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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) / 1 of 1: As our parents grow older many of us worry about them when we can't be with them, especially if they are living alone. But prevention can go a long way to prevent accidents and home hazards. 3 On Your Side's Jim Donovan takes a look at some products that can help keep the elderly a bit safer. Read More
And if your loved ones live alone, it's extremely important they remember to take their medication at the right time. Good Housekeeping found the Cadex Medication Reminder Watch ID can help people remember to take their medicine up to 12 times a day.
e-pill Medication Reminders is Boston based medical device company. Since 1999 e-pill timers, alarm watches, pill boxes with alarms and pill dispensers have helped patients around the world remember to take medications on time (improve medication adherence / patient compliance). | <urn:uuid:f912d8d6-5385-490f-bff1-4e01adb1c88c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.epill.com/3onyosielsa.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.938725 | 185 | 1.6875 | 2 |
Tulsa Youth Opera will reprise 'Brundibar'
BY JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer
Sunday, January 13, 2013
1/13/13 at 4:10 AM
Fifteen years ago, the Tulsa Youth Opera made its debut with a production of "Brundibar," a fable-like tale of good and evil.
The current incarnation of this ensemble, a project of Tulsa Opera's education and outreach programs, will reprise this work by Hans Krasa with two performances, Sunday and Jan. 20.
"This year is also the 70th anniversary of the opera itself," said Aaron Beck, Tulsa Opera's director of education and outreach. "It's such a historically significant piece, and one that people continue to relate to, that it seemed the logical thing to perform it for our 15th anniversary."
The production will feature the 35 members of the Tulsa Youth Opera, along with baritone Tim Petty as Brundibar. Stanley M. Garner, who has directed a number of Tulsa Opera productions including its 2011 "Norma," is the stage director. Beck will conduct the performance.
"We tend to keep the number of the group to around 35, although we've seen a great increase in the number of young singers wanting to audition," Beck said. "That way, we are increasing the level of ability that our ensemble has."
The Tulsa Youth Opera traditionally presents one major staged production a year. In addition to its weekly rehearsal, the group also takes part in master classes with visiting artists who provide insight into a professional singer's life.
"We realized that a lot of the students who go through our program don't intend to make a career out of music," Beck said. "But we've had a number of our students go on to study music at the college level, and we do want to do what we can to encourage and help those students."
The story of "Brundibar" resembles that of a fairy tale - two children must go to town to buy the milk their mother needs to get well. To raise the money needed, the brother and sister begin singing for coins, but an evil organ-grinder named Brundibar drowns them out so they can earn no money.
It's only with the help of the other children in the town that Brundibar is vanquished.
But the story about "Brundibar" is a tragic one. Composer Krasa and librettist Adolf Hoffmeister wrote the piece in 1938 as an allegory that Brundibar equated with Adolf Hitler.
It would not be until 1942 before the opera would be performed; by then, Krasa had been captured and sent to the Terezin camp in what is now the Czech Republic.
There, Krasa rewrote the opera from memory, adapting it for the few musical instruments available. It would be performed more than 50 times, including a special performance for the Red Cross that came to the camp to observe the conditions of the prisoners.
"Brundibar demonstrates how art can provide an outlet and escape for what troubles the human existence," Beck said. "Our young singers have been transformed by their experience with this work, and we hope our audience will too."
presented by Tulsa Youth Opera
When: 2 p.m. Sunday and Jan. 20
Where: Sunday performance at Lorton
Performance Center, 550 S. Gary Ave.;
Jan. 20 performance at Sherwin Miller
Museum of Jewish Art, 2021 E. 71st St.
James D. Watts Jr 918-581-8478
Tulsa Youth Opera members rehearse for performances of "Brundibar" set for Sunday and Jan. 20. CORY YOUNG/Tulsa World | <urn:uuid:5a223c22-3189-42e3-b26d-38aaae557191> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tulsaworld.com/site/printerfriendlystory.aspx?articleid=20130113_272_D3_ULNSus166050 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953275 | 793 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Tide turns against Wal-Mart
Sentiment against the retailer was late to arrive here, but has. Opponents give several reasons.
By DAN DEWITT
Published May 13, 2007
SPRING HILL - When Arline Erdrich rallied opposition against a proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter in 1999, her sanity and patriotism were questioned, and before one meeting, her life was threatened.
"Somebody called and said, 'You better watch out because we're going to have people there with guns, ' " said Erdrich, founder of the Coalition for Anti-Urban Sprawl and the Environment.
"Not only were people saying Wal-Mart was great, but that we were crazy. They said we were anti-American."
Eight years later, support for Wal-Mart in Hernando has waned and fighting it has gone mainstream. Dozens of residents attended a meeting on Wednesday, when the County Commission considered a plan to build what would have been Hernando's fourth supercenter, on Barclay Avenue near Spring Hill Drive.
All of the residents who spoke opposed the project. All of the commissioners voted against it.
Though opponents were careful to say they had nothing against Wal-Mart and commissioners said their votes were based on concerns about increased traffic and residents' safety, not everyone believes them.
The vote was clearly political, said Anna Liisa Covell, a member of the county Planning and Zoning Commission, which in April recommended approving the plan for the store. Its members agreed with county planners that the retailer had a clear right to build on the Barclay site.
"If this were a JCPenney or a Target store, I don't think it would have been a problem, " Covell said. "It's a nationwide thing that Wal-Mart is political poison."
'Greed gone berserk'
This trend was late to arrive in Hernando County.
In 1991, when the company announced plans to build its distribution center in Ridge Manor West, county Commissioner June Ester said: "I can't think of any negative impact at all."
The first supercenter on State Road 50 opened in 1996 with shoppers raving about the variety of merchandise. The Brooksville supercenter was approved without controversy in 2001, and members of the Coalition for Anti-Urban Sprawl and the Environment, which fought the plan to build the store on U.S. 19, were mostly coastal residents concerned about the loss of bear habitat.
Wal-Mart's declining public image is only one of several reasons for Wednesday's vote, Erdrich and others said.
The 185, 000-square-foot store planned for Barclay would have been across the street from the Pristine Place residential development and within 11/2 miles of 6, 600 residential lots, opponents said. Four schools, including Powell Middle School, are in the same area.
That contrasts with the store on U.S. 19, Erdrich said, which "was not impinging on people's property and their roads. It was not causing them any discomfort."
Also, as counties grow they usually become more selective about development, said Gary Schraut, a Brooksville real estate broker. While Hernando business leaders lobbied hard for the distribution center, he said, "the city of Winter Haven fought like hell to keep that out of their community. We were like, 'Hey, these might not be the best jobs in the world, but (Ridge Manor) doesn't have any jobs at all.' "
Now, on the west side of the county, residents are feeling the effect of a retail practice called "saturation marketing."
While supercenters were once built 15 miles apart or more, company policy now allows for new stores to be built as close as 2 miles from existing ones, the retailer has said.
Besides three supercenters, the company operates a Sam's Club wholesale outlet in Hernando, giving the county more stores per capita than any of its neighbors and one of the highest concentrations of Wal-Mart-owned stores in the state.
That is one of several legitimate reasons that political opinion has turned against the company, said Linda Prescott, who also fought the U.S. 19 store. Wal-Mart has been cited by the federal government for water pollution and hiring undocumented workers; it has been successfully sued for forcing employees to work off the clock.
Wal-Mart "epitomizes greed gone berserk, " Prescott said.
Wal-Mart cries foul
Such sentiments are unfair, company representatives have said, and have been spread by union-funded groups such as Wal-Mart Alliance for Reform Now, which supported residents in their fight against the store on Barclay.
And regardless of the commissioners' opinions about the company, they had no grounds to vote down plans for the Barclay store, Wal-Mart's lawyer, James Porter, said Wednesday. The land had been zoned for commercial use and is exempt from the county comprehensive plan because it was approved as part of a larger development in 1983, before the comp plan was written, Porter said.
Though the company has not decided whether to challenge the decision in court, spokeswoman Quenta Vettel said Friday, County Attorney Garth Coller said he expects a suit.
Wal-Mart has a good chance of winning, said Joe Mason, a Brooksville lawyer who handles land-use issues.
In a 1993 case - Snyder vs. the Brevard County Commission - a judge's ruling set standards for land-use decisions in Florida that have applied ever since, Mason said.
The ruling requires commissioners, like jurors, to base their decisions on information backed by documentation or expert witnesses - "competent, substantial evidence, " as the ruling calls it.
That does not include general concerns about safety mentioned by several commissioners, Mason said. Nor does it allow commissioners to "analyze things subjectively, " as Commissioner David Russell claimed before casting his vote Wednesday.
"Snyder says, 'Uh-uh. No way, ' " Mason said.
Will company sue?
Russell said he expects the company to sue, but hopes it won't.
He thinks that by challenging the county's decision, the company might add to the negative image that helped defeat the project.
If Wal-Mart pushes a store that was opposed by surrounding residents and voted down unanimously by commissioners, he said, "I think (a suit) could cause a problem for Wal-Mart."
Dan DeWitt can be reached at email@example.com or (352) 754-6116. | <urn:uuid:fd5d28d2-8a94-412f-bda0-bc9c7f2143ef> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sptimes.com/2007/05/13/news_pf/Hernando/Tide_turns_against_Wa.shtml | 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 | 0.980256 | 1,359 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Los Angeles, USA, 17 August 2011 – The GW Group produced a complement of special effects for Barnas Brannstasjon (Children’s Fire Station), the newest attraction at regional theme park Kongeparken, in Stavanger, Norway. Barnas Brannstasjon immerses children ages 4-9 in meaningful role-play while teaching principles of fire safety and teamwork in an authentic setting. The attraction opened for the 2011 season. It was completed on a budget of $2.75 million.
|The simulated fire|
“I was very pleased when Haakon Lund, proprietor of Kongeparken, asked me to contribute to this project,” says GW Group principal George Wiktor, who has been a story design consultant for Kongeparken and for Lund since the park opened about 15 years ago. “Haakon understands the family market. He has a clever and interesting way of creating attractions that blend entertainment, education and storytelling, and has built a successful business drawing about 350,000 annual visits. With Barnas Brannstasjon, Kongeparken has again set a brilliant example of how much can be accomplished on a modest budget with a resourceful team that cares about quality.”
|Young firefighting team|
|Sliding down the pole at the firehouse|
The 20-minute experience begins as a home fire safety briefing that quickly becomes an adventure when a fire emergency call is received and the young park visitors are enlisted to respond. They run across the bridge to the fire station, don firefighter jackets, slide down the pole and then board bright red trucks that rush them to the scene of a simulated fire. There, the children work as a team to pump the water, man the hoses and extinguish the fire. Their success earns them certificates of accomplishment and a home fire safety checklist (which can be submitted later for a gift from the attraction sponsor, a local insurance company).
|Young firefighter in training|
|Putting on their firefighter jackets|
Parents watch as their children take on their roles with gusto. “For the parents it’s powerful – even cathartic - to observe their children’s earnest participation,” says Wiktor. “The kids are very focused on the ‘grown-up’ tasks at hand.” Barnas Brannstasjon accommodates 30 children at a time.
GW Group’s main role was to design and deliver the lighting, smoke, fire and water effects that help make Barnas Brannstasjon feel authentic, and to provide a control system that would be robust and simple for park staff to operate and maintain. It was a cross-continental endeavor: GW Group designed the effects and control package in the US with creative technical partners Visual Terrain (Lisa Green and Steve Young), Kool Fog (Brian Rowe), Sigma Services and Alcorn McBride (Tommy Bridges). Wiktor traveled to Kongeparken to manage installation and commissioning of the system. The $2.75 million budget included everything except land costs; Kongeparken used its in-house resources for facility design, construction, fabrication, AV and purchasing, with Lund as project manager and Wiktor providing some additional consulting.
|Taking their jobs seriously|
Kongeparken (www.kongeparken.no) is a seasonal, family-owned and -operated theme park in Stavanger, Norway. Among the 50-odd attractions at Kongeparken are a chocolate factory, numerous rides and shows, and 4 different themed areas. The park’s signature characters are Bamsekongen, the king (“konge”), Brumle the mischievous bear and Brumle’s girlfriend Brumleline. Kongeparken re-opens in winter for a popular series of Christmas events for families. | <urn:uuid:17a27d4b-b2ca-42b5-a100-6ab25ecf611a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.georgewiktor.blogspot.com/2011_08_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933533 | 806 | 1.632813 | 2 |
beside a river; in the countryside
Characteristic of Ižakovci are ferrying and fishing.
Since 1992 there has been the reviving of the 'büjranje' or the regulation of the Mura river in a natural way, respectful to the river, so that the littoral enviroment could be carefully preserved. Ižakovci is especially famous for its Isle of Love, the setting of several local legends. It is also the setting of the annual 'büjraški dnevi', attracting those who love the unspoilt nature along the Mura river.
The floating mill on the Mura is intended to uphold the tradition of millinig, which used to be characteristic of the villages along the Mura.
The chapel of Ižakovci was built in 1906, and is dedicated to Our Lady of Mercy. | <urn:uuid:8a2df293-3585-493d-94e6-aa18308814a8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.slovenia.info/de/Orte/I%C5%BDAKOVCI.htm?_ctg_kraji=3236&lng=3 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955808 | 185 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Of Gods and Men
‘Of Gods’ a spiritual journey to the unknown
The air that “Of Gods and Men’’ breathes is so clean and so cold that it feels like a fresh beginning. The irony and the ecstasy of this beautifully shot, intensely affecting movie, however, is that the end is rapidly approaching for its characters, French Cistercian-Trappist monks caught up in the Algerian civil war of the 1990s. Xavier Beauvois’s film, a Grand Prix winner at Cannes last year, is a dramatic interpretation of actual events — some known, others guessed at — that could have been a foursquare tale of Christian martyrdom. Instead, it’s something stranger, deeper, and richer: an experience that takes us right up to the edge of human experience and peers into the unknown.
The monks have for years run a monastery-clinic in a mountain village, and the local Muslim villagers have come to rely on and love them. When “Of Gods and Men’’ opens, the area sits on the fault line between the guerrillas’ territory and government influence; a group of Croatian immigrant laborers is brutally murdered by Islamist rebels in one early scene. Both sides consider the brothers an active annoyance. Both sides, in fact, urge them to get the hell out. So why don’t they?
That debate — among the monks, within their souls, in the heads and hearts of the audience — unfolds during the first two-thirds of this exaltingly patient movie. The head of the monastery, Christian (Lambert Wilson, the Merovingian of the “Matrix’’ movies) is an austere man of spirit and intellect who studies the Koran and is fascinated with Islam — he wishes he could see it as God does. He announces to the local government minister that the monks won’t be going anywhere, which prompts a fiery response from some of the other brothers. “I didn’t come here to commit collective suicide,’’ insists the young Brother Christophe (Olivier Rabourdin).
Others are more circumspect. The aging Brother Luc runs the clinic and is the closest to the villagers; played by the great French character actor Michael Lonsdale, he’s the heart of the movie, a shambling old bear who has come too far to turn back. Brother Luc quotes Pascal at one point — “Men never do evil so cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction’’ — and he says it with no specific faith in mind and all of them.
At the same time, the film moves slowly toward the ecstatic freedom of pure love, as the monks come to understand that their presence is keeping the villagers from harm rather than the other way around. Each of the seven men occupies a different point on the graph, and so “Of Gods and Men’’ explores cowardice, bravery, faith, pride, foolhardiness, and profound despair. Brother Christophe enters a dark night of the soul, praying yet hearing nothing. Brother Célestin (Philippe Laudenbach) comes to terms with his fear. “Of Gods and Men’’ judges no one, not even the crude rebel warlord (Farid Larbi) who turns up demanding his wounded men be treated.
If you saw the transporting 2007 documentary “Into Great Silence,’’ you may be better prepared for the meditative pace of this movie. Beauvois and his gifted camerawoman, Caroline Champetier, follow the daily rituals of the monks, steeping us in the echoing sounds of bells and Gregorian chants, observing the minutiae of beekeeping; they ask us to slow it down until we can see and hear and feel. Like the best spiritual movies, of whatever faith, “Of Gods and Men’’ moves us toward a union with the infinite, and when we come to the monks’ last supper, the moment is staggeringly powerful.
Understanding they’ve been abandoned by the government, the brothers drink wine and listen to Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake.’’ The scene plays without dialogue and at daring length, the camera passing from one face to the other as each man looks into the abyss and feels simultaneous joy and sorrow. Their emotions and the scene as a whole build toward something much vaster than words. It may even occur to you that this is why religion was invented. That, and the movies. | <urn:uuid:99a1ef85-e647-4c39-bee0-77ffecacbc71> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2011/03/18/of_gods_and_men_a_spiritual_journey_to_the_unknown/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943716 | 951 | 1.617188 | 2 |
- In the Library with the Lead Pipe - http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org -
TAKE ACTION NOW! Becoming a Legislative Advocate for Libraries
Posted By Emily Ford On June 29, 2011 @ 2:03 pm In Uncategorized | Comments Disabled
If you work in a library, chances are you’ve seen or heard calls for you to become a library legislative advocate. You may have seen e-mails asking you to fill out a web form asking legislators to continue funding LSTA, or you may have recently seen e-mails about USA PATRIOT Act reforms. But why should librarians and library workers engage in legislative advocacy efforts? While I am by no means an expert on the topic of legislative advocacy, I have been moderately involved in advocacy work at the state and national level and it seems that I have some experience to impart to the library community. Many library colleagues have told me that they think advocacy work is difficult, or that they are intimidated by getting involved. I am also commonly asked whether advocacy efforts really make a difference.
The combination of the political climate after 9/11, librarians’ bold public actions to defend privacy and intellectual freedom rights, and some thoughtful mentoring from a colleague convinced me to become a librarian.
In 2002, my public library system, Multnomah County Library, filed a lawsuit against the United States of America on the basis that CIPA (Children’s Internet Protection Act) “…induces public libraries to violate their patrons’ First Amendment rights…and (2) it requires libraries to relinquish their First Amendment rights as a condition on the receipt of federal funds and is therefore impermissible under the doctrine of unconstitutional conditions” (p. 407).
A year later an FBI agent blamed “radical militant librarians” for his/her inability to use the USA PATRIOT Act to its full potential, which was big news in 2005 when this e-mail was released to the public.
Ross and Ciada (2005) describe library organizations’ reactions to the post 9/11 political climate: “To deal with the new informational and political landscapes, these organizations need both to inform their members and the community at large, as well as become more involved in the political and legislative processes that are responsible for enacting laws that could affect library services in the name of national security” (p. 108). They continue: “It is important, nevertheless, that the members of the library community in these difficult times have some sense of leadership and solidarity. In becoming active and involved, organizations such as the ALA are at the very least helping themselves to define and solidify their place and role in society” (p. 108).
Today’s libraries are founded on tenets of equity, freedom of information, and defending and advocating for the public’s rights and the public good. The library workers that uphold these everyday are my heroes.
Many kinds of public action articulate the value of libraries. Advocacy is defined as: “Public support for a course of action or way of doing things.” (Longman Dictionary). Due to its loose definition, library advocacy is therefore interpreted and practiced in a variety of ways. Numerous initiatives in the library world use the word advocacy to describe what they are doing and trying to accomplish. At our recently convened ALA Annual Conference, I saw a poster session by Emerging Leader groups that focused on teen services advocacy with local communities and Libraries Build Communities. Another example includes ALA President Molly Raphael’s advocacy initiative focused on empowering communities, and the list goes on. Legislative advocacy demonstrates our library/librarian values to lawmakers. This kind of advocacy usually includes communicating with elected officials via phone calls, in person visits, e-mails, and online action forms.
Here I aim to outline how to do it, why you should, and discuss some personal stories that I hope will help those who haven’t yet engaged in legislative advocacy. After you read this post I hope that you will include legislative advocacy in your professional routine.
Picture this: You receive an e-mail from one of your subscribed listservs asking you to TAKE ACTION NOW! to save the Statistical Compendia Branch of the US Census Bureau. You want to help, but you don’t know how, or you feel like you don’t know enough about the issue, or you don’t feel like you have time, or you might feel like TAKING ACTION NOW! might not really amount to anything. Well guess what? It’s a lot easier and than you think and your action can be meaningful. You don’t have to be an expert in an issue, and you don’t even have to know who your representatives and legislators are to make a difference
The first step is to read the e-mail or announcement and see what it says. If it’s an e-mail crafted by the ALA Washington Office it usually contains a concise summary of the issue, easy to read talking points that highlight library interest in the issue, and a link. You may not feel like this is not enough information to get involved and take that action. But it is enough. If you work in libraries you already know more about libraries than legislators. Similarly, legislators will know more about legislature than you will.
Next, you want to click on the link. It will take you to a web page with more information about the issue, and a space for your zip code. Read through the information given on this page, which usually provides another summary of the issue.
You’ll see on that page a place for you to enter your zip code. Click on Go! and the system will automatically forward your message to your representative. You’ll see in the screenshot below that your state representative’s name is filled in based on your zip code, as is a message about the Statistical Compendia Branch. You are free to modify the message, but you are also free to trust that the ALA Washington Office is representing library interests based on the information you read in your e-mail.
Next you’ll need to fill in your name and address information and click Send. That’s all there is to it. You have just advocated for libraries.
Of course there are some variations on this practice. Sometimes your action alert will ask you to call your legislators. Usually this is because action is needed in a very timely manner in Congress. E-mails take a while to filter through the system and make it to a congress person’s legislative aide. Calls are more effective on issues that are happening that day. Calls can be more intimidating if you’ve never done conducted an advocacy phone call before. But you are prepared. You have read your action alert and the web page should provide you instructions on what to say.
But what if I call and they ask a question I can’t answer? Simple. Say you don’t know, offer to find out, and ask what is the best way to follow-up with a response.
When you call you will talk to an intern at the reception desk of the legislator’s office. They will usually just make a tick mark on a sheet that tracks consitutents’ calls and legislative issues. You may ask to speak to the staff person in charge of education or telecommunications or whatever your issue concerns. Usually you will get their voice mail. You may also choose to call after 3 pm Pacific Time and you will usually just get the voicemail – a simple way to make that call but not have to worry about feeling intimidated.
There are also other ways to participate in legislative advocacy for libraries. You can participate in organized days where you visit your local legislators or participate in National Library Legislative Day (NLLD). Organized events are a great way to get your feet wet advocating for libraries. Typically these days have briefing sessions that help prepare you for conversations with your representatives. Moreover, you can visit with a legislator or a legislative aide with more than one person. For these situations it is good for representatives to see more than one face, and having your friends beside you might ease any anxiety that you might be feeling. It is also perfectly okay for you to tell a representative or an aide that you have never made an office visit before; they will most likely understand and help you with the process.
One thing that may help you feel more comfortable is that universally nobody hates libraries. During National Library Legislative Day 2011 briefings, this was stressed not only by ALA Washington Office staff, but also by panelists who have previously worked as congressional staff. To read a bit more about the information in the briefings and my office visits at this year’s NLLD, check out the blog post I wrote for the Oregon chapter of ACRL.
A question I’ve heard numerous times when I’ve been asked about legislative advocacy is: How do I know that my efforts work? Is it worth my time and effort? In my experience, yes.
As part of the Oregon delegation for NLLD, we met with our representatives, senators, and/or their staffers. During our meeting with Representative Earl Blumenauer’s (D-OR, District 3) Legislative Aide, we asked that Representative Blumenauer sign onto a dear colleague letter showing his support for LSTA funding. A few days later we received an e-mail from his legislative aide indicating that he had signed the letter. Signing a dear colleague letter is an official proclamation of a representative’s intention to support and vote a certain way when it comes to Congress. These letters are official documentation, and are part of the congressional record. In addition to the letters formalizing a person’s support of a piece of legislation, they are also used as peer pressure tools. (If your friends jumped off of a cliff, would you do it too?)
But what about those web forms? In my experience, each time I’ve used a web form from an Action Alert or contacted a legislator online, I have received an e-mail response a few weeks later. Take, for instance, the following letter I received from Ron Wyden, an Oregon Senator:
Another recent experience was at Oregon’s Library Legislative Day at the state capitol in Salem, OR. I met with my Senator, who indicated to me that he was “happy to be meeting with a constituent.” He mentioned that he rarely meets people in his office from his district and that he had spent the past few days speaking only with lobbyists. He was glad I was there. To me this was an eye-opening experience. Representatives in our state and federal legislatures want to hear from us, but how often do they really get a chance to hear from us? This one passing comment will stick with me for the rest of my life as I work as a library legislative advocate. I know that by showing my face, using my one voice (or my e-mail), I can impact and work to improve support for libraries and legislation at the state and federal level that effect libraries. One of the issues we were discussing with Oregon legislators this year, was to retain Oregon libraries as exempt from mandatory sharing of certain public records (such as patron records). This law went under review as SB 41 (.doc), and this same legislator was on the committee that was hearing the bill! Because he was on this committee, he asked if he could contact me if he needed more information in a timely manner to make a case for libraries. Fortunately, libraries had a lot of support around the issue, and he did not need to find out more information to make a strong argument to his colleagues. This situation made me feel like I did have expertise to share with my senator, and that he was willing to listen to my perspective and what was important to me as a professional and as an individual.
There are so many issue bombarding our legislative representatives, that it is really easy to miss issues that impact libraries. We can’t assume that even though our representatives might be library friendly, that they will know what is important to us. We have to tell them. More than once.
A large part of being a successful advocate is being informed. Be informed about what is hot on Capitol Hill, and what is happening in your state. You are already a library expert because you work in one. But how do you keep track all of knowing when to call? who to call? There’s an app for that. The Sunlight Foundation has developed iPhone and Android apps that help you track the activity in congress. These apps let you look up representatives and clearly list that representative’s committee appointments. These apps will also let you know what public hearings are scheduled and what committee will be hearing them. Moreover, the Sunlight Foundation has numerous projects and labs that may help you with legislative advocacy work.
There are also numerous other tools. The ALA Washington Office publishes the District Dispatch blog, which, with timely posts and e-mails, lets us know when the time is right. The Washington Office also recently announced a Twitter feed that will help broadcast issues as they are happening. You might also consider following web sites such ask GovTrack.us or the National Conference of State Legislatures to help you find out what is happening legislatively.
In addition to information about what is happening and when, you need something else. You need a good story backed with solid evidence. When it comes to advocacy your expert library knowledge–combined with good, relevant stories– is power. For example, in Oregon we are dealing with an abysmal number of school librarians. They are quite rare. But I’m an academic librarian. What is my story when I talk to legislators about how important it is to have school librarians in K-12 education? I talk about the transliteracy skills I see in students when I teach and when I help them at the reference desk. It is always apparent to me when new university students have had a librarian in their schooling and when they haven’t. According to the School Library Data compiled by the Oregon State Library, of the over 1300 public schools in Oregon, the state only has 304 FTE school librarians. This is inadequate and it is dooming students to struggle when they reach college. Everyday I encounter students who don’t have basic library and research skills. I can talk about these basic skills, such as using an index and creating citations, and the message really hits home with legislators.
If you’re running advocacy for a group, you can use Capwiz, a piece of software that makes embedding an advocacy widget easy. You can customize the widget with a message that you want your group to send to representatives, and it enables individuals to target their own state representatives. The Oregon Library Association’s Library Legislative and Development Committee uses this tool.
Advocacy Toolkits are another source that will help you run advocacy initiatives in your community, and/or will provide information about how to be a successful legislative advocate. The Advocating in a Tough Economy Toolkit includes a section on working with legislators, and the ALA Washington Office offers free webcasts and trainings on advocacy a few times a year.
First and foremost, if you advocate for libraries to be better funded, you will have better chances of keeping your job, your program, your building, your office, an increase in salary, etc. If you show the good work you can accomplish, you’ll get to do more of it. In fact, ALA Executive Director, Keith Michael Fiels, referred to the Capwiz advocacy tool as a major accomplishment for ALA. During an ALA Executive Board meeting last Friday (6/24/2011), he lauded Capwiz for being the tool that has saved libraries so much money (in that Congress hears us and keeps us funded) that we have saved 15,000 jobs. That is, library advocates using the Capwiz tool via Action Alerts, have saved 15,000 jobs. How? By using advocacy techniques the library community was able to continue funding libraries through LSTA.
Congress and the public fund services that they feel are valuable. If you can work to articulate the value of libraries in a meaningful way to Congress, your city or county government officials, and your service community, you will have more support. I should also note that advocacy is an iterative process. A continual advocacy dialog is needed in order to fertilize and grow support for libraries in your community.
These days we get so inundated with the day-to-day practicalities of our jobs, that we are in danger of losing the big picture. Everyday librarians and library workers create and implement programs, write book reviews, teach library instruction sessions, provide reference services and access points, etc. Engaging in advocacy is a way to step back from these practicalities and to think about the larger role that libraries play in our communities and our society.
For me it is very fulfilling to know that I’m part of the bigger picture, that I’m part of the system that continues to provide equity in society, that my work contributes to the public good, and that my job and my position as a librarian is still relevant to why I entered the profession.
A representative government does not and will not work without public input. As my experience at the state legislature in Oregon shows, not enough people participate. It is BIG LOUD AND VISIBLE PUBLIC ACTION that gets things done. It is what librarians like fellow Lead Piper Brett is trying to achieve by boycotting Harper Collins. It is what happened when there was a bus strike in the South during Rosa Parks’ and Marin Luther King Junior’s time. Without collective public action, without the many tens of thousands of voices our chances of being heard are small. ALA alone has over 60,000 members, and that is not every librarian or library worker out there. What could over 60,000 people accomplish for libraries if everyone participated? That is why you should do it. If you don’t, it’s like saying you don’t believe in representative democracy.
As I’ve discussed in this post, legislative advocacy for libraries by library workers is important, and doesn’t happen enough. However, there are numerous things that you can do to get involved in legislative advocacy for libraries.
Start reading advocacy messages you receive via e-mail, or Facebook, or Twitter and contact your legislators. If you’re a member of state or regional organization that performs advocacy work, get involved with your local committee. See if your organization can make use of Capwiz by partnering with ALA. Download an app to your smart phone, or visit a web site that tracks legislative issues to educate yourself about what’s happening that might affect libraries. And finally, encourage all of your colleagues to join us in advocating in libraries. The more advocates we have, the more successful our libraries and profession becomes.
A big thank you to Kim Leeder who sat with me to brainstorm this post during a bout of writer’s block at ALA Annual, to Hilary Davis and Leigh Anne Vrabel for contributing editorial remarks, and to Janet Webster, Oregon’s number one library advocate, for feedback on this post.
Abramson, L. (2005). The Secret Court of Terror Investigations.
American Library Association Inc. v. United States, et al; Multnomah County Public Library, et al v. United States of America, et al. Nos. CIV.A. 01-1303, CIV.A. 01-1322. 201 F. Supp. 2d 401 (E.D. Penn. May 31, 2002). Retrieved 6/21/2011 from http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=17607118420466359814
Ford, E. (2011). Report on National Library Legislative Day. ACRL Oregon/OLA Academic Division Blog. June 1, 2011. Access June 24, 2011 from http://acrloregon.org/2011/06/01/report-on-national-library-legislative-day-2011/
McLane, M. (2011). Library Advocacy and the College Librarian. College & Undergraduate Libraries, 18(1), 128-131.
Ross, A. & Ciada, N. (2005). Action and Reaction: Libraries in the post 9/11 environment. Library and Information Science Research, 27. 97-114.
Webster, J. ed. (1997). Political Action. OLA Quarterly 2(4). Retrieved June 24, 2011 from http://data.memberclicks.com/site/ola/olaq_2no4.pdf
Wood, D. (2011). 2011 Emerging Leaders Develop National Libraries Build Communities Program. American Libraries ALA Student Membership Blog.
Article printed from In the Library with the Lead Pipe: http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org
URL to article: http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2011/take-action-now/
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License. | <urn:uuid:444b8130-f349-4da5-911f-591867dd4909> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2011/take-action-now/print/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959047 | 4,417 | 1.820313 | 2 |
I came up stairs into the world, for I was born in a cellar.3
Love for Love. Act ii. Sc. 7.
Note 1. When the poem of Cadenus and Vanessa was the general topic of conversation, some one said, Surely that Vanessa must be an extraordinary woman that could inspire the Dean to write so finely upon her. Mrs. Johnson smiled, and answered that she thought that point not quite so clear; for it was well known the Dean could write finely upon a broomstick.Samuel Johnson: Life of Swift. [back]
Note 2. We shall find no fiend in hell can match the fury of a disappointed woman.Colley Cibber: Loves Last Shift, act iv. [back] | <urn:uuid:6709d7a9-6032-4f1f-854f-7190accd3f2c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bartleby.net/100/pages/page294.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961821 | 154 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Spotlight for Career Services Professionals, January 18, 2012
by Gary Alan Miller
The days of counselors and students being forced to be in the same room to interact are long gone. Tech tools that support distance engagement are abundant, inexpensive, and easy to use. That is not to say that the interactions are identical. But, rather, we now have the ability to extend and supplement our existing services with those that allow for physical separation.
Of course, there have always been telephone appointments. So, the idea of interacting from a distance isn’t new. However, many tools now available can get us closer to that in-person experience so valued in our profession. Video calls are a good example, as they allow the counselor to see body language, thus affording a deeper connection with the client.
Screen sharing is also a powerful mechanism for interacting with students from a distance, and there are many free tools to support that process. Jeff Sackaroff, associate director at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, uses the join.me platform to share his screen with his clients, noting that he can give them a URL from the join.me application and instantly show them something like how to find a specific resource rather than having to describe it.
Applications that allow for screen sharing can also support a webinar-type experience. Linda Conklin, in alumni career services at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, sponsors monthly teleconferences, and recently began using screen-sharing technology to enhance the teleconference experience with visuals.
Mallory Bower, of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, says this semester the career center began supplementing its e-mail resume critiques with a screen-capture system that allows for a more robust and dynamic review. She notes that she and her colleagues are using a web-based tool that allows them to scroll through a students’ resume while capturing video and voice commentary.
Ultimately, career centers can use these and other technologies to help students achieve their career development goals in ways that supplement the in-person counseling experience and extend the footprint of the career center.
Gary Alan Miller is the assistant director for social media and innovation with university career services at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can follow him on Twitter at @garyalanmiller. | <urn:uuid:a8f1957b-99cc-4716-ab4b-d10b15ba2d43> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.naceweb.org/s01182012/distance-counseling-technology/?referal=knowledgecenter&menuid=12 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957584 | 475 | 1.5625 | 2 |
I recently moved to OS X from Windows 7. In Windows, pretty much everything gets installed to
C:\Program Files\[application name] or
C:\[application name]. In OS X
/Applications seems to be roughly equivalent to
C:\Program Files for all the consumer apps that I use.
But when it comes to a 'linux too' application (e.g. Python, Postgres, Node JS to name just a few) they seem to get installed all over the place. Only after spending a few minutes guessing and using
find did I discover that Postgres executables were installed to
/Library/PostgreSQL/9.1/bin/, v8 and Node were in
/usr/local/bin. Often times these differ to the equivalent paths that I see Linux users refer to.
Is there a better way to discover where my apps are being installed than by having to use
find each time? Shouldn't I be able to predict it with rules of thumb something like 'all database apps should go in
/Library' so that's where I know to look for postgres, and 'all compilers and languages go in
/usr/local/bin' so that's where I know to look for v8 after it's installed? | <urn:uuid:fd757708-f2df-4fa1-b17b-025ef4ca2ae8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/51406/is-there-a-default-location-for-linux-too-applications | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95321 | 263 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Siberian husky Gringo wouldn't stop jumping when Leslie Fields brought out the harness.
Gringo's team member, Reeses, stood patiently in the lead. And Dolly, who does not respond well to commands and likes to follow, got the middle.
These three huskies waited on the gang line Fields attached to a dog sled in the partially snow-covered playground at the Community Preschool, which is housed in First Baptist Church.
"As you can tell, they're very excited about this. They get excited about being sled dogs," said Fields, who owns Neversummer Sled Dogs and Westside Feed in Loveland.
Fields showed three preschool classes the equipment she uses and described the roles of the dogs in her sled team, with the assistance of Anne Midkiff, who she is mentoring. A dog sled team consists of work dogs that pull a sled over snow or ice.
The equipment Fields brought included a snow hook to anchor the sled at a stopping point and a gang line for a team of eight dogs that is attached to the sled by their harnesses. She demonstrated how she uses the sled to store an axe for cutting watering holes and building fires, a camp stove, food for her and the dogs, a head lap and extra clothing for her and extra harnesses and snow booties for the dogs.
"The dogs are trained to respond to voice command," said Fields, who has been sledding for more than 30 years and races in Colorado, elsewhere in the United States and Russia.
Fields put Reeses in front because he is the smartest dog, while the strongest dog, Gringo, got placed directly in front of the sled. She next placed booties on Dolly's paws to demonstrate how to protect them from snow and ice, but Dolly kept lifting up her legs, trying to fling them off.
At the ready, Fields told the dogs on her team, "Hike up. Let's go," and off they ran, pulling Ed Leidig, a parent of one of the preschoolers, to the other end of the playground.
"They're a lot stronger than they look," Leidig said. "I'm ready to get a sled."
The students split into groups to rotate through two stations. They took turns standing on the foot boards and applying the manual claw brake, experiencing what it feels like to be a musher, the person who directs the dog sled team.
In the second station, they petted Gringo, Reeses and Dolly, all Siberian.
"We were doing good, and they were being a good boy and girls like us," said 5-year-old Colin Kieber (actually, Gringo and Reeses are males and Dolly is female).
Makenna Custer, also 5, said, "I like the dogs because they are my favorite animals."
Preschool teacher Jodie Hamilton said she liked the hands-on learning her students experienced.
"I thought it was a great fun learning experience for the kids," Hamilton said.
Shelley Widhalm can be reached at 669-5050, ext. 531, or email@example.com. Follow her on Twitter: @ShelleyWidhalm. | <urn:uuid:ad7f21be-33cd-4fa4-9b83-7a62dde76a99> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.reporterherald.com/news/education/ci_22388330/loveland-preschoolers-get-rundown-sled-dogs?source=most_emailed | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973802 | 692 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Tom Big Al Schreiter | story telling | subconscious mind
Tom BiG Al Schreiter is a master story teller. He recognizes this as the key factor to building his large mlm organization and firing his boss.
It took Tom Big Al Schreiter nearly two years to realize he was not equipped to talk to the subconscious mind. You see he realized he had to by pass his client’s negative programming before they would even look at his opportunity.
Doing this required a new set of skills. His engineering skills were not adequate to communicate with the subconscious mind.
So it was learn a new set of skills or go back to being an engineer?
Tom Big Al Schreiter worked on telling stories.
Because telling stories unleashes a program in your subconscious mind which says “I want to hear this story and I must listen it to the end”.
It is a perfect way to get your client’s attention.
Here is an example of how you can captivate your client’s attention prior to doing your mlm presentation. Of course you have built rapport and I am assuming your client knows you well enough to have asked you for more information about what you do or have to offer.
Before I show you how this works, let me tell you what happened to me. I was tired and burnt out as a teacher. Those kids were just too much these days. I had to change careers. So I I decided to begin a home based business. This gave me the flexibility to work around my kid’s need. It also provided me with the opportunity to live out my dreams.
Your client is drawn into the above story, they will see themselves in the story. As soon as you say let me tell you what happened to me the subconscious programming of somebody is telling a story I must focus and listen kicks in. They just have to hear the story to the end.
As a society we have been brought up on stories from the day we were born. Once upon a time story telling through pictures was a way of recording major events.
So when you present your information the above example allows your client to focus and be looking for how working from home can provide them with the flexibility of being around their family and realizing their dreams.
You have prepared them to being receptive about your presentation.
Have fun with it, write out a variety of scenarios and test how effective this is!
Before I show you how this works, let me tell you what happened to me.
- I was stressed and tired of working for a boss to make him rich. So I decided to look for a way to be my own boss.
- I was over worked and under paid in my regular job so I found a way to work part time and earn a full time income.
- I wanted to earn an extra paycheck to pay for my children’s expensive education. So I started up a home based business.
- I wanted to enjoy my time and not be caught up in a five day nine to five grind.
- I wanted to stop wasting time commuting two hours a day to work. I would be more productive by working from home.
If you want to get a head start, read about the secret language your clients have in this free ebook. It begins on page 59. | <urn:uuid:e7f9b752-7b29-4743-86c4-ee069a5562b1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://loddymicucci.com/tom-big-al-schreiter-story-telling-subconscious-mind/ | 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 | 0.982355 | 685 | 1.59375 | 2 |
I am starting to develop apps for iPhone. There is 1 specific app that I'd like to develop, but Apple will for sure reject it, so I want to do it for Cydia, cause I think it is just useful.
I'm trying to figure out how to use Theos and XCode to create my app, but I can't understand anything. I would be very glad if some of you could help me with this.
I have already installed Theos, and the header-dump scripts from Conor Burgess, but I just don't know how to start doint anything. How should I use XCode and Interface Builder with Theos to create my app? I have a mac, so I don't need any toolchain to develop on Windows. I also have my iPhone jailbroken, and I have been able to try on the iPhone some apps I had developed on XCode.
Which steps should I follow? I mean, if some of you is used to develop apps for cydia, what do you do? You create a new template with Theos, and then open your .mm file in XCode and create the .xib file?? Then when you are done, you compile it with XCode? Should I use ldid? Is there any guide for n00bs developers?
I have seen the templates Theos creates, and I think I need the Application one, cause I need some user interface, but maybe I'll need tweak too... There is not much info about it, I am just lost...
Thank you all very much in advance! Best regards! | <urn:uuid:83abcbf6-eae4-45c6-b135-f0a8b3228191> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://stackoverflow.com/questions/6788207/how-to-develop-an-app-for-cydia-and-jailbroken-iphones | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972033 | 326 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Three Gastonia residents who attend Virginia Military Institute are set to shine their shoes, polish their battle rifles and march in precise timing throughout President Barack Obama’s inaugural parade on Jan. 21 in Washington, D.C.
Alex Grant, Paige Laugisch, and Samuel Cain, all of Gastonia are excited about the opportunity as they join 1,500 of their peers in saluting the newly-inaugurated Commander in Chief.
