in advance. The last thing you want to do is go in blind and you really need to think your pitch through from all angles and from start to finish before taking that first step.
Tip #02: Have a Proper Business Plan
Not having a proper business plan is like is like having a vehicle with no wheels, sure you can sit in the drivers seat but you won’t end up going very far. Having an innovative new idea is only one piece of the puzzle. Not only do you want your idea to come to life but you want your new startup launch to become a long lasting success. Thus the reason that realistically planning the long term goals for your small business, company or service is essential.
Obviously finances are a big part of what fuels a company and either keeps it going or not. Managing your finances is just as important as raising capital through a crowdfunding site. Have you asked yourself how you plan to execute certain types of spending? Where will your revenue go once it’s generated? Those are just a couple of the many questions 9 out of 10 investors will want answers to before they whip open their wallets and you need to have these types of answers well in advance in order for your startup idea to be taken seriously. Some people get stumped at this early stage in the game but that’s why there are companies like the Funding Roadmap out there to simplify the whole process and help you get started.
Tip #03: Make Your Story Compelling
Your story could easily make or break your crowdfunding campaign so it needs to be a good one. The key here is to truthfully explain your campaign and what it’s all about in the most engaging way possible. You don’t necessarily need to be a novelist or marketing expert to achieve this, you just need to be knowledgeable and passionate about your idea and know the purpose of it inside and out. Make your story captivating and explain to people why they should consider investing in your idea over the thousands of other new ideas that are constantly out there each day. Why does your creative idea stand out above all the rest?
Tip #04: Start a Social Marketing Campaign
Everyone is using social media as a marketing tool these days, this has been the case for several years now. Having a well thought out social marketing campaign prepared in advance is a great way to create and maintain buzz around your product or idea. If you’ve never used this type of marketing strategy before it’s really a lot easier than you may think. For instance, it literally takes less than a minute to plug a link on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ and it’s not like you have to post an ad on trees all throughout your town or city to get the word out.
If you aren’t an expert when it comes to generating traffic or don’t have a large following there are several great resources out there to help you get started. Here’s a few that should help:
Writing catchy and effective text and key phrases to draw attention can require a certain level of creativity, but if this is not exactly your forte there are social media marketing services available for small business too.
Tip #05: Constantly Promote Your Fundraiser & Interact
Frequently stay on top of your campaign, check the status often and never leave people hanging when they ask you questions. No matter how simple a question may seem, it’s critical that you treat all potential investors equally and with honesty, courtesy & respect. Certain questions may sound silly to you but to someone else having the answer could determine whether or not they decide to fund you. Also, be prompt rather than tardy. Obviously you can’t be glued to your computer 24/7 but the quicker you respond, the more you promote your campaign and the more actively involved you are the higher your chances of successfully reaching your desired funding amount sooner (if at all) will be.
Tip #06: Rewards & Incentives
Explain to potential investors the types of rewards and incentives they can expect by funding your project. Let them know that their contributions are well appreciated and provide them with as many reasons as possible to invest in your idea.
Take LowLine: An Underground Park on NYC’s Lower East Side for example, a featured listing on the popular Kickstarter website. This project exceeded the desired funding amount with 15 days left in the campaign. Check out some of the rewards offered, this is a good example of being creative and putting some good thought into rewards ahead of time.
Tip #07: Include Informative & Engaging Videos
Having an informative, educational and entertaining video is a great way to help your crowdfunding campaign go viral. Using free services such as Vimeo and YouTube for example you can leverage the power of video marketing and take your campaign to the next level. Professional and engaging videos are a great way to express what your startup company is all about in a way that plain text on a screen could never do.
Creating a stunning video beforehand is also a way to show investors that you have good initiative and well planned execution. Anything you can do to prove and convince investors that their money won’t go to waste is a good thing. If you took the time to make a quality video to promote your product this will reflect positively on your overall campaign.
Tip #08: Being Unique Really Does Count
Let’s face it, although still in their infancy, crowdfunding sites are popping up out of the woodwork left, right and center these days. It’s no longer Kickstarter alone running the show. This means that the amount of people starting new crowdfunding campaigns is rapidly increasing. In other words, to stand out above the rest the more unique and creative you are the better your chances will be of getting noticed. More exposure equals more potential pledges.
Tip #09: Pick the Right Type of Crowdfunding Site
As mentioned above, there are numerous different crowdfunding sites out there all across the globe now and the number is constantly rising. This is why it’s important to do your homework and select the right one just for you and your particular project. Some of them are simply general crowdfunding sites geared towards all types of categories while others are geared towards specific types of campaigns for things like hobbyists, artists, film makers, musicians, game developers, app developers and the list goes on.
Tip #10: Know & Understand Your Target Audience
Don’t waste your time & effort creating a good pitch or campaign unless you fully know and sincerely understand your target audience. Be sure to do good research on this subject as it really is important. Being able to relate to your target audience is not only a plus but also quite a necessity.
We hope these tips have been helpful and would love to hear your feedback and/or suggestions. Perhaps you have launched your own crowdfunding campaign already and if so we’d love to hear about your experience. Feel free to speak your mind and leave your comments/questions below! | <urn:uuid:0f0206c6-2e4d-452f-a458-da411dfeeb52> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.startingtrends.com/10-tips-for-a-successful-crowdfunding-campaign/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95465 | 1,705 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Crime and Older People
Lucy is worried. She’s lived in the same neighborhood for 50 years, but things seem to be changing. Last week, her friend Rose was walking to the store when a young man ran by and pulled her purse right off her shoulder. Two weeks ago, Joe, the man upstairs, put his grocery bags on the curb while waiting for the bus, and before he knew it, someone had picked up his bags and run off. Lucy feels sad to think she might have to move. She wonders, is anywhere safe for older people anymore? | <urn:uuid:4187ec39-23af-44d3-bbed-81470f4624d2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nia.nih.gov/health/topics/personal-safety | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.992177 | 117 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Security Mortgage Co. v. Powers - 278 U.S. 149 (1928)
U.S. Supreme Court
Security Mortgage Co. v. Powers, 278 U.S. 149 (1928)
Security Mortgage Co. v. Powers
Argued October 12, 1928
Decided December 10, 1928
278 U.S. 149
1. When it is asserted that real property, or its proceeds, in a bankrupt estate is subject to a lien for attorney's fees arising from a loan contract secured by the land and made before the bankruptcy proceedings were begun, the contract is to be construed and the validity of the lien determined by the bankruptcy court, in accordance with the law of the state where the contract was made and the land is situated; but whether the liability is enforceable in the circumstances may raise federal questions peculiar to the law of bankruptcy. P. 278 U. S. 153.
2. Petitioner held promissory notes secured by land in Georgia. The land was acquired from the debtor by one who assumed and agreed to pay the debt and later was adjudicated a bankrupt. The notes provided for 10% attorney's fees "if collected by law or through an attorney at law." After the adjudication, there was a default in the payment of interest; petitioner notified the original debtor of its election to declare the principal due, and took against the original debtor only, without joining the bankrupt or the trustee, the steps prescribed by § 4252 of the Georgia Code, which provides that obligations to pay attorney's fees upon any note in addition to interest "are void" unless the debtor fails to pay the debt on or before the return day of the court to which suit is brought for collection of the same, and which requires the holder to serve notice on the debtor of his intention to sue and of the term of court. The suit having resulted in a judgment against the original debtor for
principal, interest, and attorney's fees, and declaring these amounts a special lien on the property, and the property having in the meantime been sold in the bankruptcy court and bought in by the petitioner, the question arose whether credit for the attorney's fees should be allowed the petitioner out of the proceeds of the sale, which remained subject to the lien.
(1) Enforcement of the lien for the attorney's fees was not precluded by § 63 of the Bankruptcy Act upon the ground that the liability remained contingent until after the bankruptcy adjudication. The lien was not contingent, and property subject to a perfected lien securing a liability still contingent at the time of bankruptcy is not discharged from the lien by the adjudication. P. 278 U. S. 155.
(2) The contingent obligation to pay attorney's fees having been part of the original loan transaction, and the consideration for the lien having been the loan -- a " present consideration " -- and not the attorney's services, allowance of the attorney's fees was not excluded by § 67d of the Bankruptcy Act. P. 278 U. S. 156.
(3) Section 4252 of the Georgia Code does not mean that a contract to pay attorney's fees shall be void until validated thereunder; it merely adds a statutory condition to the contract. P. 278 U. S. 156.
(4) If the petitioner in this case, which knew that the bankrupt had assumed and become primarily liable for the debt, failed to notify the trustee of its election to declare the debt due or of the suit under § 4252, Georgia Code, or if its sole purpose in bringing that suit, knowing the defendant, the original debtor, to be insolvent, was to increase by the amount of the attorney's fees the claim payable in bankruptcy under the lien -- it is not entitled to credit for the attorney's fees. Pp. 278 U. S. 157-158.
3. Where the grounds upon which the circuit court of appeals had affirmed a judgment were found by this Court to be untenable, but there were other reasons requiring the same results if facts, not included in the stipulated record, were found to exist, the case was reversed and remanded to the district court with directions for further proceedings. P. 278 U. S. 159.
21 F.2d 965 reversed.
Certiorari, 276 U.S. 610, to a judgment of the circuit court of appeals which affirmed a judgment of the district court, in bankruptcy, disallowing a claim for attorney's fees. | <urn:uuid:a771b706-a55d-4c80-9ed2-6c588d51ec25> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/278/149/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963338 | 927 | 1.53125 | 2 |
President Obama Signs Health Reform Into Law
Remarks by the President and Vice President at Signing of the Health Insurance Reform Bill
11:29 A.M. EDT
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Fired up! Ready to go! Fired up! Ready to go!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you.
Mr. President, I think we got a happy room here. (Laughter.) It seems ridiculous to say thank you all for being here. (Laughter.) Ladies and gentlemen, to state the obvious, this is a historic day. (Applause.)
In our business you use that phrase a lot, but I can't think of a day in the 37 years that I've been a United States senator and the short time I've been Vice President that it is more appropriately stated. This is a historic day.
And history -- history is not merely what is printed in textbooks. It doesn’t begin or end with the stroke of a pen. History is made. History is made when men and women decide that there is a greater risk in accepting a situation that we cannot bear than in steeling our spine and embracing the promise of change. That's when history is made. (Applause.)
History is made when you all assembled here today, members of Congress, take charge to change the lives of tens of millions of Americans. Through the efforts of those of us lucky enough to serve here in this town, that's exactly what you’ve done. You’ve made history.
History is made when a leader steps up, stays true to his values, and charts a fundamentally different course for the country. History is made when a leader’s passion -- passion -- is matched with principle to set a new course. Well, ladies and gentlemen, Mr. President, you are that leader. (Applause.)
Mr. President, your fierce advocacy, the clarity of purpose that you showed, your perseverance -- these are in fact -- it is not hyperbole to say -- these are the reasons why we're assembled in this room together, today. But for those attributes we would not be here. Many, many men and women are going to feel the pride that I feel in watching you shortly, watching you sign this bill, knowing that their work -- their work has helped make this day possible. But, Mr. President, you’re the guy that made it happen. (Applause.)
And so, Mr. President, all of us, press and elected officials, assembled in this town over the years, we’ve seen some incredible things happen. But you know, Mr. President, you’ve done what generations of not just ordinary, but great men and women, have attempted to do. Republicans as well as Democrats, they’ve tried before. Everybody knows the story, starting with Teddy Roosevelt. They’ve tried. They were real bold leaders.
But, Mr. President, they fell short. You have turned, Mr. President, the right of every American to have access to decent health care into reality for the first time in American history. (Applause.)
Mr. President, I’ve gotten to know you well enough. You want me to stop because I’m embarrassing you. (Laughter.) But I’m not going to stop for another minute, Mr. President, because you delivered on a promise -- a promise you made to all Americans when we moved into this building.
Mr. President, you are -- to repeat myself -- literally about to make history. Our children and our grandchildren, they’re going to grow up knowing that a man named Barack Obama put the final girder in the framework for a social network in this country to provide the single most important element of what people need -- and that is access to good health -- (applause) -- and that every American from this day forward will be treated with simple fairness and basic justice.
Look, the classic poet, Virgil, once said that “The greatest wealth is health.” The greatest wealth is health. Well, today, America becomes a whole lot wealthier because tens of millions of Americans will be a whole lot healthier from this moment on.
Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody. Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you, everybody. Thank you. Thank you everybody. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you, everybody. Please, have a seat.
Thank you, Joe. (Laughter.)
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Good to be with you, Mr. President. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: Today, after almost a century of trying; today, after over a year of debate; today, after all the votes have been tallied –- health insurance reform becomes law in the United States of America. (Applause.) Today.
It is fitting that Congress passed this historic legislation this week. For as we mark the turning of spring, we also mark a new season in America. In a few moments, when I sign this bill, all of the overheated rhetoric over reform will finally confront the reality of reform. (Applause.)
And while the Senate still has a last round of improvements to make on this historic legislation -- and these are improvements I’m confident they will make swiftly -- (applause) -- the bill I’m signing will set in motion reforms that generations of Americans have fought for, and marched for, and hungered to see.
It will take four years to implement fully many of these reforms, because we need to implement them responsibly. We need to get this right. But a host of desperately needed reforms will take effect right away. (Applause.)
This year, we’ll start offering tax credits to about 4 million small businessmen and women to help them cover the cost of insurance for their employees. (Applause.) That happens this year.
This year, tens of thousands of uninsured Americans with preexisting conditions, the parents of children who have a preexisting condition, will finally be able to purchase the coverage they need. That happens this year. (Applause.)
This year, insurance companies will no longer be able to drop people’s coverage when they get sick. (Applause.) They won’t be able to place lifetime limits or restrictive annual limits on the amount of care they can receive. (Applause.)
This year, all new insurance plans will be required to offer free preventive care. And this year, young adults will be able to stay on their parents’ policies until they’re 26 years old. That happens this year. (Applause.)
And this year, seniors who fall in the coverage gap known as the doughnut hole will start getting some help. They’ll receive $250 to help pay for prescriptions, and that will, over time, fill in the doughnut hole. And I want seniors to know, despite what some have said, these reforms will not cut your guaranteed benefits. (Applause.) In fact, under this law, Americans on Medicare will receive free preventive care without co-payments or deductibles. That begins this year. (Applause.)
Once this reform is implemented, health insurance exchanges will be created, a competitive marketplace where uninsured people and small businesses will finally be able to purchase affordable, quality insurance. They will be able to be part of a big pool and get the same good deal that members of Congress get. That’s what’s going to happen under this reform. (Applause.) And when this exchange is up and running, millions of people will get tax breaks to help them afford coverage, which represents the largest middle-class tax cut for health care in history. That's what this reform is about. (Applause.)
This legislation will also lower costs for families and for businesses and for the federal government, reducing our deficit by over $1 trillion in the next two decades. It is paid for. It is fiscally responsible. And it will help lift a decades-long drag on our economy. That's part of what all of you together worked on and made happen. (Applause.)
That our generation is able to succeed in passing this reform is a testament to the persistence –- and the character -– of the American people, who championed this cause; who mobilized; who organized; who believed that people who love this country can change it.
It’s also a testament to the historic leadership -– and uncommon courage –- of the men and women of the United States Congress, who’ve taken their lumps during this difficult debate. (Laughter.)
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yes, we did. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: You know, there are few tougher jobs in politics or government than leading one of our legislative chambers. In each chamber, there are men and women who come from different places and face different pressures, who reach different conclusions about the same things and feel deeply concerned about different things.
By necessity, leaders have to speak to those different concerns. It isn’t always tidy; it is almost never easy. But perhaps the greatest –- and most difficult –- challenge is to cobble together out of those differences the sense of common interest and common purpose that’s required to advance the dreams of all people -- especially in a country as large and diverse as ours.
And we are blessed by leaders in each chamber who not only do their jobs very well but who never lost sight of that larger mission. They didn’t play for the short term; they didn’t play to the polls or to politics: One of the best speakers the House of Representatives has ever had, Speaker Nancy Pelosi. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Nancy! Nancy! Nancy! Nancy!
THE PRESIDENT: One of the best majority leaders the Senate has ever had, Mr. Harry Reid. (Applause.)
To all of the terrific committee chairs, all the members of Congress who did what was difficult, but did what was right, and passed health care reform -- not just this generation of Americans will thank you, but the next generation of Americans will thank you.
And of course, this victory was also made possible by the painstaking work of members of this administration, including our outstanding Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius -- (applause) -- and one of the unsung heroes of this effort, an extraordinary woman who led the reform effort from the White House, Nancy-Ann DeParle. Where’s Nancy? (Applause.)
Today, I’m signing this reform bill into law on behalf of my mother, who argued with insurance companies even as she battled cancer in her final days.
I’m signing it for Ryan Smith, who’s here today. He runs a small business with five employees. He’s trying to do the right thing, paying half the cost of coverage for his workers. This bill will help him afford that coverage.
I’m signing it for 11-year-old Marcelas Owens, who’s also here. (Applause.) Marcelas lost his mom to an illness. And she didn’t have insurance and couldn’t afford the care that she needed. So in her memory he has told her story across America so that no other children have to go through what his family has experienced. (Applause.)
I’m signing it for Natoma Canfield. Natoma had to give up her health coverage after her rates were jacked up by more than 40 percent. She was terrified that an illness would mean she’d lose the house that her parents built, so she gave up her insurance. Now she’s lying in a hospital bed, as we speak, faced with just such an illness, praying that she can somehow afford to get well without insurance. Natoma’s family is here today because Natoma can’t be. And her sister Connie is here. Connie, stand up. (Applause.)
I’m signing this bill for all the leaders who took up this cause through the generations -- from Teddy Roosevelt to Franklin Roosevelt, from Harry Truman, to Lyndon Johnson, from Bill and Hillary Clinton, to one of the deans who’s been fighting this so long, John Dingell. (Applause.) To Senator Ted Kennedy. (Applause.) And it’s fitting that Ted’s widow, Vicki, is here -- it’s fitting that Teddy’s widow, Vicki, is here; and his niece Caroline; his son Patrick, whose vote helped make this reform a reality. (Applause.)
I remember seeing Ted walk through that door in a summit in this room a year ago -- one of his last public appearances. And it was hard for him to make it. But he was confident that we would do the right thing.
Our presence here today is remarkable and improbable. With all the punditry, all of the lobbying, all of the game-playing that passes for governing in Washington, it’s been easy at times to doubt our ability to do such a big thing, such a complicated thing; to wonder if there are limits to what we, as a people, can still achieve. It’s easy to succumb to the sense of cynicism about what’s possible in this country.
But today, we are affirming that essential truth -– a truth every generation is called to rediscover for itself –- that we are not a nation that scales back its aspirations. (Applause.) We are not a nation that falls prey to doubt or mistrust. We don't fall prey to fear. We are not a nation that does what’s easy. That’s not who we are. That’s not how we got here.
We are a nation that faces its challenges and accepts its responsibilities. We are a nation that does what is hard. What is necessary. What is right. Here, in this country, we shape our own destiny. That is what we do. That is who we are. That is what makes us the United States of America.
And we have now just enshrined, as soon as I sign this bill, the core principle that everybody should have some basic security when it comes to their health care. (Applause.) And it is an extraordinary achievement that has happened because of all of you and all the advocates all across the country.
So, thank you. Thank you. God bless you, and may God bless the United States. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you.
All right, I would now like to call up to stage some of the members of Congress who helped make this day possible, and some of the Americans who will benefit from these reforms. And we’re going to sign this bill.
This is going to take a little while. I’ve got to use every pen, so it’s going to take a really long time. (Laughter.) I didn’t practice. (Laughter.)
(The bill is signed.)
We are done. (Applause.)
11:56 A.M. EDT
May 15, 2013
May 14, 2013
May 13, 2013
May 11, 2013
Mensaje Semanal de la Casa Blanca: Cecilia Muñoz sobre medidas para fortalecer el mercado hipotecario
May 11, 2013
May 11, 2013
May 10, 2013
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At age 70, Patty Jo Thompson, or ‘Yoga Mama,’ no longer has a heart murmur, a condition that runs in her family which she has suffered from her whole life.
“When you do yoga, you just kind of have a healing wisdom that goes on inside of you, and you don’t know what it’s going to do for you – I didn’t do yoga to heal my heart murmur,” Thompson said.
Although Thompson began doing yoga for different reasons, after practicing the discipline for 11 years, becoming the director of the Ancient Yoga Institute and giving up sugar, she is healthier now than she has ever been.
“I haven’t had any sugar in my body (since 2000)… I don’t miss it, and I actually used to be a gourmet dessert maker,” Thompson said.
Thompson said that today she is doing everything that she can to “feel good,” which includes practicing yoga and drinking plenty of water.
“When you do yoga you detoxify and purify all your nerves, so when you have all that happen, you don’t want those (toxins) to stay in your body, you want to get it out, so you want to drink water,” Thompson said.
As the director of the Ancient Yoga Institute, Thompson is able to certify others to teach yoga. Thompson was certified in Texas to teach ancient yoga.
Thompson said there are many different forms of yoga, but all styles are essentially ancient yoga, the very first form, with specific additions like props and aerobics. Ancient yoga is the most basic.
“I really like this (ancient yoga) because it’s just really gentle stretched just like the animals do – it’s pure,” Thompson said.
Thompson has been teaching ancient yoga in Emporia for about seven and a half years. She began teaching at the Emporia Recreation Center in 2003, and then K-4 grade school students along with ESU. Her grade school students dubbed her “Yoga Mama” about four years ago.
“Age doesn’t matter,” Thompson said. “You’re as young as your spine is supple.”
Thompson said the benefits of yoga include an increase in flexibility and strength, lubrication of one’s joints, ligaments and tendons, an increase in coordination and ability to balance and yoga massages the internal organs and strengthens the immune system.
The overall aim of yoga is “to be bendy and flexible and have a flexible spine, so that when you’re spine is flexible… you don’t get old and stiff,” Thompson said.
Joshua East, senior music education major, plays the piano, violin and sings. He said that yoga has both toned his muscles to aid in his playing and improved his breathing techniques.
“The class itself helps me relax after a long day… it’s nice to unwind and let go for an hour,” East said.
Myles Louderback, graduate student in psychology, has been in Thompson’s class since the spring semester of his freshman year. For five years, he has stayed behind after his evening classes to help Thompson gather up her equipment and escort her to her car. Louderback said that he and Thompson have developed a good friendship.
“Out of all of the wonderful professors that I have, she has been the one that will go above and beyond to do anything she possibly can to help you with any problem. If you are sick or you have problems at home, she will listen to you or give you advice, and she will always be there for you if you want her,” Louderback said.
Charlie Heptas/Kenzie Templeton
Video by Kellen Jenkins
The Emporia State football team fell to the Washburn Ichabods on Saturday, 56-35. The match between the inter-state rivals marked the 106th meeting of the two teams, which currently ranks as the most played active rivalry in NCAA Division II.
The first few possession for the Hornets would prove counterproductive. A punt by sophomore computer science major Tyler Chilson was blocked and then returned for a touchdown by Washburn fullback Brad Haug. On the ensuing kickoff, freshman wide receiver and undecided major Shjuan Richardson fumbled the ball – Washburn recovered and in two plays scored from a touchdown pass from quarterback Dane Simoneau to wide receiver Brad Cole.
The score, however, was not indicative of how the rest of the first half of the game played out. The Hornets would battle back with key offensive efforts by sophomore quarterback and recreation major Sheldon Smith and senior wide receiver and social science major Danny McEvoy. Smith would hook up with McEvoy on a 68-yard juggling touchdown catch that would put the Hornets on the board with seven.
“The first one, I knew they threw a flag so I knew we were going to get something out of it. He (the defensive back) made a hell of a jump on the ball, tried to tip it from my hands and it just kind of bobbled forever,” McEvoy said. “I just caught it and cruised into the endzone.”
The scoring would continue for the Hornets. A 50-yard interception return by senior defensive back and sociology major Shaunquez Powell that set up another McEvoy score, a 23-yard touchdown run by junior running back and physical education major La’Darrian Page and a 4-yard touchdown run by Smith gave the Hornets the share of the lead at 28-all to end the first half.
“The second one (touchdown pass) was a gift from God,” McEvoy said. “I didn’t see it until the very last second.”
Powell took pride in his team’s effort to reduce the Ichabods’ lead.
“We fought back, that’s what I’m proud of the most,” Powell said.
The Hornets’ offensive would become stagnant in the third quarter, which proved to be quite the opposite for the Ichabods as they scored 28 unanswered points to bring the score to 56-28 in favor of Washburn.
“I wish we would have never had halftime,” said head coach Garrin Higgins. “I wish we could have said, ‘Hey look, let’s just line up and play on,’ but you have to have a halftime. We just came out and did not play very well that third quarter. That was a big momentum shifter when they scored…they scored in three plays to start the third quarter. And then we come back and we get a delay of game and then we put ourselves in a long yardage situation and we kind of lose a little gas in the third quarter. I think Sheldon got a little tired…I thought he played well, but he got a little bit tired there in the second half.”
The fourth quarter held the remaining 7 points for the Hornets, which occurred on a 2-yard touchdown run by junior running back and business major Kevin Smart, which was the result of a 13 play, 84-yard drive. The Hornets would successfully attempt an onside kick, but to no avail as time expired.
Powell hopes that next year’s team can learn from the trails and tribulations that the Hornets faced this season.
“Overall as a season I think we learned a lot, we’ve got a lot of young guys,” Powell said. “I hope this is a stepping stone in the foundation that we’ve built so we can learn from those mistakes.”
Smith led the game in passing and rushing for the Hornets, totaling over 312 yards of offense on 7 of 13 passing for 176 and 136 yards on 34 carries, with 4 total touchdowns. McEvoy led in receiving with 3 catches for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns.
McEvoy, who was among nine seniors who played their last game as a member of the Hornets, had some advice for the younger players on the team.
“They have to buy into Coach Higgins’ plan,” McEvoy said. “If they buy into it better than we did this year, they can do really good. There’s a lot of talent on that team, there’s no question. They can win a lot of games next year.”
A glow rose from Welch Stadium at Emporia Sate as students gathered last night at a candlelight vigil in memory of junior business marketing major Samuel Williams. Williams was found dead on Wednesday as a result of a motorcycle accident.
His former track coach, John David Harris, said that the autopsy report showed no evidence of alcohol or drug use.
As an All-American track athlete with a personal best time of 20.99 seconds for 200 meters, Williams undoubtedly contributed to the team, but his teammates said his talent surpassed athletic ability.
“The guy was a world class athlete, I had no doubt in my mind that he would have been in the Olympics one day if he wanted to, he had that kind of talent,” said Kent Lonberger, junior communication major and member of the track team. “But he was also a great teammate. He led by example, and had very few words, but when he spoke, he meant it and you could always get a good laugh out of Sam.”
Harris recalled an example of Sam’s sportsmanlike attitude.
“Last year after the outdoor championships, it was my last year coaching,” Harris said. “He gave me his All-American award, and he was just very grateful. I was just a provider of workouts and here he is showing me his gratitude.”
Williams was determined and confident in his athletic ability even before he had the support of the coaching staff, which he showed when he first approached Harris.
“The first time he walked into my office, he asked if he could run track,” Harris said. “When you hear somebody say they can run 10.3 seconds in the 100 meter, you kind of laugh it off, but the first time I saw him at practice, he took about three steps and I looked at the other coaches and just smiled.”
At that same practice, Williams made a first impression on teammate Derwin Hall, sophomore pre-physical therapy major.
“I remember the first time I met Sam, I was actually intimidated,” Hall said. “But once you talk to him, or he cracks a smile, or you get to know his personality, you just see that he’s the sweetest guy.”
Lonberger said that he will remember Williams for his character.
“Sam had the biggest smile ever, he was a great friend and loyal,” Lonberger said. “He was there for you whenever you needed it. He was just a great guy.”
His personality was one that Lonberger said will not soon be forgotten.
“It’s amazing to me, all of the people that showed up,” Lonberger said. “He was only here two years, but he affected a lot of people and changed a lot of lives. As a team, we are going to do whatever we can to honor him in our lives and on the track.”
Brooke Kent, senior psychology major, said that Williams will remain an inspiration for the team.
“I think everybody on this team is going to miss him,” Kent said. “But I know our team is going to be stronger because of this.”
The Emporia State volleyball team came out victorious over the #4 University of Central Missouri Jennies last night, winning a close bout in five matches, 3-2. The last time the two teams met was on Sept. 23 of this season – when UCM walked away the victor with a decisive 3-0 win over the Hornets. ESU was out for revenge and took care of business, taking the match to five sets and winning 25-22, 25-21, 23-25, 17-25 and 15-11
In the first set, the Hornets started off hot with a 5-2 lead. UCM battled their way back to eventually lead by two points, 14-12, when ESU head coach Bing Xu called a timeout. After the timeout, the Jennies continued their dominant play, but the Hornets would not throw in the towel. A pivotal kill by freshman setter/outside hitter and undecided major Katelyn Schmidtberger brought the team back into the lead at 20-18 – timeout was called by UCM first-year head coach Flip Piontek to regroup his squad.
