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LANXESS, a global leader in phthalate-free plasticizers and BioAmber, a leader in sustainable chemistry, have partnered to develop succinic acid based plasticizers that are both renewable and phthalate-free.
Under the terms of their joint development agreement, LANXESS and BioAmber are developing a portfolio of renewable succinic-based plasticizers that can exceed the performance of phthalates at competitive prices.
The partnership leverages both companies' strengths: LANXESS has a global commercial network that sells innovative, phthalate-free plasticizers including MESAMOLL®, ADIMOLL®, ULTRAMOLL® and UNIMOLL®. LANXESS also has plasticizer manufacturing expertise and capacity. BioAmber produces and sells biobased succinic acid in a 3,000 MT capacity plant in France and expects to bring on an additional 17,000 MT of succinic acid capacity in 2013 at a new facility in Sarnia, Canada, located on a site within LANXESS' Bio-industrial Park.
BioAmber and LANXESS have been working together for over 2 years assessing the performance and opportunities of succinate based esters in the plasticizer market. Based on the results seen to date, LANXESS and BioAmber believe that succinic acid based plasticizers can deliver the sustainability, performance and safety that the global plasticizer market is seeking. Samples are now available and the companies expect to begin commercialization in 2012.
"LANXESS systematically seeks advanced technologies to enhance the value of its offering. BioAmber's biobased succinic acid is a unique opportunity to develop a new generation of plasticizers combining full regulatory compliance with superior environmental background," said Jorge Nogueira, Senior Vice President Business Unit Functional Chemicals.
"Our partnership with LANXESS will accelerate penetration of the global plasticizer market and secure a first mover advantage for both companies. BioAmber's succinic acid offers a safe, sustainable alternative to phthalates and our additional plants in Sarnia and Thailand will ensure our customers have reliable, competitive supply," said Jean-Francois Huc, CEO of BioAmber.
LANXESS is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 7.1 billion in 2010 and currently around 15,800 employees in 30 countries. The company is at present represented at 46 production sites worldwide. The core business of LANXESS is the development, manufacturing and marketing of plastics, rubber, intermediates and specialty chemicals. LANXESS is a member of the leading sustainable indices Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) World and FTSE4Good.
About BioAmber, Inc.
BioAmber, a renewable chemistry company, is a market leader in the development and commercialization of biobased succinic acid and derivatives including 1,4 butanediol and modified PBS, a biodegradable plastic offering better heat resistance and processability than other biopolymers. BioAmber operates the world's first dedicated biobased succinic acid plant and has partnerships with Cargill, DuPont Applied Biosciences, LANXESS, Mitsubishi Chemical, Mitsui & Co. and PTTMCC Biochem. BioAmber is also leveraging its succinic acid experience and know-how to develop a biobased adipic acid platform. The company has offices and research labs in Minneapolis, MN, an office in Montreal, a sales office in Shanghai, China and a production plant in Pomacle, France. For more information, see www.bio-amber.com.
SOURCE BIOAMBER INC. | <urn:uuid:43f9c57b-abe5-47b0-8a37-53b3ae633104> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ebionews.com/news-center/features/collaboration-projects-a-consortia/45570-bioamber-and-lanxess-partner-for-renewable-phthalate-free-plasticizers.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939682 | 752 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Prepaid and social payments make a genuine win-win
[Dave Birch] I've been reading an excellent new publication from the think tank Demos. It's called "The Power of Prepaid" by Claudia Wood and Jo Salter. In essence their well-researched and interesting report recommends that the UK government extend the use of prepaid cards at both central government and local government levels to deliver social benefits more efficiently and more effectively. I wholeheartedly agree.
The heart of their argument is that prepaid card-based systems deliver more information to all of the stakeholders than cash does. Both the cardholder and the organisation managing the cards are able to view balance information on past transactions online. Spending can be monitored in real-time online which is important safeguarding benefits. The data coming back from cards on what and where people spend could be shooting valuable in a range of fields, and was certainly help researchers to better understand the "poverty premium" and the limited access to retail financial services mugs low income families.
But most importantly, Amex finally finally finally frames prepaid for what it should be, a checking account replacement, instead of a glorified gift-card.[From Bluebird vs Greendot. Prepaid wins. - Forbes]
I couldn't agree more. Prepaid cards have moved on a lot in recent years. Technology means that they can be given standing order and direct debit-like layers forming a sort of "bank account lite". But we need still more functionality. There are a particular set of problems to do with subsidiary, companion and delegated cards which need to be addressed to overcome real problems in services for excluded groups. Quite often temporary fixes are found by adding companion cards (for carers, or dependents for example) but I think more generalised solutions, which would have to be connected in some way with some form of identity infrastructure, are what is really needed.
But back to the report. There's no need for me to repeat all of the findings, as sure you want to read them for yourself, but I do want to highlight one or two things from the report, which makes some very sensible and reasoned recommendations that I suspect more than one of our clients will be able to respond to with new prepaid products and associated services.
The starting point for the report is that, excluding savings accounts which are not transactional in the sense that you cannot link them to a debit or credit card or pay benefits into them, the number of people without a current or basic account stands at more than 2.5 million in the UK today. (This excludes people who have bank account but for whom prepaid might be a better alternative). Therefore, the report recommends that the government address the problem of the unbanked by adopting fully functional chip and PIN prepaid cards. These cards can then be used for welfare and benefit payments of all kinds, and not only for the unbanked. The report says that the public sector should avoid the temptation to use simpler and less functional alternatives. They note that less functional cards keep the unbanked in a cash-based economy and that maintaining cash-based withdrawal systems using "one-dimensional" cards, the unbanked will not be to make the savings associated with shopping online, or pay bills direct debits, and so have a limited impact encouraging claimants into mainstream financial habits.
The authors say that people who were already using a prepaid card for social care direct payments spoke very positively about them when interviewed and they give a number of detailed case studies of existing schemes that I found very useful. I particularly liked the case of the Utah State card, delivered by JP Morgan Chase, which holds up to five separate pots of money on one card. This "jam jarring" of funds is a critical kind of functionality needed for the systems and not found in current implementations. When I interviewed Claudia for the podcast in our Tomorrow's Transaction series I didn't want to be a bore her with nerd interjections about this, but from reading the report I wasn't sure if the authors were aware that it's part of the EMV specification to allow multiple payment applications on the same card. The terminals have to implement this functionality there is no reason why a single card couldn't be issued with say three or four payment applications on board each one storing a different pot of money. Thus, when the benefit recipient presents the card at a point-of-sale (POS) terminal they would be asked to select between different pots. As is discussed later in the report this will make it possible to have some pots restricted by merchant category code (MCC), or by time, or by terminal ID, or by velocity, or by maximum amount or whatever, and have other parts that are unrestricted. As an aside, one of the other learnings from the systems already in place was that councils experienced a high frequency of lost cards and/or lost PINs.
A particularly important thread in the report is the once concerning this issue of monitoring and control of card spending. The authors note that there might be benefits to using prepaid cards to deliver financial services to vulnerable groups and that we should begin a debate on balancing the complexities and ethics of safeguarding spending balanced against "nanny state" interference. (It was interesting to note the focus group participants tended to support the idea of other people having their benefits monitored, but not themselves.) Restrictions in the USA, like in the UK, are currently implemented by some blocking specific MCCs which identify types of shops. Since the card companies have no access to the level III POS data, nor would the retailers want them to, I don't really see MCC blocking as a viable way forward, and as I've written before I'm sure it would have negative consequences as "legitimate goods" were traded away a discount for "illegitimate goods".
I found some of their ideas about managing and restricting spending pots for rent purposes quite interesting -- I would prefer a more radical solution, making it illegal to pay rents in cash at all -- but there you go. Incidentally, and I don't want to touch on politics of UK welfare payments, which are not the subject of this post, but the authors note in passing that when they interviewed people about the new universal credit shift to paying housing benefit to recipients rather than landlords, not a single person interviewed could see the benefit of doing so. Yet one of the reasons why the report is so timely is that the UK is about to undergo this transformation in the way that welfare benefits are paid.
The welfare system in the UK is switching to a new "universal credit" system where all benefits will be unified and paid monthly in arrears.
claimants will receive just one monthly payment, paid into a bank account in the same way as a monthly salary
[From Universal Credit - DWP]
If you're wondering why our clients care about this, it's because it represents a money flow of around £2 billion per month that is up for grabs.[From Who wants low-cost bank accounts?]
They authors also recommend that the government create a targeted savings encouragement scheme. Our experiences down in Kenya would seem to support this conclusion. Simple savings products offered to the unbanked have tremendous social benefits, but that's a subject for another post sometime.
Finally, I want to highlight that when the authors were talking about their areas for concern, the areas where the existing prepaid card infrastructure would ideally need to be improved to provide better solutions to the specific problems, I couldn't help thinking that they were describing a kind of "Holvi for social care": that is, a white-label payment institution that provides very specific and targeted functionality. Just as Holvi provides group accounts and the functionality that goes with them, you could imagine a similar system providing care accounts and the functionality that goes with them. I would have thought this might be a very fruitful area of investigation for the government and other stakeholder groups.
I thought the report's conclusions and recommendations were excellent and make complete sense and I would only add additional recommendations around the use of communication channels -- specifically mobile phones and digital television -- to deliver budgeting and value-added management services around the prepaid cards. I think this is where we really could use new technology to make a difference. A prepaid account managed by mobile phone has greater utility and is far more powerful than a prepaid account managed just through a card.
Demos recommends that the government reviews its financial inclusion and digital inclusion activities and creates greater synergies between the two. I was very happy to read this, because we have been of a similar mind for some time. One or two of the projects that Consult Hyperion has been working on, including the current Technology Strategy Board project on using mobile and digital television to deliver financial services to socially excluded groups, have indicated precisely the same.
All in all, an excellent report and props to MasterCard for sponsoring it. In fact I was so interested in all of this that I have invited Claudia along to our Tomorrow's Transactions Forum in March where she will present alongside the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) in a session designed to explore some of these issues in more detail. This is precisely the kind of area where some innovative use of new technology a little bit of out-of-the-box thinking about new services can intersect to bring about radical improvement, forming a genuine win-win for the government, the payments industry, taxpayers and benefit recipients.
These are personal opinions and should not be misunderstood as representing the opinions of
Consult Hyperion or any of its clients or suppliers
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Since 2006, the Mexican government under President Felipe Calderon has been embroiled in a bloody war with drug cartels that operate throughout the country. This has obviously created some additional headaches for security directors whose companies have operations in Mexico, but the violence has recently escalated to the point where it is having a direct impact on businesses.
Earlier this year, SIW reported on a growing number of incidents of cargo crime in the country, as the cartels have sought out other ways to supplement their income. Cargo crime remains a big problem in Mexico, but what was once a relatively safe place for corporations to establish plants and send their executives to hammer out business deals is now anything but.
"One of the concerns that I know companies are facing is a lack of concern from the cartels about collateral damage," said Daniel Johnson, senior chief of ASI Global, a subsidiary of medical and security evacuation firm Medex that specializes in kidnap and ransom response.
While a lot of the violence in the country is targeted, Sam Logan, regional manager of Latin America for risk management services firm iJET, says that there have been several recent incidents that involved the indiscriminant killing of innocent victims.
Last month, gunmen opened fire on buses carrying factory workers in the border town of Ciudad Juarez, killing four people and wounding 15 others. The victims worked in a plant owned by car upholstery maker Eagle Ottawa. A spokeswoman for Eagle Ottawa said the company could not comment about the attack due to an ongoing investigation into the incident.
Mexican authorities may be making some headway in the violence in Ciudad Juarez, however, as they recently announced the arrest of Arturo Gallegos Castrellon, leader of Aztecas street gang who claims he is responsible for 80 percent of the murders in the city since August 2009.
"It's not pinpoint precision that they are going after (in attacking) their perceived opposition. They are shooting a busload of people and kind of letting the chips fall where they may," Johnson said. "There used to be, for lack of a better term, a perceived 'immunity' for the Americans that were working down there, which seems to be gone now. They are as much a target of violence or affected by the violence as anyone else."
Despite this incident and others like it, Logan says that they usually don't signal a trend and he doesn't anticipate that most security directors would react strongly to it unless they see an uptick in this type of indiscriminate killing.
According to Mark Hall, vice president of business development for Medex, the country can essentially be cut in half when it comes to the types of threats businesses face, with the north being an epicenter for drug violence and the south being an area where kidnapping and other violent crimes are more prevalent. Hall said that Medex is doing an average of 14,500 operations (secure transportation, executive protection, aircraft guarding, etc.) per year in Mexico alone.
Among some of the most dangerous areas of the country, according to Logan, are in and around Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas in northeastern Mexico, as well as Tijuana, Sonora, Sinaloa, Culiacan, Ciudad Juarez, and Chihuahua City.
Johnson said that the security climate in Mexico has changed dramatically over the past three years.
"There is definitely a more violent turn to the crime we're seeing down there," he said. "Really, I think where it's more acute is in cities like Juarez, but even more so in Monterrey. I think three years ago, Monterrey was about as safe as any U.S. city and the violence that has come like a tidal wave in there borderlines on the obscene."
Logan says that there are three primary risks that CSOs are currently dealing with in Mexico including travel protection for executives and expatriates, safety of Mexican nationals and infiltration of the organization by organized crime. | <urn:uuid:caa41225-6cf0-4d21-87ad-379b479229df> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.securityinfowatch.com/article/10496412/drug-violence-impacting-security-for-businesses-in-mexico | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978573 | 810 | 1.570313 | 2 |
The problem is many Turks consider Ocalan the country's No. 1 terrorist. The movement he helped found decades ago has been fighting a guerrilla war against the Turkish state for 30 years, a conflict that has claimed more than 30,000 lives. Turkey, as well as the European Union and the United States, have labeled the Kurdistan Workers Party a terrorist organization.
On Saturday, the governor of Diyarbakir blamed the hunger strike and the street protests on the party.
"The legal and civilian extensions of the terrorist organization are increasing the tensions on the streets," Mustafa Toprak, Diyarbakir governor, said in an interview with CNN.
He said police reinforcements had been brought into Diyarbakir to deal with what was said to be a two-day strike. He also said more than 100 people had been detained this week, as Kurds have organized nightly protests in Diyarbakir and other cities and towns throughout the largely Kurdish southeast.
Demonstrators appear to have adopted an unusual tactic to deal with the security forces.
Throughout the Kurdish region of Turkey, the overwhelming majority of demonstrators seen burning tires and overturning garbage bins were children younger than 15. Boys as young as 7 and 8 were seen torching barricades that had been dragged out to block city streets.
"Children are not terrorists," said Toprak, the Diyarbakir governor. "But the things they are doing, if they were committed by adults, would be considered terrorist acts."
According to a recent report by the nonprofit conflict mediation organization International Crisis Group, Turkish authorities have arrested more than 7,000 Kurdish activists on suspicion of terrorist activities in the past several years.
Gulten Kisanak, one of the Kurdish parliament members on hunger strike, said she and her 34 fellow lawmakers from the Kurdish BDP party were battling more than 750 legal cases against them in court, which could lead to more than 3,000 years in prison.
As barricades burned in the streets outside, Kisanak and her fellow hunger strikers gathered in a reception room decorated with a giant poster of Ocalan. | <urn:uuid:b3b05d78-5fec-4e16-95aa-b47c9e3cf1e1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wmtw.com/news/national/Jailed-leader-urges-end-of-Kurdish-protest/-/8792078/17456690/-/item/1/-/yiq54j/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978185 | 434 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Bitcoin, the City traders' anarchic new toy
LONDON (Reuters) - Financial traders have a new toy: Bitcoin, a digital currency variously dismissed as a Ponzi scheme or lauded as the greatest invention since the Internet.
Unlike conventional fiat money and other digital currencies, Bitcoin runs through a peer-to-peer network, independent of central control. Bitcoins are currently worth $4.88 (3.05 pounds) each on online currency exchanges, where they can be bought and sold for about 15 world currencies.
Users - an odd assortment of uber-geeks, anarchists, libertarians, scammers and forex traders - sent about $4.3 million worth to each other in the last 24 hours.
Banking and payment expert Simon Lelieveldt believes they are living on borrowed time.
"There is always a power base underlying a currency," he said, speaking at the Digital Money Forum in London in March.
"Bitcoin is not going to fly because there is no central bank or power base. It's doomed to fail."
But its separation from power is precisely what attracts many users.
"Bitcoin is not run by people with hot sexual appetites for hotel maids. It is not run by corporations. It is not governed by people with budgets to meet. It is governed by a mathematical formula," one trader and Bitcoin enthusiast told Reuters over a pint of Guinness in London's financial district.
He also likes that there is an absolute limit of 21 million Bitcoins built into the system.
"If you try to print more than 21 million Bitcoins, you will be rejected by cold, loveless computers whirring away in nerds' garages. It is a better form of money than we have right now, or than anyone has designed so far."
The trader, who was not willing to be named, said he spent four hours a day on Bitcoin, describing it as his second job. He estimated 90 percent of traders have bought it, most "looking for a quick 2,000 percent".
He, however, is playing the long game, accumulating as much as possible in the belief that one day, he will own a small but significant percentage of a world currency with a fixed supply.
He and three other traders are currently seeking Bitcoin startups to invest in, he said, adding he was hoping to put in $300,000 worth.
WILD WEST FINANCE
He is not alone. Workers at Morgan Stanley (MS.N) and Goldman Sachs (GS.N) in London and New York have been visiting online Bitcoin exchanges as often as 30 times a day, according to documents seen by Reuters. Neither bank wanted to comment.
Employees at almost all the major international banks and numerous trading and investment firms have shown interest.
Bitcoin has become the Wild West of finance, with a proliferation of websites offering loosely regulated replicas of the services familiar to those in the financial industry.
There is a Bitcoin stock exchange, where companies can make initial public offerings and pay dividends in Bitcoin.
One website offering Bitcoin options trading was ‘listed' this month for an implied valuation of half a million dollars.
Perhaps the most notorious is Bitcoinica, a platform offering margin trading, short selling and stop orders run by 17-year-old Chinese high school student Zhou Tong.
Users can leverage their bets up to a ratio of 10:1 on Bitcoinica, meaning they can lose more than their initial investment.
Zhou Tong, who is professionally advised by a forex trader and the head of a Singapore-based algorithmic trading firm, now lends his name to international slang.
To be "Zhou Tonged" is to be wiped out financially.
The chorus of a YouTube rap laments a Bitcoin day trader rash enough to hold a position with no stop loss protection: "It's so silly, how come you just lost funds? You got Zhou Tonged!"
THE ANTI-BANK SYSTEM
Its popularity with financial professionals highlights an irony at the heart of the Bitcoin usership; suspicion of the banking system is written into the program's DNA.
It was released in January 2009 by a developer using the probable pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. Embedded in the code of its first block of transaction history are the words ‘The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks'.
This was a way of time-stamping the first Bitcoin transaction, but also a clue to the developer's motivation.
Before disappearing as an online presence in January 2010, Nakamoto made clear his disapproval of quantitative easing measures and blamed banks for creating credit bubbles.
Such sentiments are common among users.
"There are no bailouts of banks on Bitcoin," one put it.
WHAT IS IT FOR?
The Greek owner of an island bar and restaurant who accepts payment in Bitcoin alongside euros told Reuters he liked the currency because it was the opposite of a banking system.
"I don't put money in the banks," said Gerald, who did not give his surname. "I trust the euro as a note, but I don't trust banks. I don't want them making money out of my earnings."
Digital money consultant Jon Matonis, former head forex trader at Visa, said Bitcoin was a natural fit for societies that prefer cash payments.
"Try tell the Italians that they can't use cash any more. Try tell the Greeks!" he said.
Bitcoin payments are difficult to trace back to a person's identity, offering an anonymity that protects users from data-mining by advertising companies, but also facilitates illicit trade and has obvious potential for money launderers.
The currency gained notoriety alongside a website named Silk Road, where vendors offer to send heroin, LSD, or 9mm Beretta handguns in the post in exchange for Bitcoin.
Yet there are signs Bitcoin is finding a niche among ordinary people for everyday, legitimate transactions.
One British businessman in China said he regularly used it to deal with businesses in Asia, Europe and the Americas because of local restrictions on sending currency to foreign companies.
"I've been able to have cash in my bank account in a matter of hours using Bitcoin, rather than three days with traditional banking," he said.
Quietly, a growing list of businesses are starting to accept it for a wide range of goods, from legal services to food.
Matonis says it could be a perfect ‘digital poker chip' for online gambling and a competitive way for immigrants to send money back home.
Bitcoin poses a puzzle for regulators. It does not fit the UK Financial Services Authority's definition of e-money as it is not issued on the receipt of funds, according to an FSA response to a Bitcoin business that requested to be regulated in the UK.
But the creation of Bitcoin could amount to "issuing payment instruments" as long as Bitcoins in fact count as money, which is "if and when they become widely used", the FSA concluded.
A spokeswoman for the German Bundesbank told Reuters it was not classifying Bitcoins as e-currency.
She said EU law required only euros to be accepted as legal tender, but this was superseded by German law that allows those involved in a contract to determine its content. So Bitcoin is at least not illegal there.
The situation in the United States is even more complex, where financial regulation differs from state to state.
As Bitcoin is a huge distributed peer-to-peer system, any effort to enforce regulation would be difficult, though the exchanges, where Bitcoin is swapped for real-world currency, are potentially vulnerable.
A legal precedent could come from France, where the biggest online exchange, Mt Gox, is in dispute with Credit Mutuel's Credit Industriel et Commercial.
Mt Gox sued CIC after the bank closed its account. CIC said the company was illegally behaving as a financial intermediary and that using their account made the bank an accomplice, according to court documents.
The court told the bank to reopen the account and compensate Mt Gox, but it was unable to determine whether Bitcoin is a virtual currency under French law and thus subject to relevant regulation. It has referred the question to another court.
"If exchanges which are trying to walk the path of legality are being closed, then less law-friendly exchanges will thrive," commented Mt Gox head Mark Karpeles.
"This won't stop Bitcoin. It may just kill any chance Bitcoin has to become a clean way of paying merchants, friends and family."
Credit Mutuel declined to comment on the ongoing case.
The existence of Bitcoin is also an economic puzzle, raising questions about the definition of money itself.
Its value depends on users' belief that it is worth something. So does all money, but in the case of Bitcoin this faith could be more fragile.
It also runs up against standard economic theory that people will not spend money if they expect it to increase in value; the 21 million limit means once all Bitcoins are in circulation, there are no internal inflationary pressures to devalue it.
More of a threat is the tsunami of other digital forms of money that are beginning to be offered by states and companies.
The Royal Canadian Mint, for example, is exploring how to issue digital currency in the future. Its chief financial officer Marc Brule said Bitcoin's biggest problem was that it is not backed by anything.
"The system we would bring in would be backed by a fund," he told Reuters. "Bitcoin may work for the small group of people that believe in its value, but that could change very suddenly."
Without that backing or a similar power base, Bitcoin lives with the ever-present risk of failure.
"To be clear, I would say the same about the euro," said payment expert Lelieveldt.
(Reporting By Naomi O'Leary; Editing by Will Waterman)
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I'm just beginning my efforts to put together a family history of the Silberbergs of Red River County, Tx (Clarksville, specifically) and found this site. The original 4 brothers arrived, we think, about 1865 and included Leopold, Isadore, George and an unknown name. Don't see any of them listed in the 1900 Census. I have lots of questions. What's the best way to find birth and marriage records and the unknown brother's name? We believe burials would have been in Fairview Cemetary. How can I access those records? They had a business called Silberberg's Dry Goods (originally might have been George Silberberg & Brother). How can I find information on the store? Branches of the family included the Melvin Marx and Saul Rosenfield families. Are these too many questions? Thanks for your help! | <urn:uuid:5dedd9a5-af12-4a23-98f7-51b27759609a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://boards.ancestry.com/localities.northam.usa.states.texas.counties.redriver/946/mb.ashx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964096 | 180 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Graduates of the Monterey Institute’s new Master of Arts in International Education Management program are expected to fill key positions in the growing international education sector.
Monterey Children Enjoy First-Ever Interactive International Storytelling Event
April 9, 2009
Posted April 9, 2009
The Monterey Institute of International Studies today opened its doors – and the world – to more than 65 Monterey-area five- to eight-year-old children with its first-ever International Storytelling Event.
Students from the Walter Colton K-8 School and International School of Monterey learned about world cultures through folktales like “The Day It Snowed Tortillas” and other stories from countries like China, Armenia, Ireland and more.
The tales were told by 27 of the Institute’s Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages students in Dr. Peter Shaw’s Curriculum and Materials Design in English Language Education class.
Monterey Institute student and storyteller Thulile Ndaba said the best part about the event was sharing a piece of home. “The story I told is well known to almost everyone who grew up back home, but not all of them ever got to hear Grandmother tell it,” she said. “I shared from Africa, but also from my own childhood, and that is an honor!”
To prepare for their roles and practice their skills, Dr. Shaw’s students participated in storytelling training from the Monterey Public Library.
“In class, we discuss ways in which we can make learning meaningful, engaging, and effective for our learners. The wonderful staff at the Monterey Public Library did a workshop on storytelling,” Institute student and storyteller Rachel Josephs said, “showing us ways that we can get young children to participate actively in the story and how to maintain their interest.”
The event was also open to children of Monterey Institute students and faculty, and included a Monterey Public Library display table, activities and nutritious snacks.
Like this story? Here are a few suggestions:
The greatest hope of Bishnu Adhikari (MAIEP ’07) is that the humanitarian development work he and his colleagues undertake will someday make international aid unnecessary: “I hope one day to be out of a job!” | <urn:uuid:1b7f989a-97c6-4722-9037-9e8ef8477338> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.miis.edu/about/newsroom/stories/node/5711 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952624 | 485 | 1.523438 | 2 |
A story told in a straightforward style totally captivates Nicky Pellegrino.
Every now and then a book comes along that's brilliantly conceived and tightly written, yet there's nothing flashy about it. I think Australian writer Toni Jordan's third novel, Nine Days (Text, $37), falls into that rare and wonderful category.
Its story was inspired by a wartime newspaper photograph that Jordan kept pinned above her desk until the characters came to her. The picture, used on the cover of the book, was taken on a crowded platform at Melbourne railway station and shows a young woman hoisted up on people's shoulders so she can kiss her soldier sweetheart goodbye.
The plot Jordan constructs around this image tells the story of three generations of a working-class Melbourne family. She structures it by taking nine people and writing of one significant day in each of their lives, hence the title.
Nine Days opens in 1939 with Australia on the verge of war and young Kip Westaway forced to leave school to help support the family following the death of his drunken father. Full of vim despite his situation, it is this likeable character who remains at the heart of the book.
The novel reaches the present day but the chapters skip backwards and forwards between the generations so it's up to the reader to an extent to piece together the story and work out the connections between each person.
Chapter by chapter we meet Stanzi, the troubled counsellor, Charlotte, the flaky yoga teacher, moody teenager Alec, lovely Connie, sly Francis, long-suffering Jean and neighbours Jack and Annabel, who are important to them in different ways. Each of the nine voices is distinct and brimming with personality and by the finish every part of the jigsaw fits perfectly and you see the whole sweep of this romantic, thoughtful, heartbreaking story.
Somehow, Jordan achieves the feat of being both satirical of and compassionate to her characters. It is as if she is writing about blood relatives she cares for despite their flaws. There is a message here: life is fragile; those we love can be gone in an instant; hold on tight to them while you can, she is telling us.
Jordan's previous novels, Addition and Fall Girl, were smart, sassy and humorous. Nine Days has taken her to another level. More serious than her previous work but with the same astute observations, brightness and wit, it's a sensitive and beautiful novel, a slice of Australia's working-class history, that is a joy to read.
There remains a mystery surrounding the people in the photograph that so inspired the author. It was found in the archives of The Argus newspaper and so far the couple haven't been identified. While it would be interesting to discover the truth, Jordan's fiction feels honest and real enough to stand in its stead in the meantime.By Nicky Pellegrino | <urn:uuid:6163f60e-88e7-4dae-a2c3-caaa89cb910f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nzherald.co.nz/books/news/article.cfm?c_id=134&objectid=10831438 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969388 | 589 | 1.65625 | 2 |
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NWIC marks 30 years with new governance, business BA
The degree in Tribal Governance and Business Management furthers college’s growth as 4-year degree granting institution
Northwest Indian College’s (NWIC) evolution from the Lummi Indian School of Aquaculture to a college that now offers more diverse educational opportunities mirrors a growing nationwide demand for post-secondary education in tribal communities. Now, as NWIC celebrates 30 years of serving both regional and other tribes, the college continues to evolve and grow to meet new demands in Indian Country.
One of NWIC’s focuses in recent years has been on expanding its reach to more tribal communities and on providing students with the option to obtain culturally relevant four-year degrees without leaving those communities.
In February, NWIC’s growth continued when the college was approved to offer its third bachelor’s degree, a Bachelor of Arts in Tribal Governance and Business Management, by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, which oversees regional accreditation for 162 institutions.
“This is another important step in our evolution and growth as a four-year degree granting institution,” NWIC President Justin Guillory said. “All of our new bachelor degrees, like the Tribal Governance and Business Management degree, are intended to meet the needs of tribal communities, and to equip our students with the knowledge and skills needed to become leaders in their communities and obtain employment in order to support their families.”
The goal is to begin offering program classes – both as in-person and telecourses – at NWIC’s main campus on the Lummi Reservation by spring quarter 2013 or fall 2013 at the latest, said NWIC’s Public and Tribal Administration Coordinator Laural Ballew, who co-developed the program and its curriculum with NWIC business instructor Steve Zawoysky.
Eventually, NWIC will expand the degree offering to its six regional extended campuses as well, Ballew said.
The new bachelor’s was developed in response to a community needs survey that identified it as a degree that would be most beneficial to tribal communities, Ballew said.
“Our focus on a degree in tribal governance resulted from collaboration with tribal leaders, managers, scholars and students who recognize the importance of preparing the future leaders of tribal communities,” Ballew said.
Ballew, who is Swinomish, said she is excited and honored to be able to offer the Tribal Governance and Business Management baccalaureate degree program at NWIC.
“This signifies a momentous opportunity not only for NWIC, but for all the tribal nations we serve,” Ballew said. “It represents the vision of educational opportunities our elders and tribal leaders have strived to provide for tribal members. Offering this degree is a natural extension of our efforts to promote indigenous self-determination and knowledge through the teaching of tribal sovereignty and leadership, sound decision making and business practices based on cultural values.”
The Tribal Governance and Business Management program will offer students the fundamental knowledge and experience necessary to succeed in the areas of leadership, sovereignty, economic development, entrepreneurship and management, Ballew said.
The degree will include courses in: principles of sovereignty; Native nation building; tribal and public administration; business management; economic development; and leadership.
NWIC was approved as a baccalaureate degree granting institution in 2010 and currently offers a Bachelor of Science in Native Environmental Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Native Studies Leadership. In addition to the degree in Tribal Governance and Business Management, NWIC is currently developing a bachelor’s degree in human services, which is expected to be completed by next year. | <urn:uuid:cab01cfb-f01c-4ec7-b181-19cfffd9646b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nwic.edu/news/nwic-marks-30-years-new-ba-future-tribal-leaders | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944467 | 863 | 1.601563 | 2 |
ASHLAND, Ohio – Ashland University senior Karie Charlton was recently awarded a $3,350 grant from the Ohio EPA’s Environmental Education Fund.
The EPA’s Environmental Education Fund was created to encourage education in environmental science and engineering, and to provide funds for above-average undergraduates. The scholarship is awarded to students based on grade-point average, unique contributions to the field, and extracurricular activities.
“The man called early in the morning and I was so surprised that I still didn't believe it after I got off the phone with him,” says Charlton. “I went through an application process and got two really great letters of recommendation.”
Charlton has spent the past two summers working at environmental education camps for children. The first summer she spent working at the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Learning Center at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Her second summer was spent at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and its Dunes Learning Center in Porter, Ind.
“Both summers gave me the opportunity to work with inner city kids and teach them all about nature, which is one of my passions,” says Charlton. “I went to summer camp for about eight years and I knew that I wanted to be a counselor at some point. I found that there were science related camps and then it all kind of fell into place.”
Charlton says that she hopes to be able to work with children in the future to teach them about the environment and nature.
Charlton, who is the daughter of Tom and Jill Charlton of Jelloway and a 2007 graduate of Loudonville High School, is currently serving her third year as the Ashland University Community Service intern and her second year as co-leader for Habitat for Humanity.
She has also been a member of the Alpha Phi sorority for three years, which she said has helped her gain leadership skills and further her involvement with community service.
“We’re very proud of her,” says her mother Jill Charlton. “It’s exciting to see that she is being recognized in this way.”
Charlton said that her academics are very important to her. She has managed to stay on the Dean’s List for the past three years.
Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students. | <urn:uuid:cc0aeb6e-25c6-4342-94bc-8c62865840aa> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ashland.edu/news/2010-09-16/alumni/ashland-university-senior-receives-grant?page=2 | 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 | 0.979811 | 554 | 1.742188 | 2 |
As new ways to engage consumers and market products on the social Web keep multiplying, it’s important to stay abreast of best practices for brands. Research firm Psychster partnered with Allrecipes.com to find out which types of advertising yield the best results.
The study tested 7 different types of ads on two different publisher Web sites, Facebook and Allrecipes:
- Banner ads
- Newsletter subscription ads
- Corporate profiles with fans and logos
- Corporate profiles without fans and logos
- Get widgets
- Give widgets
- Sponsored content
Participants were shown a video of an ad type and an interaction and were asked to rate how likely they were to interact with the ad as the video did. They were also asked what their opinion was of the brand sponsoring the ads (either a car brand or a soup brand).
- Banner ads and newsletter links were the most successful at encouraging purchase.
- Sponsored content produced the highest interaction ratings, but the lowest purchase intent and viral recommendations of the 7 ad types. So this type of ad may be a good marketing strategy for raising brand awareness and generating positive associations/brand engagement, but isn’t the best choice for increasing sales.
- Corporate profiles caused higher purchase intent only when people could become a fan and put a logo on their own profile.
- Give and get widgets were more engaging than banners and newsletters, but they didn’t increase purchase intent or the likelihood of recommending a product to a friend. Since widgets are pricey, tweets and links may be a better choice.
- The success of an ad was increased by matching the brand with the Web site (e.g. a soup ad on a recipe site).
- If your goals are brand awareness and positive associations, sponsored content may be your best bet.
- If you’re trying to increase purchasing and loyalty, go with profiles that allow people to become fans and add logos to their own profiles.
- If you’re targeting purchasing and the best ROI, good old banners and newsletters rule. | <urn:uuid:b6a4613c-5857-4543-ae4f-7594ba4b48ea> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pamorama.net/2010/03/31/what-types-of-social-media-ads-are-most-effective-for-brands-stats/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949533 | 422 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the combination of learning activities through which registrants maintain and extend their knowledge and skills in order to remain safe to practise. For Associate Nutritionists it is an essential part of their progress towards full Registered Nutritionist status.
AfN endorses CPD learning activities provided by other organisations to enhance the competence of nutritionists, using content that is clearly referenced to scientific evidence and/or professional practice. AfN Endorsed CPD is delivered by a wide range of providers in an even wider range of formats. And all AfN Endorsed CPD has been evaluated against our Standards of Endorsement, so it carries the good name and industry respect of AfN. | <urn:uuid:c9f60906-3d37-463d-a4a0-741ca93374d6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.associationfornutrition.org/default.aspx?tabid=75 | 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 | 0.941346 | 144 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Liberty & Power: Group Blog
The new Iraqi interim government scheduled to take control on July 1 will have only"limited sovereignty" over the country and no authority over U.S. and coalition military forces already there, senior State and Defense officials told Congress this week.
And Iraqi women will experience only limited pregnancy.
What planet is that woman living on? That's what political campaigns routinely do. She ran Michael Dukakis’s presidential campaign in 1988, so she did it herself!
I am not at all surprised, but I am profoundly saddened, that circumstances force me to revisit a topic that I would have greatly preferred not to have to discuss again. That subject is a military draft. To begin with, we have this news story:
A senior Republican lawmaker said that deteriorating security in Iraq (news - web sites) may force the United States to reintroduce the military draft.But I thought that Hagel said that"[t]here's not an American...that doesn't understand what we are engaged in today." So why do we need to reinstitute the draft to force"our citizens to understand the intensity and depth of challenges we face"? But blatant contradictions such as this one do not disturb those who propose the most profound violation of individual rights possible. The story goes on:
"There's not an American ... that doesn't understand what we are engaged in today and what the prospects are for the future," Senator Chuck Hagel told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on post-occupation Iraq.
"Why shouldn't we ask all of our citizens to bear some responsibility and pay some price?" Hagel said, arguing that restoring compulsory military service would force"our citizens to understand the intensity and depth of challenges we face."
The Nebraska Republican added that a draft, which was ended in the early 1970s, would spread the burden of military service in Iraq more equitably among various social strata.Note that those who advocate a return to the draft aren't speaking of spreading"benefits" in the manner that pandering politicians like to, especially when they are disposing of the money belonging to other American citizens. No, this time they speak of spreading"the burden" -- even if that"burden" might include the deaths of countless Americans -- and of making us understand issues which they consider us too stupid to grasp without a gun pointed at our heads.
"Those who are serving today and dying today are the middle class and lower middle class," he observed.
And in looking around the blogosphere, we find a stunningly casual acceptance of the legitimacy of a draft. For example, Daily Kos indicates that he completely agrees with Hagel. Isn't it nice that completely negating a man's right to his own life can unite Republicans and Democrats? Kos explained the basis of his agreement here:
Unlike most people around these parts, I actually support a military draft (with the option of alternate service for conscientious objectors). I think the burdens of our Democracy should be shared by all. And as a side benefit, the more people serve, the more stake everyone will have in potential military conflicts. It's a lot easier to advocate for war if you don't know anyone who might suffer consequences. It's a lot harder to remain aloof if war may impact your friends, children, or grandchildren.So Kos maintains that"each life" is"precious" -- while he simultaneously claims that the government has the"right" to dispose of however many of its citizens' lives it deems appropriate. As I said, people who endorse barbarism are seldom choosy about the arguments they employ. In addition, Kos has the practical issue precisely backwards, as we shall see in a moment.
Instead, we have a professional army isolated, culturally and literally, from the vast majority of the American public. We have war supporters who argue that 100 dead this month is no big deal because more people died during WWII. They callously claim that 700 US dead for this war is a"small price", as though each life wasn't precious. They argue that we can't give Iraqis their country back because (and where have we heard this before?) that would invalidate the sacrifice of the hundreds who have already perished.
Atrios is casually breezy and noncommittal:
I have mixed feelings about the draft. Though, the farther away I get from prime draft age the less I actually like the idea."Mixed feelings" -- about whether a person has a right to his own life or not. Well, that's a point of view, although not one deserving of any admiration, even in a microscopic degree.
Matthew Yglesias has also weighed in on this subject:
Now you'll note that this plan [this one] involves conscription. Personally, I favor conscription. Nevertheless, this falls under the category of S[***] That Ain't Gonna Happen. But the plan doesn't really require conscription, it just requires a great deal more manpower than current recruitment policies are going to generate. Many people are just ideologically opposed to conscription -- let the market work! -- I have the reverse view.That statement is admirable, if only for its clarity, although it is contemptible in every other way.
From the opposite political pole, The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler's comments (from quite a while ago, but I couldn't find any more recent ones) might seem marginally better at first glance, but in fact they are not:
The draft is something that you only ever institute as a last resort if you're caught up in a long war that you have to win and you've run out of volunteers, and even THEN it's a bad idea. But in that case it's at least better than the alternative.A few questions instantly crop up: How exactly did the country get into this"long war"? Is it a war worth fighting, or winning? Could it be fought in some other way? And if"you've run out of volunteers," that might suggest that the average citizen does not feel it's a war worth fighting, at least not in the way it's being fought. But this endorsement of a draft"as a last resort" means only that a man has a right to his own life -- except when the government decides, on the basis of reasons with which you may well disagree, that you don't. In other words, your right to your own life is provisional -- which means that you don't have that right. We'll see answers to the other questions, and additional ones, in a moment.
As you are probably all too well aware, there are innumerable other voices, both in the blogosphere and in our culture more generally, that share all these views.
In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, I heard a few politicians float trial balloons about the return of the draft. Mercifully, that talk seems to have died down for the moment. I would not be at all surprised, however, if that notion is revived, and perhaps in the not too distant future. If it is, I urge every one of you to oppose a draft in the strongest terms possible, and in every way you can. If you genuinely value freedom and individual rights, a draft is an abomination, and deserves to be condemned by all people everywhere.In earlier posts about a draft, I quoted from an Ayn Rand essay,"The Wreckage of the Consensus," from 1967. I will repeat a few of those passages here, since Rand discusses every important aspect of this issue, and far more eloquently than I could (I've added the highlights):
Of all the statist violations of individual rights in a mixed economy, the military draft is the worst. It is an abrogation of rights. It negates man's fundamental right--the right to life--and establishes the fundamental principle of statism: that a man's life belongs to the state, and the state may claim it by compelling him to sacrifice it in battle. Once that principle is accepted, the rest is only a matter of time.In another earlier post, I also quoted this passage from the same essay:
If the state may force a man to risk death or hideous maiming and crippling, in a war declared at the state's discretion, for a cause he may neither approve of nor even understand, if his consent is not required to send him into unspeakable martyrdom--then, in principle, all rights are negated in that state, and its government is not man's protector any longer. What else is there left to protect?
The most immoral contradiction--in the chaos of today's anti-ideological groups--is that of the so-called" conservatives," who posture as defenders of individual rights, particularly property rights, but uphold and advocate the draft. By what infernal evasion can they hope to justify the proposition that creatures who have no right to life, have the right to a bank account? A slightly higher--though not much higher--rung of hell should be reserved for those"liberals" who claim that man has the"right" to economic security, public housing, medical care, education, recreation, but no right to life, or: that man has the right to livelihood, but not to life. [Note that passage well, those bloggers referenced above.]
One of the notions used by all sides to justify the draft, is that"rights impose obligations." Obligations, to whom?--and imposed, by whom? Ideologically, that notion is worse than the evil it attempts to justify: it implies that rights are a gift from the state, and that a man has to buy them by offering something (his life) in return. Logically, that notion is a contradiction: since the only proper function of a government is to protect man's rights, it cannot claim title to his life in exchange for that protection.
The only"obligation" involved in individual rights is an obligation imposed, not by the state, but by the nature of reality (i.e., by the law of identity): consistency, which, in this case, means the obligation to respect the rights of others, if one wishes one's own rights to be recognized and protected.
Politically, the draft is clearly unconstitutional. No amount of rationalization, neither by the Supreme Court nor by private individuals, can alter the fact that it represents"involuntary servitude."
A volunteer army is the only proper, moral--and practical--way to defend a free country. Should a man volunteer to fight, if his country is attacked? Yes--if he values his own rights and freedom. A free (or even semi-free) country has never lacked volunteers in the face of foreign aggression. Many military authorities have testified that a volunteer army--an army of men who know what they are fighting for and why--is the best, most effective army, and that a drafted one is the least effective.
It is often asked:"But what if a country cannot find a sufficient number of volunteers?" Even so, this would not give the rest of the population a right to the lives of the country's young men. But, in fact, the lack of volunteers occurs for one of two reasons: (1) If a country is demoralized by a corrupt, authoritarian government, its citizens will not volunteer to defend it. But neither will they fight for long, if drafted. For example, observe the literal disintegration of the Czarist Russian army in World War I. (2) If a country's government undertakes to fight a war for some reason other than self-defense, for a purpose which the citizens neither share nor understand, it will not find many volunteers. Thus a volunteer army is one of the best protectors of peace, not only against foreign aggression, but also against any warlike ideologies or projects on the part of a country's own government.As I said, Kos had the practical point exactly backwards, and now you know why.
Not many men would volunteer for such wars as Korea or Vietnam. Without the power to draft, the makers of our foreign policy would not be able to embark on adventures of that kind. This is one of the best practical reasons for the abolition of the draft.
People also ought to remember the consequences to which a draft must necessarily, and logically, lead (also from the essay):
The practical question of the country's military protection is not the issue at stake; it is not the chief concern of the draft's supporters. Some of them may be motivated by routine, traditional notions and fears; but, on a national scale, there is a deeper motive involved.So much for the Republicans' dedication to individual rights, a despicable tradition which Hagel continues today.
When a vicious principle is accepted implicitly, it does not take long to become explicit: pressure groups are quick to find practical advantages in its logical implications. For instance, in World War II, the military draft was used as a justification for proposals to establish labor conscription--i.e., compulsory labor service for the entire population, with the government empowered to assign anyone to any job of its choice."If men can be drafted to die for their country," it was argued,"why can't they be drafted to work for their country?" Two bills embodying such proposals were introduced in Congress, but, fortunately, were defeated. The second of those bills had an interesting quirk: drafted labor, it proposed, would be paid a union scale of wages--in order not to undercut union scales--but, in"fairness" to the military draftees, the labor draftees would be given only the equivalent of army pay, and the rest of their wages would go to the government. (!)
What political group, do you suppose, came up with a notion of this kind? Both bills were introduced by Republicans--and were defeated by organized labor, which was the only large economic group standing between us and a totalitarian state.
Finally, I want to include a passage from Rand's essay that I had only alluded to before. This passage makes real the psychological and personal consequences and costs of a draft -- and I would urge everyone who thinks that a draft is a"good" idea or that it might be"necessary" under certain circumstances to consider the following very, very carefully (and with regard to monetary figures, remember this is from 1967):
No exact estimates of the cost of a volunteer army have been offered, but the approximate estimates place it at about four billion dollars a year.Rand then points out what the actual motive is with regard to those who advocate a draft -- and I would apply this analysis to anyone who seriously considers the resurrection of a draft for more than a millisecond:
Hold this figure in mind. Hold it while you read about our national budget in the daily papers--and while you hold also, clearly and specifically, the image of what this figure would buy.
The years from about fifteen to twenty-five are the crucial formative years of a man's life. This is the time when he confirms his impressions of the world, of other men, of the society in which he is to live, when he acquires conscious convictions, defines his moral values, chooses his goals, and plans his future, developing or renouncing ambition. These are the years that mark him for life. And it is these years that an allegedly humanitarian society forces him to spend in terror--the terror of knowing that he can plan nothing and count on nothing, that any road he takes can be blocked at any moment by an unpredictable power, that, barring his vision of the future, there stands the gray shape of the barracks, and, perhaps, beyond it, death for some unknown reason in some alien jungle [or desert, I might add, today].
A pressure of that kind is devastating to a young man's psychology, if he grasps the issue consciously--and still worse, if he doesn't.
The first thing he is likely to give up, in either case, is his intellect: an intellect does not function on the premise of its own impotence. If he acquires the conviction that existence is hopeless, that his life is in the hands of some enormous, incomprehensible evil, if he develops a helpless, searing contempt for the hypocrisy of his elders, and a profound hatred for all mankind--if he seeks to escape from that inhuman psychological pressure by turning to the beatnik cult of the immediate moment, by screaming:"Now, now, now!" (he has nothing else but that"now"), or by dulling his terror and killing the last of his mind with LSD--don't blame him. Brothers, you asked for it!
This is what four billion dollars would buy--this is what it would spare him and every other young man in the country and every person who loves them. Remember down what drains our money is being poured today: according to the Federal budget for fiscal year 1968, we will spend 4.5 billion on foreign aid and allied projects, 5.3 billion on space programs, 11.3 billion on just one of the many, many departments dealing with public welfare--yet we claim that we cannot afford four billion dollars to save our youth from the agony of a mangling, brutalizing psychological torture.