The three students have been friends for years and say the event marks a rare opportunity to participate in American history. They’ll dress in gray uniforms with red capes and wool coats as rifles rest on their shoulders. The firearms are special and symbolic, having once been used by U.S. armed forces in Vietnam and Korea.
“It’s a pretty big opportunity. You’re going to Washington to march for the president, no matter who he is,” said Cain. “I think it’s a pretty neat opportunity just to go up there and do it.”
The students practice marching in time each day at VMI in Lexington, Va., and are ready for the task before them. Everything from their posture to physical movements must be perfecting in tune.
“It will be nothing short of a long day. They’ll put us on buses, we’ll go up there, we’ll stay at the buses until it’s our time to march,” said Cain. “And we’ll have that 15 minutes where we march and back on the bus and come home.”
Grant, Cain and Laugisch hope to see the inauguration ceremony at the U.S. Capitol. They anticipate perhaps spotting dignitaries in town to congratulate Obama.
“I am excited. It’s going to be probably pretty hectic but I’m excited to be part of history,” said Grant. “I’m excited to march in it, just to see what it’s like.”
Gazette reporter Wade Allen can be reached at 704-869-1828; twitter.com/gazettewade. | <urn:uuid:b0b5d743-3f5c-4598-94f9-b3682fb2b565> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gastongazette.com/gaston-students-to-march-for-obama-inauguration-1.78253 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955313 | 458 | 1.640625 | 2 |
The League of Women Voters in Chautauqua County recently presented a program concerning the upcoming presidential elections and voter access in many states. Dr. David Rankin, professor of political science at SUNY Fredonia, spoke on the topic: "Voter Rights: Are they at risk?" following a luncheon at the White Inn, Fredonia. Pictured, from left, are program co-chair Inez Krohn, Rankin and Marcia Merrins, management team.
OBSERVER Photo by Matt Panebianco | <urn:uuid:da1deda7-2572-4bb0-8d0d-68aa2b78406c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.observertoday.com/page/content.detail/id/576204/Professor-speaks-on-voter-rights.html?nav=5053 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932397 | 110 | 1.601563 | 2 |
The Sierra Institute presents an educational experience that complements academics with hands-on learning. For students who want to do a portion of their college work in the company of rivers and mountains, we offer:
- High academic standards and quality of instruction associated with the University of California system (up to 15 units)
- Personal discovery through extended time in nature and international cultures
- A relationship to the earth deepened by living in the wild
- Fun and growth of a small community experience
Attend a Free Information Session
Thursday, April 25
Hunt Hall, Room 142
Choose from two sessions: 12:10-12:30 and 4:10-4:30
Come meet past students and staff at one of two Free Information Sessions on April 25. This is a great opportunity to learn more about these unique programs.
For almost 40 years, the Sierra Institute has offered interdisciplinary environmental studies programs to undergraduates from around the country. We were bold and innovative in our origin, and remain so today. | <urn:uuid:c11e5833-84ae-45f6-9a6a-cb4fc63f2cc1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://extension.ucdavis.edu/unit/sierra_institute/index.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941907 | 206 | 1.640625 | 2 |
My mom sent me this this AM and I thought it was worth sharing... and something I'm trying to take to heart.
A young lady confidently walked around the room while leading and explaining stress management to an audience; with a raised glass of water, and everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, 'half empty or half full?'..... she fooled them all... "How heavy is this glass of water?", she inquired with a smile.
Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.
She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."
She continued, "and that's the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."
"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden - holding stress longer and better each time practiced.
So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night... pick them up tomorrow.
Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment. Relax, pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy it and the now 'supposed' stress that you've conquered!" | <urn:uuid:eb8d9314-391e-4b61-85b8-e65b91d8635b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://legallyfabulous.blogspot.com/2011/04/stress.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973182 | 367 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Incentive regulation is not a cure-all for the continuing controversy over return on equity.
Regulated utilities are all too familiar with the contentious disputes that surround how the allowed return on equity (ROE) is set in a traditional cost-of-service setting. These disputes, which are reappearing as numerous utility rate-stabilization plans signed as part of deregulation come to an end, are likely to hinge, as always, on the riskiness of utility operating environments.
Moreover, there will likely be the usual disputes surrounding appropriate empirical methods (e.g., discounted cash flow, capital asset pricing model, etc.), the assumptions that underlie those methods (e.g., earnings growth rates, risk premiums, etc.), and appropriate capital structures that balance the lower cost of debt with the higher financial risk of greater leverage. Incentive regulation has sometimes been regarded as a cure-all for these ROE woes, meaning the controversy over what ought to be the utility's ROE will go away. Not hardly.
Within the context of any incentive regulation scheme, establishing an initial, or baseline, allowed ROE is still critical. What changes, however, is how that initial ROE value is used. For example, in a typical price-cap system, a utility's ROE may not be set explicitly. Instead, once the price cap is established,1 the utility is free to earn as much as possible as long as it maintains prescribed operational and service-quality attributes. But in establishing the price cap itself, a baseline ROE must be defined as part of the utility's cost of service. The question is, how should this initial ROE value be set: Should it be higher, lower, or the same as a correctly set ROE under cost-of-service regulation? The answer depends on a number of factors, all of which boil down to the risk a utility faces under an incentive regulation scheme vis-à-vis a traditional cost-of-service regime.2
Risk Comparable to What?
Since the Supreme Court's 1923 decision in , later affirmed in the court's 1944 decision, the basis for establishing ROE has been "corresponding risk." The court in wanted to know whether the return established was equivalent to other firms having corresponding, or comparable, risk to the utility. Although the analytical tools used to determine comparable returns have mushroomed in the 60 years since (as have the controversies surrounding those methods),3 the basic goal has remained a "just and reasonable" ROE.
Under traditional cost-of-service (COS) regulation, a utility's actual cost of service will be determined, in part, by its allowed ROE. In Figure 1 (see p. 21), this is shown as the dashed horizontal line, with the ROE set to ROE0. The actual ROE can differ, of course, declining if the utility's cost of service is higher than expected and increasing if the cost of service is lower than expected. A utility's cost of service subsequently will be adjusted to re-establish an ROE that is consistent with the expected return of investments having similar risk, even though some regulators have mistakenly interpreted this ROE as an absolute ceiling on return, rather than an expected value.4
Under incentive regulation (IR), like traditional COS regulation, a utility's realized ROE will depend on its after-the-fact costs. But, unlike COS regulation, earned ROE also depends on the parameters of the incentive mechanism. Specifically, a utility's actual ROE will depend on its baseline costs and how that baseline is set initially to provide the utility with economic incentives to increase its productivity. This differs from COS regulation because, unlike COS regulation, the allocation of above-normal earnings is not explicitly defined.
In Figure 1, the dashed horizontal line reflects COS regulation: the utility is allowed to earn the expected ROE on its prudent investments. The shaded area in Figure 1 refers to earnings under a price cap: relative to the cost of equity the utility could earn under traditional COS regulation, its ROE could fall anywhere within the shaded area. The horizontal portion of the area corresponds to a "dead band," outside of which the utility's earnings can be adjusted to account for normal variation in operation costs. As drawn, therefore, the utility's realized return on equity in the deadband could be either higher, lower, or the same as under traditional COS regulation. The question, therefore, is what objective measures would allow regulators to set the return on equity in that range?
Implicitly or explicitly, a utility's cost of service will establish the baseline ROE in the dead band. Assuming that this return is set consistent with the "comparable risk" standard established in , the answer lies with comparing the utility's risk profile under incentive regulation with its risk profile under traditional COS regulation. This risk profile will depend on a number of factors, including the structure of the market the utility operates within, the structure of the incentive scheme, and the certainty of the incentive scheme. It is important to address the incremental risk associated with IR, since a changing market structure would require adjusting ROE even under COS regulation.
Market structure can affect a utility's comparable business and financial risk by changing the shape and volatility of the supply and demand curves that determine earnings and ROE. For example, a distribution-only utility operating in an environment with retail competition probably faces a different risk-reward structure than a traditional, vertically integrated utility in an unrestructured market.5 The distribution utility's regulatory obligations, such as serving as a provider of last resort and maintaining specific reliability criteria, also will affect its business and financial risk profile. Moreover, its risk profile may be affected by broader federal, regional, or state issues, including FERC-mandated transmission pricing systems, the financial stability of unregulated generation providers (a lá Enron), and the relative economic health of its service area.
The volatility of supply and demand reflects the difference between movements along a supply or demand curve (referred to as changes in the quantity demanded or supplied) versus shifts in the curves themselves. Lowering the price of electricity increases the quantity of electricity demanded by consumers; enticing consumers to purchase home computers for Internet "surfing" increases the demand for electricity at any given price. A vertically integrated utility operating in a closed market faces competition from other providers of energy services (, space and water heat), as well as distributed generation and demand-side management providers. However, the supply and demand curves for electricity and distribution services are complementary: The utility's electricity supply decisions that increase (decrease) the embedded prices it charges will decrease (increase) the quantity of electricity demanded and decrease (increase) the demand for distribution services. How these variations are reflected in earnings will determine the volatility of the utility's earnings under COS and incentive regulation.
The structure of the incentive regulation scheme itself affects risk. A utility that operates under an earnings-sharing mechanism coupled with a price cap will confront a different set of risks than one operating under a revenue cap. Clearly, any incentive scheme that adversely affects a utility's earnings by treating gains and losses asymmetrically will magnify the utility's business and financial risk relative to a symmetric risk sharing that has the same expected return. This will increase the utility's cost of capital and ultimately increase costs to ratepayers.
Additionally, the regulatory incentive structure should be based on the market(s) within which the utility operates. For example, a stand-alone local distribution company faces a different set of financial risks than does a stand-alone transmission company, and both face different financial risks than a vertically integrated utility. Moreover, the ability of a distribution-only company to increase productivity (the so-called "X-factor" in many price cap schemes) will likely differ from opportunities for a vertically integrated utility to increase its productivity. Thus, the X-factor itself will affect earnings risk.
Finally, a utility that increases its realized ROE under incentive regulation should not have the incentive system revised simply to ratchet down profits; nor should a utility whose realized ROE declines necessarily have the reins loosened. Any incentive scheme requires time for both the utility and its regulators to adjust. Assuming the incentive regulation scheme is neither toothless nor draconian, financial markets will require some time to evaluate the new risk profile faced by the utility. Impatient regulators who adjust a utility's incentive plan after the first higher earnings report, especially in ways that "raise the bar" for the utility, may be interpreted by financial markets as creating additional financial risk and, just as with asymmetric incentive schemes, ultimately harm ratepayers by increasing the cost of capital.
The net effect of these three factors will be to introduce additional volatility into earnings and realized ROE. This is shown in Figure 2 for both traditional COS regulation and incentive regulation. In both cases, ROE increases as earnings increase. Depending on the vagaries of weather, fuel costs, and other factors affecting supply and demand, there will be a probability distribution associated with the utility's earnings and its realized ROE.
If earnings are capped under traditional COS regulation, as shown on the left-hand side of Figure 2, then the probability distribution of ROE also will be truncated. On the right-hand side of Figure 2, the probability distribution of earnings depends on the symmetry of returns under the IR scheme: If up-side profits are shared with consumers to a greater degree than down-side costs, the IR scheme will be asymmetric, and the probability distribution of earnings will be skewed downward. Figure 3 compares two distributions of realized ROE directly. As drawn, the expected ROE under COS regulation, ECOS, is less than the expected ROE under incentive regulation, EIR. The actual volatility of ROE under incentive regulation, however, is greater than the volatility under COS regulation, as measured by the overall "spread" of the probability distributions. This risk-return relationship can hold the key to setting a baseline ROE under an incentive regulation scheme.
Measuring Risk vs. Reward
When a baseline ROE is set by regulators, whether under COS or incentive regulation, little attention may be paid to the likely volatility of the realized ROE that will result. Instead, weighing the usual empirical and anecdotal evidence presented by cost-of-capital witnesses like myself, the utility regulator determines an allowed ROE that supposedly provides investors with an expected return that is similar to other firms having the same overall risk.
To truly determine where a utility's baseline ROE should be set under incentive regulation, however, it is critical to evaluate earnings volatility relative to traditional COS regulation. This requires several steps. First, earnings volatility is evaluated under COS regulation. This fairly straightforward exercise can be accomplished by constructing a utility income model that first identifies the factors having the largest impacts on earnings (, fuel prices, weather, etc.) and then randomizes those factors to create an overall probability distribution of earnings and ROE6. The utility should determine annual earnings variability over the proposed lifetime of the IR scheme, and also examine the overall probability distribution of the present value of those earnings, based on the utility's current discount rate.
Next, the same exercise can be performed for the proposed incentive regulation scheme. Although measuring ROE volatility associated with the incentive regulation will be less straightforward, as it will depend on the structure of that incentive regulation scheme, an income model tied to the incentive structure can be constructed. For example, suppose the proposed incentive regulation scheme is a price cap with earnings sharing. The utility's ROE will depend on random factors, but also its effectiveness in reducing costs and the specific sharing percentages between customers and shareholders. A given price plus sharing proposal will result in a probability distribution of realized ROE, just as under COS regulation.
The next step is to compare the two probability distributions in order to assess the risk-return tradeoffs for each regulatory scheme, as well as determine whether the incentive scheme is symmetric. Suppose, for example, that the proposed incentive regulation leads to the situation in Figure 3 (see p. 21), in which both expected ROE and the volatility of ROE is higher than it would be under COS regulation. While such a result would be consistent with the mean-variance tradeoffs familiar to stock analysis, it doesn't reveal whether the tradeoff is reasonable. For that, a more sophisticated but very doable analysis is required. This analysis evaluates the relative positions of the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of ROE under COS and incentive regulation.
Cumulative distributions reflect the probability that a value will be less than a given value. For example, in Figure 3, suppose the expected ROE under COS regulation is 10 percent. We can also determine the probability that ROE is less than any given value. Suppose the probability that actual ROE will be less than 12 percent is 0.90 (, there is a 90 percent chance that the utility's ROE will be less than 12 percent). Similarly, the probability that ROE will be less than 13 percent might be 0.99, and so forth.7 The cumulative probability distribution just graphs this relationship, as shown in Figure 4.
It turns out that there are well-defined relationships between the "riskiness" of different uncertain outcomes, like a utility's realized ROE, and the position of their CDFs.8 For example, suppose, as shown in Figure 4, that the CDF under a proposed incentive regulation is always to the right of the CDF under COS regulation. If so, then the utility is absolutely better off with the incentive regulation because it always has a better chance of realizing a higher ROE than under COS regulation. The risk would no longer be comparable. It would be as if the bank were paying a risk-free interest rate on savings accounts that was greater than the highest return that could be achieved in the stock market.
As shown in Figure 4, the CDF with incentive regulation is always below and to the right of the CDF under COS regulation. This situation implies that the base ROE under incentive regulation has been set too high: Given the same underlying conditions, the utility will always realize a higher ROE under incentive regulation. To solve the problem, the utility's base ROE under incentive regulation should be reduced.9 The effect is shown in Figure 5. Here, EIR is slightly greater than the ECOS, but that compensates for the greater volatility of realized ROE under incentive regulation. The next step is to determine whether the difference between the two expected ROEs is "reasonable." To do this, examine the areas under the two CDFs. Moving from the left (i.e., the lowest values of ROE), if the area under the COS regulation CDF is always less than the area under the incentive regulation CDF, then the base rate under incentive regulation is "too high."10 If so, the base ROE under incentive regulation can be reduced until this is no longer the case. That point represents the upper bound on the base ROE for incentive regulation. The lower bound will be where the expected ROEs are the same, since no investor would prefer incentive regulation if it offered a lower expected ROE and greater uncertainty than under COS regulation. Thus, as long as the volatility of realized ROE under incentive regulation is greater than the volatility of realized ROE under COS regulation, the base ROE under incentive regulation should be set higher than under COS regulation.
Incentive regulation can provide benefits both to utility shareholders and customers by encouraging greater efficiency. But even if incentive regulation supplants traditional COS regulation, regulators and utilities still will need to confront the same basic ROE questions that have vexed both for many years. Because the base ROE under incentive regulation will be an integral part of the incentive structure itself, it ought not to be done as an afterthought. The approach described here is one way to address this important issue.
- A typical price-cap, for example, establishes an initial unit price based on the utility's cost of service, then allows for adjustments to that price over time that account for inflation and productivity gains.
- Traditional cost-of-service regulation has always been directed to improving what economists call "allocative efficiency," which basically refers to setting prices correctly. Incentive regulation, however, focuses more on what economists call "X-inefficiency," which focuses on whether the mix of goods and services is produced at the lowest possible cost. The latter is why incentive regulation usually involves "X-factors" that reflect expected productivity increases.
- See, for example, my article, "DCF Utility Valuation: Still the Gold Standard?" in the Feb. 15, 2003, issue of .
- This problem was discussed in light of the Supreme Court's 1989 decision in stemming from a prudence disallowance of the construction costs associated with four canceled nuclear plants. See, A. Lawrence Kolbe and William B. Tye, "The Duquesne Opinion: How Much 'Hope' Is There for Investors in Regulated Firms?" 8 (1991), at 127.
- For example, Cragg, et al., argue that a standalone transmission company faces higher risks and thus requires a higher ROE than does a vertically integrated utility. "Assessing the Cost of Capital for a Standalone Transmission Company," , January/February 2001, pp. 80-88.
- For example, one could construct a probability distribution of weather and, knowing the historic relationship between weather and electricity sales, develop a simple Monte Carlo model that would generate an overall probability distribution of electric revenues. Although a "how-to" menu of how this is accomplished is beyond the scope of this article, readers interested in additional details should feel free to contact the author.
- The cumulative distribution is really just the area under the probability curve up to a given value. Therefore, it always lies between 0.0 and 1.0.
- The technical term is called "stochastic dominance." Interested readers, or those wishing to cure lingering insomnia, are welcome to contact the author for additional information and references.
- The allocation of benefits between shareholders and customers could also be changed, but this is less likely to occur because it would entail a wholesale reworking of the incentive regulation plan.
- If this is the case, it turns out that any risk-averse investor will still prefer the incentive regulation scheme.
Articles found on this page are available to subscribers only. For more information about obtaining a username and password, please call our Customer Service Department at 1-800-368-5001. | <urn:uuid:92dc4d5c-8369-46d3-a8e5-8ff6e988d581> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fortnightly.com/print/11057 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943279 | 3,817 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Updated: November 15, 2012 6:10 AM EST
Teacher uses game show winnings to treat studentsThe Associated Press
A teacher from Long Beach used prize money she won on a TV game show to treat 20 of her students to a trip to New Orleans.
Spanish teacher Deborah Bishop won more than $23,000 in September on the game show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"
WLOX TV reports that Bishop, who teaches at West Harrison High School, arranged for two limousines to pick up the students on Wednesday.
She treated them to dinner at the Court of Two Sisters. Then, they attended a dress rehearsal of the opera "The Barber of Seville." Bishop got the show tickets for free, because she is a member of a program called "Opera in the Classroom for Teachers."
Bishop is the adviser of the Spanish Honor Society at West Harrison High.
"I told Meredith Vieira with tears in my eyes that I wanted to bring my Spanish Honor Society to the opera," Bishop said, referring to the show's host. "I'd have plenty of money to pay for it, because I didn't want them to have to worry about it. I wanted to do this for them."
Bishop spent $3,000 on a trip to New Orleans for 20 members of the Spanish Honor Society.
"Because they're good kids. They work really hard in my class. They're honor students and they should have the best of the best," she said.
"Everybody's been looking forward to it. We've been talking about it all week and at our meetings. Nobody's ever been," said Zack Moran, Spanish Honor Society President.
Information from: WLOX-TV, http://www.wlox.com
|Teacher uses game show winnings to treat students " data-url="http://www.goerie.com/article/20121211150625" data-count="horizontal" data-via="goerie">Tweet| | <urn:uuid:237b7330-cb6c-486b-8089-79daa232c658> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121115/APN/1211150625 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973257 | 415 | 1.570313 | 2 |
Iraq, Ten Years After The U.S. Lead Invasion, Was It Worth It? [POLL]
It’s been a decade since the U.S. lead invasion of Iraq and still today the region is torn between progress and chaos. Our country made an investment of about $1.7 trillion and the loss of 4,487 American troops. When considering the cost of an additional trillion to care for the veterans of the war over the next decade one asks, “Was it worth it”?
Some say yes as Iraq is getting closer and closer to independence with help by an oil boom and bold, ambitious leaders who have kept many areas safe. According to the Washington Post:
The Shiite provinces in the south are enjoying a renaissance, reaping millions from improved security and the exponential growth of religious tourism. Pockets of the new Iraq are brimming with optimism. To drive around the southern province of Najaf, home to one of the most sacred shrines in Shiite Islam, is to behold the type of Iraq that the United States once hoped to leave behind.
The other side of the coin says no displaying the feelings of many Americans who claim that the war was justified to the country by alarming claims that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. The assertion of connections to al-Qaida terrorists and Saddam also turned out to be false. Opponents of the war assert that President Bush himself, Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld made these claims in public with absolute confidence, even while privately were voicing their doubts.
So, it’s been tens years since we saw the ‘shock and awe‘ of the war…has you opinion changed? Was It Worth It? | <urn:uuid:0810292d-a05b-47c7-bae9-97aaf0967444> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lite987.com/iraq-ten-years-after-the-u-s-lead-invasion-was-it-worth-it-poll/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955046 | 353 | 1.710938 | 2 |
Given the state’s debt of Rs 2,45,000 crore and its fiscal deficit of 3.8% of GDP in FY12, and the fact that it continues to look for a Rs 90,000 crore financial package from the Centre in return for the Samajwadi Party’s loyal ally status, Uttar Pradesh’s R1,650 crore loan waiver for 7.2 lakh farmers on Mulayam Singh Yadav’s 74th birthday is amazing profligacy. But, at one level, it can be ignored since, if the Centre doesn’t end up giving the state extra sops (though ruling that out is quite naïve), the state will have to make other cuts in expenditure somewhere else. The problem, however, is that the loans being waived are from the Uttar Pradesh Cooperative Rural Development Bank which has depositors’ funds, so at some point you may find the central government stepping in to ensure innocent depositors are not affected.
More worrying is that, with elections looming, others including the central government may also follow suit. Punjab has commissioned a study by three leading universities on farmer suicides and may well come to the conclusion, like Uttar Pradesh has, that loans are one big source of farm stress. Chandrababu Naidu has promised to do much the same in Andhra Pradesh if he comes to power—while investing more in farm infrastructure or freeing farmers from the clutches of mafias in mandis and the high taxes the states themselves impose will take time, waiving loans is a quicker fix and certainly easier to market as proof of a pro-farmer | <urn:uuid:27fad029-37f6-4b9f-87fa-a7cfdcecf243> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.financialexpress.com/news/fe-editorial-farm-loans-again/1036379 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953702 | 332 | 1.515625 | 2 |
With House seat on the line, redistricting strategists eyeing possibilities
Dec. 20, 2010
STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, DEC. 20, 2010... As leaders on Beacon Hill anxiously awaited the Tuesday release of 2010 Census population totals, those soon to be involved in the complicated and likely contentious process of carving up the state’s political districts took stock of what awaits and the debates, both political and practical, that loom.
The U.S. Census Bureau plans on Tuesday to release national and state population figures providing key data to states charged with redrawing the boundaries of Congressional districts, including ten in Massachusetts that are all held by Democrats.
Massachusetts is widely expected to lose one seat based on its own population trends and more rapid growth in other parts of the country, joining the likes of New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota and Louisiana.
In addition to the expected loss of clout on Capitol Hill, the Census results could impact the level of federal aid the state receives through programs that pay based on per capita formulas. It will also require the redrawing of state House and Senate district boundaries.
Gov. Deval Patrick on Monday said that he was “concerned” about the potential loss of a Congressional seat despite the state’s aggressive efforts to maximize its Census count through outreach to minority communities and college campuses.
“I’m concerned but I don’t have any information,” Patrick said.
Though Secretary of State William Galvin has said he’s “hopeful” that a thorough Census count, combined with less thorough counts in other states, could avert the loss of a Congressional seat, other officials were more resigned to that fate.
“All the experts we’ve consulted with over the past couple years have been expecting the loss of a Congressional seat. We’d love a little miracle, but we’re not expecting it,” said Sen. Stanley Rosenberg, an Amherst Democrat who will co-chair the Legislature’s redistricting committee in charge of drawing the new boundaries.
Rosenberg has been through this process before, serving in the same role in 2001 after the last Census when Massachusetts managed to hang on to all 10 seats when population grew by 5.5 percent between 1990 and 2000.
Rosenberg and Rep. Michael Moran, of Boston, are both slated to be tapped as the chairmen of the soon-to-be formed redistricting committee that will be named sometime in January by House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Therese Murray after the new legislators take office.
In 2000, the committee consisted of eight senators and 34 House members.
Rosenberg said that the committee has already hired staff, installed computer equipment and signed contracts with several specialists they will rely upon for technical assistance throughout the process. The committee intends to launch a website with history, rules, redistricting principles and legal cases that will inform the process, and will hold public hearings throughout the state to seek input.
House Minority Leader Brad Jones, who was thwarted in 2009 and again in 2010 in his efforts to create an independent redistricting commission, said he plans to take a lead role on the Republican side of the debate, perhaps even serving on the committee himself.
Noting Galvin’s decision to recently give voice to the benefits of an independent, non-partisan commission, Jones said he has been attending information sessions and sending staff to training seminars to prepare for the effort.
Should the state lose a seat in Congress as expected, each of the nine remaining districts will have to absorb an average of about 72,000 people, depending also upon population shifts within the state and growth rates within existing districts.
U.S. Reps. John Olver and Richard Neal, the two Congressmen from western Massachusetts, have both come out early to declare their intentions to run again in 2012, perhaps seeking to forestall any attempt to consolidate districts in the western half of the state.
The possibility that U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano will run again for the U.S. Senate against Sen. Scott Brown has also stoked talk of consolidating Boston into one district that could potentially be a majority-minority district under the Voting Rights Act.
The average Congressional district after the 2000 Census had almost 647,000 people. Rosenberg said it was unclear whether the Census Bureau would release detailed state population numbers by city and town Tuesday, or just the statewide figure.
The factors that go into drawing districts can be complicated and sometimes contradictory. For instance, lawmakers can craft districts to include “communities of interest” that share a school district or water district, but courts have also ruled that they can break up those same clusters in order to respect “tradition” for where a city or town has historically resided.
“It’s really a balancing act,” Rosenberg said.
At the Congressional level, map drawers are given no leeway for deviations in populations, authorized to draw district lines that split streets and even households if necessary to meet population targets. At the state level, however, Rosenberg said court rulings have established a plus-or-minus 5 percent standard for local House and Senate districts.
Lawmakers cannot intentionally break up minority communities into separate districts that would prevent someone of color from being elected to office, but are also prevented from “torturing” or going out of their way to “pack” districts with minority voters.
The districts are supposed to be “geographically compact and contiguous,” “competitive,” and “incumbent blind,” according to independent watchdog Common Cause.
During the state’s last foray into redistricting, Rosenberg said there was not a sufficient minority population in Boston to create a majority-minority state Senate district, but they were able to craft a “minority-influence” district that is now held by Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, and a “fair fight district” that led to former state Sen. Jarrett Barrios being elected the first Latino senator in the state.
“Boston may have grown slightly faster than the average of the rest of the state which could mean, depending on who they are and where they are, there might be the capacity to create a majority-minority district,” Rosenberg said.
Rosenberg said it was too early to state goals for the Congressional redistricting process, but acknowledged a number of potential scenarios and areas of debate that will get scrutiny. He said some will push to see district lines in the western part of the state drawn east-to-west instead of north-to-south.
He also noted that five of the 10 current Congressmen – including U.S. Rep.-elect William Keating – live “within 10 miles of the State House.”
“I know we have a small state, but that’s still quite a bit of concentration,” Rosenberg said.
Rep.-elect Daniel Winslow, a Republican of Norfolk, had been leading the early redistricting efforts for the Massachusetts Republican Party, but said that after winning his election, he plans to transition to working with a newly-forming “non-partisan citizens” group, whose formation will be announced shortly.
Winslow said he is eager to see the results of the 2010 Census and will be watching to see if states that lose seats are “dominated by one political party.”
“Is this people voting with their feet against high-tax, anti-job states?” Winslow said. “I believe that if we do nothing we will continue down the path of being a Congressional cipher. This is a trend, and it’s directly related to the high cost of living, cost of housing and the lack of economic opportunity for young people.”
Judging from preliminary Census estimates, Winslow said population growth in Boston among immigrant groups could present the opportunity for the first time to create a majority-minority Congressional district centered on the city.
“The Congressional districts in Boston currently fracture the minority population, which I believe is a violation of the national Voting Rights Act,” Winslow said.
He also said it would be incumbent upon the map-makers to eliminate districts like the 4th district that snakes its way from New Bedford to Newton, citing the requirement that districts be compact.
“Anyone that looks at Barney Frank’s district, and I’m not trying to single out Barney, but you will know at a glance that is not the case. Barney Frank’s district would make Gov. (Elbridge) Gerry blush,” said Winslow, referencing the namesake of the term gerrymandering, meaning to craft district to favors political parties or candidates. | <urn:uuid:b7a31000-0565-4969-92df-10dc42971799> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dotnews.com/2010/house-seat-line-redistricting-strategists-eyeing-possibilities | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96323 | 1,834 | 1.640625 | 2 |
The Myth Of Crowdsourcing... Or Misunderstanding Crowdsourcing?
from the it's-the-latter dept
A bunch of folks have sent in this silly opinion piece at Forbes, claiming that crowdsourcing is a myth. The reasoning? Because there are individuals in the crowd. Except... um... did anyone say anything different? Of course there are individuals, and the point of crowdsourcing isn't that everyone in the crowd is equal, but that they each get to contribute their own special talents, and something better comes out of it. Every example that the guy dismisses as not crowdsourcing -- Wikipedia, the Netflix prize, open source developing, etc. -- actually does involve crowdsourcing. The problem is that this guy defines crowdsourcing in his own way -- that if any individual contributes a greater amount, there's no more crowd. Say what? The fact that a few determined individuals help craft a specific Wikipedia page, doesn't take away from the fact that it's the overall crowd that made Wikipedia so useful. It's many of those determined individuals together who made the entire Wikipedia so useful. He then goes on to mock the Netflix prize... even though it disproves his entire thesis:
The Netflix contest is a prime example of individual virtuosity at work. One team was clearly in the lead and then a consortium of teams that had worse performance joined together and combined their innovations to create an algorithm that won the contest. For most of the contest, individuals toiled to figure out a solution. At the end, a consortium was formed. None of the invention happened through a crowd.The problem -- yet again -- is that this guy (a consultant) seems to again be confused about the difference between invention and innovation. Yes, some individuals came up with different ideas. But what made the Netflix prize so interesting was that they weren't able to really achieve the necessary breakthrough until they collaborated. That's what pushed them over the edge. That's what added that real value to take it to the necessary next step. A crowd is always made up of individuals. That different individuals contribute different parts doesn't change the value of crowdsourcing at all. | <urn:uuid:e4006275-3fd1-4bc2-8aa6-ef9b8949e5a2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090930/0126206365.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96633 | 437 | 1.679688 | 2 |
The 2012 London Olympics are not just a time for athletes to reveal their tremendous talents and athletic abilities to the world. Rather, it is also a time for everyone who works “behind the scenes” to gain recognition for their efforts into making the 2012 London Olympics a successful series of events. Hairstylists, makeup artists, wardrobe stylists and cosmetologists are all responsible for helping athletes look and feel their best during the intense competitions of the 2012 London Olympics.
Pure Beauty: The Canadian Swim Team
One example of the brilliant work that cosmetologists put into the 2012 London Olympics can be seen in the synchronized swimming teams. The makeup of women on the Canadian swim in particular team looked spectacular at the 2012 London Olympics. It only takes seeing a couple photographs of these gorgeous women to see how much waterproof mascara must have been required to give the swim team its look of true beauty. Dany Sanz is one makeup artist who has been accredited with creating the dramatic look of this swim team. Makeup artists who serve the synchronized swimming teams must be very knowledgeable about what makeup products and looks will be preserved in and out of the water, but also they are charged with creating brilliant, eye-catching, memorable makeup designs that are visible from the stands! Make Up For Ever is even a sponsor of the Olympics, particularly for their waterproof mascara line marketed to the synchronized swimmers.
It Takes Skills to Prep Athletes for the Olympics
To get athletes ready for the Olympics, it is essential for cosmetologists to use their skills and knowledge of beauty products. Cosmetologists need to know exactly which products will now fade or become removed due to perspiration. Cosmetologists have the demanding task of applying makeup to athletes that looks natural and will not wipe off in the middle of tough competitions. Think of the gymnastics and acrobatics teams, for example. They usually bright, coordinated makeup looks that correspond with their uniforms they wear in their Olympic events. You need to see a complete, coordinated beautiful makeup look that’s not going to get wiped away and smudged as they sprint across the mats and perform intense acrobatic routines. Many track stars and heavyweight lifters have also expressed a desire to look their best while competing, even though their events are not traditionally focused on hair and makeup. Whatever it takes to make them feel calm, confident and comfortable while they’re performing their amazing feats!
The Right Olympic Hairstyles
Another important aspect of the 2012 London Olympics is the hair styles of athletes. Athletes must have the right hair styles to allow them to compete without hair interfering with their vision, and in the case of visually-oriented events like acrobatics, something that is elegant and refined at the same time! The right hairstyles for the Olympics must also look chic and professional. The 2012 Canadian swim team is a great example again of the sheer brilliance of cosmetologists. If you take a look at the hair styles of these gorgeous women, you will see that they all have consistent, slick buns. Many synchronized swimmers use gelatin to keep their hair slick and shiny in the pool – who would have thought?!
Great Olympic Fashion
Having the right makeup and hairstyles is great, but taking it to the next level are London Olympic fashion choices for the teams, essential for allowing athletes to look and feel their best. Having the right clothing for the 2012 London Olympics is not inexpensive. Just take a look at the cost of the blazers for USA Opening Ceremony blazer for the men’s teams. These blazers cost $795 each! The blazers were designed by Ralph Lauren. The elegant look of the blazers made the men look great during the Opening Ceremony. For Britain, designer Stella McCartney has stolen the show. This fashion designer featured over 500 original pieces from her own collections in the London Olympics.
Other Things to Look Out For During the 2012 Summer Olympics in London
Courtesy of TIME Magazine
- Nail care line Butter London released an Olympic Heavy Medal line of polishes in gold, silver and bronze. (Wouldn’t it be cool to see nail polish lines for the different countries’ flag colors?)
- Make Up For Ever marketed their waterproof mascara line to Olympic synchronized swimmers (so it must be incredible, right?)
- Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps is a brand ambassador for anti-dandruff shampoo Head and Shoulders (flake-free luxurious locks under those swimmers’ caps)
- Olympic track cyclist Victoria Pendleton is the face of the Pantene Pro-V hair care line (keeping her tresses gorgeous under the sweaty bike helmet)
Of course the spirit of sport and the incredible athletic feats Olympians do is the primary focus, it is also incredible to consider the amount of work that goes into making the Olympians look beautiful. There are thousands of dedicated cosmetologists who make this great event happen for the athletes!
Incoming search terms:
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- what makeup do synchronized swimmers wear (15) | <urn:uuid:3ed53da4-9af1-4fce-b6b7-eb5ef094f4c0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.beautyschoolsdirectory.com/blog/articles/hair-and-makeup-at-the-2012-london-olympics/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96089 | 1,068 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Edward Tufte: Assign Homework Before Your Next Meeting
Because I work with data and visual displays, I was thrilled when asked to join a team enroute to New York City last week to hear from Edward Tufte, the man The New York Times calls "The Leonardo da Vinci of data." I attended his one-day "Presenting Data and Information" course.
I figured Tufte’s presentation style would be unique enough to warrant the meme I stumbled across a few years ago about him having a strong dislike for PowerPoint. Turned out the meme was well-founded — excepting the part about the kittens.
What I didn’t expect, though, were the similarities between how Tufte prepared us for his presentation and the recommendations provided in Al Pittampalli’s Read This Before Our Next Meeting.
Tufte and Pittampalli agree about empowering people to be efficient when working in a team environment. Better put, they both believe in empowering individuals to bring efficiency into their teams. Tufte estimates that by sharing content with team members in advance of meetings, the length of those sessions could be reduced by some 20% to 30%. For Pittampalli, the approach turns sessions into more useful discussion time rather than mere presentation time.
In addition to covering the expected topics of data and information, Tufte also demonstrated how providing content in advance makes for a more thorough and engaging session. When the Colle+McVoy team checked in at the Manhattan Center, we received an 11x17 duplex-printed sheet containing our pre-session homework. In the hour we had before Tufte was to take the podium, we were required to read the following lengthy excerpts from his books:
• The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, chapter 1 and chapter 9.
• Envisioning Information, chapter 2.
• Visual Explanations, chapter 1.
• Beautiful Evidence, introduction and pages 12 - 45.
It didn’t matter who we were or where we came from. Tufte wanted his audience to attend his study hall so they would be better prepared for his session. I can’t speak for the hundreds in the room with us, but I thought the reading was time consuming. However, once Tufte began his session, we were all better prepared to actively listen rather than feverishly jot down notes.
My Edward Tufte experience has encouraged me to consider sending out relevant materials to my colleagues the next time I schedule a meeting with them — regardless of whether or not the subject material will cover data and visual displays. What's more, the “Presenting Data and Information” course has given me some ideas about what form those materials might take to best convey the story hidden away in them. All in all, it should make for more invigorating meetings. Tufte left us with plenty of inspiration to make it happen. | <urn:uuid:4a953be6-7e5f-44bb-8f85-7d5a56589647> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.collemcvoy.com/?q=edward%20tufte | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955365 | 602 | 1.6875 | 2 |
A week ago today, in response to a reader’s e-mail, I had begun a post on the Chick-fil-A hullabaloo. I agreed with Mark Hemingway that the media had invented the story that Chick-fil-A’s president had condemned gay marriage. That said, I wasn’t comfortable with what that president had said about traditional marriage:
Dan Cathy, the president and chief operating officer of Chick-fil-A, said in a radio interview this week that same-sex marriage is “inviting God’s judgment on our nation.”
Appearing on “The Ken Coleman Show,” Cathy spoke of his company’s pride in its socially conservative character, but then offered an assessment of same-sex marriage that might lose the popular fast food chain a few customers.
“I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say, ‘We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage,’” said Cathy.
I decided to scotch the planned post. I wouldn’t join my fellow conservatives in castigating the chicken chain’s critics nor would I join my fellow gays in branding the Christian businessman a bigot. I would simply refrain from buying chicken there. The story would soon fade. It is not a matter of pressing national interest.
Many on the left, however, wouldn’t let up. On Facebook, some friends seemed to alternate between positing attacks on Mitt Romney and issuing broadsides against Mr. Cathy — and his company. Soon, as Ed Morrisey summarized, “politicians in several large American cities attempted to disprove” the
. . . notion of a free country in which people can operate their businesses regardless of their religion or political point of view. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino sent a letter to Cathy stating that “[t]here is no place for discrimination on Boston’s Freedom Trail and no place for your company alongside it.” (Chick-fil-A’s website explicitly states that they do not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation in employment or in commerce, by the way.)
(Morrissey via Reynolds.) And despite that non-discrimination policy, other urban politicians vowed o keep Chick-fil-A as far from their cities as possible. At the same time, not a such public figure could provide a single example of a gay employee mistreated or dismissed because of his sexuality or a gay customer denied service (or otherwise denigrated) because he did not accept the biblical definition of marriage. (more…) | <urn:uuid:c0cb6b7e-d339-421d-9a2f-62b0f64e0db8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.gaypatriot.net/2012/07/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969531 | 551 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Keeping Birmingham on the move is a massive task, a key part of which is turning Visions the 20 year transport strateg for the city (produced in July 2000) into reality. That is the job of Transportation Strategy, one of the teams making up the Development Directorate.
How Transportation Strategy teams link together.
Transportation Strategy is responsible for taking original ideas through all stages to completing work on the ground and for developing a broader transport vision for the future.
This involves working closely with transportation bodies including Centro, the Highways Agency, the Department for Transport (Railways Section), other councils and other officers in the Development Directorate.
The Policy Team
Long term planning starts in the policy team. It works closely with transportation organisations to devise and develop long-term plans, oversee Visions the city's 20 year transport strategy and contribute to Regional Planning Guidance and the City Unitary Development Plan. The team also contributes to the Local Transport Plan for the West Midlands, prepares funding bids, draws up road safety bids and programmes and oversees TravelWise for the city.
The Development Team
The development team assess the benefits and detriments of transportation proposals and gives expert advice on the options. Their work provides the basis for initial cabinet approval of transportation plans and for the bidding process where funding for annual work programmes is agreed.
The team considers all planning applications that affect the transport network and guides developers towards any necessary transport changes. In addition, adoption of roads is carried out by the team. It also provides information on the extent and status of highways, which forms one of the searches carried out when you buy a house.
The Projects Team
The projects team turns Visions into reality on the ground. It produces detailed designs using the latest software, organises consultation and liaison with the public, councillors, local businesses, the emergency services and utility companies. It then manages and supervises work as it is carried out by approved contractors. Major projects currently under way include Selly Oak New Road and schemes such as Cycle Routes.
The Private Developments Section
We undertake the management of design approval, construction planning, site inspection, enforcement and adoption of highway works built by developers. The Council adopts roads and footways (in some cases emergency links, footpaths, verges, visibility splays) and infrastructure such as traffic signals, street lighting and highway drainage by different methods as stated in the Highways Act 1980 and thereby takes on the maintenance responsibility. More information about the Private Development Section can be found in their family of web pages. | <urn:uuid:963711c4-47ec-4bce-8a0a-51971c99e30c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://birmingham.gov.uk/cs/Satellite/trans-strategy?packedargs=website%3D4&rendermode= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9322 | 514 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Saddle River cutting permit costs for tree removals
SADDLE RIVER – In response to the past years’ harsh storms, borough officials are taking steps that will make it easier for homeowners to remove trees that could threaten their houses.