A four point swing in favor of Central Missouri would force Xu to call his final timeout of the set with the score 22-20, UCM. ESU would eventually win the set, 25-22, due largely in part to a high energy, psyched-up Hornet squad that set out to take care of business after the Xu timeout.
The second set was a bizarre one. ESU jumped out to an 8-1 lead early in the set with the help of strong defense and several critical errors by the Jennies. After a UCM timeout, a successful comeback effort was made by Central Missouri, tying the game at 9-9.
The Jennies came out strong, leading by as much as four, but the Hornets stayed disciplined and brought the score back to a tie at 17-17. Points were traded back and forth, until great defense and a service error helped the Hornets take the lead at 22-20 – timeout was taken by UCM.
Another service error, a heads-up play by junior setter and business major Ting Liu, and a final kill of the set by senior outside hitter and marketing major Arica Shepard sealed the deal for the Hornets, as they took the set, 25-21. Xu could tell the stark difference in the Hornets play from the last meeting with UCM to this one.
“The last time we played so poorly, and this time they were so ready,” said Xu. “The first two games you could tell.”
The third set looked easy for the Hornets until the very end. At one point, a 5-5 tie turned into a 9-5 ESU lead, thanks to smart playing by the Hornets. A definitive and dominant showing by ESU forced a Jennies timeout at 20-14, Hornets lead. A late surge by UCM turned the game into a 21-18 ESU lead, followed by a Xu timeout. Two more points for the Jennies forced another Xu timeout to regroup the Hornets.
Xu believed his team lacked some qualities that are usually present in most matches.
“We have to play consistently,” Xu said. “From the third game you could tell, they picked up their serving…they tried to go after us every single point.”
A rare service error by Liu and solid offensive output by Central Missouri set the score at 24-22 UCM – the Jennies would go on to win the set 25-23.
Shepard thought that team spirits weren’t in check.
“We weren’t believing in ourselves as much as we should have, and we just can’t do that,” Shepard said.
Set number four started slow for the Hornets, falling to a 5-1 UCM lead. After an unproductive couple of sets for ESU, an extremely rare substitution was made – Shepard left the game. The Hornets were trailing as much as seven before a determined Shepard returned to the game. Shepard knew that her play wasn’t up to par.
“Tonight, I definitely deserved to be taken out,” Shepard said. “It wasn’t my best game, by any means, and I kind of knew it was coming. He was just trying to get, I think, some motivation back out there and motivate me, too.”
Key efforts, both on offense and defense, led the Hornets to take the lead at 13-12, followed by a Jennies timeout. An ESU timeout gave the team a quick break as UCM led, 20-16. Shepard was again subbed out of the game and would not return, as the Hornets dropped the fourth set, 25-17.
The fifth and final set of the evening started off with a 3-0 Hornets lead. Central Missouri would fight back, but it wouldn’t be enough before a timeout was called by Piontek with the Hornets leading, 7-4. Another UCM timeout would come after the Jennies fell down by 4 to the Hornet lead, 11-7. The match rounded off with a victory for the Hornets, winning the fifth set 15-11.
During the match, junior middle hitter and chemistry major Brianne Boner became Emporia State’s all-time leader in block assists.
“It’s something that’s nice,” Boner said. “I’m not really about records, but it’s nice to know that I can help my team out in that way, and that’s really an honor.”
Xu noted the positives of Boner’s presence on the court.
“She brought a lot of fire on the court,” Xu said. “You can tell after she blocks how excited she was, and that pumps the whole team up.”
After the match, Shepard commented on how important the win was for her and her team.
“(I feel) happy and relieved,” Shepard said. “I don’t know why we put that much pressure on ourselves…getting a win like that, that was huge. We needed that so bad.’
Boner also commented on how she felt after the big win.
“It feels great, because we know they’re a really good team,” Boner said. “It feels great to beat a team this good.”
Freshman setter/right sight hitter and undecided major Katelyn Schmidtberger led the Hornets with 18 kills on the night, followed by Shepard with 15, junior right hitter and nursing major Brittney Miller with 12, and Boner with 11. Junior setter and business major Ting Liu added 54 assists, and senior libero and health promotion major Amy Byfield chipped in with 23 digs.
Up next for the Hornets will be a Saturday afternoon match against MIAA opponent Nebraska-Omaha. First serve is set for 4 p.m. in Omaha, Neb.
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Thomas E. Patterson is Bradlee Professor of Government and the Press. His book, The Vanishing Voter, looks at the causes and consequences of electoral participation. His earlier book on the media’s political role, Out of Order, received the American Political Science Association’s Graber Award as the best book of the decade in political communication. His first book, The Unseeing Eye, was named by the American Association for Public Opinion Research as one of the 50 most influential books on public opinion in the past half century. He also is author of Mass Media Election and two general American government texts: The American Democracy and We the People. His articles have appeared in Political Communication, Journal of Communication, and other academic journals, as well as in the popular press. His research has been funded by the Ford, Markle, Smith-Richardson, Pew, Knight, Carnegie, and National Science foundations. Patterson received his PhD from the University of Minnesota in 1971.
Thomas Patterson welcomes media inquiries on the following subjects:
Additional experts may be found by clicking on each subject listed. You may contact faculty directly or if you need assistance contact the Communications Office at 617-495-1115. | <urn:uuid:1aa422e4-06ca-49aa-84ce-e5e722191205> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hks.harvard.edu/about/faculty-staff-directory/thomas-patterson | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956523 | 249 | 1.65625 | 2 |
The Mayans had us believe that doomsday would come in December. After a month traveling through India I'm convinced it's being reserved for the day Sachin Tendulkar retires from Test cricket.
A rumor sweeping the subcontinent is that the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia will be his last - meaning we should brace for a disaster of biblical proportions given the effect it’s having on the public.
Only time will tell if the whisper proves true but one undeniable fact is how unprepared this cricket crazed nation is for life after Tendulkar.
To understand the impact he's had on the consciousness of his country one only has to chat with any of the billion or so people here, for which cricket is akin to religion.
A wheat farmer in rural Rajasthan couldn’t make out a thing I was saying before I muttered the word 'Tendulkar’, which prompted a bow of his head in an act usually reserved for Hindu deities.
Sudeep Gavde, a 28 year old insurance broker from Mumbai, explained that many in spiritual India saw the Little Master as celestial, “he’s like a God and I don’t say that flippantly, I mean people genuinely see him in a divine way,” he said.
He is possibly the most admired celebrity that has ever lived with a following that would have made Elvis blush. If India was as developed as the Western world his Twitter followers would exceed 500million!
It’s why his inevitable retirement will strike at the heart of the nation on a scale most Australians will find astonishing.
Tendulkar, 40 in April, made his Test debut in 1989 as a 16 year-old against Pakistan (he was bowled by Waqar Younis for 15 in Karachi).
For the hundreds of millions of Indians living impoverished lives he has been an infinite well of hope, happiness and pride ever since - the one certainty in an uncertain world.
Many have never watched a Test without him, including Ashan Mehta, a 27 year old street vendor from Pune. “Even talking of Tendulkar retiring is a very sensitive issue for us, we are all quite emotional about it," he said. “If he retires the sense of loss will be overwhelming because for so many people like me we have not known life without him, and cricket is life here.”
Tendulkar has been showing steady signs of decline not unlike Ricky Ponting did before he called stumps on his masterful career in November.
His feet, so fleet and light for so long, have stopped moving. He has not made a Test century since 2011, and may no longer be seen as the prized scalp by opposition - something Ponting also experienced in his twilight.
On Friday he scored an unbeaten 140 for Mumbai against a Rest of India team at Wankhede Stadium, a sign there could be fight in the old dog yet ahead of the First Test in Chennai starting February 22.
In doing so he passed 25,000 first-class runs and equaled the great Sunil Gavaskar's all time record of 81 first-class centuries.
In typical Tendulkar fashion he is remaining coy with the media and hasn’t hinted at a looming announcement about his future.
In any case, when that day comes it will signal the end of the world as they know it in India.
Mark Murray is a former Border Mail journalist and lifelong sports nut. He is currently on the subcontinent covering Australia’s cricket tour of India. | <urn:uuid:46b2d3a7-dafd-4249-b7ac-6b48b999b44f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.yasstribune.com.au/story/1296208/is-the-end-nigh-for-the-little-master/?cs=34 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976214 | 745 | 1.625 | 2 |
INTO THE FUTURE: National Executive Director Jay D. Roth
brought a new level of sophistication to meeting
the needs of the membership.
The Directors Guild of America is an international labor organization with a staff of 140, a dozen departments, a national headquarters in Los Angeles, offices in New York and Chicago, and governing bodies drawn from its 14,500 members in the U.S. and around the world. This wasn't always the case. The evolution of the Guild from 1936 to the present day can most easily be seen as a continuum taking place over three distinct eras. The first began in the late 1930s with the establishment of the Guild. This ran through the late 1970s when a period of modernization began. The third and present era started in 1995 with a significant expansion of our approach to representation, organizing and member service.
"It's a members' organization, but it's the staff that keeps continuity and keeps focus and makes sure things get done," Past DGA President Michael Apted said. "Our members are and always have been busy people who are often off doing jobs, and the staff has been the rock on which the Guild is built, it's the stability and continuity that the organization was founded on."
The foundation of the Guild was set in the first era when, over the course of nearly 40 years, the staff evolved from one secretary, Elizabeth Berger, at its small offices in Crossroads of the World on Sunset Boulevard, to no more than a dozen employees by the mid-'70s. This was a period where cornerstones of current Guild service were laid, under the leadership of the founders and key staff who oversaw the first contract negotiations, setting creative rights milestones, instituting the pension and health plans, establishing residuals, coordinating the merger between directors on the East and West coasts, bringing the AD/UPM and AD/SM categories into the Guild, construction of the first DGA headquarters building in Los Angeles, and the acquisition of the Guild's New York offices.
Early Guild executives were mostly members who assumed the top administrative duties, including J.P. McGowan, Vernon Keays and William S. Holman. Joe Youngerman, an assistant director, took over as National Executive Secretary in 1950 and held the office for 27 years, earnings the nickname, "Mr. Guild." In 1950, the SDG had about 900 members and the full-time staff had grown to three - Youngerman, an office manager and Mabel Walker Willebrandt, an attorney who served as General Counsel.
FROM TOP: National Executive
Secretary Joe Youngerman,
National Executive Director Glenn
Gumpel, National Executive
Secretary Michael Franklin
Under Youngerman, the staff expanded to a dozen, including a bookkeeper, the first field rep and switchboard operator by the time the original Guild headquarters was built in 1955. After the Screen Directors Guild and Radio and Television Directors Guild merged to create the DGA in 1960, executives were assigned in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago to handle assistant directors and unit production managers, as well as associate directors and stage managers. Still, no departments existed, nor would they until the late 1970s. Although the Guild ran effectively, there were concerns from the National Board that the Guild was becoming anachronistic in its approach to meeting core functions, particularly residuals collection and contract enforcement.
Some leading board members, chief among them President Robert B. Aldrich, challenged the status quo in the mid-'70s and urged the DGA to modernize, especially as membership continued to grow rapidly on both coasts, rising from 3,300 members in 1967 to nearly 5,500 in 1977. Joe Youngerman retired in 1978, and Michael Franklin was hired as national executive secretary. Franklin, a lawyer who had worked in business affairs at CBS-TV and served as Executive Director of the Writers Guild of America west, moved quickly to bolster the Guild's services.
With the advent of new businesses like home video and the development of studios from independent entities to large corporations, Franklin knew the Guild had to respond to the challenges and, with board approval, he created several new departments including legal, residuals, membership and signatories. This required added staff and, by the end of Franklin's tenure in 1987, when the Guild's membership exceeded 8,000, the DGA had about 85 employees in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. It was also in this period that the DGA, in 1978, achieved the ability to enforce its contracts through the arbitration and the grievance process. Franklin's successor, Glenn Gumpel, came aboard as National Executive Director (as the title was renamed in 1983) in 1988 and continued this process through 1995, as the Guild's membership approached 10,000. He was the executive when the Guild moved into its
current headquarters in Los Angeles in 1989.
The current era, under the leadership of National Executive Director Jay D. Roth, has seen a concerted effort to raise the sophistication and effectiveness of the Guild's approach to its core functions: representing members in collective bargaining, organizing and jurisdiction, and member support. The Guild got its first Credits Department, which has assisted all members of the directorial team in enforcing contracts' credit criteria for film and television, and an Organizing Department to address specialized types of work including independent film, reality television, and commercial work. In addition, an executive was assigned to address the lack of women and ethnic minorities hired by the industry and work with our committees and councils to affect change in this area. A Government Affairs office, working with a newly formed, member-driven Political Action Committee, was created to examine the impact of local, state and national legislation and the effect of those laws on our membership.
A Research Department monitors the entertainment industry's new technological and economic developments so that the Guild can be ahead of the curve when going into negotiations on behalf of the membership. The Guild also completed a four-year project to convert its legacy computer database systems (originally developed in the early 1980s) into a single, streamlined system to track and record projects, residuals, credits, membership and other vital data. A Communications Department keeps members well informed through the DGA Monthly member magazine and the DGA Quarterly craft journal and, most recently, the Guild completely revamped its website, www.dga.org.
JOB WELL DONE: National Executive Director Jay D. Roth
(right) and Negotiating Committee Chairman Gil Cates
after the 2005 Basic Agreement was signed.
"Jay Roth is the very best of the breed of executive directors," said Secretary-Treasurer Gilbert Cates said. "Savvy technically, an ex-labor lawyer, he knows both his job and the fact that the membership, through its board and elected leaders, makes policy. He is a defender of the Guild's basic mission, which is to make things better for its members."
Since its inception, the DGA has expanded its jurisdiction well beyond feature film to include episodic television, documentaries, movies for television, commercials, daytime serials (soap operas), musical variety, news, sports, children's programming and reality television. Through the leadership of members and staff, advances continue to be made in each of these genres to protect and improve members' economic and creative rights.
"Our charge from the president and the board is to maintain the highest professional level of representation and service," Roth said. "We constantly challenge ourselves and the organization to be second to none." | <urn:uuid:1f2c88ef-bc6e-4d69-bbfb-5647bb331b39> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dga.org/Craft/DGAQ/All-Articles/0604-Winter2006-07/Features-Steady-Growth.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974019 | 1,529 | 1.570313 | 2 |
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In the state of Florida, Republican governor Rick Scott and the Republican legislators are attempting to enact a far-reaching Medicaid reform bill in the state.  Although newsworthy in and of itself, even more troublesome for the newly elected governor whose approval rate has been hovering at 30 percent is the serious ethical questions the proposed measure raises.
The legislation would allow HMO’s and other private health care companies’ unprecedented control over the state’s Medicaid program.  One of the companies that stand to benefit from the measure would be the governor’s own company-Solantic.    Solantic is a chain of urgent health care centers that provides emergency service to walk-in customers.  Scott founded Solantic in 2001, shortly after resigning as CEO of Columbia/HCA during the largest Medicare fraud in history.  Columbia/HCA, a large for-profit hospital chain, pled guilty to 14 felonies and paid $1.7 billion in criminal and civil fines for defrauding Medicare.  Despite that, Floridians elected Scott to run their state.  And bizarrely, it seems he is running the state for-profit as well.  But, only for his profit.
Although Scott reports that he transferred his $62 million stake in Solantic to his wife, Ann Scott, a homemaker, many independent law experts still question the ethics of the Medicaid reform.  Under a federally approved pilot program that began in 2005, some Medicaid patients in the state were allowed to start using their Medicaid at private clinics, like Solantic.  Under the new sweeping Medicaid bill, the pilot privatization program would be expanded to the entire state.  Solantic would stand to gain millions of customers.
“This is a conflict of interest that raises a serious ethical issue,” says Marc Rodwin, a medical ethics professor at Suffolk University Law School in Boston. “The public should be thinking and worrying about this.”
Scott’s office does not see any apparent ethics violation, although it is difficult to miss that.¬† “The claims of a conflict of interest are incorrect and baseless,” Brian Hughes, Scott’s deputy communications director, stated without elaborating.¬† Reporters have also questioned Scott, but he has remained firm in his defensive stance.¬†¬†¬† “I believe in the principle that if you have more competition it will drive down the prices,” Scott told the St. Petersburg Times last month when asked about his wife’s shares in Solantic. “If you give more choices, it’s better for the consumer also to help drive down price‚Ķand that’s exactly what I’m going to do as governor.”
Scott also signed an executive order making drug tests required at least every three months for state employees.¬† Although, the Supreme Court has been pretty clear about the constitutionality of that, Scott decided to go ahead and make it law of the land‚ÄĒfor now.¬† Again, guess who will benefit from it?¬† Solantic also offers employee drug testing.
Florida lawmakers are working on the final Medicaid reform bill and a vote is expected in a matter of weeks.  Scott’s approval continues to plunge, but he seems undaunted by it.  Throwing out the first pitch at the Tampa Bay Rays opening game, Scott was met by a chorus of boos.  He just smiled and waved.  He will be smiling and waving all the way to the bank. | <urn:uuid:30789e5d-63b5-4cb6-b7e6-b3635a12e563> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.toonaripost.com/2011/05/us-news/a-conflict-of-common-sense-governor-rick-scott-of-florida/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965932 | 797 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Windhoek — Chinese ambassador to Namibia Xin Shunkang says China wants to cooperate with Namibia in many sectors, ranging from trade to minerals extraction - especially uranium.
"We want to make Namibia become the second largest producer of uranium, which in turn could help increase the Gross Domestic Product of the country," Xin said. He briefed journalists on Wednesday shortly after he paid his first courtesy call on President Hifikepunye Pohamba at State House. Xin said China would provide technical expertise to Namibia in the uranium sector.
Xin said he had fruitful discussions with Pohamba during the meeting, since Namibia and China enjoyed good relations during Namibia's struggle for independence, which have continued in post-independence Namibia. "Namibia always gives support to China, especially on international issues. When we look for support, Namibia always stands by China," he said
In his welcoming remarks President Pohamba said Sino-Namibian relations started in the 1960s. He said the two countries have cooperated in many ways since then.
The Chinese delegation included Deputy Chief of Mission, Li Yigang and Counsellor Liu Runing.
"Namibia through Swapo received all types of assistance at the time when we were trying to expel the racist South African regime," Pohamba told the delegation.
Pohamba further said that after independence China has assisted Namibia in establishing institutions such as schools and hospitals. He said a school was built in Tsumkwe, as well as a hospital at Omuthiya with the assistance of China. He said China also helped in the establishment of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF).
"Cooperation should be extended to trade. Your predecessors have done a commendable job," Pohamba told Xin, adding that he is looking forward to the construction of the Outapi-Oshikango and the Ruacana-Omakange roads that will be built with Chinese support. | <urn:uuid:a5983587-2a58-4982-ae7e-318846bb78ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://allafrica.com/stories/201211151189.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980193 | 408 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Responding to the Prime Minister’s ‘Big Society’ speech today, Mike O’Connor, CBE, Chief Executive of Consumer Focus said:
“The Big Society initiative has at its heart the kernel of a great idea – putting people at the heart of the services that matter to them. Consumers will clearly want to work with services in very different ways. Some will welcome getting involved in services directly, many others simply want services which listen to their views and needs.
“The Big Society will mean much more to people if they’ve played a big role in shaping it. This in turn will require information, tools and sustained support for communities to take on the bigger role Government envisages for them.
“One helpful step is the use of unclaimed bank accounts to support community projects, a move that many consumers will welcome.” | <urn:uuid:4978b875-ac09-415f-bfcf-a1117856cede> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/news/consumer-focus-response-to-the-prime-minister%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98big-society%E2%80%99-speech | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955979 | 179 | 1.59375 | 2 |
How does a church with only two clergy host 5,000 people each Sunday, run a 1,300 student youth ministry, and keep 8 choirs in check? Fr. Paul Williams of St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Dalton, Georgia says it’s all about letting the people lead.
Catholic parishes, which are often this large and often this sparsely staffed, have much to teach about handing day-to-day operations back to church members. Fr. Paul says this can only happen when clergy truly love their churches, and work hard at building trust and solidarity.
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Fr. Paul Williams has only been at St. Joseph’s for 2 years, but has already made an indelible mark on this bilingual parish. He says for a parish like this to thrive, lay leadership must be strong. In this interview he describes life at St. Joseph’s and tells us how a theology of cradle to grave, liturgical spiritual formation builds a strong community. Here are my notes from the interview:
Recognize Christ in Children
Fr. Paul describes the typical St. Joseph’s seeker as a baby in the arms of its mother. In other words, intentional nurture at every step of a Catholic’s life is the goal, from Sunday School through adulthood.
Learn to Say Yes
Fr. Paul says the role of the pastor is not to come up with the ideas, but to get to know the parish, keeping it out of troubled waters, and to try to say ‘yes’ as often as possible to the ideas that come from the people.
3 Keys to a Successful Pastorate
Fr. Paul says success awaits every pastor who remembers 1) it’s not about you, it’s about God, 2) the importance of developing deep affection for the people, and 3) simply being kind – it goes a long way.
About Fr. Williams
Fr. Paul D. Williams, Jr. is a native of west Georgia and a priest with the Archdiocese of Atlanta for 16 years. Before ordination he was a Georgia Tech graduate and computer scientist in the Defense Industry, designing Flight Control Software for fighter jets. He attended seminary at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmistburg, MD, and holds a Masters of Divinity. In 2001 and 2002, he lived in El Paso, TX and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico as part of the Atlanta-El Paso Project, designed to train young pastors and seminarians in Spanish language and culture. With that experience, he came back to serve Georgia’s ever-growing Hispanic population. In his years in Georgia, he has started Spanish Language Masses at three Georgia parishes, which began small – in trailer parks – and each now serves thousands every Sunday. He has served bilingual communities in three other parishes as pastor and is now assigned to the largest bilingual parish in the Southeast, Saint Joseph’s in Dalton, Georgia. Saint Joseph’s has more than 5000 people who attend Mass each Sunday – 90% Hispanic – and baptizes more than 600 people in Spanish each year. Father Williams is an active blogger who, along with Saint Joseph’s has been on the front lines speaking out on Georgia’s recent Immigration law, with numerous television and print interviews and public forums.
Books Fr. Williams Recommends
In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year (7 Volume Set) – Francisco Fernández-Carvajal
Opus Dei Daily Spirituality Series (in Spanish on the web)
Excellent Catholic Parishes - Paul Wilkes
Speaker for the Dead - Orson Scott Card
Sponsors I Mentioned
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Wistia – If you’re still hosting your videos at YouTube or another ‘free’ video sharing site you know the drawbacks. Wistia helps me put out great looking videos and see who’s watching for how long. The Wistia staff is easy to work with and very professional.
The Grow My Church Store – Everything from mugs to pens to fridge magnets, this is a promotional products store aimed at helping churches become closer communities, more hospitable, and welcoming. I started this store and shop there often because I couldn’t find anywhere else to go for these products. | <urn:uuid:a5d99438-ca1d-456b-b0ca-6cc2bac751b0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://churchnext.tv/2011/10/31/fr-paul-williams-let-the-people-lead/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955168 | 985 | 1.554688 | 2 |
A Tale of Two Vetoes: Governor Haley is Chump and Governor Nixon is Champ
First, Governor Nikki Haley went on The View where she claimed “women don’t care about contraception.” Then she vetoed a bill that could provide free HPV vaccines to young people. And this week, she vetoed and called funding for sexual assault and rape prevention a distraction. We shudder to think what’s next.
So why did she veto a bill that would have provided $453,680 for domestic violence and sexual assault prevention? Because she thinks “these special add-on lines distract from the agency's broader mission of protecting South Carolina's public health."
Governor Haley may say that sexual assault and rape survivors only make up “a small portion of South Carolina’s chronically ill or abused,” but their rape rate has exceeded the national rate since 1982, and South Carolina is the seventh-worst state for the number of women murdered by men. These issues aren’t merely a distraction, they’re a major public health concern.
If this veto is sustained, according to South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (SCCADVASA) Executive Director Pamela Jacobs, “rape crisis centers will lose 37% of their current state funding.” That’s not something to ignore.
So while Governor Haley vetoes a good bill in South Carolina, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon vetoed a bad bill, thereby earning this week’s Champ title.
The bill was an attempt to undermine the popular proposal that would have required health insurance plans to cover birth control as preventive care, with no co-pay. It’s a critical and popular benefit of the new health care reform law, considering birth control can cost up to $600 dollars a year, and more than 99 percent of women between the ages of 15 and 44 who are sexually active have at some point used birth control (not to mention that 58 percent of the women who use birth control use it for purposes other than pregnancy prevention).
Governor Nixon’s veto demonstrates his commitment to supporting women’s health and his belief that birth control should be covered by insurance companies no matter where you work.
After two months and more than 10,000 messages sent to the governor’s office, he finally made the right decision to protect women’s access to birth control. As Nixon acknowledged in his written statement, the effort to expand the religious and moral exemption to insurers (giving them the right to deny coverage), “would signal a retreat from the liberties enjoyed by employers and employees under current law."
For standing for women and access to birth control, Governor Nixon completely deserves this week’s Champ crown! | <urn:uuid:9f5d663e-8fbc-4067-884f-16236a970ce9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.womenarewatching.org/article/a-tale-of-two-vetoes-governor-haley-is-chump-and-governor-nixon-is-champ?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=tweet&utm_content=champchump&utm_campaign=ppact | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957273 | 561 | 1.585938 | 2 |
oogle Fiber is expanding beyond Kansas City. Granted, it's only going 30 minutes down the road to Olathe, Kansas, a suburb with about 125,000 residents. What has people really excited, though, is this phrase in Google's recent announcement: "Hopefully, this is the first of several announcements that we'll be able to make about bringing Google Fiber to additional cities in the KC metro area."
Up to this point, Google Fiber has seemed like a grand experiment. People in other parts of the country could only gawk at the gigabit internet service (about 100 times the average broadband connection) and interactive TV service, all for $120 a month, and then search for apartments in Kansas City on their comparably snail's pace internet connections.
The Verge believes "this sets an important precedent: Google is serious about expanding its service." During the New York Times Dealbook Conference in December, Google chairman Eric Schmidt said that Fiber "isn't just an experiment, it's a real business and we're trying to decide where to expand next," according to Engadget. The company, however, hadn't made any definitive plans to expand beyond Kansas City aside from pending agreements to move into the tiny city-adjacent neighborhoods of Westwood, Westwood Hills, and Mission Woods.
Those Fiber negotiations may perhaps be held up for the same reason that negotiations stalled in other cities: In some areas, government officials were forced to extend promises they made Google to other internet service providers such as Time Warner Cable and AT&T, according to the Kansas City Star. In Olathe, city officials aren't expediting permits or promising "staff dedicated to answering Google's questions the way other cities have," says the Star, meaning that Google will get its first taste of what installing its service would be like in cities that aren't bending over backwards for it.
The big question about Google's Fiber expansion — beyond Olathe's seeming luck — is, of course, whether the superfast service will eventually come to your town. That's certainly what major internet service providers should be nervously wondering, says TIME's Sam Gustin:
Many observers believe that Google's ultimate goal is to shame the legacy broadband giants like Comcast and Time Warner Cable[...] by demonstrating that vastly faster broadband service is possible in the United States. Improving U.S. broadband speed and penetration is important for Google, because the more people who use broadband internet, at faster speeds, the more Google searches get executed, and the more money Google makes. [TIME]
So how likely is nationwide expansion? Charlie Osborne at ZDNet points to a recently announced initiative by the FCC for the "the U.S. government and internet service providers to ramp up efforts to provide gigabit ethernet speeds in at least one community in each state by 2015" in order to "help breed innovation and boost local economies." It seems Google, aside from its own business interests, also has a federal mandate to support its potential Fiber expansion.
The area around Kansas City is already being called the Silicon Prairie, a nickname loaded with high-tech, economically hopeful connotations that other communities around the country would surely love to have. "We believe this is just the beginning," analyst Rich Greenfield told TIME. Millions of internet users and Netflix streamers sure do hope he's right.
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- 32 TV shows to watch in 2013 [Updated] | <urn:uuid:7836e824-c580-4931-8c32-74b0b46f9b76> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://theweek.com/article/index/241600/why-google-fibers-expansion-is-a-big-deal | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955928 | 801 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Rabbi Jack Moline and Rev. Bill Haley stood together on the podium to deliver short speeches, insisting on the unceremonious nomenclature "Jack" and "Bill."
Jack told us a wonderful story about two sisters condemned to a concentration camp during World War II. One was sickly and the other healthy. The sickly one told the healthy sister that she must survive the ordeal. Her last words were "God's love is deeper than this evil." That is the message the well sister was able to take back, because she did survive, miraculously rescued.
Echoing this, Bill told us that real love comes from a place deeper than evil.
Renowned author, independent scholar, and activist Karen Armstrong told us to resolve that 9/11 would never happen again. We need more compassion in life, both private and public. "Compassion" literally means materializing the Golden Rule--putting ourselves in another's shoes.