But, of course, the real motive behind that social crime is not financial: the issue of costs is merely a rationalization. The real motive may be detected in the following statement made by Lieutenant General Lewis B. Hershey, Director of the Selective Service System, on June 24, 1966:"I am not concerned with the uncertainty involved in keeping our citizenry believing that they owe something to their country. There are too many, too many people that think individualism has to be completely recognized, even if the group rights go to the devil."That, I submit, is one of the clearest statements of the essence of evil that you are likely to hear. And hear this: a man's right to his own life has to be completely recognized, or it is not recognized at all. If you claim the right to dispose of one day, or one week, or one month, or two or three years of a man's life -- and if you also claim the right to send that man to what may be his death -- it means that he has no right to his own life. None at all. And it means that you are a slavemaster.
Those who now advocate the return to a draft should at least have the decency to name what they are. And I repeat: they are slavemasters. By what"right" do they claim that they may send another human being to his death? It is not a right -- it is a power. And it is the power of every bloody dictatorship that the world has ever seen.
There can be no more important issue than the question of a draft -- for the simple reason that there is no more fundamental issue than a man's right to his life. Either he has that right, or he does not. If you support a draft, you deny that right -- and it is obscene for you to talk of any other rights at all. If you can kill a man against his will, it does not matter whether he has a"right" to an education, or to health care, or to an"economic livelihood," or to any other"right" that you care to dream up.
I will offer these final thoughts. The one supreme, irreplaceable value in this world is that represented and embodied by a single, individual human life. No other human being has any"right" to demand that another person give up his life, even for a single second. With regard to most of those who seriously advocate a return to the draft, and do so over any substantial period of time, I am close to certain that none of them has the slightest understanding of the meaning -- and the sacred nature -- of that irreplaceable value. And they probably never will.
If He did exist, only God could forgive them for such a crime against humanity, and against every person on this earth who does understand the sacred meaning of an individual life, and against even those who do not understand it fully themselves but still recognize that another person's life is not theirs to dispose of.
Anyone who advocates a draft deserves a special place in Hell -- and if a draft were to be implemented again, we would have a Hell on earth soon enough. If you doubt it, consult history. And then think about the issue. Think long and hard.
It's not too late yet, but the hour is much later than you might have thought. And given the common, widespread acceptance of the legitimacy of a draft, together with the fact that we are told the war on terror will go on for decades, Hell may be closer than any of us would choose to believe.
(Cross-posted at The Light of Reason.)
Chris Matthew Sciabarra
I got up this morning and, while having a little breakfast, I decided to watch a bit of the morning news shows. First up was the Today show. Matt Lauer was busy interviewing Sen. Joseph Biden and Sen. Chuck Hagel about the buzz concerning the military draft. The gents were also kind enough to let us know that the administration is sitting on a $50 to 75 billion request for additional funds to maintain troops in Iraq. Biden was quick to point out that this is not money for Iraq reconstruction; it is strictly for the maintenance of troops, except that the Bush administration is a little hesitant, it seems, to bring this up in an election year.
Next, I checked out Good Morning America, which had a story on the controversial decision by the Seattle Times to run a photo of flag-draped coffins coming home from the Iraq war. Mike Fancher, Executive Editor of the Times, defended the decision of his paper; he felt the photo conveyed the respect and reverence shown to the dead. But Rep. Mike Castle (R) of Delaware said that this policy of restricting the publication of such photos has been on the books since 1991 out of respect to the families. Could it be that the Pentagon is just trying to sanitize the war for American consumption? Of course not.
Alas, we wouldn't want a repetition of the Vietnam syndrome, where daily images of death and destruction came flowing through the media, almost unfiltered, so as to turn even Walter Cronkite against the war. It prompted LBJ to say,"if we've lost Walter Cronkite, we've lost the country"
Once I'd gotten my dosage of the news shows, I opened up the paper. I read another installment of the NY Daily Newsinvestigation about the increasing number of US troops exposed to uranium dust in Iraq. The paper reports:"An independent test conducted at The News' request found that four of the men tested positive for depleted uranium, which because of its heaviness is used to make shells and coat armored vehicles. A study by the Army in 1990 linked depleted uranium to 'chemical toxicity causing kidney damage.'"
The possibility of a coming military draft. Troops in need of additional monies. Restricted access to coffin photos. And depleted uranium toxicity among military fodder. As the media gets un-embedded from the administration's ass, perhaps we'll learn more about how miserable war is—for those who are fighting it. Especially a war like this one that is causing far more"blowback" than was first anticipated.
After reading this it occurred to me that the entire case against pulling our troops out of Iraq tomorrow is based on a delusion. It is the idea that somehow we are in control of things there and if we leave, the country will descend into chaos. But, how can we believe that we are in control when an American, even a heavily armed American, cannot walk the streets with even a bare minimum of safety? Who are we kidding?
And, I believe that if our soldiers come home and the Iraqi people begin to kill one another then that is on their heads. It is their responsibility to find away to live in peace with one another, not ours. It is our responsibility to stop killing people ourselves.
That's not quite right. It will help put a lot more scientism into political scientism.
David T. Beito
David T. Beito
"We don't want to put troops into a situation that is increasingly a public-relations problem for the president," said Stephen Moore, president of the Club for Growth, a group of conservative political donors."No one wants body bags coming home in September and October."
Or November 1 or 2.
You can be certain that a disaster must be in the making, when reality manages to seep through even into the editorial ranks at National Review. Via Matthew Barganier (and as David Beito already mentioned here), I note that those self-same editors who have been endlessly advocating for remaking the entire Middle East -- for which project the invasion of Iraq was only the very first domino, you will undoubtedly recall -- are now announcing that we must be"realistic," and they even dare to criticize the Bush Administration for believing its own propaganda!
I mean, really. How much lower can you get:
Since the conclusion of the war, the Bush administration has shown a dismaying capacity to believe its own public relations. The post-war looting was explained away as the natural and understandable exuberance of a newly-liberated people. (Now some Coalition officials suggest that a crackdown would have sped the reconstruction.) Secretary of defense Donald Rumsfeld denied the obvious reality of a guerrilla resistance and compared it to urban street crime in the United States. Every piece of good news has been hailed as turning the corner, even as the insurgency has remained stubbornly strong.Of course, being anxious to maintain their credibility and avoid a quick trip to the Institute for the Criminally Ignorant, also known as the Asylum for Deluded Nation-Builders, the NR editors are quick to assure us that the invasion of Iraq was not a"neoconservative war," and that it was urged"primarily" only as a war"to serve U.S. interests."
It is easy now to pick at what seem to have been errors in the occupation. There probably weren't enough troops. The administration probably wasn't determined enough to get international help, even on its own terms — although this would have had to happen in an environment poisoned by U.N. fecklessness and French bad faith in the run-up to the war. The administration clearly wasn't ready for the magnitude of the task that rebuilding and occupying Iraq would present.
Even if the administration had avoided these mistakes and made all moves correctly, it is still possible Iraq would be very messy. But this concession points to an intellectual mistake made prior to the occupation: an underestimation in general of the difficulty of implanting democracy in alien soil, and an overestimation in particular of the sophistication of what is fundamentally still a tribal society and one devastated by decades of tyranny. This was largely, if not entirely, a Wilsonian mistake. The Wilsonian tendency has grown stronger in conservative foreign-policy thought in recent years, with both benefits (idealism should occupy an important place in American foreign policy, and almost always has) and drawbacks (as we have seen in Iraq, the world isn't as malleable as some Wilsonians would have it).
But this is only true if you construe"U.S. interests" to require regime change for every third- or fourth-rate dictatorship in the world -- and if you believe that the existence of any government not to our liking gravely imperils our own safety. Simple common sense ought to inform you that this is clearly and obviously not the case (and a tiny smattering of history wouldn't hurt either) -- but common sense and the kind of lowered"expectations" that NR urges now, now that Iraq shows every sign of exploding into even more of a hell on earth than it was before, are qualities that have been notably absent from the pages of National Review for more than a year. And after pushing the notion of turning Iraq into a model of democracy for the Middle East, they actually have the nerve to say that"it is time for reality to drive our Iraq policy, unhindered by illusions or wishful thinking." (The title of the editorial is, and I do not make this up:"An End to Illusion." We've gone through the looking glass, Alice.)
If the NR editors truly expect us to believe that they never endorsed the kind of neoconservative nation-building project that requires projecting American force into every corner of the globe, then the only possible response is the one Al Franken employs when confronted by similar instances of mendacity. This is not to suggest that I agree with Franken's liberal politics; obviously, I do not. But his response is the only appropriate one that comes to mind:
There, I feel better now. Try it. Say it as loudly and in as drawn-out a manner as you can. You'll feel better, too. I guarantee it.
(Cross-posted at The Light of Reason.)
UPDATE: If you want to consider a remarkably blatant example of the kind of foreign policy"thinking" that goes on at National Review, consider my discussion of a Jonah Goldberg article from a number of months ago. Goldberg's policy prescriptions are typical of NR; the only difference is that, in this instance, he was unusually clear about his motives and goals.
Chris Matthew Sciabarra
Kirkpatrick points out what many of us here at L&P already know:
A growing faction of conservatives is voicing doubts about a prolonged United States military involvement in Iraq, putting hawkish neoconservatives on the defensive and posing questions for President Bush about the degree of support he can expect from his political base. The continuing violence and mounting casualties in Iraq have given new strength to the traditional conservative doubts about using American military power to remake other countries and about the potential for Western-style democracy without a Western cultural foundation.
Yeah, this is the same"traditional conservative doubt" that candidate Bush himself expressed during the 2000 campaign, when he explicitly renounced"nation-building" as a goal of US foreign policy. My, how times have changed.
Back to Kirkpatrick: The neocons" championed the invasion of Iraq as a way to turn that country into a bastion of democracy in the Middle East. ... 'In late May of last year, we neoconservatives were hailed as great visionaries,' said Kenneth R. Weinstein, chief operating officer of the Hudson Institute, a center of neoconservative thinking. 'Now we are embattled, both within the conservative movement and in the battle over postwar planning. Those of us who favored a more muscular approach to American foreign policy and a more Wilsonian view of our efforts in Iraq find ourselves pitted against more traditional conservatives, who have more isolationist instincts to begin with, and they are more willing to say,"Bring the boys home,"' Mr. Weinstein said."
The war has been responsible for"upending some of the familiar dynamics of left and right." Indeed, people like William Kristol of The Weekly Standard have stated explicitly that they'd"take Bush over Kerry, but Kerry over Buchanan or any of the lesser Buchananites on the right." Kristol claims that he is even ready to"make common cause with the more hawkish liberals and fight the conservatives." He might as well, because this administration, with its welfare-warfare nation-building budget-busting deficits, Medicare reform, and constitutional amendment proposals, has spelled the total end of conservatism as it was once known. It is therefore no surprise to see his willingness to support Kerry. Kerry and Bush are almost indistinguishable in their views on the war in Iraq! As David Beito pointed out, Kerry is not an"antiwar" candidate. On his own site, Kerry publishes his recent Washington Post essay, where he writes:"Our country is committed to help the Iraqis build a stable, peaceful and pluralistic society. No matter who is elected president in November, we will persevere in that mission."
This is why I've maintained:"What does it matter who gets elected? What's the sense of it? Sure, you can register your protests by voting defensively, against this or that candidate. But until or unless this system is fundamentally transformed, it's almost immaterial who becomes President." This is why I've maintained that once a war is institutionalized, Presidents of either party almost never reverse course.
Big Deal: National Review reflects on the neocon"Wilsonian" error. Even they are now considering the long-term costs to"limited government and lower taxes" brought on by the prospect of"extended occupation." But their boys got into the White House, and, as Kirkpatrick observes,"President Bush appears to be sticking to [their] Wilsonian goals."
Of course, the problem is precisely as Colin Powell described it. In his 60 minutes interview, Bob Woodward tells us that, upon hearing of the planned Iraq incursion, Powell warned Bush of the unintended consequences (what the CIA likes to call"blowback"):"You are going to be the proud owner of 25 million people. You will own all their hopes, aspirations and problems. You’ll own it all."
More pointedly, he said:"If you break it, you own it." Yeah, Iraq was broken to begin with, under Saddam Hussein's brutal dictatorship. But it wasn't a US welfare state and it wasn't an imminent threat to US interests. As Woodward said, the administration is now faced with the awful reality that they may have achieved"victory without success." How many more Americans will have to die in the name of this"victory"?
David T. Beito
The effort of conservatives to portray Kerry as an antiwar or even pro-UN candidate does not hold water. At least on Iraq policy, he has given us an echo rather than a choice.
George Will has an intriguing and unusually thoughtful column in Newsweek:
The president correctly says,"It's not a civil war." But that is bad news. Were it a civil war, many Iraqis would be eagerly fighting the insurgents, and we could help them. Perhaps Iraqis are, as the president says,"a proud and independent people." But they have no living memory of moderate politics of which they can be proud. Hence America's necessarily hurried attempts to build political and civil structures that will generate and legitimize an Iraqi leader who can be more durable than Kerensky was.And I agree with the second part of Will's last point:"Pessimists are right more often than not, and when they are wrong they are pleased to be so."
These attempts are Wilsonian, expressing President Woodrow Wilson's belief that America's mission—a practical mission—is to pacify the world by multiplying free governments. Wilson, a former professor of political science, was not the last or wisest Wilson in that profession.
Three and a half decades ago, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, then an adviser to Richard Nixon, urged the president to listen to"the smartest man in America." James Q. Wilson still is that. He had been Moynihan's colleague on the Harvard faculty, and is the pre-eminent political scientist of our time. ...
[Bush] might profit from pondering the foreign policy pertinence of this James Q. Wilson thought about why the combination of economic affluence and personal freedom is an achievement relatively rare in human experience:
"So common have despotic regimes been that some scholars have argued that they are, unhappily, the natural state of human rule. This tendency raises a profound question: Does human nature lend itself to freedom? It is not difficult to make arguments for personal freedom, but the history of mankind suggests that human autonomy usually will be subordinated to political control. If that is true, then our effort to increase individual freedom is an evolutionary oddity, a weak and probably vain effort to equip people with an opportunity some do not want and many will readily sacrifice."
Nothing would have pleased me more than to have been completely wrong about my predictions of the disastrous effects of our current foreign policy, both internationally and domestically. But after an enormous amount of reading and thinking, I was convinced that I was right -- as events tragically continue to confirm every day.
P.S. I discussed how rare the achievement of genuine freedom has been historically in much more detail in this post.
Chris Matthew Sciabarra | <urn:uuid:7ff0dd6d-5a89-42ff-83da-63485cb2a47e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://historynewsnetwork.org/blogs/archives/4/200404?page=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966568 | 7,495 | 1.578125 | 2 |
First of all, the whole entire world is critical of the way women look. Whether you are a supermodel, a teenager or even Secretary of State, if you’re a female, there are people all around you ready to tell you how bad your body looks. Secondly, the idea that women are valuable only for their beauty permeates nearly every facet of modern society, from the billboards we walk past to the social media we use daily. And this idea that women should be reduced to their appearance originated almost entirely in the minds and actions of men. And it is still largely perpetuated today by men – who run over 90% of our media.
So to say women are their own “worst critics” when it comes to beauty puts the blame on women for a beauty-obsessed, body-shaming and misogynistic world created and maintained largely by dudes.
A catcall is entirely about reminding you that you are not yours. The purity myth is entirely about reminding you that you are not yours. The fetishization of female purity in a world where catcalls are an acceptable form of communication telegraphs one thing very clearly:
“Women, stop sexualizing yourselves—that’s our job, and you’re taking all the fun out of it.”
The sexualization of women is only appealing if it’s nonconsensual. Otherwise it’s “sluttiness,” and sluttiness is agency and agency is threatening." | <urn:uuid:4975ef6b-e122-489a-a7d0-ffe8acdfe143> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lillalejon.tumblr.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943199 | 308 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Members of the Public Service Board confer during a hearing on the Certificate of Public Good for Vermont Yankee on Monday in Barre.
BARRE — The Public Service Board routinely considers the economic impact of Vermont’s utilities, but lawyers for the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant argued Monday that federal laws that bar the board from considering safety issues would also apply to any economic issues that might arise if there were an accident at the Vernon reactor.
The comments from lawyers for New Orleans-based Entergy Corp., seeking a new state permit to keep Vermont Yankee running, came on the first of five days of technical hearings scheduled during the next two weeks.
The company is seeking the new state certificate of public good — required along with the federal license it got from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2011 — against the backdrop of efforts by the administration of Gov. Peter Shumlin and the Legislature to force the state’s only nuclear plant to shut down.
Vermont Yankee originally was scheduled to cease operations last March 21, its 40th birthday. But it is one of dozens of nuclear plants around the country to have sought and won permission from the NRC to continue to run for an additional 20 years.
Vermont has balked at going along, with the Legislature blocking the Public Service Board from granting the state permit Entergy and Vermont Yankee also need.
Entergy sued in federal court and won a round last year when Judge J. Garvan Murtha of the U.S. District Court in Brattleboro said the Vermont laws were motivated amid concerns over nuclear safety, something that federal law places in the sole jurisdiction of the NRC.
That prompted a reopening of consideration by the board, which could rule later this year or in early 2014.
At Monday’s hearing on Entergy’s request for a new state permit, company lawyers sought to take that idea of federal pre-emption and run with it, telling the board that it should avoid considering not just the economic impact of a possible nuclear accident, but that the board also should not consider the impact that hosting a nuclear plant might be having on the state’s tourism industry.
Burlington lawyer Robert Hemley told the three-member board the only reason the presence of a nuclear plant might harm tourism is if the public develops fears about nuclear safety — a subject Vermont is barred from considering.
“Discussion about tourism is a pre-empted area... We feel the entire area is off-limits for this board,” Hemley said.
Entergy’s push for pre-emption appeared to run counter to an agreement it entered into with the state when it bought Vermont Yankee in 2002 from the group of New England utilities that had owned it previously.
Under that memorandum of understanding, Entergy and the state agreed “to waive any claim each may have that federal law pre-empts the jurisdiction of the board” to decide Vermont Yankee’s post-2012 future.
Entergy lawyer Sanford Weisburst argued later that the board would be hard-pressed to find a plausible, non-safety reason to deny Vermont Yankee a new permit.
Much of the lawyering came with economist Richard Heaps on the stand. Heaps, of the Westford-based firm Northern Economic Consulting, has done three studies of the economic impacts of Vermont Yankee, which employs more than 600 workers and is one of the state’s largest taxpayers.
Robert Kirsch, a lawyer for the state Department of Public Service, questioned Heaps about whether the continued operation of Vermont Yankee might slow the state’s push to develop renewable energy sources like wind or biomass.
Weisburst objected to that line of questioning as well.
Vermont Yankee’s electricity is not provided directly to any of the state’s utilities; instead, it’s sold into the New England regional power grid. Nothing about Vermont Yankee’s continued operation would block Vermont from using as much renewable energy as it wished, he said.MORE IN Vermont NewsMONTPELIER — As his July 15 moving date nears, Jeremy Dodge's seller's remorse has begun to... Full StoryThe Rutland Herald and City of Rutland returned to the Supreme Court Tuesday in a case involving... Full Story
- Most Popular
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- MEDIA GALLERY | <urn:uuid:9e725c16-030d-4a33-80f5-aa5270bf665f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.timesargus.com/article/20130212/NEWS03/702129875/0/k | 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 | 0.95436 | 890 | 1.5 | 2 |
A hacker group calling itself Team GhostShell claims to have breached the databases of 100 universities around the world, including the University of Florida.
The group leaked about 120,000 records from those universities, ZDNet reported. An analysis found that the records included student, faculty and staff information such as dates of birth, but no credit card information or Social Security numbers.
UF reported that the hackers bypassed at least one level of security to breach two university systems, one in the College of Medicine and one in Contracts and Grants. UF immediately blocked access to the affected systems and began an investigation to determine what information may have been accessed, according to a university spokeswoman.
A member of Team GhostShell said in a statement that the release was aimed at bringing attention to education issues such as rising tuition and debt.
“We have set out to raise awareness towards the changes made in today’s education, how new laws imposed by politicians affect us, our economy and overall, our way of life,” the statement said.
The group, which claims solidarity with the “hacktivist” collective Anonymous, previously released records from banks, government agencies, law enforcement and the CIA | <urn:uuid:03281455-9ea8-41d6-bbc3-d81c1c12f2d0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://chalkboard.blogs.gainesville.com/2012/10/hacker-group-targets-uf-other-universities-in-education-protest/?tc=ar | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955857 | 243 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Tea Marbled Eggs, or Tea Eggs, are a popular Chinese tradition. They are very easy to make and are a unique addition to your Easter table. We first saw these while browsing through a book about Tea, and couldn’t wait to try it ourselves. A basic recipe is below, but other flavorings can be added.
Tea Marbled Eggs Recipe
Place the eggs in a large saucepan or pot, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, and then remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Drain and cool the eggs in an ice bath for a few minutes. Tap the shells all over with a spoon, or against a countertop, hard enough to break the membrane underneath. Fill the pot again with 4 cups of water and add the soy sauce, tea leaves, cinnamon stick, star anise and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and add the eggs (add more water if needed to completely cover the eggs). Cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and then let completely cool. Let the eggs steep for a few hours, or for up to a day or two. When you’re ready, peel ‘em and marvel at your marbling skills! | <urn:uuid:b7aa827e-a2ce-43f0-9b79-ae33e72e138f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://theframedtable.com/2012/04/tea-marbled-eggs/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935526 | 255 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Monday, August 29, 2011
Amanuensis Monday - Sarah Osborn Skinner 1760 - 1848
Back in 2001 I found a distant cousin on GenForum, and we were both descended of Sarah Osborn, who married Charles Skinner on 24 November 1774 in New Brunswick. According to my calculations, Sarah was only about 14 when she married, not the 16 claimed in her obituary. This is the article sent to me by the cousin with whom I was corresponding. This was a wonderful clue to my 5x great grandmother's life, because records are very scarce in Nova Scotia!
The Christian Messenger, January 1848 ( a Baptist magazine):
"Died 15 January 1848 in Cornwallis [Nova Scotia], Mrs. Sarah Skinner in 88th year, daughter of the late Samuel Osborne of Martha's Vineyard, U.S. They removed to Casco, ME, to NB, then to NS. Born 22 July 1760, married in NB at age 16 to Charles Skinner, native of Connecticut. Leaves 8 sons, 7 daughters, 113 grandchildren, 60 great-grandchildren. Late W.A. Chipman was a brother-in-law. Edward Manning and George Dimock sons-in-law. Rev. I. E. Bill married a granddaughter."
Generation 1: Reverend Samuel Osborn, born in Ireland about 1690 and died in 1774 Boston, Massachusetts; married on 1 January 1710 to Jedidah Smith, daughter of Benjamin Smith and Jedidah Mayhew. Six children. He was a graduate of the University of Dublin and became pastor of the church at Eastham, on Cape Cod, in Massachusetts, but was dismissed for his Arminian opinions and removed to Boston.
Generation 2: Samuel Osborn, born 1711 at Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, died after 8 October 1753; married on 9 September 1731 in Edgartown to Keziah Butler, born about 1710 in Edgartown and died in October 1768 in Edgartown. Ten Children. Keziah remarried to Samuel Pease in 1752.
Generation 3: Samuel Osborn, born about 1732 in Edgartown, died in Nova Scotia; married on 28 April 1755 to Sarah Wass, daughter of Wilmot Wass and Rebecca Allen, born 24 January 1738 in West Tisbury, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, died about 1813 in Nova Scotia. Five children.
Generation 4. Sarah Osborn, born 22 July 1760 in Fredricton, New Brunswick, died on 15 July 1848 in Pleasant Valley, Cornwallis County, Nova Scotia; married on 24 November 1774 in New Brunswick to Charles Skinner, son of Aaron Skinner and Eunice Taintor, born 3 January 1748 in Colchester, Connecticut, died before 1837 in Nova Scotia. Fifteen children including Ann Skinner, born 1786, who married Thomas Ratchford Lyons in 1802. I descend from their daughter, Isabella Lyons, who is my 3x great grandmother who married the Reverend Ingraham Ebenezer Bill mentioned in the obituary.
Copyright 2011, Heather Wilkinson Rojo | <urn:uuid:84479173-7d1a-48ca-8ae2-fa0117164461> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2011/08/amanuensis-monday-sarah-osborn-skinner.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973753 | 657 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover! The Sixth Circuit Provides Employers With A Roadmap For Hiring Persons With Disabilities
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the Michigan district court's ruling in Keith v. County of Oakland, finding a deaf applicant's rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") may have been violated when Oakland County ("the County") revoked its job offer to hire him as a lifeguard.
Nicholas Keith, who was born deaf, trained and successfully completed the County's lifeguard training program in 2007. After receiving his lifeguard certification, Keith applied for a lifeguard position at Oakland County's wave pool. The job announcement required each applicant be at least 16 years of age and pass the County water safety test and lifeguard training program. The announcement also included a condition of employment which stated, "[a]ll persons hired by Oakland County must take and pass a medical examination from a county-appointed physician, at no cost to the applicant."
Recreation specialist Katherine Stavale offered Keith a part-time position and scheduled his medical examination. Keith and his mother met with Dr. Paul Work, D.O. shortly thereafter. Upon entering the examination room, Dr. Work stated, "[h]e's deaf; he can't be a lifeguard." Mrs. Keith asked, "[a]re you telling me you're going to fail him because he is deaf[?]". Dr. Work responded, "[w]ell, I have to." Dr. Work informed Ms. Stavale that Keith could not function independently as a lifeguard...unless he was "constantly accommodated."
After receiving Dr. Work's report, Ms. Stavale placed Keith's employment on hold, and contacted the client manager for aquatic safety and risk management. Ms. Stavale was directed to perform a job-task analysis to determine whether Keith could perform the job with or without reasonable accommodation. After preparing an outline of potential accommodations, Ms. Stavale concluded that Keith would successfully integrate into the lifeguard position. After reviewing Ms. Stavale's memo, the client manager still did not believe Keith could perform the job. Based on the advice from the client manager, Ms. Stavale revoked the offer of employment.
In 2008, Keith applied for and was denied another lifeguard position. Keith filed a complaint in the Michigan district court alleging violations of the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act. The County filed a motion for summary judgment arguing Keith was not "otherwise qualified" to be a lifeguard, because he could not effectively communicate with other lifeguards, patrons, emergency personnel, and injured persons. Keith responded he was "otherwise qualified", but the district court granted the County's motion. Keith appealed to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals arguing the district court erred on four points:
- The County did not make an individualized inquiry regarding his abilities;
- He is "otherwise qualified";
- His requested accommodations were reasonable; and
- The County failed to engage in the interactive process.
The Court first evaluated whether the County had conducted an individualized inquiry, which required consideration of the applicant's personal characteristics, his actual medical condition, and the effect, if any, the condition may have on his ability to perform the job in question. The Court stated, "The ADA requires employers to act, not based on stereotypes and generalizations about a disability, but based on the actual disability and the effect that disability has on the particular individual's ability to perform the job." The Court found Dr. Work made no effort to determine whether, despite his deafness, Keith could nonetheless perform the essential functions of the position, either with or without reasonable accommodation.
Next, the Court analyzed whether the ability to hear is an essential function of a lifeguard position. An individual is "otherwise qualified" if he or she can perform the "essential functions" of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. The Court held the ability to effectively communicate is an essential function of being a lifeguard for the County, and Keith had presented evidence that he can communicate effectively with a distressed swimmer, other lifeguards, patrons, and during emergency situations. Keith also presented evidence from experts with knowledge, education, and experience regarding the ability for deaf individuals to serve as lifeguards, that he was "otherwise qualified". In light of the evidence presented, the Court found the district court erred when it decided Keith's deafness disqualified him from the position as a matter of law.
In determining whether Keith's accommodations were objectively reasonable, the Court stated the question of reasonableness is generally a question of fact. In response to Keith's request to have an interpreter present during staff meetings and further classroom instruction, the Court stated, "[t]he inclusion of interpreters among the list of enumerated reasonable accommodations suggests to us that the provision of an interpreter will often be reasonable, particularly when the interpreter is needed only on occasion, in this instance, just staff meetings and training." The Court found the grant of summary judgment by the district court inappropriate because the County has not stated the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation, and a reasonable jury could find the request for an interpreter during staff meetings and classroom instruction objectively reasonable.
Lastly, the Court turned to the ADA requirement that an employer engage in the interactive process. The purpose of the interactive process is to identify the precise limitations resulting from the disability and potential reasonable accommodations that could overcome those limitations. Keith provided evidence that the County failed to contact or otherwise interact with him before revoking the offer of employment. The Sixth Circuit again found the district court's ruling erroneous, as Keith has met the burden to show that a reasonable accommodation was possible. Having found genuine issues of fact remaining as to whether Keith is otherwise qualified to be a lifeguard, with or without reasonable accommodation, the Sixth Circuit reversed the district court's ruling and remanded the case.
Key Points for Employers:
- Make sure your hiring personnel are familiar with the mandatory requirements of the ADA.
- Evaluate each disabled applicant based on his/her personal characteristics, actual medical condition, and the effect, if any, the condition will have on his/her ability to perform the job.
- Consider creating a list of essential functions for each job. This list can be used when starting to determine whether a person is "otherwise qualified" for the position.
- Evaluate all requested and any additional potential accommodations to determine whether any are reasonable and/or would cause an undue hardship.
- Communicate with the disabled prospective-employee to identify his/her precise limitations and the potential reasonable accommodations that could overcome those limitations. | <urn:uuid:8b24441b-10ad-4930-9da8-cc13f0d47458> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.employerlawreport.com/tags/ada/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961506 | 1,358 | 1.523438 | 2 |
It hit me 6 hours after breakfast 2 days ago. Boy, it happened in the midst of marking my student’s essays and I thought the words just lifted themselves off the page! I had to stop and go ransack the kitchen for food.
Yang doesn’t believe in stocking up food or snacks in the house. Hence, it was tough initially. It is only of late that he relaxed a bit. But today, I had a hard time finding decent food in the kitchen to tide my hunger until dinner. I searched high and low…ah ha, found a pack of instant mee goreng. I cooked it within 5 minutes and gobbled it all up in less than 2 minutes. Hunger pangs still there leh.
Next up, hard-boiled egg. Took me 10 mins to prepare. Dipped it in light soy sauce and white pepper before munching it down, hmmm… very satisfying indeed. Aiyoh, I still felt hungry. Made myself a cup of hot milo. There, much better now.
Whenever I need to tide over my hunger in between meals, I try not to have snacks that will spoil my appetite for a proper meal later. Sometimes, drinking water helps. Instant energy foods such as milo or energy bars can come in handy too. I have my own LL’s theory that proteins, besides sugar, is a necessary component to ward off my hunger since the food will go quickly to the stomach for digestion. Hence, protein-rich egg or a glass of warmed fresh milk with a tablespoon of honey added is great. A ripe banana, if you have it at home, is also a good option. | <urn:uuid:23b34060-15a1-4d80-9260-07b759135331> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.chekyang.com/musings/2008/10/21/hallucinating-hunger/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957097 | 346 | 1.515625 | 2 |
|1.||Boston Latin School|
Top Public Magnet in the nation. First public secondary school in the nation. Alumni include Hancock, Adams, Kennedy, Thomas Paine, James Bowdoin, Ben Franklin, and many others. Notorious feeder to Harvard College.
A: Where do you go to high school?
B: Boston Latin School
A. Wow you are smart!
B: Thank you. I attribute my intelligence to my teachers and peers at BLS.
|2.||Boston Latin School|
A prestigious examination school located in Boston, MA in the United States. It was the first public school in the U.S., founded in 1635. Originally a male school in which potential Harvard graduates could prepare for college, it was later eliminated its gender restrictions. To enter the school, one must pass the ISEE exam, either in 6th grade or 8th grade. Although praised for its contemporary and classical education, as well as for the high test scores students achieve on exams like the SAT, the school has a number of faults. Among them are poor teachers, excessive amounts of work, and most notably its scholarships (limited to the top 5% of one's class). Among the finer things are the excellent teachers, both in personality and in teaching style, an extensive music department, and a number of interesting and fun clubs and extracurricular activities. The school mascot is the wolf, based on the she-wolf in the myth of Romulus and Remus's raising. Boston Latin originally had seen amazing numbers of students being accepted into the highest ranked colleges, by little more than name alone. But in much more recent years, the title of the school will not help one get accepted even into UMASS Boston.
Kid 1: Hey, what school do you go to?
Kid 2: Boston Latin School.
Kid 1: Ha, you fuckin nerd, I go to CM!
Kid 2: Oh, the stereotypical highschool for white kids from West Roxbury, nice.
|3.||Boston Latin School|
Apparantly the first school in America, but that's okay. Founded in 1635. Also called BLS. GO WOLFPACK!!!!!!!!!!
Sixth grader: I got accepted to Boston Latin School!
Mom: Wow good job honey it's the first school in the country!
|4.||Boston Latin School|
A school for 'smart people' whatever that means
Person1: i go to Boston Latin School!
Person2: You must be smart!
person1: what does that mean?
person2: i have no freaking idea
|5.||Boston Latin School|
Boston's Loser School. More commonly known as BLS. It is known widely for it's horrible sports teams, which is the result of hours upon hours of homework, thus, making any of it's students that bother to do it weak and frail, due to lack of sunlight. Students enter in the 7th grade, happy, hopeful, and ready to go, but leave the 12th grade (if they stay) with nothing to show for it other than a few cheap articles of clothing with BLS and a purple paw on them.
Boston Latin School grad applying for college: "i can totally handle your college, i mean, i did like a TRILLION hours of homework each night, i mean like, thats what colleges want, right?" | <urn:uuid:e3fb80a3-dd47-45ca-bddc-5ab33867dda9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Boston%20Latin%20School&defid=1526076 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968448 | 708 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Mayo is ideal for walking holidays in Ireland. The landscape is untouched and has a lot to offer with its varied countryside, unique scenery and rich heritage. Whether one likes a stroll around the forest in Belleek Woods, within a few minutes reach of Hotel Ballina, where one can walk safely, without traffic or would like to hike along the North Mayo Coastline with its rugged cliffs and sandy beaches, the walker will be spoilt for choice!
Croagh Patrick – Ireland’s Holy Mountain
The County of Mayo possesses an amazing variety of landforms, scenery, history and heritage. It is a haven for hillwalkers and lovers of the great outdoors.
Croagh Patrick has been a place of pilgrimage for 1500 years. The mountain is renowned for its Pilgrimages dating back to the time of St Patrick’s fast on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights in 441. Since this time the custom has been handed down faithfully from generation to generation to the present day. On the last Sunday of July every year people come in their thousands to climb its slopes, some to look, most to pray and a lot still climb it bare foot.
Mount Nephin – Second Highest in Mayo
Among the most interesting of Connaught's mountains is Nephin, which has been climbed and revered for generations. Nephin is a majestic mountain, which dominates the landscape for miles around.
Walks Ideal for the Family
Newport to Mulranny
The Great Western Greenway is the longest off-road walking and cycling trail in Ireland. Meandering along the old Newport -Mulranny railway, this 18km traffic-free route is well mapped and signed with no steep hills so perfect for a family day out.
Belleek Woods is a great family friendly walk situated along the banks of the river Moy. It is one of the largest urban forests in Europe with 200 acres of woodlands and trees up to 300 years old. The tree-canopy walk has lots of natural forest pathways which are great for little adventures with the children.
In the picturesque village of Cong lies Cong Woods. The lovely 2km walk has an entrance beside the ruins of Cong Abbey, plenty of lovely benches to rest tired little legs and lots of places to feed the ducks.
Mayo is proud to have its own National Park in Ballycroy, where visitors will be informed about fauna and flora of the region. Families can enjoy the interactive exhibition and walk along the nature trail.
For further information on walking in Mayo, please visit the following sites: | <urn:uuid:353da430-f06c-41cc-ba19-737ee877360b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hotelballina.ie/activities-mayo/walking-mayo.147.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949881 | 524 | 1.554688 | 2 |
80% of U.S. Mosques Teach Violence
Last week came new confirmation that mosques in the U.S. aren’t quite holding potluck suppers and teaching civic pieties. A new study has demonstrated that 80% of mosques right in this country are teaching jihad warfare and Islamic supremacism.
Researchers Mordechai Kedar and David Yerushalmi reported in the Summer 2011 issue of Middle East Quarterly about a new survey that found that “51% of mosques had texts that either advocated the use of violence in the pursuit of a Sharia-based political order or advocated violent jihad as a duty that should be of paramount importance to a Muslim.” Another 30% of mosques in the United States “had only texts that were moderately supportive of violence,” while only “19% had no violent texts at all.”
This yet again contradicts the universally held assumption that U.S. mosques are completely benign institutions, in all respects equivalent to churches and synagogues. As long ago as 1998, Sheikh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, a Sufi leader, visited 114 mosques in the United States. Then he gave testimony before a State Department open forum in January 1999 declaring that Islamic supremacists controlled most mosques in America .
“The most dangerous thing that is going on now in these mosques,” Kabbani said, “that has been sent upon these mosques around the United States—like churches they were established by different organizations and that is okay—but the problem with our communities is the extremist ideology. Because they are very active, they took over the mosques, and we can say that they took over more than 80% of the mosques that have been established in the U.S. And there are more than 3,000 mosques in the U.S. So it means that the methodology or ideology of extremists has been spread to 80% of the Muslim population, but not all of them agree with it.”
Terrorism expert Yehudit Barsky affirmed the same thing in 2005, saying that 80% of the mosques in this country “have been radicalized by Saudi money and influence.” The Center for Religious Freedom in 2005 found a massive distribution of hateful jihadist and Islamic supremacist material in mosques in this country. The Mapping Sharia Project’s 2008 study likewise found that upwards of 80% of mosques in America were preaching hatred of Jews and Christians and the necessity ultimately to impose Islamic rule.
And in June 2008, federal investigators found that the Islamic Saudi Academy in Virginia, despite promises to stop teaching such material, was still using books that advocated that apostates from Islam be executed and that it was permissible for Muslims to kill and seize the property of “polytheists.”
What is most arresting about these studies is their unanimity. Although each was conducted independently of the others, they all came to the same conclusion: that around three-quarters of mosques in this country are teaching what amounts to sedition. And yet the mainstream media has shown about as much interest in the new survey as they did in the others—that is, none at all.
Maybe they figure that it could be worse. After all, in recent years we have seen mosques used to preach hatred, to spread exhortations to terrorist activity, to house a bomb factory, to store weapons, to disseminate messages from Osama bin Laden, to demand that non-Muslims conform to Islamic dietary restrictions, to fire on American troops, to fire upon Indian troops and to train jihadists. But most of that took place outside the United States, so who cares? We know the mosques inside this country are different! And on what do we base this certainty? Why, nothing, nothing at all except for the bland and smiling assurances of Muslim leaders in this country that mosques are simply places of worship, no more, no less, and that anyone who thinks otherwise is a greasy Islamophobe.
It is time to be more realistic. At the very least, reporters all over the country should be asking pointed questions of local mosque leaders about the books they’re using and what they’re teaching in general. And they should call on them to give honest, verifiable answers.
It is more likely, however, that this study, like the others, will simply be ignored. But don’t let that happen. Call upon your elected officials and the media to take notice of this new survey. Our freedoms depend on it.
[link to www.humanevents.com | <urn:uuid:213b03dd-70fd-4909-821c-0ffc1825680c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message2057539/reply34600927/abusive | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967744 | 930 | 1.734375 | 2 |
A perfect walk, especially on a warm and sunny day, starts from the Devesa Park
, the largest public park in Catalonia
, which is close to the centre of Girona
and bordered by the River Ter
. Head for La Copa
which is outside the smaller of the two Tourist Information offices and is a meeting place for taking tours of the city. From here walk across the pedestrian bridge with great views of both Sant Feliu
church in the foreground and Girona Cathedral
further back up the hill. Head to the left of Sant Feliu
(the church with the top of it's spire missing) and when you come to the Archeology Museum
(in another converted Romanesque
church) follow the road on the left which runs parallel to a stream.
Now we are in the Sant Daniel
valley where you pass the Font del Bisbe
a water fountain that come from underground sources discovered in Roman times, the water is highly mineralised but very refreshing in the hot summer months. Less than a kilometre along this valley we come to the Monastery of Sant Daniel
which an ancient building and is still in use today.
From here be sure to find the sign that says Castell de Sant Miquel
which is where the countryside begins and the going gets a bit tougher.
See and download the full gallery on posterous
Posted via email from gironaJ | <urn:uuid:01393b55-3cd2-4303-80f0-bc5c1d3121c3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://discovergirona.net/2009/01/devesa-park-to-sant-daniel-wal.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938865 | 296 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Top White Papers
VARBusiness: State of the Market Preview: Linux Gets Critical MassDec 18, 2000, 18:27 (0 Talkback[s])
(Other stories by Rob Wright)
"VARBusiness's State of the Market Research shows that 8 percent of solution providers surveyed said Linux would be their primary operating system in 2001, up from just 2 percent last year. While Linux still has a long way to go before unseating Microsoft's Windows as the OS of choice, the system picked up a great deal of momentum in 2000, courtesy of several software players. Smaller vendors such as Caldera Systems and Red Hat have specialized in Linux and cornered sizeable portions of the market (Red Hat sold nearly half the copies of Linux on the market in 1999, according to IDC.)."
"However, larger companies such as IBM and Oracle have thrust the underdog OS into the mainstream recently. Big Blue announced new Linux products this month, including a commercial database software and Web-application software for IBM WebSphere. The company also helped Linux's increasing exposure overseas by inking deals this month with convenience store giant Lawson in Japan and Telia, Scandinavia's largest telecommunications and Internet service provider company. Both corporations will begin using IBM's Linux-based servers."
0 Talkback[s] (click to add your comment) | <urn:uuid:c7fd2c7c-5d68-4eb8-865f-a0eb98b03336> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.linuxtoday.com/it_management/2000121800706PSBZMR | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930309 | 271 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Transforming culture, companies turn to Training Within Industry
TWI is helping small manufacturers transform and sustain improvement
reprinted with permission from Enterprise Minnesota's eTrends newsletter
When a workplace issue comes up during a regular meeting of company supervisors at
Engel Diversified Industries, someone invariably asks, "Do we have all of the facts?"
For this Jordan-based company, known by the three letters EDi, that simple question is part of a systematic process to manage and sustain their company culture and worker relationships through incorporating the methods of Training Within Industry(TWI).
"When you talk about fuzzy things like workplace relationships, [TWI] puts science behind what most people view as an art," says EDi president Don Hayward.
Just like asking a question during a meeting at EDi, companies that implement TWI develop a decision making process to utilize on a daily basis. "That question came from how TWI tells us to approach things," Hayward said.
Which is one reason TWI has become a tool for managing continuous improvement in companies across the state.
TWI consists of four modules - Job Methods, Job Relations, Job Instruction, and Job Safety - that help companies maintain culture change and company improvement.
But perhaps the word training in TWI is a misnomer says Enterprise Minnesota business specialist Samuel Gould, because it is actually a method to incorporate in day-to-day activities, not a one-time classroom experience.
"If a boxer isn't fighting in the ring, they're getting ready for the next bout," Gould said. "We might call it training still, but it's actually an ongoing activity."
A key is to teach employees a skill set to recognize problems, understand that there is a process to develop a solution, and empower them to take action. More importantly, says Gould, is recognizing problems before they occur, which is another fundamental goal of TWI.
"TWI is a tool to transform company culture into one of prevention, continuous improvement, and bias for action," Gould said. "It's about managing change and sustaining improvements."
Innova Industries in Fergus Falls turned to TWI to manage their culture through a period of tremendous growth. Over five years, the company expanded from 25 to 70 employees, but needed a method to help new supervisory roles adjust and manage culture throughout the changes.
"Our most important positions are leads and supervisors," says Innova production manager Roger Cullen. "TWI is such a basic process that someone new to supervising learns the tools to do their job. It's a fundamental way organizing and breaking down challenges."
Now, Innova has incorporated TWI into job expectations. Cullen says that the company has a system and accountability for managing their people. Supervisors follow a learned process to identify potential issues, address problems, and document the entire thing.
It has all resulted in better relations and employees doing their job better, allowing Innova to jump a common hurdle among companies their size.
"One of the biggest challenges for a company is to find solutions, and [TWI] gives you the tools to find solutions." | <urn:uuid:b01c1718-faf6-48e9-b21f-88bd0332c2f3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wcif.org/?page=Innova | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966916 | 637 | 1.835938 | 2 |
[Editor's note: The following was submitted by Sue Thompson,Program Manager of Trinity Presbyterian Nursery School. If you have a school or community event you'd like posted on Patch, email the editor at email@example.com.]
Trinity Preschool, located at the intersection of Brittan Avenue and Alameda de las Pulgas in San Carlos, has been enriching the lives of Bay Area families for more than 50 years as a cooperative preschool for children ages two to six years old.
“We believe play-based and experiential preschool is the best way to prepare children for a life of learning. Our twice a month co-op gives parents the opportunity to engage with their child, while learning more about early childhood education and parenting from our incredible teaching staff”, says Director Jamie Holden.
“Our preschool gives children a unique environment to learn how to do things for themselves and successfully interact with other people. The play based curriculum is designed to achieve not only kindergarten readiness, but to prepare children for a lifetime of success in all their endeavors, by teaching them self-control, problem solving and how to interact respectfully with other people. Our two, three and pre-k programs support children where they are developmentally, while upholding, building upon, and preserving their sense of self-worth”.
In the play-centered preschool curriculum, teachers leverage children's developing ideas, interests, and competencies to promote learning through play, circle-time, and small-group activities. Play is not a break from the curriculum; play is the best way to implement the curriculum. Teachers facilitate through responsive interactions with children, based on an understanding of how play contributes to academic and social learning.
Trinity is hosting tours January 28 through February 12. For more information, please visit http://www.tpnsnursery.org , or contact our office; 650-593-0770, or firstname.lastname@example.org.
New Family applications will be accepted beginning Monday, Feb. 25, at 8:00am.
Read more school news on San Carlos Patch:
Meet San Carlos's Amazing Student Scientists
Superintendent Disappointed in Appeals Court Rejection of Lehman Investment Lawsuit
Carlmont High Presents "Guys and Dolls" Opening Feb. 7 | <urn:uuid:7251e385-db6e-4a90-b05d-16176a5f16c2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sancarlos.patch.com/groups/schools/p/trinity-presbyterian-nursery-school-enrolling-for-fall | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948749 | 477 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Physician and Professor of Anesthesiology at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH
Appeared on Oprah, Good Morning America, 20/20, The Big Idea, Charlie Rose, etc.
Featured in Newsweek, Reader’s Digest, Glamour, Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, O, and Biography magazine
RealAge reality television show
Second largest medical web page in the world with 1.4 million hits per day
Recipient of the Rovenstein award
BECOMING A SMART PATIENT
Dr. Roizen says years ago physicians were seen as the supreme authorities. Patients believed everything their doctor told them. They diligently followed "doctors orders" and never questioned why.
Today the emerging role of the patient has changed. Patients are now becoming more involved in keeping themselves healthy, strong, and in command of their lives. Dr. Roizen refers to these patients as "Smart Patients."
Patients are using the Internet to research medical terms and alternative medications. Instead of asking the doctor "What should I do?" now patients are starting off with "Do you think I should..." Smart patients ask intelligent questions and have the instincts to politely challenge things they don't understand.
Everyone needs to be a smart patient. In fact, in the worst cases, your life may even depend on it. Most patients don’t do a great job of communicating with their doctors because patients often give too little pertinent information for their doctor to go on. Or, they may give too many distracting or off-topic details.
Some ways to show your doctor you are a smart patient is bring a completed health profile to your first office visit. To create a health profile you can go online and download the necessary forms at www.jcrinc.com and www.realage.com. Next, bring the completed forms and a baggie of all your medications, vitamins, herbs, or whatever else you might be taking to your appointment. Be sure to store copies of your health records in a fireproof safe and update them yearly or whenever a piece of key info changes.