“Our goal is to maintain the buffer between homes but allow homeowners assurance they can keep their house safe by removing dangerous trees,” Saddle River Borough Administrator Charles “Chuck” Cuccia said.
The borough will reduce the cost of a permit for the removal in the new rules, but continues to maintain strong regulations on replanting once a tree is removed in certain areas of properties. The response is to help homeowners, but also eliminate ordinances that are repetitive or outdated.
“For at least the last three years we’ve been going through ordinances to remove certain provisions within them that are costly to residents or don’t make sense any longer,” Cuccia said of an ordinance committee formed by the borough.
In addition to the tree ordinance, Cuccia cites an outdated generator ownership rule in which a homeowner needed a zoning variance to own one.
“In today’s world, we can’t do that,” to homeowners, Cuccia said.
Streamlining tree removal and replanting regulations has taken on new urgency after superstorm Sandy, whose near hurricane-force winds downed trees and power lines all over North Jersey.
Saddle River Mayor Sam Raia said new rules expected to pass this month will make it easier to remove trees close to homes.
Under the new regulations, different restrictions and permits apply in three zones. Homeowners still must check with the town and obtain a permit before any tree is removed, borough officials stress.
In the “non-control area” any number of living, dead or diseased trees may be removed, although a minor tree removal permit is required. | <urn:uuid:2d520aa4-32d7-44bc-bac4-79a2a9c15dc4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.northjersey.com/news/Saddle_River_cutting_permit_costs_for_tree_removals.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946159 | 394 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Before you get involved in the bidding process, take some time to lay the groundwork for successful bidding.
Give some thought to your company's public relations, whether you're looking to garner specific media coverage or just want to generate a general buzz about your small business.
To conduct a successful public relations campaign, it helps to be familiar with some of the basic PR tools.
Many small businesses feel pressure to lower prices, yet few can afford to get in a price war. Consider these tactics to attract customers without getting out the red pen.
There's no way to measure PR success with clinical precision, but there are some steps to take that can help you make an educated evaluation.
A good relationship with a supplier can be profitable for you and them, but this kind of partnership doesn't come easily. It needs to be nurtured over time.
Coming up with reliable projections isn't guesswork. It requires you to analyze market data to come up with a reasonable forecast. Use these guidelines to begin the process.
One of the keys to effective cash flow management is keeping a close eye on your purchasing patterns.
Your challenge is to create a release that makes the journalist want to know more about you and your story. Use these 10 tips to write a release that will get noticed. | <urn:uuid:58b75615-bdcf-4270-b6cc-1a756c9df61a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kxnet.com/category/126051/real-small-business-sales-marketing | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960575 | 261 | 1.625 | 2 |
The Difference One Camp Can Make
The lure of a Camp Get A-Well-A carnival was just what the doctor ordered, as 11-year-old Gabby walked for the first time in 4 DAYS!! Up until that carnival, Gabby's illness left her weak and confined to a wheelchair, but the events going on down the hall from her hospital bed offered too much excitement to keep Gabby down.
Brittney … Creating Joyful Memories
Brittney was a 14-year-old cancer patient who spent the last several months of her life in Philadelphia Children's Hospital. During her time in the hospital, Brittney participated in Camp Get-A-Well-A's Teen Survivor night. The campers were divided into "tribes", pizza was delivered, and the laughter and joking began. For a brief moment, Brittney got the chance to behave like a typical teen girl..Despite the nausea that made her unable to eat pizza and cake like the others, during the secret auction, she bid on very small items, strategizing that the wrapped prizes might be makeup, a DVD or video game. She laughed, sang, competed and enjoyed every minute of Teen Survivor especially when her tribe, the "Cubbies," won the competition and retreated to their "cabins" for the evening. According to her mother, Camp Get-A-Well-A's Survivor was the most fun Brittney had experienced in more than four months.
Three days after camp week ended, the Camp Get-A-Well-A staff received a phone call from the hospital requesting pictures from Teen Survivor night. The hospital staff was putting together a memorial for Brittney's family, as she had passed away over the weekend. We suddenly realized how important it had been for Camp Get-A-Well-A to be at the hospital that week. We helped fill Brittney's last days with fun, and created joyful memories her parents will never forget.
Keeping Dallas' Smile Afloat
Dallas was born at Philadelphia Children's Hospital with major health complications that required 24-hour care. The hospital staff was the only family he ever knew. Dallas was a veteran of Camp Get-A-Well-A, attending camp four out of the six years of his life. With his physical limitations, Dallas could not sing, play, do crafts, or speak, and it was rare to see him smile or interact with other children.
Dallas' first and only "canoe trip" came while floating in the hospital therapy pool at Camp Get-A-Well-A in 2004. The canoe ride brought a faint, but evident smile to Dallas' face -- the first time any of the staff had witnessed him smiling. He didn't want the ride to end, as volunteers pushed his canoe back and forth in the pool. Everyone could tell what he was feeling, even though he would never be able to say it.
Peter's T-Shirt Treatment
On August 17, 2006, a beautiful, energetic four-year-old named Peter was diagnosed with Stage IV Neuroblastoma, a cancer that affects infants and children. Peter's treatment began the day after his diagnosis and has included 3 major surgeries, high-dose chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant, radiation, and antibody treatment.
Peter has responded well to the treatments so far, and the scans look clear. After suffering a very scary setback in August of 2007, Peter started antibody treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York in an attempt to prevent relapse. He continues to travel there every 3 months for testing and for antibody treatment.
"Peter still has (and wears) the t-shirt he received at Camp Get-A-Well-A in January of 2007," said Peter's mom, Erika. "He also has his pillow and remembers the zoo coming to the hospital. Those were some long days – weeks - months in the hospital, and you brightened them so much!"
Robert's Rain Stick
Eight-year-old, Robert, was admitted to the hospital for pneumonia. During his stay, Camp Get-A-Well-A visited the hospital and Robert got to participate in two days of camp activities. On the second day, Robert's physician informed him that he was being discharged and could leave the hospital at any time. Robert, engrossed with his Camp Get-A-Well-A craft, said, "I can't leave yet, I'm making a rain stick!" Even during that short stay, Camp Get-A-Well-A had managed to turn a cold, sterile hospital into a fun-filled place that made Robert feel better.
Nadirah - "Big" Little Sister
Nadirah, age 9, was hit by a car walking across the street on her way home from school in the Fall of 2006. Nadirah suffered a broken left femur, internal injuries and severe head and neck trauma. Since her accident, she has endured numerous surgeries to repair her leg and reduce swelling in her brain. Over the past 10 months, Nadirah has spent more time in Phoenix Children's Hospital than out of it. Thankfully she is recovering from all her injuries and her prognosis for full recovery is good. The stress on her family has been enormous, but with the help and encouragement of her brothers, Nadirah is working hard at her school work and physical therapy.
Nadirah is a very motivated camper, and she participated in almost every activity during Camp Get-A-Well-A week last year. Her favorite was the camp Carnival. She invited her brothers to come join her for the Carnival and they had a great time together. Nadirah told Camp Get-A-Well-A, "This was the best time I've ever had in the hospital!" | <urn:uuid:5b9f26ab-6cb0-4279-99e4-d31177c0155f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.campgetawella.org/camp_stories.cfm?category_id=8 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983839 | 1,186 | 1.554688 | 2 |
- Planetary alignment peaks with celestial show this weekend
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Analysis: Can Israel surprise Iran? Maybe not, but could still strike
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cancellation of a security cabinet session on Iran following a media leak last week laid bare a conundrum long troubling Israeli strategists: could they count on any element of surprise in a war on their arch-foe?
Possibly not. Years of public speculation, much of it stoked by official statements in Israel and abroad, about the likelihood and timing of such a conflict have afforded the Iranians plenty of notice to fortify their threatened nuclear facilities and prepare retaliation.
Given the difficulties Israel's jets would face in reaching and returning from distant Iran, as well as their limited bomb loads, losing the option of mounting sneak attacks may seem to have put paid to the very idea of an attack launched without its ally the United States.
Yet experts are not rushing to rule that out. Some believe Israel is still capable of achieving a modicum of surprise, and that in any case it might hope a combination of stealth, blunt force and, perhaps, hitherto untested innovations can deliver victory - even if Iran is on high alert.
Israel, whose technologically advanced military has a history of successful derring-do, might place less importance on catching Iran completely off-guard and instead strike openly and with combined forces, causing disarray among the defenders in hope of delivering enough damage to a select number of targets.
"The probability of achieving surprise is low, but I think the Israelis will count on their technical competence in defense suppression to allow them in," said Walter Boyne, a former U.S. air force officer and a writer on aviation history.
He predicted the Israelis would mesh air raids with a swarm of strikes by ground and naval units, a view echoed by Lynette Nusbacher, senior lecturer in war studies at Britain's Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. She suggested Israel could also incorporate cyber-attacks to blind Iran as an assault began.
"There is no question that Israel can achieve tactical surprise if required," Nusbacher said, differentiating the short-term shock from Iran's long readiness for an attack.
"As long as the direction or timing or form of the attack is unexpected then surprise is possible."
Israel and its Western allies believe Iran is covertly seeking means to build nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists it wants only to generate electricity and medical isotopes. U.S. President Barack Obama says he hopes sanctions and diplomacy will deflect Iranian policy. But Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders have made clear they might soon resort to force.
Nusbacher indicated that pinpoint intelligence and planning might also help Israel overcome Iran's anticipation and counter-measures, making up for limitations on the element of surprise:
"Remember that while the Iranian nuclear facilities are each more or less defended, their locations are known to the meter," she said. "Precision can't entirely make up for surprise.
"But surprise isn't everything."
JITTERS AND CHATTER
Israeli military planners chafe at their civilian compatriots' freewheeling and jittery discourse about a possible confrontation, worried that the Iranians could glean key warnings simply from monitoring Israeli news and social media.
If they do indeed contemplate a solo surprise attack, they may also be concerned that the United States, loath to see a war on the eve of a presidential election and while it still favors a diplomatic solution, could also be tipped off about a strike early enough to insist its Israeli ally stand down.
There were no such problems in 1981, when a squadron of Israeli fighter-bombers took off from the then-occupied Sinai desert to destroy Iraq's atomic reactor, nor in 2007, when Israel launched a similar sortie against Syria out of the blue.
By contrast, experts think Israel would need to dispatch many scores of jets and support aircraft against Iran, and possibly fire ballistic missiles, all difficult to hide from the public in a small country.
Though a media blackout would be allowed under Israeli emergency laws, such sudden and sweeping censorship would be so unprecedented as to telegraph what was meant to go unpublished - and in any event may prove impracticable in today's wired world.
Nonetheless, some other measures could limit exposure, such as choice of timing. The war on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip was launched on December 27, 2008, deep in the Western holiday season and on a Saturday morning, the Jewish sabbath, when Israel's own media pare coverage to a minimum and newsrooms are barely staffed.
Israel is also trying to restrict the circle of those in the know. The number of those privy to the details of Iran planning in the military and government has been kept very small, a depth of secrecy akin to that surrounding Israel's own nuclear program, which is assumed to include the region's only atomic weapons.
Netanyahu would be legally required to gain security cabinet approval for an attack on Iran. But after a newspaper reported on Wednesday that ministers on the panel had been presented with conflicting intelligence assessments about Iran, a leak that angered Netanyahu, at least one senior leader, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, called for the 14-member security cabinet to be shrunk in order to ensure more discretion.
For similar ends, Israel may go so far as to temporarily misdirect its own populace, away from talk of imminent attack.
Days before the Gaza blitz, Ehud Barak - defense minister then, as now - made an unusual and unannounced live appearance on a top-rated TV satire show, where he took a roasting with good humor and made sure to give every impression that starting a war could not be further from his mind.
In another deliberate feint intended to wrongfoot the gossips, Israeli generals summoned officers from garrisons around Gaza to a weekend retreat, with their families, at a countryside spa. All but the most senior of those invited commanders were then surprised to be woken up, that Saturday morning, and dispatched back to base for combat within hours.
Asked about such ruses, a senior Israeli official shrugged and told Reuters they were a legitimate tactic for military planners dealing with a democratic society: "Such things are kosher," he said, "when you have a free press and free speech."
And while certainly not advocating the kind of extensive public discussion seen lately in Israel on the prospects for a conflict, the same official saw a counter-intuitive benefit in that such perpetual talk might erode Iran's level of alertness:
"The more you brace to defend yourself, the more tired you get - or you make the mistake of writing off the threat as a bluff," he said. "Perhaps that's the case with Iran."
(Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Alastair Macdonald)
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Nate Silver is one of very few people who is both public figure and statistician.
He started in baseball during its analytical revolution, but became famous in the U.S. for his highly accurate predictions of how Barak Obama would win the presidency in 2008, and accurately calling the outcome for all 50 states in 2012.
Silver spoke at SXSW in a session entitled "Is Intuitive Marketing Dead?"
The talk covered a lot of ground, touching on a number of the themes in Silver's newish book The Signal and the Noise. For marketers, the most interesting (or at least relevant) questions were about data, its limitations and possibilities...and how we create a culture that includes data without losing ourselves to it.
On the session's eponymous question, Silver doesn't suggest that we should seek to find data - based solutions to every problem. On the contrary, he acknowledges that intuition is probably the best way to deal with what he calls "medium sized" problems.
An example he cites is the ability of experienced baseball scouts to outperform models of statistical prediction. But, and it's a big one...those scouts got better at predicting outcomes as they incorporated new thinking about baseball statistics into their "intuition." In other words, our guts get smarter the more data we have, and the more experiments we run.
You can't stop bias, you can only hope to contain it. Bias is like a gravity source...it can bend data until it fits. Every company, team and individual is carrying their own bias whenever they encounter a question.
Silver's advice is to recognize and embrace that bias, because it's most dangerous when ignored.
Models versus failing fast
Digital marketing is blessed and cursed by having enormous data sets.
That's a good thing in Silver's mind. He suggests that when you've got huge data sources and the ability to quickly see outcomes, to bypass modelling in favor of rapid experimentation - if you can see what happens in the real world quickly and accurately, why overthink it?
Big data and corporate culture
Paraphrasing an unnamed philosopher, Silver describes bureaucracy as the opposite of imagination. That indictment often applies to large corporations and part of the problem is separation; teams and individuals operating so independently that the lose track of their peers and larger business goals.
Silver contrasts that phenomenon with the flatter structure of stat ups, where everyone does everything, and can't forget that they're part of something.
Centers of excellence or a distributed model?
When asked about approaches to analytics, Silver is vehemently in favor of a distributed model over the center of excellence. His argument goes back to the nature of bureaucracy...that any advantages you might enjoy by collecting analytical and statistical expertise into a single, powerful team is mitigated by the distance that team has from the disparate parts of the company that rely on them. To his mind, proximity trumps scale in this case.
Brand versus volume
You might expect a data guru to dismiss the ethereal nature of brand, but that's far from the case. Instead, Silver talks about a near future where data and technology are ubiquitous among marketers, where targeting and optimization is closer to science than art (a long way off, but not forever).
As we move in that direction, he suggests, brand gets more important, not less. And he makes a good point...once we've successfully optimized, targeted, tested and personalized everything, what's left but brand?
Having just published a book on the failures of predictive science, it's not surprising that Silver is wary of prognostication.
However, he did agree with the premise that there's huge opportunity in the personal data set...that if privacy issues are properly managed, many successful businesses will spring from the emerging practice of analyzing individual data that's captured first by the individual and then aggregated.
Examples of this type of data include location tracking, diet diary apps, what people search for and where, body metrics and media consumption patterns. | <urn:uuid:48654421-aebd-404f-83d2-5af6d67eb20c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://econsultancy.com/in/blog/62313-statistical-celebrity-nate-silver-on-data-and-marketing | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963779 | 816 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Why be offended by this sign? Maybe because, if you side with one of the major parties, the implication is that not only is there not enough difference between Obama and Romney to justify supporting one of them, but putting either one in power is worse than having no president at all. "Nobody for president" is better than having either Obama or Romney in the White House.
"Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice." -- Thomas Paine
Want DP delivered to your inbox daily? Subscribe here: | <urn:uuid:acac82f6-ffce-485a-9cc0-3dc75f579003> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailypaul.com/comment/2813877 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955184 | 112 | 1.5625 | 2 |
2007 Global Energy Survey
Based on a survey of more than 50 executives from the world’s top energy companies and their key suppliers, the research is designed to stimulate and enhance debates about current and future challenges facing energy companies.The World Energy Council (WEC) and Korn/Ferry International worked together during the past 24 months to conduct research designed to help energy-company leaders better understand and respond to the challenges confronting their industry. The research assesses the executives’ outlooks and insights related to demand, supply, environmental as well as geopolitical issues. Change represented a consistent force throughout much of the past four decades. However, recent shifts, including the rapid development of Asian economies, geopolitical uncertainty in oil-rich regions and the increasing interconnectedness of global markets, are forcing energy companies to rethink fundamental strategies. The survey results suggest that some energy companies are hungry for innovative solutions, such as seeking out collaborative relationships – involving exploration and the development of new technology – with energy companies in other parts of the world. Those and other insights contained in this report are complemented by comments gleaned from executives during interview sessions that accompanied the survey process. These candid (and anonymous) remarks amplify the issues,
concerns and challenges confronting today's energy industry.
Research Methods >
The World Energy Council in partnership with Oliver Wyman (global consulting firm) has over the past year worked on its third Assessment of country energy and climate policy aiming to identify key areas for policy improvements and to understand how successful policies can be transferred from one country to another. more > | <urn:uuid:c60044d0-b8b3-40d4-8f1a-9bb4156c4fae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.worldenergy.org/publications/2007_global_energy_survey/173.asp?textsize=3 | 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 | 0.94794 | 315 | 1.710938 | 2 |
$2,500 to support a meeting of all Indigenous peoples of the Xingu valley being organized by the Kayapo to coordinate a united response to dams, pollution, ecological destruction, and invasion of Indigenous territories by colonizers.
Machiguenga Council of the Urubamba River (COMARU)
$5,000 to conduct an investigative trip of the entire Camisea gas project area, along the Upper and Lower Urubamba river basin in Peru, visiting all affected communities to consult about project impacts and to gather testimonies and visit and document project construction sites.
$5,865 to allow Racimos staff to receive training in the production and distribution of documentaries to be used as a tool to forward their mission of providing direct support to Indigenous communities in the Peruvian rainforest through capacity building, legal support and the dissemination of information about the threats facing these communities.
$600 to support the travel of Racimos Director Lily La Torre Lopez and a small team of lawyers and scientists to a meeting of the Achuar people to offer information and technical assistance to the community in support of their resistance to a new pipeline which is planned through their traditional land. | <urn:uuid:ccbfb737-bff7-4c3c-becc-4eb5de0761c0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ran.org/paa/South%20America?page=10 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944725 | 240 | 1.585938 | 2 |
With his debut album, Sounds of Space, Cuban pianist Alfredo Rodríguez arrives as part of a younger generation of jazz players whose music naturally and knowingly transcends boundaries. Noted producer Quincy Jones first heard the 26-year-old pianist at the Montreux Jazz Festival and became his mentor after he abandoned Havana to launch his international career in Los Angeles. With a nod to Jones, the album's opening track, "Qbafrica," celebrates the African roots of Latin jazz with a melody as viral as a pop hook. On "Crossing the Border," written right after Rodríguez arrived in the U.S., his talking piano pounds with the anticipation and anxiety of his solo journey from Cuba. "Sueño de Paseo" shows the pianist's tender side, and "...y bailaría la negra?," dedicated to the landmark Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona, riffs on his Havana classical conservatory training. Rodríguez articulates the balance of Olympic-worthy keyboard acrobatics and balletic lyricism that is the pride of the Cuban piano tradition, traveling from Afro-Cuban beats to bebop, blues and beyond. – Judy Cantor-Navas, Google Play
Sorry, but this promotion has expired. Check Magnifier regularly for more free music. | <urn:uuid:1ea8b9aa-16f6-4478-8236-f8bc49e66952> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://magnifier.blogspot.com/2012/06/alfredo-rodriguez.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958099 | 277 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Sanders opposes effort to raise age for Medicare
MONTPELIER — U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders said Monday he’ll oppose any effort to raise the age when people become eligible for Medicare health insurance coverage.
Republicans in Congress have proposed raising the age when retirees are eligible for Medicare from 65 to 67. They also want to reduce cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security recipients.
Sanders held a news conference to outline his opposition to those changes, which are being discussed as part of negotiations in Washington to head off a series of tax increases and spending cuts scheduled to take effect next month.
The left-leaning independent took aim at a series of changes to cost-of-living increases that he said would hurt both seniors and disabled veterans, known as “chain CPI.”
If the changes are enacted, “What that would mean for seniors who are 65 today is that by the time they are 75 ... they would get $560 a year less than they would get otherwise,” he said. “By the time they were 85, they would get $1,000 less.”
Sanders acknowledged that raising taxes on the top 2 percent of earners to Clinton-era levels, as President Barack Obama is seeking to do, would erase just about a quarter of the projected deficits in the coming years.
On another topic, Sanders renewed his complaint that gasoline dealers in northwestern Vermont are charging prices at the pump that are higher than both the national average and prices elsewhere in the state, an issue he hopes the Vermont Legislature will address when it begins its new session next month.
Gasoline dealers in Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle counties “are keeping gas prices artificially high simply because they can,” Sanders said. “No one is disputing that gasoline distributors have a right to make a profit,” he said. “In my view, however, they should not be ripping people off in these tough economic times.”
Sanders said gas could be bought this past weekend for as little as $3.39 a gallon in Ludlow, in south-central Vermont, while prices in northwestern Vermont were running between $3.65 and $3.70.
Officials with two of the companies Sanders named, SB Collins and Champlain Oil, did not immediately reply to messages seeking comment.
Rodolphe “Skip” Vallee, chairman and CEO of R.L. Vallee Inc., a third company named by Sanders, said in an email, “We are competitive in every market we are in. “ He also complained that Sanders had interfered in the siting review process for discount retailer Costco’s plan to open a cut-rate gas station in Colchester. That project has been under review for five years, Sanders said, calling that “a very long time for a decision.”MORE IN This Just In
- Most Popular
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- MEDIA GALLERY | <urn:uuid:eaf4ae5c-674d-4f6e-bf07-5b94b0546490> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.timesargus.com/article/20121210/THISJUSTIN/121219993/0/TROAD | 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 | 0.976685 | 611 | 1.53125 | 2 |
In all the hoopla over Judge Sonia Sotomayor being nominated to the Supreme Court, there is one interesting side story that the media is largely ignoring. His name is Senator Jeff Sessions, and he is now (after Arlen Specter's defection to the Democratic side of the aisle) the ranking minority member on the Senate Judiciary Committee (that's "minority" in the sense of Sessions being a Republican in a Democratic Senate, and not... you know, "minority"... since Sessions is a white male). And Sessions, as well as having a long enough term on the committee to be the ranking Republican, also has his own history with confirmation hearings before the same committee. Because he was the first of Ronald Reagan's judicial nominees to be rejected (before Bork, in other words), and he was rejected for perceived racial insensitivity. So it will be very interesting to see how he acts on Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation.
From an article in The New Republic from 2002 (which is worth reading in full, to understand Sessions' unique position on the committee), here is a list of statements attributed to Jeff Sessions during his confirmation battle:
- Sessions called the NAACP and the ACLU "un-American" and "Communist-inspired." Further said these groups had "forced civil rights down the throats of people."
- Sessions called a white civil rights lawyer "a disgrace to his race" for litigating voting rights cases.
- During his confirmation hearing, called the Voting Rights Act of 1965 "a piece of intrusive legislation."
- Sessions told colleagues that he "used to think [the Ku Klux Klan] were OK," until he discovered some of them were "pot smokers," showing a rather strange set of priorities.
- A black former assistant U.S. Attorney who worked with Sessions said Sessions had called him "boy," and after hearing him chastise an assumably-white (the story doesn't say) secretary, Sessions told him to "be careful what you say to white folks."
- Sessions called Charles Pickering, a George W. Bush nominee who had in 1959 written a paper defending Mississippi's anti-miscegenation law, "a leader for racial harmony," and "courageous."
Sessions also had a history of focusing like a laser beam on black voting fraud (while completely ignoring white voting fraud -- this in the Southern District of Alabama), which led him to prosecute "the Marion Three" for 14 ballots allegedly tampered with out of a total of 1.7 million votes cast in 1984. One of the three was a former aide to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The three were acquitted after the jury spent only four hours deliberating the case.
Sessions himself has always felt he was railroaded by the Senate Judiciary Committee. To charges of "gross insensitivity" on racial issues, he replied that the committee itself had been insensitive to the rights and reputation of judicial nominees. Sessions said that the statements attributed to him were when he was just joking. And he said, when he gained a seat on the same committee which had earlier rejected him as a judicial nominee, that it was a "great irony."
Which is why it will be very interesting to see what Sessions has to say during Sotomayor's hearing, and how he will vote. On last week's Meet The Press, he answered moderator David Gregory's question about whether it was appropriate to call Sotomayor a racist and compare her to David Duke (but failed to mention Tom Tancredo comparing her to a member of the KKK, which Pat Leahy had to bring up later):
I don't think I'm going to use any such words as that. I read her speech. I'm troubled by her speech. I think she has an opportunity to explain that. And I don't think we -- that I'm going to use such loaded words. People on the outside can say what they choose to say.
Gregory also never mentions Sessions' history with the committee, and Sessions' own failed nomination as a judge (Gregory didn't do his homework, apparently). Later, when pressed on the point of whether conservatives should be using such terms to describe Sotomayor, Sessions answered:
I would prefer that they not, but people have a free right to speak and say what they want and make the analogies that they want. This is an important thing. We should not demagogue race. It's an important issue in our culture and our country. We need to handle it with respect that it deserves and the care that it deserves.
Now, in Sessions' defense, most of what he had to say was pretty mild when stacked up against the rantings of fellow Republicans Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh and Tom Tancredo. He even had some words of praise for Sotomayor.
But Sessions repeatedly called Sonia Sotomayor's use of the word "better" (which I wrote about yesterday) "troubling." But what's more troubling to me is that the leading Republican on the committee which will hold her confirmation hearing has made outright racist statements in the past. Whether you believe Sotomayor's comment was "racist" or not, it's pretty hard to parse as a "joke" a white man calling a black colleague "boy" in Alabama, and telling him "be careful what you say to white folks." Or saying that -- as long as they weren't getting high, of course -- the KKK was "OK."
Which I find troubling, myself. The mainstream media either (1) hasn't done the most basic of research on Sessions, or (2) is deliberately ignoring this side of the story. And either one of those is just as troubling as Sessions' own statements.
Cross-posted at The Huffington Post
-- Chris Weigant | <urn:uuid:8386e4e0-921c-46ba-b0aa-388e2f9af298> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.chrisweigant.com/2009/06/03/senator-sessions-judge-sotomayor-and-racism/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984504 | 1,191 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Dr. Martin J. Broussard Athletic Training Facility adjacent to Tiger Stadium
In the Spring of 1998, the athletic training program moved into the Dr. Martin J. Broussard Athletic Training Facility located on the Northeast corner of Tiger Stadium. The two story, 22,000 square foot facility contains 20 treatment tables with the newest forms of modalities available, 14 taping stations, a 1,600 square foot rehabilitation area which contains the latest rehabilitation equipment including the Cybex Norm, Woodway treadmills and Body Master select rise equipment.
There are 20 computers/work stations which will be loaded with an injury tracking program designed by the LSU training staff utilizing the Paradox Database System as well as a therapeutic exercise computer program that generates exercise and rehab protocols.
Pool Rehabilitation Area
The 2,400 square foot state-of-the-art pool rehabilitation area houses four 8 x 11 Jacuzzi style walk-in whirlpools, a 15 x 30 lap pool that graduates in depth for underwater rehab, and a 15 x 15, seven-foot deep pool for cardiovascular training. An additional area contains a 7 x 21 foot walk-in cold jacuzzi style tub.
Modality Treatment Area
There are 17 tables where the athletes receive modality treatment. In this area you will find a variety of rehabilitation machines used to shorten rehab time and return our athletes back to their sport in a timely manner.
The athletes fill our taping area that contains 14 separate taping stations. This areas, as in all other areas of the facility are coed. Each sport has equal access to this taping area at all times of the day. On average, well over 150 athletes will move through this area on any given day.
Rehabilitation and Fitness Area
The Broussard Center for Athletic Training offers the athlete the best opportunity to maintain their fitness level while undergoing short and/or long-term therapy for their injury. Among the cardiovascular equipment you will find: three (3) Stairmasters, five (5) Life Cycles, two (2) Nordic Tracks, two (2) Cybex Upperbody Ergometers, and a Woodway Treadmill. There are a wide variety of Body Master isotonic machines used to build and maintain the strength of our athletes during the rehabilitation process. Our Cybex Norm isokinetic machine has the ability to rehabilitate all of the major joints in the body. The Cybex Norm is used in the NFL Combine as a diagnostic tool to determine the strength and/or deficits in the knees of future NFL players.
The Second Level
The second floor offers four private physicians offices, x-ray capabilities, an optometry center, an echocardiogram station, an athletic training student lounge, as well as an in-house pharmacy. A 14 x 14 conference room serves as a staff meeting room as well as a meeting room for athletic training student in-services. Formal staff offices, a men's and women's locker room facility and a storage facility complete the second floor.
Having access to a hospital grade, on-site x-ray facility allows our orthopedic surgeons and general practitioners an immediate and reliable means for making a medical diagnosis of injuries or illness. Our X-ray technicians are in the facility in the evenings to help expedite the diagnostic requests of the physician. If a diagnosis is made that requires splinting or casting, our casting room stocks everything necessary for long and short-term immobilization of the athlete's injury.
Eye Exam Room
Our team ophthalmologist has the on-site facility to perform ophthalmic examinations for our athletes. These specialized machines help to determine one's visual impairments as well as provide measurements necessary to fit one for contacts and glasses.
During pre-season physical examinations, our team cardiologist is able to perform electrocardiograms as well as echocardiograms on all of our athletes. LSU is the first school to have availability of the echocardiogram within the training room. This state of the art diagnostic tool can provide the doctor with a print out of the heart's electrical as well as an actual moving picture of the valves and arteries within the heart muscle.
The Broussard Center for Athletic Training houses a full service dental clinic complete with board-certified team Dentists committed to serving the student athlete at LSU. Performing restorative cavity and root canal procedures, all encompassing care can be done at this state of the art facility.
The John Weston Hawie Family Conference Room is used for staff and graduate assistant meetings, student in-services and volunteer interviews. Housed within the conference room is the Dr. Joe Serio Library. This library contains a variety of educational books and periodicals on the topic of athletic training.
The storage room contains all of the medical supplies that the Athletic Training Department would use in a given year. Inside this area you will find a wide variety of prophylactic splints and braces, first aid supplies as well as our molded mouthpiece station. Once mouth molds are taken of our athletes, our athletic training students are able to provide the athlete with custom fit mouthpieces which aid in reducing the number and severity of dental injuries and concussions.
Athletic Training Student Lounge
The Broussard Athletic Training Facility serves as the main athletic training facility for all treatments and rehabilitations. There are satellite athletic training facilities in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse, LSU Soccer Complex, Tiger Softball Park and the New Alex Box Stadium serving pre- and post-practice necessities. The Broussard Athletic Training Facility is manned by six full-time Certified Staff Athletic Trainers, 10 Certified Graduate Assistants and 25 athletic training students.
Satellite Athletic Training Facilities
Football Operations Building Athletic Training Facility
In August 2005, the Athletic Training Staff was fortunate to add yet another athletic training room to its long list of operational facilities. The Athletic Training Room at the Football Operations Building is 8000 square feet of the latest state-of-the-art equipment and rehabilitation tools to better assess, treat and return our athletes to sport. Although this athletic training room is considered a satellite facility, it is large enough and so well equipped that it is a facility that certainly ranks amongst the best in the country.
This facility's focus on rehabilitation begins in the hydrotherapy area with three (3) in-ground pools powered by HydroWorx. Two of these pools are plunge pools, one hot and one cold. The third pool has a built in treadmill and jets designed to be modified based on the degree of injury or the stage of rehabilitation. Computer driver with built in cameras, this underwater treadmill allows the athletic trainer a way to evaluate the athlete's gait and helps determine their readiness and progression to dry land training. With full visual access to the football fields at the McClendon Practice Facility, the athlete can utilize stationary bikes, a Life Fitness Elliptical Trainer, Stairmaster Climbers, a Woodway Treadmill as well as a host of other dynamic equipment.
This facility is a great working environment for the staff of certified athletic trainers as well as the certified graduate and athletic training students. With easy access to the LSU practice fields and the indoor facility, setting up the fields for practice has never been easier. In making the daily transition from academics to the clinical experience, the athletic training students have personal lockers and shower facilities within the athletic training room itself. The Athletic Training Room at the Football Operations Building is certainly top notch.
Pete Maravich Assembly Center Main Athletic Training Facility
This facility is home to Women's Basketball and Volleyball on a daily basis for Practice Preparation, Treatment, and Rehabilitation. For competitions this facility houses Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Gymnastics, Volleyball, Track and Field, as well as Visiting Teams. This facility is equipped with 2 whirlpools, 2 taping tables, 4 treatment tables, and modalities.
Pete Maravich Men's Basketball Athletic Training Facility
This facility is located downstairs in the PMAC and houses the Men's basketball team and is used for both practice and game days. This facility is equipped with: 2 Treatment tables, 2 taping tables, and modalities.
Fieldhouse Athletic Training Facility
This facility is located inside of the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse and is home to: Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Track and Field, and Gymnastics. This facility is equipped with 2 whirlpools, 2 treatment, and 2 taping tables and modalities.
Soccer Athletic Training Facility
This facility is located at the LSU Soccer Complex and exclusively houses the Women's Soccer team. The Soccer Complex Athletic Training Room is used for practice, game days and for visiting teams when playing the Tigers. This facility is equipped with 2 treatment tables, numerous modalities, a taping table, and a whirlpool.
Alex Box Athletic Training Facility
The athletic training facility is located inside the new Alex Box Stadium and is home to the LSU Baseball team. There is over 1,000 square feet of space that is used for daily treatments, long- term rehabilitations, as well as practice and game preparation. The facility is equipped with cardiovascular equipment, therapeutic modalities, taping tables, Theraband wall stations, and whirlpools. The LSU baseball team has one of the nicest athletic training facilities in college baseball.
Tiger Park Athletic Training Facility
The new Tiger Park boasts a state of the art facility that tops most in the country and is home to the LSU Softball team. The athletic training room is located on the second floor of the new Tiger Park facility. It is equipped with a treatment table, hydrotherapy room, as well modalities used for practice and game preparation. The grandest part of this athletic training room is the top notch view of Tiger Park. | <urn:uuid:73759bb9-a2e8-4359-9a9d-9c233fa4ac5c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?PALBID=435860&DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=177277 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949101 | 2,036 | 1.609375 | 2 |
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Morocco: Crackdown on Popular Newspaper Al MassaePosted by: admin on Thu, 2011-06-09 13:39
As the social media revolutions unfold throughout the Arab world, reactions to the recent arrest of well-known Moroccan newspaper editor Rachid Nini highlight the continued importance of traditional media in promoting reform. Nini on 9 June was sentenced to a year in prison.
At the end of April, the government arrested and imprisoned Nini, editor of the daily Moroccan newspaper Al Massae. The charges against Nini include “propagating ideas that threaten the security of the homeland and its citizens,” “denigrating judicial rulings” and “misinformation against members of the security services.”
Nini was arrested after writing several editorials for Al Massae that criticized the government. His columns accused senior government officials of corruption, called for the dismantling of the nation’s Anti-Terror Law, and questioned the government’s account of who is responsible for terrorist attacks that occurred in the past several years. Some observers believe Nini was arrested in part because he has been unwilling to disclose the names of high-level sources who provided him with detailed information on corruption in senior levels of government.
Outpouring of Support for Nini
Nini’s arrest has generated vocal opposition from human rights groups and the Moroccan public. Calls for his immediate and unconditional release have been issued by the National Union of the Moroccan Press, Reporters Without Borders, domestic and foreign human rights organizations, the Moroccan Federation of Newspaper Publishers, civil society groups, several political parties, and members of the February 20 Youth Movement. Small-scale public protests and work stoppages to denounce Nini’s arrest have taken place in Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech, Tangier, and several other cities. On Facebook, a “Committee for Solidarity with Rachid Nini” group has been formed and tens of other Facebook pages have been set up in support of the editor with some attracting thousands of visitors. The pages have names like “We are all Rachid Nini,” “Solidarity with Rachid Nini,” “Freedom for Rachid Nini” and “We call for the elimination of the terror law and the release of Rachid Nini.”
The attention generated by the arrest of a newspaper editor is counterintuitive. First, Al Massae is technically not accessible to a large number of Moroccans because of the high rate of illiteracy there (48 percent, according to the CIA World Factbook). Although the newspaper publishes pictures and has some videos on its website, the meat of the stories and the editorials Nini is famous for are detailed in text and, thus, out of the reach of those who cannot read. Additionally, it is a newspaper. In Morocco, other forms of media and information technology are much more popular, including mobile phones and televisions. Thus it is surprising that the government would view the editor of a print newspaper as a threat.
Given the limited reach of this very traditional media source, why has the government arrested Nini and why has his arrest generated so much attention?
The timing of Nini’s arrest is one reason he’s been in the spotlight. Police arrested Nini just two months after the King responded to large-scale protests for reform with unprecedented promises to relinquish part of his executive powers and revise the Constitution. For many, the arrest marks a step backward from these promises. In the view of the former president of the Association of Moroccan Journalists, for example, the arrest signals the desire among some in government to return to human rights abuses prevalent under the former King.
The legal basis for the government’s arrest of Nini is also sounding alarms. The government arrested him under criminal rather than journalism law, raising the hackles of Moroccan and foreign free-speech advocates. Critics say the precedent will encourage self-censorship and allows the government to pretend it supports journalistic freedoms while criminalizing free speech.
A Focus on Issues Affecting Ordinary Moroccans
The outcry over Nini’s arrest may stem in part from the populist slant of the articles Al Massae publishes. Nini and Al Massae regularly report on issues of concern to many Moroccans, such as education, health care, corruption, poverty, and abuses by the police and security forces. At the end of May, for example, the paper ran an article about new apartment buildings that had burned down in Fes because of lack of government oversight of construction. A week later there was a full-page article describing a planned mass suicide by workers in Khouribga who were fed up with their company’s inaction in responding to demands for increased wages and improved working conditions. Other articles in the paper have focused on medical mistakes and abuses, self-immolation by unemployed youth, drug addiction, problems with the educational sector, and protests among workers in a variety of industries and government.
Members of the February 20 Youth Movement likely support Nini because he has long criticized the government corruption that is a key part of the movement’s protest agenda. For years, Nini has published names of corrupt officials and detailed accusations of their misdeeds. In the most recent and well-publicized case, Al Massae accused a close associate of King Mohammed VI of corruption and violation of the laws of public procurement. In an April editorial, Nini accused the chief of intelligence of trying to hire Al Massae insiders to spy against the paper. Nini has also recently published articles critical of the director of the internal security apparatus, DST, and accused the police of torture. One blogger described Nini as the only Moroccan journalist who has the guts to shed light on corruption in the Moroccan military, intelligence forces, and among the King’s friends. According to the blogger, other independent journalists avoid even hinting at these issues for fear of being arrested.
In addition to all of these factors, the fact that Nini wrote for a mainstream media outlet, rather than for a blog or social networking site likely brought him much more attention than he would have otherwise received. Al Massae is the most widely read newspaper in the country, with 110,000 copies sold daily. While this is only a small fraction of Morocco’s population, the information contained in the paper invariably reaches many more Moroccans given the importance of word of mouth in the country.
Nini has been reporting for Al Massae since 2006 and has had many years to develop and reinforce an identity and narrative for the paper. Unlike a blogger, Nini has been able to work full-time promoting his agenda through editorials. His full-time paid staff has written articles that reinforce narratives of widespread corruption, lack of workers’ rights and ineffective local governance. While there are dozens of bloggers and YouTube videos that address these same problems, the authors generally do not have the time or resources needed reinforce and contextualize their narratives to create a national following that lasts for years.
The sentencing of Nini today to a year in prison is not surprising, given his refusal to cave on one of the government’s top demands -- that he disclose the confidential sources for his articles on corruption. No matter what the reaction are to this latest verdict, responses to the case thus far illustrates that even in an era of social media revolutions, a traditional media source can have resonance and become an important symbol of change. | <urn:uuid:896d7610-2677-45a0-aa80-a59c58f1fbb1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.audiencescapes.org/newspaper-al-massae-morocco-rachid-nini-government-media-environment-arrest-sentence | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963898 | 1,556 | 1.546875 | 2 |
One thing about Earth Day every year is that there are tons of ideas thrown around about what individuals and groups of people can do to help the environment.
We here at Patch hope that this daily series of articles will give you some ideas—maybe they were things you never thought of, or maybe it just didn't click until now.
How much of an impact do you have on the planet? In other words, what is your carbon footprint? Here's an interactive test to see what your carbon footprint is and what you can do about it.
So what will you do—starting now—to leave less of an impression on Planet Earth?
If the poll doesn't contain your answer, leave it in the comments below.
For a list of Earth Day-related events and activities, go here.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Krista Raia, Sarah Velez and Giuseppe D'Aloisio contributed to this posting. | <urn:uuid:07af8242-da7f-4cf9-aa79-63691332e8e8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://newrochelle.patch.com/groups/around-town/p/earth-day-poll | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964364 | 192 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Difference between revisions of "Bako National Park"
Revision as of 12:12, 14 April 2009
Flora and fauna
Its beautifully dense rainforests and stunning beaches are home to many flora and fauna including the rare proboscis monkey. Try and spot them during low tide as they forage in the exposed Mangrove tree swamps. There are 16 color-coded jungle trails as well as lodges for overnight stays - which you have to book early. On the high ground, look out for pitcher plants. And beware of the monkeys, they are very clever and compulsive thieves!(don't forget to spot the boar!)