"The voice of religion must be clear and dynamic," she said. We're bound together by the Internet and world economy. One market crashes and the domino effect brings down the others.
She is engaged in a project of building a network of compassionate cities; there are fifty so far, and the District is on deck to join, she said.
We must reach out to our "enemies."
Think, as you resume the walk, that you must become the change you wish to see in the world. This time the popular St. Augustine's Gospel Choir sang as Arun Gandhi led our march back toward the statue of his grandfather.
Once we arrived to the statue, and once Arun spoke (see above), Rev. Clark Lobenstine, Executive Director of the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington pledged to become peacemaker not just until the end of this year but throughout his life. The people cheered as he urged us to join him.
Altaf Husain, member of the Islamic Society of North America, told us next that no religion can ever be subverted to evil. Religion can't be hijacked.
He recalled sadly how people ran into the towers on 9/11 when they were struck, nearly as often as they exited.
He quoted the Qu'ran: If you take one life, it is as if you have killed all people; and if you save one life, it is as if you have saved all of humanity.
The closing benediction was delivered by a layperson, mc Maureen Fiedler. She borrowed her words from a faith group unrepresented today, the Native Americans.
The ideas resonated with others shared earlier. Bless us in any way we need, carried a novel thought, though clearly our greatest need was evident today--peace. | <urn:uuid:263cee50-5ca3-4b66-b505-571e4dd9d267> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.opednews.com/articles/4/Seventh-Annual-Unity-Walk-by-Marta-Steele-110911-31.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974171 | 567 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Monday April 30, 2012
By the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five
All across Washington D.C. and the surrounding region, readers of the Washington Post will open the Monday, Apr. 30 edition of the Post to see a dramatic full-page ad demanding freedom for the Cuban Five, political prisoners unjustly held in United States for almost 14 years.
The ad is an effort spearheaded by the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five and supported by more than 325 organizations and individuals who raised the funds to publish the ad.
Prominent political leaders and human-rights organizations are quoted in the ad, including: Lt. Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, former Chief of Staff for Colin Powell during his tenure as U.S. Secretary of State; former U.S. president Jimmy Carter; 10 Nobel Prize recipients; former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark; Miguel D’Escoto, U.N. General Assembly president from 2008 to 2011; Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker; Amnesty International; and the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions.
The U.S. government’s misconduct in the political prosecution of the Five is exposed in the ad as well. Unknown to the Cuban Five and their defense team during trial, Miami reporters were secretly on the government payroll while demonizing the Five in the media, which “goes to the heart of the unjust conviction of the Five.”
Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Antonio, Fernando González and René González were arrested on Sept. 12, 1998 by the FBI, and subjected to a politically-motivated U.S. prosecution that has been condemned worldwide. Their trial took place in the virulently hostile environment of Miami, despite defense motions to change the venue.
Although public awareness of the Five has grown since their arrest, their case is still far from being widely known in the United States.
“Every inch of newspaper coverage, every minute of television and radio coverage about the Cuban Five’s anti-terrorist mission and the campaign for their freedom has been a struggle. This is why we decided a full-page ad was needed in the Washington Post, to demand that the political establishment, from President Obama to Congress members to the Justice Department, right this terrible injustice and free the Five,” said Gloria La Riva, coordinator of the National Committee. “We are deeply appreciative of so many people who helped make the publication of this ad possible.”
The National Committee published its first full-page ad in The New York Times on March 3, 2004, in what was up to that point the biggest exposure of the Five’s case in the media. Since then, it has helped to publish other ads, and conducted numerous press conferences as part of a much larger media strategy designed to break through the wall of silence surrounding the case.
The Post is the most read newspaper in the Washington, D.C., “beltway” with the 6th largest reach in the country. Daily print circulation is 545,345 and estimated readership is 1,080,000. According to the Nielsen Ratings company, it is the most read newspaper in Congress and the Executive branch, and the only newspaper that political leaders in Washington read on a busy day.
“Letting the people of the U.S. know about the wrongful imprisonment of the Cuban Five is the most important task for winning their liberation,” said National Committee member Chris Banks.
Habeas Corpus appeals for Gerardo, Ramón, Fernando and Antonio are actively underway in the Southern Florida federal district court. Support actions, protests and forums are multiplying on every continent and across the United States. | <urn:uuid:9dbe098b-ef1d-435c-ba31-b7da33a0ba31> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://en.cubadebate.cu/news/2012/04/30/washington-post-ad-demanding-freedom-for-cuban-five-published-today/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967687 | 770 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Between Los Angeles and its citizens there is a social contract. Or rather an unspoken socio-meteorological understanding: We endure the snarling traffic, the restaurants that don’t serve food after 9 p.m., the people who think Kofi Annan is a type of single-origin espresso, the loud phone talkers, and the even louder L.A. gripers—all those clichés in exchange for the guarantee of having great weather. All. The. Time. And for the most part, save for a few rainstorms and whipping winds so dramatically rendered they’re Michael Bay-worthy, the deal is met. Except, of course, for those 21 days, more or less, that are supposed to be summer. Instead this is a period of several weeks (and what feels like months) when every Angeleno wonders if this must be what it’s like to live in notoriously sun-deprived places like Oslo. Or Glasgow. Or San Francisco.
Ah yes, June Gloom, when the Frank Sinatra-eyed sky we’ve come to expect each morning—as consistently warm and percolated as our coffee—transforms into a grim eternity the size of Siberia, a duvet of doom that sometimes stretches from Big Sur to the Mexican border. The scientific cause of June Gloom is a kind of collision. Only picture a zippy little warm front instead of a Mini Cooper and, hurtling toward it, a cold air mass as large as, well, an Airstream. The mash-up of these two forces—the warm air and the cool marine layer—creates a swell of clouds, first along the coast and then inland before being chased away by the afternoon sun.
L.A. residents and those unwitting tourists who book trips during peak Gloom season tend to agree that this quirky weather system is a buzzkill. But we’d argue that June Gloom (and its dour sibling, May Gray) offers a nanotransformation in our otherwise seasonally blurred existence, a moody microclimate that temporarily liberates us from the burden of constant doing. Sure, our tans may fade, but books are read, Netflix queues unclogged, and cozy cocktails swigged—at least until seasonal affective disorder kicks in, and really, that’s not so SAD.
A series of cloud formations this month can span 200 miles—nearly the distance from Santa Barbara to San Diego.
ALSO: See a photo gallery of L.A.'s dreariest June days
Get the recipe for the Los Angeles magazine-comissioned June Gloom Cocktail by Julian Cox | <urn:uuid:71ff4f13-ab3a-4b2c-bc01-bf796182e8c8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lamag.com/features/2012/06/01/fifty-thousand-shades-of-gray | 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 | 0.932736 | 550 | 1.5 | 2 |
Houston Council Member Ellen Cohen proposed a budget amendment to address the city's rape kit backlog.
The rape kits, which have not been tested due to lack of resources, contain vital pieces of evidence that can be used to apprehend violent criminals.
The amendment, proposed Wednesday, will generate funding by imposing a $5 fee on operators of adult entertainment establishments based on their number of daily customers. It is anticipated that this will raise approximately $3 million per year.
"We have a problem, and this amendment is the solution," said Cohen. "The survivors of sexual assault crimes deserve justice, and this proposal provides a practical avenue towards accomplishing that goal."
Cohen served for 18 years as the chief executive officer of the Houston Area Women's Center, which provides services for survivors of sexual and domestic violence. | <urn:uuid:fe739674-eaf2-4e20-8711-dcd06d6fca0f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.click2houston.com/news/Amendment-proposed-to-clear-rape-kit-backlog/-/1735978/14804810/-/95nwxh/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971705 | 163 | 1.5 | 2 |
I feel for men. We women want them to listen not just try to problem-solve everything. But sometimes problem-solving has it’s place.
I feel for men. We women want them to listen not just try to problem-solve everything. But sometimes problem-solving has it’s place.
Whether from circumstances that are forced upon you or – as is often the case – from saying ‘yes’ to too many things, being in overwhelm feels like drowning in the ocean. In fact the official test for overwhelm is to take a deep breath. If you swallow water, you’re in it.
Overwhelm is a state of mind where decisions – normally made wisely and easily – become difficult, stressful or irrational. Initial signs include irritability, negativity, self-downing and/or anger at others. More serious cases look like depression and include discouragement, hopeless language, shutting down or making no decisions at all.
Overwhelm can be triggered by any combination of the following:
Shines a new light on your toddler’s meltdown, your teenager’s disorganization, your co-worker’s lack of initiative and your own pissy mood doesn’t it?
But overwhelm is more less about the specifics than about whether you tell yourself you can handle those specifics. That’s why having wise mantras are especially helpful. Consider these 10 steps to getting out of overwhelm and the mantras that go with them.
For immediate overwhelm take these 4 steps now:
11. Get smarter. The really wise work for dealing with overwhelm happens before or after a near-drowning experience. Avoid the water under some conditions and also become a stronger swimmer. Improve your skills. Think better organization and prioritization. Think practice. Think stress management.
Go deeper and uncover any beliefs that are pulling you under. It could be a time frame expectation, a perfectionism issue or a belief that you have to help everyone and say ‘yes’ to everything. Doing the work you need when you are not overwhelmed is crucial for getting smarter, lighter, happier and not drowning.
I hope this helps. Feel free to share your solutions below. Here’s to keeping your head above water. ~ Annie
“One of us is wrong…
and it’s not me.”
That’s the way every single conflict begins. Of course it does, because if it didn’t, it wouldn’t be a conflict, would it?
…[But] The thing that’s worth addressing has nothing much to do with the matter at hand…We cure disagreements by building a bridge of mutual respect first, a bridge that permits education or dialogue or learning. When you burn that bridge, you’ve ensured nothing but conflict.
Posted by Seth Godin on April 11, 2013
Here are my thoughts on Seth’s thoughts: First, I love these insights because they are so true. We get stuck in conflict because at least one person thinks that there can only be one person who is right.
And what if that person is you? When you are in the ‘I’m right, you’re wrong’ (fight or flight) part of the brain, it narrows your focus to only yourself, to only what will help you win this moment. You lose perspective. You lose sight of the bigger picture and the fact that this moment is connected to a timeline and a relationship. It is not separate from it.
To do a better job in the moment means you must stay connected to that wiser part of the brain. The one that does the best, long-term thinking. The one that remembers that other people matter and – believe it or not – have relevant points too – even if their experiences are different from yours.
To get to that wiser self, you have to remember a few things. First you have to remember that two people can be right. Or at least each have valid points.
Start with curiosity. Be curious about why it matters to you. Be curious about your triggers. Be curious about what the other person’s point is. Be the kind of person who is more interested in learning something than proving something. And you can always learn something. About the situation. About the other person. About yourself. About what works better, what – not so much.
Then invite your partner (not your opponent!) to address these differences with a win-win attitude. Of course – they may not have buy-in or trust in or desire for win-win but you can still build the bridge.
Inviting someone to cross starts with the confidence to know that there are solutions that can be had if people are willing to look beyond their own smaller versions of success (the ones that only include themselves). If you believe that there are answers then you tend to waste less time getting worked up and spend more time being creative in finding those answers.
Besides creativity you need caring. And while again – you can’t make others care, you might want to consider that often people care more when they know that you care about them as well.
Of course, getting your fight partner to think bigger too is a great goal, and one that you should seriously commit to, but it helps to never forget that you can’t make other people meet you on that bridge. You can and should build it but for it to be mutual is out of your hands.
My advice? Build it anyway and extend a genuine invitation. Invite them to join you in curiosity. Invite them by listening to why they have a good point. And then ask them to hear your excellent point as well.
I hope you try it because when it works, it can feel extremely powerful. And both sides, get to take credit and hopefully remember the way for the next go round.
Thanks for a great prompt Mr. Godin. Wise indeed.
I bought it.
But when it arrived, it wasn’t just the size that threw me, but that there were no quick tips on how to do those quick shifts. Disappointed that I didn’t get the book I had expected, I thought, maybe I should write it then.
My intention was to create a very simple little instruction guide with a little wisdom and a few tips on how to catch and change one’s thoughts and shift them so we could become less stressed, less angry, more relaxed, calmer and happier.
I started gathering mantras and stories of my own, then I reached out to the world. I was unprepared for the overwhelming response.
It too me a while to wrap my head around just how to organize and share all the awesome pearls of wisdom I had received, but I am very happy that that little project grew into the full-fledged series called: What’s Your Mantra?
The first of the series is out: A Pocketful of Mantras: A collection of 200+ deceptively simple phrases to help you think positive, reduce stress, lighten up, and be happier.
And stay tuned… What’s Your Mantra? A collection of mantras and stories to help you think positive, reduce stress, lighten up, and be happier with stories and more mantras is due out in January 2013 and Powerful Parenting Mantras in Spring 2013.
Have a mantra to share? Send them to email@example.com or join us on facebook at www.facebook.com/whatisyourmantra
What are the best things to do to overcome a recent separation from a married man. I was deceived by all his promises and one day he just left. Only to find out that he is with a second mistress.
Its been 6 months now and I am still sending him messages and asking him to give me a second chance because I am still longing for his presence and company. How can I get over him and move on?
Your insight on this would be highly appreciated.
~ Heart Stuck
Dear Heart Stuck,
There is a saying that goes: The heart wants what the heart wants. The problem with this statement is it makes you a victim of your heart’s desire. So the first step forward has to be to stop fooling yourself into thinking it’s love and start seeing it for what it is – an addiction.
Like an addiction to alcohol or drugs, your body (heart) craves attention and connection with this guy (I won’t say man because men don’t behave like this). And as with all addiction, this craving works on your brain to shut down more healthy thinking and becoming helpless to it.
Once you started down that path, those actions – contacting him even though it is clear that he does not want you; perhaps offering belittling compromises; begging, pleading, or crying to get him to show you some warmth, etc – degrade you even more which can really convince you that you don’t deserve better.
But as long as you are willing to look this in the face, there is hope. The fact that you contacted me is a great place to start. That part of you that wrote the e-mail, that knows you are worth SO much more than this, needs to stand up and be heard. You need to strengthen that voice so that in moments of weakness, you can call upon her to remind you that – while you crave contact – you will not act on that thought.
What you need first are in-the-moment strategies to get yourself through these momentary compulsions. Healthy activities that are ACTUALLY good for you. Here are some suggestions that can all help:
Fortify yourself with the understanding that these moments will subside. As you begin to detox, your healthier, stronger head and heart should re-emerge. (Though be prepared to fight longing or reminicsent moments for a while).
Also consider doing something really bold, different and life-fulfilling. Something that you have thought about but have been too afraid to do.
It should be something that is good for you and that will require your energy, focus and commitment. It should also be something that can give you new perspectives on life. Though don’t be too impulsive – create a good plan. (Some bold ideas are: Move; Change Jobs; Go after a promotion; If you aren’t already – Go to school; Learn something you have always wanted to; Plan a new adventure; Go on a big trip far away; Join the Peace Corps – you get the idea…) Notice I didn’t suggest going out and getting another guy? That’s because I hope you do some work on yourself first. So that when you are ready you will attract healthier love.
And of course, please consider counseling to explore why you are stuck.
I hope this gives you some good suggestions on how to move to a healthier place. Your better self is waiting for you to figure this out. I hope she doesn’t have to wait too long.
I would love to hear how your story continues. Please keep in touch.
Take care, Annie
~ ~ ~
I believe this is true with bullying. Taking on a situation where someone is trying to take you down can make you feel stronger. Unfortunately when you aren’t successful – whether due to skill, wit, strength or being up against too sophisticated a foe – it can kill you. It can kill your spirit, your sense of self worth or in extreme cases make you think that killing yourself is the only answer. That is why we all need to take this issue seriously.
Recently, I went with my 18 year old son to see Bully a newly released movie that attempts to shed some light bullying and its effects. Here are my thoughts:
Bully exposes viewers to some of the very challenging situations too many children face when trying to survive and thrive in their worlds. It offers us a chance to see and feel for children, parents and communities trying to figure out better ways of getting along and what can happen when we can’t – including the loss of children’s lives.
I appreciated the ability of this film to get at the emotional costs to children and their families who are often dismissed by school officials and left feeling helpless and hopeless.
In one tough scene, we see Alex – a meek young man who has been nicknamed ‘fishface’ – being viciously taunted, harassed, stabbed with pencils and head-slammed into the seat in front of him on the bus. In another heart-wrenching clip we watch parents forcing themselves into a funeral home to “put their son to bed one last time” after he has killed himself due to harassment at school.
Perhaps though, some of the less shocking moments were more poignant. Like when Alex’s mom challenges him on the fact that kids that would do this to him aren’t really his friends. His response, “But if they aren’t my friends, I don’t have any friends.”
The theater audience - which was mostly the entire 7th and 8th grade classes of Ann Arbor Open, their teachers and a dozen parents - all seemed effected by the content. From occasional outcries or quiet sniffles, to clapping at the film’s end followed by a noticably subdued calm, it clearly had an impact. Which is the greatest value of the movie and the most important first step in altering the dynamic of bullying. It is critical to reach the hearts of children so they don’t bully, step in when they see it happening and stand up for themselves if they are being targeted.
Getting at the hearts of administrators and school staff is also essential to inspire change. As the movie exposes this is a big challenge. In fact Alex’s mother sums it up well after an ineffective meeting with a phone-it-in principal stating, “She politicianed us.”
While acknowledging that the clips were edited for effect, that principal was the most difficult to watch. Her pat answers, platitudes and bandaid attempts to get a victim of harassment to shake hands with the source of his torment were offensive not only to me and my son but to the teens in the audience – many of whom cried out in disgust.
As a professional who presents to school communities on this very topic, I must admit that I am often underwhelmed by administrators’ dedication to fostering an environment of safety in their schools. I call them ‘head nodders’ – administrators and staff who say the right things without a real commitment to doing the work. Working off a checklist – did the bullying prevention talk – rather than understanding that these are children’s lives.
Perhaps it is because the issue seems so intractable and they don’t know what to do. Because it is hard to change. Even with the caring that I often do see from dedicated teachers and desperate parents it is difficult to get ahead of this issue.
Educators and parents can and most definitely should use the Bully movie as a valuable tool in their efforts to stem the tide of bullying. But to make headway, it requires serious commitment and support from the entire community – on-going and proactive. It requires a real political and societal will.
That is why I give the teachers of Ann Arbor Open great credit for arranging the screening, inviting parents to attend as well, and for both the pre-discussion and the follow-up that is planned. These are the elements needed to make a real difference. And the message must be repeated often.
Would I have changed any of the movie itself? Yes. I would like to have seen statistics, professionals who are doing it right, deeper exploration of girl bullying which was seriously under-addressed, even one clip the helps us understand why children bully in the first place, and an example of a bystander having a positive impact on the situation.
Those are on my wishlist for that further discussion at Ann Arbor Open and other schools who do make the effort to get students to see this movie. Which is my biggest wish of all – having more schools, administrators and teachers watch this movie themselves AND have their students watch the film as well. It can’t end there, but it would be a start.
As Kirk Smalley, the father of 11 year old Ty who committed suicide due to bullying said – “Be the difference.” Bully, the movie, though not perfect, is trying to do just that.
Annie Zirkel is a Relationship Consultant, Speaker and Author based in Ann Arbor, Michigan who offers Don’t Take The Bait - a presentation designed to teach children about bullying and to encourage them and their schools to create cooler, safer places of learning. Contact her at firstname.lastname@example.org
We have this little cousin 7 years old that has brain cancer and she is getting chemotheraphy every week. She is starting to lose her hair and we do not know what to do or say to make her feel better. She says that she does not want to lose her hair and cries. Please help us and let us know what to do.
~ At a loss over child’s hair loss
Dear At a Loss,
Thanks for your e-mail though I am sorry for the reason.
As for your question on how to help you 7 year old cousin, it is hard to watch someone you love, and someone so young, have to go through such a tough ordeal.
As for her sadness about losing her hair – the first thing I would say is to just give her space to be sad. Yes it is about the hair but it is probably also about the fact that she has little control over all that is happening to her. She got no say in getting cancer or having to go through chemo or dealing with all the side effects. The hair is such a visual thing that it means that anyone who sees her will know and she will have to deal with their reactions. This is a lot for a grown-up to deal with, let alone a child.
Statements like, “I know it is sad.“, or “I am sorry that that chemo made you lose your hair.” and then allowing her to be upset for a little while can help her deal with her emotions.
After a pause or if she seems open, I might follow up with more positive comments like, “Hair or no – you are so beautiful.“, or “I’m sorry that you lost your hair but I am glad that the chemo is in there helping you get better.“, or “You are very strong girl to deal with all of this.”
One thing that is often offered but sometimes doesn’t help because it feels dismissive is to remind the person that it will grow back. So instead of just saying this you might consider: “I know it might not feel very comforting right now but does it help to be reminded that it will grow back?” Just remember that she may say ‘no’ which is a completely reasonable answer.
If she is open to a little humor (which can often help at the right time) you might jest about whether it will come back purple or something like that.
In terms of actions of things you can actually do: experimenting with scarves or a wig can help a little. You can find some ideas by clicking here.
In a recent development, Mattel has created a Bald Barbie that will be offered to hospitals where children are getting chemo. Whether that would help or if it inspires you with ideas, I don’t know but it is encouraging.
Finally, as a sign of solidarity with your cousin, you or others close to her might even consider shaving your own heads to help her feel like she isn’t quite so alone. Of course that is a grand gesture and may not be something you are open to but it is something people have done for those dealing with cancer treatment.
I hope some of this advice helps. I do feel for your cousin and all of your family. Obviously you care about each other deeply to be seeking ways to help and this in and of itself is probably the most important thing at this time.
Please take care,
P.S. Feel free to get back in touch with an update or more questions.
~ ~ ~
Money can buy things that give temporary pleasure but because we are adaptive creatures by nature, things only bring fleeting joy.
However when money is used to help you survive – food, shelter, safety – or when you are using it for experiences or to help others, it effects your happiness levels more deeply.
If you are lucky enough to have seen Happy: The Documentary by director Roko Belic, you’ve already learned some powerful – and surprising – findings about what truly contributes to happiness. (If you haven’t seen the movie, I hope you do. Its strength lies in finding happiness even when the world does not cooperate.)
The movie has so many inspiring ideas that you might not know where to start. So here is a list of ideas to help you on your journey. But don’t get overwhelmed – just pick one that you can see fitting into your life and get started. (You are always welcomed back for another):
10 Tips for Happiness
- Explore your expectations of happiness. Are you ready for happiness? Do you think you deserve it? What does it look like? Don’t just wish for more happiness. Be specific and decide what are you going to do to make that happen.
- Connect with people you like. The research is clear. Our happiness is tied to having good people around us. So first – be that person for someone else. Then – make sure you are investing in relationships that support your happiness. Reach out, join groups, say ‘yes’ to quality social connections.
- Find experiences that offer deeper meaning. What is important to you? How can you engage in experiences that tap into your values? You can’t find deeper happiness if you don’t dig deeper into this source. Connect your values to how you spend your time. Reinvigorate the roles you already have: Find the deeper value in your parenting, in your intimate relationship, in your creativity or your special gifts. Volunteer, be part of a solution to a problem, change jobs to more align with what you would like your legacy on this earth to be.
- Go with your Flow activities. What is an activity that engages you so much that you lose yourself in it? Not for money or accolades but for the pure purpose of instrinsic pleasure? That’s Flow. It could be building a fence, playing a game of tennis, jogging, working through a tough dilemma or a tough crossword puzzle, tackling a yard full of weeds or writing a satisfying article. When you are done you feel refreshed, accomplished, maybe even sweaty but very satisfied. And to be happy, you need to make time for it – hopefully often!
- Practice Kindness meditation. The research is very strong here. Spending time meditating – especially in kindness meditation – can seriously boost your happiness quotient. Think of it like healthy eating for the heart. And it is simpler that you think.
- Do kind acts. Help someone else. You might think this is counter-intuitive. Shouldn’t happiness come from someone helping or being kind to you? And while receiving kindness can be wonderful, waiting for it sets you up to be passive and possibly even a hostage of your unhappiness. Turn it around. Instead of wanting the world to make you happier – set out to give to someone else. Turns out it’s like a boomerang.
- Do something novel. This one can be challenging because novelty – by definition – must be created again and again which competes with the comfort and safety of routine and familiarity. In fact saying ‘yes’ to novelty requires being open to being open. Need practice? Start with doing familiar things in novel ways.
- Get physical. Play. Spend time in nature. Lets face it – we get too good at the opposite – being sedentary, working in spending time in artifical environments. Challenge yourself to increase your pleasure activities. They may seem fivolous but only if happiness is not your goal (see Tip #1).
- Express gratitude often. Gratitude is the mother of happiness – as in it is where happiness is born! Without appreciation, you cannot really know that you are happy. So find a way to practice gratefulness in your thoughts, words and deeds – often.
- Combine several tips into one activity! Possibly the only good use of multi-tasking. Why not combine a few happiness tips like 3 & 7 or 2, 6 & 9. In fact feel free to get creative if that puts you in Flow and come up with something that combines 4 or more? And if you do and want to share – post it below (but only if you do it for real
Here’s to being happy on your quest for happiness.
Annie Zirkel, LPC is a Relationship Consultant with a specialty in Optimism and Gratitude. Contact her at email@example.com.
Not only that but the happiness of your friends’ friends (people you may not even know) increases your happiness potential by 10%. And perhaps most surprising, the friends of your friends’ friends still impacts your happiness by 6%! In contrast increasing your income by $10,000, according to author Nicholas Christakis only increases your chance of being happy by 2%.
These findings are some of the most compelling (though possibly selfish) reasons to bring Happy: The Movie to your town – on February 11, 2012 – World Happy Day. By increasing the happiness of those around you, you increase your own.
It’s what I’m doing in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Why? Because having seen the movie I already know that it is filled with extremely powerful insights for people seeking happier lives. And the way it presents this information, switching between the science behind life satisfaction and poignant stories from places like Japan, Bhutan, Brazil and the Louisiana Bayou makes this a truly memorable film.
How happy is your state, county, town, neighborhood, street, next door neighbor, home, family? How happy are your friends? How happy are you? You all have a ripple effect outward. I hope you take that to heart and doing something about it such as:
Here’s to your happiness and to the happiness of those around you! ~ Annie | <urn:uuid:89ea1b0a-9457-4cc5-922e-ebbd08d10734> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.anniezirkel.com/?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&format=feed&moduleID=41&Itemid=21 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966886 | 5,567 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Other than the fact that they start with the same four letters, sales of all three have been strongly and directly affected by the economic downturn.
Over the past couple of years, sales of condoms are up, most likely because this is one expense that’s cheaper than having another mouth to food—much cheaper according to one estimate of how much it costs to raise a child from birth through college ($1.1 million). At the same time, thanks to the real estate collapse, there are now quite a few spots around the country where a condo costs less than a new car (and not a ridiculously expensive one, but a Prius).
Now, BusinessWeek reports of a recession-related condiment craze: Thus far in 2010, 36 new mayonnaises have entered the marketplace (nearly three times the number of new mayos in 2009), and, in July 2010, for example, overall condiment sales were up 7% compared to the year before.
What’s up with the condiment mania? BW says that smaller companies have successfully been rolling out flavored mayos and specialty mustards for years, and now the bigger companies like Kraft are getting into the game.
Also, because of high unemployment and general economic unease, a lot more people are making their own sandwiches rather than regularly going out for lunch. And the people packing sandwiches are in the market for something that doesn’t cost much but that’ll add some extra kick, zing, and flavor to what can otherwise be a dull, somewhat depressing brown-bag affair. Perhaps a squirt of wasabi mayo or a little raspberry mustard will do the trick. | <urn:uuid:8a9de814-4376-42e9-8df0-bb4d0b2a7ad4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://business.time.com/2010/10/12/what-condoms-condiments-and-condominiums-have-in-common/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963332 | 340 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Thousands of union protesters from around the country descended on Michigan’s Capitol building on Tuesday to voice opposition to legislation limiting the power of organized labor to raise dues and gain members.
Incredible number of people at the #Michigan state capitol protesting #rtw legislation http://t.co/AhUIeWCQ
But their angry shouts and chants, as my colleague Monica Davey reports, did not sway the Republican-led House of Representatives, which approved the so-called “right-to-work” legislation in a state that has long been at the center of American labor activity and history. The legislation bars both public and private sector workers from being required to pay fees as a condition of employment. The Senate passed it last week.
Gov. Rick Snyder signed the legislation later Tuesday.
Protesters began lining up before dawn as one bus after another brought union members from around the country to Lansing. At least two school districts in Michigan canceled classes because so many teachers said they planned to join the protests.
At 6:40 a.m., there’s about 90 people in line for the right-to-work protests. #RTW http://t.co/aqWovCqI
State police, some in riot gear, took up posts around the Capitol and limited the number of people allowed to enter to 2,000 because of concerns about overcrowding.