FINDING THE RIGHT DOCTOR
One of the most important decisions you will ever make is choosing your doctor. Dr. Roizen says to consider your doctor as the head coach of your football team, the floor manager of your Hollywood restaurant, the captain of your ocean liner. Choose wisely, and you could rest easy for many years to come. Your primary physician will probably be the one you see the most often, and he or she should know your complete medical history. Make sure you feel comfortable with this doctor since you will most likely have the closest relationship with your primary care physician. When searching for Dr. Right, follow these steps:
1) Get Referrals Online - The Internet is the fastest, easiest modern medium for finding the doctor that is right for you. Finding a particular doctor listed on two or more websites is a good sign. Some websites to check out include: American Medical Association, American Board of Medical Specialties, American College of Physicians, American College of Surgeons, Diabetes Physician Recognition Program, and Family Doctor.
2) Call a Medical Society for Referrals – Most of these subgroups will refer you to physicians on their list in your area. To find out if the doctor you’re considering is board certified, call the American Board of Medical Specialties. Since becoming certified is optional, not all doctors choose to take the exam or they may be board eligible, which means they’ve not yet taken the exam or they’ve taken the exam and failed.
3) Grill the ER Nurse at the Best Local Hospital – These nurses work directly with primary care doctors. They know firsthand the doctors that are sharp, well respected, and which ones guess correctly 80 percent of the time. They also know which doctors are indecisive, which ones get second-guessed, and which ones are slow in answering their pages.
It's estimated that every year about 40,000 people die and 1.3 million are seriously hurt from medication mishaps, which include taking the wrong dose, getting the wrong prescription, mixing the wrong pills, or a combination of all three. Only about half of all prescriptions are filled or taken correctly. Here are a few rules to keep in mind when it comes to prescription drugs.
Take the time to develop a personal relationship with your pharmacist. He or she has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to prescription drugs as well as over-the-counter drugs. There are thousands of over-the-counter drugs in your local pharmacy that deserve the same cautions as prescription drugs. Before purchasing an over-the-counter drug, stop by and talk with your pharmacist. They can help you make a wise and safe purchase.
HABITS ARE IMPORTANT
Dr. Roizen says habits are important. A smart patient should know that their habits will make a great difference in their health. Small changes can make a big difference in your risk of getting cancer.
All genes do is make proteins or control other genes, and as far as your health and quality of life, you get a “do-over” if you want it.
Not all our actions affect our genes and that’s great news because we get to turn them on and off. For example, saturated fat in butter or a crossaint apparently turns on genes that make certain cancers – lung, breast, colon, etc – also increasing the inflammation in the artery walls making them stiffer. Amazingly, if you develop prostate, breast, or colon cancer, it turns out that if you walk 30 minutes a day, you decrease your risk of recurrence of cancer by 50 percent. This happens because walking turns on a gene. Walking 10 or more minutes in a row turns on a gene that makes a protein that slows the growth of these tumors.
Healthy meal choices make a big difference – you may consider substituting bread and butter with raws veggies and skip the dessert. Vitamin D is also necessary for a spell-checking gene in each cell. You also need it for bone strength. To cause your bones to get stronger one needs to “exercise to failure,” which means you do the proper exercise until you can’t do it anymore.
Key bones to build are bones in your back and hips, and you can do the exercise of “the invisible chair” at home. Do it until you can’t anymore, maybe every other day. So walking, proper exercise, avoiding saturated fat, and getting vitamin D can turn on genes and make it more likely that you can avoid cancer and build bones so you can keep walking.
A caring friend will be there to pray with you in your time of need. | <urn:uuid:79c67aa5-a8b6-458f-a9d9-aa8bf1105608> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cbn.com/700club/guests/bios/michael_roizen081606.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948796 | 1,390 | 1.640625 | 2 |
The Coast Guard, along with the Louisiana Department of Envrionmental Quality and Plaquemines Parish, said it responded to a fuel oil spill late Monday and into Tuesday on the lower Mississippi River near mile marker 84, approximately 10 miles downriver from New Orleans.
The Coast Guard received notification at approximately 10:08 p.m. Monday night that the 803-foot tanker Overseas Beryl was discharging No. 6 heavy fuel oil into the Mississippi River following vessel refueling operations at Nine Mile Anchorage.
A pollution response team from CG Sector New Orleans arrived at the vessel and discovered fuel oil discharging from a ballast water overboard discharge pipe and into the water. The Coast Guard says the pipe was plugged at approximately 4 a.m., which stopped the flow of oil.
Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc., who owns and operates the 94,799 dwt Overseas Beryl, is responsible for the cleanup and has reportedly contracted the Marine Spill Response Corporation to head the spill response and O’Brien’s Response Managements as the spill management team.
According to the Coast Guard statement released earlier today, two skimming vessels, response boats and personnel from U.S. Environmental Services, Clean Gulf Associates and MSRC were on scene as of this morning and crews have deploying boom to protect sensitive areas. The USCG also says that responders have installed protective boom at Plaquemines Parish water intakes, and the parish has secured the intakes as a precautionary measure.
The Coast Guard issued a safety marine information broadcast to mariners however the portion of the Mississippi remains open.
“We’re still assessing the amount of oil spilled and potential impacts, but we’re responding aggressively in an effort to minimize impacts along the Mississippi River,” said Capt. Pete Gautier, the Coast Guard Federal On-Scene Coordinator.
There are currently no injuries or impacts to wildlife reported and the Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the incident. | <urn:uuid:49d90e91-a38d-4b97-8103-66b6a8a87aca> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gcaptain.com/tanker-spills-fuel-mississippi/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962558 | 406 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Resistance to change.
That is the major driver behind ignorance, poor management etc.
Chapter 30 of Peopleware 2nd Edition is devoted to this topic. And it quotes from a book by another fairly well known consultant, written a bit earlier though:
And it should be considered that nothing is more difficult to handle, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage, then to put oneself at the head of introducing new orders. For the introducer has all those who benefit from the old orders as enemies, and he has lukewarm defenders in all those who might benefit from the new orders.
Niccolo Machiavelli: The Prince (1513)
DeMarco and Lister go on stating the mantra to keep in mind before asking people to change:
The fundamental response to change is not logical, but emotional.
The process of change is rarely a straight and smooth drive from the current suboptimal conditions to the new, improved world. For any nontrivial change, there is always a period of confusion and chaos before arriving to the new status quo. Learning new tools, processes and ways of thinking is hard, and takes time. During this transition time productivity drops, morale suffers, people may complain and wish if only it was possible to return to the good old ways of doing things. Very often they do, even with all the problems, because they feel that the good ol' known problems are better than the new, unknown, frustrating and embarrassing problems. This is the resistance which must be tactfully and gently, but decidedly overcome in order to succeed.
With patience and perseverance, eventually the team arrives from Chaos to the next stage, Practice and Integration. People, although not completely comfortable with the new tools/processes, start to get the hang of these. There may be positive "Aha" experiences. And gradually, the team achieves a new status quo.
It is really important to realize that chaos is an integral, unavoidable part of the process of change. Without this knowledge - and preparation for it -, one may panic upon hitting the Chaos phase, and mistake it with the new status quo. Subsequently the change process is abandoned and the team returns to its earlier miserable state, but with even less hope of ever improving anything...
For reference, the phases described above were originally defined in the Satir Change Model (named after Virginia Satir). | <urn:uuid:66cf80f9-85a8-447e-82f2-423ee1e9e255> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://programmers.stackexchange.com/questions/71424/what-are-the-barriers-to-adopting-best-practice-how-can-they-be-overcome | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953735 | 487 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Should the IRS be picking up the phone and demanding more money? Or at least making a call to discuss options if you're delinquent?
It's an idea -- and not one that some people who owe money for taxes might like to hear.
The National Taxpayer Advocate, required by law to issue an annual report to Congress, suggested the Internal Revenue Service "does not emphasize the importance of personal taxpayer contact as an effective tax collection tool."
The string of computer-driven paper notices from the IRS -- the thing everyone dreads getting in the mail -- is the main course of attack.
But the taxpayer advocate's report suggests that more phone or face-to-face -- no, the report did not say in-your-face -- contact is needed earlier in the process.
"Businesses can accrue on average over two years of tax debt before the IRS ever attempts personal contact," the taxpayer advocate report stated.
And honestly, a bit of direct dunning by phone, early on, could help some small-business owners and consumers get a reality check.
"They should be on them like a cheap suit," said James Jenkins, president of Jenkins & Co., an accounting firm in Southfield. "What happens if you don't pay your cable bill?"
He said without an early heads-up, the IRS process of collecting a debt can be "a slow-moving machine that will eventually crush you, if you let it."
The Internal Revenue Service sends more than 34 million notices to delinquent taxpayers annually in its first stage of the collection process.
But the average payment received in response to a notice in fiscal 2011 was just $517, according to the latest Taxpayer Advocate Service report.
By the end of fiscal year 2011, more than $56.2 billion was owed for federal taxes and stuck somewhere in the final stages of the collection process in which a field revenue officer works on the cases. And that amount has doubled over the last six years, according to the National Taxpayer Advocate.
It concluded: "The IRS has a responsibility to talk with taxpayers as early as possible to determine the reasons behind any tax liability, prevent the accrual of additional liabilities and discuss payment alternatives."
Sure, many people would likely hang up on the IRS if phone calls went along with initial notices. Nobody wants to give their Social Security number on the phone, either -- considering the scams out there.
But Willena Stiles, low-income tax clinic manager for the Accounting Aid Society in metro Detroit, said taxpayers could benefit from an awareness campaign to let them know that the IRS has payment plans.
She's seen many people -- including people who once had good jobs and now have fallen on hard times -- admit they pushed aside notices, not wanting to deal with a tax bill that they couldn't pay.
"I've heard a number of people say 'I know it's my fault,' " she said.
She noted that many aren't aware of various options for payment.
Would a phone call help?
Maybe -- or maybe not.
"The problem is if they're not going to respond to a letter, would they respond to a phone call?" asked Angelique M. Neal, a tax attorney in Brighton.
Neal said her business has been up during the economic downturn because more taxpayers can't pay the taxes they owe and now must deal with the IRS.
"The biggest issue is ability to pay," she said. "You have a lot of unemployed or still-underemployed workers."
George W. Smith IV, a certified public accountant and partner at George W. Smith & Co. in Southfield, said people should try to work with the IRS, but they need to be patient when they call the IRS, as wait times can be long.
Form 9465 can be used for an Installment Agreement Request in many cases if you cannot pay your taxes and owe federal income taxes in the amount of $25,000 or less. You can't use the form -- which requests monthly installments -- if you can pay off the taxes within 120 days.
Installment plans can run up to 72 months generally.
One bonus with Form 9465: Smith noted that the IRS guarantees a taxpayer will not be turned down for an installment plan if the taxes, penalty and interest owed are $10,000 or less. Other conditions must be met, as well, to qualify.
If people don't take care of an issue, penalties and interest build -- and eventually a lien or levy is issued to go after assets, such as wages.
The idea of working out plans early wouldn't just help taxpayers. It could help the IRS collection process, too.
The collection industry, according to the taxpayer advocate's report, estimates the probability of collecting unpaid accounts falls to 70% after three months, 52% after six months and 23% after a year.
Oddly, someone who owes $20,000 or $30,000 is getting an IRS notice early in the process -- just like the person who might owe $1,000.
"You'd think the zeroes would make a difference, but it doesn't," said James Jenkins, president of Jenkins & Co. in Southfield.
Right now, the taxpayer advocate noted, the IRS revenue officer attempts to contact the taxpayer in person in the third and final stage after months of delinquent accounts languishing.
The best bet might be to open that first notice, read it and contact the IRS. Some could need a tax attorney or professional accountant to help. But making a move -- even if you have to wait a long time when calling the IRS -- could eliminate some headaches in the long run.
Contact Susan Tompor: 313-222-8876 or email@example.com | <urn:uuid:a2b40f3e-be94-4212-bd4c-bc6683637fe6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.freep.com/article/20120129/COL07/201290421/Susan-Tompor-IRS-phone-call-may-not-help-motivate-taxpayer | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96348 | 1,185 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Recessions undoubtedly alter consumer buying behavior. This past recession, however, seems to have lasting effects. Pat Conroy, Vice Chairman and U.S. Consumer Products Leader for Deloitte says, "Typically recessions tend to leave a bruise and then people return back to buying behavior. This recession left a scar that's been very deep and pervasive." Conroy, in his work consulting business executives, stresses that there are new imperatives for nationally-branded companies trying to reach the evasive and recession-impacted consumer.
Conroy's work on the Deloitte study, "A New Breed of Brand Advocates," describes social networking's impact on consumer engagement and how it's possible — and very advantageous — to get brand advocates on your side.
"The recession has brought private labels, or store brands, to the forefront and that has clearly clouded the future for name brands," Conroy says, citing research claiming that 70 percent of consumers say they will not go back to the brands they used prior to the recession. "It has made it much more important that companies develop brand advocates to tilt the momentum back to their favor."
To prove just how influential brand advocates are to a company's bottom line, Deloitte conducted a study of three product groups: salty snacks, beer, and all purpose household cleaning solutions. In asking consumers about their purchases in those segments, Deloitte found that consumers always have favorite brands. Some consumers, identified as advocates, are take their passion for products to another level. Conroy shares several key findings:
- Brand advocates are a small, but very involved segment;
- Brand advocates are important as influencers, yet are open to influence;
- Brand advocates are hard to win over, but worth the effort; and
- Once a brand advocate, not always a brand advocate.
"Deloitte has learned a lot in studies that consumers now are much more discerning and surgical about what they buy," Conroy says. "They do much more research and listen to feedback from other customers. Those things are fundamentally influencing consumers now as opposed to advertising." What's more? Brand advocates spend more than average customers. They also engage with the brand of their choice more often and are much more likely to be vocal about their views to their social networks.
So what can companies do to maintain and grow these brand advocates? Deloitte has four steps.
- Experiment. Embrace the nuances of social media. Not everything will work, but you won't know until you try.
- Listen. Stay tuned to evolving conversations, the report states, about your company on all channels of social media.
- Use social media to sell. By responding to social media advocacy, companies can infuse their offline strategies with knowledge about customers and testaments from them about products.
- Recognizes that brand advocates won't to be blindly loyal. You have to work for loyalty. If you don't, customers might be loyal one day, and not the next.
"The old adage of people buying on a reactive basis because they saw an advertisement, that's not the case any more," Conroy says. "[Consumers] no longer blindly follow ad campaigns. Now they look to trusted opinions, word-of-mouth, and information aggregators. You have much more savvy consumers with more sources at their disposal."
Conroy admits there are challenges for companies wanting to engage in social networks to foster brand advocacy. Figuring out the right channels and the right messages can be difficult. Also figuring out how to bring advocates into your business to help improve operations and move products forward can be challenging. But Conroy looks on the bright side saying that brand advocates have the promise of adding momentum to your business." They not only buy your product in a consistent manner," he says. "But through social media, brand advocates become your advertising and virally funnel other people to your product." | <urn:uuid:d4ea5ede-279d-4580-9971-9cb1631b5b1e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.destinationcrm.com/Articles/CRM-News/Daily-News/The-4-Commandments-of-Brand-Advocacy-69606.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966405 | 798 | 1.796875 | 2 |
What Kind of Alternative Investor Are You?
Published March 14, 2013
Is Alternative Investing for You?
Board-Game Banker: Peer-to-Peer Loans
Artist: Invest in Art and Rarities
Do-Gooder: Impact Investments
Income Investor: Closed-end Funds
Accredited Investor: Private Offerings
These investments are mainly offered to the wealthy, but small investors can get in on some.
1Is Alternative Investing for You?
If you're sick of stocks and bored by bonds, the universe of nontraditional investments could be for you -- or for part of your portfolio. In general, investments beyond the traditional stocks, bonds and cash are known as alternative asset classes and some experts say they could give your investing an edge.
Alternative asset classes offer a wide range of possibilities, from racehorses and classic cars to commercial real estate and private equity. Commodities, futures contracts and real estate investment trusts also qualify as alternatives. Varying strategies using conventional investments may also be considered alternative.
There's a lot out there -- but don't rush out to invest in a mint Shelby Cobra roadster just yet; realizing a return can be difficult in some markets. Investment returns for rarities and collectibles are never guaranteed. And small-time investors may find themselves shut out of some alternative investments. Many are only available to accredited investors -- those with a net worth of $1 million or an annual income of $200,000 for two years in a row, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC.
Though many alternatives are geared to the well-heeled, some alternative investments may fit your personality as well as your pocketbook.
Be advised that alternative asset classes are not appropriate for everyone. Check your risk tolerance and objectives before investing in new opportunities.
2Board-Game Banker: Peer-to-Peer Loans
If you're always playing the banker in Monopoly or just want regular interest payments that will keep up with inflation, then peer-to-peer lending might be for you. Peer-to-peer loans have existed on the Internet since 2006 with the launch of the first online peer-to-peer loan platform.
The basic formula across peer-to-peer loan companies involves an online application process for borrowers after which they're assigned a credit score and an interest rate for their loan -- if they're approved. Lenders can look over the borrower biographies to choose individual loans in which to invest or they can set criteria such as loan length and credit ratings and have their money funneled into the best options for instant diversification.
According to the sites, the returns aren't too shabby. Lending Club boasts 5.61 percent returns on A-rated loans as of mid-February, according to its website. On the Prosper website, another peer-to-peer loan platform, select AA loans show a 5.5 percent return and a yield of 7.2 percent as of Dec. 31, 2012. On the next rung down the credit ladder, select A-rated loans return 6.25 percent and yield 9.34 percent.
"Lenders have made an average of over 9 percent. And in general, all lenders that have invested in 100 or more loans have all made money," says Kirk Inglis, chief operating officer of Prosper.
Take note that it's not a riskless investment: Some borrowers do default on their loans.
3Artist: Invest in Art and Rarities
If you have deep pockets, collectibles such as art and rare wines can be great investments. For the merely wealthy, private art funds have been around since about 2000. The British Rail Pension Fund was the first to try out the idea, starting in 1974, according to the Art Fund Association. The new idea these days is public art funds that anyone will be able to buy. They're not available yet but are in the works by the company Liquid Rarity Exchange, which will license the funds to investment bankers.
"There are several private funds in various rarity sectors, but it's limited. It's limited because the entrance price is $250,000. It could go up to well beyond $1 million and the average investor can't invest," says Michael Saigh, managing partner and CEO at Liquid Rarity Exchange.
That firm developed the architecture and technology to let mutual funds or exchange-traded funds own a collection of art and collectibles. Fund managers can sell shares regularly or add to their positions according to the fund objective and strategy.
"The real key is now there's liquidity where in private funds, there's not. You wouldn't be buying a share of one Picasso. It would be a share of the overall fund with lots of different paintings in it," Saigh says.
4Do-Gooder: Impact Investments
If you're trying to save the world and also have some money to invest, the field of impact investing has some options. Sustainable, responsible and impactful investments, also known as SRI (formerly called "socially responsible"), are available as traditional mutual funds. But impact investments can be a different animal: Investors have the specific intent of making a positive social or environmental impact, with some return on their money.
Impact investments can be made in "developed markets such as the U.S. and Europe as well as emerging markets such as sub-Saharan Africa and India. They can target a wide variety of sectors. It can be anything from sustainable agriculture to affordable housing, microfinance and things like access to clean water or renewable energy," says Amit Bouri, managing director of the Global Impact Investing Network.
Though most of the opportunities in this realm are for accredited investors, there are ways that small investors can help. The Calvert Social Investment Foundation offers its Community Investment Note portfolio that lends out principal to underserved communities. When the note matures, you get your principal back with interest. There are no guarantees, but Calvert reports that none of the investors in its Community Investment Note portfolio have ever lost money.
Calvert isn't the only company to offer microfinance investments; other issuers of similar notes are available through the brokerage platform MicroPlace.
5Income Investor: Closed-end Funds
If you're looking for income but don't want to go too far afield, take a look at closed-end funds. They aren't alternative investments, but they do have a structure different from their popular brethren -- open-end mutual funds. And they employ some techniques that can amplify returns (or losses).
Like ETFs, closed-end funds trade on an exchange. Unlike open-end mutual funds, redemptions are not done through the mutual fund company once a day but instead shares are traded in the market throughout the day. As a result, the market determines the value of the fund, so closed-end funds often trade at a premium or a discount, or above or below, the actual value of the underlying investments.
Not all closed-end funds invest in fixed-income securities, but most of them do, says Morningstar's closed-end analyst Cara Esser.
"The majority of the universe is fixed-income and the majority of that universe is municipal bonds. And then within fixed income there are a lot of different strategies that they can use: bank loan funds, preferred share funds, high-yield emerging markets, precious metals and gold funds," Esser says.
Most closed-end funds, even on the equity side, focus on income generation, and a majority of them use leverage to increase it.
6Accredited Investor: Private Offerings
For the highly speculative business of investing in unproven companies, the SEC only allows accredited investors. That may change once the regulator formulates rules on equity crowd funding, or selling small amounts of equity to many investors, as allowed by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups, or JOBS, Act, passed in 2012.
Until then, private offerings are currently only open to accredited investors. But technology has recently given the process a new twist. MicroVentures is a full-fledged broker dealer with an online investment platform for investors interested in startups. It's currently limited to the well-heeled investor and the investment options are fully vetted.
On the MicroVentures website, accredited investors can peruse the offerings online and invest between $5,000 and $30,000 in return for shares in a startup. After that the SEC enforces specific and complicated rules about selling restricted securities.
"If it's still a private company and there is liquidity, they have to hold it for a year or get a legal opinion. After a company goes public there is a lock-up period, usually 180 days for pre-(initial public offering) investors, but it depends on the company and who the investor is and how much they invested," says Tim Sullivan, CEO at MicroVentures.
MicroVentures has funded some well-known companies, including Twitter and Yelp. | <urn:uuid:c153101d-70fb-4ad1-9764-08ae70f8ad50> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2013/03/14/what-kind-alternative-investor-are/?intcmp=related | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955443 | 1,848 | 1.539063 | 2 |
January 28 through April 3, 2011
In honor of its 50th anniversary, Krannert Art Museum presented OPENSTUDIO: a series of public programs in conjunction with artist residencies intended to forge interdisciplinary learning and cultural exchange between students, faculty, the community, and international visiting artists. Transforming the main exhibition gallery into a learning laboratory, visiting artists together with University of Illinois students and faculty inhabited and created active zones for viewing, discussion, and experimentation. Activities included artist-led discussion sessions and workshops, as well as public performances resulting from the artists' collaborations with the campus community. This direction introduced a new development in the activities of the museum, transforming it into a space for experimental art and exhibition-making.
Sponsored by the Frances P. Rohlen Visiting Artist Series
The Speaker Project
January 28 through April 3, 2011
Curator: Tumelo Mosaka
Made from found materials such as old billboard signs, wood panel siding, and traffic cones, Chicago-based artist Juan Angel Chávez presented this large sculpture that also functions as a performance stage for bands and DJ's. During the exhibition, a variety of music and sound performances were scheduled.
Image credit: Juan Angel Chávez, Speaker Project, 2006, Mixed media installation © Juan Angel Chávez
From Trinidad, Marlon Griffith draws inspiration
for his art from carnival traditions and the
surrounding environment. Working between
performance, sculpture, and installation, he
emphasizes both spatial and color relation-
ships within a given space and time, while
also choreographing movement to express
mood. He has participated in international
shows throughout the world, including New
York, Johannesburg, Kingston, Gwangju,
Cape Town, Toronto, and others.
February 17–5:30–8 pm
Artist Performance and Gallery Conversation
with Marlon Griffith
Marlon Griffith, Gwanju Biennale, 2008, Photo: Akiko Ota
A self-exiled artist born in Zimbabwe and now
based in New York, Chipaumire explores the
impact of colonialism on contemporary African
lives. She creates provocative and politically
charged multimedia dance performances that
reference human struggles across the globe.
Her work is inspired by historical events from
her native country and presents the condition
of living between places. Chipaumire employs
dance to both examine and breakdown cultural
barriers that limit self-definition.
March 17–6–9 pm
Film screening of NORA (USA/Zimbabwe/UK), directed by Alla Kraprov and David Hinton, Artist Performance, and Gallery Conversation with Nora Chipaumire, OPENSTUDIO artist-in-residence and Alla Kaprov
Image credit: Nora Chipaumire, Photo: Don Rock
Additional Exhibition Programming
February 2–9 am–5 pm
8 ° of arc, a sound and light installation featuring ambient, avant world music composed by Jason Finkelman in conjunction with seanmurphyLIGHTS, Inc.
February 4–5–7 pm
Inside Out Fridays featuring music by Jason Finkelman and Johnny Ridenour and a South Indian classical dance performance by Subhalakshmi Kumar
March 11–5–7 pm
Inside Out Fridays featuring Compost Q
April 1–5–7 pm
Inside Out Fridays featuring the Robert E. Brown Center for World Music and the Ka Melia Hawaii Club
March 6–3 pm
Sonic Explorations for Two Saxophones, a performance by the Ogni Suono Saxophone Duo
April 3–3 pm
Now Now, a dance performance by Kirstie Simson and Tim O'Donnell
Building a Modern Collection: A Look BackJanuary 28 through May 1, 2011
Curator: Kathryn Koca Polite
In honor of Krannert Art Museum’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, KAM focused on an installation of works that spoke to the strength of its permanent collection. The Contemporary American Painting exhibitions at the University of Illinois began in 1948 with the foresight of individuals who felt compelled to promote contemporary art as well as build a collection for the university. In 1953, sculpture was added and the exhibition series became known as the Contemporary American Painting and Sculpture exhibition (CAPS). These exhibitions aimed to showcase a stylistic cross-section of contemporary American paintings and sculpture and coincided with the campus-wide Festival of Contemporary Arts. Building a Modern Collection: A Look Back included approximately 30 paintings and sculptures purchased from the CAPS exhibitions, as well as archival photographs and other printed material.
Image credit: Hans Hofmann, Apparition, 1947, Oil on reinforced plywood, Festival of Arts Purchase Fund 1950-6-1
March 16–5 pm
Museum members were invited to enjoy a wine and cheese reception, experience a special viewing of the exhibition Building a Modern Collection: A Look Back, and hear first-hand accounts from those who were involved with the CAPS exhibitions. Guest speakers included Marcel Franciscono, professor emeritus of Art History; Jerome A. Savage, professor emeritus of Painting; Leo Segedin, UIUC art alumnus and professor emeritus, Northeastern University; and Winton Solberg, professor emeritus of History.
The Kangarok Epic
January 28 through May 15, 2011Curator: Tumelo Mosaka
The Kangarok Epic is a series of
performances from January 26–29
that resulted in large-scale, ephemeral
drawings that were created by the
Brooklyn-based collaborative team of
Mike Estabrook and Ernest Concepción,
known as The Shining Mantis. The act of
drawing became a public performance as
the artists drew with chalk directly onto the
wall. The drawings depicted epic battle
scenes between the fictitious mantids and
demonic kangaroos that once threatened
life, as we know it. Inspired by historical accounts of conflicts, these drawings employed fiction to explore violence and destruction of a world where only the strongest of creatures could survive.
Image credit: Mike Estabrook and Ernest Concepción (The Shining Mantis), The Kangarok Epic, 2011; Chalk and black paint on wall © Mike Estabrook and Ernest Concepción
iona rozeal brown
January 28 through May 15, 2011
Curator: Tumelo Mosaka
iona rozeal brown's works examine ways
that Japanese society has appropriated
African American hip-hop culture. While
spending time in Japan, the artist began
exploring early Japanese ukiyo-e wood-
block prints and became interested in
popular Japanese youth culture known as
Ganguro (literally "black face"). This trend
involved Japanese teenagers imitating hip-
hop idols by dressing in casual baggy clothes, weaving their hair into cornrows, and darkening their skin at tanning salons or with makeup. This exhibition included three paintings from her a3 Afro-Asiatic Allegory series. They visually blended Japanese and African American culture and explored such, issues as minstrelsy and consumerism.
Image credit: iona rozeal brown, a3 blackface #68, 2003; Acrylic on paper; Courtesy of David Rhodes © iona rozeal brown
Astral Convertible Stage Set
January 28 through December 30, 2011
Astral Convertible was a 1989 dance
piece by the famous choreographer
Trisha Brown, with costumes and the
original set designed by the artist
Robert Rauschenberg. The set
consisted of eight interactive light and
sound towers that responded to the
motion of the dancers.
Faculty from the U of I Departments of
Dance and Theater and from the National
Center for Supercomputing Applications
(NCSA), reimagined the set and rebuilt it
for the 21st century, as part of the 2010
February Dance restaging of Astral Convertible held at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. New technologies such as wireless communication systems, remote control music players, and advanced projection surface plastics were incorporated into U of I artists' reinterpretation of this classic dance set and score. This installation, conceived by John Toenjes, associate professor of Dance, also included documentary material relating to these past performances.
Image credit: Rehearsal for Astral Convertible, 2010; Photo: Krannert Center for Performing Arts
School of Art + Design Master of Fine Arts
April 16 through May 1, 2011
This annual exhibition represents the culmination of intense artistic development for graduate students in studio art and design. Marking a meaningful step further into the art world, the exhibition highlighted and celebrated the artists' exceptional creativity, curiosity, and inventiveness.
Sponsored by John and Alice Pfeffer; Image credit: Installation view, 2010
School of Art + Design Bachelor of Fine Arts
May 8 through 15, 2011
In this annual exhibition, BFA graduates presented a range of art and design studio practices that illustrate new and established technologies in material and virtual realms. The exhibition gave public form to an undergraduate curriculum committed to the arts as both a distinct and necessary approach to understanding, as well as an expression of diverse human experiences.
Sponsored by John and Alice Pfeffer
Petals & Paintings
April 8 through April 10, 2011
This annual two-day exhibition and museum
fundraiser featured innovative floral displays
created by award-winning floral designers from
across the Midwest. The floral arrangements
were in response to works in KAM's permanent
collection. The exhibition was curated by
Rick Orr, a member of the American Institute
of Floral Designers. | <urn:uuid:8c7b7ca5-d0c3-4ee3-9c7e-8afb308bf923> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kam.illinois.edu/exhibitions/past/2011Spring.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938179 | 2,020 | 1.695313 | 2 |
About the Episcopal Church
General Convention 2006 was held in Columbus, Ohio
- Welcomes the faithful, the seeker and the doubter
- Honors tradition but does not fossilize it
- Believes ministry is more than just writing a check
- Celebrates diversity
- Transforms hearts and lives, leaves brains intact
- Believes the purpose is not to fill the pews but to fill heaven
- Treats you as an adult and welcomes the child in you
- Offers freedom of mind and peace of heart
Who We Are
Thomas Jefferson, Robin Williams, Desmond Tutu, Madeleine Albright, C. S. Lewis, Christopher Reeve. A mother. A doctor. A teacher. A friend. A child.
At the Episcopal church, there's a place for everyone. We are black and white. Young and old. Unemployed. CEO. Single. Divorced. Married with five kids.
Like you, we are leaders in our communities. We work hard at our jobs. We want the best for our children. We nurse broken hearts. We celebrate when our teams win. We try to be good to each other.
We worship together in joy and thanksgiving. The Episcopal Church is home to nearly 30,000 people in Southern Ohio. We attend more than 80 churches in Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, and in farm town, county seats and suburban centers throughout the southern half of the state.
We are led by the Rt. Rev. Thomas E. Breidenthal. As bishop, he offers spiritual leadership and vision for the Episcopal churches, priests and members.
Our Procter Camp and Conference Center is a popular retreat facility for youth, church and community groups. A peaceful refuge on 1,000 acres, the center also hosts spiritual retreats and summer camping programs.
We are part of a larger, global community. The Episcopal Church has its roots in the Church of England or the Anglican Church. There are 3 million Episcopalians in the United States and more than 70 million Anglicans worldwide.
What We Believe
We celebrate our belief that every person is a child of God. We believe in a God of creation, redemption and constant presence and love.
We believe a Christian community lifts up its members, freeing their gifts and supporting their lives.
We gather week by week to hear the word of God proclaimed. We thank God for the gifts in our lives and pray together for God's wisdom and help during troubled times.
Episcopalians are "liturgical," meaning our worship follows the order in the Book of Common Prayer. You can feel at home at any Episcopal church because we share the same structure of the service.
These services tell a story and act it out. As Jesus invited us, we gather around a table with bread and wine to remember him and celebrate his risen presence.
The liturgy draws us into the story by using all of the senses, creating worship services that are beautiful, dignified and yet also quite human.
Even if you're not familiar with the service, the Prayer Book provides the words you need and gives instructions about standing and kneeling. Even these customs vary in different congregations. People in the same church carry out these customs in different ways.
We do ministry within the church, from Bible studies to music and choir, book clubs and potluck dinners. Our youth programs are vibrant and fun. Worship brings us together as a community.
We also believe God calls us to ministry outside of the church. That's why we have tutoring and GED programs, free meals and food pantries. We open our churches to the homeless, and when the month lasts longer than the money, we help.
Within the Episcopal church, we believe everyone is important. All people are ministers. Some men and women are called into special "ordained" ministry, such as bishops, priests and deacons. Others are "lay people." Everyone participates in the work, ministry and governance of the church. | <urn:uuid:dc7b1824-ae5d-4b1a-9f47-0f2c647217c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.allsaintsportsmouth.us/episcopal.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954606 | 818 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Republicans had many things going against them this election, but the financial market implosion in September proved to be the final blow that sealed their losses, as voters almost always associate the economy with the party in power. And when the credit crisis emerged as the top campaign issue, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) pounced on his opponent with two basic messages. One was to blame the policies of deregulation that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) voted for. And the second was to hug former rivals Bill and Hillary Clinton as hard as he could and harken back to the prosperity and economic growth of the 1990s.
In the presidential debates, Obama charged that McCain "believes in deregulation in every circumstance" and claimed, "That's what we've been going through for the last eight years."
And as a contrast to the last eight years, Obama said in a speech that his administration would go back to the "shared prosperity...when Bill Clinton was president." When campaigning for the first time with Bill Clinton at a Florida rally in late October, Obama gushed that, "in case all of you forgot, this is what it's like to have a great president."
But now that he has won the presidency and must, as the cliché goes, shift from campaigning to governing, Obama and his economic team will have to face up to a paradox that most of the media overlooked during the campaign. Namely, the Obama campaign's twin messages of bashing deregulation and embracing the Clinton years were inherently contradictory. Bill Clinton signed nearly every deregulatory measure that John McCain backed—the same measures that are now being blamed (wrongly) for helping cause the current crisis. What's more, Clinton administration officials have credited these policies for contributing to the ‘90s economic boom—the very "shared prosperity" that Obama says he wants to go back to.
Late in Clinton's tenure, the White House put forth a document celebrating "Historic Economic Growth" during the administration and pointing to the policy accomplishments it deemed responsible for this growth. Among the achievements on Clinton's list were "Modernizing for the New Economy through Technology and Consensus Deregulation." That's right, a Clinton White House document credited part of the administration's success to that now dreaded d-word, deregulation.
"In 1993," the document explained, "the laws that governed America's financial service sector were antiquated and anti-competitive. The Clinton-Gore Administration fought to modernize those laws to increase competition in traditional banking, insurance, and securities industries to give consumers and small businesses more choices and lower costs."
Everything in those passages is true. All that's missing is credit to the GOP-controlled Congress elected in 1994 for passing most of the policies that led to the prosperity. But the Clinton administration, whatever its personal and policy flaws, should indeed be praised for signing and advocating this deregulation. These bipartisan financial policies, however, were the very same policies that Obama, running mate Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) and other Democrats attacked during the campaign. "Let's, first of all, understand that the biggest problem in this whole process was the deregulation of the financial system," Obama proclaimed in the second presidential debate.
But if Obama follows through on his campaign rhetoric on regulation, it will not be the Bush economic policies he will be overturning. In the financial area, ironically, Clinton was actually the more deregulatory president. As James Gattuso of the Heritage Foundation points out, while there may have been flawed oversight, there really was no financial deregulation under Bush. Indeed, Bush's signature achievement in the financial area was the signing and implementing of the costly and counterproductive Sarbanes-Oxley accounting mandates.
When it comes to overall regulation, as my Competitive Enterprise Institute colleague Wayne Crews notes in his study "10,000 Commandments," the Bush administration has set records with the tens of thousands of pages it put in the Federal Register. So to the extent that Obama has said he would reverse financial deregulation, what he would largely be overturning are the financial modernizations Bill Clinton signed into law and that Clinton administration officials agree led to the ‘90s prosperity.
To be sure, Obama hasn't been too specific on what exactly he would reregulate. He spoke vaguely, as did McCain, of more oversight and a regulatory framework for the 21st century. And McCain further blurred this distinction with his misguided attacks on Wall Street "greed" and on the short-sellers who actually should be praised for recognizing the mortgage market's weakness before other players did.
To the extent that Obama's campaign attacked the specific deregulation policies that McCain backed, Obama ended up doing more than just running against McCain and his advisers, such as the much-vilified former Texas Sen. Phil Gramm. Obama was also campaigning against Bill Clinton, Robert Rubin, Larry Summers and virtually all of the Clinton administration's economic officials. The same folks, it's worth nothing, that now often surround Barack Obama.
Take Gramm-Leach-Bliley, the 1999 law Clinton signed repealing the Depression-era Glass-Steagall Act, which had strictly separated traditional commercial banking from investment banking. Obama's supporters, claiming that getting rid of Glass-Steagall led to the credit blowup, have seized on the first name on the law, that of former Sen. Gramm, to bash it as a piece of Republican deregulation. Never mind that the Senate passed the legislation by a vote of 90-8, with many Democrats voting for the final bill, including Obama running mate Joe Biden.
Obama specifically bashed this bipartisan achievement in a March speech on the economy in New York. There he said, "By the time the Glass-Steagall Act was repealed in 1999, the $300 million lobbying effort that drove deregulation was more about facilitating mergers than creating an efficient regulatory framework."
But then-Clinton Treasury Secretary and now-Obama adviser Larry Summers had a different view. Summers told the Wall Street Journal in 1999 that the new law would spur economic growth "by promoting financial innovation, lower capital costs and greater international competitiveness."
What's more, Clinton himself defends the law to this day. In a recent Business Week interview with CNBC personality Maria Bartiromo, Clinton said plainly, "I don't see that signing that bill had anything to do with the current crisis." He even added that its lifting of barriers to financial service mergers may have lessened the crisis' impact, pointing out, "Indeed, one of the things that has helped stabilize the current situation as much as it has is the purchase of Merrill Lynch by Bank of America, which was much smoother than it would have been if I hadn't signed that bill." | <urn:uuid:27e75a2d-21c0-465f-9807-4d93c785c176> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://reason.com/archives/2008/11/21/obamas-clinton-problem | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974265 | 1,369 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Disney VoluntEARS Share Holiday Cheer Year-round at Coalition for the Homeless Central Florida
Walt Disney World VoluntEARS prepare and serve nearly 750 meals a month at Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, a tradition that spans at least a decade and one of many ways that Disney lends a helping hand at the Coalition, which provides food and shelter to approximately 650 people a night. Many of them are families with children.
The Walt Disney World Resort takes care of dinner service twice monthly at the Coalition. When a holiday falls on the schedule, Disney chefs find great delight in making the meals even more magical.
Chef Leonard Thomson, Chef de Cuisine with Epcot Catering, recently oversaw the Coalition’s Thanksgiving dinner preparations, which began two days prior to the holiday. Creating a feast for approximately 700 people, Chef Thomson and team made a culinary cornucopia that included roasted turkey with gravy, cornbread stuffing, cranberry sauce, braised beef tips, four-cheese baked pasta, steamed vegetables, mashed potatoes, salad greens, rolls and desserts such as pumpkin cheesecake.
“When Disney chefs are onsite for their regular meal service, the delicious aroma is unmistakable,” says Muffet Robinson, director of communications for Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida. “Our staff and clients are so very grateful for the support of Walt Disney World.”
Coalition for the Homeless is more than a shelter; it is a comprehensive program designed to help homeless individuals and families get back on track to self-sufficiency. They offer numerous support services including job skills training, licensed day care, children’s programs and housing placement.
For the past few years, Coalition for the Homeless has been recognized as one of the top Disney’s Helping Kids Shine grant recipients. As part of this recognition, the Coalition continues to receive funding and ongoing comprehensive support from Disney, which includes board service, assistance in the maintenance and improvement of Coalition facilities, meals prepared by Disney chefs and donations of warm clothing in the winter.
“We sincerely value Disney’s generosity and commitment to making a difference in the lives of homeless individuals and families,” says Coalition for the Homeless President/CEO Brent Trotter. “Thanks to community partners, such as Walt Disney World Resort, we can extend our reach to help those who need it most.”
To learn more about how you can help, visit http://www.centralfloridahomeless.org. | <urn:uuid:efb4de87-34de-471d-b79e-0e95e5ddd78f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.stitchkingdom.com/disney-disney-voluntears-share-holiday-cheer-yearround-coalition-homeless-central-florida-13526/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941699 | 519 | 1.515625 | 2 |
An extremely 'well intentioned' young white guy I work closely with said to me the other day that, appalled as he was by this "new" notion of white privilege he'd just heard of, thank god he'd never been its beneficiary. Others had, of course, but not him and man! would such a thing suck if it actually did exist.
While trying not to either laugh at him or slit his throat, I informed him about a study done by U of Chicago and MIT professors. In that study, identical resumes were sent in response to their local papers' want ads. Identical, that is, but for names like "Jennifer" v. "Tanisha," and "Jamal" v. "Joe". Let's just sum it up thusly:
The authors find that applicants with white-sounding names are 50 percent more likely to get called for an initial interview than applicants with African-American-sounding names. Applicants with white names need to send about 10 resumes to get one callback, whereas applicants with African-American names need to send about 15 resumes to achieve the same result.
"Testers" (fake applicants sent out to rent apartments, buy cars, etc.) find basically the same results.
He could only stare at me in silent bewilderment that his white skin had ever, ever helped him. Him, with his Martin Luther King T shirts, pants sagging off his ass, and tongue stud but white bread name, let alone skin. I love the kid but he doesn't yet know that anybody can cover up their piercings, but only some of us can lose melanin for the brief duration of an interview. C'mon white folks. Tim Wise can't do it alone. Get a clue already.
Now comes an equally delicious way of proving that sexism and male privilege are all too alive and well (hat tip: Andrew Sullivan.) From Time:
A new study looks at this problem in a wonderfully inventive way. In previous studies, academics have looked at variables like years of education and the effects of outside forces such as nondiscrimination policies. But gender was always the constant. What if it didn't have to be? What if you could construct an experiment in which a random sample of adults unexpectedly changes sexes before work one day? Kristen Schilt, a sociologist at the University of Chicago and Matthew Wiswall, an economist at New York University, couldn't quite pull off that study. But they have come up with the first systematic analysis of the experiences of transgender people in the labor force. And what they found suggests that raw discrimination remains potent in U.S. companies.
Schilt and Wiswall found that women who become men (known as FTMs) do significantly better than men who become women (MTFs). MTFs in the study earned, on average, 32 percent less after they transitioned from male to female, even after the authors controlled for factors like education levels. FTMs earned an average of 1.5 percent more. The study was just published in the Berkeley Electronic Press' peer-reviewed Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy.
Sew on a penis, get what you're worth. Hmmm...Wonder how long it takes living a man's life to pay off all that surgery.
And since I'm on my hairy-legged, humorless, Paleo-Feminist kick, check out my girl Linda Hirshman at The Nation on how Sarah Palin (i.e. history's most unqualified candidate for ANY office) is just a sad retread of the hideous "Rules" girl.
Then read Hirsh's serialized post-abortion, apocalyptic-abortion novel on HuffPo on Tuesdays and Fridays. Here's the first installment and a Washington Post piece on the same subject.
Still not afraid of a McCain-Palin White House? Well, just stay tuned here. | <urn:uuid:4fdeb42c-9c0f-410f-9a9d-b6cce330f72d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2008/10/paleo-feminist-transgender-sexism-studies | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967182 | 793 | 1.648438 | 2 |
What determines a great school? You tell us…by nominating your favorite school in the “America’s Favorite School” contest, co-sponsored by Care2.com and GreatSchools.org. Your great school could win $20,000.
The contest, which runs from April 12 – May 21, is free and open to everyone: parents, teachers, students, administrators and community members. The purpose of the contest, in addition to rewarding a great school with recognition and funding, is to encourage communities to rally in support of their schools and to draw attention to the many schools across our nation that work.
The more votes a school receives, the better that school’s chances of winning. Here are four easy ways to get the word out and get people to vote for your chosen school (all of the material referenced can be downloaded here.) .
1. Send an email to your friends and networks asking them to vote for your school. Copy a sample email (page 2). If you are involved in a parent or community organization with a newsletter, be sure to feature the contest and invite your readers to vote.
2. Talk about the contest on your website, blog, Facebook or MySpace pages and/or Twitter. Better yet, also add a banner. Ask your friends and family to do the same to support your school. You can also make a YouTube video to tell people why your school is the greatest. If you play online games, share the news with your community. Be creative and get the word out that your school could win $20,000.
3. Post a flyer at your school, your local library, your neighborhood coffee shop, or other local venues.
4. Get noticed by local media. Follow these simple steps to use this contest as a way to draw local media attention to your school:
Care2 is the largest online community devoted to activism in the service of healthy, ethical and other progressive causes. GreatSchools is an independent, nonprofit organization that improves education by inspiring parents to be involved. Parents choose GreatSchools to connect with each other – to find the right schools, share stories and advice, and get their parenting questions answered. Over the past 10 years, GreatSchools has empowered and inspired millions of parents to support their children’s education. In the past year alone, more than 37 million people – approximately one in three K-12 households in the U.S. – visited GreatSchools. With hundreds of thousands of ratings and parent reviews of schools nationwide, GreatSchools is the paramount parent-to-parent education community.
So, nominate your favorite school and spread the word. If you have any questions regarding the contest, don’t hesitate to contact Care2 at firstname.lastname@example.org.
And remember: while only one school will earn the title and the grand prize, by nominating your school and promoting attention, involvement and community support, you and your school will be winners.
photo credit: http://pics4.city-data.com/cpicv/vfiles23412.jpg
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers. | <urn:uuid:36e89d12-ebc7-4236-adfa-5a6cd3aac4c9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.care2.com/causes/help-your-favorite-school-win-20-000-in-the-america-s-favorite-school-contest.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95343 | 668 | 1.515625 | 2 |
The open cloud manifesto is the start of a great document. At this moment the document only contains words and information that is not particularly interesting for anyone. Cloud providers (Amazon, Microsoft, Sun, Rackspace, etc) can do very little with it, since it does not get into any technical details. Cloud users can do even less, since it does not mention the way the goals of the document are going to get accomplish.
In my opinion the Open Cloud Manifesto does one thing. Starts the processes and if the market, vendors, and users are mature enough they will know that standardization is an important word of every technology. The document also have some specific points that are as far the contributors of the document, the most important to get into a technical agreement. I am outlining those here, and If you want to comment on them be my guest.
- Data and Application Interoperability
- Data and Application Portability
- Governance and Management
- Metering and Monitoring | <urn:uuid:3f70aee1-cdb6-43a3-9df1-c259277099a2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kiragiannis.com/cloud-computing/open-cloud-manifesto/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93502 | 200 | 1.65625 | 2 |
Taking part in a 5k run for cancer is an important issue and everyone who is looking forward for their participation in such an event shall pay attention to few basic requirements. There are different types of 5k races organized and some of them participate for social causes. These races can be a very enriching and rewarding experience for participants. One example is the 5k run for cancer, which has such a noble cause where people can participate and can make their invaluable contribution. If you are a first timer, even then you need not to worry or simply look for the few basics, which are available online also. You can select from the number of training options available online. Just follow directions so you can gain the optimum results.
First, you should make up your mind and start your 5k run. Remember that high quality exercising and food intake can ward off cancer in itself. Maintain an alternative day of rest; with it you will have an enhanced schedule. And by the end of the week gradually, you will be able to bring your exercises to higher levels. A 5k run for cancer or any other cause will become interesting and enriching when you will be participating in full health. One needs to take healthy food and supplements to improve their stamina and performance.