Bako enjoys sunny weather much of the year. Temperature is constant throughout the year, in the lowland range from a cool 23C in the evening and early morning to 33C under the shade during the day. But from late November to late January, the monsoon rain may spoil plans for an outing. The hottest months are usually from June to late August, when the tribal farmers do their slash-and-burn land clearing before planting their padi, this has been blamed for the haze that envelops the regions and may cause health hazards. But since the governments of both Malaysia and Indonesia have "banned" open burning, incidents of haze have been reduced somewhat.
A bus ride from Kuching to Bako Market takes about 45-60 minutes and costs 2 MYR each way. Buses leave to/from Bako about once every hour starting from about 7AM from Kuching and finishing about 6PM from Bako, but the schedule is not firm. You can get a daily schedule at the bus station 1 in Kuching (near the mosque) in the morning.
When you arrive at the Bako Market purchase your entrance ticket (10 MYR for adults for one entry). Then, board the boat to the park headquarters down the river estuary (~30 minute ride, 47 MYR per boat each way, max. 5 passengers per boat). Tell your boatman when you plan to return and he'll wait for you at the dock. Departure times might depend on the tides (boats do get stuck at low tide).
As of July 2008:
Adult single-entry: 10 MYR Child/Senior single-entry: 5 MYR
Rates for lodging vary considerably depending on level of luxury. Check in advance at the National Park information center in Kuching for availability.
The interior of the park can only be traversed on foot. Staying on or close to the marked trails is strongly advised. Boardwalks and ladders are installed to help with some of the more difficult stretches.
Small boats similar to those that take you to and from the park wait on the beaches at busy times of day and can be chartered to take you to other beachside destinations. A boat pickup can also be arranged to help ease the return journey from some of the park's longer trails that finish on beaches. Pulau Lakei, some distance offshore, can only be reached by boat
A wide range of animal, bird and plant life including the Proboscis monkeys which come to the mangrove swamp to feed early evening. It's close to the lodging area where covered sheds are built, go there around 4PM, take a book and wait till they come. Seeing Proboscis and other species here is a lot easier and more comfortable than going on a safari. You just walk along an elevated wooden pathway, perhaps 10 minutes from where the boats land.
You can also see the seastacks and a lots more.
Nighttime sightseeing hikes are sometimes led by park staff, and are also easier and more comfortable than ones done on a safari.
Walks radiate from the centre offering a variety of difficulties in the heat and humidity and provide access to the habitats of the wide range of animal, bird and plant life in the park. The hikes are over some pretty rugged terrain for the most part, with lots of exposed tree roots and vegetation sometimes blocking trails that are less frequented.
With a little negotiation, a boatman will take you to nearby Palau Lakai, a small island just off the mainland. The views on the way here are spectacular and it's special to have an island to yourself for a day.
There is a local cafeteria that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner for about MYR$5.00-7.00. There are no cooking facilities within the lodges.
The cafeteria has a variety of drinks including beer and soda.
At the National park headquarters there are bungalows for rent, a couple of nights stay are recommended if you have the time. 4-bed dorm with shared bathroom RM15.75; rooms from RM42. Accomodation can be stuffy and may have some mold growing on the ceilings.
Saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) may be found near river mouths and in mangrove swamps. | <urn:uuid:8632b68d-c45e-4ae6-8d1f-b4f1deba07b5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://wikitravel.org/wiki/en/index.php?title=Bako_National_Park&diff=1114015&oldid=1113837 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955891 | 1,027 | 1.78125 | 2 |
Artist behind 'Ecce Homo' fresco fiasco auctions her own work on eBay12/14/2012
Cecilia Gimenez, the amateur painter who catapulted her Spanish chapel into international headlines by "restoring" a howling smiley face onto a 19th-century fresco of "Ecce Homo" is making her original artwork available just in time for the Christmas season. The 80-year-old frugal artist is selling an original piece on eBay called "Bodegas de Borja," which appears to be a weathered, crumbling villa (what do you want to bet the actual building it’s modeled after is a brand new stucco mansion?) and has 31 bids so far, topping out around $820. If you want to place a bid and buy a piece of Internet history, the auction is open until Dec. 18 and the proceeds go to charity. [Source]
Click to see more on msnNOW.com, updated 24 hours a day.
What would you do with some of her work? | <urn:uuid:c16ce379-0cdd-497c-91f0-08556422407f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://now.msn.com/cecilia-gimenez-ecce-homo-painter-sells-her-own-work-on-ebay | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958861 | 216 | 1.679688 | 2 |
January is the coldest month of the year, and, apparently, the Arctic vibe extends beyond the temperature. The first month of the new year is reportedly the most popular time of year to file for divorce. Rumor has it that January is ominously nicknamed "Divorce Month" in legal circles. Sure, the holidays are hectic, and relationship issues can come into sharper focus when stressed-out couples spend more time together. But is January's bad rap really deserved?
The Biggest Divorce Month Is…
For better or worse, the numbers suggest that "Divorce Month" is real. According to statistics published by eDivorcePapers.com, January has the most legal breakups.
More from YourTango: Why Getting Dumped Was The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me
Certified divorce consultant Cathy Meyer agrees: "Absolutely. January consistently sees the most divorce filings. It just really amazes me, though it probably shouldn't. . .my own husband left in January."
More from YourTango: Contest: Tell Us The Best Way To Avoid Ex Sex—In 10 Words Or Less
Divorce lawyer James Gross of Maryland-based law firm Thyden Gross & Callahan confirms that the "Divorce Month" phenomenon is well-known to law professionals, explaining, "Some attorneys take the last two weeks of the year off to get ready for the rush. January really does see a lot of divorces."
The most popular filing date varies, depending on who you ask. Some organizations have gone beyond "Divorce Month" to identify a single "D-Day". The Legal Services Commission claims that "the first Monday after the kids return to school" sees the most filings, while the Telegraph has said that "the start of the first full working week after the holidays" is the year's biggest divorce day. | <urn:uuid:9b524d84-4f30-4ccb-8521-48f10a78a2f0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.yourtango.com/201166514/january-really-divorce-month | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950298 | 379 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Is Housing Recovering as Much as Everyone Thinks?
CNBC Real Estate Reporter
The news is finally good: Consumer sentiment in housing is at the highest level since the recovery began.
Realtors say not only are buyers coming back, but much-needed sellers are too. Inventories of distressed properties are shrinking, and mortgage rates are hitting record lows nearly every week. (Read More: Is Housing Rising From Ashes? 'Industry Has Come Back'.)
The housing crisis is over, right?
"While we have seen many dramatic headlines touting the housing recovery over the last 3.5 years, these headlines and the analysts who author them have been over- predicting changes in the housing market (versus what actually occurred)." said Laurie Goodman of Amherst Securities in a new report.
"Recoveries, with attendant price increases, were anticipated in the spring and summer of 2009, 2010 and 2011; by the fall and winter the predictions of price changes were amended to reflect further price declines. In actuality, after netting out the seasonal factors, home prices have been little changed in the past few years."
Does that mean that we're headed for yet another housing scare come Halloween time? Is housing's winter chill just around the corner? Not according to the bulk of Americans surveyed in yet another new report:
“Consumers are showing increasing faith in the nascent housing recovery,” said Doug Duncan, senior vice president and chief economist of Fannie Mae. “Home price change expectations have remained positive for 11 straight months, and the share expecting home price declines has stabilized at a survey low of only 11 percent."
The expectation is now that home prices will increase an average of 1.5 percent in the next year, according to the survey, and that has sellers coming back to the market. Of those surveyed, 19 percent said now is a good time to sell. That's the highest since the survey began in June 2010. But wait, 19 percent? That's still not a lot.
These national surveys seek overall trends and tout big headlines, but real estate is and always will be local, and this recovery is becoming increasingly local. That is clear in the latest numbers on supplies of distressed homes.
The so-called "shadow inventory" of homes that either have seriously delinquent mortgages, are in the foreclosure process or are bank-owned but not yet listed for sale, fell to 2.3 million units in July according to CoreLogic. That's a 10 percent year-over-year drop, and puts the supply at about six months by the current sales pace.
"The decline in shadow inventory has recently moderated reflecting the lower outflow of distressed sales over the past year," said Mark Fleming, chief economist for CoreLogic. “While a lower outflow of distressed sales helps alleviate downward home price pressure, long foreclosure timelines in some parts of the country causes these pools of shadow inventory to remain in limbo for an extended period of time.”
And that's the problem. In states where a judge is required in the foreclosure process, like New York, Florida and New Jersey, foreclosure timelines are still marked in years, not months. That will keep home prices from recovering as quickly there. Prices could in fact deteriorate. (Read More: Housing Alert: Short Sales may Be in Big Trouble.)
"Market participants have become too accustomed to speaking about a national housing market and national home price appreciation. Going forward, we expect price behavior to vary by price range and location. To over-generalize — we anticipate that the judicial states, those in which a court order is necessary to proceeds with the foreclosure process, will take much longer to clear the distressed inventory than the non-judicial states, and higher-priced homes will take longer to clear than lower priced," noted Goodman.
Much of the latest optimism in housing is due to record low mortgage rates. The Federal Reserve'slatest action to buy $40 billion in agency mortgage-backed securities sent rates plunging and mortgage applications rising.
The applications, however, were largely for refinances, not home purchases. The Fed's move gave more Americans confidence that mortgage rates will not increase in the next year, according to Fannie Mae's survey, but those consumers may be wrong. (Read More: Will Fed's Mortgage Buying Juice the Housing Recovery?)
"More recently, MBS yields have made up nearly all of their initial drop. If sustained, that suggests that mortgage rates may not fall much further, and could even rise," notes Paul Diggle of Capital Economics.
Home buying and selling cannot always be qualified and quantified by monthly economic numbers. It is a highly emotional business, which is why sentiment can not only ignore reality, it can effect reality. Going forward, much of the housing recovery will be driven by sentiment. It remains to be seen if that sentiment will hold if this warming recovery hits a new chill.
—By CNBC's Diana Olick
Sector Watch: US Home Builders
—Beazer Homes USA | <urn:uuid:6688f80b-4b24-4cac-8245-c48416f8e3f1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cnbc.com/id/49343717/?Is_Housing_Recovering_as_Much_as_Everyone_Thinks | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958429 | 1,029 | 1.570313 | 2 |
PHILADELPHIA, PA.- The Philadelphia Museum of Art
has acquired three important French Impressionist paintings by Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, and Alfred Sisley, and a pastel by Mary Cassatt, the Pennsylvania native and American expatriate who became famously associated with Paris during the late 19th century. All of the works are gifts from Chara C. and the late John Haas, longtime supporters of the Museum. They include Path on the Island of Saint Martin, Vétheuil (1881) by Claude Monet (French, 1840-1926); Apple Tree in the Meadow, Éragny (1893) by Camille Pissaro (French, 1830-1903); Mooring Lines, the Effect of Snow at Saint Cloud (1879) by Alfred Sisley (French, 1839-1899); and Madame Bérards Baby in a Striped Armchair (1880-81) by Mary Cassatt (American, 1844-1926). The Monet and the Pissarro have now been placed on view in gallery 152, while the Sisley hangs in gallery 157 and Cassatts pastel can be seen in gallery 162.
With these remarkable gifts, John and Chara Haas have greatly enriched the Museums collections, said Timothy Rub, The George D. Widener Director and CEO, adding strength to the Museums extensive holdings of Impressionist art and enabling us to present a more complete picture of these artists remarkable achievements. We are deeply grateful to John and Chara Haas, who now join the many great collectors whose gifts have made the Philadelphia Museum of Art a major destination for art enthusiasts from around the world.
We are delighted to have these four works, which expand and enhance our rich Impressionist holdings with a radiant landscape by Monet created during the years he spent in Vétheuil in the late 1870s and early 1880s, a period that has not been represented in our collection, a remarkably fresh and beautifully painted winter scene by Sisley, a handsome landscape that Pissarro painted at his home in Éragny, and a charming pastel portrait of the young Lucie Bérard by Mary Cassatt, said Joseph Rishel, The Gisela and Dennis Alter Senior Curator of European Painting before 1900, and Senior Curator of the John G. Johnson Collection and the Rodin Museum.
Monets Path on the Island of Saint Martin, Vétheuil (1881)is a colorful view of the fields near the village of Vétheuil on the north bank of the Seine, where Monet moved with his family in 1879. During the summer of 1881, Monet painted lush views of the town from the island of Saint Martin as his pictorial style evolved from the blunt, broad strokes of the 1870s to the delicate, rhythmic brushwork of Path on the Island of Saint Martin. This is the first work from Monets Vétheuil period to come into the Museums collection, and its presence will enable visitors to understand the development of the artists work during this important time in his career.
Apple Tree in the Meadow, Éragny (1893) captures the fields and gardens around Camille Pissarros (French, 1830-1903) home in Éragny, a small village about 90 miles northwest of Paris. This focused study joins four other views of the Pissarro home in the Museums collection from earlier years. A view of the meadow adjacent to Pissarros house (the brick building visible on the left), it is marked by the strongly-patterned brush and palette knife work common in the artists paintings of the 1890s and clearly demonstrates the influence that the work of the Post-Impressionist painter Georges Seurat (French, 1859-1891) had on Pissarros work during this period.
Alfred Sisley, an Impressionist landscape painter well represented in the Museums collection, painted Mooring Lines, the Effect of Snow at Saint Cloud (1879) while living to the west of Paris. Of particular note is Sisleys dramatic treatment of the winter view in which the snowy river bank is animated by the mooring lines that secure an unseen barge to the bank of the river. Sisley was widely admired for his skillful renderings of winter scenes. Here the sky and the fugitive effects of light and weather are depicted here in nuanced tones of white and blue.
Mary Cassatt achieved remarkable success as a woman working in a field almost entirely dominated by men. Several of her sensitive portraits depicting family scenes and her nieces and nephews are in the collection at the Museum, including Portrait of Alexander J. Cassatt and His Son, Robert Kelso Cassatt (1884) and A Woman and a Girl Driving (1881). Madame Bérards Baby in a Striped Armchair, a portrait of 9-month-old Lucie seated on a vibrant blue striped chair, demonstrates the artists mastery of the pastel medium by the early 1880s. The brilliant use of red and blue in the background offsets the child, who is dressed in a formal white gown. Cassatts assured and sensitive handling of her young subject is particularly apparent in the modeling of Lucies moving hands. | <urn:uuid:60a32da9-7c02-47e9-aabf-6673d5e5c2a7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=11&int_new=49289&int_modo=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945525 | 1,099 | 1.796875 | 2 |
VATICAN CITY -- The majority of bishops' conferences in the Americas, Europe and Asia have complied with a Vatican mandate to draw up anti-abuse guidelines, said the Vatican's top investigator of clerical sex abuse.
Without counting Africa, "more than half of the conferences responded" by the May deadline, Msgr. Charles Scicluna of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said in an interview with the Italian monthly Catholic magazine Jesus.
All those who did not send in their proposed guidelines would be getting "a letter of reminder," he added.
The Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, quoted from the interview Tuesday and said the congregation received an encouraging number of responses from Anglo-Saxon countries, "but also Europe, Asia and Latin America have high percentages of responses."
While the result is gratifying, Scicluna said in the interview, Africa "has a particular situation with great difficulty in church structures," presumably referring to the lack of needed communications and other infrastructure that help a nation's bishops draw up national policies.
Evaluating each country's proposed policies and guidelines for dealing with cases of clerical sexual abuse of minors will take "at least a year," and that process will not begin until after the summer, he said.
More than 4,000 cases of sexual abuse have been reported to the doctrinal office the past decade, the office reported earlier this year. Those cases revealed that an exclusively canonical response to the crisis had been inadequate and that a multifaceted and more proactive approach by all bishops and religious orders was needed, said the former prefect of the congregation, U.S. Cardinal William J. Levada.
Countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia and Germany are among those with the most comprehensive and binding guidelines or norms, but in many cases, those norms came only in the wake of revelations in the media of abuse, the cardinal said.
Bishops' conferences have been encouraged to develop "effective, quick, articulated, complete and decisive plans for the protection of children," bringing perpetrators to justice and assisting victims, "including in countries where the problem has not manifested itself in as dramatic a way as in others," the Vatican said in November 2010. | <urn:uuid:20f18e8a-d554-42ad-bc07-5b70ab1f3cbd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/majority-bishops-conferences-except-africa-draft-abuse-policies | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963304 | 459 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Everyday, people are searching for jobs. You should count yourself lucky to be able to secure a job for a long time. Surely you don’t get the best job in the world but you can make your job a little meaningful with three simple steps.
1. Try to expand your role in the company
You don’t have to get stuck in your position. Everyone is aiming for a nice promotion but it is not easy to get a promotion without any sacrifice. You will need to work harder and show your flexibility in handling all sorts of tasks in the company. This is a major reason for some people to stick to their job. You could be one of them.
2. Initiation is always a good thing
Initiate something good for the company you work with so that your boss would appreciate you better. Always help out in areas that you are good at. For example, your boss might need someone to work on something that is out of your job field but who says you can’t do something other than the tasks in your job description? Give it a try and you might be surprised.
3. Share your knowledge and expertise
Sharing your expertise will help you to learn more about communication skills. You should try to give advice to other people about what you know especially about the industry you study. These connections are very important as they will indeed help you in your career. It is truly meaningful when you can help others to understand better about your industry.
Don’t give up so soon. Give your job a second chance before quitting. | <urn:uuid:47533624-31da-4dfc-90db-c1d66602ea88> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://skorcareer.com.my/blog/turn-your-job-into-a-meaningful-job/2010/01/23/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965599 | 322 | 1.726563 | 2 |
Bill Cuts State Knife Control
Sen. Mike Bell has proposed what he calls "a complete rewrite of the knife laws in Tennessee," repealing present provisions that effectively prohibit use of "switchblades" and apparently ban use of knives with blades longer than four inches for self-defense.
Bell's bill (SB1015) would also override multiple city and county government ordinances that restrict knives. It was approved on a 7-1 vote Tuesday in the Senate Judiciary Committee, with one member abstaining.
The Riceville Republican said he began looking into knife laws after a judge told him "a couple of years ago" he tried to order a knife from an online retailer and was told the company did not ship to Tennessee because it read state law to ban knives with blades longer than 4 inches.
He has since learned, Bell said, that "thousands of people throughout Tennessee" are violating state law by having "switchblade knives," which he said are more properly called "spring-loaded knives."
Bell said the present ban on switchblades, which are useful for people who need to open a knife with one hand in some situations, was banned in Tennessee and many other states after " hysteria caused by Hollywood movies."
Actually, he said officials of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation say they are rarely, if ever, used in crime. Further, with only a slight variation in opening procedure, a knife can avoid the switchblade designation and be legal, he said.
The bill repeals several provisions of current law, including those on the crime of carrying a knife "for the purpose of going armed." The law now forbids having a knife with a blade of more than 4 inches for such purposes, he said, unless it is used in hunting, fishing, camping or "other lawful activity."
Effectively, Bell said, that means a person cannot carry a knife for self-defense. He said his 18-year-old daughter cannot legally get a handgun carry permit to possess a gun for self-defense and should be able to carry a long-bladed knife instead.
The only no vote on the committee Tuesday came from Sen. Lowe Finney, D-Jackson, who said a law enforcement officer had contacted him with concerns about the bill.
Bell said pre-emption of local ordinances is needed to provide statewide uniformity in laws. Clarksville, for example, prohibits knifes with blades longer than 3 inches, shorter than the state standard. Knoxville's city ordinance, he said, is roughly the same as current state law, though using an array of undefined terms that include "razor, dirk, Bowie knife or other knife of like form" and, in another place, "sword cane" and "ice pick" -- if the named items are "for the purpose of going armed."
Note: There is a national 'knife rights' effort, subject of a Mother Jones story. HT/Jeff Woods
this is great news. thanks to sen. bell!
Senator Bell is great,I personally would not carry switchblade.Theres too much to go wrong with them,for example getting lint or coins stuck in them ,it wouldnt open!I would rather have cold steel tanto for hunting or self defense | <urn:uuid:3667a8e0-97ab-43a5-90e2-0b13aebcc3b3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.knoxnews.com/humphrey/2013/02/bill-cuts-state-knife-control.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969468 | 660 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Take time to STOP & THINK
Dec 20, 2009
Christmas gives us the opportunity to do things for people we might otherwise neglect, and we must take advantage of every opportunity.
December 25th isn’t about presents but about Christ presence in our lives. The angels had been overjoyed once before when the Son of God, through whom all things were created, laid the foundations of the earth (Job 38:1-7). But now the same Son was coming to dwell upon the earth He created! The joy only the angels had known would now be a joy spread throughout the earth to all people. Have you experienced the peace of which the angels spoke?
Imagine how excited you’d be (or are), if your loved one were returning home after a tour of duty. You would be (or are), giddy with excitement, straightening the house, planning a menu, calling friends, and preparing for the long-awaited reunion. This is the same excitement we should be experiencing and preparing for in the coming week as we get ready for Christmas. The Celebration of Jesus Christ. Think of why he came, and what he did for us.
This Christmas, remind yourself of why it is more blessed to give than to receive.
And as this year is coming to an end, it may be a good time to leave behind some old habits.
Perhaps you need to bring your temper under Christ’s control.
Perhaps you need to change your vocabulary. Maybe God is nudging us to forgive an offense or overlook an insult.
As we celebrate Christmas with friends and family, and prepare to end one year and begin a new one, let’s determine to start it with passion. To press on with a desire to succeed in how we live our lives and how we choose to raise our cattle!
Celebrate Christmas this year with both a backward glance
and a forward look! Rejoice! God is with us!
From all of us at:
The Kuhn Family Farm
& Old Country Store | <urn:uuid:d710075c-37c4-4e14-b3b4-f447af16407b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.agweb.com/livestock/beef/blog/100_Grass-Fed_139/Take_time_to_STOP__THINK_19647/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947775 | 418 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Invoices are a critical component of every business. They serve as a bill of services, closure for projects, a legal paper trail, and an opportunity to strengthen the rapport between you and your customer.
Invoices that obfuscate information, incorrectly state terms or arrive incomplete can be a massive headache for all parties. These mistakes will only delay the payment process, so it is critical you produce invoices that clearly deliver information your client (or their accounts payable department) will need. Strategic timing and attractive presentation are also important, as they can help “soften the blow” by making your invoice seem less like a stale demand for money and more like a friendly letter.
Invoices have many small bits of important information. They should always contain the following:
- The word “invoice.” Obvious enough, but don’t let the client mistake it for anything other than a bill that needs to be paid. Make it big and bold and put it at the top of the page.
- Your Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Tax ID Number. This will be important come tax time, when the client starts putting together W-2s.
- Similar to the EIN, some clients may assign outside contractors a unique Vendor ID. This practice is usually found in larger companies. If you have been given one, be sure it appears conspicuously.
- Names and addresses of both client and contractor. Make a clear distinction between the “to” party and the “from” party.
- Date everything. Date the invoice (the day it goes out, not the day you write it) and list the dates of when items on the invoice were completed. In the terms, list the due date and penalty dates. If something ever goes to small claims court, the judge will look favorably on your scrupulous attention to detail.
- A clear, itemized list of services rendered. Descriptions should be short and to the point, and all delivery dates indicated. Next to each item, list the hourly rate, hours worked and subtotal amount.
- The total amount owed. On the bottom, labeled explicitly, bolded if needed.
- The terms of the invoice. At the very least, this should include when the invoice is due; for instance, if you expect payment within thirty days (fairly standard), simply put “30 Days.” (You could also put “15 Days” or even “Immediate” if you don’t particularly like the client.)
Setting Your Terms
The terms section of an invoice can be as simple or complex as you would like, dependent on your billing standards. You might offer a 1-2% discount for invoices paid within 15 days; similarly, you might penalize late payments. The amount is up to you. If you do set terms beyond 30 days, spell out exactly what the penalty will be for each level of delinquency. For instance, say you bill a client for $1,000. The bottom of your invoice may look like this:
|Payment Time:||15 Days||30 Days||60 Days|
|Adjustment:||- 5%||0||+ 5%|
You can send an invoice through e-mail or the post office, and each method has advantages and disadvantages.
Mailed invoices are more professional and are generally recommended over e-mail. The client appreciates a physical bill that can be filed, photocopied and passed along, and has less chance of getting lost. (If you send them a PDF, chances are they are going to print it out and do all these things anyway.) Taking the time to prepare, print and mail the invoice will only reinforce your professional image — especially valuable for new clients.
E-mailed invoices (PDF format is the best) often work better for regular monthly billings, like ongoing creative (similar to an advertising agency) or maintenance fees (like regular web site updates).
Personalize the invoice with a small note. A quick “thank you” is often appropriate and appreciated, and makes your business seem less like a faceless corporate billing machine.
There is a certain strategy in the timing of an invoice delivery. For down payments, the first invoice should be in the client’s hands immediately after the contract is signed. For milestone points and the final deliverable, invoices should be sent within 48 hours, while your fantastic work is still fresh in their mind. Never send an invoice prematurely, unless it is explicitly agreed upon between you and your client. No one wants to pay for unfinished work.
Instead of attaching invoices to the actual deliverables, exercise courtesy by creating a wholly separate communiqué. Your invoice will be more impressionable (and therefore remembered and acted upon) sent alone rather than buried in other documents and files.
Avoid having your invoice arrive on a Friday. No one wants to see that before heading to the beach, and it will be long forgotten by Monday. If you’re e-mailing the invoice, do it in the morning when the person is more likely to be working, and when they will be more inspired to act on it.
Most freelancers and small companies use accounting software, which may or may not give you control over the design. If yours does, or if you draft your own invoices from scratch, try to escape the stale corporate output of QuickBooks and family by adjusting colors and fonts to reflect your personal brand. At the very least, get your logo on there.
Above all, ensure the information is clear and readable. Your client may appreciate your refined design sensibilities, but the accounts payable department just wants to find the big number at the bottom.
Armed with these tips, you’re set to bill the world in style. Be sure to keep hard copy and PDF backups of every invoice that goes out, even for the two-page web site for your sister-in-law’s hair salon. Invoices are one of the most critical links in the paper-trail chain, so take the time to ensure the information is triple-check perfect. (And if that information arrives in style, even better.) | <urn:uuid:d6f0f84a-f61e-4367-a4cc-1a89593dbd6c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://alistapart.com/article/invoices | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940382 | 1,292 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Deputy chief: New Orleans 'a hazard'
But he sees progress: 'We moved from chaos to organized chaos'
Deputy Police Chief Warren Riley says there's no reason for people to stay in New Orleans.
YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- Saying the city was "completely destroyed" and "a hazard," the New Orleans deputy police chief urged remaining residents Monday to get out because there was no power, drinkable water or food supply.
Deputy Police Chief Warren Riley said thousands of people were still in the city a week after Hurricane Katrina ripped across southeast Louisiana.
"We are working with them to try to convince them that there is no reason -- no jobs, no food -- no reason for them to stay," Riley said.
"We advise people that this city has been destroyed. It has been completely destroyed."
Riley said law enforcement wasn't involved "in taking people off the street and forcing them out of the city at this point. There may come a time when we do that."
Most of the streets are filled with stagnant, fetid waters streaked with iridescent oil and smelling of garbage, human waste and death.
"There's just a lot of water in eastern New Orleans, more water than we're capable of dealing with," Orleans Parish Sheriff Paul Valteau said, calling the influx of troops and National Guard a godsend.
Outside New Orleans, in the suburban parishes of Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. Bernard and St. Tammany, floodwaters remained high.
In a handful of areas, pumping stations were at last up and pushing water out of the streets -- although normally dry flood basins, such as those near Chalmette and Arabi, were still near capacity.
Jefferson Parish, on the west and dry side of the 17th Street Canal from a levee break that flooded downtown New Orleans, allowed residents to return Monday for the day only to assess damage to their homes.
They had to be out by dusk, and they discovered not all the parish escaped the floods.
Mortuary teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency moved out to locate the dead, but the police's main focus remained on rescue operations, Riley said.
Despite the horrid conditions, he said he could see improvements.
"We moved from chaos to organized chaos," Riley said. "There was a period of time when we could not communicate with each other, when we had officers stranded all over the city. Those things have changed."
He said law enforcement had gotten a better grip on the city and was focusing its efforts on "looters and people who want to create mayhem."
Police killed two people Sunday on the Danziger Bridge over the Industrial Canal, he said.
The incident began when a rescue worker heard gunshots and called police. When the responding unit saw six people on the bridge with guns, they called in a task force unit, which confronted the group, according to Riley.
"The subjects fired on the task force, which returned fire," he said, killing two on the scene and wounding two others. The other two fled and the task force pursued, wounding one and capturing the other.
All three of the wounded were hospitalized, Riley said.
Riley expressed concerned about the mental health of his officers, saying they "have been through hell."
"All of our officers are not accounted for," he said, noting that about 400 to 500 of 1,600-member force were missing and more just aren't on duty.
"Some we understand -- they're searching for family; they lost their homes," he said. "Some left because they simply could not deal with this catastrophe."
New York City sent another 150 police officers to Louisiana to aid in the relief effort Monday, said Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said. They will join 172 officers who left Saturday.
Of the more than 2,000 police officers who volunteered, those selected were chosen based in part on their military and emergency medical experience, Kelly said.
Traveling by bus and car, they will remain at least eight days, but many could be needed back soon afterward, he said. New York hosts the U.S. Open until September 11 and the U.N. World Summit begins three days later.
Three hundred New York firefighters also departed Monday for Louisiana from JFK Airport. The city sent 100 Metropolitan Transit Authority buses and 230 MTA personnel last weekend.
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According to the legend, “during the First World War, many English speaking soldiers who came to Belgium discovered the gastronomic phenomenon that was fried potatoes and baptised it as ‘French fries’, referring to the only official language spoken in the Belgian army. A historical mistake.”
I don’t know if that popular story is true, but finally I had the chance to pay a visit to probably the oldest French fries shop in the world, that is Fritkot Max in Antwerp. This is a little bit weird for me because the shop is located in central Antwerp, the historical part of the city and I passed by the shop countless times. I’m very much satisfied with this place who started serving fried potatoes back in 1842. I was disappointed to learn that the ‘fries museum’ upstairs was closed but experiencing the best Belgian fries with tens of different sauces should be compensating enough I guess.
If you ever happen to be around Antwerp, do not forget to come to ‘Groenplaats 12, 2000 Antwerpen’ and taste a unique bag of Belgian fries. | <urn:uuid:730efce7-5134-4efe-8f7c-31f61c4191eb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ileriseviye.wordpress.com/tag/belgium/ | 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 | 0.976035 | 240 | 1.742188 | 2 |
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( Originally Published 1963 )
YES YOU CAN DO SOMETHING WITH IT
What fortunate women we are.
We live in a time when no one hairstyle can be considered the fashion of the day. Hairdos that run the gamut of possibility fill our magazine pages and the rules that once ran our thinking about hair have become increasingly passe. We no longer consider it an unshakable truth that a face to be beautiful must be oval and that all hairstyles should try to create that effect. It is no longer an indisputable error for a girl with a long face to wear long hair. And a girl with strong features may choose a hairstyle to bring out the character of her face, not to hide it.
Movies are filled with beautiful women (Juliette Greco, Shirley MacLaine, Audrey Hepburn, Lauren Bacall, Mary Ure, Simone Signoret) who accentuate their originality, rather than minimize it. And the top, most highly paid models are hired to sell fabulously priced clothes because of their offbeat looks which they studiously stress in the way they wear their hair.
A WORLD OF HAIRSTYLES
This world, grown so much smaller in these last years, has made us very conscious of our once foreign neighbors. Our new sophistication has broadened our ideas of beauty as well. We no longer laugh at differences or think them peculiar. We can see loveliness in a Chinese girl, in an Indian girl, in an African girl and appreciate their brand of beauty along with our own. And our hairstyles have become supra-national too. We've borrowed them from every corner of the globe-at the same time much of the world has to some degree Americanized their own ways of wearing their hair. But while we in the U.S.A. continue to want our hairdos to be modern in the sense that they should fit in with the quick busy tempos of our lives, we also want them to be feminine, classic and romantic.
THE RIGHT HAIRSTYLE FOR YOU
Sine ulla dubitatione (means "without a doubt," according to my high school Latin)-hair is the most important changeable feature you have. Every Hollywood make-up department considers finding the right hairstyle for a starlet or an actress their number one task. Hair can do an enormous amount for you-not only for your face, but for all of you. The way you wear your hair can make you look taller, or shorter if that's your aim. A hairstyle can de-emphasize a too bosomy bosom, can call attention to a swan-like neck or distract the eye from a too-short neck, can add length to the waist, can balance narrow shoulders. And so on.
I refuse to use the term "corrective" hair styling. It always makes me think of those bulky ugly shoes they used to sell to "correct" bad feet. And, as I said at the beginning of this chapter, "defects" may be a source of individual looks and beauty that very definitely ought not to be "corrected." This does not mean that I think no aesthetic improvements can be made for a woman through the way she wears her hair, or that she ought to emphasize her most unattractive features. Of course, you want to be as beautiful as you can, and you want to bring your features into their most harmonious whole.
HAIRSTYLES THAT REPROPORTION YOUR FACE AND FEATURES
There are some very simple rules for selecting a hairstyle that can compensate for what are called facial irregularities. (Remember that every great beauty has had at least one facial irregularity.) These rules, which follow basic laws and principles of proportion known to all artists, can be applied to many many faces with great success. It seems logical enough, after all, to assume that if your forehead is low, a hairstyle that is high in the crown will create the impression of better balance for your face, or that hair swept back from a thin face can seem to add fullness to the face, or that hair built out in back can balance a sharp profile.
FIND YOUR OWN HAIRDO
It's impossible, of course, to talk about all the varieties of facial problems a hairstyle may be called upon to solve. The number of combinations possible on this small area we call the human face is infinite. There really is no such thing as two identical people. There are many subtle differences on the most identical of identical twins that make it easy for people who know them well to tell them apart. And because faces are so individual with subtle differences of feature making the most enormous changes in the over-all look of you-I think you should be wary before adopting anybody's rules completely. Become sensitive to your own face, observant to other faces. Know what the rules are, select which ones seem true for you, ignore the ones that don't. Then eventually-make your own rules.
But please, please, please, don't pick a fad hairdo. Don't wear a beehive hairdo because everyone else seems to be wearing a beehive hairdo. Don't put the latest fad on your head unless it looks right there. And, even then, try somehow to vary it so that none of your friends can say-"Tsk, tsk-didn't Angela look lovely in Jackie Kennedy's hairstyle."
I dare you to say you're uninspired. Our magazines dish up heapfuls of inspiration weekly. Leaf through them. There are a few magazines on the stands now that are devoted exclusively to hair, and a recent issue of one of them showed forty-four different currently popular hairstyles. Included among them were: pageboys-short and longish ones, some with the hair parted on the side, others in the middle, others without any part at all;short helmet cuts-with the hair shaping down close over the ears and swept far forward onto the face; the gamin cut-a short feathered nape, curved kiss curls at the sides, irregular shaggy poetic bangs;the Vamp-with ultra-femine spit curls, a Theda Bara-ish sweep forward effect;chignons-shown with high piled waved hair; long hair-swept into French rolls or buns, long hair hidden beneath "beehives";short feathery cuts-with sideburns;the Greek-look-short curly hair with high crowns;short bobs a l'Italienne-simple turned under short short hair with high brushed crowns.
In many modern styles, the part has gone quite mad. Hairdressers often ignore them or allow them to zig zag, circle the crown, dip diagonally, anything at all as long as the results are attractive and individual.
Your hair should become, not only the most important way for you to present and be the loveliest you possible, but a symbol of your identity, an inseparable part of you. My hair has become such a part of my identity that I am able to wear sunglasses and a total disguise, but if I don't change my hair everybody knows me. And vice versa. If I do change my hairstyle nobody knows me. When I wore a hat to a fashion show recently I was asked to take it off so that people would recognize me. And last year when I changed to "wings" people pleaded with me to go back to my Polly-cut.
THE ART OF HAIRCUTTING
Hairstyling comes pretty close to being an art. It's certainly related to sculpture. A good hairstylist gets and deserves high respect. Taking such factors as the texture of your hair, the shape of your head, your features, your natural partings into consideration he knows which of several cutting techniques to use to arrive at the effect you and he want. He may blunt-cut (a straight across cut), taper or slither your hair so that it falls in layers, cut it sopping wet, slightly damp or dry. Ernie Adler cuts my hair when its been towel dried only.
While I am not advising any woman to try cutting her own hair as a general rule I do know several women who have done amazingly good styling jobs on their own heads. These are women who are always being asked-"Who does your hair?", and I must admit their haircuts have a wonderfully original yet professional look about them. The mere idea of taking scissor to one's own head is enough to give most women including me the shivers but should you ever feel the urge and courage to try I would like to encourage you by saying-after all it will always grow back. Begin modestly trimming perhaps the hair that's grown back from your last cut. But don't become too brave too quickly. It can have disastrous effects. Unless you're just looking for an excuse to make your husband buy you one of the new perruques or wigs.
IF YOU WANT LOVELY, HEALTHY HAIR
Every hairdresser I've ever known is infinitely grateful to the woman who arrives for her beauty parlor appointment with lustrous healthy well-brushed, well-nourished hair. The health of your hair is dependent of course on the health of your entire body. But because each and every strand of hair is composed completely of protein it is only logical to assume that the health of your hair will reflect the amount of protein you feed it. Most of the high-protein foods are rich in vitamin B's which also seem to be essential to hair beauty, and one package of gelatin a day (pure protein) taken in a glass of tomato juice not only quenches your desire for too much food but helps your scalp, your hair and your nails. Vitamins A and D (sunlight, cod-liver oil, fish foods and butter) also play vital roles in hair health. | <urn:uuid:1ee2a815-7f88-49b3-97fa-d7de948e5e65> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.oldandsold.com/articles02/hairstyle1.shtml | 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 | 0.96398 | 2,082 | 1.734375 | 2 |
For Whom Would Jesus Vote?
by Laurence M. Vance
by Laurence M. Vance
The November 2004 issue of Christianity Today arrived in my mailbox the day after the election. Since one of the featured articles listed at the top of the front cover was "How Would Jesus Vote?" I immediately looked inside. Although the article was not exactly what I envisioned, it raised a good point as can be seen by its subtitle: "Single-issue politics is neither necessary nor wise."
"How Would Jesus Vote?" is about abortion. Specifically, voting for candidates who are anti-abortion or pro-life. The article mentions how the hero of the religious right, Illinois Republican Senate candidate Alan Keyes, stated that Jesus would not vote for his Democratic opponent because his opponent had voted in the state Senate "against a bill requiring doctors to provide medical care to infants born alive after attempted abortions."
Many Christians who otherwise dissent from President Bush's war on the bill of rights undoubtedly voted for him because they were led to believe that he was anti-abortion or pro-life. It is my contention, however, that Bush is neither anti-abortion nor pro-life.
According to Alan Keyes, Bush "says words that are pro-life, but then he does things and he takes steps that demonstrate that he has no understanding of the principle involved." When Bush decided to allow limited federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, Keyes commented: "I think if this decision were accepted it puts the pro-life principle on path of extinction. It seemed to accept the notion that we make these decisions based on some calculus of cost-benefits instead of on a clear understanding of principle."
When Bush's wife, who claims to support "the president's position on abortion," was asked whether she was pro-life, the First Lady responded: "Yes, I think abortion should be rare." This sounds like Hillary Clinton, who, like her husband, said that abortion should be "safe, legal, and rare."
One card always played by Republicans at election time is that a Republican president should be elected because only he (rather than a Democrat) will appoint judges who oppose abortion. But Bush's words and actions speak otherwise. He has ruled out a pro-life litmus test for judges. In 2001 Bush nominated Miguel A. Estrada to the U.S. Court of Appeals so he could have the first Hispanic in history to sit on what is widely viewed as the most prestigious Appeals Court in the nation. Estrada had worked in the Justice Department under President Clinton. As an assistant to the U.S. Solicitor General, he argued fifteen cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, one of which was hailed by the National Organization for Women because it successfully persuaded the Court to hold that that the RICO Act could be used against pro-life activists.
Bush had no problem supporting pro-abortion Republicans like Christy Todd Whitman, Arlen Specter, and Mr. Homeland Security, Tom Ridge.
Bush supported sending more of the taxpayer's money overseas through his $15 billion emergency AIDS relief plan, even if the foreign social service agencies that received the funds promoted abortions.
Abortions are also on the rise in Iraq since Bush made war on a country where abortion was previously illegal except in medical emergencies.
To his credit, Bush did support the "Partial Birth Abortion Ban," but so did Tom Daschle.
Although Bush often spouts anti-abortion rhetoric, his deeds show that he cannot be described as "anti-abortion." The same can be said about Bush being "pro-life."
When one hears the term "pro-life" the subject of abortion immediately comes to mind. But why is that? Why is the term "pro-life" limited to the issue of abortion? Is not all life sacred?
Bush's undeclared, unconstitutional, immoral war has resulted in the deaths of over 1,100 American soldiers. And then there are the over 8,000 military personnel who were injured, many of whom will endure suffering the rest of their life. Bush does not believe in the sanctity of the life of the thousands of Iraqi troops killed or injured, not to mention the Iraqi civilian casualties.
To talk about the sanctity of life, the horrors of partial-birth abortion, and how you are pro-life, but then to turn around and show contempt for the lives of adults is hypocrisy in the highest degree. Are the lives of unborn children of more value than the lives of adults?
What is true of Bush on abortion is also true about Bush's Christian rhetoric. When Bush mentions Christianity, faith, religion, or family values, well-intentioned, but gullible, conservative Christians, who certainly ought to know better, and would never support Bush's budget-busting, amnesty for illegals, PATRIOT Act, prescription drug, "No Child Left Behind" agenda if there was a Democratic president like Bill Clinton in the White House pursuing the same policies, immediately claim the president as one of their own.
It has been pointed out here recently not only the fate of Christians in Iraq since Bush's invasion of what once was a moderate Muslim state that tolerated Christianity more than bastions of democracy like Saudi Arabia, but also the persecution of Christians by Muslims in NATO-occupied Kosovo.