Inside, as the lawmakers debated the bill, hundreds of protesters lined the rotunda and shouted, “Shame on you!” and chanted, “No justice, no peace,” while thousands remained outside.
Protesters are still rocking the rotunda w/ ppl sitting down in protest of the House passage of public #RTW bill http://t.co/0CU6f0d8
House Speaker Jase Bolger called passage of #righttowork “a game changer” for #Michigan’s business climate. #RTW http://t.co/m7MYv6ED
By early afternoon, The Detroit News reported that tensions between some protesters and the state police erupted, as members of a crowd tried to push into the George Romney state office building, where Governor Snyder’s office is located. At least two people were arrested.
MSP in riot gear are here.
@wilxTV #righttowork #RTW http://t.co/O0KGzIyx
MSP forming human barricade around the Romney. #RTW http://t.co/hHeUS4I4
Panorama outside Romney building where Snyder’s office is. Definitely more than 10,000 by the looks of it. http://t.co/bNfUW1PI
Although most of the protesters gathered without incident, a scuffle erupted on the front lawn of the Capitol between supporters and opponents of the legislation. Police said no one was hurt, but a tent that had been staked by the conservative group Americans for Prosperity was torn down by union protesters and captured on video.
This tent destroyed by #RTW protesters is valued at more than $4,000 (my family used to be in the tent rental business) http://t.co/Ozk1k2a7
Both sides of the debate took to social media to make their case. The Teamsters posted video on YouTube of James P. Hoffa, their president, speaking to the crowd, and Governor Snyder explained why the the legislation was part of his effort to bolster the state’s economy. | <urn:uuid:794eb3bd-4cc4-4819-b3d9-21601bd4e49b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/11/union-members-protest-at-vote-on-michigan-labor-law/?ref=organizedlabor | 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 | 0.956829 | 739 | 1.71875 | 2 |
By Randall Palmer
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada has no need to stop Huawei Technologies Co Ltd from doing business with Canadian telecommunications companies even though the Chinese equipment maker could very well try to engage in cyber-espionage for Beijing, a former Canadian intelligence official said on Wednesday.
"Is Huawei a threat? Yes, absolutely," said Ray Boisvert, the former No. 3 at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). "I really do believe that it's possible to manage it the way it is."
Boisvert, who served as assistant director at CSIS, agrees that the Canadian government should block Huawei's participation in building a new network for government data and communications, a conclusion Ottawa appears already to have reached.
Even so, he said in an interview that he has reached a different conclusion for data networks outside the government that are provided by telecommunications companies such as Telus Corp.
"The risk is, yes, I believe Huawei would work at the behest of the Chinese government and would look to intercept communications, but good luck trying to find which ones are important in a sea of a billion fish," Boisvert told Reuters.
A U.S. House Intelligence Committee report on Monday said Beijing could use equipment made by Huawei, the world's second-largest maker of routers and other telecom gear, and ZTE Corp,, the fifth largest, to engage in espionage and endanger vital systems.
The panel said U.S. companies should stop doing business with Huawei and ZTE, and the committee chairman urged that Canadian companies do the same. Australia, for its part, has banned Huawei from helping build its national broadband network.
Huawei's Canadian subsidiary, which has more than 400 employees, has helped build the domestic networks of Telus and BCE Inc's Bell Canada, and also has relationships with smaller providers.
Boisvert said he gives credence to reports that Chinese espionage sparked, or hastened, the downfall of giant Canadian telecom equipment maker Nortel Networks Corp.
"Nortel fell as Huawei rose, and it wasn't by coincidence," he charged, adding that it may not have been Huawei itself, then nascent, which engaged in the alleged spying.
"I believe those stories to be true. I believe that it is very, very logical, and it fits very well with the way I understand the threat," said Boisvert, who runs his own intelligence firm, I-Sec Integrated Strategies.
That said, Boisvert said he thinks it is possible for both network providers such as Bell and companies that use their services to mitigate the risk.
"What these telecommunications providers have insisted on is considerable examination of all the code that they're providing, or at least some certification of it, and then Huawei's worked at that with some independent companies here out of the United States and Canada," he said.
Canadian corporations also employ their own risk management, through the use of virtual private networks and through monitoring what information leaves the company's network.
"It ends up being a bit of a cat-and-mouse game, but I guess if you're already committed to this plan, you might as well make the best of it, and you can," he said. "You've got to come up with mitigation strategies to make it work."
For companies in the private sector, the decision on whether to use Huawei comes partly down to a cost-benefit analysis that is not the same as the government's analysis in deciding whether to let Huawei help put the government network together, Boisvert said.
Canada's Conservative government has invoked a "national security exception" for that network, allowing it to discriminate against companies deemed risky.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper's spokesman, Andrew MacDougall, said on Tuesday: "I'll leave it to you if you think ... Huawei should be a part of a Canadian government security system."
Scott Bradley, spokesman for Huawei's Canadian subsidiary, rejected charges of Huawei wrongdoing in general, as well as in connection with Nortel.
"The false suggestions about Nortel are unfortunate and ignore facts," Bradley said. "We have made significant investments in research and development, employ 65,000 engineers, and hold almost 50,000 patents worldwide."
He acknowledged a Chinese-based telecoms manufacturer might face additional scrutiny and a higher bar, but said Huawei had been conducting itself without issue in Canada and would continue to build its presence.
The publicity surrounding Huawei and China in general may have ramifications for a $15.1 billion bid by China's CNOOC Ltd to buy Canadian oil producer Nexen Inc. Ottawa must decide if the takeover by the state-owned Chinese oil company would bring a net benefit to Canada.
Paul Dewar of Canada's opposition New Democratic Party said the government should clarify to what criteria are used to determine if a foreign investment would hurt Canada's security.
"When it comes to security concerns, you should look at what your allies are doing," he added.
(Editing by Frank McGurty; and Peter Galloway) | <urn:uuid:c48f4bd7-0e51-4aaf-89e9-d36152332de7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://whbl.com/news/articles/2012/oct/10/huawei-faces-exclusion-from-planned-canada-government-network/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974739 | 1,025 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Public lecture on US presidential election 2008 at the IUS
Sarajevo 04. November 2008
On Tuesday, November 4th 2008, the distinguished diplomat and public affairs officer at the US Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Ronald Hawkins gave a public lecture at the International University of Sarajevo. Mr. Hawkins delivered speech on US presidential election 2008 to a combined audience of over 100 students, professors and guests. The introductory note was given by Dr. Muhidin Mulalić, Coordinator of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the IUS.
Mr. Hawkins described the electoral system in the U.S. and explained the current political environment in regards to the U.S. electorate, procedures and nomination of presidential candidate, advantages and disadvantages. He particularly emphasized some specifics of the last presidential election.
The Dean of The lecture is the first in a new series called "Academic Lecture Series" presented by Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences aimed for researchers, academicians, dignitaries and students who are willing and enthusiastic to share their knowledge and experience with others. Token of appreciation for our guest and final remarks were given by the Dean of Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Dr. Ali Gunes. | <urn:uuid:b5753dbf-007b-424b-ba26-1004d9ecdb83> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ius.edu.ba/Default.aspx?tabid=254 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948871 | 255 | 1.53125 | 2 |
In this morning's FOODday, reporter Leslie Cole interviews Michael Pollan about new developments in food policy at the national level, challenges faced by small farmers, and how each of us can help build a healthy food system for our community.
Think small, he says: "I think putting in a home garden in important. It's a great lesson in self-reliance. And the cheapest, best, freshest organic food you can have would be the stuff you can grow yourself."
Not everyone has yard space to plant a garden. Community gardens help people access fresh, affordable, healthy food while they spend time outside and get to know their neighbors. Through our Community Garden Initiative, we're working to add 1,000 new plots by the end of 2012, helping more Portlanders than ever before grow their own food.
We're also kicking the junk food out of our community centers and encouraging vendors to offer healthy options when they sell food at events in our parks.
And remember - farmer's markets are already starting to open for the season! Find one near you!
Pollan will be in Portland this weekend to deliver keynote remarks for the "Food for Thought" conference presented by the University of Portland. Also speaking is Fedele Bauccio, UP alum and co-founder of Bon Appetit, which spends tens of millions of dollars annually on healthy, sustainable, locally-sourced food.
Coming up in early May, Portland's Community Food Security Coalition will present "Food Policy from Neighborhood to Nation," which features sessions on 'Policy Tools for Saving the Small Town Grocery Store,' 'Building Community: Growing Food & Jobs,' and more.
Photos: Root vegetables, above, courtesy Flickr user lumierefl; Drawer garden, right, courtesy Flickr user mazaletel | <urn:uuid:43f4a77f-caf4-413e-b81e-6ace57014cec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.portlandonline.com/fish/index.cfm?a=345209&c=47686 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941097 | 367 | 1.820313 | 2 |
RNA pellet gone in the wrong concentration of ethanol - (Nov/06/2012 )
When I exacted the RNA from tissue using trizol, I made a mistake after I got the RNA pellet.
I wanted to wash the pellet with 75% ethanol, but unfortunately, the concentration of the ethanol I prepared is 25%.
Then I votex the RNA pellet in 25% ethanol and did the centrifugation.I found that the pellet has gone away. And I add more ethanol high up to the right concentration. After that I did the centrifugation another time.
But still, I can not spin the RNA down to the bottom. Should I add NaCl or other salt to solve this problem? Do I need to incubate it in lower temperture? Is the carrier needed this time?
Really need some help.
You would need to add salt to get the RNA to re-precipitate. Depending on the concentration of the RNA in the solution you have now you may need the carrier, the lower the concentration, the more lkely you are to need a carrier. Precipitating at -20 won't hurt (make sure it won't freeze/thaw).
After usuing RNAzol, I found that RNA is not soluable in even 21% Ethanol.
in RNAzol you should add 0.4 ml 75% ethanol to 1ml of supernatant, which the final concentation of ethanol is 21%.
(400 ul x 75%) + (1000 ul x 0%) = 1400 ul x X% => X= 21.42 %
So something else is wrong.
One of them:
If the starting cells are less than 1Million, the RNA pellete is very tiny. and specially when RNA is clean, it is very dificult to see it in vial.
I have not used but you can use glycoblue or something else.
Thank you for help.
Do you have the protocol which I should follow? I don't know how much salt should add in to the solution
You should have a final salt concentration around 300 mM. | <urn:uuid:16beebab-be31-4c24-8c73-c859c2e07be6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.protocol-online.org/biology-forums-2/posts/27529.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934407 | 445 | 1.726563 | 2 |
*Warning: This post is a reflection on a war memoir. The book is painful, tragic, and graphic to read. Though I do not relay the graphic horrors, there is the natural horror of war.
From the time I was young, I have (rightly so) been sensitive to the tellings of genocide. At the age of 21, I had the incredible opportunity to be in Anne Frank’s Haus in Amsterdam. I was unsettled and jittery for more than a week after, with nightmares.
Walking through a simple street memorial can send me into a day of introspection—a day of being no good company whatsoever. I often feel as though I am unusual. It’s not that I have insensitive or brutish friends. They just don’t seem as affected an hour or two after visiting such a place. Everyone processes events and sorrow in different ways, this I know. Maybe I don’t seem affected either. All I know is that when I am faced with a tangible memorial of war, I feel isolated.
This is why I avoid novelizations of the Holocaust or really of any war. Visiting museums or memorials are bad enough. So, why, you ask would I pick up such a book as this memoir from Cambodia’s Killing Fields?
This is the reason.
“The cost of war is a lifelong legacy borne by children. And I know this: As a survivor, I want to be worthy of the suffering that I endured as a child. I don’t want to let that pain count for nothing, nor do I want others to endure it. This may be our greatest test: to recognize the weight of war on children.” P20-21
Reading helps me feel as though the suffering has not been in vain. I don’t generally bear heavy guilt from being born in a wealthy, often dominant, country. Why? I believe that guilt doesn’t motivate action…it often prevents change. Lingering in guilt is useless in the scheme of change. I have seen guilt debilitate friends to inaction, which then cultivates more guilt. That’s not to say that guilt doesn’t have its place, yet it is to merely expose our sin to us. We must move beyond it to change and walk away from that sin.
I don’t even truly feel as though I am alleviating pain by reading of that which belongs to another. Yet, I know that the telling is important. More important than my own comfort.
But to choose to read this, I cannot linger. For the sake of my family, I must read quickly—like ripping a Bandaid off a wound. The pain is intense, but for me, it will fade away. I may be changed; I pray I may be changed. But the horrors will still fade, for these are not my own living memories.
“The Khmer Rouge know how to strike deeply. The head is the most sacred part of the body to a Cambodian. To be struck in the head, even to have a younger person or enemy touch your head, is enormously insulting. And yet our captors seem indifferent to our lives before this moment. There is only the history of the here and now.” P 100
Can I possibly relate to having everything in my life rearranged or destroyed?
In Chanrithy Him’s firsthand account, the oppression deepens as the book wears on and comfort and custom are stripped away. The Khmer Rouge tries to take away language and dignity, as eventually, there is nothing left. The most difficult part for me to push through was the death of the author’s 3 year old brother—who died of dysentery and dehydration. So curable. So senseless. (And so, so painful for this mama of three little ones.) As this young boy dies without his mother who is too ill to go to the hospital to hold him, the horror of war swept over my whole body, my consciousness in waves. It is true, these innocent children—too young to understand why Mak* cannot visit—hold them—they are the casualties of greed, selfishness, and lies that men and women rationalize as a necessary evil to rid the world of “gross inequality” (in this case). The Khmer Rouge railed against class and custom, destroying even themselves in the process.
Is there hope? Hope for a people who were treated as chattel by their own countrymen? Left by the world to die? | <urn:uuid:326e8b19-e494-431a-92eb-61f1985d696b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://going365.wordpress.com/2012/04/14/can-there-be-hope-for-the-hopeless-pt-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968364 | 946 | 1.765625 | 2 |
The recent polls have triggered many dramatic changes, the biggest of which is PM’s consistent refrain for transformation.
In this spirit, I’m writing to you to ask whole-heartedly for a transformation of our education system. If not a complete transformation, at least a holistic review of some of the basic tenets by which education policies in this country are made.
As a parent with one child in secondary school and another in primary school with contrasting abilities, I have, over the years, become increasingly frustrated and disturbed by many areas of our education system which I feel are not edifying to the development of children. At the risk of sounding like one of those domineering, opinionated mothers, let me try to persuade you, from the point of view of a concerned parent, why a change is due.
Education is not a business
Many have felt that Singapore in the past few years has been run like a business and this mindset has filtered down to education. These days, teachers are ranked against each other measured by KPIs. If their students don't perform up to par, then they drop in ranking. I assume this affects their appraisal and promotion prospects. Principals are also under pressure to keep up in school rankings (and not just in academics), hence they push their teachers to achieve better results.
Here's what happens when schools are run like businesses. Teachers become workers assessed and ranked according to quantifiable output. The principal is like the CEO, answerable to a higher authority based on numbers. Students become products, they are valued only according to the quantifiable output they can contribute, everything else is peripheral or redundant. Everything is reduced to numbers.
Therein lies the problem. When you run a business, the focus has to be on results, preferably quantifiable results. Don't get me wrong, I think it's well and good to try and assess the effectiveness of a school. But instead of seeing how we can better assess the effectiveness of schools, we run the schools to make them easier to assess.
Education administrators love this because it's so neat, structured and orderly. But the problem is education is about moulding of individuals. And neither individuals nor learning is neat, structured or orderly. The process of education is not and should be like that of manufacturing, taking place in a factory.
A friend of mine who volunteered to lead a character module at her son’s school was taken aback when she was asked for KPIs. I have other friends who are teachers have expressed frustration at being assessed purely by how well their students score. If we take this route, there is no "business" value in helping a student overcome his learning disability or giving special attention to a child from a difficult family background because the outcome is not quantifiable. We're leaving it to the assumed social conscience of the teacher and the school to step forward in such instances. But realistically, ensuring ‘A’ students continue to get top grades will likely get priority because it directly impacts on the teacher's KPIs.
Obsession with results
The inevitable outcome of an education system that is run by KPIs is the obsession with results and by this, of course I mean quantifiable results. What happens then is the focus is shifted from the process of education to the end result of scoring, because that is what is measured in the end.
For example, I find that the way many subjects are taught in schools are based on the marking template, understandably because if the objective is to maximise scores, then you teach to fulfil this objective. I’m a corporate writer and one of my biggest pet peeves is the way composition writing is taught in primary schools.
Many teachers today are told to mark the language of a composition based on how many "good phrases" are used. In my son’s school, a commercial book of good phrases is part of the syllabus and the kids are told to learn these phrases, even for spelling. These phrases are often so bombastic and pretentious that nobody in real life would actually use them. Yet the students are taught them because “ticks” are given for each “good phrase” and added to their vocabulary score.
I remember during a parent-teacher conference, I raised my concerns to my son's English teacher. To my utter surprise, she agreed with me. She said that once the school started imposing the memorising of good phrases for composition, she ended up with 44 scripts of almost identical introductions (mostly about the "fiery sun in the sapphire sky"). Unfortunately, her hands were tied.
I know why this is imposed - it's to make marking simpler. This way, schools don't have to depend on the arbitrary standards of each marker and the marker just has to follow a matrix. It's certainly more orderly but don't mistake it for creativity. I don't know any other education system which designs its curriculum around the grading. Shouldn't it be the other way around?
To me, attempting to come up with a template for creativity is simply oxymoronic. Ironically, we’ve managed to suck the creativity out of creative writing.
This obsession with results extends outside of the classroom. In my daughter’s school, the performing arts groups are given funding according to how well they perform in the SYF. Likewise, bigger budgets are given to sports that bring in medals. The list goes on. What this breeds in the race for medals and results is that schools often prioritise these over values like effort, sportsmanship and character building.
Even otherwise worthwhile activities, such as CCAs and community service, have lost their noble intent somewhat, as many students now perform these duties clinically for the sake of window dressing their resume.
Valuing people based on academic results
As a direct outcome of a school system that emphasises scores above all else and uses these scores to dictate the child's educational path at a very early age, Singaporeans have become obsessed with chasing grades. While I don’t deny grades are important, for many, they have become life-centric, meaning kids spend every waking hour performing tasks that will help them better their score.
The mindless pursuit of academic achievement has become so over-arching that many parents are now sending their kids for what I call indiscriminate tuition – tuition in every single examinable subject whether or not the child actually needs it. My daughter is in an SBGE (School-Based Gifted Education) class and her classmates were either from the GEP in primary school or top scorers in the PSLE. So I was startled when she told me that most of her classmates have tuition in 3 or 4 subjects. Tuition has become a crutch - even if the kids are doing well on their own, parents fear the consequences of doing without it.
The backlash is that our children’s self-worth and perception have become intrinsically linked to their academic grades. Teachers, peers and possibly parents judge the value of students according to their academic ability. I know children whose self-esteem is low simply because they don’t do as well in school as their classmates. In the “branded” schools, it also breeds elitism because these students deem others less academically-inclined as somehow inferior. When my daughter attended her first day of school in sec 1, many of her new classmates, meeting her for the first time, didn’t ask “what’s your name?” but “what’s your t-score?”
This treatment of academic prowess as a “superior” skill can be seen throughout our system. Although we profess to embrace all talents, it’s often lip service. Prefects and student leaders are usually chosen first on their academic ability before their leadership skills. In many DSAs for sports, schools still ask for academic results before they will even entertain the child for a trial. The message we seem to be sending is: we'll look at your other talents IF you have the academic ability.
Putting standards above learning
In my son’s recent p5 mid-year exams, in one class, every single child failed the math paper. This is a common scenario among some of the popular schools. Obviously, it’s not because the students are intellectually deficient. It’s because the papers are often set at a level designed for only the top 25% of kids. In fact, one question required a method that had not yet been taught to the students. It’s a mockery of the “teach less learn more” motto – does it mean the teachers teach less but the kids somehow have to learn more on their own? No wonder tuition centres are flourishing!
I’m tired of hearing the age-old excuse from schools that this will spur the children to work harder. Incidentally, this is not supported by fact. I suspect it's an urban legend spread by schools who wish to justify their "high" standards. I meet many parents and students who are more demoralised than "spurred" by their consistently bad results.
What is the point of this? The age gap between my two children is only three years and yet I can see that what my younger child has to learn at his age is markedly more difficult than what his sister had to know.
Perhaps this constant accelerating of the educational syllabus is a knee jerk reaction to the influx of brilliant foreign students, but this is no justification. We need to recognise that these kids have completely different motivations. They are here purely to study, to carve a better life for themselves, much as our students work harder when they study overseas. Do we then use these as benchmarks to whip Singaporeans into shape?
No education system is a one size fits all but we need to consider the best interest of the majority of students. If half your students fail in an exam, it doesn’t reflect badly on the student – it reflects badly on the teaching. I find that in setting the curriculum and exam papers, there seems to be some semi-sadistic streak in MOE and schools, to trip kids up and make them feel stupid. It's as if someone is saying, "Aha! I managed to set a question that no one could answer!" There will always be a small percentage of brainiacs who can ace any exam, no matter how difficult. That is not a logical benchmark by which to design curriculum or exam papers.
Plea for a more meaningful system
I feel we could use more of that mindset here. Singaporean educators are often proud of our high standards but let's be honest, we're good at ticking off checklists, exams and competitions. We laugh at the laissez faire American system for its laxity but in truth, they have churned out more innovators and thinkers from their messy system than we have (even after adjusting for size and population).
I will be the first to admit to occasionally suffering pangs of anxiety when my child doesn't do well in an exam because it's hard to stand firm in the onslaught of a tsunami of kiasu-ism. But at the end of the day, I try to keep reminding myself his character and happiness matter more. I want a kinder system, one that encourages my child to explore the world around him, not closes it up. One that shows him the richness of issues and topics out there, not limits him to four subjects.
I want a system where I can encourage my child to enjoy music, art, sports for their own sake, and not with the pre-requisite that he does well academically. I want him to want to help others, and not because it counts towards community service hours in his report book. I want to groom a child with integrity and respect towards others, and I hope others can appreciate him for these values.
I am doing as much as I can in these areas but I cannot fight against the education system. I'm writing this in the hope that as you now helm the Education Ministry, you can make the transformation happen.
Thank you very much for your time. | <urn:uuid:febbca22-1506-4751-93b1-694e4f323265> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hedgehogcomms.blogspot.com/2011/05/letter-to-mr-heng-swee-kiat.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977308 | 2,491 | 1.742188 | 2 |
St. Tammany Parish has a reputation for being tough on crime, to the point of earning the nickname "St. Slammany,'' but a new re-entry court is an encouraging change that will give some nonviolent offenders a second chance. The driving force behind the new program is 22nd Judicial District Judge William "Rusty'' Knight, who modeled it after a program already in place in Orleans Parish. The idea is to pair career petty criminals who will be sent to Angola with convicts who are already serving life sentences there.
"Nobody can talk to a convict like another convict,'' Judge Knight said. "They speak the same language: They can pass forward what they learned from their mistakes, so some of these guys won't end up being their cell mates for life.''
The goal is rehabilitation, although those chosen to participate will be given lengthy sentences. After serving two years, with lifers as mentors and other help such as vocational training, they'll be eligible for intensive probation, which will last for a few years.
Those who are on probation will meet with Judge Knight on a weekly basis, and their progress will be closely watched. "You become something of a father figure to these guys,'' the judge said. "It takes both the praise and admiration part of fatherhood, but also the correction part of fatherhood.''
Giving defendants who have not been charged with violent offenses or sex offenses a chance at a new life is compassionate, and Judge Knight deserves credit for pushing this idea. He cites his own experience on the bench, when he handed down his first life sentence to a crack addict and serial car burglar. With the right resources, he says, that defendant might have been helped instead of locked up for life.
But there are also pragmatic reasons for launching a re-entry court. Locking nonviolent criminals up for decades is an extremely expensive answer to crime -- one that does little to make communities safe. An offender who is sentenced to life as a 20-something and lives to be at least 70 costs Louisiana as much as $1 million. Providing the possibility of parole to those who have the potential to return to productive lives makes sense for them and for taxpayers.
The St. Tammany re-entry court and another in Baton Rouge were signed into law this month by Gov. Bobby Jindal, and they follow a trend of modest reforms that are just beginning to address Louisiana's lock 'em up mentality. The Legislature also passed a bill that offers the possibility of parole to those currently serving life sentences for nonviolent, non-sex offenses -- a measure that mainly helps those serving life for drug offenses or under Louisiana's now-defunct three strikes sentencing law.
Louisiana has created what amounts to an incarceration industry and still has miles to go when it comes to reforming its criminal justice system. The state needs more leaders like Judge Knight who are willing to try another way. | <urn:uuid:0dd2467d-e139-45f2-b809-dc53912e38db> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2012/06/st_tammany_judge_gives_inmates.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976782 | 584 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Northern Victorian irrigators on the Murray, Goulburn and Campaspe systems will be able to carry over water for the coming 2010/11 irrigation season with very low risk, under reforms to carryover rules confirmed today by the Water Minister Tim Holding.
There will no longer be a limit on how much unused water an irrigator can carry over from this season to the new season starting on 1 July 2010.
Instead of irrigators losing water once their carryover and allocations reach 100 per cent of their entitlement volume, they can keep their carryover in a new spillable water account. This water will only be lost if the storages actually spill.
“These changes overcome problems caused by the existing rule,” Mr Holding said. “This season some irrigators carried over the full 50 per cent allowed and then had to forfeit water to the communal pool because of recent rains and rising allocations.
“As flagged in the Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy released last year, these new rules mean water users will have more flexibility, certainty and confidence in how they acquire and manage carryover water.
“The environment will also benefit because environmental water managers will be able to manage their carryover water more efficiently and use it at the most suitable times.”
Currently irrigators can carry over water up to 50 per cent of their entitlement, but water carried over plus the next season’s allocations must not exceed 100 per cent of the customer’s entitlement.
Under the new rules irrigators will no longer lose water once their carryover and allocation equal 100 per cent. Spillable water accounts will be an automatic feature of customers’ existing water accounts from 1 July this year.
Any carryover and allocation above 100 per cent entitlement volume will be recorded in a spillable water account and this water cannot be used or traded while there is a risk of the storage spilling.
Once the Resource Manager declares that storages will not spill later in the season, all water in a spillable account will be available for use or trade. After the declaration date all future allocation increases will be credited directly to existing water accounts.
Mr Holding said there would be a small charge for the use of spillable water accounts and this revenue will be used to reduce storage costs for all entitlement holders.
Carryover rules on the Broken, Loddon and Bullarook regulated systems will remain the same as for the 2009/10 season. Further work is being done to assess the impact of how new carryover rules could apply on these smaller systems.
Detailed information on carryover rules and spillable water accounts, developed in consultation with a working group which included irrigation and environmental representatives, will be available from water authorities. | <urn:uuid:b5cc9957-fc3a-4744-b686-0f6f910281c0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.candybroad.org/Pages/Media_Centre/2010-03/New_Rules_Give_Irrigators_More_Carryover_Certainty.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934869 | 556 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Snapchat was practically invented for sexting, the act of sending sexually explicit images through digital media, and it certainly makes the dirty deed a lot more convenient for users. The new iPhone app lets users send pictures that will "self-destruct" on the receivers phone after 10 seconds of viewing, deleting any trace of it forever.
The app was even inspired by the famous sexting incident by Anthony Weiner last spring, who was caught sending R-rated pictures of himself to a woman online.
However, the app is not foolproof. The receivers of a Snapchat picture can still take screenshots of the self-destructing image, but when a user attempts a screenshot, the sender is notified. | <urn:uuid:9c2bc3fe-eb14-4154-ae32-21e068ffdd2a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.heavy.com/regions/2012/11/snapchat-iphone-app-promoting-sexting/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963248 | 142 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Continuing the look back at previous election years here is a panel discussion, part of the American Forum Of The Air series first broadcast on July 13, 1952, right after the close of the Republican Convention in Chicago and just before the opening of Democratic Convention, also in Chicago.
This panel consists of high ranking officials in both the RNC and DNC along with some of the earliest pollsters to engage in political races. Archibald Crossley, who pre-dated Gallup in his Crossley Poll and who also coined the phrase "ratings", along with Elmo Roper, political analyst and early commentator for CBS Radio join RNC's Albert "Ab" Herman and the DNC's India Edwards in a discussion that illustrates how little the political landscape has changed, but in some areas just how much it has changed.
The issues - then as now; taxes, defense, employment and corruption in Government. The races: the age old plea for a "clean campaign". The Politics: a much more pronounced and powerful Liberal wing of the Republican Party, which I had completely forgotten was instrumental in securing the nomination for Gen. Eisenhower. The Democrats; the Southern bloc.
Then as now there was talk of bitter factional splits within the GOP - the Internationalist/Liberal wing of the GOP in favor of Ike and the Conservative "base" in favor of Robert A. Taft. One gets the feeling Nixon was brought on board as a peace offering to soothe the arch conservatives in the ranks and bring about party unity.