Experts’ tips will be an added help to you and will be in the best position to guide you overcome all hurdles. One can take help in determining best exercising methods and techniques needed for effective preparation from an experts’ advice.
Now, one can see another important aspect related to 5k run for cancer. Just gather different details related to different 5k run for cancers and go for every details mentioned here. One can avail details regarding such races taking place in and around their city and need to make a schedule of it. Different organizations conduct these races at different intervals and every input is arranged to make it a success.
These 5k run for cancer is a great opportunity to make your contribution as funds being generated from these races is used for the cancer researches. A little search will bring a number of races, which annually conduct such races and help others. Many leading personalities participate in such occasions and help others. As these researches, require a lot of money, ensuring personalities participation and their donation can help in ensuring researches helpful in controlling cancers also.
If you are professional then you may not be facing a problem in making a preparation and such occasions will only provide ample help to enhance and check your physical stamina. One can find all related inputs at different sites and their formats also. So, go out and make a right move suitable to you preparations. So, pull up your socks and ensure your participation in such 5k run for cancer. This is your best chance to avail better returns and enjoy a hassle free participation.
Say no to cancer with your participation for 5k run for cancer. Move on!! | <urn:uuid:6571a7e3-8a0a-4610-b492-63f0c2da74c9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://marathonsandrunningevents.com/5k-run-for-cancer/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945195 | 582 | 1.78125 | 2 |
To combat this issue, the company has introduced the RSA FraudAction Anti Rogue App Service that can identify and take action against rouge mobile apps that are out to serve up malware or phishing attacks.
The release of this application is well-timed as a report from TrendMicro TrendLabs indicates that the number of malicious Android apps jumped over 20,000 in July 2012. RSA also notes an April 2012 report from Goode Intelligence that shows about 71 percent of organisations allow their employees to use their own mobile devices for company business.
RSA’s new managed service has been designed to monitor all major app stores for all mobile operating systems. It can also shut down malicious apps to deliver a range of benefits such as reduction of end user credential loss, financial fraud as well as damage to organisations’ brand equity.
“We’re finding that organisations offering legitimate mobile apps used for online banking, retail, gaming and other functions aren’t prepared and are mostly unaware of the mobile app threats lurking in app stores,” said RSA Senior Vice President of Identity & Data Protection Dan Schiappa.
“Driven by RSA’s experienced team of anti-fraud analysts, the RSA FraudAction Anti Rogue App Service is designed to help these organisations reduce fraud losses.”
RSA boasts a combination of very experienced anti-fraud experts and a proven, propriety threat-detection infrastructure that is geared towards helping organisations gain visibility into the mobile app landscape.
The RSA FraudAction Anti Rogue App Service can proactively manage risk to business by providing visibility into mobile app-based threats. This proactive approach helps ensure online app stores are constantly monitored and timely action is taken against rogue mobile app threats.
Available immediately worldwide, this service provides comprehensive app store monitoring for all major app stores.
“Despite the best efforts of app store operators to police their own cataloguess for rogue apps, the potential damage posed by a Trojan app using a company’s brand image cannot be understated,” said 451 Research Research Director of Mobile & Wireless,Chris Hazelton.
“Active monitoring of app stores will help organisations stay ahead of potential mobile app threats that leverage legitimate brands to target consumers for malware distribution and phishing.” | <urn:uuid:3441b222-b6c4-43b7-87b2-f48ddc59cad9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.macworld.com.au/news/mobile-apps-emerge-as-new-cyber-crime-attack-vector-67681/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935623 | 465 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Most mortgages are standardized so the lender can sell them to the secondary market (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are the best known). 'Conforming loans' are cookie-cutter loans that banks can count on selling to the secondary market to get cash back to make more loans. If you have a straightforward situation - standard job, reliable income, sufficient down payment, and good credit report - you are probably a good candidate for a conforming loan.
However, if you are taming credit problems, are self-employed, a small business owner, have had an erratic work history, or present any other complication to the process, the lender will probably have to customize a deal for you. You will have to meet more stringent requirements as the bank determines if it wants to tailor a loan for you circumstances.
Increase your chances of getting a non-conforming loan by:
• Choosing a smaller bank that is known for customer service.
• Setting up an account several months in advance with a substantial amount of money.
• Establishing a personal relationship with that bank.
• Lining up character witnesses who can vouch for your creditworthiness.
• Coming up with additional collateral for your loan.
Both 30 and 15-year loans are standard. Because there is no penalty to paying off a loan early, you can get lower monthly payments with a 30-year loan but pay it off on a 15-year schedule, getting the best of both worlds.
Adjustable-rate mortgage start out with a set, lower interest rate. Then, after a certain number of years (usually 3, 5 or 7), the rate suddenly adjusts to a rate tied to an indicator specified in the original mortgage. If you are quite sure you will be moving before the rate is set to adjust, an ARM can be a good option. However, you should take out a loan based on the maximum payment you might have to make, not the minimum payment. Otherwise, you might get caught without enough income to pay your mortgage.
Very large mortgages are called "jumbos". Jumbos are bigger than the maximum allowed for conforming loans. They almost always command higher rates and have customized terms. To avoid the hassles and expense of a jumbo mortgage, increase your down payment to get the mortgage into conforming territory.
Finally, you might be able to negotiate financing directly with the seller. Seller financing can take several forms. The seller might act like a bank and you would pay a set monthly amount, just like a regular mortgage. You might 'rent to own' by renting the house, with the rent payments set aside in escrow until you decide to buy the house, when the accumulated rent becomes your down payment. Or you might explore additional owner financing options. Always work closely with an experienced real estate attorney on seller financing deals. | <urn:uuid:b9e88d7d-2bbd-4a63-b438-420ed3ffd12b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ktuu.com/os-home-buying-timeline-009,0,2430453.photo | 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 | 0.959069 | 579 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Cape Canaveral Hospital Pain Clinic is the only hospital in Central Florida to offer new MILD Procedure to alleviate back pain.
COCOA BEACH, FL - The Pain Clinic at Cape Canaveral Hospital, part of the not-for-profit Health First network of hospitals, is now the first and only Central Florida location offering a revolutionary new procedure to alleviate back pain.
Doctors at The Pain Clinic at Cape Canaveral Hospital are now offering the first-of-its-kind Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression (MILD) Procedure -a safe, therapeutic option for reducing pain and increasing mobility. The image-guided procedure is performed using specialized MILD devices and a local anesthetic with conscious sedation.
The Pain Clinic's trained, qualified physicians use the MILD procedure to restore space in the spinal canal while maintaining structural stability by locating and removing only those portions of tissue and bone that compress the spinal nerves and cause pain. The procedure generally takes only about an hour to perform, requires no sutures, only a minimal entry point (about the diameter of a pencil), and leaves no significant scar. Most patients are able to return home the same day.
"There are so many people that we can help with this new procedure that would have otherwise had to endure more serious back surgery," said Todd Bibens, Director of Clinical Nursing at Cape Canaveral Hospital. "This isn't a procedure you can get anywhere else in Central Florida at this time, even Orlando, so we're excited about having the know-how on performing this procedure here at Cape Canaveral Hospital."
About Health First
Health First has been serving the residents of Brevard County since it was founded in 1995, with roots extending back to 1937 when Holmes Regional Medical Center opened as the first hospital in Brevard County, called Brevard Hospital at that time.
Today, Health First is the only multi-hospital, not-for-profit health system in Brevard County. This means that every dollar not used to pay for patient care stays in the county to improve healthcare services for all residents, including those without the financial means to pay. All members of Health First's Board of Directors reside within its service area and provide oversight for a broad range of services and products including four acute-care hospitals, multiple health plans, a multi-specialty physician group, outpatient diagnostic and treatment centers, a network of outpatient and wellness services, and the only Trauma Center in Brevard County. | <urn:uuid:59296382-7e36-4ab1-a788-6071318d9118> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.health-first.org/news_and_events/hf_mild_procedure_2010.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949166 | 498 | 1.710938 | 2 |
In a message dated 3/29/2002 8:33:25 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> Love the Bottle Monsters! What grade did these? Are they papier mache?
> What kind of paint did you use? The colors are so bright. I do "Biography
> Bottle Babies" with my 2nd graders. Using a 2 liter bottle as a base for
> the body, the kids create a famous person they have chosen to write about
> in their classroom. Serious stuff-LOL... Your monsters are more whimical
> and fun!
> Susan on Long Island ---
HI Susan and all,
First off , Susan I didn't say congratulations to you for being one of the
"chosen " to go to Japan!!!! How great is that? CONGRATULATIONS!
our bottle monsters were made using 20oz soda bottles. The actual monsters
came from there tesselations (ala woody) they had to create 3 half monster
faces, when they were nearly done, I thought it would be great to see some of
them in 3-d. soas an addition to there lesson...they had to recreate one of
their 3 faces in 3-d. we waded up news paper, cut cardboard and used twisted
paper(the kind they make bows out of, and covered the armature with instant
paper-mache. since our tesselation lesson was also a lesson in color theory,
Primaries, secondaries and intermediates were abound! We used tempera paint.
these were my intro to art classes, mostly 9th and 10th grade. | <urn:uuid:50b381f0-f821-4510-ab86-924d47ff072b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.getty.edu/education/teacherartexchange/archive/Mar02/1488.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964813 | 341 | 1.609375 | 2 |
They are trying to say that the recent rise in gas prices is President Obama's fault. Well, if that's true, then why has President Obama expanded more offshore drilling in America? And why have we drilled as much under Obama as Bush? Republican President George W. Bush? Don't believe me? Then maybe you'll believe an oil and gas insider:
According to the rolling oil rig count by industry services giant Baker Hughes, the oil and gas industry is drilling as much under the first two years of President Barack Obama as it did under the first two years of George W. Bush.
TPJ: And if that's not enough, the Obama policy on drilling has made the United States an industry leader. "Including those in natural gas fields, the United States now has more rigs at work than the entire rest of the world." That from a Houston Chronicle article by Simone Sebastian.
PHOTO CREDIT: "Oil Well Silhouetted Against Evening Sunset by Victor Habbick for Free Digital Photos.net
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Professor and thinker Mohsin J. Al Musawi is a literary critic of international renown and a scholar of classical and modern Arabic literature, comparative and cultural studies. He was the recipient of the Owais Award in Literary Criticism (2002). In an exclusive interview with Weekend Review, he discussed his forthcoming projects, his interests and also his cultural expectations. Excerpts:
You have been contracting publishers for your new book, “Politics of the Medieval Islamic Republic of Letters”. Doesn’t the title imply that you believe there was an “Islamic Republic of Letters” in the middle period, ie from 1258 to the early 19th century? What is the basis for this belief, which not many might share?
“Politics of the Medieval Islamic Republic of Letters” explores the complex cultural make-up of the middle and pre-modern period (also called the Postclassical period). It argues against the early Islamic modernists’ contention that it was a period of decline like the European Middle Ages. It shows how this culture conveys or critiques the impact of the political order under centralised and decentralised Islamic states across the Arab world and Asia, from Herat (Afghanistan) to India and Khurasan (modern-day Afghanistan). It looks upon this encyclopaedic and lexicographic bent as one among many instances of discussion and communication. Communications avenues were open not only in assemblies, chancery sites and public spaces but also through auditions, authorised transmission and correspondence. Philosophical and speculative theological discourse and historical and political discussions proliferated, enlisting the participation of theologians, logicians, scientists and rhetoricians who were not always satisfied just to know about each other and took the pain of travelling to Cairo, Damascus and Khurasan to hold debates that often demonstrated rigorous thought and methodology.
New subgenres and forms spilt into compendiums that represented an age of dynamic communication. Rather than a period of cultural failure, the middle and pre-modern periods offer significant contributions to the modern scene than has hitherto been recognised. Through a more nuanced engagement with that culture, we can better understand the role of the communities, their beliefs, practices, and expectations that have been left out by the elites of the nation state. In an ironic twist, the jurist of the middle period is reborn in satellite TV channels and social media to impact societies and raise the same old questions anew.
Let us move a little to the present, as I read also that you have been working on what you call the “Arab Street”. Is this a different conceptualisation from what we know of Al Bayati and Al Sayyab as prominent poets who wrote about the common man and the street? Didn’t the Iraqi lawyer Mahmoud Al Abta write around 1957 about the “man of the street”, meaning the common person?
What is noticeable in the densely populated regions is the increasing interaction with social media. This has its positive and negative sides. The positive is the widening horizons of interaction with the outside world; the negative comes from the amount of noise that accompanies any phenomenon. It may lead to distraction, loss of touch with real culture, reification and a disintegrated social fabric. On the other hand, we have accelerated street activity. The street here doesn’t mean the physical street, but its symbolic and semiotic presence as a venue for interaction. I look at the “Arab Street” differently — as basically a reconfiguration of life in a physical space where there is a possibility to integrate better. If well grounded in the historicity of culture, this street awareness can lead to social integration, solidarity and better family life. Satellite and media venues have to play a more constructive role, however, to lead people in that direction.
Your book “Islam on the Street” received high acclaim and was pronounced by Choice as the Outstanding Academic Title for 2010. What is it that makes this book so readable?
The book was published in 2009, and it predicted significant changes in Muslim societies. It explores what it sees as failure in leadership, not because the educated class was unprepared to lead, but because there was one model that was imitated, without due understanding of local societies, traditions, needs of people, possible changes and expectations. Predicated on the European modernity model for long, the Arab awakening or Nahda ended up in colossal state formations that paid lip service to the masses and their beliefs while alienating them in practice. The model is not unique to the Arabs, for it has had similar repercussions elsewhere. The nation state forged a social programme that is no less divested of and often opposed to local traditions and rural culture. Only after 1967, following the unsettling experience of total bankruptcy, intellectuals began to seriously question the binaries of science/religion and progress/tradition. New writing finds substance and faith that has been ignored for long under cultural dependency. These works receive due attention in relation to theoretical studies that may help increase readers’ critical insights. The projected outcome is towards a substantial social and cultural understanding of Arab society, politics and structures of feeling and faith.
As usual, with your work, you move back and forth in your reading of Arab and Muslim societies, and their cultures in particular. Your book, “The Islamic Context of the Thousand and One Nights”, comes to mind. We know that the book was popular in Europe, more so than in Muslim societies. Some think that the book is a global commodity. But you argue differently.
Although the tales of the “Thousand and One Nights” unfold, like any other cultural production, in a mixed climate of Islamic ideology and Utopia, they rarely subscribe to any polarised position or stance. Navigation along the lines of pairing of opposites is the most distinctive aspect of a narrative that resists absolutes. Growing and taking shape in the early Abbasid period, the tales were also reciprocal with and opposite to the rising tendency among jurists to establish a codified discourse that was best represented in a series of hisbah (market inspection) manuals and epistles, along with books on kharaj (land revenue and tax). To regulate the emerging urban population in the Islamic centres, these define professions and groups and ways of assessment that administer both economy and morals. The tales convey this awareness in narratives of professionals, markets, domestic life and also spaces that fall outside the reach of authority. But in the end, you get the feeling of some localisation, an Islamic one that has more of a popular touch in it than belletristic writing.
You always leave some space for Arabic poetry, as your book “Arabic Poetry: Trajectories of Modernity and Tradition” (2006) shows. Do you think poetry has any appeal to Arabs and Muslims?
There is a poetic appeal that cannot die. Poetry connects well to the human need for love and affection. The rationale behind this book is many-sided. Primarily it plans to meet the demands of the field for a comprehensive reading of Arabic poetry, its configurational sides of modernity and tradition, wherein convergence, friction and antagonism generate acute tensions. It is not concerned, therefore, with the history of movements and trends; nor does it focus on regional poetic scenes and figures. Yet, the book makes territorial claims whenever there is a crossroads, a threshold or a meeting ground among texts and addresses that navigate between tradition and modernity. It cares for the poetic in its cultural complexity as pertaining to issues of selfhood, individuality, community, religion, ideology, nation, class and gender.
You believe that culture and politics work together, and that to see either as separate from the other will lead to failed analysis. I noticed this argument in your book “Reading Iraq: Culture and Power in Conflict”.
The subtitle was the publisher’s choice. There is more than one reason to prioritise culture in the reading of Iraq despite the increasing emphasis of politicians and social scientists on the state of Iraq, its natural resources and its place and performance in a world order led and envisioned by the United States.
The Iraqi poet and activist in the 1920 revolution, Mohammad Mahdi Al Basr, looked on moral and cultural factors as more important than material ones. In “Tarikh Al Qadiyyah Al Iraqiyyah” (Baghdad, 1923), he expressed his surprise at the sudden change in the British Acting Commissioner’s discourse, for, in his farewell speech of September 1920, Arnold Wilson asserted cultural factors as largely informing consciousness, an assertion that ran counter to his notorious emphasis on force. But instead of being condescending to Eastern and Muslim culture whose value he recognised, he highlighted the idea of nationhood as a newly emerging Western concept that reached the East only recently.
History as a record of imperial achievement receives expedient attention, and empires complacently bequeath their legacies to each other, for in 330BC Alexander the Great seized Babylon, promising to regain Babylon’s glory as the centre of the civilised world. The Mongols made no such promises when invading Baghdad in 1258, but were driven there by an ambition to be at the centre of the Islamic world, causing enormous cultural destruction and racial cleansing. Their Ottoman successors in 1534 were just as brutal, but they were there for the wealth of Iraq despite some efforts by their Iraqi appointees to rebuild the country as a state once more. In the struggle between them and Iran to dominate Iraq, the country passed through turmoil, suffering and destruction. Centuries later, on March 11, 1917, General Maude was lavish in his promises. The British imperial discourse had such markers as the absolute faith in the need to stay in Iraq, the claim that “the average Arab” realised “that he would lose rather than gain in national unity if we [the British] relinquish effective control”, and that Iraq under domination could present a “model for the rest”. (November 14, 1918).
These ideas permeated the communications of Colonel Wilson, the acting civil commissioner in Iraq, to the secretary of state for India. Like many other servants of the empire, Colonel Wilson strongly believed in his civilisational mission, to bestow justice, efficient administration, liberation and security on Iraqis. These administrators, in the paraphrase of Philip Ireland, looked upon counter-political aspirations as no more than “… vagaries of ungrateful extremists or to be repressed as firmly as wayward thoughts in any adolescent youth”. Colonial legacies are always the same and they emanate from expediency, greed, and ignorance.
Your other works include literary ones such as “The Postcolonial Arabic Novel”. Do you think these books sell in the West? Are they for the academia or for the public?
Both. I write for the academia, but also opt to reach out to the reading public. These books are meant to acquaint this public with Arab and Muslim culture. They are deeply grounded in knowledge and aspire to cultivate the mind and make culture accessible to Western readers and readers of English elsewhere.
Shakir Noori is a Dubai-based journalist and author.
Mohsin J. Al Musawi taught for over two decades at universities in the Arab world before moving to Columbia University. He is the author of 28 books (including four novels) and more than 60 scholarly articles. He has been the editor of the “Journal of Arabic Literature” since 2000. He was once the secretary-general for Iraqi writers (2003-2009) and was in charge of cultural and translation projects throughout that period. He initiated a highly acclaimed series of translated texts from Russian, English, German and Spanish. Professor Al Musawi’s teaching and research interests span several years and genres. His books include: “Scheherazade in England” (1981); “The Society of One Thousand and One Nights” (2000); “Anglo-Orient: Easterners in Textual Camps” (2000); “The Postcolonial Arabic Novel: Debating Ambivalence” (2003); “Arabic Poetry: Trajectories of Modernity and Tradition” (2006); “Reading Iraq: Culture and Power in Conflict” (2006); “The Islamic Context of The Thousand and One Nights” (Columbia University Press, 2009); and “Islam in the Street: The Dynamics of Arabic Literary Production” (Rowman & Littlefield, 2009). He is also editor of and contributor to “Arabic Literary Thresholds: Sites of Rhetorical Turn in Contemporary Scholarship”( 2009). He wrote the introduction and notes to the Barnes & Noble edition of “The Thousand and One Nights”, published in 2007. | <urn:uuid:6f1a959e-2cab-4ff4-8605-6d7623956c52> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://gulfnews.com/about-gulf-news/al-nisr-portfolio/weekend-review/a-seeker-of-humanity-1.1115005?localLinksEnabled=false | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957083 | 2,634 | 1.585938 | 2 |
August 30 – Happy Birthday Billy Johnson
Joe McCarthy first laid eyes on Billy Johnson in the spring of 1943, during a snowy morning at a Newark Bears’ training camp in Asbury Park, NJ. Marse Joe evidently liked what he saw because just a few short weeks later, the 24-year-old native of Montclair, NJ opened the 1943 season as the starting third baseman for McCarthy’s Yankees.
The “Bull” justified his manager’s faith in him by putting together a great rookie season at the hot corner. He played in every single game that season and drove in 94 runs, hit .280, played great defense and actually finished fourth in that year’s AL MVP voting. He followed that up with a strong performance in the 1943 World Series. He hit .300 against the Cardinals and his three run triple in the eighth inning of Game 3 erased a 2-1 St. Louis lead, as the Yanks went on to beat the Red Birds in five games.
Johnson then entered the armed services and did not play another big league game until the middle of the 1946 season. By 1947, he was an AL All Star. That year he hit .285 and drove in a career high 95 runs. That fall he won his second ring, when New York beat Brooklyn in a seven-game Fall Classic. He would end up winning a total of four rings during his seven seasons in pinstripes.
Johnson was one of the many ex-Yankees who did not play himself out of a job but was instead pushed out by the constant influx of high quality prospects produced by baseball’s best minor league system. It also didn’t help that Billy was constantly haggling with the Yankee front office about his contract. In 1948, then Yankee skipper, Bucky Harris began platooning Johnson at third with a young Bobby Brown. Brown was a better hitter than Bull was but he was also a terrible fielder. When Gil McDougald was ready for the big leagues a couple of seasons later, New York traded Johnson to St Louis. I’d compare Johnson’s career as the Yankee starting third baseman with that of Scott Brosius. It didn’t last long but it was very good while it lasted.
Billy shares his birthday with his former Yankee teammate, outfielder Johnny Lindell. | <urn:uuid:67203747-5dd2-41c6-bc93-8e7777cee3c0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://pinstripebirthdays.mlblogs.com/2012/08/30/august-30-happy-birthday-billy-johnson/?like=1&source=post_flair&_wpnonce=1fd78fe65c | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984824 | 479 | 1.789063 | 2 |
What’S The Fuzz All About?
Wednesday - September 10, 2008
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By Jeffrey Livintoff
You grab your paper, your coffee and a comfortable chair for your sitting muscle. You turn page after page, looking for something to catch your eye. “Wait, what’s this?” You see a clever and funny ad with a great priced PC or Laptop and you say to yourself, “Self…, let’s go down to PTC Consulting(next to Comp USA), and find out what the FUZZ is all about!” You fight your way through the crowd of eager customers and find yourself staring at the LAST Dell Laptop for $499. That’s right, $499. (dramatic pause) And yes I said LAST. You see no reason to walk away from such an amazing deal. It’s clear what the fuzz is all about. After a quick fist fight with the two other individuals eyeing your laptop, you rush to the friendly PTC employee and ask them to help with your purchase.
Quickly your euphoric feeling of finding such a deal shifts towards a dreadful vision of data transfer. We all know how delicate and complicated data transfers can be. You quickly get discouraged as the thought of moving your hard drive to another computer will most certainly spell out trouble and indigestion. The operating system will crash because you have different hardware. Even under the watchful eye of a skilled technician this task can take a very long time. If you have to install everything from scratch, this means you’ll need all the original software, along with all the serial numbers and less information that you probably have… (cough cough) extremely organized all over the place. (lol)
While you can copy your data (word files, pics, emails, music, etc) to a new computer, the programs require a different approach. In some cases even if you are the legal owner of these programs and have lost the serial numbers or disc, you need to buy them all over again. I know, I know, sounds depressing. But we have good news! We have been working tirelessly to come up with a solution to this upgrade nightmare. I cannot legally tell you that the PTC computer you will buy will save polar bears, end hunger, and make you smile uncontrollably, but I can tell you that we will be happy to see you, happy to inform you, and happy to assist you with your needs. I also can’t legally tell you that James Singleton from Honolulu, was able to lose 48 pounds in 2 months with a PTC built computer. James would go jogging with the PTC computer we built for him strapped to his back. He wanted something Heavy and durable he could take out on his morning jogs.
Remember… I can’t legally tell you this. (lol) But I can tell you this. LEGALLY!
Come on in and buy any laptop or pc we carry from our major manufacturers, or have us custom build you one to suit your specific needs. We at PTC have discovered a technique to copy an entire hard drive to another computer and keep all the data and PROGRAMS.
Our clients in order to make upgrades painless and fun. Did I say fun? Remember that this procedure works best if staying with the same operating system. If your goal is to upgrade the operating system, then the transition will be a bit more technical. However this is not meant to discourage you. There will always be PTC to provide you with practical and effective solutions to any and all of your pc needs.
Come visit us downtown next to COMPUSA, or check out our New Store Opening in Pearl City This Fall and find out: What the Fuzz is all about!!! - Aloha.
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Paul Marks, chief technology correspondent
Last week I went to see the West End production of Hairspray at London's Shaftesbury Theatre - and during the performance I was able to read the dialogue and lyrics as they were spoken or sung by the cast, in eight different languages.
How so? I was using a new handheld gadget called AirScript. A multilanguage wireless theatre subtitling system, it is designed to boost theatre audiences by making shows more accessible to tourists who don't speak the local language. The device delivers the script in either Japanese, Mandarin, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Italian or English.
I have to say it was a really impressive machine - it is well thought
out, easy to use and discreet, and I have a feeling we are going to be
seeing a lot more of it.
Opera glasses were probably the last mainstream technology to make a difference to theatre-goers, and thanks to wifi, 3D printing and touchscreen technology, AirScript stands a better than evens chance of becoming the next one.
It was developed by engineers at Cambridge Consultants for Show Translations, an outfit which until now has translated German and Italian opera scripts for
English language projected subtitling.
Using laser beams to magically 'print' real 3D objects from powdered
nylon, David Bradshaw at Cambridge Consultants tried a number of shapes
and sizes and surface textures until he hit on a comfortable-to-hold
device that volunteers really liked.
AirScript is a very simple computer that receives the script
line-by-line from an operator backstage. You can rent it for £6 from
the box office and it is already switched on when pulled from a
After you choose your language, the screen displays
orange text on a black backdrop. And its backlight dims as the
houselights go down - a nice touch. "Getting acceptance with the
theatre is crucial," Bradshaw says. "We had to build a device that's
not intrusive or distracting to non users sitting next to you."
This was achieved by using an LCD with a low viewing angle: turn the
device slightly to the side and the display instantly dims. It makes me
wonder whether it might be worth Show Translations thinking about
making an Andriod or iPhone app that reads the subtitles too.
What I really like are the plans for the AirScript: while version one
launches at the Shaftesbury Theatre and at the Beatrix Theater in
Utrecht, Netherlands, version two will include a facility for ordering
your interval drinks. How civilised is that?
Also in the works is a way to use some kind of indoor GPS so the gadget guides you to your seat. Ushers, beware. And just in case anyone is thinking of ruining the party with a cellphone jammer, Cambridge Consultants has made the machine a frequency hopper, able to jump to a new band to evade such
Maybe one day it will turn geekspeak into English at science
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This font has been developed based on the engraving by the German artist Daniel Hopfer (1470-1536) listing the Latin ABC. While creating the font I tried to preserve the archaism and certain imperfection characteristic for the prototype to accentuate its charm. Fanciful convolution on the serif make it a bit fairy-tale like and cheerful. The font is also available with decorated dots as in the original version. All the letters in the font are capital.
available in all of the styles: | <urn:uuid:4379a676-0e70-4e96-862e-096c7debde18> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/2d-typo/hopferian/?add_to_album=FontStyle+230223 | 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 | 0.936503 | 107 | 1.507813 | 2 |
The product manager for Windows 7 recently demoed its multitouch features. The video is over at The Inquirer.
The most positive thing about having a quickly animated globe was that the demo showed that you select a small part of a large database of information very quickly. I’m not sure what the value of rotating that view was.
Corel added some large icons and a single twist feature in a photo album. The software didn’t seem to respond to any kind of gestures – the touch was simulating a mouse only. The page turn looked unnatural and inhuman. The photo twist could have been achieved using a mouse in conjunction with a modifier key.
There were no cues to show what features responded to multitouch, and the content didn’t seem very directly manipulatable.
It would have been much more interesting if the demo had shown that you can use both hands to grab lots of pictures at a time and drag them to your album. Why drag one by one if you have a multi-touch screen? It is likely that Corel doesn’t have the engineering skills or resources to make this happen yet.
The most telling aspect was that this product manager sounded like he was walking on a tightrope – staying very close to the demo line and worried that at any moment he would fall off. To switch metaphors, it sounded as if he was worried that a kid would pipe up that the Emperor has no clothes.
This sort of demo makes it seem that Microsoft would rather some other software company shows them the way, so they can implement a version that is good enough for the majority. The history of computing so far shows that it is better to wait for others to innovate for the 20% thought leaders, so you can implement for the other 80%.
After seeing that video, you might get the idea that Microsoft have no chance, and they need to wait for Apple to come along and show them how it’s done so they can rip it off and sell it in Windows 7.X. It turns out that Microsoft have been doing interesting research on the subject and have been coming up with some useful principles.
Here is a better video featuring Microsoft Surface’s manager talking at a Microsoft developer event back in March about how to design software for multitouch and Natural User Interfaces:
He says why Office doesn’t run multi-touch, why tapping the screen isn’t the same as touching the screen, how form factor is a big problem, the danger of ‘ghost contacts’ and how Wacom came up with a key ergonomic improvement. Fun fact: Microsoft’s Surface product can detect 52 different touches at the same time. Amongst the highlights, he outlines five design principles and contrasts them with older systems:
You use Command Line Interfaces to manipulate text.
They are based on recall, you must direct them, there are many paths through the system to get to the many very specific commands you might want to use, your keyboard commands are words that perform operations on disconnected data, they are static.
You use Graphical User Interfaces to manipulate graphics
They are based on recognition, you can explore them, there are fewer routes you need to take and you have different ways to getting the system to do what you want, you control a mouse that acts as your agent to manipulate graphics, they are responsive.
You use Natural User Interfaces to manipulate objects.
They should be based on intuition, the correct tools are made available for each context, fewer methods to quickly achieve what you want to get done, you directly manipulate, they are evocative.
Check out the video, it’ll give you a much better idea of what multitouch away from iPhones might be like. | <urn:uuid:86002aa6-ce7b-4a65-a447-860840fd59da> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://alex4d.wordpress.com/category/multitouch/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964108 | 771 | 1.757813 | 2 |
Scientists in the Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology Division are scrambling to fill the void left by recently departed computers, as a three-year arrangement that brought a tenfold increase in computing power to MMM draws to a close. At the same time, theyre grateful for research progress that would have been impossible without the loan of several dozen Compaq workstations and servers.
|Bill Kuo (MMM) sits at one of the Layton Classroom computers. Behind him (from left to right) are Jimy Dudhia (MMM), Al Bourgeois (MMM), investors Gaylord Layton and Peter Baird, Wei Wang (MMM), and Kevin Manning (MMM). (Photo by Carlye Calvin.)|
"The whole division benefited" from the Compaq deal, says MMM director Bob Gall. This was a unique partnershipone we dream about in NCAR." Indeed, many of the innovations that took place during the three-year Compaq loan (see box) were cited by an NSF panel in its recent review of MMM.
The deal dates back to 1998, when Gaylord Layton, a Denver-based venture capitalist, worked through an intermediary company, Advanced Research Alliance, to finance 7 high-end Compaq servers and 42 workstations. The plan was for NCAR to host these machineswith periodic replacements by higher-end successorsuntil the fall of 2001. The appeal for Compaq was in discovering how its machines performed under the demanding requirements of high-resolution modeling.
Last November, Advanced Research Alliance reacquired many of the MMM machines. Not all of the hardware left NCAR, though. In a deal that was part donation and part purchase, the division was able to keep 36 Compaq workstations. Of these, 22 are used by scientists and 14 are installed in a Foothills Lab classroom for a variety of uses including intensive workshops on how to use the Penn State/NCAR mesoscale model, version 5 (MM5). The FL3 space has been named the Layton Classroom.
As for the larger Compaq machines, more than a dozen ES-40 servers have been retained by MMM. All of these are funded by and dedicated to specific projects. However, the workhorse GS-320, a shared-memory machine with 32 processors, is now gone. That computer accommodated daily forecasting with the MM5, development of the upcoming Weather Research and Forecasting model, and a variety of other research within the division. The two dedicated modeling tasks are moving to clusters of four-processor ES-40 machines, so its the loss of the open-ended capacity that MMM is feeling the most, says senior scientist Ying-Hwa Bill Kuo. Some of the research originally planned can no longer be carried out, he says.
With a recent hardware acquisition of its own, the Scientific Computing Division is stepping up to the plate to help. However, even with a doubling of its SCD allocation this year and a tripling next year, MMMs total computing power will only be in the neighborhood of the level it reached last springand for continued progress, more is needed. According to Bill, MMM will have to continue to search for solutions, including going to other supercomputing centers and finding resources to enhance our local computing facility.
The scramble is painful but not unexpected, he adds. We knew we were going to miss [those machines], and we do.
|NCAR provides twice-daily forecasts for Antarctica through a special polar version of the MM5. This season marks the second austral summer of the outlooks, which support field projects, polar research, and flights to and from the continent (including the emergency rescue of ailing physician Ronald Shemenski last April). Factors behind the success of the Polar MM5 include its accurate depiction of Antarcticas rugged topography and its high resolution, which was increased to 2.1 miles (3.3 kilometers) this year in the vicinity of McMurdo Sound. Above is a sample 6-hour precipitation forecast on the large-scale grid of 56 mi (90 km). (Illustration courtesy MMM.)|
Some accomplishments using the Compaq computers
Edited by David Hosansky,
Prepared for the Web by Carlye Calvinl
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My husband and I are presently in the process of adopting. As part of the paper work, we had to ask our local police department for a letter to verify our good standing. While we do not have a criminal record, I was embarrassed to find out that we had about a dozen speed warnings between us. And we've only lived in this town for four years! If it wasn't bad enough that the chief of police now knows us and our record, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed calibrator/simulator units that will certify the accuracy of across-the-road photo radars to plus or minus 1 mph at 65 mph. The unit picks up the radar's continuous wave signal and frequency modulates it at the Doppler rate anticipated for the moving vehicle target. Frequency modulation is achieved using a five-pole microwave switch driven by a digitally-based function generator which is programmed to simulate the Doppler return from vehicles traveling at speeds of 15 to 120 mph (25 to 200 km/h). The units can also be used to calibrate other speed-measuring radars in military and weather forecasting applications. I better get the lead out of my foot while the units are still undergoing field tests. For more information, contact Claude Weil by phone: (303) 497-5305 or e-mail: email@example.com.
Lantronix Inc. has expanded its line of controllers for sensor networks with the release of a rugged controller that improves management of automation systems used in a number of industries, including manufacturing, oil and gas, and chemicals.
Inspired by the hooks a parasitic worm uses to penetrate its host's intestines, the Karp Lab has invented a flexible adhesive patch covered with microneedles that adheres well to wet, soft tissues, but doesn't cause damage when removed.
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is | <urn:uuid:d2c806f6-2ec8-4fbe-b324-d10492770626> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.designnews.com/document.asp?doc_id=226420 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948522 | 517 | 1.5625 | 2 |
- Special Sections
The transition from middle school to high school can be intimidating, but very exciting! Students are ready for change, but their fear levels and concerns about being lost and helpless are sky-high! The Transition Team at Alexander Central High School scheduled a Back-to-School Bash for freshmen on Tuesday, Aug. 24
Students were encouraged to be a part of the transition without the stress of 1,200 additional students occupying the halls or space. The ninth graders assembled in the Alexander Central Auditorium for a brief time of orientation and welcome to the Class of 2014. Students were introduced to the Administrative Team, Counselors, and other support staff. The ACHS Student Council presented a special segment of “What NOT to Wear” to re-acquaint students with the dress code and expectations. General behavioral guidelines were shared, and students were encouraged to become involved in extracurricular activities to become a part of the Cougar Family!
Homeroom teachers escorted students and conducted a tour of campus as the students were taken to homeroom. Schedules were distributed and students were given a book bag/gym back for gathering “goodies” throughout the day!
Students were assisted by members of the Alexander Central Student Council and other faculty members as they began the process of navigating through what seems to be “miles and miles” of hallways! First block teachers greeted students and shared information about class structure and expectations, then presented each student with either notebook paper or a one-subject notebook. Students took to the halls with more enthusiasm and confidence as they made their way to second block. These teachers also discussed expectations and addressed concerns. Third block teachers welcomed these new Cougars and discussed the lunch break, and made a trek to the cafeteria, even though the Cougar Cafeteria ladies were not providing food for the day. Fourth block teachers greeted the ninth graders as their first day at Alexander Central was quickly coming to a close. Students were visibly relieved to know that “we can do this!” and teachers rewarded their efforts with a roll of NC State or ASU duct tape courtesy of Shurtape Technologies. Students finished their “first day” as a Cougar with a bag of goodies and an optimistic approach to the rest of the school year.
Of the 505 freshmen expected at Alexander Central High School this year, about 450 participated in the Back-to-School Bash! Anxiety and fear often limits students’ abilities to grasp the first few days of school; however, students participating in this “warm up” event seem to transition better and with a positive attitude. Students left the day knowing faces of new friends and classmates, and also realizing that a larger student body is not as intimating as they had anticipated. | <urn:uuid:57f144f1-d4d2-44d9-ab10-2800453d29ab> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.observernewsonline.com/content/alex-central-welcomes-new-freshmen?quicktabs_2=0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974314 | 598 | 1.507813 | 2 |
A DA MP has called on parliament to review the special remuneration arrangement that allows judges to earn their salaries for life.
Speaking during a meeting of an ad hoc committee that is processing a draft code of conduct which seeks to compel judges to declare all their financial interests, the DA’s MP in the National Council of Provinces, Denis Joseph, said a strong message needed to be sent out to the members of the judiciary that they were not untouchable.
"I think it’s important we tell these judges [that there are] many other laws we are changing, many systems we are changing. The judges must also realise that this new parliament is going to deal with them in terms of fairness and equality [for] all people who work for the state,” Joseph said.
As matters stand, the president, deputy president, chief justice, and Constitutional Court and high court judges are entitled to salaries for life.
Joseph made his remarks following a presentation by Justice Department official Johan de Lange, who briefed the committee on the rationale behind the proposed draft regulations to compel active and retired judges to declare any remuneration earned outside their work, as well as the business interests of their spouses and children.
De Lange emphasised that it was crucial for the government to force all judges to declare outside earnings because they continued to benefit from the public purse for life in terms of the Judges’ Remuneration and Conditions of Employment Act of 2001. He said such a remuneration framework was unique to South Africa and was protected by the constitution. | <urn:uuid:63aa23df-bb68-4f62-88f4-2aeb5be7e357> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.peherald.com/news/article/6491 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982467 | 319 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Dr. Paul Toote writes, “Don’t be like some premed students who choose to volunteer for whatever is available, this is a careless approach which isn’t likely to yield the results you are looking for. Instead, consider areas of interest and look for volunteer opportunities in related fields”
National Premed Consulting specializes in premed consulting. They help clients with medical school admissions.
The entire article can be found at http://www.nationalpremedconsulting.com/
To learn more about National Premed Consulting, please visit http://www.nationalpremedconsulting.com
About Dr. Paul Toote:
Dr. Paul Toote became a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine in 2001, after graduating from Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, where he was both a class president as well as Graduation Class Dinner Speaker. He was certified as an Emergency Medicine Physician by the American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine in 2009 and was also the recipient of the Highest Achievement Award from the Dale Carnegie Effective Communications and Human Relations Course.
While serving as an Emergency Medicine Physician at leading hospitals and medical centers in communities all across Texas, including Corpus Christi, Amarillo, San Antonio, the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and Paris, Dr. Toote found he was energized by coaching trained residents and medical school students and helping them reach their professional goals.
Wishing to do more to help those with medical ambitions, he began National Premed Consulting to share his expertise and insider knowledge with those who have the necessary qualifications, capabilities and desire to successfully navigate the difficult demands of medical school.
Dr. Toote resides in McKinney, Texas and is married with two children. | <urn:uuid:6262bc01-cffa-4300-a9dd-894e0c175c75> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.prlog.org/11856666-premed-consulting-expert-dr-paul-toote-publishes-new-article-with-advice-on-volunteering.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962928 | 366 | 1.507813 | 2 |
The Australian Pirate Party has declared war on the fed govt over its plans to monitor records of Australian citizens' web browsing, phone calls, emails and P2P usage.
Above: a scene from "The Lives of Others", a movie which dramatised the Gestapo secret police in Nazi Germany.
Australia’s division of the Pirate Party has declared war on the Federal Government over a controversial proposal which could potentially see telcos required to keep records of web browsing history, telephone calls and emails of their users.
“Exploiting the emotional issue of sexual child abuse, and under the guise of national security, the government is pushing for the introduction of what can only be considered a stepping stone towards a surveillance state,” said the party’s secretary Rodney Serkowski in a statement issued late last night.
The idea being explored with industry by the Attorney General’s Department would see a similar scheme implemented to the European Directive on Data Retention, which requires ISPs to record information on phone calls and emails, including from whom they were sent and from whom, the time and date and so on.
ZDNet.com.au has also reported that ISP industry sources had flagged the potential for the new regime to require ISPs to record a users’ complete web browsing history. ISPs such as iiNet have known about some aspects of the proposal since late 2009, but are believed to have signed confidentiality agreements to not disclose details of the proposal, while another ISP, Exetel, has described the proposal as “totally insane”.
Currently, ISPs will only allow this level of monitoring on users’ behaviour with a warrant — they normally do not retain this degree of data by default.
Neither Attorney-General Robert McLelland nor Communications Minister Stephen Conroy had responded to a request for comment on the matter.
The Pirate Party Australia – which internationally advocates libertarian-style digital rights — said it was “shocked and appalled” that the Federal Government would consider this level of surveillance. “There is absolutely no need for this level of Orwellian monitoring and data retention – it is an unjustified and disproportionate incursion into the fundamental right to privacy, and is likely to be abused,” Serkowski continued.
Added Pirate Party spokesperson Simon Frew: “This kind of surveillance will have a chilling effect on public discourse and political debate, people become fearful of being monitored and will lead to self-censorship. It is the complete antithesis of how the Pirate Party believes democracy should function.
Key to the Pirate Party’s complaint against the proposal is the idea that the monitoring powers could be abused – both by law enforcement officials themselves, as well as by external parties who could hack into such powerful databases.
The party also included a statement by Shu Ning Bian, a research assistant at the University of Sydney’s School of IT, claiming that “like the proposed internet filter”, the data retention proposal would be able to be “trivially circumvented” using technologies such as web encryption (HTTPS services) or virtual private networking.
But such a system would still require “enormous” investments by ISPs to implement, they said.
ISPs have so far remained unwilling to comment on the details of what they have been discussing with the Government about the proposal.
However, Serkowski said the Pirate Party hoped the industry would not aid the Government on such policies. “Such violations of human dignity and privacy are completely unacceptable,” he said. “These sorts of policies are grossly invasive.”
The issue is being discussed on Twitter under the #ozlog hashtag. | <urn:uuid:c1f09422-dde2-430c-813c-30c80a41de29> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://apcmag.com/surveillance-state-near-warns-australian-pirate-party.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95884 | 754 | 1.554688 | 2 |
BRASILIA, Brazil — Little has been done to improve the safety of public gathering places since a nightclub fire killed 242 people earlier this year in southern Brazil, relatives of the victims said Wednesday.
The relatives met in Brasilia to discuss what safety measures have been adopted in Brazil since the Jan. 27 fire that destroyed the Kiss nightclub in the city of Santa Maria.
"Almost nothing has been done to improve the safety of nightclubs," said Adherbal Alves Ferreira, whose 22-year-old daughter, Jennefer, perished in the fire. "We need more vigorous laws and demand they be followed and obeyed."
Police have said the fire started when the band performing at the club lit a flare, which ignited flammable soundproofing foam on the ceiling. The cyanide, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide that was released killed most of the victims.
The fire roared through the crowded, windowless nightclub, filling the air with flames and thick, toxic smoke. There was no alarm or sprinkler system and only one working exit.
About 50 victims were found in the club's two bathrooms, where they crowded after blinding smoke evidently caused them to believe the doors were exits.
Brazil has long turned a blind eye to safety and infrastructure concerns about public gathering places. The disaster, the worst fire of its kind in more than a decade, raised questions about whether Brazilian authorities can ensure safety in such venues as the country prepares to host next year's World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.
"After the fire nightclubs across the country were inspected and more than 600 of them were shut down," said Congressman Paulo Pimenta, who heads a commission looking into ways to improve safety and fire prevention requirements in public buildings. "What happened in Santa Maria could have happened anywhere in the country." | <urn:uuid:53bdc39e-d50b-40b4-8aa8-efbf8ef1d860> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/54a10c79e7c94f958b7e2d96f32f95a9/LT--Brazil-Nightclub-Fire | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974241 | 370 | 1.757813 | 2 |
An afternoon with a Syrian bombmaker
With the precision of a master chef, Sheik Omar adjusts the intensity of the flame under his pan.
He mixes table sugar with a noxious chemical, letting it hiss and crackle.
"It's almost ready," he says, as the syrupy liquid darkens.
Sheik Omar keeps his face hidden. Bomb makers always work in secret.
He looks at us and his eyes are friendly and calm. Our crew is unafraid. He's clearly been at this for many years. He has all his fingers. A Syrian, he grew up existing with death and violence and a government that made people live in fear. So wouldn't a young man naturally fascinated with putting things together end up constructing weapons for a living?
While he works in the kitchen of his family home in Aleppo Province, Sheik Omar tells us that he's a man of peace.
He believes he doesn't have a choice but to make bombs. Foreign countries aren't helping the rebels enough to overtake the heavily armed forces that President Bashar al-Assad commands. The rebels need all the help they can get.
Those men across the country, he says, have abandoned their regular lives teaching or selling clothes or being lawyers to come together and fight to get rid of that man. It's been nearly two years. They've lost their lives and families. At least 40,000 Syrians have died. Someone with his skills should do what he can.
Sheik Omar shouts out the window to his kids playing in the yard.
Bring your father more sugar, please!
The kids bounce into the house, helping him, handing him ingredients.
There are half-made bombs and rockets around the house. His wife is in another room. She isn't talking to us, which isn't strange. This is his interview, and she's showing deference.
Sheik Omar tells us as he cooks that he used to work with an assistant. That was years ago when he was less experienced. There was an explosion, and the assistant died.
Better to work alone, he says.
Besides, he doesn't make much money at all doing this. He does this because he believes he has a purpose, and he's good at it.
Sheik Omar tells us he trained in Libya in weapons making and fought alongside the Palestinians against the Israelis in the 1980s. He's always believed that Israel is the oppressor, and no matter what, the Palestinians have a right to their land. In his time as a soldier for the Palestinian cause, the Israelis caught him twice and detained him.
What do you imagine happens to a man in that circumstance? But that was nothing, compared to what al-Assad is doing, he huffs.
The Israelis, they had more mercy, Sheik Omar insists.
Human rights workers, journalists and Syrians fighting to oust the longtime president claim al-Assad has established torture centers around the country, chaining prisoners by their wrists for days, beating them and inflicting unspeakable pain. There have been reports of children being shot by regime snipers, stories of al-Assad's forces going door to door and murdering whole families.
Al-Assad has claimed for these many months of violence that "terrorists" are attacking Syria, and the country has a right to defend itself.