The new Iraqi constitution, which Bush hailed as "a historic milestone in the Iraqi people's long journey from tyranny and violence to liberty and peace," has an interesting statement in article 7 that no Christian in Iraq would appreciate: "Islam is the official religion of the State and is to be considered a source of legislation." Furthermore, "No law that contradicts the universally agreed tenets of Islam" may be enacted. Regardless of whatever else the Iraqi constitution says about democracy and equality before the law, how can a Christian commend this document?
Bush's most egregious anti-Christian act is his promotion of the Muslim "holy month" of Ramadan. The White House website has an essay on "The Meaning of Ramadan." Perhaps there is one there, but I don't remember seeing any essay on "The Meaning of Christmas." The ACLU would come unglued if they saw something like that. I don't know about this year, but on October 28, 2003, Bush hosted a "dinner celebrating Ramadan at the White House." When commenting on U.S. humanitarian aid to Afghanistan on October 11, 2002, Bush stated about Islam: "Islam is a vibrant faith. Millions of our fellow citizens are Muslim. We respect the faith. We honor its traditions." On October 15 of this year, Bush released an official presidential message on Ramadan:
I send warm greetings to Muslims in the United States and around the world as they begin observance of Ramadan, the holiest season in their faith.
Ramadan commemorates the revelation of the Qur'an to Muhammed. By teaching the importance of compassion, justice, mercy, and peace, the Qur'an has guided many millions of believers across the centuries. Today, this holy time is still set aside for Muslims to remember their dependence on God through fasting and prayer, and to show charity to those in need.
American history has taught us to welcome the contributions of men and women of all faiths, for we share the fundamental values of religious freedom, love of family, and gratitude to God. Americans who practice the Islamic faith enrich our society and help our Nation build a better future.
The U.S. Military even shares in Ramadan observances. According to the Department of Defense: "Non-Muslim members of the U.S. military in Muslim countries are learning about the observance of Ramadan. American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq study the Muslim faith. Soldiers from the First Army Division in Tikrit met with a local Imam on the first day of Ramadan to learn more about the holy month. The United States military reflects the nation's commitment to religious freedom and respect for different faiths, both among its troops and the people who host our service men and women."
Christians need to wake up. Bush is not the Messiah, the Saviour, or the fourth member of the Trinity. And neither is he anti-abortion or pro-life. And any Christian who believes that Muslims and Christians worship the same God is not much of a Christian.
November 5, 2004
Copyright © 2004 LewRockwell.com | <urn:uuid:7063abd4-6163-468d-b846-7aad6c3e6535> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.lewrockwell.com/vance/vance22.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968212 | 1,710 | 1.820313 | 2 |
By Matt Hunter
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
A PAINTING which had been left gathering dust in a loft for years has now revealed how two families’ histories are intertwined.
Alan King, 74, of Church Walk, Mendlesham, had been discussing the First World War when he decided to dig out an old painting.
Knowing very little about it he set to work investigating the painting’s past.
He said: “My first association with the picture is as a child – it hung in my great aunt’s flat.
“Nothing was spoken about how she came to have the picture. I subsequently did some research on the picture. I was trying to find out why we had the painting of the ship.”
The painting shows what Mr King believes to be the First World War battle cruiser HMS Indomitable which his great uncle, Horace King, served on.
“I found out his name in the ship’s records and I did quite a bit of research on which ship he was on. And then I tried to find out the artist’s name and found that name - Ernest Larter - as a sailor on board HMS Indomitable in 1910. He was a Suffolk-born man. They must have been friends on the ship, they must have known each other. Ernest used to sell paintings for officers and crews to make money. He may of sold it to my great uncle.”
Mr King contacted Ernest Larter’s family through a genealogy website.
Since Christmas Mr King has been exchanging emails everyday with Ernest’s great granddaughter Joan Waterman.
Last week she visited Mr King. “It was great, she came into the house basically as a stranger but we know each other. She was here with her husband for two and a half hours. It was as though we were relatives but we are not. It was very warm. We will stay in contact.” | <urn:uuid:439e568e-9386-458e-bb4b-8302a7feed77> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/gallery_mendlesham_man_discovers_family_s_history_from_painting_1_1954210?ot=archant.PrintFriendlyPageLayout.ot | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.989722 | 406 | 1.523438 | 2 |
We have met the enemy and he is us.
Earmarks. Terrible stuff. Unless you happen to really, really need the bridge, or the paved road, or the thinned forest.
But various politicians want to sound fiscally responsible, so we’re heading into another Dancing With the Stars twirl of hypocrisy — where the contestants all look like they’re on crack.
You’ll find a couple of fascinating little illustrations of the reason politicians remain addicted to pork rinds that have contributed to the debt that will haunt our grandchildren.
Earmarks represent perhaps the most rancid version of political pork — projects traded for votes without the bother of hearings or defensible cost-benefit analysis.
No one can precisely agree on what constitutes an earmark — but Citizens Against Government Waste tallied up at least 9,000 in this year’s budget.
Now, granted: all the pork combined is just the pimple on the pig’s butt. The federal budget this year totals about $3.1 trillion. That includes $1.5 trillion for Medicare and Social Security, $650 billion for defense, $224 billion for Medicaid, $260 billion for interest payments and $360 billion for other entitlements like unemployment. That leaves about $600 billion for everything else.
Stung by public alarm about uncontrolled government spending, Democrats have proposed banning earmarks that benefit for-profit private companies. Such earmarks have played a large role in recent corruption scandals, but would affect only 5 percent to 10 percent of existing earmarks.
Republicans have countered with a call for the elimination of all earmarks, an idea they never seriously considered when they controlled Congress.
Arizona Sen. John McCain has battled the practice for years, without much to show for it. Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake refuses to request earmarks, a principled stand that has cost his constituents millions in federal funds.
And that could explain why everyone’s against earmarks — in someone else’s district.
On the front page today, we report on Gila County’s earmark wish list — all good projects. They include a bridge over Tonto Creek, paving stretches of Control Road, moving Houston Mesa Road up out of the East Verde, pavement for the rutted dirt road into Young and millions to thin the forest to protect Rim communities. The supervisors noted that they’ll ask U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl and 1st District Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick to find a way to slip that priority list into the budget — since Sen. John McCain won’t use earmarks.
Of course, that hasn’t stopped J.D. Hayworth from accusing McCain of hypocrisy for supporting bills that include pet projects to buy votes. This would be more impressive if Hayworth himself hadn’t been such an enthusiastic earmarker when he served as a Phoenix Congressman.
You might also look through the story about former Payson mayor Bob Edwards’ speech, which started off by expressing dismay at government spending — but concluded with a discussion of the benefits of water pipelines and assorted government projects.
Dan Adams rose to observe that we always express disgust at government spending — but end up lining up with our wish lists — so we pretty much deserve what we get.
Yep. Earmarks. Terrible stuff. Corrupting. Wasteful.
Still, gosh. Sure wish they’d thin the forest, build that bridge, pave the Control Road — instead of wasting all that money on other people’s projects. | <urn:uuid:86005580-46d1-454a-a09f-f1cd493b7890> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2010/mar/16/political_pork_still_sputters_and_sizzles/ | 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 | 0.93651 | 735 | 1.546875 | 2 |
View Full Version : orphanages
looking for any info on orphanages in and around the radcliffe area from 1904 to about 1910 thanks. galty
Hi, do you have the name of the orphanage? If so you could try institutions.org.uk or you could write to Manchester social services or Bury Social services with the date of birth, name of parents, siblings etc and your reason for your research and you should get a reply. If this doesn't help let me know as I live near Radcliffe and could visit the library to see if they have any info on the local orphanages. I don't know if you live in the area but it's not a huge place, so Ican't imagine there being very many.
25-01-2005, 10:24 PM
thanks for your reply ,sorry its been awhile, i live in burnley, any info would be great ,thanks,galty
26-07-2008, 10:15 PM
There was an orphanage fairly near to Radcliffe, at Edgworth, run by the National Children's Home. Children from all over the country were sent there. A lot of them finally settled in the Bury and Radcliffe area.
27-07-2008, 2:51 AM
Hi Lancashire Lass,
Unfortunately Galty is no longer a member of the forum so is unlikely to see your reply.
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Most people seem to have a single checking and a single savings account. My wife and I take it a bit further by putting our emergency fund in a separate online-only checking account, but family financial weblog The Fun, Cheap, or Free Queen suggests having no less than seven bank accounts for a family.
Their seven accounts include an emergency savings and regular savings account, separate checking accounts for the household, husband, and wife, health savings account, and a slush fund. Most budget-savvy families have buckets for each of these expenditure categories, but if you're horrible at sticking to a budget perhaps having the money diverted in this many accounts may be a helpful tool.
To see how each account is used within the family budget and how much is allocated to each account, check out the source link below. Keep in mind that there can be incentives for opening an account a new bank—we earned a $200 bonus deposit for using the debit card for our new account 5 times within the first month and keeping track of multiple accounts can be easily accomplished using Mint. Photo by Rikki
The 7 Bank AccountS Every Family Should Have | The Fun Cheap or Free Queen | <urn:uuid:7e7df1fa-6c3e-4b08-bdfa-f3fe1991aa8a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lifehacker.com/5979260/consider-multiple-banking-accounts-to-budget-for-various-needs-and-wants | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93707 | 237 | 1.601563 | 2 |
“With high conversion efficiency and without the appearance of electrodes, allowing users to have a sense of superiority is different from the surrounding” (Toshiba). Toshiba in January 2009 established the “umbrella to promote solar power generation system business department”, focused on industrial solar systems sales, starting from April 2010 to set foot in Japan, Toshiba [...]
Archive for March, 2010
Eamex, a Japanese based company, has announced that they have developed a technology that extends the life of high-capacity lithium-ion batteries. This technology, they say, can ultimately be used to power small electrically powered automobiles and scooters in the future.
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Crime Stoppers of McLean County needs the public’s help in finding a man wanted on a McLean County warrant charging him with aggravated domestic battery and aggravated battery in a public place.
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AVOID being labelled a fool on April 1 and change the battery in your smoke alarm, the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service has said.
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Prosecutors will not pursue domestic battery charges against former football star Warren Sapp, who was arrested in Miami Beach a day before the Super Bowl, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office said Wednesday.
Sapp had faced one count of misdemeanor domestic battery. But prosecutors decided to drop criminal action against the former defensive tackle because of inconsistencies [...]
Laptop batteries are like people–eventually and inevitably, they die. And like people, they don’t obey Moore’s Law–You can’t expect next year’s batteries to last twice as long as this year’s. Battery technology may improve a bit over time (after all, there’s plenty of financial incentive for better batteries), but, while interesting possibilities may pop up, [...]
Take a standard, zippy laptop, slather on a thick layer of gloss–almost literally–and you’ve got the $999 Toshiba Satellite M505-S4020. This midrange portable smoothly handles Microsoft Office, online tools, media playback, and other general-purpose applications. Its mix of extra features includes above-average speakers and even a touchscreen, but the extras often distract from basic design [...]
Ted Wayne Coster mouthed the words “thank you” to the 12 jurors who acquitted him of aggravated battery late …
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In the case of battery failure in the IPAD Apple will replace the entire unit for $ 99. According to the official site of the company, Apple replaced the will of the entire tablet to replace the used battery than the new one. The official record of the information also appears that private information will [...]
One of the two men that an Anderson woman says have physically abused her in the past six months was sentenced Monday to six years in prison.
Madison Superior Court 3 Judge Thomas Newman sentenced Curtis Anderson, 27, to six years in the Indiana Department of Correction after Anderson pleaded guilty to criminal confinement, strangulation and [...] | <urn:uuid:383e0355-52e9-49d7-9959-9c7ded5a89d2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.new-laptop-battery.com/newblog/2010/03/ | 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 | 0.942895 | 759 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Environmental Studies BA Mission Statement
The BA degree from the Environmental Studies program at CSU East Bay provides our graduates with a broadly based foundation for recognizing, assessing, and solving environmental problems at the local, regional, and global scale. Employing a faculty with degrees in subjects as varied as economics, physics, geography, geomorphology, and wildlife biology, we serve our university, our community, and our student body by providing a strongly interdisciplinary approach to understanding the environment and its modification and degradation by humans. Our majors possess the fundamental skills of critical assessment, articulate communication of complex ideas, and quantitative analysis. They practice independent evaluation of issues tempered by compassion, and have gained the means to become informed, responsible, and active citizens. | <urn:uuid:a2daac9a-9128-4b64-a8d7-4174c9082983> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://class.csueastbay.edu/geography/environmentalstudies/Home_Page.php | 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 | 0.934631 | 147 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Rove leak is just part of larger scandal
Let me remind you that the underlying issue in the Karl Rove controversy is not a leak, but a war and how America was misled into that war.Skip to next paragraph
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In 2002 President Bush, having decided to invade Iraq, was casting about for a casus belli. The weapons of mass destruction theme was not yielding very much until a dubious Italian intelligence report, based partly on forged documents (it later turned out), provided reason to speculate that Iraq might be trying to buy so-called yellowcake uranium from the African country of Niger. It did not seem to matter that the CIA advised that the Italian information was "fragmentary and lacked detail."
Prodded by Vice President Dick Cheney and in the hope of getting more conclusive information, the CIA sent Joseph Wilson, an old Africa hand, to Niger to investigate. Mr. Wilson spent eight days talking to everyone in Niger possibly involved and came back to report no sign of an Iraqi bid for uranium and, anyway, Niger's uranium was committed to other countries for many years to come.
No news is bad news for an administration gearing up for war. Ignoring Wilson's report, Cheney talked on TV about Iraq's nuclear potential. And the president himself, in his 2003 State of the Union address no less, pronounced: "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa."
Wilson declined to maintain a discreet silence. He told various people that the president was at least mistaken, at most telling an untruth. Finally Wilson directly challenged the administration with a July 6, 2003 New York Times op-ed headlined, "What I didn't find in Africa," and making clear his belief that the president deliberately manipulated intelligence in order to justify an invasion.
One can imagine the fury in the White House. We now know from the e-mail traffic of Time's correspondent Matt Cooper that five days after the op-ed appeared, he advised his bureau chief of a supersecret conversation with Karl Rove who alerted him to the fact that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA and may have recommended him for the Niger assignment. Three days later, Bob Novak's column appeared giving Wilson's wife's name, Valerie Plame, and the fact she was an undercover CIA officer. Mr. Novak has yet to say, in public, whether Mr. Rove was his source. Enough is known to surmise that the leaks of Rove, or others deputized by him, amounted to retaliation against someone who had the temerity to challenge the president of the United States when he was striving to find some plausible reason for invading Iraq.
The role of Rove and associates added up to a small incident in a very large scandal - the effort to delude America into thinking it faced a threat dire enough to justify a war.
• Daniel Schorr is the senior news analyst at National Public Radio. | <urn:uuid:71e3639e-1d5c-480e-b66b-90404e9ad885> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0715/p09s02-cods.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975734 | 599 | 1.523438 | 2 |
I really didn’t know if this was going to work out – this is really my first time gardening in any capacity! At least by myself… I might have helped my mom with her vegetable garden when I was a teen but I don’t remember much so I don’t think I was a very big part of it. I really wanted to do this with Emma though and my mom kept encouraging me to get some pots and JUST DO IT. So finally I did!
Okay, she helped out – remember what Emma got for her birthday from her grandparents? Pots and seeds! lol
There’s a way to get things moving. What am I supposed to say to Emma? No we can’t use your new birthday presents? haha
So anyway, we started out small. We planted snap peas and tomatoes. I told Emma the importance of watering her plants every day that it doesn’t rain and she did it faithfully.
It’s fascinating watching the many stages of growth! I love the climbing tendrils and watching the pea pods burst out of the little white flowers.
Emma has been SO patient, I’m surprised she hasn’t been plucking peas left and right, especially after I let her taste one. Delicious! But I told her if we wait a little longer the peas will get very big! So she’s content to wait…
Here she is pretending to eat one, lol.
We are SOOOOO close! :) | <urn:uuid:3edbba1e-9d0b-4512-8cde-21a145271aba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kindredspiritmommy.com/growing-snap-peas-with-preschoolers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965172 | 312 | 1.546875 | 2 |
A Viewer Responds: The "SNAP" Debate
Jan 22, 2013
Your comments this morning about rural folks receiving more SNAP (Food Stamps) benefits than urban folks really got me thinking and I said to myself there is no way that comment was true since populations in urban areas far exceed those in the rural areas (never more evident than in recent elections) - so I did some checking and found that there is not one Midwest state in the top ten states by participation rates, in fact Arkansas enters in at #13. But those figures were by state so I looked into it some more and found that over 14% of our rural population receives food stamps compared to just under 11% of our urban neighbors making John's statement slightly true. But when you delve into those numbers you realize that the urban population is over four times that of the populations in the rural areas which means there are far more urban folks receive SNAP benefits that rural folks (over four times more). This reminded me that anyone can take "so called facts" and twist them to present their point of view as factual. So although what John stated was basically true the real numbers reveal that there are four times more city folks using food stamps than country folks! However I do enjoy your show especially the tractor/church shows along with Baxter Black's humor but I do wish John was not such a liberal announcer - he seems to make at least one controversial remark during each show. I'd like to hear more from Al Pell instead. Thanks, Bob Simcox US Army Retired and currently still-working-American who is not on SNAP Small Town Rural America
***Editor’s Note: Below are John’s comments from the Mailbag segment regarding “SNAP” that aired on the January 19-20, 2013...
Last week during the news we had a report about the growing cost of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP – which used to be called food stamps. The video we used to illustrate the story was of shoppers checking out using SNAP cards. While the video was essentially accurate, the shoppers were all African American. During the week I did some research and discovered such images may inadvertently perpetuate inaccurate stereotypes. The most likely SNAP recipient is not an adult African American – it is a white child under 18. Children receive just under 50% of all benefits. Whites account for 43%, African Americans 33%, and Hispanics 19%. The growth in the program cost is largely due to growth in those eligible – a result of recession and wage stagnation. Even so the cost could be much higher as only about ¾ of those who qualify participate in the program. Only 10% of SNAP recipients receive cash welfare payments, and the average duration of benefits is 9 months. But most surprising to me was that in the last few years rural use of SNAP has exceeded urban participation rates – the percentage of those eligible who sign up. These numbers and images matter because this year the ag budget will be fiercely debated between ag programs and food assistance. When farmers realize SNAP cutbacks will impact kids in their local school, not just adults in a city, they might decide to split those dollars differently. | <urn:uuid:dfd60600-ed7e-45c9-86bd-2cfc58c9e185> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.agweb.com/agday/blog/US_Farm_Report_Mailbag_198/a_viewer_responds_the_snap_debate/ | 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 | 0.974803 | 635 | 1.601563 | 2 |
TOKYO (AP) — Sales of Toyota's Prius hybrid in Japan dropped for the first time in 17 months as government subsidies for green cars expired, an auto industry group said Wednesday.
Despite the lower sales, the gasoline-electric hybrid was the top-selling car in Japan for the 17th straight month in September, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said.
Toyota Motor Corp., the world's No. 1 automaker, sold 27,249 Prius cars in September, down 14.2 percent from a year earlier. The figure marked the first year-on-year fall in 17 months, the association said.
Sales of the Prius have been boosted by government subsidies and tax breaks designed to boost demand for green cars. Subsidies ended in early September, but the government has kept tax breaks for energy-efficient cars.
"The Prius remains hugely popular, but its sales tumbled due to the end of green car subsidies. Many consumers put off decisions to buy green cars following the end of government incentives," said association spokesman Toshiki Miyake.
Honda Motor Co.'s Fit compact car came in second in September sales. Honda sold 14,622 of the energy-efficient vehicles, down 15.2 percent from a year earlier. It marked the first year-on-year decline in 13 months.
Honda, Japan's No. 2 automaker, will unveil the hybrid version of the Fit on Friday.
The Prius went on sale for the first time in 1997, beating rivals as the first mass-produced commercially available hybrid car with a total of 1.9 million sold worldwide at the end of July, according to Toyota. | <urn:uuid:521369b2-63e7-40cb-a8a8-b8a36b2ccddd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.impomag.com/news/2010/10/prius-sales-drop-first-time-17-months?qt-recent_content=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942582 | 344 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Updated 12/11/2012 10:24 PM
Hope for the Oneonta Theatre
A theater owner in Oneonta is trying to keep a landmark afloat, facing a recession and a struggling industry. As our Elyse Mickalonis explains, the Oneonta Theatre is closing its doors at the end of the month, but a new push could help it reopen.
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ONEONTA, N.Y. -- If you live in Oneonta, chances are you’ve made some memories at one particular theater.
“Everyone’s parents, grandparents walked across the stage to graduate, they’ve grown up seeing movies here, they got their first kiss on the balcony upstairs. Generations of families have come through here,” said Tom Cormier, Oneonta Theatre owner.
The Oneonta Theater was built in 1897. Current owner Tom Cormier says he bought it when it was abandoned three years ago, renovated it and reopened a year later.
“There were animals living in here, it was flooded it was in a dilapidated state,” said Cormier.
But because of the recession, Cormier has been facing a tough decision, closing the theater as of January 1st.
“This building is a big undertaking, 27,000 square feet, this is not a money-making industry as far at the venue goes,” said Cormier.
Despite the economy and the way things are looking right now, there could still be hope for the theater.
“It’s a great place, it’s not going to take a lot to keep it open, but it needs community participation, it needs people that want to get involved,” said Cormier.
On Tuesday night, Friends of the Oneonta Theater told Cormier they want to help preserve the landmark and transition it into a community-run operation. It could possibly reopen by March.
Cormier hopes he and Friends of the Oneonta Theater will be able to keep the theater going for another 115 years. If you’d like to learn more, head to http://oneontatheatre.com/. | <urn:uuid:a4092a74-1834-41a8-b2b6-62df3fe0fdcf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://binghamton.ynn.com/content/top_stories/621015/hope-for-the-oneonta-theatre/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958005 | 478 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Updated 1:54 p.m.: Added comment from little-known browser competitor Maxthon, whose spokesman likened the browser ballot to a toaster.
Updated 12:10 p.m.: Added a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, plus a few tidbits about procedures for Microsoft’s checking in with the EU in the coming years.
The European Union dropped antitrust charges against Microsoft on Wednesday after the software company agreed to give users a choice of Web browsers. But will that really change anything for Microsoft?
Under the settlement, Microsoft will give European users of its Windows operating system a ballot screen for choosing their preferred browser. Microsoft also will give computer manufacturers the ability to turn off access to Internet Explorer and set any browser as default.
For more than a decade, Internet Explorer has been bundled with Windows in Europe as the prominent browser. Now forced to integrate competitors into its European reach, Microsoft will have to focus more on improving, promoting and marketing IE.
“We would have had to do that without this (decision),” said Brad Smith, Microsoft’s general counsel. “We may have to do it more with this.”
Twelve browsers will be featured on the ballot screen: IE, Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Opera, AOL, Maxthon, K-Meleon, Flock, Avant Browser, Sleipnir and Slim Browser. However, only the top five – IE, Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Opera – will be prominently displayed.
Starting in March, Microsoft will deliver the ballot screen via Windows Update for users of Windows XP, Vista and 7 in 30 European countries. It’s estimated that more than 100 million computers will pop up the browser ballot, with 30 million more expected over the next five years.
With 64 percent of the global market, according to Net Applications, Internet Explorer is the most popular browser – but the EU’s Competition Commission launched the antitrust investigation to probe whether that figure was artificially inflated due to Microsoft’s bundling IE with Windows. Mozilla’s Firefox represents nearly 25 percent of the global browser market, followed by Apple’s Safari at 4 percent and Google’s Chrome at 3.9 percent.
If a European user already is using a non-IE browser as a default, the choice screen will not pop up, Microsoft spokesman Kevin Kutz said.
In Microsoft’s view, people have always had a choice of Web browsers. It’s just that now European users might be more aware of their options.
“They’re all used today, so that doesn’t really change,” Smith said. “It continues.”
Ron White, a spokesman for Maxthon, said he views the ballot screen as a simple tool about which most people will be indifferent.
He likened it to a toaster. People don’t care about the toaster itself, they just want toast. And most people will use whatever bread is handy.
“The casual users are going to go with Internet Explorer regardless of whatever others are on the first screen,” White said, referring to the prominently displayed top five browsers. “It’s a no-brainer for a lot of people. I don’t want to say they have no brains, they’re just not curious.”
He said Beijing-based Maxthon, which in Europe trails Opera in popularity by a fraction of a percent, expects to see an increase in users as a result of the ballot screen. But they will mostly be tech-savvy users who were already interested in trying alternative browsers, anyway.
“The user who doesn’t care, he’s going to use whatever browser comes on the computer, White said.
And that, for the most part, is Internet Explorer. Choosing an alternate browser would require a download and installation. Sticking with IE would be easier.
The EU’s competition commissioner, Neelie Kroes, had a different point of view, however, speaking after the agency’s vote Wednesday morning in Brussels.
“It is as if you went to the supermarket and they only offered you one brand of shampoo on the shelf, and all the other choices are hidden out the back, and not everyone knows about them,” she said. “What we are saying today is that all the brands should be on the shelf.”
Kroes, whose term expires along with the current decade, had made it her goal to settle with Microsoft by the end of her tenure. Since she took office in 2004, she has fined Microsoft $1.8 billion – more than half of the $2.4 billion in fines the EU has handed the software giant.
The investigation was launched after browser competitor Opera filed a complaint in 2007. The European antitrust agency, concerned Microsoft was abusing its monopoly power, gave the Redmond-based company a chance to offer a solution to complaints over browser bundling.
In June, Microsoft proposed altogether stripping Internet Explorer from Windows in Europe, and even started developing a browserless Windows 7 “E” version. The Competition Commission rejected that plan and pushed for the ballot screen.
Microsoft bowed to pressure and developed the ballot screen, incorporating the EU’s and rivals’ suggestions. In the two months since the EU accepted Microsoft’s proposal this October, he company has tweaked the IE-powered ballot screen to display the top five browsers randomly – instead of alphabetically – and to exclude traditional navigation buttons, making the screen more difficult to ignore.
“We have been working hard these past few months,” Smith said, “so we’re on track to do what we need to do” by March.
In a statement, Opera – the company that sparked the EU probe – said Wednesday’s decision was a win for consumers.
“This is a victory for the future of the Web,” Opera CEO Jon von Tetzchner said. “This decision is also a celebration of open Web standards, as these shared guidelines are the necessary ingredients for innovation on the Web.”
Perhaps more than anything else, Wednesday’s decision marks an end to high-profile antitrust cases regarding IE-Windows bundling. It all started in 1998, when the United States investigated Microsoft for trying to squeeze out the Netscape browser.
The case was settled in 2002 and Microsoft was required to share the Windows application programming interface with rivals. Some viewed the settlement as a mere slap on Microsoft’s wrist.
Redmond has been fighting such bundling accusations for more than a decade.
“This is a very important milestone for the company,” Smith said. “It’s something we’ve been working to settle for a long, long time.”
However, Microsoft is not off the hook yet. Under Wendesday’s settlement, the EU can fine Microsoft up to 10 percent of its yearly global revenue if it does not comply for five years. And European regulators would not have to prove their case.
The Competition Commission also continues to investigate a complaint that Microsoft isn’t sharing enough technical information with developers who are trying to make compatible products. Smith said that because there has been no official statement of objections, the investigation is still informal.
Microsoft on Wednesday said it would step up efforts to promote interoperability in Europe. But European regulators reacted coolly to the offer, saying they would look into whether it would actually help competitors.
“We believe it represents the most comprehensive commitment to the promotion of interoperability in the history of the software industry,” Smith said in a statement. “Under this undertaking, Microsoft will ensure that developers throughout the industry, including in the open source community, will have access to technical documentation to assist them in building products that work well with Microsoft products.”
Smith told seattlepi.com that Microsoft is pleased to have been a part of the creation of new laws in Europe. With new technology come new laws, he said, and it’s a very slow process.
“This creates clarity for us in Europe,” Smith said. “I think it makes clarity for the entire industry.”
Christine Varney, assistant attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust division, issued a statement Wednesday commending the European Union’s decision.
“A settlement that helps to clarify obligations under European law allows the industry to move forward,” she said. “The Department is committed to continuing its strong and cooperative relationship with the European Commission to promote competition policy that protects consumer welfare.”
Starting Wednesday, Microsoft is required to report back to regulators in six months, in one year and in two years, so the EU can assess how well the ballot-screen is working. The Competition Commission will be able to ask for changes, and the browser choices will be updated every six months based on new market-share information.
The EU also is able to review the deal anytime after two years, at the end of 2011.
“Millions of European consumers will benefit from this decision by having a free choice about which Web browser they use,” Kroes, the competition commissioner, said in a statement. “Such choice will not only serve to improve people’s experience of the Internet now but also act as an incentive for web browser companies to innovate and offer people better browsers in the future.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
- EU drops Microsoft browser charges in settlement (Dec. 16)
- EU antitrust decision on browsers may come by Dec. 15 (Dec. 4)
- Browser cos. requesting changes to Europe ballot screen (Nov. 5)
- EU sends out notice on Microsoft’s browser fix (Oct. 12)
- EU has change of heart toward Microsoft (Oct. 7)
- EU prepares to settle Microsoft browser case (Oct. 7)
- EU antitrust cop wants to close Microsoft case this year (Sept. 25)
- Europe to get Windows 7 upgrade, raising price of full version (Aug. 24)
- Mozilla VP wants clarification on browser ballot in Europe (Aug. 20)
- Microsoft offers ‘ballot screen’ fix in EU antitrust case (July 24)
- Microsoft trying to settle European antitrust probes (July 7)
- No Windows7 upgrade for Europe yet, but cheaper full version (June 26)
- EU responds to Microsoft’s browser decision (June 11)
- Microsoft to remove IE from Windows 7 in Europe (June 11)
- EU leans towards Opera in Microsoft antitrust probe (Jan. 16, 2009)
- Details: EU opens two new Microsoft antitrust probes (Jan. 14, 2008)
- Q&A: Opera CTO on Microsoft antitrust complaint (Dec. 13, 2007)
- Reactions: Opera’s antitrust complaint vs. Microsoft (Dec. 13, 2007)
- Details: Opera’s antitrust complaint vs. Microsoft (Dec. 13, 2007) | <urn:uuid:f760a612-3fcc-477d-a64c-e4468df3eefc> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/2009/12/16/will-eu-browser-ballot-change-anything-for-microsoft/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941233 | 2,313 | 1.601563 | 2 |
The changing hiring landscape in the U.S. has led many employers to turn to temporary staffing as a way to give workers experience before taking them on full time. This trend is expected to continue for some time, with about 58 percent of companies planning to use temporary employees of all experience levels in the next few years, according to the Harvard Business Review.
The news source reports that temporary employment is no longer just for warehouse workers, administrative staff and similar-level work. The new trend is shifting toward high-level people who are out of work and turning to temporary positions that earn them a paycheck similar to what they received in a traditional company.
This "free agent nation," as the HBR puts it, is home to several highly trained workers who are looking for temp work. Their credentials allow them to perform mission-critical work for companies that likely would have only been done by salaried employees in the past. The number of these workers is growing, and their sway could affect the business world as it is currently known.
Supertemps are typically able to avoid the corporate structure, such as meetings and office politics, which the news source says can consume as much as 40 percent of a worker's day. With more time, these workers can better focus on their tasks at hand, which may include developing a mergers and acquisitions strategy for a company, choosing information technology processes and other high-level decisions.
The media outlet states that the shift started when America began to recover from the Great Recession, as project-based work has become a viable option for talented or trained people who had trouble finding a job elsewhere. This could soon go one step further, with those talented workers opting to choose temporary work over full-time positions - a workforce model the news source says is slowly fading from view.
According to CBS News, while temporary staffing isn't traditional, those who use the services of temporary placement agencies say they enjoy the work. A survey conducted last year found that nearly 80 percent of temp workers were satisfied with their situation. This number is even more impressive given that 45 percent of respondents said that originally, the economy had "forced" them into temporary work. | <urn:uuid:4975f950-53d1-4d79-8ac6-1ea6632bca58> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aerotek.com/about-aerotek/staffing-news/supertemps-to-grow-in-popularity/151 | 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 | 0.982393 | 438 | 1.835938 | 2 |
INDIANAPOLIS, IN.- The Indianapolis Museum of Art
announced that it has hired Dr. Gregory Dale Smith as the Senior Conservation Scientist to lead the new Conservation Science Laboratory at the IMA. The position was established through a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. This grant, which must be matched by $1.5 million within three years, will enable the IMA to establish a state-of-the-art conservation science laboratory under the leadership of Smith.
In October 2008, the IMA announced plans to build a Conservation Science Laboratory to complement its existing expertise in the care and treatment of works in its collection. The Conservation Science Laboratory will also augment the IMAs potential as a resource for training and professional development by helping the IMA to foster partnerships with universities and corporations involved in central Indianas growing role as a hub of the life sciences industry, as well as establishing scientific research and art conservation collaborations with major museums worldwide.
We are thrilled that Greg is joining the IMA to lead this important conservation science initiative. With many new, previously unstudied materials being used by artists and designers today, we believe that the IMA can contribute to significant advancements in the field that will help museums preserve cultural heritage for centuries to come, said Dr. Maxwell L. Anderson, The Melvin & Bren Simon Director and CEO of the IMA. With Gregs unique research background, and his already notable contributions to conservation science, we are confident we have found the best person to lead this endeavor.
When he assumes his position on December 28, 2009, Smith will lead the IMA team in establishing a comprehensive plan for outfitting the laboratory with scientific equipment funded through a previously announced grant of $2.6 million provided by Lilly Endowment, Inc. Longerterm goals include hiring a second scientist and implementing a fellowship program. Smith currently serves as the Andrew W. Mellon Assistant Professor of Conservation Science at Buffalo State College, one of only three graduate programs for comprehensive art conservation training in the United States.
The inclusion of this state-of-the-art science laboratory within the IMAs world renowned conservation facility will allow the museum to understand better its wide-ranging collections and improve its stewardship of the artwork and objects. I am excited by the opportunity to lead this new science initiative and to initiate a research program to investigate innovative methods and new materials for conserving works of art, said Dr. Greg Smith.
The IMAs newly expanded conservation resources will support research and publication by museum conservators, scientists and curators to continue to build the IMAs reputation as an industry leader in the fields of conservation, collections care and art history. Once equipped and fully staffed, the IMAs lab will join an esteemed group of science labs at other leading arts institutions in the United States: the National Gallery of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Harvard Art Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Getty Conservation Institute.
Gregory Dale Smith, Ph.D.
Smith previously served as the Andrew W. Mellon Assistant Professor of Conservation Science at Buffalo State College, one of only three graduate programs for comprehensive art conservation training in the United States. He holds a Ph.D. in physical/analytical chemistry from Duke University and has completed postdoctoral research at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.; the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York, and at University College London.
Smiths research interests include studying condition issues affecting modern polymers used in art, pigment degradation processes, and the development and testing of innovative conservation treatments. He is a member of a working group participating in a large-scale, longterm collaboration with Tate (London) and the Getty Conservation Institute (Los Angeles) on the analysis of modern artists materials. Smiths academic and professional career is distinguished consistently throughout with honors and awards, including a Marshall Scholarship to study in Britain, National Science Foundation Research Fellowships, and a Barry M. Goldwater Science Scholarship. He also has performed five seasons of archaeological fieldwork and archaeometry in Galilee, Israel serving as field chemist and field supervisor with the Sepphoris Regional Project, Sepphoris Acropolis Excavation, and the Cana of the Galilee Project.
Smith has authored numerous articles for journals in the fields of chemistry and conservation and is a highly sought-after lecturer for symposia in the field of art conservation. He is a Professional Associate of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC), a member of the AIC Education and Training Committee, and the Chair of the AIC Research & Technical Studies Specialty Group. | <urn:uuid:01da1dad-03e4-4b5e-954a-e92bbb8892af> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.artdaily.com/section/news/index.asp?int_sec=11&int_new=33680&int_modo=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942867 | 937 | 1.671875 | 2 |
While I rummage around the brain for something more controversial to blog (that’s nevertheless not too controversial), here, for your reading pleasure, is a talk I gave a couple weeks ago at Google Cambridge. Hardcore Shtetl-Optimized fans will find little here to surprise them, but for new or occasional readers, this is about the clearest statement I’ve written of my religio-ethico-complexity-theoretic beliefs.
What Google Won’t Find
As I probably mentioned when I spoke at your Mountain View location two years ago, it’s a funny feeling when an entity that knows everything that ever can be known or has been known or will be known invites you to give a talk — what are you supposed to say?
Well, I thought I’d talk about “What Google Won’t Find.” In other words, what have we learned over the last 15 years or so about the ultimate physical limits of search — whether it’s search of a physical database like Google’s, or of the more abstract space of solutions to a combinatorial problem?
On the spectrum of computer science, I’m about as theoretical as you can get. One way to put it is that I got through CS grad school at Berkeley without really learning any programming language other than QBASIC. So it might surprise you that earlier this year, I was spending much of my time talking to business reporters. Why? Because there was this company near Vancouver called D-Wave Systems, which was announcing to the press that it had built the world’s first commercial quantum computer.
Let’s ignore the “commercial” part, because I don’t really understand economics — these days, you can apparently make billions of dollars giving away some service for free! Let’s instead focus on the question: did D-Wave actually build a quantum computer? Well, they apparently built a device with 16 very noisy superconducting quantum bits (or qubits), which they say they’ve used to help solve extremely small Sudoku puzzles.
The trouble is, we’ve known for years that if qubits are sufficiently noisy — if they leak a sufficient amount of information into their environment — then they behave essentially like classical bits. Furthermore, D-Wave has refused to answer extremely basic technical questions about how high their noise rates are and so forth — they care about serving their customers, not answering nosy questions from academics. (Recently D-Wave founder Geordie Rose offered to answer my questions if I was interested in buying one of his machines. I replied that I was interested — my offer was $10 US — and I now await his answers as a prospective customer.)
To make a long story short, it’s consistent with the evidence that what D-Wave actually built would best be described as a 16-bit classical computer. I don’t mean 16 bits in terms of the architecture; I mean sixteen actual bits. And there’s some prior art for that.
But that’s actually not what annoyed me the most about the D-Wave announcement. What annoyed me were all the articles in the popular press — including places as reputable as The Economist — that said, what D-Wave has built is a machine that can try every possible solution in parallel and instantly pick the right one. This is what a quantum computer is; this is how it works.
It’s amazing to me how, as soon as the word “quantum” is mentioned, all the ordinary rules of journalism go out the window. No one thinks to ask: is that really what a quantum computer could do?
It turns out that, even though we don’t yet have scalable quantum computers, we do know something about what they could do if we did have them.
A quantum computer is a device that would exploit the laws of quantum mechanics to solve certain computational problems asymptotically faster than we know how to solve them with any computer today. Quantum mechanics — which has been our basic framework for physics for the last 80 years — is a theory that’s like probability theory, except that instead of real numbers called probabilities, you now have complex numbers called amplitudes. And the interesting thing about these complex numbers is that they can “interfere” with each other: they can cancel each other out.
In particular, to find the probability of something happening, you have to add the amplitudes for all the possible ways it could have happened, and then take the square of the absolute value of the result. And if some of the ways an event could happen have positive amplitude and others have negative amplitude, then the amplitudes can cancel out, so that the event doesn’t happen at all. This is exactly what’s going on in the famous double-slit experiment: at certain spots on a screen, the different paths a photon could’ve taken to get to that spot interfere destructively and cancel each other out, and as a result no photon is seen.
Now, the idea of quantum computing is to set up a massive double-slit experiment with exponentially many paths — and to try to arrange things so that the paths leading to wrong answers interfere destructively and cancel each other out, while the paths leading to right answers interfere constructively and are therefore observed with high probability.
You can see it’s a subtle effect that we’re aiming for. And indeed, it’s only for a few specific problems that people have figured out how to choreograph an interference pattern to solve the problem efficiently — that is, in polynomial time.
One of these problems happens to be that of factoring integers. Thirteen years ago, Peter Shor discovered that a quantum computer could efficient apply Fourier transforms over exponentially-large abelian groups, and thereby find the periods of exponentially-long periodic sequences, and thereby factor integers, and thereby break the RSA cryptosystem, and thereby snarf people’s credit card numbers. So that’s one application of quantum computers.
On the other hand — and this is the most common misconception about quantum computing I’ve encountered — we do not, repeat do not, know a quantum algorithm to solve NP-complete problems in polynomial time. For “generic” problems of finding a needle in a haystack, most of us believe that quantum computers will give at most a polynomial advantage over classical ones.
At this point I should step back. How many of you have heard of the following question: Does P=NP?
Yeah, this is a problem so profound that it’s appeared on at least two TV shows (The Simpsons and NUMB3RS). It’s also one of the seven (now six) problems for which the Clay Math Institute is offerring a million-dollar prize for a solution.
Apparently the mathematicians had to debate whether P vs. NP was “deep” enough to include in their list. Personally, I take it as obvious that it’s the deepest of them all. And the reason is this: if you had a fast algorithm for solving NP-complete problems, then not only could you solve P vs. NP, you could presumably also solve the other six problems. You’d simply program your computer to search through all possible proofs of at most (say) a billion symbols, in some formal system like Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory. If such a proof existed, you’d find it in a reasonable amount of time. (And if the proof had more than a billion symbols, it’s not clear you’d even want to see it!)
This raises an important point: many people — even computer scientists — don’t appreciate just how profound the consequences would be if P=NP. They think it’s about scheduling airline flights better, or packing more boxes in your truck. Of course, it is about those things — but the point is that you can have a set of boxes such that if you could pack them into your truck, then you would also have proved the Riemann Hypothesis!
Of course, while the proof eludes us, we believe that P≠NP. We believe there’s no algorithm to solve NP-complete problems in deterministic polynomial time. But personally, I would actually make a stronger conjecture:
There is no physical means to solve NP-complete problems in polynomial time — not with classical computers, not with quantum computers, not with anything else.
You could call this the “No SuperSearch Principle.” It says that, if you’re going to find a needle in a haystack, then you’ve got to expend at least some computational effort sifting through the hay.
I see this principle as analogous to the Second Law of Thermodynamics or the impossibility of superluminal signalling. That is, it’s a technological limitation which is also a pretty fundamental fact about the laws of physics. Like those other principles, it could always be falsified by experiment, but after a while it seems manifestly more useful to assume it’s true and then see what the consequences are for other things.