Since, at the time of this broadcast there hadn't yet been the Democratic Convention (a week later), there was still speculation as to who the nominee would be and who the nominee's running mate would eventually become. It's interesting that, within the ranks there was talk about India Edwards, the vice-Chairman (chairperson) of the DNC as a possible vice-Presidential candidate, thus making her the first woman as running mate.
Then as now the whole question of the Independent Voter and just who they were was on the panelists minds. The Independents, it was determined, could swing a vote in either direction and they were hard to pin down.
Some things never change - certainly the ritual doesn't. The talk about long and bloody primary campaigns and the desire for less mud slinging seem completely relevant. It has always been and probably always will be about taxes, about employment and about corruption.
And that's what they were talking about in Picking a Winner on The American Forum Of The Air for July 13, 1952. | <urn:uuid:e03ab346-56f3-44b5-b7d2-a4635a056223> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://newstalgia.crooksandliars.com/taxonomy/term/27833 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981716 | 518 | 1.726563 | 2 |
There’s more to Main Street than pavement and cars and there’s more to the Re-thinking Main Street Project than travel lanes and sidewalk widths. Watch Kirk Westphal’s “Insights into a Lively Downtown” – a case study about Ann Arbor, Michigan that looks at the streetscape in relationship to the activities that lead to economic development and vibrancy.
Concord 2020 is a citizen involvement group supporting a smart growth vision in Concord, NH: vibrant downtown, walkable villages, environmental preservation, access to nature, economic vitality, and people-friendly transportation.
What's the Vision?
The Vision is the belief that Concord can grow and still maintain its attractive personal scale, if growth is focused around village centers and downtown.
The Vision is a belief that built and natural spaces may beand should beclosely integrated but that the edges between them should remain clear, providing a welcome visual contrast and easy accessibility to both types of space. The village concept accomplishes this, bringing together residential, commercial, and green space at a walkable scale.
The Vision is the idea that Concord's growth should be managed by keeping the 5 Vision Principles balanced, over time and across the city. It is the belief that we can enhance our current living, working, and playing spaces in ways that provide for economic vitality and inevitable growth, without sacrificing our high quality of life or rational transportation.
5 Vision Principles
A vibrant, livable Downtown
Neighborhoods served by walkable villages
Preservation and access to the natural environment
Transportation that serves the community
What We Do at Concord 20/20:
As the core operating principle, Concord 20/20 helps the community jump start the transportation opportunities available in Concord and the surrounding area because land use and transportation are strongly linked. From walking, biking, and ride-sharing, to trolleys, and buses, our goal will be to get some of us out of our single occupant vehicles at least some of the time!
Concord 20/20 is primarily a convener and a catalyst not a service provider. We are dedicated to using our talents and position to secure opportunities, build partnerships, and leverage outside resources that will benefit the region and support implementation of Concord’s Master Plan.
With the completion of Concord's Master Plan, the City and Concord 20/20 took the opportunity to organize a discussion regarding the current development regulations, including; the Zoning Ordinance, the Subdivision Regulations, the Site Plan Review Regulations and the Design Guidelines. The purpose of this review was to determine if the current regulations were serving the needs of the community and if they were in line with the goals of the Master Plan. Review the full report here | <urn:uuid:76ea6f1c-8f4d-4d93-b899-4015869d2b97> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.concord2020.org/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937226 | 560 | 1.523438 | 2 |
In so many situations, managing in today’s workplace is like herding cats. Employees are independent — often going their own way — and don’t respond to yesterday’s authoritarian management styles. How do you motivate and train today’s worker to do a great job? You might not like the answer: It’s up to you and to them.
Mike Collins, president of The Perfect Workday Company, offers tips in his seminar “Herding Cats: Managing Employees in a Small Business” on Tuesday, Dec. 4, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Cole Auditorium, on the campus of Richmond Community College, Hamlet. A $5 fee covers a light lunch.
The seminar covers how to find good people and bring them on board. Learn what motivates people and how to reward or discipline them. Know what to do if you have to let them go for cause or for financial reasons.
“This seminar is especially helpful for managers who have not received formal management training, who have in their first management position, or who find it uncomfortable managing employees who may have been their peers in the past,” said Collins.
Preregister for the seminar by calling RCC’s Small Business Center Director Deborah Hardison at 910-410-1687, emailing email@example.com, or at www.richmondcc.edu under Workforce and Economic Development schedules. | <urn:uuid:73e7db82-15fa-4e5f-bf03-157de1725f9e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.yourdailyjournal.com/pages/full_story_myown/push?article-Seminar+deals+with+managing+workers+at+small+business%20&id=20987864 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947172 | 302 | 1.625 | 2 |
Ellis is one of the less used names in the currently popular El-family. It is the Welsh form of Elijah, by way of the Greek Elias, and has been consistently popular in Wales, where it is usually spelled ELIS.
Ellis Bell was the male pseudonym of Emily Bronte when she wrote Wuthering Heights. Ellis Marsalas is the paterfamilias of the noted jazz family, father of Wynton, Bradford and others, and some might associate the name with Ellis Island, through which millions of immigrants entered the United States.
There have been a number of Ellises on the big and small screen--in The Wire, Grey's Anatomy, and No Country for Old Men, among others. As a surname it's associated with designer Perry, writer Bret Easton and psychologist Havelock.
There is currently a female character named Ellis on Glee--whether that will affect the perception of the name remains to be seen. | <urn:uuid:2915ea6c-437c-41d4-90a0-943e8d894fee> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nameberry.com/babyname/Ellis | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967509 | 196 | 1.703125 | 2 |
My 3 year old cat Tiger has a respiratory infection, and was only given lysine. He had nasal discharge and a bit of drooling and weezing, and was doing a lot better yesterday which was the second day of his treatment. Today he is acting nervous and hiding and has nasal discharge again and is breathing a bit quick. Could this be from him being nervous and congested? he does not seem to be having any difficulty breathing it seems as if he is really nervous and his nose is stuffed up.
Type of Animal: Cat
Name of Cat: Tiger
Hello - I am Dr. Matt - I would be glad to help you with your question.Is he eating and drinking normally?Is he acting lethargic?Does Tiger have any discharge coming from his eyes?
Yesterday i got him eating and drinking and there was no discharge, but today he has only discharge from his nose, just clear and he refuses to eat has had some water though.
His vet is closed today as well.
He is also drooling ,
He is also drooling ,He is also drooling
Thanks for the additional information.I am sorry to hear that Tiger is not feeling well today. His symptoms are definitely consistent with an upper respiratory infection. This is usually caused by a virus. Stress in cats can cause this virus to get worse at times as most cats carry the virus in there system and they never truly clear it out. Most of the time the immune system keeps the virus in check. In times of stress the immune system gets suppressed and the virus then can reinfect Tiger. The Lysine has been shown to help prevent the virus from replicating, which many times will keep the virus under control. Unfortunately not always though and some cats can develop a secondary bacterial infection or even pneumonia if the virus continues to affect these cats. At this time I would be concerned that the virus may have caused a secondary bacterial infection for Tiger which is why he does not feel very well. The best way to help him with this would be to give him an antibiotic to help him get through this. Unfortunately as you said your vet is closed today therefore getting an antibiotic may be difficult unless you can take him to an emergency hospital. If this is not possible then I would suggest getting some pediatric saline nasal drops for him. You can place one drop in each nostril to help clear out any discharge in his nose. This can be repeated multiple times a day as needed. You could also use a warm humidifier for him to see if this could loosen the discharge up for him.The drooling is most likely an indication that he does not feel well though he could also have a sore in his mouth that some of these viruses will cause. Cold water is the best way to help him at home with this.I would also consider giving him some very smelly foods such as canned cat food or even some meat flavored baby food (no onion or garlic though) to help stimulate his appetite so that he continues to eat.Overall I would definitely call your vet for an antibiotic when the reopen.Hope this helps -please feel free to reply if you have any other questions. If you are satisfied with my answer please do not hesitate to click on the "excellent service" button as this will compensate me for my time. Thank you in advance!
DVM -Ten years experience in feline medicine and surgery.
Where can i find pediatric saline? is it for animals ?
No I would purchase a children's or pediatric nasal saline drop. These can be found at any drug or grocery store. Here is an example:http://www.drugstore.com/little-noses-saline-spraydrops-non-medicated/qxp11605 | <urn:uuid:4e37aca6-d506-4e9d-91d7-51c73516b151> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.justanswer.com/cat-health/6zvie-year-old-cat-tiger-respiratory-infection.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982388 | 762 | 1.828125 | 2 |
The banking industry's credibility sank so low after the collapse of 2008 that there were doubts it could ever again be the trusted provider of credit in the U.S. economy. In one sense, though, the banks have been telling it straight all along--via stock prices that really tell the story about where the U.S. economy is heading.
In two of the most important stock moves in recent history, bank shares have been reliable indicators of what's next. Here's how: The Standard & Poor's bank stock index started falling in early 2007, sending a clear warning of falling credit quality more than a year before the 2008 financial market collapse.
Those same bank stocks also foreshadowed the rally that propelled stocks to a five-year high in January, when equities had their best monthly start to any year since 1967.
While the first month usually sets the tone for the year, it remains to be seen whether this rally has staying power. One place to watch for an early indicator could again be the banking sector, which has been providing the signal for the market's moves as the financial sector has gone through its most difficult period since the Great Depression.
[Read: Is It Time To Buy This Rally?]
"The leadership of the banking stocks is absolutely imperative, and it's been proven multiple times," says Art Hogan, managing director of Lazard Capital Markets. "You have to keep watching the sector now to see how they fare going forward."
The finance sector as a whole is often hard to read because the high rollers and risk takers in the space create a lot of noise and volatility. One way to cut through it is to watch either the relatively low-beta Standard & Poor's Banks Select Index, and the SPDR S&P Bank ETF, an exchange-traded fund that tracks the S&P banking index, or the KBW Bank Index, which that ETF tracked during the crisis (it switched to the S&P version in 2011). Using the KBW index as a filter, you would have seen a sector quietly shedding one-third of its value in an orderly downhill move that lasted through all of 2007.
The SPDR ETF went through that descent without ever experiencing the volatile ups and downs of investment banks at the time. As it fell, Goldman Sachs and other large investing houses continued higher in 2007, buoyed by trading profits and cheered by bullish calls by their executives right up until the crisis began to unfold.
Bear Stearns, the first major firm to require a government-assisted bailout, was trading near all-time highs in early 2008 until $30 billion in losses turned up and its stock dropped 84 percent in a single day in March 2008. Goldman, as well, tumbled in a series of dramatic one-day declines.
[Read: Don't Fight the Central Bank Rally.]
Fast-forward to 2012 and, without much fanfare, the S&P banks have booked a steady rise of just over 20 percent since last August while the Dow was about to go into a steep 1,000-point decline in September. The KBW index includes some big names--among them Bank of America and Citigroup--but most of its 40 components are lesser-known regional banking powers such as Comerica, SunTrust, and PNC. These major lenders to Main Street businesses and retail customers operate financial niche businesses on a national level, but they avoid the notoriety that comes with Wall Street investment banks' high-stakes deals, mega-bonuses, and the trading scandals that seem to continually follow them.
"The finance sector is meant to be the conduit of the story--and they are not supposed to become the story themselves," says Hogan. "Since the downturn, they have been getting back to the basics and cleaning up their balance sheets. And they are in better shape now."
In the post-collapse era, regulators have pushed banks to shed risky business and focus on the basics of business lending and mortgage operations. The recent rise in the KBW index reflects the ability of commercial banks to grow the bread-and-butter lending activities that have been their traditional strengths. The Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index of credit availability reached its highest level in three years last summer in an early sign that lending was on the rise. At the same time, housing prices rose 5.5 percent through November last year and consumer confidence hit a four-year high.
With conditions improving and banks lending more to Main Street borrowers, especially in the form of home mortgages, blue-chip companies of the Dow are also seeing demand rise and are starting to invest cash they have hoarded since the crash.
[In Pictures: The S&P's 10 Worst Trading Days]
As the Dow nears all-time highs, the banks, hardest hit in the downturn, remain far below their peaks. "The banks could end up taking a smaller percentage of the total market capitalization than they did at the peak before the crash," says Lazard's Hogan. The financial sector's overall share of the Standard & Poor's 500 valuation peaked at 22 percent in 2006 and is now at about 15 percent.
So it's the direction of the bank-sector index, not the overall market value, that's most important now. In an economy that's made up largely of services, it's bank credit that provides the rails that carry the recovery. Another key to this recovery could be the part of the economy that goes nowhere, the real estate owned by Americans. "The banks play a central role in housing finance and they were not lending because of all that uncertainty. But the lending goes up because real estate goes up. And we are seeing it now. That feeling of well-being is returning," he says.
More From US News & World Report | <urn:uuid:38119f52-70e8-4418-a4c4-7017430e904e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/banks-stocks-show-whats-next-161304987.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969071 | 1,180 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Industry Analysis & Industry Trends
The Personal Trainers industry in Australia is growing. Personal training has become a widely publicised service able to take advantage of the high level of health consciousness in Australia and its positive economic conditions. These conditions have allowed many consumers to invest in the industry's activities as their level of disposable income has risen in line with the overall economy. Consequently, the affordability of this specialised service is now seen as reasonable, particularly for those that have higher incomes, or choose to utilise this service with other forms of exercise outside of their sessions.
The Personal Trainers industry in Australia has faltered somewhat over the past five years... purchase to read more
Industry Report - Industry Investment Chapter
Personal Trainers exhibit an extremely low level of capital intensity for the simple reason that their service is largely centred on instructing, educating, and interacting with clients. Consequently, the industry is highly labour intensive. Capital expenditure still exists and is focused towards exercise equipment maintenance or replacement. However, this accounts for a small percentage of overall revenue. In 2012-13 the industry's capital-to-labour ratio is 1:25.5, indicating that for every dollar spent on capital, $25.50 is spent on labour... purchase to read more | <urn:uuid:76b42717-a8c2-4a7d-a71a-4a408db6b521> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ibisworld.com.au/industry/personal-trainers.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962032 | 255 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Venice arena nearing its makeover moment?
Published: Tuesday, February 26, 2013 at 5:08 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, February 26, 2013 at 5:08 p.m.
VENICE - One of the most valuable and visible underdeveloped tracts of land on the island of Venice could be nearing its makeover moment.
City leaders took another step Tuesday toward razing the abandoned Circus Arena, accepting an engineer's findings that it may not be "economically feasible" to restore the former winter home of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
That could open the doors for the city to allow commercial development on the five-acre property near the Intracoastal Waterway and Venetian Waterway Park, creating what one economic leader called a "second downtown."
Former City Council member Janice Collins is among those bullish on the site, saying it would make an appealing shopping destination, perhaps with themed architecture that "paid homage to the circus. It could promote walking and biking. There could be small businesses. People could get ice cream. It would be a great place for a bike shop."
John Ryan, president of the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce, sees potential in Collins' suggestion.
"Would a second downtown, obviously small — a boutique hotel with shopping around it — enhance the area?" Ryan said. "What is the most viable business opportunity out there? I'd love to see that area add some vitality to the city."
In the past, developers have pitched ideas for mixed developments on the arena site and larger adjoining municipally owned land: a marina, apartments, condos, a six-screen movie theater, a hotel, a spa, a yoga center, a YMCA...
Nothing ever emerged, though — especially as the economy slipped into recession.
Meanwhile, the arena — which the Ringling circus abandoned in 1991 and a sports promotions firm vacated more than a decade ago — continued to rot and fall apart.
In 2010, the city stopped plans to demolish the arena so the newly formed Venice Circus Arts Foundation could attempt to raise enough money to restore it as an entertainment venue.
Now, the clock is ticking on the foundation's efforts.
On Feb. 12, Building and Code Enforcement Director Vince LaPorta called the arena "an unsafe, dangerous building." He gave the city 60 days to get work under way to bring it up to current building codes. If not, LaPorta said he would have no choice but to order demolition.
The Venice Municipal Airport owns the site.
The Ringling circus got a sweet deal when it secured a 30-year lease for less than a penny per square foot in annual rent.
If the airport gets a new tenant, the Federal Aviation Administration will get involved in the terms of the lease. The federal government deeded the former U.S. Army air base to the city under certain conditions. One of those conditions is that airport tenants whose business is not tied to aviation must pay the airport "fair market value."
The FAA says that annual rent should be $461,000, Airport Administrator Chris Rozansky told the City Council on Tuesday.
Ryan is unsure if that amount of rent would hurt chances of attracting a new business there. "It's a lot of money to invest in something you don't own."
Whatever happens with the property, the chances of the arena staying are getting slimmer.
On Tuesday, the City Council received a written report from an engineering firm stating that, although corrosion to the steel framework of much of the building appears to be limited to the surface, the rest of the structure is in significant decay.
The roof has collapsed. Asbestos and lead paint must be removed regardless of whether the building is saved or demolished.
"Once specific repairs have been designed, it may be determined that renovation is not economically feasible," Richard D. Wilson of Wilson Structural Consultants wrote.
The airport paid Wilson $2,500 to investigate the condition of the building.
Even so, the Venice Circus Arts Foundation still has hope.
Orlando Bevington, the foundation's executive director, told the council it is "stepping up" efforts to find a partner to help it finance the restoration.
"We're looking for that sugar daddy," foundation member Larry Ivey said.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged. | <urn:uuid:d9e54838-badd-447a-87ba-2da5e2673216> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20130226/ARTICLE/130229685/2416/www.heraldtribune.com?Title=Venice-arena-nearing-its-makeover-moment- | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955497 | 922 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Maintenance of Certification (MOC) - Overview
What is MOC?
- Maintenance of Certification is a continuous professional development program created by the ABS and the other 23 member boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). MOC goes beyond traditional recertification to a process of ongoing learning and assessment. The ABS MOC Program draws on many activities diplomates are already doing, such as CME, while giving them the opportunity to formally demonstrate their commitment to lifelong learning and practice improvement.
- MOC is a program developed by surgeons for surgeons. The ABS is working with specialty surgical organizations to ensure MOC is relevant to all practice areas. The Federation of State Medical Boards has recognized MOC as satisfying Maintenance of Licensure (MOL). The ABS is also working with health insurers to gain recognition for diplomates participating in MOC.
- PQRS MOC Incentive: The ABS has applied in 2013 to have its MOC program be approved by CMS for the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) MOC Incentive. The ABS will communicate with diplomates as this effort progresses. More information about the PQRS MOC Incentive is available from the CMS website.
How Does it Work?Diplomates begin MOC once they certify or recertify in any ABS specialty after July 1, 2005. Until this occurs, the traditional recertification requirements for that specialty apply (see the respective recertification examination for details). MOC requirements run in three-year cycles, from July 1 to June 30. At the end of a cycle, diplomates report to the ABS about their MOC activities by completing an online form. A secure recertification examination continues to be required at 10-year intervals. For diplomates who hold more than one certificate, only the secure exam must be repeated for each specialty. See MOC Requirements for more information.
Why Now?Board certification is considered to be the gold standard in assuring a surgeon has acquired and is sustaining a certain level of knowledge, skill and professionalism. MOC will ensure that board certification remains a recognized, surgeon-defined, standard of excellence. MOC will provide diplomates with greater opportunities for learning and assessment, while giving patients further assurance that an ABS-certified surgeon is providing safe, effective care.
- MOC consists of four parts designed to assess physician competencies on a continuous basis:
- Part 1 - Professional standing through maintenance of an unrestricted medical license, hospital privileges and satisfactory references
- Part 2 - Lifelong learning and self-assessment through continuing education and periodic self-assessment
- Part 3 - Cognitive expertise based on performance on a secure examination
- Part 4 - Evaluation of performance in practice through participation in outcome registries and quality improvement programs
Staying in ContactThe ABS will keep diplomates informed about MOC through its newsletters and e-mail updates, and will contact diplomates individually when submission of information is due. Please keep your contact information current through My Records/My Account.
Updated: January 2013 | <urn:uuid:6c24673d-b5ad-4c71-b9b3-a2eb748e1a4b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.absurgery.org/default.jsp?exam-moc | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944026 | 626 | 1.796875 | 2 |
Herzberg on motivation
”Ask workers what makes them unhappy at work, and you’ll hear about an annoying boss, a low salary, an uncomfortable work space, or stupid rules.
Managed badly, environmental factors make people miserable, and they can certainly be demotivating. But even managed brilliantly, they don’t motivate anybody to work much harder or smarter.
People are motivated, instead, by interesting work, challenge and increased responsibility.”
Leave Herzberg and go back to Motivation | <urn:uuid:142245f2-d4b4-4bfd-94ca-8b15c83e1e44> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.communicationtoolbox.com/herzberg.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947719 | 108 | 1.695313 | 2 |
For flats anglers, bonefish are normally caught and released in shallow waters anywhere from 1 to 4 feet. But during the past holiday season, anglers aboard two Islamorada-based party boats reeled in bonefish in deep water while targeting lane snapper and porgies.
An angler on the Miss Islamorada, skippered by Captain Ben Loy out of Bud N' Mary's Fishing Marina, caught a small bonefish in the early afternoon of Dec. 29. The fisherman was using a rig with multiple hooks baited with squid. The "silver ghost" was photographed and quickly released.
"I've never seen anything like that," Loy said. "Who would have ever thought about catching a bonefish in 130 feet of water?"
But it turns out that wasn't the only bonefish caught in deep water off Islamorada in recent days.
Last Friday night, anglers onboard the Captain Michael out of Robbie's Marina in Islamorada were fishing a wreck in 119 feet.
Using the same deep-bottom tackle — known as chicken rigs — and squid for bait, they caught and released eight bonefish ranging from 18 to 24 inches. The next night, anglers on the Captain Michael, skippered by Tony Narvaez, scored two more bones.
"They were very lively," Narvaez said of all fish caught. "Once we tossed them back in the water, they took off."
Dr. Jerry Ault, director of the University of Miami Bonefish and Tarpon Research Center, said that the fish encountered in deep water were likely spawning and that late December through early January is the height of the bonefish reproductive season.
"Bonefish tend to spawn in deep water near the edge of the continental shelf, but it's certainly unusual to catch a bonefish in that kind of depth," Ault said. "Typically, they are inshore and this is really cool and of great (research) interest."
Although Florida Keys flats guides needn't worry about deep-water bonefish replacing traditional shallow-water targets, the bonefish release did fulfill a goal for Loy's angler.
"When he came on board, he said that he wanted to catch a swordfish or something really exotic," Loy said. "He got a bonefish instead and that's really special." | <urn:uuid:d755c2e0-3930-46b0-a49f-a3bd7ce8edc0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.saltwatersportsman.com/news/bonefish-caught-deep-water?quicktabs_community_side_bar=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977751 | 484 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Have you ever seen a Hindu wedding? It symbolizes sanctity, beauty and the most correct following of rites and rituals. It is grand. It is royal. It is everything what a young bride and groom hope for.
There are several customs and traditions. Several ceremonies that run parallel to the grand event. Each one more memorable than the last.
For nearly a month I was involved with the wedding preparations of my best friend. Last one week was total fun. I enjoyed a lot helping out, taking part in the various ceremonies and trying my best to keep my friend happy until she begins a new phase in her life.
There is an unique characteristic of such weddings, at the end of the day, the bride cries, her family cries…..It is always sad to leave one’s home and settle elsewhere. To begin a new life, with a new person, with a new family.
I have never cried at weddings. I had always found it to be stupid. Or perhaps, I have never been close to someone enough, to miss them or care for them.
However, I did not realize but tears did sprang up in my eyes while saying goodbye to my friend. I felt silly. My friend is going to remain in the same town but just at a different house. She will carry with her the same phone number.Still, I did feel sad.
I don’t why she cried either. It is the same with her. Though, she won’t live with parents anymore, she will be just minutes away from their home. That house will welcome her anytime she wants.
Then why did she cry? Why did I cry?
Does a bride really cry because she won’t stay with her parents.
I don’t think so.
What is intimidating is that it is the beginning of a completely new life. More so for a girl.
She is the one who is going to leave her parent’s place and move elsewhere.
What made me cry is the same thing?
In a few years time, I will too begin a different life.
And now I know, I will cry a lot.
Not that I am not not used to staying away from my family. I have done that many times. But I did not realize earlier that what is actually means.
It means changing your priorities.
All those people, you thought to be the most important ones, will be given the second position. Your husband, will be your top priority.
All those people who were your family, will have less right on you and your life will have a new meaning.
What hurts is the fact of pushing your own people away from you and embracing total strangers.
For a girl, that is such a major thing to do.
Few years, down the line, a new family life begins. A phase of more responsibilities and commitments.
Sometimes, I don’t understand, what is more dear?
The first years of life when you are young, carefree, innocent and without any responsibilities.
Or the later years of maturity.
For a boy, maturity means to turn into a man.
But a girl, becomes a daughter first, then a sister, a wife and finally a mother……and that’s what she remains all her life……without any second identity…..
A wedding, is fun but at the same time, it s when a girl is born again with a different identity….
And one never knows, that the tears a girl sheds are the sad ones or the happy ones….
Or whether, the most beautiful thing in life is the one in which aeons of happiness is mixed with tons of grief!!! | <urn:uuid:6b786cee-e570-4e12-b72a-618749b7c4b3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sonalismrules.wordpress.com/category/tradition/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971702 | 763 | 1.5 | 2 |
This piece was the 'Overall Winner' of 1stAngel's online 2008 Animal Art contest. This unique white rhino art is a digital mosaic where each "tile" or "stone" (tessera) appears to have a 3D look. This original artwork image appears to be a high quality photo of a complex and detailed mosaic. The arrangement of the apparent "stones" is such that they follow the contours of the resting rhino and lend a physical presence and strength to its appearance. The light on each tile comes from the upper left of the image, similar to the direction from which the sunlight strikes the rhinocerous.
The tiles that represent the sunlit dappled ground are longer & mainly horizontal to reinforce the flatness of the earth and display some of its small undulations.
The background is a mass of multi-colored darks, mainly deep greenish hues, that represent the tangled vegetation that lie beyond this glorious animal.
Art by Kinnally™
Contemporary Art, a few of my favorites
Giclee Prints website
How to Paint | <urn:uuid:8bd0b5a0-df91-428f-bfb2-92ed62e9bfc6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.imagekind.com/mosaic--Rhino-Ruminations-white-rhino_art?IMID=f53a86c7-4efc-46a9-8dce-96a62e5d2bb7 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933254 | 223 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Senate Passes Bill to Increase Port Authority Accountability
The New York State Senate today passed legislation to ensure the proper functioning of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as an open, transparent and accountable interstate authority. The bill (S.5878) is named the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Transparency and Accountability Act and is sponsored by Senator Andrew Lanza (R-I, Staten Island). The Act is part of a bipartisan, bi-state effort designed to create a new system of accountability at the Port Authority.
“With passage of this legislation in the New York Senate, we are one step closer to bringing urgently needed reforms to the Port Authority requiring more open, transparent and accountable operations,” said Senator Andrew Lanza.
“The Port Authority is in desperate need of reform so that the New Yorkers who depend on the services it provides can be assured that it is operating in a proper and fiscally responsible way,” Senate Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos said. “This bill would help reduce unnecessary costs and achieve the transparency and accountability that the Authority obviously needs and that the public rightly deserves.”
A scathing preliminary audit report issued by the Port Authority’s consulting firm last month found the Authority to be a “challenged and dysfunctional organization suffering from poorly coordinated capital planning, insufficient cost controls, and a lack of transparent and effective oversight.” The audit confirmed that the agency is in need of a complete top to bottom organizational redesign, however, laws governing the bi-state agency do not take effect until New Jersey and New York have enacted substantively identical legislation.
The legislation would:
· Require an independent auditing of the Port Authority;
· Lay out specific requirements for open public meetings and publication of minutes of meetings of the Board of Commissioners;
· Establish specific requirements for public hearings to be held in the port district of New York and New Jersey to discuss any proposed
· fee, toll, charge, or fare increase;
· Establish Audit, Finance and Governance Committees;
· Require financial disclosures and training for Commissioners and certification of those disclosures by the Chairman, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Port Authority and the Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director, and the Chief Financial Officer of the Port Authority; and
· Create a fiduciary responsibility for Commissioners.
“The Port Authority is in need of a complete top to bottom organizational redesign which is precisely what the legislation that myself and Assemblyman Cusick, together with our New Jersey counterparts, have put forth in our respective Legislatures,” said Lanza. “This measure is necessary in order to rein in the waste and abuse that have gone unchecked for far too long. Toll payers shouldn't be forced to suffer for the Port Authority's lack of oversight, insufficient cost controls and poor capital planning.”
The bill will be sent to the Assembly. It is also expected to pass in the New Jersey Legislature this week. | <urn:uuid:75a28b6a-0162-4416-b78a-9e12c89cab02> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/senate-passes-bill-increase-port-authority-accountability | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930749 | 615 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Anything but Cookie-Cutter
A central New Jersey township trades homogeneity for variety in building a New Urbanist community and town center.
|To balance historical authenticity with modern livability, front porches in Washington Town Center might use teak, mahogany and cedar, and be large enough to enjoy while still smaller than their historical counterparts. Color choices, columns, window and door trim, and other exterior finishes were chosen first for authenticity and then for low maintenance.|
Like dozens of other towns across the country, the neighborhoods of Washington Township in central New Jersey sprang up from farmland and grew haphazardly, without stopping to build an actual downtown or Main Street. Late in the game, a solution — and a real town — are being born.