Sheik Omar shows us one of his latest creations. It's a sleek rocket that stands about three feet off the ground. The thing looks sophisticated. It's hard to tell he's cobbled it together from bits and pieces of unexploded ordinances fired by al-Assad's forces.
Sheik Omar gingerly holds the rocket.
"From here to here, for example," he says, tracing his fingers along its body, "It's our adjustment, as are the fins."
It's a crude device, like many of the ones he makes. Sometimes he would construct something and it would, mid-flight, turn around and shoot back at him.
But these are the hazards he's willing to deal with.
Sheik Omar uses the word democracy. Syria could be democratic, he believes.
First the al-Assad regime must go. But that won't be the end.
There will be a revolution after this one. The rebels will have to fight a confusing lot of others who've jumped into the violence these many months.
Revolution begets revolution, he insists. It will take several cycles of violence before Syria can hope for peace.
What other choice do people like him have? he asks. How else to get rid of the extremists?
Copyright 2012 by CNN NewSource. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:1b92a4a0-95f5-4ed3-afe8-df92225ca58f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/An-afternoon-with-a-Syrian-bombmaker/-/1719418/17735254/-/format/rsss_2.0/view/print/-/irq1xy/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982175 | 968 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Guided School Tours
For K–12 Groups
(Include Free Admission and a Bus Subsidy)
The Gallery and BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York are delighted to present Art'scool, a school tour program designed to create the critical and creative thinkers of tomorrow.
Educators can bring their students for a one-time introductory tour, or choose the two-visit program for a more in-depth view of the museum and a curriculum-focused selection. All guided school tours are free, include a transportation subsidy, and are guided by a specially trained docent.
Mondays - Closed
Tuesdays - 9:30 am, 10:45 am
Wednesdays - 9:30 am, 10:45 am, 12:30 pm
Thursdays - 9:30 am, 10:45 am, 12:30 pm
Fridays - 9:30 am, 10:45 am, 12:30 pm
Talk to a Museum Educator
Schools who have visited for two consecutive school years with entire grade levels can consult with Education Department staff to craft a custom designed experience. This option is available for a limited number of schools each year. Please email email@example.com and request a curriculum consultation.
- A minimum of twelve students is required for a guided tour.
- A maximum of 120 students can be accommodated at one time slot.
- One adult chaperone is required and admitted free for every twelve students.
- Additional chaperones are required to pay the group admission rate of $8 per person.
- We ask that you review our Museum Guidelines and share this information with your chaperones and students before arriving at the Gallery.
Reservations must be made by the twenty-first of the month prior to the month you would like to visit. (For example, reservations must be made by October 21 for a November tour.) Space is limited; we encourage you to request your dates as early as possible.
To request a tour, please fill out our online tour request form. This form must be filled out before your tour can be confirmed.
Please have the following information available when you fill out the online tour request form:
- School name, address, school district, and contact information
- Your selected tour option
- Several potential visit dates and times
- Grade level of students
- Number of students and chaperones attending
- Any special needs your group may have
For more information, please contact 716.270.8276 or firstname.lastname@example.org. Communication by email is preferred, and will facilitate a timely response.
A tour confirmation packet will be sent to you upon scheduling a tour. Please note, your tour IS NOT officially SCHEDULED until you return the confirmation included in your packet.
- For everyone’s safety, please remain on the bus until you are greeted by our Group Tour Coordinator. You will only be allowed entrance to the Gallery fifteen minutes prior to your visit.
- Before entering the Gallery, please divide your group into the number of groups specified in your confirmation letter. For school tours, at least one adult chaperone must accompany each group of students.
- Please use the Education Department Entrance only. (View Map)
Other Important Information
- There are no luncheon facilities for school groups.
- Chaperones must stay with their individual groups.
- Please review Museum Guidelines and Chaperone Guidelines with your chaperones. Chaperones can enhance the success of the tour, and the amount of learning that can take place by showing active interest in the works of art along with supervising student behavior. When students see adults interested and engaged, they are more likely to respond themselves. We ask that chaperones refrain from chatting among themselves or wandering off, and that cell phones be turned off during the visit.
What is the cancellation policy?
You can cancel up to the twenty-first of the month prior to the month of your visit with no penalty. If you provide less notice, your school will be invoiced for a cancellation fee of $75. This invoice must be paid before you or another teacher from your school can register for the program again.
How do I cancel?
If you need to cancel, please call us at 716.270.8276 as soon as possible. The sooner you call, the more likely it will be that we can find you another date for your visit. If you must cancel your tour due to weather, please try to call before 9 am.
What happens in the event of a school weather cancellation or emergency cancellation on the tour day?
There is no penalty for cancellation if school is cancelled for any reason. We will do our best to schedule you for an alternate date. Please try to call before 9 am to report any cancellation.
What is the late arrival policy?
Please make every effort to arrive 5-10 minutes before your scheduled tour time. If you are going to be late, please call us at 716.270.8276 as soon as possible. The Gallery is unable to extend tour times to accommodate late arrivals. Your tour will end at the scheduled end time. A group arriving more than 20 minutes past the start time of their tour cannot be given a guided tour. Instead, your chaperones may lead a scavenger hunt available in the Group Tours office upon your arrival. The Group Tour Coordinator will provide instructions if she is available.
Who gives your tours?
Our tours are given by Gallery-trained docents. These wonderful people volunteer their time on a weekly basis to give our school tours. Some of them drive from as far away as Niagara Falls or even Canada to fulfill their tour commitments. They undergo an intensive six-month training period where they learn about art history, our collection, and interactive tour techniques at age-appropriate levels. They receive ongoing training about our continually growing collection and other pertinent topics. Without them, we could not run our school programs!
We want our volunteers to feel appreciated—that is how we keep them active and enthusiastic. Your consideration for their commitment is an important part of that appreciation. Cards or thank-you letters are posted in our docent lounge for everyone to see.
Why is your group size limited to twelve students?
If a group is larger than twelve students, some spaces in the Gallery are difficult to enter. When viewing works of art, it is difficult both to see and to hear if your group has more than twelve students with chaperones. As a result, we take your total group size and divide by twelve to arrive at the number of docents we will need to schedule for your visit. If you arrive with far more students than you indicated, your group size will be too large. If you arrive with a far lower number of students, docents may have traveled quite a distance for nothing.
What should I do if I have students with special needs, such as wheelchairs?
When scheduling your tour with the online tour request form, please notify us in the form about any students who have special needs so we can better accommodate your group.
Can I visit from far away?
You can be subsidized up to $135 per bus for visits as far away as you like! We urge Canadian groups to allow enough time for going through customs at the international bridges.
How many chaperones are required for school group tours?
School groups will be admitted to the museum ONLY if they have the required number of chaperones: one adult per twelve students for grades K through 12.
How should I prepare my chaperones?
Please review the Museum Guidelines and Chaperone Guidelines with your chaperones and tell them they can enhance the success of the tour, and thus the amount of learning that can take place, if they show active interest in the works of art, and keep their eyes on the students as well. When students see adults modeling appropriate museum behavior, they are more likely to behave well themselves. It is NOT helpful if chaperones chat amongst themselves, wander off, use cell phones during the tour, or look bored and unhappy.
What facilities for lunch are there at the Gallery?
The Gallery has NO LUNCH FACILITIES. In good weather, Delaware Park is a nice place for a bagged lunch and is very close to the Gallery.
Directions for using First Student (formerly Laidlaw)
We encourage you to use First Student.
- Schedule and book your bus through First Student by calling 716.897.5798.
- Each bus trip scheduled for three hours, beginning at pick up and ending at drop off, will be paid in full for Buffalo and the surrounding areas.
- First Student will invoice the Albright-Knox Art Gallery after the date of your tour and will receive payment for your buses.
Directions for Other Bus Scheduling
Schedule your bus through your district or a private bus company.
Your district or bus company must invoice the Albright-Knox Art Gallery after the date of your tour in order to receive payment for your buses up to $135 per bus. Any additional costs are the responsibility of the school or district.
Please advise your district or bus company to send all invoices to:
Albright-Knox Art Gallery
1285 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, New York 14222-1096
Your district or bus company will receive payment for your buses up to $135 per bus (American funds). For questions about invoices or reimbursements, please call 716.270.8253.
The Albright-Knox Education team has developed lesson plans that correspond to the Gallery’s Collection and special exhibitions.
View Lesson Plans
ART’SCOOL INSPIRED CONTEST 2013
Win up to $1,500 to support for your school's art program by showing how your students were inspired by their Art'scool visit. Learn More | <urn:uuid:cfd707e4-5ae8-4856-b8fa-1f064feb2e0a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.albrightknox.org/education/tours/guided-school-tours/ | 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 | 0.931949 | 2,055 | 1.75 | 2 |
by E. Sebastian Arduengo
Last month, U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D–Vt.) reintroduced the Gideon’s Promise Act of 2013 to address the problems plaguing the indigent defense system which have left the promise of Gideon v. Wainwright increasingly hollow for the poorest people in our society. The act would require states to use existing federal funds to improve the administration of criminal justice in a comprehensive, strategic way, and to collaborate with the Department of Justice and local authorities to devise a plan for adequately addressing indigent defense needs. If states refuse to comply then the Department of Jusice would have the power to take them to court to make sure that they are meeting their constitutional obligations.
But Leahy’s bill doesn’t go nearly far enough to address budget-related failings in our criminal justice system. With sequestration at the federal level, and years of budget cutbacks at the state level, we’re now to the point where years of political indifference to funding the judicial branch has affected the basic operation of the courts and the services that we expect them to provide.
This is a crisis that’s reached such endemic proportions that Chief Justice John Roberts made it a focus of last year’s state of the judiciary report, where he made the case that the federal courts were already being as cost-effective as they could possibly be, and warned that “significant and prolonged shortfall[s] in judicial funding would inevitably result in the delay or denial of justice for the people the courts serve.”
That scenario is already playing out in state and local courts across the country.
The effect of over a billion dollars of cuts in the last four years has been nothing short of devastating to the Los Angeles Superior Court system. Court officials plan to shutter a dozen courthouses and make an indeterminate number of staff layoffs. The only thing these courthouses will be used for now is for collecting traffic fines and administrative functions. The actual business of dispensing justice will be triaged at the remaining courthouses in the county, “where certain types of cases are heard at each remaining courthouse.” | <urn:uuid:8e9fedfc-f463-4a2a-a6a8-3c773426db6b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.americanconstitutionsociety.org/acsblog/all/procedural-barriers-to-court | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95359 | 446 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Facebook gains new partners in Open Compute Project for open-source data centers
The Open Compute Project announced by Facebook last April is gaining strength. It is designed to develop standards to allow companies to gain better control of the hardware used in data centers as opposed to it being locked down by vendors. Facebook has announced new members including Hewlett-Packard, AMD, Fidelity, Quanta, Tencent, Salesforce.com, VMware, Canonical and Supermicro, among others.
In a blog entry, OCP founding board member Frank Frankovsky wrote, "We've started to see a convergence of voices among the consumers of this technology around where we think the industry would benefit from standardization and where we think the opportunities for innovation are." One of the specifications for the Open Rack calls for a 21-inch rack, as opposed to the ubiquitous 19-inch standard currently in use around the world.
As observed by David Chernicoff on ZDNet, the change to a 21-inch rack is a beneficial one, despite representing an increase of only two inches. Chernicoff writes, "There are lots of good reasons for it, ranging from it allowing the installation of five 3.5-inch drives across the blade, rather than 4, to the additional space for CPUs and memory (remember that power is provided external to the boards)."
As you may expect, there are many challenges stacked against the standard. For one, current data centers are designed around 19-inch racks, not 21-inch ones. This extends beyond the cabinets to infrastructure such as cable runs, power trunks, raised floor tiling and ventilation, among other things. Finally, modular data centers designed around shipping containers will also have to be altered significantly to accommodate the new format--if it takes off. | <urn:uuid:a49573d1-395f-4207-a398-22aca7c152cf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fiercecio.com/techwatch/story/facebook-gains-new-partners-open-compute-project-open-source-data-centers/2012-05-04 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960888 | 364 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Politics may make strange bedfellows but some of the reactions to the turmoil in Iran have been more than a little bizarre. In the weeks preceding the presidential election there, and even in the days after the results appear to have been cooked in favor of incumbent extremist Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, some Israelis and their friends abroad were quoted as saying that they hoped this Holocaust denier would hold onto his post.
Given that Ahmadinejad has become the most notorious living anti-Semite, that's quite a turn of events. The Iranian leader has rocketed to fame around the world largely on the basis of his Holocaust denial, his stated desire to wipe Israel off the map and his open pursuit of a nuclear weapon to make good on that threat. But there's little doubt that as Iranians prepared to choose a new leader many Jews were hoping that reformist challengers would fall short in their quest to replace Ahmadinejad. The reason for this was simple: a belief that Ahmadinejad made it easier to persuade the international community that action on Iran was an imperative.
Worries about Iran were compounded by the victory of Barack Obama in last year's American presidential contest. Though, like his opponents, Obama vowed to stop Iran, he also made it clear that he would talk to the Iranians without preconditions. Once he was in office "engagement" with Tehran became the order of the day leaving many thinking this meant Obama was headed toward acceptance of Iranian nukes once they became a fait accompli. The only barrier to this outcome was the presence of the ubiquitous Ahmadinejad, a man whose repulsive anti-Semitism and comments about the Holocaust, gays and hatred for the West rendered "engagement" with Iran an unsavory policy. Thus, it was not exactly a secret that Washington was hoping Iranian voters would elect an alternative to the incumbent in the June presidential election. The election was far from free since presidential candidates were vetted by the clerics that run the country. Nevertheless, a more attractive front man for the Islamist tyranny would make it easier to sell an American decision to back away from pledges never to accept an Iranian nuclear capability.
Western media coverage of the Iranian campaign seemed to validate these expectations. Accounts of rallies for Mir Hussein Moussavi, Ahmadinejad's most visible opponent, showed a side of Iranian society that was different from the extremist image of the country. Indeed, apologists for the Iranian government, such as New York Times columnist Roger Cohen, had spent the preceding months promoting the notion that attempts to pressure Iran was merely the result of misguided pressure from supporters of Israel. Cohen, a virulent critic of Israel, stood out from others who sought to sell "engagement" due to his columns that paraded the comments of Iran's captive Jewish community testifying to the supposedly liberal nature of the anti-Semitic regime. Moussavi's popularity seemed to justify Cohen's thesis that fears about Iranian extremism were overblown.
Thus, it was little surprise that many supporters of Israel viewed the prospect of a Moussavi victory with trepidation and went out of their way to point out that he did not differ from Ahmadinejad on the nuclear issue or even about Iran's policy of spreading terrorism through its Hezbollah and Hamas allies.
However, hopes for a new face to rationalize engagement with Iran were dashed by the election. It appears that Iran's clerical overlords, in particular its Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Hussein Khameini, were worried about the possibility that the popularity of Moussavi's appeal might actually represent a tipping point in the history of the regime. Their decision to announce a suspiciously lopsided victory for Ahmadinejad and to brutally suppress massive protest demonstrations reflects not only their determination to maintain their grip on power but also the strength of support for genuine change in Iran as opposed to mere sympathy for one candidate over another.
These dramatic events altered the debate about Iran. Even Roger Cohen, whose reports reflected his shock at the fact that Iran's regime turned out to be far less liberal than he had foolishly supposed it to be, recognized that engagement with it was no longer a possibility in the near future. And though the United States was conspicuously silent in the first week after the election, after accounts of increasingly bloody attacks on demonstrators were broadcast, even the engager-in-chief Barack Obama found himself in a position where he had to strongly condemn Iran.
Nevertheless, in the aftermath of the election, some of those who had been critical of Iran all along were sounding a cynical note. Jerusalem Post columnist Douglas Bloomfield, a well-known liberal Jewish commentator and lobbyist in Washington wrote about how Ahmadinejad's "victory" was good for Israel. Meir Dagan, the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency told a Knesset committee that Moussavi would have presented a problem for Israel since it would have made it harder to enlist international support for sanctions against Iran.
These two prominent voices were, of course, doing no more than stating the obvious when they said that Ahmadinejad's reputation was a handicap for Iran. But they were wrong to speak as if Ahmadinejad was "good" for Israel and not only because such open cynicism reflects bad judgment about how to make the case against the Islamist tyranny.
This kind of thinking shows a failure to understand that the true interests of Israel lie not so much in being able to have a Hitler apologist as the representative of its most dangerous enemy but in the potential for changing the nature of that foe. A nuclear Iran is an existential threat to Israel and poses a danger to the rest of the Middle East as well as the West. But what the demonstrations in Iran prove is that it doesn't have to be that way.
First, let's not kid ourselves about our ability to mobilize the world against Ahmadinejad, no matter how outrageous his conduct may be. Were it not for the courage of the Iranian protestors Obama would have never backed away from engagement with Ahmadinejad. Even the Iranian's worst excesses were never enough to mobilize international opinion for tough sanctions, let alone the use of force to halt Iran's nuclear program. Those who harp on his unpopularity are overestimating their ability to sell a tough stand on Iran at a time when most people would rather ignore it. The key to a change in that equation isn't Ahmadinejad; it's the people in Tehran's streets.
Iran's potent mix of religion and nationalism, fueled in part by the regime's libels about America and Israel for decades, cannot be dismissed. Yet the liberal aspects of Iranian society that were wrongly represented by apologists like Cohen as a reason not to fear Ahmadinejad or the mullahs do exist. If allowed to flourish they could become a building block for an Iran that is no longer at war with the West or the Jews.
Rather than giving a backhanded three cheers for Ahmadinejad's ability to hold on to his office, Israelis and their friends abroad should be expressing support for those who are fighting against him. Those intent on appeasement of Ahmadinejad have attempted to claim that any foreign statements against the regime will discredit its critics. But this is giving too much credit to the ayatollahs and too little to its foes. Now is the time to understand that even though the Islamists are not prepared to loosen their grip on power, their opponents must be encouraged and made to feel that the civilized world is banking on their eventual triumph.
It isn't clear whether a genuine resistance movement can be nurtured under the current circumstances or whether material foreign assistance will be useful. But what is apparent is that when Iran's people take to the streets, their Islamist overlords tremble. Rather than expressing satisfaction about Ahmadinejad's "landslide," what those most fearful of a nuclear threat must concentrate on is an effort to support those calling for change within Iran. | <urn:uuid:a3636812-2252-4286-bfb3-bed1a4ea901e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aish.com/jw/me/49377822.html?s=rab | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979385 | 1,601 | 1.84375 | 2 |
The 1961 Studebaker Hawk
Many Studebaker Hawk devotees feel Studebaker saved the best for last with the valedictory 1961 model. The reason: first-time availability of a four-speed floorshift gearbox, supplied by Borg-Warner.
Appearance changes were few, and a company press handout described the 1961 Hawk as "retaining its classic 'gran turismo' sports car styling." Motor Life magazine thoroughly enjoyed its four-speed test car: "At or near sea level, we could lug out in high gear from very low rpm or snap into third for more rapid passing speeds."
Top speed was 120 mph "according to the car's instruments," thought the actual velocity was probably closer to 115 mph. Signalling the end of this line, Studebaker announced only 6,110 of the 1961s would be built, each carrying a special numbered dash plaque engraved with the buyer's name. As it turned out, demand was more limited than even that modest figure, and a mere 3,929 examples were built.
Of course, Studebaker wasn't finished with the Hawk, though it was finished with the finny 1956 styling. But even if it wasn't a success on the sales chart, this Hawk generation was undoubtedly influential. In fact, there's every reason to believe that Chevrolet took a good long look at it when creating the Corvair Monza, which set the pace for the buckets-and-console sporty car craze that was sweeping Detroit by 1962.
As we know, Studebaker fell in line with the more sophisticated Gran Turismo Hawk, which has tended to overshadow the earlier models for both historical interest and enthusiast esteem. But it's only a matter of time before the 1956-1961 Hawk achieves widespread recognition as a collectible automobile. If it suffers in comparison to other late-Fifties collectibles -- and it does in several ways -- it is because it was a Studebaker, the product of a company then on the ropes due to its unfortunate habit of being either a little too early or a little too late. In the end, South Bend's winged warriors were a little of both. They deserved better. | <urn:uuid:2af979de-d5d8-46bd-92dc-adf6c45f6f19> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1956-1961-studebaker-hawk5.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971575 | 450 | 1.726563 | 2 |
With this tea, all the symptoms of HIV/AIDS (and the symptoms of staphylococcus and other STD's, diabetes, etc) will disappear in 3 days and the commencement and application of the virus attacker will be for 5 days after which the patient will wait for 30 days. In these 30 days, blood purifier will be administered, bone marrow and human cells treatment will be administered and the restoration of lost weight will be administered after which the patient goes back to test.
Within 5 days, whether your CD4 count came down to 30, taking this tea for 5 days will repair, raise and boost the immune system to start working. When the immune system is working perfectly, then you would not easily contract infections. People are surprised because when the immune system is boosted they go back to their job within 7 days. A big army officer who has been on drugs for more than 10 years and unable to undergo rigorous training testified to his own amazement that within 6 days, he was able to go back to training and running after taking our Newly-Researched Immune Booster.
Special Emphasis: There is no fluctuations. The viral load depreciates to undetected levels and leaves the system while the CD4 goes up and stays up.
This is the need of the whole world but you must first be free from STD's and related infections before taking the immunity against virus.
IIt would boost your immune system from whichever state it was, whether low or high. It has a very strong anti-biotics against retro virus, bacteria and others for 6 years and then the immunization will be repeated.
It immunizes your immune system and human cells to a very high level to resist virus and bacteria.
P.S. Within seven days from when people start taking Odum Egwu Herbal Tea, they recover from opportunistic diseases as their immune system is boosted. Many people are down for 30 years, 20 years and 10 years because of STD's even though they were on drugs, but with Odum Egwu GP6, they are getting up!
By the reason best known to them, they do not want to come out or testify openly what Odum Egwu Herbal Tea has done for them. With Odum Egwu Virus, Bacteria, and Germs destroyer, we expel virus, bacteria and germs from the system that with time the patients will be tested negative again.
Odum Egwu Herbal Tea is the World's No. 1 Tested and Trusted Herbal Tea that cures HIV/AIDS, Staph, STD's and other infectious diseases.
The Revelation For Global Healing given to Pastor Robinson Ike in1988 has turned to be the Hope of The Whole World!
AT LAST, HIV/AIDS HAS A SOLUTION!!
This is a progressive research on the cure of HIV/AIDS and STD's.
These formulars take care of these symptoms: persistent fever, tuberculosis (TB), Diarrhoea, weakness and body pains, dizziness, itchings in the private parts, rashes, boils, weak erection, quick ejaculation, infertility, dead organs, irregular blood sugar levels, insulin, constant headaches, excessive urination, high bood pressure, arthrities, rheumatism, miscarriages, fibroid special treatment, barreness, etc. | <urn:uuid:54517094-019c-450c-a77b-10b4edeab9d2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.odumegwu.com/ournewproducts.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946709 | 681 | 1.554688 | 2 |
US 4994412 A
An improved means and method for forming leads to a power device is provided by use of a one-piece leadframe on which the die is mounted and a separate connecting clip between the leadframe and the bonding pad on the semiconductor die. The leadframe has an alignment dimple or groove for receiving a mating alignment feature on one end of the connecting clip. The other end of the connecting clip is located over the bonding pad on the die. Solder is placed between die and the leadframe and between the connecting clip and the bonding pad and between the mating alignment surfaces on the clip and leadframe. When the solder is liquid during assembly the die and clip float thereon and automatically align by surface tension so that the die is centrally located on the die flag, the connection point on the clip is centered on the bonding pad and the mating alignment surfaces on the clip and leadframe are engaged. The self-aligning process is dominated by the mating alignment regions on the connecting clip and leadframe which have a larger area and solder wetted periphery than the other regions being soldered.
1. A method for forming a device having an electronic element therein, comprising:
supplying a support member for receiving the electronic element and a lead member having a first alignment means for receiving a connection clip having a mating second alignment means therein for mutually aligning the lead member and the connection clip;
supplying the connection clip with the second alignment means for mating with the first alignment means and having a first attachment means for coupling to the electronic element;
providing a first bonding material between the support member and the electronic element providing a second bonding material between the mating first and second alignment means, and providing a third bonding material between the attachment means and the electronic element;
temporarily floating the connection clip on the second and third bonding material; and
thereafter solidifying the second and third bonding material.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first bonding material is provided before the second or third bonding material.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second bonding materials are provided simultaneously.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second and third bonding materials are provided simultaneously.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the temporarily floating step further comprises temporarily floating the electronic element on the first bonding material and, further comprising, thereafter solidifying the first bonding material.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the steps of temporarily floating the electronic element on the first bonding material and temporarily floating the connection clip on the second and third bonding materials are performed simultaneously.
7. The method cf claim 1, wherein the first two supplying steps including providing the first alignment means as a first depression or protrusion in the lead member and providing the second alignment means as a mating second depression or protrusion and, further comprising, placing the second alignment means in proximity to the first alignment means separated by the second bonding material.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising during the temporarily floating step, agitating at least the support member.
9. A method for assembling a semiconductor device comprising:
providing a leadframe having a first portion for receiving a semiconductor die and a second portion for coupling to a bonding pad on the semiconductor die, wherein the second portion has a first alignment means;
coupling a semiconductor die to the first portion of the leadframe, wherein the semiconductor die has a bonding pad for external connection thereto; and
mounting a connection lead between the bonding pad on the die and the first alignment means, wherein the connection lead has a second alignment means which mates with the first alignment means.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising aligning the connection lead between the die and the second portion by having connection materials, located between the connection lead and the bonding pad and between the mating alignment means, which are temporarily at least partially liquid during assembly.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the aligning step further comprises aligning the die and the connection lead by having a further connection material between the semiconductor die and the first portion which is also temporarily at least partially liquid during assembly.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the aligning step comprises having the connection material and the further connection material simultaneously at least partially liquid during assembly.
13. The method of claim 10 further comprising agitating at least the leadframe during the aligning step.
This is a division of application Ser. No. 242,925, filed Sept. 9, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,803.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to electronic devices and, more particularly, to improved means and methods for providing leads to semiconductor or other electronic chips. As used herein the words device or devices are intended to refer to all kinds of electronic devices and integrated circuits which use connection means and leads of the sort described herein, including but not limited to semiconductor based devices.
2. BACKGROUND ART
In the electronics art, particularly the semiconductor device and circuit art, it is commonplace to provide light weight leads to devices that primarily function for signal processing and heavy leads to devices that carry substantial current. Wire bonding of thin wires and tab bonding of metal foils are examples of techniques commonly used for signal processing devices. Such wires or foils generally carry only microamperes or milliamperes, are typically a fraction of a mil to a few mils thick, and are generally welded directly to the bonding pads on the device.
With higher current devices, such as power diodes and transistors or integrated circuits where currents of amperes to tens or hundreds of amperes are required, the leads bonded to the device must be more robust. It is commonplace to use metal leads that are of the order of ten to hundreds of mils thick. They are frequently attached by soldering to the bonding areas on the device.
When such robust leads are required, it becomes increasingly difficult to align the leads with the bonding pads on the die or other electronic device and to maintain such alignment during the bonding process. If the leads and bonding pads on the die are misaligned, then manufacturing yield and reliability are reduced.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved means and method for fabricating power devices wherein at least one of the leads is self-aligning with respect to a lead frame and the bonding pad on the die to which the lead is to be attached.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved means and method for fabricating power devices wherein the die is mounted on a leadframe and a connection to a bonding pad on the device is provided by a self-aligning contact clip which bridges between the die and another part of the leadframe.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide an improved means and method for fabricating power devices wherein the leadframe and the self-aligning contact clip have mating surfaces for aligning the clip with respect to the leadframe during assembly.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved means and method for fabricating power devices wherein the self-aligning contact clip partially floats temporarily during assembly on electrical coupling materials for connecting it to the die and to the leadframe.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved means and method for fabricating power devices wherein the die also floats during assembly and self-aligns with respect to the contact clip and the die mount portion of the leadframe.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide an improved means and method for fabricating power devices wherein self-alignment is automatic.
As used herein the words solder or solders are intended to include any electrically conductive attachment material which is semi-solid or at least partially liquid at some time during the lead attachment process. Non-limiting examples are conventional metal or metal alloys or metal loaded epoxies or other conductive plastics and the like.
As used herein, the words chip or die are intended to refer to electronic elements such as but not limited to diodes, transistors, thyristors, integrated circuits, resistors, capacitors and the like having at least one bonding region or pad thereon.
The attainment of the foregoing and other objects and advantages is achieved through the present invention comprising an electronic chip having a first surface for attachment to a lead means and a second surface with a bonding pad thereon for receiving a connection means, a lead means having a first portion for receiving the electronic chip and a second portion including a first alignment means for alignment of the connection means, and a connection means for connecting the lead means to the electronic chip, wherein the connection means has a first portion for coupling to the bonding pad and a second portion with a second alignment means which mates with the first alignment means for aligning the connection means between the lead means and the bonding pad.
It is desirable to attach the bonding pad to the first portion of the connection means with a first solder, to attach the first and second alignment means with a second solder, and to attach the electronic chip and the first portion of the lead means with a third solder. The first, second and also preferably the third solders should have a controllable state during which the solders are at least partially liquid so that the die and connection means may be floated thereon to self-align to each other and to the lead means.
The first portion of the connection means is supported by the bonding pad and the second portion of the connection means is supported by the first alignment means. The first and second alignment means conveniently have the form of mating depressions or protrusions in, respectively, the lead means and the connection means. The mating depressions or protrusions are preferably of such a shape as to allow lateral or longitudinal motion or vertical rotation of the connection means with respect to the lead means, but not permit horizontal rotation of the connection means.
A device, such as is described above and containing an electronic element therein, is conveniently obtained by steps comprising, supplying a support member for receiving the electronic element, supplying a lead member having a first alignment means for receiving a connection means with a mating second alignment means therein for mutually aligning the lead member and the connection means, supplying the connection means with the second alignment means for mating with the first alignment means and having a first attachment means for coupling to the electronic element, providing a first bonding material between the support member and the electronic element, providing a second bonding material between the first and second alignment means, and providing a third bonding material between the attachment means and the electronic element, temporarily floating the connection means on the second and third bonding material, and thereafter solidifying the second and third bonding material.
The first bonding material may be provided before the second or third bonding material or simultaneously with the second bonding material or the second and third bonding materials maybe provided simultaneously.
It is desirable to temporarily float the electronic element on the first bonding material at the same time as the connection means is floated on the first and second bonding materials so that the electronic element and the connection means align with each other and with the support member and lead member, controlled by the alignment means on the lead member and the connection means.
It is desirable to provide the first alignment means as a first depression or protrusion in the lead member and the second alignment means as a mating second depression or protrusion in the connection means, further, place the second alignment means in the first alignment means separated by the second bonding material where they are retained by gravity and surface tension until the second bonding material is solidified. It is further desirable to agitate at least the support member during the floating step.
The arrangement of the lead member, support member and connection means, and the choice of and the relative amounts of the three bonding materials should be such that the surface tension forces in the liquified bonding materials align the connection means to the lead member, center the bonding pad on the die under the attachment portion of the connection means, and substantially center the die and attachment portion of the connection means above the die bond region of the die support member. This provides automatic alignment of the parts.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will be better appreciated and a fuller understanding of the invention obtained by considering the accompanying drawings and explanation that follows.
FIG. 1 is a top and partial cut-away view and FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view, as indicated on FIG. 1, of a portion of an electronic device according to the prior art.
FIG. 3 is a top view and FIGS. 4-5 are partial cross-sectional views, as indicated on FIG. 3, of a portion of an electronic device according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a top and partial cutaway view and FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view, as indicated in FIG. 6, of a portion of an electronic device according to a further embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a top and partial cutaway view and FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view, as indicated in FIG. 8, of a portion of an electronic device according to a still further embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a top plan view of a portion of an electronic leadframe having multiple sections and showing and example of the method of the present invention.
FIGS. 1 shows a partial cut-away top view and FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of portion 10 of a prior art electronic device, for example a semiconductor device, comprising die support means 12 having die bond region 13, electronic die (e.g., semiconductor chip) 16, and conductive electrode 14. Die support lead 12 and contact lead 14 are typically made of metals well known in the art. Copper is an example.
Die 16 is attached to support 12 by attachment means 19. Contact 22 on die 16 is bonded to lead 14 by bonding material 26, for example, a solder. In the example shown, die 16 has raised dielectric 18 surrounding contact 22, but this is not essential.
Where die 16 is a semiconductor power device or other electronic element which must handle a current of an ampere to hundreds of amperes, die support 12 and lead 14 are generally made of comparatively thick metals, as for example, copper or Kovar™ or other metals having thicknesses in the order of 10 to hundreds of mils (0.25 to several millimeters). Such leads are comparatively stiff and alignment of the die flag, the die and the contact lead can be a problem in manufacturing. Further the prior art arrangement shown in FIGS. 1-2 has the additional disadvantage that it promotes run-out of solder 26 onto the upper surface of dielectric 18, which is undesirable for good manufacturing yield and reliability.
The prior art arrangement of FIGS. 1-2 is also difficult to assemble since leads 12 and 14 must overlap with die 16 in between. In these circumstances, after die 16 is mounted on die flag 13, lead 14 must either be folded over from another part of the leadframe or provided separately. Both operations require additional steps and care must be taken to properly align lead 14 above die 16 and die flag 13.
These and other problems of the prior art are avoided by the present invention, a first embodiment of which is illustrated in top view in FIG. 3 and in cross-sectional view in FIG. 4. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 4 but illustrating a further embodiment.
Referring now to FIGS. 3-5, die 16 having contact region 22 surrounded, for example, by raised dielectric 18, is mounted on die flag 13 by attachment means 20. Attachment means 20 may be conductive or insulating, but conductive solder is frequently used when die support 12, 13 is also intended to serve as one of the electrical leads of the device coupled to die 16.
Lead 30, 50 is provided extending toward die 16 and is intended to serve as an external connection to die 16. Conveniently located near the end of lead 30, 50 closest to die 16 is alignment means 32, 52. In the example shown in FIGS. 3-5, alignment means 32, 52 has the shape of a depression in lead 30, 50 but other shapes such as a protrusion could also be used. In FIGS. 3-4, alignment means 32 has the shape of a substantially hemi-cylindrical groove or other rounded two dimensional shape whose long dimension extends transverse to the direction from lead 30 toward die 16. In FIG. 5, alignment means 52 has a the shape of a two dimensional notch or fold-like depression whose long dimension extends transverse to the direction from lead 50 toward die 16 While alignment means 32, 42 and 52, 62 are shown as being convex downward, they could also be convex upward, i.e., bumps or protrusions rather than depressions.
Referring still to FIGS. 3-5, connection means or clip 40, 60 extends from lead 30, 50 to contact region 22 on die 16. Connection clip or means 40, 60 has alignment means 42, 62 at a first end which mates with alignment means 32, 52 of lead 30, 50 and, at a second end, has attachment means 46, 66 which is coupled to die contact or bonding pad 22. The shapes of alignment means 42, 62 are such that they engage alignment means 32, 52. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the groove shaped depressions of alignment means 32, 52 and 42, 62 permit connection means 40, 60 to move transverse to the direction extending from lead 30, 50 toward die contact 22 on die 16, but restrain movement of clip 40, 60 relative to lead 30, 50 and die contact 22 in the direction toward die contact 22 and restrain horizontal (azimuthal) rotation of connection means 40, 60 relative to lead 30, 50 or bonding pad 22 in the plane of FIG. 3. However, connection means 40, 60 is able to rotate during assembly in the vertical plane, that is in the plane of FIGS. 4- 5. This is desirable since it permits substantial variations in the thickness of die 16 to be accommodated with no change in the leadframe or connection means. This simplifies manufacturing. The configuration shown in FIG. 4 is particularly useful for this purpose because the nested curved surfaces of alignment means 32, 42 form a rotary hinge which permits vertical rotation of connection means 40 relative to lead 30 without substantial change in the spacing of alignment means 32, 42. In this respect it is also desirable that the end of connection means 40 which attaches to bonding pad 22 also be curved, as illustrated by attachment means 46 in FIG. 4.
Connection means 40, 60 has attachment means 46, 66 for making connection to die contact or bonding pad 22. FIG. 4 illustrates the situation where attachment means 46 has bottom 48 which is slightly rounded and FIG. 5 illustrates the situation where die attachment means 66 has bottom 68 which is substantially flat. In both cases it is desirable that attachment means 46, 66 be convexly shaped toward die contact 22 so as to prevent solder encroachment onto the upper surface of dielectric 18. This is explained more fully in co-pending application to Kalfus et al., entitled "Formed Top Contact for Non-Flat Semiconductor Devices," Application Ser. No. 478,852 filed Feb. 12, 1990 which is incorporated herein by reference. Attachment means 46, 66 may be hemi-cylindrical or other substantially two dimensional shape or may be hemi-ellipsoidal or other substantially three dimensional shape, as explained in Kalfus et al., supra.
Connection clip 40, 60 is attached to lead 30, 50 by attachment or bonding material 36, 56 and to die contact 22 by attachment or bonding material 38, 58. Electrically conductive solders are examples of suitable attachment or bonding materials. It is important that materials 36, 56 and 38, 58 be capable of being liquified or maintained as liquids, at the same time. It is desirable that die bonding material 20 also have the property of being liquid at the same time as materials 36, 56 and 38, 58. While bonding material 20 may be an electrically conductive material, this is not essential, since in many cases, other electrical contact may be made to terminals (not shown) elsewhere on the die.
Where materials 20, 36, 56, and 38, 58 are solders, then it is desirable to choose solders which have a common liquification or melting temperature. Where one of more of these attachment or bonding materials are glasses or plastics, whether electrically conductive or not, it is important that they be temporarily, at least partially liquid at the same time during assembly that the other, electrically conductive bonding materials are also liquid or partially liquid. In other words, it is important that the attachment or bonding materials have a common state, e.g., a temperature range or curing or bonding condition or the like, where they are semi-solid or at least partially liquid.
It is not essential that perfect liquidity of the bonding materials be achieved (although that is desirable). At a minimum, the bonding materials should be sufficiently liquid that the connection clip (and desirably also the die) can float on the semi-solid or partially liquid bonding material and be free to move laterally with respect to leads 12 and 30, 50. As will be subsequently explained in more detail, after leads 12 and 30, 50, and die 16 and clip 40, 60 have been assembled with the various bonding materials therebetween, the bonding materials are temporarily liquified or temporarily maintained as liquids to permit clip 40, 60 to float on liquified bonding materials 36, 56 and 38, 58 and to permit die 16 to float on liquified bonding material 20, so that the die, clip and leads self-align by surface tension and the action of the mating alignment means. While best results are obtained when the die bonding material as well as the connection clip bonding materials are simultaneously liquid, some improvement is obtained with just connection clip bonding materials simultaneously liquid.
With respect to the choice of solder material it is found that metal alloy solders are particularly suitable but other solders are also believed to be useful. In choosing a solder it is important to choose materials that readily wet the electrical leads and which do not readily wet regions of the die adjacent to the bonding location where contact with the leads or solder is not wanted. Since the electrical leads are usually of high conductivity metals and adjacent die regions are often covered by a passivation dielectric, solders which preferentially wet such metals and do not significantly wet passivation dielectrics are preferred in such locations. In these circumstances metal alloy solders usually perform better than most conductive plastics or glasses of which we are aware.
FIGS. 6-9 show further embodiments of the present invention. FIGS. 6 and 8 are partial cut-away top views similar to FIG. 3 and FIGS. 7, 9 are cross-sectional views similar to FIGS. 4-5. In FIGS. 6 and 8, die 16 is mounted on die flag 13 of support member 12 by bonding material 20. Die 16 has upward facing contact region or bonding pad 22, as before.
Connection clip 80, 100 bridges between lead 70, 90 and bonding pad 22. As shown in FIGS. 6-7, lead 70 has alignment means 72 in the form of a depression with a long dimension directed toward die 16 and bonding pad 22. Mating alignment means 82 in clip 80 has bottom and sides 84 which engage bottom and sides 74 of alignment means 72. However, alignment depression 82 is shorter than alignment depression 72 so that connection clip 80 may move in the direction of bonding pad 22 but not transversely to such direction or azimuthally with respect to lead 70 and pad 22. By making alignment means 72 and 82 of substantially the same length as well as width, then relative motion between lead 70 and connection clip 80 is precluded in any direction. Alignment means 72 and 82 are joined by electrically conductive bonding material 76, as for example a solder.
Connection clip 80 has dimple or convex downward formed region 86 having bottom 88 for bonding to pad 22 by means of bonding material 78. Bottom 88 may be substantially flat or rounded. FIGS. 6-9 illustrate the situation where attachment region 86 extends laterally beyond pad 22. When this is the case, it is important that region 86 be dimpled, i.e., convexly shaped toward pad 22, so as to provide increasing separation between lower surface 88 and the upper surface of dielectric 18 as one moves laterally away from the center of bonding pad 22. This prevents solder run-out or creep onto the upper surface of dielectric 18, This is explained more fully in the co-pending application of Kalfus et al., supra.
FIGS. 8-9 show a further embodiment of the present invention in which mating alignment means 92 and 102 in lead 90 and connection clip 100 have substantially circular symmetry. Bottom and sides 94 of alignment dimple 92 mate with bottom and sides 104 of alignment dimple 102. This arrangement permits angular movement between clip 100 and lead 90, but no lateral displacement. Lead 90 and clip 100 are joined by electrically conductive bonding material 96.
From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the degrees of freedom of relative movement permitted by the alignment means may be selected to correspond to the types of die placement and lead alignment errors most likely to be found in production. Those of skill in the art will understand, based on the description herein and their own individual circumstances, which of the several embodiments illustrated best suits their requirements.
FIG. 10 illustrates the method of the present invention. Leadframe 120 is shown as having separate sections 120A-F. Each section illustrates a step for preparing a finished electronic device according to the present invention. As those of skill in the art will appreciate, in actual practice sections 120A-F. of leadframe 120 would all undergo the different steps as a group. Showing a different step at each of the positions 120A-F. is merely for simplicity of explanation.
Samples were built using silicon rectifier die having lateral dimensions in the range of about 37 square) with a raised dielectric periphery as described in Kalfus et al., supra. Bonding pad 22 was typically in the range of about 29 to 94 mils (0.74 to 2.4 mm) square.
Leadframe 120 corresponds to the configuration shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 but, as those of skill in the art will appreciate, this is merely for convenience of explanation and not intended to be limiting and any of the described lead and connection clip configurations or equivalents can also be used. Leadframe 120 has conventional dam bars 122, 124 and indexing holes 126 in side rails 128.
At 120A, die support member 12 having die bonding region 13 and lead 50 having alignment means 52 are provided. In the parlance of the art, region 13 is referred to as the die flag. In the illustrated arrangement it is assumed that electrical contact to one side of electronic die 16 is to be made by lead 12, 13. However, as those of skill in the art will appreciate, this is not essential and lead 12, 13 may serve merely as a mechanical support or thermal connection for die 16. Die flag 13 is typically 80 2.9.times.3.4 mm). Leadframe 120 typically has a thickness in the range 5 to 15 mils (0.13 to 0.38 mm) or larger.
At 120B, die bonding material 20 is applied to die flag 13. Die bonding material 20 is conveniently a solder paste or solder preform. Solder paste having a composition of 88:10:2 (pb:Sn:Ag) is suitable for use with silicon semiconductor die, but other well known die bonding materials may also be used. Solder paste in the amount of about 0.5 to 3.0 milligrams is dispensed onto die flag 13 gives satisfactory results for die bonding material 20, but larger or smaller amounts may also be used. The same solder paste and similar amounts is used for bonding material 56 and 58, taking into account the relative sizes of the different bonding areas.
At 120C, die 16 is placed on die bonding material 20 with or without lead bonding material 58. Lead bonding material 58 may be provided as a part of the manufacture of die 16 or later. Die 16 is deliberately shown as being slightly misaligned on die flag 13 to illustrate the subsequent self-aligning action of the invented structure and method.
If bonding material 56, 58 are not already present they are conveniently applied now. Solder paste of the composition previously described and in generally similar or smaller amounts, depending on the size of bonding pad 22, is suitable for both bonding material 56 and 58.
In position 120D, connection clip 60 is placed in position on bonding material 56, 58. Copper connection clips 60 having a thickness in the range 5 to 15 mils (0.13 to 0.48 mm) or thicker are suitable. It is desirable that bonding pad attachment region 66 be about 5-15 mils (0.13 to 0.38 mm) narrower than bonding pad 22. Clip 60 and alignment regions 62 may be slightly narrower than lead 50 but this is not essential. Although not illustrated here, clips of the type illustrated in FIGS. 6-9 are also believed to give good results.
Alignment means 62 rests on bonding material 56 on alignment means 52, and attachment means 66 rests on bonding material 58 on contact 22. Perfect positioning of die 16 and connection clip 60 is not required. In 120D, connection clip 60 is deliberately shown as being slightly misaligned with respect to die 16 and lead 50 to illustrate the subsequent self-aligning action of the invented structure and method.
When the assembled die, connection clip, leadframe and solder bonding materials therebetween are heated, die 16 floats on solder 20, clip 60 floats on solder 56, 58 and groove 62 engages groove 52. For the above-described solder paste, a peak temperature of about 340 for a time of about three minutes is sufficient. A twenty foot long, four zone hydrogen belt furnace with a two inch wide belt manufactured by the Lindberg Company of Milwaukee, WI was used to melt the solder paste, but such furnace is not essential. Means and methods for melting solder pastes under controlled atmospheres are well known in the art.
Alignment means 52, 62 are designed to have a larger mutually solder wetted periphery than between die bond pad 22 and attachment means 66, or between die 16 and die flag 13. This insures that the surface tension force aligning clip 60 into groove 52 of lead 50 will predominate. Thus, clip 60 tends to automatically center on lead 50 and, because of alignment groove or depression 52, point directly toward the center of die flag 13.
Because die flag 13 is substantially covered (and wetted) by solder 20, die 16 has no singular preferred location on flag 20 and can skate to any part of the solder wetted area where it still rests on solder, i.e., not hanging over an edge. Die 16 is substantially mobile within the solder wetted area on flag 13 so long as the solder is liquid.
During solder melting, attachment means 66 on clip 60 and die bond pad 22 are joined by liquified solder 58. Because the portion 66 of clip 60 in proximity to pad 22 is slightly smaller than pad 22 and because region 66 is bent up away from pad 22 toward its periphery, die pad 22 and attachment region 66 tend to self-align, that is, align themselves so that attachment region 66 is centered over pad 22.
Since clip 60 is restrained by alignment means 52, 62 and the surface tension forces therebetween, it tends to remain centered on lead 50 while die 60 skates on die bond region 13 t attachment means 66. Thus, the cooperative action of die 16, clip 60 and lead 50, coupled with the liquid state of bonding materials 20, 56 and 58 which float die 16 and clip 60, produces automatic self-alignment of the several parts. This is illustrated in 120E.
Self alignment occurs rapidly after liquification of the bonding materials. Thereafter the assembly is cooled to freeze the bonding materials, thereby electrically connecting the parts and preserving their alignment.
At 120F, molding of encapsulation material 130 over the assembled parts is illustrated. This is conventional and well known in the art. Following encapsulation, dam bars 122, 124 and rails 128 are sheared away to obtain the completed unit Such operations are conventional.
It was found to be desirable to slightly agitate the parts during the solder melting operation to facilitate the floating and skating action which, combined with the surface tension forces and alignment means, produces the automatic self-alignment. The agitation amount need not be large. The vibration imparted by the moving metal belt of the solder reflow furnace was found to be sufficient.