OK, so what do we actually know about the ability of quantum computers to solve NP-complete problems efficiently? Well, of course we can’t prove it’s impossible, since we can’t even prove it’s impossible for classical computers — that’s the P vs. NP problem! We might hope to at least prove that quantum computers can’t solve NP-complete problems in polynomial time unless classical computers can also — but even that, alas, seems far beyond our ability to prove.
What we can prove is this: suppose you throw away the structure of an NP-complete problem, and just consider it as an abstract, featureless space of 2n possible solutions, where the only thing you can do is guess a solution and check whether it’s right or not. In that case it’s obvious that a classical computer will need ~2n steps to find a solution. But what if you used a quantum computer, which could “guess” all possible solutions in superposition? Well, even then, you’d still need at least ~2n/2 steps to find a solution. This is called the BBBV Theorem, and was one of the first things learned about the power of quantum computers.
Intuitively, even though a quantum computer in some sense involves exponentially many paths or “parallel universes,” the single universe that happened on the answer can’t shout above all the other universes: “hey, over here!” It can only gradually make the others aware of its presence.
As it turns out, the 2n/2 bound is actually achievable. For in 1996, Lov Grover showed that a quantum computer can search a list of N items using only √N steps. It seems to me that this result should clearly feature in Google’s business plan.
Of course in real life, NP-complete problems do have structure, and algorithms like local search and backtrack search exploit that structure. Because of this, the BBBV theorem can’t rule out a fast quantum algorithm for NP-complete problems. It merely shows that, if such an algorithm existed, then it couldn’t work the way 99% of everyone who’s ever heard of quantum computing thinks it would!
You might wonder whether there’s any proposal for a quantum algorithm that would exploit the structure of NP-complete problems. As it turns out, there’s one such proposal: the “quantum adiabatic algorithm” of Farhi et al., which can be seen as the quantum version of simulated annealing. Intriguingly, Farhi and his collaborators proved that, on some problem instances where classical simulated annealing would take exponential time, the quantum adiabatic algorithm takes only polynomial time. Alas, we also know of problem instances where the adiabatic algorithm takes exponential time just as simulated annealing does. So while this is still an active research area, right now the adiabatic algorithm does not look like a magic bullet for solving NP-complete problems.
If quantum computers can’t solve NP-complete problems in polynomial time, it raises an extremely interesting question: is there any physical means to solve NP-complete problems in polynomial time?
Well, there have been lots of proposals. One of my favorites involves taking two glass plates with pegs between them, and dipping the resulting contraption into a tub of soapy water. The idea is that the soap bubbles that form between the pegs should trace out the minimum Steiner tree — that is, the minimum total length of line segments connecting the pegs, where the segments can meet at points other than the pegs themselves. Now, this is known to be an NP-hard optimization problem. So, it looks like Nature is solving NP-hard problems in polynomial time!
You might say there’s an obvious difficulty: the soap bubbles could get trapped in a local optimum that’s different from the global optimum. By analogy, a rock in a mountain crevice could reach a lower state of potential energy by rolling up first and then down … but is rarely observed to do so!
And if you said that, you’d be absolutely right. But that didn’t stop two guys a few years ago from writing a paper in which they claimed, not only that soap bubbles solve NP-complete problems in polynomial time, but that that fact proves P=NP! In debates about this paper on newsgroups, several posters raised the duh-obvious point that soap bubbles can get trapped at local optima. But then another poster opined that that’s just an academic “party line,” and that he’d be willing to bet that no one had actually done an experiment to prove it.
Long story short, I went to the hardware store, bought some glass plates, liquid soap, etc., and found that, while Nature does often find a minimum Steiner tree with 4 or 5 pegs, it tends to get stuck at local optima with larger numbers of pegs. Indeed, often the soap bubbles settle down to a configuration which is not even a tree (i.e. contains “cycles of soap”), and thus provably can’t be optimal.
The situation is similar for protein folding. Again, people have said that Nature seems to be solving an NP-hard optimization problem in every cell of your body, by letting the proteins fold into their minimum-energy configurations. But there are two problems with this claim. The first problem is that proteins, just like soap bubbles, sometimes get stuck in suboptimal configurations — indeed, it’s believed that’s exactly what happens with Mad Cow Disease. The second problem is that, to the extent that proteins do usually fold into their optimal configurations, there’s an obvious reason why they would: natural selection! If there were a protein that could only be folded by proving the Riemann Hypothesis, the gene that coded for it would quickly get weeded out of the gene pool.
So: quantum computers, soap bubbles, proteins … if we want to solve NP-complete problems in polynomial time in the physical world, what’s left? Well, we can try going to more exotic physics. For example, since we don’t yet have a quantum theory of gravity, people have felt free to speculate that if we did have one, it would give us an efficient way to solve NP-complete problems. For example, maybe the theory would allow closed timelike curves, which would let us solve NP-complete and even harder problems by (in some sense) sending the answer back in time to before we started.
In my view, though, it’s more likely that a quantum theory of gravity will do the exact opposite: that is, it will limit our computational powers, relative to what they would’ve been in a universe without gravity. To see why, consider one of the oldest “extravagant” computing proposals: the Zeno computer. This is a computer that runs the first step of a program in one second, the second step in half a second, the third step in a quarter second, the fourth step in an eighth second, and so on, so that after two seconds it’s run infinitely many steps. (It reminds me of the old joke about the supercomputer that was so fast, it could do an infinite loop in 2.5 seconds.)
Question from the floor: In what sense is this even a “proposal”?
Answer: Well, it’s a proposal in the sense that people actually write papers about it! (Google “hypercomputation.”) Whether they should be writing those papers a separate question…
Now, the Zeno computer strikes most computer scientists — me included — as a joke. But why is it a joke? Can we say anything better than that it feels absurd to us?
As it turns out, this question takes us straight into some of the frontier issues in theoretical physics. In particular, one of the few things physicists think they know about quantum gravity — one of the few things both the string theorists and their critics largely agree on — is that, at the so-called “Planck scale” of about 10-33 centimeters or 10-43 seconds, our usual notions of space and time are going to break down. As one manifestation of this, if you tried to build a clock that ticked more than about 1043 times per second, that clock would use so much energy that it would collapse to a black hole. Ditto for a computer that performed more than about 1043 operations per second, or for a hard disk that stored more than about 1069 bits per square meter of surface area. (Together with the finiteness of the speed of light and the exponential expansion of the universe, this implies that, contrary to what you might have thought, there is a fundamental physical limit on how much disk space Gmail will ever be able to offer its subscribers…)
To summarize: while I believe what I called the “No SuperSearch Principle” — that is, while I believe there are fundamental physical limits to efficient computer search — I hope I’ve convinced you that understanding why these limits exist takes us straight into some of the deepest issues in math and physics. To me that’s so much the better — since it suggests that not only are the limits correct, but (more importantly) they’re also nontrivial. | <urn:uuid:00f339a9-3a57-49c5-8141-db8415616efe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.scottaaronson.com/blog/?p=266 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952229 | 3,943 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Despite such [Quranic] instructions, beating is considered a type of violence, according to human rights organizations, which urge women to complain to the police. I just wonder what kind of families our societies would have if Muslim women started doing this regarding their husbands.
Relationships between fathers and daughters or sisters and brothers also provoke argument from human rights organizations, which propose the suggested solutions for all relationships. Personally, I don’t think fathers or brothers would undertake such behavior unless there was a reason for it.
The above quote is from here.
There are always good reasons for violence against women. Take for example, the case of 16-year old Aqsa Parvez in Canada, strangled by her father last month because she refused to wear the hijab. Or the case of the Egyptian taxi-driver in Texas who shot and killed his two teenage daughters on Jan 1st because they were seeing non-Muslim guys.
Human rights? Oh come on, human rights have nothing to do with it as women are sub-humans anyway. OK, subhuman rights activists could get into it but human rights activists have no business in these matters.
Related to the above:
A 57-year-old Oak Forest man set a fire that killed his pregnant daughter, her husband and the couple’s 3-year-old son because he was angry that the son-in-law came from a “lower caste system” and had not asked for the daughter’s hand in marriage, prosecutors said Tuesday.
In a hearing at the Markham courthouse Tuesday morning, Subhash Chander was ordered held without bond by Cook County Judge Martin McDonough in connection with the arson and murder of Chander’s pregnant daughter Monika Rani, 22; her husband Rajesh Kumar, 30; and their son Vansh. [Source.] | <urn:uuid:f59ba875-3aa7-43f6-b5b5-efd66da22378> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.deeshaa.org/2008/01/05/there-must-be-violence-against-women/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977004 | 381 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Search Results for: newsflash-allergy
After learning about rules put in place to accommodate a peanut allergic student, parents at one Florida elementary school became outraged.
Soon after receiving a double lung transplant, a Toronto woman had four anaphylactic reactions. Turns out the donor had a peanut allergy.
Regulations requiring 11 top allergens and gluten to be clearly labeled on foods and beverages will pass on Feb. 16. The lone exception: beer.
A 7-year-old nut allergic boy suffered two heart attacks and one respiratory arrest after eating chocolate from a substitute teacher.
The U.S. Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act was signed into law by the President on Jan. 4. The aim: safety in schools.
Over five years, one million people went to U.S. emergency rooms in search of medical help for food-induced allergic reactions.
Schools in Alberta now have access to a new online program with information and tips on how to protect allergic students.
New study shows products containing the fat derived from the shea nut are probably safe to use by those with tree nut allergies.
Tragedy has struck a Chicago school: 13-year-old Katelyn Carlson has died after eating Chinese food that was supposed to be safe.
While use of allergy shots is common, researchers had previously found they were too dangerous to use in peanut allergy. Until now. | <urn:uuid:5ae2fd9b-38dd-453d-be77-7d2106d53391> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://allergicliving.com/index.php/tag/newsflash-allergy/?override=CA&paged=6 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972223 | 290 | 1.617188 | 2 |
What you do could change theworld. What BIO does helps change your world. There are many reasons why more biotech companies belong to BIO than to any other organization. Read on and you’ll see why...
The Biotechnology Industry Organization is the only global biotech advocacy group in the world.
Why join BIO?
Chances are your company is pioneering a solution that could change the world ... and we want to help you get there.
The Biotechnology Industry Organization is growing every year because BIO membership works for industry leaders and professionals. BIO leads the most innovative and dynamic industry in the world, helping our members find continuing success and opportunities. We draw our strength from the participation of companies and organizations — start-ups, major players and Fortune 500 firms; regional and national associations around the globe; and leading bioscience academic centers. Altogether we representtens of thousands of biotech professionals.
Let BIO tackle federal and state legislative and regulatory hurdles, help you build your financial resources with direct access to venture capital, and provide opportunities to network with other biotech companies.
Our commitment to biotechnology is equaled only by our commitment to the companies of the industry. BIO represents more than 1,000 biotech companies, institutions, state biotech centers and related organizations across the United States and in 33 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of health-care, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotech products.
Almost every day some branch of the U.S. government addresses an issue that affects your work: Medicare reimbursement, FDA user fees, pathways for follow-on biologics, bioethics regulation, biodefense and more. How can you watch out for your company’s interests in the bigger political picture and stay focused on your work? Let BIO do it for you.
BIO provides aggressive advocacy in Congress, the White House, and all 50 U.S. states for priority member issues such as tax reforms for biotech research, Medicare coverage of biotech drugs, and strong patent protection for innovative biotech products.
Over the years, BIO has won many legislative victories for the biotech industry. Most recently, BIO was instrumental in getting new laws passed to limit liability, improve biodefense and promote biotech research. BIO’s lobbying team helped defeat measures that would destroy intellectual property protection and permit reimportation of potentially dangerous counterfeit drugs.
BIO also is involved in efforts to expand Medicare drug coverage and change stock option accounting. With a capital crunch threatening the survival of many biotech companies, BIO has been advocating and lobbying for tax reform tailored to the needs of biotech R&D. BIO has also partnered with the government to ensure the industry contributes to global antiterrorism efforts.
Many issues of the day involve biotechnology, and BIO is there for you.
Science and Regulatory
Affairs In a fast-paced world where scientific “miracles” have almost become a matter of course, governments understandably find it challenging to stay on top of the latest and greatest developments.
BIO helps legislators and regulators stay focused on the tremendous value that biotechnology companies offer. BIO represents the needs of our members all over the world by fighting for and backing legislation and regulation that keep your products moving along in development and, most importantly, reaching the marketplace.
We’ve always believed in responsible government oversight of biotechnology. We support a government ban on the cloning of human beings, and we support the use of stem cells in research — and legislators know our positions well because we have lobbied hard on these issues.
BIO worked with the FDA and PhRMA to develop recommendations for Congress on the 2002 reauthorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, establishing new PDUFA III performance goals and improved review processes.
BIO’s Regulatory Affairs Committee is addressing such issues as the impact of FDA reorganization, safety and risk management, information technology initiatives, and the development of guidelines for pharmacogenomics and gene and cell therapies.
Years of hard work and groundbreaking discoveries can be lost without taking the proper protective measures. BIO advocates a strong and effective global intellectual property system. We oppose any legislation, regulatory change or judicial effort that would shorten the length of a patent or limit the scope of protections a patent affords.
We promote a patent system that encourages development of new medicines, diagnostics, and agricultural and environmental products to meet global needs. These patents, so critical to your fundraising efforts, are also a major focus of our lobbying on behalf of our member
Business Development & Investor Outreach | <urn:uuid:a653140f-8c6b-4111-afd4-8e729bc2fd37> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.bio.org/articles/what-you-do-could-change-world-what-bio-does-helps-change-your-world | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933336 | 938 | 1.601563 | 2 |
|Independent Art Spaces in Dialogue|
Every Artist an Organized Artist*
Deniz Erbaş, Istanbul 2009
The concepts most frequently utilized to describe the projects, spaces and production platforms formed over the last couple of years in Istanbul largely by the initiative of artists and curators are “initiative”, “organization” and “independent”. Ever expanding their field and their effectiveness, these formations are better understood as functional reflexes emerging from existing micro and macro conditions rather than as manifestations of a popular movement.
Once a Third World country, now among the developing states and a candidate
for European Union for more than 40 years, Turkey, aside from its specific
conditions, exhibits many characteristics of the peripheral geography
it forms a part of. Primary among these characteristics comes the framework
defined by Frederic Jameson as “national allegories”. In Jameson’s words:
“the story of the private individual destiny is always an allegory of
the embattled situation of the
First we should start off with the observation that the opportunities presented to the artists by the general institutions, people and exhibitions that make up the activity in the art scene are inadequate in fulfilling the production and presentation needs of contemporary art. For one thing, they can’t get far from being mere institutional frameworks that do not allow much room for artists to move in comfortably, with their “untouchable” walls, secured entrances requiring invitations, contextual sensibilities and drive for consistency in terms of institutional identity. Ultimately, this framework frames art in a space which can be termed as “art specific” rather than allowing it to exist in public space. The increase in the number of initiatives, independent spaces and artist groups stems from this sense of being framed and locked.
While the spaces of art remain inadequate to open up a public space for art, the existence of art in public space by itself has always been very problematic and limited since the very beginning. Within a deep-rooted and persistent structure that regards art in public space merely as monuments/sculptures and that does not know any way of using the public space panorama other than filling it up with gigantic advertisements and billboards, car parks, fake flowers that frame café-bar-restaurant tables, peddler stalls, gigantic flags, posters and cloth banners, the visibility of art in public space has been limited to special occasions and periodical applications. In this regard, the visibility of art in public space is not small; it is almost non-existent. This being the case, the audience reached by art cannot exceed a limited group of people who are the natural frequenters of the special art spaces discussed above.
The nonexistence of public spaces that would facilitate the unmediated encounter of art and audience could only be overcome by the initiative of artists and curators, since it was no use waiting for private initiative to open up space for art with such concerns. Pist, located right at the periphery of Istanbul’s art center, Pangaltı, in a predominantly residential area; 5333, transforming the shop number 5533 of the IMC, a lively community of traders and artisans numbering about 20000, into an archive, library and exhibition space; and Hafriyat Karaköy, opening shop at the middle of a neighborhood housing spare part, decoration and repair traders/artisans and brothels are all expanding the boundaries set by the special art spaces located downtown and opening up space for art in the public space by their sheer existence. Aside from these, Apartment Project located at Tünel district provides spatial infrastructure for artist projects while BAS located at the Şişhane district infiltrates public space through printed materials by focusing primarily on artist books.
The initiatives behind the spaces discussed above were all artist groups of different intensities in the beginning: Hafriyat is an artist group which has been organizing their own exhibitions since 1996; the artists and curators making up 5533 were working closely way before they opened up their space; the initiator of the Apartment Project, Selda Asal has realized numerous collective projects that include various artists like 2+1.
Another development that stems from the physical nonexistence of art
in public space is the formation of practices developed to exist in
public cultural space. A set of oppressions, controls and discriminatory
mechanisms that rule the public plane of the city dictates the rules
for both societal life and individual existence. The oppressive structure
that encircles culture and society makes no exceptions for art. This
is the exact opposite of the environment of freedom necessary for artistic
production. To a large extent due to this lack of freedom, the artists
become political through questioning the mechanisms that generate societal
encirclement and oppression as well as their various manifestations,
hence drilling holes into the prevailing intellectual climate of the
In addition to these action/exhibitions, there are also alternative channels affecting the agenda of the public space: January 19 Collective publishes images in newspapers and magazines; atılkunst e-mails weekly stickers in response to the current agenda; Istanbul’s map of neo-liberal re-distribution, “IstanbulMap” prepared by Barcelona based artist Anna Sala in 2007 as a result of a 3 months long collective work bringing together architects, urban planners, sociologists and artist initiatives from Istanbul and published and freely distributed in 15000 copies, continues to be a reference for all urban transformation studies.
The common point of these exhibitions, events and organizations is that they cooperate with social groups and organizations operating actively on the subjects that they handle, thus drawing these groups and organizations into the field of art. As a result of this interaction, they not only get acquainted with social organization models but they also develop interdisciplinary practices: collaborations with organizations like Amargi, Filmmor, Lambda Istanbul, Sulukule Platform, İmece, Toplumun Şehircilik Hareketi (Society’s Urban Planning Movement) are examples of this situation.
The main characteristics of these initiatives/organizations is that the artists come together through shared sensibilities regarding issues that define the social and political agenda of Turkey as well as its public space, widening their field of influence and resistance through interacting with people and organizations from other disciplines; hence developing organizations and events that focus on the impact of action rather than on immanent and aesthetic concerns. Hence begins the unmediated relation of art with social reality and the process of extending the field and right of art to have a say on the public and political realities and micro and macro problems. It can be claimed that the infrastructure provided by the experience of “working and producing together and using common mind” for the last 10 years in artist organizations provided the basis for the development of artist initiatives and spaces, exhibitions and actions discussed above.
The artists are coming together and forming initiatives at an increasing rate in order to be nourished by each other’s production processes or by knowledge and instruments of different disciplines; to open up original spaces in the art scene by uniting their forces and without leaning on the institutions of the established order; to share their helplessness in the face of societal pressures; to use common mind and to fulfill similar other needs.
The next step in the field of art should be bringing into the agenda through macro-organizations the vocational rights of the artists and art professionals and the independent and free development of art. The existing professional organizations are inadequate in defining and giving voice to the needs of the art scene and their activities in this regard amount to almost nothing. Right at this point, it can be helpful to listen to Burak Delier and Kamil Şenol’s call entitled “An Organizational Text” published in their blog called “What should be done”: “We are not just concerned with freeing “art” but with emancipation in general. Art will have a meaning only if it can contribute to the project of emancipation. The relative emancipation in art has no meaning and significance whatsoever if it does not correspond to an emancipation in the world at large.”***
Deniz Erbaş, Istanbul 2009
* “Manifesto issued by the Syndicate of Technical Workers, Painters,
and Sculptors, Mexico City 1922”, “Theories of Modern Art”,
University of California Press, USA, 1984, s.461-462 | <urn:uuid:6302791e-58fc-4d3f-8310-de1f99b5886c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.berlinerpool.de/istanbul-off-spaces/en/every-artist-an-arganized-artist.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947508 | 1,743 | 1.59375 | 2 |
A day of reflection and prayer ahead of the consistory of cardinals will focus on the abuse crisis, Ordinariates and religious freedom in the world.
Cardinals from around the world have been invited to take part in a day of reflection and prayer before the consistory on November 20.
The talks on the state of religious liberty in the world will be introduced by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Secretary of State, while Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera of the Congregation of Divine Worship will introduce discussion on the role of liturgy in the life of the Church.
In the evening, after vespers, the cardinals will discuss 10 years of Dominus Iesus led by Archbishop Angelo Amato, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, which will be followed by discussions on “The Church’s response to cases of sexual abuse” and the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus, led by Cardinal William Levada, Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The Vatican announced the day of reflection on the day that five Church of England bishops officially announced their resignations and their intentions to join an Ordinariate when it is established in Britain. | <urn:uuid:ccdba359-e810-473a-a0d5-2a3450c327d0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2010/11/08/cardinals-to-discuss-church-reactions-to-sexual-abuse-and-the-ordinariate/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932176 | 259 | 1.804688 | 2 |
Students in Duke’s Children’s Law Clinic helped a Hillsborough mother with two disabled children drastically reduce the amount of money she owed the Social Security Administration (SSA) as the result of that agency’s overpayment. Mike Connelly ’11, Ceretta Amos ’11, and Hallie Fisher ’14, navigated a complex two-year process though administrative law courts and the SSA’s Appeals Council, ultimately reducing the family’s debt by almost $23,000.
In October 2010, Marilyn Johnson (whose named has been changed for this story) received correspondence from the SSA that she owed $23,234 because of an overpayment in benefits for her children. Shocked and overwhelmed, she eventually found her way to the Children’s Law Clinic at Duke Law School. Multiple appeals later, she and her clinic representatives finally got the good word: Instead of owing $23,234, she owed $441.
Connelly was the first student assigned to the case. An aspiring tax lawyer, he appreciated being able to handle a case that would likely involve work that could inform his future practice. He interviewed Johnson and learned that she had been receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for her two disabled children for more than five years. Because SSI benefits are payable only to low-income families, Johnson had been meticulous about reporting the family’s income to the SSA and kept detailed records of her communications with the agency.
After a thorough investigation and study of the arcane rules of SSI benefit calculation, Connelly scheduled a personal conference with the local SSA office to review the situation and provide all of the family’s records. He was prepared to prove that the family was not at fault in the overpayment and could not afford to pay it back. If these two prongs are established, the SSA is required to waive the claim, meaning that it wouldn’t have to be paid back. Connelly accompanied Johnson to the Social Security office, but when they got there, the SSA representative refused to meet with them, saying her computer said the appointment was to take a new application.
Connelly filed an appeal to an administrative law judge as his time in the clinic was coming to an end. Amos then took over the case just as another roadblock appeared: the administrative law judge dismissed the appeal, determining that he had no jurisdiction because there had been no personal conference at the local level.
Amos then filed another appeal, this time to the SSA’s Appeals Council, the highest administrative level in the system. In the extensive written appeal, she argued that the family had followed every instruction of the SSA, and that it was the SSA that had both miscalculated the benefits and then refused to hold the personal conference about the waiver request. She asked the Appeals Council to either reinstate the appeal to the administrative law judge or find that the family did not owe the money.
The Appeals Council ruled on the case in May 2012, sending it back to the local office for a personal conference ─ essentially starting the whole matter from the beginning. Fisher, then a clinic summer intern, initiated communications with the local SSA office to schedule the matter. Her persistence paid off; the SSA representative assigned to the case concluded that given the consistent SSA mistakes and delays, all but $441 of the overpayment would be waived.
Johnson was delighted by the outcome and all the diligent work done on her behalf by the students in the Children’s Law Clinic. Having recently completed her bachelor’s degree, she is now working for a program that assists families with disabled children. She says she’ll be referring parents in need of similar advocacy to the Children’s Law Clinic. | <urn:uuid:e21eaa26-641f-496b-8284-f19771c3da0a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://law.duke.edu/news/children-s-law-clinic-advocacy-relieves-family-23000-claim/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981184 | 776 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Karen is a 30-year-old health care professional. For close to two years, she didn't have regular periods (a condition called amenorrhea). At the same time, she was underweight, exercising a lot, and not eating enough to compensate for this exercise. Now, five years later, she's still exercising, but she's eating well and menstruating-and she is much healthier for it.
What was your first sign that something was wrong? What symptoms did you experience?
I started getting my periods much less often-every other month or every three months. They were also very light and only lasted two to three days. Then, I stopped getting my period altogether. At the same time, I lost about 20 pounds. I had just moved back home after graduating college. And while at college, my eating habits were pretty poor; I drank beer on most weekends, and didn't exercise much. So when I came back to my mom's house where I had healthy meals, very little alcohol, and more time to exercise, I quickly lost the excess weight–and then some.
What was the diagnosis experience like?
The diagnosis was pretty simple. After reviewing my menstrual history and weighing me, the nurse practitioner in my gynecologist's office asked me about my eating and exercising habits. She also did some blood tests to rule out other conditions that can cause amenorrhea. When all of those blood tests came back negative, she determined that the amenorrhea was caused by my quick weight loss.
What was your initial and then longer-term reaction to the diagnosis?
At first, I was relieved not to have to deal with my period. And since the blood tests were all negative, I didn't think it was any big deal to not have my period. But then as we discussed the effects of not having my period, I became more concerned. Since I wasn't having my period, my body wasn't producing enough estrogen, which can decrease bone density. As an athlete, this worried me. It could increase my risk of injury and hinder my performance.
How is amenorrhea treated?
In the short term, the nurse practitioner prescribed me birth control pills, which caused me to have a regular period. I also took a calcium supplement daily to help protect my bones. For the longer term, I worked on gaining weight.
After almost two years of irregular periods, no periods, and periods only while on birth control pills, I was eating better and gained enough weight so that my body would menstruate on its own. For the past five years, I have been at a healthful weight and been having regular periods.
Did you have to make any lifestyle or dietary changes in response to your condition?
I made a conscious effort to eat more and to eat a little more fat. I had gotten somewhat caught up in the "fat free" craze and was eating a lot of salad, vegetables, grilled chicken, and cereal. I wouldn't eat anything that had fat in it. I started allowing myself a little more fat and more calories to meet my energy needs. This was especially important because I was working out so much; I needed more calories than a year earlier when I wasn't exercising regularly.
Did you seek any type of emotional support?
This wasn't an emotionally stressful condition. I talked with my mom about it, and she encouraged me to gain weight. She, as well as my brothers, were concerned that I had lost 20 pounds in such a short period of time. My brothers were especially vigilant in trying to get me to eat more.
Does amenorrhea have any impact on your family?
Other than my mom and brothers worrying about me, amenorrhea really did not affect my family. If I was married and trying to start a family, that would have been a different story.
What advice would you give to anyone living with amenorrhea?
It is important to take care of amenorrhea quickly. The lack of estrogen can cause serious bone loss that you may not be able to regain. Although you may enjoy the freedom of not having a period and the physical and mental symptoms that come with it, it's really not a healthful way to be. Find the weight that is healthful for you-one that you can easily maintain with your usual eating and exercise patterns and one at which you have a regular period every month. If eating is an issue for you, ask your doctor for a referral to a registered dietitian (RD). An RD can help you develop healthful eating patterns that you are comfortable with.
Interviews were conducted in the past and may not reflect current standards and practices in medicine. Talk to your doctor to learn more about how this condition is diagnosed and managed today and what treatment approaches are right for you. | <urn:uuid:99e1f38d-53cf-469c-a329-a05b631652d7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://medtropolis.com/your-health/?/9915/Surgical-Procedures-for-Menstrual-Disorders~Living-With-Menstrual-Disorders | 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 | 0.989394 | 982 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Oil prices have more than tripled from recession-era lows, and motor fuel prices have more than doubled. The last time prices were so high, a certain US Senator from Illinois used that against the then-incumbent President and that same Senator’s eventual opponent. That Senator is now President. Now he seems to want oil prices to stay high.
As oil prices rise
None can deny that oil prices are much higher today than they were when the man now holding office as President, took that office. In fact, oil sold for as low as $33 a barrel. Now, the West Texas light, sweet crude sells for $109.77 a barrel. Incredibly, Brent North Sea Crude, which has sulfur in it and is thus more difficult to refine, sells for even more! $125.47 a barrel, to be exact.
Gasoline prices have almost kept pace. When financial markets crashed in 2008, regular gasoline in northern New Jersey sold at $1.69 a gallon. A gallon of gasoline in the same region today sells for $3.37. That’s regular, not premium. And that price has risen three cents a day for two days straight.
High oil prices became an issue in the Presidential campaign of 2008. They also became an issue in the House of Representatives. Few have forgotten the day when Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) blurted out, to several oil company executives seated at the green table before her committee,
Guess what this liberal would be all about? This liberal would be about socializing … uh, umm. … Would be about, basically, taking over, and the government running all of your companies.
Waters provoked her colleagues to laughter on that day. Two newsmen said that Waters really meant to have the government nationalize all oil companies. Commenting on that remark, they then said,
We have seen this movie before. It’s called Hugo Chavez.
They were talking about the President for Life of Venezuela.
One commentator calls for an embargo
The Kimmeredge Oil Well, the oldest continuously productive oil well in Britain. Photo: Graham Horn (Geograph.UK); Creative COmmons Attribution/Share-alike 2.0 Generic LIcense
On the Fox News Channel, Lou Dobbs created a stir when he said that the oil companies were shipping gasoline, and other refined oil products, to China. And in fact, the economies in India and China are in “boom” times. Thus their people are using a lot more motor fuel than ever.
In reply, Bill O’Reilly (The O’Reilly Factor) called for the most radical measure that he has ever proposed. In three consecutive “Talking Points Memos,” he has called for an export tax on refined oil products. Furthermore, he said that since “We, the People” “own” American territory, and every mineral resource on it, the government has the authority to forbid companies to export gasoline abroad, until they first “take care of the folks at home.” How he would measure that happy result, he never said. But he did suggest that the Interior Department overtly threaten to disallow any future drilling unless the companies agreed to such terms.
Economists have a word for the result that O’Reilly seems to want: Embargo. He will not breathe that word out loud. But his “export tax” idea, and the policy he proposed to have the Interior Department refuse any further leases that do not reserve refined products (in whole or in part) for the American market, amount to embargo.
The American Thinkerwarned of where embargo might lead:
Do you have any idea where this leads? There won’t be another refinery built in the United States. We will end up importing all our refined products to escape the controls. If the only way U.S. oil companies can reap the world price is to sell overseas, then you’ll see this entire industry migrate out of the United States.
That would be the sober reaction. The less temperate reaction would be the last scene in Atlas Shrugged, Part One, in which Ellis Wyatt lights his trademark Torch and leaves this telephone auto-answer greeting:
This is Ellis Wyatt. I’m gone. Don’t try to find me. You won’t. I am on strike.
In sum, if TMNHOAPOTUS really wanted to be a populist, he would do exactly as Bill O’Reilly suggested about oil prices. When he made his speech on Thursday afternoon at the University of Miami (Florida), he could have said:
By the authority vested in me, as President of the United States, I hereby order that any oil taken out of the ground, or the ocean floor, from this day forward, be subject to export controls. From now on, before you ship our gasoline to China or India, you will ship it first to the American market. You will keep the price of motor fuel in America below $2.50 per gallon for regular, or else you will export no refined petroleum products at all.
Whether that would have worked or not (laying aside whether he risked a lot of Wyatt’s Torches), it would have been a good stem-winding, populist speech.
But, to O’Reilly’s chagrin, that is not the speech he made.
And from Obama, crickets
Instead, Barack Obama said that he had no “magic bullets” to bring oil prices down. Indeed, the college students in his audience did not seem to mind! They laughed with him when he mocked the obvious solution: drill for oil to increase supply. They cheered when he literally said,
We’re going to double down on green energy.
To name one example, he talked of deriving motor fuel from algae. In other words, pond scum.
Thus he had his chance to score a lot of political points, at the expense of an industry whom everyone loves to hate when its prices rise. And he did not take it.
Aside from the spectacle of Bill O’Reilly’s jaw hanging open so that houseflies can fly into it, this means only one thing: Obama wants oil prices to rise. In fact, he said so three years ago, and so did his advisers. He said that, with the cap-and-trade system he proposed,
electricity prices would necessarily skyrocket.
And like those U. Miami students two days ago, his listeners cheered. They cheered almost as loudly when his “energy czar” wondered aloud how to make motor fuel prices in America go up as high as they are in Europe. (Or Israel, for that matter, though no one mentioned that.)
That’s why Obama disallowed the Keystone XL pipeline. That’s why Obama allowed no more drilling after the Deepwater Horizon incident, and today says that he will allow it, but doesn’t. (His bureaucrats seem to find any excuse not to allow drilling on any given lease.) Now he has the results he wants. So why should he think about slapping an embargo on American-refined gasoline, et cetera?
Add to it that his chief jobs “adviser,” Jeffrey Immelt of General Electric, has ordered that his “company car” program offer the Chevrolet Volt as the only car available.
Add something else to the mix: UN Agenda 21. Oil prices that rise and stay high are one way to convince people to move into those dingbat dormitory developments that the Agenda calls for building in major cities. In fact, no one will ever consider getting rid of his car until the total price of motor fuel, insurance, maintenance, and repairs is higher than the price of taxi, bus, and/or rail fare. Obama knows this. So do his “environmentalist” friends.
So when Obama insists that “there are no magic bullets,” he lies. He has deliberately restricted the supply of oil, and for a reason: he wanted oil prices to rise all along. Now he has his wish.
When oil prices rise, politicians and other rhetoricians always talk of populist measures. Why not this time? Because now our nominal head of state wants oil prices to go up and stay up. His “double down” remark shows that he will keep oil prices high through the summer. That might prompt the American people to light millions of “torches” of their own, at the polls this November. All political challengers, should have such luck in their choice of incumbents. | <urn:uuid:9d336bd8-052e-4d79-8df3-ff43f3ba4359> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.conservativenewsandviews.com/2012/02/25/accountability/executive/oil-prices-embargoes-lies/ | 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 | 0.971225 | 1,800 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Game of Thrones creators have admitted using former United States President George W Bush's severed head in several scenes, angering Republican politicians, with one calling for a 'boycott' of the show.
In the tenth episode of the popular HBO fantasy series during a scene in the capital city of King's Landing, there is a row of severed heads, put there as a warning to anyone wanting to challenge King Joffrey.
In one scene, the King is showing his bride-to-be Sansa what her father Ned's head looks like on a stake as a warning and, nearby, is a replica of the former American President's head, also on a stake, but with long hair and covered in dirt.
On the DVD commentary, the show's creators David Benioff and D.B Weiss admitted they had used the head, but that it was out of necessity and not politically motivated.
"People may not have noticed this but back up...the last head on the left is George Bush," one said on the commentary.
"George Bush's head appears in a couple of beheading scenes,"the other added.
"It's not a choice. It's not a political statement. It's just.. we had to use what heads we had lying around."
However Craig Eaton, chairman of the Brooklyn Republican Party, called it 'despicable'.
"I think that it's despicable. As a country, Democrats, Republicans, we have to have respect for the office and the individuals,' Mr Eaton told the Daily Mail.
"Once we lose that respect, the United States looks weak.
"Think about what people outside the country think when they see how Americans are disparaging their own former presidents.
"Whether you like him or dislike him, whether you're of the same political persuasion or not, we still have to respect the office of the presidency and all of those who hold that presidency.
"Americans of all political persuasions should stand up and demand that things like this should not continue. They should boycott watching this particular show."
When it was put to Mr Eaton the creators had not intended to be political, he added: ''It doesn't matter what their intent is."They didn't intend it to be political, but now that it is, they should remove it."
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Select your state to see news for your area. | <urn:uuid:ce97cd95-b9c6-4e25-b91c-bae433fa3a8b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/-/world/13947895/anger--over-game-of-thrones-george-bush-head-on-stake/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976158 | 494 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Luke 12:48 says that to whom much is given, much shall be required. He who has great opportunity has great responsibility. As Christian American citizens, we have been given much. Therefore, much is required of us. We have great opportunities; Therefore, we have great responsibilities. One of these responsibilities is to vote for candidates that best represent Biblical views of righteousness and morality. It is our duty. It is our obligation. There should not be one Christian in this nation of voting age that is not only registered to vote; but that is also actively voting for what God says it moral and right.
There are nations in this world where the citizens have no right nor opportunity to vote. Their voice is never heard. They have no say whatsoever in who governs their nation, or how they do it. Many are intimidated by fear of being hurt or imprisoned if they even question the government. Yet, so many Americans are not thankful for the privilege of actually having a say in the way they are governed. They waste it. They expect someone else to take care of it. They are too lazy, ignorant, & complacent to take five minutes out of their day to make their voice heard. We should be ashamed of ourselves.
How hard is it? How hard is it to read the Bible and find out what God says is right and wrong; then find out what candidate most agrees with what God says; and then take a few moments to mark a ballot for that candidate? How many of our soldiers have fought and died to secure and keep this right for us to vote? How many people around the globe wished they could have an opportunity to vote for their leaders? We must not take this for granted. We are losing our rights at an alarming rate, and we must stand against tyranny.
A man should be able to live free. A man should be able to raise his family as he sees fit. A man should be able to enjoy the work of his hands, and not have the government stealing from him every chance they get. A child should be treated as precious – both inside and outside of the womb. Marriage should be kept a sacred institution ordained by God, and not perverted and cheapened by those that demand “equality”. The Bible should be read , revered, and taught – not banned by every secular institution. Prayer and the Ten Commandments should be in school. Christian holidays should be called Christian holidays. We need to find people who believe in this, and vote for them.
Will this solve all of our problems? No. But it would be a good start. If we could find some constitutional patriots that had a spine to put in office, we could at least slow down the Marxist train we're on. I know as well as any Christian that our only hope is God. It's going to take nothing less than another great awakening to turn this nation around. However, we cannot hide in our prayer closets and expect someone else to do our part. We must act. We must research. We must go to the polls. We must stand for what is good and Godly and right and moral. Pray and act.
Be like John the Baptist. Dare to be that lone voice in the wilderness that calls for righteousness and repentance. John was just one man, but he pointed the multitudes to Jesus. John was a great example of what one man (or woman) can do. I understand that politics cannot change the hearts of men; and that is the root of the problem. Only the truth and power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ can do that. However, through politics, we can have a positive influence on the laws and decisions that are made in this nation. We all have a set of beliefs we live by. Every judge, congressman, senator, governor, president, etc., live and govern based on a set of beliefs. The only question is, what are those beliefs?
Do you want someone in office who holds your view of God and His Word, or someone who doesn't acknowledge God exists? Do you want someone who loves and honors God, or someone who could care less? Someone who has a high view of Scripture and let's it shape who they are and what they believe, or someone who despises the Bible? Who do you want representing you? Who do you want making laws? The choice is pretty clear. If you are a Christian in North Korea, you have an excuse not to vote. If you are U.S. Citizen, you have no excuse. Here is a Bible verse to help you decide who to vote for: Eccl 10:2 says, “ A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left” (ESV). There you have it! Until next time, rejoice in the Lord! | <urn:uuid:63368373-7eac-4997-a368-ed34beeaee97> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.blanconews.com/news/35989/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980453 | 983 | 1.773438 | 2 |
E.U. Bans Cosmetics With Animal-Tested Ingredients
European Union regulators announced a ban Monday on the import and sale of cosmetics containing ingredients tested on animals and to pledge more efforts to push other parts of the world, like China, to accept alternatives. The ban, which will take effect immediately, “gives an important signal on the value that Europe attaches to animal welfare,” Tonio Borg, the E.U. commissioner for health and consumer policy, said in a statement.
Five shark species win protection against finning trade
The millions of sharks killed every year to feed the vast appetite for shark-fin soup in Asia now have greater protection, after the 178 nations at the world’s biggest wildlife summit voted to crack down on the trade. Those fishing for oceanic whitetip, porbeagle and three species of hammerhead shark will now require strictly controlled permits to export the fins. The move is a landmark moment for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) because many previous attempts to protect marine species – including these sharks – have failed.
Colo. House committee delays vote on cow tail bill
The backside of Colorado’s dairy cows was the focus of a contentious debate Thursday in a state House committee, which ultimately postponed a vote on a bill that would prevent farmers from cutting cattle tails for sanitary reasons…The milk producers federation, the Humane Society of the United States, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and others have come out against tail docking because research has found it doesn’t make milk or workers safer. The groups also argue tail docking robs cows of their built-in fly swatters and causes pain. California, Rhode Island and New Jersey have banned tail docking. Ohio will stop the practice in 2018.
If it’s Monday, the L.A. Unified school cafeteria is meatless
Los Angeles public schools have just gone meatless on Mondays. But unlike the Los Angeles City Council’s resolution in November that simply urges people to observe a Monday without meat, the school system really has issued an edict. It stopped serving meat on Mondays last month. Of course, students could pack turkey sandwiches from home. But the school cafeterias won’t be selling them, and that’s a good thing.
States Consider So-Called ‘Ag-Gag’ Bills
Since Upton Sinclair wrote The Jungle over a century ago, going undercover has been one of the only ways to expose malpractice in agricultural and meat processing facilities. But legislation, so-called ‘ag-gag’ bills, has either passed or is being considered in about a dozen states and would explicitly outlaw undercover reporting as well as the publication of material gathered by undercover reporting.
Animal-rights advocates speak out against horse slaughterhouses in Oklahoma
About 100 animal-rights advocates spent Thursday at the state Capitol trying to persuade legislators that authorizing horse slaughterhouses would be a bad deal for Oklahoma.
Amid Suffering, Animal Welfare Legislation Still Far Off in China
About animals, “The question is not, ‘Can they reason?’ nor, ‘Can they talk?’ but, ‘Can they suffer?’” So wrote Jeremy Bentham, the English philosopher, more than 200 years ago. It seems anomalous that China, the world’s second-biggest economy, lacks animal welfare legislation (other places do too, though in Asia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Philippines have been praised for their protection laws.) | <urn:uuid:f2a8ba1c-828c-460f-a411-9be650612ca0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://narn.org/blog/2013/03/news-of-note-146/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939405 | 734 | 1.8125 | 2 |
MOSCOW — The devastating floods that claimed at least 171 lives two months into President Vladimir Putin's third Kremlin term is expected to draw new attention to his handling of man-made and natural disasters.