Washington Town Center is a full-blown partnership between the municipality and the developer, Sharbell Development Corp. of Robbinsville, N.J. It follows a detailed, cooperative ordinance adapted from the municipality’s original, unrealized plan from the 1980s. The plan for the 150-acre site combines the existing community’s need for a center with its desire to build new homes reminiscent of those in older small towns.
The result is anything but cookie-cutter. To date, 230 homes of a projected 700 in the first plat have been sold since opening two years ago. The community has no gates or formal entry, and public areas abound: two man-made lakes, two large parks, a number of small pocket parks, walking paths, a network of human-scale pedestrian sidewalks, and the soon-to-come town center for the entire municipality. The town center will include 300,000 square feet of commercial and retail space — restaurants, small businesses, shops, a theater and even a large retail anchor.
Bob Melvin, project director for the municipality, calls the town center, which will face state Route 33, “one of the first ventures in the country to turn a state highway into a real downtown Main Street.”
The community’s design is based on traditional neighborhood design, or New Urbanist, principles, with modifications. It incorporates the basic TND concepts of varying lot sizes, varied product types, pedestrian orientation, rear-loaded garages, architecture that draws upon historical models, and a sense of neighborhood reminiscent of bygone days, but does not sacrifice livable private space in the name of public areas.
The size and shape of the lots and the location of the rear garages have been carefully planned to allow for at least 10 feet between adjacent homes and flexibility in the use of indoor and outdoor spaces. For instance, the positioning of the garages can be adjusted to enable the possibility of enlarging a room or providing additional areas within the home.
Sharbell, although not the only builder that will build in Washington Town Center, controls two of the first three plats, offering everything from townhomes and duplexes to small and large single-family detached homes. The completed town center will even include apartments over the retail stores, mirroring what would be typical of the local housing stock and architectural vernacular of the late-19th and early-20th centuries.
One of the project’s architects, William Feinberg, CEO of Feinberg and Associates, says vastly different historical models had to be addressed to reflect the architectural vernacular of the time and place.
“The location of the community in central New Jersey puts it somewhat between Philadelphia, with its mixture of solid-brick townhouses and single-family homes with a relatively simple Colonial Williamsburg influence, and historic Princeton [N.J.], where the homes were primarily large, substantial, far more formal, and with very explicit detail and embellishment,” Feinberg says. “It was actually a matter of marrying the vernacular of both of these areas, as well as the basic farmhouse design of what was essentially, in the immediate surroundings, a primarily agricultural area.”
Washington Town Center has no clustering of homes by format or cost, and no segmented neighborhoods. Rather, every street includes homes of various formats and sizes. Tom Troy, senior vice president for Sharbell, says the idea was to capture the nostalgia and character of older homes and streetscapes while making the homes “real” and “livable.”
“We didn’t want to create ‘trophy’ housing or showplaces,” Troy says. “We wanted to bridge the gap, taking a novelty and making it more mainstream, more livable, more affordable.”
Pedestrian-oriented roads with easy access to the parks and lakes, walking paths, and the town center help make the community livable, and rear garages accessed through a system of lanes keep garage doors from marring the streetscapes. Many homes wrap around a pocket park or other green area, creating a special, natural meeting place.
|Sharbell manipulates New Urbanist design to suit the community’s needs: Curving roads slow traffic, modest back yards afford privacy while keeping density in line, and “surprise” pocket parks complement large open spaces.|
Another difference from many new home communities is that there is no homeowners association and therefore no association fees. The community doesn’t provide maintenance services or promise maintenance-free living. However, in planning the homes and the properties, every consideration has been given to making them easy to maintain. Each home has a relatively small front lawn and a back yard large enough to accommodate an outdoor entertaining or play area, yet not so large that it requires extensive care. The municipality maintains all common areas.
Wherever possible, materials and surfaces of the homes are selected for minimal maintenance. Troy, however, says the builders experienced a conflict between authenticity and low maintenance.
He cites, for instance, the historically appropriate use of mahogany, cedar and teak for porches and porch railings. “We could have used a synthetic material or something that would require less upkeep. Yet our primary emphasis was providing authenticity, which is why we went in the direction of the traditional wood surfaces, anticipating that for our kind of buyer it would be the proper decision.”
The rears and sides of homes may be clad with vinyl siding and other low-maintenance surfaces, but for the front facades, Troy was scrupulous in providing surfaces true to the period.
Codes for design authenticity are part of the community ordinance — the bible upon which the whole venture is based. Melvin reviews ordinance compliance along with the town’s consulting architects, who have extensive background and experience in designing and restoring historic Princeton areas.
Although the codes set in the original ordinance are adhered to as strictly as possible, the team endeavored to make the community historically valid as well as a “living” community for mainstream buyers.
When, for instance, Sharbell’s land planners sought changes in the original land plan to provide usable backyard space for every home, the codes regarding density and the location of garages and lanes had to be examined and rethought. When the Sharbell plans called for more contemporary interior designs that could offer more open space, better flow between rooms, larger windows and more windows, the historical accuracy of the exteriors could not be sacrificed.
The original ordinance specified that all homes would have porches, and the architects designed for them. However, it was important to them that they be “real” porches that people could sit on and use. Still, the porches at Washington Town Center are slightly smaller than their historical counterparts, so the architects’ challenge was to achieve proper proportions in size and details. Even in planning the roof lines of the homes and the placement of dormers and windows, the architects had to be mindful of the proportions within which they were working and the effect that could have on the historical accuracy of their product.
Sharbell selected the architectural firms — Feinberg and Associates, based in Gibbsboro, N.J., and Devereaux and Associates of McLean, Va. — based on their experience in designing homes that draw upon historical models, their familiarity with TND/New Urbanist design and planning concepts, and their ability to bring fresh, innovative ideas to the styles. In all, the community offers 24 plans.
|Homes with varied elevations, roof lines, exterior detailing and porch treatment — all with the dual goals of authenticity and livability in mind — front a landscaped open space and are accessed as easily on foot as by car.|
From the start, Sharbell and the township were adamant that Washington Town Center would not be a “vanilla” community designed for just one kind of buyer. Rather, what was envisioned came to fruition — the diverse products, formats, price ranges and populations they hoped for are already present in the first 230 homes that buyers have occupied.
Melvin and Troy agree that this is not necessarily a community or living environment that appeals to everybody. They have found, however, that it speaks to an “unfulfilled need” for people who balk at the “homogenized” look and feel of many other communities. Sharbell markets the community as “the return of the neighborhood” and capitalizes on the opportunities the land plan offers to provide interaction and a “true sense of community.”
Buyers who have bought into the community include single people, a number of them commuters for whom proximity to a railroad station is an additional draw; young married couples, who appreciate the friendliness of the community as well as the homes’ affordability; couples who have children and like the safety of the pedestrian-oriented setting, the traditional neighborhood feeling and the opportunities for companionship with other young families; and a number of empty nesters, both pre-retirees and retirees.
The sales team reports that, for at least some of the empty nesters and retirees, the community offers an alternative to the age-restricted active-adult communities they describe as “too old for me.” Industry research consistently indicates that baby boomers are adamant about living in a community with a diverse population and diverse architectural product and designs.
It is no surprise that Washington Town Center has drawn well from the pool of baby boomers just beginning to move into a “retirement” phase of their lives. Troy says about 15% of the early buyers are boomers and that they are buying in virtually all product types and sizes.
Making It Happen
Troy says “there is no reason this kind of community can’t be done everywhere if the right ingredients are available.” He lists those ingredients as:
- a reasonable proximity to shopping, recreation, schools and other existing infrastructure. He sees the concept as particularly viable for infill, redevelopment projects, and locations that lie between developed areas and low-density surroundings.
- a governing body that’s not stuck in a rigid zoning mentality and is flexible on density.
- an interest in mixed-use development.
- a balance between public and private space.
Troy warns, however, that this kind of project is “upfront-intensive” because of the challenges for planners and engineers, and “labor-intensive” on the production side because of the extra supervision the more precise finish carpentry requires.
Still, he is expansive about the rewards to be had, on both personal and business levels. “On the personal side, it is rewarding to offer what no one else is offering — a place where people want to be and something they can’t find anywhere else. From a business point of view, I see this as a sustainable and usable alternative to single-use development and a more natural approach to how people want to live today. I have found the market very receptive.” This is supported by the fact that three other townships have approached Sharbell to develop similar communities.
Feinberg cites the personal rewards of working on the Washington Town Center venture. “It wasn’t easy, but we all learned in the process, we all grew, and we like to feel we have moved the peanut forward on both historically based design and New Urbanist community planning.”
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Each year, the National Kitchen and Bath Association surveys its members to identify the latest... | <urn:uuid:fa501da1-7203-4056-bb20-8e7a457f78bb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.housingzone.com/anything-cookie-cutter | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949884 | 2,716 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Any time a book strikes a chord with a vast number of people, as Kathryn Stockett’s The Help did, there is a mixture of anticipation and trepidation about its transition to the screen. Overall, I think writer-director Tate Taylor has done a good job bringing the book and its characters to life, in concert with an exceptional cast. And, crucially, he has managed to recreate the look and feel of a Southern town in the 1960s, with its separate but unequal citizenry: the well-to-do white folks and their black servants.
If you lived through that time, it is incredible to contemplate how much has changed (and how much hasn’t) over the years, not only in race relations but in attitudes toward women. That’s part of the fascination of watching The Help, which captures so many telling details of—
—everyday life back then.
Some of the white characters (the social queen bee played by Bryce Dallas Howard, the plain-spoken outcast played Jessica Chastain, and Howard’s aged but outspoken mother, Sissy Spacek), while rooted in reality, flirt with caricature at times. I don’t question that there were, or are, people just like them—or that this is meant to be entertainment, and not a documentary—but when the housemaids played by Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer seem so rich and palpably genuine, without a single false moment, it casts the broader characters in a different light. Of the white characters, only Emma Stone’s portrayal of Skeeter, a college graduate who chafes at the restrictions placed upon her as a young woman in polite society, rings completely true.
I also found it difficult to care as much about the problems facing Skeeter and the other white women when their black counterparts are dealing with much more serious issues, often at the risk of their lives.
But if The Help is less than perfect, it’s still a good movie that covers a lot of ground with an observant eye, and provides great parts for two exceptional actresses, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer. It isn’t too soon to be talking about Oscar where these women are concerned; their humanity shines through every scene. | <urn:uuid:4165717e-e5f7-4ab9-a6e4-e1528e60b542> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.indiewire.com/leonardmaltin/the_helpmovie_review | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96349 | 466 | 1.59375 | 2 |
If Imran Farooq was assassinated, his killing could mark the end of Londonistan as a safe haven
Those who pray for stability in Pakistan will hope it was a random robbery because the alternatives could threaten the survival of President Zardari’s PPP-led coalition government.
Dr Farooq is a founder of the MQM party, a key member of the coalition government, which represents the Pakistan’s Mohajirs – those who moved to Pakistan from India at partition.
His leader, Altaf Hussein, who is also based in London, recently called for a military coup against the coalition his party is a member of, raising fears of the MQM’s withdrawal and the collapse of the government. Dr Farooq’s death, if it turns out to be an assassination, could be a catalyst for further chaos in Pakistan.
The timing could not be worse. The government is already under siege and struggling to restore services to vast swathes of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, southern Punjab and Sindh which have been devastated by the worst floods in the country’s history.
If his death was the result of a political assassination, then there is every chance it will set off a chain of mob violence and tit-for-tat murders in Karachi, the government's political base and Pakistan’s largest city.
Dr Farooq and his leader Altaf Hussein chose to live in London because they feared assassination in Pakistan. Like his master, Dr Farooq had been wanted in Pakistan for a number of murders and attempted murders and was among the beneficiaries of the National Reconciliation Ordinance which gave political leaders an amnesty for their alleged crimes.
Many of his party members were murdered in staged "encounter" killings by armed police in Sindh during Benazir Bhutto’s reign as prime minister. MQM figures were also involved in assassinations of PPP figures, just as today mobs loyal to the MQM and the Awami National Party, which controls Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and Pashtun neighbourhoods of Karachi, regularly attack each another.
The reality of politics on the Indian sub-continent is that gang violence is an essential campaign tool. In India’s West Bengal, Communist Party "goondas" fought pitched gun battles with their rivals from the Trinamool Congress. At the last Indian election up to one fifth of candidates were facing serious criminal charges, including candidates from the ruling Congress Party.
Pakistan and India are no different in this respect. Political parties see local strongmen as attractive or even necessary allies during election campaigns because their ‘muscle’ can ensure voter turn-out and protect candidates. This relationship makes partners of criminals and politicians and a breed of multi-taskers from the marriage.
In Pakistan this state of affairs is compounded by long-running family feuds between the dynasts who control the main political parties. From beyond the grave, Benazir Bhutto blamed Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (Q), for her assassination. He in turn blamed the Bhuttos for the assassination of his uncle Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi in 1981.
Members of the MQM also blamed the late Benazir Bhutto and her widower, now president Asif Zadari, for a police assassination campaign against them, which they said was presided over by her interior minister.
Today, the MQM, which is considered close to the military establishment, is in a fragile alliance with the PPP, but locked in a feud with the Awami National Party, which increasingly speaks for Karachi’s seven million Pashtuns.
For decades Londonistan has served as a safe haven for all of these political leaders and their "goondas," somewhere they can eat beef kebabs, hatch deals, and plot to oust or overthrow governments without fear of murder.
So today, former dictator General Musharraf hosts London qawwali evenings, where he occasionally joins in with the band, while he creates his new party and bides his time. President Zardari jets in to join his children during their breaks from British universities, and his interior minister allegedly visits a Subway sandwich bar he is said to own on Edgware Road.
The MQM leader Altaf Hussein meanwhile receives petitioners, including top American diplomats, and holds in his palm the mobile phone which can topple the Pakistan government with one call.
If Dr Farooq really was assassinated, then his killing could mark the end of Londonistan as a safe haven from the sub-continent’s gangster politics.
What happens when a foreigner tells India that Gandhi was racist and bisexual?
April 1st, 2011 15:40
Barack Obama wasted his breath in India last year
March 22nd, 2011 16:18
Shahbaz Bhatti killing: What hope now for Pakistan's Christians?
March 2nd, 2011 13:37
To Indians it's Inderjot Singh who looks reckless, not Alexandra Aitken
February 3rd, 2011 11:56
Salman Taseer murder: In Pakistan, liberalism and tolerance remain secret vices of the metropolitan rich
January 5th, 2011 16:01 | <urn:uuid:5dd7b0e8-65d7-440f-8b4e-95b5d88300d1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/deannelson/100054079/if-imran-farooq-was-assassinated-his-killing-could-mark-the-end-of-londonistan-as-a-safe-haven/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973292 | 1,102 | 1.617188 | 2 |
A wise African once said there are as many wedding customs as there
are families. Although these customs serve the same essential purpose
throughout the world, attending a wedding gives a guest an inside
look at how two families merge their most cherished traditions.
Like a rich gumbo, The Nubian Wedding
Book offers tasty tidbits of information about what sisters
and brothers are doing to blend their cultural legacy into a wedding
to remember. It is a compendium of writings and rituals that will
offer practical ideas and romantic touches to allow black couples
to create a family wedding, as well as a source to inspire culturally
significant wedding ceremonies.
Within these pages is a bounty of
information gleaned from historical records, wedding consultants,
engaged and married couples, pastors, spiritual leaders and other
people involved in the culture of weddings. Each section explores
a different component of love, mating and marriage. There are dozens
of suggestions for blending your heritage into a celebration that
enriches and illuminates the customs that we cherish, including
anecdotes from several couples on their personalized weddings, historical
details about traditions from Africa, the Caribbean and the United
States, as well as expert opinions on incorporating family and friends
into any ceremony.
The idea for The Nubian Wedding
Book started about eight years ago when Edwin Lake and I got
married. I went to several bookstores trying to find a book that
would offer me ideas about celebrating my African-American heritage.
No such book existed.
As a journalist, who has written many
articles and essays about African American arts and culture, I realized
that most of this information would not be easy to come by. Although
there are far more books written by and for African Americans these
days, as few as eight years ago, many of the stories that I wrote
about African Americans required firsthand interviews for a significant
portion of the research. I knew I'd have to do a little digging.
But with the wedding plans, moving to a new apartment and taking
a new job that required several hours of travel a day, I had no
time to dig. Yet my interest set me on a long journey as I began
to read, research and collect any item or idea I could find that
sought reclaim our wedding customs. This book is the end result
of that journey, a compendium of interviews, wedding tips, recipes,
and extraordinary stories of love, betrothal, and marriage. There
is still a wealth of information about mating and marriage rituals
among people of African descent that has yet to be fully uncovered.
This book is an effort to go back and reclaim our heritage. Contrary
to popular opinion, our families do create and uphold traditions
and cultural mores. But sometimes we neglect to protect and preserve
those valuable commodities. There is a hunger for more details about
our African, Caribbean and African American heritages. But instead
of rejecting an American model for a more African model, many want
to blend their cultural makeup to take from each aspect what they
feel is most important to them.
I want to add The Nubian Wedding
Book to their resources. It is designed to give couples and
their families a fuller understanding of how this rite of passage
has been celebrated through the ages. It also strives to be a historical
record, a spiritual guide, and a family heirloom for those who want
to maintain a link with their cultural heritage.
Herein you'll find details about wedding
rituals in the motherland, where an elaborate courting ritual is
a common thread among many African countries. When a young man finds
the woman he wants to marry, it requires a series of negotiations,
often over several weeks. Once settled, the bride recedes into seclusion,
being pampered and protected until, upon the day of her wedding,
she emerges to join her husband.
These ancient marriage ceremonies
have managed to adapt and change as Africans modernize. For example,
in some West African families elders no longer await the telltale
signs of virginity with a rigorous examination of the bridal bed.
Instead the ritual has become a more ceremonial undertaking as couples
now use drops of animal blood to satisfy custom.
Included are details from slave narratives
regarding weddings of couples who were not permitted to marry legally,
but who pursued the quest for pageantry and ceremony by "jumping
the broom" before they returned to their often separate dwellings.
Some scholars feel this ritual has an African link and have discovered
variations of the same in such places as Panama and Trinidad &
Readers will find out about the wedding
affair of couples like Delmar and Cheree Gillus, who created a ceremony
and reception that blended aspects of their African and American
heritage. She topped her white dress with an African crown and he
topped his tuxedo with a kufi. They entered into bridal registries
that specialized in afrocentric gifts and furnishings. During the
wedding, they used the ancient ritual of libation to invoke the
spirits of their ancestors. Like their slave ancestors, they leaped
over the broom into the land of matrimony. The guests then dined
on a menu of African fare.
You will meet South Africans Siphokazi
Koyana and Zola Pinda, who married in a civil ceremony in 1993 in
Philadelphia. They defied Xhosa tradition when they met, got engaged
and married in a whirlwind courtship. But each time they return
home they are compelled to carry out many of the traditions that
their families have practiced for generations.
"We like to think we are westernized
and far removed from it," says Sipho. "But each time we
go back home we cannot be seen together without doing something
to call on both families and until we have finished all the rituals."
There will be readings about love,
including passionate love letters exchanged between nineteenth-century
author and poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar and his wife, Alice. There
is a section on creating words of good wishes for the couple. There
are descriptions of libations, an ancient ceremonial rite that pays
homage to ancestors, as well as toasts and other words of blessing
to send a couple on their lifelong journey.
In the section on wedding vows and
ceremonies are words adapted from actual ceremonies that brides
and grooms can personalize and incorporate into their own affairs.
Although the vows may be used verbatim, they serve mainly as a guide
for couples to use to create their own special moments.
There is a ceremony in which the Nguzo
Saba--seven important principles to live by--unity, self-determination,
collective responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity,
and faith--are incorporated into wedding vows.
There is a ceremony that makes use
of Yoruba practices, such as the tasting of kola nuts, a source
of strength; honey, to add sweetness; water, to freshen; or pepper,
also to test a groom's strength. In addition, selections of prose
and poems about love and marriage may be used to complement wedding
vows, or on wedding programs, invitations, and thank-you notes.
There is also vital information about finding a wedding planner
and clergy who can help you create a ceremony with meaning and purpose.
For those interested in Caribbean
traditions, included is a recipe handed down from mother to daughter
for the Caribbean black cake that many brides find an essential
part of their reception festivities. Suggestions for menus to use
at wedding showers are also provided. And last, there are descriptions
of pre-wedding rituals such as the queh-queh, a ceremony of dance,
drums and songs that many brothers and sisters from Guyana revel
in just before their wedding.
The book ends on a note of renewal
as couples whose unions have longevity reveal the source of their
marriages' strength and resilience. You can then turn to the Resource
Guide for a listing of goods and services geared toward the wedding
Now in the spirit of Sankofa-go
back and fetch it.
Contact the author | <urn:uuid:ad1c694e-6ac7-4e55-8e09-af9855387144> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://melanet.com/awg/resources/nubianwedding/introduction.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93946 | 1,734 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Smart Grid Proof?
bob at stratton.net
Sun May 2 16:26:02 CDT 2010
On May 2, 2010, at 12:08 PM, Mike O'Dell wrote:
> without distributed energy storage technology,
> the best they can accomplish is a bit of peak shaving,
> and for most utilities, that actually matters only
> a few days a year. plus, the overall "savings" is very
> small and hard to recoup.
> what it *does* do, however, is give them lots
> more information with which to raise billing rates.
> you can look forward to electric bills that are
> as complex and incomprehensible as the one you
> get for your cellphone. and all the cost involved
> in getting you that new bill that makes no sense?
> it goes directly into the rate-base, so they pass
> that cost along. so you give them money that they
> spend on things so they can charge you more.
> ain't that a sweet deal?
When I was speaking to utilities and other folks in this context at
Symantec, I noticed a significant overloading of the term "smart grid."
In the U.S. it definitely appears to translate (almost literally) into
mechanisms for demand-based dynamic pricing, whereas in Europe, it
seems to have connotations of distributed generation and/or co-
generation at the town or neighborhood level.
Of course, as with all other politically sensitive topics, any
important distinctions like this will be lost at the level of news
reporting and probably legislative discussion as well, unless it suits
someone's purposes to disambiguate it.
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More information about the Tacos | <urn:uuid:17222739-261c-4484-bc65-32e5cec1a66d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://amrad.org/pipermail/tacos/2010/007635.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932782 | 396 | 1.671875 | 2 |
[Haskell-cafe] Why monad tutorials don't work
william.wood3 at comcast.net
Tue Aug 14 23:46:39 EDT 2007
On Tue, 2007-08-14 at 16:02 -0700, Dan Piponi wrote:
. . .
> On 8/14/07, Michael Vanier <mvanier at cs.caltech.edu> wrote:
> > I'm reminded of
> > a physics teacher who was having a similar problem explaining the concept of tensors, until he said
> > that "a tensor is something that transforms like a tensor does!".
Dan, as a former student of a clone of that physics teacher, I am really
interested in what you will say when you fail to hold your tongue.
-- Bill Wood
More information about the Haskell-Cafe | <urn:uuid:19460b24-a563-4b0c-94be-e1b4206ce00d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.haskell.org/pipermail/haskell-cafe/2007-August/030559.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935145 | 181 | 1.703125 | 2 |
- Last Updated: 1:13 AM, February 2, 2013
- Posted: 12:52 AM, February 2, 2013
“If you agree with me on nine out of 12 issues, you should vote for me,” Ed Koch liked to say.
“If you agree with me on 12 out of 12 issues,” he’d add, “you should see a psychiatrist.”
Edward Irving Koch packed a lot of agreeing — and disagreeing — into his 88 years.
He outraged friends by switching sides in Democratic club wars when he was unknown, and he infuriated liberal allies by endorsing Republicans like George W. Bush when he was a political icon.
More than once, he was a kingmaker — yet he ruined his own chance to become governor when he trashed people who lived outside New York City.
He made the Rev. Al Sharpton famous by having him arrested on the City Hall steps. He endorsed President Jimmy Carter for re-election when he was a long shot and later revealed how much he despised Carter because of his criticism of Israel
Koch was born in the Crotona Park East section of The Bronx on Dec. 12, 1924, the second of three children of Polish Jewish immigrants. He grew up in Newark and then on Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn.
At 18, while attending City College, he was drafted into the Army. He landed in France as a combat infantryman three months after D-Day in 1944, fought in the Battle of the Bulge and was a sergeant with two battle stars when he was discharged.
He returned to New York to earn a law degree from NYU, passed the bar in 1949 and opened his own law practice — while living with his parents.
Koch was drawn into politics by the doomed presidential campaigns of liberal icon Adlai Stevenson. He and fellow Stevensonians formed a club, the Village Independent Democrats, that challenged the Greenwich Village power base of longtime Tammany Hall boss Carmine DeSapio.
Even then Koch was a maverick. He briefly switched sides to join DeSapio’s club, a heretical move that even he said made him something of a traitor.
During his VID years, he took a few conservative positions, like supporting the death penalty, while championing traditional liberal causes, civil liberties and, of course, rent control. He convinced the VID to vote to censure the city parks commissioner for refusing to issue a speech permit to the American Nazi leader George Lincoln Rockwell.
After Koch and his allies ousted DeSapio as district leader and Manhattan party boss, he won a City Council seat in 1966.
Two years later, the Republican incumbent of the “Silk Stocking” congressional district declined to run for re-election. In an upset, Koch won the seat that had been in GOP hands for 34 years.
He easily won re-election three times— garnering as much as 77 percent of the vote. In Washington, he vied with fellow Manhattanite Bella Abzug for the role of most liberal member of Congress. | <urn:uuid:e7e6e92d-a556-482b-ac85-cfcee99ed418> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/hizzoner_infuriated_friends_foes_mjOmluYbCBryPxJNFLzaJM | 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 | 0.979797 | 637 | 1.8125 | 2 |
A committee of legal experts who set policy for Conservative Judaism decided yesterday at a closed-door meeting in Baltimore to wait until December to vote on whether to lift the movement's ban on gay rabbis and same-sex union ceremonies.
The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards has been considering the issue for three years, and many Jewish leaders had anticipated that the two-day meeting that ended yesterday would produce a change.
But members of the committee said in interviews that the decision is a momentous one, and that they are still divided on whether acceptance of homosexuality is permissible under Jewish law, known as halacha.
The four legal proposals on the table were sent back to their authors for "extensive revisions," said Rabbi Joel H. Meyers, a nonvoting member of the law committee and executive vice president of the Rabbinical Assembly, which represents the movement's 1,600 rabbis....
Of the four proposals the committee is considering, two essentially oppose any change to the current law, and one advocates a substantial change of the law. One tries to find a middle ground by permitting gay rabbis and same-sex ceremonies, but prohibiting anal sex, an effort to stay consistent with a Bible passage that says, "Do not lie with a male as one lies with a woman; it is an abomination."
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Conservative Rabbis Delay Vote on Gay Issues
Conservative Judaism is apparently on the brink of accepting gays as Rabbis and same-sex unions: | <urn:uuid:0f390593-988f-4b9c-aa21-8f9489ff5d69> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://liberalpastor.blogspot.com/2006/03/conservative-rabbis-delay-vote-on-gay.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973173 | 302 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Posted 1 year ago on Dec. 8, 2011, 3:25 p.m. EST by jjuussttmmee
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
A just ruler uses mercy when appropriate. a unjust ruler has no mercy WITHIN, so can never give what it does not have to give or even understands. So a unjust ruler would never forgive a debt for example, but just re-finance you instead, rather than forgive your debt, he seeks to enslave your soul. Does a unjust ruler Rule you? Bankruptcy, lose everything! Is it a JUST decision to take everything for not paying one month of house payment? Is that fair at all? You agreed to trade your soul for the money, better make a better deal next time.... Be not a borrower or a lender, give to those that ask of you, and if the soldier asks you to carry his burden for one mile, happily carry it 4 miles and thank him for the chance to serve him. With that attitude how can you have a bad day? You have someone to talk to for 4 miles and a new friend, what a gift that would be. OK flame me now for mentioning religious principals that are missing in today's world. | <urn:uuid:3948b7fd-ac7b-4770-849c-5935d8146134> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://occupywallst.org/forum/ows-and-unjust-rulers/ | 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 | 0.963589 | 254 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Four years ago, the thriving Chicago Board Options Exchange decided to abandon the landmark building on Jackson Street it shared with its founder, the Chicago Board of Trade, in favor of a glitzy new facility across the street.
The break was more than just physical. Tensions between options and futures traders had existed since the CBOE`s start-up in 1973.
At the CBOT, a century-old center for trading farm commodities, soybeans were king. Its veteran members largely viewed the brash, young breed of hotshots who traded the new-fangled options as if they came from another planet.