While the die attachment step illustrated at 120B-C is shown as utilizing a solder paste that substantially covers die flange 13, but this is not essential. Good results are also obtained by placing a centrally located drop of solder paste on die flag 13 which is then pressed out laterally when die 16 is applied thereto. However, with this procedure, greater care must be taken to centrally locate the solder paste and die on flag 13 since the area over which die 16 may skate during solder melting and automatic alignment is reduced by any reduction in the solder wetted area on flag 13.
It will be appreciated based on the description herein that alignment means on the lead and connection clip which prevent horizontal (azimuthal) rotation are preferred, since horizontal rotation of the clip would reduce the tendency for the die bond end of the clip to align with the center of the die flag. Thus, the arrangements of FIGS. 3-7 are preferred compared to that of FIGS. 8-9 so far as the type cf alignment means is concerned. All of the invented structures permit vertical rotation of the connection clip with respect to the leads and die, which is desirable to accommodate variations in die thickness or other variations in the elevation of bonding pad 22 and alignment means 32, 52, 72, or 92.
Having thus described the invention it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that the invented means and method provides an improved, self-aligning device structure having the die centered on the die flag, the connecting lead centered on the bonding pad, and the connecting lead aligned with the external lead of the package. This reduces manufacturing defects and improves reliability since more consistent solder joints are obtained.
Further, the self-centering action between the die pad and the connecting lead improves the surge capabilities of the device. Ordinarily, the lead to be connected to the bonding pad on the die must be made smaller than the bonding pad to insure that it does not, through misalignment for example, touch the surrounding dielectric. Because the device self-centers, less alignment tolerance need be provided between the bonding pad on the die and the lead to be attached thereto. Thus, the connecting lead portion may be made larger as compared to non-self-centering arrangements. This permits a comparatively large amount of high conductivity metal (e.g., the copper connecting lead) to be in close proximity with the contact pad and good solder filling of the pad-lead contact region, without allowing solder flow onto the adjacent dielectric on the chip. This combination improves the surge resistance without increasing the probability of die shorts due to solder creep.
Further, the vertical motion of the connection clip permitted by the invented arrangement improves manufacturing tolerance.
In addition, those of skill in the art will appreciate based on the description herein that many modifications and variations may be made in the invention which utilize the teachings and elements presented herein. Accordingly, it is intended to include all such modifications, variations and equivalents in the claims that follow.
Citations de brevets | <urn:uuid:17092fd7-3f29-4797-8232-950c79867276> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.google.fr/patents/US4994412?hl=fr | 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 | 0.941395 | 7,429 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Thomas Rowan Morrow, Ireland Titanic
Thomas Rowan Morrow, my Grandfather's second cousin. He was born in County Down, Ireland in 1881. His brother, Waddell, had emigrated three years earlier to work on a ranch hand near Gleichen, Alberta, Canada and he was going to join him there. My Grandfather, Arba C. Morrow was to meet him at the pier and put him up for a few days till he arranged his travel to Alberta.
He boarded the Titanic at Queenstown as a third class passenger (ticket number 372622, £7 15s).
He died in the sinking. His body, if recovered, was never identified. ... show more | <urn:uuid:a0f4955e-150d-45b2-b502-f2c9a75ddb71> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ancientfaces.com/photo/thomas-rowan-morrow-ireland-titanic/1247991 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.989506 | 144 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Taco salad is something that happened when people in the United States got tired of eating regular taco. Its composed of an edible bowl made from a tortilla which is filled with various Mexican snacks such as refried beans, spanish rice, guacamole, and more. Itís unknown why Mexico didnít create taco salad, seeing as theyíve had tacos for considerably longer than the United States.
Taco salad tastes good because itís essentially a giant taco with a deformed shell. It can be a fun food since you can technically enjoy a Ďsaladí while actually eating a taco.
Taco Salad became an official snack on May 29th 2012. | <urn:uuid:8c220104-8424-4c85-8122-cd567bf548ad> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.snackdata.com/taco_salad | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969045 | 139 | 1.679688 | 2 |
FORT WALTON BEACH — Snapshots taken last month to determine whether classrooms in local school districts met strict state size requirements has produced a mixed bag.
Okaloosa County Schools met the requirements. Walton County Schools likely did, but a few data errors have delayed the final results. Santa Rosa County Schools once again likely did not.
“You never know when there’s going to be one little glitch,” Okaloosa County Superintendent of School Alexis Tibbetts said. “(But) every year this has gotten easier.”
Since 2010-11, school districts in Florida have been statutorily required to cap the number of students in each core curriculum class at each school.
The voter-approved mandate has been an uphill battle from the start. It has cost school districts millions of dollars to build new classrooms, hire additional staff and divide classes to comply.
Lawmakers tried to modify the statute in 2010, but it failed at the polls.
“It really is something that the principal starts studying as soon as they start getting in numbers for the next August,” Tibbetts said.
In Walton County, a similar scenario has played out year after year. Superintendent Carlene Anderson said she knows her district technically met the requirements, but was waiting for state approval on a few data issues that the district had to correct.
“I don’t like sitting in this position because we’ve been here before,” Anderson said. “We know we physically made it. I just need the data to be processed (by the state) that shows it.”
Santa Rosa County Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick said he hasn’t heard back from the state, but he knows his district did not meet the requirements.
“We make every effort (and) it is a high priority for us … but we think that the academic environment is a higher priority,” Wyrosdick said.
It’s not the first time Santa Rosa has opted to stop moving students after about a month of classes. It also missed the class-size limit last year after meeting the requirements in 2010-11.
This year, the decision not to divide classrooms and hire more staff also came down to money.
“We are as strapped as can be,” Wyrosdick said. “The monies that they (the state) give for class size are just not enough.”
According to Tibbetts and Anderson, they’ve kept shuffling students, hiring teachers and rearranging budgets until the last minute for one simple reason: The law dictates it.
“You just have to make a decision that it’s important and you’re going to get there,” Tibbetts said. “… It’s the right thing to do.”
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Katie Tammen at 850-315-4440 or firstname.lastname@example.org. Follow her on Twitter @KatieTnwfdn. | <urn:uuid:910bceaf-d374-4175-8566-9ab372530e96> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.crestviewbulletin.com/education/school-districts-still-grapple-with-class-size-limits-1.52084 | 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 | 0.953396 | 638 | 1.5625 | 2 |
The recent implementation of a system to evaluate judges will help get rid of incompetent judges and upgrade the quality of the judiciary, Judicial Yuan President Rai Hau-min (賴浩敏) said yesterday at a ceremony to mark the start of the Judge Evaluation Commission.
The evaluation system was put into practice on Jan. 6, six months after the enactment of the Judges Act (法官法), but the Judicial Yuan chose Judicial Day — Jan. 11 — to formally celebrate the start of the commission.
“The commission will assess the country’s judges by reviewing substantive facts on a case-by -case basis,” Rai said.
He said that in addition to the dismissal of judges — who have previously enjoyed lifelong tenure — he hoped the system would prompt judges to exercise discipline and reduce the number of judges who are unfit to serve.
“The most important thing for the system is to win the trust of the public,” he said.
The 11-seat commission is comprised of three judges, three attorneys, four academics and respected members of society, as well as one prosecutor.
The Judicial Yuan said if anyone involved in a court case feels a judge has violated the act, they can apply to have their case evaluated by the Taiwan Bar Association, which would then pass it to the commission after screening.
The association said it has received four cases for evaluation. | <urn:uuid:d383eaea-8b84-4bf6-9304-2e47b48d7184> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2012/01/12/2003523051 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972622 | 288 | 1.695313 | 2 |
A few words from State Superintendent of Schools Nancy S. Grasmick
We continue to receive a lot of positive notices on Maryland’s number 1 ranking in Education Week’s respected “Quality Counts” report. The ranking represents many years of consistent work here at MSDE, along with the dedication of our teachers, administrators and students. What makes “Quality Counts” so important is the independent nature of its research. It draws from scores of reports as well as its own reporting to reach its conclusions.
Keeping our schools strong and healthy is the best investment Maryland can make in the future. The recent independent report by MGT of America analyzing the Bridge to Excellence Act proved that the additional State funds served as a great investment. Student achievement has improved and gaps that have separated subgroups for far too long have diminished.
If you come by the Maryland State Department of Education, you’ll see “No. 1” in our display case, as well as in all of our exterior windows. This is a big honor, and I hope you join us in celebrating this accomplishment.
MGT’s final report on Bridge to Excellence includes a lot of terrific ideas for schools and school systems to use.
Please take some time to review the report. The complete report is detailed, but we’ve made it available online at: MGT Report: An Evaluation of Increased State Aid to Local School Systems through the Bridge to Excellence Act: Final Report.
February 4 — Governor’s Town Hall Meeting on Education and the Economy – Mountain Ridge High School, Frostburg, MD
February 11 — Governor’s Town Hall Meeting on Education and the Economy – Prince George’s County
February 24-25 — State Board Meeting
Having trouble viewing this email? Click here to view on the web.
Click here for a PDF version of the MSDE January 30, 2009 Education Bulletin.
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SENIOR CLASS CLOSING IN ON
NEW GRADUATION REQUIREMENT
The class of 2009 is well on its way to completing is high school graduation requirements, according to data presented this week to the Maryland State Board of Education.
Baltimore City Schools CEO discussed the progress of the system in an appearance before the State Board this week.
With another full semester remaining, only 4,000 seniors had not completed their High School Assessment (HSA) requirements, according to MSDE estimates based on data provided by local school systems. Moreover, that figure does not include recent HSA test administrations and many of the alternative assessment completers.
Local school systems say they are making big strides with their senior classes. Baltimore City Schools CEO Andres Alonso told the State Board that it does not appear as though the new HSA requirement will adversely affected his system’s graduation rate.
“We will come close to the numbers we were projecting,” Dr. Alonso said. “It is worth applauding.”
Students in the class of 2009 are the first who must complete the HSA requirement in order to receive a Maryland High School diploma. There are several ways to complete the requirement: by passing each of the four assessments in algebra, biology, English, and government; by using the combined score option of the exams (a four-test total of 1602 points); or by using the project-based Bridge Plan for Academic Validation for areas of deficiency.
Dr. Alonso said the new requirement has improved instruction in Baltimore City schools, and Baltimore County Area Assistant Superintendent Robert Tomback said a similar phenomenon is taking place in Baltimore County. He said Baltimore County Schools have eliminated low-level courses, increased rigor, and increased the number of support programs to help students meet the HSA mandate.
State Board members pressed for improved data on the graduation class, and State officials said better numbers would be available by March, after information from the January test administration has arrived.
STATE LEGISLATORS PRESS FOR FINANCIAL LITERACY STANDARDS
Three members of the Maryland General Assembly met with the State Board this week to advocate for a strengthened financial literacy curriculum in Maryland Schools.
Del. Dana Stein, Del. Susan Krebs, and Sen. Katherine Klausmeier, said that the current recession has made it clear that Americans need to learn more about the economy and personal finance. As members of the Task Force to Study How to Improve Financial Literacy in the State, they believe Maryland needs to develop and adopt new standards for K-12 personal financial literacy.
“This is a very basic life skill, especially in light of the current economic times,” Del. Stein said. “We feel this is an urgent issue.”
Sen. Katherine Klausmeier, Del. Susan Krebs, and Del. Dana Stein met with the State Board this week to discuss the importance financial literacy.
Del. Krebs noted that the Carroll County Schools have added personal finance as a graduation requirement, and said the program has been both well-received and inexpensive to implement.
Board member Richard Goodall said he understood the importance of financial literacy. However, he was concerned about adding new requirements for students and new duties for MSDE. “We may need to come back to you and ask which programs you want us to keep,” he said.
The State Board will study the recommendations from the Task Force over the next several weeks and report back on next steps. | <urn:uuid:32d1b1e7-f1c3-485a-8f7e-dd7116fb505a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://msde.state.md.us/MSDEBulletins/2009/january_30/index.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 | 0.95631 | 1,141 | 1.5625 | 2 |
This year, travelers are on track to pay U.S. hotels an estimated $1.95 billion in fees and surcharges - an amount that includes unpopular Internet charges. With this in mind, Hotel Check-In asked Robert Mandelbaum, the Atlanta-based director of information services for PKF Hospitality Research, to tell us about the state of the industry's telecommunications revenue stream - a stream that includes Internet fees.
Are hotels collecting more or less today vs. the past few years? Read Mandelbaum's insightful answer, written exclusively for us:
The way travelers communicate on the road has changed dramatically over the years, and these changes become evident when analyzing the revenue earned by U.S. hotels from their guests for use of telecommunication devices and services.
In lodging industry parlance, "telecommunications revenue" includes monies received from the guest use of hotel room phones, fax machines, and internet connections.
According to our research, telecommunications revenue at the average U.S. hotel in PKF's annual Trends in the Hotel Industry survey sample has declined by 79% since 2000.
These revenues used to account for 3% of total hotel sales.
In 2011, that number declined to just 0.6% of sales.
It most cases, it now "costs" hotels to provide telephone service to its guests.
What's gobbled up hotels' phone revenues?
The initial decline in revenue during the period 2000 through 2009 can be easily explained by the increased use of calling cards, then cell phones.
In addition, the number of hotels offering local phone calls on a complimentary basis grew dramatically during this period.
Telecom revenues stop their decline
While telecommunications revenue is still significantly below its previous peak levels, PKF-HR has observed a slight uptick the past two years.
During 2010 and 2011, telecommunications revenue has actually increased by 51% at the average hotel in the Trends sample.
Certainly the recovery of the lodging industry from the depths of the 2009 recession has contributed to the recent growth in telecommunications revenue.
A 9.5% increase in the number of rooms occupied will generate a rise in spending throughout a hotel.
However, when you analyze the data on a dollar per-occupied-room basis, telecommunications revenue has increased by 38% in the past two years. In other words, the guests that are staying in the nation's hotels are beginning to spend more on telecommunications.
Internet fees help drive growth in telecom revenue
At this time PKF-HR does not possess sufficient information to offer an exact explanation, but we believe it is an increase in the monies collected from internet connections that is driving the growth in telecommunications revenue that has occurred during the past two years.
We have heard from our clients that compared to 2008 and 2009, managers are less likely to concede complimentary use of the internet when negotiating corporate and group contracts.
Further, more hotels are beginning to follow the successful paths of those chains that have always opted to charge for internet connectivity.
Tiered Internet pricing: Here to stay?
A tiered pricing structure based on bandwidth is the current trend in hotel internet charges.
While this practice will most likely not restore the profit-producing days of the old telephone department, it will most likely curtail the slide in telecommunications revenue until the next wave in communication technology comes along.
USA TODAY is now using Facebook Comments on our stories and blog posts to provide an enhanced user experience. To post a comment, log into Facebook and then "Add" your comment. To report spam or abuse, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box. To find out more, read the FAQ and Conversation Guidelines. | <urn:uuid:ffdb725a-6e21-4ea9-be9d-1529f5c90d2c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/post/2012/09/hang-up-the-phone-hotel-phone-use-plummets/70000842/1?csp=34travel&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UsatodaycomTravel-TopStories+%28Travel+-+Top+Stories%29 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943291 | 750 | 1.640625 | 2 |
Aloo Ki Puri is a very popular Indian recipe.
Aloo Paratha is a popular breakfast recipe.
Bajra Roti is a delicious flour bread made of millet.
Bedmi Puri is a popular Rajasthani recipe.
Cabbage Paratha is a whole wheat bread made with cabbage and ginger.
Chapati is a staple food of India.
Chicken Palak is a very easy and simple recipe.
Colourful Parathas is a very popular recipe.
Cooker Naan is a very popular recipe.
Soft and flaky Coorgi Roti is a popular South Indian dish.
Coriander Rotis are delicious, spicy and are ideal for morning snacks.
Dal Paratha is wheat flour paratha stuffed with spicy moong dal and serves as an excellent breakfast snack.
Dal Puri is a popular Indian recipe prepared on special occasions.
Date and Sesame Puranpoli is a sweet roti stuffed with till and dates.
Egg Paratha is a very popular recipe.
Flour Tortilla is a fat free Mexican dish.
Gobi Ka Paratha is a mouthwatering Punjabi cuisine.
Green Peas Paratha is a nutritious flat bread.
Khasta Roti is a mouth watering crispy recipe.
Kuttu Ki Puri is a very popular recipe.
Kuttu Paratha is usually prepared on the auspicious occasion of Navratri.
Kuttu Rajgiri Parathas is a very popular recipe.
Lachcha Paratha is also known as multi-layered Indian bread.
Lifafa Paratha is an envelope shaped stuffed paratha.
Luchi is a traditional Bengali recipe.
Makke Ki Roti is a Punjabi cornbread.
Masala Tikadia is a crispy and spicy roti, traditionally served with gatte ki sabzi.
Methi Paratha is a very popular recipe.
Misi Roti is a very delicious recipe.
Mooli Ka Paratha is a very popular recipe.
Mooli Paratha is a very popular Rajastani recipe.
Mughlai Paratha goes well with curd, chutney and vegetables.
Naan is a very popular Asian recipe.
Onion Paratha is a delicious and easy to make Indian recipe.
Palak Paratha is a nutritious dish made with whole wheat and spinach.
Paneer Paratha is a delicious Indian recipe.
Peas Stuffed Paratha is a toothsome recipe.
Peshawari Naan is a special Naan stuffed with nuts and raisins.
Pudina Paratha is a popular Indian recipe made with mint leaves and whole wheat flour.
Puri is a fried and puffed flat bread, very popular in India.
Ragi Roti is a very popular recipe.
Rice Rotis is a popular rice recipe, perfect for any occasion.
Roti Prata is best served with hot chicken curry.
Roti Telur is a popular supper dish.
The Satpura Phulko is delicious and yummy paratha that serves best with sabzi.
Shahi Paratha is a delicious keema parantha .
Stuffed Bajra Roti is a very popular recipe.
Tandoori Roti is a type of Indian bread served with curries as main course. | <urn:uuid:38656cc9-3228-45bc-a3f6-4581ad3d13c9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.indobase.com/recipes/category/chapati.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936194 | 714 | 1.78125 | 2 |
This has to be one of my favorite papier mache projects ever! It took a while to complete but was so worth it. Besides, I love long projects and think it’s a great opportunity for kids to slow down and take their time in this rush rush world!
Basically, my grade seven girls were learning about Ancient Greece and I jumped at the chance to create black or red figure inspired vases with a myth as the central image. The myth of course was written in their social studies class. Great way to integrate subjects don’t you think?
The ‘plan’ started out on paper, after a lengthy discussion about ancient Greek vases and an extensive image search on Google.
From the plan, the idea went onto scratch paper. This was fun and the designs were gorgeous. I like to use this paper in class and I made sure to pick out the papers with a red background. The girls loved this because their plan was starting to come to life!
Next was the construction of the vase using a balloon, my favorite recipe for papier mache paste, recycled cardboard pieces for the stand, neck of the vase and handles and finally, acrylic paint for the vase, details and myth.
My girls were amazing and I am in love with these incredibly gorgeous vases! What do you think? | <urn:uuid:e5527cc5-7bb1-4b68-8a71-435a9ad06dae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://artlessonsforkids.me/2011/04/24/papier-mache-greek-vases-in-grade-seven/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971748 | 275 | 1.820313 | 2 |
The Supreme Court rejected an appeal related to the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretap program on Tuesday, offering no explanation. The American Civil Liberties Union and others have had a hard time proving the plaintiffs were spied on because the evidence they need is considered a government secret.
AP via Google:
The government has refused to turn over information about the closely guarded program that could reveal who has been under surveillance.
ACLU officials described the situation as a “Catch-22” because the government says the identities of people whose communications have been intercepted is secret. But only people who know they have been wiretapped can sue over the program.
A lawsuit filed by an Islamic charity met a similar fate. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year ruled against the Oregon-based U.S. arm of the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation, concluding that a key piece of evidence is protected as a state secret. | <urn:uuid:f6fb979d-5b6a-43ac-b6f0-d460499fa9d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/20080219_supreme_court_rejects_surveillance_case/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972372 | 194 | 1.546875 | 2 |
Most people who have used either Microsoft Windows or Windows NT are familiar with the excellent Resource Kits that are available from Microsoft Press. The Windows NT Training Kit is less well known, perhaps because it looks so much like the Resource Kit, and is overlooked on the bookseller's shelves. Its purpose is quite different, and it has a place in the library of anyone who wishes to learn more about Windows NT.
|The Microsoft Windows NT Training Kit|
|Publisher: Microsoft Press, Redmond, WA, 1995, ISBN 1-55615-864-5|
|Price: $195.00, 1226 pages|
The kit contains two books, four floppy disks, and a videotape. The first book, Support Fundamentals for Microsoft Windows NT, is a study guide for the first of the two Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.5 and Windows NT Server 3.5 exams for Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) hopefuls. The second volume is Supporting Microsoft Windows NT Server, a study guide for the second exam. Microsoft will tell you that the MCP exams are based largely on the contents of the Resource Kit and product manuals. This is reasonably accurate, but the manuals and the Resource Kit are really reference materials and make dry reading if you wish to spend some time studying the subject. The Training Kit takes a different approach and is intended as a step-by-step tutorial. It parallels the classes given by Microsoft's Authorized Technical Education Centers.
Even if you don't plan to pursue the MCP qualification, this kit is worth considering as a means of jump-starting your career as an NT specialist. For the IS department faced with converting network specialists to NT, this kit may be a good option, provided the technicians are given the time and resources necessary to complete it.
Before you purchase the kit for home study, think about the hardware requirements. In order to complete all the lessons--and there is a lot of hands-on work--you'll need two (yes, two!) computers, each with 16MB of memory and 100MB of free disk space. To complete the Server section, you'll need 180MB free on one of the computers. And, if you wish to run the disk-striping exercises, you'll need three hard disks on one of the computers. Actually, two of these disks could be small, "surplus" hard disks, but you'll need either a SCSI controller and SCSI disks, or an enhanced IDE controller capable of supporting more than two hard disks. The computers must be networked, even if it's just a two-computer link via Ethernet cards. Knowing that you'll be installing a new operating system, you won't want to use production systems for these exercises.
Although it's not mentioned on the box, as the above requirements are, you'll also need the Windows NT Workstation and Server software.
If you decide that you're willing to devote the time and resources to learning about Windows NT, what's in these books? As with the classes, the self-study courses assume a good working knowledge of Windows, PC concepts such as ports, interrupts, and buses, and some networking experience. Given that starting point, your first item of business is to review the Microsoft family of products and how Windows NT fits in. You may be tempted to skip this, thinking it is more Microsoft propaganda. But, if you're planning to take the MCP exam, I strongly recommend that you skip nothing. Microsoft expects MCPs to explain the features and benefits of the entire family of products and to justify the installation of the appropriate software. Remember, Microsoft uses the word "professional," not "technician." Not only do you have to know what you're doing, you have to know why and be able to communicate your reasons.
Once you know what Windows NT will do for you, you can begin. You actually install the software, using the default installation the first time through. Once the software is in place, you can begin to assign user accounts, build group accounts, and add security policies. You continue by configuring the system, using the Registry (which, at this stage, is something you look at but don't mess with) and the Control Panel applet. At each step, there's an explanation, an exercise (usually on the computer), and a summary of what you have learned. Each chapter or lesson includes some questions for review. In case you are wondering: Yes, the answers are in the back of the book, and the writers repeated the questions as well, so you don't have to try to keep the book open in two places at once.
The course moves on to choosing a file system, with a discussion of the File Allocation Table (FAT), High-Performance File System (HPFS), and NT File System (NTFS) systems. You use the Disk Administrator to create and delete partitions, volume sets, and stripe sets. By this time, you understand why you're not working through the course on a production system. You continue with NTFS security, assigning permissions, and sharing resources. The NT security model is analyzed before proceeding to networking, including Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/ IP) and Internet Packet eXchange (IPX). Unfortunately, if you don't have access to a NetWare server, you'll have to skip the hands-on parts of these lessons.
The sections on domains, workgroups, and network browsing will require two computers, although you may be able to connect into an established domain. The lesson on the Remote Access Server suggests using a null modem cable between the two computers, which is good news for students who don't have two telephone lines.
Microsoft uses some different terminology when talking about printers on NT systems, and the MCP tests expect you to follow Microsoft usage, whether you like it or not. Fortunately, after completing the lessons on printing from NT, it should be clear why the NT team chose the words they did.
Operating systems are installed with the idea that someone will do some productive work on the computer. Therefore, lessons are devoted to optimizing performance, to get the most out of the system, and to installing and supporting applications, so you or your network users can get some work done. The first volume concludes with a description of the boot sequence for NT and then discusses troubleshooting, diagnostics, and the emergency repair disk.
If you want to go further into Windows NT Server, you can do it in the second volume. At least, you can as long as you have 210MB free on your hard disk to install the software, which you do in the second lesson. The first lesson looks at planning domains, something that should always precede an installation. Other lessons cover topics such as using groups to manage user accounts, configuring the user and the server environments, and establishing trust relationships. NT Server adds fault tolerance to NT, a topic covered in volume two.
TCP/IP is revisited, with the emphasis on the differences in the NT Server version. Various clients are supported, including Windows for Workgroups and DOS clients. Some of these clients can be managed directly from the server, and the student can practice doing this. The section on optimizing for performance is quite different from the Workstation section in volume one because the two products are intended to fill roles as either a workstation or a server, but not both at the same time. The final lessons include more on interoperability with Novell NetWare, assuming that the NT Server machine is part of a larger network with a mix of operating systems.
The videotape, which ideally should be watched before beginning the second volume, focuses on the domain model and how to implement it.
The books and tape are sold only as a complete package. Are they worth the not insignificant price? Probably, depending on your needs. If you wish to pass the MCP tests for both products, the tests alone will cost $100 each. Being able to pass the first time could save the cost of the kit. However, Microsoft says only that the kit "will help prepare you for the MCP exams." There is no promise that you can complete the course and then pass the test. Some people will find that a combination of the kit and actual hands-on experience will be enough to qualify; others will decide to take the formal classes. The key may be finding the time and resources to complete the lessons in the thorough manner of the classroom, instead of giving in to the temptation to skim through the book. The books do a good job of simulating a classroom experience, which means that you have to do the exercises, not just read the book. If all you want is a reference manual, go for the Resource Kit instead, or buy one of the many books on Windows NT.
If you are part of a user group or a large company, you may find resellers who will cut the price of the kits substantially if you order in bulk. | <urn:uuid:8b056a06-2071-4c54-8294-5b2f4561b676> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://windowsitpro.com/print/windows/windows-nt-training-kit | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939129 | 1,833 | 1.765625 | 2 |
“It’s brilliant,” said local carpenter Barry Heath as he shopped with his wife Sharon. “To find any of these shops, we used to have to go into central London, Oxford Street, King’s Road, Chelsea, all those places. It used to take me an hour, now it takes me five minutes.”
He said the mall — and the whole Summer Olympics — have helped transform east London, which had long suffered from neglect.
That darker underbelly was evident Friday, when police said a 24-year-old man died from stab wounds after a fight on the ground floor of Westfield.
Police have charged nine men with violent disorder in the death of Liam Woodards.
The Olympics run from July 27 to August 12, but Westfield will be there for decades.
“All our friends love it,” said Heath, 41. “It’s good for everybody.” | <urn:uuid:d447be57-ddd4-41cb-8c56-a0b3bef6b8c5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2012/07/04/2003536909/2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968528 | 201 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Whenever someone says, “He was homeschooled.” I ask, “What are they doing now?” I need to know how homeschooled kids turn out.
Now, after asking this question about 100 times it’s clear to me that there’s no rule of thumb. The results vary widely because the types of people who homeschool vary widely. After all, what else do the far right wing and far left wing have in common besides being scared to send their kids to public school? And, famous child actors and famous chess champions have totally different types of minds, but what do they have in common? They both need to be homeschooled in order to do what they do best.
So the question, “What are they doing now?” yields useless results.
But then I realized that homeschooling is not about the end result. It’s about the process. Kids should learn what is meaningful and important for them to learn, in an environment that caters to them.
It’s scary. Sure. But it’s more scary to send them to a school that seeks outcome over process. | <urn:uuid:425cd254-7a2c-446e-b669-025069fbcf04> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://homeschooling.penelopetrunk.com/2011/07/23/history-lesson/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973724 | 243 | 1.742188 | 2 |
As we age, we accumulate various heirlooms, photos, and other items that remind us of our past and precious memories. The more memories we have, the more items we collect. And overtime, these items can become overwhelming. The point of these photos and heirlooms is to help us remember the good times, but these items are just sitting in a box in the basement or under the bed for many of us.
Welcome to the Senior Helpers Blog!
Here you will find helpful tips, loving advice, and useful information to make caring for an aging loved one a bit easier.
Mommy. Momma. Mother. Mom. No matter what we call them, there is one thing that rings true: This is a woman who holds a dear and special place in our hearts. Many of our lives are filled with the special moments we shared. Few - if any - will ever love us more than those wonderful women.
Capturing precious moments is vital for remembering precious memories. And what better way to capture special moments than with photography! We may not all realize it, but even our aging loved ones enjoy photographs. This year, our social media manager’s grandfather celebrated his 95th birthday. Throughout the celebrations, she made sure she captured each moment using her iPhone. At the end of the day, her Pop-Pop was thrilled to be able to see the photographs instantly and was eager to share with his friends at the assisted living facility.
Scrapbooking is a great and fun way to document family history, childhood keepsakes, and your most precious memories. The best part about scrapbooking is you don’t necessarily have to be artistic to create one.
It’s hard to believe that April has come and gone and May is officially here! The weather has been up and down for many of us this early spring, but as the old saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers.” So cheers to beautiful weather to come! | <urn:uuid:64f5f983-b794-4470-ae8e-2431a83cc3ff> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.seniorhelpers.com/cleveland-westBlog/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958194 | 408 | 1.5 | 2 |
October 22, 2012
President Vladimir Putin took a leading role in the latest tests of Russia’s strategic nuclear arsenal, the most comprehensive since the 1991 Soviet collapse, the Kremlin said on Saturday.
The exercises, held mostly on Friday, featured prominently in news reports on state television which seemed aimed to show Russians and the world that Putin is the hands-on chief of a resurgent power.
Tests involving command systems and all three components of the nuclear “triad” -- land and sea-launched long-range nuclear missiles and strategic bombers -- were conducted “under the personal leadership of Vladimir Putin”, the Kremlin said.
An RS-12M Topol Intercontinental Ballistic Missile was launched from the Plesetsk site in northern Russia, and a submarine test-launched another ICBM from the Sea of Okhotsk, the Defence Ministry said.
Long-range Tu-95 and Tu-160 bombers fired four guided missiles that hit their targets on a testing range in the northwestern Komi region, it said.
“Exercises of the strategic nuclear forces were conducted on such a scale for the first time in the modern history of Russia,” the Kremlin statement said.
“Vladimir Putin gave a high evaluation to the combat units and crews and the work of the Armed Forces General Staff, which fulfilled the tasks before them and affirmed the reliability and effectiveness of Russia’s nuclear forces.”
The exercises included tests of communications systems and “new algorithms” for command and control, it said.
Russia says it is modernising a nuclear arsenal that was largely created during the Cold War and will continue to use nuclear weapons as a key deterrent. | <urn:uuid:74308472-5ecf-43da-ad37-055f6f043503> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/awx_10_22_2012_p0-509117.xml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953269 | 350 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Tube Truths—Or Myths?
Published: October 24th, 2012
Are tubes more expensive than bottles?
There are a few challenges that are discouraging some brands from using a tube. Experts help dispel them.
By Marie Redding
We’ve all heard about all the user-friendly benefits a tube provides. They’re more portable than a bottle, and you can squeeze out every last bit of a product.
Even though tube use keeps growing, it’s typical for a brand to have one or two products in a tube—not an entire line. Why? What’s holding marketers back from using more tubes? I asked a few brands and suppliers.
Are tubes better suited for thick creams?
Beecology has some of its products in bottles. “The thinner lotions were okay in our bottles—we didn’t have any issues, so we only use the tube for our thicker creams,” says David Rzepka, cofounder, Beecology.
Suppliers do report that there are certain types of caps that are designed for products that have a lower viscosity, such as a lotion or even a toner.
Changing a tube’s orifice size will allow you to use the package for any type of product. “A large orifice will easily dispense a thick cream, or you can reduce it to 10 mm for less viscous products,” explains Ted Sojourner, regional vice president, tubes & laminates, Essel Propack (Danville, VA).
“A smaller orifice size, or using a special type of valve inside the cap, can also reduce the flow rate, or desired dispensing. This makes it possible to use a tube for even very watery products, such as cleansers,” says Sojourner. In addition, there are some caps and closures fit for a tube that can deliver a metered dose.
Like most suppliers, Global Packaging (La Habra, CA) also supplies tubes with small orifices. “We have made tubes with very small, 1-ml orifices for some customers,” says Vinay Upasani, president, Global Packaging. “These are perfect for a facial toner, and the flow of the liquid is reduced when you choose the right size.”
If the product is very watery, Sojourner suggests adding a valve. “A small orifice combined with a valve will ensure that a controlled amount is dispensed,” he adds.
Are tubes less prestigious than bottles or jars?
Not at all, according to experts. “There are many examples of fabulous-looking tubes that contain prestige products—just look at what the tanning industry is doing,” says Jeanine Recckio, beauty ‘futurologist’ at the trend forecast company, Mirror Mirror Imagination Group (New York City; Palm Beach). Recckio says that she will often say to clients that it can be nice to have a beautiful jar on your vanity, but tubes are a more modern package.
“I feel that more often bottles are more often perceived by consumers as a cheaper packaging option,” says Upasani of Global Packaging.
A brand that sees the other side of this debate is Estrea. “I can see how a bottle with a pump can have a greater appeal, and why a consumer would consider it a more prestige package,” explains Zsolt Boros, president, Estrea USA.
Boros feels that sometimes it is difficult to make sure a tube looks as high end as consumers expect from a beauty brand. “This is what I have experienced,” he explains. “But when a consumer uses a product often, I think they do find that they prefer the convenience of a tube,” he adds.
Recckio says that image isn’t an issue with the right design. “Check out some of the decorating processes that are elevating tubes. Some have glamorous metallized caps, or they’re ‘pierced’ with charms,” she explains.
Silk screening, combined with hot stamping, is what most companies will choose for a tube if they want a very high-end look, for a prestige product, according to Marie Boyan, vice president of operations, Vivid Packaging (Cleveland). “It is a more-expensive printing method than offset printing, but its price will be reflected in its quality look,” she explains.
Gradient offset printing is another option, according Upasani. “It’s a unique look,” he says. “There are many other ways to make sure a tube will look high end, such as custom colors, or pairing one with an airless pump,” Upasani explains.
Murad’s wrinkle cream shows how a tube can have a prestige, yet minimalist, look. It embodies the image of a prestige skin care brand with its sleek shape and silver-pearl resin. It is decorated using a silk screening process.
The team at Rock Your Hair also put a lot of thought into the design of its tube. “Like our Pink products, Rock Your Hair Hard Gel was designed to make a big first impression on the retail shelf,” says Kym Riffel, COO, Rock Your Hair. The tube is deep black, with a finish that was chosen to look like chrome, according to Riffel.
The brand MUD Cosmetics, by Make-up Designory, chose silver and dark gray for its mascara tube, because it looked ‘timeless,’ according to Yvonne Hawker, senior sales representative and educator, MUD Cosmetics. The color was achieved by spraying, and a silk screening process was used for decoration.
Are tubes more expensive than bottles?
Not necessarily—cost depends on many factors, such as the supplier and where it manufactures and order size. Some might assume a tube should always be less expensive than a bottle, since they are made with less plastic.
However, bottles can run at higher speeds on a production line, which drives costs down, explains Kunal Kuthiala, regional innovation manager, Essel Propack. So when it comes to price, it’s difficult to make generalizations.
One cost-saving feature Kuthiala mentions is that companies can print directly on a tube—no label required.
Marie Boyan, vice president of operations, Vivid Packaging, says that offset printing is the most economical decoration for a tube. “It allows up to eight colors, at the lowest cost,” she explains.
Manufacturing a tube overseas will decrease costs, often significantly. “A smaller tube coming from China can be priced very competitively,” Upasani says.
However, the quality of your tube will affect your costs, overall, points out Christopher White, president, The Filling Station (Flemington, NJ). “I have been seeing more tubes that are much better quality coming out of China lately, than in the past,” says White. “This matters, because I’ve seen many small companies use tubes that are a few cents less because they are made in China, but then so many can’t be filled that it ends up costing them more,” White explains.
When it comes to price differences, size also matters, according to Global Packaging’s Upasani. “In my experience, bottles can be more economical than a tube, in certain sizes. But a tube smaller than 8 oz is generally less expensive than the same-sized bottle,” he says.
Boros has found that Estrea’s tubes have been less expensive than its jars or bottles with pumps. “Using more tubes allows us to provide better pricing for our customers,” he says. “But, price will always depend on who your manufacturer is.”
Beecology’s cofounder Amy Rzepka says that their bottles had always been less expensive because they were able to fill them by hand, since they are a young, growing company. This isn’t possible to do with a tube, so when they repackaged their hand and body cream, they would have the extra filling expense.
“Now that we found a local filler, our tubes are more cost-efficient,” explains David Rzepka, cofounder of Beecology, who is also married to Amy.
Although purchasing their own tube-filling machine would be a major investment for Beecology, some suppliers say it’s an affordable option that a small company should consider.
“Some of our customers that purchase tube fillers are large companies, but others are mom-and-pop shops,” says Fredrik Nilsson, sales manager, Norden (Branchburg, NJ). “When you consider the cost of machinery—if you are ready to make that investment—then there are many advantages of using a tube instead of a bottle or jar,” explains Nilsson.
Filling a tube requires purchasing only one machine, according to Nilsson, but a bottle line will typically include several parts, such as an unscrambler, filler, and capper.
“The footprint of bottle line machinery can be very long,” Nilsson explains. “Floor space in many plants today is very scarce, and the production you can achieve per sq ft with a tube filler is hard to beat,” he adds.
Essel’s Sojourner says that filling costs will become an issue when a tube is larger than the standard size. “Most tube filling operations are set up to accommodate tubes with a 2-in.-diam or smaller. Filling anything larger may become more difficult and costly,” he says. For this reason, Sojourner says they’ve been seeing a lot of suppliers making tubes that are longer, but not wider. “Then, they can accommodate more product but filling doesn’t become a challenge,” he adds.
If you haven’t considered using a tube, for any of the reasons above, perhaps it’s time you do. “Tubes have come a long way,” says Upasani. “There are so many options to choose from, to accommodate any type of product,” he adds. | <urn:uuid:09b5db75-aecf-4f29-9572-79d1b3ad19fc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pmpnews.com/article/tube-truths%E2%80%94or-myths | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96202 | 2,219 | 1.835938 | 2 |
BUFFALO, NY - A surprising gun policy within Buffalo Public Schools is being targeted and could soon be changed.
According to school district regulations, superintendents can approve anyone who says they need a gun on school grounds to have one.
Several school board members we spoke to say that the policy is decades old. And with the recent tragedies nationwide involving guns, board members say no superintendent and no administrator within Buffalo schools should be allowed to let anyone with a gun on school property.
The proposal was introduced by vice president of Executive Affairs, Ralph Hernandez, at a committee meeting Wednesday night.
Since the Newtown, Connecticut shooting, many, if not all school districts have been looking at their safety policies to make sure students and staff are safe.
"As we have seen the landscape around us change in so many ways, we need to ensure that we are current and up-to-date with the policies that we have in place," said Barbara Seals Nevergold, a member of Buffalo's school board.
Officials say this is why, the district is looking at making security upgrades, like possibly adding more cameras in schools and adjusting how many officers should be on patrol. Just added to the list is this new push, that would forbid the superintendent from allowing people on school grounds with a gun.
"We really want to be proactive and things have changed, where that policy may've been appropriate, at another point and time, at this point and time, it may not be the most appropriate policy to have," said Nevergold.
Right now, it's illegal for anyone to come onto school grounds with a gun, except police.
However, the superintendent can make exceptions and grant certain people the authorization to bring a gun to school. Under the proposal only law enforcement would be allowed on school property and no exemptions could be made by the superintendent or any other top school official.
The proposal also calls for signs to be placed on all district buildings saying "No Firearms" are allowed.
At a community meeting Thursday, we asked superintendent Dr. Pamela Brown for a response to the proposal. She declined to comment saying it's too early to talk about the plan. We're waiting for answers on how often these exemptions are made, if at all, and whether she's made any exceptions as superintendent.
Meantime, Brown will wait to see if the Board of Education will vote on the recommendations, which could come next Wednesday at a full board meeting.
The district is also looking into making sure buzzers and bells at school entrances are up to date.
These proposals and others make up a long list of possible changes, that the district is considering. | <urn:uuid:c2025774-c709-40c1-b74b-784862b83bae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wgrz.com/rss/article/202097/13/Buffalo-School-Board-Members-Propose-New-Gun-Policies | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975765 | 540 | 1.609375 | 2 |
[I]n The House of Arden a contemporary boy, Edred, must be tested before he can become Lord Arden and restore the family fortunes. He meets the Mouldiwarp (a mole who appears on the family coat-of-arms). This magic creature can be summoned only by poetry, freshly composed in its honor—a considerable strain on Edred and his sister Elfrida who have not the gift. There are adventures in the past and the present, and the story of Richard Harding crosses their own. The magic comes and goes in a most interesting way.
—Hunting through the Gore Vidal archives at The New York Review of Books we stumbled upon an article on the English children’s writer E. Nesbit, where he states that The House of Arden was one of his favorite Nesbit books. Vidal was always known for his refined taste. | <urn:uuid:27d7b757-4255-4afc-a25a-7e13a9c588c5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nyrbclassics.tumblr.com/post/28645276016/gore-vidal-on-e-nesbits-the-house-of-arden | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976427 | 183 | 1.703125 | 2 |
My wife and I are hoarders. We get stuff and have trouble doing away with it. This leads to a shamefully messy house, and excessive need for storage. We’ve tried all manner of overcoming the problem, but without a consistent effort, we pretty much fall back into over-collecting soon after clean-ups. I’m going to give it another shot, after having found Zen Habits’ 15 tips to declutter.
13. Internalize that your value is not in your “stuff”. It is just “stuff”. And realize that your value grows when you share your “stuff”. Hoarding is a selfish act.
I think this one really applies to me. I tend to buy when I’m stressed or down. Some people eat – I spend. Bad Randy.
1. Declutter for 15 minutes every day. It’s amazing how much you can get through if you just do it in small increments like this.
One of the reasons why I like this list so much is almost everything on there is as simple as this opening step. I can much more easily stick to it if it is easy and I can start with a low commitment. Much like I’ve been most successful sticking to day-after-day of frozen dinners with known calorie counts, I think I can be more successful decluttering and cleaning if I do small increments of clean-up daily with a room-by-room cleaning plan. | <urn:uuid:a81c952a-105f-4933-942a-d0311a7a6814> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.blahblahblahg.com/2007/11/06/ | 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 | 0.964658 | 310 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Why? Because we were asked to by Nynke Oele, for the Noorderzon Performing Arts Festival in Groningen (more precisely, we were asked to make "something" so that kids could make their teddy do a parachute jump, based on some info on parafauna. Without using kites and without hurting the teddies (so the use of water rockets and torches was ruled out :-s).
Who is we? Allarrrd (remember the Shampoo Dino?) and JusT (has no presence on Instractables at all, unless he keeps that a secret) and me.
Nynke made the parachutes and rigs for the teddies, following this pattern (in dutch, but the images of the pattern are pretty clear I guess)
About the manual: I made the manual for the techies at the festival, since Allarrrd, JusT and me were all on vacation at the time of the festival. The manual is in dutch, but with a lot of photo's. It might be of help... If I find the time I'll translate it, also depending of the attention this I'ble will get.
Video 1: Elevating teddies and watching them coming down on a chute proved to be a great success. It even made it to the local TV station, who made a very instructable video about the apparatus:
Video not showing? Have a look at it here.
Disclaimer: No teddies were harmed during the making of this Instructable. If you have any questions about building such an apparatus, please leave a comment. I'll answer your questions as well as I'm capable of. Thanks for reading and watching! | <urn:uuid:f0a5244e-bee0-4f32-82d6-18c4dd53ed86> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.instructables.com/id/Teddy-parachute-jump-apparatus-parafauna/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96139 | 354 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Who can take part?
The main aim of Millfield rugby is to develop individual players in an enjoyable and challenging environment. At least three teams compete in each age group so physically smaller players can develop without being overpowered by those who have had an early growth spurt. Players are monitored carefully, regardless of the team they play in.
Confidence is particularly important, and this is fostered by playing a ’15 man game’ at levels where everybody is able to contribute. Millfield does not view the result as the most important issue; it is much better to develop players over time and then positive results will follow.
At 1st team level, alongside three sessions of skill training, the players are encouraged to attend three weights sessions and two fitness sessions every week. All other players train at least twice weekly and all players receive nutritional guidance.
Each team usually plays one match a week, and many enter several annual competitions, including Sevens Tournaments. Millfield also runs an extensive tour programme.
Our aim is to have a rugby culture that emphasises the importance of individual skills and abilities within a team environment that is competitive and open to change and new ideas. This should serve all players and coaches, to allow them to develop to their potential.
We deliver a clear pathway that allows each pupil to develop in terms of mental, physical and technical abilities. With a firm foundation, an understanding of the importance of lifestyle, emotional development and tactical knowledge can occur. The experiences provided by the school for players will include: Competitive and challenging school fixtures including some tournaments, house rugby and touch rugby competitions, national and international tours, regular, well planned and relevant coaching sessions, talks and advice on nutrition and conditioning, and opportunities to develop leadership skills through captaincy or as a house rugby rep or club secretary. We understand that only a few players will progress to an elite level so the skills developed by volunteering to coach and referee peers will benefit the individual and the game of rugby as a whole.
Read more about our Ethos
Rugby Holiday Courses
Millfield Rugby Courses are open to children of all abilities and will focus on playing rugby in small sided games. A variety of sports will be used to help participants understand the fundamentals of space, teamwork and most importantly enjoyment. Find out more here.
Watch Millfield Rugby | <urn:uuid:7e2d01f2-1d9a-45d4-a4bf-f53ef1789464> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.millfieldschool.com/sport/rugby/index.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966911 | 473 | 1.84375 | 2 |
Novelty Records | Surf Records | Response Records
Music is valued by listeners for many reasons. Some just love a good beat to dance along with. Others like deep lyrics that connect with their own life. Others believe in the message being espoused. Then some music is meant just for the purpose of making the listener laugh.
Novelty records music is a genre of music meant for entertaining listeners with nonsensical or comedic situations, sounds and lyrics and to make them laugh. Having its roots in the 1950’s and 1960’s, some of the biggest hits of the early century were novelty records songs.
Gimmicks were often used to make listeners laugh, such as silly rhymes, mimicking a stutter, singing about absurd situations that couldn’t be real, or by being absolutely annoying. “That Doggie in the Window” though a number one single in 1953, became known for its huge backlash over being annoying.
Notable faces of the genre include: Dickie Goodman, Roger Miller and Patti Page. These early pioneers led the way for future comical musicians such as Frank Zappa and Weird Al Yankovic.
With the invention of the internet and the rise of Youtube, many novelty records songs are now being sampled for the use in other songs or becoming cult hits among segments of the younger population.
In addition to these novelty songs is the genre of themed music. Bands such as the Beach Boys brought surf record music to the music industry even in locations that had never seen a surf board before. In addition to surf record music, 45’s were made featuring songs about cars and other themes.
Another popular novelty song concept was the “answer song.” Also known as response records songs, these songs would be released as a response to similar songs. Early examples included “This Land is Your Land” which was a response to “God Bless America.” These songs took popular themes of the time and continued them on beyond one song to keep with the idea. | <urn:uuid:4b9b6bff-f314-4238-ab74-a95685ad4f90> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.parkersrc.com/novelty-45s.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979744 | 417 | 1.703125 | 2 |
In fiction, armor has virtually no protective qualities. Characters who wear no armor to speak of are no more (and often less) at risk of injury or death than somebody who is "protected". Indeed, it's often the case that people who wear armor find themselves far more competent after they either discard it or have it destroyed for them by the nice people out to kill them. In the latter case, it leaves one wondering why they bothered with it in the first place, if they can survive attacks that completely demolish their armor anyway.