Putin's 12-year reign of Russia as prime minister, president, prime minister and now president again has been dogged by major disasters such as the sinking of the Kursk submarine and several plane crashes.
Critics have repeatedly criticised him for the often slow response to crises and an inability to overhaul the country's Soviet-era infrastructure.
The first large-scale tragedy since Putin's return to the Kremlin in May has underlined the people's deepening distrust of the authorities and is expected to fuel the nascent protest movement against the strongman's rule, experts said.
The disaster is "not good news" for Putin as Russians are no longer willing to trust officials, said Olga Kryshtanovskaya, a sociologist who was until recently an active member of the ruling United Russia party.
"There is a problem of distrust," Kryshtanovskaya told AFP. "This distrust has grown rapidly since the Duma elections in December. The regime is in a situation where it cannot function as before."
The announcement of Putin's return to the Kremlin and fraud-tainted parliamentary polls last December triggered unprecedented protests against the leader.
Protesters blamed him for building a rigid system that enriches his inner circle at the expense of ordinary Russians.
"Pressure on the authorities will be especially strong in moments like this," Kryshtanovskaya said, noting that opposition leaders have been the first to announce a call for donations to the floods victims.
"Why did Krymsk sink?" opposition Novaya Gazeta newspaper headlined its story on its website Sunday.
It was a thinly-veiled reference to Russia's bungled rescue operation of the Kursk submarine that sank in 2000 with 118 people onboard.
"It sank," Putin said memorably when asked about the first major disaster of his first presidential career by Larry King on CNN.
Recent tragedies on Putin's watch include last year's sinking of the Bulgaria pleasure boat, in which more than a hundred people died; a plane crash last September that killed 44 people, including a popular hockey team; and the capsizing last December of an oil rig in the icy Okhotsk Sea waters, with dozens missing and presumed dead.
In this latest disaster, Putin has sought to project an image of a leader in control, personally inspecting the damage and telling local officials that Russia's top investigator would conduct a probe to see "who acted how."
But many victims in Krymsk said they were unimpressed as they complained of being left to their own devices in mud-filled houses without drinking water.
Their anger has been stoked by speculation that the sluice gates of a nearby water reservoir were opened overnight, flooding the town.
The rumours persisted even after Putin was told by officials on state television that this was not technically possible.
Investigators opened a criminal investigation into possible negligence but did not provide further details.
"Why are we always flooded!" an angry crowd yelled at Alexander Tkachev, the governor of Krasnodar region, in televised footage on Sunday as he struggled to pacify the victims.
"You think we had to go door to door?" the governor, an ally of Putin and one of longest-serving regional leaders, asked defiantly after locals complained there was no flood warning.
"And would you just pack up and leave?" he asked.
Local authorities have amassed a large amount of provisions in Krymsk, but there was no system of distribution, and elderly people remained without food, Krasnodar environmental activist Suren Gazaryan told AFP after spending two days in the town with a group of volunteers.
"A mechanism that would ensure personal safety of the people has not been created in the country," said Lilia Shevtsova, a political analyst at Moscow Carnegie Center.
"There exists a complete disregard for the life of an ordinary Russian," she said, adding the country has to deal with large-scale natural and man-made disasters every year.
"The problem is in the very model of the state," she said. "This delegitimises the authorities."
Copyright © 2013 AFP. All rights reserved. More » | <urn:uuid:5ecc5b23-3da6-42c8-9c95-29e9484e19b3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jejaCpb5FQZ_xXhd4jmAdLO06Giw?docId=CNG.3442a2ff2f62756897290468fcaf82d2.401 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977633 | 894 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Declassified: OSS Society Honors Special Ops Chief, Unveils OSS Museum Design
If one could have spied on a singular event illuminating America’s awesome firepower in intelligence, surely it was the OSS Society’s annual awards dinner last month. The Mandarin Oriental Hotel was electric with civilian and military leaders, young soldiers, sailors and marines, old spies, patriots and a trace of media. The main event: The 50th anniversary presentation of the William J. Donovan Award to Adm. Eric Olson and an off-the-record speech by CIA Director David Petraeus.
Olson, retired commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command, whose last big mission was taking out Osama bin Laden, and the popular Gen. Petraeus, newly appointed U.S. spymaster, joined 600 others and the likes of such soldiers as the Masson brothers, Sgt. Thomas Costello, wounded in Afghanistan, and his wife Jennifer. Led by Maj. Gen. Victor Hugo, the night's master of ceremonies, they saluted those who hold and have held America’s tip of the spear against her enemies. All rose to toast the U.S.A., the commander-in-chief, allies, the OSS, Bill Donovan, lost and missing comrades -- and the ladies.
Maj. Gen. John Singlaub, who received the Donovan award in 2007, presented it to Olson, who spoke of the "OSS Simple Sabotage Manual" (Good read; check it out). The man of the night -- who had been the longest serving SEAL on active duty, “a bull frog” -- took part in Desert Storm and Somalia. His actions during the Battle of Mogadishu, recounted in “Black Hawk Down,” earned Olson a Silver Star. The admiral said the “New Normal” required clever people and solutions. He certainly was in the right place to find them.
The OSS Society is dedicated to those who served during World War II in the Office of Strategic Services, predecessor to the Central Intelligence Agency and U.S. Special Operations and honors the memory of legendary Gen. “Wild Bill” Donovan, OSS founder. Tributes to Donovan are not overstated: “What a man! We have lost the last hero,” said President Dwight Eisenhower. Donovan’s OSS men have been described as “PhDs who could win a bar fight.” The OSS’s influence on today’s spies and special ops also cannot be overstated. Others awarded the Donovan prize include Presidents Eisenhower, Reagan and George H.W. Bush as well as Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Lord Mountbatten, William Casey, William Colby, William Webster, Ross Perot -- and Petraeus two years ago.
The society works to continue that influence, as it educates the public on “the continuing importance of strategic intelligence and special operations to the preservation of freedom in this country and around the world.” During the Oct. 15 gala, the non-profit debuted designs for the National OSS Museum -- “telling America’s greatest untold story.” The OSS Society is hunting for locations -- especially in Northern Virginia. Says its serious president Charles Pinck, tongue not entirely in cheek: “I’m responsible for a group of very dangerous senior citizens.”
Oh, and Petraeus’s speech? Not to worry: he basically thanked everyone and . . . well, the rest is off the record. | <urn:uuid:a88a5606-c79b-40bf-9c0d-764c5ac5332b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.georgetowner.com/articles/2011/nov/30/declassified-oss-society-honors-special-ops-chief-unveils-oss-museum-design/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.944561 | 733 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Trent is a freshman in high school. Like most 15-year-old boys, he enjoys hanging out with his friends, lifting weights, and playing basketball. Four years ago, Trent was diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Fortunately, with the help of medication, Trent is again successful in school and has learned to accept ADHD as part of his unique individuality.
What was your first sign that something was wrong? What symptoms did you experience?
I was acting out in school-getting in trouble for being out of my seat or talking, things like that. Also my grades in school weren't as good as they had been in previous years. I was hyper and wound up. I also had a hard time sleeping. (We never really figured out if that was because of the ADHD or some other reason though).
What was the diagnosis experience like?
I didn't really understand what was going on when they told me I had ADHD. I remember the test that they made me take was kind of embarrassing. I put these headphones on and there was no sound at all. The doctor told me to press a button whenever I wanted, but that if I pressed it to soon, I would hear a beep through the headphones. This was to test my patience. It was a lot harder than I had thought it would be.
What was your initial and then longer-term reaction to the diagnosis?
My initial reaction was embarrassment. I was embarrassed that I had this problem. I felt like I could never be "normal." I realize now that there really is no such thing as a normal person. Everyone has problems, whether physically or emotionally.
How do you manage ADHD?
ADHD is treated by taking medications to stop the symptoms from showing. It's not a cure though. Over the years, I've taken several different medicines to treat the ADHD. I took Ritalin for about the first 3 or 4 years and had to increase the amount I took about every 4 to 5 months. Then I switched to a pill called Adderall. I took this for about 2 years. This pill was supposed to last longer than Ritalin, so I wouldn't have to take it every couple of hours at school. With the Adderall, I only had to take one in the morning, one at school, and one after school. I would sometimes have to take one more if I had to do something that required a lot of concentration. Now I'm on a pill called Concerta. This pill lasts all day, so I only take one a day.
Did you make any lifestyle or dietary changes in response to ADHD?
The only lifestyle change was that I had to remember to take my pills all the time. I haven't really changed my diet.
Did you seek any type of emotional support?
I was embarrassed that I had to take pills but I never talked to anyone about it. I just dealt with it myself. After awhile, I realized that I could do nothing to change how I was, so I accepted it. I started taking it in 4th grade and now I'm a freshman in high school. It wasn't until this year that I decided that I couldn't change who I was. I don't really care anymore if people know that I have this problem. I'm not embarrassed by it any more.
Does ADHD have any impact on your family?
I'll get mad if my parents blame things that I do on my medicine. For example, if I get in trouble at school, my parents will say something like "Is this because your medicine isn't working?" I can see how they might think that, but after awhile it really starts to irritate me.
What advice would you give to anyone living with ADHD?
I would tell them not to be ashamed of who you are. God made you like this and you can't change that. Accept it and move on. It's not really that big of a deal to have it. I've told a couple of my new friends that I have just recently made in high school about my condition and it hasn't affected how they see me at all. Some people may make fun of you or whatever, but most people don't make a big deal about it.
Interviews were conducted in the past and may not reflect current standards and practices in medicine. Talk to your doctor to learn more about how this condition is diagnosed and managed today and what treatment approaches are right for you. | <urn:uuid:4a57fbe2-6937-4b71-8e7d-b0acdb87edd9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://medtropolis.com/your-health/?/2010812122/In-His-Own-Words--Living-With-Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity-Disorder | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.993379 | 916 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Got a few thousand dollars lying around? If your office is similar to the average U.S. household, you just might. A survey by eBay and Nielsen Customized Research found most of us have 50 unused items around their home that, if sold, could bring in $3,100.
The printer you replaced, the cell phone you upgraded and the book you never read -- it’s time to convert that clutter into cash.
Here are several items just waiting to be turned in for money, and how to cash in.
Cell Phones and Electronic Gadgets
According to the latest e-waste study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 141 million cell phones and mobile devices are replaced each year and only 8% are recycled.
Donna Smallin Kuper, organizing expert and author of How to De-clutter and Make Money Now (CreateSpace, 2012) says the majority ends up in drawers, “because most people don’t know what to do with their old phones when they get new ones.”
In her book, she lists websites that pay cash for cell phones and other electronics. To sell an old phone, a good place to start is SellCell.com, a price comparison site that gets quotes from multiple buyers. Smallin Kuper also recommends Gazelle.com, a popular site that pays cash for select cell phones as well as iPads, iPods and Macbooks. According to its website, the company has purchased more than a million items, with the average device fetching $125.
Related: 3 Belt-Tightening Mistakes to Avoid
Another good site is NextWorth.com, which has one of the most extensive buyback lists. This company will purchase your cell phone, laptop, camera, tablet, e-reader, GPS, television, video game console and even your calculator.
When it comes to selling electronics, digital lifestyle expert Carley Knobloch says timing is everything.
"As soon as I got the iPhone 5, I sold my iPhone 4," she says. "I knew it was worth more at that moment than it ever would be."
Knobloch, founder of Digitwirl.com, recommends selling electronics as soon as you upgrade or decide you don’t need it. And to help with resale value, she suggests taking good care of your gadgets, using a case when possible and skipping the custom engraving.
Related: How to Dispose of Old Devices Without Losing Data or Harming the Environment
Most entrepreneurs have a shelf full of books on the latest business trends. Turn them into quick cash by selling to a site that buys books. Start at BookScouter.com, a price comparison site with a database of more than 20 vendors.
Powells is one of the most popular book selling sites. And SellBackBooks.com is a good market for textbooks. Smallin Kuper says she likes this site because of its Android app that lets you scan the ISBN.
Office Equipment and Furnishings
If you have an iPhone, sell office furnishings using the Yardsale iPhone app. Knobloch likes the app because it lets buyers search specific neighborhoods. Other good sites for selling large furnishings include Craigslist.org and Kijiji.com, both of which offer free online classified ads.
Empty Ink Cartridges
Finally, get cash for ink and toner cartridges. TonerBuyer.com buys empty, partially used and new cartridges. Or return empty cartridges to an office supply store, such as Staples or Office Max, and get store credit of $2 per cartridge.
"In our economy, everybody’s looking to make a little extra money," says Knobloch. "Cleaning out the clutter and making extra cash in the process is a great way to do it."
Related: A Checklist for Strategic Cost Cutting | <urn:uuid:294ee22c-25f4-4a30-a939-b5b491f4cc02> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/225054?cam=Dev&ctp=Carousel&cdt=24&cdn=225054 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945938 | 803 | 1.695313 | 2 |
TERRY GROSS, host:
This is FRESH AIR. I'm Terry Gross.
As a Jesuit priest working with gang and ex-gang members in L.A., my guest, Father Greg Boyle, has buried a lot of people, baptized a lot of babies and said Mass in a lot of detention facilities.
He started working with gangs in the mid-1980s. In 1992, he founded Homeboy Industries, for young people ready to leave the gang life. In addition to offering counseling and helping ex-gang members find jobs, Homebody Industry has several businesses, including a bakery, a silk-screen shop and a caf� staffed by former gang members. The idea is to teach them job skills, bring former rivals together and function as both a work site and a therapeutic community.
Father Greg received the California Peace Prize for his work, but times are hard, and Homeboy Industries is now unable to make payroll. The businesses are self-sustaining, but the counseling and administration staffs were laid off on Friday. About 330 of Homeboy's 427 employees were let go, but most are continuing to work without pay, hoping that Homeboy Industries will soon raise enough money to keep the entire operation going.
Father Greg has joined us several times on FRESH AIR. I recorded a new interview with him yesterday. He has a new memoir called "Tattoos on the Heart."
Father Greg, welcome back to FRESH AIR. It's always such a pleasure to talk with you. The last time we spoke, when you were in remission from leukemia, and we were talking about, you know, facing serious illness, you said death is not on my top 10 list of things to dread. I more often than not dread meeting payroll.
So this time, the thing that you really, really dread has happened. You weren't able to meet payroll. So can you talk about what that's been like for you to handle personally?
The Reverend GREG BOYLE (Founder, Homeboy Industries): Yeah, you know, I'm pretty sleep-deprived at the moment. So that's what keeps me awake. And a lot of folks are kind of depending on me, and Homeboy Industries, as the largest gang intervention program in the country, really is this beacon of hope, and there is no Plan B, C or D for these folks when they get out of jail.
Now, we've had lots of white-knuckle rides, and we've just made it a couple times since November. We've been in trouble since November. We sort of publicly announced that, and we got from November to here.
What we really needed was sort of that $5 million cushion when we moved to our new headquarters three years ago, to really factor that in. We built a building, and we kind of vaguely forgot that we were going to put a program in it, and suddenly, we didn't double our the people we served - we quadrupled the people we served.
And so it was just intense. The place was packed, and the recession only added to the need and the fact that we're the only game in town. There is no other place people go to. So it was hard, and we sort of needed an angel, and we didn't get it.
GROSS: So, was it your job to tell 300 people they were being laid off?
The Rev. BOYLE: What I did was we have my council, which is nine of us who run the place, and half of them are homies. And I said, I will speak to this tomorrow at our morning meeting, which happens at 10 minutes to nine every morning.
But all of us, let's spend the day putting our arms around people and saying it's over for now. We're calling it a pause, but let's start to, even me, apply for unemployment, all of us, and - so we can keep the businesses open.
And so when I came back from lunch later on, it was this phalanx of gang members, you know, as I walked from my car to the office, and they were sobbing and hugging me, and we'll get through this, and how could I ever repay you. And I was a basket case by the time I got to the office, because it was so overwhelming and so heartfelt.
GROSS: You know, it's interesting because I was wondering if and apparently, this isn't what happened, but I was wondering, since part of what you preach is hope, that there's hope for people, that there's hope in this world, I was thinking that some of the people who you laid off might kind of be rebuking you, saying yeah, well, you said that there's hope, but obviously, there's not because this is folding, too. Even this opportunity is being taken away from me now.
The Rev. BOYLE: Yeah, you know, I guess there were all sorts of things I expected to happen. And, you know, I was quoted in the L.A. Times as saying, you know, hope has sort of left the building a little bit. And I even regret saying that because the homies, you know, they've sort of taken this battle cry.
In fact, we decided we weren't going to let the press know, right now. Well, you know, let homies be homies. They ended up, you know, calling all the press. You know, suddenly, L.A. Times photographers, ABC News, they're all in our office.
And the ABC News person said we talked to your nice press person, Melissa(ph). Well, she's a homegirl who works in the tattoo clinic, the tattoo removal clinic, you know, and - our press girl Melissa.
(Soundbite of laughter)
The Rev. BOYLE: So, but they decided to do it. And I watched them, and I thought oh, my God, you know, as one of the homies say: if we lose hope, then we will be unable to give hope. This was one of my senior staff who was a gang member.
And I thought that's right. So I've had to slap myself a couple times when I've gotten pretty discouraged. And the homies are all, you know, it's a Frank Capra movie. They're all, you know, we'll put on a show and charge admission. They're they go down to Alvera Street and ask for donations, and then they have a Polaroid camera. They say take a picture with a real, live cholo, one of the guys says, you know.
(Soundbite of laughter)
The Rev. BOYLE: You know, as a fundraiser. You know, I thought, and who doesn't want one of those pictures, you know?
(Soundbite of laughter)
The Rev. BOYLE: So I watched them. Apparently last night, a whole group of them stood at the entrance to Dodger Stadium as the cars back up to get into the parking lot with big, huge cans that say Homeboy and big signs that say Save Homeboy.
They went out and sold my book in front of White Memorial Hospital. They came back with $1,000. So, you know, I'm just letting them do what they need to do, and because this program stopped being my program a long time ago, and it's certainly theirs now.
GROSS: So you're not rewriting your life now. You're still dedicated to making this work?
The Rev. BOYLE: Well, our businesses are open, you know, and the odd thing is, and kind of ironic, I guess, is that our businesses couldn't be more fruitful. You know, the bakery, we've just got all these huge accounts and a brand new French baker.
Homegirl Caf� about to have all their salsas, which is a whole line of them, sold in every store at Ralphs supermarkets on the West Coast. We're being considered, and it looks like we're going to get it, to have a Homegirl Caf� at the new LAX airport extension.
Just huge, you know. The caf� makes double what it made three months ago. Now we are who we choose to be, and it's the best program we've ever had in two decades, the best configuration of it, really.
And then, you know, this happens. You know, the bottom falls out. So my hope is this will be a moment to for people in Los Angeles, especially, to put first things recognizably first and prioritize. You know, people raised $12 million to save the Hollywood sign, and there was this stray alligator named Reggie who they found somewhere, and they rescued him and put him in a pen, and it cost the city of Los Angeles $7.9 million. Well, that's like our annual budget.
And they rescued the Museum of Contemporary Art to the tune of $60 million. We both announced that we were in trouble at the same time, and people came to their rescue and endowed it for $60 million.
So a Warhol, and a Hollywood sign, and an alligator seem to be of more value, frankly, than the 12,000 gang members who walk through our doors every year. So maybe this is a moment for people to go, yeah, that's not right, actually, and maybe we could adjust our giving and our thinking.
GROSS: Let's talk about how what it was like when you started doing this work, when you started working with gang members. What was the gang scene like in L.A., and how would you compare that to what it is now - just in terms of size?
The Rev. BOYLE: Well, you know, numbers are hard to you know, the sheriff will tell you it's 86,000 gang members in L.A. County, and others will say it's closer to 100,000. And the truth is, people probably don't know.
Anecdotally, it feels like fewer people are getting engaged in gangs than when I first began in the mid-'80s. But I always talk about the decade of death, which is '88 to '98, and that was intense, reaching the highest moment in '92 when the county saw 1,000 gang-related homicides.
And just again, anecdotally, you know, I buried eight kids in a three week period - once. And that would be inconceivable now, because, you know, things have calmed down considerably since the horror of that decade of death.
But it was so common in those days: helicopters every night, shootings morning, noon and night and mothers putting their babies in the bathtubs at night in the housing projects, anticipating what everybody knew would happen, which is shooting all night long. So it's hard to even recall that, you know, because it's feeling not ancient history but a long time ago, really. And so obviously, you know, gang-related homicides have been cut in half, and in half again, since 1992. So it's quite different.
GROSS: Why do you think that's happened?
The Rev. BOYLE: Well, again, even law enforcement will acknowledge that Homeboy Industries is part of that, and for sure that's true. Policing got smarter. And since '92, which you recall was the, you know, unrest of '92, things were born at that point where people didn't wait for cities or police to solve this problem.
So Homeboy Industries was born. But so was A Place Called Home and after-school programs and communities and schools, and all sorts of things were born to address every aspect of this, from mentoring to loving, caring adults who paid attention.
People stepped up and saw themselves as stakeholders. So, all that occurred, really, in response to that moment. And so I don't think it's a surprise that frankly, those numbers have gone south. And even with the recession, people, you know, make a connection between the economy going badly and a rise in crime, and that hasn't happened.
In many ways, we need to brace ourselves because it probably will to some extent. But I think it's because we have so many things in place that can hold people and help people, and not just Homeboy but lots of programs, frankly.
GROSS: Now, you say policing got smarter since the '80s. In what ways has policing gotten smarter?
The Rev. BOYLE: Well, the narrative has changed. You know, when I began, it was Daryl Gates, who just died, who was the chief of police, and Operation Hammer, which was kind of a take-no-prisoners kind of approach. And CRASH, which was the gang task force, basically, whose acronym means Community Response Against Street Hoodlums.
Well, it originally was TRASH, Total Response Against Street Hoodlums. But even the LAPD thought that might be a PR disaster if they continued with that name. But that just tells you that was the narrative: gang members demonized, get them, wipe them out.
And frankly, I think Homeboy Industries has helped change the narrative. You know, what if we invested in people rather than incarcerate our way out of this mess? And cops embraced that, as well.
So it was at that point you endlessly heard every chief of police say we can't arrest our way out of this problem.
Well, 25 years ago, that was an enlightened thing to say, and now, you won't find anybody who doesn't say it. And they say you have to do prevention, intervention and enforcement, and nobody said that 20 years ago.
GROSS: My guest is Father Greg Boyle, who works with gang and ex-gang members in L.A. He founded Homeboy Industries. His new memoir is called "Tattoos on the Heart." More after a break. This is FRESH AIR.
(Soundbite of music)
GROSS: My guest is Father Greg Boyle, who has worked with gang members in L.A. since the mid-'80s. He founded Homeboy Industries, which provides counseling and also runs several businesses that are staffed by former gang members. Father Greg had to lay off more than 300 people last week.
Now, at Homebody Industries, you focus on people who want the leave the gang life, and you help them get out of it, but you write in your book that when you started working with gang members, you tried to create truces between rival gangs.
You eventually gave that up. Why did you give that approach up?
The Rev. BOYLE: Well, I always say the same thing, that I don't regret that I did it, and I'd never do it again. And part of the issue there is things are different now.
Gangs used they were indigenous when I did that. Every gang member lived in the neighborhood they claimed as their turf. And now, just about nobody does, or, you know, they live in they're a commuter institution at the moment. They commute from Montebello to the housing projects.
And that's partly due to the Bill Clinton one strike and you're out. So most of them got evicted because of criminal activity. So they don't live there, but they still come down and say this is my barrio, this is my turf, and I claim it.
So that's different. But the main thing is I think if you work with gangs, then you give oxygen to gangs, and it's one of the reasons why gangs are still around. So people who work with gangs...
GROSS: What do you mean by that, you give oxygen to gangs if you work with them?
The Rev. BOYLE: Well, for example, at Homeboy Industries, we always say we don't work with gangs, we work with gang members. So if you work with a gang, and it comes from a bad diagnosis, you end up thinking well, this is Middle East. Maybe this is Northern Ireland. Maybe we sit the two sides down and try to resolve this conflict.
Well, peacemaking requires conflict, and in gang violence, there is no conflict. There's violence for sure, but it's not about anything. So there's no you can't sit down and one side say if only we had our homeland back, or the other said if only we could practice our religion openly.
There are no issues to discuss. It's the language of the despondent. It's the lethal absence of hope that leads a kid, and suicidal tendencies, really, into his enemies' territory. He's not hoping to kill; he's really hoping to die.
Well, that's a whole other language that you don't want to sit it down on a table. You want to get underneath it and address it in a particular way. And besides, people who do this kind of work, working with gangs and truces and peace treaties, they always begin every paragraph with: Gangs will always be with us. So we might as well seek a peace treaty or a truce of some kind.
And the truth is, for 25 years, I've lived in one of the hot zones, they call them, and I've never heard anybody say that their deepest longing is that they want the day to come when gangs get along. They long for the day when gangs aren't part of the landscape and not part of the multiple choice for their kids, you know: A, go to college; B, learn a trade; C, join a gang. Even gang members imagine a future that doesn't include gangs. So...
GROSS: When you were trying to create truces among gangs, was there a certain theater that went along with that?
The Rev. BOYLE: Yeah, I mean, I learned a lot on that, because once they did it, and they brought all these people to the peace treaties, and then, you know, then you discover that everybody's armed. You know, and I thought what am I doing this for? You know, and then I started to do elect three delegates from each side, and as much as they'd say to you, hey, thanks for doing this, we really need to have peace, but the minute they got to the meeting, it was all posturing in overdrive. And I thought oh my God, is this the same guy who wanted to give peace a change, you know, an hour ago?
And so that was hard to deal with. So then I ended up doing these signed things where nobody met with anybody, and they'd be these, you know, pyrrhic victories, you know, like we promise not to shoot into houses, or we won't shoot for the month of August, you know.
So I had those, and then each side would sign it, and it worked. But it didn't get at the stuff you need to get at, which is address and infuse the sense of hopelessness, really.
GROSS: When you were working, years ago, when you were pretty new to this, you said you tried to meet gang members on the street, but that didn't work out very well. It was better to meet them when they were locked up or wounded in the hospital. What was the difference?
The Rev. BOYLE: Well, you know, usually when I started to walk in the projects, you know, they didn't know who I was, and there was no immediate cache. Being a priest was meaningless, even to Latino Catholics, and I was a white guy. So they thought I was a narc, you know.
And so there was always the performance part, you know, where kids had to perform in front of each other, and it was so artificial. But I knew that I needed to visit them once they got locked up or shot, and in the old days, there were more wounded than now, because the caliber of weaponry has changed so much.
So I would go visit them while they were locked or in a hospital, and they were quite vulnerable and teary and deeply grateful that you visited them.
Then they got out. Then they told their homies, hey, that guy visited me. And suddenly you had entre, you know. Suddenly, they were coming to you, and suddenly you had juice or influence, or suddenly you could say stuff and they'd, you know, halfway listen.
GROSS: So you've said that you don't see it as your job to convince people to leave the gang life. You work with people who are ready to and want to leave the gang life. Why is that your approach as opposed to trying to convince people?
The Rev. BOYLE: Well, because it doesn't really operate on a rational plane. You know it's - and the model really that's more helpful is recovery or rehab. So, you know, if you ran a heroin rehabilitation center, you know, you wouldn't be going out to the alleys and say, you know, put that syringe down.
The Rev. BOYLE: Because it takes what it and recovery, 12-step programs, they always say it takes what it takes. And it can take whatever it takes, you know, a recent death of a homeboy or the birth of your son, or a long stretch, you just got out of prison. That sometimes does it. Or who knows? You wake up one day, and you say wow, I am tired of being tired.
Then they walk in the door. Because, you know, in my book, I say a lot of stories of what Teilhard de Chardin used to call the slow work of God, where you have to wait. And you can get to a point where you're going to kind of accelerate this, but no amount of me wanting that guy to have a life is really the same as that guy wanting to have one.
So, you know, ours is a God who waits, and who am I not to? So - but you have to wait. Otherwise, it won't work ever.
GROSS: My guest, Father Greg Boyle, will be back in the second half of the show. His new memoir is called "Tattoos on the Heart." I'm Terry Gross, and this is FRESH AIR. Here's music from Homeboy Industries MySpace page.
(Soundbite of music)
This is FRESH AIR. I'm Terry Gross back with Father Greg Boyle. He's a Jesuit priest who has worked with L.A. gang members since the mid '80s and in 1992 founded Homeboy Industries. In addition to providing counseling and job placement, it runs several businesses, including a bakery, cafe and silk screen shop that are staffed by former gang members. Last week, Father Greg had to lay off 330 of Homeboy's 427 employees. Although, for now, most are continuing to work without pay, hoping that they will soon raise enough money to keep all operations running. Father Greg has a new memoir called "Tattoos on the Heart."
Homeboy Industries has a motto and that motto is on T-shirts and I think probably coffee mugs, because you sell a lot of stuff as part of the Homeboy Industries business.
Father BOYLE: That's right.
GROSS: And so the motto is: Nothing stops a bullet like a job. But you've buried a lot of young people over the years that you've known and worked with. And the tally while you were writing the book was 168. Have you kept count? Like what's the tally now? You say the numbers of deaths have really decreased. The number of shootings has decreased.
Father BOYLE: Yeah. It's still 168 and that was three months ago.
GROSS: So that's good.
Father BOYLE: Yeah, that is good. Yeah, I mean again, it's not like it was. Though, one of the kids I laid off name Omar(ph), he called me on Sunday. He says I have to talk to you, and I laid him off a week before the big layoffs because he was not showing up and we knew we had to lay some people off. So he calls me really quite urgent. And I said well, come over to my office. I'll be in my office. It was just the two of us. And he says, I had to talk to you because I have to thank you for everything you've ever done for me. I kind of went crazy when you laid me off. I was hanging in the neighborhood, in the barrio.
I even was going to tattoo my whole face up, but I didn't do it. And then I woke up the other day and I said I have to thank G for all he's ever done for me, but especially for having laid me off. And he looked at me and he says because it woke my ass up proper. And he sort of decided. And so he enrolled at Trade Tech and wants to study psychology so he can become a counselor. Well, he was shot in the head last night.
GROSS: Oh, God.
Father BOYLE: Yeah. He was sitting in front of his home. And his gang is far away from where he lives, so I don't even know how to piece it together, the gang that's near there. Maybe they thought he was somebody else. But anyway, he's in a coma and I'm actually going to go see him right after this. So, because I haven't been able to, but heartbreaking, you know? And...
GROSS: I'm really sorry to hear that.
Father BOYLE: Yeah. He's such a terrific kid. Such a good kid. And I have it in my mind, you know, this moment with him.
(Soundbite of clearing throat)
Father BOYLE: It was important to him to thank me. You know, he had sort of anchored himself in this gratitude that somehow was very important for him. And he actually didn't have to do that. You know, he just could've gone on with his life, but he especially wanted to thank me for letting him off that somehow it become this alarm clock. And then he got perilously close to the flames and he pulled back and he went no. I've learned something. And he had been with us for about six months. But he was a one foot in, one foot out, and then he decided to put all feet where they needed to be and then this happens. So it's pretty heartbreaking.
GROSS: In your book you write about your first burial in 1988. It was an 18-year-old who had a twin brother. And you describe how the dead 18-year-old's twin was dressed just like his brother in the coffin. What impression did that leave with you?
Father BOYLE: And, you know, how there are identical twins and then there are identical twins. I mean they were so identical that even their mom had a hard time telling them apart. And so, and they happened to choose to wear the exact same clothes and so Roberto(ph) was peering down at Raphael(ph) and it was like you had slapped a mirror there. And he was looking at his mirror image. And so for me, for it to be the first gang funeral I had done, you know, it felt like kind of this image that stayed with me about kids killing their mirror image, you know, and that whoever's in the coffin is identical to the folks who are out there and perhaps, you know, the perpetrators of stuff like this. And interesting, he was stabbed to death, which was again, this was so early in the days when even guns weren't that around as they are now. But yeah, he was stabbed in Hollenbeck Park.
GROSS: Have you baptized babies who've you've watched grow up and then fall into the gang life? Like you've been so hopeful baptizing them and then you see them enter a gang as time goes on?
Father BOYLE: You know, not so much. You know, I mean I think especially the kids who have had contact with Homeboy Industries, you know, they decidedly make a choice and then, you know, you ask them, would you ever want see your son, you know, a part of your gang? And, you know, they always say the same thing. You know, I will beat his ass. You know, or I would try to calm that impulse down. But the point is, I won't let this happen, you know, and they know enough that it's only been a source of, you know, tragedy and heartache and they don't want that for their kids. So, you know, the truth is no. You know, and I have endless stories of kids watching their kids go to college and being so proud of that. And, you know, so I think the cycle gets broken, especially if you can infuse hope in the right way at the right time.
GROSS: My guest is Father Greg Boyle, who works with gangs members and ex-gang members in L.A. and founded Homeboy Industries in 1992. His new memoir is called "Tattoos on the Heart." More after a break. This is FRESH AIR.
(Soundbite of music)
GROSS: My guest is Father Greg Boyle, who has worked with gangs members in L.A. since the mid '80s. He founded Homeboy Industries, which provides counseling and also runs several businesses that are staffed by former gang members. When we left off, we were talking about gang members he's buried and babies he's baptized.
Now you also perform mass a lot in probation camps, which are detention centers?
Father BOYLE: Mm-hmm. Yeah, they're two juvenile halls and youth authority facilities, jails and 20 probation camps.
GROSS: So what are those masses like? What do you do during the masses? And do you deliver sermons?
Father BOYLE: Well, yeah, I think like the book, you know, basically has all the stories that I ever use. You know, I always tell three stories and they're kind of parables that illustrate something. And I try to, you know, take the Gospel and process it for them, and I use their language and I always, you know, I have kind of my method, you know, which is: make them laugh, make them cry, make them think. If each story can have one of those it's been a pretty good day, you know? But I use their language and sometimes it's a little earthy and sometimes it's taken right from their playbook, you know, and stuff they know.
GROSS: So when you use that earthy language, are...
(Soundbite of laughter)
GROSS: ...the people in the detention centers and probation camps surprised to hear that language coming out of the mouth of a priest?
Father BOYLE: Well, a lot of time the earthiness is in Spanish so, you know, but depending on how much people really know Spanish - and I'm often just telling stories as they happen or happened.
GROSS: Oh, so you're quoting people.
(Soundbite of laughter)
Father BOYLE: I'm quoting people so I always keep my distance.
GROSS: You're not responsible.
(Soundbite of laughter)
Father BOYLE: I spoke at this mega Christian church where people were quite horrified. You know, they gave me 45 minutes and I figured well, so I told endless stories, you know, and people were a little bit shocked. And I thought, oh my gosh. Come on. And then asked me questions like, you know, that's all well and good, but I just want to know do you bring gang members to Jesus, you know? And I said well, actually they bring me to Jesus. Which they didn't like that answer either, you know. So, but again it's a big deal but it's sort of how the story works, is to sometimes quote as they say it and then - but then the kids can connect to it and so.
GROSS: Do you measure your success at all by the percentage of people who end up attending church services or becoming, you know, more deeply Catholic?
Father BOYLE: No. You know, I mean I was at a kind of gave a talk and there were some church people there and they said, we just can't get gang members to come to our prayer meetings. I went my God. I said look, unless your church is offering concrete help to those gang members, Jesus is not interested in the prayer meeting. Trust me. It has to begin with, how can I help you navigate your life and recognizing that you are carrying more burden than anybody is? It has to be concrete and it has to begin there. If it ends up in the prayer meeting, all the better, but it can't begin there because people aren't, you know, dying for your message. They're just dying because they can't feed themselves. And so begin there. Roll up your sleeves and do the concrete thing, you know.
GROSS: As a Jesuit priest you took the vow of celibacy. No spouse. No children. Would it be harder to do this work if you had a family? If part of your heart was preoccupied with your family as opposed to the people who you were working with?
Father BOYLE: I suppose so. It's odd. Somebody asked me this last night. Yeah. Yeah, I think it would be. Of course, you know, and there's the kind of a dedication to the thing. Although, I am much smarter about this than I was when you and I probably first talked, because in the old days, you know, I'd ride my bike in the middle of the night and put that Uzi down. Are you sure you want to shoot that guy? And so sleep was not a thing that happened very often and it was crazy. And now I go to bed, you know. So I...
(Soundbite of laughter)
Father BOYLE: And I know that, you know, I can't save anybody anyway. I'm going to do what I can do and then I'm going to knock out at night. So that's what I think ought to happen. Because it was kind of crazy-making and it was -certainly I was just this side of burnout. So and I haven't been close to that for all the stress I go through in my life. I'm a different person than I was long time ago.
GROSS: Tell me more about that difference and how you use your time differently and how you redefine your sense of what you're capable of doing and what you're not.
Father BOYLE: Well, you know, again it's a discovery that, you know, I don't save people. God saves people. I can point them in the right direction. I can say there's that door. I think if you walked through it you'd be happier than you are. But in the old days I'd say, here's the door. Watch me walk in it, you know.
Father BOYLE: And I thought I could do that for people. And, of course, you can't, you know.
But the other thing is you have a lighter grasp on life, which is what you want to have, you know and you want to be able to delight in stuff. You know, the other day, Diane Keaton came to Homegirl Cafe, and - the Oscar-winning actress and movie star - and she came with a regular and she had never been there before. And the place is packed at lunch, you know and it's really gourmet, quite good food. And her waitress was a woman named Glenda. And Glenda's been there, done that, been to prison, gang member, tattoos - she does not know who Diane Keaton is. So she's taking her order and Diane Keaton says well, what do you recommend? And so Glenda says this, this and this, and she rattles off her favorites. And Diane Keaton says well, I'll have that. Then something dawns on Glenda. She looks at Diane Keaton and she says, wait a minute. Where do I know you from? You look so familiar to me. I feel like we've met before. And Diane Keaton sort of deflects it and humbly says, oh gosh, I don't know, I suppose I have one of those faces that people think they've seen before. And Glenda goes, no now I know. We were locked up together.
(Soundbite of laughter)
Father BOYLE: Well, it just took my breath away. And I sat back when somebody told me this and I thought, you know, I wouldn't trade my life for anybody's. And part of having a light grasp is to sort of keep your eyes open and listen more carefully, because in the end, you know, it's not just about going to the hospital right now to see Omar. It's about people being comfortable in their own home sweet home, in their own skin, you know? And people delighting in each other and people discovering each other and the kinship of this a felony-ridden homegirl meeting this movie star, as improbable as this all seems.
GROSS: So you were talking about how there was a time earlier in your life when you'd go on your bicycle in the middle of the night and say, put down that Uzi, and trying to save lives. Did you ever actually save somebody by riding around in your bicycle in the middle of the night?
Father BOYLE: Oh gosh. You know what? Probably. You know, you've got people inside or you know, in those days, you know, if I wasn't on my bike I'd say get in the car. I'm taking you home. No, I just could be here a little bit more long no. Let's go. So I was always rounding up homies. You know, time to go home. You don't need to be out here. And often enough, you know, the shooting would begin shortly thereafter. And, you know, the kid was grateful that I had snatched him up, you know.
GROSS: And were you considered off limits as a target?
Father BOYLE: Well, I mean, I've been in a lot of shootouts, you know. But I, you know, never took it personally because...
GROSS: What do you mean youve been in a lot of shootouts? What does that mean?
Father BOYLE: Well, because, you know, I would be out on my bike and I'd be standing with this group from this gang and in the darkness, in the housing projects and we would just be talking and people would creep up, and open up fire. And - or drive-by and shoot. And they always did the same thing. It was like Secret Service. You know, they'd tackle me to the ground and envelop my body with theirs, so make sure I didnt catch a bullet, always. That never didnt happen.
And so, then the next day I'd go to the offending gang members, at least the gang, I knew the gang and I'd say, wow, I was there last night when you shot, when you guys shot. And once I went to a brother who was from an enemy gang and I said, just to let you know, I was standing there right next to your brother when you guys came over to shoot. And he was one of the shooters. I said, all I could think of was, would you go to your brothers funeral if you were in fact responsible for his death?
GROSS: When we last spoke in 2004, you were in remission from leukemia. So hows your health?
Father BOYLE: I'm good. I'm good. I'm doing okay. You know, the prognosis was like 10 years and I'm at eight. And whatever combo burger they used of the chemo, you know, it was a combination thats been very effective. So I'm doing okay.
GROSS: How did all the work that youve been doing with gang members and ex-gang members, how does that compare to the life you expected to be leading when you first decided that you wanted to be a Jesuit priest?
Father BOYLE: Well, you know, now I've been working with gang members longer, you know, more than half of my life practically, so I dont know. I mean, I -who knows what I thought this life would be when I began this adventure? And I just sort of found myself backed into this reality and therefore, a vocation within a vocation. I'm a Jesuit priest but I, you know, this is what do. I work with gang members and I feel a kind of affinity and gift, even. But who would've thunk it, you know? I mean, I didnt anticipate it. And again, for as stressed out as I am most of the time I still wouldnt trade my life for anybodys because...
GROSS: But what made you feel called in the first place?
Father BOYLE: To be a Jesuit?
Father BOYLE: Well, I mean, I like Jesuits. They taught me. And this was at a particular time when they were hilarious and joyful and nobody funnier on the planet Earth than the Jesuits I knew. And they were getting arrested protesting the Vietnam War. I loved both those things. So you put them together and I thought, boy, thats what I want to do for my life. I want to be prophetic and take stands and stand with those on the margins. And I want to laugh as much as I can.
Thats as deep as the thing was for me when I entered the Jesuits, you know. And then - but within that I thought, well, I want to work with the poor. And then, well, I want to learn Spanish. And that found me at Dolores Mission, the poorest parish in the city, with the highest concentration of gang activity in the world at the time. I didnt know that when I went there and by a long shot. And then, you know, then I kind of found this other way of being as I, you know, continued to be a Jesuit and a priest.