As a pioneer of listed stock options, the CBOE became increasingly entwined with the securities industry and the exchanges drifted further apart. In 1983, the CBOE unsuccessfully explored the idea of a futures-trading partnership with the CBOT; the two sides proved unable to overcome
But finally, the explosion in trading indexes in recent years, coupled with increased global competition for that business, provided the exchanges with a common ground for easing their tensions.
Last week`s joint venture agreement between the CBOE and the CBOT is an attempt by the two exchanges, each the largest in its industry, to join forces in trading new financial products.
``It can be a very potent combination,`` said Philip Johnson, the former CBOT attorney who was instrumental in creating the CBOE. ``I can`t help but be delighted that the two are working together again.``
``Both sides are looking ahead,`` said Alger ``Duke`` Chapman, CBOE`s chairman, noting that growth in futures and options trading is being driven by index-related instruments.
In focusing on portfolios of assets, institutional investors have found such instruments as stock-index futures and U.S. Treasury bond futures to be fast and inexpensive ways of shifting their investments to meet changing market conditions.
Under the joint venture, which is subject to members` approval in separate votes late in July, the CBOT and CBOE plan to introduce compatible contracts that could be traded side-by-side by members of both exchanges.
In addition, the exchanges would share automation systems, revenue from the mutually traded contracts and perhaps eventually, a third trading floor.
The exchanges moved physically closer together last year by building a bridge high above Van Buren Street to connect their two buildings.
Still, there is some skepticism that more than a decade of bickering will easily be forgotten.
``On the surface, it looks good,`` said Fred Arditti, head of Drexel Burnham Lambert`s asset management group.
``But given the difficulties the two exchanges have had working things out in the past, I`m taking a wait-and-see attitude.``
Initially under the joint venture, CBOT is considering a stock-index futures contract that would complement the CBOE`s popular Standard & Poor`s 100 options contract, which is based on the value of 100 blue-chip stocks.
Such a contract would compete with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange`s similar but broader-based stock-index futures contract based on the Standard & Poor`s 500.
About a third of the Merc`s S&P 500 volume comes from CBOE traders, who could provide a healthy base of business for a new contract in hedging their positions in S&P 100 options.
Whether such a joint-venture contract would attract enough additional business to succeed remains to be seen.
``It`s very hard to take business from an established market,`` Arditti said.
The exchanges also could face problems in blending two floor cultures.
For the most part, trading practices will be determined on a contract-by- contract basis. Some touchy issues have been worked out, however.
For example, the agreement specifies that the controversial practice of dual trading--allowed at the CBOT but generally prohibited at CBOE--will be barred in equity-index futures contracts under the joint-venture umbrella.
The CBOT stands to benefit from CBOE`s more advanced computer systems for order routing. Like most futures exchanges, the CBOT is well behind the securities industry in automating its trading floor.
The added technology will be helpful, according to futures traders.
``I think that will be an advantage,`` said Harlan Krumpfes, a CBOT grain trader. ``It could could help us stay in front of the pack.`` | <urn:uuid:3f772e8f-5db8-4e4d-a784-afea47912bde> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1987-06-29/business/8702170747_1_cboe-cbot-two-exchanges | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959428 | 914 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Calvaire near Espalion, France
This is the reverse
side of the Calvaire, seen from the right.
In this Pietà Mary stands directly
in front of the cross as if she were the one crucified. Her head
is even positioned in front of Christ's crossed halo.
See the same scene
viewed from the left
More of the Pietà
Return to main image of the Calvaire
Photographed at the
site by Richard Stracke | <urn:uuid:dfea6b91-ceb0-4bbe-92ee-b8b00c87cf67> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aug.edu/augusta/iconography/outdoorSaints/calvaire.ReverseRt.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950254 | 103 | 1.5 | 2 |
updated 24 January 2013
- Join the undergraduate Student Chemistry Club More>
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Let's Talk Science
- Do you have a passion for science? Are you interested in working with youth and bringing hands-on science activities to the community. Consider becoming a Let's Talk Science volunteer. Check out the Let's Talk Sciencet website.
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PMUSER Looking for Submissions and Undergraduate Students to serve on the Journal Staff
- Proceedings of Manitoba’s Undergraduate Science and Engineering Research Journal (PMUSER) is a peer-reviewed academic journal officially endorsed by the University of Manitoba.
- This undergraduate student-run academic journal is great opportunity for both authors and journal staff in terms of enhancing scientific communication skills and applying theories taught in the classroom. This experience will be particularly useful for students planning future studies in graduate or professional school.
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- The Student Life office offers a selection of programming, varying from one-day commitments to five-week international experiences, with roles ranging from being an active participant to mentoring other students. If you have a leadership or community involvement initiative but are not sure how to turn the idea into action, Student Life can help.
SOS Students Offering Support
Students Offering Support (SOS) is one of the largest University student groups in Canada, with chapters on 26 universities. Since 2004, over 2000 SOS volunteers have tutored more than 25,000 students and raised more than $900,000 for various development projects in Latin America!
What is an Exam -AID?
Our volunteers help coordinate and run Exam-Aid sessions aimed to help 1st year and 2nd year students prepare for exams, right where they need it. Students get a 2- 3 hour lesson on all their course material and their own Exam-AID package that helps them get the practice they need at home. For Winter 2013 are providing Exam-AIDs for students to help better prepare them both in knowledge and in confidence in various science courses.
How can I get involved?
- Register for our upcoming review sessions online at www.manitobaSOS.com. A $20 donation per Exam-Aid will be collected during the session.
- Volunteer for SOS! Manitoba. SOS is always looking for motivated volunteers who are ready to help us make a difference. The Manitoba chapter is accepting
applications for volunteer positions in the finance, marketing, human resources, outreach and logistics team. There are many roles to suit different interests and commitment levels.
Volunteer Info: SOS Poster
- Register for an upcoming session or apply to be a volunteer now – at www.manitobaSOS.com; you don't want to miss your chance!
Science Students' Association
WISE: (Women in Science and Engineering)
- Women in Science and Engineering hires students for their programs, learn more about the program and their work More>>
The WISH Clinic
The WISH (Winnipeg Interprofessional Student-run Health) Clinic is a truly unique initiative in Manitoba that allows students to become more involved in an inner city community and gain awareness of inner city issues, social needs, and medical concerns. By volunteering at WISH you also have the opportunity to make a difference, meet new people, and learn more about healthcare faculties.
To volunteer with WISH, attendance at an orientation session is required, as well as a Criminal Record Check and Child Abuse Registry Check. Note that the checks need not be completed prior to the orientation. A completed Student application form is also required and can be accessed at http://wish.med.umanitoba.ca/app_forms.html. Completed forms and orientation inquiries can be sent to: firstname.lastname@example.org.
Let's Talk Science coordinator, Janet Yuen, conducting strawberry DNA extraction activities with children | <urn:uuid:7099b77b-25aa-474f-af6b-b7e236fad70d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/science/1221.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932734 | 889 | 1.703125 | 2 |
ONLY three weeks ago Libya’s “general national congress”, a fledgling parliament elected in July, picked a new prime minister. Mustafa Abushagur was expected within weeks to appoint a broad-based government, but the new man has now been kicked out by the very people who picked him. His mistake was to put forward a government that was said to fail to represent adequately Libya’s fiercely competing towns and regions. So the parliament turned down Mr Abushagur’s proposed government mainly of technocrats—and for good measure ejected him as would-be prime minister before he had actually taken office. Now the laborious process must begin all over again. | <urn:uuid:e5187940-6342-4975-9092-7fb85d53c3e8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.economist.com/blogs/newsbook?page=9 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98735 | 141 | 1.6875 | 2 |
His Majesty by Johnson Brothers is high-quality, rimmed, scallop-shaped earthenware, with a regal tom turkey spreading his plumage in the center of the plate, and an embossed rim strewn with nuts, fruits, berries, and vegetables, all colored in lush earth tones. The outside rim features a thin, painted cable design. Designed from an original engraving, the tom turkey on
His Majesty made his first appearance as an accent plate in the tremendously popular Johnson Brothers
Friendly Village multi-motif pattern. Demand for the accent plate was so great that Johnson Brothers introduced
His Majesty just two years later. Customers have enjoyed the quality and durability of Johnson Brothers china since 1882.
Jamestown-Amber is amber, pressed glass with a concave, squarish bowl that features swirling, spiral panels on the side. The twist stem echoes the shapes of the panels on the bowl, and the foot is round. Even with its square shape, the curves in this pattern are organic and graceful. Founded in Fostoria, OH, in 1887, the Fostoria company relocated to Moundsville, WV, shortly thereafter, because of that region’s abundant natural resources.
Jamestown-Amber was one of four colors in the
Jamestown pattern to be released in 1958 –
clear – additions to a line of popular colored-glass stemware introduced by Fostoria in the 1920s. After meeting decades of stiff foreign competition with classic designs and innovative glass-making methods, Fostoria operations were shut down by its parent company, Lancaster Colony, in 1983. Fostoria glass is highly sought-after by collectors today.
First produced in 1940,
Joan of Arc
is an alluring sterling flatware pattern with an elegant and flowing scroll design. International Silver started as a combination of America’s greatest silver manufacturers. During the American Colonial period, New England was home to many artisans producing high-quality pewter, sterling, and silverplate, primarily in Connecticut. Around 1808, Ashbile Griswold opened a pewter shop in Meriden, Connecticut. Through mergers with regional companies, Griswold’s original shop grew to comprise fourteen silver manufacturers, including Holmes and Edwards (Bridgeport), Meriden Britannia (Meriden), and Rogers Brothers (Hartford). In 1898, the International Silver Company became truly “international,” establishing offices in England and Canada. Throughout the years, International Silver products have remained immensely popular.
To browse and order in a great selection of china, crystal, and sterling pieces, start at these links! | <urn:uuid:e1419801-b056-448f-809a-233ea2f1b4cd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.replacements.com/neatthings/features/his_majesty2_2011.htm | 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 | 0.932531 | 557 | 1.507813 | 2 |
An Oxford Graduate stays with a loveless aristocratic family in the 1920s.
11 episodes totalling 659 minutes duration. Granada Television. 1981
At the time it was made Brideshead Revisited was the biggest television film project attempted by any company including the BBC, who had considered it, but decided it too hard to make. There was a point where Granada must have been thinking the same.
The television adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's novel was originally conceived as a six-hour serial. In the summer of 1979, Michael Lindsay-Hogg began principal photography on the island of Gozo, where the sequences set in Morocco, Mexico, and Central America were filmed. Shortly after the cast and crew returned to England a technician's strike brought all ITV production to a halt. The cast, all on a tightly organised schedule were scattered as they had other projects lined up and by the time the strike ended, four months later, even Lindsay-Hogg was no longer available. Even in the early stages, when the company had spent £150,000, on Brideshead, Granada's founder Sidney Bernstein tried to stop it as potentially too expensive. Although he was not running Granada by then he tried to bring pressure on his nephew, Alex, to bring a halt the most expensive drama in Granada's history. But Alex stood firm and Brideshead went ahead. Following the strike shooting resumed on 5th November, 1979, under relative novice Charles Sturridge, whose previous experience had been limited to directing episodes of Strangers and Crown Court.
There had been another major development when the producer Derek Granger approached David Plowright suggesting that six hours did not do Waugh's story justice and much of it would need to be eliminated unless they expanded the production to 13 episodes. In response Plowright wrote to Granger telling him "You have proposed props for a sum only fractionally higher that that paid by George III for Buckingham Palace." Granger's response was "My dear David, there is about this piece something of a trembling phosphorence." Plowright agreed and gave the go-ahead. The greatest worry, however, was the availability of Jeremy Irons, who, due to the delay of the strike, was now about to begin shooting The French Lieutenant's Woman. Irons, not unnaturally, would not give up a prestigious opportunity and the feature film could not be delayed. But as luck would have it enough days were negotiated for Irons to return for the shoot of Brideshead to be completed.
The break in filming meant that both the location of Castle Howard and the actor Laurence Olivier, both previously unavailable, could now could be utilized. Olivier's tight schedule meant he had to start filming immediately, but his scenes had not been written yet, and Sturridge and Granger hurried to complete them so the actor would have at least a week to learn his dialogue (while John Mortimer received the writers credit for Brideshead, Valerie Grove's A Voyage Round John Mortimer revealed that his script was never used).
Brideshead Revisited is the story of Army Captain Charles Ryder (Jeremy Irons), who is stationed in the grounds of Brideshead Castle on the Marchmain Estate in Wiltshire during the final days of World War Two. It's a place he knows well having spent many happy years there as a youth. During his stay he recounts the events of his earlier life, reflecting on the passing of an era of decadence and jollity. While at Oxford University, in the 1920s, Charles had struck up a friendship with Sebastian Flyte (Anthony Andrews), the son of Lord Marchmain (Laurence Olivier), a devout Catholic. But at Oxford Sebastian disgraced himself during a drunken escapade by vomiting from the window of Charles's room. By means of an apology, Sebastian was invited (along with a moth-eaten teddy bear called Aloysious) to stay at Brideshead. Here Charles was introduced to Sebastian's loveless family who enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle under the overwhelming power of Catholicism that was exerted over the whole family. The relationship between Charles and Sebastian raised questions about their friendship, and although homosexuality was alluded to it was never overtly explored. Charles eventually moved to France where he married Celia (Jane Asher). But he was slowly drawn back into the lives of the Flyte's and later fell in love with Sebastian's sister, Julia (Diana Quick).
Brideshead Revisited was nominated for six BAFTAS and ultimately won in three categories - Best Drama Series, Best Film Sound and Best Actor for Anthony Andrews. In the USA it received two Golden Globes and an Emmy Award. The series also inspired a tourist boom in Great Britain thanks to its spectacular cinematography which showcased the beauty of Castle Howard and Tatton Park where many of the exterior scenes were shot. Today, along with The Jewel In The Crown, Brideshead is regarded as the finest example of British television.
In his book, "The Dream That Died - The Rise and Fall of ITV", Raymond Fitzwalter writes that the decision to go ahead with the project in spite of rising costs and the other problems the producers had to face could only be taken "in a stable climate with a simple management structure, with trusting colleagues possessing good judgement and common aims, evaluating problems fairly. Later all this would evaporate. "Brideshead was a unique television phenomenon that will never happen again," said (David) Plowright. "We were a company looking for something special. It caught the affection of the nation." Brideshead Revisited sold all around the world, made handsome profits and brought Granada exceptional prestige."
Available on DVD in the UK:
Brideshead Revisited - The Complete Collection (Digitally Remastered)
Brideshead Revisited [Blu-ray] [DVD]
Questions Site Information Contact
Return to Top of Page | <urn:uuid:07606130-2893-42f5-a188-4f52181a9843> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/brideshead_revisited.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979804 | 1,209 | 1.757813 | 2 |
What is America coming to? The question needs to be asked at the highest levels of government, and on Wednesday, that’s what Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey did.
In a powerful speech on the Senate floor, he painted a bleak picture of the country’s ongoing foray into ever-harsher immigration enforcement. He told how reckless workplace raids and a broken immigration-detention system were brutalizing citizens and legal residents, spreading fear through immigrant communities and undermining the Constitution.
“Together we need to face a blunt reality,” Mr. Menendez said. “Our legitimate desire to control our borders has too often turned into a witch hunt against Hispanic Americans and other people of color. Common sense repeatedly loses out to hysteria, and agents of intolerance repeatedly jump over the legal protections to which every single American is entitled.”
You can watch the first part of the speech here:
and the second part here:
And read it here.
Throughout the long presidential primary campaign, we waited for Senators John McCain, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to speak out forcefully against the foolish, crudely disproportionate tactics the government is using to drive illegal immigrants underground or out of the country. Unlike their pandering rivals on the Republican side, those three hold sensible views on immigration reform — but they have usually expressed them quite mousily.
The restrictionist clamor for unchecked immigration enforcement has led to many bad things. It has frightened a lot of politicians into silence or mumbling. On Wednesday, Mr. Menendez made a clear and courageous plea for justice and restraint. | <urn:uuid:03a77940-44c2-4e22-8d17-552d1b7f2eef> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://theboard.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/senator-menendezs-brave-immigration-speech/ | 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 | 0.950895 | 325 | 1.65625 | 2 |
A new Ohio law that helps streamline background checks for hazardous waste employees also sets in place a notification process when any of them is arrested, similar to the one used for teachers.
Sponsored by State Senator Gayle Manning, R-North Ridgeville, the legislation requires the state’s Environmental Background Investigation Unit to employ the same innovative, cutting-edge technology used by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Senate Bill 302 calls for use of the system called RAPBACK — retained applicant fingerprint database information exchange, which is used to monitor any crimes committed by teachers.
“They can get the information within 24 hours,” Manning said. “It’s not costing the state a penny, and it will save the businesses money.”
Manning attended a signing ceremony with Gov. John Kasich, and Maggie Kelch from Ross Environmental Services in Elyria and Rick Timm from Chemtron Corp. in Avon Lake, who provided guidance on the bill.
Kelch said the companies used to have to complete about 30 pages of paperwork each year on each employee, including getting fingerprints. Now that will be done electronically, she said.
“This will save us a lot of time and labor,” Kelch said.
Hazardous waste companies know they have to be accountable because of the nature of the material that is being handled, she said.
“We understand the government wants to be certain that people of quality and integrity are doing the work,” Kelch said.
Steve Lonneman of Vickery Environmental, which operates an injection well in western Ohio, also attended the signing ceremony and expressed gratitude.
“It brings it up to the technology of 2012,” Lonneman said.
Manning said she has sponsored 25 bills in her time as senator, including the bill for Blue Alerts when police officers are in trouble.
“They’re all things brought to me from people in the district,” she said.
Contact Cindy Leise at 329-7245 or email@example.com. | <urn:uuid:ffdc4fac-a25a-4447-86ac-e269a55042cf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2012/09/15/governor-signs-manning-sponsored-bill-on-waste-worker-checks/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939274 | 434 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Sarah Palin and he who must not be named: When is a code word really evidence of prejudice?
It may be one of the most interesting legacies of having a black president: All the time we now spend dissecting code words.
Derisively called "dog whistles" for their ability to inspire some while others miss their message, these are phrases and words designed to reference derogatory racial prejudices indirectly. Such subtlety is required, experts say, because open racism has been so demonized in mainstream society, the only way to evoke those ideas with supporters is through hints and asides.
For people of color, these discussions are nothing new. When someone outside your ethnic group uses a certain turn of phrase or bit of slang, sometimes you have to wonder -- what did they really mean by that?
But when the most powerful man in America is non-white, those discussions expand to include the entire country.
Which brings us to Sarah Palin and her Facebook post Wednesday titled "Obama's Shuck and Jive ends with Benghazi Lies."
The former governor of Alaska, now a reality TV star and cable news pundit never known for her finesse with words, was writing about emails which indicated officials in the State Department, White House and national security organizations were aware a militant group was taking credit for an attack in Libya which killed a U.S. ambassador.
She wrote: "Why the lies? Why the cover up? Why the dissembling about the cause of the murder of our ambassador on the anniversary of the worst terrorist attacks on American soil? We deserve answers to this. President Obama's shuck and jive shtick with these Benghazi lies must end."
Alex Halperin at Salon noted the "loaded language," citing a definition of "shuck and jive" from the Urban Dictionary which noted "To 'shuck and jive' originally referred to the intentionally misleading words and actions that African-Americans would employ in order to deceive racist Euro-Americans in power, both during the period of slavery and afterwards."
MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews, who I watched challenge RNC chair Reince Priebus in Tampa in August over language like "European-style health care reform, allowed that the phrase Palin used wasn't negative in all connotations, but "to throw it at the president is an ethnic shot, pretty plain." One of Matthews' guests, Chicago Tribune columnist Clarence Page, who is African American, wasn't so sure Palin was deliberately race baiting.
"It does work," Matthews insisted, later saying "it's a sickness by the white people."
But conservatives pushed back. The right-friendly website Newsbusters said Matthews used the term "shuck and jive" in talking to MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow about her trip to Afghanistan and that Democrats have used the term before.
Palin herself posted another statement on Facebook denying any racist intent, writing "For the record, there was nothing remotely racist in my use of the phrase 'shuck and jive'...In fact, Andrew Cuomo also used the phrase in reference to Barack Obama, and the fact that Mr. Cuomo and I used the phrase in relation to President Obama signifies nothing out of the ordinary. I would have used the exact same expression if I had been writing about President Carter, whose foreign policy rivaled Obama’s in its ineptitude, or about the Nixon administration, which was also famously rocked by a cover-up."
Of course, context matters in judging code words. Joking that someone seems greedy or cheap can be funny; if that person is Jewish and the joker is not, suddenly it sounds a too much like a reference to a classic stereotype.
That's why Matthews using the phrase "shuck and jive" in reference to another white person -- or White House spokesman Jay Carney, who is white, using it in reference to himself -- probably isn't a dog whistle, but using the phrase to criticize a person of color can be. (as another example, consider using the "b" word to jokingly refer to a male friend, then think about using that word on a woman in your life, in any context. Applying the word to a woman surely feels a bit different, more so if the person applying the word isn't female.)
Palin insisted on Facebook she used the phrase in scolding her daughter, but it's not something I remember her saying often in public. And this is from a public figure whose many sayings have become instant catchphrases. So the sudden appearance of a phrase with such connotations also brings caution.
A certain businessman-turned-reality TV star also stepped into this mess Wednesday by making an "offer" to donate $5-million to charity if the president could produce college transcripts and passport records. (I'm not mentioning his name, because I'm tired of feeding the media beast.)
Beyond serving as a serious lesson in media manipulation, this announcement references another insulting attack on the president -- implying that there is suspicion about the validity of his citizenship and his attendance at prestigious schools such as Harvard and Columbia universities. Bringing unreasonable suspicion on the achievements of people of color is another sign of prejudice, and most fair-minded observers have concluded long ago that such attacks on President Obama seem rooted in groundless hysteria.
Ugly as it can be, discussing such issues are an important part of dismantling subtle prejudice in society. People can judge for themselves whether Palin's remark was deliberate race baiting -- and whether she should have so quickly dismissed the notion that the phrase had an unintentional, awful impact.
But the discussion itself helps push everyone to consider how the meaning of such phrases can change, depending on who uses them or who they are used on.
And that's a lesson worth learning at any time.
Below, see how Jon Stewart talked about this on the Daily Show: | <urn:uuid:efe5f4e9-7c00-4ed1-afd5-57983d0814d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/media/content/sarah-palin-and-he-who-must-not-be-named-when-code-word-really-evidence-prejudice/2099401 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96587 | 1,190 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Posts Tagged ‘Northern Territory Barramundi’
By MATT FLYNN of North Australian FISH FINDER TM
The Northern Territory is one of the most remote, unpopulated parts of Australia. Many visitors are pleasantly surprised by the standard of the roads and the modern amenities available.
Nonetheless, from a barramundi fishermen’s point of view, Territory conditions are different from those down south, and fishermen equipped with the right vehicle, boat and fishing tackle will enjoy the Top End fishing experience to the full.
That’s not to say you can’t have a great time with a 2WD vehicle, a car-topper dinghy and a two-bob fishing rod. But sooner or later you will want to upgrade to really enjoy barramundi fishing. Here we look at what is best suited to local conditions.
Barramundi fishing vehicles
A four-wheel-drive vehicle is a distinct advantage in the Northern Territory, but by no means essential.
While many of the best fishing spots have sealed road access and concrete ramps, some do not. Four-wheel-drive gives you piece of mind, especially launching from the banks of rivers and billabongs.
Likewise, the Northern Territory’s wet season creates boggy conditions. And who wants to be restricted to sealed roads?
Steep billabong and river banks in remote are much easier to launch from with a 4WD vehicle.
Whatever vehicle you will use for barramundi fishing, ensure the cooling system is in first-class working order because travelling a hot Territory road with a trailer in tow will quickly test a poor cooling system.
Always carry extra cooling water. Carry spare fan belts, at least two spare tyres if travelling off-road, and a can of the proprietary aerosol puncture repairs products. If you are going bush in a 4WD vehicle you should carry a full set of recovery gear. A snatch strap, kangaroo jack and spade are a minimum requirement. A winch is handy, but the best safety policy when going to remote areas is to travel with another vehicle.
Barramundi fishing requires trevalling long distances in the Northern Territory to reach some of the more remote places.
For this reason, a long-range fuel tank or a couple of jerry cans can be invaluable, and you should also carry a back-up supply of drinking water. Large, good quality cool boxes or portable fridges are essential for keeping perishables fresh. If you are planning a trip to a remote area, get a detailed map.
The ideal barramundi fishing boat
The beauty of the Top End is that you only need a small boat to enjoy it, and that is why the Territory is the home of the aluminium dinghy.
Sure, there are remote islands and shoals accessible only to those who own a 7m cruiser.
But you can always visit these places on a charter boat. I have listed here the perfect fleet for fishing the Top End. Few people could afford such a fleet, so I have also described an ideal all-round boat below.
A specialist barramundi fishing boat is usually from 4.8m to 6m in length with a suitable engine for high-speed travel. It has front and rear casting decks. It has long range fuel and an electric motor for trolling. A good sounder/GPS unit is useful, if not essential. The boat will also have ample water storage and eskie space, plus a radio or satellite phone. It will have space to stow camping gear, and a canopy that can be easily stowed so as to not get in the way when the fish are on.
Hulls can be any hard-wearing material, usually alloy or polly (plastic), as collisions with rocks and tree stumps are common.
Barramundi fishing car-toppers
A 3.5m lightweight cartopper punt or V-bottom with 3hp outboard is handy for places where there is no boat ramp. This lightweight rig is for those hard-to-get-at inland billabongs and upstream reaches where you must launch from the bank and manhandle the boat over rocks and other obstacles.
The boat is too small for the big rivers and harbour arms and offers little corocdile or poor-weather safety. It fishes two people comfortably.
Barramundi fishing dinghies
A 3.8m to 4.8m dinghy or punt with 30hp to 50hp outboard is ideal for tackling the Top End’s tidal rivers, harbour arms and creeks. Whether you choose a runabout (steering at front), centre console (steering in middle) or tiller mount (steering at rear) is up to you.
Family fishermen might prefer a runabout, but a centre console or tiller mount is best for fishing, because it gives the most room. This boat fishes three or four people comfortably, but only two will fish happily in the smaller sizes, as there is a lot of lure casting in barramundi fishing, and having treble hooks whizzing around in a small boat is not safe.
There is a huge range of trailerable 5m to 6.5m half-cabins, cuddy cabins, centre consoles and runabouts. The bigger the boat, the more range, load-carrying capacity, safety … and price. These boats aren’t ideal for barramundi fishing, but they will get you into remote areas.
There is plenty of reef fishing to enjoy far off Darwin, and these are the craft to get there. But avoid small half-cabins if you are serious about your fishing. The cabin is often ultimately considered just hot and a waste of space in the tropics.
We will take a punt (excuse the pun) at choosing the perfect all-round boat for the Top End. It’s a 5m aluminium centre console hull with a 60hp to 115hp outboard motor. The hull is big enough to fish coastal reefs, yet small enough to take barra fishing in the rivers and billabongs. It is light to tow and draws little water. A centre console provides the most space, fishing four people.
Useful extras for barramundi fishing
Aside from fishing tackle and serviceable safety gear, every fishing boat should carry:
1. Global Positioning Unit (GPS);
2. Quality echo sounder;
3. Shade canopy;
5. Soft seats (or pieces of foam rubber);
6. Livebait tank and berley bucket;
7. Gaff and landing net;
8. Quality ice-box;
9. First-aid kit;
11. Fuel and outboard oil reserve (perhaps 20L of petrol and 500ml of oil).
Trailers for the north
Do not buy the cheapest trailer you can find. The mudguards will probably fall off as you drive down the first corrigated road. Heat and humidity means you should get a solid galvanised trailer.
Did you know?
You are not allowed to use a speargun to take barramund in in the NT. And you are not allowed to take mud crabs from Kakadu National Park. Click the link to download a brochure of Northern Territory barramundi fishing regulations.
By MATT FLYNN of North Australian FISH FINDER TM
Here’s some barramundi fishing videos from the Northern Territory. These were not produced by the makers of this website.
Australia’s Northern Territory has three basic seasons – the wet season monsoon (usually late December to April), the dry season (May to September) and the stormy "build-up" – the time of increasing heat and humidity leading up to the wet season (late September to December).
There is usually very little "build-down" from the wet season as the cool dry season south-easterly wind arrives almost overnight once the monsoon weakens.
What does all this mean for barramundi fishing?
Barramundi love heat. They bite really well in the build-up when it is warm, and they are preparing to spawn. But this can also be an uncomfortable time to fish unless you limit trips to the cooler mornings and afternoons, and at night.
During the early wet season the weather is often cooler but barramundi can be hard to catch as the rivers flood and the fish spread out in the floodwaters.
Towards the end of the wet season the fish tend to gather in certain areas, usually the mouths of floodplain creeks.