This trope probably stems from the fact that armor — especially helmets — in movies, games, and other media often serves not to protect characters but to render them faceless and anonymous, dehumanizing them so they make excellent Red Shirts and Mooks. Related to this, quality armor (such as the plate suit that stamps someone as "medieval warrior" on sight) ought to be quite expensive; mooks might be looked at as issued cheap protection that only looks like elite armor. The Unspoken Plan Guarantee may also be connected; the armor represents a plan to be invulnerable, which, once presented to the audience, has to fail or it'd be boringly predictable. (This helps explain why hiddenBulletproof Vests usually work.)
See also The Law of Diminishing Defensive Effort, Armor Piercing Attack, and Anti Armor. The logical extreme of this trope is the Full Frontal Assault. For non-armor objects that make for bizarrely non-useless armor, see Pocket Protector. The best armor, of course, is Plot Armor.
See also Tanks For Nothing, if the armour in question has treads and a gun on it.
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Anime and Manga
Sailor Moon: The Sailor Senshi wore nothing but moderately skimpy clothing made of what appears to be cotton, yet appeared to be perfectly capable of keeping their wearers — exposed skin and all — protected from everything from flying debris to flames to the vacuum of space. Further, while they were often smacked around, their clothing only showed it when they were fighting the Big Bad or somebody directly under them. In the live-action Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Senshi wears some armor — a sports-bra-style Breast Plate made of what looks like fiberglass or plastic.
Fate Zero: The Black Knight Sir Lancelot supposedly wears armor of the highest quality, but due to his insanely high stats, a Noble Phantasm that allows him to wield anything like he was born to do so (including an F15 jet fighter, a gatling gun and a steel pole) makes it almost meaningless, as he is only hit once throughout the entire series (Excluding when Rider ran him over with his A+ Rank Noble Phantasm chariot, which he survived seemingly without any more damage than a few bruises). His armor is technically extremely powerful and very useful, but he doesn´t even need it because he´s so damned good.
InuYasha: While in one of the earliest episodes Inuyasha insists on Kagome wearing his robe (a kind of magical fireproof vest), for most of the series a simple Sailor Fuku had no trouble keeping her safe from harm. And then there's Inuyasha's own luck with that red robe ...
Vision of Escaflowne Van's armour is destroyed in the first fight and he spends the rest of the series fighting in vest and trousers. Except when he is in the eponymous Humongous Mecha, where he tends to sufferer a greater number of injuries rather than fewer.
Dragon Ball - Everybody who wore armor either got rid of it or died for real. No exceptions. However, this isn't due to the uselessness of armor (which was used quite often by even the protagonists) but due to the fact that they eventually got to the point that their superpowers outstripped their armor's ability to protect.
Explained in some of the earlier seasons, as most characters wore armor or clothing that was weighted for training purposes, and after removing it they become much faster.
In One Piece, armor is usually either not present or is dismantled fairly quickly (ignoring, or course, characters who are literally Made of Iron). One notable exception is in the Baratie Arc, where a major part of the battle involves Luffy's attempts to get through Don Krieg's armor.
The Hellsing anime. Anyone with body armor is really dead by the end of the arc they show up in, if not the very episode. Now, the vampire in a miniskirt is fairly easy to Hand Wave. Walter Dornez, who remains human, take out dozens of ghouls, and has no armor greater than a cloth vest, is a bit harder to figure out. However, Walter has had decades of experience at this sort of work, and thus may be covered under the same rules that protect the Old Master. Zigzagged with Alucard, who is totally unprotected, gets torn to shreds for it and just keeps on going anyways.
In Samurai 7, most of the titular samurai wear no armor, and the armored one is a cyborg. They are shot at fairly frequently, by everything from soldiers to giant mecha.
Debatable. Evangelion armour may be as good as humans can possibly manufacture, but the list of damages is incredible. Broken skull-piece (Sachiel, #3), broken arm (ditto), pierced (Shamshel, #4; Armisael, #16), cut (Zeruel, #14), not to mention nearly turning its pilot into Kentucky Fried Shinji (Ramiel, #5; also aversion to Convection Schmonvection against Sandalphon, #11). Also, it can do nothing against psychic attacks at all. Poor Asuka ...
The multiple layers of armor covering the Geofront become increasingly less effective as the series progress. Ramiel (#5) takes 24 hours to drill through, while Zeruel (#14) penetrates it with just a few energy blasts.
The first encountered angel- Salchiel (#3)- manages to blast through it in two shots- much faster than Zeruel- though he doesn't actually use this hole to his advantage.
Played more conventionally in End of Evangelion. When Misato takes out several of the invading commandos, a close examination will reveal that the soldiers' vest were penetrated despite Misato only using a pistol.
Berserk is an excellent example; soldiers wearing full plate armour might as well have put on paper mache, as both Guts and the demons he fights can tear through it with the greatest of ease. Guts explains in one scene that his sword is three times thicker and heavier than a sword that length would usually be, and this is before the Eclipse. After the Eclipse, Guts gets an even bigger sword that was designed for killing dragons.
Even minor states are shown to equip many tens of thousands of troops in full plate. It's no wonder they had to make it tinfoil thin.
Von Jobina in Bastard!!, full stop. He's always clad in armor from head to toe but, as the series' resident Butt Monkey, that doesn't stop him from getting his ass kicked around.
Wolfs Rain: The Nobles' elite guard have heavy full-body armour and shields with built-in disruptor rays. Yet even all that doesn't prevent several of them from being bitten to death by wolves. The wolves went straight for their necks, which had no plate armor to allow their heads to move easily.
Justified, in that the armor was intended to protect agains the attacks of other human beings instead of an extinct animal.
Saint Seiya: Varies wildly. Sometimes armors play a vital role in a fight, sometimes a Saint gets his armor destroyed yet it doesn't seem to make him more vulnerable to attacks. The fact that some armors leave a lot of the wearer's body completely exposed remains consistently unimportant.
Shiryu is an isolated case, as he always seem to end up naked (and blind too), but still wins most of his fights. In the fandom it is common to joke that a battle starring Shiryu is to take a while while he's still armored (and seeing). It is a common theme that Shiryu needs to outgrow the need for his armor to win a battle, not in small part because the armor gets in the way of his special technique of the week. On the other hand, he usually ends up the most battered of the team (Seiya gets bettered a lot too, but since it is usually in his Hard Head, he's fine).
Black Lagoon subverts this in the Greenback Jane arc. One of the few hired guns to walk away from the siege (not counting the ones who had to swim) — and the only one to do so under his own power — is the one who wore a bulletproof vest.
The heavily kevlar-armoured soldiers in Elfen Lied die in scores when battling naked teenage girls - then again, said teenage girls have immense Psychic Powers that render them Immune to Bullets and lets them pull people's limbs off with their mind.
Tears To Tiara : The enemy soldiers in the first arc may as well have been wearing Saran Wrap, for all the good their armor did them against the heroes' attacks.
Gundam: Played with in every possible way. Usually averted in the beginning, where the titular Super Prototype is usually invulnerable or at least highly resistant to enemy fire at the start of the war, the usually played straight as the enemy develops weapons capable of penetrating it. Played straight and justified in Universal Century series from Zeta Gundam onwards, as no armor except for exceptionally thick ones like on Scirocco's The O could stand up to beam weaponry, so the main defense was not getting hit in the first place. Thus, most Mobile Suits built after the One Year War period usually had less armor than previous designs.
Series that include Mobile Armors generally follow this principle. Whenever a Mobile Armor is introduced, it is very likely to be destroyed in that episode. One notable exception is the first Destroy Gundam, which took an entire story arc to take down, while a later battle against 7 of them takes about 2 minutes. Another exception is the Psyco Gundam, introduced around episode 20, and didn't leave the show until episode 40. An improved version returned in ZZ Gundam only to get destroyed. Probably the only one that survives the series it appears in is the Regnant - and even then, its main reason for survival was its RobotechingWave Motion Gun and Stun Guns, not armor. Neither its Flawed Prototype Empruss, nor its Ace Custom successor Gadelaza achieves this feat, however.
Naruto: Various characters wear plate armor (samurai, Choza, Choji, the 1st and 3rd Hokage), some wear what appears to be chainmail underarmor (Naruto, Jiraiya, Anko), the vests/jackets most ninja wear is ostensibly suppose to be a form of armor (looking a lot like the type of flak vests used by soldiers before bullet-resistant vests were invented). They have only ever been shown to be useful on one occasion, when one samurai that was consumed in Amaterasu fire was saved by having it taken off.
Two times actually, an earlier time involved a sand jounin surviving a neck shot with a sword because his flack jacket's high collar absorbed the strike...He then counter attacked with a wind blade that slices through armor.
In Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, the only one to ever wear armor is actually Thymilph, the first General of the Capitol. He's also the second named character to die (Kamina being the first, despite the fact that he only truly faded away after performing a Giga Drill Breaker, thus avenging his own death).
Possibly the only thing in all of Bleach to wear armor is the giant summoned by Sajin Komamura's Bankai. However, it seems to wear normal samurai armor in a world where other characters can, say, cut through all the buildings in a half-mile radius just by unsheathing their sword. The fact that Komamura takes any damage the giant does makes the worf notoriously strong with this one.
Hardly Worfed. The only person able to damage him through the Bankai was Tousen, another captain who had become a Vizard, and that put a graze on his arm.
In animated short Kigeki, the Black Swordsman cuts through an army of heavily armoured cavalry knights like butter. One of them he even slices in half down the middle.
In Rurouni Kenshin, Kenshin's sensei tells an armored giant opponent to remove his armor because it restricts his movements, weakening his offense, and that the false sense of protection from armor weakens his dodging/parrying skills.
Subverted in the last episode of Noir, where a Soldat nun charges at the titular duo with a broadsword and proves to be horribly difficult to kill because of the armored breast plate she's wearing, and while she clearly feels the impact of the shots she keeps charging at them and finally has to be taken down with a knife to her neck, which wasn't armored.
Fairy Tail: Despite being armor-equipping being her primary magic, Erza later in the manga seems to do much better the less armor she equips, as her stronger opponents tend to break through them very easily.
Gamaran: Armors (usually chainmails) are pretty effective against swords, but more often than not, the sword users (99% of the times, Ogame Ryu Members) will find a way to pierce the mail anyway. In Iori's case, is because he's so powerful that even his slashes can break a chainmail.
Katanagatari: Subverted in at least one case - one of the Deviant Blades is a suit of armor that is not only impenetrable, but actually designed to defeat techniques specifically designed to penetrate armor. It's only defeated by the hero getting creative.
In ElfQuest, when the elves fight the trolls for the Palace, the rogue half-troll Two-Edge set the elves up with plate armor. It does, in fact, even the odds - but even so, many die, and one character spends two good pages on the horrified realization that armor doesn't make him invincible (not that he was in much danger by that point, as co-creator Richard Pini had taken a shine to the lad and even vetoed an earlier dramatic death for him).
It is not so much that this trope is played straight, but merely demonstrates that despite the considerable advantages of arming your foot soldiers in full plate armor, it's not impenetrable, especially not when your enemy is a hulking, raging troll
In Frank Miller's 300 features Spartans going bare-chested into battle, with little but loinclothes and bracers as armor besides their shields. Miller, with his background drawing spandex-clad superheroes, was more comfortable drawing human physiques, and thought the Spartans in armor looked too weird. In reality, Spartans wore heavy bronze armor, including breastplates, which was a major advantage over the cloth armor and wicker shields of the Persian soldiers.
The Hurt Locker: Played relatively straight; a bomb squad worker is confronted with a bomb so big it completely fills a car trunk. He chooses to take off his armor at this point, noting that he might as well work in comfort, since the suit won't save him from a blast that big. The armor's weaknesses are demonstrated at the start of the film when the Decoy Protagonist is in full armor and running away from the bomb when it detonates, but is still killed by the blast. Also inverted; wearing the armor does save one life in the course of the film.
The The Lord of the Rings films have interesting combination of both aversions and invocations of the trope.:
Legolas and Aragorn wear no armor through all of fellowship and slaughter goblins and Uruk-hai with half plate armor and heavy shields by the dozens. At the Battle of Helms Deep in The Two Towers Aragorn wears a chain mail hauberk while Legolas has only bracers and leather paldrons. In this same battle Theoden, wearing the best armor of anyone in Rohan's forces gets wounded in the shoulder.
The Uruk-hai berserkers take this trope to the max. They wear nothing but helmets and chain mail loincloths yet are deadly against the defending Rohan forces. In a slight aversion the helmet of one of them comes in handy while he is fighting Gimli. By which this troper means Gimli had to hit him again to bring him down.
In the Fellowship of the Ring Merry and Pippin take several heavily armored Uruks down by throwing rocks at their heavily armored heads.
The soldiers of Gondor especially have rather useless armor. In one scene in the Extended Edition of Return of the King, an orc arrow goes straight through a random soldier's breastplate. In real life, steel breastplates would deflect an arrow from that range, especially from such a flimsy shortbow.
In the second movie based on Resident Evil, Alice takes down a fully armored Umbrella Squad while wearing only skimpy clothing. Jill Valentine also wears a skimpy outfit through most of the film and never sees fit to cover up a bit to guard against zombie bites.
In Hero, the Emperor wears armor at all times to protect himself from assassins, but whenever he's confronted by one, they can kill him at will.
Starship Troopers where the MI's armor vests provide no protection whatsoever. Bug claws, their own weapons, and a high-velocity shovel-yes, a shovel-penetrate without any trouble at all. You have to wonder why they even bother with armor...
Also consider the relative calibers of weapons involved. Han Solo readily mows down stormtroopers with his pistol, but said pistol is a Hand Cannon by GFFA standards. The Rebels tend to prefer such heavy blaster pistols for exactly that reason. As for lightsabers, they go through basically anything that isn't cortosis, phrik, Mandalorian Iron, or another lightsaber.
The most common fan interpretation of the armor failing on Endor is that while armor can protect one from rocks and sticks, that won't matter for long when the enemy is throwing hundreds of them onto you.
Darth Vader deflects laser shots with his armored hand, though it's never explained in the film whether this is a function of his gauntlets, Force powers, or both. The novelization states it's the gloves, but Force Deflection is a power that allows a Force-user to block blaster bolts with their bare hands.
Somewhat highlighted in the first film, where Han and Luke steal Stormtrooper armor so as to walk the halls of the Death Star undetected. As soon as they free Leia and escape the trash compactor, they immediately dispense with the armor. Once its use as camouflage is rendered irrelevant, so is its use as armor.Presumably they weren't properly trained in its use, which the men guarding the Death Star presumably are.
In the EU, stormtrooper armor usually works better. In Rogue Squadron, Corran Horn credits the stolen armor he was wearing with saving his life after he gets shot (he spends a week in a bacta tank, but believes he would have been dead without the armor). The armor is also shown to be basically impervious to kinetic penetrators in the Young Jedi Knights series: a metal spear is thrown at an armored character hard enough to lift him completely off his feet and throw him a few meters backward into a wall. The armor comes out with a small nick; the character is sore but otherwise unharmed.
Fighter Deflector Shields also qualify. Pretty much everywhere except the films, an X-Wing's shields can repel TIE fighter lasers for several seconds. Not so in the movies, where the X-Wing is destroyed if it's hit squarely once.
There's a partial justification for this in A New Hope, where they're told to switch their deflectors on "double front". As anyone who played X-Wing or its successors will point out, this dumps all your shields forward, leaving your rear uncovered. The problem is that this explanation falls utterly flat in light of the other films.
Played straight in 300, which mimics the bare-chested Spartan battle outfit found in Frank Miller's graphic novel.
All cops in The Fifth Element wear bulky armor that does absolutely nothing to stop bullets.
Most of the troops in Red Cliff wear various forms of armor which provide no protection whatsoever. Master Archers who (because this is a John Woo film) can bullseye any target they can see shoot enemy troops right through their breast plates, not even bothering to aim a few inches higher to hit exposed necks. The senior generals frequently cut off limbs with a single stroke, not even slowed down by the heavy metal armor their targets are wearing.
In Battle: Los Angeles, the Marines' armor is ineffective at stopping the aliens' weapons, as the incendiary rounds they have burns right through them and they impact with enough force to consistently throw people off their feet and backwards.
In Dredd, Judge armor can't even seem to stop a pistol round, much less anything else. Dredd himself gets hit with an armor-piercing round which would logically go through, but his partner get hits with the pistol.
In Iron Man 3 Extremis-enhanced soldiers cut through Tony's armors like butter, as their bare hands can generate heat of up to 3000 degrees Celsius.
Dragaera: Justified, as metal armor is a great target for sorcery. This is a bit of an after-the-fact handwave by author Steven Brust, who loves the cloak-twirling romances of Dumas and modeled his world after them, complete with the general lack of armor. We do see that some leather armor is used during war.
Mostly Averted in The Dresden Files. Armor, especially iron and spelled armor like Harry's many trenchcoats, are extremely useful and Harry and co wear them even when it's extremely uncomfortable - and it saves their lives many times over.
Once, Michael's steel and ceramic plate armor layered with kevlar actually hurt him - the bullet had enough velocity to get in, but not out, and shredded his insides. He survived, but barely.
Practically none of the Redwall characters wear armour, except Martin and the Badger Lords. Tsarmina's Mooks were an exception, but the armour was described as "cumbersome" and hindered more than it helped (particularly when the heroes flooded the castle). Possibly justified because mice and other small mammals have slightly tougher skin than humans, their fighting style in the books is based more on speed which armour would hinder, and going by the flexibility of most rodent and mustelid skeletal structures it would be really difficult to make armour to fit them without severely restricting movement.
Also the Redwall forest is not particularly industrialised - something of a lack of iron mines and foundries to provide the wherewithal for armour to be common. Note also that even swords are pretty rare in the books, with most combattants using spears, clubs and knives as melee weapons. Not a great smithing tradition, you might say.
Perfect Dark: The first novel (yes, novel) notes the uselessness of armor in the games. The evil company is so huge that it's offensive division is constantly outclassing the defensive division. Nobody is telling the right hand to stop inventing guns that can chew through the bulletproof vest they issue the company soldiers.
Partial credit for the Thalesians in David Eddings' Elenium and Tamuli - Thalesian knights go to war in chainmail, not in full plate, as Thalesia is full of deep rivers and streams, making platemail more of a hazard than a help. A chainmail shirt is easily removable, whereas by the time you have a chance to get a full suit of riding armour off, you'll have drowned.
To Khalad's assertion that he could create a crossbow capable of firing a bolt several miles, Vanion shakes his head and forsees the obsolescence of the knight in full armour.
A literal case happens at the end of the Elenium, when they encounter several undead Zemochian knights. The Zemochians have never understood that armor is supposed to protect you, and assume it's there for intimidation purposes only - so they wear Scary Impractical Armor that hinders their movement and has countless weak and blind spots, and with spikes that threaten to cut or impale the wearer if they make a wrong move.
In the Wheel of Time, many characters forgo armor either because they fight with magic, or because they're trained swordsmen, not soldiers, and the armor would only slow them down. Besides them, this trope is largely averted for mundane weapons. Though obviously magic fireballs and lightning aren't terribly impeded by steel.
A Song of Ice and Fire takes this trope, plays it straight, subverts it, and does everything in-between. Characters survive from armor's protection, die from it weight, and have to calculate how much armor to use along with how it's advantages and disadvantage apply to a certain situation.
The Once and Future King sometimes plays it straight, such as when Lancelot kills Agravain, but usually inverts this. When fighting unarmoured peasants on the battlefield, being an armoured knight is like using an invincibility hack. White includes one passage where a knight was none the worse for wear from being unhorsed and mobbed by spearmen. Indeed, after his comrades rescued him, it was actually found that he fought better because now he had lost his temper.
Live Action TV
Stargate SG-1 featured all kinds of armor, none of which were actually useful. The kevlar worn by the Tau'ri (humans from Earth) does nothing to stop any of the weapons they face (in fact, it's been stated that it actually makes things worse when it comes to staff weapons). It's worth noting that SG-1 itself doesn't bother with armor yet seems to have the lowest casualty rate of any SG team. Jaffa armor starts off being effective, a situation that is changed once the Tau'ri replace low-velocity MP5s with P90s and armor-piercing ammunition, instantly turning initially invincible juggernauts into generic mooks.
"Heroes," the same episode that mentioned the kevlar problem, also demonstrated an experiment in new anti-Jaffa armor inserts, which let Sgt. Siler take a full staff blast in the gut and only get knocked back and lightly set on fire. This armor is credited with saving Colonel O'Neill's life when he's shot in action.
The Jaffa in the original movie were more ceremonially dressed, and didn't wear armor, allowing O'Neill to take one down with a burst of submachine gun rounds into the exposed gut. The TV show had to tone down the violence though, and had armored Jaffa largely because bullet impacts on armor are less graphic than bloody chunks getting shot out of somebody. So the armor was more to protect the show's rating than the Jaffa themselves.
Realistically averted in one episode where SG-1 is doing an operation on Earth wearing bulletproof vests. Col. Simmons shoots O'Neill twice in the back. One bullet is stopped by the vest and breaks a rib, the other hits him in his unarmored arm.
O'Neill: I want sleeves on my vest.
Ori warriors also wear armor that appears to be more for show. Then again, it's not clear how that armor faces against energy weapons, as we mostly see it fail spectacularly against P90s. Of course, the Ori hardly concern themselves about the lives of their worshipers.
Kamen Rider Kabuto: Each Rider has a bulky "Masked Form" and a sleek "Rider Form". Allegedly the Masked Form is tougher and better protected, but one cannot help noticing that the Riders invariably cast it off at the first opportunity and finish off the monster in Rider Form.
The Riders in that series need to shed the heavier armor to use their finishing moves. Yeah, even the ones whose finishers use almost-completely external equipment (Drake and Sasword).
Averted in Firefly. In the pilot, Zoe wears a bulletproof vest to the meeting with Patience, expecting violence to ensue. When it inevitably does, she takes a bullet to the chest and is knocked flat and apparently unconscious for a couple minutes, but is otherwise unwounded. In the movie, the Operative likewise wears full body armor to his meeting with Mal, and it likewise saves his life when Mal loses his temper.
Seemingly played straight in the flashback to the Unification War in the pilot when Mal shoots an armored Alliance soldier. Under closer analysis it's muddier: Mal fired several shots before the guy fell over, and he was using a full size assault rifle. Also, given that the Alliance equips its troops with body armor as a matter of course, Mal's rifle could have been loaded with armor-piercing rounds. Or the guy might have been knocked unconscious by the impact without the bullets penetrating.
While normally played straight in Andromeda (with personnel armor, that is, starship armor works just fine), Gennite soldirs have "photo-reactive" armor that is show to be quite resistant to handheld weapons.
One episode also mentions that most handheld weapons use guided projectiles. Thus, they can be fooled by special bracelets that throw up interference.
Nietzschean bone blades (which grow out of their forearms) can also go right through armor. This is similar to Real Life cases of bulletproof vests being incapable of stopping a blade.
On Spartacus Blood And Sand, Roman soldiers in full armor seem, if anything, more hindered when fighting against nearly-naked rebel gladiators. In one instance Spartacus even knocks a helmeted soldier unconscious using another soldier's helmet! The rebels meticulously collect any weapons they can from fallen soldiers, but never bother with their armor or helmets, presumably because they did not do their deceased wearers any good.
In Dungeons & Dragons armor is the easiest way to get higher Armor Class, but it tops out at a certain point, and using the really heavy armor comes with drawbacks — including penalties to many physical actions. Some characters are prohibited from using their special powers while wearing armor that is too heavy, or wearing any armor at all. In versions 3.0 and beyond, armor is also judged worthless when determining whether "touch attack" spells hit, which generally confer the most devastating effects in the game. Ultimately there are many magical alternatives to armor that will increase your Armor Class at a greater cost, but without all the drawbacks.
Monks in particular embody this trope since they lose almost all of their abilities if they put on anything heavier than a wool shirt. Additionally, they gain a bonus to Armour Class based on their Wisdom and level. It is fairly easy, magic aside, for a monk to quickly outstrip even the heaviest armoured fighters.
In the 3.5 Edition, many players feel that Armor Class itself, encompassing all types of defense, is useless because most monsters have a high probability of hitting you anyway, due to their huge Base Attack Bonuses granted by racial hit dice, their often enormous strength, and the fact that their natural attacks do not follow the same degradation formula that weapon users do. It does limit the extent of Power Attack that can be levied against players and certain creatures do make extensive use of weapons, meaning that their last few hits have a lowered chance of hitting you, but it doesn't change the fact that against anyone who doesn't use weapons will tear a player character apart and there's nothing his or her armor can do about it. Players ultimately discovered that the best defense is a good offense, sacrificing Armor Class for the sake of increased attack power, effectively turning most characters into Glass Cannons.
As early as level 7 (of 20), the right combination of magical effects (decoys and percentile "miss chance" rolls) can provide just as much protection as an arbitrarily high armor class. These effects are most readily available to Sorcerers and Wizards, the characters who suffer the most from wearing actual armor.
With 4e armor becomes more of a relative thing because characters add half their level to their armor class while adding half their level to their chance to hit. While it can create problems, it tends to nicely simulate films of the fantasy genre: Achilles in Troy can wade through soldiers by slashing throats and otherwise finding the weak spots in their armor, while Aragorn and Legolas don't get hit during a mass melee despite their light armor.
Additionally, if a character is wearing light or no armor they can add their DEX or their INT bonus to their armor class. So now Gandalf, even as a 5th level wizard, is all but impossible to hit for orcs due to his awesome intelligence.
At the very high levels, a character who wears no armor (and uses Dex or Int to boost AC) will eventually outpace the heavily-armored characters. Various fixes have been created and proposed to fix this issue.
Also, not to forget, 4e Essentials allows a Warlock to wear Chainmail without any kind of backdraw in battle.
In D&D in general, there is a rule about heavy armor and sleep. If a character sleeps while wearing heavy armor, he'll wake up more exhausted than when he went to sleep.
Which is truth in television, as any armor is not designed for comfort at the best of times and is downright uncorfortable when lying down. You don't sleep well wearing it.
Armor in D&D 3 ed. is essentially this. In reality, heavy armour provides protection at a expense of mobility. In D&D armor protects the character from being hit but does nothing to attacks that connected. It also places a cap on dexterity bonus rendering the character easier to hit. It means that very nimble character is usually better off not wearing most armors. Which is peculiar as D&D 3 ed. incorporates mechanics for non-armor damage reduction.
A smart DM may avert that version by a describing failed enemy attack roll on a heavily armored target as "the blow bounces off harmlessly" or some such.
One of the official Pathfinder supplements has a barbarian variant that grants the ability "Naked Courage." It grants the character a bonus to AC when not wearing armour. Granted, it's a fairly small bonus.
Pathfinder also published the "NPC Codex", which provides official stats for the game's iconic characters. With her spells running, Seoni (the sorceress in the slinky red dress) officially has a better armor class than any of the heavy-armor wearing melee characters.
Firearms, if allowed, render armour useless at close range since they are treated as touch attacks.
Star Wars d20 had armor that really was useless, unless you were already almost dead. It provided damage reduction only when you were out of vitality points or against a critical hit, when damage went to wound points. So for most of a battle, all most armor did was provide a situation bonus to one ability and an armor check penalty to certain skills. ...yay? It also denied you your class-based AC and limited your max Dex Bonus. This could be designed to reflect the stormtrooper armor's uselessness.
In Star Wars: Saga Edition, characters gain bonuses to their Reflex Defense (the defense that keeps blaster bolts hitting you) from armor or a level-based bonus, and they don't stack. At higher levels, it's better to go into a fight naked, rather than wearing the heaviest protection you can find. However, it isn't played completely straight as the bonuses to Fortitude Defense from armor do stack and with the right talents, you can get them to stack with the Reflex Defense as well.
One of the most notable examples in the Warhammer 40000 background is the standard issue flak armour of the Imperial Guard - a bulletproof, heat and shrapnel resistant uniform with potentially extra armoured-areas by our standards... that is generally useless against most of the weaponry of the other species within Warhammer 40000. The Power Armor worn by the Space Marine Mascots, on the other hand, is generally an aversion. Most weapons have a better than even chance of bouncing off harmlessly, and the even more powerful Terminator Armor is protection against anything short of Heavy Anti-tank weaponry or plasma weapons, and for dealing with such weapons, Storm Shields and The built in energy shield of terminator armor still provide reasonable protection.
Dark Eldar wyches play this trope to a tee, with a superhuman athleticism that means the less armour they wear, the more they've practised to avoid needing it (and wearing less armour allows you to be more agile). A wych who goes into battle wearing nothing will mess your heavily-armoured troops up badly.
In Exalted, averted at the low levels, as good armor vastly increases your survival chance in a fight—aside from the fact that the rules specifically state that the only reason to wear a helmet is if you don't think your hairstyle is cool enough. Played straight at high levels, as there are enough Martial Arts and Crafts abilities that only need to touch you to mess you up in ways ranging from petrification to having your soul fall off that characters will mostly be depending on magically-powered defenses, rendering armor somewhat redundant.
Armour is a lot more useful with the 2.5 revisions, which halved the cost in Artifact dots for a decent suit and reduced weapon damage across the board. It's still vulnerable to bad-touch effects, though.
Armor in GURPS very roughly mirrors the rise and fall in armor usefulness in reality, with available armor playing catch up early in each TL. This ceases to be the case at TL 12 where you can buy guns that delete people from reality, which renders armor rather pointless.
In 4th Edition GURPS: Spaceships the rules have led to the comparison "eggshells armed with hammers".
FATAL has such things as stabbing attacks (which hurt rather a lot even through armour) and magical armour that actively reduces your Current Armour stat. And that's not going into the armour that kills you and raises you as a zombie serial killer, armour that simply kills you, or armour that fills your crap with kitten seeds.
Even that's not as terrible as the armor that turns you into grotesquely offensive racial stereotypes from countries or ethnicities that supposedly don't even exist in the setting. It ain't called "the worst RPG ever made" for nothin'.
In Ammo almost every player character has some sort of manga-inspired power, but only a few will be even moderately defensive, or last more than a few battle turns. Armors, both passive or Powered Armor, are required, even against the weakest foe. Between normal unprotected humans a round kick is often lethal, and two is overkilling.
For Wild Talents this is a Zig-Zagging Trope. Armor is both hugely important and easy to circumvent, much like in real life, and attack powers with Non-Physical can ignore most armor outright. With that said, it's also possible to build armor that normal weapons and even many superpowers can't penetrate, and stacking all three types of armor (light, medium, and heavy) will make you pretty damn hard to stop.
The only form of armor worth using in 7th Sea is a rare form of nigh-magical armor held by one nation. If you're anyone else... well, they don't even print statistics for armor. That should tell you all you need to know.
Technically, they did print statistics for armor, if "it does nothing" counts as statistics.
To quote the Player's Guide, "Everyone else simply does without."
Armor rules were later printed in the Cathay supplement, which was written after all of the setting's creators had jumped ship.
, unarmoured was usually better than soft and hard leather armour against most weapons. Each weapon had a strike table against each armour type (AT) and it was far easier to hit higher armors on average, but you dealt mere damage. The real killer in rolemaster/MERP was the critical strike table roll, which was easier to gain against most armors in the game than it was against not wearing armor at all. Soft and Rigid leather was not only easier to hit and deal damage to, it was far more deadly to wear as critical strike table rolls occured more often! Medium armors like chain also suffered from this to an extent against many weapons. Not only did critical strike table rolls deal things such as stuns, even the weakest table (A) had a chance to maim, incapacitate or outright kill your character on a percentage roll! And this is something you not only had to invest dev points in for manouvrability, it also carried a quickness penalty to make you even easier to hit while wearing it!
In The Elder Scrolls III Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion a character's protection depends more on his skill with armor class rather than the armor itself, though despite that NPCs are almost always armored appropriately. This includes the existence of "Battlemage" profession, military mages wearing heavy armor. NPCs will occasionally reference this trope if the player asks them for advice. You're warned not to judge how tough a fight will be based on the amount or quality of your opponents armor or weapons, as the really powerful characters don't need these things to kill you.
Another thing is that, a least in Oblivion, Normal Armour is useless against magic, as are basic shield spells.
In addition to the above, in The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim armor will never block more than 80% of the damage dealt. If you max out your heavy armor skill tree, it's possible to reach this cap wearing nothing more advanced than steel.
Skyrim Armor also depends on the level of smithing and which skill tree you invested in. If you are a master smith, alchemist, and trained in the use of light armor, it's very well that a set of simple reinforced leather is actually stronger for you than something made from dragon bone or volcanic glass reinforced with demon hearts.
BioShock 2. Yes, you are wearing a suit that can withstand pressure at the bottom of the ocean. No, that won't help against a gun. Or a wrench. Or fire. Or anything else, for that matter.
However, in the first game you do get to equip a Big Daddy diving suit, which, unlike in Bioshock 2, does reduce the damage you take. You still aren't invincible though.
Metal Gear Online lets you customize your player characters, where you have the option of giving him/her combat armor or helmets, but these are merely aesthetic accessories, and have no effect on how much damage you take. You still take as much damage as shirtless male characters or bikini-clad female characters.
Soul Calibur: The female warrior Hilde and male hero Siegfried both wear heavy plate armor, and yet they still take damage at the same rate as the rest of the cast, who wear ordinary clothes, fabric bodysuits, or in Voldo's case, a simple codpiece.
Nightmare too; when he's not Siegfried, he is a set of heavy plate armor and still takes the same amount of damage as all the bondage-clad nudists running around. Plus, Darth Vader's in the fourth game and is subject to the same convention too (contradicting the Star Wars example above in "Film").
In Drakengard, there is no amount of armor you can be wearing, damaged or undamaged, that changes how much damage you take. And in cutscenes, we're shown it works the same way for The Evil Army, although that's possibly because the protagonist is a Badass Normal.
Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins has a variety of armors, most of which can take more than one hit. The trouble happens when you need a certain armor that can take only one hit to get past a certain point (especially the Angel Armor), meaning that once you lose the armor, you're hosed. Two ways, in fact.
In the anime-themed PC game Shogo: Mobile Armor Division, the enemies come in many varieties, some sporting basic uniforms, others power armor, and still others ten foot tall mini-mechas. The difference that makes in their durability is negligible: 100, 125 and 150 health points. All forms die to a single shotgun blast or a short burst from an assault rifle.
Fire Emblem doesn't actually include armor as a mechanic (except for the 2nd game where shields existed). Defense is based entirely on character growths and class based caps, rather than what armor a character is physically wearing. For example in Radiant Dawn, full plate wearing Meg's defenses are lower than the breastplate, helmet and shield wearing Aran (although Meg has a higher defense cap, but her growths are so poor she will almost never reach it)
Still, characters and classes featured with heavy armor tend to have a higher Defense base, growth, and cap.
The exception to the above rule is Jagen from the first game, who has a 0% defense growth despite wearing his famous purple armor.
Exists but to a lesser degree in the Monster Hunter series. While armor is both useful and effective, the trope comes into play in terms of how you'll commonly use them. The good armor is made from killing the monster the armor set comes from many times to get loot used to make it. The problem is that the armor tends to be most resistant to the element said monster uses. Say you kill a monster with electric powers over and over again, you've now made armor most effective in defending against the very monster you now never need to see again. While the armor can still help if there's ANOTHER monster of that element you have trouble with, this still heavily contrasts with crafting weapons which do the opposite (are less effective against the monster you were grinding with and more effective on some other monster).
While armor is quite important and tends to provide benefits other than sheer protection in World of Warcraft, these values don't necessarily correlate with the amount of armor. Females get away with much less armor in general, and an Eyepatch provides just as much protection as a full plate helmet, as long as it's given the same armor class. Another weird instance is the druid's bear form, which, despite not showing any armor whatsoever, magically quintuples the armor rating of his equipment, enabling the usually rather fragile, leather-wearing class to be a very capable tank which outranks full plate warriors and paladins in terms of sheer physical damage reduction (however, they can't use shields to block or weapons to parry, and have a rather limited array of abilities).
In addition, Armor Is Useless when fighting elemental enemies whose elemental damage ignores armor, as do spells. Which kinda makes sense to some extent; getting hit by a fireball will probably melt you the same regardless of the thickness of what you're wearing—it may even be worse with metal armor if it's hot enough—but considering how the fire came from a flaming boulder, and therefore part of the damage is blunt force trauma, there's many types of magic for which you must scour your brain for the reasoning of how it damages someone, in that you'll survive a fireball from someone around the same level around you, despite how it's hot enough to set a boulder on fire, which makes it kind of like a meteor...
In Fable, different armors have different strengths and weaknesses, but these are negligible. Defeating the final boss wearing nothing but underpants is not only possible, but hardly more difficult than doing so in full plate-mail.
Lionhead Studios realized that armor was useless in Fable, and as a result, in Fable II, you get the same armor bonus for wearing a harlot dress as you do for wearing a heavily layered assassin outfit: zero.
Played straight in Gears of War, where one of the FEW people wearing an honest helmet, Anthony Carmine, gets sniped in the head early on, killing him. Though the helmet made him one of The Faceless, despite being an actual character, his death was an in-joke to the developers, based off a study that showed people who wore helmets like that get shot more due to the lack of peripheral vision.
Lampshaded in Gears of War 2 though. During one level the group is complaining about the smell and even has to run through toxic gas later in the game. The one member wearing a helmet points out that they wouldn't have this problem if they'd wear one. Also, the character with the helmet is the Benjamen Carmine, little brother of Anthony Carmine.
B. Carmine:"If you wore a helmet, you wouldn't have to breathe in the dust."
Dom:"Yeah * Cough* but I wouldn't be able to see snipers so well, would I?"
Marcus""Cool it Dom..."
In Gears of War 3, Clayton Carmine, also wearing a helmet, is walking with the squad towards a COG base when a friendly sniper mistakes them for the Lambent, and shoots Clay in the head only for the bullet to ricochet off Clay's helmet, prompting a shocked, "Jeez louise, what the fuck?!"
While all the gears tromp around half a car's worth of armor, they seem to be about as tough as the Locust, most of whom aren't even wearing shirts. Sera also seems to have a surprising number of indigenous species that are completely immune to gunfire on some or most of their carapace (including rockworms, serapedes, Berserkers, and Corpsers), which begs the questions of why no one's making armor out of them.
Averted by Maulers and Armored Kantus. Maulers carry a shield that can absorb (or in the case of Elites, reflect) bullets and even rockets. Kantus armor slows the wearer down (and denies it the use of Ink Grenades in Beast Mode) but is nearly immune to bullets. Unlike the Mauler's shield, a Kantus' armor doesn't help it against fire or explosives.
Exaggerated in 3, which has unarmored versions of Anya, Dizzy, Marcus, and a version of Cole in football pads. All can take just as much damage as their heavily armored counterparts.
Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors have a number of characters who run around the battlefield in heavy armour. There is little or no evidence that they take any less damage than the characters who run around in robes or barechested. They do tend to be pretty slow, though.
DW and SW seem to work off the principle of Glass Cannon instead. Those bigger guys or armored guys DO do more damage, or at the very least, have much larger range. Except for Xiahou Yuan. Because he just fails that much. Whoopee! Free arrows! Now, do you have anything else to offer? Worse, his attacks have a habit of juggling enemies, which means they can't attack, but they also take a third as much damage, making one on one fights take even longer.
Played straight at higher levels in Elona, as elemental resistance followed by speed become the most important defense. After all, if an enemy only does 1-3 HP damage, but gets 5-8 TURNS compared to your one, (say a quickling or alien kid, who does additional acid damage on top of that) then you may as well be taking 30HP damage a turn anyway. However, with light enough armor you can cut this down to as low as two or three, and with a pair of rings of speed, even out, as well as get chances to dodge the attacks. However, it is inverted again when you face down Frisia, the cat queen, as you'll never be able to match her speed unless you play a Catgod as well, or a quickling or bell, so it's best to reduce the damage you take as much as possible and let her kill herself by spamming Firewall/Acidground or throwing things which cause damage over time along with wearing the artifact mentioned. She takes so many turns compared to your character that you'll do much more damage in the same amount of time as trying to hit her with your main weapon, even if she only takes roughly 5-8 HP damage per turn. The other two bonus bosses are chumps compared to Frisia.
Armor in Might and Magic 6 - 8 is only as good as three things: Your skill with the armor in question, The abilities of the enemy you're fighting, and how good your Repair Skill is. Given how many late game enemies had abilities that (a) ignore armor class and (b) break armor, you may as well rely entirely on magic resistance once you reach the Lost Technology section of the games.
Leather armor is slightly more useful than the other armors - every class that can use armor can upgrade the leather skill to a level where this is no disadvantage to having one on, which meshes well with that it, as all armors, can carry useful bonuses that have nothing to do with armor class (there are no non-armor options for the torso slot), and in 7 and 8 the Grandmaster bonus applies even if the armor class does not.
In "Sonic The Hedge Hog 2006 the first Iblis boss battle with Silver requires you to throw rocks a Iblis's ARMORED HEAD!
In Mount & Blade, most weapons do cutting damage, which is significantly hampered by armor. Piercing and blunt attacks get through more often, but generally have less power once they pass the armor.
X-COM: UFO Defense is a peculiar case that caused a fair bit of Natter. A soldier wearing the most powerful armor in the game, hit where it's thickest, has roughly a 2/3 chance of surviving one hit from the most common alien weapon. There's no guarantee against multiple shots. What would be rejected in most games is here a crucial improvement from losing half the squad on nearly every mission. The first armor available occaisonally saves from getting their faces imploded, and instead leaves them in dire need of a medic on the field and time in the infirmary when they return.*
Thus doing exactly what reasonable armor can be expected to do in real life; making what would have been fatalities into living casualties.
It's another major development.
Tricky players note that advanced armor makes automatic high-explosive and incendiary rounds into amusing close combat weapons, and that its flying version reduces Chryssalids from nigh-invincible instant death machines to mostly harmless. (While it also makes Silacoids completely harmless, that's not really a downgrade for them.) The sequel Apocalypse has much stronger armor.
X Com Enemy Unknown, the 2012 reboot of X-Com, plays Body Armor As Hitpoints, and it does improve your operatives's survivability in battle as long as you take care to avoid getting exposed to flanking attacks, as critical hits will still hurt like crazy. In some cases, the armor can even help your operatives avoid being hospitalized in the medical bay for days or even weeks if the damage they suffered is less than the bonus health provided by the armor. Furthermore, the advanced suits of armor all possess unique abilities that give your operatives other benefits besides protection from weapons fire.
In the original Final Fantasy I, the Black Belt could wear some equipment, but when unarmored he gains one absorb for each level which will outstrip the absorb he can get from armors at very high levels. It's not something that people who tries to beat the game on a timely pace should worry about, though.
Final Fantasy VII: The only "armor" you can buy for any character is "bangles," which are essentially large, heavy bracelets. You can see the characters wearing them, and occasionally even making motions as if they are trying to block or deflect attacks with them. As for how well this works... the way the game calculates damage means that defence stats in general aren't really worth the effort to improve (the most effective armor work by halving damage from physical elements), a glitch means that mdef ignores what armor is supposed to contribute to it, and you can cause your defence to roll over if you raised your stats high enough.
Final Fantasy VIII: While most Final Fantasy characters equip armor, even if only in inventory, here characters do not wear armor, visually or no. In-universe they're covert operatives who often go undercover, and wearing heavy armor would blow said cover pretty quickly. Besides, with Guardian Forces and junctioned magic, they don't need it.
Final Fantasy II plays this trope straight by the end-game. While armor does exist, Firion will be better off, facing the Emperor with only two Blood Weapons and a Ribbon equipped. Wearing any kind of armor will greatly reduce his chance of avoiding both physical and magical attacks, thus making armor literally useless.
Final Fantasy X has this rule too, to a certain extent. Nobody wears armor, aside from the crusaders, who are practically the Red Shirt Army of Spira. Any playable character in the entire game, however, can only equip a weapon and an arm-guard.
Final Fantasy XII: Subverted in the opening sequence. Some poor sap had a gaping hole in his armor, right in front of his throat. Three guesses where he was shot, and the first two don't count.
In Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled, armor isn't entirely useless so much as Defense is. You appear to take the same damage from introductory-area enemies, even after abusing a specific shop's buy/sell mechanics to purchase hundreds of Defense Up potions and using them to max every character's Defense. It's for this very reason that it's best to equip armor based on any offense and status resistances they have, as opposed to Defense. At least technically the armor itself isn't what's useless...
Played straight in the Rainbow Six games. Even with Level 3 armor (which includes a full-face helmet), enemies can still get off One-Hit Kill shots with almost any gun.
Operation Body Count. While most attacks will hit armor first, two enemies that start appearing in the first 10 levels will also damage your health directly regardless of armor: Giant rats and shock drones. The former has health damage reduced by the presence of armor, the latter completely bypasses it.
Yo Jin Bo: Nobody wears armor, except for Mon-Mon, who wears chain mail under his clothes. Which does save him from being stabbed in the back in one event, but the trope is played straight aside from that one instance.
In City of Heroes, your powers are completely divorced from your appearance, so armor really is useless. At least for protection, anyway. If you choose to wear armor, it's typically for conceptual reasons or looking cool.
Not counting armor (or shields) provided by your powers, which work and do provide protection when in use. Although there aren't many powers that really produce material armor instead of auras of some sort, and you'll still get something like being temporarily covered in ice or granite instead of plate mail or a flak jacket out of them.
In the Siege Of Avalon Anthology, the action takes place in a castle under siege, which had run out of good quality steel months earlier. Consequently, the armor and weapons coming out of the armory are pretty much worthless—one soldier calls them "tin swords and paper armor," and one of your earlier optional quests is to locate a cache of steel in the ruins of the town outside (though you only get a sword, not armor, for completing it). The real determining factors of whether you survive are how many hit points you have, how quickly you heal, whether you heal yourself using magic (and how good you are at it), and how many hits you actually take. Even the enchanted armor you can pick up toward the end of the game is more useful for the enchantments than the armor they're attached to.
In Scribblenauts it is possible to create armor, helmets, shields, etc. but they don't make it any harder to die.
None of the possible PCs, or your companions for that matter, wear armor in Jade Empire, and it doesn't affect their defense at all, although amusingly several incorrect descriptions of you by enemies describe you wearing head-to-toe suits of armor.
Neverwinter Nights was based on the D&D ruleset, so armor was completely useless for around half of all possible characters at higher levels and only moderately useful for the other half.
Ditto Neverwinter Nights 2. At a certain level, you're wearing armor less for protection and more for the bonus effects from the enchantment on it.
Given the somewhat simplified rules necessitated by the CRPG platform, armor is actually slightly more useful in NWN and NWN2 than in a pen-and-paper game. For starters, the armor check penalty isn't as encumbering since only a couple rogue-specific skills require it. When you couple that with instant wardrobe changes and no penalties for resting in your armor (barring a modder deciding to code that into his module), there's really no reason you shouldn't be wearing the heaviest available suit for your class. Some classes, such as Monks, still benefit more from using light armor however.
Space Empires: Mostly averted in the series. It can have special effects, like damage regeneration, and armor-piercing weapons aren't very common.
In zOMG your character's appearance is fully independent of your stats, to allow for total character customization. However, this also means that no matter how cool that Mythrill Armor(sic) looks on you, or how badass you look with your giant axe, you can still get killed by a flamingo if you don't have rings. The opposite is true as well.
This is illustrated in the zOMG Manga, where a guard named Baldur is equipped with rare and expensive Mythrill Armor and an Ancient Katana, but is still taken out in one hit by a Buzz Saw. Conversely, Dani (Who is wearing Armor, but forgoes the chest plate) and Blaze (who isn't wearing armor at all, save for a small leather jacket) are much more effective fighters.