GROSS: So you wanted to take a stand and have a lot of laughs, too?
(Soundbite of laughter)
GROSS: Youve obviously taken a stand. What about the laughs?
Father BOYLE: Oh well, you know, I just think, you know, its just its about delighting, you know? Today is my birthday. So I...
GROSS: Happy Birthday.
Father BOYLE: Thank you very much. And I get endless texts from homies and they're just the sweetest theyve just filled up my cell phone here with texts. But funny, hilarious, sweet, filled with just the greatest expressions of stuff, you know.
GROSS: Will you tell us one?
Father BOYLE: Oh, one of the texts?
Father BOYLE: Well, in deference to you, always I turn my I power off my cell phone, so no, just sweet. I mean, its just filled with, you know, they bag on my hairline and do all sorts of things. And the homies have taught me about texting. This is the thing I love. You know, they lol and btw and omg. And theres a new one, ohn, which apparently stands for oh hell no.
(Soundbite of laughter)
Father BOYLE: And I've been using that one quite a bit lately. But one of my favorites was a homie who was we were driving to go give a talk and he got a text and I said, what is it? Hes chuckling. Oh, its from Snoopy back at the office. And Snoopy and Manuel work together in the clock-in room where they clock in all these people. Its a big job.
And I said whats it say? And he says - and we had just left Snoopy 15 minutes before, so we knew he was in the office - and he says, hey, dawg, its me Snoops. Yeah, they got my ass locked up at county jail. They're charging me with being the ugliest vato in America. You have to come down right now. Show them they got the wrong guy.
So we died laughing. And then I realized that Manuel and Snoopy are enemies, that they used to shoot bullets at each other and now they shoot text messages. And, you know, the word for that I suppose is kinship, you know. And...
GROSS: Thats one of your goals, to get former rival gang members working together...
Father BOYLE: Exactly. If I can get them texting.
GROSS: ...on the job at Homeboy. Yeah.
(Soundbite of laughter)
GROSS: Yeah, get them texting. Yeah. So may I ask how old you are today?
Father BOYLE: I am 56 years old today.
GROSS: Well, Happy Birthday.
Father BOYLE: Thank you.
GROSS: I hope its a good year for you and I wish you really good luck with getting on track with Homeboy Industries and being able to meet payroll again.
Father BOYLE: Great. Thank you, Terry. I appreciate that.
GROSS: Father Greg Boyle is the founder of Homeboy Industries in L.A. and author of the new memoir Tattoos on the Heart. We spoke yesterday. You can read the first chapter from his memoir on our website, freshair.npr.org, where you'll also find a link to the Homeboy Industries website. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
For 20 years, the Rev. Gregory Boyle has run Homeboy Industries, an anti-gang program that employs and is run by ex-gang members in Los Angeles. Boyle recently had to lay off most of his staff because of financial problems. He recounts the decades he's helped ex-gang members turn their lives around in a new memoir, Tattoos on the Heart.
Workers print T-shirts at the Homeboy Industries shop in Los Angeles. A $5 million budget shortfall threatens the organization.
Philip Scott Andrews / AP
Priest Fights Gangs With 'Boundless Compassion'
Homeboy Industries is the largest gang-intervention program in the country, serving the needs of thousands of East Los Angeles gang members who are looking for a way to leave the streets behind. Its motto is: "Nothing stops a bullet like a job." For the past 20 years, the Rev. Gregory Boyle, a Jesuit priest who started Homeboy, has mentored and counseled the more than 12,000 gang members who pass through Homeboy each year to learn job skills, get their gang tattoos removed and attend therapy sessions on everything from alcohol abuse to anger management.
In the past three years, Boyle explains, Homeboy moved to a new headquarters to provide more room for the five businesses it runs for ex-gang members. In that time, Homeboy quadrupled the number of people it serves. Now, the operation is in severe financial trouble. On May 14, Boyle had to lay off most of the employees working at Homeboy. He has stopped taking a paycheck.
"We've been in trouble since November," Boyle tells Terry Gross. "We sort of publicly announced and we got from November to here. But what we really needed was that $5 million cushion when we moved to our new headquarters three years ago to really factor that in. We built the building and ... suddenly, we didn't double the people we served. We quadrupled the people we served. The place was packed and the recession only added to the need and the fact that we're the only game in town. There is no other place that people go to, so it was hard and we sort of needed an angel and we didn't get it."
Boyle recently published a memoir, Tattoos on the Heart, which recounts his decision to leave his position at the Dolores Mission Church in Los Angeles in 1992 to focus on helping ex-gang members find jobs. He says that he looks at his position as a calling.
"I don't save people. God saves people. I can point them in the right direction. I can say, 'There's that door. I think if you walked through it, you'd be happier than you are.' "
On how the gang scene has changed in L.A. since he started working with Homeboy Industries
"The sheriff will tell you it's 86,000 gang members in L.A. County and others will say closer to 100,000 and the truth is, people don't know. Anecdotally, it feels like fewer people are getting engaged in gangs than when I first began in the mid-'80s. But I always talk about the decade of death, which is 1988 to 1998. That was intense -- reaching the highest moment in '92 when the county saw 1,000 gang-related homicides. And just again, anecdotally, I buried eight kids in a three-week period once. And that would be inconceivable now. Things have calmed down considerably since the horror of that decade of death. But it was so common in those days. Helicopters every night; shootings morning, noon and night; and mothers putting their babies in the bathtubs at night in the housing projects, anticipating what everybody knew would happen, which is shooting all night long. So it's hard to ... even recall that because it's feeling like a long time ago, really. So obviously, you know, gang-related homicides have been cut in half and in half again since 1992."
On why he thinks the number of gang-related homicides has dropped
"Even law enforcement will acknowledge that Homeboy Industries is part of that, and for sure, that's true. Policing got smarter. And since '92 -- which you recall was the unrest of '92 -- things were ... at that point where people didn't wait for cities or police to solve this problem. So Homeboy Industries was born. But so was A Place Called Home, and after-school programs in communities and schools and all sorts of things were born to address every aspect of this, from mentoring to loving, caring adults who paid attention. People stepped up and saw themselves as stakeholders. So all of that occurred, really, in response to that moment. So I don't think it's a surprise that frankly, those numbers have gone south. And even with the recession, people make a connection between the economy going badly and a rise in crime and that hasn't happened. In many ways, we need to brace ourselves because it probably will to some extent. But I think it's because we have so many things in place that can hold people and help people."
On the first gang burial he attended, for Raphael, one of identical twins
"There are identical twins and then there are identical twins. And they were so identical even their mom had a hard time telling them apart. ... [T]hey happened to choose to wear the exact same clothes, and so Roberto was peering down at Raphael and it was like you had slapped a mirror there and he was looking at his mirror image. And so, for me, for it to be the first gang funeral I had done. It felt like kind of this image that stayed with me, like kids killing their mirror image and that whoever's in the coffin is identical to whoever was out there." | <urn:uuid:74b22df1-222f-4bf6-be2f-7896f2d676d1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wgbh.org/News/Articles/2010/5/20/Priest_Fights_Gangs_With_Boundless_Compassion.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987291 | 10,861 | 1.507813 | 2 |
December is practically here and in a few short weeks we will officially enter winter. We know you probably want nothing more than to stay inside your home nice and warm, but your landscape will still require upkeep. After all, it is the work you put in now that will produce a gorgeous landscape for you to enjoy in the spring.
Before you wrap up and head out into your yard, know that throughout this month you should…
Deep-root water trees when the ground isn’t covered with snow or frozen.
Spread mulch on perennial beds, shrubs and trees.
Gently remove heavy snowfall from trees and shrubs.
Take note of any design changes you want to make.
Keep walkways clear of snow and ice.
Add winter interest with broadleaf evergreens
Be sure to check back with us for tips and hints on maintaining and designing your landscape as we trek into winter, and remember to give us a call at 303-750-6060 should you need our services!
As of right now Denver is experiencing temperatures true to autumn, but the end of the week could possibly bring those that are drastically lower, reaching a high of only 41 degrees. If it does get that cold we know the last thing you will want to do is spend time cleaning your landscape, so we suggest you do it now. It’s important to clean up your landscape now because leaves and debris left throughout the winter can harbor disease, fungus and pests which can wreak havoc in the spring.
According to the ALCC, important things to do when cleaning up your landscape to prepare for spring include:
Remove all old veggies, vines, leaves and other debris from the garden. .
Remove all weeds.
Add most greens, leaves and small plants to your compost pile. Leave out weeds whose seeds can get back to the garden when spreading the compost, as well as, tomato plants and large-stemmed vines.
If you’d prefer to have the professional help of a Denver landscaper contact Phase One Landscapes at 303-750-6060 to learn more about the maintenance services we provide.
Now that we’ve experienced our first few snow showers it’s time to dig out all your snow clearing gear in preparation for the season, but you may want to make a few changes. If you’ve spent previous years bent over, straining your back to clear the driveway and walkways of your home then you may want to consider investing in a snow thrower.
There are countless options available at various price points, but it’s important that you select one that meets the specific needs of your landscape. For help deciding on the best one to purchase, the ALCC recommends:
A small-size, single stage thrower if your home has a 1 or 2-car garage, driveway and minimum walkway areas clear. It operates best from ½ inch to 9 inches of snow and can move about 1,100 lbs. of snow per minute.
A medium size, single-stage snow thrower if your home has a 2-car garage, wide driveway and some walkways to clear. It can handle ½ inch to 12 inches of snow and move about 1,800 lbs. of snow per minute
A two-stage snow thrower if your home has a 3-car garage, larger driveway and/or large expanses of walkways to clear. It works best at snow depths of 5 inches or more and it can move up to 2,200 lbs. of snow per minute.
Be sure to keep checking back with us for tips and hints on how to clear the snow from the drive and walkways of your landscape!
After spending the entire summer enjoying your landscape your lawn has probably taken quite the beating. To ensure that it looks its best when spring rolls back around we suggest you revitalize it this fall with these five tips.
Return you mower deck to its normal mowing height (about 2 inches tall) and cut your lawn slightly shorter to help prevent the grass from matting down under leaves and snow.
Attack perennial weeds with a spray or granules.
Remove excess thatch.
Apply a top dressing of soil or compost. It improves growing conditions by reducing thatch, increasing the amount of organic matter in the soil, smoothing bumps in the lawn, and lessening the need for fertilizer.
Completely drain your lawn’s irrigation system zone by zone before freezing weather arrives.
If you’d prefer help from a professional landscaper to maintain your lawn this fall call Phase One Landscapes if you reside in the Denver area.
Phase One Landscape’s principal and co-founder Dave Graham sat down with the folks over at Colorado Homes & Lifestyles magazine for their Expert Advice feature. To find out more about what makes this pillar of Denver Landscape Architecture tick, head on over to Colorado Homes & Lifestyles’ website.
Phase One Landscape's Principal Landscape Architect Dave Graham
What questions would you ask an expert in Landscape Design & Construction?
Does Colorado’s unbearable heat have you running for shade every chance you get? We know you want to stay cool, but there are a few chores your need to take care of in your yard garden this August, such as:
Composting: As you may have noticed summer’s heat breaks compost down fast, so start building a new pile for fall now. Set any compost that is currently cooking to the side to continue composting since it’s too hot to place around plants.
Lawn care: Allow your grass to grow higher to provide share to your plants’ roots and to cool the soil. Also remember to raise your mower height so the sun doesn’t scorch your grass soon after cutting.
Tend to houseplants: If you moved any indoor plants outside for the summer remember that they will need fertilizer every 10 to 14 days.
If you would prefer to leave your garden chores in the hands of landscape professionals call Phase One Landscapes at 303-750-6060.
As August approaches and summer begins to make way for fall, you want to get the most out of watering your garden and landscape. To do so keep these tips in mind that we found on BHG.
Avoid watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. During these peak heating hours, more water evaporates than soaks into soil.
Check sprinkler systems. As plants grow wider and taller, foliage can block spray heads or limit water dispersion. Trim offending plants or add a temporary extension to the sprinkler system.
Refresh mulch. Some mulch materials, like straw or grass clippings, break down quickly. Continue to replenish mulch through summer to cool soil and slow water evaporation.
Use a moisture monitor to check soil weekly during prolonged dry periods. If soil is dry several inches deep, it’s time to irrigate. Check soil moisture in lawn and planting beds. You can get a monitor at garden centers or home improvement stores.
Feed as you irrigate. Frequent watering washes fertilizer from containers. Consider mixing liquid fertilizer to half strength and applying at each watering to keep plants in top form.
Check hanging baskets twice daily for dry soil. Because baskets are suspended in midair, their soil temperature is typically warmer than that of pots sitting on the ground. Warmer soil loses water more quickly.
For help maintaining your landscape throughout the end of summer call Phase One Landscapes at 303-750-6060.
After reading our post, Is it Time for You to Hire a Landscape Professional, did you decide that in fact it is time for you to hire a landscaper? If so then this post is also for you! Now that you realize you need a help from a professional there are a few things you need to do before you allow someone to start digging, planting and building things in your yard. Before you hire a landscape architect…
Gather ideas and images on what you’d like your landscape to look like.
Consider how much time you want to devote to maintenance once the landscaper leaves, or if you want them to service your yard regularly.
Create a realistic budget. Well designed landscapes can add as much as 15 percent to the value of your home, so start your budget with 5 to 10 percent of your home’s worth.
Search for a landscape architect. Check to see if they have a degree in landscape architecture, are licensed and have a list of references you can speak to. Also inquire about their fees and services.
If you reside in the Denver area and would like to discuss ideas for your landscape call Phase One Landscapes at 303-750-6060.
The temperature is beginning to raise to extreme heights here in Denver and the hotter it gets the more susceptible your lawn is to endure stress. And as your lawn begins to stress it will notify you by changing colors, from green to a grayish blue color before actually turning brown. It will also be slow to spring back up after it has been stepped on. If you notice that your lawn is beginning to stress from the heat…
Make sure your sprinkler system is in good shape and covering any areas showing signs of stress.
Don’t mow play on, mow or fertilize a stressed lawn until it’s been watered.
Water long and deep between the hours of 10pm and 6am.
If you do have to mow don’t cut off any more than the top one-third of the grass blade and leave the grass clippings on top to provide natural cooling and moisture prevention.
Be patient; it takes 10-21 days for stressed grass to recover. (ALCC)
For professional help dealing with heat stress in your lawn contact Phase One Landscapes at 303-750-6060.
Are you worried that your four-legged pet will cause damage to recently manicured yard or to themselves by ingesting poisonous weeds? If so then there are a few precautions you can take in an effort to make your landscape pet-friendly before allowing to them run freely this summer, such as:
Ward of muddy paw prints being tracked through your home by filling in low areas that collect water or addressing the issue of poor drainage with quick fixes, including placing rocks, gravel or bricks in depressions.
Create a well-worn path along your pet’s usual route across your yard with pave stones to counteract unsightliness and mud.
Create shade for your dog to cool off in, or allow them access to the north and east sides of your home.
Don’t keep you dog confined to your deck because they absorb heat which can lead to heat stroke and they may have splinters if they aren’t sanded regularly.
Compost in an enclosed area because you pet can become sick if they eat decaying compost.
Know which plants and weeds are poisonous and keep them out of your landscape. (ALCC)
For additional help making sure your landscape is pet-friendly contact Phase One Landscapes if you reside in the Denver area by calling 303-750-6060. | <urn:uuid:404c0d06-5fc7-4ffc-841b-45caec1d6cb9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.phaseonelandscapes.com/tag/landscape-maintenance/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939989 | 2,311 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Every fall I reflect upon my first day of school and meeting my first-grade teacher, Miss Pauline Norman.
A few years ago “Little Miss Phillips” and I took a road trip to Richland, Ga., and a peek through the windows of the room where I sat in first-grade.
The south door was ajar, so we crept inside the strangely silent wing of the building that held all 12grades.
I was first taken by the size of the room. In my memory, it was large, but in reality, it was really small.
The blackboard was so much lower and closer to the floor, and Miss Norman’s desk was gone. The pencil sharpener beside the door was gone, but there were bumps below the paint from the screws that held it.
On my knees, I found marks in the floor where small nails were driven to keep student desks in line and remembered when Franklin Beasley stepped on one of them, barefoot of course. We all were during warm weather.
The floors were originally oiled wood and swept using a red, oil-based “sweeping compound” to hold down dust.
Next door was Miss Maggie Dillard’s second-grade class, then Miss Audley Elrod’s third-grade class. I didn't finish with my classmates because we moved in the middle of that school year.
Further down the hall were the classes of older kids. They seemed grown, those fifth- and sixth-graders.
LMP looked around corners as if she was expecting a ghost or a passel of imaginary kids to come flying by.
The auditorium has seen much better days, but while standing at the back, I flipped open an ancient yearbook to show her how it looked when the old brick building was a functioning school.
Classes began by pledging allegiance to the American flag and singing a song or two. The ritual was observed in every room as the day started.
I doubt the same custom is observed today because someone might object, despite the fact that many object that it isn't.
There were bullies in school, of course, but given a bit of time, that problem sorts itself out when people get tired enough of it. It happens that way in life.
The only people who wore sneakers, then called “tennis shoes,” were those who played basketball.
Nobody played tennis. Soccer was unknown. At many rural schools, basketball was an outdoor sport played on packed dirt.
Boys and girls learned to dribble a basketball hunched over, the better to control the basketball when it bounced off of one of the small pebbles that were impossible to remove.
Boys played with boys; girls played with girls. Most boys at about age 10 carried a pocket knife, and to consider it a weapon was unthinkable.
We played dodge ball, red rover, tag, hide-and-seek, most of which are today banned from school playgrounds.
We lined up for immunizations. Everybody got shots.
There were parades through town for every reason, or nearly none. Veterans, fresh from World War II, marched in step.
Schools held programs to display children’s attempts at music in glee clubs and rhythm bands. There was no television to keep people at home, but it was hard to draw a crowd when “Amos ‘n’ Andy” were on the radio.
It is a wonder we survived without having someone tell us we were good when we weren’t, that we had won when we knew we’d lost, that we were popular when we knew we were not.
I hope the community will “repurpose” that old building. It is a moument to education that worked.
Joe Phillips writes his “Dear me” columns for several small newspapers. He has many connections to Walker County, including his grandfather, former superintendent Waymond Morgan. He can be reached at email@example.com. | <urn:uuid:8c0b6fc5-6660-4cab-a8f1-1e77977c8ed4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.catoosanews.com/view/full_story/19979306/article-Column-by-Joe-Phillips--They%E2%80%99re-back-?instance=home_news_lead_story | 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 | 0.990581 | 840 | 1.578125 | 2 |
I recently tried making some soap. I stuck with a simple recipe the first time around. This recipe included olive oil, palm oil, shea butter, and lemon essential oils. The oil turned the soap a sweet balmy yellow color.
Soap making is not nearly as difficult or intimidating as it seems. When I heard about the dangers of lye, I had visions of big vats of boiling liquids bubbling over and burning my hands. In fact, if one is making soap in small quantities, as I am, it's really quite easy, and the amount of lye used is less than the size of a mason jar. I still used safety precautions - my goggles stayed on my face during the lye portion of the day, and I washed my hands over and over. However, don't let the lye scare you.
I'm still working on the cutting part. Mine crumbled a bit when cut.
The soap has to cure for about six weeks. The six week curing process allows the lye to leave, and the soap becomes safe for one's skin.
Soap making can become addicting. I already have several other recipes picked out, and there will be more batches made before the summer ends.
Have you tried making soap? Any favorite recipes, or soap making books? | <urn:uuid:959656af-9566-492e-9e2e-825b430abecd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://homesprout.typepad.com/homesprout/from-the-kitchen/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979703 | 269 | 1.773438 | 2 |
WASHINGTON, May 22 (UPI) -- The U.S. government said it released thousands of documents and dozens of pictures related to a pipeline spill of tar sands oil in southern Michigan in 2010.
The National Transportation Board said that it released 58 photographs and 5,000 pages of documents related the rupture of Line 6B of the Lakehead pipeline system in Marshall, Mich., as part of its investigation.
The NTSB said Enbridge Energy Partners, the pipeline operator, was notified of the leak on Line 6B on the morning of July 26, 2010.
"The pipeline had ruptured 17 hours earlier and spilled about a million gallons of crude oil into the immediate area resulting in extensive environmental damage to Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River," the NTSB said in a statement.
The NTSB said the rupture on the pipeline measured about 6 feet by 4.5 inches at its widest location.
Enbridge last week issued a proposal to the Michigan Public Service Commission to replace more than 200 miles of Line 6B, part of the oil pipeline system transporting so-called tar sands oil from Canada.
|Additional Energy Resources Stories|
ALGIERS, Algeria, May 24 (UPI) --Algeria's government is under pressure to ease its foreign energy investment laws after BP warned it may delay important projects in the North African state.
ARLINGTON, Va., May 24 (UPI) --BAE Systems has received a two-year contract extension from the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command to support its Future Warfare Center. | <urn:uuid:4ed3b9e2-0104-4fa0-8c99-e0d64ddd1a74> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2012/05/22/NTSB-releases-Michigan-oil-spill-documents/UPI-35431337692370/?rel=69841337699206 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961146 | 321 | 1.523438 | 2 |
archive for April, 2010
If you don’t know about Mo Willems, you’re missing out. His books are smart, clever and break all the right rules of children’s books. For example, why does the main character have to be a bunny or a mouse? Why not a naked mole rat? He’s had a New York Times Bestseller, received several Caldecott Honors and even won 6 Emmys from his days as a writer and animator for Sesame Street. We love him, and you will too. Get ‘em here.
I’ve been sitting on this post for months because it didn’t seem fair to get people excited about trying some of these fun ideas and then not be able to get outside to do it (without risking hypothermia). Well ladies and gentleman, Spring has sprung!
Quite a few years back my wife, looking for a gift for her 10-year-old (at the time) niece who was visiting us in New York, bought the activity book called Tricky Pix (by Klutz). They had an absolute blast. These are a few examples of their efforts.
German photographer Jan von Holleben has made a career out of this kind of playful camera trickery. His images will undoubtedly provide you with plenty of ideas for trying some creative stunts with your kids. | <urn:uuid:0ea6421e-a0b5-451d-a70b-a660ecd5f2ad> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://weeseeworld.com/site/2010/04/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97716 | 283 | 1.601563 | 2 |
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Electrified Urban Mobility Will Start With Wi-Fi Scooters
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Did you know that more than 100 million electric vehicles are already on the road in China? It’s true. But almost all of them are two-wheelers.
Three of the star vehicles at this year’s Paris Motor Show give the impression that major automakers believe that the streets of Europe and the United States could move in the same direction.
Electric scooters from Smart and Mini, as well as the E-Peugeot Vivacity—currently on display in Paris—are all aiming for the nascent electric scooter market, which Thomas Weber, Daimler’s management board member responsible for research and development, says will be “huge.”
The three models claim similar metrics: a driving range of about 60 miles, a recharge time of approximately four to five hours, and a top speed of about 30 miles per hour. This level of performance and range is well suited to traveling in a city.
The Lines Blur Between Small Cars and Two-Wheelers
“When our customers speak enthusiastically about their Smart they describe the perfect city car that is maneuverable, flexible, safe, spacious and fast and offers lots of driving fun, on the road and when looking for a parking space,” said Dr. Annette Winkler, head of Smart. She believes that a Smart electric scooter will answer the same needs—and that the fuel-efficient Smart ForTwo, the upcoming all-electric Smart Electric Drive minicar, and the Smart eScooter will form a continuum of green mobility options.
That’s similar to Mini’s approach. In fact, the drivetrain of Mini’s electric scooter is based on that of the Mini E: a single electric motor is integrated into the rear wheel hub, and power comes from a compact lithium ion battery stored under the seat. Peugeot’s scooter also features a battery management system, an on-board charger and a charging cable situated beneath the seat.
Expect more two-wheel concepts from automakers as they attempt to transfer the design, styling and technology of small electric cars to two-wheel scooters, funky mobility pods, and other alternatives.
It’s All About Connectivity
It’s easy to imagine hip, high-tech urban dwellers adopting wired electric scooters in Paris and Rome, but Americans have been slow to embrace scooters.
As with the next wave of super fuel-efficient small gas-powered cars, such as the Ford Fiesta and FIAT 500, manufacturers are trying to make scooters more attractive by adding high-tech features, such as smart phone capability. In fact, in the Mini eScooter, a smart phone acts as the ignition key and provides the connectivity for navigation applications. A Bluetooth-enabled helmet will allow drivers to make calls on the go. Given these distractions, it’s good that the Smart eScooter also features blind spot monitoring and an air bag for safety for protection in the event of frontal impact.
Many of these models are still in concept phase. The price tag for these feature-rich green electric scooters, not yet available, will ultimately decide if the future of electric transportation will come on two wheels as well as four. | <urn:uuid:3f79e784-a277-4bf4-8aaf-4668fb7487a5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hybridcars.com/electrified-urban-mobility-will-start-wi-fi-scooters-28672/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930988 | 690 | 1.828125 | 2 |
Waves began in October 1992 with the introduction of the first audio plugin, the Q10 Paragraphic equalizer. The Q10 broke new ground in three major areas. First, it was the debut of the audio signal processor plugin, a tool commonly used today. Second, its graphic user interface gave users unprecedented control and eliminated the requirement for a DSP engineering background since it automated the filter coefficient calculations. Finally, the revolutionary Q10 offered sound quality equal to or better than many of its hardware counterparts.
Another highlight of Waves’ first decade of success was the development of the L1 Ultramximizer™, which established a new benchmark for dynamic controls. Still considered innovative over a decade later, countless L1s are an integral part of studios all over the world. Propelled by an increasingly comprehensive product line, Waves quickly became a favorite of engineers worldwide and the choice of recognized audio masters. | <urn:uuid:d71ea2da-5493-4e05-8526-109c453c61c0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://soundwrx.net/digitalmusicreviewsblog/waves-audio | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.952428 | 184 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Earthdog Eco-Friendly Hemp Rope Toys are made from 100% hemp! They're perfect for heavy chewers and dogs that love a good game of tug-of-war. Made in the USA.
For more durable, hemp products from Earthdog click here.
Earthdog strives to create unique, eco-conscious products that dogs and people alike will love. Hemp, with its amazing versatility, has enabled them to create an entire product line of eco-friendly, durable goods.
In the past year, Earthdog has formed Kody's Fund, a non-profit organization set up to promote spay and neuter programs. Over 20 million animals are put to sleep each year because there are not enough homes for them. You can do your part by spaying or neutering your pet and making sure your pet has ID tags on at all times. Through education, everyone can promote awareness and responsible pet ownership.
Facts About Hemp
Hemp is the solution to many of the problems that are facing the modern world: deforestation, acid rain, the green house effect, erosion, pollutants, starvation, and limited fossil fuels; and hemp production could provide jobs and increased revenues to our rural areas.
- Grown pesticide/herbicide-free
- 100% biodegradable
- Longer, stronger, more absorbent, and more insulative than cotton fiber
- Hemp has no illicit use; it is the equivalent of non-alcoholic beer
- Anything that can be made out of wood or plastic can be made from hemp
- Farming only 6% of the US with hemp could produce enough energy to end America's dependence on fossil fuels
- The first paper was made from hemp as well as the first draft of the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and the first Gutenberg Bible
Review Rating: 4
Country of Origin: USA | <urn:uuid:4026d917-20b0-46c3-8e0e-5e9a7c3f2d64> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Earthdog-Hemp-Rope-Toys/206200.aspx?bcc=NEWCUST | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936943 | 382 | 1.554688 | 2 |
Phyo Min Thein, the chairman of the Union Democracy Party, recently announced his resignation, saying that the military regime-sponsored 2010 election would not be free and fair. Among the 40 political parties currently registered with the Union Election Commission (EC), the UDP chairman was the first party leader to resign. Phyo Miin Thein, 41, took part in the 1988 uprising. He was arrested in 1990 and released in 2005. Irrawaddy reporter Ko Htwe interviewed Phyo Min Thein about his resignation and the planned election.
Question: Why did you decided to take part in the coming election and what made you withdraw from it?
Answer: I thought if we endorsed the 2008 Constitution, it could help to end the military rule by forming a new government consisting of civilians and military personnel. I also hoped that there would be a new order with the emergence of political parties, entities and multi-social classes, which would help to march toward democracy and of course, that will also gradually assist to bring us to a new democratic nation. I simply expected there to be that sort of political arena. That's why I decided to take part in the election.
Even though the army will have an automatic 25 percent of the seats in the parliament, we decided to contest the election with an expectation that people can directly elect 330 legislators out of 440. If the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), the National Union Party (NUP) and other democratic parties contest the rest of the 75 percent of seats in free and fair circumstances, we, the democratic forces, will win the election. But, the USDP led by the regime's Prime Minister Thein Sein, formerly known as Lt-Gen Thein Sein, has attempted to create conditions in which they will win the election, and they have effectively undermined the rights of other democratic forces.
For instance, the USDP built concrete roads for some communities. Then, community members had to apply for the USDP membership. The pressure on the community members to apply for party membership directly came from members of the Ward Peace and Development Council. The EC did not say anything about it while it issued different orders to hinder the movements of democratic forces. The EC has clearly ignored the USDP's coercive methods in recruiting new party members. I didn't think the coming election would be free and fair. Therefore, I walked away from such circumstances, believing that it wouldn't be right to take part in the election.
Q: When you decided to contest the election, you ignored the injustices in the 2008 Constitution?
A: I have my own reasons to accept the 2008 Constitution. I do not like that Constitution, but I just try to make a better condition out of it. For instance, when I was in prison, we knew that the jail manual hardly protected us from abuses, but we used it. When we experienced ill-treatment from prison officers, we asked the prison authorities to treat us in conformity with the manual. Just like that. We know and accept that the 2008 Constitution has loopholes in protecting us and is not based on democratic principles. If we accepted the Constitution, we thought we could prevent a system in which orders from the authorities' mouths became laws.
Q: Your statement cited the unfair treatment by the EC, and how it prevents the holding of a free and fair election.
A: From a party's fund raising activities to campaigning, democratic forces have been limited by different regulations and orders released by the EC, but it turns blind no matter what the USPD does. For instance, Deputy Minister Aung Myo Min of the Ministry of Education stressed in a speech at the University of Foreign Languages that if the USDP did not win the election, a coup would be staged. That was a plain insult to the credibility of the election. The EC did not take any action against that statement. Such action destroyed my expectation that the EC would work in a fair manner.
Q: Are the campaign activities of the USDP in accord with the law?
A: The election laws and regulations control the activities of political parties. But, the USDP is above the legal framework of the election. No person or party should be above the law. The USDP goes far beyond the limitations promulgated by the election law. For instance, receiving state-owned funding and property. That violates the regulations stipulated by the election law. The EC just ignored the law. In order to hold a free and fair election, the election law should not be biased. But, some EC laws make it difficult for the newly founded parties with poor financial backing to organize.
Q: Your statement also said that the election would not fulfill your pre-election goals for all people to get involved in the election and for all political prisoners to be freed to participate in politics.
A: Political prisoners need to participate in Burma's politics, as all the people of Burma do. We have put our efforts into establishing an environment where media freedom and fair elections can exist. But I don't see any indication that political prisoners will be freed. We have also seen tight restrictions upon the media, which is in a difficult situation in reporting on political parties.
Q: How significant is the release of political prisoners in Burmese politics?
A: Many key players in Burmese politics are still behind bars. Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and ethnic leader Khun Htoon Oo and student leaders Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi and Htay Kywe are serving long imprisonments. They have not been allowed to participate in politics so far. The election will be held without them. I don't think there should be an effort to keep them out of Burmese politics.
Q: You mean they would contribute something unique to Burmese politics?
A: If they were allowed to participate in politics, we would have leadership within the political opposition. Through dialogue between the regime and Aung San Suu Kyi, we would create national reconciliation that embraced all of our political forces, ethnic leaders and the military. Then, our country could be developed as a brand new country on a genuine democratic path.
Q: How do you see the future and the ability of political parties to organize and campaign?
A: There are a lot of anxieties among the people at the township level about participating in a party's campaign activities. It's a fear that has existed in our society for 20 years, and it prevents our people from entering politics. If they become involved, people are afraid they will be detained. That effectively undermines organizing work as well as campaigning. People are also feeling pressure from the former members of the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) and Swan-Arr-Shin (a militia-like organization backed by the ruling regime to oppress the opposition) at the township levels.
Q: How significant is the freedom of the media in realizing a free and fair election?
A: This is one of the most important factors. The election will be determined to be free or not only if the media can also enjoy the freedom necessary to do it works. The government may claim it is unfair, but the media could highlight the whole situation as a forth force. By doing so, all people could be informed, as well as the international community. The media could make things more balanced. That's why media freedom is necessary.
Q: What sort of difficulty did you face when you published your party bulletin?
A: At the time our party bulletin was released, we were told by the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division (PSRD) that the publication was more like a journal, and it should be limited to writing about party affairs. Also, we were instructed to consult with the PSRD on the matter of publication. More oppressive orders came in publishing the party's bulletins.
Q: The USDA “Constitution” has been released. It takes an aggressive stand toward other parties and talks about recruiting thugs at the grassroots levels. Were you surprised?
A: The USDP has simply inherited the USDA, which uses the Swan Arr Shin as a tool of oppression. The Depayin incident is an example. Under democratic principles, someone shouldn't be defined as an enemy based on their holding different opinions. We must accept diversity. But as long as the USDP uses unfair methods to compete in the election, Burma will continue to struggle with an authoritarian regime.
|< Prev||Next >| | <urn:uuid:ce71066e-5228-4781-b064-30b1fe758491> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://election.irrawaddy.org/interview/403-walking-away-from-an-unfair-election.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97551 | 1,731 | 1.523438 | 2 |
A Lebanese blogger gives his prognosis on the situation in Syria; Twitter: Welcome to the jungle; Is Qatar playing the role of peace-keeper with the Taliban? ; The US Ambassador in Yemen sticks his foot in his mouth.
Syria has been described as being held hostage by its current regime. Yet, Zak from Lebanon has taken it a step further by giving his own diagnosis on some Bashar-loving Syrian citizens: Stockholm Syndrome.
"Moreover, Wikipedia quotes the FBI’s Hostage Barricade Database System which shows that roughly 27% of victims show evidence of Stockholm Syndrome. We can then conclude that 73% of Syria’s population are currently protesting or taking a stand against the regime."
At best, the Internet is chaos. According to this Jordanian blogger, the messy world of Twitter is a jungle. It can easily switch from being the "window for the rest of the world" to glorious trolling torment. And the jungle is full of trolls! Consider yourself warned.
With the shifting role of US involvement in the region, the Taliban finds itself in a new place within the Middle Eastern political arena. And in this case, Qatar might be trying to play the role of peace-keeper by giving the Taliban a place to set up its new official headquarters.
"Overall, while this move is certainly a step towards brokering some kind of peace in Afghanistan, opening up far greater possibilities of meaningful interaction between all sides, it is but the first step along a long and winding road."
The Angry Arab News Services has give us all a bit of news to prompt the desire that US ambassadors should use their words more wisely. Also, it is advised not to peace march to the White House- ever.
"Being peaceful isn't just about not carrying weapons. If 2,000 people decided to march on the White House, we wouldn't consider it peaceful and we wouldn't permit it." | <urn:uuid:aca46d4f-52da-4a03-9963-a18825eeba08> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.albawaba.com/print/blog_roundup/syrian-stockholm-syndrome-408132 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962471 | 387 | 1.507813 | 2 |
The book is mainly written (it can seem tautological but I think that’s right to point it out) with a lot of photos. I think the reason of the “hugeness” of the file is given by the photos. Speaking of them, I think that some of them are really useful to understand the concepts that are being explained in the text, while others can be removed without removing any value from the book.Speaking of the authors, it’s really interesting to spend a few words on their biography. James H. Carrott is really interested in history, while Brian David Johnson is a futurist at Intel. Two people with such a different background have been able to create a very high-level book.
I would strongly suggest this great book to anyone that is interested in understanding deeply the Steampunk culture. This reading can be perfect for both the person who wants to discover the Steampunk world for the first time, and to who has already a knowledge of this world and wants to improve it and have some new points to ponder.
You can find this book at the O’Reilly on-line store.
Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book as part of the O’Reilly Blogger Program | <urn:uuid:14c106d2-4b98-4e31-a10f-96de30ede7f2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://fabiolocati.com/2013/02/vintage-tomorrows-a-historian-and-a-futurist-journey-through-steampunk-into-the-future-of-technology-by-brian-david-johnson-and-james-h-carrott-oreilly-media/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974395 | 260 | 1.523438 | 2 |
The Internet of 1995 offered far fewer tools for the socially conscious shopper. These days, Shopping for a Better World or the Fair Trade Federation are good places to consult in order to reduce your overall level of liberal guilt. There's also an iPhone app named CauseWorld that allows you to feel better about using a device assembled by exploited workers. The point is, it's impossible to live and spend without having a negative impact somewhere, but awareness of where your money goes gives you some leverage. The more informed you are about your impact, the better able you are to make the right choices.
Usually these talks tend to get kind of bleak, touching as they do on the corruption of our major institutions and the uncertain outlook for the planet. Invariably I'm asked the question, "What is to be done?", as if I had any idea. In order to have something to say, I generally recommend three types of action.
First, educate yourself and others about the power-addicted greedheads, since knowledge is power. Second, lend your support to some sort of organization working for justice, like Greenpeace or Amnesty International, since there is strength in numbers. And third, participate in electoral politics (if only in self-defense), since if you don't, it will be left to the Christian Coalition and their ilk, with predictable results.
Lately it occurs to me that there's a fourth avenue, possibly more efficacious than the other three combined: withdraw your support from multinational corporations.
Not all of them; just the nastiest ones. But if you believe, as I do, that the abuse of corporate power is at the heart of economic and environmental injustice, it behooves us to identify the malefactors and spend our money elsewhere, preferably locally.
Which is easier said than done.
I heard back from a dear friend who found my Rant in the March issue, on why I became a vegetarian, insufferably self-righteous. The message he took from it was "I'm saving the planet and you're not." So rather than tell you how to live your life, let me just confess my own sins.
I've been driving my girlfriend's car all over Tucson (placing newsracks), giving my money to rapacious oil companies. I bought shirts from the department store, made in Chinese sweatshops by workers earning 50 cents an hour. I ate at a Pizza Hut, thus helping to add to the millions of dollars earned by that notorious liar, Rush Limbaugh. And I've bought beer from the RJR Nabisco company, thus adding to the campaign coffers of that dangerous bigot Jesse Helms.
It's not always easy to arrange your life in such a way as to avoid contributing to oil companies, agribusiness, timber giants, pharmaceutical concerns, and other corporate criminals. We all do what we can, and I'm determined to do better. It makes little sense, after all, to complain about corrupt politicians while ignoring the less accountable institutions that corrupt them.
If you do want to save the planet before it's too late, the best thing you can do is behave as if every dollar you spend makes a difference...because it does. The boycotts against GE and Nestle did have an effect. And not to be too self-serving about it, but virtually every advertiser in this paper is feeling the squeeze from national or multinational chains. Some cities have experimented with locally-based currencies; maybe that's an idea whose time has come.
Nobody says this is going to be easy. But, hey, you asked. | <urn:uuid:c0894c24-6ec8-410b-9083-4e64a416d026> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.markzepezauer.com/2011/03/1995-what-is-to-be-done.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96662 | 733 | 1.53125 | 2 |
We are thrilled and blessed each and every time a child is baptized and begins their journey towards full initiation in the Catholic Church. The decision parents make to baptize their child in the Catholic Church is an invitation to the parish community to journey with them in the faith development of their child. To help parents understand the full meaning of baptism before baptizing their child, we ask parents attend a Baptism Preparation class. This class is offered once a month, usually on the 2nd Monday at 6pm. For more information, please contact Mayme Hofland at (218) 736-2429 or firstname.lastname@example.org. | <urn:uuid:4b14a525-342d-4c3d-84d0-febda039b65c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ffolvchurch.org/ministries/baptism-preparation/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970452 | 131 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Bachelor of Architecture Program
The Bachelor of Architecture Program is a professional program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) requiring a minimum of five years of study. Most states require individuals intending to become architects hold an accredited degree. These professional degrees are structured to educate those who aspire to registration and licensure to practice as architects. The Bachelor of Architecture program has been ranked among the top fifteen programs in the United States by Design Intelligence every year since 2000. The program has been ranked as high as seventh and is currently ranked eleventh among all programs nationally and fourth regionally.
The 170 credits required for the Bachelor of Architecture degree are organized into three categories: a core or required courses in architecture study, liberal arts courses and electives. The core of 95 credits is primarily taken in the first three years and is designed to give the basic professional preparation in architectural design, construction technology, graphic communication and humanistic aspects of design.
The liberal arts areas require 48 credits, of which 12 are taken within the School of Architecture, 6 credits in Humanities and Media Studies, 6 credits in Cultural Studies, 6 credits in Mathematics and Science, and 6 in Social Science. The remaining 12 credits are taken as elective courses from the School of Liberal Arts and Science. The remaining Electives category is composed of 15 credits of professional electives selected from courses offered by the School of Architecture’s undergraduate program, and 12 all-institute electives, selected from courses offered by any school in the Institute. By purposefully selecting courses within all elective areas during their last four semesters, students can develop their own unique architectural education based on their own needs and goals. This personalized fourth-year curriculum is directed toward a culmination in the fifth-year degree project. Individual curricula may be developed to place more emphasis on such subject areas as design, preservation, building technology, history & Theory, planning, construction management and urban design in the final two years of study.
The degree project year completes the student’s academic architectural experience with an in-depth design study, preceded and accompanied by research. The degree project is executed with the guidance from critics chosen by the student. Undergraduate architecture students may also be interested in a Minor in Construction Management as well as options combining the undergraduate degrees with various master’s degrees in planning and facilities management.
Office of Undergraduate Architecture
School of Architecture
61 St. James Place
Higgins Hall North #101
Brooklyn, NY 11238 | <urn:uuid:bd9ffa6e-baed-4f74-bcdc-00ae5a1233e3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pratt.edu/academics/architecture/ug_dept_architecture/ | 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 | 0.956727 | 508 | 1.773438 | 2 |
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