This is the run-off season and it is a great time to fish. A wet season that drops rain consistently from December produces better fishing than a wet season that dumps it all in one lot late in February or March.
Just after the wet season is the "greenwater" period where the rivers are full of greenish (clear by Territory standards) rainwater. This is a great time to fish because water clarity is good. Territory rivers are otherwise muddy and turbid.
Once the dry season south-easterly hits, the water in rivers and billabongs begins to cool and barramundi slow down, however they can be caught right through the year, especially during warm spells. Barramundi fishing is therefore something you can enjoy all year.
The best regions in Australia to target barramundi are the Northern Territory, the west side of Cape York Peninsula down to the lower Gulf of Carpentaria coast, and the WA Kimberley.
Of these regions, the Northern Territory offers the best combination of pristine habitat and accessibility.
The best barramundi rivers have unaltered floodplains that hold an “inland sea” of water during the wet season, letting the water slowly drain away after the wet season, leaving a series of permanent waterholes.
On the East Coast such rivers did exist, but were long ago transformed by dams and weirs, and their floodplains drained, severely affecting the barramundi populations, as barramundi require free passage from freshwater to salt each year.
Barramundi can be caught in tidal rivers, freshwater lagoons, and along coastal foreshores. They are a hardy and adaptable fish that can be found almost anywhere along the coast, although their preference is for turbid water and muddy creeks and rivers, rather than clear sandy waterways.
Barramundi tend to congregate in certain areas with the changing seasons, but can be found in any of their usual habitat at any time.
Fishermen who target big barramundi tend to fish the lower sections of big NT tidal rivers such as the Daly, Mary, Adelaide, and East and South Alligator Rivers, and some coastal creeks. Most big fish are caught just after the wet season.
The Northern Territory has excellent roads to boat ramps on most of its wild rivers, but finding barramundi hotspots on these vast waterways can be daunting.
That’s why many people hire professional barramundi guides.
Close to Darwin, the harbour is an excellent spot for smaller barramundi, as is nearby Shoal Bay and Bynoe Harbour. Anywhere with mangroves and tidal creeks, barramundi won’t be far away. A bonus in the NT is that gill nets have been banned from many areas.
The Northern Territory has a stocked dam which provides good fishing at times. Manton Dam is about an hour’s drive south of Darwin, and is a picturesque and safe place to take a family barramundi fishing.
Billabongs are popular venues for mostly smaller barramundi, which are caught in a setting among lillies and loads of wildlife. Billabongs also hold freshwater sportfish such as saratoga and tarpon. Never be tempted to have a swim though as big crocodiles are abundant in the NT. | <urn:uuid:fc45008f-ed58-4db9-ba12-223a620582d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://barramundifishingnt.com/tag/northern-territory-barramundi | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940519 | 2,516 | 1.625 | 2 |
Feinstein Targets “Gun Culture” as Democrats Prepare New Attacks on 2nd Amendment
December 16, 2012
California Senate Democrat Dianne Feinstein – a renowned and notorious gun-grabber and enemy of the Second Amendment – targeted America’s “gun culture” in the wake of the deadly rampage in Connecticut attributed to a mentally ill man on Friday.
“I hope and trust that in the next session of Congress there will be sustained and thoughtful debate about America’s gun culture and our responsibility to prevent more loss of life,” Feinstein said soon after the murders.
“I will do another assault weapons ban,” she promised.
Feinstein has exploited shootings in the past as part of her ongoing effort to attack the Second Amendment. In 1993, following the the 101 California St. shooting in San Francisco, Feinstein introduced an assault weapons ban in the Senate. The decade long ban was signed into law by president Clinton in 1994. It outlawed a number of semi-automatic weapons based on cosmetic features and other attributes such as flash suppressors and telescoping stocks. The law also banned “high capacity magazines or feeding devices.”
Despite claims by Democrats, studies found that the Federal Assault Weapons Ban did not reduce or prevent violence. The United States Department of Justice National Institute of Justice said that a renewed gun ban would have virtually no impact on gun violence because so-called “assault weapons” are rarely used in gun crimes. Moreover, according to a study performed by the Center of Criminology at the University of Pennsylvania, there is no statistically significant evidence that either the assault weapons ban or the ban on magazines holding more than 10 bullets had reduced murders attributed to firearms.
Since the law expired in 2004, the anti-Second Amendment crowd has unsuccessfully attempted to pass a number of bills outlawing firearms. Feinstein and fellow gun-grabber Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, Democrat of New York, have remained at the forefront of the effort to disarm the American people. McCarthy has introduced legislation to ban so-called assault weapons on numerous occasions. Fortunately for the Second Amendment, all of her efforts have failed.
Democrats are determined to enact an assault weapons ban and make it permanent. Following the 2008 election, the website of president-elect Obama stated a position that included “making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent.” The statement later appeared on the administration’s website, WhiteHouse.gov, with the above wording intact.
In 2009, Obama’s newly sworn in attorney general, Eric Holder, said the administration planned to reinstate the Federal Assault Weapons Ban. Holder’s statement came in response to a question concerning the Fast and Furious operation designed to arm drug cartels in Mexico. Holder said “there are just a few gun-related changes that we would like to make, and among them would be to reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault weapons.”
Democrats are ready to exploit the Sandy Hook killings and introduce a new assault weapons ban when the 113th Congress convenes in January. Anti-Second Amendment activists explain that an assault weapons ban, however, is only part of the plan to disarm Americans.
“The assault weapons ban is a piece of the puzzle,” Benjamin Van Houten, managing attorney of the San Francisco-based Law Center to Prevent Gun violence, told Capitol Confidential. “It’s not the whole thing but it’s an important piece for moving forward on this issue.”
Outlawing semi-automatic weapons, however, will be an uphill battle for Democrats. Republicans control the House and there are key Democrats in the Senate opposed to further draconian gun control legislation. Moreover, the Democrat majority lacks the 60 votes required to end a filibuster Republicans would undoubtedly use to defeat any such legislation.
It looks like any effort by the gun-grabbers and anti-Second Amendment advocates to exploit last week’s mass murder will likely fizzle out.
“Everyone’s frustrated and I understand why people use this terrible tragedy for a good purpose, trying to get a discussion going on gun control,” said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics. “But the House probably wouldn’t even bring any of it up for a vote.”
Odds against a new assault weapons ban will not stop anti-gun Democrats and their fellow travelers – for instance, Sen. Joseph Lieberman. On Sunday, the Independent Connecticut senator echoed Feinstein and Chuck Schumer and called for legislation outlawing assault weapons. Lieberman also called for “a national commission aimed at preventing instances of mass violence from happening again,” according to the Washington Post.
This article was posted: Sunday, December 16, 2012 at 10:35 am | <urn:uuid:0646d10e-5f0b-42f1-a7ce-62594b9d255b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.infowars.com/feinstein-targets-gun-culture-as-democrats-prepare-new-attacks-on-2nd-amendment/comment-page-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947053 | 984 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Deputy Executive Officer
California Air Resources Board
Lynn Terry has served as a Deputy Executive Officer of the California Air Resources Board since 1997. She oversees a variety of policy and technical programs developed to implement federal Clean Air Act requirements, greenhouse gas emissions reporting requirements, SB 375 planning requirements for sustainable communities, ARBís environmental justice policies, and statewide air quality planning requirements. In addition, Ms. Terry directs the ARBís research and health effects evaluation program.
Ms. Terry previously served as the ARB Assistant Executive Officer and Chief of the Office of Air Quality and Transportation Planning. In that role, she worked closely with Californiaís local air quality districts and transportation agencies on 1994 plans to meet federal air quality standards.
Ms. Terry currently manages a variety of ARB projects and programs including new State Implementation Plans for meeting federal air quality standards, air quality studies in the San Joaquin Valley, federal transportation conformity analyses, air pollution transport assessment and mitigation requirements, federal regional haze plans, development of quantification protocols for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, air quality requirements for planned burns to reduce wildfire risk, emission inventory development for ARB regulations, and community air quality assessments.
Ms. Terry began her career at ARB working on air toxics and risk assessment issues. She is a graduate of the University of California at Davis, where she received an M.S. in Pharmacology and Toxicology, with an emphasis in Environmental Toxicology. | <urn:uuid:7247ce2c-e7cf-4e2d-b339-484b556f9538> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.arb.ca.gov/html/org/eo-bios/bios/lynnterry.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.931956 | 290 | 1.53125 | 2 |
September 17, 2012
Faith is the lifeblood of Christians. A wondrous gift of the Holy Spirit, faith is the opening of the heart and mind to God, who has loved us first (cf. 1John 4.19). It is the acceptance, with trust in divine providence and wisdom, of all that God has revealed in his Son Jesus Christ. By faith working through love (cf. Galatians 5.6) we are led to salvation!
Such a precious gift must be constantly nourished. We are very grateful, then, that three major initiatives aimed at enabling our growth in faith will unfold in the pastoral year before us. Each in its own way brings to light various dimensions of the faith. Taken together, they form a wonderful celebration of faith's beauty and grandeur.
First of all, we celebrate this year our centenary. One hundred years as the Archdiocese of Edmonton! A century of faith-filled living! Second, we welcome with joy the Year of Faith, proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI. This period of grace begins on Oct. 11, the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, and concludes Nov. 24, 2013, the Solemnity of Christ the King.
It is offered to the Church by the Holy Father as an occasion to enrich our knowledge of the faith in the light of the Council documents and the subsequent Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Finally, within the context of these two historic moments, we shall bring Nothing More Beautiful, our initiative aimed at a deepening of faith in view of the new evangelization, to conclusion.
When, on Nov. 30, 1912, the Episcopal See of St. Albert became the Archdiocese of Edmonton, its first archbishop, the Most Reverend Emile Legal, spoke of the time as a "wonderful transformation."
WCR FILE PHOTO
Archbishop Richard Smith has asked that the upcoming archdiocesan centennial year and Year of Faith be a time of constant prayer in the Edmonton Archdiocese.
Such a phrase embraces far more than a change in the ecclesiastical status of a geographical territory. It captures the effect of faith, which establishes the true boundaries of the Christian life. The gift of faith transforms us.
By the act of faith, we surrender our entire lives to God, who comes to us in the gifts of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. We entrust ourselves to God's loving providence and infinite wisdom. We accept the revelation he has given us in Christ and appropriate it as the guiding light of our lives.
Such faith inevitably brings about profound and lasting changes in our lives as we detach ourselves from all that is unholy and untrue and embrace the beauty and truth of Jesus Christ and his Gospel.
Such a life of faith is possible only with the help of God's grace. In this centennial year we give thanks for the countless blessings that have enabled the people of this archdiocese to make the sacrifices that have shaped our history and thus realize the beauty of being Catholic and the joy of living it.
To commemorate this "wonderful transformation," parish artifacts and biographies have been collected and placed together in a presentation that will be brought to various points of the archdiocese. In addition, a display will be available to the public at Edmonton City Hall.
A specially commissioned icon of our patron, St. Joseph the Worker, will be blessed at the centennial celebration of our patronal feast on May 1, 2013, after which it will tour the archdiocese.
Our centenary, as a moment of grace, is at heart an opportunity to be renewed in our relationship with the Lord and his Church. Therefore, we have set aside a special day, during which all are invited to celebrate the sacrament of Reconciliation. On March 6, 2013, our priests will make themselves available throughout the day in their parishes to hear Confessions and bestow God's great gift of mercy and peace.
At this time I wish to draw your attention in particular to the solemn Mass that will mark the opening of both our centenary and the Year of Faith. It will take place at St. Joseph's Basilica, Edmonton, on Oct. 11, 2012 at 7 p.m. This date has been chosen to coincide with the Opening Mass for the Year of Faith celebrated by Pope Benedict in Rome.
The Year of Faith
In his Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei (The Door of Faith), Pope Benedict explains why he has called us to mark a special Year of Faith. In his own words, this is a "good opportunity to usher the whole Church into a time of particular reflection and rediscovery of the faith" (Porta Fidei, n. 4).
Indeed, the Holy Father has summoned us, from the very beginning of his pontificate, to a renewal of faith. We have been responding in a particular way through the Nothing More Beautiful series, and now we have received from the pope a new opportunity to intensify our efforts even more.
Knowledge of the treasury of faith is essential to a Catholic life fully lived. However, it is widely acknowledged that today, among our people, such knowledge is seriously diminished. Therefore, we shall take advantage of this special year to help one another renew our understanding and appropriation of what the Church teaches.
In accordance with the express wishes of the Holy Father, our Office for Evangelization and Catechesis will make available to the Archdiocese particular instruction upon the Second Vatican Council, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Creed.
It is very important that we not view this as simply an academic exercise. Yes, faith has a content, which must be known. Yet faith is more. In its essence it is a relationship with God. As such, faith is an opening of the heart to God who has revealed and given himself by sending his Son and Holy Spirit.
This movement of the heart is, itself, the gift of God's grace, and it leads us not only to surrender to the person of Christ but also to accept the truth he has made known. This means that the act of faith must be constantly nourished through prayer, reflection upon the Word and celebration of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Penance.
At Sunday Mass, the faith that is nourished in the heart by sacramental grace is given beautiful expression in the Creed. We have grown accustomed to reciting this in the short form of the Apostles' Creed. Its full articulation is the Nicene Creed, with which we must likewise be familiar.
WCR FILE PHOTO
The movement of the heart is itself the gift of God's grace,' Archbishop Smith says in his pastoral letter We Believe!
In keeping with the goal of understanding and celebrating the faith in its fullness, I am hereby calling on our parishes and institutions to recite the Nicene Creed in the Masses of every Sunday and solemnity throughout the Year of Faith. Explanations of its various articles will be provided on our website and to our parishes.
The Abiding Call to Mission
In virtue of our faith, the summons to mission inhabits us. By faith and the sacraments we live in communion with the self-offering of our Lord for the life of the world. This impels us outwards into the world to witness to the Gospel through works of justice and charity.
Indeed, such deeds gave birth to the Church in Western Canada when male and female religious orders arrived and established churches, hospitals and schools.
We are called to share the Gospel both at home and abroad. Our final year of Nothing More Beautiful presentations will highlight this through its focus on the beauty of the apostolate, especially of laypeople. Although the faith has taken deep root here and is in many ways vibrant, nevertheless it is true that many of our fellow citizens have yet to know Jesus Christ and the joy of life in him.
Many pressing social issues are in urgent need of the light of the Gospel. Elsewhere in our country and world the suffering of many is not absent from our concern, and we need always to be thinking of new ways to reach out in love.
In response to this imperative to mission, I wish to bring to your attention two new initiatives to be launched in the coming months. These are in addition to the other activities flowing from Nothing More Beautiful, as announced in my pastoral letter of last year.
National Pastoral Plan
for Life and Family
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has approved a national plan in service of the cause of life and the needs of the family. It belongs to each Diocese of the country to discern how the various ideas proposed at the national level will be put in place locally in accordance with particular circumstances and available resources. A cornerstone of this plan will be a week set aside annually to honour the family and celebrate life.
The first of these yearly celebrations will occur May 12-19, 2013. Our archdiocesan Office of Family and Life will be formulating activities for this week as well as for our general participation in the national pastoral plan.
A New Partnership with
the Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith
In his Apostolic Letter Ecclesia in America, Blessed Pope John Paul II asked the dioceses of the Western Hemisphere to consider how they might enter into partnerships of mutual solidarity and support as an expression of ecclesial communion (cf. EA, 37).
To mark our centennial and in keeping with our missionary nature, I am pleased to announce that the Archdiocese of Edmonton is entering a partnership with the Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith in the Northwest Territories. We each have gifts to share with the other in response to our respective needs.
On Nov. 21 of this year, the archdiocese will host a gala banquet in celebration of our centenary. Funds raised at this dinner will be used in support both of our sister diocese and of the local St. Vincent de Paul Society, which cares for our poor here at home. As this partnership unfolds, I am confident that many blessings await us.
The Need for Constant Prayer
"Apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15.5) These words of our Lord remind us that our efforts can only bear fruit if we live in union with him. In order that our work derive both its inspiration and direction from Christ and, by his grace, reach completion, it must be nourished and sustained by the constant prayer of the people of God.
Therefore, I ask that all members of the archdiocese unite with me in prayer for God's blessings upon not only our centenary and the Year of Faith, but also the many works we must undertake in service of the new evangelization.
The Office of Evangelization and Catechesis is placing together in one publication prayers for the new evangelization, for the protection of human life and for vocations. It will also include the Nicene Creed, so that this profession of faith may become for us a daily prayer and known by heart. The publication will be available on our website and distributed throughout the archdiocese.
I ask that we pray these frequently, especially before the Blessed Sacrament. In particular, I turn for support to those among us who are confined to home or hospital through disability or illness. Your prayers will be a particular source of strength and blessing for the entire archdiocese.
As we embark upon this time of grace, let us invoke the intercession of Mary, the model of faith. Her heart was fully open to the will of God, even to the point of its piercing by a sword of sorrow at the suffering and death of her Son.
By the help of her prayers, may our hearts be open in faith to the working of the Holy Spirit, who draws us ever more closely to Christ and one another and strengthens us for mission.
Richard W. Smith
Archbishop of Edmonton
September 14, 2012
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross | <urn:uuid:22f04f1c-6218-4595-bc30-1c918170890a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wcr.ab.ca/WCRThisWeek/Stories/tabid/61/entryid/2879/Default.aspx | 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 | 0.95433 | 2,461 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Munni WINNER Hui …. January 23, 2011Posted by aglakadam in Career News And updates, Inspirational Story, Management, parenting, Social Casue.
Tags: aglakadam, children, game, inspiration, lesson, life, Management, message, success, teacher student psychology, win, win-win, winner
Munni Badnam Hui & the famous Sheela has been the talk of the town for quite some time now…. Both these numbers have been dominating the world of music and rhythm across the nation.
There is a real life story going behind this badnam munni which only a few would know. In the song lyrics, there is a stanza where the following words are used : mai Zandu Balm hui….” . The whole story evolves around the usage of word “zandu balm” in the song. Zandu is a brand owned by the Emami group which is a brand leader in over the counter (OTC) pain relief ointment segment. The bone of contention has been the use of the word Zandu Balm in the song.. rather the mis-use of the brand Zandu balm.
The owners of brand Zandu had an objection that their patented brand name was mis-represented in the song and used without prior permission. It is perceived widely that Zandu has not been mentioned with a positive connotation in the song though it does not get noticed so apparently. Why only Zandu balm, Munni could have as well said “mai Godrej hui, or mai Dettol hui etc. The owners of Zandu brand were hurt as they foresaw the probability of an impending profitability loss because of the dent the song would cause to the brand perception. Ultimately in September 2010 Emami served a legal notice to Arbaz Khan Productions, the producers of movie Dabang, citing copyright infringement.
The tussle went through a few rounds of to & fro exchange of views and finally what comes out over a period of time is that both the parties find an out of the court amicable solution. A win – win formulate was evolved where in Emami got the rights for the song ‘Munni Badnam hui’ from T-Series & in return they withdrew their charges in the court of law. The deal does not stop here, going ahead Mallika Arora Khan ( the munni girl in the song) would sign a two year contract with Emami group to promote the brand Zandu through commercial advertisement as a brand ambassador.
This is a classic case study where the two parties fighting over an issue join hands to evolve a win win solution. All of us are aware of the Hare and the Tortoise story where the tortoise wins the race because he went ahead in a consistent fashion toward its goal. The hare was over confidant and hence had to loose. There are new versions available for the same story. In the next race the hare learns the lesson and decides not to stop but to keep running till he hits the target and ultimately he wins. The tortoise again challenges the hare and this time it was decided to have the target across the river. Hare ran fast but could not swim across the river and lost to tortoise again. Finally both the hare and the tortoise decided to join hands; tortoise climbed on hares back to run and reach the river bank from where on they exchanged their seats! Both of them jointly achieved their target with a record performance!
In our society we come across so many situations where two parties with similar interests keep fighting over an issue. Similarity of interest is generally perceived as CLASH of interest and people keep fighting to secure their interest first! All such disputes ultimately end up cultivating huge losses to both the parties in terms of time, money and resources. A lot of opportunities for growth & positive development is lost in the process and actually goes unaccounted!
We have witnessed business tycoons and industrial houses fighting over issues for ages in our country. Just imagine if they had not fought but opted to co-operate and work together! Surely it would have delivered much profitable results for all.
From our childhood days we learn only about win lose games. Games children play have a winning team and a loosing team. In school and at home children should be taught to play games where there could be more than one winner. Why is it must that if one child wins, the other child has to loose! Earlier the lesson is learnt, better it will be for the society of tomorrow. Lets visualize a new generation with all winners and no loosers.
If we look at the Munni song from the angle of this lesson, surly we could bet Munni badnam nahi hui, but Munni WINNER hui! ( Munni did not get a bad name, actually she is a winner )!
FS Management (I) Pvt. Ltd.
Author can be contacted for feedback on : firstname.lastname@example.org | <urn:uuid:979c07e6-7f87-4f71-847e-d3708855fa88> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://aglakadam.wordpress.com/2011/01/23/munni-winner-hui/ | 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 | 0.966132 | 1,051 | 1.796875 | 2 |
This listing shows all on board HMY Iolaire at 1 am on 1 January 1919, grouped by village where the men came from. The list of casualties is shown first, then survivors (if any of either).
The list was compiled by Malcolm Macdonald of the Stornoway Historical Society in February 2006, amended August 2007.
A full list of names can be viewed here.
Portraits were scanned from Loyal Lewis, Roll of Honour 1914 - 1918.
Pictures of gravestones from own collection.
All images provided by Guido Blokland.
Last updated 12 April 2011 | <urn:uuid:1612f890-d75b-403f-9273-73576642b0a1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://iolaire1919.blogspot.com/ | 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 | 0.942236 | 122 | 1.5 | 2 |
MARQUETTE - Displaying a representative cross section of athletics at Upper Peninsula high schools from the past 130 years is no easy task.
Dan Truckey of Marquette has been attempting to make it happen the past few months at Northern Michigan University, however.
The director of the Beaumier Center at NMU, Truckey and his staff have been collecting memorabilia from numerous high schools across the peninsula for inclusion in the "U.P. Power! High School Sports in Upper Michigan" exhibit.
Dan Truckey, director of the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University, adjusts the placement of the 2008 Marquette Senior High School hockey state championship trophy that will be among the items displayed at the “U.P. Power! High School Sports in Upper Michigan” exhibit opening Saturday in Room 105 of the Cohodas Building. (Journal photo by Craig Remsburg)
The exhibit will make its debut at 1 p.m. Saturday in Room 105 of the Cohodas Building on the NMU campus. The exhibit will be on display at the Beaumier Center through March 30, 2013.
A reception for the exhibit, which will include several U.P. sports legends on hand for the event, will also be held Saturday.
"Deciding what was going to stay and what was to be left out (of the exhibit) has been the hardest part," Truckey, the exhibit's curator, said.
"A lot of very worthy athletic teams, coaches and players who could have been included aren't. It made for some very difficult decisions."
He said the exhibit's title comes from a popular chant often used by U.P. sports fans when teams compete downstate in MHSAA tournaments.
"No one is sure when (the chant) originated, but it became a rallying cry for U.P. teams after the 1975 state football championships when both Ishpeming and Crystal Falls-Forest Park won titles on the same day," Truckey, 45, said.
The exhibit will feature stories about the greatest teams, players and coaches in U.P. high school sports history.
Photographs, trophies, jerseys and other memorabilia will be displayed. In addition, an interactive computer station with statistics for many boys and girls team sports will be included.
"The artifacts for the exhibit will be on loan from high schools, historical societies and individuals from throughout the Upper Peninsula," Truckey said, "and will represent the greatest stories in U.P. sports history."
For example, the Chassell boys basketball team that went undefeated from 1956-58 and won three state titles will be featured.
So will the 1975 Ishpeming High School football team that stopped Hudson's 72-game winning streak in the Class C state championship game; the 1976 Marquette Senior High School girls basketball team that claimed a Class A crown; and the CF-FP football teams that have dominated state tournaments for years.
Such legendary coaches as Ishpeming's CC Watson, Marquette's Milton "Mickey" Johnson, Ewen Trout-Creek's Nancy Osier, Calumet's Jim Crawford and Menominee's Ken Hofer will be mentioned in the exhibit.
In addition, athletes like Rapid River's Sara Boyer, Iron River's Christy (Salonen) Provost and Brimley's John Payment will be included in the exhibit.
Boyer starred for the Rockets' girls basketball team; Provost won five state titles in skiing while at West Iron County High School; and Payment still holds the state prep record in the high jump in all classes with a 7-foot, 1-inch leap in May of 1989.
Truckey said a committee of sportswriters, historians and coaches/athletes was formed in January to come up with the basic framework of the exhibit, develop an outline and identify players/coaches/teams that would be featured.
"We (at the Beaumier Center) thought this (exhibit) would be fun and different from the exhibits we've done in the past," Truckey said.
"We thought the exhibit would be something people would enjoy and attract an audience.
"We also thought there are just a lot of great sports stories out there," he added. "That's what we're about, remembering our past and the events that are important."
Truckey, a 1985 graduate of Munising High School and a former prep athlete at Munising and Wakefield, said he has enjoyed meeting many of the people who will be included in the exhibit. But he added it has been time-consuming gathering memorabilia for the exhibit.
"The last three weeks, I've been traveling all over the U.P. to get memorabilia from people," he said. "Just getting the artifacts alone has been a major undertaking, a lot of work."
Truckey is confident those viewing the exhibit will enjoy the experience.
"I think what people will like the most is the broad spectrum of sports in the exhibit," he said. "There's stuff from all over, involving many different sports.
"I think it will grab people's attention."
Craig Remsburg can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 251. | <urn:uuid:2f024eb2-04bd-4d87-8eea-bc462e1aa930> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://miningjournal.net/page/content.detail/id/580827/U-P--high-school-sports-exhibit-to-open-Saturday-at-NMU-s-Cohodas-Hall.html?nav=5010 | 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 | 0.974394 | 1,093 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Photo Funday — Kawasaki 川崎市 Ki-61 飛燕 (Hien, Flying Swallow, Allied codename “Tony”)
Photo Funday — a photo and informative caption for the weekend
It was almost sublime — I only noticed this extraordinary exhibit at the Wings Over Miami Air Museum, after walking beyond it in my rush to get to the hangar, after I turned to speak to my friend who was behind me. A wing and tail assembly from a WW II Japanese fighter aircraft, close enough to touch it, near enough to see tears in the aluminum skin! The wing and empennage is no longer there as the owner, Kermit Weeks, has relocated them. Perhaps he is working on a Tony restoration? Or perhaps they will be traded for another aircraft or airplane component? If you would like to know more about the Wings Over Miami Air Museum please see the post, Wings Over Miami Air Museum — a gem hidden within the Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport. And for a post on Kermit Weeks and his museum please see, Fantasy of Flight Aircraft Collection.
My thanks to reader “glevumknight” for noting my incorrect spelling — which has been remedied | <urn:uuid:067122ea-47f4-4de7-8a43-06f5253e02a8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://travelforaircraft.wordpress.com/2010/02/19/draft-kawasaki-ki-61-%E9%A3%9B%E7%87%95-hein-flying-swallow-allied-codename-tony/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951961 | 255 | 1.523438 | 2 |
|Home > Features > Issues > Iraq > Article|
For the staff, there is also the loss of Hanna Fatah, who had been here for 30 of her 70 years. "When the marines opened the gates, Hanna wanted to leave," said her psychiatrist. She could not judge the danger and was shot wandering near the gate.
One of the tragedies of the war - a preventable tragedy in the view of many doctors and nurses - occurred here. Iraq's only hospital providing long-term care for chronic schizophrenia and other serious disorders was all but destroyed.
When US marines clashed with Saddam Hussein's irregulars trying to block their advance into Baghdad, the marines came through the gates here and knocked down the walls with their tanks. They set up a command post in the small nursing school.
Waves of looters came in with them, staff said. One of the oldest health institutions in Iraq, Al Rashad is designated a civilian hospital.
Director Amir Abou Heelo told the marines on April 8 that they were entering a psychiatric facility, staff doctors said. But the protest did little good.
Psychiatrist Raghad Sursan said: "I am mad, and if there is a word that is bigger than mad, I am that, because the marines were there and could have done something to stop it."
- New York Times
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Blix casts doubt on Iraq's arms
CIA officials tell of Cheney pressure
Soldiers search for Saddam's remains
Support for US and UN battered
Anger at occupation spills into Baghdad streets
British MPs turn heat on Blair over Iraq weapons
Leaders under fire for 'exaggerating' threat
Weapons probably destroyed, says Blix
Protesters decry launch of 'model' local council
Coalition to choose Iraq's interim government
Greens seek Senate inquiry on intelligence
'Dumb' bombs used to topple Saddam
The blogger of Baghdad
Hill concedes weapons query
Iraq weapons evidence will be found: Blair
|text | handheld (how to)||
Copyright © 2003 The Age Company Ltd
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