In Assassin's Creed, Assassinations, Hidden Blade Counter Attacks and Brotherhood's new Arrow Storm and Execution moves will one-shot anyone regardless of health. Also, the Captain from Brotherhood multiplayer is a One Hit Point Wonder despite wearing full plate. On the other hand, Ezio's damage-taking improves as he gets better armour and more heavily-armoured opponents are themselves harder to kill in a straight fight, with Borgia Captains (those that fight you anyway) and Papal Guards needing multiple Hidden Gun shots to kill. To add to this, the Armor of Altaïr saved Ezio from a nasty stabbing at the end of 2, while part of the Cesare fight is spent stripping off the boss's armour so he can be properly hurt.
They seem to be improving on that with the enemies, as in Revelations the Janissaries cannot be one-hit killed by the hidden blade.
Tyrian: Once your ship loses its shields, its own armor is what separates you from a very explosive death. On higher difficulties, even ships with the highest armor ratings will fall apart after about a dozen hits.
Ragnarok Online - upper end armors like full plate armor are comparatively little more powerful than lesser armors. While a character in full plate in most RPGs can get beat on all day (especially by 'trash' and low level monsters) and not feel it, RO characters in full plate take much more damage than the idea of full plate armor seems to indicate. It is true that armor is upgradeable and you can add 'cards' to the slots, it is ridiculous how little protection the best armors give warriors and tanks.
Deus Ex: straight in the first game. Armored soldiers from UNATCO and Majestic 12 have as many hit points as homeless bums. NSF terrorists are actually weaker.
An eroge RPG Lightning Warrior Raidy has an infamous "Spell" skill that does fixed damage no matter what kind of armor you're wearing. The stronger the armor late in-game you wear, the more of your speed and evasion are reduced. So people just end ups wearing mid-game armor and rely more on avoiding hits.
Fallout New Vegas changes the armor calculations from being percentile to being additive, and if you don't exceed somethings armor rating you only do Scratch Damage. It's played straight or averted depending on where you are in the game: higher enemy damage makes armor progressively less helpful, and all energy weapons ignore some by default anyway (although one Perk makes metal armor more potent against energy weapons). Any of the various infinity plus one armors, however, do greatly increase your survivability, and the wearables with stat boosts but poor defense are highlysituational.
It does get double subverted on the highest difficulty, and against the most powerful enemies. Basically, they're going to kill you in either 1 or 2 hits, and no armor you wear will help with that. Worse, if they make you slower then lighter equipment. On the vice versa, your offensive capacity ALSO skyrockets so everyone is basically a Glass Cannon.
The Giant Rats/Rodents of Unusual Size in Broc Flower Cave, with their saber-like gnawing teeth, especially on higher difficulties, hit hard enough to kill a Courier in two hits at the level where they may first find the cave, regardless of the armor they have procured.
The improved graphics of The Legend Of Zelda Twilight Princess reveal that Link wears chainmail under his trademark green tunic. But he takes exactly the same amount of damage from goblin attacks with the armor as he does without it in the prologue.
Averted in the multiplayer online game World Of Tanks, that is all about armor. Highly armored vehicles take little or no damage when shot by much weaker vehicles. There are weaker spots in hulls or turrets, but that's relative to the overall endurance of the vehicles, and only an appropriately powerful gun can truly exploit them. For example, a Tier IV Russian light tank like the A-20 could empty his ammo rack on a Tier IX Heavy like the IS-4, without causing serious damage.
Prototype 2 has a DLC Pack which includes an Armored form for Protagonist James Heller, as well as another that was used by Alex Mercer in the first one; both of them are merely skins, so you won't take any less damage using either one.
Averted for the first one, though; Armor Power does a number on your speed and mobility, but decreases the overall damage you'll take.
Averted in Dwarf Fortress, up to a point; any stabbing or slashing attack that fails the armour check is re-rolled for bludgeoning damage, which plate armour or chainmail do very little to protect against. Broken ribs are definitely preferable to getting run through with a sword, however.
Averted in Team Fortress 2 with the Heavy and Demoman, who wear black ballistic vests and have the highest amount of health of all the classes (300 and 175 HP respectively) (aside from the Soldier, who has 200).
Averted in the third Max Payne, where armoured paramilitaries and Dirty Cops are noticeably harder to kill than unprotected favela gangbangers or mobsters. The extreme of this are the thankfully rare Heavily Armored Mooks that are Immune to Bullets centre mass and can only be killed with headshots. It's especially obvious when Max goes to the UFE HQ and fights both the armoured frontliners and the unarmoured desk jockeys; the latter are much easier to kill.
Then with later game updates, adaptive armor was added, which are really just Impossibly Cool Clothes. Since armor rating is based off the mods added to them, and adaptive armor sets could accept any mods, this allows players to disassemble hyper-advanced Power Armor, put the components in a flashy robe or jacket, and get the exact same ratings. Now, the servers are filled with Jedi running around in Leia's stripper outfit and Troopers relying only on their well-toned abs for chest protection, with equal chances of winning against better-armed (and outfitted) opponents.
We don't know enough about Project Eternity's game mechanics yet to say one way or the other whether this is true in general, but the lore does speak of an unusual subversion. The primitive black powder muskets of the setting are effective at piercing wizards' spell shields at close range, so wizards have turned to bulletproof plating as a defense against gunslingers.
Played straight (at least after you become a Jedi) in Knights of the Old Republic, where the main character wearing armor actually makes Force powers unusable, making it necessary to downgrade from heavy combat vests to the simple robes of a Jedi. The sequel introduces a few types of armor designed for Force-users that lack this restriction, although they're only available as random loot.
In Errant Story, weapons technology (guns, magic, Durus Flamma weaponry, etc.) has advanced significantly farther and faster than armor, making most armor relatively useless. Sarine comments on this when considering if she should get her damaged armor repaired, stating that most people don't even bother wearing armor any more because of it.
However Jon did have to fire pointblank in an armor-wearing elf's gut just in case.
In Exterminatus Now, the main characters don't bother to wear armor when assaulting a facility infested with demons. Since the only real defense against a demon is to not get hit at all, armor would only slow them down.
In Orion's Arm early space warfare is described as being like playing hide-and-seek with bazookas.
Hopefully those guards have good armor / No they don't, maybe they do / They don't.
In Futurama, Bender's Big Score, the head nudist scammer informs the cast that he was wearing a doom proof vest — then dolefully repents that he wasn't wearing doom-proof pants.
Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century: Duck Dodgers plays this trope straight in his first confrontation with Marvin the Martian. Marvin threatens him with disintegration-ray. He smugly announces in an Aside Comment that he is wearing a disintegration-proof vest, and indeed he is; Dodgers dares him to shoot, and Marvin does so. Dodgers disintegrates. The completely undamaged vest hangs in mid-air for a moment before plopping onto the pile of Dodger's ashes.
During Battle of Thermopylae, Greek hoplites did not have torso armor and relied on their huge shield - hoplon - for protection. Note: They did have normal clothes, and likely also had skirts which served as a part of armor.
A Cyclic Trope in regards to naval warfare. During the age of Wooden Ships and Iron Men, cannon fire could blast through anything that could float, so warships didn't bother with armor. Then came the era of ironclads, where cannon balls would bounce off armored hulls. This began an arms race between naval weapons and naval armor that saw both getting ever bigger and heavier. This pattern finally broke in World War II, when it became clear that heavily armored warships were not effective against serious airpower. Thus, ships were generally low on armor again... at least until the 1970s and 80s, and especially The Falklands War showed that then-modern destroyers were so unprotected that they would take catastrophic damage from things that WWII-era ships could just shrug off. So they began adding some protective armor back; for instance, the USS Cole (a 90s design) survived an explosion that would've destroyed a 70s-era Spruance-class destroyer.
The Soviet Navy feared the Iowa-class battleships above any other ships in the US fleet because of this. There is a story that they even nicknamed them the "Cockroach Battleships" because, when the Sovs ran simulations, they just wouldn't die.
...which means the battleship could well make a comeback if only they weren't so awfully expensive. That is the reason why the USN kept the Iowa class battleships in operational service for over sixty years. Had the Royal Navy retained HMS Vanguard or the KGV class battleships, The Falklands War could have taken completely another course and been a completely one-sided Curb-Stomp Battle as the Argentinians would have had nothing to counter them.
The problem with battleship armor was that (since just armoring the whole ship equally would have made it unreasonably heavy) it was optimized to protect against incoming shells, and there primarily those coming in on relatively low angles and hitting the sides. High-angle shots and bombs would hit the thinner deck armor, and torpedoes would just hit below the armored belt in the first place (indeed, the original purpose of destroyers, all the way back to before World War One was to serve specifically as torpedo boat destroyers to help protect the vulnerable battleships against just such attacks). These weaknesses were never truly eliminated, and since gunfire is at best a secondary threat on the modern naval battlefield to begin with the main defensive benefit of a hypothetical 'modern' battleship would be its sheer size — which doesn't really justify the expense.
A similar effect ended up going into the use of anti-torpedo technology. At their advent, ships used Torpedo nets to "catch" torpedoes and explode them further from the hull to reduce damage. This stopped working after WWI when Torpedoes became fast enough to penetrate Torpedo nets. So designers came up with the anti-torpedo bulge, an additional section of the hull with absolutely no purpose other then to be destroyed by torpedoes in lieu of a hull breach. Eventually, torpedoes became guided, being able to explode under the ship. Now a days there is literally no defense against torpedo attacks from modern submarines.
Not entirely true. The VA-111 Shkval supercavitating torpedo was designed as an anti-torpedo weapon. However, there are some operational problems, given that the oxidiser for the rocket motor consists of over a ton of concentrated hydrogen peroxide......
Modern body armor, intended to stop bullets, is fairly defenseless against bladed weapons - the fiber weave is designed to stop (or at least slow) relatively blunt objects travelling at high speed, and can be cut or pierced by a sharp edge much like any other cloth. This has been a problem for some, such as prison guards, who wear Bullet Proof Vests as part of their standard equipment, but frequently face lower-tech threats than firearms. Stab vests, designed to protect against knives, have the opposite problem of offering no protection against bullets. Fortunately, most modern vest designs try to combine both protections in one way or another. However, making protection against rifle shots is often expensive: US Army Interceptor armor is designed to only catch one, maybe two rounds of AK fire, and heavier body armor is often inflexible and heavy.
This troper would like to take a point to correct the above-stated facts. The Interceptor body armor by itself cannot stop rifle bullets. It requires special hard inserts in the front and back to do so, which are called "SAPI plates" for the US military. These are designed to stop three 7.62x51mm bullets (significantly more powerful than AK rounds.) To clarify, woven fibers can stop handgun bullets, but rifle bullets require special ceramics and metals like steel or titanium. Heavy metals tend to shrap the wearer, while ceramics obviously crack from damage. Your average plate is only tested for three rounds of the caliber it is designed to stop. Additionally, many soft vests can actually deflect slashes, partially due to their tough outer casings, but also due to the fact kevlar is a relatively tough material - do remember it's used in protective pants for lumberjacks and in cut-resistant knives. The reason these special blade-resistant vests are called "stab vests" is because a vast majority of body armor is fairly immune to slashing.
Before armor tech began to catch up, armor, such as kevlar would only protect a person from having bullets penentrate the wearer unless it was in several layers. Most of the kinetic force would still hit the person, and the blunt impact could still injure or kill the wearer. Since this kind of armor is cheaper to produce than military grade armor, it is still in use today.
This is incorrect. Even before kevlar became common, with nylon armor it was the norm to use many layers. A "standard" kevlar vest has roughly 12 to 30 layers of kevlar, which is what gives it ballistic protection in general. Taking blunt trauma from a bullet is a basic fact of soft body armor unchanged by the times. In the oldest days of body armor, many would stuff magazines between their skin and the body armor to soak up the punch of gunshots. These days, special polymer and steel plates are made for insertion into soft armor carriers, which prevent blunt trauma from striking the vital organs.
Which still carries the risk of failure as not all the armor plates are tested, just enough of them to ensure that the chance of failure for any specific plate in a batch is sufficiently low to meet safety requirements.
During World War I, armies experimented with chain mail and found that it actually made bullet wounds worse — it couldn't stop a bullet and the rings would shatter, shoving more shrapnel into the wound than if the bullet just hit an unarmoured person. However, when hung like a curtain, it proved surprisingly effective at stopping shrapnel, leading to terrifying items like the British splatter mask◊ for tank crews.
Not the fault of the armor, but human psychology can make armor useless. People tend to react to increased safety by taking more risk, in an unconscious attempt to balance risk versus reward (riskier behavior is offset by safety equipment like armor, resulting in increased reward for the same amount of risk); this is called the Peltzman effect. The problem is that a) risky behavior may transfer the risk to Innocent Bystanders rather than the one wearing the safety equipment, and b) people are really bad at judging risk, meaning that instead of balancing out, safety equipment + risky behavior may actually be significantly more dangerous than no safety equipment + no risky behavior.
The battlefield behaviour of knights tend to confirm this. Being neigh impervious to damage and wounds makes one take risks which are suicidal for anyone who is vulnerable. At best, one knight could kick ass of hundred unarmoured opponents. At worst, invulnerability made them to behave like complete lunatics.
This was brought up on QI - The safest place to fix a large, sharp spike into a car was right in the middle of the steering wheel. Drivers are so used to a cocoon of airbags and crumple zones that they take more risks when driving, often to the detriment of those around them. This isn't so much Armor Is Useless for the driver so much as the driver's armour for any unfortunate sod in the way.
Though not technically for "combat" but still a form of battle, protective gear in full-contact sports has spurred similar discussions. In games like American Football or Hockey, the response to improvements in padding and helmets was to simply hit harder. Concussions and neurospinal injuries now plague both sports to a startling degree in comparison to their early years.
Bomb-disposal technicians have to weigh the odds that protective armor suits will actually shield them from injury against the degree to which it may impede their vision and movement. If an explosive device is deemed sufficiently powerful that armor can't possibly help, and robots aren't an option, a brave technician may forego armor to free up their hands to work (and allow them to run like hell if the attempt to deactivate it proves futile). | <urn:uuid:31064242-c9af-4249-a2c4-7a89f2476511> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ArmorIsUseless?from=Main.Armourisuseless | 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 | 0.967834 | 16,727 | 1.625 | 2 |
David Clarke Reimagines Silver at a New Swedish Exhibition
British silversmith David Clarke has gained international attention for his unique and whimsical approach to this venerable art form. “I have a passion for metal,” he says. “There is a resistance from it—you play with it, coax it, fight it. But I take the traditions of silversmithing to surprising extremes. This absolute willingness to experiment and play inappropriately is core to my work.”
Glenn Adamson, head of research at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, calls Clarke “one of the strongest silversmiths currently working and easily the most prominent avant-garde figure in the medium.” Now, audiences can view the artist’s first solo exhibition, “In Flux,” beginning early next month at Nutida Svenskt Silver in Stockholm, Sweden.
Clarke re-creates objects by modifying not only their shape, but also their interpretation. The results often border on the dreamlike: “The exhibition’s mood is slightly unnerved, slightly surreal, but intriguing, a place you’re drawn into but not sure you would want to go.”
While poking holes in the inflated cultural value of silver by challenging longstanding assumptions about it, Clarke is also aware that he is part of a craft that is very much relevant to British history. “It was not uncommon for silversmiths of yesteryear to melt down objects to make new pieces,” he says. “I think this is a wonderful part of silversmithing.”
Clarke, who graduated from the Royal College of Art in 1997, has given lectures all over the world on the craft, which he is reimagining for 21st-century minds. “I am very concerned about the discipline’s future,” he says, “and so want it not to stand still, pickled in aspic, but to be relevant, vibrant and meaningful to a contemporary audience. It is good that it challenges the viewer’s ideas about what silversmithing is.” | <urn:uuid:63417a8c-3b7f-434d-a2b5-ac43ec1b9a6e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.vaultmagazine.com/design/david-clarke-reimagines-silver-at-a-new-swedish-exhibition/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960298 | 448 | 1.820313 | 2 |
It seems to me that the word 'sustainability ' is rapidly being corrupted into meaning "how can we continue rapping and pillaging the earth at the same rate we are now without anyone noticing".
You see the concept of sustainability (from a developed world perspective in any case) is already several decades to late, as we've passed the point of 1 planet sustainability. What we should really be talking about is controlled contraction to a state of equilibrium.
In Jared Diamonds book 'Collapse', all of those extinct societies believed that technology was making their civilizations more sustainable, yet the net toll on resources was incrementally negative.
The news this week that India is now making a car for under $3000 and Detroit intends to keep churning out behemoths until 2020, seems to illustrate this all to well. | <urn:uuid:752064fd-53d4-4824-b8b7-58b917e0fce6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.design21sdn.com/people/13715/posts/1349?order=Most_popular | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969812 | 166 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Frequently Asked Questions: 2013 Recreational Gulf Gag Grouper Season Changes
Prepared by FWC Division of Marine Fisheries Management – February 2013
Why are Gulf gag grouper regulations changing?
Gag grouper is overfished (population is too small) and undergoing overfishing (rate of harvest is higher than population replenishes itself) in the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) is required by federal law to end overfishing and rebuild gag grouper. In August 2011, the Council approved long-term management measures that establish a rebuilding plan for gag grouper. The plan will rebuild the gag grouper stock in 10 years or less.
What is the recreational harvest season for gag grouper in Gulf federal waters (beyond 9 miles from shore)?
The 2013 federal recreational season for gag grouper in Gulf waters has not been finalized. The proposed season will start July 1 and end when the annual catch target is expected to be met. This end date has not been calculated, but is currently expected to be somewhere between Nov. 11 and Dec. 3. This season provides the greatest number of fishing days without disrupting the rebuilding plan. So long as the annual catch target is not exceeded, the proposed 2013 season could be more than a month longer than the 2012 federal season, which started July 1 and ended Oct. 31. This is because the annual catch targets for gag are scheduled to increase as the stock rebuilds.
How was the 2013 federal season chosen?
This year's federal season was chosen because it yielded the greatest number of fishing days and the longest possible harvest season for gag grouper without exceeding catch targets and without lowering the current two-fish bag limit.
The Council considered several different seasons to achieve the rebuilding goal, including a split harvest season that would end on Dec. 31 and start likely between mid-November and early-December, depending on when the annual catch target was expected to be met. This split season would have accomodated regional differences in fishing activity off Florida's Gulf coast.
Public testimony on the subject was gathered at meetings in Destin, St. Petersburg and Naples by the Council and in the Big Bend region by FWC. Many for-hire permit holders stated that they preferred state regulations to be consistent with the federal regulations because they have to follow the federal season, which could be shortened if the state season is inconsistent. Several people commented that they would like the gag grouper season to be open after red snapper is closed, so that they have more total days to target these species. Many people favored the longest season possible, but recognized the economic benefits and additional fishing opportunities that could be provided by shorter split seasons. Some argued that split season could be complicated.
What is the season for gag grouper harvest in Gulf state waters?
The recreational harvest season for gag grouper in most Gulf state waters (within nine miles from shore) will start July 1 and end Dec. 3. This season does not apply to state waters off of Monroe County because Monroe County follows Atlantic rules for gag grouper. It also does not apply to state waters off of Taylor, Jefferson, Wakulla and Franklin counties, including all waters of the Steinhatchee River, Apalachicola Bay and Indian Pass. This area of state waters will be open April 1 through June 30 and will be closed to recreational gag grouper harvest for the remainder of the year, including the July 1 through Dec. 3 season.
Why were just these four counties chosen for the April 1 through June 30 regional season?
The Commission voted to establish a regional season for Taylor, Jefferson, Wakulla and Franklin counties to allow fishing opportunities for private recreational anglers in this area when gag grouper are closer to shore and can be safely accessed by smaller boats. The Commission believes that fishing effort for gag grouper is low in these counties because it is the least densely populated region of Florida’s Gulf Coast. By replacing the July 1 through Dec. 3 season with a shorter but more desirable season in the Big Bend, the Commission hopes to balance the economic and social needs of this region with the conservation needs of gag grouper.
Can charter and for-hire vessels harvest gag grouper during the April 1 through June 30 regional season?
Federal law prohibits federally-licensed for-hire vessels from harvesting gag grouper in state waters when federal waters are closed, even if they are fishing in state waters. For-hire vessels that do not have federal reef fish permits would be able to harvest gag grouper in this region during the open season.
During the April 1 through June 30 regional season for Taylor through Franklin counties, can I harvest gag grouper outside this area and land them in the open region? Can I harvest gag grouper in the open region and land them in a closed area?
No. Harvest and possession of gag grouper would only be permitted in state waters off Taylor, Jefferson, Wakulla and Franklin counties, including all waters of the Steinhatchee River, Apalachicola Bay and Indian Pass from April 1 through June 30. This means that gag grouper could only be harvested within this region and could only be landed in this region. For example, it would be illegal to harvest gag grouper off Dixie County from April 1 through June 30, regardless of where they are landed. It would also be illegal to harvest gag grouper off Taylor County and dock your boat with gag grouper onboard in Dixie County outside the open area.
During the July 1 through Dec. 3 season, can I harvest gag grouper in open state and federal waters and transit through or land those fish in the closed state waters off of Taylor through Franklin counties?
Yes. Recreational anglers will be able to transit from open federal waters or open state waters through the four-county closed area but cannot stop and fish if you have gag grouper on board your vessel. Vessels possessing gag grouper in the four-county closed area must travel through state waters without stopping and must have fishing gear stowed. If stopped and fishing in a closed area, it will be prima facie evidence that any gag grouper on board were harvested at the location where the vessel is stopped.
Will the April 1 through June 30 regional season affect the recreational gag grouper season in federal waters?
It is possible that the federal season could be shortened if the April 1 through June 30 regional season in state waters results in a higher than anticipated recreational gag grouper harvest. The federal rebuilding plan for gag grouper establishes annual catch targets (ACTs) for the recreational and commercial sectors. These ACTs are required by federal law and cannot be exceeded. Gag grouper harvest from both state and federal waters is included in the ACT and the proposed federal season was chosen in an effort to keep the overall recreational gag grouper harvest below the ACT. If harvest data indicates that the recreational ACT is going to be met before the end of the July 1 through November/December federal season, NOAA Fisheries Service would close recreational harvest in federal waters until the 2014 season. If the 2013 ACT is exceeded, the 2014 federal season could also be shortened to account for the 2013 overage. The rebuilding plan also includes yearly ACT increases as the stock rebuilds. However, if the overall (recreational plus commercial) ACT is exceeded, scheduled ACT increases may not occur.
Why wasn’t the commercial gag grouper season shortened?
Recreational and commercial grouper fisheries are managed differently because commercial and recreational harvesters fish in different areas, target different species and use different fishing techniques. Commercial gag grouper harvesters do not have a "season" like recreational anglers have. Instead, they are strictly regulated and monitored under a federal Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) system in which each harvester is only allowed to harvest a certain amount of grouper per year. When commercial harvesters catch their quota, they must immediately stop fishing for grouper.
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council set the commercial gag grouper quota to 86 percent of the commercial annual catch target (the management goal for amount of commercial grouper harvest) to account for gag grouper that are discarded dead. | <urn:uuid:058f97be-be80-49ff-9fdc-85623e2d0da2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/groupers/gulf-grouper/gag-grouper/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959684 | 1,678 | 1.734375 | 2 |
It's fiscal fact time. The way things have been, and the way the Romney/Ryan plan works, is to keep pushing our public and private financial resources higher and higher, concentrating wealth at the very top of the socioeconomic food chain, so to speak. The idea is that, like clouds so full of air-borne water they just can't hold any more and release the excess in great torrents of life-sustaining rain, wealthy individuals and corporations will somehow release a gushing flow of their treasure into the parched banks accounts down below. This is the trickle-down fantasy. Below is the reality. Please welcome Theoclea.
I want to heartily thank Inda for inviting me here. To preserve my privacy, I will be writing this article under the penname Theoclea.
I am a young political economist. I think and write regularly about political and economic issues. I have an undergraduate background in political science and economics from the University of North Carolina and Duke University, and am currently studying commerce at the University of Virginia. To the chagrin of my more radical friends, I have always partly identified as a libertarian. I believe that human dignity is found in the individual pursuit of happiness, as free as possible from her fellow man. But I also recognize that, in practice, dignity means more than freedom from government. It means freedom from poverty, from injustice, and from all external obstacles to achieving the full potential of her talents and will. Liberty cannot be realized without justice, fairness, and social welfare.
My peers are typically socially liberal and environmentally conscious; they genuinely care about helping the less fortunate. However, most are also fiscal conservatives. How can these young, compassionate conservatives support policies which have been shown to hurt the very people they want to help? The compassionate conservative wants to believe that free markets are perfect, and so overlooks the factual falsehood. It is from this viewpoint that I approach trickle-down economics.
Trickle-down economics mandates downsizing the government and offering tax relief for the wealthy. Trickle-down’s current incarnation is the “cut taxes, grow economy” policy espoused by Mitt Romney, among other modern conservatives.
Why is trickle-down so sticky in its political appeal?
Headwaters of the Trickle
To answer this question, we have to know the history of what we’re dealing with. Trickle-down is the pejorative term for supply-side “economics”. I use quotations here because supply-side ideology is not economics. The original supply-siders, who date from the early 1970s, were fringe-economists: consultants, congressional staffers, and journalists. Neither Robert L. Bartley nor Jude Wanniski, the founders and promulgators of the ideology, had any education in economics. The simple truth is that supply-side is not a field of economics recognized by any major university.
Trickle-down emerged from the most rudimentary understanding of conservative economics, and rests on two fantastically simplified tenets: 1) demand failures are impossible, thus demand-side policy is completely ineffective and should be eliminated; and 2) savings equals investment equals growth, therefore lowering taxes – especially on the wealthy – produces long-term economic growth.
Sadly, neither tenet holds water. General failures of demand are not only documented but are fairly commonplace – the most well-known example being The Great Depression. The second tenet rests on the idea that savings are invested, and investments increase future economic activity. High-income tax cuts follow logically from the savings-investment-growth axiom: the wealthy need to consume a smaller portion of their income, and thus are the best savers. Cut their taxes and they will save more, which means more investment and more growth. The rising tide would lift all boats and prosperity would trickle-down from the rich to the poor. Indeed, the trickle-downers and the politicians who listened to them believed that the resulting growth from a tax cut would be so large that tax revenue would rise instead of fall.
By the 1980s, the trickle-downers had convinced enough politicians (mostly conservatives) to mount a policy coup. Trickle-down’s appeal to a popular craving for an apparently simple and self-evident plan framed by an optimistic figurehead was realized by Ronald Reagan. The Reagan administration slashed income tax rates slashed regressively, cut social spending, and gutted federal regulations. The trickle-downers had unleashed the market and eagerly awaited their economic paradise.
This episode represents one of the greatest economic experiments in American history, and the results have been this: trickle-down economics had no effect on growth. See for yourself:
What Actually Happened
Tax revenue did not rise. In fact, the Reagan presidency marked the birth of the U.S. structural budget deficit, and began a massive buildup of national debt as a percentage of GDP.
Deficit and debt worsened. The deficit is the budgetary gap between government spending and revenue in any given year. From World War II to 1981, the federal budget had an unremarkable history: small deficits during recessions, small surpluses during growth. All this changed under trickle-down and the Reagan administration. The Reagan-era tax cuts created the first American peace-time structural deficit – meaning that unless Congress acts to change something, each year the federal government will automatically receive less revenue than it spends. This is shown in the graph below, which traces the federal deficit from the end of WWII to today.
Unsurprisingly, as the deficit increased, the national debt did, too. When you do not have enough money, you borrow some. The national debt represents the total sum of unpaid federal borrowing, funds used to finance the government when it runs a deficit. Prior to 1981, the US government had actually been paying down its debt accumulated during WWII. Following the 1981 and 1986 tax cuts, however, the debt began a steady ascent, broken only by a short reprieve during the Clinton years.
Trickle-down failed to deliver on its promise to improve the economic well-being of the majority of individual people or the nation as a whole. But it was not without consequence. Trickle-down policy had significant effects on income distribution. From 1979 through 2006, the richest of the rich enjoyed the biggest gains, and the poor actually lost income. It’s been the same ever since.
Current U.S. income distribution is one of the most unequal of any OECD country, more inequitable than that of Iran, Uganda, Nigeria, Kazakhstan, and 90 other nations. The legacy of trickle-down is mounting debt, deficit, and inequality.
So why is this idea so hard to kill? How can anyone run for president on such an idea? Especially a candidate who claims, as Mitt Romney does, that he desperately wants to eliminate the deficit and reduce the national debt?
I have always believed that (most) conservatives care about poverty and equality, and that if intelligent conservatives could be persuaded to change fiscal goals, it would be by appealing to their reason, not by attacking their supposed heartlessness. I value liberty enough to refuse to sacrifice the values of justice, fairness, and social welfare upon its altar. I urge compassionate conservatives to do the same, and to take a long, hard look at modern conservative fiscal policy. You may discover, as I did, that although trickle-down might look sweet, it stinks.
Editor’s Note: Theoclea strongly recommends Paul Krugman’s, Peddling Prosperity (W.W. Norton, 1994). Theoclea herself blogs at: http://theoclea.wordpress.com Please "Like" this on facebook and forward to all your most reasonable, GOP-leaning friends.
And if you’re a true Show-Me type, you can check the data in this essay here:
United States: Data. The World Bank
Historical Tables. The White House, Office of Management and Budget. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Historicals>.
Data on the Distribution of Federal Taxes and Household Income. Congressional Budget Office <http://www.cbo.gov/publication/42878>.
"Country Comparison: Distribution of Family Income - Gini Index." CIA: The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. | <urn:uuid:64d05f92-f65a-4236-8f89-9992b20475ae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.firedupmissouri.com/content/trickle-your-own-risk | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946264 | 1,720 | 1.671875 | 2 |
The Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department recognized Kim Ens, director of Clinic Services, for 20 years of service during a recent staff meeting. Kim has worn a number of hats over the years and seen a lot changes in public health.
She joined the Health Department in 1993 as a nurse in the Family Planning program. Among her duties were giving sexually-transmitted disease exams, providing pregnancy tests and prescribing birth control.
“In nursing, you never know what’s coming next. You get the opportunity to do a lot of patient education, which I really love and enjoy,” she said.
Three years later, she became coordinator of the Communicable Disease program. She held this position on 9-11 and won’t soon forget fielding countless phone calls from citizens who were worried about bioterrorism. She said, “People were scared. They were worried about the mailing system and there was a lot of panic.”
Soon thereafter, her title changed to preparedness coordinator and she worked with community agencies, like Lawrence-Douglas County Fire and Medical and the Lawrence Police Department, to make sure the Health Department would have the help it needed if an outbreak or bioterrorism event occurred. Kim started the Medical Reserve Corps, a civilian volunteer group, and helped implement Together Prepared, a coalition of agencies that ensure vulnerable populations are included in emergency planning. “We developed a lot of new partners and I think people began to understand what public health is all about,” she said.
Nearly three years ago, Kim was named director of Clinic Services, which means she oversees most of the services that are provided on the first floor of the Health Department — Family Planning, Healthy Families Douglas County and the nursing clinic. Her role also includes fielding requests for community presentations, helping students who need to complete a practicum, working with the pharmacy consultant and overseeing the Advisory Council, a group of Health Department clients. She also has played an instrumental role in helping the Health Department move to a new electronic medical record system. Back when she started, there was only one computer. Today, all of the nurses have computers and many carry a laptop with them.
“I love my job. I love the whole mission of public health. I think we help our clients become more independent, especially in Healthy Families and WIC. We provide them with the resources they need to make their lives better.”
Often, she said, the Health Department’s clients are dealt tough issues to overcome. “It’s not a child’s fault that his mom is in prison or his dad is a drug addict, so I get frustrated when people say, ‘They just need to try harder,’” Kim said. “If you didn’t have a good mother or father, how do you know how to be one? I believe we help teach them and help them set goals. I think we provide ways for them to thrive.”
Kim’s longtime colleagues describe her as a great teacher, nurse and problem-solver. They say she is caring, fun loving and a joy to work with.
Shirley Grubbs, public health nurse, has worked with Kim since she started. She said, “Kim is an amazing woman. I think she has been a great advocate for nurses. She is such a caring person.”
Director Dan Partridge described Kim as passionate about making a difference and serving people in need. “What truly sets her apart is her willingness to step out of herself and meet people where they are,” he said.
Kim grew up in Hesston, Kan., and attended Tabor College in Hillsboro, where she met her husband, James. After getting married, they moved to Reynosa, Mexico, where they were house parents for Children’s Haven International for two years. They took care of about nine children, ranging from infants to teenagers, and most of them were orphans. They had no heat or hot water. She recalled collecting leftover food from area restaurants like Pizza Hut and KFC to feed the children. “It was pretty eye-opening for both of us.”
Then, they moved back to Hillsboro and eventually to Lawrence. Kim, who originally wanted to be a social worker, worked in a variety jobs — including waitressing and being a home childcare provider — before earning a nursing degree at Washburn University. Kim also has a bachelor’s degree in health education and a master’s degree in community health, both from the University of Kansas.
Kim hopes residents use the Lawrence-Douglas Health Department as their go-to resource for health information. Not only does the Department provide one-on-one education, but it also works with agencies to provide health services in the community and implement health policies at the state, local and national levels.
“People don’t think of Douglas County has having a lot of needs, but there are,” she said. “There are a lot of people who have issues and I’m looking forward to the Health Department making our community healthier.” | <urn:uuid:6d25d097-cc09-4dd7-9978-d9aa0bc4cbcc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wellcommons.com/groups/lawrence-douglas-county-health-department/2013/mar/15/nurse-preparedness-coordinator-among-pos/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980338 | 1,064 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Thank you all for your responses to my encoding worries
I am only sorry that there has been such a delay in responding to them all
The main reason for the delay is the problem I have in explaining my
Please be patient in trying to understand my points mentioned below as I may
have not made myself totally clear.
First let me say my thoughts on, Unconditional rendering of Virama Ya as the
Marco Cimarosti said:
>The formation of this ligature can and should be totally *unconditional*:
and Kenneth Whistler said
>as Marco pointed out, a doublet check on <halant ya-> combinations could
>be implemented to unconditionally use the zophola form
Kenneth Whistler said:
>Finally, regarding the question that was raised about how to represent
>a candrabindu or other combining mark for the sequence, I think the
>answer is fairly simple:
> Vowel_A_zophola_AA + candrabindu = 0985 09CD 09AF 09BE 0981
> ( a- halant ya -aa candrabindu )
Well the answer may be simple to some, but let me first explain that
the appearance of A_Zophola_AA_candrabindu
(i.e. printed, or on screen after being rendered) is that of
LetterA with candrabindu on top, followed by the zopholaAA glyph.
So it would be natural for a someone without a knowledge of Unicode
to try to form A_Zophola_AA_candrabindu by using the sequence
LetterA candrabindu virama Ya VowelSignAA.
Okay lets see what happens if someone tries to enter this sequence.
LetterA Candrabindu - This should be rendered correctly as this is a valid
i.e. rendered as: LetterA_Candrabindu
now we follow this with Virama Ya VSignAA.
If you are using unconditional rendering of Virama Ya as Zophola,
this sequence will be rendered as expected by the user.
i.e. rendered the same as Vowel_A_zophola_AA + candrabindu
The user will have no way of knowing that he had made a typo!
It would have been much better if this sequence was rendered as:
LetterA_Candrabindu, Virama, Ya_VSignAA.
This is why I rule out unconditional rendering of Virama Ya as Zophola.
Next we have the sugestion of:
LetterA Virama Ya VSignAA is to be rendered as A_Zophola_AA
I have Three concerns with this,
The main concern is with sorting
To sort Indic text (that I am knowledgeable of) there are some basic rules.
Two of them are:
X + Virama < X
X + VowelSign > X
(where X is a Letter form)
Now with a sequence such as: Ka Virama Ya VSignAA, This works fine
Lets try it with LetterA Virama Ya VSignAA,
LetterA Virama: maybe comes before LetterA?
Ya VSignAA: Yes, this would normally come after Ya
But no matter haw you analyse this sequence you will never come
to the correct sort, which is in fact:
LetterA < LetterA_Zophola_AA < LetterAA.
Now lets deal with rendering it.
Lets take the first part
LetterA Virama Ya.
The question is, should this be rendered as A_Zophola?
if it is, it would indicate to the user that this is a correct syllable or
at least a valid sequence. It is not a valid syllable in Bengali. In all
other sequences that I know of, if you have created a valid syllable then
the parts combine correctly on screen, so that you can tell that you have
entered the sequence correctly. So if it is to be rendered as A_Zophola it
will have to be treated as an exception. This is because it will have to be
treated as an invalid sequence by all Indic processes apart from
rendering.(I am thinking of sorting and editing here) Also if it is rendered
correctly it would imply that one could now enter a candrabindu etc, which
is obviously not correct.
If it is not rendered as A_Zophola and is rendered as A_Virama_Ya, It would
indicate to the user that he had made a typo.
Well As far as I know it is proposed that your cursor will jump from
syllable to syllable whilst editing unicode encoded Indic text. This is
because of the problems that could occur if a user tried to delete, for
example, the left part of a split vowelsign (there must be other problems).
In any case, I hope you all agree that syllables have to be recognised
correctly for Indic processes to function. The question I have is: What
should happen if one tries to delete A_Zophola_AA? Should it disappear
completely or should just the AA part go? If the AA bit goes, what form
would the A_Zophola have on screen? (see problems mentioned earlier). If it
goes completely that would be unusual behaviour e.g. One would expect
Ka_Zophola_AA followed by the delete key to be displayed as Ka_Zophola (a
I think that everyone has agreed that encoding in the private use area is
not a good idea so I won't discuss this.
So I still think that including A_Zophola_AA in the Bengali block is a good
idea, but until such time that more than one other person agrees with this,
I shall not discuss the location within the block.
There is one other solution. It is the solution that ISCII implementers use.
That is to put A_Zophola_AA at position U+0991 i.e. Devanagari CandraO
You would then have to call A_Zophola_AA a "glyph variant of Dev CandraO
used in Bengali". I do not think that this would be looked at kindly, by
some, but it is available for use now.
Thank you for your patience in reading this
Please, any comments are gratefully received
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : Tue Jul 10 2001 - 17:21:02 EDT | <urn:uuid:d47be469-f7aa-4236-bf75-78bf2cdc7106> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.unicode.org/mail-arch/unicode-ml/Archives-Old/UML022/0988.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934836 | 1,418 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Paris is the number one tourist destination in the world for a reason. This iconic and breathtaking city is home to the famous Eiffel Tower, the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, and the Sun King’s Palace at Versailles, just to name a few.
Also renowned for setting the cultural pace, Paris is where ultra-modernism meets historical romance. During your summer in Paris, you will also experience the culinary side of French culture in trips to cafés and restaurants across the city.
In your courses, you will have the opportunity to visit leading businesses in France to gain insight into their unique business practices and principles. Past company visits include tours of L’Oreal, Fat Tire Bike Tours, Deloitte, and Invest in France.
“Our McCombs courses [abroad] are designed to give you some background on the role of France as an international business center and, at the same time, enable you to appreciate the critical part that the cultural richness of France plays in creating an atmosphere where business leaders want to be located.”
-- Stuart Singer, Professor Accounting
The Luxembourg Gardens
This is one of the biggest and most beautiful parks in Paris. This garden is famous for its soothing atmosphere and has everything from apple orchards to a vintage carousel. There is also a small café with both indoor and outdoor seating. Perfect place to relax or study!
This day trip is definitely worth the effort, just wear comfortable walking shoes. Versailles is a wealthy suburb of Paris that is famous for the Palace of Versailles. All of our former students highly recommend taking a trip here!
Notre Dame Cathedral
This cathedral is one of the most famous landmarks in Paris. The coronation of Napoleon was held here in 1804, and even if you are not into history, the architecture will amaze you. You can walk around inside the cathedral and also go up to the top for a great view.
Fat Tire Bike Tour
Every student we asked said this was one of their best experiences in Paris. These tours are targeted towards English speaking tourists. Former students recommend taking the night tour. It's a great way to learn about Paris.
A good place to go shopping with tons of different stores. Even though it can be expensive, it is definitely worth a visit! | <urn:uuid:cfd3b5e0-713c-4bb8-a9f0-107ccd8c7d4a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/Home/BBA/IP/Prospective/~/~/link.aspx?_id=FDB18D575242428BA121704BA7C874E9&_z=z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94997 | 475 | 1.765625 | 2 |
Miss. electing new gov, deciding 3 initiatives
Monday, November 7, 2011
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -- Mississippians are choosing a new governor and deciding whether to add three amendments to the state constitution, including one that could provoke a national fight about abortion.
Tuesday's governor's race pits Republican Phil Bryant against Democrat Johnny DuPree. They are competing to succeed two-term Republican Gov. Haley Barbour.
The three ballot initiatives are proposed amendments to the state constitution.
Among them: Initiative 26 would declare life begins at fertilization. If it's approved, supporters say it could prompt a court challenge seeking to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that established a legal right to abortion.
Another ballot initiative would require voters to show government-issued identification at the polls. | <urn:uuid:094567c3-1762-4f6c-866d-3dcbe7c2cd9d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/nov/07/miss-electing-new-gov-deciding-3-initiatives/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932666 | 173 | 1.8125 | 2 |
How to share the gospel
As I have been studying and learning in seminary about the gospel of Jesus it seems that there are two ways in which most people talk to others about the gospel of Jesus.
*Warning, this is really hard to talk about. When talking about the risen Jesus all human words fall short. My advice is to go read the Bible and figure this out for yourself*
It seems that the first way and the most common way is short and easy, typically called the “Romans Road,” or something witty like that. Whatever it is called it follows the same route.
- You are a sinner and that means Jesus will send you to hell.
- Jesus died for you.
- To avoid hell believe in Jesus and say this special prayer with me.
- Now that you believe in Jesus you can have eternal life with him.
- Now that you believe in Jesus tell others and live a good life happily ever after.
This is typically the style that is seen by street preachers and people who mean well. This style does work, it worked for me and it I have seen pastors use it at Christian events where thousands stand up to accept Jesus.
This way of talking about Jesus to others is not un-biblical and necessarily wrong, like I said it worked for me. However, there seems to be a second way, which is often called emergent or neo-evangelical yet it isn’t new it has been around for hundreds of years.
- We were created by God and created to be in relationship with God.
- When there was nothing good in us, Jesus died for us.
- We already know in our guts that our life is a mess and we feel distant from the God who created us, this is why we try to fill that void with everything else.
- Jesus’ death and resurrection is the manner in which we have hope not just for a future resurrection into eternal life but for a life now that is better than the distance and loneliness we experience now because we experience a relationship with the risen Jesus.
- Accepting that Jesus’ work on the cross was for you and that Jesus loves you (no matter what you did or what happened to you) brings you into a relationship with God and you begin the journey to become more like Jesus.
This way seems to be what I am hearing lately. It doesn’t seem wrong, however, it also isn’t nearly as easy. This second way may not work with a group of people we don’t know but it would probably be better with someone who is a friend.
So which one is right? I have no idea, maybe it depends on how well you know the person? Maybe it depends on your goals: is it to keep them out of hell or is your goal to tell them about a relationship with Jesus that is real and helpful for now and for later?
Both ways proclaim that only through Jesus’ work on the cross are we forgiven. One starts with the person as a worthless sinner and relies on the person to reach out to God. The other places all the work on God as the creator, the Savior and the sustainer of the person. | <urn:uuid:2e7ad474-9dfe-48de-a532-f0e4df706cb3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.divinecrash.com/2010/02/03/how-to-share-the-gospel/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982149 | 665 | 1.632813 | 2 |
U.S. To Suspend $800 Million In Aid To Pakistan
President Obama has ordered the suspension of $800 million in aid to the Pakistani military, his chief of staff said Sunday, as part of what experts say is a tougher line with a critical U.S. partner in the fight against terrorism.
Top aide William Daley described the U.S. relationship with Pakistan as "difficult" and said it must be made "to work over time." But he added that until "we get through that difficulty, we'll hold back some of the money that the American taxpayers are committed to give" Pakistan.
The suspension of U.S. aid, first reported by The New York Times, followed a statement last week by Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, that Pakistan's security services may have sanctioned the killing of a Pakistani journalist who wrote about infiltration of the military by extremists.
The allegation was rejected by Pakistan's powerful military establishment, including the Inter-Services Intelligence Agency, which has historic ties to the Taliban and other militant groups, and which many Western analysts regard as a state-within-a-state.
Daley, interviewed on ABC's This Week, suggested the decision to suspend military aid resulted from the increasing estrangement between the U.S. and Pakistan, especially since the U.S. raid in May that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden not far from Pakistan's equivalent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
"Obviously there's still a lot of pain that the political system in Pakistan is feeling by virtue of the raid that we did to get Osama bin Laden," Daley said.
A senior U.S. official said the suspension was triggered by the Pakistani army's decision to significantly reduce the number of visas for U.S. military trainers. "We remain committed to helping Pakistan build its capabilities, but we have communicated to Pakistani officials on numerous occasions that we require certain support in order to provide certain assistance," said the official, who was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly and spoke only on condition of anonymity.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently told senators that "when it comes to our military aid, we are not prepared to continue providing that at the pace we were providing it unless we see certain steps taken."
Pakistan army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas declined to comment on the suspension. He pointed to comments by Army Chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, who last month said U.S. military aid should be diverted to civilian projects.
Hasan-Askari Rizvi, a Pakistani political and defense analyst, said the U.S. decision to suspend aid is an attempt to increase pressure on Pakistan, but he believes it could hurt both sides.
"The Pakistani military has been the major supporter of the U.S. in the region because it needed weapons and money," said Rizvi. "Now, when the U.S. builds pressure on the military, it will lose that support."
George Perkovich, an expert on Pakistan with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, called the suspension "overdue."
"We've been trying for years to get, persuade, push the Pakistani army to conduct military operations on their border with Afghanistan, especially in North Waziristan, and they've said it's not in their interest, that they're overstretched already," Perkovich said in a telephone interview from Paris. "I think it's smart to say, 'We hear you." '
Perkovich said if U.S. financial aid didn't change the behavior of the Pakistani military, then withdrawing it probably wouldn't either. But he said the termination of the $800 million in assistance could lead to a re-examination of the military's role in that country.
"Internally in Pakistan, there's going to be a much more intense debate now on whether the Army has put the country on a good course," he said. | <urn:uuid:564e07e7-bf2a-4067-bf27-8f55bb32c722> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wyso.org/post/us-suspend-800-million-aid-pakistan | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975732 | 823 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Dell Computers are American – official
So now you know
After a long and tortuous process of deliberation, US Customs has decided that Dell's notebook computers are American.
Even though in one of the computers under examination, the chassis is from Taiwan, the hard disk from Thailand, the floppy disk drive and power supply are from China, the CD-ROM is from Japan, and the memory from either Korea, Japan or Singapore. The BIOS and CPU are sourced in the US.
This is how personal computers are assembled today; it gives us a peek into Dell Country a nation populated not by Dudes, but by robots and felons.
"Based on the facts presented, foreign chassis', hard disk drives, floppy disks, memory boards and other foreign components, which are further processed and assembled into notebook computers in the U.S., in the manner described above, are substantially
transformed as a result of the operations performed in the U.S," concludes the Customs Dept.
"Accordingly, the country of origin of the notebook computers is the U.S."
Prisoners go to work for Dell
Apollo 11 crew quizzed by US Customs [letters]
The Stuckist Net - what is your post Palladium future?
A Stuckist Net - you want in [mail]
Boycott Hollywood for Thanksgiving? [more Stuckist mail]
Where art thou Stuckists? Intel reveals share denial PC scheme | <urn:uuid:85c19174-6c63-4a98-b8d2-b562dc78a530> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/09/26/dell_computers_are_american_official/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939337 | 299 | 1.835938 | 2 |
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